By Meredith Lee-Clark

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – The Israeli Defense Forces are concerned that Hamas is constructing temporary housing along the Israel-Gaza border, effectively creating a human shield. The buildings will reportedly house Gazans displaced during the fighting last winter between Israeli military forces and Palestinian fighters in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) believe that Hamas is planning to place thousands of Gazans along the border.

 

IDF officials said that placing the homes along the border is a cover for tunnels moving from Gaza into Israel, allowing Hamas fighters to bypass Israeli security and carry out attacks inside Gaza. IDF also believes the homes would serve as obstacles if Israel decided to launch a ground assault on Gaza.

 

“This is part of Hamas’s overall strategy to use build-up areas to hide in and launch attacks,” said a senior IDF official. “This basically means that Hamas will want to use the people it places there as human shields against Israel.”

 

Both Israel and Gaza have escalated tensions along the Israel-Gaza border in recent weeks. Gaza has launched several Kassam rockets into southern Israel, as part of a strategy that Israeli media reported was approved by Hamas’s allies, Iran and Syria. On October 4, the Israeli military increased its response to such rocket attacks, bombing a suspected arms factory in Gaza. For several weeks, IDF has also targeted rocket launchers and groups Israel has deemed terrorist cells. One IDF source said that the increase in military actions was IDF’s attempt to prevent any further escalation by Hamas.

 

“We believe that we must restore the deterrence that existed after Operation Cast Lead [Israel operation in Gaza],” the source said.

 

Hamas has made efforts to prevent terrorist attacks from Gaza. On October 6, the Saudi-owned newspaper As-Sharq Al Awsat reported that Hamas had arrested Palestinians suspected of planning terrorist attacks. The newspaper reported that the arrests had been ordered by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh as part of a territory-wide crackdown on terrorist activity.

 

For more information, please see:

 

Examiner – Hamas Will Put Arabs as Human Shields at Gaza Border – 7 October 2009

 

World Tribune – Israel Sees Escalation of Violence from Hamas – 7 October 2009

 

Arutz Sheva – Hamas May Build Homes for “Human Shields” – 5 October 2009

 

Jerusalem Post – “Hamas May Put Gazans on Border to Prevent Ground Attacks” – 5 October 2009

 

By[VAC1] Ahmad Shihadah

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East Desk

ADEN, Yemen – Thousands have taken the streets in southern Yemen to demand the restoration of the region’s independence. Witnesses said more than 10,000 demonstrators marched in the city of Dhaleh while thousands more turned out in the Lahej and Abyan provinces. The protestors carried the flag of the former independent state while chanting anti-government slogans demanding the separation of the south of Yemen from the north.

Following the unification of Yemen in 1990, the people of the south claim that they [VAC2] have not received equal treatment from those in the north.  Abdullah al-Faqih, a professor of political science at Sa’na university stated “the southerners were turned unto second class citizens; they were marginalized politically, socially and economically.” Yemen is the Middle East’s poorest country and southerners complain they have fared even worse than their northern neighbors since the unification.

The demonstrations coincided with talks held in the Yemeni capital Sa’na between Arab League Chief Amir Mussa and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh[VAC3] . The main thrust of the talks was Yemen’s security and stability. Mussa continued by saying, “the president has expressed openness in engaging in dialogue with the different political sides inside Yemen and abroad, no matter what the differences are, and he expressed his readiness to hold talks with them.

Yemen is currently facing considerable unrest as its army is currently waging a bloody campaign against Shi’ite rebels in the north. The conflicts have raised concern of the strategically located country’s stability and possible unrest spilling over to other nations.

For more information please see:

Al-Jazeera – South Yemenis rally for self-rule – 6 October 2009

APF – Thousands demonstrate for independent south Yemen – 6 October 2009

Gulf Times – Thousands demonstrate in S Yemen for independence – 6 October 2009

USA Today – Thousands protest in Yemen’s south – 6 October 2009

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – On October 25, Iran’s newly disclosed Qom uranium enrichment plant will be inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The decision was announced by the head of the United Nations nuclear agency, Mohamed El Baradei. El Baradei emphasized the importance of the inspection as a moment where the situation with Iran would shift to a level of greater transparency and cooperation. The IAEA chief also “praised Iran’s cooperation” with the UN on the issues of its new nuclear facility.

The plant is located near the holy city of Qom. This is the second plant that Iran has built to enrich uranium and isolate isotopes of the metal to generate fuel used in a nuclear power reactor. Higher concentrations of enriched uranium can be used to make bomb. The United States has long suspected that the Iran’s goal is to create a bomb.

Iran’s disclosure prior to last week’s meeting in Geneva that it was building a second nuclear enrichment facility inside a mountain in Qom caused anger throughout the world. El Baradei made it clear that it was Iran’s responsibility to inform the IAEA that it was building the enrichment plant prior to beginning construction. This is based on a 1992 IAEA statute that required immediate notification of any planned nuclear sites.

The United States government remains cautiously optimistic with Iran’s concession. U.S. National Security Advisor James Jones explained that the Obama administration is encouraged with Iran showing some level of conversation. He did emphasize, however, that the world community expects to satisfied “within a short period of time.” The U.S. officials contend that Iran’s goal was to delay informing the IAEA of the new plant in order to deceive inspectors about a possible nuclear weapons program.

Prior to the IAEA’s inspection of the new Qom plant there will be a meeting between Iran and a number of countries, including the United States. The meeting will take place on October 19 and will be a discussion regarding the direction of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman emphasized that the nation’s nuclear program was peaceful, but explained the country would not be offering any guarantees.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Iran Vows ‘Positive’ Approach To Nuclear Talks – 5 October 2009

Los Angeles Time – Iran Sets Date For Inspection Of Nuclear Plant – 5 October 2009

Al Jazeera – IAEA Sets Iran Inspection Date – 4 October 2009

Bloomberg – Iran Inspection Set For Oct. 25, UN Atomic Chief Says – 4 October 2009

By Meredith Lee-Clark

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 

CAIRO, Egypt – Jordanian and Egyptian officials announced on October 5 that rival Palestinian parties Fatah and Hamas will sign a reconciliation charter in Cairo at the end of October.

 

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egypt’s foreign minister, and his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh said that the charter would establish an advisory committee, comprised of members from Fatah and Hamas, which will make decisions regarding the day-to-day governance in the West Bank and Gaza until presidential and parliamentary elections are held in the first half of 2010. According to reports, the committee would be headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose government would be able to place three thousand security personnel in Gaza. Both parties have also reportedly agreed to release each other’s political detainees. Fatah and Hamas have been at odds since an internal power struggle nearly two years ago.

 

While the two parties have not publically commented on the agreement, Aboul Gheit said that the parties are finalizing plans for the charter.

 

“We agreed to hold a meeting for Palestinian factions in Cairo on October 25 before signing a reconciliation agreement on October 26,” said Aboul Gheit at a press conference on October 5. “Arab officials and maybe officials from outside the Arab world might attend the signing of the agreement as witnesses.”

 

The announcement came amid controversy over Fatah’s endorsement of President Abbas’ decision to postpone any endorsement of the UN report by former international war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone about the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza during the 2008 winter. Ismail Haniya, Hamas’ leader in Gaza, said that Abbas was making an “absurd and criminal” decision in delaying his endorsement of the report.

 

“How can the two parties [Fatah and Hamas] sit at one table and sign an agreement in this situation?” said Haniya after the announcement of the charter. “This has placed a heavy obstacle in the way of Palestinian unity.”

 

Aboul Gheit said he did not expect any tensions surrounding the Goldstone Report to prevent Fatah and Hamas from signing the charter at the end of the month.

 

For more information, please see:

 

Al Jazeera – Palestinians to “Sign Unity Deal” – 6 October 2009

 

Ha’aretz – Palestinian Rivals to Sign Reconciliation Deal by End of October – 5 October 2009

 

Ma’an News Agency – Egypt: Hamas and Fatah Will Sign Deal in October – 5 October 2009

 

Palestinian News Network – Heads in the Sand: Hamas Head of PLC Says Coming Back Without Issue While Abbas Postpones Goldstone – 5 October 2009

 

Reuters – Fatah and Hamas Eye Truce Deal, But Hurdles Remain – 4 October 2009

 

By Ahmad Shihadah

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SA’DA, YEMEN – Conflicting reports come out of the Sa’da region of Yemen after a government MIG 21 aircraft crashed into a mountain peak. Al-Huthi rebels issued a statement claiming they had shot down the aircraft “while it was bombing civilians in villages and markets.” Yemeni government officials dispute this claim, stating that “the MIG 21 fell because of a technical problem an in an area where there is no combat.” The pilot was identified as Mohammad Abdo Mufleh.  Reports did not verify whether he survived the crash.

The Sunni dominated Yemeni government launched Operation Scorched Earth on August 11 to finally put down Shi’ite rebels in the North. The conflict has seen thousands killed and many more displaced. The United Nations has issued a conservative estimate that fifty-five thousand people have fled their homes because of the conflict. Journalists are not allowed to enter the region and aid workers have trouble reaching those in need as a result of the heavy fighting.  As such, there have been no reliable counts of casualties.

Government forces continue the intense offensive against the Shi’ite al-Huthi rebels. A military source claimed that another fifty-two rebels had been killed in clashes with government forces between September 31 and October 1.  The government accuses the rebels of seeking to restore the Zaidi imamate that was overthrown in a 1962 coup. They further claim that the rebels are backed by Shi’ite Iran. The rebels deny both claims and accuse the government of aggression, marginalization and bringing in Saudi warplanes to support the ground operation.

For more information please see:

AFP – Yemeni Rebels Claim Government Warplane Shot Down – October 3 2009

Forexhound – Shiite Rebels: Military Jet Shot Down in Northern Yemen – October 2 2009

Reuters – Fighter Plane Crashes in Yemen Fighting – Govt – October 2 2009