RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - As the legal and moral implications of the UN Goldstone report on Israel’s military assault on Gaza continue to mount, Palestinians in Gaza are taking matters into their own hands and preparing civil lawsuits. The Israeli defense ministry’s prosecution department has received about 1,500 notices of future civil lawsuits against the Israeli military. Read more about Legal action against Israel increases over Gaza assault
BEITHANOUN, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - Formed in September 2007, Local Initiative has a number of other mandates: promoting volunteerism; reaching out to marginalized families living in the regions along the Green Line border between Israel and Gaza; giving psycho-social support to children scarred by Israeli military attacks and shooting; financially assisting children with martyred parents; and improving the role of women and youth in society. Read more about Gaza activists organize to harvest
Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler30 October 2009
SURBAHER, occupied East Jerusalem (IPS) - The latest round brings the number of East Jerusalem Palestinians displaced since the beginning of the year by forced evictions or house demolitions to over 600, according to figures released by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees. Altogether on Tuesday, six buildings were knocked down, leaving 26 people homeless. Read more about Homeless by Israeli policy
Recently, Israel announced that it would import palm fronds from the Gaza Strip for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Initially, the decision to allow Gaza to export palm fronds seemed like an easing, however small, of the Israeli siege. But according to Gaza’s farmers, exporters and the Israeli non-governmental organization Gisha, it wasn’t. Mya Guarnieri reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Israeli blockade strangling Gaza agriculture
OCCUPIEDEASTJERUSALEM (IPS) - Israeli authorities are increasingly targeting and intimidating nonviolent Palestinian grassroots activists involved in anti-occupation activities who are drawing increased support from the international community. Read more about Israel targeting grassroots activists
Several Western pension funds and financial managers hold shares in two Israeli banks: Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi. Both banks operate in and offer loans to finance illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Israeli banks entrenched in settlement building
Civil rights groups in Israel have expressed outrage at the announcement last week that a special undercover unit of the police has been infiltrating and collecting intelligence on Israel’s Palestinian Arab minority by disguising its officers as Arabs. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Israeli intelligence pose as Arabs to spy on citizens
On Monday 19 October 2009, a court hearing at Salem military court, in the northern West Bank, extended Mohammad Othman’s detention period for another 11 days. It has been 29 days now since human rights defender Mohammad Othman was arrested at the Allenby Bridge Border Crossing between Jordan and the West Bank. Read more about Human rights defender's detention without charge enters second month
UNITEDNATIONS (IPS) - The 47-member Human Rights Council approved a resolution Friday endorsing war crimes charges against Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, as spelled out in a report by a four-member international fact-finding mission headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. As expected, the United States threw a protective arm around Israel and voted against the resolution, along with some members of the European Union. Read more about UN body adopts Goldstone report
GAZACITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IRIN) - Thousands of Gazan farmers may be unable to replant their crops during the region’s main planting season in October due to agricultural land still damaged by the Israeli offensive at the start of the year, and a lack of agricultural materials like seeds and fertilizers, according to officials. Read more about Gaza farmers struggle with damaged agricultural land
