Israel's Decision To Cut Power In Gaza Is Illegal, Says Un
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Donald Macintyre - October 30, 2007 - 1:11pm

The UN's top official in Gaza will tell British ministers today that Israel's cuts in fuel and power to the Palestinians violate international law, while the isolation of Hamas has strengthened extremism and started to drive non-affiliated moderates who can leave Gaza to do so.

»

Gaza Sanctions: The Legal Argument
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
by Paul Reynolds - October 30, 2007 - 1:10pm

The intervention by Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to suspend a plan to restrict electricity supplies to Gaza raises the issue of Israel's rights and responsibilities under international humanitarian law. Earlier, there were protests from human rights groups, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - who called the measure "unacceptable" - and the European Union External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who said: "There should not be collective punishment".

»

Something To Consider Before Attacking
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) October 29, 2007 - 7:09pm

The main Middle Eastern issue being discussed in the US these days is not Iraq, Arab-Israeli peacemaking, or Turkish-Kurdish-Iraqi tensions, but rather what to do about Iran and its perceived threat to the region, the US and the world. The Bush administration sets a shrill and aggressive tone on this and is taking action, including this week's new sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, its Quds Force, and several banks.

»

Israeli Press Review - October 29, 2007 - Vol. 9, Issue 9
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now
by Middle East Peace Report - (Special Report) October 29, 2007 - 7:05pm

LESS POWER: Israel began cutting fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip on Sunday, in line with its recent decision intended to put pressure on Gaza's leaders in response to months of Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel. Gaza residents have reportedly begun to form lines at gasoline stations, stocking up for the shortage.  

»

Squeezing Gaza / Stop Sign Between Abbas And Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel And Avi Issacharoff - (Opinion) October 26, 2007 - 6:02pm

There is an enormous gap between the reasons Israel is giving for the decision to impose significant sanctions against Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip, and the real intentions behind them. Defense Minister Ehud Barak yesterday authorized a plan for disrupting electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, as well as significantly shrinking fuel shipments. This is supposed to reduce the number of Qassam rocket attacks against Sderot and the other border communities. In practice, defense officials believe that the Palestinian militants will intensify their attacks in response to the sanctions.

»

The Damascus Conference Versus The Conference Of The Fall Grandstanding At The Expense Of The Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al Hayat
(Opinion) October 26, 2007 - 5:56pm

The secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, presented an important report to the Security Council this week. The report returns to the forefront the issue of disarming Hizbullah as a cornerstone to enabling the Lebanese state to recover full sovereignty over its territory. Ki-moon called for implementing the commitment to dismantle all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias and disarm the Palestinian militias operating in Lebanon. He asked Syria and Iran to cooperate in this effort and halt all military supplies and support for these militias.

»

Inside Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Clancy Chassay - (Special Report) October 26, 2007 - 5:50pm

In the long shadows of early dusk, a large black Mercedes with blacked-out windows picked me up from my hotel and whisked me through Gaza City's dusty, sullied streets. The roads, strewn with rubbish, were largely empty: Gaza was preparing for an Israeli incursion and the routine was familiar.

»

Israel Oks Gaza Electricity Cutoffs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
October 26, 2007 - 5:43pm

Israel approved Thursday a plan to start punitive disruptions of the Gaza Strip's scarce supplies of electricity in response to rocket attacks from the Palestinian territory. Israeli officials, noting that Palestinian militants fire rockets across the border almost daily, said the sanctions could start anytime. The plan calls for initial power cutoffs of 15 minutes, followed by increasingly longer ones each time more rockets fall.

»

Olmert Pledges Gaza Won't Face Crisis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
October 26, 2007 - 5:36pm

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised the Palestinian president Friday that Israel would not cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip despite his government's intention to cut power to the territory in hopes of curbing rocket attacks He made the pledge during a working lunch with Mahmoud Abbas at the Israeli leader's Jerusalem residence, responding to Abbas' concern that electricity stoppages could hit hospitals and other essential services, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

»

Chaotic Nablus: Testing Ground For Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
October 26, 2007 - 5:35pm

The Palestinian president has chosen the West Bank's most chaotic city to show he's in control, winning U.S. praise Thursday for beefing up his security forces here as part of an attempt to reassure Israel that he can implement a future peace deal. However, Mahmoud Abbas' campaign to disarm hundreds of militants in Nablus has had mixed results.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017