Syrian fighter jets fired rockets at the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in the capital Damascus on Sunday, killing at least 25 people who had sought shelter in a mosque from clashes in other parts of the city.
As regime shells rain down on Syria's second city, images emerge from the capital showing a calm and smiling president and first lady. Next, anger still simmers after the release of a US-made film which mocks Islam, drawing parallels with the reaction to Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses". Finally, details emerge of an improbable relationship between an Israeli actress and the son of Gaddafi's one-time heir apparent.
The shelling of a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus left 21 people dead, activists reported on Friday, as fighting between rebels and regime forces continued. It was not clear which side was responsible for the deadly bombardment.
A new bill being voted today in the Lebanese parliament could give rights to some of the 400,000 Palestinian refugees currently residing in the country. Until now, these refugees were unable to buy property or hold certain jobs in Lebanon, even though many of them were born on Lebanese soil.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has demanded that Hamas release humanitarian aid seized in Gaza from the UN agency UNRWA immediately. The agency suspended its operations on Friday.
UN officials have accused Hamas of seizing aid supplies meant for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The UN emergency relief coordinator on Wednesday called for all sides to respect the "neutrality and independence" of aid workers and supplies.
A Gaza-bound ship carrying aid was stopped by the Israeli navy on Thursday and ordered to return to Lebanon, from where it reportedly set off. Journalists on board said shots were fired, but the Israeli military denied the reports.
The Week in the Middle East focuses on the Dbayeh camp in Lebanon, the country's only camp for Christian Palestinians. Also in our weekly show: US soldiers prepare to leave Iraq; and reporting from the dark in the blockade-hit Gaza Strip.
