Conflict..

Nine Palestinians injured in Hamas-Fatah clashes in Nablus Ma’an News Agency 12/22/2006 Nablus - Several Palestinians have been seriously injured in clashes between Fatah and Hamas fighters in the city of Nablus on Friday morning. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that members of the Hamas movement were preparing to celebrate its 19th anniversary in the city stadium when clashes started between the two sides. Among the casualties, Mo’een Hamoudha, 32, was seriously injured in the head. Wael Hash-Shash of the Hamas movement told Ma’an that Hamas members abducted the Fatah member Tamir Ashour, 20, after the shooting broke out. The Hamas members insist that they are interrogating him as to find out who send him to shoot at the Hamas festival. Hash-Shash stated that the celebration will continue as planned, and he called on the security bodies to fulfil their role "in preserving law and order". more.. Peretz okays Ma’aleh Adumim barrier Jerusalem Post 12/22/2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz has approved the original route of the separation barrier surrounding the Ma’aleh Adumim enclave, placing 64,000 dunams of West Bank land on the Israeli side of the barrier, Jerusalem lawyer Shlomo Lecker told The Jerusalem Post Thursday. Lecker represents Palestinian petitioners from Abu Dis and Suahra A-Sharqia who are objecting to three segments of the 38-kilometer-long barrier. He said he had been informed of Peretz’s decision by Justice Ministry attorney Orit Corinaldi-Sirkis, who is representing the state in the petitions. The Justice Ministry spokesman was unable to confirm or deny the report. Corinaldi-Sirkis was out of the country. A spokesman for Peretz told the Post the matter was being looked into.... In fact, the barrier does much more than protect Ma’aleh Adumim... more.. Israeli Army attacks several West Bank areas and abducts 24 Palestinian men International Middle East Media Center 12/22/2006 The Israeli army invaded several parts of the West Bank on Friday morning, attacked residents’ homes, and abducted 24 residents. In the northern part of the West Bank, an army convoy attacked Nablus City, Balata Refugee Camp, and Askar Refugee Camp, located in the city of Nablus, searched and ransacked scores of residents’ houses, and abducted 11 men there. No names have been issued at the time of this report. Meanwhile, the Israeli army abducted 9 Palestinian men from the southern West Bank city of Hebron in pre-dawn invasions and home raids in the city and surrounding villages. Four Palestinian teenagers were abducted by Israeli forces during a pre-dawn invasion in the village of Taqua, south of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. more.. Israeli soldiers attack boys in Aqaba village; stab one Ma’an News Agency 12/22/2006 Nablus - Palestinian medical sources have informed Ma’an’s correspondent in Nablus that Israeli soldiers attacked and severely assaulted Palestinian boys in the village of ’Aqaba, east of Tubas in the northern West Bank. The sources added that one of the boys was hit with a knife by one of the soldiers. The same sources said that a huge contingent of Israeli military vehicles and soldiers invaded the village and stopped five boys, before attacking them and stabbing Qusay Ad Dik in the hand. The boy was transported to a central city hospital for treatment. [end] Sporadic clashes between Hamas and Fatah Al-Bawaba 12/22/2006 A fierce gunbattle was reported between Hamas and Fatah fighters in Gaza City early Friday, despite a two-day old truce. The street battle erupted when Hamas men tried to free two kidnapped members, including a senior one. It ended after 20 minutes as clerics and other mediators worked to restore the cease-fire. Nobody was hurt, health officials said. The violence came after a Hamas member, Mahmoud Al-Lali, was kidnapped late Thursday night by armed men, who fired assault rifles in the streets and seriously wounded a bystander. Hamas said its fighters exchanged fire with Fatah-affiliated members behind the kidnappings. The fight quickly spread, drawing in guards outside the residence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, and Hamas gunmen guarding the home of Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas Zahar. more.. Palestinians fire three Qassam rockets at western Negev Ha’aretz 12/23/2006 Qassam rocket strikes Sderot bank building causing damage -- Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired three Qassam rockets Friday evening into the western Negev. The first rocket landed in a kibbutz residential area, shattering several windows. No injuries were reported. The second strike caused some damage to a bank building in the center of the western Negev city of Sderot. Two people were treated for shock. The third rocket landed in an open field and caused no damage or injuries. Early Friday morning, a Qassam rocket landed in an open field in the western Negev causing no injuries. On Thursday, Palestinians shot six Qassam rockets, two of which landed in the center of Sderot. The first strike on the city, which occurred in the early evening.... Islamic Jihad confirmed firing the rocket... more.. Jenin Camp foils ambush attempt Palestine News Network 12/22/2006 The people of Jenin Refugee Camp detected the Israeli ambush this morning. On and off for weeks Israeli forces have been sneaking into Jenin and Nablus under cover of darkness and overtaking houses where they wait for their “target. ”This has proven effective for the Israelis who have recently killed several Palestinians by using this method, including two men in a Jenin area village just days ago. On Friday morning the Israeli special forces set themselves up in a school adjacent to the camp. However, residents and those working in the National Security headquarters in Jenin realized they were there. The mission to ambush the “wanted” was aborted. It was at that point that at least 20 Israeli military vehicles stormed the camp. Eyewitnesses report that as soon as the special forces were evacuated, the military vehicles followed suit. [end] Settler jailed for murdering four Palestinians commits suicide Ha’aretz 12/23/2006 Asher Weissgan, the West Bank settler who was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences and 12 additional years for the murder of four Palestinian workers and injuring a fifth in the settlement Shilo in August 2005, committed suicide Friday morning in Ayalon Prison. A preliminary investigation into the suicide indicates that Weissgan asked the on-duty officer to transfer him from the religious-observant ward in which he was staying. Weissgan was removed from his cell and placed in a temporary cell while his replacement was being considered. In a morning inspection of his cell Friday, Weissgan was found hung by phylacteries which he had tied around his neck. The prison administration found that Weissgan had left his prayer book open on the Kaddish, a Jewish sanctification prayer. more.. Fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza for second day ReliefWeb 12/21/2006 GAZA CITY, Dec 21, 2006 (AFP) - A fragile ceasefire aimed at halting a surge in fighting between rival Palestinian factions held in the Gaza Strip for a second day Thursday after president Mahmud Abbas urged restraint on all sides. No clashes between Abbas’s Fatah party and the ruling Hamas movement have been reported since early Wednesday, when a four-hour gunbattle in southern Gaza City killed two Fatah loyalists hours after a new truce went into effect. Gaza City residents went about their daily routine, though armed gunmen, some of them masked, continued to patrol the streets. At a press conference in Ramallah late Wednesday, Abbas pleaded for an end to factional fighting in the streets." I call on Palestinians from all political factions to show responsibility and restraint," Abbas said. more.. Stray Qassam injures 2-year-old in Beit Hanun Ha’aretz 12/22/2006 Five Qassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel yesterday. A sixth Qassan that was fired from Beit Hanun hit a nearby home, injuring five Palestinians including a 2-year-old boy whose legs were broken in the attack. One of the rockets that landed in Israel, one fell in the center of Sderot, close to a basketball court at a community center. No one was injured but a few people were treated for shock and some property damage was reported. Another Qassam landed near a bus in Sderot, causing some shrapnel injuries and shock. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for firing the rockets into Israel, which it said was in order to avenge the deaths of two members in an Israeli arrest raid in the West Bank earlier this week. The rocket that hit the Palestinian house blew through the home’s living room... more.. Israeli confiscation of Jerusalem includes 100,000 Jewish settlers per year Palestine News Network 12/21/2006 The Israelis are bringing 100,000 Jewish settlers to Jerusalem every year. The Director of Mapping in Jerusalem’s Arab Studies Society said that the Israeli plan to Judaize the city will accommodate 500,000 more settlers by 2010. Part of that plan is Sharon’s blueprint of imposing a settlement inside East Jerusalem’s Old City. Before falling ill, Sharon spoke of the settlement project known as E1, which aims to impose an industrial zone , 3,500 housing units, and five hotels on a one kilometer area. The placement will cut-off East Jerusalem entirely and make establishing the Palestinian capital an impossibility. The area of “Greater Jerusalem” is 600 km and is becoming possible to access for Israelis-only through a system of streets and tunnels that connect to the settlements. more.. Israeli forces invade At-Taweel village in the Negev, threaten to destroy Bedouin village Ma’an News Agency 12/21/2006 Hebron - Israeli police and border guards have, on Thursday, invaded the Negev village of At-Taweel in large numbers and attached demolition warrants to several houses. Head of the regional council of "the unrecognized villages", Hussain Rafay’a told Ma’an’s correspondent in Hebron that if such orders are fulfilled, that will displace 570 Bedouin, and leave them homeless. Rafay’a added that these houses have already been destroyed, then rebuilt two weeks later. He referred to the intention to submit a complaint to the Israeli High Court on Saturday, in an attempt to stop the displacement plan against this Bedouin community by the Israeli government. [end] Gunmen abduct Hamas fighter, seriously injure another International Middle East Media Center 12/22/2006 Palestinian sources reported on Thursday that unknown gunmen abducted a fighter of the Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, shot and injured another fighter who accompanied him. The Maan News Agency reported that the gunmen shot and injured Mohammad Ata Al Jirjawi, and abducted Mahmoud Al-Lee, both members of the Al Qassam brigades,The attack took place in Al Sabra neighborhood in the center of Gaza city. Medical sources in Gaza described the injury of Al Jirjawi as serious; he suffered a round of live ammunition in his chest. No Palestinian armed faction claimed responsibility for the attack. [end] IDF, police fail to notice evacuated family returned to Hebron home Ha’aretz 12/22/2006 A family that was evacuated from Hebron’s wholesale market a year ago secretly returned about four months ago, but was discovered only recently by the Israel Defense Forces and the Civil Administration. As a result, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court decided it cannot be evacuated via the fast-track method used to evacuate squatters within the first 30 days. The court also canceled the arrest warrant the police issued against Gershon and Shulamit Bar Kochba and their eight children, and forbid their evacuation until a final decision is made on the case. Hebron’s wholesale market was built on Jewish-owned land, and the original owner, a Jewish nonprofit organization, later transferred it to the Jewish community of Hebron. A year ago, however, all the Jewish families living there were evacuated. more.. Homemade Shells Injure Three Palestinians Including a Pregnant Woman in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/21/2006 A Palestinian home made shell landed on Thursday morning on a Palestinian house wounding three Palestinians including a pregnant woman in the northern Gaza strip. The shell landed on a home belonging to the Al Massri family, lightly injured a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry, and also injured two of the woman’s children. The Palestinian home made shells have no guidance systems and many fall into the sea or back into the Gaza Strip. The Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, have announced their responsibility for the launching of several homemade shells at the Israeli town of Sderot on Thursday morning. The brigades said that the attack came as a response to the recent Israeli army killing of three of its members. The Israelis attacked several west Bank cities on Tuesday... more.. Gaza fisherman dies of wounds inflicted earlier this month International Middle East Media Center 12/21/2006 A fisherman died on Thursday morning due to wounds he sustained earlier this month when Israeli navel gun boats opened fire at a group of fishermen near the Rafah beach south of Gaza strip. Medical sources reported that Hamdan Barhum, 23, died on Thursday at dawn in the Gaza city hospital due to wounds he sustained on the 11th of December. [end] Israeli policy of targeted assassinations on the rise this week Palestine News Network 12/21/2006 The Israeli policy of targeted assassinations is back in full force this week illustrating that the ’cease-fire’ really did only apply to the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces assassinated Palestinian armed resistance members in the northern West Bank’s Nablus, Tulkarem, and Jenin this week. Ahmed Betawi of International Solidarity for Human Rights said that the same crew of special forces have carried out the recent assassinations. Betawi said that in just the past three days Israeli forces assassinated four Palestinians. In western Jenin’s Silat Al Harithiya on Wednesday Israeli forces assassinated two Saraya Al Quds members. Eyewitnesses reported that a 24 year old from Tubas and a 26 year old from Sanour were targeted and killed. On Tuesday it was Mohammad Mahmoud Hamad in the town of Illar in Tulkarem. more.. Six "Molotov" cocktails thrown at house of Sheikh Ma’an News Agency 12/21/2006 Nablus - Unidentified men threw six Molotov cocktail bombs at the house of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Yadak, 43, in Qusin, west of Nablus on Thursday morning. Shiekh Yadak is one of the leaders of the Hamas movement in the village of Qusin, and is a member of the local village council. His wife told Ma’an that anonymous men threw six cocktail bombs at the house, causing severe damage to one of the rooms of the house. [end] Changes to separation fence route cost state NIS 700 million Ha’aretz 12/21/2006 Changes to route of the West Bank separation fence at the behest of the High Court of Justice have cost the state roughly NIS 700 million, and could reach as high as NIS one billion in the near future. The High Court, acting in response to petitions by Palestinians and human rights groups, ordered the changes in large part in order to ease the burden imposed by the fence on Palestinian residents of the West Bank. The changes required the Defense Ministry to dismantle and rebuild dozens of kilometers of chain-link fence and concrete wall. In many cases, the court based its ruling on opinions offered by the Council for Peace and Security, which was accorded the status of ? amici curiae? , a ? Friend of the Court?. Sources in the council said they expect that in the near future the High Court will order the relocation of an additional 8-11 kilometers of the fence. more.. Exclusive: Syria builds ’death trap’ villages along border in preparation for war Jerusalem Post 12/22/2006 Warning that Israel may face a "Syrian intifada," a high-ranking officer in Northern Command has told The Jerusalem Post that villages recently built by Syria along the border are planned to be used as "death traps" for IDF troops in Hizbullah-inspired attacks. Since this summer’s war in Lebanon, Syria, the officer revealed, has invested large amounts of money in replicating Hizbullah military tactics, particularly in establishing additional commando units and fortifying its short- and long-range missile array. The idea is to draw Israel into an asymmetric war, the officer said, like the warfare the IDF encounters in combat against the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as against Hizbullah in Lebanon. Over the past two years, Syria has built a number of villages along the border with Israel... more.. Calm prevails in Gaza Palestine News Network 12/21/2006 Calm reigned in Gaza City today. Both Fateh-member President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas-member Prime Minister Ismail Haniya demanded restraint on the second day of the agreed upon internal cease-fire. President Abbas called on all Palestinians to show “responsibility and restraint” in order to restore internal calm to the Gaza Strip. More people were killed and injured early yesterday, but Thursday is quiet. The barriers are being removed from streets and in front of buildings, while no armed rallies have been held. After Egyptian mediation, a comprehensive truce was announced late Tuesday by President Abbas, Prime Minister Haniya and Minister of Interior Said Siyam who runs the Executive Force. During the hours that preceded the declaration, six Palestinians were killed, some 20 were injured, including children... more.. Israeli Army Assassinates Two More Palestinians in the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 12/20/2006 Local Palestinian sources reported that an Israeli army convoy invaded the village of Siliet Al Harthia, surrounded a house in the center of the village and clashed with the besieged resistance fighters located inside the home killing two of them. The Israeli Army stormed the village of Siliet Al Harthia near the northern West Bank city of Jenin and killed two Palestinians on Wednesday morning. Medical sources identified the two Palestinians killed as Hussam Al Aifie and Salah Fawastah, both were said to be fighters for Al-Quds Brigades which is the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement. During the gun fight, an additional two activists were also injured and then abducted by the invading Israeli troops. This is the third assassination attack Israeli forces have conducted in the Northern West Bank areas in less than 24 hours. more.. Ten Year Old Girl Shot and Killed East of Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 12/20/2006 Palestinian sources reported that a ten year old girl, Du’a’ Abd Al Qader, was shot and killed by an Israeli sharpshooter while playing near the illegal Israeli wall in the eastern side of Tulkarem city in the northern part of the West Bank on Tuesday evening. Abd Al Qader was playing with her friends on a farm that is overlooked by an Israeli watchtower located on the illegal wall surrounding the city. A sharpshooter from that watchtower opened fire at the girls, critically wounding Abd Al Qader and injuring her ten year old friend Rasah Shalabi, eyewitnesses reported. Eyewitnesses added that when Palestinian medical teams arrived at the scene they were stopped by Israeli soldiers who surrounded and sealed off the scene and were forced to return to the city after the Israeli soldiers threatened to shoot them if they came any closer the scene. more.. Israeli Air-force targets fighters in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/21/2006 Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip reported Wednesday that an Israeli war-jet fired a missile at a group of fighters in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, no injuries were reported. The attack came after a senior Israeli military officer stated that “Israel will have no restraint regarding the Palestinian violations to cease-fire”. According to the official, Palestinian fighters fired at least 40 homemade shells into Israeli area over the last month. Israeli defense minister, Amir Peretz, and Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said that Israel will no longer “have self-restraint” regarding Palestinian fighters who continue to fire homemade shells into Israel. The armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, and the armed wing of Fateh, claimed responsibility for firing several homemade shells into Israeli areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip. more.. Israeli forces arrest 24 Palestinians in the West Bank Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Bethlehem - Israeli sources have said that Israeli forces have arrested 24 Palestinians in towns and cities in the occupied West Bank during raids early on Wednesday morning. Israeli Radio said that the arrests were in the areas of Nablus, Tulkarem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron and that these arrests targeted activists of the Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad movements. The radio station also said that the forces were shot at during the raids, especially in Nablus but said that there were no losses or injures reported on the Israeli side. Palestinian security sources said that the Israeli forces broke into Bethlehem and besieged the neighbourhood of Shahin Valley in the city of Bethlehem and arrested five Palestinians after searching their house. more.. A few hours after the declaration of a truce, two killed and eleven injured in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Gaza - Two Palestinians were killed and eleven injured in clashes between the Hamas Executive Force and members of Fatah, in Al-Thalathini Street and Al Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City, early on Wednesday morning. Ma’an learned that Mohammad and Mahmoud Dogmosh, both in their twenties, from the security forces, were killed and that the clashes left another eight Palestinians injured; three are in a serious condition. Medical sources said that another three were injured in Wihda Street in the centre of Gaza City. Eyewitnesses told Ma’an that clashes erupted at dawn on Wednesday morning in Al Sabra neighbourhood and Thalathini Street and said that the clashes were fierce; they added that the fighters bombed a house in the Sabra neighbourhood in addition to destroying a wood store belonging to the same family... more.. Israeli forces besiege Jenin area while residents were sleeping or praying, kill three Palestinians Palestine News Network 12/20/2006 Israeli forces raided several home in the western town of Al Salh Harithiya in search of the “wanted” Wednesday morning. These types of pre-dawn raids beg the question, not only of the legitimacy that any Palestinian can legally be arrested by the Israelis as the occupying force, but whether there are any on this so-called “wanted” list. Many residents and politicians believe that these are simply raids of harassment which ensure that residents do not get a good nights sleep and live their lives in fear of what they cannot predict. A leader in Islamic Jihad, Sheikh Khalid Jaradat, told PNN that a large-scale military invasion began at dawn for the second day running. At least 20 Israeli military vehicles stormed the sleeping town with aircraft circling overhead. more.. US weapons prompt Hamas arms race? YNetNews 12/20/2006 Worries ammo flowing into Gaza to be used against Israel -- The United States for the past few days has been providing arms to militant groups from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party to bolster it against rival Hamas factions, WND has learned. According to Israeli and Palestinian security officials, the US weapons shipments have prompted an arms race with Hamas, which has been smuggling into the Gaza Strip larger than usual quantities of weaponry from neighboring Egypt. The Israeli security officials expressed concern some of the weapons obtained by Fatah and Hamas could be used in attacks against Israeli troops operating in Gaza or in raids of Israeli military stations and communities near the Gaza Strip. "There is a massive increase in weapons brought in (to Gaza) since last week," said an Israeli security official. more.. Brigades launch homemade projectiles toward Israeli targets Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Gaza - The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, have on Wednesday launched three homemade projectiles, and three mortar shells towards the Israeli towns of Be’eri, Ashkelon, and the military post at Kisuffim. The al-Aqsa Brigades of the Fatah movement have also launched three homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Sderot. Both brigades issued statements explaining that the shelling comes "in retaliation for Israeli assassination of Palestinian operatives. [end] Al-Quds Brigades launch two homemade projectiles at Sderot, Israel Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Gaza - Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing affiliated with Islamic Jihad, have on Wednesday claimed responsibility for launching 2 homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Sderot. The operation came as legal retaliation for the killing of Palestinian citizens, which culminated in the assassination of the Brigades’ operatives, Salah Sawafta and Husam al-Ayasa, said a statement by the Islamic Jihad which Ma’an received. [end] Palestinian military faction launches homemade projectiles at Israel Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Gaza - Al Mujahideen Brigades, a military wing of Fatah, in Palestine warn of the internal conflict between the Palestinian factions. In a statement issued on Tuesday the brigades called on all Palestinian factions to be united and to aim their weapons towards the common enemy. The statement said that the brigades launched two homemade projectiles at the Israeli settlement of Natif Hasara late on Tuesday and another two projectiles at Sderot town inside Israel. [end] Israeli settler Runs over 72-year-old Palestinian man near Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 12/20/2006 An Israeli settler ran over an elderly man Wednesday midday in Al Khader village south of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. Medical sources said that Ahmed Sbeih 72 sustained fractures and cuts all over his body and he was transported to Beit Jala public hospital. Eyewitnesses said that Sbeih was deliberately run over as he was returning home in the village. [end] Israeli Army Abducts Eight Palestinian Men During Morning Invasion in the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 12/20/2006 The Israeli Army invaded several cities in the West Bank and abducted eight Palestinian men on Wednesday at dawn. Israeli troops invaded several parts of the southern West Bank city of Hebron and abducted two Palestinians. Mazin Ighnimat, 28, was taken away by the Israeli soldiers when they raided the village of Surif, west of Hebron after searching a number of houses there. Meanwhile, another Israeli force stormed the villages of Yatta and Al-Thahriya, south of Hebron city, searched homes and farms, and took Osama Al-Amour, 24, from Yatta to an unknown destination. Elsewhere, in the northern West Bank city of Ramallah, the Israeli army surrounded the home of Ahmad Al-Atownah, 33, deputy assistant in the local government ministry of Ramallah. more.. In pictures: Palestinian clashes BBC Online 12/19/2006 PHOTOS -- Armed Fatah supporter in Gaza City - Armed supporters of Fatah and Hamas have waged gun battles in the Gaza Strip in recent days.... more.. Palestinian clashes spill over into the West Bank Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Jenin - Unknown armed men shot at three houses of Hamas supporters in the village of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin, late on Tuesday night. A Ma’an correspondent reported that the shooting was at the house of Sheikh Ratib Mer’e and Allam Salah, a village council member, in addition to the house of Yahia Masad the Mosque Imam. The Hamas movement has condemned the incident and declared that this seeks to stir conflict in the internal political arena. [end] Israelis annex more Palestinian land for illegal settlements Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Qalqilia - Israeli forces have bulldozed huge areas of Palestinian land east of the village of Jinsafut, east of Qalqilia city, in the northern occupied West Bank. Local sources said that the aim of the destruction of the land is to expand the Israeli settlement of Immanu’el, which was built on the villagers’ lands and land from neighbouring villages. The sources added that the Israeli forces prohibited the owners of the land from entering their land. [end] Palestinian lady apprehended at Atarot checkpoint for possession of a big knife Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Bethlehem - Israeli media have on Wednesday reported that the Israeli forces stationed at the Atarot checkpoint in northern Jerusalem have apprehended a Palestinian woman from Ramallah, in the centre of the occupied West bank because she had a big knife in her car. The sources stated that the lady admitted in the primary interrogation that she intended to stab Israeli policeman at the checkpoint. [end] Power Struggle Splits Palestinian Society By Ola Attallah, Palestine Chronicle 12/19/2006 Deadly gun battles raged across Gaza City on Tuesday, shattering a fragile truce aimed at halting an increasingly violent power struggle between the rival Hamas and Fatah. -- GAZA CITY - The Hamas-Fatah fighting and power struggle, which claimed more five lives on Tuesday, December 19, is splitting the Palestinian society down the middle and leaving otherwise united Palestinians divided. "Fatah with its coup attempt should be solely held accountable for what is going on. It is a battle between the good and evil," said the mother of a Palestinian prisoner at the weekly sit-in of the prisoners’ families outside the Red Cross offices in Gaza City. "No…. Hamas and its policies are to blame," she was angrily interrupted by another mother. A third weighed in, showering the ruling Hamas with accusations of responsibility for the violence. more.. Seven killed and twenty-eight injured in inter-Palestinian clashes in Gaza on Tuesday Ma’an News Agency 12/19/2006 Gaza - Ma’an- A Palestinian member of the Hamas’ Executive Force was killed and seven citizens injured when fierce clashes erupted between the forces and members of the intelligence department near Shifa’a hospital on Tuesday morning. Palestinian medical sources said that 24 year old Ismail Abu Al Kheir was killed and seven Palestinians admitted to the hospital this morning. The public relations director of the hospital, Dr. Juma Saqqa, said that the clashes left one killed and seven injured including a member in the intelligence department who is suffering serious injury. A spokesman of the Executive Force, Islam Shahwan, said "a group of men from the Palestinian intelligence whom we identified, attacked the Executive Force, who guard the hospital. more.. Palestinian PM Reiterates National Unity and Refuses Call for Early Elections International Middle East Media Center 12/19/2006 In a televised speech, Palestinian Prime Minister, responded Tuesday to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ call for early Presidential and Legislative elections earlier this week in the wake of failed national unity government talks and the ongoing internationally-imposed economic embargo. The Palestinian premier recalled a 9-month old failed unity government talks, denying claims that the Hamas-led government has been a part of that failure, citing major stops in such a dialogue including the Qatari foreign minister’s , Hamad Bin Jasem, mediation efforts." The Qatari Foreign Minister has phoned me from Washington, telling me, ‘you are not a part of the problem’, Haniyeh recalled. PM Haniya also held Palestinian parties, without naming any, responsibile for attempting to fail his government... more.. Israeli army kills one Palestinian, injures one, and abducts two near Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 12/19/2006 Undercover Israeli armed forces infiltrated the village of Alar near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem and killed one Palestinian man, injured one and abducted two others on Tuesday afternoon. Mohamed Hamad, a leader for the Al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, was ambushed by undercover Israeli soldiers in Alar village. Ssoldiers stopped Hamad’s car, then showered it with live rounds killing him and injuring Ahmad Ajaj, 19, a bystander, eyewitnesses reported. A convoy of Israeli army jeeps invaded the village and surrounded the area where the attack took place to secure a safe retreat for the undercover soldiers. Vehicles and troops left the village shortly after the attack taking with them two prisoners. No names were released at the time of this report. more.. Israeli forces invade Jenin city, Jenin refugee camp and a nearby village International Middle East Media Center 12/19/2006 Israeli troops attacked and searched residents houses in the northern West Bank city of Jenin , the Jenin refugee camp and the nearby village of Kifer Dan, on Tuesday morning. Residents reported that soldiers threw tear gas and sound grenades inside their homes and fired live rounds into the air during the invasion, no injuries reported. Troops also deliberately destroyed residents belongings during the search. The army eventually left after several hours taking no prisoners this time. [end] Israeli army invades a village near Bethlehem and abducts three men International Middle East Media Center 12/19/2006 Israeli forces invaded the village of Al Jab’a, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and abducted three men including the Mayer of the village on Tuesday morning. Local sources reported that army vehicles and troops stormed the village, imposed a curfew while searching and ransacked resident’s homes. Troops then abducted Mufied Abu Luha, 28, who is the Mayer of the village, Wisam Hamdan, 30, who works as a police officer in the city of Bethlehem, and Hitham Hmadan, 26. All were taken to unknown detention centers their families reported. [end] Palestinian killed, another died of his wounds and two arrested in an Israeli military operation in Nablus Ma’an News Agency 12/19/2006 Nablus - Israeli special forces have killed a 24 year old Palestinian man, named Rami Annab, on Tuesday morning. Annab was an Al-Aqsa Brigades (the main military wing of Fatah) activist from Balata refugee camp. A Ma’an correspondent in Nablus reported that the Israeli forces killed the man near Ittihad hospital in the city of Nablus, in the northern West Bank. They also arrested two men, Imad Abu Salim and Talal Abu Leil. Another man, Imad Zaqzouq aged 24 from the Al-Aqsa Brigades died from the wounds he sustained last week when he was shot by Israeli forces in Al Ain refugee camp near Nablus. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli special forces were in a white car when they approached a car parked in the hospital car park, the soldiers shot at the car and killed Annab before arresting the other two men. more.. Fatah Hamas fighting continues, one Palestinian teen wounded in Gaza city International Middle East Media Center 12/18/2006 One Palestinian teen was critically wounded in the neck after being hit by a live round in central Gaza city in the Gaza strip on Monday morning during a gunfight between Hamas and Fatah fighters. Eyewitnesses reported that today’s fighting started when a group of Hamas gunmen and Fatah gunmen opened fire at each other on downtown Gaza city, leading to the injuring of the 16 year old boy in the neck, he was moved to a hospital in the city were he was treated for critical wounds, medical sources reported. This clash comes shortly after an announced ceasefire between the Palestinian factions announced late Sunday night after a day of street fight between fighters of Fatah and Hamas, three Palestinians were also killed on Sunday in these clashes. more.. One killed, 7 wounded in internal fights in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/19/2006 At least one was killed and seven were wounded on Tuesday morning in clashes between the Palestinian General intelligence service and the Executive forces in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources reported. Ismael Abu Al-Kheir 24, member of the executive forces that were formed by the Ministry of Interior after Hamas took office in March of 2006. Medical sources in Gaza city said the clashes erupted in the campus of Al-Shifa hospital in the city and that the clashes are still ongoing. Unrest between the two main rival parties escalated after the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called last Saturday for holding Presidential and Parliamentary early elections in the Palestinian territories. Abbas said this is the only solution left to get the Palestinian people out of the tough blockade they are subject to since March of 2006. more.. Two killed as Hamas-Fatah battles continue despite truce Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 Two people were killed and six others wounded early Wednesday in battles between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza City, just hours after the feuding factions agreed to hold fire for the second time this week. Hamas and Fatah security forces late Tuesday began withdrawing from parts of Gaza City at 11 P. M. , security sources and witnesses said, after a week of rampant violence left 14 dead and dozens wounded. Gaza residents reported gunfire between rival fighters minutes after the truce, which was brokered by Egyptian mediators, went into effect. A previous truce between the ruling Hamas faction and once-dominant Fatah, signed Sunday, broke down within 24 hours.... Hamas and Fatah security chiefs earlier appeared side by side in Gaza City to declare that Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas had agreed to pull back their gunmen. more.. Fateh and Hamas fighting in the streets of Gaza: 3 people killed Palestine News Network 12/19/2006 Gaza City awoke this morning to the sound of bullets and explosions in the vicinity of Al Shifa Hospital. Tuesday’s armed clashes between Fateh and Hamas supporters are being described as the most violent since the start of fighting between the Ministry of Interior’s Executive Forces and the Presidential Security Forces. Eyewitnesses report that the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip became a battlefield, with machine guns and shoulder-held projectile launchers among the weaponry intended for resisting the occupation being used against one another. Since yesterday three Palestinians have been killed. As the incident was reported by the Executive Forces, the Hamas security was attacked with several types of automatic weapons, which led to the death of Abu Khair. more.. Zionism in practice - Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property Sapienspromise.org 12/19/2006 The Palestinian victims of Israel’s war of Occupation and Settlement since the Zionist State’s ’withdrawal’ from the Gaza Strip on August 20, 2005, number: 809 killed & 4308 wounded -- December 19, 2006: 11 attacks – 26 raids – 2 dead / 2 more 16-year-olds abducted / Occupation settlement land theft / Another checkpoint beating / 9 taken prisoner – 15 detained / 71 restrictions of movement.... Annexations and land theft: 1 -- Ramallah and El Bireh – the Israeli Army has extended a military order to grab 14. 53 hectares of land belonging to the town of Al Mazra’a al Qibliya and the villages of Beitillu, Ras Ammar and Ras Karkar. The land is being taken for the construction of a racially segregated road connecting the Occupation settlements of Talmon and Nahaliel. more.. Israeli warplanes swoop low over Tyre Daily Star 12/20/2006 TYRE, Lebanon: Israeli warplanes carried out low-altitude flights over Southern Lebanon on Tuesday, despite past protests from UN peacekeepers, Lebanese police said. They said four planes flew over the port city of Tyre as well as areas in the western and central sectors along the Lebanese-Israeli border. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni reiterated last week that such flights were needed to monitor alleged arms smuggling by Hizbullah in order to restock following the July-August war." The only reason for these Israeli flights is to get more information," she said, noting that the border remains open between Lebanon and Syria, which Israel accuses of allowing arms to reach Hizbullah. France, which currently commands the UN mission in Lebanon, issued an angry protest to Israeli authorities in October... more.. Israel decides to speed up Golan housing projects Daily Star 12/20/2006 JERUSALEM: Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On said Tuesday he intended to accelerate housing projects on settlements in the occupied Golan Heights, defying recent Syrian calls for peace talks." I made the decision after I toured the Golan Heights where I saw that the Syrians were accelerating the construction of houses in the town of Quneitra" on the border with Israel, Bar-On told Army Radio." Instead of leaving this area in ruins as they had for decades, the Syrians want to populate the area which means this is more than a war front for them," he said. A leader of the Golan local council, Sami Bar-Lev, said the construction of 400 additional homes is under way in Katzrin, the largest Jewish settlement where about 7,500 people live. Israel captured the strategic Golan Heights plateau from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war... more.. Israeli soldiers steal hundreds of grenades and Lao rockets from Israeli military base Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Jerusalem - Israeli sources have revealed that 25 Israeli soldiers were arrested and suspended from duty, for stealing hundreds of hand grenades and Lao rockets from an Israeli base in the north of Israel. Meanwhile, the Israeli police have warned that dozens of Israeli military bases are facing such robberies, which are rarely reported, according to the police. According to Israeli authorities, the investigation included over 250 soldiers. The Israeli authorities suspect that the stolen weapons could have "leaked out to the Palestinian factions". Israeli police did not miss the opportunity to warn that "a disaster might occur" if the weapons were to be used against Israeli civilians. [end] Israeli intelligence warns Hamas gunmen being trained in Iran Ha’aretz 12/18/2006 Israeli military officials said Monday that dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Hamas militants recently left the Gaza Strip to receive advanced military training in Iran. The training is similar to that received by thousands of Hezbollah guerrillas from Lebanon over the past few years, and Israel fears it will greatly improve Hamas’ military capability in any future battle with Israel Defense Forces troops in Gaza, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter. Israel waged a five-month military offensive in the Gaza Strip over the summer, after Hamas militants kidnapped Corporal Gilad Shalit and killed two of his comrades in a cross-border raid. More than 300 Palestinians were killed in the fighting,most of them militants. One IDF soldier was killed... more.. Assassination in northern West Bank Palestine News Network 12/19/2006 Early Tuesday Israeli special forces assassinated Rami Rashid Inab in Nablus. The 25 year old was a member of the Al Aqsa Brigades armed resistance wing of Fateh. Medical sources in the northern West Bank report that Inab died immediately while Israeli forces shot and injured two other Palestinians, Imad Abu Muslim and Talal Abu Leila. Israeli forces besieged a local hospital and took the two injured men to unknown locations. Witnesses report that the three young men were in a private car in the hospital parking lot when a white vehicle resembling an ambulances stormed the scene and opened heavy fire. It was there that Israeli forces killed Inab and injured Muslim and Leila. An eyewitness told PNN that Israeli soldiers continued shooting throughout the hospital area causing wide-spread panic among residents and patients. more.. Clashes and shooting continue in the streets of Gaza in spite of the ceasefire Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Gaza - Despite the truce announced between the main Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah, the Gaza Strip has witnessed several "regrettable incidents" on Monday morning, resulting in the injury of several Palestinian citizens. Eyewitnesses said that they have heard shooting in the streets of Gaza City, and were worried that clashes might be renewed. They also confirmed that hand-to-hand fighting erupted, and stones were thrown between students in the schools in the north of Gaza City, resulting in the injury of six students and a teacher. Last night and Monday morning witnessed fierce clashes between the two factions after the killing of Lieutenant Adnan Rahmi, after he was kidnapped last night by unidentified armed men. Shots continued to be heard in the streets of Gaza City on Monday morning. [end] One dead in Hamas-Fatah gun battle in Gaza hospital Ha’aretz 12/19/2006 Fierce gunfire erupted early Tuesday within the compound of Shifa hospital in Gaza City between the security personnel of Hamas and Fatah, killing one member of the Hamas executive force and wounding six, witnesses and members of the rival forces said. They said the gunbattle occurred at the entrance and inside the compound of the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, but could not say how the fighting had broken out. Gunmen from Fatah and Hamas had exchanged gunfire in Gaza City into the late hours of Monday further straining a shaky ceasefire between the rival Palestinian movements. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas vowed on Monday to press on with early elections. It was Abbas’ weekend callm for elections that touched off the latest spiral of escalation between the rival factions in the Strip. more.. Interior Min. plans to develop area along Syrian border Ha’aretz 12/19/2006 Interior Minister Roni Bar-On (Kadima) plans to accelerate the process for issuing construction permits in the Golan Heights and to shepherd new projects for the areas adjacent to the Syrian city of Quneitra through the planning committees under his ministry. The decisions follow Bar-On’s tour of the Golan last week. After seeing the heightened pace of building in Quneitra last week, Bar-On concluded that the Syrians are treating the areas near their border with Israel as the future permanent border, focusing on civilian rather than military construction as in the past. The minister said that Israel must take the same approach, and expedite construction in the area. Bar-On’s hosts in the Golan, Golan Regional Council Head head Eli Malka and Katzrin council head Sami Bar Lev, pointed out the new construction in Quneitra... more.. Fatah leader Sufyan Abu Zaydah abducted in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Gaza - Ma’an’s correspondent in the Gaza Strip has stated on Monday evening that unknown gunmen have abducted the Fatah leader, and former minister of prisoners’ affairs, Sufyan Abu Zaydah. He added that armed groups abducted Zaydah at the Falloja neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip, where he lives, and took him in an unknown direction. Abu Zaydah had filled several posts in the Palestinian Authority ranging from undersecretary of the ministry of civil affairs, minister of prisoners’ affairs (during Abu Ala’s government), member of the society for prisoners and former prisoners and a member of the higher committee of the Fatah movement. He has served a long time in Israeli prisons also. Furthermore, Zaydah is an expert in Israeli affairs and holder of a PhD from London. [end] Fatah-affiliated Lieutenant murdered in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Gaza - Lieutenant Adnan Rahmi, a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces, and also a member of the Fatah leadership in the western Gaza region, has been killed after a group of gunmen abducted him on Sikka Street in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The slain body was left near the Kamal ’Udwan hospital after being shot dead. The Fatah movement has accused the Hamas movement of the murder of their leader. [end] Army abducts eight Palestinian men including three brothers from Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/18/2006 The Israeli army on Monday morning abducted eight Palestinian men from several parts of the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Israeli troops invaded Hebron, the old city, and also surrounding villages Bani Nu’em, Dora, and Beit Kahil near Hebron. During the invasion, the Israeli soldiers searched and ransacked scores of resident’s houses and took the seven men to unknown detention camps, local sources reported. The house of Hisham Al Ja’fari, in the eastern part of Hebron city, was attacked in the morning. Troops searched the houses, damaged some of the family belongings and abducted three of Hisham’s sons, Iyad, 24, Mohamed, 22, Ahmad, 20. Both Mohamed and Ahmad were released after being detained for several hours and questioned by the Israeli army while Iyad was moved to a detention camp... more.. Israeli occupation forces make six arrests in Hebron Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Hebron - Israeli occupation forces have arrested six Palestinian citizens including three brothers and a preventative security member from the area of Hebron late on Sunday night. Hisham Jabari informed a Ma’an correspondent in Hebron that Israeli forces broke into his house, in the city centre and searched it before arresting his three sons, Mohammad aged 22, Ahmad 20, and Iyad 24. Palestinian security sources said that a large Israeli contingent broke into the town of Bani Naim north of the city and arrested members of preventative security, 33 year old Khalil Juneidi and Hamza Rzeiqat aged 21, early on Monday morning and took them to unknown destination. The Israeli forces also raided the town of Beit Kahil, north of the city and arrested Khalil Ahmad aged 30 years. more.. Al Aqsa Brigades launch two projectiles from the Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Gaza - The Al Aqsa Brigades have announced their responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli kibbutz of Mefalsim near the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. In a statement issued on Monday, the brigades said that "this is a retaliation for the Israeli aggressions and crimes against the Palestinian people. [end] Army invades Jenin city International Middle East Media Center 12/18/2006 Israeli army military vehicles invaded the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Monday morning. Troops fired live rounds and sound bombs into the air and towards residents houses, searched some shops and homes near the city center. The Israeli army then left the city, and no arrests have been reported at this time. [end] One killed, and several injured, as clashes break out anew in the northern Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Gaza - A Palestinian citizen, Ahmad Ziadah, was killed on Monday evening, and a further eight were injured, one of which seriously, after clashes broke out anew in the northern Gaza Strip. It is believed that the deceased was affiliated with the Fatah movement. A Palestinian medical source within the Kamal ’Udwan hospital has confirmed the news to Ma’an. The northern Gaza Strip governorate has also witnessed more than 10 kidnappings in the past few hours. Nine Fatah members have been kidnapped, and one Hamas member. Eyewitnesses have also stated that unknown people removed the corpse of Lieutenant Adnan Rahmi, slain last night, from its tomb. [end] Spokesperson for the interior ministry blames Gaza violence on Israeli affiliates Ma’an News Agency 12/17/2006 Gaza - A spokesperson for the Palestinian ministry of the interior, Khaled Abu Hilal, has held a press conference on Sunday in front of the interior minister’s home, in which he called everyone to show self-restraint and avoid being dragged into a civil war. He leveled the blame for the current domestic deterioration in Palestine on what he called, "Suspicious parties, which serve the Israeli occupation." Abu Hilal denied the rumors that Hamas threatened to kill seven leading Fatah figures during a phone call with a Fatah leader, affirming that Palestinian blood is sacred. He also called on every party to confine the political disagreement and tensions to the political arena. Abu Hilal recounted the incident four months ago when suspicious gunmen opened fire at the Palestinian police and then at the Executive Force, aiming to arouse dispute. more.. The planner of the Munich 1972 operation says he is ready to meet with bereaved Israeli families Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Bethlehem - The planner of the militant operation in the German city of Munich in 1972, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Israeli sportsmen, has shouldered the blame for their death onto the Israeli Prime Minister at that time, Golda Meier. The planner, Abu Da’oud told the Israeli daily newspaper Maariv via phone that he is ready to meet with the families of the slain sportsmen, to explain to them that the cell never intended to kill the sportsmen, "since they were meant to be exchanged with Palestinian prisoners." The plan arranged by Golda Meier in cooperation with the German authorities, however, resulted in the deaths of both the sportsmen and the cell members. Abu Da’oud added, "our interest was in keeping the sportsmen alive, and we had directions not to kill anybody, except in case of self defense. I feel sad for the deaths of both the Israelis and the Palestinians." [end] Unknown gunmen open fire at a Gazan citizen Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Gaza - Anonymous gunmen on Monday afternoon opened fire in the northern Gaza Strip and shot at 27 year old Isma’il Muhammad Haniyya and kidnapped the driver of the car in which the victim was travelling. Director of ambulance and emergency services at the Palestinian ministry of health described the victim’s injury as serious. [end] Israeli troops attack a Palestinian police station near Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/16/2006 Israeli forces attacked on Saturday a Palestinian police station in Al Samoa’ village, south of the West Bank city of Hebron. Soldiers stormed the station, searched and ransacked it then detained and questioned the officers there for several hours before withdrawing from the village, Palestinian police sources reported. [end] One Palestinian man killed by Israeli army fire in Nablus north of the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 12/16/2006 Palestinian sources reported on Saturday morning that an Israeli army force invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and killed on man. Ameen Makhluf, 20, was killed after being shot by the soldiers in his neck, chest and both of his legs, medical sources in the city reported. The invasion started when an army convoy of vehicles and one bulldozer stormed the city of Nablus from several directions, surrounded the city center and the Old City, sharp-shooters were positioned on roof tops of adjacent houses, in an attempt by the army to abduct what they call wanted Palestinians. A gun fight erupted between the invading troops and local resistance fighters leading to the death of Makhluf who was shot by an Israeli sharp-shooter, eyewitnesses reported. more.. The vehicles the Israeli army never stops The Guardian 12/9/2006 In the third of a series of reports from Nablus, Conal Urquhart wonders how thousands of cars stolen in Israel find their way into the town through some of the tightest security in the world -- A new blue Audi stops in a narrow street of the old city of Nablus. Out jump two gunmen who walk into an adjacent house, taking up their positions for the night. The cars drives off to its next stop. The gunmen are driving a car that has recently been stolen from the streets of Israel and made its way through the West Bank and through some of the tightest security in the world to Nablus. Many people believe that the traffic in stolen cars could not happen without the connivance of the Israeli army. According to the Israeli police, 25,000 cars are stolen every year in Israel, and most end up in Nablus. more.. Hamas accuses Dahlan, presidential security of attempting to assassinate Haniyya International Middle East Media Center 12/15/2006 After the shooting incident targeting the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya of the Hamas, which took place shortly after he was allowed back in to the Gaza Strip, Hamas accused Fateh legislator Mohammad Dahlan and members of the presidential security forces at the Rafah Border Crossing of attempting to assassinate Haniyya. Hamas’ media spokesperson Ismail Radwan said in a press release from Gaza that Haniyya survived an assassination attempt carried out “by a spiteful group led by Mohammad Dahlan who prepared and planned this attack”, according to Radwan. Hamas accused the presidential guards of attacking the Prime Minister’s convoy. The Islamic Jihad said the attempt to assassinate the Prime Minister is an attempt to lead the Palestinian people to a serious internal fighting. more.. Fatah-Hamas clashes in Ramallah: over 35 injured Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Ramallah - Palestinian President Abbas has ordered his presidential guards to be deployed in the streets of Ramallah in order to prevent any further clashes between Fatah and Hamas supporters. The decision was taken after over 35 Palestinians were injured, four seriously, in clashes between Hamas supporters and the pro-Fatah security forces in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday after the noon prayers. One of the seriously injured is a member of the national security forces, who sustained a head injury. Our Ramallah correspondent reported that Hamas supporters had planned a peaceful march through the centre of the city on Friday. Abbas’ presidential guards, ’Force 17’, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, which is the main armed wing of Fatah, and the police forces attempted to prevent the demonstrators advancing through the streets. more.. ’This looks like civil war’ - Palestinians battle on the streets The Guardian 12/16/2006 Clashes between Hamas and Fatah leave 30 injured · Rival accused of trying to assassinate PM Haniyeh -- Palestinian factions fought on the streets of Gaza and the West Bank yesterday as the territories slid further into violence and political confrontation. In Gaza City the Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, appeared before a rally of tens of thousands of Hamas supporters while in Ramallah at least 30 people were hurt, many seriously, in clashes between Hamas and Fatah gunmen. Tony Blair is due to visit the Middle East shortly... The Palestinian factions traded accusations yesterday over violence in Gaza this week. Hamas accused a senior Fatah figure, Mohammad Dahlan, of trying to assassinate Mr Haniyeh in a gun battle at the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border on Thursday. more.. Israeli army abducts one Palestinian near Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 12/15/2006 Friday morning, Israeli army abducted Palestinian man from Nahaleen village south east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Ra’ed Ghaiad, 29, was taken to unknown detention after troops surrounded, searched and ransacked his home. Army left the village shortly after abducting Ghaiad, eyewitnesses reported. [end] Haniyeh allowed to enter without $35m; one bodyguard shot dead, son and advisor wounded in clashes at border crossing Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Gaza - Ma’an - One of Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh’s bodyguards was shot dead and six others were injured, including the son of the prime minister and a key advisor, on Thursday night when Haniyeh’s convoy came under intense gunfire as he returned to Gaza from Egypt, after many hours of waiting to cross the border at Rafah. Media sources report that Haniyeh was forced to leave to leave $35 million in Egypt, which he had been carrying in suitcases. Medical sources confirmed the death of Abdur Rahman Nassar, 19, and confirmed that the son of the prime minister is suffering from a serious injury after being shot in the face. Meanwhile, a key advisor to the prime minister, Ahmad Yousef, was moderately injured and being treated in hospital. more.. Al-Aqsa Brigades fire two projectiles at Sderot Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Gaza - The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed group of Fatah, have claimed responsibility for launching 2 home-made projectiles at the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Friday. In their statement, they affirmed that the shelling caused casualties amongst the Israelis. They also said that they will continue their resistance to take revenge for Israel’s military acts. [end] Qassam rocket hits north of Sderot; no damage or injuries Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 A Qassam rocket fired the Gaza Strip hit north of the western Negev town of Sderot on Friday evening, causing no damage or injuries. Fatah-affiliated militants claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. On Thursday, two Qassam rockets hit the western Negev, one of which hit a local kibbutz, causing damage to property but no injuries. The second rocket struck Sderot, causing damage buildings and vehicles. Four people were also treated for shock. Since the cease-fire took hold on November 26, Palestinian militants have fired 25 rockets at Israel, according to the IDF’s count, causing no casualties. Israeli security forces on Thursday killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the West Bank, leaving at least two bystanders wounded. more.. Israeli army arrests seven in Bethlehem and Ramallah areas Friday Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Bethlehem - The Israeli army arrested seven Palestinians in Bethlehem and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank early on Friday morning, according to Israeli media sources. The sources added that five of the arrested men were from the village of Hizma south of Ramallah, and one was arrested in the village of Nil’in, west of Ramallah close to the separation wall. The seventh man was arrested in the village of Nahhalin, south west of Bethlehem, located between the route of the separation wall and the Green Line. [end] Hamas activist shot by gunmen in Nablus on Thursday Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Nablus - A Hamas activist was shot and injured in the Rafidia neighbourhood of Nablus city in the northern West Bank late on Thursday. Our Nablus correspondent reported that Jafar Doglus, 23, was shot with many bullets by unknown armed men as he was standing at the gate of his home. After being transported to Rafidia Hospital, medical sources informed Ma’an that the man was suffering from gunshot wounds in many parts of his body and his condition is moderate to critical. [end] Salah Addin Brigades confirm they have not launched any projectiles since 26 November, remain committed to ceasefire Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Gaza - The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), have confirmed that they have not launched any projectiles at Israeli towns near the borders of the Gaza Strip since the declaration of the ceasefire on 26 November. A statement issued by the Salah Addin Brigades on Friday said that "some brigades have used our names in issuing statements to announce launching of projectiles at Israeli towns, and here we would like to deny that, and confirm that we have not [launched projectiles]." The statement also said that they are stressing the following:"We did not launch … any projectile since the 26th November and we are committed to the ceasefire." Second, we are committed to what we have agreed upon with other factions and [we have] stopped the projectile launching at Israeli towns... more.. Dahlan: "Accusing me of attempting to kill Haniyya, a clear lie, a bid for my assassination" International Middle East Media Center 12/15/2006 Palestinian legislator, and senior Fateh leader, Mohammad Dahlan, said during a Friday press conference that accusing him by Hamas leaders of attempting to assassinate Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, is a clear lie and an an attempt to cover-up the crime that led to the death of three children in Gaza. Dahlan stated that Hamas gunmen were the ones who fired lat Monday at the vehicle of Major Baha’ Balousha, killing his three children on their way to school, instead of him; the three children are Osama, 10, Ahmad, 6, and Salam, 3 years old. He added that Hamas knows the killers of the three children, and is covering the case because the attackers are members of Hamas. Also, Dahlan stated that surveillance cameras at the Rafah Borders Crossing showed Hamas gunmen breaking into the crossing causing damage to the property. more.. Displaced return amidst growing political tension Electronic Intifada/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre 12/15/2006 Report -- Some 200,000 people are estimated to remain in a situation of internal displacement in Lebanon following the hostilities between the Shiite militant and political organisation Hizbollah and Israeli security forces in summer 2006. Nearly one million people were displaced at the height of the conflict - the vast majority of them within Lebanon. Most of the displaced returned to their homes in south Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut immediately following a UN-brokered ceasefire in August 2006. However the destruction of homes and infrastructure, the presence of cluster bombs, and loss of livelihoods are significant obstacles to the return and sustainable reintegration of displaced people. In addition, the overall stability of the country is in doubt as disputes have intensified between Lebanon’s diverse political parties. more.. Hezbollah official: 250 militants killed during Lebanon war Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 BEIRUT - A senior Hezbollah official said Friday that around 250members of the militant group were killed in the summer war with Israel, the highest toll acknowledged by the Shiite Muslim organization. Mahmoud Komati, deputy chief of Hezbollah’s politburo, dismissed Israeli claims that as many as 800 Hezbollah militants were killed, saying the group does not hide its casualties. "We are proud of our martyrs," he told The Associated Press. He estimated that around 250 militants were killed in the July 12-August 14 fighting with Israel. A tally compiled by AP from Hezbollah and police reports during the war put the group’s losses at 70 dead. Lebanon’s Higher Relief Council, a government agency that handles humanitarian crises, has said 1,191 people were killed in Lebanon, mostly civilians... more.. Explosion rocks Gaza city International Middle East Media Center 12/15/2006 An explosion rocked the center of Gaza city on Friday at dawn after bomb went off near a pharmacy. Eyewitnesses reported that a group of unknown gunmen placed the bomb and then fled the scene, damage was reported but no injuries, local sources added. [end] Explosion outside pharmacy in Gaza City Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Gaza - Unknown people detonated an explosive device in front of a pharmacy in Jala’a Street in the centre of Gaza City on Friday morning. Our Gaza correspondent reported that the pharmacy and neighbouring stores sustained slight damages but no casualties were reported. This is the latest in a series of explosions outside commercial premises in Gaza City and Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, including one on the Arab Bank in Gaza City two weeks ago that caused significant damage. [end] Haniyeh bodyguard killed as convoy comes under fire entering Gaza Ha’aretz 12/14/2006 A bodyguard of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was shot dead Thursday night when Haniyeh’s convoy came under fire as he returned to Gaza from Egypt, after spending hours waiting to cross the border. The convoy came under fire as it passed the Rafah border crossing, and it was forced to speed away. Hamas officials said the 24-year-old guard was shot in the head during intense gunfire from Fatah forces. "The bodyguard to Ismail Haniyeh was killed during an assassination attempt," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. The Palestinian prime minister had been delayed for hours on the Egyptian side of Rafah, after Israel prevented him from entering Gaza with $35 million in funds raised on a trip to Muslim states. more.. Israeli troops kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank Middle East Online 12/14/2006 NABLUS, West Bank - Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian security sources and hospital officials said. Soldiers dressed in plain clothes jumped out of an unmarked car and shot dead a wanted militant in a refugee camp in Nablus, residents said. The residents identified the man as Mohammed Rammah, a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed wing of President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement. Four other Palestinians were wounded during the raid, including a 12-year-old girl, hospital officials said. The Israeli army had no comment but said it was checking the report. In an earlier incident, a 29-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead after soldiers clashed with stone throwers in the village of Kafr al-Deek, near Ramallah. more.. Arrest raids continue unabated in Bethlehem as Christmas season gets under way Palestine News Network 12/15/2006 Israeli forces are continuing their daily incursions into the central West Bank Bethlehem District, hitting the city in particular as it prepares for Christmas and is working to be appealing and inviting to the much needed tourists. During the annual Christmas Bazaar a payload of seven military mechanisms incurred into the center of the city of Bethlehem and headed toward Main Street. Eyewitnesses reported that the soldiers were deliberately moving slowly through the city streets, making both their presence known and holding up traffic. Major bottlenecks ensued and any sense of grace that may have been felt during an afternoon of Christmas preparations was dashed for many. One of the drivers simply tried to pass. He said that the psychological warfare was not going to work on him. more.. Armed car chase in Gaza; one intelligence officer critically injured, another abducted by Salah Addin Brigades Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Gaza - The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), have claimed responsibility for abducting a Palestinian intelligence officer in Gaza City on Thursday. The Brigades have stated that they abducted Major Mohammad Abu Siyam of the Palestinian intelligence services in retaliation for the abduction of one of their members during an apparent arrest raid earlier on Thursday. The raid by intelligence-security officers in the Tuffah area of east Gaza City, reportedly to arrest suspects involved in the killing of the three children of a senior intelligence officer on Monday, descended into an armed car chase that left a number of Palestinians injured, including one security officer. The Salah Addin Brigades claim that they abducted another security officer, Major Mohammad Abu Siyam. more.. Israeli army assassinates Islamic Jihad activist in Nablus and civilian man near Salfit, 6 children injured Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Nablus - Qalqiliya - Israeli Special Forces assassinated a leader in the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, in Nablus in the north of the occupied West Bank on Thursday. Israeli troops also killed a 27-year-old man in the West Bank village of Kafr Ad Dik and injured eight others, including four children. Our Nablus correspondent reported that Israeli Special Forces, riding a white van, entered Ein Beit Al Ma refugee camp in Nablus from the eastern direction and killed Muhammad Amin Ramaha, 25, near the UNRWA building in the camp. Eight other Palestinians where injured, including six children and one woman. Four of the children were from the same extended family: Farid Zaitawi, 5; Muhammad Zaitawi, 5; Ayat Zaitawi, 3; and Asil Zaitawi, 6. Another boy, Ashraf Nasser, 13, and a girl, Nadira Subhi, 12, were injured... more.. Qassam strikes Sderot, damaging buildings, cars Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 A Qassam rocket fired from northern Gaza struck the Negev town of Sderot on Thursday evening, damaging buildings and vehicles. Four people were also treated for shock. Early Thursday morning, a rocket fired from Gaza hit the western Negev, damaging property on a local kibbutz but causing no injuries. Since the cease-fire took hold on November 26, Palestinian militants have fired more than 20 rockets at Israel, according to the IDF’s count, causing no casualties. Israeli security orces on Thursday killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the West Bank, leaving at least two bystanders wounded. In the first incident, Special Police Unit troops dressed as civilians killed a 26-year-old Palestinian member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian witnesses and medical officials said. more.. PA intelligence agent linked to Fatah abducted in Gaza City Ha’aretz 12/14/2006 Palestinian gunmen abducted a Palestinian Authority intelligence officer as he waited for a taxi in Gaza City on Thursday, in retaliation for the arrest of a Hamas militant earlier in the day. Major Mohammed Abu Siyam was kidnapped at about 11:30 A. M. , intelligence officials said. Abu Abir, a Popular Resistance Committees spokesman, confirmed the militant group was holding Abu Siyam. Abu Abir said said the intelligence officer would not be released until the detained Hamas and PRC-linked militant was freed, and he threatened to kidnap more intelligence officers. This kidnapping "will not be the last," he said. "Every intelligence officer should stay at home." The General Intelligence unit of the Palestinian security forces, a body loyal to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, arrested Hisham Abu Mukhaimar at his home in Gaza City... more.. Palestinian killed by Israeli military fire near Salfit International Middle East Media Center 12/14/2006 Palestinian medical sources reported on Thursday that one Palestinian resident from Kafr Al Deek village, near the West Bank city of Salfit, died of wounds suffered on Thursday morning after the Israeli army opened fire at him. The resident, Waheeb Al Deek, 27, was seriously injured and moved to a local hospital in Salfit where he died of his wounds. He was hit by five rounds of live ammunition in his chest, medical sources reported. Al Deek was shot by the army after the Israeli forces invaded the village and conducted military searches of homes. Soldiers blocked the entrances and exits of the village and barred the residents from entering or leaving it. Local sources reported that Al Deek is a construction worker; he was working with his father who is a construction contractor, when the soldiers fired at them. more.. Two Hamas members injured as unknown gunmen open fire at rally Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Salfit - Two Hamas members have been injured on Thursday, and a further two bystanders were also injured, when unknown gunmen opened fire at a rally of Hamas supporters. The rally was marking on the anniversary of the establishment of the movement, 20 years ago in the center of Balata refugee camp, outside Nablus in the north of the West Bank. The rally had begun on the main street, after the evening prayers, and was led by several gunmen and people who carried models of Qassam home-made projectiles. As the rally arrived at the center of the refugee camp, anonymous gunmen opened fire at it, injuring two activists, Jabir ’Uweis, 37, and Muhammad Sharay’ah, 27. The injured by-standers remain unidentified. [end] More lands confiscated from Kafr al-Labad, east of Tulkarem Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Tulkarem - Israeli forces have confiscated hundreds of acres of Palestinian lands belonging to the northern West Bank town of Kafr al-Labad, east of Tulkarem. The lands have been confiscated for the establishment of the separation wall around the Israeli settlement of Avne Hefez. Ma’an’s correspondent has visited the location and reported that the lands are planted with olive trees and occupy some 144. 6 dunums (one dunum = 1000 square meters [1/4 acre]). [end] Apparent landmine kills Lebanese soldier YNetNews 12/14/2006 Three additional soldiers wounded in incident, Lebanon declines Israeli offer of aid -- A Lebanese soldier was killed and three additional soldiers were wounded on Thursday afternoon after apparently driving over a landmine or unexploded ordinance along the western sector of the Israeli -Lebanese border. The IDF offered to provide immediate medical treatment to the wounded soldiers via the military liaison division but the offer was declined by Lebanon. The wounded soldiers were then evacuated to a hospital in Sidon. Several weeks ago the UN reported that Israel had planted new landmines in southern Lebanon during the last war, the first time since IDF forces withdrew in 2000. The UN Mine Action Coordination Center in south Lebanon reported their estimation following the injury of two European disposal experts and a Lebanese medic... more.. Clashes at border as Hamas tries to bring in cash The Guardian 12/15/2006 Prime minister forced to leave $35m behind · Israel shuts Gaza crossing to protect finance boycott -- Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, was blocked from bringing millions of dollars of desperately needed donations home last night after Israeli forces closed Gaza’s border with Egypt. Mr Haniyeh was only allowed passage through the Rafah crossing after hours of negotiation and after leaving a reported $35m (£17. 8m) in cash behind with aides. The border closure sparked chaotic scenes. More than 1,000 Hamas members stormed the checkpoint, firing into the air as travellers ducked for cover and sparking a gun battle with Palestinian security guards. Two bombs were detonated nearby to blow a hole through the concrete wall on the border. One of Mr Haniyeh’s bodyguards was reported to have been killed.... more.. Casualty report since the abduction of Corporal Shalit Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Gaza - The Al-Mizan Center for Human Rights has issued a report detailing the Palestinian casualties since the abduction of the Israeli soldier, Corporal Gil’ad Shalit. The total number of deaths came to 474, of whom 300 were civilians, including 91 children and 30 women. 405 of the death toll were in Gaza, four of which were from among medical crews. 1616 people have been injured, most of which were civilians, including 338 children and 109 women. 1275 of the injuries took place in Gaza Strip. The report also stated that the Israeli military launched 328 air-to-surface missiles from F16 fighter jets, towards mainly civilian targets. Artillery shells shot into the Strip were also in the hundreds. more.. Two Palestinians arrested in Tulkarem Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Tulkarem - Israeli forces have, on Thursday, invaded the southern neighbourhood of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, and searched the home of the recently deceased Fida’ Fthi Tirawi, destroying property throughout the building. Ma’an’s correspondent stated that the soldiers insulted the mother of the man, killed by Israeli forces, using filthy language and tore his picture from the wall. Israeli soldiers also invaded the western neighbourhood, and broke into the Tirawi building, firing heavily and throwing sound grenades, before arresting Amin Miskawi, 21, and Ahmad Abu Tamam, 19. [end] Two Gazans seriously injured while "playing" with a suspect device Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Khan-Younis - Two Palestinian citizens, Muhammad Yousif Abu Jazar, 29, and Hasan Bakir, 29, have been seriously injured when a suspect device exploded in the west of Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. It is understood that the men were playing with the explosive device, although it is not known if they understood what the device was. Medical sources at Nasir hospital stated that Muhammad Abu Jazar has lost his arms as a result of the explosion, while Bakir is suffeing from serious injuries and burns all over his body. [end] Two youth taken prisoner east of Qalqilia International Middle East Media Center 12/13/2006 Wednesday evening, Israeli troops invaded Izbit Al Tayyib, east of Qalqilia district in the northern part of the West Bank, and took prisoner two youth. Bayan Wanees, head of Izbit Al Tayyib village council, reported that soldiers broke into and searched several houses before abducting As’ad Hamid Ashour, 15, and Ahmad Tabeeb Jassir, 15, and took them to an unknown destination. Wanees added that soldiers violently attacked the fathers of the two children, and hit him with their batons before abducting the two youth. [end] Rival security forces clash in Gaza after killings Reuters AlertNet 12/12/2006 GAZA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Palestinian security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas traded gunfire with Hamas policemen in Gaza on Tuesday as tensions soared after the killing of three young sons of one of Abbas’s top intelligence officials. Hospital officials said two members of Abbas’s security forces had been wounded, one seriously. A spokesman for the governing Hamas Islamist movement’s police force said two of their men had been wounded. One was in critical condition. Both sides accused the other of starting the gunfight in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. The Hamas spokesman said members of Abbas’s forces had been protesting and attacking public buildings. Abbas earlier ordered his security forces to deploy across Gaza after the killing of the three boys, aged 6 to 9. more.. Aged woman dies due to an Israeli army sound bomb fired into her house in Qalqilia International Middle East Media Center 12/12/2006 Palestinian sources reported that Palestinian aged woman died after Israeli army fire a sound bomb into her house in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia on Tuesday morning. Latifa Miskawi, 57, died after having a hart attack when Israeli troops invading Kfar Saba neighborhood in Qalqilia fired a sound bomb into her house, medical sources in the city reported. Soldiers surrounded the neighborhood and started to throw sound bombs and fire live rounds at residents’ houses before searching and ransacking them, troops also confiscated TV sets and electrical equipments from the searched homes, eyewitnesses reported. Latifa son Mohamed was killed by an undercover Israeli army force in 2003, army clamed that he was a fighter with Aqsa brigades of Fatah. more.. Israeli forces shoot and critically injure a Palestinian in Gaza City Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Gaza - Medical sources have confirmed that a Palestinian citizen was injured when Israeli soldiers stationed in the area of the martyrs’ cemetery in east Gaza City opened fire on him on Tuesday morning. The sources added that a medical crew headed to the area and found the man bleeding on the ground. He was transferred to Ash-Shifa’a Hospital in Gaza City. The sources did not identify the man and said that he is in a critical condition. [end] Fighters fire several homemade shells into Sderot International Middle East Media Center 12/13/2006 The Al Quds brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad fired on Tuesday evening five homemade shells at the Israeli Negev town of Sderot, near the northern borders of the Gaza Strip. The Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh also claimed responsibility for firing one shell at the town. The Al Quds Brigades issued a press release claiming responsibility for firing three “Quds” shells at Sderot on Tuesday evening. The brigades also claimed responsibility for firing two more shells at Sderot less than two hours after firing the first shell. The Brigades stated that the firing of the shells comes in retaliation to the Israeli violations that caused the death of eight Palestinians, the injury of 30, and the abduction of 161 residents, including a leader of the Brigades in Tulkarem, in the northern part of the West Bank. more.. 5 Kassams hit Israel; none wounded Jerusalem Post 12/13/2006 Two Kassam rockets landed in open fields in the Sderot region Tuesday evening. A third rocket was also fired, but the place of its landing was undetermined. No one was reported wounded and no damage to property was reported in the latest attack. Since the Israeli-Palestinian cease fire last month, 21 Kassam rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel. # IDF soldier shot in head wakes upIn a widespread operation lasting several months, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the IDF and Israel Police, have arrested 50 terror suspects affiliated with the Islamic Jihad and believed to be directly involved in planning terror attacks, it was released for publication on Tuesday. Seven of the suspects, security officials said, expressed willingness to perpetrate suicide attacks against Israeli cities. more.. Protest against the killing of three Gazan boys descends into violence Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Khan Younis - Palestinian security forces exchanged accusations with the Executive Force, a security force established by Interior Minister Said Siyam, regarding responsibility for shootings which took place during a demonstration today. Many Palestinians were injured in the shooting that erupted during a demonstration of Fatah activists and supporters in the city of Khan Younis, in the southern the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, to condemn the killing of the three children. Palestinian security sources said that many armed Palestinians from the Executive Force shot at the demonstrators. A spokesman for the Executive Force denied any connection to the shootings at and injuring of many Palestinians. Speaking to Ma’an, a leader of the Fatah movement, Salih Abu Hamid, accused the Executive Force of attacking the marchers... more.. Gunmen shoot at a car belonging to a Hamas member in Tulkarem Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Tulkarem - Unknown armed men opened fire on a car belonging to a Hamas member in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Monday night. A statement issued by the Hamas movement said that unidentified gunmen shot at the car as it was parked in front of the house of a Hamas member in the eastern neighborhood of the city and damaged it. The statement did not name the owner of the car but condemned the act, regardless of who was behind it. In the same regard, a Hamas spokesman condemned the act, describing it as a cowardly act that aims to drag the Palestinians into a civil war which could have unknown consequences. [end] Bomb attack on a Gazan café Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Gaza - Unknown men have detonated explosives in an internet café in the Al Shajaiyah neighborhood, east Gaza City, on Tuesday morning. According to eyewitnesses, a local homemade bomb exploded at the door of the café on Shaaf Street, which is owned by a Habib family member. The explosion caused minor losses and damages to the café. It has been reported that many similar incidents have occurred recently throughout the Palestinian Gaza Strip. [end] Al-Aqsa Brigades accuse the Executive Force of killing the children in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Bethlehem - The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed group of the Fatah movement have, on Monday, issued a statement, frankly accusing the Hamas-affiliated Executive Force of being responsible for "the criminal act of assassinating the children of Baha’ Ba’lousha, the official in the Palestinian intelligence service, along with his niece and the driver, in addition to seriously injuring his attendant Ayman Al-Ghoul and five bystanders. The statement received by Ma’an accused the minister of interior, Sa’id Siyam, of being the leader of "black militias" responsible for the crime. The statement also accused the Hamas movement of assassinating 78 Fatah "strugglers" [resistance fighters] warning that Fatah "won’t stand with it’s arms folded." [end] Israeli sources claim that four Palestinian men arrested by the Israeli forces were ’wanted’ Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Bethlehem - Israeli media sources have claimed, in relation to the Israeli army arrest of four Palestinians in Ramallah and Hebron on Tuesday morning, that the individuals were ’wanted. ’The sources added that the Israeli forces arrested one of the men claiming he is a Fatah activist from north west Ramallah and the three others in Hebron; two members of the Hamas movement and one member of the militant Islamic movement, Islamic Jihad. Israeli forces have also arrested two Palestinians from Taffuh town, west of the city of Hebron ,and taken them to an unknown location. Palestinian security sources said that Israeli forces arrived in the town early Tuesday morning and arrested Yousef Rajab, aged 35, and Ibrahim Irzaiqat, aged 27. [end] Under-cover troops abduct three resident in Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 12/12/2006 Under-cover forces of the Israeli army infiltrated into the West Bank city of Tulkarem and abducted three Palestinian men on Tuesday midday, local sources reported. Salah Iraki, 24, Mo’men Safaka, 24, and Mo’tassem Abu Dughsh, were taken to an unknown destination when under-cover troops, driving a Palestinian licenced vehicle, forced the three into the car and sped to an unknown destination. [end] Soldiers abduct eleven Palestinians from several West Bank areas International Middle East Media Center 12/12/2006 Israeli army abducted eleven Palestinian men during morning invasions to several parts of the West Bank on Tuesday. Local sources in Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, reported that soldiers invaded the city from several direction, searched and ransacked a number of houses and took prisoner four residents. Khaled Abu Kharmah, 23, and his brother Hamzah, 21, Nahil Arafat, 23, and his brother Ammar, 19, were taken to an Israeli military camp after troops surrounded the houses of their families and forced all family members of the house before searching and ransacking the property. Soldiers fired sound bombs and rounds of live ammunition at the residents and theiur houses, no injuries were reported. more.. Children threaten stonings as Gaza’s chaos deepens ReliefWeb 12/12/2006 GAZA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - In a sign of just how far security has fallen in the Gaza Strip, a group of children took to the streets on Tuesday burning tyres and threatening stonings if the "adults" did not stop causing chaos. Dressed in jeans and a blue shirt, 12-year-old Saeed Salem and his friends said they were enraged by the killing of three young brothers on Monday and fed up with the constant security nightmares that have ruined their short lives." We are angry," said Salem, as he and his young colleagues set about burning tyres in a central Gaza street. "We need those who killed the kids to be found and stoned to death." His friend, Ahmed, his hands blackened from wheeling abandoned tyres on to the bonfire, said the adults were lost in rivalries and had abandoned the kids to their own business. more.. Israeli army invades Walaja village near Bethlehem and levels Palestinian home International Middle East Media Center 12/12/2006 Several Israeli army vehicles, accompanied by an armored bulldozer, invaded the village of Walaja, west of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, and demolished a Palestinian home in the village on Tuesday morning. Israeli troops surrounded the house of Munther Hamad, keeping family members away, while bulldozers demolished the home, eyewitnesses told the IMEMC. This is the third time that Hamad’s home has been demolished by Israeli forces. The first two times his home was destroyed, he invested significant amounts into re-building. It’s unknown whether he will rebuild now, for a fourth time, on his land. Walaja village, located along the ’Green Line’ border with Israel, has a long history of having their village land expropriated by Israel. more.. Hamas gunmen fire on Fatah crowd Jerusalem Post 12/12/2006 At least six Palestinians were wounded Tuesday in confrontations between Hamas and Fatah supporters in various locations in the Gaza Strip. The clashes erupted as thousands of Fatah activists and Palestinian Authority security officers took to the streets to protest against the slaying of the three children of a top PA General Intelligence Force officer in Gaza City early Monday. PA security officials announced that two suspects were arrested early Tuesday in connection with the killings, but refused to provide further details. Meanwhile, Hamas strongly denied any link to the killing of the three children, accusing PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party of exploiting the tragedy to incite against the Hamas-led government. more.. Israeli soldiers attack barber shop in Yatta village, beat three Palestinian brothers badly International Middle East Media Center 12/11/2006 Israeli forces attacked a barber shop and assaulted three men who were inside the shop on Monday morning. The attack occurred during an Israeli military invasion of Yatta village, south of the West Bank city of Hebron. Brothers Yousif, 32, Ala, 20, and Yousif, 29, Abu Samra, were beaten up badly by the soldiers when the soldiers attacked their barber shop and their family home, which is attached to their shop, eyewitnesses reported. Soldiers searched and ransacked the shop and caused damage to equipment and infrastructure, according to family members of the three men. Israeli military spokespeople reported that the invasion of Yatta, and the attack on the barbershop, was meant to ’track down Wanted men’. The army keeps a continually-expanding list of men they deem ’Wanted’ men... more.. Israeli intelligence uncovers plot to form several terrorist cells around Hebron Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Bethlehem - Shaback, the Israeli domestic intelligence service, said that the Israeli army and the intelligence service had frustrated an attempt by the Islamic Jihad to form terrorist cells in the villages around Hebron recently. An Israeli radio station, which reported the news, said that 50 Palestinians were arrested from the Hebron villages during the last five months, including some who had admitted that they were planning to commit suicide bombings inside Israel. The radio station added that the arrest campaign was launched after the arrest of a man called Hani Rajoub, from Doura who was in charge of establishing the cells. [end] Israeli special forces abduct the leader of the Al Quds Brigades and two members of the Al Aqsa Brigades Ma’an News Agency 12/12/2006 Tulkarem - In a quick military operation, Israeli special forces abducted the leader of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, called Salah Iz Ad Din. Addin is an Iraqi aged 26. Two members of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the main military wing of Fatah, called Momen Abu Safaqa and Motasem Tawil, were also abducted in Tulkarem. A Ma’an correspondent reported that the taxi driver who was driving the three men at the time of their abduction, told him that the Israeli force were in a white truck with Palestinian number plates. He said the truck stopped the taxi in which the Iraqi and his associates were travelling, in the east of the city, forced them to step out of the taxi and into the truck and left the city. The driver also said that five men in civilian clothing with three soldiers in military uniform carried out the operation. more.. Vigil held in memory of boys killed in Gaza ReliefWeb/UNICEF 12/12/2006 NEW YORK, USA, 12 December 2006 – The killing of three young brothers in Gaza City yesterday has shocked the Palestinian community across the political divide and exposed, once again, the plight of children living in the volatile region." I am shocked by the tragic event," stated UNICEF’s Special Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Dan Rohrmann. "This is another event highlighting the serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – and with tragic consequences for civilians, including children." Masked gunmen shot at a car carrying the three boys, between the ages of four and nine, on their way to school. Their father, Baha Balousha, was a senior Fatah intelligence officer. No one has claimed responsibility for the killings. more.. Gunmen kill children of top Palestinian security officer Daily Star 12/12/2006 Ballousha, who was not in the car when it was attacked, is a colonel in the Fatah-dominated intelligence services and a former investigator there. He had helped crack down on Hamas a decade ago and had twice before been targeted by assassins. President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killings, but stopped short of blaming his political rivals. "This is an ugly and inhuman crime perpetrated by a bunch of lowlifes," he said in the West Bank. "We condemn it vehemently." Abbas and Palestinian Premier Ismail Haniyya, who arrived in Sudan Monday, said they had urged the interior minister to take all measures to find the perpetrators. Ballousha said the shooting of his sons "is linked to parties that want the Palestinian presidency and its intelligence services to fail." more.. Palestinian security forces deploy after killings in Gaza Ha’aretz 12/12/2006 Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ordered security forces to deploy across Gaza on Tuesday after the killing of three young sons of one of his loyalists shocked Palestinians and stoked fears of internal strife. Tension between Abbas and the governing Hamas Islamist group soared after unidentified gunmen shot dead the three children of a senior PA intelligence chief as they arrived at school on Monday. Early on Tuesday, heavily-armed members of Abbas’s security forces took up positions around key installations and road junctions in Gaza City." Palestinian security forces deployed in all streets of Gaza City to prevent crime. This was upon orders from President Abbas," said one Palestinian security source. A force loyal to the Hamas government also strengthened its positions. more.. IDF soldier shot in head near Jenin Jerusalem Post 12/11/2006 An IDF soldier from the Lavi Battalion was moderately wounded Monday during clashes with Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank town of Kabatiya, south of Jenin. The soldier was evacuated by helicopter to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa and was treated for a gunshot wound to the forehead. The soldier was wounded during a routine arrest raid in the West Bank town. An armed Palestinian opened fire at the military force and hit the soldier. Another soldier was lightly wounded during the gun clashes. The Palestinians opened fire in a well-planned ambush at the soldiers after a Humvee vehicle, used by the troops, accidentally overturned. No one was injured in the accident. The cause of the jeep accident was unknown. IDF patrols operate regularly in Jenin, and the West Bank city is the frequent site of clashes between soldiers and Palestinians. Overnight Sunday, Palestinians threw several bombs at IDF troops operating in the area. more.. Unknown gunmen hijack a colonel in Gaza and steal his car Ma’an News Agency 12/11/2006 Gaza - Anonymous gunmen have obstructed the car of a colonel in the "political orientation department", Fuad Saymah, on Monday, in Jabalia refugee camp and stolen the car, a white VW Golf. Ma’an was informed that the gunmen dragged the man, handcuffed, and left him on the beach by the seashore when they took his car. [end] Al-Aqsa Brigades end their part of the truce by firing two projectiles at Sderot on Sunday Ma’an News Agency 12/11/2006 Gaza - The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of Fatah, launched on Sunday afternoon two homemade projectiles towards the Israeli city of Sderot in retaliation for the killing of two Palestinians and the arrest of another 15 in the occupied West Bank. In a statement which Ma’an received, the Brigades confirmed that they are no longer committed to abstaining from launching homemade projectiles while the Israeli occupation continues to kill Palestinians, build the separation wall and besiege the Palestinian people. They also called on President Abbas to give orders to the Palestinian troops who are stationed along the borders to confront the occupation, instead of the "strugglers. [end] Hamas minister target of attempted assassination in Gaza Ha’aretz 12/10/2006 Unidentified gunmen opened fire Sunday afternoon on the motorcade of Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siyam of Hamas, causing no injuries, in an apparent assassination attempt. Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal, however, dismissed the shooting as a random attack and denied that the target was Siyam. The men, driving in a nearby car, apparently shot at a car in the motorcade, but not at the vehicle carrying Siyam, he said. Earlier Sunday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said that early Palestinian elections would lead to unrest. He made the comments after accusing Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the rival Fatah movement, of trying to force Hamas out of all government positions. more.. 13 arrested for alleged arms smuggling Jerusalem Post 12/11/2006 Police, working together with the Shin Bet, have arrested 13 people allegedly involved in a weapons smuggling cell - including an IDF soldier from Usfiya - it was revealed on Monday. The suspects, who also included eight residents of Umm el-Fahm and four Palestinians from the West Bank, allegedly smuggled grenades, rifles, guns and hundreds of thousands of bullets from Israel into PA territory. The cell members were taken in for interrogation by security forces. One of the suspects claimed during questioning that some of the arms the group had sold were stolen by IDF soldiers, and other weapons were gathered in military training grounds. [end] Mother of the children gunned down on way to school in botched assassination attempt speaks to Ma’an Ma’an News Agency 12/11/2006 Gaza - Following this morning’s tragic shooting, where unknown gunmen shot at the car of Major Baha’ Balousha, killing his three children on their way to school, instead of him, the mother of the slain children spoke to Ma’an, recalling their names. Osama, 10, Ahmad, 6, and salam, 3 years old. She said, "They have drained my blood when they killed my three children, and wasted my lifetime’s fruit in the blink of an eye. If they consider that an accomplishment, I congratulate them for it." The mother, Linda Abu Taqiyya, 30, heard the sound of the shots from her home on Al-Kinz Street, in central Gaza City. She called her sister Hanady, saying, "Please go and check, I feel that it’s my kids, and I can see their car, but I don’t know what is going on." "They have wasted them and killed them!" she cried to her sister... more.. Murder of 3 siblings adds to sense that Gaza on verge of civil war Ha’aretz 12/12/2006 A few hours after the funerals of Osama (10), Ahmed (6) and Salah (3) Balousha, who were shot to death in Gaza, a few dozen children, friends of the three, lit candles and sang songs near the place where the murder took place. A few hours earlier, smoke covered the skies of Gaza, as tires were burned in protest of the killing. The feeling Monday among many Gazans was that the Strip was on the verge of civil war. Five days ago, a few extremists from a group calling itself "Swords of Islam" attacked a young girl who dared to wear jeans and was without a face covering. Later, 12 shops were destroyed that provided Internet services and rented videos." Next they’ll start blowing up cars at the command posts or offices of political rivals, the way it goes in Iraq," an officer of the Preventive Security, identified with Fatah," told Haaretz. more.. Farmers seek government help to escape downward spiral of debt Electronic Intifada/IRIN 12/11/2006 Desperate Lebanese farmers are urging their government to do more to help them recover from a war that the United Nations estimates has cost the vital agriculture industry some US $280 million and left them facing "a downward spiral of debt and poverty"." I personally lost over 50 million Lebanese pounds [$35,000]," said Mohammed Mokahhal, a farmer from the eastern Bekaa Valley, describing his losses in the month-long summer war between Israel and militants from the Lebanese Hezbollah political party." I couldn’t harvest my potatoes or tend to vegetables like lettuces and peas which I had planted a week before the Israeli attacks began," said the father of two. "And even when I managed to pick some I couldn’t transport them to the market because of the threatening situation." more.. Supreme court rejects appeals of Bat Ayin gang members Jerusalem Post 12/12/2006 The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the appeals of three men from the settlement of Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion who were convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to between 12 and 15 years in jail. The appeals had been submitted by Ofer Gamliel, Shlomo Dvir-Zeliger and Yarden Morag. They were found guilty in Jerusalem District Court of planting a bomb in a cart adjacent to an Arab girl’s school in the A-Tur neighborhood on the Mount of Olives. The bomb was timed to explode in the morning, when the students were on their way to class. Gamliel and Dvir-Zeliger, who first came up with the idea of the terrorist attack, were sentenced to 15 years each. Morag, who, after being detained for questioning at the site of the planned attack told police that he and Dvir-Zeliger had planted a bomb... more.. Witnesses: IDF troops shoot and wound two Palestinians in Gaza Ha’aretz 12/9/2006 Israel Defense Forces troops shot and wounded two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Friday, Palestinian sources said, a day after Israel’s prime minister said he could order renewed assaults if needed to prevent militant factions posing a threat to a shaky truce. Palestinian rescue workers and residents said the two men were unarmed. They were shot in separate incidents in northern Gaza, not far from border areas with Israel, they said. An Israel Defense Forces spokeswoman said she was not aware of any shootings, adding the army was checking the reports. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrested a 16-year-old Palestinian youth carrying a knife at a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron. IDF troops have shot and wounded several Palestinians this week in Gaza. The army said the men were acting suspiciously... more.. Khiam bomb crater tests positive for uranium Daily Star/Daily Star 12/7/2006 BEIRUT: Tests carried out on samples taken from a bomb crater in the southern region of Khiam following the summer war with Israel showed the presence of uranium, Chris Busby, the British scientific secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, told Environment and Development magazine for its December issue." The analysis was accurate and showed the presence of depleted uranium," Busby said in a telephone interview with Environment Hotline, an environmental research team affiliated with the magazine. Busby said in late October that samples taken from a bomb crater in Khiam had been sent for analysis to the Harwell laboratory in Oxfordshire, southern England. He added, at the time, that "samples thrown up by Israeli bombs showed elevated radiation signatures resulting from a new experimental weapon used by Israel." "There is no way the signs of uranium found in Khiam were the result of natural or industrial materials... Their only source is nuclear reactors," Busby said. The magazine says Busby’s statements in October spurred the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission to take more samples from Khiam for analysis. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which has been studying ecological damage in Lebanon after the war, had also sent another team to gather samples from Khiam, a statement said." The results will be issued soon," it added. A team of 20 UNEP activists spent two weeks with their Lebanese counterparts at the beginning of October to evaluate the environmental impact of the month-long war. The team tested air, water and soil samples at 30 heavily bombed sites in Southern Lebanon and the suburbs of southern Beirut. The samples were sent to Switzerland for analysis. However, a statement issued in early November ruled out the presence of uranium. While a UNEP statement in November reassured the Lebanese that they were not in danger of exposure to radioactive materials, it called for further research on "the effects of using depleted uranium for military purposes." The UN results mirrored those of the National Council for Scientific Research, which also ruled out the presence of uranium in Lebanon. In a statement issued on October 20, the council said 50 samples taken from several war-torn areas had tested negative for depleted uranium in tests conducted at the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission. The council and UNEP have both vowed to follow-up on the issue and conduct more tests, the magazine said. more.. Child seriously injured in Aida refugee camp International Middle East Media Center 12/8/2006 Israeli soldiers stationed near Aida refugee camp, north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, shot and seriously injured one child, the Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported. The agency stated that soldiers topping a military tower near the camp fired at a group of children, and injured Miras Nidal Al Azza, 12, with a live round in his abdomen. The child was transferred to Al Yamama hospital in Bethlehem. [end] Palestinian boy shot by Israeli sniper because he played with a toy gun Ma’an News Agency 12/8/2006 Bethlehem - A Palestinian child, Miras Nidal Al-Azza, just 12 years old, on Friday received 6 gun shots while he was playing with a toy gun on the balcony of his house at the refugee camp of ’Aaida near Bethlehem. Security sources reported that the boy was playing with a gun-like plastic toy before an Israeli sniper who was stationed at a monitoring tower in the area of " Rachel’s Tomb" next to the refugee camp where he lives, opened fire on the boy hitting him with 6 shots. The boy was sent to Al-Yamama hospital in Bethlehem. [end] Abu-Ali Mustafa Brigades target an Israeli military jeep near Nablus Ma’an News Agency 12/8/2006 Nablus - Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli military jeep on Friday using an explosive device near the northern West Bank village of Zuwata west of Nablus. In a statement that Ma’an received, the brigades declared that the jeep was directly hit and was seen ablaze. They also affirmed that the operation comes as natural retaliation to the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian strugglers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The operation commemorated the 39th anniversary of the establishment of the PFLP. [end] Young Tuqu’ residents kept for questioning in Friday night stone-throwing Palestine News Network 12/9/2006 Under the pretext of searching for boys who threw stones, Israeli forces stormed southern Bethlehem’s Tuqu’ Village late night Friday. Dozens of young men were forced into the streets for at least two hours while Israeli soldiers tore through the contents of family homes. The Israeli military said they were searching for young boys who had thrown stones at settler and military vehicles on the highway through town. One of the car windows was broken and Israeli forces imposed several flying checkpoints, stopping Palestinian cars for inspection. Throughout the siege on the village and roads, no arrests were made. [end] Egyptian police have uncovered a tunnel used for arms smuggling between Egypt and Gaza Ma’an News Agency 12/8/2006 Rafah - Egyptian police have announced that late on Thursday they discovered a tunnel running between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, which was being used for arms smuggling. The tunnel was dug from the kitchen of an Egyptian house and links with the Salah El-Deen street, in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to the Egyptian police. Egyptian security sources said that the tunnel was searched but no one has been arrested except the house owner. The sources added that the police forces infiltrated a woman’s attempt to illegally enter Israel from the Cout Devoir region, south of Rafah. [end] Two residents injured in the Gaza Strip International Middle East Media Center 12/8/2006 Palestinian medical sources reported on Friday afternoon that Israeli soldiers shot and injured to residents in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Dr. Muawiya Hassanen, head of the Emergency Unity at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, reported that Adel Jamal Al Attar, 17, was injured in his thigh, in Al Atatra area after the army fired at local farmers. Dr. Hassanen added that resident Mohammad Barakat, 20, was injured by military fire near Beit Hanoun crossing. Barakat was injured in his chest. [end] Israel have violated the ceasefire with a new round of attacks on the northern Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 12/8/2006 Gaza - In a new violation of the ceasefire between the Palestinians and the Israelis, the Israeli forces have shot and injured two Palestinian citizens in the north of the Gaza Strip. A Ma’an correspondent said that Israeli forces shot at Palestinian citizens near the Erez crossing and injured 20 year old, Mohammad Barakat, who was shot in the chest. He was transported to Kamal Adwan hospital where medical sources said that his condition is stable. In Beit Lahiya, in the north of the Gaza Strip, another Palestinian, Adil Jamal Atar, was injured by a bullet to the thigh. He has also been transported to hospital. [end] Israeli forces arrest three Palestinians during clashes near Ramallah Ma’an News Agency 12/8/2006 Ramallah - Israeli media sources have said that Israeli army has arrested three Palestinians in the area of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on Friday morning. According to the Israeli sources, one of the men arrested was an activist from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, he was arrested in Beituniya, west of Ramallah, and the two other were members of the Hamas movement. The sources said that Palestinian resistance men threw cocktail bombs at the Israeli forces in Nablus, but said that there were no casualties. [end] Israeli military fires at farmers in northern Gaza, injuring one International Middle East Media Center 12/7/2006 Ahmad Banat, 23, was shot and injured by Israeli army gunfire while working on his land in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza strip, on Thursday morning. Medical sources reported that Banat sustained a live round in his Pelvis and was taken to Kamal Adawn hospital for treatment. [end] 15 West Bankers arrested Thursday, say Israeli sources Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Bethlehem - The Israeli army arrested 15 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank on Thursday morning, according to Israeli sources. The sources claimed that the arrested Palestinians were members of Palestinian factions. The sources added that they were arrested in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Qalqiliya. They added that the arrested Palestinians were "wanted from the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah movements. [end] Panel: Ecological situation ’not acceptable’ Daily Star 12/8/2006 BEIRUT: Lebanon’s environmental health has deteriorated since the July-August war with Israel, endangering people who are forced to rely on contaminated resources, a panel of environmental experts said Wednesday during a discussion of the war’s ecological impact. "In some areas the distribution network for water was completely destroyed and in municipalities, distribution of water is not on a 24-hour basis," said panelist May Jurdy, chair of the Health Department at the American University of Beirut (AUB)...." Meeting the basic water requirement of 50 liters a day isn’t plausible as only about 20-30 liters are being provided," Jurdy told the audience. "Many people are getting alternative water sources, which are not properly assessed for quality and are highly contaminated." .... an Israel attack on the Jiyyeh power plant released about 15,000 tons of oil into the sea.... more.. Army injures a second Beit Lahyia resident on Thursday International Middle East Media Center 12/7/2006 Abdullah Banat, 18, was shot and injured on Thursday midday by the Israeli army troops stationed at the Gaza borders. Banat was working in his land in Beit Lahia town in the northern part of the Gaza strip when troops shot him in his leg; he was moved to a nearby hospital for treatment; his wounds were described as moderate. Bannat his second farmer to be shot by the army while working on those farm lands on Thursday. [end] Israeli forces arrest four Palestinian men in northern West Bank Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Nablus - Qalqiliya - The Israeli forces have on Thursday arrested three Palestinians from the Kfar Saba neighbourhood of Qalqiliya, and one Palestinian from Askar refugee camp in Nablus, both in the north of the occupied West Bank. Our Qalqiliya correspondent quoted eyewitnesses saying that the Israeli forces invaded the Kfar Saba neighbourhood of Qalqiliya and arrested Ma’moon Qasim Jabir, 24; Rami ’Uthman Al-Far, 25, and Iyad Adnan Al-Far, 25. The three men were taken away to an unknown destination. The eyewitnesses added that during the invasion, the soldiers fired live ammunition, sonic bombs and threw stones at the father of Ma’moon Jabir, 55, as he opened the door for them. The father was injured in the forehead, causing him to fall down the stairs. more.. Two Palestinian farmers injured by Israeli fire in the northern Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Gaza - Two Palestinian farmers from Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip were injured on Thursday when the Israeli forces opened fire in the area on two separate occasions. Palestinian farmer Ahmad Banat, 23, was injured when Israeli soldiers shot at a group of farmers in the Ad-Da’oor area of the northern Gaza Strip. The Palestinian director of ambulances and relief stated that the farmer was standing among other farmers when the soldiers shot at him, causing a moderate injury. The man was transferred to Kamal Udwan hospital in Beit Lahiya where he underwent a surgical operation to stop his bleeding. Another farmer, Abdullah Banat, 18, was injured in the leg when he was shot at later on Thursday. He was also taken to hospital for treatment. [end] Former Gaza farmers settle in Golan YNetNews 12/7/2006 Many evacuated families struggling to rebuild their lives in Golan Heights after evacuation; ‘our hearts are in Gush Katif, although we are together as a group, so it makes it much easier; it’ll take time’ -- In an isolated community in Israel’s far north, adjacent to Moshav Avnei Eitan and a 30-minute drive to the nearest major town, 23, identical, new miniature orange homes line one paved street. Mere kilometers from the Syrian-Israeli border, the eerie quiet of the village is broken only by the sound of a baby crying, or the shuffling of a man pulling weeds from his temporary garden, or fixing a temporary pipe. The new settlers in the village are Jewish farmers from the Gaza Strip, and, since the Israeli government ordered their evacuation from the Gaza Strip a year and a half ago, they have hardly sowed a seed. more.. Executive Force accused of killing Palestinian military intelligence chief in August, London paper says Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Bethlehem - According to the London-based Pan-Arab daily ’Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat’, the Palestinian military prosecution has officially accused nine members of the executive force, a Hamas-affiliated military force under the command of the ministry of the interior, of killing the director of the Palestinian Military Intelligence, Muhammad Al Mousa, in the northern Gaza Strip on 6 August 2006. The paper quoted a security source as saying that the military court will hold its first hearing on Saturday 9 December. The suspects also stand accused of other attempts to kill and robbery. The court will convene in ’Saraya Gaza’ in Gaza City, which is expected to be heavily guarded. General Mousa was shot and killed on 6 August by unknown gunmen while traveling in his car in Jabali in the northern Gaza Strip. more.. Explosive device detonated outside a pharmacy in Gaza City Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Gaza - Unknown people detonated an explosive device on Thursday morning in front of a pharmacy in Jala’a Street in the centre of Gaza City. Our Gaza correspondent reported that the explosion caused damage to other shops in the street including an internet café. There have been a series of bomb attacks on shops and internet cafes in the Gaza Strip recently. A device also exploded outside the Arab Bank in Gaza City on 1 December. Our correspondent added that a week ago, a new group calling themselves ’Siyuf Al-Haq Al-Islamiya’ (’The Swords of the Right of Islam’), claimed responsibility for detonating explosive devices outside two internet cafés, one in Gaza City and one in Rafah. [end] Police arrest Sanhedrin rabbi Jerusalem Post 12/8/2006 Police arrested and detained a right-wing rabbi Thursday morning who called on synagogue members to publicly ostracize a religious IDF officer because the officer issued restraining orders against settlement activists. Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, head of the Temple Institute and a member of the Sanhedrin, a self-proclaimed revival of the supreme Jewish legislative body that ruled during the Temple era (prior to 70 CE), was detained by Jerusalem police for several hours after he and other rabbis issued a halachic decision [psak halacha] last summer that called on members of a synagogue to blackball one of their congregants. Ariel directed the synagogue leaders of Ma’ale Michmash not to call to the Torah Harel Weinberg, an officer in the IDF’s legal division, in protest against Weinberg’s willingness to sign off on military restraining orders... more.. Reports of Molotov cocktails thrown at a settler car near Ramallah on Wednesday Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Bethlehem - According to Israeli sources, a number of Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli settler’s car near the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. The website of the Israeli newspaper ’Yedioth Ahronoth’ reported that a number of Palestinians threw cocktail bombs at an Israeli settler’s car that was traveling north of Ramallah. No casualties were reported but the Israeli forces arrived on the scene and began combing the area for evidence. [end] 45 Palestinians arrested from the same northern West Bank village Palestine News Network 12/6/2006 In the ongoing “silent war,” as the major arrest campaign was described by former Director of the Palestinian Prisoner Society and current Legislative Council member, Issa Qaraqa’, Israeli forces arrested 45 Palestinians from Jenin’s Kafr Dan Village on Wednesday. That is addition to the 23 in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron taken to unknown locations this morning. The Kafr Dan raid focused on armed resistance members from Al Aqsa Brigades and Saraya Al Quds, and their families. Ibrahim Al Abed, Kafr Dan leader of Al Aqsa Brigades, told PNN that 30 military vehicles hit the town at dawn and began surrounding houses. He described the raids and searches as widespread. “The soldiers detained family members of the ’wanted,’ interrogating them and arresting several. ” more.. IDF wounds 2 Palestinians near Gaza Jerusalem Post 12/7/2006 The IDF wounded two Palestinians on Wednesday as the men approached the Gaza border, the army said, raising concerns about the future of the shaky truce between the two sides that went into effect last week. In one incident in northern Gaza, two men approached the border fence, the IDF said. One of them stood on a post and surveyed the area, while another appeared to be laying a mine near the border, it said. Nearby troops called on them to leave and fired warning shots in the air, driving the men off. A few minutes later, the men returned with others, and the soldiers again fired in the air. However, when one of the men continued working on the ground, the troops shot him, the army said. In a separate incident, a Palestinian man approached the Erez crossing into Israel and ignored soldiers’ warnings. more.. One child injured and four taken prisoners in the southern West Bank International Middle East Media Center 12/6/2006 One child was injured and four residents were taken prisoner by the Israeli army in the southern West Bank cities of Hebron and Bethlehem on Wednesday. Rabi’ Awad, 9, was injured, on Wednesday afternoon, by a rubber round in his leg and was moved to a nearby hospital during clashes between the school boys and the Israeli soldiers who invaded Ithna village south of Hebron. Troops attacked the school boys and fired sound bombs and tear gas before, the students responded with bu hurling stones at the army, eyewitnesses reported. Earliers on Wednesday morning, troops attacked, searched and ransacked several houses in the city of Hebron ,and the nearby Al Arroub refugee camp, and took three residents prisoners including a mother of five children. more.. AMB fires 3 missiles at Kfar Aza, declares end of truce Palestinian Information Center 12/6/2006 Gaza - The AMB, the armed wing of the Fatah Movement, on Wednesday claimed responsibility for firing three "upgraded" home-made missiles at the Israeli settlement of Kfar Aza in the green line (Palestinian lands occupied in 1948). The armed wing said that the shelling was in retaliation to the IOF troops’ daily violation of the calm in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It said that the Israeli crimes were committed round-the-clock against the Palestinian people despite the Palestinian factions’ abidance by the truce. The AMB finally asserted that it had decided to end its commitment to the truce "out of keenness on the Palestinian citizens and national interests" and would resume attacks on "enemy positions wherever they may be." [end] IOF aggressions in Gaza Strip and West Bank escalate Palestinian Information Center 12/6/2006 Salfit - IOF troops in the West Bank and around Gaza Strip have intensified their military aggressions against Palestinian citizens in both regions Wednesday as they fired at Palestinian citizens in the Strip and ransacked Palestinian homes in the West Bank. Two Palestinian farmers in Beit Lahia city in northern Gaza Strip were wounded when IOF troops opened their machinegun fire at a group of Palestinian farmers cultivating their crops in a fresh Israeli violation of the truce. In the West Bank, IOF troops manning the Zatara checkpoint, near Salfit city, blocked the passage of a Palestinian ambulance carrying a sick Palestinian citizen to hospital. According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli soldiers forced the ambulance driver to get off and seized him for hours, which jeopardized life of the sick Palestinian. more.. Two Palestinians wounded by IDF in separate Gaza incidents Ha’aretz 12/6/2006 Israel Defense Forces troops wounded two Palestinians on Wednesday as the men approached the Gaza-Israel border, the army said, raising concerns about the future of a shaky truce between the two sides. Meanwhile, a Qassam rocket landed Wednesday afternoon in an open field in the western Negev. There were no injuries or damages reported. This was the 14th rocket to have been fired at Israel since a cease-fire began last week. A militant from a small offshoot of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, an armed group linked to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, said Wednesday morning that the group intends to renew the rocket firing from the Gaza Strip to Israel.... However, a short time after his announcement, sources within Fatah denied plans to violate the truce. more.. Troops level two Palestinian homes in Jerusalem International Middle East Media Center 12/6/2006 Palestinian sources in Jerusalem reported on Tuesday that Israeli policemen and border-guard units leveled two Palestinian homes in Al Tour and Ras Al Amoud, in East Jerusalem. Israel claims that the houses were constructed without obtaining construction permits from the Jerusalem municipality. In Al Tour area, soldiers leveled the house of Ghadeer Abu Ghalia, and rendered him, his wife and four children homeless. Abu Ghalia said that soldiers and policemen attacked their house on Tuesday morning, forces them out within 15 minutes and leveled it. “My children were sleeping, soldiers said they will demolish the house over our heads if we don’t leave immediately”, Abu Ghalia said, “I called my lawyer and informed him on what was going on”. more.. Israeli army besieges a school in Hebron with tear gas Tuesday Ma’an News Agency 12/6/2006 West Bank - On Tuesday, the Israeli army besieged a school in the southern West Bank. Two men in their twenties were also arrested in separate incidents in the Hebron and Jericho areas. Our Hebron correspondent reported that more than twenty Israeli military vehicles raided the village of Idhna, situated west of the city of Hebron close to the Green Line, and besieged many houses. The troops surrounded Idhna’s school and fired tear gas and sound bombs at the school, causing many of the students to faint. The soldiers also broke into many shops and houses in the village and carried out an invasive search. No arrests were reported. In another village in the Hebron area, the Israeli forces entered, broke into a man’s house and took him away to an unknown destination. more.. Palestinian projectile explodes in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 12/6/2006 Gaza - A Ma’an correspondent has reported that a homemade projectile exploded on Tuesday evening whilst Palestinian fighters were attempting to launch it at an Israeli town. The reporter added that a huge explosion was heard in the northern Gaza Strip and that it was clear that the explosion resulted from a projectile prepared for launching at Israel. [end] Army imposes curfew on Huwwara town International Middle East Media Center 12/6/2006 Israeli forces invaded the town of Huwwara, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, and forced a curfew on the village on Wednesday morning, barring the residents from leaving their homes. Troops also surrounded the town’s schools and did not allow the students to go home, attacked several residents who were in the streets and chased them with sound bombs and tear gas, eyewitnesses reported. [end] Cluster bomb blast kills man, wounds another in S. Lebanon Ha’aretz 12/6/2006 BEIRUT - A construction worker was killed and another wounded Tuesday when a cluster bomb from Israel’s war against Hezbollah exploded in southern Lebanon, security officials said. The bomb went off as Hassan Mohammed Shehadeh, 40, and his nephew, AhmedMoMohammed Shehadeh, 21, were working at a construction site in the village of Kfar Tibnit, near Nabatiyeh town, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Hassan died instantly while Ahmed was rushed to hospital, the officials said. It was not immediately clear what caused the bomb to explode - whether one man stepped on it or whether it was activated by the movement of some building materials. more.. Israeli military incursion into Balata refugee camp, Nablus; one young man arrested Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Nablus - Israeli forces broke into Balata refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus early on Tuesday and took prisoner a 26-year-old Palestinian man. Our Nablus correspondent reported that many Israeli military vehicles broke into the camp at dawn on Tuesday and surrounded the house of Khalil Hassan Abu Hamada. The Israeli soldiers shot rounds of bullets at the house before calling for him to turn himself over through loudspeakers. Abu Hamada was taken away by the soldiers to an unknown destination. [end] Egypt police destroy tunnel after Gaza-bound explosives found Ha’aretz 12/5/2006 Egyptian police found 500 kg of explosives hidden in bags in central Sinai and bound for smuggling into Gaza, police sources said on Tuesday. Egyptian police also destroyed with explosives one of the tunnels thought to be used for smuggling. The TNT, covered in plastic sheeting, were concealed in a mountain area near Giddi, about 130 km west of the Egyptian-Israeli border, they said. Egyptian police found more than four tons of explosives in central Sinai last month and suspect that too was on its way to Palestinians in Gaza, they added. Israel says smuggling across the Egyptian border is one of the main ways arms and ammunition reach Palestinians in Gaza. Police found no one in or near the tunnel near the divided border town of Rafah but found signs that it had been used, an official police source said. more.. Army hands out demolishing orders to several residents in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/5/2006 Tuesday afternoon, Israeli troops handed out 11 military demolishing orders to Bedouin huts, east of Yatta village in the West Bank city of Hebron. Army claimed that the huts are too close to a settlers road known as Road 60. 40 families will be homeless in the military order was implemented, local sources reported. [end] Local Journalist injured in Ramallah International Middle East Media Center 12/5/2006 A journalist working with the Al Arabiyya news channel was injured in an Israeli military invasion to Al Masayif neighborhood, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported. Haitham Al Omary, a cameraman working wit Al Arabiyya was injured by military fire during the invasion. The agency stated that soldiers, backed by at least eight military vehicles, invaded the neighborhood after surrounding it and fired concussion grenades and gas bombs near some buildings. [end] Army invades Ithna village west of Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/5/2006 Israeli forces invaded the village of Ithna, west of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, on Tuesday afternoon. Troops invaded the village and attacked school boys with rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas. The youth responded by hurling stones at the soldiers. No injuries were reported, but several cars were jit by rubber-coated bullets fired by the army. [end] One teen taken prisoner by the Army in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/5/2006 Israeli troops stationed at a military checkpoint in the old town of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, took prisoner one teenager, on Tuesday midday. Mohamed Al Maharmah, 17, was taken to an unknown location after Israeli soldiers stationed at a military checkpoint near the Ibrahimi mosque (Tomb of Ppatriarchs), in the Oold City, stopped him then and took his ID, eyewitnesses reported. In the morning, Israeli forces took prisoner seven residents from several areas in Hebron during morning invasions. [end] Chemical threat ’can’t be ignored’ Jerusalem Post 12/5/2006 Hinting at a possible nuclear or chemical strike against Israel, Defense Minister Amir Peretz warned Tuesday that the IDF should not ignore looming non-conventional threats while dealing with the immediate problem of Kassam rockets and Katyusha missiles." While Israel is currently dealing with the immediate threats, we need to keep in mind that much greater threats loom on the horizon," Peretz said during a tour of a Home Front Command (HFC) training base near Rishon Lezion. "We cannot let the threat of the Kassams turn our attention away from dealing with greater threats like non-conventional attacks." During the tour alongside IDF Chief of Staff Lt. -Gen. Dan Halutz and Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, Peretz watched HFC soldiers practice a search-and-rescue exercise in a mock chemical attack. more.. Despite change in policy, Israeli army carries out series of West Bank arrests, including of senior PFLP member Ma’an News Agency 12/4/2006 West Bank - The Israeli forces arrested a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Monday morning. Palestinian security sources said that many Israeli military jeeps and vehicles, with support from the Israeli intelligence, broke into the city and headed to the house of Mahmoud Fannoun. They besieged his house before taking him away to an unknown destination. Fannoun is also a member of the Palestinian National Council. An Israeli army spokesman claimed that Fanoun "was involved in terror activity such as providing weaponry to the organizations [sic] infrastructure and assisting wanted terrorist [sic] to hide from Israeli security forces." more.. Al Nu’man Village targeted: already surrounded by the Wall, the gate is now open to Israeli settlers PDF Print E-mail Palestine News Network 12/4/2006 Northern Bethlehem’s Al Nu’man Village is enveloped from all sides by the Wall and residents cannot come or go without passing through an Israeli controlled gate. On Sunday Israeli forces occupying the village to the east of Beit Sahour allowed dozens of settler cars from the southern Efrat and western Betar Illit settlements to drive through the village. The settlements were built on southern and eastern Bethlehem lands and the settlers drove through the gates, passed through Har Homa Settlement, built on Abu Ghanaim Mountain, and into Jerusalem. The move came only two days after some 150 settlers demonstrated on settler Road 60 at the eastern edge of Al Khader Village, demanding the confiscation of more Palestinian land to make the drive to Jerusalem quicker more.. Special force kills Palestinian in Tulkarm YNetNews 12/4/2006 Palestinians say special IDF force raided café in town, shot to death Mahmoud Abed al-Al, Fatah activist from Gaza; witnesses report 12 year-old child critically injured -- A special Border Guard police force killed an al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades activist in the West Bank town of Tulkarm Monday evening. According to witnesses, the man killed is Mahmoud Abed al-Al, a Fatah member from Gaza who is currently residing in Tulkarm. The Palestinians also reported that 12 year-old Muhammad Abu Shweish was critically injured in the operation, and that a seniorFatah activist – Annan Yaish, sustained moderate wounds. Immediately after news of the incident broke out, hundreds of the town’s residents arrived at the hospital and gathered outside. The IDF reported that the force encircled a house... more.. Settlers uproot Olive trees in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/4/2006 Local sources reported that settlers uprooted several olive trees that belongs to Tubassi family, south of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank. The sources stated that armed extremist settlers of the Hagai illegal settlement, uprooted and cut more than 70 olive trees that belong to Mohammad Abdul-Hamid Al Tubassi, and Rateb Al Tubassi, while soldiers did not attempt to stop them. [end] Army invades Qalqilia and a nearby village, takes prisoner one resident International Middle East Media Center 12/4/2006 The Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, and the nearby village of Azzoun, and took prisoner one resident on Monday morning. Troops and army jeeps attacked residents houses in the city and the village, searched and ransacked them before taking Qussai Radwan, 16, from Azzoun village to unknown location. Local sources reported that soldiers fired tear gas and rubber-coated bullets at youth who hurled stones at them during the invasion, no injuries were reported. [end] Three residents taken prisoners during army attack on a village near Rammallah International Middle East Media Center 12/4/2006 Israeli forces took prisoner three residents during a pre-dawn invasion to the village of Al Safa, west of the northern West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday. Mohamed Allan, 21, his brother Hamza, 21, and Jihad Zaky, 21, were taken prisoner by the army when troops invaded Al Safa village searched and ransacked several houses, eyewitnesses reported. [end] In morning invasion to Hebron, army takes three prisoners International Middle East Media Center 12/4/2006 The Israeli army invaded the southern WEst Bank city of Hebron, and the nearby villages of Ithna and Al Samou’a on Monday morning, and took three residents prisoner. Troops attacked residents houses, searched and ransacked them before taking Shaker Qafisha, 23, Iyad Gahisha, 32, from Ithna village, and Mohamed Al Badaren 20, from Al Samou’a village. Residents said that troops forced families out of their homes in a very violent way during the search and did not allow them to keep the children inside due to the very cold weather. [end] Israeli troops linger in Ghajar despite decision to leave Daily Star 12/5/2006 SOUTH LEBANON: The Israeli Army continued to occupy the Lebanese border village of Ghajar on Monday, despite approval over the weekend by the Israeli Cabinet of a complete withdrawal from the area, UNIFIL spokesman Milos Strugar said. As of Monday evening UN peacekeepers had not deployed in the area, Strugar said." UNIFIL is holding talks with both the Lebanese and Israeli sides to ease the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the village as soon as possible," Strugar said in a statement." The situation in Ghajar is still the same so far... the Israeli Army is still there," he said. Israeli troops remained in the northern half of Ghajar after October 1, when their countrymen withdrew from the rest of Lebanon following the Jewish state’s July-August war on its neighbor to the north. more.. Troops abduct a PFLP political leader in Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 12/4/2006 Palestinian sources in the West Bank City of Bethlehem reported on Monday afternoon that Israeli soldiers abducted a political leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Mahmoud Fannoun, member of the political bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and member of the Palestinian National Council, was taken prisoner earlier on Monday in Bethlehem. Israeli military sources claimed that Fannoun is “suspected of involvement in military activities” carried by members of the PFLP against Israeli targets. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) slammed the arrest, and demanded in a press release the immediate release of Fannoun. The Front stated that “the arrest of Fannoun, the and the deliberate attempts to humiliate his family” is a further Israeli military escalation... more.. Child injured by setters fire in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/3/2006 Palestinian sources in Hebron reported that a six-year old child was shot by settlers fire near Khirbit Qalqas area, south of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank. Medical sources in the city said that Mohammad Firas Al Atrash, was hospitalized after suffering two rounds of live ammunition in his right shoulder and neck. The child was walking with his parents near settlement road number 60 near the village. [end] Palestinian from Qarawat Bani Zaid sentenced to 12 years Ma’an News Agency 12/4/2006 Ramallah - The Israeli military court at Ofer camp in the occupied West Bank, has sentenced 26-year-old Mahdi Nidal Sneif from Qarawat Bani Zaid, a village between the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Salfit, to 12 years’ imprisonment. Sneif was accused of membership in the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement, in addition to manufacturing explosives and perpetrating several attacks against the Israeli occupation forces. [end] Palestinian man taken prisoner by the Israeli army in Beit Sahour International Middle East Media Center 12/2/2006 The Israeli army invaded the town of Beit Sahour, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and took prisoner one resident on Saturday morning. Khaled Awad, 24, was taken to an unknown location after troops surrounded his house and searched it, eyewitnesses reported. [end] Gaza child dies of wounds sustained during Israeli attacks last month International Middle East Media Center 12/2/2006 Ayman Abu Mahdi, 10, from Jabalia town, in the norther part of the Gaza strip died on Saturday morning of wounds sustained during Israeli army attacks last month. The child was shot in the head by an Israeli army sharp-shooter during a military invasion to the town on November 25th, and was moved to an Israeli hospital, medical sources reported. [end] Army shoots and kills a resident of Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/1/2006 One Palestinian resident was shot and killed in the old town area of the southern West Bank city of Hebron after being shot in the head by Israeli soldiers on Friday at dawn. Bashar Al Ja’bari, 22, was going to pray the morning prayers in the Abraham Mosque, also known as the Tomb of Patriarchs, located in the old city, when soldiers stationed at a military checkpoint at the mosque entrance shot Al Ja’bari in the head and killed him. Palestinian medical sources in the city that Al Ja’bari was killed after sustaining multiple hits with live rounds in the chest and the head. He arrived to the public hospital in the city dead, the sources stated. Army sources said that soldiers... killed a Palestinian boy who tried to attack their post with a cocktail Molotov bomb... the sources added that troops took prisoner 29 residents in pre dawn invasions to several west Bank cities. more..

Diplomacy..

Bush Okays law blocking aid to Hamas gov’t Jerusalem Post 12/22/2006 President Bush signed into law a bill meant to block US aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government and ban contacts with Hamas until the militant faction has renounced violence and recognized Israel’s existence. It also creates a $20 million fund to promote democracy, human rights, freedom of the press and peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The Bush administration stopped aid shortly after the January election victory by Hamas, which Washington considers an international terror organization. The bill Bush signed puts into law what already was administration policy. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. , sponsor of the Senate bill with Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. , said the legislation makes clear the Palestinian Authority can expect no US help so long as it continues to be led by Hamas. more.. Quartet to channel funds to Palestinians skirting Hamas Ha’aretz 12/23/2006 The U.S. and its three partners in the flagging Middle East peace process agreed Friday to continue providing humanitarian assistance directly to Palestinian projects, bypassing the Hamas-run government. The deal does not affect the ongoing halt by the U.S. and others on aid to the Palestinian Authority, which is run by the militant group. In a statement, the so-called Quartet - the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia - said the Palestinian people are in need and encouraged donors to respond to UN and other requests for aid. Since Hamas’ election victory in January, the U.S. and its partners have provided direct assistance to various Palestinian programs, but have avoided sending money directly to the cash-starved Hamas-run government. more.. Joe Lieberman: Extremists main ME threat Jerusalem Post 12/22/2006 The struggle in the Middle East is no longer a conflict between Arabs and Israelis, but is increasingly a battle between moderates and extremists, said US Senator Joe Lieberman Thursday, during a visit to the Jewish Agency Absorption Center in Mevaseret Zion where he celebrated the seventh night of Hanukka with new immigrants from Ethiopia. Here as part of a five-person congressional delegation that arrived in Israel Sunday following visits to Afghanistan and Iraq, Lieberman said there is a "new strategic direction" in the region that is both "hopeful and threatening." "On one side are Iran and its agents, Hizbullah and Hamas, on the other are the moderate governments of the region and Israel," he said. "Hopefully it is a chance for many people in the Arab world to realize that the threat of destruction no longer comes from Israel, but from Iran and other extremist elements." more.. Quartet endorses extension of mechanism to fund Palestinian authority ReliefWeb/Middle East Quartet 12/22/2006 Following is the text of a statement by the Middle East Quartet ( United Nations, United States, European Union, Russian Federation) -- Recalling its previous statements of 17 June 2006 and 20 September 2006, taking into account the need for the Palestinian Authority Government to respond to the 30 January 2006 Quartet principles, and mindful of the continuing needs of the Palestinian people, the Quartet endorsed the continuation of the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) for a three-month period, and agreed to again review the need for such a mechanism at the end of that time. The Quartet commended the efforts of the World Bank and European Union to facilitate needs-based assistance directly to the Palestinian people via the TIM. more.. Three-point agreement for calm in the Palestinian territories sponsored by the OIC secretary general ReliefWeb/Organization of the Islamic Conference 12/22/2006 19 Dec 2006 - An Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) - sponsored 3-point agreement between the Fattah Movement and the Hamas Movement was announced last night, following the visit by the OIC Secretary General, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, to the Palestinian territories, where he met President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen in Ramallah and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza. The three points are: that comprehensive calm should return in the Palestinian territories through the withdrawal of all weapons and the ending of all marches; that an independent judicial committee made up of 5 judges (1 judge each to be appointed by Hamas and Fattah and 3 judges to be appointed by the OIC) be constituted to investigate all past incidences; and that national dialogue among all factions, particularly between Fattah and Hamas... more.. Abbas-Olmert meeting to be held next Monday Ma’an News Agency 12/22/2006 Bethlehem - An informed Palestinian source has confirmed to Ma’an News Agency that the expected summit between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be held next Monday, after the Christmas celebrations. The source added that "what facilitated the meeting was the removal of the main obstacle before it, namely the prisoners’ problem. The Israelis have, for the first time, agreed to reformulate the joint prisoners’ committee, on the basis that the Palestinians be involved in the selection of their prisoners to be released in the expected exchange". Chief Palestinian negotiator, Dr Sa’eb Erekat, and head of the office of the president, Dr Rafiq Al-Husayni, met last week, repeatedly, with the staff of Ehud Olmert, to prepare for the summit meeting between Abbas and Olmert. more.. South Africans Urge the Recall of the Ambassador From Tel Aviv and Sanctions Against Israel Stop The Wall 12/20/2006 At a press conference held on the 18th of December in South Africa the Palestine Solidarity Committee, COSATU (the Congress of South African Trade Unions representing 1. 2 million workers) and the South African Council of Churches called on the South African government to recall the ambassador to Israel and to implement sanctions against Israel. Speakers at the conference included Willie Madisha (president of COSATU) Eddie Makue (general secretary of the South African Council of Churches), Ali Halimeh (Palestinian Ambassador to South Africa), Virginia Tilley (academic and author), Na’eem Jeenah (chair), Salim Vally (Palestine Solidarity Committee and Patrick Craven (spokesperson for COSATU). more.. Christians suffer for Iraq, says archbishop Times of London 12/23/2006 Christians in the Middle East are being put at unprecedented risk by the Government’s “shortsighted” and “ignorant” policy in Iraq, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, says today. In an extraordinary attack, Dr Williams accuses Tony Blair and the US of endangering the lives and futures of many thousands of Christians in the Middle East, who are regarded by their countrymen as supporters of the “crusading West. ”He has been backed by bishops across the Church of England, who say that Christians in the Middle East are now paying the price for the “chaos” in Iraq after the British Government failed to heed their warnings about the consequences of military action.... Writing from Bethlehem, where the number of Christians has plummeted to a quarter of what they were... more.. Harper calls Hamas ’genocidal’ The Globe and Mail 12/21/2006 Peace won’t be achieved through dialogue with groups that aim to kill, PM declares -- OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada will not talk with the "genocidal" Islamic groups Hamas and Hezbollah even though he acknowledged that dialogue is the way to peace in the Middle East." We will not solve the Palestinian-Israeli problem, as difficult as that is, through organizations that advocate violence and advocate wiping Israel off the face of the Earth," Mr. Harper said yesterday in a wide-ranging year-end interview with CTV to be aired Saturday." It’s unfortunate because with Hamas, and with Hezbollah in Lebanon, it has made it very difficult to have dialogue -- and dialogue is ultimately necessary to have peace in the long term -- but we are not going to sit down with people whose objectives are ultimately genocidal." -- See also: Canada's PM won't deal with 'genocidal' Hamas, Hezbollah: report more.. EU general: Fatah committed to ending cash smuggling Jerusalem Post 12/21/2006 The economic noose around Hamas tightened a bit Thursday when the head of the European Union’s monitoring mission in Rafah, Gen. Pietro Pistolese, told reporters that the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah forces, which operate that border crossing, have committed themselves to resolving the problem of cash smuggling into Gaza. Pistolese said the EU knew of some $60 million in cash that had passed through the Rafah border crossing. While Pistolese spoke in strong language about the need to stop the flow of money, he said that what had been secured from the Palestinians was a commitment to finding a solution rather than an agreement to stop the smuggling all together." It’s not an agreement, it’s a commitment. This commitment was expressed yesterday morning at the committee of Palestinians, Israelis and EU officials..." more.. Dispute over gestures to Abbas delay key meeting Ha’aretz 12/22/2006 Aides to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met yesterday for further preparatory talks in advance of the leaders’ planned meeting, with the main topic being what gestures Israel will make to the Palestinians at that meeting. Palestinian officials said afterward that they believe the meeting will take place in Jerusalem this coming Monday. Abbas announced that he hopes to meet Olmert before the end of the month. But the Prime Minister’s Office said a date for the meeting has not yet been set, and will not be until the preparatory talks are brought to a successful conclusion. At yesterday’s meeting, Olmert’s aides stressed that the prime minister is unwilling to release any Palestinian prisoners before kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is freed. more.. UN General Assembly Reiterates Palestinian Sovereignty over the Palestinian areas International Middle East Media Center 12/21/2006 United Nations General Assembly endorsed unanimously Wednesday a resolution that acknowledges the Palestinian people’s permanent sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) including the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem. 164 UN member states voted for the resolution, 6 rejected and 9 others abstained including Canada, Kameron, Kut Divora and Uganda. As of this year, such a resolution has gained 8 further votes compared with the years 2005 and 2004. The resolution has been based on the UN Security Council’s resolutions 242 of 1967, 465 of 1980, 497 of 1981, the United Nations’ charter, the Fourth Geneva Convention for the protection of the unarmed civilians in times of war as well as all other relevant human rights conventions. more.. EU Rafah crossing monitors: Egypt to confiscate any funds which Hamas attempt to bring into Gaza Ma’an News Agency 12/21/2006 Bethlehem - The head of the team of European monitors at the Rafah crossing, General Petro Pistolisi, has announced that the Palestinian authorities have informed him that Egyptian authorities will confiscate any amounts of money which Hamas heads will try to "smuggle" through the crossing into Gaza. Israeli Radio added that this means that there will be no money allowed to enter the Gaza Strip with the Hamas leaders. In a press conference held in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, the General added that "anyone who will oppose this procedure will not be allowed to pass through the crossing." He also confirmed that no explosives or fighting tools were "smuggled" through the crossing since the Europeans started their work on the crossing last year. more.. ’Only military action can stop Iran’ Jerusalem Post 12/22/2006 In a dramatic conclusion concerning the future of the state of Israel, the latest edition of the Middle East Strategic Balance, compiled by the Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies (JCSS) and released to the public on Thursday, calls for military action to stop Iran’s nuclear program. Prepared annually by JCSS at Tel Aviv University, the Middle East Strategic Balance provides an authoritative and indispensable guide to strategic developments and military capabilities in the Middle East by offering a comprehensive, insightful assessment of the complex strategic environment of the Middle East. The report is considered something of a bible for military analysts who follow developments in the region. The 2005-2006 edition was compiled by former IAF Intelligence officer Yiftah Shapir and Brig. -Gen. (ret. ) Zvi Shatuber. more.. President Abbas meets Italian foreign minister, advances progress in negotiating with Israel; ignores domestic issues Ma’an News Agency 12/21/2006 Ramallah - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has, on Thursday, expressed optimism over the success of efforts to hold a meeting between himself and the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. In a joint press conference with the Italian foreign minister, Massimo D’Alema, President Abbas added that "it isn’t a secret to say that we endeavour to meet with Olmert, and we hope to achieve that before the end of this year, 2006." With regard to domestic issues, Abbas said that the unity government is still possible, despite all obstacles. President Abbas also stressed before the Italian minister, the necessity of international monitoring of the intended early Palestinian elections. Abbas also affirmed the Palestinian interest in resuming negotiations based on the two-state solution, which would guarantee the termination of the 1967 occupation. more.. Battle lines are drawn as Israeli allies among Arab regimes meet to coordinate the fight against the Iran-Syria axis Ma’an News Agency 12/21/2006 Bethlehem - It has been revealed to Ma’an News Agency that a secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, the political advisor to the Egyptian president, Osama El Baz and the head of Saudi national security, Prince Bandar, was held two months ago, during the Eid feast following Ramadan, in Sharm el Sheikh. The source, a specialist in Israeli affairs, added that the meeting, which was held in the residence of the Egyptian president, lasted for five hours in which the participants discussed mutual coordination and cooperation between Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Israel and its allied forces in Lebanon, to jointly face the Tehran-Damascus axis and the coalition of militant groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. more.. Peretz tells IDF to prevent rockets, but uphold truce Ha’aretz 12/21/2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Thursday ordered military and defense establishment officials to take action to prevent Qassam fire without bringing about a collapse of the cease-fire in effect since last month. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday fired six Qassam rockets at Israel, two of which landed in the center of the Western Negev town of Sderot. The first strike on the city, which occurred in the early evening, shattered some windows on a local structure, and several people were treated for shock. Another rocket fired shortly afterward also hit an area in the center of town, sending pieces of shrapnel flying into a bus. Three people were taken to hospital due to ringing in their ears.... Another Qassam fired earlier in the day hit a house in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun, wounding five Palestinians. more.. Kerry: US-Israel ties ’indisputable’ Jerusalem Post 12/21/2006 US Senator John Kerry said on Thursday that leaders of Arab states had gone though a fundamental change. Before meeting Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem, Kerry, who also met on Thursday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, told reporters that the relationship between the United States and Israel was "indisputable." "There is a special friendship, and there are unbelievably strong cultural, historical, personal and strategic reasons for that," added the US senator. Kerry, who lost out to President George W. Bush in the 2004 US presidential elections, said that his meeting the previous day with Syrian President Bashar Assad was positive, very constructive and was conducted in a very relaxed atmosphere. Army Radio reported that during his meeting with Livni, Kerry refused to say if Assad had requested that the senator deliver a message to Israel. more.. Rice supports Palestinian efforts to resolve political crisis ReliefWeb/United States Department of State 12/21/2006 Dec 20 2006 - Secretary sees possible opening in Middle East peace process -- Washington – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has thrown her support behind Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his efforts to restore stability to the Palestinian Territories and resolve the political crisis between his Fatah Party and the ruling Hamas Party. “The violence needs to stop,” she told the cable news network Al Arabiya December 18. “But the political crisis also has to be resolved, and it needs to be resolved with the Palestinian people getting a government that can be acceptable internationally, so that the difficulties that have been there in terms of resources for the Palestinians can be resolved. ” Tensions between Fatah and Hamas have grown increasingly lethal as economic conditions deteriorate in the territories... more.. Israeli premier commits "in principle" to Palestinian state ReliefWeb 12/19/2006 Amman_(dpa) _ Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert brought an Israeli commitment "in principle" to a viable Palestinian state in response to a series of queries posed earlier by King Abdullah, political sources said Tuesday in Amman. Jordan’s King Abdullah, in a bid to gauge its sincerity towards peace, sent the government of Israel a series of questions which Olmert answered, the sources said. According to one source, the questions revolved around Israel’s commitment to the two-state solution and its preparedness to enter multi-faceted peace negotiations with the Palestinians..... While Olmert said he was committed in principle to negotiations with the Palestinians, he complained that the Palestinian partner was weak. more.. Academic group seeks to make Jerusalem a violence-free city Ha’aretz 12/22/2006 Is it possible to turn Jerusalem, which has known so much war and terrorism, into a violence-free zone? A group of Palestinian, Israeli and European academics and intellectuals believes it could happen. On Sunday they will meet at the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies (JIIS) to discuss the idea, "Jerusalem First - City without Violence." Between the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in October 2000 and the first half of November 2004, there were 600 terror incidents in Jerusalem, 30 of them suicide attacks that killed 210 people. Next week the city’s Tantur Ecumenical Institute will host a meeting of Jewish, Muslim and Christian clergy who will continue to discuss the idea." This is an embryonic, gradual attempt in which both sides, the Israeli and the Palestinian, will commit themselves to removing violence from Jerusalem at least for a certain period of time..." more.. Fearing Civil Wars, Cairo Counsels Restraint Inter Press Service 12/21/2006 CAIRO, Dec. 21 (IPS) - While the situation in U.S. -occupied Iraq has slid further into chaos and sectarian strife, Egypt has watched anxiously as two areas closer to home -- the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon -- have also been roiled by the specter of civil war. Although tense political standoffs in both the Gaza Strip and Beirut have prompted a flurry of diplomatic activity by Cairo, there has been little by way of progress in either case. In nearby Gaza, attempts to forge a national unity government between leading opposition party Fatah and the Hamas-led government ended in failure, with the two sides unable to agree on terms for power sharing. Calls by Fatah-affiliated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Dec. 18 for fresh parliamentary elections further alienated Hamas... more.. Analysis: How strategic is the Golan? Jerusalem Post 12/21/2006 The formula is clear and has been set by the past half dozen Israeli governments: The Golan Heights, probably alongside the Shaba Farms, in exchange for real and true peace with Syria.... What is the strategic importance of the Golan Heights? According to some experts, Israel would be foolish and negligent to withdraw from the Golan and return it to Syria. These experts cite several key reasons why Israel should retain sovereignty over the area - chief among them the argument that the 1,158 square kilometers of the Golan serve as a buffer against a surprise Syrian attack. There is also the water issue. The Golan is the largest of Israel’s three primary sources of fresh water, including the headwaters of the Jordan River and mountain streams that fill the Kinneret. Disruption of the water flow would be a strategic blow to the State of Israel. more.. Barghouthi hosts European parliament delegation Ma’an News Agency 12/21/2006 Ramallah - PLC member Dr Mustapha Barghouthi has met with a delegation from the European parliament, headed by Louisa Morgantini. In the Ramallah meeting, Barghouthi discussed the developments in the territories and the difficulties with which Palestinians are living under the Israeli occupation, and explained the fall-out from the siege imposed on Palestinians after the Hamas movement won the legislative elections. Barghouthi also briefed his guests about the difficulties and obstacles that face the unity government formation, but stressed that the opportunity to form such a government still exists. [end] Palestinian in Israeli Knesset: What is happening has nothing to do with Israeli security Palestine News Network 12/20/2006 Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset Mohammad Barakeh said that Israel has closed every possible avenue for negotiations with the Palestinians. On Wednesday he cited that Israel has not implemented any agreements signed with the Palestinians, refuses the crucial Final Status issues such as borders, Jerusalem, refugees, and settlements. Barakeh said today, “Israel has not respected any of the international resolutions on Palestine while Israel also besieged the late President Yasser Arafat and refused to negotiate with him. ”Barakeh continued, “It also refused to negotiate with President Mahmoud Abbas and ignored the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut Summit. ”He stressed that Israel is seeking to avoid a political solution that would come in accordance with international law and resolutions. more.. US endorses early PA elections Jerusalem Post 12/19/2006 The United States tentatively endorsed on Monday a call for early elections by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a gamble he took to try to remove the Hamas government elected less than a year ago. At the same time, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the Bush administration is trying to sell its plan to Congress to shore up security forces loyal to Abbas with money for salaries, training and logistical support. McCormack also said it was unclear whether Abbas acted constitutionally in calling new presidential and parliamentary balloting as a way out of a violent confrontation between his Fatah movement and Hamas. He said Monday the vote could be within a few months, years ahead of schedule." My understanding of this is that - within the basic law - that this is not prohibited," McCormack said. "It’s not specifically accounted for, but it’s not prohibited." more.. Source: PM won’t ditch policy of restraint despite Qassams Ha’aretz 12/21/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is intent on adhering to the policy of restraint in face of the continued Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, a senior political source in Jerusalem said on Wednesday. A Qassam rocket struck near a western Negev kibbutz Thursday morning, causing no damage or injuries. On Wednesday, seven Qassam rockets were fired at Israel. No injuries were reported. Speaking at a joint press conference with the visiting Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday, Olmert said that "for a number of weeks now I have used my authority in order to prevent a response to the continued Qassam rocket attacks, but it is clear that it is impossible to ignore this for long, so long as the Palestinians continue to shoot." more.. IDF: Hizbullah almost back to full combat strength Jerusalem Post 12/21/2006 Predicting that it is "just a matter of time" before Hizbullah attacks Israel, a high-ranking officer from the Northern Command revealed to The Jerusalem Post Wednesday that the Lebanese guerrilla group had nearly returned to full strength and was almost at the level it was before this summer’s Lebanon war. Syria, the officer said, had used the past four months since the end of the war to transfer - sometimes on a daily basis - truckloads of advanced rockets and weaponry to Hizbullah in Lebanon. The weapon transfers, he said, were not even executed covertly, but were conducted "out in the open" for the entire world to see. "Hizbullah needs to legitimize its existence, and therefore will continue to fight," said the officer, adding that if and when Hizbullah attacked, it would be up to the country’s diplomatic echelon to determine Israel’s response. more.. Suspicious undercover dealings revealed at Beirut airport Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Bethlehem - The Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar satellite TV channel has revealed during their Wednesday evening news bulletin that an Israeli military jet had landed at Beirut international airport. The plane, "Alfa Fox 56", a Falcon, had left Lisbon airport in Portugal, then arrived in Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, before landing in Beirut on the 21st November 2006, at 11:31am. Al-Manar confirmed that eight of the plane’s occupants stayed in Beirut, while the other three left. No Lebanese officials received the plane at the airport. The TV channel called on Lebanese politicians not to hastily deny the news, and requested a formal investigation of the incident. Lebanese aviation law forbids any Israeli aircraft from landing in Beirut, unless it has come via Larnaka airport in Cyprus. -- See also: Hezbollah: “Portuguese plane arrived from Tel Aviv to Beirut" more.. Oglu proposes a probe in latest events in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/20/2006 Organization of the Islamic Conference General Secretary Ekmel Eddin Ihsan Oglu suggested opening an investigation in the latest events of factional infighting in the Gaza Strip which claimed the lives of five Palestinians. Oglu presented this suggestion to both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh on Tuesday. Oglu said that both Abbas and Haniyeh accepted his proposal. He added that the organization of the Islamic conference suggested that the cease-fire agreement reached between Hamas and Fatah should include the withdrawal of the armed groups from the streets, and to give the police forces a chance to maintain security and the rule of law. The proposed investigation committee would be formed of five justices, one of them appointed by President Abbas, another by PM Haniya... more.. U.S. ambassador appears to confirm Israeli-Saudi contacts Ha’aretz 12/21/2006 A United States official appeared to confirm on Wednesday that there have been high-level contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which do not have diplomatic relations. In September, Israeli press reported that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had held talks with a member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family on Middle East peace and Iran’s nuclear program. Although neither the Israeli nor Saudi governments has confirmed such contacts, when asked about the matter, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said he thought "it [is] a very important development that this contact... was announced." "I don’t have any particular details on it but the very fact that... first of all they would be able to communicate and that they would be willing communicate with one another I think shows a very serious approach," he added. more.. Norwegian Prime Minister visits Bethlehem Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Bethlehem - The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, has on Wednesday visited the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. During the visit, Stoltenberg met with the governor of Bethlehem, Salah Ta’mary, the Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Supreme judge Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi, Anglican Archbishop Muneib Yunan, in addition to several members of the Islamic and Christian clergy in the area. The Norwegian guest started his visit at the Church of the Nativity, where he lit candles on the occasion of the approaching Christmas festivities. Later, the Prime Minister met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. [end] Al-Qaeda attacks Palestinian poll BBC Online 12/20/2006 Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri has appeared in a new video to speak out against elections in the Palestinian territories. The deputy to Osama Bin Laden said in the video, aired on al-Jazeera television, that only jihad, or holy war, would "liberate Palestine". Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last weekend called for new elections. His Fatah party is locked in a struggle with Hamas, which won elections in January and opposes new polls. Second truceZawahiri says in the video: "Any road other than jihad will only lead to loss." Those trying to liberate the land of Islam through elections based on secular constitutions... will not liberate a grain of sand of Palestine." In the video, Zawahiri wore a white robe and black turban, with a rifle behind his shoulder. more.. Joint Palestinian-Israeli conference in Beijing Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Beijing - The Chinese foreign ministry has hosted a joint conference between Palestinian and Israeli delegations to discuss proposals to revitalize the peace process. Leading the Palestinian delegation was the former minister, Qaddoura Fares, while the Israeli delegation was headed by Yossi Beilin, the chairman of Meretz, the socialist-Zionist Israeli party. The delegations met with the Chinese foreign minister and his assistant, in addition to the Chinese envoy to the peace process in the Middle East, and other officials and academics. The conveners issued a joint statement in which they expressed regret over the suspension of the peace process, assuring that the only solution for the conflict lies in dual political agreement. "Unilateralism can only escalate the violence and so the two-state solution is the best solution that can benefit both peoples." [end] Allenby Bridge crossing will reopen on Wednesday Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2006 Jericho - The Allenby Bridge crossing director Colonel Munir Tilbani has told Ma’an News that the last pilgrims convoy left the West Bank for Jordan, on their way to the holy lands n the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Tilbani added that the crossing will be open as usual from Wednesday, ’’We have been working in the last few days to allow all the pilgrims travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the crossing was opened only for them, but from Wednesday the crossing will return to normal. [end] Haniyeh: 20-year truce in exchange for state YNetNews 12/19/2006 Palestinian prime minister delivers speech on internal issues, accuses Abbas of isolating government. However, he also conveys message to Israel: If Palestinian state is established within 1967 borders, Hamas will aggress to long-term hudna. Meanwhile, Abbas calls for end to Gaza fighting -- Hamas is ready for a ceasefire with Israel if a Palestinian state is established, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech delivered Tuesday afternoon. Haniyeh’s speech dealt mainly with internal issues. He responded to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ call for elections in the Palestinian Authority and called for unity in the struggle against the occupation. However, he also called for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. more.. PA source: Olmert, Abbas to meet in coming days Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 A meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to take place in the coming days, Palestinian sources said on Tuesday, although in Israel a date has not been confirmed." As far as we are concerned we can meet tomorrow," sources in the Prime Minister’s office said on Tuesday. "Efforts are being made to coordinate a meeting but no date has been set," they added. Also on Tuesday, Olmert made a lightning visit to Jordan for a meeting with King Abdullah II. Meanwhile, fighting in the Gaza Strip continued on Tuesday between gunmen from Fatah and Hamas, in spite of a cease-fire being in place since Sunday. Six militants lost their lives in a series of incidents. A Palestinian source close to Abbas said that the first official meeting with Olmert is likely to take place next week. more.. US threatening Hamas rule, says Haniyeh The Guardian 12/20/2006 Palestinian PM calls for end to infighting · Power struggle brings Gaza to brink of civil war -- The Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, last night accused the US of trying to bring down the elected Hamas government and called for calm after at least four people were killed in a day of heavy fighting between rival factions in Gaza. "There was a direct decision to bring down this government and make it collapse, and the Americans are behind this policy," Mr Haniyeh said in a speech on Palestinian television. His words came only a day after Tony Blair travelled to Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to give his backing to Mr Haniyeh’s rival, the Palestinian president and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas. Mr Abbas issued a challenge to Hamas on Saturday when he called for early presidential and parliamentary elections. more.. Iran: UN should condemn Israel’s ’clandestine’ nuclear weapons Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 Iran demanded Tuesday that the United Nations Security Council condemn what it said was Israel’s clandestine development and possession of nuclear weapons. Javad Zarif, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, said in identical letters to the council and to the secretary-general that the Security Council should "condemn Israeli regime’s clandestine development and possession of nuclear weapons, compel it to abandon nuclear weapons, [and] urge it to accede" to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Zarif said the Security Council should demand that all of Israel’s nuclear facilities be subject to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency and be placed under its safeguards program." Should the Israeli regime fail to do so, the council must take resolute action under Chapter 7 of the Charter to ensure compliance," he said. more.. Peretz approves zero tolerance policy along northern border Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Tuesday agreed with a recommendation by senior Israel Defense Forces officers that Israel should respond harshly to Hezbollah provocation along the Israel-Lebanon border. Such provocation includes throwing rocks at IDF patrols, holding protests near the border and hanging Hezbollah flags along the fence - moves that IDF General Staff and Northern Command officials say are meant to test Israeli policy in the wake of last summer’s Lebanon war. Israel will not allow "the reality of the gradual erosion of directives, which took place for six years along the border, to return," Peretz told reporters. "We will not return to the situation preceding the second Lebanon war." Peretz also said the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has been doing a good job responding to Israeli requests that it deal with Lebanese provocation. more.. U.S. calls on Syria to open diplomatic relations with Lebanon Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 The U.S. State Department called Tuesday on Syria to abide by the wishes of neighboring countries and open diplomatic relations with Lebanon. Spokesman Sean McCormack rejected a statement by President Bashar Assad in Russia that he wants a dialogue with the United States but "will not take instructions" from Washington. McCormack said Syria is under no obligation to follow U.S. instructions but should respond positively to requests from neighbors. One such request, he said, is for Syria to open an embassy in Beirut. "That would be a signal that they have completely renounced and given up on the idea of getting back into Lebanon," McCormack said. They could also help Lebanon "by not trying to manipulate the Lebanese political system, not helping Hezbollah sponsor marches in the street..." more.. Olmert denies TV report of missive from Syria’s Assad Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office yesterday denied reports broadcast by Al Arabiya television that Syrian President Bashar Assad had sent a secret message to Israel through German intermediaries. According to Al Arabiya, Assad asked Olmert to embark on unconditional negotiations with Syria, and promised that in return for the opening of negotiations, he would curtail the freedoms of Damascus-based Hamas leaders and their influence on events in the territories. The Syrian president also promised to prevent the flow of arms to Hezbollah, Al Arabiya said. Assad, who is on an official visit to Russia, also denied the reports yesterday. "There is no offer - nothing," he said. However, he did say that Syria would be willing to have a direct dialogue with the United States. more.. Assad asks Russia to lead Mideast peace talks Daily Star 12/20/2006 Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday urged Russia to take a leading role in sponsoring peace talks in the Middle East, and denied that Russian weapons sold to Syria ended up in the hands of Hizbullah. President Vladimir Putin hosted Assad for talks focusing on fighting between Palestinian factions and the political crisis in Lebanon - part of Moscow’s efforts to strengthen its role in the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region." Russia could become the sponsor of the Middle East peace process and carry out this role effectively," Assad told journalists through a translator after his meeting with Putin. Assad rejected criticism from Israel and the US that Russian weaponry sold to Syria had been passed on to Hizbullah." Those who say such things.... need to provide concrete proof," Assad said. more.. EU Parliament member: Syria’s peace intentions genuine YNetNews 12/19/2006 David Hammerstein, who met senior officials in Damascus at beginning of week, tells Ynet Syria is serious in its peace intentions, but it all depends on Israel’s willingness to discuss Golan Heights; adds Olmert would be making big mistake by missing opportunity -- Genuine intentions. Following the report in the al-Aarabiya network that Syrian President Bashar Assad recently sent a personal letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pleading with him to resume the peace process, European Parliament member David Hammerstein told Ynet on Tuesday that Syria was serious in its intentions for peace with Israel , but that it all depends on Israel’s willingness to discuss the Golan Heights. Both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Syrian president denied the fact that such a letter was sent or received. more.. Olmert, King Abdullah meet in secret YNetNews 12/19/2006 PM’s Office announces Olmert met with King Abdullah in Amman, says two discussed situation in Palestinian Authority. Leaders agreed to meet in near future, strengthen ties between Israel and Jordan -- Meanwhile, Industry, Trade, and Labor Ministry Director General Gabriel Maimon and his Jordanian counterpart Dr. Muntaser Oqala signed a deal to better supervise the implementation of the Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) agreement. It was agreed that the sides would move to a quarterly supervision method. The QIZ agreement allows for duty-free export to the US of certain Jordanian goods that contain Israeli inputs. The Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry reported that Israeli exports to Jordan totaled USD 110 million during the first 11 months of 2006... Most of the products exported to Jordan are used as raw materials for QIZ plants that export to the US. more.. General Secretary of Islamic Conference Organisation travels to the Palestinian territory to help bring calm Ma’an News Agency 12/19/2006 Bethlehem - The Islamic Conference Organization announced that its General Secretary, Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, "will be heading to the Palestinian territory on Tuesday on a good-will mission." A statement issued by the organization said that Ihsanoglu will meet with President Abbas and Prime Minister Haniyeh, in addition to many faction leaders to discuss the deterioration in the territories and the accusations and anti-accusations between Palestinians. The statement added that the General Secretary will attempt to work on calming the situation in the territories and ending the internal strife and conflict. [end] Mazzini: Shalit will never be released unless Israelis bow to our demands Ma’an News Agency 12/19/2006 Gaza - A leader in the Hamas movement, Osama Mazzini, has confirmed that the talks regarding the prisoners exchange deal are moving very slowly. Speaking to a Jordanian daily newspaper, Al Ghad Mazzini said, "We have received many letters from Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in which they are calling for us to stick to our stated conditions in regard to the deal." He said he has assessed the Israeli position regarding this issue and believes they are trying to gain time. He asserted that Israeli prisoner Gilad Shalit will not be released unless Palestinian prisoners are released." The Israeli soldier will not be released unless our demands are carried out by the Israelis," the leader said. Mazzini also denied that there had been any discussions relating to the names of Palestinian prisoners or leaders in the Israeli jails. more.. British clergy to spend Christmas in the Holy Land Palestine News Network 12/18/2006 One of the founding members of Open Bethlehem, Maxim Sansour, told PNN that his campaign is working to “expose Israeli occupation policies toward the city of Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities. ”By establishing links and relationships with other institutions and churches throughout the world, Sansour says that it becomes easier to “influence decision-makers in their countries to improve the positions of their governments toward the Palestinian cause while exposing Israeli practices. ”Bethlehem’s Mayor, Dr. Victor Batarsa, joined an Open Bethlehem meeting in its Nativity Square offices to discuss its objectives this week. The meeting included foreign representatives of social institutions and churches that are involved in a variety of efforts to save Bethlehem from what is happening to the city after more than 40 years of assault... more.. Preemptive Warfare: Building a Consensus in favour of Israel’s Nukes Uruknet/Gloabalresearch.ca 12/17/2006 Gloabalresearch. ca -- The so-called slip of the tongue that Israel has nuclear weapons by Israeli Prime Minister Olmert has conveniently occurred after Robert Gates, the new U.S. defence secretary’s statement that Israel has an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Robert Gates’ statement is part of a new foreign policy endeavor which purports not only to acknowledge but also to legitimize Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons. The latter are slated to used on a preemptive basis in response to alleged Iranian threats directed against Israel. Although refuted by expert opinion, Iran is said to possess nuclear weapons capabilities. Defence Secretary Gates also stated that the United States could not ensure Israel’s protection from potential Iranian nuclear weapons. more.. Annan: It would be ’disastrous’ to take military action against Iran Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a farewell news conference, urged the Security Council on Tuesday to push for a negotiated end to the Iranian nuclear crisis, saying military action would be a disaster." I believe that the council, which is discussing the issue, will proceed cautiously and try and do whatever it can to get a negotiated settlement for the sake of the region and for the sake of the world," Annan said. Addressing reporters less than two weeks before he steps down on Dec. 31, Annan was asked the lessons to be learned from Iraq, where the United States led an invasion in March 2003 in a fruitless search for weapons of mass destruction despite failing to gain the council’s approval. Annan noted there was concern over whether there could be another military operation aimed at Iran... more.. Netanyahu urges envoys to get tough with Iran Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 The bigger the stick, Netanyahu told dozens of foreign diplomats in Tel Aviv, the lesser the chance that it will need to be used. Netanyahu also presented the diplomats with a plan to have Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried at the International Court of Justice for incitement to genocide. The plan was initiated by MK Danny Naveh (Likud) and Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. Well-known American lawyer Alan Dershowitz and former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler participated... -- See also: Shalom questions whether Netanyahu backs talks with Iran more.. Ultra-Orthodox community debates boundaries of anti-Zionism Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 Documents published in the United States and Israel over the past few days provide a glimpse into the current debate in the ultra-Orthodox community following last week’s visit of a handful of Neturei Karta and Satmar Hasidim to Iran. The seven members of the Tehran delegation, all of them citizens of the United States and Western Europe, wrote a letter defending their decision to attend the conference of Holocaust deniers organized by Iranian President Mahmoud Amhadinejad." The Iranians stand today at the head of the war against the actions of the Zionists in the name of ’Israel’," they wrote. "It is our duty to reconcile with them and convince them that the nation of Israel, the nation of the Torah, is a submissive nation, a merciful nation, a nation that seeks peace, that seeks the burden of exile with love." more.. Israeli transcripts may soon be recognized at European schools Ha’aretz 12/20/2006 The Council for Higher Education on Tuesday reported that Israel is expected to take part in the Bologna Declaration, which would allow Israeli students to complete their university degrees at European institutions. Under the initiative, European universities will recognize students’ transcripts from Israeli universities. Currently, universities recognize Israeli students’ earlier course records only on a partial and conditional basis. The Education Ministry will submit a formal request to participate in the program by the end of January, and the request is expected to be approved by the end of May. According to the General Secretary of the Council for Higher Education Steven Stav, the Bologna initiative will give students and lecturers from Israel greater mobility and marketability within the European market. more.. PM: Israel hesitant on Syria due to US Jerusalem Post 12/18/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made it clear to the cabinet on Sunday that one reason Israel is not embracing recent overtures for negotiations from Syria is American opposition. Olmert said that with US President George W. Bush having taken a firm stand against engaging Syria - going against the recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton panel - and with the international community demanding that Syria improve its conduct, now was not the time for Israel to throw Syria a lifeline and help it to emerge from international isolation. At the same time, Olmert said the cabinet would hold a comprehensive debate on policy toward Syria in the near future. A senior cabinet official said Olmert’s comments at the meeting did not imply that if the US changed its policy regarding engaging Syria, Israel would necessarily follow suit. more.. Blair makes one last push in Middle East with Palestinian funding plan The Guardian 12/19/2006 PM proposes bypassing Hamas with aid to Abbas · MP warns against funding sides in coming civil war -- Tony Blair yesterday proposed a controversial plan to bolster Mahmoud Abbas in his escalating battle against Hamas by funnelling millions of pounds in aid directly to security forces under the Palestinian leader’s control. The risky move, probably Mr Blair’s last power play on the Palestinian territories before he leaves office, has been agreed with the US and is designed to break the deadlock that has held back progress in the Middle East for months. The plan also introduces a proposal for a new framework for talks on a Palestinian state to be agreed in a matter of weeks. Significantly, however, Mr Blair is suggesting that some of the aid be used to fund the civilian police and increase Mr Abbas’s own security guard... more.. Blair visits Ramallah and claims he will to aid progress towards a two-state solution Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 British Prime Minister Tony Blair, on Monday, visited Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Following the meeting both premiers held a press conference before Blair met with Palestinian independents. Blair began by stating that he and Abbas had had a detailed discussion regarding the Palestinian situation. He emphasized the importance of the international community working to support those Palestinian parties who want the two-state solution, stressing that Israel and Palestine should live side by side in peace. He declared that Abbas satisfies all the criteria of a leader which the international community can support; claiming that he demonstrates "moderation and tolerance." He continued by stating that Abbas’ recent address to the Palestinian people was a "landmark speech." more.. U.S. Senators to PM: Don’t be tempted by Syrian talks offers Ha’aretz 12/19/2006 A delegation of U.S. senators, led by the Senator John McCain, a possible Republican presidential candidate for 2008, and the self described "Independent Democrat" Joseph Lieberman, met on Monday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. McCain and Lieberman urged Israel not to be tempted by Syria’s recent overtures regarding negotiations. According to the press release issued by the prime minister’s bureau, the senators expressed vehement opposition to talks with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. They told Olmert that the Baker-Hamilton report, which recommended U.S. talks with Syuria and Iran, has not been adopted by the U.S. administration, which continues to oppose contacts with Tehran and Damascus. McCain said the issue of the Golan Heights is completely unrelated to U.S. -Syrian relations. more.. Visiting Senators McCain and Lieberman slam Iraq report Jerusalem Post 12/19/2006 A Congressional delegation headed by US Senators John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, and Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday that they are squarely against the Baker-Hamilton report calling for the US to engage in dialogue with Iran and Syria, according to officials present at the meeting. According to the officials, McCain and Lieberman said the report was just one of several circulating in Washington, and did not represent US policy. The report also called for an international peace conference, along the lines of the 1991 Madrid conference. Lieberman said it was as if former secretary of state James Baker, one of the heads of the committee and an architect of the Madrid conference, re-cycled 15-year-old ideas. more.. Olmert, Peretz spar over Syrian overtures Ha’aretz 12/19/2006 A dispute surfaced during yesterday’s cabinet meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz, over the way Israel should respond to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s calls for unconditional peace talks between the two countries. Backed by Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Olmert expressed reservations concerning the Syrian initiative, arguing that it was necessary to examine it carefully and to pay special attention to the motives of Assad and his foreign minister, Walid Mualem, for calling on Israel to renew talks. Peretz, however, said that the government should hold urgent deliberations to formulate a position in light of the Syrian initiative. The defense minister, who had raised the issue for discussion, noted that, "we must make decisions on the significance of the Syrian question..." more.. Hamas’ response to Blair’s visit: we won’t recognize Israel nor shall we accept the Quartet’s conditions Ma’an News Agency 12/18/2006 Gaza - The Hamas movement has, on Monday, called on British Prime Minister Tony Blair to cease his intervention in the domestic affairs of other countries, "namely the Palestinian people". The spokesperson of the Hamas movement Fawzi Barhoum declared. "We assure the British Prime Minister that our policy is already known to everybody; we won’t accept the Quartet’s conditions and we won’t recognize Israel. This we say both in public and in closed-door meetings." Barhoum also called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reconsider his call for early elections, so as to avoid a further split, in light of the agreement to cease inter-Palestinian clashes. He stated that the call for early elections "does not rely on any legal basis. That is supposed to be determined by the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC)..." more.. Barghouthi meets with European politicians to call for international support for Palestinians Ma’an News Agency 12/17/2006 Mustafa Al-Bargouthi (Maans)Ramallah - Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member and Palestinian national initiative leader, Dr. Barghouthi, met with the Italian foreign minister, Massimo Dallema, to discuss the Palestinian situation. Barghouthi and Dallema discussed the difficult situation the Palestinian arena is encountering, especially the siege imposed on the Palestinian people and Israeli policies of aggression. Barghouthi confirmed the importance of the formation of the unity government and the necessity to have the support of the international community in order to open horizons for a comprehensive and just peace. Barghouthi also called for the convening of an international conference for peace to end the longest occupation in modern history and to benefit from the dissatisfaction spreading through the Middle East... more.. Israeli official: We have time to block Iran nuclear program Ha’aretz 12/19/2006 A senior political source in Jerusalem said Monday that there is plenty of time for diplomatic efforts to effectively block Iran’s nuclear program, basing his comments on an assessment by Mossad chief Meir Dagan. Dagan told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Iran will be in a postion to build a nuclear bomb by 2009, at the earliest, and rejected talk of "a point of no return," saying that "such a concept does not exist." "The diplomatic effort to block Iran’s nuclear program is far from being over. The threat is close enough to draw attention and yet far enough to allow time for action," the source said. Discussing efforts to thwart Iran’s ambition to achieve nuclear capability, a senior source in Israel expressed confidence that all five permanent members of the Security Council will support sanctions against Iran. more.. Olmert gives short shrift to Assad overture Daily Star 12/18/2006 Israeli PM claims reluctance to undercut Bush -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday brushed aside Syrian calls for peace talks, saying it would not be prudent to negotiate when Syria was isolated internationally and warning that new talks would risk Israel’s relationship with the United States." When President Bush, Israel’s main ally, with whom we have a strategic relationship, is fighting in every arena against the forces that are trying to undermine American policy, is this the time for us to say the opposite? " Olmert said at the weekly Cabinet meeting. In an interview with the La Republicca, Syrian President Bashar Assad said he was ready to hold talks with Israel and called on Olmert to consider his offer to discuss peace in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from the Golan Heights. more.. Dagan: Syria willing to attack Israel Jerusalem Post 12/18/2006 Israel should not take the Syrian peace overture seriously because Damascus is "more prepared than ever before" to take military action against Israel, Mossad chief Meir Dagan said Monday. "Israel’s military deterrence was damaged in the second Lebanon war," Dagan told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "[Syrian President Bashar] Assad’s self-confidence grew. They are prepared to take more risks than in the past." Dagan went on to say that the Syrian army was building up its anti-tank missile units, after having seen that tanks were Israel’s Achilles’ heel in this summer’s war. He also told the committee that Syria was stocking up on anti-aircraft weaponry in preparation for a possible aerial attack by the IAF. "Any misstep" could trigger an armed conflict with Syria, stressed Dagan. more.. Shalom questions whether Netanyahu backs talks with Iran Jerusalem Post 12/18/2006 Following opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu’s call for negotiations with Syria, his rival for the Likud leadership, former foreign minister Silvan Shalom, questioned on Sunday whether Netanyahu would be in favor of dialogue with Iran. Netanyahu said on Saturday that he believes Israel should talk to Syria if it disconnects from the "axis of evil with Iran," stops transferring weapons to Hizbullah in Lebanon, clamps down on terrorism within its own borders and includes the US in peace talks. Shalom mocked Netanyahu’s multiple conditions and said that speaking to Syria would send the wrong message to the moderate Arab nations and to the world." Would he be in favor of negotiations with Iran if they accepted the same conditions? " Shalom asked. more.. Rice to seek additional funds to boost Abbas’ security forces Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday she would ask the U.S. Congress for tens of millions of dollars to strengthen the security forces of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas." We will request funding to support the security reform [of Abbas’s forces] and I think we will get support," said Rice in an interview with Reuters, adding that the aid would be in the range of tens of millions of dollars. The funding request comes as tensions are at their highest in a decade in the Palestinian Authority, with government unity talks stalled and Hamas accusing Abbas of trying to start a civil war. The United States wants to ensure that Abbas, whose Fatah party was trounced by Hamas in elections last January, emerges victorious in any power struggle with Hamas... more.. Israel to tighten enforcement of int’l boycott of PA Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 Israel has vowed to tighten enforcement of the internatioanl boycott of the Palestinian Authority after Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh yesterday tried to enter the Gaza Strip with suitcases of cash. In a compromise solution, Haniyeh was allowed to enter through the Rafah crossing last night following a delay of more than seven hours. However, Haniyeh was forced to leave behind more than $30 million in cash contributions to Hamas from Iran and other Arab states he visited on a tour of friendly countries. Security sources in Israel said that Hamas officials who will attempt in the future to bypass the economic embargo on the Palestinian Authority will also not be allowed to cross back into the Gaza Strip... The Defense Ministry... learned from American sources yesterday that Haniyeh intended to cross into the Gaza Strip with large sums of cash. more.. Caught on Tape: Olmert Filmed ’Coaching’ Prodi Palestine Chronicle 12/15/2006 Channel 10 television suggested that Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi’s statement on the continued Jewish identity of Israel was also at Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s prodding. -- JERUSALEM - An Israeli television station has broadcast footage that appears to show Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, coaching Romano Prodi on what to say during a joint press conference. The footage, broadcast on Israel’s Channel 10 television station, was taken from Olmert’s first offical trip to Rome where he met the Italian prime minister." It is important that you emphasise the three principles of the Quartet - that they are not negotiated [sic]. They are the basis for everything," Olmert says..." Please say this? " Olmert asks his nodding counterpart in English. Prodi then delivered words to that effect. He also endorsed Israel’s vision of remaining a Jewish state... more.. Hamas wants simultaneous swap of Shalit, Palestinian prisoners Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 Hamas said on Friday that captured Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit would not be freed unless Israel simultaneously released long-serving Palestinian prisoners and faction leaders." The Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will never be freed unless our hero prisoners, the long-serving and the faction leaders are freed in a reciprocal and simultaneous manner," senior Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya told a large Hamas rally in Gaza. While Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said late last month he would be willing to free many Palestinian prisoners, including those who had served lengthy terms, he indicated Shalit had to be released first. Shalit was captured by a group of Palestinian militants, including members of Hamas, during a June 25 cross-border raid which triggered a five-month long IDF offensive into the coastal strip. more.. ’Al Hayat’ reveals details of a prisoners’ exchange and implementation of the Sharm Al Sheikh agreement Ma’an News Agency 12/15/2006 Bethlehem - According to the London-based, pan-Arab newspaper ’ Al Hayat’, Egyptian sources believe that "the implementation of the Sharm Al Sheikh [agreement], the meeting between top Palestinian and Israeli officials and the reviving of the peace process are related to the truce, the release of the Israeli soldier and the formation of a [Palestinian national] unity government". The paper said that, according to the sources, "in regards to the issue of [captured Israeli soldier] Shalit, the deal was agreed upon in three stages: the first [stage is] to have 400 [Palestinian prisoners] released, the second [is] to release 500 [more Palestinian prisoners], and the third [stage is] to release 400 [further Palestinian prisoners]". The unnamed source also said that the imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi is expected to be part of the deal. more.. UN observer force to stay in Golan Heights through June Ha’aretz 12/16/2006 The UN Security Council on Friday authorized a UN observer force to stayanother six months in the Golan Heights, where it has served as a buffer between the Syrian and Israeli armies for 32 years. The UN Disengagement Observer Force, known as UNDOF, was created in May 1974 to monitor a cease-fire and troop disengagement agreement that followed the Yom Kippur war. A resolution adopted unanimously by the 15-nation council extended the mandate of the 1,048 UN observers through June 30, 2007Had the council failed to take action, the mandate would have expired atthe end of this month. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his final report on the Middle East before stepping down on Dec. 31, told the Security Council there could be no comprehensive Middle East peace until Israel returned the Golan Heights to Syria. more.. Israel Watchful of Hezbollah Moves By Peter Hirschberg, Electronic Intifada/IPS 12/15/2006 JERUSALEM, Dec. 15 (IPS) - An Iranian and Syrian satellite, Hezbollah operating unfettered, and the Israeli army ceasing to patrol the south -- that is the fate Israeli leaders fear could befall Lebanon if anti- government forces succeed in ousting the elected government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. "What concerns us is that the parties trying to get power in Lebanon are the ones who obey Iran and Syria," former deputy defence minister and Labour Party lawmaker Ephraim Sneh told IPS. "The ambition of the Iranian regime is territorial contiguity from the border of Afghanistan to the Mediterranean. Taking over Lebanon by proxy and turning it into an Iranian satellite is one means of achieving this." For two weeks, anti-government protestors have camped outside the parliament building in Beirut... more.. Israel’s dark threat of nuclear arsenal The Scotsman 12/15/2006 And yesterday, Mr Olmert, who laid a wreath at a memorial at Berlin’s Grunewald railway station, the departure point for thousands of the city’s Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust, said: "We have learned and memorised the lesson; the weak and defenceless are doomed. Doomed are they who do not believe those who threaten to eradicate them. Doomed are the complacent. Doomed are they who entertain the false illusion that they could escape harm and that they could rely on the mercy of strangers." -- EHUD Olmert, the Israeli prime minister unleashed a storm of controversy after an apparent slip of the tongue appeared to confirm his country had nuclear weapons. In an apparent reversal of a decades-old secrecy policy, he suggested Israel has the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal. more.. Assad: No Middle East peace without Damascus and Tehran Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 The United States and Europe must talk to Syria and Iran if they want a comprehensive solution to Iraq and other Middle East conflicts, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published on Friday. Assad told Rome’s la Repubblica newspaper Damascus was ready to cooperate with Washington to resolve regional issues and challenged Israel to open up to Syria. He also said Europe had a "complex" over the Jewish Holocaust. Meanwhile, European Union leaders meeting in Brussels called on Syria to stop interfering in Lebanon’s affairs and start contributing to the country’s stabilization." The fact is that we (Syrians) live in this region, we know it well," he said in the long interview, adding that Washington "needs our help" to formulate a plan for Iraq. more.. Former MK Sharansky awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom Ha’aretz 12/16/2006 Former Likud minister Natan Sharansky was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Friday. Addressing the participants, United States President George W. Bush called Sharansky a symbol of "the moral emptiness of imperial communism" and a "champion for liberty and democracy." "As a Jew applying to immigrate to Israel, he was refused and harassed by the Soviet regime," said Bush. "Natan Sharansky became a leading dissident and advocate for human rights, and after a show trial he was sentenced to a gulag for 10 years." "Today the Soviet Union is history, but the world still knows the name Sharansky," said the president. "He remains, above all, an eloquent champion for liberty and democracy." more.. Carter attacked for linking ’Israel’ and ’apartheid’ Daily Star 12/16/2006 WASHINGTON: Former US President Jimmy Carter has met with a storm of criticism in the United States over his latest book, which uses the word "apartheid" in describing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book, "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid," has raised a furor among Jewish groups who accuse the architect of the 1979 Arab-Israeli peace treaty and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize of racism and anti-Semitism. One of Carter’s former colleagues, Kenneth Stein, has resigned as a fellow of the Carter Center, a human-rights organization, citing errors in the book, and former US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross has accused the former president of copying maps from one of his books without proper attribution. Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, meanwhile, charged in a widely published editorial that Carter’s book was "indecent" and error-filled. more.. Satmars: Jews at Iran Holocaust conference ’reckless outcasts’ Ha’aretz 12/16/2006 NEW YORK - A half-dozen Neturei Karta followers who attended a Holocaust denial conference in Iran have come under intense criticism over the visit, with one of the world’s largest Hasidic groups denouncing them as "reckless outcasts." The Jews who went to Iran "trampled on the memory of their ancestors and people. They embraced the disciplines and followers of their murderers," said a statement from the Satmar leaders of Congregation Yetev Lev in Brooklyn. The Jews who attended the conference are often confused with the Satmars, who also are anti-Zionist but acknowledge that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust. Besides their shared anti-Zionism, Neturei Karta followers and the Satmars both wear long, dark coats and wide-brimmed hats, and have beards and sidelocks. more.. Montreal Organizations Call for Fair Coverage of Mass Protests In Lebanon Electronic Intifada/Tadamon! 12/15/2006 MONTREAL: Several Montreal-based organizations are speaking out in defence of the popular protests which have overtaken Lebanon’s capital for more than a week. The groups are concerned with a prevailing bias in Canadian media coverage of the events in Lebanon. This bias misrepresents the purposes of the protests and the dynamics that underlie them. It also fuels a dangerous sectarianism that threatens Lebanon. Mary Foster of Tadamon! Montreal & May Hayder of Al Hidaya Association Speaking at a Montreal Press Conference, Wednesday, December 13th [Photo: Pedro Ruiz, Photojournaliste Le Devoir]"Should Lebanon become a client state of the US or does it want a government that represents its citizens and is responsive to the interests of other people in the region?..." more.. Turkey, Israel agree on pipeline linking Black Sea and Red Sea Ha’aretz 12/15/2006 ANKARA - Turkey and Israel have agreed on the construction of a pipeline linking the Black Sea and the Red Sea, Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said on Friday. The pipeline project will involve transportation of oil, natural gas, electricity, water and fibre optic cables, Guler told reporters. Turkey’s Calik Group will take part in the construction of the pipeline, he added. [end] EU backs peace plan worded by Spain, France, Italy YNetNews 12/15/2006 The plan has five components: an immediate ceasefire; formation of a Palestinian unity government; an exchange of prisoners; talks between Olmert and Abbas, and an international mission in Gaza to monitor a ceasefire -- European Union foreign ministers on Thursday discussed a five-point plan to revive the Middle East peace process first put forward by Spain, France and Italy in mid-November. The plan breaks no new ground but underscores a European wish to maintain the momentum for peace even as a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians hangs in the balance, and an insurgency rages on in Iraq. The plan has five components: an immediate ceasefire; formation of a Palestinian unity government acceptable to the international community; an exchange of prisoners... more.. Peres: We will free PA taxes only if Hamas stops funding terror Ha’aretz 12/14/2006 Vice Premier Shimon Peres told British Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn on Wednesday that Israel will transfer tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to the PA only once it is confident that the money will not be used to finance terror against Israel. Peres said Hamas continues to give millions of dollars to terror organizations instead of providing food and medicine for the Palestinian people. According to Peres, it is now clear to the entire world that Hamas prefers terror and war to dialogue, recognition of Israel, and peace. Peres told Benn he expects Britain will act alongside the international community in a clear and resolute manner against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, and prevent them from establishing a fundamentalist hegemony in the region. more.. Olmert weighs in on Beirut standoff Daily Star 12/15/2006 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday that he was worried about the current political crisis in Lebanon in an interview with the German publication Der Spiegel. "It is important that democracy in Lebanon is protected and that Hizbullah will not be supported by outside forces like Syria and Iran," Olmert said in response to a question about his view on Lebanon in the interview with Der Spiegel. The Israeli premier said he must be careful not to sound like he was "defending Siniora," but added he would have "loved" to meet with Siniora for peace negotiations." There isn’t much that separates us. In one meeting we could agree on everything," he said. Olmert also said the "weakening of Hizbullah" would help Siniora, adding that "we tried a great deal to defeat the forces that are threatening Siniora." more.. Solana: No weapons of mass destruction in Middle East Jerusalem Post 12/14/2006 The European Union wants a Middle East that is free of nuclear weapons, declared EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana late Thursday night at a summit of national leaders in Brussels. He spoke in response to a query by reporters regarding a comment Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made earlier in the week, in which he appeared to suggest that Israel could possess nuclear arms." The European Union does not want to have weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East," Solana said. "It that clear? "His comments came at the end of the first round of meetings of a two-day summit with heads of state and foreign ministers from 25 EU countries, as well as those of Bulgaria and Romania, whose governments join the EU in January. At a dinner meeting, the EU foreign minister affirmed a five-point Middle East peace initiative... more.. Ki-Moon condemns Iran’s Shoah denial Jerusalem Post 12/14/2006 Incoming Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that Iran’s call for Israel’s destruction and its dismissal of the Nazi Holocaust were "unacceptable," and he expressed concern at the regional and global implications of Teheran’s nuclear program. In the strongest comments at a news conference after being sworn in as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations, the former South Korean foreign minister urged all countries to reject calls for the elimination of any state or people. He was asked about Iran’s nuclear program immediately after a question about North Korea’s nuclear weapons and indicated that Teheran’s nuclear ambitions posed a greater problem than Pyongyang’s. Ki-moon dealt extensively with efforts to dismantle the North’s nuclear weapons program as foreign minister... more.. Popular Struggle Front calling on Annan to protect Palestinian refugees in Iraq from Sadr followers Palestine News Network 12/14/2006 A major distress call is coming through the Central Committee of the Popular Palestinian Struggle Front to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The demand is that United Nations resolutions calling for the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees finally be implemented as Palestinians are being killed in Iraq. The most recent killings were in Baghdad on Wednesday, prompting the Popular Struggle Front to write, “The killing of Palestinians is permissible everywhere in this world." The statement continued, "The killings occur without even a condemnation from the Security Council or the United Nations. Those doing the killing on Wednesday are the militia death squad followers of Sadr who spread corruption throughout the country and are protected by the American occupiers. ” more.. Hamas spokesperson denies statement critical of Arab governments was issued by the party Palestine News Network 12/14/2006 Spokesperson for Hamas, Dr. Ismail Radwan, said Thursday that there is “no truth to this statement,” entitled “Cairo and Amman First. ” He said that a statement was issued under the name of Hamas designed to cause problems for the party and Arab governments at this “sensitive time. ”Dr. Radwan continued, “There is no truth to this statement from near or far which comes at a time when systematic and programmed attacks to hurt the Hamas movement are underway, and it intends to have a negative impact on its good relations with Arab countries, which have worked so hard for the Palestinian cause. ”He stressed that “Hamas considers the statement, which comes at a very critical time for the Palestinian people and cause, under the supposed penmanship of the Palestinian government, as a step to try to destabilize the government’s position with Arab countries..." more.. Israel worried Hamas and Iran developing strategic relations Ha’aretz 12/14/2006 Members of the Israeli defense establishment are concerned by the close ties that seem to be developing between Iran and Hamas. In response to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s recent visit to Tehran, experts here have said Iran is seeking to form a strategic alliance with Hamas. According to these sources, the Iranians would like to develop a relationship with Hamas similar to that with Hezbollah in Lebanon, in which the "final word" - on matters regarding Israel, too - is Tehran’s. In Israel, experts are interpreting Hamas’ move toward Iran as an act of defiance, in part based on the group’s success in minimizing the damage caused by the international embargo on its Palestinian Authority government. During his visit to Tehran last week, Haniyeh said Iran constitutes "strategic depth" for the Palestinians. more.. Israeli authorities announce plans to allow Palestinian citizens of Israel to visit Gaza over Eid ul-Adha Ma’an News Agency 12/14/2006 Gaza - The Israeli military authorities have announced the procedures for the easing of restrictions for "Israeli citizens" wishing to visit family members in the Gaza Strip during the upcoming Eid ul-Adha holiday. The Israeli authorities have decided to grant permission only to immediate family members (of the first degree) to enter between December 29th and January 1st, and only in coordination with the Erez DCO checkpoint, in advance. The arrangements are as follows... more.. As Washington Studies Iraq Report, Jerusalem Frets Over Tehran Talk Forward 12/15/2006 While the release of the long-awaited Baker-Hamilton report on Iraq policy has produced an outpouring of protest from Jewish groups opposing its calls for talks with Iran, Syria and the Palestinians, insiders say that the real target of Israel’s anxiety is neither Syria nor the Palestinians, but Iran and its nuclear program. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert publicly expressed guarded willingness to engage Damascus. While Olmert’s gesture was hedged with conditions, a government adviser told the Forward this week that Jerusalem was in fact open to holding discussions with Syria, but was constrained by the Bush administration’s flat opposition to any dealings with the regime of Bashar al-Assad. more.. Think tank advises pan-Jewish planning Jerusalem Post 12/15/2006 The Jewish people should develop a long-term strategic planning mechanism in order to deal with threats that endanger all Jews, according to recommendations to be submitted to the government in its Sunday cabinet meeting, The Jerusalem Post has learned." We recommend the development of a strategic approach toward Islam and rising superpowers such as China and India," Avinoam Bar-Yosef, CEO of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute (JPPPI), told the Post on Thursday. "Our approach to the economic rise of China and to our relations with the Muslim world has so far been tactical and momentary," he said. The recommendations will be presented as part of the institute’s "Annual Assessment," which examines the situation of the world’s Jewish communities as a whole. more.. Israel to sign free trade agreement with Ukraine Globes Online 12/14/2006 Trade between Israel and the Ukraine totaled $334 million in January-September 2006. -- Israel and Ukraine have agreed to set up a joint working group which will negotiate a free trade agreement between them, in view of Ukraine’s imminent admittance to the Word Trade Organization (WTO). Trade between Israel and the Ukraine totaled $334 million in January-September 2006, 19% higher than in the corresponding period in 2005. At present, Israel and Ukraine have a anti-discrimination agreement that sets out customs tariffs for each product, based on the rate of customs tariffs that Israel imposes on goods coming in from countries with which it does not have a free trade agreement. Ukrainian customs tariffs on Israeli exports are high but Israel faces other problems when dealing with Ukraine... more.. UN: Israel overplayed Annan statement Jerusalem Post 12/14/2006 A source in the United Nations on Wednesday protested the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s interpretation of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s final speech to the UN Security Council on the Middle East conflict. The source accused the Foreign Ministry of trying to "spin" Israeli journalists into writing incorrectly that Annan ruled out the return of Palestinian refugees to the final borders of Israel in the speech. In the sentence in question, according to the official UN press office, Annan called for "a solution that respects the rights of Palestinian refugees and is consistent with the two-state solution and with the character of the states in the region." Israel’s largest circulation newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, ran a story on the speech with the headline "The refugees will only return to a Palestinian state." more.. Clergy: US holds key to Mideast peace YNetNews 12/12/2006 American religious leaders pressing government to help bring about Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire revive talks on a two-state solution and push for Israeli peace deals with Lebanon and Syria -- Clergy representing many of the largest denominations in the country are urging US leaders to once again put their vast influence behind a negotiated end to Mideast violence and make working for peace "an urgent priority." In a statement set for release Thursday, the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East said that the US did not fulfill its duty in pursuing the roadmap to a two-state solution in Israel and the Palestinian territories. That stalled plan was backed by the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers — the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia. more.. Report: Haniyeh says Israel more flexible on Shalit prisoner swap Ha’aretz 12/13/2006 Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has said that Israel is showing greater flexibility on the terms of a prisoner exchange involving captured Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel Radio reported Tuesday. Haniyeh said Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who has been a central mediator on the issue, told him that Israel has agreed in principle that the release of Shalit and the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel would occur simultaneously, the radio reported. Nonetheless, the two sides have yet to agree on the number of Palestinians that will be freed, or their identities, the radio said. The radio quoted Haniyeh as telling Al-Arabiya television during an interview that the Palestinian factions that are holding Shalit are demanding the release of senior Palestinians and other Arab prisoners. more.. Olmert says Palestinian militants test restraint Reuters AlertNet 12/12/2006 BERLIN, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday a shaky truce continued to be tested by rocket fire from Palestinian militants in Gaza, but added that Israel would not respond for now. Since the ceasefire was declared on Nov. 26, in the wake of a five-month-long Israeli army offensive in the poor coastal strip, militants have launched about 20 rockets into southern Israel. Three landed on Tuesday in open areas near the Israeli border town of Sderot, a frequent target. Asked if Israel would show restraint, Olmert told German reporters on his first visit to Berlin as prime minister: "It is becoming increasingly difficult." "I am very aware how easily we could slide into total violence," he said. "But we still restrain ourselves and don’t respond. more.. Saudi plan offers a lifeline By Simon Tisdall, The Guardian 12/13/2006 Fearful that the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority could collapse under the weight of its violent contradictions, Israeli leaders are refocusing on the 2002 Saudi peace plan as a way of inducing the Palestinians back into substantive negotiations. Extremists apart, both sides say they want to talk. Helping create a format in which they can come together is Tony Blair’s self-appointed task during his forthcoming Middle East sortie. Amir Peretz, the defence minister, on Sunday became the latest Israeli politician to advocate reviving the Saudi plan, which envisages a return to the 1967 borders in exchange for a comprehensive settlement between Israel and Arab League countries. Israel "must deal with the Saudi initiative as a basis for negotiations", Mr Peretz said, adding that the Palestinians should be offered a "real political horizon". more.. Blair seeks to get Palestinians to negotiate with Israel The Guardian 12/13/2006 Tony Blair revealed yesterday he intended to set out a political and economic offer to the Palestinians when he visits the Middle East, detailing what they can expect in return for negotiations with Israel. Speaking at his monthly press conference in Downing Street, he also hinted that the US and the EU were willing to be flexible on the "pre-conditions" that the Hamas-led Palestinian government would have to meet to see direct aid restored and talks started. The EU and the US withdrew direct aid to the elected government in Palestine over its refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence. Mr Blair blamed Iran for many of the problems in Palestine, describing Tehran as a "strategic threat". Mr Blair added that he would talk to the the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, about whether it was still possible to form a national unity government... more.. Move to bring genocide case against Ahmadinejad as Iran president repeats call to wipe out Israel The Guardian 12/13/2006 The outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is backing a call for the president of Iran to be charged with inciting genocide because of his speeches advocating the destruction of the state of Israel. Barely a week after he announced his resignation from the UN post, Mr Bolton will appear tomorrow among a panel of diplomats and lawyers calling for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be prosecuted. The panel has been convened by a Jewish umbrella group in the US, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations. Mr Bolton was forced to quit his post after his appointment was blocked by Democrats and several Republicans in the Senate foreign relations committee. President George Bush said he accepted the resignation but was unhappy about it. more.. Vice Premier Peres: Ambiguity has achieved its goal Jerusalem Post 12/13/2006 Vice Premier Shimon Peres, credited for creating Israel’s nuclear program and its policy of nuclear ambiguity, told a reporter in Paris on Tuesday that Israel’s nuclear option had achieved its goal of deterring its enemies. Speaking after a meeting with French Socialist Party presidential candidate Segolene Royal, Peres was responding to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s statement on Monday to German television about Iran "working to get nuclear weapons like the US, France, Israel and Russia." Peres praised Israel’s nuclear program and said that Olmert had not said what was attributed to him." We didn’t build a nuclear option in order to create a nuclear bomb," Peres said. "The very suspicion that we have one is enough. It’s intended for deterrence and it has achieved its goal." more.. Lieberman advocates aid to Palestinians Jerusalem Post 12/13/2006 Israel Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman started off his tenure as strategic affairs minister with a decided swing to the Left this week by advancing projects to help the Palestinians in his meetings in Washington, DC. Lieberman met on Monday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Steven Hadley, and national intelligence director John Negroponte. In each of the three meetings, Lieberman presented a list of 20 projects to improve the Palestinians’ infrastructure in the West Bank and provide them with jobs." Before we move on any diplomatic plan, you have to ensure security for the Israelis and prosperity for the Palestinians," Lieberman said to Rice, Hadley and Negroponte, according to a source who attended the meetings. "The average Palestinian has to understand what’s in it for him economically." more.. Diplomats expect Prodi to prod olmert on Shebaa at Rome talks Daily Star 12/13/2006 Italy hopes to increase Siniora’s credibility -- ROME: Italy will ask Israel to place the disputed Shebaa Farms under United Nations control, diplomatic sources close to Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Tuesday, on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s arrival in Rome. Prodi will tell Olmert that "the status quo [in the Middle East] cannot continue," and ask "if progress is possible on the Shebaa Farms issue," the sources said on condition of anonymity. The initiative is aimed at supporting Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora as anti-government demonstrations in Downtown Beirut entered their 12th day on Tuesday. Siniora himself has said that if Israel gave up Shebaa, "that would be useful," one source said. Lebanon claims sovereignty over the 25 square kilometers of land... more.. Annan rebukes UN members, quartet on Mideast peace Reuters AlertNet 12/12/2006 UNITED NATIONS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - U. N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan rebuked General Assembly members as well as leading international players on Tuesday for failing to come to grips with the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his last address on the Middle East to the U. N. Security Council, Annan said a settlement had defied several generations of world leaders and "I, too, will leave office without an end to the prolonged agony." Annan ends 10 years on the job on Dec. 31 to be succeeded by South Korean Ban Ki-moon." Mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians has reached new heights," he said. "We need a new and urgent push for peace." Annan chastised supporters of the Palestinians for their criticism of actions by the Security Council, where the United States has vetoed most measures critical of Israel. more.. UN warns Palestinian plight increases radicalism Reuters AlertNet 12/12/2006 AMMAN, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Growing poverty among Palestinians since the West imposed sanctions on the Hamas-led government could radicalise unemployed youths and destabilise the region, a senior U. N. official said on Tuesday. Filippo Grandi, deputy commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said the political repercussions of a worsening humanitarian crisis were alarming." Impoverishment, especially if it is perceived as a politically motivated impoverishment, can easily lead to radicalisation," Grandi told Reuters on the sidelines of an annual donors meeting in Amman." Political radicalisation is a risk for the stability of this region and the stability of the world," he said. more.. Iran: Israel ’will end like USSR’ BBC Online 12/12/2006 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told a conference in Tehran questioning the Holocaust that Israel’s days are numbered." Just as the USSR disappeared, soon the Zionist regime will disappear," he said to the applause of the participants. The two-day conference provoked widespread international outrage. German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the forum and British Prime Minister Tony Blair called it "shocking beyond belief". Iran said it wanted to debate what it called taboos surrounding the Holocaust. Some six million Jews were murdered by the Nazi regime during World War II. The BBC’s Frances Harrison in Tehran said the conference was like a roll call of the world’s most infamous Holocaust deniers - all delighted that Iran had given them the oxygen of publicity. more.. International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn, announces £76.6 million for Palestinian refugees ReliefWeb/UK 12/12/2006 The recent economic crisis has hit Palestinian refugees hardest of all, said Hilary Benn, International Development Secretary today, as he called for additional efforts to bring the poverty and suffering of Palestinian refugees to an end. The latest UN reports show that refugees are less likely to find work than non-refugees, more likely to be unemployed than non-refugees and account for a higher proportion of those living in deep poverty. “Refugees make up 44 per cent of the total Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territory and over 70 per cent in Gaza,” said Mr Benn. “As conflict and insecurity in the region continues, the impact on Palestinians, in Gaza in particular, is immense. Palestinian refugees are amongst the very poorest people in the Middle East, and poverty levels are increasing..." more.. Gulf group calls for Israel sanctions Jerusalem Post 12/12/2006 The chief of the organization grouping Arab Gulf countries urged the United States and the international community on Tuesday to press for sanctions on Israel for its nuclear program. Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said, "The United States should not apply double standards since it calls for sanctions on countries that have nuclear programs that we have not ruled out are framework of nuclear weapons." Al-Attiyah’s comments followed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s comments on Monday night during an interview with a German television station during which he argued that a nuclear Israel did not pose the same threat as a nuclear Iran. The US should "seek the implementation of international resolutions, international laws and Chapter 7," Al-Attiyah added... more.. Olmert’s emissaries sent on secret visit to Abbas Ha’aretz 12/12/2006 Two emissaries of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert paid a secret visit to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday, Haaretz has learned. During the meeting, Olmert also spoke with Abbas by telephone, and the PA chairman said that he wants Israel to release Marwan Barghouti from prison independent of any deal for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Barghouti, a senior official in Abbas’ Fatah party, is currently serving five life sentences for his role in the murder of five Israelis during the intifada. However, Olmert replied that he is not even willing to discuss this issue until after Shalit is returned to Israel. Palestinian sources said that the meeting, which was attended by Olmert’s bureau chief, Yoram Turbowicz, and his political advisor, Shalom Turjeman, was extremely positive. more.. Mashaal offers 10-year cease-fire deal Jerusalem Post 12/11/2006 Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal has said he would be willing to set up a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders side-by-side with Israel. In an interview published Monday in the Italian newspaper Republica, Mashaal also offered Israel a 10-year cease-fire deal. The exiled Hamas leader added that he was not prepared to recognize Israel, since to do so would grant legitimacy to the "occupation." Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, however, declared on Monday that "Palestine" was Islamic land and that no one had the right to give it up, according to Israel Radio. In a meeting with Iran’s spiritual leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Haniyeh said that an armed struggle was the only way to free Palestine from the "occupation." more.. Palestinian PM says Iran has pledged $250 million in aid to PA Ha’aretz 12/11/2006 DUBAI - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Iran had pledged about $250 million in financial aid to Palestinians for 2007 to help ease the economic crisis caused by a Western aid boycott." My visit to Tehran has achieved direct financial support with a sum of about a quarter billion dollars," he said after a visit to Iran in a tour of Islamic nations." They offered a number of projects that represent direct financial support to the Palestinian government and people," he told Al Arabiya television in remarks aired on Monday. The overall sum includes $120 million in direct funds to the Palestinian government. He said the Iranian government also pledged to pay the salaries of 100,000 state employees for six months at the rate of $100 a month and to pay a similar amount to 3,000 fishermen over the same period. more.. Peretz: Saudi initiative must serve as basis for talks with Palestinians Ha’aretz 12/11/2006 The Saudi peace initiative, which calls for a two-state solution along the 1967 borders, must be used as a basis for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said yesterday. Israel has thus far avoided official consideration - at least publicly - of the 2002 initiative which calls on Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders in return for a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians and other Arab states. Speaking to delegates from the Israel Business Conference, Peretz said Israel must present a "real political perspective" to Palestinian leaders if it intends to enter successful negotiations. Peretz made a similar comment in October in an address to an academic conference at Tel Aviv University, when he said, "We could see the Saudi initiative as the basis for negotiation..." more.. Olmert nuclear comments cause storm in Israeli political sphere Ha’aretz 12/12/2006 Israel’s policy of ambiguity over its nuclear capabilities appears to have taken another step toward clarity following a statement made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in an interview on the German news channel N24. Olmert said that Israel should not be compared to Iran "when they are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel, Russia." Olmert, who began an official visit to Germany Monday said that "we have never threatened any nation with annihilation. Iran, openly, explicitly and publicly threatens to wipe Israel off the map. Can you say that this is the same level, when they are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel, Russia? "It is not clear whether this was a slip of the tongue on the part of Olmert or an intended statement. Olmert’s comments raised a storm among political figures in Israel. more.. Livni to EU: Don’t let Iran get nukes Jerusalem Post 12/12/2006 Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called upon the European Union to take a more significant role in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. In speaking Monday night in Jerusalem’s Mishkenot Sha’ananim, Livni warned that the international community’s hesitation in confronting Iran could cause a domino effect that would result in the proliferation of nuclear weapons to other states and terrorist organizations." Iran is the bully of the neighborhood and the international community cannot afford to not stop it," Livni said." The EU is a key player in preventing the advancement of the rogue state of Iran and its nuclear proliferation. Iran is no less of a threat to Europe than it is to Israel," Livni said.... a draft circulated on Friday from [France and Britain] revised the UN resolution, narrowing proposed sanctions on Teheran... more.. Israeli official ’not sorry’ Tutu’s probe into Beit Hanun strike canceled Ha’aretz 12/12/2006 Israeli diplomatic sources said Monday night they were not sorry that the United Nations’ fact-finding mission to investigate Israeli-Palestinian violence in Beit Hanun was canceled. The mission, headed by Nobel laureate and former Cape Town archbishop Desmond Tutu, came to investigate the killing of 19 Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanun at the beginning of November. The sources said that the six-member delegation was "one-sided and cynical." Earlier, Tutu said Israel refused to let him enter the Gaza Strip and was also preventing his entrance to Israel. "We find the lack of cooperation by the Israeli government very distressing," Tutu told reporters. The sources said Israel wanted the mission members to enter as tourists, probably because a tourist status would not oblige Israel to recognize the mission’s work. -- See also: Lack of Israeli cooperation prevents UN fact-finding mission to Beit Hanoun more.. Ex-UN adviser laments siege on Palestinians Daily Star 12/12/2006 AMMAN: Former United Nations special adviser Lakhdar Brahimi urged the world community on Monday to re-engage in efforts to secure Israeli-Palestinian peace, slamming current policies as a failure. The policies adopted by the so-called Middle East "Quartet" after Hamas took power in January parliamentary elections "have been utterly misguided," Brahimi told a conference in Amman." They amount to harsh collective punishment inflicted on all Palestinians because ’they did not vote right’," he said of a Western aid freeze imposed on the Palestinian Authority." The position of the United States and the European Union and even of the United Nations on Palestinian issues renders their pronouncements on human rights and democracy hollow, if not down right hypocritical," he said. more.. Syria blasts Israel over building of Golan Heights reservoir Ha’aretz 12/12/2006 Syria has announced its intention to host an Arab conference on water, in light of Israel’s construction of a water reservoir in the Golan Heights. The governor of the Quneitra district, Nawaf Fares, said over the weekend that the water reservoir now under construction in the eastern Golan was "a threat to the lives of the residents of the Quneitra district and to their property, if there are floods or if the dam under construction bursts." Fares was quoted on the Arab Web site site Ilaf. The Mei Golan association, owned jointly by several Golan communities, is building the reservoir to impound rainwater, which the Syrians say would otherwise flow to the Yarmukh River. Ilaf says the Syrian Water Ministry has accused Israel of being responsible for the low flow in the Yarmukh, and that impounding Golan rainwater is illegal since the Golan is occupied Syrian territory. more.. EU aid bypasses government with another 200 million euros Palestine News Network 12/12/2006 The European in charge of the EU’s assistance to the Palestinian people, Benita Ferrero-Walner, says that the latest allocation of funds will be 200 million euros. This continuing aid package is delivered directly to the Palestinian people, as this European organization also bypasses the democratically elected Hamas government. The information was released during a Foreign Affairs Ministry meeting of the EU. The Temporary International Mechanism for aid program decided to extend its funding for another three months upon acknowledging that the “situation is deteriorating. ”They cite that bypassing government bodies is the only way to help the people, particularly in light of the “escalating tension as Hamas and Fateh have failed to agree on the formation of a national unity government. ” more.. UNIFIL, Lebanese, Israeli officers discuss Ghajar Daily Star 12/12/2006 BEIRUT: The commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Alain Pellegrini, met Monday with senior Lebanese and Israeli military representatives in hopes of reaching an agreement over the disputed border village of Ghajar. Meeting at the UNIFIL position on the Lebanese-Israeli border at Ras al-Naqoura, the tri-party talks discussed the issue of the withdrawal of the Israeli military from the northern part of Ghajar, which is located inside Lebanese territory. The Israeli military has occupied the northern part of Ghajar since the war this summer. Pellegrini described the meeting as having been constructive and productive." Progress has been made on this issue, and I hope that this will help pave the way for the full withdrawal of the [Israeli military] from Lebanese territory," Pellegrini said. more.. Haniyeh’s fundraising tour pays off as Iran bankrolls employees of several ministries Ma’an News Agency 12/11/2006 Gaza - Palestinian Prime Minister Isma’il Haniyeh has expressed his appreciation and thanks on Monday to the Islamic Republic of Iran, for the generosity and good reception, describing the meetings he held in Iran as "fruitful and successful". Iran has submitted financial support in aid for the Palestinian people, aiming to break the siege imposed on them. The donation included $100 million for the year 2007, in addition to the payment for the public employees of the ministries of Social Welfare, Labor and Prisoners’ Affairs for the coming six months, besides covering the prisoners’ families’ requirements for six months. The cumulative sum mounts to $45 million. Iran has donated a further $60 million, to be paid to 100,000 unemployed Palestinian workers, over 6 months, in addition to emergency support to the fishermen of the Gaza Strip... more.. Jimmy Carter: Israel’s ’apartheid’ policies worse than South Africa’s Ha’aretz 12/11/2006 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said in remarks broadcast Monday that Israeli policy in the West Bank represented instances of apartheid worse even that those that once held sway in South Africa. Carter’s comments were broadcast on Israel Radio, which played a tape of an interview with the ex-president, but did not specify to whom Carter was speaking. But has made similar remarks in recent interviews, such as one to CBC television." When Israel does occupy this territory deep within the West Bank, and connects the 200-or-so settlements with each other, with a road, and then prohibits the Palestinians from using that road, or in many cases even crossing the road, this perpetrates even worse instances of apartness, or apartheid, than we witnessed even in South Africa." more.. France deploys UAVs to stop IAF flights Jerusalem Post 12/11/2006 In an effort to put a stop to Israeli overflights in Lebanon, the French Armed Forces has deployed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) squadron in southern Lebanon to conduct intelligence-gathering missions in place of the IDF. France, a member of UNIFIL, has expressed adamant opposition to IAF overflights in Lebanon. Last month, OC Planning Division Maj. -Gen. Ido Nehushtan traveled to Paris for meetings with senior military officials during which he tried to explain Israel’s operational needs. The flights, the IDF claims, are necessary for gathering intelligence and keeping an eye on the Lebanese-Syrian border through which weapons are smuggled to the Hizbullah. Angered however from an incident in October during which French soldiers almost opened fire at an IAF fighter jet... more.. PM denies that Syria preparing for war Jerusalem Post 12/11/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that his office had not "received any warnings recently" that Syria was making immediate preparations for a war. The prime minister’s remarks contrasted a statement made earlier Monday morning by Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, who told Army Radio that Syria was preparing to defend itself against an Israeli attack against their country, but not to launch an offensive." Syria is definitely preparing for an Israeli attack … but no one has any intelligence that proves Syria is actually planning to make use of those means [in its possession] to attack Israel this coming summer," said Sneh." We must approach this by preparing for the worst, even though we have no proof that anybody plans to attack Israel this year," he said. more.. Israelis, Jordanians, Palestinians sign deal to study Dead Sea rescue Daily Star 12/11/2006 SHUNEH: Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority launched a feasibility study on Sunday to try to save the rapidly vanishing Dead Sea, in what officials said was a positive step on the path to resolving the Middle East crisis. France, the Netherlands, Japan and the United States have committed $9 million to finance the two-year study, estimated to cost around $15. 5 million. It will be managed by the World Bank, a statement said. Jordanian Planning Minister Suhair Ali urged the international community to chip in with the rest, and the statement said Spain, Canada and some European countries had indicated their willingness to finance the study as well. The study will examine the feasibility of building a canal to channel water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, where the level has been falling by about a meter each year... more.. Analysis: The risky reality of new nuclear programs Jerusalem Post 12/11/2006 ’The Jerusalem Post’ reported on Monday that the Gulf states are looking into establishing "a common program in the area of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes." Israeli officials said the move had been expected as Sunni countries in the Persian Gulf look for a hedge against a Shi’ite Iran that is pressing ahead with its nuclear program. This article examines the impact Iran’s nuclear drive is having on countries throughout the region. One of the greatest risks associated with Iran’s apparent drive to acquire nuclear weapons capability is that it will spark further nuclear proliferation in the region. According to recent reports, six new states in the Middle East are considering developing nuclear programs - the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has named Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia and noted that Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates have also shown interest in this regard - which seems to suggest that the risk is now becoming a reality. more.. Iran bars Israeli Arab from Shoah forum Jerusalem Post 12/11/2006 An Israeli Arab lawyer who has inaugurated an exhibition about the Holocaust in his Nazareth office as part of a crusade to teach the Arab world that the Holocaust did indeed happen has been barred by the Iranian government from attending this week’s controversial Holocaust conference in Teheran, he said Sunday. Khaled Muhammad, 44, was denied a visa to Iran to attend the two-day event, which has been widely criticized by the West for Holocaust denial, after he sent a copy of his Israeli passport to the Iranian Embassy in Amman, he said. Muhammad added that the Iranian Institute, which has repeatedly invited him to attend the event in the past, evidently thinking he was a Palestinian, cut off all contact with him after he sent in a copy of his Israeli passport for visa purposes. more.. Israel slams Iran Holocaust conference Jerusalem Post 12/12/2006 A two-day conference of prominent Holocaust deniers taking place in Teheran is an attempt by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "to pave the way psychologically" for the Western world to accept that another Holocaust is possible, Yosef Lapid, the chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, said Monday. Lapid, a Holocaust survivor and former justice minister, said Ahmadinejad was following in the footsteps of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, who turned Jews into parasites worthy of being murdered. The conference, organized by the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies, is being attended by 67 participants from 30 countries, including several from Europe, an American white-supremacist politician and former Ku Klux Klan member and half a dozen haredim from the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect. more.. Bethlehem welcomes the world although this year Christmas will be celebrated behind the Wall Palestine News Network 12/12/2006 The Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr. Victor Batarsa, held his traditional Christmas season kick-off press conference and stressed that “the birthplace of Jesus Christ is in its worst economic, political and tourist conditions in those 2,000 years. ”Dr. Batarsa continued in Bethlehem, “The dire situation is due to the procedures and practices of the occupation that continues to increase in severity in and around the city. ”“And most of the so-called security fence on our land has forced large numbers of people to leave their homes and move. ” The Mayor pointed out the emigration is among the most serious issues the city faces, as does the rest of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. “The conditions are so deplorable that the practices are clearly intended to vacate the land of its people. ” more.. Ramallah to twin cities with Birmingham, UK Ma’an News Agency 12/11/2006 Ramallah - Head of the Ramallah-Birmingham society, Basif Ad Dik, has stated that twinning agreements have been signed between 41 Palestinian towns and cities with British towns and cities. The announcement about a twinning agreement between Birmingham and Ramallah came during a visit by a delegation from the society to the UK, on the fringe of a twinning conference in London. Ad Dik said, "the delegation presented an explanation during the conference, in which we clarified the difficult situation in the Palestinian territories as a result of the siege imposed on the territories, and the effects of the separation wall, settlements, and the Israeli violations against Palestinian people." He added that the next conference will be held in the Palestinian territories in April 2007, with the participation of some 60 British and 100 Palestinian organisations. [end] MK Bishara: Talks on forming a Palestinian unity government just delay dealing with the Quartet’s demands Ma’an News Agency 12/11/2006 Jerusalem - According to Dr. Azmi Bishara, an Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, a certain group within the Palestinian presidency considers the formation of a Palestinian national unity government as a tool for implementing a greater political settlement. Dr Bishara said on Monday that a unity government is the ideal solution to the current crisis, and will enhance Palestinian unity in the long run. Bishara also believes that there is a possibility to solve the Lebanese crisis through a unity government. He also warned against making hasty judgments regarding a shift in US foreign policy following the Baker Hamilton report on Iraq and the wider Middle East. In an interview with the UAE newspaper ’Al-Khaleej’ (meaning ’The Gulf’), Bishara claimed that there was a trick regarding forming a Palestinian national unity government. more.. Right-wing Israeli party "Israel our home" advocates the "exchange of residents" as an alternative to transfer policy Ma’an News Agency 12/10/2006 Jerusalem - The Israeli Knesset member and head of the right-wing party Yisrael Beytenu ["Israel our home"], Esterina Trettman, has announced that her party objects to the policy of the transfer of Arabs, which most of the Zionist parties advocate. She mailed the Israeli minister of defense, accusing him of misrepresentation when he says that that "Israel our home" calls for the transfer of Arabs. She wrote in her message, "Our party believes in the exchange of residents, while the founder of the labor party, David Ben Gurion, and his followers [referring to Peretz], support the transfer policy. [end] Haniya vows not to recognise Israel AlJazeera 12/8/2006 Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian prime minister, has vowed never to recognise Israel in a speech at Tehran’s Friday prayers, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported. Haniya said: "We will not give up our Jihadist movement until the full liberation of Beit al-Muqqadas [Jerusalem] and Palestinian land." "The Zionists... want us to recognise the usurpation of our land... but these things will never happen. "We will never recognise the usurping Zionist regime." Haniya is expected to meet with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president. West "hallucinating": Iran, like Haniya’s Islamist group Hamas, refuses to recognise Israel. It is a vocal supporter of the Hamas-led Palestinian government and has handed it $120m in aid since the administration was formed in March. more.. Tutu still awaiting Israeli entry visa to probe Beit Hanun deaths Ha’aretz 12/8/2006 A United Nations fact-finding mission to the Gaza Strip that was to be led by Desmond Tutu is in doubt because Israel has yet to give the Nobel laureate permission to enter the territory, officials said Friday. Tutu was to begin leading a six-member team this weekend in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun to investigate the killings of 19 civilians in an errant Israel Defense Forces shelling last month. But Israel has yet to grant the South African anti-apartheid campaigner and former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town the necessary travel clearance, said three different officials close to the talks between the global body and Israel. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions were continuing, said they had yet to receive any indication from Israel that the mission will take place at all. more.. Prime Minister Haniyya gains promise for release of prisoners in Syria International Middle East Media Center 12/8/2006 Official sources in the Hamas party told PNN Friday that Prime Minister Haniyya’s visit to Damascus may result in the release of Palestinian political prisoners from Syrian prisons. During two days in the capital, talks were described as “sensitive,” and Ismail Haniyya was able to obtain a promise from the Syrian leadership. Palestinians should be released within a short time frame, as soon as names and locations can be inventoried and processed. Sources in the Prime Minister’s office did not reveal the exact number of detainees, but human rights sources say that there are at least one thousand. Among them are Palestinians who have spent decades in Syrian prisons, but no one was certain what had happened to them. more.. PM ’open’ to Italian proposal to send international force to Gaza Ha’aretz 12/10/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Friday he was ready to discuss Italy’s proposal to send international troops to Gaza when he travels to Rome next week for a meeting with the Italian premier. Italy has floated the idea several times since this summer, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has long called for an international presence in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel, however, has opposed the idea. Olmert said in an interview ro Italy’s RAI Tg1 television news that he is on friendly terms with Premier Romano Prodi and would listen to what he has to say." If Italy is prepared that its army will be engaged on a daily basis against terrorist actions of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the other terrorist organizations operating in Gaza, this is very interesting news. I want to learn it," Olmert said, speaking in English. more.. Carter defends ’anti-Israel book’ Jerusalem Post 12/9/2006 Former US President Jimmy Carter defended his harsh criticism of Israeli policy in his latest book, saying he hopes to erode the "impenetrable wall" that blocks the American public from seeing the plight of Palestinians. The top-selling book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," has been criticized by pro-Israel groups and led to the resignation, announced this week, of Kenneth Stein, a Carter Center fellow and a longtime Carter adviser. Carter said Friday that he intended the book to provoke debate on Israeli policy that has been stifled by the news media and others, who have been "almost unanimously silent." "It’s almost a universal silence concerning anything that might be critical of current policies of the Israeli government," he said. more.. UN Beit Hanoun investigation committee to arrive in Gaza December 14 International Middle East Media Center 12/8/2006 Sources at the United Nations in New York reported on Friday that the investigation committee appointed by the United Nations to investigate the Beit Hanoun Israeli attack on November 8, will arrive in the Gaza Strip on December 14. The committee was slated to arrive on December 11 but UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, instructed it to head to Gaza after the Geneva Human Rights Committee, headed by bishop Desmond Tutu finishes its investigation. Therefore, the UN committee delayed its arrival until December 14. The committee will be headed by Steffan De-Mistora, Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General, in Iraq, and will be accompanied by members of the UN political and legal departments. more.. Haniyya in Tehran, will return to Gaza next week International Middle East Media Center 12/8/2006 Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya arrived on Thursday noon in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and was received by the Iranian vice-president. On Friday Haniyya said that his government will not recognize Israel since it occupies Palestine. Talking to worshiper in a Tehran mosque, Haniyya said that the government “will continue its struggle to liberate Jerusalem”. On Thursday Haniyya was received by the Iranian Vice president Parviz Davoodi and is slated to meet with the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the current Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Haniyya will meet on Friday with Hamas leaders stationed in Tehran. On Friday, Haniyya said that Tehran is the “a strategic depth, and a “longtime ally” of Hamas movement. Haniyya will cut his visit... as a result of the conflicts on the formation of a National Unity Government. more.. Sheldon Adelson pledges annual $200 million to Jewish, Israeli causes Ha’aretz 12/8/2006 A foundation currently being established by casino and resort mogul Sheldon G. Adelson promises to change the face of Jewish philanthropy. The new entity will be a major boon to American and Israeli causes, with a pledge to dole out more than $200 million dollars to Jewish causes annually - the largest-ever pledge by a Jewish foundation. The creation of the foundation comes on the heels of the announcement in October by Adelson and his wife Miriam, an Israeli physician, to give $25 million to Yad Vashem - the largest donation received by the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem by a single donor. The Adelsons, who live in Las Vegas, are also funding the construction of Las Vegas’ first Jewish high school, scheduled to open in fall 2008. The foundation will begin its operations on January 1. more.. Draft Security Council resolution in reaction to Annan letter Daily Star 12/9/2006 ’Important progress has been made toward the implementation of Resolution 1701’ - FRENCH MISSION TO THE UN DRAFT UNSC PRST IN REACTION TO UNSG LETTER ON 1701 -- The Security Council recalls all its previous resolutions on Lebanon, in particular resolutions 1701 (2006), 425 and 426 (1978), 520 (1982), 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), as well as the statement of the president on the situation in Lebanon, in particular the statements of October 30, 2006 (S/PRST/2006/43) and of November 21, 2006 (S/PRST/2006/xx). The Security Council reiterates its full support for the legitimate and democratically elected government of Lebanon and condemns any unlawful efforts to destabilize it or intervene in Lebanon’s internal affairs. more.. Saudi Intelligence Chief: Israeli nukes provoking arms race Ha’aretz 12/9/2006 Israel’s nuclear arsenal is the largest strategic threat to the Middle East and appears set to trigger a regional arms race, said Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Friday." The existing Israeli nuclear capability is the most dangerous strategic threat to Gulf security in the short and medium term," Prince Muqrin told the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ conference. Muqrin said the threat posed by the Israeli nuclear arsenal was driving "some countries in the region to join an arms race." The arms race could push moderate Middle Eastern states to enter into alliances with existing nuclear powers or start "covert or overt" nuclear arms developments of their own, "aiming at creating a military balance in the region." more.. Kaplinsky warns against Iran threat Jerusalem Post 12/8/2006 Iran is working to strengthen its position in Syria and in Lebanon, IDF Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj. -Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky said Friday. Speaking at a convention of mayors and regional council leaders at Kibbutz Ma’aleh HaHamisha, Kaplinsky asserted that Iran had nuclear capability that would "threaten not only Israel, but all of Europe." Kaplinsky added that during the summer’s Lebanon war, the IDF had destroyed Iran’s strategic base [in Lebanon] for attacking Israel, but warned that both Syria and Hizbullah were working to improve their defense capabilities in anticipation of another armed conflict with Israel. Also on Friday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday about Iran’s nuclear program... more.. Israel warns UNIFIL of al-Qaida attack Jerusalem Post 12/8/2006 Israel has warned the UN force in Lebanon that al-Qaida is planning an attack on international peacekeepers, Israel TV reported Friday. The report said Israel had received intelligence that al-Qaida’s deputy chief, Ayman al-Zawahri, had issued the order to attack the peacekeepers. It did not give details on the source of the information or when the attack might take place. There were no new videos or messages from al-Zawahri posted Friday on militant Web sites where he usually releases statements. But in a video released this year marking the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US, al-Zawahri denounced the beefed-up UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The force, known as UNIFIL, was deployed under a UN-brokered cease-fire that ended a month long war last summer... more.. Israeli foreign minister to enter talks with Condoleeza Rice Ma’an News Agency 12/8/2006 Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni(Maans archive)Bethlehem - Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni headed to the US where she is going to have talks with many American officials and in particular the United States secretary of state, Condoleeza rice. Israeli radio said that Condi is expected to return to the region next month in an attempt to push the peace talks forward. The radio added that the spokesman for the foreign ministry said that the Rice tour in the region aims primarily to find a Palestinian partner for negotiations. They added that the US wants to encourage both the Israelis and the Palestinians to negotiate but is not in a position to impose a settlement on the two nations. [end] Israel may accept the Saudi Initiative, with amendments, ’Maariv’ claims Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Bethlehem - Washington has returned to play a central role in the mediation between the Arab countries and Israel, the Israeli paper ’ Maariv’ claims in its Thursday edition. According to the newspaper, the US is putting pressure on Israel to accept the Saudi initiative, which was launched at the Arab Summit of 2002, and calls for the Arab countries to normalise relations with Israel in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders. ’Maariv’ says that the US is putting efforts into making some amendments to the Saudi initiative in order to better suit Israel and allay Israel’s reservations and fears. The rightwing paper wonders whether this initiative will be brought to life again. It claims that the US is conducting secret contacts to coordinate the initiative with reservations. more.. Carter Book on Israel ’Apartheid’ Sparks Bitter Debate Washington Post 12/7/2006 Scholar Resigns From Ga. Center -- A veteran Middle East scholar affiliated with the Carter Center in Atlanta resigned his position there Monday in an escalating controversy over former president Jimmy Carter’s bestselling book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," traces the ups and downs of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process beginning with Carter’s 1977-1980 presidency and the historic peace accord he negotiated between Israel and Egypt and continuing to the present. Although it apportions blame to Israel, the Palestinians and outside parties -- including the United States -- for the failure of decades of peace efforts, it is sharply critical of Israeli policy and concludes that "Israel’s continued control and colonization of Palestinian land have been the primary obstacles to a comprehensive peace..." more.. New US bill meant to twist Hamas’s arm Jerusalem Post 12/8/2006 The House of Representatives gave final passage Thursday to a bill aimed at forcing the Palestinians’ ruling Hamas government to accept Israel and join negotiations toward a Palestinian state in formerly Israeli-occupied territory. House passage, by voice vote, came a day after the Iraq Study Group Report urged President George W. Bush’s administration to reinvigorate the effort to settle the half-century-old Israeli-Palestinian dispute.... It also gives the president broad authority to waive penalties if he deems it in the country’s best interests.... The bill going to Bush would cut off aid to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority unless it acknowledges Israel’s right to exist, accepts all the authority’s agreements with Israel and proceeds toward dismantling the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure among other things. more.. Bush: We can’t impose deal on Israel, Palestinians YNetNews 12/7/2006 US President Bush cools hoopla over Baker report, states in joint press conference with UK PM Blair that he can’t force settlement on Israel, Palestinians. Blair: ’Shalit release must come first’ -- WASHINGTON - The Baker-Hamilton report submitted to President George W. Bush on Wednesday evening proclaimed the urgent need to advance an immediate Israeli-Arab peace but President Bush took the stage Thursday evening in a joint press conference with UK PM Tony Blair and clarified that he cannot impose an agreement on both sides, no matter how much the US wants to impose it. The Israelis and Palestinians, he said, need to assume responsibility and sign an agreement and the US will help, but not impose. Bush also went on to say that the demands of the Quartet could not be ignored... more.. Shimon Peres: one of Israel’s top priorities is to destroy Hamas government Palestine News Network 12/7/2006 Initiated by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, an international campaign is underway to undermine the Palestinian national unity government. Shimon Peres is strongly attacking the idea of the coalition government, calling on the international community to ensure that it fails. These are the words of Al Quds Al Arabia, published on Thursday. The Voice of Israel, army radio, said that Olmert would participate actively in the propaganda campaign against the idea of a national unity government, specifically attacking the role that the democratically elected Hamas party will play. Olmert’s campaign is said to be prepared for his visits to Italy and the United Kingdom next week.... Olmert will be telling the leaders.... that the international community must not retreat from the conditions set forth by the Quartet... more.. US congress bans talks with Hamas YNetNews 12/7/2006 Congress passes bill already approved by Senate prohibiting transfer of aid, official talks with Hamas government until president declares PA no longer ruled by terror group. Bill will deny Hamas US entry visas, allows humanitarian aid to PA -- WASHINGTON – One day after the special US study group on Iraq submitted the Baker-Hamilton report recommending President George W. Bush’s administration to push harder towards an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, the United States Congress passed a bill forbidding the US administration to hold talks with the Palestinian Hamas government. The bill must still be approved by President George W. Bush. According to the bill the US will have no contact, nor provide aid to the Hamas-governed Palestinian Authority until the terror organization recognizes Israel ’s right to exist and denounces terror. more.. Hamas official: We remain open to dialogue, and have met with US and European officials Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Bethlehem - The political advisor of the Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr Ahmad Yousif, has confirmed the news about Hamas officials having met with high-ranking American figures, especially members of the Democratic party. In an interview with Ma’an News, Dr Yousif stated that the meetings were fruitful in introducing the Hamas political vision, which harmonizes with other initiatives. Meetings are also ongoing throughout the Arab world, especially in Syria, with the contribution of other European figures. Dr Yousif declared that "other meetings will be held within the coming weeks to follow up the discussions to end the conflict." He also stated that "Hamas haven’t closed the doors to dialogue with Europe and the world, and that the Hamas delegation had met in Ireland with members of the British House of Lords. more.. Hezbollah leader accuses Siniora of working with Israel during war Ha’aretz 12/8/2006 BEIRUT - Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah accused Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora of conniving with Israel during the July-August war, alleging that he ordered the Lebanese army to confiscate Hezbollah’s supplies of weapons." Didn’t the prime minister of Lebanon work to cut off the supply lines? " Nasrallah said in his sharpest attack on Siniora since a United Nations brokered cease-fire halted the fighting in August. In a rousing speech delivered on huge screens in two central Beirut squares, Nasrallah called for a committee of Lebanese or Arab judges to investigate the government’s actions during the war. The Hezbollah leader vowed that the opposition’s protests would continue until it achieved a bigger share of the Lebanese cabinet, but he also said he was prepared to negotiate, and that violence was not an option. -- See also: Hezbollah leader urges defiance more.. First stage of prisoner swap might be carried out in coming weeks International Middle East Media Center 12/8/2006 Israeli sources reported on Wednesday that the first stage of ceasefire between Israel and fighters in Gaza, under Egyptian mediation, could take place within the coming weeks, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported. Initial reports revealed that the dead will be implemented on three stages starting with the release of 400 detainees, including women, children, and sick detainees, and shortly after that the fighters will release the captured Israeli soldier, Gild Shalit, most likely through Egyptian mediators. The second stage of the deal includes the release of another group of detainees, and the third stage will see the release of additional detainees, including leaders of Palestinian groups, and Palestinians who carried operations that led to the death of Israelis. more.. Olmert rejects talks with Syria, says conditions are ’not ripe’ Ha’aretz 12/7/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that conditions were not ripe to reopen talks with Syria, adding that he received no indications from U.S. President George W. Bush during his recent visit to Washington that the U.S. would push Israel to start such talks. Olmert also rejected linkage of the Iraqi war with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the Iraq Study Group, a day after the bipartisan commission issued its comprehensive report on the Iraq War." The attempt to create linkage between the Iraqi issue and the Mideast issue - we have a different view," Olmert told reporters in Tel Aviv, in his first response to the report issued Wednesday by the Iraq Study Group...." We always felt, like other nations in our region, that the removal of Saddam Hussein was a major, major contribution to stability of our part of the world," he said. more.. Baker aide: We aim to help Israel, not force concessions Jerusalem Post 12/8/2006 The James Baker-Lee Hamilton report does not constitute a bid to force Israel into concessions in order to solve the Iraq crisis, one of the study’s principal advisers insisted to The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. "That is not the thrust of the report," said Edward Djerejian, although he added that he was "not surprised" that some in Israel regarded it in that light. The aim, said Djerejian in a phone interview, was to "test the intentions of Israel’s neighbors." Djerejian, a former US ambassador to Syria and Israel who heads the James Baker III Institute for Public Policy, one of the think-tanks sponsoring the Iraq Study Group, said the report amounts to a call for "muscular diplomacy" to achieve a "successful outcome" in Iraq and continue the process toward comprehensive Middle East peace that was initiated at the Madrid international conference... more.. Arab League slams US over attempt to halt PA aid Jerusalem Post 12/7/2006 The Arab League criticized on Thursday Washington’s attempt to halt the transfer of millions of dollars in aid from Qatar to the Hamas-led Palestinian government and warned the move could increase extremism in the region. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Sunday he received pledges from Qatar for US$40 million a month to cover the salaries of teachers and some health workers. But US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Tuesday said if the money was used to pay the salaries of Hamas members or was funneled through Hamas, "that would cross a line of the existing international understanding." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also questioned Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabir al-Thani about the aid package during a meeting on Wednesday. more.. Israel requests that Saeb Erekat be excluded from negotiations; Dr Erekat’s spat with Al Masri continues Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Bethlehem - Exclusive - Reliable sources have revealed to Ma’an that Israel has asked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, through the United States of America, to exclude the head of the negotiations’ department in the PLO, Dr Sa’eb Erekat, from the negotiations with Israel since the man is allegedly "a threat to the path of negotiations and the whole peace process," according to the source. Commenting on this news, the leader of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement, Abu ’Uday, said "We received confirmed information that the Bush administration has called pn President Abbas to eliminate Dr Erekat from the negotiations. President Abbas refused that request and stuck with Dr Erekat." He added, "it is regrettable that nowadays, the Hamas PLC member Musheer Al-Masri also calls for removing Dr Erekat. more.. ’No indication’ captured Israelis are dead - Amnesty Daily Star 12/8/2006 The head of Amnesty International, who is visiting Israel, told the Jerusalem Post in an article published Thursday that Hizbullah members have not indicated that two Israeli soldiers captured in a July border raid are dead. Irene Khan said she spoke to Hizbullah members during a three-day visit to Lebanon earlier this week." We did not get any indication from them that the two men were not alive," Khan said, adding that she asked Hizbullah to allow the international Red Cross to see the soldiers." They acknowledged that under international law there is an obligation for them to give access, but they said they would not do it, because they wanted to put pressure on Israel to release prisoners," Khan said. A senior Hizbullah official, Sheik Hassan Ezzeddine, said he knew nothing about the conditions of the two soldiers. more.. Haniyeh set for talks with Ahmadinejad Jerusalem Post 12/7/2006 Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Teheran on Thursday for talks with Iranian leaders including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, state-run media reported. Haniyeh is on his first tour abroad since his Hamas-led government took office in March. The Palestinian prime minister also will meet with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Iran has provided the Hamas-led Palestinian government with US$120 million (€90. 4 million) this year, increasing its aid to the militant group and boosting its influence among Palestinians amid a US-led financial boycott of the Palestinian government. The United States is pressing Hamas to recognize Israel... more.. Syrian FM: No solution to Iraq’s problems without Iran and Syria Ha’aretz 12/7/2006 Syria welcomed the Iraq Study Group report on Thursday, praising its emphasis on the need to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict and reiterating that Syria’s priority is to regain the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The comments by an unidentified Syrian Foreign Ministry official contrasted sharply with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s earlier remark that Israel rejected the report’s linkage of the Arab-Israeli dispute with the conflict in Iraq. Olmert also rejected the report’s recommendation that Israel revive negotiations with Syria. The Syrian official made clear what his government would demand from the United States in return for help in trying to reduce the violence in Iraq." The Syrian priority is to fully recover the occupied Arab Syrian Golan Heights," the official Syrian Arab News Agency quoted the official as saying. more.. Fateh planning to launch war crimes charges for Israelis Palestine News Network 12/7/2006 The Fateh party and its team of lawyers is making moves to charge Israelis with international war crimes along the lines of New Zealand and former Chief of Staff of the Israeli military Moshe Ya’alon. Although he was responsible for thousands of deaths and violations of international law, the case against him was just one: killing Salah Shehada and several members of his family in Gaza. When international war criminals are charged, although they may have committed countless crimes, it is best to chose just one so that it can be won, say New York-based activists. Such was the case against Ariel Sharon who did so much, not only orchestrated the Sabra and Shatila massacres. Fateh’s current proposal regards the family gunned down on the beach in Gaza this summer. more.. MK Taha visits Syria: Right of return must be guaranteed YNetNews 12/7/2006 Investigation, criticism following previous Syria trip don’t deter Knesset member from revisiting. MK Taha discusses importance of Right of Return -- Knesset Member Wasil Taha (National Democratic Assembly) visited Syria this week for the second time this year. The last time he visited the country along with other members of his party including the party’s Chairman MK Azmi Bishara, an investigation took place which apparently did nothing to deter Taha from revisiting Damascus. During his recent visit to Syria, MK Taha discussed the importance of a commitment to the Right of Return. According to the Israeli-Arab website Arab48, he was invited to participate in "Right of Return and World Opinion", a conference organized by the Palestinian committee for the Right of Return. more.. Israel holds firm on nuclear ambiguity Jerusalem Post 12/7/2006 Israel held firm Thursday to its policy of not admitting it possesses nuclear weapons, in the face of a clear statement from the incoming US Secretary of Defense that Israel has the bomb. In his confirmation hearing before the US Senate, Gates was explaining Iranian motivation to acquire nuclear weapons. "They are surrounded by powers with nuclear weapons - Pakistan to their east, the Russians to the north, the Israelis to the west and us in the Persian Gulf," he told the Senate committee. Though Israel is widely assumed to have a nuclear weapons arsenal, it has stuck to its policy of ambiguity on the subject, insisting against all the evidence that it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East. A retired Israeli general said Thursday Israel is no longer trying to convince anyone that it has no nuclear arsenal. more.. "Terrorists rejoicing over new Baker report" YNetNews/WorldNetDaily 12/7/2006 Leaders of Palestinian terror groups say Baker-Hamilton report proves ’Islamic resistance’ works, express hope Jihad will ultimately destroy israel -- A high level US commission’s recommendations for an eventual withdrawal from Iraq and for dialogue with Iran and Syria proves "Islamic resistance" works and America will ultimately be defeated, according to senior terrorist leaders interviewed by WND. The militants, from the largest Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, welcomed the policies outlined by the Iraq Study Group, which they claim recognizes Islam is the "new giant of the world." "The report proves that this is the era of Islam and of jihad," said Abu Ayman, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. more.. Innovative new peace initiative: Haniyeh to get $1 billion if he meets Olmert and makes peace Ma’an News Agency 12/7/2006 Bethlehem - In a new initiative, an Israeli billionaire has offered US $ one billion to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh if he can arrange a meeting with his Israeli counterpart and reach a peace agreement. Israeli businessman Avi Shaked, who earned his fortune from Internet gambling sites, told Reuters that he has been able to gather together many wealthy people who have expressed their readiness to flow money immediately if a peace treaty can be reached. Shaked said that US $ 100 million will be paid immediately if Haniyeh and Olmert sit together. In explaining his initiative, he added that violence and killing must be stopped. He is calling for both men to "please sit together and start peace negotiations, and try to reach an agreement". He added that the British prime minister, Tony Blair, has agreed to his initiative. more.. Baker report urges Madrid-style summit with Israel, Syria and PA Ha’aretz 12/7/2006 One of the major conclusions of the bipartisan advisory panel on Iraq headed by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton is that the United States is unable to achieve its goals in the Middle East without direct involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The committee presented President George W. Bush its report Wednesday, offering recommendations on policy regarding the quagmire in Iraq. The Baker-Hamilton Study Group is recommending that talks involving Israel, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians are held within a "Madrid Conference framework," referring to the 1991 Madrid Conference. The main recommendations of the report deal with U.S. policy in Iraq, and call for shifting the primary role of American forces there from fighting to training the Iraqi military. more.. UN seeks $450 million in donations for Palestinians Daily Star 12/7/2006 The United Nations will ask donor countries to contribute a record $450 million in aid to the Palestinians, whose economy has been devastated by international economic sanctions, UN officials said Wednesday. Meanwhile, Amnesty International’s chief kicked off a weeklong visit on Wednesday with tough criticism of Israeli and Palestinian leaders, urging both sides to take advantage of a new cease-fire. The huge aid request comes as poverty and unemployment have exploded throughout Gaza and the West Bank and the Palestinian health and education systems have been badly weakened by the shortage of funds, the UN said About three-quarters of the $453 million being requested is earmarked for job creation, cash assistance and food aid, said David Shearer, head of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. more.. Vital Gaza food conduit to open, Israel says ReliefWeb/IRIN 12/6/2006 TEL AVIV, 6 December (IRIN) - An important commercial crossing from Israel into the Gaza Strip could be re-opened next week, Israeli officials told IRIN, allowing vital food supplies into Gaza. The Karni crossing to the west of Gaza City is the only cargo terminal designed for the passage of large containers into the Strip and as such is vital for food supplies. It has been closed almost constantly since September, according to John Ging, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which feeds 860,000 refugees in Gaza." There’s no substitute for the [Karni] commercial crossing. There is no comparable alternative in terms of quantity. That is the weakness of the Gaza Strip. We are talking about hundreds of containers," said Ging. more.. US blocks Hizbullah funds in S. America Jerusalem Post 12/6/2006 The Bush administration took action Wednesday aimed at choking off a major fundraising channel for Hizbullah operating in the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The Treasury Department’s action covers nine people and two entities, a shopping center in Paraguay and an electronics company, Casa Hamze, located in the shopping center. As a result, Americans are forbidden from doing business with them, and any bank accounts or other financial assets belonging to the designated people and entities found in the United States must be frozen. The department alleges that those designated have provided financial and logistical support to Hizbullah, which the United States considers a "terrorist" organization. The Lebanon-based Hizbullah is suspected of involvement in "terrorist" attacks worldwide. [sic] more.. Mubarak says deal for Shalit’s release in final stages Jerusalem Post 12/7/2006 Negotiations for the release of kidnapped IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit are in their final stage, Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak said Wednesday. Speaking about Shalit, who was captured by Hamas-linked terror operatives in June, Mubarak said "negotiations on releasing him are in their final stage and waiting for Hamas’ approval." Egypt had made considerable effort to resolve the crisis, Mubarak said, "but it seems that there other parties who are intervening against the interest of the Palestinian people." Mubarak did not say who the "other parties" were, but he appeared to mean Syria, where Hamas’ top leader Khaled Mashaal lives. He did not give additional details about the negotiations. more.. Chirac calls on Israel to stop IDF flights over Lebanon Ha’aretz 12/7/2006 French President Jacques Chirac told Israel on Wednesday it should stop flying warplanes over Lebanon in what Israel says is an effort to gather intelligence on Hezbollah arms smuggling. France and Israel failed to patch up differences the flights, which French forces call menacing and Israel insists are needed for security. French peacekeepers say they came within seconds of shooting down Israeli F-15 fighters that nose-dived repeatedly over their positions in south Lebanon on Oct. 31. The incident incensed the French military. Chirac "repeated France’s position on the overflights" at a meeting in his Elysee Palace with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, his spokesman Jerome Bonnafont said. Livni, who met with top French officials Wednesday in Paris, defended the flights as a needed security precaution... more.. Captured reservist critically wounded Jerusalem Post 12/6/2006 The two IDF reservists - Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser - kidnapped on July 12 by Hizbullah guerrillas suffered serious-to-critical wounds during the attack that sparked the month-long war, military officials said Wednesday, raising the possibility that the men were no longer alive. According to an internal IDF Medical Corps investigation of the attack, one of the soldiers - it was unclear whether it was Regev or Goldwasser - was in critical condition following the attack. The other soldier was seriously wounded. The IDF Censor had until Wednesday prevented publication of the report’s findings. Despite these findings, which the IDF Spokesman’s Office refused to confirm, the army stood by its assumption that the two men are still alive. more.. Hezbollah: "Release Quntar for information on captured soldiers" International Middle East Media Center 12/6/2006 The Lebanon based Hezbollah party, holding two Israeli soldiers captive, offered information of the two captured Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, in exchange for the release of Sameer Quntar, a Lebanese detainee held in Israel since 1979. An Israeli source reported on Wednesday that Israel rejected the offer especially since it does not have any information on the fate of the two soldiers. Also, Israeli sources reported that Hezbollah representatives with German mediators proposed several weeks ago providing Israel with information on the two soldiers in exchange of releasing Quntar who was supposed to be released in latest prison swap deal along with other detainees. Quntar was arrested by Israel on April 22, 1979. more.. Khalid Mash’al calls on Egypt to release Hamas activist Ma’an News Agency 12/6/2006 Bethlehem - Head of Hamas’ political office, Khalid Mash’al, has on Wednesday called on the Egyptian authorities to release the Hamas activist Nehru Mas’ood, who is detained in Egypt. The website of the Israeli daily newspaper Maariv said that Mas’ood was a member of the Hamas military wing, who tried to escape to Egypt through a tunnel. The Egyptian authorities have called on Mash’al to progress in the prisoners’ swap between Israel and Hamas. The website accused Hamas of associating the prisoners’ swap with the release of Mas’ood from Egyptian prison, just as the Israelis did when they tied a recent exchange with the release of the Israeli spy Azzam Azzam. Maariv quoted Mash’al as saying to the Egyptians, "We can’t release [Israeli soldier] Corporal Gil’ad Shalit unless the Hamas member Mas’ood is released." more.. Peretz: Info on captured soldiers must remain confidential Jerusalem Post 12/6/2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz told Army Radio on Wednesday that all the information that Israel had on the welfare of kidnapped IDF would be handed over to their families alone." The information must remain confidential," he said, adding, "Negotiations are not conducted in the media." Peretz’s comments came in response to remarks by European Union Ambassador to Israel Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal, who told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that Israel did not have sufficient proof that the two soldiers were still alive. Cibrian-Uzal said Israel knows much more about the fate of Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas kidnapped on the Gaza border at the end of June, than it does about Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. "My understanding is that Israel has received proof that Shalit is alive and in reasonably good condition..." more.. Kabaha: Israel derails release of its captured soldier in Gaza Palestinian Information Center 12/6/2006 Ramallah - PA prisoners’ affairs minister Wasfi Kabaha has affirmed that the ongoing indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on prisoners’ swap deal were hitting snags due to the stubborn stands the Israeli occupation government are taking on the matter, which derail the swift and smooth release of its captured soldier Gilad Shalit." Israel is trying to turnaround Palestinian demands of including Palestinian captives of long-imprisonment terms in the swap deal by putting new norms classifying Palestinians serving more than five-year-imprisonment terms as of long-imprisonment terms", Kabaha warned. Captors of Shalit clearly called on the Israeli occupation government to release all female, children, and sick Palestinian prisoners, in addition to 1,000 others, including those serving long-imprisonment terms and have been in jail for more than 15 years. more.. On a mission to save the Jordan Ha’aretz 12/7/2006 Dramas but no bloody contests were staged in the ancient Beit She’an theater, the director of the Beit She’an National Park told a group of mayors and local authority officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan yesterday." Today, we in the Middle East have blood, drama and tragedy too," a member of the group quipped after the talk. The officials representing local authorities on the banks of the Jordan River were in Beit She’an for the second day of an unprecedented gathering of Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians. The group is learning about the river’s potential and the extent to which they and their governments have threatened their water resources. The trip was initiated by the world federation of environmental groups, Friends of the Earth. The federation’s Middle East branch is taking on the task of saving the lower part of the Jordan River and Dead Sea. more.. The Israel Factor: The panel sees dwindling chance of forceful president on Iran Ha’aretz 12/7/2006 The eight panelists for The Israel Factor ranking of the candidates in the race for the White House believe that the next American president is more likely than before to act cautiously on the issue of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, regardless of political persuasion. On the question of whether the candidate was likely to take military action to prevent the Iranian development of atomic weapons (with 10 being most likely and 1 least likely), none of the candidates scored higher than 7. Senator John McCain was awarded the most points, receiving an average score of 6. 63. Of the five people who scored the highest for this question, only one was a Democrat - retired general Wesley Clark with 5. 2. When the same question was asked three months ago, however, the panel gave all five higher scores... more.. N.Y. assemblyman publishes ads in Jewish papers urging Olmert to resign Ha’aretz 12/7/2006 Olmert, please resign," was the heading of a full-page advertisement running today in seven prominent Jewish newspapers published in the U.S. Next to a big photograph of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." The ad is the brainchild of New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who is considered a prominent spokesman for the right-wing Jewish camp. Hikind, an Orthodox Jew, has represented Brooklyn’s largely ultra-Orthodox Boro Park and surrounding neighborhoods in Albany since 1982. In the ad, Olmert is termed "arrogant, irresponsible, delusional, confused, inept, indecisive, overwhelmed and incompetent." more.. MKs: A reflection of changed relationship with US Jerusalem Post 12/7/2006 As the conclusions of a US panel on American policy in the Middle East spread throughout the Knesset on Wednesday, MKs from across the political spectrum noted how drastically relations between Israel and the US had changed in the past year. The Baker-Hamilton report included a number of recommendations regarding Israel including a suggestion that Jerusalem talk to Syria and that "in the context of a full and secure peace agreement, the Israelis should return the Golan Heights." Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin welcomed the report." I hope this will end the chapter where the US used to be Israel’s excuse not to respond to invitations by Syrian President [Bashar] Assad to open peace talks without preconditions," said Beilin. He added that Israel should encourage the US to intervene and help Palestinians and Israelis reach a final peace deal. more.. Welcoming Gaza ceasefire, Security Council urges end to all terrorism and violence ReliefWeb/United Nations News 12/6/2006 6 December 2006 – Welcoming the recent ceasefire in Gaza, members of the United Nations Security Council today called for an end to all aspects of violence and terrorism throughout the region, the President of the 15-member body said. In a statement to the press, Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar welcomed steps taken by both sides to maintain the mutual ceasefire in Gaza agreed upon by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Council members “expressed their hope that it would lead to a sustained period of calm,” he said, calling on both sides to avoid any actions which could jeopardize further progress. The members also “repeated their call for an end to all aspects of terrorism and violence..." more.. Europe is softening its stance towards Hamas, Ma’an News Agency 12/6/2006 Khan Younis - The Europeans are softening their stance towards Hamas and the Palestinian government, a Palestinian governmental source have revealed. These sources say the EU’s position is changing thanks to efforts taken by Hamas envoys in Europe to hold talks and explain their position and reasons for calling for the non-recognition of Israel. The source added that the Europeans have begun to deal with the idea of solving the conflict on the basis of a truce, as presented by Hamas, and not on the basis of "land for peace". The source also said that the most important countries which Hamas is holding a dialogue with are France and Britain. He clarified that these two countries asked Hamas to present a paper in which the movement explains its stance about the truce and its vision. more.. Peres: Proposed PA unity gov’t would be no more than a ’facade’ Ha’aretz 12/6/2006 Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Wednesday that a proposed Palestinian Authority national unity government would be nothing more than a "facade," because the Hamas militants it would represent are not interested in peace. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah declared last week that efforts to form such a government had broken down, but Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas denied negotiations had reached a dead end. Hamas would use such a government in an effort to restore international funding that dried up after it took power, Peres said. "Hamas doesn’t want peace, even if we give them ’67 borders," Peres said, referring to the pre-1967 Six Day War boundaries. "Hamas wants to use Fatah as a facade to get money." more.. IDF think tank accuses Hezbollah of war crimes, hiding among civilians Ha’aretz 12/6/2006 Hezbollah operated during the second Lebanon war from within civilian structures and its operatives disguised themselves as civilians, and is therefore guilty of war crimes, according to a report authored by Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. The report also says that 650 out of the 1,084 people the Lebanese government has said were civilians killed in the conflict were in fact Hezbollah militants. According to international law on warfare, the use of civilian structures during combat is forbidden, and turns the structures into legitimate military targets. International human rights organizations and the United Nations have accused Israel of attacking civilian targets during the war. The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center works in close cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Corps. more.. Palestinian teachers, doctors march in appreciation of Qatari initiative Palestinian Information Center 12/6/2006 Gaza - The Palestinian teachers syndicate and the Islamic bloc of medical professions on Wednesday staged a massive march in Gaza streets out of appreciation for the Qatari initiative of paying their salaries. Mohammed Siyam, the head of the teachers’ syndicate, addressed the masses that headed to the Qatari embassy to thank the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani for his generous step affirming that the initiative reflected the deep fraternal ties between Arab and Muslim peoples. Participants hoisted Palestinian and Qatari flags and placards supporting PA premier Ismail Haneyya. Haneyya declared in Doha the Qatari step of paying salaries of all teachers in the PA lands and readiness to pay workers of the health sector if the need arises. [end] -- See also: Qatar to pay wages of Palestinian education workers more.. Siyam: Siege about to collapse Palestinian Information Center 12/6/2006 Khan Younis - PA interior minister Sa’eed Siyam has affirmed that the Qatari initiative in paying salaries of all Palestinian teaching staff heralded the collapse of the "oppressive" western-led siege on the Palestinian people and its legitimate government. Siyam, in a press conference last night in Khan Younis after an inspection tour of security headquarters in the city along with government lands, said that his government had exerted strenuous efforts to lift the siege. He recalled that many of the PA ministers and MPs had toured Arab, Islamic and European countries for that purpose and achieved tangible successes, noting that the present tour of PA premier Ismail Haneyya fell in the same line. The minister belittled the Israeli calls, by Likud party leaders, asking the Tel Aviv government to bar the return of Haneyya... more.. Palestinian factions in Damascus rally behind Haneyya’s political stands Palestinian Information Center 12/6/2006 Damascus - Heads of the Palestinian resistance factions have met with PA premier Ismail Haneyya in the Syrian capital Damascus on Tuesday and expressed their full support for his government’s political stands in addition to discussing with him a number of hot issues in the Palestinian arena. Khaled Mishaal, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, stressed in a press conference after the meeting that Hamas and the other Palestinian resistance factions were adamant that breaking "the unjust siege should be made without paying any political price"." The blockade will ultimately be lifted, and we shall, Allah willing, break it", affirmed Mishaal. The Hamas’ supreme political leader asserted that his Movement will always rally behind the just demands and legal rights of the Palestinian people without ceding a bit of them. more.. Palestinian foreign minister urges other countries to copy Venezuela, also recall their envoys to Israel Ma’an News Agency 12/6/2006 Gaza - Palestinian foreign minister, Dr Mahmoud Zahhar, has urged all countries, especially those in Latin America, to follow the Venezuelan president’s lead in the withdrawal of the Venezuelan ambassador to Israel. The minister sent a letter of gratitude to the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, and the foreign minister of Venezuela, thanking them for, "the courageous step that they have taken." Venezuelan President Chavez withdrew his country’s ambassador to Israel soon after the outbreak of Israel’s war on Lebanon. He issued orders for the ambassador’s return in the first week of August. In his letter, Dr Zahhar said, "there are people who are supporting the Palestinians. We have stated many times that Israel is not committed to international resolutions and is persistently supported by the USA." more.. Hamas awaits Israeli response to offer on release of Gilad Shalit Ha’aretz 12/6/2006 Hamas is waiting for an Israeli response to its offer on a deal for the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the Hamas spokesman in Lebanon Osama Hamden told a Palestinian news agency. Hamdan, who is on a visit to Damascus, said Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal has provided Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman with several suggestions regarding Shalit’s release." Suleiman passed the ideas on to the Israeli side last week, but as of now we are continuing to wait for a response from the Israeli side to these ideas," Hamdan told the Ramatan news agency. Another Hamas leader, Mohammed Nazzal, announced on Tuesday that a Hamas meeting would take place that night in Damascus to discuss the Shalit issue. more.. Israeli minister backs the release of Marwan Barghouthi Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Jerusalem - The Israeli environment minister, Gideon Ezra, has called for the release of the Fatah leader imprisoned in Israel, Marwan Barghouthi, as part of a prisoners’ deal. At the age of 18 in 1976, Marwan Barghouthi was arrested by Israel for his involvement in a Palestinian uprising, he is currently serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail for murder and attempted murder. The London-based pan-Arab newspaper ’Al Hayat ’ quoted Ezra saying, "Israel should help Fatah if Israel wants to support Abbas". He continued: "If Israel finds that Barghouthi is able to meet the understandings which Abbas wants to accomplish, but he is unable to do that alone, I wouldn’t oppose the release of prisoners - even those with blood on their hands, including Marwan Barghouthi. more.. Livni: International pressure on Hamas beginning to bear fruit Ha’aretz 12/6/2006 Pressure by the international community on the radical Islamic group Hamas is bearing fruit, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Tuesday in Paris." Almost a year after the arrival of Hamas [in the Palestinian government], we are beginning to see signs of change, which is in part due to pressure by the international community," Livni said at the start of her two-day visit to France. Despite the boycott of Hamas, the European Union has found ways to increase its total aid to the Palestinian people, most recently helping support thousands of needy families, an EU official said Tuesday. The EU said its contribution to the Palestinians has increased by 27 percent from last year, to $865 million, though the EU, United States and Israel have banned direct aid to the Palestinian government. more.. Livni to press Chirac not to give up road map Jerusalem Post 12/6/2006 Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is scheduled to meet French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on Wednesday and press him not to abandon the road map or water down the international community’s three criteria for dealing with the Palestinian Authority government. According to Israeli diplomatic officials, Livni will also be carrying a message that the Gaza cease-fire and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s address at Sde Boker last week have created a new momentum and laid out a political horizon, and therefore there was no reason to begin developing new diplomatic plans or initiatives. Last month Chirac seemed to be putting his weight behind a new diplomatic initiative announced by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. more.. Prodi pushes for Jewish Israeli state Jerusalem Post 12/6/2006 Israel needs a guarantee it will be able to maintain its character as a Jewish state, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has said in a statement pregnant with diplomatic significance since it implies acceptance of Israel’s rejection of Palestinian demands for a "right of return" for refugees and their descendants. Prodi made the comments at a private meeting in Rome on Saturday, The Jerusalem Post has learned. The statement faintly echoed US President George W. Bush’s commitment in his April 2004 letter to then-prime minister Ariel Sharon prior to disengagement. Then, Bush wrote that the United States "is strongly committed to Israel’s security and well-being as a Jewish state." Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has been leading efforts over the last few months to get European leaders to make a similar statement. more.. EU: No proof reservists are alive Jerusalem Post 12/6/2006 Israel does not have sufficient proof that the two soldiers Hizbullah kidnapped on the Lebanese border last July are alive, the European Union’s Ambassador to Israel Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. Cibrian-Uzal said Israel knows much more about the fate of Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas kidnapped on the Gaza border at the end of June, than it does about Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev." My understanding is that Israel has received proof that Shalit is alive and in reasonably good condition. On the basis of this proof, Israel is negotiating the release of Gilad Shalit," Cibrian-Uzal said." No similar proof has been received with respect to the other two abducted soldiers in Lebanon and therefore there are no negotiations for their eventual release," Cibrian-Uzal said. more.. Olmert: I believe IDF soldiers captured by Hezbollah are alive Ha’aretz 12/5/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that he believed the Israel Defense Forces soldier kidnapped by Hezbollah guerillas in July were still alive. During a visit to the southern town of Kiryat Malachi on Tuesday, Olmert said he had been misunderstood the day before when he had said he would prefer captured soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser remain in captivity than for additional soldiers to be killed. Olmert made the comment, which drew fire from the committee for the soldiers’ return, on Monday at a meeting with 11th-graders from the Amal Nahariya high school. He also said Israel did not have solid evidence that the soldiers were alive. His comment was in response to a question about the cabinet’s decision to end the war despite the fact that the kidnapped soldiers had not been released. more.. Al Aqsa Brigades threaten to continue violence, possible suicide bombings in Israel Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Gaza - The Al Aqsa Brigades’ spokesman, Abu Fuad, said that his brigades, who are the main military wing of Fatah, will review the advantages of the truce, but continue resistance in retaliation for the killing of a Palestinian in Tulkarem on Monday night. Abu Fuad said, "The killing of the leader Mahmoud Abdul-’Al has made us review our position on the ceasefire. We will announce more about this in the coming 24 hours." The spokesman also threatened to launch more projectiles at Israeli towns and execute ’martyr’ bombings inside Israel if the brigades decide to end the ceasefire. [end] Talks over a prisoners’ exchange deal stall due to definition of ’long-term prisoners’ Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Gaza - Hebron - Talks regarding a prisoners’ exchange deal have stalled, the Palestinian minister of prisoners’ affairs, Wasfi Qabaha, has confirmed. Qabaha said that the reason for the deadlock is the inability to reach an agreement over the criteria for assigning the prisoners for release, and over the definition of long-term prisoners. The minister described the Israelis as "stubborn" in regard to the long-term prisoners, who the Palestinians are calling to be all released. According to the Palestinian criteria, ’long-term prisoners’ means prisoners who have spent more than 16 years in Israeli jail. These number 367 Palestinian prisoners. The minister said that the Palestinians are worried that the Israeli authorities are going to consider all prisoners who have spent five years or more behind bars as long-term prisoners... more.. Rumsfeld successor: ’We’re not winning war’ The Guardian 12/6/2006 Gates stuns Congress with sharp change of tone · Attack on Iran ’could be devastating for US’ -- The man picked by President Bush to run the Pentagon admitted yesterday that the US was not winning the war in Iraq and warned that an attack on Iran could backfire with devastating consequences. Robert Gates’s sombre and candid assessment stunned Congress, marking a sharp break with his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, who played down the severity of any problems, was dismissive of criticism, and took a much harder line against Iraq’s neighbours. The change in tone came at a critical moment... He made it clear that such a conflagration would be accelerated if the US attacked Iran, as some Washington hawks have suggested, as a means of setting back Iran’s nuclear programme. more.. Ayalon says US won’t let Iran go nuclear Jerusalem Post 12/6/2006 The defense establishment is wrong in its opinion that the US will not undertake a preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear installations and will allow Teheran to obtain nuclear weapons, former ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night. Ayalon, who returned to Israel last month after four years in Washington, disputed the security assessment published in Tuesday’s Post that the chances of an American strike were low. He said US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested otherwise when they said publicly that no options were off the table when it came to preventing the nuclearization of Iran." I am absolutely certain that the US will not allow Iran to go nuclear.... There is a deep understanding of this among American strategic thinkers and political leaders in both parties." more.. Gates: Iranian attack on Israel possible Jerusalem Post 12/5/2006 "If Iran obtains nuclear weapons no one can promise that it would not use them against Israel," Defense Secretary-designate Robert Gates said Tuesday during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld. Gates was asked by senators about the Iranian nuclear threat and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s threats to wipe Israel off the map. Gates responded by saying that the threats were very severe. However, he added that Iran had "forces from Ahmadinejad who are interested in nuclear power as a deterrent against nuclear nations around them - Pakistan from the East, Russia from the North, Israel from the West and us in the Persian Gulf." Gates said that the United States would pay an extremely high price for a military attack on either Iran or Syria. more.. Hizbullah rejects human-shield accusations Daily Star 12/6/2006 Hizbullah on Tuesday dimissed a report by an Israeli think tank with strong ties to the military accusing the resistance of using civilians as human shields during the July-August war. The 300-page report - a study the authors say can be used to rebuff war-crime allegations over Israel’s pummeling of residential areas - seeks to bolster claims that Israeli attacks against Hizbullah targets in populated areas did not violate international law. It says Hizbullah deliberately operated within civilian areas, raising the civilian death toll." The whole report is fabricated," Hizbullah official Ghaleb Abu Zeinab told The Daily Star on Tuesday. He said that with the Israelis "it is not surprising to see such things. It is an attempt to cover for their failure in the war on Lebanon and the mistakes and atrocities they committed. more.. Mashaal: Hamas can still run intifada Jerusalem Post 12/5/2006 Hamas can direct an intifada even if it sits in power, Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Mashaal cautioned on Tuesday, adding that that the hudna (calm), like violence, was a Palestinian tactic in the conflict with Israel. Even the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank will not move Hamas to recognize Israel, as Palestinian lands would still remain "occupied," Mashaal told the Lebanese newspaper Al Safir. According to Israel Radio, Mashaal reiterated threats that if the international community failed to set up a framework for a Palestinian state defined by the 1967 borders within six months and assure refugees’ right of return, the Palestinians would resume their course of "resistance" against Israel. more.. Official: US talks could isolate Israel Jerusalem Post 12/5/2006 With the US Iraq Study Group expected to recommend on Wednesday that the US diplomatically engage Syria and Iran, Israeli government sources differ widely about the impact this type of engagement might have on Israel. While a senior defense official said US talks with Iran would lead to a slippery slope that would eventually leave Israel alone facing the Iranian nuclear threat, other government officials indicated that US-Iranian talks were needed to stabilize the region since Iran was "calling the shots" everywhere from Lebanon to Gaza. The long-awaited report by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, headed by former secretary of state James Baker and former congressman Lee Hamilton to make recommendations on US policy in Iraq, is to be presented to US President George W. Bush on Wednesday. more.. Two Kadima MKs meet with Syrian lawmakers in Amman Ha’aretz 12/5/2006 Two legislators of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima party, Majali Wahabi and Amira Dotan, confirmed Tuesday that they had spoken this week with lawmakers from Syria, a nation formally in a state of war with Israel. The parliamentarians met on Monday at an international conference for legislators held in Amman, Wahabi told Army Radio. Tunisian and Algerian deputies also participated in the conference, and held contacts with the Israelis. One of the Syrians, identified by Army Radio as the chair of the Syrian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, was quoted as having told the Israelis that the sides must accelerate their diplomatic contacts. Another Syrian MP was quoted as saying that the sides should speak "despite the opposition of the Americans." [end] PRC spokesman speaks out about the prisoner exchange deal and the ceasefire Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Khan Younis - A spokesman for the Palestinian Resistance Committees (PRC), Abu Mujahid, has claimed that there are obstacles in the way of achieving the prisoners exchange deal. Mujahid said, "the deal will not be achieved unless it contains the names of the sick, those serving long terms, the leaders of factions and the elderly in Israeli jails." Speaking to Ma’an exclusively, he added, "the groups that have captured Israeli soldiers will not abandon their demands to have one thousand prisoners released; including the prisoners taken in 1948, Arab prisoners and Palestinian women and children." In reference to the wishes of Noam Shalit, (father of the imprisoned Israeli Gilad Shalit), to meet with Hamas and Fatah leaders in Gaza, he said, "if the father of that soldier has any ability to make decisions in Israel, which we doubt, we welcome him coming to speak with us..." more.. DFLP says they are committed to the truce, as long as the Israeli violations cease Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Gaza - The spokesman for the National Resistance Brigades (NRB), the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Abu Salim, has said that they are committed to the truce announced by Palestinian factions. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Abu Salim confirmed that, "the Israeli government will be responsible for any violation of the truce, especially in the West Bank towns and cities." He also said that, "they [the Israeli military] should stop their policy of assassination and arrests, and other such violations." The spokesman also said that the truce should be comprehensive and the Palestinian territory should be united. He warned that the, "ceasefire could collapse if the Israelis continue their infringement of it." [end] Mustapha Barghouthi in Cairo to strengthen Egypt’s support for the Palestinians Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Cairo - Dr. Mustapha Barghouthi, the head of the Palestinian National Initiative and an independent member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, is in Cairo on a two-day visit to discuss ways for Egypt to support Palestinian unity and to strengthen the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Dr. Barghouthi, who has been acting as the main mediator between the Palestinian presidency and government in the recent dialogue over forming a national unity government, has met with the Egyptian minister of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, and the Arab League secretary-general, Amr Moussa, as part of his visit. Barghouthi also discussed with the Egyptians the issue of a prisoners’ exchange deal, which Egypt has been playing a significant role in carrying out, and the proposed Palestinian national unity government. [end] Coalition for Jerusalem urges EU to publish its findings on East Jerusalem, show European support for international law Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 A coalition of over 40 non-governmental organizations, private institutions, religious dignitaries and professional unions from Palestinian East Jerusalem have sent a letter to the president of the European Union urging him to ensure that a report by the EU on east Jerusalem is published this year, and not suppressed like in 2005. In the letter, which Ma’an received a copy of, the Coalition for Jerusalem reminds the EU president, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, that in 2005 a report compiled by EU representatives in Jerusalem and Ramallah was not published as the EU believed at the time that it would be ""counterproductive" in light of political considerations". In an accompanying statement, the Coalition says that, "This veto enhanced Israeli’s ability to blank out the realities of Israeli policies in East Jerusalem..." more.. UN General Assembly postpones talks on the Wall Ma’an News Agency 12/5/2006 Bethlehem - The United Nations General Assembly has postponed an emergency session to discuss Israel’s separation wall built in the West Bank. The meeting is expected to take place after ten days. Diplomatic sources in New York said that the main reason for postponing the discussion is to enable the president of the current session of the assembly, Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, to travel to Dubai for one week in order to attend a conference about women and education in the Arab world. There are believed to be other reasons but these were not clarified. [end] Israel refuses to extend ceasefire to West Bank, troops kill Palestinian boy ReliefWeb/VOA 12/4/2006 12/3/2006 - Israel has decided not to extend the week-old ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, citing security reasons. As Robert Berger reports from VOA’s Jerusalem bureau, the decision coincided with a deadly incident in the West Bank, and sporadic truce violations in Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told the Cabinet that military operations in the West Bank would continue, to prevent suicide bombings in Israeli cities. The decision came despite an appeal from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who visited here last week, and urged Israel to extend the Gaza ceasefire to the West Bank. She said calm in all the Palestinian territories would help create an atmosphere to revive the peace process. But Israeli generals warned the government that a 24-hour military presence in the West Bank is necessary... more.. Minister of detainees reveals information on prisoner swap with Israel International Middle East Media Center 12/5/2006 Palestinian Minister of Detainee, Wasfi Qabha, revealed on Monday during a meeting with parents of Palestinian detainees, in Bethlehem, information regarding a prisoners swap deal between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions holding an Israeli soldier captive. Qabha said that the deal does not include the abducted ministers and legislators since they should be immediately freed without any preconditions. Qabha stated that, according to the deal, Israel will release 400 detainees as the fighters hand the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, to Egypt, after that Israel will release additional 400 detainees. The third stage of the deal will see the release of detainees sentenced to high terms. He also said that the deal includes releasing children, women, elderly and sick detainees, and will also see the release of Palestinian leaders... more.. Cabinet seeks to promote West Bank truce; arrests must be approved by senior officers Ha’aretz 12/4/2006 The Israel Defense Forces will no longer arrest Palestinians in the West Bank without explicit approval from either the GOC Central Command or the commander of IDF forces in the territories, the diplomatic-security cabinet decided yesterday. The decision is aimed at reducing tensions in the West Bank that could disrupt the fragile cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. However, the IDF opposes expanding the cease-fire to the West Bank, saying that terrorist organizations have no intention of stopping attempts to launch attacks from there, and without the army actively thwarting these attempts, suicide bombings inside Israel are liable to resume. The cabinet also forbade the IDF to open fire on Qassam rocket launchers in Gaza, even though rockets continue to be fired at Israel from the Strip in violation of the cease-fire. more.. Qabha states that the ’prisoners’ exchange deal’ will include the release of Barghouthi and Sa’adat Ma’an News Agency 12/4/2006 Hebron - The Palestinian minister of prisoners’ affairs, Wasfi Qabha, has revealed that the ’prisoners’ exchange deal’ will not include the Palestinian Legislative Council members and ministers that have been abducted by Israeli forces, confirming that these prisoners should be released immediately. In a meeting with the prisoners’ families, organised by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society in Bethlehem, Qabha said that 400 Palestinian prisoners will be released at the same time as Gilad Shalit is released and another 400 will be released later. In the third stage of the agreement, many of those prisoners who have served long terms in Israeli jails will be released. He also said that the deal will include the release of old men, women and children, as well as prisoners that are ill. more.. Israel ready to free 1000 prisoners in Shalit deal Ha’aretz 12/5/2006 Israel is expecting that progress will be achieved on the negotiations for the release of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit as a result of the meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and exiled Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshal, in Damascus on Monday. The two Hamas leaders were expected to have reached an agreement on the deal that is being negotiated for the release of Shalit in exchange for the freeing of many Palestinian prisoners. Israel informed Egypt’s intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, of its willingness to release prisoners, during meetings the Egyptian mediator held in Israel last week, a senior source in Jerusalem said Monday." We agreed to release several hundred women and children, mostly the young among them," the Israeli source said. more.. US won’t launch preemptive strike against Teheran’ Jerusalem Post 12/5/2006 Predicting Iran will obtain nuclear weapons by the end of the decade, the defense establishment’s new and updated assessment for 2007 does not foresee the United States undertaking a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear installations, The Jerusalem Post has learned. The chances of an American strike are deemed "low," according to assessments by the security establishment. Israel also believes that international diplomatic efforts to stop Iran will fail, security sources said. In an interivew with the Post in late September, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said US President George W. Bush would prevent the Iranians from obtaining a nuclear bomb. Asked whether he felt Bush would one way or the other stop Iran going nuclear, Olmert responded: "I believe so." more.. Clinton, Barak and Lieberman talk Iran YNetNews 12/5/2006 Iranian nuclear threat and instability in Lebanon – these are only some of the subjects high-level American and Israeli officials will discuss at third annual Saban Forum in Washington -- WASHINGTON: A former US president, two leading US presidential candidates, two former Israeli prime ministers and numerous other senior ranking American and Israeli officials will convene this coming Friday at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy in the Brookings Institution in Washington DC for a three-day forum entitled ’America and Israel: Confronting a Middle East in Turmoil. ’ The dignitaries will discuss a plethora of issues, including the situation in Lebanon and the threat of Hizbullah overthrowing the sitting government, Hamas’ control of the Palestinian Authority and the continued Qassam attacks on Israel despite the "ceasefire"... more.. IDF seeks intel-sharing with NATO Jerusalem Post 12/5/2006 In a sign of growing ties between Israel and NATO and in an effort to create better interoperability between countries in the global war on terrorism, the IDF’s Military Intelligence (MI) plans to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism with the Western military alliance, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Last week, MI hosted a weeklong conference on global terrorism and intelligence attended by 50 high-ranking officers from NATO member countries as well as from Jordan and Morocco. The officers are members, with Israel, of the Mediterranean Dialogue - a 10-year-old forum for consultations and cooperation between Mediterranean countries. According to a high-ranking IDF officer, the conference focused on global terror and the need to enhance cooperation between Western countries... more.. Royal opposes Iran’s nuclear ambitions Jerusalem Post 12/5/2006 French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal showed her support for a number of Israel’s key policy stances regarding Iran and Hamas as she spoke with journalists in Jerusalem on Monday at the end of her two-day visit to Israel. She took a particularly hard line against Iran’s nuclear development when she stated her opposition to that country’s drive to develop enriched uranium even for non-military uses." We have to stop it from producing uranium even for civilian use," she said." There are those who say that I do not understand the situation, but I do. I have long contended that Iran with nuclear power is not just a danger for Israel but for the rest of the world," Royal said.... When it comes to negotiating on France’s behalf, she said, she would not meet with Hamas members of the Palestinian Authority... more.. UN declares that Israel’s imposition of laws on Jerusalem are illegal and invalid Ma’an News Agency 12/4/2006 Ma’an & UN sources - By traditionally wide margins, the United Nations General Assembly on Friday adopted a series of resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, sponsored by Arab and non-aligned delegations, including one text reaffirming the United Nations’ permanent responsibility regarding the question of Palestine, until the question is resolved in all its aspects and in accordance with international law. The General Assembly passed several resolutions in favour of the right of Palestinians to self-determination and Israel’s withdrawal from the Syrian Golan. On the resolution for the right of Palestinians to self-determination and an independent state, which stressed the need for Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, the resolution passed by a recorded 157 votes in favour to 7 against with 10 abstentions. more.. Report: Noam Shalit to visit Gaza Jerusalem Post 12/4/2006 Noam Shalit, father of kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, is expected to visit the Gaza Strip in the next few days to meet with members of Hamas and Fatah. Contacts are underway to arrange a meeting for Shalit with representatives of both organizations, which have agreed in principle to meet with the captive soldier’s father, the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat reported on Monday morning. According to an Egyptian official interviewed by Al-Hayat, despite the generally positive atmosphere of meetings held thus far to negotiate the fate of Gilad, Israel and Egypt have been unable to devise a plan for his release that would be acceptable to all parties concerned." There are great differences of opinion between Hamas and Israel..." more.. Netanyahu: Gaza turning into second Lebanon YNetNews 12/4/2006 After short period of silence, opposition chairman criticizes ceasefire with Palestinians. ’Hamas continues to fire rockets, and if its doesn’t stop there will be tragic outcomes which we have already witnessed,’ he says. Likud demands to prevent Haniyeh from returning to PA if he leaves for Tehran -- Opposition Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, following a short period of silence, that "the desire to restore calm in Sderot does not match the desire for a one-sided ceasefire." The faction members called on the government to prevent Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from returning to the Palestinian Authority territories, if he leaves to Damascus or Tehran as planned. "It is completely obvious that Haniyeh’s coordination talks in Damascus and Tehran will deal with the terror activity against Israel," the faction said... more.. Haniyya meets Syrian President in Damascus International Middle East Media Center 12/4/2006 The Syrian News Agency reported on Monday that the Syrian president, Bashar Asad, met in Damascus with the Palestinian Prime Minister from the Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyya, and discussed with him the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, and the efforts to form a National Unity Government. Asad said that Syria “fully supports the Palestinian people, their struggle to establish an independent state, and the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees. Haniyya arrived in Syria on Sunday for a four-day visit, and met with the Syrian Vice-President, Farouq Al Share’ earlier on Monday. Haniyya also met on Sunday with the Syrian Prime Minster, Mohammad Otari. Om Tuesday, Haniyya plans to meet with leaders of Palestinian factions based in Syria and is expected to hold talks with them on the efforts to form a national unity government. more.. Foreign ministry accuses Solana of interfering Ma’an News Agency 12/4/2006 Gaza - The Palestinian ministry of foreign affairs has accused Javier Solana of interfering in Palestinian internal affairs. This follows statements by Solana in November in which he accused Hamas of missing an opportunity to lift the siege that was imposed on the Palestinians after their election. In a statement, the ministry said, "It would have been better for Solana to call for respect for the Palestinian people’s choice and to respect the results of the democratic elections, and [to call for] the lifting of the siege." [end] UN secretary general’s update to the Security Council on Resolution 1701 Daily Star 12/4/2006 Report - I have the honor to submit a factual update on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) (S/2006/270), in particular on UNIFIL’s operations and other relevant UN activities. In doing so, I have noted and welcome the continuing commitment of the Government of Lebanon and the Government of Israel to all aspects of the implementation of [1701]. I. Respect for the Blue Line: Since my last report on 12 September 2006, the military and security situation in UNIFIL’s area of operation has further stabilized. The cessation of hostilities was maintained and there were no serious incidents or confrontations. Nevertheless, UNIFIL observed and reported air violations by Israeli jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) almost on a daily basis. more.. Palestinian clerics: Israel trying to export AIDS to PA YNetNews 12/5/2006 In honor of Int’l AIDS Day, conference on disease held in Ramallah. Both Christian and Muslim religious figures preach morality as safeguard against disease, claim Israel trying to infect Palestinians with AIDS in order to damage society. Palestinian AIDS patient gives testimony, warns against promiscuity -- In honor of International AIDS Day, a conference was held Monday in Ramallah on ways to prevent spread of the disease in the Palestinian Authority, where there are 80 listed infected people. Religious figures who participated in the conference cautioned that one of Israel’s aims is to damage the Palestinians by spreading promiscuous norms that are likely to negatively affect residents of the PA. "Israel is trying to hurt the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people also by means of exporting AIDS, drug trafficking, promiscuous norms, and making prostitution legal..." more.. The governor of Hebron hosts a Norweigian delegation Ma’an News Agency 12/4/2006 Hebron - The governor of Hebron, Arif Al-Ja’bari, on Monday received a delegation representing the ruling Norwegian socialist party. The governor welcomed the delegation and updated them on the situation in Hebron, in particular, and Palestine in general. He told them that Hebron, which is one the largest Palestinian governorates in the West Bank, is suffering a high rate of unemployment and poverty. Ja’bari also talked about the daily suffering of the people resulting from the Israeli confiscation of land for a growing number of illegal West Bank settlements. [end]