Palestinians rejoiced today in Gaza and the West Bank as 477 prisoners were released in the first phase of the exchange deal for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. But in an op-ed titled "Thousands Are Left Behind by the Shalit Prisoner Exchange," the general director of al-Haq, Shawan Jabarin, warned that the release of 1,000 should not mean forgetting the 6,000 political prisoners still languishing behind bars.

The release of a total 1,027 Palestinian prisoners will be completed within two months. However, 163 detainees will be exiled to Gaza and another 40 will be deported from their homeland to Turkey, Syria, Qatar and Jordan.

For detainees staying behind, worsening conditions in Israeli prisons had pushed over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners to take part in a three-week hunger strike to protest the poor conditions and lack of basic rights. According to Amnesty International, "consistent allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, including of children, were frequently reported. Among the most commonly cited methods were beatings, threats to the detainee or their family, sleep deprivation, and being subjected to painful stress positions for long periods. Confessions allegedly obtained under duress were accepted as evidence in Israeli military and civilian courts."

In an article titled "How Israel takes its revenge on boys who throw stones," Catrina Stewart offers a glimpse into the brutal treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli jails. She reports that children as young as 12 are taken from their homes at night, deprived of food and sleep, physically and psychologically abused, and forced to sign a confession they often can't even read. The article states that "Israel's policy has been successful in one sense, sowing fear among children and deterring them from future demonstrations. But the children are left traumatised, prone to nightmares and bed-wetting." And yet Palestinian minors were excluded from the first round of the prisoners' release, leading UNICEF to appeal for the release of Palestinian child detainees.

Amidst joyous celebrations in Gaza City, one Palestinian wrote that she "didn't know whether to be happy or sad…We will never stop singing for the freedom of Palestinian detainees until the Israeli prisons are emptied."

Several days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas a choice between seeking reconciliation with Hamas and achieving peace with Israel. Today, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority will stand by Hamas. He made this statement at the signing ceremony for the national reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo, Egypt. Palestinians expressed cautious optimism over the agreement, hoping it will open a new chapter for Palestinians.

Dubai TV reports that Syria protests have spread to the country’s second largest city, Aleppo. Students from the University of Aleppo took to the streets to demand that authorities lift the siege on Daraa. Nearly 3,000 protestors demonstrated in the coastal city of Baniyas with the same demand. Over 1,000 people have been arrested over the past three days, raising the total number of Syrian detainees to 2,800.

In Bahrain, 23 doctors and 24 nurses will be put on trial for their involvement in the uprising. The Bahraini military court is accusing them of providing medical care to protestors, being involved in the attempts to topple the ruling family, participating in illegal gatherings, and damaging public opinion by spreading false news. Al-Alam reports that this comes days after the military court issued death sentences to four young men accused of killing two police officers during protests.

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have shelled the Misurata port again, this time killing five people. Al-Jazeera reports that the forces are preparing to launch a new attack on the Wazen border crossing with Tunisia. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that over 80,000 Libyans have been displaced from the western Jabal al-Gharbi district in the past few days. International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that NATO forces might be used to capture Gaddafi.

France 24 reports tonight from Morocco, where demonstrators are gathering under the slogan “the people want to topple corruption and despotism.” The Morocco protests began on February 20, and have been growing in size everyday, despite King Mohammed VI’s promises to release of political prisoners and enact reforms.

Hundreds of Iraqis poured into Tahrir Square in central Baghdad last week to participate in the “Friday of Resistance.” Protestors are demanding the end of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, the eradication of corruption, and the release of detainees. In Mosul, demonstrators rallied in Ahrar Square for the 20th consecutive day, despite the government’s attempts to scatter the crowd.

Al-Jazeera reports that the rivaling Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, have signed the reconciliation agreement brokered by Cairo. Over the last several days, Fatah and Hamas delegates met with Egyptian leaders to finalize the agreement before signing it. Many believe that this reconciliation would not have been possible during former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

New TV reports that the death of al-Qaeda’s leader, Osama bin Laden, does not mean an end to the organization. Three people are being considered to replace bin Laden: Ayman al-Zawahri, the “mastermind” behind the 9/11 attacks; Anwar al-Awlaki, the leader of al-Qaeda’s Yemeni branch; and Abu Yahya al-Libi, the head of the organization’s military operations. Security experts believe that bin Laden’s successors will launch even fiercer attacks on Western interests around the world.

The BBC reports from Libya, where NATO is searching for a naval mine near Misurata's port that is preventing the evacuation of African workers and wounded people trapped at the port. While sporadic battles continue between Gaddafi and opposition forces in Misurata, thousands of people in the capital Tripoli attended the funeral of Saif al-Arab, Gaddafi's youngest son, and three of his grandchildren who were killed in a recent NATO air strike. People at the funeral chanted slogans demanding that NATO halt airstrikes in Libya.

In Yemen, one person was killed and two were injured in Aden after police fired at protestors demanding the expedition of the trial of security forces accused of killing a detainee. Al-Alam reports that this news comes as demonstrations demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh's resignation and prosecution continue throughout the country. The Yemeni people affirmed that demonstrations will continue until the their demands are met.

Future TV reports that new images have been released showing the Syrian army arresting, beating, and insulting demonstrators participating in rallies during Syria’s “week of breaking the siege.” Syrian security forces were heavily deployed in several areas including Baniyas, Daraa, Baida, al-Qamishli, al-Riqqah, and Damscus. As crackdowns on protests continue throughout Syria, France and Britain are urging the EU to impose sanctions against Syrian officials, including President Bashar al-Assad.

Tonight, al-Jazeera reports on the death of Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda. Reuters quoted a US Department of Homeland Security official saying that the instructions issued to the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) team were to kill bin Laden, not capture him. President Barack Obama announced bin Laden’s death in a speech late last night, describing it as “the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al-Qaeda.” Americans gathered by the thousands in a number of cities to celebrate the news.  

The BBC reports on the mixed reactions to the death of bin Laden in the Arab world. Many expressed happiness and relief over his killing, while others doubted that bin Laden was actually dead. Hamas has condemned the killing, describing bin Laden as a “holy warrior.” The Saudi Arabian government has expressed hope that his death will be a step forward in the international efforts against terrorism.

In other news, Future TV reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that the US end monetary support of the Palestinian Authority if a united national government is formed that includes Hamas. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh responded by demanding that the Palestinian Liberation Organization withdraw its recognition of Israel. Some political analysts believe that a third intifada is inevitable, whether or not the UN recognizes the Palestinian state.  

Al-Alam reports that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has refused to sign the deal put forth by the Gulf Cooperation Council. The opposition’s Joint Meeting Parties are holding Saleh responsible for the failure of the agreement. Meanwhile, the Yemeni people remain determined to attain what they consider to be their most important demands, including Saleh’s resignation and prosecution.

New TV reports on the disastrous consequences that violence in Libya is having on children. Forced to live amidst war and death everyday, children have been drawing pictures of weapons, bombs, and other violent scenes. Teachers have reported that children have also been drawing people crying and frequently using the color black.

The documents released by WikiLeaks continue to be disseminated around the world, providing the public with an unprecedented glimpse into U.S. diplomacy. Some of the information cited in the documents was direct, open and damaging even if the U.S. continues to question the legitimacy of the leak.

The 250,000 U.S. Embassy diplomatic cables reveal communications between 274 embassies in countries around the world and the U.S. State Department, effectively impacting the entire world and the Middle East is no exception.

Many Arab state-run media outlets have been skeptical in their coverage of the cables. Some chose to focus on issues unrelated to their country while others opted to undermine the implications of the leak.

Tarek al-Homayad, editor-in-chief of al-Sharq al-Awsat, a leading Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily, portrayed the leaks as a crisis for America, but called into question the accuracy and relevance of the reports:  “We must take care that not everything written by the American embassies is fact. Some contain analysis and reporting while the rest merely express points of view, not actual policies.”

The documents prompted the two main Palestinian rivals, Hamas and Fatah, to exchange accusations and blame, especially in regard to the recognition of Israel.

Wasn’t recognizing Israel part of the negotiation process?  So why is it now a major issue? It seems that each faction is trying to undermine the other in a bid to rally public support and avoid accountability.

The next revelation, however, didn’t only come as a shock to Palestinians, but raised concern over the credibility of their leadership in Ramallah.  Among the documents was a claim by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that Israel consulted Egypt and the Palestinian Authority (PA) before launching its Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. Barak is quoted in the cable saying both Egyptian and PA officials rejected offers to assume control of Gaza after Hamas’ defeat.

Would the PA have conspired with Israel had it known that more than 1,400 Gazans, mostly civilians, would be killed in the three-month armed conflict? If this is the case, shouldn’t the PA be held accountable, along with Israel, and perhaps face war crimes charges?

This revelation, if accurate, does not only indict the PA. It seems that Egypt also played a conspirator role in the war on Hamas. In a meeting with U.S. General David Petraeus in the summer of 2009, Egyptian Security Chief Omar Suleiman complained that neither the ‘Hamas terrorist organization,’ nor Fatah really want to reconcile. Suleiman said his country cooperates with Israel in its effort to prevent ‘arms smuggling and money into Gaza.’

Egypt has been playing the role of mediator between Fatah and Hamas since the latter’s violent takeover of Gaza more than three years ago.

Nearly two months ago, the two Palestinian rivals agreed to take the required steps to end their division, share power and vowed to hold more talks before signing a final deal in Cairo. 

Now with the WikiLeaks revelations, which raise questions about Cairo’s role as an honest peace broker, Hamas and Fatah may have to find another sponsor or it may be time for the Palestinians to assume responsibility and solve their own problems.

The 251,287 cables that have been published are filled with juicy gossip. The repercussions of the recent leaks on world diplomacy remain undetermined, but we can be certain the damage they caused Palestinian reconciliation is irreversible.

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