Palestien Today 120408

Thursday December 04, 2008 19:11 by IMEMC News - Audio Dept

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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center
www.imemc.org, for Thursday December 04 2008

In the Gaza Strip, all Palestinian banks have been closed down today as Israel has cut off all money transfers en route to Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel allowed some shipments of goods, commodities and fuel for electricity into Gaza. These stories and more are coming up, stay tuned.

According to the Palestinian Monetary Authority, the closure of Gaza banks came after Israel has denied delivery of Israeli Shekel currency and U.S dollars into Gaza banks for more than a week now.

A statement by the Authority read that efforts are underway now with many international concerned bodies, including the World Bank, to urge Israel to allow flow of funds to the besieged Gaza Strip.

The cash crisis comes as Muslims in Palestine will be marking the Aladha Eid holiday in a few days time, while scores of thousands of Ramallah-paid Palestinian Authority employees are awaiting their monthly salaries.

In the meantime, today Israel allowed in some shipments of goods and commodities as well as some quantities of fuel to generate electricity amidst a crippling Israeli closure of Gaza for more than four weeks now.

Palestinian sources confirmed that 40 trucks of goods were allowed to enter into the Gaza Strip this morning through the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing in southern Gaza.

In the West Bank, top Palestinian negotiator Ahmad Qurei called for an international protection to the Palestinian people against repeated Settler attacks on Palestinian residents in the West Bank, the most egregious of such attacks ongoing in the city of Hebron.

Qurei stated that the settler attacks are illegal, as they occur on occupied Palestinian land. Over the past several weeks, armed Israeli settlers have stepped up attacks on Palestinian unarmed civilians and properties in various areas of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Justin Theriault and Husam Qassis.

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