PA acts against West Bank Hamas members

A coalition between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas looks no closer for the present, as the PA as escalated detention campaigns against Hamas members in the West Bank:

 http://english.alresalah.ps/en/post.php?id=4805
Occupied West Bank (Alresalah.ps) 31 Aug --

PA security apparatuses have escalated detention campaigns against political leaders and supporters of Hamas in the occupied West Bank. The PA forces detained 8 Hamas-affiliatedmembers and handed two others orders for investigation in the province of Tubas Nader Sawafta, one of the eight detainees, has been engaged in a hunger strike, ever since he was imprisoned by the PA forces, his family confirmed.
http://english.alresalah.ps/en/post.php?id=4805

Israeli State starts building on site of Bedouin village

Bedouin village site (MaanImages)

BEERSHEBA (Ma'an) -- Israeli excavators on Sunday morning, 16th August, began work on the infrastructure for two Jewish-only colonies in the former Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev desert.
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=767205

Elsewhere:

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The healthcare system in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse, Gaza's Ministry of Health said on Monday, warning that hospitals could stop operating within hours due to the territory's energy crisis.

Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the ministry, said that "Shifa Hospital, Kamal Adwan hospital, the European Gaza Hospital, and Rantisi Hospital could stop offering services because they are about to run out of fuel."

"The current situation is the worst since the Ministry of Health was created in the Gaza Strip," he added.

The Gaza Strip, which receives its electricity from Israel, Egypt, and its one power plant, has been struggling to produce enough power for months.

The hospitals depend on private generators in addition to the power grid, but Israel's eight-year blockade has severely limited the supply of fuel to the coastal enclave.

The healthcare crisis been exacerbated by the blockade as well as three devastating wars since 2008.

The World Health Organization says there is a chronic shortage of pharmaceutical supplies and medicine in Gaza, with patients in need of tertiary care prevented from traveling from the territory due to the blockade, which Egypt maintains in Gaza's south.

Meanwhile, Israel's military offensive on Gaza last summer damaged or destroyed 17 out of 32 hospitals as well as 50 out of 97 primary health centers, according to a UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs report last September.

Six hospitals were forced to close during the conflict and four primary health centres were totally destroyed, the UN added.
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=767226

Exteme zionists remove gloves for activists

HEBRON, Occupied Palestine 21 August  ISM al-Khalil Team
-- A group of twenty-five extreme Jewish zionists from France attacked three international activists in front of the shops near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, H2 area this afternoon. When the activists appeared the group of extremists, the zionists started to clap their hands and sing songs while they moved forwards. The activists pulled out their cameras to record what was happening and the extremists responded by threatening the activists in Hebrew, knocking the cameras away and destroying one, pushing and spitting on the activists. The military occupation forces did not try to prevent the violence. Instead of holding the extremists accountable for their actions, the army allowed them to walk away and formed a line to prevent the activists from continuing as they were going. A little later the same group of extremists reached the house in which other international activists are
living. They tried to climb up onto the stairs leading to the front door of the house and enter the building. They did not succeed and walked in the direction of the illegal Tel Rumeida 'settlement' next to the house of the activists. They returned to the house after another half hour and challenged the activists to come outside the house and fight on the street. They chanted about Israel and sang songs in Hebrew. The zionists then left the house and returned to the area in front of the Ibrahimi Mosque. There they attacked Palestinians and vandalised one of the shops. The tables in front of the shop were smashed on the ground and ceramic products were thrown into pieces on the street. Later, two local Palestinians, while being beaten up by the extremists, were arrested. One or more of  the zionists was
detained by the Israeli police.
While marching around H2 area and attacking Palestinians and international
activists, the extremists held up the now well-known  yellow flag with a fist
 symbolising the Kahane political group together with the Israeli national flag.
Kahane is a far-right political group which was barred from the Knesset in
1994, considered to be a terrorist organisation by Israel.
http://palsolidarity.org/2015/08/extreme-right-wing-zionists-with-the-kahane-group-attack-palestinians-and-international-activists-in-hebron/

Zionists extend wall despite ruling

< http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.671636>
Haaretz 18 Aug by Nir Hasson *-- *The Defense Ministry resumed construction
on Monday of the separation barrier near Beit Jala, south of Jerusalem,
even though the High Court of Justice had invalidated the building of the
barrier in that region and ordered the state to reconsider it. On Monday,
heavy equipment came to the area and uprooted olive trees and earthwork in
preparation for the barrier’s construction in the Cremisan Valley,
between the city of Beit Jala and the 'settlement' colony of Har Gilo and the
village of Walaja. After nine years of legal proceedings, the High Court of
Justice in April accepted a petition against the route of the barrier that
had been filed by landowners, the Walaja town council and the Roman
Catholic Cremisan Monastery and its related convent. The convent and the
monastery would have been separated from one another by the barrier, while
the landowners said they would be separated from their lands. “The
respondents must swiftly reconsider the various alternatives for the
separation fence route in this section,” the justices wrote. Despite this,
only three weeks after the ruling, attorney Giat Nasser, who represents the
residents and the Beit Jala municipality, received a letter from the
Defense Ministry saying it had decided to continue building the barrier
along the invalidated route, except for 200 metres near the monastery and
convent that would remain a “hole” in the barrier. “They apparently haven’t
reconciled themselves to the ruling,” said Nasser. “What they’re doing is
‘feeding’ the court, stage by stage. After they build the fence they’ll say
it’s already up, then they’ll ask to build the loops around the
monasteries, because there won’t be any choice.” Nasser filed another
petition against the barrier last month and asked for an interim injunction
to prevent the work from starting. But although such an injunction had been
in place for nine years, Supreme Court Justice Uri Shoham refused to renew
the injunction, allowing the work to proceed. Now Nasser is demanding an
urgent hearing of his petition. “This is the quietest area and there are no
problems here,” Beit Jala Mayor Nicola Khamis said on Monday. “Today they
uprooted 1,500-year-old trees. How they want us to live here in peace, I
don’t know.”

Attacks on Gaza fishing continue since 2014 massacre

There have been 1312 reported attacks against fishermen since the end of the 2014 major attack on Gaza, as detailed in this report:.


GAZA, Occupied Palestine 11 Aug by ISM, Gaza Team -- Two days ago, on
Sunday’s night at 3am, the occupation forces kidnapped fishermen Mohamed
Ismail Sharafi, 34 years old, and Mohamed Saidi, 22 years old, in Gaza City
waters. According to the testimony of the other fishermen that were working
with them the night of the attack, around 10 boats, one of the two
fishermen was injured by live ammunition before being kidnapped. The
aggression took place at 5 miles off shore and their boat was also taken to
Ashdod. Two weeks ago Ahmed Sharafi, Mohamed’s brother, was shot in his
back with live ammunition while working with his father.
Since the end of the last Zionist massacre against Gaza there have been
1312 reported attacks against the fishermen. Since then, 22 boats have been
stolen; 26 fishermen have been injured; one fisherman, Tawfiq Abu Riela,
has been assassinated; 28 boats have been disabled by bullet fire; 2 big
fishing boats have been sunken by rocket fire, one in Deir El Balah at 300m
from the coast and one in Gaza City at 5 miles; 51 fishermen have been
kidnapped while working and 3 fishermen remain prisoners until now. Those
facts, among other practices of the occupation forces, have caused the
quantity of fish caught to decrease from 1600 tons the year before the
massacre to 1000 tons the year after. At the same time the number of
fishermen who work in the Gaza Strip has decreased from 3000 to 1000 and
the fishermen who keep working have seen how their monthly income decreased
from 2000 ILS to the actual 100 ILS. This last year, just in Beach Camp, 50
children of fishermen have left school in order to work carrying flour
sacks at the doors of UNRWA for 1 ILS each sack. It’s becoming something
common that the fishermen families have to choose between their children
and decide which ones will go to school and which ones will have to work in
order to support the family.
http://palsolidarity.org/2015/08/1312-reported-attacks-against-fishermen-since-the-end-of-2014-massacre-on-
gaza/

Israeli naval forces open fire on Gaza fishermen, no injuries reported

 GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 12 Aug -- Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian
fishermen off the coast of Gaza City early Wednesday, witnesses said. The
fishermen said that they came under fire as they were sailing off the coast
of Sudaniyya in northwestern Gaza City. No injuries were reported, but some
of the boats were hit with gunshots, causing the fishermen to return to shore. http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766991

Farmers attacked near Nablus

NABLUS (Ma’an) – Israeli colonisers on Saturday morning attempted an attack on Palestinian farmers in village of Qusra south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, a local official said.

Dozens of 'settlers' from the illegal Esh Kodesh outpost descended on farmers in their fields between the outpost and Qusra, said Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official who monitors 'settlement' activity in the northern West Bank. He said the attackers intended to scare the farmers and push them to abandon their fields.

Dozens of local men from the village -- members of voluntary local guard committees -- confronted the colonists, Daghlas added.

The colonists - 'settlers' - and locals clashed and threw stones at each other until the settlers were forced to move back.

In June 2014, villagers from Qusra held more than 15 'settlers' captive after they raided the village and tried to uproot Palestinian olive trees. Shortly after that they were transferred to Israeli military forces via Palestinian liaison officials.

Since 1967, the Israeli state has established over 150 colonies and some 100 outposts in the occupied West Bank, with a settler population of more than 500,000 across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.

Outposts like Esh Kodesh are often established by Israeli 'settlers' who set up tents or small mobile homes on private Palestinian land.

Some settlers act without approval to expand settlements or create new ones in the West Bank, building outposts that are illegal even by Israeli government standards.

In many cases, these settlement outposts are "legalized" by the Israeli State, and in rare cases they are dismantled. Such outposts generally receive armed protection by Israeli forces.

Residents living throughout the Nablus district have witnessed a considerable spread of outposts and colonies in the area in recent years, despite the "peace process".
In February, Israeli 'settlers' set up five mobile homes near Palestinian land and close by the Esh Kodesh outpost.
Residents of the Jewish-only Esh-Kodesh outpost regularly harass and attack Palestinians from nearby villages, invading villages or targeting agricultural areas belonging to local farmers.
Many of the attacks are intended to make life difficult for locals in order to force them to leave and allow settlers to expand their settlements.
Would-be colonists living in the Nablus region have become notorious for violent and extremist behaviour against local Palestinians that is often carried out in the presence of Israeli military forces and rarely investigated by the Israeli State.
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766794

74259

"Settler" attack becomes mainstream

The latest attack by hardline Zionists against Palestinians, in which an 18-month child was killed during an attack on a home, has been recognised by the mainstream press including the BBC. The Today interviewer managed to get the Zionist spokesman, Mark Regev, to answer the question asked, e.g. about the percentage of complaints about previous 'settler' violence that have resulted in prosecution. Although he is usually well-armed with all relevant names and dates, on this occasion he was unable to lay his hands on the facts. He claimed that for this, as with all actions by unaligned groups, there would be prosecution and justice. He did not volunteer any information about the Israeli army's (and hence the state's) usual support for the 'settlers' in all circumstances.

Christian and Muslim schools threatened by Israelis

The Israelis are trying to destroy the roots of non-Jewish society in occupied Palestine, as this report by Jonathan Cook details:
Church-run schools in Israel face ‘death sentence’ 29 June 2015 - Israel is seeking to bring dozens of church-run schools under government control, a move that community leaders warn will curb the last vestiges of educational freedom for the country’s large Palestinian minority. The schools, which educate Christians and Muslims and are among the highest-achieving in Israel, are the only hope for most families trying to escape dire conditions in the government-run Arab education system. - See more at: http://www.jonathan-cook.net/#sthash.m6PEO138.dpuf

Israel delivers four stop-work orders in Bethlehem

*
< http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766597
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 22 July -- Israeli forces delivered four stop-work
notices to Palestinians from the village of Za‘tara in eastern Bethlehem
on Wednesday, claiming the buildings were not licensed, locals said.
Muheisen Abu Amriyeh, a local resident, told Ma‘an that Israeli military
vehicles escorted by Israeli Civil Administration officers raided the area
and delivered stop-work notices to houses belonging to the Hassan Muheisin
family. A total of eight houses belonging to the family are now threatened
with demolition, as Israel delivered another four notices to the same
family 10 days ago, Abu Amriyeh said. Five of the houses are at an early
stage of construction while the other three are already inhabited.
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766597

Israeli forces destroy 450 olive trees, Roman-era well in Hebron
 http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766595
HEBRON (Ma‘an) 22 July -- Israeli forces on Wednesday destroyed 450 olive
trees, levelled land, and demolished a Roman-era water well in the village
of *Beit Ula in northwestern Hebron, after claiming the Palestinian land
belonged to Israel, locals said. Issa al-Imla, the coordinator of a local
popular committee in Beit Ula, told Ma‘an that the olive trees were more
than 10 years old and belonged to a local farmer, Farid Abd al-Latif
al-Imla. Al-Imla said that Israeli forces also levelled lands belonging to
Abd al-Qader al-Imla and demolished the village water well that dated from
the Roman era. Al-Imla said that Israeli forces, officials from the Israeli
Civil Administration, and three bulldozers also raided the Attus and
al-Mekheh areas in western Beit Ula and destroyed crops. On January 27, an
Israeli court issued an order to confiscate hundreds of dunams of land in
western Beit Ula. Al-Imla said that Palestinian landowners followed up the
case in Israeli courts, but added that Israeli courts generally assist
settlers in confiscating Palestinian land. He called on the Palestinian
Minister of Agriculture and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to help farmers
re-plant trees.
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766595

Navy injures fishermen; power cut hits Gaza

Gaza as a destination for the world's sun-worshipping surfers may still be a way off, as attacks by the navy, and power cuts continue - as in these details from the International Middle East Media Center:
Two fishermen injured by navy fire http://www.imemc.org/article/72306
IMEMC 22 July -- Israeli navy ships opened live fire, on Tuesday at dawn,
on a number of Palestinian fishing boats in Beit Lahia, in the northern
part of the Gaza Strip, wounding two fishers, and kidnapped two including
one of the wounded, before towing a boat to the Ashdod Port. *Ahmad Ismael
Sharafi*, 20 years of age, was shot with a live round in the back, and
several rubber-coated metal bullets in his arm, and was moved to the Shifa
Medical Center in Gaza, suffering a moderate injury. The two kidnapped
fishers were released approximately at six in the evening, while one of
them was moved to a medical center for treatment of wounds resulting from
the Israeli attack, the Union for Agricultural Work Committees has
reported. On Monday evening, the navy attacked a fishing boat belonging to
Yousef Fayez Barakat, 22 years of age, and kidnapped him, along with
Haitham Tareq Bakr, 25.
http://www.imemc.org/article/72306

 Blackouts hit Gaza as power plant shuts amid tax dispute
 http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766575
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 21 July -- The Gaza Strip was reduced to eight hours of
electricity per day on Tuesday after its sole power plant shut down because
it was unable to afford PA-imposed taxes. The Gaza distribution network
will provide just six hours of electricity for every 12 hours without,
averaging eight hours of total power a day

'Settlers', army, stop Hebron shops opening

e 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al Khalil Team | Al Khalil, Occupied Palestine

Around 8:30 this morning on Shuhada street in Hebron, Israeli settlers, soldiers, and border police arrived and put up a breakfast tent right outside of two shops owned by a Palestinian man. The settlers remained in front of his shops for around three and a half hours under Israeli police and army protection.

The owner of the shops, which will be used to grind wheat into flour, is Ghassan Azzedine Abu Hadid. HRC has been working with him to facilitate the restoration of his two shops. Because of the presence of the settlers, he has been prevented from working on his shops in order to make them ready for opening.

International Solidarity Movement activists were present and asked Ghassan for a statement on what was happening to which he replied “I cannot say anything, I just want to open my shops and continue my work.”

ISM report

Israeli soldiers caught by camera

Following reports of the shooting of two Israelis, by a Palestinian citizen and by the Hamas military wing <http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=766055>, this report comes from Haaretz:
< http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.661513>
Haaretz 17 June by Amira Hass -- *Had it not been for the cameras, the
eyewitness reports about the armed soldiers who beat a Palestinian
protester would have been dubbed as dubious 'allegations.' -- *The mistake
made by the armed soldiers< http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.660994> from the Netzah Yehuda battalion was that they allowed cameras to document their
bestiality and cowardice while attacking a brave Palestinian civilian,armed with a visor cap and T-shirt, last Friday. For this error, their commanders punished them.
< http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.661146> this week by meting out negligible disciplinary punishments. Their commanders couldn’t punish them for their crude assault, their loss of control, their arrogance or their abuse; you don’t punish a person for something that is the social norm, as well as a metaphor for the balance of power between Israel and the Palestinians ... Journalists’ reports, based on a clip from Palestinian television, stressed that the soldiers were filmed beating a Palestinian after they had already “gotten him under control.” The reports also emphasized the curses they showered him with. If there were a hidden camera at every arrest, we would have to admit that soldiers beating
Palestinians whom they have already “gotten under control” is not unusual. And curses? There are Palestinians who conclude, from their run-ins with soldiers, that Hebrew consists of only eight words. Five of them are curses, and the other three are “halt,” “scram” and “forbidden.” All eight are barked out, like the videotaped barks and growls of the Netzah Yehuda soldiers ... The Hebrew-language reports about the soldiers who beat a Palestinian in front of the cameras missed one obvious fact that arises from the video clip: Ghabashi’s courage. He went out to the soldiers to protest against the tear gas grenades they threw into his house in the Jalazun refugee camp while they were facing off with the young people from th camp, who demonstrate there every week against the occupation, the army,
the settlement of Beit El. Ghabashi knows very well what armed, nervous soldiers can do to a Palestinian who dares to argue with them and disobey them when they order him to get lost; curses, punches and arrest are the least of it. They could also have shot him, and then invented some excuse.The valiant Ghabashi represents a Palestinian norm.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.661513

Hunger strikers face torture

Khader Adnan: 'The more they torture me, the more determined I become'
 http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=765991
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 16 June -- Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who is now
on his 42nd day on hunger strike against the Israeli practice of
administrative detention, said Tuesday that "the more [the Israelis torture me, the stronger and more determined I become." Adnan, 37, made the comments to the chief lawyer of the Palestinian prisoner’s society Jawad Bulous, who was visiting him at Israel’s Assaf Harofeh medical center. Bulous said that "new dangerous symptoms" had appeared indicating that Adnan's health has seriously deteriorated. "He suffers severe pains all over his body with blue spots on his shoulder and clear speaking problems."
Bulous said that despite Adnan’s sufferings, there has so far been no discussion about his case, although he said officers from the Israeli prison service visited Adnan on Monday to see how dangerous his condition was. "Despite his complaints about detention conditions in hospital, wardens made these conditions worse by fixing a curtain at the outer door of his room and three wardens were sent to his room while his hand and his leg were tied to his bed," said Bulous. Adnan also told the lawyer that a delegation representing the International Committee of the Red Cross had attempted to visit him several days ago, but that they canceled the visit after Israeli officers insisted on attending and keeping Adnan tied to the bed. On Friday, the director of the prisoner's society, Rafat Hamduna, said that Adnan's weight was dropping to dangerous levels and he was no longer
able to stand up or move.
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=765991

 Israel seeks force-feeding powers as hunger striker enters danger zone
< http://972mag.com/israel-seeks-force-feeding-powers-as-hunger-striker-enters-danger-zone/107901/>
+972 mag 16 June by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man -- The head of the Israeli
Medical Association says he will instruct physicians to ignore the new law
if it is passed, saying it contradicts medical ethics -- *The Israeli
parliament is expected to soon vote on a bill that would permit authorities
to force feed Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike; the cabinet gave the
measure its seal of approval on Sunday. Although no direct correlation has
been shown, the move comes as Israel/Palestine’s most famous repeat hunger
striker, Khader Adnan, has gone more than 40 days without food or
nutrients. Adnan is protesting being held under administrative detention,
which means he has no access to due process, has not formally been accused
of any crime, and has no way of defending himself. He is currently being
held in a hospital in central Israel where he is reportedly shackled to his
bed and is refusing to be treated by hospital medical staff. Adnan has said
he will only agree to be treated by a doctor from Physicians for Human
Rights Israel (PHR), who is expected to see him on Wednesday 17th. Force feeding hunger strikers is extremely inhumane and painful for the "patient", described by the ACLU
< http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security-prisoners-rights-human-rights/video-yasiin-bey-mos-def-undergoes-force>
as “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.” In the *video above Yasiin
Bey (aka Mos Def) volunteers to undergo the “treatment”   ... By force feeding hunger striking Palestinian prisoners,Israel hopes to undercut the only non-violent path prisoners have to protest against their treatment and denial of due process. Hunger strikers have
gained significant support on the Palestinian street, and Israeli authorities have long warned that letting high-profile hunger strikers die could spark unrest. Israeli politicians also believe that Israel would face international pressure over its practice of administrative detention if
hunger strikes go on for too long. Opposition to the bill came from an unexpected corner this week when former foreign minister MK Avigdor Lieberman said his party, which is in the opposition, would oppose the bill.  “[Israel] should learn from what happened to the Irish underground during the time of Margaret Thatcher,” Haaretz quoted
< http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/.premium-1.661301> 
well.”

Gaza farmland destroyed

Israeli firebombs have burned crops in northern Gaza.
http://www.imemc.org/article/71670
IMEMC/Agencies 22 May: Israeli soldiers fired, on May 21st, evening, a
number of firebombs into Palestinian farmlands planted with wheat, east of
Jabalia in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The Civil Defence office in
Jabalia said the fire consumed around a dunam (0.247 acre) before
firefighters managed to contain it. It added that this Israeli violation
was the fourth in 24 hours, targeting the eastern area of northern Gaza,
especially around the Shuhada Graveyard, east of Jabalia.
On Wednesday evening, Israeli navy ships opened fire on Palestinian fishing
boats in the al-Waha and as-Sudaniyya areas, in Gaza, causing excessive
damage but no injuries. On Wednesday morning, several Israeli military
vehicles, and four armored bulldozers, carried out on a limited invasion
into an area, east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza:
http://www.imemc.org/article/71670

Israeli army shoots at demo, attacks homes

UN affects Kafr Qaddum's demonstration
http://palsolidarity.org/2015/05/un-affects-kafr-qaddums-demonstration/
 KAFR QADDUM, Occupied Palestine 1 May by ISM, Huwwara Team --
Today’s demonstration in Kafr Qaddum was met with live ammunition, rubber coated steal bullets, teargas and stun grenades. There was a large presence of Palestinian and international protesters. The Israeli forces shot two young men in the leg. UN observers were present. Before prayer ended, usually marking the start of the demonstration, Israeli forces fired  bullets from .22 rifles at the people who had started to gather in Kafr Qaddum. As the march started advancing up through the village, a group of Italian women joined in and were chanting songs of liberation with the crowd. Coordinated with the locals, they went to the front of the march with their fingers in the air, symbolically signing peace. Together, they stopped only metres away from the border police and military asking for the opening of the road and the freedom of the Palestinians. The Israeli forces responded with stun grenades and teargas, forcing the crowd to retreat further into the village. The army went on by shooting two young men with live ammunition. One, named as Eanad, was hit by a bullet which passed through his leg, while the second shot stayed put inside his friend Issam’s leg. They were both rushed to Rafidia hospital in Nablus. An ISMer on the spot describes, “While Issam was being rushed to a car, teargas was fired over them. Ceasefire during injuries doesn’t seem to be a concern for the Israeli forces. ” Recently, demonstrators and ISMers have witnessed an escalation of violence in Kafr Qaddum. The amount of live ammunitions shot by the Israeli forces has heavily been on the rise. Today, however, protesters were mostly met with stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets. Local activist Murad Shtaiwi explained, “the UN’s rare presence today meant that the Israeli soldiers were acting quite politely”. When members of the United Nations arrive at demonstrations, they inform the Israelis in advance of their coming. This inevitably leads to a calmer day, relatively speaking. After the military retreated, a pile of tires was burnt, sending black smoke into the direction of Kedumin, a neighbouring settlement built in 1975. Due to this settlement, the road leading to Nablus has been closed off to the Palestinians since 2003. This has largely increased traveling time and costs for the locals.
http://palsolidarity.org/2015/05/un-affects-kafr-qaddums-demonstration/

Several Palestinians injured in Silwad
http://www.imemc.org/article/71438
IMEMC 2 May -- Army Fires Gas Bombs Into Homes -- Israeli soldiers invaded,
Friday, Silwad town, east of the central West Bank city of Ramallah,
clashed with local youths, and deliberately fired gas bombs into several
homes; many injured, including three Palestinians who were shot with live
rounds. The soldiers invaded the town, and assaulted several children and
women, beating them on various parts of their bodies, mainly on their
heads, backs and shoulders, causing cuts and bruises. A Palestinian child
told Palestine TV reporter Ali Dar Ali that the soldiers fired a gas bomb
into his family’s home, forcing the family to run out of its property to
avoid suffocation. Minutes later, the soldiers surrounded the home, but
were forced to run away after dozens of local youths hurled stones on them;
the soldiers fired several gas bombs, but local protesters threw the bombs
back, forcing the soldiers to retreat. Clashes took place in various parts
of the town, and the soldiers fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition,
rubber-coated metal bullets, concussion grenades and gas bombs. During the
clashes, Israeli soldiers shot and injured three Palestinians with live
rounds, and many others with rubber-coated metal bullets, while many
suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation. One soldier was mildly injured
in his face after being struck by a stone thrown by a local protester.
http://www.imemc.org/article/71438

BBC responds over new complaints

PSC head office, London, has released a positive statement about media relations - which is here in full:

 

Some good news today.

On 1^st April, BBC Online ran an article headlined ‘Palestinians formally join International Criminal Court’

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-32144186

The article included this information:

‘On Wednesday, the Palestinians became the 123rd member of the ICC, 90 days after they lodged a declaration accepting the jurisdiction of the court over alleged crimes committed in the occupied territories of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza from 13 June 2014.

This covers events prior to and during last summer's 50-day conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza, which left more than 2,200 people dead.’

There was no breakdown of those killed ie that the vast majority were Palestinian, and it’s not the first time that the BBC has done this.

A FN volunteer complained, via the complaints form on the website, and received the standard brush off. This was the reply from BBC Complaints:

We understand you feel the report lacks accuracy. In particular you feel the figures cited did not take into account that the majority of those killed were Palestinians.

‘We reviewed the article in light of your concern and we point out the main focus for the report was that Palestine has formally joined the International Criminal Court (ICC). The figure of 2,200 was only quoted in reference to the fact that Palestine is seeking justice for alleged war crimes, therefore details of the figure was not relevant in this context of the report.

‘We are grateful to you for taking the time to let us know of occasions when you believe we fall short of our own standards and we hope this allays any concerns you might have regarding our coverage.’

The FN volunteer responded to say that the ICC could be investigating events that took place during the 50 day period of Israel’s assault. Therefore, the number of Palestinians killed during that period - a massive number - is entirely relevant in the context of this report. In fact, in the context of this report, more could be made of that figure – the number of children killed, the number of civilians killed, the disproportionate number of Palestinians killed, how great that number was in comparison to the Israelis killed etc – in order to give examples of what crimes the Israelis could be charged with.

This reply was received yesterday from the BBC: ‘Thank you for your further e-mail regarding our article reporting that the Palestinians had formally joined the International Criminal Court.

‘I disagree with our initial response and believe you have a point regarding the breakdown of casualty figures. Although these statistics have featured regularly throughout our coverage of the Middle East, in recognition of your concerns we’ve since added a paragraph stating:

‘At least 2,189 were Palestinians, including more than 1,486 civilians, according to the UN. On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers were killed along with six civilians.’

An important victory. And the BBC has used the new phrasing again in an online story about Israel hitting UN shelters in Gaza: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-32479271

Hopefully, it will continue to use the breakdown of casualty figures in all future reporting where it mentions how many were killed.

With many thanks to the volunteer who made and followed through the complaint.

 

 

Soldiers use wind-up as shoot-to-kill excuse

Israeli soldiers shot and killed, on Friday 24th April at night, a young Palestinian named Ali Sa‘id Abu Ghannam, 16 years of age, near the Zaim military roadblock, east of occupied Jerusalem. The Palestinian News & Info Agency WAFA has reported that the soldiers stopped the Palestinian, who was walking with a young woman from his family, and started provoking the two, before the soldiers uttered vulgar words towards the young woman. The incident caused the young man to engage in a scuffle with the soldiers before one of them shot him dead. The army is alleging the Palestinian “attempted to stab a soldier," and was shot  dead while trying to flee the scene. The Israeli army refused to hand the body of the slain Palestinian to the Red Crescent ambulance that arrived on the scene, and took it to an unknown destination. 
A straightforward case, perhaps: Israeli soldiers insult a Palestinian woman; her male companion springs to her defence and the soldiers kill him. But the Israeli police alleged the young Palestinian arrived at the roadblock “and started running towards the soldiers while carrying a butcher knife.” Ynet News quoted a police statement alleging that one of the soldiers managed to hold the Palestinian, “but he continued to run towards the soldiers,” and they shot him dead. The Israeli story is the one the BBC carried.
http://www.imemc.org/article/71348

West Bank protesters shot

• 
  Israeli forces shoot Palestinian in eye during clashes
  JERUSALEM (Ma‘an) 16 Apr -- A Palestinian was critically injured after being shot in the eye with a rubber-coated steel bullet during clashes with Israeli forces in the al-‘Issawiya village of occupied East Jerusalem lateWednesday. Member of a local committee in al-‘Issawiya, Muhammad Abu al-Hummus, said that Suleiman Mahmoud al-Tarbi, 20, was leaving his home when he was "directly" targeted by Israeli forces from a short range. Abu al-Hummus added that al-Tarbi fell to the ground when he was injured, before being assaulted and detained by Israeli forces despite his injuries. Al-Tarbi was taken to the Hadassa Ein Karem Hospital. Clashes erupted in the al-‘Issawiya village late Wednesday after Israeli soldiers raided the street across from the Maale Adumim settlement. Three Palestinian youths were also injured with rubber-coated steel bullets in their lower extremities ... Al-Tarbi's injury is one of many inflicted at the hands of Israeli forces. The United Nations estimates that Israeli forces injured a total of 1,190 Palestinian children in the West Bank during 2014. More than in 1 in 5 of the injuries were caused by Israeli forces' use of live ammunition, with the rest from rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas inhalation, and assault.
  http://www.maannews.com/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=760508
  
  Another Palestinian loses eye to police sponge bullet
  Haaretz 16 Apr by Nir Hasson -- A Palestinian youth has lost an eye, apparently as a result of being shot at with a sponge bullet. It is the latest of a series of similar incidents in which Palestinian youths and children, primarily in East Jerusalem, have lost eyes to sponge bullets fired by the Israeli security services. Sliman [or Suleiman] al-Tardi, a resident of the West Bank living in ‘Issawiya, was injured on Wednesday night when he went out to buy cigarettes, according to his own account. Palestinian youths were clashing with Israeli police in the area at the time. Tardi was operated on at Jerusalem's Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karem on Thursday, but the doctors were unable to save his eye. Less than two weeks ago, Zakariya Julani, a 13-year-old boy from the Shu‘afat refugee camp in Jerusalem, also lost an eye in similar circumstances....
  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.652239
  
  Israeli forces continue to target Bil‘in, 2 protesters shot
  RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 17 Apr -- Two Palestinians were shot, one with live fire, and up to 60 protesters suffered excessive tear gas inhalation when Israeli forces violently suppressed the Bil‘in weekly march on Friday. Hundreds of Palestinians are reported to have taken part in the march against the separation wall, also marking Palestinian Prisoner's Day. Israeli forces fired live and rubber-coated steel bullets at the protesters as well as tear-gas canisters. Ahmad Mohammad Mansour, 17, was shot in the chest with a live bullet and was taken to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, while Munther Ameera was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the lower extremities and treated on the scene. Among those who suffered excessive tear gas inhalation were Palestinian Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Qarage, Minister of Agriculture Walid Assaf, lawmaker Mustafa al-Barghouthi, and Palestinian journalist Linda Shalash ... This year marked the tenth consecutive year of weekly marches against the Israeli separation wall in Bilin, which was constructed on Palestinian land in 2005. In response to the protests, the village has been a target of frequent raids and arrests by Israeli forces.
  http://www.maannews.com/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?id=760533
  
  Israeli forces shot five in Kafr Qaddum
  [with video] KAFR QADDUM, Occupied Palestine (ISM, Huwwara Team) 17 Apr -- This week’s Friday demonstration in Kafr Qaddum followed the same violent pattern as the previous ones during the past weeks. The Israeli occupation forces began their shooting before the demonstration even started. Soldiers and border police fired tear gas, stun grenades, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition at the protestors.Hammam Khalid Aqil, age 19, was hit by two rubber-coated steel bullets, one in his leg and one in his head. He was badly injured and while he was still unconscious the Israeli army arrested him and took him to a hospital in Israel where he is now under intensive care. His condition is extremely serious, even so it took several hours before his parents were allowed to come and see him at the hospital ... The occupation forces met the demonstration with terrifying brutality.  They used the skunk-water truck to spray down not only protestors but family homes and gardens covering the village in a foul stink. At least five more people were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets. Maamoun Shtaiwi, 36, and Anna Johnson, a 30 year old ISM volunteer, were both shot in the head and taken to the hospital in Nablus where they were treated for their wounds. Maamoun’s injury required 13 stitches. One Palestinian activist was hit in the leg, and one in the chest, and an Israeli photographer had the camera on his helmet smashed.
  http://palsolidarity.org/2015/04/israeli-forces-shot-five-in-kafr-qaddum/
  
  When shooting a Palestinian in the back is merely 'reckless'
  +972 blog 15 Apr by Alma Biblash -- Why trust the military to investigate itself when soldiers who kill unarmed Palestinians are let off the hook time and time again? -- In January 2013, an Israeli soldier shot a 16-year-old Palestinian who posed absolutely no threat in his back. Samir Awad, from the village Budrus, didn’t survive the valiant military operation, and was killed. Last December, the High Court of Justice harshly criticized the Military Advocate General’s (MAG) handling of the case calling on it to finish its investigation. On Tuesday, the State announced that it would charge the soldier with reckless and negligent use of a firearm. Had the incident not ended with the death of a teenager, it could have come off as no more than a silly act of mischief. Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, which accompanied the Awad family throughout the legal process, called the decision a “new low in Israeli authorities’ disregard for the lives of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. The State Attorney’s Office has sent security forces in the Occupied Territories a clear message: if you kill an unarmed Palestinian who poses no threat, we will do everything to cover it up and ensure impunity.” According to Yesh Din, an Israeli organization that provides legal assistance to Palestinians in the occupied territories that has researched this issue in the past few years, 97.8 percent of the Criminal Investigation Division’s (CID) investigations vis-à-vis harm caused to Palestinians have ended without indictments.
  http://972mag.com/when-shooting-a-palestinian-in-the-back-is-merely-reckless/105549/