Palestinians storm Rafah crossing
2/7/08
Hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have stormed the Egyptian gate at the Rafah crossing, clashing with security forces. Palestinian youth on Wednesday threw rocks at Egyptian soldiers, who responded in kind, keeping the crowd at bay with water cannons. At least six border guards were hurt in the exchange, Reuters news agency reported, citing an Egyptian police source. Television footage showed some Palestinians were also wounded. Egypt opened the crossing for two days to allow in Palestinians who need medical treatment not available in Gaza, and for Palestinians to return home.
See: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/ 07/200872114349730311.html
UN panel expresses concern about deteriorating conditions in Palestinian territories
Mohammad Ben Hussein; 2/7/08
A UN fact finding mission on Tuesday criticised Israeli practices in the Palestinian territories, noting that human rights conditions have deteriorated as a result of the siege imposed on Gaza and the separation wall in the West Bank. The mission, which was denied access to the Occupied Territories by Israeli authorities, conducted its work from Jordan and Egypt by interviewing witnesses from the Palestinian areas, as well as UN activists and Israeli citizens, to record their accounts on the conditions of these areas. “The industrial or production capacity in both regions is becoming almost minimal,” said Prasad Kariyawasam, who heads the committee and is Sri Lanka’s representative to the UN. The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories was established by the General Assembly last year to probe human rights conditions in the Palestinian areas following complaints of systematic abuse of citizens by Israel.
See: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=9020