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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for April 13th to the 19th 2013
The resignation of the Palestinian Prime Minister created reactions in the Palestinian Authority, in the meantime, Israeli military continue to attack Palestinian communities, 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. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when soldiers attacked anti wall and settlements protests organized at a number of West Bank communities on Friday. IMEMC’s Salam Qumsiyeh with the story:
Anti wall and settlements protests were organized this week in the villages of al Nabi Saleh, Bil’in, Nil’in as well as Al Ma’ssara in southern west Bank and the northern West Bank village of Kufer Kadum.
Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when soldiers attacked villagers and their supporters at the village of Bil’in, Ni’lin and al Nabi Saleh.
In 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.
However at the nearby Al Nabi Saleh village Israeli soldiers attacked the unarmed protesters at the village entrance then invaded the village and fired tear gas into residents homes.
Elsewhere, at al Ma’ssara village, Israeli troops stopped the villagers and their supporters at village entrance then forced them back using rifle buts and batons to bush people back, no injuries were reported.
In northern West Bank also on Friday, residents of Kufer Kadum village and their international and Israeli supports managed to reach the settlers road near the village and close it. Soldiers then attacked them using tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets.
This week the protest ended with clashes between local youth and Israeli soldiers. Many protesters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
For IMEMC News this is Salam Qumsiyeh.
The Political Report
Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, resigned from his post this week. The resignation bred various reactions as the Palestinian Authority faces a financial crisis the details with IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari.
United States and some other European countries voice reservation over the resignation of Fayayd. The resignation came as the Palestinian Authority faces a financial crisis with reported debts of 4 billion dollars.
Earlier this month, some voices within the ruling Fatah party in the West Bank had pressed for the man’s resignation, while some external parties including the United Stats and European countries urged the former high-ranking world bank official to wait.
Britain had considered Fayyad as being a man of nation-building .
In the Gaza Strip, the rival Hamas party welcomed the resignation as the right step towards conciliation with the Fatah party.
Also from Gaza, Prime Minister of Hamas, Ismail Haniya, headed for Qatar this week. A spokesperson of the Hamas government in the territory, Taher Alnouno, said in a statement that Haniya will be discussing two main issues, conciliation with Fatah and Qatari efforts to reconstruct the war-torn Gaza.
Meanwhile, some Palestinian political factions called for the acceleration of conciliation efforts, based on previous understandings, mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
Last month, Qatar called for an Arab summit meeting involving some Arab countries to be held in Cairo. President Abbas of Fatah , who is visiting Turkey, had welcomed the call, given one representative delegation excluding the Hamas party.
For IMEMC News. I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza.
The West Bank and Gaza Report
This week Palestinians all over the West bank and Gaza marked the political prisoners’ day with protests, meanwhile the Israeli army conducted at least 71 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza. During these attacks, Israeli troops kidnapped 40 Palestinians, including 7 children. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura Reports:
Across the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians political prisoners day as four long term hunger striking detainees continue to refuse food in protest of the Israeli army ill-treatment and the policy of Administrative detention, in which the Israeli army hold Palestinian for long times without charges.
Dozens gathered here at Arafat Squar in Ramallah city on Wednesday of this week , chanting in support of hunger striking detainee Samer Isawiwho has been on and off A hunger strike for more that 250 day. ISSAWI was released from seven years of detention two year ago during the prisoners swap deal between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza. But the army re-arrested him last July claiming he violated the deal’s terms. Issawi’s mother attended the protest:
< Actuality >
Among those protesting this week for prisoners was Khadir Adnan, who was freed last year by the Israeli army after conducting a 66 day-long hunger strike:
< Actuality >
According to the Palestinian ministry of political detainees, since Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, its army has arrested 800 thousand Palestinians, the Equivalent of 20% of the entire population. 78,000 of those were arrested in the past 13 years. Randa Wahba, from al ADDAMEER, the Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights, said the conditions FOR Palestinian prisoners are deteriorating:
< Actuality >
Two Palestinian prisoners died in Israeli army custody this year. In February, Arafat Jaradat died after being interrogated and tortured by Israeli soldiers. Earlier this month, Maisara Abu Hamdiyya died due to an advanced case of cancer which the army refused to treat in time.
In the Gaza Strip this week the Israeli forces stationed along the border fence opened fire on Monday at and wounded a Palestinian civilian while grazing the sheep, east of al-Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip.
Moreover this week Israeli navy continued to chase fishermen at sea. On Sunday and Monday of this week Israeli gunboats stationed off the coast of al-Waha resort, northwest of BeitLahia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire twice at Palestinian fishing boats. As a result, the fishermen returned to shore, fearing that they would be wounded or arrested. No casualties or material damage were reported.
For IMEMC News this is Ghassan Bannoura
And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine this was the Weekly report for April 13th to the 19th, 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
