Pals by Israeli fence ordered to get living permits

By: Ahmad Hammadi

JERUSALEM: A British newspaper reported in its Monday editions the Israel has ordered thousands of Palestinians living by the illegal barrier through the West Bank to obtain special permits to live in their own homes.

According to Palestinian officials the order, signed by the Israeli army commander in the West Bank Maj Gen Moshe Kaplinski, breached a pledge by Israel to the UN Security Council a fortnight ago that the barrier would not change the legal status of those who live near it, and was another step towards the annexation of tens of thousands of hectares of Palestinian land.

The order said Palestinian land between the fence and the 1967 border, known as the green line, was to be a closed military zone.

Under the order, every Palestinian who lived in the area would be defined by a new category of “long-term resident” and everyone over the age of 12 would be required to get a permit to live in their own homes and travel beyond their villages. The order said that only Israelis and Jews could enter the designated areas without a pass.

The order would immediately affect about 12,000 Palestinians in 15 villages squeezed between the barrier and the green line. Another 40,000 or more would be in a similar position within months once construction of the fence was completed around the north of Jerusalem. Many other Palestinians can only gain access to their agricultural land with the special permits.

END

Syria threatens to hit Golan if Israel strikes again

LONDON: Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al-Shara has warned his country will strike back if Israel attacks again, and could hit Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights.

FULL STORY..