Conflict..

Israeli soldiers kill two Palestinians AlJazeera 1/31/2006 Two Palestinians have been killed in a shootout with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank, sources on both sides say. Aljazeera's correspondent quoted the Islamic Jihad as announcing the deaths of two of its activists, including a leader of al-Quds Brigades in the West Bank, Nidal Abu Saada, in a military operation launched by Israeli soldiers on Tuesday in Araba village, south of Jenin. Four other Palestinians were injured during clashes after 20 Israeli military vehicles stormed into the village and laid siege to a building. An Israeli army spokeswoman said that Tuesday's incident in which the two Palestinian fighters were killed also caused an unknown number of Israeli casualties. more.. IOF Assassinates 2 Citizens, Wounds 4 others in Jenin, Demolishes 2 Houses in Bethlehem WAFA 1/31/2006 JENIN, January 31, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) assassinated Tuesday two citizens and arrested four others in attack on the Arraba village south of the West Bank (WB) city of Jenin. Witnesses said that Israeli soldiers supported by more than 30 vehicles assaulted Arraba, besieged the Mustafa Sbeitany's house east of the village, opened fire on resident and instantly killed Nidal Abu Saada and Ahmed Tubassi. In a press release, Ministry of Interior condemned the assassination of Abu Saada and Tubassi, saying that the Israeli assaults would not neither serve security nor stability. more.. Qassams strike Sderot, Gaza YNetNews 2/1/2006 Rocket lands in city street, injuring one resident lightly. Palestinian sources report electricity cut off in large parts of northern Gaza after two Qassams aimed at Israel land in Palestinian territory, strike main electrical pole; IDF: Islamic Jihad behind Qassam launchings --Following a relatively short lull in rocket attacks on Israel, a Qassam rocket landed in Sderot Tuesday evening. One resident sustained light injuries in the attack and was treated on the spot by Magen David Adom paramedics. The rocket landed in one of the city’s streets and caused damage to a parking car. Residents said the attack caused a massive explosion and stirred panic throughout the city. more.. Resident, reporter injured south of Jenin International Middle East Media Center 1/31/2006 One Palestinian resident and one journalist were injured in Araba town, south of the West Bank city of Jenin during clashes which erupted after the under-cover units of the Israeli army assassinated leader of the Islamic Jihad in the town. The Palestinian Maan News Agency reported that resident Ali Ahmad Jardan, 22, was shot injured in his hand by a robber-coated bullet fired by the army. Also, Mohammad Turkman, a cameraman working with Reuters was moderately injured; both were transferred to the Jenin governmental hospital. The agency added that dozens of armed fighters, members of several Palestinian factions, marched in Arraba and chanted slogans against the occupation and the assassination carried out by the Israeli army in Arraba, on Tuesday. more.. High Court delays evacuation of West Bank outpost Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein issued an injunction before dawn Wednesday delaying the planned evacuation of the West Bank outpost of Amona, Yesha Council head Benzi Lieberman said. The announcement was made just hours before security forces were scheduled to raze nine permanent structures in Amona. Rubinstein will hold a hearing on the matter in his office on Wednesday at 8 A. M. local time. Ze'ev Hever, the leader of the West Bank settlement of Amana.... presented the High Court with a compromise which he says is acceptable to the settlers as well as to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz. more.. Settlers storm army base YNetNews 1/31/2006 Some 200 settlers break into army base to protest planned evacuation of Amona outpost, set for Thursday. IDF claims settlers damaged military vehicles. Meanwhile, Soldiers struggle to force invaders out -- About 200 settlers stormed an IDF base near the settlement of Ofra in the Benyamin regional council on Tuesday to protest the planned evacuation of the illegal settlement of Amona, set for Thursday. Settlers damaged military vehicles in the base and clashed with soldiers who tried to pull them out, the army said. Overnight settlers attacked soldiers in a jeep near the base, puncturing the jeep’s tires with knives and hurling stones at troops. more.. 22 wanted Palestinians nabbed YNetNews 1/31/2006 In "unusual" [farce - Ed. ] series of detentions in West Bank, IDF soldiers arrest members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, Fatah -- IDF soldiers detained 22 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank Monday night. The unusual series of arrests was aimed at causing damage to terror groups. The arrested Palestinians were members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). A Hamas member was arrested in the village of Qarawat Bani Zaid, northwest of Ramallah. Two other members of the organization were detained in the village of Jilazun, north of Ramallah, and another Hamas member was captured northwest of Ramallah. more.. Israeli Army invades Bethlehem, arrests four family members International Middle East Media Center 1/31/2006 Israeli troops invaded, on Tuesday afternoon, Aida refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and arrested four members of the Abu Aker family. Soldiers invaded the camp, surrounded the Abu Aker's house, fired gas bombs and rounds of live ammunition, and arrested four members of the family, eyewitnesses reported. Clashes erupted between the army and youth in the camp. One 40 year old man was injured by bullet shrapnel fired by the military at people who were apparently throwing stones at the military invaders. more.. Israeli Army arrests three, including Imam of Mosque International Middle East Media Center 1/31/2006 Tuesday at dawn, the Israeli army invaded several villages in and around the West Bank city of Salfit; three were arrested including an Imam of Bani Zaid Mosque. Troops arrested Bilal Kader from Salfit, and Rakia Arrar and Sheikh Yousef Mohammad -- Imam of the local mosque in Bani Zaid, local sources reported. Soldiers broke into several houses in the area and searched them. An army source said the arrests were supposedly 'wanted' by the Israeli military. [end] more.. Army invades Al Walaja village near Bethlehem, demolishes one house International Middle East Media Center 1/31/2006 The Israeli army and police force invaded the village of AL Walaja near of the West Bank city of Bethlehem and demolished one house Tuesday afternoon. According to a British national staying in the village, the army stormed the village and bulldozers demolished the house of Monther Hamad. He also added that soldiers and police officers forced the evacuation of the house of Mohamed Faraj before demolishing it. No reports of any clashes or resistance to the army are reported, but a number of international activists from various non-governmental organizations and associations arrived on the scene. [end] more.. Video - Haredim ransack Forensics Institute YNetNews 1/31/2006 (VIDEO) Dozens of ultra-Orthodox men riot in Institute for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv in protest of autopsy carried out on body of haredi woman -- (VIDEO) Staff from the Institute for Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir sifted through the damage caused to their workplace by rioting ultra-Orthodox youths protesting the autopsy performed an a haredi woman’s body. But staff members vowed not to me intimidated by "pure vandalism. " "Even in the institute's darkest days, there wasn't an event this big. They wrecked the entire hall, broke expensive equipment, and destroyed (institute director) Yehuda Hiss' room.... " more.. Israel jails Dane for conspiring with Hezbollah to visit as a tourist and gather military information Ha'aretz 2/1/2006 Tel Aviv District Court yesterday sentenced a Danish citizen accused of conspiring with Hezbollah to 33 months in jail, in accordance with a plea bargain Iyad al-Ashwah had made with the prosecution. Ashwah, 40, was born in Lebanon and returned there in 2004 to visit his relatives. While there, his brother allegedly put him in contact with a Hezbollah member, who suggested Ashwah assist the organization by arriving in Israel as a tourist, collecting information on military bases and handing over names of people in Israel who would potentially cooperate with Hezbollah. more.. Israeli court sentences Nablus resident to 22 years in jail International Middle East Media Center 1/31/2006 Tuesday morning, an Israeli military court sentenced a resident from the West Bank city of Nablus to 22 years in Jail. Imad Meazuz Okubeh was accused of being the head of "a terrorist organization", and being behind several resistance attacks on Israel. Okubeh was arrested two years ago during an invasion of the city of Nablus, local sources reported. [end] more.. Hebron settlers evacuate market buildings voluntarily Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 Settlers who illegally commandeered Palestinian shops in Hebron's wholesale market completed their evacuation of the site on overnight Monday in accordance with a deal made with the state under which they would voluntarily leave their homes and be permitted to return legally later on, Israel Radio reported. Israel Defense Forces officers and representatives of Jewish settlers in Hebron who oversaw the evacuation confirmed that the settlers had cleared the market. The settlers were given until Thursday to return to the site to retrieve their belongings. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Monday afternoon denied reports on a deal permitting settlers to return to their homes in the market legally at a later date. more.. Mazuz denies deal between IDF and Hebron settlers Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 Attorney General Menachem Mazuz made clear yesterday that there is no compromise deal between the Israel Defense Forces and Hebron settlers, contrary to reports. An agreement had ostensibly been reached that the squatters would voluntarily vacate the stores in the wholesale market, and the IDF would in a few months stop leasing the market to the Hebron Municipality and instead sign a rental contract with the settlers, who would be able to reoccupy the stores... "the attorney general wishes to make clear that the voluntary evacuation, to whatever degree, is not dependent upon any compromise or concession by the state, nor has the state made any commitment to reoccupy the buildings in question. "... [However,] the state had also informed the court that the appropriate authorities would examine the possibility of terminating the Hebron Municipality's protected tenancy in the wholesale market... [and] leasing the stores to settlers will be considered at a later date. more.. Israel's shooting of young girl highlights international hypocrisy, say Palestinians The Guardian 1/30/2006 As the votes were counted in the Palestinian election and the scale of Hamas's landslide became apparent to the world, Aya al-Astal drifted away from her home and wandered towards the fence along the border between the Gaza strip and Israel. The nine-year-old girl's parents realised she was gone as they watched the election results on television. They do not know precisely what happened, but the Israeli army later said Aya was behaving in a suspicious manner reminiscent of a terrorist - she got too close to the border fence - and so a soldier fired several bullets into the child, hitting her in the neck and blowing open her stomach. Aya was the second child killed by the Israeli army last week. more.. Occupation Continues Arrest Raids in W. Bank International Press Center 1/30/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 30,2006 (IPC+Agencies) - - Israeli Occupation intensified its violent today morning and Sunday overnight its military offensive in sporadic areas of the west bank ; storming into Al Azza refugee camp of Bethlehem in which a resident was rounded up and arrested four others in Nablus. In Al Azza refugee camp, north Bethlehem, a resident Ferass Ibraheim Al Nashash ,28, was arrested by the Israeli troops. Local sources reported that tens of patrolling soldiers advanced deep into the camp at dawn Monday, cordoned the house of Al Nashash , thoroughly searching and messing it before arresting him. more.. Undercover army units invade Kofer Kalil village, one resident arrested International Middle East Media Center 1/30/2006 Israeli undercover army troops invaded Kofer Kalil village near the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday at dawn, one resident was arrested. Haiel Amir, 22, was arrested after a gun fight erupted between an armed resistance group and Israeli Special Forces attempting to invade the village in a white car, eyewitnesses reported. The detainee is accused of being affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh. Following the initial confrontation, approximately ten military vehicles arrived on the scene accompanied by two military bulldozers. Israeli soldiers surrounded and shot at the Amir's house. more.. Army invades Bethlehem, arrests one resident International Middle East Media Center 1/30/2006 Israeli soldiers invaded on Monday morning Al Azza refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and arrested one resident. A local source in the camp reported that troops arrested Ibrahim Al Nashash, 28, during a search to the residents' houses in the camp, and took him to an unknown destination. Army claimed that the residents in a member of Hamas. Also, soldiers broke into dozens of homes in the camp and searched them; damage to the houses and belongings was reported. [end] more.. Israel orders evacuation of West Bank settlement ReliefWeb 1/29/2006 JERUSALEM, Jan 29, 2006 (AFP) - Israel has ordered the evacuation of a wildcat settlement outpost on a hilltop just north of the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank, a military source said on Sunday. The Jewish inhabitants of the Amona settlement are to voluntarily leave their nine houses by Thursday or else they will be forcefully evacuated, the source said. Israeli public radio said about 1,000 border guards, backed up by 3,000 police and 3,000 soldiers have been mobilized for the operation, which is to begin Wednesday. more.. Palestinian Groups Clash in Gaza Palestine Chronicle 1/29/2006 Eight people were injured in several gun battles in Khan Younis - in what were the first armed clashes between Hamas and Fatah since the elections. -- GAZA CITY (BBC NEWS) - Rival groups have clashed in the Gaza Strip, two days after the Islamic militant group Hamas swept to victory in Palestinian polls. The worst trouble flared up in Khan Younis. Several were wounded when Hamas activists exchanged fire with members of Fatah - which lost the election. Fatah activists also rallied against their own leaders, blaming them for the defeat and setting cars on fire. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said Hamas should form a new cabinet. more.. IDF and Hebron settlers holding secret talks on evacuation of market area Ha'aretz 1/29/2006 While Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is warning settlers in the Hebron market that security forces may evacuate them by force, Haaretz has learned that the Israel Defense Forces and Hebron settlers have been holding secret talks aimed at reaching a compromise deal. The talks are being held with the authorization of Olmert and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz. The settlers have until Monday morning to respond to a compromise deal proffered by the IDF. Settler leaders were to convene Sunday night to discuss the offer..... High Court: Green light to Amona evacuation: The High Court of Justice on Sunday afternoon rejected a petition filed by settlers against the demolition of nine structures in the illegal West Bank settlement of Amona. more.. Fatah activists, PA police storm parliament buildings Ha'aretz 1/29/2006 Dozens of Fatah activists and Palestinian Authority police officers briefly took over the parliament buildings in Ramallah and Gaza City yesterday, pledging loyalty to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas while calling for the resignation of the Fatah Central Committee, which they blamed for Fatah's election defeat. The protesters took over the parliament for about 20 minutes, shouting demands from the roof before descending peacefully. Meanwhile, at least 12 Palestinians, including eight police officers, were injured in clashes over the weekend. more.. Soldiers arrest ten youth west of Ramallah International Middle East Media Center 1/29/2006 Israeli soldiers arrested, on Sunday at dawn, ten youth from Betillo village, west of Ramallah in the West Bank, after invading it and searching dozens of homes. A local source in the village reported that all of the arrested youth are 17-18 years old. The arrestees were identified as Ibrahim Mofleh, Othman Fayez, Aseed Ziyada, Mohammad Taiseer Darweesh, Qassam Taiseer Darweesh, Salah Wafeeq Bazar, Fadi Ibrahim Ziyada, Basel Abdul-Mohsen Radwan, Ismat Suleiman Rayyan, and Jad Anwar Ali Salem. An Israeli military source reported that the ten youth were arrested after repeated shootings took place in addition to several incidents were youth hurled stones at settlers vehicles in the area. more.. Army girds for violence in Amona face-off Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 The overall military commander of the West Bank has voiced concern that violence during this week's planned evacuation of the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona could exceed that faced by security officials during last summer's volatile disengagement from the Gaza Strip. GOC Central Command Major General Yair Naveh said security forces were preparing for similar opposition in Amona. Gaza settlers holed up in homes and synagogues and threw objects at the forces that were evacuating them. "Will there be violence of the level of the disengagement? I am afraid there will be more," Naveh told Israel Radio late Monday. "Are we preparing for extreme situations? The answer is yes. ? more.. OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes 18 - 24 Jan 2006 ReliefWeb/OCHA 1/30/2006 24 Jan 2006 -- Of note this period: A Palestinian man from Nablus carried out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv injuring 28 Israelis. High numbers of flying checkpoints (103) were observed throughout the West Bank particularly in Qalqiliya and Hebron governorates. 1. Physical Protection (1) Casualties - 18 January: A 14-year-old Palestinian was shot and injured after clashes between IDF soldiers and Palestinian stone throwers during an IDF search campaign in Kafr Qallil (Nablus). / 18 January: Two Palestinians and two IDF soldiers were injured during an exchange of fire between IDF soldiers and Palestinian militants during an IDF search campaign in Jenin camp (Jenin)... more.. Israeli Court Sentences Detainees to Different Terms of Imprisonment WAFA 1/30/2006 TULKAREM, January 30, 2006, (WAFA) -Salem Israeli military court sentenced on Monday two detainees to different terms imprisonment and postponed the detention of eight others in the West Bank (WB)city of Tulkarem. The court sentenced Usama Abed Rabbu of Tulkarem refugee camp to ten years and Nabil Khateeb to 38 months. The court also postponed the detention of Issam Aref from Iktaba , Majdi Otaily, Bilal Khalil, Raid Taha, Rami Abu Assal of Anabta , Moumen Al-haj, Imad Samara and Subhi Shinar of Allar town until the second month. more.. Two Qassam Brigades fighters injured in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 1/30/2006 A Palestinian medical source in Gaza reported on Monday at night that two fighters of the Al Qassam brigades, the military wing of Hamas, were injured after unknown gunmen opened fire at them. The source added that one of the fighters is the leader of the brigades in Khan Younis, while the second is his assistant; the two suffered moderate-to-sever wounds. A local source in Khan Younis reported that unknown gunmen opened fire at the vehicle of the two fighters while driving in Abasan Al Sagheera town in Khan Younis, and sped away. more.. Palestinian medics: IDF troops kill girl near Gaza Strip border fence Ha'aretz 1/27/2006 Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot dead a 9-year-old Palestinian girl on Thursday in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel, Palestinian medics said. The IDF said troops spotted a Palestinian carrying a large bag near the border fence. Suspecting that it contained explosives, the troops called on the person to stop and fired warning shots in the air. After the person did not heed the calls and moved closer to the border, the soldiers fired again and shot the person dead, an IDF statement said. more.. ICAHD: Khallet Zacharia Village Receives Multiple Demolition Orders WAFA 1/26/2006 TAL AVIV, January 26, 2006 (WAFA)- The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) said Thursday that Khallet Zacharia village received multiple demolition orders and experienced serious problems during closure. In a press release, ICAHD said it investigated on January 19, the plight of this Palestinian village that marooned inside a triangle of Israeli colonies (Alon Shvut, Rosh Tzurim, and Kfar Etzion, with Bat Ayin also nearby) that threatened it by demolishing orders. "In December, 11 demolition orders were received, as was a stop work order on the uncompleted school which the village has been building. The three village wells also have outstanding demolition orders on them," the press release added. more.. Hebron's Jewish enclave to be declared closed military area Friday Ha'aretz 1/27/2006 The Israel Defense Forces plan to declare the Jewish section of Hebron aclosed military area Friday morning, in preparation for the evacuation of nine Jewish families from the city's wholesale market, Hebron settlers said Thursday. The settlers, who believe the evacuation is slated to take place sometime next week, are planning a major solidarity conference Tuesday against the planned move. Politicians, rabbis and academics are among those expected to attend the gathering. more.. Resistance fires homemade shell at a settlement, east of Gaza International Middle East Media Center 1/27/2006 Salah Ed Deen Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, and Nabeel Mas'oud Brigades, which belongs to the Al Aqsa brigades, fired two homemade shells at Nativ Hash'ara settlement, east of the Gaza Strip. The two factions said that the firing of the homemade shells comes in retaliation to the death of a Palestinian child, who was killed by Israel military fire in Gaza on Thursday evening. more.. Hamas, Fatah activists clash YNetNews 1/26/2006 Palestinian Authority policemen separate fighting rival activists who exchange stones, curses; some13 people injured, windows broken in melee -- A scuffle broke out between Hamas and Fatah supporters in Ramallah on Thursday as a Hamas activist hung a flag of the Islamic group from the building of the Palestinian parliament. Palestinian Authority policemen separated the fighting rival activists who exchanged stones and curses. About 13 people were injured and windows were broken in the melee. more.. Palestinians: IDF shot dead 7-year-old girl YNetNews 1/26/2006 Palestinians claim IDF killed seven year-old girl near Gaza security fence; army denies charges. Qassam rocket fired at Israel earlier in response to shooting -- Palestinian sources reported Thursday that a seven-year-old girl was shot dead by IDF forces near the security fence in northern Gaza, close to the Kissufim border crossing. According to reports, the girl's name is Aya el-Satal. The IDF has confirmed an incident took place in the area, but refused to confirm a girl was involved. Army sources stated forces spotted a figure carrying a large bag on its back, traveling near the fence at a distance from any Palestinian community. The soldiers fired warning shots at the figure, and when it continued to approach the fence – shot and hit it. more.. Olmert orders speedier construction of separation fence Ha'aretz 1/26/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered faster construction of the West Bank separation fence on Wednesday, after chairing his first government-level discussion on the matter, a senior official said. "He made it very clear that the fence has to be completed as quickly as possible," the official said. The decision, which followed hints by Olmert that he could set Israel's borders unilaterally should he win March 28 elections and peace talks remain stalled, drew censure from Palestinians.... Olmert recommended rerouting the fence so as to enclose the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot within the city limits while placing the nearby village of Beit Ichsa on the Palestinian side of the fence. more.. IOF Denies PM Access to Jerusalem WAFA 1/25/2006 EAST JERUSALEM, January 25, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) banned, Wednesday at az-Zaeem checkpoint, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei from reaching Jerusalem to inspect the voting ballots. In the meantime, the IOF restricted the movement of the voters in the West Bank cities of Tubas and Nablus, WAFA reporter said. In Tubas, Israeli soldiers at the military checkpoint of Tayaseer east of the city delayed al-Aghwar citizens to cast their votes. In Nablus, WAFA reporter said that Israeli soldiers also delayed the arrival of voters to ballot centers by erecting a checkpoint near Sayrifi Park northeast of the city. [end] more.. Israel Navy building fence off Gaza coast Globes 1/25/2006 “Defense News”: The underwater fence is designed to prevent penetration by boats. -- “Defense News” reports that the Israel Navy is building a marine fence off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The fence is part of a project for strengthening Israel’s coastal defense system against infiltration by terrorists and smugglers. The magazine said the fence, which consisted of an above water and below water barrier, was designed to prevent penetration by boats. Some of it resembles a floating grid. It is fixed in place at a depth of 3-10 meters, starts one kilometer from the beach, and extends from there in the direction of the sea. more.. IOF Arrests 5 Citizens in Tulkarem WAFA 1/25/2006 TULKAREM, January 25, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Wednesday five citizens in the West Bank (WB) city of Tulkarem, witnesses said. They told WAFA that Israeli soldiers thrust earlier into the villages of Saida and Allar in Tulkarem governate, launched a house-to-house search campaign and arrested Mohammed Younis and Salam abu Sada, from Allar village and Mostafa Ajaj, his brother Joma' and Thaer abed al-Ghani from Saida. [end] more.. Army arrests 11 residents in the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 1/25/2006 Israeli army radio reported, on Wednesday morning, that soldiers arrested 11 residents from several areas in the West Bank. According to the source, two were arrested in Nablus city, two were arrested in Bethlehem, and seven residents were arrested in Tulkarem city. The arrests were carried out despite an Israeli statement which claimed that the army will halt its operations in the Palestinian territories during the Palestinian legislative council elections which started earlier on Wednesday. [end] more.. Army arrests seven residents in Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 1/25/2006 Israeli troops invaded, on Wednesday morning, the West Bank city of Tulkarem and several surrounding villages, and arrested seven residents. Soldiers supported by several armored vehicles, invaded the city and a number of its surrounding villages, and broke into dozens of homes. In the nearby village of Allar, troops arrested Mohammad Abdul Aziz, 22, Salam Abu Sa'ada, 18, and took them to unknown destination. Meanwhile, in Saida village, north of Tulkarem, soldiers arrested Jom'a Ajaj, 22, and Tha'er Abdul Aziz, 19. Amy claims that the arrested residents are members of the Islamic Jihad. [end] more.. Rightists arrested in Jerusalem YNetNews 1/25/2006 'Jerusalem is ours, Amman is yours' -- Baruch Marzel, Itamar Ben Gvir, four more far right activists arrive at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem to protest the PA elections; police detain the six for questioning. Knesset Members Arieh Eldad and Effie Eitam banned from entering Jaffa Gate voting station -- Jerusalem Police have detained six far Right activists, headed by National Jewish Front leader Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben Gvir, for causing disturbances near the Jaffa Gate in east Jerusalem to protest Palestinian voting in the capital. Police officials said the group of rightists was detained after attempting to confront police officers. At the same time, Knesset Members and National Union party members Effie Eitam and Arieh Eldad arrived at the Jaffa Gate with the intention of of entering a Palestinian polling station near the gate. more.. New al-Aqsa missile targets Israel YNetNews 1/25/2006 Terror group says it developed new missile capable of reaching all of Israel’s major population centers, if fired from West Bank -- The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed group affiliated with Fatah, says it has developed a new type of missile with a range of 27 kilometers, or 16 miles. The group says its military industry unit has developed a new generation of what it calls an “Al-Aqsa 207 missile,” The Media Line has learned. While the previous Al-Aqsa 107 missiles had a range of 17 kilometers, or 11 miles, the upgraded 207 rockets will extend to 27 kilometers, the group said, putting in range all of Israel’s major population centers, if fired from the West Bank. more.. Settlers leave illegal Amona outpost YNetNews 1/25/2006 Pinchas Wallersten, head of Binyamin Regional Council, says his people sealed permanent houses in outpost, instructed inhabitants to leave, in bid to prevent clashes, reach compromise with State; in addition, settlers expected to file High Court petition against evacuation -- Yesha Council officials sealed the permanent houses in the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona Tuesday night and left the site in a bid to reach a compromise with the defense establishment over the evacuation of the permanent constructions in the outpost. Simultaneously, the settlers plan on filing a petition twith the High Court of Justice against the evacuation. more.. Olmert to propose two changes to separation fence route Ha'aretz 1/26/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert soon will present for government approval two changes to the route of the separation fence: removing the Palestinian village Beit Iksa, near the western entrance to Jerusalem, from "the Israeli" side of the fence, and splitting the route in the area encompassing Ariel. Olmert held a meeting about the fence yesterday in which Defense Ministry Director General Kobi Toren estimated that construction would be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2007. Olmert accepted the recommendation to remove Beit Iksa from the seam-line area. more.. Fatah leader in West Bank shot dead The Guardian 1/24/2006 Today Fatah gunmen shot to death Abu Ahmed Hassouna, 44, a party leader in Nablus after he told them to stop shooting at campaign posters on his house, relatives said. -- Palestinian gunmen linked to the ruling Fatah movement killed one of their own party's leaders today, increasing tensions ahead of tomorrow's Palestinian elections. Candidates were banned from campaigning today for a cooling-off period before the election. But the murder raised doubts about the latest pledges by armed groups in the West Bank and Gaza not to commit violence during the vote. Opinion polls have shown Fatah and Hamas in a close race ahead of the election and both sides have said they might form a coalition government. more.. IDF nabs top Hamas, Jihad men in predawn W. Bank arrest raids Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 Israel Defense Forces troops arrested eight wanted Palestinians in a series of predawn raids in the West Bank on Tuesday, despite Israel's decision to reduce to a minimum military operations in Palestinian territories ahead of Wednesday's legislative elections. The arrested included several senior militants, including Abdallah Arrar, a Hamas militant suspected of masterminding the abduction and murder of Sasson Nuriel in 2005. Mahmoud Abu Rob, the Islamic Jihad commander in the southern Jenin area, was also arrested Tuesday. more.. Militants pledge to ensure smooth Palestinian vote ReliefWeb 1/24/2006 GAZA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Militant groups pledged on the eve of Palestinian elections to prevent any attempt to disrupt voting in the poll, which could usher the powerful Hamas movement into government for the first time. In election-related violence, gunmen shot dead a Palestinian who tried to prevent them from removing campaign posters of a candidate from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party in the West Bank city of Nablus, residents said on Tuesday. Hamas, running in its first parliamentary election, is expected to make a strong showing and pose the most serious electoral challenge yet to the mainstream Fatah. more.. Israeli forces arrest 24 from West Bank Cities in pre-dawn invasions International Middle East Media Center 1/23/2006 Israeli forces arrested 24 Palestinians throughout the West Bank cities Monday morning, the Ma'an News Agency reported. Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement in Jenin area. Troops also arrested seven Palestinians affiliated with Hamas in the northwestern West Bank cities of Tulkarem and Qalqilia. In Ramallah, Israeli forces arrested nine Palestinians and took them to unknown destinations. Additionally Two residents from Bethlehem and another from Hebron were arrested. In a predawn invasion to the northern city of Tulkarem and its refugee camp aermy broke into several homes and arrested three residents. more.. Mofaz to IDF troops: Zero tolerance when facing Jewish rioters in Hebron, Amona Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 Israel Defense Forces soldiers must have zero tolerance when facing Jewish rioters in next week's evacuation of the illegal West Bank outpost in Amona and the wholesale market in Hebron, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Tuesday. Mofaz told IDF soldiers set to participate in the evacuations, "we must act with zero tolerance against rioters. Nobody has the right to raise a hand against you. "Right-wing demonstrators on Tuesday blocked the Geha highway near Tel Aviv to protest the planned evacuations. Police reopened the road to traffic and detained 13 protesters for questioning. more.. Senior Hamas member arrested YNetNews 1/24/2006 Abdullah Arar detained on suspicion of planning abduction of Israeli citizen Sasson Nuriel, assisting group that carried out murder. Senior Islamic Jihad member who planned to carry out terror attack in Israel arrested in Kabatiya; Palestinian woman who expressed willingness to carry out suicide bombing arrested in Jenin -- A special Border Guard unit operating in Ramallah Monday night detained senior Hamas member Abdulla Arar on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Israeli citizen Sasson Nuriel in Septmeber 2005. more.. Army arrests eight residents from Jenin, including three women International Middle East Media Center 1/24/2006 The Israeli army invaded on Tuesday morning to several areas in West Bank city of Jenin, eight residents including three women. Troops stormed Jenin refugee camp in the city and conducted wide-scaled search there and arrested Somayah E'badi , Maha Arda , Feriyal Safori and her husband Mo'tasem Habaiba, all were taken to unknown distention, eyewitnesses said. Meanwhile, another force entered the near by village of Anien searched several houses and arrested Mohamed Mansour 21 after searching his house. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Israeli army troops invaded the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya near Jenin and arrested three residents. more.. Rocket barrage directed at Sderot YNetNews 1/23/2006 Red Dawn alert system identifies three Qassams fired at southern town; rockets apparently land in open areas, no injuries reported. Elsewhere, Palestinian shot to death near Ramallah -- Three Qassam rockets were fired at the southern town of Sderot Monday evening but left no injuries or damages after apparently landing in open areas near the community. The "Red Dawn" alert system identified the launching of the rockets. Police and sappers were dispatched to the area in an attempt to pin-point the landing sites. more.. State Comptroller: State failing to protect communities around Gaza Strip Ha'aretz 1/23/2006 State Comptroller Micah Lindenstrauss on Sunday leveled harsh criticism at the failure of the defense establishment to provide communities surrounding Gaza with proper protection against rocket attacks since the Israeli pullout from the Strip last September. The State Comptroller on Sunday issued its first report on the state's preparedness for implementing the disengagement from the Gaza Strip. The report slammed the slowness and inefficiency with which the state has acted to reinforce homes in the western Negev region to defend them against Palestinian rocket strikes. more.. 13-year-old Palestinian killed by IDF fire Ha'aretz 1/25/2006 A 13-year-old Palestinian was killed Monday night when he was shot by soldiers lying in ambush near the access road to his village. According to his relatives, Munadel Abu Aalia left his home in Al-Mughar, near Ramallah, around 8 P. M. and went out to the access road along with two friends. They had apparently planned to block the road and throw stones at Israeli cars passing on the nearby Allon Road. About half an hour later, one of his friends knocked on the family's door and told them that an IDF force had opened fire on them and Munadel was seriously wounded. An hour later, the Palestinian Red Crescent informed the family that he had died of his wounds. more.. Tensions high in Nablus YNetNews 1/24/2006 PA anarchy: Fatah member murdered, officials fear incident could hamper elections -- The Palestinian elections in Nablus may be in danger after a Fatah election activist was murdered in the city Monday night, Palestinian Authority officials said Tuesday. Yusuf Hassouna, 25, was shot during a quarrel with other Fatah members. His family announced that he will not be buried until his death is avenged, or until the murderers turn themselves in. "The murder of a Fatah member by other Fatah members will lead to tension and violence," a member of the Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades told Ynet. more.. Druze charged with aiding Hizbullah YNetNews 1/24/2006 Northern Israel man forced to provide Hizbullah with information after crossing into Lebanon -- Police and the Shin Bet have been investigating over the last month an incident involving a young resident of the northern Druze village of Ein el-Asad who apparently crossed the border to Lebanon, where he was forced to deliver information to Hizbullah. The 23-year old youngster, Jamil Abu-Salah, was returned to Israel at the end of December along with Ali Hassan Avaro, who was indicted last week over charges of entering an enemy state, keeping contact with a foreign agent and delivering information to the enemy. more.. Halutz: Outpost to be cleared next week YNetNews 1/24/2006 Chief of Staff Dan Halutz says troops prepared to remove illegal West Bank outpost of Amona next week; at this time, no date for operation to clear Jewish residents from Hebron market -- The illegal West Bank outpost of Amona will be cleared next week, IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz informed the Knesset's Security and Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday. According to Halutz, the evacuation will follow similar procedures to those introduced during the Gaza and northern West Bank disengagement. At this time, it is unclear when the Hebron market will be cleared of its Jewish residents. more.. IDF to pull rapid-response teams out of northern border communities Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 Starting on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces with withdraw the rapid-response teams it has maintained in Israeli communities along the Lebanese border. Residents harshly criticized the decision to remove the soldiers from their communities. "No one spoke with us," Eitan Davidi, chairman of the Moshav Margalit local council, said. "This is a difficult decision. [The removal of the soldiers] is abandonment and it borders on stupidity and criminal negligence. If, God forbid, a terror cells infiltrates one of the communities, what will they say then? 'We made a mistake'? We want what we deserve. We will not remain quiet. " more.. IDF officer: Balata easier than Hebron YNetNews 1/24/2006 Paratrooper commander in Hebron says serving in Palestinian refugee camp was easier than dealing with settlers in Hebron; Defense minister, chief of staff tour Judea Brigade ahead of evacuations -- As the army prepares to clear the Amona outpost and illegally occupied buildings in Hebron, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Chief of Staff Dan Halutz visited the Judea Brigade, and closely examined the IDF's activity in the region, as well as plans for the future. "We are in the midst of a very complex operation with mixed emotions, in a manner that is new to us," the commander of Paratrooper Battalion 101 Lieutenant Colonel Eliezer Toledano told Mofaz. "Sometimes we have to deal with things we don't want to deal with," he added. more.. Highway blocked in protest of outpost evacuations YNetNews 1/24/2006 Police arrest 17 right-wing activists for blocking Highway 4 in protest of expected dismantling of illegal West Bank outposts; forces arrived quickly due to prior intelligence, police believe campaign just beginning -- Some 17 protesters blocked Highway 4 near Ramat Gan and burned tires in protest over the expected evacuation of outposts in the West Bank. Earlier, Chief of Staff Dan Halutz announced that the Amona and surrounding outposts will be cleared in a similar manner in which the disengagement from Gaza took place last summer. more.. Palestinian youth, 13, killed by IDF gunfire near Ramallah Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 A 13-year-old Palestinian youth was killed Monday evening by Israel Defense Forces gunfire in a West Bank village adjacent to Ramallah. An initial report indicated soldiers opened fire in the direction of two children building a stone barrier across a road. Soldiers said they opened fire when they noticed two figures laying a suspicious object on the road. IDF troops shots and critically wounded one of the youths in his chest. The youth was pronounced dead on the scene by an IDF doctor after medics failed to resuscitate him. The boy has been identified as Mundal Abu-Aliya. The other youth fled the scene when soldiers opened fire. Palestinian witnesses said two other youths were also wounded in the incident. more.. IAF missile strike in Gaza City kills one militant, wounds six Ha'aretz 1/22/2006 Israel Air Force aircraft fired missiles at a car in the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon in a strike on Palestinian militants, killing one of them and wounding six others. The militants were spotted by the Israel Defense Forces making their way from Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood toward the Karni crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Mahmoud Abad Al A'al, a member of the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees umbrella group, was killed and six others were wounded in the air strike. more.. Israel suspends operations ahead of Palestinian election ReliefWeb 1/23/2006 Ramallah/Tel Aviv_(dpa) _ Two days before the Palestinian parliamentary elections, Israel announced Monday that it was suspending all military operations against militants in the Palestinian areas until after the vote. The exception would be operations against immediate threats, where there could be no postponements, an army spokeswoman told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The army also promised to relax procedures at road blocks and to allow members of the Palestinian security forces to patrol armed in Palestinians city centres.... Israel plans to increase forces in the territories ahead of the elections, in order to speed up checks at checkpoints and to protect settlements from possible attacks. more.. Israeli Troops Intensify Arrest Raids in W. Bank Ahead Elections' Day International Press Center 1/23/2006 WEST BANK, Palestine, January 23, 2006 (IPC+Agencies) - - Israeli occupation forces rounded up 24 residents throughout the West Bank today morning, Israeli radio reported. The radio said that IOF troops arrested five residents, believed to be affiliated to Islamic Jihad Movement in Jenin district. Seven others were arrested for political affiliation with Hams in Tulkarem and Qulqelia. Meanwhile, IOF arrested nine residents from Rammallah, two from Bethlehem and another from Hebron. In a fresh morning's raid into Tulkarem and its refugee camp, the Israeli troops conducted a thorough house-house search seeking out "wanted residents ". more.. Lawless in Gaza: leaders try to end chaos by taking guns off the street The Guardian 1/23/2006 Shooting and kidnapping in Fatah, Hamas violence [sic - no Hamas violence is reported in the article - Ed. ]· Jobless militias behind wave of bloody feuding -- Palestinian leaders yesterday tried to end the political and clan violence that has plagued Gaza since the Israeli withdrawal by ordering their followers to keep guns off the streets during this week's elections. The growing lawlessness, fuelled by the proliferation of weapons turned inward now there are no Israelis to fight, has resulted in a string of shootings, kidnappings of foreigners and inter-family feuds that have left a score of people dead. more.. Palestinian security moves into top gear for vote ReliefWeb 1/22/2006 GAZA CITY, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - Palestinian security forces were set to declare a maximum state of alert ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary elections as a civilian was killed in an Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza. As the Palestinians were gearing up for crunch general elections in three days time, the Israeli airforce launched a strike near Gaza City, in what a militant faction claimed was a failed assassination attempt. An army spokesman said troops had launched "an aerial strike" against gunmen near the Karni crossing with Israel. The radical Popular Resistance Committees, however, said one of its leaders had been targeted, but instead, the raid had killed a 22-year-old passerby. more.. Army invades a village near Jenin, arrests 5 International Middle East Media Center 1/22/2006 IMEMC & Agencies - Monday, 23 January 2006, 18:40 -- In a predawn invasion Israeli forces arrested attorney Dirar Sadi from Silat Harifiya northwest of the West Bank city of Jenin Monday morning after breaking into his house and took him to Salem Military Camp. Army also arrested four residents from the village affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement. [end] more.. IDF kills one Palestinian, wounds two near Gaza security fence Ha'aretz 1/22/2006 Israel Defense Forces soldiers opened fire at three Palestinians who were making their way towards the security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip on Saturday near Kibbutz Nir Am, killing one and wounding two others. The three Palestinians were seen crawling towards the fence en route to what the IDF believes was an attempt to carry out a terrorist attack nearby. It remains unclear whether the Palestinians were armed. Palestinian medics said the three men had come from a refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip but did not know whether they were militants. more.. Israel Refuses To Re-Open " Karni" Commercial Terminal as Losses cost at$2 Million International Press Center 1/21/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 21, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) - - Palestinian officials said that the Israeli side refused during a meeting held between Israeli and Palestinian officials to reopen Karni Border Crossing between Israel and Gaza Strip, allegdly justifies the closure for security reason. Local sources said that Palestinian and Israeli officials held Friday talks over the issue of Karni Crossing's ongoing closure, however Israel refused the Palestinian's demand; claiming that the IOF authorities received threats of committing military operations by militants in the crossing. more.. Israeli army to avoid West Bank towns for poll - source ReliefWeb 1/23/2006 JERUSALEM, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Israeli troops will stay away from Palestinian towns in the West Bank for the next three days to avoid interfering in a Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary election, an Israeli military source said on Monday. The source confirmed a report on Israel Radio and the Maariv daily that the army would avoid staging military raids "except in cases of ticking bombs" or an intelligence tip of an imminent attack, and would avoid entry into Palestinian cities. "The Israeli army will reduce its activity (in the West Bank) except for urgent cases," the source said. Israeli and Palestinian security officials have named a team to coordinate activities through the balloting, Israeli radio said. more.. Child killed, another injured by military fire near Ramallah International Middle East Media Center 1/24/2006 Israeli soldiers fired, on Monday evening, at several children in Al Mogheer village, near the West Bank city of Ramallah killing a nine-year old child, and injuring another. Troops transferred the injured child to an Israeli hospital via helicopter. An Israeli military source claimed that soldiers initially thought that the children were fighters placing an explosive charge on a road close to Shilo settlement, near Ramallah. A Palestinian security source accused the settlers of firing at the children while they were playing near the main road which leads to the settlement. more.. IOF Wounds 2 Teenagers in GS WAFA 1/22/2006 BUREIJ, January 22, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) wounded Sunday two teenagers in Bureij refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip (GS). Security sources said Sari Rabay'a 17, wounded by a bullet in his back and Maher Hassanat in this foot, when Israeli soldiers opened fire at a group of citizens. The IOF arrested 6 other citizens. Meanwhile, Israeli navy opened fire at the shores of Rafah in the south of GS, but no casualties were reported. [end] more.. PNIC: Five filled, 13 wounded and 79 arrests by 49th week of ceasefire ReliefWeb 1/21/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 21, 2006 (IPC) -... the State Information Service (SIS) revealed that Israeli forces have killed five Palestinian and wounded 13 others as well as committing 607 violations of the ceasefire declared on 8 February, 2005 after Sharm Al Sheikh summit. The report, released by the SIS' Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC) asserted that between January 10 and January 16, 2006 Israeli forces shot five Palestinians dead, injured 13 arrested 79 and carried out many violations varying between house shelling, raids, incursions, land bulldozing and curbing of free movement. PNIC showed that Israeli forces committed 74 shooting incidents and 28 arrest campaigns in which 79 residents were arrested during 103 raids, as well as establishing 50 mobile roadblocks and closing roads and military checkpoints 296 times. more.. Six residents arrested near Gaza borders International Middle East Media Center 1/21/2006 Israeli soldiers arrested on Saturday six Palestinian residents near the border fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel. An Israeli military source claimed that the six residents were attempting to cross into Israel. The source added that the six were not armed, adding that soldiers arrested 30 Palestinians near the border fence area since Israel implemented the disengagement plan August 2005. [end] more.. 22 injured in Tel Aviv suicide bombing The Guardian 1/20/2006 A Palestinian suicide bomber killed himself and injured 22 others yesterday when he detonated his explosives in a busy restaurant in Tel Aviv, six days before Palestinian elections. There could have been more casualties but the explosives appeared to detonate away from the restaurant's customers, leading police to speculate that the blast occurred prematurely. Police said the bomber posed as a peddler selling disposable razor blades when he entered a small kebab restaurant in Tel Aviv's old bus station district. Yehiel Ohana, who works in a nearby store, said the bomber aroused his suspicions because of his unsteady gait. more.. Mofaz: Iran financed bus station attack Ha'aretz 1/20/2006 Thirty-one people were wounded yesterday in a suicide bombing near the old central bus station in Tel Aviv. An Islamic Jihad cell in Nablus claimed responsibility, but Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz accused Iran of funding the attack and Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus of ordering it. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack, calling it a "despicable act of terror that was carried out outside the Palestinian consensus. "One of the wounded is in serious condition, but his life is not in danger. Five are in moderate condition, and the rest were either lightly wounded or suffering from shock. Twenty-one of the injured were still hospitalized as of last night. more.. Resident killed by military fire, north of Hebron International Middle East Media Center 1/19/2006 Israeli soldiers shot dead one resident near Telem settlement, west of Hebron in the West Bank; one resident was arrested. An Israeli army source claimed that Ziad Ali Al Zhour, 20, a resident of Beit Kahil town, north of Hebron, was shot dead as he was attempting to hurl a Molotov cocktail at Israeli military jeeps or settlers vehicles. Soldiers abducted the body of Al Zhour and rejected to hand it to the Red Crescent Society in Hebron. Also, soldiers arrested a second resident who was with Al Zhour. Soldiers claimed that the two residents were involved in throwing the cocktails, and that several cocktails bombs were found near the body of Al Zhour. [end] more.. A Plan to Transfer Arabs of Unrecognized Villages in Negev WAFA 1/19/2006 BEER SHIVA, January 19, 2006 (WAFA) - The Regional Council of the Unrecognized Villages in Negev south of Israel revealed Wednesday that Israeli government plans to transfer Arabs living in those villages into other areas in Israel. In a statement faxed WAFA, the Council said that the plan to transfer 40,000 Arabs, launched by the Israeli National Security Council, and was supervised and endorsed by the current Israeli Cabinet. "The plan aims at uprooting the Arabs from their land, indulging them into tiny areas as refugees. It also aims at stealing the land from its owners by force", the statement of the council added. more.. U.S. Jews unwittingly buy homes in Arab Jerusalem Ha'aretz 1/20/2006 A luxury housing project in southeast Jerusalem with panoramic views of the Temple Mount is being marketed only to wealthy American Jews seeking a second home in Jerusalem. But real estate experts in the capital say that the developers are intentionally unloading the project on eager, but ignorant, overseas buyers who do not necessarily understand the city's geography, the political implications of such a move, or the fact that landowners in the area have appealed to the Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to stop the project. Apartments in Nof Zion, in the Jabel Mukaber area of East Jerusalem, are fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars from overseas buyers. The project's Web site describes the location as being near the "Israeli Arab village of Jabel Mukaber" and "just a 10-minute drive to the city center. " more.. Settler rams Palestinian youth with car International Middle East Media Center 1/20/2006 Palestinian sources in Nablus report that a settler rammed a Palestinian youth with his car near Huwwara village, south of Nablus, and fled the scene. The Maan News Agency reported that Khader Odah, 18, was hanging posters for a candidate for the legislative elections when the settler noticed him and speeded his car against him. Odah suffered moderate injuries and was transferred to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. A medical source in the hospital reported that Odah suffered severe fractures to several parts of his body. [end] more.. New settlements expansion in East J'lem funded by US Israelis International Middle East Media Center 1/20/2006 According to the Israeli online daily Haaretz, an Israeli construction company is attracting dozens of wealthy American Israelis to purchase apartments in Nof Zion Israeli illegal outpost in the southeast of East Jerusalem, the outpost was constructed on lands of Jabal Al Mukabber Palestinian neighborhood. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, poured from buyers to this project with its first stage slated for completion by October 2007. The project will include 400 spacious apartments facing the Old City a five-star hotel, a shopping center, a country club and synagogues in addition to other facilities. more.. Amona, Hebron evacuations due to begin last week of January Ha'aretz 1/20/2006 Security forces are tentatively planning to begin evacuating West Bank settlers from the illegal Amona outpost and the Palestinian wholesale market in Hebron between January 29 and January 31, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided Thursday in a meeting with army and police officials. Some 4,000 security personnel -about 1,500 police and Border Policemen and four Israel Defense Forces battalions - will first evacuate the nine permanent residences in Amona, near the settlement of Ofra. The same forces will then head to Hebron, where settlers rioted for several days to protest the evacuation of eight Jewish families that have been squatting in the market. more.. Abbas: Attack aimed to derail PA elections YNetNews 1/19/2006 Palestinian leader condemns Tel Aviv bombing, says perpetrators must be punished -- Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas described Thursday’s suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv as an “act of sabotage aimed at undermining the elections, and not just the elections, but also Palestinian security. ” Abbas condemned the attack, saying "the perpetrators should be punished. They meant to harm the elections and the Palestinian Authority. They breach law and order. ” Samir Halayla, the chairman of the Palestinian Cabinet, said the attack harms Palestinian interests and was aimed at torpedoing the January 25 parliamentary elections. more.. PNIC: Three killed, 38 wounded and 66 arrests by 48th week of ceasefire ReliefWeb/Palestinian National Authority 1/20/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 16, 2006 (IPC) - A report prepared by the State Information Service (SIS) revealed that Israeli forces have killed three Palestinian and wounded 38 others as well as committing 735 violations of the ceasefire declared on 8 February after Sharm Al Sheikh summit. The report... asserted that... Israeli forces shot three Palestinian dead, injured 38 arrested dozens and carried out many violations varying between house shelling, raids, incursions, land bulldozing and curbing of free movement. PNIC showed that Israeli forces committed 74 shooting incidents and 28 arrest campaigns in which 66 residents were arrested during 130 raids, as well as establishing 115 mobile roadblocks and closing roads and military checkpoints 301 times. more.. Israel, PA row over Karni crossing YNetNews 1/20/2006 Israel offers to open Kerem Hashalom crossing as alternative to Karni crossing, which was closed last week over terror warnings; Palestinian Authority turns down Israel offer, demands Karni be reopned; Israel says offer meant to allow aid, goods in and out of Gaza -- The Ministry of Defense is keen on opening the Kerem Hashalom crossing on Monday but the Palestinian Authority is opposing the move which is intended to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and allow Palestinian products into Israel. The IDF decided to close the Karni crossing last week after alerts that terror groups are digging a tunnel under the crossing to carry out a terror attacks. more.. Israeli Arab accused of aiding Hizbullah YNetNews 1/19/2006 22-year-old man from Kfar Mazra skipped furlough last April, crossed border into Lebanon undetected, and gave information to Hizbullah activists before returning home eight months later -- Crossing the border: The Haifa District Court handed down an indictment Thursday against a 22-year-old man from the Arab village of Mazara, near the northern coastal town of Nahariya, on charges he entered Lebanese territory eight months ago, and passed on military information and infrastructure details to Hizbullah members. According to security officials, he remained in Lebanon for eight months, and was arrested last month. more.. Official: Attack worth 20,000 dollars YNetNews 1/20/2006 Major-General (Res. ) Eiland says Palestinian terrorists tempted by payouts from abroad -- Privatization of terror: Palestinian terrorists are often tempted by large payouts from foreign elements interested in ongoing terror attacks, Major-General Giora Eiland (Res. ) charged during a conference at Tel Aviv University Thursday. "When a Palestinian receives USD 20,000 dollars for a successful attack, this is a strong enough motive to recruit dozens of people," Eiland said. more.. Taibeh residents who planned train attack given 7, 15 years in prison Ha'aretz 1/19/2006 The Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday sentenced two Taibeh residents to prison for planning to smuggle explosive devices into Israel with the intention of bombing an Israel Railways train. Mujahad Dukan and Ameen Zivati were convicted of conspiring to aid an enemy during wartime and establishing contact with foreign agents. Dukan was sentenced to 15 years in jail and Zivati received seven years. A member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, the military wing of the Palestinian Authority's ruling Fatah movement, approached Dukan in the summer of 2005 and asked him to smuggle into Israel three explosive devices to be used in an attack against Israel Railways. more.. Army re-arrests two residents, several hours after releasing them International Middle East Media Center 1/20/2006 Only several hours after releasing them, Israeli soldiers arrested, on Thursday afternoon, two residents from Ein Al Bida village, east of the West Bank city of Tubas. The brothers Suleiman and Hisham Foqaha'e were arrested in Wednesday morning during an invasion to the village, local sources reported. The two brothers were released shortly after being detained by the army but their ID cards were not been given back to them, soldiers told them to return in the afternoon to collect their ID's, but when they came back, soldiers hit them with their batons and arrested them. [end] more.. Tel Aviv Bombing Injures 16, Palestinian Authority Angry Palestine Chronicle/Islam Online 1/20/2006 RAMALLAH, West Bank - A Tel Aviv bombing attack, reportedly claimed by the Islamic Jihad, wounded some 16 Israelis on Thursday, January 19, drawing immediate rebuke from the Palestinian Authority. A Palestinian from Balata refugee camp near Nablus identified as Sami Antar blew himself at near the old central bus station in southern Tel Aviv wounding at least 16 people, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). Israeli police said that the bomber was the only person killed in the explosion. "We have not taken away any bodies except that of the suicide bomber," Tel Aviv police chief David Tsur told Israeli television. more.. Army invades Nablus, storms houses International Middle East Media Center 1/19/2006 Israeli army forces invaded, on Thursday at dawn, the West Bank city of Nablus and took positions in the city center. Soldiers stormed the Hannoun housing building, forced the residents out and searched it, local sources reported. [end] more.. IOF Arrests 16 Citizens in WB WAFA 1/19/2006 HEBRON, January 19, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Thursday 16 citizens in the West Bank (WB) cities of Hebron, Tubas, Jenin and Bethlehem. Eyewitnesses told WAFA that Israeli soldiers stormed Soreef and Sa'ir, Al-Sora and Karma towns and villages and Al-Fawwar refugee camp in Hebron Governorate, south the WB and launched a wide scale search campaign and arrested ten citizens. In Tubas, Israeli soldiers swept into the village of Ein al-Baida , north the city, launched a search campaign, forced the citizens out and arrested three brothers, witnesses said. more.. Two arrested in Jenin International Middle East Media Center 1/19/2006 Israeli army troops invaded, on Thursday morning, the West Bank city of Jenin, and arrested two residents, local sources reported. Assem Abu Al Haiga, 20, and Mustafa Abu Al Haiga, were arrested after troops stormed the several houses residents in an wide scale search they carried in the city. Soldiers also invaded the Jenin camp, and searched several houses, damage was reported. more.. Hebron settlers refusing IDF compromise deal Palestine Monitor/Ha'aretz 1/18/2006 "Evacuate the market," the army said, "and we will make a commitment to you that, within a few months, the stores will return to your hands. "-- Israel Defense Forces officials are telling Jewish leaders in the West Bank city of Hebron that if they evacuate the wholesale market where eight Jewish families have been squatting for the past four years, the settlers will be able to return to the area and live there legally within a few months. The settlers have so far rejected the compromise proposal. In the midst of a week in which hundreds of settlers rioted in Hebron to protest the evacuation and police cracked down on the Jewish neighborhoods in the West Bank city, the army has been conducting covert negotiations with leaders of the Jewish community there in an effort to prevent the settlers' forcible evacuation. more.. AG Mazuz to security forces: Enforce rule of law on settlers Ha'aretz 1/19/2006 Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday ordered Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to devise a plan for the complete evacuation of 20 illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank, and warned that violations of law by settlers would not be tolerated. In a special debate on the issue, Olmert described illegal acts by settlers as "the undermining of the rule of law... that has become a way of life. ""Until now, we have not used the necessary force to deal with this show of violence," he said. Olmert also warned that the market in Hebron would be evacuated by force if settlers refused to leave voluntarily. more.. Israeli Bulldozers Raze 7 Buildings in Negev WAFA 1/18/2006 NEGEV, January 18, 2006 (WAFA) - Israeli bulldozers, backed by massive number of Israeli police and special units, razed Tuesday seven buildings in different areas of Negev south of Israel. The Regional Council of the Unrecognized Villages in Israel revealed that the Israeli police handed the dwellers of Wady al-Ne''am over 40 warrants of demolishing the buildings including a mosque. Head of the Regional Council Mr. Hussein al-Rafay''a said that such Israeli acts threat more than 35000 houses which are listed to be demolished. more.. Jenin: 2 IDF troops injured in gun battles YNetNews 1/18/2006 Two IDF soldiers injured in West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday during operation to apprehend wanted Palestinian terror suspects. Probe into recent terror attack at IDF checkpoint south of Tul Karm reveals attack carried out by two suicide bomber, not one as previously thought -- Two IDF soldiers were injured in the West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday during an operation to apprehend wanted Palestinian terrorist suspects in the area. One soldier sustained moderate injuries while another was lightly wounded. One terror suspect, a member of Tanzim, was also injured in the incident. more.. Report: Israeli soldier killed by resistance fire International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility for the killing of an Israeli soldier on Wednesday, Maan News Agency reported. The agency added that the soldier was killed near the buffer zone east of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. The group issued a statement on Wednesday confirming that one of its snipers killed the soldier adding that Israeli soldiers and ambulances arrived at the scene after the shooting. The statement concluded that this operation came in response to the latest Israeli assassination of an Al Qassam leader yesterday in Tulkarem. [end] more.. 3 Palestinians 2 soldiers wounded in army invasions in W. Bank International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 Three Palestinians were wounded and at least 14 Palestinians were arrested and two Israeli soldiers were wounded in Israeli army invasions in different parts of the West Bank, Palestinian media sources reported. In the northern West Bank city of Jenin, two Palestinian resistance men and two Israeli army troops were wounded in clashes that erupted when Israeli soldiers invaded city on Wednesday morning. Troops entered the city with at least 40 military vehicles, and arrested several Palestinians including the two wounded men. Israeli army source described the wounds of the soldiers as medium and light, but provided no information about the Palestinian wounded. more.. Five residents arrested in Aida refugee camp, in Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 Israeli army arrested, on Wednesday at dawn, five residents from Aida refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Several army jeeps stormed the camp, searched several houses and arrested five residents. No clashes were reported. [end] more.. Army arrests five residents from Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 Israeli troops invaded, on Wednesday morning, the villages of Allar and Saida north of West Bank city of Tulkarem, and arrested five residents. Soldiers searched several houses in the village and arrested Khaled Taqatqa, 18, who is said to be Hamas activist, and Adnan Darwish, 35, who is said to be Islamic Jihad member. Also, Israeli army force stormed the near by village of Saida, and arrested two residents. The two were identified as Ahmad Al Ashqar, 24, who said to be Fateh member and Mohamed Al Ashqar, 26, who said to be Islamic Jihad member,. Palestinian security forces reported that Israeli army also arrested, on Tuesday at night, Husam Abu Tamam, 19, from Qalqilia. [end] more.. Army invades a refugee camp near Ramallah arrests four International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 Israeli military forces invaded, on Wednesday morning, Al Ama'are Refugee Camp south west of the West Bank city of Ramallah, and arrested four residents, the Maan News Agency reported. Israeli forces surrounded the house for several hours and arrested four residents after threatening to detonate their homes with explosives, if they fail to leave then. The arrestees were identified as Mousa Abu Raddama, Hamza Tarefe, Fadi Abu Etta, Zakaria Tarere, all are said to be members of Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh. Soldiers claimed uncovering weapons inside the house. Soldiers claimed uncovering weapons inside the house. [end] more.. Army arrests four residents, injures one in Surif International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 The Israeli army invaded, Wednesday at dawn, the village of Surif, north of the West Bank city of Hebron; four residents were arrested and one injured. Troops stormed the village, searched several houses and fried at the residents houses. Ameen Ghnamat, 24, was arrested after soldiers searched his family house. He was also injured during the arrest; soldiers took him away and their family did not know the level of his injury, his mother reported. Three other residents were arrested during the invasion; they were identified as Zakaria Al Gaba'e, Ala' Ehmedat and Mohamed Al Gaba'e. [end] more.. 3 more rockets fired at Israel YNetNews 1/19/2006 Two rockets land in Zikim area; no injuries reported in latest strike -- Three Qassam rockets were fired at Israel early Wednesday evening from the Gaza Strip, security sources confirmed. Two of the rockets landed in the Zikim area. No injuries or damages were reported. The third rocket fell short of reaching Israel and landed in the northern Gaza Strip. Overall, 13 Qassams were fired at Israel since Friday. On Tuesday, an IDF system to detect Qassam fire and alert Sderot residents detected two rockets fired at Israel. The "Red Dawn" systemalso detected a rocket Monday evening. All Qassams landed in the western Negev causing no injuries or damage. more.. Settlers: We're treated like Hamas YNetNews 1/18/2006 Protesters in West Bank town of Hebron slam 'disgraceful conduct' by police -- About one hundred Hebron settlers gathered Wednesday opposite the local police station to protest what they called "the Hebron district police's disgraceful conduct in recent days," in a demonstration marking the end of yet another tense day in town. The demonstration was held with a police permit and went by relatively peacefully. The demonstrators gathered to protest the series of arrests and indictments served against settlers and activists who arrived in Hebron to resist the planned evacuation of Jews from Palestinian-owned stores they occupied in the town's marketplace. more.. Israeli Occupation Arrest 14 in W. Bank International Press Center 1/18/2006 WEST BANK, Palestine, January 18, 2006 (IPC+Agencies) - - Israeli occupation in several arrest raids throughout the West Bank arrested fourteen residents;four in Jenin, five in Bethlehem and five in Tulkarem. Four residents were arrested toady morning in Jenin refugee camp, North West Bank after wounding one in a wide-scale incursion into Jenin. Security sources said that large Israeli troops stormed into Jenin backed by military jeeps and special units under a volley of velocity gunshots.... A taxi driver Jameel Al khateib was violently abused by the soldiers who used him as a human shield. more.. Resistance shells Sofa east of Gaza strip International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 In a press release, the Al Naser Salah Ed Deen brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility for firing two homemade shells at the Sofa Crossing, east of Rafah city, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The brigades stated in their press released that the firing of the shells comes in retaliation to the assignation of a Hamas leader in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Tuesday morning, and the continuous attacks the Israeli army is conducting against the Palestinians. more.. Army bars residents from opening farm road near Qalqilia International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 The Israeli Army stopped on Wednesday the opening of farming road in Jensafot village, east of the West Bank city of Qalqilia. Troops stopped the Palestinian bulldozers working in the northern area of the village, and barred them from opening a new road that will be used to facilitate the access of local farmers to their land. Army source claimed calming that the road will be too close to the settlers' road that leads to Emanuel Israeli settlement which was built on the village land. more.. Resident injured, another arrested in an invasion to Kofer Qaleel International Middle East Media Center 1/18/2006 Israeli troops invaded, on Wednesday afternoon, the village of Kofer Qaleel, south of the West Bank city of Nablus; one resident was injured, and one was arrested. Soldiers stormed the village, surrounded several houses and searched them, a local source reported. Resident Rasem Mansour, 14, was injured after the soldiers fired at his fathers' home before breaking into it. Also, soldiers arrested Ahmad Mansour during the invasion after searching his house, and took him to unknown destination. [end] more.. Report: IOF bombard West Bank and Gaza Strip 33,000 times Palestine Monitor/Palestine-info.co.uk 1/17/2006 Gaza - A fresh report displaying the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) "barbarism" was released by the PA national information center, documenting that at least 71,470 Palestinian houses were totally or partially demolished in addition to 645 damaged Palestinian public and security buildings over the past five years. Since the eruption of the Aqsa intifada in September, 2000, the report added, the IOF sealad off 12 schools and Universities, while suspending more than 1,125 educational establishments, in addition to bombarding 316 schools and educational offices, other than turning 43 schools into military barracks over the same period. more.. IDF kills senior Hamas militant in pre-dawn West Bank operation Ha'aretz 1/17/2006 Israel Defense Forces troops killed a senior Palestinian militant during an exchange of fire in the West Bank on Tuesday, witnesses and the army said. Witnesses said soldiers surrounded a hideout used by Thabet Ayyadeh, 24, leader of the Hamas military wing in Tul Karm, and shot him dead in the ensuing clash. An IDF spokeswoman confirmed that the predawn raid targeted a "senior fugitive", and said troops had first tried to arrest him. The militant was killed after he stormed out of his hideout and opened fire, she said. An IDF soldier was lightly hurt in the operation. A declared "state of calm" under which Palestinian militants scaled back their attacks expired this month, but [Palestinian] violence had still been kept largely in check ahead of Jan. 25 legislative elections in which Hamas is taking part for the first time. more.. Fatah groups threaten to block elections Ha'aretz 1/18/2006 Armed Fatah groups warned yesterday that they would block Palestinian parliamentary elections slated for next week, while a Hamas leader announced for the first time that the militant group planned to participate in the Palestinian government. Several armed Fatah groups threatened to not allow the Palestinian Legislative Council elections to take place, and they warned residents not to go to the polls. The elections are scheduled for January 25. A group affiliated with Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, announced yesterday that elections would not take place in the West Bank city of Nablus and called on residents not to vote. more.. Israeli forces invade Al Fawwar Refugee in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Israeli military forces invaded, on Tuesday morning, Al Fawwar refugee camp, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, the Maan News Agency reported. Eyewitnesses told Maan that soldiers used loud speakers calling the residents to remain home, and fired rounds of live ammunitions at dozens of youth who hurled stones during the invasion, no injuries were reported. Israeli soldiers then broke into several houses under the claim of looking for wanted Palestinians; the houses belong to Amjad Al Najjar, Mohammad Mahmoud Abu Warda, Yousef Sarahna, Hassan Qasem Al Najjar, and several other residents. more.. Israel closes Hebron after riots Palestine Monitor 1/17/2006 The Israeli military has declared the Jewish section of the West Bank city of Hebron a closed zone, banning non-residents, after three days of riots by Israeli settlers and extremist backers against an order to evict Jewish squatters from the Arab market. The closure order, issued late on Monday by the area army commander, Major General Yair Naveh, is in effect until January 22, according to a military statement. The scuffles could signal the opening salvo in a battle over the West Bank, if Israel follows its pullout from the Gaza Strip last summer with further withdrawals from territory that has far more biblical resonance. more.. Occupation Arrests 10 Residents and Demolishes a House International Press Center 1/17/2006 WEST BANK, Palestine, January 17, 2006 (IPC+Agencies) - - The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested 8 residents from Al-Asserah Village city of Nablus, and they arrested 4 others from Al Marj area northeast of Qalqilia.... imposed a tight curfew on Al Fawar Refugees camp city of Hebron and demolished a house belongs to a resident from Qaryout Village south of Nablus City. In the WB village of Asserah, north of Nablus Provine, IOF arrested 8 residents after searching their houses.... Local sources reported that IOF backed by military tanks and vehicles stormed Al Marj area in Qalqilia City and arrested 4 residents... occupation forces began searching campaigns in the wells and plastic greenhouses and caused losses to their properties.... IOF imposed today a strict curfew on Al Fawar camp south of the West Bank city of Hebron.... sources reported that IOF soldiers used police dogs during their searching campaigns in the targeted houses covered by heavy fire and closed all roads under the pretext that those houses concealed wanted activists. more.. Police detain 12 youths in Hebron; protestors block entrance to Jerusalem Ha'aretz 1/17/2006 Israel Police officers set up roadblocks Tuesday around the homes of settlers in the Jewish area of the West Bank city of Hebron, where police have pledged to expel hundreds of young, non-resident Jewish protesters after days of rioting. The youths have entered Hebron over the last four days to take part in protests meant to thwart the implementation of a court order to evacuate eight Jewish families who have been squatting in the city's wholesale market for the past four years. Police on Tuesday detained 12 youths in the city suspected of attacking Israel Defense Forces soldiers several days ago or of being non-residents. more.. Army seals the northern entrance of Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Israeli troops sealed off the northern entrance of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, and barred the residents form crossing. Soldiers stopped dozens of vehicles, searched them and checked the passengers' identity cards; soldiers also used military dogs in searching the residents and vehicles. The entrance was closed shortly after the army assassinated a top Hamas leader in Tulkarem. [end] more.. Troops arrest eight residents near Nablus International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Israeli army troops invaded, on Tuesday at dawn, the village of Aseera Al Shamaliyya near the West Bank city of Nablus, and arrested eight residents. Soldiers stormed the village and conducted wide scale search to the residents' houses, local sources reported. Eight residents were arrested during the invasion; five of the arrestees were identified as Sami Sholi 19, Nidal Sholi, 18, Baker Jawabra, 17, and Ahmad Berawi 18. [end] more.. Palestinian resistance shells Eretz settlement in the Gaza strip International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Salah Ed Deen brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees and the Al Aqsa brigades, the military wing of Fateh, claimed joint responsibility on Monday at night, for firing two shells at the Israeli settlement of Eretz in the Gaza strip. The two groups said that injuries were reported among soldiers guarding the area, and that one of the fighters captured the incident on tape. [end] more.. Army invades a village near Bethlehem levels two houses International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Israeli military bulldozers, backed by large number of soldiers, invaded the village of Al-Furdeis, east of Bethlehem, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and leveled two houses, the Maan News Agency reported. Army bulldozers leveled two houses and a number of barracks in the village, and fired tear gas bombs at the residents, five people were injured The injured residents were transferred to Beit Jala Governmental Hospital... Also, soldiers demolished the house of Hamza Ibraheem Khamees, and several barracks which belong to other residents. Dozens of residents clashed with the soldiers and hurled stones at them, one soldier were mildly injured. more.. Israeli army arrests 18 Palestinians in several cites in the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Israeli soldiers arrested, on Tuesday at dawn, 18 residents in several cites in the West Bank. Eight residents were arrested in the West Bank city of Nablus, nine Hebron, and one in Ramallah. Army claims that the arrested residents are wanted members of teh reisstance. [end] more.. Checkpoints placed around Jewish Hebron YNetNews 1/17/2006 Security forces crackdown on settlers who rioted against police, army forces; defense minister says 'masked criminals' won't dictate agenda -- Security forces placed checkpoints around the Jewish community in Hebron, as they began to enforce the edict declaring Hebron to be a closed military zone following riots by settlers. Two settlers have been arrested for suspicion of throwing stones and eggs at police forces in recent days while wearing face masks. The two have been taken for questioning. Youths attempting to enter Hebron's Jewish area will be stopped at the checkpoint. more.. Army chief slams radical settlers YNetNews 1/17/2006 Chief-of-Staff Dan Halutz also criticizes law enforcement agencies, says turning blind eye to violent settlers could 'lead us to places we don’t want to reach. In other countries they call it anarchy' --IDF Chief-of-Staff Dan Halutz slammed talk by settlers to establish a separate state, "Judea," and said a "handful (of settlers) are poisoning a large well. " Speaking at a national security conference at Haifa University Tuesday evening, Halutz addressed attempted by Jews to resettle in the evacuated northern West Bank settlement of Sa-Nur and presented the dilemmas faced by the army. more.. Yesha Council head tells Hebron settlers to 'cast out' protesters Ha'aretz 1/17/2006 Yesha Settlement Council Chairman Bentzi Lieberman urged the settlers of Hebron to "cast out" the young protesters who have taken up their cause. Lieberman condemned the young Jewish protesters who have clashed with Israeli security forces and torched Palestinian homes in recent days, saying that their "acts of vandalism" alienated the Israeli public and overshadowed legitimate claims of settlers to property in the West Bank city. The protests erupted after the High Court ordered the eviction of eight families who have occupied storefront homes in Hebron's wholesale market area for the last five years. more.. Israeli Court sentences two brothers for Islamic Jihad membership International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 The Israeli Salem Military Court convicted, on Tuesday, two brothers from the Tulkarem area of members of Islamic Jihad. Fadi Barakat, 27, was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment and 200 New Israeli Shekels fine, and his brother Shadi, 25, was sentenced to 42 months. [end] more.. ISR court sentence a Tulkarem resident to 32 months International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 The Israeli Salem military court sentenced, Tuesday morning, Ahmad Shurafa, 19, from the West Bank city of Tulkarem, to 32 months imprisonment and 2000 NIS as a fine. Shurafa was arrested on July 13, 2005 during an invasion to the city. He is said to be a member of the Islamic Jihad. [end] more.. Foiled Islamic Jihad bombers had planned double Hanukkah attack Ha'aretz 1/18/2006 A suicide bombing that killed an Israel Defense Forces officer and threePalestinians south of Tul Karm on December 29 had been planned as a double suicide bombing in a city in the center of the country, security forces said Tuesday. The IDF said Tuesday that officials realized only in retrospect the scope of the thwarted terror attack: The Islamic Jihad bombings were supposed to take place simultaneously, during Hanukkah vacation. IDF officials had at first thought that only one suicide bomber was in the taxi, but security forces discovered in the course of their investigation that one of the Palestinians killed in the blast had also intended to carry out a suicide bombing. more.. Army assassinates a senior Hamas, arrests three in Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Israeli troops assassinated a senior leader of Hamas, and arrested three residents in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, one soldier was injured. ThabitSalah Ed Deen, 23, was killed when troops and army vehicles surrounded a house were he was hiding in, and exchanged fire with him; army source reported that soldiers found two machine guns after killing Thabit and breaking into the home. The body of Thabit was handed over to the Palestinian Authority, and was transferred later on to Thabit Thabit Hospital in Tulkarem. One Israeli soldier was injured in the attack. more.. Occupation Assassinates Hamas's Leader in Tulkarem International Press Center 1/17/2006 TULKAREM, Palestine, January 17,2006 (IPC+Agencies) - -In pre-dawn incursion into Tulkarem city, north the West Bank, the Israeli occupation forces has extra-judicially assassinated Thabit Ayyada, 24, leader of Hamas's military wing in Tulkarem, arrested three Hamas memebers besides 18 others in three large cities of the West Bank. Our correspondent reported that an IOF contingent of 25 armored personnel carriers cordoned off Ayyad's house in the western neighborhood, west Tulkarem where an exchange of fire had ensued with the Israeli soldiers before they had used dynamites to the doors open and stormed it. more.. IDF to seal off Jewish areas in Hebron Ha'aretz 1/17/2006 The Israel Defense Forces declared the Jewish areas of Hebron a closed military zone Monday night, in an effort to enable soldiers to block the entry of extremists from outside Hebron who have been participating in the recent upsurge in violence there between settlers and security forces. Police said Monday night that within the next 24 hours they would begin removing hundreds of young settlers who had entered Hebron in recent days to take part in four days of rioting, during which Palestinian property was set on fire and security forces were stoned. The protests are meant to thwart implementation of the army's orders to evacuate eight Jewish families who have been squatting in the city's wholesale market for the last four years. more.. Court acquits 'Hilltop youth' leader accused of assault Ha'aretz 1/16/2006 Avri Ran, who is thought to be the leader of the 'hilltop youth' settlers, was acquitted on Monday of charges of attacking Palestinians and of causing serious damage, despite the fact that he confessed to the crimes. The judge in the case harshly criticized the Palestinian plaintiffs, and ruled that their version of the events contradicted each other. She said they didn't make a credible impression, and "exaggerated the events and the details of the damage. " As for Ran, who "conveyed his arrogance and his feeling of authority toward the plaintiffs and the Arab residents of the area, his testimony created a more trustworthy and coherent impression. " more.. Palestinian Mother, Her Son Killed in West Bank Palestine Chronicle 1/16/2006 The military claimed initial reports indicated that an army patrol had been shot at from a house in the village and returned fire. -- WEST BANK (AP) - Israeli troops reportedly shot dead a Palestinian mother and her son in a West Bank village thinking they had found a fighters' hideout. Residents of the village of Rajub say that in the early hours of Sunday morning soldiers fired at a house on the outskirts of the village, where 20-year-old Fawzi Dwaikat was standing guard with a rifle after arson attacks on the family's cars. Dwaikat and his 50-year-old mother Nawal were killed by shots from the soldiers who apparently believed they had come across a hideout, neighbors said. more.. Soldiers detain children near Jenin International Middle East Media Center 1/16/2006 Israeli soldiers invaded Jalboun Village, east of the West Bank city of Jenin, on Monday evening, searched a number of homes and detained a group of children playing near the Wall. Israeli soldiers searched the children and detonated sound grenade to intimidate them. According to eyewitnesses, after the children were detained, over 15 military vehicles invaded the village accompanied by soldiers on foot. The soldiers threatened to evacuate the families of the children if they are seen playing near the Separation Wall. [end] more.. Israeli bulldozers demolish Palestinian house in Jerusalem International Middle East Media Center 1/16/2006 Israeli bulldozers demolished on Monday morning a Palestinian housing building at the northern entrance of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, near Rachel's Tomb. The Jerusalem municipality alleged that this building was built without building permit, soldiers blocked the area and prevented the residents from approaching the building, local sources reported. Residents denied the alleged absence of building permit and said that this demolition is part of the Israeli policy to control the Bethlehem area. more.. IDF closes Karni crossing with Gaza due to terror warning Ha'aretz 1/15/2006 The Israel Defense Forces closed down Karni crossing at the border with the Gaza Strip on Saturday night due to a warning of a possible terrorist attack at the site. The crossing serves as an artery through which good enter and exit the Strip. Israeli defense officials announced Saturday night that Israel would allow 10,000 Palestinian laborers from the West Bank into the country for work. 300 Palestinians will be allowed to work in East Jerusalem, Israel Radio reported. Furthermore, Israel will allow entry to some 1,700 employees of international organizations, out of which 3500 will be able to enter the Gaza Strip. more.. Hundreds of settlers try to break into Palestinian neighborhood in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 1/14/2006 An Israeli military source reported on Saturday at night that hundreds of settlers, most of them masked, attempted to break into Al Qasaba neighborhood, in the West bank city of Hebron, after protesting for several hours and hurling stones at the Palestinian homes. The settlers gathered in the Avraham Avinu illegal settlement outpost, in the Old City of Hebron. On Friday evening, settlers torched Palestinian homes in the city after attacking the. One Israeli soldier was injured after a military force arrived to the area and attempted to evacuate the settlers. more.. Settlers annex 150 Dunams of Palestinian land in Doura village International Middle East Media Center 1/14/2006 Israeli settlers form Mitzpe Lakhish settlement outpost, east of Doura village near the West Bank city of Hebron, annexed on Saturday afternoon, 150 Dunams which belong to residents of the village land, in order to expand the settlement. The grabbed lands belong to Kayed Shaker Al Sweity; over the last four days, settlers fences 150 Dunams of farmlands located near the settlement in order to grab the land and annex it the settlement. The outpost is 500 meters away from Nahal Naghot settlement. Abdul-Hadi Hantash, an expert of maps and settlements, said that the settlers have been barring the residents from reaching their lands over the last several years, while the army did not attempt to interfere. more.. Israeli army uprooting olive groves By Khalid Amayreh, AlJazeera 1/12/2006 The Israeli army has been destroying, uprooting and in some cases, stealing Palestinian olive trees in several parts of the West Bank, grove owners and witnesses say. Palestinians living in villages and hamlets bordering Jewish settlements say the uprooting has increased since Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, quit the ruling Likud and formed his own Kadima party nearly two months ago. According to villagers in Sikka, a small village 20km west of Hebron, the Israeli army on 2 January brought as many as 10 jackhammers and other heavy machinery to their groves on the western side of the separation wall and removed or destroyed over 1000 trees. more.. Dismantling of outposts served with evacuation orders delayed Ha'aretz 1/17/2006 The dismantling of three outposts in the northern West Bank, which have been served with evacuation orders, has been delayed, a senior security source said Monday. Instead of being immediately dismantled, the source said, the settlers have been given a warning, and the government was taking steps that would lead to the settlers' evacuation in several weeks' time. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided to evacuate the three outposts, the Arusi farm near Bracha, the Skali farm near Eilon Moreh, and Hill 725 near Yitzhar, in response to the destruction of nearby Palestinian olive groves. The Shin Bet security service and the police, which were unable to catch the perpetrators, believe they came from the three outposts. more.. Cats, dogs flee Palestinian rockets YNetNews 1/17/2006 Southern communitiy's security chief says pets frightened by Qassam attacks -- A Qassam rocket landed Monday evening in an Israeli community north of Gaza. According to the community's security chief, dogs and many cats have escaped the area because "they hear the explosion in a much louder way and it frightens them. They're simply getting out of here. " The "Red Dawn" rocket alert system identified the rocket launch and an explosion was heard in the area shortly thereafter. On Sunday night, in almost precisely the same spot, two rockets landed close to the same community. more.. Hilltop youth leader cleared of assault YNetNews 1/16/2006 Judges rule testimony by alleged Palestinian victims was unreliable, contradictory -- The Kfar Saba District Court cleared the leader of the so-called "hilltop" settler youths, Avri Ran, along with two settlers from Itamar, of charges of attacking a Palestinian shepherd last year. The judge ruled testimonies by the Palestinians allegedly attacked in the incident were unreliable, contradictory, and defied logic. A fourth settler, Victor Lezidansky, is accused of being involved in the incident, and is still being tried. He has admitted that charges against him were true. more.. Palestinian: Settlers almost lynched me YNetNews 1/16/2006 Hebron riots enter fifth day, security forces gear up for more clashes with settlers. Local Palestinian resident says international peace keepers who saved him from lynch beaten severely by settlers -- The tense atmosphere in Hebron prevails, and security forces are gearing up for another day of clashes with local settlers. IDF, police and Border Guard forces early Monday welded shut a number of Palestinian stores located in close proximity to the Jewish neighborhood of Avraham Avinu after they were broken into by settlers during the riots, which have gone on for the past four days. more.. IDF shells Gaza after rocket launch, arrests 28 in West Bank Ha'aretz 1/16/2006 IDF heavy artillery late on Sunday shelled areas in the northern Gaza Strip used for launching rockets and mortar shells, after Palestinian gunners launched a projectile at Israeli territory. Israeli forces also arrested 28 wanted militants across the West Bank late on Sunday. Four Islamic Jihad members were arrested near the city of Jenin - two in the village of Ilar and two in the village of Atil. Fourteen Hamas militants were arrested in the city of Qalqilyah and a Fatah member was arrested in the city of Nablus. Later it was reported that eight other Hamas members were arrested in Jalazun north of Ramallah, and an Islamic Jihad member was arrested near Bir Zeit, north west of Ramallah. more.. Occupation Forces Wound Two Residents and Arrest Nineteen Others International Press Center 1/16/2006 QULQELIA, Palestine, January 16, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) - - Occupation Forces continue to invade Jenin City, injured two residents in northern Jenin's Kefir Dan Village and arrested 19 others in Qulqelia Province. Local sources reported that the IOF troops backed by more than 20 military tanks and vehicles overran Kefir Dan village and carried out a widespread military campaign. Sources added that the IOF soldiers broke into several houses under the pretext that they were seeking out anti-occupation activists, shot live ammunitions and rubber-coated metal bullets towards the residents, injured Ahmed Selah, 19, and Abdullah Darwish. more.. PNIC: Three Killed, 38 Wounded and 66 Arrests by 48th Week of Ceasefire International Press Center 1/16/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 16, 2006 (IPC) - - A report prepared by the State Information Service (SIS) revealed that Israeli forces have killed three Palestinian and wounded 38 others as well as committing 735 violations of the ceasefire declared on 8 February after Sharm Al Sheikh summit. The report, released by the SIS' Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC) asserted that between January 3 and January 9, 2006 Israeli forces shot three Palestinian dead, injured 38 arrested dozens and carried out many violations varying between house shelling, raids, incursions, land bulldozing and curbing of free movement. more.. Israeli artillery shells the southern part of Gaza International Middle East Media Center 1/16/2006 The Israeli artillery shelled, on Monday at dawn, several [areas] in the southern part of the Gaza strip. This shelling is part of the Blue Skies operation the Israeli army is carrying in order to create the "security zones in Gaza". The plan involves reoccupying16 KM south of the Gaza strip after shelling these areas and evacuating them in order to create the "security zone". [end] more.. Army invades Qalqilia arrests 14 residents International Middle East Media Center 1/16/2006 Israeli army invaded, on Monday at dawn the West Bank city of Qalqilia, and arrested 14 residents. Soldiers conducted wide scale house-to-house search in the city, and broke into dozens of homes. Palestinian sources in Qalqilia identified six of the arrestees as Bilal Swelim, 37, Saeed Jabadi 34, Mahdi Jabadi, 27, Mohamed Shreem 19, Mazin Daoud 24 and Ahmad Samman, 27. Israeli army sources claimed that the arrestees are Hamas activists. Troop remained in the city, and took posts in several areas. [end] more.. IDF officer: Settlers gave Nazi salute YNetNews 1/15/2006 Second lieutenant wounded by settlers in Hebron tells Ynet about unpleasant experience; we tried to talk to them but they ran towards Arabs and started beating them up, he says. 'Youths told us they don't speak German'. Meanwhile, Hebron riots resume, police to boost presence -- Some of the settlers who rioted in the West Bank town of Hebron over the weekend gave IDF soldiers the Nazi salute, an officer who was wounded during the riots told Ynet on Sunday. "This is sad more than it's scary," said Second Lieutenant Ariel Nussbacher, who sustained eye injures after settlers hurled stones at troops. more.. Rabbis threaten Olmert over Hebron YNetNews 1/16/2006 Group of extreme-right rabbis sends letter to Acting Prime Minister Olmert warning him of a 'personal catastrophe' if he moves on with Hebron evacuation -- In a letter to Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a group of extremist rabbis threatens the leader that will face "a personal catastrophe" if he moves forward with the evacuation of houses occupied by Jewish settlers in Hebron. "Don’t make the hasty move of abandoning the Land of Israel, and don't bring catastrophe upon the people of Israel and yourself," the rabbis write. more.. Civilians man border crossings YNetNews 1/16/2006 Private contractor resumes operation of Ephraim crossing near Tul Karm as part of IDF plan to reduce soldiers’ contact with Palestinians -- Palestinians crossing the Ephraim crossing near the West Bank town of Tul Karm were in for a surprise Monday as civilian Israelis and not young IDF soldiers operated what was a military post. Part of an IDF plan to curtail contact between IDF soldiers and the Palestinian populace on border crossings in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, a new unit of civilian guards has been set up and private security companies have been contracted to operate main checkpoints. more.. PNIC: 4242 Killed People, 793 were Children, and 46068 Wounded since the Beginning of Al-Aqsa uprising International Press Center 1/16/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 16, 2006 (IPC) - -The number of the killed people since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa uprising on 28-9-2000 and until 31 December 2005 have reached 4242 killed people, whereas the number of wounded have reached 46068. A report issued by the Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC) which belongs to the State Information Service (S. I. S), mentioned that the number of the killed children who are underage went up to reach 793. The number of the people who were killed by the Israeli air-bombing reached 732; 270 female killed people; and 344 members of the national security. more.. Soldier invade village near Salfit International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Israeli soldiers invaded, on Friday morning, the West Bank village of Kufr Al Deek, southwest of Salfit, and arrested one resident; one woman was injured during the invasion. The Maan News Agency reported that soldiers arrested resident Rami Ad Deek, 23, after breaking into his house and searching it. Rami was arrested after soldiers invaded the village and imposed curfew, barring the residents from leaving their homes. more.. IDF shells Gaza rocket launch sites in response to Qassam fire Ha'aretz 1/13/2006 The Israel Defense Forces was shelling rocket launch sites in the northern Gaza Strip throughout the day Friday in reaction to Palestinian Qassam fire, Israel Radio reported. Palestinians are thought to have fired five Qassam rockets at Israel early Friday, and two people were treated for shock. Two explosions were heard in the area of Kibbutz Carmia, south of Ashkelon, apparently as a result of Qassam rockets that landed in the area, Israel Radio reported. However, the rockets were not immediately located. more.. IOF Obstructs Anti-Wall Rally in Bil'in WAFA 1/13/2006 RAMALLAH, January 13, 2006 (WAFA) - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) hindered a peaceful march in Bil'in village, near Ramallah, witnesses said. Witnesses revealed that Israeli Soldiers fired tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets at the local, international and Israeli protestors who came to protest the seizure by Israel of the village's lands for the construction of the Apartheid Wall and colonies. Many of the protestors suffered suffocation due to the excessive use of gas bombs. Israeli soldiers arrested a citizen for several hours before releasing him. [end] more.. Military dogs attack, bite, an aged woman from Salfit International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 The Maan News Agency reported that one woman ofKafr Ad Deek village, near Salfit city, in the West Bank, was injured after military dogs attacked and bit her while the soldiers were conducting military searches of homes. The agency stated that soldiers broke into the home of Slaha Shihada, 85, and searched it; during the search, military dogs attacked the woman and bit her in several parts of her body causing moderate injuries. Shihada was transferred to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. Also, soldiers arrested Rami Ad Deek, 23, after breaking into a home and searching it. [end] more.. Army invades Jenin, storms several houses International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Israeli troops invaded the West Bank city of Jenin on Friday morning,stormed and searched several houses in the city. Army units backed with military bulldozers and heavy vehicles surrounded and searched several houses and took position in roof tops of several houses in the city, local sources reported. Soldiers surrounded one building in the city center,sound of shooting and explosions were heared butno injuries or arrests have been reported. [end] more.. Palestinian resistance shells a Kibbutz north of the country International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Palestinian resistance fired on Friday, Qassam home made shell, from the Gaza strip, that landed in an open area near Kibbutz Zakim, north of the country. One worker was treated for shock, no damage was reported. [end] more.. Army invades Abu Njem village, arrests two residents International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Israeli troops invaded, on Friday at dawn, the village of Abu Njem south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and arrested two residents. The arrested residents are two brothers identified as Awni Al Hrami, 22, and his brother Tariq, 21. Soldiers surrounding their house and forced their family out, damage to the house was reported. more.. Army invades Allar, arrests two International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Israeli army arrested, on Friday at dawn, tow residents from the West Bank village of Allar, north of Tulkarem, after breaking into their house, the Maan News Agency reported. Local sources reported that dozens of army jeeps and vehicles, invaded the village and broke into a number of houses before arresting Nader Hassen Taqatqa and Sari Mohammad Qashu',21, a PA security man. [end] more.. Al Aqsa Brigades claim responsibility for firing 5 homemade shells International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh movement, claimed responsibility for firing five homemade shells at an Israeli town in the Western Negev. The brigades reported in a press release issued on Friday morning that the attack comes in retaliation to "the Israeli crimes and the assassination of three members of Al Quds Brigades", in Jenin on Thursday. Al Quds Brigades is the military wing of the Islamic Jihad. [end] more.. Two residents arrested east of Tubas International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Israeli soldiers arrested on Friday afternoon, two residents at a military checkpoint, east of the West Bank city of Tubas. A local source in Tubas reported that soldiers posted at Tiaseer checkpoint, east of Tubas, handcuffed and arrested two residents trying to cross the checkpoint, and took them to an unknown destination. [end] more.. More than 800,000 Palestinians Sealed Off By Amira Hass, Palestine Chronicle/Ha'aretz 1/13/2006 The IDF calls this prevention of movement from the northern West Bank to other areas 'differentiation. '-- For a month now, since the second week of December 2005, the Israel Defense Forces has severed the northern part of the West Bank from other parts, and prohibited residents from traveling toward Ramallah and points southward. The ban applies to some 800,000 people, residents of the Tul Karm, Nablus and Jenin provinces. Until January 2, the ban applied just to residents of Jenin and Tul Karm. Since then it has been extended to Nablus area residents.... The IDF has also cut off direct traffic links within ! the northern West Bank. The main artery--Road 60, running from the Shavei Shomron settlement to the road leading to the settlements Mevo Dotan and Homesh, has been closed to all Palestinian traffic since mid-August by means of three steel gates. more.. IDF cantonizes West Bank, sealing in 800,000 Palestinians By Amira Hass, Ha'aretz 1/12/2006 For a month now, since the second week of December 2005, the Israel Defense Forces has severed the northern part of the West Bank from other parts, and prohibited residents from traveling toward Ramallah and points southward. The ban applies to some 800,000 people, residents of the Tul Karm, Nablus and Jenin provinces. Until January 2, the ban applied just to residents of Jenin and Tul Karm. Since then it has been extended to Nablus area residents. The IDF did not issue an order on the new arrangements, which people only found out about at the permanent and so-called flying checkpoints that have prevented them over the past four weeks from traveling southward from the Za'atara junction (the Tapuah checkpoint). They were not informed how long the travel ban would be in effect.... The IDF has also cut off direct traffic links within the northern West Bank. more.. Three killed in Jenin clashes AlJazeera 1/13/2006 A Palestinian man has blown himself up and Israeli forces have killed two others during clashes in the town of Jenin in the West Bank, security sources and Palestinian witnesses say. Aljazeera's correspondent in Jenin reported that the bomber blew himself up near a group of Israeli soldiers who were carrying out an operation against Palestinian resistance fighters. Israeli forces had surrounded a building in which activists from the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad Movement, were taking shelter. more.. Settlers torch two Palestinian homes in Hebron in protest Ha'aretz 1/12/2006 Settlers torched two Palestinian homes in the West Bank town of Hebron on Thursday in protest of army plans to evacuate settlers from shops they had occupied in the town's Palestinian market. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz authorized Thursday the implementation of orders to raze three illegal West Bank outposts. Dozens of people live in one of the outposts, Hill 725, south of Nablus; five families reside in "Skali's Farm," near the settlement of Elon Moreh, and a few people live on "Arusi's Farm. " The orders to raze the outposts are expected to be implemented in the near future. more.. Army arrests 12 Palestinians in Tulkarem overnight International Middle East Media Center 1/12/2006 At least 18 army vehicles invaded the northwestern West Bank city of Tulkarem after midnight, Palestinian sources reported. Thursday's early morning invasion targeted Hamas operatives and supporters. Hamas is expected to win a major number of seats in the upcoming Palestinian Legislative Council elections. Ma'an Independent News Agency reported that Israeli forces used trained dogs in the attack arresting 12 Palestinians... This is part of a major Israeli campaign against Hamas leading up to 25 January PLC elections. more.. Palestinians in Gaza Fear War Between Fatah and Hamas After Vote Palestine Monitor/New York Times 1/11/2006 Campaigning by Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political factions, paused Tuesday while people slaughtered sheep and goats and the occasional ox for the annual Muslim holiday Id al-Adha. But the mood was subdued amid talk of war between the factions, and Palestinian security forces said they were girding for violence, fearing that the legislative elections scheduled for Jan. 25 could lead to fighting. "If civil war starts, it will last a long time and cost thousands of lives," said Sameeh Nasser, a police officer riding through Gaza City's chaotic streets in a light-blue Peugeot patrol car. more.. Army demolishes three houses in Al Khader village International Middle East Media Center 1/11/2006 Israeli soldiers demolished, on Wednesday at noon, three houses in Al Khader village south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. The three houses, which belong to the families of Mousa and Salah, were still under construction. Troops backed with army bulldozers leveled the three houses; army claims that they were illegally constructed. A local source in the village reported that the army intends to extend a settlement outpost which was illegally constructed near the houses. [end] more.. Officer: Tree-cutting borders on terror YNetNews 1/13/2006 IDF official issues scathing attack on settlers who cut Palestinian trees, says such actions 'endanger us as a people more than terror activity'; however, official says left-wing groups also to blame for growing tree-cutting -- Scathing attack: Jews who have made a habit of uprooting Palestinian olive trees in the West Bank pose a greater danger to the Jewish people than terror acts, a senior IDF official told Ynet Thursday. "Those who are uprooting the Palestinians' trees are a subversive group…bordering on terrorism. This is a group of very, very extreme people, and there is nothing I would like more than to capture them," he said. more.. Mofaz delays Amona evacuation by 14 days Ha'aretz 1/13/2006 Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz yesterday decided to postpone the evacuation of the settlement outpost of Amona, near Ofra, for another two weeks. Mofaz said he made the decision due to a petition to the High Court of Justice filed by Amona residents, which the court has agreed to hear next Wednesday, and the Palestinian Authority elections, which are scheduled for January 25. At the same time, however, he ordered the dismantling of three Nablus-area outposts - the Aroussi Farm near Bracha, the Skelly Farm near Elon Moreh and Hill 725 near Yitzhar - to proceed. more.. Israeli forces arrest 3 from Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 1/12/2006 Palestinian Security sources reported that eight Israeli military jeeps invaded Hindaza Mountain area in Bethlehem Thursday morning, and arrested three residents, the Maan News Agency reported. Soldiers broke into the house of Mohammed Ahmed Obeyyat and arrested his son Ibrahim, 18. Israeli forces also arrested two other residents and took them unknown destination; the identities of the two residents were not revealed. At total of 25 residents were arrested on Thursday in several West Bank area; 12 were arrested in Tulkarem, and the rest were arrested on Nablus and Hebron. [end] more.. Shots fired at the home of Interior Minister; bodyguard, two residents injured International Middle East Media Center 1/12/2006 A Palestinian source in Ramallah reported that an armed group fired at the home of, Nasser Yousef, the Palestinian Interior Minister, on Thursday evening, and injured one of his body guards; two residents were injured in the attack. The shooting attack took place in Sateh Marhaba area, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Two residents who were passing by the home of Yousef were injured.... In a separate incident, armed men fired, on Thursday evening, several rounds of live ammunition at the ministerial headquarters in Ramallah. more.. Suicide bomber blows up near IDF force in Jenin; no injuries Ha'aretz 1/12/2006 Two senior wanted Islamic Jihad militants, including one suicide bomber, were killed on Thursday afternoon during an Israel Defense Forces raid in the West Bank town of Jenin. There were no casualties among the IDF troops. IDF and Border Police special units carrying out an operation to arrest Islamic Jihad wanted militants surrounded a house where a militant was believed to be hiding. One armed militant got out of the house and was shot dead by the troops. The bomber then got out of the house and activated an explosive device. A third man who was hauled up inside the house gave himslef in to the IDF troops. more.. IOF Arrests 13 Citizens in WB WAFA 1/12/2006 TULKAREM, January 12, 2006 (WAFA)- The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Thursday 13 citizens in the West Bank (WB). In Tulkarem, 20 Israeli military vehicles invaded at dawn the refugee camp and different places in the city, launched a wide scale search campaign and arrested Sa'ir Ghanem 26, Kassab Zakkout 28, Youssef Zakkout 35, Sofian Staitiyeh 35, Ra'id Qozah 35, Mohanned Salah ed-Deen 26, Ra'fat Abu Sharifah 26, Rushdi Jayyoussi 35, Ammar Bedair 28 Samer Abu Assayed 25 and Tarek al-Mabrouk 35. more.. Government official: Illegal outpost to go no matter what Ha'aretz 1/12/2006 A senior government official said Wednesday night that the evacuation of an illegal outpost north of Ramallah would go ahead no matter what, following to threats by settler leaders to disrupt and prevent the operation. Security forces and settlers are gearing up for an expected confrontation late next week, when the Israel Defense Forces and police plan to tear down nine homes at the Amona outpost. Some 1,000 police and Border Police will participate in the operation at the outpost adjacent to the settlement of Ofra. more.. Police arrests five settlers north of Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 1/12/2006 Israeli police arrested, on Wednesday afternoon, five Israeli settlers form Gush Atzion settlement bloc, north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem after clashing with an Israeli officer. The clashes erupted when police and army officers escorting bulldozers came to demolish Antennas and constructions that Israeli right wing extremists installed in a land the settlers grabbed from al Khader near Bethlehem city. Five settlers were arrested and taken away by the Israeli police, Israeli sources reported. more.. Army invades Saida village near Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 1/11/2006 The Maan News Agency reported that soldiers invaded on Wednesday afternoon, Saida village, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, and broke into dozens of homes. The agency stated that several youth clashed with the soldiers and hurled stones at them; soldiers fired rubber coated bullets and gas bombs, no injuries were reported. On Tuesday at night, soldiers invaded the village and occupied the home of Basil Saty, in the center of the village after forcing his family in one room. more.. Resident charged with recruiting activists for Hamas International Middle East Media Center 1/11/2006 The Israeli prosecution filed charges against a resident of Gaza who was arrested last month while allegedly attempting to "infiltrate" form Gaza into the West Bank. The charges against resident Shadi Halawa include recruiting activists for Hamas, training activists on preparing explosive charges, in addition to recruiting and training suicide bombers. The list of charges also states that Halawa was one of the top leaders of the Islamic Jihad, and one of their military experts, but moved lately to Hamas. more.. Settlers burn Palestinian homes in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Extremist settlers torched two Palestinian homes in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday in protest to evacuating them from shops they occupied in the city's market. , No injuries were reported in the attack. Earlier this month, eight settler families, who took over eight Palestinian stores, at a market in the West Bank city of Hebron, were handed out eviction notices by representatives of the Israeli Civil Administration Office. Dozens of settlers confronted with the soldiers, and police officers, who accompanied the officials, and threw water, flour and eggs at them; Settlers claimed that violence was initiated by the soldiers. more.. Three fighters killed in Jenin International Middle East Media Center 1/12/2006 Three fighters of the Islamic Jihad were killed, on Thursday afternoon, and four others were injured after the Israeli forces invaded the West Bank city of Jenin, surrounded a home and exchanged fire with resistance fighters. An Israeli military source reported that the under-cover units of the Israeli army invaded the city in an attempt to arrest activists of the Islamic Jihad. The source stated that border-guard policemen and the special units of the Israeli army surrounded a house which was used as a hideout for the fighters of the Islamic Jihad. One armed fighter got out of the house and was shot dead by the troops as he stepped out while firing at them, the source added. more.. Four officers, 11 settlers injured as illegal W. Bank outpost razed Ha'aretz 1/11/2006 Four police officers and 11 protesters were lightly injured on Wednesday in clashes at an illegal West Bank outpost as Civil Administration inspectors, police and soldiers reached the site to demolish building foundations laid by settlers planning further construction. Some 150 right-wing activists were waiting at Neveh Daniel North outpost as the security forces arrived. Five people were arrested after paint was thrown at a security forces bulldozer. Elsewhere in the West Bank, settlers hurled eggs at troops ahead of the scheduled eviction of settlers from Hebron market. The eviction order is to come into effect on January 15, 2006. more.. Mofaz orders resumption of separation fence around J'lem Ha'aretz 1/11/2006 Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered on Tuesday that work be resumed on three sections of the separation fence in Jerusalem that have been frozen by order of the High Court of Justice. But according to officials in Mofaz's office, the minister merely ordered the construction of a "temporary fence" that later will be moved to wherever the court decides, and that even this will not be built without first obtaining court permission. Mofaz toured the Jerusalem fence Tuesday, and received updates about the court-ordered delay on three sections: near Bir Naballah, northwest of Jerusalem, near Shuafat, northeast of the city, and near Jebel Mukhaber, south of the city. more.. Israel to build 'provisional' barrier to get round court order ReliefWeb 1/10/2006 JERUSALEM, Jan 10, 2006 (AFP) - Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has ordered a "provisional" barrier be built in three areas around east Jerusalem where the high court had ordered construction suspended, state television reported Tuesday. Mofaz insisted that those three sections of the so-called "separation barrier" that Israel is erecting along the length of the West Bank "could be removed when the high court of justice issues its final ruling. "But his decision to press ahead without waiting for the court's decision drew criticism from the television's legal commentator Moshe Negbi. more.. Shin Bet: IDF did nothing to stop settlers uprooting olive trees Ha'aretz 1/10/2006 The military and police did nothing to prevent the felling of Palestinian olive trees despite having the names of the settlers responsible, the head of the Shin Bet security service claimed Tuesday. Yuval Diskin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the Shin Bet had handed over the names of members of the "hilltop youth" from the West Bank settlements of Yitzhar and Itamar who were involved in uprooting the olive trees, but the security forces refrained from taking any action. According to Diskin, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police "are turning a blind eye, and doing nothing to deal with this phenomenon. " more.. Shin Bet gives IDF, police `harvest incident' suspects Ha'aretz 1/11/2006 Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin said yesterday that his agency has given the army and police identifying details of "hilltop youth" from the West Bank settlements of Yitzhar and Itamar who are suspected of having cut down olive trees belonging to Palestinians. A Palestinian family reported Friday that 120 of its olive trees had been cut down in the southern Hebron Hills, and the Judea and Samaria District Police said there have been 17 "harvest incidents" in 2005, including physical attacks on Palestinian harvesters, the theft of harvested olives, and trespassing. more.. Policeman Dies of Wounds WAFA 1/11/2006 GAZA, January 11, 2006 (WAFA)-Ministry of Interior (MOI) announced the death of Adli al-Bana, a police man, due wounded he sustained last week during a security campaign in the middle Gaza Strip (GS). The ministry added that ten other policemen were wounded, two critically, during the campaign. It revealed that the Palestinian security forces are launching a security campaign to impose law and order in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). more.. IDF shells Strip in response to isolated Qassam fire Ha'aretz 1/12/2006 Israel Defense Forces heavy artillery fired several shells at the northern Gaza Strip early Thursday in response to a Qassam rocket launched overnight Wednesday, Israel Radio reported. The location of the Qassam hit was not traced. The artillery was aimed at areas used for launching rockets at Israel. Also early Thursday the IDF arrested 23 wanted militants across the West Bank. The army arrested 12 wanted members of the Hamas militant group in Tul Karm, a Fatah activist was arrested in Nablus. In Bethlehem and its surroundings the army arrested three Tanzim members, a Hamas militant and an activist of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine militant organization. more.. Settlers vow fierce resistance to Amona outpost evacuation Ha'aretz 1/12/2006 Security forces and settlers are gearing up for an expected confrontation toward the end of next week, when the Israel Defense Forces and police plan to tear down nine homes at the Amona outpost in the West Bank. The illegal outpost is north of Ramallah and adjacent to the settlement of Ofra. Some 1,000 police and border police will participate in the operation. "The planned evacuation at the Amona outpost alongside Ofra will go ahead come hell or high water. The police will receive full backing," a senior government official said Wednesday night in response to threats by settler leaders to disrupt and prevent the operation. more.. West Bank settlers vow resistance as outpost dismantled ReliefWeb 1/11/2006 AMONA SETTLEMENT OUTPOST, West Bank, Jan 11, 2006 (AFP) - The main Jewish settlers' movement vowed to resist any further evacuations by the Israeli army Wednesday after five people were arrested in the uprooting of a wildcat outpost. Meeting in Amona, the next unauthorised outpost earmarked for clearance, settler leaders said they regarded the battle to save its nine buildings as a battle to prevent the West Bank settlers being uprooted like those of the Gaza Strip last year. An Israeli police spokesman in Jerusalem said five arrests were made during Wednesday's evacuation of another outpost near the West Bank town of Bethlehem. more.. Israel settlers clash with troops BBC 1/11/2006 More than 150 Jewish settlers have clashed with Israeli forces sent to demolish an illegal West Bank outpost. Five activists were arrested after they threw paint at a bulldozer trying to demolish the foundations of the outpost near Neve Daniel. The Israeli troops used tear gas to disperse the protestors before returning to the demolition. The US-brokered "roadmap" peace plan demands Israel uproot all West Bank outposts built since March 2001. Under international law, all settlement building in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem is considered illegal, though Israel disputes this. more.. Hamas man indicted for seeking to set up West Bank cell Ha'aretz 1/11/2006 A Gaza Strip Hamas activist was indicted Tuesday in the Be'er Sheva District Court for infiltrating Israel in order to enter the West Bank and set up a Hamas terror cell there. Shadi Halawa, 25, of the Jabalya refugee camp, was arrested by the Israel Defense Forces last December 12 at Har Sagi in the southern Negev. Halawa was active both in Hamas and Islamic Jihad. According to the Shin Bet security services, he was involved in a number of attacks against IDF forces in Gaza and recruited one of the terrorists who infiltrated a reserves outpost near the Erez crossing point in June 2003 and killed four soldiers. more.. Police: Cop shot Palestinian in the back YNetNews 1/9/2006 Border Guard police officer Shmuel Yehezkel indicted on suspicion of killing Samir Dari, resident of Issawiyeh village; indictment filed by Police Investigation Unit confirms residents' version -- Police Investigation Unit (PIU) Head Herzl Shviro announced Monday the department had submitted an indictment against a Border Guard police officer on suspicions he killed Samir Dari, a resident of the village of Issawiyeh north of Jerusalem, who died several weeks ago. The decision to charge 21-year-old Shmuel Yehezkel was determined following a hearing on the case. more.. 10 residents arrested across the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 1/9/2006 While the Palestinian concluded their Christmas holidays and started preparing for Eyed Al Adha, the Israeli army arrested 10 residents on Sunday night from several areas in the West BankOne resident, said to be Hamas member, was arrested in the West Bank city of Hebron, while another resident, said to be Fateh member, was arrested in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Eight other residents were arrested in several West Bank areas; all arrestees were transferred for interrogation, Israeli military source reported. [end] more.. Yesha: Some of the West Bank olive trees felled by Palestinians Ha'aretz 1/10/2006 The Yesha Council of settlements reiterated its contention that in at least some of the cases where olive trees have been cut down, the perpetrators are Arabs and left-wing activists. Left-wing organizations were taking advantage of planned pruning of trees to slander the settlers, the Yesha Council also said yesterday. A few days ago, the secretariat of the settlement of Maon in the southern West Bank harshly condemned the cutting down of trees. "As settlers and farmers," the statement said, "our way is not to destroy and uproot but to build and plant. "... Yesha Council chairman Bentzi Lieberman demanded a few weeks ago that the Israel Defense Forces and the police thoroughly investigate the uprooting of trees in the village of Salem, in order to "identify the real perpetrators. " more.. Zarqawi: America is drawing its last breath Middle East Online 1/9/2006 Iraqi Al-Qaeda chief says rockets fired at Israel last month have been ordered by Bin Laden. -- Al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said in an audio tape put onto the Internet Sunday that rockets had been fired at Israel from Lebanon last month "on the instructions" of the network's overall chief Osama bin Laden. "The rocket firing at the ancestors of monkeys and pigs from the south of Lebanon was only the start of a blessed in-depth strike against the Zionist enemy (... ). All that was on the instructions of the sheikh of the mujahedeen, Osama bin laden, may God preserve him," said the voice attributed to the Jordanian extremist. more.. Palestinians fire 2 Qassams at Israel YNetNews 1/9/2006 Palestinians fired two Qassam rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip Monday afternoon, the IDF confirmed. The rockets fell in empty fields in the western Negev. No one was injured and no damages were reported. On Saturday three rockets were fired at Israel from the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza but fell short of their target and exploded on the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing. A fourth rocket fired shortly afterwards exploded in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Police could not locate the explosion site. IDF forces responded to Saturday’s attacks by firing artillery rounds at Qassam launching pads in northern Gaza. more.. Source: Arab-trained Palestinian terrorists have entered Gaza Ha'aretz 1/9/2006 Weapons experts in Palestinian terror groups who have undergone training in Lebanon, Syria and possibly Iran have recently infiltrated the Gaza Strip, a senior security official said on Sunday. The official said that after Israel pulled out of Gaza, several Palestinians who had attended training camps run by Iranians and Hezbollah members entered the Strip, apparently from Sinai. In the last few years, both Iran and Hezbollah have invested a lot of effort in assisting terror organizations in the West Bank and Gaza, helping them manufacture explosives and high-trajectory weapons such as Qassam rockets and mortar shells. more.. Three arrested in Salfit International Middle East Media Center 1/9/2006 Israeli soldiers invaded, on Monday at dawn, Marda village, near the West Bank city of Salfit, and arrested three residents. The Palestinian Maan News Agency reported that soldiers, supported by six armored jeeps, invaded the village, broke into dozens of home and arrested three residents. The three residents were identified as Mohammad Ahmad Al Khafsh, 19, Morad Mahmoud Omar, 32, and a third resident who was not identified. The three are said to be members of the Hamas. A total of ten residents were arrested in several West Bank areas on Monday. [end] more.. Two arrested in Al Obaydiyya, near Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 1/9/2006 Israeli soldiers invaded, on Monday at dawn, Al Obaydiyya village, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem and arrested two residents. The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that soldiers, supported by armored vehicles, invaded the village after closing its entrances and conducted military searches of homes. Also, soldiers arrested Morad Ahmad Sa'ada, 32, and Ribhi Salman Shanaita, 23, and took them to an unknown destination. more.. Police raid offices of far-right group YNetNews 1/8/2006 Offices in West Bank settlement of Tapuah and in Jerusalem closed after police claim to have proof connecting 'Jewish Battalion' group to outlawed Kach movement. 'Evil forces are trying to destroy us,' group leader says -- About 200 police officers raided the offices Sunday of the far-right "Jewish Battalion" movement in the West Bank settlement of Tapuah and in Jerusalem. The raid was carried out in accordance to a military order issued by Central Command Chief Yair Naveh over suspicions of extremist activity. more.. Chlorine storage near Ashkelon cleared due to Qassam threat Ha'aretz 1/8/2006 Mekorot Water Company cleared a chlorine gas installation near the southern city of Ashkelon over the weekend due to fears that Qassam rockets would hit the dangerous gas stockpile intended for water chlorination, Army Radio reported Sunday. The radio said that any damage caused to the sensitive installation may lead to severe environmental damage and may even endanger human lives. The manager of Mekorot in the south, Menachem Nehama, told the radio that recently, due to the Qassam threats, the national water company has started to treat water in Ashkelon with hypochlorite, a liquid that is less sensitive than chlorine gas. more.. Soldiers invade Silwad, arrest four residents International Middle East Media Center 1/7/2006 Israeli soldiers invaded Silwad village, east of the West Bank city of Ramallah, and arrested four residents after breaking into their homes. A local source in the village reported that soldiers invaded it during early dawn hors, and arrested Yasser Abdul-Rahman Abu Zeina, 24, Mahmoud Hasan Hammad, 22, Rami Amin Hamid, 27, and Mahran Jamil Ayyad, 21 years old. The four residents were transferred to an unknown destination. [end] more.. Army shells the northern Gaza Strip International Middle East Media Center 1/7/2006 Israeli soldiers shelled on Sunday several areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, causing considerable damage; no injuries were reported. The shelling comes while no homemade shells were fired at Israeli towns or targets in the Negev since several days. In a separate incident, Member of Knesset Matan Vilnay (Labor) said on Sunday that "Israel has no choice but to carry a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. [end] more.. Israeli goat fights terror YNetNews 1/9/2006 Explosive-sniffing dogs cannot be used in Muslim countries; Israeli trains goat instead -- Anti-terror goat: It may sound like a prank, but 29-year-old dog trainer Geva Zin from Kibbutz Lahav in the south is in fact training a goat to detect explosives, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Sunday. Zin is trying to solve a problem that has been troubling IDF soldiers and American fighters in Iraq: How to detect explosive materials hidden on one's body, as in the case when dealing with suicide bombers. more.. 100 olive trees uprooted in West Bank Palestinian village By Amira Hass, Ha'aretz 1/6/2006 Palestinian residents of the southern Hebron Hills in the West Bank on Friday accused settlers of uprooting some 100 olive trees in the village of Yata. The olive grove overlooks a road banned for Palestinians traffic that is used for access into the settlements on Hebron Hills - Susya, Beit Yatir, Ma'on and Carmel. Palestinian children from the nearby village of Tawna discovered the uprooted trees and informed the family that owns the olive grove of the sabotage. Policemen and Civil Administration officials came to the scene Friday to collect testimonies and evidence. more.. Gaza militants condemn disorder BBC 1/6/2006 The main Palestinian militant groups in Gaza have issued a joint statement calling on the government to end lawlessness in Palestinian territory. The statement condemned the recent abductions of foreigners and attacks on government buildings in the area. On Wednesday, two Egyptian soldiers were killed after militants bulldozed through Gaza's border fence with Egypt. They were demanding the release of a militant arrested for kidnapping three British citizens last week.... Masked gunmen read out the statement at a press conference in Rafah.... "We condemn the death of the two Egyptian border guards and the kidnapping of the foreigners by people who are breaking the national consensus," the statement said. more.. Jewish terrorist may have fired on Palestinian teens near Nablus Ha'aretz 1/6/2006 Two Palestinian teens were lightly injured by gunfire near Nablus on Thursday night, in what may be the first case of Jewish terror activity in the West Bank in nearly three years. The Palestinians, 18 and 19, said the shots were fired when a car bearing Israeli license plates slowed down next to the place they were standing in the West Bank village of Hawara, south of Nablus. They told IDF forces that arrived at the scene that a single bullet was fired, injuring them both. more.. Three Homes damaged by artillery fire in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 1/6/2006 A Palestinian security source in Gaza reported that Israeli artillery fired several shells at areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip; three homes were damages. The source stated that "only a miracle" saved the families who were out of their homes when the artillery fired it shells at an area, north of Beit Lahia. Riyadh Zindah, a resident of the shelled area, said that he and his 14 family members, mostly children, were out of their home when three shells hit and damaged it. more.. State: Former Arab council head recruited by Iranian intelligence Ha'aretz 1/7/2006 Authorities plan on indicting an Israeli Arab believed to have maintained ties with Iranian intelligence since 2004. The Shin Bet security service and the police arrested last month Jirias Jirias, 57, from the western Galilee village of Psuta, for allegedly being recruited by Iranian intelligence during a stay in Cyprus. Jirias is a former operative for the Palestine Liberation Organization and a one-time head of the Psuta local council.... Security officials believe Iranian agents planned to use Jirias to infiltrate Israel's political establishment by way of his registration with Meretz-Yahad. more.. Residents complain; artillery battery to move YNetNews 1/6/2006 Army agree to move artillery battery used to fire at Qassam launchers after residents complain their lives have turned into nightmare. One resident says 'senior officer was at my home when cannons started firing. He was surprised we're not protesting day and night' -- IDF artillery battery moving: After negotiations between the army and area residents, the IDF has agreed to move the artillery battery deployed near Kibbutz Alumim in the western Negev desert. The battery will be moved south to reduce the noise, which has made the lives of local residents unbearable. more.. Hamas member killed by P.A fire in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 1/5/2006 A Palestinian source in Gaza reported that the Preventive Security Forces shot and killed a member of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, on Wednesday evening, while he was hanging election posters for Hamas. Media and Information Center reported that Rami Talal Al Dalo, 27, was shot and killed in Al Nasser neighborhood in Gaza City by members of the preventive security, which belongs to the Palestinian Authority. According to local sources in Gaza, Al Dalo was hanging posters near a house of one of the senior officials of the P. A Preventive Security. more.. Gaza militant free after protest BBC 1/5/2006 Palestinian authorities have freed a Gaza militant leader whose arrest sparked armed protests that led to two Egyptian soldiers being killed. Ala al-Hams was held on suspicion of kidnapping three Britons last week. "We have reached an agreement with the security services to cease all the protests," said al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to which Mr Hams belongs. The protests at Rafah resulted in part of a concrete barrier between Gaza and Egypt being torn down by Palestinians. Palestinian authorities have not said why they released Mr al-Hams. more.. A Security Post Pounded With Five Missiles, Three Arrested In Tulkarem International Press Center 1/5/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 5,2006 (IPC+Agencies) - - Israeli occupation artilleries hit today morning a security post northern Gaza Strip, synchronizes with a jetfighter's shelling of un-built area, north Beit Lahia as three residents were arrested in IOF overran into Tulkarem. Security sources reported that IOF artilleries batteries stationed northern Gaza Strip fired five missiles at one military post of the Palestinian security forces. Gross damages were reported but no injuries. Witnesses also mentioned that the IOF jetfighters bombarded an un-built area in Beit Lahia. No injuries were reported. more.. IDF arrests eight wanted militants across West Bank Ha'aretz 1/5/2006 Security forces overnight Wednesday arrested eight wanted militants across the West Bank. Three Islamic Jihad members were arrested in the village of Dir al-Atzun northeast to the city of Tul Karm; a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was arrested at the Jenin refugee camp. South of the city of Bethlehem the army arrested two Hamas militants, and two more Hamas members were arrested in the environs of the city of Ramallah. more.. Two Palestinian children injured by settlers' fire International Middle East Media Center 1/5/2006 Palestinian eyewitnesses and Israeli border guard policemen reported that two Palestinian children were shot and injured near Huwwara, after a speeding settlers vehicle fired at several residents near Huwwara military checkpoint, adjacent to the West Bank city of Nablus. The two children were hit by live rounds in their legs, and were admitted to surgery at a Nablus hospital. The settlers' vehicle fled the scene. [end] more.. Six youth injured in the Jenin Refugee Camp International Middle East Media Center 1/5/2006 Six Palestinian youth were injured, on Thursday, in the Jenin refugee camp, in the West Bank city of Jenin, after clashing with soldiers who invaded the camp. Palestinian medical sources said that Eyad Amir, 19, suffered a serious injury by a rubber-coated bullet fired by the soldiers during the clashes. The same sources reported that the five other teenagers suffered light-to-moderate injuries. One child, Tawfiq Ahmad, 15, was arrested. [end] more.. Settlers renew their attacks against residents of Hebron International Middle East Media Center 1/5/2006 Extremist settlers of Keryat Aba' settlement, east of the West Bank city of Hebron, renewedon Thursday, their attacks against the residents of both Wadi Al-Hussein and Wad Al-Nasara areas, near the settlement, the Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. A local source in Hebron reported that the settlers hurled stones and empty bottles at a number of houses in Wad Al Hussein area, causing panic among the residents. Residents, Abdul-Hai Abu Is'efan, and Jamil Abu Is'efan said that the settlers, along with extreme rightists, had escalated their attacked over the last three months, causing damage to the homes and properties. more.. Israeli army beats, detains and turns Palestinian houses into military barracks Palestine Monitor 1/3/2006 Sunday On the 1st of January, 8 Palestinians were hurt with cuts and bruises when the Israeli army cracked down on a peaceful demonstration against the Wall. About 100 residents from Beit Jala joined the protest against the Wall which is being built on their land, and if completed, would isolate their town as well as Beit Sahour and Bethlehem from northern parts of the West Bank. Most of the protesters were from Beit Jala, and the Wall would confiscate 4,000 dunums of the town’s most fertile land to accommodate the expansion of Gilo and Har Gilo settlements. more.. Gaza police free Al-Aqsa leader as calm is restored in Rafah Ha'aretz 1/5/2006 Palestinian police on Thursday released a suspect in the kidnapping of three Britons in the Gaza Strip after gunmen went on the rampage demanding he be freed, a spokesman for the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said. Also on Thursday, authorities succeeded in restoring calm to the Rafah border crossing, after Palestinians bulldozed the border wall. The ensuing riot killed two Egyptian troops and injured dozens more. More than 60 Palestinians have been arrested and charged with illegal entry, Egyptian security officials said Thursday. It was not disclosed whether some of them were suspected of being involved in Wednesday's violence. more.. Two Egyptian soldiers killed, dozens injured on Gaza border Ha'aretz 1/5/2006 Egyptian police arrested some 100 Palestinians who swarmed across the Gaza Strip border on Wednesday after gunmen bulldozed a path through the barricade lining the frontier, Palestinian witnesses and officials said. Earlier, two Egyptian soldiers were killed and 37 wounded as thousands of Egyptian security forces were said to have withdrawn from the border with Gaza as they were unable to flow of Palestinians across the border. Security forces Lt. Sameh el-Antablyan announced the casualties and said the 3,000 Egyptian security troops, who rushed to the border after it was breached, were forced to pull back. more.. Troops kill wanted Palestinian in arrest raid near Hebron Ha'aretz 1/4/2006 Israel Defense Forces troops killed a wanted Palestinian south of Hebron late Tuesday night. Infantry troops on a mission to arrest the man, suspected of being a weapons dealer, searched for him at his home and then at a store he owns. At the store they saw him armed with a Kalachnikov rifle, and shot him dead. According to the IDF, the man was wearing a bullet-proof vest and a helmet during the shooting. On Tuesday evening, two Qassam rockets were fired on the southern city of Sderot, causing no injuries. The IDF responded by firing artillery rounds across the frontier with Gaza and the Israel Air Force struck 8 access roads leading to Qassam launch sites. more.. Gaza militants fire 8 Qassams at Sderot; no injuries or damage Ha'aretz 1/5/2006 Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip launched eight Qassam rockets at southern Israel on Wednesday, with at least one of the homemade projectiles landing in the area of south to the town of Ashkelon. Another rocket fell not far from the Erez crossing in the northern GAza Strip. There were no reports of any injuries or damage to property. The renewed rocket assault comes a day after Palestinians fired more than a dozen Qassams at the Negev, defying IDF attempts to hinder the fire by creating a buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip. more.. 13-Year-Old Boy Wounded in Jenin WAFA 1/4/2006 JENIN, January 4, 2006 (WAFA)- A Palestinian boy was shot and wounded Wednesday by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the West Bank (WB) city of Jenin. Medics and security sources told WAFA that Oday Kamal 13, of Jenin refugee camp, was seriously injured with a rubber coated bullet in his face when Israeli soldiers, who took positions in houses' roofs, randomly opened fire at citizens' houses , wounding the child. He was taken to Hospital for treatment. Security sources told WAFA that the IOF, for the second consecutive day, seized number of houses in Jenin refugee camp and turned them into military barracks. [end] more.. Army to annex 3000 Dunams in the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 1/4/2006 Israeli army intends to confiscate 3000 Dunams of the West Bank town of Aqraba south of the West Bank city of Nablus, the WAFA News Agency reported. Aqraba village council received an Israeli military order signed by Ya'eer Naveh, Chief Commander of the Israeli army in the West Bank to confiscate the town's land in the area numbered T199/ 05. Head of Aqraba village council, Jawdat Izzat, said that the order was delivered through the Israeli District Coordination office DCO in Jericho.... The military order is effective without giving the residents a legal period to object. more.. Resistance detonates an Israeli bulldozer in the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 1/4/2006 Both the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Ahmed Abu Al Areesh Brigades, the military wings of Fateh, claimed joint responsibility for detonating an Israeli bulldozer in Jenin Refugee Camp Tuesday night, the Maan News Agency reported. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, the armed resistance groups claimed joint responsibility for detonating the explosives destroying an Israeli while the army was operating in the camp, one soldier, driving the bulldozer, was severely injured. The groups stated that, "This is a clear message to the Israeli enemy, we will continue our resistance against the occupation". [end] more.. Israeli Mock Air Raids Continue on Gaza WAFA 1/4/2006 GAZA, January 4, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli F16 jetfighters launched Wednesday at pre-dawn several mock air raids on the Gaza city. Security sources said that the mock air raids caused huge booms and spread a state of fear and panic among children as well as great damages to property. Ministry of Interior MOI denounced these Israeli aggressive practices against the Palestinian people, shouldering Israel's government responsibility of such acts. [end] more.. Fighters block road to Gaza crossing AlJazeera 1/4/2006 A group of fighters from the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades have blocked access to the Gaza-Egypt border and prevented travellers from reaching the crossing point, Aljazeera's correspondent in Gaza reports. About 40 masked fighters from the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an offshoot of the Fatah party, also on Wednesday stormed the headquarters of the Palestinian legislative council and the electoral central committee in Rafah. The armed group had earlier stormed the headquarters of the Interior Ministry in the city in protest against the arrest of their colleague by Palestinian security forces on Tuesday over suspected involvement in the abduction of three Britons last week. more.. Gaza gunmen plant bombs, storm Rafah offices International Middle East Media Center 1/4/2006 Palestinian gunmen planted bombs at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and stormed government offices, on Wednesday, demanding the release of a fighter suspected of involvement in the last week's kidnapping of three British citizens. Witnesses said about 20 gunmen placed explosives, as well as mortar shells and launchers, at the entrance to the Rafah border terminal in an attempt to prevent it from opening to daily traffic on schedule. The gunmen took positions at a gate leading to the border and demanded that passengers hand over their papers for inspection. more.. Two Israelis injured near Ashkelon International Middle East Media Center 1/4/2006 The Israeli Radio reported on Wednesday evening that two Israeli residents were mildly injured after two homemade shells landed near Ashkelon, in the south of Israel. The radio added that seven shells were fired at the Israeli Negev town of Sderot on Wednesday, one shell exploded on a main street. According to initial estimations, the two homemade shells landed on Road 34, not far from a gas station in the area.... Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility. more.. Palestinian unrest intensifies ahead of elections Daily Star 1/5/2006 Palestinian gunmen bulldozed a barricade on the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, disrupted traffic and stormed government offices on Wednesday in growing unrest ahead of elections later this month. Amid the chaos, Israel said it was ready to open talks with Hamas if it wins the Palestinian general election as long as the Islamist movement lays down its weapons, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said. In Gaza, gunmen, renegade members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant group, went on the rampage after police arrested a local leader on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of three Britons last week. more.. Israel ends lease with Hebron for wholesale market Ha'aretz 1/5/2006 The Defense Ministry has terminated the lease with the Hebron municipality that enabled the Palestinian merchants to work in the city's wholesale market. This means that the merchants from the wholesale market will not be able to return to their shops even if the Israel Defense Forces does evict the settlers squatting there. Yossi Segal, the Defense Ministry official in charge of government property in the West Bank and the shops in Hebron, sent a letter on Tuesday to the Hebron municipality, advising it of the contract's termination. Haaretz has obtained a copy of the letter. more.. Number of settlers on the rise YNetNews 1/4/2006 More than 6000 new settlers move into West Bank in second half of 2005, many for ideological reasons. Jewish population in region totals quarter million -- The number of settlers in the West Bank area grew by 6000 during the second half of 2005, a report by the Population Registry revealed Wednesday. According to statistics, the number of settlers in the region totaled 253,748 in 2005, with the largest settlement in the region being Maale Adumim, the home of 31,615 residents. Sources at the Registry believe that the increase in the number of settlers is due not only to natural growth, but to ideological internal migration as well. more.. Qassams 'miss' gas station again YNetNews 1/4/2006 Two rockets land on Road 34, not far from nearby gas station; another five land in Kibbutz Zikim area; no injuries reported in all incidents; Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the Qassam fire -- Two Qassam rockets landed Wednesday afternoon near the southern town of Sderot. Municipality officials said the Red Dawn alert system identified the rockets' launch. Frightened residents heard the explosions, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. more.. Drop in number of Palestinians killed in hostile actions in 2005 Ha'aretz 1/4/2006 The number of Palestinians and Israelis killed in hostile actions dropped considerably in 2005, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B'tselem, reported on Wednesday. Some 197 Palestinians and 50 Israelis were killed in 2005, down from 803 Palestinians and 107 Israelis killed in the previous year. The human rights center said 73 of the Palestinians killed this year were killed in clashes withIsraeli security forces while 22 were killed in targeted killings. more.. Three outposts dismantled by IDF overnight ReliefWeb/Arutz Sheva 1/4/2006 (IsraelNN. com) The IDF, the police and the Civil Administration have taken down three of the unauthorized outposts established over the Chanukah holiday in Judea and Samaria by Land of Israel activists. The three were located adjacent to Peduel, Efrat and Bat Ayin. The IDF spokesperson's office released a statement saying, "We will continue enforcing law and order in Judea and Samaria as part of our mission in this region. "[end] more.. 6 Children Arrested During Month in Tubas WAFA 1/4/2006 TUBAS, January 4,2006 (WAFA)-Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) revealed on Wednesday that Israeli Occupation Forces(IOF) detained six children during a month in the West Bank (WB) city of Tubas. In a statement , PPS said that six children were arrested during only one month during Israeli search campaigns in Tubas, north WB, pointing out that the ages of the children not exceed 17. PPS called on international bodies and childhood institutions to exert efforts to stop Israeli practices that targeting Palestinian children. [end] more.. IOF Kills Citizen, Arrests 5 and Demolishes House in WB WAFA 1/4/2006 HEBRON, January 4, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed on Wednesday a Palestinian citizen and arrested five others in the West Bank (WB) cities of Hebron and Ramallah. Medics told WAFA that Mustafa Mohammad 38, was instantly killed on the spot when Israeli soldiers opened fired at him in Dora village, southwest of Hebron. In Al-Bireh, witnesses said that IOF stormed Al-Jalazon refugee camp, north of the city, besieged number of houses, launched a search campaign and arrested five citizens, including two brothers. They were led into an unknown location. more.. A Resident Killed in Hebron, a House Demolished in Bethlehem International Press Center 1/4/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 4,2006 (IPC+Agencies)--Israeli occupation troops killed a resident, near the West Bank city of Hebron, late on Tuesday night, knocked down a house in Al Walja as well as its artilleries continued to shell the northern areas of Gaza Strip. IPC Correspondent reported that the IOF soldiers gunned down Mustfa Khalil, 38, from Doura village, south west of Hebron. In Bethlehem, the IOF caterpillar bulldozers tore down at morning a two-storey house belong to Saleim abu Rezeq in Al Walja village, under the pretext of being unlicensed, after had overran into the villages and hermetically sealed it, local sources said. more.. Army demolishes a house in a Village west of Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 1/4/2006 Israeli military bulldozers leveled a house in Al Walaja Village, west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, early on Wednesday morning. Israeli military sources claimed the house was illegally constructed, the Maan News Agency reported. Eyewitnesses reported that a large number of soldiers, backed by military 20 armored vehicles and bulldozers, invaded the village and barred the residents from moving in and out of the village, and surrounded the house of Haleemeh Abu Riziq, before leveling it. [end] more.. Israeli army distributes anti-resistance leaflets in Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 1/4/2006 After midnight and through the dawn hours, Israeli forces raided the city of Tulkarem. Eyewitnesses said a number of military vehicles entered the city and began shooting at a group of activists putting up posters and banners for the upcoming PLC elections. No injuries were reported during the shooting. Israeli forces also distributed a leaflet inciting local residents against resistance fighters in the Tulkarem district and urging people not to cooperate with them. more.. Cabinet decides against Rajar withdrawal YNetNews 1/4/2006 Government rejects Shin Bet proposal to withdraw from village on border with Lebanon, adopting instead National Security Council recommendations to boost IDF presence south of village to prevent infiltration of hostile elements -- The government decided Wednesday against a Shin Bet proposal to withdraw from the village of Rajar on the border with Lebanon, adopting instead recommendations by the National Security Council to boost IDF presence south of the village to prevent the infiltration of hostile elements from Lebanon. more.. Gaza gunmen rampage on Egypt border YNetNews 1/4/2006 Palestinian gunmen, members of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, bulldoze barricade on border, disrupt traffic on frontier, storm government offices after police arrest local leader on suspicion of involvement in kidnapping of three Britons last week -- Palestinians swarmed across the Gaza Strip's frontier with Egypt after gunmen bulldozed through protective barricades on Wednesday, prompting Egyptian border police to fire warning shots, witnesses said. Gunmen disrupted traffic on the frontier and stormed government offices on Wednesday in growing unrest ahead of elections later this month. more.. Israel has killed two Palestinian militants in a missile strike on a car in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics said. AlJazeera 1/3/2006 The Israeli military said on Monday it had launched an "aerial strike", which targeted a vehicle carrying a senior member of Islamic Jihad in the Jabalya refugee camp. "The terrorist had been involved in numerous projectile rocket attacks against Israel in the past few weeks," it said. Violence has increased in the Gaza Strip since Israel withdrew from the territory in September. The surge in violence could delay a Palestinian parliamentary election which is due to take place on 25 January. more.. Rocket lands near Sderot gas station YNetNews 1/4/2006 No injuries reported in attack on southern town; Sderot mayor: Disaster averted, luck was again on our side -- Miracle in the South: A Qassam rocket landed Tuesday night near a gas station in the southern town of Sderot. No injuries were reported in the strike. The latest attack follows a six-rocket barrage fired at the Sderot vicinity the previous night. Earlier Tuesday, the IDF directed artillery fire at Gaza targets in response to the Qassam attacks. more.. Violence after arrest of Gaza kidnap suspect The Guardian 1/4/2006 Palestinian gunmen stormed into a government office in the Gaza Strip yesterday, hours after a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade was arrested in connection with the kidnapping of British human rights activist Kate Burton. Members of the brigade, an armed wing of the mainstream Fatah movement, forced their way into the interior ministry in Rafah demanding the release of their colleague after burning tyres and letting off shots outside. The building, however, was empty. The Burton Family - Kate, 24, her father, Hugh, 73, and her mother, Win, 55 - were abducted in Rafah last Wednesday. They were eventually released early on Saturday morning. more.. Gaza kidnapping suspect arrested AlJazeera 1/4/2006 Palestinian police have arrested a suspect in last week's kidnapping of three Britons, who have since been released. The man, a local member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of the mainstream Fatah movement, was whisked into an unmarked car in the town of Rafah on Tuesday, witnesses said. An official told Reuters "he was arrested for interrogation about involvement in the kidnapping". The hostages, human rights worker Kate Burton and her parents, were freed on Friday after being kidnapped in Gaza by a previously unknown group that called itself the Brigades of the Mujahideen-Jerusalem. more.. Israel proposes 'defense wall' through town of Ghajar Daily Star 1/4/2006 BEIRUT: Israeli security officials Tuesday proposed building a "defense wall" through the divided town of Ghajar, which straddles the border of occupied Syrian and Lebanese territories, as a means of protecting Israelis from attack by Lebanese militias. The Shin Bet security agency will present Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon its recommendation Wednesday to build a barrier in Ghajar to prevent attacks on the southern part of the town. Half of Ghajar lies on land Israel captured from Syria and Lebanon in the 1967 Middle East war. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud criticized the reported proposal as "absurd. ""This step would be a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and territory," said an official presidential statement. more.. Palestinian gunmen storm Interior Ministry office Ha'aretz 1/4/2006 Some 20 Palestinian gunmen stormed into a government office in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to protest the arrest of a suspect in the kidnappings of three Britons, witnesses said. Members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of the mainstream Fatah movement, forced their way inside the Interior Ministry in the town of Rafah, demanding the release of their colleague, after burning tyres and shooting. The office was empty of personnel, witnesses said. Palestinian sources said officials were in contact with the gunmen by telephone and trying to persuade them to leave. more.. Hebron settlers get eviction notices YNetNews 1/3/2006 Civil Administration officials hand eviction notices to eight settler families residing in Hebron’s market; settlers clash with secrity forces -- Civil Administration representatives handed out eviction notices to eight settler families residing in Hebron’s wholesale market. Dozens of settlers confronted the police officers who accompanied the officials, and army sources said the settlers threw water, flour and eggs at the soldiers; the settlers, for their part, claim the IDF forces resorted to violence. A police officer was evacuated for medical treatment after suffering burns in his eyes and neck; he said settlers threw an unidentified chemical at him more.. Vast illegal expansion of Israeli settlement Middle East Online 1/3/2006 JERUSALEM - The Israeli authorities have been turning a blind eye to a vast project of illegal expansion in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Modiin Eilit, the Haretz daily reported on Tuesday. An official from the military-run administration charged with planning in the West Bank admitted to the paper that construction permits had been handed out to "set out facts on the ground" without legal procedures being respected. The houses had been built on private land from the neighbouring Palestinian village of Bilin, west of Ramallah. [See also: Documents reveal W. Bank settlement Modi'in Illit built illegally Ha'aretz, 1/3/2006] more.. 7 Children Wounded in Jenin WAFA 1/3/2006 JENIN, January 3, 2006, (WAFA)- At least seven children were shot and wounded by Israeli Occupation Forces in the refugee camp of Jenin, security sources said. The sources told WAFA that Israeli soldiers opened fire at houses in Jenin wounding seven children. A female child Ro'a Mahmoud 7 and Jamal Awwad 13 were wounded in the head while several other children wounded in different parts of the body. Witnesses said that several other citizens suffered suffocation as the soldiers shot gas canisters on the houses. They added that the soldiers stormed several houses and positioned the top. [end] more.. Student, teacher injured in Jerusalem school International Middle East Media Center 1/3/2006 Israeli soldiers broke into Anata School for boys, north of Jerusalem, and clashed with dozens of students; one student and one teacher were injured. An Israeli military source reported that one soldier was mildly hurt after being hit by a stone during the clashes. The injured teacher was hit in his leg by a rubber-coated bullet fired by the soldiers. The student was also hit by a rubber-coated bullet. The headmaster of the school reported that students and soldiers fist fought after the soldiers broke into their school and classrooms. more.. Abramoff Pleads Guilty, Will Cooperate The Guardian 1/3/2006 WASHINGTON (AP) - Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who spawned a congressional corruption scandal, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three felonies and pledged to cooperate in a criminal probe edging closer to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. ``I plead guilty, your honor,'' Abramoff said in flat, unemotional tones, accepting a plea bargain that said he had provided lavish trips, golf outings, meals and more to public officials ``in exchange for a series of official acts. '' [See also: Fund-Raising: Take It to the (West) Bank: "Abramoff, a legendary lobbyist particularly close to DeLay, is also a fierce supporter of Israel—'a super-Zionist,' one associate says. That may explain why Abramoff's paramilitary gear ended up in the town of Beitar Illit, a sprawling ultra-Orthodox outpost whose residents have occasionally tangled with their Palestinian neighbors. "] more.. Army chief issues missile warning YNetNews 1/3/2006 Speaking at Tel Aviv University, Dan Halutz stresses need to counter Qassam threat through new technology, intelligence efforts. Responding to question, chief of staff says West has technical capability to hit Iran's nuclear facilities -- With the onset of 2006, the State of Israel is increasingly facing missile and rocket threats of various kinds, ranging from makeshift Qassams manufactured in the Gaza Strip to Shihab-3 ballistic missiles built by Iran Iran, Army Chief Dan Halutz said Tuesday. more.. Arab border town faces Israeli wall AlJazeera 1/3/2006 The Israeli Shin Bet security agency has recommended building a wall through an Arab community located along the Lebanese border to prevent attacks by Lebanese fighters. The construction of the barrier along the border which the UN recognises but Lebanon disputes, would divide the Israeli-controlled town of Ghajar in half, requiring most of the 2000 residents to move to the southern side, town residents said. The town of Alawite Arabs - the Muslim sect Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, belongs to - was captured from Syria along with the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and residents were granted Israeli citizenship. more.. IDF: Gaza operation is no real solution for Qassam threat Ha'aretz 1/3/2006 Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz conceded Tuesday that the army's Operation "Blue Skies" offensive provides only a partial solution to the firing of Qassam rockets on Ashkelon, and fails to provide any solution to the Qassam threat to the hard-hit Negev town of Sderot. Halutz spoke to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee hours after Palestinians fired 10 Qassam rockets at the Negev early on Tuesday. Two of the rockets were aimed at Ashkelon and the rest at the western Negev. The Qassam shelling was in apparent retaliation for a Monday night Israel Air Force strike in the northern Gaza Strip, which killed three Islamic Jihad commanders believed to have been involved in Qassam launchings. more.. Flames consume 600 dunams of orchards in Carmel region Ha'aretz 1/3/2006 A fire blazing in the Carmel region in the north on Tuesday has consumed 600 dunams of natural orchards. Firefighters suspect that the flames, which erupted on the southern slopes of Mount Carmel, are the result of fire from an Israel Defense Forces troops' shooting practice on a neighboring training ground. Firefighters called the incident a crime in security. Police helicopters and fire brigades were dispatched to the scene of the fire in the afternoon, but had trouble accessing the orchard after increased easterly winds intensified the flames. more.. Four policemen lightly injured in clash with Hebron settlers Ha'aretz 1/3/2006 Dozens of settlers clashed with Israel Defense Forces soldiers and police who served them notices Tuesday morning to leave Palestinian-owned buildings in a market in the heart of the West Bank city of Hebron. Four police officers were injured in the clashes, including one policeman who was hospitalized with light wounds after he was hit by a liquid that caused burning in his eyes. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said a small group of civilians threw stones and eggs at police and soldiers distributing the notices. Eight settlers, four of which are minors, have been detained by police for questioning. more.. 4 Citizens Arrested in Hebron WAFA 1/3/2006 HEBRON, January 3, 2006, (WAFA) - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested early Tuesday four citizens in the West Bank (WB) city of Hebron. Witnesses told WAFA that the Israeli soldiers stormed Dora town and Kharsa village, west the city and launched an all out search campaign and arrested four citizens, Enas Tbesh 22, Shady an-Nammoura 38, Mash'hour Abu Sundos 23 and Ahmed Hantash 23. In Jenin, IOF broke into the city and its refugee camp and occupied a number of houses and turned them into military barracks, Palestinian security sources said. more.. Soldiers level a four-story building north of Jerusalem International Middle East Media Center 1/3/2006 Israeli military bulldozers leveled a four-story building in Beit Hanina town, north of Jerusalem. The Jerusalem municipality claims that the building was illegally constructed. The Maan News Agency reported that soldiers attacked the owner of the buildings and arrested him after quarrelling with them. The building is still under construction and includes 20 apartments; each apartment is 400 square meters. [end] more.. Army invades Nablus, one resident arrested International Middle East Media Center 1/3/2006 In an invasion to the West Bank city of Nablus, on Tuesday at dawn, Israeli soldiers arrested one resident, and searched several houses searching for wanted members of the resistance. Omaer Arafat, 17, was arrested when troops stormed and searched his family house in the city, and was taken to an unknown destination. The invasion was carried out when some twenty armored vehicles stormed the city and took positions in Al Quds and Al Hisba Streets. [end] more.. Army invades Jenin and its refugee camp International Middle East Media Center 1/3/2006 Israeli troops invaded, on Tuesday at dawn, the West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp. Soldiers, supported by heavy military vehicles, stormed the city and the refugee camp, and conducted wide scale search to the residents' houses, and used several homes as military posts, local sources reported. No injures or arrests were reported. more.. 11 residents arrested from the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 1/3/2006 Israeli soldiers arrested, on Tuesday at dawn, 11 residents from several areas in the West Bank. 10 were arrested from the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron while one was arrested in the West Bank city of Qalqilia, the source added. The arrestees are allegedly members of Hamas and Fateh. In a separate incident, the Israeli radio reported that Palestinian fighters fired at Israeli military vehicle in the West Bank city of Nablus during an invasion to the city, in an attempt to arrest "wanted members of the resistance", no injures were reported. [end] more.. Guide to the West Bank Barrier BBC 1/3/2006 Introduction: Israel began building its highly controversial 670km (420 mile) barrier in the West Bank in 2002, following a series of suicide bombings during one of the most violent phases of the recent intifada. Israel says the barrier - mainly fence but partly concrete wall - is a temporary measure intended to prevent Palestinian militants entering Israel to carry out attacks. The Palestinians are angered by the effects of the barrier, which restricts tens of thousands of people's access to schools, hospitals and agricultural land. [Only in the "Timeline" sidebar do we learn that the "West Bank Barrier" is actually illegal. - Ed. ] more.. Three militants killed, one wounded in IAF airstrike Ha'aretz 1/3/2006 Three Palestinian militants on Monday night were killed when an Israel Air Force missile struck a car in the northern Gaza Strip. The three militants were in the car at the time of the explosion. Two bystanders were also wounded in the attack, Palestinian security officials said. Two of the men killed have been identified as senior Jihad militant Sayid Abu-Gadian and his aide, Akram Gadas. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the airstrike had been aimed at a senior member of the Islamic Jihad. more.. Army uproots 400 olive trees in a village near Hebron International Middle East Media Center 1/2/2006 Israeli soldier, backed by 25 armored vehicles, uprooted on Monday morning, more than 400 olive trees from the orchards which belong to residents of Al-Sikka village, south of the West Bank city of Hebron. The uprooted orchards are in an area which became close to the Separation Wall, south west of Hebron, the Palestine News Network reported. Army closed the area, and barred the residents from reaching their orchards. Majed Ihshiesh, headmaster of a school which is 100 away from the Separation Wall, said that soldiers placed the uprooted trees in large vehicles and drove away to an unknown location. more.. Three Workers Wounded in Hebron International Press Center 1/2/2006 HEBRON, Palestine, January 2,2005 (IPC+Agencies) - -Three workers were wounded Sunday overnight in Yatta town, south of Hebron when a Jewish settler ran over them while they were traveling at the tip of a bypass road north Soureef town as well as three residents were rounded up today dawn in Anzza, al Khadder towns. A resident Ibraheem Abu Anza, 34, who was badly bruised accounted that he and two other fellows Kamal Abu Jude', 30, Ahmed Abu Zahra, 16 were severely beaten. The resident Abu Judei had fallen unconscious. more.. Italian peace activist freed after abduction in Gaza The Guardian 1/2/2006 An Italian peace activist was kidnapped and freed in Gaza yesterday, just over a day after the release of a British family from captivity. The kidnapping was one of a series of attacks on the international community which seem to be increasing in the run-up to the Palestinian election. In a separate incident the United Nations Beach Club, a social centre and the only bar that serves alcohol in Gaza, was bombed by militants. No group claimed responsibility. more.. Israel Squeezing Palestinians out of Jordan Valley Palestine Media Center 12/31/2005 Poll: 80 Percent of Israelis Want to Retain Jordan Valley as ‘Strategic Asset’ -- Without fanfare, but with determination, Israel is systemically, militarily and economically squeezing Palestinians out of the Jordan Valley, expanding colonial Jewish settlement in the strategic area, as a new Israeli poll revealed on Friday that Israelis overwhelmingly see the “Valley” as more vital than the “Temple Mount” (Islam’s third holiest site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound) in eastern Jerusalem, which the Jewish state occupied in 1967. A report published in October by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that, “The Jordan Valley has become increasingly out of bounds for Palestinians living in other parts of the West Bank. ” more.. Documents reveal W. Bank settlement Modi'in Illit built illegally Ha'aretz 1/3/2006 Illegal permits were issued for a new West Bank project while buildings were being constructed or even completed, according to documents Haaretz has obtained. The project is the Modi'in Illit settlement neighborhood of Matityahu East, which is being built on land belonging to the Palestinian village of Bil'in. An eyewitness reported that the illicit construction is proceeding, despite recent instructions from the settlement's planning and construction committee to stop the work. The military government's Civil Administration chief planner... admitted the building permits... were issued illegally. more.. Israeli helicopters Target Educational Center in Khanyounis WAFA 1/2/2006 KHANYOUNIS, January 2, 2006, (WAFA)-Israeli helicopters targeted Monday an education center in the Gaza Strip City of Khanyounis. The sources said that Israeli fired a missile into Al-Shoroq Center for Computers in Bani Suheila town, east the city, causing a great damages to the building and to an electric transmitter, but no causalities were reported. Israeli warplanes launched several mock air raids on Gaza city, spreading a state of panic and fear among citizens, mostly children and women. more.. IAF strikes Fatah building in southern Gaza Strip Ha'aretz 1/2/2006 An Israel Air Force aircraft fired a missile early Monday morning into a building in the southern Gaza Strip that is often used by members of the Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, residents said. The Israel Defense Forces said it had "targeted a building used by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades terror organisation". The Brigades are part of Fatah. There were no immediate reports of casualties. more.. Palestinian police storm offices in Rafah to protest Gaza chaos Ha'aretz 1/2/2006 GAZA - Dozens of policemen stormed government offices in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on Monday to protest the failure of the Palestinian Authority to fight growing lawlessness, witnesses said. The policemen raided government offices, courthouses and the municipality building in Rafah. They smashed windows at the Interior Ministry building and forced the staff to leave the building. "We are calling on all officers to take off their uniform because the Palestinian Authority has tied the hands of policemen, preventing us from implementing law and order," one policeman told Reuters. more.. More Qassams hit Israel YNetNews 1/1/2006 At least three Qassam rockets fired from Gaza Strip at Israeli targets Sunday afternoon -- The ongoing Qassam rocket attacks on Israeli targets resumed Sunday afternoon, despite the IDF's operation "Blue Skies," aimed at curbing rocket fire at Israel. Two rockets landed in an open area near a western Negev community. No injuries were reported in the strike. Meanwhile, the "Red Dawn" alert system was activated in the southern town of Sderot around 3 p. m. after a Qassam was launched at the community. more.. 'We didn't want to cooperate but they were being so kind' The Guardian 1/3/2006 Kate Burton speaks for the first time about her family's 58-hour kidnapping ordeal in Gaza -- It was on the third day of captivity that Kate Burton decided she had had enough. "I asked them to release us. I told them that it had gone on for long enough," she said. Ahmed, one of the kidnappers, shouted back: "I can't believe what you are doing. You are being so disrespectful after everything we have done for you. " He started shouting at Muhammad, the other kidnapper and then stormed out. It was then the Burton family realised their promised release was not as certain as they imagined. more.. Kidnap Briton to go on working for Palestinians The Guardian 1/1/2006 The British aid worker kidnapped with her parents in Gaza last week has vowed to stay on to help the Palestinian people despite her ordeal. In a joint statement, Kate Burton and her mother and father said they had been treated well by their captors. 'We are glad these last few days are over and we would like to express our gratitude to the Palestinian Authority, the British government and all groups and individuals in Gaza and worldwide who have been supporting us,' the statement said. more.. Israeli Police detains scores of Palestinians in AL Khan Al Ahmar area International Middle East Media Center 1/3/2006 Israeli border policemen detained, on Monday morning, scores of Palestinian civilians at a sudden military checkpoint in Al Khan Al Ahmar area, near the Israeli settlement of Mishor Adumim in the Jordan valley. Border-police jeeps blocked the road that connects the south of the West Bank with other West areas, and the Jordan valley,. Soldiers stopped the vehicles, searched them and checked the identity cards of the passengers. [end] more.. Bomber planned to hit reactor YNetNews 1/2/2006 Cleared for publication: Gaza Strip resident indicted over plans to target nuclear reactor in Dimona, as well as southern town of Ashkelon. Suspect also planned simultaneous suicide bombings across Israel -- Cleared for publication: Ramzi Salah, a 22-year-old Gaza Strip resident, planned to detonate himself with other suicide bombers at Israel's nuclear reactor in Dimona or in other cities across the country, an indictment served Monday revealed. more.. IDF to deploy along southern border YNetNews 1/2/2006 'Security revolution' along southern border: Large number of troops expected to arrive at Israel-Egypt border Monday afternoon, guarding towers to be built, armed personnel carriers to be placed in area in attempt to halt criminal smuggle activities, which also serve terror organizations -- The IDF is expected to deploy a large number of forces Monday along the Israel-Egypt border, from the Kerem Shalom crossing to the Nitzana salient. more.. MPA: IOF Arrests 3495 Citizens in 2005 WAFA 1/2/2006 GAZA, January 2, 2006, (WAFA) - Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs (MPA) said that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested, in 2005, around 3495 citizens- among of them 1600 are still behind Israeli bars. In its annual report, MPA stated that the IOF preceded during the said year its arrest campaigns where 3366 citizens were arrested in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, 96. 3% of the total number (3495) and 129 from Gaza Strip, 3. 7%. "There are hundreds of citizens, mostly pupils, were detained for long hours on the Israeli military checkpoints and detention centers, besides 3495 citizens were not documented due to the ministry incapability... " more.. Army arrests election campaign coordinator of a left-wing coalition International Middle East Media Center 1/2/2006 The Israeli army arrested on Monday the election campaign coordinator of "Badeel" coalition, a combination of the Palestinian People's Party (PPP), the Democratic Front for the LIberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Palestinian Democratic Union, (FIDA). Ahmad Jaber was arrested when army troops invaded the camp and searched his hosue in Al-Arroub refugeecamp. Eyewitnesses said, that soldiers invaded Jaber's house and arrested him and took him to an unknowndesitnation. more.. Italian hostage freed in Gaza 'still for the Palestinians' YNetNews 1/1/2006 'I will never change my idea about the occupation,' says Italian man who was freed hours after being kidnapped by Palestinian gunmen -- Masked Palestinian gunmen briefly kidnapped an Italian peace activist in the Gaza Strip and blew up a United Nations club on Sunday in separate incidents that underscored growing internal unrest.... Firing shots in the air, the gunmen seized Alessandro Bernardini during a visit by a delegation of 18 Italians ahead of the parliamentary election. He was freed after several hours. more.. Palestinians: Israel wouldn't dare return to Gaza YNetNews 1/1/2006 Abu Ahmad, commander of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Gaza, says 'security strip' in Gaza created by IDF is unimportant: 'We have hundreds of places and options, all within the area they classify as the security strip, to fire the rockets. We know the Israelis wouldn't dare return to Gaza after the withdrawal' -- Palestinians behind the rocket attacks on Israel have said that "Israel would not dare" return to the Gaza Strip to stop the barrages of Qassams landing on Israel. more.. Bombardment Heightens North the Strip,Sederot Mayor Calls to Wipe off Beit Hanoon International Press Center 12/31/2005 GAZA, Palestine, December 31, 2005 (IPC+Agencies) - - Israeli occupation's artillery stationed at the northern borders of Gaza Strip fired Friday overnight no more than 15 cannons at several areas north the Strip, falling in the farmlands, partial damages to the residents' belongings were reported. Security sources and witnesses reported that the occupation tanks stationed at the border line burst out a torrent of fire against the areas of Beit Hanoon and Beit Lahia, and in a proximity to the Palestinian security personnel.... Meanwhile, the Mayor of Syderot, Eli Moyal, called the Israeli occupation army to wipe Beit Hanoon off the face of the earth as his town came in the range of rocket firing. more.. Gunmen take over Gaza ministry YNetNews 12/31/2005 PA anarchy continues: About 50 masked gunmen, member of Fatah political wing, occupy Palestinian Interior Ministry office in Gaza Strip's Deir el-Balah refugee camp to demand jobs -- About 50 masked gunmen occupied a Palestinian government office in the Gaza Strip on Saturday to demand jobs, witnesses and a spokesman for the gunmen said. The group, members of a political wing of the mainstream Fatah movement, occupied an Interior Ministry office in Deir el-Balah refugee camp, forced everyone to leave and stood guard outside. more.. Gaza evacuees: We'll be back YNetNews 1/1/2006 Settlers evacuated from northern Gaza hold candle lighting ceremony before their former settlement under slogan 'light shall overcome darkness'; say they plan to return to Gaza soon -- Dozens of settlers evacuated from the northern Gaza Strip region in the framework of last summer’s disengagement held a candle lighting ceremony Sunday opposite the former Elei Sinai settlement, now under Palestinian jurisdiction. When the former settlers arrived near the border, in proximity of about 70 meters (about 230 feet) from the settlement on the other side, they were approached by the commander of the IDF force stationed in the area, who asked them to leave the place. more.. Four IDF soldiers hospitalized suffering from severe pneumonia Ha'aretz 1/1/2006 Four Israel Defense Forces soldiers from the Zukei Uvda base in the Negev were hospitalized at Be'er Sheva's Soroka Medical Center on Friday after contracting pneumonia. One of the soldiers, who is listed in very serious condition, has been in the intensive care unit for a week. She was put into an induced coma and remains on artificial respiration and is being treated with antibiotics. Nine other soldiers from the base who contracted pneumonia were sent home. more.. Palestinian forces free hostage after shootout with abductors Ha'aretz 1/1/2006 Palestinian security forces on Sunday stormed a building where an Italian hostage was being held, freeing the man after a shootout with his kidnappers, security officials said. The hostage, identified as Alessandro Bernardini, was seen being taken out of the building to safety by security personnel. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the shootout. The Italian was kidnapped from a minibus traveling through the southern town of Khan Yunis early Sunday. Armed men stopped the minibus, forced the Italian out and sped away with him. more.. Army invades a Bethlehem village International Middle East Media Center 1/2/2006 Israeli troops invaded late Sunday night the village of Wad Rahal near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, local sources reported. Eyewitnesses said, several army vehicles stormed the village firing live rounds and sound bombs. Troops searched the house of Mohamed Al Masri, yet no arrests were reported, and no reason was given for the invasion. [end] more.. Army uproot olive trees near Hebron International Middle East Media Center 1/2/2006 The Israeli army bulldozers uprooted on Monday more than 400 olive trees in Skaka village near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The trees were uprooted for the construction of the Wall on the land of this village. While bulldozers started in the morning hours to uproot the trees, the soldiers prevented the farmers from reaching their land where the uprooting is taking place, eyewitnesses said. Eeyewitnesses also reported that army trucks were seen taking the uprooted trees away from the area. more.. '2006: A year of escalation' YNetNews 1/2/2006 According to Military Intelligence forecasts for 2006, Assad's regime in Damascus could collapse by end of year, international jihad coming closer to Israel, Hizbullah Chief Nasrallah's tendency to take risks increasing, and Iran making progress to obtaining nuclear weapons; on the bright side: Calm expected to continue, strategic situation reasonably good -- A senior official in Military Intelligence has warned that 2006 will see a number of escalations on all of the fronts, and has delivered a pessimistic forecast. more.. 2005: Qassams up, casualties down YNetNews 1/2/2006 Last year saw a significant decrease in the number of Israelis killed, injured in terror attacks, while Qassam and mortar attacks intensified, a Shin Bet report summarizing 'the year of the lull' reveals -- A drop of 60 percent in the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks was registered in 2005, as well as a decrease of 30 percent in the number of Israelis injured during such strikes, a report published Monday by the Shin Bet revealed.... Furthermore, 2005 saw a growth in rocket attacks in comparison to 2004: 377 rockets landed in Israel in 2005, compared to only 309 the previous year. more.. Israel death toll lowest in years BBC 1/2/2006 Forty-five Israelis were killed in Palestinian militant attacks in 2005, the Israeli internal security agency Shin Bet has reported. This is 60% fewer than the number killed in 2004, and the lowest since the start of the intifada in 2000. The main reason for the decline, Shin Bet said, was the informal truce observed by some Palestinian groups. However, Israel says Palestinian groups have smuggled a number of anti-aircraft missiles into Gaza. These were smuggled in the aftermath of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said. more.. Army chief dismisses commander YNetNews 1/2/2006 Dan Halutz adopts recommendations of investigative committee, dismisses two soldiers in elite Duvdevan undercover unit who refused to take part in counter-terrorism operation in Jenin -- Chief of Staff Dan Halutz has decided to adopt the recommendations of an investigative committee that called for a crew commander and a sergeant from the elite Duvdevan (Cherry) undercover unit to be dismissed for refusing to take part in a counter-terror operation.... The incident in question occurred following a counter-terror operation that encountered difficulties, with troops coming under heavy fire for three hours and only narrowly and miraculously escaping injury. more..

Diplomacy..

U.S. Congress moves to legislate against Hamas-led PA Ha'aretz 2/1/2006 WASHINGTON - Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, from Florida, submitted on Tuesday the first legislative response to Hamas' landslide victory in Palestinian elections last week. The bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos, from California, includes a number of extremely harsh measures against the radical Islamic movement. However, sources in Washington predicted that some of the provisions will not be included in the final draft of the bill. There is reason to believe that the administration will try to moderate its tone during negotiations with legislators, which are expected to last a few weeks. more.. US urges Arab states to fund Palestinians after Hamas victory The Guardian 1/31/2006 White House fears chaos if support is cut off· Danger of cash vacuum poses dilemma for west -- The US is urging Arab states to continue funding a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, even though Washington is threatening to cut its own aid. Western diplomats said yesterday that George Bush's administration had already contacted Arab governments that give the Palestinian Authority support and requested them to continue their funding. The US position behind the scenes contrasts with its public stance, in which President Bush has said he will cut aid to the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas renounces violence and stops demanding the destruction of Israel. more.. Riyadh, Amman call on Hamas to moderate stance Daily Star 2/1/2006 Saudi king urges continued aid to PA -- Jordan's King Abdullah II and Saudi Arabia called on Hamas to moderate its stances Tuesday, and Egypt sent a top envoy to meet with Hamas leaders in Damascus as Arab nations launched a diplomatic push to contain the fallout from the group's election triumph. The European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States(known as the Middle East Quartet) warned at talks in London on Monday that payments would be under threat if Hamas did not alter its principles before entering government. more.. Hamas rejects 'unfair' aid demand BBC 1/31/2006 Hamas has rebuffed threats to halt international aid to the Palestinians, saying that it will continue its current strategy towards Israel. The EU, US, Russia and the UN called on Monday for Hamas to renounce violence and recognise Israel or face the prospect of cuts in global aid. One Hamas leader, Ismail Haniya, said the "unfair conditions" would endanger the well-being of Palestinians. Israel has said it is likely to suspend payments of tax revenues due to the PA. A regular monthly payment of about $50m (£35m) is due to be transferred to the PA on Wednesday, but could be held back pending the result of a high-level review, Israel said. more.. Report: Israel may talk with Hamas YNetNews 1/31/2006 Egypt receives guarantees from Israel, U.S. that they would agree to negotiate with Hamas if organization accepts 'two-state' principle, London-based newspaper Asharq Alawsat reports -- Cairo has received guarantees from the United States and Israel that they would agree to hold negotiations with Hamas if the group agrees to negotiate on the basis on a two-state principle, the London-based Arabic newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Tuesday, quoting Egyptian sources. Egyptian and Palestinian sources reported that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to meet in Cairo with Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, during his visit to Egypt, set to begin Tuesday. more.. Syria moots Arab aid for Palestinians AlJazeera 1/31/2006 Syria plans proposing to Arab nations to compensate the Palestinians for any aid Western powers might cut after the election victory of Islamist group Hamas. State-run Sana news agency on Tuesday quoted Farouq al-Shara, the foreign minister, as saying Syria would submit the proposal at an Arab summit in March. "The move comes within the framework of the continuous Arab support to the Palestinian people, and the respect of its will and choices," Sana said. The Quartet of major powers trying to broker Middle East peace - Russia, the European Union, the US and the UN - said earlier this week that Hamas must reject violence and recognise Israel or risk losing the vital aid. more.. Jerusalem Patriarchs, Heads of Churches Congratulate Palestinian WAFA/People for Democratic Performance 1/31/2006 JERUSALEM, January 31, 2006 (WAFA)- The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches of Jerusalem congratulated the Palestinian people for their democratic performance in the recent parliamentary elections. In a press release issued Tuesday, they expressed their respect and support to the will of the people expressed in these elections, and congratulated "all those who were elected". "Our message as Christian leaders in this new phase of our history is the message of our faith and our concern for all. Some may be afraid or troubled because of this new phase. We respond, first, with the words of Jesus Christ: "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give" (Jn 14:27). more.. U.S. Evangelists to boost Israel support in wake of Hamas win Ha'aretz 2/1/2006 The victory of Hamas in last week's Palestinian election will likely strengthen the relationship between Israel and evangelicals, Knesset members and Christian leaders said Monday. A Hamas-led government could threaten access to holy sites and the well-being of Christians in the holy land, Israeli parliament members and evangelical leaders warned in a meeting sponsored by the Christian Allies Caucus, a group of 14 Knesset members seeking to mobilize Christian support for Israel. Evangelical Christians are among the strongest supporters of Israel in the U.S. , but some are uncomfortable with their extreme stance, opposing any Israeli pullback from the West Bank or Gaza or compromise with the Palestinians. more.. Saudi FM warns stopping aid to Palestinian Authority 'disastrous' ReliefWeb 1/31/2006 KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31, 2006 (AFP) - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned Tuesday that withdrawing aid from the Palestinian Authority after the militant group Hamas won last week's election would be "disastrous". Faisal, who is visiting Malaysia as part of Saudi King Abdullah's delegation, called for calm after the stunning victory by Hamas in the Palestinian polls. "I think if anybody changes his relations to the Palestinian Authority prematurely, (it) would be a disastrous thing," Faisal told reporters when asked if Saudi Arabia would change its funding commitments to the Palestinian Authority. more.. Syria to call on Arab states to step in if Western aid to PA is cut Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 DAMASCUS - Syria said on Tuesday it would propose that Arab nations compensate the Palestinians for any aid Western powers might cut after last week's Hamas election victory, the state-run SANA news agency reported. The agency quoted Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Shara as saying his country would submit the proposal at an Arab summit in March. "The move comes within the framework of the continuous Arab support to the Palestinian people, and the respect of its will and choices," SANA said. more.. EU sets conditions for continued PA funding International Middle East Media Center 1/31/2006 The European Union (E. U. ) on Tuesday set three conditions for the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority (PA) to adhere to in order to continue receiving funding from the E. U. The E. U. Ambassador Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal stated that all ministers of any Palestinian government must be committed to renouncing violence, recognizing Israel as a state and accepting previous agreements made with Israel (including the 'Roadmap' plan). European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana told the Associated Press Tuesday morning, "For us, it is fundamental. We cannot cooperate with an organization that won't renounce violence and be able to negotiate with the other side. " more.. EU 'to keep funding Palestinians' BBC 1/30/2006 The European Union says it will continue funding the Palestinian Authority so long as its new government is committed to peace with Israel. EU ministers renewed their call for Hamas to renounce violence and recognise the Jewish state following the militant group's election victory. Earlier Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas urged foreign donors to continue giving aid to the Palestinians. EU member states donated about $600m (£341m) to the Palestinians in 2005. more.. Quartet gives Hamas time to change AlJazeera 1/30/2006 Hamas has won time from a wary European Union, Russia and the US to renounce violence and recognise Israel's right to exist before it forms the next Palestinian government. Meeting on Monday in London in the wake of Hamas' stunning victory in last week's Palestinian elections, the diplomatic Quartet on Middle East peace - which also includes the UN - pledged to keep money flowing into the interim caretaker administration of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. "We do believe that Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] needs to be supported," Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, said, ensuring that funds will be available to pay for Palestinian police officers and civil servants. more.. Annan: New PA gov't must recognize Israel Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 LONDON - U. N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday that a Hamas-led Palestinian government must commit to non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of existing peace agreements if it is to maintain its level of financial support. Speaking for the Quartet of would-be peace-making nations after their meeting in London, Annan also said Hamas must set up a government that is committed to the rule of law, to tolerance, reform and sound fiscal management. It was "inevitable that future assistance to any new government would be reviewed by donors against that government's commitment" to such principles, Annan said. more.. Saddam greets Hamas victory AlJazeera 1/31/2006 Lawyers of jailed former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein has said that their client asked them to convey his congratulations to Hamas who won the Palestinian elections. Member of Saddam Hussein's defence team Salih al-Armoti told Aljazeera. net that "the president was pleased to hear about Hamas's victory". "He [Saddam] said he sympathises with any party which stands firm against hegemony, and does not compromise principles for interests" al-Armoti said. "The president said he was pleased to learn that the Palestinian people have finally been able to make a decision for themselves," he said. more.. Lawyers for ex-AIPAC lobbyists estimate trial costs at $4m Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 The cost of the trial of two former AIPAC lobbyists accused of disclosing confidential information to Israel is estimated at $4 million, sources close to the defense have told Haaretz. Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman are accused of receiving classified information from former Pentagon analyst Larry A. Franklin and later transferring it to journalists and to Israeli officials. Their trial is expected to begin in April 2006. AIPAC has offered the two ex-lobbyists $1. 6 million for their defense fees, but according to the sources, it wanted to free itself of any legal obligations toward the two, who were fired following the affair. more.. President Meets King of Jordan in Amman, Egyptian PM in Cairo WAFA 1/31/2006 CAIRO, January 31, 2006 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas held talks Tuesday in Cairo with the Egyptian Prime Minister, Ahmed Nazef, after a meeting in Amman with King of Jordan Abdullah II. The Palestinian-Egyptian talks taclked the latest developments in the Palestinian territories in light of the Palestinian legislative elections results, in addition to issues of common interest. Earlier, President Abbas described his talks with King Abdullah II as important. He also expressed thanks and appreciation for the King over supporting the Palestinians and defending their rights. more.. Olmert: Kadima's Knesset list will shape Israel's borders Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 Kadima presented its list Tuesday of 50 candidates vying for Knesset seats in the March 28 parliamentary election. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in his address at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem that the party would forge ahead with efforts to resolve Israel's conflict with the Palestinians. "The staff that is sitting here in this auditorium will help lead Israel to two central futures - shaping a permanent border for the State of Israel as a country with a clear and solid Jewish majority, and fighting the socio-economic gap which is threatening the social stability of Israel. " more.. British MP Calls for Clear Thinking to Hamas Victory WAFA 1/31/2006 LONDON, January 31, 2006 (WAFA)- A British MP who was an official international observer at the Palestinian elections last week has called for "clear thinking and a measured response" to Hamas' sweeping victory. In an e-mail sent to WAFA, Mr. Richard Burden said that the international community is right to make clear to Hamas that they must abandon the path of violence and that recognition of Israel will be part of any lasting settlement. However, he warns against the "imposition of ill-thought through preconditions on exploratory dialogue with Palestine's new government. " more.. Hamas hints at long-term truce in return for '67 borders Palestine Monitor/Ha'aretz 1/30/2006 A long-term truce (hudna) with Israel is possible if Israel retreats to its pre-1967 borders and releases Palestinian prisoners, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar told CNN on Monday. "We can expect to establish our independent state on the area before '67 and we can give a long-term hudna," Zahar told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Zahar laid out a series of conditions that he said could lead to years of co-existence alongside Israel. He said that if Israel "is ready to give us the national demand to withdraw from the occupied area [in] '67; to release our detainees; to stop their aggression; to make geographic link between Gaza Strip and West Bank, at that time, with assurance from other sides, we are going to accept to establish our independent state at that time, and give us one or two, 10, 15 years time in order to see what is the real intention of Israel after that. " more.. Dichter: PA ministers with terror ties not immune to assassination Ha'aretz 1/29/2006 Former Shin Bet chief and political newcomer Avi Dichter said on Sunday that Israel should hunt down wanted Hamas leaders even if they become ministers in a newly elected Palestinian government. Dichter, who is seen as a frontrunner for a top security post after general elections, said he doubted Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas would remain in power, except as a "puppet leader", following Hamas's election victory. "(Abbas) knows very well that he's going to find himself in a high-noon situation, and I'm sure that he is fully aware of the fact that he is not going to be the last man standing," said Dichter. more.. Olmert: Israel won't transfer PA tax revenues to 'murderers' Ha'aretz 1/30/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has decided to postpone the monthly transfer of tax revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, due to Hamas' victory in last week's Palestinian elections. The Finance Ministry is supposed to transfer some NIS 200 million to the PA in another two days. However, a government source said, "the money will not be transferred this week. It may be transferred in the future. "Speaking yesterday at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Jerusalem, Olmert was blunt. "We have no intention of enabling fund transfers that will be used for terrorism," he said. more.. Hamas says it's holding secret talks with the US International Middle East Media Center 1/30/2006 Mousa Abu Marzouq, assistant of the head of Hamas' political bureau reported, on Monday, that the movement has been holding secret talks, in recent period, with the United States on several issues, adding that Hamas prefers direct and formal talks. Abu Marzouq told an Algerian newspaper that Washington replaced the direct talks with secret ones which were formal in some cases and informal in others. "Hamas prefers direct talks with the United States in the coming period", Abu Marzouq said, "We will deal with every party in accordance to our strategy". more.. Israel, EU and US Strangle PNA into Financial Chaos Palestine Media Center 1/30/2006 Israel Stops Tax Proceeds to PNA -- The Palestinian people in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip face aid cut threats from the Western countries as well as from Israel, as a punishment for electing the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the parliamentary election on January 25, amid warnings from the PNA and the envoy of the Middle East Quartet, James Wolfensohn, that a financial crisis will push the Palestinian territories into chaos in a matter of days. Top diplomats of the Middle East Quartet and the European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in London and Brussels respectively on Monday to review financial aid to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) following the landslide victory of Hamas in the legislative elections. more.. EU aid to continue if Hamas commits to seeking peace Daily Star 1/31/2006 The European Union is ready to continue aid to the Palestinians as long as a future Hamas-led government commits itself to seeking peace with Israel, foreign ministers of the bloc said on Monday. Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas urged foreign donors to lift threats to cut vital aid but the United States refused, saying it would not directly aid the militant group. In a joint statement, the EU foreign ministers said in Brussels they expected the new Palestinian Legislative Council to back the creation of a government "committed to a peaceful and negotiated solution of the conflict with Israel". "On this basis the EU stands ready to continue to support Palestinian economic development and democratic state-building," it said in the statement, adding that the EU wanted to see a commitment to the rule of law and sound financial management. more.. Abbas urges continued aid to Palestinians The Guardian 1/30/2006 The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, today urged the international community not to cut aid to his people following last week's election victory by Hamas. Mr Abbas spoke after EU foreign ministers called on Hamas to embrace peace efforts with Israel, renounce violence and disarm. The ministers, meeting in Brussels to discuss the election, threatened to cut off crucial financial assistance - which makes up nearly half the Palestinian Authority's budget - if its demands are ignored. International aid is vital for police salaries and basic services in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. more.. Abbas to resign if Hamas fails to work with foreign powers The Guardian 1/30/2006 Palestinian president seeks deal on new cabinet· Concerns over withdrawal of essential funding -- The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has threatened to resign unless Hamas agrees to a government and policies that can win international recognition and continued foreign aid. A source close to the Palestinian leader said Mr Abbas, who is leader of the Fatah party defeated in last week's general election, has drafted a resignation letter and warned he will submit it if talks with Hamas do not produce an administration that can work with foreign governments. more.. U.S. bill: PA a terror haven YNetNews 1/30/2006 Congress members want to place constraints on fund transfers to Palestinian in wake of Hamas election victory -- WASHINGTON - A new bill being formulated in the U.S. Congress in the wake of Hamas' election victory aims to designate the Palestinian Authority as a haven for terrorists. The bill, which has not yet been drafted and is being formulated at this time, is designed to make the transfer of funds to the Palestinians, either directly or indirectly, more difficult. Should the bill pass, it will enable the U.S. to place the Palestinians on a list of terror-supporting countries, resulting in severe sanctions on trade with the PA and the transfer of funds to it. more.. Netanyahu Compares Hamas Election Win to Rise of Hitler Palestine Chronicle 1/30/2006 Kadima issued a statement saying the State of Israel 'remembers very well Benjamin Netanyahu's resounding failure as prime minister. ' -- While stumping in Netanya on Sunday, Likud Chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas' victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections last week to the rise of the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s. "A few days ago, a new foe arose," Netanyahu said at a campaign stop at the Park Hotel. "When Hitler rose to power, it was said that ruling would moderate him, and it was also said in regard to the Ayatollah's regime and the Taliban. There are urgent warning signs that [scream] out a lust for murder and destruction. " more.. Aid for Palestinians in jeopardy by major powers ReliefWeb 1/30/2006 LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Future funding for the Palestinian Authority is in jeopardy as the major peace brokers in the Middle East meet on Monday to plot how to deal with a new Palestinian government led by militant group Hamas. Members of the Quartet -- the European Union, the United Nations, the United States and Russia -- meet in London to discuss whether isolating Hamas politically and financially is the best policy after the Islamic militants surprise victory in last week's parliamentary elections. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in London for the meeting, said while the United States would fulfill its current aid commitments to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Washington could not fund Hamas in government. more.. World powers to thrash out response to Hamas victory ReliefWeb 1/30/2006 BRUSSELS, Jan 30, 2006 (AFP) - Key world powers sought Monday to thrash out a strategy toward Hamas after its stunning Palestinian poll win, with some Europeans and the US warning the group to renounce violence or face aid cuts. Ahead of a meeting of the so-called Middle East quartet of the EU, US, United Nations and Russia, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Hamas now faced an important choice. "They have to change their methods and they have to accept that violence is incompatible with democracy," Solana told AFP at a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels. The European Union is by far the biggest donor to the Palestinian people and Solana insisted that Hamas, which advocates the destruction of Israel, must renounce violence if it wanted European support. more.. Hamas appeals to foreign donors to keep funding PA ReliefWeb 1/30/2006 GAZA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Hamas appealed on Monday to foreign donors to lift threats to cut vital aid to a Palestinian government which the Islamic militant group is expected to form but rejected their calls to renounce violence against Israel. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has threatened to curtail European Union monetary support, said ahead of talks in the occupied West Bank with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he should urge Hamas to recognise Israel. Members of the Middle East peace-broking Quartet -- the European Union, the United Nations, the United States and Russia -- were to meet in London later in the day to discuss whether isolating Hamas politically and financially is the best policy. more.. French Jews, Canadian Muslims Urge Respect of Hamas Win Palestine Chronicle 1/30/2006 The Jewish union slammed the ferocious campaign by the US, the EU and Israel against Hamas after its landslide election victory. -- PARIS/ TORONTO - The Jewish French Union for Peace (JFPP) has criticized the ferocious campaign by the US, the EU and Israel against Hamas after the group’s landslide victory in last week’s legislative elections and called for respecting the democratic choice of the Palestinian people. The same call was echoed by Canadian Muslim leaders, who urged the new government to recognize Hamas and give it a chance. more.. Statement by Middle East Quartet 30 Jan 2006 ReliefWeb/Quartet 1/30/2006 .... The Quartet congratulated the Palestinian people on an electoral process that was free, fair and secure. The Quartet believes that the Palestinian people have the right to expect that a new Government will address their aspirations for peace and Statehood, and it welcomed President Abbas’ affirmation that the Palestinian Authority is committed to the Road Map, previous agreements and obligations between the parties, and a negotiated two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. more.. Hamas Urges Dialogue, Continued Aid Palestine Chronicle 1/30/2006 The EU said it is ready to continue aid to the Palestinians but wants to see a Hamas-led government commit itself to peace with Israel. -- GAZA CITY - The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, which swept the legislative polls and is to form the new government, on Monday, January 30, exhorted the international community to continue helping the Palestinian people with financial and urged unconditional talks with the Middle East quartet. "We call for dialogue without preliminary conditions and in a spirit of neutrality," senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniya told a news conference in Gaza City, reading out a message addressed to the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and United States, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). more.. Hamas rejects Quartet call to disarm, recognise Israel ReliefWeb 1/30/2006 GAZA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Hamas rejected a call from the Middle East peacemaking Quartet on Monday to renounce violence and recognise Israel if it participates in a Palestinian government, a spokesman for the group said. "The Quartet should have demanded an end to (Israeli) occupation and aggression... not demanded that the victim should recognise the occupation and stand handcuffed in the face of the aggression," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said. Quartet representatives met in London on Monday and issued a statement saying Hamas must reject violence and recognise Israel. more.. Peretz blasts Hamas at Socialist International Ha'aretz 1/31/2006 Labor Party Chair Amir Peretz addressed the Socialist International convention in Athens yesterday. Peretz repeated his opposition to negotiating with Hamas. "There are those who claim the Palestinians voted for Hamas out of despair, frustration with the Palestinian Authority and their bad economic situation. All this still does not alter the fact that there will be people taking part in the new Palestinian government who are against the peace process and call for the Jewish state's destruction. An Israeli government under my leadership will never talk with whoever does not disarm, eliminate terrorism and recognize Israel," Peretz said. more.. President Abbas Meets with Jordan's PM in Amman WAFA 1/30/2006 AMMAN, January 30, 2006 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas met on Monday with the Jordanian Prime Minister Ma'rouf al-Bakhit in the Jordanian Capital Amman. The President updated the Jordanian PM on the results of the legislative elections as well as the bilateral ties between the countries. They also discussed a number of common interest issues such as pushing the peace process forward and boosting the relations between their countries. more.. Egyptian PM: Hamas Have to Work within Framework of Oslo Agreements WAFA 1/30/2006 CAIRO, January 30, 2006 (WAFA) - Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef said Monday that Hamas have to work within the framework of the Oslo agreements, the Road Map, the idea of two states living in peace. In an interview with Newsweek magazine in the margin of World Economic Forum in Davos, Nazef said that "Egypt can play an important role, because probably Egypt is one of the few countries in the world today who can talk to the Israelis and talk to the Palestinians in that format". PM made it clear that" the important thing is that we have a political process in place, and that political process must be given a chance to try to fulfill the needs of the Palestinian people". more.. PINR Report: Hamas, PNA Face Difficult Times Ahead Palestine Media Center 1/30/2006 Power and Interest News Report - Report Drafted By: Dr. P. R. Kumaraswamy -- The victory of the militant Islamic group Hamas in the Palestinian parliamentary elections held on January 25, 2006 raises many questions. Both the Palestinians and the international community are entering unchartered and turbulent waters. At least in the immediate future, there is less likelihood for a meaningful peace process. The historic significance of the election and its outcome cannot be denied. The success of Hamas in securing a convincing majority in the 132-member Palestinian parliament is a reflection of the popular discontent, disappointment and disapproval of the Fatah-led Palestinian National Authority (P. N. A. ). [See also Power and Interest News Report ] more.. Al-Zahar: America is not Enemy International Press Center 1/30/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 30, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) - - Hamas leader and elected PLC member Mahmoud Al Zahar told CNN and CBS on Monday that George W. Bush has the key to achieve peace in the region and we accept a long-term truce (hudna) with Israel is possible if Israel withdraws to pre-1967 borders and releases prisoners. "We can expect to establish our independent state on the 1967-occupied territories and we can give a long-term (calm) hudna," Zahar told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. more.. Rice: We underestimated Hamas YNetNews 1/30/2006 U.S. Secretary of State Rice admits administration failed to predict Palestinian elections' outcome; 'everyone was caught off guard,' she adds. Rice states U.S. won't fund Hamas-led government -- WASHINGTON - First sanctions: United States Secretary of States Condoleezza Rice on Sunday ruled out any American financial aid to a Hamas government in the Palestinian territories and said Washington wants Arab nations and others to cut off money as well. The top U.S. diplomat spoke to reporters as she flew to London for a Mideast strategy session with European and Russian leaders and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. more.. Iran accuses Israel of 'exploiting' past Jewish suffering Ha'aretz 1/30/2006 European leaders marked the first International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Friday, which was the 61st anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. The ceremony was overshadowed by Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, denying the Holocaust and threatening IsraelLast week Iran accused the "Zionist regime" of "routinely attempting to exploit the suffering of the Jewish people in the past as a cover for its crimes being perpetrated today against Palestinians in the occupied territories. "An official document sent by Iran's UN mission to the president of the General Assembly, Swedish diplomat Jan Eliasson, lists these crimes as "Massacre, demolition of houses, properties and farmlands as well as acts of state terrorism. " more.. Olmert: No dialogue with Hamas Ha'aretz 1/30/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday denied press reports that he had reprimanded the Israeli intelligence community for failing to predict the Hamas landslide in Palestinian elections last week. Olmert said: "At no point was there any kind of rebuke of intelligence personnel. The reports are groundless. The cabinet and I have complete confidence in the military establishment, the chief of staff, Military Intelligence and the Shin Bet security service. "Hamas instructed its leaders in the territories, particularly those elected to parliament, to tone down the rhetoric in the press regarding the organization's plans for forming a cabinet. As a result, the organization's Gaza spokesmen have reduced their media interviews and focused on transmitting calming messages. more.. Israel seeks backing for int'l boycott of Hamas Ha'aretz 1/29/2006 Over the weekend Israeli officials worked to drum up international support for a boycott of Hamas and to set conditions for talking to a Palestinian government led by or including the organization. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the leaders with whom he spoke that Israel is demanding that Hamas abrogate the clause in its covenant calling for Israel's destruction and accept all agreements and obligations to which the Palestinian Authority is committed. "Israel cannot have any contact with a government in which Hamas is a partner," Olmert said. more.. Hamas Urges National Unity, Defends Right to Resist Palestine Chronicle 1/29/2006 Meshaal played down American and European threats to strip Palestinians of economic assistance. 'We are not beggars and will not beg their aid. ' -- CAIRO/DAMASCUS - Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Saturday, January 28, held out a hand to vanquished Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) for a national partnership serving the welfare of the Palestinian people, asserting that resistance in no way contradicts the political game. "Our top priority now is consulting with Fatah and Abu Mazen who helped render the Palestinian legislative elections a success to reach a national partnership," Meshaal told a press conference in the Syrian capital Damascus, two days after his group swept the polls. more.. Mashal calls on world to respect Palestinians election rights ReliefWeb/IRNA 1/28/2006 Leader of Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas Khalid Mashal on Saturday called on foreign governments to respect the election rights of the Palestinian nation. Speaking to reporters, he added that the Palestinians should not be blamed for voting to Hamas rather the world should recognize the Palestinians election results. At the recent parliamentary election held at the northern districts (West Bank) and Gaza Strip on January 25, Hamas won 75 seats out of the 135. "The majority of votes were given to Hamas by the Palestinian nation, who elected us to defend their legitimate rights," he added. more.. Background question and answer - Implications of the Palestinian elections ReliefWeb/Council on Foreign Relations 1/26/2006 Introduction -- Hamas' surprise victory over Fatah in January 25 legislative elections raises many questions for the future of the Middle East. Experts are still trying to figure out the implications of the unexpected, and unprecedented, event. "This is a very complicating development for everyone involved: Palestinian Authority (PA) President] Abu Mazen [also known as Mahmoud Abbas], Fatah, Israel, the United States, and the Quartet [European Union, United States, United Nations, and Russia]," says Michael Herzog, a brigadier general in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. more.. World leaders move quickly to exert pressure on Hamas Daily Star 1/27/2006 Mideast hails victory, urges west not to pass judgement -- World leaders, uneasy at the prospect of a Hamas-led Palestinian government, immediately exerted pressure on the movement Thursday to recognize Israel and renounce violence as a precondition for support. But Arab and Muslim government welcomed Hamas' victory and urged the West not to be too quick to pass judgment on the group. European governments and the United States presented a united front - insisting that Hamas renounce armed resistance and recognize Israel's right to exist - and planned meetings to coordinate their response. more.. Analysis: Hamas history tied to Israel UPI 6/18/2002 .... Israel and Hamas may currently be locked in deadly combat, but, according to several current and former U.S. intelligence officials, beginning in the late 1970s, Tel Aviv gave direct and indirect financial aid to Hamas over a period of years. Israel "aided Hamas directly -- the Israelis wanted to use it as a counterbalance to the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization)," said Tony Cordesman, Middle East analyst for the Center for Strategic Studies. Israel's support for Hamas "was a direct attempt to divide and dilute support for a strong, secular PLO by using a competing religious alternative," said a former senior CIA official. more.. Israeli Arab MKs: Hamas win will help peace process Ha'aretz 1/26/2006 Hamas' victory in the Palestinian elections will contribute to the peace process, Israeli Arab officials said Thursday. "Just as only [Ariel] Sharon was capable of making peace with the Palestinians, only Hamas will make peace with Israel," said MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe (United Arab List), who is associated with the southern faction of the Islamic Movement, in a press statement. "Israel should stop claiming there is no partner for peace. "Dehamshe also met Thursday with Mohammed Abu Tir, who is number two on Hamas' list, to offer his congratulations on the victory. more.. Abbas suggests future talks with Israel would be held through PLO Ha'aretz 1/27/2006 Following Hamas' sweeping victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday evening that he remained committed to negotiations with Israel and that he'll start immediate consultations to form a new government. "I am committed to implementing the program on which you elected me a year ago," he said in a televised speech. "It is a program based on negotiations and peaceful settlement with Israel. "Abbas also suggested that future negotiations with Israel would be conducted through the Palestine Liberation Organization, a possible bypass to a Hamas-led government. more.. Netanyahu: 'Hamastan' has been created before our eyes Ha'aretz 1/27/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday evening that a Palestinian Authority led by Hamas is "not a partner" in peace. "If a government led by Hamas or in which Hamas is a coalition partner is established, the Palestinian Authority will be turned into an authority that supports terror. Israel and the world will ignore it and make it irrelevant," Olmert said. The Hamas victory in Wednesday's election to the Palestinian parliament elicited harsh responses from Israeli politicians in the lead-up to March's Knesset elections. The right wing attacked Kadima and blamed the party for the Hamas victory while Labor and Meretz are bolstering their calls for unilateral moves. more.. Katsav: Talks with Hamas possible YNetNews 1/26/2006 President Moshe Katsav says negotiations with PA on peace settlement can materialize if Hamas renounces terror, recognizes Israel. Meanwhile rightist MK calls on government to eliminate Hamas' leadership -- President Moshe Katsav said Thursday that if Hamas aims for peace, renounces terror and recognizes Israel's right to exist, Israel and the Palestinians would be able to move toward a settlement. However, Katsav stated Hamas is a dangerous element, "which has continued to preach for terror until the very last days. " more.. Bush urges Abbas to remain in office despite Hamas victory Ha'aretz 1/26/2006 United States President George W. Bush urged Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to remain in office despite the legislative elections which gave Hamas an absolute majority in parliament. "We'd like him stay in power. I mean we'd like him to stay in office. He is in power. We'd like him to stay in office. "Bush reiterated the U.S. position that it will not deal with Palestinian leaders who do not recognize Israel's right to exist. "I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform. And I know you know you can't be a partner in peace if you have - if your party has got an armed wing," Bush told a White House news conference. more.. Abbas Urges Respect of Result, West Alarmed Palestine Chronicle 1/26/2006 Initial results showed that Hamas has won an absolute majority of seats in the Palestinian legislative elections. -- RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said Thursday, January 26, that the results of the legislative elections, won by Hamas, must be respected as Western nations expressed alarm over the group's victory. Alarmed western nations stressed they would refuse to deal with the Palestinian group unless it disarms and renounces violence. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the election results "may confront us with an entirely new situation, which will need to be analyzed by (EU foreign ministers) next Monday. " more.. Abbas: Israelis Should not be Afraid of Palestinian Democracy International Press Center 1/26/2006 RAMMALLAH, Palestine, January 26,2006 (IPC+Agencies) - -President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday evening that the Palestinian people are to go through a new stage following the end of casting polls to elect a new Palestinian legislative council. Speaking to the reporters in Rammallah in the aftermath of the closure of ballot boxes "We are approaching a new period and we hope that the international community will help us return to the negotiating table. "Abbas added that the electoral process will finalize following counting votes "this night or tomorrow the results will come out and of course the first and last judgment is the ballot boxes. " more.. Shalom: Hamas win will lead to chaos YNetNews 1/26/2006 Former foreign minister says Hamas elections victory 'an earthquake,' adds win 'sets us back 50 years' -- Hamas' overwhelming elections victory is "an earthquake that will set us back 50 years and lead the entire region to chaos," former Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said after learning of the surprising Palestinian election results. "The writing was on the wall," Shalom told Ynet" "I warned (Ehud) Olmert in our first meeting after he assumed the post of acting prime minister. For months I attempted to prevent Hamas participation in the elections. We initiated a large-scale diplomatic move and forward the Hamas charter, which calls on Israel's destruction, to world leaders. " more.. Haniyya: "Hamas will not disarm" International Middle East Media Center 1/26/2006 Ismail Haniyya, one of Hamas leaders, said that the movement will not disarm its resistance fighters in spite of the American pressures, and conditions which state that Hamas should either choose their arms or the legislative council. "There is no contradiction between resistance and elections", Haniyya said, "Those who are pressuring us to disarm should pressure that occupation to withdraw from the occupied territories". Haniyya added that the real issue is not with Hamas but with the occupation and the "Zionist mentality which rejects to recognize the Palestinian rights and kills the people. more.. Japan calls on world to bring Hamas into Mideast peace process Ha'aretz 1/27/2006 TOKYO - Japan called on Friday for the international community to bring Hamas into the Middle East peace process, following the Islamic militant group's sweeping victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections. "We must make efforts so that Hamas will adopt a proactive attitude toward the peace process," Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe told reporters. "It is important that Japan and the international community work with both Palestine and Israel so that the peace process based on the roadmap will not be delayed," he said. more.. Statement on Palestinian elections by Middle East Quartet ReliefWeb/United Nations Secretary-General 1/26/2006 The following statement was issued today by the Middle East Quartet (United Nations, European Union, Russian Federation, United States): The Quartet consulted today on the Palestinian Legislative Council elections. It congratulates President Abbas and the Palestinian people on an electoral process that was free, fair and secure. The Quartet calls on all parties to respect the results of the election and the outcome of the Palestinian constitutional process so that it may unfold in an atmosphere of calm and security. The Palestinian people have voted for change, but it is the view of the Quartet that their aspirations for peace and statehood, as articulated by President Abbas in his statement following the closing of polls yesterday, remain unchanged. more.. Statement by Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, on the Palestinian elections ReliefWeb/European Union 1/26/2006 Javier SOLANA, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), issued the following statement today on the elections to the Palestinian Authority:"The Palestinian people have voted democratically and peacefully. I welcome this. The European Union has supported the smooth running of these elections. We await confirmation of the results. These results may confront us with an entirely new situation which will need to be analysed by the Council next Monday. more.. Annan congratulates Palestinian people on peaceful and orderly elections Electronic Intifada/UN News 1/26/2006 United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today congratulated Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian people on the peaceful and orderly conduct of their legislative elections. “The Secretary-General views these elections as an important step toward the achievement of a Palestinian State,” a UN spokesman said in a statement. “He looks forward to the publication of the results of the elections over the coming days and to discussing them with the Quartet. ” more.. Davos chair apologizes for magazine's Israel boycott call Ha'aretz 1/27/2006 DAVOS - The chairman and executive director of the Davos World Economic Forum on Thursday offered a sweeping apology to all delegates foran articlecalling for the boycott of Israel that appeared in a prestigious magazine issued by the forum. Professor Klaus Schwab, who founded the annual Davos conclave 35 years ago, said he was "shocked" to read, just today, the article that appeared in the magazine "Global Agenda. "Some American Jewish leaders attending the conference said they were not satisfied with the apology. more.. Schwab apologizes for Davos publication's anti-Israel article Globes 1/26/2006 World Economic Forum executive chairman Klaus Schwab ordered “Global Agenda” republished without the offending article, which he said was the result of inadequate oversight over an external publisher. -- World Economic Forum (WEF) executive chairman Prof. Klaus Schwab today had to interrupt his conference schedule to convene a press conference for Israeli correspondents, in order to apologize for an anti-Israel screed published in “Global Agenda”, the official publication of WEF 2006 annual meeting in Davos. The article aroused a storm in Israel and among Jewish organizations in the US. Authored by Mazin Qumsiyeh, a US academic of Palestinian extraction, the article called for a boycott of Israel by civil organizations as part of the struggle against Zionism. more.. Address by Israel’s Acting PM Ehud Olmert to 6th Herzliya Conference Palestine Media Center 1/26/2006 The existence of a Jewish majority in the State of Israel cannot be maintained with the continued control over the Palestinian population in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. -- Distinguished Guests, Unfortunate circumstances have led to my appearance before you here this evening in place of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Two years ago, at this Conference, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon delivered his speech later known as the "Herzliya Speech", the speech in which he announced the Disengagement Plan. From this place, one of our greatest commanders embarked on the most dramatic and significant, campaign of his life, the diplomatic, public and political campaign of the Disengagement Plan. That speech, and the Disengagement Plan which followed, are milestones in the history of the State of Israel. more.. Analysis: Hamas victory one of most important events in Middle East since Six Day War Ha'aretz 1/27/2006 [A Zionist perspective - Ed. ] Hamas' victory in the Palestinian elections is one of the most important events in the history of the Middle East since the Six Day War. Not only does it change the picture, but also it puts it into a completely different frame. Palestine under Hamas rule puts an end not only to the road map and the Oslo process, but also to the formula embodied by UN Resolution 242: "land for peace" and an accompanying end to the conflict. Not only does it perpetuate the conflict, but also it reshapes it - from an Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a Jewish-Arab one, and even a Western-Muslim one. Such a conflict, backed by the global Jihad movement and Khomeinist Iran, has neither a solution nor an end. more.. Former French PM: Israel's security pivotal YNetNews 1/27/2006 Laurent Fabius said during the recent Herzliya Conference, ‘time has come for us Europeans, legitimately interested in a just and long lasting peace between you and the Palestinians, to recognize that we have without any doubt underestimated the trauma that exists in Israeli society due to horrific suicide attacks and constant security concerns’ -- Former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said during the recent Herzliya Conference, “When I declare that I am French, European and Socialist, this means that I feel pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian at the same time. more.. Olmert: We must set borders in line with demographic reality Ha'aretz 1/25/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opened his Tuesday evening speech at the sixth annual Herzliya Conference by saying Israel would have to withdraw from parts of the West Bank. Israel's 2005 pullout from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank was a "turning point for the state of Israel," said Olmert, who was standing in for ailing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. To read the translated transcript of Olmert's speech, click here. more.. Bush says U.S. won't deal with Hamas until it recognizes Israel Ha'aretz 1/25/2006 U.S. President George W. Bush said Wednesday the United States will not deal with Hamas until the radical Palestinian Islamist group renounces its position for calling for the destruction of Israel. "A political party, in order to be viable, is one that professes peace, in my judgment, in order that it will keep the peace," the president said Wednesday in an Oval Office interview after an apparently strong showing by Hamas in Palestinian parliamentary voting. "And so you're getting a sense of how I'm going to deal with Hamas if they end up in positions of responsibility. And the answer is: Not until you renounce your desire to destroy Israel will we deal with you. " He made his remarks in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. more.. Hamas: There is no contradiction between arms and parliament Ha'aretz 1/25/2006 Hamas said it plans to retain its weapons and its commitment to the destruction of Israel after Wednesday's Palestinian Legislative Countil election, in which it slated to win seats for the first time. "The Europeans and the Americans are telling Hamas to choose between arms and parliament. We say we will go for arms and parliament and there is no contradiction between the two of them," said Ismail Haniyah, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza. After casting his vote in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar said the group "will not change a single word in its covenant" calling for the destruction of Israel. more.. Hamas Reiterates Stand on 'No Taboo' Israel Talks Palestine Chronicle/Islam Online 1/25/2006 GAZA CITY - The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has reiterated that it was ready to hold “indirect” talks with Israel through a third party after the parliamentary elections slated for Wednesday, January 25. "Negotiations are a means. If Israel has anything to offer on the issues of halting attacks, withdrawal, releasing prisoners... then 1,000 means can be found," Reuters quoted senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar as telling reporters Monday, January 23. As an example, he cited contacts the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah held with Israel, via German mediators, for the release of Lebanese held in Israeli jails. more.. Even if elected head of government, Barghouthi will not be released by Israel International Middle East Media Center 1/25/2006 Senior Israeli diplomatic sources reported on Wednesday that even if jailed Fateh leader Marwan Barghouthi were to be elected as the head of the new Palestinian government, the Israeli government would not release him. The Israeli newspaper Maariv quoted a senior Israeli intelligence officer as saying that there is no Israeli leader willing to release Barghouthi, and that Barghouthi will remain imprisoned "and serve his five life terms". "He still has many years to spend in jail", the official stated, continuing, "no one intends to release him and violate our court's decision". more.. Carter: U.S. won't work with Hamas unless it changes Ha'aretz 1/25/2006 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, who is leading a team of international observers for the Palestinian parliamentary election today, said yesterday that if Hamas wants to win international recognition after the elections, it will have to become more moderate. Carter said at the Herzliya Conference yesterday that Hamas' electoral success "may or may not lead to their assuming more moderate and peaceful policies," but added: "This they must do. " Carter stated that Palestinians must stop terror groups, "even including a direct military confrontation. " more.. President Abbas Urges International Community to Help in Resuming Negotiations with Israel WAFA 1/25/2006 RAMALLAH, January 25, 2006 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to help in resuming negotiations with Israel. In a press conference held in the Presidential HQ in Ramallah, shortly after the end of polling for the second Palestinian legislative elections, the President told reporters "we are embarking on a new era, we call on the international community to help us return to the negotiating table with the Israelis, to implement Sharm Al-Sheikh understandings and to resume final status negotiations". "We are ready to negotiate. We are partners with the Israelis. They do not have the right to choose their partner. But if they are seeking a Palestinian partner, this partner exists". more.. Israel joins Venus project Globes 1/25/2006 Israel Space Agency's Dr. Zvi Kaplan: This is the first collaboration of its kind between the Israeli and French space agencies. -- The Israel Space Agency and French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) have signed a cooperation agreement for the Venus Vegetation and Environment Monitoring New Microsatellite program. Israel Space Agency director general Dr. Zvi Kaplan told “Globes”, “The Venus program is a turning point for Israel’s space industry. It is a key milestone in the Israel Space Agency’s strategic plan. ” more.. Iran: We can put Israel in 'eternal coma' YNetNews 1/25/2006 Iran's defense minister says if Israel attacks Muslim republic, Iran and its allies can retaliate, 'put Israel in coma' similar to that of PM Sharon. Iran a lunatic regime, Israel's ambassador to U. N. says earlier Wednesday -- Iran threatens again: Iran's Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said Wednesday that the country and its allies could put Israel "in an eternal coma," like that of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, if Israel attempts to attack the Muslim republic. "Israel does not have the courage to attack Iran, and if it commits such a big mistake, the defenders of Islamic Iran will put Israel in an eternal coma like Sharon," he said in a television appearance. more.. US economist: Perez’s economics unrealistic Globes 1/25/2006 [More US meddling in local elections - Ed. ] Diana Furchtgott-Roth: You can’t raise the minimum wage and increase welfare without raising taxes. -- “Raising the minimum wage and increasing welfare without raising taxes, as Labor Party chairman Amir Perez is promising, is impossible,” former US Department of Labor Chief Economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth said today. According to Furchtgott-Roth, these measures are extremely bad from an economic standpoint. She asserts that Israel should concentrate on growth in its labor market, and that there is no reason why Israel cannot accomplish this.... She previously served as chief of staff and special adviser at the President's Council of Economic Advisers, where she organized a team of economists advising the US president on different areas of economic policy. more.. Olmert: We must pull out from parts of West Bank Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opened his Tuesday evening speech at the sixth annual Herzliya Conference by saying Israel would have to withdraw from parts of the West Bank. Israel's 2005 pullout from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank was a "turning point for the state of Israel," said Olmert, who was standing in for ailing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. To read the translated transcript of Olmert's speech, click here. more.. Olmert: Setting Israel's borders is our main task Globes 1/24/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reaffirmed the principle of two states for two nations, and promised greater compassion in economic policy. -- This evening, at the Herzliya Conference on the Balance of Israel's National Security, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made the first speech in which he outlined the policies on which he will base his election campaign. The election is due to take place on March 28. Olmert began by talking about the man he replaced. "Sorrowful circumstances bring me here this evening in place of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. more.. Olmert: PA elections historic opportunity YNetNews 1/24/2006 Acting prime minister says during Herzliya Conference ‘most important challenge Israel faces is formation of permanent borders to ensure Jewish majority in country. ’ Adds that Palestinian Authority elections ‘a historic chance to establish a Palestinian state. ' Right-wing MK: In Herzliya, Olmert founded state of Hamas -- Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that the most important challenge Israel faces is the formation of permanent borders to ensure a Jewish majority in the country. more.. Halutz: IDF yet to set policy for dealing with PA gov't including Hamas Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said on Tuesday the military has not yet formulated a strategy for dealing with a situation in which Hamas is voted into the Palestinian parliament in Wednesday's elections. Speaking at a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Halutz said Fatah is expected to win a slight majority over Hamas in the vote for the Palestinian Legislative Council. Halutz said Fatah and Hamas will likely arrange a compromise deal allowing the Islamic movement to participate in the government. It has still not been decided how the IDF will act against Hamas activists if they are integrated into the Palestinian Authority. more.. Rice: Policy toward Hamas won't change YNetNews 1/24/2006 U.S. Secretary of State cautions Palestinian voters ahead of upcoming elections, implying Bush administration won't work with Palestinian government dominated by terror group; British PM says it would be difficult for West to negotiate with Hamas unless group renounces terrorism -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday cautioned Palestinian voters, who will choose a parliament this week, that terrorism is not a pathway to peace.... Neither Rice nor State Department spokesman Sean McCormack explicitly ruled out dealing with a Palestinian government in which Hamas played a significant role. more.. U.S. Spent $1.9 Million to Aid Fatah in Palestinian Elections Palestine Monitor 1/23/2006 Steven Erlanger - New York Times -- Jerusalem - The United States spent about $1. 9 million of its yearly $400 million in aid to the Palestinians on dozens of quick projects before elections this week to bolster the governing Fatah faction's image with voters and strengthen its hand in competing with the militant faction Hamas, American and Palestinian officials said Sunday. The spending was intended "to work with the Palestinian Authority to enhance democratic institutions and support democratic actors, not just Fatah," said Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, a spokeswoman for the American consulate in East Jerusalem.... American and Palestinian officials... said that the program, which started in August, was intended to help defeat Hamas... more.. Borders a priority for Olmert AlJazeera 1/25/2006 Israel's acting prime minister, in his first policy speech since replacing Ariel Sharon, has said Israel would have to give up parts of the occupied West Bank to set a border with the Palestinians. Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday: "In order to ensure the existence of a Jewish national home, we will not be able to continue ruling over the territories in which the majority of the Palestinian population lives. "Olmert was addressing the Herzliya security conference where Sharon first flagged last year's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Hinting that Israel would act alone to set a border in the West Bank if talks failed, Olmert said he hoped that Wednesday's Palestinian election would result in a government ready to follow a US-backed peace road map. more.. Israel warned U.S. of Bin Laden YNetNews 1/24/2006 Mossad warned CIA of potential danger posed by al-Qaeda leader in 1988 [about the time that Israel was encouraging the development of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in order to weaken the PLO - Ed. ], but Americans failed to attribute significance to report, former member of the Israeli intelligence community says. ‘U.S. didn’t understand what this was about, until it blew up in their faces on September 11,’ he says -- Israel warned the CIA of the potential danger posed by Osama Bin Laden in 1988, but the Americans failed to attribute significance to the report, Dr. Shmuel Bar, a senior researcher at the Institute of Policy and Strategy (IPS) at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and a member of the Israeli intelligence community for three decades, said Tuesday. more.. Iran defends conference to examine 'scientific evidence' for Holocaust Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 Iran Tuesday defended its plan to organize a conference to examine what it terms the scientific evidence for the Holocaust, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi also castigated British Prime Minister Tony Blair for criticizing the event, saying the time has come for Western leaders to hear comments not to their liking. "For over half a century, those who seek to prove the Holocaust have used every podium to defend their position. Now they should listen to others," IRNA quoted Asefi as saying Tuesday. more.. Abbas Receives Carter WAFA 1/24/2006 RAMALLAH, January 24, 2006 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas appreciated Tuesday the level of observation for the Palestinian Legislative Elections to be conducted Wednesday. After his meeting with the former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the Founder of Carter Center, Abbas hoped that all observers could have good impressions of the legislative elections and Palestinian democracy. He stressed that the voting is a national duty as the outcome of the elections will reflect the Palestinians will. In response to a question about Israeli escalation against Palestinian people, President Abbas said "we will surpass those events now," adding that "the Israelis have to stop assaulting and killing Palestinians, if they want peace. " more.. Iran: Israeli military strike against nuclear program would be 'fatal mistake' Ha'aretz 1/23/2006 Iran on Sunday said Israel would be making a "fatal mistake" if it resorted to military action against Tehran's nuclear program, and dismissed comments on the issue made by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz as a "childish game. "On Saturday, Mofaz said "Israel will not accept Iran's nuclear armament," and added that Israel was prepared for military action to stop Iran's nuclear program. Mofaz, speaking at the Herzliya Conference, said that although Israel is currently satisfied with the international diplomatic efforts aimed at containing Tehran's nuclear program, Israel must prepare to defend itself. more.. USAID/OTI West Bank and Gaza fact sheet Nov 2005 ReliefWeb 1/24/2006 Date: 30 Nov 2005 -- OBJECTIVE: In June 2005 USAID established its Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in response to political openings following Palestinian leadership changes as well as Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank. USAID/OTI is managing a flexible, rapid response $10 million small grants program that aims to increase the ability of Palestinian national and local government to address citizen priorities. more.. Bush Administration Uses USAID as Invisible Conduit Washington Post 1/22/2006 RAMALLAH, West Bank -- The Bush administration is spending foreign aid money to increase the popularity of the Palestinian Authority on the eve of crucial elections in which the governing party faces a serious challenge from the radical Islamic group Hamas. The approximately $2 million program is being led by a division of the U.S. Agency for International Development. But no U.S. government logos appear with the projects or events being undertaken as part of the campaign, which bears no evidence of U.S. involvement and does not fall within the definitions of traditional development work.... U.S. officials are coordinating the program through Rafiq Husseini, chief of staff to Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority and leader of Fatah.... Arabic-language papers have been filled with U.S. -funded advertisements announcing the events in the name of the Palestinian Authority... more.. U.S. tells Israel it will shun PA gov't that includes Hamas Ha'aretz 1/23/2006 The American administration has promised Israel that the United States will not recognize any Palestinian government in which Hamas participates, government sources in Jerusalem have said. The sources said that American envoys who visited here about 10 days ago told Israeli officials that recognizing such a government would violate American law. Israel has also received similar messages from Javier Solana, the European Union's top foreign policy official, and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, who visited Israel last week, the sources said. more.. US, EU Will Not Recognize Government Including Hamas Palestine Chronicle 1/23/2006 The US pressed Israel into allowing popular Al-Barghuti to do interviews with Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. -- CAIRO - The United States and the European Union have assured Israel they will not recognize any Palestinian government in which Hamas participates, amidst reports that the Bush administration was financially and otherwise helping Fatah against the resistance group in this week’s legislative election. American envoys who visited Israel about 10 days ago told Israeli officials that recognizing such a government would violate American law, Israel's Haaretz daily reported on Monday, January 23, citing knowledgeable Israeli government sources. more.. Hamas says 3rd party talks with Israel not taboo ReliefWeb 1/23/2006 GAZA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Hamas raised the possibility on Monday of future negotiations with Israel through a third party, an apparent softening before the Palestinian elections of the militant group's rejection of any talks with the Jewish state. "Negotiations are a means. If Israel has anything to offer on the issues of halting attacks, withdrawal, releasing prisoners... then 1,000 means can be found," senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters. As an example, he cited contacts the Lebanese militant group Hizbollah held with Israel, via German mediators, for the release of Lebanese held in Israeli jails. more.. Monitors Flock in to Observe Palestinian Elections Palestine Chronicle/PMC 1/23/2006 NDI and the Carter Center announced that Jimmy Carter and former leaders from European countries will lead a delegation to monitor elections. -- OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Saturday urged Palestinians to vote for “the future” as Egypt and Jordan were sending their monitors to join international observers, led by a USAID-funded observing mission headed by former US President Jimmy Carter and a large EU similar mission, already on the ground, to ensure that the Palestinian legislative elections on January 25 are free, fair and transparent. Annan urged all eligible Palestinians to participate in the upcoming elections, hoping that this “milestone” will set the stage for peace and statehood in the Middle East. more.. Labor chair says peace is possible by 2010 Ha'aretz 1/24/2006 Amir Peretz presented his political program and vision for Israel's security yesterday at the Herzliya Conference, attacking the right in the process. "Unfortunately over the years we knew how to discern the dangers facing the state, but we always took only tactical steps. We were not wise enough to make courageous decisions at the right time, and so we are now dealing with a complex reality. I hear people saying, `sorry, we were wrong. ' But who will give an accounting for the long years of bloody conflict under the illusion of the greater land of Israel? " Peretz's political plan calls for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with the goal of reaching a peace agreement by 2010, in contrast to his statements immediately after his election to head the Labor Party, when he said he believed an agreement could be reached in a year. more.. Carter: PA must curb terror, Israel must withdraw further Ha'aretz 1/23/2006 Marwan Barghouti urges coalition for a "national salvation government" - Islamic Jihad urges Palestinians to boycott Wednesday election -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in the Mideast to help monitor Palestinian elections this week, urged Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday to stamp out terror, and told Israel it should withdraw from more West Bank settlements. "(Violence) is inherently counterproductive for the well-being of the Palestinian people and obviously prevents any further progress in the peace process," Carter said at the Herzliya Conference on Mideast policy. "I hope and believe that after this election there will be an extremely strong commitment by Abu Mazen and the entire Palestinian Authority. . . to stamp out the last vestiges of terrorism.. " more.. Hamas will refrain from attacks after Palestinian elections: IDF ReliefWeb 1/22/2006 JERUSALEM, Jan 22, 2006 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Hamas is expected to continue its halt on attacks after the Palestinian parliamentary elections due on Wednesday, the local daily Ha'aretz reported on Sunday. The paper quoted senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officers as saying that assuming Hamas does well at the polls, it is likely to maintain the calm it agreed to about a year ago. Since an agreement was reached among Palestinian factions in March 2005, Hamas has generally abided by its commitment to a truce with Israel. more.. Israel mulls response to possible Hamas poll win ReliefWeb 1/22/2006 JERUSALEM, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met top aides on Sunday to decide how to respond to a Palestinian parliamentary election which could give the Islamic militant group Hamas its first role in government. An Israeli cabinet minister cast doubt on the future of peacemaking if Hamas, committed to destroying the Jewish state, won enough seats to join a new Palestinian government. Israel's army chief said he feared an escalation in violence. At least one person was killed and two wounded when a car exploded in Gaza on Sunday and Palestinian witnesses said they believed it had been hit by an Israeli missile. more.. UN remains committed to helping Palestinians achieve own state, says Secretary-General in message on forthcoming election ReliefWeb/United Nations Secretary-General 1/23/2006 The following message by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Palestinian people on the forthcoming legislative election was issued on 21 January:I have a message to the Palestinian people as they approach the legislative election on 25 January: This will be an important milestone in your long and difficult history. I hope it will set you on the path to a more peaceful future, in which you at last have your own State and can live at peace with all your neighbours. You deserve a free, fair and peaceful election. Your electoral commission is doing outstanding work under difficult circumstances. more.. President Receives Delegation of Jordanian Observers for Elections WAFA 1/23/2006 RAMALLAH, January 23, 2006 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas Received Monday in the Presidential HQ in Ramallah, the delegation of Jordanian Observers Commission for the Palestinian legislative elections, headed by Abdul Salam al-Majali. The President thanked the delegation for the support of the Palestinian democratic process, stressing on the necessity to respect democracy and its outcome. more.. PM Receives 2 European Delegations WAFA 1/23/2006 RAMALLAH, January 23, 2006 (WAFA)- Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei received separately on Monday in Ramallah a French parliamentary delegation headed by Jean-Claude Lefort and another of the Council of Europe headed by Lord Russel Johnson. PM praised, during the meetings, the role of the European Union in supporting the Palestinian people who "look for the independence and democracy". He affirmed that the only solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should pass through direct, serious, genuine and scheduled negotiations. [end] more.. Abbas Receives French Parliamentary Delegation WAFA 1/23/2006 RAMALLAH, January 23, 2006 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas received Monday, French Parliamentary delegation of observers to the Palestinian Legislative elections. During the meeting, at the Presidential HQ in Ramallah, Abbas appreciated the efforts of the delegation headed by the Vice Speaker of the General Assembly, Yves Bur. He stressed the necessity of doubling the readiness and the preparations to conduct the elections successfully, confirming the importance of respecting the democracy and its results. more.. Light Sentence for Pentagon Israel Spy Palestine Chronicle 1/23/2006 The FBI monitored a series of meetings between Franklin and the former AIPAC officials dating back to early 2003. -- CAIRO - A former US Defense Department expert was given a light 151-month jail term for passing classified information about Iran to an Israeli diplomat and two pro-Israeli lobbyists, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, January 21. "It doesn't matter that you think you were really helping," Judge T. S. Ellis told defendant Lawrence Franklin, who had worked as a top US analyst on Iran, on Friday, January 20.... Franklin, 59, was accused of giving secret information about Iran to Naor Gilon, who was the political officer at the Israeli Embassy before being recalled last summer, and two lobbyists for the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the most powerful political lobbies in the US. more.. ADL chief: Franklin affair could pose threat to Jewish lobbyists Ha'aretz 1/23/2006 Two days after former Pentagon analyst Larry A. Franklin was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in jail for sharing classified information with pro-Israel lobbyists, several American Jewish community leaders echoed a single refrain: There's reason to worry, but no need to feel like this is a crisis. Anti-Defamation League director Abe Foxman said the Franklin affair could potentially pose a threat to all Jewish lobbyists. Foxman said it is not clear what exactly is allowed in terms of the relationships between the administration and the media and between nongovernmental organizations and foreign governments. The lack of clarity, he said, could have a destructive influence on the activities of all U.S. Jewish groups. more.. Ex-Pentagon man gets 12 years in AIPAC case Ha'aretz 1/21/2006 WASHINGTON - Former Pentagon analyst Larry A. Franklin was sentenced Friday to a 12 years and seven months imprisonment for passing classified information to former American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbyists. Franklin was also found guilty of sharing classified information with Israeli diplomat Naor Gilon. He was also fined $10,000. In sentencing Franklin, U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III said the facts of the case led him to believe that Franklin was motivated primarily by a desire to help the United States, not harm it. Franklin, 59, had worked with top Pentagon officials, including former undersecretary of defense for policy Douglas Feith, and is an expert on Iraq and Iran. more.. Peres: Israel ready to talk with Hamas if Islamic group disarms Ha'aretz 1/21/2006 Shimon Peres on Friday signaled that Israel is ready to negotiate with Hamas if the Islamic militant group renounces violence and disarms after next week's Palestinian elections. Peres spoke a day after a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in a Tel Aviv restaurant, wounding 30 people. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, and Israel blamed the group's backers in Iran and Syria for masterminding the attack. Peres, expected to hold a senior government position after the upcoming March elections, ruled out talks with Hamas under current conditions. "We will not sit with anybody who comes to negotiations with a gun or a bomb," he told Israel Radio. more.. U.S. Mulls Response to Hamas Victory Forward 1/20/2006 WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is telling foreign diplomats in Washington that the United States might significantly scale back its involvement in the peace process and curtail its relations with the Palestinian Authority if the Islamic militant group Hamas wins next week's Palestinian parliamentary elections or becomes a key force in a Palestinian government. The Forward has learned that U.S. officials have told P. A. representatives and other foreign diplomats that the White House is considering several possible responses to a Hamas victory. more.. EU Prepares To Work With Hamas After Palestinian Poll Palestine Chronicle/The Financial Times 1/19/2006 Some Fatah politicians had seized upon an incomplete version of comments made by Solana to warn their constituents that a vote for Hamas would mean less funding. -- The European Union is preparing itself for the possibility of doing business with Hamas after this month’s Palestinian elections, even though the group is on the EU’s list of banned terrorist organizations. On a visit to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank this week, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, commissioner for external relations, emphasized the EU would not take sides in the January 25 vote, in which Hamas is mounting a strong challenge to President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party. more.. Peres renews request for US aid for Galilee, Negev Globes 1/19/2006 Shimon Peres: Israel will be willing to open direct negotiations with the Palestinians on a permanent settlement after the elections. -- Former vice premier MK Shimon Peres yesterday renewed Israel’s request for US aid for the development of the Negev and Galilee at a meeting with Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice in Washington. Israel suspended its request for aid in recognition of the scale of the devastation in New Orleans and other US Gulf Coast cities from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year. At the time, the US estimated the cost of rebuilding the affected areas at $100 billion. more.. U.S.: Palestinians reject Iranian, Syrian support for militants Ha'aretz 1/21/2006 The State Department, reacting negatively to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's meeting in Damascus with leaders of two militant Palestinian groups, said Friday neither Iran nor Syria can proclaim themselves champions of the Palestinian people. The claims are "clearly bankrupt and hollow," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, citing Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as calling for foreign governments to stop their support for Palestinian rejectionist groups. In fact, McCormack said, Abbas has called for Damascus to close down the headquarters of these groups, including Islamic Jihad. more.. Security officials dismiss Hezbollah charge that MIA Ron Arad is dead Ha'aretz 1/20/2006 Political and security officials in Israel have dismissed comments by the leader of Hezbollah that MIA Ron Arad is probably dead and that the location of his body is unknown. "If any information were available to us about Ron Arad we would have made a new deal," Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised interview on Lebanon's NTV channel late Wednesday. "I have an analysis that is not based on tangible facts," he said. "But if you asked me for my conclusion I would say that he is dead and lost... he died, no one knew of him and his remains have disappeared. " more.. Hizbullah: Ron Arad dead YNetNews 1/19/2006 Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah says he believes missing Israeli airman no longer alive -- The leader of the Hizbullah said Wednesday that he believed Israeli air force navigator Ron Arad, who disappeared after his plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986, is dead. But Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said he did not base his conviction on facts but rather on calculations. "My deduction is two words: 'dead and lost,' " he said in an interview on the local New TV station. It was the first time Hizbullah so explicitly explained the possibilities of Arad's disappearance because finding him or news about him would have been a prize for the group. more.. Secretary-General deeply saddened by Tel Aviv suicide bombing, says attackers must not be allowed to derail peace efforts ReliefWeb 1/19/2006 The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the news of today’s suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, in which a number of innocent civilians were wounded. No cause can justify deliberate acts designed to kill or maim civilians. The Secretary-General sends his deepest condolences to those who have been injured, and to the Government and people of Israel. more.. Israel holds American Representative of National Democratic Institute at Eretz Crossing International Press Center 1/19/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 19, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) - - Mara Rodman, representative of National Democratic Institute (NDI), which is directed by a former US president, Jimmy Carter, said that she - as a head of the international observers for the elections - and the accompanied staff were held up for 2 hours at Ertz Crossing by the Israeli investigators who questioned them. Rodman highlighted the importance of opening the way ahead of the international monitors and to provide them with security, especially under the deteriorating security conditions in the Gaza Strip. more.. Dennis Ross: Sharon drove peace efforts AlJazeera 1/17/2006 Ariel Sharon's sudden exit has created a storm of uncertainty in Israeli politics and will very likely affect Palestinian legislative elections later this month. Fears that the Palestinian elections could be delayed were partly eased when Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli defence minister, said Palestinians would be able to vote in East Jerusalem, a condition demanded by Palestinian authorities for the elections to go ahead. Israeli officials had threatened to ban voting in East Jerusalem because candidates from Hamas, which advocates Israel's destruction and is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the European Union and the United States, would appear on the ballot. more.. Continued Swedish Participation in Hebron WAFA 1/20/2006 STOCKHOLM, January 20, 2006 (WAFA)- The Government of Sweden decided Thursday to continue Swedish participation in the civilian observer mission Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), which monitors the situation in the West Bank city of Hebron in Occupied Palestinian Territory. In a press release, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Carin Jamtin said "TIPH plays an important role under conditions that are often difficult. Our participation is a concrete contribution in the attempt to reduce tensions between the parties and to act for a peaceful solution to the conflict. " more.. Iran's leader challenges Europe to take back Jews in Israel Ha'aretz 1/21/2006 DAMASCUS - In a new attack on the existence of Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has challenged Europe to take back the Jews who emigrated to Israel, adding that no Jews would remain in Israel if Europe were to open its doors. Ahmadinejad delivered the challenge after arriving in Syria for a two-day visit on Thursday. Addressing Europe, he asked: "Would you open the doors of your own countries to these (Jewish) immigrants so that they could travel to any part of Europe they chose? ""Would you offer the necessary guarantees that you would provide for their security when they came to your countries and not allow another anti-Semitic wave in Europe? " he added in an apparent reference to recent attacks on Jewish cemeteries and properties in European states. more.. Russia rejects Israeli proposal to impose sanctions on Iran Ha'aretz 1/21/2006 Russia rejected Israel's suggestion to impose immediate sanctions on Iran in reaction to its nuclear program, it emerged Friday. Israeli and Russian delegates met as part of Israel's attempts to garner the support of Western and other countries for a "sanctions basket" against Iran. In the wake of growing international debate over possible sanctions Iran on Friday began moving its foreign reserves out of Europe to an undisclosed destination. more.. Jewish Legislators Build International Network Forward 1/20/2006 JERUSALEM — "I've been coming to Israel every year since 1983," said Rep. Gary Ackerman, a New York Democrat, "and every time, people say, 'You've come at an interesting time. '"That was never truer than this year. Ackerman came here last week to take part in the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians, a loose association of Jewish lawmakers from around the world who gather periodically to trade ideas and share experiences. The group's arrival here usually attracts considerable attention, given its high-power membership. This time, though, the eyes of Israel — and the world — were riveted on Hadassah Hospital, a few miles west of their downtown hotel, where Israel's prime minister lay fighting for his life after a massive stroke he had suffered two days earlier. more.. Abbas ready to quit over Israel talks AlJazeera 1/18/2006 Mahmoud Abbas says he is ready to hold peace talks with Israel, but is warning that he might resign his post if the Palestinian parliament, to be elected on 25 January, opposes his platform. The Palestinian president said talks with Ehud Olmert, Israel's acting prime minister, should be held as soon as possible. "I am ready to meet him as soon as possible and I hope to sit round the negotiating table immediately," Abbas said in Ram Allah on Wednesday. "The only way we can forge peace is through negotiations and not through killings, assassinations, attacks and unilateral measures. " more.. Hezbollah: Missing Israeli airman Arad likely dead Ha'aretz 1/19/2006 BEIRUT - The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla group said on Wednesday he believed the missing Israeli airman Ron Arad was probably dead and his remains lost. "If any information were available to us about Ron Arad we would have made a new deal," Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised interview on Lebanon's NTV channel. "I have an analysis that is not based on tangible facts... but if you asked me for my conclusion I would say that he is dead and lost... he died, no one knew of him and his remains have disappeared. " more.. Zahhar: "We have to abduct soldiers to secure prisoners release" International Middle East Media Center 1/19/2006 Hamas leader and candidate for the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, Mahmoud Al Zahhar, said on Wednesday at night, that the movement has no choice but to abduct Israeli soldiers in order to secure the release of Palestinian detainees. The statements of Zahhar came during a public campaign rally in Khan Younis. He stated that Hamas considers the issue of Palestinian detainees as a top priority. "We will have no rest until all detainees are released from Israeli prisons without any preconditions, or labels", he said, "Israel is our enemy who killed our children, destroyed our homes and farms, and kicked us of our original land". more.. Livni: Terrorists, elections don't mix YNetNews 1/18/2006 Newly appointed foreign minister says PA elections should be part of democratization process; adds Israel's duty is to make it clear Palestinians must still disarm terror organizations -- Newly appointed Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday that "today I receive one of the most important portfolios in the Israeli government. I have already said in the past that it would have been right for Silvan Shalom to remain foreign minister until the elections, but since the decision was made we are here today. " Livni spoke during a farewell ceremony in honor of outgoing Foreign Minister Shalom at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.... In her talk before ministry's employees, Livni also rushed to blast the Palestinians. more.. Abbas wants to meet Olmert 'ASAP' YNetNews 1/18/2006 PA chairman says he wants to meet Acting PM immediately; ‘negotiations only way to settle the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,’ Abbas adds -- PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said at a Ramallah press conference he wants "to meet with Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert immediately. " Abbas added that negotiations were the only way to settle the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. On Tuesday, Olmert expressed his stances on a number of diplomatic issues since he was forced to replace Ariel Sharon. At the end of a meeting with President Moshe Katsav, Olmert was asked whether there would be a further unilateral disengagement. "I'm only the acting prime minister, hopefully for a short time," replied Olmert. more.. PNA Condemns Israeli Violations of Elections International Press Center 1/18/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 18, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) - - Prime Minister, Ahmad Qurei, condemned the Tuesday's assassination committed by the Israeli occupation in Tulkarem, which came within a string of killings. Qurei stressed, during a meeting of the ministers' cabinet in Ramallah, that the Israeli long series of killings, detentions, incursions, and carnages is completely rejected, demanding an international prompt intervention to secure the Palestinians and to enable the PNA to continue its efforts of deep rooting its democratic establishments. more.. Jordan: Religious Jews unwelcome YNetNews 1/18/2006 Israeli officials file protest after group barred from entering Jordan after Jewish ritual articles found in their belongings: Jordan says group barred for fear of terror attack, Israel not satisfied with explanation -- Jordanian authorities barred a group of Israelis from entering the country Wednesday morning after discovering Jewish ritual articles in their belongings. The Foreign Ministry raised the matter with Jordan and protested the incident. Diplomatic sources said the answers provided by Jordanian officials were unsatisfactory and added Israel will continue to look into the matter. more.. PM Hopes to Resume Talks with Israelis without Prior Conditions WAFA 1/18/2006 RAMALLAH, January 18, 2006 (WAFA)- Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei, hoped to resume peace talks with the Israelis without any prior conditions and directly after the legislative elections. During his meeting Wednesday with, Pierre Sané, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Social and Human Sciences, Qurei said that Jerusalem is a part of the 1967 occupied territories and the elections must be run in it freely and without any obstacles. Qurei briefed his guest on the latest developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the Palestinian preparations to run the elections on time. more.. President Abbas Commends Spanish and EU Aid to PNA WAFA 1/18/2006 RAMALLAH, January 18, 2006 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas commended the Spanish and the European Union aid to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the Palestinian people. Abbas remarks came during a press conference held Wednesday following a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, in Ramallah city. He revealed that the Spanish government is interested in the continuation of the EU aid to PNA, adding that he briefed his guest about the latest developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the preparation to run the legislative elections in its time. more.. Russia to Send Observers to PLC Elections WAFA 1/18/2006 MOSCOW, January 18, 2006, (WAFA)- Russia Federation announced Wednesday that it will send observers to monitor Palestinian Legislative Elections on 25 of January. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed, in the annual press conference held at Media Center of the Ministry, his hope that the forthcoming elections will constitute a responsible parliament and as a partner to President Abbas in his efforts of uniting Palestinian society and implementing the Road Map. Asserting Russia's support to Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Lavrov said that PNA should have a qualified security forces to face the lawlessness in Palestinian territories. more.. High Level Indian Observer Team for Palestinian Elections Palestine Media Center 1/18/2006 http://www. outlookindia. com -- India is sending a high-level election observers team for the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, which are being held after a gap of nine years, Palestinian election commission sources said here today. The six-member team led by Deputy Election Commissioner of India, Anand Kumar, includes K R Prasad, senior official, Deepak Prasad and K V Kurundkar, Additional electoral officers from Bihar and Maharashtra respectively, senior civil servant, Hoshiar Singh from Madhya Pradesh, and D Satya Murty from Karnataka, they said. more.. Edward McMillan-Scott Leads European Parliament Monitors of Palestinian Elections Palestine Media Center 1/18/2006 European Parliament -- A delegation of MEPs will be travelling to the Palestinian territories to observe the legislative elections scheduled for 25 January. The MEPs, chaired by EP Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott (EPP-ED, UK), will be on site from 22 January for meetings with candidates and election officials, before deploying to polling stations across the region for election day itself. Mr McMillan-Scott said: "I look forward to elections in Palestine to the same standard as those we witnessed in last year's presidential election. That was a model for the region, where democracy is largely absent. more.. Plea bargain for Danish 'Hizbullah spy' YNetNews 1/18/2006 Iyad al-Ashwah convicted of conspiring to deliver information to enemy; court asked to sentence him to 33-month prison term -- The Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday morning convicted Iyad al-Ashwah, a Danish citizen born in Lebanon, of conspiring to deliver information to the enemy and to its benefit. Al-Ashwah, 44, confessed to the offense and was convicted as part of a plea bargain. Other offenses of conspiring to commit a crime and attempting to aid the enemy during wartime were erased from the original indictment. more.. Israel in talks with U.S., Europe on Iran sanctions Ha'aretz 1/18/2006 Israel is in advanced talks with the United States and European countries over a package of sanctions that would be applied against Iran should it continue its nuclear program. The goal is to have the package ready to go the moment a political decision is made to apply sanctions. Israel is urging the international community to transfer Iran's case to the UN Security Council, which can authorize sanctions. The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is the body authorized to refer cases to the Security Council, will meet on February 2 to discuss the issue in light of Tehran's recent decision to resume research on uranium enrichment.... Under the guidance of an interministerial committee on Iran's nuclear program, headed by Mossad chief Meir Dagan, various Israeli agencies, both defense and civilian, have prepared proposals for diplomatic and economic sanctions against Iran... more.. Palestinians seek 'mediation with muscle' AlJazeera 1/18/2006 The Palestinian envoy to the United States has called on the international community, especially Europe, to step up its role in Middle East peace negotiations, which have stalled under the leadership of the "quartet" powers. Afif Safieh, in remarks delivered at a private seminar held at the US Congress on Tuesday, said he hoped that the European Union or another third party "would step in decisively" to help end the impasse. The United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, known as the "quartet" powers, have led efforts to forge a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Safieh said that the current stalemate provides a golden opportunity for the European Union to increase its role in the process.... Safieh.. accused Israel of being disingenuous in its calls for calm in the Palestinian territory. "They want the situation to become unmanageable and they want a scenario where they can pretend that there is no Palestinian partner and interlocutor," he said. more.. EU suspends 35 million euros in aid to the Palestinian Authority Ha'aretz 1/18/2006 The European Union has suspended 35 million euros ($42 million) in aid to the Palestinians, citing their lack of budgetary discipline, the EU's commissioner for external relations said on Tuesday. The rare sanction underscored intensified foreign donor scrutiny on the Palestinian Authority since Israel quit the Gaza Strip last year after 38 years of occupation. The impoverished territory is widely seen as a testing ground for statehood. Visiting the region ahead of Palestinian legislative elections on January 25, the EU commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said half of 70 million euros ($84 million) donated through the World Bank in November has not been released, and that the issue was under discussion. more.. Moratinos, Rice Warn against Hamas Victory in Elections Palestine Media Center 1/17/2006 Al-Qidwa: Hamas Voting Win, Joining Government Are Two Different Things -- Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Monday Europe will have to re-evaluate its links with the Palestinians in the event of a Hamas victory in January 25 legislative elections, a warning that coincided with a similar threat by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. On a three-day visit to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Israel, Moratinos met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei and Foreign Minister Nasser Al-Qidwa. He was also scheduled to attend a ceremony to mark 20 years since the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Spain and the Jewish state. more.. Think tank calls for Int’l supervision in J’lem YNetNews 1/18/2006 Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies document states Israel, Palestinians must permit international community to take part in administration of Jerusalem’s holy and historical sites. ‘Policy and opinion makers, as well as parts of the Israeli public, are willing to discuss the Jerusalem issue,’ institute’s director says -- Israel and the Palestinians must permit the international community to take part in the administration of Jerusalem’s holy and historical sites, according to a document that will apparently be presented at the upcoming Herzliya conference. The researchers who drafted the document suggest handing over the administrative authority over the holy sites to an international supervising body. more.. Politicians slam Jerusalem proposal YNetNews 1/17/2006 Furious reactions from rightist, leftist politicians to think tank's proposal for international supervision over Jerusalem holy sites; MK Hendel: Only if Israel supervises Mecca; MK Orlev: Experts suffer from inferiority complex-- A document published by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies that called for international supervision in Jerusalem garnered harsh responses from both left- and right-wing politicians Tuesday. “The team of experts from Herzliya is suffering from feelings of guilt or Jewish inferiority; there is no other way to explain why they would suggest to abandon the Jewish people’s holiest places to the mercy of strangers,” National Religious Party Chairman Zevulun Orlev said. more.. American Jews to Israel: Bring Settlers Home International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 A group of Jewish Americans who call themselves, "The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace" called the American Administration to urge Israel to evacuate all the Jewish settlements in the West Bank saying that these settlements are major obstacle for peace. "We call upon the US government to embrace an initiative that can build on the momentum generated by the Gaza withdrawal, lay the groundwork for a negotiated settlement, safeguard the lives of Israeli settlers, and remove a major obstacle to peace," a petition distributed widely states. The group also asks the Israeli government to "reverse its longstanding policy of offering financial inducements to Israeli settlers in the West Bank... more.. Report: Germany provided passports to Mossad agents Ha'aretz 1/18/2006 The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has provided the Mossad espionage agency with German passports used for carrying out missions in the Middle East, the German newspaper Koelner Stadtanzeiger reported Saturday. The paper quoted a former senior official in the German intelligence service as saying that Mossad agents used German passports for undercover operations in Middle Eastern countries, which he did not name. A spokesman for the BND confirmed his organization is cooperating with the Mossad, but refused to respond to the reported information that the organization supplied the Mossad with passports. more.. Former consul in Holland faces charges of theft, fraud and assault Ha'aretz 1/18/2006 The prosecution has prepared a draft indictment against Uriel Yitzhaki, a former Israeli consul in Holland, following the conclusion of the police investigation into his case. Before the indictment is filed, however, Yitzhaki will presumably be granted a hearing at which he can try to persuade the attorney general to drop the charges. The draft indictment charges Yitzhaki with taking bribes, fraud, breach of trust and sexual assault. The first three charges relate to suspicions that he accepted a bribe to supply an Israeli passport to Ya'akov Goldovsky, a former Russian businessman living in Europe, and accepted other bribes from Dutch companies in exchange for issuing them fictitious receipts that enabled them to collect money from the Foreign Ministry. more.. Olmert says negotiation with P.A after factions are disarmed International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 Israeli acting Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert said that he hopes that negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel will resume after the elections in both the Palestinian territories and Israel, but conditioned the resumption of talks with the disarmament of the Palestinian factions. An Israeli source reported that Olmert will only start the final status negotiations with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if he disarms the Palestinian factions, in accordance to the Road Map Plan, according to the source. more.. Halutz: Iranian nuclear program is Israel's sole existential threat Ha'aretz 1/17/2006 Olmert: We can't let a foe like Iran hold WMDs -- Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dan Halutz said Tuesday that the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons is "the sole existential threat facing the state of Israel. "Speaking at Haifa University, Halutz said, "I suggest that Israel not say that Iranians are crazy. We must take their remarks seriously. ".... Speaking to a joint news conference with President Moshe Katsav, Olmert said in response to a question over Iran: "Under no circumstances, and at no point, can Israel allow anyone with these kinds of malicious designs against us, to have control of weapons of destruction that can threaten our existence. " more.. Egypt: West ignores Israeli nukes YNetNews 1/17/2006 Egypt supports efforts to stop spread of nuclear weapons in Middle East but blasts West for turning blind eye to Israel's atomic program, senior official says -- Egypt told U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney it supported efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East but slammed the West for turning a blind eye to Israel's atomic program, one official said. Cheney was in Cairo as part of a Middle East tour that includes Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on several subjects, including a standoff between the West and Iran over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. more.. Israeli, PA officials meet in bid to increase joint anti-drug efforts Ha'aretz 1/17/2006 Police and Anti-drug Authority officials met Monday with their Palestinian counterparts at the Erez crossing on the Israel-Gaza border to discuss heightened cooperation in fighting the war on drugs. The meeting took place weeks after the sides met in Cairo, were they decided, with the encouragement of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, to increase their cooperation on the matter with each other and with Egypt. The officials agreed to establish two committees to enhance cooperation. One committee will deal with coordinating police activities on both sides, and the other will work to draw up joint policies and examine the effects of drugs on society. more.. News Analysis: The Band-Aid Over the Wound Palestine Chronicle 1/17/2006 Contrary pressures resulted in a conflation, in the minds of Israeli officials, of two issues that have nothing to do with each other. -- OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (MIFTAH) - After weeks of issuing adamant statements to the contrary, the orphaned Israeli cabinet led by acting PM Ehud Olmert decided unanimously this Sunday to allow a limited number of Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem (a maximum of 5,000 out of a total population of 240,000) to vote through absentee ballots in the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections, while at the same time insisting that Hamas would not be allowed “under any circumstances” to campaign in the contested city. The veiled statement issued on the subject by Israeli Foreign Ministry Mark Regev today had about it the whiff of a face-safer... more.. Al Aqsa Brigades Slam Lebanese Druze leader Jumblat International Middle East Media Center 1/17/2006 The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh movement, issued a press release on Tuesday, harshly slamming the Lebanese Druze leader, Waleed Jumblat, for his statements which considered the Palestinian weapons outside the refugee camps as "weapons of deception". The brigades stated that the armed groups; the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine, are a continuation of each other in their joint struggle against the Israeli occupation. The statement considered any attack against the Lebanese resistance as an attack against the Palestinian resistance. more.. Hamas: We never wanted to throw Jews in sea YNetNews 1/18/2006 Hamas leader Ismail Hanieh says group never wanted to throw Jews in sea; 'we don't hate Jews because they are Jews,' he says -- As the Palestinian elections near, the Islamic group Hamas seems to be increasingly softening its rhetoric against Israel. A senior official of the group sworn to Israel’s destruction said Tuesday that Hamas is not hostile to the Jews of Israel because of their ethnic and religious identity but because they occupied historic Palestine. “Hamas is not hostile to Jews because they are Jews. We are hostile to them because they occupied our land and expelled our people,” Ismail Hanieh said. more.. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner visit to Middle East ReliefWeb/European Commission 1/16/2006 Brussels, 16 January 2006 - Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner is visiting the Palestinian Territories and Israel on 16th and 17th January. During her visit she expects to meet President Mahmoud Abbas, with whom she will review the situation in the West Bank and Gaza in the run up to the elections scheduled for 25th January. With the elections only 10 days away, the Commissioner will take the opportunity to meet representatives of the EU Election Observation Mission which is already active on the ground. Another main focus of her trip will be the contribution that the EU is making to reconstruction of Gaza following Israel’s disengagement. more.. US to Palestinians: Keep Hamas away AlJazeera 1/16/2006 The United States has warned the Palestinians that inclusion of the resistance group Hamas in any new government could affect US-backed efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state. Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state on Monday stopped short of threatening a cut in US aid to the Palestinians if they form a government with ministers from the hard-line Islamic movement after parliamentary polls on 25 January. "Let's just see what happens after the elections," Rice told reporters accompanying her on a visit to Liberia. But she added the US-sponsored peace road map directed at creating a Palestinian state was a "two-way street". more.. Palestinians allowed to vote in East Jerusalem, but Israel bars Hamas from election The Guardian 1/16/2006 Police arrest activists over campaigning allegations · Sharon has tracheotomy to help breathing -- The Israeli government agreed yesterday to allow Palestinians to vote in East Jerusalem in parliamentary elections this month, but vowed to prevent the participation of the militant group Hamas. Within hours of the decision, Israeli police arrested a group of Hamas political activists, including the second candidate on their list, on charges of illegal campaigning. more.. Middle East rapporteur regrets Israeli decision to ban Hamas from campaigning in East Jerusalem ReliefWeb/Council of Europe 1/16/2006 Strasbourg, 16. 01. 2006 - Mikhail Margelov (Russian Federation, EDG), Rapporteur on the Middle East of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs Committee, has welcomed the recent Israeli decision to allow 200 000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem to vote in the forthcoming parliamentary elections due to take place on 25 January 2006. However, he also expressed anxiety about the conditions attached to this decision. In particular, banning Hamas from campaigning and blocking its inclusion on ballot papers distributed in the area might spoil the legitimacy of the elections and in consequence jeopardise the democratic process in the Palestinian Territories.... in the Rapporteur's opinion, the inclusion of Hamas in the political process could result in the rejection of illegal means of action by this party and thus contribute to a peaceful solution in the area. more.. President Abbas furious at Israeli Restrications on Campaigning in Occupied Jerusalem International Press Center 1/16/2006 GAZA, Palestine, January 16,2006 (IPC+Agencies) - -The president Mahmoud Abbas uttered his consternation Sunday in a phone conversation with the USA Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over constrains and demeanors by Israeli troops against the candidates run for the PLC elections slated on 25 January. In a communiqué issued by the President's office, it revealed that the President Abbas stressed, in the phone call, on the need to allow the candidates to carry out their campaigning activities freely, to be allowed to move freely and uplift the siege blocked allover the West Bank. The communiqué also pointed out that Mrs. Rice, on her part, made sure Israel will live up to its commitments to allow running legislative elections in occupied East Jerusalem. more.. Palestinian leader hopeful he can do business with Olmert Daily Star 1/17/2006 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he regards Israel's Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as a man he can do business with as it emerged that he will not run for re-election in three years time. Meanwhile, militants in Gaza have rejected a Palestinian Authority plan to put their weapons in storage during next week's parliamentary election as a way to reduce the risk of violence, amid increasing U.S. and EU concern over a possible Hamas victory in the polls. One year on from his election as president of the Palestinian Authority, Abbas said he would use his remaining three years in office to strive toward the creation of a Palestinian state, and restore law and order. more.. Spain: Hamas win will force a rethink of ties with PA Daily Star 1/17/2006 Europe will have to re-evaluate its links with the Palestinians in the event of a Hamas victory in next week's legislative elections, Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Monday. As part of the EU's involvement in the region, the bloc's external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner arrived on a two-day trip to announce the launch of $24 million worth of EU aid projects in the Gaza Strip. Asked about how a Hamas victory would impact on future European financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, Moratinos told reporters in Ramallah that "the necessary evaluations" would have to be made and "a decision would be taken" with regard to funding. more.. Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the CFSP, welcomes announcements by Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Palestinian elections ReliefWeb/European Union 1/16/2006 brussels, 15 January 2006 - Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), welcomed the expected decision by the Israeli cabinet on Sunday to allow voting by Palestinians in East Jerusalem, in accordance with existing precedent. He said that the European Union expects Israel to facilitate electoral operations, including movement of candidates and voting officials, as well as of local and international observers.... The High Representative reiterated EU and Quartet positions that all factions, including Hamas, should renounce violence, recognise Israel’s right to exist and disarm. more.. Sharon’s Party Outlines Plan for Palestinian Homeland, Advocates Unilateral Steps Palestine Media Center 1/16/2006 JERUSALEM -- Since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fell ill, leaders of his party have begun to openly articulate their policy for peace -- a formula that recognizes the need for a Palestinian state, but would achieve it in a series of unilateral Israeli steps and would effectively make Washington, rather than the Palestinian Authority, the main negotiating partner. Most facets of that policy took shape during Sharon's five years as prime minister as he responded to fast-changing circumstances, culminating in the showdown in his right-wing Likud Party and his departure to found the centrist Kadima just before he suffered a massive stroke on Jan. 4. more.. Sharon planned four options for West Bank settlements International Middle East Media Center 1/16/2006 In an article published, on Monday by the New Yorker magazine, Israeli sources revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered, before he suffered the stroke, the Israeli National Security Council to weigh four possibilities regarding further evacuations. This article appeared in the Israeli daily Haaretz Monday morning and showed full details the latest plan for the West Bank taken from Israeli sources, under the title, "Sources: PM sought deal with PA on evacuating 20 settlements", the Maan News Agency reported. The first options includes evacuation of isolated settlements in the West Bank, the second includes the evacuation of an entire settlement region, most likely near Nablus, withdrawal from 88 percent of the West Bank, or withdrawing from 92 percent of the West Bank. more.. Peretz tends to announce a "new disengagement" International Middle East Media Center 1/16/2006 Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that leaders of the Israeli Labor Party are trying to convince Labor Party leader, Amir Peretz, to announce his support to another unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank, if the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians fail to advance. Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the three big parties in Israel, Likud, Kadima, and Labor, denied recently, especially after the Gaza withdrawal, any possibility of unilateral disengagement from the West Bank. According to Maariv, Peretz held several meetings in order to discuss the main issues of his election campaign which pushed some of the party officials to discuss the adoption of a unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank. more.. US Protests Kofi Annan’s Presence at Pro-Palestine UN Event Palestine Media Center 1/15/2006 John Bolton Complains about Display of Pre-1948 Palestine Map -- US Ambassador John Bolton had protested the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s attending the latest International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, held last November 29, and complained about an annual UN event where a map of pre-1948 Palestine was displayed, Reuters reported on Saturday. “It was entirely inappropriate for this map to be used. It can be misconstrued to suggest that the United Nations tacitly supports the abolition of the state of Israel,” Reuters quoted Bolton as saying.... Bolton's letter complained about the symbolism of Annan attending the latest International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29, along with General Assembly President Jan Eliasson and Russian Ambassador Andrei Denisov, the Security Council president for November. more.. Peres: We'll aim to set final borders YNetNews 1/14/2006 In a Tel Aviv speech, Peres says Kadima will attempt to reach final-status peace agreement, adds Israel needs a strong political Center to make tough decisions -- The next government will attempt to strike a final-status peace deal with the Palestinians in order to set Israel's permanent borders and put an end to terror, Knesset Member Shimon Peres said in a business convention in Tel Aviv Friday. "I spoke now with Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and we agreed on one major thing, to try and set final borders in the upcoming term, a situation that would put an end to the double conflict with the Palestinians on the one hand and with terrorism on the other hand," Peres said. more.. Report: 50 Regional Communist, Left Parties Meet in Cyprus on Palestine, Israel and Greater Middle East Palestine Media Center/People's Weekly World Newspaper 1/14/2006 People's Weekly World Newspaper -- In November, representatives of over 50 communist and left parties met in Nicosia, Cyprus, to discuss “The New World Order and Its Consequences in the Greater Middle East. ” The meeting was hosted by AKEL, the Communist Party of Cyprus. Opening the meeting, Andros Kyprianou, AKEL’s international secretary, said “the sovereign question” for the countries of the Middle East is “the Palestinian question. ”... Solution of the “Palestinian question,” Kyprianou said, “constitutes a key for the solution of many of the problems of the region. ” more.. U.S. backs calls for East Jerusalem vote Daily Star 1/14/2006 A U.S. envoy on Friday backed Palestinian calls for residents in occupied East Jerusalem to be able to vote in parliamentary elections, amid reports that U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority would be reviewed if Hamas took part in government. "The United States believes that the Palestinians should be able to vote everywhere," assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs David Welch told reporters after talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "We want to make sure that people feel safe and free to go and vote," the official added after the meeting at Abbas' headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah. more.. Syria agrees to demarcate Shebaa area Daily Star 1/15/2006 Accord result of Saudi, Egyptian and French understanding -- BEIRUT: Syria has agreed to demarcate its borders with Lebanon, including the disputed Shebaa Farms area, according to sources quoted by Al-Arabiyya. During a news broadcast aired Friday, the satellite television channel said reports of the agreement had come from unidentified high-ranking sources in Syria, Egypt and France. Egypt and France, along with Saudi Arabia, have been deeply engaged in diplomatic efforts for the past few months aimed at improving relations between Damascus and Beirut. more.. U.S. envoy: PA poll should take place in all areas Ha'aretz 1/14/2006 American envoy to the Middle East C. David Welch said Friday during a visit to Ramallah in the West Bank that the United States firmly believes that Palestinians everywhere are entitled to vote in the January 25 Palestinian legislative elections, Israel Radio reported. "We want to ensure that residents will feel safe and free to vote," said Welch. Welch, along with U.S. deputy national security adviser Elliot Abrams, met Friday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. more.. President Abbas Receives American Officials WAFA 1/13/2006 RAMALLAH, January 13, 2006 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas received in Ramallah on Friday the US Under Secretary of State C. David Welch and Deputy National Security Advisor Elliot Abrams, the US Consul General in Jerusalem Jacob Walles. During the meeting, the latest developments in the region were discussed, specially the preparations for the forthcoming legislative elections and the ways of strengthening the Palestinian-American ties. Following the meeting, Mr. Welch said the Palestinians must enjoy free elections, stressing that the USA supports conducting democratic elections, a step toward establishing a Palestinian State. [end] more.. Al Qidwa: "P.A will cancel the elections if Israel obstructs them in J'lem" International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Palestinian Foreign Minister, Nasser Al Qidwa, said that the Palestinian Authority will cancel the legislative elections if Israel conducts acts to obstruct them in east Jerusalem. Al Qidwa said in a press release on Friday that the Palestinian leadership, represented by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, will stop the elections if Israel obstructs the movement of the residents, and carries violations one day before the elections. Also, Al Qidwa added that the participation of east Jerusalem residents in the elections is one of the main conditions for the continuation of the process, and held Israel responsible for any illegal act or violation which could sabotage the democratic process. more.. Mofaz demands Abbas to present a detailed plan for disarming resistance International Middle East Media Center 1/13/2006 Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz, demanded the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to present a detailed map which includes a specific timetable for disarming the resistance factions. Mofaz said that the plan should be declared one day after the legislative elections in the Palestinian territories, which will be conducted on January 25. The demands of Mofaz came during a meeting with American envoys in Tel Aviv on Thursday evening. "Abbas is now in the toughest situation he has ever faced since he was elected", Mofaz said, "Chaos is rising in the Palestinian areas, and the P. A lost control in Gaza". more.. Israel urges sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear ambitions Ha'aretz 1/14/2006 Israel urged the international community on Friday to threaten Iran with sanctions if it doesn't abandon its nuclear ambitions, following new threats from Tehran to block United Nations inspections of its atomic sites. Officials said they remain hopeful that concerted international diplomacy can end the crisis, but that a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities - led by others - is possible. The Iranian regime, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said, should be presented with a clear choice: "Either they totally cease their nuclear weapons program or they endanger their relationships with the entire organized international community. " more.. Israel's envoy to U.S. says accepts Pat Robertson's apology Ha'aretz 1/13/2006 Following prominent evangelical Pat Robertson's written apology to the family of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Ambassador to the U.S. Daniel Ayalon stated Thursday that "Israel respects Rev. Robertson and accepts his apology, which reflects his true friendship and support for the State of Israel. "Robertson sent a letter of apology to one of Sharon's sons, but Tourism Ministry official Ram Levi said Thursday Israel is still "outraged" at remarks implying that Sharon was struck down by God for giving up the Gaza Strip. Despite the apology, an Israeli official said Israel has no plans to rescind its ban on Robertson's participation a multi-million-dollar Sea of Galilee tourism project. more.. Bush Will Work To Bolster Olmert Forward 1/13/2006 U.S. Said To Seek Stability, Calm For Peace Talks -- WASHINGTON — The Bush administration will work in coming weeks to boost the standing of Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, while trying to avoid the appearance of meddling in Israel's upcoming elections, according to Israeli envoys and former American diplomats, American Jewish communal leaders and other Middle East experts. Initial signals from top officials in the Bush administration suggest that the White House will attempt to forge a strong relationship with Olmert, Prime Minister Sharon's most trusted political ally in recent years, and work to ensure stability and calm along Israel's borders. more.. Disengagement's Architect Outlines West Bank Pullout Forward 1/13/2006 Ariel Sharon's sudden exit from the political stage has raised serious questions about the future of Israel's strategy of unilateral separation from the Palestinians. For answers, the Forward turned to the man who, perhaps more than any other, can claim to be the architect of unilateral disengagement, retired major general Uzi Dayan.... After leaving government in 2002, Dayan launched the Public Council for a Security Fence for Israel. In May 2005 he formed a new political party, Tafnit — Hebrew for "turning point" — and two weeks ago he unveiled his party's plan for disengaging from the West Bank. A nephew of Israeli military legend Moshe Dayan, he spoke with the Forward last weekend about the future of Israeli unilateralism without Ariel Sharon. more.. Israel May Scuttle Evangelical Complex Forward 1/13/2006 The Israeli Tourism Ministry is threatening to block the Rev. Pat Robertson's plan for an evangelical center alongside the Sea of Galilee, after the televangelist suggested last week that Prime Minister Sharon's stroke was a punishment from God. "We cannot do business with him after these words," ministry spokesman Ido Hartuv told the Forward. "We have to rethink the agreement with him. "The Tourism Ministry reportedly has been working with a group of investors, led by Robertson, who want to open a center on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, in the vicinity of a number of Christian holy sites. According to Hartuv, the Israeli government was prepared to offer the land for the center free of charge — until Robertson spoke out last week on his television program, "The 700 Club. " more.. Rafah attack sparks outrage Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 1/10/2006 Magda El-Ghitany gauges reactions to last week's attack by Palestinian militants on the Rafah crossing which left two Egyptian soldiers dead and 30 injured -- Egyptians were shocked on 4 January by news that an estimated 30 members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade had killed two Egyptian soldiers and injured 30 at the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian-Gaza border. Following the incident 77 Palestinians were arrested. Palestinian officials attempted to downplay an incident they described as accidental. more.. Israeli Says Any Official Hamas Role Dooms Peace Talks New York Times 1/13/2006 JERUSALEM, Jan. 12 - Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told President Bush on Thursday that Middle East peace efforts could not progress if "terrorist organizations" like Hamas joined the Palestinian government after elections this month, according to a statement from Mr. Olmert's office. Israeli politics had been effectively on hold since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke on Jan. 4. But the brief moratorium appeared to end Thursday as Israelis and Palestinians turned to gearing up for elections. Mr. Bush called Mr. Olmert to express his concern over the condition of Mr. Sharon, who remained in a medically induced coma with no significant changes in his condition, according to Hadassah-Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. more.. Israel could launch air strikes if talks fail The Guardian 1/13/2006 Israel has drawn up plans for strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities with bunker busting bombs supplied by the US, but analysts say it has no intention of carrying them through while diplomatic pressure is growing on Tehran. Israel regards Tehran as the single greatest threat, a view sharpened by the Iranian president's call for the destruction of the Jewish state and his denial of the Holocaust. Last month Binyamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister and leader of the Likud party, said that if he wins the general election in March he would follow the example of former prime minister Menachem Begin who ordered the Israeli air force bombing of Iraq's nuclear plant in 1981. more.. Acting Prime Minister Olmert gears up for visit to Washington Ha'aretz 1/13/2006 Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will apparently visit Washington in early February, after the Palestinian elections. His talks with U.S. President George W. Bush will deal with creating policy for "the day after" the elections: If Fatah does well, they will talk about moving the peace process forward; if Hamas gets stronger, Olmert and Bush will talk about ways to deal with the Palestinian Authority's new political structure. Jerusalem sources said Thursday that practical preparations for the trip have not yet begun. On Friday, Olmert will meet with U.S. envoys David Welch and Eliott Abrams. more.. Palestinians decry Mofaz barrier plan AlJazeera 1/12/2006 The Palestinian Authority has condemned an order by the Israeli defence minister to build a "provisional" barrier in three areas around east Jerusalem, accusing him of trying to create a fait accompli on the ground and ignoring Israeli and world courts. Ghassan al-Khatib, the Palestinian planning minister, told Aljazeera on Thursday that Shaul Mofaz was trying to flex his muscles as a potential successor to Ariel Sharon, the ailing prime minister of Israel, at the expense of the Palestinian people. "This is a new aspect of the increasing Israeli stubbornness due to escalation of challenge among different Israeli leaders," he said. more.. Al-Kidwa Calls Quartet to Pressurize Israel to Ease Restrections against Elections WAFA 1/12/2006 RAMALLAH, January 12, 2006, (WAFA)- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Al-Kidwa, called on the Quartet Committee to intensify pressure on Israel to guarantee the movement of the Palestinian candidates and voters during the imminent elections. During his meeting, Thursday in Ramallah, with foreign diplomats and representative of international bodies to the Palestinian National Authority, Al-Kidwa asserted that the PNA makes every efforts to ensure transparency of elections. He also briefed the foreign guests about the latest developments regarding the elections due on January 25. more.. Hamas: We won't honor past agreements YNetNews 1/12/2006 Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar tells New York Times all Israeli leaders are 'poison' -- Uncompromising message: Hamas will not honor agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority should the Islamic group win the upcoming elections, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar told the New York Times. However, he added, Hamas would be willing to join forces with current ruling faction Fatah in forming a new government. "We do not want to replace Fatah," Zahar said, adding that even if Hamas won overwhelming support, all Palestinian factions would be invited to join a coalition government. more.. Mofaz to Welch: "Israel does not intend to allow Gaza-West Bank convoys" International Middle East Media Center 1/12/2006 An Israeli source reported on Thursday afternoon that the Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz told the US Secretary of State envoy, David Welch, that Israel is not willing to allow Palestinian convoys to cross from Gaza Strip to West Bank for fear that fighters will transfer Qassam shells to the West Bank.... Also, Mofaz claimed that the closure of the Philadelphi and Rafah crossings in the Gaza strip have been a significant factor in decreasing arm smuggling into the Gaza Strip. Yet, he claimed that weapons continue to be smuggled from Egypt. more.. Olmert: No Mideast peace with Hamas AlJazeera 1/12/2006 Ehud Olmert, Israel's acting prime minister, has told George Bush, the US president, that there could be no progress in the Middle East peace process if Hamas enters a Palestinian government. On Thursday, in their first telephone conversation since Ariel Sharon was admitted to hospital, Olmert updated the US president on Sharon's health. The leaders also discussed this month's Palestinian parliamentary election which is being contested by the Islamist movement Hamas, the prime minister's office said. Olmert told Bush that Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader must "take steps against terrorism and disband the terrorist organisations because otherwise there can be no progress with an administration in which there are terrorist organisations as members". more.. Robertson apologizes for saying PM's stroke was punishment Ha'aretz 1/13/2006 Israel appears unlikely to allow Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson back into a multi-million-dollar Sea of Galilee tourism project, an official said, despite Robertson's apology for implying that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was struck down by God for giving up the Gaza Strip. Robertson sent a letter of apology to one of Sharon's sons, but Tourism Ministry official Ram Levi said Thursday Israel is still "outraged" and would not rescind its ban on Robertson's participation in the project. Robertson's' comments last week drew also widespread condemnation from other Christian leaders and U.S. President George W. Bush. more.. President Meets US Senator and Armenian Delegation WAFA 1/12/2006 RAMALLAH, January 12, 2006 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas met Thursday with the US Senator the US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), in the Presidential HQ in Ramallah. President briefed the US Senator about the latest developments in the Palestinian territories including the preparations for the legislative elections. Abbas and Obama discussed the means of underpinning the American- Palestinian economic relations. Obama asserted the US supports and eager that the Palestinian legislative elections on its proposed time (January 25). more.. Assistance for "Isolated and Disenfranchised Communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" project ReliefWeb/Government of Japan 1/11/2006 1. On the 9th of January (Monday), the Government of Japan and the United Nations (UN) decided to extend assistance totalling 5,276,745. 90 US dollars (approximately 564. 61 million yen), through the Trust Fund for Human Security to a project entitled "Isolated and Disenfranchised Communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" that will be implemented by [multiple UN organizations]. 2. This project aims at supporting Palestinian communities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which are suffering the negative impacts of the strife with Israel, by empowering the disenfranchised people. The following activities will be implemented:... more.. Hamas platform mentions armed struggle, but not Israel's destruction Ha'aretz 1/11/2006 Hamas published its official platform for the upcoming Palestinian elections, which proved to be more moderate than either its 1988 charter or public statements made by its leaders throughout the ensuing years. The document makes no mention of the principle that has been Hamas' raison d'etre since its founding: the destruction of Israel and establishment of a Palestinian state on all territory west of the Jordan River in its place. However, the document's introduction comes out strongly in favor of armed struggle. "Our nation is currently at a stage of national liberation, and it has the right to act to regain its rights and end the occupation by using all means, including armed resistance," it states. "We must use all means in order to support our people and establish a state whose capital is Jerusalem. " more.. Hamas drops call for destruction of Israel from manifesto The Guardian 1/12/2006 Shift comes in lead-up to Palestinian election · Commitment to armed struggle remains -- Hamas has dropped its call for the destruction of Israel from its manifesto for the Palestinian parliamentary election in a fortnight, a move that brings the group closer to the mainstream Palestinian position of building a state within the boundaries of the occupied territories. The Islamist faction, responsible for a long campaign of suicide bombings and other attacks on Israelis, still calls for the maintenance of the armed struggle against occupation. But it steps back from Hamas's 1988 charter demanding Israel's eradication and the establishment of a Palestinian state in its place. more.. US pressure forces Israel to relent and allow Jerusalem's Palestinians a vote in election The Guardian 1/11/2006 Under pressure from Washington, Israel said yesterday that it would allow Arab residents of East Jerusalem to vote in Palestinian parliamentary elections this month - an issue which had threatened to derail the ballot. But the government said it will not permit Hamas, the militant Islamist party, to appear on ballots used in the city. Before he suffered a stroke last week, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, ordered that candidates be prevented from campaigning in Jerusalem and threatened to stop the vote in the city on January 25. more.. PA furious over Hamas exclusion YNetNews 1/11/2006 Fatah members reject Israeli conditions for PA elections, threaten to call off vote -- Sources in the Palestinian Authority have protested the statements of Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who said Tuesday Israel would allow Palestinian elections in east Jerusalem to go ahead on the condition Hamas is not on the ballots. Earlier, Mofaz said the elections in eastern Jerusalem would be allowed to take place provided they went ahead on the Palestinian side of the security fence. more.. Rice: No political place for Hamas YNetNews 1/12/2006 While Israel heads towards approving PA elections in east Jerusalem without the participation of terror groups, U.S. falls into line; says there is no place in political process for groups or individuals who refuse to renounce terror, recognizes Israel's right to exist -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice welcomed Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statement Wednesday that the government will convene Sunday, in a bid to approve the decision to allow east Jerusalem residents to vote in upcoming PA elections. The decision will be approved on condition Hamas and other terror organizations will not be allowed to participate in elections. more.. Israel freezes ties with US evangelist AlJazeera 1/11/2006 Israel has suspended contact with evangelist Pat Robertson for suggesting Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli minister. The decision, announced on Wednesday by Israeli officials, would only affect Robertson's Christian group and not other US missionaries, who are growing in ties in supporting the state of Israel. Abraham Hirchson, the Israeli tourism minister, said he gave instructions to "stop all contact" with groups associated with Robertson. more.. Israel suspends contact with Pat Robertson over PM's stroke jibe Ha'aretz 1/11/2006 Israel has suspended contact with evangelist Pat Robertson for suggesting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip - casting doubt on plans for a Christian tourism center that would showcase the growing flow of money and influence from U.S. church groups. The decision, announced Wednesday by Israeli officials, does not spill over to other Christian groups that also consider it their spiritual duty to support Israel as fulfillment of biblical prophecy and for some as an essential step to bring Judgment Day. more..