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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Thursday, September 16, 2010.

Palestinians demonstrate in rejection to the direct talks with Israel, and the fifth Viva Palestina aid convoy prepares to leave to Gaza, these stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.

The Israeli High Court of Justice had decided that a petition demanding a full investigation into the fatal shooting of two Palestinians in Awarta village near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, is “unnecessary” as the Israeli army had already ordered an investigation.

Representing the families of the victims, Israeli attorney, Michael Sfrad, of the Israeli Human Rights group Yesh Din filed a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice in August and demanded the court to open a criminal investigation into the shooting.

On Wednesday, the state told the High Court that Chief Military Prosecutor, Avihai Mandelblit had already ordered a military investigation that would start by the beginning of October, and the court ruled that no more investigations are needed.

The two farmers were identified as Mohammad Faisal Qawariq, 19, and Salah Mohammad Qawariq, 19.

The deadly shooting of the two Palestinians took place last March after Israeli soldiers stopped the two farmers who were walking near Itamar settlement. The soldiers then, claimed that one of the farmers attempted to stab one of the soldiers.

Few days ago, a probe into the death of three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, indicated that all three were civilians and that they were killed because the Israeli soldiers thought they were planning to fire home-made shells at Israeli targets.

In other news, a huge land convoy filled with humanitarian aid will be leaving London on Saturday September 18 in conjunction with other convoys from Doha – Qatar, and Casablanca in Morocco and will be timed to coordinate with more international flotilla aiming to sail to the Gaza Strip at the same time as land convoys attempt to enter Gaza by land.

The “Viva Palestina 5 – a global lifeline to Gaza”, is planning to start its trip on Saturday, September 18. The effort is being conducted in cooperation with the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, and several organisations from Europe, Middle East, India, Turkey, South Africa and several other countries.

The convoy will be headed by former UK legislator, George Galloway, and will start its trip in front of the British parliament.

Convoy spokesperson, Zaher Beetawy, said that six persons representing a number of solidarity organisations in New Zealand has arrived in London to prepare the three aid trucks filled with medical and humanitarian supplies.

As the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the latter’s residence in Jerusalem, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated in Nablus and called for halt of the direct talks with Israel.

The demonstrators marched in front of the chamber of commerce in the northern West Bank city of Nablus. They waved Palestinian flags and carried banners calling for an immediate withdrawal of Palestinian negotiators from talks with Israel.

The march was jointly organized by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian People’s Party and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

This concludes our news for today. Thank you for joining us form occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today, from the International Middle East Media Center. For more updates, please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by, Hussam Qassis, and George Rishmawi.

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