The Israeli government March 9 approved construction of a 330-unit housing project in Givat Zeev, a West Bank settlement already home to about 10,000 settlers. The project began in 1999 but was suspended when the second Intifada broke out the… Read moreIsrael approves new settlement bloc —”slap in face” to peace process
International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda called for an end to the violence along the border of the Gaza Strip, and raised the possibility of ICC prosecutions against Israel and Hamas. In her statement, Bensouda cautioned about the "deteriorating situation" that has engulfed the region. Bensouda reminded both parties that her office is in the midst of a preliminary investigation into allegations of war crimes, which has been ongoing since 2015 when Palestine was admitted as a member of the court. While Israel is not a member of the court, Israeli citizens who commit war-crimes or crimes against humanity on the territory of a member could fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC. (Photo: Maan News Agency)
Israeli authorities say the previously unknown Galilee Freedom Battalion was behind the March 6 attack on West Jerusalem’s Mercaz Harav Jewish seminary, and the gunman was an Arab from Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency, March 7) Opening fire with a Kalashnikov… Read more“Galilee Freedom Battalion” claims Jerusalem seminary attack
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vows to continue his campaign in the Gaza Strip despite an international outcry over the ground and air operation that have killed 73 Palestinians over the past two days following the death of one Israeli… Read moreGaza carnage overshadows West Bank escalation
Two Palestinian followers of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Brigades were killed Feb. 28 in clashes at Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus on the West Bank. Sources within the al-Aqsa Brigades told Ma’an News Agency that al-Aqsa fighters responded to the targeted… Read moreClashes rock Nablus refugee camp; bombs fall on Gaza
Shops and stores in downtown Gaza City closed their doors Feb. 23 as part of a general strike to protest Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip. Shop owners carried banners reading “closed because of the siege” in Arabic and English…. Read moreGeneral strike against Israeli siege in Gaza —and against PA in West Bank
From Human Rights Watch, Feb. 17: The human devastation inflicted on Lebanon by Israel’s illegal use of cluster munitions highlights the urgent need for an international treaty banning the weapon, Human Rights Watch said in releasing a report today. At… Read moreHRW: Israel violated laws of war in Lebanon
Security sources in Cairo said Feb. 8 that hundreds of Egyptian nationals who have returned from the Gaza Strip over the past three days are under investigation following claims they were trying to join Hamas. The Egyptians were reportedly members… Read moreEgypt investigates hundreds of nationals for Hamas ties?
Emulating US strategies on the Mexican border, Israel has approved the construction of a reinforced fence along its border with Egypt to stop Palestinian militants reaching Israel via the Sinai desert. The measure was agreed by a security cabinet meeting… Read moreIsrael plans Egypt border “fence”
Israel’s High Court of Justice Jan. 30 ruled that the blocking of power and fuel to the Gaza Strip is legal, as the remaining supplies still meet the humanitarian needs of the population. A three-justice panel, headed by Supreme Court… Read moreIsrael’s high court upholds choking of Gaza
At least five were killed in Beirut Jan. 27 in clashes between Lebanese soldiers and young Shi’ite residents protesting electricity cuts. Hezbollah issued a statement holding “the de facto authorities” fully responsible for “every drop of blood shed,” and demanding… Read more“Syria-Iran axis” behind Lebanon violence?
Joel Beinin of Jewish Voice for Peace writes from Cairo, Jan. 24: About 3:00 AM on Wednesday morning Jan. 23, well-coordinated explosions demolished the iron wall built by Israel to seal the southern border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt… Read moreGazans breach border wall, challenge sham “peace process”
