The Israeli army kidnaps civilians in the West Bank, and police lock down Jerusalem's old city. These stories and more coming up stay tuned.


The News Cast

The Israeli army invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia on Tuesday and kidnapped an elderly Palestinian woman.

Local sources said that the troops surrounded the house of Adlah Yasseen, 52, then took her to an unknown location after searching the house. The Israeli army claims her son, Mohamed, is a member of the al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas movement in the city.

Local sources said that the Israeli military is using his mother to force Mohamed to surrender. Elsewhere, the Israeli military kidnapped one Palestinian civilian during an invasion targeting Al Thahriya town near the southern west Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday.

Local sources said Israeli troops searched and ransacked homes in the town before taking Osamah Sa'adah away. The sources added that the military attacked the town on Tuesday at dawn and searched homes. The Israeli military announced that troops found weapons stored in a house in the village during the dawn invasion.

In other news, the city of Jerusalem was on a total lock down as Pope Benedict the sixteenth visited Islamic, Christian and Jewish holy sites in the old city.
On Monday The Israeli police closed down a Press office set up by Palestinians in the city to provide Press services for local and international Media during the Pope's visit. Ahmad Al Ruwidi, head of the Jerusalem affairs unit in the Palestinian President Office, says this is an attempt to sideline the Palestinian community in the city:

"Israel wanted to present the city as it is unified Israeli city and to not allow the Pope to see and hear what the Palestinians living in the city of Jerusalem are facing."
In Gaza, Christian clerics and Palestinian officials said some 150 of 250 Christians who applied to leave the Hamas-ruled coastal territory to attend a papal mass in Jerusalem or Bethlehem had been denied permits to do so. Israel confirmed that about 100 had been permitted to exit from Gaza. Israeli officials have said they do all they can to ensure free access to holy sites, but have imposed some restrictions because of security concerns.

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 by Ghassan Bannoura.