29 june 2013
Frequent closures of the only crossing for commercial goods between Israel and the Gaza Strip have left the coastal territory short of gas for cooking and heating, businessmen say, affecting businesses, agricultural production and health services.
Kerem Shalom crossing reopened on 26 June after two days of closure, described by the Israeli military as a response to rocket fire from Gaza.
Israel has closed the crossing five times since the end of February after similar rocket fire, for a total of 15 working days, in addition to six days of closure due to holidays.
Before this most recent closure, Gazans said they were still recovering from the series of closures in the spring, which they say created a cumulative deficit in gas.
At one of Gaza's major gas distributors, some 40,000 empty cylinders fill the station.
"Some people have been waiting for months to get their cylinders filled," owner Yusri Daban told IRIN. He manages to fill about 1,500 per day, but is flooded with an equal amount of empty arrivals.
Daban's company used to receive 25 tons of gas per day for distribution. His share decreased to 18 tons due to the shortages, and has not been increased since. He says he needs 35-45 tons a day to deal with the backlog.
Maher Tabba', spokesperson of the Gaza chamber of commerce, says the shortages have affected production on farms, factories, bakeries and restaurants; and have added to the chronic power cuts by putting an even higher demand on electricity.
Along the wall of Ahmed al-Ajrami's bakery, about a dozen gas cylinders sit empty. His current stock covers him for just two weeks, he says.
"I am [stuck] between gas shortages and power cuts which impact my business deeply," he told IRIN. "Either way is very difficult, but we are trying to adapt to keep working and to serve customers." He estimates that his revenue dropped by about 10 percent as a result of the recent shortages.
Collective punishment?
Gisha, an NGO that campaigns for freedom of movement, describes the closures of Kerem Shalom crossing as a form of collective punishment against a civilian population, which is a violation of international law.
"International law provides Israel with a wide range of lawful actions, military and diplomatic, that can be used to counter the threat of rockets," the organization wrote in a May 2013 position paper. "Restrictions on movement of people and civilian goods as a means of punishment fall outside this range."
The closure-related shortages come on top of long-standing restrictions on imports and exports, related to a blockade on Gaza imposed by Israel since 2007.
"The additional closures of Kerem Shalom over the past months have aggravated existing shortages," Gisha said.
The Gaza-based Association of Gas Station Owners, which is responsible for the import of cooking gas, estimates that the demand in Gaza is about 1,250 tons per week, but that on average, only 850 tons are brought in from Israel. Another five tons are brought in daily through tunnels from Egypt, but the process is complicated and the price is high.
As a result of chronic shortages over the years, many businessmen have switched from gas stoves, to electrically-powered devices, incurring the increased costs of running a generator. According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), access restrictions, including repeated closures, have widened the gaps in key areas such as health, education, electricity, water and sanitation.
"These measures are resulting in the depletion of stocks of essential supplies, including basic foodstuffs and cooking gas, and undermine the livelihoods and rights of many vulnerable Gazan families," humanitarian coordinator James Rawley said in April during a closure of Kerem Shalom. "If these restrictions continue, the effect upon the Gaza population will be serious."
Bassam Barhoum, a Palestinian health ministry official, said public hospitals and health centers need 4-4.5 tons of gas per month to feed patients and staff and disinfect bed sheets and clothing.
"What we have now is [stocks] roughly enough for about four days," he said, down from the usual stocks of one to two weeks. "We are in dire situation."
How Gaza gets gas
Gas reaches Gaza through trucks that transmit gas from the Israeli side through a pipe at the crossing to trucks waiting on the Palestinian side. The trucks need special permission to enter the border crossing area.
According to Gisha and to the Association of Gas Station Owners, the pipeline operates from 8am to 3 or 4pm, at a capacity of 22 tons per hour, bringing in between 160-180 tons per day. But the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the unit of the Israeli Ministry of Defense responsible for coordination in OPT, says the crossing has a capacity of 240 tons a day - a stance Gisha and others question.
OCHA says access restrictions are just one of many factors at play in the gas shortages. Others include delays in the placement of orders by local gas dealers; the costs related to taxes and fees; a two-day weekend during which the crossing is closed; higher transportation costs due to the location of the crossing on the southern border of the Strip (a more accessible crossing point at Nalah Oz was closed in 2010); and the security coordination procedures between Israeli and Palestinian trucks on either side of the pipeline, which can sometimes take hours.
Gas dealers say the underutilized capacity at the crossing is due primarily to the last factor: delays in actually reaching the pipeline.
"What we need now because of the cumulative shortage is 250-300 tons a day to close the current gap," said Mahmoud al-Shawwa, head of the Association of Gas Station Owners.
Gas dealers have requested that Israel extend working hours of the crossing, open the crossing on Fridays, build more pipelines to boost the capacity, increase the number of trucks allowed into the crossing area, and set up a reserve tank on the Palestinian side.
Last week, Israel began allowing an extra truck of gas on some days, bringing an additional 20 or so tons of gas. But gas dealers say no longer-term solutions have been implemented. "So far all we've seen is promises," al-Shawwa said.
Kerem Shalom crossing reopened on 26 June after two days of closure, described by the Israeli military as a response to rocket fire from Gaza.
Israel has closed the crossing five times since the end of February after similar rocket fire, for a total of 15 working days, in addition to six days of closure due to holidays.
Before this most recent closure, Gazans said they were still recovering from the series of closures in the spring, which they say created a cumulative deficit in gas.
At one of Gaza's major gas distributors, some 40,000 empty cylinders fill the station.
"Some people have been waiting for months to get their cylinders filled," owner Yusri Daban told IRIN. He manages to fill about 1,500 per day, but is flooded with an equal amount of empty arrivals.
Daban's company used to receive 25 tons of gas per day for distribution. His share decreased to 18 tons due to the shortages, and has not been increased since. He says he needs 35-45 tons a day to deal with the backlog.
Maher Tabba', spokesperson of the Gaza chamber of commerce, says the shortages have affected production on farms, factories, bakeries and restaurants; and have added to the chronic power cuts by putting an even higher demand on electricity.
Along the wall of Ahmed al-Ajrami's bakery, about a dozen gas cylinders sit empty. His current stock covers him for just two weeks, he says.
"I am [stuck] between gas shortages and power cuts which impact my business deeply," he told IRIN. "Either way is very difficult, but we are trying to adapt to keep working and to serve customers." He estimates that his revenue dropped by about 10 percent as a result of the recent shortages.
Collective punishment?
Gisha, an NGO that campaigns for freedom of movement, describes the closures of Kerem Shalom crossing as a form of collective punishment against a civilian population, which is a violation of international law.
"International law provides Israel with a wide range of lawful actions, military and diplomatic, that can be used to counter the threat of rockets," the organization wrote in a May 2013 position paper. "Restrictions on movement of people and civilian goods as a means of punishment fall outside this range."
The closure-related shortages come on top of long-standing restrictions on imports and exports, related to a blockade on Gaza imposed by Israel since 2007.
"The additional closures of Kerem Shalom over the past months have aggravated existing shortages," Gisha said.
The Gaza-based Association of Gas Station Owners, which is responsible for the import of cooking gas, estimates that the demand in Gaza is about 1,250 tons per week, but that on average, only 850 tons are brought in from Israel. Another five tons are brought in daily through tunnels from Egypt, but the process is complicated and the price is high.
As a result of chronic shortages over the years, many businessmen have switched from gas stoves, to electrically-powered devices, incurring the increased costs of running a generator. According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), access restrictions, including repeated closures, have widened the gaps in key areas such as health, education, electricity, water and sanitation.
"These measures are resulting in the depletion of stocks of essential supplies, including basic foodstuffs and cooking gas, and undermine the livelihoods and rights of many vulnerable Gazan families," humanitarian coordinator James Rawley said in April during a closure of Kerem Shalom. "If these restrictions continue, the effect upon the Gaza population will be serious."
Bassam Barhoum, a Palestinian health ministry official, said public hospitals and health centers need 4-4.5 tons of gas per month to feed patients and staff and disinfect bed sheets and clothing.
"What we have now is [stocks] roughly enough for about four days," he said, down from the usual stocks of one to two weeks. "We are in dire situation."
How Gaza gets gas
Gas reaches Gaza through trucks that transmit gas from the Israeli side through a pipe at the crossing to trucks waiting on the Palestinian side. The trucks need special permission to enter the border crossing area.
According to Gisha and to the Association of Gas Station Owners, the pipeline operates from 8am to 3 or 4pm, at a capacity of 22 tons per hour, bringing in between 160-180 tons per day. But the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the unit of the Israeli Ministry of Defense responsible for coordination in OPT, says the crossing has a capacity of 240 tons a day - a stance Gisha and others question.
OCHA says access restrictions are just one of many factors at play in the gas shortages. Others include delays in the placement of orders by local gas dealers; the costs related to taxes and fees; a two-day weekend during which the crossing is closed; higher transportation costs due to the location of the crossing on the southern border of the Strip (a more accessible crossing point at Nalah Oz was closed in 2010); and the security coordination procedures between Israeli and Palestinian trucks on either side of the pipeline, which can sometimes take hours.
Gas dealers say the underutilized capacity at the crossing is due primarily to the last factor: delays in actually reaching the pipeline.
"What we need now because of the cumulative shortage is 250-300 tons a day to close the current gap," said Mahmoud al-Shawwa, head of the Association of Gas Station Owners.
Gas dealers have requested that Israel extend working hours of the crossing, open the crossing on Fridays, build more pipelines to boost the capacity, increase the number of trucks allowed into the crossing area, and set up a reserve tank on the Palestinian side.
Last week, Israel began allowing an extra truck of gas on some days, bringing an additional 20 or so tons of gas. But gas dealers say no longer-term solutions have been implemented. "So far all we've seen is promises," al-Shawwa said.
Palestinian MP Jamal Khudari said, addressing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry who is visiting the region, that the only way to achieve peace is to end the Israeli occupation and establish a Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital. Khudari, the head of the Popular Committee against the Siege, said in a statement on Saturday that Israel's settlement policy, Gaza blockade, and Judaization of Jerusalem aim to impose new facts on the ground.
The MP stated that the Israeli violations are targeting all Palestinians, whether in the West Bank, Jerusalem, 1948 occupied land, or the Gaza Strip; pointing to the wall, settlement activity, the confiscation of Palestinian lands, and the siege imposed on Gaza.
He added that Israel, as an occupying power, does not care about the international law which rejects settlement construction, and continues to expand and build more settlements.
Khudari urged the international community to take serious and effective moves to stop Israeli procedures and Judaization plans, especially in Jerusalem.
The MP stated that the Israeli violations are targeting all Palestinians, whether in the West Bank, Jerusalem, 1948 occupied land, or the Gaza Strip; pointing to the wall, settlement activity, the confiscation of Palestinian lands, and the siege imposed on Gaza.
He added that Israel, as an occupying power, does not care about the international law which rejects settlement construction, and continues to expand and build more settlements.
Khudari urged the international community to take serious and effective moves to stop Israeli procedures and Judaization plans, especially in Jerusalem.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza hailed the position of Finnish Minister of International Cooperation Heidi Hautala, who called for putting pressure on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza. Hautala considered that the " Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip hampers great capacity of the people of Gaza for reconstruction and development, and that international pressure should necessarily be outspoken in order to end it as soon as possible."
Her remark came on Wednesday during a visit to the UNRWA Summer Fun Weeks program in Gaza.
The Palestinian ministry, in a statement on Friday, called on the Republic of Finland to take real and firm positions supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause, until they regain their freedom and restore their rights usurped by the Israeli occupation since 1948.
It also called on all concerned bodies and the free world to continue efforts in support of the Palestinians' legitimate rights, including boycotting products and goods produced in the Israeli settlement blocs in the Palestinian territories.
Her remark came on Wednesday during a visit to the UNRWA Summer Fun Weeks program in Gaza.
The Palestinian ministry, in a statement on Friday, called on the Republic of Finland to take real and firm positions supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause, until they regain their freedom and restore their rights usurped by the Israeli occupation since 1948.
It also called on all concerned bodies and the free world to continue efforts in support of the Palestinians' legitimate rights, including boycotting products and goods produced in the Israeli settlement blocs in the Palestinian territories.
28 june 2013
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to arrive to the Gaza strip on a navy ship which is to move to Gaza’s international Mediterranean waters, Turkish diplomatic source revealed. Alray news agency quoted a Turkish source as saying that Erdogan "would then board a helicopter to the landing pad of late president Arafat in Gaza’s Ansar security facility."
"Turkish PM will break Israel’s sea and air blockade on the Gaza Strip in honor of the Mavi Marmara flotilla nine passengers killed in an Israeli raid, as their hopes for a free Gaza outweighed Israeli apologies and compensation," the source added.
The diplomatic source stated that the 18-member Turkish delegation's visit to Gaza came in line of the Turkish arrangements for Erdogan’s upcoming trip to the Gaza Strip.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday following a meeting with his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) parliamentary group he "would make a surprise visit to the Gaza Strip," but "Turkish preparations for the visit were delayed because of the recent protests in the country."
The Turkish delegation arrived to the Gaza strip on Tuesday on a two-day visit to the Strip. It visited many places where Turkish-funded projects are implemented, of which is Turkish-Palestine Friendship Hospital, to be a medical school of Islamic University-Gaza (IUG).
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Abdul Salam Siam, said that the Gaza government has not yet been officially notified of the visit's date.
"The visit of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is a historical and exceptional event, it would contribute significantly in breaking the siege imposed on Gaza," Siam said.
"The visit will take place, but its date has not yet been decided," he pointed. Siam confirmed that the Gaza government would take all arrangements for the visit.
The Gaza government has welcomed Erdogan's visit to the strip, saying he will be received by the people Gaza who highly honor Turkey and its people. The government stated that such solidarity visits reinforce the Palestinian people's steadfastness.
In May 2010, a six-ship flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists, many of them Turkish, tried to reach Gaza by sea in defiance of the blockade. To stop them, Israeli commandos committed a massacre on the Mavi Marmara killing nine Turkish humanitarian activists.
Radwan praises Turkish efforts for the Palestinian cause
Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs in Gaza government, Dr. Ismail Radwan, praised the Turkish efforts in support of the Palestinian cause, stressing the Palestinian-Turkish good relationship. During his meeting with the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Dr Bakir Bozdag in Ankara, Radwan detailed the Israeli Judaization schemes against occupied Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque, calling for an end to Israeli threats to the holy city and to support the Jerusalemites' steadfastness.
He called on Turkey to host an international conference in support of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs also briefed the deputy PM on the Israeli brutal violations against the Palestinian prisoners, calling for activating their issue in international forums.
The minister also referred to the suffering of the Palestinian people due to the Israeli unjust siege imposed on the Gaza strip since 2006.
He conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He thanked the Turkish firm positions and efforts in support of the Palestinian people.
For his part, Bozdag stressed the Palestinian-Turkish strong relations, saying that the Palestinian cause is the central cause for the Turkish people, warning of the implications of any Israeli threat to al-Aqsa mosque.
He praised the Palestinian position towards the Mavi Marmara flotilla. Furthermore, he promised to increase the scholarship grants provided to the Palestinian students and to support projects in the Gaza strip.
"Turkish PM will break Israel’s sea and air blockade on the Gaza Strip in honor of the Mavi Marmara flotilla nine passengers killed in an Israeli raid, as their hopes for a free Gaza outweighed Israeli apologies and compensation," the source added.
The diplomatic source stated that the 18-member Turkish delegation's visit to Gaza came in line of the Turkish arrangements for Erdogan’s upcoming trip to the Gaza Strip.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday following a meeting with his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) parliamentary group he "would make a surprise visit to the Gaza Strip," but "Turkish preparations for the visit were delayed because of the recent protests in the country."
The Turkish delegation arrived to the Gaza strip on Tuesday on a two-day visit to the Strip. It visited many places where Turkish-funded projects are implemented, of which is Turkish-Palestine Friendship Hospital, to be a medical school of Islamic University-Gaza (IUG).
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Abdul Salam Siam, said that the Gaza government has not yet been officially notified of the visit's date.
"The visit of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is a historical and exceptional event, it would contribute significantly in breaking the siege imposed on Gaza," Siam said.
"The visit will take place, but its date has not yet been decided," he pointed. Siam confirmed that the Gaza government would take all arrangements for the visit.
The Gaza government has welcomed Erdogan's visit to the strip, saying he will be received by the people Gaza who highly honor Turkey and its people. The government stated that such solidarity visits reinforce the Palestinian people's steadfastness.
In May 2010, a six-ship flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists, many of them Turkish, tried to reach Gaza by sea in defiance of the blockade. To stop them, Israeli commandos committed a massacre on the Mavi Marmara killing nine Turkish humanitarian activists.
Radwan praises Turkish efforts for the Palestinian cause
Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs in Gaza government, Dr. Ismail Radwan, praised the Turkish efforts in support of the Palestinian cause, stressing the Palestinian-Turkish good relationship. During his meeting with the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Dr Bakir Bozdag in Ankara, Radwan detailed the Israeli Judaization schemes against occupied Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque, calling for an end to Israeli threats to the holy city and to support the Jerusalemites' steadfastness.
He called on Turkey to host an international conference in support of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs also briefed the deputy PM on the Israeli brutal violations against the Palestinian prisoners, calling for activating their issue in international forums.
The minister also referred to the suffering of the Palestinian people due to the Israeli unjust siege imposed on the Gaza strip since 2006.
He conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He thanked the Turkish firm positions and efforts in support of the Palestinian people.
For his part, Bozdag stressed the Palestinian-Turkish strong relations, saying that the Palestinian cause is the central cause for the Turkish people, warning of the implications of any Israeli threat to al-Aqsa mosque.
He praised the Palestinian position towards the Mavi Marmara flotilla. Furthermore, he promised to increase the scholarship grants provided to the Palestinian students and to support projects in the Gaza strip.
Egyptian security forces do not plan to close the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border during protests planned for June 30, a senior Egyptian official said Friday.
The official told Ma'an that the area in North Sinai was secure following the deployment of the Egyptian army to border towns and the closure of smuggling tunnels.
He said if violence disrupted the security situation, officials may review the decision to keep the Rafah terminal open through the protests.
Opponents to Mohammad Mursi have called for a mass rally on June 30 to mark the day Mursi was sworn in as Egypt's first civilian and Islamist president.
Egypt is deeply divided between Mursi supporters, who believe he is restarting institutions after decades of corruption, and his critics, who accuse him of massing power for the Muslim Brotherhood from which he hails.
The call for the June 30 protests was launched by Tamarod (Arabic for Rebellion), a grassroots movement launched in April seeking to withdraw confidence from Mursi.
Capitalizing on low spirits caused by a severe economic crisis, including fuel shortages, power cuts and soaring inflation, it collected more than 15 million signatures calling for early presidential elections.
Several opposition parties and groups back the calls, while several Islamist parties have called for an "ongoing" demonstration from Friday in support of Morsi's "legitimacy".
Coming just two days before the opposition's planned June 30 demonstration, it has sparked concerns of the political situation worsening and the possibility of more violence.
The official told Ma'an that the area in North Sinai was secure following the deployment of the Egyptian army to border towns and the closure of smuggling tunnels.
He said if violence disrupted the security situation, officials may review the decision to keep the Rafah terminal open through the protests.
Opponents to Mohammad Mursi have called for a mass rally on June 30 to mark the day Mursi was sworn in as Egypt's first civilian and Islamist president.
Egypt is deeply divided between Mursi supporters, who believe he is restarting institutions after decades of corruption, and his critics, who accuse him of massing power for the Muslim Brotherhood from which he hails.
The call for the June 30 protests was launched by Tamarod (Arabic for Rebellion), a grassroots movement launched in April seeking to withdraw confidence from Mursi.
Capitalizing on low spirits caused by a severe economic crisis, including fuel shortages, power cuts and soaring inflation, it collected more than 15 million signatures calling for early presidential elections.
Several opposition parties and groups back the calls, while several Islamist parties have called for an "ongoing" demonstration from Friday in support of Morsi's "legitimacy".
Coming just two days before the opposition's planned June 30 demonstration, it has sparked concerns of the political situation worsening and the possibility of more violence.
25 june 2013
Israel continued its closure of all crossings into Gaza on Tuesday for the second day, a Palestinian Authority official told Ma'an.
Raed Fattouh said Israeli authorities informed the liaison office that the goods crossing in southern Gaza, Kerem Shalom, was closed for the import and export of goods for "security reasons."
The passenger crossing in northern Gaza, Erez, will also remain closed, except for "humanitarian cases only," Fattouh said.
Israel announced Monday morning it had shut down the crossings following rocket fire.
Israel responded by launching a series of air strikes on the coastal enclave.
It remains unclear which military wing launched the rockets.
Islamic Jihad denied Monday that it's military wing was responsible, a day after severing ties with the ruling Hamas movement in Gaza over the fatal shooting of an affiliate by Hamas police.
Raed Fattouh said Israeli authorities informed the liaison office that the goods crossing in southern Gaza, Kerem Shalom, was closed for the import and export of goods for "security reasons."
The passenger crossing in northern Gaza, Erez, will also remain closed, except for "humanitarian cases only," Fattouh said.
Israel announced Monday morning it had shut down the crossings following rocket fire.
Israel responded by launching a series of air strikes on the coastal enclave.
It remains unclear which military wing launched the rockets.
Islamic Jihad denied Monday that it's military wing was responsible, a day after severing ties with the ruling Hamas movement in Gaza over the fatal shooting of an affiliate by Hamas police.
The Israeli army reopened all checkpoints in Nablus Tuesday morning after a 30-minute closure in response to gun fire at an Israeli settler bus.
The Israeli army said shots were fired toward a bus near the Huwara checkpoint in southern Nablus, and that bullet shells had been recovered at the scene. The army is searching for the suspect, a spokeswoman said.
Caretaker Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah's convoy was stopped during the closure at the Zatara checkpoint for 30 minutes, a source told Ma'an.
The army neither confirmed nor denied that Hamdallah's convoy was stopped, saying "we have no way of knowing."
A Ma'an correspondent said the closure caused a severe backlog of traffic from Nablus and Zatara to Ramallah. Residents are being investigated in the search for the suspect, the correspondent said.
The Israeli army spokeswoman said the all checkpoints were now operating as normal.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
The Israeli army said shots were fired toward a bus near the Huwara checkpoint in southern Nablus, and that bullet shells had been recovered at the scene. The army is searching for the suspect, a spokeswoman said.
Caretaker Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah's convoy was stopped during the closure at the Zatara checkpoint for 30 minutes, a source told Ma'an.
The army neither confirmed nor denied that Hamdallah's convoy was stopped, saying "we have no way of knowing."
A Ma'an correspondent said the closure caused a severe backlog of traffic from Nablus and Zatara to Ramallah. Residents are being investigated in the search for the suspect, the correspondent said.
The Israeli army spokeswoman said the all checkpoints were now operating as normal.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
24 june 2013
Israeli authorities have banned an East Jerusalem theater from hosting a children's puppet festival, police and the venue's director said on Monday.
El-Hakawati theatre was initially ordered closed from June 22 to 30, after a decision by Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch on the grounds that the festival's alleged sponsorship by the Palestinian Authority was illegal.
"Aharonovitch decided on Friday to close the Hakawati theatre for a week because its activities were being organized under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority," police spokesman Luba Samri told AFP.
Theatre director Mohammed Halayiqa condemned the decision as "disgraceful," saying the PA had no involvement in the International Puppet Festival which was funded by donations from abroad and aimed at children.
"Israeli security services summoned me on Thursday and Friday to ask about the source of the funding," he told AFP.
"Their sources, they said, had told them it was being funded by the PA, and I was handed an order to close the theater for that week, preventing the festival from going ahead."
Halayiqa said staff had gone to great efforts to decorate the theater especially for children, and had stressed to Israeli security services that the festival had no political ties whatsoever.
But on Monday, the security services allowed Halayiqa to reopen the theater - on condition the puppet festival would not go ahead.
"An officer called me this afternoon and told me over the phone that we could open our doors to the public, but without holding the festival," Halayiqa said.
It was the first time El-Hakawati theater had been closed for more than three days since it opened nearly 20 years ago, Halayiqa said.
A spokeswoman for Israel's internal security ministry told AFP: "The theater... operated under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority, without a permit as required by law. An announcement to this effect was given to the theater director.
"The internal security ministry is not opposed to artistic and cultural activities for East Jerusalem children, as long as they are conducted according to law," she said.
El-Hakawati theatre was initially ordered closed from June 22 to 30, after a decision by Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch on the grounds that the festival's alleged sponsorship by the Palestinian Authority was illegal.
"Aharonovitch decided on Friday to close the Hakawati theatre for a week because its activities were being organized under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority," police spokesman Luba Samri told AFP.
Theatre director Mohammed Halayiqa condemned the decision as "disgraceful," saying the PA had no involvement in the International Puppet Festival which was funded by donations from abroad and aimed at children.
"Israeli security services summoned me on Thursday and Friday to ask about the source of the funding," he told AFP.
"Their sources, they said, had told them it was being funded by the PA, and I was handed an order to close the theater for that week, preventing the festival from going ahead."
Halayiqa said staff had gone to great efforts to decorate the theater especially for children, and had stressed to Israeli security services that the festival had no political ties whatsoever.
But on Monday, the security services allowed Halayiqa to reopen the theater - on condition the puppet festival would not go ahead.
"An officer called me this afternoon and told me over the phone that we could open our doors to the public, but without holding the festival," Halayiqa said.
It was the first time El-Hakawati theater had been closed for more than three days since it opened nearly 20 years ago, Halayiqa said.
A spokeswoman for Israel's internal security ministry told AFP: "The theater... operated under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority, without a permit as required by law. An announcement to this effect was given to the theater director.
"The internal security ministry is not opposed to artistic and cultural activities for East Jerusalem children, as long as they are conducted according to law," she said.
Israeli authorities closed on Monday the two border crossings between the occupation state and the Gaza Strip at Karm Abu Salam (Kerem Shalom) and Beit Hanoun (Erez) under security claims. The head of the Coordination Committee In-charge of Goods' Entry into the besieged Gaza Strip, Raed Fattouh, stated that the Israeli authorities have informed the committee of their intention to close Karm Abu Salam crossing on Monday under security pretexts.
Israeli radio reported that the Israeli War Minister Moshe Ya'alon gave orders to close Gaza border crossing, intensifying Israeli restrictions on goods and aid transferred to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets reported that six rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit the south of Israel late Sunday night, while Israeli warplanes launched air strikes on central and southern Gaza strip.
The Israeli authorities prevented the entry of 350 tons of agricultural products to the Gaza strip coming from Beit Ummar and Halhul towns in al-Khalil, after being granted an entry permit.
Nearly 20 vehicles carrying 350 tons of agricultural products from the West Bank have been prevented from having access to the besieged strip.
Beit Ummar mayor has strongly condemned the Israeli decision considering it a collective unhuman and unjustified punishment.
The mayor called on the PA Minister of Agriculture to intervene immediately before the damage extends to the products that represent the farmers' efforts over a year.
Israeli radio reported that the Israeli War Minister Moshe Ya'alon gave orders to close Gaza border crossing, intensifying Israeli restrictions on goods and aid transferred to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets reported that six rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit the south of Israel late Sunday night, while Israeli warplanes launched air strikes on central and southern Gaza strip.
The Israeli authorities prevented the entry of 350 tons of agricultural products to the Gaza strip coming from Beit Ummar and Halhul towns in al-Khalil, after being granted an entry permit.
Nearly 20 vehicles carrying 350 tons of agricultural products from the West Bank have been prevented from having access to the besieged strip.
Beit Ummar mayor has strongly condemned the Israeli decision considering it a collective unhuman and unjustified punishment.
The mayor called on the PA Minister of Agriculture to intervene immediately before the damage extends to the products that represent the farmers' efforts over a year.
Israeli media outlets reported that six rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit south of Israel late Sunday night.
Yediot Ahranot Israeli newspaper said that four rockets hit the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and Netivot, while another two rockets were launched at the Bnei Shimon Regional Council. Both exploded in open areas and no injuries or damage were reported.
According to same newspaper, the IOF leadership estimates that the Islamic Jihad was behind the rocket fire, as an act of defiance against Hamas.
Tensions between Islamic Jihad and Hamas have been mounting following the recent death of an Islamic Jihad leader at the hands of Hamas' security forces during clashes.
In response to the rocket fire, Israeli aircraft attacked Gaza overnight, and Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon ordered the closure of the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Erez border crossings between Israel and Gaza.
Yediot Ahranot Israeli newspaper said that four rockets hit the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and Netivot, while another two rockets were launched at the Bnei Shimon Regional Council. Both exploded in open areas and no injuries or damage were reported.
According to same newspaper, the IOF leadership estimates that the Islamic Jihad was behind the rocket fire, as an act of defiance against Hamas.
Tensions between Islamic Jihad and Hamas have been mounting following the recent death of an Islamic Jihad leader at the hands of Hamas' security forces during clashes.
In response to the rocket fire, Israeli aircraft attacked Gaza overnight, and Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon ordered the closure of the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Erez border crossings between Israel and Gaza.
21 june 2013
MP Jamal Khudari, head of Popular Committee against the Siege, called on European Union’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton who is visiting Gaza to take practical steps and pressure Israel to lift the siege on the Strip. Khudari said in a statement on Thursday that all international recommendations and reports confirm that the blockade is illegal and immoral and should be immediately lifted, which requires from Ashton and the European Union serious and firm actions
He highlighted that the siege on Gaza entered its seventh year, which dramatically affected the lives of nearly two million Palestinians, as well as the development and progress in the Strip.
The MP pointed to the suffering of Gaza due to the blockade and the effects it is having on the lives of the population, calling for an immediate end to it.
He highlighted that the siege on Gaza entered its seventh year, which dramatically affected the lives of nearly two million Palestinians, as well as the development and progress in the Strip.
The MP pointed to the suffering of Gaza due to the blockade and the effects it is having on the lives of the population, calling for an immediate end to it.
20 june 2013
|
|
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has called for a relief of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, Press TV reports.
“I chose to be here to underline the situation in Gaza, and to say that we support the work of UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees) and want to see a future for the people of Gaza,” Ashton said in Gaza on Thursday. “We want to see the crossings open, and the economic situation improved,” she said at a joint press conference with UNRWA Commissioner General Filippo Grandi later in the day. Ashton also appreciated UNRWA's measures and promised that the EU would “continue to be the strongest supporter” of the UN agency. |
Prior to Ashton’s departure from the blockaded Palestinian lands, ANSAR Prisoners Association, an advocacy group for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, handed her a memorandum, urging the EU to mount pressure on the Israeli regime to release Palestinian inmates.
“We handed over a memorandum to Catherine Ashton demanding that the European Union exert pressure on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, especially those who are sick and the ones on hunger strike. We explained the suffering of our prisoners inside Israeli jails,” said Jamal Ferwana, a member of the association.
Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.
The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator James W. Rawley said in April that a new round of Israeli restrictions on the Gaza Strip was impacting food supplies and would have “serious” effects if continued.
“We handed over a memorandum to Catherine Ashton demanding that the European Union exert pressure on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, especially those who are sick and the ones on hunger strike. We explained the suffering of our prisoners inside Israeli jails,” said Jamal Ferwana, a member of the association.
Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.
The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator James W. Rawley said in April that a new round of Israeli restrictions on the Gaza Strip was impacting food supplies and would have “serious” effects if continued.
19 june 2013
IOF soldiers closed Hawara checkpoint south of Nablus and the southern area of the city completely, and only allowed vehicles leaving the city to pass through. The Israeli decision to close the checkpoint came under the pretext of conducting military training in the area. It resulted in the interruption of the traffic movement in the area, eyewitnesses said.
The Israeli forces used to close barriers between Palestinian villages and cities in an attempt to make life difficult for the Palestinian residents of the West Bank.
The Israeli forces used to close barriers between Palestinian villages and cities in an attempt to make life difficult for the Palestinian residents of the West Bank.
Informed Palestinian official sources revealed that the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) changed the path of its segregation wall in Rantis village, northwest of Ramallah city in order to drill oil and gas wells. According to the sources, the IOA already started to extract oil and gas from Rantis village near the oil well Majd 5.
Youth activists posted on the internet pictures of heavy machinery which was placed at the oil extraction site.
They said that such oil production activities in addition to the Israeli military drills cause considerable environmental damage to the natural life in the Palestinian village.
Youth activists posted on the internet pictures of heavy machinery which was placed at the oil extraction site.
They said that such oil production activities in addition to the Israeli military drills cause considerable environmental damage to the natural life in the Palestinian village.
15 june 2013
A United Nations independent expert Friday called on Israel to end its blockade of the Gaza Strip, six years after it was tightened following the Hamas takeover in June 2007. “The people of Gaza have endured the unendurable and suffered what is insufferable for six years,” said the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Richard Falk. “Israel’s collective punishment of the civilian population in Gaza must end today,” he said.
“Six years of Israel’s calculated strangulation of the Gaza Strip has stunted the economy and has kept most Gazans in a state of perpetual poverty and aid dependency,” the UN expert added.
Citing statistics released by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Falk said that in 2012, the total number of truckloads of exports leaving Gaza was 254, compared to 9,787 in 2005 before the tightening of the blockade.
In addition, the UN expert said the productive capacity of Gaza has dwindled since 2007, with 80 per cent of factories in Gaza now closed or operating at half capacity or less due to the loss of export markets and prohibitively high operating costs as a result of the blockade.
“Thirty-four percent of Gaza’s workforce is unemployed including up to half the youth population, 44% of Gazans are food insecure and 80% are aid recipients,” he said, highlighting also the lack of access to potable water, fuel and electricity.
He added that while a small proportion of Gazans can afford to obtain supplies through the tunnel economy, “tunnels alone cannot meet the daily needs of the population in Gaza.”
“It’s clear that the Israeli authorities set out six years ago to devitalize the Gazan population and economy,” the Special Rapporteur said, referring to a study undertaken by the Israeli Ministry of Defense in early 2008 detailing the minimum number of calories Palestinians in Gaza need to consume on a daily basis to avoid malnutrition.
“Six years of Israel’s calculated strangulation of the Gaza Strip has stunted the economy and has kept most Gazans in a state of perpetual poverty and aid dependency,” the UN expert added.
Citing statistics released by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Falk said that in 2012, the total number of truckloads of exports leaving Gaza was 254, compared to 9,787 in 2005 before the tightening of the blockade.
In addition, the UN expert said the productive capacity of Gaza has dwindled since 2007, with 80 per cent of factories in Gaza now closed or operating at half capacity or less due to the loss of export markets and prohibitively high operating costs as a result of the blockade.
“Thirty-four percent of Gaza’s workforce is unemployed including up to half the youth population, 44% of Gazans are food insecure and 80% are aid recipients,” he said, highlighting also the lack of access to potable water, fuel and electricity.
He added that while a small proportion of Gazans can afford to obtain supplies through the tunnel economy, “tunnels alone cannot meet the daily needs of the population in Gaza.”
“It’s clear that the Israeli authorities set out six years ago to devitalize the Gazan population and economy,” the Special Rapporteur said, referring to a study undertaken by the Israeli Ministry of Defense in early 2008 detailing the minimum number of calories Palestinians in Gaza need to consume on a daily basis to avoid malnutrition.
Israeli Occupation Forces have imposed military restrictions last night in Dura city and its environs searching for wanted persons who opened fire at Njhot settlement built on Palestinian lands. IOF soldiers stormed Dura where they imposed a curfew on large parts of the city and closed all entrances to its surrounding villages.
The Israeli patrols roamed most of the city's villages and towns. Arrests were reported in Fawwar refugee camp and Beit Awwa town.
The Israeli occupation authorities informed the PA of their intention to impose a curfew in Dura city, and consequently the PA forces disappeared from the scene.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers were deployed in al-Khalil city after Israeli sources reported that a military vehicle was shot south of the city.
Yedioth Ahronoth Hebrew newspaper said that military checkpoints were erected on Friday in the city where Palestinian cars were detained in search of the armed men who fired at an Israeli military vehicle near Kharsa junction. No one was injured.
The Israeli patrols roamed most of the city's villages and towns. Arrests were reported in Fawwar refugee camp and Beit Awwa town.
The Israeli occupation authorities informed the PA of their intention to impose a curfew in Dura city, and consequently the PA forces disappeared from the scene.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers were deployed in al-Khalil city after Israeli sources reported that a military vehicle was shot south of the city.
Yedioth Ahronoth Hebrew newspaper said that military checkpoints were erected on Friday in the city where Palestinian cars were detained in search of the armed men who fired at an Israeli military vehicle near Kharsa junction. No one was injured.
13 june 2013
Israeli military sources claimed, on Thursday evening {June 12 2013] that gunmen opened fire at a settlement bus driving, close to the Huwwara military roadblock, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The Bus driver stated that he heard a number of live rounds, and that dozens of soldiers rushed to the scene, and found some bullet holes, no injuries.
The army then closed the area, declared it a military zone and started a search campaign.
In other news, Israeli Ynet News reported that two Israeli settlers have been apprehended by the army on suspicion of throwing stones at a house in Burin Palestinian village, near Nablus.
The army then closed the area, declared it a military zone and started a search campaign.
In other news, Israeli Ynet News reported that two Israeli settlers have been apprehended by the army on suspicion of throwing stones at a house in Burin Palestinian village, near Nablus.
11 june 2013
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights Richard Falk
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights has condemned the Israeli regime for its long-time occupation of Palestinian territories and violation of the human rights of the Palestinians.
Richard Falk made the remarks on Monday while presenting his latest report at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“Forty-six years ago today Israel's occupation of Palestine began. Six days of war has turned into 46 years of occupation,” Falk told the Geneva forum.
He described the treatment of “thousands of Palestinians detained or imprisoned by Israel” as being “extremely worrisome,” and called for an international inquiry into the situation of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
He said there are 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody at the moment and 750,000 Palestinians have gone through detention in Israeli jails since the regime’s occupation of the Palestinian territories began in 1967.
The Israeli violations were happening on a “massive scale,” and included detention without charges, “torture and other forms of ill, inhumane and humiliating treatment,” solitary confinement and the denial of family visits, the UN rapporteur said.
Falk, who visited Gaza in December 2012, also called on the Tel Aviv regime to end the blockade of Gaza, which he said is a “collective punishment of 1.75 million Palestinians.”
“With 70 percent of the population dependent on international aid for survival and 90 percent of the water unfit for human consumption, drastic and urgent changes are urgently required if Palestinians in Gaza are to have their most basic rights protected,” he added.
The representatives of the Israeli regime and the United States were absent as the UN rapporteur made his comments.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights has condemned the Israeli regime for its long-time occupation of Palestinian territories and violation of the human rights of the Palestinians.
Richard Falk made the remarks on Monday while presenting his latest report at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“Forty-six years ago today Israel's occupation of Palestine began. Six days of war has turned into 46 years of occupation,” Falk told the Geneva forum.
He described the treatment of “thousands of Palestinians detained or imprisoned by Israel” as being “extremely worrisome,” and called for an international inquiry into the situation of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
He said there are 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody at the moment and 750,000 Palestinians have gone through detention in Israeli jails since the regime’s occupation of the Palestinian territories began in 1967.
The Israeli violations were happening on a “massive scale,” and included detention without charges, “torture and other forms of ill, inhumane and humiliating treatment,” solitary confinement and the denial of family visits, the UN rapporteur said.
Falk, who visited Gaza in December 2012, also called on the Tel Aviv regime to end the blockade of Gaza, which he said is a “collective punishment of 1.75 million Palestinians.”
“With 70 percent of the population dependent on international aid for survival and 90 percent of the water unfit for human consumption, drastic and urgent changes are urgently required if Palestinians in Gaza are to have their most basic rights protected,” he added.
The representatives of the Israeli regime and the United States were absent as the UN rapporteur made his comments.
7 june 2013
Israeli soldiers patrol next to the border fence on border with Syria, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Fearful that the Syrian civil war, jihadist terrorists or Lebanese Hezbollah fighters will spill into Israel, the country’s military engineers are rushing to complete their latest “smart fence,” this one in the occupied Golan Heights. Here along the tense boundary with Syria, fighting raged Thursday as Syrian rebels and government forces battled for control of a crossing in the latest violent incident that is inching the Syrian war closer to Israeli-held territory.
As the threat of spillover mounts, Israel is replacing an old, broken-down fence — so low that a goat could hop over it — with an intimidating steel barricade. The fortification features concertina and razor wire, touch sensors, motion detectors, infrared cameras and ground radar.
When the 45-mile fence is finished in the coming months, Israel will have taken another big step in surrounding itself with barriers. Rather than tearing down old walls, Israel is rebuilding and bolstering its ring of ground fortifications, even as old threats such as Palestinian suicide bombers have receded and new ones such as a potential nuclear-armed Iran arise.
The Israelis build the world’s most sophisticated fences, drawing international delegations that want to see the latest in barrier technology. But some Israelis worry that the fences are a metaphor for weakness as much as they are for strength and that the barriers have increased a sense of isolation.
“For me, the message is clear: The idea of peace with our neighbors is going away, and the fences are a symbol of that reality,” said retired Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai, a member of the Israeli parliament and a former chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces.
Israeli military commanders say the fences work, offering protection against crowds of protesters and incursions by gun smugglers, illegal migrants and enemies who travel on foot. At the same time, they concede that in the battlefield of today and tomorrow, the barriers do little to protect Israel from long-range rockets fired from Lebanon, Iran or the Gaza Strip.
Last month, while on an official visit to China, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked a tourist site that reminded him of home.
“Just like the Chinese protected themselves and defended themselves with the Great Wall,” Netanyahu said, “so we will continue to defend ourselves on the southern border, the Golan Heights and on all fronts.”
‘Fortress Israel’
The Israeli fence network is almost complete — in the north, along the Lebanon border, where the militant organization Hezbollah is the threat; to the northeast, along the Golan Heights boundary with Syria; to the south, abutting Egypt’s lawless Sinai Peninsula.
Israeli military engineers are drawing up plans for a final stretch along the peaceful border with Jordan from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea.
The fence line — and the accompanying watch towers, patrol roads, intelligence centers and military brigades — stretch across vast deserts to snowy mountains, along river valleys and into the Mediterranean surf.
Fearful that the Syrian civil war, jihadist terrorists or Lebanese Hezbollah fighters will spill into Israel, the country’s military engineers are rushing to complete their latest “smart fence,” this one in the occupied Golan Heights. Here along the tense boundary with Syria, fighting raged Thursday as Syrian rebels and government forces battled for control of a crossing in the latest violent incident that is inching the Syrian war closer to Israeli-held territory.
As the threat of spillover mounts, Israel is replacing an old, broken-down fence — so low that a goat could hop over it — with an intimidating steel barricade. The fortification features concertina and razor wire, touch sensors, motion detectors, infrared cameras and ground radar.
When the 45-mile fence is finished in the coming months, Israel will have taken another big step in surrounding itself with barriers. Rather than tearing down old walls, Israel is rebuilding and bolstering its ring of ground fortifications, even as old threats such as Palestinian suicide bombers have receded and new ones such as a potential nuclear-armed Iran arise.
The Israelis build the world’s most sophisticated fences, drawing international delegations that want to see the latest in barrier technology. But some Israelis worry that the fences are a metaphor for weakness as much as they are for strength and that the barriers have increased a sense of isolation.
“For me, the message is clear: The idea of peace with our neighbors is going away, and the fences are a symbol of that reality,” said retired Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai, a member of the Israeli parliament and a former chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces.
Israeli military commanders say the fences work, offering protection against crowds of protesters and incursions by gun smugglers, illegal migrants and enemies who travel on foot. At the same time, they concede that in the battlefield of today and tomorrow, the barriers do little to protect Israel from long-range rockets fired from Lebanon, Iran or the Gaza Strip.
Last month, while on an official visit to China, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked a tourist site that reminded him of home.
“Just like the Chinese protected themselves and defended themselves with the Great Wall,” Netanyahu said, “so we will continue to defend ourselves on the southern border, the Golan Heights and on all fronts.”
‘Fortress Israel’
The Israeli fence network is almost complete — in the north, along the Lebanon border, where the militant organization Hezbollah is the threat; to the northeast, along the Golan Heights boundary with Syria; to the south, abutting Egypt’s lawless Sinai Peninsula.
Israeli military engineers are drawing up plans for a final stretch along the peaceful border with Jordan from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea.
The fence line — and the accompanying watch towers, patrol roads, intelligence centers and military brigades — stretch across vast deserts to snowy mountains, along river valleys and into the Mediterranean surf.
6 june 2013
The Israel Occupation Authorities (IOA) prevented on Thursday the journalist Nawaf Al Amer from traveling to Jordan, as part of the continued Israeli violation against Palestinian journalists. Al Amer confirmed that the Israeli soldiers stationed at Karama crossing prevented him from traveling through the crossing where he intended to cover events and to check on his mother’s health condition. Al Amer was previously allowed to travel in 2011 and 2009.
The journalist Al Amer was arrested more than once in Israeli jails most recently in 2011 and he was deported to Marj Zhour in 1992.
The Palestinian Media Forum expressed its condemnation to the Israeli violation against Palestinian journalists where they are subjected to arrests, assaults and restrictions.
The Forum pointed out that the Israeli journalists enjoy freedom of movement in all West Bank areas, calling on the PA to take firm positions towards this Israeli double-standards in dealing with the journalists.
The Forum said that the international community and human rights organizations’ silence towards the Israeli restrictions and violations against Palestinian prisoners encouraged the Israeli authorities to step up their arbitrary measures as a state above the law.
The Palestinian Media Forum called on international organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders to pressure the Israeli occupation to stop its policy against Palestinian journalists and to release the 13 detained journalists in Israeli jails.
The journalist Al Amer was arrested more than once in Israeli jails most recently in 2011 and he was deported to Marj Zhour in 1992.
The Palestinian Media Forum expressed its condemnation to the Israeli violation against Palestinian journalists where they are subjected to arrests, assaults and restrictions.
The Forum pointed out that the Israeli journalists enjoy freedom of movement in all West Bank areas, calling on the PA to take firm positions towards this Israeli double-standards in dealing with the journalists.
The Forum said that the international community and human rights organizations’ silence towards the Israeli restrictions and violations against Palestinian prisoners encouraged the Israeli authorities to step up their arbitrary measures as a state above the law.
The Palestinian Media Forum called on international organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders to pressure the Israeli occupation to stop its policy against Palestinian journalists and to release the 13 detained journalists in Israeli jails.
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) imposed a curfew on Mughir village to the north east of Ramallah, and closed all entrances to it on Thursday morning. Local sources said that the soldiers clamped the curfew at the pretext that inhabitants were throwing stones on them, adding that the soldiers threatened the village notables that the curfew would extend for a week if the stoning incidents continued.
The sources said that confrontations took place between the soldiers and inhabitants to the east of the village, adding that a number of young men suffered breathing difficulty in the confrontations.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers in four patrols stormed the city of Salfit and deliberately provoked inhabitants, locals reported, adding that limited clashes took place as young men threw stones and empty bottles at the invading troops.
The sources said that confrontations took place between the soldiers and inhabitants to the east of the village, adding that a number of young men suffered breathing difficulty in the confrontations.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers in four patrols stormed the city of Salfit and deliberately provoked inhabitants, locals reported, adding that limited clashes took place as young men threw stones and empty bottles at the invading troops.
Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces have overtaken the Quneitra crossing on the Israel-Syria border in the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday, Israeli media reported.
Israel army radio, quoting military officials, announced that the "Quneitra crossing has fallen to rebels."
The sole border crossing between Syria and Israel fell following a heavy exchange of fire, during which a mortar shell landed in a UN camp in the Golan Heights, forcing Israeli forces to close off the area, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said she could not confirm the report when contacted by Ma'an.
The report follows condemnation by the US of a Hezbollah-backed assault by the Syrian regime on the town of Qusayr, as France kept up the pressure for action over what it said was the regime's use of sarin gas.
Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967.
Syria militants take over crossing in Golan Heights: Israel radio
Reports say the militants in Syria have taken over the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
On Thursday, the Israeli army radio quoted military officials as saying that the foreign-backed militants have seized the crossing after clashing with Syrian troops.
Reports say clashes are going on in the city of Quneitra, which is located near the crossing.
Israeli sources said there were exchanges of fire there, adding that the incident was ongoing.
The report comes after Syria’s state television reported on Wednesday, “Our heroic armed forces have returned security and stability to all of the town of Qusayr.”
Many of the foreign-backed militants and members of the armed groups were killed or injured during the Syrian army operations to cleanse the western town of the terrorists.
Syrian troops backed by the forces of Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah entered Qusayr from several directions on May 19 after weeks of clashes with militants.
Qusayr has been an important center and supply route for the militants.
The foreign-sponsored militancy that has gripped Syria for more than two years has so far resulted in the killings of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.
Liberation of Qusayr major blow to Israel, US: Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement says the Syrian army’s liberation of the strategic town of Qusayr is a major blow to the Israeli regime and the United States.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem made the remarks in a statement issued after the Syrian army gained full control of the town on Wednesday.
"The battle today has only one significance, and that is the fight against Israel, and those who support its plans," Qassem said, adding, "Today we proved without any doubt that the gamble to topple Syria is a delusional plan."
The Hezbollah deputy secretary general also called for a political solution to end the unrest in Syria.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
In an interview broadcast on Turkish television in April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
“If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control… the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” he stated.
Israel army radio, quoting military officials, announced that the "Quneitra crossing has fallen to rebels."
The sole border crossing between Syria and Israel fell following a heavy exchange of fire, during which a mortar shell landed in a UN camp in the Golan Heights, forcing Israeli forces to close off the area, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said she could not confirm the report when contacted by Ma'an.
The report follows condemnation by the US of a Hezbollah-backed assault by the Syrian regime on the town of Qusayr, as France kept up the pressure for action over what it said was the regime's use of sarin gas.
Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967.
Syria militants take over crossing in Golan Heights: Israel radio
Reports say the militants in Syria have taken over the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
On Thursday, the Israeli army radio quoted military officials as saying that the foreign-backed militants have seized the crossing after clashing with Syrian troops.
Reports say clashes are going on in the city of Quneitra, which is located near the crossing.
Israeli sources said there were exchanges of fire there, adding that the incident was ongoing.
The report comes after Syria’s state television reported on Wednesday, “Our heroic armed forces have returned security and stability to all of the town of Qusayr.”
Many of the foreign-backed militants and members of the armed groups were killed or injured during the Syrian army operations to cleanse the western town of the terrorists.
Syrian troops backed by the forces of Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah entered Qusayr from several directions on May 19 after weeks of clashes with militants.
Qusayr has been an important center and supply route for the militants.
The foreign-sponsored militancy that has gripped Syria for more than two years has so far resulted in the killings of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.
Liberation of Qusayr major blow to Israel, US: Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement says the Syrian army’s liberation of the strategic town of Qusayr is a major blow to the Israeli regime and the United States.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem made the remarks in a statement issued after the Syrian army gained full control of the town on Wednesday.
"The battle today has only one significance, and that is the fight against Israel, and those who support its plans," Qassem said, adding, "Today we proved without any doubt that the gamble to topple Syria is a delusional plan."
The Hezbollah deputy secretary general also called for a political solution to end the unrest in Syria.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
In an interview broadcast on Turkish television in April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
“If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control… the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” he stated.
5 june 2013
Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded the village of Jalkamous, east of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, broke into and searched several homes, and occupied rooftops.
Local sources have reported that dozens of military jeeps, accompanied by a military ambulance, invaded the village, before the soldiers violently searched several homes, and interrogated a number of residents.
Soldiers also occupied rooftops of a number of homes and used them as monitoring towers, and photographed several homes, streets and alleys in the village.
Furthermore, soldiers handed resident Ramzi Mazin Zakarna, 22, a military warrant ordering him to head to the Salem military and security base for interrogation.
In related news, dozens of soldiers invaded the 'Arrana and Deir Abu Da'if villages, near Jenin, and searched several homes.
Soldiers also installed a number of roadblocks in the area, and searched several vehicle, local sources said.
Local sources have reported that dozens of military jeeps, accompanied by a military ambulance, invaded the village, before the soldiers violently searched several homes, and interrogated a number of residents.
Soldiers also occupied rooftops of a number of homes and used them as monitoring towers, and photographed several homes, streets and alleys in the village.
Furthermore, soldiers handed resident Ramzi Mazin Zakarna, 22, a military warrant ordering him to head to the Salem military and security base for interrogation.
In related news, dozens of soldiers invaded the 'Arrana and Deir Abu Da'if villages, near Jenin, and searched several homes.
Soldiers also installed a number of roadblocks in the area, and searched several vehicle, local sources said.
4 june 2013
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed a number of villages south west of Al-Khalil at dawn Tuesday and broke into and searched many homes. Eyewitnesses told the PIC that IOF soldiers burst into four villages, south of Doura town, and searched and ransacked many houses.
They said that other IOF units patrolled Marah Al-Baqar hamlet with no arrests reported.
The witnesses said that IOF soldiers set up roadblocks near the settlement of Negohot established on Palestinian land south of Al-Khalil and examined IDs of passersby. Another roadblock was set up at the entrance to Beit Uwa village.
They said that other IOF units patrolled Marah Al-Baqar hamlet with no arrests reported.
The witnesses said that IOF soldiers set up roadblocks near the settlement of Negohot established on Palestinian land south of Al-Khalil and examined IDs of passersby. Another roadblock was set up at the entrance to Beit Uwa village.
Consul general of Sweden in Jerusalem Axel Wernhoff affirmed his country's interest in ending the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. This came during his meeting on Monday with Palestinian lawmaker Jamal Al-Khudari, head of the popular committee against the siege, in Gaza city.
Wernhoff highlighted the European role in helping the Palestinian people have their legitimate rights, asserting the Europeans have become more understanding of the Palestinian reality with regard to the occupation and the blockade on Gaza.
For his part, MP Khudari called for more European support for the Palestinian people and their national cause.
He also talked about the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza and the impacts of Israel's blockade and wars on Gaza.
He also expressed his hope that the Swedish lawmakers could play an active role in supporting the Palestinian rights.
Wernhoff highlighted the European role in helping the Palestinian people have their legitimate rights, asserting the Europeans have become more understanding of the Palestinian reality with regard to the occupation and the blockade on Gaza.
For his part, MP Khudari called for more European support for the Palestinian people and their national cause.
He also talked about the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza and the impacts of Israel's blockade and wars on Gaza.
He also expressed his hope that the Swedish lawmakers could play an active role in supporting the Palestinian rights.
1 june 2013
The Israeli occupation authorities have prevented 105 Palestinian citizens from traveling through the Karama crossing under security pretexts during the month of May.
Jericho Police Station said in a statement that among 46,194 citizens who have traveled through the Karama crossing heading for Jordan and other countries during the month of May, the IOA sent 105 of them back to their homes and prevented them from traveling.
The Israeli authorities have been also banning students and employees in other countries, as well as traders, from traveling through the Karama crossing, under flimsy pretexts.
Jericho Police Station said in a statement that among 46,194 citizens who have traveled through the Karama crossing heading for Jordan and other countries during the month of May, the IOA sent 105 of them back to their homes and prevented them from traveling.
The Israeli authorities have been also banning students and employees in other countries, as well as traders, from traveling through the Karama crossing, under flimsy pretexts.
