occupation kills 2 & breaks ceasefire

note: tomorrow i will be traveling to ithaca, new york to give a presentation with two other ex-ISMers. this means i won't be updating the blog until at least december 1. to continue to follow the events as they unfold, check out the links on the right side.

mural in jericho (taken 7-13-06)

israeli prime minister Olmert has announced in a speech that he is ready to release palestinian prisoners in exchange for a captured occupation soldier in palestinian custody since late june 2006. in his speech, Olmert said: "With Gilad Shalit's release and his return safe and sound to his family, the Israeli government will be willing to release many Palestinian prisoners, even those who have been sentenced to lengthy terms...I know that many Palestinian families yearn for the day when their loved ones will return home. This day could be very close. "

he also said that if the palestinians cease "terrorism," then, "We [Israel] will significantly diminish the number of roadblocks, increase freedom of movement in the [Palestinian] territories, facilitate movement of people and goods in both directions, improve the operation of the border crossings to the Gaza Strip, and release Palestinian funds for the purpose of alleviating the humanitarian hardship which many of you suffer." while saying this, Olmert also stated that the palestinians will have to live within the illegal borders unilaterally set by the Aprtheid Wall.

Olmert also said that palestinians have to, "relinquish your demand for the realization of the right of return." this outrageous statement means that palestinians have to stop working towards the ability for those living in the Diaspora, including those expelled in 1948, from returning to their homeland.

Olmert, at the end of his speech, gave these chillings words, "In a violent battle, we will prevail, even if it is lengthy and even if it claims many victims...Do not put us to another test, which will involve many casualties and destruction, and which will lead to total hardship and despair. "

for a transcript of the entire speech:

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child from al-jab'a village at demonstration (taken 9-29-06)
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Ha'artez--The United Nations Human Rights Council, which has censured only Israel during its six-month existence, overwhelmingly urged Israel on Monday to halt expansion of settlements on occupied land as a first step towards their removal.

A total of 45 countries, including European Union members, Latin American states and Japan, voted in favor of the resolution proposed by Arab and other Islamic countries, with only Canada voting against and Cameroun abstaining.

The resolution, similar to others approved in the past by the old Human Rights Commission which the Council replaced earlier this year, called on Israel to take "serious measures" to prevent settlers attacking Palestinians....

...The council earlier Monday passed a resolution criticizing Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights.

The council voted 32-1 with 14 abstentions to declare illegal Israel's 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights and demand that Israel rescind its decision to impose its laws and jurisdiction on the area, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Canada, which said the resolution was unbalanced, was the only no vote, and European Union members abstained.

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palestinian home in the village of Iraq Burin (taken 8-23-06)
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jimmy carter loves palestine! hear ye, hear ye, former US president carter has written a book called, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." while i haven;t read the book, the fact that a former US president has written a book on palestine with the word Apartheid in the title is a victory in itself. this is the likley the first and last time i will ever write this but, go read this book from a former president of our beloved empire. used at amazon $13.50:

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in the west bank:
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despite the ceasefire and israel's promise to suspend offensive operations in gaza and the west bank, occupation forces invaded numerous west bank cities, killed two and seized at least 19 palestinians. these crimes are a clear violation of sunday's ceasefire! fatah's al-aqsa martyrs brigades, hamas' al-qassam brigades, as well as islamic jihad have issued statements announcing that they will not take part in any truce that does not recognize crimes in the west bank as crimes against the palestinians (links show brigade statements). they demanded that an occupation ceasefire included a halting of offensive operations in the west bank as well as in the gaza strip.

sunday, occupation forces invaded the village of azzun, wast of qalqiliya and shot one boy. Yasser Faisal Musa Salim, 15, was shot in the leg while demonstrating.

the bodies of Fatma Nazal and Abed El-Razeq Mahmoud Nasser Bakr are displayed in the morgue

monday, occupation forces invaded qabatiya, near jenin, and KILLED TWO people. Fatma Nazal, 55, a civilian, was shot and killed. Abed El-Razeq Mahmoud Nasser Bakr, 22, a fighter with the popular resistance committees' nasser salah addin brigades, was also shot and killed. following the two killings, Yasser Mazal, a spokesman for the brigades announced that the group would retaliate.

Abed El-Razeq Mahmoud Nasser Bakr is carried through the streets in a funeral procession

Fatma Nazal and Abed El-Razeq Mahmoud Nasser Bakr are carried through the streets in a funeral procession

monday, armed colonial settlers have kidnapped a palestinian girl. a car of at least three armed settlers, assumed to be from khirbet qalqas colony, south of hebron, forced the 20 year old palestinian woman into their car. the girl's 12 year old sister and 5 year old brother were able to escape.

monday, occupation forces invaded nablus and seized six men associated with fatah. during the incursion, occupation soldiers were fired on by palestinian resistance fighters. three of the teenagers seized are: Hashim Abu Zant 19, Rami Abu Jasa, 19 and Mohammad Hashim, 18. during the incursion, a military bulldozer damaged some buildings. a seventh man, was seized outside of nablus. Nasser Majed 'Udwan, 19, a student at al-najah university in nablus, was seized at jit checkpoint, east of nablus city.

monday, occupation forces invaded qalqilliya and seized three men associated with hamas. numerous homes were invaded, and the following men were seized: Lo'ay Subhi Daoud Freij, 32, Ahmed Mustafa Kharuf, 22, and Nimer 'Abed Al-Karim Hindi, 40.

monday, occupation forces invaded nahaled village, west of bethlehem, and seized four men. after invading numerous homes, the army seized Sadi Shakarnah, 19, his brother Saleh, 20, Nassif Shakarnah, 20 and Mahir Ghaiath, 18.

monday, occupation forces invaded ramallah and seized two men.

monday, occupation forces invaded huwarra village, south of nablus, and imposed curfew. school children were not allowed to attend classes, and at present, the curfew is still in effect.

monday, occupation forces invaded bethlehem, invaded numerous homes and and seized one man. Tamer Mustafa Abu-Dayeh, 20, a student at al-quds open university. during the invasion. soldiers fired live ammunition, concussion grenades, and tear gas into the area.

monday, occupation forces invaded al-khalil (hebron) and seized three palestinians, claiming they were hamas and islamic jihad members.

student rally in nablus following al-Najah student council elections

monday, in student council elections in the west bank's largest university, nablus' al-najah university, hamas and fatah have tied. hamas was previously in control of the influential student council, but lost two seats in the election, while fatah gained four seats. these elections are often said to be a gauge of general public opinion which may be signaling a loss of confidence in the hamas-led government.

monday, a colonial settler in hebron's tel rumeida neighborhood attacked a nine year old palestinian child, injuring her. Worrod Shabana was attacked on her way home by a settler. she is currently in the hospital were she is being treated for serious injuries to her left hand, and bruising covering large areas of her body.

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in the gaza strip:
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monday, ONE PALESTINIAN DIED from injuries sustained nearly one month ago in clashes with occupation soldiers in the farahun area of khan younis, in southern gaza. Yahya Al-Kasas, 25, a fighter with islamic jihad's al-quds brigades, died in an Egyptian hospital.

monday, occupation forces invaded the town of al qarara, north of khan younis, in southern gaza and injured one women. Fawziyya Al Malaha, 40, was shot in the right leg by invading soldiers. Malaha was farming her land at the time when she was shot with small arms fire from a tank.

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from the resistance:
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monday, the al-aqsa martyrs brigades, the main military wing of fatah, launched two home made aqsa-103 rockets into the western negev desert. this operation, was in retaliation of occupation forces violating the ceasefire by invading west bank cities and seizing 15 palestinians.

how did necessity help to spawn the recent upsurge in non-violent resistance in gaza?

palestinian woman approaches Apartheid Wall in al Ram near Jerusalem (Tom Spender/IRIN)

5 killed, ceasefire begins

sunday, after long negotiations, a fragile ceasefire has begun between occupation military forces and palestinian resistance fighters, so far both sides have made efforts to abide, but have also violated the truce.

there have been three palestinian home made rockets fired, and occupation forces have continued to invade. there were eight palestinians seized after the ceasefire took effect, including four children and a leader with fatah's al-aqsa martyrs brigades. for this, al-aqsa brigades fired a home made rocket. similar, three hamas members were seized in hebron, and hamas responded by firing home made rockets.

following this seizure and retaliation process, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a period of calm. following the start of the ceasefire, occupation forces began to withdrawl from gaza.

in an effort to force the palestinian fighters to abide by the truce, palestinian president abbas, working with prime minister haniya, have deployed 13,000 palestinian security force members along the gaza border to stop the firing of home made rockers. hamas' military wing, released an english language statement through their spokesmen abu obayda, it can be read here:

for more information:
al-jazeera:

BBC:

IMEMC:

ma'an:

ha'aretz:
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in the west bank:
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friday, occupation forces invaded su'ir, near al-khalil (hebron) and injured one man seriously. jihad nimir froukh was shot in the head and sustained serious injuries.

friday, occupation forces invaded salfit, in the central west bank and injured one man. jamal mahmoud as-sarafandi, 16, was shot in the leg.

friday, occupation forces demolished several shops in kfar haris, in salfit. occupation authorities claimed that the buildings were constructed without permits.

friday, occupation forces invaded ya'bad, in southern jenin and seized two young boys. one boy, 12 year old hamdan masharqa, was taken while he was tending his sheep. the details of the other boy are not available.

saturday, occupation forces have restricted movement in the northern west bank by not allowing any palestinian under 35 from crossing jabara checkpoint and leaving tulkarem. similar restrictive practices were reported at zatara checkpoint, just south of nablus city.

saturday, occupation prison authorities have attacked a palestinian incarcerated paralyzing hims. rabei ali, 27, was shot four times in majiddu prison, north of bethlehem, and left paralyzed. he was shot in the lung, stomach, leg and spine.

saturday, occupation forces invaded al-khalil (hebron) and critically wounded one boy. jihad farroukh, 15, was hit with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head. he was hot in the town of sa'eer, near hebron. three additional palestinians were seized in a raid in beit owla village, north of hebron.

saturday, occupation forces invaded nablus and stormed a TV station, seized four men and demolished two homes. after invaded the nablus TV station, four employees were taken to an unknown location. following this, the home of ghassan madmouj and the home of omar al-saeh in the alqisariyya neighborhood of nablus were demolished.

saturday, occupation forces invaded al-khalil (hebron) and seized one man after invading his home. jafr abu aisha, 23 was taken from his home.

sunday, occupation forces invaded ramallah, and seized the leader of fatah's al-aqsa martyrs brigades in the west bank. khalid salim, 27 was taken.

sunday, occupation forces invaded al-khalil (hebron) and seized two men, claiming they were hamas supporters.

palestinians throw stones at invading soldiers west of ramallah

sunday, occupation forces invaded betuniya village, west of ramallah and seized one man. mohammed qudwa was taken after his home was attacked. during the invasion, palestinian demonstrators confronted occupation soldiers with stones and soldier responded with tear gas and concussion grenades.

sunday, occupation forces invaded abu dis village, east of jerusalem and seized four children. an occupation patrol broke down while passing through the village and was met with palestinian demonstrators throwing stones. during the clashes, occupation soldiers seized: Mahmud Khaled Jafal, 13, Muhanad Sameer Al-Bustani, 12, Ibrahim 'Ali 'Erekat, 11, and Ibrahim 'Erekat, 12.

ISM hebron publish report on yet another attack of volunteers by colonial settlers:

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in the gaza strip:
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friday, one palestinian DIED from injuries he sustained on november 5th during occupation shelling in northern gaza. ala al-umary, a civilian, was injured in beit hanoun while occupation forces attempted to kill a group of fighters.

a child is rushed to the hospital after being shit and injured in gaza

friday, occupation forces opened fire on unarmed civilians and news media in eastern jabalia refugee camp in northern gaza. imad zaqqout, news manager for al-aqsa TV was on hand to witness occupation snipers based on qleibo hill, fire at the palestinians.

funeral for ahmad labal

saturday, occupation forces KILLED TWO palestinians in gaza. ahmad labal, was shot and killed while attempting to launch a home made rocket. labal was a fighter with islamic jihad's al-quds brigade. the body of one unnamed man was found near the karni crossing after occupation authorities announced firing in the area. the body of a man in his 20s, wearing workman's clothes, was found riddled with bullets

saturday, occupation forces KILLED ONE palestinian and injured four in an air strike with an unmanned drone. mohammed al abdullah was killed when the drone fired at least one missile at a volkswagen carrying five fighters though the az-zaytoun neighborhood of eastern gaza city. all men were fighters with hamas' al-aqassam brigades.

funeral for ayman mushessen

saturday, one palestinian DIED from injuries sustained in an air strike. ayman muhessen, was injured when air craft fired a missile at his car in the shujai'ya neighborhood east of gaza city. a second palestinian was killed in the attack.

palestinians display parts of a car after it was destroyed with a missile

saturday, occupation forces carried out an air strike with an unmanned drone. the drone fired one rocket at a palestinian car on abdun-nasir street in western gaza city. the occupants, all fighters with hamas' al-qassam brigades, survived the attack.

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from the resistance:
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friday, the national resistance brigades, the military wing of the democratic front for the liberation of palestine, in conjunction with the al-aqsa martyrs brigades, the main military wing of fatah, launched two home made rockets at sderot.

friday, the al-quds brigade, the military wing of islamic jihad, clashed with occupation soldiers in the tal klebo area. the brigades ambushed a foot patrol with an anti-personnel bomb east of the sheikh zayed towers in northern jabalia. two occupation soldiers were injured, one is said to be in critical condition. during their retreat, one al-quds fighter were injured.

sunday, the nasser salah addin brigades, military wing of the popular resistance committees, announced that the engaged in armed clashed with occupation soldiers east of rafah city near the demolished gaza airport. the brigades used machine guns and claim to have injured or killed some occupation soldiers.

sunday, the khalid akar brigades, a military wing of the popular front for the liberation of palestine general command attacked an occupation patrol in nablus. the brigades reportedly injured two soldiers and damaged an army jeep.

sunday, the al-aqsa martyrs brigades, the main military wing of fatah, launched two home made rockets at ashkelon.

sunday, the al-quds brigade, the military wing of islamic jihad, launched three home made rockets at sderot.

background information on nablus

some background information on nablus, and 2 of its 3 refugee camps. this information was provided by project hope, a volunteer organization working in palestine, run by internationals that teaches english and provides other services to the palestinian community. for more information on project hope, and to explore volunteering with them, check their website out:
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Nablus

Nablus, an Arabic Canaanite city, is one of the oldest cities in the world, possibly first established 9000 years ago. It was first named "shechem" meaning shoulder or high land, then "moborta" from of the Aramaic name "Mabarakhtha" or the blessed one, on the side of Maborta. Titus, built the new town - Flavia Neapolis, in 70 A. D., in honor of Flavius Vespasian the Roman emperor at that time.

During the Ottoman rule, Nablus suffered, like other cities of the Middle East, from the retarded state of education. Schools were first established in the middle of the 19th century during the short reign of Abraham Pascha, but maintained their existence in the following years when the Ottomans regained control of the region. On 11 July 1927 the town suffered a major earthquake. Much of the consequent damage to buildings was never repaired and the ruinous condition of many of them may well have encouraged the inhabitants to move outside the old city to build their new houses, although some new building to the north and west of the old city had already been undertaken before 1927. The arrival of the motor car increased emigration to the slopes of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal where new roads allow vehicles the easy access otherwise denied to them.

During the British Mandate (1918 - 1948), Nablus was at the forefront of Palestinian Nationalism, and it was the center of resistance against the British. The 1948 Arab- Israeli war saw the city fall under Jordanian authority, and two camps were built near the city to accommodate the refugees. In 1967, Nablus was occupied by the Israeli army. The resulting occupation damaged the infrastructure of the city. Three refugee camps were added to accommodate the people who fled to the city during the conflict.

Nablus city is the largest city in West Bank after Jerusalem. It is situated between and on the slopes of two mountains: Ibal (940 m.) above sea level, and Jerzim (881 m.). It is located (69) km. north of Jerusalem and (42) km. east of the Mediterranean Sea. It is rich in archaeological and historical sites: Tell Balata, Jacob's well, a Roman theater, and the Jewish Samaritan Community. Jacob's well is marked by a church built over the site in the fifth century and maintained ever since. Additional buildings were added during the sixth and twelfth centuries and finally in 1908.

Roman ruins have been found under the present city. Recently, the remains of a horse track were discovered in the center of the city, as well as a Roman cemetery at the Sillawi station and a soldier's cemetery. Both cemeteries include stone-engraved coffins with architectural designs. The Roman theater found in Nablus is the largest found anywhere in Palestine. Parts of a Roman road were found beneath the Thafer Al-Masri School. This road, in addition to the remains of a stair way, connects Nablus city with the Roman Temple on top of Jerzim mountain.

The Old City of Nablus dates back to the Othman Mamluk period. Many of the quarters still carry the characteristics of old Islamic cities and are named after the goods or skills that were traditionally traded in the souqs. The Old City is particularly amazing. It is considered one of the oldest cities in the world. Its buildings belong to different historical periods from Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Islamic and Ottoman time. Nablus Municipality, since 1994, set up a vast project of renovation and rehabilitation of the streets, houses, water sources, mosques and churches in cooperation with specialized International organizations, mainly UNESCO, in order to preserve the Old City as an important historical monument. Much of the work has been retarded or sent into reverse by the violence of the current Intifada.

Before the current Intifada Nablus was the major commercial, industrial and agricultural centre in the northern West Bank. This commercial and industrial wealth has been shattered by invasions -- roadblocks, curfews, severe damage to the city's basic infrastructure and the demolition of multiple factories. Nonetheless, the community clings to life and you can still find a market (souq) at the heart of the Old City.

NABLUS.ORG

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Balata Refugee Camp

Balata Refugee Camp is located near Nablus, in the Northern part of the West Bank. The camp is 2.5 kilometers square. This camp was established in 1950, and is populated by refugees from 65 towns and villages from Yaffa area, including the cities of Al Led and Al Ramleh. In addition, the camp houses Bedouine tribes from the areas of Al Hashasheen, Swalmeh, Ka'abneh and Jammaseen.

Balata camp was created on a piece of land totaling 252 dunams (1 acre = 4 dunams) and there are 3,753 families with a total population of more than 20,000 persons. In Arabic, the word Balata means Rock. It is sometimes referred to as Yaffa camp, because many of its inhabitants came from the villages surrounding Yaffa (now a suburb of Tel Aviv).

Although Balata may simply look like an extension of the city of Nablus, the conditions within Balata are quite different from those outside of the camp. One of the primary differences is that as the population grows, there is no room for demographic expansion. This leads to severe overpopulation, a problem from which all Palestinian refugee camps suffer. In its early years, Balata was an enormous tent city. But as years passed, and the refugee problem remained unresolved, permanent structures began taking root. Permanent cement structures now stand where tents once stood.

Although there are some paved roads and permanent structures within Balata, the camp still faces many problems. Health care, education, and many other public and human services are dangerously lacking. Schools suffer overcrowding and medical facilities lack the basic necessities to treat patients. Since the outbreak of the current Palestinian uprising, the level of unemployment, which was already high, has rocketed even higher: the poverty level stands at its worst rate yet.

The first West Bank group to defend refugee rights - the Refugee Committee to Defend Refugee Rights - was established in Balata in early 1994. The camp was very active in the first Intifadah (1987-1993). Many refugees were killed and injured, and numerous shelters were demolished by the Israeli army.

Statitics

• Registered Refugee Population: 20,465
• Special hardship cases: 579 (1,794 beneficiaries)
• Shelter Rehabilitation over the past 4 years: 364
• Shelters affected due to shelling: 29
• Number of Families received Emergency Distribution: 3201
• Addition of 5 classroom in the girls school including computer workshop funded by the USAID (2nd appeal).
• Replacement of Balata Health Center, funded by the Saudi Arabia (SFD). Project completed on 24 August 2001.
• Number of Students : Male 1912. Female 1896
  
• Figures as of 30 November 2001: http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/westbank/balata.html

The camp is the largest in the West Bank by population. It has three schools run by the United Nation's agency "UNRWA" and has an insufficient number of overworked local community centers, such as the Balata Youth Centre, the Women's Centre, the Local Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, the Popular Service Committee, the Committee for the Defense of Refugee Rights and the Yaffa Cultural Centre. Balata link: http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/ westbank/balata.html

Askar Refugee Camp

Askar Camp, both Old and New Askar, has approximately 15,000 inhabitants. Like any refugee camp, Askar endures many hardships: substand living conditions, poverty, unemployment and inadequate education.

Askar camp was established in 1950 on 209 dunums of land within the municipal boundaries of Nablus. In 1964, the camp was expanded to cover an additional 90 dunums. Camp residents refer to this the additional area as "New Askar". "New Askar" is not officially recognized as a camp, there are no UNRWA installations there, and the area falls within "zone B" (shared Israeli and Palestinian sovereignty). Old Askar camp falls under Palestinian Authority control in "zone A".

Overcrowding in the camp is a serious issue and the camp committee has suggested expanding the camp's boundaries as a possible solution. However, UNRWA has no authority to carry out any expansion of camps since this comes under the jurisdiction of the host governments/authority.

Statistics

• Registered Refugee Population: 13,765
• Special hardship cases: 410 (1,309 beneficiaries)
• Shelter Rehabilitation over the past 4 years: 276
• Shelters affected due to shelling: 56
• Number of Families that received Emergency Distribution: 2070
• Additional of 7 class rooms including computer workshop funded by USAID (3RD Appeal)
• Askar Girls / construction of 4 classrooms including a computer workshop funded by USAID (2nd appeal)
• Construction of Askar Health Center 400 Square meters funded by Belgium
• Number of Students: Male: 1737. Female 1617
  
• Figures as of 30 November 2001 http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/westbank/askar.html

Askar link:
http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/westbank/askar.html

12 dead, more human shielding, grandmom bomber

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in the west bank:
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the funeral for fadi emour, killed on wednesday in jenin

wednesday, colonial settlers destroyed a large area of palestinian olive trees belonging to mariam ismael, a women from al-khadr village. the colonists are from neve daniyyel settlement, one of the many areas in the gush etzion settlement block, southwest of bethlehem. the colonial settlers cut down and uprooted more than 100 olive trees. the trees had been planted with the assistance of the palestinian agricultural work comities to support struggling farmers.

thursday, occupation forces invaded jericho and seized one man. nidal mansour, 25, was seized after his family home was invaded. nidal was to be married soon and was preparing for his engagement party which was to be the following day. he is reportedly a member of fatah's al-aqsa martyrs brigades.

thursday, occupation forces invaded the village of qarawit bani hassan, near salfit, and demolished one home and one agricultural building. the army demolished the home of nabil khalil, a home that provided shelter for more than 30 people. the families were not permitted to gather their possessions before their home was destroyed. soldiers also demolished a sheep holding facility. while in the village, occupation authorities delivered orders to demolish an additional 30 homes in the village. the homes are slated to be demolished in one week. while carrying out the demolitions, palestinian demonstrators confronted occupation soldiers with stones. soldiers responded by firing live ammunition at the demonstrators.

thursday, occupation forces invaded hebron and seized five men including imad sami jabari, 38 and his brother muhammad jabari, 27.

thursday, occupation forces invaded the village of eizariyah, east of jerusalem, and seized one man.

thursday, occupation authorities have announced to the villages of deir ballut and kafr ad dik, both west of salfit, that their lands are to be annexed in the coming days. the colonial settlement of pedu'el, from the ariel block, occupies the lands between the two villages. at least 500 dunums (1 dunumn = 1,000 meters squared) will be confiscated, assumingly to make room for the further construction of the Apartheid wall surrounding the ariel settlement block.

thursday, occupation forces invaded nablus, and seized one man. during the incursion, palestinian resistance fighters fired on occupation soldiers.

thursday, occupation soldiers invaded ein beit al ma refugee camp in nablus and seized two men. after searching their homes, wajdi barakat, 19 and mustafa abu al ruz, 21 were taken.

thursday, occupation forces invaded the town of bal'a, east of tulkarem and seized three palestinian men. the men were taken from a taxi office. the men are majid jamal hamdan, 27, shadi barabra, 23 and amir abu younis, 22.

friday, occupation forces invaded tulkarem and seized four men, claiming that three were fatah activists and the fourt, an activist with hamas. during the invasion, occupation forces were fired upon by palestinian resistance fighters. after invading the city, the southern nearby villages of irtah and far'un were also invaded.

friday, occupation forces invaded nablus and were attacked with an explosive device.

friday, occupation forces invaded taqu'a, southeast of bethlehem, invaded numerous homes and seized one man, ahmad ali salim, 25.

friday, occupation forces invaded ramallah and shot one man before seizing him. khaled al jayyousi, 28, was shot in ths shoulder during an incursion into qalandia refugee camp. he was then taken to an unknown location. jayyousi is a fighter with fatah's al-aqsa martyrs brigades.

friday, occupation forces invaded jenin, as well as jenin refugee camp with a large number of soldiers and military bulldozers. soldiers invaded a number of homes and seized seven men: ali abu nada, mahmoud irsan and his two sons, mustapha natour, ala-a sharif and marwan gharib, as well as two additional, unnamed men.

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in the gaza strip:
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the funerals for fayiq abu el-qumsan and mahmoud al-basyouno

thursday, occupation forces ASSASSINATED THREE palestinians in an air strike. fayiq abu el-qumsan and mahmoud al-basyouno were both killed in the attack, both men were fighter with the popular resistance committee's nasser salah adidn brigades. fayiq was a commander for the northern gaza strip, and mahmoud was his deputy. a third man was also killed, also a fighter with the brigades, he is yet to be identified. the occupation military's official website released video of the air strike which can be downloaded here:

fayiq abu el-qumsan being carried through the streets

mahmoud al-basyouno being carried through the streets

thursday, occupation forces KILLED THREE palestinians in beit lahiya. ala khalil, 22, and a second unnamed victim were killed in armed clashes with occupation soldiers. the third victim was nasser a-nader, 19, a fighter with islamic jihad's al-quds brigade. nader was shot while reportedly preparing to fire a home made rocket.

funeral for muhammad jerjawi

thursday, occupation forces KILLED TWO palestinians, and injured eight school children. muhammad jerjawi, 19, was killed when an unmanned drone fired a rocket at a group of palestinian fighters who were confroting a tank, in the sheikh zayed residential building area, east of beit lahiya. many other were injured in the attack. jamal nidir, 19, was shot and killed by an occupation sniper in jabalia. he was shot while walking to school. jamal's ambulance was prevented from reaching him by occupation forces and he died before reaching the hospital. the school children were fired on by occupation soldiers as they walked to school. two students were transported to the hospital and six other were treated in the field.

thursday, occupation forces invaded abasan village, northwest of rafah in southern gaza. while advancing, occupation tanks and armored vehicles opened fire on palestinian civilian homes. also in abasan, military bulldozers razed agricultural lands and destroyed a chicken farm.

thursday, occupation war planes carried out two air strikes on palestinian civilian targets in gaza. an apache attack helicopter fired on missile at hirzallah money exchange in downtown gaza city, completely destroying the building and severely damaging neighboring buildings. following this strike, war plans fired one missile at shati refugee camp, west of gaza city. the missile fell in an open area near the shati sports club.

funeral for 10 year old abdul aziz suleiman

friday, occupation forces KILLED TWO palestinians in beit lahiya, in northern gaza. 10 year old abdul aziz suleiman, was shot three times by occupation snipers and killed. additionally, ayman jouda, 22, was shot and killed by an occupation sniper. jouda was a member of hamas' qassam brigade, acting in their media office, and when killed, was photographing a military vehicle that had been set onfire by palestinian resistance fighters. these two deaths being the four day death toll in gaza to 17.

friday, one palestinian DIED from injuries sustained three weeks ago in the attacks on beit lahiya in northern gaza. ala al omary died from the shelling of an area in which four other residents, including two medical volunteers were killed.

friday, occupation forces shelled the tal qleibo area, east of jabalia in northern gaza and injured at least three people. the three palestinians injured are said to be in critical condition. in the same area, three palestinians were shot and injured. one is reported to be in critical condition.

man injured in beit lahiya is rushed to the hospital

friday, occupation tanks shelled a residential building in the sheikh zayid area, north of beit lahiya in northern gaza. one of the artillery shells hit an apartment building belonging to the abu nahil family, injuring several residents and causing extensive damage. also in beit lahiya, two residents were injured when occupation soldiers fired on a group of people gathered in the area. the two civilians were shot and injured.

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from the resistance:
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wednesday, palestinian resistance fighters from an unknown faction fired on a settler car in the halhoul area noth of al-khalil (hebron). no casualties were reported.

fatima an-najjar, the 57 year old suicide bomber

thursday, a 57 year old palestinian woman detonated explosives strapped to herself in the eastern area of jabalia refugee camp, wounding two occupation soldiers. fatima an-najjar, from jabalia detonated her explosives near soldiers who were invading in the area. fatima was an fighter with hamas' al-qassam brigades. she is the oldest palestinian female human bomber to date.

funeral for fatima an-najjar

thursday, the al-qassam brigade, the military wing of hamas, shot an occupation soldier wast of jabalia in northern gaza. the soldier was shot in the chest while inside of a military bulldozer. he is reported to be injured. the brigades also launched two home made qassam rockets at sderot. the brigades also detonated a roadside bomb targeting an occupation military vehicle in beit hanoun's wadi street. the brigades aldo launched one home made yassin rocket at an occupation military bulldozer east of jabalia refugee camp.

thursday, the al-aqsa martyrs brigades, the main military wing of fatah, launched two anti-tank missiles, one at an occupation troop transport, and one at a military bulldozer, both east of jabalia, in northern gaza.

thursday, the al-quds brigade, the military wing of islamic jihad, launched one home made rocket at sderot. the brigades also detonated a 60kg roadside bomb targeting an occupation troop transport in beit hanoun. the brigades also launched one rocket-propelled grenade at an occupation tank in beit lahiya.

occupation soldiers returning from their raid in qabatia

thursday, according to occupation sources, a human bombing operation was foiled. the al-quds brigade, the military wing of islamic jihad, had organized a four person cell from the jenin area. the four men were from the village of qabatia, and it is reported that their operation wa in the "last stages." the men were found in one home, and after a three hour standoff, wherein occupation forces threatened to demolish the house, the men surrendered. during their capture, there were clashes with palestinian resistance fighters, an explosives device and weapons were found. according to occupation sources, the men seized are: ahmed talat nazal, 23, said ali tahnawi, 27, yasar zarini, 41 and ahmed yusef kamil, 20.

thursday, the al-mughrabi brigades, a military wing of fatah, launched three home made rockets at begin kibbutz, the sa'ad military post and a troop transport.

thursday, the nasser salah addin brigades, the military wing of the popular resistance committees, shot an occupation soldier positioned on the roof of a palestinian house. the soldier was shot by a palestinian sniper. the brigades also launched one rocket-propelled grenade targeting an occupation tank in jabalia refugee camp.

islamic jihad at a press conference in gaza

thursday, islamic jihad announced that that are almost finished the development of a new, longer-range home made rocket. the brigades did not report when the rockets would be operational. abu hamza, a spokesman for islamic jihad stated that the rocket technology is based on the russian katyusha, the type used by hezbollah in this summer's war with israel. the rocket, when completed will have a range of 19-20 km, approximately double the current range of home made rockets.

islamic jihad at a press conference in gaza

friday, for the fourth time this month, palestinian residents of gaza joined together to non-violently shield a building under siege. this time, after being informed that the home of mustapha khalil was to be bombed, hundreds of gazans surrounded the building and took positions on the roof as well as inside the building. khalil is a activist with hamas. occupation war planes were forced to not bomb the house out of fear of killing large numbers of civilians. this is the third house to be protected through the use of human shields in less than 2 weeks! to read hamas' article on the action, check out:

friday, once again, representatives from hamas, fatah and islamic jihad have offered israel a ceasefire. the brigades have offered to suspend firing home made rockets in exchange for a suspension of military incursions, air strikes and assassinations in the gaza strip and west bank. israel said it is considering the seriousness of the offer. during these negotiations, the factions and the prime minster further made plans to exchange an arrested israeli soldier held by palestinian fighters for palestinian prisoners.

friday, the al-quds brigade, the military wing of islamic jihad, in conjunction with the al-qassam brigade, the military wing of hamas, detonated a 60 kg roadside bomb targeting an occupation tank in beit hanoun. two soldiers were injured in the operation.

friday, the abu ali mustafa brigades, the military wing of the popular front for the liberation of palestine, in conjunction with the nasser salah addin brigades, military wing of the popular resistance committees, shot an occupation soldier in beit hanoun, northern gaza. the soldier was shot while atop a tank, positioned near the palestinian force 17 base.

friday, the al-qassam brigade, the military wing of hamas, launched two home made rockets at kfar azza.

friday, the al-quds brigades, the military wing of islamic jihad, as well as the al-aqsa martyrs brigades, the main military wing of fatah, launched an a total of three home made rockets at israeli towns in the western negev desert, including sderot.
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friday, the palestinian center for human rights released its weekly statistics on occupation violent. among other things, the report states that in the past seven days:
- 19 palestinians were killed, including 5 children, 3 women and 1 elderly man
- 4 people, including 1 civilian were assassinated
- 2 people died from injuries sustaine in previous occupation atacks
- 92 people were wounded, including 41 children
- 18 buildings were destroyed in airstrikes icnluding a msque, kindergarden and 12 houses
- 19 houses were severely damaged in air strikes
- 30 incursions occured in the west bank
- 58 people were arrested in the west bank including 7 children
- 9 homes were destroyed via bulldozer
- 5 people were injured in atatcks by colonial settlers
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amnesty international report that internationals working in solidarity with palestinians are at serious risk for being attacked by extremist jewish settlers. they cite the recent attack on a swedish ISM volunteer who was beaten with a bottle and had her cheek broken and skull fractured. they also cite two internationals, from sweden and austria, who were attacked by settlers in august 2006, as well as amnesty international workers who were similarly attacked by settlers. all of these attacks occurred in the al-khalil (hebron) area, where extremist jewish settlers regually attack palestinian civilians as well as activists who work to accompany the palestinians for protection. "This latest attack is one of many perpetrated by Jewish colonisers against international human rights defenders in recent months and years, seemingly in an attempt to discourage and eliminate the presence of international witnesses, thereby depriving the local Palestinian population of this limited form of protection." to view amnesty international's 'urgent action,' on the issue, check out:
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the people of bil'in have announced that they will host a conference on "non-violent joint popular struggle," in the west bank village on april 18-20, 2007. attendees will stay with families in the village and all are invited to attend.
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occupation soldiers at bil'in demonstration

this week's report on the non-violent demonstration in the village of bil'in, where this week, 10 demonstrators were injured.

demonstrator tries to pull away razor wire fencing at protest in bil'in

journal: askar, skipper, iraq burin

8-10-06

got woken up today by a woman from NYC. 'michael, michael, wake up they have launched an operation in ramallah, people are pinned down and fighters from the local camp are on their way.'

hisham, the heart and elected spiritual leader of our movement made his calls to his people, confirming where the fire was coming from. we strategized, but eventually the team 'dispatched' was one already in ramallah.

this is how our days begin. i'm now on a service van from al-quds to ramallah, where i'll catch some form of transportation north to nablus.

yesterday i facilitated a core group/evaluation committee meeting with about 10 palestinians, 3 israelis and 20 internationals. we had 3 facilitators, US, britian and palestine.

so anyway, this van bumps along the well groomed israeli highways, on the right, a palestinian suburb, huge, and from my vantage point, 2 large settlements segment this area, inserting themselves between families, homes and places of commerce and socialization. this is as 1st world pristine as it gets. a few more miles and they grey concrete wall will emerge. we will pass by a checkpoint terminal under construction. now there is only an ad hoc checkpoint to 'protect' the nearby settlement, but when the terminal is finished, the alternative jordan valley detour around qalandia checkpoint will become equally slow as proceeding directly through.

this time the service goes through qalandia, and now i've changed vans, headed to huwarra checkpoint in nablus. it’s time for prayer, 12:45, and the radio stations stop broadcasting their music and radiate the beautiful voice of an unknown, invisible iman. as we pass carts selling DVDs, flanked in the yellow and green flags of hezbollah, the hassan nasrallah theme song can be heard. this has become the song of my time here. it's more widely played then ‘livin la vida loca’ was at its height of popularity.

the call is over, the driver turns up the volume and the complete mid day prayer is played. it must be broadcasting from a mosque because you can hear the distortion of prayer in the background, the occasional 200-person 'amen.'

the roads are very busy at this time of the day, and the checkpoints will likely be packed. i am going to tune out with my own music and try to nap. i'm working on about 5 hours of sleep and i'll be up late.

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8-11-06

i met a man today from jordan, living in balata camp, named mohammad. he is a former PFLP fighter, who, like all men, spent 2 years in prison. his home is covered in pictures of che, bob marley and images of global resistance: zapatistas, argentine piqaterous, tamil tigers....he spoke of his time in prison.

in his time in prison, he was in a section with over PFLP people. every day they divided the breakfast task, then 2 hours of silence for reading, followed by a 10 minute break, then a discussion group, then lunch, prayer is desired....everyday was focused around education. he was jailed with 4 professors, and men came in illiterate and learned arabic, hebrew, english, french....

his is my palestinian self, the person i see myself being if i was here. i feel such a connection to him in such a short time.

people across borders, across worlds, connected. i wish you could meet the people here. they are so very beautiful.

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8-17-06

another 2.5 hours of my life wasted by the occupation. huwarra checkpoint took that long, then zatara checkpoint, and now i'm on the way to checkpoint in the valley near ramallah.

i'm going to ramallah, and then al-quds, to take care of some nablus coordination tasks, find a new person of experience to replace woody, and transport some things to other ISMers.

the man in the passenger seat grabs me every few minutes to explain various parts of a vast zionist conspiracy theory. it involves israel, settlers, bush, clinton, lewinsky, the mafia, the white house and so on. palestine is always sending people into my circle that teach me such things.

last night was very nice. me, an american women and an irish man went to diner with our two best friends in balata camp. we ate pasta, had tea, danced. two local young men came into the flat later and hung out for a bit. one of them is skipper, a sky but charming skinny guy from the camp who has a great smile, always wears a hat, and if prompted enough, will do a great version of the moon walk and the robot. skipper and another guy i never met before hung with us for some time. eventually, the three foreigners, myself included. we hadn't yet found quiet time to debrief on the askar incursion we were in, so we decided to put on some west coast hip-hop, play some cards and take apart the day's actions for analysis. we smoked, talked and played rummy until 3am. we had tea, and spoke of our role in shielding the shabab throwing stones. we smoked and debated the best roles and formations for dealing with camp invasions.

we came to the agreement that we did very well as a group of 5. we moved effectively, communicated well and were able to prioritize and help. all in all, we found only one time during the incursion when we disagreed and misjudged. when we linked up in askar with the other 3 ISMers who came from ramallah, we found ourselves pinned down. to our right was a crowd of shabab, peaking out from a corner to attack a jeep with stones, and on our left was the target jeep and above him, a sniper in a window. as we tried to formulate a plan with 8 people, the shabab launched rocks over our heads, and the soldiers shot at us, unable to reach the shabab. we took too long to move and were hit with a concussion grenade.

so outside of our delayed decision making at that juncture, and our poor choice of a rendezvous point, we did quite well.

we just passed our 4th checkpoint, we're passing them relatively quick because the car is all women and children, plus me and one man.

we're on the mountain tops now, outside of the ramallah suburbs. soon, small town-sized areas will come rapidly, then the sprawling city. as we enter into bier zeit village i know we're past all the permanent checkpoints, only the flying ones to compete with. i'm gonna try and sleep the last 30 minutes, bye.

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8-23-06

i've been lax on writing. no real down time outside of al-jazeera internet time. i just returned from the village of salim where i went to visit and have diner with fadi, shadi and their family.

their father was a hero in the first intifada, now he works for the PA in their preventative security services. when he was wanted by israel, he lived in a cave in the jordan valley for nearly 7 years on and off. he is one of the countless heroes of the war for statehood.

bow we are 7 in nablus, in a few days, 3. a construction worker from ireland. a 40 year old dreadlocked italian. a revolutionary and medical student from sweden. a something from valancia, spain. an amazing insurgent from america and another woman, and actress also from america.

in a few days, the irish guy goes to ireland, the spainiard to spain, the italian to hebron and the american women to beit omar. The swedish woman and i will remain. she sleeps with said's family in balata, so i will have a massive apartment in nablus' old city to myself. in'shallah there will be more ISMers in palestine soon, and they will be sent to nablus.

so many have already come and gone in my time here. i have nearly forgotten them already. i remember some times, but i fear that when i am no longer here, no longer able to laugh over things we remember, i will forget. this is how i am. i try to hang on to my memories, but alas. i know i loved them when they were created, and i hate myself for letting them go.

the actions, the villages, the mundane encounters with soldiers, the fear, the joy, the miscommunication. i will forget. i will travel to europe and wish i had taken names.

today i saw the village of iraq burin, tell and sara. they are near nablus and are olive strongholds. in iraq burin, we stood on a rooftop, on a cliff. you could see all of the villages, settlements, military positions, mountains, and at the distance, the invisible green line, or as our guide directed to us, 'palestine 48.'

the villages are made into bantustans via settlements, settler-only roads and army.

we drink coffee, tea, at flat bread with oil, cheese and zatar. we spoke of "the life," islam and the outside world. we agreed that when palestine is free, we would all return, go to jerusalem, and celebrate. we agreed, first jerusalem, then haifa. the day was good. five internationals, a palestinian guide formerly with islamic jihad, and one elderly respected man from the community.

now i will go to sleep. tomorrow the village of assira qabilya, and the home of a shahid (martyr) killed at huwarra.

9 Killed, Resistance Continues

jenin

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inside palestine 1948:
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tuesday, occupation forces invaded abu dis village, east of jerusalem, and seized four palestinian youths. they invaded several homes, and seized islam ali, 14, motasim dandan, 14, mohammed mohsen, 16 and hani jifal, 16. while taking the children, it is reported that occupation soldiers photographed themselves smiling with the children.

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in the west bank:
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tuesday, occupation forces invaded jericho and seized one man. occupation forces invaded the city and attacked the house of shadi jouda, 32, located in the al arab neighborhood. shadi was seized after his home was invaded. shadi is a fighter with fatah's al-aqsa martyrs brigades.

tuesday, occupation forces invaded deir istiya, northwest of salfit, in the central west bank. soldiers entered the village's mosque and also searched private homes.

tuesday, occupation forces invaded the village of obaidiya, east of bethlehem, seized seven palestinians, and damaged a charity office. soldiers conducted house-to-house invasions, and also broke into the office of the society for caring of orphans in bethlehem city. once inside the office, soldiers damaged equipment, and installed locks to prevent palestinians from reentering the office. they warned palestinians through a note left on site, not to reopen the office.

tuesday, occupation forces invaded beit jala, near bethlehem, and seized an iman and his son. soldiers invaded the home of saleh jawareesh, the iman of ahmad bin hanbal mosque. after searching the home, the soldiers seized the iman and his son, azzam.

tuesday, occupation forces brutally attacked a palestinian man in nablus. suleiman salahat, 28, was badly beaten by soldiers and is currently in rafidia hospital.

tuesday, occupation forces invaded balata refugee camp and ein beit al ma refugge camp, both in nablus, as they do nearly every night. this time, soldiers fired intensely into balata camp, invaded several homes, attacked several citizens and destroyed two parked cars with a bulldozer. in ein camp, homes were also invaded and searched.

ISM swedish activist is still is the hospital after she was attacked by colonial settlers in hebron. she has a broken cheek bone, a fractured skull and damage to her eye muscles. the jewish settlers chanted, “We killed Jesus, we’ll kill you too!," and attacked her as she was accompanying palestinians in the tel rumeida neighborhood. during the attack, occupation soldiers looked on and did not intervene.

fadi al-umoor is carried through the streets to be buried

wednesday, occupation forces KILLED ONE palestinian, while invading jenin and jenin refugee camp, and invading numerous homes, seizing one person and injuring at least three. fadi al-umoor, 27, was shot and killed by a unit of occupation special forces. al-demej was a leader with fatah's al-aqsa martyrs brigades. during the assassination, ashraf as-sa'di was shot and injured. as-sa'di is a leader with islamic jihad's al-quds brigade. clashes broke out between the invading army and palestinian demonstrators. 18 year old munir mer'ib was seized, while baha ammouri, 16, and ayman lahlouh were injured when occupation soldiers fired into a crowd of demonstrators to disperse the group.

clashes during the invasion in jenin

wednesday, occupation forces attacked palestinian and international olive farmers in kafr qaddum, north of nablus, east of qalqiliya. the army ordered a group of belgian solidarity workers to leave. the groves are in very close proximity to the colonial settlement of qedumim.

wednesday, occupation forces invaded ramallah, seizing two men. abdallah al-bakri, 34, and ayman qur'an, 40 were taken. al-bakri was released from occupation prison only 40 days prior.

wednesday, occupation forces in jenin delivered a letter to the family of a wanted member of islamic jihad, sheikh mahmoud as-sa'di. the letter asked as'sa'di to surrender as soon as possible, or, "be assassinated and his house demolished." the threat was delivered during an invasion of their family home. the home was broken into, the family made to leave, an invasive search conducted, private property destroyed, the physical ground dug up and a computer stolen. the search was also conducted in the same manner for neighbors and relatives.

wednesday, occupation forces invaded the town of az-zababida, south of jenin, and seized four students from the arab-american university. soldiers surrounded a dorm unit and seized basil khil raji, 20, mahdi najih al-qadi, 20, munir samih sharqawi, 20 and dia mahir sharqawi, 19. during the operation in the town, occupation soldiers concentrated on the western area and conducted house-to-house searches and fired tear gas at residents.

wednesday, occupation forces invaded nablus and seized five palestinian males. the incursion utilized more than 12 military vehicles including military bulldozers. those taken were umad noubani, 17, ramiz dawaya, 20, asim fidawi, 22, bilal dwaikat, 16, and nader nasser.

one of five homes demolished in al funduq village, east of qalqiliya

wednesday, occupation forces invaded qalqiliya and demolished a number of homes in al funduq village, east of the city. at least three homes were destroyed, belonging to abdul-majid mheisin, hamdan salamah and ibrahim mheisin. ISM activists on the scene report that 5 homes were demolished. during the demolitions, about 12 palestinians as well as activists with ISM, climbed on top of the roof of one of the houses in line to be demolished. the people attempted to prevent the demolition of the house by using themselves as human shields. they were removed through excessive force by occupation soldiers. in order to move those on the roof, occupation forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, hitting seven people. during the invasion, palestinian demonstrators confronted the army and resulted in the injury and many palestinians. three of the injured demonstrators were transfered to the hospital for treatment. during the invasion, olive trees were also uprooted. it is believed that the demolitions were carried out to broaden a 'buffer zone' for the apartheid wall, already complete in the area. the municipality reported that the damage done from the incursion is more than $250,000 USD. click here to view the report and pictures from ISM:

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in the gaza strip:
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tuesday, the palestinian ministry of health has reported that in the first 21 days of the month in gaza alone, occupation forces have killed 101 palestinians including 26 children and 15 women. in the same 21 day period, 301 palestinians in gaza were injured. 33% of the injured are children, and 28% of the injured are women.

mourners pray over the body of a fallen al-qassam brigade fighter

tuesday, occupation forces KILLED TWO palestinians in gaza city. ayman hassanain, 30, was killed in clashes with occupation soldiers. he was shot and killed resisting as soldiers forced their way into his home in the zeitoun neighborhood of gaza city. ayman was a field commander with hamas' al-qassam brigades. saada hirz, 70, was also killed. she was shot when retreating soldiers fire randomly at palestinian homes. during the incursion, occupation air drones fired several missiles at electricity generators cutting of power to the entire area.

damage to ayman hassanain's home after soldiers forced their way in

tuesday, ONE PALESTINIAN DIED from injuries sustained in occupation attacks on beit hanoun. ahmed al-mousa, 20, died for shrapnel injures he received when occupation forces invaded beit hanoun a few weeks ago.

tueday, occupation shelling and missile fire has injured at least 15 palestinians in the residential area of izbat abed rabbo, east of jabalia in northern gaza. at least one artillery shells was fired at the home of ahmad al jabal, and at least two additional missiles were fired from attack helicopters flying over areas of jabalia. at least three of the injureis are considered serious and critical. in the mount kashif area, east of jabalia, occupation forces were seen reinforcing their numbers.

a palestinian is rushed to the hospital after being injured in northern gaza

wednesday, occupation forces continue to invade gaza, KILLING FIVE palestinians and injuring more than 19. mus'ad ahmad abu mu'attiq, 35, and sami az-zibbah, 22, were killed in artillery shelling. they were both fighter with hamas' al-qassam brigade. az-zibbah was shot by an occupation sniper after firing an al-yassin home made projectile at occupation forces. the third death, was a female named asma abu marsah, 45. marsah was wounded earlier in the day's shelling inj northern gaza, and died in the hospital. 14 year old adham al-sahabani was shot and killed in jabalia refugee camp when soldiers fired at homes in the area. msa'ad abu ma'tak 25, was killed when an occupation drone fired at least one missile at a gathering of people in beit lahiya. a second man, walid abu qomssan 19, was seriously injured in the head during the strike.

an occupation tank enters northern gaza

wednesday, occupation tanks fired machine guns in the beit hanoun area, injuring three palestinian school girls. the students were hit as they were leaving the school, attempting to escape from the shooting. at the time the tanks were heading towards a school of agriculture as well as an UN-run school. military bulldozers were seen demolishing homes and razing agricultural land in the qalibo area of beit hanoun, in northern gaza. during a home invasion, an occupation soldier was seriously injured by an anti-tank projectile fired at him in beit hanoun.

a demolished home in beit hanoun, northern gaza

wednesday, israeli human rights group b'tselem announced that between july 1 and november 15, occupation forces demolished 251 homes in gaza air strikes. these 251 home demolitions left 1,577 people in gaza homeless.

wednesday, occupation warships attacked a palestinian fisherman off the rafah coast. the palestinian boat was fired on and the fishermen wounded. a number of boats were damaged in the attack.

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from the resistance:
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tuesday, the national resistance brigades, the military wing of the democratic front for the liberation of palestine, in conjunction with the al-aqsa martyrs brigades, the main military wing of fatah, detonated an explosive device targeting an occupation troop transport in the zammo area, east of jabalia in northern gaza.

tuesday, the abu ali mustafa brigades, the military wing of the popular front for the liberation of palestine, launched an unknown number of home made rockets at sderot.

the al-quds brigade displays an upgraded home made rocket

tuesday, the al-quds brigade, the military wing of islamic jihad, in conjunction with the al-qassam brigade, the military wing of hamas, launched one home made rocket-propelled grenade at occupation soldiers who had occupied a palestinian home's roof in the izbat abed rabbo area, east of jabalia in northern gaza. the brigades reported that the projectile hit the soldiers directly. occupation sources reported that two soldiers were injured.

al-qassam fighters walk to a press conference in gaza

tuesday, abu obeideh, the spokesman for the al-qassam brigade, the military wing of hamas, announced that the brigades would continue to fire home made rockets at sderot, and encouraged israel to evacuate the settlement. hamas called on the occupation government to send more buses to transport the settlers out. he also said, "As long as the Israeli incursions increase, the Palestinian resistance will intensify their projectile-launching at Israeli settlements." in addition, obeideh declared that the rocket fire is only a "preliminary reaction" and not a "final reaction" for occupation attacks and incursions.

wednesday, the al-quds brigade, the military wing of islamic jihad, launched two home made rockets at sderot.

wednesday, the al-qassam brigade, the military wing of hamas, launched three home made qassam rockets at sderot, and an unknown number of rockets at zikim.

wednesday, the al-aqsa martyrs briagdes, the main military wing of fatah, launched two rocket-propelled grenades targeting an occupation military bulldozer and a troop transport, both stationed on qleibo hill in eastern jabalia refugee camp, in northern gaza.

wednesday, the jihad and resistance unit of the al-aqsa martyrs brigade, the main military wing of fatah, detonated a 45 kg explosive device targeting an occupation military bulldozer in eastern jabalia.

wednesday, the al-qassam brigade, the military wing of hamas, fired four anti-tank projectiles at a palestinian home owned by jamal al-kafarna. soldiers had occupied the home at the time. occupation sources have reported that one soldiers was seriously wounded in the attack.

Ha'aretz--Hamas told Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas yesterday it was prepared to immediately halt Qassam [rocket] attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The announcement came at a meeting yesterday of Palestinian factions, in which Abbas presented [Israeli] Defense Minister Amir Peretz's proposal for a mutual cease-fire. The meeting...was attended by representatives of the five largest Palestinian factions: Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).
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an american priest and an america nun join palestinians carrying out non-violent resistance in gaza!

"Hamas: Human shields pose as turning point in the march of Palestinian resistance"
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Gaza - Ma'an - The massing of large numbers of Palestinian civilians around a building tipped for demolition by an Israeli air strike on Saturday night has been hailed as a great success by Hamas.

In a statement, the Hamas movement said that the failure of the Israeli forces to strike the targeted building because of the Palestinians gathered there represents a failure in Israeli military policy.

The movement said that the stand of the Palestinian masses in the face of the Israeli fighter jets was proof that when Palestinians are united they can achieve many things. The statement praised the role of the citizens who gathered around the houses, and urged the Palestinians to develop this form of resistance.

The Hamas statement considered this participation of the masses as a form of reinforcement to the armed resistance. It also described this development as a moment of change in the style of resistance.

The statement said that the Israeli policy of targeting houses in the Gaza Strip has left a large number of houses destroyed. The statement said, "What was destroyed in this way by the Israeli forces is more than the [number of] houses destroyed during the 2002 incursion [of the West Bank]".