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UNICEF: "Children must be safe during Gaza withdrawal"

12 August 2005


UNICEF today urged that children be kept out of harm’s way during the planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank. “Palestinian and Israeli children have suffered terribly over recent years as a result of this conflict,” UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said Friday. “Next week’s events offer new hope for peace, and it’s critical to ensure the safety of the children in the region.” Along with the entire UN system, UNICEF expressed a hope that the withdrawal that is set to begin next week would occur smoothly and peacefully. If the disengagement does not proceed peacefully, children could be in particular danger, said Veneman, noting that children under 18 make up about half of the Palestinian population. 

Video: Al-Rowwad theatre group visits Louisville, KY

11 August 2005


Al-Rowwad Center is an Independent Center for artistic, cultural, and theatre training for children in Aida Camp trying to provide a “safe” and healthy environment to help children discover their creativity and discharge stress in the war conditions they are forced to live in. In July 2005, Al-Rowwad’s theatre group performed in Louisville, Kentucky. Multimedia producers Patrick Yen and Andrew Sturgill produced the profile on Al-Rowwad for EI. 

Palestine Red Crescent Society prepares for Gaza disengagement

10 August 2005


Israeli measures such as closures of Palestinian transportation routes near Gaza settlements and the planned relocation routes, dividing the Gaza Strip into four parts have the potentioal to directly and indirectly affect the Palestinian population through restriction of access to health care. Accessibility to sources of nutrition and safe drinking water may also be disrupted. Additionally, these closures may prevent the PRCS staff and volunteers from accessing the effected areas, the maintenance of an open supply line between headquarters store house and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) stations and PRCS sub-stores, in addition to the deployment of logistics and supplies to effected areas. 

UN to adopt pathbreaking new global standard which demands return of confiscated refugee land and housing

11 August 2005


The United Nations is expected to adopt a sweeping series of principles today that urge governments everywhere to ensure all refugees and persons displaced due to conflict and natural disasters are entitled to return to, recover and reside in their original homes, lands and properties. Prepared by the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Housing and Property Restitution, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil, the ‘Pinheiro Principles’ will provide the first consolidated global standard on the housing, land and property rights of the displaced. “The best solution to the plight of millions of refugees and displaced persons around the world is to ensure they attain the right to return freely to their countries and to have restored to them housing and property of which they were deprived,” said Pinheiro. 

Knesset Enacts Racist Law

9 August 2005


On 27 July 2005, the Knesset amended the Nationality Law. The amendment restricts the family unification of Israeli citizens and residents, including residents of East Jerusalem, and Palestinians living in the occupied territories. The law does not apply to Israelis who apply for a legal status for their foreign spouse who does not live in the Occupied Territories. Couples who decide to reside together in Israel or in East Jerusalem in violation of the law, are unable to live a normal life and are in constant fear. If they decide to live in the occupied territories, the spouse holding an Israeli identity card violates the military commander’s order prohibiting Israelis to enter areas under Palestinian security control. 

Israel to keep control of Gaza access

Khalid Amayreh 10 August 2005


Israel has said it will probably retain control of Gaza skies and territorial waters after the implementation of its withdrawal plan from the area. “I think it is very likely that we will continue to control the skies and territorial waters of Gaza,” Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Tuesday. Mofaz did not say if Israeli troops would completely leave the Rafah border crossing as the Egyptians had been demanding. The defence minister told the Israeli cabinet on Monday that Tel Aviv could not allow a free flow of goods and services between Gaza and the rest of the world, suggesting that “alternative border crossings” be created where Israel can control cross-border movements between Gaza and Egypt. 

Annan reports about work UN agencies assisting Palestinians

9 August 2005


The year under review was marked by the announcement of Israel’s disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank, the death of Palestinian President Arafat, successful Palestinian presidential elections and cautious efforts towards a resumption of the peace process by both the Israelis and Palestinians, in spite of continued violence, which claimed lives on both sides. Internal and external closures and other measures taken by the Israeli military, although moderately alleviated towards the end of the reporting period, continued to create economic hardship for Palestinians and restrict the delivery of necessary emergency aid supplies. 

Palestinians in Israel Find Themselves Part of The Disengagement Debate

Jonathan Cook 9 August 2005


Until this weekend Israel’s one million Palestinian citizens had stayed out of the debate about the country’s imminent disengagement from Gaza. “It’s not our story,” they said when pressed, “this is an entirely Jewish conversation.” Although Israeli Jews have been flying blue and orange ribbons from their cars for months - showing respectively support for and opposition to the disengagement - car aerials in Israel’s Arab towns and villages have remained resolutely bare. That is no longer the case. At the weekend the Arab drivers in the Galilee could be seen flying black ribbons to commemorate the killings of four Arab citizens by a young Jewish extremist with his Israeli army-issued rifle. Now Israel’s Palestinian citizens find themselves part of the conversation, whether they like it or not. 

Palestinian appointed to Prince Claus Chair

1 August 2005


In May 2005, the Institute of Social Studies has appointed Dr Rema Hammami as holder of the Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity 2005/2006, following her nomination by the Curatorium. The Prince Claus Chair is a rotating chair in the field of development and North-South relations and was established by Utrecht University and the Institute of Social Studies. Dr. Hammami is working in Palestine at the Institute of Women’s Studies, Birzeit University, Westbank Palestina. She has done research on civil society development, political movements, state formation and cross cultural relations between Palestinians and Israelis. Recent work includes an analysis of Palestinian - Israeli interactions at road blocks and border crossings, defining the social space of both parties. 

Palestinian militants kidnap then release UN staff in Gaza Strip

7 August 2005


A Palestinian militant group kidnapped three staff members of the main United Nations agency helping Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip this morning, releasing them several hours later following negotiations. The employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) were taken in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip just before noon local time. After talks, the nature of which has not been disclosed, they were released into the custody of UNRWA and of the Palestinian Authority. They have now returned safely to the Agency’s headquarters in Gaza. UNRWA has been providing education, health care, social services and emergency relief to Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip.