Currency Shortage in Gaza, More Illegal Israeli Grabbing of Palestinian Lands in East Jerusalem, Raids, Attacks, Kidnapping of Palestinians, August 8, 2008

816 new illegal Israeli settlement homes to be constructed

Date: 08 / 08 / 2008 Time: 09:46
Bethlehem – Ma'an -

Four hundred new homes will be constructed in the illegal Israeli East Jerusalem settlement Neve Ya'akov, and another 416 are planned for other nearby settlements (built illegally on Palestinian lands).

The Israeli Interior Ministry announced the plans on Thursday, and is backed by the Jerusalem municipality, which had announced the project on 10 March 2008. The municipality presented funds to build 286 housing units in the illegal Israeli settlement of Betar Illit, a settlement west of Bethlehem, and 130 housing units on the Abu Ghunaim Mountain of East Jerusalem.

Israeli occupation forces kidnap Islamic Jihad leader Qassim Al-Sa'adi
Date: 08 / 08 / 2008 Time: 09:29
Jenin – Ma'an -

The Israeli occupation army stormed the Jenin home of Islamic Jihad leader Al-Shaikh Qassem Al-Sa'adi, kidnapped the man and removed him to an unknown location.

Sources within Islamic Jihad said that a large military force stormed Jenin early Friday morning and surrounded the house of 55 year-old Al-Sa'adi. Israeli occupation forces bound Al-Sa'adi, covering his face with a cloth, and forced his family members into a room while the home was ransacked.

Qassem Al-Sa'adi is the father of released prisoners Rabi' and Abdul Karim Al-Sa'adi, though his brother Ghassan is still in Israeli prison. The leader's mother was killed by Israeli occupation forces several years ago.

Israeli occupation forces kidnap two Palestinians in Tulkarem

Date: 08 / 08 / 2008 Time: 09:12
Bethlehem – Ma'an -

The Israeli occupation army kidnapped two Palestinians in Tulkarem early Friday morning.

Israeli occupation sources confirmed that their West Bank troops kidnapped one man in Tulkarem and one from the nearby town of Shweika.

Sources added that the abductees were taken to investigation centers for questioning.

Israeli occupation army invades West Bank cities, kidnapping 3 civilians

Friday August 08, 2008 11:42 by Marina Ayyoub - IMEMC News

The Israeli occupation army invaded the West Bank cities of Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarem on Friday at dawn, local sources reported.

In the West Bank city of Jenin, a number of Israeli military vehicles invaded the city. Israeli troops targeted Qasem al-Sa'adi's house, a leader in the Islamic Jihad party.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli troops locked the family in a room while they searched and ransacked the house. Israeli troops bound Qassem and blindfolded him before kidnapping him.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army invaded the West Bank city of Tulkarem kidnapping two civilians and taking them to unknown detention camps for investigation.

In addition to that, the Israeli occupation forces raided the West Bank city of Nablus.

Currency shortage delaying payment of salaries in Gaza

Date: 07 / 08 / 2008 Time: 21:48
Gaza - Ma'an -

The Gaza Strip is suffering a severe shortage of Israeli shekels, the currency used in ordinary life in the Palestinian territories, due to Israeli siege policy.

The crisis has two principle causes, Palestinian officials say. Israeli authorities are not allowing sufficient reserves of currency into the Strip, and the Israeli businesses that deal with Gaza will only trade in shekels, meaning that banknotes are leaving Gaza without being replaced.

A bank source who refused to give his name said that the banks need from 70 million to 100 million shekels in order to resolve the crisis of the salaries and the Palestinian. The source did allude to a recent infusion of currency, but said the transfer was not enough.

Dr Jihad Al Wazir, the spokesperson of the Palestinian Currency Authority, accused Israeli authorities of preventing the shekels from reaching Gaza Strip banks.

Wazir added that that the Authority is in contact with the Israeli side in order to bring the needing quantity of shekels into Gaza, but a solution has not yet been found.

The payment of workers salaries has been delayed as a result of this, and some retirees are complaining that their pensions have only been half paid, the other half delayed until more currency arrives.

The anonymous bank source said that Israeli companies refuse to deal in any currency besides the shekel.

On the black market in Gaza, the price of the dollar has dropped three or four shekels per hundred dollars in Gaza compared to the exchange rate in the world market.

Israel issues bids for 447 settler homes in Jerusalem

Friday August 08, 2008 07:23 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli Housing Ministry issued on Thursday bids for the construction of hundreds of settler homes in Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) in Bethlehem district and Beitar Elit settlement near Jerusalem.

The Israeli government intends to construct 130 units in Abu Ghneim settlement and additional 317 in Beitar Elit.

The new bids were considered another blast in the already trembling peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The announcement of the new bids came only one day after the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, met with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert.

Hamas movement said that this announcement became a reoccurring event which follows every meeting between Abbas and Olmert.

Settlements in the occupied territories are illegal and violate by the international law, but the international idleness and silence encourages Israel to annex more Palestinian lands in order to build illegal settlement.

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