
Wounded by a bullet yesterday by Israeli soldiers during protests near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, Palestinian journalist Yaser Murtaja has died, according to a statement from the health minister of the Palestinian enclave. Murtaja worked as a photographer for the Ain Media agency, based in Gaza.

Uruguay will ask fellow members at the Unasur summit to be held in Montevideo later in the month to discuss the Gaza Strip situation, said Foreign minister Luis Almagro who next week will be meeting a delegation from the Palestine Authority. Almagro and president Jose Mujica have been questioned for using the words 'genocide' and 'massacre' to describe the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Israel is disappointed and concerned with Uruguayan president Jose Mujica statement that described the Israeli offensive in Gaza as’genocide’, pointed out Jerusalem's new ambassador to Montevideo, Nina Ben-Ami. These are not words to be used by a friend; we're friendly countries going through a difficult moment.

Sayeeda Warsi, a senior minister in Britain's Foreign Office, resigned on Tuesday, accusing Prime Minister David Cameron's government of taking a morally indefensible approach to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Two senior Iranian officials told an Arabic-language television channel on Monday that Tehran has supplied missile technology to Hamas for its fight against Israel. Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Ali Jafari warned in an interview with the Arabic channel of Iran's state Al-Alam television that Palestinian resistance to Israeli aggression is endless and growing.

Paraguay strongly objected a draft Mercosur declaration on Gaza which wanted to openly support Palestine and unilaterally condemn Israel's bombings and incursions, according to sources at the group's summit which took place Tuesday in Caracas.

Brazil’s Jewish community apologized to the administration of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff for statements by the spokesman of Israel’s foreign ministry after Brazil recalled its envoy over the Gaza conflict.

By Gwynne Dyer - Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, said something cryptic last Friday, shortly after the Israelis began their latest round of attacks on the Gaza Strip. Condemning Hamas’ conditions for accepting a ceasefire as “exaggerated and unnecessary,” he offered his condolences “ to the families of the martyrs in Gaza who are fuel to those who trade in war. I oppose these traders, on both sides.”

Mercosur condemned the “disproportionate use of force” in Gaza and called on Israel and Palestinians for an immediate cease fire of the conflict that has already left al least forty people killed, mostly civilians.