31 may 2015

Legislation to be presented to Knesset, proposed by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, seeks to thwart use of mobile devices by terror detainees.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved on Sunday a proposal to prevent the use of cellular devices by prisoners and security detainees involved in acts of terror, presented by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.
Coincidentally, the bill was presented after – earlier in the day – Palestinian terrorist Abdullah Barghouti conducted an interview with a Palestinian radio station from prison using his mobile phone.
Currently the legal authority to deny detainees use of cellular devices remains vague, with the security services forced to petition the High Court of Justice to prevent prisoners making using cell phones. As such, the Israel Prison Service (colloquially known as Shabas) goes to great lengths to prevent its inmates from coming into contact with mobile devices, including using signal jammers in certain wings to block incoming and outgoing calls.
The legislation, initiated by the Shin Bet and prepared by the justice and defense ministries, argued that terror groups have made use of their jailed operatives to promote and direct attacks against Israelis, mostly kidnapping plots.
"The use of cellular phones (smuggled into prison) presents one of the key methods of promoting such terror activities, and allows for the connection between the experience and knowledge of the inmates and the operatives on the ground which are trying to promote 'military' acts," the legislation explains.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved on Sunday a proposal to prevent the use of cellular devices by prisoners and security detainees involved in acts of terror, presented by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.
Coincidentally, the bill was presented after – earlier in the day – Palestinian terrorist Abdullah Barghouti conducted an interview with a Palestinian radio station from prison using his mobile phone.
Currently the legal authority to deny detainees use of cellular devices remains vague, with the security services forced to petition the High Court of Justice to prevent prisoners making using cell phones. As such, the Israel Prison Service (colloquially known as Shabas) goes to great lengths to prevent its inmates from coming into contact with mobile devices, including using signal jammers in certain wings to block incoming and outgoing calls.
The legislation, initiated by the Shin Bet and prepared by the justice and defense ministries, argued that terror groups have made use of their jailed operatives to promote and direct attacks against Israelis, mostly kidnapping plots.
"The use of cellular phones (smuggled into prison) presents one of the key methods of promoting such terror activities, and allows for the connection between the experience and knowledge of the inmates and the operatives on the ground which are trying to promote 'military' acts," the legislation explains.

Palestinian political prisoner Khader Adnan is ongoing with his hunger strike for the 27th consecutive day, demanding an end to his arbitrary Administrative Detention without charges, and is refusing vitamins or medical checkups.
The detainee is facing a sharply deteriorating health condition, started losing his hair, and is currently only drinking limited amounts of water without salt.
The Detainees’ Studies Center issued a statement, Sunday, warning that the 37-year-old detainee is facing serious health issues, and urged local and international human rights, and legal, groups to intervene and pressure Israeli into releasing him.
Head of the Detainees Center, former political prisoner Rafat Hamdouna, said Adnan became unable to walk, or even stand, while the Prison Administration is pressuring him into ending his strike.
He is currently at the Ramla Prison Clinic that lacks specialized physicals, and basic equipment.
The Prison Administration has been denying Adnan’s lawyer, and lawyers of other legal organizations, from visiting him, unless he is cuffed and shackled to a wheelchair.
It is worth mentioning that detainee Saddam Awad, from Hebron, started a hunger strike on May 24, in solidarity with Adnan, while many detainees will likely join.
Another detainee, identified as Hamza Abu Sawaween, held in solitary in the Eshil Israeli prison, started his hunger strike three days ago, demanding to be removed from solitary, and an end to the violations against him, including bad living conditions.
Detainee Khader Adnan, from Arraba near Jenin, was born on March 24, 1978, he is a married father of six children. He was kidnapped on July 8, 2014, and has been then under Administrative Detention orders without charges, or trial.
Back in January this year, Adnan went on hunger strike for a week, as a warning move, after Israel renewed his Administrative Detention orders for the third consecutive time.
He said he would hold an open-ended hunger strike should Israel renew the orders, and started his current strike on May 5 after a new Administrative Detention order was slapped against him.
Two years ago, Adnan held a 66-day hunger strike, also protesting his Administrative Detention, and only ended his strike after Israel agreed to release him; he was released on April 17, 2012.
His hunger strike lasted from December 18, 2011 until February 21 2012.
The detainee is facing a sharply deteriorating health condition, started losing his hair, and is currently only drinking limited amounts of water without salt.
The Detainees’ Studies Center issued a statement, Sunday, warning that the 37-year-old detainee is facing serious health issues, and urged local and international human rights, and legal, groups to intervene and pressure Israeli into releasing him.
Head of the Detainees Center, former political prisoner Rafat Hamdouna, said Adnan became unable to walk, or even stand, while the Prison Administration is pressuring him into ending his strike.
He is currently at the Ramla Prison Clinic that lacks specialized physicals, and basic equipment.
The Prison Administration has been denying Adnan’s lawyer, and lawyers of other legal organizations, from visiting him, unless he is cuffed and shackled to a wheelchair.
It is worth mentioning that detainee Saddam Awad, from Hebron, started a hunger strike on May 24, in solidarity with Adnan, while many detainees will likely join.
Another detainee, identified as Hamza Abu Sawaween, held in solitary in the Eshil Israeli prison, started his hunger strike three days ago, demanding to be removed from solitary, and an end to the violations against him, including bad living conditions.
Detainee Khader Adnan, from Arraba near Jenin, was born on March 24, 1978, he is a married father of six children. He was kidnapped on July 8, 2014, and has been then under Administrative Detention orders without charges, or trial.
Back in January this year, Adnan went on hunger strike for a week, as a warning move, after Israel renewed his Administrative Detention orders for the third consecutive time.
He said he would hold an open-ended hunger strike should Israel renew the orders, and started his current strike on May 5 after a new Administrative Detention order was slapped against him.
Two years ago, Adnan held a 66-day hunger strike, also protesting his Administrative Detention, and only ended his strike after Israel agreed to release him; he was released on April 17, 2012.
His hunger strike lasted from December 18, 2011 until February 21 2012.

A number of Palestinian civilians choked on tear gas while a youngster was kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in the clashes that rocked Jenin’s town of Yabad at dawn Sunday.
Eye-witnesses said clashes flared up in Yabad town, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, after the Israeli occupation forces attacked a group of unarmed Palestinian protestors with heavy spates of bullet fire and tear gas canisters.
The Palestinian young protestors responded to the attack by hurling stones at the Israeli occupation troops.
Eye-witnesses said a number of Palestinian civilians sustained breathing difficulties due to heavy gas inhalation while others were aggressively beaten by the Israeli soldiers stationed across the area.
The Israeli assault culminated in the abduction of the 14-year-old Palestinian minor Yussef Burhan Turkman.
A makeshift military checkpoint was swiftly pitched up by the IOF shortly afterwards, the same sources added.
Eye-witnesses said clashes flared up in Yabad town, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, after the Israeli occupation forces attacked a group of unarmed Palestinian protestors with heavy spates of bullet fire and tear gas canisters.
The Palestinian young protestors responded to the attack by hurling stones at the Israeli occupation troops.
Eye-witnesses said a number of Palestinian civilians sustained breathing difficulties due to heavy gas inhalation while others were aggressively beaten by the Israeli soldiers stationed across the area.
The Israeli assault culminated in the abduction of the 14-year-old Palestinian minor Yussef Burhan Turkman.
A makeshift military checkpoint was swiftly pitched up by the IOF shortly afterwards, the same sources added.

The Prisoners’ Media Office on Saturday raised alarm bells over the dire
conditions endured by Palestinian detainees at the Israeli occupation
Ofer jail.
The prisoner’s office said in a statement that Palestinian detainees at the over-crammed Ofer lock-up have launched distress signals over the tough penalties imposed by the Israeli prison authorities since mid-2014, including the prohibition/reduction of family visits and steep fines.
The office further spoke out against overcrowding in the Ofer prison, where the detainees do not even find enough beds to take a nap.
The Israeli prison administrative also trimmed down the time of prison visits from 45 minutes to 30 minutes only.
The statement sounded the alarm over the aggressive break-ins and search campaigns launched across prison cells and usually culminating in the misappropriation of the detainees’ personal belongings and electronic kit.
Palestinians locked-up at the Ofer jail called on the international human rights institutions to urgently step in and allot investigation committees to keep tabs on the tragic and non-humanitarian state of affairs in the occupation penitentiaries, where ethics and international conventions have reportedly been the least of Israel’s concerns.
The prisoner’s office said in a statement that Palestinian detainees at the over-crammed Ofer lock-up have launched distress signals over the tough penalties imposed by the Israeli prison authorities since mid-2014, including the prohibition/reduction of family visits and steep fines.
The office further spoke out against overcrowding in the Ofer prison, where the detainees do not even find enough beds to take a nap.
The Israeli prison administrative also trimmed down the time of prison visits from 45 minutes to 30 minutes only.
The statement sounded the alarm over the aggressive break-ins and search campaigns launched across prison cells and usually culminating in the misappropriation of the detainees’ personal belongings and electronic kit.
Palestinians locked-up at the Ofer jail called on the international human rights institutions to urgently step in and allot investigation committees to keep tabs on the tragic and non-humanitarian state of affairs in the occupation penitentiaries, where ethics and international conventions have reportedly been the least of Israel’s concerns.
30 may 2015

Palestinian mother of six children, wife of prisoner, sister of three prisoners Samaher Zeineddin has now entered her 2nd year in prison, without charge.
Samaher, age 35, the mother of six children aged between four and 14 years, is also suffering unknown disease in the chest, a statement issued on Saturday by Palestinian Prisoners’ Centre for Studies (PPCS) said.
After much pressure put by the female prisoners on the Israeli prison services, Samaher undergone a surgical operation, but her suffering remained unchanged, according to the statement.
The PPCS said, according to Days of Palestine, that Samaher was arrested on May 28, 2014, when the Israeli occupation forces stormed her house in Nablus during the night, frightened her children, inspected her house and arrested her.
Until today, the statement said, she was not charged or given any sentence. The Israeli occupation has not yet given any reason for keeping her in custody.
Samaher always feels painful and worried about her six children, whom she has not met since she was arrested.
Her husband Nader, 37, was arrested just two months before her. Three of her brothers are behind Israeli bars, one of them is serving a life sentence.
All her six children are living with their grandmother; an old woman with several diseases. She has been unable to offer them proper service, in addition to not havig a source of income.
Female prisoners with Samaher told the PPCS that she always feels painful and worried about her six children, whoة she has not met since she was arrested.
The PPCS said that she is experiencing very difficult conditions inside the Israeli prisons and called for the international community and the human rights organisations to put pressure on the Israeli occupation in order to release her.
Samaher, age 35, the mother of six children aged between four and 14 years, is also suffering unknown disease in the chest, a statement issued on Saturday by Palestinian Prisoners’ Centre for Studies (PPCS) said.
After much pressure put by the female prisoners on the Israeli prison services, Samaher undergone a surgical operation, but her suffering remained unchanged, according to the statement.
The PPCS said, according to Days of Palestine, that Samaher was arrested on May 28, 2014, when the Israeli occupation forces stormed her house in Nablus during the night, frightened her children, inspected her house and arrested her.
Until today, the statement said, she was not charged or given any sentence. The Israeli occupation has not yet given any reason for keeping her in custody.
Samaher always feels painful and worried about her six children, whom she has not met since she was arrested.
Her husband Nader, 37, was arrested just two months before her. Three of her brothers are behind Israeli bars, one of them is serving a life sentence.
All her six children are living with their grandmother; an old woman with several diseases. She has been unable to offer them proper service, in addition to not havig a source of income.
Female prisoners with Samaher told the PPCS that she always feels painful and worried about her six children, whoة she has not met since she was arrested.
The PPCS said that she is experiencing very difficult conditions inside the Israeli prisons and called for the international community and the human rights organisations to put pressure on the Israeli occupation in order to release her.

Israeli forces, on Saturday, detained one Palestinian and three foreign activists during a protest against Israeli settlement expansion near Beit Ummar, in the southern West Bank.
Israeli forces injured other activists when they dispersed a sit-in at Beit al-Baraka on the Jerusalem-Hebron road near Beit Ummar, where local activists report that Israeli settlers are trying to seize 40 dunams of Palestinian land and have started construction.
The Palestinian detained was identified as Yousef Abu Maria, while the names of the foreign activists were not reported.
A Palestinian activist, Muhammed Brijieh, told Ma'an News Agency that Israeli forces had fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at the protest, causing a number to suffer excessive tear gas inhalation.
Popular resistance committees also organized a peaceful march on Saturday to protect Beit al-Baraka, which was reportedly attended by dozens of Palestinian and foreign activists.
Israeli forces injured other activists when they dispersed a sit-in at Beit al-Baraka on the Jerusalem-Hebron road near Beit Ummar, where local activists report that Israeli settlers are trying to seize 40 dunams of Palestinian land and have started construction.
The Palestinian detained was identified as Yousef Abu Maria, while the names of the foreign activists were not reported.
A Palestinian activist, Muhammed Brijieh, told Ma'an News Agency that Israeli forces had fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at the protest, causing a number to suffer excessive tear gas inhalation.
Popular resistance committees also organized a peaceful march on Saturday to protect Beit al-Baraka, which was reportedly attended by dozens of Palestinian and foreign activists.

Israeli soldiers attacked, Saturday, scores of Palestinian and international peace activists protesting in front of the Al-Baraka home, near the main Jerusalem-Hebron Road, north of the southern West bank city of Hebron, and kidnapped one Palestinian.
The soldiers kidnapped Yousef Abu Mariya, 45, of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, after attacking him, and took him to an unknown destination.
The protesters marched carrying Palestinian flags and chanting against the ongoing illegal Israeli settlement activities that aim at controlling more Palestinian property and farmlands.
Soldiers attacked the protesters as they marched demanding the removal of extremist Israeli settlers who controlled on old church property, that was constructed as a free tuberculosis treatment center, known as Beit al-Baraka (House of Blessing) more than 70 years ago on 35 Dunams; it shut down in 1983.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements Rateb Jabour said the soldiers attacked the protesters, and tried to prevent them from reaching the site, but they managed to advance.
He added that the protest came to express rejection to Israel’s illegal policies and violations against the Palestinians in different parts of occupied Palestine, especially in areas close to illegal Israeli colonies, built on Palestinian property and lands.
It is worth mentioning that a Swedish lawyer, who represents Beit al-Baraka, denied Israeli allegations that the settlers have purchased the property and the lands around it.
The lawyer said the recent maintenance and construction work in the place is part of the owners’ decision to turn the property into a hotel and park, not a settlement. The settler named the property Bet Bracha.
More than a week ago, Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, right-wing settler, Aryeh King, has allegedly purchased a compound of an abandoned church, three years ago, and started working on it to create a new outpost.
The new settlement is meant to house at least 20 families in the already refurbished eight buildings, including a large commons structure.
Ha'aretz said that the settlers have been conducting massive reconstruction for the last several months, and built a fence around the compound, challenging an order by the Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank, as no permit was issued for the fence.
Related:
Settlers Secretly Establishing New Outpost On Church Compound
The soldiers kidnapped Yousef Abu Mariya, 45, of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, after attacking him, and took him to an unknown destination.
The protesters marched carrying Palestinian flags and chanting against the ongoing illegal Israeli settlement activities that aim at controlling more Palestinian property and farmlands.
Soldiers attacked the protesters as they marched demanding the removal of extremist Israeli settlers who controlled on old church property, that was constructed as a free tuberculosis treatment center, known as Beit al-Baraka (House of Blessing) more than 70 years ago on 35 Dunams; it shut down in 1983.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements Rateb Jabour said the soldiers attacked the protesters, and tried to prevent them from reaching the site, but they managed to advance.
He added that the protest came to express rejection to Israel’s illegal policies and violations against the Palestinians in different parts of occupied Palestine, especially in areas close to illegal Israeli colonies, built on Palestinian property and lands.
It is worth mentioning that a Swedish lawyer, who represents Beit al-Baraka, denied Israeli allegations that the settlers have purchased the property and the lands around it.
The lawyer said the recent maintenance and construction work in the place is part of the owners’ decision to turn the property into a hotel and park, not a settlement. The settler named the property Bet Bracha.
More than a week ago, Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, right-wing settler, Aryeh King, has allegedly purchased a compound of an abandoned church, three years ago, and started working on it to create a new outpost.
The new settlement is meant to house at least 20 families in the already refurbished eight buildings, including a large commons structure.
Ha'aretz said that the settlers have been conducting massive reconstruction for the last several months, and built a fence around the compound, challenging an order by the Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank, as no permit was issued for the fence.
Related:
Settlers Secretly Establishing New Outpost On Church Compound

A state of extreme tension is still raging in Eshel jail as prisoner have been escalating their protest steps since the transfer of the Hamas representative in the prison on Thursday, according to the prisoner media office.
In a press release on Saturday, the office stated that the Eshel prison administration's decision to transfer prisoner Muammar Shahrori, Hamas representative in the jail, to Nafha prison raised the ire of other detainees.
The office added that the prisoners closed section 10 in response to the transfer of Shahrori.
This arbitrary relocation of the prisoner has taken place following the Israeli prison authority's recent pledge to the prisoners on not transferring their representatives to other jails.
In a press release on Saturday, the office stated that the Eshel prison administration's decision to transfer prisoner Muammar Shahrori, Hamas representative in the jail, to Nafha prison raised the ire of other detainees.
The office added that the prisoners closed section 10 in response to the transfer of Shahrori.
This arbitrary relocation of the prisoner has taken place following the Israeli prison authority's recent pledge to the prisoners on not transferring their representatives to other jails.

Palestinian prisoner Ahmed al-Maghrebi, from al-Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, has completed his 13 year and entered his 14th year in Israeli jails.
Maghrebi, who has been in detention since 2002, was sentenced to life 18 times on charges of leading resistance activities against Israel during the Aqsa Intifada and killing 18 Israelis.
The prisoner, who spent 12 years in solitary confinement, was also indicted recently for the killing of Jewish American citizens.
Maghrebi, who has been in detention since 2002, was sentenced to life 18 times on charges of leading resistance activities against Israel during the Aqsa Intifada and killing 18 Israelis.
The prisoner, who spent 12 years in solitary confinement, was also indicted recently for the killing of Jewish American citizens.

Palestinian prisoner Abdul-Fattah Zamel, 40, has completed 12 years of his 24-year prison term, according to Ahrar center for prisoners and human rights.
Accordingly, Zamel, who was detained on May 29, 2003, entered his 13th year in Israel jails.
Despite his presence in the Negev jail, the prisoner was able in late 2014 to get engaged to his cousin Khuloud.
Accordingly, Zamel, who was detained on May 29, 2003, entered his 13th year in Israel jails.
Despite his presence in the Negev jail, the prisoner was able in late 2014 to get engaged to his cousin Khuloud.