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2 Hamas militants killed in IDF strike
Ali Waked, YNetNews 11/28/2007
Air Force strikes in southern Strip, kills two Islamist group members. Earlier Palestinians fire rocket and 5 mortars at western Negev - - An Israeli air strike on a Hamas position in the southern Gaza Strip Wednesday killed two militants. Palestinian medical sources reported that one of those killed was identified as Rami Abu-Ross, a member of the Islamist group’s armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The IDF said the strike came in response to the rocket and mortar attacks earlier in the day. In the mornig hours five mortar shells were fired from northern Gaza at Israel. One of the mortars landed in a chicken coop in a western Negev community, causing damage. No injuries were reported in the attack. The four other mortar shells landed near the Gaza border fence. On Monday the IAF struck a Qassam cell near Beit Hanoun, killing three Hamas members and wounding two others. more..
Rabbi urges religious youths to refuse orders
Kobi Nahshoni, YNetNews 11/28/2007
Following Annapolis conference, Rabbi Aharon Trop, a well known educator, says protests are a ’waste of time’ - - Rabbi Aharon Trop, head of the Bnei Tzvi Yeshiva in Beit El, and a rising force among West Bank rabbis, has called for mass order refusal following the Annapolis conference. "This is a moral crime raised on a black flag, it justified and even demands order refusal," Trop said. Trop made the comments in a leaflet to the Komemeyut movement which will be distributed on Saturday in synagogues, and which reached Ynet. In the leaflet, the rabbi calls on the public to declare in advance on plans to refuse orders or to go AWOL en masse in case of settlement evacuation. Under the headline "Enough of Protests!" Rabbi Trop sets out against demonstrations, which he says are used as weapons against democratic regimes, but which are not useful against a cynical corrupt government and a hostile press. more..
Israeli army shoots three children, abducts two in Azzoun village
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/28/2007
Approximately 10 Israeli military vehicles invaded and took over the residential streets of Azzoun village Tuesday mid-afternoon, abducting two young men and shooting 3 teenagers with live ammunition. According to eyewitnesses, over 200 Israeli soldiers, including Special Forces, entered the old city quarter around 2:45 pm from different directions, positioning themselves at various points on the narrow lanes, firing live bullets and throwing sound bombs while closing in on the home of a Palestinian man they were attempting to abduct. International Human Rights Workers at the scene were able to approach the vicinity but were held back at a distance by Israeli soldiers posted at street ends. At about 3:20 pm, approximately 10 Israeli soldiers exited from an alleyway, two young handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian men being forced along at gunpoint. more..
Palestine Today 112807
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio dept, International Middle East Media Center 11/28/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 67 MB || Time 4m 0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday, November 28th, 2007. The Israeli army kills four Palestinians during several attacks on Gaza, while Palestinian and Israeli leaders continue peace talks in Washington, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned. The Gaza strip On Wednesday afternoon Israeli naval forces killed one Palestinian Police Officer and injured three others near the southern Gaza city of Rafah local sources reported. the man was killed when naval forces opened fire at Khan Younis beach. Another three members of the Qassam Brigades were killed on Wednesday in an air strike near the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun. A total of seven Palestinians, both civilians and resistance fighters, have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in... more..
Israeli naval forces kill two Palestinian Police Officers in southern Gaza
Rami Almeghari, Saed Bannoura - IMEMC&Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 11/28/2007
Israeli naval forces on Wednesday afternoon killed two Palestinian Police Officers and injured five othersin Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, local sources reported. The men were killed when an Israeli naval ship stationed off the coast opened fire at Khan Younis beach. Mu’awiya Hassanain, the director of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian health ministry named one of the deceased as Rami Abu Ar-Rus. The other officer has not yet been named. The Israeli military claims that the attack was targeting an area from which homemade shells had been fired across the border at Israeli towns. Khan Younis is one of the most crowded places on earth, and virtually every attack on the city by Israeli forces have resulted in civilian casualties which Israel terms ’collateral damage’. Wednesday’s killing comes less than 24 hours after Israel and Palestinians agreed, at the Annapolis summit, to restart stalled peace talks. more..
UN archives reveal plan to arm Jewish militia
Ofri Ilani, Ha’aretz 11/29/2007
It was November 29, 1947. The United Nations General Assembly had just passed Resolution 181 - the Partition Plan, according to which the British Mandate was to be divided into a Jewish state and an Arab state. Civil war broke out between the Jewish and the Palestinian residents, particularly in the mixed cities and on the roads. The UN faced a difficult problem: how to implement the partition resolution together with the economic union of the two states, as specified by the resolution. The UN Secretariat created a Special Committee to deal with what was seen as the first major challenge of the young body. Dr. Elad Ben-Dror, a historian at Bar-Ilan University, has been studying UN diplomacy after the Partition Plan, at the University Institute for Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation of Tel Aviv University. Last year, he sat in the UN archives and read recently-declassified documents relating to the work of the Special Committee. He more..
IAF kills 2 Gaza Hamas officers
Yuval Azoulay, Ha’aretz 11/29/2007
The Israel Air Force yesterday killed two Hamas officers when it fired missiles at a Hamas security position in the southern Gaza Strip, a Palestinian security source and medical workers said. Two Hamas naval police officers were killed and at least 10 other people were wounded, Hamas radio reported. An IDF spokesman confirmed that there had been an air strike at a Hamas position near Khan Yunis after militants fired 11 mortar shells and Qassam rockets at nearby Israeli communities. The IDF said the strike was in retaliation to the incessant Hamas mortar fire. Some of the volleys fired yesterday morning coincided with Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi’s tour of the area together with OC Southern Command Yoav Galant. A military source said the visit was associated with the Annapolis conference and the high alert the IDF has been placed on, following the attempts of terror organizations to carry out attacks. Su more..
Israel Air Force appoints first female deputy squadron commander
Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 11/28/2007
Israel Air Force For the first time in the history of the Israel Air Force, it was decided Wednesday to appoint a woman to the position of deputy squadron commander. Captain Yifat (last names of air force officials cannot be made public for security reasons) will be appointed second deputy commander of the freight transport squadron. Captain Yifat began her career in the IAF as an assistant controller in the force’s control unit. She later volunteered to take part in the IAF’s prestigious flight course, which she completed with honors in the cargo transport division in 2002. She was stationed with the "Karnaf" squadron, and recently commanded over the basic level of the flight course at the Hatzerim air force base’s flight school. Air Force commander Major General Eliezer Shkedi issued instructions to open all positions in the air force to women. Wo more..
Palestinians: IAF missiles kill 2 Hamas naval officers in Gaza
Mijal Grinberg Yoav Stern and Youval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents, Ha’aretz 11/28/2007
The Israel Air Force on Wednesday killed two Hamas naval police officers when it fired missiles at a Hamas security position in the southern Gaza Strip, a Palestinian security source and medical workers said. At least 10 other people were wounded, Hamas radio reported. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman confirmed that there had been an air strike at a Hamas position near Khan Younis after militants fired 11 mortar shells and Qassam rockets at nearby Israeli communities. The IDF said that one of the shells hit the Israeli town of Kerem Shalom, causing damage to a structure there. Two other shells struck south of Kibbutz Erez and the fifth hit inside Palestinian territory next to the security fence in southern Gaza. There were no injuries reported in any of the incidents. Militants and IDF forces clashed in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. In more..
Al-Aqsa Brigades attack Israeli military base
Ma’an News Agency 11/27/2007
Gaza Ma’an Fatah’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, claimed responsibility on Tuesday for launching a homemade projectile at an Israeli military base called Megen east of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The fighters claimed that they succeed in hitting the military installation before withdrawing from the area unharmed. [end]
Palestinian killed in anti-Annapolis rally in Hebron; police suppress rally in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 11/27/2007
Hebron - Ma’an - A Palestinian man was killed during an anti-Annapolis rally, organised by the Islamic Hizb Ut-Tahrir movement in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday. Palestinian security forces shot thirty-seven-year-old Hisham Barad’i was shot in the heart local medical sources said. Several other protestors and security officers were injured during the rally, including the Hebron security chief, Samih As-Sayfi, as protestors threw stones at police. Around 2,500 supporters of the Hizb Ut-Tahrir participated in the rally and more than 30 were arrested. Dr Mahir Al-Ja’bari from Hizb Ut-Tahrir in Hebron accused the Palestinian security services of killing Barad’i and injuring many others. Hebron Governor Hussain Al-A’raj, said he held Hizb Ut-Tahrir responsible for what happened. "I warned the leaders of Hizb Ut-Tahrir yesterday of the repercussions of the rally, and I told them... more..
An-Nasser Brigades launch projectiles at Israeli cities
Ma’an News Agency 11/27/2007
Gaza Ma’an The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades claimed responsibility on Tuesday for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Kfar Azza. They said in a statement that the shelling was part of their "Autumn Storms" operation, which emphasizes their adherence to the unalienable Palestinian rights. [end]
Gunmen arrested in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 11/27/2007
Gaza Ma’an The deposed Palestinian interior ministry in Gaza Strip said on Tuesday that their police arrested a group of gunmen after they hurled grenades at a civilian jeep in the central Gaza Strip, injuring three occupants. The Interior Ministry released a statement saying that police chased the perpetrators and stopped their car. [end]
30 injured, 200 detained as PA forces crack down on anti-Annapolis rally in Ramallah
Ma’an News Agency 11/27/2007
Bethlehem Ma’an 30 protesters were injured when hundreds of heavily-armed Palestinian police and security forces dispersed a peaceful demonstration in opposition to the international meeting in Annapolis in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday. Eyewitnesses said that police and Presidential guards used batons and teargas to disperse the 500 person demonstration, which was held in defiance of a ban on public protests issued by the Palestinian Interior Ministry. Eight people were arrested, including Jamal Juma, the coordinator of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. Mu’ammar Urabi, head of Watan TV in Ramallah, a member of the Ma’an network, was among those assaulted by Palestinian police. Wael Shuyokhi, an Al-Jazeera correspondent was also brutally beaten while covering the rally in Ramallah. At a second demonstration in Ramallah on Tuesday afternoon, witnesses said... more..
Armed Palestinian groups respond to assault on Gaza Strip
Ma’an News Agency 11/27/2007
Gaza Ma’an Three Palestinian military groups claimed joint responsibility for launching seven mortar shells at an Israeli military installation at Nahal Oz, on the border with the Gaza Strip on Monday night. Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committees An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades and Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds also said they fired a rocket-propelled grenade an Israeli military watch tower and clashed Israeli soldeirs at 10:40 pm. The three Brigades said their actions came in retaliation for "Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people," including the policy of so-called "targeted killing" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [end]
MIDEAST: Christians And Muslims Coexist In Gaza
Mohammed Omer, Inter Press Service 11/27/2007
Credit:Mohammed Omar Monsignor Manuel Musallam GAZA CITY, Nov 27(IPS) - As Sunday dawns in Gaza City the traditional Islamic call to prayer mingles melodically with church bells. Side by side, mosque and church doors swing open, welcoming the faithful. Greetings are eagerly exchanged. The October kidnapping and murder of Rami Ayyad, the manager of Gaza’s only Christian bookstore, sent shudders through the Christian community. Was this a hate crime or simply a tragic occurrence? Monsignor Manuel Musallam, head of Gaza’s Roman Catholic community, doubts the attack was religiously motivated. "Rami was not only Christian," the Musallam told IPS. "He was Palestinian. Violent acts against Christians are not a phenomenon unique to Gaza." Immediately upon hearing of the murder, the elected Prime Minister Ismail Hanyieh of Hamas ordered the Palestinian ministry of interior to... more..
Hebron man killed by Palestinian police during anti-Annapolis rally
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/28/2007
As Palestinians gathered to rally against the Annapolis summit today, Palestinian police loyal to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fired into a Hebron rally, killing one man. Palestinian security forces shot thirty-seven-year-old Hisham Barad’i in the heart, according to local medical sources. Around 2,500 supporters of the Hizb Ut-Tahrir movement participated in the rally and more than 30 were arrested. The Hebron governor blamed the Hizb Ut-Tahrir movement for what happened, saying "I warned the leaders of Hizb Ut-Tahrir yesterday of the repercussions of the rally, and I told them that the Palestinian leadership will not relinquish unalienable Palestinian rights." He added, "We banned all rallies including pro and anti-Annapolis, and an application by Fatah to organize a pro-Annapolis rally was turned down." more..
Israeli forces kill two Palestinian resistance fighters
IMEMC Staff - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/27/2007
Palestinian sources reported on Tuesday that two Palestinian resistance fighters from Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement were killed inseparate Israeli army attacks. One of the resistance fighters, Ali Al Sousi, was killed when Israeli ground forces invaded the city of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza strip. Witnesses said that local fighters clashed with the invading forces leading to the death of Al Sousi. Earlier on Tuesday at dawn, Fadi Asaf, 23, was killed when the Israeli army fired several missiles at a group of resistance fighter in Jabalyia town in the northern part of the costal region. These attacks bring the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army on Tuesday to three. Palestinian medics pronounced dead Ali Alsufi, a 55-year-old local farmer in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on Tuesday, after the Israeli soldiers opened fire on him. more..
Israeli forces kidnap a Palestinian near Qalqilia
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/27/2007
Eyewitnesses reported that Ayman Yamen,21 was kidnapped and taken to an unknown detention center. [end]
Yousif: the homemade shells are used to create a fear balance with Israel
PNN - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/24/2007
In an interview held in his office in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Dr Ahmad Yousef, the political adviser of the deposed Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh said that the Palestinian home made shells although underdeveloped are used as a preventive tool in order to create a balance of fear as the Israeli occupiers continue with their attacks against the Palestinians. He added that these home made shells will be used as a warning message to Israel. He clarified that the resistance fighters are using these home made shells in retaliation to the Israeli attacks. We- the Hamas movement- have said before that we are ready for a comprehensive and simultaneous cessation of firing shells with Israel and all of the resistance factions will abide to this national stance. He added that by reporting its daily attacks and infringements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israel has succeeded in convincing... more..
Excerpts from Olmert’s speech: ’We will not avoid discussing any subject’
Ha’aretz 11/28/2007
"I had many good reasons not to come here to this meeting. Memory of failures in the near and distant past weighed heavily upon us. Dreadful terrorism perpetrated by Palestinian terrorist organizations has affected thousands of Israeli citizens, has destroyed families and has tried to disrupt the lives of the citizens of Israel... The ongoing shooting of Qassam rockets against tens of thousands of residents in southern Israel, particularly in Sderot, serves as a warning sign, one which we cannot overlook... But I came here, despite the concerns and the doubts and the hesitations to say to you, President Mahmoud Abbas, and through you to your people, and to the entire Arab world, the time has come. "We no longer and you no longer have the luxury of adhering to dreams detached from the sufferings of our peoples, the hardships that they experience daily, and the burden of living under constant uncertainty, which offers no hope of change or of a better future. We more..
IDF strikes kill at least three Hamas militants in Gaza Strip
Haaretz Service and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 11/28/2007
The Israel Defense Forces killed at least three Hamas militants on Monday in two separate incidents in the northern Gaza Strip. In the first incident, an Israel Air Force aircraft opened a missile strike on militants at a mortar launching pad in the northern town of Beit Hanoun. One militant was wounded in the incident and at least one other was killed. An IDF spokeswoman said the missile targeted militants who had launched two mortar shells at Israel shortly before, and identified hitting them. Witnesses said an IAF missile was fired in the northern part of the territory near a key crossing with Israel. Most Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks against Israel originate in the north of the strip. Hamas, which controls the coastal enclave, said the militants were members of their group. In the second incident, which occurred near the Erez Crossing, two other militants were killed by IDF fire on the ground. Th more..
Al Qassam launch projectiles at Israeli military site
Ma’an News Agency 11/22/2007
Gaza Ma’an Al Qassam brigades claimed responsibility for launching three projectiles against theKarm Abu Salem Israeli military site in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday. The brigades said the attack was in response to Israeli crimes committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. [end]
Israeli forces arrest two near Qalqilia
Ma’an News Agency 11/22/2007
Qalqilia Ma’an Israeli forces arrested two Palestinian citizens in the town of Azzun east of Qalqilia in the northern West Bank on Thursday morning. Local Palestinian sources told Ma’an that the Israeli forces stormed several houses in the town before arresting Hamza Shunnar and Raed Shbaita. The Israeli forces have imposed tight security measures against the residents of Azzun for three weeks, closing the northern entrance to the town with cement blocks. [end]
Hamas accused P.A security forces of arresting 13 supporters
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 11/23/2007
Hamas media sources stated on Thursday that Palestinian Security Forces arrested on Thursday at dawn thirteen members and supporters of the movement in Beit Umren village west of Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank. The sources added that P. A security personnel broke into homes of dozens of Hamas members and supporters, searched them, and arrested thirteen residents. Also, security forces members broke into the house of one resident who was accused of hurling stones at them as they were operating in the area. The resident, Atallah Mohammad Samara, said that he was severely punched and received life threats. Hamas said that this arrest campaign comes only one week after a similar campaign which was carried the Palestinian security forces in Aseera Al Shimaliyya village, near Nablus. 22 Hamas members and supporters were arrested. more..
Palestine Today 112207
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 11/22/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file ||File 2. 75 MB || Time 3m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Thursday, November 22nd, 2007. Two Palestinians have died due to Israeli army attacks on the Gaza strip, while 11 others have been kidnapped during army invasions in the West Bank. These stories and more, coming up, stay tuned. The Gaza strip On Thursday morning, a Palestinian man died of wounds he recieved on Tuesday, when the Israeli army attacked the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Palestinian medical sources confirmed the man’s death, who had been suffering since he was admitted to the hospital, right after the Israeli attack. In the meantime, local Palestinian sources confirmed today that three Palestinian resistance fighters were shot and wounded during armed clashes with the Israeli army forces, on the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip. more..
Saraya aL-Quds calls for protecting the resistance in the West Bank
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 11/22/2007
The Sarya aL-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad group, called today for ensuring protection for the Palestinian resistance fighters in the backdrop of recent Palestinian security services’ crackdown on fighters from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). In a statement, faxed to press, the aL-Quds brigades warned of harming the Palestinian resistance fighters and their weapons, saying that such resistance has been found to resist the Israeli occupation. The statement demanded the Palestinian Authority to ensure protection for the Palestinian people, by halting arrest campaigns across the West Bank, hailing, in the meantime, the PA’s crackdown on gangsters, who continue destabilizing internal security. The PA’s security services have recently chased a number of Palestinians, the PA says involved in actions of internal unrest in the West Bank city of Nablus. more..
The youngest Palestinian political detainee leaves the detention camp
Hadeel Wahdan β BBC - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/22/2007
They say life is just stories someone did not have the chance to tell yet. With this in mind, I tried to manage the boredom I felt while waiting in front of the Israeli detention camp of Telmond for the release of Aisha Eliyan, the youngest Palestinian political detainee to be released by the Israeli army this week. Aisha leaves the detention camp Aisha was born three years ago in Telmond Detention Camp. For three years she was unable to see the blue sky or play freely, her crime was that she was the daughter of a Palestinian women, Itaf Eliyan, who is detained for being a member of a political group that Israeli considers hostile. Um Waleed, the grandmother of Aisha sat waiting on a stone installed by the army in front of the main gate of the detention camp, Um Waleed is Aisha’s only remaining family member, since the army kidnapped her father several days before. more..
In Gaza: a Palestinian dies of wounds and four others injured by Israeli army fire
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 11/22/2007
The 35-year-old male, Nedal aL-Najjar, died today morning of wounds he sustained earlier on Tuesday, when the Israeli army attacked the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Palestinian medical sources confirmed the death of aL-Najjar, who has been suffering from very critical injuries since been admitted to the hospital, right after the Israeli attack. Sources at the Palestinian resistance declared that aL-Najjar belonged to the aL-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance factions, including those of Hamas and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, affirmed they engaged in a fierce battle with the Israeli army’s invading forces on Tuesday. In the meantime, local Palestinian sources confirmed today that three Palestinian resistance fighters were shot and wounded during armed clashes with the Israeli army forces, on the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip. more..
Israeli forces kidnap al Aqsa brigades spokesperson in Nablus
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/22/2007
In a pre-dawn invasion on Thursday, Israeli military forces kidnapped Naser Al Kharraz, the spokesperson of the al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Security sources reported that the Israeli military invaded the city and besieged Al Kharraz’s home. Troops searched the house and confiscated property belonging to Al Kharraz and his family members. Sources confirmed that soldiers kidnapped Al Kharraz and transferred him to an unknown detention center. [end]
Lands of ’Awarta town annexed and its history falsified
Ameen Abu Wardeh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/20/2007
’Awarta village, located southeast of the West Bank city of Nablus, has been invaded by groups of Israeli settlers who are more extreme than any other settlers in the West Bank. The town is currently an open-air jail after the Israeli closure of the main street to Nablus. Previously, it would take only ten minutes to reach the city center of Nablus on this road, but now residents of the town are obliged to use Huwara checkpoint which doubles the distance and doubles the cost. Awad Abed As Salam, a teacher in the town, reported that Israeli settlers annexed the fields, splitting them into two parts. The parts are separated by barbed wire rolls and electrified fences. The settlers’ homes lie behind two rows of barbed-wire, while the Palestinian farmers’ fields are isolated between these rows. Israeli forces have declared the fields to be a ’no man’s land’ that the Palestinians are forbidden from entering, for fear that they might try to enter the Israeli settlement. more..
2 Qassams land near Sderot; no injuries
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 11/21/2007
Rockets fall in town’s vicinity, causing no damage. Earlier Wednesday, mortar barrage fired at Erez crossing - - Two Qassams fired from northern Gaza landed near the town of Sderot Wednesday evening. One rocket landed on a road in the town’s vicinity and the other fell near a neighboring kibbutz. There were no reports of injuries or damage. Several mortar shells were fired from the Strip at the Erez crossing Wednesday morning. The mortars landed in open fields, causing no injuries or damage. On Saturday, Sderot sustained a heavy rocket salvo that caused much damage to property. Five vehicles sustained hits and two of them caught fire. Caught on tape On Tuesday, the IDF release a videotape depicting a strike against a Qassam launching cell in Gaza. The cell is shown retrieving the projectiles and launchers and setting them up in a dirt embankment in northern Gaza. more..
Niddah - the animated version
Yael Eichenwald, YNetNews 11/21/2007
How does a wife wake up her husband without touching him? What does dinner look like when passing objects is forbidden? How does the couple prepare for the big moment when the wife is ’pure’ again? Dafna Sudri’s animated clip gives all the answers - - Animation: Dafna Sudri No touching, no passing objects, no sleeping in the same bed: Niddah (literally: Separation) is a term that refers to to the regulations and rituals concerning menstruation. Dafna Sudri’s animated clip "A Day in the Life of a Couple Practicing Niddah," explores this ritual in a humoristic way. Sudri, who studied animation at the prestigious London Westminster University, worked on the five-minute clip for a year-and-half. Sudri, who drew each of the 3,000 pictures by hand came up with the idea when she was attending Jewish family law classes ahead of her wedding. more..
ZAKA, Sderot’s Municipality sue Mashaal
Neta Sela, YNetNews 11/21/2007
In lawsuit submitted to International Criminal Court in The Hague, volunteer organization and rocket-ridden city’s mayor argue Hamas leader responsible for murder of 176 Israeli citizens, injury of hundreds - - ZAKA, a volunteer organization committed to the recovery and identification of human remains, in coordination with the municipality of the rocket-battered city of Sderot, may be on to a new method for combating Hamas : The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. In a lawsuit against Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, ZAKA’s directors Yehuda Meshi-Zahav and Dudi Zilbershlag and Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal argue that Mashaal is responsible for numerous murders and crimes against humanity and war crimes. In the suit Mashaal is blamed for the killing of 176 civilians and the wounding of hundreds in Hamas-sponsored terror attacks and suicide bombings that took place since 2002. Attac more..
Lupolianski launches east J’lem development plan
Neta Sela, YNetNews 11/21/2007
Mayor says ’too many engaged with talking about Jerusalem - we’re acting,’ allots NIS 200 million to program - - Parallel to hints heard recently in the government on the possible future option of dividing Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Municipality is advancing a wide-scale program for the development a strengthening of the urban center in the eastern part of the city. The program will be part of a city outline program, aimed at keeping Jerusalem’s territory as a single and continuous urban bloc. The estimated cost of the project for the public space stands at NIS 200 million (about $51. 3 million). In the context of the program, Jerusalem’s municipality is planning on developing commerce, hotels, an expansion of Jerusalem’s marginal neighborhoods, the safeguarding of historic buildings, and a combination of urban and private initiatives to hasten activity in the public sector, as well as tourist attractions and an encouragement of fares. more..
Israeli settlers shoot at a Palestinian bus near Tulkarem
Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007
Qalqilia Ma’an Israeli settlers shot at a Palestinian bus near Beit Lid lon the road to Tulkarem and Nablus, in the northern West Bank on Thursday. Eyewitnesses said that three masked men in an Israeli car shot at the Palestinian bus, causing it to topple over. There were no reports of any injuries. [end]
Fatah office looted in Deir Al-Balah
Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007
Gaza Ma’an A Fatah office in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip was ransacked on Wednesday by unidentified assailants, Fatah sources said. Fatah’s regional spokesperson said the office does not co-ordinate political activities but specializes only in services to families of those who were killed, injured or jailed by the Israelis. He added that it was the second time the office had been looted despite being only 20 metres away from the Deir Al-Balah police station. [end]
Palestinian military groups react to Israeli incursions
Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007
Gaza Ma’an Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility on Wednesday for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli towns of Sderot and Kfar Aza in the western Negev. Separately, Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades said they fired on Israeli military jeeps near Nahal Oz border crossing and Qarmish military posts in eastern Gaza city. The military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the National Resistance Brigades, and the Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed joint responsibility for hurling two projectiles at Kisufim crossing on Tuesday. The military groups said, in separate statements, that their operations constituted retaliation for Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. more..
Israeli forces invade Tulkarem
Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007
Tulkarem Ma’an Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem and stormed several Palestinian homes on Wednesday. Palestinian security sources said that an Israeli military force invaded the northern end of Tulakrem. No Palestinians were detained in the raid. [end]
Al-Quds Brigades attack Israeli jeep in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007
Gaza Ma’an The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility on Wednesday for launching a 30-kilogram explosive device at an Israeli military jeep near the Kisufim checkpoint on the border between the southern Gaza Strip and Israel. In a spress tatement, the brigades said the operation was conducted while the jeep was guarding the Israeli military post at Kisufim. [end]
Israeli settlers attack two Palestinians on road near Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 11/21/2007
Jenin Ma’an Israeli settlers smashed a Palestinian man’s car in the village of Huwwara, near the West Bank city of Nablus at 9pm Tuesday night. The driver, thirty-five-year-old Hatim Qash from the village of Birqin, and another passenger survived the attack, in which a group of settlers attacked the car with stones and clubs. Qash said: "I was on my way back to Jenin, in my taxi. One passenger only was in the car, who is a friend of mine. We were coming from Ramallah. As I came close to Yitzhar settlement, I saw a dim light in the horizon. I thought it was a military checkpoint, and so I slowed down." "As I came closer," he continued, "I became worried, so I dimmed up the car’s front lights. I saw a large number of settlers on the road side who attacked the car with stones, clubs and metal objects." He added that after the attackers broke all the car’s windows and smashed the body of the car, he was able to speed up and escape. more..
Israel increases restrictions on occupied Palestinians in preparation for summit
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/20/2007
Curfews have been imposed on all towns and villages in the northern West Bank. Access to Jerusalem for worshippers hoping to pray at the al-Aqsa mosque has been cut off. Soldiers operating the over 700 checkpoints and roadblocks in the West Bank have been instructed to severely restrict the movement of Palestinian people. These and many other measures have been put in place Tuesday by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, in preparation for a ’peace summit’ between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Monday. According to an Israeli military spokesperson, "Defence Minister (Ehud Barak) has ordered the army to up its security measures and vigilance to face a possible wave of terrorist attacks" The moves come after Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in two separate attacks in Gaza late Monday night; and Palestinian resistance fighters shot dead one Israeli settler in the northern West Bank. more..
IDF foils terror attack on Netiv Ha’asara
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 11/19/2007
Soldiers open fire at terrorists attempting to climb Gaza security fence near Israeli community; some would-be attackers hit - - IDF forces and security officers from Netiv Ha’asara foiled on Monday an attempt by terrorists to infiltrate the community, located just north of Gaza. Soldiers identified three Palestinians climbing on the security fence and opened fire, hitting some of the would-be attackers. There were no reports of injuries among the soldiers. The residents were ordered to remain inside their homes. Earlier on Monday, Israeli communities surrounding the Strip were hit with a heavy barrage of some 20 mortar shells. No injuries were reported in the attacks. Also, a Qassam rocket fired by Palestinians in north Gaza landed in a western Negev kibbutz, but no injuries were reported in that attack either. Prior to the infiltration, Netiv Ha’asara’s security coordinator, Gil Ta’asa, told Ynet that the situation in the area was tense. Follo more..
Mortar barrage hits Negev; no injuries
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 11/19/2007
Some 20 mortar shells fired by Palestinians in Gaza toward Israel; Qassam lands in kibbutz - - Some 20 mortar shells fired by Palestinians in north Gaza landed in the western Negev Monday afternoon. No injuries or damage were reported in the attacks. Nine of the mortars landed near the Erez crossing, by the Gaza security fence, damaging a number of cars that were parked in the area. Earlier, a Qassam rocket landed in a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council. No injuries were reported in that incident either. On Monday morning a loud explosion rocked Ashkelon’s southern neighborhoods, as a Qassam rocket landed in an open area south of the city. Ashkelon residents said that they heard a particularly loud explosion. "The explosion was so strong my house trembled. We are used to Qassam rockets, but far from here, in the industrial zone. This more..
Military training facility for rent
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 11/19/2007
GOC army headquarters offers foreign armies to rent urban-warfare training facility in Tze’elim. For a fee, soldiers from various countries will train, receive guidance and sleep in nearby hotel - - Senior IDF officers appear to be worried about the drop in the dollar’s exchange rate - it’s not good for business: Several weeks ago, the IDF Foreign Training Division started taking representatives of foreign armies on guided tours of the urban-warfare training facility in Tze’elim. "There is lot of interest, we hope to close some deals soon," a military source told ynet. The urban-warfare training facility is a "city" composed of hundreds of structures - including high risers, an audio system that simulates the sounds of people, artillery, explosions and helicopters; simulation of enemy forces on the attack and more. Along with training, the GOC army headquarters offers the foreign armies’... more..
Qassam lands near neighborhood in Ashkelon
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 11/19/2007
Rocket fired from Gaza Strip hits open area in south of city. ’The explosion was so strong my house trembled,’ resident says - - A loud explosion rocked Ashkelon’s southern neighborhoods Monday morning as a Qassam rocket landed in an open area south of the city. Several rockets have been fired at Ashkelon over the past two weeks, most on them landing in the southern industrial zone. Earlier Monday, a rocket landed inside the Sha’ar Hanegev regional council, and two rockets were fired at midnight Sunday, one of them landing in a community near Netivot and another falling near Ashkelon’s industrial zone. Ashkelon residents said that they heard a particularly loud explosion. One of the residents living nearby said that "the explosion was so strong my house trembled. We are used to Qassam rockets, but far from here, in the industrial zone. This is more..
Al-Qassam Brigades shell Israeli target
Ma’an News Agency 11/19/2007
Gaza Ma’an Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility on Monday for launching three mortar shells at an Israeli military monument east of the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. They said in a statement that the shelling came in retaliation for Israeli incursions into Gaza Strip. [end]
Israeli forces seize four Palestinians in Bethlehem area
Ma’an News Agency 11/19/2007
Bethlehem Ma’an Invading Israeli forces abducted four Palestinians near the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Monday, Palestinian security sources said. Israeli soldiers stormed several homes in the village of Tuqua before detaining twenty-six-year-old Hafith Hamida and his twenty-eight-year-old brother Imad Hamida. In a separate incursion, Israeli troops invaded the village of Al-Furdais, seizing twenty-year-old Mousa Tnuh. In the village of Al-Ubeidiya, Israeli forces abducted twenty-one-year old Mahmoud Rabaya after ransacking his home. [end]
Al-Quds Brigades launch projectiles at Sderot
Ma’an News Agency 11/19/2007
Gaza Ma’an The military wing of the Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at Israeli town of Sderot on Monday morning. They said in a statement that the shelling of the town, which borders the Gaza Strip, came as a reaffirmation of the right of Palestinians to engage in resistance "until the liberation of Palestine." [end]
Israeli military attacks Azzoun High School
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 11/20/2007
Local sources reported that Israeli military jeeps and soldiers invaded the grounds of Azzoun High School, in the Qalqilia district of the West Bank, on Sunday. The soldiers reportedly drove around the school grounds, interrupting lessons and waving their guns at teachers and students. According to witnesses, three teachers and one administrator went to speak to the soldiers, requesting that they leave. Soldiers replied that it was the teachers who should leave them alone - telling them to go back to their classrooms and stop interfering in the soldiers’ work. One teacher reported: "We said to him that there are rules that forbid you from entering a school". The soldier said "For me there are no rules. I will come one time, two times, ten times, as many times as I want and no one can forbid me. If you forbid me, I will shoot you." Another teacher reportedly asked the soldiers "What if we were soldiers... more..
Palestine Today 111907
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 11/19/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 67 MB || Time 4m 0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Monday, November 19th, 2007. In the West Bank, Israeli forces kidnap eleven Palestinians across the region. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, several members of the al-Quds Brigades survive an Israeli air strike on their vehicle. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The West Bank The Israeli military on Monday morning kidnapped at least eleven Palestinians across the region. In the northern West Bank cities of Nablus and Qabatiya, at least eight Palestinians were abducted after Israeli troops invaded the areas and searched homes. Meanwhile, near the southern West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron, Israeli troops kidnapped three from the villages of Taqua and Dora. more..
Hamas: Fatah security forces arrest Nablus municipal council member
IMEMC staff - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/19/2007
The Hamas movement on Monday claimed that Fatah-affiliated security forces had arrested Hussam al-Qaltuni, 50, a member of the northern West Bank City of Nablus’ municipal council. According to the statement, al-Qaltuni was driving his car when he was stopped at a Palestinian checkpoint in the city of Nablus, after which he was taken to the Palestinian Authority central jail in the city. Al-Qaltuni is a Hamas leader in the city, and a board member of several Islamic charitable organizations. He has been detained by Palestinian security forces twice in the past few months, and his house has been attacked several times by unknown gunmen. Translated by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC. org more..
Olmert: Israel will freeze settlement activity and evacuate outposts
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 11/19/2007
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday indicated that his administration would freeze all West Bank settlement activity and abandon all currently-existing illegal outposts. Speaking to the Israeli Cabinet, Olmert told ministers that such a move would see Israeli fulfill its road map obligations. "It is impossible to repeat that the road map is a strategic asset for Israel and at the same time to ignore our obligations... let us admit to ourselves: We committed not to built new settlements... we promised not to expropriate land... We promised to raze illegal outposts... We will not deviate from our principles, and we will fulfill all of our obligations," the Israeli PM stated. Olmert’s comments came hours before the Israeli PM was due to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. more..
Seven Hamas members arrested across West Bank
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/19/2007
Hamas media sources on Monday reported that Fatah-affiliated security forces had arrested seven members of the movement across the West Bank. Among those arrested were two political ex-detainees and one municipality council member. In the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, Fatah forces arrested Murad Jebriel and Abed Jebreil, both of whom had been previously detained by Israeli forces. In the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Jihad Deriyah was arrested after Palestinian security forces attacked his workplace in the nearby village of Beit Fajar. Elsewhere in the central West Bank, municipal council member Najeh Najeep was arrested in the village of Ein Yabrod, located near Ramallah. Mohamed Mater, from the northern West Bank village of Tamon, was also arrested after an interview with Palestinian security forces in the nearby city of Tubas. more..
Israeli Army ’very weak’ during 2006 summer war
Daily Star 11/20/2007
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli media quoted Monday a report issued by Israel’s State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss as saying the status of the Israeli Army was "very weak" when it decided to go to war in the summer of 2006 against Hizbullah. "Battalions that had not trained for five years and severely lacking various munitions, was the shape the Israeli Army ahead of the summer 2006 war," the report said. Lindenstrauss found that from 2000 until 2006 the general staff, due to budget constraints, cut back on training for combat units in the reserves and regular service. "There was no proper analysis done of the ramifications the drop in training would have." He found that during the war, the Defense Ministry made emergency orders of essential types of ammunition, some of which did not make it to the frontlines in time. The report further found that the Israeli Army’s Operations Directorate does not have a mechanism in... more..
One crisis after another: presidential logjam follows two years of turmoil
Compiled by Daily Star staff, Daily Star 11/20/2007
Rival Lebanese leaders are seeking to agree on a new president with the incumbent’s term ending this week; a lack of deal is expected to trigger an escalation in the country’s political crisis. Here is a chronology of some of the main events in Lebanon since former Premier Rafik Hariri was killed, along with 22 other people, on February 14, 2005. l February 28: Pro-Syrian Premier Omar Karami resigns. l March 5: Syrian President Bashar Assad tells his Parliament Syrian troops will start phased pullout from Lebanon. l April 26: Last Syrian soldiers leave Lebanon. l June 2: Anti-Syrian journalist Samir Kassir is killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car. l June 16: UN investigation into Hariri’s killing starts. l June 19: Lebanese parliamentary elections end in victory for anti-Syrian alliance led by Hariri’s son Saad Hariri. l June 21 - Former Communist Party leader and critic of Syria George Hawi is killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car. more..
Al-Quds Brigades claim responsibility for shooting Israeli soldier
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Gaza Ma’an The Islamic Jihad’s military wing, Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility on Wednesday evening for shooting and injuring an Israeli soldier while he was on a military tank near Erez crossing in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. They said the tank was guarding a bulldozer which was demolishing agricultural lands near the industrial estate near Erez. The Al-Quds Brigades affirmed in their statement that their combatants hit the soldier and that the operation was recorded on film. They added that the operation came in retaliation for the Israeli atrocities committed against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [end]
Israeli forces demolish more Negev homes
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 11/16/2007
The Israeli authorities continued their campaign against ’unrecognized’ Arab villages in the Negev desert, demolishing four homes on Thursday. The regional council of the ’unrecognized’ villages reported that the Israeli authorities demolished four homes in three different villages. Hussein al-Rafay’a, head of the regional council of unrecognized villages, challenged the ongoing Israeli attacks and destruction of homes. He stated that the orders given by the Israeli government are racist orders, given with the intent of expelling the Arabs from the area. The villages are not officially recognized by the state of Israel, despite the residents having lived there prior to the creation of Israel in 1948. The Bedouin people who reside in these villages are forbidden by Israeli authorities from building permanent structures, and have been moved from village-to-village multiple times by the Israeli government. more..
Yushchenko says revered Ukrainian hero did not lead pogroms against Jews
Associated Press, YNetNews 11/17/2007
Visiting Ukrainian leader defends posthumous national award given to Roman Shukhevych, who Holocaust scholars say took part in pogroms against Jews in the 1940’s which resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 Ukrainian Jews - - Visiting Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Thursday defended his country’s award of a top honor to a man accused of murdering thousands of Jews during World War II, while pledging to work to eradicate anti-Semitism in his country. The controversy over the award cast a shadow over a visit that otherwise was devoted to improving relations between Ukraine and Israel. Yushchenko spoke out against anti-Semitism several times, especially during a speech in Israel’s parliament. Yushchenko left Israel Thursday evening. Speaking at a foreign policy forum Thursday in Jerusalem, Yushchenko said Ukrainian nationalist leader Roman Shukhevych was posthumously named a Hero of Ukraine... more..
Israel helps fix faulty Gaza electricity
Tani Goldstein, YNetNews 11/17/2007
After Gaza power grid blacks out, IDF enters coastal strip to transfer equipment provided by Israeli power company to help fix Palestinian network - - While the debate continues to rage over the proposal of cutting off Israeli-supplied electricity to the Gaza Strip as a punitive measure in wake of unceasing Palestinian rocket fire towards southern Israel, Israel is actually making sure the power is up and running smoothly along the coastal strip. Earlier this week a technical malfunction in the electricity network in northern Gaza caused a power outage that some Palestinians thought was the beginning of the "Gaza blackout" plan proposed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak. To solve the problem, the Israel Electric Corp. (IEC) agreed to transfer the equipment needed to fix the network to their Gazan counterparts. Se more..
3 Qassams fired at Israel; IDF attacks in Gaza
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 11/17/2007
One rocket hits potato packing house, causing some damage; shortly after, IDF attacks in Gaza, reportedly killing two members of Qassam launching cell - - Three Qassam rockets were fired from the northern Gaza Strip at Sderot and the western Negev Thursday. One of the rockets landed near a potato packing house in a Negev industrial area, causing some damage. Four people were treated for shock and one woman was evacuated to the hospital for further treatment. Shortly after the attack, IDF helicopters fired a missile at a Qassam launching cell in Beit Lahiya. According to Palestinian sources, two gunmen were killed and three other were injured in the strike. One of the dead gunmen was identified as a member of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction. The affiliation of the second militant was not immediately known. more..
Deeply alarmed by number of mines laid each year, General Assembly would urge aid for development of national mine-action capacities, by Fourth Committee draft
United Nations General Assembly, ReliefWeb 11/13/2007
GA/SPD/390 Sixty-second General Assembly Fourth Committee 22nd Meeting (AM) In Debate on Israeli Practices, Focus Shifts to Separation Wall, Deemed ’Noxious’ to Palestinian Welfare, ’Pretext’ for Israeli Claim to East Jerusalem The General Assembly, deeply alarmed by the number of mines laid each year, as well as the presence of a still very large number of square kilometres infested by mines and explosive remnants of war as a result of armed conflicts, the General Assembly would urge all States to assist countries affected by mines and explosive remnants of war in the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities, according to a draft text approved today without a vote by the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization). The draft resolution, which was orally amended, would also have the Assembly urge all States to support national programmes, while taking into... more..
Settler enclave mocks Mideast peace prospects
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
HEBRON, West Bank - When the Israeli army occupied the top two floors of Mohammed al-Jabari’s hillside home in the Palestinian West Bank city of Hebron for two weeks in September, he blamed his neighbours. Since 200 hardline Jews moved into an unfinished concrete monstrosity across the street one rainy night in March -- creating one of Israel’s newest West Bank settlements -- soldiers have also been posted just outside Jabari’s gate. They said they had to have a presence in his home for security reasons. "They made noise all night, pacing back and forth with their boots. We couldn’t sleep. They kept opening and closing the iron gate, over and over again," he says. The settlement, which the Palestinians call the Al-Rajabi house, does not yet have the iron fences and barbed wire of the more established settlements in the occupied West Bank, but it has a checkpoint, a small guard tower, and a sniper’s nest on the roof under camouflage netting. more..
Abbas wants Hamas ousted
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Thursday called for the people of Gaza to oust his Islamist rivals who seized control there five months ago as he seeks a lasting peace with Israel. "We must get rid of this clique that took control of the Gaza Strip by force and which is exploiting the suffering and tragedies of our people," he said in a televised speech from his Ramallah office to mark the 19th anniversary of the symbolic declaration of a Palestinian state. Hamas ousted secular Fatah security forces loyal to Abbas in mid-June after a week of deadly violence, resulting in the fall of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian government and a new government being formed in the West Bank. The ongoing factional feuding has now split the Palestinians into two separate entities, with the Islamist Hamas ruling the roost in Gaza and Fatah administering the Israeli-occupied West Bank. more..
Nine injured, including Japanese journalist; four arrested at Bil’in demonstration
Ma’an News Agency 11/16/2007
Ramallah Ma’an Nine people were injured and four others arrested during the weekly demonstration against the separation wall in Bil’in, near Ramallah in the central West Bank on Friday. Local residents, foreign peace and some residents from neighbouring villages gathered for the demonstration. A high-ranking French delegation including politicians and mayors from French cities also attended the demonstration, including the head of the European left wing party Francis Meriros and head of the French-Palestinian twinning programme, Ferno Tweil. Palestinian Legislative Council members Jihad Tumalie and Muheeb Awwad accompanied the French delegation. The visitors listened to a detailed illustration about Bil’in’s three-year resistance to the separation wall. PLC member Muheeb Awwad delivered a speech about the impact of the wall on the West Bank and how it impedes the establishment of a Palestinian independent state. more..
Fatah accuses Hamas forces of arresting Brigades spokesperson
Ma’an News Agency 11/16/2007
Gaza Ma’an Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades on Friday accused Hamas forces of arresting their spokesperson, Aqil Ash-Sheikh Khalil, in Gaza City, a statement said. "Hamas-affiliated militias arrested Sheikh Khalil after watching him for a long time. They took him to the Al-Mashtal headquarters, which Hamas uses as a detention centre for keeping and torturing Fatah’s members," the statement said. Sheikh Khalil is the general commander of the Al-Aqsa Brigades in the Saftawi area of Gaza City and is ’wanted’ by Israeli forces. Khalil is the second Al-Aqsa Brigades spokesperson to be arrested by Hamas in a month. Nasir Abu Fool, the spokesperson and general commander of the Al-Aqsa Brigades Yasser Arafat forces was seized a month ago. more..
Protest near Abbas’ Gaza home against Jewish extremist threats to Al-Aqsa mosque
Ma’an News Agency 11/16/2007
Gaza Ma’an Hamas organised rallies in the Gaza Strip on Friday for the second day in a row in protest at attempts by Israeli settlers and politicians to enter the grounds of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. People gathered outside mosques after the Friday prayer, shouting slogans calling on the Arab and Muslim world to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque. The main rally took place in Gaza City outside the home of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "These rallies are meant to tell the world that we are ready to starve and die in order to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque, and let this be known by all," prominent Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya said. φφAddressing the rally, which included members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees, he asked them to prepare to "free the Al-Aqsa mosque from Israeli occupation." His message to Israel was clear - "Your end has come close because as your tyranny grows, heaven’s might grows too. more..
Israeli undercover force seize two in Bethlehem
Ma’an News Agency 11/16/2007
Bethlehem Ma’an An undercover Israeli force seized two Palestinians from Bethlehem in the southern West Bank on Thursday evening, their relatives told Ma’an. According to their families, an Israeli undercover unit took twenty-seven-year-old Adel Nawawra and twenty-nine-year-old Ayish Nawawra to an unknown destination. [end]
Palestinian security arrest nine more Hamas members
Ma’an News Agency 11/16/2007
Nablus Ma’an Hamas said on Friday that Palestinian security services arrested nine Hamas members in the West Bank on Thursday night. In a statement, the Islamist movement said five Hamas loyalists were arrested in Nablus in the northern West Bank, two in Tulkarem and two others in Hebron in the southern West Bank. [end]
Haniyeh calls for enquiry into Gaza rally massacre
Ma’an News Agency 11/16/2007
Gaza Ma’an Deposed Palestinian prime minister Isma’il Haniyeh on Thursday evening called for the formation of a "transparent and impartial national committee" to investigate Monday’s bloody events in Gaza City that left seven dead and scores injured following a rally to commemorate the death of Yasser Arafat. The violence occurred as the rally began to disperse. Eyewitnesses said Fatah supporters began taunting the Hamas-affiliated police force who then opened fire on the crowd. The leader of the de facto government in Gaza demanded the release of all those arrested after the shootings except those thought to have been responsible for inciting violence. Hs said his government will "adhere to its duties towards the victims" of the rally. "Despite the facilitations which the government made, Hamas was not invited to attend the celebration. more..
PFLP launch projectiles at Sderot
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Gaza Ma’an The military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades claimed responsibility on Thursday for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot in the western Negev, they said in a statement. The statement added that the operation was in retaliation for Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people. [end]
Union of Palestinian journalists condemns attack on German TV journalists by "Hamas militias"
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Gaza Ma’an The Palestinian syndicate of journalists on Wednesday condemned the assault on staff of a German television station in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip by what they called "Hamas militias." According to a statement released by the syndicate, photojournalist Sawah Abu Saif was arrested and his camera was confiscated. Zakariyya Tilmis, the German TV correspondent was also attacked, the statement added. The statement said, "Hamas militias hurled a grenade at the journalists and a gathering of citizens and fired heavily during the abduction of Abu Saif. This dangerous escalation against media came in accordance with the decision to ban public freedom by force, taken by the dark forces which staged a coup in Gaza." more..
Israeli forces invade Qabatia
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Jenin Ma’an Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank town of Qabatia south of Jenin on Thursday, carrying out an arrest and inspection campaign in the town’s centre, Ma’an’s reporter said. Palestinian security sources said that several Israeli military vehicles entered the town from the west and stormed a number of houses near the Salah Addin mosque under cover of heavy gunfire and sonic bombs. They claimed they were searching for Palestinian fugitives. Eyewitnesses told Ma’an’s reporter that the Israeli troops forced Palestinian residents to leave their homes and gather in a mosque yard for interrogation. [end]
Al-Mujahidin and Islamic Jihad target Israeli military post
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Gaza Ma’an A joint group of Fatah’s Al-Mujahidin Brigades and Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility on Thursday for launching four mortar shells at the Israeli military post of Abu Mtaibiq in the central Gaza Strip. They said in a statement that the shelling is in response to the frequent Israeli threatens to invade the Gaza Strip. [end]
Al-Qassam Brigades attack Israeli military posts
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Gaza Ma’an Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility on Wednesday for launching four mortar shells at the Israeli military post of Qarmish in the northern Gaza Strip, and two other mortar shells at Nahal ’Oz military post. They said in a statement that their activity was in retaliation for Israeli incursions in the Gaza Strip. [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades launch projectile at Sufa crossing and Sderot
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Gaza Ma’an Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility on Wednesday evening for launching a homemade projectile at the Sufa crossing east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. They said in a statement that the operation was in retaliation for Israeli aggressions and targeted killings of Palestinians. On Thursday for they said they launched a homemade projectile at the Israeli town of Sderot in the Western Negev. They said in a statement that the shelling emphasizes that resistance will continue against Israeli occupation. [end]
An-Nasser Brigades target Israeli military post
Ma’an News Agency 11/15/2007
Gaza Ma’an The An-Nasser Salahaddin Brigades, the armed group affiliated to the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility on Wednesday for launching three mortar shells at the Israeli military post of Nahal ’Oz east of Gaza City. They said in a statement that the shelling resulted in power cut in the area and Israeli helicopters were seen flying overhead which meant that the target was hit. [end]
This Week In Palestine - Week 46 2007
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 11/16/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 11. 0MB || Time 13m 0s || This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for November 10th through November 16th 2007. Palestinians mark the 19th anniversary of their independents with Israeli attacks leaving five killed in Gaza and internal clashes leaving another eight dead. These stories and more, coming up, stay tuned. Nonviolent Resistance in West Bank Let’s begin our weekly report with the nonviolent action in the village of Bil’in near the city of Ramallah. IMEMC’s Manar Jebreen with the details: As has been the case for the last two and a half years, the villagers of Bil’in, along with their international and Israeli supporters, conducted their weekly protest against the illegal Israeli wall built on the village land. This week, French parliamentarians, municipality leaders, union representatives,... more..
Israeli forces storm northern and central West Bank
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/16/2007
Israeli military forces on Friday morning invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the central West Bank city of al-Bireh, Palestinian security sources have reported. In al-Bireh, located near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, Israeli troops established a flying checkpoint on one of the main roads. Again, no kidnappings were reported. [end]
Hamas: Fatah security forces attack girls’ dormitory at al-Najah University
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 11/16/2007
The Hamas movement on Thursday accused Fatah-affiliated security forces of breaking into a girls’ dormitory at the al-Najah university in Nablus and attacking several students. The dormitory in question is reserved for female students who are part of the Islamic bloc, and is located in Rafidia neighborhood of Nablus. Eyewitnesses to the event claimed that the dorm was surrounded by Fatah security forces on Wednesday afternoon, after which each room was raided and residents forces to gather in one place. Witnesses added that the security forces confiscated any posters, pictures or documents promoting the Islamic bloc, in addition to one computer. Since Hamas’ rise to power in the Gaza Strip, Fatah forces have steeped up attacks against the movement in the West Bank. Similarly, Hamas forces in Gaza have intensified their attacks against the Fatah movement, as seen in Monday’s violence that left at least seven Palestinians dead and scores more injured. more..
Palestine Today 111507
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 11/15/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file File 2. 75 MB || Time 3m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Thursday, November 15th, 2007. Palestinians marked the 19th anniversary of their independence, and the Israeli army killed two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, these stories and more coming up so stay tuned. The Gaza strip Two Palestinians were killed and four others wounded on Thursday in an Israeli strike on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya. Initial media reports said that those killed belonged to the Fatah’s offshoot, aL-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and that one of those injured was in a critical condition Witnesses said that a missile struck a car while driving on a road in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. The Israeli army has recently been engaged in a series of air strikes on Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza, killing dozens of them and injuring many others. more..
Israeli forces hit Gaza targets
Al Jazeera 11/15/2007
An Israeli attack on a car in northern Gaza Strip has killed two Palestinians and wounded three others, medical sources and witnesses say. The attack in the town of Beit Hanoun came after fighters from the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fired rockets towards towns in southern Israel. The group identified the dead as its own. An Israeli military spokeswoman said ground forces fired on a Palestinian rocket crew. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is an armed wing of the Fatah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. The Israeli military said ground forces struck a rocket squad about to fire at Israeli towns. Al-Aqsa said it fired 10 rockets on Thursday by midday. Israeli aircraft later struck an electricity transformer, causing no casualties. But power was knocked out in several homes, according to Said Hamad of the Beit Hanoun town council. Source: Agencies more..
Deeply alarmed by number of mines laid each year, General Assembly would urge aid for development of national mine-action capacities, by Fourth Committee draft
United Nations General Assembly, ReliefWeb 11/13/2007
GA/SPD/390 Sixty-second General Assembly Fourth Committee 22nd Meeting (AM) In Debate on Israeli Practices, Focus Shifts to Separation Wall, Deemed ’Noxious’ to Palestinian Welfare, ’Pretext’ for Israeli Claim to East Jerusalem The General Assembly, deeply alarmed by the number of mines laid each year, as well as the presence of a still very large number of square kilometres infested by mines and explosive remnants of war as a result of armed conflicts, the General Assembly would urge all States to assist countries affected by mines and explosive remnants of war in the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities, according to a draft text approved today without a vote by the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization). The draft resolution, which was orally amended, would also have the Assembly urge all States to support national more..
National Resistance Brigades pledge to escalate resistance
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Gaza Ma’an The National Resistance Brigades, the armed group affiliated to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) claimed responsibility on Tuesday afternoon for launching a homemade projectile at the military post of Sufa, south of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. In a statement the group pledged to escalate their resistance against ongoing Israeli aggressions. [end]
Abbas declares three days of national mourning for Gaza dead
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Ramallah Ma’an Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of national mourning beginning on Tuesday for the seven dead killed in Monday’s massacre in Gaza City. Flags will be at half-mast as sign of mourning for the victims killed by Hamas-affiliated police in Gaza City during a rally to commemorate the third anniversary of the death of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. [end]
Israeli forces arrest Qalqilia resident
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Qalqilia Ma’an Israeli forces arrested forty-two-year-old Muhammad Suwan on Tuesday after raiding his home in the northern West Bank town of Amateen, east of Qalqilia. Eyewitnesses said that an Israeli force invaded the town and ransacked several homes before arresting Suwan. [end]
Two Hamas members arrested in West Bank
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Nablus - Ma’an Hamas said on Tuesday that the Palestinian security services arrested two of their members on Monday in Nablus in the northern West Bank and Hebron in the southern West Bank. In a statesmen, Hamas named the arrestees as Abdul-Rahman Ashur from Nablus and Faysal Ishaq from Hebron. [end]
Funerals of those killed in rally massacre; Gaza on general strike
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Gaza Ma’an Hundreds of Palestinians took part in funeral processions on Tuesday for two of the victims of Monday’s clashes in Gaza City that left seven dead and scores injured during a memorial rally for the late President Yasser Arafat. Fourteen-year-old Ibrahim Ahmad was buried in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and the second funeral took place in Gaza City as mourners escorted twenty-six-year-old Husam Al-Awadi to his final resting place. Five of the victims were buried on Monday evening without formal funeral processions. The whole of the Gaza Strip went on general strike on Tuesday following the deaths of the seven people and scores of injuries after gunmen opened fire on the crowd. Shops remained closed, and students and teachers did not attend school. The mood in Gaza was subdued as people tried to come to terms with what they had witnessed the previous day. more..
Palestinian journalist complains he was attacked by Hamas’ forces in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Bethlehem Ma’an A correspondent for the Ramallah-based Palestine radio was attacked and beaten by the de facto government’s police in Gaza City while he was covering the Fatah-organized rally in Gaza City marking the third anniversary of the death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in which seven people were killed and scores injured, he told Ma’an via telephone. Thirty-year-old Tamim Abu Mu’ammar told Ma’an that he was trying to send a report by telephone to the Palestine radio in Ramallah about the attacks on the rally when the de facto government’s police beat him with clubs and rifle butts. He said they searched his cell phone and ordered him to leave the scene, threatening to attack him if they saw him again. Mu’ammar said his whole body was covered in bruises. more..
Brigades clash with invading Israeli forces in Qabatia
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Jenin Ma’an Israeli forces raided the northern West Bank town of Qabatia south of Jeninon Tuesday morning, and Palestinian combatants countered the invading forces before they withdrew, Ma’an’s reporter said. No injuries or arrests have been reported. Eyewitnesses said that 32 Israeli military vehicles stormed the town from all directions. Troops tried to ambush Palestinian activists and ransacked several homes. Sources within Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades and the Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades claimed their gunmen clashed with the Israeli forces, yet no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said they saw an Israeli helicopter landing twice on plains belonging to the towns of Ya’bad and Arraba near Jenin. They also said they saw large numbers of Israeli troops and patrols. more..
Israeli forces demolish house in Kafr Haris
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Nablus Ma’an Israeli forces on Tuesday began to demolish houses and shops in the northern West Bank village of Kafr Haris, west of Salfit, after issuing warrants to their owners weeks ago, according to Ma’an’s reporter. Our correspondent said the Israeli forces besieged the village and broke into the home of Abdullah Dawood forcing him to leave the house before demolishing it. The same house was damaged by Israeli forces in 1994. [end]
Israeli forces detain seven in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 11/13/2007
Nablus Ma’an Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians on Tuesday after several military vehicles raided the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Palestinian security sources confirmed the arrests and named those seized as Shadi Abdul-Haq and his son Fadi, Radi Qadiri, Rami ’Ashur, Muhamad ’Ashur, Bilal Tab’uni and ’Amid Ksheika. [end]
Israeli media: one Palestinian seized near Bethlehem
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 11/13/2007
One Palestinian man was seized near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem after allegedly throwing a number of Molotov cocktails at an Israeli building site, Israeli media sources on Tuesday afternoon reported. [end]
Gaza police forces arrest Abbas advisor
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 11/13/2007
The Hamas-affiliated Gaza police on Tuesday arrested Kamal Alsherafi, an advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in the northern Gaza Strip. The arrest comes less than 24 hours after violence ripped through a large Fatah rally in Gaza, leaving at least seven Palestinians dead and scores more injured. Earlier media reports indicated that a number of similar arrests were made on Monday night after the Interior Ministry of the de facto government vowed to bring to justice those who, it claimed, fired on its police forces. The interior ministry spokesman, Ehab Algosain, on Monday stated "we have footage of those who opened fire at the police personnel from the rooftop of the nearby al-Azhar university and will bring to justice all those involved β¦ no one is above the law." Monday violence has been roundly criticized by various Palestinian factions, with Fatah branding more..
Israeli military confiscates lands near Jenin
Ali Samoudi - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 11/13/2007
Israeli forces on Tuesday ordered scores of Palestinian farmers near the northern West Bank city of Jenin to evacuate their orchards, forbidding the owners from using them. Local farmers reported that enforced Israeli forces descended on fields located behind the illegal wall, near Barta’a village, and ordered them to leave the land. One farmer told IMEMC that "the Israeli military is not satisfied with the fields they confiscated to establish the wall, but wish to take more." Israeli troops also barred the farmers from future use of their land, citing so-called ’security considerations’ as a justification. Barta’a village currently lives under complete isolation and closure. The village, which located on the Israeli border, is surrounded by the illegal wall and closed behind an iron gate, with thousands of Dunums of village-owned land confiscated for the illegal structure. more..
Israeli forces kidnap two Palestinians in Hebron
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/13/2007
Israeli military forces on Tuesday kidnapped two Palestinians near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The men, later identified as Ased Abu Zneid and Mohammad Masalma, both from Dora town, were kidnapped after Israeli forces invaded a house near the mosque, claiming that the two men were in possession of a knife with which they planned to attack Israeli forces. Both were transferred to an undisclosed detention center. [end]
Israeli forces open fire on civilians’ homes in Beit Hanoun
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 11/13/2007
Israeli military forces on Tuesday morning opened fire against civilians’ homes in Beit Hanoun, located in the northern Gaza Strip. Local sources reported that Israeli soldiers stationed at the nearby Eretz crossing opened fire for no apparent reason. No injuries were rep