Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for July 23, to the 29, 2016.
As Palestinian Presidents announce intentions to sue Britain, a Palestinian man and a woman died this week of Israeli army gunfire. 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. In Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank many residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation as Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest there.
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. One youth was injured in his arm in Nil’in as many protesters suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were treated by field medics at both locations. In Bil’in, Israeli troops arrested an international supporter and a Palestinian youth during the protest.
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.
The Political Report
This week, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas called for suing Britain for the Belford declaration. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:
Palestinian Authority is considering suing the United Kingdom for the Belford Declaration of 1917, in which the then Great Britain, had promised Jews around the world a national home on the Palestinian soil.
Addressing an Arab states summit meeting in Mauritania, this week, Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, called on the Arab nations to support the PA’s move, to sue the United Kingdom.
Back in the early 20th century, Britain was a colonial power that controlled almost two thirds of the world, including Palestine.
The Belford declaration laid the foundation for Israeli occupation of more than 70 percent of Palestine’s 27,000 square kilometers, back in 1948.
In a related news, the Arab states summit , held this week, emphasized on the Arab states’ initiative for peace with Israel that is based on normalization with Israel, in return for full Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands, Israel occupied back in 1967, including the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights.
On internal news, Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories will be observing internal municipal elections. Some commentators believe that holding such elections, due by October this year, could lay the foundation for general presidential and parliamentary elections.
For a decade now, Palestinians in the occupied territories have not observed any elections, given a geopolitical split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
For IMEMC, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza.
The West Bank and Gaza Report
This week, Israeli troops kill a Palestinian and injuries dozens others during west Bank invasions meanwhile in Gaza a woman dies of wounds she sustained by Israeli soldiers 15 year ago. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura Reports:
One Palestinian man was killed, seven others injured when Israeli soldiers invaded the town of Surif near the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday at dawn. troops and army bulldozers invaded the town and surrounded the home of Mohammad al-Faqeeh, 29 before bulldozing it, then soldiers fired two missiles at the home leading to his death.
at least seven Palestinians were injured in clashes that took place between the invading soldiers and local youths, who hurled stones and empty bottles at the army, while the soldiers fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs. The Israeli army claimed that al-Faqeeh is the shooter who killed an Israeli settler in Hebron last month.
On Tuesday, Israeli soldiers shot and injured, on Tuesday, a young Palestinian woman near the Qalandia terminal, north of occupied East Jerusalem. sraeli media said the young woman, only 18 years of age, rushed towards the terminal and that the soldiers shot her after she failed to heed to their orders to stop.
Earlier in the week, Dozens of Palestinian youth were injured Monday evening, in clashes with Israeli soldiers who tried to forestall a march in solidarity with hunger striker detainee Bilal Kayed, in Abu Dis town, to the east of Jerusalem. Palestinian Red Crescent reported 30 cases which occurred during the clashes; nine with rubber bullets, 19 suffocation cases and two head injuries.
Also this week, the Israeli army conducted at least 70 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and in occupied East Jerusalem. During these incursions, Israeli soldiers kidnapped at least 94 Palestinian civilians, including 22 children.
In the Gaza Strip, The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has reported, Wednesday, that a Palestinian woman, who was shot by the Israeli army 15 years ago, died after succumbing to her wounds. Hadia Abu Shammala, was shot in the head, in 2001, after Israeli soldiers opened fire targeting a number of homes.
Also in Gaza, Israeli navy ships attacked, on Thursday morning, several Palestinian fishing boats in the Sudaniyya Sea area, northwest of Gaza city, kidnapped seven fishermen and confiscated their boats. On Wednesday, the Israeli navy attacked Palestinian fishing boats, close to the Gaza shore, and kidnapped two fishers. Some of the boats were hit with live rounds, before the soldiers assaulted them.
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 July 23, to the 29, 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.
