Ref: 155/2012 On 24 December 2012, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) made a written submission, in the form of an Individual Complaint, to Ms. Raquel Rolnik, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, which draws attention to the case of Mr. Mahmoud Nimee Al Bahtiti (62) from Tel-al-Hawa, Gaza City, Gaza Strip (Palestine). As a part of the Israeli offensive on Gaza Strip, Operation Pillar of Defense, on 16 November 2012 the Israeli Air Force twice bombarded the building of the Civil Department of the Ministry of Interior in Gaza City. The building is located in a densely populated residential area, close to many homes, 2 schools, and a hospital. The first attack was carried out at around 05:30 hours and the second attack took place at around 21:30 hours on the same day. The impact of both these attacks, especially the second one, caused immense damage and destruction to the surrounding civilian properties including civilian homes. Mr. Mahmoud Nimee Al Bahtiti’s 2-storey building, which is located just over 5 meters away from the Ministry of Interior’s building, was severely damaged in these Israeli air strikes. The building is home to the 27 members of the Al Bahtiti family, and has the family-owned automobile workshop on the ground floor. The entire building was extensively damaged in the attack. Being the Occupying Power of the Gaza Strip, Israel is compelled to observe its obligations under the international human rights treaties and covenants it has ratified. Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights obliges Israel to refrain from taking any action that would directly contravene the right to adequate housing of the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip. By carrying out attacks like these in densely populated areas and causing the destruction of civilian homes, Israel violates this right. In addition to the aforementioned violations of the International Human Rights Law standards, Israel also violates Article 46 of the Hague Convention of Laws and Customs of War on Land, which states that Israel should respect the private property in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, under Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention Israel is prohibited from destroying the real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations. Any harm to the aforementioned property is allowed only under the rarest of rare cases, where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. PCHR will be submitting either Memorandums or Individual Complaints on a bi-weekly basis to UN Working Groups and Special Rapporteurs, to draw attention to issues facing the Palestinian people. Supplementary documents: |
| Last Updated on Monday, 24 December 2012 13:09 |
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
PCHR submits an Individual Complaint to the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Palestinian Center for Human Rights- Weekly Report - Israeli Human Rights Violations in the OPT (13- 19 Dec 2012)
CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT>> Palestinian Center for Human Rights
A Palestinian civilian died of wounds he had sustained in the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
5 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the Gaza Strip.
4 of whom were wounded at the border area, while the fifth was wounded in the sea.
Three Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded in the West Bank.
The Israeli Forces conducted 35 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited incursion into the Gaza Strip.
At least 33 Palestinian civilians were arrested in the West Bank.
4 children from the Gaza Strip were arrested while attempting to cross the border into Israel.
The Israeli Forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the sea.
The Israeli Forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded in Bil'ein weekly protest, west of Ramallah.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
The Israeli Forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank.
At least 4 Palestinian children were arrested at checkpoints in the West Bank.
The Israeli Forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
The Israeli Forces issued more notices of house demolitions.
The Israeli settlers continued to attack the Palestinian civilians.
Israeli forces 'detain student, beat father' in Qalqiliya
Maan News Agency
Published today (updated) 26/12/2012 16:27
NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Israeli soldiers assaulted a Palestinian official Wednesday during a raid at his home in Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, says a human rights activist.
Muyassar Atiyani said Israeli soldiers beat Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Issa al-Deik, director of the Qalqiliya office of the Palestinian ministry of endowments.
She quoted al-Deik’s son Wisam as saying that his father sustained bruises and fractures.
Atiyani added that Israeli soldiers ransacked the home before they detained Mujahid, an 18-year-old son of Sheikh Abdul-Hakim al-Diek. He is a freshman at the Salfit branch of Al-Quds Open University.
An army spokeswoman said she was aware of eight overnight arrests but only in the Nablus area.
Muyassar Atiyani said Israeli soldiers beat Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Issa al-Deik, director of the Qalqiliya office of the Palestinian ministry of endowments.
She quoted al-Deik’s son Wisam as saying that his father sustained bruises and fractures.
Atiyani added that Israeli soldiers ransacked the home before they detained Mujahid, an 18-year-old son of Sheikh Abdul-Hakim al-Diek. He is a freshman at the Salfit branch of Al-Quds Open University.
An army spokeswoman said she was aware of eight overnight arrests but only in the Nablus area.
Israel orders demolitions near Hebron
Maan News Agency
HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Wednesday issued 10 demolitions orders to residents of Idhna village west of Hebron in the southern West Bank.
The forces claimed the buildings were built without Israeli permission, a Ma'an reporter said.
The forces claimed the buildings were built without Israeli permission, a Ma'an reporter said.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Israel detains 10 in West Bank raids
Maan News Agency
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank overnight Monday, the army said.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma'an that 10 people were taken "for security questioning," including three from Beit Ummar and one from Ramallah.
Around 30 army vehicles raided the Baten al-Hawa suburb of Ramallah and surrounded a building, detaining 28-year-old Aziz al-Remawi. Al-Remawi evaded an attempt to arrest him last week in Beit Rema, north of Ramallah, locals told Ma'an.
In Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, Israeli troops raided several homes and detained Mahmud Awad, 25, Rasheed Awad, 17, and Shareef Abu Ayash, 20, popular committee spokesman Mohammad Awad told Ma'an.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma'an that 10 people were taken "for security questioning," including three from Beit Ummar and one from Ramallah.
Around 30 army vehicles raided the Baten al-Hawa suburb of Ramallah and surrounded a building, detaining 28-year-old Aziz al-Remawi. Al-Remawi evaded an attempt to arrest him last week in Beit Rema, north of Ramallah, locals told Ma'an.
In Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, Israeli troops raided several homes and detained Mahmud Awad, 25, Rasheed Awad, 17, and Shareef Abu Ayash, 20, popular committee spokesman Mohammad Awad told Ma'an.
.:: No Comments ::.
| Name | Country | |||
| Comment Characters | Note: Comments will be reviewed for appropriate content. Click here for more details. | |||
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Israeli attacks on media violated laws of war: HRW
ArabNews
Last Update 20 December 2012 11:54 pm
JERUSALEM: Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in the Gaza Strip during an eight-day flare up last month “violated the laws of war,” Human Rights Watch said yesterday.
“Four Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in Gaza during the November 2012 fighting violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations,” said HRW.
“The Israeli government asserted that each of the four attacks was on a legitimate military target but provided no specific information to support its claims.”
Israel and Gaza militants fought an eight-day battle from Nov. 14 which killed about 170 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, and six Israelis, four civilians and two soldiers.
Hundreds of air strikes were carried out by Israel, including several targeting buildings housing media outlets, and bombed a car carrying two cameramen for a Hamas-affiliated television station, killing both.
The Jewish state said it launched “surgical strikes” that only targeted facilities used by militant groups or their members.
But HRW’s Sarah Leah Whitson accused Israel of having “dangerously and unlawfully blurred the distinction between civilians who call for or support military attacks and those who directly participate in attacks”.
The rights group said it had found no evidence the media sites and individuals targeted were “valid military objectives,” adding Israel had failed to provide any proof.
“Just because Israel says a journalist was a fighter or a TV station was a command center does not make it so,” said Whitson.
“Journalists who praise Hamas and TV stations that applaud attacks on Israel may be propagandists, but that does not make them legitimate targets under the laws of war.”
International law protects media workers as civilians immune from attack unless they take up arms.
Separately, Jewish settlers said yesterday that Israel has approved plans to build 523 homes in the West Bank.
“After years, the government of Israel has decided to build a city in Gush Etzion,” David Perel, head of the Gush Etzion regional council, told AFP.
Perel said the council had presented plans for a city of at least 6,000 homes in the year 2000, but had not received any approval until now.
“Four Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in Gaza during the November 2012 fighting violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations,” said HRW.
“The Israeli government asserted that each of the four attacks was on a legitimate military target but provided no specific information to support its claims.”
Israel and Gaza militants fought an eight-day battle from Nov. 14 which killed about 170 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, and six Israelis, four civilians and two soldiers.
Hundreds of air strikes were carried out by Israel, including several targeting buildings housing media outlets, and bombed a car carrying two cameramen for a Hamas-affiliated television station, killing both.
The Jewish state said it launched “surgical strikes” that only targeted facilities used by militant groups or their members.
But HRW’s Sarah Leah Whitson accused Israel of having “dangerously and unlawfully blurred the distinction between civilians who call for or support military attacks and those who directly participate in attacks”.
The rights group said it had found no evidence the media sites and individuals targeted were “valid military objectives,” adding Israel had failed to provide any proof.
“Just because Israel says a journalist was a fighter or a TV station was a command center does not make it so,” said Whitson.
“Journalists who praise Hamas and TV stations that applaud attacks on Israel may be propagandists, but that does not make them legitimate targets under the laws of war.”
International law protects media workers as civilians immune from attack unless they take up arms.
Separately, Jewish settlers said yesterday that Israel has approved plans to build 523 homes in the West Bank.
“After years, the government of Israel has decided to build a city in Gush Etzion,” David Perel, head of the Gush Etzion regional council, told AFP.
Perel said the council had presented plans for a city of at least 6,000 homes in the year 2000, but had not received any approval until now.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
WHO Report Assesses Health Situation in Gaza after Israeli War
Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA
JERUSALEM, December 19, 2012 (WAFA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report on the health situation in Gaza following Israel’s last month onslaught on the Strip that the eight-day war placed additional strains on the public health system in Gaza which has been severely affected by the Israeli blockade in place since 2007 and by the political divide between West Bank and Gaza.
The WHO office of the occupied Palestinian territory said in the health assessment report published Tuesday that the war left severe shortages of essential drugs and medical supplies.
It said unstable power supply and lack of fuel for generators, and inadequate maintenance capacity and spare parts for medical equipment, have contributed to deterioration in the quality of health care.
The report said 182 people were killed during the war, including 158 males and 24 females. Of those, 47 (26%) were children, including 16 under 5 years of age, 12 women and 20 over 60 years. Most of the fatalities (87.9%) had multiple injuries.
There were also 1399 injuries - 28% female and 37% (516) children, one third of whom were under 5 years old.
It said 54% (758) were injured while they were at home, 16% while walking in the street, 1% while at work and 28% unspecified.
Most of the injuries (45%) happened in Gaza City, 29% in North Gaza, 9% in each of middle-zone and Khan Younis, and 7% in Rafah.
An estimated 28.3% of injuries were at the head and neck, 19% in more than one location of the body, 17% in the abdomen and pelvis, 13% in the upper limbs and 13% were superficial wounds.
Some of the more serious injuries were referred to neighboring countries including 42 referred to Egypt, four to Tunisia and three to Turkey for advance treatment.
The report said 13 primary health care centers were partially damaged due to indirect shelling, including nine for the ministry of health and four run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
The Jordanian Field Hospital sustained serious damage after being directly hit while two other hospitals, the Gaza European and Beit Hanoun hospitals, sustained minor damages.
The Emergency Medical Services reported that three ambulance drivers were injured during the war. In addition, six ambulances were damaged: four were damaged by shrapnel of which two were severely damaged and two had minor damage, and two ambulances were involved in accidents while transferring causalities.
Israel Approves Building 2615 Settlement Units in Jerusalem
Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA
RAMALLAH, December 19, 2012 (WAFA) – Israel Wednesday gave a final stage approval for the construction of 2615 new housing units in illegal settlements built in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Israeli media reports.
The new construction will take place in an area south of Jerusalem.
RAMALLAH, December 19, 2012 (WAFA) – Israel Wednesday gave a final stage approval for the construction of 2615 new housing units in illegal settlements built in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Israeli media reports.
The new construction will take place in an area south of Jerusalem.
Britain Condemns Israeli Settlement Expansion
Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA -
LONDON, December 19, 2012 (WAFA) – The United Kingdom condemned Tuesday Israeli plans to build 1,500 new housing units in an illegal settlement built in occupied East Jerusalem, according to a statement by the British foreign office.
It expressed extreme concern following reports that the West Jerusalem District Planning Board is considering giving the approval to a further 5000 housing units in East Jerusalem settlements this week.
Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the settlement expansion plans stressing that “Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.”
He said the UK was “deeply disappointed by Israel persistence to commence plans to expand the illegal settlements despite of the international community repeatedly raising concerns.”
Hague said the settlements undermine the foundations of a two state solution and trust between the parties.
“This decision, which paves the way for the extension of settlements in East Jerusalem, constitutes a serious provocation and an obstacle to peace,” he said.
Hague said that if the construction was to be implemented, it would make a negotiated two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, very difficult to achieve.
The UK urged Israel to reverse its decision and take no further steps to expand or entrench settlement activities.
Abbas in talks to shelter Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria violence
Maan News Agency
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas has contacted the UN and regional countries to try to find a solution for Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria amid fighting in a Damascus neighborhood, his spokesman said Wednesday.
Abbas wants the Palestinians in Syria to be able to return to Palestine to avoid the worsening conflict between President Bashar Assad and rebel forces, Nabil Abu Rudaineh told Ma'an.
The president is making intensive contacts with the UN secretary-general and Arab states to help the refugees, he said.
More than 1,000 Palestinian refugees crossed into Lebanon in the past 24 hours, a source at the Lebanese border said Tuesday. Residents in Damascus said hundreds of Palestinian families were trying to find shelter in the Syrian capital.
Over 150,000 Palestinians in Yarmouk, a suburb of Damascus, as well as thousands of Syrians living there, have come under heavy aerial bombardment in recent days, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Tuesday.
Fatah said Wednesday that more than 800 Palestinians have been killed in Syria during the 21-month uprising.
UNRWA is housing over 2,600 displaced persons in its facilities and Damascus-area schools, and the number is growing rapidly, a UN statement said Tuesday.
The battle has pitted rebels, backed by some Palestinians, against Palestinian fighters of the pro-Assad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. Many PFLP-GC fighters defected to the rebel side and their leader Ahmed Jibril left the camp this week, rebel sources said.
Palestinian leaders in the West Bank insist that Palestinians are not involved in Syria's internal conflict, but have become increasingly outspoken as the fighting reached Yarmouk, the largest population center of Palestinians in Syria.
The Palestinian National Council condemned Jibril for involving Palestinians in the fighting, and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority blamed the Syrian regime for a strike on a Yarmouk mosque that killed 25 people on Sunday.
Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Published today (updated) 19/12/2012 17:07
Palestinian women who had been living in Yarmouk wait as Syrian and
Palestinian men queue to get their papers stamped at the Lebanese-
Syrian border in al-Masnaa Dec. 18, 2012. (Reuters/Jamal Saidi)
Palestinian men queue to get their papers stamped at the Lebanese-
Syrian border in al-Masnaa Dec. 18, 2012. (Reuters/Jamal Saidi)
Abbas wants the Palestinians in Syria to be able to return to Palestine to avoid the worsening conflict between President Bashar Assad and rebel forces, Nabil Abu Rudaineh told Ma'an.
The president is making intensive contacts with the UN secretary-general and Arab states to help the refugees, he said.
More than 1,000 Palestinian refugees crossed into Lebanon in the past 24 hours, a source at the Lebanese border said Tuesday. Residents in Damascus said hundreds of Palestinian families were trying to find shelter in the Syrian capital.
Over 150,000 Palestinians in Yarmouk, a suburb of Damascus, as well as thousands of Syrians living there, have come under heavy aerial bombardment in recent days, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Tuesday.
Fatah said Wednesday that more than 800 Palestinians have been killed in Syria during the 21-month uprising.
UNRWA is housing over 2,600 displaced persons in its facilities and Damascus-area schools, and the number is growing rapidly, a UN statement said Tuesday.
The battle has pitted rebels, backed by some Palestinians, against Palestinian fighters of the pro-Assad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. Many PFLP-GC fighters defected to the rebel side and their leader Ahmed Jibril left the camp this week, rebel sources said.
Palestinian leaders in the West Bank insist that Palestinians are not involved in Syria's internal conflict, but have become increasingly outspoken as the fighting reached Yarmouk, the largest population center of Palestinians in Syria.
The Palestinian National Council condemned Jibril for involving Palestinians in the fighting, and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority blamed the Syrian regime for a strike on a Yarmouk mosque that killed 25 people on Sunday.
Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Teen dies of Gaza war wounds
Maan News Agency
Published today (updated) 19/12/2012 13:41
More than 170 Palestinians were killed in the eight-day assault on the
Gaza Strip. (MaanImages/File)
Gaza Strip. (MaanImages/File)
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- A Palestinian teenager died on Wednesday from wounds sustained during Israel's recent military assault on the Gaza Strip.
Ahmad bin Saed 19, died in an Egyptian hospital where he was being treated for shrapnel wounds from an Israeli airstrike.
The strike on al-Masdar town in central Gaza on Nov. 17 killed his father, also called Ahmad.
More than 170 Palestinians were killed in the eight-day assault on the Gaza Strip, and six Israelis were killed by rocket fire from Gaza.
The teenager's body will be transferred to Gaza for a funeral later on Wednesday.
Ahmad bin Saed 19, died in an Egyptian hospital where he was being treated for shrapnel wounds from an Israeli airstrike.
The strike on al-Masdar town in central Gaza on Nov. 17 killed his father, also called Ahmad.
More than 170 Palestinians were killed in the eight-day assault on the Gaza Strip, and six Israelis were killed by rocket fire from Gaza.
The teenager's body will be transferred to Gaza for a funeral later on Wednesday.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Thousand Palestinians enter Lebanon after Damascus fighting
Reuters
Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948, and has always cast itself as a champion of the Palestinian struggle, sponsoring several guerrilla factions.
The rebels, fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad, took full control of Yarmouk camp on Monday, rebel and Palestinian sources said, and government forces have been shelling the camp which is 2 miles from the city centre.
The battle in Yarmouk is one of a series of conflicts on the southern fringes of Assad's capital, as rebels try to choke off the power of the 47-year-old leader after a 21-month uprising in which 40,000 people have been killed.
Abu Ali, 75, said he left his home in Yarmouk on Tuesday morning with his wife and three children as artillery shells rained down on the neighborhood of densely built apartment blocks.
"We walked out on foot without our belongings until we reached central Damascus. We got in a taxi and drove straight for the border," said the elderly man at the Lebanese Masnaa border post.
Abu Ali says he will stay with relatives in Ain al-Hilweh, a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon's southern city of Sidon. He estimated that 70 percent of Yarmouk's residents had fled but added that many slept rough on the streets on Damascus.
More than half a million Syrian refugees have fled into neighboring countries during the revolt, and the U.N. refugee agency say 3,000 are now seeking refuge abroad daily.
Lebanon - the closest country to Damascus - hosts 154,000 but aid agencies say a rebel push into the Syrian capital could force more than 10,000 to flee in hours.
DESTRUCTION
Assad's government and the mainly Sunni Muslim Syrian rebels have both enlisted and armed Palestinians as the uprising has developed into a civil war.
The battle has pitted rebels, backed by some Palestinians, against Palestinian fighters of the pro-Assad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). Many PFLP-GC fighters defected to the rebel side and their leader Ahmed Jibril left the camp three days ago, rebel sources said.
Aid workers said on condition of anonymity that street clashes had reduced in intensity on Tuesday and there was no sign of the PLFL-GC in Yarmouk but government bombardment continued and some fleeing residents were sitting in parks in the neighboring districts of Midan and Zahra.
They said rebels were spread out across the camp, including in the abandoned PFLP-GC headquarters.
Um Mohammed, 65, arrived at the border in a bus with several Palestinian families. "There is a huge amount of destruction. There are armed men in the street," she said.
Others said that rebels, supported by the Palestinian fighters, were taking control of the area.
"The camps are 80 percent controlled by the (rebel) Free Syrian Army and Palestinian fighters," said Muna, a young woman who entered Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon. "All of the (pro-Assad) PFLP fighters have left the area.
It is not clear if the Syrian army will try to reenter Yarmouk in the coming days but Muna said she could see troops massing as she left the area.
"But the army is on the outskirts of Yarmouk. We passed several government checkpoints to get out."
(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans; Writing by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Alison Williams)
MASNAA, Lebanon |
(Reuters) - More than 1,000 Palestinian refugees living in Syria have crossed into Lebanon in the past 24 hours, a source at the Lebanese border said on Tuesday, after Syrian rebels took control of a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus.Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948, and has always cast itself as a champion of the Palestinian struggle, sponsoring several guerrilla factions.
The rebels, fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad, took full control of Yarmouk camp on Monday, rebel and Palestinian sources said, and government forces have been shelling the camp which is 2 miles from the city centre.
The battle in Yarmouk is one of a series of conflicts on the southern fringes of Assad's capital, as rebels try to choke off the power of the 47-year-old leader after a 21-month uprising in which 40,000 people have been killed.
Abu Ali, 75, said he left his home in Yarmouk on Tuesday morning with his wife and three children as artillery shells rained down on the neighborhood of densely built apartment blocks.
"We walked out on foot without our belongings until we reached central Damascus. We got in a taxi and drove straight for the border," said the elderly man at the Lebanese Masnaa border post.
Abu Ali says he will stay with relatives in Ain al-Hilweh, a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon's southern city of Sidon. He estimated that 70 percent of Yarmouk's residents had fled but added that many slept rough on the streets on Damascus.
More than half a million Syrian refugees have fled into neighboring countries during the revolt, and the U.N. refugee agency say 3,000 are now seeking refuge abroad daily.
Lebanon - the closest country to Damascus - hosts 154,000 but aid agencies say a rebel push into the Syrian capital could force more than 10,000 to flee in hours.
DESTRUCTION
Assad's government and the mainly Sunni Muslim Syrian rebels have both enlisted and armed Palestinians as the uprising has developed into a civil war.
The battle has pitted rebels, backed by some Palestinians, against Palestinian fighters of the pro-Assad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). Many PFLP-GC fighters defected to the rebel side and their leader Ahmed Jibril left the camp three days ago, rebel sources said.
Aid workers said on condition of anonymity that street clashes had reduced in intensity on Tuesday and there was no sign of the PLFL-GC in Yarmouk but government bombardment continued and some fleeing residents were sitting in parks in the neighboring districts of Midan and Zahra.
They said rebels were spread out across the camp, including in the abandoned PFLP-GC headquarters.
Um Mohammed, 65, arrived at the border in a bus with several Palestinian families. "There is a huge amount of destruction. There are armed men in the street," she said.
Others said that rebels, supported by the Palestinian fighters, were taking control of the area.
"The camps are 80 percent controlled by the (rebel) Free Syrian Army and Palestinian fighters," said Muna, a young woman who entered Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon. "All of the (pro-Assad) PFLP fighters have left the area.
It is not clear if the Syrian army will try to reenter Yarmouk in the coming days but Muna said she could see troops massing as she left the area.
"But the army is on the outskirts of Yarmouk. We passed several government checkpoints to get out."
(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans; Writing by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Alison Williams)
Friday, December 14, 2012
Israeli soldiers shoot, injure young Gaza man
Maan News Agency
Published today (updated) 14/12/2012 19:23
An Israeli soldier points his gun at Palestinians who reached the fence
in the southern Gaza Strip (Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, File)
in the southern Gaza Strip (Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, File)
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – A young Palestinian man was shot and injured Friday evening by Israeli soldiers east of Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, medical officials said.
Gaza paramedics told Ma'an they evacuated a 19-year-old to Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip after he was hit by two live bullets in his feet near Abu Safiyya Hill east of Jabaliya.
They added that Israeli troops fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at Palestinians near the border area. One man suffered from tear-gas inhalation, they said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Israeli troops have fired several times across the border since a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect in November.
The latest incident was Monday, when military vehicles crossed several hundred meters past the border near Khan Younis, but there were no reports of injury.
Israel has imposed a no-go zone on the borders, but agreed to stop targeting Palestinians in the area as part of the ceasefire, Gaza's government has said.
When a Palestinian was killed in the zone by Israeli forces a few days after the ceasefire, Hamas security forces deployed in the area to make sure Palestinians didn't approach the border fence.
Gaza paramedics told Ma'an they evacuated a 19-year-old to Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip after he was hit by two live bullets in his feet near Abu Safiyya Hill east of Jabaliya.
They added that Israeli troops fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at Palestinians near the border area. One man suffered from tear-gas inhalation, they said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Israeli troops have fired several times across the border since a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect in November.
The latest incident was Monday, when military vehicles crossed several hundred meters past the border near Khan Younis, but there were no reports of injury.
Israel has imposed a no-go zone on the borders, but agreed to stop targeting Palestinians in the area as part of the ceasefire, Gaza's government has said.
When a Palestinian was killed in the zone by Israeli forces a few days after the ceasefire, Hamas security forces deployed in the area to make sure Palestinians didn't approach the border fence.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Dozens hurt in Hebron clashes, 1 critically
Maan News Agency
Published today (updated) 13/12/2012 21:55
Israeli soldiers take position during clashes with stone-throwing
Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron Dec. 13, 2012.
(Reuters/Ammar Awad)
Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron Dec. 13, 2012.
(Reuters/Ammar Awad)
HEBRON (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian teenager was hit by live fire from Israeli forces during clashes in Hebron, witnesses said, a day after a 17-year-old was shot dead by troops in the city.
Nasser Mohammad Wasfi Al-Sharabati, 17, was hit in the chest by a bullet in the Bab al-Zawiye area, a Ma'an reporter said.
Medics said he was in a serious condition.
An Israeli army spokesman said he would look into the incident.
Confrontations broke out overnight between Hebron residents and Israeli soldiers, who deployed to the area in large numbers after 17-year-old Muhammad Ziad Awad Salaymah was shot dead by an Israeli border guard in Hebron's Old City.
Emergency services spokesman Nasser Kabbajh said during Thursday's clashes 26 Palestinians were taken to Hebron governmental hospital and 12 to a medical clinic. Another 51 people were treated at the scene, he said.
Some 21 Palestinians were wounded by rubber bullets during the clashes, he said.
Nasser Mohammad Wasfi Al-Sharabati, 17, was hit in the chest by a bullet in the Bab al-Zawiye area, a Ma'an reporter said.
Medics said he was in a serious condition.
An Israeli army spokesman said he would look into the incident.
Confrontations broke out overnight between Hebron residents and Israeli soldiers, who deployed to the area in large numbers after 17-year-old Muhammad Ziad Awad Salaymah was shot dead by an Israeli border guard in Hebron's Old City.
Emergency services spokesman Nasser Kabbajh said during Thursday's clashes 26 Palestinians were taken to Hebron governmental hospital and 12 to a medical clinic. Another 51 people were treated at the scene, he said.
Some 21 Palestinians were wounded by rubber bullets during the clashes, he said.
Palestine mourns teenager
iafrica.com | news | world news |
Thousands of Palestinians in Hebron on Thursday mourned the death of a teenager killed by Israeli forces on his birthday after he allegedly threatened them with a toy gun.
Sixteen-year-old Mohamed Ziad Salayma was shot dead on Wednesday evening at an Israeli checkpoint in the southern West Bank city.
Israeli police said he was shot after threatening border policemen in the city with a weapon, which turned out to be a toy.
"A young Palestinian man approached a post manned by border guards. One of them asked him for his identity card. The Palestinian attacked him, brandishing a gun that he aimed at the head of the border guard," a police spokeswoman said.
"Another border guard who was nearby opened fire killing the Palestinian," she added.
The police spokeswoman said bomb disposal experts later discovered that the "pistol was a toy made of metal."
Clashes erupted after Salayma's death, and continued on Thursday morning, with health officials saying 25 people suffered tear gas inhalation and three were wounded by rubber bullets fired by Israeli troops.
The Israeli military confirmed clashes had erupted earlier in the day.
"This morning, some Palestinians were throwing rocks and the army dispersed them with riot dispersal means," a spokesman told AFP.
Salayma's funeral was attended by around 2,000 people, an AFP correspondent said, but there were no reports of violence.
Salayma's uncle, Nasser, told AFP that the Israeli version of his nephew's death was "a fabrication."
"The plastic gun story isn't true and it is all fabrication," he said. Other relatives said Salayma was on his way to buy a birthday cake when the incident took place.
"Yesterday was his birthday and he celebrated it at school and was going to celebrate at home, but it never happened," Nasser al-Salayma said.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said its preliminary investigations showed Israeli forces "at the checkpoint were detaining a child, who had a plastic pistol" as Salayma approached.
When he reached the checkpoint, an Israeli border policewoman "fired at him from a close range... he was hit by three bullets," the group said.
Shortly after the incident, Palestinian activists identified the border policewoman, posting pictures of her on social media networks.
Israeli activists also posted pictures of the woman, praising her actions, and she told the Jerusalem Post daily she had no qualms about the incident.
"For me it was a real pistol in every sense of the word pointed at my soldier and it's my responsibility to act, because if I don't kill him my friend will be killed, and I won't let this happen," she told the Post.
"I'm happy this ended with no injuries on our side and I'm sure any other officer in my situation would have done what I did," she added.
In July 2007, Israeli forces shot at two Palestinians apparently carrying weapons, killing one. They later discovered the man killed in the incident was holding a fake M-16.
There have been multiple attacks against soldiers in Hebron, one of the tensest cities in the West Bank, where a group of rightwing Israeli settlers lives in a heavily guarded enclave inside the Palestinian city.
Thousands of Palestinians in Hebron on Thursday mourned the death of a teenager killed by Israeli forces on his birthday after he allegedly threatened them with a toy gun.
Sixteen-year-old Mohamed Ziad Salayma was shot dead on Wednesday evening at an Israeli checkpoint in the southern West Bank city.
Israeli police said he was shot after threatening border policemen in the city with a weapon, which turned out to be a toy.
"A young Palestinian man approached a post manned by border guards. One of them asked him for his identity card. The Palestinian attacked him, brandishing a gun that he aimed at the head of the border guard," a police spokeswoman said.
"Another border guard who was nearby opened fire killing the Palestinian," she added.
The police spokeswoman said bomb disposal experts later discovered that the "pistol was a toy made of metal."
Clashes erupted after Salayma's death, and continued on Thursday morning, with health officials saying 25 people suffered tear gas inhalation and three were wounded by rubber bullets fired by Israeli troops.
The Israeli military confirmed clashes had erupted earlier in the day.
"This morning, some Palestinians were throwing rocks and the army dispersed them with riot dispersal means," a spokesman told AFP.
Salayma's funeral was attended by around 2,000 people, an AFP correspondent said, but there were no reports of violence.
Salayma's uncle, Nasser, told AFP that the Israeli version of his nephew's death was "a fabrication."
"The plastic gun story isn't true and it is all fabrication," he said. Other relatives said Salayma was on his way to buy a birthday cake when the incident took place.
"Yesterday was his birthday and he celebrated it at school and was going to celebrate at home, but it never happened," Nasser al-Salayma said.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said its preliminary investigations showed Israeli forces "at the checkpoint were detaining a child, who had a plastic pistol" as Salayma approached.
When he reached the checkpoint, an Israeli border policewoman "fired at him from a close range... he was hit by three bullets," the group said.
Shortly after the incident, Palestinian activists identified the border policewoman, posting pictures of her on social media networks.
Israeli activists also posted pictures of the woman, praising her actions, and she told the Jerusalem Post daily she had no qualms about the incident.
"For me it was a real pistol in every sense of the word pointed at my soldier and it's my responsibility to act, because if I don't kill him my friend will be killed, and I won't let this happen," she told the Post.
"I'm happy this ended with no injuries on our side and I'm sure any other officer in my situation would have done what I did," she added.
In July 2007, Israeli forces shot at two Palestinians apparently carrying weapons, killing one. They later discovered the man killed in the incident was holding a fake M-16.
There have been multiple attacks against soldiers in Hebron, one of the tensest cities in the West Bank, where a group of rightwing Israeli settlers lives in a heavily guarded enclave inside the Palestinian city.
Thousands attend rare Hamas rally
thenews.com.pk
NABLUS: Thousands of Palestinians attended a rare Hamas rally in the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, celebrating the group's "victory" over Israel in Gaza.
The rally is the first time that the West Bank's ruling Palestinian
Authority -- which is dominated by the Fatah faction, Hamas's bitter rival -- have allowed such a gathering since 2007.
An AFP correspondent said at least 5,000 people were taking part in the celebration, which also marks 25 years since the establishment of the Islamist group.
Despite an overcast sky, the mood was exuberant, with enthusiastic youths waving the green flag of Hamas as a procession left the city's Al-Nasser mosque.
Yussef Iqtishaat, a teenager attending the rally with his family, was among those eagerly brandishing the movement's flag.
"It's a great day thanks to the victory in Gaza," he told AFP. Women wearing headscarves carried banners praising the movement and its
armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
"Jihad is our way," and The battle (in Gaza) is the road to liberation," some read."We are with Hamas, you are the gun and we are the ammunition," one banner said.
Some of those attending also carried wood models of the rockets fired by Hamas and other Gaza groups at Israel during the eight-day conflict last month, which left more than 174 Palestinians and six Israelis dead.
The rally was a rare opportunity for Hamas to display its support in the
West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority has clamped down on the rival group.
The longtime rivalry between the two Palestinian movements boiled over in 2007, a year after Hamas won a surprise victory over Fatah in legislative elections.
Armed members of the two groups battled in Gaza, with Hamas eventually routing Fatah and taking control of the coastal territory, while the
Palestinian Authority continued to rule the West Bank.
Years of mutual suspicion and recrimination followed, with the movements arresting each others members.
The two sides signed a reconciliation deal last year in Cairo, pledging to set up an interim consensus government of independents that would pave the way to legislative and presidential elections within 12 months.
But implementation of the deal stalled over the make-up of the interim
government, and a February deal between Fatah leader and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Hamas chief-in-exile Khaled Meshaal intended to overcome outstanding differences was opposed by Hamas members in Gaza.
Both Abbas and Meshaal have said in recent weeks they hope to restart the reconciliation process.
NABLUS: Thousands of Palestinians attended a rare Hamas rally in the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, celebrating the group's "victory" over Israel in Gaza.
The rally is the first time that the West Bank's ruling Palestinian
Authority -- which is dominated by the Fatah faction, Hamas's bitter rival -- have allowed such a gathering since 2007.
An AFP correspondent said at least 5,000 people were taking part in the celebration, which also marks 25 years since the establishment of the Islamist group.
Despite an overcast sky, the mood was exuberant, with enthusiastic youths waving the green flag of Hamas as a procession left the city's Al-Nasser mosque.
Yussef Iqtishaat, a teenager attending the rally with his family, was among those eagerly brandishing the movement's flag.
"It's a great day thanks to the victory in Gaza," he told AFP. Women wearing headscarves carried banners praising the movement and its
armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
"Jihad is our way," and The battle (in Gaza) is the road to liberation," some read."We are with Hamas, you are the gun and we are the ammunition," one banner said.
Some of those attending also carried wood models of the rockets fired by Hamas and other Gaza groups at Israel during the eight-day conflict last month, which left more than 174 Palestinians and six Israelis dead.
The rally was a rare opportunity for Hamas to display its support in the
West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority has clamped down on the rival group.
The longtime rivalry between the two Palestinian movements boiled over in 2007, a year after Hamas won a surprise victory over Fatah in legislative elections.
Armed members of the two groups battled in Gaza, with Hamas eventually routing Fatah and taking control of the coastal territory, while the
Palestinian Authority continued to rule the West Bank.
Years of mutual suspicion and recrimination followed, with the movements arresting each others members.
The two sides signed a reconciliation deal last year in Cairo, pledging to set up an interim consensus government of independents that would pave the way to legislative and presidential elections within 12 months.
But implementation of the deal stalled over the make-up of the interim
government, and a February deal between Fatah leader and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Hamas chief-in-exile Khaled Meshaal intended to overcome outstanding differences was opposed by Hamas members in Gaza.
Both Abbas and Meshaal have said in recent weeks they hope to restart the reconciliation process.
Gaza rally demands release of hunger strikers |
Maan News Agency
Published today (updated) 13/12/2012 15:56
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Protesters rallied in Gaza City on Thursday demanding the release of long-term hunger strikers from Israeli jails.
Ayman Sharawneh has been on hunger strike for 166 days and Samer al-Issawi has refused food for 135 days. Both were rearrested after their release in Oct. 2011 in a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine organized the march from UN headquarters to the offices of the Red Cross in Gaza City calling on Israel to abide by the prisoner exchange and free both men.
DFLP leader Ibrahim Mansour said both prisoners were risking death to defend freedom and rights for themselves and all Palestinians.
Mansour said Palestinians would achieve victory in the issue of prisoners as they had at the United Nations and in Israel's 8-day war on Gaza in November.
He urged Egypt to pressure Israel to release all Palestinian detainees, especially those previously freed in the prisoner exchange that Cairo mediated.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Ma'an the rally sent a message to the prisoners and their families that Palestinians stood beside them in their struggle. "We will not abandon our prisoners," he said.
Abu Zuhri called on the international community to intervene to end the suffering of Palestinians jailed in Israel.
DFLP central committee member Talal Abu Tharefa said that hunger strikes of 166 and 135 days should "move the conscience of the world."
Abu Tharefa called for more solidarity events for Palestinian prisoners to pressure the international community to secure Sharawneh and Issawi's release as soon as possible.
Ayman Sharawneh has been on hunger strike for 166 days and Samer al-Issawi has refused food for 135 days. Both were rearrested after their release in Oct. 2011 in a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine organized the march from UN headquarters to the offices of the Red Cross in Gaza City calling on Israel to abide by the prisoner exchange and free both men.
DFLP leader Ibrahim Mansour said both prisoners were risking death to defend freedom and rights for themselves and all Palestinians.
Mansour said Palestinians would achieve victory in the issue of prisoners as they had at the United Nations and in Israel's 8-day war on Gaza in November.
He urged Egypt to pressure Israel to release all Palestinian detainees, especially those previously freed in the prisoner exchange that Cairo mediated.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Ma'an the rally sent a message to the prisoners and their families that Palestinians stood beside them in their struggle. "We will not abandon our prisoners," he said.
Abu Zuhri called on the international community to intervene to end the suffering of Palestinians jailed in Israel.
DFLP central committee member Talal Abu Tharefa said that hunger strikes of 166 and 135 days should "move the conscience of the world."
Abu Tharefa called for more solidarity events for Palestinian prisoners to pressure the international community to secure Sharawneh and Issawi's release as soon as possible.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Abbas warns of ICC action if Israel implements settlement plans
Maan News Agency
Published today (updated) 11/12/2012 18:56
Turkey's President Abdullah Gul and President Mahmoud Abbas review
a guard of honor during an official welcoming ceremony at the
Presidential Palace in Ankara, Dec. 11. (Reuters/Stringer)
a guard of honor during an official welcoming ceremony at the
Presidential Palace in Ankara, Dec. 11. (Reuters/Stringer)
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) – President Mahmoud Abbas warned Tuesday that Palestine would file a petition to the International Criminal Court if Israel follows through on announced plans to build settlements in the flashpoint E1 area of the occupied West Bank.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Abbas said, "Israel’s announcement to build settlements on the land of the State of Palestine is an aggressive act and a red line which we will not allow.
"It is a breach of international conventions, namely the Fourth Geneva Convention."
According to the official Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa, Abbas said the Israeli government should decide whether it wants to continue with settlement construction and occupation, or to achieve peace which will secure safety and stability in the region.
“From Turkey we extend a hand for peace and we are ready for serious efforts to achieve this peace," Abbas said, according to Wafa.
“If Israel chooses peace, they will find us completely ready, but if they choose settlement, especially in area E1, we will react differently," Abbas said.
'Palestinians only interested in preconditions'
Israel, meanwhile, said the Palestinians were only interested in formulating preconditions to talks.
"It seems that the Palestinian side is interested in the further development of preconditions. We reject this and are interested to negotiate without preconditions," said Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier Tuesday, Nimr Hammad, Abbas' political adviser, reiterated the position that credile negotiations could not resume without a freeze in settlement building.
Gendelman told Ma'an that settlement building was not an obstacle to talks and that international pressure should focus on urging Palestine, not Israel, to return to negotiations.
He also said European condemnation of the plans only emboldened the Palestinians to continue refusing to negotiate, after the EU said it was "deeply dismayed" by the plans.
"Israel does not need international pressure to return to negotiations," Gendelman said. "We must put pressure on the Palestinian side," he said.
Abbas: Turkey backs full statehood at UN
In his remarks in Ankara, Abbas said he was confident that Turkey would support Palestine seeking recognition as full member state in the UN.
"We will continue to consult all our friends in a positive and responsible manner about the future steps," Abbas was quoted as saying by Wafa.
"Our top priority now is to realize our people’s right to freedom and independence ending 65 years of suffering,” he said.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Abbas said, "Israel’s announcement to build settlements on the land of the State of Palestine is an aggressive act and a red line which we will not allow.
"It is a breach of international conventions, namely the Fourth Geneva Convention."
According to the official Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa, Abbas said the Israeli government should decide whether it wants to continue with settlement construction and occupation, or to achieve peace which will secure safety and stability in the region.
“From Turkey we extend a hand for peace and we are ready for serious efforts to achieve this peace," Abbas said, according to Wafa.
“If Israel chooses peace, they will find us completely ready, but if they choose settlement, especially in area E1, we will react differently," Abbas said.
'Palestinians only interested in preconditions'
Israel, meanwhile, said the Palestinians were only interested in formulating preconditions to talks.
"It seems that the Palestinian side is interested in the further development of preconditions. We reject this and are interested to negotiate without preconditions," said Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier Tuesday, Nimr Hammad, Abbas' political adviser, reiterated the position that credile negotiations could not resume without a freeze in settlement building.
Gendelman told Ma'an that settlement building was not an obstacle to talks and that international pressure should focus on urging Palestine, not Israel, to return to negotiations.
He also said European condemnation of the plans only emboldened the Palestinians to continue refusing to negotiate, after the EU said it was "deeply dismayed" by the plans.
"Israel does not need international pressure to return to negotiations," Gendelman said. "We must put pressure on the Palestinian side," he said.
Abbas: Turkey backs full statehood at UN
In his remarks in Ankara, Abbas said he was confident that Turkey would support Palestine seeking recognition as full member state in the UN.
"We will continue to consult all our friends in a positive and responsible manner about the future steps," Abbas was quoted as saying by Wafa.
"Our top priority now is to realize our people’s right to freedom and independence ending 65 years of suffering,” he said.
Israel 'detained 70-year-old woman' in Tubas
Maan News Agency
Published today (updated) 11/12/2012 17:17
The PA said it demanded Daraghmah's release.
JENIN (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Sunday briefly detained a 70-year-old Palestinian woman after ransacking her home in Tubas in the northern West Bank, Palestinian officials said Tuesday.
Palestinian liaison officials told Ma'an they contacted their Israeli counterparts demanding the release of Sabja Farah Daraghmah and she was freed on Monday.
Israeli authorities said Daraghmah was detained for "security reasons," the Palestinian officials added.
Director of the Palestinian liaison office in Jenin and Tubas Khalid Abdul-Aziz visited Daragmah on Tuesday morning to check up on her, a Ma'an reporter said.
Palestinian liaison officials told Ma'an they contacted their Israeli counterparts demanding the release of Sabja Farah Daraghmah and she was freed on Monday.
Israeli authorities said Daraghmah was detained for "security reasons," the Palestinian officials added.
Director of the Palestinian liaison office in Jenin and Tubas Khalid Abdul-Aziz visited Daragmah on Tuesday morning to check up on her, a Ma'an reporter said.
Addameer Offices Raided by Israeli Occupying Forces This Morning
Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association - ADDAMEER - BREAKING: Addameer Offices Raided by Israeli Occupying Forces This Morning
At 3 am this morning, 11 December 2012, the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights office was raided by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). Four laptops, one hard disk and a video camera were taken among other materials. The IOF destroyed the office; desks, ransacked filing cabinets and files and scattered files around the office. At this moment, we are not clear as to what has been confiscated, but in the coming days we will know more about the level of destruction and damage. This is the first raid by the IOF since 2002, when the Addameer office was raided during the invasion of Ramallah.
The offices of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committee and the Palestinian NGO Network were also raided and ransacked last night. Addameer condemns this attack on human rights and civil society organizations, and sees it as an attempt to cripple solidarity with the prisoners
movement.
UPDATED STATEMENT
12 The Israeli Occupation Forces raided three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Ramallah at 3 am this morning, including Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Five computers and a camera were stolen from Addameer, as well as a number of legal files, pictures and posters of prisoners and detainees on hunger strike. Ironically, this attack coincides with the 64th anniversary of the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Addameer believes that this brutal assault is part of the constant targeting of the association’s staff and mission to defend Palestinian political prisoners. Since 2002, Addameer has been subjected to raids and attacks and arrest campaigns of staff members in past years. Most recently, Addameer’s researcher, Ayman Nasser, was detained on 15 October 2012 and is charged for supporting Palestinian prisoners and detainees and calling for their freedom. Similarly, in midst of the prisoners’ hunger strike between 17 September and 13 October 2011, the IOF issued an arbitrary order that bans Addameer’s chairperson Abdullatif Ghaith from entering the West Bank, a ban that is still in effect.
The work of Addameer’s lawyers was hindered by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) during the past two years and during the hunger strikes, as two lawyers have been repeatedly banned from visiting Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. In addition, and as part of the occupation’s ways to restrict Addameer’s work, the IOF banned a number of Addameer’s staff from travelling for “security” reasons, which severely restricts our ability to attend international events and speaking tours to provide a voice for Palestinian prisoners rights in the international arena.
Addameer believes that these ongoing attacks aim to destroy the legitimacy of non-governmental organizations, and by disregarding our status as human rights defenders, raiding and ransacking resources and arresting staff members, they delegitimize human rights work and normalize the attacks on our offices. We see a similar trend in the attacks on the Gaza Strip in November 2012, where the international protection and immunity of journalists was denied and they became legitimate targets for the IOF.
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association reiterates its firm commitment to support the Palestinian detainees and prisoners rights at any cost, as Addameer’s researcher Ayman Nasser proclaimed in the military court: “I will support the prisoners’ issue even if the cost is my freedom.”
We will provide more information in the coming hours as the situation develops. Follow our Twitter account at @addameer_ps and ourFacebook page for the latest news.
BREAKING | Israel stormed & ransacked Human Rights association Addameer and stole computers at 3AM | by @occpal
BREAKING | Israel stormed & ransacked Human Rights association Addameer and stole computers at 3AM | Occupied Palestine
Dec 11, 2012 by occpal
Israel raided and ransacked the office of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association at 3AM this morning.
They stole 5 computers.
In the meanwhile one of the researchers of Addameer, Ayman Nasser is detained and tortured by Israel.
While Israel is increasing it’s propaganda war and silencing of press in it’s war on truth now human rights defenders data and offices (like those of press) looted. All to secure you don’t see nor hear the truth.
It’s up to you now.
Help to break the silence and create awareness! Share these tweets or post.
End these attempts to censor the truth!
Dec 11, 2012 by occpal
Israel raided and ransacked the office of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association at 3AM this morning.They stole 5 computers.
In the meanwhile one of the researchers of Addameer, Ayman Nasser is detained and tortured by Israel.
While Israel is increasing it’s propaganda war and silencing of press in it’s war on truth now human rights defenders data and offices (like those of press) looted. All to secure you don’t see nor hear the truth.
It’s up to you now.
Help to break the silence and create awareness! Share these tweets or post.
قوات الاحتلال تقتحم مؤسسة الضمير وتسرق اجهزة الكمبيوتر وتخرب وتكسر مواد المؤسسة وذلك صباح اليوم الساعة 3 صباحا—
Addameer –الضمير (@Addameer_ps) December 11, 2012
The IOF raided the Addameer offices in Ramallah at 3 am this morning + destroyed the office, stole computers and broke materials—
Addameer –الضمير (@Addameer_ps) December 11, 2012
This is the 2nd time Addameer has been raided, the last raid was in 2002 during the invasion on Ramallah—
Addameer –الضمير (@Addameer_ps) December 11, 2012
قوات الاحتلال تقتحم مقر مؤسسة الضمير لرعاية الاسير وحقوق الانسان فجر اليوم وتخرب محتوياتها، وتصادر 5 اجهزة كمبيوتر تابعة للمؤسسة.—
Addameer –الضمير (@Addameer_ps) December 11, 2012
Israeli raid & theft of property & computers from #HR org, women & agriculture NGOs in #Ramallah tonight an objectionable act of piracy—
Nour Odeh (@nour_odeh) December 11, 2012
End these attempts to censor the truth!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Middle East Children’s Alliance Programs Address Trauma Faced by Children After 8 Days of Bombing in Gaza
Common Dreams
WASHINGTON - December 10 - The Middle East Children’s Alliance, (MECA) a California based nonprofit, immediately began providing mental health treatment for children once Operation Pillar of Cloud, the 8 day bombing of Gaza, came to a halt. Treatment programs began November 25, 2012 and are continuing in schools, community centers, and clinics throughout the Gaza Strip in coordination and partnership with the Red Crescent Society of the Gaza Strip.
“So much emphasis is placed on food and medicine in times of crisis, which is obviously needed and important. But the most important medicine we can give the children of Gaza is to help them understand their pain and move forward so they can have a healthy and happy lives,” stated Barbara Lubin, who entered Gaza last week. “This medicine does not come from taking a pill. It comes from committed professionals, like these amazing women here in Gaza. They are psychologists, social workers, teachers and art therapists, who spend each day healing the wounds of war.”
MECA has been providing programming for psycho- social support for Palestinian children in Gaza traumatized by war since Operation Cast Lead four years ago, when over four hundred children were killed and many more injured, through a project called “Let the Children Play and Heal.” MECA has now increased its support for these projects by expanding a partnership with the Red Crescent Society to provide more targeted treatment of children most affected: those whose homes were demolished, who witnessed bloodshed, and who lost family members, schoolmates and friends. Over 50% of Gaza’s population of 1.6 million are children.
One of the lead psychologists working on the project, a Palestinian woman with 23 years experience, stated, “Four years ago, children were more hesitant to talk about what they saw. But now, they are more expressive, they talk about stomach pains, sleeplessness and headaches. Initially, they do not admit they are afraid, they say ‘I didn’t feel afraid but I think my neighbor was afraid, or my sister was afraid.’” She added, “This time, I have noticed an increasing number of mothers who are seeking out our support for their children—there is no stigma anymore. They know that trauma is a problem and it has become a national issue for us.”
The Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) is a non-profit organization working for the rights of children in the Middle East by sending humanitarian aid, supporting projects for children and educating North American and international communities about the effects of the US foreign policy on children in the region.
Media and interviews available.
“So much emphasis is placed on food and medicine in times of crisis, which is obviously needed and important. But the most important medicine we can give the children of Gaza is to help them understand their pain and move forward so they can have a healthy and happy lives,” stated Barbara Lubin, who entered Gaza last week. “This medicine does not come from taking a pill. It comes from committed professionals, like these amazing women here in Gaza. They are psychologists, social workers, teachers and art therapists, who spend each day healing the wounds of war.”
MECA has been providing programming for psycho- social support for Palestinian children in Gaza traumatized by war since Operation Cast Lead four years ago, when over four hundred children were killed and many more injured, through a project called “Let the Children Play and Heal.” MECA has now increased its support for these projects by expanding a partnership with the Red Crescent Society to provide more targeted treatment of children most affected: those whose homes were demolished, who witnessed bloodshed, and who lost family members, schoolmates and friends. Over 50% of Gaza’s population of 1.6 million are children.
One of the lead psychologists working on the project, a Palestinian woman with 23 years experience, stated, “Four years ago, children were more hesitant to talk about what they saw. But now, they are more expressive, they talk about stomach pains, sleeplessness and headaches. Initially, they do not admit they are afraid, they say ‘I didn’t feel afraid but I think my neighbor was afraid, or my sister was afraid.’” She added, “This time, I have noticed an increasing number of mothers who are seeking out our support for their children—there is no stigma anymore. They know that trauma is a problem and it has become a national issue for us.”
The Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) is a non-profit organization working for the rights of children in the Middle East by sending humanitarian aid, supporting projects for children and educating North American and international communities about the effects of the US foreign policy on children in the region.
Media and interviews available.
###
Israeli tanks and bulldozers invading south of Gaza
Israeli tanks and bulldozers invading south of Gaza
Israeli forces have conducted a limited incursion into the Gaza Strip’s southern city of Khan Yunis for the first time after a cease-fire agreement ended the Israeli regime’s offensive on the blockaded coastal sliver.
Israeli forces have conducted a limited incursion into the Gaza Strip’s southern city of Khan Yunis for the first time after a cease-fire agreement ended the Israeli regime’s offensive on the blockaded coastal sliver.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Local sources reported on Monday that the Israeli army tanks and bulldozers launched the brief intrusion into the eastern city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
The Tel Aviv regime’s recent incursion of the coastal enclave comes for the first time after an Egypt-mediated cease-fire put an end to Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on November 21.
Israeli military has already breached the truce deal on several instances.
On November 23, Israeli forces opened fire on a group of farmers in the village of Khuzaa, east of Khan Yunis, killing a young Palestinian and injuring seven others only two days after the cease-fire entered into effect.
Over 160 Palestinians, including women and children, lost their lives and about 1,200 others were injured in the Israeli aerial raids on Gaza that were carried out during the eight-day period of November 14-21.
Palestinian resistance fighters incessantly poured rockets and missiles on the Israeli cities, killing at least five Israelis, including one soldier, in retaliation for the deadly attacks on besieged territories.
Human rights: 'Just enough' not good enough
Maan News Agency
A protester gestures after clashes with riot police in Siliana,
northwest of Tunis Dec. 2, 2012. (Reuters/Zoubeir Souissi)
northwest of Tunis Dec. 2, 2012. (Reuters/Zoubeir Souissi)
By Navi Pillay
Millions of people have gone on to the streets over the past few years, in countries all across the world, emboldened by what is happening elsewhere, some demanding civil and political rights, others demanding economic, social and cultural rights.
This groundswell is not simply a question of people demanding freedom of expression and freedom to say what they think and make clear what they want.
They are asking for much more than that. They are asking for an end to a situation where governments simply decide what is best for their populations without even consulting them. They are asking for their right to participate fully in the important decisions and policies affecting their daily lives, at the international, national and the local levels. Many people in many countries have been making it clear they are fed up with their leaders treating them with disdain and ignoring their needs, ambitions, fears and desires.
They have been, in effect, asking for what has been, for more than 60 years, under international law, rightfully theirs. They have been asking for the human rights laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – which is commemorated every year on Dec. 10 – and subsequently fleshed out in other binding international treaties.
Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives. Every person shall have the right to vote and be elected, and to have access to public service, as well as to free expression, assembly and association. These are among the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which 167 States are party. And they have been restated in many similar ways in other laws and documents.
These rights are supposed to apply to everyone. No one should be excluded from any of them because they are female, belong to a minority, or worship a certain religion; or because they are gay, have a disability, have particular political beliefs, are migrants or belong to a certain racial or ethnic group. We all should have a voice that counts in our societies. We should all have free, active and meaningful participation in both economic and political affairs.
Unfortunately, many people don’t.
Instead they are ignored. Or, worse, they are actively persecuted, and the people who are trying to help them gain their rights – the human rights defenders – are intimidated, threatened, and persecuted as well. Sometimes, it is less deliberate, more insidious: certain individuals or groups are simply not given the opportunity: the opportunity to raise their voice, or use their brains and talents to achieve the successes of which they are capable, to climb out of poverty or achieve high office – or even any office.
Many millions of people cannot even dream of aiming high, they just dream of getting by – of surviving until tomorrow.
That may be because they have not been to school, or because they have no health care, no adequate shelter, insufficient food, and none of the basic rights and services that would give them the opportunity to build a better future.
Or it may be because they are specifically excluded from seizing opportunities by discriminatory laws or practices. Or because, through no fault of their own, they are stateless, citizens of nowhere, and therefore not only do not have a voice, but do not officially exist.
Or it may simply be because their leaders are so focused on their own grip on power and wealth that they simply don’t care what happens to those whose lives they govern. They’ll give just enough to keep people quiet and stop them protesting. If they are obstinate and raise their voice, they will lock them up, torture them or find other ways to distract them, silence them or make them disappear.
But in the past two years, people in many countries have raised the stakes, and made it clear that “just enough” is no longer good enough. In many countries, they have confronted their governments head on, not just in the Middle East and North Africa, but in other parts of the world as well, on issues covering the full range of fundamental civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights.
In a number of countries in recent months, we have continued to see the most extreme examples of rights being trampled underfoot. Many thousands of men, women and children tortured to death, raped, bombed, shelled, shot, forced from their homes, deprived of food, water, electricity and health care by their own governments or by armed groups, apparently intent on nothing more than their own hold on power. These are governments and non-state actors who are continuing to behave in a way that is the complete antithesis of everything we celebrate on Human Rights Day.
Today, I salute all those who have suffered so much seeking what is rightfully theirs, and all those people in other countries who in their own way – whether it is in Santiago or Cairo, Athens or Moscow, New York or New Delhi – are also saying we have a voice, we have our rights and we want to participate in the way our societies and economies are run.
Because that is how it should be.
Navi Pillay is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
This groundswell is not simply a question of people demanding freedom of expression and freedom to say what they think and make clear what they want.
They are asking for much more than that. They are asking for an end to a situation where governments simply decide what is best for their populations without even consulting them. They are asking for their right to participate fully in the important decisions and policies affecting their daily lives, at the international, national and the local levels. Many people in many countries have been making it clear they are fed up with their leaders treating them with disdain and ignoring their needs, ambitions, fears and desires.
They have been, in effect, asking for what has been, for more than 60 years, under international law, rightfully theirs. They have been asking for the human rights laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – which is commemorated every year on Dec. 10 – and subsequently fleshed out in other binding international treaties.
Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives. Every person shall have the right to vote and be elected, and to have access to public service, as well as to free expression, assembly and association. These are among the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which 167 States are party. And they have been restated in many similar ways in other laws and documents.
These rights are supposed to apply to everyone. No one should be excluded from any of them because they are female, belong to a minority, or worship a certain religion; or because they are gay, have a disability, have particular political beliefs, are migrants or belong to a certain racial or ethnic group. We all should have a voice that counts in our societies. We should all have free, active and meaningful participation in both economic and political affairs.
Unfortunately, many people don’t.
Instead they are ignored. Or, worse, they are actively persecuted, and the people who are trying to help them gain their rights – the human rights defenders – are intimidated, threatened, and persecuted as well. Sometimes, it is less deliberate, more insidious: certain individuals or groups are simply not given the opportunity: the opportunity to raise their voice, or use their brains and talents to achieve the successes of which they are capable, to climb out of poverty or achieve high office – or even any office.
Many millions of people cannot even dream of aiming high, they just dream of getting by – of surviving until tomorrow.
That may be because they have not been to school, or because they have no health care, no adequate shelter, insufficient food, and none of the basic rights and services that would give them the opportunity to build a better future.
Or it may be because they are specifically excluded from seizing opportunities by discriminatory laws or practices. Or because, through no fault of their own, they are stateless, citizens of nowhere, and therefore not only do not have a voice, but do not officially exist.
Or it may simply be because their leaders are so focused on their own grip on power and wealth that they simply don’t care what happens to those whose lives they govern. They’ll give just enough to keep people quiet and stop them protesting. If they are obstinate and raise their voice, they will lock them up, torture them or find other ways to distract them, silence them or make them disappear.
But in the past two years, people in many countries have raised the stakes, and made it clear that “just enough” is no longer good enough. In many countries, they have confronted their governments head on, not just in the Middle East and North Africa, but in other parts of the world as well, on issues covering the full range of fundamental civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights.
In a number of countries in recent months, we have continued to see the most extreme examples of rights being trampled underfoot. Many thousands of men, women and children tortured to death, raped, bombed, shelled, shot, forced from their homes, deprived of food, water, electricity and health care by their own governments or by armed groups, apparently intent on nothing more than their own hold on power. These are governments and non-state actors who are continuing to behave in a way that is the complete antithesis of everything we celebrate on Human Rights Day.
Today, I salute all those who have suffered so much seeking what is rightfully theirs, and all those people in other countries who in their own way – whether it is in Santiago or Cairo, Athens or Moscow, New York or New Delhi – are also saying we have a voice, we have our rights and we want to participate in the way our societies and economies are run.
Because that is how it should be.
Navi Pillay is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Malaysian delegation heads to Gaza
Maan News Agency:
El-ARISH (Ma'an) -- The son of Malaysia's prime minister on Monday delivered medical aid to the Gaza Strip, a Egyptian security official said.
The security officer said the Malaysian delegation brought 15 tons of medicine and medical supplies to Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Egypt's border.
El-ARISH (Ma'an) -- The son of Malaysia's prime minister on Monday delivered medical aid to the Gaza Strip, a Egyptian security official said.
The security officer said the Malaysian delegation brought 15 tons of medicine and medical supplies to Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Egypt's border.
Hamas chief Mashaal concludes visit to Gaza
Maan News Agency
Published today 17:26
Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal gestures to the crowd during a rally
marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas, in Gaza City
December 8, 2012. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)
marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas, in Gaza City
December 8, 2012. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal left the Gaza Strip for Egypt on Monday after an historic four-day visit to the coastal territory.
The Hamas leader concluded his first ever visit to Gaza by visiting a family in Rafah who had lost several relatives in recent violence with Israel.
Mashaal, and several other prominent Hamas figures, addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters in Gaza City on Saturday as part of 25th anniversary celebrations for the Islamist movement.
The Hamas leader's entry to the Gaza Strip on Friday after decades in exile, during which he survived an Israeli assassination attempt, raised the celebratory atmosphere at the event.
The rally was also billed as a victory parade after Gaza militants were seen locally to have fended off an Israeli invasion during an eight-day bombardment last month.
The Hamas chief praised Palestinian resistance during his visit and stressed the importance of reconciliation with Fatah and holding democratic elections.
Hamas politburo members Mousa Abu Marzouq, Izzat al-Rishq, and Saleh al-Arouri had accompanied Mashaal to Gaza.
The Hamas leader concluded his first ever visit to Gaza by visiting a family in Rafah who had lost several relatives in recent violence with Israel.
Mashaal, and several other prominent Hamas figures, addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters in Gaza City on Saturday as part of 25th anniversary celebrations for the Islamist movement.
The Hamas leader's entry to the Gaza Strip on Friday after decades in exile, during which he survived an Israeli assassination attempt, raised the celebratory atmosphere at the event.
The rally was also billed as a victory parade after Gaza militants were seen locally to have fended off an Israeli invasion during an eight-day bombardment last month.
The Hamas chief praised Palestinian resistance during his visit and stressed the importance of reconciliation with Fatah and holding democratic elections.
Hamas politburo members Mousa Abu Marzouq, Izzat al-Rishq, and Saleh al-Arouri had accompanied Mashaal to Gaza.
Rights groups call for Palestine to join ICC
Maan News Agency
Published today 17:25
Palestinians run after an Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City
Nov. 18, 2012. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)
Nov. 18, 2012. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The recently UN-recognized state of Palestine must join the International Criminal Court, four Palestinian human rights groups urged on Monday.
Marking international Human Rights Day, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights said it was launching an advocacy campaign for the court to gain jurisdiction over Palestine.
After winning a UN status upgrade in November, Palestine could sign the court's Rome Statute, allowing prosecutions for genocide, war crimes and other major human rights violations on Palestinian territory.
The PCHR, al-Dameer, al-Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Palestinian NGO Network on Monday issued a call for Palestine to join the court and for it to open an investigation into alleged war crimes.
A UN-sponsored report recommended the investigation of war crimes by Israel and Hamas during the 2008-9 war on Gaza, but the ICC Prosecutor said at the time he could not determine whether Palestine fulfilled statehood criteria.
The rights groups said the lack of accountability after this war "allowed Israel to carry out yet another offensive" this November.
"In the absence of an independent body which is empowered to investigate the alleged commission of crimes against the people of Palestine and to hold the perpetrators accountable, Israeli forces continue to act with impunity and disregard numerous principles of international human rights and humanitarian law," the statement said.
"We have worked for many years within the Israeli judicial system, trying to achieve justice and accountability for Palestinian victims; this experience has unequivocally proven that the system is incapable of ensuring an effective remedy for Palestinian victims."
Marking international Human Rights Day, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights said it was launching an advocacy campaign for the court to gain jurisdiction over Palestine.
After winning a UN status upgrade in November, Palestine could sign the court's Rome Statute, allowing prosecutions for genocide, war crimes and other major human rights violations on Palestinian territory.
The PCHR, al-Dameer, al-Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Palestinian NGO Network on Monday issued a call for Palestine to join the court and for it to open an investigation into alleged war crimes.
A UN-sponsored report recommended the investigation of war crimes by Israel and Hamas during the 2008-9 war on Gaza, but the ICC Prosecutor said at the time he could not determine whether Palestine fulfilled statehood criteria.
The rights groups said the lack of accountability after this war "allowed Israel to carry out yet another offensive" this November.
"In the absence of an independent body which is empowered to investigate the alleged commission of crimes against the people of Palestine and to hold the perpetrators accountable, Israeli forces continue to act with impunity and disregard numerous principles of international human rights and humanitarian law," the statement said.
"We have worked for many years within the Israeli judicial system, trying to achieve justice and accountability for Palestinian victims; this experience has unequivocally proven that the system is incapable of ensuring an effective remedy for Palestinian victims."
Israeli Bulldozers Storm Beit Liqia Village, Clashes Launch Between Palestinians and Israeli Soldiers
Israeli Bulldozers Storm Beit Liqia Village, Clashes Launch Between Palestinians and Israeli Soldiers
On Monday 10th December, Israeli bulldozers stormed the village of Beit Liqia in Ramallah, under strict protection of the Israeli army forces.
Sources from Beit Liqia municipality told PNN that the Israeli bulldozers raided the village to demolish poultry farms, whose owners were handed demolition notices earlier.
The same sources also said confrontations launched between young Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. The Israeli soldiers suppressed the Palestinian protesters and fired tear gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets.
On Monday 10th December, Israeli bulldozers stormed the village of Beit Liqia in Ramallah, under strict protection of the Israeli army forces.
Sources from Beit Liqia municipality told PNN that the Israeli bulldozers raided the village to demolish poultry farms, whose owners were handed demolition notices earlier.
The same sources also said confrontations launched between young Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. The Israeli soldiers suppressed the Palestinian protesters and fired tear gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets.
18 Seriously Sick Detainees Facing Medical Neglect In Israeli Prisons
International Middle East Media Center
by IMEMC News
by IMEMC News
The International Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights issued a press release revealing that 18 seriously ill detainee, permanently at the Al-Ramla Prison Clinic are facing life-threatening conditions due to the lack of adequate and specialized medical attention and treatment.
Foundation’s Lawyer, Mohammad Al-Aabed, stated that one of the detainees, Nahedh Faraj Al-Aqra’, 41, suffers from a mental illness while his right leg was amputated while serious wounds in his left leg are infected and not healing an issue that could lead to amputating it too.
He was taken prisoner on July 7, 2000, while he was returning from a Jordanian hospital where he received treatment, and was sentenced to three life terms; his family was never allowed to visit him since he was kidnapped 12 years ago.
Al-Aabed also said that detainee Ayman Taleb Abu Sitta, from the Gaza Strip, is suffering from a liver infection, and was hospitalized at the Soroka Israeli Medical Center before he was moved, 40 days ago, to the Ramla Prison Clinic. He was taken prisoner in 1994, and was sentenced to one life term.
The lawyer also said that detainee Ahmad Al-Awad, from Beit Ummar near Hebron, was shot and injured by four live rounds fired by the army before kidnapping him, and that the bullets struck him in the arm, abdomen and thigh.
Also, detainee Mo’tasem Raddad, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, is still suffering from sharp stomach ache due to an injury he suffering during his arrest in 2006.
The lawyer said that the 18 detainees who are permanently staying at the Ramla Prison Clinic are; Nahedh Al-Aqra’, Ayman Taleb Abu Sitta, Ahmad Awad, Mo’tasem Raddad, Othman Al-Khaleely (paralyzed), Khaled Ash-Shaweesh (paralyzed), Riyadh Al-Amour, Mansour Moqada, Riyadh Radwan, Kamal Al-Husseini, Yousef Masalha, Shadi Akram Ar-Reekhawi, Amir and Mohammad As’ad (from Kufur Kanna in the 1948 territory), Mahmoud Suleiman, Samer Oweijat, Amer Bahar, and Issa Nimir Jibreel from Duheisha refugee camp in Bethlehem who was moved to the prison hospital two months ago and became the spokesperson of the hospitalized detainees.
The International Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights said that the Ramla Prison Clinic is barely a clinic, lacks basic medications equipment, and is not even customized for disable persons, in addition to the fact that the prison guards and the administration repeatedly break into it and search it while harassing the detainees.
He was taken prisoner on July 7, 2000, while he was returning from a Jordanian hospital where he received treatment, and was sentenced to three life terms; his family was never allowed to visit him since he was kidnapped 12 years ago.
Al-Aabed also said that detainee Ayman Taleb Abu Sitta, from the Gaza Strip, is suffering from a liver infection, and was hospitalized at the Soroka Israeli Medical Center before he was moved, 40 days ago, to the Ramla Prison Clinic. He was taken prisoner in 1994, and was sentenced to one life term.
The lawyer also said that detainee Ahmad Al-Awad, from Beit Ummar near Hebron, was shot and injured by four live rounds fired by the army before kidnapping him, and that the bullets struck him in the arm, abdomen and thigh.
Also, detainee Mo’tasem Raddad, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, is still suffering from sharp stomach ache due to an injury he suffering during his arrest in 2006.
The lawyer said that the 18 detainees who are permanently staying at the Ramla Prison Clinic are; Nahedh Al-Aqra’, Ayman Taleb Abu Sitta, Ahmad Awad, Mo’tasem Raddad, Othman Al-Khaleely (paralyzed), Khaled Ash-Shaweesh (paralyzed), Riyadh Al-Amour, Mansour Moqada, Riyadh Radwan, Kamal Al-Husseini, Yousef Masalha, Shadi Akram Ar-Reekhawi, Amir and Mohammad As’ad (from Kufur Kanna in the 1948 territory), Mahmoud Suleiman, Samer Oweijat, Amer Bahar, and Issa Nimir Jibreel from Duheisha refugee camp in Bethlehem who was moved to the prison hospital two months ago and became the spokesperson of the hospitalized detainees.
The International Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights said that the Ramla Prison Clinic is barely a clinic, lacks basic medications equipment, and is not even customized for disable persons, in addition to the fact that the prison guards and the administration repeatedly break into it and search it while harassing the detainees.
Israeli Military Exercise Forces Families to Leave their Homes
Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA
Homes: AL-MALEH, JORDAN VALLEY, December 10, 2012 (WAFA) – Six Palestinian families were forced to leave their homes in the village of Humsa, in the northern Jordan Valley, to make room for Israeli military exercises, head of a nearby village council said on Monday.
Aref Daraghme, head of al-Maleh village council, told WAFA that the Israeli army ordered the six families, comprising of 80 people, to leave their village until the army finishes the military exercises.
Palestinians fear that the process of ordering families to leave their homes to make way for military exercises is a prelude to emptying the Jordan Valley area of its Palestinian dwellers in order to take over the land.
Israel says the Jordan Valley, which makes almost 40 percent of the West Bank, will remain under Israeli rule in any future peace agreement.
Homes: AL-MALEH, JORDAN VALLEY, December 10, 2012 (WAFA) – Six Palestinian families were forced to leave their homes in the village of Humsa, in the northern Jordan Valley, to make room for Israeli military exercises, head of a nearby village council said on Monday.
Aref Daraghme, head of al-Maleh village council, told WAFA that the Israeli army ordered the six families, comprising of 80 people, to leave their village until the army finishes the military exercises.
Palestinians fear that the process of ordering families to leave their homes to make way for military exercises is a prelude to emptying the Jordan Valley area of its Palestinian dwellers in order to take over the land.
Israel says the Jordan Valley, which makes almost 40 percent of the West Bank, will remain under Israeli rule in any future peace agreement.
Gaza war over, but emergency remains
Maan News Agency
Published today 15:52
Palestinians in Gaza pictured receiving food aid from UNRWA.
(MaanImages/file)
(MaanImages/file)
DUBAI (IRIN) -- Despite the end of an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian situation there remains dire, says the representative of the World Food Program in the occupied Palestinian territory.
"There is a misconception that because there is a period of calm, we can start thinking about a development process, which is very difficult to do when they are under occupation," Pablo Recalde said at a press conference in Dubai on 9 December.
"This latest operation has brought back to (people's consciousness) that we need to be ready and we need to maintain assistance," he told IRIN separately.
"These kinds of flare-ups of violence are now systemic. Up until there is a permanent solution to the problem of the Palestinian people, you will have these ups and downs."
While around 1,000 families lost their homes during eight days of air strikes on Gaza in November, Recalde said there had been no major decrease in food security in Gaza.
Even in normal times, 40 percent of Gazans do not have regular access to food and are dependent on aid to survive, he said. Entrance to and exit from Gaza - for its 1.6 million inhabitants, as well as for trade and aid - are controlled by neighbors Egypt and Israel.
WFP requires $2 million a month for its food programs in Gaza; but its funding has dropped by around one-third since last year.
"There is a misconception that because there is a period of calm, we can start thinking about a development process, which is very difficult to do when they are under occupation," Pablo Recalde said at a press conference in Dubai on 9 December.
"This latest operation has brought back to (people's consciousness) that we need to be ready and we need to maintain assistance," he told IRIN separately.
"These kinds of flare-ups of violence are now systemic. Up until there is a permanent solution to the problem of the Palestinian people, you will have these ups and downs."
While around 1,000 families lost their homes during eight days of air strikes on Gaza in November, Recalde said there had been no major decrease in food security in Gaza.
Even in normal times, 40 percent of Gazans do not have regular access to food and are dependent on aid to survive, he said. Entrance to and exit from Gaza - for its 1.6 million inhabitants, as well as for trade and aid - are controlled by neighbors Egypt and Israel.
WFP requires $2 million a month for its food programs in Gaza; but its funding has dropped by around one-third since last year.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Israeli strike on Gaza home illegal, says HRW
Israeli strike
on Gaza home illegal, says HRW
(AP) / 8 December 2012
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - A leading human rights group on Friday accused Israel of violating the laws of war when it killed 12 civilians in an airstrike during its recent conflict with Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Israel’s army countered that Palestinian militants were to blame for hiding in civilian buildings.
Israel launched its air assault on Gaza last month to try to stop frequent rocket barrages at southern Israel. The conflict ended after eight days with an Egyptian-brokered truce.
During the fighting in mid-November, the Israeli air force attacked the home of the Daloo family in Gaza City, killing 10 family members — including women and children — and two other civilians.
A military spokesman initially said it was targeting a senior member of the Hamas armed wing, whom he identified as Yahia Abayah, but the military later announced the airstrike had killed Mohammed Daloo, calling him a Hamas militant.
Human Rights Watch said neither Abayah nor Daloo were listed as killed on the websites of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s militant wings, which posts the names of its fighters killed in conflict.
The rights group said Daloo’s police commander said Daloo was a low-ranking civilian police officer serving in a unit that protects Gaza government figures and visiting officials, and was not a member of an armed group.
“Even if (the police officer) was a legitimate military target under the laws of war, the likelihood that the attack on a civilian home would have killed large numbers of civilians made it unlawfully disproportionate,” the Human Rights Watch said in a statement. The group called on Israel to explain why it targeted a home full of civilians.
In a statement on Friday, Israel’s army said the Daloo home was a hideout for a senior Hamas militant involved in rocket attacks. It did not name the militant.
The army said it worked to minimize noncombatant casualties, making phone calls to Gaza residents warning them of airstrikes in the area, dropping leaflets from warplanes instructing them to get away from Hamas operatives and broadcasting warning messages on the radio.
(AP) / 8 December 2012
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - A leading human rights group on Friday accused Israel of violating the laws of war when it killed 12 civilians in an airstrike during its recent conflict with Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Israel’s army countered that Palestinian militants were to blame for hiding in civilian buildings.
Israel launched its air assault on Gaza last month to try to stop frequent rocket barrages at southern Israel. The conflict ended after eight days with an Egyptian-brokered truce.
During the fighting in mid-November, the Israeli air force attacked the home of the Daloo family in Gaza City, killing 10 family members — including women and children — and two other civilians.
A military spokesman initially said it was targeting a senior member of the Hamas armed wing, whom he identified as Yahia Abayah, but the military later announced the airstrike had killed Mohammed Daloo, calling him a Hamas militant.
Human Rights Watch said neither Abayah nor Daloo were listed as killed on the websites of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s militant wings, which posts the names of its fighters killed in conflict.
The rights group said Daloo’s police commander said Daloo was a low-ranking civilian police officer serving in a unit that protects Gaza government figures and visiting officials, and was not a member of an armed group.
“Even if (the police officer) was a legitimate military target under the laws of war, the likelihood that the attack on a civilian home would have killed large numbers of civilians made it unlawfully disproportionate,” the Human Rights Watch said in a statement. The group called on Israel to explain why it targeted a home full of civilians.
In a statement on Friday, Israel’s army said the Daloo home was a hideout for a senior Hamas militant involved in rocket attacks. It did not name the militant.
The army said it worked to minimize noncombatant casualties, making phone calls to Gaza residents warning them of airstrikes in the area, dropping leaflets from warplanes instructing them to get away from Hamas operatives and broadcasting warning messages on the radio.
Gaza minister of interior frees 80 prisoners
Maan News Agency: Published today 20:56
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The ministry of interior in the Gaza Strip decided Friday to release 80 prisoners who had served two-thirds of their sentences as a celebratory gesture following Palestine's admission to the UN.
Ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said in a statement that the minister, Fathi Hamad, made the gesture after the UN voted to recognize Palestine as a non-member state in the UN and the victory over Israel during its assault on Gaza last month.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The ministry of interior in the Gaza Strip decided Friday to release 80 prisoners who had served two-thirds of their sentences as a celebratory gesture following Palestine's admission to the UN.
Ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said in a statement that the minister, Fathi Hamad, made the gesture after the UN voted to recognize Palestine as a non-member state in the UN and the victory over Israel during its assault on Gaza last month.
Khaled Meshaal Gaza trip especially painful for Benjamin Netanyahu
Telegraph
 | |
| Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (Centre) and Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh (Centre, right) |
6:31PM GMT 07 Dec 2012
During his first term as Israel's leader 15 years ago, Mr Netanyahu authorised a risky attempt to assassinate Mr Meshaal in the Jordanian capital, Amman. This decision amounted to a backhanded compliment of sorts: Mr Meshaal had only become the leader of Hamas's "political bureau" a year earlier in 1996. The dispatch of an Israeli hit squad so early in his leadership betrayed his rapid ascent into the ranks of people rated worthy of assassination.
To add to his standing, Mr Netanyahu thought that killing Mr Meshaal justified the risk of acting in Jordan, where Israel had a peace treaty and supposedly normal diplomatic relations.
Five agents of the Mossad, Israel's external intelligence agency, were duly sent to Amman, posing as Canadian tourists. They ambushed Mr Meshaal on a street corner and sprayed poison into his left ear, inflicting instant paralysis and, so they hoped, death within 48 hours.
Then everything went wrong. The Jordanian security forces responded to this brazen daylight attack, arresting two of the Israeli agents and forcing three to hide in their country's embassy, which was promptly surrounded by troops.
Instead of escaping over the border, the Mossad team found itself trapped in Amman. Mr Netanyahu was forced to send emissaries to King Hussein of Jordan to plead for their release. The king, who was dying of cancer, drove a hard bargain. First, Israel had to supply an antidote to the poison that was killing Mr Meshaal. Jordanian doctors duly used this to save his life.
Then Mr Netanyahu had to go beyond a standard release of Arab prisoners from Israeli jails. He ended up freeing nine Jordanians, 61 Palestinians and – most painfully of all – Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas and Israel's most hated foe.
Only then did King Hussein release the five Israelis. Mr Netanyahu, trapped in a debacle of his own making, found himself supplying the means to save Mr Meshaal's life and allowing Hamas's old mentor to walk free.
After King Hussein died in 1999, Mr Meshaal was expelled from Jordan, moving first to Qatar and then Syria. He oversaw numerous suicide attacks during the Second Palestinian Intifada between 2000 and 2004. After 26 Israelis died in two particularly brutal bombings in December 2000, one of which targeted a busy shopping street in Jerusalem, Mr Meshaal boasted: "More than three quarters of Zionists killed have died by the hand of Hamas."
This obdurate extremist was born in the West Bank village of Silwad in 1956 when it was under Jordanian rule. But he became a refugee at the age of 11 when Israeli forces captured his home area during the Six Day War.
Mr Meshaal grew up in Jordan and Kuwait, helping to found Hamas and then rising to the pinnacle of its leadership, becoming one of Israel's most implacable enemies.
Only then did King Hussein release the five Israelis. Mr Netanyahu, trapped in a debacle of his own making, found himself supplying the means to save Mr Meshaal's life and allowing Hamas's old mentor to walk free.
After King Hussein died in 1999, Mr Meshaal was expelled from Jordan, moving first to Qatar and then Syria. He oversaw numerous suicide attacks during the Second Palestinian Intifada between 2000 and 2004. After 26 Israelis died in two particularly brutal bombings in December 2000, one of which targeted a busy shopping street in Jerusalem, Mr Meshaal boasted: "More than three quarters of Zionists killed have died by the hand of Hamas."
This obdurate extremist was born in the West Bank village of Silwad in 1956 when it was under Jordanian rule. But he became a refugee at the age of 11 when Israeli forces captured his home area during the Six Day War.
Mr Meshaal grew up in Jordan and Kuwait, helping to found Hamas and then rising to the pinnacle of its leadership, becoming one of Israel's most implacable enemies.
The Palestinian Information Center #Palestine NEWS
The Palestinian Information Center
| Many delegations arrive to Gaza to attend anniversary of the launch of Hamas | |||
 | Delegations from many Arab, Islamic and international countries arrived to the Gaza Strip to attend the anniversary of the launch of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas. | ||
 | |||
| Islamic Movement elects Sheikh Raed Salah head for a new term | |||
 | The Islamic movement in the Palestinian 1948 occupied territories elected a new leadership headed by Sheikh Raed Salah, for a second term. | ||
| | |||
| PA security kidnaps two Hamas supporters, summons liberated prisoners | |||
 | Palestinian Authority security apparatus continued their violations against supporters and cadres of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" in the West Bank.. | ||
| | |||
| Occupation claims confiscating weapons in Nablus | |||
 | Israeli sources claimed that an Israeli military force has found, during a military operation carried out at dawn on Thursday, a rifle, ammunition and several knives in the village of Burqa. | ||
| | |||
| Rapturous reception to welcome Mishaal in Gaza | |||
 | A rapturous reception is prepared in the Gaza Strip, to receive the resistance leader, Khaled Mishaal, Hamas political bureau, on Friday afternoon. | ||
| | |||
| UNRWA: 120 houses were destroyed during the recent aggression on Gaza | |||
 | Munir Mina, the head of the Infrastructure and Camp Improvement in UNRWA, confirmed that 120 houses were completely destroyed during the recent aggression on the Gaza Strip. | ||
| | |||
| EU to impose restrictions on settlement products | |||
 | The European Union has threatened to impose economic sanctions on the Israeli government, including restrictions on products of the Jewish settlements illegaly built Palestinian land. | ||
| | |||
| IOA approves the most serious settlement project in Jerusalem | |||
 | Al-Aqsa Foundation for endowment and heritage stated in a statement on Wednesday evening that the occupation began to review the final steps of its dangerous schemes to Judaize Jerusalem. | ||
| | |||
| A tale of blind father with four sons in jails | |||
 | The family of Hajj “Abu Azzam Meri” is one of the Palestinian families who suffered a lot from the occupation, where his four sons were detained in Israeli jails and banned from seeing their children. | ||
| | |||
| IOF kidnap 8 Palestinian young men in violent raids on homes | |||
 | The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Thursday kidnapped eight Palestinian young men during violent raids on homes in Jenin, Tubas and Al-Khalil cities. | ||
| | |||
| Other HeadLines | |||
 Power company estimates its losses from Gaza war at more than $13 million06/12/2012 - 11:22 AM | |||
 Haneyya receives Egyptian delegation led by Sheikh Hafez Salama | |||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)