October 29th, 2008

Hamas: Talks to free Shalit frozen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from September 2, 2008 - 8:00pm Hamas's senior leader in the Gaza Strip says talks on exchanging captured soldier Gilad Shalit for Palestinian prisoners have frozen. Mahmoud al-Zahar says the Egyptian-mediated negotiations have broken down because Israel won't meet Hamas demands to release prisoners convicted of murdering Israelis. Zahar also said Wednesday that the talks have stalled because Israel and Egypt won't open their border crossings with Gaza. Both countries sealed the border after Hamas seized power in Gaza in June 2007. » Read more

Israeli troops shoot Palestinian ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News September 2, 2008 - 8:00pm Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank have shot and wounded a mentally disabled Palestinian man during a raid on his house, medical officials say. The incident happened late on Sunday in the village of Nilin. Awad Srur, 41, was hit in the face with three rubber-coated bullets, causing him to lose an eye, medics said. The Israeli military says Mr Srur attacked soldiers who were arresting his brother and tried to grab one of their rifles before he was shot. Mr Srur's son Muhammad said he tried to persuade the soldiers not to open fire because of his father's mental condition. » Read more

Israel to discuss relocating West Bank settlers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters September 2, 2008 - 8:00pm The Israeli government will discuss for the first time a plan to compensate Jewish settlers who agree to voluntarily leave their homes in the occupied West Bank, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said on Wednesday. The settlement issue has clouded U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians launched in November with the aim of reaching a statehood deal by early 2009. » Read more

Palestinian Public Opinion Poll #29 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestinian Center For Policy And Survey Research September 2, 2008 - 8:00pm While the gap between Mahmud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh widens in favor of the former, and while the overwhelming majority opposes Hamas’s military action in Shijaiah in the Gaza Strip, almost two-thirds believe that Abbas’s term in office expires in January 2009 rather than January 2010 28-30 August 2008 » Read more

October 28th

Barak wants to ban violent extremists from West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel, Nadav Shragai - October 27, 2008 - 8:00pm Defense Minister Ehud Barak favors barring right-wing extremists who attack soldiers or policemen from entering the West Bank, and in extreme cases, even putting them in administrative detention. On Tuesday, he plans to discuss the issue of law enforcement in the West Bank with senior army, police and legal officials, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said. » Read more

Bimkom: Israel strangles Area C development ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Dan Izenberg - October 26, 2008 - 8:00pm The Civil Administration in the West Bank is using a deliberately restrictive planning policy to strangle Palestinian development in Area C and preserve as much land as possible for settlements, the human rights organization Bimkom charged in a new report due to be released this morning. The report, entitled "The Forbidden Zone," accuses the military authorities in the West Bank of severely violating Palestinian human rights. » Read more

'Plan to end Hamas-Fatah rift reached' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - October 26, 2008 - 8:00pm Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced Monday that he has reached an agreement with Egypt on ways of ending the Hamas-Fatah power struggle and achieving reconciliation among all Palestinian factions. However, Abbas did not give details about the agreement. He is scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia to brief the Saudi leaders on the latest developments surrounding the crisis with Hamas and the political turmoil in Israel following Tzipi Livni's decision to call early elections. » Read more

MKs agree: Elections to be held on Feb. 10 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Amnon Meranda - October 27, 2008 - 8:00pm Kadima faction chairman, Knesset Member Yoel Hasson, announced Tuesday that his party would push to hold elections within 111 days from Monday, the day President Shimon Peres informed Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik of his decision to call general elections. According to this announcement, and as per Israeli law, elections are set to fall on February 10. » Read more

Palestinian Electricity Pact to 'Reduce Dependence on Israel' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line October 27, 2008 - 8:00pm The Palestinian Authority has joined a seven-fold electric power grid, which would allow it to become less dependent on Israeli supply of electricity within four years. The announcement was made during a meeting of ministers of electricity and energy in the network member countries. An interconnected electricity network, which includes Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Lebanon, decided earlier this week to incorporate the Palestinian electricity system. » Read more

Britain urges Israel to halt settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) October 27, 2008 - 8:00pm Britain urged Israel on Tuesday to freeze settlement activities in the occupied territories, warning that they threaten the creation of an independent Palestinian state. "Continued settlement construction threatens the goal of a two-state solution to which the Israeli government itself is committed," British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Bill Rammell told reporters in Amman. » Read more