Palestine Today 02 07 2012

Adnan Kgader passes the 50 day mark of his hunger strike, and the ninth Miles of Smiles convey arrives to bring medical aid to Gaza, these stories and more, coming up, so stay tuned.

The “Miles Of Smiles 9” aid and solidarity convoy made it into the coastal region through the Rafah Border Terminal, between Gaza and Egypt.

Convoy Coordinator, Isam Yousef, stated that 64 solidarity activist from Bahrain, Tunisia, Jordan, Britain, South Africa and Egypt, crossed into the coastal region carrying medical supplies and equipment estimated at $2.7 Million, including a number of ambulances and power generators for hospitals.

The Miles of Smiles 8 convoy managed to enter Gaza on January 14 this year, carrying 48 human rights activists, two tons of medical sullies, in addition to 120 scooters for the physically challenged.

In other news, lawyer of the Ad-Dameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Samer Sama’an, managed to visit the hunger-striking detainee, Adnan Khader, at an Israeli Hospital in Safad. Khader has been on hunger strike for 51 days, and continues to refuse vitamins and salts despite his deteriorating condition.

Khader started his hunger strike on December 18, one day after he was arrested by the army; he has not faced charges, and decided to strike to protest his imprisonment and the Israeli Military Court has not made a decision yet whether to renew the Administrative detention order or not.

In Israeli political news, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over the reconciliation agreement with Hamas, singed on Monday at the Qatari Capital.

The deal between Fateh and Hamas head, Khaled Masha’al, states that Abbas would become the Prime Minister of the Unity Government until new elections are held.

During a meeting with his Likud right-wing party, Netanyahu stated that quote- “Abbas must choose between peace with Israel or coalition with the Hamas movement." –unquote.

The Doha agreement is considered a major advancement in unity talks between Hamas and Fateh, and if implemented could mean the actual implementation of Palestinian National Unity Agreement.

Back to local news, after Israel informed them of its intention to demolish their homes, members of the Hardan family in Al Fredees village started demolishing their own homes in order to avoid the unreasonable and excessive penalties and fines that would be imposed upon them.

The so-called Construction and Planning Committee claimed that the buildings were erected without construction permits, and that the constructions will be demolished, and the family will be forced to pay a fine should they refrain from demolishing their own homes at their own expense.

That’s all for today from the IMEMC News, this was the Tuesday February 7th daily roundup of news from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We hope you will join us again tomorrow. This has been brought to you by Husam Qassis and me, William Gibson.