Palestine (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Two Detainees in Israel Prisons End Long-Term Hunger Strikes

See also Syria Live Coverage: US "Non-Lethal" Assistance --- and More --- for the Insurgency
Wednesday's Israel (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Pressure Builds Over Settlements

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Tarek Qaadan1656 GMT: Bahrain. After a five-day visit, Human Rights Watch officials have declared that "rulers have made no progress on key reform promises, failing to release unjustly imprisoned activists or to hold accountable high-level officials responsible for torture".

Human Rights Watch also declared that a draft association law "significantly undermines what few rights independent non-governmental associations have under the country’s current law".

In the visit, the first permitted to Human Rights Watch in almost a year, three representatives met with the Minister of Interior; the Attorney General; leading police officials; John Timoney, the British adviser to the Ministry; and representatives of the Ministries of Social Development and Human Rights.

1650 GMT: Iraq. Two car bombs near a football field in north Baghdad have killed at least 11 people and wounded another 30, security and medical officials said.

1340 GMT: Tunisia. President Moncef Marzouki has testified in the investigation of the murder of opposition politician Chokri Belaid.

The Tunisian Prime Minister-designate, Ali Laradeyh, has said that four men have been detained as accomplices in the assassination of Belaid on 6 February. He claimed the murderer has been identified but is still at large.

The family of Belaid say President Marzouki was aware the vocal critic of the ruling Ennadha Party had received threats before his murder.

The President's office has denied the claims.

1330 GMT: Israel and Palestine. Two Palestinian prisoners whose hunger strikes fostered protests the West Bank have ended their fasts after Israel agreed to release them in May, a Palestinian official said on Wednesday.

"Jaafar Izzedine and Tarek Qaadan have paused their hunger strike," said Qadura Fares, head of an advocacy group for Palestinian prisoners. He said Israel had agreed to release them on 21 May, with an Israeli court ratifying the deal early next month.

Izzedine and Qaadan are among 178 "administrative" detainees, held without trial for renewable three to six-month terms based on classified evidence.

Palestinian and Israeli officials are still seeking a deal for the other two prisoners, Samer al-Issawi and Ayman Sharawneh.

"The Israeli side has begun dialogue today to find a solution to this issue, but so far they have not presented an acceptable offer," the Palestinian Minister of Prisoners, Issa Qaraqa, told reporters, adding that Issawi and Sharawneh had refused an offer to be freed and deported.