16 apr 2014
UNRWA's Commissioner-General, Pierre Kraehenbuehl
UNRWA's Commissioner-General, Pierre Kraehenbuehl, said Gaza siege is a form of collective punishment and is the longest over history.
Kraehenbuehl promised Wednesday in a press conference held at the Japanese clinic office in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, to work seriously to get rid of the siege and to explain the situation of Gaza to Israeli and United Nations officials.
“It was important for us to come to Gaza, meet the people and the UNRWA workers and see how Palestinian people are building their better future by themselves,” he said.
"It is unequivocally clear for all how deteriorated the situation here is,” the newly appointed UN official added, noting “we want to address this situation much seriously,”
“In 2000, we were offering aids to up to 80 thousand refugees; these days the number of beneficiaries amount to 800 thousands,”
As for the deteriorated health situation in Gaza, he said UNRWA is key provider of health services for the Gaza Strip, pointing out that Israel’s siege and Egypt’s closing of tunnels have adversely affected this sector.
UNRWA's Commissioner-General, Pierre Kraehenbuehl, said Gaza siege is a form of collective punishment and is the longest over history.
Kraehenbuehl promised Wednesday in a press conference held at the Japanese clinic office in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, to work seriously to get rid of the siege and to explain the situation of Gaza to Israeli and United Nations officials.
“It was important for us to come to Gaza, meet the people and the UNRWA workers and see how Palestinian people are building their better future by themselves,” he said.
"It is unequivocally clear for all how deteriorated the situation here is,” the newly appointed UN official added, noting “we want to address this situation much seriously,”
“In 2000, we were offering aids to up to 80 thousand refugees; these days the number of beneficiaries amount to 800 thousands,”
As for the deteriorated health situation in Gaza, he said UNRWA is key provider of health services for the Gaza Strip, pointing out that Israel’s siege and Egypt’s closing of tunnels have adversely affected this sector.
Palestinian PM Ismail Haniyeh called on Egyptian authorities to open the border to the Gaza Strip around the clock for individuals and goods, and to allow the entry of all goods and materials needed to complete the Qatar Grant Projects.
Haniyeh said during a news conference through his round at Hamad City on Wednesday," the implementation of these projects which transferred the previous Israeli occupation settlements to green yields is a message of Palestinians to the world that they are able to build and liberate their lands," Haniyeh said.
He emphasized that the Qatar projects formed a quantum and civilized leap for the Gaza Strip, especially through the ongoing siege imposed on Gaza to prove that Gaza challenges this unjust siege by its people's steadfastness and the supporters of the Palestinian issue. He thanked all countries that support the Palestinian people and appreciated Qatar's role in supporting the Palestinian issue.
Haniyeh called on the Arabs and international world to continue their political and public efforts to bring the Israeli-imposed siege to an end.
This round gains its importance because it is considered a challenge message against the siege that failed to break the steadfastness of Palestinians amid tightening the closure of the crossings and continuing preventing the entry of construction materials and food to the besieged enclave.
Haniyeh said during a news conference through his round at Hamad City on Wednesday," the implementation of these projects which transferred the previous Israeli occupation settlements to green yields is a message of Palestinians to the world that they are able to build and liberate their lands," Haniyeh said.
He emphasized that the Qatar projects formed a quantum and civilized leap for the Gaza Strip, especially through the ongoing siege imposed on Gaza to prove that Gaza challenges this unjust siege by its people's steadfastness and the supporters of the Palestinian issue. He thanked all countries that support the Palestinian people and appreciated Qatar's role in supporting the Palestinian issue.
Haniyeh called on the Arabs and international world to continue their political and public efforts to bring the Israeli-imposed siege to an end.
This round gains its importance because it is considered a challenge message against the siege that failed to break the steadfastness of Palestinians amid tightening the closure of the crossings and continuing preventing the entry of construction materials and food to the besieged enclave.
Even some basic necessities, such as clean drinking water and removal of solid waste is not widely available
By Dr. Cesar Chelala
As Israel continues its unlawful siege of the Gaza Strip, the health situation for the Palestinians continues to be critical. In a comprehensive report, B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, described the health situation in Gaza on January 1st, 2014.
According to B’Tselem, the siege that Israel has imposed on Gaza since Hamas took control of Gaza’s security apparatus in June 2007 has greatly damaged Gaza’s health system, which already had considerable shortcomings. Now, many services and life-saving treatments are not available to Palestinians inside Gaza, and treatment of cancer and heart patients is postponed, as medical supplies and equipment are delayed.
Even some basic necessities, such as clean drinking water and removal of solid waste is not widely available. It is estimated that 30 percent of Gaza Strip residents do not receive water on a regular basis. In addition, many diagnostic and emergency medical services cannot operate because of lack of generators. Statistics from the World Health Organization showed that 19 percent of necessary medicines were lacking, as well as replacement parts for critical equipment and several disposable but necessary items such as bandages, syringes and plaster for casts.
In the meantime, Israel severely limits the amounts of permits for hundreds of patients to enter Israel for advanced treatment unavailable in Gaza. Physicians for Human Rights Israel questioned the legality of the procedure whereby every exit permit from Gaza for medical treatment requires a check by the Israel Security Agency (ISA). According to that organization, in several cases the ISA abused this procedure to pressure patients to collaborate providing intelligence information in exchange for a permit.
Despite its so-called “disengagement” from the Gaza Strip in September of 2005, Israel continues to hold effective control of many aspects of Gazans’ lives, including check points and the entrance of basic supplies. This situation imposes on Israel responsibility for the safety and welfare of Gaza’s residents, according to precepts established in The Hague and Geneva Conventions. Because of its control of residents’ lives in Gaza and the curtailment of its movements, Israel seriously breaches Palestinians’ right to optimal medical care inside the Strip and access to medical care outside the area.
In 2009, writing for The Guardian, Avi Shlaim, Oxford professor of international relations, stated, “The Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the June 1967 war had very little to do with security and everything to do with territorial expansionism. The aim was to establish Greater Israel through permanent political, economic and military control over the Palestinian territories. And the result has been one of the most prolonged and brutal military occupation of modern times.”
Shlaim also stated, “Gaza, however, is not simply a case of economic under-development but a uniquely cruel case of deliberate de-development….Gaza is a classical case of colonial exploitation in the post-colonial era.” For Shlaim, settlements in Palestinian land have become an insurmountable obstacle to peace. He calls them “the instrument of exploitation and the symbol of the hated occupation.”
The Israeli government often contends that they gave freedom to the Gazans and rather than being thankful they continued throwing rockets into Israel. Shlaim, however, provides a different analysis. “Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement, conducted an effective campaign to drive the Israelis out of Gaza. The withdrawal was a humiliation for the Israeli Defense Forces. To the world, Sharon presented the withdrawal from Gaza as a contribution to peace based on a two-state solution. But in the year after, 12,000 Israelis settled on the West Bank, further reducing the scope for an independent Palestinian state. Land-grabbing and peace-making are simply incompatible. Israel had a choice and it chose land over peace,” wrote Shlaim.
In the meantime, as peace conversations ignore the needs of Gazans, the people in the Strip are deprived of basic health and human rights leading 1.5 million people to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. The situation in Gaza is nothing but the fight of the oppressors against the oppressed, a conflict that corrodes Israel’s own soul.
By Dr. Cesar Chelala
As Israel continues its unlawful siege of the Gaza Strip, the health situation for the Palestinians continues to be critical. In a comprehensive report, B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, described the health situation in Gaza on January 1st, 2014.
According to B’Tselem, the siege that Israel has imposed on Gaza since Hamas took control of Gaza’s security apparatus in June 2007 has greatly damaged Gaza’s health system, which already had considerable shortcomings. Now, many services and life-saving treatments are not available to Palestinians inside Gaza, and treatment of cancer and heart patients is postponed, as medical supplies and equipment are delayed.
Even some basic necessities, such as clean drinking water and removal of solid waste is not widely available. It is estimated that 30 percent of Gaza Strip residents do not receive water on a regular basis. In addition, many diagnostic and emergency medical services cannot operate because of lack of generators. Statistics from the World Health Organization showed that 19 percent of necessary medicines were lacking, as well as replacement parts for critical equipment and several disposable but necessary items such as bandages, syringes and plaster for casts.
In the meantime, Israel severely limits the amounts of permits for hundreds of patients to enter Israel for advanced treatment unavailable in Gaza. Physicians for Human Rights Israel questioned the legality of the procedure whereby every exit permit from Gaza for medical treatment requires a check by the Israel Security Agency (ISA). According to that organization, in several cases the ISA abused this procedure to pressure patients to collaborate providing intelligence information in exchange for a permit.
Despite its so-called “disengagement” from the Gaza Strip in September of 2005, Israel continues to hold effective control of many aspects of Gazans’ lives, including check points and the entrance of basic supplies. This situation imposes on Israel responsibility for the safety and welfare of Gaza’s residents, according to precepts established in The Hague and Geneva Conventions. Because of its control of residents’ lives in Gaza and the curtailment of its movements, Israel seriously breaches Palestinians’ right to optimal medical care inside the Strip and access to medical care outside the area.
In 2009, writing for The Guardian, Avi Shlaim, Oxford professor of international relations, stated, “The Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the June 1967 war had very little to do with security and everything to do with territorial expansionism. The aim was to establish Greater Israel through permanent political, economic and military control over the Palestinian territories. And the result has been one of the most prolonged and brutal military occupation of modern times.”
Shlaim also stated, “Gaza, however, is not simply a case of economic under-development but a uniquely cruel case of deliberate de-development….Gaza is a classical case of colonial exploitation in the post-colonial era.” For Shlaim, settlements in Palestinian land have become an insurmountable obstacle to peace. He calls them “the instrument of exploitation and the symbol of the hated occupation.”
The Israeli government often contends that they gave freedom to the Gazans and rather than being thankful they continued throwing rockets into Israel. Shlaim, however, provides a different analysis. “Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement, conducted an effective campaign to drive the Israelis out of Gaza. The withdrawal was a humiliation for the Israeli Defense Forces. To the world, Sharon presented the withdrawal from Gaza as a contribution to peace based on a two-state solution. But in the year after, 12,000 Israelis settled on the West Bank, further reducing the scope for an independent Palestinian state. Land-grabbing and peace-making are simply incompatible. Israel had a choice and it chose land over peace,” wrote Shlaim.
In the meantime, as peace conversations ignore the needs of Gazans, the people in the Strip are deprived of basic health and human rights leading 1.5 million people to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. The situation in Gaza is nothing but the fight of the oppressors against the oppressed, a conflict that corrodes Israel’s own soul.
15 apr 2014
A Palestinian march organized on Monday has managed to break a security cordon imposed by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Nabi Saleh village northern Ramallah for three days. Dozens of Palestinians and foreign activists have managed to reach the southern gate of Nabi Saleh village in spite of the IOF military restrictions and tear gas bombs. A Palestinian young man was arrested, and many protesters, including women, were injured after being sprayed with pepper spray.
Eyewitness told the PIC reporter that Israeli forces prevented vehicles and journalists from having access to the village, where three journalists were detained before being forced to leave the scene after the confiscation of their equipment and cars.
Meanwhile, journalists who have managed to enter the village were brutally attacked by IOF soldiers and beaten.
The participants maintained presence at the main street in the village despite Israeli heavy fire of tear gas bombs.
For his part, head of Popular Resistance Movement in Nabi Saleh village Bassem al-Tamimi said that this protest was meant to display the Palestinian people's adherence to resistance option, calling for activating resistance throughout occupied West Bank.
Eyewitness told the PIC reporter that Israeli forces prevented vehicles and journalists from having access to the village, where three journalists were detained before being forced to leave the scene after the confiscation of their equipment and cars.
Meanwhile, journalists who have managed to enter the village were brutally attacked by IOF soldiers and beaten.
The participants maintained presence at the main street in the village despite Israeli heavy fire of tear gas bombs.
For his part, head of Popular Resistance Movement in Nabi Saleh village Bassem al-Tamimi said that this protest was meant to display the Palestinian people's adherence to resistance option, calling for activating resistance throughout occupied West Bank.
Israeli soldiers early Tuesday blocked main roads and erected military checkpoints in two villages near Hebron, the day after an Israeli was killed by Palestinian gunmen near the West Bank city, locals said.
Locals told Ma'an that Israeli forces launched large-scale inspection raids in Idhna west of Hebron and in the nearby town of Tarqumiya, the area in which unidentified gunmen fired at an Israeli vehicle Monday, killing one and injuring two.
Locals told Ma'an that Idhna "looked like a closed military zone as nobody was allowed to move even in bypaths."
Additionally, Israeli forces erected checkpoints at the northern entrance of Hebron, inspecting Palestinian passersby and passengers, witnesses said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that "there were elaborate scans yesterday (Monday) in order to find the shooter," but could not immediately confirm whether main village roads were blocked off on Tuesday.
The man who was killed in the Monday attack was a police officer from the town of Modiin in central Israel, an Israeli security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The policeman's wife and nine-year-old child were wounded and transferred to hospital. Three other children were in the vehicle, according to Israeli military radio.
Israelis in another car said they saw a man wearing a helmet and firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle on the side of the road, it said.
Dozens of army vehicles fanned out into nearby Palestinian villages, and a security barrier was erected at the main entrance to Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, according to an AFP photographer.
The flashpoint city of Hebron is home to nearly 200,000 Palestinians. There are some 80 settler homes in the center of town housing about 700 Jews who live under heavy Israeli army protection.
The Palestinian Hamas movement ruling Gaza, and fellow Islamist movement Islamic Jihad praised the attack, linking it to recent unrest in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's Old City.
"Hamas praises the heroic Hebron operation and considers it a result of the (Israeli) occupation's oppression and crimes against our people and holy places, including the Al-Aqsa mosque," a statement said.
Islamic Jihad released a similar statement, hailing the attack and linking it to "settlers appropriating the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque."
But neither group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Monday's shooting took place as the seven-day Jewish Passover holiday began.
In September, an Israeli soldier was shot dead by a suspected Palestinian gunman in the center of Hebron during the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since January 1 in the West Bank, where around 350,000 Israelis live in settlements considered illegal by the international community.
Sixty Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the US-backed Israel-PLO peace talks were relaunched in July.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have meanwhile been trying to save collapsing talks, and were scheduled to meet again Wednesday with US envoy Martin Indyk.
Locals told Ma'an that Israeli forces launched large-scale inspection raids in Idhna west of Hebron and in the nearby town of Tarqumiya, the area in which unidentified gunmen fired at an Israeli vehicle Monday, killing one and injuring two.
Locals told Ma'an that Idhna "looked like a closed military zone as nobody was allowed to move even in bypaths."
Additionally, Israeli forces erected checkpoints at the northern entrance of Hebron, inspecting Palestinian passersby and passengers, witnesses said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that "there were elaborate scans yesterday (Monday) in order to find the shooter," but could not immediately confirm whether main village roads were blocked off on Tuesday.
The man who was killed in the Monday attack was a police officer from the town of Modiin in central Israel, an Israeli security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The policeman's wife and nine-year-old child were wounded and transferred to hospital. Three other children were in the vehicle, according to Israeli military radio.
Israelis in another car said they saw a man wearing a helmet and firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle on the side of the road, it said.
Dozens of army vehicles fanned out into nearby Palestinian villages, and a security barrier was erected at the main entrance to Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, according to an AFP photographer.
The flashpoint city of Hebron is home to nearly 200,000 Palestinians. There are some 80 settler homes in the center of town housing about 700 Jews who live under heavy Israeli army protection.
The Palestinian Hamas movement ruling Gaza, and fellow Islamist movement Islamic Jihad praised the attack, linking it to recent unrest in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's Old City.
"Hamas praises the heroic Hebron operation and considers it a result of the (Israeli) occupation's oppression and crimes against our people and holy places, including the Al-Aqsa mosque," a statement said.
Islamic Jihad released a similar statement, hailing the attack and linking it to "settlers appropriating the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque."
But neither group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Monday's shooting took place as the seven-day Jewish Passover holiday began.
In September, an Israeli soldier was shot dead by a suspected Palestinian gunman in the center of Hebron during the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since January 1 in the West Bank, where around 350,000 Israelis live in settlements considered illegal by the international community.
Sixty Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the US-backed Israel-PLO peace talks were relaunched in July.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have meanwhile been trying to save collapsing talks, and were scheduled to meet again Wednesday with US envoy Martin Indyk.
Head of the ICRC mission in Gaza Christian Cardon
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Monday warned of a collapse of humanitarian services in the Gaza Strip due to eight years of Israeli blockade. Head of the ICRC mission in Gaza Christian Cardon said the tightening restrictions imposed on the movement of goods and individuals from and into the Gaza Strip "are ringing a bell".
He warned that the Israeli measures and the ongoing Egyptian closure of the Rafah border crossing point with Gaza "are worrying and will influence the humanitarian situation in the territory".
The Gaza Strip, an impoverished and densely populated coastal enclave ruled by Hamas, has been under a tight Israeli blockade after Hamas won the election in 2006. Free movement of goods, products and individuals is restricted.
Egypt has kept the Rafah border crossing closed after the deposition of the elected president Mohamed Morsi in early July last year, and opened it temporarily for humanitarian cases.
Egypt has also destroyed thousands of tunnels dug by the Palestinians to escape the Israeli blockade, which has badly affected people's daily life in Gaza.
"The lack of all materials, mainly construction materials and fuels, in addition to the lack of goods and high prices, I think thus will certainly affect the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," Cardon said.
ALRAY contributed to this
Source: BS
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Monday warned of a collapse of humanitarian services in the Gaza Strip due to eight years of Israeli blockade. Head of the ICRC mission in Gaza Christian Cardon said the tightening restrictions imposed on the movement of goods and individuals from and into the Gaza Strip "are ringing a bell".
He warned that the Israeli measures and the ongoing Egyptian closure of the Rafah border crossing point with Gaza "are worrying and will influence the humanitarian situation in the territory".
The Gaza Strip, an impoverished and densely populated coastal enclave ruled by Hamas, has been under a tight Israeli blockade after Hamas won the election in 2006. Free movement of goods, products and individuals is restricted.
Egypt has kept the Rafah border crossing closed after the deposition of the elected president Mohamed Morsi in early July last year, and opened it temporarily for humanitarian cases.
Egypt has also destroyed thousands of tunnels dug by the Palestinians to escape the Israeli blockade, which has badly affected people's daily life in Gaza.
"The lack of all materials, mainly construction materials and fuels, in addition to the lack of goods and high prices, I think thus will certainly affect the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," Cardon said.
ALRAY contributed to this
Source: BS
13 apr 2014
Israeli forces kept gates surrounding a West Bank village near Ramallah shut for the second day in a row on Sunday, locals told Ma'an.
Locals said Israeli forces blocked roads and deployed dozens of soldiers in Nabi Saleh on Sunday, a day after the village was declared a "closed military zone."
Soldiers also fired tear gas and stun grenades in the village, making it even more difficult for people to leave the village, witnesses added.
Israeli forces surrounded the village and declared it a "closed military zone" on Saturday, subsequently injuring two Palestinian civilians, a local group said.
The attack by Israeli forces came a day after Israeli forces detained five -- including two Palestinian women and three foreign journalists -- and lightly injured a French journalist during a protest in the village, which has held weekly protests for four years against Israeli confiscation of village lands.
Soldiers arrived "suddenly" on Saturday to close the village entrances and then targeted locals nearby, shooting a young man with a live bullet and injuring a 45-year-old woman after beating her, local popular resistance group "Intifada" said in a statement.
The woman was identified as Wijdan al-Tamimi, while the injured young man was not identified.
"Intifada" said that the attack was part of an escalation in military violence against the village in recent months.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that "as a result of a violent riot" on Saturday afternoon, "one of the two gates of Nabi Saleh was temporarily closed."
Locals said Israeli forces blocked roads and deployed dozens of soldiers in Nabi Saleh on Sunday, a day after the village was declared a "closed military zone."
Soldiers also fired tear gas and stun grenades in the village, making it even more difficult for people to leave the village, witnesses added.
Israeli forces surrounded the village and declared it a "closed military zone" on Saturday, subsequently injuring two Palestinian civilians, a local group said.
The attack by Israeli forces came a day after Israeli forces detained five -- including two Palestinian women and three foreign journalists -- and lightly injured a French journalist during a protest in the village, which has held weekly protests for four years against Israeli confiscation of village lands.
Soldiers arrived "suddenly" on Saturday to close the village entrances and then targeted locals nearby, shooting a young man with a live bullet and injuring a 45-year-old woman after beating her, local popular resistance group "Intifada" said in a statement.
The woman was identified as Wijdan al-Tamimi, while the injured young man was not identified.
"Intifada" said that the attack was part of an escalation in military violence against the village in recent months.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that "as a result of a violent riot" on Saturday afternoon, "one of the two gates of Nabi Saleh was temporarily closed."
Israeli authorities have decided to shut down Gaza's only operating commercial terminal for the Jewish holiday of Passover, a Palestinian official said.
Raed Fattouh, who coordinates the entry of goods into Gaza, said that the Kerem Shalom crossing will be closed Monday and Tuesday but will resume operating on Wednesday.
Fattouh added that the crossing was operating normally on Sunday, however, and construction material for projects funded by the UNRWA as well as fuel and domestic-use gas were being allowed into the besieged coastal enclave.
The Gaza Strip has been under an economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2006.
The blockade was imposed following the victory of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections and the subsequent 2007 clashes between Fatah and Hamas, which left Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The blockade has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans.
Raed Fattouh, who coordinates the entry of goods into Gaza, said that the Kerem Shalom crossing will be closed Monday and Tuesday but will resume operating on Wednesday.
Fattouh added that the crossing was operating normally on Sunday, however, and construction material for projects funded by the UNRWA as well as fuel and domestic-use gas were being allowed into the besieged coastal enclave.
The Gaza Strip has been under an economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2006.
The blockade was imposed following the victory of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections and the subsequent 2007 clashes between Fatah and Hamas, which left Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The blockade has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans.
Israeli soldiers closed all entrances of the Nabi Saleh village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and declared the village a closed military zone; a young Palestinian man was shot by a live round, while a woman suffered fractures after being assaulted by the soldiers.
The Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Nabi Saleh has reported that the army declared the village a closed military zone until further notice, and placed concrete blocks closing its main entrances, and closed the iron gates of the Annexation Wall surrounding the village.
The Committee added that the soldiers targeted a number of Palestinians wounding a young man, and that a woman, identified as Wijdan Tamimi, 45 years of age, suffered fractures and bruises after a number of soldiers assaulted her. Several Palestinian cars were damaged after the soldiers fired concussion grenades at them.
The village is frequently attacked by the Israeli army for its ongoing resistance against the Annexation Wall and illegal settlements, while the army has escalated its assaults over the last few weeks.
However, the villagers, accompanied by Israeli and International peace activists, are determined to continue the struggle.
The Committee said that the popular, nonviolent, struggle against the occupation, the apartheid wall and settlements has managed to achieve international recognition, including by AMNESTY, various UN facilities and different countries around the world.
It called on the Palestinian people, Palestinian factions and institutions to coordinate their activities, and to continue the struggle, to counter the ongoing and escalating Israeli violations and crimes against the Palestinian people and their lands, including Israel’s illegitimate settlement construction and expansion activities.
The Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Nabi Saleh has reported that the army declared the village a closed military zone until further notice, and placed concrete blocks closing its main entrances, and closed the iron gates of the Annexation Wall surrounding the village.
The Committee added that the soldiers targeted a number of Palestinians wounding a young man, and that a woman, identified as Wijdan Tamimi, 45 years of age, suffered fractures and bruises after a number of soldiers assaulted her. Several Palestinian cars were damaged after the soldiers fired concussion grenades at them.
The village is frequently attacked by the Israeli army for its ongoing resistance against the Annexation Wall and illegal settlements, while the army has escalated its assaults over the last few weeks.
However, the villagers, accompanied by Israeli and International peace activists, are determined to continue the struggle.
The Committee said that the popular, nonviolent, struggle against the occupation, the apartheid wall and settlements has managed to achieve international recognition, including by AMNESTY, various UN facilities and different countries around the world.
It called on the Palestinian people, Palestinian factions and institutions to coordinate their activities, and to continue the struggle, to counter the ongoing and escalating Israeli violations and crimes against the Palestinian people and their lands, including Israel’s illegitimate settlement construction and expansion activities.
12 apr 2014
The Rafah crossing, the sole connection with the outside world, has been closed for 11 consecutive days. General Administration of Border Crossings of the Ministry of Interior told Al Ray that Egypt has not notified the administration of the coming date for re-opening the crossing.
Since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013, Egypt has been constantly closing the Rafah crossing, opening it only two or three days at spaced intervals to humanitarian cases.
Since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013, Egypt has been constantly closing the Rafah crossing, opening it only two or three days at spaced intervals to humanitarian cases.
T-shirts reading "Let Every Arab Mother Know That Her Son's Fate Is In My Hands!" were printed on shirts for Israeli soldiers, Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper revealed on Friday. An Israeli officer and two soldiers were dismissed after wearing these T-shirts, the paper claimed, pointing out that Israeli troops raided the place where the T-shirts were printed to confiscate them.
The newspaper added that the soldiers, who were wearing these T-shirts, were planning to go to Nablus.
The design depicts a soldier holding a gun next to an Arab town, and reads: "Let every Arab mother know that her son's fate is in my hands!"
Meanwhile, Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) have prevented on Friday Palestinians from 1948-occupied territories from having access to Nablus.
Eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that occupation forces erected a checkpoint at the western entrance to the city and prevented the entry of all vehicles with yellow plates.
The IOA banned Arab citizens from Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 from entering Nablus without providing any justification, eyewitnesses said.
Since the second Intifada (uprising), Palestinians from occupied territories in 1948 were prevented over the week except Saturday from having access to Nablus, however they have been recently allowed in.
Analysts opined that the Israeli decision was meant to pressure the Palestinian negotiation team to extend peace talks with its Israeli counterpart.
The newspaper added that the soldiers, who were wearing these T-shirts, were planning to go to Nablus.
The design depicts a soldier holding a gun next to an Arab town, and reads: "Let every Arab mother know that her son's fate is in my hands!"
Meanwhile, Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) have prevented on Friday Palestinians from 1948-occupied territories from having access to Nablus.
Eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that occupation forces erected a checkpoint at the western entrance to the city and prevented the entry of all vehicles with yellow plates.
The IOA banned Arab citizens from Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 from entering Nablus without providing any justification, eyewitnesses said.
Since the second Intifada (uprising), Palestinians from occupied territories in 1948 were prevented over the week except Saturday from having access to Nablus, however they have been recently allowed in.
Analysts opined that the Israeli decision was meant to pressure the Palestinian negotiation team to extend peace talks with its Israeli counterpart.
Israeli forces late Friday began to confiscate tax clearance certificates from Palestinian merchants at the main commercial crossing between Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian security sources told Ma'an.
The sources said Israeli officers took clearance certificates by force from several merchants at al-Jalameh crossing in Jenin in an apparent effort to enforce the latest round of sanctions against Palestinians announced by Israeli officials Friday.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was not familiar with the incident.
Separately, the sources said the al-Jalameh crossing would be closed from Sunday to Tuesday due to the Passover holiday.
Merchants regularly deliver tax clearance certificates the Palestinian Authority, which receives tax revenues from Israel on a monthly basis according to the certificates.
Israel, which collects about $111 million in taxes on behalf of the PA -- two-thirds of its revenues -- announced Friday it would freeze the transfer of that money in a new round of sanctions.
PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erakat lashed out at the move, calling it an act of "Israeli hijacking and the theft of the Palestinian people's money."
The decision is a "violation of international law and norms by Israel" in revenge for the Palestinians' move to join a raft of international treaties as a state, Erakat said.
Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July under the auspices of the US after nearly three years of impasse.
Israel's government has announced the construction of thousands of settler housing units and its army has killed 60 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza since the negotiations began.
The sources said Israeli officers took clearance certificates by force from several merchants at al-Jalameh crossing in Jenin in an apparent effort to enforce the latest round of sanctions against Palestinians announced by Israeli officials Friday.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was not familiar with the incident.
Separately, the sources said the al-Jalameh crossing would be closed from Sunday to Tuesday due to the Passover holiday.
Merchants regularly deliver tax clearance certificates the Palestinian Authority, which receives tax revenues from Israel on a monthly basis according to the certificates.
Israel, which collects about $111 million in taxes on behalf of the PA -- two-thirds of its revenues -- announced Friday it would freeze the transfer of that money in a new round of sanctions.
PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erakat lashed out at the move, calling it an act of "Israeli hijacking and the theft of the Palestinian people's money."
The decision is a "violation of international law and norms by Israel" in revenge for the Palestinians' move to join a raft of international treaties as a state, Erakat said.
Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July under the auspices of the US after nearly three years of impasse.
Israel's government has announced the construction of thousands of settler housing units and its army has killed 60 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza since the negotiations began.
11 apr 2014
The Egyptian army is planning to install an advanced system that will detect tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border over the coming days, Egyptian military sources revealed.
The system will include advanced cameras and motion capture sensors, al-Jazeera Net quoted the sources as saying.
Approximately 130 devices will be installed along 13 km long border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, according to the sources.
The new motion capture system is more advanced than the US system that was installed 8 years ago along Gaza's border where it failed to stop tunnel smuggling.
The system will include advanced cameras and motion capture sensors, al-Jazeera Net quoted the sources as saying.
Approximately 130 devices will be installed along 13 km long border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, according to the sources.
The new motion capture system is more advanced than the US system that was installed 8 years ago along Gaza's border where it failed to stop tunnel smuggling.
The Israeli army closed a main agricultural road that leads to thousands of Dunams of Palestinian farmlands, east of Beit Ummar town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The road was blocked 1by a 20-centimeter high concrete wall.
The Maan News Agency has reported that the road leads to farmlands in the areas of Ereq Safy, Khallet Kammoon, and Brekot, and that the lands belong to several families, including Sleiby and Abu Ayyash.
Mohammad Awad, spokesperson of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Ummar town, stated that the wall extends from the al-Baraka hospital, on the outskirts of the al-Arroub refugee camp in the north, to the Etzion junction.
It would lead to the isolation of more than 5000 Dunams; the Palestinians in that area already lost 12000 Dunams that were illegally annexed for settlement construction activities. (One Dunams is 0.247 Acres)
Awad said the villagers used to have dirt dozens of roads leading to their lands, including roads that fit agricultural tractors and equipment, way before Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, but are now all blocked by this wall.
“These roads are all there, on maps, including Israeli maps; but Israel wanted to close them all”, he said, “Now, after the army blocked these roads, the lands in the eastern side of Beit Ummar became isolated; villagers cannot access them, therefore, the lands are now surrounded and isolated”.
The villagers voiced appeals to local and international organizations to help them, and ensure they can access their own lands, by pressuring Israel to reconsider its decision that is mean to allow the expansion of Israeli settlements by isolating and confiscating Palestinian-owned lands.
The Maan News Agency has reported that the road leads to farmlands in the areas of Ereq Safy, Khallet Kammoon, and Brekot, and that the lands belong to several families, including Sleiby and Abu Ayyash.
Mohammad Awad, spokesperson of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Ummar town, stated that the wall extends from the al-Baraka hospital, on the outskirts of the al-Arroub refugee camp in the north, to the Etzion junction.
It would lead to the isolation of more than 5000 Dunams; the Palestinians in that area already lost 12000 Dunams that were illegally annexed for settlement construction activities. (One Dunams is 0.247 Acres)
Awad said the villagers used to have dirt dozens of roads leading to their lands, including roads that fit agricultural tractors and equipment, way before Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, but are now all blocked by this wall.
“These roads are all there, on maps, including Israeli maps; but Israel wanted to close them all”, he said, “Now, after the army blocked these roads, the lands in the eastern side of Beit Ummar became isolated; villagers cannot access them, therefore, the lands are now surrounded and isolated”.
The villagers voiced appeals to local and international organizations to help them, and ensure they can access their own lands, by pressuring Israel to reconsider its decision that is mean to allow the expansion of Israeli settlements by isolating and confiscating Palestinian-owned lands.
10 apr 2014
Minister of Local Government Mohammed al- Farra said that the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007 disrupted 21 projects in the fields of water and sanitation. The projects were negatively affected due to the closure of the crossings with Gaza and the ban on entry of construction materials which are necessary to fulfill several halted projects, al-Farra clarified Thursday.
He pointed out that the costs of the stalled water projects reached about $15m. The most important ones are the desalination of sea water project in Dair al- Balah, south of the Gaza Strip cost $12m, construction of water tank an a pumping station project in Deir al- Balah cost $1m.
The Lack of raw materials stopped completing the second phase of rainwater collection project in al- Jenina neighborhood in Rafah cost $271.1m, Al-Farra added, pointing out that several projects were delayed due to the closure of the crossings, especially the projects of establishing water wells in al- Qarrara , Bait-Lahia, and al-Salqa valley.
Total costs of the projects which are being carried out in wastewater field caused by the lack of raw materials exceeded $4m, al-Farra said.
Al-Alfarra hoped international community and organizations to pressure on the Israeli occupation in order to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of necessary materials to the Gaza strip to continue those projects. He considered that Israeli occupation is responsible for the deteriorating situation in the strip.
He pointed out that the costs of the stalled water projects reached about $15m. The most important ones are the desalination of sea water project in Dair al- Balah, south of the Gaza Strip cost $12m, construction of water tank an a pumping station project in Deir al- Balah cost $1m.
The Lack of raw materials stopped completing the second phase of rainwater collection project in al- Jenina neighborhood in Rafah cost $271.1m, Al-Farra added, pointing out that several projects were delayed due to the closure of the crossings, especially the projects of establishing water wells in al- Qarrara , Bait-Lahia, and al-Salqa valley.
Total costs of the projects which are being carried out in wastewater field caused by the lack of raw materials exceeded $4m, al-Farra said.
Al-Alfarra hoped international community and organizations to pressure on the Israeli occupation in order to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of necessary materials to the Gaza strip to continue those projects. He considered that Israeli occupation is responsible for the deteriorating situation in the strip.
Spokesperson of the Palestinian government in Gaza Ihab al-Ghusein stated that the first priorities of the government now are lifting the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for nearly eight years, alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people and providing more services for them, continuing to protect resistance and marking 2014 to be the Year of Reconciliation. He said: “the reason behind the siege is our people’s adherence to resistance, their rights, and the Palestinian constants.”
Referring to the reconciliation file and the Palestinian elections, al-Ghusein pointed out that Fatah and Abass’s actions were made for media purposes. “They have no real will to achieve the reconciliation especially in light of negotiations with Israel.” He said.
“Hamas was very flexible in the Doha Summit in which it gave up the presidency to Abbas for the interest of the Palestinian people,” al-Ghusein added, “ we do not need new agreements or dialogues. We need them applied.”
“How could we conduct the elections under two governments and authorities? Before elections, we have to form a government and stop the political arrests against resistance factions in the West Bank.” He wondered.
Al-Ghusein called on Egyptian authorities to open Rafah crossing permanently.
When asked: will the government in Gaza deal with al-Sisi in case he won the Egyptian election? he responded , “we were always dealing with the Egyptian intelligence during Mubarak, Mursi’s rule or even now. We do this for the interest of our people and issue; we do not interfere in the Egyptian’s interior events because the stability of Egypt concerns us.”.
Referring to the reconciliation file and the Palestinian elections, al-Ghusein pointed out that Fatah and Abass’s actions were made for media purposes. “They have no real will to achieve the reconciliation especially in light of negotiations with Israel.” He said.
“Hamas was very flexible in the Doha Summit in which it gave up the presidency to Abbas for the interest of the Palestinian people,” al-Ghusein added, “ we do not need new agreements or dialogues. We need them applied.”
“How could we conduct the elections under two governments and authorities? Before elections, we have to form a government and stop the political arrests against resistance factions in the West Bank.” He wondered.
Al-Ghusein called on Egyptian authorities to open Rafah crossing permanently.
When asked: will the government in Gaza deal with al-Sisi in case he won the Egyptian election? he responded , “we were always dealing with the Egyptian intelligence during Mubarak, Mursi’s rule or even now. We do this for the interest of our people and issue; we do not interfere in the Egyptian’s interior events because the stability of Egypt concerns us.”.
9 apr 2014
Tahsin al-Saqqa, director of marketing department in the ministry of Agriculture in Gaza, denied what the West Australian paper reported about banning the exporting of Australian live cattle to Gaza under the pretext of " mistreating ". Al-Saqqa said to ALRAY Wednesday "the information that published on the west Australian newspaper about stopping exporting a ship with 10,000 at Fremantle because cattle mistreating in Gaza is not true".
AlSaqqa made clear that Gaza buys the Australian cattle from the Israeli occupation, explaining that a footage of Israeli company's worker released showing them while shocking the cattle with electricity in order to kill them.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Australia revealed that it had not approved consignments of cattle for Gaza since November when it began investigating allegations raised in the Israeli media.
Logistics Support System in Australia said ,"the release of nine cattle from the supply chain was "unacceptable" and it suspended exports to the Gaza facility" , andt abused cattle could be identified by their ear tags.
The allegations are serious and information obtained during the investigation is considered when assessing any application from any exporter to send livestock to Gaza," A Department of Agriculture spokesman said.
Recently, all exporters to Israel should react with additional conditions to ensure livestock are unloaded in accordance with international animal welfare standards.
AlSaqqa made clear that Gaza buys the Australian cattle from the Israeli occupation, explaining that a footage of Israeli company's worker released showing them while shocking the cattle with electricity in order to kill them.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Australia revealed that it had not approved consignments of cattle for Gaza since November when it began investigating allegations raised in the Israeli media.
Logistics Support System in Australia said ,"the release of nine cattle from the supply chain was "unacceptable" and it suspended exports to the Gaza facility" , andt abused cattle could be identified by their ear tags.
The allegations are serious and information obtained during the investigation is considered when assessing any application from any exporter to send livestock to Gaza," A Department of Agriculture spokesman said.
Recently, all exporters to Israel should react with additional conditions to ensure livestock are unloaded in accordance with international animal welfare standards.
Palestinian government said the number of solidarity delegations to Gaza has decreased by 95% since July 2013. Media Office of the cabinet said in a report that 218 solidarity delegations visited the besieged Gaza Strip during last year, most of which during January.
The number of solidarity delegations peaked last January at 55 composed of 1281 members, followed by February with 42 delegations composed of 1219 members.
The delegations arrived in Gaza during the last four months were only four with 38 supporters.
Palestinians in Gaza have been under an extreme economic Israeli blockade since 2007, exacerbated Egypt destroying most of the border tunnels, which Gazans used to compensate for the Israeli closure, smuggling fuel and building materials in the first place.
A recent UN report said that an estimated 1.6 million people in the Gaza Strip suffer from food insecurity and they are in need for urgent food aids.
The outgoing head of the U.N. agency that aids Palestinian refugees urged Israel and Egypt on Tuesday to lift their border restrictions on the Gaza Strip, Reuters news agency reported.
The number of solidarity delegations peaked last January at 55 composed of 1281 members, followed by February with 42 delegations composed of 1219 members.
The delegations arrived in Gaza during the last four months were only four with 38 supporters.
Palestinians in Gaza have been under an extreme economic Israeli blockade since 2007, exacerbated Egypt destroying most of the border tunnels, which Gazans used to compensate for the Israeli closure, smuggling fuel and building materials in the first place.
A recent UN report said that an estimated 1.6 million people in the Gaza Strip suffer from food insecurity and they are in need for urgent food aids.
The outgoing head of the U.N. agency that aids Palestinian refugees urged Israel and Egypt on Tuesday to lift their border restrictions on the Gaza Strip, Reuters news agency reported.
The Egyptian authorities re-closed Rafah border crossing Tuesday evening after being opened exceptionally for three days for Palestinian pilgrims only . Egyptian sources said, “The crossing closed after entering the last batch of pilgrims,” “ it will be closed indefinitely.”
Rafah crossing considered the sole crossing through which Palestinians are allowed to enter and leave Gaza , many of them is in bad need for medical treatment outside the impoverished Strip.
After the military coup in Egypt which deposed the elected president Mohamed Morsi, the army destroyed hundreds of tunnels under the border that brought in construction materials and fuel. That caused the Strip's worst ever energy crisis, with power outages of up to 16 hours a day.
The UN criticized the closure of the crossing for its effect on the civilian population, including patients awaiting medical treatment.
Rafah crossing considered the sole crossing through which Palestinians are allowed to enter and leave Gaza , many of them is in bad need for medical treatment outside the impoverished Strip.
After the military coup in Egypt which deposed the elected president Mohamed Morsi, the army destroyed hundreds of tunnels under the border that brought in construction materials and fuel. That caused the Strip's worst ever energy crisis, with power outages of up to 16 hours a day.
The UN criticized the closure of the crossing for its effect on the civilian population, including patients awaiting medical treatment.
To help improve the life of the 1.9 million Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, Rowley called upon the international community to give $390 million in aid
UN's Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Territories James Rowley has called for Israel to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and to reopen the closed legal crossings. In a press conference held at the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza, Rowley said that although 2013 was the "quietest" year in recent history on the Gaza-Israeli front, the Palestinians in Gaza have witnessed their worst life situation in decades.
Rowley also called upon Egypt to open the Rafah Crossing for passengers, goods and necessary medical supplies. He suggested for the crossing to at least function as it did before July 2013.
He acknowledged Egypt's security concerns, but at the same time said Egypt has to consider the humanitarian needs of the people living in Gaza. He added that the UN considers Egypt to bear some responsibility for the life of Gaza's residents, but stressed that Israel bears full responsibility for the siege.
To help improve the life of the 1.9 million Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, Rowley called upon the international community to give $390 million in aid.
Regarding the fishermen in Gaza, the UN official called for allowing them to sail freely in the sea and for the farmers to move freely on their farms adjacent or close to the Palestinian-Israeli border.
During the same press conference, a representative of the World Food Programme spoke about the dangerous situation of food security in the Strip. He noted that food insecurity in Gaza has increased from 48 per cent to 57 per cent.
He stressed that the international community must continue helping the residents of the Gaza Strip in order to meet the huge need for food.
UN's Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Territories James Rowley has called for Israel to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and to reopen the closed legal crossings. In a press conference held at the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza, Rowley said that although 2013 was the "quietest" year in recent history on the Gaza-Israeli front, the Palestinians in Gaza have witnessed their worst life situation in decades.
Rowley also called upon Egypt to open the Rafah Crossing for passengers, goods and necessary medical supplies. He suggested for the crossing to at least function as it did before July 2013.
He acknowledged Egypt's security concerns, but at the same time said Egypt has to consider the humanitarian needs of the people living in Gaza. He added that the UN considers Egypt to bear some responsibility for the life of Gaza's residents, but stressed that Israel bears full responsibility for the siege.
To help improve the life of the 1.9 million Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, Rowley called upon the international community to give $390 million in aid.
Regarding the fishermen in Gaza, the UN official called for allowing them to sail freely in the sea and for the farmers to move freely on their farms adjacent or close to the Palestinian-Israeli border.
During the same press conference, a representative of the World Food Programme spoke about the dangerous situation of food security in the Strip. He noted that food insecurity in Gaza has increased from 48 per cent to 57 per cent.
He stressed that the international community must continue helping the residents of the Gaza Strip in order to meet the huge need for food.
