A general strike was in place throughout the Palestinian territories, including east Jerusalem on February 28 in protest of the Israeli decision to evict 1,500 people from their homes in Silwan. The decision was taken earlier this week and announced on February 22 by the Israeli Jerusalem municipality and has caused outrage among Palestinians everywhere. The 90 homes, which will ultimately be demolished, are all in the Bustan neighborhood of Silwan. Homes, Israel's Jerusalem municipality says were built without the proper licensing. Subsequently, the municipality declared the quarter a "green area" on which building is prohibited and which will eventually be transformed into a public park. Palestinians, no doubt, are calling it the largest mass expulsion of Palestinians since 1967. Some of the homes slated for demolition were built prior to Israel's capture of the eastern part of the city in the 1967 war.

On February 27, hundreds of Palestinian Muslims conducted Friday noon prayers in the Bustan Quarter in solidarity with the people whose homes are threatened with demolition.

The week has not all been bad news, though. On February 26, 14 Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo for conciliation talks agreed to form a transitional government by the end of March. The agreement was basically hammered out between the two rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fateh, who have been at odds for the better part of two years. According to a press conference at end of the meetings, Fateh representative and negotiator, Ahmad Qrei and Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk announced that five committees would be set up for the purpose of forming a transitional government. The committees would begin their work by March 10 on condition that the government is formed by the end of the month.

The shape and form of this transitional government is yet to be seen. According to the factions at the talks, there are three options. It can take the form of either a national unity government, a government with representatives of factions and figures, or a technocrat government, the latter being the preferred choice of the international community. This government would ultimately stay in place until general elections are held at the start of 2010.

During the Cairo talks, which began on February 25, Hamas and Fateh also announced an end to the inflammatory media rhetoric against the other side and a closing of the prisoner file. The issue of political prisoners taken by either side has been a sore spot for both and a major stumbling block in the way of earlier failed efforts at conciliation.

On February 27, President Mahmoud Abbas met with US Special Envoy to the region George Mitchell in Ramallah on the latter's second trip to the region in this capacity. Mitchell, who reiterated the US's stance on supporting the two-state solution, also told Abbas that his administration would deal with any Israeli government that recognized the international legitimacy. Before his meeting with Abbas, Mitchell held meetings in Tel Aviv with outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni.

The makeup of the next Israeli government is starting to shape up, but is hardly inviting. On February 27, Benjamin Netanyahu, designated to form the next government, announced that he and Kadima head Tzipi Livni failed to agree in coalition talks. Kadima is now expected to join the opposition while Netanyahu is looking to form alliances with right wing and religious parties.

It is yet to be seen how a hard-line Israeli government headed by right-winger Netanyahu will pair off with an enthusiastic new US administration under Barack Obama. The Obama administration has already announced that George Mitchell will set up permanent residency in the region to adopt a more hands-on approach to the conflict and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to arrive in Israel and Palestine on March 3, a day after the Sharm Al Sheikh donor conference convenes. Clinton, who will attend the Sharm Al Sheikh conference focused on the reconstruction of Gaza, is also planning to officially announce the US's $900 million pledge to the PA and Gaza's reconstruction.

On that note, on February 25, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called on donor countries to channel Gaza funds through the PA. Fayyad, who submitted a report to donors ahead of the Sharm conference, will ask for $2.8 billion in Egypt needed for the PA to function properly in 2009. So far, donor pledges have topped the $2 billion mark. Fayyad said $600 million of this money would go to Gaza's reconstruction. Hamas, which has been in control of the Strip since 2007, is not invited to the conference.

On February 27, EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana visited Gaza to assess the destruction caused by Israel's 22-day assault that ended on January 18 ahead of the Sharm Al Sheikh conference. Solana, who said he had come to Gaza in solidarity with the Palestinians, also said the European Commission was ready to resume its operational functions at the Rafah Crossing.

On February 27, the United States announced it would boycott the Durban 2 Conference, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland between April 20 and 25. The conference is a follow-up of the 2001 World Conference against Racism held in Durban, South Africa, which Israel and its allies say was used as an "Israel-bashing" platform. "The document being negotiated has gone from bad to worse, and the current text of the draft outcome document is not salvageable," State Department spokesperson Robert Wood said following the announcement of the US's boycott. The draft resolution for the conference branded Israel as an occupying state that carries out racist policies. It also refers to "the plight of Palestinian refugees," words which apparently are too strong for Israel and its allies.

In the meantime, Palestinians continue to die as a result of Israel's occupation. On February 26, 15-year old Jamal Fuqaha from Tubas was killed by unexploded ordinance left by the Israeli army. Two other boys were injured. Eyewitnesses say the area in which Fuqaha was killed is close to where Israeli troops carry out military training.

Also on February 26, Abdullah Isleem, 17, died from wounds he sustained during Israel' invasion of Gaza. Isleem was apparently wounded during the air attack that killed Hamas leader Saeed Siyam and dozens others.

On February 21, two men in their 20s were killed in Gaza City by Israeli gunfire. The two, who were brought to a Gaza hospital in pieces, were identified as Ahmad and Hekmat Nassar.