October 3rd, 2012

PA preparing to set minimum wage ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 3, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority will announce a minimum wage on October 15, the minister of labor said Tuesday. Ahmad Majdalani declined to reveal figures, but told Ma'an that detailed discussions on monthly, daily and hourly minimum wages had been held for two months. Palestinian labor law regarding internships and probation contracts had also been considered, Majdalani said. "We are close to reaching an agreement on the minimum wages," he said. » Read more

PA to rehire teachers dismissed for 'security reasons' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 3, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education will comply with court orders to rehire teachers fired for "security reasons" as jobs become available, the minister said Tuesday. Lamis al-Alami said the ministry had not yet received most of the high court orders to rehire dismissed teachers. » Read more

Qatar invites bids to reconstruct Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 3, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Qatari government on Tuesday invited tenders for four construction projects, in the first stage of a $254 million project to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip. Qatar's ambassador to Gaza Muhammad al-Imadi is heading a committee overseeing the work. Consultants have been invited to submit designs for a city to be named after Sheikh Hamad Ben Khalifa al-Thani. » Read more

International rights group accuses Hamas security forces in Gaza of prisoner abuse ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press October 3, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — An international rights group said Wednesday that Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip commit rampant abuses against Palestinian prisoners, including beatings with metal clubs and rubber hoses, mock executions and arbitrary arrests, and urged the Islamic militant group to swiftly reform its criminal justice system. » Read more

Gaza Tunnel Demolitions Increase As Hamas Seeks Free Trade Zone ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam by Mohannad Abdel Hamid - October 2, 2012 - 12:00am Egyptian [security] forces continue to demolish tunnels [running between Gaza and the Sinai], following the Rafah attack that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers. An Egyptian security spokesman declared that 31 tunnels have been demolished out of 225. Despite contradictory information on the actual number of tunnels — which ranges from 225 to 1200 — these tunnels play a major role on the political and economic level, regardless of their numbers. » Read more

Hamas upset about new Egyptian policy towards Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 3, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement is upset about Egypt's mounting security campaign on the borderline area between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, a well-informed source in Gaza said Tuesday. The source, close to Hamas and speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that the movement watches with anger and disappointment the latest developments along the border. » Read more

PA seeks help from Europe over resolution draft ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - October 3, 2012 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority wants EU countries to help draft a resolution that would admit “Palestine” as a non-member state in the UN General Assembly in an effort to gain EU support for the move, The Jerusalem Post has learned. PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat met with the heads of EU missions in Jerusalem last month and asked them – either as individual countries or collectively as the EU – to help draft the resolution that will be taken to the world body. So far no country has expressed a willingness to do so. » Read more

Vote on Palestinian UN bid within two months: Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 3, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced Tuesday that the bid for the UN recognition of Palestine as a non-member state will be presented and voted on in October or November. » Read more

Israeli premier to visit Europe, discuss Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ian Deitch - October 3, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Europe in a few months to persuade leaders to step up sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The official spoke anonymously Tuesday because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with reporters. Netanyahu told the U.N. last week that Iran will likely have the bomb by next summer. He has said he does not rule out a military strike. » Read more

UN Agency: Israel Continues to Impede Palestinians' Access to Basic Services ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - October 3, 2012 - 12:00am A new report published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) last week stated that many of the movement restrictions in place on Palestinians in the West Bank were applied during the four years following the outbreak of the second Intifada, and most of them remain in place to this day, despite significant improvements in West Bank security. » Read more