by Ahmad Jaradat, Alternative Information Center
http://alternativenews.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=534&Itemid=1
In the past week, Israel has intensified its air and land attacks against the Palestinians in Gaza. Attacks and violations by Israeli forces have also continued in the West Bank, including arrests, closures, checkpoints, incursions, assassinations, and limitations on Palestinian movement between cities and towns, etc.
24 August:
Five Palestinians were injured in Jabalya in Gaza Strip when an F-16 destroyed a two storey building.
25 August:
Israeli Apache helicopters attacked a residential building in Gaza City with two missiles, resulting in the total destruction of the building and the injuring of four residents. On the same day, 13 people, including internationals, were injured in the West Bank town of Bil’in, when Israeli soldiers attacked a demonstration against the building of the Segregation Wall there. The soldiers used batons, guns, tear-gas and stun grenades against the protesters during the weekly protest.
27 August:
Fifteen-year-old Nablus resident Muntaser al-Akka was killed, and 20 more people were injured, when the Israeli military shelled several houses in the city. During the same day, in Gaza City, one resident was killed and another 15 were injured, when an Apache helicopter rocketed two Palestinian cars on Mansor Street. Two of the injured were journalists; one of them works as reporter for Reuters, and the other works for Abu Dhabi satellite television channel. Their car was attacked despite the fact that it was clearly marked as a press vehicle. During the same day, three Palestinians were killed and five injured when Israeli tanks shelled the Shuja’eyya region to the east of Gaza City. In the evening, an additional Palestinian was killed when the Israeli army invaded the same location with tanks.
28 August:
Israel land and air attacks in the Gaza Strip resulted in the death of six Palestinians and more than 20 injured. During the evening, Israeli special forces killed 27-year-old ‘Ala el-Rabi in Ramallah. Soldiers wearing civilian clothing and using three unmarked cars entered the center of the city and opened fire directly on him.
29 August:
Six Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip and West Bank: Three when combat helicopters rocketed them in Qubba Park to the east of Gaza City; two were killed in Balata refugee camp near Nablus by helicopter attacks; one other was killed by tank fire during the night in Bit Lahya, located in the northern Gaza Strip.
30 August:
Nine Palestinians were killed during intensive Israeli shelling of Shuja’eyy to the east of Gaza City, and 46 were injured when Israeli helicopter gunships and tanks opened fire. Three of those killed were children. It is important to mention here that the number of people killed in the last few days in this area is 20.
Detentions and Closures:
According to Palestinians resources, during the last week, more than 30 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank. Moreover, Israel has increased the limitations on Palestinian movement, especially in the northern West Bank. In many villages, the farmers have not been able to reach their land or the workplaces due to Israeli military checkpoints, as is the case for villages in the northern Jordan Valley. Israel reclosed the Rafah crossing in Gaza, after it had opened the crossing for just two days (25 and 26 August). Thousands of passengers continue to wait on both sides of the passage.