UN agencies condemn Israel's eviction of 67 Palestinians from Jerusalem [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian territories, confirmed that 67 Palestinians in the West Bank were forcibly displaced in one week, violating international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Presenter, Female #1
In the neighborhood of al-Khalayleh, north of occupied Jerusalem, seven families were displaced after their homes and civilian structures they own were demolished. One week earlier, settlers protected by the occupation forces seized two homes in the neighborhood of Beit Hanina in eastern Jerusalem, in anticipation of establishing a settlement.

Reporter, Female #2
For the third time in six months, this family finds itself on the street. Israeli bulldozers came here to the neighborhood of al-Khalayleh, north of occupied Jerusalem, to destroy homes and shacks, displacing seven families. Half of their members are children. These families came to this neighborhood dozens of years ago. But that wasn't enough for the Israelis.

Guest, Male #2 (Salim Jahalin, Owner of Destroyed Home)
The Red Cross gave us each a tent. We put up our tents and they attacked us again. The Red Cross was here, and the UN was here. They took all of our tents. Five tents.

Reporter, Female #2
As for the neighborhood of Beit Hanina, one of the largest Arab neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem, the Natche family also finds itself without a home. Eleven family members, most of them children, are now living with their relatives. A week ago, settlers protected by occupation forces expelled them from their home under the pretext of having bought the land from its original owner. The family has been trying to annul the eviction notice in Israeli courts for 14 years. The fear is not only over losing this family's home and a nearby house, but from the construction of a settlement in the heart of an Arab neighborhood.

Guest, Female #3
This land doesn't belong to the Jews. My dad bought it in 1953. They forged the papers.

Reporter, Female #2
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian territories, both condemned the displacement and expulsion, confirming they are a violation of international law.

Guest, Male #4 (Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
Forced displacement must be avoided at all costs. It is essential to keep them on their land and in their homes. They must be able to develop their communities where they already live. Forcefully displacing them increases their hardship and humanitarian needs, and prevents them from being self-sufficient.

Reporter, Female #2
The two UN agencies confirmed that over 1,500 Palestinians have lost their homes in such destruction and expulsion operations since early 2011. International organizations confirm that continuing settlement construction and the destruction of Palestinian homes exacerbate humanitarian hardship, an admission that places the Israeli government in the spotlight. A government that accuses the Palestinians of evading negotiations, while in reality it deploys its bulldozers everywhere to continue its Judaization campaign and its attempt to end the presence of the Palestinians.

--

Gazans rally in solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails [Press TV, Iran]

Palestinians have staged a rally in Gaza City to show solidarity with some 1,600 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails. It was organized by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They are demanding better jail conditions and an end to detention without trial.

--

Daughter of Bahraini hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja in detention [Press TV, Iran]

The Bahraini government has decided to hold the daughter of prominent rights activist and 75-day hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja for one week. Zainab al-Khawaja, herself a human rights activist, was arrested on Saturday during an anti-regime protest in the capital Manama.

--

HRW deputy director calls on Bahrain to implement reforms [Press TV, Iran]

In an exclusive interview with Press TV, Human Rights Watch Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Nadim Houry, says that the regime in Bahrain must act upon the promises that it made to the world to stop the crisis in the country.

--

Iran not pursuing nuclear weapons, says Israeli commander [Press TV, Iran]

Israel's top military official says Iran will not pursue atomic weapons. Israel's Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz says Iran is led by "very rational people." Gantz's remarks echo what his American counterparts said in February. The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly confirmed Iran's non-diversion from its nuclear energy program, and Tehran insists that its nuclear activities are solely for civilian purposes.

--

Israeli PM asks to defer settler expulsion as three more outposts are legalized [IBA, Israel]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask the Supreme Court to defer next week's deadline for expelling residents from five illegal apartment buildings in the Ulpana neighborhood in the settlement of Beit El. Netanyahu says that the government is looking for legal ways to prevent the eviction. The court ruled that 30 families must leave by next week because their apartments were built on privately-owned Palestinian land.

In related news, a ministerial committee has decided to legalize the outposts of Rechalim, Bruchim, and Sansana. Officials claim that the decision does not establish new settlement or expand existing ones, but some NGOs insist that the government is undermining the rule of law.

--

Netanyahu on Iran: 'If someone threatens to annihilate you, take them seriously' [IBA, Israel]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview to Army Radio and Israel Radio before Israeli Independence Day that he hopes the Iranian nuclear issue will be resolved by next year, and reiterated that the problem is a matter of years, not days. "If there's one thing we've learned from Jewish history," he said, "it's that if someone threatens to annihilate you, take them seriously."

He also downplayed the issue of the canceled natural gas pipeline deal with Egypt, addressed the recent soccer riots, and touched on the Tal Law, regarding the drafting of Ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army, saying that the government will pass a new law in compliance with the Supreme Court's ruling in order to address the social and manpower problems it has caused.

--

Pakistan tests nuclear-capable ballistic missile days after India's launch [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The Pakistani army announced that Islamabad successfully tested nuclear-capable ballistic intermediate-range missile Hatf IV Shaheen-1 A. The Pakistani army did not specify the range of the missile, but experts estimate it has a range of 2,500 to 3,000 kilometers. The test is believed to be a response to India's announcement last Thursday that it conducted its first test launch of a nuclear-capable long-range missile.

Reporter, Male #1
For the first time, Pakistan successfully tested a ballistic intermediate-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The Pakistani army said such experiments are conducted periodically, indicating the test has nothing to do with India's missile test several days ago.

Guest, Male #2 (Zafar Jaspal, Pakistani Strategy Expert)
Pakistan does not need these types of long-range missiles because Pakistan's goal is to reach the eastern coast of the Nicobar Island in the Indian Ocean. Missile Shaheen-2 is able to hit any target in India. So the Indian missile test does not bother Pakistan.

Reporter, Male #1
Observers believe these tests are a warning to Pakistan's enemies in the region. The evidence is that Pakistan has not announced the range of the missile, saying it does not wish to cause media commotion over it. It is believed the missile reaches up to 3,000 kilometers.

Guest, Male #3 (Ridwan Dhu al-Faqar, Pakistani Political Analyst)
Pakistan did not announce the missile's range. This is a message to the countries that are hostile to Pakistan, other than India, especially Israel, which is attempting to disarm Pakistan of its nuclear weapon through the United States.

Reporter, Male #1
Experts believe the Pakistani and Indian missile tests will not affect their relationship, which has notably improved recently, especially after the two countries' officials exchanged visits, and Pakistan's announcement that it will grant India the "most preferred nation" trading status. However, they do not deny the danger of an arms race for the entire region. So the Pakistani-Indian competition in missiles may have exceeded its regional scale. Islamabad is threatening its enemies with its defense capability through its missile tests. Meanwhile, India's tests were in fact a warning to China. Mohamed Baghshi, Al-Alam, Islamabad.

--

Iraqis fed up with deteriorating security situation [Al-Forat TV, Iraq]

Presenter, Female #1
An explosive device placed in the center of al-Kufa District in the northern part of the holy Najaf governorate was detonated.

Presenter, Male #1
A security source said the explosive device was placed in a civilian car and exploded in the Maysan neighborhood near Imam Ali Bridge, peace be upon him, in the center of the city of al-Kufa. The source added it is still unknown whether the blast caused any casualties. For years, this has been a recurring scene in Iraqi cities, especially in the capital Baghdad: multiple terrorist bombings followed by calm that is strained by the fear of what comes next.

Presenter, Female #1
This scene reflects the lax and weak mechanism of the security apparatus combating terrorism. At the same time, citizens complain of an overwhelming number of security checkpoints amid little or no intelligence efforts. Al-Hareth Mohamed has the details.

Reporter, Male #2
After every terrorist bombing that rocks an Iraqi city, cautious calm dominates the streets of the capital Baghdad. The streets of the country are characterized by relative stability. However, some describe this calm as temporary. Figures indicate the so-called progress achieved by those responsible for security is in fact giving the terrorist groups a better opportunity to organize their branches and plan car bombs and their hateful explosive devices. And the citizens end up with the largest losses.

Guest, Male #3 (Hussein al-Inawati, Security Expert)
Today we're talking about democracy, but we couldn't be more removed from democracy. I don't know what this concept of "democracy" means. Since 2003 until now, the security institutions have been run by the same people. They enjoy the same jurisdictions.

Reporter, Male #2
The Commission on Security and Defense in the Iraqi parliament revealed the extent of the security institutions' complacency in going after terrorist cells, saying it is caused by their weak intelligence and information work. Statements by the security leaders appear on media outlets only after terrorist security breaches have taken place. Their words are limited to condemnation and denunciation, with an abundant amount of future promises that cannot compensate for the bloodshed of innocent people. Even worse, most of the fact-finding committees that are formed after these attacks never announce the results of their investigations.

Guest, Male #4 (Qasim al-Araji, Member of Commission for Security and Defense)
The security forces complain about the weakness of the intelligence agency and its negligence. They say they do not have access to any real information that would help them anticipate the enemy's moves.

Reporter, Male #2
The various kinds of taxes the citizens pay for maintaining security do not result in the control of the security situation. Only worsening traffic jams are observed as the scorching summer approaches. Checkpoints have turned into an annoying obsession that follows the citizens everywhere they go. The people are raising their voices and demanding serious efforts be exerted to strengthen the intelligence work, retake control of the mobile checkpoints and stations, and clear bottlenecks from the roads. It seems the security leadership is accustomed to issuing reassuring statements every now and then. But without really exerting any tangible efforts to rectify their mistakes, or actually working on solving the issues promptly so the tragedy of terrorist operations won't be repeated in the country. From Baghdad, al-Hareth Mohamed, Al-Forat.

--

Violence escalates in Syria despite UN pressure [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
The Syrian Revolution's General Commission said 22 people were killed today by the gunfire of Syrian forces. Most of them died in Idlib and the countryside of Damascus. Local Coordination Committees said the town of Bosra al-Sham in Daraa was shelled by the regime's army, and two people were killed in the town of Tafas despite the presence of UN observers. Activists said security forces launched arrest campaigns in many areas of Duma, where a medic from the Syrian Red Crescent was killed and another was wounded.

Reporter, Male #1
A joyful atmosphere and sunny skies: this is the image usually presented to the international observers' team touring Syrian streets.

Reporter, Male #1
The observers are carrying out their mission amid ongoing ceasefire violations as UN special envoy Kofi Annan demanded a quick deployment of 300 observers to enforce the ceasefire in the country and pave the way for the launch of the political process.

Guest, Male #3 (Meeraj Singh, Spokesman for UN Observers' Team in Damascus)
We have four military observers joining us tonight, so we are now 15 military observers. We expect more to join us tonight. We will provide you with the details later.

Reporter, Male #1
On Wednesday, activists confirmed at least one person was killed in the gunfire as the observers arrived to Tafas in the countryside of Daraa. Wednesday witnessed the killing of four people by gunfire from a security checkpoint that targeted a bus near Khan Shaykun in the countryside of Idlib, as well as a child in Deir az-Zour province. Three were killed in the countryside of Damascus by indiscriminate gunfire from the regime's forces in Harasta and Duma, which are also being shelled. The Syrian Red Crescent confirmed on Wednesday the killing of a medic in Duma, indicating that two others were injured, without specifying the source of the gunfire. Activists question the effectiveness of deploying only two permanent observers to Homs and Hama.

Guest, Male #4 (Sami Ibrahim, Spokesman for Syrian Human Rights Network in Hama)
But what can two people do in a large city like Homs? They can hear the gunfire, but they cannot see the snipers. People are now being killed and injured by snipers. The artillery shelling, in all honesty, has largely decreased, but the tanks are still present in the city.

Reporter, Male #1
Activists say over 300 civilians have been killed since the ceasefire was announced. Kofi Annan doubts that Damascus withdrew its heavy weaponry and military vehicles from the cities despite the Syrian authorities' confirmation of that withdrawal in a message that they sent Annan. According to experts at the United Nations, the full deployment of the delegation with its equipment, especially armored vehicles, will require several months. Damascus rejected the entry of one member of the observers' team because he originates from a country that is part of the "Friends of Syria" group. The Syrian National Council asked the UN Security Council to issue a resolution under the seventh chapter of the UN Charter to force the Syrian regime to end the violence.

Reporter, Male #1
Syrian state media confirmed that what they refer to as specialized institutions foiled an armed terrorist group's attempt to infiltrate Syria from Turkey, and killed one of the group's members. They also reported that a gunman blew himself up with a booby-trapped car in Idlib, and killed a security member. In addition, Syrian media said an armed terrorist group targeted a flower shop in Aleppo and killed its owner. Meanwhile, the street continues to peacefully protest to demand the departure of President Bashar al-Assad and his regime, despite the observers' presence and what they call the regime's crackdown on their popular mobilization. Hayyan Aqoub, BBC.

--

UN: Four million at risk of starvation in Sudan's armed conflict regions [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
The African Union has given Sudan and South Sudan three months to resolve their differences, or face what it described as "appropriate measures." After a special meeting in Addis Ababa to discuss the Sudanese crisis, AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra called on both Sudanese rivals to resume talks within two weeks. Talks must address all outstanding issues lingering since the independence of the South last June, including the sharing of oil revenues, the status of the disputed Abyei region, and the demarcation of borders.

Presenter, Male #1
Amid a war of words and the war on the ground that seem to be on everyone's mind in the north and the south, the UN issued a new report sounding the alarm on a humanitarian crisis looming in the region. The UN said that four million displaced people are at risk of starvation due to a lack of food caused by the wars raging in the Blue Nile, South Kordofan, and Darfur regions. This was also confirmed by the president of the Darfur Regional Authority. Khartoum, which described the report as "exaggerated," said it will welcome any UN initiative aimed at helping the famine-stricken because of the volatile situation. Sami al-Shinawi reports from Khartoum.

Reporter, Male #2
The war between Khartoum and the northern command of the People's Movement, the armed confrontations between rebel movements in Darfur, and the Heglig battles; all these factors have contributed to the humanitarian crisis raging in the regions witnessing an armed conflict. According to a new UN report, nearly four million displaced people are at risk of starvation due to a sharp shortage of food supplies and the difficulty of delivering aid to the famine-stricken because of the violence. The humanitarian situation is far worse in the region of Darfur, especially at the refugee camps scattered along both sides of the Sudanese-Chadian border. The head of the Local Governance in Darfur said the situation can't be helped because the Doha agreement granted him authority but no money.

Guest, Male #3 (Al-Tejani al-Sisi, President of Darfur Regional Authority)
I must say the situation in some parts of the Darfur state is alarming because of a gap in the food supply, and this calls for an immediate intervention.

Reporter, Male #2
While Khartoum said that gap is not as big as cited by UN reports, it welcomed any UN pledge to help the famine-stricken.

Guest, Female #1 (Amira al-Fadil, Sudanese Minister of Social Welfare and Security)
The government has immediately mobilized, through its Humanitarian Aid Commission branch and the regional authority. We sent food and medical supplies to the region. We made sure the aid reached the affected residents.

Reporter, Male #2
It seems the situation on the ground in Sudan is continuing to deteriorate. This requires the immediate intervention of the Sudanese government, which must fulfill the promises it made to those affected by the internal wars. The conflict in Sudan has only left behind all kinds of suffering. At the same time, Khartoum said it will not allow having even one Sudanese citizen at risk of starvation. However, the reality on the ground seems to be harsher than Khartoum's assessment, as confirmed by the UN. Sami al-Shinawi, Dubai TV, al-Khartoum.