July 8th

Israel-hamas Truce Boils Down To Simple Tradeoff
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
July 8, 2008 - 3:37pm

An Israel-Hamas truce has boiled down to a simple tradeoff: For a day of calm, Israel adds five truckloads of cows and 200 tons of cement to its shipment of the barest basics to Gaza, but also punishes sporadic rocket fire by resealing the territory for a day.

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Nearly Billion Dollars In Direct Aid Disbursed To Palestinians In Six Months
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
July 8, 2008 - 3:33pm

The international community has paid out nearly a billion dollars in direct aid to the Palestinians in six months, officials of the International Donors' Conference for the Palestinian State said here late Monday, while hitting out at Israeli restrictions on movement by Palestinians. The chair and the co-chairs of the Paris conference, which last December came up with pledges of donations totalling 7.7 billion dollars over three years, "strongly welcomed" the process of disbursing the funds.

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Israel, Hezbollah To Swap Prisoners
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Mark Lavie - July 8, 2008 - 3:32pm

Israel's military said it began digging up the bodies of Lebanese fighters yesterday after the government struck a deal with Hezbollah guerrillas to swap five living prisoners and dozens of bodies for two Israeli soldiers captured in 2006. Israel said in a statement that the swap agreement was signed "in the presence of a U.N. representative." Implementing the deal depends on carrying out further steps, the statement said without providing specifics. Hezbollah officials would not comment.

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An End To Conflict
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Times
by Andrea Barron - (Opinion) July 8, 2008 - 3:30pm

There was Ehud Olmert, prime minister of Israel, promising to freeze all Jewish settlements in the West Bank and remove 300 roadblocks to make it easier for Palestinians to get to work, attend school and farm their land. Then Mr. Olmert said he would dismantle over 100 settlements and unauthorized outposts to show Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel was serious about concluding a peace agreement before the end of the year.

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Israel Opens Gaza Crossings Despite Palestinian Mortar Fire (10:00am Est)
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
July 8, 2008 - 3:28pm

Israel agreed to an Egyptian request and opened its border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday despite Palestinian mortar fire that violated a three-week-old truce. The request from Egypt was an attempt to prod forward the cease-fire, which was designed in part to ease Israel's crushing blockade of the coastal strip. In so doing, Israel suggested it might stop automatically closing the crossings in response to every truce violation, like the mortar shell Palestinian militants fired Monday.

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Israel Closes Gaza Crossings After Mortar Attack (1:00am Est)
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
July 8, 2008 - 3:26pm

Israel closed all but one of its border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in response to a mortar attack 24 hours earlier, Israeli officials said. The Jewish state said one mortar shell was fired from Gaza on Monday and landed in southern Israel, causing no casualties or damage. "All crossings, except for the Erez terminal, will be closed today because of the mortar fired yesterday," said defense official Peter Lerner.

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In an op-ed for the Baltimore Sun Professor Shibley Telhami analyzes data from public opinion surveys regarding Palestine conducted in six Middle Eastern countries (1). Tension mounts in East and West Jerusalem as a result of recent attacks (2). Violations of the Gaza ceasefire continue from both sides (3). Residents in the West Bank town of Ni?lin protest an ongoing IDF imposed curfew (6). Israel announces plans to shut down Hamas-affiliated organizations in the West Bank (7).

July 7th

'why Did They Treat Me Like That?'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Gideon Levy - July 7, 2008 - 4:42pm

He has already seen everything. At 24, he has already been documenting the horrors of his city, Rafah, for six years. He photographs and writes, seeking to be a voice for those who are voiceless, as he puts it. On his Web site Rafah Today (www.rafahtoday.org) - like that of USA Today or Israel Today, only from Rafah - he paints a picture for readers around the world of the horrors of his city, the most afflicted of all cities in the anguished Gaza Strip, in strong and shocking colors. You will see there demolished houses and crushed bodies, tanks shelling people's homes and lost children.

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Gaza Militants Fire Mortar Shells At Karni Border Crossing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Fadi Eyadat - July 7, 2008 - 4:39pm

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday called for Gaza Strip border crossings to close starting on Tuesday, hours after Palestinian militants fired two mortar shells into Israel, which struck an open space between the Karni crossing and Nahal Oz causing neither casualties nor property damage. Since the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas went into effect in the Gaza Strip June 19, militants have fired several Qassam rockets into Israel, including one last week that fell in the western Negev region.

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Jerusalem Attack Highlights Discrimatory Israeli Policies [june 29 – July 5]
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Miftah
July 7, 2008 - 4:37pm

Jerusalem was back in the spotlight this week after three Israelis were killed and more than 50 others injured when 30-year old Hussam Duweiyat plowed into them with a bulldozer on a busy west Jerusalem street. On July 2, Duweiyat, a construction worker in the city, went on a rampage on Jaffa Street in the western sector of Jerusalem, overturning an Israeli bus filled with passengers, ramming into it again before hitting another bus and several cars. Duweiyat was shot and killed by a nearby policeman.

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