October 24th, 2012

Liberman vows to emphasize Jewish refugee issue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Jeremy Sharon - October 24, 2012 - 12:00am “We will not give up on this goal,” Liberman told representatives from the Central Organization for Jews from Arab Countries and Iran on Tuesday afternoon in reference recent developments on his ministry’s efforts to bring the issue of Jewish refugee rights to public and diplomatic attention. » Read more

IDF judge: Troops must halt unlicensed settlement construction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - October 24, 2012 - 12:00am An Israeli military court has ruled that soldiers and police officers assigned to guard construction sites at West Bank settlements must ask to see building permits for the work, and to stop work at the site if valid licenses are not forthcoming. » Read more

Palestinians seek to enhance UN status to observer state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - October 24, 2012 - 12:00am The Palestine Liberation Organization will distribute a position paper to European governments on Wednesday, asking to enhance Palestine's United Nations status to that of Observer State. The document will emphasize that the request is a follow-up to its existing application for UN membership, submitted on September 23, 2011. » Read more

High Court bans work on separation fence near West Bank farming village ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - October 24, 2012 - 12:00am An injunction against beginning work on the separation fence between Israel and the West Bank in the area of the village of Batir was issued by the High Court of Justice Tuesday. The injunction followed a petition to the court by villagers, who say its construction would threaten ancient agricultural terraces and contravene a historic agreement made after the 1948 war. » Read more

Strikes paralyze West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 24, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority cabinet on Tuesday called on civil servants to go back to work as strikes in ministries, universities, schools and refugee camps paralyzed the West Bank. The cabinet in its weekly meeting said employees who continued to strike would be "held liable." » Read more

Local official: Israel destroys 5 water wells in Jenin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 24, 2012 - 12:00am JENIN (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces destroyed five water wells in a Jenin village on Wednesday, claiming the structures were unlicensed, a local official said. Muhammad Fahmi Maree, head of a local agricultural association, told Ma'an that an Israeli bulldozer, accompanied by military vehicles, destroyed the wells in Kafr Dan village. » Read more

Palestinian caught trying to smuggle bombs into Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 23, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli border police at a busy checkpoint between Palestinian-held areas and Jerusalem on Tuesday detained a Palestinian man found trying to smuggle pipe bombs into the city. » Read more

More than 70 rockets and mortars hit south Israel, three wounded ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz October 24, 2012 - 12:00am Militants in the Gaza Strip fired more than 70 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel over the course of Wednesday, leaving three people wounded. » Read more

Bomb wounds Israeli officer on Gaza border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters October 23, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Oct 23 (Reuters) - An Israeli officer was severely wounded on Tuesday when a bomb went off beside an army patrol along the border with the Gaza Strip, a military spokeswoman said. » Read more

Israeli airstrikes kill 4, injure 8 in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 24, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Multiple Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed four people and injured eight since late Tuesday, medics said. Israeli warplanes struck a target in Rafah early Wednesday, killing Muhammad al-Sheikh, 32, a member of the PRC's military wing the Nasser Saladin Brigades. One other person was also injured in the attack. » Read more