The Palestinian Hamas movement said today it will freeze talks on freeing a captive Israeli soldier until Egypt, which is mediating the prisoner swap with Israel, releases a Hamas fighter it is holding.

"We put the case of Gilad Shalit in the refrigerator and it will remain frozen until Ayman Nofal is released from the Egyptian jail," said Yousef Farhat, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip.

Nofal was arrested in Egypt in January after Hamas fighters used bombs to make breaches in the border wall between the Hamas- controlled  Gaza Strip and Egypt. At the time, hundreds of thousands of Gazans crossed into the Sinai freely.

Shalit, an Israeli corporal, was kidnapped in June 2006. Hamas has demanded the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in exchange for his release.

But Farhat said his organization will not speak about a prisoner swap with Israel "while Nofal is staying at the Egyptian prisons."

Recently, Hamas had suspended talks on releasing Shalit in order to press Israel to abide by an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

A few days later, Hamas offered to resume the talks on Shalit. However, its armed wing complained about the offer due to Nofal’s imprisonment.

Sapa-dpa

Read More »Hamas no talks on captured Isaraeli until Egypt releases prisoner

The U.N. refugee agency says 5,680 Congolese have fled fighting in eastern Congo and crossed into Uganda over the past three days.

Spokeswoman Roberta Russo says the Congolese refugees lived in villages and at Nakivale refugee camp near the border. The agency released the information today.

The fighting pits Congo’s army against a rebel group claiming to be protecting the area’s Tutsi minority.

Different groups have fought Congolese soldiers in eastern Congo for several years. Residents in the region normally flee to Uganda and then return home when things calm down.

Sapa-AP

Read More »More than 5000 congolese cross into uganda

 Picture: (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

Israeli soldiers patrol in the West Bank city of Hebron, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008. Hebron is home to about 500 religious Jewish settlers living in heavily guarded enclaves among some 170,000 Palestinians.

MRN News Service – A division of Media Review Network

Ex IDF soldier feared to divulge details

MRN exclusive

By Tahir Sema
Mikael Menkin, an ex Israeli defense force (IDF) soldier, is currently in South Africa. On Sunday 12th of October 2008, he addressed a public meeting at the Lenasia Cricket Stadium. Together with Abu heikel, a Palestinian activist, they hope to inform the world about the inhumane activities of the occupying forces.

In his presentation, Menkin said very little about the Zionists military activities in occupied Palestine. He spoke at length about his organization “Breaking The Silence” which he helped to establish. This organization has documented evidence of more than 600 Zionist soldiers who had admitted to gross human rights violations against the indigenous people. He also said that his organization was trying to introduce a sense of morality in the ongoing discourse.

Menkin seemed reluctant to address the current situation. He also deflected questions that pointed towards he’s present relationship with the IDF.

According to Ibrahim Vawda of the Media Review Network the atrocities and human rights violations perpetrated by the occupying forces are well documented. Mikael Menkin in his presentation did not highlight any of the atrocities. This begs the question “breaking the silence” on what? The name of the organization which he helped to establish suggests that they planned to expose the Zionist occupation forces for what they really are. Unfortunately Mikael Menkin failed to do so.

Read More »Mrn exclusive ex idf soldier feared to divulge details