31 may 2014

A Palestinian fisherman was wounded in Israeli navy shooting off the coast of northern Gaza Strip afternoon Friday. Dr. Ashraf al-Qudra, the health ministry spokesman, told the PIC reporter that a 22-year-old fisherman was hit with a rubber bullet in his foot while working at sea, describing his condition as moderate.
Meanwhile, six other fishermen were kidnapped by Israeli navy gunboats while working off the coasts of Gaza at dawn Friday and on Thursday night.
Sources in the marine police told the PIC reporter that four fishermen in two fishing boats were chased off the coast of Sheikh Ajleen in Gaza city.
They said that the navy personnel assaulted the fishermen after detaining them and took them along with their boats to Ashdod port.
The sources recalled that Israeli navy gunboats chased a third boat earlier on Thursday night and arrested Hamdi Abu Warda along with his brother Ahmed, who is only 13 years old, and confiscated their boat.
Israeli navy forces have escalated their targeting of Palestinian fishermen and their fishing boats over the past few days despite fishing in the allowed area.
Meanwhile, six other fishermen were kidnapped by Israeli navy gunboats while working off the coasts of Gaza at dawn Friday and on Thursday night.
Sources in the marine police told the PIC reporter that four fishermen in two fishing boats were chased off the coast of Sheikh Ajleen in Gaza city.
They said that the navy personnel assaulted the fishermen after detaining them and took them along with their boats to Ashdod port.
The sources recalled that Israeli navy gunboats chased a third boat earlier on Thursday night and arrested Hamdi Abu Warda along with his brother Ahmed, who is only 13 years old, and confiscated their boat.
Israeli navy forces have escalated their targeting of Palestinian fishermen and their fishing boats over the past few days despite fishing in the allowed area.
30 may 2014

The Magistrate court judge in Jerusalem decided on Friday to release the Jerusalemite prisoner Um Mohammad Obeid, wife of the Jerusalemite prisoner Ahmad Obeid who is sentenced for life, and ordered her to pay an eight-thousand NIS bail.
Um Mohammad was arrested last Friday while she was present in the court room and was interrogated and the judge extended her arrest several times; note that she was on a hunger strike since the day she was arrested.
Um Mohammad was arrested last Friday while she was present in the court room and was interrogated and the judge extended her arrest several times; note that she was on a hunger strike since the day she was arrested.

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided the home of Osama Shahin, the director of Palestine Prisoner Center for Studies, in Dura town in al-Khalil at dawn Saturday. Shahin told the PIC reporter that he was not at home at time of the raid as he was in hospital for treatment.
He added that the soldiers handed his wife a summons for intelligence interrogation at Etzion, north of al-Khalil, on Sunday.
The soldiers also broke into the homes of his father and brother.
Shahin has been the director of the Palestine Center for the past two years. He was previously imprisoned in Israeli and PA jails.
He added that the soldiers handed his wife a summons for intelligence interrogation at Etzion, north of al-Khalil, on Sunday.
The soldiers also broke into the homes of his father and brother.
Shahin has been the director of the Palestine Center for the past two years. He was previously imprisoned in Israeli and PA jails.

The Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet claimed on Thursday afternoon the arrest of member of Hamas' Shura Council Mahmoud Ta'ma, 63, outside Palestine.
Ta'ma has direct contacts with head of Hamas' politburo Khaled Meshaal, Shin Bet's statement added, saying that he was arrested last month at the Karama crossing.
Israel's internal security service claimed Thursday that a senior Hamas official arrested in April admitted in his interrogation that Hamas uses the Islamic Movement in Israel to support activities in Jerusalem.
Shin Bet allegedly said that Ta'ma revealed, in his interrogation, that Hamas has contacts with the Islamic Movement inside the Green Line and that it funds projects in occupied Jerusalem.
Hamas has paid monthly salaries of 4,000 to 5000 shekels to Jerusalemite students in order to prevent the entry of Jewish settlers to the Aqsa Mosque, according to the Shin Bet's claims.
The statement claimed that Ta'ma also said that Hamas maintains a secret channel of communication with Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands.
Tama said, according to Shin bet's claims, that "eight members of Hamas’s Shura Council were members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s international arm. He said that Turkey and Qatar are major centers of Hamas activities abroad."
According to Ta'ma, "the Palestinian Business Forum, ostensibly a business organization promoting Palestinian economic development, was founded by Hamas operatives, who use the group to further the economic interests of Hamas."
Ta'ma has direct contacts with head of Hamas' politburo Khaled Meshaal, Shin Bet's statement added, saying that he was arrested last month at the Karama crossing.
Israel's internal security service claimed Thursday that a senior Hamas official arrested in April admitted in his interrogation that Hamas uses the Islamic Movement in Israel to support activities in Jerusalem.
Shin Bet allegedly said that Ta'ma revealed, in his interrogation, that Hamas has contacts with the Islamic Movement inside the Green Line and that it funds projects in occupied Jerusalem.
Hamas has paid monthly salaries of 4,000 to 5000 shekels to Jerusalemite students in order to prevent the entry of Jewish settlers to the Aqsa Mosque, according to the Shin Bet's claims.
The statement claimed that Ta'ma also said that Hamas maintains a secret channel of communication with Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands.
Tama said, according to Shin bet's claims, that "eight members of Hamas’s Shura Council were members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s international arm. He said that Turkey and Qatar are major centers of Hamas activities abroad."
According to Ta'ma, "the Palestinian Business Forum, ostensibly a business organization promoting Palestinian economic development, was founded by Hamas operatives, who use the group to further the economic interests of Hamas."

A candlelit vigil was held on Thursday night in Jenin by youth groups in solidarity with the hunger-striking prisoners. The event is part of night sit-ins held nowadays in the city with the aim of rallying popular support for the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
The sit-inners called for organizing more events and activities in different West Bank areas in solidarity with the hunger striking prisoners.
The sit-inners called for organizing more events and activities in different West Bank areas in solidarity with the hunger striking prisoners.

The Palestinian administrative prisoners entered on Friday, May 30, the 37th day of their open-ended hunger strike as many of them started to suffer from a serious decline in their health conditions. Their hunger strike aims to pressure their jailers to end their illegal administrative detention and improve their incarceration conditions.
Several prisoners’ families complained to the PIC reporter that the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces keep harassing and summoning for interrogation everyone participating in events held in support of the prisoners, especially the young men.
Several prisoners’ families complained to the PIC reporter that the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces keep harassing and summoning for interrogation everyone participating in events held in support of the prisoners, especially the young men.

The Israeli prison authority on Friday closed Nafha and Ramon prisons and banned the detainees from taking their daily recess in the courtyards.
In addition, the jailers transferred hunger striker Bassam Abu Aker to solitary confinement.
The Palestinian prisoners society revealed that the Israeli administrations of Eshel and Ramon jails launched a mass transfer of prisoners.
The Israeli recent escalation against prisoners came in light of the state of tension that prevails in Israeli prisons due to administrative detainees' hunger strike, which started 37 days ago.
In addition, the jailers transferred hunger striker Bassam Abu Aker to solitary confinement.
The Palestinian prisoners society revealed that the Israeli administrations of Eshel and Ramon jails launched a mass transfer of prisoners.
The Israeli recent escalation against prisoners came in light of the state of tension that prevails in Israeli prisons due to administrative detainees' hunger strike, which started 37 days ago.

Addameer for prisoners' support and human rights association strongly condemned the Israeli decision to ban family visits for hunger strikers, considering this measure a flagrant crime and a violation of the international law.
In a press release issued on Thursday, Addameer association said that this Israeli step against the hunger striking administrative detainees was part of the punitive measures taken against them recently to undermine their will and force them to break their hunger strike.
Addameer called on the Red Cross to pressure the Israeli prison authority to allow Palestinian detainees and hunger strikers to see their families.
Israel denies family of hospitalized hunger striker right to visit
Israeli prison officials on Thursday rejected a request made by the family of a hunger striker to visit him in hospital, nearly a month after he stopped eating in protest against his detention without trial.
The Palestinian prisoners' rights association Addameer filed a request for the family of Abdulrazzaq Farraj, 51, to visit him at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba inside Israel, where he has been held since he was recently hospitalized.
Israeli prison officials said they were denying Farraj visitation rights until June 5, without providing further details.
Farraj has been held in Israeli administrative detention for a total of around nine years, and his most recent arrest was on Feb. 25 when he was placed under administrative detention for six months.
More than 100 Palestinian administrative detainees launched a hunger strike in late April in protest against their continued detention without trial or charge, a practice Israel in 2012 promised to put an end to outside of exceptional cases as part of a deal to end a previous hunger strike.
Since then, more than 100 others have joined the strike, and thousands have taken part in day-long solidarity strikes.
Farraj joined the hunger strike on May 1, and now his family is worried that his health conditions may be deteriorating quickly.
His son, Bassel, said that they have been banned from visiting him in the past, adding that he has not seen his father for two years.
Farraj's wife, meanwhile, said she feared for his life, and that she wanted to check on his health after being on a hunger strike for 29 days.
The Addameer association said that banning visitation is part of a policy of punishment by Israeli prison administrators that attempts to force detainees to end their strike.
More than 5,200 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli jails, according to the PLO, and over 800,000 Palestinians have been detained since 1967, representing more than 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories.
Under international law, it is illegal to transfer prisoners outside of the occupied territory in which they are detained, and the families of Palestinian prisoners' face many obstacles in obtaining permits to see their imprisoned relatives.
In a press release issued on Thursday, Addameer association said that this Israeli step against the hunger striking administrative detainees was part of the punitive measures taken against them recently to undermine their will and force them to break their hunger strike.
Addameer called on the Red Cross to pressure the Israeli prison authority to allow Palestinian detainees and hunger strikers to see their families.
Israel denies family of hospitalized hunger striker right to visit
Israeli prison officials on Thursday rejected a request made by the family of a hunger striker to visit him in hospital, nearly a month after he stopped eating in protest against his detention without trial.
The Palestinian prisoners' rights association Addameer filed a request for the family of Abdulrazzaq Farraj, 51, to visit him at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba inside Israel, where he has been held since he was recently hospitalized.
Israeli prison officials said they were denying Farraj visitation rights until June 5, without providing further details.
Farraj has been held in Israeli administrative detention for a total of around nine years, and his most recent arrest was on Feb. 25 when he was placed under administrative detention for six months.
More than 100 Palestinian administrative detainees launched a hunger strike in late April in protest against their continued detention without trial or charge, a practice Israel in 2012 promised to put an end to outside of exceptional cases as part of a deal to end a previous hunger strike.
Since then, more than 100 others have joined the strike, and thousands have taken part in day-long solidarity strikes.
Farraj joined the hunger strike on May 1, and now his family is worried that his health conditions may be deteriorating quickly.
His son, Bassel, said that they have been banned from visiting him in the past, adding that he has not seen his father for two years.
Farraj's wife, meanwhile, said she feared for his life, and that she wanted to check on his health after being on a hunger strike for 29 days.
The Addameer association said that banning visitation is part of a policy of punishment by Israeli prison administrators that attempts to force detainees to end their strike.
More than 5,200 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli jails, according to the PLO, and over 800,000 Palestinians have been detained since 1967, representing more than 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories.
Under international law, it is illegal to transfer prisoners outside of the occupied territory in which they are detained, and the families of Palestinian prisoners' face many obstacles in obtaining permits to see their imprisoned relatives.

Eyewitnesses have reported that Israeli soldiers attacked, on Thursday evening (May 29, 2014] two young Palestinian men, in the Ash-Shuhada Street, in Hebron city, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.
The two have been identified as Mohammad al-Jamal, 22, and Diab al-Karaky, 20; the soldiers stopped the two Palestinians at the roadblock, and violently assaulted them before one of them lost consciousness.
Imad Abu Shamsiyya, a local volunteer with the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) stated the soldiers tried to prevent the B’Tselem team from documenting the assault.
Abu Shamsiyya added that such attacks became a daily occurrence in Hebron, especially in the Ash-Shuhada Street.
He said the soldiers refused to allow local medics to provide treatment to the two Palestinians, and insisted on arresting them.
Imad al-Atrash, a local activist, said the attack was the third just on Thursday, adding that Israeli military assaults and attacks by fanatic Israeli settlers take place on a daily basis.
Al-Atrash added that the settlers also repeatedly attack international solidarity activists, and Israeli activists.
The two have been identified as Mohammad al-Jamal, 22, and Diab al-Karaky, 20; the soldiers stopped the two Palestinians at the roadblock, and violently assaulted them before one of them lost consciousness.
Imad Abu Shamsiyya, a local volunteer with the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) stated the soldiers tried to prevent the B’Tselem team from documenting the assault.
Abu Shamsiyya added that such attacks became a daily occurrence in Hebron, especially in the Ash-Shuhada Street.
He said the soldiers refused to allow local medics to provide treatment to the two Palestinians, and insisted on arresting them.
Imad al-Atrash, a local activist, said the attack was the third just on Thursday, adding that Israeli military assaults and attacks by fanatic Israeli settlers take place on a daily basis.
Al-Atrash added that the settlers also repeatedly attack international solidarity activists, and Israeli activists.

Israel's army said Friday that its forces in the occupied West Bank thwarted a suicide bomber found at a military checkpoint south of Nablus.
A spokeswoman said a "Palestinian terrorist wearing an explosive belt under his coat" was captured before he was able to detonate it.
She said the Palestinian was arrested and is under investigation.
A spokeswoman said a "Palestinian terrorist wearing an explosive belt under his coat" was captured before he was able to detonate it.
She said the Palestinian was arrested and is under investigation.