A decision by Israel’s high court to double a 15-month jail term for a policeman who shot dead an unarmed Palestinian driver suspected of stealing a car has provoked denunciations from police commanders and government officials. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Israelis rally around officer convicted of killing unarmed Palestinian motorist 

CAIRO (IPS) - Almost two months since Egypt announced it would reopen its Rafah border terminal with the Gaza Strip, operation of the crossing remains sorely limited. “Rafah has only been opened to passengers and some medical supplies,” Hatem el-Buluk, journalist and resident of al-Arish, located some 40 kilometers west of Rafah, told IPS. Read more about Egypt remains complicit in Gaza siege 

Tony Blair’s relationship with one of the world’s richest men poses a clear and significant conflict of interest with his duties as Quartet envoy. Adri Nieuwhof reports. Read more about Blair's undisclosed business dealings conflict with Quartet role 

NABI SALAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Palestinian activists are being jailed, Israeli activists are under surveillance, and the Israeli military is increasingly targeting journalists who cover West Bank protests. Read more about Israel wages war against media and activists 

The International Trade Union Confederation’s annual survey released in June describes repression meted out to Palestinian workers and trade unionists by both the Israeli authorities and the Palestinian factions. But ITUC’s omissions and brevity both disguise the complexity of life for Palestinian workers, and reveal some of the union confederation’s own biases. Sarah Irving analyzes for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about International labor report's omissions reveal pro-Israel bias 

Having been stripped of parliamentary privileges for participating in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Haneen Zoabi describes the “fascist atmosphere” inside Israel. Max Blumenthal interviews for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Haneen Zoabi: The largest threat to Zionism is democracy 

On 21 June 2010, the Supreme Court ruled to continue to authorize prosecutions of charities under the Material Support provision, disappointing families and supporters of the Holy Land Five and troubling US-based organizations that directly support grassroots humanitarian programs in the Middle East. Read more about Holy Land 5 case reveals double standard in enforcement of US law 

Amid all the obstacles preventing Palestinians in Gaza from traveling outside the besieged territory, Nidal Abdo faces an additional one. He needs a passport and despite five attempts to obtain one, he has so far failed. Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Palestinians in Gaza denied PA passports 

RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IRIN) - The worst place to be in the occupied West Bank in terms of water and sanitation facilities is an Israeli-controlled stretch of land known as Area C, where the Palestinian Authority (PA) is technically responsible for water services, but simply unable to deliver. Read more about Water restrictions in the occupied West Bank