The Free Gaza Movement ship "Dignity" successfully broke through the Israeli blockade yesterday, President Mahmoud Abbas stated that there will be no Peace with Israel unless Israel releases all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, and that Israel must put an end to settler aggressions against Palestinian citizens. These stories and more coming up Stay tuned.


The Free Gaza Movement ship "Dignity" successfully broke through the Israeli blockade for the fourth time since August, arriving in Gaza Port at 2:45pm, Tuesday 9 December. The ship carried one ton of medical supplies and high-protein baby formula, in addition to a delegation of international academics, humanitarian and human rights workers.

Three earlier missions made landfall in Gaza in August, October, and November through the power of non-violent direct action and civil resistance. The Free Gaza ships are the first international ships to reach the Gaza Strip in over 41 years.

In other news, In a speech pronounced in Mecca on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, President Mahmoud Abbas said that, 'Hamas is responsible for Gaza's Muslim not being able to leave the Strip for the pilgrimage to Mecca .' He added that these pilgrims will have priority in next year's list of pilgrims, in addition to the annual number of pilgrims that can go to perform the Hajj.

In the same press release, president Mahmoud Abbas asserted that the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons must be released, saying that this is one of the fundamental Final Status issues. He stressed that there will be 'no peace without freedom to all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons,' adding that the 11,000 prisoners suffering behind Israeli bars must be released, and that a number of them are to be released very soon.

Abbas condemned the Jewish settlers’ continued aggressions against Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, and he demanded that Israel put an end to these aggressions because the Israeli Government and the Israeli Army are responsible for the settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

In Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, stated on Wednesday that the Israeli army should carry out a large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for what she described as “the violation of the truce”.

The statements from Livni came during a meeting at the University of Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning. She also slammed the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, as Barak was purportedly calling for a truce while Hamas was firing homemade shells.

She claimed that this issue gives the impression that Israel recognizes Hamas.

Livni also stated that Israel should not accept the authority of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and should intensify its military operations in the coastal region.

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 Justin Theriault and Husam Qassis.