Haniyya Accuses Israel of "Playing Games" in Captured Soldier Affair

Isma'il Haniyya says Israel is foot-dragging and "playing games" in the matter of a deal to repatriate captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Hamas announced on Sunday that a major breakthrough in negotiations for Shalit had occurred, but Israeli officials denied those assertions. A report in an Arabic-language newspaper that Israel had received a one-minute video of Shalit proving that he is well was also denied by Jerusalem. Sources in Hamas have provided Israeli newspapers with detailed plans for the chain of events that would see hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails in return for Shalit. Even the foreign minister of Egypt – the primary mediator in the Shailt affair – has reported that "the deal is ready." Many observers believe that to be the case as well, anticipating that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will make the announcement when he meets Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud 'Abbas in the Egyptian resort of Sharm A-Sheikh on Thursday. Yet, on Monday, officials involved with the Shalit case who met with Olmert told reporters that Israel is not prepared to release the 1,000 to 1,400 prisoners that the Palestinians are demanding.

Palestinian Legislature Slams Saddam Execution

The Palestinian Legislative Council has issued a statement condemning the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. According to the PLC, "The execution of President Saddam Hussein was an awful crime against Islamic and Arab nations." It singled out the date of the execution – the first day of the feast of 'Id Al-A'dha – for criticism, calling it an "offense."  It charged that, "The timing of the assassination was well-studied to harm Arabs and Muslims."

Lebanese Reporters Investigating Al-Hariri Assassination Arrested in Beirut

A Lebanese television reporter and two cameramen were arrested on December 19^th and charged with breaking into the apartment of a key witness in the investigation into the murder of former Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri. According to the Daily Star newspaper, the investigating magistrate assigned to the case refused twice last week to release reporter Firas Hatoum and his crew.

Hajj Ends on Monday

Millions of Muslims visiting Mecca bring the annual Hajj pilgrimage to an end on Monday. The ritual stoning of pillars – symbolic substitutes for the devil—took place in Mina, about three miles from Mecca, on Saturday. Tens of thousands of Saudi police have been deployed in order to prevent the stampedes and loss of life that have marked previous pilgrimages. Last year, 345 pilgrims died when chaos broke out during the stoning ritual. More than 70 nations were represented among this year's pilgrims.

Report: Stress Harms Israeli Economy

40% of Israeli workers suffer from stress in the work-place, which in turn harms the Israeli economy. These were part of the findings of a survey presented at the annual conference of the Israel Institute for Occupational Safety and Hygiene – Israel's "OSHA." Globes, the financial newspaper, reported the findings of Prof. Shmuel Melamed of Tel Aviv University, who catalogued a series of workplace stress-related disorders that result from "workload, long work hours, conflicts, lack of control, noise exposure, overcrowding and uncertainty as result largely of lack of job security.