Courtesy of ISN News
Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians in Qalqilya in the West Bank early on Friday.
The army says the three men were leaders of the Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades, which is an armed branch of Yassir Arafat’s Fatah movement.
The United Nations special envoy to Iraq Lahdar Brahimi says Israel is the biggest poison in the region.
Brahimi attacked the U.S. for backing Israel.
He also says there is a clear link between Israeli policy and the dire situation in Iraq, according to Israel Radio.
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The spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan disassociated
Annan from Brahimi’s comments.
Israel is believed to be ready to protest against Brahimi’s remarks.
France is warning there will be uncontrolled anarchy in the Gaza Strip if Israel withdraws its troops from the area.
The warning reportedly came during a meeting of top French and Israeli diplomats.
So far the strongest backing for the Israeli withdrawal plan has come from the U.S., United Kingdom and Russia.
As the battle heats up ahead of the referendum on Ariel Sharon’s Gaza-withdrawal plan, opponents of the program are inviting Israelis to celebrate the country’s Independence Day next week in the Gaza Strip.
Ads were posted around the country on Friday urging people to show their support for the Israeli residents of Gaza by attending a huge carnival in the Gush Katif region of Gaza.
Polls published over the last 24 hours suggest the gap is closing between supporters and opponents of the disengagement plan.
Those in favor have a four-percent lead, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
For a third consecutive week police officers in Jerusalem have imposed age restrictions on male Muslim worshippers at Friday prayers on the Temple Mount.
Only men over 45 have been allowed to attend.
Officers say there is concrete information on plans to disrupt public order and possibly attack Jews praying below at the Western Wall.