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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for February 13, to the 19, 2016.
Nine Palestinian were killed this week by Israeli gunfire, meanwhile Palestinian Journalist detained by Israel Mohammad Al-Qeeq entered his 87th day without food. 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. One journalist was injured; scores others were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the details :
In Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank one journalist was injured many residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation as Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest there. Troops later stormed the village and fired tear gas into residents homes,
Meanwhile in the villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin, in central West Bank, 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.
At the nearby al Nabi Saleh village, troops attacked protesters at the village entrance. 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.
For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.
The Political Report
Israel continues to refuse the release of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Mohammad Al-Qeeq who entered his 87th day without food. In the meantime, International isolation of Israel is speeding, IMEMC’s George Rishmawi has more:
The Detainees and ex-Detainees Committee announced, Friday, that Israeli security is still refusing to allow hunger striking journalist Mohammad al-Qeeq’s family the right to visit with him, violating Israeli Supreme Court ruling which permitted his family to visit him in the Hospital.
The family has been trying to see him, as his health condition has been rapidly deteriorating over the past couple of days. Mohammad has been staging his strike for a total of 87 days as of today. After suffering severe convulsions on Wednesday night, al-Qeeq lost the ability to breath, hear, see or speak until the next morning.
Al-Qeeq’s family said they wouldn’t object to transferring him to a hospital in Jerusalem, as long as it is a Palestinian hospital, because they do not trust Israeli hospitals. This announcement came after the family insisted al-Qeeq will not agree to any offer that doesn’t guarantee transferring him to a hospital in Ramallah, in order to be close to his family. Al-Qeeq continues to suffer from spasms of acute chest pain twice or more a day, adding that doctors have warned that he could die of a heart attack as a result of his ongoing hunger strike.
Four Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli jails are currently on hunger strike in protest of being detained without a charge or trial, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. The Society said that, Mohammad al-Muhur from Jenin and Rabee Jibril from Bethlehem, have been on hunger strike for 64 days and eight days respectively, also in protest of being detained based on secret information, without a charge or trial.
The society added that a fourth detainee, Samer al-Isawifrom Jerusalem, himself a former hunger striking icon, has also been on hunger strike for five days in solidarity with al-Qeeq. Wide Palestinian and International protests have been organized demanding the immediate unconditional release of Al-Qeeq. These protests include journalists and Human Rights workers.
In other news, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that it is suing Distinctive Assets, the company distributing a luxury gift bag to Oscar nominees, which this year includes an all-expenses paid trip to Israel sponsored by the Israeli government. Palestinians had denounced the inclusion of the trip to Israel as a “cynical and desperate” attempt by the Israeli government to fight its increasing international isolation through bribes to celebrities instead of addressing its human rights abuses against them.
Omar Barghouti from the Palestinian Boycotts Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee, the broadest Palestinian coalition that leads the global BDS movement, said: “By distancing itself from the company marketing Israel’s propaganda trip to Oscar nominees, the Academy is taking a step in the right direction. The so-called ‘Oscars swag bag’ has fallen into further disrepute with its association with the Israeli regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid.” scar nominees Mark Rylance and Asif Kapadia have already promised not to visit Israel professionally as long as the human rights violations persist. Five-time Oscar nominee Mike Leigh, Director Ken Loach and musician Brian Eno have publicly denounced the Israeli government’s propaganda initiative.
For IMEMC News, this is George Rishmawi
The West Bank and Gaza Report
This week nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli army gunfire in separate attacks across the West Bank. Meanwhile in Gaza navy and troops continue to attack farmers and fishers. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura Reports:
Three Palestinian youth were killed on Friday by Israeli troops during separate attacks in West Bank communities. Mohamed Abu Khalaf, 20, from Kufer Aqab town near Jerusalem was killed after he was shot by Israeli troops near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem old city. Witnesses said that Abu Khalaf was hit with more than 50 bullets and was left to bleed to death by Israeli soldiers.
Meanwhile Abed Hamed, 20 was killed when Israeli troops opened fire at his car at the entrance of Silwad town near Ramallah city. Troops claimed that he tried to hit soldiers with his car. Moreover, Israeli troops killed on Friday 21 year old Khalid Takatka during clashes in the village of Beit Fajar near Bethlehem city.
Earlier in the week, three Palestinians were killed by Israeli army gunfire in two separate attacks in the West Bank on Saturday. Kalzar al-Ewaiwe, 18, was shoot dead by Israeli soldiers in Hebron old city after troops claimed she tried to stab soldiers at a military checkpoint.
Later in the day, 16 year old Nahed and Fo’ad Waked, were killed after being shot by Isralei soldiers guarding the wall near Aqraba village, in northern West Bank. The Israeli army claimed that the two youth opened fire at troops from a homemade machinegun.
On Sunday additional three young Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire. Mansour Al Shawamrah and Omer Amr, both 20 years old were killed near the wall of Jerusalem old city. Meanwhile 17-year-old Ahmad Safi was killed at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem.
Two more Palestinian youth were injured, on Monday, after they were shot by Israeli soldiers at an Israeli settlers’ supermarket near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Israeli sources said that the two youth were shot by Israeli security after they stabbed a settler to death and critically injured another. The incident took place at the Rami Levi Store east of Ramallah.
Also this week, Israeli forces conducted at least 88 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. During these incursions, Israeli troops kidnaped more than 76 Palestinian civilians, including 19 children.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers opened fire, on Monday morning, on several Palestinian farmers in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, while navy ships fired live rounds on fishing boats, in Gaza territorial waters. Damage was reported but no injuries.
Later in the week, three brothers were injured, on Thursday, when an Israeli bomb left behind by the army detonated near them in Beit Hanoun town, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical sources said that the three brothers were move to Beit Hanoun hospital after sustaining moderate to light wounds.
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 February 13, to the 19, 2016. 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.
