28 January 07

Palestinian children are looking at 2 years old baby Yahia Abu Bakra who was killed in the Hamas and Fateh clashes in the southern part of the Gaza Strip

Palestinian children watching a funeral in the Gaza Strip

Yahia Abu Bakra, a 2 year old baby was among the dead in the Gaza Strip on Saturday which brings the number of people killed to 18 and another 48 injured in deadly clashes between the two factions in the beleaguered coastal strip since the violence erupted late Thursday. The situation has been quite tense since then. No doubt when the clashes started most of the casualties were the innocent. Those whom we were able to identify according to Palestinian sources are Khalil Al Khatib, 17, a bystander, and Mohammed Khattab, 33, officer for the national security force. Both of them were killed close to Gaza's main hospital Al Shifa where clashes errupted between gunmen from Hamas and Fateh movement.

During the funerals, the brothers and sisters of the two year old baby Yahia Abu Bakara were gathered around his body and giving him the final farewell look before his body was removed to be buried.

The Islamic Movement of Hamas, which heads the Palestinian government, announced late Friday that it was suspending talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas regarding the formation of national unity government due to outbreak of violence. Both Hamas and Fateh had started a new round of negotiations on forming a national unity government which is considered more acceptable to Western donors such as the European Union.

All these disputes and fighting started when the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced in public his intention for early elections. This speech provoked the Palestinians, and mainly Hamas supporters, and therefore demonstrations took place everywhere.

Many Palestinian consider the US administration's support for Abbas' presidential guard as away to turn against the democratically elected government—this came after USA administration has given 86 million dollars as Aid to empower the Palestinian Authority.

A Palestinian citizen Hassenien Abdelhadi from Gaza City said commenting on this issue :"We were hoping that the US government will support the Palestinian's right and encourage the democratic choice, not to empower presidential guards against the new elected Hamas government." He is the father of 4 daughters and 2 boys, and had lost his job since the Itifada started and is no longer able to feed his kids.

According to Palestinian sources, more than 30 Palestinians were killed from the period of 15 December up till early January 2007. the worst incident was Friday's attack, when a group of militants attack Al Hedayah mosque in Gaza City killing 3 Palestinians and other 19 were injured—the attack toke place right after people have finished the dawn prayers.

Today clashes started again in Gaza City next to the Islamic university, where two civilians were injured. the clashes were very heavy which stops the tragic movement in one of Gaza's main streets.

Fateh movement on the other side announced that it has kidnapped 24 Hamas members.

Its been a year since Hamas won the January elections. It was hard to tell who was more surprised at the victory — Hamas, or Fateh, the other big Palestinian factions. But a year of sanctions and lack of salaries has passed, and still many consider Hamas winning the election a slap on the face for Fateh.

It turned out to be a rough year for all Palestinians living in Gaza Strip and West Bank under the Israeli Occupation Forces. America and European Union were constantly pushing for democracy as a solution in the region for stagnation and corruption in the Arab world. The message from USA and European Union was basically that Palestinians have the right to vote for whomever they like, but the winner has to be approved by USA and EU, otherwise, USA and EU will not deal with the winner.

A 15 year old boy was killed by Israeli bullets next to Sofa crossing in the middle of Gaza Strip. His body was brought to Al Aqsa hospital some hours later on togather with other two other children who were injured in the same incident. Both bodies were held for many hours, but they were released later on.

22 January 07

Palestinians waiting for the Rafah border to open so they can leave Gaza Strip

Palestinian passangers waiting for Rafah border to open so they can go outside of gaza

Palestinian children climb date tree to see a funeral in Jabalya refugee camp in the north of gaza

Hanyeh speaking to Press

Despite of the ongoing clashes and tension on the ground which has been relived in the past few days to some extent on the ground, but Palestinian factions will hold further talks within a fortnight on a government of national unity after a meeting between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and exiled Hamas supremo Khaled Mashaal failed to achieve a breakthrough. Abbas went to Syria to meet with Mashaal to discuss the possibility of forming a national unity from all political parties.

The two leaders told a media conference after they met for three hours in Damascus on Sunday night they had made "considerable progress" but that differences remained. They said in a join statement.

FatehBoth political parties, Fateh and Hamas had agreed "to continue and resume negotiations on a government of national unity within the coming two weeks."

Last night's talks had been touted as key to resolving the long-running feud between Abbas's Fateh party and the ruling Islamist Hamas—the past few months clashes between members from both parties took place not only in Gaza Strip, but also in West Bank where tens of people were killed and many were injured according to Palestinian medical sources.

"We reiterate that dialogue is the only way to resolve our political differences," Meshaal told the media conference, adding that it was wrong to speak of a "power struggle" within the Palestinian Authority.

"There are still points of divergence but the dialogue will continue in Gaza" and he continued saying "or outside to arrive at the formation of a government of national unity," he added.

Both sides in the joint statement condemned the spilling of Palestinian blood and agreed to avoid provocation through "a war of words".

As it's worthy mentioning that the war of words and political speeches were among the very first reasons for all ongoing internal chaos—but all in all, such incidents are taking place while Gaza is under siege imposed by Israel, as Israel is closing the borders including the Rafah Border Crossing which has been closed for almost two weeks now. Israel said that the border will open for 2 days, Monday and Tuesday, but late after mid night, the news spread about closing the border and not considering opening it, despite the fact that there are thousands of people who are stuck on the border and can't return to their homes. Among them, elderly people who are in bad need for medication. The border is expected to be one way open from the Egyptian side to the Palestinian side

10 January

Gaza's Greek Orthadox Bishop gives blessed bread during Christmas Mass
in one of the main churches in Gaza City.

Jaime Razuri a photogrpaher for Agencey France Press who was kidnapped by unknown militants in Gaza and was released later on

Palestinian journalists have been protesting to demand release the AFP photographer

The internal clashes between the two biggest factions of Palestinians are still going on and the tension is rising in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In Gaza it is more tense because the security is going from bad to worse.

During the last 72 hours, around 8 Palestinians have been killed and more than 60 have been injured in factional clashes in the northern part of Gaza. Despite a political deal to restore calm, the killings continue.

Among the last victims was Ayman Sobeh, 26, killed as a result of fighting between forces loyal to President Mahmud Abbas's Guards Forces which are loyal to the Fateh faction and those of the ruling Hamas movement in the town of Jabaliya, according to medics. Sobeh was a member of police force loyal t Hamas in the north of Gaza, medical sources say.

Also killed in the Jabalya refugee camp, was Ihab Maehuh, 18, a member of he Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant group loosely affiliated with Fatah.

According to a spokesman for the ruling Islamist movement, a high-ranking amas official, Mohammed Al Jamassi was kidnapped in the Al Sabra neighborhood, one of Gaza City's districts. Later, he was released
after both parties agreed to end the fighting and clashes in the streets. The fighting, however, still continues. Many Palestinian Authority employees excuse their violence stating they have not received salaries since
Hamas won the elections a year ago. Hamas won the elections giving it a chance to set up a new Palestinian government.

Ismail Hanyeh, the Palestinian Prime minister and president Mahmoud Abbas had a meeting in which both stressed the importance of ending these internal conflicts in the Palestinians streets. Prime minister Ismail Hanyieh appealed for all rival factions to cease firing.

"I call on all the sons of the Palestinian people to stop the internal fighting and disagreements," Hanyeh said to journalists as he returned to his home in Gaza from a regional tour that included the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. "This is not in our culture or in our behavior. Because of that, unity, unity. You are the hope of the Arab and Islamic community," he said.

On another front, a photographer for Agency France Press was kidnapped by unknown groups in Gaza near the France Press office. A Peruvianphotographer, identified as Jaime Razuri, was kidnapped. Palestinianjournalists have been organizing demonstrations appealing to the kidnappers to release him as soon as possible. For the last five days, all Palestinian factions have been condemning this action calling for immediate release, but so far there has been no response from the kidnappers. PA police areinvestigating according to Palestinian security sources. Later on, the journalist was released without being harmed.

while the internal fighting is going on within the Palestinian community which has emptied the streets of its citizens, a group of Israeli tanks and bulldozers are patrolling north of the Gaza Strip. This is the first time that Israeli tanks and bulldozers have patrolled northern Gaza since the 26th of November of last year. Last October and November witnessed one of the worst assaults by the Israeli occupation forces in the northern part of Gaza in which hundreds of Palestinians were killed and injured.