Some news items from the PalArab press

Palestine Today quotes Russian news agency RIA Novosti as saying that Israel had the opportunity to assassinate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah twice in recent months and held off, for fears of igniting a wider conflict. (I couldn't find that story at RIA.)

PA president Abbas is incensed at Hamas' demand that he coordinate any visit to Gaza with them. He says thathe is the president and can visit his people any time he wants. Well, Hamas treated his loyalists with a little less than respect three years ago, by slaughtering them, but maybe he'd be treated better.

Iran is planning a blockade-busting ship to sail this Sunday. It will have 1100 tons of "aid." The world seems to have forgotten another recent Iranian ship, filled with the type of aid that Hamas desires. And another ship from Iran that was filled with "aid" going directly to Hamas.

Meanwhile, smugglers in Rafah are upset over Israeli plans to ease the closure, saying that they will go out of business. The prices of consumer goods have plummeted in the past couple of days because of Israel's announcement of easing the closure - Egyptian soda has gone down by 30%, and 40-inch flat screen TVs have been reduced from $2000 to about $1200. At the same time, factory owners are asking Hamas not to allow Israel to send in soda, biscuits and ice cream because that would undercut their own pricing and put them out of business as well.