Israeli settlers injure 27 Palestinian villagers in the West Bank, while the army kidnaps another seven; these stories and more coming up; stay tuned.

The News Cast

12 residents were shot and wounded by Israeli gunfire and 15 others were treated for gas inhalation after a group of extremist Israeli settlers attacked Safa village, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Wednesday.

When villagers from the nearby Beit Ummar and Surif rushed to the area to help stopping the settlers attack, soldiers intervened to stop the settlers and ordered them to return to their illegal outposts of Beit Ayin, local sources reported.

Israel's military said Palestinians began throwing stones as settlers marked a Jewish blessing on a nearby hilltop. However, villagers say the settlers stormed the village and attacked them first, leading to the clashes.

One teenage settler was killed and another injured when a Palestinian man attacked Israeli settlers in the illegal settlement of Bat Ayin last Thursday. The attacker was not caught and villager of Safa told reporters they had nothing to do with last week's attack.

Elsewhere seven Palestinian civilians were kidnapped at dawn on Wednesday during an Israeli military invasion targeting the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Palestinian sources said that Israeli military vehicles stormed the old part of the city and nearby Balata and Askar refugee camps. Witnesses reported that troops searched and ransacked a number of homes before taking the seven men to unknown detention camps.

In Gaza, The Irish Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams visited the Strip on Wednesday to tour areas that were attacked by the Israeli military during January's Cast Lead operation.

Adams told reporters that what happened in Gaza was wrong, adding that Gazans have the right to live in harmony and security. Regarding the ongoing siege on the Gaza strip imposed since June 2007, Adams called upon Israel to open all crossings; allow all supplies into Gaza; facilitate patients' travel and end the siege.

Since June 2007, Israel has allowed only limited amount of supplies into the costal region. UNRWA and other aid agencies operating in Gaza say that these are not enough to cover the needs of the 1.5 million Palestinian living in Gaza. In related news, the Israeli military today allowed food supplies to enter Gaza via Karen A crossing, but announced that no more supplies will be allowed in till next week.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you Mary Arthur and Ghassan Bannoura.