June 5th

Palestinians: Man Killed By Idf Fire Near Hebron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - June 5, 2008 - 6:25pm Palestinian sources said a man was shot dead Thursday by IDF soldiers who intervened in clashes between rival clans near the West Bank city of Hebron. The IDF said soldiers came upon a group of armed Palestinians in the Jabel Juar area, opened fire in their direction and identified a hit. According to the Palestinians, during clashes that erupted between members of the Rajabi and Ajlouni clans, Israeli soldiers that arrived at the scene opened fire at an armed Palestinian from the Ajlouni clan and killed him on the spot. » Read more

One Killed In Gaza Rocket Attack On Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) June 5, 2008 - 6:22pm One person was killed on Thursday when a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a kibbutz in southern Israel, the army and medics said, in an attack claimed by the armed wing of Hamas. The home-made Qassam-style rocket hit a factory in the Nir Oz kibbutz which lies east of the southern Gaza Strip, an army spokeswoman said. The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas which has ruled Gaza for almost a year, claimed responsibility for the attack. Medics said three people were also wounded, one of them seriously. » Read more

Treat Israel Like Other States ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - June 5, 2008 - 6:21pm One obvious sign of the influence of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC was once again demonstrated this week as the three US presidential candidates and top government leaders including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were all scheduled to address the pro-Israel lobby group three-day conference in Washington. An unannounced latecomer was the beleaguered Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, who is facing criminal charges at home and his days in leading Israel may be numbered. » Read more

Syria-israel Talks To Be Held On 'regular' Basis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - June 5, 2008 - 6:20pm The indirect Israeli-Syrian talks, which are expected to resume next week in Turkey, will be held on a regular basis, a Turkish official said Wednesday, without spelling out what the frequency of the talks would be. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's chief of staff, Yoram Turbowicz, and his foreign policy adviser, Shalom Turgeman, are expected to go to Turkey next week to resume the indirect negotiations with the Syrians, with the Turkish team shuttling between the two delegations. » Read more

Abbas Aides Say Hamas Talks Depend On Ceding Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters June 5, 2008 - 6:19pm Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has not softened his position on reconciliation with Hamas and dialogue still depends on the Islamists ceding the Gaza Strip, his aides said on Thursday. Abbas called on Wednesday for reconciliation talks with Hamas leaders without explicitly repeating previous demands they first give up the Gaza Strip, fuelling speculation the two sides could be ready to repair ties. » Read more

Palestinian Girl, Israeli Killed In Gaza Border Fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal Al-mughrabi - June 5, 2008 - 6:18pm An Israeli air strike killed a young Palestinian girl in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Thursday after an Israeli died in a militant cross-border mortar attack on a kibbutz. Palestinian medics said a girl of about eight was killed and two women were injured outside their house near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The army said it carried out an air strike in the area, saying it was targeting a militant. The attack in Gaza came after Palestinian militants shelled an Israeli kibbutz, killing one person and wounding three. » Read more

Palestinian Leader Urges Talks With Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - June 5, 2008 - 6:09pm The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, called unexpectedly late Wednesday for a resumption of dialogue with the Islamic militant group Hamas, a move that could herald a breakdown of his peace talks with Israel. In a short televised speech, Mr. Abbas, who is based in the West Bank, expressed his desire to restore national unity. Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007. Mr. Abbas said that if talks with Hamas succeeded, he would call for legislative and presidential elections. His term is supposed to end in January. » Read more

June 4th

Hamas: We'll Accept Truce For Removing Siege ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - June 4, 2008 - 5:42pm srael's position regarding the Egyptian initiative for achieving a truce with the Palestinians is totally unclear, but that does not mean that Hamas does not want a cease-fire, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday. He said that despite the difficulties in reaching an agreement, the Egyptians were making efforts to achieve a truce between the Palestinians and Israel. "Hamas's position toward the Egyptian initiative is very clear," said Haniyeh. » Read more

Rice Pushes Peace As Olmert Visits Washington ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters June 4, 2008 - 5:41pm US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made clear on Tuesday Washington will press for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal this year despite the corruption scandal dogging Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Olmert, who arrived in Washington on Tuesday at the start of a three-day visit, has rebuffed calls that he leave office over allegations that he took envelopes stuffed with cash from a Jewish-American businessman. » Read more

Palestinians Protest Nearly Year-long Siege On Gaza Strip ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) June 4, 2008 - 5:40pm Around 100 Palestinians gathered outside the UN refugee agency's headquarters in Gaza City Tuesday to protest a nearly one-year-old Israeli blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory. The protesters, including a number of women and children, held signs saying "No more blood" and "Lift the siege from us" as they called on Israel and Egypt to reopen border crossings into Gaza. » Read more