"If only half of the residents of the settlements would come to settle the Negev, our situation would be much better."--President Shimon Peres speaking at an event marking 70 years since the establishment of Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev.
- For the first time: E.U. diplomats included in Civil Administration planning session - Hearings dealt with plans for West Bank villages Israel considers illegal; move part of the European Union's policy of monitoring Israeli treatment of Palestinian communities in Area C. (Haaretz+)
- Defense Minister Ya'alon limits E.U. projects in West Bank, Gaza - Responding to the European Union's new settlement guidelines, Israel to halt cooperation on the ground with E.U. representatives. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- U.N. rights chief slams Bedouin relocation plan - Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pilay says relocation could wipe out legitimate Bedouin land claims. (Haaretz+)
- Israel's West Bank railway plan will face hundreds of objections - The plan aims to strengthen Israel's link to the settlements, but it's unlikely that tunnels will be excavated around Hebron, Ramallah and Nablus in the next two or three years. (Haaretz+)
- IDF paratroopers drill for operation deep behind enemy lines - Drill is second of its kind after 13-year hiatus. Troops parachuted from Hercules planes flying in formation to an area near Ramat Hovav in the Negev, where they held a brief mock battle. (Haaretz+, Ynet and NRG Hebrew+VIDEO)
- Hamas government closes Ma'an, Al-Arabiya bureaus in Gaza - The attorney-general in the Hamas-run government on Thursday ordered the closure of the Ma'an News Agency and Al-Arabiya TV bureaus in Gaza "for distributing false news regarding the smear campaign against Hamas and Gaza about what's happening in Egypt." (Maan)
For the full News from Israel.