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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for October 10th, to the 16th, 2015.
This week Israel’s cabinet call for more escalation against Palestinian protesters; meanwhile 17 Palestinians were reported killed due to Israeli attacks targeting Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank and Jerusalem 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. This week, two civilians were injured on Friday when Israeli troops attacked anti wall and settlement protests organized at a number of west Bank villages using live ammunition, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali has more:
On Friday protests were organized at the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin in central West Bank. Anti-wall and settlements protests were also organized in the northern West Bank village Kufer Qadum.
Scores of residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation in Kufer Qadum village, when Israeli troops attacked the villagers and their international supporters at the village entrance. Later troops stormed the village and fired tear gas at protesters and nearby homes.
In of Bil’in, and Ni’lin villages, residents and their supporters reached the Israeli wall. Soldiers stationed their showered them with tear gas and chemical water that generate bad smell. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
In Ni’lin two civilians were injured after being hit by Israeli troops rubber-coated steel bullets. Both young men were moved to a local clinic for treatment.
For IMEMC News this is Majd Batjali.
The Political Report
While the Israeli cabinet call for more restrictions and measures against Palestinians, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas makes a public speech calling for unity. IMEMC’s George Rishmawi has the details:
In light of the wave of unrest, the Israeli cabinet approved a number of measures against Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis in an attempt to control the situation. The cabinet approved a suggestion to call reserved troops and deploy them in the cities to support the police, especially in crowded areas.
The Israeli cabinet also decided to speed up the demolition of homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks against Israelis. In addition, the government Israeli will strip Jerusalem citizenship rights of the entire family of any Jerusalem resident if accused of carrying out an attack. In addition, the military has placed concrete blocks at the entrances of the main Palestinian cities, in an apparent preparation for either a full closure or a possible re-invasion.
The cabinet also approved placing additional security for public transportation in Jerusalem. The Israeli government held the Palestinian Authority responsible for the current wave of violence in various areas in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem.
In addition, several Israeli media reports indicated that there is an unprecedented jump in the number of Israelis purchasing weapons in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities. This is a natural response to the comments by several Israeli officials and religious leaders in Israel who called Israelis to be armed at all times.
On his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made a public speech on Wednesday in which he called the Palestinian people and factions for unity. Abbas condemned the Israeli use of excessive force in suppressing Palestinian demonstrations in the Palestinian areas and held in his turn the Israeli government and settlers responsible for the ongoing violence.
He also expressed disappointment of the Israeli government who continued to build settlements on occupied Palestinian land, which resulted in freezing peace talks, the main reason behind the ongoing unrest. Abbas reiterated his call to the International Community to provide protection for the Palestinian people who are subjected to intensive pressure and harassment from the Israeli military and settlers, noting that 34 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of October and the number is on the rise.
Following Abbas’ speech, State Department Spokesperson John Kirby, said in a press briefing Wednesday that the U.S. has received reports indicating the possibility the that Israeli military might have used excessive force in an attempt to quell down the recent wave of violence. This statement caused a storm in Israel, which had U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to say publicly that the US support Israel’s right to protect itself.
In a latest development, Israeli newspaper Haaretz said on Thursday in its online edition that Netanyahu expressed willingness to meet with Abbas in an attempt to restore calm. On his part, Abbas spoke with Kerry on Thursday and vowed to work to deescalate the situation.
For IMEMC News, This is George Rishmawi.
The West Bank and Gaza Report
This week 17 Palestinians including a child were killed by Israeli troops live gunfire meanwhile at least 400 other civilians were injured. Ongoing Clashes are reported all over West Bank communities and the Gaza Strip. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura reports:
According to Palestinian medical sources, 15 Palestinians were killed this week, three in Gaza and 12 in the West Bank by Israeli troops gunfire. Meanwhile a Palestinian political prisoner died while being held by the Israeli army. Moreover a Palestinian farmer was killed after being attacked by Israeli settlers and soldiers as he was harvesting his olive trees.
On Friday, three Palestinian youth were killed and more than 50 other injured during clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters at border areas south and central Gaza Strip. Two young Palestinian youth were killed after being shot by Israeli soldiers one in Hebron city and one in Salfit in the West Bank. In Hebron the young man tried to stab an Israeli soldier during the ongoing clashes in the city.
On Thursday, a Palestinian man was reported dead after he was beaten up by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the village of Al Janiyah near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Ibraheem Dar-Yousif, 46, was attacked while harvesting his olive trees behind the Israeli wall. He suffered a heart attack that killed him due to the Israeli assault.
Israeli settler attacks were reported all week targeting Palestinian farmers. In northern West Bank Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian olive trees and cut down a number of others in two separate attacks on Wednesday and Tuesday. On Thursday and Friday, settlers attacked Palestinian farmers harvesting their olive trees in Bethlehem area southern West Bank.
Later in the week, Two more Palestinians were shoot dead in two separate attacks by Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem, Wednesday, while a third Palestinian died while being held by the Israeli army as a political detainee. Israeli sources claimed that the two killed in Jerusalem were shot after attempting to stab Israeli settlers. The circumstances of their death remains unclear as Israel still refuses to release their bodies or the finding of any investigation. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Fadi Al-Darbi ,30, from Jenin city, died while being detained in Israeli army detention camp for political prisoners. An autopsy performed by Palestinian doctors reveled that Al-Darbi died due to Israeli army medical negligence.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian from the Duheisha refugee camp during clashes at the northern entrance of Bethlehem, medics said. Mutaz Ibrahim Zawahreh, 27, was hit with a live bullet in the chest and was taken to hospital in a critical condition where died under surgery. Two more Palestinians were killed on Tuesday after being shot dead by Israeli soldiers. The two Palestinians were killed after attacking Israeli civilians on a bus in central Israel, killing two Israelis and wounding 18 others.
Three Palestinians were killed on Monday after being shoot dead by Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem. Among the killed was Hasan Manasra, 15 years of age. He was shot dead and his cousin Ahmad Saleh Manasra, 13, suffered a serious injury as they were shot by Israeli troops near Pisgat Zeev Israeli settlement, in occupied Jerusalem. They are both from Beit Hanina, in Jerusalem. The police claimed that the boys stabbed two settlers, wounding them.
Moreover, on Saturday Israeli troops shot and killed three Palestinians in Jerusalem. Israeli forces killed Ahmed Salah, 22, during clashes between Palestinian youth and invading Israeli forces around Shu’fat military checkpoint, northeast of East Jerusalem. The other Two Palestinians were shoot dead after allegedly trying to stab soldiers near the old city of Jerusalem.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 39 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks since the start of October. Moreover, the ministry reported that 1300 Palestinians have been injured since October 1st during ongoing clashes in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, including 550 that were hit by Israeli live gunfire. In addition Since the beginning of October, more than 650 Palestinians have been abducted and imprisoned by the Israeli army, according to political prisoners rights groups.
for IMEMC News, this is Ghassan Bannoura.
Conclusion
And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine. This was the Weekly report for October 10th, to the 16th, 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 by Maher Qasiess and me Eman Abedraboo- Bannoura.
