The West Bank
Mohammad Waleed Abu Soror, who was 20 years old and one of the leaders of the Al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, was assassinated in the early hours of Thursday morning. The incident took place in the northern West Bank city of Jenin during a military operation by Israeli Special Forces. The Israeli army conducted a wide-scale abduction campaign in the early hours of Thursday morning, abducting seven Palestinian men and one young woman from the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the village of Sura.
On Thursday morning, Israeli military forces invaded the village of Beit Fourik, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and opened fire with tear-gas near a girls' school, causing students breathing difficulties. One Palestinian was said to have received a facial injury. The reason for Thursday's attack is not yet clear and the operation is still going on.
Israeli forces invaded the city of Bethlehem on Wednesday night and again on Thursday morning. Three Palestinians were kidnapped during the operations. In the early hours of Thursday morning, Israeli military forces abducted Husien Al Sheikh, who is 37 years old and a lawyer for the Prisoners Society in Bethlehem. On Wednesday night, at least 10 Israeli army jeeps invaded Bethlehem city center. Soldiers searched homes and then kidnapped two brothers. Army sources said both are Hamas activists.
The Gaza Strip
Israeli military aircraft shelled the areas of Beit Hanoun and Deir Al Balah in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, firing several rockets. Medical sources reported that rockets caused serious injuries to five Palestinians.
Palestinian Media reported that several Apache helicopters belonging to the Israeli military, shelled several areas in Beit Hanoun, wounding Palestinians and causing massive damage to the targeted areas. After the shelling, the planes used heavy gunfire on civilian property. In related news, in the early hours of Thursday morning, four Palestinians were injured during a military operation against the Al Maghazi refugee camp and the village of Al Masdar in central Gaza. According to local sources more than 20 vehicles, under the cover of Israeli aircraft, invaded the area. During the operation troops abducted at least 20 Palestinians and took them to unidentified detention centers.
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, brought to you by Louisa White and Ghassan Bannoura.