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43 Palestinians Killed, 1500 Injured by Israeli Occupation Forces, Protests Against Israeli Brutality in Washington and Pretoria

October 18, 2015 

 

Palestinian 16-year-old girl, Bayan Ahmed Aseila, was killed by Israeli occupation soldiers for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier, October 17, 2015	Palestinian young men and young women defending their neighborhood of Silwad against Israeli occupation soldiers, October 17, 2015

Arab and Muslim Americans in Washington D.C. protest brutality of the Israeli apartheid regime occupation forces, October 17, 2015.	South Africans in Pretoria protest brutality of the Israeli apartheid regime occupation forces, October 17, 2015.

 

5 Palestinians slain by Israeli troops in less than 24 hours

October 18, 2015, AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Another Palestinian civilian was fatally shot by the Israeli occupation army afternoon Saturday, bringing the death toll of Palestinians killed on the same day to five.

24-year-old Omar Mohamed al-Fakih was shot dead by the Israeli occupation soldiers at the Qalandia checkpoint, in northern Occupied Jerusalem, allegedly after he attempted to stab an officer.

The youngster, a native of Ramallah’s town of Qatna, was cold-bloodedly shot and breathed his last right on the spot.

16-year-old Bayan Ayman Aseila was killed on the same day after she attempted to stab an Israeli occupation border cop, slightly wounding the officer in the hand.

16-year-old Tareq al-Natsha, 18-year-old Fadl Mohamed al-Qawasma and 16-year-old Ahmad Hajis Aweisat were also fatally shot by the Israeli occupation army in al-Khalil and Occupied Jerusalem earlier in the day.

The Red Crescent Society said its emergency crews treated 86 injured Palestinians, 76 among whom from the West Bank and 10 others from the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Six of those treated by the Red Crescent crews sustained live bullet injuries; 27 were hit with rubber-coated bullets, and 53 more others choked on tear gas.

At least 43 Palestinian civilians, including 10 children and a woman, were cold-bloodedly slaughtered by the Israeli occupation army across the occupied Palestinian territories in the ongoing Jerusalem Intifada. 

15 Palestinians rounded up in predawn Israeli sweep across West Bank

  October 18, 2015,.RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

At least 15 Palestinians were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Sunday in an arbitrary mass-abduction campaign launched across cities of the West Bank.

The 15 Palestinians, arrested on allegations of involvement in anti-occupation activities, were all dragged to an Israeli detention center pending further investigation.

Five of those arrested were civilian youths from the West Bank province of Bethlehem.

15-year-old Udai al-Amour and Muhannad al-Amour were among the five Bethlehem captives, a PIC news reporter documented.

Meanwhile, a horde of 200 Israeli vandals stormed a Palestinian cultivated land in southern Bethlehem and seized it shortly afterwards.

Clashes burst out in Salfit after Israeli special forces and eight army jeeps stormed the city and raked through residential neighborhoods, targeting Palestinian civilian homes with tear gas canisters all the way through.

A number of Palestinians choked on tear gas and received field treatment.

Five more Palestinian youngsters, including ex-prisoner Ali Udwan, were arrested in Qalqilya, in the northern West Bank.

The Israeli occupation soldiers further nabbed two Palestinian civilians from al-Khalil’s western town of Awa. Both arrestees were dragged to an unknown location shortly afterwards.

Violent clashes reportedly flared up across al-Khalil city, where the IOF troops attacked Palestinian civilians, family homes, and schoolchildren with randomly-shot spates of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets.

A number of schoolchildren choked on tear gas in the process.

The assault culminated in a flying checkpoint abruptly pitched by the Israeli troops on the access road between northern al-Khalil and Bethlehem. 

Over recent days, a number of Palestinian children and youths were kidnapped by the IOF in ongoing clashes across the West Bank.

Israeli incursion reported in central Gaza

October 18, 2015, GAZA, (PIC)--

 Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided areas in central Gaza Strip, east of Breij refugee camp, on Sunday morning.

Media sources said that IOF soldiers in armored vehicles advanced 200 meters west of the security fence.

They added that the soldiers used two huge bulldozers to level land in the area under heavy presence of drones.

The area has witnessed violent confrontations over the past two week between angry young Palestinians protesting Israeli measures in occupied Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque and supporting the Jerusalem Intifada.

IOF declares Silwad closed military zone

October 18, 2015. SILWAD, (PIC)--

Israeli bulldozers closed both entrances of Silwad town near Ramallah  with cement blocks and sand berms which hindered the access of the town’s inhabitants to the city of Ramallah.

Eyewitnesses told Quds Press that the closure also included an agricultural road connecting the town to Nablus city, explaining that the closure followed an armed clash between Israeli troops and a Palestinian fighter.

Sources of Silwad’s municipal council revealed that the inhabitants will be forced to take a very long road, passing through seven villages, in order to reach Ramallah. This will hinder the access of students and workers to their schools and work places.

Local sources opined that closing the town is part of Israeli policy of collective punishment imposed on residents of Silwad. 

Palestinian girl goes missing in al-Khalil, settlers suspected of her abduction

October 18, 2015, AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

A Palestinian family has expressed fears that its little girl may have been kidnapped by Jewish settlers following her disappearance in Khirbat Rabud, southwest of Samu'a town in al-Khalil province.

The family of 13-year-old Tahani Rasmi appealed to local media outlets, human rights groups and the Palestinian security authorities to help find its missing child, who went missing on Saturday afternoon near the house.

It said that she might have been abducted by settlers from Otniel settlement, which is located near the village.

Israeli vandals trigger violence, assault Palestinian homes in al-Khalil

October 18, 2015, AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Hundreds of Israeli fanatic settlers overnight Saturday and at dawn Sunday have  stormed residential neighborhoods in the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil and assaulted a number of civilian homes under military escort.

A PIC journalist quoted eye-witnesses as reporting that Israeli fanatic settler hordes attacked Palestinians’ family homes across al-Khalil province in the presence of the heavily-armed occupation troops.

The Israeli vandals further showered Palestinian civilian homes with rocks, shortly before they broke into the buildings and forced the native inhabitants out.

Palestinian child Abdullah Naser Da’na reportedly sustained wounds after he was hit with an empty bottle thrown by the Israeli settlers.

Another child and a 40-year-old civilian were also injured in the assault.

Palestinian locals launched cries for help via mosque loud speakers in the Old City of al-Khalil and pushed for an urgent intervention to defend their children against Israel’s mounting terrorism.

Hundreds of other settlers residing in the illegal Israeli settlements of Kiryat Arba and Kharsina flocked to al-Khalil’s northern entrance in an attempt to assault more civilian homes in Sa’ir town. The assaults continued until dawn time.

A group of anti-occupation activists said their appeals to the international community, the Red Crescent organization, and the Palestinian Liaison have gone unheard.

A series of military checkpoints was, meanwhile, randomly pitched some 100 meters away from the area so as to prevent Palestinians from reaching the scene and saving the casualties.

General strike in al-Khalil amid Israeli tight measures

October 18, 2015, AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

General strike prevailed Saturday in al-Khalil city and Doura town in mourning of martyrs’ Iyad al-Awawda and Fadel al-Qawasmi. 

Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that commercial shops in al-Khalil and Doura were closed and the traffic was blocked on Saturday in preparation for the funeral of martyrs. 

On the other hand, Israeli forces tightened its security measures in al-Khalil and its vicinity and erected military checkpoints where Israeli soldiers searched Palestinian vehicles and blocked traffic.

The soldiers were deployed in large numbers at the Container barrier at the entrance of Shuhada Street where the Israeli soldiers executed Qawasmi.    

Hundreds march in South Africa protesting Israeli violations

October 17, 2015, PRETORIA, (PIC)--

Hundreds of South Africans took to the streets on Saturday in protest against Israeli violations against Palestinians and their holy places.

Confrontations between unarmed Palestinian protesters and heavily-armed Israeli soldiers have been raging for more than two weeks in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.

42 Palestinians were killed and more than 1500 others were wounded in the ongoing clashes that erupted after escalation of Israeli military and settlers’ attacks on Palestinian citizens, their property, and holy shrines.

Pro-Palestine rally in Washington slams Obama for supporting Israeli crimes

October 17, 2015, WASHINGTON, (PIC)--

Dozens of U.S. citizens, including Jews, rallied Saturday outside the White House in Washington in protest at the ongoing Israeli violations and terrorism against Palestinians and U.S’s pro-Israel position.

The rally-goers lifted Palestinian flags and banners reading “Freedom for Palestine”, “Stop Israeli aggressions on Gaza”, “Take your hands off the al-Aqsa Mosque”, “Netanyahu is a war criminal”, and “Obama stop siding with the Israeli occupation.”

The protesters spoke out against the simmering Israeli attacks on the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, in Occupied Jerusalem, and the peaceful Muslim sit-inners.

They further slammed Obama’s pro-Israel position, calling on the U.S. administration to stop funding the Israeli occupation and boosting war crimes and violations of Palestinians’ human rights.

Spokesman for the Jewish anti-Zionist Union Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss slammed the Israeli occupation for inciting violence and murder against Palestinians.

“The reason why we are here today lies in Israel’s murder of innocent people and civilian inhabitants,” he said. “Thoroughly speaking, Israel has been pursuing a politics of violence for years now.”

Meanwhile, U.S. citizen David Barros condemned Obama’s biased position as regards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the U.S. unreasonable support of Israeli war crimes.

“Our government does not respect Palestinian rights. Just like myself, many U.S. citizens would like to see Palestinian rights restored and everybody be treated fairly. It is just the right of every single person on Earth to acquire the same rights and live in peace,” he added.

At least 43 Palestinian civilians, including 10 children and a woman, were cold-bloodedly slaughtered by the Israeli occupation army across the occupied Palestinian territories in the ongoing Jerusalem Intifada. 

J'lem … ghost town thanks to the IOA military measures (report)

October 18, 2015, PIC --

Jerusalem streets these days are devoid of Palestinian passersby and cars except for a few; however, the streets are teeming with soldiers and vehicles of the Israeli occupation which exploits resistance operations as a justification to exercise racial cleansing against Palestinians. This situation turned the city of Jerusalem into a "ghost town".

The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) does not only pursue systematic killing all across the occupied Palestinian territories especially in Jerusalem, but also its forces are imposing a complete military siege around the holy city.

Anxiety and tension

Unlike every year on the eve of the "Hijra new year", a state of caution, fear and anticipation has prevailed in Jerusalem streets and the Old City. Jerusalem markets appear unusually empty while in previous years the Jerusalemites and Palestinians come from all over the occupied Palestinian territories to commemorate this occasion.

The scene of scouts roaming the streets of the city is also missing, as well as is the case for "Jerusalem clown" and the sweets he distributed to passers-by in the area of "Damascus Gate" … all those celebratory scenes are replaced with anxiety and tension.

Friday 16th Oct. was not a usual Friday at al-Aqsa Mosque, as it was devoid of massive worshipers as well as the streets leading to it where its visitors used to shop on their way to it and before leaving the city.

According to the director of al-Aqsa Mosque, the number of worshipers who were able to perform Friday prayers on October 16 did not exceed five thousand worshipers.

Military barracks

Traders of the Jerusalem city were affected financially by this situation. Jihad Noor, a store owner in the Old City of Jerusalem, said that, "we feel like we are in a military garrison, although there is no human being present in the place. No customers show up all the day, the city now is more like a ghost city".

He stressed that the economic situation in the Old City is very bad and that business is experiencing a difficult condition due to the unprecedented Israeli military escalation in the occupied city, explaining that, "there is no income to enable us pay our rents".

He pointed out that "the least store rent is five thousand shekels per month (US$ 1300), and merchants could not pay this amount of money when there are no customers (even) entering their stores”.

Harassment on the mere suspicion
He pointed out that the occupation police, officers and border guards deploy in the Old City on a daily basis, morning and evening, and stop anyone they suspect, and harass young men and young women on their way to work in the morning; they even once suspected in members of their own intelligence agents, who were wearing plain clothes, thinking that they are Palestinians, “this is happening because Israel is experiencing a state of paranoia”.

Revenge by financial fines

Ahmed Muhtaseb, one of the merchants of al-Wad Street said that, "the last few days were the toughest on the merchants of Jerusalem in the past two years, which forced some of them to close their shops to avoid financial fines by the Israeli municipality crews who roam daily in the markets."

He added, "The Israeli municipality crews have already imposed a financial fine worth 475 shekels (about US$ 125) on him and a similar one to his neighbor". 

The Old City merchants described what the Israeli municipality staff do as "retaliatory action" against Jerusalemites; to force them to leave the place for Jewish settlers, to be turned into a place solely for settlers, especially after the martyr Muhannad Halabi had carried out a stabbing operation in which two settlers were killed and two others were wounded in al-Wad street, which then was renamed after the martyr.

Merchants urged Palestinian citizens to revive the Old City of Jerusalem and to be always present in its streets and alleys and lanes, in rejection of the blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation. 

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