Nineteen Palestinians, including 13-year old boy, were arrested in the West Bank on Monday by Israeli troops. The men were apprehended in early morning raids the northern West Bank town of Jenin, as well as in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tulkarem, and Qalqilya.
The Palestinian boy was reportedly detained by troops north of Ramallah after he was accused of hurling stones at Israeli vehicles, according to Ynet.
Elsewhere, a 25-year-old Gaza woman was shot and killed Monday, Palestinian hospital officials said. Fatima Abu Musaed's family said Israeli soldiers shot her near the border fence with Gaza Strip, the AP said.
Psychological tactics used by Israel to sway Palestinian opinion
Meanwhile in the Gaza Strip, Israeli security forces distributed leaflets at the Erez border between the Strip and Israel. The leaflets stated that despite an attempted attack at the crossing last week by Palestinians, Israeli authorities had chosen to reopen the crossing, allowing Palestinian workers to enter Israel.
A spokesman for the Palestinian Interior Ministry, Tawfeeq Abu Khosa, told reporters at Ramattan that the crossing would reopen after having been closed for three days, allowing workers, journalists, foreigners and diplomats to enter the exit through the crossing.
In the past, Israel has kept the crossing closed after such incidents, thereby keeping some 5,000 Palestinians from reaching their workplaces in Israel. The leaflet read, "When the crossing is sealed off, who takes care of your livelihood – Fatah, Hamas, Jihad, or Israel?"
"Again they (terrorists) tried to undermine your right to make a dignified living with the attempted attack carried out at the crossing on Thursday."
"Despite this attempt, out of consideration for you, Israel decided to open the crossing a short while after it was closed down."
"Your desire for dignified livelihood and the creation of conditions for continuous opening of the crossings is understandable," the leaflet read.
"Make sure terror elements don't stop this from happening!"
Regarding the procedure of leaflet distribution, an Israeli military source explained, "Palestinian civilians eventually take notice of these leaflets," a military source said. "We see quite a few cases where civilians are sick and tired of the fact terrorists are disrupting their life and bringing military activity to their doorstep, whether through sonic booms, artillery fire, or the closure of crossings."
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
