On the fall of the Christmas, sadness prevails the city of peace, 21 Palestinian houses demolishes in Israeli attacks
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 12/25/2002

The Palestinian Youth Muhammad Fikri Breek ( 14 year old) was shot dead and another one was wounded by the shells of the Israeli tanks to the North of Gaza yesterday, while the Israeli forces demolished some 21 houses during a break in operations by tanks in Rafah camp.

The Israeli forces arrested two Palestinians from Doura town together with Abdullah al-Basit al-Mahmoum and Adel al-Mahmoum from Rafah on charges of resisting the occupation.

Meantime, the chairman of the municipality of Bethlehem Hanna Nasser has denied what was announced by the Israeli forces on its withdrawal from the city of Bethlehem in order to give the Palestinians the opportunity to celebrate Christmas.

In a press conference he held at the "peace center" which adjoins the Nativity Church, Nasser said that the Israeli forces did not withdraw from Bethlehem and that these forces are deployed in all parts of the city and its suburbs, except the courtyard of the church of the Nativity.

Nasser said that sadness overshadows the Christmas atmosphere in the city of peace because of the siege and the Israeli occupation and the city's being exposed to five successive Israeli invasions.

He added that lights have disappeared from the city at Christmas because of the siege and sadness inflicted by the Israeli occupation and the destruction of the economic structure the city of Bethlehem used to depend on.

For his part, the governor of Bethlehem Muhammad al-Madani explained that the Israeli occupation forces reinforced its existence in the city, noting that the Israelis occupied on the fall of the Christmas residential buildings in the city.

In Washington, the US has called for giving the Palestinians the time to organize elections under good conditions.

The spokesman for the US Department of State said that it is important that the Palestinians will be given enough time to make free and honest elections.

To this effect, the Palestinian Authority announced the postponement of the legislative and presidential elections until the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories which were reoccupied by the Israeli army.

Previous Stories:
  Jewish groups seek to ban book on Middle East conflict   (12/23/2002)
  Palestinians, Israelis met in London   (12/23/2002)
  Quartet starts meeting in Washington   (12/21/2002)

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