May 17

May 17, originally uploaded by peter42y.

May 17

May 17, originally uploaded by peter42y.

May17

May17, originally uploaded by peter42y.

May 17,Gaza

May 17,Gaza, originally uploaded by peter42y.

May 17,Gaza

May 17,Gaza, originally uploaded by peter42y.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

February 2,2006

February 2,2006, originally uploaded by anonimoh2005.

Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal meets Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Teheran 02 22 06

.....

My next blog

Click here to see the follow up, my next blog

Arutz Sheva Pictures

Arutz Sheva had the same idea I had and did publish a foto set of pictures Click here 2 see

08 24 05 Mortar fire in north, Kassams in south

Kassam Rocket - Picture Archive


Mortar fire in north, Kassams in south


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Margot Dudkevitch and JPost staff, THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 25, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days after the completion of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip – an operation conducted amidst near-total quiet on the part of the various terror organizations – Israel again found itself under fire.

A mortar shell landed in Moshav Margaliot near the Lebanese border Thursday morning. No one was injured, but a chicken coop sustained damage.

According to Channel 2 the mortar was fired by mistake by the Hizbullah due to a technical mishap.

Lebanese security sources said a rocket also landed in Lebanese territory, but there were no injuries, Israel Radio reported.

Following the attack, Israel submitted a formal complaint to the UNIFIL forces on the Lebanon-Israel border.

The security alert level in the north has been raised.

Approximately two hours later, two Kassam rockets landed between Sderot and Kibbutz Nir Am in the western Negev. Sderot's Red Dawn early warning system was activated a short time before the rockets landed, and no injuries were reported as a result of the attack.

Security forces were combing the area.

In the past, Israel has taken retaliatory action against terrorist fire. However, in light of the disengagement, it is unclear at this time how the military will respond to Thursday's events.

The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip (Yesha) stated, in response to Thursday's attacks, that terror organizations have "understood the hint" implied in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Yesha added that terrorists are making a mockery of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's promises that the Gaza pullout would improve Israel's security situation, Israel Radio reported.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1124938373544&p=1078027574097

Dennis Ross - The US Should be more involved in follow up to Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza

To read the interview click here

August 22 Palestinian Groups Jostle for Gaza Control

Palestinian Groups Jostle for Gaza Control By LARA SUKHTIAN, Associated Press Writer
Mon Aug 22, 4:23 PM ET



In a military training camp run by the ruling Fatah movement, hundreds of young Palestinians marched in formation Monday and sprinted across a sandy lot.

Nearby, hundreds of Islamic Jihad gunmen in black ski masks paraded in the streets, some riding in jeeps, raising AK-47 assault rifles and posing with rocket launchers.

Yet a third militant group, Hamas, boasted on its Web site that it has killed more Israelis in more Gaza attacks than any of its rivals — and that it alone deserves credit for Israel's historic pullout from the Mediterranean strip.

Competition among armed Palestinian groups over control of Gaza's lawless towns intensified Monday as Israeli settlers cleared out the last of 21 Jewish settlements.

The jostling for position has raised tensions as well as concerns about armed conflict.

"This huge military presence among people in Gaza will lead to more chaos, will weaken the Palestinian Authority and will create more violence in society," said Talal Okal, a political analyst in Gaza. "Fatah is losing control and Hamas is rising up."

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas wants to see carefully orchestrated victory marches under the Palestinian national flag. However, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a few tiny Palestinian Liberation Organization factions have ignored his appeals, already parading their gunmen in a show of force and planning parades once the last Israeli soldiers leave in the coming weeks.

On Monday, Islamic Jihad and Hamas members in uniforms staged marches in Rafah in southern Gaza and in Nablus in the West Bank, burning cardboard models of Israeli settlements and tanks as crowds cheered.

About 10,000 people attended the Hamas rally in Gaza City, where the group played film clips of it building rockets and digging tunnels under Israeli army posts. Over loudspeakers, the group played a song in Hebrew, with the words, "Hamas, Hamas, Hamas, our goal is the head of Sharon," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

A Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said the group deserves a share of power, and there cannot be just one decision-maker.

Abbas cannot compete with such popular displays, since he has advocated nonviolence and hopes to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. However, in recent speeches he has increasingly alluded to violence as a means of driving Israel out.

"Today we are getting part of the payoff, of your sacrifice, by seeing the last settlers leaving Gaza," Abbas told hundreds of disabled Palestinians, many wounded in the fighting. "The credit for the evacuation is for you and for the martyrs who sacrificed themselves and gave their lives for the homeland."

However, it appeared his Fatah party did not want to hold back.

In southern Gaza, near what was once the Gush Katif bloc of Israeli settlements, members of Fatah's military wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, have organized three military training camps for more than 3,000 activists.

The goal is twofold, organizers said: to recruit large numbers to swell the ranks in Fatah victory marches and to be ready for possible street battles with Hamas.

One training camp was set up in Rafah in a dusty lot about the size of two football fields. Some 700 young men, both Al Aqsa veterans and unemployed with time on their hands, marched in formation, crawled through the sand and did sprints, as trainers in camouflage uniforms barked orders through bullhorns.

Graduates will be members of the "Army of Victory and Liberation," said the head coach, who identified himself only by his nom-de-guerre, Abu Nimr.

"It is our duty as the Fatah movement to make sure that we have the biggest celebrations," said another organizer, Mohammed Al Bouji. "We are getting them together so if there is trouble, our boys will be ready."

Asked what kind of trouble, he said: "You know, trouble with Hamas."

Al Bouji said he and his campers were ready to help Palestinian security forces assert control over the territories and settlement assets Israel leaves behind. Israel is demolishing settlers' homes but leaving greenhouses intact. Abbas declared over the weekend that all settlement real estate would fall under government control.

"If they (Hamas) lay their hands on even one settlement, be sure we will take over 10," said Yasser Khatib, head of Al Aqsa in southern Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority distanced itself from the training camps.

"There is no Fatah army, no popular army," said Tawfik Abu Khoussa, a Palestinian Interior Ministry spokesman. "We want to get rid of the military images. After the withdrawal, there is one authority and that's it."

However, the Al Aqsa men said they were getting Fatah funding for the camps, and Palestinian security officials sat in on one of Monday's interviews with camp organizers.

In organizing a small private army, Fatah gunmen in southern Gaza also appeared to be sending a warning to the Palestinian Authority that they could make trouble if jobs are not found for them in the security forces. Many gunmen believe they are entitled to government posts, saying they made personal sacrifices in fighting Israel.

However, Finance Minister Salam Fayyad has imposed a hiring freeze in the security forces under intense pressure from the international donor community, which is partially bankrolling the Palestinian Authority and has complained about a bloated public payroll.

Former Palestinian Cabinet minister Ziad Abu Amr, a mediator between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, said the Palestinians have so far handled themselves well during the Israeli pullout, but he was increasingly worried about the growing competition between militants.

Hamas believes it has an edge over its rivals, citing Israeli military statistics to claim it carried out 54 percent of 400 attacks in Gaza during the past five years.

The statistics, published Monday, "are a document of Hamas' struggle and Hamas' role in liberating this precious part of the homeland," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

"It made this victory (the Gaza withdrawal) possible, and this victory can be repeated."

August 25 EU pledges €60m for Gaza reconstruction

EU pledges €60m for Gaza reconstruction


The EU has welcomed Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank and pledged extra peace cash for Palestinians.

Over 15,000 Jewish settlers have been evicted from 21 enclaves in Gaza and four in the West Bank as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seeks “disengagement” from conflict.

EU institutions have expressed strong support for “the close coordination and the restraint shown by Israelis and Palestinians which attest to the courage and commitment of both sides”.

European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner welcomed Israel’s withdrawal from the disputed areas and announced new funding measures set for September.

“I am conscious, however, that this is only the beginning, and the challenges that lie ahead are immense,” she said in a statement.

“To address some of these challenges the commission is preparing a new financial package of €60 million to rebuild infrastructure and strengthen Palestinian institutions in the Gaza Strip.”

The European Commission is drawing up “a specific package to accompany disengagement” including funding for “customs administration, transport and energy supply, infrastructure and health and social services”.

The new cash will come on top of €20m to provide social support to refugees in the Gaza Strip, EU support to the Palestinians in 2005 “is expected to exceed €250 million”.

The UK EU presidency praised sides of the Middle East conflict for “commitment to overcome the difficult challenges they face”.

[The EU] welcomes, and urges the continuation of, the restraint shown by the majority of Israelis and Palestinians,” said a statement.

“The European Union believes that disengagement should be a significant step towards implementing the [peace process] Roadmap.

“It encourages both parties to continue their cooperation on the remaining steps to complete disengagement.”

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is visiting the Middle East ahead of next week’s meeting of Europe’s foreign ministers.

Solana will be touring Gaza and the West Bank and holding talks with Sharon and the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

“In Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, talks will focus on the ongoing Israeli disengagement from Palestinian territory and on the Middle East peace process,” said a statement.

“The visit will underscore the EU's commitment to remain engaged and to do whatever it can, at the request of both parties, to be of further help in a spirit of friendship and partnership.”

The European Parliament has also welcomed the withdrawal.

“We welcome this process and call for further cooperation between the two sides in the period which lies ahead,” said Parliament President Josep Borrell.
Published: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 15:53:21 GMT+02
Author: Bruno Waterfield

IDF kills 5 Palestinians in Tulkarm raid

IDF kills 5 Palestinians in Tulkarm raid
By MARGOT DUDKEVITCH


Five Palestinians were killed by IDF gunfire after midnight Wednesday during a raid to capture fugitives in Tulkarm.

The army said that soldiers of an elite Duvdevan unit surrounded a coffeehouse and called on the fugitives inside to surrender. Soldiers fired warning shots in the air, after which the fugitives as well as other gunmen on the scene opened fire at troops.

A firebomb and an explosive device were thrown at troops. In the exchange of gunfire four Palestinians were killed and a fifth died shortly after of his wounds.

Palestinians claim that only two of the dead were fugitives affiliated with the Islamic Jihad while the other three were teenagers, ranging in age from 16 to 18.

The Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades have threatened to exact a "painful revenge" for the deaths of the five Palestinians.

"This episode will not pass without a response," Islamic Jihad leader Muhammad al-Hindi said Thursday morning.

A Hamas spokesman said the revenge could take a variety of forms "in order to teach the enemy a lesson," Army Radio quoted.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei condemned an Israeli raid that killed five Palestinians in the West Bank as a "brutal crime."

"The brutal crime in Tulkarm shows that Israel does not want calm," Qurei said outside his office.

The army said all those killed were armed, and at least three of them were wanted senior members of the Islamic Jihad who were in close contact with the Hizbullah. The cell received money and orders from Hizbullah operatives and were involved in plotting numerous attacks in Israel.

The target of the raid was Adel el-Rawi, 30, a senior member of the Islamic Jihad involved in numerous bombings including the suicide bombs attacks at the Stage Club in Tel Aviv, the suicide bomber who blew up across from a Netanya mall and the simultaneous attack in Shavei Shomron.

.To See pictures of the stage club suicide attack click here

The raid was also to capture Majdi Hassin, 28, a member of the Islamic Jihad and Fatah Tanzim.

The two others that were killed were also armed and opened fire on troops, the army said.

The IDF described el-Rawi as "a ticking bomb" and said that the operation succeeded in thwarting attempts to launch suicide bomb attacks in Israel in the near future.

Senior IDF officers noted that ever since security authority in Tulkarm was handed over to the Palestinians, the city has turned into a haven for terrorists planning attacks against Israel.

With AP.

Tulk Arm

Click here to see a videoclip of tulkarm Clique aqui para ver clipe de Tulk arm

Requires Real Player
Precisa de ter Real Player instalado.
Instalado

08 24 05 Jihad, al-Aqsa threaten to avenge Tul Karm deaths

Jihad, al-Aqsa threaten to avenge Tul Karm deaths

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades on Thursday morning threatened to exact a "painful revenge" for the deaths of their members during an overnight Israel Defense Forces arrest raid in the West Bank city of Tul Karm, Army Radio reported.

Five Palestinians were killed in the raid.

The Shin Bet domestic security service believes one of the wanted men who was killed was involved in planning terror bombing of the Stage nightclub in Tel Aviv.




Advertisement

The troops entered the West Bank city as part of an arrest operation aimed at leading Islamic Jihad gunmen.

The incident began when soldiers from the undercover Duvdevan unit entered a cafe in the city with the aim of arresting two wanted Islamic Jihad men. One of the soldiers fire one shot in the air and called on the wanted men to surrender. At this point, a gun battle broke out in and around the cafe and firebombs were also thrown.

Four of the Palestinians were killed on the spot. The fifth was seriously wounded and died later in an Israeli hospital.

According to Palestinian sources, three of the dead were youths between 14 and 17 years of age who were not known members of any militant organization. The sources said one of the dead was Islamic Jihad militant Adel Abu Ta'ar from the village of Atil near Tul Karm. The other casualties included Mohammed Hussein and Mohammed Ahadib, residents of the Tul Karm refugee camp.

However, according to the IDF Spokesperson, two of the dead were wanted militants and all five Palestinians were involved in shooting and throwing firebombs at the IDF troops.

The Duvdevan soldiers, extricated from the scene by another force, sustained no casualties.

The IDF's Nahal Brigade has recently been conducting large-scale operations in Tul Karm and its surrounding areas in an attempt to curb the Islamic Jihad organization, which was responsible for terror attacks on the Stage nightclub and the Hasharon mall in Netanya. Ten Israelis were killed in the attacks.

Islamic Jihad leader Lo'ai Sa'adi is still at large. The IDF has recently received numerous warnings of his intentions to send suicide bombers into Israel.

IDF Propaganda

The first picture is from the IDF website.
The second one is a reuters picture.

August 24 Yeshiva student killed in stabbing in Old City of Jerusalem

Police officers inspecting the scene of a stabbing in Jerusalem on Wednesday, in which one man was killed. (Tomer Appelbaum/BauBau)


Yeshiva student killed in stabbing in Old City of Jerusalem
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies A young British yeshiva student was killed last night after a Palestinian man stabbed him with a 30-centimeter kitchen knife in the Old City of Jerusalem, close to the Jaffa Gate, police sources said.
His companion, a fellow student from the United States, was moderately wounded. The two victims, both in their twenties, had been studying at an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva in the Old City.
Members of the British student's family refused to allow officials to perform an autopsy on his body, Israel Radio reported early Thursday.The issue will be brought before the Jerusalem Magistrate's court later in the day.
Advertisement After the attack late on Wednesday, the American managed to reach a police station some 200 meters away and led police to his critically injured friend at the site of the stabbing.
The victim was taken to Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, where he died of his wounds; his companion was hospitalized at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
The police said they were pursuing the attacker, who was motivated by nationalism and had fled the scene. Yoram Halevy, commander of the Old City's police station, said a Palestinian carried out the stabbings.
According to one of the paramedics who treated the two, the moderately injured man had said that he and his friend had been going from the Western Wall toward their yeshiva when they were attacked.
The paramedic said the injured man told her he did not know who the assailant was but presumed he was an Arab.

.......

......

Masked Palestinian militants from the military wing of the Hamas movement participate in celebrations of the Israeli pullout from Gaza at the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip August 24, 2005. Israeli military forces expect to be out of Gaza in mid-September, completing a withdrawal from the territory after 38 years of occupation, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Masked Palestinian militants from the military wing of the Hamas movement participate in celebrations of the Israeli pullout from Gaza at the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip August 24, 2005. Israeli military forces expect to be out of Gaza in mid-September, completing a withdrawal from the territory after 38 years of occupation, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Masked Palestinian militants from the military wing of the Hamas movement participate in celebrations of the Israeli pullout from Gaza at the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip August 24, 2005. Israeli military forces expect to be out of Gaza in mid-September, completing a withdrawal from the territory after 38 years of occupation, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Palestinian Hamas masked gunmen hold their guns as they parade on vehicles celebrating Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Israel forged ahead with the final phase of its landmark Gaza evacuation Wednesday, tying up crucial deals on border security and the disposal of demolished settler homes so it can wind up its 38-year occupation by a mid-September target. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A Palestinian boy wearing a Hamas banner on his head participates in celebrations of the Israeli pullout from Gaza at the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip August 24, 2005. Israeli military forces expect to be out of Gaza in mid-September, completing a withdrawal from the territory after 38 years of occupation, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Palestinian Hamas masked gunmen display their weapons as they parade celebrating Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Israel forged ahead with the final phase of its landmark Gaza evacuation Wednesday, tying up crucial deals on border security and the disposal of demolished settler homes so it can wind up its 38-year occupation by a mid-September target. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Palestinian Hamas masked gunmen display their weapons during a rally to celebrate Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Israel forged ahead with the final phase of its landmark Gaza evacuation Wednesday, tying up crucial deals on border security and the disposal of demolished settler homes so it can wind up its 38-year occupation by a mid-September target. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Palestinian Hamas masked gunmen display their weapons as they parade on vehicles celebrating Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Israel forged ahead with the final phase of its landmark Gaza evacuation Wednesday, tying up crucial deals on border security and the disposal of demolished settler homes so it can wind up its 38-year occupation by a mid-September target. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

August 24

Young hands : A Palestinian girl holds a toy handgun during a Hamas demonstration in Khan Yunes in the southern Gaza Strip. (AFP/Marco Longari)

August 22 Gaza

Some 8,500 Jews had settled in the strip occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

August 22

Palestinian supporters of Hamas celebrate in the Gaza City to celebrate the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip August 22, 2005. Israel said it finished evacuating all Jewish settlements in Gaza on Monday. Some 8,500 Jews had settled in the strip occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

August 22

Palestinians wave flags during a Hamas gathering in Gaza City to celebrate the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip August 22, 2005. Israel said it finished evacuating all Jewish settlements in Gaza on Monday. Some 8,500 Jews had settled in the strip occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Aug 22 , Gaza

Palestinian Hamas supports shout slogans during a rally to celebrate Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in Gaza City, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. Hamas militants, jockeying to take credit for Israel's Gaza Strip pullout, said they were involved in 54 percent of 400 attacks on Israeli targets in Gaza in the past five years. The figures appeared on a Hamas Web site Monday, the day Israel set out to clear the last of its 21 Gaza settlements. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

August 22 Gaza

A small boy holds a cardboard cut-out of a Kalashnikov sub machine gun during a rally organized by Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas in the centre of the Gaza City August 22, 2005. Israel said it finished evacuating all Jewish settlements in Gaza on Monday, a step towards ending 38 years of occupation on land where Palestinians want a state. REUTERS/Peter Andrews

August 22 - Nablus

Palestinian Hamas militants burn an Israeli flag after they set a cardboard replica of a jet on fire during a rally to celebrate Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. Hamas militants, jockeying to take credit for Israel's Gaza Strip pullout, said they were involved in 54 percent of 400 attacks on Israeli targets in Gaza in the past five years. The figures appeared on a Hamas Web site Monday, the day Israel set out to clear the last of its 21 Gaza settlements. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh

Palestinian Hamas militants set a replica of a Jewish settlement on fire during a rally to celebrate Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. Hamas militants, jockeying to take credit for Israel's Gaza Strip pullout, said they were involved in 54 percent of 400 attacks on Israeli targets in Gaza in the past five years. The figures appeared on a Hamas Web site Monday, the day Israel set out to clear the last of its 21 Gaza settlements. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh) Email Photo Print Photo

August 22

Palestinian Hamas militants set a cardboard replica of an Israeli tank on fire during during a rally to celebrate Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. Hamas militants, jockeying to take credit for Israel's Gaza Strip pullout, said they were involved in 54 percent of 400 attacks on Israeli targets in Gaza in the past five years. The figures appeared on a Hamas Web site Monday, the day Israel set out to clear the last of its 21 Gaza settlements. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

August 22

Palestinian Hamas militants carry cardboard replicas of an Israeli tank and a jet during a rally to celebrate Israel's Gaza withdrawal, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. Hamas militants, jockeying to take credit for Israel's Gaza Strip pullout, said they were involved in 54 percent of 400 attacks on Israeli targets in Gaza in the past five years. The figures appeared on a Hamas Web site Monday, the day Israel set out to clear the last of its 21 Gaza settlements. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

..

August 22 PA won't disarm Hamas, Islamic Jihad

PA won't disarm Hamas, Islamic Jihad

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Khaled Abu Toameh, THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 22, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement with the Palestinian Authority according to which the two groups would not be disarmed.

The agreement was reportedly achieved during talks in Damascus between PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Qurei met Sunday night in Damascus with leaders of various radical groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and discussed ways of cooperating with them after implementation of the disengagement plan is completed.

Sources close to the two groups said Qurei made it clear that the PA would not confiscate the weapons of any of the armed groups in the Gaza Strip.

Musa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas leader based in Syria, said the meeting was held in a "cordial atmosphere" and that the two sides agreed that the Palestinians should have a joint strategy after disengagement.

"We stressed during the meeting that the Palestinians have the right to continue the resistance [against Israel] and that there would be no attempt to collect weapons from the resistance groups," he said.

"The weapons of the resistance were founded to defend the Palestinian people and resist the occupation," he added. "The Gaza victory was achieved with the weapons of the resistance, which is the only strategy to drive Israel out of the rest of our lands."

Qurei met earlier with Syrian President Bashar Assad and discussed with him the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.

He briefed Assad on Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the ongoing preparations of the PA for the aftermath of disengagement, the Syrian news agency Sana reported.

"Gaza is a part of Palestine, and there will be no calm until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," Qurei told reporters after the meeting.

He lauded Syrian-Palestinian relations, saying they were based on "full cooperation and consultation."

Meanwhile, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told a European envoy Monday that the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip was not enough and that Israel should withdraw to the pre-1967 borders.

Abbas, who met in his office in Gaza City with European Union Middle East envoy Mark Otteh, called for international pressure on Israel after disengagement to revive the peace process and implement the road map plan.

Abbas also met with US, Russian and United Nations officials and urged them to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from the entire West Bank and east Jerusalem and to stop construction of the security fence.

Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a spokesman for Abbas, said the Quartet – the US, Russia, the EU and the UN – was working toward ensuring a smooth Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.

He said the Quartet was also seeking ways of helping the Palestinians rebuild the Gaza Strip and that its representatives would meet in New York next month to discuss providing financial aid to the PA.

Otteh said after the meeting with Abbas that Europe would help the Palestinians improve their living conditions and boost their economy to create jobs for the unemployed. He said the EU had already provided the PA with $500 million for various projects in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem.

Ramadan Shallah (C), head of Islamic Jihad, Moussa Abu Marzouk (L), deputy chief of Hamas' political bureau, and Maher al-Taher, politburo member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), attend a news conference after meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie in Damascus August 22, 2005. REUTERS/khaled al-Hariri

This combination picture shows the Jewish settlement of Morag before and after it was demolished. The picture on top, taken August 12, 2005, shows the Jewish settlement of Morag before it was demolished while the bottom picture shows Israeli heavy equipment destroying houses in the same area, near the Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip August 23,2005. Israeli forces smashed their way into two West Bank settlements on Tuesday and dragged away ultrarightist Jews dug in for a last stand against evacuation after failing to foil a pullout from occupied Gaza. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

August 23 All Setlements Evacuated

STATUS: Disengagement - Day Nine Diary


ALL WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS EVACUATED BY 6 P.M. TUESDAY 23 AUG.

To read the article click here

August 22 : Palestinians Plan 'Carnival of Victory'

Palestinians Plan 'Carnival of Victory'

By Annette Grossbongardt and Stefan Simons

Following the swift withdrawal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians now plan to move forward in developing their own state. The United States is already urging Israel to agree to further concessions, while hardliners at Hamas and the Islamic Jihad push for expanding their holy war.

/......./

August 22 : Palestinians Plan 'Carnival of Victory'To view the article click here

The Zionist paper cups

This is an exclusive picture of the disturbing paper cups that shatered the peace of saudi hospital.


Made-in-Israel Paper Cups Used in Local Hospital
Samir Al-Saadi, Arab News



JEDDAH, 22 August 2005 — Paper cups with Hebrew writing disturbed both employees and medical staff at King Khaled National Guard Hospital on Saturday. The catering subcontractor for the hospital coffee shops began using them on Saturday after their usual supply ran out.

“We were shocked and angry,” said an employee. “How can Israeli products be allowed and how did they enter this hospital?” he asked.

The Filipino employee who works in the Al-Musbah coffee shop asked: “Why is everybody mad about the cups?” He was told: “Because they are made in Israel!”

According to hospital officials, the matter is being investigated and action will be taken.

Saleh Al-Mazroi, executive director for operations at KKNGH, said the matter had been referred to authorities in Riyadh and was being dealt with.

On the bottom of the paper cup was a website address and a telephone number. When Arab News looked at the website — www.orion-rancal.co.il. — it was found to be in Hebrew though there were a few words of English: “Israeli disposable paper, plastic and foam dinnerware supplier for restaurants.”

Arab News contacted Ibrahim Al-Musbah, manager and owner, who said, “I thank you for informing me. I will look into it personally and the offending articles will be disposed of.” He added that the company has a supplier in the Kingdom from whom they buy restaurant supplies. According to Al-Musbah, the supplier might be unaware of the problem.

Al-Musbah later contacted Arab News and said that the paper cups had come to his company by mistake. The cups were in a cardboard box that looked exactly like the ones his company normally receives and so the employees did not notice any difference. Al-Musbah added that the supplier was named “Jeelani” and that he would supply Arab News with his contact numbers today.

The paper cups were quickly withdrawn from use but might there not be other, less obvious, Israeli products in our shops and marketplaces?

(END OF ARTICLE ).

Meanwhile the Egyptian President declares that Israel should give jobs to the palestinians.

On one hand arab countries do not even accept a cup made in Israel. They do not allow a cup made in Israel to enter their countries. On the other hand they declare that israel should open its doors to the palestinians despite the suicide bombers that have crossed from the palestinian territories into Israel.



Mubarak: I understand evacuees' pain

In an exclusive interview to Yedioth Aharonot, Egyptian president sympathizes with settlers, but warns against turning Gaza into a 'huge prison'
By Sima Kadmon


In an exclusive interview to newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he empathized with Gaza Strip settlers’ pain, but warned Israel against turning Gaza into what he called a "large prison."



Meeting with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak at the presidential palace in Cairo on Tuesday, Mubarak said, “Sometimes you need to move out of your home even when you would rather stay. I completely understand how difficult it is to pack up and move away from home.”



He added, “I also know no one enjoys spending money on a new house. Sometimes, circumstances make it a necessity.”




Warning to Israel



Despite his sympathy, Mubarak advised Israel to make sure Palestinians in Gaza have jobs after the pullout.



“Don’t make the mistake of stifling Gaza. Beware of turning Gaza into a huge prison; give jobs to the Palestinians," he said.




But Barak rejected the notion that Gazans would continue to work in Israel after disengagement.



“If we open Gaza it will turn into a crossing point for terrorists and weapons," he said. "Gaza must be closely monitored."



The Egyptian President complimented PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and called Israel to do “much more” to assist Abbas."



“Abbas’ control of the situation is tighter than I expected,” Mubarak said, “yet he needs Israel’s support. Improving the economic conditions of Gaza’s poor will help Abbas."

eilean donan castle

eilean donan castle, originally uploaded by Pradagirl.

Masked Palestinian militants of the national resistance committee, a militia linked to the ruling Fatah movement, pray during a rally to celebrate the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza settlements, in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005. As Israel's Gaza withdrawal got underway Tuesday, Palestinian militants marched through the streets of a town in southern Gaza flanking the Jewish settlements and vowed the Israeli withdrawal would be the first step toward eliminating Israel. (AP Photo / Muhammed Muheisen)

What is this National Resistance Comittee ? It looks they have lots of members in Gaza. I did search Google and I found nothing about them.

This is the search I performed - Click Here

There are thousands of Journalists in Gaza. But judging by the Google results not a single one did explain to its readers what exactly are the resistance committees.

We do think we know what does happen. We do not. We know what journalists do report and when it comes to midle east conflict there are many things journalists avoid reporting.

All issues of palestinian infighting are under reported.
The journalists do not report it or report as brifly as possible such issues.

Amid rising lawlessness the PNA Interior Ministry on Friday ordered journalists in the West Bank and Gaza not to publish news about its security forces without advance permission, an Interior Ministry statement said.

“We would like to note to all local, Arab and international (media) that it is completely forbidden to publish any text, radio or television broadcast in relation to police and security forces without informing the media office of the Ministry of the Interior and National Security,” the statement said.

The statement said journalists would have to fill out special forms before they could publish reports involving security forces. The interior ministry said its move followed publication of news reports and photos that were “harmful to national security,” but did not specify what the objectionable reports contained.

Not only the PNA Information Ministry, but also Palestinian al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and other rights groups and anti-occupation factions protested the move.



Click here to read the wholle text

Masked Palestinian militants of the national resistance committee, a militia linked to the ruling Fatah movement, display their weapons during a rally demanding jobs from the Palestinian Authority, outside the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree Saturday appropriating Jewish settlement land for public use once Israel's evacuation of Gaza is complete, and he scheduled postponed Palestinian legislative elections for Jan. 25. Both measures are meant to ease suspicions among Abbas' political rivals over the intentions of the Palestinian Authority and encourage them to hold their fire during the pullout.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen

August 21

A Palestinian militant of the national resistance committee, a militia linked to the ruling Fatah movement, shouts while he and others hold their weapon, during a rally demanding jobs, outside the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree Saturday appropriating Jewish settlement land for public use once Israel's evacuation of Gaza is complete, and he scheduled postponed Palestinian legislative elections for Jan. 25. Both measures are meant to ease suspicions among Abbas' political rivals over the intentions of the Palestinian Authority and encourage them to hold their fire during the pullout.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

August 21

Members of the Fatah militant faction, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, hold a protest inside the headquarters of the Palestinian parliament in Gaza August 21, 2005. The protesters were demanding jobs from Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

August 21

Members of the Fatah militant faction, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, hold a protest inside the headquarters of the Palestinian parliament in Gaza August 21, 2005. The protesters were demanding jobs from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

August 21 Al Aqsa Brigades Demonstration

A member of the Fatah militant faction, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, fires his weapon during a protest inside the headquarters of the Palestinian Parliament in Gaza August 21, 2005. The protesters were demanding jobs from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. REUTERS/Mohammed

Notas Soltas: August 21 Fatah gunmen at Gaza House demand jobs

Click here to read the article in full : "August 21 Fatah gunmen at Gaza House demand jobs "


GAZA: Palestinians from the ruling Fatah party armed with assault rifles converged on the Gaza parliament building yesterday to demand jobs in a protest that underlined challenges ahead for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Some fired into the air. The protesters came close to scuffles with police before commanders on both sides ordered calm. They then dispersed.

“We are here only to send a message that Fatah fighters should be treated fairly. Jobs should be secured for those who made dear sacrifices,” said Abu Jihad, a spokesman.