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International Middle East Media Center

Settlers Occupy a Palestinian Mountain In Nablus
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Thursday February 04, 2010 - 13:50, A group of right-wing, armed, Israeli settlers occupied a 500-Dunam Palestinian mountain south of Nablus city, in the northern part of the West Bank.

Israel Exiles A Detainee To Gaza, Aim At Expelling Nine To Jordan
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Thursday February 04, 2010 - 13:03, Less than one month after detaining him in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, Israeli soldiers exiled a detainee, Baker al-Hafi, to the Gaza Strip.

Army Kidnaps 29 Palestinians in the West Bank
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Thursday February 04, 2010 - 11:56, Israeli soldiers detained, on Thursday at dawn, 29 Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank. Army sources claimed that those detained are on their “wanted-list” by the Israeli security.

Sha'ath Meets Hamas Leaders In Gaza
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Thursday February 04, 2010 - 02:55, Dr. Nabil Sha'ath, member of the Central Committee of the Fatah party, met on Wednesday evening with delegates of the rival Hamas movement, and also met with Fatah leaders and leaders of other factions.

Netanyahu Expects Peace Talks To Resume Within Coming Weeks
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Thursday February 04, 2010 - 01:44, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated Wednesday that there is a chance that the stalled peace process would be unconditionally resumed in the coming few weeks.

Italian Prime Minister Evasive During Bethlehem Press Conference
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 17:42, Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, visited the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank City of Bethlehem, today and held a joint press conference with Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas.

The Israeli Military Invades Areas Near Gaza City & Destroys Farm Lands
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 17:06, Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded residential areas and farm lands, east of Gaza City on Wednesday afternoon.

The Israeli military detained 12 Palestinian civilians from the West Bank
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 16:55, Twelve Palestinian civilians were detained, on Wednesday, by Israeli troops during pre-dawn invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.

Two Palestinians & One American Detained Following Pre-Dawn Incursion in Bil'in
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 14:34, 26 Israeli soldiers entered the West Bank village of Bil’in, near Ramallah, on Wednesday at 3 am. They detained 2 Palestinians, one a journalist, and an international journalist.

More Detainees Seeking Higher Education
IMEMC 4 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 13:17, The Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) reported that more Palestinian detainees, imprisoned at the Ramon Israeli prison, are joining the Hebrew Open University. The detainees are also holding seminars and educational sessions.

Ma'an News

Gaza power plant to cease operations
2/5/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Gaza Strip's sole power plant will cease all operations late Friday night due to a lack of fuel, officials warned. The plant had already shut down services to all but 30-40 percent of the coastal strip by nightfall on Thursday, the Gaza Energy Authority said, noting that the sudden cold front in the region spent the remaining fuel faster than expected. The Energy Authority has notified mayors and municipalities across Gaza, and was informing the Health Ministry and major telecommunications companies PalTel and Jawwal to prepare for the worst. "People are trying to stock up on fuel to operate private generators for the buildings and institutions that have them," according to Emad Eid, the director of Ma'an's Gaza City bureau. He said that while Gazans are used to these blackouts, most generators in private homes are too weak to produce enough electricity for. . . 

New checkpoint targets Tulkarem farmers
2/4/2010 - Tulkarem - Ma'an - Israeli military personnel completed the installation of a partial checkpoint and search station Wednesday for farmers in the Tulkarem area who pass through Gate 753 on their way to lands cut off by the separation wall. Families with orchards or fields near Khirbet Jubara, south of Tulkarem, must have a pre-arranged permit to access their lands, west of Israel's separation wall. Farmers would travel to Gate 753, south of the Ephraim checkpoint, and wait for the scheduled openings of the gate in the wall, in order to access their lands. Residents of the village must also pass through the gate to access Tulkarem. As of Wednesday, farmers with permits from the Israeli Civil Administration must also undergo physical searches. Farmers and all their equipment must be scanned and pass through metal detectors in the new room constructed at the gate. 

Overnight Israeli raids see 22 taken to unknown locations
2/4/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Nighttime raids targeting the Bethlehem, Ramallah, Qalqiliya and Hebron areas saw a total of 22 Palestinianstaken from homes and streets and transported to unknown locations, military sources confirmed. A Palestine Solidarity Project Spokesman said troops stormed Beit Ummar north of Hebron and raided several homes. During the searches, women and children were thrown out of the buildings and told to wait in the freezing rain. Secondary military vehicles threw stun grenades at homes as the raid continued. Those taken from the village were identified as: Murshid Muhammad Murshid Al-Aqeed, 35, Aiesh Ahmad Murshid Za'aqeq, 23, Rami Bassam Khalil Za'aqeq, 32, Muhammad Bassam Khalil Za'aqeq, 20, Murad Amer Ahmad Abu Juda, 21, Muhammad Amer Ahmad Abu Juda, 20, Sharif Fathi Muhammad Baragheeth, 22, Ashraf Ali Khalawy Sabarna, 27, Jihad. . . 

Israel hands down travel ban for Jerusalem researcher
2/4/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israeli police handed prominent Jerusalem researcher Khalil At-Tafkahi a signed order by the Minister of Internal Security preventing him from traveling outside the country for a period of six months. The order cites "security reasons" for the ban. A Palestinian resident of Jerusalem, At-Tafkahi is the Director of the Cartographic Section in the Arab Studies Society (Beit Ash-Sharq) and an expert on settlements and settlement expansion. At-Tafkahi said he considered the order evidence that Israel does not want peace. "I am a peace man," he said, recalling he was in the delegation of Palestinians who attended peace talks from Oslo to Taba (1992-2001) and stressed that any move against him was a move by the current Israeli government against peace. . . . . 

Israeli report claims $2 billion stolen from Palestinians
2/4/2010 - Nazareth - Over the past four decades Israel has defrauded Palestinians working inside Israel of more than US $2 billion by deducting from their salaries contributions for welfare benefits to which they were never entitled, Israeli economists have alleged. A new report, "State Robbery," to be published later this month, says the "theft" continued even after the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 and part of the money was supposed to be transferred to a special fund on behalf of the workers. According to information supplied by Israeli officials, most of the deductions from the workers' pay were invested in infrastructure projects in the Palestinian territories - a presumed reference to the massive state subsidies accorded to the settlements. Nearly 50,000 Palestinians from the West Bank are working in Israel - following the easing of restrictions on entering Israel. . . . 

Hasan Ghafry marks 21 years in Israeli prison
2/4/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Palestinian detainee Hasan Ghafry marks today his 21st year in Israeli prison on Thursday, having spent more than half of his life incarcerated, detainees affairs experts announced. The 39-year-old from Sinjil village east Ramallah was detained when he was 18, he is unmarried. He was taken by Israeli military personnel on 4 February 1990, accused and convicted in a military court of taking action against the Israeli army. He was sentenced to life. When he was detained, Hasan was a student at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In 1992, he was permitted to continue his studies, in which he focused on Hebrew and Arabic Grammar with a minor in English Literature. [end] 

Lieberman warns Syrian president, his family
2/4/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family on Thursday, speaking at a business forum hosted by Tel Aviv's Bar Ilan University. "If you declare war on Israel, you and your family will lose your reign," he said, according to a statement circulated by the university, which is considered among the more right-wing institutions in Israel. Lieberman was referring to a comment made yesterday by the Syrian president that Israel is not serious about its intentions to make peace with Damascus, as evidenced by "its conduct which is leading the region to war. "The West Bank settler declared that Assad's statement had "crossed a red line. ""We heard Defense Minister [Ehud] Barak's sincere call for peace with Syria, and we have now received Syria's answer. Whoever thinks territorial concessions will disconnect Damascus from the Axis of Evil is wrong," he asserted. 

US peace groups to Obama: Ask Israel to lift Gaza closure
2/4/2010 - Six US-based Middle East peace organizations sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Thursday, urging him to ask Israel to lift its Gaza closure in order to remove a "serious obstacle to restoring hope and making peace" in the region. Following is the full text of the letter: February 4, 2010, President Barack Obama, The White House, Washington, DC - Dear Mr. President, We are seven organizations that strongly support your commitment to a two-state peace between Israel and Palestine that will ensure Israel's security, win Palestinian self-determination, and protect U. S. national security. As your administration works to launch a political process to achieve this, we echo the recent call of the fifty-four Members of Congress who signed the McDermott-Ellison letter urging that the U. S. also address now, urgently, the grave humanitarian crisis affecting. . . . 

All factions meet in Gaza for talks on unity
2/5/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Representatives of all Palestinian factions met in Gaza City late Wednesday at the headquarters of the independents, Yasser Al-Wadiyeh said Thursday morning. The announcement came hours after the arrival of Fatah leader Nabil Sha'ath to Gaza, where he was welcomed by several of the independent personalities. Al-Wadiyeh said political leaders sat and discussed recent developments in the Palestinian arena, mainly internal reconciliation and efforts around achieving unity. All partners agreed that the current status of talks must be overcome and unity achieved. Factions also expressed the need to find solutions for the people of Gaza, living under a tight blockade, Al-Wadiyeh added. He promised that representatives of the meeting would not stop working for solutions to both problems, and said efforts would. . . 

Haniyeh greets top Fatah leader in Gaza
2/5/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh welcomed Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath into his home in the Ash-Shati Refugee Camp on Thursday, along with delegations of Fatah and Hamas leaders in Gaza. The visit came after Sha'ath spent the day touring Al-Azhar University and civil service institutions in the Strip. At the university he met the board of trustees, staff and several members of the student senate, with whom he discussed the school's academic and administrative policies. The Fatah leader visited the home of the late Yasser Arafat and toured its gardens, paying a social visit to Arafat's sister Khadija and learning about her social programs and their goals. Sha'ath arrived in Gaza on Wednesday afternoon via the Erez crossing. It was his first visit to the area since the Hamas takeover in 2007 and marks the first time a Fatah member visited the Strip since the sixth Fatah conference in August. 

One Gaza crossing open
2/4/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Kerem Shalom crossing was opened by Israeli officials on Thursday, for the transfer of limited amounts of aid, Palestinian liaison officer Raed Fattouh said. The crossing, likely to be closed Friday and Saturday, will reportedly allow 100 to 110 truckloads of aid, commercial and agricultural goods into the Strip, with amounts of cooking gas and industrial diesel to be pumped in through the same crossing. The fuel transfer station at Nahal Oz and the bulk goods terminal at Karni were both shut Thursday, Fattouh said. Token exports continue under the Dutch government program, with two loads of cut carnations and one truck of strawberries set for transfer out of Gaza en route to European markets. Before Israel's siege of Gaza, hundreds of trucks a day of exports, including processed foods, fabrics and agricultural goods were sent around the Middle East and Europe. 

Former PJS official slams ’illegitimate’ elections
2/5/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - A former board member of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate rejected Friday's scheduled elections as illegitimate, speaking out after it came to light they would not include members from the Gaza Strip. The official, Zakariyah At-Telmes, said the long-delayed vote should take place simultaneously throughout the occupied territories. Palestine's ongoing state of disunity, with separate governments controlling the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 2007, has prevented some organizations from operating normally. Recent months have seen an escalation of that tension with the Palestinian Authority and Hamas playing tit-for-tat over the arrests of journalists working for media associated with rival political groups. At-Telmes told Ma'an that "no agreement was arranged between the syndicate's board concerning the. . . " 

Authorities say 161 return to Gaza Strip
2/4/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The crossings administration in Gaza said Thursday that 161 people returned to the coastal enclave over the past 48 hours. In its daily report, the administration said 28 people left Gaza for Egypt during the same period. At the Erez crossing, 155 travelers, including 101 Gazans, 49 internationals, and five Palestinians from Israel crossed over, the report said. The administration said the total number of those who left Gaza for medical treatment was 69, among them eight visitors, five with work permits, and 19 classified as "other. " Last Thursday and Friday at Rafah saw 123 Palestinians return to Gaza, mainly patients finished medical treatment, including 11 denied transport from the Cairo airport to several destinations and deported to the Strip, officials said. That Friday, a report said, an UNRWA delegation of 10 officials were stuck on the Egyptian. . . 

Police: Fatah office set ablaze near Ramallah
2/5/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - A Fatah official's office in Qalandiya refugee camp was the target of an apparent arson on Thursday, police said. Palestinian Authority security forces opened an investigation into the incident, police said, refusing to identify whose office was targeted. In a statement, the Ramallah police department stated that "intelligence services rushed to the scene, where it was discovered that the office door was deliberately opened by force, and that unknown assailants set fire to its contents. "It was not immediately clear exactly when on Thursday the alleged attack was carried out. [end] 

Blast near Red Cross convoy in northern Gaza
2/4/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - An explosion occurred near a Red Cross convoy near the Erez crossing in northern Gaza on Thursday, witnesses said. The explosion shattered one car's windows, but no one was hurt. Gaza security forces arrived on the scene soon after and were investigating. In a statement, the International Committee of the Red Cross said "a blast occurred in Gaza, shattering the windshield of one of the convoy's jeeps, but no one was hurt by this explosion. "Iyad Nasser, Red Cross spokesman in Gaza, added that "the convoy was en route to the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing when a strong explosion on the roadside occurred, during which a jeep's glass was shattered. "However, the convoy continued its journey toward the crossing and departed Gaza. " . . . . 

Hamas leader Mash’al to visit Moscow next week
2/5/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Russia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al will visit Moscow next week to hold talks over ending division among Palestinians and resuming peace talks with Israel. Mash'al's last visit to Russia was in 2007. Ministry spokesman Andre Nestrenko told reporters in Moscow that "the main issue that will be discussed is the way to end division and ways to resume Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. " . . . . 

EU donates 21 million Euro to PA salaries
2/4/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The European Union is providing a contribution of 21 million Euro to "help the Palestinian Authority pay the January salaries and pensions of 80,551 Palestinian public service providers and pensioners," a statement said. The government of the Netherlands contributed almost 2 million Euro to the payment, devoting its funds to 17,376 Palestinian civil policemen and members of civil defense services, such as fire-fighters and rescue services "At the request of Prime Minister Fayyad, the contribution made available by the European Union this month towards the regular payment of Palestinian civil servants and pensioners is higher than in previous months," European Union Representative in Jerusalem Christian Berger said. He further noted that "the need for the Palestinian Authority to have a predictable and steady flow of aid to enable its administration. . . " 

At Berlusconi meeting, Abbas says peace plans in works
2/4/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - While Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi displayed mixed political messages during his visit to Israel and the West Bank on Wednesday, host President Mahmoud Abbas announced his determination to move forward with peace talks. Palestinian leaders must move ahead with the peace process, Abbas told reporters at a news conference with Berlusconi, noting steps were being made with "Arab brothers and friends. "He told the conference Palestinians should expect an official announcement in the coming weeks. Though Berlusconi expressed sadness over the loss of life and destruction of Israel's war on Gaza while he was in Bethlehem, he told Israel the offensive was a justified response to the firing or homemade projectiles by Gaza militant groups. His criticism of the Goldstone report stemmed from the same sentiments; he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. . . 

Haniyeh hails 14,000-strong police applicant pool
2/4/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - "Our security forces were in a state of attrition; we are ready to upgrade and boost their presence in Gaza," de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh commented Wednesday. Speaking at a ceremony to honor the leaders of the police departments in Gaza City, Haniyeh referred to the application of 14,000 men and women to announced posts in the de facto government security services. The overwhelming number of applications are for an estimated 1,000-1,500 jobs. Gaza security forces "passed through an exhausting stage, they endured grueling work during Israel's war on Gaza. Just maintaining the security of the area is a difficult job," Haniyeh said, promising to bolster the forces and diversify responsibilities. The de facto prime minister recounted the difficult history of the forces, saying their formation "during the term of the tenth government. . . " 

Ha'aretz Defense page

Uruknet

B'Tselem: Israel’s report to the UN misstates the truth
Uruknet February 4, 2010 - On Friday, 29 January 2010, Israel submitted to the UN an update on the investigations opened following Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The 46-page document offers almost no new information, except for updated figures on the investigations. The report states that, to date, the military has begun to examine 150 cases, most of which...

Israeli army Kidnaps 29 Palestinians in the West Bank
Uruknet February 04, 2010 - Israeli soldiers detained, on Thursday at dawn, 29 Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank. Army sources claimed that those detained are on their "wanted-list" by the Israeli security. Seven residents were kidnapped in Qalqilia district, one in Jenin, three in Ramallah, eight in Bethlehem and ten in Hebron; all were moved to interrogation...

Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 05/2010 (28 Jan.- 03 Feb. 2010)
Uruknet February 4, 2010 - Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (28 January – 03 February 2010). Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF wounded a Palestinian child in the West Bank village of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. On 30 January 2010, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village and chased...

Video: Adjusting to life one year after Israel's war on Gaza
Uruknet 

More air strikes in Gaza: the fruits and blessings of the Herzliya Conference EXCLUSIVE PICTURES
Uruknet February 4, 2010 - Israeli fighter jets late on Tuesday 2nd February attacked several targets in southern Gaza Strip, including on what used to be Gaza’s International Airport in southern Gaza. Minutes later, F-16 planes dropped bombs on a tunnel located on Palestinian-Egyptian border in Rafah. The raids did not result in any human casualties at the Gaza International Airport,...

GAZA; ILLUSIONS AND REALITY
Uruknet February 4, 2010 - The United States seems to live on illusions…… illusions of hope, change and more that have no connection to the reality of life. Whitewashing the war crimes that were carried out in Gaza last year is a part of those illusions. Perhaps the logic is that if Israel is not quite guilty as charged, then those...

Israeli report claims $2 billion stolen from Palestinians
Uruknet February 4, 2010 - Over the past four decades Israel has defrauded Palestinians working inside Israel of more than US$2 billion (Dh7.4bn) by deducting from their salaries contributions for welfare benefits to which they were never entitled, Israeli economists revealed this week. A new report, "State Robbery", says the "theft" continued even after the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994...

Constant Israeli attacks on graves and shrines "The Case of Awarta village"
Uruknet February 3, 2010 - The village of Awarta, Nablus district, is known for its green plains and high hills and long history of Maqamat ( religious shrines and monuments) indicating its ancient history and authenticity. Awarta village was on the new date of the serial attacks by colonizers on its land and people when a dozen of military vehicles accompanied by...

With 47 journalists in jail, Iran sets notorious records
Uruknet Febraury 3, 2010 - Iranian authorities are now holding at least 47 journalists in prison, more than any single country has imprisoned since 1996, according to a new survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists. While many of the detainees were arrested in the aftermath of the disputed June presidential election, CPJ’s survey found that authorities are continuing to wage...

Show Trial
Uruknet Febraury 3, 2010 - In order that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed be denied even the formalities of American justice as we once knew it, the system itself must be eviscerated. "Phony concerns about security costs and whipped up fears of impending terror attacks are used to subvert the legal system that was once held up as a model for the rest...

Pro-Israel Lobbies Work on Europe
Uruknet February 3, 2010 - Defenders of Israel’s aggressive stance have for many years been recognised as a powerful force shaping United States foreign policy. A less well-known fact is that the pro-Israel lobby has been making a concerted effort to strengthen its presence in Europe. The lobby’s determination to make an impression on European Union policy-makers was exemplified by a...

My Father was a Freedom Fighter- a book review
Uruknet February 3, 2010 - Ramzy Baroud’s "My Father Was A Freedom Fighter" is more than a book, it is actually a masterpiece. In an overwhelmingly evoking personal style Baroud manages to bring to light the history of the Palestinian people and their battle with Israel and Zionism. Through the story of the Baroud’s family the book outlines every event in...

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