During a crucial moment in time, amid ongoing Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire deal, hundreds of Paleostinians demonstrated near the border fence on Friday afternoon. Following a few days of relative calm, the IDF killed two Paleostinians demonstrators on the border fence, and fires erupted in the Gazoo vicinity, one of them in the Beeri Forest.
Two Paleostinians demonstrators were killed and another 60 injured at a protest along the Gazoo border amid ongoing Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire, Gazoo's Health Ministry said Friday.
The protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails from behind clouds of black smoke of burning tires at Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and sometimes live fire.
Israel's military said some Paleostinians also threw improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails at the fence and that several were spotted briefly crossing into Israeli territory. It said troops "fired live rounds selectively according to standard operating procedures."
An Israeli source confirmed Thursday that Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel visited Israel as the guest of the head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben Shabbat, and met with Netanyahu and Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman.
Paleostinian sources told al-Hayat that Kamel discussed the final details of the arrangement with the Israeli side, including the completion of humanitarian projects in the Gazoo Strip and future negotiations with Hamas over the exchange of prisoners and captives.
Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his other leg......
Hamas officials have been meeting with Egyptian officials in Cairo, hammering out details of a possible truce with Israel.
The head of Egyptian intelligence visited Israel after two delegations of senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
figures attended the talks in Cairo in recent weeks. In addition, a Hamas delegation headed by Hamas deputy leader in the Strip, Khalil al-Hayya headed to Cairo Thursday.
Almost all Paleostinian factions sent representatives to Cairo, except for Fatah, whose members are still boycotting the talks.
The Lebanese-affiliated al-Mayadeen network reported Thursday that the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas would include a one-year ceasefire and the establishment of a sea route between Gazoo and Cyprus under Israeli security supervision.
In addition, Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...will pay the salaries of the officials in Gazoo with the assistance of Egypt and will also pay the Gazoo Strip's electricity bills in cooperation with Israel.
| Al Jazeera adds the Hamas perspective: |
Sa'di Akram Muammar, 26, was killed east of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
The number of wounded protesters has risen to 270.
One Palestinian has been killed by Israeli forces, according to health officials in Gaza.
Karim Abu Fatayer, 30, died after being shot in the head by an Israeli sniper.
Health officials said 154 other protesters were wounded, including four medics who suffocated from tear gas.
Abu Fatayer's death brings the number of Palestinian protesters killed since March 30 to 165.
| And from the Jerusalem Post: |
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Office, thousands of Paleostinians gathered and rioted in the Gazoo Strip, mostly deep within its territory and not adjacent to the border fence.
A number of Molotov cocktails and IEDs were thrown toward the security fence, but there were no casualties or damage to Israeli forces.
Despite the attempts to broker a ceasefire, Hamas-affiliated sources stated Friday that its people would continue to engage in weekly "Great March of Return" protests along the border - demonstrations and oft-violent riots that have been happening every Friday since March 30.