This week in Palestine week 36 2008

Lead: Diplomatic efforts continue to in a number of world capitals, while on the ground in Palestine, Israeli military forces continue their invasions in the West Bank areas and more Palestinian patients loose their lives due to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, these stories and more, are coming up, stay tuned.

Nonviolent Resistance
Lead: We start our weekly report with the nonviolent actions in Palestine, where one Italian was wounded in Bil’in’s weekly protest on the first anniversary of the Israeli court ruling to change the route of the wall there, meanwhile Al-Ma’asara village near Bethlehem is declared Israeli-goods free, E. L. Humble with the details.


Bil’in
On Friday, one Italian Human Rights activist was wounded with rubber-coated steel bullets in the weekly nonviolent, anti-wall protest in the West Bank village of Bil’in.

Medical sources reported that the wounded activist was identified as Frederica, and her injury was described as moderate.

The protestors marched after the Friday prayer from the mosque of the village to the construction site of the wall, where the Israeli troops were waiting for them. Local sources in Bil’in said that troops fired C.S. gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets in addition to concussion grenades at the peaceful protestors. Dozens were exposed to the gas and treated for Gas inhalation.

Protestors carried Palestinian flags and signs demanding the immediate removal of the wall and the settlements and the release of the 11,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

As the protestors arrived at the gate in the built section of the wall they managed to remove it from its place. However, the Israeli military, declared the area a closed military zone to force the crowded, Palestinian, Israeli and International activists to leave the area.

The Popular committee against the wall and settlements in Bil’in said that it has been a year since the Israeli high court ruled to move the wall 500 meters away from the village, yet the court ruling was not implemented yet.

The court’s decision will allow the village to retrieve around 300 acres of the land grabbed for the construction of the wall, noting that the total area of land expropriated from Bil’in village is 600 acres.

Al-Ma’asara
In Bethlehem, residents of the nearby Al-Ma’asara village organized a nonviolent protest under the title, “Al-Ma’asara is Israeli goods free”.

The villagers were joined by International peace activists and went through the village to the land slated for confiscation for the construction of the wall.

Israeli troops stopped the protestors on their march, before they could reach their destination, and the organizers spoke to the crowd at that spot.

The speakers stressed the need for continuous nonviolent actions against the wall and the settlements until they stop, demanding the international Human Rights organizations to support this civic effort.

On his part, Mohammad Breijeyeh, one of the organizers of the protest, said another protest will be organized next Monday during which protestors will burn Israeli goods in front of Israeli soldiers.
For IMEMC this is , E. L. Humble


West Bank
Lead: Israeli military forces continue their invasions into the West Bank areas taking a number of civilians prisoner, more details with IMEMC's Ghassan Bannoura.

Early this week, the Israeli troops swept into the Jenin city, ransacking the house of a Palestinian family and taking members of the family for interrogation.

Also, Israeli armored vehicles stormed a number of Palestinian cities such as Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem and Tulkarem. Cities of Hebron and Bethlehem were invaded twice during the week.

These invasions have resulted in the detention of several residents, including 7 in Tulkarem, 2 in Bethlehem and 2 in Hebron. Israeli attacks on the West Bank areas take place on a daily basis.

Also, an 18-month-old Palestinian toddler was in danger of dying after his arrival at the hospital was delayed by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint. The toddler was reportedly suffocating after his tongue was turned back into his mouth.

Israel has more than 570 checkpoints and roadblocks around the West Bank cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, thus grossly impeding movement of the Palestinian population.

In the meantime, an Israeli military court acquitted the Israeli soldiers who shot and killed a Palestinian resident of Na'alin, near Ramallah, last month.

The deceased man, was shouting at a soldier who was arresting his brother. Another soldier shot him with three rubber-coated bullets; two penetrated his skull, while the third went into his chest

Apart from the Israeli attacks on the West Bank, the ruling Hamas party in Gaza confirmed that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank arrested six Hamas members this week.
For IMEMC This is Ghassan Bannoura



Gaza
Lead: The number of Palestinian patients who died due to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza strip stands at 245 this week, IMEMC's Rami Al Meghari has more:

Hussain Abu Zazzar, a 77-year-old man from the Gaza Strip , died this week after his access outside of Gaza was delayed due to the Israeli blockade on the coastal region. The death of Abu Zazzar brought the death toll of ill patients to 245 since Israel imposed the siege in June 2007.

This week, on the northern Gaza shores, Israeli naval vessels shot and wounded two Palestinian fishermen while on board their ships. The fishermen were accompanied by five international peace activists who are members of the Free Gaza Movement.

In the meantime, early this week Egypt reopened the Rafah crossing terminal for a couple of days, allowing hundreds of patients, stranded students and travelers in and out of Gaza.

Member of the Free Gaza Movement, Lauren Booth, a British Journalist and sister-in-law of Quartet's envoy, Mr. Tony Blair, was denied access to Egypt through the terminal.

Booth and nine other fellow members have been denied exit of Gaza either through Egypt or through the Israeli checkpoint of Eritz in northern Gaza. These nine internationals chose to stay in Gaza as their comrades of the Free Gaza Boa , which broke the siege on August23, returned back to Cyprus after spending five days in Gaza.

Jamla aL-Khudari, a Gaza lawmaker and head of the local popular committee to break the Israeli siege, confirmed that another boat that will attempt to break-the-siege, will arrive in Gaza after September22. Internationals stranded in Gaza will return back to Cyprus on this boat.

For IMEMC.org , I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza




The Political Report
Lead: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres discussed in Italy on Thursday, outstanding political issues between the two sides, as Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak hinted at the possibility of establishing a Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem IMEMC's Jessica Husly has details

This week in Palestine, a meeting between Palestinian President, Abbas and Israeli prime minister Olmert, resulted in no concrete progress in terms of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

Top Palestinian negotiator, Ahmad Qurai, said that there will be no solution without the occupied east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Later in the week, Israeli defense minister stated to the Aliazeera that Israel will possibly allow Palestinian sovereignty over some Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.

Barak's statement was slammed by the minister of transportation, Shaol Mofaz, who considered the statement as representing only Barak and not the official policy line of the Israeli state. Israel insists that Jerusalem should remain united under the 'Jewish State'.

As Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have virtually achieved no progress, Palestinian factions are currently meeting with Egyptian officials in Cairo, for talks over Palestinian national unity.

Underway, talks are aimed at getting the rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, closer in terms of ending their current split in Gaza and in the West Bank.

Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmad Abu Elgheit, was reported by the Middle East News Agency as proposing deployment of Arab forces in the Gaza Strip.

The proposal was rejected by the ruling Hamas party and other parties in Gaza. The factions won't welcome such forces, but will rather deal with them as hostile troops, unless they are expected to liberate Jerusalem.

Both Fatah and Hamas parties have been at odds since the Islamist Hamas took power after the January 2006 elections. The rivalry reached a climax when Hamas seized control of Gaza completely and ousted Fatah-loyal forces from Gaza in June 2007.

Meanwhile, French president Nicolas Sarkozy delivered a message from the father of captured Israeli soldier Gil'ad Shalit, to his Syrian counterpart Bashar AL-Assad, to be handed over later on the Damascus-based exiled leader of Hamas.

France has been putting forth efforts for the release of Shailt from Gaza, where Hamas has been holding the soldier since June of 2006 due to cross-border attacks in southern Gaza. Shalit holds a dual-French-Israeli citizenship.

Since June19, 2008, both Israel and the Palestinian factions have agreed to a ceasefire deal , brokered by Egypt, in which talks over the release of Shailt would resume. Hamas wants to see hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released including those with long-term imprisonments.

This week, Israeli chief of internal security, Avi Dikhter, said that Hamas obstructs the possibility of reaching an agreement over the Shailt case. Israel has pulled back on an agreement to release 70 Palestinian prisoners.
For IMEMC this is Jessica Husly

Conclusion
And that just some of the news this week in Palestine, for constant updates, 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.