Palestinian Daily Press Review - Oct 25th

http://www.pna.org/mininfo

PALESTINIAN DAILY PRESS
THE DAILY PRESS REVIEW
ISSUED BY
Palestine Ministry of Information
(Wednesday, October 25, 2000)

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** Main Headlines
Al-Quds
Refuting Barak's statement that President Arafat chose the path of violence, Presidential Secretary Tayyeb abdul rahim says, the only way out of the current situation is for Israel to stop its military aggression against the Palestinian people and to implement all signed agreements.

Israeli tanks and helicopters fire at Palestinian civilian targets in Ramallah, Tulkarm, Jerico, Rafah and Beit Jala.

Three Palestinian civilians were killed and tens wounded by the Israeli occupation forces' gunfire. The Israeli tank fire targeted education institution, family homes and Palestinian work places including a factory near Biet Jala.

Israel's attempt to implement a separation plan is designed to further strangle the Palestinian economy and to inflict maximum damage on the Palestinian people.

The Israeli army is said to prepare for long term confrontations with the Palestinian people resisting the Israeli continuing occupation of the Palestinian land.

The Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian people of Arab East Jerusalem celebrate the night of 27th of Rajab, when Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, ascended to Heaven.

Israel plans to storm Biet Jala and return its occupation to parts of Gaza.

President Arafat received telephone calls from President Butin and President Clinton

The Kuwait foreign minister visit injured Palestinians in Kuwaiti hospitals

Flights resume to Gaza international airport. The airport appears to open and shut depending on Barak's mood.

The Egyptian foreign minister says, Egypt will take steps that ensure taking care of Arab interests. And will adjust its policies with Israel and the US in accordance with this interest.

President Clinton meets his top advisors to discuss the crises in the Middle East.

Chief of Palestinian intelligence Tawfiq Tirawi says, there will be no security cooperation with Israel as long as Israel uses its tanks to speak with the Palestinian people.

Palestinian ambulances and medics provide medical treatment to Israeli soldiers when their truck overturned near the Palestinian village of Hizma near Arab East Jerusalem.

The EU provides US$5.5 in emergency assistance to the Palestinian people.

Al-Ayyam
Jewish settlers prevent the Palestinians in Arab East Jerusalem from cultivating their olive crops. And the Israeli occupation forces uproot Banana trees belonging to Palestinians in Jericho.

Hebron buries its son Abu Sneneh. 15 other Palestinians wounded in the city yesterday by Israeli occupation gunfire. In Khan Younis another Palestinian boy succumb to his wounds and dies in hospital and 50 Palestinians injured in clashes with the Israeli occupation soldiers. In Beit Hannon near Gaza a Palestinian young man was killed by Israeli forces and 35 others wounded. In Rafah 8 Palestinians were injured by Israeli occupation forces' gunfire yesterday. In Al-bireh city, ten Palestinian civilians were also wounded.

The Child Iyad Sha'ath left to school early in the morning and returned to his home dead, killed by the Israeli occupation soldiers in the afternoon.

The Israeli massacres against Palestinian children and civilian population will be a subject for schools in the various Arab countries.

Land Defense Authority in Nablus call for international protection for the Palestinian people.

Jebril Rajoob, head of Palestinian preventive security apparatus in the West Bank says, the worst is still to come, adding that the Palestinian people are determined to free themselves and their land from the Israeli occupation. Rajoob added that Ehud Barak is responsible for the current crises and it is up to him to take the first step to return to the negotiation table.

An Israeli soldier was killed and ten other wounded in a traffic accident on the Jerusalem Jerico road.

American sources say, the Iraqi troops do not threaten Israel.

Germany expedites sending a submarine to Israel.

The Israeli Shekel loses some of its value against the US$, and the Israeli maof index losses 20% of its value in the last three weeks.

Israeli losses in the construction sector said to be one billion US$ per month.

Kuwait hopes to overcome its differences with the PNA in the near future.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida
The Palestinian permanent representative to the UN calls on the UN to make Israel abide by the international law.

The Egyptian foreign minister says, Washington is responsible for the Israeli escalation in the Palestinian territories and the region.

Yatom says, Mousa's statement indicate a change in the Egyptian official position

The Israeli siege on the Palestinian people will cause starvation and despair in the near future.

Israel tightens its grip on Arab East Jerusalem.

The foreign minister of Ireland condemns the use of firepower against Palestinian civilians A delegation from Greece started a solidarity visit to the Palestinian territories.

The Israeli occupation forces increase its occupation forces four folds in Gaza.

Intensive Israeli gunfire at Aqbat Jaber refugee camp near Jerico.

Palestinian civilians evacuate their homes in Rafah after it was repeatedly bombarded by Israeli tanks over the last few days. 6 Palestinian civilians were injured one seriously in Rafah yesterday.

Siege and curfews imposed on many Palestinian villages around Nablus

Jewish settlers attack Palestinian vehicles, journalists and farmers. Israeli occupation forces near Jerico uprooted Seven thousand banana trees over the last few days.

Abu Sneneh family tells the story of how he was killed from Israeli tank fire against their home in Hebron last Monday.

56% of those killed by the Israeli occupation forces in the last three weeks were workers and laborers.

Al- Haq human right organization demands an immediate international movement to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territories, and condemns their silence so far.

Palestinian youths say, the massacres perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army against our people increased our determination and faith to continue our struggle until we liberate our land from the Israeli occupier.

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of their family visits for more than a month now.

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OPINIONS
The Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his government did not implement any of the signed agreements since it took office back in May/July 1999. They did not implement the third phase of the withdrawal as agreed by in the Oslo accords, they did not release the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, they did not abide by the international legitimacy resolutions namely 242, 338 and 191 which were the basis upon which the Oslo agreement was signed back in 1993.
The PNA stretched backwards to accommodate the Israeli successive governments excuses for not implementing the signed agreements. President Arafat twice postponed his intention to declare the independent Palestinian state upon the requests of the international community. The Palestinian people absorbed the repeated humiliation, the agony and suffering of the prolonged Israeli occupation of our land. The Israeli government did not stop for even one day its Judiazation of Arab East Jerusalem, they intensified building Jewish settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories.

The Israeli government trained and armed the settlers to their teeth, the Israeli army conducted training and maneuvers to reoccupy Palestinian cities. In short, the Israeli government did everything possible to perpetuate a status quo that serves its long-term objectives designed to suppress, strangle the Palestinian people and to accustom them to perpetual occupation. In the last few months, Barak assisted by the US demanded a Palestinian signature relinquishing sovereignty on the Aqsa Mosque and Arab East Jerusalem to the Jews. Barak assisted by the US administration coerced President Arafat to sign an agreement that go against the United Nations legitimacy resolutions. When he failed in doing that, Barak chose to try to force his settlement on the Palestinian people and leadership by the use of force.
Over the last three weeks, Barak's occupation forces managed to kill more than 160 Palestinian civilians many of them children, thousands of Palestinians were maimed and injured by Israeli gunfire ranging from heavy machine guns, tank fire and helicopter gunships. The Palestinian territories in its entirety are under siege and continuing closure.
Food and medicine is getting scarce by the day, our economy is deteriorating very fast. People are out of work and most of our children are unable to go to schools, our universities are shut. Students and teachers can not travel from one town to another.

All this is happening while the world community is silence. The EU, the UN and the US administration appear to be hopeless unable to do anything. All our cries to the world to get international forces to protect the Palestinian people fall on deaf ears. An international commission of inquiry to determine who is the responsible party for the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the massacres against our people are being rejected by the Israeli government.
This Israeli government refuses any role for the United Nations to get more involved in order to participate in resolving the Palestinian Israeli conflict. Barak in the last few days announced what he termed a 'time out on the peace process' effectively giving it a deathblow.
Barak also is bent on bringing Eric Sharon to his government. A war cabinet is being formed in Israel. The overall regional situation might get out of hand very soon, and an all out war in the Middle eat could erupt. The EU, the UN and the US should wake up before it is too late. Israel must be made to accept UN resolutions and withdraw its occupation forces and settlers from all the occupied Palestinian territories to the lines of June 4th 1967.
The Palestinian leadership expressed its willingness to reach a peace agreement with Israel on the basis of UN resolutions. It is up to Israel to reciprocate. The international community must make sure that United Nations resolutions are respected and implemented. The world order as we know it could be undermined if the UN does not insist on the respect of its resolutions.

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Palestine Ministry of Information
October 25, 2000

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