“Hundreds of protesters are expected to gather today at the place where Tom Hurndall was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper as he tried to rescue Palestinian children trapped under fire. The 21-year-old British peace activist was still in a coma yesterday, and there was little sign of brain activity as hopes that he might survive faded.” Justin Huggler reports for The Independent. Read more about Peace activists prepare mass protest after Briton is gunned down by Israelis
“The American military has been asking the Israeli army for advice on fighting inside cities, and studying fighting in the West Bank city of Jenin last April, unnamed United States and Israeli sources have confirmed. Reports that US troops trained with Israeli forces for street-to-street fighting have been denied. If the US army believes the road to Baghdad lies through Jenin, there is reason for Iraqi civilians to be concerned. During fighting in the Jenin refugee camp last April, more than half the Palestinian dead were civilians.” Justin Huggler of The Independent files a disturbing story on the institutionalization of war crimes, from Warsaw, to Jenin, and perhaps to Baghdad, too. Read more about Israelis trained US troops in Jenin-style urban warfare
Israeli security forces in Hebron have allegedly forced Palestinians to submit to a macabre “lottery”, in which the victim had to choose their own “punishment” by picking a slip of paper out of a pile. On the pieces of paper were written various acts of violence, including having a hand or leg broken, and, Palestinians say, being beaten to death. The Independent’s Justin Huggler reports. Read more about Palestinians subject to Israeli 'torture lottery'
Israeli soldiers demolished 62 shops at a market yesterday, destroying the livelihood of hundreds of Palestinians. In the early morning, about 300 troops streamed into the market, just outside the village of Nazlat Issa. They brought seven bulldozers. Villagers poured out to protest as the bulldozers tore down the village market, the main source of income for Nazlat Issa’s 2,500 residents. Justin Huggler reports in the Independent. Read more about Israeli troops devastate West Bank village market
The European Commission praised the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to crack down on financial irregularities yesterday, despite claims from Israel that the organisation funded suicide bombers. Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian Finance Minister, has garnered widespread approval for his book-keeping. Justin Huggler reports in The Independent. Read more about Palestinian's IMF pointman dispels corruption fears
“WE WERE sitting in the Asfuls’ front room. Suddenly the two tanks at the end of the street opened up their machine-guns. The bullets were flying so close to the house we could see the tracer fire slapping straight past the windows. To leave without crossing the line of fire would be impossible. All we could do was sit and hope the bullets did not come through the window.” Justin Huggler writes in The Independent. Read more about In Rafah, the children have grown so used to the sound of gunfire they can't sleep without it
A United Nations inquiry has found that, contrary to claims by the Israeli army, eight of the 10 Palestinians killed in a raid in the Gaza Strip were unarmed civilians. There was fury among Palestinians at the death toll and the timing of the raid on Bureij refugee camp early on Friday 6 December, during Eid al-Fitr, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan and is one of the most important holidays in the Muslim year. Justin Huggler reports for The Independent. Read more about 8 Palestinians killed in Israel attack were unarmed civilians says UN inquiry
A former Israeli army chief who presided over the controversial invasion of Jenin this year, and who is being investigated by Scotland Yard over allegations of war crimes, was named as Israel’s new Defence Minister yesterday, an aide to Ariel Sharon said. Lieutenant-General Shaul Mofaz, who has flown back to Israel after Scotland Yard started investigating him during a fund-raising tour of Britain, had been Chief of Staff for most of the current Palestinian intifada until he retired in July. Justin Huggler writes in The Independent, Read more about Israeli general linked to Jenin atrocities named defence chief
