[Previous entry: "Taliban claim seven Afghan troops in Ghazni"] [Next entry: "Professor McCoy Exposes the History of CIA Interrogation, From the Cold War to the War on Terror"]

02/19/2006:

"Israel to impose Hamas sanctions"

Israel's cabinet has approved punitive sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, now led by militant group Hamas.
Israel will withhold an estimated $50m (£28m) in monthly customs revenues due to the PA, and will tighten borders for people and food crossing into Gaza.

Before the cabinet meeting, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the Hamas-led PA a "terrorist authority" and ruled out direct talks.

Israel would allow humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinians, Mr Olmert said.

"It is clear that in light of the Hamas majority in the PLC and the instructions to form a new government that were given to the head of Hamas, the PA is - in practice - becoming a terrorist authority," Mr Olmert said.

"Israel will not hold contacts with the administration in which Hamas plays any part - small, large or permanent."
bbc.co.uk


Israeli troops kill 2 Palestinian stone-throwers
NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians during confrontations with stone throwers in the West Bank refugee camp of Balata on Sunday, witnesses and medics said.

They said soldiers were searching Balata, near the city of Nablus, for suspected militants when they came across stone-throwing youths and opened fire. Two 18-year-olds were killed. A third youth was wounded in the incident, medics said.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the incident.