Israeli soldiers stand beside a burned out military jeep during a raid in the West Bank City of Nablus February 26, 2007. Israeli forces continued the operation, which began on Sunday, putting 30,000 Palestinians under curfew as soldiers searched for wanted militants. REUTERS/Eliana Aponte (WEST BANK)Yesterday before sunrise, over 80 military vehicles entered Nablus, the second-largest city in the West Bank. It is now the second day of the Israeli army invasion and more than 30,000 residents are still under curfew, instructed by the army's announcements yesterday via taken-over transmissions from radio and television stations not to leave their homes nor attempt to hide wanted persons.
The army, in vehicles and stationed in houses taken over with force, continue to search homes and buildings, according to major news sources. Already, there has been one death - a 42-year-old Palestinian father, Anan al-Teibi, was shot in his own home today. He was not a wanted person. His 19-year-old son was wounded and currently in the hospital. Numerous people are injured, detained or arrested.
The invading forces are blocking major roadways and hospitals. Volunteer medical teams, such as the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) work around the clock to supply emergency medical assistance, ambulances, food, and medicine to entrapped families. International activists from IWPS are currently accompanying them in their work, documenting the situation and acting as human rights monitors. IWPS volunteers report that despite the potential violence, many Palestinians are currently resisting this illegal invasion in a non-violent manner by breaking curfew to walk in their own city streets.
There have been at least three reports so far of the army forcing Palestinians to accompany them while walking through the old city and entering and searching buildings. This is known as using people as "human shields." This is explicity made illegal by international humanitarian law, not to mention outlawed by Israel's own Supreme Court in 2005 (not that this sort of thing usually prevents Israel's military or government from doing illegal things anyway).
According the the official IDF website, "Operation Hot Winter" chose to enter Nablus, part of "Area A," or those areas supposedly off-limits to the Israeli military, as they are on the search for weapon laboratories and to "lower the terrorist threat." However, many Palestinian
officials believe this invasion is coming at a time to make sure peace efforts are more impossible to achieve, including a cease-fire and the building of a unity government.
The army, in vehicles and stationed in houses taken over with force, continue to search homes and buildings, according to major news sources. Already, there has been one death - a 42-year-old Palestinian father, Anan al-Teibi, was shot in his own home today. He was not a wanted person. His 19-year-old son was wounded and currently in the hospital. Numerous people are injured, detained or arrested.
The invading forces are blocking major roadways and hospitals. Volunteer medical teams, such as the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) work around the clock to supply emergency medical assistance, ambulances, food, and medicine to entrapped families. International activists from IWPS are currently accompanying them in their work, documenting the situation and acting as human rights monitors. IWPS volunteers report that despite the potential violence, many Palestinians are currently resisting this illegal invasion in a non-violent manner by breaking curfew to walk in their own city streets.
There have been at least three reports so far of the army forcing Palestinians to accompany them while walking through the old city and entering and searching buildings. This is known as using people as "human shields." This is explicity made illegal by international humanitarian law, not to mention outlawed by Israel's own Supreme Court in 2005 (not that this sort of thing usually prevents Israel's military or government from doing illegal things anyway).
According the the official IDF website, "Operation Hot Winter" chose to enter Nablus, part of "Area A," or those areas supposedly off-limits to the Israeli military, as they are on the search for weapon laboratories and to "lower the terrorist threat." However, many Palestinian
officials believe this invasion is coming at a time to make sure peace efforts are more impossible to achieve, including a cease-fire and the building of a unity government.
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