Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 
Israeli Aggression Against the Palestinian People, Raids, Arrests, Demolitions, Ethnic Cleansing, Burning Fields

May 21, 2013

Palestinian it-in in solidarity with hunger striker Abu Daoud in al-Khalil, May 21, 2013, pic	Israeli excavations near Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, May 21, 2013 pic	Palestinian villagers threatened with ethnic cleansing hold a sit in outside Beit Eil court, May 20, 2013 pic

Israeli forces arrest 2 fishermen from Gaza

[ 21/05/2013 - 12:52 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)–

Israeli navy forces detained on Sunday night two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.

PIC's correspondent quoted eyewitnesses and human rights sources as saying that the two brothers Mahmoud and Khaled Zayed were arrested while fishing then were taken to an unknown location and their boat was confiscated.

The occupation forces' attacks on fishermen in Gaza persist; including opening fire at them, confiscating their equipment, and arresting them, in violation of the truce agreement between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation which was reached with Egyptian mediation last November.

The fishing zone for Palestinians in Gaza was determined to 6 miles, as part of a ceasefire that ended an eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in November; however in March Israel's army announced that the fishing zone would be reduced from six to three miles following a rocket attack.

Sit-in in solidarity with hunger striker Abu Daoud in al-Khalil

[ 21/05/2013 - 12:42 PM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Palestinian MPs and political leaders, liberated prisoners and dozens of citizens have participated in a sit-in in solidarity with the hunger striker Ayman Abu Daoud on Monday in al-Khalil city.

The participants raised the striker's photos and chanted slogans demanding his immediate release.

During the sit-in, Ayman's wife stressed that her husband has declared his hunger strike since 37 days where he rejected taking vitamins. He lost many of kilograms of his weight due to his hunger strike, she said.

Umm Mohamed, Ayman's wife, declared an open hunger strike since 15 days till the release of her husband. She called on international and local human rights institutions to intervene to save her husband's life where he suffers health deterioration in Ramle prison.

Local and international media have covered the sit-in in order to shed more light on his issue.

Ayman Abu Daoud launched a hunger strike on 14 April 2013 to protest his arbitrary re-arrest especially as he did not violate the terms of the agreement as claimed by the military prosecution. Furthermore, he is on hunger strike in protest of the prosecution’s attempt to re-impose the remainder of his previous sentence (28 years).

Excavations in the Buraq Square and Umayyad palaces

[ 21/05/2013 - 12:34 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

The Israeli occupation authority has accelerated on Monday its excavation and destruction in Buraq square and Umayyad palaces south of al-Aqsa mosque as a prelude to establish the so-called "Israeli Strauss Center project", a new Jewish-only building includes a police station and a Rabbi visitors centre.

Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage confirmed that Israeli bulldozers started digging on Monday morning in the Buraq area for the installation of steel shoring columns. The excavations led to the removal of several Arab and Islamic monuments in the area.

The occupation authority has been, for several months, carrying out extensive excavations in Umayyad palaces area as a prelude to turn it into an airport for the alleged Temple.

Al-Aqsa Foundation said that the occupation authorities seek to establish a "Talmudic Park" surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque at the expense of al-Rahma Gate.

The occupation escalated its Judaization projects in al-Aqsa mosque aiming to build its alleged Temple on the ruins of al-Aqsa mosque the third holiest site in Islam.

IOF raids al-Khalil, settlers burn lands in Nablus

[ 21/05/2013 - 10:09 AM ]

AL-KHALIL, NABLUS, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided Palestinian towns and villages around al-Khalil on Monday and erected military checkpoints at their entrances.

Several military vehicles raided and searched a number of houses in Beit Ummar town north of al-Khalil. No arrests were reported. The IOF also broke into Dura, Samu, and Yatta towns south of the city and set up checkpoints on their entrances, local sources confirmed.

Israeli military vehicles were stationed the entrances to Aroub refugee camp and Seir town in the city of al-Khalil, the sources added.

The Israeli military measures in the Palestinian towns around al-Khalil came a few days after clashes that erupted between the IOF and Palestinian youths led to several injuries among the Israeli soldiers and the burning of a military jeep.

Meanwhile, Israeli settlers from Gilad settlement set fire to Palestinian lands belonging to villagers from the villages of Immatin and Fara’ta in an attempt to burn the wheat crop.

Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces prevented the Palestinian farmers from reaching their fields to put out the fire and arrested a Palestinian villager claiming he was trying to attack the soldiers.

Occupation demolishes 4 commercial structures west of Jenin

[ 21/05/2013 - 07:29 AM ]

JENIN, (PIC)--

IOF troops raided on Monday morning the village of Bartaa al-Sharqeyya which is isolated behind the apartheid wall and demolished warehouses and shops in the market area and the industrial area at the village, less than two weeks after a similar onslaught against the village.

Eyewitnesses told the PIC correspondent that military bulldozers accompanied the invading forces and started the demolition after isolating the village from its surroundings.

Residents said that the occupation forces set up a roadblock that isolated the village from Bartaa al-Gharbeyya which lies inside the green line.

Local sources said that the occupation forces demolished for commercial structures belonging to the Kabaha family.

IOF raid east Nablus village, arrest 3 residents

[ 20/05/2013 - 08:36 PM ]

NABLUS, (PIC)--

IOF troops, at dawn Monday, raided the village of Kafr Qallil, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, and arrested three residents, including liberated prisoners and a PA policeman. The IOF also ransacked homes and failed to arrest others.

Local sources said that the IOF, helped by an intelligence officer called (Qodsi) arrested a student from Al-Najah University, liberated prisoner Saleh al-Amer, 22 years, Ihab Joseph, 38 years, who is also a liberated prisoner and PA policeman Muhammad Adel, 25 years.

Villagers threatened with ethnic cleansing hold a sit in outside Beit Eil court

[ 20/05/2013 - 07:48 PM ]

Al-Khalil, (PIC)--

Dozens of Palestinian families from eight villages south of al-Khalil, held a sit-in outside the headquarters of the Israeli Civil Administration, in Beit Eil, on Sunday afternoon, during a Court hearing to look into the appeal made ​​by the villagers against the demolition of their homes due to lack of license.

The IOF moved villagers by force hundreds of meters from the administration building while allowing settlers to attend the Court hearing.

The Israeli ministry of war decided to demolish eight Palestinian villages south of Hebron known as "Susia" villages, they are: Jazz, Taban, Wasfi, Alfkhait, Alhalawa, Almarakz, Janba and Kharouba at pretext of building without a permit.

Villagers say they are subjected to forced displacement and ethnic cleansing and the continuous attacks of Jewish settlers. The further emphasize that they will not leave their land which they inherited from their ancestors.

A number of seniors who attended the sit-in said they possess title-deeds dating back to the Ottoman era, known as the "taboo".

MP Khuraishah: IOA aims to deport all Palestinians from the Jordan Valley
 
[ 20/05/2013 - 07:17 PM ]
 
RAMALLAH, (PIC)--
 
Hassan Khuraishah, Second Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council, said that the Israeli authorities seek to deport all Palestinian farmers and residents in the Jordan Valley in order to fully confiscate their lands.
 
The Israeli occupation took advantage of the Arab internal tensions and Palestinian tensions particularly to impose its control over the Jordan Valley, he said.
 
The Israelis seek not only to approve the Land Swap initiative, but also to declare the Jewish state and to confiscate the Negev, he said.
 
The MP stressed that the Land Swap Initiative came to legitimize the Israeli settlements and to confiscate more Palestinian lands under different pretexts.
 
No one is entitled to compromise the Palestinian fundamental rights under any circumstances, said MP Khuraishah.

Palestinian historian: occupation seeks to blur the Palestinian identity

[ 20/05/2013 - 06:59 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

Prof. Mustafa Kabaha, Department of History and Philosophy at the Quds Open University, said that the Israeli occupation seeks to blur and thieve the Palestinian identity and history.

In an exclusive interview with the PIC reporter, Kabaha said that The Israeli authorities started renaming the Palestinian towns, cities and streets in order to impose the Israeli ideological, religious, and national control over the Palestinian territories in an attempt to falsify the land's history.

The Palestinian historical and cultural discourse is on the decline in light of the Israeli attempts to judaize the Palestinian names, he stated.

He called for confronting and thwarting the Israeli Judaizing schemes through reinforcing the new generation's awareness and adherence to the Palestinian history.

Kabaha revealed that there is an Israeli committee specifically charged with Judaizing and changing the Palestinian Arab names.