Palestinian negotiators have cancelled a third round of peace talks with Israel, protesting a raid by the Israeli military that killed three Palestinians early Monday.
Medical sources said at least 15 people were wounded, six of them seriously, during clashes in the Qalandiya camp.
Israel and the Palestinian Authority recently resumed US-brokered peace talks last months after a three-year hiatus.
The Israeli police said the security forces went into Qalandiya about 3 a.m. to arrest a suspect when they were attacked with firebombs and rocks. The troops responded with “riot-control munitions”.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which criticized the raid, said one of those killed on Monday was an employee who was walking to work when he was shot in the chest.
Turkey: Ankara Willing to Join an International Coalition on Syria
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has stated that Ankara is willing to participate in an international coalition against Syria if one is formed in response to the chemical weapons massace last week.
Davutoğlu said that Turkey was waiting for the results of UN inspections, but “If a coalition is formed against Syria in this process, Turkey will take part in it.”
The Foreign Minister’s words were reinforced by the more bellicose rhetoric employed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who yesterday declared that Turkey could never take sides with a person “who has gassed innocent civilians.”
At a rally of supporters in his hometown, Erdoğan called on the international community to act:
More than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria. Where is the international community? Where is the U.N. Security Council? No sound from them. When we talked, then they say what is to you? Why do you talk? I speak on behalf of my people … You told us to go forward to alleviate the sufferings of the Syrian people, and we are going forward.
So do we stand by the murderer al-Assad and his supporters? We believe that giving consent to the killing of one person means giving consent to the killing of all of humanity. Consequently, we couldn’t allow that.”
Egypt: Bomb Explodes in North Sinai, No Casualties Reported
A bomb has exploded near a police station in Sheikh Zuwayed in North Sinai.
There are no reported casualties but heavy gunfire is reported amid clashes between security forces and militants in the city’s market area.
Turkey and Israel: Compensation Still Not Agreed For 2010 Flotilla Raid
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç revealed yesterday that despite talks with Israel, compensation has not been agreed yet for victims of a deadly raid in 2010 on the Mavi Marmara vessel.
“We haven’t agreed yet over the compensation. We haven’t lost contact with Israel but I want this issue to be concluded. Thus diplomatic relations will normalize. The process continues,” Arınç said.
Israel formally apologised to Turkey in March for the raid which killed nine Turkish citizens on board the ship as it made its way to the Gaza Strip to break the embargo on the area.
Egypt: 30 June Front to Join, Strong Egypt Party Reject Constitution Committee
The 30 June Front, a coalition of anti-Morsi groups formed in June this year by Tamarod to oust the former president, has submitted nominations for representatives to join the 50-member committee tasked with revising the constitution.
Among the nominations are Mohamed Abdel-Aziz and Mahmoud Badr, co-founders of the Tamarod movement, and January 2011 revolutionary youth figures Tamer Gomaa, Amr Salah and Hossam Mo’nes.
Elsewhere, the Salafist Nour Party announced on Sunday that it would be part of the committee, while the Strong Egypt Party declared yesterday that it would not be taking part.
The Strong Egypt Party released a statement saying that “constitutions should be written in a politically and socially stable atmosphere in order to reach the minimum level of compatibility.”
The statement criticised the initial 10-member committee for working in “secrecy and with a lack of transparency,” adding that the current political climate is “filled with hatred, revenge and a clear social divide after Egyptian blood has been shed.”
It also suggested that the decision to differentiate between Islamist and civil (non-Islamist) parties when choosing committee members is what “harmed Egypt in the past two years… We are repeating the same mistakes of the 2012 constitution.”
