Prefatory Note

John Hurson in Ireland has been keenly conscious of the affinities between the historic Irish hunger strike of 1981 and the ongoing Palestinian hunger strikes. He has travelled to Gaza on several occasions on humanitarian aid convoys, and is the founder of the on line Gaza TV News service. I suggested that we collaborate on an article that might recall the Irish experience, especially the parallels and the potential implications for the future of the Palestinian struggle.

John Hurson ends his reflective essay with a comparison between the hardheartedness of Netanyahu and the British leader at the time, Margaret Thatcher. Although more than 30 years have passed since Bobby Sands and his nine fellow prisoners died as a result of carrying their prison protests to their ultimate point of no return.

I hope and pray that no Palestinian hunger strikers die. Their moral authority and political energy is needed to galvanize further these glimmerings of a Palestinian awakening. The impact of Khader Adnan and later Hana Shalabi, after their release from Israeli prisons is illustrative, and helps us all understand that although abusive arrest and administrative detention is the immediate cause of the hunger strikes, their agenda was always far broader than seeking personal relief.

Their intention, already partially effective, was to shine a bright light of truth on the manner in which Israel has used administrative detention, as well as on broader concerns about Palestinian imprisonment more generally, and beyond this, to call attention to the unlawful and immoral denial through decades and across generations of fundamental Palestinians rights under a structure called internationally ‘occupation’ but experienced as a lethal blend of annexation, apartheid, and settler colonialism.

At this time present medical condition of at least six long-term hunger strikers has been reported to be grave for the past several days. The respected Palestinian NGO, Addameer, gave details in its May 9^th release entitled “Update: Situation of Long-Term Hunger Strikers Becomes Increasingly Urgent.”  Those in critical condition include Thaer Halahleh and Bilal Diab (74 days); Hassan Shafadi (68 days); Omar Abu Shalal (66 days); Mohammad Taj (55 days); Jaafar Azzedine (51 days).

There have been calls made for a worldwide empathy and solidarity hunger strike on Tuesday, May 15, the day that the Nabka is observed by Palestinians and their friends worldwide. I intend to make this gesture of support, and hope many others will join, and send a further message that the cause of Palestinian justice is rising to the top of the moral agenda of the peoples of the world even in the face of the awful complicity of Western governments with an intolerable situation of prolonged occupation and exile.

RECALLING THE IRISH HUNGER STRIKE OF 1981

By John Hurson of County Tyrone, Ireland

In 1980, 7 IRA men in the H Block prison embarked on a hunger strike seeking to re establish their political status, which the British Government had ended 4 years before. After 53 days, and the men close to death, a deal was apparently on the table from the Thatcher led British Government, and the men called of their hunger strike. In the days that followed, it became clear that there was no deal.

2 months later, another hunger strike was announced, and on March 1st, Bobby Sands began his hunger strike. As part of their strategy, different men would join at later stages. Several men would follow Bobby, and by the end of the summer, 10 men had died before the hunger strike was called off.

The prisoners had 5 demands:

1. The right not to wear a prison uniform;

2. The right not to do prison work;

3. The right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits;

4. The right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week;

5. Full restoration of remission lost through the protest.

In the months that followed, several of the demands were met, and within 2 years, all 5.   A few weeks after Bobby started his fast, the MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone died, and an election was called. A decision was made to run Bobby as a candidate in order to gain more attention to their plight, and on his 41st day on hunger strike, he was elected MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.   His election lit a spark where the Republican movement saw the impact of electoral success.

The rise of Sinn Fein to where they are today can be traced back to this victory. Today, Sinn Fein are a major political force in Ireland, and have elected representatives in all corners of Ireland. During the negotiations that led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, Sinn Fein played a major role. Today, Martin McGuiness is the Deputy First Minister in the Stormont Executive, and meets world leaders on a regular basis. Gerry Adams, the party leader, is an elected TD (Teachta Dala, Gaellic designation for Member of Parliament) in the Irish Parliament.

There is no doubt that the hunger strike of 1981 changed things forever, not only for the prisoners in the H Blocks, but politically. The names of the 10 men are ingrained forever in Irish history, and the dark days of 1981 are now a beacon of hope for the future.

Bobby Sands

Khader Adnan ended his hunger strike after 66 days, the same length of time Bobby Sands endured before he died on May 5th 1981. Throughout Khader’s hunger strike, he was compared to Bobby Sands, the first of ten men to die in the Hunger Strike of 1981.

Forever, the 2 men will be talked about in the same breath for their courage, determination, and in Bobby’s case, ultimate sacrifice.

At the beginning of March 1981, Bobby Sands began his Hunger Strike. He died on May 5^th.

Following Bobby, Francis Hughes, Ray McCreesh, Patsy O’Hara,Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Thomas McElwee, and Mickey Devine all died before the strike was called off.

the 10 men who died on hunger strike in 1981

As Khader Adnan approached the 50 day mark, I contacted Tommy McKearneyand he recorded a message for Khader and his family. Tommy’s message carried a unique understanding of Khader’s condition as Tommy had gone 53 days without food in 1980.

I contacted Oliver Hughes in South Derry. Oliver’s brother, Francis, died after 59 days, and his cousin Thomas McElwee after 62. Oliver  recorded a very powerful message .

As Khader was on his 64th day, I got in contact with the family of Ray McCreesh. They sent a statement of support for Khader and his family. Ray McCreesh (61 days), died on the same day as Patsy O’Hara.(61 days)   Patsy ’s brother Tony sent a message of support  on behalf of himself, and his mother Peggy.

Mickey Devine was the last of the 10 men to die in 1981. Mickey’s children, Michael og and Louise, sent through a heartfelt message,. considering they were the same age as Khader’s children when their father died, their voices added a special meaning. Mickey Devine, (27), died on August 20th 1981

In addition to these messages, two other former hunger strikers added their voices. Pat Sheehan(55 days), and Ray McCartney  (53 days), sent a video message. Danny Morrison, who was a friend of Bobby Sands also issued a statement.

On day 66, Khader reached an agreement with the Israeli Government to end his strike on the condition that they would not renew his Administrative Detention order, and release him on April 17^th.

Khader Adnan and his 2 daughters following his release

Following Khader’s hunger strike several other prisoners followed his example, and began hunger strikes in protest at their incarceration under the Administrative Detention policy.

On April 17^th, over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners initiated a mass  hunger strike. The plight of the Palestinian prisoners was set to take centre stage, and their struggle brought to the worlds attention.  In the days that followed, hundreds more joined them.

Adding a voice of support for Bilal Diab and Thaer Hallahla who were on day 70 of their hunger strike, was Laurence McKeown. Before ending his fast, he had gone 70 days without food. He knew only to well the dangers facing both men, and he recorded a message of support.

Two days later, Pat Sheehan, MLA,issued a statement on behalf of Sinn Fein calling for an immediate end to Administrative Detention, and support for the prisoners.   Bilal and Thaer are on day 74 day of their hunger strike.

Bilal Diab and Thaer Hallahla at a recent court appearance

Ireland has a long history of the use of a hunger strike as a form of protest. It has been used for centuries. Palestinian prisoners have been inspired by Irish hunger strikes in the past, and this one is no different.

In 1981, Palestinians prisoners sent a message of support to the families of the 10 men who died. Their memory burns bright among current prisoners on hunger strike.   This hunger strike has resonated widely in Ireland.

The voices have roared around the world, playing a pivotal role in bringing international awareness and pressure on the Israeli Government, and their treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Historically, Ireland has had its fair share of tyrants. Amongst them, Margaret Thatcher is in a league of her own for allowing 10 Irish men to die on hunger strike before granting their 5 demands.

Judging from his past behaviour, Netanyahu, like Thatcher in 1981, is unlikely to step in to avoid having any of these Palestinian die during their hunger strikes.

Is the fuse being lit for a 3^rd Intifada? Only the future will give us an answer.

Richard Falk is an international law and international relations scholar who taught at Princeton University for forty years. Since 2002 he has lived in Santa Barbara, California, and taught at the local campus of the University of California in Global and International Studies and since 2005 chaired the Board of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

This year’s CRH Annual General Meeting in Dun Laoghaire on Wednesday, 9th May, was again the scene of calls for the company to divest from its Israeli business interests which are involved in building the illegal wall and settlements in Palestine.

Two Palestinian women made impassioned pleas from the floor asking CRH to heed the 10,000 signature strong petition calling for CRH to “Stop Cementing Misery in Palestine”. The petition and demonstration were organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

Outside, over 50 human rights activists created a colourful spectacle along Marine Road. 33 activists each held a single placard with one letter of the campaign slogan calling on CRH to divest while others held aloft 25 feet high Palestinian flags and 30 feet long Palestinian banners.

John Dorman, Divestment Officer of the IPSC, said that the intervention was because:

“CRH owns 25% of the Israeli company Mashav Initiative and Development Ltd, which in turn owns Israel’s sole cement producer Nesher Cement Enterprises Ltd. Nesher provide up to 90% of all cement sold in Israel, including cement used in the construction of Israel’s illegal separation wall in Palestine and illegal settlements and checkpoints.”

Palestinian human rights lawyer, Huwaida Arraf, drew a round of applause in the meeting after her heartfelt entreaty to CRH, which left board members stony-faced and decidedly awkward looking. In her speech, Ms Arraf implored CRH to divest from Israel. She said,

“I am here to plead with you not be complicit in building Israel’s ghettos of the 21st Century that my family is living in right now. You say that CRH has no control over the end use of the cement that the Nesher company produces. I’m sorry but Palestinians simply can’t accept that. We cannot accept it because you knowingly invested in this company, and you are aware that the company has built this wall and these settlements, declared by the World Court to be a violation of international law.

Ms Arraf concluded with a warning for CRH and its shareholders, saying that:

 ”CRH should divest from Israel like other companies are doing right now, or else they face the loss of massive contracts as companies like G4S and Veolia have seen recently as a result of their complicity with Israeli apartheid. It is tainting the reputation of your company, so please do as other companies, who care morally and ethically about their investors and investments, have done and divest”.

Next to speak on the issue was Fatin Al Tamimi, a Palestinian woman from Hebron in the West Bank. Ms Tamimi pointed out that:

“her hometown is now an apartheid city because of the illegal settlements and checkpoints in its centre, built with cement from Nesher. CRH says it is committed to the highest standards of ethical, legal and moral standards. All I have to do is look at my home town, and CRH’s facilitation of Israel’s apartheid regime of occupation in Palestine, to see that this is a hollow claim. And I am not the only one.”

To prove her point, Ms Tamimi concluded: that she

“would like to present the Board of Directors with a petition which has over ten thousand signatures calling on CRH to stop cementing misery in Palestine and to divest from its Israeli business interests. While most signatories are Irish, there are names here from Jacksonville to Johannesburg to Jerusalem, all united behind this call. The question is, will you listen CRH?”

At this point the petition was handed to the Board in cardboard boxes decorated to represent the Apartheid Wall, while Ms Tamimi held aloft a large placard calling on CRH to listen to the call.

During his intervention, John Dorman of the IPSC questioned whether falling profit rates for CRH were due to their continued investment in Israel. He also noted that the IPSC would be distributing a “CRH Annual Comic” in the lobby, but that it came with a health warning that “you may not find it funny that CRH profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestine”. 200 copies were distributed and the comic is available to download here:

http://www.ipsc.ie/docs/crh/ipsc_crh_comic_2012.pdf

Video report from the demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WepflKjMlIA

John Dorman addresses the CRH board of directors

Khader Adnan is now on his 63rd day on Hunger Strike, and is very close to death.

Sahar Francis, a Lawyer for Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Ad-Dameer, visited Khader  yesterday, Friday17th Feb. Adnan told Francis that he is determined to continue his hunger strike, despite his gradually deteriorating health condition, and added that:

“his battle is not personal, but a Palestinian struggle against the illegal Administrative Detention, that confines hundreds of detainees behind bars without charges, in direct violation of International Law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions”.

Francis said that the Israeli Prison Administration agreed, only two days ago, to allow Adnan to bathe, cut his hairs and nails, for the first time since he was kidnapped and taken prisoner in December 2011.

She added that Adnan still enjoys high confidence, and solid determination, despite his bad health condition, and is determined to continue his strike.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, issued a statement today, Saturday, saying that the

“EU is concerned over reports of the deteriorating health condition of Khader Adnan,”

Ashton went on to say that

“the EU is concerned about the extensive use by Israel of administrative detention without formal charge.” 

Today, Khader’s wife Randa said that he was not ending his Hunger Strike, and is determined to carry on.

In his hometown, family and friends handed out bags of bread from his bakery.

On Wednesday, Randa visited him in hospital, and she described his condition in the following statement:

 ”His health has drastically deteriorated from the last time I saw him. . . .I expect the worst,”

“The world should pressure the Israeli government to release him before it’s too late.”

““Israel denied Khader fairness & decency, maybe the rest of humanity will show more mercy.”

 

A Doctor who examined Khader on Wednesday, described his condition as been “In immediate danger of death”, and his Lawyers have filed an urgent appeal. The appeal was approved by a High Court Justice, and will be heard at the earliest opportunity.

Richard Falk, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories,  described the situation as urgent, and said the international community should intervene on Mr. Adnan’s behalf.

“In view of the emergency of his situation, the Government of Israel must take immediate and effective action to safeguard Mr. Adnan’s life, while upholding his rights,” said Mr. Falk in a statement.

Richard Falk went even further today in an Op Ed piece in the following Al Jazeera article:

Saving Khader Adnan’s life is saving our own soul Richard Falk

The Jimmy Carter Center in Atlanta issued the following statement on Thursday:

“The Carter Center calls on the Israeli government to immediately charge or release Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who was arrested on Dec. 17, 2011, based on “secret evidence” and has been held in administrative detention without charge. Mr. Adnan has undertaken a hunger strike since his arrest 62 days ago and his life is in imminent danger. His grave medical condition has been verified by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel.”

Due to the urgency of Khader’s condition, the Palestinian Council of Human Rights Organizations (PCHRO) urges the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union to take immediate action and intervene with Israel in the strongest manner possible to save Khader’s life.

The PCHRO demands that the international community put pressure on Israel to end his arbitrary detention before it is too late.

Today in Gaza and the west Bank, thousands of people came out to show their support for Khader.

Speaking to a mass rally in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh had this to say about Khader:

“We stand by the heroic symbol of prisoners, brother Khader Adnan, in his unlimited hunger strike,”

Across the world, vigils are been held for Khader, and at the prison facility, Ofer, daily demonstrations are been held. The protesters have come under sustained attacks from the Israeli military, and many people have been injured after been shot with rubber bullets, and effects of tear gas inhalation.

Support for Khader Adnan has also come in from Oliver Hughes, whose brother Francis , 25, died in the H Blocks after 59 days. His cousin, Thomas McElwee, 33, also died on Hunger Strike after 62 days. In total, 10 Irish men died during this Hunger Strike in 1981 which included Bobby Sands.

OnTuesday, as Khader Adnan entered his 60th day on Hunger Strike, Oliver, sends a message of support and solidarity to Khader.

Click on the link below to hear Oliver’s message.

Khader Adnan receives message of support from Oliver Hughes. Feb 14th, 2012

Tommy McKearney, an Irish man who went 53 days on Hunger Strike also sent a message to Khader as he entered his 54th day last week

Khader Adnan receives message of support from former Hunger Striker Tommy McKearney

Khader was arrested on 17 December 2011 and has since been refusing food and medical treatment until he is granted release. On 8 January 2012, Israeli authorities issued a four-month administrative detention order, which was confirmed on 7 February 2012 by an Israeli military judge despite his worsening health condition.

The appeal against his administrative detention order was rejected by an Israeli military judge on 13 February.

Anti-colonial heroes: Khader Adnan & Mahatma Ghandi

Comrade, On Behalf of the family of Irish Republican Army Volunteer Francis Hughes, who died on Hunger Strike on the 12th of May 1981, we offer to you and your comrades our total support and best wishes.

“On this day you will have completed 59 days on Hunger Strike. It was after 59 days on Hunger Strike that my brother died.. My cousin Thomas Mc Elwee also died after 62 days.

The Irish people understand the plight of the Palestinian people. Our country has been occupied by the British for 800 years, and throughout all those years we have suffered murder, imprisonment, and death on Hunger Strike.
The Palestinian people are a proud people. You must keep up the struggle. You have a lot of support and sympathy worldwide. My thoughts and prayers are with Khader Adnan his comrades, family, and friends on this day.”

Oliver Hughes, February 14th, 2012,

Click on the following link to watch video

Khader Adnan receives message of support from Oliver Hughes

Tommy McKearney shows his support for Khader Adnan

My name is Tommy Mc Kearney.

I am a former member of the IRA and 32 years ago I was on hunger strike for 53 days in the H.Blocks.

Today, Khader Adnan will be 54 days on hungerstrike.
Held by the Israeli government on Administrative Detention, in other words, without charge or conviction.
He is battling against atrocious conditions and a very unjust system.
His life is ebbing away in a very cruel and harsh regime. His conditions are hard, difficult and awful.
The world must intervene to save this mans life in the name of humanity, in the name of decency, justice and legality.
54 days on hungerstrike his body is beginning to collapse. We cant say whether this man will be alive tonight or tomorrow night because at this stage, he has passed the critical stage that a human body can survive without food and nourishment.

His pain is enormous and his plight deplorable. We must act, the world must act to save this man and I call upon the Israeli regime to show some mercy, something it has not shown in the past, but we must demand that it shows mercy and correctness and justice to release this man immediately to save his life and to save dignity and humanity throughout the world

Click on the following link to listen to Tommy’s message

Khader Adnan receives message of support from former Hunger Striker Tommy McKearney

Washington has repeatedly threatened to veto the bid by the PA to seek statehood for Palestine at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The United States cannot block the UN General Assembly vote for the change of Palestine’s status in the world body from entity to state, but it can veto it later at the Security Council.

Press TV has conduccted an interview with Nasim Ahmed, a senior researcher to futher talks over the issue. Following is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: Let us talk a little bit about the effect of the UN vote that’s coming forward, for a Palestine state that is a member of the United Nations .

Nasim Ahmed: Next week at the 23rd, that’s when Mahmoud Abbas will actually officially request the United Nation, as to what he will request is not very clear, whether it will be a full membership or recognition for a Palestinian state.

There are lots of issues surrounding that, especially with the Palestinian refugees coming into stake, in terms of their recognition within the UN. Because at the moment the PLO represents the Palestinians, and the calls for statehood or the recognition for statehood, might jeopardize or weaken their rights.

There are also various merits which have been attributed to this recognition. But if you look at the strategic development within the region, it might if anything weaken the Palestinians even more and strengthen the Israeli position.

Press TV: Can you just explain how many Palestinians actually are forced into exile currently and what your research at the Palestine Return Center has shown of how many want to return? And if the Palestinians were to return, how would that take place, do you have an image of that at the Palestine Return Center?

Nasim Ahmed: Well the crucial issue is to first recognize, what in principle from an international and legal point of view, what is the rights of the 7.1 million Palestinian refugees.

So globally from the 11 million Palestinians, there are 7.1 Palestinian refugees. The majority of them, so you have 2.5 million within West Bank and 1.5 in Gaza. And the rest are in diaspora. Within Jordan there are half a million, within Syria another are half a million, within Lebanon and of course you have another hundreds of thousands around the world.

This UN vote, what it would actually do is it will weaken their position. Because at the moment the PLO is what represents the Palestinians in diaspora, or the global Palestinian population.

So if the United Nations recognizes a Palestinian state, or the PA as the representative of the Palestinians. The PA has no mandate to actually represent the Palestinians in diaspora. All it has is a mandate to actually represent the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Press TV: Is there a body that represents Palestinians in diaspora legally and politically?

Nasim Ahmed: It’s recognized. The UN recognizes PLO as the rightful representative of the Palestinian people. And the Palestinian people are the primary agent of the Palestinian question. It’s not the state it’s the Palestinian people.

Press TV: So the right of return will be weakened in your opinion by this statehood bid at the UN?

Nasim Ahmed: It will be because there will be no representative body for the Palestinians in diaspora within the UN, arguing for their rights. That’s why it will be weakened really.

Press TV: Nasim, just finally then. It’s hard to imagine much jubilation in the minds of people living in the West Bank and Gaza, whatever happens at the UN?

Nasim Ahmed: I just want to say, the issue of Palestine as Edward said is not about flags and national anthems and nationalism. It’s something more fundamental, it’s about the rights of millions of human beings.

And calling for a state when there is still occupation, there is still the illegal wall. There are ongoing settlements and demolition of homes.

When these are facts on the ground, and to simply try and whitewash all this and try and go for an international strategic move, doesn’t really change the game much. Israel is still pulling all the tricks here. And it will not change anything.

There is a faction within the Palestinians who think this will actually change the game. But it will not actually do much for the Palestinians in general.

Press TV

Last night’s performance in London by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was disrupted repeatedly by solidarity activists. These activists who protested inside and outside the venue, Royal Albert Hall, were responding to a call by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and

Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).

We, Palestinian cultural institutions, including the leading musical organizations, urge the BBC to cancel the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) concert at this year’s Proms, due to IPO’s complicity in whitewashing Israel’s persistent violations of international law and human rights. The IPO is scheduled to perform in September in London. Should the BBC fail to cancel this ill-conceived concert, we urge all people of conscience in the UK and especially those who stand for justice, freedom, equality and human rights to effectively protest this event, including by promoting a wide boycott of it, and by tapping into the impressive creative energies British supporters of Palestinian rights have always shown.

The event was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, but the broadcast was interrupted and cancelled after multiple major disruptions.

Israeli aircraft have struck Hamas security installations in Gaza, killing at least six Palestinians, in further retaliation for attacks along the Egyptian border in which eight Israelis died.

Gaza residents said three compounds controlled by the Hamas group that rules the enclave were hit in the overnight raids on positions in Rafah.

Five of those killed were members of the Popular Resistance Committees, while the sixth was a young boy. Medical officials said that 17 others had been wounded.

The PRC confirmed to the AFP news agency that its leader had been killed, vowing that it would take revenge “against everything and everyone”.

The Israeli military said that at least ten rockets had been fired from Gaza into southern Israel after the aerial bombing of Rafah. It said that two rockets fired at the city of Ashdod “caused damage and injuries at a synagogue and school”, according to a statement.

An Israeli drone also hit the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza city on Friday morning, but medical sources told Al Jazeera that it caused no casualties.

Israeli security forces beefed up security in the wake of the strikes, Al Jazeera correspondent Cal Perry reported from Jerusalem. He said that thousands of people were seen marching towards the mosque ahead of midday prayers on Friday, and that hundreds of Israeli police officers had also been deployed.

Eilat attacks

Israeli military commanders said six civilians and two soldiers were killed in a series of assaults by gunmen that targeted two buses, a car and an army vehicle on a desert road north of Israel’s Red Sea resort of Eilat on Thursday.

The military said seven gunmen were killed in southern Israel, including two who blew themselves up in suicide attacks on one of the buses and in a confrontation with soldiers.

Israel said the attackers had infiltrated from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip via Egypt’s Sinai desert, vowing to “hunt down” the perpetrators.

Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman, told Israel Radio that the military had received intelligence reports of a possible attack ahead of Thursday’s assault, and that military deployments had been reinforced.

He said that the complex desert terrain and porous nature of the border had complicated the Israeli army’s mission, however.

Egyptians soldiers killed

Meanwhile, two Egyptian policemen were killed when the Israeli aircraft opened fire near the Rafah border town with the Palestinian Gaza Strip, the official MENA news agency quoted an Egyptian military official as saying.

“An Israeli plane was pursuing infiltrators on the other side of the border until they reached Rafah and fired at them. There were several Central Security members there and they were hit by the gunfire,” the official told MENA.

Security officials said the incident took place south of Rafah, along the border with Israel.

They identified the Israeli aircraft as an Apache gunship that had been tracking the armed groups.

MENA quoted a military official as saying that troops were combing the border area and beefing up security after Thursday’s attacks, which came as the military conducts a week long operation to uproot armed groups in Sinai.

Thursday’s strikes

In earlier attacks, Israel struck in the Gaza Strip against the Popular Resistance Committees, an armed faction that often operates independently of Hamas. The Israeli military said the PRC was behind the border attacks.

The PRC said its commander, Kamal al-Nairab, his deputy, Immad Hammad, and three other members were killed in Thursday’s air strike on a home in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

The faction vowed “double” revenge against Israel for the attack, which local Palestinians said also killed a nine-year-old son of the owner of the house.

Al Jazeera’s Perry reported that another attack occurred later on Thursday in southern Israel, after the Israeli air strikes had begun.

“There has now been a fourth shooting attack near Eilat, where the earlier attacks took place,” Perry said.

Perry described the Israeli retaliation on Gaza as “clearly a targeted hit”.

“They are certainly ratcheting up the violence. After the evidence they say they found today it’s clear they are stepping up their attacks on Gaza,” he said.

Strong warning

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, issued a stern warning in a televised address in the aftermath of Thursday’s violence.

“If the terror organisations think they can harm our citizens without a response, Israel will make them pay a very heavy price,” he said.

Netanyahu continued: “If you harm Israel, we will respond immediately and very strongly,” he said, noting that “those who ordered the killing of our citizens … are no longer alive.”

In Washington, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said in a statement that the “brutal and cowardly attacks” near Eilat “appear to be premediated acts of terrorism against innocent civilians”.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, also expressed concern about an “escalation” of violence in the region.

Midday attacks

The attacks in southern Israel began around noon, when gunmen strafed a bus on route 12, a desert road which flanks the Egyptian border, some 25km north of Eilat.

Most of the windows were shattered but there were very few bullet holes in the bodywork, said an AFP reporter.

Reports said most of the passengers on the bus were Israeli soldiers on their way home from their respective bases for the weekend.

Shortly afterwards, the gunmen detonated a roadside bomb as a military vehicle rushed to the scene; they also opened fire on a second bus, killing the driver.

In another incident on route 90, a desert road near the Jordanian border, gunmen fired an RPG at cars some 15km north of Eilat, security sources said. Medics said five victims died in that attack, four of whom were in a civilian car.

It was not immediately clear where the seventh victim, a soldier, was killed.

Israeli troops quickly locked down the area and engaged in a running gunbattle with the group that ended with seven of the attackers killed, Tal Russo, head of the army’s southern command, told AFP.

Russo said two were shot dead in Israeli territory, while a third blew himself up with explosives strapped to his body.

Four more were killed on the Egyptian side of the border – two shot dead by Israeli troops firing across the border, and another two shot by Egyptian forces, he said.

There was no confirmation by Egyptian officials.

Al-Jazeera

New treatment plant hopes to end the deluge of sewage being pumped into the sea every day.

For years Gaza’s sewage system has been close to collapse.

Beaches along the Strip’s 40km of coast are heavily polluted by waste being pumped directly into the sea – 14,000 cubic metres of it per day.

The people who depend on the Mediterranean for their livelihoods are the ones who suffer the most.

Now, work on a new mutli-million dollar treatment plant is underway. Residents are hopeful this will mean the days of dumping waste into the sea are set to become a thing of the past.

Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza.

Al Jazeera

The construction projects will last for at least 3 years but the frequent closure of karm Abu Salem crossing- Gaza’s only commercial crossing- will affect its progress
Since the siege came into effect in 2007, many projects worth 100′s of millions of Dollars frozen due to lack of construction materials. Restrictions imposed on Gaza by Israel have the effect of collectively punishing the population, this has also hampered the work of international and local NGO’s in the blockaded costal territory
Israel had continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT especially Gaza and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, restricting also the flow of goods such as construction and raw materials.
Economic experts say that such projects will help revive the economy and will create 10′s of 1000′s of jobs.

Press TV

The social welfare arm of the Hamas government in Gaza is delivering thousands of free meals to families during the Muslim month of Ramadan.

Hamas sees the charity work as an opportunity to strengthen support and expand its network.

Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza on whether the efforts are working.

The least the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza want is to visit the villages where their grandparents grew up in, many of them located in the occupied Palestinian territories, says an activist.

Interview with James Haywood, Palestine Campaign