Abu Mojahid, media spokesperson of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) welcomed the upcoming release of Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel, and stressed the Committees’ firm position regarding a prisoner swap deal with Israel. Full Story

The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees reported on Tuesday that nearly half of the detainees that Israel intends to release as “a good will gesture” will finish their terms in 2009. Israel vowed to release 200 detainees, and 95 of them are already supposed to be released by next year. Full Story

Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, denied the existence of any Egyptian initiative to pave the way for a new round of internal Palestinian dialogue, and added that Egypt also presented some questions that required answers from the factions, but there was no official invitation for talks. Full Story

Ashraf Abu Rahma, the Palestinian resident who was shot by the soldiers after they bounded and blindfolded him, filed a petition along with Israeli Human Rights groups; B’Tselem, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, and Yesh Din, against the Judge Advocate General's decision to prosecute the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Omri Borberg, and the soldier who fired the shot, Staff Sgt. L, for “unbecoming conduct”, the High Court issued a decree nisi, forcing the Judge Advocate General to justify his decision, B’Tselem reported. Full Story

Israeli army troops attacked a number of shops selling fertilizer and agricultural materials in Tulkarem on Monday mid-afternoon. Full Story

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will arrive in Jeddah on Tuesday afternoon to meet with King Abdullah Ibn Abdel Aziz, Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdel Aziz and Foreign Minister prince Saud Al-Faisal.
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The Israeli army troops invaded Hebron, kidnapping two civilians following a search of their houses, as reported by local sources. Full Story

Israeli army troops invaded Tulkarem, Nablus and Jenin on Tuesday at dawn and rendited eight civilians, as reported by local sources.

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A lawyer for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera News Agency demanded that the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz,  apologize for publishing a faulty report in its printed and online editions.  The report in question claimed that Al Jazeera had apologized to Israel for a weekly report which focused on Sameer Al Quntar, a Lebanese fighter who was release recently in a prisoner-swap deal after more than 30 years in Israeli prison. Full Story

Taiseer Khalid, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and member of the political bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), stated on Monday that what Israel is offering the Palestinians is nothing more than a reservation under Israeli sovereignty. Full Story

The Al Qassam Brigade, the armed wing of Hamas, stated on Monday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and his Prime Minister, Sr. Salaam Fayyad, are obstructing all efforts to achieve an honorable prisoner swap deal. Full Story

Talal Abu Thareefa, member of the political bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) stated on Monday that representatives of five Palestinian factions had held a meeting and called for a comprehensive national dialogue to end internal divisions and affirm the Cairo declaration of 2005, the National Unity Document of 2006 and the Yemeni Initiative. Full Story