Bryan
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Update on Situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 17-22 August
Written by Ahmad Jaradat, Alternative Information Center (AIC) Monday, 28 August 2006
Attacks by the Israeli Air Force and tank units are occurring on a daily basis in the Gaza Strip.
During the last week, around 35 Palestinians from the West Bank were arrested, most of them from the Hebron District.
The Israel military continued its closure of the northern Jordan Valley, establishing additional checkpoints.
17 August:
Twenty-three-year-old Ahmad Musa Abu Bakra from the village of Zawaida, located to the east of the Boraige refugee camp, was killed when the Israeli army opened fire on several homes in the village.
Two children were injured in the village of Azzon, to the east of Qalqilya, when Israeli soldiers entered the village. Seventeen-year-old Isma’il and 12-year-old Ahmad Hawwari were taken to the hospital.
18 August:
Two Palestinians were killed in the northern Gaza Strip. One of them, 30-year-old Hganem Khateeb, was killed while he was working in his field, tending after his goats.
Seven Palestinians, Israelis and international were injured when soldiers attacked protestors engaged in a demonstration in the West Bank village of Bil’in situated alongside the Segregation Wall.
During the same day, Israeli soldiers forced tens of farmers from several villages in the Salfit district (Mas’ha, Zaweya, Dir Ballot, Biday and Rafat villages) from entering their land located on the far side of the Segregation Wall. Many people in the villages are very worried about this action because if the soldiers go ahead in forcing them from working the land on the other side of the Wall, it would mean that they will lose the upcoming season of olive harvesting.
20 August:
Six Palestinians, mostly children, were injured when Israeli soldiers entered the village of Tal, situated to the west of Nablus.
Israeli tanks entered Gaza one kilometer to the east of Jabalya and opened fire on several homes. Additionally, two bulldozers damaged tens of dunam of olive groves, uprooting many trees.
21 August:
During the morning hours, a worker from the village of Dair el-Hatab in the Nablus District was killed when soldiers stationed at the Huwarra checkpoint opened fire on some workers. Jalal Husam Odeh, 26, was killed at the scene and two others were injured when the soldiers opened fire on a service taxi in which the workers were traveling. In addition, for one hour, Israeli soldiers blocked an ambulance that came from Nablus to treat those injured.
The Israeli army arrested the General Secretary of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Mahmoud Romahi, from his house in Ramallah. One day earlier, they also arrested the deputy prime minister, Nasser Edden Sha’er, from his house in Ramallah.
The Israeli Air Force destroyed a two-story house belonging to the Asaliyya family in Jabalya. No one injured, because the Israeli military authorities notified the family a half-hour before the demolition. They evacuated soon after.
22 August:
In the morning hours, three Palestinians were killed to the north of Khan Yunis, when tanks opened fire on them. During the same day, a resident was injured in Shoja’ya village when tanks entered the village.
Four Palestinian citizens were injured in the village of Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis, when tanks opened fire on several houses there.
Two houses were destroyed by F-16 fire, to the north of Rafah district, in the southern Gaza Strip. The F-16 dropped two large bombs on the houses, destroying each two-storey house. There were no injuries as the residents had evacuated a half an hour before, following warnings from the Israeli military.