Olmert: “Iran aspires to have nukes like us”
Just before his trip to Germany, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert admitted “when his tongue slipped” that Israel has nuclear weapons. Olmert stated that “Iran wants to possess nuclear weapons…
Haniyya concludes Tehran visit, Iran donates 250 M USD
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, concluded on Monday his visit to Iran and headed to Sudan. Haniyya said that Iran has donated 250 M. USD to aid the Palestinian government…
Carter: Israel’s apartheid policies are worse than South Africa”
Former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, said that the Israeli policies in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are worse than the policies that were practiced in…
Abbas slams the Gaza attack that led to the death of four children
Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, strongly denounced the Gaza attack carried by unknown gunmen who shot and killed four Palestinian children children in Gaza City after opening fire at a car…
Abed-Rabbo appointed as PLO Secretary General
Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Yasser Abed-Rabbo, was appointed on Sunday as the Secretary General of the PLO. Sources at the Executive Committee reported…
Lieberman: “Expel any citizen who does not recognize Israel as a Zionist state”
Speaking at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington, Israeli Ministers of “Strategic Affairs” Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel has the right to demand all of its citizens…
Jimmy Carter: even talking about international law in this situation is political suicide
Former American President Jimmy Carter published “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid” last month. It is considered by many to be critical of Israeli and United States policy. Some are lashing out…
Olmert slams German Foreign Minister for visiting Syria
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, who plans to visit Germany in the the coming days, slammed the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier for visiting Syria and considered the move as…
Al Hayya: “Hamas will compete against Abbas in presidential elections if he wants”
Hamas member of parliament, Khaleel Al Hayya, stated that his movement is willing to field its own candidate to early presidential elections if the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, opts to…
Prime Minister Haniyya gains promise for release of prisoners in Syria
Official sources in the Hamas party told PNN Friday that Prime Minister Haniyya's visit to Damascus may result in the release of Palestinian political prisoners from Syrian prisons. During two…
Haniyya in Tehran, will return to Gaza next week
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya arrived on Thursday noon in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and was received by the Iranian vice-president. On Friday Haniyya said that his government will not…
New U.S. Secretary of Defense: Israel does have nukes
While Israeli officials have maintained 'ambiguity' on the question of whether Israel has developed a nuclear weapons program, the incoming U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates definitively told a Senate…
First stage of prisoner swap might be carried out in coming weeks
Israeli sources reported on Wednesday that the first stage of ceasefire between Israel and fighters in Gaza, under Egyptian mediation, could take place within the coming weeks, Israeli online daily…
UN Beit Hanoun investigation committee to arrive in Gaza December 14
Sources at the United Nations in New York reported on Friday that the investigation committee appointed by the United Nations to investigate the Beit Hanoun Israeli attack on November 8,…
One day after opening it, Israel closes the Rafah Border Crossing
Wa'el Abu Al Thahab, media spokesperson of the border crossing and the presidential guards, reported on Thursday, that Israel closed the Rafah Border Crossing, linking between Egypt and Gaza Strip.…
Rabbis call for suspension of Education Minister after she ruled to teach kids 1967 border
The Israeli education minister, Yuli Tamir, sparked a fire of controversy Tuesday when she ruled that Israeli textbooks should show the 1967 borders between Israel and the Palestinian territories. At…
Hezbollah: “Release Quntar for information on captured soldiers”
The Lebanon based Hezbollah party, holding two Israeli soldiers captive, offered information of the two captured Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, in exchange for the release of Sameer…
Peretz: “Prisoner swap talks should be kept secret”
Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, said on Wednesday that prisoner swap deal talks should remain out of public reach, adding that “Israel does not negotiate with the media”, and that…
PLO executive committee to convene Wednesday
Palestinian sources reported on Tuesday at night that the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation organization will convene on Wednesday evening, in the West Bank city of Ramallah for talks…
Israeli source: “Israel offering to free 1000 detainees for Shalit’s release”
A senior Israeli source stated on Monday that Israel is offering to release 1000 Palestinian detainees in exchange to the release of the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, held by…
Shaath: “Referendum or early elections are a possible step to create a unity government”
Member of the Fateh Central Committee, Palestinian Legislator, Nabil Shaath, said on Monday that it early elections or a referendum are possible solutions to the current diplomatic crises and the…
Al Hayat Newspaper: “Father of abducted Israeli soldier to meat Hamas members”
The London-based Al Hayat Arabic newspaper reported on Monday that Noam Shalit, the father of the captured Israeli soldier in Gaza, Gilad Shalit, held talks with a source in the…
Islamic Jihad threatens to pull out of ceasefire, Hamas suspends its participation
"The calm is on the edge of collapse due to the continued Zionist violations and the attacks against our Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza", stated Abu Ahmed,…
Israeli military resumes shelling in northern Gaza; rejects call for ceasefire in West Bank
The Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, announced Sunday that Israeli forces will resume their shelling of northern Gaza, and will continue the daily invasions and attacks of the West Bank. …
UN passes resolutions backing Palestinian right to an independent state
Friday night, the General Assembly approved six pro-Palestinian resolutions in spite of Israeli and American objections, the resolutions back the Palestinians right to have an independent state and call for…
PLO executive Committee call on the Palestinian P.M to resign
The Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization demanded on Friday the resignation of the Palestinian Prime Minister from the Hamas party, Ismail Haniyya, to step down before talks on…
Palestinian leaders call for extension of ceasefire, Israeli officials want to break it
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today urged restraint and a continuation of a week-long ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Israeli forces and the Palestinian resistance, and called for an expansion…
Israeli High court nixes request to change war probe committee
The Israeli High Court rejected on Thursday a petition filed by the “Movement for Quality Government in Israel” to replace the Winograd committee which is investigating the handling of Israeli-Lebanon…
UN report: “Israel violated all articles of Crossings agreement”
The United Nations office for Human Affairs in the West Bank published a report on Thursday morning accusing Israel of violating every article of the Crossings agreements, and stated that…
Zahhar: ‘Unity government talks reach an impasse’
Palestinian Foreign Minister, Mahmouad Zahhar, said on Thursday that internal talks on the formation of a National Unity Government have reached an impasse, and that Hamas movement will not allow…
Suleiman expects a prisoner swap deal within the coming weeks
Egypt's Intelligence Chief, Omar Suleiman, expressed optimism that a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinians will be reached within the coming weeks before the end of the year.…
A Hamas official accuses a stream within Fateh of trying to void Legislative Election results
Dr. Salah Bardaweel, spokesperson of the Hamas “Change and Reform bloc” at the Palestinian legislative Council, accused on Thursday a stream within Fateh movement of attempting to void the results…
Egypt Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman Arrives in Israel, meets with Peretz
Omar Suleiman, Egypt's Intelligence Chief, arrived in Israel on Wednesday for talks with Israeli officials over a prisoner swap deal that would see the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit…
Abbas, Rice to meet in Jericho Thursday
Dr. Rafiq Husseini, head of the Palestinian President's Office, said on Tuesday that president Mahmoud Abbas is slated to meet with the US secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, in the…
Knesset Foreign and Security Committee criticizes ceasefire
Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, criticized during a meeting to the Knesset Foreign and Security Committee the decision making process that led to the declaration of ceasefire with…
Haniyya leaves Gaza on his first tour as a Prime Minister
In his first trip outside of the Gaza Strip since he took office, Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, left Gaza through the Rafah Border Crossing in a tour that aims…
Olmert demands the Palestinians to drop the Right of Return
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, said on Monday that Israel insists on unilaterally drawing its borders, totally rejecting the Right of Return of the Palestinian Refugees, and that Israel will…
Israel denies visas to foreigners living in Palestine
All foreign passports belonging to spouses and children of Palestinian ID-holders who had applied for visa extensions have recently been marked as “last permit” by the Israeli authorities. One hundred…
Abbas: “National Unity Government will enforce law and order”
Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Wednesday that an agreement of a National Unity Government is the way to enforce law and order, and ensure security for the Palestinian people.…
Israeli Foreign Minister demands annulment of Palestinian refugees’ right to return
The Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, has urged the world community, especially countries hosting Palestinian refugees, to annul those refugees' internationally-recognized right of return to their homeland (what is now…
Talks on National Unity Government are ongoing in spite a Sunday set-back
Several senior Palestinian political leaders confirmed that talks on the formation of a National Unity Government are ongoing in spite of the recent set-back regarding some issues especially the distribution…
Lieberman: “Abbas is irrelevant, we must repossess Rafah Crossing, Philadelphi Route”
Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli Minister of the so-called “Strategic Threats” said that Israeli must repossess the Rafah Border Crossing and the Philadelphi Route in the southern part of the Gaza…
Abbas-Haniyya closed meeting ends, described as positive
Friday evening, a closed meeting between the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya ended after the two leaders held further talks on the formation of the National…
Haniyya describes his meeting with Abbas as positive
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, said on Friday that his late Thursday night meeting with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, was positive and good. Haniyya also stated that he will…
Israel rejects the European peace initiative
Officials of the Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected a five-point peace initiative proposed by France and Spain to revive the peace process and renew negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.…
Al-Jazeera launches English-language channel; critics challenge ‘watered-down’ coverage
The Al-Jazeera satellite channel, the largest news agency in the Arab world, yesterday launched the first English-language Arab news channel, Al-Jazeera International, amidst allegations among some reporters that the new…
New peace initiative promoted by Spain, Italy and France
Spain will sponsor a new Middle East peace initiative along with France and Italy, the Spanish prime minister said Thursday, stressing that the international community cannot remain idle as violence…
Abbas: “The United States assured me embargo will be lifted if Unity Government formed”
Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Wednesday that he received assurances from the United States that the formation of a National Unity Government would bring an end to its political…
Talks on naming P.A ministers for National Unity Government start today
Palestinian sources reported that talks between Fateh and Hamas on National Unity Government will be resumed today (Thursday) after the talks were stopped for two days. President Mahmoud Abbas and…
Israeli restrictions on Gaza bars Palestinian Football team from participating in the Asia Cup
Ahmad Al Afeefy, head of the Palestinian Football Association said on Wednesday that the team was unable to participate in the Asian World Cup due to the Israeli closure of…
Lifting of Boycott Not Conditioned On Hamas’ Recognition of Israel
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas assured Hamas that the boycott will be lifted despite their refusal to recognize Israel; rather it is conditioned on a non-partisan government of technocrats, according to…
Abbas to Welch: “No meeting with Olmert as long as Israel continues its attacks”
President Mahmoud Abbas met on Tuesday night in Cairo, with David Welch, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, for an update on the meeting held between…
Abbas-Mubarak meeting focuses on peace process, unity government
Wednesday morning, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met in Cairo with the Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak and discussed the ongoing efforts to revive the Peace Process in the Middle East and…
Shbeir, the new Palestinian Unity Government head
Palestinian sources reported on Monday at night that the rival Fateh and Hamas movements agreed on the formation of a National Unity Government headed by Mohammad Abu Shbeir. Abu Shbeir…
Fateh, Hamas resume unity talks
Senior officials of Fateh and Hamas movements resumed their talks on the formation of a national unity government. The two movements held an extended meeting last night that concentrated on…
Rallies throughout Palestine commemorate anniversary of death of Arafat
The late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who died on November 12th, 2004, was remembered today in simultaneous rallies held in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Gaza City, Rafah, Jenin and Beit Hanoun. In…
Hamas, Fateh hold meeting on National Unity Government
Sunday evening, leaders of Hamas and Fateh movements met in order to finalize the details of the upcoming National Unity Government. The meeting was held at the presidential headquarters in…
Arab leaders decide to end siege, adopt peace plan
Arab Foreign Minister decided during an urgent summit in Cairo to break the siege imposed on the Palestinians and to transfer aid money to the Palestinian Authority. Secretary of the…
Abbas: “National Unity Government will be born by the end of the month“
Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Saturday that the National Unity Government will be formed, in spite of all the difficulties, by the end of this month and that the…
Rizqa: “National Unity Government should not be formed before Abbas receives guarantees”
Palestinian Minister of Information, Dr. Yousef Rizqa, said on Friday that the National Unity Government should not be formed before president Mahmoud Abbas receives American and Israeli guarantees that the…
Palestinian Prime Minister says he’s willing to resign if it will lead to lifting of siege
Just two days after an Israeli attack in Gaza killed 18 civilians, many of them children, the Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has announced that he would be willing to…
Arab countries demand international condemnation of Beit Hanoun attack
Several Arab countries condemned the Beit Hanoun Israeli military attack that against civilian houses that left twenty residents killed, including eight children. The Palestinians demanded sanctions against Israel while Washington…
Hamas and Fateh committee formed to create unity government
Former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei is among the members of a new committee formed between Hamas and Fateh factions to hash out details of the new coalition government. Leftist…
PLC member Ashrawi calls for impartial probe committee into Gaza attacks
Palestinian lawmaker, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, called on Thursday on the International Community to send an impartial international probe committee to investigate the Israeli attacks and “crimes” carried by the army…
Mashal calls on resistance factions to avenge the Beit Hanoun killings
Hamas political bureau cheif, Khaled Mashal, called on the Palestinian resistance factions to retaliate to the Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people “and the massacres conducted against them”. “Resistance is…
Abbas: “Israel does not want peace and stability, it carried a horrible, ugly, massacre”
Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, slammed the Israeli attack that killed twenty residents, all family members and relatives, and described the attack as a horrible and ugly massacre. Abbas stated that…
P.A Government: “Beit Hanoun attack disgraced the international community”
Palestinian government spokesperson, Ghazi Hamad, said Wednesday that Israel is not a state, but rather a gang of criminals. The international community that Hamad says Israel disgraced in this morning's…
Dahlan: “Monday meetings were serious, unity is what the people hope”
Fateh legislator, Mohammad Dahlan, said on Tuesday that the meetings between president Mahmoud Abbas, and Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, were serious and detailed, and that they discussed and solved several…
Teachers strike to be suspended Saturday
Palestinian sources reported on Monday at night that Palestinian government representatives, representatives of the Teachers Union and a representative of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, agreed to suspend the teachers…
Abbas-Haniyya meeting ends with no agreement, but will meet again Tuesday
Palestinian sources reported on Monday that the Monday evening meeting between the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, ended without an agreement on a national unity government,…
Haniyya: “I might not head the Palestinian Government”
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, said on Monday that he might not be heading the coming Palestinian government that might be announced today or tomorrow. During the thirty-third session of…
MK Khenin demands Olmert to fire Lieberman
Member of Knesset Dr. Dov Khenin from the Hadash party demanded the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to sack Avigdor Lieberman from the government after his recent statements against the…
Lieberman says there is no hope for peace with the Palestinians
An Israeli far-right politician has called for a near-total separation of Jews and Arabs in the country, saying Israel should follow the example of the divided island of Cyprus. Avigdor…
PRC spokesperson: “We will not kill Shalit under any circumstances”
Abu Mojahid, media spokesperson of the Popular Resistance Committees, one of three groups holding an Israeli soldier captive since June 25, said that the group will not kill the soldier…
UNRWA: “We have to send food and medical aid to the surrounded residents”
John Ging, UNRWA’s Gaza Field Director, demanded the International Community to ensure the entry of food and humanitarian aid to the surrounded residents in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part…
Hamas: “Coalition deal reached between Palestinian factions”
Israeli online daily Haaretz reported that Salah Bardaweel, head of the Hamas parliamentary bloc, said that a parliamentary agreement had been reached between the movement and other Palestinian factions. He…
Al Husseini: Hamas given two weeks to decide an National Unity Government
Rafiq Al Husseini, a top advisor for the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Thursday that Abbas gave Hamas a period of two weeks to sum up the internal talks…
Peretz approves the transfer of 5000 rifles to Abbas’ presidential guard
Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, approved on Wednesday that transfer of 5000 rifles from Jordan to the Palestinian Authority’s presidential guard, and is currently weighing the possibility of allowing Badir…
Abbas: “Israeli military escalation proves that Israel does not want peace”
Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Wednesday that the Israeli military escalation in the Gaza Strip, and the killing of seven Palestinians on Wednesday on Beit Hanoun, proves that Israel…
Haniyya: “Israeli attacks are aimed at foiling the Palestinians democratic process”
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, said on Wednesday that the military operation in Beit Hanoun is part of the Israeli campaign against the democratically elected government and the people. The…
Ayalon: “Bush’s letter more important than Balfour declaration”
The outgoing Israeli ambassador to the United States, Dani Ayalon, said that that the letter of the US President George W. Bush, dated on April 14, 2004, to the then-Prime…
Israeli army announces plan to expand its attacks in the Gaza Strip
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, will convene with the Israeli political-security cabinet on Wednesday to decide the possibility of expanding the military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Yet, the operations…
Rafah Border crossing opened for one day
Palestinian sources reported that the Rafah Border Crossing, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, was reopened both on Tuesday from eight in the morning until five in the…
Lieberman approved in government in three minutes
The Israeli government approved the inclusion of Avigdor Lieberman as “Minister fro Strategic Affairs, in a three minutes session, Israeli sources reported. The deal will be brought before the Knesset…
Shaath: “Unity government, government of experts, are the same”
Palestinian legislator and member of the Fateh Revolutionary Council, Dr. Nabil Shaath, said on Monday in Ramallah that there is no difference between a National Unity Government and a government…
Haniyya: “Efforts are ongoing to end the current crisis, and form a unity government”
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, said on Monday during the thirty-first session of the ministers council in Gaza that there are continuous efforts to end the current internal crisis, and…
Fateh, Hamas, agree to end weapons display, tension
Fateh and Hamas movements agreed, on Friday evening, to end all sorts of weapon display and tension in the Gaza Strip. The agreement came after mediation from the Popular Front…
PRC: “Shalit crisis might be solved within days”
The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), one of three resistance factions holding the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, captive since June 25 said on Saturday that a solution for the crisis is…
Awad: “The coming days will see the formation of a national unity government”
Secretary general of the Palestinian Ministers Council, Dr. Mohammad Awad, said on Friday that the coming will see the “dawn of a new National Unity Government based on the Unity…
Peretz will recommend Labor party to remain in government
Following a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, said that he would recommend that Labor party remains in the government coalition, and that…
Mashal conducts a brief visit to Qatar
Khaled Mashal, political bureau chief of the Hamas party, conducted a brief visit to Qatar and held a meeting with the prince of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani,…
Masha’al to Egypt for talks with officials
Khaled Masha’al chair of the politburo of Hamas will arrive in Egypt in the coming few days for talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo, a Palestinian source reported. Masha’al’s visit…
Lieberman: “We are joining government coalition”
Chairman of the Israel Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman, said on Monday that his party decided to join the government, and that he hopes a final deal would be signed by…
Abbas slams the Israeli attack in Gaza, describes it as massacre
Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, slammed Monday's Israeli attack in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and described it as massacres. The statements of Abbas came after the army killed…
Yousef: “Israel agreed to release Palestinian detainees”
Israeli sources reported that Ahmad Yousef, a senior political advisor to the Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, said on Saturday that Israel agreed to release Palestinian detainees, including top Hamas…
The Israeli Defense Minister allows Palestinian citizens of Israel to visit their relatives in Gaza.
The Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, approved Palestinian citizens of Israel to visit their relatives in the Gaza Strip. This follows a request made on Friday by the Arab Knesset…
Hamas: `“Any referendum called on the government is a coup on legitimacy`
The Hamas-led Palestinian Government considered any referendum called by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, from the Fateh party, as a coup on legitimacy. Palestinian Interior Minister, Sa'id Siyam, said in…
Siyam: `“Israel wants Shalit freed without any prisoner swap deal`
Palestinian Minister of Interior, Sa'id Siyam, said on Thursday that Israel does not want any prisoner swap deal, and that it is to be blamed for the failure of a…
US Speaks Out Against Israel’s Imposed Restrictions on US Citizens Traveling to the West Bank
The US has addressed the growing issue of Palestinian Americans being barred from entering the territories. Palestinian Americans are finding that having an American passport, despite such close ties between…
Hamad: `“Hamas might accept a government of professionals and independent experts`
Dr. Ghazi Hamad, media spokesperson of the Palestinian government stated that Hamas might accept the formation on a unity government that includes professionals and independent experts from all Palestinian factions…