PCHR Weekly Report: 20 killed, 22 wounded, 56 abducted by Israeli forces
According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) Weekly Report, in the week of the 29th of November to 5th of December, 20 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, 22 were wounded, and 56 were abducted by Israeli forces.
Israeli army kills Gazan farmer near Israel/Gaza border
The Israeli army shot and killed a 30 year old farmer in his field near the costal regions border with Israel on Friday.
Jordan condemns Israel plan to build homes in East Jerusalem
Jordan on Thursday condemned Israel's plan to build more than 300 new homes in an East Jerusalem neighborhood, the official Petra news agency said. Jordanian State Minister for Information, Nasser Judeh, said the Israeli measure contravenes international resolutions that consider the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as occupied territories.
U.S. seeks clarification over Israeli housing plan
The United States is troubled by Israel's plan to build 300 homes around Jerusalem and has asked it to explain the move, which angered Palestinians one week after the two sides decided to resume formal peace talks, a U.S. official said on Thursday. "We don't want any steps taken that would undermine the confidence of the parties. This is an issue that we have been concerned about and we have sought clarification from the Israelis," said the official, who spoke on condition that he not be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Rightist initiative: Picking flag and anthem for settler state
SOS Israel is planning a campaign to choose a flag and anthem for the new Jewish state it plans to erect in the West Bank in the event of an Israeli withdrawal from the territories.
Poll: Few West Bank settlers willing to leave homes for cash
Only a small minority of settlers would leave their West Bank homes voluntarily if the government were to pay them compensation, a poll showed Friday.
U.S.'s Rice chides Israel on new home-building plan
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Israel on Friday that its plan to build 300 house units on land captured in the 1967 war did not help efforts to reach peace.
Palestinian interim gov't says reopening Rafah crossing needs Israeli approval
Palestinian minister of prisoners' affairs under the caretaker government based in this West Bank city said Thursday that reopening the Rafah crossing in the Hamas- ruled Gaza Strip was subject to Israel's approval.
Testimony: Israel delays treatment of two Gaza toddlers
I was born in Jordan to a father from the Gaza Strip. In 1994, I came to Gaza on a visitor's permit that my uncle obtained for me. In 1995, my fiancee also entered Gaza on a visitor's permit and we got married. At the time, we thought we would be able to obtain Palestinian identity cards. I worked in the office of the Palestinian Naval Police. In 1996, our first child was born, a daughter, whom we named Ghaida', and in 1998, our daughter Maysa' was born. In 2000, our first son, Muhammad, was born. Ten days after he was born, we noticed that his skin was yellow, so we took him to al-Shifa'a Hospital, in Gaza, for an examination.
Feature - Sick Gazans stuck in queue of death
Born last week with a heart defect, Salem al-Masri needs life-saving surgery. But like hundreds in the Gaza Strip, he and his parents have no permit from Israel to exit the enclave to a suitably equipped hospital.
Four journalists attacked and two protesters injured in 'peaceful protest' near Bethlehem
At this week's anti-wall protest in al Ma'sarah village, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the Israeli army attacked journalists who were reporting the event.
Three injured in peaceful protest near Ramallah
For the second week running, residents of villages located west of the city of Ramallah, including Beit U'r al Tahta and Beit U'r al Fouqa, Beit Seera, Beit Liqia, al Teerah, and Safa were joined by international and Israeli peace activists in their peaceful demonstration.
Four injured and two arrested in Bil'in anti-Wall protest
After the weekly Friday prayers, residents of the West Bank village of Bil'in, near Ramallah and a group of International and Israeli peace activists took to the streets of the village.
WHO warns against humanitarian crisis in Gaza
The World Health Organisation warned against a humanitarian crisis erupting in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip due to Israeli travel restrictions, according to a report obtained by AFP on Thursday. The news came as Jordan announced it would treat a number of Gaza patients suffering serious health conditions.
ISRAEL-OPT: Only 41 percent of Gaza's food import needs being met
Food imports into the Gaza Strip are only enough to meet 41 percent of demand, the World Food Programme (WFP) has said, though critical UN humanitarian food supplies are being allowed in. The cost of many basic items, such as beef, wheat and some dairy products have increased significantly, while locally grown produce is fetching extremely low prices on the local market, as exports are banned, threatening the livelihood of farmers.
Herbs replace drugs in Gaza amid suffocating siege
Walking out of a spice shop with difficulty, 51 year old Um Muhammad Oreif carried parcels of herbs which she wishes can alleviate her increasing pains due to rheumatism. "I'm not quite sure if these herbs will give the sought results, but what else should I do? I'm running out of money and prices of medicines at pharmacies are sky rocketing," Um Muhammad complained.
Israeli Army Raids Zawata Village for the Second Time This Week
On the evening of December 2nd, the Israeli army invaded Zawata, a village just north of Nablus. At around 2 am approximately 10 army jeeps pulled into the village, shooting live ammunition into the air and firing tear gas and sound bombs. The soldiers proceeded to enter several houses, arresting 8 men. The army stayed in Zawata for two hours before leaving at 4 am. This is the second time this week that the army has invaded Zawata, following an earlier raid on the evening of November 26th in which 14 men were arrested, two of which are still being held in Huwwara prison.
Izbit At Tabib Roadblock Claims a Life
On Monday 3rd October a man from the village of Izbit at Tabib died before reaching hospital as a result of the roadblock that prevents access to the main highway. Ahmad Ibrahim Shiwor, 41 years old, was suffering heart problems in his family home. An ambulance was called but unable.
PA miffed at Egyptian-Saudi deal with Hamas over hajj pilgrims
The news from the Rafah border crossing earlier this week astounded the leaders of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah. They had arranged with Israel to allow some 2,000 Palestinians from Gaza to go to Saudi Arabia via the Kerem Shalom and Allenby Bridge border crossings for the hajj celebrations. But Cairo apparently had different plans. The Egyptians allowed 700 Palestinians on Monday and 1,300 on Tuesday to cross the border into Sinai, where buses were waiting to take them to Saudi Arabia. "The Egyptians stabbed us in the back," a senior PA official said. It turned out that the move had been coordinated with the Hamas government and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi embassy in Cairo swiftly processed the Gaza pilgrims' visa applications sent by the Hamas government, while the Saudi embassy in Amman held up all the visa applications sent by the PA, even those of West Bank pilgrims.
Released prisoner speaks
On Monday 3rd December a 25 year old man from An Nabilyas near Qalqilya was released from Naqab prison – one of the 429 prisoners released by Israel as a so-called "goodwill" gesture for the Annapolis peace talks. Mousa had served 6 years of his 12 year sentence.
Palestinian UN Envoy: Israeli attacks have destroyed hope for peace
In a letter to the Italian President, the Palestinian Envoy to the United Nations (non-voting), Riyad Mansour, stated that Israel's "state terrorism" in Gaza has wiped away the hope for peace that was established last week in the one-day Annapolis summit.
PA leader Abbas rejects concept of state with provisional borders
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday rejected the concept of a provisional Palestinian state, concerned that temporary borders of such an entity would become permanent.
Olmert, Abbas plan for first post-Annapolis talks
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met top advisers on Thursday to prepare for his first meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas since the two leaders launched formal peace talks last week.
Palestinian statehood deal possible in 2008-Blair
A deal on Palestinian statehood by the end of next year is realistic but a fully functioning state will take longer, Middle East envoy Tony Blair said in an interview on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed in Annapolis, Maryland last week to try to reach a peace treaty creating a Palestinian state by the end of 2008, although doubts remain over the plan's viability.
Public census suspended in Hamas-controlled Gaza
Public census is about to finish in West Bank while it has yet to start in the Hamas-controlled Gaza city, director of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said on Thursday.
Dichter cancels U.K. trip over fears of 'war crimes' arrest
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter canceled a trip to Britain over concerns he would be arrested due to his involvement in the decision to assassinate the head of Hamas' military wing in July 2002. Fifteen people were killed in the bombing of Salah Shehade's house in Gaza, among them his wife and three children, when Dichter was head of the Shin Bet security service. He is the first minister to have to deal with a possible arrest.
Israeli police interrogate three Israeli journalists who visited Arab states
Israeli media reported on Thursday that the Israeli police had told them they had interrogated three Israeli journalists who had visited Arab states and reported from there.
The Aix Group and the Palestinians, A Generous Offer?By NETA GOLAN
Anyone familiar with Israeli politics was not surprised that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not acknowledge Israel's occupation in his speech at Annapolis. What was surprising was that short of mentioning the "R" word- refugees, Olmert acknowledged the Palestinian refugee problem.
Time to Choose: Two States or One?
Almost immediately after the hollow show in Annapolis, a ray of hope has appeared from an unexpected source -- Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. In an interview published on November 29 in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz, he declared, "If the day comes when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights (also for the Palestinians in the territories), then, as soon as that happens, the State of Israel is finished."
Ahmed Yousuf: Open Letter to Condoleezza Rice
You have made it a precondition to any engagement with us that we accept certain conditions. Yet you don't apply the same preconditions to the Israelis. You don't require of them recognition of Palestinian rights or a renunciation of the terrible violence that they daily invoke on us.
Haaretz.com TV: Segregation at Petah Tikva religious school
Nuclear fallout / Who's right here?
Israel has known about the report for more than a month. The first information on it was passed on to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and to Shaul Mofaz, who is the minister responsible for the strategic dialog with the Americans. The issue was also discussed at the Annapolis summit by Barak and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and it seems also between Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
U.S. Joint Chiefs head to visit Israel
The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff will visit Israel next week to discuss Iran. - Mullen will be briefed about Israel's intelligence estimates regarding the Iranian nuclear program, a response to a U.S. report that this week said Iran shelved its quest for an atomic bomb in 2003.
The refugee solution Olmert suggests is "an international effort, in which we [Israel] will participate, to assist these Palestinians in finding a proper framework for their future, in the Palestinian state that will be established in the territories agreed upon between us." The suggestion that the refugees do not have the choice to return to the lands from which they were expelled is contrary to international humanitarian law, and to UN Resolution 194 that "Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date." Neta Golan comments for EI.
Largest Dutch trade union will increase pressure on Israel
Since 1994 Palestine has been part of the largest Dutch trade union, FNV ABVAKABO's international solidarity policy. In a letter to Palestinian unions it refers to a resolution of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions which was adopted in December 2004. The ICFTU has 241 affiliated organizations in 156 countries with a membership of 155 million. The resolution calls for the immediate ending of the occupation of 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza, including the existence of the wall and Jewish settlements.
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