Palestine Today 050709

The Israeli military kills one and injures another in Gaza, and kidnaps civilians in the West Bank. These stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, stated on Thursday that one of its fighters was killed on Wednesday evening during, what the brigades described as a “special mission”.

In its statement, the brigades said that Tal’at al-Afify and three other fighters were on a mission when contact was lost with them, and that the three fighters are still missing. The Israeli army did not comment on the report.

In other news, one woman, identified as Randa Shalloufa, 35, was shot and wounded by military fire as she was working in her land near the Rafah International Airport, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. On Thursday midday Israeli naval forces kidnapped fishermen from the Gaza Strip and jet fighters shelled open areas in Gaza city.

Local sources said five Palestinian fishermen were kidnapped by the Israeli navy. Witnesses reported that troops sunk the fishermen's boat after thy kidnapped the five men. Also on Thursday midday Israeli jet fighters shelled open areas in Gaza city close to the Israeli borders.

Local sources reported that the bombs landed in open land causing damage but no injures.

Meanwhile, 20 Palestinian patients in addition to 420 tons of food supplies were allowed into Gaza on Thursday via the Rafah Border crossing with Egypt.

The Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced that in addition to the 20 patents that were allowed in on Thursday another 20 will be allowed in on Friday midday. The Embassy added 420 tons of sugar, flour, and rice entered via Rafah Border Crossing on Thursday after Egypt allowed it through.

Elsewhere, 16 Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by Israeli troops during pre-dawn military invasion targeting several West Bank cities on Thursday.

Local sources said that the invasion took place in the central west Bank city of Ramallah and Bethlehem in the south. Eyewitnesses said, troops searched and ransacked homes before taking the 16 civilians to unknown locations.

Te number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails exceeded 11000 and the number seems to be increasing on daily basis.

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.