Today's Palestinian Arab news (9/3/09)

Now that UNRWA has proven itself to be a useful puppet of Hamas, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry is accusing UNRWA of seizing medicines and participating in the blockade against Gaza. Hey, UNRWA clearly will accede to any Hamas demands, so why not just turn UNRWA into another Hamas agency? The UN won't protest.

The moderate PA is creating a tripartate commission, with their ministers of health, interior and foreign affairs, to investigate whether Israel stole organs from Palestinian Arabs, as alleged by a Swedish newspaper. This commission will, no doubt, be as fair and honest as the commission to determine exactly how Israel murdered Arafat. (Major pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Alawsat already takes the accusations as simple fact.)

A US Army delegation paid a surprise visit to the hospital in El Arish, Egypt. Many speculated that this might mean that the US is planning to deploy troops at the Rafah border as part of a peace deal between Israel and the PA.

Hamas took credit for shooting four 80mm mortars at IDF forces, possibly in Gaza itself. As far as I can tell, this is the first time since Cast Lead that Hamas has admitted any involvement in shooting at Israeli troops.

Russia admitted selling MIG-31E aircraft to Syria.

Hamas told a surgeon in the shifa Hospital to leave the premises. When he refused, they literally threw him out on the street. (Palestinian Ministry of Health webpage mentions thi sas well, but it cannot be linked to.)

Egypt has confiscated nearly three tons of explosives on their way to Gaza in two separate seizures in the past couple of days.

Firas Press, in their regular feature of pictures of cute Palestinian Arab kids, brings us this lovely photo of a child wrapped in a Fatah-logo blanket, complete with chic "resistance" keffiyeh. He can remain warm at night snuggling with the rifle, submachine gun, and hand grenade helping his sweet dreams of destroying Israel (represented on the flag as well.)