Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for April 16, to the 22, 2016.
This week, a Palestinian youth killed in Jerusalem bus bombing, Israeli attacks eave at least five injured Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank; in the meantime Palestinian rival groups, Fatah and Hamas start reconciliation efforts. 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 using tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the details:
In central West Bank, nonviolent protests were organized in the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin and Al Nabi Saleh. Troops used tear gas and rubber coated bullets against the unarmed protesters.
Both Bil’in and Ni’lin villagers and their international and Israeli supporters managed to reach the Israeli wall built on local farmers lands.
In Al Nabi Saleh, the soldiers attacked the protest at the village entrance. Later troops stormed the village and fired tear gas into residents homes. Many residents suffered effects of tear gas inhalation in all three villages.
Also on Friday, Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest organized by the villagers of Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank.
Troops fired live round and tear gas at protesters and their supporters at the village entrance. Soldiers also fired tear gas at residents homes after invading the village. As a result, many residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation
For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.
The Political Report
This week saw and advancement in the Conciliation efforts between rival Palestinian political groups Hamas and Fatah. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:
Former Palestinian prime minister of Hamas, Ismail Haniya, is reported to have been set to visit nearby Egypt, soon. The visit comes a part of recent visits by Hamas leaders in the territory , to Egypt.
Egypt has been shunning the Hamas Islamist group, for three years now, due to what Egypt believes connections between Hamas and the deposed Islamic brotherhood of Egypt.
Some sources suggested that the upcoming visit would push for inter-Palestinian conciliation. The sources said that both Hamas and the Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, are set to meet in Doha by end of this month, in order to put final touches for a unity deal.
In the meantime, international players are pushing for holding a regional peace conference that involves Palestinians, Israelis and some Arab countries.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu was reported as saying that the Syrian Golan Heights will remain under Israel’s jurisdiction forever. The heights were taken by Israel during Israel’s attack on some Arab lands, including the occupied Palestinian territories.
On a related note, Muritania is set to host the yearly Arab states summit, this season.
For IMEMC News, I am Rami Al Meghari in Gaza.
The West Bank and Gaza Report
A Palestinian youth was killed during a bus bombing in Jerusalem this week, in the meantime Israeli navy attacks on Gaza fishermen live one injured. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura Reports:
On Wednesday, Abdul-Hamid Abu Srour, from the ‘Aida refugee camp, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, died from his wounds he sustained in the Jerusalem bus bombing on Monday evening of this week.
The bombing led to 21 injuries, while three of them, including Abu Srour, suffered moderate to severe wounds. Following the blast, Israel deemed the incident as an attack, issued a gag order on the details, and launched an investigation. Hamas claimed responsibility, and said the Palestinian was behind the attack.
Later in the week, Israeli soldiers invaded, earlier on Thursday morning, Abu Dis and the al-‘Ezariyya towns, in occupied Jerusalem, kidnapped one Palestinian, and injured at least twelve others during ensuing clashes. The Israeli police said it uncovered two workshops, allegedly used for manufacturing weapons and explosives, in Abu Dis town east of occupied East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (RCS) said that four Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, and eight others suffered severe effects of tear has inhalation.
Moreover, a Palestinian man was injured on Thursday, near Israeli military roadblock #300, north of Bethlehem, southern West Bank, after an Israeli settler rammed him with his car. The settler fled the scene, while the Palestinian was rushed to a hospital in Bethlehem.
Late on Monday evening, Israeli soldiers shot and injured, a Palestinian child, in the al-Ram town, northeast of Jerusalem, and also kidnapped a young man from his home in the town.
The soldiers fired many live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, concussion grenades and gas bombs. Many Palestinians suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation. The Red Crescent said the soldiers shot a child, 15 years of age, and prevented its medics from approaching him. He has been identified as Fuad al-Ja’bari. The soldiers then assaulted the wounded child, and took him to an unknown destination.
Also this week, Israeli forces conducted at least 74 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. During these invasions, Israeli troops kidnapped at least 103 Palestinian civilians, including 24 children.
In Gaza this week, Israeli navy ships attacked, on Tuesday morning, several Palestinian fishing boats and opened fire on them, wounding of fisher, and kidnapped three others, in Gaza territorial waters, in Rafah, in the southern part of the coastal region. The soldiers kidnapped the wounded fisher, but released him later, before Palestinian medics moved him to a hospital.
Under the Oslo accords, signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, the Palestinians are supposed to be allowed to fish and sail within twenty nautical miles from the coast.
On Monday, a Palestinian man, from Gaza city, sustained shrapnel wounds to the left foot due to the explosion of a suspicious object believed to be leftover from the Israeli military.
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 April 16, to the 22, 2016. From the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates please visit our website at www-dot-imemc-dot-org, This week’s report has been brought to you by George Rishmawi and me Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura.
