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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for November 22nd, to the 28th, 2014.
Israeli attacks in Gaza and the west Bank leave three killed Palestinians this week, in the meantime France urges both Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace deal in two years. These stories, and more, coming up, stay tuned.
The Nonviolence Report
Let’s us begin our weekly report with nonviolent activities organized in the West Bank. Protests this week were reported in the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin and al Nabi Saleh in central West Bank, as well as Al Ma’ssara in southern West Bank. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the story:
Israeli troops used tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets to suppress all West Bank anti wall and settlements protests on Friday.
In al Nabi Saleh, Israeli troops shot and injured 14 year old Ahmad al Barghouthi in his leg when they attacked the anti-wall and settlement protest organized in the village on Friday.
The protesters managed to reach the Israeli wall. Later troops stormed the village and fired tear gas into residents’ homes. Many civilians were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
In the nearby Bil’in and Ni’lin villages, residents and their supporters were attacked by Israeli soldiers as soon as they reached the wall. Many residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
Elsewhere in southern West Bank, Israeli troops stopped the weekly anti wall protest at Al Ma’ssara village entrance. Soldiers forced people back into the village using rifle buts and batons, no injuries were reported.
For IMEMC News this is Majd Batjali.
The Political Report
France urges both Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace deal in two years. Meanwhile, a high-ranking Israeli official proposes a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace treaty. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:
France urged this week both Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peaceful settlement within two years from now. The French government proposes a peace deal to save current deadlocked peace process between Palestinians and Israelis.
It also suggests that once both sides fail to reach that end , France will consider recognizing a Palestinian state on 1967 border lines. France’s position comes in the backdrop of failed Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
In the meantime, Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Liberman, proposed this week a comprehensive peace between Israel, Palestinians and Arab states. Israeli media outlets said the suggestion is based on a land swap between Israel and future Palestinian states, but gave no further details.
In Jordan, King Abdallah II stated that the Palestinian cause is core issue of Middle East conflict and that there needs to be a comprehensive and just solution for the cause.
The monarch’s remarks came following tension in the region, because of recent Palestinian-Israeli violence in the occupied East Jerusalem, where Jordan is responsible for Islamic sites including the ancient Alaqsa mosque. Jordan, Israel and United States, agreed that the status-quo over there, should remain unchanged.
At the internal Palestinian level, a number of Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, voiced out the hope that general elections are held , so that the Islamist Hamas and some other Palestinian political factions, including Hamas’ long-time rival, will be involved.
The suggestion by Hamas came following months of installment of a consensus government in Ramallah, headed by Prime Minister, Rami Alhamdallah.
Previously, Hamas accused the consensus government of not living up with commitments towards the besieged and war-torn Gaza Strip.
Alhamdallah has repeatedly stated that Gaza is being considered as a priority for his government’s actions and that the reconstruction of Gaza is the first and foremost goal.. Yet, genuine reconstruction process has not started across the coastal territory.
For IMEMC News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza
The West Bank and Gaza Report
This week, one Palestinian was killed in the west Bank and two in Gaza due to Israeli attacks. Moreover Israeli troops kidnapped at least 50 Palestinian civilians during invasions targeting West Bank communities this week. IMEMC’s Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura Reports:
A Palestinian child was injured on Monday afternoon when an Israeli settler hit him with his car in East Jerusalem. Khalil Al Kiswani, 14, was moved to hospital with broken leg after being hit by the settler’s car. Witnesses said that the boy was able to run way from the settler car path after he was hit the first time.
Elsewhere, groups of armed Israeli settlers attacked on Monday Palestinian cars at a number of roads near the northern west Bank city of Nablus. Damage was reported but no injuries.
On Tuesday a Palestinian youth was killed, two others injured as they were hit by an Israeli settlers bus near the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
Nur Salem, 23, was crossing a military checkpoint when a bus driving settlers from the nearby Mabodotan settlement hit him and killed him. His cousin Ala, 27, and an unknown third man were also injured by the bus. Israeli troops closed the area and did not allow Palestinian cars from moving, local sources reported.
On Wednesday evening, a number of extremist Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian in Qalqilia, in northern West Bank. Eyewitnesses said the settlers invaded a car repair facility in Nabi Elias area, in Qalqilia, and assaulted the owner, Ahmad Mohammad Abu Bakr, causing various cuts and bruises that required hospitalization.
In Gaza, Palestinian young man was shot and killed by Israeli army fire, east of Jabalia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Sunday. In addition, a Palestinian teen was shot and wounded by army fire in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers stationed on a military tower across the border fence, east of Jabalia, shot and killed Fadel Halawa, and targeted other Palestinians in the area. They said Halawa was hunting birds when the soldiers shot and killed him.
On Monday, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, stated that one of its fighters was killed during training, east of Gaza City. The brigades said the fighter, identified as Abdullah Mojahed ‘Oleyyan, 18 years of age, is from the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City.
There have been several fighters who were killed during training in different parts of the coastal region, while many died during tunnel accidents, mainly in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
For IMEMC News this is Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura.
Conclusion
And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine. This was the Weekly report for November 22nd, to the 28th, 2014. From the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This week’s report has been brought to you by George Rishmawi, and me Ghassan Bannoura.
