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HEAR PALESTINE
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Thursday, 6 February 2003

**Youth Shot Dead near Tulkarem
**Rafah: Elderly Man Wounded in Israeli Fire
**Bethlehem: Campaign of Raids and Searches
**Jenin: 5 Villages Raided and Placed Under Curfew
**Oppressive Measures on Salah Al-Din Road
**Gaza City: 2 Medics Killed, Elderly Man Wounded in Israeli Military Attack
**Occupation Army Invades Khan Younis at Dawn

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Abdel Baqi Msalam (25 years old) was killed near Salfeet Village, south of
Tulkarem this evening when occupation soldiers opened fire at him and left
him to bleed for over half an hour. The occupation army then imposed a
curfew on the village.
Israeli police near Um al-Fahm city killed an unidentified person. According
to Israeli police sources, Israeli police suspected the man and approached
him to find he was armed with a knife and tried to attack the policemen.
Israeli policemen opened fire at him and prevented anyone from rescuing him,
leaving him to bleed to death.
At dawn today, 2 Palestinian medics were killed east of Gaza City - Abdel
Karim Libid (21 years old) and Omar Hasan (21 years old). Medical sources at
al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City said that the two medics were hit with
several bullets throughout the body, which led to their immediate death.
Witnesses reported that Israeli Apache helicopters waged an attack on
civilian targets in the city, including al-Wafa and al-Amal hospital on the
eastern road of Gaza City, killing the two medics who work in the hospital.
24 members of the medical sector have been killed since the beginning of the
Intifada and 400 others have been wounded.
Within the Israeli military escalation in the area, Israeli tanks and
armored vehicles spread at the border fence east of Gaza City. The
helicopters continued to hover in the sky following the killing of the 2
medics while tanks opened fire to the east of the town of Jabalya. Two other
residents were wounded in the attack, including an elderly man.
In Nablus, 2 Palestinian youths were killed following an attack that killed
2 Israeli soldiers and wounded a third at dawn today Al-Aqsa Brigades (Fateh
militant factions) and Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (Palestinian Front for the
Liberation of Palestine militant faction) adopted responsibility for the
attack. The Israeli soldiers were killed in an ambush set up near Jarzim
Mount, Nablus suburb. Israeli military sources said that the two
Palestinians that sneaked into an Israeli military base were killed. The
Israeli army continues to hold on to their bodies.
Awad Barbakh (70 years old) was moderately wounded this afternoon in Israeli
machinegun fire attack south of Rafah.
The Israeli army waged a wide-scale campaign of raids, searches and arrests
in Bethlehem today.
A number of villages in Jenin were raided by the army of the occupation
today and a curfew imposed on the residents. A 6-year old boy was wounded in
Yamoun Town.
Over 30 Palestinian residents were arrested throughout the West Bank since
last night.

At dawn yesterday, 65-year old Kamila Suleiman was killed as a result of the
demolition of the home of Bahaa Ben Sa'id in al-Maghazi refugee camp. Ben Sa
'id was killed at the beginning of the Intifada in an attack that killed 2
Israeli soldiers. The elderly woman was in a room adjacent to the home,
which was blown up. Her room collapsed while she was inside. Suleiman was
unable to leave the room and had no one to help her out after the arrest of
her husband's children.
In Nablus, Israeli soldiers yesterday evening killed a secondary school
student while searching homes in the city. Samer al-Zarba (17 years old) was
hit with a deadly bullet in the head and his father who was with him at the
time was wounded. Several homes were searched and vandalized in the city
yesterday.
In Qalqilya, Israeli soldiers (disguised as civilians) killed in cold blood
Palestinian security officer Rida Ghanem (20 years old) during a raid of the
Palestinian Special Forces building in the city. It is important to note
that Palestinian security officers are unarmed. The Israeli army had
reinvaded the city of Qalqilya early yesterday morning and several of its
homes under the pretext of searching for "wanted" people.
In Khan Younis, 13 civilians were wounded at dawn yesterday, including 5
children, in a wide-scale intensive military attack with nail missiles and
heavy machinegun fire on the refugee camp and al-Namsawi residential
quarter. One missile hit the Abu Sahloul family home wounding all family
members.
In Ramallah, 3 residents were wounded in confrontations that broke out in
the center of the city when Israeli army patrols invaded the city center and
then raided Tannous building and caused severe destruction in several of its
floors. The Israeli invasion was synchronized with a cultural event that was
taking place at al-Manara roundabout in the center of the city, in which
Palestinian artists took part in an expression against the possible American
war on Iraq. 10 minutes into the event, two Israeli armored vehicles invaded
the city.
In Hebron, 4 residents were wounded in various Israeli attacks against the
residents in an attempt to enforce the curfew. Several of the residents were
tortured by Israeli soldiers for breaching the imposed curfew. Several shops
were closed down in the commercial city center.
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NEWS
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*Youth Shot Dead near Tulkarem*

The youth Abdel Baqi Msalam (25 years old) was shot dead by Israeli soldiers
near the town of Salfeet this evening. Msalam was reportedly hit in the
chest with live ammunition while returning to his town from work and was
left to bleed for over half an hour until his death.

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*Rafah: Elderly Man Wounded in Israeli Fire*

The resident Awad Barbakh (70 years old) was moderately wounded this
afternoon in Israeli machinegun fire attack south of Rafah. Israeli soldiers
based in the military base, near Salah al-Din Gate opened machinegun fire at
homes in the area. Awad was wounded while inside his shop.

Late last night, the Israeli army based at the border strip between
Palestine and Egypt waged an intense military attack on Tel al-Sultan area
in Rafah. Damage was done to several homes. No casualties were reported.

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*Bethlehem: Campaign of Raids and Searches*

The Israeli occupation army since the early hours of the day waged a
wide-scale campaign of home raids and searches in al-Madbasa and Ma'ali
Valley areas in Bethlehem City. Residents were forced out of their homes,
while soldiers brutally searched their homes for the "wanted".

Raids and arrested continued to take place until this evening.

Among the arrested are the two brothers Mohammad and Mu'ti Mu'ti and the
resident Ahmad Mu'ti and his 3 children. The resident Issa Ishaq was also
arrested from Ayda refugee camp.

Israeli soldiers also raided a computer company in al-Madbasa and demolished
all its belongings.

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*Jenin: 5 Villages Raided and Placed Under Curfew*

The Israeli occupation army at dawn today imposed a curfew on 5 of Jenin's
villages and towns.

A large number of Israeli soldiers invaded Yamoun, Rummana, Anin, al-Taybeh
and Zabouba and declared a curfew on the residents "until further notice" as
well as brutally raided and vandalized a number of homes.

A tight military siege is imposed on villages and towns surrounding Jenin
City. Israeli soldiers spread intensively in the surroundings of the
villages to chase the residents who attempt to move.

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*Oppressive Measures on Salah Al-Din Road*

The Israeli occupation army this morning carried out a campaign of searches
in cars along Salah al-Din Road, the main road linking north and south of
the Gaza Strip.

Several of the residents reported that Israeli measures were oppressive and
inhumane.

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*Gaza City: 2 Medics Killed, Elderly Man Wounded in Israeli Military Attack*

Two Palestinian medics were killed at dawn today in an attack waged from air
at Al-Wafa Wa Al-Amal Hospital, east of Gaza City:

- Omar Hassan (21 years old)
- Abdel Karim Libid (21 years old)

Israeli Apache helicopters waged an attack with heavy machine gun fire on
areas east of Gaza City including the hospital.

Two other residents were wounded in the attack waged from tanks in the area:

- Manfi al-Mabhouh (70 years old) was hit in the chest and stomach
- Sa'id Sukar (23 years old)

Israeli tanks attacked homes east of Gaza City with heavy machine gun fire.

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*Occupation Army Invades Khan Younis at Dawn*

The Israeli occupation army at dawn today invaded Khan Younis, south of the
Gaza Strip using 5 tanks and armored vehicles and a number of armored
bulldozers. The invading army took off from 'Jani Tal' settlement and
reached the western sector of Khan Younis under intense random fire.