Israel launches Palestinians-only buses

Two Palestinians-only bus lines were launched by Israel at the beginning of the week (photo AFP)

Two Palestinians-only bus lines have been launched by Israel in the occupied West Bank, a move described as racist by an Israeli rights group.

The Transport Ministry said it was an improvement in service.

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Israel approves more settler homes

The construction of hundreds of new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank (photo, from aljazeera.net) was approved by the Israeli cabinet, a day after five members of a settlement family were murdered.

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West Bank mosque demolished by Israel

In two areas in the occupied West Bank, a mosque and more than 10 other structures have been demolished by Israeli troops, Palestinian sources have said.

The biggest part of the demolition took place on Thursday, in the village of Khirbet Yarza in the northern Jordan Valley. According to local residents troops have razed a very old mosque and its much-larger extension, which was built last year. (map, from aljazeera.net)

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Israel’s heritage list worries Unesco

Israel’s plan to rehabilitate religious sites in the occupied West Bank raises concern in the United Nations’ culture and education body, Unesco.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he intended to include the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs (photo, from aljazeera.net), and several other contentious sites in the West Bank in a $107m heritage investment programme.

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Netanyahu : Israel to keep some settlements

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that several Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank would always remain part of Israel. His comment upset the Palestinians and undermines US efforts to restart talks aimed at eventually establishing a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu’s remarks came hours after the visit of US envoy George Mitchell who is on a mission to restart negotiations between Israel and Palestinians that have been stalled for over a year.

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Palestinians protest over new settlements

Hundreds of Palestinian villagers regularly undertake a non-violent march, short yet symbolic, to the separation wall built by Israel on their land.

(photo, from bbc.co.uk)

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Nakba marked by Palestinians

In the Gaza Strip, thousands of Palestinians have gathered (photo, from aljazeera.net) in order to mark the 61st anniversary of the “Nakba” (catastrophe). It describes the dispersal of hundreds of thousands of refugees after the creation of Israel.

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Israeli deadlock confirmed

Neither of the two main parties (photo, from bbc.co.uk) can form a government on its own, confirmed the final results of Israel’s general election.

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Israeli group to help Palestinians sue over settlements

The Yesh Din organization, an Israeli leftist advocacy group, said on Friday that it was starting a campaign to help Palestinians sue the state of Israel for its use of their privately owned lands for Jewish settlements in the West Bank (photo, from aljazeera.net).

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UN suspends Gaza aid operation

After a series of Israeli attacks on its personnel and buildings, the United Nations aid agency has suspended its operation in the Gaza Strip. (photo, from bbc.co.uk)

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