24 Hours Round Up: IOF Kills Three Palestinians, Arrests More than 17 Others
GAZA - - The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot and killed three Palestinian citizens, two of them in the north of Gaza
Strip, and the third in Hebron, meanwhile IOF tore down six Palestinian houses in Bethlehem, Ramallah and ElBireh, while
launching a massive search and arrest campaign, in which more than 17 citizens, including a journalist were wounded or
arrested.
IPC correspondent reported that two Palestinian citizens were shot dead north of Gaza Strip. Palestinian security
sources mentioned that the Israeli tanks opened heavy gunfire along with three thank shells from the illegitimate
Israeli settlement of "Dogeet" at the Al Da'our hill, leading to the killing of Mohammed Al Ashqar and Mohammed Al
Hasni.
Meanwhile in the West Bank city of Hebron, the Israeli troops raided the house of Jihad Al Sweiti, 45, in the area of
Beit Awwa, west of Hebron. Eyewitnesses said that the occupying forces surrounded Al Sweiti's house and opened random
and heavy fire at it, killing Al Swetiti. The Israeli forces then abducted his body and took it into an undisclosed
location.
Concurrently, the Israeli war machine resumed its mass house demolition campaign in the Palestinian territories, as five
houses were tore down in different villages of Ramallah governorate.
Eyewitnesses told IPC's that the Israeli occupying forces invaded the village of Abu Sh'kheidem and surrounded the house
of Ziyad Al Sous, a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails, and then demolished it without giving the family a chance to
take out any of their belongings.
At the same time in Kobar Village, several Israeli military vehicles surrounded the house of another Palestinian
prisoner, Jasser Al Barghouti, and then blew up the house using remotely detonated explosives. The witnesses added that
the blast damaged several nearby homes.
In addition to these houses three others were demolished in the village of Al Mazra'a, also owned by three Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails.
Elsewhere, the Israeli occupying forces demolished a sixth house in the city of Bethlehem. IPC's mentioned that IOF
demolished the house of Ali Ja'ara in Ayda refugee camp, a two-storey home for 12 family members.
The demolition of the Ja'ara home came during a massive offensive on the Bethlehem governorate, during which nearly 14
Palestinian citizens, arrested today and yesterday, including journalists Joseph Handal, working for AFP news agency,
and Raja'ee Ahmad, cameraman of "Ramattan" productions, who were covering the IOF invasion of the refugee camp. The
Israeli offensive concentrated on the refugee camps of Ayda and Al Deheisha.
In the Jenin governorate, the Israeli occupying forces invaded several towns and villages and arrested a Palestinian
citizen.
WAFA news agency mentioned that the occupying forces invaded the towns of Seilet Al Harethiya and Qabatia, backed by ten
military vehicles, and arrested Sharif Tahayna, 40, after surrounding and searching his home.
Israeli military sources claim that Tahayna is "wanted" to the Israeli occupying forces, and that he is a member of the
Islamic Jihad movement in the West Bank. they also claim they have been hunting him down for three years. Tahayna was
taken in an Israeli military jeep to an undisclosed location.
Another Palestinian citizen was arrested during IOF's invasion into Qabatia Town in Jenin. Two other citizens were
arrested from the Al Thaheriya Town in Hebron governorate.
In Nablus governorate, Palestinian medical sources said that a Palestinian citizen arrived at the hospital with a
gunshot in his head, after being shot during an Israeli invasion of the town of Beit Foreek.
Hospital officials said that Mahmoud Khatatba, 22, was critically wounded in the head after being shot by the Israeli
soldiers invading Beit Foreek. Khatatba was urgently rushed to one of the hospitals in Nablus City for proper treatment.
Paramedics also complained that the occupying forces hindered their swift arrival to the hospital.
Earlier in Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupying forces opened heavy and indiscriminate gunfire at Palestinian citizens and
their homes in the Al Barazil neighborhood in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, leading to the injury of a
Palestinian citizen, security and medical sources said.