Israeli soldiers, manning the Huwwara checkpoint at the entrance of the West Bank city of Nablus, wounded three Palestinian residents, while lining up at the checkpoint, on Monday morning.
It is believed that the shooting came in retaliation to a Palestinian woman attack with acid at an Israeli soldier at the same checkpoint. Israeli media sources said the soldier may be blinded in one eye. Local sources reported that those wounded sustained moderate and light injuries.
According to human rights groups, Palestinian residents, passing by Israeli checkpoints across the West Bank, are subjected to harassments by Israeli soldiers, as in many cases people die or pregnant women deliver on these checkpoints due to delay of movement for prolonged hours. Israel continues to maintain more than 500 roadblocks and military checkpoints including mobile ones through out the West Bank areas.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said from Dublin today, en-route to New York for attending the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, that there is no other choice than a two-state solution.
Abbas asserted believed that the Palestinians can keep up contacting both the outgoing and upcoming American administrations for that purpose.
In the meantime, Egyptian president and Jordanian Monarch will be meeting in Cairo Tuesday over the Palestinian-Israeli peace process as well as internal Palestinian dialogue.
These developments come on the heels of Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert's resignation form post and victory of his foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, in the ruling Kadima party's elections.
At the internal Palestinian level, Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad group, Ramadan Shallah, based in Damascus, said yesterday that the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, was established for one purpose which is 'fighting Israel not recognizing it'.
Shallah called on Abbas-led Fatah and Hamas parties in Gaza to sort out their differences to reach national unity in order to be able to restore the legitimate Palestinian rights.
Currently, representatives of all Palestinian factions are meeting in Cairo with Egyptian officials in order to come out with an agreement on major outstanding internal issues.
Conclusion:
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 Rami Al-Meghari, and Gorge Rishmawi