28 feb 2020
Israeli occupation authorities, on Wednesday, reopened the two main crossings with Gaza after days of closure following the latest escalation of tensions at the beginning of this week, Arab48 reported.
In a statement, the unit of the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Territories (COGAT) said that the activities of the two crossings would resume after positive evaluation related to “security stability”.
On Tuesday, Hamas sent a message to Israel, through international mediators, that it must reopen the crossings and expand the fishing zone, Israel’s Public Broadcaster Kan reported.
“The international mediators [UAE, Qatar and Egypt] are working to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza and regain stability in return for resuming measures previously announced by Israel to ease the siege on Gaza,” Kan added.
The latest exchange of fire between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance began on Sunday when Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian, then fired live ammunition against those who attempted to remove the slain man’s body.
In a statement, the unit of the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Territories (COGAT) said that the activities of the two crossings would resume after positive evaluation related to “security stability”.
On Tuesday, Hamas sent a message to Israel, through international mediators, that it must reopen the crossings and expand the fishing zone, Israel’s Public Broadcaster Kan reported.
“The international mediators [UAE, Qatar and Egypt] are working to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza and regain stability in return for resuming measures previously announced by Israel to ease the siege on Gaza,” Kan added.
The latest exchange of fire between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance began on Sunday when Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian, then fired live ammunition against those who attempted to remove the slain man’s body.
27 feb 2020
The Israeli occupation army on Wednesday decided to again allow Palestinian fisherman to work off the Gaza coast up to 15 nautical miles.
According to the fishermen committees in Gaza, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles as of Thursday 04:00 am.
During the last Israeli military escalation, the Israeli army had closed the Beit Hanoun (Erez) and Karam Abu Salem border crossings in Gaza and reduced the fishing zone to six nautical miles before deciding to close the entire fishing area.
However, the Israeli decision to lift those sanctions on Gaza came following a security assessment of the situation.
“Following a new situation assessment — and assuming the security stability remains — it was decided to return to service the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings beginning tomorrow (Thursday) morning. In addition, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles,” Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians said in a statement.
Israel has systematically used the opening and closing of these crossings and the shortening and extending of the fishing zone over long years as alternately penalty and reward for the embattled Gaza Strip, which many human rights groups decry as a form of mass punishment.
According to the fishermen committees in Gaza, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles as of Thursday 04:00 am.
During the last Israeli military escalation, the Israeli army had closed the Beit Hanoun (Erez) and Karam Abu Salem border crossings in Gaza and reduced the fishing zone to six nautical miles before deciding to close the entire fishing area.
However, the Israeli decision to lift those sanctions on Gaza came following a security assessment of the situation.
“Following a new situation assessment — and assuming the security stability remains — it was decided to return to service the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings beginning tomorrow (Thursday) morning. In addition, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles,” Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians said in a statement.
Israel has systematically used the opening and closing of these crossings and the shortening and extending of the fishing zone over long years as alternately penalty and reward for the embattled Gaza Strip, which many human rights groups decry as a form of mass punishment.
26 feb 2020
Israeli occupation forces confiscated, on Wednesday at dawn, lathe machines from a blacksmith’s workshop in Hebron, in southern West Bank, and ransacked searched several houses in the towns of al-Borj and Sa’ir, south, and east of Hebron.
Local sources said the soldiers broke into a blacksmith’s workshop in the at-Tihta area, south of Hebron, destroyed equipment and confiscated several lathe machines.
They added that the soldiers surrounded the entire area and prevented the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.
The soldiers also stormed and ransacked several houses in the town of al-Borj, south of Hebron, and invaded the town of Sa’ir, east of Hebron, before searching a few homes.
Local sources said the soldiers broke into a blacksmith’s workshop in the at-Tihta area, south of Hebron, destroyed equipment and confiscated several lathe machines.
They added that the soldiers surrounded the entire area and prevented the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.
The soldiers also stormed and ransacked several houses in the town of al-Borj, south of Hebron, and invaded the town of Sa’ir, east of Hebron, before searching a few homes.
25 feb 2020
The Israeli occupation army on Monday announced its decision to close the Beit Hanoun (Erez) border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip and reduce the permissible fishing areas in the Gaza Sea as punitive measures for rocket counterattacks on Israeli areas.
Kamil Abu Rukun, coordinator of the Israeli government activities in the occupied territories, said the Erez crossing would be closed until a further announcement, according to Israeli news reports.
He added that the fishing areas off the coast of Gaza would also be decreased to “six nautical miles,” and all Gazan businessmen would be denied entry to Israel.
The Israeli steps came following Palestinian rocket counterattacks from Gaza on Israeli areas.
Israeli air raids on Gaza continued intensely throughout the afternoon and evening of Monday, targeting civilian and resistance structures and areas. The Israeli occupation army claimed its attacks on Gaza were in response to persistent rocket fire by the Palestinian resistance.
However, the military escalation started after Israeli forces brutally killed a Palestinian citizen, desecrated his body and injured others inside a Gaza border area on Sunday.
An Israeli overnight air raid on Damascus on Sunday night also claimed the lives of two Palestinians affiliated with the Islamic Jihad Movement.
Such Israeli crimes provoked the Palestinian resistance to launch counterattacks on Israeli settlements and military targets.
Kamil Abu Rukun, coordinator of the Israeli government activities in the occupied territories, said the Erez crossing would be closed until a further announcement, according to Israeli news reports.
He added that the fishing areas off the coast of Gaza would also be decreased to “six nautical miles,” and all Gazan businessmen would be denied entry to Israel.
The Israeli steps came following Palestinian rocket counterattacks from Gaza on Israeli areas.
Israeli air raids on Gaza continued intensely throughout the afternoon and evening of Monday, targeting civilian and resistance structures and areas. The Israeli occupation army claimed its attacks on Gaza were in response to persistent rocket fire by the Palestinian resistance.
However, the military escalation started after Israeli forces brutally killed a Palestinian citizen, desecrated his body and injured others inside a Gaza border area on Sunday.
An Israeli overnight air raid on Damascus on Sunday night also claimed the lives of two Palestinians affiliated with the Islamic Jihad Movement.
Such Israeli crimes provoked the Palestinian resistance to launch counterattacks on Israeli settlements and military targets.
23 feb 2020
Israeli soldiers closed, on Sunday morning, several roads in Masafer Yatta town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Media sources said the soldiers installed sandhills and concrete blocks on many roads leading to Masafer Yatta, located east of Yatta town, south of Hebron, and prevented the Palestinians from crossing.
The added that the soldiers frequently close roads in that area, and its surroundings, preventing the Palestinians from moving around, or entering their own lands.
Masafer Yatta is subject to constant Israeli violations carried out by the soldiers and illegal colonists and aim at forcing the Palestinian out of their lands.
The soldiers also frequently demolish homes, or structures and sheds, in addition to handing demolition orders, rendering scores of Palestinians homeless.
Media sources said the soldiers installed sandhills and concrete blocks on many roads leading to Masafer Yatta, located east of Yatta town, south of Hebron, and prevented the Palestinians from crossing.
The added that the soldiers frequently close roads in that area, and its surroundings, preventing the Palestinians from moving around, or entering their own lands.
Masafer Yatta is subject to constant Israeli violations carried out by the soldiers and illegal colonists and aim at forcing the Palestinian out of their lands.
The soldiers also frequently demolish homes, or structures and sheds, in addition to handing demolition orders, rendering scores of Palestinians homeless.
22 feb 2020
The Popular Committee Against the Siege has said that about 5,000 different industrial and economic facilities and businesses were shut down as a result of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
“The closure of these facilities is a dangerous indicator of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation as a result of the blockade. Thousands of workers, engineers, accountants and technicians stopped working and the economy wheel has come to a halt,” head of the committee Jamal al-Khudari said.
He warned that the difficult situation in Gaza has catastrophic impacts on the Palestinian economy and lives of more than two million citizens, who suffer from suffocating siege and successive crises.
“The closure of these facilities is a dangerous indicator of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation as a result of the blockade. Thousands of workers, engineers, accountants and technicians stopped working and the economy wheel has come to a halt,” head of the committee Jamal al-Khudari said.
He warned that the difficult situation in Gaza has catastrophic impacts on the Palestinian economy and lives of more than two million citizens, who suffer from suffocating siege and successive crises.
21 feb 2020
Israeli forces Friday morning sealed off the main checkpoint of Tayaseer, east of Tubas city, in the northern West Bank.
Aref Daraghmeh, a human rights activist, said that Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint closed it in both directions, disconnecting Tubas from the northern Jordan Valley and forcing Palestinians to look for longer routes to reach their destinations.
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.
Aref Daraghmeh, a human rights activist, said that Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint closed it in both directions, disconnecting Tubas from the northern Jordan Valley and forcing Palestinians to look for longer routes to reach their destinations.
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.
20 feb 2020
Israel today reinforced closure of two access roads to the village of Deir Nidham, northwest of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, already closed with a metal gate and a concrete barrier, with dirt mounds, according to village sources.
They said that the soldiers added dirt mounds to the two northern entrances to the village despite the fact that they have been shut for a while with a metal gate and a concrete barrier to make it harder for even people to walk through them on foot, let alone drive their cars.
Only one access road remains for the village, on the eastern side, but that one also has an iron gate installed and a permanent military checkpoint where people are usually stopped and inspected, often delayed for hours.
Deir Nidham has been subject to Israeli army harassment for several months. Soldiers daily raid the village, take over rooftops and harass residents, particularly students, said the sources.
They said that the soldiers added dirt mounds to the two northern entrances to the village despite the fact that they have been shut for a while with a metal gate and a concrete barrier to make it harder for even people to walk through them on foot, let alone drive their cars.
Only one access road remains for the village, on the eastern side, but that one also has an iron gate installed and a permanent military checkpoint where people are usually stopped and inspected, often delayed for hours.
Deir Nidham has been subject to Israeli army harassment for several months. Soldiers daily raid the village, take over rooftops and harass residents, particularly students, said the sources.
16 feb 2020
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Sunday re-closed the main entrance to Deir Nidham village, west of Ramallah City.
According to local residents, the IOF soldiers returned the cement blocks which they had placed several days ago and which the residents of Deir Nidham removed yesterday.
On Saturday, the Palestinian residents of Deir Nidham organized a march towards the entrance of their village in protest at Israeli attacks and restrictions and removed the cement blocks and the iron gate the IOF placed about five days ago to limit their movement.
According to local residents, the IOF soldiers returned the cement blocks which they had placed several days ago and which the residents of Deir Nidham removed yesterday.
On Saturday, the Palestinian residents of Deir Nidham organized a march towards the entrance of their village in protest at Israeli attacks and restrictions and removed the cement blocks and the iron gate the IOF placed about five days ago to limit their movement.
Israeli soldiers fired, on Saturday night after midnight, a few missiles into a site in the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip, causing damage, after the army claimed that two shells were fired from the coastal region.
The army also revoked the permits of 500 merchants in addition to reducing the fishing zone.
Media sources said Israeli F16 warplanes fired missiles into a site west of Deir al-Balah city, in central Gaza, causing damage to the targeted location and several surrounding homes.
Israeli war jets and drones were also seen and heard flying over several parts of the coastal region.
The Israeli army claimed that it was retaliating to homemade shells that were reportedly fired from Gaza into nearby settlements.
In a statement, the Israeli army also said it has decided to revoke the permits of 500 Gaza merchants, which will prevent them from leaving the Gaza Strip on their way to Jerusalem or the rest of the occupied West Bank.
Furthermore, the Israeli Navy said it has decided to reduce the fishing zone allotted to Gaza Strip, for the second time since Wednesday, when it reduced it from 15 to 10 nautical miles, in addition to denying the entry of construction materials into the coastal region.
The army also revoked the permits of 500 merchants in addition to reducing the fishing zone.
Media sources said Israeli F16 warplanes fired missiles into a site west of Deir al-Balah city, in central Gaza, causing damage to the targeted location and several surrounding homes.
Israeli war jets and drones were also seen and heard flying over several parts of the coastal region.
The Israeli army claimed that it was retaliating to homemade shells that were reportedly fired from Gaza into nearby settlements.
In a statement, the Israeli army also said it has decided to revoke the permits of 500 Gaza merchants, which will prevent them from leaving the Gaza Strip on their way to Jerusalem or the rest of the occupied West Bank.
Furthermore, the Israeli Navy said it has decided to reduce the fishing zone allotted to Gaza Strip, for the second time since Wednesday, when it reduced it from 15 to 10 nautical miles, in addition to denying the entry of construction materials into the coastal region.
