ICRC - Somalia: Somali Red Crescent compound hit by mortar

The compound housing a limb-fitting centre of the Somali Red Crescent Society was hit by a mortar on Monday afternoon, 13 April, killing one civilian and wounding five others, none of whom were staff of the Somali Red Crescent or patients. The centre was clearly marked with the red crescent emblem.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Somali Red Crescent are deeply saddened by the incident and the bloodshed it caused, and wish to extend their heartfelt condolences to the family of the person killed.

"The incident illustrates once more how dangerous it is in Mogadishu and how difficult it can be to provide victims of the armed conflict with medical care and humanitarian aid," said Dr Ahmed M. Hassan, the president of the Somali Red Crescent.

Although nothing suggests that the centre was deliberately targeted, the ICRC and the Somali Red Crescent remind all parties concerned of their obligation to respect and protect at all times medical staff and infrastructure such as hospitals, clinics and limb-fitting and rehabilitation centres.

The ICRC continues to work closely with the Somali Red Crescent and remains a key provider of emergency aid for victims of conflict and natural disasters in Somalia. It has maintained an uninterrupted presence in the country since 1982.

Source: ICRC

Erekat: Israeli rejection of Palestinian state is a rejection of negotiations

Israel’s refusal to commit to the creation of a Palestinian state amounts to a rejection of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, said top negotiator Saeb Erekat on Tuesday.

Erekat, the head of the Negotiations Affairs Department in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said that “Israel has to make a choice between continued occupation and abiding by its obligations.”

Erekat was speaking during a meeting with the Belgian Consul General in Jerusalem, Leo Peters, at Erekats office in the West Bank city of Jericho.

Commenting on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ surprise visit to Iraqi Kurdistan which began on Monday, Erekat said that the trip was part of efforts to resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees in Iraq. Abbas also visited Baghdad earlier this month as a part of this effort.

Source: Maan News Agency

Israeli soldiers seize four Palestinians from Safa, days after settler clashes

sraeli forces seized four brothers from the West Bank village of Safa, where settler attacks sparked clashes with Israeli forces last week.

According to Ma’an’s correspondent in the nearby city of Hebron, 14 Israeli military vehicles invaded Safa. Soldiers conduced house-to-house searches before seizing Ahmad Ibrahim At-Teet, 35, and his brothers; Muhammad, 32, Moussa, 24, and Ma’moun, 22, and Hassan Ibrahim Qouqas, 32.

Another member of the same family, Samih At-Teet, 37, had been seized by undercover Israeli forces from a neighboring village on Monday evening.

Samih At-Teet and Ashraf Bahjat were released late on Monday evening.

Last Thursday, armed Israeli settlers attacked Safa, provoking clashes between stone-throwing Palestinians, Israeli soldiers and settlers. The invading settlers came from the nearby settlement of Bat Ayin, where earlier this month a Palestinian man killed a teenage settler and wounded a child.

Also on Tuesday Israeli soldiers raided the village of Bani Na’im, east of Hebron, detaining Moussa Hamdan At-Tarayra, 31.

Source: Maan News Agency