Egypt warned from the continued Israeli settlements construction in Jerusalem is harmful to the peace process.

The comments were made by the Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Abu Al Ghayit talks with Didiah Fariti, the Swaziland envoy to the Middle East, on Friday evening in Cairo.

Husam Zaki the spokesperson of the Egyptian external Affairs Ministry stated that Abu Al Ghayit confirmed that the world must work side by side with the Palestinians in order to make justice and help the Palestinians to take their rights back.

Zaki added that this meeting is part of the Egyptian efforts to create an international purser on Israel in order to push the peace process forward.

Palestinian sources reported that a group of unknown gunmen shot and killed a Palestinian Police officer in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning.

The sources said that a group of gunmen opened fire at 23-year Abd Al Salam Abu Taqia in his home at Jabalia refugee camp in northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses said that Abu Taquia is a member of the Fateh Movement.

Hamas took total control in Gaza in June 2007, ending a year long of infighting with the Palestinian President Fatah party after the latter won the Palestinian Legislative elections in 2006.

Palestinian sources reported that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.

This is Brown’s first visit to Palestine as the Prime Minister of Britain. British business men are expected to accompany Brown during his visit, where they will meet their Palestinian counterparts to support investment in the Palestinian areas.

Brown, served as the British Minister of Finance when Tony Blaier was the Prime Minister, he is known for his support to investment and development in the Palestinian areas.

The British official will arrive in Israeli on Saturday where he is expected to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehod Olmert and Defense Minister Ehod Barak.

Prior to Brown's visit, Palestinian and British officials said that UK is studying the possibility of holding an investment conference for Palestine; this conference is expected to be discussed with Palestinian officials during the British official visit.

The Israeli Army invaded on Saturday at dawn Kufur Ra’ee village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

Local sources reported that Israeli vehicles invaded the village searched and ransacked homes then left after some time.

No kidnappings were reported during Saturday's attack.

Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Thursday evening that a 10-month old infant died at a local hospital in Gaza after Israel barred his family from transferring him to a hospital outside the Gaza Strip. Earlier on Thursday a 6-year old child died of kidney failure.

The sources stated that Waseem Hamdan, 10 months, needed urgent medical treatment out of the Gaza Strip as the ongoing Israeli siege emptied Gaza hospitals of the basic equipment and medications.

Earlier on Thursday a 6-year old child, identified as Imad Al Oweiny, died of kidney failure, at a local hospital in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli siege on Gaza led to the death of more than 211 patients, including 46 children.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported that although one month passed since achieving the truce deal, Israel did not implement its side of the part of the agreement which states that it should reopen the border crossing, especially the Rafah border terminal.

The ministry added that Israel does not allow the patients to be moved to hospitals abroad to receive the needed treatement.

The ministry demanded international human rights groups to intervene and stop the Israeli violations which the ministry described as “organized annihilation practiced by Israel against 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”.

 

Death toll rises to 210 as one more patient dies due to the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip

Rula Shahwan, IMEMC News, Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:58:58

Medical sources reported on Friday morning that the death toll among patients in the Gaza Strip arrived to 210 as a 10 month old infant died this morning as his family was banned from moving him out of the Gaza Strip to seek the needed medical treatment.

Medical sources reported that a number of patients in the Gaza Strip are facing death as they are also banned from seeking medcal treatment abroad.

Last month, both Israel and Palestinian Resistance factions in Gaza agreed to a truce, after long Egyptian mediation efforts.

The deal stipulates that Hamas will stop the firing of homemade shells into Israeli territory in exchange for Israel lifting the 12-month blockade and ceasing all military attacks against the Coastal Region.