Egypt ‘torturing HIV sufferers’
HIV-positive Egyptian men are tortured and chained to hospital beds while awaiting unfair homosexuality trials, a human rights group has claimed. (more…)
Campaign for release of Saudi blogger
Israel confirms settlement plans
Israel plans to build 740 new homes in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, a minister said, despite its commitment to freeze all settlement activity.
Rafi Eitan, minister for Jerusalem affairs, said Israel had never promised to stop building within Jerusalem and had a duty to house its citizens.
It is budgeting to build 500 new homes in Har Homa and 240 in Maaleh Adumim.
A Palestinian spokesman condemned the plans, accusing Israel of seeking to destroy renewed peace talks.
| Every day we hear a new settlement expansion plan – this cannot be tolerated Saeb Erekat Palestinian negotiator |
Israel considers new settlement
Israel says it is examining plans for a new settlement in East Jerusalem, after facing heavy criticism for expanding an existing Jewish settlement there.
Housing minister Zeev Boim said it was a preliminary look at possible housing development in the Atarot area.
He played down its significance, saying such checks were done year round on areas with building potential.
Palestinians say the Har Homa expansion announced this month threatened to derail re-launched peace negotiations. (more…)
Israeli army ‘crimes’ unpunished
An Israeli human rights group says the overwhelming majority of Israeli troops suspected of criminal offences against Palestinians are never indicted. The small number of investigations and even fewer indictments showed Israel’s army was ignoring its duty to protect Palestinian civilians, Yesh Din says. (more…)
Red Cross demands Mid-East action
Red Cross demands Mid-East action
The International Committee of the Red Cross has called for immediate political action to contain the “deep crisis” in the West Bank and Gaza. The statement was an unusual departure from its normally non-political stance.
The ICRC said the measures imposed by Israel had denied the Palestinian population the right to live a normal and dignified life. (more…)
Hebron: The Israeli Settlement in the a-Ras Neighborhood (19 Oct. 07)
19 Oct. 07: Hebron: The Israeli Settlement in the a-Ras Neighborhood
(Taken from: http://www.btselem.org/english/hebron/20071015_New_Settlement.asp)
Follow-up Document
On 19 March 2007, a new settlement was established, in the heart of the a-Ras Palestinian neighborhood. In the months that have passed since then, despite the decision of the Defense Minister at the time to evacuate the settlement, the settlement has grown. Recently, the settlement was connected to the electricity grid, and construction and renovation work is taking place at the site. (more…)
Israel’s Gaza fuel cuts alarm UN
(Taken from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7068239.stm)
Israel’s Gaza fuel cuts alarm UN
Israeli energy sanctions against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip punish an entire population and are unacceptable, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said. The EU also voiced concern after Israel began reducing petrol and diesel supplies in response to militant rocket attacks on its territory.
Hamas seized control of the Strip in June from its Palestinian rivals Fatah.
Israel’s attorney-general is seeking a halt to electricity cuts pending an assessment of their likely impact.
Gaza relies on Israel for almost all its fuel and petrol, and more than half of its electricity. (more…)
Gaza Residents Claim Medical Blackmail
Gaza Residents Claim Medical Blackmail
By Eric Westervelt
Taken from: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15673572
All Things Considered, October 26, 2007 · Some Palestinians in Gaza are complaining that Israel’s intelligence service has tried to make urgently needed medical care contingent on cooperation with the spy agency.
Since Hamas seized the Gaza Strip early last summer, the narrow coastal territory has been virtually cut off from the outside world. The United Nations has warned that the nearly 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza continue to slip deeper into poverty and isolation under Hamas’ rule and Israel’s strict border closures.
Now, some Gazans say the intelligence service is trading emergency medical care for cooperation. The Red Cross and several international human rights groups say they’re troubled by the charges. (more…)
US imposes new sanctions on Iran
US imposes new sanctions on Iran
The US has stepped up its sanctions on Iran for “supporting terrorists” and pursuing nuclear activities. Taken from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7061991.stm
The new measures target the finances of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and three state-owned banks.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the moves were part of “a comprehensive policy to confront the threatening behaviour of the Iranians”.
But Iran said the latest “hostile policies” were counter to international law, and accused the US of hypocrisy. (more…)
