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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Gaza runs out of necessary medical supplies, while the Israeli government announces news construction in West Bank settlement. These stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.
The News Cast
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Wednesday that its inventories have run out of 141 types of prescription drugs. The Ministry said the shortage of medicine was caused by the continued siege on the Gaza Strip by Israel.
Dr. Munir Perch, General Director of Pharmacy in the Ministry of Health, said that the items with a balance of zero include dialysis supplies, items that are necessary for the artificial kidney unit.
Also, several other kinds of medicines and drugs are due to run out in the coming months. 10 items will cover the ministry’s requirements only for three months, 26 items for two months and 29 items for only one month. The Gaza Strip has been under siege by the Israeli military since June 2006, preventing the 1.5 million Palestinians living there access to proper supplies of food, fuel and medicine.
Elsewhere The Israeli state has informed the Israeli High Court of Justice that it will continue construction in a West Bank settlement, despite promises of a settlement freeze for a period of 10 months. The court announcement came in response to a petition filed by the Israeli Peace Now movement to halt the illegal construction of 15 houses in Kiryat Netafim settlement, northern West Bank.
Peace Now says the constructions lack proper building permits according to Israeli law. According to international law all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. The Israeli state has responded with claims that the zoning plans were filed in 2000, but that the final plans had yet to be approved.
Back in November the Israeli government announced a 10 month long freeze of construction in West Bank settlement to push forth the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians Authority. The freeze was in response to demands by the Palestinians and the U.S administration that peace talks will resume if settlements construction stops.
In other West Bank News, Israeli troops kidnapped four Palestinian civilians today during pre dawn military invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities. Local sources reported invasions in Ramallah city, central West Bank, as well as Hebron in the south, and Nablus city in the north.
The Israeli army radio announced that all four kidnapped were taken to detention camps for questioning. Since the start of this week, Israeli troops have kidnapped 14 Palestinian civilians from various parts of the West Bank during pre dawn invasions.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Circarre Parrhesia.
