In the West Bank, the IDF raids Bethlehem, surrounds and partially demolishes a Palestinian home, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them (wounding 4), arrests 1 Palestinian; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, in Qalqilya, nr. Hebron; demolishes 2 sheds nr. Bethlehem that were built without permits; issues military orders confiscating 100 d. of land w. of Bethlehem to complete construction of a section of the separation wall nr. Route 60, linking Jerusalem with the s. West Bank and separating Bethlehem fr. its western environs. On the Rafah border, Egyptian border police interrupt a smuggling operation into Gaza, seizing 32 automatic rifles, 28 pistols, a large amount of ammunition; the smugglers flee. An Israeli military court orders the release of 15 PC mbrs. and 3 PA cabinet mbrs. affiliated with Hamas arrested in the IDF crackdown on the Hamas-led PA on 6/28–29; the prosecution appeals the decision, meaning the 18 will remain jailed until the appeal is heard. (WT 9/13; PCHR 9/14; NYT 9/15)
Tuesday, September 12, 2006