New Abasan village in South Eastern Gaza looks, and feels, almost haunted. Every third or fourth house is a mound of rubble, or else has been partially destroyed, and the village streets are dusty and devoid of life. Many local Palestinians have been driven out of New Abasan by relentless Israeli incursions into the village. The Israeli occupation forces have bulldozed huge tracts of land in and around New Abasan, and demolished dozens of local houses. Read more about "I still cannot farm my own land"
BAGHDAD (IRIN) - The Iraqi government has launched a registration process for Palestinian refugees who arrived between 1948 and 1967 — and their descendants — to help ensure they benefit from government aid programs. Those registered will be issued with ID cards which identify them as refugees, the Ministry of Displacement and Migration said on 26 August. Read more about Some Palestinian refugees in Iraq to get special IDs
JERUSALEM, 27 August (IPS) - Israel has published tenders for the construction of 1,761 illegal housing units for Israeli settlers in occupied East Jerusalem alone, according to the Israeli rights group Peace Now. The expansion plans come despite promises by the Israeli government at last year’s peace summit at Annapolis, Maryland to freeze all settlement growth. Read more about Israel pushes ahead with settlement expansion
The General Secretariat of General Union of Palestinian Teachers, which is aligned with the Fatah movement, declared a five-day strike at public schools throughout the Gaza Strip to be launched on 24 August, the first day of the new school year, in protest to what it described as “arbitrary decisions” taken by the Ministry of Education of the Gaza government. Read more about Palestinian political tensions impacting education sector
Yehudit Genud hardly feels she is on the frontier of Israel’s settlement project, although the huddle of mobile homes on a wind-swept West Bank hilltop she calls home is controversial even by Israeli standards. Jonathan Cook reports from Migron settlement in the occupied West Bank. Read more about Creating a fact on the ground
“I have been sick for more than a year now. Five months ago I was finally diagnosed with cancer of my bladder. I was working at the Islamic University here in Gaza city, but now I am stuck at home, and taking a diet of painkillers.” Ahmed Hisham Abu Shawish is 46 years old, but he looks older. His skin is tinged with grey and he sits slumped forward in his chair. Read more about Gaza patients continue painful wait for urgent medical treatment
Since October 2007, Israel has approved 31,830 requests for family unification in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is the first exception in Israeli policy on this issue since September 2000, when Israel froze family unification procedures and the granting of visitor’s permits. The approvals, which were given in the framework of Israeli-Palestinian political negotiations, were described as a gesture, and not a change in policy. Read more about Israel's family unification gesture not a change in policy
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns the official response of the Israeli military Advocate-General to the death of a Reuters cameraman and three other civilians in the central Gaza Strip in April. The cameraman, Fadel Shana’a, and the other civilians were killed by an Israeli tank crew, who, according to the Israeli military advocate-general, acted properly and will not face any legal action. Read more about Israel claims troops acted properly in killing of Gaza journalist
Strawberry and cut flower farming are two of the most important productive agricultural sectors in the Gaza Strip. They contribute approximately US $25 million to the gross national product. In addition, both sectors employ thousands of farmers in direct and indirect employment. The export season for strawberries lasts from 20 November until 15 January and the export season for cut flowers is from 15 November until 25 April. Read more about Strawberry and cut flower farmers suffer under siege
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the attacks on private and civil society organizations and the continued arrests by Palestinian security forces of Hamas members in the West Bank. PCHR points to the continuation of the detention policy despite the decision issued by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on 31 July 2008 to release all Hamas political prisoners apprehended on the backdrop of the latest events in Gaza. Read more about PA continues its West Bank arrest campaign of Hamas supporters
