One patient died in the Gaza Strip due to the siege while nine civilians were kidnapped by the military in the West Bank. These stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast

A Palestinian man died on Wednesday after he was not allowed to leave the Gaza Strip to get the life saving medical care he needed.

Doctors said that Fareed Abu Odeh, 41 years old, had cancer, they added that his family applied for all needed documents to leave Gaza to get medical care but the Israeli military delayed the approval until he was pronounced dead today.

Israel started its siege on the Gaza Strip in June 2007, rendering the 1.5 million Palestinians living there lacking food, medical and fuel supplies.

The Palestinian health Ministry announced on Wednesday that with the death of Odeh today the number of patients that died because of the siege has now reached 361. On Tuesday a 13 year old boy died because of the siege, he also suffered from cancer.

Staying in Gaza, a number of Israeli tanks invaded on Wednesday midday areas in Rafah city in the southern part of the Strip, Palestinian fighters clashed with the invading forces.

Residents said that tanks invaded the border line areas close to Egypt and opened fire at their homes. They reported damage but no injuries.

The Al Quds brigades the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad said its fighters clashed with the invading forces and fired two home-made shells at them.

Elsewhere the Israeli military kidnapped seven Palestinian civilians from different parts of the West Bank.

Local Palestinian sources said that the military attacked the cities of Salfit and Tubas both in the northern West Bank as well as Hebron in the south.

Witnesses said that Israeli troops searched and ransacked a number of homes before kidnapping the seven men.

The Israeli army radio announced that all kidnapped men were taken to detention camps for questioning.

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.