This week …

News Highlights:

  • A new human rights report from Gaza condemns the killing by Israeli forces
    of Palestinian children, 29 of who have died since Sept. 28th in Israel’s
    latest incursion.
  • Today, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl was shot while inside her UNRWA
    classroom.
  • Israeli soldiers have talked to the media about their commander who emptied
    his automatic rifle into 13-year-old Iman Al Hams last week; 15 bullets were
    extracted from her body.
  • Oct. 11th – Israeli PM Ariel Sharon orders the Gaza aggression to continue.
  • Oct. 11th – Palestinian Authority releases legal document that states Israel
    will remain an occupying power in Gaza even if it carries out the
    “disengagement” plan; all people and goods entering or leaving Gaza will
    still be under Israeli control.
  • Israeli Interior Minister issues a statement against the incidents of Jews
    spitting at Christian clergy in Jerusalem; the most recent attack was
    against the Armenian archbishop.

Feature:

A special Eyewitness Palestine: Gaza’s Children highlighted two recent reports, one
from the BBC about the Israeli commander who repeatedly fired at the
13-year-old Palestinian girl and the other from the Electronic Intifada with
eyewitness reports of the families in Jabiliya refugee camp. The BBC report
talked about the investigation underway of the Israeli officer who
approached a young Palestinian girl after soldiers under his command had
already shot her, and emptied his automatic rifle into her body. The
Electronic Intifada story talked about several families in Gaza whose lives
had been devastated by the Israeli assault and whose children now lie
injured in several different hospitals. One doctor in the Kamal Udwan
Hospital said he had never seen such extensive and penetrating injuries.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an urgent action appeal from the Christian Peacemaker Team
about the recent settler attacks on CPT members and other internationals
trying to escort Palestinian children to school. Some of the internationals
have suffered broken arms and even a punctured lung.