Coming just one day after Israeli attacks in Gaza killed 13 Palestinians, the Israeli military has expanded aggressive operations to the West Bank yesterday in what Palestinian National Initiative head Dr, Mustafa Barghouthi said was yet another signal that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s government has no interest in peace.

Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian child carrying a toy gun in Hebron yesterday. 15-year-old Ahmad Abed Al-Muhsin Skafi was shot 4 times in the upper body by Israeli soldiers who then allowed a military dog to maul the body, tearing the boy's intestines from his stomach and mutilating his right hand.

Palestinian civil society organisations (CSO's) today issued statements objecting to, and rejecting a decree issued by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday effectively revoking the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) law, which was seen as one of the most democratic and progressive in the region.

The Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) welcomes the passing of Motion 53 on June 21 by UNISON, Britain's largest trade union representing more than 1.3 million public service workers, calling for concerted and sustained pressure upon Israel including an economic, cultural, academic and sporting boycott in order to bring about an end to Israel's Occupation and a just, peaceful solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict based upon international law.

PLC Member and General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, today drew attention to Israel’s closure of the Rafah Crossing since June 11 which has left an estimated 6,000 Palestinians seeking to return to Gaza stranded on the Egyptian side of the border during this time.