Border Crossings and Security | The American Task Force on Palestine

Lebanese, Israeli soldiers exchange fire over border
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
August 1, 2011 - 12:00am

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Army opened fire at a group of Israeli soldiers that crossed the border Blue Line into Lebanon in the Wazzani area early Monday, a security source told Xinhua. The source said the six Israeli soldiers, who had crossed into Lebanon, fired at the Lebanese army post in response. No casualties were reported. The Lebanese military sent reinforcement to the Wazzani area soon after the incident and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) circulated extensive patrols, said the source.

Report: Israel plans to build separation wall in Golan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
August 1, 2011 - 12:00am

GOLAN, Syria (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities plan to build a wall in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the official Syrian news agency SANA reported Friday. The wall will separate the town of Majdal Shams in Israeli-occupied territory from the suburb of Al-Oude and Ain Al-Tinah in Syria, SANA reported. SANA said the cement wall would be four kilometers long and eight meters high. Earlier this year, Israeli forces killed at least 27 people in the area during demonstrations against the Israeli occupation.

Palestinian 'ghosts' keep the Israeli economy moving
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Mona Issa - July 29, 2011 - 12:00am

"We built Israel," says Abbas, a young migrant worker from Salem. A decade ago, he began travelling illegally from the northern West Bank to Tel Aviv to work in construction. "We have no jobs, so the only option is to work in Israel."

Nasrallah recognizes Israel!
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Tariq al-Homayed - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

Hezbollah chief [Hassan Nasrallah] has called on the Lebanese government not to waste the opportunity to explore for oil and natural gas along its maritime border. Nasrallah said that "the resistance" has no objection to the government reaching an agreement to demarcate Lebanon’s maritime borders.

Hamas launches plans to fully control Gaza-Egypt borders: spokesman
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
July 26, 2011 - 12:00am

GAZA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- The deposed government of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip had launched a security plan to fully control the borderline area between Egypt and the coastal enclave, a Hamas official said Tuesday. Ihab al-Ghussein, spokesman of the Hamas ministry of interior told Xinhua "the ministry is exerting every possible effort to keep a full control of the borderline area between the Gaza Strip and prevent more violations of the law."

Israel urged to stop faking foreign passports
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Itamar Eichner - July 21, 2011 - 12:00am

Various countries have sent secret messages to Israel informing Jerusalem that they are aware that Mossad agents are using their passports in overseas operations, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday. The countries, all friends of Israel, demanded to halt all use of such passports in messages to Israeli embassies and as part of the consular discourse. The protest had caused considerable embarrassment to Israel in several cases. In other cases, Israel could not respond to the claims as they did not include names and details of the alleged Mossad agents.

Israel's 'equality under law' doesn't apply to Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) July 19, 2011 - 12:00am

West Bank Palestinian minors accused of throwing stones do have a chance of being acquitted; the odds are about one in a thousand. According to a B'Tselem report published yesterday, just one juvenile defendant out of 835 was acquitted of stone-throwing over the past six years. The others were convicted, mostly through plea bargains. About 60 percent of the convicted minors served prison terms of four months or more. Among those who served sentences of a few days and up to two months in prison were 19 defendants who were 12 to 13 years old.

Jordan crossing heats up
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) July 14, 2011 - 12:00am

The religious men and women patiently clutching their water jugs on July 10, waiting in line at the Israeli border crossing looked like the average Palestinian. They had been to Mecca for Umra, the lesser pilgrimage to the Muslim holy places. What was different in this group of Palestinians was that they were holding Israeli passports. The individuals, mostly from the Naqab area, looked tired and exhausted. They had arrived the day before at about 9:00pm, but were denied entry by the Israelis.

Colonisation, occupation - core problems
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Michael Jansen - (Opinion) July 7, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinians, Arabs and foreign regional players have to admit that all strategies adopted so far have failed to resolve the Palestinian/Arab-Israeli conflict. Armed struggle, the 1988 Palestinian declaration of independence and negotiations have not brought the Palestinian people nearer to liberation.

Cement, weapons, cars – you name it, Gazans will smuggle it
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
July 7, 2011 - 12:00am

The smuggling business is booming in Gaza. Each week, cement and weapons are transported through tunnels running under the border between the salient and Egypt, and about 200 cars make the underground journey as well. Since Israel first imposed its blockade on the Strip, following the capture in 2006 of an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid, smuggling has become perhaps Gaza's main growth industry, enriching the coffers of the tunnel owners and of the Islamist Hamas movement which administers the Strip.

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