U.S. Congress Delegation visits the Gaza Strip and the Israeli municipality hands demolition orders to Palestinian families in Jerusalem, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

A U.S. Congress Delegation visited the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing that connects northern Gaza with Israel.

The delegation visited areas in the strip that were attacked by Israel during the 22 day Cast Lead offensive earlier this year. The groups then met with John Ging, the director of UN operations in Gaza, before leaving the Strip.

Meanwhile the Israeli military invaded border areas in the central Gaza Strip. Local sources said that five tanks and two bulldozers invaded the Al Burijj refugee camp and opened fire at resident homes.

The bulldozers leveled three homes that were already damaged during the Cast Lead operation. No injuries were reported.

Elsewhere a number of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem received demolition orders for their homes.

The Israeli municipality said that the homes are built without the needed permission. Palestinian sources say that around 1,200 homes and other structures owned by Palestinian families have been giving demolition orders since the start of this year.

Since Israel occupied the city of Jerusalem in 1967, it has rarely given Palestinian residents permissions to build homes, while it continues to construct settlements in and around the city, an act illegal by international law.

In other news the Israeli military decided to Transfer a Palestinian political prisoner form the West Bank to Gaza.

49 years old Fared Al Akhrass from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, was kidnapped four days ago. According to his lawyer, the military court didn’t charge Al Akhrass. The decision to sent Al Akhrass to Gaza was made because the man was born in Gaza.


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.