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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for May 25th to the 31 2013
Hamas rejected an economy-based plan by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to revive the Israeli-Palestinian talks, meanwhile Israeli military continues to break into Palestinian areas and detain Palestinian civilians, these stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.
The Nonviolence Report
Let’s begin our weekly report as usual with the nonviolent activities organized in the West Bank in this week protests Israeli soldiers attacked the anti wall protests using tear gas and chemical water, as a result six people were injured and one kidnapped by troops. IMEMC’s Salam Qumsiya reports:
Protesters were organized in the village of Kufer Qadoum in northern West Bank in addition to the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin and al Nabi Saleh, in central West Bank and Al Ma’ssara village in southern west Bank.
At the villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin, residents and their international and Israeli supporters, managed to reach the wall. Soldiers stationed there fired tear gas and chemical water on protesters.
Six people, including two journalists, were slightly injured by Israeli troops attack on the weekly protest at the village of Bil’in many more people at both Bil’in and Ni’lin were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
In the nearby village of al Nabi Saleh, Israeli soldiers attacked the villagers and their supporters before leaving the village. Soldiers used tear gas against protesters. Later troops invaded the village and fired tear gas into residents homes. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
In the village of Kufer Qadoum, Israeli soldiers stormed the village before the protests started attacked residents and kidnapped one international supporter.
Meanwhile Israeli troops attacked the villagers of at al Ma’ssara and their supporters at village entrance then forced them back using rifle buts and batons to bush people back, no injuries were reported.
For IMEMC News this is Salam Qumsiya
The West Bank and Gaza Report
This week the Israeli army conducted at least 73 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza. During these attacks Israeli troops kidnapped at least 41 Palestinians, including five children. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura has more
This week Israeli troops arrest campaign targeted the cities of Jenin, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron. Invasions were also reported in the Gaza strip.
On Monday of this week, at dawn local sources have reported that extremist Israeli settlers defaced 15 Palestinian cars, and punctured their tires, in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Similar to dozens of similar attacks, the settlers wrote racist anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian graffiti. Also on Monday in occupied East Jerusalem, Dozens of Israeli settlers, illegally occupied two Palestinian stores near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the old city part.
Four Palestinians were slightly injured, after Israeli soldiers invaded the Al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, and clashed with local youths on Tuesday morning.
Later in the week several armored Israeli military vehicles invaded the Al-Aqaba area in Beit Hanina, north of occupied East Jerusalem, and surrounded a home before demolishing it on Wednesday. Soldiers also demolished a Palestinian-owned car repair shop near Jerusalem on the same day.
In Gaza this week, everal armored Israeli military vehicles invaded on Wednesday morning Palestinian farmlands, east of the Al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza, and opened fire at Palestinian farmers forcing them out of their lands. No injuries were reported.
Meanwhile the Israeli navy continued this week to attack Palestinian fishermen near the Gaza strip coast line. On Sunday and Monday of this week, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats that were sailing within the 6 nautical mile limit off al-Waha resort, in the north of the Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported.
For IMEMC News this is Ghassan Bannoura.
The Political Report
Palestinian Prime Minister of Hamas refused the American economic plan to revive Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to name a new prime minister for his West Bank government., the details with IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari
Representative of Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington, Ma’an Eriqat, denied this week reports suggesting that a meeting between Israel and Palestinian officials is set for next week.
He maintained that there is no such planned meeting and that negotiations between the two sides are still stalled unless Israel changes settlement policies on occupied Palestinian territories.
Few weeks ago, US Secretary of States, John Kerry, said that both parties would take serious decisions towards peace in the region. Kerry was visiting the region and offered a new economic plan that creates a way out of current peace process impasse.
At the internal Palestinian level, meetings between Fatah and Hamas representatives in Cairo came out with some sot of agreement on kicking off reconciliation, deadlocked since Hamas has taken over Gaza in 2007.
Mustafa Barghouthi, head of Palestinian Initiative Party, believed that this week’s meetings were fruitful and both Palestinian political rivals are about to agree on a number of outstanding issues.
In the West Bank, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is set to name a prime minister for his government. Some sources with Fatah party believed that President Abbas might not head the cabinet unless Hamas and Fatah reach a conciliation deal.
Meanwhile, resigned prime minister , Salam Fayyad, will walk out once and for all this week. The US-backed Fayyad resigned following pressure by Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
Rami Ameghari, IMEMC News, Gaza.
Conclusion
And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine this was the Weekly report for May 25th to the 31st 2013 from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates please keep visiting our website at www.imemc.org. Today’s report has been brought to you by Husam Qassis and me, George Rishmawi
