The last of the 6,374 Palestinians stranded in Egypt during the Fatah-Hamas fighting and permitted reentry to Gaza cross through Erez. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., and nr. Hebron, Salfit. Palestinians throw stones at a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Hebron, lightly injuring 2 settlers. After Fatah announces plans for a major “freedom of expression” rally in Gaza City on 8/13 to protest recent Hamas arrests of Fatah mbrs. at weddings (e.g., 8/1, 8/10), Hamas bans “all demonstrations and public gatherings” that do not have official permission. Gaza medical unions begin a 3-day strike to protest Hamas’s firing of 2 al-Shifa Hospital officials on 8/9. (NYT 8/13; NYT, WP 8/14; OCHA 8/15; PCHR 8/16)
Sunday, August 12, 2007