Palestine Today 080609
Audio Dept. | 08.06.2009 15:46 | Palestine | World
Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org for Monday June 8th, 2009.
The Israeli military kills four men in Gaza and attacks farmers in the West Bank. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The News Cast
Four Palestinian men were reported dead in an Israeli shelling targeting the border areas near Gaza city on Monday.
The Palestine information center in Gaza reported that the men were part of a group of fighters that clashed with Israeli soldiers at the borders in an attempt to capture Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli military told media that soldiers clashed with armed men on the borders close to Gaza city then an army helicopter attacked the group killing four.
Palestinian medial sources in Gaza reported that four bodies were arrived at Gaza city hospital but said the number may increase as ten other were injured in the Israeli shelling among them critical injures.
Elsewhere the Israeli military kidnapped a Palestinian farmer from the village of Awarta in northern West Bank on Monday afternoon, after the settlers had destroyed his land.
Local sources said that Suleiman Qawarik, 37, arrived at his lands near his village after settlers set fire to his crops the night before. Shortly after he arrived at his land Israeli soldiers came and kidnapped him and took him to an unknown location, local sources added.
Settlers and the military have stepped up their attacks in the northern West Bank since the start of last week.
Also in the West Bank Five Palestinian civilians were kidnapped during Israeli military invasions targeting a village near the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Monday morning.
Local sources reported that Israeli troops invaded farm lands that belong to Palestinians farmers from Al Bak’a village near Hebron and kidnapped four men and one old lady as they were working on their lands.
Earlier in the day the Israeli army attacked farm lands near Al Bak’a village and bulldozed huts and water wells that the famers use. At least five villagers were beaten when they tried to prevent the army from damaging their property.
Conclusion
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"The Israeli military kills 4 men in Gaza and attacks farmers in the West Bank"
08.06.2009 16:28
Two acts of Zionist aggression, eh?
What really happened:
Hamas fails to kidnap Israeli soldiers in major assault from Gaza
DEBKAfile Special Report
June 8, 2009, 11:45 AM (GMT+02:00)
DEBKAfile's military sources report at least four Palestinians killed after Israeli air force helicopters went into action against Palestinian gunmen who mounted coordinated assaults at several points on the border early Monday, June 8. At least three Palestinian organizations, Hamas, Jihad Islami and Fatah-al Aksa Brigades plus the al Qaeda cell, opened automatic-machine gun-mortar fire on the Nahal Oz sector in the north, the Karni crossing in the center and Nir Oz opposite Khan Younes in the south.
In the Karni sector, 10 gunmen crossed the border, some on horses, under cover of early morning mist and attacked an Israeli Golani patrol in an apparent attempt to snatch soldiers.
A fierce firefight developed under added Palestinian mortar cross-border fire from Gaza. Israeli helicopter missiles struck the mortar crews. Several Palestinian casualties are reported from Sejayia.
As Golani reinforcements drove across the border in pursuit of the gunmen, Palestinians blasted Israel forces in the Nahal Oz sector with mortars. Israeli tanks and helicopters struck back.
At Nir Oz, Israel helicopters fired missiles at the sources of Palestinian fire, causing casualties.
DEBKAfile's military sources report that the rejectionist Palestinians who rule Gaza have held back from major armed assaults on this scale since Israel's Gaza offensive ended in six months ago.
Our sources say they were stirred into action Monday by one non-event and two events:
1. They planned to show the flag for a victorious Hizballah and mark Hamas-Hizballah solidarity by kidnapping a number of Israeli soldiers (after holding Gilead Shalit for more than three years). As it turned out Hizballah was defeated, contrary to all expectations, and Hamas failed to abduct any Israeli soldiers, none of whom were lost or injured.
2. US Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrives in Israel and the Palestinian Authority Monday, June 9. Hamas broadcast a reminder to Washington, Jerusalem and Ramallah that no decisions on the Palestinian issue could be carried through without its assent.
3. This was Hamas' reply to US president Barack Obama's Cairo appeal for negotiation and recognition. Orders from Tehran and Damascus, the Palestinian terrorists responded with a fresh round of armed violence.
Haw-Haw Watch
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