Palestinian presidency downplayed on Monday a call by Israeli president, Shimon Peres for holding comprehensive talks with Arab states instead of current direct or indirect bilateral talks between Palestinians and Israelis from one part and Israelis and Syrians from the other These news and more coming up Stay tuned.

Israeli president's call, which came in during a celebration ceremony, marking the Jewish holidays, was based on the Arab peace initiative of 2002, reiterating the land for peace formula of previously-signed agreements.

Mustafa Barghouthi, head of the Palestinian Initiative Party and former information minister, believed that if Peres were serious, he would have accepted the Arab initiative six years ago.

On the internal politics, representatives of Palestinian factions to national unity talks underway in Cairo, received a memo of understanding from Egyptian mediators, outlining the upcoming November's round of talks.

The memo states that both the rival Hamas and Fatah parties, form a national unity government that ends the international boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian National Authority in Gaza.

It also calls for holding early elections, reforming the Palestinian security services and restructuring the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in light of the elections' results.

Amidst such political developments, armed Israeli settlers continued Monday attacking Palestinian farmers in the West Bank villages , while picking olives , a major source of income for the Palestinian population.

In the village of Kufer Qadum, the settlers smashed the car of a local resident and prevented access of a farmer family into their farm land.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, due to repeated attacks , called yesterday on Palestinians to defy such actions by planting one million olive trees as a gesture of the people's commitment to their lands , despite the settlers' assaults.

In the West Bank city of Qalqilia, an Israeli was reportedly injured slightly while driving along a street near the city. A group of Palestinian local youth hurled stones at the car, causing the injury of that driver.

Palestinian security services have previously returned many Israelis to the Israeli side, upon entering West Bank areas, either by mistake or intentionally.

In Gaza, director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), John Ging, slammed yesterday in Gaza the ongoing Israeli blockade of the coastal territory, blaming those imposing the siege, while Gaza is considered one of the most poverty-hit populations worldwide.


Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Rami Al-Meghari, and Gorge Rishmawi