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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for May 2nd, to the 8th, 2015.
Palestinians say the right-wing emerging Israeli government is not helpful for peace, meanwhile Israeli attacks targeting Palestinian communities in Gaza and the West Bank leave at least five injured civilians this week. 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 Israeli soldiers attacked nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. As a result many civilians suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the details:
In the northern West Bank village of Kufer Kadum scors of civilians were treated for the effect of tear gas inhalation as Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest organized there. Later troops invaded the village and fire tear gas into residents’ homes causing damage.
In central West Bank, Israeli troops attacked the residents of al Nabi Saleh village and their suporters at the village entrance and forced them back. Israeli soldiers fired several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at protesters and nearby homes. Many residents suffered effects of tear gas inhalation as a result.
Also on Friday at the nearby 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. Many protesters suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were treated by field medics at both locations.
Moreover at the village of al Ma’ssara near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, soldiers attacked villagers and their international supporters as soon as they reached the entrance of the village and forced them back. No injuries were reported.
For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.
The Political Report
Palestinian Authority, factions and politicians, all agree that the emerging Israeli coalition government is not helpful for peace. Meanwhile, Lebanon is now attempting to bridge the gaps between two rival Palestinian parties. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:
Spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, Nabil Abu Rudaina, says that the upcoming new Israeli government is an extremist one and would not likely help push the peace process, forward.
Abu Rudaina reaffirmed previous Palestinian positions regarding ways to restore peace talks with Israel. These include, halt of illegal Israeli settlement activities on occupied Palestinian territories, cease of Israeli frequent attacks on Palestinian areas, including the Gaza Strip and Israeli acceptance of a two-state solution.
In the meantime, other Palestinian parties, mainly leftist and Islamist, believed the same. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, did not dismiss the possibility that Israel will attack the Gaza Strip , again, soon, in an attempt to undermine any chances for peace in the region.
This week, Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, formed his new government, following the last parliamentary elections. A number of his new cabinet, are known for being opponent to peace with Palestinians, based on a two-state solution, envisioned by Washington, long ago.
On a related note, some political analysts suggest that Netanyahu will likely buy time in the upcoming period, until the term in office for US’s president Barak Obama, comes to and end. They believe that Netanyahu, will offer a way out, based on a long-time Arab states’ peace initiative, to avoid direct contacts with Palestinians.
In other news, Lebanese President, Nabih Berry, met in Beirut this week, with representatives of both rival Palestinian factions, the Islamist Hamas and Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
Berry was reported to have urged both parties to expedite implementation of a long-waited national unity deal. Mousa Abu Marzouq of Hamas and Azzam Alahmad of Fatah, demonstrated optimism, saying that that their parties would be able to sort out some obstacles, soon.
For IMEME News , I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza
The West Bank and Gaza Report
Israeli Navy attacks on Palestinian fishermen continued this week, meanwhile at least three civilians were injured by army gunfire during invasions targeting West Bank communities. Moreover Israeli troops kidnapped at least 50 civilians including 5 children from the West Bank this week. IMEMC’s Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura Reports:
A young Palestinian man was shot and injured, on Monday at dawn, by Israeli army in Beit Forik town, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Many more residents suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation.
Elsewhere on Monday, Fire erupted in a northern Jordan Valley grazing land after Israeli army embarked on live ammunition military training in the area, according to a local sources. The fire engulfed large tracts of lands used for grazing animals. Local sources added that the army denied locals from accessing their land to put out the fire. On Sunday, Israeli military drills near Nablus caused significant damage to hundreds of dunums of Palestinian-owned land.
Later in the week, One Palestinian civilian was seriously injured, seven other kidnapped by Israeli troops during invasions targeting West Bank communities on Thursday at dawn. Soldiers invaded the al-Far’a refugee camp, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and clashed with dozens of local youths, seriously wounding one Palestinian, and kidnapped another.
Medical sources said the soldiers shot Rabea’ Jamal Mubarak, 22, with two live round to the back and abdomen, and that the young man was moved to the Rafidia Hospital, in Nablus, suffering a serious but stable injury. Later on Thursday, a young man was injured after being struck by a speeding Israeli settlement bus, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Palestinian medical sources have reported that Kathem Qdeimat, 22 years of age, suffered a moderate injury, and was moved to the Arab Society Hospital for Rehabilitation, in the West Bank city of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem.
In Gaza this week, Israeli soldiers opened fire, on Thursday at dawn, on a number of Palestinian farmers east of Deir al-Balah, in Central Gaza. Local sources said that the live rounds were fired from military towers, surrounding the Kissufim base, across the border fence with Gaza. Farmers were forced to leave their lands fearing addition military escalation.
Meanwhile also on Thursday Israeli navy ships fired rounds of live ammunition targeting a number of fishing boats, in Palestinian territorial waters. One of the boats was damaged nearly 4 miles from the Gaza coast, and the fishers had to swim back to shore, to avoid further navy fire.
Earlier in the week, two Palestinian children were injured as a leftover Israeli explosive device blew up in eastern Gaza City on Wednesday Medical sources said that two children were injured when ordnance left from the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip went off in the Shuja’eyya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City.
Over 7,000 unexploded ordnance were left throughout the Gaza Strip following last summer’s war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, according to officials of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian territories (OCHA).
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 May 2nd, to the 8th, 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.
