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U.S. Promises Humanitarian Help to Palestinians
by Sue Pleming
The U.S. will continue providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people but Washington will not give any financial help to a Hamas-led government, David Welch, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told Congress Thursday. "We have not, do not, and will not provide assistance to Hamas - in government or out of government," he said. (Reuters)
See also EU Bails Out Palestinians (Times-UK)
Abbas: Al-Qaeda Is in Gaza, West Bank
 "We have indications about a presence of al-Qaeda in Gaza and the (West) Bank. This is intelligence information. We have not yet reached the point of arrests," Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told the London-based al-Hayat in remarks published Thursday. "This is the first time that I've spoken about this subject. This is a very serious matter." (Reuters/Washington Post)
U.S. Urges UAE to End Boycott of Israel
by David R. Sands and Shaun Waterman
The Bush administration said Wednesday it is pressing the United Arab Emirates to drop its economic boycott of Israel - a major sticking point in the proposed takeover of key U.S. ports by a UAE-owned firm. "The United States wants to see the boycott against Israel dropped completely by everybody," said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli. (Washington Times)
See also Dubai's Israel Ban Violates U.S. Law (New York Daily News)
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'Israel in Midst of New Terror Wave'
by Margot Dudkevitch
Security forces warned last week that Israel was in the midst of a new wave of terror attacks. Since Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, there had been a sharp increase in stone throwing, firebomb and stabbing incidents, they said. Security officials estimated that these would continue to increase, but added that shooting attacks such as the two that took place Wednesday do not signify an upsurge in such types of attack. (Jerusalem Post)
See also Is This a New Intifada? (Jerusalem Post)
Poll: Most Palestinians Back Peace Process
by Ali Waked
 Most Palestinians (80.4 percent) support a continuation of the cease fire with Israel, and 70 percent back a resumption of the peace process with Israel, a poll published on Tuesday by Dr. Nabil Kukali of the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion revealed. According to the poll, which was conducted among 1,003 Palestinians, about half of the respondents (50.8 percent) believe Hamas should recognize Israel, while 48.5 percent are against it. (Ynet News)
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