Category: Press Releases

June 29th.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) is currently invading the city of Nablus again after they retreated early this morning from the old city.

IOF invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus Wednesday night after midnight, calling a curfew, demolishing road blocks, and performing house-to-house searches for resistance fighters.

Announcements over loudspeakers and local radio stations instructed Palestinians to go inside their homes and declared much of the city a closed military zone, including areas where resistance fighters are suspected to be, such as schools, banks, taxi stations, and markets.

Two military helicopters patrolled the skies over the old city and the Balata refugee camp from morning to afternoon. The old city and Balata further suffered loss of electricity as the power supply to both areas was cut.

Palestinian sources reported over 80 army vehicles, including hummers, jeeps, and heavily-armored jeeps, within the old city, not including those vehicles outside the old city. Bulldozers removed road blocks at the many road entrances to the old city, facilitating later entry of army jeeps.

Numerous houses and several buildings were occupied by the IOF and turned into military bases and lookout points, including the Soosa, Ahmed al Bizray, and Fatyr buildings. Two Nablus hospitals, Rafidia and al Watani, were surrounded and occupied by military forces, and the oxygen supply to al Watani hospital was cut.

Palestinian and international Human Rights Workers patrolled areas of the old city last night, accompanying Palestinians to their homes and engaging with soldiers to allow safe passage of the civilians.

After the day’s invasion yesterday, at least 8 Palestinian civilians were wounded by rubber bullets, with over 8 arrested. An additional 8 Israeli soldiers were injured by Palestinian explosions inside the occupied city.

While the reason given for the invasion was the search for wanted resistance fighters, the Israeli Occupation army left in its wake 3 demolished houses, destroyed by explosions, which both international humanitarian volunteers and Palestinian Medical Relief workers were prevented access to. It is yet unknown how many have been wounded or killed in these late night demolitions. The neighborhood around the demolished houses was declared a “closed military zone” and ambulances were prevented from approaching to offer aid.

In the course of accompanying Palestinian civilians back to their homes in the old city, 3 medical relief workers were arrested without cause, despite the efforts of other aid workers and international human rights workers to have them released. All three are believed to have been later released, one badly beaten by soldiers.

The day’s activities left a toll of at least 8 known wounded, 3 demolished homes, at least 3 arrested civilians, and substantial destroyed infrastructure.

By the ISM Media Team

On Wednesday the 27th of June 2007, at around 10pm, Palestinian fighters exploded three bombs in defense of their city, Nablus, injuring six Israeli soldiers. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), as a response to this act of self-defense, have sieged the city. Around 100 IOF jeeps are currently in and around the Nablus area, at least eighty of them within the old city. The old city has been completely sealed off by the IOF, power has been partially cut and house to house searches have began for fighters, weapons and ammunition. Barriers to vehicle movement are being bulldozed and two helicopters have been seen over the area.

One home, owned by the Tabuk family, has already been demolished and another home, the Safadi house, was attacked by the IOF resulting in extensive property damage and the arrest of Annan Tabuk (23), Raheb Shaab and Mamoun Safadi. Five boys in all have been injured in the old city, Machmoud Rajab and Achmed Damooni sustained unknown injuries, while the three others, Walid Omar (14), Hamed Mustafar (18) and Rami Abu-Shab (14) were shot in the leg with rubber bullets.

The IOF is restricting access to the Rafidia hospital, the Watani hospital and is currently occupying the Al-Kindi school, which like many homes in the old city is being used as a military base. Areas in Nablus which are currently heavily occupied are the, Neytsmeen neighborhood, Hosalartroud neighborhood, Al-Qurrion neighborhood, Habeleh neighborhood , Balata Refugee camp and the city center. Earlier in the day the IOF prevented oxygen tanks from reaching patients at the Rafidia hospital for several hours and harassed every patient in the hospital for their identification including those suffering from kidney failure and those recovering from heart attacks.

When called and asked why the IOF was sieging the city, a representative from the District Command Office for Nablus elaborated on the situation saying, “I can’t explain you”.