Palestinian Cabinet stakes claim amid shrine furor ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Karin Laub - March 1, 2010 - 1:00am The Palestinian Cabinet moved its weekly meeting to Hebron on Monday, a symbolic protest against Israel's addition of a contested shrine in this volatile West Bank city to its list of national heritage sites. Israel's decision last week drew widespread international criticism and heightened Palestinian suspicions of Israel at a time when the U.S. is trying to restart peace talks. Israelis and Palestinians have clashed frequently in the past over two West Bank shrines added to the heritage list: the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem. » Read more

Gunman opens fire near E.Jerusalem settler block ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters March 1, 2010 - 1:00am A gunman opened fire near an apartment block housing Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem on Monday, slightly wounding a security guard, police said. Tension has been high in Jerusalem since violence broke out on Sunday at the city's most sensitive holy site and Israel's announcement that it plans to refurbish two West Bank religious shrines, sacred to Jews and Muslims, as part of a Jewish heritage project. » Read more

EU says PA made 'enormous progress' in statehood prep ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 1, 2010 - 1:00am The Palestinian Authority has made “enormous progress” in preparing for statehood based on the rule of law and in the spirit of good governance, “even under the current difficult political environment”, said Christian Berger on Friday, the EU representative in the occupied Palestinians territories. His comments came as officials from the EU and the PA met in Brussels on Friday to continue dialogue on human rights, good governance and the rule of law in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy. » Read more

Rafah crossing opens after two months of closure ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 1, 2010 - 1:00am Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing on Monday, allowing Palestinians to both enter and exit Gaza for the first time in two months. Shortly before noon, two buses had already passed into Egypt from the Strip. The increased movement at the crossing is expected to continue for three days, officials said. » Read more

Two Dubai Suspects Traveled to U.S. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal March 1, 2010 - 1:00am At least two of the 26 suspects sought by Dubai police for the alleged killing of a top Hamas leader appear to have entered the U.S. shortly after his death, according to people familiar with the situation. Records shared between international investigators show that one of the suspects entered the U.S. on Feb. 14, carrying a British passport, according to a person familiar with the situation. The other suspect, carrying an Irish passport, entered the U.S. on Jan. 21, according to this person. Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's body was found in a Dubai hotel room on Jan. 20. » Read more

Once seemingly impregnable, Hamas shows signs of vulnerability ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Janine Zacharia - January 27, 2010 - 1:00am Struggling to maintain its strength in the West Bank amid a crackdown by Israel and Palestinian police and suffering after the assassination of one of its top leaders, Hamas has sustained another blow with news that the son of one its founders had been spying on it for Israel. » Read more

Israeli Police Clash With Stone Throwers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - February 1, 2010 - 1:00am Israeli police officers in Jerusalem entered the plaza containing Al Aksa Mosque on Sunday after Palestinian youths barricaded inside threw stones at visitors they believed to be radical Jewish settlers. Dozens of young Palestinians had spent the night in the compound, holy to Muslims and Jews, because of rumors that militant Jews planned to take it over during the Purim holiday, which began Sunday. The resulting clashes ended with more than a dozen youths injured, seven men detained and four police officers slightly injured. The site was calm but tense by late afternoon. » Read more

Slain Hamas Operative Was Drugged, Dubai Police Say ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Robert Worth - February 28, 2010 - 1:00am A Hamas official who was killed in his hotel room here in January was first injected with a fast-acting muscle relaxant and then suffocated, Dubai police officials said Sunday. The disclosure was the latest in a near-daily drip of information about the killing, which has riveted people across the Middle East and provided a rare level of detail about a political assassination widely believed to have been carried out by Israel’s intelligence service, the Mossad. » Read more