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With Middle East violence rising, Annan calls for efforts to negotiate settlement

16 July 2005


Voicing alarm at the renewed violence between Israel and the Palestinians in recent weeks, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on both sides to work for a negotiated settlement. In a statement released by his spokesman, the Secretary-General said the recent suicide bombing in Netanya and rockets fired from Gaza killing innocent Israeli civilians “are shocking and condemnable.” He also welcomed efforts by the Palestinian Authority security forces to prevent them. Mr. Annan noted that Israel “has resumed forceful action in the face of the serious deterioration that has shattered the lull in violence of the past few months.” 

How do you like your blue-eyed boy: The Rally in Bil'in

Zachary Wales Birzeit 17 July 2005


The demonstration in Bil’in against Israel’s illegal Annexation Wall has developed an almost ritualistic pattern that’s very typical of peaceful protests in Occupied Palestine, where Israeli soldiers tolerate passive resistance for so long before they fire tear gas or rubber-coated bullets — which break the skin and often kill — into the crowd. Doing this invokes stone throwing from local youths, who weather a day-to-day narrative of harassment, beatings and arrests, quite apart from what the internationals experience. If one believes in the adage that “the powerless don’t choose violence, violence chooses them,” then it could be applied here. 

International Campaign to Free Tali Fahima

16 July 2005


On Sunday, July 17, Tali Fahima’s trial sessions will be continued. On this occasion, we are calling on all solidarity movements around the world to join us and let the people of the world and the State of Israel know that the persecution and unjust incarceration of the woman who represents hope for a future of friendship and commonality between Palestinians and Israelis will not pass unnoted. Tali Fahima, a Jewish Israeli woman, has been harassed by the Israeli General Security Services for over a year for defying the apartheid logic set by the occupation forces and showing public solidarity with the people of the Jenin refugee camp in their daily efforts to stay alive and resist their oppressors. 

Israel escalates attack on Palestinian towns

16 July 2005


Since Wednesday, Palestinians have witnessed a severe escalation in violations committed by Israeli occupying forces. Israeli forces have resumed their use of helicopter gunships to attack civilian and residential areas and continued with their state-sanctioned policy of committing extra-judicial executions. To date this escalation in attacks has resulted in the killing of four Palestinians, in the West Bank, while the fate of a 5th is still unknown. Further to this, across the Gaza Strip, attacks by the IOF have resulted in extensive damage to civilian property. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights calls on the international community to immediately intervene to “ensure respect” for international humanitarian law. 

Hamas: "We are committed to ceasefire"

Khalid Amayreh 16 July 2005


The Palestinian Islamic Resistance group, Hamas, says it remains committed to observing the ceasefire, despite the assassination by Israel of at least eight of its resistance cadres. Israeli warplanes on Friday carried out two pinpoint missile attacks on two Palestinian vehicles in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, killing at least eight Hamas resistance activists. “We are still committed to the ceasefire. We are not interested in any escalation. However, if Israel continues these acts of extrajudicial executions of our people, then we will most certainly defend ourselves,” said Hasan Yousuf, Hamas’s spokesman in the West Bank. 

Palestinian civilians die in Gaza clashes

15 July 2005


Armed clashes resumed this morning between members of Hamas and Palestinian Security Forces and a state of tension prevails throughout Gaza. Events started at 0700 yesterday, Thursday the 14 th of July, after a group of al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas , launched missiles from the northern Gaza Strip into Israel. After launching the missiles they retreated but came into contact with Palestinian police and clashes broke out - leaving five Hamas members injured. All of the injured were transferred to Kamal Odwan hospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. Two of them were seriously injured and transferred to Shifa hospital in Gaza City . 

UN envoy condemns latest violence in West Bank and Gaza

15 July 2005


Urging all sides to concentrate on restoring the quiet that has prevailed in recent months, the top United Nations Middle East envoy condemned both today’s targeted killings of Palestinian militants in Gaza, and yesterday’s rocket attack on the southern Israeli town of Nativ Ha’asara that killed one Israeli woman and wounded several others. “Without prejudice to Israel’s right to legitimate and proportional self-defence, UNSCO [the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process], reiterates the United Nations’ consistent and vocal opposition to extra-judicial killings,” said one of two statements released today by envoy Alvaro de Soto’s office in Jerusalem. 

Why kill Nino?

Nablus 15 July 2005


14th July 2005 — There was a bombing in central London last week. We’ve just been to the third funeral since then. Two of the dead were children; all were victims of a campaign to kill and to destroy a society and way of life. We’re not in London, we’re in Nablus, Palestine. The Israeli army came into Palestinian streets and opened fire, killing the last three as they’ve killed thousands before. A little over a year ago Mohammed Alassi, 26, also known as Nino, escaped the wreckage of the car that was bombed, killing the Balata Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade leader Kalil Marshood. Nino was killed late last Wednesday night. 

Church of England urged to follow ACC divestment recommendation on Caterpillar

8 July 2005


The Church of England should follow the recommendation of the Anglican Consultative Council and vote to divest from companies supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine during its General Synod this weekend, campaigners will say at a fringe meeting at York University on Friday (8 July). The Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group has been examining whether the £2 million of shares currently held in Caterpillar are consistent with the Church’s ethical investment policy, which prohibits investment in arms companies or companies making ‘weapons platforms’ such as naval vessels or tanks. 

Lawyers challenge EU and UK over inaction on Palestine

19 July 2005


One year after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that Israel’s Separation Wall is illegal, the EU and UK have failed to take the action required of them under the Geneva Conventions to ensure Israeli compliance with international humanitarian law. Lawyers acting for campaigns group War on Want will today (Monday 18 July) send letters to President Jose Manuel Barroso of the European Commission and UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw challenging them to provide evidence of any action they have taken to curtail human rights abuses against Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation.