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Qassam lands in western Negev, no injuries
Shmulik Hadad
Published: 20.11.08, 16:36
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1. What have you got to hide Israel?
Richard ,   London   (11.20.08)
International media companies have sent a letter of protest to Israel's prime minister challenging a decision to ban journalists from entering the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government has come under strong international criticism this week, including from Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, over its blockade of the overcrowded strip of Palestinian territory. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that won Palestinian elections nearly three years ago and controls Gaza, effectively broke down two weeks ago after an Israeli raid killed six Hamas militants. Since then there have been more Israeli raids, killing around 17 Hamas gunmen, and Palestinian militants have fired dozens of rockets into southern Israel, injuring several people. Israel has kept its crossings into Gaza largely closed, allowing in only limited amounts of food and aid and keeping journalists out. The Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, the BBC and other major news groups sent a letter yesterday to Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, calling for access to Gaza for all reporters. "We are gravely concerned about the prolonged and unprecedented denial of access to the Gaza Strip for the international media," the letter said. "We would welcome an assurance that access to Gaza for international journalists will be restored immediately in the spirit of Israel's long-standing commitment to a free press." Israel has not recently kept foreign journalists out of Gaza for so long, although Israeli journalists have been banned for at least two years. Israeli officials say the decision is because of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, although similar bans have not been imposed in the past during heavier fighting.
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