|
Gaza families watch in awe and fear as Israelis pour in 300
shells a day
The Guardian
4/12/2006
Minister defends daily barrage bill of £125,000· Palestinian girl 15th
to be killed in Gaza since Friday -- The Israeli government said
yesterday it would continue its bombardment of northern Gaza with an
estimated 300 shells a day despite international criticism over the
death of a young girl. Shaul Mofaz, the defence minister who is touring
Israel's borders with Gaza, said: "As long as it's not quiet here [in
Israel], it won't be quiet there [in Gaza]. " Israeli forces have been
firing shells close to Palestinian communities to stop militants from
firing rockets at Israeli communities. The army continued to bombard
the outskirts of Beit Lahiya yesterday, but Palestinian militants fired
their homemade missiles from different residential areas, which they
believe are safe from Israeli reprisals.
Food crisis again threatening Gaza, with crossing to Israel
closed - UN official
ReliefWeb/United
Nations News 4/11/2006
With the Karni commercial crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip
still closed, a senior official of the main United Nations agency
helping Palestinian refugees warned that the clock is ticking toward a
dangerous lack of basic food. “If Karni remains closed, we are, once
again, counting down to a food crisis,” said John Ging, Director of
Gaza Operations for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), on which
765,000 refugees depend for flour, oil, sugar and other basic items. “The clock is now ticking and distribution will have to be shut down
entirely for the second time in less than a month if the crossing does
not open immediately,” he added.
Palestinians Tighten Belts, UN Warns of Aid Freeze
Palestine Chronicle
4/10/2006
New Finance Minister Omar Abdel-Razeq has said the cash-strapped
Palestinian Authority cannot pay salaries, at least for now. --
RAMALLAH - The suspension of direct aid to the Palestinian Authority by
the EU and the US is adding an insult to an already ailing economy,
prompting UN agencies to voice fears Monday, April 10, of the
humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "My pockets
are empty. I borrowed from all the people I know and they cannot lend
to me again," Maroof Rawashdeh, a father of seven, told Reuters.
Rawashdeh, a technician with the Palestinian national broadcaster,
stopped going to work when the money ran out to pay his bus fare. He
needs 20 shekels ($4. 30) a day, about a third of his salary, to pay
the fare in a minibus from his village of Bitin to his workplace in
Ramallah.
Minister of Health describes Israeli attack on Hebron
Hospital as "barbaric"
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Ramallah- Ma'an- Palestinian Ministry of Health undersecretary Dr.
Adnan Al-Masri condemned the Israeli forces raid against the Al-Ahli
hospital in Hebron and the kidnapping of two of its residents on
Monday. The ministry said that Al-Masri considered this attack as a
barbaric act and presents a clear violation of all signed agreements
and international accords, especially the fourth Geneva Convention. The
undersecretary called on all health and human rights organisations to
support the Palestinian people in this crisis and to protect the
Palestinians who are sick and awaiting treatment in the hospitals.
[end]
UNRWA Director "Counting down to a crisis in Gaza"
ReliefWeb/UNRWA
4/11/2006
Gaza – Another week of closure at Karni commercial crossing between
Israel and the Gaza Strip adds to the mounting woes facing Palestine
refugees living in Gaza. This follows a weekend that saw the killing of
14 Palestinians, protests by refugee farmers who have yet to receive
any compensation for bird flu and widespread public demonstrations
protesting the cutting of donor funding, John Ging, Director of UNRWA
Operations in Gaza, warned that “if Karni remains closed, we are, once
again, counting down to a food crisis. ” 765,000 refugees depend on
UNRWA’s food distribution of flour, oil, sugar and other basic items.
Ging stated that “the clock is now ticking and distribution will have
to be shut down entirely for the second time in less than a month if
the crossing does not open immediately. "
Another innocent child dies in Israeli bombardment of
northern Gaza
Defence for Children
International - Palestine 4/11/2006
At 5. 30pm on Monday 10 April 2006, at least six artillery shells fired
by the Israeli military fell on the family house of Mohammed Rabe'eya
Ghaban in Beit Lahiya, in the north of the Gaza Strip. Shrapnel from
the shells pierced the skull of Mohammed's eight-year old daughter
Hadeel, killing her instantly. The shelling also resulted in the injury
of eight other family members, including Hadeel's brothers and sisters:
Rawan Ghaban 1 and a half years old / Rana Ghaban 3 years old / Munir
Ghaban 4 years old / Amneh Ghaban 9 years old / Ghassan Ghaban 11 years
old / Bassam Ghaban 15 years old / Tahrir Ghaban 17 years old - The
children's mother, 35-year old Sofia, was the eighth family member
wounded in the attack.
Recent Israeli Military Operations in Aida Camp
International
Solidarity Movement 4/11/2006
From: Abdel Fattah Abu-Srour, PhD Subject: News from Aida Camp --
Israeli occupation soldiers during this whole week continued their
harassement to Aida camp inhabitants, with tear gas, rubber bullets,
taking hostages and shooting 3 kids 11-13 years old (one of them is a
deaf-mute child) with rubber bullets in the head and abdomen, and
provocative actions throug the loud speakers of their armored jeeps. On
thursday, two workers on the popular committee went to a store to take
out some of their equipment to start working in one of the job creation
projects in the camp. It was an Israeli soldier who opened the door and
the weapon pointed at them ordered them to come in. The director of the
Camp, who is a UNRWA employee, with another employee went to check what
happened... they were also taken hostage…
PCHR Condemns Retaliation Measures against Civilians
Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights 4/11/2006
An 8-Year-Old Palestinian Child Killed and 8 Members of Her Family
Injured when their Home in the Northern Gaza Strip was Shelled by IOF
-- According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately
17:35 on Monday, 10 April 2006, one of the artillery shells fired by
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) at the Gaza Strip hit a
170-square-meter house belonging to Rabee’ ‘Abdullah Ghaben, in the
densely populated al-Amal neighborhood in the north of Beit Lahia town.
The shell penetrated the roof and exploded inside the house, while
Ghaen’s wife and children were inside. The owner’s daughter, 8-year-old
Hadeel, was instantly killed by shrapnel to the head. The mother and 8
other children, aged 18 months to 17 years, were injured. In addition,
3 neighbors, including two children, were also injured.
UN official expresses concern over Gaza situation
China View 4/11/2006
GAZA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- An official of the United Nations Relief and
Work Agency (UNRWA) voiced on Tuesday his concern over the worrying
security and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. John Jing, UNRWA
operation manager, told a news conference in Gaza City that the Gaza
Strip is faced with a very difficult times and UNRWA is very much
concerned about the situation here. Israel has been closing down main
crossings on Gaza Strip border for most of the past three and a half
months. Meanwhile, Israeli forces has escalated air and artillery
strikes in Gaza for the past four days, killing at least 16
Palestinians. "I've just come back from a trip to the northern Gaza
Strip. I visited UNRWA schools in Beit Hanaon and Beit Lahia and I met
with parents and teachers and they all expressed great concern for the
safety of their children due to ongoing bombing and shelling," said
Jing.
Israeli forces set up further barriers around Tulkarem
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Tulkarem- Ma'an- Israeli forces have strengthened their siege imposed
on the area of Tulkarem for more than four successive months. The
forces erected more military barriers at the crossroads of towns and
villages in the area especially in the northern and eastern parts of
the governorate. In a new step, the citizens noticed that the Israeli
forces erected more cement blocks at the barrier of Jebarah south of
the city of Tulkarem, and complained that these blocks will extend the
delays they face when going to or from their jobs or place of work.
[end]
Israel: No halt to Gaza strikes
AlJazeera 4/11/2006
The Israeli army confirmed it was shelling populated areas -- Israel
says it will continue its bombardment of populated Palestinian areas in
retaliation for militant rocket strikes into Israeli territory, despite
the death of a child in the latest shelling. Tzipi Livni, the foreign
minister, said on Tuesday Israel would stand by its new policy of
firing artillery shells into Gaza in an effort to stop rocket fire at
Israel. "The role of the Israeli army is to defend Israeli civilians,
combat terrorism and prevent rocket attacks," Livni told public radio. "As long as Palestinians fire at residential area, the army mustreply. " An Israeli military spokesman echoed Livni's comments.
Israeli forces attack PMRS doctor in Nablus
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Nablus- Ma'an- Israeli forces attacked the director of the Palestinian
Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in Nablus, Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, while he
was passing through street "24" near his house in Nablus city on
Tuesday morning. Hamdan said that the soldier beat him with a chair
while he was trying to lend a hand to a citizen who the soldiers were
also attacking. The doctor added that one of the Israeli patrols
attacked a PMRS car; an Israeli military vehicle deliberately hit the
car in one of the streets of the city. [end]
New crossing between Nablus and Qalqilia
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Qalqilia- Ma'an- Israeli forces turned the Israeli military barrier
near the town of Jet east of Qalqilia into a specific crossing point
between the Nablus and Qalqilia Governorates. Cement blocks and special
passages for Palestinian cars were set up, in addition to points where
Palestinian citizens will be searched and inspected. University student
Bassem Nassar told the Ma'an reporter that it used to take him one to
one-and-a-half hours to reach his university in Nablus, but today it
took him three hours to reach the University of An-Najah. A taxi driver
said that this will be another obstacle obstructing Palestinian
citizens' movement and adversely affecting their lives.
Israeli army storms Nablus, detaining 10 Palestinians
China View 4/11/2006
RAMALLAH, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli troops, backed by 30 armored
vehicles and jeeps, stormed the northern West Bank city of Nablus on
Tuesday and detained 10 Palestinians, security sources said. More than
30 armored vehicles marched into the city and then moved into a nearby
refugee camp on the western outskirts of Nablus, where soldiers raided
houses. Witnesses said several Israeli soldiers broke into the main
mosque in the refugee camp in the morning and forced prayers to take
off their clothes and searched them. Nablus has been subjected to the
ongoing Israeli military operation, which began six days ago. Israeli
soldiers raided houses, and detained young men, claiming they were
militants and wanted by Israelis security forces.
Mofaz: No quiet in Gaza Strip until there is quiet in Israel
Ha'aretz 4/11/2006
Israel Defense Forces shelling of the Gaza Strip continued on Tuesday,
despite civilian casualties the day before, and a military spokesperson
said the operation against Qassam rocket launchers would continue.
Speaking the day after shelling killed a 12-year-old Palestinian girl,
the spokesperson said, "We will continue to fight them [rocket
launchers] intensely, while trying to avoid hurting innocent civilians. "On Tuesday afternoon, Israel Navy gunboats shelled a Palestinian
police position in northern Gaza on Tuesday, Palestinian security
officials said.
Israel vows to intensify Gaza bombardments
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
JERUSALEM, April 11, 2006 (AFP) - Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said
Tuesday Israel would intensify its bombardments of Gaza despite the
recent deaths of two children, as Palestinian militants vowed to
continue firing their rockets. Sixteen Palestinians have been killed
since Friday night by Israeli strikes and tank shelling designed to put
a permanent halt to a volley of makeshift missiles fired by hardline
factions such as Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The latest
victim was an eight-year-old girl who died on Monday when an Israeli
shell struck a house in the Beit Lahiya region of northern Gaza. A
seven-year-old boy was also killed in an air strike on Friday. But
Israeli ministers, while expressing regret over the deaths, made clear
Tuesday that there would be no easing off in the military activity.
UN ends unrestricted political contacts with Palestinians
Ha'aretz 4/12/2006
The United Nations said Tuesday it has ended its policy of unrestricted
political contacts with the Palestinians and will now assess every
request for political talks with the new Hamas-run government, which
has refused to recognize Israel and renounce violence. World Bank
officials said on Tuesday that it has also decided to "limit" contact
with the new Palestinian government until World Bank President Paul
Wolfowitz decides how to proceed. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said "working contacts" between the UN and the new Palestinian government
will continue to ensure that there is no disruption in the delivery of
humanitarian aid and services to the Palestinian people from a number
of UN agencies.
Envoy: U.S. supports road map but understands unilateral move
Ha'aretz 4/12/2006
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said Tuesday that the only way
to determine the permanent borders between Israel and the Palestinians
is through negotiations leading to an agreement. He was speaking at a
press conference in Tel Aviv and when asked whether the U.S.
administration supports the convergence plan of interim Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert, which is based on unilateral measures, Jones replied, "We
support the road map and we continue to support negotiations because we
believe it is the only way to solve the conflict. My understanding is
that this is the approach of Olmert and Kadima as well, that they also
would prefer to reach an agreement. "Jones said that if Olmert takes
unilateral action after it becomes clear that Israel does not have a
partner for peace, that would be understandable.
Abbas offers Israel peace talks
AlJazeera 4/11/2006
Abbas said he was ready to talk to Israel immediately -- Mahmoud Abbas,
the Palestinian president, has said he is willing to enter peace talks
with Israel as soon as a new government is formed there. "We are ready
to begin negotiations on the basis of the roadmap from the minute the
Israeli government is formed," Abbas said. "There is no other way but
direct negotiations based on international legitimacy. " Israel
announced on Sunday it was severing all ties with the Hamas-led
Palestinian government, regarding it as a "hostile entity". The Israeli
government has said it would maintain contacts with Abbas, though it
ruled out full peace talks with him.
Abbas worried about the current situation
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Ramallah- Ma'an- Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has expressed
his concerns regarding the recent developments in events in the
Palestinian territories, describing them as "dramatic and very
worrying". Speaking to journalists in his headquarters in Ramallah on
Tuesday, Abbas expressed his concerns about the escalation in Israeli
aggression in the Gaza Strip saying, "I haven't seen a similar
situation and I can't stay silent about it, and in addition to the aid
cut by the world's countries, they don’t want to send money to the
government although the money goes to the people". Abu Mazen added, "There are no justifications to these acts that kill innocent people,
destroy homes". Abbas revealed that he is making contacts with many
parties including Israel in order to stop the Israeli escalation.
EU defends decision to suspend aid to Palestinian government
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
BRUSSELS, April 11, 2006 (AFP) - European Union sought Tuesday to
defend its decision to suspend direct aid to the Palestinian
government, which a spokeswoman said did not clash with the policy of
the so-called Middle East diplomatic quartet. Russia said earlier
Tuesday that denying aid to the Palestinians because of Hamas'
participation in the government was a mistake, a day after the EU
decided to freeze aid temporarily to the Palestinian government. EU
foreign policy chief Javier Solana's spokeswoman, Cristina Gallach,
said that the decision was "not only compatible" with the joint policy
of the EU, Russia, the United States and the United Nations but also "the direct consequence" of it.
Palestinian speaker urges EU to reconsider aid decision
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
RAMALLAH, Apr 11, 2006 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Aziz Dweik, Speaker of
the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), called on the European Union
Tuesday to reconsider its decision to suspend financial aid to the
Hamas-led government. Dweik, who is a member of Hamas, told a PLC
session held in both Gaza City and the West Bank town Ramallah via the
video conference system that he hoped a rapid change to the EU stance.
Fatah spokesman in the PLC Azzam Al-Ahmed told reporters that the
former ruling party rejected the EU decision to cut off financial aid.
Al-Ahmed said the EU decision "is a mistake that punishes the
Palestinians for exercising their right to choose their leaders. "
MP’s call for sanctions against Israel over shootings
International
Solidarity Movement/The Telegraph 4/11/2006
Economic sanctions against Israel should be considered if the country
refuses to put its soldiers before the courts in the UK over the death
of two British peace activists, an MP has said. Sir Gerald Kaufman,
Labour MP for Manchester Gorton, claimed there was an element in the
Israeli military which was “out of control”. He was speaking about the
deaths of Tom Hurndall, 22, and James Miller, 34, who were both shot in
the Gaza Strip in 2003. Yesterday an inquest jury returned a verdict
that Mr Hurndall had been “intentionally killed” by a soldier and last
week an inquest found Mr Miller had been murdered by the Israeli
Defence Force less than a mile away in Rafah three weeks later.
Russia to continue direct aid to Palestinian government
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
April 11, 2006 -- Russia today pledged to continue sending financial
help to the Palestinian government led by the Islamic militant group
Hamas. Addressing reporters in Moscow after talks with his Jordanian
counterpart Adbedelah al-Khatib, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
criticized a European Union decision to freeze all direct aid to the
Palestinian leadership, calling it a "mistake. "Hamas, which won
January's legislative elections, is on the EU's list of terrorist
organizations. Brussels says it will resume all direct aid shipments to
the Palestinian government only when Hamas renounces violence and
recognizes Israel. But Lavrov said the best way to achieve this
objective is "to work with Hamas, not boycott it.
Oslo explains halt of payments to Palestinian government
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
Oslo_(dpa) _ Norway on Tuesday responded to criticism of the
government's weekend decision to withhold funding to the Palestinian
government saying the situation in the Palestinian Territories was "very serious. "International Development Minister Erik Solheim
insisted however that Oslo would continue to provide funding to the
Palestinian people via non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the
United Nations. Several Norwegian NGOs have questioned the decision,
announced over the weekend by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store, that
Norway would halt all payments to the radical Hamas-led Palestinian
government following similar decisions by the United States and the
European Union.
Halting Palestinian govt aid "a mistake" - Russia
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
MOSCOW, April 11 (Reuters) - Halting aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian
government is a mistake, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on
Tuesday, Interfax news agency reported. The European Union this week
temporarily suspended direct aid to the Palestinian government to
pressure it to recognise Israel, end violence and accept peace accords.
Lavrov said Russia would not be halting aid but he said Hamas must meet
the demands of international mediators. "But in order for that to
happen, we need to work with Hamas, and not boycott them," Interfax
quoted Lavrov as saying. Lavrov said that it was wrong to deny aid to
the Palestinians "purely because in democratic elections they elected a
government made up entirely out of Hamas members. "
U.S. ambassador: We won't punish Palestinians
YNet News 4/11/2006
According to U.S. ambassador in Israel, U.S. government will remain
committed to President Bush's vision of a two-state solution.
Humanitarian aid will grow by 57 percent to USD 245 million a year --
American's ambassador to Israel said that his country would increase
aid to the Palestinian people to meet their humanitarian needs. He said
that the United States remains committed to the vision of President
Bush for a two-state solution. At the same time, the U.S. 's aspires to
supply the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people. In accordance
with those principles, it will increase its humanitarian aid, to help
the Palestinian people, said American Ambassador to Israel Richard
Jones, during a conversation with journalists in Tel Aviv.
Palestinians feel pinch
Christian Science
Monitor 4/12/2006
Cutting aid to the Hamas government is already having an impact on
everyday life. -- RAMALLAH, WEST BANK – Every month, Fatma Nofal cashed
a $500 check from a brother who works abroad to support their family
here. But on Monday the debit note from the US's Chevy Chase Bank was
rejected. "This is the first time that I've gotten that answer," says
Ms. Nofal, as she walked out of a central Ramallah money changer with
no place to redeem the check. "I don't know what to do. Nofal is one of
many Palestinians feeling the pinch of an economic boycott of the
Hamas-run Palestinian Authority (PA), as a cutoff in ties by the US,
Europe, and Israel touches off a financial crisis that could snowball.
Gaza Strip avian flu update, 10 Apr 2006
ReliefWeb 4/10/2006
The avian influenza in Gaza Strip and the West Bank is till a problem
of birds. Although five suspected human cases in Gaza and eight in the
West bank were reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, no human
cases were confirmed and all the tests for PCR were negative. A mission
of WHO completed its assessment of the situation and a report on the
mission will be disseminated soon. The assessment of the laboratory
component of the mission found that there are good basics for a
veterinary laboratory in Gaza. The Laboratory was established with the
support of a World Bank fund and needs some equipment for PCR in order
to apply testing for H5N1 in birds. The current situation is
illustrated in the following table...
Olmert named interim PM
Globes 4/11/2006
Ehud Olmert’s cabinet will reportedly have 23-25 ministers and 9-10
deputy ministers at an aggregate salary cost of NIS 150-200 million a
year. -- After more than five years, the government today formally took
its leave of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been hospitalized at
Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital since suffering a massive stroke. Sharon
has been declared permanently incapacitated and “unable to discharge
the duties of his office”. This is the first time that a prime minister
has been declared unable to perform the duties of his office. At a
special cabinet meeting today, the ministers unanimously approved the
appointment of Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as interim prime
minister.
Presidential Security Team assumes responsibility for Rafah
Crossing
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Rafah- Ma'an- About 200 Palestinian soldiers and policemen of the unit "Force 17" have been deployed inside and around the Rafah crossing in
accordance with Mahmoud Abbas' orders to transfer the responsibility of
the crossing to the Presidential office. Palestinian police sources at
the crossing said that that the Preventative Security and the General
Intelligence forces officially handed over the crossing to Colonel
Jamal Al-Baheis, the head of the Presidential Security team. The
sources added that more than 200 men were deployed inside and around
the crossing, but the administrative work was left for the Palestinian
police. [end]
National and Islamic Factions call for greater Palestinian
unity in the face of Israeli aggression
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Khan Younis- Ma'an- National and Islamic Factions in the Khan Younis
Governorate called on the Palestinian people on Monday to have greater
national unity against the Israeli aggressions that have increased in
all areas of the Palestinian territories. In a political statement, the
factions said that the Palestinian people are exposed daily to all
types of killing, closure, blockades, destruction, bombardment and the
assassination of resistance fighters, in addition to political and
economic targeting, the continued construction of the separation wall
and the unilateral disengagement plan. The factions expressed their
determination to continue armed resistance as the most strategic way to
achieve the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and they
renewed their rejection of the collective punishment policy.
Yisrael Beiteinu's Lieberman still being probed for corruption
Ha'aretz 4/10/2006
Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman has had a complicated and
media-hyped relationship with the Israel Police since his days as
director general of the Prime Minister's Office. Lieberman has been
investigated several times and for years waged a public campaign
against the police investigations branch, the authority given to it and
what Lieberman calls his political persecution by its directors. There
is still one Lieberman investigation pending: suspicion of illicit
business dealings in Russia and corruption offenses related to election
campaign funding in 1998 and '99. The police announced on the eve of
the elections that the probe is at its height and it is unclear when it
will be completed.
Olmert: No problem with appointing Lieberman public security
minister
Ha'aretz 4/11/2006
Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert told Kadima leaders Tuesday that
he sees no problem with appointing Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor
Lieberman public security minister, as long as there is no legal reason
not do so. Such an appointment could create a conflict between the
police force and the minister responsible for it. Lieberman is under
police investigation on suspicion of involvement in illicit business
dealings in Russia and corruption offenses related to election campaign
funding in 1998 and 1999. Lieberman has been investigated several other
times as well, and for years has waged a public campaign against the
Police Investigations Department.
Mazuz orders probe into Herut's Kleiner for incitement to
racism
Ha'aretz 4/11/2006
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered a criminal investigation Monday
into former MK Michael Kleiner and his Herut party for suspected
incitement to racism due to motifs in their campaign posters for the
recent elections. The party put up advertisements on the sides of
public buses depicting an Arab woman wrapped in a traditional veil with
a caption that read, "this demographic will poison us. "An anti-racist
organization filed a complaint with Justice Dorit Beinish, chairman of
the Central Elections Committee, who relayed the complaint to Mazuz.
According to Mazuz, the picture and caption are "clearly directed
against the Israeli Arab population, thus raising a real concern that a
crime of incitement to racism has been committed. "
Israeli cabinet ends Sharon rule
BBC 4/11/2006
Israel's cabinet has signalled a formal end to Ariel Sharon's
premiership three months after he suffered a stroke. Ministers voted
unanimously to declare him "permanently incapacitated", which promotes
Ehud Olmert from the position of acting PM to the full premiership. Mr
Olmert is currently forming a coalition government after the centrist
Kadima party won elections last month. Mr Sharon, 78, founded Kadima
weeks before suffering a severe stroke on 4 January, which left him in
a coma. He has never regained consciousness and has been lying in
hospital in Jerusalem where he has had numerous operations.
Israeli forces raided Qalqilia , arrest one Palestinian
citizen
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Qalqilia- Ma'an-Israeli Forces raided the city of Qalqilia in the north
of the West Bank early Tuesday morning. Eyewitnesses said that large
numbers of Israeli forces entered the city and broke into several
houses, invasively search the houses before arresting one of the
citizens. The citizens added that the man arrested was Munther Ali Zaid
28 years. [end]
Two home made projectiles at Erez crossing
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Gaza – Ma'an- An Nasser Salah Ad'din Brigades "military wing for
Popular Resistance Committees" announced responsibility for the
launching of two home made projectiles at the Erez Crossing. In a
statement issued Tuesday morning the brigades said that this was a
reaction on the killing of the Brigades leader in Bethlehem area
JaberAl Akhras. [end]
More projectiles at Sderot
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Gaza- Ma'an- Aqsa Brigades "military wing of the Fatah Mofement" announced responsibility for the launching of two home made projectiles
at the Israeli town of Sderot north of the Gaza Strip. A statement
issued on Tuesday said that the launching of the projectiles was a
reaction on the Israeli killing of the Palestinian seven years old
child Hadil Ghaban. The statement added that they will continue the
resistance against the Israeli occupation forces until ending the
occupation and build the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its
capital. [end]
Israel Tightens West Bank Restrictions
Palestine Monitor
4/9/2006
NABLUS, West Bank --- Israel has tightened travel restrictions on
Palestinians in the West Bank in recent months, making movement there
harder than at any time since Israel's major offensive in the territory
in the spring of 2002, Palestinians and human rights workers said. The
restrictions have effectively divided the territory into three
sections. Palestinians living in the northern West Bank are cut off
from their jobs in the south, and a wide swath of land along the
Jordanian border is off limits to all but its few thousand residents,
human rights groups and theUnited Nations said. The Israeli army says
the new restrictions were put in place following an increase in
attempted attacks by militants, including a suicide bombing last week
near the Jewish settlement of Kedumim that killed four Israelis.
After 5,000 dead, hopes slim of ending ME bloodshed
Palestine Monitor
4/9/2006
JERUSALEM (AFP) - As the number of Israelis and Palestinians killed in
five years of Middle East conflict crossed the symbolic threshold of
5,000, analysts say people on both sides see little hope for ending the
bloody conflict. According to a count conducted by AFP since the first
deadly clashes in September 2000, 5,006 people have been killed, with
the last deadly incident taking place on Saturday. Akiva Eldar, a
senior columnist in the liberal Haaretz daily, believes that more than
its symbol, the figure of 5,000 dead holds great importance for the
long-term relations between the two neighboring people. “If you
multiply 5,000 by the number of relatives, friends and neighbors of the
victim, you can easily reach 100,000 people who are directly related to
the killing of Israelis and Palestinians.
Armed men occupy a court in Khan Younis
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Khan Younis- Ma'an- Anonymous armed men broke into the magistrate's
court in Abasan As-Sagheera east of the city of Khan Younis early on
Tuesday. The men shot at the offices of the judges and lawyers, forcing
them to leave the building with all the employees of the court. They
closed the court's main gate with chains, in an attempt to force the
people in charge to move the location of the court to another location.
Eyewitnesses and local sources told Ma'an that some 60 masked and armed
men broke into the building and shot in the air and at the offices of
the employees.
ICRC concerned over deteriorating situation in occupied
Palestinian territory
Electronic Intifada
/ICRC 4/10/2006
GENEVA -- The director of operations of the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC), Pierre Krähenbühl, has just ended a week-long
visit to Israel and the occupied and autonomous Palestinian
territories. At a time of increased violence and economic hardship, Mr
Krähenbühlgained a first-hand impression of the situation in
humanitarian terms and the ICRC's response to humanitarian needs
throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. During meetings with
senior officials of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as
with the chairman of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian
minister of foreign affairs, Mr Krähenbühl conveyed the ICRC's concern
about the deteriorating situation.
More Military Operations in Nablus
International
Solidarity Movement 4/11/2006
At least 15 people have been arrested and 10 people injured in an
Israeli Military operation this morning, according to international
human rights workers based in the area. The situation regarding house
occupaions is unclear. The Israeli military entered Nablus in the early
hours of the morning. At about 4. 30am they began military operations
in the district around al-Najah University and on 24th Sreeet. Fifteen
were arrested, more than 10 injured, 3 by rubber bullets. A Palestinian
journalist, Jafa Ishtayi, was beaten by a soldier with an M16 rifle.
Since the Israeli election the Israeli military have entered Nablus
almost nightly and frequently during the day. Yesterday 4 people were
injured by rubber bullets in an afternoon military invasion. [end]
Picking Up the Pieces
International
Solidarity Movement/IWPS 4/11/2006
IWPS House Article No. 84 -- Jenin refugee camp, in the northern part
of the West Bank, is home to approximately 14,000 people, crowded into
an area of about 1 square kilometer. The refugees came mostly in 1948
from the Haifa area, a coastal town in what is now the state of Israel.
At the entrance of Jenin refugee camp there is a huge horse sculpture.
It is made from an assortment of scrap metal, the remains of an
ambulance and two cars which were attacked and exploded when the
Israeli army invaded the camp in 2002. Everyone was killed, including a
doctor, reportedly one of Jenin’s best. Being a medic in Palestine is a
dangerous job.
Coalition of Women Action in Tel Aviv
International
Solidarity Movement 4/11/2006
From the Coalition of Women - Israeli Women’s Action in Tel Aviv to ‘Stop the Bombing of Gaza’ -- Today at 18:00 the Coalition of Women for
Peace will be washing their hands in blood in an action demanding that
bombings stop in Gaza. They will walk from Hassan Beck Mosque along
Yarkon Street towards the embassies. The Coalition of Women for Peace
has issued this statement, “In Passover we celebrate freedom while in
Gaza - the largest prison in the world, Israel is shedding blood. In
the past week the Israeli occupation army attacked brutally Palestinian
residents of Gaza, killing and wounding dozens. ” With this action
they, “demand that the Israeli government stops the bombings.
U.K. coroner recommends war crimes charges for IDF soldiers
Ha'aretz 4/11/2006
A U. K. coroner said on Monday that he would recommend that the British
attorney general seek legal action over the deaths of two
pro-Palestinian activists killed by Israel Defense Forces fire in 2003.
The statements came after a British inquest jury ruled that Tom
Hurndall was unlawfully killed by an IDF soldier in the Gaza Strip. It
was the second time in two weeks that a British coroner's court had
ruled that a U. K. citizen shot by Israeli soldiers in 2003 was
unlawfully killed. In the Monday decision, jurors at a London coroner's
court concluded that Hurndall, 22, was shot intentionally with the
intent to kill by an IDF marksman in April 2003.
Attacks on Public Institutions Continue:
Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights 4/11/2006
Gunmen Storm the New Abasan District Court in Khan Yunis -- A group of
armed Palestinians stormed the premises of the New Abasan District
Court on Tuesday, 11 April 2006. The attack came in protest against the
Higher Judicial Council’s decision to close the court. PCHR's initial
investigation indicates that at approximately 08:10 on Tuesday, 11
April 2006, a group of 20 masked gunmen stormed the New Abasan District
Court in the town of New Abasan, to the east of Khan Yunis. The
assailants forced the court staff and the staff of the district
attorney's office to leave the premises. The gunmen, who lit tyres
around the court building, positioned themselves inside the building
and on the roof.
Governor of Hebron visits Ahli Hospital to express his
solidarity
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Hebron- Ma'an- Governor of Hebron Mr. Arif Al Jabari visited the Ahli
Hospital in Hebron where he met with the Director of the hospital Dr.
Aziz Sharabati. Jabari was briefed about the Israeli break-in and the
kidnapping of two of the hospital's residents two days ago. The
governor stressed his condemnation and rejection of the Israeli action
and confirmed his support for the staff and the hospital in general.
[end]
9 Palestinians Killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip in Less Than
24 Hours
Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights 4/9/2006
PCHR is gravely concerned over the latest escalation in attacks on the
Gaza Strip by IOF. Over a 36-hour period this weekend, the Gaza Strip
witnessed the highest rate of fatalities than any other time since the
implementation of the Israeli Disengagement Plan in September 2005. --
Following the extra-judicial execution of 5 Palestinians in Rafah on
Friday, 7 April 2006, IOF committed two further extra-judicial
executions in Gaza City and Khan Yunis on Saturday, 8 April 2006, which
left 8 Palestinians dead. On Sunday morning, 9 April 2006, a
Palestinian civilian was killed as a result of the continuous Israeli
artillery shelling on the northern Gaza Strip. This brings the total
number of Palestinians killed by IOF in the last two days to 14 and the
number of injured persons to 30.
Two Palestinians Shot in Nablus for Alleged Collaboration
with Israeli Security Services
Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights 4/9/2006
A Palestinian armed group fired at two Palestinians from ‘Askar refugee
camp and Beit Fourik village near Nablus, who are suspected of
collaboration with Israeli security services. According to
investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 02:30 on Sunday, 9
April 2006, Jalal Khalil ‘Abdullah, 20, from ‘Askar refugee camp, and
Samer Wahdan Abu Samra, 28, from Beit Fourik village, were found
wounded by several live bullets to the legs. Unknown gunmen lured the
two persons to the edge of Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, where
they then fired at them. The gunmen later claimed that they had shot
the two men, because they were believed to be collaborating with
Israeli security services.
IOF launch an open war on the Gaza Strip, killing 14
Palestinians and injuring 40
Al Mezan Center for
Human Rights 4/9/2006
IOF have intensified their offensive on the Gaza Strip by arbitrarily
shelling populated areas along Gaza's northeastern borders, killing 14
Palestinians and injuring 40 others. Al Mezan fieldworkers reported the
firing of over 300 missiles. This number has been confirmed by the IOF,
who have been bombarding populated areas, and industrial and public
facilities for the past three days. At approximately 9. 10am on April
9th, according to Al Mezan investigations, Israeli field artillery
shelled a white Mitsubishi near the National Security Base located in
Al Masriyeen St. in Beit Hanoun, followed by 14 missiles fired at the
same area, killing a 29-year-old driver from Beit Lahia, Yasser Abu
Jarad, and injuring 4 security officials...
5 Palestinians, Including a Child, Killed and 6 Others
Injured in another Extra-Judicial Execution Committed by IOF
Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights 4/8/2006
On Friday evening, 7 April 2006, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
committed an extra-judicial execution in Rafah, which left dead 4
members of the Popular Resistance Committees and a child. The child was
accompanying his father, who was the main target of this attack. This
latest crime comes in the context of recent escalation by IOF
throughout the Gaza Strip, as IOF have intensified the bombardment of
Palestinian civilian populated areas and facilities using warplanes,
gunboats and tanks. They have also continued to impose a tightened
siege on the Gaza Strip through closing all border crossings between
the Strip and Israel.
Human Rights Worker’s Hebron Journal
International
Solidarity Movement 4/11/2006
This post is from a Brighton based activist spending April in occupied
Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement, a network of
international activists set up to support Palestinian non violent
resistance against Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. In these
posts I will be writing short accounts of aspects of the occupation and
resistance. I am currently volunteering with the ISM in Tel Rumeida,
Hebron. Internationals from the ISM and the Tel Rumeida Project stay in
Tel Rumeida as witnesses to settler violence and to non-violently
intervene if settlers attack. Tel Rumeida is one of the saddest places
I have been in Palestine. It is a tiny district on the outskirts of the
Old City separated from the nominaly PA controlled area of Hebron by a
permanent checkpoint across a narrow street.
FIFA to finance repairs of Gaza soccer field damaged by IAF
Ha'aretz 4/12/2006
FIFA - world soccer's governing body - will pay for the repairs to a
soccer field in the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip, that was damaged during
an Israel Air Force strike earlier this month. "In the world of today,
which is disrupted by long-lasting disputes and violence, football is
one of the very few universal tools mankind can use to bridge gaps
between nations and peoples, and to symbolize what unites our planet
over what divides it," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Tuesday. FIFA
said it would evaluate the extent of the damage done to the open-air
stadium and its stands, with the help of the Palestinian FA, over the
next few days. Much of the repair cost will depend on the extent of the
damage to the stadium's drainage system.
Arab bloc drops plan to seek UN censure of IDF actions in Gaza
Ha'aretz 4/12/2006
Arab ambassadors to the UN dropped a plan Tuesday to seek a Security
Council condemnation of Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip. The
Arab states will attempt to secure only a declaration from the Security
Council's current president. The declaration, however, will likely also
take into account the recent increase in Qassam rocket attacks on
Israel. The Security Council was expected to convene on Tuesday or
Wednesday for a formal discussion of the complaint put forth by Arab
representatives on "the ongoing Israeli aggression" in the Gaza Strip.
According to UN sources, the unusual Arab hesitation to refrain from
pushing for a condemnation of Israel stems from the belief they
wouldn't be able to secure a majority vote in the Security Council.
Israeli Secretary of Foreign Affairs refuses to appear on Al
Jazeera with Hamas Minister
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Ma'an- News Report- Arab audiences were shocked when an Israeli guest
of Al Jazeera satellite channel refused to be on the air at the same
time as a Hamas guest who was appearing in the same programme. The
Israeli guest tried to take off the microphone when he discovered that
the other guest of the programme was to be a Hamas member. The Israeli
guest said that this was not acceptable. The Israeli Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has sent a letter of protest to Al Jazeera following
the event. The Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Gideon Meir, who was
being hosted by Al Jazeera, refused to be on air when he found out that
the Palestinian Minister of Planning, Dr Samir Abu Aisha, would
participate in the same programme.
Arabs call for UN debate on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
New York_(dpa) _ Arab countries on Tuesday gave support to a
Palestinian demand for the UN Security Council to discuss the daily
Israeli-Palestinian clashes. Bahrain, representing the League of Arab
States at UN headquarters in New York, sent a letter to the council
president requesting an immediate meeting to consider "recent
developments in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East
Jerusalem. "Bahrain made the request on behalf of the Palestinian
Authority (PA), which has only observer status in the UN.
Barakeh: Isolate Israel
YNet News 4/11/2006
Speaking in Ramallah, Israeli Arab Knesset Member calls on Palestinians
to 'isolate Israel and its criminal policies,' says Israeli Arabs
'identifiy with, struggle for Palestinian prisoners' -- Hadash Chairman
Knesset Member Muhammad Barakeh called on the Hamas government not to
play in the hands of Israel during a speech in Ramallah, in which he
called on Palestinians to adopt a diplomatic line which would "isolate
Israel's criminal policies and won't contribute to the Palestinian
isolation. " Barakeh was invited to Ramallah to mark the Palestinian
prisoner's day, an event in which senior Palestinians and parliament
members, some of them Hamas members, took part.
Council of Europe calls for Hamas to respect democratic values
ReliefWeb 4/11/2006
STRASBOURG, France, April 11, 2006 (AFP) - The Council of Europe
Tuesday passed a resolution on the Middle East following Hamas' victory
in Palestinian elections, declaring that democracy does not end with
voting but requires tolerance and non-violence. The council's
parliamentary assembly, sitting in Strasbourg, called on the militant
Hamas group now heading the Palestinian government to recognize Israel,
to lay down its weapons and condemn acts of terrorism. "The Assembly
notes that democracy does not end with elections," the resolution said.
It added that democracy also represents values, including the rejection
of violence as a political tool and respect for the rule of law.
Israeli diplomats meet with senior officials in Indonesia
Ha'aretz 4/12/2006
Two Israeli diplomats met with senior Indonesian government officials
in Jakarta on Tuesday for the first time in six years. The Israelis -
Amos Nidai, deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry's Asia
desk, and Yael Rubinstein, Israel's ambassador to Thailand - were
invited to Jakarta to attend a UN economics conference dealing with
trade cooperation opportunities, technology, agriculture and medicine.
Nidai and Rubeinstein used the opportunity to meet Indonesian
government officials and discuss the possibility of forging diplomatic
ties between Israel and Indonesia.
Dire situation for Augusta Victoria hospital, says CEO
ReliefWeb/Lutheran
World Relief 4/11/2006
Baltimore, April 11, 2006 — The international community’s financial
boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority will likely lead to a
major humanitarian crisis, said Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, CEO of Augusta
Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, in a presentation last week to Lutheran
World Relief staff. “The Palestinian Authority operates many activities
for the people – it’s very different from other governments in that
it’s actually a deliverer of services,” he explained. “So refusing to
pay money to the Palestinian Authority is creating a major humanitarian
disaster, removing the biggest provider of healthcare to the
Palestinian people. ” Nearly 70 percent of Palestinians are insured by
the government’s health insurance program, Nasser said.
Mekorot to reduce Kinneret water pumping this summer, take
more from Palestinians
Globes 4/11/2006
Mekorot aims to prevent damage to the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). --
Mekorot National Water Company is to reduce the quantity of water it
pumps from the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) this summer, and will offset
this by pumping larger quantities from the mountain and coastal plain
aquifers. [The mountain aquifer is located in the Palestinian West Bank
- Ed. ] Mekorot aims to prevent damage the lake usually suffers when
water levels drop as well as preventing harm to the local tourism
industry. Mekorot reported that rainfall last winter, which was classed
as moderate, reached 75-90% of the multiyear average. The Sea of
Galilee reached 70-80% of its average capacity while the mountain and
coastal plain aquifers reached 80-90% of the average multiyear
capacity.
Farmers receive NIS 20.6m in damages for bird flu cull
Globes 4/11/2006
As of today, farmers received NIS 20. 6 million in compensation for
direct damage for the culling of 1. 2 million poultry. -- Today, the
day before Passover, farmers received full compensation for damages
from bird flu. The compensation is unprecedented in scope worldwide,
and meets Minister of Agriculture Zeev Boim’s timetable. Farmers
received advances on the compensation ten days ago. As of today,
farmers received NIS 20. 6 million in compensation for direct damage
for the culling of 1. 2 million poultry. After Passover, compensation
will be paid to farmers for eggs destroyed at the order of the Ministry
of Health Veterinary and Animal Health Services. [end]
Made in Palestine NY Exhibit extended following 3,364
visitors in 3 weeks
Electronic Intifada
/Made in Palestine 4/11/2006
April 11th, 2006 -- Organizers of the Made in Palestine exhibit
announced today that the New York show will be extended until May 27th,
after seeing 3,364 visitors pass through the Chelsea exhibit, in the
heart of New York's art world, during the first three weeks. Made in
Palestine is the first museum quality exhibition devoted to the
contemporary art of Palestine to be held in the United States. It is a
survey of work spanning three generations of Palestinian artists who
live in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Galilee, Syria, Jordan, and the
United States. Come celebrate the extension of Made in Palestine this
Friday, April 14th, at an exciting evening of performance at The Bridge
to raise money for the exhibition, hosted by Suheir Hammad (HBO's Def
Poetry Jam; "Zaatar Diva" author).
Palestinian singer refuses to sing under Israeli company's
patronage
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Ma'an- Palestinian singer Ammar Hassan confirmed that he will not
participate in a musical event on April 18th in the city of Haifa
because an Israeli company is responsible for the patronage of the
party. Speaking to Ma'an News Agency, Hassan said that he agreed to
participate in the event when he was asked by the Arab Israeli website "Layounak. com" to sing in Haifa's conference hall, on the condition
that no Israelis would interfere in the arrangements. "I was surprised
to hear that the Israeli company, Bezeq, was the patron of the party as
this was not the arrangement", Hassan added.
Governor of Nablus opens art fair in Balata school
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Nablus- Ma'an- The Governor of Nablus, Mr. Saeed Abu Ali, visited the
Balata School for Girls in Balata refugee camp in order to open the
school's annual art fair. Many high officials attended the opening
ceremony including the Director-General of Education for the
Governorate of Nablus. Abu Ali delivered a speech on the occasion in
which he stressed his satisfaction with what he is seeing and confirmed
that all efforts are being taken to encourage school activities. He
also stressed the important role that schools play in educating girls
and reshaping their role. [end]
Holy Land's Christians caught in midst of conflict
ReliefWeb 4/12/2006
BETHLEHEM, West Bank, April 12 (Reuters) - A 76-year-old Greek Orthodox
monk is beaten up by villagers, his carefully tended olive trees are
uprooted and his isolated West Bank monastery is defaced with graffiti
depicting nuns being raped. The land of Jesus's birth is not always an
easy place for Christians to live in 2006. The population of Christians
in the Holy Land, particularly in the Palestinian territories, is
dwindling as more and more leave for a better life abroad, turning the
community into a tiny minority squeezed between Muslims and Jews. The
traditional merchant class, heavily dependent on tourist money, has
suffered a recession since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000 and
Israel walled off Bethlehem with a barrier.
Jocelyne Saab's 'Dunia' to kick off Singapore Film Festival
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
SINGAPORE: Contemporary Arab cinema will get top billing at the
Singapore International Film Festival, with a controversial movie on a
Muslim woman's search for personal freedom opening the annual event on
Thursday. Three hundred independent films from over 45 countries will
be screened during the 17-day festival, with a special segment called "The Secret Life of Arabia" showcasing a region undergoing major social
and political change. Acclaimed Lebanese director Jocelyne Saab's "Dunia" ("Kiss Me Not On the Eyes"), making its Asian debut, is set in
Cairo and chronicles a 23-year-old Eyptian woman's struggles against
social taboos as she pursues her love of poetry and belly dancing.
Israeli robot wins first place
YNet News 4/11/2006
ITV 4x4, made by Israeli students from Misgav high school took 4 first
place medals and beat out competitors from around the world at the
Annual Trinity College Fire-Fighting Home Robot Contest -- Israeli high
school students triumphed at an international robot competition this
week, taking home four first place medals out of five categories in the
Standard Division. And in the fifth category they fared well too,
coming in second place ahead of contestants from all over the world.
The Israeli made ITV 4x4 proved itself the best youth-made robot in the
world in its category.
Iran claims membership in nuclear club as U.S. threatens
Security Council action
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday Iran had joined the
group of countries possessing nuclear technology and was determined to
achieve industrial-scale uranium enrichment. In immediate reaction, the
U.S. said Iran was "moving in the wrong direction" with its nuclear
program and if it persisted, Washington would discuss possible next
steps with the UN Security Council. "I am officially announcing that
Iran has joined the group of those countries which have nuclear
technology. This is the result of the Iranian nation's resistance," Ahmadinejad said in a televised address from the northeastern city of
Mashhad
MI chief urges world not to fall into Iran's trap
Ha'aretz 4/12/2006
Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time, Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Tuesday in a television
broadcast. Ahmadinejad said Iran did not plan to develop nuclear
weapons and asked the West not to try to force Iran to abandon uranium
enrichment. Israeli security sources described the announcement as a "major step forward" for Tehran. Nonetheless, it does not mean Iran is
immediately capable of producing enough fuel to run a reactor or
develop the material needed for a nuclear warhead. Uranium enrichment
can produce either, but it must be carried out on a much larger scale,
using thousands of centrifuges. Iran succeeded in enriching uranium to
a level needed for fuel on a research scale - using 164 centrifuges,
officials said.
Basra child mortality 'is rising'
BBC 4/11/2006
A European aid agency has reported a rise in child mortality in the
southern Iraqi city of Basra where hospital care is said to be in
crisis. Water-borne diseases and scarce medical supplies mean infants
born in Basra are subject to abnormally high mortality rates, Saving
Children from War said. One Basra doctor said child mortality had risen
by 30% since the invasion. A US military internal report has described
the overall situation in Basra as "serious".... The US report notes
that Basra sees a "high level of militia activity including
infiltration of local security forces", while smuggling and crime
continue unabated and "intimidation attacks and assassination" are
common.
Losing our country' - Baghdad blogger
BBC 4/10/2006
Three years after US forces symbolically toppled a statue of Saddam
Hussein in the Iraqi capital, 'Baghdad blogger' Salam Pax says things
look bleaker than ever for his country. "One of the tragedies of this
ongoing war is that no one knows how many Iraqi lives have been lost. "And those of us who have survived so far now risk losing our country," he told BBC Newsnight. Baghdad resident Mr Pax came to prominence
documenting the Iraq war from an Iraqi perspective on his weblog. In
taking stock of the situation three years on from the symbolic felling
of the statue, Mr Pax says he is "more negative about the future than
ever. " Watch
the report
Video - Baghdad blogger fears Iraq is being lost
BBC 4/10/2006
Baghdad blogger" Salam Pax has said he fear his country is being lost
as internal conflict grows. In a film for Newsnight, Mr Pax reflected
on three years since Saddam's statue was felled in Baghdad.
New government eludes Iraq as Shiites fail to resolve
premiership hang-up
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
Secularists hold 'reservations about United Iraqi alliance program' --
Shiite politicians failed Tuesday to resolve the deadlock over their
candidate for prime minister, which is blocking formation of a new
government. Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari's own Daawa party and his
key backer, radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, continued to stand behind
him, despite opposition to his nomination by Sunni and Kurdish parties,
said Bassem Sharif, a spokesman of the Fadhila party, one of the
members of the Shiite alliance. Sharif said the Shiite leaders heard
the report of a three-member committee that was mandated by the United
Iraqi Alliance to hold talks with the Kurdish, Sunni and secularist
groups over Jaafari's candidacy.
Assassination plot stokes 'serious' fears
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
BEIRUT: Lebanese leaders reacted with alarm and condemnation to news
Tuesday thatnine suspects had been arrested in a plot to assassinate
Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and to perpetrate
other terrorist attacks in the country. Vice President of the Higher
Shiite Council Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan condemned "all conspiracies
and plans that target Lebanese figures. "Qabalan was speaking at the
Rafik Hariri Airport upon his arrival from Egypt, where he participated
in the 11th International Conference for the Higher Council of Islamic
Affairs. Qabalan called for "intensifying the investigations and
punishing the plotters," adding, "We reject all attempts to hamper the
country's security and stability.
Nine arrested for planning terror acts in Lebanon
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
BEIRUT: The Lebanese military judiciary issued arrest warrants Tuesday
against 14 people for planning to carry out terrorist acts while
Hizbullah confirmed the suspects intended to assassinate the group's
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Charges included forming "a
gang with the intent of carrying out attacks against the state and
terrorist acts and trading in arms and bombs," but did not explicitly
state that a plot to kill Nasrallah had been in the works.... A
Hizbullah spokesperson told The Daily Star Israel had long been
planning to kill Nasrallah, and added that the investigation should
continue to determine whether those had links to Israel's secret
service. Nasrallah's predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi, was killed
in an Israeli raid in 1992.
Hizbollah official confirms the arrest of Nasrallah's
would-be assassins
Ma'an News 4/11/2006
Bethlehem- Ma'an- The Head of Information for the Lebanese political
party Hizbollah, Mr. Hussain Rahhal, confirmed that the faction's
security body, in cooperation with Lebanese political parties and other
Lebanese security bodies, frustrated a cell that was planning to
assassinate the leader of Hizbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. Rahhal
told Radio 'Bila Hodoud' and Ma'an News Agency that "the domestic
situation in Lebanon is politically tense". He refused to add more
details about the cell, and who is behind it, and if Tel Aviv was
involved or not, but he did say that Tel Aviv would benefit from
harming the life of Mr. Nasrallah. The Head of Information considers
the internal Lebanese atmosphere as encouraging to such a plan but
confirmed that cell members were arrested.
Siniora banks on U.S. trip to strengthen his hand
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
BEIRUT: U.S. President George Bush will receive Prime Minister Fouad
Siniora on April 18 for talks on the government's economic and
democratic reforms, as well as Lebanon's efforts to reestablish its
sovereignty and independence, the White House press office said Monday.
The talks come in the wake of Siniora's Cabinet putting forth a
controversial blueprint for economic reforms last week and resolving to
assess it during extraordinary sessions every week until the country's
leading economic and political figures can reach a consensus over it.
Implementing these reforms are a condition to hold the "Beirut I" conference - an international donor gathering to help Lebanon out of
its economic and political crises - which had been expected to take
place around May, but is more likely to be postponed after Cabinet's
decision last week.
Country's first-ever model UN draws 600 emerging diplomats
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
Organizers call weekend event a smash success -- BEIRUT: The first-ever
model United Nations for Lebanese high school students, held over the
weekend at Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut, was a smashing
success, according to event organizers. "This conference is a dream
come true," LAU Director of Guidance Elie Samia told The Daily Star. "No one ever dreamed that a simulation model of such caliber and with
so many participants (600 students) could be achieved here. " Every
member country in the U. N was represented by one high school, Samia
said. The conference, held April 8-9, was the first of its kind to be
held in Lebanon and attracted students from around the country.
Egypt frees 900 Islamic militants
AlJazeera 4/12/2006
Jama Islamiya was responsible for the assassinatin of Sadat -- More
than 900 members of Jamaa Islamiya, the radical Islamist group in
Egypt, including its founder, were freed on Tuesday, the interior
ministry has said. The militants, some of whom had been imprisoned for
more than 20 years, were released in groups over the past 10 days, a
ministry official said. Najeh Ibrahim, one of the heads of the
organisation, was among those released, the official said. Jamaa
Islamiya merged in the late 1970s with another Islamist group,
Al-Jihad. They are held responsible for planning and carrying out the
assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in 1981.
Syria urged to free political prisoners
AlJazeera 4/11/2006
President Assad has continued his crackdown against dissent -- Human
rights campaigners have written to Syria's president urging an end to a
recent wave of arrests of political activists. Echoing calls made by
other international human rights groups recently, Human Rights Watch
asked Bashar al-Assad to release scores of political opponents detained
in the past few months as he tightened his grip on power. In a letter
sent to President Assad on Monday, the group said: "These arrests
appear to be tied solely to the exercise by these activists of their
guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and association.
Saudi crown prince vows all-out effort to stamp out terrorism
The Daily Star
4/12/2006
SINGAPORE: Saudi Arabia will exert allefforts to fight terrorism and
its financiers, the kingdom's crownprince said Tuesday, calling it a "disease" that threatens the wholeworld. Crown Prince Sultan bin
Abdel-Aziz, who is also the kingdom's deputy prime minister and defense
minister, said terrorist acts were contrary to the teachings of Islam.
Saudi Arabia "has emphasized its strong rejection andcondemnation of
all forms of terrorism," the prince said during a lecture in Singapore
organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. "Terrorist
actions are contradictory to the teachings and values of Islam," he
told diplomats, government officials, academics and business
executives.
Articles
The Earth is Closing in on Us
By Leila el Haddad, International Solidarity Movement 4/11/2006
The shells keep falling. They’ve gotten inside my head, so that its not just my house shaking but but my brain throbbing. It’s like someone is banging a gong next to my ear every few minutes; sometimes 5 times a minute, like last night. And just when I savor a few moments of silence, it starts again as if to say “you’re not going to get away that easily.”
We went to sleep to the rattling of our windows and invasive pounding and after-echo of the shells. We sleep as they fall. We pray fajir, and they fall again. We wake, and they are still falling. When they are closer, when they fall in Shija’iya east of Gaza City, they make my stomach drop. And I want to hide, but I don’t know where.
The Earth is Closing in on Us.
That’s the thing about occupation-it invades even your most private of spaces. And while the shells were falling inside my head, they also killed little Hadil Ghabin today.
A shell landed on her home in Beit Lahiya, shattering her helpless body and injuring 5 members of her family, including Hadil’s pregnant mother, Safia, and her 19-year-old sister.
My headeaches seem inconsequential when I think of little Hadil. Sometimes people here say they prefer death to this existence; you’ll frequently here at funerals: “Irta'at”…she’s more comfortable now anyhow-what was there to live for here.
Oxfam criticizes EU decision to suspend aid to Palestinian Authority
Electronic Intifada /Oxfam 4/10/2006
In a letter to the Middle East Quartet, Oxfam warned that Palestinians are on the edge of survival. It said that "one in four people depend on aid. Three in four live on 2 dollars a day. Their plight will worsen, if donors stop giving aid to the Palestinian Authority."
Open letter to the Members of the Quartet and international donors:
Oxfam International, the international confederation of development organizations, is deeply concerned that the already serious humanitarian situation facing the Palestinians may become far more acute with some donors considering cutting funding to a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, and with the impact of continuing Israeli restrictions on social services and economic activity.
Oxfam International believes that international aid should be provided through the Palestinian institutions and local authorities charged with delivering essential services, including health and education, regardless of which party is in power. The Palestinian Authority was created by the international community to meet the needs of Palestinian civilians and is a legitimate channel for humanitarian funds.
We believe that this is the worst possible time to cut funding. The recent elections in both the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel represent significant changes in the political context and therefore an opportunity to move the peace process forward, one that the international community should seize. To cut funding risks squandering the positive potential that may exist in the new governments and risks making an already fragile situation more dangerous. Whatever the politics of such a decision, it would be ordinary people who would suffer the consequences.
Disgraceful Double Standards
By Palestinian National Initiative, Palestine Monitor 4/11/2006
Ramallah, 10-04-06: A report published Sunday by the Associated Press stated that top Israeli security officials recommended cutting all ties with the new Hamas-led parliament and ruled out peace talks with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, as long as Hamas refuses to ‘renounce violence’. [1]
And so once again, the media continues to be overwhelmingly dominated by the Israeli narrative, portraying an image of the conflict wholly incompatible with the reality. Two points highlight this well:
Point 1: While the world’s attention continues to focus on whether Hamas will ‘renounce violence’ or not, 14 Palestinians, including a security officer and two children aged 5 and 14, died in a 48 hour period between 7-9 April in a series of extrajudicial assassinations carried out by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. Their deaths brought the number of Palestinians killed in such attacks to 449 since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000, including at least 154 bystanders, 46 of whom were children. [2]
Hamas itself has largely held to the ceasefire negotiated by Mahmoud Abbas in February 2005. Indeed, these latest Israeli airstrikes were aimed at members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Martyr Ahmed Abu al-Rish Brigade, both military wings affiliated to Fatah....
Point 2: The concept of ‘peace talks’ has long been dead and buried. During the last two years of his life, Yasser Arafat was isolated by Israel both physically and diplomatically. Yet when Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate keen to revive the moribund ‘peace process’, was democratically elected in January 2005, he too suffered the same fate.
On the way down
By Danny Rubinstein, Ha'aretz 4/11/2006
It is still too early to say whether the Hamas government (whose spokesmen ask that it be called the Palestinian government and not the Hamas government) is about to fall; but judging by its performance so far, it can't be expected to last long. Powerful forces seek its demise - Arab leaders, including Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, European countries, the Unites States and Israel, of course. It is hard to find someone who is in favor of the elected Muslim government, whose leaders have made a number of moves to hasten its collapse.
True to their ways of the past, representatives of the Hamas government have announced that resistance to the Israeli occupation is legitimate. While they are partners to the cease-fire understandings (hudna) with Abbas of a year ago, this does not contradict their belief that attacks are permitted, including ones inside the State of Israel. By way of clarification, PA Interior and National Security Minister Saeed Seyam dramatically reiterated the following: "We will never arrest someone who is carrying out a resistance operation" [in other words, a terror attack].
This declaration is, apparently, one of the reasons behind the escalation in military operations in the past several days. Every days sees Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip; every day sees targeted killings and Palestinian fatalities, including children; and every day, individuals are caught while readying bombs and suicide attacks. The announcement by Seyam and other senior government officials is a green light to the attackers, as well as to Israel's widespread retaliatory and preventative operations.
Palestinian Voters Stand up to the US, Israel
By Monica Hill, Palestine Chronicle/Freedom Socialist Newspaper 4/11/2006
No Palestinian entity that is dependent on imperialists and anti-democratic Arab regimes can be expected to lead the way to liberation.
Like most people in the world, Palestinians desperately need change. And that’s the name of the party that represented the Hamas movement on the January 25 ballots in Palestine: the Change and Reform Party.
About 440,000 people voted for Hamas (in Arabic, an acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement) and 403,000 for the Fatah Party, or 44 percent versus 42 percent. So this was not the landslide for Hamas so widely reported.
However, the election upset did translate into 74 seats for Hamas on the Palestinian Legislative Council versus 45 for Fatah. And it certainly sent a definite message of resistance to the Israeli occupation and disgust with the leadership of Fatah.
Justice Long Delayed: For half a century, Palestinians have fought for freedom from Israel and its handler, the United States. Since the 1960s, Fatah, the party of Yasir Arafat and main group in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has dominated politics. But in four decades, with Palestine up against the combined might of the U.S. and Israel, Fatah has only managed to become infamous for its corruption.
More than half the Palestinians have been forced out of their own country. Those left are systematically prevented from developing economically, as Israeli soldiers and settlers take over more land and utilities and water. Sixty-five percent live on about $2.00 a day or less. Israel continues to tear Palestine apart with walls and checkpoints and barricades.
Under these conditions, who wouldn’t vote for change?
'We have no film industry because we have no country'
By Xan Brooks, The Guardian 4/12/2006
Palestinian directors have a harder task than most - yet their talent shines through.
Elia Suleiman emails me his home number with instructions to phone him at midday, his time, for an interview. This sounds simple enough. It's just that I don't know where his home is, or what time zone it is in, and in my confusion I end up phoning him an hour too early. "Ah," he says. "You probably thought I was in Ramallah." Elia Suleiman is a Palestinian film-maker who lives in France. His movies are made with European funding and Israeli support. In this regard, he has much in common with other Palestinian film-makers.
This week sees the release of Hany Abu-Assad's Oscar-nominated Paradise Now. Later this month, London's Palestine film festival plays host to a vibrant range of features, shorts and documentaries spotlighting life in the Israeli-occupied territories. But while few would dispute the artistic credentials of these pictures, their national identity remains a vexing issue.
In 2002, the Hollywood establishment rejected Suleiman as an Oscar contender on the grounds that "Palestine is not a country". When the academy bit the bullet this year and nominated Paradise Now as a Palestinian film, the Israeli press were quick to cry foul. This was not a "Palestinian film", they claimed, but "a European co-production by an Arab-Israeli director.
|