Fawziya Qabb, a 67-year-old Palestinian woman, died today in her village of Deir al-Ghosoon near Tulkarem after suffering a heart attack and being denied access to a hospital. Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, Secretary General of the Paletinian National Initiative, declared “the Israeli policy of closure and checkpoints in the West Bank kills innocent Palestinians such as Fawziya and is collective punishment. It is illegal under international law and must stop.”

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, met yesterday with French Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner in Ramallah, Palestine.

“Invasion and assassination will not bring security to anyone,” was the response of PNI Secretary General, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, to reported Israeli plans to launch a wide scale attack on Gaza and to step up its assassination of Palestinians in the Strip.

In response to today's announcement by the Israeli government that it will further reduce the amount of electricity it sells to Gaza from tomorrow, a move sanctioned by Israel's High Court in a ruling last week, Dr. Barghouthi MP, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, declared that “inflicting collective punishment on the people of Gaza will not bring security to Israel”. He added that “only a negotiated, comprehensive and reciprocal ceasefire can bring security and initiate a real peace process.”

Today's ruling by Israel's High Court sanctioning the Israeli government's October 2007 decision to cut fuel and electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip "is nothing less than the legitimisation of collective punishment - in direct violation of international law - by the very entity that is charged with protecting civil and human rights," said PNI Secretary General Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi today.

The Palestinian National Initiative mourns the passing away of the historic leader George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and one of the great symbols of the Palestinians' struggle for freedom, independence and justice.

Palestinians, Israelis and people around the world are taking to the streets today as part of a series of activities for the World Social Forum’s Day of Global Action.