This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.IMEMC.org, for September 15thst through September 21st, 2007.

The Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip an “enemy entity,” while the army kill eight Palestinian this week, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.

Nonviolent Resistance in Palestine
Bethlehem

On Friday at midday, the residents of Al Walaja village to the north of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, joined by International and Israeli supporters marched against the building of the illegal Israeli wall on village land. Shortly after Friday prayers were held on the construction site, by main road leading into the village, the protesters marched along the hillside to reach a road which used to connect Al Walaja to Bethlehem. The road was closed by the army two years ago when the building of the Wall began.

Villagers, internationals and Israelis, using shovels and bare hands, managed to remove the road-block and reopen the road. Becca who joint the villager of Wallaj told IMEMC:

Israeli soldiers were present in the area but they kept their distance and did not interfere with the action. They then left the scene leaving the village to celebrate the day's achievements. Khalid Al Azza, the head to the Committee against the Construction of the Wall and Settlements in the Bethlehem region said that the today's action is part of the continuing popular resistance and points the way for the generations to come.

Bil'in

Also On Friday, shortly after midday prayers, the villagers of Bil'in, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, held their weekly protest against the construction of the illegal Israeli wall on village land.

The protesters marched to the site of the wall demanding its immediate removal. Two weeks ago the Israeli High Court ruled that the route be changed. Today the villagers demanded that the ruling be made reality.

The Israeli army blockaded the road leading to the construction site and as the marchers reached the obstruction, troops showered the unarmed civilians with tear gas, sound bombs, and steel-coated rubber bullets. Four villagers were injured.

A local farmer was kidnapped by the Israeli army during the protest. After several hours the protest came to an end with the local organizers promising to return next week.
Political report

In political news this week, the Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip an “enemy entity,” adding that it would consider cutting the supply of fuel and electricity to the region. IMEMC’s John Smith has more.

The Israeli Cabinet On Wednesday declared the Gaza strip an "enemy entity", and added that the administration would consider gradually starving the coastal region of electricity and fuel supplies. Israeli media sources claim the move comes as a direct response to the firing of home-made shells from the Gaza Strip at nearby Israeli targets.

Israel’s declaration of the Gaza Strip as a ‘hostile entity’ has no precedence in international or Israeli law. The term has never been used before, is not recognized by international legal bodies and, as such, has absolutely no legislative or legal basis. While the term is currently being used to justify a possible future cut in electricity and fuel supplies, many legal experts have argued that, given the Gaza Strip’s overwhelming dependence on Israeli imports and foreign aid, such a withdrawal of these necessities would represent both a violation of international law and an act of collective punishment.

Roy Dickinson, the Head of operations at the European Commission told IMEMC that any implantation of the Israeli declaration would lead to a humanitarian disaster:

In a similar vein, United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon on Wednesday urged Israel to reconsider its decision. Despite these please, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday expressed her support for Israeli move and for any set of measures which would see the flow of fuel and electricity to the costal region being cut, despite such measures being deemed illegal by international law.

Rice, who is currently visiting the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel to shore-up support for the upcoming Middle East peace conference, stated that she considered Hamas hostile to both Israel and the US, but indicated that Palestinian civilians in the region would not be “abandoned”. The means by which Ms. Rice intends to avoid civilian hardship while supporting an illegal restriction of essential supplies remain to be seen.

Elsewhere, Rice declared Thursday that the upcoming Middle East peace conference must be “substantive,” and based on a draft document to be agreed before the outset of the summit, scheduled for November. Speaking to the press after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Rice called on all participants in the peace process to redouble their efforts in the search for a common negotiating platform from which the basis for a future Palestinian state can be derived.

Michael Warchowski, an Israeli political analyst, said that the upcoming should be concerned as a war conference, rather than one concerned with peace-making.

Despite an apparent air of cynicism surrounding the upcoming negotiations, President Abbas on Thursday stated his belief that the time was ripe for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and reiterated his commitment to ensuring that east Jerusalem would be the capital of this state.

Despite these seemingly positive comments regarding the potential of the Summit to produce substantial political results, various media sources had earlier in the week reported that President Abbas had threatened to withdraw from the negotiations over a perceived lack of willingness on the part of the Israeli administration to enter into meaningful talks over fundamental issues, and with the apparent reluctance of several Arab countries to send representatives to the negotiations. Of those Arab countries not expected to attend are Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, all of which have expressed grave misgivings over the vague and undefined nature of the forthcoming talks.

Seemingly stung by Israeli and Arab consternation over the conference, officials close to President Abbas on Sunday threatened to boycott the event should the Israeli administration not agree to reach a settlement there. The comments came several hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared that there would be no final status settlement at the summit, but that the two sides would instead work on an agreement of principles.

In related news, Israeli vice-Premier Haim Ramon this week surprised many by apparently declaring that the Israeli government would be willing to cede control over Palestinian areas of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority. The declaration angered many right-wing Israeli political figures, several of whom threatened to withdraw from the government if such a deal was to be pursued.

The Hamas movement will consider negotiations with Israel if the Israeli administration agrees to end attacks and make a number of humanitarian gestures in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media sources reported on Monday. Quoting a number of various unnamed officials, Israeli media reported that Hamas had brokered a deal with the Palestinian Resistance factions to halt the fire of home-made shells into Israeli territory and limit their operations to those against invading Israeli soldiers. Following the asserted agreement, Hamas officials indicated that the movement was willing to extend the deal indefinitely should their demands be met.

Several Gaza-based Fatah leaders appointed to re-establish the party in the Strip have resigned, the Fatah party announced on Friday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had appointed the 10-man committee to reorganize the Fatah movement in the coastal region in the wake of Hamas’ rise to power. Of the ten, eight submitted their resignation earlier in the week, apparently basing their decision on the apparent failure of the West Bank-based Fatah government to pay the salaries of approximately 10,000 members of security forces loyal to Fatah. Aides to President Abbas have refused to comment on the issue.

For IMEMC.org, this is John Smith

The Israeli attacks

The West Bank

This week the Israeli army conducted at least 22 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those invasions Israeli troops killed four Palestinians and kidnapped at least 78 others. IMEMC's Colin Bell has more:

The Israeli army on Friday declared an end to its military operation in the el-Ein refugee camp in Nablus, after three consecutive days of attack. During the operation, the army killed two Palestinian civilians, among them one disabled man, and abducted 49 others. One Israeli soldier was also killed in clashes with local resistance fighters.

During the operation which started Tuesday, the Israeli army prevented ambulances from entering the area, leading to the death of one youth. Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, the director of the Palestinian health relief services in the city of Nablus, spoke to IMEMC:

"Around 2:30 am a large Israeli force attacked the Ein Beit Al Ma refugee camp, completely surrounding it. Soldiers occupied homes and fired at residents, causing several injures. Later, Israeli troops did not allow medical teams to reach the injured civilians, a fact that led to the death of one young man. An ambulance driver was injured by the army gunfire also."

Despite the policy being deemed illegal under Israeli and international law, eyewitnesses to the attack reported that invading troops used civilians as human shields while searching and ransacking homes. Um Ahmad, a resident of the refugee camp, spoke to IMEMC:

"The army surrounded the camp entirely, then invaded through people's homes, either demolishing them with bulldozers or breaking in. Soldiers forced local civilians to act as human shields. While families in the camp were not allowed to open their own doors to leave their homes, the army ordered the human shields to do so."

A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed by invading Israeli forces in the central West Bank city of Ramallah in the early hours of Monday morning. The boy, later identified as Muhammad Jabareen, was shot when local stone-throwing youths clashed with invading Israeli soldiers in the city. Both eyewitnesses and medical sources reported that the Israeli army prevented ambulances from entering the area and dispensing first aid to the injured teenager. The boy subsequently bled to death.

The Israeli army shot and killed on Sunday morning a Palestinian resistance fighter from the West Bank city of Nablus, believed to be a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. Medical sources later identified the man as Yusuf al-Asi, 22, adding that he was assassinated as he stood in front of his home.

For IMEMC.org this Colin Bell.

The Gaza strip

The Israeli army continued to attack the Gaza strip this week, killing four Palestinians and kidnapping at least 29 others. IMEMC's Rami Al Mughari Has more:

Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Thursday that four Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military offensive in the region. Sources in the Hamas movement reported that Imad Riziq Abu Jheir, 35, one of the leaders of the Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, was shot and killed during clashes with invading Israeli forces, east of the Al Bureij refugee camp. Mohammad Suleiman Abu Jheir, 22, was also killed in the attack. At least 20 Pallestinians were also kidnapped in the invasion.

Earlier on Thursday morning, a Palestinian child, later identified as Mahmoud Kayid Al Kafafy, 17, was killed after he was run over by an Israeli military bulldozer. The child was crushed to death as he stood near some trees, east of the camp.

Several residents were injured during the invasion and at least twenty others were kidnapped, one of whom was shot and injured. The attacks came one day after the Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip 'an enemy entity', and announced that it was considering cutting power and fuel supplies to the region.

On Sunday, Israeli army tanks invaded the southern Gaza city of Rafah. In a separate operation, the Israeli army attacked the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, kidnapping a number of local residents.

For IMEMC.org, this Rami Al Mughari in Gaza.

Conclusion

And that’s just some of the news this week in Palestine. For constant updates, check out our website, www.IMEMC.org. Thanks for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem, this Louisa White and Ghassan Bannoura.