Palestine Today 11 18 2010

Today's report begins with the Israeli air strike in Gaza that killed two brothers, Mohamed and Islam Yassin who were members of the Army of Islam, on Wednesday evening. The Israeli Air Force targeted their vehicle in al-Wihda Street, in the center of Gaza City.

With regard to this news, two mortar shells from Gaza landed on Thursday in the southern district of Israel, adjacent to the Strip. No injuries were caused.
Also in Gaza, the Prime Minister of the deposed government, Ismail Haniyeh held out his hand to the Palestinian Christian community and claimed that his government has a "moral and national commitment" to them, adding that they share the same pain and hope.

In addition, the Member of the Political Bureau of Hamas, Dr. Mahmoud Zahhar, denied claims reportedly made by Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, that Hamas planned the assassination of Nablus governor, Lieutenant Jibril al-Bakri.

In the West Bank, Israeli army invaded a school in the village of Bani Na'im in the eastern part of Hebron. Army personnel searched the school and the nearby area, causing damages to its furniture. Also the Israeli army erected two checkpoints in the northern area of Hebron.

Israeli soldiers also abducted a Palestinian youth after breaking into his home in Madama village, south of Nablus on Wednesday evening. The army claimed that soldiers invaded the village after a number of youths hurled stones at settler's vehicles.

Today, it was also reported that Nizar Mahagneh, the lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Club visited many Palestinian prisoners in interrogation centers. The lawyer highlighted a serious issue that an Israeli intelligence major has repeatedly suggested the idea of exiling those detained and their families.

According to the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein announced that he will move the employee who deals with torture complaints from within the Shin Bet to the Justice Department for "the sake of appearances".

This statement comes after The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel recently released a report showing that every single one of the 650 complaints brought to the Israeli government’s legal advisors were dismissed out of hand.

Also, a number of Israeli Education students, who are studying at the Beit Berl Israeli College, informed the institution that they refuse to hold their final project at an educational institution located in Ariel illegal Israeli settlement, in the northern occupied West Bank, for political reason. Early this year, more than 50 Israeli actors and theater professionals previously declared they are boycotting Ariel settlement.

In the U.S., the State Department Spokesperson, Philip J. Crowley, declared that Washington still believes that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is possible, but added that such a deal requires more than the allocated twelve months.

And in the capital of Spain, Madrid, the Israeli-Palestinian association Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF) among with other Spanish associations presented the exhibition "Cartoons in Conflict", which shows, using drawings made different artist around the world, the pain and suffering from both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

That sums up our news for today, thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today, from International Middle East Media Center. For more updates, please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Husam Qassis and Ane Irazabal.