Isaelsk statsminister Ehud Olmert sa at det som blir forhandlet om med den palestinske president Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) hverken var en prinsipperklæring, en prinsippavtale eller en midlertidig avtale, slik det har vært uttalt i media, men en detaljert fredsavtale i ordets fulle betydning. Olmert tilføyde at han var veldig optimistisk når det gjelder å komme til enighet om denne avtalen før årsskiftet. Videre sa han at der hadde vært praktisk fremgang i samtalene innenfor grunnleggende emner som flyktninger, grenser, sikkerhetstiltak og garantier. Spørsmålet om Jerusalem skal utsettes til sluttfasen på grunn av sakens eksplosive natur.

Les hele intervju på engelsk her

After a protracted period of negotiations between Egypt and representatives of Israel and Hamas, it was announced that a period of calm would be instituted between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip beginning at 6:00 A.M. on Thursday, 19 June.  Following are some of the major points comprising this agreement:

The institution of “calm” applies only to the Gaza Strip and not to West Bank areas.  Thus, while Israel’s security forces will refrain from operations in the Gaza Strip, they will continue to undertake necessary operations in the West Bank.

Palestinian terrorist organizations must:

Halt all fire and terrorist activity

End their buildup of arms

Cease smuggling from Egypt

While the above points are effective immediately with the beginning of the “calm,” opening the crossings to Gaza will be implemented gradually after successive periods of calm.

After 3 days, Israel will open the Karni and Sufa crossings for basic commodities

One week later, Israel will allow for a larger number of commodities to enter the Gaza Strip, excepting those used for weapons manufacturing

After an additional week, talks will be held about opening the Rafah crossing to Egypt

The freedom of Gilad Shalit, kidnapped two years ago, is an integral part of the “state of calm.”  According to Foreign Minister Livni, releasing Shalit is a necessary step if Hamas wants to achieve further gains.

Furthermore, Israel will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that all parties adhere to their obligations.  Hamas will bear responsibility for any terrorist act by any organization and should be prepared to accept the consequences of such actions.

While the State of Israel has every desire to see this “lull” develop into a period of sustained calm, she places primary significance on the safety and security of her citizens.  Should the “calm” collapse, Israel will take alternate measures to address the new situation. 

Les mer her om angrep på Israel fra Gaza i første del av juni.

En rapport ble utgitt den 2 juni 2008 om økningen av angrep på kristne, og institusjoner som identifiseres med Vesten, på Gaza stripen. Hamas bruker store ord om å slå ned på angrepene, men tar ingen aktiv handling for å stoppe disse.

Rapporten kommer fra the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (IICC)

Les rapporten her

Denne e-posten ble sendt til Aftenposten og NTB 20 mai 2008, og er fremdeles ubesvart

"Dear Madame & Sirs,

Since you have published (1/5) this sad story, I’m certain that you (and your readers, if you allow them this update) will be happy to learn that Mr. al-Harrani is … alive!

Congratulations!

Med vennlig hilsen

Aviad Ivri "
 

Se link for daglige oppdateringer på helsetilstanden i områdene rundt Gaza:

http://www.barzilaimc.org.il/Eng/?CategoryID=241&ArticleID=264&Page=1

(Communicated by the Coordination and Liaison Administration, Erez)

Hamas is staging a situation of crisis and distress, and harming the civilian population in the Gaza Strip in an attempt to divert pressure onto Israel.

Colonel Nir Press, Head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration: "The State of Israel has permitted the steady and continuous flow of fuel into the Gaza Strip in recent weeks."

2,200,000 liters of diesel fuel are transferred through the Nahal Oz fuel terminal to the Gaza Strip power plant weekly. This power plant is capable of supplying 30% of the total electricity requirements of the Gaza Strip. The remaining power needs are supplied by Israel and Egypt. In addition, unlimited quantities of cooking gas, 800,000 liters of diesel fuel for transportation and 75,000 liters of gasoline are transferred weekly.

The gasoline and diesel fuel transferred by Israel is designated primarily for use by ambulances, water pumps, the sewage system, for the operation of generators at various institutions such as hospitals, schools and clinics, for agricultural use, transportation, school buses, food trucks, garbage collection, public transportation, boats, food production, bakeries, and so on.

Col. Press stated that it has become apparent in recent weeks that the Palestinians are staging an energy crisis while instigating a strike and protest rallies. The closed filling stations, the long lines of people and vehicles waiting many hours to fill their tanks, are all part of a planned Hamas media campaign being conducted at the expense of the civilian population – a crisis caused by their failure to draw available fuel supplies from the Nahal Oz Palestinian fuel depot. 

Col. Press further stated that "In the last two weeks there were no restrictions on freely drawing fuel from the Palestinian depot at Nahal Oz and distributing it to filling stations, but this did not take place. In contrast, cooking gas and diesel fuel for the power station have been supplied on a regular basis. As of today, the Palestinian stock of fuel amounts to 188,000 liters of gasoline and over 800,000 liters of diesel fuel."

Hamas is intentionally harming the civilian population in the Gaza Strip by not allowing the supply of fuel for humanitarian purposes, and preventing the distribution of fuel to civilian filling stations. In the weeks preceding this development, a substantial share of the fuel supplies – almost half – was diverted for use by the Hamas for their terror activities and for its operatives.

The murderous attack on 9 April 2008 at the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, in which two civilian workers at the terminal, Oleg Lipson and Lev Cherniak, were murdered, constitutes additional testimony to the terror from the Gaza Strip directed at Israel, at the crossings which serve the Palestinians, and at Israeli civilians working for Palestinian welfare. Part of this campaign is an attempt to create a crisis and to harness Palestinian public opinion against Israel.

The cynical use of the Palestinian population, as well as the halt of the supply of fuel for civilian and humanitarian use, could have been prevented by drawing the available fuel from the depot at the Palestinian terminal and directing it to humanitarian/civilian needs and to local filling stations, for the benefit of the residents of Gaza.