UN suspends food distribution in Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
November 12, 2008 - 8:00pm

The United Nations announced it was suspending food distribution to half of Gaza's 1.5 million people on Thursday after Israel failed to allow emergency supplies into the Palestinian territory. Israel had said it would allow 30 trucks to deliver supplies to Gaza on Thursday after it sealed off the Gaza Strip on November 5, but later said rocket and mortar fire by Gaza militants made it impossible to do so. "They have told us the crossings are closed today. At the end of today we will suspend our food distribution," said UN Relief and Works Agency spokesman Chris Gunness.

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UN: Israel's border closures leave us with no food for Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - November 12, 2008 - 1:00am

The United Nations on Thursday warned its stocks had run so low that it would not be able to make its next delivery of food to 750,000 needy Gazans on Saturday. "We've been working here from hand to mouth for quite a long time, so these interruptions on the crossing points affect us immediately," said John Ging, director of UN Relief and Works Agency operations in Gaza.

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PA Prime Minister Fayyad Interviewed on Economy, Debt Payments, Future Projects
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam
by Ja'far Sadaqah - November 11, 2008 - 8:00pm

[Sadaqah] In a few hours, the Palestinian Authority [PA] will have finished paying all its debts to the employees and others. What does it mean to get rid of a legacy that has been bothering it for 16 months, and what does this mean to you?

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Israel allows fuel into Gaza as UN warns food aid in peril
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
November 11, 2008 - 8:00pm

Israel Tuesday reopened the terminal that handles all fuel supplies to Gaza to allow delivery of diesel to the Palestinian territory's sole power plant one day after it shuddered to a halt. A UN agency, meanwhile, warned it would have to suspend food distribution on which a majority of Gaza's 1.5 million population depends unless Israel also allows in vital foodstuffs. The Nahal Oz terminal used for oil deliveries "opened at 8:30 a.m. for the transfer of diesel for the power station," said Israeli Army spokesman Peter Lerner.

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Olmert: Confrontation with Hamas inevitable
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roni Sofer - November 11, 2008 - 8:00pm

Although the shaky ceasefire with Gaza's armed groups has so far not collapsed despite repeated violations by Hamas, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday warned residents of communities in southern Israel to brace for a possible escalation of the hostilities. "The situation between us and Hamas is one of an inevitable clash. It's only a question of 'when,' not 'if.' And if we need to fight Hamas – then that is what we'll do. In any event we must be alert and prepared," Olmert said during a visit to the Gaza Division's headquarters.

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Obama urged to make peace top priority - Ban
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
November 11, 2008 - 1:00am

The main players in the Middle East peace process hope Barack Obama will make the issue a top priority when he takes over the US presidency in January, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday. Last weekend the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators - the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States - met in Egypt to keep alive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, even though political uncertainty in Israel has scotched hopes for a deal this year.

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At Arafat memorial rally, Abbas blames Hamas for continued rift
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
November 10, 2008 - 8:00pm

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday blamed political rival Hamas for another failed reconciliation attempt. Abbas spoke during a rally marking the fourth anniversary of the death of his predecessor Yasser Arafat. Over the weekend, Hamas pulled out of planned reconciliation talks at the last minute. It demanded that Abbas first release Hamas prisoners in the West Bank.

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Hamas and the Art of Time-Wasting
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Tariq Alhomayed - November 9, 2008 - 8:00pm

An official Egyptian statement released the day before yesterday expressed regret over Hamas's decision to boycott the reconciliation talks with Fatah in Cairo and in the process wasting an opportunity for national unity, despite the strenuous efforts exerted by the Egyptians the statement said. But the question here is; what's new about that?

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IDF: Army may need to respond to fresh terror alerts from Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel - November 9, 2008 - 8:00pm

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip may be planning to execute terror attacks against Israel which would require responsive military operations like the one carried out last week, Israeli defense officials said on Sunday. Over the next two days, Defense Minister Ehud Barak will determine whether to reopen the border crossings with Gaza, which were shut down last Wednesday after Gaza militants resumed rocket fire on the western Negev.

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Olmert heads to D.C. to wrangle last favors from Bush
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - November 5, 2008 - 8:00pm

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will visit President George Bush in Washington later this month in an attempt to reach last minute agreements and extract a number of promises before both leaders step down. Olmert is looking for commitments from Bush on the peace process with the Palestinians, U.S. military aid and various arms deals.

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