After the abductions, the Hamas movement slammed the kidnapping of al-Ramah and stated that, by the ongoing arrests and the abduction of elected officials, Israel is seeking the failure of internal Palestinian unity talks
Also on Wednesday, the spokesman for the popular resistance committees Mujahid stated that Israel's propaganda on Palestinian resistance is directed at western countries, the Palestinian Information Centre reported. According to Mujahid, the propaganda campaign is aimed to convince that the resistance has a 'destructive' potential.
In Jerusalem, Sharon District Police Chief Shimon Shomroni, rejected a request by Israeli right-wing students to protest outside the house of Military Advocate General Mandelbilt, PNN reported today. The Military allegedly filed indictments against two Israeli soldiers for the abuse of a nine-year old Palestinian boy.
This news coincide with the information given by the Land Research Center that in October, Israeli Authorities, the police and the army carried out 35 attacks against the residents and their property in occupied East Jerusalem.
In Gaza, a Palestinian worker was wounded by Israeli military fire while working near Beit Hanoun terminal in the northern part of the Strip.
Also in Gaza, Israel launched a ground incursion with its forces advancing hundreds of meters into the east of the southern city of Khan Younis. The attack followed flights by Israeli fighter jets over Gaza last night.
Palestinian sources reported that Israeli soldiers abducted on Tuesday night an owner of construction materials store, and requested the shopkeeper to head to the nearest police station for questioning. Both are residents from the village of Silwan, in a neighborhood of Jerusalem.
Local journalist reported that also on Tuesday night, Israeli military entered the village of Bi’lin, near Ramallah. The raid ended after troops searched three homes. The military claimed they were searching for Ashraf al-Khatib, a resident who was injured by live fire five weeks ago, at a weekly demonstration in Bi’lin.
In addition, the European Union Higher Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, stated that she is ‘extremely concerned” by Israel’s new plan to build 1,300 units for Jewish settlers in occupied East Jerusalem. She stated that this plan contradicts and jeopardizes all international efforts to resume direct Palestinian-Israel peace talks, and called on Israel to void its decision.
US State Department Spokesperson, Philip J. Crowley, also defined the new Israeli plan to build hundreds of units for Jewish settlers in occupied East Jerusalem as counterproductive to peace talks.
Also on Wednesday, AP reported that following the sixth anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death, on November 11, people donated thousand of his objects – photographs, pistols, trademark sunglasses and military-style suits– for display in a new museum under construction in Ramallah. These objects are meant to be symbols to remember the Palestinian leader and the Palestinian history.
That sums up our news for today, thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today, from 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 Ane Irazabal.