Tag: Jenin

6th September 2007

In the early morning hours two Palestinian children were injured by Israeli gunfire in Jenin.

Eye witnesses and the Palestinian police reported that approximately at 3 o”clock am the Israeli Army, coming from Naaser street, entered the city of Jenin. About 13 Israeli military vehicles, including one Caterpillar bulldozer, were seen, as they approached to the eastern part of the city.

When the army reached a Palestinian house, which apparently was the intended destination, they forced the inhabitants to leave their house, and further forced the neighbours out of their homes as well. While the army surrounded the area, they started to open fire at the house in question. Palestinian freedom fighters of Islamic Jihad, occupying the building responded in turn with fire. During these clashes soldiers abducted one local leader of Islamic Jihads Al-Quds Brigades.

Later in the morning local school children gathered at the scene and in turn started throwing stones at the heavily armoured military vehicles. The army responded by throwing several canisters of teargas and sound grenades culminating in them firing rubber coated steel bullets at least two of the children.

Both children were seriously injured, in one case the bullet entered the head of the child. Both were brought into hospitals inside pre-1948 Palestine. Eye witnesses reported that at this time the fighters had already left the scene, which makes this unnecessary use of violence against children even less understandable.

After seven hours of violence, harassment and spreading fear the army left the city at about 10 o’clock.

27th August 2007

In the early afternoon the Palestinian security forces returned an Israeli soldier who is understood to have become lost in the streets of Jenin.

At about 1.30 pm a single Israeli soldier, coming from Nasser street, entered the city center of Jenin. Eye witnesses reported that he was driving a civilian car, but because of his uniform it didn’t take long to expose his identity.

While his car entered the central square at Masjad al-Kabir, rumors about his presence started to spread across the city and caused a flood of Palestinians to surge in the direction of the Israeli soldier.

During this time, two Palestinian police cars stopped the Israeli soldier and accompanied him to the governmental compound of Jenin, the Muqata’a.

Some Palestinians reported that the Israeli soldier was injured by stone throwers and that some Palestinians managed to steal his M16 rifle. While this information could not be confirmed by either police or any other sources, it is sure that, after the soldier was taken away, his car was set on fire.

The DCO was informed about the mistaken solider and a few minutes later four Israeli jeeps arrived at the Muqata’a, where the Israeli soldier was handed over by Palestinian security forces .

At this, about 100 Palestinians gathered in front of the Muqata’a and some kids sought to express their anger by throwing stones at the Palestinian police. The police responded by throwing a number of sound bombs in their directions in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

Although the Palestinian police perhaps saved a life today, many Palestinians expressed their huge frustration and anger regarding this incident. The anger was further compounded and aggrieved by the fact that the saving of the Israeli soldier came only two days following the cruel assassination of two local residents by Israeli military forces.

26th August 2007

Salah Muhammed Surour leader of the Al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) was killed in Jenin in the early hours of Saturday. Four other Palestinian were injured in the same incident..

Eye witnesses report that at about 5am Salah Muhammad Surour (Ala Abu As-Sa’eed) and three other Palestinians were in a car on Abu Bakr street in Jenin. A Palestinian taxi or a white Volkswagen drove up and members of an Israeli special unit jumped out and immediately opened fire on Surour’s car. Surour died immediately and the three other men were injured, one seriously. and seriously injured.

A Palestinian standing nearby was also hit and seriously injured by the Israeli gunfire..

The Israeli undercover unit left as nearby residents came to help the wounded..

There was no armed resistance by Palestinian Freedom fighters during this incident according to witnesses..

The injured were taken to hospitals in and around Jenin and Salah Muhammed Surour was buried this morning.

Maan-News reported that at least two other Israeli special units in civilian cars of and several Israeli military jeeps were in the streets of Jenin during the night.

At approximately 1 am, the IOF, entered the city of Jenin from Haifa Street. About ten military jeeps and at least one Caterpillar bulldozer entered the market area of Jenin city, as well as the center of Jenin Refugee Camp. They stayed for about three and a half hours, shooting at several houses inside the camp as well as throwing numerous sound bombs. Some Palestinian fighters from Islamic Jihad responded to the attack by shooting in the direction of the Israeli army. Fortunately none of the people living inside Jenin city and camp were killed, arrested or injured.

The Israeli army entered several Palestinian villages in the area during the night and early morning hours.
At 8 pm, five Israeli jeeps and a car with Israeli special forces were seen entering the village of Taain. None of the villagers could report about what they were doing there.

At around midnight, fifteen jeeps coming from checkpoint Salem entered the area around the village of Kufr Dan and stayed there for several hours. Between 1 and 5 am several IOF cars were also seen in the villages of Ash Shuhada and Jamoun. According to locals, no incidents were caused by the army there.

At 8 pm an Israeli army patrol entered a Palestinian house in the town of Misiliya. Until now it’s not clear if the army caused any damage to the house or injuries to the people living there.

In the early morning hours a new checkpoint was established at the entrance of Zababida. People coming from there reported about dozens of cars waiting. At least during the morning hours all passing cars were searched carefully, as were all males passing the checkpoint.