Israeli troops stopping Palestinian
ambulance from entering Beit
Ummer today – Photo by IMEMC's
Ghassan Bannoura
by Jessica Frederick& Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News
The Israeli army on Wednesday
invaded both the city of Nablus,
in the northern West Bank, and the village
of Beit Ummer, located near the city of Hebron
in the southern West Bank. In total, at
least 85 Palestinian civilians were abducted
by the invading military.
Israeli troops stormed the village of Beit Ummar
at around 1:00 am on Wednesday. Troops searched
and ransacked scores of homes, with local sources
stating that the army placed the village under curfew,
not allowing families to leave their homes.
As the military operation continued, residents reported
that, so far, the army had kidnapped 40 men from the
village, their ages ranging from 18 to 45.
Israeli troops are still in the village and are not allowing
Palestinian ambulances or journalists to enter the
village, eyewitnesses reported. When IMEMC
photojournalist Ghassan Bannoura arrived at the
entrance of the village, Israeli troops did not allow
him to enter, and threatened to use live rounds if he
do not comply with their order to leave the scene.
As a group of international human rights workers from
the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) tried to enter
the village, Israeli troops prevented them and declared
the entire village a "closed military zone".
Later in the day, six CPT workers managed to enter
Beit Ummer, although troops prevented them from
moving around. Troops later kidnapped the group
and released them in a nearby Israeli settlement.
Tareq, a CPT worker in Beit Ummer told IMEMC that
the soldiers are "rounding up men without any reason.
Men are being spot interrogated and then moved
away to unknown locations".
The Christian Peacemaker Teams are an ecumenical
initiative to support violence reduction efforts
around the world.
In a separate attack by the Israeli military,
the northern West Bank city of Nablus was targeted.
Troops kidnapped
two civilians, detained without charge.
Palestinian sources in Nablus reported that Israeli
military forces invaded the city on Wednesday at
dawn and kidnapped Mou'ayad Hashash, 24.
Meanwhile, Samier Mansour, 18, was also taken
from his home in the village of Kufer Kalil, just
south of Nablus city.
Israeli army radio announced that,
during pre-dawn invasions
across the West Bank, the Israeli army had kidnapped as
many as 70 Palestinian civilians.
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