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This Week in Palestine Week 36 2008-09-05

This Week in Palestine a service of the International Middle East Media Center www.IMEMC.org, for Augast 30th through September 5th 2008

Lead: Diplomatic efforts continue to in a number of world capitals, while on the ground in Palestine, Israeli military forces continue their invasions in the West Bank areas and more Palestinian patients loose their lives due to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, these stories and more, are coming up, stay tuned.

Nonviolent Resistance
Lead: We start our weekly report with the nonviolent actions in Palestine, where one Italian was wounded in Bil’in’s weekly protest on the first anniversary of the Israeli court ruling to change the route of the wall there, meanwhile Al-Ma’asara village near Bethlehem is declared Israeli-goods free, E. L. Humble with the details.

Bil’in
On Friday, one Italian Human Rights activist was wounded with rubber-coated steel bullets in the weekly nonviolent, anti-wall protest in the West Bank village of Bil’in.

Medical sources reported that the wounded activist was identified as Frederica, and her injury was described as moderate.

The protestors marched after the Friday prayer from the mosque of the village to the construction site of the wall, where the Israeli troops were waiting for them. Local sources in Bil’in said that troops fired C.S. gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets in addition to concussion grenades at the peaceful protestors. Dozens were exposed to the gas and treated for Gas inhalation.

Protestors carried Palestinian flags and signs demanding the immediate removal of the wall and the settlements and the release of the 11,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

As the protestors arrived at the gate in the built section of the wall they managed to remove it from its place. However, the Israeli military, declared the area a closed military zone to force the crowded, Palestinian, Israeli and International activists to leave the area.

The Popular committee against the wall and settlements in Bil’in said that it has been a year since the Israeli high court ruled to move the wall 500 meters away from the village, yet the court ruling was not implemented yet.

The court’s decision will allow the village to retrieve around 300 acres of the land grabbed for the construction of the wall, noting that the total area of land expropriated from Bil’in village is 600 acres.

Al-Ma’asara
In Bethlehem, residents of the nearby Al-Ma’asara village organized a nonviolent protest under the title, “Al-Ma’asara is Israeli goods free”.

The villagers were joined by International peace activists and went through the village to the land slated for confiscation for the construction of the wall.

Israeli troops stopped the protestors on their march, before they could reach their destination, and the organizers spoke to the crowd at that spot.

The speakers stressed the need for continuous nonviolent actions against the wall and the settlements until they stop, demanding the international Human Rights organizations to support this civic effort.

On his part, Mohammad Breijeyeh, one of the organizers of the protest, said another protest will be organized next Monday during which protestors will burn Israeli goods in front of Israeli soldiers.
For IMEMC this is , E. L. Humble

West Bank
Lead: Israeli military forces continue their invasions into the West Bank areas taking a number of civilians prisoner, more details with IMEMC's Ghassan Bannoura.

Early this week, the Israeli troops swept into the Jenin city, ransacking the house of a Palestinian family and taking members of the family for interrogation.

Also, Israeli armored vehicles stormed a number of Palestinian cities such as Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem and Tulkarem. Cities of Hebron and Bethlehem were invaded twice during the week.

These invasions have resulted in the detention of several residents, including 7 in Tulkarem, 2 in Bethlehem and 2 in Hebron. Israeli attacks on the West Bank areas take place on a daily basis.

Also, an 18-month-old Palestinian toddler was in danger of dying after his arrival at the hospital was delayed by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint. The toddler was reportedly suffocating after his tongue was turned back into his mouth.

Israel has more than 570 checkpoints and roadblocks around the West Bank cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, thus grossly impeding movement of the Palestinian population.

In the meantime, an Israeli military court acquitted the Israeli soldiers who shot and killed a Palestinian resident of Na'alin, near Ramallah, last month.

The deceased man, was shouting at a soldier who was arresting his brother. Another soldier shot him with three rubber-coated bullets; two penetrated his skull, while the third went into his chest

Apart from the Israeli attacks on the West Bank, the ruling Hamas party in Gaza confirmed that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank arrested six Hamas members this week.
For IMEMC This is Ghassan Bannoura

Gaza
Lead: The number of Palestinian patients who died due to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza strip stands at 245 this week, IMEMC's Rami Al Meghari has more:

Hussain Abu Zazzar, a 77-year-old man from the Gaza Strip , died this week after his access outside of Gaza was delayed due to the Israeli blockade on the coastal region. The death of Abu Zazzar brought the death toll of ill patients to 245 since Israel imposed the siege in June 2007.

This week, on the northern Gaza shores, Israeli naval vessels shot and wounded two Palestinian fishermen while on board their ships. The fishermen were accompanied by five international peace activists who are members of the Free Gaza Movement.

In the meantime, early this week Egypt reopened the Rafah crossing terminal for a couple of days, allowing hundreds of patients, stranded students and travelers in and out of Gaza.

Member of the Free Gaza Movement, Lauren Booth, a British Journalist and sister-in-law of Quartet's envoy, Mr. Tony Blair, was denied access to Egypt through the terminal.

Booth and nine other fellow members have been denied exit of Gaza either through Egypt or through the Israeli checkpoint of Eritz in northern Gaza. These nine internationals chose to stay in Gaza as their comrades of the Free Gaza Boa , which broke the siege on August23, returned back to Cyprus after spending five days in Gaza.

Jamla aL-Khudari, a Gaza lawmaker and head of the local popular committee to break the Israeli siege, confirmed that another boat that will attempt to break-the-siege, will arrive in Gaza after September22. Internationals stranded in Gaza will return back to Cyprus on this boat.

For IMEMC.org , I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza

The Political Report
Lead: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres discussed in Italy on Thursday, outstanding political issues between the two sides, as Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak hinted at the possibility of establishing a Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem IMEMC's Jessica Husly has details

This week in Palestine, a meeting between Palestinian President, Abbas and Israeli prime minister Olmert, resulted in no concrete progress in terms of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

Top Palestinian negotiator, Ahmad Qurai, said that there will be no solution without the occupied east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Later in the week, Israeli defense minister stated to the Aliazeera that Israel will possibly allow Palestinian sovereignty over some Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.

Barak's statement was slammed by the minister of transportation, Shaol Mofaz, who considered the statement as representing only Barak and not the official policy line of the Israeli state. Israel insists that Jerusalem should remain united under the 'Jewish State'.

As Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have virtually achieved no progress, Palestinian factions are currently meeting with Egyptian officials in Cairo, for talks over Palestinian national unity.

Underway, talks are aimed at getting the rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, closer in terms of ending their current split in Gaza and in the West Bank.

Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmad Abu Elgheit, was reported by the Middle East News Agency as proposing deployment of Arab forces in the Gaza Strip.

The proposal was rejected by the ruling Hamas party and other parties in Gaza. The factions won't welcome such forces, but will rather deal with them as hostile troops, unless they are expected to liberate Jerusalem.

Both Fatah and Hamas parties have been at odds since the Islamist Hamas took power after the January 2006 elections. The rivalry reached a climax when Hamas seized control of Gaza completely and ousted Fatah-loyal forces from Gaza in June 2007.

Meanwhile, French president Nicolas Sarkozy delivered a message from the father of captured Israeli soldier Gil'ad Shalit, to his Syrian counterpart Bashar AL-Assad, to be handed over later on the Damascus-based exiled leader of Hamas.

France has been putting forth efforts for the release of Shailt from Gaza, where Hamas has been holding the soldier since June of 2006 due to cross-border attacks in southern Gaza. Shalit holds a dual-French-Israeli citizenship.

Since June19, 2008, both Israel and the Palestinian factions have agreed to a ceasefire deal , brokered by Egypt, in which talks over the release of Shailt would resume. Hamas wants to see hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released including those with long-term imprisonments.

This week, Israeli chief of internal security, Avi Dikhter, said that Hamas obstructs the possibility of reaching an agreement over the Shailt case. Israel has pulled back on an agreement to release 70 Palestinian prisoners.
For IMEMC this is Jessica Husly

Conclusion
And that just some of the news this week in Palestine, for constant updates, check out our website, www.IMEMC.org thanks for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. This week's report has been brought to you by Hussam Qassis and George Rishmawi.

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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center www.imemc.org for Thursday September 4, 2008.

As peace-related summits continue to be held in world capitals, Israeli military forces go on rampage in Palestinian cities rounding up Palestinian residents. These stories and more are coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast

Israeli troops detained on Thursday at dawn four Palestinian residents; two from Hebron and the other two from Bethlehem. Such detention is part of almost daily Israeli military operations in different West Bank areas.

Meanwhile, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will be meeting on Thursday evening with his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres in the Italian capital of Rome. The meeting comes on the sideline of a Rome special conference on Friday, addressing Arab-Israeli ties.

The two leaders will be discussing outstanding political issues, Israeli sources reported.
In the meantime, envoy of the Quartet Committee fro Middle East peace, Tony Blair, attended today a special conference in the West Bank city of Nablus. The conference was held at an-Najjah National University.

Blair believed that there is a possibility to maintain economic growth in the Palestinian areas, asserting the need for security and stability in the region for the sake of such development.

On another note, French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, will deliver a message from the father of captured Israeli soldier Gil'ad Shalit, who has been in Hamas's captivity for the past two years, to the Syrian President Bashar al-Aassad.

Assad and Sarkozy are meeting on the sideline of the foursome, French-Qatari-Turkish-Syrian summit in Damascus to discuss efforts to encourage peace in the region particularly the indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria.

Shalit holds a dual French-Israeli nationality; therefore, the French leadership has been keen to interfere in trying to get him released.

Israel has been imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip since Shalit was captured in June 2996. the blockade has intensified after Hamas assumed control over the Gaza Strip in June 2007. This blockade has resulted so far in the death of more than 240 Palestinian patients due to lack of medical supplies and inability to travel out of the coastal region for medical treatment.

In Gaza, head of the local popular committee to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, lawmaker, Jamal al-Khudari, believed that the Israeli decision to ban the travel of some internationals out of Gaza via land, can help let such foreign activists experience life of Gaza under siege, and thus help send out an effective message.

Conclusion
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 Rami Al-Meghari Hussam Qassis and Gorge Rishmawi.

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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center www.imemc.org for Tuesday September 3, 2008.

Israeli troops storm a number of West Bank cities, rounding up 7 Palestinians while in Gaza, Israeli authorities deny International activists passage out of the Gaza Strip, these stories and more are coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast
The frequent Israeli military offensives against Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps in the occupied West Bank today, resulted in the detention of seven Palestinians from Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarem.

Witnesses said that scores of Israeli military vehicles swept into the said areas earlier at dawn and that the soldiers ransacked and searched residents’ homes, rounding up and taking the seven residents to unknown destinations.

As the daily Israeli operations in the West Bank are unabated, the situation in Gaza continues to be hard as Israel continue to close all border crossings of the coastal region. Today the Israeli authorities declared they would not allow some international activities out of Gaza en-route to their destinations abroad.

Among those prevented access is British journalist and sister in law of former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Lauren Booth. Booth, who arrived in Gaza in August 23 on one of the Free Gaza boats, was quoted as saying "Thanks for Israel for letting us live what Gazans have".

Meanwhile, Egyptian mediation efforts are underway in Cairo, in an attempt to achieve national unity between Palestinian factions. Egyptian foreign minster, Ahmad AbulGheit had proposed bringing in Arab forces in Gaza. Most of the factions in Gaza rejected the proposal, as the Popular Resistance Committees said it would deal with any forces as same as the occupation.

In the meantime, the national and international relations department of the Palestine Liberation Organization issued today its monthly repot on Israeli army attacks on Palestinians. The report pointed out that 2 Palestinians were killed and 131 others wounded in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in the month of August.

It is believed that this relatively low death toll among Palestinians is a result of the Cairo-brokered ceasefire deal hammered on June 19. Many commentators considered the deal as fragile and would possibly collapse at any time.

Conclusion
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 Rami Al-Meghari, Hussam Qessis and George Rishmawi.

Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || 3 m 30s || 3.20 MB || Palestine Today

Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center www.imemc.org for Tuesday September 2, 2008.

Israel beefs up police presence in Jerusalem on the second day of Ramadan, and the Gaza siege continues, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast
The deposed Palestinian Ministry of Health of the ruling Hamas party in Gaza announced on Tuesday that the death toll of patients, dying for being denied access abroad for medical treatment is increasing on daily basis.

The ministry called on all concerned parties to intervene immediately for lifting the Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has been in place for more than 14 months.

In the West Bank, Israeli troops took prisoner two brothers in Al-Fawwar refugee camp near the southern city of Hebron. The Palestinian Prisoner Society reported that Lu’ay, 20 and Hamza Hasaniya, 15 were taken from their home in the camp to an undisclosed location.

The prisoner’s society also said that an Israeli military force kidnapped two other Palestinian civilians from Yatta village also near Hebron and took them to an unknown destination.

In the meantime, Israeli police intensified presence in Jerusalem at the second day of the Holy Moslem month of Ramadan. Israeli soldiers and police also stopped Palestinian cars driving on the road linking the south and the north of the West Bank and inspected their Identity cards forcing some of them wait in the sun.

On a separate issue, the Israeli internal security chief, Avi Dichter, accused Hamas of obstructing a prisoners’ swap deal with Israel. Dichter's remarks contradict comments by the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, who believes that current calm in the region due to the ceasefire will help reach a prisoner swap deal soon.

In conjunction, Palestinian sources believed talks between Egyptian officials and Palestinian factions' representatives may lead to reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas parties.

However, sources close to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said that the president reaffirms his conditions to Hamas that the party should renounce control over Gaza, before any dialogue is commenced between the rival parties.

In the meantime, Amr Mousa, chief of Arab states league, called on the Palestinian parties to reach an agreement in a three-month period.

Conclusion
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 Rami Al-Meghari, Hussam Qassis and George Rishmawi.

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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center www.imemc.org for Monday September 1, 2008.

As the first day of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan starts, Israeli soldiers are ordered not to eat or smoke on checkpoints, meanwhile, Israeli gunboats open fire at Palestinian fishermen, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast

As the Month of Ramadan starts in Palestine today during which Moslems fast during the daylight and eat after the sunset, Palestinian media sources quoted Israeli reports that the Israeli soldiers, manning the checkpoints in the West Bank have been ordered not to eat or smoke in front of Palestinians passing by the checkpoints. This is the first time soldiers are asked to maintain such behavior during Ramadan.

The number of such roadblocks, which hamper Palestinian movement very grossly, has been estimated at 570, placed in different parts of the occupied West Bank.

In the meantime, the Israeli naval vessels shot and wounded two Palestinian fishermen on board on Gaza shores. The Israeli fire wounded one critically and left the other with shrapnel all over his body.

Earlier in the day, five international human rights activists of the Free Gaza Movement, joined other fishermen on board on Gaza shores on Monday. According to a statement by the movement, delivered to the IMEMC via email, the Israeli naval forces opened fire at the boats, leaving no causalities.

Also in Gaza, other members of the Free Gaza movement condemned today the Egyptian authorities’ denial of their access through the Egyptian Rafah crossing terminal on their way back to destination vial land.

The group of five, including a British journalist, called on the Egyptians to allow them in after the Israeli authorities denied them entry into the Erez checkpoint in northern Gaza.

The Free Gaza movement brought last month a group of 44 internationals via Gaza sea, in solidarity with the besieged coastal territory. Israel, which closes Gaza's crossings for more than 14 months now, left the internationals intact but prevented their entry via land.

On another note, Arab league's chief, Amr Mousa, said yesterday that the notion to bring Arab forces is debatable, awaiting results of underway intra-Palestinian dialogue over national unity.

The ruling Hamas party in Gaza slammed an Egyptian proposal to bring in Arab troops to Gaza, in order to rein in the internal Palestinian situation. Ismael Radwan, a spokesman of Hamas in Gaza, was quoted as saying "if you want to send us troops, send them to liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the West Bank and Palestine; in Gaza we have security and safety".

Conclusion

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 Rami Al-Meghari and George Rishmawi.