Israeli military continue to abduct Palestinian civilians from the West Bank villages and towns, as the Palestinian Authority moves forward in the preparations for declaring a Palestinian State in September, these stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.

The Israeli military abducted, on Tuesday morning, seven citizens from the West Bank city of Hebron. Security sources reported to WAFA News Agency that the Israeli military invaded the town of Beit Ummar and kidnapped five citizens.

The citizens were identified as 'Adi Awad, 20 years old; Sufian Awad, 21; Murshed Sabarneh, 24; Hisham Sabarna, 17; and Ahmad Abu 'Ayash, 17.

Israeli troops abducted on Tuesday at dawn three residents from Awarta village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, after surrounding and breaking into their rented apartment in Betunia, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. According to Palestinian sources, a further two have been detained from the village itself. A total of 71 villagers remain imprisoned without charge, including two elderly ladies and a 16 years old girl.

According to the Palestinian Minister of Detainees, a one-day hunger strike was held on Monday to protest the conditions where Palestinian prisoners are being held by Israeli authorities, including medical negligence, prevention of family visits, poor food quality, and the continual imposition of fines on prisoners who, because they are imprisoned, have no means to pay.

A group of Palestinian youth who began a sit-in and hunger strike in Ramallah 17 days ago say they will continue the strike until the Palestinian Authority releases political prisoners, as promised by the Palestinian President eight days ago.

As the Palestinian Authority prepares to ask the United Nations General Assembly to recognize the state of Palestine in September, Israeli sources report that Israeli Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu may be considering withdrawing Israeli troops from the West Bank, among other possibilities.

This comes in the wake of a report by the UN, which concludes that "in six areas where the UN is most engaged, government functions are now sufficient for a functioning government of a state." According to Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator "The Palestinian state-building agenda are approaching their limits within the political and physical space currently available, precisely at the time when it is approaching its target date for completion," and called for Israel to "roll back measures of occupation to match the PA’s achievements."

A group of extremist Israeli settlers uprooted and destroyed more than 45 olive trees that belong to the residents of Beit Ummar village, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

After filming an Israeli jeep blocking traffic and driving through pedestrians in Silwan neighborhood, in East Jerusalem, Muhammed Sadeq of the Jerusalem Media Center was detained by Israeli forces, and then released soon after.

That sums up our news for today, thank you for joining us from 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 Husam Qassis and me David Steele