Ever since part of the 13km border crossing barrier between Gaza and Egypt was blown up by Palestinian activists on January 22, speculation has ensued as to the future operation of the crossing and its ramifications for the people of Gaza.
Over 700,000 Palestinians had flooded into Egypt to gather general supplies, spending a reported $250 million in the first five days following the border opening. However, on January 27, despite claiming that they would keep Rafah open while the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continued, the Egyptians decided to tighten security around the border, started resealing the damaged crossing and began to stop trucks of supplies reaching the town of Al-Arish on the Egyptian side of the Rafah.
Although members of Hamas’ Executive Force worked with the Egyptians to reseal the border in certain areas, the response from Hamas officials was clear. Deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, on January 27, stated that “we have one demand: The siege must be lifted” while his political adviser Ahmed Yousef warned that if the blockade of Gaza persisted, the people would march on Erez checkpoint and initiate a third Intifada.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on January 27 to discuss the border issue and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, highlighted by various international human rights organizations. Olmert left the meeting claiming that he had every intention of preventing a humanitarian crisis from taking over in Gaza while Abbas proposed that the border between Gaza and Egypt revert back to a joint PA, EU, Egyptian and Israeli agreement.
On January 28, the EU said it would consider sending its monitors back to the crossing if the PA and Israel came to an agreement. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also supported the motion stating that PA control “might” help restore order but was careful not to endorse the idea completely recognizing that “there would be many details that would have to be worked out” first. Meanwhile, Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri, in rebuttal to this proposed idea which would omit Hamas, claimed that the Islamic group would “not allow the return of old conditions at the crossing”. In a possible attempt to convince Abbas of including Hamas, politburo head Khaled Mesha’al while meeting Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal commented on the “issue of resuming inter-Palestinian dialogue”.
In light of this plan to allow the PA to resume partial control of the Rafah crossing, Israel announced on January 29 that it “won’t stand in the way of Abbas taking control” of Rafah “given that we see Abbas as the legitimate force and we don’t want to weaken him”. Also on January 29, Egypt boosted its presence at the border deploying nearly 20,000 soldiers to usher Palestinians back into Gaza and to ensure that movement from Gaza to Egypt was restricted. By January 29 only the Salah Eddin and Brazil points of the border remained open.
In the hope of resolving the border issue, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with Abbas on January 30. Having acquired support from Israel, the EU and the Arab League prior to the meeting, Abbas said that “Hamas has to end its coup in Gaza, accept all international obligations and accept holding early elections. After that, our hearts are open for any dialogue”. While Abbas was promoting the idea of a joint PA, Egypt, EU and Israeli monitoring of the border, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar emphasized that offering Hamas anything less than a key role in the future operation of the crossing simply “contradicts reality”.
After Abbas had sat with his Egyptian counterpart, Khaled Mesha’al met with Egyptian intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman to deliberate over the crossing. The Hamas delegation was in Egypt for two days and stressed that they could not accept a border under EU and Israeli control, warning that they would do everything within their power to keep the border open and reiterating that Abbas should not succumb to Israeli pressure. As it stands on February 2, there has yet to be a solution reached concerning the border. Two points remain open but with heavy Egyptian presence ushering Palestinians back to Gaza, it seems that the border closure is imminent. On February 1, 600 Hamas protesters rallied at the crossing with banners written “we will not return to the siege” and “Gazans and Egyptians are one people” on them.
The eagerly awaited Winograd report was released on January 30. The assessment and analysis of the role played by Israel in the Second Lebanese War was thought by many to be the final nail in Olmert’s coffin and signal his demise. The 34-day war, which claimed the lives of 157 Israeli soldiers, was said by the report to lack “judgment, responsibility and prudence…strategic thinking and planning”. The report, which has been deemed as “deeply flawed” by Amnesty International as it doesn’t take into consideration the “indiscriminate killings” of innocent civilians, blamed both the government and the army for “serious failings and flaws”, declaring the “hastily” initiated war a “missed opportunity”. There was particular emphasis on the 11th hour offensive in which 33 Israeli soldiers died. The operation was launched on the orders of Olmert after the UN had passed resolution 1701 concluding the war. Although it was predicted that this specific action by Olmert would attract a lot of criticism, the report judged that Olmert had acted “out of strong and sincere perception…in Israel’s interest”.
Israeli Army Chief Dan Halutz and Defense Minister at the time of the war, Amir Peretz, had already resigned on account of the war but, with the report’s release, it doesn’t seem as if Olmert will follow suit. Olmert managed to escape relatively unscathed and has subsequently vowed to neither resign nor call for early elections. According to a poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 10, 58% of the public want Olmert to quit as a result of the war. In addition, Likud leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, has called Olmert “inept”, refusing to take responsibility for his actions, ignoring public opinion and demonstrating a lack of integrity and leadership. If anything, Olmert has secured even more support. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni who had called for the prime minister to resign after the war has this week stressed the importance of their partnership. Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who had stated that he would take his 19 Labor seats out of Olmert’s coalition [which would have left Olmert with only 48 seats in the 120 member Knesset] once the report had been published, has also committed himself to the prime minister.
Also on January 30 the Israeli Supreme court sided with the government in its blockade on Gaza calling Hamas “a murderous terror group that operates incessantly to strike the state of Israel and its citizens and violates every precept of international law with its violent actions”. In response, representatives from Gisha and Adalah, two of the ten humanitarian groups leading the case against the Israeli government warned that the result is a “dangerous legal precedent that allows Israel to continue to violate the rights of Gaza residents and deprive them of basic humanitarian needs in violation of international law”.
On January 28, thousands of Palestinians mourned the death of George Habash, the Marxist founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP]. Habash, who resigned as the PFLP’s Secretary General in 2000 and was replaced by Abu Ali Mustafa, believed that Palestinians would only be liberated under a united Arab principle and vehemently stipulated that there would be no peace without a right of return for Palestinian refugees. The PFLP, founded in 1967, was at the time, the second biggest political party next to Arafat’s Fateh party. The PFLP enjoyed a significant amount of exposure in the 70’s when they were responsible for hijacking a number of international airplanes.
In other news, President Bush, who recently visited the Middle East, addressed Congress in his last State of the Union speech during which he mentioned that “the time has come for a democratic Israel and democratic Palestine living side by side in peace”.
On February 1, Hamas released Omar al-Ghoul, an aide of Prime Minster Salam Fayyad. His release is ostensibly the beginning of a prisoner swap between Hamas and the PA.
Also on January 28, Israeli troops shot dead a 15-year old boy during a raid in Bethlehem. In addition, Israeli forces killed Mahmoud al-Daalsah, a member of the Fateh affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades, in Rafah on January 31. The number of Palestinians killed since the Annapolis meeting at the end of November has now reached 145.
UN Resolution 1325
Date posted: February 03, 2021
By MIFTAH
Kerry talks peace while Israel bars UNESCO mission [May 19 - May 25]
Date posted: May 25, 2013
By MIFTAH
President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both met with US Secretary of State John Kerry this week in the latter’s fourth visit to the region since he assumed office.
After meeting with the two to ostensibly find ways to restart stalled negotiations between the two sides, Kerry urged on May 24 both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take "hard decisions" to revive the peace process.
"We're getting toward a time now when hard decisions need to be made," he said at the end of his visit.
Kerry admitted a day before after meeting with the two leaders that there was skepticism and cynicism about his efforts to revive talks.
"I know this region well enough to know there is skepticism, in some quarters there is cynicism, and there are reasons for it. There have been bitter years of disappointment," he said. Still, he maintained: "It is our hope that by being methodical, careful, patient, but detailed and tenacious, that we can lay on a path ahead that can conceivably surprise people and certainly exhaust the possibilities for peace."
British foreign secretary William Hague was also in the region visiting with leaders on both sides and even visited the Bedouin community of Khan Al Ahmar between Jerusalem and Jericho, whose residents are under the threat of displacement.
On May 23, Hague was poignantly clear on where his country stands on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. "Israel has lost some of its support in Britain and in other European countries over time - this is something I've often pointed out to Israeli leaders -because of settlement activity, which we condemn,” he said.
"We strongly disagree with settlements on occupied land. Israel is a country we work with in many ways but we do disapprove of settlements,” he maintained, adding that: "We want to see both Israelis and Palestinians really commit themselves to the peace process while there is still a chance of a two-state solution."
In Khan al Ahmar, Hague listened to the residents’ grievances from Israeli efforts to push them out to make way for more settlement expansion. "We (in Britain) strongly condemn the building of settlements and recognise they are a severe threat to a two-state solution,” he told the people there.
On March 21, Israeli forces demolished two residential buildings in the Jabal al-Mukabbir in East Jerusalem. Earlier, they demolished two Palestinian homes in al-Tur, all under the pretext of unlicensed construction. Dozens of people have been left homeless from the demolitions.
A UNESCO fact-finding mission was supposed to arrive this week to look into Israeli measures in the Old City of Jerusalem and their impact on the archeological, cultural and heritage significance of the place, but was denied entry by Israel on May 20. Israel justified its decision by saying Palestinians were trying to politicize the visit.
"The Palestinians were not respecting the understandings,” an Israeli foreign ministry official said. “The visit was supposed to be professional, (but) they were taking measures that showed they were politicizing the event and not letting the delegation focus on professional sides of it," the official said.
UNESCO maintained that the mission was not cancelled, but postponed, the agency’s spokeswoman Sue Williams said.
The Palestinians said they expected Israel to pull something like this. “We weren't surprised by this decision because we believed that Israel's agreement to (allow the mission) was not convincing," minister of foreign affairs Riyad Al Malki said.
The Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was reopened on May 22 after a five day closure. Egyptian soldiers and policemen closed the crossing following the kidnapping of seven Egyptian soldiers in Sinai, only reopening it after the soldiers were freed. Over 2,400 Palestinians had been stranded on both sides of the crossing during the days of the closure.
Extremist Israelis extended their attacks this week all the way to the Negev desert. On May 19, residents of the Retamim Kibbutz attacked the nearby Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj and set fire to a tent, according to head of the local village council, Salman Ibin Hamid
"The setters of Retamim are acting like they are in the West Bank," Ibn Hamid said. "These people have the mentality of the occupying settler to attack every Arab."
Finally, on May 23, the US appointed Gen. John Allen as special envoy on security issues in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. According to a US official, Allen will deal with the U.S. position on Israeli security needs and the security arrangements that would accompany the establishment of a future Palestinian state.
Al Nakba commemorated amid increasing settler attacks [May 12 - May 18]
Date posted: May 18, 2013
By MIFTAH
This week Palestinians commemorated the 65th anniversary of the Nakba, the catastrophe of 1948 on May 15, with a variety of activities, demonstrations and events throughout the Palestinian territories and outside of its borders. Festivals were held in Ramallah and Nablus in addition to several protests and confrontations with Israeli occupation forces. In Jerusalem, clashes broke out between protesters and Israeli police and border guards when Palestinians commemorating Al Nakba, raising Palestinian flags and facing off with Jewish settlers and soldiers. Thirty people were wounded or arrested during the clashes in addition to six Israelis.
The Jerusalem clashes come at a time when settler break-ins to Al Aqsa have been on the rise amid increasing calls by extremist Jewish groups to make a presence at the compound. The break-ins have become a near daily event. Muslim worshippers and Palestinian youths have kept constant vigil at the mosque to stave off the break-ins which included settler groups who used children as a cover to enter the compound on the occasion of Shavuot.
Settlers in the West Bank have wreaked havoc this week as well. On May 17, three Palestinians were injured in clashes in Urif south of Nablus when dozens of settlers set fire to lands in three area-villages: Urif, Einabus, and Asira al-Qibliya. The settlers also attacked citizens and threw burning tires at people’s homes.
Jewish extremists attacked inside the Green Line as well. On May 14, extremists set fire to three cars and sprayed racist graffiti on a mosque south of Haifa, according to Israeli media reports.
"Price-tag" and "Eviatar," which is thought to refer to the name of a settler stabbed to death last week, were found on the mosque’s walls in addition to the Star of David. In Safed, even farther north, racist graffiti with the words "Arabs out" was found on walls in the city.
On May 13, Israeli settlers exhumed a number of graves and sprayed racist graffiti in the Sawiya village in Nablus. Ghassan Daghlas, head of the PA settlement activity file, said settlers from the Alia settlement were responsible for the damage.
On the same day settlers from Tel Hatimar begin building a religious school for children on Al Khader lands in the Bethlehem area.
The Israeli army meanwhile, uprooted over 1,200 olive tree saplings on May 16 and razed land Palestinian farmer in the northern West Bank, according to Daghlas. He said the army dug up over 40 dunums of farm land and demolished a water tank and stone walls in Ras Karker, near Nablus.
On May 17, three Palestinian laborers were wounded in Beit Ula northwest of Hebron after Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and unleashed police dogs at them according to Issa al-Amla, coordinator for the popular struggle committee. He said Omar Al-Amla, 31, and Abdulkadir Al-Amla, 28, suffered multiple dog bites to the neck and hands. A third laborer, Jihad Saleem, was shot in the leg.
In Jerusalem on May 17, Israeli forces raided the home of Iyad al-Awar and insisted on taking his two children 6-year-old Qassam and 5-year-old Nasrallah for “interrogation”. While their father prevented the forces from arresting his boys, Israeli soldiers handed him a warrant ordering him to bring his children to the Russian Compound for questioning.
"We arrived to the Russian Compound and the troops wanted to take my kids for investigation; I refused and they beat me in the ear and the leg. My kids started crying and were so scared from the troops. They took my kids by force," al-Awar said.
Israeli Intelligence officers apparently questioned the children about their detained cousin Shadad, and asked if they had seen him throwing stones or Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces, Al Awar said.
On the same day however, Palestinians scored a tiny victory in the Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis when they were able to tear a hole through part of the separation wall. Protesters marking the Nakba anniversary ripped a 4-meter hole in it, eyewitnesses said. Clashes ensued between the protesters and Israeli soldiers who fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. Several injuries were reported.
Peace Now reported on May 16 that the Israeli government planned to grant retroactive approval to four West Bank settlement outposts it had previously pledged to at least partially demolish.
The Israeli state attorney's office said that settlers had purchased the private Palestinian land on which they built, thus paving the way for the government to give its blessing.
"In the response, the government declares its intention to legalize four outposts, in isolated areas," Peace Now said in a statement, adding that the strategy was an affront to US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to revive dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. "The intention to legalize outposts as new settlements is no less than a slap in the face of Secretary Kerry's new peace process," Peace Now said.
On May 14, Hamas and Fatah agreed in Cairo to form a national unity government within three months during which they would finalize and approve the Palestine National Council elections law. The two sides, represented by Fatah leader Azzam Al Ahmad and Hamas politburo member Mousa Abu Marzouq, came to the agreement under Egyptian sponsorship and said President Abbas would immediately begin talks on the new government formation. Once the government is formed, general elections can be held.
