Palestine Today 021809

Israeli jet fighter attack targets in Gaza and troops kidnap civilians in the West Bank; these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast

Early Wednesday; Israeli warplanes attacked the Gaza-Egypt border line in southern Gaza and shelled a police post in the nearby town of ‘Khan Younis’. Medical sources reported no injuries; but an elderly woman was pronounced dead due to a heart attack, apparently due to severe bombings on the Gaza-Egypt border line, where the Israeli warplanes had struck several underground tunnels.

Medics also reported that a Palestinian farmer from the Faraheen neighborhood on the southeastern Israel-Gaza border line was wounded by Israeli gun fire whilst working. Meanwhile, Israeli media sources reported that a homemade shell fired from Gaza landed in an open area in southern Israel, with no casualties reported.

In related news; the Israeli government announced on Wednesday that Israel would not open its border crossings with the Gaza Strip and rejected a long-term ceasefire deal in the costal region, until Palestinian factions release the Israeli soldier captured in June 2006; Gilad Shalit.

The Egyptian cease-fire deal, which was proposed after the 22-day long Israeli offensive on Gaza last month, offers a complete halt of military attacks by Israel, the cessation of home made shell fire from Gaza by Palestinian resistance groups and the total opening of the border crossing around Gaza which are controlled by Israel.

Hamas, which has been in control of Gaza since June 2007, has demanded the release of 1,400 Palestinian political detainees held by Israel in exchange for Shalit. Hamas have stated that Shalit’s case must be considered separately, and that any ceasefire agreement should be based on the reopening of each of Gaza's border crossings, closed by Israel since June 2007.

In the West Bank today at least 14 Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by the Israeli military during a morning invasion targeting the village of Jayous; which is located near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia.

Israeli troops stormed the village in the early morning and imposed a total closure on the village, then conducted a large-scale house to house search; local sources reported. During the search, residents reported that Israeli soldiers raised Israeli flags on top of their homes and took photos of the homes.

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 and George Rishmawi.