Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for October 1, to the 7, 2016.
As Israel announces the construction of more housing units in illegal west Bank settlements, army attacks on Gaza this week intensifies. 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. Many residents and their international and Israeli supporters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when soldiers attacked the weekly protest in the central West Bank village of al Nabi Saleh on Friday.
Troops attacked the protest at the village entrance using live rounds, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. Later troops stormed and fired tear gas at residents homes, many residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation as a result.
At the nearby villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin, 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.
In the meantime many civilians also were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation as Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest organized by the villagers of Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank.
In the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, combatants for peace movement organized on Friday a protest demanding the occupation to Stop drying out Palestine, Water is a Right for All . About 200 Palestinians and Israelis marched along settlers’ road 60 near the city and ended the protest at the tunnel checkpoint separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem.
The Political Report
This week, the Palestinian Authority expresses concern over new announced Israeli settlements plans in the West Bank. IMEMC’s Rami al Meghari has more:
Top Palestinian negotiator , Saeb Erekat, expressed concern over new Israeli settlements plans for the occupied West Bank, and called on world countries to intervene to pressure the Israeli government to halt those plans.
During a meeting with representatives of several international countries in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Erekat explained those plans. Israeli government had earlier declared expansion of the largest Israeli settlement of Beit Eeil, in northern Ramallah city.
In the meantime, Israeli minister , Naftali Bennet, believed that Israel should keep up control over the whole West Bank and not allow creation of a Palestinian state in the future. The minister’s call was met with rejection by opposition Israeli leaders, such as former foreign minister, Tsivi Livni.
Those opposition leaders conceive that call as the beginning for an undesirable solution, the one-state solution in which Palestinians can become majority within the Israeli state. Palestinians in the West Bank, now number more than 2.5 millions.
In a related news, prominent Palestinian political figure , Mustafa Barghouthi, said this week that if Israel continues to reject a two-state solution, then the remaining possible solution will be the one-state solution.
Earlier, Washington that has ever supported a two-state solution, had warned against continued Israeli settlements activities or plans, underway in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
For IMEMC News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza.
The West Bank and Gaza Report
This week saw in increase of Israeli army attacks targeting the Gaza Strip, meanwhile in the West Bank Israeli troops invade communities, search homes and kidnap civilians including children. IMEMC’ Ghassan Bannoura Reports:
Three Palestinian youth were injured during clashes that erupted between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops near the Nahal Oz military base East of Gaza city. Medical sources said that the three youth sustained moderate injuries and were moved to hospitals in Gaza city. Meanwhile many other protesters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
Meanwhile, Israeli navy ships attacked, earlier Friday, a number of Palestinian fishing boats, in Gaza territorial waters, and kidnapped two fishers.
The Israeli army shelled a site allegedly used by Palestinian militant groups in the central Gaza Strip, on Thursday, after a rocket reportedly fired from the Gaza Strip hit an “open” area of southern Israel.
On Wednesday, The Israeli Air Force and army fired several shells and missiles, targeting various areas of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government said that the attacks came after an alleged shell was fired from Gaza and hit open areas near Sderot, in the Negev. Damage was reported but no injuries by Israeli attacks. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Israeli soldiers and navy ships opened fire targeting Palestinian fishing boats, farmers and shepherds, in different parts of the Gaza Strip.
an Israeli air force pilot died and another was injured, Wednesday as their fighter jet crashed while returning from an air assault on the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli news sources reported. Also on Wednesday the Israeli army announced that navy forces have taken control of the Zaytouna relief ship while on its way to Gaza. According to the Israeli army its troops took control of the ship 70 miles off Gaza shoreline. The ship was taken to Ashdod |Israeli seaport and all solidarity workers aboard were arrested and deported on Thursday of this week.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces conducted at least 54 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank in occupied East Jerusalem. During these invasions, Israeli troops kidnapped at least 46 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children.
Moreover, Israeli soldiers, accompanied by a number of armored bulldozers, invaded Thursday the farm lands near Kharas town, west of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, before bulldozing and uprooting nearly 10 Acres of Palestinian lands. Soldiers also demolished several water wells in the invaded and uprooted lands.
Also near Hebron, several Israeli military vehicles, accompanied by armored bulldozers, invaded Palestinian lands in Beit Ola town and uprooted at least 1.5 Acres of Palestinian lands planted with almond trees.
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 1, to the 7, 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.
