Despite some initial optimism following the outcome of the Palestinian presidential elections, there has been no obvious progress towards peace negotiations. This is of little surprise, since the conditions for holding negotiations simply do not exist and possibly have not even been thought through by either party. While opportunities for peace talks are fast disappearing as the region appears again to slide into outright confrontation, the writers, former anti-apartheid activists from the Netherlands, South Africa and Great Britain respectively, look back on this crucial period in South African history in the first of two articles in a series, to reflect upon and provide inspiration to the Palestinian struggle for liberation. Read more about Lessons from South Africa for the peace process (1/2) 

John Collins is currently living in Madrid and conducting interviews with intellectuals, journalists, and activists about the Palestine solidarity movement in Spain. He recently spoke with Ignacio Alvarez-Ossorio, who teaches at the University of Alicante and who has published widely on the Palestinian issue. Professor Alvarez-Ossorio notes that until recently, Spanish intellectuals have paid very little attention to Palestinian politics, and that most reporters and writers do not understand the key issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Read more about Spanish perspectives I: an interview with Ignacio Alvarez-Ossorio 

Unlike areas of the West Bank, the soldiers in Gaza are unseen. They remain cocooned deep within lookout towers behind ever extending military fortifications, including sandbags, electric fences, pill boxes and tanks. One can barely make out a megaphone, a tip of a machine gun, and occasionally, when all else fails to catch the attention of the hundreds of cars awaiting orders to move forward or back away, a distant wave of a hand. “Living in Gaza has become somewhat like being trapped inside a snow globe, except there is no colourful confetti to cloud the stark reality of occupation.” Laila El-Haddad reports from Gaza. Read more about No easy route from Egypt to Palestine 

It happens that Dutch books emit a political message that I do not wish to repeat to the kids. Many years ago a well-intentioned lady gave me a book about “Donald goes to Israel.” For her, Palestine was Israel, and she did not realize that Israel is not the name which Palestinians use for their country. But the book became one of Jara’s favorites after I changed the name of Israel into Palestine, the kibbutz into a Palestinian village, and Moshe into Musa. The book was about Donald and grandma Duck visiting the Israeli feast of trees [Tu Bishevat, in Hebrew]. The Ducks, of course, came to help the pioneers in planting trees so as to make the desert bloom. In fact, we do have a feast of the tree here too. Read more about Feast of the Tree 

The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of seeking to frustrate Palestinian efforts to achieve a ceasefire ahead of the possible resumption of the Middle East peace process. Seeking to appease his Likud hardliners opposed to the planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Sharon has apparently endorsed a new route for the wall that would take tens of thousands of acres of Palestinian land and convert a number of small Arab towns and villages in the Hebron region into virtual ghettos. The new route will reduce Palestinian towns such as Surif and Nahalin and several other surrounding villages into virtual detention camps. Khalid Amayreh reports. Read more about PA: Israel provoking Palestinians 

A humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip is looming, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan might be the final nail in the coffin, an Israeli report has warned. Dozens of Palestinians may die if Israel does not act to ensure their medical care after a planned military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip later this year, according to the report by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Israel’s current position is that it is not responsible for the fate of patients in Gaza, and is willing, at best, “to take into account humanitarian considerations” and “exceptional cases”, without explaining what these may constitute, says the medical rights group. Laila El-Haddad reports from Gaza. Read more about Gaza pullout could worsen health crisis 

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have cast their ballots in the first municipal elections in decades in this part of the Occupied Territories. Thousands of Palestinians on Thursday turned up at voting booths in 10 districts in the Gaza Strip, including the northern town of Bait Hanun, devastated by Israeli incursions. The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, which for the first time has candidates running in Gaza, is expected to sweep the elections. Ahmad al-Kurd, director of the Islamic Benevolence Society and Hamas candidate for the district of Dair al-Balah, said he is confident of his party’s success and that the elections will bring change. Laila El-Haddad reports from Gaza. Read more about Gazans vote in municipal polls 

Several Palestinian and Syrian NGO’s based in territories occupied by Israel will join thousands of civil society groups, organizations and people from around the world at the World Social Forum (WSF) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, calling for world leaders to commit to an end of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. The WSF is a unique platform where social movements, networks, NGOs, and individuals come together to debate, analyse and formulate alternatives. They appeal to participants to undertake urgent action so that people living in the region can freely exercise their basic individual and collective rights. Read more about Palestinians at World Social Forum: "End the Israeli military occupation" 

The Israeli army has renewed plans to demolish hundreds of Palestinian homes in Rafah at the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli media. Army sources say the purpose of the demolitions is to create an artificial canal to prevent Palestinians from digging underground tunnels which could be used to smuggle weapons into Gaza from Egypt. A report published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday said Israeli officials were worried the demolitions would trigger widespread international indignation, especially in light of the gradual restoration of calm and the imminent ceasefire. Read more about Israel plans to raze more Gaza homes 

Israeli occupation soldiers have shot and killed a three-year-old girl inside her home in central Gaza, eyewitnesses and medical sources said. Rahma Abu Shamas was reportedly inside her home in Dair al-Balah in central Gaza on Wednesday when a bullet struck her in the head, killing her instantly. Israeli soldiers manning an army watchtower at the nearby colony of Kfar Darom opened machinegun fire randomly on Palestinian homes around dawn on Wednesday. An Israeli army spokesman acknowledged the killings, saying the army was looking into the “incident”. The Israeli-state run radio, Kol Yisrael said no Palestinian fighters were present in the area when the shooting took place. Read more about Israeli troops kill Palestinian girl in the Gaza Strip