There can't be a sustainable peace in the Middle East so long as extremist populous continues to feel ostracized, including, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the Brotherhood. A signed peace 'pact' means nothing if the violence continues.
Israel awaiting High Court ruling before cutting power to Gaza Strip
By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent
The defense establishment does not intend to begin reducing electricity from Israel to the Gaza Strip until it receives a green light from the High Court of Justice, legal officials said over the weekend.
The statement came after the High Court ruling on Friday that the state must provide clarifications and additional information before the court considers approving power cuts.
Although the High Court stopped short of issuing an injunction forcing the state to wait before implementing a power cut, the justices said they "assumed that until the required additional information and necessary clarifications are received, the plan to limit electricity to the Gaza Strip will not begin to be implemented."
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The High Court ruling means a delay of at least three weeks before Israel reduces electricity to Gaza, because the state has 12 days to provide the information. Those who oppose the move then have a week to file their briefs with the court before justices Dorit Beinisch, Esther Hayut and Joseph Elon make their final ruling.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/930046.html
One PA - with Hamas
By Zvi Bar'el
As much as the Annapolis conference sought to be "in favor" of the peace process, it measured its success in its ability to be "against" - against Iran, against Hezbollah, against Syria and against Hamas. This is an ostensibly simple and convincing method of measurement. The more Arab leaders at the conference's gala dinner, the greater the victory of the "against" forces: Iran became more isolated, Hamas was pushed into a corner and Hezbollah remained alone. This is one way to assess the conference, but it will turn out to be meaningless when the time comes soon to pay the Annapolis IOUs.
Take, for example, the question of isolating Hamas. This chapter should particularly interest Israel because Hamas is the key to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' ability to demonstrate his "partnerability." According to the "Bush test," which requires "destroying the infrastructures of terror," there is no gray area: Hamas must be dismantled. Abbas not only needs to disarm the Hamas army, crush the Qassam cells and jail the wanted men. He must also take apart Hamas' organizational framework, its civic infrastructure, schools and health clinics. He will be judged by these steps, which Israel will require as initial proof of implementing the road map.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/930033.html
IDF kills 5 Hamas members, another armed man in Gaza
By Avi Issacharoff, Yuval Azoulay and Jonathan Lis
Tags: Security, Hamas, Gaza, IDF
Six armed Palestinians were killed by the Israel Defense Forces in two incidents in the Gaza Strip yesterday. Five of the dead were Hamas members.
In the first incident, which occured east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, the five Hamas members were hit by IDF missiles. The five belonged to Murabitun, the Hamas border guard. The five were located at a number of positions near the border, and according to the IDF were "involved in terror action" when they were attacked from the air.
The sixth Palestinian, apparently a member of a terror organization, was killed close to the Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City when an IDF unit was attacked by armed men and returned fire.
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The IDF has killed more than 25 Palestinians clashes since Thursday. The IDF said all were armed and intended to carry out attacks on soldiers or other Israeli targets.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/930021.html
Hamas slams security forces' detention of its members in West Bank
www.chinaview.cn
RAMALLAH, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on Saturday slammed the detention of nine of its members by security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in West Bank cities.
In a statement sent to the press, Hamas said that among the arrested, three each from Hebron, Nablus and Jenin.
Meanwhile, five Hamas militants were killed in predawn Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza Strip, which has been under the rule of Hamas since it routed the pro-Abbas security forces in June.
Commenting on the two incidents, Hamas said West Bank detentions by pro-Fatah security services and the Israeli air attacks in Gaza showed part of the collaboration between the moderate Fatah movement and Israel after the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis conference on Mideast.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/01/content_7180492.htm
Hamas boycotts Palestinian census
Published: December 01, 2007
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) The Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, blocked the launch there on Saturday of a census by the Palestinian Authority, the head of the Palestinian statistics office said.
"We have not been able to begin census-taking in the Gaza Strip because Hamas has prevented us from doing so," said Loai Shabana, in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
In contrast, the census did begin in the West Bank, and is expected to last 16 days.
"It is a shame that we cannot carry out our work, which is purely professional and has nothing to do with politics," Shabana added.
Hamas seized control of Gaza in June after bloody battles with supporters of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who subsequently sacked Hamas premier Ismail Haniya and appointed a new government.
Since then, the rule of the Abbas-headed Palestinian Authority been restricted to the West Bank, with Hamas having set up a parallel a de facto government of its own in Gaza.
The most recent Palestinian census numbers, published two years ago, put the total population of the West Bank and Gaza at 3,762,000 people. Of that, 2,372,000 people lived in the West Bank and 1,390,000 in Gaza.
Nearly half of the population -- 46 percent -- was less than 15 years old, and 42 percent lived below the poverty line.
© 2007 Agence France-Presse
http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2007/12/01/hamas_boycotts_palestinian_census/afp/
NO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. That in no way indicates a willingness to peace.
