As reactions varied to the speech of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, four patients died in Gaza due to the continued siege. These stories, and more, coming up, Stay tuned.

Nonviolent Activities

Let's begin our weekly report with the nonviolent activities in the West Bank with IMEMC's Jane Smith:

Dozens suffered from gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest in Bil'in village near the central West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday afternoon.

Residents of Bil'in and their international and Israelis supporters marched from the village center after the Friday midday prayers.

The protesters demanded the halt of the Israeli illegal settlements and the construction of the wall. As the protesters arrived at the wall, Israeli troops at the gate nearby fired a barrage of sound bombs, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets.

After the protest ended troops set fire to olive crops located near the Palestinian side of the gate of the wall, a number of olive trees were damaged.

Also near Ramallah Israeli soldiers attacked Palestinian and international peace activists during the weekly non-violent protest against the wall in Ni'lin village on Friday.

After the midday prayers the villagers, along with their supporters, marched towards the village lands where Israel is building the wall.

The protesters demanded the halt of the Israeli illegal settlements and the construction of the wall.

As soon as the crowd reached the lands, troops attacked them with tear gas. Scores were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.

Later Israeli soldiers attacked the protesters with batons, then clashes erupted between local youth and the armed soldiers, no injuries were reported.

For IMEMC.org this is Jane Smith.



The Political Report

As reactions to the speech of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu flew this week; the political atmosphere in the region is still unchanged. Meanwhile, rival Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas, continue their efforts with Egyptian mediators in a bid to reconcile. IMEMC's Jessica Hulsey reports:

Earlier this week, Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivered a speech in which he emphasized a willingness to accept a two-state solution. In the same speech he said that any Palestinian state should be demilitarized, that Israeli settlements should remain on Palestinian land and that they must keep Jerusalem as the 'united capital' of Israel.

The Fatah movement, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas says the speech is a deadly blow to the peace process. Fatah was the first political party to sign peace accords with Israel. Dr. Sahar Qawasmi is a Palestinian legislator from Fatah:



"Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech reflects the true nature of the Israeli polices which does not believe in peace. Sadly what was said on Sunday WILL destroy all the foundations of the political process that were based on the two state solution."

The ruling Hamas party in Gaza along with other political factions there, condemned the speech as ' racist and ignores the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people'.

In Washington, the U.S administration considered Netanyahu's remarks over a two-state solution as encouraging, expressing willingness to continue efforts for the sake of a two-state solution between Israeli’s and Palestinian’s.

The Quartet Committee for Middle East Peace, comprising of the U.S, the UN, the EU and Russia, welcomed the speech and demanded the ruling Hamas party to change positions, mainly recognizing Israel and accepting past-signed agreements between Palestinians and Israel.


But Israeli political analyst Serjio Yanni viewed the Netanyahu speech as a power play:



"The speech of Netanyahu had two objectives; one is internal, to create a new Israeli conscience that will strengthen his own government. The second element is towards the U.S., as a declaration by Netanyahu that he recognizes a Palestinian state."

This week, Israeli foreign minister, Liberman, met in Washington with the U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Liberman rebuffed Clinton's request that Israel should halt all settlement activities.

In Gaza, former US President , Jimmy Carter, met with Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya of the ruling Hamas party. Carter expressed shock for the scenes of destruction left by the Israeli army attacks on the region in January of this year.

From his part, Haniya confirmed to Carter that he is backing any peace efforts that would finally lead to a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, should a long-term truce with Israel be guaranteed.

On the internal level, the rival Palestinian parties, Hamas and Fatah, resumed meetings and contacts this week through Egyptian mediators. The two parties are expected to meet in Cairo by July 7, where Egypt is determined to make the two agree on a national unity government.

Fatah leader in Gaza, Ibrahim Abuelnajja, confirmed that the Palestinian authority in Ramallah would release 20 Hamas prisoners soon as the ruling Hamas in Gaza had already released a number of Fatah operatives from its detention facilities.

Such measures by both sides are intended at building confidence in preparation for an agreement, anticipated by July. For two years now, the rival parties are divided on the shape of a power sharing government.

Hamas wants a government that does not honor international demands, while Fatah insists that any unity cabinet should commit to previously-signed peace accords with Israel, which recognizes Israel's right to exist and adopt peace as a strategic choice.

Hamas, which won 2006's parliamentary elections in Gaza and the West Bank, has shunned peace talks with Israel, until Israel ends the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

In June of 2007, Hamas seized control of Gaza and ejected Fatah-loyal PA forces, while President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, outlawed Hamas, and formed a caretaker government in Ramallah.

For IMEMC.org this is Jessica Hulsey.



The Gaza Strip Report

As Israel continues its siege on the Gaza Strip, four patients died this week because they were denied access to life-saving medical care. From Gaza, IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari reports:

Three Palestinian patients died on Monday due to the ongoing Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry reported. The Ministry stated that Huda Sha'ath, 7 months-old, and Salem Matar, 45, died in Gaza hospitals, while Niven Al Mogharbi, 21 and mother of three, died in Egypt.

Another man was reported dead on Wednesday after he was unable to leave the Gaza Strip for life saving medical care. 42 year old Omer Attallah had kidney failure, medical sources reported.

The Israeli military imposed a crippling siege on the Gaza Strip in June 2007, leaving 1.5 million Palestinians living there without basic supplies necessary to sustain life. Gaza hospitals have now arrived at a point where they can no longer treat their patients.

Gaza patients have to endure a great deal of hardship. In order for them to access life saving medical care they must either go to Israel or Egypt, but it is impossible to reach either without a special permit. The process to obtain a permit takes a long time, and many die awaiting the approval. In other cases, such as that of Niven Al Mogharbi, the patients arrive too late for treatment.

The Palestinian minister of health in Gaza said that, with the death of the four this week, the number of patients who have died due to the Israeli siege now stands at 344.

In related news, the Israeli authorities decided on Thursday morning to open the three trade terminals in the Gaza Strip, to allow the entry of some aid supplies, cooking gas, and industrial fuel.

At midnight Saturday, the Israeli airforce launched a number of air-to-surface missiles at a Palestinian neighborhood, located near the Gaza-Egypt border. Local residents reported that four Palestinians were wounded in the attack.

Soon after the Israeli missile attack, a Palestinian resistance group in northern Gaza shot a homemade shell across the Gaza-Israel border. The shell, which was around 3 feet long and resembles a large bottle-rocket, landed in a field and caused no injury or damage.

From IMEMC.org, this is Rami Al Meghari in Gaza.


The West Bank Report

This week the Israeli military conducted at least 26 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During the attacks, Israeli troops kidnapped at least 30 Palestinian civilians, including a child. IMEMC’s George Rishmawi reports:

The invasions this week targeted the cities of Bethlehem and Hebron in the southern West Bank, Nablus and Jenin in the northern West Bank, and Ramallah city, in the central West Bank.

A Palestinian youth was shot and lightly injured by Israeli military fire on Monday at night in the village of Beit Ummar in the southern West Bank. Witnesses reported that soldiers opened fire at the young man while he was driving his motorbike near his home. After shooting the man, soldiers also assaulted both of his parents, witnesses added. The Israeli military has issued no statement regarding the incident.

This week the Israeli Jerusalem municipality handed out yet more demolition orders to Palestinian families in east Jerusalem. On Thursday, residents hurled stones at Israeli police and municipality employees as they handed out demolition orders against Palestinian owned homes in Al Bustan, an East Jerusalem neighborhood.

The residents succeeded in forcing the police and municipality employees out of their neighborhood, but only after they had delivered 33 demolition orders. The orders were issued under new legislation, Israeli law 212. Mussa Odeh, who received one of the orders, says that it is a racist act.



"The reason for the orders is racist, my house was built 11 years ago and I got this land from my father who inherited it from his father."

Law 212 allows homes to be demolished or evacuated without any formal legal charges being brought forth or any party to be convicted of any alleged violation of the Israeli Planning and Building Law. Hateem Abed al Kader, the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs in the Palestinian Government said the demolition orders were political:



"The high number of demolition orders indicates they are political, their objective is to force Palestinians out and tip the demographic balance towards the settlers. The number of homes that are set for demolition in Jerusalem is now 1,200 homes."

According to the Israeli municipality, the homes were built without required building permits. Since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, it has rarely given Palestinian residents permission to build homes or to modify existing ones. Meanwhile, Israeli settlements in and around Jerusalem continue to be built, an act that is illegal under international law.

At lest a dozen Palestinian families in various parts of East Jerusalem have received demolition orders this week, issued by the Jerusalem Municipality. Earlier this year, the owners of all 88 homes in the Al Bustan neighborhood were issued with demolition orders. The orders were delayed, however, when homeowners took the municipality to court to appeal the decision.

In other news, a Palestinian man, known to be a member of the Hamas movement, died on Monday morning, while in the custody of the Palestinian general intelligence service in the city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank.

The Palestinian intelligence service said the man had tried to escape from prison, jumping from a second floor detention cell, and died as a result of the fall.

The Hamas movement has accused the Palestinian security forces of torturing the man to death. His death came just one day after Fatah and Hamas held reconciliation meetings in the West Bank and in Gaza. After hours of talks, both factions agreed to release political prisoners. Earlier this month, clashes between the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority forces and Hamas left nine people dead in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia.

For IMEMC.org this is George Rishmawi.



Conclusion

and that's just some of the news of this week in Palestine. For constant updates, please check out our website, www.IMEMC.org. Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. This week's report has been brought to you by Ghassan Bannoura.