Headlines for 01-09-08

Israeli strikes kill three Palestinians in Gaza: medics The Israeli army carried out an air raid against the town of Beit Hanun in northern Gaza, killing two civilians in a residential building, Khadra Wahdane, 30, and Mohammed al-Kafarna, 22, medical sources and witnesses told AFP


Bush in Israel: The West Bank Problem Bush will see that a hundred new, illegal Jewish outposts have mushroomed on rocky hilltops inside the Palestinian territories; some are no larger than a few trailers circled defensively inside barbed wire, while others are fortified towns of neatly rowed houses with red tiled roofs. Extremist settlers flaunted their disdain for Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday by colonizing two more hilltops on Palestinian land.


Egypt's tunnels sustaining Hamas economy Food products, machinery parts, raw materials and even antibiotics are delivered to Gaza through the tunnels, subject to fees from private families that own some of the passages and to taxes by Hamas. Other smuggled products range from cigarettes to mobile phones.


PA security official: Al Aqsa Brigade has dismantled A dozen Palestinian gunmen surrendered to Palestinian forces on Tuesday, and the top Palestinian security official said this means a violent West Bank militia, is now defunct. However, Israeli officials are skeptical of such claims, and say gunmen still pose a threat to Israel.


Bush takes Mideast peace bid to occupied West Bank


Bush to visit cradle of Christianity on Holy Land tour On Thursday Bush will travel to the little town of Bethlehem, the biblical site of Jesus's birth in the occupied West Bank today surrounded by Israel's controversial separation barrier.


Rice calls Israel's plan for disputed East Jerusalem area a 'settlement' "Har Homa is a settlement the United States has opposed from the very beginning," the Jerusalem Post quoted Rice as saying in an interview published on the first day of Bush's visit to Israel.


Bush slams Iran at start of Mideast, Gulf tour Three days after Iranian speedboats threatened a U.S. Navy convoy in the Strait of Hormuz, Bush joined Israeli leaders in issuing a stern warning to the Middle East nation. " Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat and Iran will be a threat if the international community does not come together and prevent that nation from the development of the know-how to build a nuclear weapon," .......The president's Iran stance buoyed Israeli leaders



Training of Palestinian forces gets slow start Israeli, Palestinian and Western officials said the first battalion of nearly 700 U.S.-screened recruits to an overhauled National Security Force will cross into Jordan this month for the American-funded training after a nearly year-long delay.


Unauthorized Jewish outposts 'ought to go,' Bush says


Thousands protest in Gaza against "vampire" Bush Some 20,000 members of the Islamist group, shunned by the West for refusing to renounce violence, set U.S. and Israeli flags alight. Bush was a "butcher" whose first presidential visit to the Holy Land was skewed towards helping Israel, they said.


Clashes between Hamas, Israeli Navy on Gaza coast Hamas forces on shore traded fire with Israeli naval boats off Gaza's southern coast Tuesday, and an Israeli missile landed in nearby Egyptian territory, Hamas said.


In isolation, Gazans dismiss Bush's new push for peace "The intention of the US and Israeli blockade is to make me and my family suffer, so we'll withdraw our support for Hamas," says Salam Abu Salam, who runs a small tire repair shop in Gaza City's Jabaliyah neighborhood and says his income has fallen by three-quarters in the past six months, to about $15 a day. "But I didn't support Hamas to begin with. Now I see Abbas sitting down with America and Israel while Hamas continues to struggle for Palestinian rights. Who do you think I prefer?"


Israel excludes priests, nuns The Israeli government has cancelled re-entry visas for priests, nuns and other church workers who wish to travel in and out of the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories.


Pilgrims' Progress Breaks Gaza Siege "The pilgrim crisis reflected the conflict between the U.S., Israel and the Arab governments on one side and Hamas and the Arab public -- and all that stand for resistance against occupation -- on the other," he said.


Rabbi: Israel Should Not Negotiate With Palestinians Shas spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef told party chairman Eli Yishai on Wednesday that Israel should not negotiate with the Palestinians since Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has no control over the militants operating in the Palestinian territories.


4 months in jail for soldier who abused Palestinian detainee The Southern Command Military Court sentenced a Givati Brigade soldier to four and-a-half months in prison Wednesday, after he was convicted of abusing a handcuffed, blindfolded Palestinian detainee.


Fatah Official: Abbas Has People's Mandate Rafiq Husseini, chief of staff for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, says Abbas has the mandate of the Palestinian people to negotiate for peace, even though Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel, now controls the Gaza Strip.


Israel steps up warnings to Bush on Iran Some here have said the NIE has put Israel on the defensive, making it feel isolated in its assessment of the threat. That could prompt Israel to act unilaterally against Iran, analysts say, a move that would certainly be resisted by Washington. Still, Mr. Bush has indicated that Iran is a key issue as he visits the region.


Palestinians blamed for bombing that injured Irish peacekeepers Initial investigations by officers from the UN indicated that the blast was caused by a remote controlled roadside bomb.


Bush expedites Saudi smart bomb deal Israel has expressed concern over inclusion in the deal of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMS), commonly referred to as "smart bombs." Nevertheless, it has not actively fought the sale.


Syrian FM says Damascus ready for negotiations "We are by no means seeking a military solution against Israel. We are ready for negotiations with Israel, to realize the peace," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said in an interview with al-Arabiya television ahead of US President George W. Bush's visit to the region this week.


Contacts with officials of the Palestinian Authority Riad Al?Malki confirmed the excellent level of the relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the Palestinian people, which is based on the historic bonds of friendship and solidarity between the two peoples.


Struggling in the U.S., some Iraqi refugees now want to go back To make the transition, many depend on locals like Gabi Jahshan, a Lansing grocer and a Palestinian refugee who's been in the US for over 30 years. Now, he steps in to help new arrivals find their lost luggage or look for jobs.


Poll: Israelis oppose concessions The poll suggested 66 percent of Israelis opposed a withdrawal to the 1967 border of Israel and 68 percent opposed dividing Jerusalem into Muslim and Jewish quarters.


Palestinian doctor files complaint over rights violations in Libya


Israeli officer pleads guilty to espionage charges An Israeli army psychiatrist was convicted on Wednesday of trying to sell military secrets to Iran, Russia and Islamist group Hamas, a court official said.


Israel planned 1991 strike on NKorea-Syria ship: report Israel had planned to destroy the vessel and missiles, which with a range of 500 kilometers (300 miles) would put the Jewish state at risk.


Arab MK accuses MDA of racism against Palestinians MK Tibi outraged by directive calling on medics to take precautions when treating Palestinians