Palestinian Today 050509

The Israeli military kidnaps civilians in the West Bank, while Egypt allow patients back into the Gaza Strip. These stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

The Israeli Jerusalem Municipality on Tuesday issued more demolition orders to Palestinian-home owners in and around Jerusalem's old city. Jerusalem Affairs Advisor to the Palestinian Prime Minister, Hatim Abdul-Qader, told IMEMC that home-owners had lodged an appeal against the demolition orders in the Israeli court:



"During the past two days we received additional 29 demolishing orders, we managed to temporary freeze these orders by appealing to the Israeli court, however this leads us to believe that international political intervention is needed, certainly this is a clear Israeli attempt to force Palestinians out of the city in a systematic manner"

The Jerusalem municipality says the homes were built without the required building permits. Since Israel occupied the city of Jerusalem in 1967 it has rarely given Palestinians living in Jerusalem permissions to build homes. Israel has increased its campaign of demolishing Palestinian homes in the city since the start of this year.

The municipality handed out demolition orders to 96 Palestinian families during the month of March, while 88 other orders were issued in February.

Elsewhere, five Palestinian civilians were kidnapped during pre dawn Israeli military invasions targeting several parts of the West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian sources said.

Invasions were reported in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and nearby villages in addition to Nablus and nearby villages, in the northern West Bank. Witnesses said that troops ransacked and searched homes before taking the five men to unknown locations.

In Gaza, 30 Palestinian patients were allowed by the Egyptian army to enter the Strip on Tuesday, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced.

Mohamed Arafat, from the Palestinian Embassy, told reporters all patients crossed back through the Rafah Crossing. Arafat added the Embassy is now coordinating for another 25 patents to be allowed to come back home to Gaza in the coming few days.


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.