November 28th, 2006 - no.3 - The Holy Land

The Palestinian PM, Ismail Haniyeh, of the Hamas organization, embarked today on an international tour of several Islamic states, including Lebanon and Iran. Haniyeh is expected to ask for financial aid of Iran as the economic situation within the PA is very poor. Haniyeh is also expected to request assistance in lifting the international isolation imposed on his government. The isolation results of Hamas' positions. The organization which today controls the government of the PA, does not recognize Israel and rejects its right to exist. The organization's goal is to establish an Islamic state over all the territory of the State of Israel. Many in Israel believe that due to Hamas' extreme views negotiations between it and Israel are doomed to fail from the onset.
In local news, former PM, Binyamin Netanyahu, was today question by the police regarding an alleged involvement in a corruption scheme which allegedly occurred during his administration in the late 1990's.

November 28th, 2006 - no.2 - The Holy Land

Three Israeli soldiers remain imprisoned by terrorists. Gilad Shalit was abducted from an outpost in the Negev by Palestinian militants who took him into the Gaza strip. two other Israeli soldiers were attacked during a border patrol by members of the Hezbollah organization and taken into Lebanon in what proved to be the Casus Beli of the was which waged between the Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group. The condition and whereabouts of the three soldiers is unknown, though news of an impending deal regarding the release of Gilad Shalit is common.
Israel's PM, Ehud Olmert, expressed in a speech yesterday his willingness to release many Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for Gilad Shalit. He also called upon the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table and declared the for a true and lasting peace Israel will be willing to withdraw from many territories in the West Bank. This aroused great opposition within Israel as the Israeli army (IDF) has already withdrawn from the Gaza strip a little over a year ago and rockets are still being launched against Israeli population centers to this day.

November 28th, 2006 - The Holy Land

The ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militants again proved fragile today as a Kassam missile was launched from the Gaza strip and landed in the west of the Negev (Israel's southern area). The ceasefire had already been broken within minutes of its proclamation two days ago as missiles landed in the city of Sderot in the south of Israel. The city's population, which suffered numerous casualties in the last few weeks due to increasing missile launches out of Gaza, was unprepared for this breach. The sirens caught many of the residents out of their homes and away from shelter. Though no casualties were reported today, the ceasefire is viewed by many Israeli's as a shaky deal at best.
The ceasefire was negotiated between Israel's Prime Minister (PM), Ehud Olmert, and the president of the Palestinian Authority(PA), Mahmud Abas. Abas, of the Fatah part, has reiterated his call for resumed negotiations with Israel, but the frequent breaches of the ceasefire cause many in Israel and the international community to doubt the level of control Abas has over his own people.