As Palestinian causality numbers escalate in Gaza, Israeli leadership announced this week that they will continue the offensive. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned.

Nonviolent Activities

Let us begin our weekly report with the nonviolent activities in the West Bank with IMEMC's George Rishmawi:

The protesters marched from inside the village towards the lands where Israel is building the illegal wall. Israeli troops did not allow villagers to reach the location of the wall and opened fire. At least 20 civilians were injured when Israeli troops showered the protest with tear gas, rubber coated steel bullets, and live rounds.

Clashes erupted between stone-throwing youths and the Israeli military. The protest was held in opposition to Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip.

Also near Ramallah, residents of Bil'in village, supported by Israeli and international peace activists, as has been the case for the past four years, conducted on Friday their weekly protest against the Israeli Annexation Wall.

When the demonstrators approached the gate of the wall, the Israeli military prevented them from crossing the main gate. As the protesters tried to cross the gate, Israeli troops fired stun grenades, tear gas and rubber-coated metal bullets.

Dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation, and three young men from the village sustained moderate wounds. The protesters demanded the immediate halt to the Israeli attacks on Gaza, Iyad Burnat head of the popular committee against the wall spoke to IMEMC:



"We delivered a message today that what is happening in Palestine is with international hands and not only with Israeli hands, all the world occupy Palestine and kill the children of Gaza, and for the Arab leaders our message was anyone who stays silent is taking part in the killing of the children of Gaza."

On Friday morning, 50 protesters gathered at the entrance of Al Ma'ssara village located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem to protest the Israeli illegal wall.

Israeli soldiers completely closed off the area with barbed wire, under the guise of protesting Israeli settlers who are given sole access to the area. Protesters burned a coffin in response to the failure of the Arab countries and the UN to bring a halt to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

Individuals from various Palestinian political parties condemned the Israeli occupation and airstrikes in Gaza and expressed solidarity with the Gazan people. A skirmish then broke out between soldiers and demonstrators, who were attempting to remove the barbed wire from the road. Following the clash, the soldiers forcibly dispersed the demonstration.

For IMEMC.org this is George Rishmawi.

Political Report

While the Israeli army attacks Gaza, Israeli leadership announced this week that they will continue the offensive; Hamas that controls Gaza, announced that the Israeli attacks will not accomplish anything, IMEMC's Grace Walsh reports:

Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, stated on Tuesday that the Israeli Army would continue its offensive against the Gaza Strip until it has achieved “its goals against Hamas”. Israeli President, Shimon Peres, said, “this war is like no other war the Army carried out since Israel was established”.

He added that the Israeli Army will continue to operate according to the plan. “The war has begun, and will not end until we achieve our goals," Olmert added. Israeli Media reported that the statement of Olmert came in response to reports that the Israeli Army would agree to a 48-hour truce. He stated that it has become necessary for a ground offensive. Hamas leaders stated that the Israeli attacks on Gaza will not achieve the goals Israeli announced.

Kalil Abu Lilah, a Hamas leader in Gaza talked to IMEMC:



"This operation will fail definately, the Zionists will not accomplish their goals, Hamas will continue to be the leading political movement in the Palestinian community, therefore the Zionists goal of forcing Hamas to make concessions and humiliating it will fail."

By Friday midday the Israeli attack on Gaza has left 425 Palestinians killed and at least 2220 other injured including, 300 in critical condition. On Tuesday, Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, headed to New York to press for a U.N binding resolution that ensures an Israeli ceasefire against Gaza.

Abbas decided to go to New York after he was advised by the Secretary General of the Arab States league, Amr Mousa, on the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Israel insisted that the military attacks on Gaza would not stop until the objectives of Israel are achieved.

Abbas' Fatah movement called for the immediate halt of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Fahmi Al Za'arer, Fatah spokesman in the West Bank talked to IMEMC:



"Those are very ugly crimes and massacres that is happening against our people in Gaza, what is needed is the immediate halt of this Israeli aggression."

On Thursday, in an official statement, Richard Falk, the United Nations special envoy for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, stated that the Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an occupying power and in the requirements of the laws of war.

He specifically charged Israel with the war crimes of collective punishment, targeting civilians and a disproportionate military response. In a meeting in Paris, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, rejected, for the second time, a French proposal, brokered by French president, Nicholas Sarkozy, for a ceasefire in order to allow much needed humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Israel’s foreign ministry quoted Livni as saying there is “no humanitarian crisis”.

The Israeli cabinet rejected the original French proposal for a ceasefire a day earlier, on the grounds that Israel was seeking a "durable solution", and that a temporary truce would simply allow Hamas fighters to regroup and re-arm.

Certain leaders across the Middle East, but in particular, Mahmoud Amadhinejad and Hassan Nasrallah have been calling for unity and for Arabs to defend their Palestinian brothers in Gaza, while other Arab “leaders”, such as president Mubarek in Egypt have been ordering the military to keep Gazans in their borders.

For IMEMC.org this is Grace Walsh.


The Gaza Report

The Israeli army continued to attack the Gaza Strip this week. The latest death toll by Friday evening was 428, from Gaza IMEMC's Rami Al Meghari with the story:

The Israeli army embarked on its military offensive last Saturday at midday. Israeli warplanes started by shelling all the Palestinian security posts there. In the following days the shelling was expanded.

Hospitals, homes, blacksmith workshops, schools, and mosques where targeted. Day and night all the Palestinian coastal region were under attack.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza latest count on Friday evening was 428 killed more that 2000 injured including 200 in critical conditions.

Medical and healthcare services are struggling to cope with the outcome of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, while the bombing continues. Dr Mo'oawiah Hassunin, the Head of the Palestinian Ambulance and Emergency Services in the Health Ministry in Gaza, talked to IMEMC :



"We have zero medical supplies in our hospitals as of this moment; which is limiting our ability to function. We are trying to use what is available in the inventory. Last night some Egyptian medical aid arrived, which served for few hours only".

Among those killed during the continued attacks was a Dr Iyhab Al-Madhom and medic Mahmoud Abu Hassira. The Ministry of health said that the two were aiding injured people during shelling targeting Gaza City, when an Israeli unmanned plane fired directly at them.

In response to the Israeli attacks the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza launched home-made shells at Israeli targets this week.

According to Israeli sources, most of the homemade shells landed in the town of Ashdod in Negev and the nearby Sederot town. The Israeli Army reported that two Israeli where killed by the Palestinian shells fired and at least 20 where lightly wounded this week.

For IMEMC.org this is Rami al Meghari in Gaza.


The West Bank Report
This week the Israeli army continued to attack Palestinian communities in the West Bank, while Israeli troops cracked down on protest against the attacks on Gaza, killing three civilians; IMEMC's Ghassan Bannoura has the details:
Hundreds of Palestinians in several parts of the West Bank protest the Israeli continued attacks on the Gaza strip which started last Saturday, the Israeli army and police cracked down on those protesting, killing three Palestinians civilians.
Arafat Al Khawaja, age 22, was reported dead after an Israeli soldier shot him in the head with a live round.
Al Khawaja was taking part in a nonviolent protest in the village of Nil'in near Ramallah, central West Bank, when troops attacked the unarmed civilians that lead to clashes with local youth.
Medical sources said that another two young men from Nil'in where critically injured in the clashes. Mohamed Al Khawaja, one of those critically injured died of his wounds on Thursday.
Also on Monday Mahmoud Hammed, 17, was killed during a protest organized by Palestinians against the attacks on Gaza in the village of Slwad between Ramallah and Jerusalem cities.
The protests in the West Bank were taking place on a daily basis to protest the Israeli army attacks on Gaza. Palestinian sources reported that Israeli troops have injured at least 90 civilians during those protests.
In Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank 50 local youth where injured during a protest on Tuesday.
Israeli troops meanwhile continued to target Palestinian cities and towns in pre dawn invasions this week. At least 50 civilians were reported to be kidnapped by the army.
These pre-dawn invasions focused on Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jenin cities.

For IMEMC.org this is Ghassan Bannoura
Conclusion

And that was just some of the news this week in Palestine. For constant updates, please check out our website, www.IMEMC.org. Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. This week's report has been brought to you by Dina Awwad.