Israeli soldiers assaults a Palestinian family in the West Bank as settlement construction continues in the Jordan valley. These stories and more, coming up, stay tuned

The News Cast
Israeli soldiers assaulted on Thursday a Palestinian family in the Ramadeen village near Hebron, southern West Bank. Witnesses reported that a special military force stormed the house of Amro family, using tear gas and sound bombs, then assaulted the family members with batons causing injuries to all of them.

Tayseer Amro, 45, his wife and their six children were moved to a Palestinian medical center as they suffered tear gas inhalation and third degree burns in the face, doctors reported. According to the Israeli military, the family was hiding Palestinian workers who were trying to jump over the fence surrounding the village to enter Israel for work. The Israeli military reported no arrests of Palestinian workers form that house.

Elsewhere Israeli settlers resumed work in the settlement of Mskiut in northern West Bank, Palestinian sources reported on Thursday. Witnesses from nearby Palestinian villages reported that trucks loaded with construction materials arrived at the settlement since the early morning as construction resumed inside.

Head of the Settlement Watch Unit in northern West Bank, Ghassan Doghlas stated that this construction contradicts Israel’s claimed ten-month freeze of settlement construction announced earlier this year.

The Israeli government announced in February a ten-month construction freeze in West Bank settlements as a good-will gesture to the Palestinians in order to resume the stalled peace talks. There are half a million Israeli settlers living in West Bank settlements including east Jerusalem, which, according to international law, are all illegal as they are built on occupied Palestinian land.

In other news, the Israeli military announced on Thursday that navy forces will not allow the Free Gaza fleet to reach the Gaza Strip if not stopped by Israeli navy first for inspection. The eight ships convoy carrying 700 people and 2.5 million USD worth of aid supplies to the residents of the besieged costal enclave is expected to reach its destination on Saturday.

The Israeli Navy says, they will jam the Freedom Flotilla’s signals and communications in order to isolate those on board which will bar the world from witnessing what could become a prolonged naval stand-off.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli navy is ready to carry out the government's decision to prevent the ships from reaching the Gaza shore.

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 George Rishmawi