A senior Israeli military source reported that Israel continues to be cautious about making official statements on the situation in Egypt and the attempts to end the rule of its overdue regime of Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak. Speaking to the Israeli Army in Hebrew, the source said that there are good chances that peace between Israel and Egypt will remain in place, adding that peace is in the best interest in Egypt and Israel,
The Popular Struggle Coordination Committee has created a new fund, the “Dismantling Impunity Fund”. This fund will aid Palestinians engaging in non-violent resistance pay for legal fees when suing Israel for deaths caused by the Israeli army.
Residents of the southern village of Al-Arakib in Israel clashed with Jewish National Fund (JNF) workers who came to plant trees in the area. Three village residents were arrested for hurling stones. The village has been a tense area because of the constant demolitions of the villages structures by Israel. Just recently, the village was demolished for the 12th time.
In related news, two homes have been demolished by the Israeli Army in a village near Nablus. The homes of two families, together with a number of animal shelters, were demolished in Khirbet Tana – the fourth demolition that the village has experienced since 2005.
The United Nations Relief Works Agency has announced that unemployment in the Gaza strip has reached 45%.
The Huwwara and Beit Furik checkpoints in Nablus will be removed. The Huwwara checkpoint prevented movement in and out of Nablus until restrictions were eased in 2008 as part of Israel's policy of treating the West Bank and Gaza Strip differently. According to the Nablus governor, the removal of the checkpoints comes after 8 months of negotiations. The easing of movement restrictions is crucial to allow the Palestinian economy to function.
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 Ramona M