1. TERROR ALERTS ABOUND AS ISRAELI ELECTION NEARS… Forty-eight hours before the polls open for Israel’s national election, security officials report at least seventy warnings of planned terrorist attacks, sixteen of which are termed “focused warnings.” Islamic Jihad and Fatah are behind the planned attacks. A police spokesman said that 22,000 uniformed and undercover officers will be deployed at public places deemed to be possible targets, such as city entrances and shopping malls.
2. PALESTINIAN YOUTH SHOT AND KILLED CRAWLING TOWARD BORDER FENCE… A 16-year-old Palestinian youth from the southern Gaza Strip was shot and killed by Israeli troops early Sunday morning. Hamad Hamdan was spotted crawling toward Israel’s security fence near the Al-Boureij refugee camp. Palestinian authorities said they had no idea why Hamdan was crawling toward the fence, but surmised that he might have been seeking work illegally inside of Israel. He was unarmed. In what has virtually become a daily choreography, Qassam rockets landed inside of Israel on Saturday night followed by Israeli jets shooting missiles into open fields and empty roads. One Qassam caused some damage to a factory building.
3. ISRAEL BOWS TO AMERICAN PRESSURE; OPENS KARNI CROSSING… Under personal pressure from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — who brokered the original deal to open Karni after Israel’s unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip – Israel has blinked first and is allowing the Karni crossing to reopen on Sunday in spite of the terror alerts. Israel justified closing the crossing because of numerous warnings of terror attacks planned in the area. Although Israel has been accused of creating a humanitarian crisis in Gaza because basic foodstuffs have not been able to enter due to Israel’s closing of the Karni crossing — the primary point through which goods pass between Israel and the Gaza Strip — Israel has repeatedly offered to allow deliveries to be made through the Kerem Shalom crossing instead, but the Palestinians have refused, insisting that Karni be reopened.
4. PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT TO BE SWORN IN ON WEDNESDAY… Palestinian prime minister-elect Isma’il Haniyya said on Saturday that the Palestinian Legislative Council will meet on Monday to ratify the list of new cabinet members, and return on Wednesday to swear-in the new ministers before Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas. On Saturday, however, an ‘Abbas aide said that the Chairman had sent a letter to Haniyya warning that if the Hamas-led government “adopts positions that would be detrimental to Palestinian interests, then the president will use his authority according to the Basic Law.” ‘Abbas has been insisting that the new government agree to recognize agreements signed by previous governments – including those signed with Israel. Haniyya has so far refused to agree. The Guardian newspaper in the UK claims to have seen the letter and says it warns Haniyya that Hamas’ policies will reverse the diplomatic achievements, give Israel a reason not to negotiate, and cost the Palestinians international aid.
5. ‘ABBAS SEEKS TO CONSOLIDATE POWER BEFORE HAMAS TAKES OVER GOVERNMENT… Seeking to consolidate his power before Hamas takes over the cabinet this week, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas has moved to keep the P.A.’s investment fund out of the hands of Hamas. The fund, valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, was originally set up by Yassir Arafat and given to former finance minister Salam Faya’d to control. When Faya’d resigned, then-prime minister Ahmad Qurei’ took it over. But rather than allow Qurei’s successor Hamas-leader Isma’il Haniyya to take control, ‘Abbas transferred the fund to his own office. Loss of access to the fund, once estimated to be worth $1.4 billion, will further exacerbate the cash-flow crisis that will greet the Hamas-filled cabinet. ‘Abbas also created a new agency to control border crossings, taking the control of crossing points away from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Civil Affairs.
6. GAZA POULTRY FARMERS BALK AT DESTROYING INFECTED BIRDS; ISRAEL GETS WORLD BANK BACKING FOR FARMERS… While Israel has destroyed an estimated 1.2 million birds in an effort to stem the spread of bird flu, poultry farmers in the Gaza Strip have balked at killing their flocks, afraid their losses would not be compensated. Israel Radio reported on Saturday that Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni negotiated an immediate $2 million grant from World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz to cover the Palestinian farmers’ losses in the hope that the guarantee would prompt them to destroy their infected flocks. The deadly flu strain has already been found in two Gaza locations and Israeli health officials expect the outbreak to spread.
7. ‘ABBAS SAYS PEACE POSSIBLE WITHIN ONE YEAR; SUGGESTED SECRET TALKS… Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas told an Israeli newspaper that he is “convinced that within less than a year, we will be able to sign an agreement.” ‘Abbas told the Israeli daily Haaretz that he had suggested to the American adminsitration and to Israel through Shimon Peres, to hold back-channel talks in secret, “far from the spotlight.” ‘Abbas took a shot at acting premier Ehud Olmert’s intention to pursue unilateral actions, including setting final borders without negotiations. ‘Abbas said, “Olmert’s plan may bring about a 10-year hudna (unilaterally-declared cease-fire) and a state with temporary borders. But it will not bring you peace.” ‘Abbas clearly sought to counter Olmert’s insistence that there is no negotiating partner on the Palestinian side, the assertion upon which he predicates his move toward unilateralism. With the election only two days away, Olmert tried to assuage those fearing that his policies set Israel on a collision course with the United States by saying his unilateral moves would be discussed first with the U.S. But critics point out that no agreement to Olmert’s plan has been heard from American officials.