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Israeli Apartheid Regime Continues Blockade of Gaza, Force-Feeding Political Prisoners, Firing at Protesters, Kidnapping of Civilians, Demolishing of Palestinian Homes

August 15, 2015 

 

The Palestinian young man, Muhammed Nassim, who was shot and injured after he allegedly attacked an Israeli soldier with a knife at the Ofer military road barrier west of Ramallah city afternoon Saturday, August 15, 2015.	Israeli occupation soldiers deny Palestinians use of roads used by the illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank, file, August 15, 2015

Palestinian women protesting the Israeli occupation government policy of administrative detention, in which Palestinians are kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces and imprisoned without charges or trials, file, August 15, 2015.	Palestinians protesting the Israeli occupation government blockade of Gaza Strip, August 14, 2015

 

PHRC: Gaza blockade increases poverty rate to 38.8%

August 15, 2015, GAZA, (PIC)--

The Palestinian Human Rights Center (PHRC) said that due to the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel, the poverty rate in Gaza has recently increased to reach 38.8%; out of which 21.1% are suffering from destitution. The unemployment rate has recently increased to reach 44%. 

PHRC warned that these rates indicate an unprecedented economic deterioration in the blockaded enclave.

In its weekly report, PHRC pointed out that the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has imposed sanctions against the civilians in the West Bank as part of the collective punishment policy pursued by the IOA, which flagrantly violates international human laws.

The report also said that the IOA has completely closed three out of four commercial crossings which connect Gaza with the West Bank and Israel.

Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing is Gaza's only commercial crossing but it is not fit to meet the needed amount of goods and fuel.

PHRC charged that Israel has imposed tight security restrictions on people’s movement via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing depriving the Gazans from reaching their families in WB and the 1948-occupied lands, let alone the hundreds of students who were deprived from attending the WB universities.

The IOA is banning the entry of raw materials and construction materials to the Strip except for very few kinds and in very limited quantities to be used in the international projects, according to the report.

It highlighted that there is an almost complete ban on Gaza's exports except for few products like flowers, strawberries, and spices.

PHRC stressed that Gaza and the West Bank including Jerusalem are still under Israeli occupation and that crossings' closure and collective punishment policies are still imposed on the Gazans in absolute disregard to the human rights’ treaties, the international humanitarian law, and Geneva Conventions. 

Israel is bound to apply the international human rights law (IHRL) in a way that provides the civilians and victims with better protection, the report said.

Israel has been imposing tight land and sea blockade on Gaza in an attempt to completely isolate the Strip from the external world, which seriously worsened the economic, social, educational and living conditions of about 1.8 million Palestinians.

Youth shot and wounded after attacking soldier

August 15, 2015, RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

A Palestinian young man was shot and injured after he attacked an Israeli occupation soldier with a knife at the Ofer military road barrier west of Ramallah city afternoon Saturday.

Hebrew media reported that the young man was arrested after he was shot at, and identified him as Mohammed Nassim from Beit Anan village in occupied Jerusalem.

The media report would not specify the condition of the wounded soldier, but added that military reinforcements were sent to the scene and closed off the entire area.

For its part, a Hebrew website said that the soldier was only slightly wounded and was treated on the field.

The Palestinian youth approached the soldiers at the roadblock and asked for water then drew a knife and attacked one of them, according to the website.

The attack is the last in a series of “lone-wolf” attacks carried out by Palestinian young men in the West Bank against Israeli soldiers and settlers in retaliation to the escalating settlers’ attacks on citizens, the most brutal of which was burning a Palestinian baby alive in Duma village in Nablus. The baby’s father died a few days later while his mother and little brother are still in intensive care due to the severe burns suffered in the arson attack on their home.

Israel continues to bar Palestinians from using road in Ramallah

August 15, 2015, RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

The Israeli occupation army has continued for the 13th day running to prevent the Palestinians from using the road adjacent to the illegal settlement of Beit El, which was established on Palestinian-owned lands in Ramallah.

Local sources told Quds Press that the Israeli army closed the road with concrete blocks on July 31 following violent clashes with angry Palestinian young men who reacted to the deadly arson attack on al-Dawabsheh family in Nablus.

The Palestinian citizens were using the road to travel between Ramallah city and the northern cities and towns of the West Bank, according to the sources.

The closure forced the citizens to use other unpaved routes to reach the northern West Bank areas and al-Jalazoun refugee camp.

Israel issues 14 administrative prison orders against detainees

August 15, 2015, GAZA, (PIC)--

Different Israeli courts issued administrative detention orders against 14 Palestinian prisoners from al-Khalil city during the last two days.

The prisoner media center stated in a recent brief report that two prisoners were administratively jailed for the first time and 12 others received extensions to their previous administrative prison terms.

All the detainees were sentenced with no indictment or trials.

In the last few months, 33 administrative detention orders were issued by Israeli courts against Palestinians.

IOF quells West Bank protests against settlement

August 15, 2015, RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

Dozens of Palestinian and foreign activists on Friday afternoon suffered injuries when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) violently attacked the marches they held to protest Israel's segregation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.

In Kafr Qaddum town near Nablus, the IOF attacked the protestors a few minutes after they started their march, according to a spokesman for the popular resistance in the area.

The soldiers opened fire at the protestors and showered them with tear gas grenades and skunk water, causing many of them to suffer from suffocation.

The spokesman said that hundreds of Kafr Qaddum protestors and their children carried pictures of al-Dawabsheh family's toddler who was burned alive in a recent arson attack by Jewish settlers in Nablus as well as his father who died later of burn wounds.  

The protestors also chanted slogans against the occupation and demanding the opening of the main road of the town, which was annexed to Kedumim settlement 13 years ago.

The IOF had closed in the morning the main entrance to Kafr Qaddum and declared the town a closed military zone, which forced the protestors to use alternative unpaved roads.

The IOF also suppressed anti-wall marches organized in the towns of Bil'in, Ni'lin and Nabi Saleh near Ramallah and clashed with the participants.

Different local sources reported that violent clashes broke out between young protestors and Israeli soldiers in the towns, especially in Bil'in. Several young men suffered injuries in the events.

A vast tract of cultivated land caught fire in Bil'in town as a result of the intensive firing of tear gas and stunt grenades.

Marches in J'lem and Nablus in solidarity with hunger striker

August 15, 2015, OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

A rally and a sit-in were staged in al-Aqsa Mosque after Friday prayers in solidarity with Muhammad Allan who has been on a hunger strike for 59 uninterrupted days to protest his administrative detention. 

The demonstrators raised Allan's photos and chanted slogans calling for releasing him and ending his administrative detention. 

Hundreds of Palestinians participated in a march that started from a mosque in Nablus city, to the north of the West Bank, after Friday prayers in support of Allan.

Quds Press said that many human rights activists, representatives of Palestinian factions and forces, and hundreds of activists participated in the march along with a wide popular participation to call for intensifying official and popular support to save the hunger striker's life.

The participants delivered speeches addressing the critical health condition of Allan, who has been in coma since yesterday, and that he might die at any moment.

In a related context, the European Union for the rights of Palestinian prisoners has warned of the sharp deterioration in Allan's health status.

"Allan might die at any moment; his health condition reached a very critical stage," The Union said. It held the international community and the Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) fully responsible for Allan's life.

The statement also said: "It is a shame on the Israeli government and on the entire world that a captive had to go through all this suffering to demand his legitimate right to freedom while the whole world is watching in silence."

Commenting on Allan's exacerbated health status, Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHR-I) organization said in a statement: "Once Alan lost consciousness, medical ethics requires that his doctors act in accordance to their understanding of the patient's will and their discretion. PHR-Israel hopes and believes that the doctors in Barzilai Hospital have acted with respect and in accordance with Allan's will.”

The statement also charged: “The situation we are now facing could have been avoided. It was possible to hold a dialogue and reach an understanding that would have prevented this deterioration."

“It is time for the Israeli political leadership to reach a decision to release Allan from administrative detention and enable his doctors to concentrate on fighting for his life,” the statement said.

IOF arrests four Palestinian citizens from WB

August 15, 2015, NABLUS, (PIC)--

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Friday arrested four Palestinian citizens from the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya while they were in Beit Dajan village east of Nablus city, according to local sources.

The sources clarified that the IOF late last night arrested the four youths and took them to an unknown destination.

In a related context, the IOF at dawn Friday stormed Jenin refugee camp and confiscated a vehicle belonging to a Palestinian citizen, which led to the outbreak of clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli forces. Neither injuries nor arrests were reported.

IOF rolls into Jenin refugee camp, triggers clashes

August 15, 2015, JENIN, (PIC)--  

A round of violent clashes broke out at dawn Friday after the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rolled into the Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank.

Local sources said the Israeli occupation troops attacked a group of Palestinian unarmed youths with random spates of gunfire, tear gas canisters, and stun grenades.

The IOF also stormed an automobile repair shop owned by the Palestinian citizen Mussa al-Badawi and confiscated a vehicle.

A number of Palestinian civilians were aggressively attacked in the process.

The IOF further moved into the nearby Wad Burkin area, where an army patrol was stationed for hours.

20 Palestinian families to go homeless as Israel notifies demolition

August 14, 2015, OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

The Israeli civil administration on Thursday morning notified the demolition of 20 Palestinian homes in Abu Nawar residential complex, in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

“We were shocked upon catching sight of the Israeli occupation authorities rolling into the area in the early morning hours and threatening to knock down the homes in three days,” spokesman for the Abu Nawar complex, Daoud Jahalin, told the Quds Press.

He added that at least 150 Palestinian civilians have been taking shelter at the targeted homes, having no other places to resort to.

The Abu Nawar residential complex, covering some 389 dunums, has been a home for 105 Palestinian families, setting up roots in the area since the early 1950's.

Observers said the notifications make part of a larger Israeli policy of ethnic cleansing aimed at deporting the Abu Nawar Bedouins, who have been living on agriculture and nomadic herding of sheep, from their own and only homes.

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