On February 25, the family of Hasan Abu Mustapha, 20, announced that their son was killed by African mercenaries in Tripoli, the first recorded death of a Palestinian since the bloody government crackdown in Libya, which has so far claimed hundreds of Libyan lives. According to Abu Mustapha’s sister, her brother, who was a second year engineering student at Misurata University in the capital, was shot down in front of his house in Tripoli. Apparently, Hassan had been looking for his uncle who has been missing for four days.

On February 22, the Palestinian Authority submitted an official request to Israeli authorities to allow Palestinians in Libya without a Palestinian identity card or passport to enter the Palestinian territories. A day later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would allow 300 Palestinians in Libya to return on a “humanitarian basis.”

In Gaza, Israeli airplanes continued to bomb Palestinian targets this week. On February 26, missiles hit an Islamic Jihad base in Khan Younis and another strike hit an open field in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. On February 24, another airstrike in southern Gaza hit two Palestinians in their car injuring both of them. One day earlier armed clashes erupted between Palestinians and Israeli forces in which one Palestinian was killed and 10 others wounded when an Israeli tank opened fire east of Gaza City.

On February 22, Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip both ways to a limited number of people after a three-week closure. According to Palestinian sources, Egyptian authorities allow only 300 Palestinians to cross each day. Thousands still wait permission to cross from the only border between Gaza and the outside world.

Meanwhile, in the spirit of their fellow Arabs, Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Gaza and Nablus this week to call for an end to the political split and a condemnation of the US veto against the draft resolution on settlements submitted to the UN Security Council last week.

On February 24, Palestinians demonstrated in Ramallah against political disunity. After a group of protesters also chanted against the Oslo Accords, minor skirmishes erupted between the different protesters. Still, there were an estimated 1,500 protesters who carried flags and banners calling for unity and liberation.

In Nablus, 5,000 people demonstrated on the same day against the US veto of the settlement resolution at the Security Council. Palestinians waved flags and banners, criticizing US President Barack Obama's administration. "The US veto puts Israel above international law," chanted protesters.

The day before, clashes between Palestinian protesters broke out at a checkpoint in Bethlehem following a demonstration of around 2,000 protesters who called for an end to the political division between Hamas and Fateh.

Palestinians have all the right to be angry over the US’s veto given ongoing settlement construction and settler violence in the West Bank. On February 25, Jewish settlers from Yitzhar waged attacks on villages in the Nablus area, setting fire to a bulldozer belonging to a Burin resident. In the village of Jit, settlers sprayed graffiti on the village walls and busted tires of several cars. Furthermore, in the village of Urif, settlers cut down 25 trees belonging to the Safadi family.

On the same day, nine people were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in Hebron. Protesters took to the streets demanding the reopening of Shuhada Street. The protest took place on the anniversary of the 1994 massacre of 29 Muslim worshippers by Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein.

On the diplomatic front, the Palestinian leadership continued to prepare for elections in July and September and also make bids to Hamas to join a national unity government. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad pitched the offer to Hamas last week in an effort to end the years-long split between Hamas and Fateh.

Hamas said on February 25 that although it would be willing to participle in a unity government, it would not join one under the leadership of Salam Fayyad, who they said “lacked legitimacy”.

Fayyad may meet even more resistance from other factions as well. On February 21, three leftist factions- all members of the PLO – said they would not participate in any new government. The PFLP, DFLP and the People’s party also announced they could not be part of a new cabinet until national conciliation is achieved. Efforts are still underway between Fateh and Hamas to make this happen, with both sides saying unity is necessary if any real progress is to be made.

The Palestinian leadership is still angry about the US veto last week, with the foreign ministry stating on February 21 that the US administration is no longer an honest broker or capable of sponsoring any future Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. On the 20th, Prime Minister Fayyad also lashed out at the US, saying the veto was a clear attempt to disrupt Palestinian efforts to lobby international condemnation of settlements, which are illegitimate and in violation of international law.

Germany, at least seemed to be less tolerant of Netanyahu this week. According to Haaretz, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Netanyahu in a phone conversation that she was disappointed in him for not taking any steps towards advancing peace with the Palestinians. Apparently, Netanyahu expressed his disappointment over Germany’s stance at the UNSC in which it voted in favor of the draft resolution condemning settlements. According to an unnamed Israeli official privy to the conversation, Merkel stopped Netanyahu in his tracks.

“How dare you," she reportedly said. "You are the one who disappointed us. You haven't made a single step to advance peace."