13 apr 2015
The Israeli High Court of Justice on Sunday accepted an affidavit blasting the Israeli Civil Administration's planning system in Palestinian Area C, and has given the Israeli state 10 days to reply.
The affidavit, prepared by Professor Rassem Khamaiseh, was presented during the second court hearing on an appeal demanding the restoration of planning authority in Area C to Palestinians.
The appeal was first lodged in 2011 by a range of human rights organisations, including Rabbis for Human Rights, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, in addition to local Palestinian authorities.
Khamaiseh, who heads the Jewish-Arab Center and is a professor at the University of Haifa, has actively worked with the Israeli Civil Administration on the planning of Palestinian communities.
According to Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR), Khamaiseh's affidavit accused Civil Administration planning institutions of being "plagued by a lack of understanding of, and disrespect for Palestinian culture," and said that "the lack of Palestinian representation in planning institutions harms the planning process very seriously."
RHR said that in the first hearing, held last year, High Court judges said that they would not force the state to make a fundamental change in the planning structure in Area C, but that the current situation was unacceptable.
They ordered the state to come up with an institutional change to increase the involvement of Palestinians in planning their communities.
The state proposed a non-binding "consultation" procedure.
However, RHR said this was nothing new, as Palestinians can already submit proposals to the Civil Administration and they are routinely rejected.
Khamaiseh's affidavit on Sunday pointed out that the "consultation" procedure would change nothing as it does not impose an obligation on the Civil Administration to honor the wishes of the residents.
The High Court has given the state ten days to reply, after which time the judges will decide how to proceed.
'Not a political issue'
The initial appeal calls for the restoration of planning authority in Area C to Palestinians.
It points to the fact that Palestinian building permits are almost never approved in Area C, while those Palestinians who do build live under the constant threat of demolition. Meanwhile, nearly all building permits in illegal Israeli settlements are approved.
The appeal is directed against the Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel's West Bank military commander, the head of Israel's Civil Administration in the West Bank, and the Israeli High Planning Council.
Israeli authorities claim that the issue must be resolved through peace negotiations, but those who lodged the appeal say it is not a political issue, but one concerning planning and housing.
Under the terms of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Area C makes up 61 percent of the occupied West Bank and is under full military and administrative control by Israel.
In January, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said: "The planning policies applied by Israel in Area C and East Jerusalem discriminate against Palestinians, making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits. As a result, many Palestinians build without permits to meet their housing needs and risk having their structures demolished."
OCHA said that in 2014 "Israeli forces demolished 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and East Jerusalem, displacing 1,177 people -- the highest level of displacement in the West Bank since OCHA began systematically monitoring the issue in 2008."
'An integral part of the occupied Palestinian Territories'
Last month, EU representatives condemned Israel's failure to meet its obligations to Palestinians in Area C, as the EU donated €3.5 million ($3.83 million) for infrastructure projects to support Palestinian communities in Area C.
While the Israeli Civil Administration is nominally responsible for developing infrastructure in the area, nearly all development only supports Israeli settlers illegally living in the area, while efforts to develop existing Palestinian communities are thwarted.
As a result, Palestinians in Area C lack basic services and infrastructure including roads, waste treatment facilities, water facilities, and access to medical facilities, while gaining construction permits is generally impossible.
EU signer of the funding agreement Michael Kohler stressed the serious limitations faced by the Palestinian Authority in promoting social and economic development of Palestinian communities, while EU representative John Gatt-Rutter emphasized that Area C is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, comprised of crucial natural resources and land for a viable Palestinian State.
Gatt-Rutter added: "Without this area, the two state solution -- that we have invested in for years -- will be impossible."
The affidavit, prepared by Professor Rassem Khamaiseh, was presented during the second court hearing on an appeal demanding the restoration of planning authority in Area C to Palestinians.
The appeal was first lodged in 2011 by a range of human rights organisations, including Rabbis for Human Rights, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, in addition to local Palestinian authorities.
Khamaiseh, who heads the Jewish-Arab Center and is a professor at the University of Haifa, has actively worked with the Israeli Civil Administration on the planning of Palestinian communities.
According to Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR), Khamaiseh's affidavit accused Civil Administration planning institutions of being "plagued by a lack of understanding of, and disrespect for Palestinian culture," and said that "the lack of Palestinian representation in planning institutions harms the planning process very seriously."
RHR said that in the first hearing, held last year, High Court judges said that they would not force the state to make a fundamental change in the planning structure in Area C, but that the current situation was unacceptable.
They ordered the state to come up with an institutional change to increase the involvement of Palestinians in planning their communities.
The state proposed a non-binding "consultation" procedure.
However, RHR said this was nothing new, as Palestinians can already submit proposals to the Civil Administration and they are routinely rejected.
Khamaiseh's affidavit on Sunday pointed out that the "consultation" procedure would change nothing as it does not impose an obligation on the Civil Administration to honor the wishes of the residents.
The High Court has given the state ten days to reply, after which time the judges will decide how to proceed.
'Not a political issue'
The initial appeal calls for the restoration of planning authority in Area C to Palestinians.
It points to the fact that Palestinian building permits are almost never approved in Area C, while those Palestinians who do build live under the constant threat of demolition. Meanwhile, nearly all building permits in illegal Israeli settlements are approved.
The appeal is directed against the Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel's West Bank military commander, the head of Israel's Civil Administration in the West Bank, and the Israeli High Planning Council.
Israeli authorities claim that the issue must be resolved through peace negotiations, but those who lodged the appeal say it is not a political issue, but one concerning planning and housing.
Under the terms of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Area C makes up 61 percent of the occupied West Bank and is under full military and administrative control by Israel.
In January, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said: "The planning policies applied by Israel in Area C and East Jerusalem discriminate against Palestinians, making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits. As a result, many Palestinians build without permits to meet their housing needs and risk having their structures demolished."
OCHA said that in 2014 "Israeli forces demolished 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and East Jerusalem, displacing 1,177 people -- the highest level of displacement in the West Bank since OCHA began systematically monitoring the issue in 2008."
'An integral part of the occupied Palestinian Territories'
Last month, EU representatives condemned Israel's failure to meet its obligations to Palestinians in Area C, as the EU donated €3.5 million ($3.83 million) for infrastructure projects to support Palestinian communities in Area C.
While the Israeli Civil Administration is nominally responsible for developing infrastructure in the area, nearly all development only supports Israeli settlers illegally living in the area, while efforts to develop existing Palestinian communities are thwarted.
As a result, Palestinians in Area C lack basic services and infrastructure including roads, waste treatment facilities, water facilities, and access to medical facilities, while gaining construction permits is generally impossible.
EU signer of the funding agreement Michael Kohler stressed the serious limitations faced by the Palestinian Authority in promoting social and economic development of Palestinian communities, while EU representative John Gatt-Rutter emphasized that Area C is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, comprised of crucial natural resources and land for a viable Palestinian State.
Gatt-Rutter added: "Without this area, the two state solution -- that we have invested in for years -- will be impossible."
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Kheir Eddin Hamdan, 22
Israeli sources said the Police Investigation Unit is leaning towards closing the file of a Palestinian from Kafr Kanna in the Galilee, who was shot and killed by the Police in November of last year. The Palestinian, Kheir Eddin Hamdan, 22 years of age, was killed after the police arrested his brother, while the police claims he attacked them, and that “they shot him in self Defense.” The Palestinains48 news website published an investigative report into the fatal shooting of Hamdan, and stated the police sprayed him with gas, |
causing him to suffer a blurred vision, and nearly passed out, before he was shot dead.
His cousin also said the police took Hamdan to the area where he “was deliberately shot and killed.”
Israeli Channel 10 said, following investigation into Hamdan’s death, the police concluded that the officer shot Hamdan dead in self-defense “after feeling his life was in danger.”
The Police will be releasing its final report after the Palestinians mark the Nakba day on May 15, the day Israel was established in the Historic Land of Palestine, in order to avoid further tension, the Radio Bethlehem 2000 has reported.
The officer, who shot and killed Hamdan, was not suspended, and continues his work as usual after being moved to a different unit.
In related news, Israeli sources said, Monday, that six Palestinians were injured during overnight clashes with police officers in Kafr Kanna, after the police demolished a home that was allegedly built without a construction permit.
Israeli Ynet News said the six Palestinians, including the Kafr Kanna Local Council head, Mojahed ‘Awawda, suffered mild injuries.
Nearly two months ago, the police promoted an officer, who previously shot and killed a Palestinian, from Rahat village, in the Negev.
VIDEO: Hamdan Killed by Israeli Police Without Provocation
Israeli Police Kills Young Arab Man In The Galilee
Clashes Following Ziadna Funeral, Palestinians Declare National Strike in Israel
Israeli Police Kills A Palestinian In The Negev, Injures Two
His cousin also said the police took Hamdan to the area where he “was deliberately shot and killed.”
Israeli Channel 10 said, following investigation into Hamdan’s death, the police concluded that the officer shot Hamdan dead in self-defense “after feeling his life was in danger.”
The Police will be releasing its final report after the Palestinians mark the Nakba day on May 15, the day Israel was established in the Historic Land of Palestine, in order to avoid further tension, the Radio Bethlehem 2000 has reported.
The officer, who shot and killed Hamdan, was not suspended, and continues his work as usual after being moved to a different unit.
In related news, Israeli sources said, Monday, that six Palestinians were injured during overnight clashes with police officers in Kafr Kanna, after the police demolished a home that was allegedly built without a construction permit.
Israeli Ynet News said the six Palestinians, including the Kafr Kanna Local Council head, Mojahed ‘Awawda, suffered mild injuries.
Nearly two months ago, the police promoted an officer, who previously shot and killed a Palestinian, from Rahat village, in the Negev.
VIDEO: Hamdan Killed by Israeli Police Without Provocation
Israeli Police Kills Young Arab Man In The Galilee
Clashes Following Ziadna Funeral, Palestinians Declare National Strike in Israel
Israeli Police Kills A Palestinian In The Negev, Injures Two
11 apr 2015
The Israeli High Court of Justice will on Sunday rule on an appeal demanding the restoration of planning authority in Area C to Palestinians, sources told Ma'an on Saturday.
The appeal was lodged in 2011 by a range of organisations, including Rabbis for Human Rights, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center, and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, in addition to local Palestinian authorities.
The appeal points to the fact that Palestinian building permits are almost never approved in Area C, while those Palestinians who do build live under the constant threat of demolition, which Israeli forces carry out hundreds of times each year.
Meanwhile, nearly all building permits in illegal Israeli settlements are approved, the appeal says.
The appeal is directed against the Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel's West Bank military commander, the head of Israel's Civil Administration in the West Bank, and the Israeli High Planning Council.
Israeli authorities claim that the issue must be resolved through peace negotiations, but those who lodged the appeal say it is not a political issue, but one concerning planning and housing.
'An integral part of the occupied Palestinian Territories'
Under the terms of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Area C makes up 61 percent of the occupied West Bank and is under full military and administrative control by Israel.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in 2014, "Israeli forces demolished 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and East Jerusalem, displacing 1,177 people -- the highest level of displacement in the West Bank since OCHA began systematically monitoring the issue in 2008."
OCHA added in a January statement: "The planning policies applied by Israel in Area C and East Jerusalem discriminate against Palestinians, making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits. As a result, many Palestinians build without permits to meet their housing needs and risk having their structures demolished."
The statement concluded: "Palestinians must have the opportunity to participate in a fair and equitable planning system that ensures their needs are met."
Last month, EU representatives condemned Israel's failure to meet its obligations to Palestinians in Area C, as the EU donated €3.5 million ($3.83 million) for infrastructure projects to support Palestinian communities in Area C.
While the Israeli Civil Administration is nominally responsible for developing infrastructure in the area, nearly all development only supports Israeli settlers illegally living in the area, while efforts to develop existing Palestinian communities are thwarted.
As a result, Palestinians in Area C lack basic services and infrastructure including roads, waste treatment facilities, water facilities, and access to medical facilities, while gaining construction permits is generally impossible.
EU signer of the funding agreement Michael Kohler stressed the serious limitations faced by the Palestinian Authority in promoting social and economic development of Palestinian communities, while EU representative John Gatt-Rutter emphasized that Area C is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, comprised of crucial natural resources and land for a viable Palestinian State.
Gatt-Rutter added: "Without this area, the two state solution -- that we have invested in for years -- will be impossible."
The appeal was lodged in 2011 by a range of organisations, including Rabbis for Human Rights, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center, and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, in addition to local Palestinian authorities.
The appeal points to the fact that Palestinian building permits are almost never approved in Area C, while those Palestinians who do build live under the constant threat of demolition, which Israeli forces carry out hundreds of times each year.
Meanwhile, nearly all building permits in illegal Israeli settlements are approved, the appeal says.
The appeal is directed against the Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel's West Bank military commander, the head of Israel's Civil Administration in the West Bank, and the Israeli High Planning Council.
Israeli authorities claim that the issue must be resolved through peace negotiations, but those who lodged the appeal say it is not a political issue, but one concerning planning and housing.
'An integral part of the occupied Palestinian Territories'
Under the terms of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Area C makes up 61 percent of the occupied West Bank and is under full military and administrative control by Israel.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in 2014, "Israeli forces demolished 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and East Jerusalem, displacing 1,177 people -- the highest level of displacement in the West Bank since OCHA began systematically monitoring the issue in 2008."
OCHA added in a January statement: "The planning policies applied by Israel in Area C and East Jerusalem discriminate against Palestinians, making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits. As a result, many Palestinians build without permits to meet their housing needs and risk having their structures demolished."
The statement concluded: "Palestinians must have the opportunity to participate in a fair and equitable planning system that ensures their needs are met."
Last month, EU representatives condemned Israel's failure to meet its obligations to Palestinians in Area C, as the EU donated €3.5 million ($3.83 million) for infrastructure projects to support Palestinian communities in Area C.
While the Israeli Civil Administration is nominally responsible for developing infrastructure in the area, nearly all development only supports Israeli settlers illegally living in the area, while efforts to develop existing Palestinian communities are thwarted.
As a result, Palestinians in Area C lack basic services and infrastructure including roads, waste treatment facilities, water facilities, and access to medical facilities, while gaining construction permits is generally impossible.
EU signer of the funding agreement Michael Kohler stressed the serious limitations faced by the Palestinian Authority in promoting social and economic development of Palestinian communities, while EU representative John Gatt-Rutter emphasized that Area C is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, comprised of crucial natural resources and land for a viable Palestinian State.
Gatt-Rutter added: "Without this area, the two state solution -- that we have invested in for years -- will be impossible."
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Next week will mark six years since Bilin resident Bassem Abu Rahmeh was killed by Israeli forces, and six years of "foot dragging" by the Israeli justice system in properly closing a case on his death, says family and Israeli rights groups.
Abu Rahmeh, 30, was struck in the chest by a tear-gas canister on April 17, 2009 at a protest in the village of Bilin, and died shortly afterward from his wounds. The Abu Rahmeh family, joined by village residents and international activists, will visit his memorial next Friday before the weekly demonstration against the separation wall, which cuts across Bilin residents' land, Bassem's cousin Jaber Abu Rahmeh told Ma'an. "Abu Rahmeh was killed by shooting carried out by IDF soldiers that was negligent at best," attorneys Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man and Michael Sfard wrote in their petition against a court decision to close the case, according to Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. "The case file of the investigation of the circumstances of his death has been wallowing for years under unpardonable foot-dragging by the investigative and prosecutorial authorities." In response to the attorneys' argument that basic investigative acts have never been carried out in the six years since Abu Rahmeh's death, Justice Menny Mazuz determined April 1 that the State must submit its response to the petition by May 25. Israel's military prosecutor general decided to close the investigation into his death in September 2013 for lack of evidence, despite the fact that three video segments filmed during the protest prove that Abu Rahmah did not act violently and did not endanger the soldiers in any way, B'Tselem says. Other soldiers in the same video can be seen firing tear-gas canisters directly at protesters in the presence of senior officers and in complete contravention of the open-fire regulations. The army had decided to open an investigation into Abu Rahmeh's death in 2010 after a team of international experts found its forces had fired the tear gas in violation of regulations. |
History of resistance
Bilin has long been one of the most active villages in organized opposition against the Israeli occupation and confiscation of Palestinian land.
This year marked the tenth consecutive year of weekly marches against the Israeli separation wall in Bilin, which was constructed on Palestinian land in 2005.
As a result, the village is a target of frequent invasion and arrest by Israeli forces.
Israeli forces have begun entering Bilin village on foot every Friday in recent months, Jaber Abu Rahmeh told Ma'an.
"In the last few months, they've started entering the village. Just yesterday they were going between houses, looking to arrest people."
Witnesses said that four Israeli military vehicles raided the village at midday Friday, arresting Samir Mohammad Burnat, 40, and taking him to an unknown destination.
"It brings me back to the past," sad Abu Rahmeh, referring to the period of heaviest clashes between Israeli forces and residents between 2007-09 when Israeli forces would enter the village nearly every day.
Last Friday Israeli forces entered the village before demonstrations began, cornered a Bilin resident, and shot him from close range, Abu Rahmeh told Ma'an.
In 2011, the separation wall in Bilin was rerouted in response to international condemnation.
However, weekly demonstrations continue every Friday as the wall still cuts through village lands, separating residents from their property, and nearby settlements continue to grow at the village's expense.
Bilin has long been one of the most active villages in organized opposition against the Israeli occupation and confiscation of Palestinian land.
This year marked the tenth consecutive year of weekly marches against the Israeli separation wall in Bilin, which was constructed on Palestinian land in 2005.
As a result, the village is a target of frequent invasion and arrest by Israeli forces.
Israeli forces have begun entering Bilin village on foot every Friday in recent months, Jaber Abu Rahmeh told Ma'an.
"In the last few months, they've started entering the village. Just yesterday they were going between houses, looking to arrest people."
Witnesses said that four Israeli military vehicles raided the village at midday Friday, arresting Samir Mohammad Burnat, 40, and taking him to an unknown destination.
"It brings me back to the past," sad Abu Rahmeh, referring to the period of heaviest clashes between Israeli forces and residents between 2007-09 when Israeli forces would enter the village nearly every day.
Last Friday Israeli forces entered the village before demonstrations began, cornered a Bilin resident, and shot him from close range, Abu Rahmeh told Ma'an.
In 2011, the separation wall in Bilin was rerouted in response to international condemnation.
However, weekly demonstrations continue every Friday as the wall still cuts through village lands, separating residents from their property, and nearby settlements continue to grow at the village's expense.
1 apr 2015
Salem military court has unexpectedly sentenced on Tuesday the female prisoner Mona Ka’adan, 43, to 70 months in prison and imposed on her a fine of 30,000 shekels.
Ka’adan family told the PIC reporter that the court’s verdict ran contrary to the Israeli Attorney General’s promise that her confinement would not exceed 36 months.
Ka’adan was convicted of affiliation with the Islamic Jihad Movement and leading a women organization affiliated with the movement.
The court’s ruling was extremely unfair and out of expectations, the family said.
Ka’adan was arrested more than once most recently in 2012 from her home in Jenin’s town of Arraba. Both her brother and fiancé are currently held in Israeli jails.
She spent five years as a whole behind Israeli bars.
Ka’adan family told the PIC reporter that the court’s verdict ran contrary to the Israeli Attorney General’s promise that her confinement would not exceed 36 months.
Ka’adan was convicted of affiliation with the Islamic Jihad Movement and leading a women organization affiliated with the movement.
The court’s ruling was extremely unfair and out of expectations, the family said.
Ka’adan was arrested more than once most recently in 2012 from her home in Jenin’s town of Arraba. Both her brother and fiancé are currently held in Israeli jails.
She spent five years as a whole behind Israeli bars.
29 mar 2015
An Israeli court has issued a decision on Sunday to raze a Palestinian town to the south of al-Khalil city for settlement expansion.
The coordinator of the Popular Committee against Settlement in Yatta, Ratib al-Jabour, told the PIC reporter that the Hebrew media disclosed on Sunday an Israeli order for the demolition of the nearby Susya town.
Jabour added that the Israeli racial order aims at expanding settlement projects for the Susya outpost, which was forcibly established on the town’s land.
Demolition of the town will displace 35 Palestinian families including more than 300 persons who have been living in Susya town for decades, he elaborated.
Jabour appealed to human rights organizations to work on halting the implementation of the unjust decision which deprives the town’s inhabitants of living in their own lands and homes.
The coordinator of the Popular Committee against Settlement in Yatta, Ratib al-Jabour, told the PIC reporter that the Hebrew media disclosed on Sunday an Israeli order for the demolition of the nearby Susya town.
Jabour added that the Israeli racial order aims at expanding settlement projects for the Susya outpost, which was forcibly established on the town’s land.
Demolition of the town will displace 35 Palestinian families including more than 300 persons who have been living in Susya town for decades, he elaborated.
Jabour appealed to human rights organizations to work on halting the implementation of the unjust decision which deprives the town’s inhabitants of living in their own lands and homes.
27 mar 2015
Haaretz newspaper said Friday that the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) started to apply the penal code in the occupied West Bank.
Central Command chief Nitzan Alon signed an order applying Israel's penal code to Palestinians in the West Bank, hours before he left office earlier this week, the newspaper said.
Palestinians stand trials in accordance to Israeli military orders as well as security laws that have been used since the British and Jordanian mandates.
Sources in the Israeli Justice ministry expressed fears of accusing Israel of attempting to annex the West Bank after applying the penal code in all West Bank areas in next June.
Central Command chief Nitzan Alon signed an order applying Israel's penal code to Palestinians in the West Bank, hours before he left office earlier this week, the newspaper said.
Palestinians stand trials in accordance to Israeli military orders as well as security laws that have been used since the British and Jordanian mandates.
Sources in the Israeli Justice ministry expressed fears of accusing Israel of attempting to annex the West Bank after applying the penal code in all West Bank areas in next June.
The Ofer military court on Thursday afternoon issued two life sentences against prisoner Maher al-Hashlamon on a charge of carrying out a deadly stabbing attack near the Israeli Gush Etzion settlement.
Israel's channel 10 claimed that al-Hashlamon was convicted of stabbing and murdering an Israeli woman and injuring others near Gush Etzion settlement to the south of Bethlehem several months ago.
The court also ordered him to pay 3,900 shekels compensation to the Israeli woman's family.
Israel's channel 10 claimed that al-Hashlamon was convicted of stabbing and murdering an Israeli woman and injuring others near Gush Etzion settlement to the south of Bethlehem several months ago.
The court also ordered him to pay 3,900 shekels compensation to the Israeli woman's family.
26 mar 2015
Israel’s Magistrate Court sentenced on Thursday Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, to 11 months in jail for delivering a speech in 2007 known as “Wadi al-Joz sermon”.
Sheikh Salah was also given a suspended three-month prison sentence.
Dozens of sheikh Salah’s supporters gathered outside the court as the sentence was read out. A number of Israeli right-wing activists were also outside led by the extremist right-winger Baruch Marzel.
He was earlier sentenced eight months in prison by the Central Court for inciting to violence during a sermon delivered in 2007 known as “Wadi al-Jouz sermon”.
Sheikh Salah was also given a suspended three-month prison sentence.
Dozens of sheikh Salah’s supporters gathered outside the court as the sentence was read out. A number of Israeli right-wing activists were also outside led by the extremist right-winger Baruch Marzel.
He was earlier sentenced eight months in prison by the Central Court for inciting to violence during a sermon delivered in 2007 known as “Wadi al-Jouz sermon”.
25 mar 2015
Al-Qassam Brigades operative receives 15-year prison term for setting ambush in bid to kill or kidnap Israeli soldiers in the Strip during Operation Protective Edge.
A Be'er Sheva court sentenced a Hamas operative to 15-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday for attempted murder in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge. The defendant had been arrested after an ambush he had set to kidnap Israeli soldiers was thwarted by the IDF's heavy artillery cover.
Mohammed Abu Draz joined the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades some five years ago and underwent training which included the building and deployment of explosive devices, urban warfare techniques, methods to infiltrate Israel, how to conduct ambushes against the IDF, and how to kidnap soldiers using terror tunnels.
During the summer war he was ordered to cause the deaths of soldiers and attempt a kidnapping in a bird to use the abducted troops as leverage to release Palestinian security detainees. Abu Draz received the directives from his Hamas commanders to hole up in a specified house near a mosque armed with an explosive device and set an ambush for Israeli soldiers.
Other operatives were instructed to wait by a tunnel dug near a kindergarten to either kill or kidnap soldiers. The militants were prevented from firing towards the soldiers only due to the heavy artillery cover from the IDF. Abu Draz and some of the other terrorists were arrested by the IDF within the house they had been using for the ambush.
In the ruling, the judges wrote that "there is no doubt that the defendant's acts were serious and grave. He placed IDF soldiers in imminent danger and it was only due to the skill of the soldiers that no lives were lost due to the actions of the defendants and his friends."
A Be'er Sheva court sentenced a Hamas operative to 15-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday for attempted murder in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge. The defendant had been arrested after an ambush he had set to kidnap Israeli soldiers was thwarted by the IDF's heavy artillery cover.
Mohammed Abu Draz joined the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades some five years ago and underwent training which included the building and deployment of explosive devices, urban warfare techniques, methods to infiltrate Israel, how to conduct ambushes against the IDF, and how to kidnap soldiers using terror tunnels.
During the summer war he was ordered to cause the deaths of soldiers and attempt a kidnapping in a bird to use the abducted troops as leverage to release Palestinian security detainees. Abu Draz received the directives from his Hamas commanders to hole up in a specified house near a mosque armed with an explosive device and set an ambush for Israeli soldiers.
Other operatives were instructed to wait by a tunnel dug near a kindergarten to either kill or kidnap soldiers. The militants were prevented from firing towards the soldiers only due to the heavy artillery cover from the IDF. Abu Draz and some of the other terrorists were arrested by the IDF within the house they had been using for the ambush.
In the ruling, the judges wrote that "there is no doubt that the defendant's acts were serious and grave. He placed IDF soldiers in imminent danger and it was only due to the skill of the soldiers that no lives were lost due to the actions of the defendants and his friends."
24 mar 2015
Jenin man convicted of attempted abduction of couple from Galilee at knifepoint to negotiate release of Palestinian prisoners, firebomb attacks on cars.
Haifa District Court sentenced on Monday Murad Ali Hussein, a 24 year-old Palestinian from Qabatiya in the northern West Bank, to 12 years in prison for entering the home of a family in the Avtalion community in the lower Galilee and trying to kidnap them. He reportedly intended to ransom his hostage to the Israeli government in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The homeowners scared off Hussein by firing gunshots, after which he threw Molotov cocktails at cars parked in the community.
The incident occurred in April 2014, when Hussein illegally entered Israel and arrived at Avtalion in the lower Galilee along with a relative, who was a minor. Hussein attempted to persuade him to help him in his kidnapping plot, but the minor refused and left the area.
According to the indictment, Hussein arrived at a house in the town armed with a knife, and tried to enter the house of an Israeli in order to kidnap anyone who was at home. He struggled with the homeowners, Israel and Ela Shay, while trying to break through the glass door of the living room with a rock. Eventually, he managed to enter the room, and the attack was only foiled when Israel fired his pistol at his attacker, causing him to flee.
The indictment also charged the accused with throwing Molotov cocktails on several occasions. According to the indictment, Hussein produced eight firebombs and threw them at vehicles on the roads of the Misgav Regional Council in the Galilee region, in two different incidents. There were no injuries, but damage was caused to two vehicles.
The defendant admitted to the allegations, but his lawyer argued that the acts committed by Hussein were not ideologically motivated, and that had his intention been to carry out attacks, "he would have planned them in advance and not improvise."
Haifa District Court Judge Ron Shapiro, who heard the case, was not convinced. "The reasons that led the defendant to commit the offences must be taken into account," Shapiro wrote in the ruling. "(Hussein's) intention was to attack Jews and bring about the release of prisoners who are serving life sentences by using hostages as a bargaining tool."
Hussein's lawyer claimed that his client's family was coping with economic hardship. The judge ruled that the arguments do not justify the crimes carried out by the defendant, "which could have resulted in a fatal outcome."
The judge consequently sentenced the defendant to eight years in prison for attempting to kidnap and hurt Israel and Ela Shay. He received a partially suspended sentence for his other offences. In addition, judge Shapiro ruled that Hussein would compensate the couple to the tune of NIS 8,000, as well as pay NIS 3,000 compensation for the drivers whose cars were damaged in the firebomb attacks.
Haifa District Court sentenced on Monday Murad Ali Hussein, a 24 year-old Palestinian from Qabatiya in the northern West Bank, to 12 years in prison for entering the home of a family in the Avtalion community in the lower Galilee and trying to kidnap them. He reportedly intended to ransom his hostage to the Israeli government in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The homeowners scared off Hussein by firing gunshots, after which he threw Molotov cocktails at cars parked in the community.
The incident occurred in April 2014, when Hussein illegally entered Israel and arrived at Avtalion in the lower Galilee along with a relative, who was a minor. Hussein attempted to persuade him to help him in his kidnapping plot, but the minor refused and left the area.
According to the indictment, Hussein arrived at a house in the town armed with a knife, and tried to enter the house of an Israeli in order to kidnap anyone who was at home. He struggled with the homeowners, Israel and Ela Shay, while trying to break through the glass door of the living room with a rock. Eventually, he managed to enter the room, and the attack was only foiled when Israel fired his pistol at his attacker, causing him to flee.
The indictment also charged the accused with throwing Molotov cocktails on several occasions. According to the indictment, Hussein produced eight firebombs and threw them at vehicles on the roads of the Misgav Regional Council in the Galilee region, in two different incidents. There were no injuries, but damage was caused to two vehicles.
The defendant admitted to the allegations, but his lawyer argued that the acts committed by Hussein were not ideologically motivated, and that had his intention been to carry out attacks, "he would have planned them in advance and not improvise."
Haifa District Court Judge Ron Shapiro, who heard the case, was not convinced. "The reasons that led the defendant to commit the offences must be taken into account," Shapiro wrote in the ruling. "(Hussein's) intention was to attack Jews and bring about the release of prisoners who are serving life sentences by using hostages as a bargaining tool."
Hussein's lawyer claimed that his client's family was coping with economic hardship. The judge ruled that the arguments do not justify the crimes carried out by the defendant, "which could have resulted in a fatal outcome."
The judge consequently sentenced the defendant to eight years in prison for attempting to kidnap and hurt Israel and Ela Shay. He received a partially suspended sentence for his other offences. In addition, judge Shapiro ruled that Hussein would compensate the couple to the tune of NIS 8,000, as well as pay NIS 3,000 compensation for the drivers whose cars were damaged in the firebomb attacks.
Maher Hamdi al-Hashlamoun 30
Family of an Israeli settler woman, who was killed on November 10 2014, demanded an Israeli court to sentence detainee Maher Hamdi al-Hashlamoun, 30 years of age, to death for killing her, the Ahrar Center for Detainees’ Studies and Human Rights, has reported.
The demand came during a hearing, Monday; he was taken prisoner after stabbing Israeli settlers, near the Gush Etzion Bloc, near Bethlehem, killing a woman and wounding two other settlers. He also was shot and seriously injured following the attack.
Ahrar said the family of the slain Israeli woman demanded the court to sentence the detainee to death, and to order him to pay 6 Million New Israeli Shekels in compensation.
His lawyer Khaled al-A’raj said the court delayed the hearing to March 26.
During his trial, al-Hashlamoun said “the Palestinians will continue to fight, and defend, Jerusalem and Palestine,” and added that “Israel’s escalating violations and attacks, mainly targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque, require the Palestinians to defend it.”
Ahrar said there have been many calls in Israel to execute Palestinian detainees, including calls coming from senior Israeli officials.
After the attack, al-Hashlamoun was shot by rounds of live ammunition to different parts of his body, mainly in the chest, abdomen and his left arm.
He is currently suffering from various complications, especially in his lungs and liver; one of the bullets was not removed due to its proximity to his heart.
Al-Hashlamoun is a married father of two children; he was born in Jordan on March 10, 1984, and returned to Palestine with his family in 1988.
He previously spent five years in Israeli prisons for his activities with the Islamic Jihad Movement, and his student activities in the Hebron University.
Related: Soldiers Detain Wife Of A Wounded Detainee
Family of an Israeli settler woman, who was killed on November 10 2014, demanded an Israeli court to sentence detainee Maher Hamdi al-Hashlamoun, 30 years of age, to death for killing her, the Ahrar Center for Detainees’ Studies and Human Rights, has reported.
The demand came during a hearing, Monday; he was taken prisoner after stabbing Israeli settlers, near the Gush Etzion Bloc, near Bethlehem, killing a woman and wounding two other settlers. He also was shot and seriously injured following the attack.
Ahrar said the family of the slain Israeli woman demanded the court to sentence the detainee to death, and to order him to pay 6 Million New Israeli Shekels in compensation.
His lawyer Khaled al-A’raj said the court delayed the hearing to March 26.
During his trial, al-Hashlamoun said “the Palestinians will continue to fight, and defend, Jerusalem and Palestine,” and added that “Israel’s escalating violations and attacks, mainly targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque, require the Palestinians to defend it.”
Ahrar said there have been many calls in Israel to execute Palestinian detainees, including calls coming from senior Israeli officials.
After the attack, al-Hashlamoun was shot by rounds of live ammunition to different parts of his body, mainly in the chest, abdomen and his left arm.
He is currently suffering from various complications, especially in his lungs and liver; one of the bullets was not removed due to its proximity to his heart.
Al-Hashlamoun is a married father of two children; he was born in Jordan on March 10, 1984, and returned to Palestine with his family in 1988.
He previously spent five years in Israeli prisons for his activities with the Islamic Jihad Movement, and his student activities in the Hebron University.
Related: Soldiers Detain Wife Of A Wounded Detainee
