Nonviolent
Let us start our weekly report as usual with the nonviolent actions in Palestine, where Palestinians marked the 91st anniversary of the Balfour declaration of 1917 in their anti-wall nonviolent protests this week.

Bethlehem

Israeli troops wounded a 7-year old Palestinian boy as they attacked nonviolent protestors who were demonstrating against the apartheid wall Israel is building in al-Ma’asara village south of Bethlehem on Friday at noon.

Mohammad Breijeyeh, spokesperson of the Popular Committee against the wall in Bethlehem suburbs said this demonstration is also to mark the 91st anniversary of the Balfour declaration of 1917, during which Lord Balfour, the foreign Secretary of the UK declared his government’s support for establishing home for the Jewish people in Palestine.

The protestors carried Palestinian flags and signs condemning the Balfour declaration. Troops obstructed the marchers and shot tear gas and concussion grenades at them.

Eyewitnesses reported that Abada Zawahra was wounded in his arm and face as he was pushed by the soldiers causing him bruises. Zawahra was transferred to a nearby clinic for medical treatment.

In the nearby Al-Khader village, the residents organized a prayer at the main road in protest of the confiscation of their land by Israel for the construction of the apartheid wall.

Samer Jaber, one of the organizers of the protest spoke to IMEMC.




Bil'in:

Today, the villagers of Bil'in organized a march after the Friday prayer against the construction of the apartheid wall on their land. The villagers were joined by a number of international and Israeli human rights activists. The protest also marked the 52 anniversary of the massacre of Kufur Qassim and the 91st anniversary of the Balfour declaration.

Protestors carried Palestinian flags and signs holding the US and Britain responsible for the conditions in Palestine for their support for Israel that is ongoing with building the wall and more settlements on Palestinian land.

The vice president of the European Parliament, Luisa Morgantini, joined the protest with one other parliamentarian, Chris Davis.

Israeli troops came through the gate and pushed Luisa Morgantini and Chris Davis who fell down to the ground.

As the protest reached the fence, troops closed the gate stopping the protestors from going through and fired tear gas and concussion grenades, causing dozens to choke. Troops also fired several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets injuring seven people.

The wounded were identified as, Ponal Jose, Maysoon Azzam, a reporter for Al-Arabiya TV, in addition to Iyad Burnat, Adeeb Abu Rahma, Kamel el-Khatib and Abdullah Abu Rahma from Bil'in.

A music band from the USA, called Olive Trees Circus, played guitar, accordion, and sung for peace during the action.

Ni'lin
Four Palestinians were wounded in Ni'lin today as the popular committee against the apartheid wall in the village organized the weekly protest on Friday midday.

Mayor of Ni'lin Ayman Nafe told IMEMC that the protestors were completely nonviolent however, the Israeli troops attacked them with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters.

He identified the injured as Khamis Ameera, 28, Imad Tantur, 18 and both were wounded in the arms, while Sa’ad Ameera 20, was wounded with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the face meanwhile Ala’ Khawaja was wounded in the back.

The four were treated in the medical center in the village and their wounds were described as moderate.

Free Gaza Movement
In the Gaza Strip, the Free Gaza Movement announced on Wednesday the arrival of its third free Gaza boat, SS Dignity, to the Gaza shores, in bid of breaking the Israeli blockade of the coastal territory imposed for the past 17 months.

The new boat is loaded with 27 international, Arab and Palestinian peace activists, who sailed from Cyprus despite bad weather conditions in the region, and despite threats by Israeli navy gunships to stop their boat.

The Free Gaza Movement issued a press release on Tuesday saying that they have received information through media that the Israeli navy is threatening to forcibly stop the boat from entering Gaza, without providing any reason for that.

On August 23, SS Liberty and Free Gaza boats arrived in Gaza shores in solidarity with the besieged Gaza's 1.5 million residents.



Political:
As the Palestinian political factions are set to take place on November 9 in a Cairo-hosted national unity conference, Israel parliamentary blocks are preparing for early elections, called for by the head of the ruling Kadima party, Tzipi Livni. More with IMEMC’s Rami Al-Meghari in the Gaza Strip.


Representatives of Palestinian factions, involving the ruling Hamas party in Gaza and the Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, will participate in a comprehensive national unity dialogue in Cairo, with the hope of ending their divisions and forming a national unity government.

The Hamas party in Gaza welcomed a Cairo-prepared document that sets the broad lines for successful talks between Hamas and Fatah, which have been at loggerheads since Hamas took over power in 2006's parliamentary elections.

Earlier this week an interview with IMEMC’s Rami Almeghari and Dr. Ahmad Yousef was published on the ElectronicIntifada.net website. Dr Ahmad Yousef, advisor of the Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, commented:

Actuality (In English)


The Fatah party also welcomed the document as Fatah's spokesperson, Ahmad Abdelrahman, said his party is heading for Cairo to end the division and return to the situation back prior to June2007, when Hamas took over Gaza.

Other Palestinian factions in Gaza voiced the same stance, looking forward to a successful Cairo dialogue.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the ruling Hamas party in Gaza, released 17 Fatah members, jailed in Gaza prisons for the past several months. Hamas calls this ' a good will gesture ' for the upcoming dialogue.

Also, Hamas called on the Fatah-allied Palestinian government in the West Bank to take a similar step by releasing more than 100 Hamas supporters.

In an interview with IMEMC's Rami Almeghari, Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza commented.

Actuality (In English).

This week Israeli media sources said that the head of the ruling Kadima party, Tsibi Livni, called for early elections after she has exhausted all possible efforts to form a coalition government involving all Israeli political parties.

Also this week in the Israeli parliament, the leader of the Israeli opposition, Benjamine Netenayahoo, pledged to his party that his political platform will not include any concessions for the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, mainly on subjects of Jerusalem and the problem of Palestinian refugees.

Earlier, Livni voiced willingness to continue negotiations with the Palestinians until reaching a peaceful settlement by the end of this year, as envisioned by the outgoing U.S administration during last year's Annapolis peace conference, mainly a two-state solution.

Related development, Israel's president, Shimon Perses, reiterated with the Egyptian counterpart,during a meeting in the Egyptian resort town of Sahrm Elshiekh his willingness for comprehensive peace talks with the Arab world.



West Bank Report:
This week, the Israeli military killed one Palestinian old man and wounded at least two others as the Israeli military invasions of Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps continued. More with IMEMCs Jessica Husley in the West Bank

An elderly man, aged 67 from the city of Jenin, was shot dead earlier this week by Israeli soldiers. The man was checking on his livestock nearby when the soldiers opened fire at him, killing him instantly.

Meanwhile, the Israeli troops shot and wounded two Palestinian residents from the Far'a refugee camp, after invading the camp early this week.

A part of the Israeli attacks on the West Bank, Israeli troops carried out more than 20 invasions into Palestinian areas, including Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarem and Qalqilia, rounding up dozens of Palestinian residents.

According to the Palestinian center for Human Rights in Gaza, the daily detention campaigns conducted by the Israeli troops in the West Bank, has led to the imprisonment of 2,074 Palestinian residents since the beginning of 2008.

For other related news; this week armed Israeli settlers in the West Bank continued their daily attacks on Palestinian farmers, while picking olives amidst the olive season, a major source of income for the Palestinian population.

The American General Consul in Jerusalem, Jacob Walles, expressed his concern over the continued settler attacks on Palestinians, saying that his administration has asked Israel for clarifications on this matter.

Another development this week; Hamas sources have said that the West Bank-based Palestinian security services conducted a series of arrest campaigns against Hamas members and supporters.

The sources added that more than 40 Hamas affiliates have been rounded up so far, particularly after Israel allowed the deployment of 500 Palestinian security personnel in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

For IMEMC, this is Jessica Hulsey


Gaza Strip Report:
As uneasy ceasefire is established since June between Israel and Palestinian resistance group in Gaza, the situation in the coastal territory remains tense.The details from Gaza with IMEMC’s Rami Al-Meghari.

On Thursday, the local committee for breaking the Israeli blockade on Gaza condemned the continued Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, after the Israeli military closed all Gaza's commercial crossings.

The Israeli army closures of the crossings were based on reports that a homemade shell landed on nearby Israeli areas during the weekend. Also, the Israeli troops claimed that two shells were fired at an Israel tank near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army was reported for shooting and wounding a Palestinian girl near the city of Khan Younis earlier this week.

In the meantime, amidst a crippling Israeli blockade on the region, an internationally-enforced embargo, a third Free Gaza Boat 'Hope', arrived on the shores of Gaza this week.

The boat had 27 international onboard, including both Arab and Palestinian peace activists , who came in a bid of solidarity with the besieged Gaza population, after two boats broke the siege on August23.

For other related news, a number of Palestinian resistance factions , which agreed to the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal, warned of the collapse of the current truce with Israel, if Israel continues to close the crossings or attack Palestinian areas daily.

The June's ceasefire agreement stipulated the reopening of Gaza's crossings completely , leading to a gradual end of the siege, in return for halting homemade shells fire from Gaza onto Israel.

Another concern, Egypt's president , Husni Mubarak, told the Yidout Ahronot Israeli newspaper that the captured Israeli soldier, Gila'd Shalit, held by Hamas in Gaza since June2006, is in a good health.

Egypt has been brokering Israeli-Palestinian negotiations over a possible prisoner swap, in which hundreds of Palestinian prisoners can be released by Israel in return for Shalit.

At the internal level, the Hamas-led interior ministry in Gaza, set free 17 Fatah party members, who have been kept inside Gaza prisons for the past month.

Hamas says the move is intended to prepare the atmosphere for the upcoming Cairo-based Palestinian national unity talks, slated for November9.

For IMEMC.org, this is Rami Almeghari in Gaza


Conclusion
And that was just some of the news this week in Palestine. For constant update check out our website, www.IMEMC.org. Thanks for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. This week's report has been brought to you by Hussam Qassis and George Rishmawi, good bye.