30 sept 2015
Israeli authorities will release Palestinian prisoner Mohammad Allan on Nov. 4, a lawyer said Tuesday, alleviating fears that his administrative detention would be renewed again.
Jawad Boulos, the head of the legal unit at the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, told Ma'an News Agency that he visited Allan in Israel's Ramla jail clinic on Tuesday and said an Israeli court has ruled that he be released once his current six-month detention period ends.
Allan still requires medical treatment and suffers from nausea, Boulos said.
Allan was held without charge or trial for seven months before he began a 66-day hunger strike to protest his administrative detention, which he ended after Israeli authorities agreed to suspend his sentence.
However, the sentence was reinstated earlier this month as Allan was attempting to leave the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.
He immediately began another hunger strike, but suspended it two days later, on Sept. 18, following consultations with his lawyer.
Rights group Amnesty International had warned that the initial suspension of Allan's sentence was based on his medical condition alone and "took no account of the legality of his detention."
Israel's policy of administrative detention, which is almost exclusively used to detain Palestinians, has been strongly criticized by the international community as well as both Israeli and Palestinian rights activists.
According to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the majority of prisoners who go on hunger strike are Palestinians in administrative detention.
The Knesset, Israel's parliament, approved a law in July allowing the Israeli Prison Service to force feed hunger strikers if their condition becomes life-threatening, sparking outcry from rights groups and medical experts.
Jawad Boulos, the head of the legal unit at the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, told Ma'an News Agency that he visited Allan in Israel's Ramla jail clinic on Tuesday and said an Israeli court has ruled that he be released once his current six-month detention period ends.
Allan still requires medical treatment and suffers from nausea, Boulos said.
Allan was held without charge or trial for seven months before he began a 66-day hunger strike to protest his administrative detention, which he ended after Israeli authorities agreed to suspend his sentence.
However, the sentence was reinstated earlier this month as Allan was attempting to leave the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.
He immediately began another hunger strike, but suspended it two days later, on Sept. 18, following consultations with his lawyer.
Rights group Amnesty International had warned that the initial suspension of Allan's sentence was based on his medical condition alone and "took no account of the legality of his detention."
Israel's policy of administrative detention, which is almost exclusively used to detain Palestinians, has been strongly criticized by the international community as well as both Israeli and Palestinian rights activists.
According to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the majority of prisoners who go on hunger strike are Palestinians in administrative detention.
The Knesset, Israel's parliament, approved a law in July allowing the Israeli Prison Service to force feed hunger strikers if their condition becomes life-threatening, sparking outcry from rights groups and medical experts.
26 sept 2015
The PLO secretary-general said, Saturday, that new Israeli regulations authorizing forces to use live ammunition in occupied East Jerusalem served to "dehumanize" Palestinians.
Israel's security cabinet on Thursday broadened the rules whereby stone-throwers can be targeted with live fire, allowing Israeli forces to open fire when they determine that the life of a third party is under threat.
Arguing that the new law gifts Israeli soldiers with wide discretion for determining this "threat," PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat described the measures as "a mere pretext to justify the escalating Israeli crimes against the people of Palestine."
He said the new laws would expand the level under which Palestinians may be directly targeted by Israeli forces, according to Ma'an News Agency.
"The Israeli government continues to incite against Palestinian lives, with a culture of hate that dehumanizes a whole nation," Erekat said.
Erekat said the PLO would hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the members of the security cabinet responsible for "the new crimes to be committed under this new regulation," adding that any violations of international law carried out under the new law would be reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The new conditions for use of .22 caliber bullets -- long used as a crowd control method in the occupied West Bank -- in occupied East Jerusalem came days after Netanyahu "declared war" on stone-throwers amid increasing tensions in the area.
Israeli rights group B'Tselem warned last week that the approval of live fire against stone throwers in occupied East Jerusalem would "exacerbate the cycle of violence with lethal results" rather than restore order in the city.
‘Extrajudicial execution’
The PLO made their comments on the new regulations a day after Amnesty International accused Israel of carrying out an "extrajudicial execution" in the occupied West Bank earlier this week.
An 18-year-old Palestinian was shot by Israeli forces on Tuesday morning at a checkpoint in Hebron in what witnesses and video footage suggest was an act of disproportionate use of force.
Amnesty on Friday said that the young woman "at no time posed a sufficient threat to the soldiers to make their use of deliberate lethal force permissible."
The woman is alleged to have held a concealed knife, and was shot multiple times after falling to the ground by Israeli forces who were standing on the other side of a 1.2 meter barrier.
Palestinian leadership intends to prosecute Israeli leaders in the ICC who they say are responsible for crimes against the Palestinian people that Israeli military investigations have failed to properly address.
Rights groups argue that Israel's current investigative mechanisms are unable to effectively carry out investigations into suspected violations of humanitarian law, partially due to systematic impunity given to members of the Israeli military.
Israel's security cabinet on Thursday broadened the rules whereby stone-throwers can be targeted with live fire, allowing Israeli forces to open fire when they determine that the life of a third party is under threat.
Arguing that the new law gifts Israeli soldiers with wide discretion for determining this "threat," PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat described the measures as "a mere pretext to justify the escalating Israeli crimes against the people of Palestine."
He said the new laws would expand the level under which Palestinians may be directly targeted by Israeli forces, according to Ma'an News Agency.
"The Israeli government continues to incite against Palestinian lives, with a culture of hate that dehumanizes a whole nation," Erekat said.
Erekat said the PLO would hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the members of the security cabinet responsible for "the new crimes to be committed under this new regulation," adding that any violations of international law carried out under the new law would be reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The new conditions for use of .22 caliber bullets -- long used as a crowd control method in the occupied West Bank -- in occupied East Jerusalem came days after Netanyahu "declared war" on stone-throwers amid increasing tensions in the area.
Israeli rights group B'Tselem warned last week that the approval of live fire against stone throwers in occupied East Jerusalem would "exacerbate the cycle of violence with lethal results" rather than restore order in the city.
‘Extrajudicial execution’
The PLO made their comments on the new regulations a day after Amnesty International accused Israel of carrying out an "extrajudicial execution" in the occupied West Bank earlier this week.
An 18-year-old Palestinian was shot by Israeli forces on Tuesday morning at a checkpoint in Hebron in what witnesses and video footage suggest was an act of disproportionate use of force.
Amnesty on Friday said that the young woman "at no time posed a sufficient threat to the soldiers to make their use of deliberate lethal force permissible."
The woman is alleged to have held a concealed knife, and was shot multiple times after falling to the ground by Israeli forces who were standing on the other side of a 1.2 meter barrier.
Palestinian leadership intends to prosecute Israeli leaders in the ICC who they say are responsible for crimes against the Palestinian people that Israeli military investigations have failed to properly address.
Rights groups argue that Israel's current investigative mechanisms are unable to effectively carry out investigations into suspected violations of humanitarian law, partially due to systematic impunity given to members of the Israeli military.
25 sept 2015
The Israeli security cabinet has decided to issue an order that would set a four-year minimum sentence for stone- and firebomb-throwers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau said Thursday.
The cabinet agreed to back legislation to allow live fire in any case in which lives are endangered;
use of sniper rifles against rock throwers; a minimum four-year prison sentence for rock throwers, including imprisonment and fines for minors aged 14-18; the cancellation of welfare benefits for minors in prison; and an evaluation of fining parents of convicted children aged 12-14.
“The security cabinet has decided to authorize police to use live ammunition against people throwing stones and Molotov cocktails when the life of a third person is threatened and no longer only when a police officer is threatened,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The order is to remain in effect for three years.
Following the vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that “In Israel, these murderous objects won’t be thrown unanswered and without prevention.”
The order has been issued at a time when the Israeli occupation soldiers and settlers have marred the lives of Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem in an attempt to Judaize the city, wipe out its typically Islamic identity, and hold sway over Muslims’ holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
The cabinet agreed to back legislation to allow live fire in any case in which lives are endangered;
use of sniper rifles against rock throwers; a minimum four-year prison sentence for rock throwers, including imprisonment and fines for minors aged 14-18; the cancellation of welfare benefits for minors in prison; and an evaluation of fining parents of convicted children aged 12-14.
“The security cabinet has decided to authorize police to use live ammunition against people throwing stones and Molotov cocktails when the life of a third person is threatened and no longer only when a police officer is threatened,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The order is to remain in effect for three years.
Following the vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that “In Israel, these murderous objects won’t be thrown unanswered and without prevention.”
The order has been issued at a time when the Israeli occupation soldiers and settlers have marred the lives of Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem in an attempt to Judaize the city, wipe out its typically Islamic identity, and hold sway over Muslims’ holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
24 sept 2015
Israeli Cabinet is scheduled to hold Thursday a session suggested by Israeli Premier Benyamin Netanyahu to discuss imposing more sanctions on Palestinian youths who were involved in stone throwing incidents.
Netanyahu’s suggestion include three main points: allowing the use of live ammunition against stone-throwers, imposing up to 20 years imprisonment on minors convicted of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, and imposing heavy fines on their parents.
Attorney General of the Israeli government Yehuda Feinstein suggested approving Netanyahu’s suggestion for only one year. However Netanyahu stressed its approval without any legal obstacles.
Netanyahu’s suggestion include three main points: allowing the use of live ammunition against stone-throwers, imposing up to 20 years imprisonment on minors convicted of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, and imposing heavy fines on their parents.
Attorney General of the Israeli government Yehuda Feinstein suggested approving Netanyahu’s suggestion for only one year. However Netanyahu stressed its approval without any legal obstacles.
20 sept 2015
Mahmoud Gheith….Handcuffed during treatment after an attack by settlers
Group attacks vehicle containing infant in W. Bank, terror victim's memorial defaced, and police make multiple arrests; prime minister urges legislative action to increase deterrence.
A recent surge in violence across the West Bank and East Jerusalem continued into Sunday as riots, stone throwers and firebombs led to injuries, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a government meeting to announce plans for tougher penalties against rioters and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein declared his opposition to such a move.
Weinstein opposed changing the rules of engagement and the implementation of mandatory minimum sentences, arguing that existing protocols were sufficient.
New penalties promoted by the prime minister would have set a minimum sentence of four to five years in jail for stone throwers and a minimum of ten years for throwing Molotov cocktails.
This contrasted with the Prime Minister Office's statement on Saturday night that the police was drafting a proposal with Weinstein's approval, and that that Weinstein had permitted shooting at stone-throwers in incidents where civilians' lives were in danger. Weinstein said Sunday that he had merely approved the use of Ruger rifles.
Weinstein instead suggested that mandatory sentences be implemented as a temporary provision for a year or two to see whether they did have a deterrent effect.
Netanyahu stressed in Sunday's government's meeting that despite potential opposition to the new protocols from with the judiciary, he would move ahead with "an additional expansion of the police's ability to foil the throwing of stones and firebombs. With all due respect to the courts, it's our right and our duty to determine this norm.
"We can't accept the principle that in Jerusalem, our capital, or in any other part of Israel, people organize spontaneous terror and start throwing firebombs at cars on the road," said Netanyahu. Netanyahu also said he was considering implementing mandatory minimum sentences for throwing stones and firebombs.
Meanwhile, an increased police presence has been deployed in the most conflict-ridden neighborhoods.
Furthermore, the increase in tensions led the government on Sunday to deploy an Iron Dome battery near Sderot, where a rocket fell near a house on Friday night.
Further attacks
Underscoring the prime minister's comments, a vehicle was attacked by some 15 masked figures with stones Sunday morning while traveling from Tekoa in the West Bank, to the neighborhood of Har Homa in Jerusalem.
No one in the car was hurt, but the vehicle's windshield was smashed in, while glass and other debris fell on a 1-year-old baby and the other family members. The family managed to escape, but nearly drove into a pole. Another group of masked individuals threw rocks at a fire truck near the settlement of Beitar. No injuries were reported in the incident.
On Sunday evening, cars in the settlement of Anatot in Binyamin were pelted with rocks. No one was hurt, but three cars were damaged.
Violent incidents also reportedly occurred overnight Saturday. Palestinian reports said a 15-year-old boy was evacuated to Haddasah Medical Center overnight after being struck in the head by a rubber bullet in Jerusalem's Issawiya neighborhood. The teenager was hurt when security forces dispersed a riot, said the report, and his condition was defined as stable.
Israeli police, however, said they were unaware of the incident.
Elsewhere, in Jerusalem's Nof Zion neighborhood, two Molotov cocktails were thrown at a building overnight. One exploded inside the building. No one was hurt, but the building incurred damage.
Arrests
On Sunday morning, a Muslim woman was arrested in Jerusalem's Old City after attacking a police officer and attempted to attack a Jewish passerby. Other Muslim women were removed from the site. A 17-year-old Jewish boy was also detained for allegedly breaching the rules of visitation at the Temple Mount. Four Arab suspects, including two minors, were arrested Saturday night in Jerusalem, bringing the total number of arrestees in Jerusalem on Friday and Saturday to 27. Another 12 suspects were arrested in Binyamin over those two days.
Vandalism
In another sign of heightened friction, the memorial for terror victim Danny Gonen, shot dead in June on a road near the Israeli settlement of Dolev in the West Bank, was found desecrated on Sunday.
The memorial, which was placed next to the site of the murder, was sprayed with graffiti in Arabic. Dvora Gonen, the deceased's mother, said she was not surprised.
Group attacks vehicle containing infant in W. Bank, terror victim's memorial defaced, and police make multiple arrests; prime minister urges legislative action to increase deterrence.
A recent surge in violence across the West Bank and East Jerusalem continued into Sunday as riots, stone throwers and firebombs led to injuries, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a government meeting to announce plans for tougher penalties against rioters and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein declared his opposition to such a move.
Weinstein opposed changing the rules of engagement and the implementation of mandatory minimum sentences, arguing that existing protocols were sufficient.
New penalties promoted by the prime minister would have set a minimum sentence of four to five years in jail for stone throwers and a minimum of ten years for throwing Molotov cocktails.
This contrasted with the Prime Minister Office's statement on Saturday night that the police was drafting a proposal with Weinstein's approval, and that that Weinstein had permitted shooting at stone-throwers in incidents where civilians' lives were in danger. Weinstein said Sunday that he had merely approved the use of Ruger rifles.
Weinstein instead suggested that mandatory sentences be implemented as a temporary provision for a year or two to see whether they did have a deterrent effect.
Netanyahu stressed in Sunday's government's meeting that despite potential opposition to the new protocols from with the judiciary, he would move ahead with "an additional expansion of the police's ability to foil the throwing of stones and firebombs. With all due respect to the courts, it's our right and our duty to determine this norm.
"We can't accept the principle that in Jerusalem, our capital, or in any other part of Israel, people organize spontaneous terror and start throwing firebombs at cars on the road," said Netanyahu. Netanyahu also said he was considering implementing mandatory minimum sentences for throwing stones and firebombs.
Meanwhile, an increased police presence has been deployed in the most conflict-ridden neighborhoods.
Furthermore, the increase in tensions led the government on Sunday to deploy an Iron Dome battery near Sderot, where a rocket fell near a house on Friday night.
Further attacks
Underscoring the prime minister's comments, a vehicle was attacked by some 15 masked figures with stones Sunday morning while traveling from Tekoa in the West Bank, to the neighborhood of Har Homa in Jerusalem.
No one in the car was hurt, but the vehicle's windshield was smashed in, while glass and other debris fell on a 1-year-old baby and the other family members. The family managed to escape, but nearly drove into a pole. Another group of masked individuals threw rocks at a fire truck near the settlement of Beitar. No injuries were reported in the incident.
On Sunday evening, cars in the settlement of Anatot in Binyamin were pelted with rocks. No one was hurt, but three cars were damaged.
Violent incidents also reportedly occurred overnight Saturday. Palestinian reports said a 15-year-old boy was evacuated to Haddasah Medical Center overnight after being struck in the head by a rubber bullet in Jerusalem's Issawiya neighborhood. The teenager was hurt when security forces dispersed a riot, said the report, and his condition was defined as stable.
Israeli police, however, said they were unaware of the incident.
Elsewhere, in Jerusalem's Nof Zion neighborhood, two Molotov cocktails were thrown at a building overnight. One exploded inside the building. No one was hurt, but the building incurred damage.
Arrests
On Sunday morning, a Muslim woman was arrested in Jerusalem's Old City after attacking a police officer and attempted to attack a Jewish passerby. Other Muslim women were removed from the site. A 17-year-old Jewish boy was also detained for allegedly breaching the rules of visitation at the Temple Mount. Four Arab suspects, including two minors, were arrested Saturday night in Jerusalem, bringing the total number of arrestees in Jerusalem on Friday and Saturday to 27. Another 12 suspects were arrested in Binyamin over those two days.
Vandalism
In another sign of heightened friction, the memorial for terror victim Danny Gonen, shot dead in June on a road near the Israeli settlement of Dolev in the West Bank, was found desecrated on Sunday.
The memorial, which was placed next to the site of the murder, was sprayed with graffiti in Arabic. Dvora Gonen, the deceased's mother, said she was not surprised.
18 sept 2015
In the wake of heightened Palestinian violence, justice and welfare ministers wish to repeal clause that protects parents of convicted minors from being held liable.
Two cabinet ministers on Thursday proposed a bill to allow for the fining of parents of convicted minors, in an attempt to put a cap on a recent increase in stone-throwing incidents.
The amendment to Israel's criminal codex, which was submitted by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Welfare Minister Haim Katz, invokes the parents' responsibility in cases where minors are convicted of throwing stones.
According to the amendment, the minors' parents will incur substantial fines in the tens of thousands of shekels, in addition to punishments handed down to the children.
According to the law as it stands today, parents cannot be fined or forced to pay compensation to victims, if their children are convicted and punished for their crime.
The only time that fines are enacted is when the children are not convicted on the charges brought against them. This was mainly done to allow the children to rehabilitate themselves without carrying a criminal record for the rest of their lives.
If the amendment is passed, courts will be able to fine the parents even if their children are convicted.
"We have been living in an absurd situation to date," Shaked explained. "This amendment puts an end to the absurdity, and places the responsibility on the parents' shoulders, which forces them to be aware of their children's actions, while allowing courts to seek fines or compensation for the victims."
The framework of the amendment includes a clause which prevents courts from seeking fines before they have allowed parents a chance to express their pleas. If the parents prove that the minor acted on his own recognizance – and not due to their neglect or support, while proving that they actively sought to change his ways – then the courts will reevaluate the decision to fine them.
"This is a very important step in the struggle to contain the growing phenomenon of rock throwing," Shaked said, "Every year, hundreds of indictments are submitted against rock throwers."
"In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in these crimes, and nearly half of all indictments submitted by the Jerusalem district prosecution are against youths," Shaked concluded. Welfare Minister Katz, who participated in writing the amendment, emphasized that "Throwing stones on a moving vehicle is an act of terror, and the government is committed to protect the safety of its citizens."
According to him, "The amendment is one of the ways to contain the phenomenon, while returning the quiet to the streets of Jerusalem."
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein announced two days ago that he would not oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new initiative, which seeks to place mandatory minimum punishments on convicted stone throwers.
The AG additionally approved the use of live fire using typically less lethal Ruger .22 caliber rifles in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
In the debate which was held by Netanyahu, the government decided to reevaluate the opening of fire regulations against stone and firebomb throwers.
The debate occurred against the backdrop of increasing violence throughout Jerusalem. A bus driver was lightly wounded Thursday night in the city when stones hit his bus near the Hizma checkpoint. He was treated by a paramedic team and taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Another bus was also pelted with rocks in the Palestinian district of Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem, leading its Arab driver to flee and seek help from a nearby police car.
Earlier this week, an Israeli was killed when his car veered off the road after it was hit by stones while driving home from a Rosh Hashana dinner.
Police on Friday reinforced their presence in the eastern and western parts of the city, and entrance to the Temple Mount has been restricted to Muslim men over the age of 40 in anticipation of clashes after Friday prayers.
Two cabinet ministers on Thursday proposed a bill to allow for the fining of parents of convicted minors, in an attempt to put a cap on a recent increase in stone-throwing incidents.
The amendment to Israel's criminal codex, which was submitted by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Welfare Minister Haim Katz, invokes the parents' responsibility in cases where minors are convicted of throwing stones.
According to the amendment, the minors' parents will incur substantial fines in the tens of thousands of shekels, in addition to punishments handed down to the children.
According to the law as it stands today, parents cannot be fined or forced to pay compensation to victims, if their children are convicted and punished for their crime.
The only time that fines are enacted is when the children are not convicted on the charges brought against them. This was mainly done to allow the children to rehabilitate themselves without carrying a criminal record for the rest of their lives.
If the amendment is passed, courts will be able to fine the parents even if their children are convicted.
"We have been living in an absurd situation to date," Shaked explained. "This amendment puts an end to the absurdity, and places the responsibility on the parents' shoulders, which forces them to be aware of their children's actions, while allowing courts to seek fines or compensation for the victims."
The framework of the amendment includes a clause which prevents courts from seeking fines before they have allowed parents a chance to express their pleas. If the parents prove that the minor acted on his own recognizance – and not due to their neglect or support, while proving that they actively sought to change his ways – then the courts will reevaluate the decision to fine them.
"This is a very important step in the struggle to contain the growing phenomenon of rock throwing," Shaked said, "Every year, hundreds of indictments are submitted against rock throwers."
"In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in these crimes, and nearly half of all indictments submitted by the Jerusalem district prosecution are against youths," Shaked concluded. Welfare Minister Katz, who participated in writing the amendment, emphasized that "Throwing stones on a moving vehicle is an act of terror, and the government is committed to protect the safety of its citizens."
According to him, "The amendment is one of the ways to contain the phenomenon, while returning the quiet to the streets of Jerusalem."
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein announced two days ago that he would not oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new initiative, which seeks to place mandatory minimum punishments on convicted stone throwers.
The AG additionally approved the use of live fire using typically less lethal Ruger .22 caliber rifles in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
In the debate which was held by Netanyahu, the government decided to reevaluate the opening of fire regulations against stone and firebomb throwers.
The debate occurred against the backdrop of increasing violence throughout Jerusalem. A bus driver was lightly wounded Thursday night in the city when stones hit his bus near the Hizma checkpoint. He was treated by a paramedic team and taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Another bus was also pelted with rocks in the Palestinian district of Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem, leading its Arab driver to flee and seek help from a nearby police car.
Earlier this week, an Israeli was killed when his car veered off the road after it was hit by stones while driving home from a Rosh Hashana dinner.
Police on Friday reinforced their presence in the eastern and western parts of the city, and entrance to the Temple Mount has been restricted to Muslim men over the age of 40 in anticipation of clashes after Friday prayers.
17 sept 2015
Netanyahu to toughen penalties against Palestinians minors
Israel has approved the use of sniper rifles against stone throwers in Jerusalem, Channel 10 reports on Thursday morning.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Attorney General to authorize sniper to target the stone throwers as part of his declared “war” on stone throwers in Jerusalem, PNN reported.
See: Netanyahu Approves Harsher Penalties for Stone Throwers
Also approved was the arrest of minors and children under the age of 10 and 5 who throw stones, in addition to a fine up to 100,000 Shekels, about US $ 26,000.
According to Days of Palestine, Netanyahu said that Palestinian children who throw stones at the Israeli occupation forces, deserve long-term imprisonment and their fathers must pay their fines.
His remarks came after three consecutive days of Israeli violence against Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
Despite international calls to calm down, Israeli forces stormed the site for the fourth day, prevented Palestinian worshipers from entering into it and giving chance for extremist Israeli settlers to desecrate it.
Netanyahu made the announcement at the start of an emergency meeting of ministers and security officials that was called after the death of an Israeli driver, who lost control of his car on Sunday. Israeli police have said that they believe he lost control after a stone was thrown at his car, although they have released no evidence and the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court has issued a gag order on the details of the incident.
“It has been decided to toughen the measures in many areas; a modification of the rules of engagement will be examined as well as the establishment of a minimum penalty for those who throw stones,” the Israeli PM said.
Israel has approved the use of sniper rifles against stone throwers in Jerusalem, Channel 10 reports on Thursday morning.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Attorney General to authorize sniper to target the stone throwers as part of his declared “war” on stone throwers in Jerusalem, PNN reported.
See: Netanyahu Approves Harsher Penalties for Stone Throwers
Also approved was the arrest of minors and children under the age of 10 and 5 who throw stones, in addition to a fine up to 100,000 Shekels, about US $ 26,000.
According to Days of Palestine, Netanyahu said that Palestinian children who throw stones at the Israeli occupation forces, deserve long-term imprisonment and their fathers must pay their fines.
His remarks came after three consecutive days of Israeli violence against Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
Despite international calls to calm down, Israeli forces stormed the site for the fourth day, prevented Palestinian worshipers from entering into it and giving chance for extremist Israeli settlers to desecrate it.
Netanyahu made the announcement at the start of an emergency meeting of ministers and security officials that was called after the death of an Israeli driver, who lost control of his car on Sunday. Israeli police have said that they believe he lost control after a stone was thrown at his car, although they have released no evidence and the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court has issued a gag order on the details of the incident.
“It has been decided to toughen the measures in many areas; a modification of the rules of engagement will be examined as well as the establishment of a minimum penalty for those who throw stones,” the Israeli PM said.
16 sept 2015
Maazouze, the mother of Mohammad Allan, holds a portrait of her son during a rally calling for his release in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva on Aug. 9, 2015.
Palestinian detainee Mohammad Allan restarted a hunger strike, Wednesday, after Israel arrested him and reinstated his internment without trial, his lawyer said, with a previous such protest having lasted two months and brought him near death.
"He is currently on hunger strike," lawyer Jamil al-Khatib told AFP.
Israeli police said earlier that Allan was again taken into custody, Wednesday morning, at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, where he was being held.
The head of the Palestinian Prisoner's Society,Qadura Fares, said that Israeli authorities had reinstated Allan's administrative detention -- imprisonment without trial or charge -- against which the prisoner undertook a 66-day hunger strike to protest.
He said that the Israeli authorities intended for Allan to see out the 6-month administrative detention order he was sentenced to in May, which will last until November 4th.
However, he added: "It doesn't mean he will be released then."
Allan's administrative detention was initially ordered by Israeli officials who claimed that he constituted a threat to security and was an activist in the Islamic Jihad group, according to prisoners' rights group Addameer.
Islamic Jihad -- along with the majority of Palestinian political organizations -- is illegal according to Israeli military law.
Rights group Amnesty International warned at the time of Allan's release that Israel's suspension of his administrative detention was based on his medical condition alone and "took no account of the legality of his detention," raising fears that Allan could be re-sentenced if his health improved.
Administrative detention, which can be renewed indefinitely in six-month periods, has been strongly criticized by the international community as well as both Israeli and Palestinian rights activists. Israel says it is an essential tool in preventing attacks and protecting sensitive intelligence because it allows authorities to keep evidence secret.
Rights groups say that international law allows for such detention only under extreme circumstances, but that Israel uses it as a punitive measure on a routine basis to circumvent the justice system or as a crutch to avoid trial.
Palestinian detainee Mohammad Allan restarted a hunger strike, Wednesday, after Israel arrested him and reinstated his internment without trial, his lawyer said, with a previous such protest having lasted two months and brought him near death.
"He is currently on hunger strike," lawyer Jamil al-Khatib told AFP.
Israeli police said earlier that Allan was again taken into custody, Wednesday morning, at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, where he was being held.
The head of the Palestinian Prisoner's Society,Qadura Fares, said that Israeli authorities had reinstated Allan's administrative detention -- imprisonment without trial or charge -- against which the prisoner undertook a 66-day hunger strike to protest.
He said that the Israeli authorities intended for Allan to see out the 6-month administrative detention order he was sentenced to in May, which will last until November 4th.
However, he added: "It doesn't mean he will be released then."
Allan's administrative detention was initially ordered by Israeli officials who claimed that he constituted a threat to security and was an activist in the Islamic Jihad group, according to prisoners' rights group Addameer.
Islamic Jihad -- along with the majority of Palestinian political organizations -- is illegal according to Israeli military law.
Rights group Amnesty International warned at the time of Allan's release that Israel's suspension of his administrative detention was based on his medical condition alone and "took no account of the legality of his detention," raising fears that Allan could be re-sentenced if his health improved.
Administrative detention, which can be renewed indefinitely in six-month periods, has been strongly criticized by the international community as well as both Israeli and Palestinian rights activists. Israel says it is an essential tool in preventing attacks and protecting sensitive intelligence because it allows authorities to keep evidence secret.
Rights groups say that international law allows for such detention only under extreme circumstances, but that Israel uses it as a punitive measure on a routine basis to circumvent the justice system or as a crutch to avoid trial.
Mohammed Allaan was re-arrested on a new administrative detention warrant mere hours after he was set to be released from Ashkelon's Barzilai hospital.
Mohammed Allaan, the Palestinian administrative detainee who embarked on a 65 day hunger strike was arrested soon after his release from Ashkelon’s Barzilai hospital Wednesday morning.
The state prosecutor had sought a new warrant for his arrest, and Allan was transferred to the Israel prison authority.
Allaan was originally under administrative detention, which was only revoked when doctors had warned of irreversible damage to his organs. Allan was initially treated in Beer Sheva’s Soroka hospital; however the hospital staffs’ refusal to force feed him led to his transfer to Ashkelon. The IDF feared that his death would spark a wave of violence, and deployed Iron Dome batteries in southern Israel. After the High Court decision to cancel his detention order, Allaan began receiving nutrients and food in order to make up for critical deficiencies caused as a result of the 65 day hunger strike.
Security officials had previously stated that Allaan would be released if permanent brain damage occurred as a result of the hunger strike, but a series of interviews proved he was speaking coherently.
The police said in response, “During the morning hours officers, from the Ashkelon station enforced an administrative detention order, and arrested Mohammed Allan inside Barzilai hospital. After the arrest, Allaan was handed off to the Prison services care.
Mohammed Allaan, the Palestinian administrative detainee who embarked on a 65 day hunger strike was arrested soon after his release from Ashkelon’s Barzilai hospital Wednesday morning.
The state prosecutor had sought a new warrant for his arrest, and Allan was transferred to the Israel prison authority.
Allaan was originally under administrative detention, which was only revoked when doctors had warned of irreversible damage to his organs. Allan was initially treated in Beer Sheva’s Soroka hospital; however the hospital staffs’ refusal to force feed him led to his transfer to Ashkelon. The IDF feared that his death would spark a wave of violence, and deployed Iron Dome batteries in southern Israel. After the High Court decision to cancel his detention order, Allaan began receiving nutrients and food in order to make up for critical deficiencies caused as a result of the 65 day hunger strike.
Security officials had previously stated that Allaan would be released if permanent brain damage occurred as a result of the hunger strike, but a series of interviews proved he was speaking coherently.
The police said in response, “During the morning hours officers, from the Ashkelon station enforced an administrative detention order, and arrested Mohammed Allan inside Barzilai hospital. After the arrest, Allaan was handed off to the Prison services care.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will head an urgent session, on Tuesday evening, to discuss punishment for stone-throwing.
Israeli radio reported, according to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, that the session would be to discuss measures in confronting stone-throwing directed at Israeli vehicles in Jerusalem.
It was reported that the announcement comes in the wake of a deadly car crash Israeli police claimed was caused by stone-throwing.
Netanyahu is said to be seeking fast-track legislation for setting a minimum sentence for stone and firebomb throwing. He also will discuss providing administrative detention against the doers.
Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation routinely throw rocks at heavily armed security forces during clashes, as one of the few means available to protest their subjugation.
Youth often throw stones at settler cars driving in the occupied West Bank, while it is also common for settlers themselves -- both armed and protected by armed Israeli forces-- to target Palestinian vehicles with rocks.
Settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is routine and goes unpunished by Israel, with 324 incidents of violence recorded in 2014, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Israeli radio reported, according to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, that the session would be to discuss measures in confronting stone-throwing directed at Israeli vehicles in Jerusalem.
It was reported that the announcement comes in the wake of a deadly car crash Israeli police claimed was caused by stone-throwing.
Netanyahu is said to be seeking fast-track legislation for setting a minimum sentence for stone and firebomb throwing. He also will discuss providing administrative detention against the doers.
Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation routinely throw rocks at heavily armed security forces during clashes, as one of the few means available to protest their subjugation.
Youth often throw stones at settler cars driving in the occupied West Bank, while it is also common for settlers themselves -- both armed and protected by armed Israeli forces-- to target Palestinian vehicles with rocks.
Settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is routine and goes unpunished by Israel, with 324 incidents of violence recorded in 2014, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
