Palestine Today

Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.IMEMC.org, for Monday, June 5th, 2006.

Army arrests four residents from Jenin Refugee camp and one resident from Al Thahria town near Hebron. Also today, the Israeli Army stopped farmers in Tubas from harvesting their crops and arrested one resident from Beit Ola village west of Hebron

These stories and more coming up stay tuned

Army arrests four residents from Jenin Refugee camp

The Israeli army has arrested four residents from Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, Monday at dawn.

Troops and army vehicles stormed the city and the refugee camp while soldiers threatened residents with guns. The army forced residents out of their homes in order to search them.

Those to be arrested are Wajdi Stiti, 20, and Ali Ararawi, 21. All arrestees were taken to unknown locations, eyewitnesses reported

Army arrests one resident from Al Thahria town near Hebron
The Israeli army arrested Ghaleb Al Sammamra, 24, after invading the town of Al Thahria south of the West Bank city of Hebron late Sunday evening.
Al Sammamra, who works as an officer in the Palestinian Authority preventive security force, was arrested when troops stopped his car, searched it, then took him away to an unknown location. The army gave no reason for the arrest, residents reported.

Army stops farmers in Tubas from harvesting their crops
The Israeli army troops stopped local farmers from the West Bank city of Tubas from harvesting their crops Monday morning.
The soldiers stopped farmers on their way to collect their crops in Al Sooh, east of the city, demanding to see their permits.
According to the farmers, they have been facing these kinds of hardships and harassments from the army since the start of harvest season, adding that there have been attacks by soldiers resulting in the destruction of crops and equipment.

Army invades Bidia village and arrests one resident
The Israeli army has arrested one resident from the village of Bidia, west of the West Bank city of Salfit, in a pre-dawn invasion to the village Monday.
Anwar Balasma, 24, was arrested when troops were conducting searches of homes in the area. The army took him to an unknown location, eyewitnesses reported.
Army arrests one resident from Beit Ola village west of Hebron
Dia'e Al Emla was arrested on Monday at dawn when the Israeli army invaded Beit Ola village, west of the West Bank city of Hebron.
Soldiers stormed the village, surrounded Al Emla's home then searched it before arresting him. They took him to an unknown location.
Army and settlers attack Hebron, arresting one and leaving two brothers injured
The Israeli army and settlers attacked farmland, burned olive trees and injured two brothers, arresting one of them in the West Bank city of Hebron, Monday at dawn.
Rami Abu Is'efan, 27 and his brother Soliman, 31, were injured when settlers from Kriat Arba settlement attacked the olive orchards and farmlands that belong to the Palestinian residents of the city.
Soldiers and settlers attacked the Is'efan family's land and their house, which is close to the settlement. The Israeli's injured the two brothers and the Army arrested Soliaman, the family reported.
According to the local residents, settlers targeted scores of olive trees while the army not only witnessed the attack but stopped Palestinian fire brigades from arriving to the land to stop the fire.
Meanwhile, another group of settlers attacked resident's homes with stones and empty glass bottles, causing a state of panic among the children and damage to the homes, eyewitnesses reported.
Army closes Tulkarem city, bars residents from leaving
Israeli troops closed on Monday the entrances of the West Bank city of Tulkarem and barred the residents from entering or leaving the city.
Troops barred the vehicles and the residents from crossing into the city, and strip searched several youth, eyewitnesses reported.
Scores of residents were forced to stand under the sun for several hours at those military checkpoints, local sources reported.

Army levels two houses in Atof village east of Tubas
Monday, Israeli troops invaded the village of Atof, east of the West Bank city of Tubas, and leveled two houses.
Army jeeps and soldiers stormed the village after sealing its entrances, while military bulldozers leveled the houses of Saker Yousif and Abdul Hamid Yousif which were home to twenty residents of Tubas.
Local residents report that soldiers are invading the village on a daily basis, and firing rounds of live ammunition and sound bombs at their homes', especially during the night.
Conclusion

And that’s just some of the news for today in Palestine. For constant updates, check out the International Middle East Media Center website, www.IMEMC.org. As always, thanks for joining us. From Occupied Bethlehem, this is Palestine Today brought to you by Seth Porcello and Ghassan Bannoura.