Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for Tuesday, June 28, 2016.
Israeli troops target farmers in Gaza and injuries civilians during invasions targeting West Bank communities. These stories, and more, coming up, stay tuned.
Israeli forces opened fire on Tuesday at Palestinian farmers in the eastern part of al-Qarrara, in the southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses said Israeli forces deployed at the eastern borders of al-Qarrara opened “heavy” fire at farmers in the area. No injuries were reported On a near-daily basis, the Israeli army fires “warning shots” at Palestinian fishermen, farmers, and shepherds entering the Israeli-enforced “buffer zone” on land and sea, implemented after Israel imposed a blockade on the region a decade ago. Due to the high frequency of the attacks, live fire often goes unreported.
While Israel typically cites security concerns when targeting Palestinian agricultural areas, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) has reported, in the past, that fishermen and farmers were often targeted when they posed no threat. Approximately 35 percent of Palestinian agricultural land in Gaza is inaccessible without high personal risk, according to the center.
Elsewhere, Israeli soldiers invaded, earlier on Tuesday, two towns in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, and injured many Palestinians during ensuing clashes. Medical sources in Hebron said the soldiers invaded Shiokh and Sa’ir towns, north of Hebron, and clashed with many local youths, who hurled stones and empty bottles at the invading army vehicles.
The soldiers fired several live rounds, in addition to rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs, during the clashes that took place near the local clinic in Shiokh town, and Ras al-‘Aaroud area in Sa’ir. One Palestinian was shot with a live round in his leg, and dozens suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation. In addition, the soldiers invaded Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, searched homes then kidnapped one youth in addition to confiscating his car.
In other news, The Palestinian Detainees Committee has reported that a Palestinian detainee, held by the Israeli army since June 16, is ongoing with his hunger strike for the twelfth consecutive day, protesting torture during interrogation, insults and inhumane living conditions, in Asqalan Israeli military prison.
Rif’at Abu Fara, 29, s only drinking water and that he is determined to continue his strike, especially after a military court ordered him under further interrogation, his lawyer said. Abu Fara is from Surif town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron; his brothers Rafe’, 30, and Ala’, 22, were kidnapped by the army on June 7th.
And that’s all for today from the IMEMC News; this was the Tuesday, June 28, 2016, news round-up from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. From more news and updates, please visit our website at www.imemc.org Today’s report has been brought to you by George Rishmawi and me Ghassan Bannoura.
