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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Two Gaza rockets strike west Negev as truce talks progress |
| 2009-02-09 |
| Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Sunday fired a Grad rocket at the southern city of Ashkelon, as a deal for an Israeli-Hamas truce in the coastal territory was taking form. The rocket attack on the southern town caused neither casualties nor damage. Earlier Sunday, a Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. The Israel Defense Forces said one car was set ablaze and several others were damaged by shrapnel. No injuries were reported. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either attack. Militants have sporadically fired rockets into Israel since a cease-fire ended Israel's three-week offensive against Hamas in Gaza on Jan.18. They also killed one IDF soldier in a border bombing attack. IDF troops have killed three Palestinians in border shootings. Also on Sunday, IDF troops arrested a wanted militant in a village north of Ramallah in the West Bank. Sunday's rocket attack occurred hours after the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat reported Sunday that Israel has agreed to free jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti as part of a deal to secure the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. According to the daily, Barghouti will be among the 1,000 Palestinian prisoners Israel will free in the exchange. But the London-based paper also said that Israel has refused to release Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Ahmed Sa'adat. Israel has also agreed to release 350 of the 372 prisoners on a list presented by Hamas, Al-Hayat reported. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Is that before or after he turns into Nelson Mandela? |
| Posted by: Fred 2009-02-09 12:06 |
| #3 What am I missing? (i) Once they're out, you can kill them. (ii) In the specific case of Barghouti, he might challenge Abbas---putting a crimp in the USDS plans for a Palestinian state. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-02-09 11:19 |
| #2 They're being released because they've cooperated with the Israelis. Or at least that's the story I would pass. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-02-09 08:05 |
| #1 Bargouti? Is Israel just tired of holding onto these guys or something? Have they decided that there is no value in holding onto them? What am I missing? |
| Posted by: gorb 2009-02-09 02:38 |