2 july 2016
The Israeli-imposed blockade on the occupied southern West Bank district of Hebron (al-Khalil) remained in effect, on Saturday, after Israeli forces sealed the entire district while maintaining a complete lock-down on the village of Bani Naim, and revoking travel permits to Israel for some 2,700 of its residents, and reportedly detaining several Palestinians across Hebron, overnight.
Hebron’s closure was implemented on Friday amid a massive manhunt for the suspect responsible for a shooting attack that left an Israeli man dead, his wife critically injured, and his two children lightly-to-moderately injured while driving in their car near the Otniel settlement, to the south of Hebron, where the family was from.
Israeli forces deployed heavily across Hebron, overnight Friday, and took into their custody several “suspects” in connection to the shooting, Israeli media reported. However, an Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an News Agency that they did not have reports of any detentions being made in the West Bank at all, despite the fact that detention raids are carried out on a near nightly basis, particularly in the wake of attacks on Israeli targets.
Israeli forces closed the entrances of the villages of Beit Anun, Sair, al-Thahiriyah, al-Fawwar, al-Samu, Dura, Farsh al-Hawa, and al-Fawwar refugee camp while blocking the entrance of the village of Nabi Yunis with large cement blocks, according to locals.
Israeli checkpoints were also erected at the entrances of Sair, al-Hawawir, and the al-Arrub refugee camp as Israeli forces searched any cars attempting to cross the checkpoints. Locals said the main entrance to Beit Ummar was closed with an iron gate.
Locals and Palestinian security sources said that Israeli soldiers and military vehicles were deployed from the village of al-Samu in the southern part of Hebron, to the al-Arrub refugee camp, in the north.
An Israeli army spokesperson said that all crossings to and from Hebron have been closed, with the exception of urgent humanitarian cases, to “prevent terrorists from carrying out attacks.” The spokesperson could not provide details on the expected duration of the blockade.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have imposed a complete lock-down on the village of Bani Naim, in Hebron, the hometown of 17-year-old Muhammad Tarayra, who was killed on Thursday after stabbing a 13-year-old Israeli girl to death, in nearby Kiryat Arba — a major illegal Israeli settlement built on privately-held Palestinian land used as a central connecting point for the expansion of illegal settlements, into the city of Hebron.
A spokesperson of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), responsible for implementing Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territory, confirmed 2,700 Palestinians had their permits revoked that allowed them to travel outside of the occupied West Bank and work in Israel.
A young Palestinian woman, identified as 27-year-old Sarah Tarayra, also from Bani Naim, was killed on Friday by Israeli forces after allegedly carrying out a stab attack that left two Israelis wounded.
Although the two slain Palestinians from Bani Naim share the same surname, it remained unclear whether the two were related.
Another Palestinian was shot dead on Thursday by an Israeli civilian after allegedly carrying out a stab attack in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya that left two Israelis wounded. His hometown in the northern occupied West Bank district of Tulkarem has also been placed under blockade.
The town of Yatta in Hebron, where two cousins originated from who carried out a shooting in Tel Aviv last month that left four Israelis killed and more than a dozen injured, has also been tightly closed by Israeli forces, according to Israeli media. Following the attack, Israeli forces sealed off the town and carried out nightly detention raids in the community, including implementing a large-scale closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip and revoking the permits of 83,000 Palestinians to enter Israel.
The recent closure on the district of Hebron is said to be the greatest closure placed inside the occupied West Bank since 2014 when three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and then killed.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office on Friday also ordered that the money being transferred by the Palestinian Authority to “terrorists and their families” be deducted immediately from monthly tax revenues — a total of $130 million, referring to money paid by the PA to former Palestinian prisoners, families of prisoners in Israeli custody, and families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the far-right Jewish Home party, told Haaretz on Friday that he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately convene the security cabinet following the attack in Kiryat Arba. A meeting is expected to be held on Saturday.
Bennett said he intends to propose a number of punitive measures in response to the attacks at the meeting including the construction of new residential and industrial areas in Kiryat Arba, plans for which have already been approved.
The minister also told Haaretz he will propose that the mother and sister of the Palestinian who carried out the Kiryat Arba attack be arrested, and that Israeli authorities carry out all approved demolition orders against Palestinian structures for not having the required permits.
Bennet will also reportedly suggest that internet and cellular access be cut off in Hebron to prevent “incitement.”
In less than two days, three Palestinians have been killed after allegedly carrying out attacks on Israelis — and a fourth died during clashes, marking an uptick in violence after a few months of relative reprieve from a wave of violence and unrest that swept across the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel since October, leaving more than 220 Palestinians and some 31 Israelis killed.
The Hebron area in particular grew as the epicenter of upheaval, with Israeli authorities severely restricting the movement of Palestinians by declaring the area of Tel Rumeida and other parts of the Old City as a “closed military zone” for several months in November amid dozens of incidents where more than 40 Palestinians were killed.
Israel’s response to attacks — such as punitive home demolitions, sealing entire villages, mass detention campaigns, and withholding the bodies of Palestinians slain while committing attacks — have been condemned by rights groups, who have said the measures amount to “collective punishment” and represent a clear violation of international law.
Hebron’s closure was implemented on Friday amid a massive manhunt for the suspect responsible for a shooting attack that left an Israeli man dead, his wife critically injured, and his two children lightly-to-moderately injured while driving in their car near the Otniel settlement, to the south of Hebron, where the family was from.
Israeli forces deployed heavily across Hebron, overnight Friday, and took into their custody several “suspects” in connection to the shooting, Israeli media reported. However, an Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an News Agency that they did not have reports of any detentions being made in the West Bank at all, despite the fact that detention raids are carried out on a near nightly basis, particularly in the wake of attacks on Israeli targets.
Israeli forces closed the entrances of the villages of Beit Anun, Sair, al-Thahiriyah, al-Fawwar, al-Samu, Dura, Farsh al-Hawa, and al-Fawwar refugee camp while blocking the entrance of the village of Nabi Yunis with large cement blocks, according to locals.
Israeli checkpoints were also erected at the entrances of Sair, al-Hawawir, and the al-Arrub refugee camp as Israeli forces searched any cars attempting to cross the checkpoints. Locals said the main entrance to Beit Ummar was closed with an iron gate.
Locals and Palestinian security sources said that Israeli soldiers and military vehicles were deployed from the village of al-Samu in the southern part of Hebron, to the al-Arrub refugee camp, in the north.
An Israeli army spokesperson said that all crossings to and from Hebron have been closed, with the exception of urgent humanitarian cases, to “prevent terrorists from carrying out attacks.” The spokesperson could not provide details on the expected duration of the blockade.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have imposed a complete lock-down on the village of Bani Naim, in Hebron, the hometown of 17-year-old Muhammad Tarayra, who was killed on Thursday after stabbing a 13-year-old Israeli girl to death, in nearby Kiryat Arba — a major illegal Israeli settlement built on privately-held Palestinian land used as a central connecting point for the expansion of illegal settlements, into the city of Hebron.
A spokesperson of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), responsible for implementing Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territory, confirmed 2,700 Palestinians had their permits revoked that allowed them to travel outside of the occupied West Bank and work in Israel.
A young Palestinian woman, identified as 27-year-old Sarah Tarayra, also from Bani Naim, was killed on Friday by Israeli forces after allegedly carrying out a stab attack that left two Israelis wounded.
Although the two slain Palestinians from Bani Naim share the same surname, it remained unclear whether the two were related.
Another Palestinian was shot dead on Thursday by an Israeli civilian after allegedly carrying out a stab attack in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya that left two Israelis wounded. His hometown in the northern occupied West Bank district of Tulkarem has also been placed under blockade.
The town of Yatta in Hebron, where two cousins originated from who carried out a shooting in Tel Aviv last month that left four Israelis killed and more than a dozen injured, has also been tightly closed by Israeli forces, according to Israeli media. Following the attack, Israeli forces sealed off the town and carried out nightly detention raids in the community, including implementing a large-scale closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip and revoking the permits of 83,000 Palestinians to enter Israel.
The recent closure on the district of Hebron is said to be the greatest closure placed inside the occupied West Bank since 2014 when three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and then killed.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office on Friday also ordered that the money being transferred by the Palestinian Authority to “terrorists and their families” be deducted immediately from monthly tax revenues — a total of $130 million, referring to money paid by the PA to former Palestinian prisoners, families of prisoners in Israeli custody, and families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the far-right Jewish Home party, told Haaretz on Friday that he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately convene the security cabinet following the attack in Kiryat Arba. A meeting is expected to be held on Saturday.
Bennett said he intends to propose a number of punitive measures in response to the attacks at the meeting including the construction of new residential and industrial areas in Kiryat Arba, plans for which have already been approved.
The minister also told Haaretz he will propose that the mother and sister of the Palestinian who carried out the Kiryat Arba attack be arrested, and that Israeli authorities carry out all approved demolition orders against Palestinian structures for not having the required permits.
Bennet will also reportedly suggest that internet and cellular access be cut off in Hebron to prevent “incitement.”
In less than two days, three Palestinians have been killed after allegedly carrying out attacks on Israelis — and a fourth died during clashes, marking an uptick in violence after a few months of relative reprieve from a wave of violence and unrest that swept across the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel since October, leaving more than 220 Palestinians and some 31 Israelis killed.
The Hebron area in particular grew as the epicenter of upheaval, with Israeli authorities severely restricting the movement of Palestinians by declaring the area of Tel Rumeida and other parts of the Old City as a “closed military zone” for several months in November amid dozens of incidents where more than 40 Palestinians were killed.
Israel’s response to attacks — such as punitive home demolitions, sealing entire villages, mass detention campaigns, and withholding the bodies of Palestinians slain while committing attacks — have been condemned by rights groups, who have said the measures amount to “collective punishment” and represent a clear violation of international law.
The Israeli government has decided to reduce the monthly transfers of tax funds collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and to impose a tight military blockade on al-Khalil province in response to a recent wave of Palestinian attacks against settlers in the West Bank.
The Israeli army, in turn, started to deploy two additional battalions in the West Bank to boost its military presence and provide more protection for Jewish settlers.
More troops were sent, in particular, to al-Khalil province to encircle the city and its towns and refugee camps after local young men carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.
According to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reporter in the province that the Israeli army closed several areas in al-Khalil with mounds of dirt and military barriers, including in Bani Na'im town, al-Fawwar refugee camp, al-Dhahiriya town and as-Samua town.
The Israeli army also declared Bani Na'im a closed military zone and decided to withdraw all Jerusalem entry permits from its residents.
East of al-Khalil, a large number of Israeli troops stormed Deir Razeh town and carried out house-to-house searches. A similar campaign took place in Wadi al-Shajna village near al-Khalil.
The Israeli army, in turn, started to deploy two additional battalions in the West Bank to boost its military presence and provide more protection for Jewish settlers.
More troops were sent, in particular, to al-Khalil province to encircle the city and its towns and refugee camps after local young men carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.
According to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reporter in the province that the Israeli army closed several areas in al-Khalil with mounds of dirt and military barriers, including in Bani Na'im town, al-Fawwar refugee camp, al-Dhahiriya town and as-Samua town.
The Israeli army also declared Bani Na'im a closed military zone and decided to withdraw all Jerusalem entry permits from its residents.
East of al-Khalil, a large number of Israeli troops stormed Deir Razeh town and carried out house-to-house searches. A similar campaign took place in Wadi al-Shajna village near al-Khalil.
29 june 2016
The Egyptian authorities on Wednesday morning opened the Rafah border-crossing for five days before stranded Gazans.
A PIC reporter said hundreds of stranded Palestinians and humanitarian cases flocked to the border-crossing to gain access out.
The Egyptian authorities have exceptionally opened the Rafah passageway for the fourth time since the start of 2016.
The border-crossings and borders committee called on the Palestinian passengers to follow the recommended travel tips so as to ensure safety.
The Egyptian authorities have been closing the Rafah border-crossing since 2007, blocking Gazans’ movement in and out except for a few days and over intermittent intervals.
Dozens of sick Gazans died as they failed to gain access out of the crossing for urgent treatment in foreign hospitals while others lost their works due to the same reason. Furthermore, many Gazan students could not travel to join their universities.
A PIC reporter said hundreds of stranded Palestinians and humanitarian cases flocked to the border-crossing to gain access out.
The Egyptian authorities have exceptionally opened the Rafah passageway for the fourth time since the start of 2016.
The border-crossings and borders committee called on the Palestinian passengers to follow the recommended travel tips so as to ensure safety.
The Egyptian authorities have been closing the Rafah border-crossing since 2007, blocking Gazans’ movement in and out except for a few days and over intermittent intervals.
Dozens of sick Gazans died as they failed to gain access out of the crossing for urgent treatment in foreign hospitals while others lost their works due to the same reason. Furthermore, many Gazan students could not travel to join their universities.
Mizan Center for Human Rights warned of the fact that Israeli occupation forces use the crossings for blackmailing and arresting sick people of Gaza Strip.
Sick people are left deprived of accessing hospitals through Beit Hanoun crossing by refusing or stalling the issuance of passage permits.
The Center pointed out in a statement on Tuesday that a sick citizen and two escorts of other patients were arrested at the crossing.
The statement considered their arrest as violation of the international humanitarian law and paragraph 2 of article 38 of Fourth Geneva Convention which obliges Israeli authorities to provide citizens under occupation with medical treatment and health care at hospital.
The Center also added that Israeli occupation violates human rights standards stipulated for in articles 22 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 12 of the international charter of the economic, social and cultural rights.
Sick people are left deprived of accessing hospitals through Beit Hanoun crossing by refusing or stalling the issuance of passage permits.
The Center pointed out in a statement on Tuesday that a sick citizen and two escorts of other patients were arrested at the crossing.
The statement considered their arrest as violation of the international humanitarian law and paragraph 2 of article 38 of Fourth Geneva Convention which obliges Israeli authorities to provide citizens under occupation with medical treatment and health care at hospital.
The Center also added that Israeli occupation violates human rights standards stipulated for in articles 22 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 12 of the international charter of the economic, social and cultural rights.
28 june 2016
PM urges Ban Ki-moon to use his position as UN Secretary General to force Hamas to return bodies of missing soldiers; Ban ki-Moon says blockade amounts to 'collective punishment'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Jerusalem on Tuesday, where he thanked the secretary general for meeting with the families of the Israelis being held in captivity by Hamas.
He told the secretary general "I want to thank you Mr. Secretary for agreeing to meet with the Goldin, Shaul and Mangisto families."
"Hamas is cruelly and illegally holding the remains of our soldiers and holding our citizens. I ask you to use your standing to help return home these soldiers and these citizens. It's a humanitarian position and elementary humanitarian requirement that Hamas and its criminal activities is of course throwing into the winds," he said.
Netanyahu continued, reiterating that "Hamas is a terrorist organization. Hamas has genocidal aims. It doesn't merely practice terrorism. It says openly that its goal is to wipe away from the face of the earth a member state of the United Nations."
"I hope the UN will highlight Hamas's crimes and understand that our security measures are aimed only at keeping our citizens safe from this threat and we use judicious force in this regards," the prime minister added. "I don’t know what any other country, faced with thousands of rockets and missiles aimed at our citizens, at our children, would do differently. Many have done it differently and they have not used the restraint and the responsibility that Israel uses.
Netanyahu also spoke about UN bodies paying undue attention to the Jewish state, saying "I remember well when you came in Israel in 2013 you said that Israel and the Israeli people face some bias. That's an understatement. But you also said that Israel must be treated equally at the UN. I appreciate your candor and this clear moral stance. It was exemplified in your efforts to secure the final Palmer report which was very important for Israel, and Mr. Secretary, I appreciate your personal efforts in that particular instance."
"Regrettably," the prime minister continued, "the goal of treating Israel fairly remains unfulfilled across a wide spectrum of UN activities and UN forums. Your visit here comes as the UN Human Rights Council is meeting. As it always does, the Council will condemn Israel, a country that does more to promote and protect human rights and liberal values than any other in the blood soaked Middle East."
"Our progressive democracy has faced more country-specific resolutions, more country-specific condemnations at the UN Human Rights Council than all the other countries combined. And I believe this is a profound betrayal of the United Nations noble mandate. Israel still faces bias at the UN. I know that your desire for all countries to be treated fairly and equally remains true today. I urge you to dedicate your last six months as the Secretary General of the United Nations in trying to right this wrong. And when I say that, it's not just for Israel's sake. It's for the credibility of the UN."
UN chief Ban Ki-moon described on Tuesday Israel's Gaza blockade as "collective punishment" which he said was fuelling the flames of violence: "This situation cannot continue. It fuels anger and despair and it increases the danger of an escalation of hostilities," he said during his fourth and final visit to Gaza as UN Secretary-General.
Ban's criticism came a day after Israel's announcement that it intended to maintain the embargo despite a normalization agreement with Turkey. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the blockade as a "security interest of high importance" to Israel, adding that Israel was "not prepared to renegotiate."
"The closure of Gaza suffocates its people, stifles its economy and impedes reconstruction efforts," said Ban, about the coastal strip which has enagaged in three wars with Israel since 2008.
"It's a collective punishment for which there must be accountability," he continued as he spoke in one of the dozens of UN schools supporting Palestinian refugees which constitute more than three-quarters of the population of the Gaza strip.
"Today, 70% of Gazans are in need of humanitarian assistance. Half of young Gazans have no, or little, job prospects on the horizon," he lamented.
According to the World Bank and the UN, Israel's blockade has had ruinous effects on Gaza's economy. The world body also condemns the restriction of movement of the vast majority of the 1.9 million Palestinians residing in Gaza.
For Israel however, the blockade remains an essential mechanism in preventing the entry of materials used by Hamas and other terror groups to produce weapons stockpiles which are invariably used to wreak havoc on Israel's citizens.
Ankara, which broke off diplomatic relations with Israel following a skirmish between the IDF and a group of 'peace activists' on the Mavi Marmara flotilla which set sail from Turkey in an effort to break the blockade of Gaza, had orginally made normalization conditional upon lifting the siege. However, it has since retracted its demand, insisting that Israel caters for the entry of humanitarian goods - a process which has long been an operative norm for Israel.
The agreement between Israel and Turkey finally include the construction with Turkish capital of a power plant, a desalination plant and a hospital in Gaza.
During the Secretary-General's visit to one of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) sites, a map depicting Palestine in the pre-1948 borders with no reference to Israel was covered up with fabric in order to avoid a diplomatic incident.
During his meeting with Ban on Tuesday, Netanyahu said: “Hamas, in their cruel ways, are holding the remains of our soldiers and civilians. I ask you to use your position to ensure that they are brought home. This is a basic humanitarian requirement. Hamas is an terror organization with an aim of murdering an entire nation. It says openly that its aim is to wipe Israel off the map.”
Netanyahu calls on Ban Ki-moon to help release his captured soldiers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday called on United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene for “the release of the Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas Movement.”
During his meeting with Ki-moon who is visiting the region, Netanyahu claimed that “Hamas Movement continues to capture two Israeli citizens and two killed soldiers’ bodies.” Netanyahu urged Ki-moon “to exert his influence to force Gaza’s ruling Hamas to return Israeli 'hostages' to their families.”
Ki-moon is scheduled to meet today with families of Israeli soldiers being held in captivity by Palestinian resistance. Last April, Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassem Brigades declared for the first time that it was holding Israeli soldiers. Hamas has earlier denied reports in recent days that Israel and Hamas may be nearing a prisoner swap for the four captured soldiers.
“Netanyahu is lying to his people” and “deceiving the families of the captive soldiers,” spokesman Abu Obeida said in a statement.
“There are no talks or negotiations relating to the prisoners. The enemy will not get information about the soldiers without paying a clear price before and after the negotiations,” he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Jerusalem on Tuesday, where he thanked the secretary general for meeting with the families of the Israelis being held in captivity by Hamas.
He told the secretary general "I want to thank you Mr. Secretary for agreeing to meet with the Goldin, Shaul and Mangisto families."
"Hamas is cruelly and illegally holding the remains of our soldiers and holding our citizens. I ask you to use your standing to help return home these soldiers and these citizens. It's a humanitarian position and elementary humanitarian requirement that Hamas and its criminal activities is of course throwing into the winds," he said.
Netanyahu continued, reiterating that "Hamas is a terrorist organization. Hamas has genocidal aims. It doesn't merely practice terrorism. It says openly that its goal is to wipe away from the face of the earth a member state of the United Nations."
"I hope the UN will highlight Hamas's crimes and understand that our security measures are aimed only at keeping our citizens safe from this threat and we use judicious force in this regards," the prime minister added. "I don’t know what any other country, faced with thousands of rockets and missiles aimed at our citizens, at our children, would do differently. Many have done it differently and they have not used the restraint and the responsibility that Israel uses.
Netanyahu also spoke about UN bodies paying undue attention to the Jewish state, saying "I remember well when you came in Israel in 2013 you said that Israel and the Israeli people face some bias. That's an understatement. But you also said that Israel must be treated equally at the UN. I appreciate your candor and this clear moral stance. It was exemplified in your efforts to secure the final Palmer report which was very important for Israel, and Mr. Secretary, I appreciate your personal efforts in that particular instance."
"Regrettably," the prime minister continued, "the goal of treating Israel fairly remains unfulfilled across a wide spectrum of UN activities and UN forums. Your visit here comes as the UN Human Rights Council is meeting. As it always does, the Council will condemn Israel, a country that does more to promote and protect human rights and liberal values than any other in the blood soaked Middle East."
"Our progressive democracy has faced more country-specific resolutions, more country-specific condemnations at the UN Human Rights Council than all the other countries combined. And I believe this is a profound betrayal of the United Nations noble mandate. Israel still faces bias at the UN. I know that your desire for all countries to be treated fairly and equally remains true today. I urge you to dedicate your last six months as the Secretary General of the United Nations in trying to right this wrong. And when I say that, it's not just for Israel's sake. It's for the credibility of the UN."
UN chief Ban Ki-moon described on Tuesday Israel's Gaza blockade as "collective punishment" which he said was fuelling the flames of violence: "This situation cannot continue. It fuels anger and despair and it increases the danger of an escalation of hostilities," he said during his fourth and final visit to Gaza as UN Secretary-General.
Ban's criticism came a day after Israel's announcement that it intended to maintain the embargo despite a normalization agreement with Turkey. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the blockade as a "security interest of high importance" to Israel, adding that Israel was "not prepared to renegotiate."
"The closure of Gaza suffocates its people, stifles its economy and impedes reconstruction efforts," said Ban, about the coastal strip which has enagaged in three wars with Israel since 2008.
"It's a collective punishment for which there must be accountability," he continued as he spoke in one of the dozens of UN schools supporting Palestinian refugees which constitute more than three-quarters of the population of the Gaza strip.
"Today, 70% of Gazans are in need of humanitarian assistance. Half of young Gazans have no, or little, job prospects on the horizon," he lamented.
According to the World Bank and the UN, Israel's blockade has had ruinous effects on Gaza's economy. The world body also condemns the restriction of movement of the vast majority of the 1.9 million Palestinians residing in Gaza.
For Israel however, the blockade remains an essential mechanism in preventing the entry of materials used by Hamas and other terror groups to produce weapons stockpiles which are invariably used to wreak havoc on Israel's citizens.
Ankara, which broke off diplomatic relations with Israel following a skirmish between the IDF and a group of 'peace activists' on the Mavi Marmara flotilla which set sail from Turkey in an effort to break the blockade of Gaza, had orginally made normalization conditional upon lifting the siege. However, it has since retracted its demand, insisting that Israel caters for the entry of humanitarian goods - a process which has long been an operative norm for Israel.
The agreement between Israel and Turkey finally include the construction with Turkish capital of a power plant, a desalination plant and a hospital in Gaza.
During the Secretary-General's visit to one of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) sites, a map depicting Palestine in the pre-1948 borders with no reference to Israel was covered up with fabric in order to avoid a diplomatic incident.
During his meeting with Ban on Tuesday, Netanyahu said: “Hamas, in their cruel ways, are holding the remains of our soldiers and civilians. I ask you to use your position to ensure that they are brought home. This is a basic humanitarian requirement. Hamas is an terror organization with an aim of murdering an entire nation. It says openly that its aim is to wipe Israel off the map.”
Netanyahu calls on Ban Ki-moon to help release his captured soldiers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday called on United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene for “the release of the Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas Movement.”
During his meeting with Ki-moon who is visiting the region, Netanyahu claimed that “Hamas Movement continues to capture two Israeli citizens and two killed soldiers’ bodies.” Netanyahu urged Ki-moon “to exert his influence to force Gaza’s ruling Hamas to return Israeli 'hostages' to their families.”
Ki-moon is scheduled to meet today with families of Israeli soldiers being held in captivity by Palestinian resistance. Last April, Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassem Brigades declared for the first time that it was holding Israeli soldiers. Hamas has earlier denied reports in recent days that Israel and Hamas may be nearing a prisoner swap for the four captured soldiers.
“Netanyahu is lying to his people” and “deceiving the families of the captive soldiers,” spokesman Abu Obeida said in a statement.
“There are no talks or negotiations relating to the prisoners. The enemy will not get information about the soldiers without paying a clear price before and after the negotiations,” he added.
|
|
Hillary Clinton allies on the Democratic Party’s platform drafting committee blocked a motion that called for an end to Israel’s military occupation and illegal settlement enterprise on June 25.
Watch the highlights of the heated debate that transpired between committee members appointed by Clinton versus by Senator Bernie Sanders. |
26 june 2016
A temporary extension imposed by Israeli authorities, on the designated fishing zone off the coast of the Gaza Strip, expired on Sunday, reducing the zone to six nautical miles after it had been set to nine miles, for one week.
Head of Gaza’s fishermen union Nizar Ayyash told Ma’an News Agency that Israeli authorities, at midnight, confirmed to the union via the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture that the zone would be reduced.
“A nine-mile zone is already a narrow fishing zone, so can you imagine the challenge when we are forced to sail within six miles,” Ayyash said, adding that fish were abundant only after the nine-mile point from the shore.
Some fishermen said that reducing the fishing zone from nine to six miles would allow only 30 percent of fishermen to go on fishing trips because the area was too narrow for all Gaza fishermen.
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories COGAT released a statement, last Monday, leading up to the extension, saying that it had been made “on the occasion of Ramadan, and due to abundance of fish this season.”
“We hope that fishermen respect understandings and agreements and do not violate the available fishing area, and to take advantage of this step to benefit the people of Gaza,” the statement added.
Furthermore, Zakariyya Abu Bakr, the head of the Union of Agricultural Workers Committees slammed, on Sunday, Israel’s treatment of fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
“The (Israeli) occupation created a big fuss when they extending the zone to nine nautical miles for the fishermen, though Israeli assaults against fishermen have only increased during that period.”
Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishermen on at least one occasion, over the past week, though due the high frequency of such incidents, live fire on fishing boats often go unreported. According to UN documentation, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinians in Gaza’s border areas on land and sea on at least 22 occasions, between June 14 and 20.
As part of Israel’s blockade off the coastal enclave since 2007, Palestinian fishermen have been required to work within a limited “designated fishing zone.”
The exact limits of the zone are decided by the Israeli authorities and have historically fluctuated, most recently extended to six nautical miles from three, following a ceasefire agreement that ended Israel’s 2014 offensive on the Palestinian territory.
However, the fishing zone was technically set to 20 nautical miles according to the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the PA in the early 1990s.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has reported that Israeli naval forces often open fire on fishermen within these limits, putting their lives in danger on a near-daily basis.
Last year, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen at least 139 times, killing three, wounding dozens, and damaging at least 16 fishing boats.
The Israeli army often says, in such circumstances, that the use of live fire is necessary to deter potential “security threats,” a policy which has, in effect, destroyed much of the agricultural and fishing sectors of the impoverished coastal Palestinian territory, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007.
Head of Gaza’s fishermen union Nizar Ayyash told Ma’an News Agency that Israeli authorities, at midnight, confirmed to the union via the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture that the zone would be reduced.
“A nine-mile zone is already a narrow fishing zone, so can you imagine the challenge when we are forced to sail within six miles,” Ayyash said, adding that fish were abundant only after the nine-mile point from the shore.
Some fishermen said that reducing the fishing zone from nine to six miles would allow only 30 percent of fishermen to go on fishing trips because the area was too narrow for all Gaza fishermen.
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories COGAT released a statement, last Monday, leading up to the extension, saying that it had been made “on the occasion of Ramadan, and due to abundance of fish this season.”
“We hope that fishermen respect understandings and agreements and do not violate the available fishing area, and to take advantage of this step to benefit the people of Gaza,” the statement added.
Furthermore, Zakariyya Abu Bakr, the head of the Union of Agricultural Workers Committees slammed, on Sunday, Israel’s treatment of fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
“The (Israeli) occupation created a big fuss when they extending the zone to nine nautical miles for the fishermen, though Israeli assaults against fishermen have only increased during that period.”
Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishermen on at least one occasion, over the past week, though due the high frequency of such incidents, live fire on fishing boats often go unreported. According to UN documentation, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinians in Gaza’s border areas on land and sea on at least 22 occasions, between June 14 and 20.
As part of Israel’s blockade off the coastal enclave since 2007, Palestinian fishermen have been required to work within a limited “designated fishing zone.”
The exact limits of the zone are decided by the Israeli authorities and have historically fluctuated, most recently extended to six nautical miles from three, following a ceasefire agreement that ended Israel’s 2014 offensive on the Palestinian territory.
However, the fishing zone was technically set to 20 nautical miles according to the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the PA in the early 1990s.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has reported that Israeli naval forces often open fire on fishermen within these limits, putting their lives in danger on a near-daily basis.
Last year, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen at least 139 times, killing three, wounding dozens, and damaging at least 16 fishing boats.
The Israeli army often says, in such circumstances, that the use of live fire is necessary to deter potential “security threats,” a policy which has, in effect, destroyed much of the agricultural and fishing sectors of the impoverished coastal Palestinian territory, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007.
23 june 2016
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) closed at night Wednesday all roads leading to Hawara checkpoint south of Nablus and were deployed in large numbers in the surrounding areas.
Local sources affirmed that a military checkpoint was erected at the entrance to Hawara following an alleged stone attack at a settlers’ car.
Since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli forces intensified their presence in Hawara town while Israeli settlers carried out provocative raids in the surrounding areas.
A similar checkpoint was erected at the entrance to Beita town, south of the city, where Israeli forces prevented locals’ movement in both directions.
Eyewitnesses affirmed that dozens of residents were forced to take their Iftar (breaking the Ramadan fasting) at the checkpoint.
IOF also closed Awarta checkpoint while two helicopters were seen flying over the area.
Local sources affirmed that a military checkpoint was erected at the entrance to Hawara following an alleged stone attack at a settlers’ car.
Since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli forces intensified their presence in Hawara town while Israeli settlers carried out provocative raids in the surrounding areas.
A similar checkpoint was erected at the entrance to Beita town, south of the city, where Israeli forces prevented locals’ movement in both directions.
Eyewitnesses affirmed that dozens of residents were forced to take their Iftar (breaking the Ramadan fasting) at the checkpoint.
IOF also closed Awarta checkpoint while two helicopters were seen flying over the area.
