20 june 2014
By Sam Bahour
Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American business consultant in Ramallah and blogs at epalestine.com.
I have had enough of those Palestinians. I think the world in general is also fed up with Palestinians. They have gone too far in demonizing Israelis and must be stopped.
The international community must act now before it is too late and Israel is wiped off the map and a second tragedy of historic proportions fall on a significant part of the world's Jewish population.
For starters, Palestinians embarked by land, sea, and air onto Israel and displaced more than half the Jewish population of Israel in 1948. Imagine, more than half of the population of Israel displaced, forced to live to this day, 66 years later, in squalid refugee camps only hours from their homes.
Other than some faint attempts to fight their way back to their homes in Israel, Israeli refugees have been "unreasonably reasonable" in accepting their fate, and continue to patiently wait for word when they can return home to Israel. This man made tragedy was perpetrated by Palestinians, who continue to this day to strangulate Jewish citizens of Israel by the use of brute force and economic suffocation in an attempt to have them voluntarily emigrate elsewhere.
Palestinians are a violent people. Every Palestinian high school graduate is forced into mandatory conscription, three years for males and two years for females. During this military stint, every Palestinian citizen is trained on the use of weapons and combat methods. Many Palestinians brag about how they brutalize Jewish Israelis during their military service; some have even posted photos on their Facebook wall of them posing with Israeli corpses or a blindfolded Israeli who was taken prisoner.
Palestinians are making Israeli livelihood miserable. They have set up military checkpoints in and around major Israeli cities, like Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Eilat. Palestinian soldiers stop only Israeli cars, sometimes for hours on end, while letting Palestinian registered cars ride through their checkpoints unhindered. When an Israeli wants to leave Israel, s/he must get Palestinian permission beforehand. If any Israeli gets on the Palestinian blacklist, his/her ability to leave Israel is impossible.
Imagine not being able to leave your own country or being allowed to leave but not to return. Even when Israelis want to travel from one Israeli city to another, Palestinians have set up checkpoints, which resemble the border terminals between the US and Canada, with one difference: the process to pass is one of pure humiliation, more like cattle being pushed through caged pathways than passengers crossing a terminal.
Israel has a huge potential to be a regional economic hub of tourism and trade, but Palestinians are blocking Israel's ability to economically develop by every means possible. Israelis love technology, but every smartphone in Israel is a dumb phone because Palestinians are refusing to allocate the electromagnetic spectrum -- which they control as part of their occupation of Israel -- required for 3G services to Israeli telecommunications companies.
Can you imagine, those Palestinians are actually refusing to free the airspace above Tel Aviv to Israelis! It gets worse. Israelis have found a huge natural gas well in Israeli territorial waters, in the sea of Tel Aviv, and the Palestinians are refusing to give Israeli firms access to tap the gas. Even Israeli fishermen are routinely shot at when fishing in the Mediterranean Sea.
As if all of this was not bad enough, for the past 47 years Palestinians have slowly moved their citizens to the hilltops around Israeli cities.
The hilltops were first confiscated by the use of force, then Arafat, and now Abbas, send Palestinian security forces to protect the confiscated lands. Once the lands are ready, Palestinians have tapped the huge amounts of funds that donors have passed to them and used the funds, not to build schools and a health care system, but rather to build permanent housing in these military enclaves around Israeli cities, in order to entice Palestinians from Ramallah and Hebron to move to Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities.
This is not only against international law, but defies common sense. How can Palestinians keep paying lip service to wanting to live in peace with Israelis when they keep gobbling up more Israeli land and move their population to take up residence inside Israel?
You think it cannot get worse? Well, you’re wrong. Palestinians have kidnapped 5,000 Israelis from their homes, about 200 are Israeli children under 18 years old, and have locked them into Palestinian jails.These jails that the Palestinians maintain are all built inside Palestinian lands in the West Bank and Gaza.
When Israeli mothers want to go visit their loved ones, they must get permission from Palestinian security forces to visit. Hundreds of those 5,000 prisoners are being held without charge; the Palestinians deceitfully call it administrative detention. You would think the world would hold these Palestinian jailers accountable, but they haven’t for decades. This is why the time has come to stop those Palestinians once and for all.
Israelis cannot be expected to live like this forever. Something must be immediately done to stop these Palestinians and hold them accountable for the daily atrocities that they are committing against humanity. Israelis are a peace loving people. They come from a religion that rests on a pillar of social justice. What is being done to them is beyond imagination.
Israeli civil society has made a call for the world to divest from Palestine. Israelis across the political spectrum are referring to how Jews around the world supported the boycott and divestment of Apartheid South Africa, which successfully collapsed that racist regime.
Jews are pointing to their always being on the correct side of history, from the US civil rights movement to people's struggles in Latin America. They now beg the world to act to stop Palestinians before it is too late.
The time is now to boycott Palestine, divest from Palestine, and apply serious sanctions on Palestine until it removes the boot of military occupation from the necks of Israelis.
Sam Bahour contributes this satirical piece in the spirit of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). To make this piece fit today's reality, just reverse the roles of Israel/Israelis and Palestine/Palestinians.
Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American business consultant in Ramallah and blogs at epalestine.com.
I have had enough of those Palestinians. I think the world in general is also fed up with Palestinians. They have gone too far in demonizing Israelis and must be stopped.
The international community must act now before it is too late and Israel is wiped off the map and a second tragedy of historic proportions fall on a significant part of the world's Jewish population.
For starters, Palestinians embarked by land, sea, and air onto Israel and displaced more than half the Jewish population of Israel in 1948. Imagine, more than half of the population of Israel displaced, forced to live to this day, 66 years later, in squalid refugee camps only hours from their homes.
Other than some faint attempts to fight their way back to their homes in Israel, Israeli refugees have been "unreasonably reasonable" in accepting their fate, and continue to patiently wait for word when they can return home to Israel. This man made tragedy was perpetrated by Palestinians, who continue to this day to strangulate Jewish citizens of Israel by the use of brute force and economic suffocation in an attempt to have them voluntarily emigrate elsewhere.
Palestinians are a violent people. Every Palestinian high school graduate is forced into mandatory conscription, three years for males and two years for females. During this military stint, every Palestinian citizen is trained on the use of weapons and combat methods. Many Palestinians brag about how they brutalize Jewish Israelis during their military service; some have even posted photos on their Facebook wall of them posing with Israeli corpses or a blindfolded Israeli who was taken prisoner.
Palestinians are making Israeli livelihood miserable. They have set up military checkpoints in and around major Israeli cities, like Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Eilat. Palestinian soldiers stop only Israeli cars, sometimes for hours on end, while letting Palestinian registered cars ride through their checkpoints unhindered. When an Israeli wants to leave Israel, s/he must get Palestinian permission beforehand. If any Israeli gets on the Palestinian blacklist, his/her ability to leave Israel is impossible.
Imagine not being able to leave your own country or being allowed to leave but not to return. Even when Israelis want to travel from one Israeli city to another, Palestinians have set up checkpoints, which resemble the border terminals between the US and Canada, with one difference: the process to pass is one of pure humiliation, more like cattle being pushed through caged pathways than passengers crossing a terminal.
Israel has a huge potential to be a regional economic hub of tourism and trade, but Palestinians are blocking Israel's ability to economically develop by every means possible. Israelis love technology, but every smartphone in Israel is a dumb phone because Palestinians are refusing to allocate the electromagnetic spectrum -- which they control as part of their occupation of Israel -- required for 3G services to Israeli telecommunications companies.
Can you imagine, those Palestinians are actually refusing to free the airspace above Tel Aviv to Israelis! It gets worse. Israelis have found a huge natural gas well in Israeli territorial waters, in the sea of Tel Aviv, and the Palestinians are refusing to give Israeli firms access to tap the gas. Even Israeli fishermen are routinely shot at when fishing in the Mediterranean Sea.
As if all of this was not bad enough, for the past 47 years Palestinians have slowly moved their citizens to the hilltops around Israeli cities.
The hilltops were first confiscated by the use of force, then Arafat, and now Abbas, send Palestinian security forces to protect the confiscated lands. Once the lands are ready, Palestinians have tapped the huge amounts of funds that donors have passed to them and used the funds, not to build schools and a health care system, but rather to build permanent housing in these military enclaves around Israeli cities, in order to entice Palestinians from Ramallah and Hebron to move to Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities.
This is not only against international law, but defies common sense. How can Palestinians keep paying lip service to wanting to live in peace with Israelis when they keep gobbling up more Israeli land and move their population to take up residence inside Israel?
You think it cannot get worse? Well, you’re wrong. Palestinians have kidnapped 5,000 Israelis from their homes, about 200 are Israeli children under 18 years old, and have locked them into Palestinian jails.These jails that the Palestinians maintain are all built inside Palestinian lands in the West Bank and Gaza.
When Israeli mothers want to go visit their loved ones, they must get permission from Palestinian security forces to visit. Hundreds of those 5,000 prisoners are being held without charge; the Palestinians deceitfully call it administrative detention. You would think the world would hold these Palestinian jailers accountable, but they haven’t for decades. This is why the time has come to stop those Palestinians once and for all.
Israelis cannot be expected to live like this forever. Something must be immediately done to stop these Palestinians and hold them accountable for the daily atrocities that they are committing against humanity. Israelis are a peace loving people. They come from a religion that rests on a pillar of social justice. What is being done to them is beyond imagination.
Israeli civil society has made a call for the world to divest from Palestine. Israelis across the political spectrum are referring to how Jews around the world supported the boycott and divestment of Apartheid South Africa, which successfully collapsed that racist regime.
Jews are pointing to their always being on the correct side of history, from the US civil rights movement to people's struggles in Latin America. They now beg the world to act to stop Palestinians before it is too late.
The time is now to boycott Palestine, divest from Palestine, and apply serious sanctions on Palestine until it removes the boot of military occupation from the necks of Israelis.
Sam Bahour contributes this satirical piece in the spirit of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). To make this piece fit today's reality, just reverse the roles of Israel/Israelis and Palestine/Palestinians.
The Palestinian interior ministry said that the recent Israeli aerial attacks on the Gaza Strip directly targeted its infrastructure, factories and workshops.
A spokesperson for the ministry stated that an Israeli warplane bombed at dawn Friday a dairy factory in Gaza City at dawn today.
Israel escalated its aerial attacks on Gaza over the past few days in Gaza Strip, which rendered many civilians wounded amid persistent international and Arab silence.
For its part, the Palestinian education ministry strongly condemned Israel's repeated bombing of educational institutions, asserting that 10 schools sustained damage during recent Israeli air raids on Gaza.
A spokesperson for the ministry stated that an Israeli warplane bombed at dawn Friday a dairy factory in Gaza City at dawn today.
Israel escalated its aerial attacks on Gaza over the past few days in Gaza Strip, which rendered many civilians wounded amid persistent international and Arab silence.
For its part, the Palestinian education ministry strongly condemned Israel's repeated bombing of educational institutions, asserting that 10 schools sustained damage during recent Israeli air raids on Gaza.
West Bank Invasion Ongoing
Several Israeli military vehicles invaded, on Friday at dawn June 20, 2014, Beit Forik town, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and detained at least 20 Palestinians during an extensive search campaign targeting scores of homes.
Shortly after midnight, the army initially imposed a strict siege on the town, before dozens of vehicles invaded it, and started the home invasions and searches that lasted for several hours.
Local reporters stated the soldiers rounded dozens of residents at a local school, and that the army was deliberately ransacking the homes while searching them.
The detained Palestinians were interrogated for several hours in the school; the army released some of the detained Palestinians, and kidnapped several others.
In addition, soldiers invaded various nearby villages and towns, and different neighborhoods in Nablus city, conducting nightlong invasions and searches for the fourth night in a row.
In Salfit, in central West Bank, soldiers kidnapped Omar Abul-Razeq, 55, who held the position of Finance Ministers of the tenth Palestinian Government that was formed in 2006, before Israel shunned it, and kidnapped dozens of ministers and legislators.
Abdul-Razeq teaches at the Najah University in Nablus, and was repeatedly kidnapped and imprisoned by Israel.
Several Israeli military vehicles invaded, on Friday at dawn June 20, 2014, Beit Forik town, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and detained at least 20 Palestinians during an extensive search campaign targeting scores of homes.
Shortly after midnight, the army initially imposed a strict siege on the town, before dozens of vehicles invaded it, and started the home invasions and searches that lasted for several hours.
Local reporters stated the soldiers rounded dozens of residents at a local school, and that the army was deliberately ransacking the homes while searching them.
The detained Palestinians were interrogated for several hours in the school; the army released some of the detained Palestinians, and kidnapped several others.
In addition, soldiers invaded various nearby villages and towns, and different neighborhoods in Nablus city, conducting nightlong invasions and searches for the fourth night in a row.
In Salfit, in central West Bank, soldiers kidnapped Omar Abul-Razeq, 55, who held the position of Finance Ministers of the tenth Palestinian Government that was formed in 2006, before Israel shunned it, and kidnapped dozens of ministers and legislators.
Abdul-Razeq teaches at the Najah University in Nablus, and was repeatedly kidnapped and imprisoned by Israel.
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In Jenin, soldiers invaded the homes of Hamas-affiliated legislators, and the Arab American University, while a young man was shot during ensuing clashes.
The army also broke into the Islamic Block office on campus, ransacked it, and confiscated documents, and other materials. They invaded the home of legislator Khaled Sa’id, in the Abu Dheir area, and the home of legislator Khaled Suleiman, in the Jaabriyyat area in the city. One Palestinian was also shot in the leg by Israeli soldiers invading Jenin, and was moved to the Jenin Hospital. The home of legislator Ibrahim Dahbour was also invaded in Arraba town, south of Jenin. The soldiers searched the property, and interrogated Dahbour for several hours. |
A Palestinian citizen was rounded up by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Friday, while dozens of other civilians were wounded during Israeli violent raids in different areas of Bethlehem city. According to local sources in Bethlehem, the IOF kidnapped Palestinian ex-detainee Imad al-Bermil from his house in Duha area in Bethlehem.
Three Palestinian young men reportedly suffered injuries after being shot with rubber bullets during clashes with invading Israeli troops in Dheisheh camp, south of Bethlehem.
Another Israeli military force stormed Palestine university in Bethlehem, with no reported arrests.
332 Palestinians have been kidnapped so far since Israel started its arbitrary mass arrest campaign in the West Bank following the disappearance of three Jewish settlers on June 13.
Three Palestinian young men reportedly suffered injuries after being shot with rubber bullets during clashes with invading Israeli troops in Dheisheh camp, south of Bethlehem.
Another Israeli military force stormed Palestine university in Bethlehem, with no reported arrests.
332 Palestinians have been kidnapped so far since Israel started its arbitrary mass arrest campaign in the West Bank following the disappearance of three Jewish settlers on June 13.
Saleh al-'Arouri
In the first direct accusation since the three Israeli settlers went missing a week ago, an Israeli security source, accused Hamas leader, Salah al-‘Arouri, of being the mastermind, and financier, of the believed kidnapping.
The Israeli Walla News has reported that “Hamas, especially al’-Arouri, is responsible for the abduction of the settlers”, adding that “al-‘Arouri, along with the Hamas leadership in exile, are behind all attempts to abduct Israeli in the West Bank, in recent years.”
Al-‘Arouri, from ‘Aroura town, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, currently resides in Turkey, and Israel alleges he is the moving force that encourages Hamas fighters in the West Bank, to form new cells and abduct Israelis, the Arabs48 news website has reported.
The unnamed Israeli security source, quoted by Walla News, reportedly said al-‘Arouri is in charge of preparing and financing the cells, but added that Israel has no concrete proof that could implicate the Hamas leader, and directly connect him to the case of the missing Israelis.
The source added that Israel is not facing an official army that follows direct orders, but a series of cells, operating in the occupied territories.
He also alleged that dozens of envoys, sent by al-‘Arouri, visited the West Bank through Jordan, and that some of them have been kidnapped by Israel, while others managed to enter the West Bank and leave it without being detected.
The official alleges those envoys moved money, instructions and orders, to Hamas cells, “ordering them to kidnap Israelis.”
He said the chances that the Hamas leadership in Gaza, or Palestinian detainees released under the Shalit prisoner swap deal, are involved in the abduction are marginal, adding they allegedly “tried to carry out such attacks, but their chances of success are very low”.
Israel believes al-’Arouri financed cells by transferring money through charities operating in the West Bank, and that the Hamas movement has four groups capable of planning, and abducting Israelis.
He explained the groups are; the Hamas leadership in exile through al-’Arouri “who receives orders from the Hamas Political Bureau head Khaled Masha, the second is Hamas leadership in Gaza, the third of Hamas operatives who are constantly targeted by Israel, and Hamas detainees in Israeli prisons, who have very limited resources.
Soldiers Demolish Home Of Hamas Leader Near Ramallah
Several Israeli military vehicles invaded, on Friday at dawn [June 20 2014] the ‘Aroura village, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and demolished the home of Hamas political leader, member of its political Bureau, Saleh al-’Arouri.
Local sources said a number of military vehicles and armored bulldozers, invaded the village, and handed the family a military order against their home. The soldiers invaded the property and ransacked it. Al-'Arouri currently resides in Turkey.
The source said the military helicopters also participated in the invasion, while several Israeli paratroopers were observed landed there.
Dozens of soldiers were deployed in the streets before breaking into and searching dozens of homes. The army also cut the village’s power supply, prior to the invasion.
In related news, soldiers invaded the Dahiat al-Balou’ area, north of Ramallah, before breaking into and violently searching dozens of homes.
Israeli paratroopers were also seen landing in Deir Ammar village, West of Ramallah, and dozens of soldiers also invaded the villages of Sinjil and Abwein nearby villages.
In addition, a number of fanatic Israeli settlers attacked and destroyed Palestinian cars in Dahiat Jabal at-Tawil, in al-Biereh town, near Ramallah.
In the first direct accusation since the three Israeli settlers went missing a week ago, an Israeli security source, accused Hamas leader, Salah al-‘Arouri, of being the mastermind, and financier, of the believed kidnapping.
The Israeli Walla News has reported that “Hamas, especially al’-Arouri, is responsible for the abduction of the settlers”, adding that “al-‘Arouri, along with the Hamas leadership in exile, are behind all attempts to abduct Israeli in the West Bank, in recent years.”
Al-‘Arouri, from ‘Aroura town, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, currently resides in Turkey, and Israel alleges he is the moving force that encourages Hamas fighters in the West Bank, to form new cells and abduct Israelis, the Arabs48 news website has reported.
The unnamed Israeli security source, quoted by Walla News, reportedly said al-‘Arouri is in charge of preparing and financing the cells, but added that Israel has no concrete proof that could implicate the Hamas leader, and directly connect him to the case of the missing Israelis.
The source added that Israel is not facing an official army that follows direct orders, but a series of cells, operating in the occupied territories.
He also alleged that dozens of envoys, sent by al-‘Arouri, visited the West Bank through Jordan, and that some of them have been kidnapped by Israel, while others managed to enter the West Bank and leave it without being detected.
The official alleges those envoys moved money, instructions and orders, to Hamas cells, “ordering them to kidnap Israelis.”
He said the chances that the Hamas leadership in Gaza, or Palestinian detainees released under the Shalit prisoner swap deal, are involved in the abduction are marginal, adding they allegedly “tried to carry out such attacks, but their chances of success are very low”.
Israel believes al-’Arouri financed cells by transferring money through charities operating in the West Bank, and that the Hamas movement has four groups capable of planning, and abducting Israelis.
He explained the groups are; the Hamas leadership in exile through al-’Arouri “who receives orders from the Hamas Political Bureau head Khaled Masha, the second is Hamas leadership in Gaza, the third of Hamas operatives who are constantly targeted by Israel, and Hamas detainees in Israeli prisons, who have very limited resources.
Soldiers Demolish Home Of Hamas Leader Near Ramallah
Several Israeli military vehicles invaded, on Friday at dawn [June 20 2014] the ‘Aroura village, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and demolished the home of Hamas political leader, member of its political Bureau, Saleh al-’Arouri.
Local sources said a number of military vehicles and armored bulldozers, invaded the village, and handed the family a military order against their home. The soldiers invaded the property and ransacked it. Al-'Arouri currently resides in Turkey.
The source said the military helicopters also participated in the invasion, while several Israeli paratroopers were observed landed there.
Dozens of soldiers were deployed in the streets before breaking into and searching dozens of homes. The army also cut the village’s power supply, prior to the invasion.
In related news, soldiers invaded the Dahiat al-Balou’ area, north of Ramallah, before breaking into and violently searching dozens of homes.
Israeli paratroopers were also seen landing in Deir Ammar village, West of Ramallah, and dozens of soldiers also invaded the villages of Sinjil and Abwein nearby villages.
In addition, a number of fanatic Israeli settlers attacked and destroyed Palestinian cars in Dahiat Jabal at-Tawil, in al-Biereh town, near Ramallah.
Five Palestinians were injured and around 30 detained in Bethlehem's Duheisha refugee camp early Friday morning after clashes broke out when hundreds of Israeli soldiers stormed the area in a military raid early Friday.
Local sources said that approximately 1,000 Israeli soldiers encircled the camp and the nearby area of Al-Salam southwest of Bethlehem overnight Friday as part of a massive search operation being carried out for three Israeli youths who went missing last week.
During the raid, Israeli snipers deployed atop nearby buildings, while plainclothes special forces deployed in nearby streets including in the nearby al-Jebel area.
Medical sources said that Malek Mustafa al-Sharif, 22, was wounded by rubber-coated steel bullets during the clashes.
In addition, an Israeli military patrol vehicle ran over four youths from the camp, including Musa al-Khamour, 22, Hassan Mujahid Abu Joudah, and Marcel Mahmoud Zaghout, 19, who was arrested after he was struck in the head by the vehicle. The fourth injured individual was not identified.
Israeli forces detained 30 Palestinians during the raid including Bethlehem Mufti Sheikh Abd al-Majid Atallah and freed prisoner Aisa Abed Rabbo, who was released in October as part of a deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in which 104 Palestinian prisoners detained prior to the 1994 Oslo Accords would be let go in exchange for the restart of peace talks.
The detainees were assembled and held in the courtyard of the nearby Palestine Ahliya University during the raid.
A number of detainees were held and then released shortly, including Khaled al-Seifi and Aisa Abed Rabbo.
In addition to the detainees, Israeli soldiers handed Muhammad Abd al-Karim Ayyad and Muhammad Amarnah orders to meet with Israeli intelligence at the Gush Etzion settlement near Bethlehem.
Additionally, Israeli forces stormed the nearby villages of Al-Louz and Artas during the raids, conducting house-to-house searches and combing farmland and open areas nearby.
Local sources in Artas estimated that 300 soldiers were present in the village during the raids.
Earlier on Friday morning, Israeli forces closed the Beit Jala DCO checkpoint near Bethlehem as well.
An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the raid, saying that they were a part of "searches for illegal weaponry."
The spokesman added that during the raid there was "rock throwing and hand grenades by instigators," and Israeli forces responded with "rubber bullets and live fire," identifying "three hits."
He added that 25 suspects were detained overnight in the whole region.
Local sources said that approximately 1,000 Israeli soldiers encircled the camp and the nearby area of Al-Salam southwest of Bethlehem overnight Friday as part of a massive search operation being carried out for three Israeli youths who went missing last week.
During the raid, Israeli snipers deployed atop nearby buildings, while plainclothes special forces deployed in nearby streets including in the nearby al-Jebel area.
Medical sources said that Malek Mustafa al-Sharif, 22, was wounded by rubber-coated steel bullets during the clashes.
In addition, an Israeli military patrol vehicle ran over four youths from the camp, including Musa al-Khamour, 22, Hassan Mujahid Abu Joudah, and Marcel Mahmoud Zaghout, 19, who was arrested after he was struck in the head by the vehicle. The fourth injured individual was not identified.
Israeli forces detained 30 Palestinians during the raid including Bethlehem Mufti Sheikh Abd al-Majid Atallah and freed prisoner Aisa Abed Rabbo, who was released in October as part of a deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in which 104 Palestinian prisoners detained prior to the 1994 Oslo Accords would be let go in exchange for the restart of peace talks.
The detainees were assembled and held in the courtyard of the nearby Palestine Ahliya University during the raid.
A number of detainees were held and then released shortly, including Khaled al-Seifi and Aisa Abed Rabbo.
In addition to the detainees, Israeli soldiers handed Muhammad Abd al-Karim Ayyad and Muhammad Amarnah orders to meet with Israeli intelligence at the Gush Etzion settlement near Bethlehem.
Additionally, Israeli forces stormed the nearby villages of Al-Louz and Artas during the raids, conducting house-to-house searches and combing farmland and open areas nearby.
Local sources in Artas estimated that 300 soldiers were present in the village during the raids.
Earlier on Friday morning, Israeli forces closed the Beit Jala DCO checkpoint near Bethlehem as well.
An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the raid, saying that they were a part of "searches for illegal weaponry."
The spokesman added that during the raid there was "rock throwing and hand grenades by instigators," and Israeli forces responded with "rubber bullets and live fire," identifying "three hits."
He added that 25 suspects were detained overnight in the whole region.
Palestinian medical sources have reported that at least five Palestinians have been injured, one seriously, by Israeli soldiers invading the Deheishe refugee camp, in Bethlehem. The soldiers also kidnapped around 25 Palestinians.
The Maan News Agency has reported that hundreds of soldiers invaded the refugee camp, and kidnapped 25 Palestinians, including Issa Abed Rabbo, a former political prisoner who was recently released from an Israeli prison, and the Mufti of Bethlehem Abdul-Majid Atallah.
Soldiers invaded the al-Ahli University campus, searched it, and rounded all the kidnapped Palestinians there.
Maan said the soldiers invaded various neighborhoods at the edges of the camp, the Salaam neighborhood, and also invaded a number of neighborhoods in Bethlehem city, and several villages in the southern and eastern parts of the Bethlehem District.
It added that nearly a thousand Israeli soldiers are extensively deployed in the area, surrounding the refugee camp, the al-Ahli University, Palestinian agricultural lands in Khalayel al-Louz area, Mrah M’alla area, the Saff Street in Bethlehem, Doha town, and various communities in Bethlehem.
Several Israeli sharpshooters topped tall buildings around Deheishe, before the army started their home invasions, searches and arrests. Undercover soldiers were also seen in the area.
The army is also searching caves and farmlands in the area, while paratroopers were seen landing in Khalayel al-Louz, south of Bethlehem.
Sources in Ertas nearby village stated that around 300 soldiers invaded the village, and initiated a massive search campaign, targeting dozens of homes, and that the soldiers also topped a number of homes, using them as monitoring towers.
The army also placed sand hills closing the western entrance of the Beit Jala Housing Project, near the Talitha Kumi Evangelical Lutheran School.
Military helicopters were seen flying over the Bethlehem and Hebron Districts, while the soldiers continued their extensive invasions.
The Maan News Agency has reported that hundreds of soldiers invaded the refugee camp, and kidnapped 25 Palestinians, including Issa Abed Rabbo, a former political prisoner who was recently released from an Israeli prison, and the Mufti of Bethlehem Abdul-Majid Atallah.
Soldiers invaded the al-Ahli University campus, searched it, and rounded all the kidnapped Palestinians there.
Maan said the soldiers invaded various neighborhoods at the edges of the camp, the Salaam neighborhood, and also invaded a number of neighborhoods in Bethlehem city, and several villages in the southern and eastern parts of the Bethlehem District.
It added that nearly a thousand Israeli soldiers are extensively deployed in the area, surrounding the refugee camp, the al-Ahli University, Palestinian agricultural lands in Khalayel al-Louz area, Mrah M’alla area, the Saff Street in Bethlehem, Doha town, and various communities in Bethlehem.
Several Israeli sharpshooters topped tall buildings around Deheishe, before the army started their home invasions, searches and arrests. Undercover soldiers were also seen in the area.
The army is also searching caves and farmlands in the area, while paratroopers were seen landing in Khalayel al-Louz, south of Bethlehem.
Sources in Ertas nearby village stated that around 300 soldiers invaded the village, and initiated a massive search campaign, targeting dozens of homes, and that the soldiers also topped a number of homes, using them as monitoring towers.
The army also placed sand hills closing the western entrance of the Beit Jala Housing Project, near the Talitha Kumi Evangelical Lutheran School.
Military helicopters were seen flying over the Bethlehem and Hebron Districts, while the soldiers continued their extensive invasions.
A Palestinian man walks inside a crater on Thursday made by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City
Palestinian medical sources have reported that at least six Palestinians, have been injured, in a series of Israeli air strikes targeting different parts of the Gaza Strip.
Ashraf al-Qodra, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that six Palestinians, including four children, were moved to a number of hospitals in Gaza.
He said the wounded suffered mild injuries resulting from shattered windows, doors, and debris after the Israeli missiles struck areas close to civilian homes.
The Israeli strikes also targeted a storage room, east of a mosque in the Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza city, as the air force fired two missiles into the building, destroying it and causing damage to nearby homes.
Eyewitnesses said medics and rescue teams managed to move the six wounded Palestinians to a number of hospitals, while firefighters battled the blazes resulting from the Israeli attacks.
The Air Force also fired two missiles into a land, the al-Maqousy area, in an-Nasr neighborhood, northern West of Gaza City.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, stated that the army also bombarded one of its centers in al-Matahen area, south of Deir a-Balah city, in central Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.
Two missiles were also fired into a land north of Rafah city, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip; no injuries were reported.
Palestinian medical sources have reported that at least six Palestinians, have been injured, in a series of Israeli air strikes targeting different parts of the Gaza Strip.
Ashraf al-Qodra, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that six Palestinians, including four children, were moved to a number of hospitals in Gaza.
He said the wounded suffered mild injuries resulting from shattered windows, doors, and debris after the Israeli missiles struck areas close to civilian homes.
The Israeli strikes also targeted a storage room, east of a mosque in the Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza city, as the air force fired two missiles into the building, destroying it and causing damage to nearby homes.
Eyewitnesses said medics and rescue teams managed to move the six wounded Palestinians to a number of hospitals, while firefighters battled the blazes resulting from the Israeli attacks.
The Air Force also fired two missiles into a land, the al-Maqousy area, in an-Nasr neighborhood, northern West of Gaza City.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, stated that the army also bombarded one of its centers in al-Matahen area, south of Deir a-Balah city, in central Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.
Two missiles were also fired into a land north of Rafah city, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip; no injuries were reported.
Palestinian medical sources have reported that three young Palestinian men have been shot, and seriously injured, by Israeli army fire, during clashes that took place after the soldiers invaded the Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.
The sources said one young man was shot by a live round to the head, while two young men were shot by live rounds in the abdomen.
The invasion also led to armed clashes between Palestinian fighters, and the Israeli soldiers invading the refugee camp.
Eyewitnesses said dozens of soldiers invaded the camp, and were extensively deployed in its alleys, and that dozens of Palestinians hurled stones and empty bottles at them.
They added that the soldiers chased dozens of Palestinians in the alleys of the camp, and fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition, concussion grenades and gas bombs.
The army alleged that Palestinian fighters threw a homemade grenade at soldiers guarding the Qalandia Terminal; no injuries were reported.
3 Palestinians, Israeli soldier injured in Qalandiya clashes
Three Palestinian youths were severely injured during clashes between Israeli forces and locals at Qalandiya refugee camp between Ramallah and Jerusalem early Friday.
Local sources told Ma'an that dozens of youths threw rocks and empty bottles at Israeli forces when they raided the camp.
One youth was struck in the head when Israeli sources opened fire on the youths, while another two were hit in the stomach, the sources added.
Mustafa Aslan, 20, was in critical condition at the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem while Mohammed Shehada, 21, was being treated in Ramallah.
Witnesses described the clashes as "violent," saying that Israeli forces chased the youths in the alleyways of the camp shooting bullets, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear-gas bombs and sound bombs at them.
The Israeli military confirmed the raid in a statement, adding that a soldier "was injured lightly by a grenade tossed directly at the troops."
Forces subsequently responded "with live fire and used riot dispersal means to address the disturbances onsite," the statement added.
The sources said one young man was shot by a live round to the head, while two young men were shot by live rounds in the abdomen.
The invasion also led to armed clashes between Palestinian fighters, and the Israeli soldiers invading the refugee camp.
Eyewitnesses said dozens of soldiers invaded the camp, and were extensively deployed in its alleys, and that dozens of Palestinians hurled stones and empty bottles at them.
They added that the soldiers chased dozens of Palestinians in the alleys of the camp, and fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition, concussion grenades and gas bombs.
The army alleged that Palestinian fighters threw a homemade grenade at soldiers guarding the Qalandia Terminal; no injuries were reported.
3 Palestinians, Israeli soldier injured in Qalandiya clashes
Three Palestinian youths were severely injured during clashes between Israeli forces and locals at Qalandiya refugee camp between Ramallah and Jerusalem early Friday.
Local sources told Ma'an that dozens of youths threw rocks and empty bottles at Israeli forces when they raided the camp.
One youth was struck in the head when Israeli sources opened fire on the youths, while another two were hit in the stomach, the sources added.
Mustafa Aslan, 20, was in critical condition at the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem while Mohammed Shehada, 21, was being treated in Ramallah.
Witnesses described the clashes as "violent," saying that Israeli forces chased the youths in the alleyways of the camp shooting bullets, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear-gas bombs and sound bombs at them.
The Israeli military confirmed the raid in a statement, adding that a soldier "was injured lightly by a grenade tossed directly at the troops."
Forces subsequently responded "with live fire and used riot dispersal means to address the disturbances onsite," the statement added.
Jihad Mohammad Doudin 14
Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian child was shot and killed by Israeli army fire, after dozens of soldiers invaded Doura town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, several Palestinians have been injured. The army also invaded Jenin.
The sources said that Jihad Mohammad Doudin, 14, was shot in the chest by several rounds of live ammunition, and died of his serious injuries shortly after being moved to the Hebron Hospital.
Clashes have also been reported during the invasion, and the soldiers fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition, gas bombs and concussion grenades at Palestinians protesting the ongoing Israeli invasion.
Also in Hebron, soldiers kidnapped Sheikh Adel Edrees, the imam of a local mosque, Ayyoub Hasan Awawda and Karam Mahmoud Amro, from Doura, former political prisoner Yousef Sarsour, in addition to Eyad as-Saheb, and Ayman Jweiles from Hebron.
Dozens of soldiers also invaded the building of the Islamic Charitable Society and the Shiokh Charitable Society, in Hebron, confiscated files and computers, and caused excessive property damage.
Homes were also invaded, and searched, in different parts of Hebron, Kharsa village, and several nearby villages and towns.
In related news, soldiers invaded the campus of the Arab American University, in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and also invaded dozens of homes, before violently searching them.
Local sources said the soldiers held and interrogated dozens of students, campus guards and workers, and confiscated student files and documents. The invasion lasted for several hours.
Also in Jenin, soldiers shot and wounded Amir Sa’dy Saleh, 17, during clashes that took place after the army invaded Jenin.
Medical sources said Saleh suffered a moderate injury, and was moved to a local hospital.
The soldiers invaded, and violently searched, several homes in the Jenin district, including many homes belonging to Hamas members and supporters.
They also invaded the Jenin refugee camp, and Arraba town, and searched several homes, including the homes of legislators Ibrahim Dahbour, in Arraba, and Khaled Yahia in Jenin.
Troops fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition during the invasions, while one Palestinian was shot by a live round to the shoulder, in Jenin city.
Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian child was shot and killed by Israeli army fire, after dozens of soldiers invaded Doura town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, several Palestinians have been injured. The army also invaded Jenin.
The sources said that Jihad Mohammad Doudin, 14, was shot in the chest by several rounds of live ammunition, and died of his serious injuries shortly after being moved to the Hebron Hospital.
Clashes have also been reported during the invasion, and the soldiers fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition, gas bombs and concussion grenades at Palestinians protesting the ongoing Israeli invasion.
Also in Hebron, soldiers kidnapped Sheikh Adel Edrees, the imam of a local mosque, Ayyoub Hasan Awawda and Karam Mahmoud Amro, from Doura, former political prisoner Yousef Sarsour, in addition to Eyad as-Saheb, and Ayman Jweiles from Hebron.
Dozens of soldiers also invaded the building of the Islamic Charitable Society and the Shiokh Charitable Society, in Hebron, confiscated files and computers, and caused excessive property damage.
Homes were also invaded, and searched, in different parts of Hebron, Kharsa village, and several nearby villages and towns.
In related news, soldiers invaded the campus of the Arab American University, in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and also invaded dozens of homes, before violently searching them.
Local sources said the soldiers held and interrogated dozens of students, campus guards and workers, and confiscated student files and documents. The invasion lasted for several hours.
Also in Jenin, soldiers shot and wounded Amir Sa’dy Saleh, 17, during clashes that took place after the army invaded Jenin.
Medical sources said Saleh suffered a moderate injury, and was moved to a local hospital.
The soldiers invaded, and violently searched, several homes in the Jenin district, including many homes belonging to Hamas members and supporters.
They also invaded the Jenin refugee camp, and Arraba town, and searched several homes, including the homes of legislators Ibrahim Dahbour, in Arraba, and Khaled Yahia in Jenin.
Troops fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition during the invasions, while one Palestinian was shot by a live round to the shoulder, in Jenin city.