Israel releases 9 Hamas lawmakers from prison, many still detained

October 2nd, 2009 Israel releases prisoners in exchange for videoJERUSALEM — Israel has freed 19 Palestinian women prisoners, after seeing a videotape offering a first glimpse of an Israeli soldier held by Gaza Strip militants for more than three years. The women were released into the West Bank and Gaza on Friday after an Israeli negotiator viewed the videotape to determine it was authentic.

September 1st, 2009 Hamas: 2 men killed in GazaGAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Hamas militant group says two of its fighters have been killed in the Gaza Strip. The cause of the deaths remains unclear.

August 24th, 2009 2 Palestinians, Israeli wounded in Gaza clashJERUSALEM — Three Palestinians and an Israeli were wounded Monday in violence on the Gaza-Israel border, according to officials from both sides. Israeli military said soldiers opened fire on a group of suspicious Palestinians across the border in northern Gaza.

August 24th, 2009 3 Palestinians, Israeli wounded in Gaza clashJERUSALEM — Three Palestinians and an Israeli were wounded Monday in violence on the Gaza-Israel border, according to officials from both sides. Israeli military said soldiers opened fire on a group of suspicious Palestinians across the border in northern Gaza.

August 19th, 2009 GAZA - The Palestinian Hamas movement Wednesday rejected US President Barack Obama's call for strengthening Arab relations with Israel in exchange for halting Jewish settlement projects in the West Bank. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri urged the Arab states "to reject normalisation of relations with Israel".

August 13th, 2009 GAZA - Hamas will deal "positively" with the new peace plan by the US but only if a separate Palestinian state is recognized, an aide to the Islamic movement's leader Ismail Haneya said Thursday. "We have an initial readiness to accept it and deal with it positively but we will also reject it if it doesn't include an American recognition of Palestinian rights," said Yousef Rizka, Haneya's political advisor.

July 27th, 2009 Hamas threatens to derail Fatah conferenceRAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah on Monday were locked in a new dispute that threatens to derail next week's Fatah convention, seen as key to rehabilitating the corruption-stained party that has led peace talks with Israel. Officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza said Monday they would only allow Fatah delegates to leave the territory and travel to the conference if Fatah's leader, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, releases hundreds of Hamas detainees in the West Bank, where his Western-backed Palestinian Authority is based.

June 23rd, 2009 Israel to free Palestinian parliament speakerJERUSALEM — Israel's prison service says it is freeing the Hamas-affiliated speaker of the Palestinian parliament after nearly three years in jail. Abdel Aziz Duaik was one of dozens of Hamas politicians arrested after Hamas-linked militants captured an Israeli soldier in June 2006.

June 23rd, 2009 Israel releases Palestinian parliament speakerTULKAREM, West Bank — The most senior Hamas leader being held by Israel was freed Tuesday after serving the bulk of his three-year sentence. Also Tuesday, an Israeli group said the government has formulated plans to allow the construction of 240 new homes in an unauthorized settlement outpost, a move that would flout a U.S.

June 9th, 2009 Hamas leader: Israeli settlement freeze essentialCAIRO — The top leader of the militant Hamas group said Tuesday that President Barack Obama's pressure on Israel to freeze construction in West Bank settlements was an essential step toward restarting peace efforts. The militant group — which is eager to win international acceptance of its rule in Gaza though it is shunned by the U.S.

May 31st, 2009 Shootout between Palestinian police, Hamas kills 6QALQILIYA, West Bank — A gunbattle between Palestinian police and Hamas militants killed six people Sunday, security officials said, in the deadliest outbreak of violence since President Mahmoud Abbas began a crackdown against Hamas two years ago. Three of the dead were Palestinian policemen loyal to the Western-backed Abbas, the security officials said.

February 3rd, 2009 HERZLIA - Diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear programme must be accompanied by a clear timeline, after which harsh sanctions could be imposed, accompanied by a willingness to act, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has said. He told an international conference in Herzlia, north of Tel Aviv, Tuesday that all options regarding Iran were on the table.

January 30th, 2009 LONDON - Former British prime minister and current international Quartet envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair has said in a newspaper interview published Saturday that the Palestinian militant movement Hamas must be brought into the peace process. Blair, in an interview with The Times, said that the previous policy pursued by the Quartet - the UN, US, Russia and the EU - of isolating Hamas and concentrating peace and reconciliation efforts on the West Bank 'was never going to work and will never work'.

January 17th, 2009 TEL AVIV - Israel will halt its military offensive in the Gaza Strip at 00:00 GMT Sunday (2 a.m. local time), Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Saturday night.

January 6th, 2009 TEL AVIV - Israel plans to establish a 'humanitarian corridor' to get needed supplies to Palestinian civilians in the embattled Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced overnight Tuesday. The plan would allow limited time windows to get humanitarian supplies into parts of the Palestinian territory, Ynetnews reported online, citing the prime minister's office.