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Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (22 – 28 Sep. 2011)

(pic: Israeli settlers attack a Palestinian civilian in Qasra village, southeast of Jenin - pchr) Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) A Palestinian civilian was killed and another 7 ones, including a child, were wounded by IOF in Qasra village, southeast of Nablus. IOF continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip. OF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. 18 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, and a French human rights defender were wounded. IOF conducted 36 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 4 Palestinians, including a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world. IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinia

Airstrike near al Maghazi refugee camp, no injuries reported

Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli Air Force bombarded on Friday at dawn a site, reportedly used as a training center, for the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, in central Gaza. The site is located near the entrance of the Al Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza; damage was reported, no injuries. Eyewitnesses reported the bombardment as several Israeli war jets were noticed flying over different parts of the Gaza Strip while firing flares. more

Israel accused of human rights abuses after al-Jazeera journalist freed following 49 days detention

Al-Jazeera has denied allegations that its Kabul bureau chief has links to Hamas and accused Israeli authorities of "blatant breaches of human rights" over its treatment of the journalist. Samer Allawi was detained by the Israeli military for 49 days following a visit to his family in the West Bank. The Arabic news channel's journalist was released from detention on Monday after a plea bargain resulted in a suspended jail sentence and a £900 fine. A spokesman for al-Jazeera said Allawi faced "false accusations" and suffered "psychological trauma" as a result of his detention. more

Palestinian prisoners start hunger strike to protest treatment, demand release of PFLP's Ahmad Saadat

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails have started a hunger strike to protest their treatment by the Israeli prison services, Palestinian Authority Minister of Detainee Affairs Issa Qaraqe said Tuesday. Detainees are threatening to disobey all prison rules if their demands are not met, Qaraqe said, adding that the move would be unprecedented. Prisoners may defy all prison orders, refuse to wear uniforms or stand up for daily counts, he said in a statement. Detainees affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are on an open hunger strike to demand an end to the solitary confinement of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat, who has been held in isolation for three years. They are also demanding an end to the solitary confinement of 20 other prisoners, some of whom have been held in isolation for 10 years, Qaraqe said. In Rimon and Nafha prisons, detainees went on hunger strike after a visit by the Israeli Minister of Internal Security. The minister told p

After UN bid Abbas returns to crowds in Ramallah - refuses to talk to Israel until settlements freeze

(Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas repeated on Sunday his refusal to talk with Israel without a settlement freeze after international mediators, responding to his United Nations bid for statehood, urged negotiations within a month. "We have confirmed to all that we want to achieve our rights through peaceful means, through negotiations -- but not just any negotiations," Abbas told a cheering crowd of thousands on his return to the West Bank city of Ramallah. "We will not accept (negotiations) until legitimacy is the foundation and they cease settlement completely," he said, two days after presenting the application for Palestinian statehood and addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New York. more

Turkish newspaper prints names of Israeli soldiers involved in Mavi Marmara killings

Turkish newspaper Sabah has printed a list of 174 names of Israeli soldiers it says were involved in the Mavi Marmara massacre: Agai Yehezkel, Aharon Haliwa, Alex Shakliar, Amir Ulo, Amir Abste, Amir Shimon Ashel, Anna Strelski, Anton Siomin, Aram Zehavi, Ariel Brickman, Ariel Karo, Ariel Rifkin, Ariel Yochanan, Arnon Avital, Assaf Bryt, Avi Balut, Avi Bnayahu, Avi Mizrakhi, Avi Peled, Aviad Perri, Aviel Siman, Avihay Wizman, Avihu Ben Zahar, Avishay Levi, Avishay Shasha, Aviv Edri, Aviv Kochavi, Aviv Mendelowitz, Baruch (Barry) Berlinsky, Basam Alian, Ben-Zion (Benzi) Gruver, Bnaya Sarel, Boaz Dabush, Boaz Rubin, Boris Schuster, Dado Bar- Kalifa, Dan Dolberg, Dan Harel, Daniel Kotler, David Shapira, David Slovozkoi, David Zini, Eden Atias, Eden Atias, Efraim Aviad Tehila, Efraim Avni, Eitan Ben-Gad, Elad Chachkis, Elad Itzik, Elad Shoshan, Elad Yakobson, Eli Fadida, Eli Yafe, Eliezer Shkedi, Elik Sror, Eran Karisi, Erez Sa'adon, Eyal Eizenberg, Eyal Handelman, Eyal Zukowsky, Gil S

Two more Gazans die in tunnel collapse as week's toll reaches five

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinians were killed and three others injured on Saturday after a gas canister exploded in a smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, medics said. Nine people were in the tunnel at the time of the explosion and four were rescued unharmed, medical officials told Ma'an. Five Palestinians have been killed in tunnel collapses in the last week. more

Tunisian aid convoy enters Gaza with humanitarian aid

Members of the Al Karama “Dignity” Tunisian Aid Convoy managed to enter the Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon through the Rafah Border Terminal between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The convoy carries aid supplies and a number of Tunisian activists. It left Tunis via air ten days ago heading to Egypt. The Al- Karama left the Carthage airport in Tunisia heading to Cairo on Saturday September 10th, heading to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. The Egyptian Authorities refused to allow the convoy into Gaza, but on Saturday, September 24, Egypt allowed convoy members to enter the Gaza Strip while the donated cars and supplies will have to wait to more days before being transported to Gaza. Sources in Gaza reported that convoy members will remain in Gaza for a few days and will leave after handing the donated vehicles and supplies to the designated humanitarian organizations. more

Gaza's children fly 194 kites for each member of the UN in support of Palestine state bid

Gaza - Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip on Thursday gave wing to 194 kites, each carrying the name of a member state in the United Nations General Assembly, in support for the Palestinian effort to seek statehood in New York. The children from across the coastal enclave gathered on the beach of Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip and flew the 194 kites. The last kite carried the name of the state of Palestine. The schoolchildren were joining a trip to the beach organized by a group lobbying for the Palestinian bid at the UN. Wearing t-shirts and waving Palestinian flags, each child held a kite, bearing the four colors of the Palestinian flag, red, white, black and green. The phrase, Palestine state number 194, was written on each kite. The 12-year-old girl Arij said she came to join in supporting an independent Palestinian state established on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, with east Jerusalem as its capital. 'I came here to send a message and tell the

Civil Peace Service Gaza to restart monitoring of fishermen to deter and document attacks

Civil Peace Service Gaza will be holding a press conference about the relaunching of the Oliva scheduled for 24 September. The Oliva's engine was damaged when the Israeli navy rammed the boat on 20 July. Since the attack disabled the boat, international observers have been unable to accompany Gazan fishermen. The incident followed similar attacks on the Oliva during previous missions. Video footage is available: http://bit.ly/CPSGvideos . Vera Macht, a German human rights worker, stated: "We won't be intimidated, and the Olivia will sail out again to document abuses until international law is respected by Israel in the sea of Gaza. Fishermen are harassed, attacked, arrested and even killed by Israeli armed forces, even within the imposed 3 nautical mile limit." Media are invited to contact Civil Peace Service Gaza in advance to coordinate accompaniment on the Oliva's upcoming missions. Photos and video will be available upon request: email press@cpsgaza.org more

Hamas welcomes recognition support but reconciliation needed first, has borders and refugees fears

To discuss the decision of the Palestinian authority to ask for recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations, and the consequences of such a decision on a national and international level, euronews spoke to Mohammed Awad, Foreign Minister in the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip. Jamel Ezzedini, euronews: “Mr Awad, let’s begin with the position of Hamas, which refuses to go the United Nations to demand recognition of a Palestinian state. Why this refusal, and what are the guarantees that your organisation has brought to mind which the Palestinian authorites have missed?” Mohammed Awad: “Firstly I’d like to point out that it’s not a refusal, rather the clarification of a position. It’s the lot of the Palestinian people that’s being played with here. We’re demanding that Palestine is a full member of the UN, and that also includes the position of the PLO and internal reconciliation. They are issues of the utmost importance for us and are central to the Palestinian cause

Gaza women march for UN bid in defiance of ban, Fatah leader addresses protest

(Women march in Gaza City in support of the Palestinian UN bid (MaanImages)) GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Dozens of women marched in support of the Palestinian bid for UN membership on Thursday, in a rally jointly organized by the General Federation of Palestinian Women and political party FIDA. The marchers called for wavering countries to take a position and support Palestinian rights, refusing Israeli and US pressure to nix the bid. President Mahmoud Abbas is set to submit the application for Palestine to join the UN as 'State 194' on Friday, amid a flurry of diplomacy to allay a confrontation leading from Israeli and US opposition to the bid. Member of the Fatah revolutionary council Amal Hamad addressed the march by reading a statement of support for the Palestinian leadership. She condemned Obama’s speech rejecting the Palestinian UN proposal, and called for national unity and implementation of the May agreement signed by Hamas and Fatah in Cairo. The deal sought to end four

Obama rejects Palestinian statehood bid and backs Israeli occupiers instead

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Palestinian officials and analysts were left disappointed by US President Barack Obama's speech to the United Nations on Wednesday, viewing the address as a clear indication of support for Israeli interests. President Obama rejected Palestinian plans to seek a UN blessing for statehood and urged a return to peace talks with Israel. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian presidential spokesman, responded to Obama's speech by saying the Palestinians are ready for negotiations with Israel as long as it halts illegal settlement building and agrees to 1967 borders. Ahmed Yousef, a deputy in the Hamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Obama is trying to avoid the UN bid and his statements offered nothing new. He told Ma'an that the speech showed clear bias towards Israel and was an attempt to run away from the UN bid in an effort to avoid embarrassment for the United States. There is no use in continuing with negotiations if the US can not put enough pressu

Abbas may submit 'request' but no vote on statehood as he buckles under pressure from West

Abbas caves in to US and European pressure? International efforts to forestall a showdown in the UN security council over the declaration of a Palestinian state are solidifying around a plan for the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to submit a request for recognition but for a vote on the issue to be put on hold while a new round of peace talks is launched. The deal is being pushed by the Middle East "Quartet" of the UN, EU, US and Russia, which is attempting to persuade Abbas to back away from a diplomatic confrontation with Washington, which says it will veto the Palestinian bid. The US president Barack Obama is expected to meet the Palestinian leader at the UN on Wednesday as Abbas comes under intense pressure from the US and Europe to compromise. Diplomats said the proposed compromise would see Abbas submit his letter to the security council, which would then defer action. In parallel, the Quartet would issue the framework for renewed negotiations that would include a t

Two teenagers die from injuries sustained during Gaza tunnel collapse on Monday

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinian teenagers have died from injuries sustained when a smuggling tunnel under Gaza's border with Egypt collapsed on Monday, medics said. Ashraf Al-Qarra, 17, died on Monday afternoon and Haytham Abu Radwan, also 17, died on Tuesday morning, the ambulance and emergencies committee in Gaza said in a statement. The teenagers were injured when a gas canister exploded in the tunnel they were in. more

Jewish activist who heckled Netanyahu at US Congress sues guards who attacked and injured her

(pic: Rachel Abileah in the hospital after being injured at her protest - image by Al-Manar) IMEMC - A Jewish human rights activist who stood up to challenge the Israeli Prime Minister's address to the US Congress this spring and call for equal rights for Palestinians has filed charges against four security officers who she says tackled and injured her. Rachel Abileah, a California-based human rights activist and organizer with CodePink for Peace, is seeking $500,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages for assault, battery and false imprisonment. During Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress, Abileah stood up and began shouting "End the Occupation! Equal Rights for Palestinians!". She had been allowed into the talk as a guest of a member of Congress, because she had been attending the American Israel Public Affairs Committee convention. Four security guards jumped on Abileah and tried to gag her, to stop any further

British conservative MPs get free trips to Middle East paid for by Israeli foreign office

From The Electronic Intifada Could the Israeli government be buying favors from British members of parliament (MPs)? I spent some time today wading through the register of financial interests for MPs from the Conservatives, the party of prime minister David Cameron. These showed that a number of them took part in a trip to the Middle East in early summer that was funded by Israel’s foreign ministry. Declarations made by Chloe Smith, Aidan Burley, James Morris and Neil Parish cite estimates that the cost of their visit from 29 May to 3 June amounted to £1,548 ($2,429) each. They report that £574 of that sum came from the Israeli foreign ministry and the remaining £974 from an internal party group called Conservative Friends of Israel. It is striking that the trip occurred at a time when Britain was in the process of changing its law on universal jurisdiction (the principle that a country may prosecute grave human rights abuses irrespective of where they occur) at the behest of Israel. I

Israeli forces fire on Arub refugee camp, clash with Beit Ummar villagers

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired at Palestinian citizens in Arub refugee camp in Al-Khalil and at Beit Ummar village to the north of the city on Tuesday, local sources reported. They said that young men at the entrance to the refugee camp threw stones at the invading troops. In the village, the IOF soldiers occupied a house that is under construction at a late night hour on Monday prompting clashes with neighbors and civilians in the vicinity. more

Palestinian and international activists launch campaign to monitor escalating settler attacks

NABI SALEH (AFP) -- Palestinian and international activists on Monday launched a campaign to monitor what they said are growing attacks on Palestinians and their property by Israeli settlers. The campaign, launched by activists from the grassroots Palestinian Popular Committees, would see a group of volunteers documenting attacks by Jewish settlers, spokesman Jonathan Pollak told AFP. "The idea is that groups of volunteers -- initially four -- will be on call, ready to quickly respond," Pollak said. They would record evidence of any attacks or vandalism and make their footage and reporting available to media and rights groups, he said. The campaign was launched after a recent surge in attacks following the Israeli army's demolition of homes in illegal settlement outposts and rising tension over the Palestinian bid for full UN membership. In the past 10 days, mosques, cars and agricultural land have been vandalised in at least nine separate incidents blamed on Jewish settl

'Irvine 11' trial shows US persecuting Muslim students for organising non-violent protest

An important trial is taking place today in the US. Eleven students face jailtime for organising a non-violent protest against an Israeli official. Electronic Intifada has the backstory here . As The Electronic Intifada has reported, the students — all of them Muslim — interrupted a speech at UC Irvine given by Israeli ambassador Michael Oren in which he defended Israel’s attacks on Gaza in the winter of 2008-09. Approximately 1,400 Palestinians, including several hundred children, were killed in the 22-day assault on Gaza. During Oren’s speech, the students stood up one by one and directly confronted his defense of Israeli policies in Gaza and called him a war criminal. Following their protest, the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) office launched an unprecedented series of investigations against the students and is seeking criminal charges against them on two misdemeanor counts — each holding a maximum prison sentence of one year. more Follow @intifadaLive on Twitter on the

US Students for Justice in Palestine to hold first national conference this October

From Mondoweiss Please support the first Students for Justice in Palestine national conference. This kind of campus organizing is vital, and these students need your financial support to make the conference a reality. by TANYA KEILANI As a daughter of Palestinian refugees waiting to return to their birthplaces for 63 years – and as a student activist – I have seen real changes in the landscape of campus debate and rhetoric when it comes to Palestinian rights. Having spent the years of my undergraduate and graduate education as an organizer in student groups for Palestine, I can tell you that our membership has expanded to include people not traditionally involved in Palestine solidarity activism, that the number of Students for Justice in Palestine chapters nationwide has increased and that communication between these groups has grown accordingly. The impact of these changes will be made all the more tangible this fall. After months of planning, members of SJP chapters from across

Israel to build 10 new settlements in the Negev after displacing 10,000 Bedouin

The Israeli government is planning to approve a new project that aims at building 10 new Jewish-only settlements in the Negev, by displacing thousands of Bedouins from the area. The project was described as the largest in recent years, and was formulated by the office of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Ministry of Housing. The plan also calls for establishing suburban settlements in Arad area in the Negev, the Arabs48 news website reported. Green parties and environmental groups in Israel protested the plan, and said that existing settlements in the Negev should be expanded instead of conducting new constructions. The plan is said to include a project that aims at moving military bases from the center of the country to the Negev, and constructing houses for regular soldiers and their families. The Arabs48 added that the project will be submitted for approval in the coming few weeks, and that the 10 new settlements would include nearly 1500 units, including units in

Three missing and two injured after second Gaza tunnel accident in two days

Gaza Strip, ( Pal Telegraph )-Two Palestinians were injured and three remained missing on Monday when a cooking gas cylinder exploded inside a smuggling tunnel beneath Gaza-Egypt borders, according to local sources. Medical sources confirmed that two Palestinians were moved to the hospital to receive medical treatment due to injuries and burns sustained their bodies. Medical teams continued searching for the three missing Palestinians. The ambulance and emergencies committee in Gaza Strip announced yesterday the death of One Palestinian identified as Jihad Irbati after a smuggling tunnel collapsed over him. Hundreds of Palestinians were injured or killed in similar tunnel accidents since Israeli occupation has imposed a suffocated siege for more than five years. more

Palestinian youth dies in Rafah tunnel collapse bringing death toll since siege to 160

GAZA CITY ( Ma'an ) -- A young Palestinian was killed and another injured on Sunday morning, after a tunnel under Gaza's border with the Egyptian city of Rafah collapsed. The Ambulance and Emergencies Committee in Gaza identified the deceased as Jihad Irbati. Egyptian security officials said in early September they were cracking down on the network of tunnels used by smugglers from the coastal strip, but smugglers say the trade is booming. Medics say over 160 Palestinians have died in the network of underground tunnels since Israel imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip in 2006. more

Hamas rejects UN statehood bid fearing Fatah is making concessions on national rights

Hamas supports the formation of an independent Palestinian state that does not recognize Israel's existence and which does not concede "one inch" of historical Palestine, Hamas' Gaza leader said on Sunday. Last week, Hamas voiced its objection to an upcoming Palestinian bid to gain recognition at the United Nations, saying that such an effort infringes on the Palestinian refugees' right of return. The move was not based on principles and "Hamas and other factions are not part of this step and do not support it," Salah al-Bardaweel, a senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, told a workshop in Gaza City. Speaking to the Palestinian legislative council in Gaza, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was quoted by the French news agency AFP as reiterating his movement's opposition to the Palestinian Authority move at the UN, adding however that Hamas would support an independent Palestine on only part of what it considered to be "historic Palestine" if tha

Israeli navy campaign against Gaza fishermen sees 61 attacks this year says rights group

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns ongoing Israeli attacks targeting Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and expresses grave concern regarding the escalation of these attacks in recent days. This escalation has resulted in the injury and arrest of a number of fishermen, and the confiscation of a number of fishing boats. Detained fishermen were questioned, pressured to provide security information and collaborate with Israeli forces, and subject to cruel and degrading treatment. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 06:15 on Sunday, 11 September 2011, two Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to al-Waha Resort, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, surrounded two Palestinian boats. There were eight fishermen, including two boys, on board the two boats. The gunboats opened fire on the two Palestinian boats. As a result, two fishermen were wounded by shrapnel. Israeli naval forces arrested the eight fishermen after forcing t

Palestinian statehood bid to be submitted to UN security council on 23 September

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said Thursday that the Palestinians will submit a bid for full membership at the United Nations Security Council on September 23, but said that they would be open to other suggestions. The remarks by Malki put an end to speculation that the Palestinians might avoid a showdown with the United States by sidestepping the Security Council and going directly to the UN General Assembly to seek a lesser status of a non-member observer. Malki said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will personally submit the Palestinian request for membership to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon after addressing the General Assembly on the afternoon of Sept. 23. In the meantime, he said the Palestinians would listen to suggested alternatives. "We will see if anyone carries with him or her any credible offer that will allow us to look into it seriously and to be discussed in the Palestinian leadership. Otherwise, on the 23rd at 12:30, the president will submit th

Israel evacuates its Jordanian embassy ahead of 'million-man march' against peace treaty

JERUSALEM — Nearly all the staff have been cleared out of the Israeli embassy in the Jordanian capital ahead of an anti-Israel protest in Amman on Thursday, for fear the mission could be attacked like the Israeli embassy in Cairo was last week, Israeli newspapers and radio stations reported. A convoy transporting the Israeli diplomats left Jordan for Israel overnight, the Haaretz newspaper said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry wouldn't comment on the reports, other than to say that embassy personnel generally leave Jordan on Thursdays ahead of the Muslim weekend. It said a duty representative remained on call in Amman, as is routine procedure. Activists in Jordan have called for a "million-man march" against the Israeli mission, part of a rising tide of anti-Israel protests there and in Egypt, the two Arab countries that have made peace with the Jewish state. The Jordanian protesters – led by leftists, labor unions and Islamists – are expected to start gathering near the emb

UN Human Rights Council experts reject Palmer report, says Gaza blockade illegal

(Reuters) - Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip violates international law, a panel of human rights experts reporting to a U.N. body said on Tuesday, disputing a conclusion reached by a separate U.N. probe into Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship. The so-called Palmer Report on the Israeli raid of May 2010 that killed nine Turkish activists said earlier this month that Israel had used unreasonable force in last year's raid, but its naval blockade of the Hamas-ruled strip was legal. A panel of five independent U.N. rights experts reporting to the U.N. Human Rights Council rejected that conclusion, saying the blockade had subjected Gazans to collective punishment in "flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law." The four-year blockade deprived 1.6 million Palestinians living in the enclave of fundamental rights, they said. "In pronouncing itself on the legality of the naval blockade, the Palmer Report does not recognize th

Turkey steps up pressure on Israel with appeal to Arab League to back Palestinian statehood at UN

CAIRO — Capitalizing on Turkey’s growing stature and influence across the Middle East at a time of regional upheaval, its prime minister ramped up the pressure on Israel and the United States on Tuesday, telling Arab League ministers they must vote for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations this month. “Recognition of the Palestinian state is the only correct way,” the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said in a speech to members of Arab League in Cairo on the second day of his so-called “Arab Spring” tour. “It is not a choice but an obligation.” Mr. Erdogan’s support of Palestinian statehood was certainly no surprise. But the commanding tone of his message, coupled with his increasingly hostile attitude toward Israel — which once considered Turkey its close friend — underscored how Turkey has now cast itself as a leader in the region. more

California exhibition of war art by Gaza children cancelled as 'not appropriate'

(Middle East Children's Alliance staff members Ziad Abbas, Leena Al-Arian (center) and Barbara Lubin look over artwork. pic: Noah Berger / Special to San Francisco Chronicle) An exhibition of drawings and paintings created by Palestinian children scheduled to open Sept 24 at Oakland's Museum of Children's Art has been canceled. The show, which was to run until Nov. 13, included harrowing images of bloodshed and loss during the Israeli bombing of Gaza, known as Operation Cast Lead, which began in 2008. In one drawing, a little girl with a bandage on her head stares out from behind prison bars. In another, tanks roll through a burning town as women wail and children weep. These and other artwork created by Palestinian children ages 6-14 were to have been included in "A Child's View of Gaza," which was to open with a day of cartooning workshops and poetry readings. Hilmon Sorey, chairman of MOCHA's board of directors wrote in a statement that while the museum

Big majority of public in Germany, France and UK support Palestine state UN bid

The majority of citizens in Germany, France, and the U.K. support the planned Palestinian statehood bid in the United Nations, a new poll indicated on Monday. A new opinion poll published Monday shows that a majority of people in Germany, France and Britain – three countries that are critical votes in the battle over the Palestinian bid for statehood – all want their leaders to vote in favor of a UN resolution to support recognition of a Palestinian state when it's discussed in New York. The survey, which was carried out online by YouGov in Britain and Germany, and Ifop in France, on behalf of the global political web movement Avaaz - which is conducting an online petition in support of a Palestinian state - shows that in Germany 84% supported Palestinian statehood and 76% believed Germany should act now to recognize; in the U.K. the figures were 71% and 59%; and in France the figures were 82% and 69% respectively. Ricken Patel, Executive Director of Avaaz, said in a statement: &q

IDF raid by special unit ends in kidnap of five Gazan youths

Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-An Israeli special unit abducted yesterday evening five Palestinian boys from an area in the north of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses told local sources that members of the unit infiltrated through Sriag gate amid intensive and indiscriminate fire at civilians' houses, abducted the boys, and took them to unknown locations. Witnesses added that the incursion caused a state of panic among civilians in fear of being hurt by Israeli fire. Israeli army didn’t provide any explanation about the incident. more

Israel clamping down on right to protest on West Bank as UN statehood vote nears

From B'Tselem , the Palestinian and Israeli human rights group - A-Nabi Saleh is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, north of Ramallah. For for more than eighteen months now, every Friday, its residents have demonstrated against settlers seizing nearby land that belongs to Palestinians. The Friday processions held in the village have become one of the main sites of weekly protest in the West Bank in recent years. In their handling of the protests in a-Nabi Saleh, Israel’s security forces have infringed the rights of the Palestinian demonstrators in three fundamental ways, as follows: Violation of the right to demonstrate B'Tselem's documentation indicates that Israel does not recognize the right of a-Nabi Saleh’s residents to demonstrate. Israeli security forces prohibit the demonstrators from reaching the site that is the subject of the demonstration – al-Qawas Spring and the land around it – and prevent the procession from exiting the village towards the spring. Also,

30,000 Bedouin Arabs in Negev desert to face 'forceful evacuation' by Israel

JERUSALEM (AFP) -- The Israeli government on Sunday gave the go-ahead to a plan it said would improve the lot of Bedouin Arabs in the Negev desert, but rights groups complained it would uproot thousands forcefully. A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the 1.2 billion shekel [$324 million] programme was meant to help Bedouins integrate with other Israelis. "The plan is also designed to significantly reduce the economic and social gaps between the Bedouin population in the Negev and Israeli society as a whole," it said. Around 160,000 Bedouins live in Israel, more than half of whom live in unrecognized villages in the Negev without municipal services like water and electricity. Many of the remainder also live in extreme poverty... ...The Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Binkom, which advocates fair planning policies, said the Bedouins had not been consulted by the government. A joint statement said that Sunday's cabinet

Tunisian aid convoy Karama (Dignity) to enter Gaza through Rafah with medical supplies

TUNISIA, (PIC)-- The Tunisian aid convoy Karama (dignity) left Carthage airport for Cairo on Saturday afternoon to deliver symbolic humanitarian assistance to the besieged Gaza Strip. The Tunisian official media said the convoy would enter Gaza through Rafah border crossing carrying medical supplies unavailable in the Strip. Massive crowds waving Palestinian and Tunisian flags bid farewell to five Tunisian young people and two jurists, members of this aid convoy, on Saturday. The crowds chanted slogans against the Israeli occupation and its crimes against the Palestinian people especially the blockade on Gaza. more

Egypt's 'correcting the path' protests culminate in storming of Israeli embassy, cabinet may resign

Egypt's first post-revolution Prime Minister Essam Sharaf is likely to tender the resignation of his Cabinet to the Surpreme Military Council later today Saturday, sources close to the cabinet told Ã…hram Online. This is to be discussed during the crises ministerial meeting called on by the Prine Minister the early hours of Saturday. According to the source, the cabinet is considering resignation due to their failure in handling Friday Sept 9, protests. Friday night, some protesters managed to break into one of the floors of the building occupied by the Israeli Embassy, seizing hundreds of documents. Earlier protesters had managed to partially destroy a high concerete wall which had been completed a week earlier to protect the embassy against protesters. They also succeeded to bring down, for the second time, the Israeli flag which had been rehoisted on top of the high rise apartment building housing the embassy. Fierce clashes with the police, which resulted in nearly a thousand i

Turkey confirms it will provide naval escort for Gaza aid ships

Istanbul (CNN) -- Turkey's prime minister says the country will follow aid ships to Gaza in an effort to stop incidents like last year's raid by Israeli commandos that killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Al Jazeera television network Thursday that "Turkish warships are primarily responsible to protect our ships that carry humanitarian aid to Gaza. From now on, we will not allow these ships to be subjected to attacks from Israel similar to what happened with the Freedom Flotilla. ... Israel will be answered appropriately." more

Trial of defendants in kidnap and murder of international activist Vittorio Arrigoni begins in Gaza

The trial of four surviving defendants in the April 14 kidnapping and murder of Italian journalist and International Solidarity Movement activist Vittorio Arrigoni began today in a Gaza military court. The hearing, which began at 10:30 am, was open to the public. Two International Solidarity Movement members, along with a number of Vittorio’s Palestinian and international friends, observed it. It was held in a light, airy hall in Gaza’s military court compound. The four defendants, Abu Ghoul, age 25, Khader Jram, age 26, Mohammed Salfi, age 23, and Hasanah Tarek, age 25, appeared to be in good health, occasionally smiling or waving to family in the courtroom. Proceedings began with a request by attorneys from the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), which holds power of attorney for Vittorio’s family in Bulciago, Italy, that they be allowed to participate in the trial. Military judge Abu Omar Atallah responded that while Palestinian military law does not allow for participation

Soldiers and settlers invade Hebron destroying farmland and defacing mosque with racist grafitti

Israeli soldiers invaded on Thursday morning the city of Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, and demolished three wells while army bulldozers uprooted farmlands in the Nablus district. Armed Israeli settler also wrote graffiti on a local mosque. Ghassan Douglas, in charge of the settlements file at the Palestinian Authority in the northern part of the West Bank, stated that the army is conducting several invasions in the West Bank, especially in Nablus. He told the Quds Net online daily that this campaign is taking place while the settlers attacked several villages and towns near Nablus, and wrote racist graffiti on the walls of a mosque in Yitma village. Also, soldiers demolished three wells in An-Nassariyya area in Nablus, and bulldozed dozens of Dunams of farmlands. The settlers also torched two Palestinian cars that were parked at the main entrance of Qablan town, near Nablus, and uprooted dozens of trees in Huwwara town. more

Gaza Islamic Jihad member killed in Israeli drone strike on car

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A member of Islamic Jihad's military wing was killed late Wednesday in an explosion west of Deir Al-Balah, medics said, in what militants described as an airstrike but Israel's army denied. Al-Quds Brigades spokesman Abu Ahmad said an airstrike on a car west of Deir Al-Balah killed Remah Fayez Al-Husseni, 28, a member of the group from Shati refugee camp. more

Farmers and fishermen march on Gaza UN HQ to protest Palmer report whitewash

(pic: MEMO exclusive) A demonstration attended by farmers and fishermen from the Federation of Agricultural Workers and held under the auspices of the Union of Civil Organisations has marched on the UN headquarters in Gaza. The demonstrators sought to express their bitter condemnation of the UN’s recently released Palmer Report which sanctions and legitimises the siege on Gaza while providing a pretext for the Israeli Occupation to continue its five year blockade and closures. During this period, the people of Gaza have suffered serious shortages in the basic necessities of life as well as shortages in medical equipment and severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods across the borders. As such, this report has been seen as an affront to the massive international efforts to bring the siege to an including the international solidarity efforts, convoys, European parliamentary delegations that have come to Gaza and witnessed the destruction and the effects of the siege first

Today we planted in Gaza's buffer zone - the zone of death

From the International Solidarity Movement Today, like every Tuesday in Beit Hanoun, we marched into the buffer zone to protest it and the illegal Israeli occupation. In many ways it was the same as every Tuesday. We gathered at the Agricultural College, we marched down the road that leads to the buffer zone, we sang, and we chanted. What was different this week? The demonstration was bigger than it has been in a long time, Ramadan is over, and the people are newly energized. Also people were more afraid than they had been in a long time. Israel has just finished its latest round of heavy violence on Gaza. We were worried that Israel would fire on us, we are always afraid of this. Israel often shoots at us when we go to the buffer zone, and this week we marched with the recent attacks fresh on our minds as we stopped fifty meters from reaching the wall. Something else was different though. When we reached the buffer zone it was newly plowed. If you didn’t know better you might h

Airstrike east of Khan Younis kills senior Popular Resistance Committees leader, three wounded

A senior member of the Salah Ed-Deen Brigade was killed, and an elderly man and two of his sons, were injured, in an Israeli airstrike near Kissufim crossing, east of the Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the Maan News Agency reported. “An Israeli drone fired a missile at a group of citizens east of Khan Younis, one resident was killed, and an elder man and two of his sons were injured” Gaza medical spokesman , Adham Abu Salmiya,stated, “the wounded were transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.” The Nasser Salah Ed-Deen Brigades, the armed wing of Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), stated that Khaled Samhoud, 23 years old, one of its senior fighters, was killed in the Israeli bombardment that targeted members of the group. “Fighters of the Brigades targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near the Kissufim border crossing, and claimed responsibility for firing a projectile at an armored Israeli military vehicle”, it added. Israeli drones were seen hoovering over

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