Israeli Forces Invade Tulkarem Towns

TULKAREM, Palestine, March 13, 2005 (IPC + WAFA) - - Israeli occupation forces invaded several towns in Tulkarem province and others north of Tubas City, and arrested several civilians, while wounding another.

Eyewitnesses said Israeli forces stormed the towns of Saida, Allar and Atteel, north of Tulkarem, and raided several houses, which they turned to military barracks after detaining their residents.

The witnesses added that Israeli troops occupied two houses in the town of Saida, after forcing their owners to leave them at gun point, and ordered them not to come back to them for a week. The houses were handpicked because of their location overlooking the entire town and the neighboring towns of Atteel and Allar.

Two more houses were also occupied in the towns of Allar and Atteel, belonging to Sreis and Shadid families.

Local sources in the towns further added that Israeli military patrols were seen throughout the streets, as soldiers prevented people from getting in or out of the towns, amidst heavy deployment of troops in surrounding fields and olive groves.

At the same context, Israeli forces imposed a tight curfew on the town of Allar, then arrested three civilians and moved them to an undisclosed location. Residents of the town also added that Israeli troops shot Eyad Abu Asba near his eye, wounding him seriously.

In the meantime, Israeli forces stormed the villages of Al Nazleh Al Sharqiya and Al Nazleh Al Gharbiya in Tulkarem province, WAFA news agency reported.

WAFA added that Israeli troops set up several roadblocks on the entrances of both villages, as civilians were banned from entering or leaving, while the houses of Hassan Nayef and Moahmmed Kettana were occupied and turned to military barracks.

Another civilians was also arrested in the town of Azzoun, east of Qalqilya province, and moved him to an undisclosed location, after raiding several houses and messing their furniture up.

Israeli forces have arrested last night Ibrahim Al Sous from Qalqilya City, while he was on his way to Nablus City.

Elsewhere, Israeli troops manning the Zaatara military checkpoint detained hundreds of civilians at the checkpoint from the early morning hours. Most of the detained were university students and employees on their way to their universities and working places across the West Bank, in addition to several elderly citizens and patients.

In Jenin, IPC correspondent said that the residents of Jenin refugee camp demanded that the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to visit their camp, during his visit to the region tomorrow.

The head of Jenin's emergency and reconstruction committee, Fakhri Torkman, said that Annan has a historical responsibility of visiting the camp, which witnessed atrocities and war crimes during the Israeli invasion in April 2002.

Torkman also called on the UN Secretary General to include the refugee camp in his visit, as his previous report, which denied the occurrence of war crimes and massacres in the camp, was inaccurate and that he should visit the camp to see the facts on the ground.

Furthermore, the Israeli troops manning Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah City, closed it for half an hour and caused huge traffic jams, according to WAFA news agency.

These disruptions came amidst a declaration from the Israeli occupation authorities that they would soon approve facilitations to the Palestinian workers and merchants' entry to Israel.

Israeli security sources said that 900 Palestinian merchants from the West Bank and 500 from Gaza were given permits to enter Israel.

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