PRAGOTI

Recently an article was published reporting the shooting of two children inside a United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) school in one of Gaza's refugee camps. Ahmed, a seven-year-old, was seated at his desk when a bullet penetrated his head just as the school day began. Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to determine if he survived.

On 8th December 1987, an Israeli army vehicle ran over a group of Palestinian protestors at the Jabalya Refugee camp in the Gaza Strip killing four and injuring seven. This incident was the proverbial last straw on the camel's back and led to mass outpourings of anger on the streets of Palestine the very next day. Today, 9th December, 2008 is the 21st anniversary of the Intifada or mass rebellion of the Palestinians against Israeli occupation and oppression.

United Nations General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann on Monday likened Israel's policies toward the Palestinians to South Africa's treatment of blacks under apartheid.

Meanwhile, Half of Gaza's bakeries have closed down and the other half have resorted to animal feed to produce bread as Israel's complete blockade of the coastal territory enters its 19th day.

Earlier on October 30, the Israeli army stormed the faculty of the Palestine Technical College in Arroub refugee camp, Hebron and arrested students from some of the classrooms. The students were blindfolded, shackled, and then repeatedly beaten, slapped, and punched all over the body. They were then taken to Gush Etzion military detention center.

Pragoti's weekly post on Palestine.

Since the beginning of the Oslo process in 1994, the World Bank has been heavily involved in the development projects of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Following Hamas' electoral and military victory and the subsequent ousting of forces loyal to PNA president Abu Mazen from Gaza, Bank development projects and funding have focused more exclusively on the West Bank. The appointment of former Bank employee Salam Fayyad as prime minister in 2007 has only strengthened the Bank's influence on PNA economic and development policies.