Palestine Today - December 7, 2006
IMEMC & Agencies - Thursday, 07 December 2006, 18:41
Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, imemc.org, for Thursday December 7th 2006.|| Click here to Download MP3 file 5.3MB|| time:5m45s
Despite ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces fire at Palestinians near Gaza border, injuring two, Five Palestinians abducted and one injured, by Israeli forces during West Bank invasions, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.
The Gaza Update
Israeli soldiers stationed at a military base on the Gaza-Israel border opened fire today at Palestinian farmers in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, injuring two. The attack is a direct violation to the ceasefire agreement made ten days ago between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli army claimed that the men were fired upon for being too close to the “security-fence” separating Gaza from Israel. The army added that soldiers fired “warning-shots”, and when the men did not move away soldiers fired again at them hitting one.
The injured farmers were identified as Ahmad Banat, 23, who sustained a live round in his Pelvis, and Abdullah Banat, 18, who was shot in his leg, and suffered moderate wounds. Both men had been farming on their land when they were shot.
The attack is considered by Palestinians to be a direct violation to the truce which Israel made with Palestinian groups last week. Although Israeli officials say that the truce is only effective in the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian factions argue that any ceasefire should include all of the occupied territories, including both the West Bank and Gaza.
During the ten days of ceasefire, eleven Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in invasions of various parts of the West Bank. Today, at least five Palestinians were taken prisoner, and one was injured by the Israeli army in the West Bank.
An Egyptian security source reported on Thursday that Egyptian border guards uncovered a tunnel from the Egyptian side of the border to Rafah city, in the Gaza Strip. The tunnel allegedly was used for smuggling Palestinian residents and arms from the Gaza Strip into the Sinai Peninsula, Israeli sources reported. The one-meter wide tunnel was reportedly found on Wednesday under the kitchen floor of a house which is only 10 meters away from the border crossing.
The Egyptian official, talking on condition of anonymity, stated that the owner of the house was taken prisoner, and his family members were forced to leave the house as the soldiers sealed the area and initiated searches for additional tunnels. The tunnel was dug in the 1990s, the official said, adding that Egypt was coordinating with the Palestinian Authority in order to close the Palestinian end.
In the southern Gaza strip, Palestinian security sources reported on Thursday morning that the Israeli army closed the Rafah Border Crossing, after just one day of opening. The Rafah crossing, which is the only way for Gaza residents to connect to the world, has been closed 80% of the time since January, according to a recent United Nations report.
The border was officially re-opened on Wednesday morning after having been closed for several months since the last opening.
Although a few Palestinians were able to come home during the one day opening, at least 2000 more are still stuck at the border waiting to pass in or out of Gaza. 99% of those stuck at the border are medical and humanitarian cases, Palestinian sources at the crossing told IMEMC. At least twelve Palestinians have died waiting at the border during the months of closure, some of whom had been returning from receiving medical treatment and surgeries in Egypt.
The West Bank Update
Palestinian sources reported that five Palestinians were taken prisoner by the Israeli army during morning invasions of different parts of the West Bank on Thursday.
Israeli army jeeps and troops attacked Palestinian homes, searching and ransacking them, in Askar refugee camp in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, on Thursday morning, and took Ibrahim Ishtawi, 32, to an unknown location, his family reported.
Also in the northern part of the West Bank, Israeli forces invaded the city of Qalqilia on Thursday morning and took three residents prisoner, as well as injuring one.
Ma'mun Jabir, 24, Rami Al Fara, 25, Iyad Al Fara, 25, were taken when troops attacked and searched their family houses located Kufer Saba neighborhood, Kassem Jabir,55, the father of Ma'mun, was injured when a soldier hit him with a stone during the abduction of his son, he sustained light wounds, medical sources reported.
In the village of Al Walaja, northwest of Bethlehem, in the southern part of the West Bank, Israeli troops sealed the village, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, then surrounded the house of Sha'ban Abu Al Teben, 54, searched his house, then took him away to an unknown location, his family reported. Al Walaja is one of several towns where Israeli Wall construction is currently underway. The village is, at present, completely surrounded by the Israeli Wall and construction, cutting it off from both Israel and Palestine.
Israeli army sources reported on Thursday that the army has taken a total of 15 prisoners during morning invasions to the cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Qalqilia. An army spokesperson claimed that the 15 are all members of Hamas or Fatah armed wings, and all are on what the army calls the Wanted List.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today for the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org brought to you by _________and Ghassan Bannoura.
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/23103/161/
Aid worker found 'stoned to death' at Indian refuge for Buddhist exiles
Simon de Bruxelles, Jeremy Page in Delhi
A young British aid worker has been found murdered, apparently stoned to death, at the remote town in northern India that is the home of the Dalai Lama.
The body of Michael Blakey, 23, was discovered partly concealed beneath a pile of rocks close to a small church on the outskirts of Dharamsala, a popular destination for back-packers.
Mr Blakey, from Burnley, had been living there since June, working for the Edinburgh-based Tong-Len Charitable Trust, a charity helping migrant workers in the shanty communities. Friends said that he had fallen in love with the country and its people after spending time there during his gap year.
Indian police said that there was no obvious motive for the attack although his mobile phone and wallet were missing. They said that they had not made any arrests and were investigating several leads into the murder, which happened on November 25 or the day after, just before Mr Blakey was due to fly home for Christmas.
They confirmed that they had interviewed the Indian husband of one of Mr Blakey’s colleagues at the trust.
Dharamsala, a town of about 20,000 people in the foothills of the Himalayas, where the Dalai Lama has lived in exile since 1960, has long been regarded as a haven from the heat and chaos of India. It is a popular destination for back-packers, Buddhist scholars and charity workers, who have been taking refuge there since the days of the Raj. There has, however, been a recent rise in the number of violent attacks on foreigners.
Mr Blakey, a devout Christian, was staying at a Buddhist monastery in a suburb of the town when he went missing. His body was found five days later by a Tibetan monk in a gully that runs through the cemetery of St John in the Wilderness Church.
More than 700 people from Christian, Buddhist and Hindu backgrounds took part in a ceremony in Dharmasala to celebrate Mr Blakey’s life. The messages included one from the Dalai Lama.
Anna Owen, the director of the Tong-Len charity, said: “Mike was a wonderful young man who was loved by all. He was an inspiration to us all and is irreplaceable in our organisation. The world in general, and India is particular, has lost a dedicated and ardent campaigner for human rights.”
A. K. Yadav, the superintendent of police for Kangra district, told The Times that the husband of Rachel Owen, the charity’s operations manager in Dharamsala and the daughter of Anna Owen, had been interviewed. Rachel Owen, 35, described any suggestion that her husband was involved as ridiculous. She said: “We’re all thinking this was a random, brutal attack. We just wish we could get a chance to grieve properly.
“Michael was a really great guy and he had such a passion for his work. You couldn’t find fault with him.”
Mrs Owen, who was shown pictures of the crime scene by police, said that Mr Blakey’s face was covered in injuries that appeared to have been caused by stones.
Mr Blakey’s parents, Paul Blakey and Mary Whitford, paid tribute to their son, whose body was due to be flown back to Britain yesterday. Mr Blakey told BBC Wales in a television interview: “If it was an accident it will be a bit more easy to live with. If he was attacked and murdered that would be such a sad, sad loss and very difficult to understand.”
Mrs Whitford, 57, said: “It is absolutely overwhelming to find out how many people’s lives Michael has touched and the love that he has generated throughout the world.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2491119,00.html
IMEMC & Agencies - Thursday, 07 December 2006, 18:41
Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, imemc.org, for Thursday December 7th 2006.|| Click here to Download MP3 file 5.3MB|| time:5m45s
Despite ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces fire at Palestinians near Gaza border, injuring two, Five Palestinians abducted and one injured, by Israeli forces during West Bank invasions, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.
The Gaza Update
Israeli soldiers stationed at a military base on the Gaza-Israel border opened fire today at Palestinian farmers in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, injuring two. The attack is a direct violation to the ceasefire agreement made ten days ago between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli army claimed that the men were fired upon for being too close to the “security-fence” separating Gaza from Israel. The army added that soldiers fired “warning-shots”, and when the men did not move away soldiers fired again at them hitting one.
The injured farmers were identified as Ahmad Banat, 23, who sustained a live round in his Pelvis, and Abdullah Banat, 18, who was shot in his leg, and suffered moderate wounds. Both men had been farming on their land when they were shot.
The attack is considered by Palestinians to be a direct violation to the truce which Israel made with Palestinian groups last week. Although Israeli officials say that the truce is only effective in the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian factions argue that any ceasefire should include all of the occupied territories, including both the West Bank and Gaza.
During the ten days of ceasefire, eleven Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in invasions of various parts of the West Bank. Today, at least five Palestinians were taken prisoner, and one was injured by the Israeli army in the West Bank.
An Egyptian security source reported on Thursday that Egyptian border guards uncovered a tunnel from the Egyptian side of the border to Rafah city, in the Gaza Strip. The tunnel allegedly was used for smuggling Palestinian residents and arms from the Gaza Strip into the Sinai Peninsula, Israeli sources reported. The one-meter wide tunnel was reportedly found on Wednesday under the kitchen floor of a house which is only 10 meters away from the border crossing.
The Egyptian official, talking on condition of anonymity, stated that the owner of the house was taken prisoner, and his family members were forced to leave the house as the soldiers sealed the area and initiated searches for additional tunnels. The tunnel was dug in the 1990s, the official said, adding that Egypt was coordinating with the Palestinian Authority in order to close the Palestinian end.
In the southern Gaza strip, Palestinian security sources reported on Thursday morning that the Israeli army closed the Rafah Border Crossing, after just one day of opening. The Rafah crossing, which is the only way for Gaza residents to connect to the world, has been closed 80% of the time since January, according to a recent United Nations report.
The border was officially re-opened on Wednesday morning after having been closed for several months since the last opening.
Although a few Palestinians were able to come home during the one day opening, at least 2000 more are still stuck at the border waiting to pass in or out of Gaza. 99% of those stuck at the border are medical and humanitarian cases, Palestinian sources at the crossing told IMEMC. At least twelve Palestinians have died waiting at the border during the months of closure, some of whom had been returning from receiving medical treatment and surgeries in Egypt.
The West Bank Update
Palestinian sources reported that five Palestinians were taken prisoner by the Israeli army during morning invasions of different parts of the West Bank on Thursday.
Israeli army jeeps and troops attacked Palestinian homes, searching and ransacking them, in Askar refugee camp in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, on Thursday morning, and took Ibrahim Ishtawi, 32, to an unknown location, his family reported.
Also in the northern part of the West Bank, Israeli forces invaded the city of Qalqilia on Thursday morning and took three residents prisoner, as well as injuring one.
Ma'mun Jabir, 24, Rami Al Fara, 25, Iyad Al Fara, 25, were taken when troops attacked and searched their family houses located Kufer Saba neighborhood, Kassem Jabir,55, the father of Ma'mun, was injured when a soldier hit him with a stone during the abduction of his son, he sustained light wounds, medical sources reported.
In the village of Al Walaja, northwest of Bethlehem, in the southern part of the West Bank, Israeli troops sealed the village, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, then surrounded the house of Sha'ban Abu Al Teben, 54, searched his house, then took him away to an unknown location, his family reported. Al Walaja is one of several towns where Israeli Wall construction is currently underway. The village is, at present, completely surrounded by the Israeli Wall and construction, cutting it off from both Israel and Palestine.
Israeli army sources reported on Thursday that the army has taken a total of 15 prisoners during morning invasions to the cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Qalqilia. An army spokesperson claimed that the 15 are all members of Hamas or Fatah armed wings, and all are on what the army calls the Wanted List.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today for the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org brought to you by _________and Ghassan Bannoura.
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/23103/161/
Aid worker found 'stoned to death' at Indian refuge for Buddhist exiles
Simon de Bruxelles, Jeremy Page in Delhi
A young British aid worker has been found murdered, apparently stoned to death, at the remote town in northern India that is the home of the Dalai Lama.
The body of Michael Blakey, 23, was discovered partly concealed beneath a pile of rocks close to a small church on the outskirts of Dharamsala, a popular destination for back-packers.
Mr Blakey, from Burnley, had been living there since June, working for the Edinburgh-based Tong-Len Charitable Trust, a charity helping migrant workers in the shanty communities. Friends said that he had fallen in love with the country and its people after spending time there during his gap year.
Indian police said that there was no obvious motive for the attack although his mobile phone and wallet were missing. They said that they had not made any arrests and were investigating several leads into the murder, which happened on November 25 or the day after, just before Mr Blakey was due to fly home for Christmas.
They confirmed that they had interviewed the Indian husband of one of Mr Blakey’s colleagues at the trust.
Dharamsala, a town of about 20,000 people in the foothills of the Himalayas, where the Dalai Lama has lived in exile since 1960, has long been regarded as a haven from the heat and chaos of India. It is a popular destination for back-packers, Buddhist scholars and charity workers, who have been taking refuge there since the days of the Raj. There has, however, been a recent rise in the number of violent attacks on foreigners.
Mr Blakey, a devout Christian, was staying at a Buddhist monastery in a suburb of the town when he went missing. His body was found five days later by a Tibetan monk in a gully that runs through the cemetery of St John in the Wilderness Church.
More than 700 people from Christian, Buddhist and Hindu backgrounds took part in a ceremony in Dharmasala to celebrate Mr Blakey’s life. The messages included one from the Dalai Lama.
Anna Owen, the director of the Tong-Len charity, said: “Mike was a wonderful young man who was loved by all. He was an inspiration to us all and is irreplaceable in our organisation. The world in general, and India is particular, has lost a dedicated and ardent campaigner for human rights.”
A. K. Yadav, the superintendent of police for Kangra district, told The Times that the husband of Rachel Owen, the charity’s operations manager in Dharamsala and the daughter of Anna Owen, had been interviewed. Rachel Owen, 35, described any suggestion that her husband was involved as ridiculous. She said: “We’re all thinking this was a random, brutal attack. We just wish we could get a chance to grieve properly.
“Michael was a really great guy and he had such a passion for his work. You couldn’t find fault with him.”
Mrs Owen, who was shown pictures of the crime scene by police, said that Mr Blakey’s face was covered in injuries that appeared to have been caused by stones.
Mr Blakey’s parents, Paul Blakey and Mary Whitford, paid tribute to their son, whose body was due to be flown back to Britain yesterday. Mr Blakey told BBC Wales in a television interview: “If it was an accident it will be a bit more easy to live with. If he was attacked and murdered that would be such a sad, sad loss and very difficult to understand.”
Mrs Whitford, 57, said: “It is absolutely overwhelming to find out how many people’s lives Michael has touched and the love that he has generated throughout the world.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2491119,00.html
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