Report: Palestinian civilians' deaths go unpunished
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ali Waked<br /> - September 14, 2010 - 12:00am

he Israel Defense Forces policy of refraining from thoroughly investigating the wrongful deaths of Palestinian civilians absolved IDF soldiers from such action even when criminal charges should be brought against them, B'Tselem said. The conclusion is at the core of a new report by the human rights group, released Tuesday, which said that soldiers who kill Palestinian civilians are rarely prosecuted, even when circumstances clearly indicate foul play.

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IDF: 2 Gazans killed at border Sunday were not terrorists
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz<br /> - September 14, 2010 - 12:00am

Two Palestinians killed on Sunday by IDF fire along the Gaza border were not engaged in terrorist activity but were standing next to a Palestinian who was pointing a loaded RPG at the Israeli military force, an investigation of the incident has revealed. The incident took place Sunday evening when troops deployed along the security fence spotted a man pointing a loaded RPG in their direction. Earlier in the day, the IDF detected a number of people who had also approached the security fence in the area, and soldiers fired several warning shots.

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Israeli shelling kills 3 in north Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Analysis) September 13, 2010 - 12:00am

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli shelling killed three people including an elderly man in the northern Gaza Strip late Sunday, witnesses said. The bodies of shepherds Ibrahim Abu Said, 91, and Ismail Abu Odeh, 21, were taken to a hospital in Beit Hanoun, medics said. Ibrahim was apparently Ismail's grandfather. An Israeli military spokesman said forces identified a number of suspects attempting to fire an RPG toward an Israeli position. He said forces fired on the Palestinians, apparently hitting them.

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Overnight airstrikes hit Gaza, 5 said injured
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Analysis) September 10, 2010 - 12:00am

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli airforce planes flew over Gaza on Friday morning, dropping six shells on sites throughout the Strip, reportedly in retaliation for two projectiles launched from the coastal enclave earlier in the day. An Israeli military spokeswoman said a "terror target" and two smuggling tunnels, in the north and southern Strip respectively, were the targets of the attacks.

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1 dead in West Bank shooting
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Analysis) September 9, 2010 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Gunmen shot dead one person near the illegal settlement of Ma'ale Adumim in the occupied West Bank late Thursday, Israeli security sources said. One other person was seriously injured in the apparent attack, medics said. Israel Radio reported that the victims were Palestinian citizens of Israel, and no suspected motive was immediately announced.


Hamas warns PA: Stop arresting our people or we'll strike
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

Hamas on Wednesday warned that it would harm the Palestinian Authority if security forces continued to arrest its operatives in the West Bank. In a harshly worded announcement, the Islamist group declared that "our patience will soon run out" and that they would not remain silent for long, Israel Radio reported. "You know that the hands that have reached the heart of the occupier can reach you too," Hamas warned, referring to its recent attacks against Israelis in the West Bank, adding that Hamas cannot be stopped, and will strike anywhere, at any time it wishes.

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Disarming Lebanon's Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Ahmed Moor - (Opinion) September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

Lebanon is regenerating. On balance, the country's collective sloughing off of history has been more successful than not. It is only 20 years since the civil war ended, and the memories of internecine atrocities remain; sporadic sectarian violence is a fact of life here. Fortunately, the Lebanese have avoided descending once more into civil war's morass but, despite all the healing, the Palestinian refugee issue still festers.

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Hamas militia's secret West Bank stronghold
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Jon Donnison - September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

Amid the dust at the side of the road at the Bani Nayim junction in the southern West Bank there is a small makeshift shrine - a pile of rocks covered with Israeli flags. It was here, just over a week ago, that four Israeli settlers were shot dead - their car riddled with bullets - in a drive-by attack by Hamas militants. That attack and another the following day at Ramallah, in which two Israeli settlers were injured, were together a message from Hamas: "You can't ignore us." Secret army Both attacks were carried out by the al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing.

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Abbas asks US to intervene in dispute with Israel over settlement restrictions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Mohammed Daraghmeh - September 7, 2010 - 12:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he has asked the U.S. to settle a dispute with Israel over settlement expansion that is threatening to derail Mideast peace talks. Israel's 10-month partial freeze on new construction in West Bank settlements ends Sept. 26, and Israeli officials have indicated they will not extend the freeze as is. Abbas has said he'll quit peace talks with Israel unless the restrictions remain in place. Abbas said late Monday that he has asked the U.S. "to intervene in the settlement issue."

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PA says nabbed West Bank terrorists
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ali Waked - September 7, 2010 - 12:00am

The Palestinian Authority announced Tuesday that it had arrested six men who had carried out two terror attacks that killed four Israelis and injured two last week. The Palestinians say the first attack, which killed four residents of Beit Hagai at a junction near Hebron last Tuesday, was carried out by two shooters and an accomplice. A similarly composed terror cell was responsible for the attack that occurred one day later and injured a couple, according to the authority.

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