Chronological Review of Events/August 2014 – DPR review

Division for Palestinian Rights

Chronological Review of Events Relating to the

Question of Palestine

Monthly media monitoring review

August 2014

1

At least 35 Palestinians have been killed by shelling in Gaza and the Israeli military says one of its soldiers may have been abducted. Israel and Hamas are accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire, which had been announced by the US and the UN and took effect at 8am local time. The fighting broke out less than two hours later. (Times of Malta)

The BBC has seen evidence that appears to confirm that hackers stole several secret military documents from two government-owned Israeli companies that developed the Iron Dome missile defence system. The breaches were first publicised by security blogger Brian Krebs on Monday. The companies denied the incident. However, the team that discovered the incident has given the BBC access to an intelligence report, which indicates that hundreds of files were indeed copied. (BBC)

Robert Serry, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, condemned a serious violation of the humanitarian ceasefire, which was supposed to last for 72 hours. The statement said that Serry called on the Palestinian parties that agreed to the ceasefire to reaffirm their commitment to the ceasefire as soon as possible. “He [Serry] is deeply concerned regarding the serious consequences on the ground that could arise as a result of this incident.” (The Jerusalem Post)

Israel declared on Friday that the 72-hour ceasefire was officially over, prompting the UN to urge the parties to reaffirm their commitment to a truce. Sources close to Gaza factions also said Cairo ceasefire talks planned for Friday have been postponed until further notice. (Reuters, Ynetnews)

“Hamas violated the humanitarian ceasefire which began this morning by firing rockets at Israel from Gaza,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. A total of 15 rockets and mortar shells have been fired into Israel since the  ceasefire took effect at 8 a.m., according to Israel Radio. Seven rockets were successfully intercepted by Iron Dome. (The Jerusalem Post)

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah criticized the international inaction over Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which he described as involving mass slaughter and “war crimes against humanity”, in a speech read out on his behalf on state television. (The Daily Star)

The death toll in Gaza has topped 1,400, with more than 40 people dying after another day of intense Israeli bombardment from air, sea and land. The toll is now greater than in both previous rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Israeli military losses are also significantly higher. Palestinian officials in Gaza said on Thursday that 8,200 people had been wounded in the four-week operation. Up to 80 per cent of the Palestinian casualties were civilians, according to local non-government organizations and the UN. (The Guardian)

Israel shelled the Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah as it carried out a widespread assault on the southern Gaza Strip town. Witnesses told Ma’an that Israeli shells hit the hospital, but no injuries were reported. Israeli forces have struck hospitals repeatedly over the course of the 25-day assault, including al-Wafa Hospital which was completely destroyed. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that eight members of the al-Farra family have been killed, in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, while at least ten have been injured. (IMEC)

The ongoing outage prompted local and international rights groups to warn of an impending disaster in the Gaza Strip. For the third day in a row, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continue to suffer from an electricity and water outage caused by Israeli attacks on the blockaded territory. (Middle East Monitor)

The Secretary-General condemned in the strongest terms the reported violation by Hamas of the mutually agreed humanitarian ceasefire which commenced this morning. He expressed shock and profound disappointment by those developments. He noted that the UN had no independent means to verify exactly what had happened. According to the latest reports, two IDF soldiers had been killed and one taken captive after the humanitarian ceasefire came into effect. That would constitute a grave violation of the ceasefire, and one that was likely to have very serious consequences for the people of Gaza, Israel and beyond. Such moves called into question the credibility of Hamas’ assurances to the United Nations. The Secretary-General demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the captured soldier. Furthermore, he expressed deep concern about the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza and the killing of over 70 Palestinians this morning. Instead of giving both sides, especially Gazan civilians, a much needed reprieve to let them attend to their injured, bury their dead and repair vital infrastructure, that breach of the ceasefire was now leading to a renewed escalation. He urged both sides to show maximum restraint and return to the agreed 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire. He also urged those with influence over the parties to do everything to convince them to observe the humanitarian ceasefire. (http://www.un.org/sg/spokesperson)

The Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Agriculture of the State of Palestine, Mr. Shawqi Issa and the Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. James W. Rawley, launched the Gaza Crisis Appeal. The Gaza Crisis Appeal presents a preliminary strategy of the humanitarian community to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs that have arisen as a result of the current emergency in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the groups that have been rendered the most vulnerable. This includes displaced persons, the injured, the elderly, children, women, and farmers and fishermen who have lost their livelihoods. (ochaopt.org)

President Obama demanded that Hamas release a captured Israeli soldier unconditionally and expressed pessimism that another  ceasefire could be reached because of the deep reserves of mistrust between the two sides. (The New York Times)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the nearly month-long conflict in Gaza, a Palestinian official in Ramallah reported. (The Jerusalem Post)

2

Israeli troops and tanks pulled out of a central sector of the Gaza Strip and moved closer to the border as its military invited Palestinians to return to one of the hardest-hit areas in the coastal strip. Media reports in Israel suggested the military planned to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza and declare victory in the weeks-long war that Palestinian officials say has killed more than 1,650 people. (Times of Malta)

The Israeli military said that an officer thought to have been captured by Palestinian militants during a deadly clash Friday morning, which shattered a planned 72-hour  ceasefire, was now considered to have been killed in battle. (The New York Times)

84 rockets and mortars were fired into Israel, with six shot down by the Iron Dome system. That number was considered an increase over Friday, when 60 rockets and mortars were fired, and nine were shot down. (The Jerusalem Post)

An IDF strike in Gaza on Saturday night, targeted senior Hamas operative Ahmed Hassan Mabhouh, 29, who was an engineering and explosives officer in Hamas’s Jabalia battalion. Mabhouh was killed in the strike. (The Jerusalem Post)

Protesters took to the streets of Paris on Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against Israel’s offensive in Gaza. They held posters reading “Boycott Israel” and “Free Palestine,” while others carried Palestinian flags and waved pro-Palestinian banners. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in a press statement, expressed sorrow over the continued grave escalation in Gaza as well as over the collapse of the humanitarian  ceasefire brokered by the UN. (Wafa News Agency)

3

As Israel began to redeploy significant numbers of its troops away from populated areas of Gaza, an Israeli Air Force missile struck near the entrance of a United Nations school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Rafah, killing 10 people and wounding 35 others and drawing a new round of international condemnation. (The New York Times)

The United States is “appalled” by the “disgraceful” shelling outside a United Nations school in Gaza that killed at least ten Palestinian civilians, the State Department said. “We once again stress that Israel must do more to meet its own standards and avoid civilian casualties,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. (Xinhua)

President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, the U.S. administration, the European Union, Russia, China, and the rest of the world countries, to immediately intervene to force Israel to stop its aggression and to respond to the Egyptian initiative. (Wafa News Agency)

A delegation composed of Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, met in Cairo for indirect ceasefire talks with Israel to be conducted through Egyptian officials, Egyptian and Palestinian sources said. Truce talks would include Hamas’ demand that Egypt ease movement across its border with blockaded Gaza. Israel said on Saturday it would not send envoys as scheduled, accusing enemy Palestinian Islamists of misleading international mediators. (Ynetnews)

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond demanded an unconditional ceasefire to resolve the “intolerable” situation in Gaza, adding that the British public was “deeply disturbed” by what it was seeing. (The Economic Times)

President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, urged the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to put an end to violence in the Gaza Strip, a joint statement by the EU top officials said. (RIA NOVOSTI)

Egypt has increased the amount of electricity it provides to Gaza and urged Israel to repair power lines damaged during Israeli bombardment that has left at least one million people without electricity, an Egyptian official said. (Reuters)

The United Nations warned of a “rapidly unfolding health disaster of widespread proportions” in the Gaza Strip, saying that the latter’s medical facilities were on the verge of collapse amid Israel’s non-stop attacks against the strip. “We are now looking at a health and humanitarian disaster,” warned UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory James Rawley in a joint statement with Robert Turner, director of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Operations in the Gaza Strip, and Ambrogio Manenti, acting Head of the Office of World Health Organization operations in the Palestinian territories. (Middle East Monitor)

The Secretary-General strongly condemned the killing of at least 10 Palestinian civilians in shelling outside of an UNRWA school in Rafah providing shelter to thousands of civilians “The attack is yet another gross violation of international humanitarian law, which clearly requires protection by both parties of Palestinian civilians, UN staff and UN premises, among other civilian facilities.

United Nations shelters must be safe zones not combat zones. The Israel Defence Forces have been repeatedly informed of the location of these sites. This attack, along with other breaches of international law, must be swiftly investigated and those responsible held accountable. It is a moral outrage and a criminal act.” The Secretary-General was profoundly dismayed over the appalling escalation of violence and loss of hundreds of Palestinian civilian lives since the breach of the humanitarian ceasefire on 1 August. The resurgence in fighting had only exacerbated the man-made humanitarian and health crisis wreaking havoc in Gaza. Restoring calm can be achieved through resumption of the ceasefire and negotiations by the parties in Cairo to address the underlying issues. The Secretary-General repeated his demand to the parties to immediately end the fighting and return to the path of peace. (un.org)

4

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said that Israel was considering a plan to physically separate itself from the Gaza Strip, using some sort of underground barrier to ward off remaining threats from the enclave. She stated that “There are ways of doing it [separating Gaza from Israel].” (The Jerusalem Post)

Rockets were intercepted over Ashdod and Ashkelon this morning with additional rockets hitting southern Israeli communities, hours before a humanitarian ceasefire was set to come into effect. Additional rockets hit Israel after the deal came into effect (Ynetnews)

In a speech this morning to the Palestine Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani denounced the inaction of the UN Security Council in its response to the “slaughter” of Palestinians in Gaza. (Times of Israel, AFP)

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman suggested that Israel and the Palestinian Authority consider transferring control of the Gaza Strip to the United Nations, Haaretz reports. He stated that “Everyone is asking, what happens after the operation ends? Suppose Israel defeats Hamas. There are a few options. International control of Gaza, by the U.N., should certainly be considered,” he said to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. (Haaretz)

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately killing Palestinian mothers and warned it would “drown in the blood it sheds,” pulling foreign policy to center stage as a presidential race entered its final week. (Haaretz, The Independent)

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said today that the world powers should impose a political solution to halt the conflict between Israel and Hamas that has claimed hundreds of lives in the Gaza Strip, and dozens on the Israeli side. His statement comes after Palestinians said an Israeli air strike killed 10 people and wounded about 30 on Sunday in a UN-run school in the southern Gaza Strip, and Hamas fired rockets at Israel. He stated “This is why we need a political solution, of which the components are known, and which I believe should be imposed by the international community, because the two parties — despite countless efforts — have unfortunately shown themselves incapable of completing talks,” the statement read. (The Jerusalem Post)

Sixteen Palestinians have been killed in attacks on Gaza since midnight on the 28th day of Israel’s offensive on the Strip, a health official said today. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement that the death toll in Gaza since the beginning of the assault had risen to 1,822. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel said it would unilaterally hold fire in most of the Gaza Strip today to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and allow some of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by an almost four-week-old war to go home. (Reuters)

A seven-hour truce under which Israel would unilaterally hold fire in most of the Gaza Strip went into force on Monday and Palestinians immediately accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire by bombing a house in Gaza City. (The Economic Times)

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that six people were killed this morning and several others injured in a neighborhood north of Gaza city, bringing the number of people killed since midnight to 11, according to the report. (The Jerusalem Post)

The people of Gaza face enormous barriers to accessing primary health care, with only 10 of the government’s 56 Primary Health Care clinics operational, eight of UNRWA’s 22 clinics open, and most NGO clinics closed. (IMEMC)

The conflict in Gaza should not be an excuse for anti-Semitic slurs and attacks, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said late Sunday. The Secretary General “deplores the recent upsurge in anti-Semitic attacks, particularly in Europe, in connection with protests concerning the escalation of violence in Gaza,” read a statement from the UN leader’s spokesman. (The Malaysian Insider)

5

Israel withdrew ground forces from the Gaza Strip starting a 72-hour ceasefire with Hamas as a first step towards negotiations. Minutes before the truce Hamas launched a salvo of rockets from the West Bank, calling them revenge for Israel’s “massacres.” Israel’s anti-missile system shot down one rocket over Jerusalem, police said. Another hit a house in a town near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. There were no casualties. (The Times of Malta)

Israel’s Security Cabinet met in to discuss Israel’s position on the Cairo negotiations. Direct negotiations in Cairo will be conducted by Shin Bet Head Yoram Cohen, the Defense Ministry’s Amos Gilad and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s envoy Yitzhak Molcho. According to Government officials, Israel was concentrating on two main issues: preventing Hamas from rearming in the short term, and demilitarizing Gaza over the long run. Israel will insist on a mechanism to ensure that Hamas was unable to rearm as it has done after previous campaigns. (The Jerusalem Post)

The European Union said in a statement, “We warmly welcome the announcement of a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and call on all parties to respect its terms. There must be an immediate end to the loss of civilian lives. The firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip must stop,”. (europa.eu)

UNICEF Gaza official Pernille Ironside said in a telephone briefing from Gaza to high level personnel at the UN Office in Geneva that nearly 400,000 children in Gaza were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, stressing that although they were committed to help, the situation appeared “extraordinarily bleak.” (Regular Press Briefing by the Information Service)

Israeli radio stations reported that now that cross-border tunnels had been destroyed, the likelihood of Israel agreeing to a longer-term ceasefire has increased. (Israel Army Radio, The Guardian )

Jordan circulated a UN resolution calling for a permanent  ceasefire in Gaza and condemning “all violence and hostilities against civilians.” Jordan’s new UN Ambassador Dina Kawar said the draft resolution, backed by the Palestinians and Arab nations, was submitted to the Security Council in a form that could be put to a vote. (AP)

Palestine’s Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki arrived in The Hague shortly after Israel and Hamas entered a 72-hour truce, and said that Palestine wanted to give the ICC jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes by all sides. He said there was “clear evidence” of war crimes by Israel during its offensive in Gaza as he met International Criminal Court prosecutors. (The Daily Star)

The Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip has led to a growing support of resistance in the West Bank, with an increasing number of Palestinians in the West Bank declaring war on the Israeli goods, calling upon more members in the society to boycott them. The largest Palestinian supermarket chain store “Bravo” started joining the call to boycott by clearing its shelves of Israeli products. “We don’t have Israeli products. Gaza is victorious,” a sign over the empty shelves read. Journalists and social media activists have been promoting the move, and two local radios promised to give free advertisement to boycotting shops. (Xinhua)

6

Ten bodies were found across the Gaza Strip, as locals took advantage of the second day of calm to assess the damage caused by more than a month of Israeli assaults. Sources at Al-Shifa Hospital said five of the bodies were pulled out from under the rubble of homes in Rafah and had yet to be identified. This brings the total number to at least 1,885, of whom at least 430 were children and 79 were elderly. The Ministry of Health estimates that 9,567 people were also wounded, including 2,878 children and 374 elderly. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel has offered to extend the 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli officials said. However, unconfirmed reports on social media suggested Hamas has not agreed to the extension. (BBC)

British Prime Minister David Cameron was coming under increased pressure over his Government’s policies on Gaza, after a cross-party parliamentary committee urged him to press Israel to lift restrictions on trade and travel in the Palestinian territory. (AP)

At least 134 factories in the Gaza Strip were destroyed during Israel’s military offensive, a Palestinian industrial union said, causing severe damage to an already fragile industrial sector. (Ma’an News Agency)

Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas met with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer. Mr. Maurer briefed him on the deteriorating humanitarian conditions he witnessed in Gaza, in addition to the massive human and infrastructural losses. Mr. Maurer said his organization was committed to providing urgent humanitarian support to Gaza in coordination with the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Palestinian Government. (WAFA)

A delegation of doctors from the West Bank is traveling to Gaza to assist in treating patients who sustained wounds throughout Israel’s offensive, the Ministry of Health said. (Ma’an News Agency)

In a statement, the UNICEF Jerusalem Office said that Japan have announced the contribution of USD $1M to support UNICEF’s emergency response to the water, sanitation and other emergency needs of children and women in Gaza during the on-going conflict, according to a statement by the UNICEF Jerusalem office. (WAFA)

Gaza’s Ark Steering Committee and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition urged activists “to participate in their daily 15-minute Twitter storm to push for the Cairo talks to conclude with an agreement to end the blockade imposed on Gaza.”(WAFA)

The President of the UN General Assembly convened an informal plenary session for the Assembly to hear high-level briefings on the crisis in the Gaza Strip. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for an end to the “senseless cycle of suffering” in Gaza,” and strongly criticised Israel for shelling UN compounds during its offensive. (See http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48426#.U-KmO_lSaug) for full text). Other briefings were given by the High-Commissioner for Human Rights, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and the Assistant Secretary-General for OCHA. After the briefings Member States took the floor. (UN News Centre, BBC)

Israeli forces opened fire at Gaza municipality staff while they were inspecting a destroyed park east of Shujaiyya, on the second day of the 72-hour ceasefire. No injuries were reported. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Ambassadors of Germany and France and the Deputy Ambassador of Britain met with Israeli National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen in Jerusalem and gave him a document of principles for international agreement about the Gaza Strip. The principles contained: preventing the armament and strengthening of Hamas and the rest of organizations in Gaza; rehabilitating Gaza in cooperation with the international community and the Palestinian Authority and enabling the transfer of humanitarian aid; setting up an international mechanism to prevent the entry of prohibited materials to Gaza and ensuring that materials such as cement and iron are used only to rehabilitate Gaza; returning the Palestinian Authority to Gaza; and returning the EU Border Assistance Mission to the Rafah border crossing alongside the Palestinian presidential guard. (Haaretz)

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said a delegation of Arab Foreign Ministers would visit Gaza soon in a show of support for Palestinians and to assess reconstruction needs. (AFP)

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey was seeking Israeli and Egyptian agreement for an air corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and evacuate possibly thousands of injured Palestinians for treatment. (Reuters)

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elías Jaua Milano said his country would soon send 16 tons of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. (AVN)

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said he had cancelled his visit to Israel scheduled for the second half of the year, condemning Israel’s onslaught on Gaza as genocide. (WAFA)

Launching a report examining the UK Government’s long-standing bilateral programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sir Malcolm Bruce, Chair of the House of Commons International Development Committee, said, “We challenge the assertion that restrictions which curtail economic development in the OPTs are based on Israel’s security needs and can be justified on security grounds. We argue that the UK in concert with other European countries should put pressure on the Government of Israel to lift some of the restrictions in the OPTs as a matter of urgency.” (www.parliament.uk)

Israeli forces arrested 11 Palestinians during raids across the West Bank. (WAFA)

The Israeli Central Court of Jerusalem decided not to keep under arrest the three Israeli youths accused of killing 16-year-old Mohammad Abu Khudeir in East Jerusalem. Their lawyers argued that it could take more than a year and a half for the trial proceedings to end and they were too young to stay in jail for that long. (PNN)

7

The acting US special envoy for Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, Frank Lowenstein, arrived in Cairo where he was scheduled to meet with the Egyptian Foreign Minister and other officials to discuss extending the Gaza ceasefire, which is scheduled to end at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. (Ma’an News Agency)

An official of the Gaza Ministry of Agriculture said Israel’s offensive in Gaza had caused $200 million worth of damage in the agricultural sector. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Swiss representative to Palestine handed President Abbas a letter from Swiss President Didier Burkhalter regarding Palestine’s request for the convening of a Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Swiss Ambassador said his country had appointed a special ambassador to follow up on talks with the High Contracting Parties urging them to hold a meeting as soon as possible. (WAFA)

Amnesty International said an immediate investigation was needed into mounting evidence that the Israel Defence Forces had launched apparently deliberate attacks against hospitals and health professionals in Gaza, which had left six medics dead. “The harrowing descriptions by ambulance drivers and other medics of the utterly impossible situation in which they have to work, with bombs and bullets killing or injuring their colleagues as they try to save lives, paint a grim reality of life in Gaza,” said Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International. (www.amnesty.org)

The IDF has issued an expropriation order for Palestinian land in the West Bank village of Ein Yabrud so that settlers from the nearby “Amona” outpost could continue using a road crossing the land. (Haaretz)

Palestinian police said an Israeli settler had deliberately run over with his car an eight-year-old Palestinian girl in Hebron, causing her severe injuries. (WAFA)

Settlers uprooted around 50 Palestinian-owned trees in the village of Deir Nizam, north-west of Ramallah. (WAFA)

Israeli forces arrested two Palestinians in Bethlehem and a youth in Jenin. (WAFA)

During a meeting with the US Consul General in Jerusalem in Ramallah, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah urged the United States to support the international efforts to rehabilitate and reconstruct the Gaza Strip and to provide urgent relief for the Palestinian people in Gaza. (WAFA)

Member of the PLO Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi, in a press release, said “We cannot go back to the status quo ante. We need not only to address the latest Israeli attack on Gaza and Israel’s war crimes, but also to resolve the root causes of such Israeli violations of international law and put an end to the military occupation of Palestine, its people and resources.” Ashrawi made these comments in two separate meetings with French Consul General Hervé Magro and with acting British Consul General, Ben Saoul, at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah. Ashrawi called on Europe to take immediate action and adopt a serious initiative with concrete steps and measures that provide emergency relief and support to the people of Gaza, outline a plan for short-term and long-term reconstruction in Gaza, and affect an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. (WAFA)

The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Nabil Elaraby, sent urgent letters to the Arab Foreign Ministers calling upon them to promptly provide humanitarian and medical aid and relief to the Palestinians in Gaza. The Deputy Secretary-General of the League, Ahmad Bin-Helli said the letters also included arrangements for the travel of an Arab ministerial delegation to Gaza in a few days, as a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people at all levels. He said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Elaraby that the message of President Mahmoud Abbas regarding the request for international protection is currently being examined by the UN legal committee, a step which was described by Helli as part of the Arab action in support of Palestine. (WAFA)

The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator James Rawley said continued halt in violence was essential to the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip. (ochaopt.org)

UNRWA announced it received a contribution of US$ 4.5 from the Government of Japan. (UNRWA)

The Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing for those injured during the conflict and for foreign passport holders, officials said. Egyptian sources told Ma’an that Egypt would agree to permanently open the Rafah crossing on the condition that the Palestinian Authority’s national consensus government ran the terminal along with the Egyptians. (Ma’an News Agency)

As part of the continued efforts of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHO) to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a Jordanian aid convoy arrived at the Jordan field hospital in Gaza through the Beit Hanoun crossing. (petra.gov.jo)

8

The Egyptian-brokered 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire expired at 08 a.m. on 8 August without an agreement by the parties for an extension. Between 8 and 11 a.m. on 8 August, militants reportedly fired 22 rockets and three mortar shells at Israel, wounding two Israeli civilians. In response, the IAF conducted four airstrikes. Shelling by IDF ground and naval forces were also reported. (UNSCO)

One 10-year old Palestinian and a militant were killed and over a dozen wounded in the Gaza Strip on Friday as the IDF renewed strikes on Hamas targets shortly before 11 a.m. (The Jerusalem Post)

“The Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister have ordered the IDF to retaliate forcefully to the Hamas breach of the ceasefire,” an Israeli official said in a statement. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli delegation has left Egypt following the end of a 72-hour  ceasefire brokered by Cairo and the renewal of hostilities by Hamas. Israeli Government officials said they had pulled out of Egyptian-brokered negotiations with Hamas and the other Palestinian factions in Cairo, stressing they would not “negotiate under fire”. Hamas rejected extending the ceasefire, but announced it was interested in continuing the negotiations. A senior Hamas official had said that the group would not extend the  ceasefire because Israel had not responded to any of the Palestinian demands at the negotiations underway in Cairo. Egypt called on both sides to return to the negotiating table. (BBC; The Jerusalem Post; AP; Ynetnews.com)

Azzam al-Ahmed, a senior Palestinian official and head of the delegation in Cairo, said the team negotiating for a ceasefire agreement with Israel was committed to reaching a deal. “We told the Egyptians (mediators) we are sitting here to achieve a final agreement that restores the rights”. (AFP)

The United States, Egypt and other countries all support making Gaza a demilitarised zone, an Israeli news site reported. Israel’s Minister of Communication, Gilad Erdan, reportedly made the comments during an interview with Israel Radio, in which he said the ongoing indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians in Egypt could lead to a possible solution, pointing out that: “Israel does not oppose the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip; but it will not allow the re-strengthening of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militarily.” (middleeastmonitor.com)

The Secretary-General expressed his deep disappointment that the parties were unable to agree to an extension of the ceasefire in their talks in Cairo. He urged the parties to swiftly find a way back to respect the humanitarian ceasefire and to continue negotiations in Cairo to reach a durable ceasefire. (un.org)

Doctors and aid agencies tried to capitalize on a truce in Gaza to evacuate more wounded Palestinians for life-saving medical treatment in East Jerusalem, Israel and Jordan. More than 9,500 Palestinians were wounded during four weeks of fighting, according to Gaza health officials. Ninety of some of the most serious cases have been evacuated through the Erez border crossing, according to a spokesman of the Israeli Defense Ministry. (The Daily Star Lebanon)

Families are struggling to cope with the aftermath of 28 days of violence and destruction that has left an estimated 65,000 people homeless.  June Kunugi, UNICEF Representative in the State of Palestine, said that the “human and material toll of this conflict is beyond words.” More than one fourth of Gaza’s residents were displaced and the three-day ceasefire allowed families to visit their homes, but many had to return to collective shelters when the full extent of the damage to their houses became apparent. Overcrowding at UN-run shelters, many of them schools, was making it difficult to provide these families with basic needs and clean conditions to prevent the spread of diseases. Access to water was constrained for 1.5 million people and the lack of electricity was affecting water distribution, sanitation and health services. Around 400,000 children were showing symptoms of distress. Half of Gaza’s 1.8 million people are children under the age of 18. (unicef.org)

The Israeli Cabinet is expected to declare the Gaza Strip as “enemy territory”. A senior Israeli official said the decision would mean that Israel would not be liable for damage incurred to residents of the Strip as a result of Israeli actions during “Operation Protective Edge”. (Haaretz)

The Food Industry Association in Gaza said the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip had caused widespread destruction of food plants inflicting a loss of $150 million. It accused Israel of destroying the economic infrastructure in Gaza, and damaging the food factories which employ more than 12,000 workers. According to human rights organisations which monitored the initial impact of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the war caused the destruction of 250 economic facilities, including 180 factories. (middleeastmonitor.com)

A number of activists and international non-governmental organisations have lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Committee at the African Union against Egypt’s closure of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. New York-based activist and lawyer Stanley Cohen said that the purpose of the complaint is to find immediate means to pressure different parties to facilitate the delivery of urgent aid to Gaza. The complaint has been jointly signed by the UK-based International Federation for Rights and Freedoms, the Human Rights Organisation and the South African Palestine Solidarity Federation. (middleeastmonitor.com)

Despite the lack of an organised cultural boycott of Israel over the Gaza conflict, the country’s live music business has taken a severe hit as artists pull out of scheduled shows. Billboard reports that cancellations are set to cost the country £12M in revenues. Backstreet Boys, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Brian Jonestown Massacre and America, Cee-Lo and Megadeth are among those to have cancelled Israeli shows, though many cancellations have been down to artists not wishing to place themselves in danger, rather than in protest at the Israeli action in Gaza. (The Guardian)

9

A member of the DFLP and of the PLO Executive Committee, Taysir Khalid, called on the Palestinian Government to set up a committee in order to record and monitor the Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Jerusalem during these past three months. The Committee would work alongside the [UN Human Rights Council’s] mission that is going to be set up by the end of the week. (PNN)

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza and pressed for action that would lead to a permanent ceasefire. (The Jerusalem Post)

Some 5,000 people marched through the streets of Santiago, calling for the Chilean Government to break all its ties with Israel following renewed bombardment of Gaza. (The Jerusalem Post)

10

A Hamas member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Ismail al-Ashqar, insisted that the group was determined to maintain its military arsenal in the face of Israeli calls for it to disarm, calling the group’s weapons the “only guarantee” for Gaza’s future. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel is utilizing diplomatic channels in hopes of retrieving the body of a soldier declared killed in action in the Gaza Strip last month, Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said. (The Jerusalem Post)

Four Palestinians were killed and several others were injured in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip hours ahead of a new 72-hour ceasefire. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel and the Palestinians held their fire at the start of a new 72-hour ceasefire proposed by Egypt that took effect at 2100 GMT. A senior Israeli Government official said Israeli negotiators would return to Cairo to resume indirect talks with the Palestinians, if the truce held. (Reuters)

Egypt is continuing its efforts to put an end to the “inhumane blockade” imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on 10 August. “Practical procedures made by Egypt to end the Gaza blockade will continue out of Egypt’s historical and ethical responsibility towards its Palestinian brothers,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement said. (Xinhua)

Member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Saeb Erekat, said on 10 August the Palestinian conditions for a ceasefire with Israel are based on international law, calling for a united Arab stance. During an interview with a local radio station, Erekat said: “the Palestinian demands are not only legitimate and rightful under international law, but they are obligations of the Israeli side.” (WAFA)

The following statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the situation in Gaza was issued on 10 August: The Secretary-General welcomes today’s announcement by Egypt that the Israelis and the Palestinians have accepted another 72 hours’ unconditional humanitarian ceasefire to commence at midnight local time. He expresses his strong hope that this will give the two sides, under Egyptian auspices, another chance to agree on a durable ceasefire for the benefit of all civilian populations and as a starting point to address the underlying grievances on both sides. He continues to urge all concerned to work constructively to this end and avoid any steps which would lead to a return violence. The United Nations stands ready to assist in the implementation of an agreement that would consolidate peace and allow for much-needed reconstruction and development of Gaza. (www.un.org)

Hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators gathered in Manhattan to protest Israel’s operation in Gaza, local New York media reported. (The Jerusalem Post)

11

An urgent meeting by the Arab League Foreign Ministers’ Council, chaired by Morocco, is being held today to follow up on the implementation of decision of Arab Foreign Ministers’ Council held on July 14 regarding ending the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip. (WAFA)

The Israeli delegation returned to Cairo today after the 72-hour ceasefire agreed on by both sides has been maintained. Hamas has already threatened, even before the ceasefire began, that they would resume rocket fire if talks in Egypt do not reach a breakthrough by the end of the 72-hour period. (Ynetnews)

Four wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip arrived in Istanbul after being flown in for medical treatment, with more expected, in a move announced by Prime Minister and President-elect Erdogan. (Reuters)

At least 1,940 Palestinians have been killed, including infants, children, women, and elderly, and at least 9,886 others have been injured since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on 8 July, according to medical statistics. (WAFA)

Israel opened the Kerem Shalom crossing into today, allowing for goods and humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian Health Minister Jawad Awwad has warned that the shortage of vaccines in the Gaza Strip could result in the reappearance of dangerous diseases long eradicated in the besieged enclave, Anadolu news agency reported. (Middle East Monitor)

WFP together with the UNRWA and the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs started today the process of distributing food to families in the Gaza Strip. Everyone who is not already receiving food aid from UNRWA and the WFP will be eligible to receive a 30 kg bag of flour and a 10 kg bag of rice, a statement said. (Jordan News Agency)

Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) said in an e-mailed statement that members of a coalition of pro-Palestinian activists from 12 countries had met in Istanbul during the weekend and decided to launch a flotilla to Gaza “in the shadow of the latest Israeli aggression on Gaza.” (Reuters)

Palestinian medical sources reported that a Palestinian teen was killed, and his brother was wounded, by an explosive charge dropped by the army near Tubas. (IMEMC)

The President of the Human Rights Council, announced the appointment of Amal Alamuddin, Doudou Diène and William Schabas to serve as members of the independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014. William Schabas will serve as Chair of the three-person commission mandated by the Council at its last special session. (ohchr.org)

Since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza on 8 July, at least 1,943 Palestinians (including at least 467 children, 243 women and 87 elderly) have been killed and over 9,890 people (including at least 3,009 children, 1912 women and 359 elderly) were injured. At least 16,735 buildings cannot be inhabited and another 41,420 buildings have been damaged. At least 277 schools have been damaged by Israeli attacks; including 141 government schools and 136 UNRWA schools,”. “Over 485,000 people have been displaced (almost one third of the Gaza population) and 1,700,000 people (the entire population of the Gaza Strip) have been affected by the destruction of electricity, water and waste water infrastructures,” said the Palestine Liberation Organization’s “Gaza Under Fire” (WAFA)

12

Palestinian medical sources have reported that a child, 10 years old, was shot in the face by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired by Israeli soldiers invading Teqoua’, east of Bethlehem. Another Palestinian was injured near Bethlehem. Dozens of soldiers invaded the town and fired rubber-coated metal bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades at local youth, who threw stones at them. Dozens of Palestinians suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were moved to a local clinic. (IMEMC)

Israeli naval vessels fired warning shots over Palestinian fishing boats which were outside the permissible fishing zone designated by Israel. No injuries were reported in the incident. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israel fired almost five times more artillery shells into Gaza during the last month of fighting than in the 2008-2009 war but did not use controversial white phosphorous this time around, artillery chief Brigadier-General Roy Riftin said. In the conflict that erupted in 8 July, Israeli gunners masked troop advances with locally made M116 “gray smoke” rounds that contain no white phosphorous. (Reuters)

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil Elarabi, met separately in Cairo with Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Saeb Erekat, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to discuss efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire. During a meeting with Serry at the Headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, the need to work effortlessly to take advantage of the newly announced 72-hour ceasefire was discussed so that indirect negotiations might resume in order to reach a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire. Elarabi and Erekat discussed Palestine’s request to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to place Palestine under international protection. (IMEMC, WAFA) 

Israel believes that the current ceasefire in the Gaza Strip (due to expire late on 13 August) should be extended for at least another three days to allow for productive talks in Cairo over the conditions of a long-term resolution of the conflict, Israeli radio station Kol reported.(Rianovosti)

Israel is prepared to ease conditions in Gaza to reach a truce, including an expanded fishing zone, easier passage for people and goods between Gaza and Israel and other concessions, including the transfer of cash through a third party to pay salaries of Gaza civil servants, a senior Israeli official says. (Haaretz, Ynetnews)

A member of the Palestinian delegation to Cairo said that the negotiating team will not waive any of its demands, which have been presented during the first round of the Egyptian-mediated talks. However, members of the delegation, including representatives from Hamas, are willing to accept a gradual opening of the seaport and airport in Gaza. (The Jerusalem Post)

During his speech before the Islamic Cooperation Council meeting in Jeddah, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah called upon member countries to immediately intervene to stop Israeli war crimes and to provide the Gaza Strip with the needed humanitarian and medical aid. He further called upon the ICC to ensure all possible logistic and political support to the Palestinian leadership, including for the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council’s independent commission of inquiry. (WAFA)

British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin decided she couldn’t accept the role, a few hours after she was appointed as one of three commissioners, said Gabon Ambassador Baudelaire Ndong Ella, President of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He added that the commission was “operational” and he would later decide “on how best to support and strengthen” the commission. (AP)

Izzat al-Risheq, one of the Hamas officials at the Cairo talks, said his group was not opposed to the idea of placing the Rafah terminal under control of Fatah – but only on the basis of a “partnership” with the PA. The Hamas official said his group also had no objections to Abbas and the PA overseeing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. “We support the formation of a national body headed by a clean, transparent and professional personality, to be in charge of the reconstruction,” he said. Azzam al-Ahmed, a senior Fatah official and head of the Palestinian delegation to the ceasefire talks, said the PA would be responsible for the implementation of any agreement reached in Cairo and would also be in charge of the reconstruction of Gaza. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli soldiers arrested 10 Palestinians in Hebron, Ramallah and Jenin, according to Palestinian sources. Meanwhile, 5 Jerusalemites, including three brothers, were also arrested by Israeli soldiers in the Shu’fat Refugee camp and Beit Hanina north of Jerusalem. (petra.gov.jo)

An attorney with the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners Affairs who visited prisoners in Asqalan Prison, reported that Gazan prisoners captured during the recent Israeli ground offensive on Gaza were subjected to maltreatment and torture by the Israeli soldiers and special police forces.(WAFA)

Hundreds of Palestinian children in Ramallah staged a march, organized by the Palestinian unity government, to show solidarity with children in the Gaza Strip. “This demonstration carries a message to the United Nations: Palestine’s children demand to live like all other children of the world, without war or killing,” the protest organizer told Anadolu Agency. (The Daily Star Lebanon)

As bombs exploded in Gaza, Palestinian teenager Farah Baker grabbed her smartphone or laptop before ducking for cover to tap out tweets that capture the drama of the tumult and fear around her. The 16-year-old’s prolific posts on Twitter have made her a social media sensation as Baker’s following on the website has jumped from a mere 800 to a whopping 166,000. Living near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, where her father is a surgeon, provides Baker with a live feed of blaring ambulance sirens in addition to blasts from Israeli airstrikes and shelling attacks. (The Daily Star Lebanon)

Turkish Jewish poet Roni Margulies condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza and described it as an illegitimate pirate state. Speaking to Turkish Yeni Asya newspaper, he was asked what were the motives behind the Israel’s attacks on Palestinian people in Gaza. “In every 2-to-4 years Israel attacks Gaza and its goal is that when it doesn’t attack, Palestinians are getting close to establish their state. The Palestinians build government institutions, buildings, schools, infrastructure of a real state, but Israel reverses this process by attacking. This is not about arresting or killing those who fire rockets into Israel, but it is about killing Palestinians’ dreams and will to have their own state. Thus, Israel’s attack is not about rockets or Hamas,” Margulies said. (Middleeastmonitor.com)

UK Business Secretary Vince Cable said in a statement, “We have taken the decision to suspend” 12 export licences for military equipment for Israel “in the event of a resumption of significant hostilities.” (www.gov.uk)

The Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners Affairs said that the Israeli authorities had maltreated and tortured Palestinian prisoners captured during the recent Israeli ground offensive on Gaza. (WAFA)

Israeli soldiers assaulted and beat up a 21-year-old Palestinian man east of Yatta, south of Hebron, and seized his tractor and the attached water tanker.  (WAFA)

Head of the Representative Office of Malta to Palestine Mark Pace announced that his country had pledged €300,000 in urgent medial aid to Gaza. (WAFA)

Following a visit to the Gaza Strip to survey the infrastructure there, the WHO Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean, Ala Alwan, said, “The level of damage to the health system in Gaza is considerable and requires urgent support from partners and donors.” After visiting a school where more than 1,000 people had taken refuge, he said, “I am particularly worried about the risk of water-borne and communicable disease in such settings where overcrowding, poor hygiene and lack of access to clean drinking water predispose to disease outbreaks.” (UN News Centre)

13

An AP video journalist, a freelance Palestinian translator and four police engineers were killed when an unexploded missile believed to be Israeli blew up as Gaza police was working to neutralize it in Beit Lahiya. Four people, including an AP photographer, were badly injured. (AP)

Palestinian officials said Egypt had presented to Israel and Hamas a ceasefire proposal calling for easing parts of the Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing some relief to the territory. But it leaves Hamas’ demand for a full lifting of the blockade and Israeli calls for Hamas’ disarmament to later negotiations. (AP)

Israeli warships opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, in the second such incident since the 72-hour ceasefire came into effect. There were no injuries. An Israeli army spokesperson said a motor boat had “breached the military closure.” (Ma’an News Agency)

French consul in Gaza Majdi Shaqqura said he was planning to take legal action against Israel after his home was destroyed by Israeli bombardment. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli State Comptroller Joseph Shapira announced that he was opening a probe into the military operation in Gaza as a result of claims that Israel had violated international law. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces launched widespread arrest raids across East Jerusalem overnight, detaining 57 Palestinians. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said they had been arrested for “stone-throwing incidents”. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces arrested at least 14 Palestinians during raids across the West Bank. (WAFA)

The Government of Venezuela sent an airplane to Egypt with humanitarian aid for Gaza. (WAFA)

Israeli settlers set up mobile homes on land belonging to the village of Fureidis, east of Bethlehem. (WAFA)

President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed by phone the ongoing negotiations in Cairo to achieve a sustainable ceasefire agreement. (www.whitehouse.gov)

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh urged the Palestinian negotiating team in Cairo not to “succumb to blackmail” in talks on a  ceasefire with Israel. Haniyeh reiterated that Hamas would only agree to a permanent ceasefire if the siege was lifted on the Gaza Strip. (Ynetnews)

German Minister for Economic Cooperation Gerd Müller committed an additional 20 million Euros for crisis response in Gaza. (www.bmz.de)

“The Human Right Council of the UN legitimizes murderous terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu. “Instead of investigating Hamas… the UN decided to come and investigate Israel.” (Ynetnews)

14

Israeli jets struck sites in the Gaza Strip shortly after midnight after rocket attacks on southern Israel. The exchange of fire did not stop an apparent 5-day ceasefire extension from coming into effect at midnight, which both sides accepted, according to Palestinian and Egyptian sources. (Ynetnews) 

The US halted a shipment of air-to-ground missiles to Israel last month during Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Israel has been holding discussions with the US Administration, including at the highest levels, in an attempt to resolve the crisis between the two countries and to remove limitations on weapon shipments, senior officials told Haaretz. (Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, The Wall Street Journal)

Hamas’ military wing is continuing to produce M75 missiles in Gaza, the group said. (Ma’an News Agency)

“There is a real opportunity to reach an agreement, but (Israel) must stop the manoeuvres and playing with words. All of the issues are on the table, and that’s why we agreed to the ceasefire,” said senior Hamas official Khalil al-Haya. (Ynetnews)

According to the Israeli official quoted by Channel 2, a long-term ceasefire deal could have already been reached, but Qatar-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal “is torpedoing a deal.” (AP)

Visiting Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Malki said in Caracas that the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip was “genocide” and Israel should be held accountable for “crimes against humanity.” Malki was in Venezuela to receive and help coordinate humanitarian aid. Venezuelan President Maduro said that Israel wants to “exterminate” the people of Palestine. All nations should increase solidarity with Palestine and “not give in to blackmails of any kind,” said Maduro. (Xinhua)

The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D Group) launched a campaign against the “shameful silence” of the EU on the Gaza and Iraq crisis. S&D Group President Gianni Pittella said in a press release: “It is a shame that the European Council President, Herman Van Rompuy, refused to call an extraordinary meeting as we officially requested.” (WAFA)

Israeli authorities have arrested nearly 600 East Jerusalemites during the past few weeks, 174 of them minors, according to sources. The Israeli Radio announced today that Israeli police arrested 52 Palestinians last night. Israeli troops launched daily arrest campaign against Palestinians after the recent demonstrations in East Jerusalem. (Petra)

Undercover Israeli forces detained a Hamas leader in the West Bank town of Beit Ummar, a local community leader said. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing with Gaza for humanitarian cases. Palestinian crossing officials said that injured Palestinians, medical patients and foreign nationals were allowed to use the crossing and Gaza residents in Egypt were allowed to return. (Ma’an News Agency)

UAE ordered to direct the second batch of an emergency food aid program for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, State news agency WAM reported. (Xinhua)

PLO Executive Committee Member Saeb Erekat called on the international community to recognize Gaza as a “humanitarian disaster area”. Erekat emphasized the need to set up humanitarian ground, air and sea bridges to deliver emergency relief aid. (WAFA)

The University of Cape Town’s Student Council has backed a call to boycott Israeli produce, and “unconditionally” declared Israel an apartheid State. The memorandum tabled by the UCT Palestine Solidarity Forum also calls for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador to South Africa, the withdrawal of the South African Ambassador to Israel and the ending of trade ties between the two countries. (MEMO)

A senior Egyptian official said that the long-term truce being negotiated in Cairo calls for Israeli recognition of a Palestinian Government that includes Hamas. An Egyptian news source also said that the agreement stipulates that organizations in Gaza would agree to cease the construction of new smuggling tunnels. (Haaretz)

Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department Marie Harf, commenting on a news report saying that the White House intervened in deliveries of munitions to Israel, “it’s natural that agencies take additional care to review deliveries as part of an interagency process”. That does not indicate any change in policy and it’s not a permanent change in process. (www.state.gov)

Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Rula Ma’ayah said that the destruction of 41 mosques during Israel’s military operation in Gaza was a war crime, and called on UNESCO and its World Heritage Committee to condemn the military targeting of cultural, religious and natural heritage sites as a war crime and a violation of human rights. Israel said that Hamas has stored weapons and dug tunnels underneath those Mosques (The Jerusalem Post)

15

Palestinian Ministry of Health Spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said that the death toll in Gaza had reached 1,980 with at least 10,181 injured. He said the numbers were expected to rise as dozens succumbed to wounds and more bodies were recovered from under the rubble of homes. (Ma’an News Agency)

At least 32,000 artillery shells have been fired at Gaza during the current operation. (Haaretz)

A Palestinian source close to the Cairo talks expressed optimism about a long-term ceasefire in Gaza. He said the agreement was based on two simple formulas: (1) A ceasefire deal in return for Gaza’s rehabilitation, and (2) redevelopment of Gaza in return for demilitarization. (Ynetnews)

An Islamic Jihad spokesman Yousef al-Hasayneh said that a “complete” truce agreement will be signed with Israel at the end of the current five-day ceasefire. “The delegation has made much progress in ending the siege and the offensive on Palestinians,” he said. He added that Islamic Jihad will still respond to any Israeli attack. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said that Israeli authorities will release 46 Palestinian detainees from Jerusalem including three children today on bail. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel’s Attorney General and the Military Advocate General were setting up an independent mechanism for investigating the events in Gaza. The State Comptroller also plans to set up an inquiry in a move that would pre-empt the Human Rights Council inquiry and other potential outside investigations. (The New York Times)

A theatre in London reversed its cancellation of a festival sponsored by the Israeli Government after major UK Jewish donors threatened ending their funding for cultural institutions that participate in boycotts. (The Telegraph, Ynetnews)

Israeli soldiers shot and injured two young Palestinian men inside their Silwad home, east of Ramallah. (Imemc).

The EU Council met on the Middle East Peace process with special regard to the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip. In its conclusions, it stressed that the situation in the Gaza Strip had been unsustainable for many years and a return to the status quo prior to the latest conflict was not an option. (consilium.europa.eu)

16

Qatar plans to pay $1,000 to every family in the Gaza Strip whose home was destroyed in the month-long conflict with Israel, Palestinian sources revealed. (The Jerusalem Post)

17

Israeli soldiers shot and injured a Palestinian man near Karm Abu-Salem (Kerem Shalom) border crossing, on the Gaza-Israel border. (Imemc) 

The Israeli Navy fired warning shots towards some Palestinian boats, west of Gaza City, forcing them ashore. No injuries or damages were reported. (unsco.org)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any deal on Gaza’s future had to meet Israel’s security needs, warning Hamas it faced “harsh strikes” if it resumed firing into Israel. A senior Hamas official at the talks, said there was no certainty the ceasefire would continue beyond its Monday night deadline. “There are 24 hours left for the agreed calm period and it may not be renewed. The Palestinian delegation will not cede any of the rights of our people,” he told a Hamas web site. (Reuters)

An Egyptian plan for a long-term ceasefire in Gaza has gained the support of a strong international contingent, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, according to a report published in pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat. The United States has also become involved in the talks, agreeing to serve as a guarantor that Israel will uphold what has been agreed to thus far in Egypt, the report added. (The Jerusalem Post)

OCHA released the Gaza Crisis Atlas, showing the physical damage wrought on the Strip during IDF Operation Protective Edge using satellite imagery. (ochaopt.org)

Israeli forces demolished the Hebron homes of two Palestinians named as suspects in the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers in June, locals said. Israeli forces demolished the homes of Amir Abu Eisha and Husam al-Qawasmi and sealed off the home of Marwan Qawasmi by pumping concrete into the property. (Ma’an)

The Palestinian Minister of Finance signed an agreement with the French Consul-General in Palestine under which France will allocate Euros 8M in support of the Palestinian budget. (WAFA)

A supermarket chain branch in London removed kosher food from its shelves over fears it would be a target for the anti-Israel protesters who were demonstrating nearby, after pro-Palestinian protesters ransacked a branch of competing supermarket chain Tesco in Birmingham on 16 August, the Guardian reported. (Ynetnews.com)

18

The Egyptian-brokered five-day humanitarian ceasefire, which went into effect at midnight on 14 August and will expire today at midnight, continued to hold. No violations were reported. (unsco.org)

According to a statement by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the death toll in Gaza had reached 2000, with a total of 2,016 people killed in the latest conflict and another 10,196 wounded. Among the dead were 541 children, 250 women and 95 elderly men, it said. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Egypt-mediated Gaza truce talks hardened their positions ahead of the expiration of a five-day ceasefire, though both sides appear reluctant to return to the deadly all-out fighting that has destroyed large parts of the densely-populated coastal strip. A Palestinian negotiator said that Israel pressed for guarantees that Hamas and other militant factions in Gaza would be disarmed, while the Palestinians demanded an end to the blockade without preconditions. (AP)

The Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs Børge Brende announced that the Governments of Egypt and Norway will co-host a conference on Palestine with a focus on the reconstruction of Gaza. The conference, to be held in Cairo, will be organized once an agreement on a sustainable ceasefire has been reached as a result of the ongoing talks in Cairo. In the statement, Oslo called for the reconstruction effort to be linked to the lifting of the blockade, “Keeping the population confined and on the verge of starvation does not provide security for Gaza’s neighbours.” (www.regjerigen.no)

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah extended an invitation to the Republic of South Korea to participate in the donors’ conference, scheduled for the coming weeks in Cairo, to contribute in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. (WAFA)

A delegation from the Malaysian Government arrived in Gaza for a three-day tour to examine humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry briefed the Security Council in the monthly briefing on the situation in the Middle East. A few hours before the expiration of the current temporary ceasefire, Serry emphasized that the effort under way under Egyptian auspices was crucial to break the deadlock of violence and retaliation. “I urge the parties to reach an understanding on a durable ceasefire which also addresses the underlying issues afflicting Gaza.” He added that the destruction from the latest escalation was so severe that large-scale reconstruction was needed. “The basic equation must consist of ending the blockade on Gaza, and addressing Israel’s legitimate security concerns,” he said. “I call on all in Gaza to rally behind the Government of National Consensus and empower it to take charge and effect the positive, transformative change that Gaza so badly needs. Right now, Gaza urgently needs houses, hospitals and schools – not rockets, tunnels and conflict,” Serry said. (unsco.org) 

During his latest visit to Gaza, UNRWA Commissioner General Pierre Krähenbühl issued an impassioned appeal for a new deal for Gaza to end the “collective punishment” of its 1.8 million inhabitants imposed by Israel’s seven-year blockade of the territory. He twitted “After such loss of life and devastation, return to preexisting conditions under blockade inconceivable. Gaza needs new paradigm, needs hope”. Krähenbühl also stressed the necessity of conducting an investigation into the strikes on the UN schools in Gaza during Israel’s assault on the enclave. During a press conference held in Gaza yesterday, Krähenbühl said that UNRWA strongly condemns the strikes on schools where civilians had sought refuge after fleeing their homes. (The Independent, middleeastmonitor.com )

Israeli forces arrested eight Palestinians, including two minors, from the West Bank. (WAFA)

Israeli forces demolished a residential building in the al-Tur neighborhood of Jerusalem on Monday on the pretext that it was built without a permit. Family members were not given any time to remove their belongings. (Ma’an)

The US and other western countries have exerted pressure on the International Criminal Court at The Hague to prevent a war crimes probe like the inquiry conducted in 2009 (Operation Cast Lead). That request came before the Palestinians were recognized as a non-member Observer State at the United Nations in 2012. The ICC itself was divided on whether or not it has jurisdiction to probe the matter based on the 2009 request, or whether a new request would have to be submitted. The Palestinian factions would have to agree on submitting a new request, but Hamas would also be opening itself up to a war crimes inquiry. ???????????

“There is enormous pressure not to proceed with an investigation. This pressure has been exerted on Fatah and Hamas, but also on the office of the prosecutor,” French lawyer representing the Palestinians Gilles Devers said. “In both cases, it takes the form of threats to the financial subsidies, to Palestine and to the International Criminal Court.” (The Guardian, The Jerusalem Post,) 

Venezuela sent 60 tons of humanitarian aid supplies to Palestine. (www.avn.info.ve)

Technicalities in European Union legislation, if fully applied to Israel, could allow for a ban of settlement products, an official in the Israeli Foreign Ministry warned this weekend. He spoke as his Ministry, along with the Agriculture Ministry and Economy Ministry, seek a solution to the EU’s refusal to accept Israeli exports of meat, poultry, fish and dairy products from areas beyond the pre-1967 lines, including the West Bank, the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem. The EU already labels such products for customs officials, as products from beyond the pre-1967 lines that are not part of its free-trade understanding with Israel. There is no ban on the sale of settlement products in the EU. Earlier this year, however, the European Commission told Israel that it did not recognize the authority of inspection agencies beyond the pre-1967 lines. Since the products cannot be inspected, they cannot be sold in the EU. (The Jerusalem Post)

“SuperValu”, the biggest food distributor in Ireland, told the Irish media last week that it has withdrawn Israeli products from its shops. And Israeli media reports suggest that other major European retailers have taken similar decisions without announcing them publicly. Israeli fruit and vegetable exporters have faced cancelations from Scandinavia, the UK, France, Belgium and Ireland. (Imemc) 

Former Vice-President of the European Parliament and former Italian parliamentarian, Luisa Morgantini has met with Deputy Minister of Local Government, Mazen Ghnaim, also head of the National Committee for the Commemoration of the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Ghnaim briefed Morgantini on activities and events sponsored by the Committee, as well as preparations to hold an international conference for organizations worldwide working in Palestine, to be held in Palestine on 20 November. Morgantini said she would work with all Italian and European organizations in preparation for the conference, and that she would encourage Italian municipalities to become involved in the conference, with the intention of laying a foundation stone for sustainable solidarity with the Palestinian people. (Imemc)

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli authorities have rejected several requests by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to enter Gaza. The Israeli Occupation Forces told the two organizations that the Erez crossing is closed and no one can be allowed in. (Palestine News Network) 

Pro-Palestinian organizations in the US have announced that they will begin sabotaging the operations of Israeli shipping company Zim in the United States, starting by attempting to prevent the docking of a cargo ship in Oakland, California. (Ynetnews.com)

The chief Palestinian delegate to truce talks with Israel warned that Gaza violence could erupt anew unless progress is made toward a lasting deal ahead of a midnight deadline in Egyptian-brokered talks. (Reuters)

King Abdullah II and British Prime Minister David Cameron, discussed a number of Middle East issues, especially the recent developments in Gaza and efforts to reach a full end to the Israeli aggression on coastal territory and secure border access for humanitarian and medical aid to the besieged enclave. (Petra)

Sources in Jerusalem said that Israel had coordinated with the US to define the details of a future permanent accord with Hamas: Israel will agree to a gradual lifting of the blockade on Gaza Strip, starting with the land crossings and eventually opening up sea traffic. Under the agreement, Israeli will not oppose the transfer of salaries to Hamas civil workers in Gaza and will allow for the rehabilitation of the Strip with the use of international assistance. The issue of the Strip’s demilitarization will most likely not be included in the accord developing in Cairo, though the US will support the Israeli demand for the prevention of Hamas and other organization’s efforts to rearm. (Ynetnews)

Palestinian Minister of the Economy Muhammad Mustafa said that reconstruction of Gaza following Israel’s month-long assault would cost billions of dollars. The Ministry in Ramallah has set up a committee which is currently estimating damages and is due to release its report by the end of this week, Mustafa stated. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel refused to allow employees of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to enter the Gaza Strip in order to conduct their own independent investigations into the fighting, using various bureaucratic excuses. Both human rights organizations have been trying to obtain permission since July 7. (Haaretz)

UN Special Coordinator Robert Serry said that Gaza will require massive reconstruction and proposed expanding a UN-Israeli system to import construction materials into the Palestinian territory. Serry told the Security Council that ending the blockade of Gaza and addressing Israel’s legitimate security needs has become even more urgent given “the unprecedented amount of destruction … and the corresponding unprecedented level of humanitarian needs.” (The Washington Post)

Security Council President Mark Lyall Grant (UK) told reporters: “If the [Cairo] talks fail then there may also be a role for the Security Council…There was widespread agreement among Member States that there is no military solution.” What is needed is a sustainable ceasefire that allows for humanitarian reconstruction, guarantees for Israeli security, the return of the PA to the Strip, greater economic life for Gaza along with verification and monitoring mechanisms for such activity, Grant said. In addition, a ceasefire should be a bridge to some form of renewed negotiations on a final status agreement. There was widespread agreement that there can be “no return to the status quo ante” in Gaza, Grant said. (Ynetnews)

19

Three rockets fired from Gaza struck southern Israel breaking a ceasefire, drawing Israeli air strikes and prompting Israel to recall its delegation from the Egyptian-brokered talks in Cairo. (The New York Times)

Israeli military and police arrested 15 Palestinians across the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to local and security sources. (WAFA)

Palestinians are pushing to expand the Quartet, PLO Executive Committee member Saeb Erekat said. “There is a Quartet, but its activities have been frozen. We would like this Quartet to work more effectively, because the Quartet represents peace. If the Quartet’s members are expanded, then we’re all for that because the entire world is talking about that right now,” Erekat said during a press conference in Moscow. (RIA Novosti)

Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad announced that the Palestinian delegation still does not know whether or not it will agree to a long-term ceasefire and put the blame on Israel for the delay. (The Jerusalem Post)

President Abbas will travel to Doha to hold talks with the Emir of Qatar and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, the Palestinian Ambassador in Qatar said. Abbas will discuss separately with Mashaal and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani the latest developments in the negotiations in Cairo and “aid and reconstruction” in Gaza, Palestinian ambassador Monir Ghannam told AFP. (Ynetnews)

President Abbas is scheduled to visit Cairo on 22 August where he will meet with the Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi and other officials, for updates on the latest developments in Palestine, and the Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip, the ambassador of Palestine to Egypt said.

The Gaza aid campaign, initiated by Turkish Prime Minister and President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has raised $20.8 million according to a senior Government official. (The Jerusalem Post)

The IDF has summoned anew 2,000 reservists in light of the renewed hostilities along the Gaza frontier, Army Radio is reporting. There is still no word as to whether the army plans on a massive enlistment of reservists. (The Jerusalem Post)

 Hamas’s official spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri denied Israel’s claims that his movement was planning a coup against the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank. In a statement cited by Anadolu news agency, Abu Zuhri said that Israel only announced this claim at this precise moment in order to undermine the Palestinian unity achieved before and during the latest war in Gaza, which has resulted in a united front at the ceasefire talks in Cairo. (Middle East Monitor)

The chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called on the United Nations Security Council and the international community to set a time frame for an Israeli pullout from the territories occupied in 1967. (The Jerusalem Post)

A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip collapsed, with Palestinian militants firing dozens of rockets at Israel and Israel launching air strikes that health officials said killed three people including a woman and a young girl in Gaza. Accusing Gaza Islamists of breaking the truce, Israel promptly recalled its negotiators from talks in Cairo, leaving the fate of Egyptian-brokered efforts to secure a lasting peace hanging in the balance. (Reuters)

Thousands of Palestinians fled their homes in neighbourhoods of eastern Gaza City, carrying bags of clothes, pillows and mattresses after renewed Israeli airstrikes, witnesses said. An AFP reporter saw hundreds of Palestinians streaming out of Shejaiya, one of the areas worst affected by more than a month of fighting between Israel and Hamas. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Turkish shipbuilder Karadeniz announced that it will send an electricity generating vessel to Gaza to provide urgently needed power in the enclave left reeling by an Israeli bombing campaign that began last month. (Ynetnews)

The following statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the situation in Gaza was issued on 19 August: The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the breach of the Egyptian brokered humanitarian ceasefire which was to expire at midnight local time. He is gravely disappointed by the return to hostilities. The Secretary-General reminds both sides of their responsibility not to let the situation escalate. The hopes of the people in Gaza for a better future and the hopes of the people in Israel for sustainable security rest on the talks in Cairo. The Secretary-General calls on the delegations to live up to this expectation and urges the parties to reach an immediate understanding on a durable ceasefire which also addresses the underlying issues afflicting Gaza. (un.org)

20

Police have successfully stopped a pro-Palestinian protest planned for the opening of the Israeli Film Festival in Sydney, citing concerns about traffic. The New South Wales Supreme Court ruled the protest could not go ahead. (The Guardian)

The targeted killing of any person who deals in terror is not only legitimate but desirable in my eyes. Throughout these periods I always support the targeted killings of terror leaders,” said Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, after Hamas claimed Israel tried to kill al-Qassam Brigade’s chief Mohammed Deif. (Ynetnews)

Egypt called on Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations, expressing its “profound regret at the breach of the ceasefire in Gaza”. Hostilities broke out again in the densely-populated Mediterranean coastal enclave late when Palestinian rockets and Israeli air strikes halted fragile indirect talks in Cairo aimed at agreeing a long-term truce. (The Guardian)

A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Palestinian charges that Israel was to blame for a breakdown in ceasefire talks in Cairo, saying rocket fire from Gaza “made continuation of talks impossible.” (Reuters)

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, stated in an e-mailed press statement that “Hamas doesn’t have any information on launching any rockets from Gaza.” The Israeli occupation is aiming through this escalation in the region to abort the talks in Cairo,” adding “The occupation is fully responsible for this escalation and all the consequences that would come out of it.” (Xinhua)

French President Francois Hollande called on Israel and the Palestinians to resume truce talks after a Gaza ceasefire collapsed and said the demilitarization of the enclave and a lifting of a blockade should be part of a deal. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to renew as soon as possible talks on a long-term ceasefire that was hammered out in Egypt’s peace initiative. (RIANOVOSTI)

The Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby accused Israel on Wednesday of “blocking” all attempts to end the Gaza conflict, a day after the collapse of a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. Israel is blocking any kind of agreement leading to calm in the Gaza Strip, Elaraby told journalists. “The Arab League wants to reach a permanent truce as soon as possible,” he said before flying off to Geneva for a meeting with the International Committee of the Red Cross to demand protection of Palestinian civilians. (AFP)

Eighteen Palestinians have been killed and 120 wounded by Israeli strikes across Gaza since the collapse of a temporary truce, medics said. Among the dead were the wife and infant son of Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, who died in a strike which levelled a six-story house in northern Gaza City, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said. The latest violence raised the overall death toll in Gaza to more than 2,030, with at least 10,300 people wounded, Qudra said. (AFP)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for parties in the Gaza conflict to respect humanitarian law to ensure effective delivery of sustainable humanitarian efforts. ICRC President Peter Maurer reiterated in a statement that parties in the conflict and the international community bear the collective responsibility for creating an environment conducive to sustainable humanitarian efforts. (Xinhua)

The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) sent an aid convoy to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to ease their suffering. (Petra)

In a unanimously adopted statement, drafted by France, the Security Council “called upon the parties to resume negotiations to urgently reach a sustainable and lasting ceasefire”. (AFP)

The chief of UNICEF’s Gaza field office, Pernille Ironside, said that if the severe Israeli trade constraints on Gaza were not relaxed, a preliminary analysis showed it could take 18 years to rebuild destroyed housing. (The New York Times)

Israeli forces arrested eight Palestinians in the West Bank and another in the Old City of Jerusalem. (WAFA)

Israeli settlers protected by police toured the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Police arrested a Palestinian student who tried to prevent the break-in. (IMEMC)

Israeli forces demolished four Palestinian houses that were more than 100 years old in the village of Al-Tawil, east of Nablus, and two others in the village of Al-Aqaba, east of Tubas. (WAFA)

Israeli soldiers demolished seven Bedouin sheds and tents near Ramallah. (IMEMC)

Israeli forces imposed a curfew on the town of Huwwara, south of Nablus, and shut down a farmer’s market in the nearby Beita village. (Ma’an News Agency)

21

An Israeli air strike in Gaza levelled a four-story house in Rafah, killing six people, including three senior commanders of the Hamas military wing. In Gaza City, an Israeli air strike targeting a cemetery killed four Palestinians burying relatives who had been killed overnight in Israeli air strikes, bringing the death toll since midnight to 25. (AP, Ma’an News Agency)

Since midnight, 58 rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza at Israel, 48 of which fell inside Israel. In Eshkol, a man sustained serious wounds when he was hit by rocket shrapnel. (Ynetnews)

Turkey’s disaster relief agency said it had transferred humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through an air corridor and 23 wounded Palestinians had been airlifted for treatment in Istanbul. (Hürriyet Daily News)

Israeli forces arrested four Palestinians from across the West Bank. (WAFA)

A senior Hamas official based in Turkey, Salah Arouri, said during a conference in Istanbul that the group’s military wing was behind the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank in June. (Haaretz)

Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian-owned olive trees and grazing fields east of Yatta near Hebron. (WAFA)

Israel is examining the option of renewing the Egypt-mediated truce talks in order to reach a long term deal with Hamas, a Government official said, even as the possibility of indirect talks with the Palestinian organization drew sharp criticism by several Cabinet Ministers, including Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. During a stormy debate on the issue in the last cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reprimanded Bennett for his public stance on the subject. (Haaretz)

A member of the Palestinian delegation at ongoing indirect peace talks in Cairo said they were still waiting for a response from Israel on a truce offer they had submitted. (Ma’an News Agency)

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri reacted to the Israeli killing of three top Hamas commanders by saying that the “assassinations failed to weaken the resistance or provide security for Israelis.” He also said that the threats made by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon to assassinate Hamas leaders “does not scare” the movement. “The names of all these leaders will turn into the names of rockets that will burn Zionists,” he added in response. (Ma’an News Agency)

President Mahmoud Abbas met with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Ibn Hamad Al Thani in Doha. PLO Executive Committee members Saeb Erekat and Salih Raafat attended the meeting along with Azzam al-Ahmad, lead Palestinian negotiator in Cairo. Majid Faraj, the director of the Palestinian general intelligence service, and Ambassador of Palestine to Qatar Munir Ghannam were also present. Senior Hamas officials Khalid Meshaal and Mousa Abu Marzouq joined the meeting later. The officials discussed the ongoing Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip and possible means to bring it to an end. A second meeting took place between President Abbas, Khaled Meshaal and the Emir of Qatar on Friday. (Ma’an News Agency) 

The head of UNICEF’s field office in Gaza, Anne-Claire Dufay, told AFP that renewed hostilities were threatening the delivery of aid to hundreds of thousands of children with acute needs. Ramesh Rajasingham, OCHA OPT head, added that there was an “urgent need” for an immediate ceasefire. “It is extremely difficult for us to do our job,” he said. (AFP)

At least 38 Palestinians died as Israeli planes bombarded the Gaza Strip for the second day in a row after a temporary ceasefire fell apart. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli authorities said that both the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings between Gaza and Israel will remain open despite the fact that rockets had been fired at both terminals from the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

Khalida Jarrar, a Palestinian lawmaker and senior PFLP Member, said she would challenge a deportation order from the Israeli military authorities who have ordered her out of Ramallah. (Ma’an News Agency)

A group of pro-Palestinian activists briefly occupied the Portland (Oregon) offices of global security company G4S to protest its affiliation with the Israeli prison system. (Haaretz)

Global NGO OXFAM urged the world to suspend arms sales to Israel to protect civilians as Gaza violence escalated anew. Oxfam said that the all states must immediately suspend transfers of arms or ammunition to Israel given the serious risk that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law. (oxfam.org)

22

Britain, France and Germany have launched a fresh bid at the UN to end six weeks of violence in Gaza. In a document obtained by AFP, the three countries urged an immediate and sustainable ceasefire that would put an end to the firing of rockets and military operations in the Strip. It calls for a lifting of the Israeli blockade and a monitoring mechanism to report on ceasefire violations and verify the flow of goods in Gaza. Diplomats said the text was aimed at advancing efforts to reach agreement within the UN Security Council on a resolution after Jordan’s draft text met with resistance, notably from the United States which decided to join the European efforts. (AFP, AP)

A spokesperson for the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza said the Palestinian factions in the Strip would not be obligated to commit to any potential UN-initiated ceasefire resolution. “The decision would not force our hand; we will continue to fight Israel until it concedes to our demands on lifting the blockade and ending the aggression.” (Yediot Ahronot)

A rocket exploded in an empty home in Sderot. Earlier, a rocket hit a synagogue in Ashdod, injuring three people lightly. Before that, a heavy rocket and mortar barrage on southern Israel left one Israeli moderately wounded by shrapnel in Be’er Sheva. In related news, a rocket landed in open ground in Gush Dan, central Israel, without any sirens being sounded. No one was injured nor was damage reported. (Haaretz)

A mortar fired from Gaza killed a four-year-old Israeli child in a border collective farm, Israeli security sources said. (The Guardian) 

Top Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh vows the group will not stop fighting until the siege on Gaza is lifted, and called Israel a “neo-Nazi occupier.” (Ynetnews)

The overall cost of Operation Protective Edge has passed US$2.5B after 41 days of fighting (US$6M per day), leaving a big hole in Israel’s budget. (Haaretz)

Israeli forces detained PLC Member Ahmad Moussa al-Zaarir in Hebron, locals said. (Ma’an News Agency)

It was reported that Canadian Federation of Student’s Ontario branch decided to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel in its annual general meeting last weekend. (Haaretz)

The day after the death of three of its military leaders in an Israeli air raid, Hamas executed 18 Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel in the Gaza Strip. (Le Monde)

23

Israel bombed the 12-storyy Al Zafer Tower in Gaza, which collapsed as a result. The IDF said the building contained a Hamas command centre. Medical officials said 17 people were wounded in the Israeli strike. (Haaretz)

A mother and her four children were killed in an air strike, marking the 89^th Gazan family to be killed in the “Operation Protective Edge”, Gazan officials said. (Haaretz)

Five rockets were fired from Syria into the Golan Heights, no injuries were reported. A rocket was fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu said “There is not and will not be any immunity for anyone who fires at Israeli citizens, and that is true for every sector and every border.” (Haaretz, Ma’an News Agency)

Hamas signed a proposal for the Palestinians to apply to join the ICC at which legal action could be taken against Israel, a senior official of the movement said. (Ma’an News Agency)

President Abbas said: “What interests us now is putting a stop to the bloodshed…Egypt is going to invite delegates to return to the negotiating table to consider a long-term truce,” he said after talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. “Efforts are made to reach an agreement,” confirmed a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri. (AFP, Haaretz)

Israeli officials retracted their earlier claim that the rocket that killed a four-year-old child in Southern Israel was launched from an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA called upon “Israeli military spokespersons and other official sources to ensure the accuracy of their facts before going public”. (UNRWA) 

Hundreds of Holocaust survivors and descendants of survivors have signed a letter, published as an advertisement in the New York Times, condemning “the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza” and calling for a complete boycott of Israel. (Haaretz)

A poll released by Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion showed that a majority of Gaza’s residents support a long-term truce with Israel and oppose the disarmament of the Palestinian resistance. (Ma’an News Agency)

24

Israeli warplanes fired three missiles at the Rafah crossing causing major damage to a yard in the terminal, said Maher Abu Sabha, the head of Gaza’s crossing and border authority. (Ma’an News Agency)

25

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation in Gaza would continue until its goals were reached. “I call on the inhabitants of Gaza to vacate immediately every site from which Hamas is carrying out terrorist activity. Every one of these places is a target for us,” he said. (Haaretz)

More than 80 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel from Gaza since midnight, according to the IDF. Some 70 of the projectiles fell within Israel and nine were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system. The IDF has attacked more than 30 targets in Gaza over the course of the day. (Haaretz)

The Israeli Army still believes that reoccupying Gaza would cost hundreds of Israeli lives, take several weeks and would need to be followed by a months-long systematic campaign of clearing out the militant networks. (Haaretz)

Iran announced its intention to “speed up the arming” of Palestinians in response to an Israeli spy drone it said it had shot down in Iranian airspace. (AFP)

Airstrikes struck the home of Omar al-Bursh, a Hamas justice official. Al-Bursh was unharmed in the attack. (Ynetnews)

According to the UN, 2,130 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, 70 per cent are civilians and at least 491 children. Sixty-eight people were killed on the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and 4 civilians. (AFP)

The principle that Israel does not negotiate “under the bombs has not changed,” said Mark Regev, a spokesman of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu (AFP)

Egyptian mediators have proposed a new ceasefire in Gaza that would open the blockaded enclave’s crossings and allow in aid and reconstruction materials, a senior Palestinian official said. (Ma’an News Agency)

Aides to President Abbas said that he will soon appeal to the international community to set a deadline for Israel to end its occupation and make way for an independent Palestinian State. The aides said Abbas would present his proposal as part of a “day after” plan following the end of the current war in the Gaza Strip. Abbas is expected to unveil his plan at a meeting of the Palestinian leadership on 26 August. (AP)

Half a million schoolchildren in the Gaza Strip will be unable to start the fall semester this week as the conflict damaged at least 277 schools so far. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Human Rights Watch condemned Hamas for the recent public executions of dozens of alleged Israeli collaborators. “Hamas authorities need to stop these extrajudicial killings,” said the Middle East director at the HRW. (Ynetnews)

Twelve Palestinians were killed when Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, medics said. (Ma’an News Agency)

A poll conducted by the Shiluv Millward Brown Company showed that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s approval rate has decreased to 38 per cent from last month’s 82 per cent. The survey that was released by Israel’s Channel 2 found that 50 per cent of the respondents did not approve of Mr. Netanyahu’s performance and some 63 per cent were opposed to the opening of schools in southern Israel. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Retired US Gen. John Allen arrived in Israel on an unannounced visit, Israel Radio reported. Mr. Allen was set to meet with Israeli officials to discuss the possible renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians once the Gaza operation ends. (The Times of Israel)

UN diplomats said that the United States has prepared its own draft outline for a UN resolution demanding a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and was now working with European countries and Jordan on a joint text. (Reuters)

26

Since midnight, six Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes. Two were killed in a high rise apartment strike, two were killed when a missile struck a car in Beit Lahia and two in a bombing in Shujaiyeh, east of Gaza City. (Haaretz)

One Israeli civilian was killed and six others wounded by a mortar attack in Eshkol, southern Israel. One of the wounded was in a critical condition and another in serious condition. (Haaretz) 

More than 50 rockets and mortars were fired at Israel, with the Eshkol Regional Council receiving the brunt of the fire. One rocket hit Ashkelon, causing damage to several homes. Paramedics said they treated 40 people. Later rocket shrapnel fell in the courtyard of a kindergarten in Ashdod, with no injuries reported. The Iron Dome intercepted two rockets fired on Ashkelon and Tel Aviv. Hamas claimed responsibility for the Tel Aviv and Ashkelon attacks. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces arrested 19 Palestinians during predawn raids in the West Bank districts of Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem and Hebron, according to local and security sources. (WAFA)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hold an emergency meeting of the leadership in Ramallah today to discuss Israel’s war on Gaza and his latest visit to Qatar. It was expected that Mr. Abbas will announce a political initiative demanding that the international community intervene to stop the assault on Gaza and to issue a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. (Ma’an News Agency)

An Hamas official negotiating in Cairo, Mousa Abu Marzou, told the Arabic Newspaper Al-Hayat that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have accepted the Egyptian ceasefire proposal and are awaiting Israel’s answer. (Al-Hayat)

Israel has accepted the Egyptian proposal for an unlimited  easefire, a senior Israeli official said, adding that Cabinet Ministers have been notified and there was no need for a vote as per a legal opinion. (Haaretz)

Dozens of Palestinians demonstrated in Hebron’s Old City to protest the closure of a military checkpoint by Israeli forces after it was burned down by a firebomb. The checkpoint is the only access point for students of the Qurtuba School. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Palestinian planned city of Al-Rawabi is taking shape and waiting for Israel’s approval for water supply. (New York Times)

The following Statement is attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Gaza: The Secretary-General welcomes today’s announcement of an open-ended ceasefire for Gaza, brokered under Egyptian auspices. A brighter future for Gaza and for Israel depends on a sustainable ceasefire. It is up to the parties to live up to this responsibility. After this latest round of killing and the further widespread destruction of Palestinian homes, civilians on both sides need a reprieve in order to resume their daily lives, and to allow for humanitarian and early recovery efforts to address the desperate needs of the people in Gaza. The children of Gaza and Israel must be able to start the school year without the sound of rocket alarms and airstrikes. After 50 days of profound human suffering and devastating physical destruction, any violations of the  ceasefire would be utterly irresponsible.  Any peace effort that does not tackle the root causes of the crisis will do little more than set the stage for the next cycle of violence. Gaza must be brought back under one legitimate Palestinian Government adhering to the PLO commitments; the blockade of Gaza must end; Israel’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed. The United Nations stands ready to support efforts to address the structural factors of conflict between Israel and Gaza.  The Secretary-General remains hopeful that the extended ceasefire will act as a prelude to a political process as the only way of achieving durable peace. The two-state solution is the only viable option. The Secretary-General urgently calls on both parties to return to meaningful negotiations towards a final status agreement that addresses all core issues and ends the 47-year occupation. (UN press release)

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said that a Gaza ceasefire that went into effect provides for a “simultaneous opening of the border crossings between Israel and Gaza to enable the rapid entry of humanitarian aid and relief and reconstruction supplies.” The Egyptian-brokered deal also provides for the immediate extension to six nautical miles of the limit imposed by Israel on the territory’s fishermen. It foresees “continuation of indirect negotiations between the two sides on other matters within one month of the ceasefire taking effect.” (AFP)

The US gave full backing to a new long-term ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians, expressing hope that both sides would cooperate to help the new truce hold. (AFP)

President Abbas said in a short, televised address announcing the ceasefire: “We confirm complete appreciation to the Egyptian efforts which started long ago seeking to satisfy all sides. Qatar also played a role in that. We also would like to mention that [US Secretary of State John Kerry] was also in touch with us for the same purpose and so we thank all those who played [a role].” (Ma’an News Agency)

UNRWA issued an emergency appeal for $295.4 million to support about 500,000 IDPs, including 300,000 persons expected to continue to stay at the UNRWA schools in Gaza Strip. In an online press release, UNRWA pointed out that there are now approximately 300,000 people crowding into 85 UNRWA schools in Gaza – a number never before seen in Gaza’s history. (WAFA)

27

“The ceasefire provides a critical and welcome window of opportunity for reaching a comprehensive agreement that tackles the underlying causes of the conflict,” said Tobias Ellwood, Britain’s Minister for the Middle East. Quartet Representative Tony Blair also welcomed the end of the bloodshed. “The Quartet will now concentrate on a long-term plan for Gaza and for its reconstruction, including the effective and efficient re-opening and re-connection (of the enclave) to the outside world under the authority of the Palestinian Authority Government,” Blair said in a statement. “Such a plan will enable a proper and decent life for the people of Gaza, as well as protect the security of the people of Israel.” (AFP)

“New Zealanders have been greatly concerned and justifiably outraged by the number of civilian casualties in this conflict,” New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully said in a statement. “We urge both sides to ensure this current ceasefire holds and commend the efforts of Egypt, the United Nations, the United States and others to negotiate this ceasefire,” said McCully. (Xinhua)

Qatar hailed the Gaza ceasefire accord and offered to help rebuild the enclave. (Ynetnews)

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki has sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and a number of Western foreign ministers (United States, Britain, France, Australia, and Canada) asking them to bring to trial their citizens who serve in the Israeli army or volunteer with the military for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza. In the letter, Malki emphasized that UN Member States bear the responsibility of investigating and putting on trial people in their jurisdictions who have violated international law. (Haaretz)

For the first time in seven years, a WFP humanitarian convoy successfully crossed from Egypt into the Gaza Strip, carrying enough food to feed around 150,000 people for five days. (un.org)

Egyptian soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian who emerged from a smuggling tunnel near Rafah, Egyptian security sources said. The other managed to escape. (Ma’an News Agency)

Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “We would be happy to see Abu-Mazen’s [Abbas’] forces enter the Gaza Strip.” The Palestinian President, he said “has to decide which side he is on. We hope he will continue to support a peace deal with Israel.” (Haaretz)

Israeli authorities recently extended the detention of 51 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli settlers cut down around 30 Palestinian-owned trees north of the town of Beit Ummar near Hebron, according to a local media source. (WAFA)

Israeli authorities demolished six homes near Jerusalem, leaving 51 Palestinians homeless. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs said, in a statement, that the Israeli authorities practiced dozens of outrageous violations against Palestinian detainees below the age of 18, in contradiction to all international conventions and treaties stipulating the protection of minors. (WAFA)

28

Israeli forces arrested 14 Palestinians in the West Bank. (WAFA)

The IDF shot in the air to disperse a crowd of Gazans gathered next to the border fence. (Haaretz)

French President Hollande said during  the annual conference of ambassadors at the Élysée Palace in Paris: “Europe is doing a lot to rebuild and develop Palestine. However, it should not be merely a ‘fund’ that is sought to heal the injuries of a frequent conflict…The most urgent matter now is consolidating the ceasefire that has been negotiated in Cairo. The siege should be gradually lifted and Gaza should be disarmed.” Hollande noted that France has submitted proposals for the opening of crossing points between Gaza, Egypt, and Israel. (AFP)

PLO official Nabil Sha’ath told Ma’an that the PLO would submit an application to the Security Council on 15 September demanding a “timetable” for Israel’s withdrawal from the OPT. The Arab League will meet on 5 September to discuss how to support the move. If that request is denied, the PLO will take their case to the ICC to hold senior Israeli officials such as Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon accountable. A permanent unity Government, with Hamas as a full partner, will then be formed in order to facilitate the reconstruction of Gaza, Sha’ath added.” (Ma’an News Agency)

PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi told a visiting delegation of The Elders : “The status quo cannot be maintained, and we will never accept for Gaza to be severed from the West Bank. Now is the time to move forward with reconciliation, reconstruction and independence.” They discussed the work of The Elders, national unity, the need for reconstruction in Gaza, future Palestinian steps to reach a binding solution, and the need for immediate international intervention to hold Israel accountable and to provide an international system of protection for the Palestinian people. (WAFA)

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah discussed with members of the British Parliament the consequences of the Israeli aggression, possibilities of reaching a permanent ceasefire and the preparations for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. (WAFA)

A Palestinian man was injured after being “deliberately” run over by a bus carrying Israeli settlers near Hebron, local officials said. (Ma’an News Agency)

More than 200 tonnes of aid from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Turkey entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, a border official said. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli High Court rejected a petition to probe the death of a Palestinian who died a day after reportedly inhaling tear gas at a Bil’in demonstration. (Haaretz)

Israeli forces detained 16 Palestinians across the West Bank, targeting homes in raids near Nablus, Bethlehem, Tulkarem, and Ramallah. (Ma’an News Agency)

Prospects of a final deal on a long-term Gaza truce between Israel and Hamas were seen as shaky after Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal ruled out Israeli demands to disarm the Palestinian militant group at a news conference in Doha. Meshaal also said that the Israeli assault on Gaza had failed to undermine Palestinian national unity and that the bloody offensive of the past seven weeks had “proven that the resistance cannot be blockaded.” (AFP, Ma’an News Agency)

It was reported that after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a televised news conference alongside his Defense Minister and army chief to claim a win, he was slammed by the media, the public, the opposition and even members of his own party and coalition. (The Washington Post)

Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad Malki attended the Presidential inauguration for Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a statement from his office said. The Foreign Minister held meetings in the morning with Turkish officials to discuss bilateral relations and the latest developments with Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency)

In a televised interview he gave regarding current political developments, President Mahmoud Abbas demanded that Israel makes its borders known and blasted Hamas for maintaining a “parallel” Government in the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency, The Jerusalem Post)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likened Hamas to radical Islamists in Iraq and Syria in a meeting with members of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. (JTA) 

Several media sources reported that Hamas Gaza Chief Ismail Haniyeh was taken to the hospital at dawn after he started feeling unwell during the night. However, his son, Abd al-Salam Haniyeh, has categorically denied these claims. (PNN)

Israel’s military offensive on the Gaza Strip caused US$40.4 million worth of damages to religious sites and cemeteries in Gaza, the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction. (Ma’an News Agency)

29

The Islamic Jihad said in a statement that during Operation Protective Edge 121 fighters from its military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, were killed fighting with IDF soldiers in Gaza. (The Times of Israel)

The US Government is reportedly working toward presenting to the UN Security Council a comprehensive proposal for the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, according to Lebanese media. (The Times of Israel)

EU Heads of State or Government will meet on 30 August for a special meeting of the European Council on the appointment of a new President of the European Council and a new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. In light of the latest developments, leaders will also discuss international developments, in particular the situations in Ukraine, Iraq and Gaza. (europa.eu)

Palestinian fishermen in Gaza say they are already seeing the benefits of an extended fishing zone, with thousands of kilograms of fresh produce caught only days after Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement and including some varieties of fish unavailable for years due to Israeli restrictions. (Ma’an News Agency)

More than 100 Palestinians from Gaza have been stuck at Cairo International Airport for more than three weeks after being prevented by Egyptian authorities from traveling to their final destinations. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Jerusalem municipality has approved plans to build a Jewish religious school in the heart of East Jerusalem, Palestinian activists and Israeli media said. The Ohr Somayach yeshiva will occupy a nine-story building in the middle of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. (Haaretz)

30

President Abbas and Hamas reportedly agreed on a three-phase plan that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian State. It calls for giving the Americans a period of four months to draw the borders of the Palestinian State and win Israel’s recognition. If the two sides agree on the plan, they would launch immediate negotiations with a defined timetable during which Israel would be asked to present a map of its proposal for borders, the sources said. But if the plan is rejected, the Palestinians, together with the Arab countries, would ask the Security Council to “evict Israel from the land of Palestine.” If this move also fails, the Palestinian leadership would resort to a third option, joining international treaties and conventions, including the ICC, in order to file war crime charges against Israeli leaders. (The Jerusalem Post)

31

Dozens of Palestinians protested on Hebron’s Shuhada Street, after Israeli forces maintained a closure of a city centre checkpoint for the ninth day. (PNN)

ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that Palestine is now sufficiently a State to file war crimes complaints against Israelis if it chooses to join the Rome Statute. (The Jerusalem Post) 

A number of Palestinian human rights groups called on President Abbas to immediately sign the Rome Statute of the ICC in order to facilitate the prosecution of Israeli leaders over war crimes. (Middle East Monitor)

Israeli sources announced that the Israeli authorities were going to confiscate 4,000,000 m² (4,000 dunums) of land owned by Palestinians to the west of Bethlehem, near the “Gush Etzion” settlement area. (PNN)

PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi strongly denounced Israel’s announced confiscation of 1,000 acres of Palestinian land stressing that “Israeli settlements in the West Bank are a perpetuation of Israel’s war crimes.” (WAFA)

Israel’s Finance Minister Yair Lapid called on international leaders to hold a regional summit focused on demilitarizing and reconstructing the Gaza Strip. He said that Gaza’s reconstruction should be conditional on whether or not Hamas is demilitarized. (Xinhua)

Prime Minister Netanyahu moved to slash Government spending by 2 per cent this year to offset the $2.52B cost of the Gaza conflict. (The Guardian)

Nazmi Muhana, the director of crossings in the PA, said that Israel still bans the entrance of construction raw materials into the Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire deal between Israel and Gaza. (Xinhua)