Regarding: Quest for a Palestinian museum 6-30-2007 in the LA Times

RE: Quest for a Palestinian museum: An idealistic lawyer hopes art can help forge a new identity for his people, to show the humanity overshadowed by terrorism.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-palestinian1jul01,0,3892323.story?coll=la-home-middleright

Dear Editor,

I was delighted to see in your ART section today "Quest for a Palestinian museum", and I applaud the "silver haired lawyer" Mazen Qupty & his wife as they focus attention on Palestinian Fine Art- doing what they can to promote and celebrate a secular vision of Palestine today.

I also applaud the LA Times' willingness to notice passionate- but peaceful Palestinian "resistance"- simply Palestinian being past, present and future... Palestinian talent and Palestinian truth giving US a glimpse of true Palestinian dignity & worth.

Far too much ink & time has been wasted harping on the negative and encouraging the worst in everyone, encouraging a "clash a civilizations" that simply does not need to be...so much better to look for and find the true beauty of the people of Palestine.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

A painting by Sliman Mansour, from Qupty’s collection. “These are the orange fields that we lost in Jaffa,” Qupty says.

(Ziv Koren / Polaris / For The Times)

A painting by Taysir Barakat from Quapty’s collection.

(Ziv Koren / Polaris / For The Times)

Mazen Qupty has been assembling artwork for a Palestinian national art museum.

(Ziv Koren / Polaris / For The Times)

Narrations of the Palestinian 1948 Catastrophe

The Palestine Media Unit of the Public Relations Department at the An-Najah National University in Nablus recently issued the English version of the book Narrations of the Palestinian 1948 Catastrophe, a compilation of first-hand accounts of the events constituting what Palestinians call the Nakba, or catastrophe, in which hundreds of thousands fled from their homes in what was to become the new state of Israel. The entire book has been published online in PDF format.

Narrations of the Palestinian 1948 Catastrophe
Ala Abu Dheer, Palestine Media Unit, An-Najah National University, Posted on Jun 29, 2007 (PDF format)

Israel's hollow declarations ... & more from IMEU

The Institute for Middle East Understanding provides journalists with quick access to information about Palestine and the Palestinians, as well as expert sources, both in the U.S. and the Middle East. Need story assistance? Contact us. New to the issue? See our Background Briefings

Palestinian Bedouin children play near their home in the northern Gaza Strip.
(Wesam Saleh, Maan Images)

Israel's hollow declarations
Dror Etkes, Ynet News, Jun 30, 2007

A Palestinian boy rides his bicycle next to Israel's separation barrier in Qalqilia. (Wesam Saleh, Maan Images)

Once again, for the countless time in the past decade and a half, a senior Israeli statesman is declaring openly that Israel is not interested in maintaining its control over the Palestinians.

This time it was Prime Minister Olmert, who upon the Sharm summit's conclusion on Monday declared that Israel has no intention of dictating the way of life in the Palestinian Authority.

And it is indeed unpleasant to put a damper on such a rare joyous occasion such as a four-way summit where such noble declarations are made, yet the simple facts (which, unfortunately, very few people in Israel take the time to confirm) do not quite match such declarations.

Olmert's problem, and in fact the problem faced by all of us, is that in reality one cannot fool all the people all the time.

Certainly not the Palestinians, who continue to see on a daily basis how more land is being taken away and paved under the wheels of the settlement and annexation machine, which does not rest even for a day.

At one location land is being seized for building the fence, with "only" 80 percent of it being built east of the Green Line, that is, in West Bank territory. Elsewhere land is being seized in favor of expanding one or another "consensus settlement."

Related stories The follies of US policy in Palestine Let Gaza live Under the guise of security: routing the West Bank wall

Simultaneously, at the heart of the West Bank, settlers who are fans of organic agriculture, plant vineyards on land that up until recently was worked by Palestinian farmers, while yet another bypass road is being paved on land confiscated with the High Court's approval for "public benefit."

After all, in the West Bank everything is always done for public benefit – the Israeli public that is (which accounts for only 10 percent of the West Bank's population).

In order to calibrate the national expectation gauge of the Sharm el-Sheik summit and the festive declarations that followed it, it would be worthwhile for us Israelis to one day clarify to ourselves, among the other terms we use routinely in order to describe our realities, the term "consensus."

The conflict in this country is between Israelis, most of them the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of immigrants, and the Palestinians, who are the natives of this land. The conflict's focal point is the legitimacy of the collective existence of both these groups.

To read the full article please visit Ynet News.

Crisis in Gaza Sonja Karkar, IMEU

John Bisharat: Composer and conductor IMEU

Let Gaza live Gideon Levy, Haaretz

Quest for a Palestinian museum Michael Z. Wise, The Los Angeles Times (Jun 30, 2007) Harvest click to enlarge Another 'Sharm el-Sheikh' with little prospect of success Shlomo Ben-Ami, The Daily Star (Jun 29, 2007) Gaza voices: 'trapped in a prison' BBC (Jun 29, 2007) A Hamas security guard closes the gate at Gaza's Rafah crossing Palestinian killed in ongoing Nablus raid Agence France Presse (Jun 29, 2007) An Israeli army vehicle patrols as the sun sets over the West Bank town of Nablus, 28 June. Israeli troops have shot dead a Palestinian man as the army wrapped up an extensive two-day operation in the flashpoint West Bank town of Nablus, security sources said.(AFP/File/Jaafar Ashtiyeh) Abbas to meet with French president in Paris Maan News (Jun 29, 2007) Israel allows wheat into Gaza Al-Jazeera (Jun 29, 2007) Let's talk, again Dina Ezzat, Al-Ahram Weekly (Jun 29, 2007) 600 villagers face prospect of new displacement IRIN (Jun 28, 2007) Nearly all the Palestinian residents of al-Walaje village were displaced by the 1948 Israeli-Arab war or are descendants of those displaced, and many now again face the prospect of forced displacement, this time to make room for a possible new Israeli settlement and the construction of the Israeli West Bank separation barrier.....

"Things seen in Palestine" : Old photos from a book Miqdad owns, published in 1913

PALESTINIAN REFUGEES

Page 8
PDF - 195 k

http://www.passia.org/index_pfacts.htm

Download entire bulletin (1.5 MB - PDF) or select from the pages below::

Welcome to Doc Jazz's new album 'Front Door Key' ....

http://www.docjazz.com/docjazzlive/tunage/tunage.htm

(©Copyright 2002 © 2004 Doc Jazz)

HOME

Desolately looking at what once was home
And wondering why it had to go
The little girl swallows her tears

Yesterday the soldiers came
Took everything she had away
Nothing left to live off but her fears


This crazy world is letting
The culprits get away

Refugees in their own land
Deported by a savage hand
And thrown into famine and despair

But around her neck the front door keys
Will keep alive the memories
Returning home is now her only care

And now she still remembers
How daddy used to say


Home is always in your heart
They can't take that away
Be strong, even when life gets rough
And nothing seems to go your way

Someday, justice will overcome
Their lies will fall apart
But till then let home live in your heart


Nightmares from the screams at night
Are keeping her from sleeping tight
Images of fire, blood and tears

The occupation is a crime
Defenceless people terrified
As desperation grows throughout the years

Resisting occupation
Is the only thing to do

Whatever happened in Jenin
Was deliberately kept unseen
A shameless crime was covered up in veils

But as time goes by we won't forget
The truth will be uncovered yet
As long as we are there to tell the tale

(©Copyright 2002 © 2004 Doc Jazz)

Joharah Baker's Money for nothing..& more from IMEU

The Institute for Middle East Understanding provides journalists with quick access to information about Palestine and the Palestinians, as well as expert sources, both in the U.S. and the Middle East. Need story assistance? Contact us. New to the issue? See our Background Briefings.

A Palestinian family walks past an Israeli military vehicle in the West Bank city of Nablus, after the army imposed a curfew there Thursday. (Maan Images)

Money for nothing
Joharah Baker, MIFTAH, Jun 29, 2007

A Palestinian Bedouin man walks with his camels in one of the poorest areas of the northern Gaza Strip. (Wesam Saleh, Maan Images)

This is crunch time for the new emergency government. It knows all too well that it has a small window of opportunity to prove its ability to pull the Palestinians back from the throes of poverty and social and political disintegration.

With Hamas still ruling the streets of Gaza and mutual accusations between this party and Fateh over who is to blame for the current state of misery, President Mahmoud Abbas and new Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad are placing their bets on hard currency – the euros, greenbacks and riyals they know is the key to their survival.

It was long ago when the Palestinians fell into the trap of international funding – basically, the signing of the Oslo Accords marked the first paycheck handed to the fledgling Palestinian Authority at the expense of their ultimate freedom over their own destiny.

Since then, the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been prisoners to this financial assistance. When the political leadership was favorable to the funders – mainly the United States and Europe – the dollars flowed.

During the decade after the PA was created with Fateh at the helm, investment in the Palestinian territories boomed and life in the West Bank and Gaza took on a semblance of normalcy, to the point where the Palestinians almost forget that their main and most challenging task was still at hand– eliminating Israeli rule over their land.

Related stories Gaza: From economic to humanitarian disaster The follies of US policy in Palestine FAQ on the Gaza crisis In search of justice in the Middle East John Bisharat: Composer and conductor

However, the makings of a subordinate Palestinian entity had been securely put in place, one which would be forced to rely on external funding for as long as this remained in the interests of the powers that be – i.e. Israel and the United States. And while the majority of Palestinians were still unaware of the extent of this subordination, mostly because their leadership had convinced them that they were well on their way to independence, it did not take long for the true nature of this arrangement to rise to the surface.

Once the Palestinians signed the politically and economically binding Oslo Accords they had inadvertently put themselves at the mercy of Israeli and American dictates, including how much money comes into the Palestinian territories and how it is disbursed. After late President Yasser Arafat passed away in 2004, and the political winds shifted towards a more Islamist trend, the valves on the flow of international funding began to tighten.

However, it was not until Hamas took power after its sweeping victory in the January 2006 Legislative Council elections and later formed the government that funding came to a standstill. The United States, Israel and Europe all consider Hamas as a “terrorist organization” and not a suitable “partner for peace” for the Israelis.

So, as punishment for the Palestinians’ democratic choice, the funders imposed a strangulating economic boycott on the Palestinian Authority, completely halting all aid directly to the Authority and limiting assistance to relief efforts.

The results, no doubt, have been devastating on the leadership and the people alike.

To read the full article please visit MIFTAH.org.

John Bisharat: Composer and conductor IMEU

Let Gaza live Gideon Levy, Haaretz

Palestinians need hope Mona El-Farra, Star Tribune

Palestinian killed in ongoing Nablus raid Agence France Presse (Jun 29, 2007) AFP/File Photo: An Israeli army vehicle patrols as the sun sets over the West Bank town of Nablus... Israel's hollow declarations Dror Etkes, Ynet News (Jun 29, 2007) Abbas to meet with French president in Paris Maan News (Jun 29, 2007) Israel allows wheat into Gaza Al-Jazeera (Jun 29, 2007) Let's talk, again Dina Ezzat, Al-Ahram Weekly (Jun 29, 2007) 600 villagers face prospect of new displacement IRIN (Jun 28, 2007) Israeli troops arrest 60, including 18 children, near Hebron Maan News (Jun 28, 2007) How US Middle East policy continues to undermine the "moderates" Nadia Hijab, Institute for Palestine Studies (Jun 28, 2007)

FAQ on the Gaza crisis IMEU

FAQ on the 1967 war IMEU Palestinians cross the Allenby Bridge into Jordan following the start of the 1967 war. (Myrtle Winter, UNRWA)

A nation occupied IMEU

A woman in the West Bank village of Jayyous at a gate in Israel's separation wall. In the village, the wall deviates up to 6km from the Green Line, encircles about 500 homes and separates the people of Jayyous from 75% of their agricultural land.


In Hebron's Old City, 400 illegal Israeli settlers, and the 1,200 Israeli soldiers placed inside the city to protect them, restrict the movement of thousands of Palestinians residing and working in the Old City and its immediate neighborhoods. View more photos

Some 600 Palestinian villagers face prospect of new displacement by Israel

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/ce2a158c71e84280cff0bde22826cad0.htm

ISRAEL-OPT: Some 600 villagers face prospect of new displacement

28 Jun 2007 14:20:38 GMT

AL-WALAJE (WEST BANK), 28 June 2007 (IRIN) - Nearly all the Palestinian residents of al-Walaje village were displaced by the 1948 Israeli-Arab war or are descendants of those displaced, and many now again face the prospect of forced displacement, this time to make room for a possible new Israeli settlement and the construction of the Israeli West Bank separation barrier.

About 600 people, all refugees registered with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, live in the Ein Jwesia section of al-Walaje. Now, many of these Palestinians are concerned that they will lose their homes and land.

"I have two demolition orders against my home," said Amin al-Atrash, from Ein Jwesia. "About 30 houses have already been destroyed in the village over the years," he added.

As the residents are registered refugees, their case has been closely followed by UN agencies, although there is concern among aid workers that the efforts are "too little, too late".

Israel's view Shlomo Dror, from the Israeli minister of defence, said the houses are being demolished as they are illegal. "It's the law," he said. He was certain though that the villagers would be able to continue accessing their land. "They'll get permits," he said. "We always set up options for people who are disconnected from their land."

The villagers, however, say they would rather be able to access their land without bureaucratic complications, and uncertainties about how the system will work in the future. "Grave concern" "The situation of those living in Al-Walaje is of grave concern," said one UNRWA official who closely follows the village's case. "These are 1948 refugees [those who left when the state of Israel was created]. They stand to lose everything all over again and to go through the trauma of yet another displacement if their homes are demolished," she [the official] added.

The 1948 war divided the village in two, with half - the residential part, known now as "old Walaje" - falling under Israeli control. Some 600 residents fled the area, while about 1,000 people restarted their lives on their agricultural land nearby, which was then under Jordanian auspices.

"Everyone promised us we would be able to return to our village," said al-Atrash. "But we were never allowed to."

In 1967 Israel annexed half of the remaining parts of Walaje along with East Jerusalem, which it considers to be an inseparable part of the Jewish state.

Since the people of Walaje hold West Bank ID cards, they are not allowed into Jerusalem without Israeli-issued permits. However, as significant parts of Walaje are inside municipal Jerusalem, the villagers face an absurd situation.

"People have been arrested for being inside Jerusalem without the right permits, even when they were in their own homes," explained al-Atrash.

Demolitions began in 1985 Problems began for the residents in 1985, when Israeli authorities began to demolish homes. The problems further escalated in 2004, when plans to build a new Jewish settlement, as well as the barrier, on the parts of Walaje annexed into Jerusalem were announced.

"Most of the agricultural land will be behind the wall and disconnected from the village," said Shawki Issa, a lawyer who helped fight land confiscation orders. "This village has no future like this, surrounded by settlements and walls," he said.

The new settlement, Givat Yael, is planned to surround the village on three sides, while another settlement, already built, blocks it on the fourth side.

"What this [new] settlement will do to their lives, it will choke them completely, ruin the peaceful existence of this village," said Meir Margolit, who was a member of the Jerusalem City Council, and now works with the residents on their housing rights.

Al-Atrash says that already many young people are leaving the village because there simply are no places for them to live as open land for building is now very limited. shg/ar/cb© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.irinnews.org

[AL-AWDA-News] Put Palestine on TV - Learn How - July 7, 2007 - San Diego

from Zahi:

Put Palestine on TV - Learn How at this Media Workshop

Where: Al-Awda Center in Carlsbad

When: Saturday July 7, 2007 10 am - 2 pm

Snacks provided during break

Admission Free! All Welcome!

Please advertise, call and invite your friends!

Topics:

• Planning for Television Production
• Camera-Microphone Techniques
• Interview Techniques
• On-location Shooting
• Editing
• Broadcasting on Cable & Satellite
• DVD Production and Distribution (Libraries & Schools)
• Uploading Shows to the Web (Google, Myspace, Youtube, & Blip)
• Part-Time Al-Awda Administrative/Media Assistant opportunity

Workshop by:

Dr. Ahlam Muhtaseb - a Palestinian assistant professor and researcher of public relations and media studies at California State University, San Bernardino. She is an active member of Al-Awda San Diego.

Edward Sweed - co-founder Alternate Focus, which produces and broadcasts weekly Middle East related documentaries on public access stations in San Diego, New York and other cities. Ed earned his B. S. from Temple University in Philadelphia, and a Masters from San Diego State University. Before retiring, he was a high school teacher of filmmaking. His students won local and state awards. He has also taught film courses in the extension programs at three local universities. He uses his filmmaking skills to promote justice and peace. Congressman Filner in Washington used his video, "The Stones Will Cry Out," which depicted the effects of the harsh 1996 immigration law.

See, Print and Distribute our Flyer

DIRECTIONS

Al-Awda's Community Center is located at 2734 Loker Avenue West Suite K, Carlsbad, CA 92010. From I-5, exit Palomar Airport Road and head East - make a left on Loker Avenue West (first left after you cross El Camino Real) and left into Carlsbad Crossroads business center (look for the large Carlsbad Crossroads sign). End 2734 Loker Avenue West Suite K.

From I-15, exit I-78 West. From I-78 exit San Marcos Blvd and head West. San Marcos Blvd becomes Palomar Airport Road when you enter Carlsbad. Loker Avenue West will be on your right, past the Melrose Drive and El Fuerte intersections. Other directions as above.

From El Camino Real, go East on Palomar Airport Road and make a (first) left on Loker Avenue West. Other directions as above.

Parking is free - plenty available.

For more information, contact:

Al-Awda San Diego
The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
Email: info@al-awdasandiego.org
WEB: http://al-awdasandiego.org

---------------------------------
Support Al-Awda, a Great Organization and Cause!
Become an Al-Awda Sustainer:
Monthly: http://al-awda.org/sustainers.html
Annually: http://al-awda.org/sustainers2.html

__._,_.___

=================================================================
The Fifth Annual International Al-Awda Convention - a Resounding Success!
http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/report.html
Support Al-Awda, a Great Organization and Cause!
Become an Al-Awda Sustainer:
Monthly: http://al-awda.org/sustainers.html
Annual: http://al-awda.org/sustainers2.html

Regarding Washington Times 6-29- 07 "Helping hands for refugees" letter by CHRISTOPHER GUNNESS Spokesman U.N. Relief and Works Agency, East Jerusalem

RE: Helping hands for refugees, letter by CHRISTOPHER GUNNESS Spokesman U.N. Relief and Works Agency, East Jerusalem

Dear Editor,

Delighted & encouraged to see the excellent letter by CHRISTOPHER GUNNESS Spokesman U.N. Relief and Works Agency, East Jerusalem "Helping hands for refugees"

I am a firm believer in real democracy- free speech- the rule of fair and just laws- and the Palestinian refugees inalienable legal, moral and natural right to return to original homes and land. I believe the key to peace in the Middle East is in fully understanding the plight of the Palestinians.

I very much applaud UNRWA's work. However it is crucial that we understand that UNRWA is not an advocacy group, its job is humanitarian, not political. It is up to us, the people of the world to step up and speak out about the vital importance of fully respecting international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights... it is up to us, the people of the world to know right from wrong, to denounce all bigotry and to speak out for a just and reasonable solution to the mess made by political Zionism and the Apartheid entity called Israel.

Yes, I dare believe in a fully free Palestine- a secular solution... a rights based solution to the cruel havoc created by decades of Israeli imposed segregation and degradation.

Should any one make peace with an ongoing crime against humanity?

Should we really be polite about the misnamed "Jewish State" ?

Must we really empower this world wide war on the children of Palestine as Israel's immigrant bigots (both "war" camp and "peace" camp) thrive while Palestinians starve?

In my opinion, two states plus millions of persecuted and impoverished Palestinian refugees maintains a very toxic status quo with one very racist Israel still empowered to punish, persecute, impoverish (and displace) Palestinians individually and collectively. A better option is one state with justice, peace and possibility for ALL - regardless of perceived 'race' or 'religion'... one state called Palestine for ALL.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab


http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/EDITORIAL/106280037/1013/EDITORIAL

Letters to the editor

Helping hands for refugees

"Dubious refugee relief" (Op-Ed, June 21) makes false and ill-informed statements to the effect that the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) maintains the status quo and creates dependency among refugees. These statements ignore the fact that the responsibility to forge a just and lasting solution to the plight of refuges belongs not to UNRWA, whose mandate is exclusively humanitarian, but to international actors working under international law and relevant agreements. Under the Oslo agreements, the refugee question is considered a "final status" issue that the parties (not including UNRWA) must address and solve within the framework of a comprehensive peace agreement.

These fictitious statements are further belied by the reality and impact of the agency's humanitarian and human development work. Five hundred thousand children, half of them girls, attend UNRWA schools each day to build the foundations for an exit from poverty and access to a better life. UNRWA's primary health-care program has helped rid refugee lives of communicable diseases, contributing to their chances for healthy, productive lives. Our relief and social services programs focus on the most vulnerable, lending aid to their efforts to pull themselves out of poverty and dependence. Our award-winning micro-finance program boosts the capacity of refugees to achieve self-sufficiency through successful small businesses.

Further proof that UNRWA's work helps refugees stand on their own can be found in the fact that just one-third of the refugee population lives in camps, while just 6 percent of refugees outside the occupied Palestinian territory are deemed to be living in particular hardship. I should mention that the rise in the incidence of poverty and food insecurity among refugees is clearly attributable to the extraordinary emergency situation prevailing in Gaza and the West Bank — a situation not of UNRWA's making.

The statements in which the authors, Nicole Brackman and Asaf Romirowsky, purport to associate our agency with terrorism are particularly fallacious and erroneous, if not irresponsible. UNRWA is meticulous in ensuring that its installations and facilities are not abused by any person or group. Only once in our 59-year history has there been an instance warranting investigation in this regard. That was in 1982. The agency conducted a thorough and transparent inquiry and took prompt and effective remedial action that was applauded by the government of Israel as well as by Palestinians.

Finally, the article makes strange and ridiculous claims about UNRWA's supposed connection with one ideology or the other. Nothing could be further from the truth. UNRWA has a proud, irrefutable record of scrupulous adherence to principles of impartiality and neutrality that lie at the heart of its humanitarian work. In a region fraught with emotive political divisions, how else could we have achieved our success over the decades or maintained the confidence of our donors, host countries and stakeholders?

CHRISTOPHER GUNNESS

Spokesman

U.N. Relief and Works Agency

East Jerusalem

Plight of Palestinian refugees in border camps worsens- EI Report

Plight of Palestinian refugees in border camps worsens
Report, The Electronic Intifada, 28 June 2007

DAMASCUS/BAGHDAD, 27 June 2007 (IRIN) - The plight of Palestinian refugees fleeing violence in Iraq and stranded in camps on the Syrian-Iraqi border is continuing to deteriorate as the summer heat intensifies and a solution remains elusive.

There is currently one camp on the Syrian side of the border, one in no-man's land and one on the Iraqi side of the border housing Palestinian refugees.

As the summer heat has increased, with temperatures now reaching 50 degrees Celsius, living conditions in the desert have become increasingly hazardous with snakes, scorpions and sand storms.

"The weather is very, very hot and people are becoming very nervous and upset," said one Palestinian in al-Tanf camp, situated on no-man's land between Iraq and Syria. "We can't live here, it's too difficult. We need help, particularly air coolers."

"Children in particular are developing medical conditions that they've never had before simply because of the high heat and dust storms," said Sybella Wilkes, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Syria.

The refugees are becoming increasingly desperate.

"The morale of the camp is so low and it's only going to get worse," said Wilkes. Nonetheless, conditions in al-Tanf continue to be better than in neighboring al-Walid camp on the Iraqi side of the border. While the 389 refugees in al-Tanf are entirely reliant on humanitarian aid, their basic needs, including food and medical assistance as well as a secure environment are being met by the UNHCR.

A third camp, al-Hol, in northeastern Syria, houses another 300 refugees. However, conditions in al-Hol are markedly better most notably in that the refugees have been allowed access to Syria itself and so are not stranded in no-man's land like at al-Tanf.

Al-Tanf camp

It is now more than a year that refugees have been confined to al-Tanf camp without a solution to their plight.

In a statement on 26 June, the UNHCR said urgent medical care as well as an immediate humanitarian solution was needed for the Palestinian refugees stranded in camps on the Iraqi-Syria border.

"The situation of more than 1,400 Palestinians is deteriorating by the day. We urge countries in the region -- and further afield -- to help end their suffering," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis said in a statement on 26 June.

Al-Walid camp

Last week, a UNHCR team visited al-Walid camp on the Iraqi side of the border and identified four children and one young man in urgent need of medical care, the statement said.

The UNHCR has established a small infirmary at al-Walid and the visiting team delivered a month's supply of multivitamins for 120 children and distributed 300 sun protection umbrellas. "But the seriously ill -- some of whom are in danger of dying -- need hospital treatment."

The Palestinians were also threatened by local armed groups early last week, the statement added.

Health and security officials in the western city of Ramadi, where the al-Walid refugee camp is located, said on 27 June that they do not have enough resources to help the stranded Palestinians.

"We don't have enough police and army troops to be sent to the borders to protect their camps," said a police officer in Ramadi who asked to remain anonymous as he fears reprisals from militants.

"Whatever force you send there, it will definitely face problems with militants as they roam the desert day and night," he added.

Dr Ahmed al-Dulami of Ramadi General Hospital said the city's health directorate has no "extra ambulances or employees to lose".

"The refugees are increasingly scared and frustrated, trapped in the middle of nowhere," Pagonis said.

Family stranded on border

Mukhlis Khalid Mohammed, a 62-year-old Palestinian refugee in Baghdad, said his family had been stranded on the border with Syria since last January and the last time he had heard from them was in May.

"Their letter, which was sent by a taxi driver, told of many tragedies as they were experiencing very severe conditions -- especially the kids -- but we are convinced that staying there is better than living in fear in Baghdad," Mohammed said.

This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. All IRIN material may be reposted or reprinted free-of-charge; refer to the copyright page for conditions of use. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.


Related Links

BY TOPIC: Palestinian Refugees in Iraq

Everything is possible
Yigal Bronner, The Electronic Intifada, 22 June 2007

Israeli soldiers stop Palestinian vehicles at a checkpoint at the southern entrance of the West Bank city of Qalqilia, 12 June 2007. (Khaleel Reash/MaanImages

Latest articles on EI:

Development: Egypt loses diplomatic ground with Hamas (28 June 2007) Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas attends a conference in Gaza City, 24 June 2007, after rejecting an Egypt summit planned with Israeli and Arab leaders, saying only "resistance" would produce results for his people. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages)

Human Rights: Plight of Palestinian refugees in border camps worsens (28 June 2007)

Diaries: Live from Palestine: The failing of Gaza (28 June 2007) The entire Gaza City police fleet manned largely by Hamas volunteers flaunts its presence by driving past Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's house in Gaza City, 26 June 2007. (Philip Rizk)

Development: US Congress to curb Bush enthusiasm for Abbas (27 June 2007) Needing all the friends he can get: Palestinian security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas take part in an armed exercise in Gaza, 2 May 2007. (Hatem Omar/MaanImages)

Art, Music & Culture: Film review: "Occupation 101" (27 June 2007)

Activism News: Boycott and divestment gains ground in Northern Ireland (27 June 2007) Palestinians wait at Erez checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip as they attempt to pass to the West Bank, 20 June 2007. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages)

Human Rights: Israeli forces kill at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza incursion (27 June 2007) A member of the al-Qassam Brigades inspects a car that was targeted in an Israeli air strike on Gaza, 27 June 2007. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages) Related Links Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Multimedia: Audio: Crossing the Line gets reports from Nahr al-Bared (26 June 2007)

Opinion/Editorial: Divide and rule, Israeli style (26 June 2007)

Human Rights: Dozens made homeless as police demolish Bedouin houses (26 June 2007) A woman and her child standing in front of their demolished home in Atir. (Shabtai Gold/IRIN)

Last chance for peace...& more headlines on IMEU

Majdi Zayatneh, paralyzed after being shot by Israeli soldiers, makes handicrafts in Tulkarem. (Mouid Ashqar, Maan Images)

The Institute for Middle East Understanding provides journalists with quick access to information about Palestine and the Palestinians, as well as expert sources, both in the U.S. and the Middle East. Need story assistance? Contact us. New to the issue? See our Background Briefings.




Peace Now report reveals 560 checkpoints remain in West Bank
IMEMC, Jun 28, 2007

A newly-released report by the Israeli group Peace Now has compiled data from several sources to give a comprehensive overview of the current status of the Israeli-controlled checkpoints in the West Bank. Palestinians are unable to travel freely throughout the West Bank, and are prevented from traveling between various areas of the West Bank due to the Israeli checkpoints that remain in place.

More than half of Gaza factories non-operational
Ynet News, Jun 28, 2007

Some 60 percent of Gaza factories are non-operational due to Hamas' takeover of the territory and the closure of crossings to Israel, according to a report published Wednesday by the Gisha Center for the Legal Protection of Freedom of Movement for Palestinians. The report stated that recent events have resulted in a total economic embargo of Gaza.

Israeli incursion into Nablus, 8 soldiers reportedly injured
Maan News, Jun 28, 2007

Eight Israeli soldiers were moderately injured in the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday morning after explosive devices were hurled at the Israeli patrols, Israeli sources have announced. The sources added that Palestinian activists threw four explosive devices towards Israeli patrols in the Al-Qasaba (old city) neighbourhood, injuring eight soldiers, who were transferred to Israeli hospitals.

Israeli tanks and jets strike Gaza, killing 13
Maan News, Jun 27, 2007

In a ground incursion and in airstrikes, the Israeli army has killed thirteen Palestinians since early on Wednesday morning in the Gaza Strip. Tanks invaded the southern Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis, while Israeli fighter jets bombarded eastern Gaza City, in the north of the strip. Israeli troops also invaded Gaza City.

Saudi pushes Arab peace plan, Palestinian unity
Reuters, Jun 27, 2007

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called on Palestinians to resolve their disputes in an interview published on Wednesday and urged international backing for an Arab peace proposal with Israel. "I call on the brothers in Palestine ... to let sense and wisdom win out and ... sort out their dispute to avoid unfortunate consequences," the king said in comments published on the official SPA news agency.

Israel asked to ease West Bank checkpoints
Agence France Presse, Jun 27, 2007

Peace activists Wednesday urged Israel to dismantle checkpoints controlling movement within in the West Bank to improve the lives of its 2.5 million Palestinian residents. The call was made by Israel's Peace Now organization in a new report two days after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised at a regional Middle East summit to significantly improve freedom of movement in the territory.

Gaza hospital faces shortage in equipment, blood units
Ynet News, Jun 27, 2007

The Shifa hospital in Gaza can barely keep up with the inflow of casualties wounded in clashes with the IDF throughput the day, as doctors try to function despite the severe lack of medical equipment and beds. Dr Jumaa al-Saka, who works at the hospital told Ynet, "We received seven dead people and 40 injured, including seven who were in critical condition. Most of them were wounded by gunshots or from ricochets."

Blair becomes Middle East envoy
BBC, Jun 27, 2007

Tony Blair is to become a Middle East envoy working on behalf of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU. The announcement comes just hours after he stood down as UK prime minister and shortly before it was announced he was to quit as a Member of Parliament. Earlier, Mr Blair said a "solution" to the problems in the Middle East was possible but that this would require "huge intensity and work".

Olmert agrees to free Palestinians
Al Jazeera, Jun 27, 2007

The Israeli prime minister has announced he is prepared to release 250 Palestinian prisoners as a show of support for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. But the "goodwill" measure will not help increase Abbas's popularity across factional divides because Ehud Olmert said the prisoners had to be members of Abbas's Fatah faction. They also had to be "without blood on their hands" and willing to renounce terrorism.

A peace envoy whom we can do without
Rami Khouri, The Daily Star, Jun 27, 2007

I was in Europe earlier this week speaking with current and former officials, experts and diplomats about the situation in the Middle East, when the news broke of the appointment of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as special envoy of the Quartet for Arab-Israeli peace-making. It is hard to know if this is was joke, an insult, or a positive new beginning.

Palestinian killed as Israel raids West Bank camp
Reuters, Jun 26, 2007

A Palestinian man was killed on Tuesday as Israeli soldiers raided the home of a militant from the Islamic Jihad group in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian security official said. An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed soldiers were operating in the area of the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of the militant group in the Palestinian territory. The spokeswoman had no further comment.

'Disaster for Palestinians'
The Guardian, Jun 26, 2007

It is unlikely that Tony Blair will get a warm welcome in Gaza City or anywhere in the Palestinian territories if he is confirmed as the Quartet's new Middle East peace envoy. In recent years, Mr Blair and by association Britain have become perceived as supporters of the US and Israel and antagonists of Arab and Palestinian interests.

EU aid chief urges opening of Gaza-Israel border for supplies
Haaretz, Jun 26, 2007

European Union Aid Commissioner Louis Michel urged Israel on Tuesday to open the main border crossing with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in order to enable crucial relief supplies to reach the 1.5 million people living there. "In the current situation, there is a real risk that Gaza will begin to look like a citadel under siege, where the civilian population is trapped and even basic needs cannot be met," Michel said in a statement.

Exposing the bitter truth of Gaza carnage
Ed O'Loughlin, The Age, Jun 26, 2007

Abu Mahmoud is a 38-year-old Palestinian Authority soldier and a proud member of the Fatah party. But if you ask him what he did during the war with Hamas in Gaza last week, he smiles apologetically and waves a hand. "It wasn't my shift, so I stayed at home," he explains, sprawling on his neighbour's sofa. "If I had been on duty, I would have taken part...but it was not possible to go there once the fighting started."

Olmert's summit gesture more insult than overture
The Daily Star, Jun 26, 2007

Israeli officials worked hard to play down expectations ahead of Monday's four-way summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert worked just as hard to meet them by sharply limiting what were unconvincingly advertised as his efforts to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The best Olmert had to offer was a commitment to put a proposal before his Cabinet to free 250 members of Abbas' Fatah faction held in Israeli jails.

Quartet in Jerusalem to debate crisis
BBC, Jun 26, 2007

The Quartet of Middle East mediators is meeting in Jerusalem to assess the situation in the region, for the first time since Hamas seized the Gaza Strip. The Quartet - the EU, Russia, the UN and the US - will also discuss making outgoing UK Prime Minister Tony Blair its envoy to the region. The meeting comes as Hamas said it was ready to talk to its Fatah rivals. Separately, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert said he would ask