Palestinians in Gaza are planning 45 days of protests along the border with Israel leading up to the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, and they fear Israeli troops may open fire. One of the organizers speaks to +972 Magazine about why he believes hundreds of thousands of people will show up, and what message he’d like to send to Israelis.

‘If lives are in jeopardy, there is permission to open fire,’ says Israel’s top general as Palestinians prepare for a mass demonstration in the border area.

According to a little-noticed provision in the massive government spending bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last week, UN agencies and entities that act against the United States or its allies, including Israel, could lose 5% of their US contribution.

Israel’s National Council for Planning and Construction will waive the usual rezoning approval and construction permits for the work in turning the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem into the American embassy.

Enacting the bill’s changes would resolve the federal lawsuit that led to it being put on hold, according to an attorney involved, but lawmakers in both parties said they believe the narrower law still would violate free-speech rights.

A new Al-Shabaka policy brief explores the implications of annexation in the Jerusalem area, specifically the impact of the annexation of the city-settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and the parcel of land known as E1, which connects it to Jerusalem.

Three days to go before Good Friday, Israel has not issued permits for Gaza Palestinian Christians to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter, Church authorities have said.

Tayseer Hasan Saliman underwent surgery for fractures in his lower jaw and neck after Jewish settlers from a nearby settlement beat him with clubs.

The crossings into the West Bank and Gaza will be closed beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday until the following Saturday, April 7, at midnight, the military said.

“The courts of Israel equate between a 17-year-old girl slapping a fully armed soldier who was in her home, to Israelis that have brutally killed Palestinians,” writes Mariam Barghouti.

“The prime minister, who has attacked individual reporters and media outlets for reporting ‘fake news,’ has abandoned any pretense of respect for freedom of the press,” writes Lisa Goldman.

Speaking before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee on Monday, Colonel Haim Mendez told legislators that five million Palestinians live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip while another 1.8 million Arabs live inside Israel. This puts the tally of Palestinians at about 6.8 million, in contrast to 6.5 million Jewish citizens of Israel.

At least 55 Hamas supporters have been arrested in the aftermath of an explosion that targeted the Prime Minister’s convoy in Gaza Strip.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks delivered March 19 to the Palestinian leadership revealed an unhinged leader no longer willing to be politically correct.

According to a Palestinian security apparatus source, the recent events in Gaza testify to chaos in Hamas, mainly internal resistance and clashes surrounding the reconciliation issue and its ramifications.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/03/israel-gaza-leader-hamas-fatah-pa-abbas-reconciliation.html#ixzz5B3GJIPUw

The Palestinian official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that “becoming members of these international conventions and treaties strengthens the Palestinian issue on the international level and demonstrates our commitment to upholding international standards in our state institutions.”