Audio Link After Text
Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for January 17th, to the 23rd, 2015.
This week Israeli attacks leave one Palestinian killed and several others injured, in the meantime Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced his intentions to submit complains to the International Court of Justice. 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. On Friday six civilians including two journalists, were injured meanwhile scores of civilians were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli soldiers attacked the nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali has more:
Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest organized by the villagers of Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank using tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live rounds. A local youth was hit by a tear gas bomb and was moved to local hospital for treatment. Soldiers also invaded the village and fired tear gas into residents’ homes, as a result many civilians, including children suffered effects of tear gas inhalation.
In central West Bank, at the villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin, Israeli soldiers attacked the protesters as soon as they reached the gate in the wall that separates local farmers from their lands. In Bil’in five civilians including two local journalists were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets fired by Israeli soldiers. Moreover many protesters suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were treated by field medics at both locations.
At the nearby al Nabi Saleh village, Israeli troops fired several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets at the villagers as soon as they reached the village entrance. Moreover Israeli troops fired tear gas at residential areas causing damage to the houses as some of the tear gas canisters went through the windows inside the villagers’ homes.
In southern West Bank, Palestinian and international activists setup a protest tent near the wall and the settlement bloc of Josh Atzion . Troops attacked the protesters and kidnapped a local organizer then removed the protest tent.
For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.
The Political Report
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that in a few-month time, Palestinians will submit their complains to the International Court of Justice, against Israel. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari with the details:
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said from Tunis this week that Palestinian Authority will be submitting in April, law suits against Israel, at the International Court of Justice, after the PA had joined it and several other international bodies.
The President’s remarks came on during a short visit to Tunisia, where he is schedueled to head for Saudi Arabia to bid condolences on the passing away of Saudi Monarch, Abdullah Bin-abdelazziz.
The PA’s law suits will include charges against Israel for what the PA calls war crimes in the Gaza Strip and settlements’ construction in the occupied West Bank, The PA’s move came after the failure of United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution that would end the occupation of Palestinian territories, within a deadline.
At the internal Palestinian level, the former ruling Hamas party blamed the United Nations for delayed reconstruction process of the war-torn Gaza Strip,
On the conciliation file between Hamas and Fatah, both parties are yet to reach an agreement over national unity.
For IMEMC News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza
The West Bank and Gaza Report
Israeli forces this week killed a Palestinian man and continued to attacks Gaza fishermen. Moreover Israeli troops kidnapped at least 40 Palestinians this week during invasions targeting West Bank communities. IMEMC’s Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura reports:
A Palestinian man was killed, on Sunday evening, during the funeral procession of Sami al-Ja’ar, 20, who was killed by the Israeli Police in the Negev last Wednesday. Sami Zabadna, 47 years of age, died due to the effects of tear gas inhalation in Rahat city, in the Negev.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army, demolished two homes, a store and an animal barn in the village of Khallat al-Mai, south of Hebron, according to local sources.
According to sources, Israeli army force, accompanied by military vehicles, broke into the village and proceeded to demolish the two houses and other structures belonging to local residents. The two houses sheltered 14 residents, whereas the animal structure is used for livestock husbandry.
moreover a number of Israeli military and police vehicles, accompanied by bulldozers, invaded the al-‘Isawiyya town, in occupied Jerusalem, and demolished a Palestinian home belonging to a local family also on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Israeli troops demolished another Palestinian house in Jabal al-Mokabber town, south of occupied East Jerusalem.
Also on Wednesday, a Palestinian man from the West Bank city of Tulkarem was shot, then taken into custody by Israeli police in Tel Aviv after stabbing several people on a bus. Israeli authorities say they are considering this a ‘terror’ attack. Nine Israelis were wounded, 3 moderately, according to Israeli media.
In Gaza this week, Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian fisherman on Wednesday, according to local sources. Atef Muhammad Baker, age 19, was shot in the foot after the Israeli navy opened fire on fishing boats off Gaza’s northern coast. Baker was taken to hospital for treatment.
On Monday night, Israeli gunboats fired four missiles targeting fishermen in the same area, causing damage to the boats. Light injuries were reported. Another attack also took place by the Isralei navy on Tuesday.
The last attack by Isralei navy this week took place on Thursday at dawn and forced the fishers back to shore.
Local sources said that Israeli gunboats opened fire at the fishermen in all incidents despite the fact that they were sailing within the six-nautical-mile zone allowed for fishing.
For IMEMC News this Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura.
Conclusion
And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine. This was the Weekly report for January 17th, to the 23rd, 2015. 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 George Rishmawi and me Ghassan Bannoura.
