2 feb 2020

Israeli war minister Naftali Bennett decided last night to freeze entry of cement shipments to the besieged Gaza Strip in response to what he called daily Palestinian attacks on Israeli areas.
According to Maariv newspaper, the Israeli army gave instructions, at the behest of Bennett, to suspend cement exports to Gaza and withdraw permits from 500 cement dealers.
The measure, which is to take effect as of Sunday morning, was reportedly in response to daily Gaza attacks, which resumed recently after the Israeli occupation authority deliberately opened floodgates to dams and flooded vast tracts of farmlands and roads in the east of Gaza, causing considerable losses to the agricultural sector in particular.
According to Maariv newspaper, the Israeli army gave instructions, at the behest of Bennett, to suspend cement exports to Gaza and withdraw permits from 500 cement dealers.
The measure, which is to take effect as of Sunday morning, was reportedly in response to daily Gaza attacks, which resumed recently after the Israeli occupation authority deliberately opened floodgates to dams and flooded vast tracts of farmlands and roads in the east of Gaza, causing considerable losses to the agricultural sector in particular.
1 feb 2020

Out of a total of 242 (132 male; 110 female), or 11% of the total of Gaza patients’ applications for an Israeli army permit to cross Erez/Beit Hanoun for treatment outside the besieged Gaza Strip, but mainly in West Bank or East Jerusalem hospitals, who were denied a permit 55 were for children under 18 years and 18 were for patients aged 60 years or older and a quarter of them were cancer patients, according to the monthly World Health Organization’s (WHO) patient referral report.
It said that a quarter (25%) of denied applications were for appointments in oncology, 10% for orthopedics, 9% for cardiology, and 7% each for internal medicine, ophthalmology, urology, pediatrics, and hematology.
It explained that 88% of denied permit applications were for appointments at hospitals in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and 12% were for Israeli hospitals.
WHO said there were 2,198 patient applications submitted to Israeli authorities to cross Erez for healthcare in December: A third (34%) were for children under 18 and 16% were for patients aged 60 years or older.
It said 1,408 (777 male; 631 female) or 64% of the 2,198 applications to cross Erez in December were approved, close to the average approval rate so far for 2019. Over a third (36%) of permits approved were for children under 18 and a fifth (20%) were for patients aged 60 years or older.
However, 548 patient applications (322 male; 226 female), or 25% of the total, were delayed access to care, receiving no definitive response to their application by the date of their hospital appointment. Of these, 180 applications were for children under the age of 18 and 50 applications were for patients aged 60 years or older.
Almost a third (31%) of those delayed had appointments for oncology, 10% for hematology, 9% for pediatrics, 8% for cardiology, 7% for ophthalmology, and 7% for internal medicine. The remaining 28% were for 18 other specialties. The majority of delayed applications (499 or 91%) were 'under study’ at the time of appointment.
WHO said approval rate for those injured during the Great March of Return demonstrations, since 30 March 2018 remained significantly lower than the overall approval rate for patient permit applications to exit Gaza, with 17% (105) approved out of 604 applications, 28% (167) denied and 55% (332) delayed.
Out of 28 (19 male; 9 female) patients, aged 20 to 68 years, called in December for security interrogation at Erez as a prerequisite to processing of their permit applications, two of them were approved, nine were denied and 17 were delayed.
Thirteen patients had appointments for oncology, four for nuclear medicine, three for urology, two for vascular surgery, two for orthopedics, and one each for cardiology, hematology, neurosurgery, and general surgery.
It said that a quarter (25%) of denied applications were for appointments in oncology, 10% for orthopedics, 9% for cardiology, and 7% each for internal medicine, ophthalmology, urology, pediatrics, and hematology.
It explained that 88% of denied permit applications were for appointments at hospitals in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and 12% were for Israeli hospitals.
WHO said there were 2,198 patient applications submitted to Israeli authorities to cross Erez for healthcare in December: A third (34%) were for children under 18 and 16% were for patients aged 60 years or older.
It said 1,408 (777 male; 631 female) or 64% of the 2,198 applications to cross Erez in December were approved, close to the average approval rate so far for 2019. Over a third (36%) of permits approved were for children under 18 and a fifth (20%) were for patients aged 60 years or older.
However, 548 patient applications (322 male; 226 female), or 25% of the total, were delayed access to care, receiving no definitive response to their application by the date of their hospital appointment. Of these, 180 applications were for children under the age of 18 and 50 applications were for patients aged 60 years or older.
Almost a third (31%) of those delayed had appointments for oncology, 10% for hematology, 9% for pediatrics, 8% for cardiology, 7% for ophthalmology, and 7% for internal medicine. The remaining 28% were for 18 other specialties. The majority of delayed applications (499 or 91%) were 'under study’ at the time of appointment.
WHO said approval rate for those injured during the Great March of Return demonstrations, since 30 March 2018 remained significantly lower than the overall approval rate for patient permit applications to exit Gaza, with 17% (105) approved out of 604 applications, 28% (167) denied and 55% (332) delayed.
Out of 28 (19 male; 9 female) patients, aged 20 to 68 years, called in December for security interrogation at Erez as a prerequisite to processing of their permit applications, two of them were approved, nine were denied and 17 were delayed.
Thirteen patients had appointments for oncology, four for nuclear medicine, three for urology, two for vascular surgery, two for orthopedics, and one each for cardiology, hematology, neurosurgery, and general surgery.
28 jan 2020

Israeli forces, Tuesday, sealed off the Jeet junction, which connects the Nablus district to the Qalqilia district, according to local sources.
Witnesses told WAFA that Israeli soldiers closed the junction, restricting Palestinian movement and causing traffic jam.
Palestinians traveling from the southern and central West Bank to the northern West Bank and vice versa are forced to take alternative longer detours to reach their destinations.
The closure came as Israeli military has reinforced deployments in the occupied West Bank in anticipation of the release of the US-touted Mideast plan, dubbed the “Deal of the Century.
Palestinians have slammed the deal for endorsing Israel’s longstanding policy of permanent occupation, colonialism and apartheid over them.
Israeli severely restricts Palestinians’ freedom of movement through a complex combination of approximately 100 fixed checkpoints, flying checkpoints, settler-only roads and various other physical obstructions.
Closures besides to other measures, taken under the guise of security, are intended to entrench Israel’s 51-year-old military occupation of the West Bank and its settler colonial project which it enforces with routine and frequently deadly violence against Palestinians.
Witnesses told WAFA that Israeli soldiers closed the junction, restricting Palestinian movement and causing traffic jam.
Palestinians traveling from the southern and central West Bank to the northern West Bank and vice versa are forced to take alternative longer detours to reach their destinations.
The closure came as Israeli military has reinforced deployments in the occupied West Bank in anticipation of the release of the US-touted Mideast plan, dubbed the “Deal of the Century.
Palestinians have slammed the deal for endorsing Israel’s longstanding policy of permanent occupation, colonialism and apartheid over them.
Israeli severely restricts Palestinians’ freedom of movement through a complex combination of approximately 100 fixed checkpoints, flying checkpoints, settler-only roads and various other physical obstructions.
Closures besides to other measures, taken under the guise of security, are intended to entrench Israel’s 51-year-old military occupation of the West Bank and its settler colonial project which it enforces with routine and frequently deadly violence against Palestinians.
27 jan 2020

On Monday, the Commission of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege in Gaza, called for Palestinians to participate in national events rejecting the “Deal of the Century”, Shehab News Agency reported.
In a press statement, the commission encouraged all Palestinians to unite in total rejection of the so called “deal of the century“, set to be announced, on Tuesday, by US President, Donald Trump.
The statement further stated that the American plot will not succeed if there is a strong and unified national resistance, engaging local and international media outlets to intensify coverage of the events.
The head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, requested an urgent meeting with the “Fatah” movement and other factions, in Cairo, for a unified response to the so-called “deal of the century”.
The revelation of the Trump “peace plan” coincides with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US.
In a press statement, the commission encouraged all Palestinians to unite in total rejection of the so called “deal of the century“, set to be announced, on Tuesday, by US President, Donald Trump.
The statement further stated that the American plot will not succeed if there is a strong and unified national resistance, engaging local and international media outlets to intensify coverage of the events.
The head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, requested an urgent meeting with the “Fatah” movement and other factions, in Cairo, for a unified response to the so-called “deal of the century”.
The revelation of the Trump “peace plan” coincides with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US.
25 jan 2020

The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) last week prevented 15 West Bank Palestinians from travelling abroad through al-Karama crossing with Jordan.
The Palestinian Authority police said in a statement on Saturday that about 33,000 passengers managed to travel through al-Karama crossing last week in both directions.
Meanwhile, 15 Palestinian citizens were ordered to return when they arrived at the crossing for "security reasons" which the IOA refused to reveal.
The Palestinian Authority police said in a statement on Saturday that about 33,000 passengers managed to travel through al-Karama crossing last week in both directions.
Meanwhile, 15 Palestinian citizens were ordered to return when they arrived at the crossing for "security reasons" which the IOA refused to reveal.
24 jan 2020

The severity of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is currently growing in magnitude, as a result of Israel tightening its 15-year long, illegal siege of the poverty-stricken Palestinian territory.
Due to Israel’s restriction of gas, prevented from entering the besieged coastal enclave, the people of Gaza are facing a lack of sufficient heating, lighting, and the ability to properly deal with sewage, all this and more whilst their Arab neighbor, Egypt, is purchasing stolen Israeli gas.
Last February, Egypt signed a 19-billion-dollar gas deal with Israel. A few days ago, Israel officially began pumping that gas into Egypt via an ‘Eastern Mediterranean Gas’ pipeline formerly used to supply Israel with Egyptian gas (during the rule of ex-president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak).
Israel restricts the gas it is allowing into Gaza, collectively punishing the Palestinian people — which constitutes a crime against humanity — for what Israel decides is the illegitimate actions of Gaza’s democratically-elected government.
Egypt’s coup leader, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has not only sold the soul of Egypt by purchasing the Israeli occupying entity, but has also participated in enforcing Egypt’s side of the illegal blockade of Gaza. Sisi has continuously watched on as the two-million-strong population of the besieged Gaza Strip suffers untold misery.
Besides Egypt’s collaboration with Israel’s racist persecution of the Palestinian people in Gaza’s death camp is also the most shameful of deliberate targeting of Gaza’s food and resources by Israel itself.
The Palestinian Agricultural Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that Israel had purposely flooded and destroyed roughly 920 acres of farmlands in Eastern Jabalia and Beit Hanoun, Northern Gaza, causing 500,000 dollars worth of damage. On top of this, Israel has also begun spraying dangerous chemicals over farmland to the East of Khan Yunis and Rafah, located in the South of Gaza. The Gaza Strip has very scarce amounts of agricultural land and is already operating in a declared state of emergency, as of February 2018.
Adding to the list of Israeli crimes in Gaza is the fact that the Gaza gas fields, which were discovered in 1999 and belong to the Palestinian people under international law, still have not been excavated. The only reason for the Palestinians not being able to take advantage of their own oil is that Israel’s illegal blockade prohibits them from doing so, meaning that the people of Gaza are living in an area which has been deemed ‘unlivable’ by experts at the United Nations, suffering unimaginable pain, whilst literally sitting right next to a treasure trove of natural gas.
Approximately two weeks ago, Israel decided to cut off the main supply of gas from entering the Gaza Strip. Since then, Egypt has let in 10 trucks, which have entered the besieged territory, but according to Gaza’s residents, this simply has not been enough to supply the people with a sufficient source of gas. Khaled Tabasha, a Palestinian activist living in Gaza’s al-Bureij refugee camp, spoke to me, informing me that his family and many others living in his camp have not been able to cook properly. Khaled even said that things have gotten so bad that he and others have begun looking for wood, in order to start fires from which they can cook their food.
The term “sending Gaza back to the stone age” has been often used by Israeli politicians, referring to the military bombardments of the territory by Israel, but it seems by the blockade alone, Israel is achieving this aim.
In the Gaza Strip, a lack of gas not only means that Palestinians are having to resort to using wood fires to cook, it also affects motor vehicles, hospitals, and of course the heating inside houses. In addition to this, Gaza is again having an electricity crisis, which means that right now the people only have access to roughly four and a half hours of electricity per day. This is during a time where the climate is very cold in Gaza. To give an example of how cold Palestine has been lately, just yesterday, it snowed in al-Khalil (Hebron), located to the North of Gaza, in the West Bank.
Toxic Pesticides have also recently been sprayed along the separation fence, illegally built between Gaza and Israel. The spraying of these potentially lethal substances along the separation fence — a violation of international law — is justified by the Israelis as being a “security” precaution.
The question now remaining is: how long can Gaza continue to suffer as the conditions get more and more severe?
Due to Israel’s restriction of gas, prevented from entering the besieged coastal enclave, the people of Gaza are facing a lack of sufficient heating, lighting, and the ability to properly deal with sewage, all this and more whilst their Arab neighbor, Egypt, is purchasing stolen Israeli gas.
Last February, Egypt signed a 19-billion-dollar gas deal with Israel. A few days ago, Israel officially began pumping that gas into Egypt via an ‘Eastern Mediterranean Gas’ pipeline formerly used to supply Israel with Egyptian gas (during the rule of ex-president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak).
Israel restricts the gas it is allowing into Gaza, collectively punishing the Palestinian people — which constitutes a crime against humanity — for what Israel decides is the illegitimate actions of Gaza’s democratically-elected government.
Egypt’s coup leader, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has not only sold the soul of Egypt by purchasing the Israeli occupying entity, but has also participated in enforcing Egypt’s side of the illegal blockade of Gaza. Sisi has continuously watched on as the two-million-strong population of the besieged Gaza Strip suffers untold misery.
Besides Egypt’s collaboration with Israel’s racist persecution of the Palestinian people in Gaza’s death camp is also the most shameful of deliberate targeting of Gaza’s food and resources by Israel itself.
The Palestinian Agricultural Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that Israel had purposely flooded and destroyed roughly 920 acres of farmlands in Eastern Jabalia and Beit Hanoun, Northern Gaza, causing 500,000 dollars worth of damage. On top of this, Israel has also begun spraying dangerous chemicals over farmland to the East of Khan Yunis and Rafah, located in the South of Gaza. The Gaza Strip has very scarce amounts of agricultural land and is already operating in a declared state of emergency, as of February 2018.
Adding to the list of Israeli crimes in Gaza is the fact that the Gaza gas fields, which were discovered in 1999 and belong to the Palestinian people under international law, still have not been excavated. The only reason for the Palestinians not being able to take advantage of their own oil is that Israel’s illegal blockade prohibits them from doing so, meaning that the people of Gaza are living in an area which has been deemed ‘unlivable’ by experts at the United Nations, suffering unimaginable pain, whilst literally sitting right next to a treasure trove of natural gas.
Approximately two weeks ago, Israel decided to cut off the main supply of gas from entering the Gaza Strip. Since then, Egypt has let in 10 trucks, which have entered the besieged territory, but according to Gaza’s residents, this simply has not been enough to supply the people with a sufficient source of gas. Khaled Tabasha, a Palestinian activist living in Gaza’s al-Bureij refugee camp, spoke to me, informing me that his family and many others living in his camp have not been able to cook properly. Khaled even said that things have gotten so bad that he and others have begun looking for wood, in order to start fires from which they can cook their food.
The term “sending Gaza back to the stone age” has been often used by Israeli politicians, referring to the military bombardments of the territory by Israel, but it seems by the blockade alone, Israel is achieving this aim.
In the Gaza Strip, a lack of gas not only means that Palestinians are having to resort to using wood fires to cook, it also affects motor vehicles, hospitals, and of course the heating inside houses. In addition to this, Gaza is again having an electricity crisis, which means that right now the people only have access to roughly four and a half hours of electricity per day. This is during a time where the climate is very cold in Gaza. To give an example of how cold Palestine has been lately, just yesterday, it snowed in al-Khalil (Hebron), located to the North of Gaza, in the West Bank.
Toxic Pesticides have also recently been sprayed along the separation fence, illegally built between Gaza and Israel. The spraying of these potentially lethal substances along the separation fence — a violation of international law — is justified by the Israelis as being a “security” precaution.
The question now remaining is: how long can Gaza continue to suffer as the conditions get more and more severe?
11 jan 2020

The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) last week prevented 20 West Bank Palestinians from travelling abroad through al-Karama crossing with Jordan.
According to a statement by the Palestinian Authority police on Saturday, the IOA allowed about 52,000 passengers to travel through al-Karama crossing in both directions last week.
Meanwhile, 20 Palestinian citizens were banned from travel for "security reasons" which the IOA refused to reveal.
According to a statement by the Palestinian Authority police on Saturday, the IOA allowed about 52,000 passengers to travel through al-Karama crossing in both directions last week.
Meanwhile, 20 Palestinian citizens were banned from travel for "security reasons" which the IOA refused to reveal.
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