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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for June 2nd to 8 2012
Palestinian factions are close to announce a consensus government meanwhile clashes between Palestinian resistance and Israeli military renew after a month of relative calm, these stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.
The Nonviolence Report:
Let’s begin our weekly report with the nonviolent activities in the West Bank. On Friday Israeli soldiers attacked anti wall protests at a number of West Bank villagers and arrested three civilians IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura with the details
Three international were arrested on Friday and many were treated by the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli soldiers attacked the weekly protest at the village of al Nabi Saleh, central West Bank
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Villagers and their international and Israeli supporters marched until the entrance of the village before Israeli soldiers sprayed them with chemical water, later troops invaded the village and fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets into residents homes. Many were treated for the3 efects of tear gas inhalation as a result. When a group of international supporters tried to stop the soldiers attack on residents homes troops arrested three of them.
Also on Friday at the nearby villagers of Bil’in and Nil’in residents anti wall protests were met by chemical water, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets by Israeli troops. At the village of Nil’in this week people marked the 3rd anniversary of the death of Akel Srour who was killed by Israeli soldiers while protesting the Israeli wall at the village Nil’in. In both Bil’in and Nil’in many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
In Kufer Kadum village, northern West Bank, many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when soldiers attacked the villagers and their international and Israeli supporters. Elsewhere in southern West Bank, Al Ma’ssara villagers conducted their weekly anti wall protest. Soldiers forced people back into the village. No injuries were reported.
For IMEMC News this is Ghassan Bannoura.
The Political Report
Palestinian authority officials and Hamas leaders say a consensus government to be announced in two weeks from now IMEMC Rami Al Meghari has more.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Hamas leaders both indicate that a consensus government will be formed in the upcoming two weeks. This comes in the backdrop of a slated meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Hama’s leader Khaled Mash’al on chances for meetings between leaders of both rival parties.
Abbas is expected to visit the Gaza Strip, right after his meeting with Mash’al in Egypt.
Yet some Hamas leaders in Gaza like Dr. Mahmoud Alzahar, prefers to wait until after the Egyptian second round of presidential elections.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for presidential and legislative elections following a six-month interim consensus government.
At the Israeli-Palestinian level, Israel is still keeping up settlement activities on occupied Palestinian lands in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, despite calls by international players to parties concerned to resume peace process.
For IMEMC News, this is Rami Almeghari in Gaza.
The West Bank & Gaza Report
Israeli forces kill three Palestinians and injure eight civilians in the Gaza Strip. In addition, 48 Palestinians were injured in the West Bank. Settler violence continues. Communities in the Jordan Valley continue to be affected by demolitions and evictions, the details in following report.
Clashes between Palestinian resistance factions and Israeli forces, as well as Israeli airstrikes, resume after one month of relative calm; three resistance fighters and one Israeli soldier were killed and eight Palestinian civilians were injured.
Following five weeks of relative calm, a new round of armed clashes and air strikes resulted in casualties and damage to property. The escalation started when an armed Palestinian clashed with Israeli troops at Gaza Israeli border. As a result, the armed Palestinian and one Israeli soldier were killed. Following the incident, the Israeli air force launched a number of air strikes inside Gaza, hitting a motorcycle carrying resistance fighters east of Khan Younis and a house in Nuseirat refugee camp and a dairy factory in Az Zeitoun neighbourhood in addition to two animal farms in Beit Lahyia and Rafah.
The airstrike resulted in the injury of eight Palestinian civilians, including four children aged between 4 months and 17 years.
Palestinian factions continued firing homemade shells towards southern Israel, causing no injuries or damage to property. The Israeli army continues to restrict Palestinian access to land near the fence and to fishing areas beyond three-nautical miles from the shore. In this context, Israeli forces opened fire towards Palestinian areas in the vicinity of the fence on at least three occasions, setting wheat crops on fire.
Also, this week Israeli forces launched at least two incursions inside the Gaza Strip, abducting a Palestinian man. Similarly, on five occasions the Israeli navy opened warning fire towards Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them ashore. Four fishermen were forced to swim towards the navy’s boats and were taken to Israel for interrogation.
This week Palestinians organized a number of demonstrations on 5 June commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Israeli occupation, culminated in clashes with Israeli forces, mainly at Qalandia checkpoint and next to Ofer prison near Ramallah. As a result, ten Palestinians were injured.
32 other Palestinians were injured this week during a weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum village near (Qalqiliya) against the prohibition on the use of the main road connecting the village to Nablus City and to agricultural land in the vicinity of the nearby Qidumim settlement. The main road has been reserved for Israeli settlers’ use only since 2002.
In addition, Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian man in the stomach, after he stabbed and injured an Israeli soldier with a tent stake inside the Old City of Hebron.
A number of settler attacks were reported during the week, all of which resulted in damage to Palestinian property, with no injuries recorded. In one of the incidents, Israeli settlers damaged water pipes that supply five Bedouin communities in Al-Khan al Ahmar area in the Jerusalem periphery. This has affected the provision of drinking water for 100 families and over 2,000 heads of livestock. The Khan al Ahmar communities are among 20 communities in the Jerusalemperiphery at risk of being transferred from the area in the context of an Israeli “relocation” plan. Much of the affected area is planned for the expansion of the Ma’ale Adummim settlement (the so-called E-1 plan).
In another Bedouin community in the Tubas governorate, Khirbet Tana, Israeli settlers damaged a Palestinian-plated vehicle and clashed with a group of Palestinian farmers; Israeli forces intervened and arrested five Palestinians.
Conclusion
That was just some of the news from This Week in Palestine, for more updates; please visit our website at www.imemc.org. Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, This report has been brought to you by Husam Qassis and me Vika Awad
