http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=17760
Israeli military and settler attacks across West Bank leaves one 15-year-old child dead, one 5-year-old in hospital
Date: 03 / 12 / 2006 Time: 15:42

Hebron – Nablus - Ma'an - A Palestinian boy has been killed in Nablus and another seriously injured in the city of Hebron on Sunday.

Ma'an's correspondent reported that confrontations erupted between Palestinian citizens and the Israeli soldiers in the Tallat Al Mawt and At Tallah As Sawda'a areas of Askar refugee camp, east of the city of Nablus. Jamil Mohammad Jabji, 15, was killed by Israeli forces during the clash.

Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that Israeli soldiers used live ammunition to disperse crowds in the area, and that the boy was shot in the head on his way home from school. He died instantly.

Medical sources in Rafidia hospital said that the boy was dead on arrival to the hospital, and confirmed he was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head.

In Hebron, Palestinian sources said that the five-year-old Palestinian child, Mohammad Firas Atrash, was admitted to the intensive care unit in Al Ahli hospital, in the city of Hebron, after being shot by an Israeli settler in the shoulder and the neck, near the Haggay settlement, south of Hebron.

Security sources said that the child was shot by an Israeli settler from the Haggay settlement, south of the city of Hebron.

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=17712
Special report: Israeli violations of ceasefire agreement within the last seven days
Date: 02 / 12 / 2006 Time: 12:45

Gaza – Ma'an - A newly-released report has revealed that Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, since its inception at 6am on Sunday 26th November, are ongoing and vary between killing, arrests and the demolishing of Palestinian houses in the Gaza Strip.

The report, which was prepared by Palestine today news, said that the West Bank cities and towns witnessed most of the Israeli violations. On the second day of the ceasefire, the Israelis killed a man and an old woman in Jenin, while two boys were killed on the fifth and the sixth days. A total of 130 Palestinians have been arrested, and many houses have been demolished, in addition to many incursions and forced entry campaigns.

Day one of the truce - Sunday 26th November
• Israelis arrest a man in Hebron city;
• Arrest one in Beituniya, near Ramallah;
• Four boys arrested in Abu Dis;
• One boy injured in 'Azzun, near Qalqilia

The second day – Monday 27th November
• The killing of the leader of the An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades in Qabatia, south of Jenin;
• The killing of an elderly lady, also in Qabatia;
• The arrest of six Fatah members in Nablus;
• The arrest of three Hamas members in Qalqilia;
• The arrest of two Hamas members in Ramallah;
• The arrest of three Hamas members in Hebron;
• The arrest of a Palestinian at the israeli barrier near Qalqilia,
• The arrest of three more in Nablus
• A military incursion into Bethlehem, and the arrest of another Palestinian.

The third day - Tuesday 28th November
• Israeli military incursion into Tulkarem, arrest three.
• The arrest of eleven Palestinians in Silat Harithiya near Jenin (mostly from one family),
• The demolition of two houses in 'Arabbuna, near Jenin;
• Assassination attempt against Palestinian activist in Qabatia, near Jenin;
• Incursion into As Samu, south of Hebron, launching a search campaign in the town
• Abduction of an activist from the Al Aqsa Brigades, and two other citizens in Qabatia

The fourth day - Wednesday 29th November
• Israeli artillery shelled the northern area of the Gaza Strip
• Israeli military incursion into the villages of Tulkarem, and a search campaign throughout the villages.
• Israeli special forces abducted Jihad Abu Khadir in Qalqilia.

The fifth day – Thursday 30th November
• The killing of a boy in Beita, south of Nablus;
• Invasion of Azza refugee camp in Bethlehem, and the arrest of 11 Palestinians;
• Incursion in Tuqu', south of Bethlehem, and the arrest of two citizens;
• The arrest of four people from Ash Shawawra, east of Bethlehem;
• The arrest of one person in the Karkafa area of the city of Bethlehem;
• Four arrested n Nablus;
• Eight arrested in Ramallah;
• Four students arrested in Qarawat Bani Zaid, in the Ramallah area;
• Three arrested in the city of Hebron;
• Two boys arrested in 'Yabad, near Jenin;
• Five arrested in Nablus and Balata refugee camp;
• Israeli forces raided farms south of Tubas, forcing the farmers off the land;
• Israeli military forces closed the entrance of Tammun, harassing the citizens;
• Israeli military forces occupied the home of a citizen in 'Alar, turning it into a military post;
• Houses demolished in Kfar Etzion and Salfit;
• One boy arrested at Atarot barrier, north of Jerusalem;
• Military raid on Salfit, shooting at the houses of the citizens;
• Arrest of three Palestinians on the border with Egypt;
• Israeli military bulldozers demolish several houses and farmers houses north and east of Qalqilia;
• Bulldozers demolish the home of a Palestinian citizen in Wadi ar Rasha, near Qalqilia.

Sixth day – Friday 1st December
• The killing of a Palestinian in Hebron;
• A full-scale military operation in Asira, north of Nablus, and the arrest of 25 Palestinians in the town of Asira, and the city of Nablus;
• The arrest of a Palestinian citizen in Nablus;
• The arrest of a Palestinian citizen in ash-Shawawra in Bethlehem, and the theft of his money and gold jewelry;
• The arrest of a man in Bani Na'im, east of Hebron;
• The arrest of a man at the "Container" barrier, between Abu Dis and Bethlehem;
• The injury of a Palestinian boy in 'Azzun, near Qalqilia;
• The injury of a Palestinian boy in Sa'ir, north of Hebron;
• The arrest of two young men in Qalqilia;

The seventh day – Saturday 2nd of December (so far)
• Military campaign in many towns of the West Bank, and the arrest of many Palestinians.

http://www.imemc.org/content/view/23021/1/
Israeli Navy fires at a Palestinian fishing boat
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies - Saturday, 02 December 2006, 13:03

Israeli and Palestinian sources reported on Saturday that the Israeli Navy fired at a Palestinian fishing boat off the Gaza coast. The attack is considered a direct violation to the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and the Palestinians.

The boat caught fire, but no injuries were reported, Palestinian security officials reported.

Meanwhile, Israel and its military commanders did not comment on the attack.

Usually Israel claims that the boat was suspected on attempting to smuggle arms into the Gaza Strip, or would claim that “the boat was suspicious”

In a separate event, an 11-year old Palestinian child died of wounds sustained by Israeli military fire in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, two weeks ago.

The child died of Saturday at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

http://www.imemc.org/content/view/23020/1/
UN passes resolutions backing Palestinian right to an independent state
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies - Saturday, 02 December 2006, 11:51

Friday night, the General Assembly approved six pro-Palestinian resolutions in spite of Israeli and American objections, the resolutions back the Palestinians right to have an independent state and call for Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories since 1967, including Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

The decisions, described by Israel as pro-Palestinian, call on Israel to dismantle settlements, and withdraw from the occupied territories since 1967 including the east of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

The General Assembly welcomed that cease-fire deal reach between Israel and the Palestinians on November 26, and urged both sides to maintain the truce “which could pave the way for negotiations that would lead to solution to the conflict”.

The resolution took three days of deliberations and speeches, Palestinian observer to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said that the resolution was adopted by 157 countries to 7 with ten abstentions.

Mansour added that this vote shows the massive support of the International Community for pushing forwards the stalled peace process that would lead to achieving the Palestinian national rights of independence and self-determination.

A vote against imposing Israeli laws, jurisdiction and administration over the occupied Jerusalem was passed by 150 countries, 6 countries voted against and 10 countries abstained.

There were two other resolutions calling on Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank and the Golan Heights.

The United States, Israel, Marshall Island, Palau and Micronesia voted against all six resolutions.

The passed resolutions, as all Security Council resolutions, are not binding but they reflect the opinion of the majority of the world and the desire to end the Israeli occupation.

Ned Siegel, the United States diplomat said that the resolution regarding the Golan Heights claiming that “it would prejudge the outcome of peace talks between Israeli and Syria”.

He added that Syria is supporting the Lebanon-based Hezbollah party and other “Lebanese allies” to destabilize Lebanon and its democratically elected government.

Israel downplayed the six resolutions, and said that there were approve at the General Assembly and not at the Security Council, which makes them unbinding.

Two weeks ago, the United Nations adopted a resolution that was considered against Israel when the General Assembly decided to form a probe committee into Beit Hanoun incidents. The decision was adopted by 156 countries, while seven countries objected and six abstained.

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=17628
The extinction of Palestinian Christians - By Dr. Bernard Sabella
Date: 29 / 11 / 2006 Time: 17:16

Jerusalem - In the land where Jesus once walked, Palestinian Christians face extinction. With nearly 500,000 Palestinian Christians worldwide, only 170,000 remain in the Holy Land. They belong to 15 different churches, some still using Aramaic, the language Christ spoke. But the traditions of service and continuity of Christian communities in the very birthplace of Christianity may soon disappear.

With its establishment in 1948, Israel drove nearly 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, among them 50,000 to 60,000 Christians. Some neighborhoods in Jerusalem where mostly Palestinian Christians lived, such as Qatamon, emptied overnight and were seized by Israel for newly-arrived Jewish immigrants.

As a child, I heard my parents speak of their home in Qatamon. Though painful, the conversations were always infused with hopes of return. Their generation died holding onto those cherished memories. Nevertheless, they never lost hope for a solution and were always willing to compromise to resolve their people's tragedy.

Yet the tragedy of 1948 continues today with the emigration of our youth. An unbearable political and economic situation, exacerbated by Israel's separation wall, is literally pushing us out of our homeland.

In Jerusalem, which I represent in the Palestinian Legislative Council, we must prove to Israeli authorities that Jerusalem is our "center of life," or risk losing our residency rights. Yet, the wall has cut thousands of Palestinians off from Jerusalem. Movement into the city is restricted, limiting our youth's educational and employment prospects. My constituents are routinely denied building permits to accommodate their growing families. Despite Israel's claims, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem terms these policies which have no security rationale, a "quiet deportation."

In Bethlehem, the town of the Nativity, conversations dwell on the economic and social hardships caused by the wall. Bethlehem and Jerusalem, seven miles apart, were twin cities, particularly in tourism and Christian pilgrimage. But the wall has severed connections between the two.

Bethlehem residents cannot go to Jerusalem to attend church or family weddings, baptisms and funerals without permits from Israeli authorities. These are nearly impossible to obtain. Sick people need a permit as well to receive medical care in an Israeli hospital just three or four miles away.

If the hermetic closure of Bethlehem and Israel's draconian measures of control continue, new waves of emigration by our Christian Palestinian youth are inevitable.

Our experience as Palestinian Christians is closely linked to that of the Palestinian people as a whole. Historically, Christian-Muslim relations in Palestine have been based on what we call "the dialogue of life" as we work together, our children go to school together and we share the same bitter and sweet conditions of life. We are proud, as Palestinian Christians, to have contributed such leaders as the late intellectual Edward Said, spokesperson Hanan Ashrawi, and current PLO envoy to the U.S. Afif Safieh. We work with our Muslim compatriots to end Israel's military occupation and establish a viable, geographically-contiguous, democratic and secular Palestinian state at peace with itself and with its neighbors. In fact, according to a recent poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center, only three percent of Palestinians support Islamic rule. The vast majority supports secular nationalism.

Our relations are periodically tested by outside developments such as His Holiness the Pope's recent comments on Islam. Acts of church vandalism in the West Bank and Gaza followed, and troubled us all, Christians and Muslims, particularly in light of centuries of Muslim respect for Christian and Jewish communities, both here and elsewhere in the Middle East . We were supported by our Muslim neighbors, religious leaders and the Palestinian National Authority in condemning these acts and promising to pursue the perpetrators. Muslims sat side by side with Christians in churches that were vandalized.

Christians and others in America who have our true interests at heart would help us most by urging even-handed U.S. policies. The blockade of the Palestinian government that began in March must end. A cease-fire must be observed by both sides, not only by Palestinians.

Negotiations must be based on international law and human rights, and if conditions are imposed for talks, they must be reciprocal on both parties.

This land belongs to no single people. Peace will come when no group dominates and excludes others. Christ's message of love and tolerance will be heard in the Holy Land when the equality of all God's children is again respected. The vital bridge that Palestinian Christians constitute between the West and the Arab world would then be preserved for the benefit of future generations.

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Dr. Bernard Sabella is the Christian representative of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Legislative Council. He is an expert on Christians in the Holy Land, and a former professor of sociology.