5 juin 2007

     On the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1967 Mideast War, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday remembered those who were killed and whose lives were shattered by the conflict, particularly Palestinians still living under occupation. "An end to the occupation and a political solution to the conflict is the only way forward for Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese and the wider region," The statement said. "This will only be achieved through negotiations to bring about an end to the... [Lire la suite]

      Palestinians sources say four Palestinian youths were wounded by IDF fire towards their school courtyard. Two were moderately hurt, and two others were lightly hurt. A Kol Yisrael reporter says that the Israeli forces operating in the West Bank town detained six wanted Palestinians, five of them members of Islamic Jihad. The Palestinian sources said the Israeli forces also took over some houses in the city. During the operation, two homemade pipe bombs were thrown at the troops.(20,16)

    Some 300 Peace Now activists are demonstrating next to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, to mark 40 years since the outbreak of the Six Day War and to protest the Israeli occupation. Several dozen members of the Hebron Jewish community mounted a counter-demonstration opposite the gathering. A large number of IDF troops and police are posted at the site to maintain order, media reported.(20,14)

      The "mastermind' behind the terrorist attacks carried out by the Lebanese militia Fatah al-Islam, has escaped from Lebanon to Syria, the London based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat has reported. If this report is true, it associates Syria to the Qaeda-linked militia. The report said that arrested militia activists admitted that they had planed to carry out attacks at tourist sites, military facilities and diplomatic targets as well as political assassinations.Lebanon is battling on several fronts to... [Lire la suite]

     Marking the 40th anniversary of what he called the Arabs' "great defeat" by Israel in the Six Day War, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warned that Palestinians were on the verge of civil war and said infighting is worse than living under Israeli military rule. Abbas said however that Palestinian statehood was within reach. Yet new fighting between his secular Fatah faction and Islamist Hamas fighters and Abbas' failure so far to secure a ceasefire between Palestinian operatives and Israel... [Lire la suite]

    The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Committee said Monday that it expects a Olmert-Abbas summit in Jericho later this week to bring about new confidence-building measures between Israel and the Palestinians. A member of the central committee, Yasser Abed Rabbo, said after its meeting in Ramallah, that the Palestinians are also asking Israel to release prisoners in exchange for captured soldier Gilad Shalit without setting prior conditions.(11,38)