Meanwhile in Palestine

The return of Palestinian refugees is an existential necessity for Israeli Jews: Elias Davidsson argues that it is in the enlightened self-interest of Israeli Jews to accept the Palestinian refugees' right of return.

Report: Bombing of Gaza power plant war crime: Human rights group B'Tselem determines bombing of power plant in Gaza constitutes war crime and was carried out as 'vengeance.'

No writing on the wall: Mizrahi found the Palestinian construction workers who are building the fence spraying a white liquid on it. After inquiring, he learned it was a graffiti repellent spray apparently developed in satellite labs in the United States. Mizrahi was shocked: is the State of Israel going to spend money spraying graffiti repellent for use in outer space on the giant concrete wall? Is the graffiti a security threat? One of the guards there explained the operation to him: "We won't let them write incendiary remarks against us on the walls.

Israeli settlers in southern West Bank bulldoze Palestinian land: Israeli settlers from Kiryat Arba, known for some of the most violent behavior in the West Bank, spent Wednesday destroying vast areas of Palestinian agricultural land. The southern West Bank city of Hebron suffers at length from the oldest settlement and the Israeli soldiers that work in it. All settlements, expansion, and the settlers, are illegal under international law. The destroyed land belonged to Palestinians from eastern Hebron City.

Hi-tech firm boycotts Israel over 'war crimes': U2U manager Wim Yotrasprot wrote in a statement to Avner obtained by Ynet that "I appreciate your interest in my company, but after the devastating and inhumane war crimes Israel perpetrated in Lebanon, and because of the apartheid regime it rules on Palestine, U2U does not wish to tie itself with Israeli products."

Jerusalem - Irish academics call for EU boycott of Israeli schools: Academics from Ireland are calling on the European Community to place a moratorium on support for Israeli institutions of higher learning 'until Israel abides by UN resolutions and ends the occupation of Palestinian territories,' according to a letter published in the Irish Times last Saturday.

Medics: Girl killed, seven hurt in IAF Gaza strike: Israel Air Force air strikes on a house in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah early Wednesday killed a 14-year-old girl and wounded seven other people, hospital officials said. There were no major injuries in the initial strike, which leveled the house. However, as children gathered to look at the rubble, a second airstrike hit the house, killing a 14-year-old girl and wounded seven other children, hospital officials said.

Israeli Army Invades Hebron, takes prisoners and occupies a home: The Israeli army took prisoner seven residents of the city of Hebron and the nearby Ithna village. Local sources reported that troops stormed the village of Ithna near Hebron and searched and ransacked several homes before arresting seven. Also on Wednesday, the Israeli army took over a house in the West Bank city of Hebron and turned it into a military post.

Army takes eight prisoners and injures two in Qabatia, town south of Jenin: Army vehicles and troops stormed the town from several directions and conducted a wide scale house-to-house search campaign to residents' homes in the town. Eyewitnesses said that troops open fired and fired sound bombs randomly at residents' homes and ransacked families' belongings and damaged them during the search, creating a state of panic among children.

Thousands of Palestinians have been internally displaced due to the Wall: Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to leave their homes as a direct result of the Wall built by Israel in occupied East Jerusalem, a report by the BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights and the Norwegian Refugee Council's International Displacement Monitoring Centre revealed.

Gaza: assistance for displaced Bedouin families: The ICRC is organizing emergency help for Bedouin families who have been forced to move to an open field near Rafah, in the south of the Gaza strip, because of repeated Israeli military incursions. Because the Bedouin want to remain with their livestock, they cannot be accommodated in the schools or apartments normally used to shelter displaced people in the area.

UN blasts Israel for plight of Palestinians: "I hope that my portrayal of hardships experienced by such people will trouble the consciences of those accustomed to turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the suffering of the Palestinian people," Dugard told the UN Human Rights Council.

Gaza Strip to remain without full electrical power for a year: Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem has accused the Israel Defense Forces of war crimes for bombing the plant, which has left many areas of the Gaza Strip without full electricitical power the last three months. Electricity in many areas is cut off for half of the day, severely hampering hospitals, the water supply and sewage systems, B'Tselem said in a report.

There is US $300 million in the presidential coffers, Refugee Minister reiterates: The Palestinian Minister for Refugee Affairs, Atef Adwan, has defended his statements to Ma''an two days ago in which he accused the presidency of not paying the public sector salaries even though it has the money. These statements provoked a fierce reaction from the presidency and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Palestinian Deputy PM released, wont be allowed to enter Ramallah: Palestinian deputy Prime Minister, Nasser Ed-Deen Al Sha'er, was released on Wednesday after the Israeli Petah Tikva court ordered his release. Yet, Al Sha'er will not be allowed to enter Ramallah, the center of the Palestinian Government offices, and will not be allowed to leave the Palestinian territories until October 15.

Jewish terrorist who murdered four Palestinians gets 4 consecutive life sentences: Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday sentenced a Jewish terrorist to four consecutive life sentences plus an additional 12 years in prison for murdering four Palestinian men.

Spain floats idea of Madrid peace summit: "Perhaps it would be timely for all the interested parties to meet again, at the same level as in 1991, to reaffirm their commitment to a comprehensive solution and to the basic principles on which that should be based," he told Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat in an interview published Wednesday.

Barghouti believes he will be released in prisoner exchange deal: Marwan Barghouti believes that he will be released from incarceration in Israel as part of a prisoner exchange deal, according to United Arab List MK Talab al-Sana, who met with the jailed Tanzim leader on Wednesday at Nafha prison.

Baruch Spiegel joins list of advisers to leave Amir Peretz: Brigadier General (Res.) Baruch Spiegel has informed Defense Minister Amir Peretz that he will resign as special adviser to the defense minister in mid-October. He is the latest of several advisers to resign from the Defense Ministry recently.