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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for November 17th to the 23rd, 2012
A cease fire agreement is finally in effect after nine days of the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, in addition to nation-wide protests in the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories, these stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.
The Nonviolence Report
Let’s us begin our weekly report with nonviolent activities organized in West Bank. This week protests were organized at the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin and al Nabi Saleh in central West Bank, as well as Al Ma’ssara village in southern West Bank in addition to Kufer Kadum, in the north. IMEMC’s Iman Abed Rabu has the story:
Three civilians were wounded, two arrested as Israeli troops attacked the weekly anti wall protest at the village of al Nabi Saleh on Friday. Troops attacked the villagers and their supporters before they even left the village. Later Israeli forces invaded the village and soldiers fired tear gas at residents’ homes. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
In the nearby Bil’in and Ni’lin, villagers and their international supporter managed to reach the Israeli wall built on lands owned by local farmers. Soldiers stationed there fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. One civilian sustained light wounds in Bil’in when he was hit directly by a tear gas bomb.
Elsewhere many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation, when Israeli soldiers attacked the weekly anti wall protest at the village of Kufer Kadum. Villagers and their supporters were attacked by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint troops erected at the village entrance
Also on Friday at the village of Al Ma’ssara, near the southern West Bank, villagers and their supporters protested the Israeli wall and settlements. Soldiers stationed at the village entrance forced people back using rifle buts and batons, no injuries were reported.
For IMEMC News this is Eman Abed Rabu
The Political Report
Mediated by Egypt and backed by the US, a recent truce deal puts an end to the latest Israeli military operation on the coastal territory dubbed as “Pillars of Defense” meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority is determined to go ahead for a UN move aimed at gaining UN recognition of Palestine as a non-member state in the UN. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:
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In Gaza, things are gradually getting back to normal after Gaza-based armed factions including Hamas agreed to an Egyptian-mediated truce deal with Israel. The deal suggests that each side should cease fire immediately and that Israel will start gradually ease closure of the coastal territory and allow more freedom of movement for both individuals and goods.
Israel is also expected to stop targeting killings of Palestinian resistance leaders or political figures. In return, the ruling Hamas party will have to guarantee halt of rocket attacks onto nearby Israeli areas.
The deal was reached by mediation of Egypt and backing of the US in the Egyptian capital. Eight days Israeli airstrikes left 167 Palestinians killed inducing dozens of children and more than 1200 others injured, many of them are children and women. Palestinian homemade rocket fire killed about 15 Israelis including three soldiers and left many others injured, most out of shock.
In the meantime, the Palestinian Authority is set to head for the UN by the end of November, in order to seek UN recognition of a non-member Palestinian state. In the Gaza Strip and following what the ruling Hamas party and other factions consider a victory for Palestinian resistance against Israel, PM Ismail Haniya of Hamas, said he supports the PA’s move.
Salem Salama is a Hamas MP and member of the Parliamentarian committee for political and economic affairs. Salama spoke Thursday to IMEMC in a celebration march in the central Gaza Strip.
Actuality ‘ In Arabic ‘
“We are not against any political moves, yet such a move should be supported by the resistance and then both would help us distract our rights from the enemy ‘.
In Gaza city, the Islamic Jihad group held a major celebration ceremony at a major local mosque . The group called on the Palestinian political spectrum to reunite under the resistance agenda due to what the group considered the resistance’s achievement in preventing more Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
Concurrently, the rival Fatah party for Hamas in Gaza, said it is willing to reconcile with Hamas for the best of Palestinian national unity and aspirations of a statehood on 1967 border lines, which the Fatah-led PA in Ramallah is seeking at the UN.
On a related note, the European parliament voiced out support to the PA’s expected move at the UN, demanding justice for the Palestinian people.
For IMEMC. News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza.
The West Bank & Gaza Report
This Week Israel launched a large scale military offensive targeting Gaza. As a result 156 Palestinians, were killed by the Israeli military aerial, sea and ground bombardment. 1250 other were also injured in the attack. In the West Bank protests in support of Gaza were met by Israeli tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition, two civilians were killed by Israeli troops gunfire due in the protests. The details with IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura.
The Israeli military operation targeting the Gaza Strip started on Wednesday November 14th and lasted for eight days. The Israeli attacks ended after Egypt mediated a truce between Palestinian groups and Israel on Wednesday of this week.
According to the Palestinian center for human rights PCHR, 156 Palestinians were killed dueing the Israeli offensive. 103 are civilians, among them 33 children and 3 journalists. Moreover 1,250 were wounded according to the PCHR 971 of those were civilians.
Air, sea and ground Israeli bombardment of Gaza left 55 houses completely destroyed, while hundreds of other houses sustained damages ranging between big damage and partial damage. Also 8 governmental establishments, 13 security offices and police stations, and 2 bridges connecting the central Gaza Strip with the northern Gaza Strip were destroyed.
Moreover 6 media offices, 6 health institutions, 28 educational institutions and 22 civil and charity associations were targeted by Israeli war planes.;
On Friday Israeli forces station at southern Gaza borders with Israeli opened fire at residents homes killing one man and injuring 16 others. This was the second violation of the truce this week by Israeli after it took effect on Wednesday night. On Thursday two men were injured when Israeli tanks opened fire at farmers in central Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank this week, protests in solidarity with Gaza were organized all over the major cities. Clashes also were reported when local youth protested at the Israeli wall surrounding the West Bank and nearby checkpoints. As a result two men were killed and dozens other were injured. One man was killed by the army on Monday near Hebron city. While Rishdi at-Tamimi was shoot by soldiers at the village of Al Nabi saleh, central West Bank on Sunday. He died on Monday of his wounds.
A video released by activists on YouTube showed that after Israeli troops shoot at-Tamimi they surrounded him and did not allow medics to treat him. Mohamed at Tamimi is one of the nonviolent protests organizers in Al Nab Saleh village
For IMEMC News this is Ghassan Bannoura
And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine this was the Weekly report for November 17th to 23rd 2012 from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates please visit our website at www.imemc.org. Today’s report has been brought to you by Husam Qassis and me, George Rishmawi
