November 13th, 2012

Egypt to Destroy Gaza Tunnels ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Masry Al-Youm November 12, 2012 - 1:00am Security sources have revealed that the security services in North Sinai governorate are preparing to destroy the most dangerous underground tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza Strip in the town of Rafah. The location of these tunnels was determined via extremely accurate intelligence and investigations. The sources noted that the extensive security operation to demolish the tunnels will start in a few days. » Read more

1,200 tunnels operating between Egypt and the Gaza Strip- Sinai tribal leader ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Mohammed Mohsin - November 12, 2012 - 1:00am Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat - The leader of the Al-Akur Tribe in Sinai, Arif Abu-Akr, has revealed that the 1,200 tunnels between the borders of Egypt and Gaza Strip are working at full capacity. Abu-Akr told Asharq Al-Awsat that these tunnels were being used to carry out terrorist attacks, “but we cannot arrest them or present them to justice.” » Read more

Abbas says Russia to join in Arafat's death investigation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 11, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday revealed that Russia will take part in investigating the death of his predecessor Yasser Arafat alongside France and Switzerland. "There is a complete coordination between us and the French and also experts from the Russian government to exhume Arafat's body," Abbas said during a festival in the West Bank city of Ramallah marking the eighth anniversary of Arafat's death. » Read more

Barak approves plans to build 500 new homes in West Bank settlement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - November 12, 2012 - 1:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak has agreed to advance a plan to expand the Itamar settlement to five times its size by adding 538 homes, according to documents obtained by Haaretz. Barak approved the plan in September, even though there is still no master plan in effect for the settlement, which was founded in 1984 on state land, which means that no legal building permits can be issued. But since the murder of five members of the Fogel family on the settlement in March 2011, the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria has been pressing to advance the construction. » Read more

Barak approves plans to build 500 new homes in West Bank settlement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - November 12, 2012 - 1:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak has agreed to advance a plan to expand the Itamar settlement to five times its size by adding 538 homes, according to documents obtained by Haaretz. Barak approved the plan in September, even though there is still no master plan in effect for the settlement, which was founded in 1984 on state land, which means that no legal building permits can be issued. But since the murder of five members of the Fogel family on the settlement in March 2011, the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria has been pressing to advance the construction. » Read more

PA says to pay partial salaries Sunday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 11, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority finance ministry announced Sunday that it would pay part of salaries owed to public sector employees by the end of the day. The salaries of prisoners families will be paid completely while public sector employees will receive 52 percent of their salaries, the ministry said in a statement. The aid-dependent Palestinian economy in the West Bank faces a financial crisis due to a drop in aid from Western backers and wealthy Gulf states, as well as Israeli restrictions on trade. » Read more

Palestinian youth dead in Israel's Gaza shelling ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 13, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian youth died Tuesday of wounds he sustained during an Israeli artillery shelling in eastern Gaza City Saturday, medical sources said. The death of Mohammed Qanou, 20, came as Israeli airstrikes continued in the Gaza Strip for the fourth day in a new cross- border violence flare-up, with Palestinian militant groups firing dozens of rockets at southern Israel. » Read more

Four Palestinians killed in Israeli shelling after border attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joel Greenberg - November 10, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants fired an antitank missile at an Israeli army vehicle on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip on Saturday, wounding four soldiers and prompting Israeli shelling that local medical officials said killed four Palestinian civilians and wounded 25 others. The flare-up, one of the worst in months, followed a series of recent incidents in which explosive devices were detonated near Israeli forces operating on both sides of the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. » Read more

Israeli DM says to strike Gaza if necessary ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 11, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Sunday that Israel will strike Gaza if necessary and will not allow Palestinian militants to "change the rules" in southern Israel following an escalation of insecurity in the area. Barak, who talked to Army Radio, said Israel will make sure that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have the "freedom" to operate along the Gaza border. » Read more

Violence Surges on Israeli-Gaza Border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Fares Akram, Isabel Kershner - November 10, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA — Palestinian militants fired an antitank missile on Saturday at an Israeli military jeep patrolling Israel’s border with Gaza, and five Palestinians, including four civilians, were killed when Israel returned fire with tank or artillery shells, officials said. The Israeli military said four of its soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in the antitank missile attack. The Gaza Health Ministry said about 26 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire. » Read more