West Bank prisoners face Israeli re-arrest

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Israel has re-arrested dozens of Palestinians in the West Bank, an act a human rights group says is 'unjustified'.


Israel arrested about 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank during its search for three settler teenagers in June [AP]

Dalia Hatuqa Last updated: 26 Aug 2014

Startled by the loud knock on the door, his wife hurriedly put on a cardigan before darting to the front door to let them in. Within a couple of hours, the Israeli forces were gone, and so was her husband: blindfolded and handcuffed, he was returned to prison, only two years after his release.

Barghouti, 57, was one of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released in 2011 in exchange for Gilad Shalit, a soldier held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for more than five years. Barghouti was one of a few whom Israel permitted to stay in the West Bank, while others were either exiled to Gaza or deported to foreign countries, including Qatar and Turkey.

But following the June kidnapping and murder of three Israeli settler teenagers, hitch-hiking in the West Bank, the Israeli authorities arrested approximately 1,000 Palestinians and raided hundreds of homes. Among the detainees were 58 prisoners released in the Shalit deal, including seven from East Jerusalem.

Israel blamed Hamas for the murder, and the group's members, many of them parliamentarians, were imprisoned. Most of those arrested remain behind bars.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/west-bank-prisoners-israel-rearrest-20148177524783147.html

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1. Hamas wary of international push for PA return to Gaza

The Israeli aggression continues in Gaza, after the failure of the Cairo talks and Israel's failure on Aug. 19 to eliminate Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Then, at dawn on Aug. 21, Israel assassinated three al-Qassam leaders in Rafah, while Hamas threatened to escalate the confrontation with Israel.

Hamas is locked in the battle of Gaza and paying a heavy price. However, it looks like the Palestinian Authority (PA) is the one who will reap the fruits of this confrontation politically — amid regional and international agreements — to return to Gaza again, according to what was in the Egyptian initiative for a cease-fire.

In a previous article, Al-Monitor reported the emergence of signs that the PA might return to Gaza, with the arrival of the deputy prime minister of the consensus government, Ziad Abu Amr, [to Gaza] on Aug. 16. During the visit, he met with ministry representatives, all of whom were from Hamas.

A Hamas official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor, "[Hamas] sees that the PA's return to Gaza is a natural thing, immediately after the formation of the consensus government in early June. However, Israel and the international community are targeting the way in which the PA returns to crack down on Hamas, and change the political environment in the Strip. [They intend to] gradually reduce the influence of the movement, paving the way for the entrenchment of a security environment that puts Israel at ease, as is the case in the West Bank. [This will be done] through draining the sources of the resistance and preventing the flow of funds to it."

This comes amid the announcement of a European initiative on Aug. 7, which proposes the PA’s return to Gaza to rebuild the Strip and oversee the Rafah crossing.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/pa-return-to-gaza-hamas-fears.html#ixzz3BXz1Cv60

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2. Israeli source: US will back Israel in Security Council

The world weighs in on Gaza truce: Kerry looks to work with Abbas on rehabilitation, Blair heads for long-term prosperity, US prepares for 'long road ahead'.

Yitzhak Benhorin and Attila Somfalvi
Published: 08.27.14, 00:38 / Israel News

As the political aftermath of the long-term ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began to unfold, a government source in Jerusalem told Ynet Tuesday night that the US would be looking out for Israel's interests among the international community, namely in the UN Security Council, where concrete decisions could potentially be made regarding the future of Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank.

"Israel will have American backing if a decision is made in the Security Council," said the source. Most especially, said the government official, the US would be looking out for Israel's security interests in the Gaza Strip. "The US will be sure that the issue of demilitarization will be included," he said.


For their part, the Americans welcomed Tuesday's ceasefire agreement and US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement that, "We strongly support today's ceasefire agreement, and call on all parties to fully and completely comply with its terms. We hope very much that this ceasefire will prove to be durable and sustainable, that it will put an end to rocket and mortar attacks, and that it will help to bring about an enduring end to the conflict in Gaza."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4564519,00.html

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3. Senior Hamas official: Israel agreed to open Gaza crossings

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Israel has agreed to open Gaza crossings to allow the flow of humanitarian aid and construction material, senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouq said Tuesday.

Speaking to Ma’an, Abu Marzouq added that three more Gaza crossings will be operated in addition the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings, which are already operating.

Asked about the fishing zone, he said that Gaza fishermen would be allowed to reach as far as 6 nautical miles and the zone would be increased gradually until it is 12 nautical miles by the end of 2014.

Reconstruction of the war-torn Gaza Strip will be discussed during a conference in Egypt next month, added Abu Marzouq. The Palestinian national consensus government will be in charge of implementation.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=723584