The News Cast
Israeli settler groups called on the Israeli government to stop proximity talks with the Palestinians due to the settlements products boycott campaign that officially started today in the West Bank. The Campaign “House-to-House” was launched by the Palestinian National Pride fund. Hundreds of Palestinian men and women started on early Tuesday morning house-to-house visits in all Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
Their aim is to encourage Palestinians to boycott products of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The campaign is endorsed by both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
Such a step is a big support to most Palestinian farmers, producers of dairy products and soft drinks as settlement products are their major competitor.
Palestinians consume near $500 million dollars of settlements products per year, according to Palestinian officials with an average of $1.4 million dollars every day. The settlement Yesha Council on Tuesday called the campaign an “economic terror,” and called upon Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the American mediated proximity talks with Fayyad as he is leading this campaign.
Also today Six Palestinian civilians were detained by Israeli troops during morning invasions targeting West Bank communities. The military invasions were focused mainly in Bethlehem area in the south and Nablus in the northern part of the West Bank.
Elsewhere a group of Palestinian fighters clashed on Tuesday with an invading Israeli force in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Salah Al Deen Brigade said in a press statement that a group of its fighters spotted an undercover Israeli military force while trying to infiltrate the evacuated settlement of Doghit near the northern Gaza Strip borders.
According to the statement, Palestinian fighters managed to detonate two homemade bombs near the invading forces and clashed with them for about 10 minutes before the Israeli soldiers retreated with a number of soldiers injured in the clashes. The Israeli military did not issue any comment regarding the incident.
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 George Rishmawi.
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IDF sends 14,000 tons of aid to Gaza
19.05.2010 05:46
By JPOST.COM STAFF
18/05/2010 11:39
Fuel, gas, food, hygiene products and medical supplies transferred.
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Over 14,000 tons of humanitarian aid were transferred from Israel into the Gaza Strip last week, the IDF announced on Tuesday in its weekly summary of COGAT operations.
"A total of 637 truckloads, consisting of 14,069 tons of humanitarian aid, were transferred into the Gaza Strip from Israel via the various crossings," read a statement by the IDF Spokesperson.
According to the statement, the shipments consisted of hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel; 21 truckloads of milk formula and baby food; 897 tons of cooking gas, 66 truckloads of fruits and vegetables; 51 truckloads of wheat, 27 truckloads of meat, poultry and fish; 40 truckloads of dairy products; 117 truckloads of animal food; 37 truckloads of hygiene products; 22 truckloads of sugar; and 38 truckloads of clothing and shoes.
In addition, 781 medical patients the Gaza Strip crossed into Israel and the West Bank along with their chaperones for medical treatment. Into Gaza, meanwhile, went four truckloads of medicine and medical equipment.
Aside from humanitarian and medical supplies, 191 staff members of international organizations crossed into the Gaza Strip, and 202 crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
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