The Arab foreign ministers meet in Cairo over Palestine issue, meanwhile the Gaza Strip plunges into darkness as the siege remains in place, and the West Bank witnesses more settler attacks,, these stories and more are coming up, stay tuned.

NonViolent
Let us begin our weekly report with the nonviolent activities in the West Bank where a nine-year old Palestinian boy and a Japanese activist were injured in the protest. More details with IMEMC's Dina Awwad.

Al-Ma'asara
9-year-old, Hareth Bregieyh from Al-Ma'asara, South of Bethlehem, has been injured after he was brutally beaten by Israeli soldiers this Friday afternoon, during a nonviolent protest. The boy suffered cuts and bruises in his arm after troops pushed at the barbed wire.

The villagers protested against the Wall, which is being built on the land of the village. The demonstrators raised the Palestinian flag and banners that condemn the Israeli operation and the wall.

Banners were also raised to mark the anniversary of the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People, which is to denounced the Israeli continue escalations against the Palestinian people during the last 6 decades.

The soldiers used barbed wires to stop the demonstrators to get close to the construction sight. During this the child was hurt, while all the Palestinian and the Internationals activist were demonstrating peacefully. According to Mohammed Bregieyh, spokesman of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements.

Ni'lin
Four demonstrators were hit by rubber bullets at a non-violent demonstration against the wall in Ni'lin village at the west of Ramallah at this Friday noon. The people of Ni'lin made Friday prayers near the land that will be confiscated by the Israeli people. The clergy Morad 'Amera called to the people of Ni'lin to keep the unity both socially as well as against the occupation.

After the prayers the people marched with International activist and Israeli peacemakers in the demonstration towards the land that will be confiscated, despite the Israeli military presence at the place.

As the demonstration reached the construction area, Israeli soldiers started to shoot tear gases and rubber-coated steel bullets at the protestors. They also showered them with tear gas causing dozens of them to choke. In addition four other protesters have been injured by the Israeli rubber-coated steel bullets. One of them reportedly was admitted to Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah, while the rest were sent to local clinics.

Bil'in
Hundreds of Bil'in villagers including international activist and Israeli peace activist protested the Friday afternoon, raising the Palestinian flag and banners that were calling to keep the struggle on the Palestinian main issues like Jerusalem, right of return, borders, water, releasing all the prisoners, the wall and the settlements.

The demonstration started after Friday prayers headed to the main gate, where the soldiers had installed the barbed wires to stop the demonstrators of passing through the gate. The soldiers gave commands through loudspeakers, but the demonstrators didn't follow the orders of the soldiers and tried to go though the gate. In response, Israeli soldiers shot tear gas, sound grenades and rubber coated bullets. Scores of demonstrators choked on tear gas, including Japanese activist, Fomia Enada.

Enada also was hit in the eye by a tear gas canister, and was taken by ambulance to Shiekh Zayed hospital in Ramallah, and then was transferred to St. George Hospital in Jerusalem for further treatment.

For IMEMC this is Dina Awwad




Political Report
On Thursday in Ramallah, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas stated during a meeting with his Italian counterpart, that the Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo laid the foundation for a genuine formulation of Palestinian politics. More with IMEMC's Samer Jaber

A meeting of the Arab foreign ministers in Cairo discussed this week the latest Palestinian developments, with an emphasis on the failed national dialogue and the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

The meeting called on Palestinian parties to commit to a genuine dialogue, based on Palestinian legitimacy. President Abbas of Fatah party, while the rival Hamas party in Gaza rejected the meeting's outcome, calling for respecting the choice of the Palestinian people with respect to Hama's victory in 2006's elections.

Abbas had earlier called for early presidential and parliamentary elections , so that Palestinians can get out of the current political turmoil.

For the Palestinian-Israeli peace plan, the Saudi Foreign minister, Saud Alfaisal, was reportedly intending to submit Arab states' vision towards peace with Israel to the new American elect-administration, led by incoming president, Barak Obama.

In the meantime, the United Nations General Assembly's president, called for imposing sanctions against Israel for its measures against the Palestinian people, resembling Israel with the Apartheid regime of South Africa.

Israeli ambassador to the United Nations complained about the General Assembly president , to the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.

Israeli Media sources have reported that the outgoing Israel prime minister , Ehud Olmert, is expected to go through one more interrogation by the Israeli police.

For IMEMC's This is Samer Jaber


Gaza Report
As Israel continues to seal off Gaza's crossings for more than three weeks now, a child died this week as the people of Gaza continue to suffer from the lack of essential supplies and commodities. Details with IMEMC's Rami Al-Meghari in Gaza.

According to Palestinian medical sources in Gaza , an infant patient died this week after his access to medical care out of Gaza was delayed under restrictive Israeli closure of the Gaza territory.

The Palestinian Human Rights Center in Gaza announced that that at least 30 percent of emergency cases have been denied access to treatment during the past period of Israeli's closure of Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli media sources reported that Palestinian homemade shells fire continued onto nearby Israeli towns this week, with no causalities reported. Israeli officials have stated that the Gaza closure will remain in place unless homemade shells stop being fired.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, on November4, the Israeli army attacked Gaza, killing six Hamas fighters and thus breaking a five-month-old ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, as Gaza-based resistance factions resumed homemade shell fire onto Israel.

This week, Israel allowed a few shipments of goods, commodities and fuel into Gaza, helping generate electricity at the sole Gaza's power plant and enabling the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza, to resume food assistance to more than 750,000 Palestinian refugees.

In the meantime, the local popular committee for breaking the siege on Gaza, announced this week that an Arab boat, loaded with food and medicine assistance is expected to arrive in Gaza next Monday, in a bid to break the Israeli blockade.

For IMEMC's This is Rami Almghari



West Bank Report
This week, the Israeli military conducted 17 invasions into various areas of the West Bank, wounding 7 civilians and detaining 32 other residents. This raises the number of Palestinian civilians kidnapped by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 to 2,216.The details with IMEMC’s Jessica Hulsey in the West Bank. This and more with IMEMC's Jessica Hussly in the West Bank


This week, the Israeli military invaded different parts of the West Bank and clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and soldiers, from one part, and armed Israeli settlers from the other part.

Seven Palestinian residents including two children were wounded during these clashes. They attempted to reoccupy the evacuated Homesh settlement to the north of the city of Nablus.

The settlement was evacuated in 2005 as part of the unilateral disengagement plan during which Israel pulled out from four small settlements in the West Bank. However, in March of 2007, Israeli settlers marched their way back to re-occupy the evacuated settlement, even though the Army and police were instructed to stop them. This prevents Palestinians from entering the evacuated areas.

Also, clashes erupted at the Qalandia military checkpoint near the city of Ramallah, leading to the injury of three Palestinian civilians.

Meanwhile, armed Israeli settlers from the colony of Kiryat Arba’, assaulted Palestinian residents in the area of Hebron. Meanwhile, the settlers continue to occupy Al-Rajabi building despite an Israeli high court's ruling to evacuate.

Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak was reported saying this week that the continued armed Israeli settlers attacks on Palestinians would harm Israel's image a as a sovereign state.

In the meantime, Israeli closure of Palestinian areas continued this week, as approximately 630 roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank remain in place. In addition, there are some 60-80 “mobile” checkpoints erected across the West Bank by Israeli forces every week.

This week, there has been a remarkable increase in settler activity in the West Bank including East Jerusalem.

For IMEMC, This is Jessica Hulseys

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.