Israelis detain Palestinians in West Bank and bombard farms in Gaza

Israeli forces detained five Palestinians on Wednesday morning in the West Bank city of Jenin. Witnesses said that 15 Israeli armoured vehicles swept into the eastern part of the city at dawn and searched many Palestinians houses in the area.

Five citizens were reportedly detained by the end of the military operation. Activists said that Isam Samoudi, 22, Yazan Lahlouh, 19, Nobani Ighbariyeh, 22, Fo’ad Ighbariyeh, 34, and Silm Hazhouzi, 20, were taken away by the Israelis, who also questioned their families. No details were given of the reasons for the arrests.

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Meanwhile, Israeli tanks have bombarded Palestinian farms in the middle area of the Gaza Strip; no casualties were reported. The tank shells hit Al-Maghazi and Al-Burij refugee camps.

At the same time, Israeli Special Forces entered Beit Lahiya in the north of the Gaza Strip. Witnesses said that they did not go very far and the aim of their incursion is still unclear.

Both incidents break the terms of the ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza and the Israeli government last November. Although the agreement cancelled the Israeli-imposed and enforced 500m “buffer zone” along the border, daily attacks by Israeli soldiers make Palestinian farmers afraid to tend their own land.