Settlers invade olive orchards and Hamas denied relation to a claimed Shalit video, these stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.

A number of Palestinian civilians were wounded in clashes with Israeli settlers who invaded the olive orchards that belong to the Palestinian farmers in the village of Burin, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Eyewitnesses reported that the clashes started when a group of settlers from the nearby Yitzahar settlement came to the fields and attempted to steal the olives.

Ghassan Dughlus, in charge of the settlement issues in Nablus governor's office said, he is expecting a very tough harvest season for the farmers because the ongoing settler attacks, especially that Israeli police or soldiers are not trying to stop the settlers.

Yesterday a group of settlers from the same settlement also raided the olive orchards and attempted to steal the olives.

The Security Forces of Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, arrested Hamas legislator from Tulkarem, Eng. Abdul-Rahman Zeidan, after breaking into his home on Tuesday at dawn.

Dr. Mahmoud Ramahi, secretary-general of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Parliament, stated that dozens of security personnel surrounded the home of Zeidan before breaking into it by smashing its main door.

The security forces then searched the property causing damage to the furniture and belongings and confiscated his laptop and his mobile phone.

Ramahi denounced the attack and stated that this is a violation to the legitimate rights and immunity of a democratically elected legislator. Zeidan was release an hour later, but the security forces kept his laptop and phone.

In the meantime, al-Qassam brigade, the armed wing of the Islamic movement, Hamas denied any relation to the video aired by Israeli media agencies, which claims to show the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit surrounded by two Hamas fighters.

The video also shows that, suddenly, the lights are off and gunshot sounds are heard in the background.

Al-Qassam brigade said that this new video is fabricated, and added that it did not issue any new documentation on Shalit, who was captured at the Gaza borders on June 25, 2006.

The Brigade said that any releases or documentations regarding the captured soldiers will only be made through the its official website, the Arabic or the English version, and not through any other means.

Hamas has asked for the release of 1500 Palestinian prisoners out of 8000 prisoners in Israeli jails for the release of Shalit, including some leaders and figures. The Israeli government continue to refuse to release leaders of resistance groups and factions, and any Palestinian who is involved in killing any Israeli.

In political news, Israeli Prime Minister reiterated his demand that the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state, saying that Israel will never abandon this demand.

His statements came during a meeting with heads of Jewish organizations in the United States.

Netanyahu said that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, cannot search for alternatives to this demand, and must clearly declare that he recognizes Israel as a Jewish state as it is the state of the Jewish people.

This concludes our news for today. Thank you for joining us form occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today, from the International Middle East Media Center. For more updates, please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by, Hussam Qassis, and George Rishmawi.