Copyright (c) 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/i/1312 world Mideast Conflict en-us Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:50:01 GMT 5 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/i/1312 http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142b.gif http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria_us ap/20090703/ml_syria_us AP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:50:01 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria_us"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090703/capt.f5277c3d14ac4191830597f7bd4207bc.mideast__syria_us_dam101.jpg?x=130&y=79&q=85&sig=8W62.7YFM6gWzAzeDMCEcQ--" align="left" height="79" width="130" alt="Syrians walk next to a vendor’ stickers of Syrian President Bashar Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Friday July 3, 2009. Syria's leader sent a July 4 message full of praise to President Barack Obama on Friday and invited him to visit Syria, the latest signs Damascus is hedging its bets in Mideast politics, warming up to its rival the United States at a time when its longtime ally Iran is in turmoil. The United States and its Arab allies have been hoping to pull Syria out of the fold of Iran and Islamic militant groups in the region. (AP Photo/Ola Rifai)" border="0" /></a>AP - Syria's leader sent a July 4 message full of praise to President Barack Obama on Friday and invited him to visit Syria — the latest signs Damascus is hedging its bets in Mideast politics, warming up to its rival the United States at a time when its longtime ally Iran is in turmoil.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria_us"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090703/capt.f5277c3d14ac4191830597f7bd4207bc.mideast__syria_us_dam101.jpg?x=130&y=79&q=85&sig=8W62.7YFM6gWzAzeDMCEcQ--" align="left" height="79" width="130" alt="photo" title="Syrians walk next to a vendor’ stickers of Syrian President Bashar Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Friday July 3, 2009. Syria's leader sent a July 4 message full of praise to President Barack Obama on Friday and invited him to visit Syria, the latest signs Damascus is hedging its bets in Mideast politics, warming up to its rival the United States at a time when its longtime ally Iran is in turmoil. The United States and its Arab allies have been hoping to pull Syria out of the fold of Iran and Islamic militant groups in the region. (AP Photo/Ola Rifai)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/pl_afp/mideastpopeusdiplomacy afp/20090703/mideastpopeusdiplomacy AFP politics Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:06:45 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/pl_afp/mideastpopeusdiplomacy"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246647967266-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=82&q=85&sig=geBlnWqLBeBC1qHmJTIZxg--" align="left" height="82" width="130" alt="Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims during his weekly general audience on July 1, 2009 at St Peter's square at The Vatican. US President Barack Obama said in an interview published Friday he thought the pope would "share my approach" on policy in the Middle East.(AFP/File/Christophe Simon)" border="0" /></a>AFP - US President Barack Obama said in an interview published Friday he thought Pope Benedict XVI would "share my approach" on policy in the Middle East.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/pl_afp/mideastpopeusdiplomacy"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246647967266-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=82&q=85&sig=geBlnWqLBeBC1qHmJTIZxg--" align="left" height="82" width="130" alt="photo" title="Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims during his weekly general audience on July 1, 2009 at St Peter's square at The Vatican. US President Barack Obama said in an interview published Friday he thought the pope would "share my approach" on policy in the Middle East.(AFP/File/Christophe Simon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgermanyisraelpalestiniansyrialebanon afp/20090703/mideastconflictgermanyisraelpalestiniansyrialebanon AFP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:02:35 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgermanyisraelpalestiniansyrialebanon"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246647727233-1-0.jpg?x=117&y=130&q=85&sig=GVF8xH3ZmGZ0CMS4p6OD5g--" align="left" height="130" width="117" alt="Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, seen here in June 2009, will tour the Middle East next week seeking to lend momentum to US President Barack Obama's drive to jumpstart the dormant peace process, a spokesman said Friday.(AFP/DDP/File/Sascha Schuermann)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Germany's foreign minister will tour the Middle East next week seeking to lend momentum to US President Barack Obama's drive to jumpstart the dormant peace process, a spokesman said Friday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgermanyisraelpalestiniansyrialebanon"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246647727233-1-0.jpg?x=117&y=130&q=85&sig=GVF8xH3ZmGZ0CMS4p6OD5g--" align="left" height="130" width="117" alt="photo" title="Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, seen here in June 2009, will tour the Middle East next week seeking to lend momentum to US President Barack Obama's drive to jumpstart the dormant peace process, a spokesman said Friday.(AFP/DDP/File/Sascha Schuermann)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel nm/20090703/us_palestinians_israel Reuters politics Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:57:53 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090703/capt.7aed8a2e99bc42e5aede012eb3493302.mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl109.jpg?x=93&y=130&q=85&sig=MKXBBtrr5j263CFYBpqCKw--" align="left" height="130" width="93" alt="Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from Hamas gestures as he speaks at Friday prayers in Gaza City, Friday, July 3, 2009.(AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)" border="0" /></a>Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy will hold a second meeting in a week with Israel's defense minister, an Israeli official said on Friday, announcing talks on Monday likely to focus again on a dispute over settlements.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090703/capt.7aed8a2e99bc42e5aede012eb3493302.mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl109.jpg?x=93&y=130&q=85&sig=MKXBBtrr5j263CFYBpqCKw--" align="left" height="130" width="93" alt="photo" title="Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from Hamas gestures as he speaks at Friday prayers in Gaza City, Friday, July 3, 2009.(AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_settlements_arabs nm/20090703/us_palestinians_israel_settlements_arabs Reuters world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:43:00 GMT Reuters - The United States and its Western allies are sounding out Arab governments to see if they might ease sanctions on Israel if it stopped building Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory, diplomats said on Friday. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_mitchell nm/20090703/us_palestinians_israel_mitchell Reuters politics Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:47:45 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_mitchell"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20090703/i/r966809601.jpg?x=130&y=88&q=85&sig=pm3mj4hZVp97MqHFbk8NWQ--" align="left" height="88" width="130" alt="Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak talks during a news conference following his meeting with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak at the presidential palace in Cairo June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will fly to London on Sunday for a meeting with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, an Israeli official said on Friday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_mitchell"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20090703/i/r966809601.jpg?x=130&y=88&q=85&sig=pm3mj4hZVp97MqHFbk8NWQ--" align="left" height="88" width="130" alt="photo" title="Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak talks during a news conference following his meeting with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak at the presidential palace in Cairo June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgazaaidbahrain afp/20090703/mideastconflictgazaaidbahrain AFP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:40:38 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgazaaidbahrain"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246642817608-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=73&q=85&sig=AMUiZJJPPRuRVHGvr97b0w--" align="left" height="73" width="130" alt="A boat (L) carrying pro-Palestinian activists enters the port of Ashdod late on June 30, 2009. An official Bahrain delegation travelled to Israel on an unprecedented trip to recover a group of nationals held by the Jewish state, the state news agency reported on Friday.(AFP/File/David Buimovitch)" border="0" /></a>AFP - An official Bahrain delegation travelled to Israel on an unprecedented trip to recover a group of nationals held by the Jewish state, the state news agency reported on Friday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgazaaidbahrain"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246642817608-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=73&q=85&sig=AMUiZJJPPRuRVHGvr97b0w--" align="left" height="73" width="130" alt="photo" title="A boat (L) carrying pro-Palestinian activists enters the port of Ashdod late on June 30, 2009. An official Bahrain delegation travelled to Israel on an unprecedented trip to recover a group of nationals held by the Jewish state, the state news agency reported on Friday.(AFP/File/David Buimovitch)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastdiplomacyusisrael afp/20090703/mideastdiplomacyusisrael AFP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:26:57 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastdiplomacyusisrael"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246641979511-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=PPc3Gi73HOhfIc2fkrN9iA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak (R) and special US envoy George Mitchell seen here at a meeting on June 30, 2009 in New York. Barak will meet US Middle East envoy George Mitchell next week for talks aimed at healing a rift over Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a top official said.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Spencer Platt)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Defense Minister Ehud Barak will meet US Middle East envoy George Mitchell next week for talks aimed at healing a rift over Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a top official said on Friday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastdiplomacyusisrael"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246641979511-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=PPc3Gi73HOhfIc2fkrN9iA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak (R) and special US envoy George Mitchell seen here at a meeting on June 30, 2009 in New York. Barak will meet US Middle East envoy George Mitchell next week for talks aimed at healing a rift over Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a top official said.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Spencer Platt)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians ap/20090703/ml_israel_palestinians AP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:22:44 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090630/capt.c94f1983e4034338b08cab1539cb4efe.mideast_israel_palestinians_ttw102.jpg?x=130&y=77&q=85&sig=xqCbNYYWkAS5PpV3Yluj.w--" align="left" height="77" width="130" alt="A ship carrying foreign peace activists, left, is escorted by the Israeli navy before entering the port in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, Tuesday, June 30, 2009. The Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying foreign peace activists trying to break a blockade of Gaza on Tuesday and forced it to sail to an Israeli port, the military said. (AP Photo / Tsafrir Abayov)" border="0" /></a>AP - Most members of a group of foreign peace activists seized at sea by the Israeli navy remained in custody Friday, three days after their failed attempt to run Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, relatives and supporters said.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090630/capt.c94f1983e4034338b08cab1539cb4efe.mideast_israel_palestinians_ttw102.jpg?x=130&y=77&q=85&sig=xqCbNYYWkAS5PpV3Yluj.w--" align="left" height="77" width="130" alt="photo" title="A ship carrying foreign peace activists, left, is escorted by the Israeli navy before entering the port in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, Tuesday, June 30, 2009. The Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying foreign peace activists trying to break a blockade of Gaza on Tuesday and forced it to sail to an Israeli port, the military said. (AP Photo / Tsafrir Abayov)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelpalestiniansunrefugeespoland afp/20090703/mideastisraelpalestiniansunrefugeespoland AFP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:59:10 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelpalestiniansunrefugeespoland"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246625927927-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=.rA81u8TX4czhKC6xJy4VA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="Palestinian schoolboys inspect a burnt classroom at a school run by UNRWA in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, January 2009. Israel has offered compensation for damage to United Nations facilities hit by its offensive in the Gaza Strip, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency said.(AFP/File/Mohammed Abed)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Israel has offered compensation for damage to United Nations facilities hit by its offensive in the Gaza Strip, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency said Friday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelpalestiniansunrefugeespoland"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246625927927-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=.rA81u8TX4czhKC6xJy4VA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="Palestinian schoolboys inspect a burnt classroom at a school run by UNRWA in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, January 2009. Israel has offered compensation for damage to United Nations facilities hit by its offensive in the Gaza Strip, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency said.(AFP/File/Mohammed Abed)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelpolitics afp/20090703/mideastisraelpolitics AFP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:11:23 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelpolitics"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246615851271-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=83&q=85&sig=Yg6zudA557zYPzitLLypAQ--" align="left" height="83" width="130" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony marking the US Independence Day at the residence of the US ambassador to Israeli in Herziliya, near Tel Aviv, on July 1. Netanyahu's performance during his first 100 days on the job has satisfied less than half of the population, according to an opinion poll.(AFP/File/Moshe Shai)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's performance during his first 100 days on the job has satisfied less than half of the population, according to an opinion poll published on Friday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelpolitics"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246615851271-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=83&q=85&sig=Yg6zudA557zYPzitLLypAQ--" align="left" height="83" width="130" alt="photo" title="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony marking the US Independence Day at the residence of the US ambassador to Israeli in Herziliya, near Tel Aviv, on July 1. Netanyahu's performance during his first 100 days on the job has satisfied less than half of the population, according to an opinion poll.(AFP/File/Moshe Shai)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictwestbankgaza afp/20090703/mideastconflictwestbankgaza AFP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:15:12 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictwestbankgaza"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246608888514-1-0.jpg?x=87&y=130&q=85&sig=3QshZ_cbF1sduppZieMPPw--" align="left" height="130" width="87" alt="Israeli soldiers take position near a West Bank checkpoint, 2008. A Palestinian woman was shot and wounded at a West Bank checkpoint by Israeli soldiers who mistook her plastic gun for a real weapon, a military spokeswoman said.(AFP/File/Hazem Bader)" border="0" /></a>AFP - A Palestinian woman was shot and wounded at a West Bank checkpoint by Israeli soldiers on Friday who mistook her plastic gun for a real weapon, a military spokeswoman said.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictwestbankgaza"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246608888514-1-0.jpg?x=87&y=130&q=85&sig=3QshZ_cbF1sduppZieMPPw--" align="left" height="130" width="87" alt="photo" title="Israeli soldiers take position near a West Bank checkpoint, 2008. A Palestinian woman was shot and wounded at a West Bank checkpoint by Israeli soldiers who mistook her plastic gun for a real weapon, a military spokeswoman said.(AFP/File/Hazem Bader)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_detaining_rivals ap/20090703/ml_palestinians_detaining_rivals AP world Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:14:14 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_detaining_rivals"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090703/capt.b18ca0a9421b476ba5ecacd12502b37e.mideast_israel_palestinians_detaining_rivals_jrl102.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=ZlQ0w6zIELb8I3eZLPNMTg--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="** FILE - In this July 12, 2007 file photo Hamas activists, from left to right, Nasser Haraz, Rami Tabari, and Abu Atiya are seen behind bars at the Fatah-controlled prison in the West Bank town of Nablus. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces widen a crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank and now hold nearly 900 detainees, a record number that includes high school students, wives of activists and others on the fringes of the Islamic militant group, Hamas says.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer, File)" border="0" /></a>AP - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces have significantly widened a crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank in the past month. They have doubled the number of detainees and are increasingly targeting the wives of activists, school teachers and others on the fringes of the Islamic militant group, Hamas officials say.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_detaining_rivals"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090703/capt.b18ca0a9421b476ba5ecacd12502b37e.mideast_israel_palestinians_detaining_rivals_jrl102.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=ZlQ0w6zIELb8I3eZLPNMTg--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="** FILE - In this July 12, 2007 file photo Hamas activists, from left to right, Nasser Haraz, Rami Tabari, and Abu Atiya are seen behind bars at the Fatah-controlled prison in the West Bank town of Nablus. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces widen a crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank and now hold nearly 900 detainees, a record number that includes high school students, wives of activists and others on the fringes of the Islamic militant group, Hamas says.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer, File)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/lf_afp/mideastconflictgazapollution afp/20090703/mideastconflictgazapollution AFP topstories Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:20:45 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/lf_afp/mideastconflictgazapollution"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246601836319-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=84&q=85&sig=gC.BSVJOqN9CCG0GXX5MRQ--" align="left" height="84" width="130" alt="Palestinian children spend the day on the beach in Gaza City on June 19. The raw sewage dumped straight into the Mediterranean has failed to cure Gazans' itch for the beach and many in the Palestinian enclave brave nasty rashes for a dip in the polluted sea.(AFP/Mohammed Abed)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The raw sewage dumped straight into the Mediterranean has failed to cure Gazans' itch for the beach and many in the Palestinian enclave brave nasty rashes for a dip in the polluted sea.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090703/lf_afp/mideastconflictgazapollution"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090703/capt.photo_1246601836319-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=84&q=85&sig=gC.BSVJOqN9CCG0GXX5MRQ--" align="left" height="84" width="130" alt="photo" title="Palestinian children spend the day on the beach in Gaza City on June 19. The raw sewage dumped straight into the Mediterranean has failed to cure Gazans' itch for the beach and many in the Palestinian enclave brave nasty rashes for a dip in the polluted sea.(AFP/Mohammed Abed)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090702/wl_nm/us_usa_treasury_iraq nm/20090702/us_usa_treasury_iraq Reuters world Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:25:37 GMT Reuters - The U.S. government on Thursday said it has declared Kata'ib Hizballah a foreign terrorist organization, saying the group is linked to Lebanon's Hezbollah and has posed a threat to stability in Iraq. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090702/pl_afp/usattacksiraqsanctions afp/20090702/usattacksiraqsanctions AFP politics Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:20:20 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090702/pl_afp/usattacksiraqsanctions"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090702/capt.photo_1246473165928-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=UWOpWOydAYlA2J9.M5_Bbg--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="A view of the US Treasury. The US Treasury Department said it froze the assets of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an adviser to the commander of Iran's Qods Force, an arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Shiite "extremist" group Kata'ib Hezbollah for being a security threat in Iraq(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The United States imposed financial sanctions Thursday on an adviser to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a Iraq-based Shiite group Kata'ib Hezbollah, branded a foreign terrorist outfit.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090702/pl_afp/usattacksiraqsanctions"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090702/capt.photo_1246473165928-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=UWOpWOydAYlA2J9.M5_Bbg--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="photo" title="A view of the US Treasury. The US Treasury Department said it froze the assets of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an adviser to the commander of Iran's Qods Force, an arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Shiite "extremist" group Kata'ib Hezbollah for being a security threat in Iraq(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090702/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_gaza_amnesty nm/20090702/us_palestinians_israel_gaza_amnesty Reuters world Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:01:36 GMT Reuters - Amnesty International said on Thursday Israel inflicted "wanton destruction" in the Gaza Strip in attacks that often targeted Palestinian civilians during an offensive in December and January in the Hamas-run enclave. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090702/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_war_crimes ap/20090702/ml_israel_war_crimes AP world Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:40:09 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090702/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_war_crimes"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090702/capt.7122bdf44f024974beb896303ffe6147.mideast_israel_war_crimes_jrl139.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=DT9YdcWVYrW0VSpcoHdPWw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2009 file photo, a Palestinian man looks up as white smoke rises from a building following an explosion caused by Israeli military operations in Gaza city. Israeli forces killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians and destroyed thousands of Gaza Strip homes in attacks that amounted to war crimes, Amnesty International charged Thursday July 2, 2009, in the first in-depth human rights group report on the recent war in Gaza. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)" border="0" /></a>AP - Amnesty International accused Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes Thursday in the most comprehensive report on the recent Gaza war. Both sides rejected the findings.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090702/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_war_crimes"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090702/capt.7122bdf44f024974beb896303ffe6147.mideast_israel_war_crimes_jrl139.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=DT9YdcWVYrW0VSpcoHdPWw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2009 file photo, a Palestinian man looks up as white smoke rises from a building following an explosion caused by Israeli military operations in Gaza city. Israeli forces killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians and destroyed thousands of Gaza Strip homes in attacks that amounted to war crimes, Amnesty International charged Thursday July 2, 2009, in the first in-depth human rights group report on the recent war in Gaza. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090702/wl_afp/mideastconflictgazarightsamnesty afp/20090702/mideastconflictgazarightsamnesty AFP world Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:40:53 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090702/wl_afp/mideastconflictgazarightsamnesty"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090702/capt.photo_1246523767001-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=7IiI9BVsr6.dug4Sn4dTxw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="Israeli soldiers stand on a tank along the border with the Gaza Strip in February 2009. Amnesty International has accused Israeli forces of war crimes in Gaza, saying they used children as human shields and conducted wanton attacks on civilians, in a report rejected as "unbalanced" by Israel.(AFP/File/Menahem Kahana)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Amnesty accused Israeli forces on Thursday of war crimes in Gaza, saying they used children as human shields and conducted wanton attacks on civilians, in a report rejected as "unbalanced" by Israel.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090702/wl_afp/mideastconflictgazarightsamnesty"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090702/capt.photo_1246523767001-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=7IiI9BVsr6.dug4Sn4dTxw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="Israeli soldiers stand on a tank along the border with the Gaza Strip in February 2009. Amnesty International has accused Israeli forces of war crimes in Gaza, saying they used children as human shields and conducted wanton attacks on civilians, in a report rejected as "unbalanced" by Israel.(AFP/File/Menahem Kahana)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090702/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_highschool nm/20090702/us_palestinians_israel_highschool Reuters world Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:29:53 GMT Reuters - Whether a just resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is close at hand or close to impossible is today -- as so often over the past two decades -- in the eye of the beholder.