22 feb 2013
IOF storms the west of Jenin and summons a citizen
The Israeli occupation forces stormed at dawn Friday Yamoun village in the west of Jenin and summoned a citizen to Salem camp.
Local sources said that the Israeli forces handed over the citizen Abdul Ghani Abu Hija, 55, a summons to the intelligence office and threatened to arrest him if he refuses to obey.
The sources added that the occupation troops raided and searched the houses of the liberated captive Adnan Ezzat Al-Jabari and the head teacher of Yamoun village school Hassan Dahir Zayed. No arrests have been reported.
Local sources said that the Israeli forces handed over the citizen Abdul Ghani Abu Hija, 55, a summons to the intelligence office and threatened to arrest him if he refuses to obey.
The sources added that the occupation troops raided and searched the houses of the liberated captive Adnan Ezzat Al-Jabari and the head teacher of Yamoun village school Hassan Dahir Zayed. No arrests have been reported.
Prisoner Youssef Shaaban released after two months on hunger strike
Occupation authorities released on Thursday the prisoner Youssef Shaaban, 33, from Jenin after spending 3 months in administrative detention during which he went on hunger strike for 60 days.
Large crowds received the liberated prisoner Shaaban chanting slogans demanding the release of all striking prisoners.
The liberated prisoner Shaaban said immediately after his release that the striking prisoners passing through a dangerous phase, calling on the Palestinian people to support them.
He stressed that the prison administration is profiting from the current Palestinian rift to carry on with torturing prisoners un-opposed.
The freed captive Shaaban went on hunger strike for two months immediately after his arrest, and then he ended his hunger strike due to medical warnings, while his colleagues Jafar Ezzedine and Tarek Kaadan of Arraba continued their hunger strike for 89 days in row.
Large crowds received the liberated prisoner Shaaban chanting slogans demanding the release of all striking prisoners.
The liberated prisoner Shaaban said immediately after his release that the striking prisoners passing through a dangerous phase, calling on the Palestinian people to support them.
He stressed that the prison administration is profiting from the current Palestinian rift to carry on with torturing prisoners un-opposed.
The freed captive Shaaban went on hunger strike for two months immediately after his arrest, and then he ended his hunger strike due to medical warnings, while his colleagues Jafar Ezzedine and Tarek Kaadan of Arraba continued their hunger strike for 89 days in row.
IOA releases the prisoner Iman Bani Odeh
The Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) released on Thursday afternoon the female prisoner Iman Bani Odeh, 20, from the town of Tamoun in Tubas, after ending her sentence of 3 months.
"The Israeli occupation forces have arrested the university student Bani Odeh, on 7-12-2012 after breaking into her home in the late hours of the night, where she was sentenced to 3 months' imprisonment for sending an email to her uncle, an activist in Islamic Jihad movement," Tadamun Foundation for Human Rights stated.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces arrested four citizens during clashes at Hawara checkpoint south of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank territory, following a march in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike.
A large force of the Israeli occupation soldiers stormed the Jerusalem Road south of the city after violent clashes, where they arrested four of them, and took them to Hawara military camp, south of Nablus, eyewitnesses confirmed.
"The Israeli occupation forces have arrested the university student Bani Odeh, on 7-12-2012 after breaking into her home in the late hours of the night, where she was sentenced to 3 months' imprisonment for sending an email to her uncle, an activist in Islamic Jihad movement," Tadamun Foundation for Human Rights stated.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces arrested four citizens during clashes at Hawara checkpoint south of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank territory, following a march in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike.
A large force of the Israeli occupation soldiers stormed the Jerusalem Road south of the city after violent clashes, where they arrested four of them, and took them to Hawara military camp, south of Nablus, eyewitnesses confirmed.
Mona Ka'adan declares hunger strike
Mona Hussein Ka'adan, 41, has declared an open hunger strike, in support of her brother the hunger striker Tariq Ka'adan, and all the striking prisoners' demands.
Mona has informed her family, through her lawyer, that she declared an open hunger strike on Wednesday till meeting all the striking prisoners' fair demands, her family told PIC reporter.
Mona was arrested four times, her mother died while she was in the prison and she was liberated in prisoners exchange deal between Hamas and Israeli occupation authorities but she was re-arrested on 13/11/2012. Mona’s fiancé is prisoner Ibrahim Hasan Gbarieh from Jerusalem who is serving life in occupation jails.
Mona has informed her family, through her lawyer, that she declared an open hunger strike on Wednesday till meeting all the striking prisoners' fair demands, her family told PIC reporter.
Mona was arrested four times, her mother died while she was in the prison and she was liberated in prisoners exchange deal between Hamas and Israeli occupation authorities but she was re-arrested on 13/11/2012. Mona’s fiancé is prisoner Ibrahim Hasan Gbarieh from Jerusalem who is serving life in occupation jails.
21 feb 2013
Medical error was about to kill the prisoner Mouqda
The sick prisoner Mansour Mohammed Mouqda, sentenced to life imprisonment, stated that a doctor in Ramla prison hospital was about to kill him as a result of medical error.
The doctor did not record a note in the prisoner's medical file that "a bullet is still in his spine," that represents a risk when conducting magnetic screening.
The prisoner confirmed to the PPS lawyer that the doctor of Assaf Harofe hospital refused to conduct a Magnetic test on him in the last moments for fear of its serious consequences.
He explained that he was transferred yesterday to the Assaf Harofe hospital to conduct Magnetic test, where the doctor checked his medical file, and at the last moment before conducting the medical test he told the doctor that there is still a bullet in his spine, the doctor immediately refused to conduct the Magnetic test for fear of killing the patient.
The doctor expressed his surprise towards the Ramle prison hospital's doctor and how she did not record such important remark.
When he returned to Ramle prison hospital he asked the doctor about the subject and she told him she forgot to record this remark, stressing that if he underwent this examination he may die immediately.
The doctor did not record a note in the prisoner's medical file that "a bullet is still in his spine," that represents a risk when conducting magnetic screening.
The prisoner confirmed to the PPS lawyer that the doctor of Assaf Harofe hospital refused to conduct a Magnetic test on him in the last moments for fear of its serious consequences.
He explained that he was transferred yesterday to the Assaf Harofe hospital to conduct Magnetic test, where the doctor checked his medical file, and at the last moment before conducting the medical test he told the doctor that there is still a bullet in his spine, the doctor immediately refused to conduct the Magnetic test for fear of killing the patient.
The doctor expressed his surprise towards the Ramle prison hospital's doctor and how she did not record such important remark.
When he returned to Ramle prison hospital he asked the doctor about the subject and she told him she forgot to record this remark, stressing that if he underwent this examination he may die immediately.
El-Eesawy Sentenced To Eight Months, His Hunger Strike Continues
Hunger striking Palestinian detainee, Samer Al-Eesawy, was sentenced Thursday by the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem to 8 months imprisonment starting from the date of his arrest on July 7, 2012. The ruling means that could be released on March 6 should the Military Court close its case against him.
The decision to sentence him to eight months does not necessarily mean that he will be released as the Israeli Military Court in Ofer still has “pending charges” against him.
The rulings of the District Court are separate from the Military Court as the detainee is illegally being prosecuted in two different courts on the same charges.
Thursday's ruling was made during a hearing session in which the prosecution demanded sentencing Al-Eesawy to 10-24 years.
Article #186 of Israeli Military order #1651 regarding the cancellation of early releases of Palestinian detainees, allows a special military committee headed by military judges to re-arrest Palestinian detainees who were released under the prisoner-swap deal of October 2011.
Israel allows the re-arrest of detainees under the claim that they violated the terms of their release, therefore, the special committee can demand reinstating the original sentence. In Al-Eesawy’s case, the sentence is 20 years.
Head of the Legal Unit at the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) Jawad Boulos, stated that the prosecution’s demand had no legal grounds, and added that the Israeli prosecutor “only presented vindictive claims that had no justification or legal grounds”.
The detainee started his strike after Israeli soldiers kidnapped him in direct violation of the Prisoner Swap deal that secured his release, last year, along with more than a 1000 detainees in return for the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was captured by the resistance in Gaza in June of 2006.
The PPS reported that Al-Eesawy will not stop his hunger strike despite his deteriorating health condition.
Head of the Legal Unit of the PPS, Qaddoura Fares, stated that the Israeli court ruling is a proof that “Israel is run by gangs, each gang has its own rules and regulations that have no legal grounds”.
Fares added that this ruling is a serious precedent especially since the Israeli army insists on filing charges against Al-Eesawy at the Ofer military court with the intention of sentencing him to 30 years, as he was serving this term when he was released under the prisoner swap deal, and the prosecution wants to illegally reinstate the ruling.
Al-Eesawy was kidnapped and imprisoned by Israel 4 times and spent a total of 12 years in Israeli prisons.
Hunger-Striking Prisoner Issawi: There is No Going Back
Samer Issawi, who has been on hunger strike in Israeli jails for 213 days, said in a letter smuggled out of prison that in spite of his very weak health and being near death, there is no turning back on the strike until he either wins his freedom or dies as a martyr.
The letter, distributed by the Ministry of Prisoners Affairs on Wednesday, was dated February 16 and quoted here through Palestinian official news source WAFA.
“My health has deteriorated dramatically and I am hung between life and death,” he said. “My weak body is collapsing. Yet, I remain steadfast and will continue the confrontation.”
Issawi said that he is going “to continue until the end, until the last drop of water in my body, until martyrdom.”
He said: “Martyrdom is an honor for me in this battle. My martyrdom is my remaining bomb in the confrontation with the tyrants and the jailers, in the face of the racist policy of the occupation that humiliates our people and exercises against us all means of oppression and repression.”
Issawi is one of four Palestinian prisoners currently on long-term hunger strikes. The other three are Ayman Sharawneh, Jaafar Izzidin and Tareq Qadan.
Issawi saluted all those who support his struggle.
“I turn with admiration to the masses of our heroic Palestinian people, to our Palestinian leadership, to all forces, parties and national institutions. I salute them for standing by our fight to defend our right to freedom and dignity,” he said.
“I draw my strength from my people, from all the free people in the world, from friends and the families of the prisoners who continue day and night chanting for freedom and an end to the occupation.”
Issawi said that doctor had told him that he could suffer a stroke at any time because of disorder of his heartbeats, shortage of sugar and drop in blood pressure.
“My body is cold and I can’t sleep because of the continued pain,” he said. “But despite the extreme fatigue and chronic headaches, as I move in my chair, I am trying to summon all my resources to continue on the road till its end. There is no going back, except with my victory.”
Turkey studies the striking prisoners' demands
A group of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have sent a letter to Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urging them to act to save the prisoners on hunger strike. The letter came after the Turkish embassy in Ramallah has contacted Anatolia news agency's reporter, asking him details about the prisoners' demands, in response to the prisoners' calls on Turkey and Egypt to save their lives before it is too late.
The prisoners expressed in their letter their satisfaction by the Turkish popular and formal position towards the Palestinian cause in general and the prisoners' issue in particular, reminding by the Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid's historical position where he refused to hand Palestine to the Zionists.
The letter praised the Turkish previous position behind the Palestinian issue, calling for a Turkish strong position to save the Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails.
"We call on you as brothers in humanity and in religion to act immediately before it is too late", the letter added.
Four Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike for more than 7 months in protest of their re-arrest after their release in a prisoner exchange deal in October 2011.
The decision to sentence him to eight months does not necessarily mean that he will be released as the Israeli Military Court in Ofer still has “pending charges” against him.
The rulings of the District Court are separate from the Military Court as the detainee is illegally being prosecuted in two different courts on the same charges.
Thursday's ruling was made during a hearing session in which the prosecution demanded sentencing Al-Eesawy to 10-24 years.
Article #186 of Israeli Military order #1651 regarding the cancellation of early releases of Palestinian detainees, allows a special military committee headed by military judges to re-arrest Palestinian detainees who were released under the prisoner-swap deal of October 2011.
Israel allows the re-arrest of detainees under the claim that they violated the terms of their release, therefore, the special committee can demand reinstating the original sentence. In Al-Eesawy’s case, the sentence is 20 years.
Head of the Legal Unit at the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) Jawad Boulos, stated that the prosecution’s demand had no legal grounds, and added that the Israeli prosecutor “only presented vindictive claims that had no justification or legal grounds”.
The detainee started his strike after Israeli soldiers kidnapped him in direct violation of the Prisoner Swap deal that secured his release, last year, along with more than a 1000 detainees in return for the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was captured by the resistance in Gaza in June of 2006.
The PPS reported that Al-Eesawy will not stop his hunger strike despite his deteriorating health condition.
Head of the Legal Unit of the PPS, Qaddoura Fares, stated that the Israeli court ruling is a proof that “Israel is run by gangs, each gang has its own rules and regulations that have no legal grounds”.
Fares added that this ruling is a serious precedent especially since the Israeli army insists on filing charges against Al-Eesawy at the Ofer military court with the intention of sentencing him to 30 years, as he was serving this term when he was released under the prisoner swap deal, and the prosecution wants to illegally reinstate the ruling.
Al-Eesawy was kidnapped and imprisoned by Israel 4 times and spent a total of 12 years in Israeli prisons.
Hunger-Striking Prisoner Issawi: There is No Going Back
Samer Issawi, who has been on hunger strike in Israeli jails for 213 days, said in a letter smuggled out of prison that in spite of his very weak health and being near death, there is no turning back on the strike until he either wins his freedom or dies as a martyr.
The letter, distributed by the Ministry of Prisoners Affairs on Wednesday, was dated February 16 and quoted here through Palestinian official news source WAFA.
“My health has deteriorated dramatically and I am hung between life and death,” he said. “My weak body is collapsing. Yet, I remain steadfast and will continue the confrontation.”
Issawi said that he is going “to continue until the end, until the last drop of water in my body, until martyrdom.”
He said: “Martyrdom is an honor for me in this battle. My martyrdom is my remaining bomb in the confrontation with the tyrants and the jailers, in the face of the racist policy of the occupation that humiliates our people and exercises against us all means of oppression and repression.”
Issawi is one of four Palestinian prisoners currently on long-term hunger strikes. The other three are Ayman Sharawneh, Jaafar Izzidin and Tareq Qadan.
Issawi saluted all those who support his struggle.
“I turn with admiration to the masses of our heroic Palestinian people, to our Palestinian leadership, to all forces, parties and national institutions. I salute them for standing by our fight to defend our right to freedom and dignity,” he said.
“I draw my strength from my people, from all the free people in the world, from friends and the families of the prisoners who continue day and night chanting for freedom and an end to the occupation.”
Issawi said that doctor had told him that he could suffer a stroke at any time because of disorder of his heartbeats, shortage of sugar and drop in blood pressure.
“My body is cold and I can’t sleep because of the continued pain,” he said. “But despite the extreme fatigue and chronic headaches, as I move in my chair, I am trying to summon all my resources to continue on the road till its end. There is no going back, except with my victory.”
Turkey studies the striking prisoners' demands
A group of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have sent a letter to Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urging them to act to save the prisoners on hunger strike. The letter came after the Turkish embassy in Ramallah has contacted Anatolia news agency's reporter, asking him details about the prisoners' demands, in response to the prisoners' calls on Turkey and Egypt to save their lives before it is too late.
The prisoners expressed in their letter their satisfaction by the Turkish popular and formal position towards the Palestinian cause in general and the prisoners' issue in particular, reminding by the Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid's historical position where he refused to hand Palestine to the Zionists.
The letter praised the Turkish previous position behind the Palestinian issue, calling for a Turkish strong position to save the Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails.
"We call on you as brothers in humanity and in religion to act immediately before it is too late", the letter added.
Four Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike for more than 7 months in protest of their re-arrest after their release in a prisoner exchange deal in October 2011.
New Palestinian prisoner declares hunger strike
The captive Younis Hroub, from of al-Khalil, has declared a hunger strike, protesting against his continued administrative detention, human rights sources revealed.
The Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs confirmed that the prisoner Hroub joined the four prisoners' hunger strike two days ago to protest his continued arrest without charge or trial under the pretext of the secret file.
Large force of Israeli Elemaz unit, specialized in repressing prisoners, stormed yesterday section 6 where the prisoner is held, and searched it, destroying and confiscating prisoners' belongings, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, PPS said on Thursday that the health situation of prisoner Maissara Abu Hamdiya, 64, from al-Khalil, has suddenly deteriorated, where he was transferred to Soroka hospital.
PPS confirmed in its statement that the prisoner Abu Hamdiya suffers chronic swollen glands and throat problems, where he lost 95% of his ability to talk and lost 10 kg of his weight in two weeks.
Noteworthy, the prisoner has been arrested since 2002 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs confirmed that the prisoner Hroub joined the four prisoners' hunger strike two days ago to protest his continued arrest without charge or trial under the pretext of the secret file.
Large force of Israeli Elemaz unit, specialized in repressing prisoners, stormed yesterday section 6 where the prisoner is held, and searched it, destroying and confiscating prisoners' belongings, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, PPS said on Thursday that the health situation of prisoner Maissara Abu Hamdiya, 64, from al-Khalil, has suddenly deteriorated, where he was transferred to Soroka hospital.
PPS confirmed in its statement that the prisoner Abu Hamdiya suffers chronic swollen glands and throat problems, where he lost 95% of his ability to talk and lost 10 kg of his weight in two weeks.
Noteworthy, the prisoner has been arrested since 2002 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
IOF soldiers arrest youth, prevent family from farming their land
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a Palestinian youth at the Container roadblock, to the north east of Bethlehem, at dawn Thursday. Eyewitnesses said the soldiers stopped a car at the checkpoint and ordered all commuters to get out of it and checked their IDs before detaining one of them.
The witnesses identified the young man as Ali Hamamre, 25, from Husan village, west of Bethlehem.
In another incident in the same province, IOF soldiers served a notice to a family in Wadi Rahal, south of Bethlehem, ordering them not to farm their land.
Local sources said that a group of Jewish settlers accompanied the soldiers while delivering the notice to Abda family.
They said that the IOF soldiers unleashed wild dogs at the family members and threatened them not to approach their land, which, the soldiers said, were confiscated for “military purposes”.
The witnesses identified the young man as Ali Hamamre, 25, from Husan village, west of Bethlehem.
In another incident in the same province, IOF soldiers served a notice to a family in Wadi Rahal, south of Bethlehem, ordering them not to farm their land.
Local sources said that a group of Jewish settlers accompanied the soldiers while delivering the notice to Abda family.
They said that the IOF soldiers unleashed wild dogs at the family members and threatened them not to approach their land, which, the soldiers said, were confiscated for “military purposes”.
Administrative detention of MP extended for three months
Ahrar center for prisoners’ studies and human rights said that an Israeli court extended the administrative detention of MP Fathi Al-Qarawi for three months. Fuad Al-Khafsh, the center’s director, said that the decision to retain Qarawi, 55, for three more months in custody without trial or charge was in violation of the MPs rights and an attempt to deprive them of carrying out their jobs.
He said that Qarawi, from Nur Shams village in Tulkarem, was held in Israeli occupation jails for more than ten years including three in administrative custody.
Qarawi suffers from backache and Hyperlipidemia. He is held in the Megiddo jail along with his son Hamza, who has been jailed since 15/11/2011 and did not stand trial so far.
He said that Qarawi, from Nur Shams village in Tulkarem, was held in Israeli occupation jails for more than ten years including three in administrative custody.
Qarawi suffers from backache and Hyperlipidemia. He is held in the Megiddo jail along with his son Hamza, who has been jailed since 15/11/2011 and did not stand trial so far.
Soldiers Kidnap Two Children In Silwan
Amir Froukh 14
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center, in Silwan town in occupied East Jerusalem, reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Wednesday evening and on Thursday at dawn, two Palestinian children in the town, and took him to interrogation facilities.
The Center said that several Israeli soldiers invaded a home in Wad Yasoul area, in Silwan, searched the property, and kidnapped a child identified as Eyad Ahmad Rweidy, 17. The attack was carried out approximately at 5 at dawn Thursday.
Rweidy was moved to the Al-Maskobiyya, detention and interrogation facility in Jerusalem.
On Wednesday evening, the Israeli Police kidnapped a Palestinian child, identified as identified as Amir Froukh, 14, after claiming that he hurled stones at Israeli military vehicles in Silwan.
The Information Center reported that several Israeli soldiers and policemen invaded the home of Al-Froukh in Ein al-Loza neighborhood, but the child was at his grandfather’s residence.
They soldiers headed to the grandfather’s home and arrested the child and his uncle.
Both were placed in a police vehicle, but the soldiers released the uncle, and told him that the child will be moved to the interrogation and detention facility in Jabal Abu Ghneim “Har Homa” illegal settlement.
The child was kept in the police vehicle for more than two hours, and was then moved to the police station. The police interrogated the child aft0er claiming that he hurled stones at the Israeli forces in Silwan.
It is worth mentioning that, last month, the child was detained for two days before being released on bail, and was forced out of Jerusalem for two weeks. He was sent to the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and was repeatedly interrogated by the Israeli police in the city.
Late on Wednesday at night, the army demolished two rooms, a sheep farm and a wall that belong to resident Sharif Mousa Liqyana, in Beit Iksa village, near Jerusalem.
The soldiers demolished a 250 square/meter sheep farm, two 50 square/meter residential rooms and the wall that surround the farm.
Liqyana stated that he built the farm two years ago, with a total cost of 130 NIS, and that in June of last year, the Jerusalem Municipality decided to demolish his property.
He contacted a lawyer and managed to get all construction permits in order, but the army demolished the structure without a prior notice.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem, sentenced a 15-year-old child, identified as Ali Mheisin, to four months imprisoned. The child was taken prisoner two months ago.
The court also rejected an appeal for the release of another child, identified as Mohammad Raed Siyam, 16, and decided to hold another hearing on February 27.
The child’s father stated his son was examined by a physician due to a deterioration in his health condition. He was forced into solitary confinement for 14 days in direct violation of an Israeli court ruling.
Siyam was kidnapped on January 18 after the army broke into and searched his family’s home in Silwan.
The Israeli prosecution claims that the child hurled Molotov Cocktails at an illegal Israeli settlement outpost in the area.
Silwan has been under constant Israeli military attacks, intensifying 23 days ago, as the Police imposed fines on dozens of residents, issued tickets against local vehicles, cut water supplies, an handed several residents orders for the demolition of their homes and stores under the pretext that they were built without construction permits.
It is worth mentioning that 10 Palestinians, ages 13-23, have been kidnapped in Bab Hatta neighborhood, in Jerusalem, over the past few days; all of them, except for four, have been released, some ordered under house arrest.
Israeli forces arrest two Jerusalemite minors
Israeli occupation soldiers stormed Silwan town, south of occupied Jerusalem, at dawn Thursday and nabbed two Palestinian boys. The Wadi Hilwa information center said that the soldiers took 17-year-old Iyad Ruwaidi from his family home at 0500 am today.
It said that the soldiers summoned the boy’s mother also for interrogation at the Maskobeh detention center where her son is held.
The center said that the soldiers also took another child from Silwan but from another area, adding that 14-year-old Amir Al-Faroukh was taken to an interrogation center in Jabal Abu Ghunaim to the west of occupied Jerusalem.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center, in Silwan town in occupied East Jerusalem, reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Wednesday evening and on Thursday at dawn, two Palestinian children in the town, and took him to interrogation facilities.
The Center said that several Israeli soldiers invaded a home in Wad Yasoul area, in Silwan, searched the property, and kidnapped a child identified as Eyad Ahmad Rweidy, 17. The attack was carried out approximately at 5 at dawn Thursday.
Rweidy was moved to the Al-Maskobiyya, detention and interrogation facility in Jerusalem.
On Wednesday evening, the Israeli Police kidnapped a Palestinian child, identified as identified as Amir Froukh, 14, after claiming that he hurled stones at Israeli military vehicles in Silwan.
The Information Center reported that several Israeli soldiers and policemen invaded the home of Al-Froukh in Ein al-Loza neighborhood, but the child was at his grandfather’s residence.
They soldiers headed to the grandfather’s home and arrested the child and his uncle.
Both were placed in a police vehicle, but the soldiers released the uncle, and told him that the child will be moved to the interrogation and detention facility in Jabal Abu Ghneim “Har Homa” illegal settlement.
The child was kept in the police vehicle for more than two hours, and was then moved to the police station. The police interrogated the child aft0er claiming that he hurled stones at the Israeli forces in Silwan.
It is worth mentioning that, last month, the child was detained for two days before being released on bail, and was forced out of Jerusalem for two weeks. He was sent to the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and was repeatedly interrogated by the Israeli police in the city.
Late on Wednesday at night, the army demolished two rooms, a sheep farm and a wall that belong to resident Sharif Mousa Liqyana, in Beit Iksa village, near Jerusalem.
The soldiers demolished a 250 square/meter sheep farm, two 50 square/meter residential rooms and the wall that surround the farm.
Liqyana stated that he built the farm two years ago, with a total cost of 130 NIS, and that in June of last year, the Jerusalem Municipality decided to demolish his property.
He contacted a lawyer and managed to get all construction permits in order, but the army demolished the structure without a prior notice.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem, sentenced a 15-year-old child, identified as Ali Mheisin, to four months imprisoned. The child was taken prisoner two months ago.
The court also rejected an appeal for the release of another child, identified as Mohammad Raed Siyam, 16, and decided to hold another hearing on February 27.
The child’s father stated his son was examined by a physician due to a deterioration in his health condition. He was forced into solitary confinement for 14 days in direct violation of an Israeli court ruling.
Siyam was kidnapped on January 18 after the army broke into and searched his family’s home in Silwan.
The Israeli prosecution claims that the child hurled Molotov Cocktails at an illegal Israeli settlement outpost in the area.
Silwan has been under constant Israeli military attacks, intensifying 23 days ago, as the Police imposed fines on dozens of residents, issued tickets against local vehicles, cut water supplies, an handed several residents orders for the demolition of their homes and stores under the pretext that they were built without construction permits.
It is worth mentioning that 10 Palestinians, ages 13-23, have been kidnapped in Bab Hatta neighborhood, in Jerusalem, over the past few days; all of them, except for four, have been released, some ordered under house arrest.
Israeli forces arrest two Jerusalemite minors
Israeli occupation soldiers stormed Silwan town, south of occupied Jerusalem, at dawn Thursday and nabbed two Palestinian boys. The Wadi Hilwa information center said that the soldiers took 17-year-old Iyad Ruwaidi from his family home at 0500 am today.
It said that the soldiers summoned the boy’s mother also for interrogation at the Maskobeh detention center where her son is held.
The center said that the soldiers also took another child from Silwan but from another area, adding that 14-year-old Amir Al-Faroukh was taken to an interrogation center in Jabal Abu Ghunaim to the west of occupied Jerusalem.
Wife of Abu Sisi appeals for allowing her kids visit their father
Veronica, the wife of isolated prisoner Dirar Abu Sisi, said the health condition of her husband has deteriorated very seriously and appealed to human rights groups to intervene to help her and her kids see him in jail.
Abu Sisi, 44, entered on Tuesday his third year in solitary confinement, where he has been isolated and banned from seeing his family since he was kidnapped from Ukraine, his wife's country.
In a news conference held by Wa'ed society on Thursday, the wife of Abu Sisi stated that her husband suffers from several health problems in his kidneys, gall bladder, heart, abdomen and blood as well as from back and chest pains.
She noted that the Mossad kidnapped her husband in coordination with the Ukrainian government and then he was drugged and flown in a coffin to the Israeli occupied lands.
"We have not seen Dirar or hear his voice since his detention. He has entered his third year in solitary confinement inside a two-meter room," Veronica added.
One of Abu Sisi's kids appealed during the news conference to human rights groups to intervene to enable him and his family to see their father.
The father of Abu Sisi also called on the Red Cross to put an end to the suffering of this family and work on providing it with a visit permit.
Abu Sisi, 44, entered on Tuesday his third year in solitary confinement, where he has been isolated and banned from seeing his family since he was kidnapped from Ukraine, his wife's country.
In a news conference held by Wa'ed society on Thursday, the wife of Abu Sisi stated that her husband suffers from several health problems in his kidneys, gall bladder, heart, abdomen and blood as well as from back and chest pains.
She noted that the Mossad kidnapped her husband in coordination with the Ukrainian government and then he was drugged and flown in a coffin to the Israeli occupied lands.
"We have not seen Dirar or hear his voice since his detention. He has entered his third year in solitary confinement inside a two-meter room," Veronica added.
One of Abu Sisi's kids appealed during the news conference to human rights groups to intervene to enable him and his family to see their father.
The father of Abu Sisi also called on the Red Cross to put an end to the suffering of this family and work on providing it with a visit permit.
20 feb 2013
Occupation arrests 6 citizens in West Bank
Israeli Occupation forces (IOF) arrested at early Wednesday six citizens in different parts of the occupied West Bank, and raided several villages and towns. The IOF arrested three youths in the Dheisheh refugee camp in the south of city of Bethlehem, and another young man in Aida refugee camp after raiding his house.
Clashes erupted between Palestinian citizens and Israeli soldiers in the Aroub refugee camp north of al-Khalil, during which the soldiers arrested the young man, Ahmed Yusuf.
Israeli soldiers broke into and searched two houses in the town of Yatta, south of al-Khalil and raided the towns of Edhna, Tarqumiya, Yatta, Halhoul and a number of suburbs and neighborhoods in the city.
The citizen Adham Mustafa, 18 from the town of Tamoun in Tubas governorate, was also detained at dawn as he had been passing through the Hawara military checkpoint on the way to Ramallah.
Local sources said that the Israeli soldiers stopped the young man at the checkpoint and took him to an unknown destination after being questioned.
Local sources in al-Malloul neighbourhood in the town of Ya'bad reported that the occupation soldiers continued to occupy the house of Mohammed Abu Bakr in the neighbourhood for the fourth day respectively.
The IOF have also stormed Palestinian houses in the neighbourhood and interrogated the inhabitants, the sources said, noting that the soldiers deployed in the streets prevented the movement throughout the night hours, which created a state of tension.
Meanwhile; Israeli troops stormed at dawn Wednesday the village of Arka and fired bullets to provoke the citizens.
Clashes erupted between Palestinian citizens and Israeli soldiers in the Aroub refugee camp north of al-Khalil, during which the soldiers arrested the young man, Ahmed Yusuf.
Israeli soldiers broke into and searched two houses in the town of Yatta, south of al-Khalil and raided the towns of Edhna, Tarqumiya, Yatta, Halhoul and a number of suburbs and neighborhoods in the city.
The citizen Adham Mustafa, 18 from the town of Tamoun in Tubas governorate, was also detained at dawn as he had been passing through the Hawara military checkpoint on the way to Ramallah.
Local sources said that the Israeli soldiers stopped the young man at the checkpoint and took him to an unknown destination after being questioned.
Local sources in al-Malloul neighbourhood in the town of Ya'bad reported that the occupation soldiers continued to occupy the house of Mohammed Abu Bakr in the neighbourhood for the fourth day respectively.
The IOF have also stormed Palestinian houses in the neighbourhood and interrogated the inhabitants, the sources said, noting that the soldiers deployed in the streets prevented the movement throughout the night hours, which created a state of tension.
Meanwhile; Israeli troops stormed at dawn Wednesday the village of Arka and fired bullets to provoke the citizens.
IOA extends the cartoonist Mohammed Saba'na's arrest
Salem Military Court has extended the detention of Palestinian cartoonist Mohamed Fayek Abdul Ghani Saba'na, 34, from the town of Qabatiya in Jenin, to February 28, Palestine Center for Prisoners' Studies confirmed.
The lawyer Mustafa Azmouti told the Center that Salem military court extended the detention of cartoonist Saba'na under the pretext of providing services to hostile parties, noting that the occupation authorities are still preventing lawyers from visiting him.
The Centre indicated that the Palestinian cartoonist Mohammed Saba'na, who works in the Al-Hayat newspaper, was arrested by the occupation during his return from Jordan on Saturday, and took him to Jalama interrogation center, a few days before.
Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinian journalists staged a sit in Ramallah on Wednesday morning outside Ofer prison in solidarity with their colleague the journalist Amer Abu Arafa, and in solidarity with the cartoonist and journalist Mohammed Saba'na.
The occupation forces tried to keep journalists away from the entrance to the prison by force but journalists insisted to support their colleagues in Israeli jails who numbered ten according to human rights institutions.
For its part, the Government Information Office's denounced the Israeli arbitrary decision to extend the administrative detention of the reporter of Shehab News Agency the journalist Amer Abu Arfa for another six months.
Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (Mada) revealed that the occupation’s policy of detaining journalists has been going on for decades.
Mada said in its statement on Wednesday that Israeli occupation authorities carried out 27 cases of journalists’ arrest during the last two years.
"The persistence of the Israeli policy is a blatant violation of the law and the international conventions that ensured freedom of expression," the center added.
On a similar note, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) prevented three journalists yesterday from covering the IOF raiding of Aldoha town near Bethlehem.
Mousa Rimawi the general director of MADA center called on the international community for an immediate intervention, in order to force Israel to stop all attacks on journalists, which puts journalists’ lives in danger and prevents them from performing their professional duty.
The lawyer Mustafa Azmouti told the Center that Salem military court extended the detention of cartoonist Saba'na under the pretext of providing services to hostile parties, noting that the occupation authorities are still preventing lawyers from visiting him.
The Centre indicated that the Palestinian cartoonist Mohammed Saba'na, who works in the Al-Hayat newspaper, was arrested by the occupation during his return from Jordan on Saturday, and took him to Jalama interrogation center, a few days before.
Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinian journalists staged a sit in Ramallah on Wednesday morning outside Ofer prison in solidarity with their colleague the journalist Amer Abu Arafa, and in solidarity with the cartoonist and journalist Mohammed Saba'na.
The occupation forces tried to keep journalists away from the entrance to the prison by force but journalists insisted to support their colleagues in Israeli jails who numbered ten according to human rights institutions.
For its part, the Government Information Office's denounced the Israeli arbitrary decision to extend the administrative detention of the reporter of Shehab News Agency the journalist Amer Abu Arfa for another six months.
Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (Mada) revealed that the occupation’s policy of detaining journalists has been going on for decades.
Mada said in its statement on Wednesday that Israeli occupation authorities carried out 27 cases of journalists’ arrest during the last two years.
"The persistence of the Israeli policy is a blatant violation of the law and the international conventions that ensured freedom of expression," the center added.
On a similar note, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) prevented three journalists yesterday from covering the IOF raiding of Aldoha town near Bethlehem.
Mousa Rimawi the general director of MADA center called on the international community for an immediate intervention, in order to force Israel to stop all attacks on journalists, which puts journalists’ lives in danger and prevents them from performing their professional duty.
IOA extends detention of 11 Jerusalemites
The so-called Israeli Magistrate and District Courts in occupied Jerusalem has renewed on Tuesday the detention of 11 Jerusalemites from different parts of the occupied city of Jerusalem, human rights sources confirmed.
Damir Foundation for Human Rights said in a press statement on Wednesday that the District Court has sentenced 4 Jerusalemite citizens of the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque for throwing Molotov cocktails at the Beit Yonatan outpost in Silwan.
The District Court extended the arrest of the citizen Muhammad Musa Odeh, 23, to 28 February, where the judge refused to release him on bail arguing that he is a former prisoner, the foundation stated, noting that the Public Prosecution charged him with "helping to prepare Molotov cocktails ".
Magistrates Court also extended the arrest of two young men Mohammed Maher Muheisen, 23, and Murad Mohammed Muheisen, 23, to complete their interrogation, noting that they were arrested two days before raiding their homes in Issawiya.
The statement pointed out that the Israeli police extended Hassan Jaber Faraj, 33, from Doctors Without Borders Foundation, and Yasin Muhammad Sabih, 31, where they were arrested during a solidarity sit-in with the hunger striker Samer Issawi under the pretext of "incitement".
Israeli forces also arrested on Wednesday two young men from Bab Hitta in old Jerusalem, on charges of throwing stones at Israeli forces last week.
Damir Foundation for Human Rights said in a press statement on Wednesday that the District Court has sentenced 4 Jerusalemite citizens of the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque for throwing Molotov cocktails at the Beit Yonatan outpost in Silwan.
The District Court extended the arrest of the citizen Muhammad Musa Odeh, 23, to 28 February, where the judge refused to release him on bail arguing that he is a former prisoner, the foundation stated, noting that the Public Prosecution charged him with "helping to prepare Molotov cocktails ".
Magistrates Court also extended the arrest of two young men Mohammed Maher Muheisen, 23, and Murad Mohammed Muheisen, 23, to complete their interrogation, noting that they were arrested two days before raiding their homes in Issawiya.
The statement pointed out that the Israeli police extended Hassan Jaber Faraj, 33, from Doctors Without Borders Foundation, and Yasin Muhammad Sabih, 31, where they were arrested during a solidarity sit-in with the hunger striker Samer Issawi under the pretext of "incitement".
Israeli forces also arrested on Wednesday two young men from Bab Hitta in old Jerusalem, on charges of throwing stones at Israeli forces last week.
IOA prevents three students from entering al-Aqsa for 2 weeks
Israeli occupation police arrested on Tuesday morning three Palestinian youths participating in study circles at al-Aqsa Mosque, where they were taken to Qishleh interrogation center.
The Jerusalem Foundation for Development confirmed that the students Anas Mahameed and Mujahid Jabarin, from the city of Umm al-Fahm northern occupied Palestine in 1948, and Fathi Jamal, from the Chaab village in the Galilee, were arrested yesterday.
The Foundation added in its statement that the Israeli occupation forces arrested the students during their entry to the al-Aqsa Mosque without any reason, where they were interrogated and barred from al-Aqsa Mosque for 14 days.
The statement pointed out that the occupation forces are still preventing 15 students from entering to al-Aqsa Mosque, within the Israeli political racist policy against students of the of the Aqsa study circles.
The Director of the Foundation said that in light of the Israeli failure to control al-Aqsa Mosque, the occupation presented fake charges against study circle students in order to keep them away from al-Aqsa Mosque by legal ways.
Although the Israeli police's threats to re-arrest the students and to force them to sign on their ban decision, the students refused the Israeli decision and forced the Israeli authorities to release them.
The Foundation confirmed that hundreds of students from Jerusalemite schools have attended to al-Aqsa Mosque to protect it from the Israeli soldiers.
The Jerusalem Foundation for Development confirmed that the students Anas Mahameed and Mujahid Jabarin, from the city of Umm al-Fahm northern occupied Palestine in 1948, and Fathi Jamal, from the Chaab village in the Galilee, were arrested yesterday.
The Foundation added in its statement that the Israeli occupation forces arrested the students during their entry to the al-Aqsa Mosque without any reason, where they were interrogated and barred from al-Aqsa Mosque for 14 days.
The statement pointed out that the occupation forces are still preventing 15 students from entering to al-Aqsa Mosque, within the Israeli political racist policy against students of the of the Aqsa study circles.
The Director of the Foundation said that in light of the Israeli failure to control al-Aqsa Mosque, the occupation presented fake charges against study circle students in order to keep them away from al-Aqsa Mosque by legal ways.
Although the Israeli police's threats to re-arrest the students and to force them to sign on their ban decision, the students refused the Israeli decision and forced the Israeli authorities to release them.
The Foundation confirmed that hundreds of students from Jerusalemite schools have attended to al-Aqsa Mosque to protect it from the Israeli soldiers.
Ahrar: Four women arrested during visits to detained relatives
Ahrar center for prisoners’ studies and human rights has asked all prisoners not to smuggle with relatives any banned items in Israeli prisons.
The center said in a statement on Tuesday that families of relatives have become the constant target of humiliation, detention, and harassment because of that issue.
Fuad Al-Khafsh, the director of the center, said that four women were detained in February during visits to their sons or husbands in Israeli jails.
He said that three mothers and a wife from Jenin, Al-Khalil, and Qalqilia were arrested this month, including two over the past couple of days.
Khafsh charged that the Israeli occupation authorities ignore all rules and deliberately target those relatives to humiliate prisoners.
The center said in a statement on Tuesday that families of relatives have become the constant target of humiliation, detention, and harassment because of that issue.
Fuad Al-Khafsh, the director of the center, said that four women were detained in February during visits to their sons or husbands in Israeli jails.
He said that three mothers and a wife from Jenin, Al-Khalil, and Qalqilia were arrested this month, including two over the past couple of days.
Khafsh charged that the Israeli occupation authorities ignore all rules and deliberately target those relatives to humiliate prisoners.
IOF claims arresting Islamic Jihad cell
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) claimed that an Islamic Jihad commando cell was arrested north of the West Bank for planning attacks on Israeli targets.
The Hebrew radio said on Tuesday that the group members were detained in Tulkarem, north of the West Bank.
The radio quoted military sources as saying that the three-member group was arrested in early January 2013 and comprised a Palestinian inhabitant of 1948 occupied lands, whose mission was to transport the group into those lands.
It said that the Magistrate Court in Jerusalem indicted the cell members for planning armed attacks, trying to buy weapons, and affiliating with an “outlawed” organization.
The Hebrew radio said on Tuesday that the group members were detained in Tulkarem, north of the West Bank.
The radio quoted military sources as saying that the three-member group was arrested in early January 2013 and comprised a Palestinian inhabitant of 1948 occupied lands, whose mission was to transport the group into those lands.
It said that the Magistrate Court in Jerusalem indicted the cell members for planning armed attacks, trying to buy weapons, and affiliating with an “outlawed” organization.
Israeli court refuses to release Issawi, his mother faints at court
The Israeli Magistrate Court in occupied Jerusalem has refused to release detained hunger striker Samer Al-Issawi on bail and decided to keep him incarcerated.
Lawyer Jawad Bulous, the head of the legal section in the Palestinian prisoner’s society, said that Issawi was brought to court on Tuesday in a wheelchair under tight security with both his feet and hands shackled despite his bad health condition.
Bulous quoted Issawi as telling the judge, when asked about his health condition, that he sometimes go unconscious due to low sugar levels. He added that doctors told him that his health condition remains critical but stable.
The lawyer said that despite the clearly serious condition of Issawi, yet the court accepted the prosecution’s demand and kept him in custody, adding that Issawi’s mother fainted after hearing the decision.
Bahr urges Palestinian factions to intensify efforts in support of prisoners
Ahmed Bahr, the first deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council (PLC), called on the Palestinian factions at home and abroad to make more efforts in support of the Palestinian prisoners and the hunger strikers in Israeli jails. "The Palestinian national and Islamic factions have to intensify their activities in order to support the prisoners and extract their freedom," Bahr stated in a rally staged on Tuesday by Wa'ed society for detainees outside the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights in Gaza.
He urged Egypt, the broker of the prisoner swap deal, to assume its obligations towards the ex-detainees, who were rejailed after their release as part of the swap deal.
"We will not stay silent on Israel's aggression against the prisoners and the Palestinian people, and the Israelis will be held accountable for their wrongdoing," he stressed.
In a related context, dozens of teachers and students at Salahuddin school of Halhoul town, near Al-Khalil city, decided to go on hunger strike inside a sit-in tent in their school in solidarity with the hunger strikers in Israeli jails.
Some of the participants said the school suspended its participation in the strikes of the union of teachers in order to partake in this solidarity hunger strike.
Lawyer Jawad Bulous, the head of the legal section in the Palestinian prisoner’s society, said that Issawi was brought to court on Tuesday in a wheelchair under tight security with both his feet and hands shackled despite his bad health condition.
Bulous quoted Issawi as telling the judge, when asked about his health condition, that he sometimes go unconscious due to low sugar levels. He added that doctors told him that his health condition remains critical but stable.
The lawyer said that despite the clearly serious condition of Issawi, yet the court accepted the prosecution’s demand and kept him in custody, adding that Issawi’s mother fainted after hearing the decision.
Bahr urges Palestinian factions to intensify efforts in support of prisoners
Ahmed Bahr, the first deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council (PLC), called on the Palestinian factions at home and abroad to make more efforts in support of the Palestinian prisoners and the hunger strikers in Israeli jails. "The Palestinian national and Islamic factions have to intensify their activities in order to support the prisoners and extract their freedom," Bahr stated in a rally staged on Tuesday by Wa'ed society for detainees outside the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights in Gaza.
He urged Egypt, the broker of the prisoner swap deal, to assume its obligations towards the ex-detainees, who were rejailed after their release as part of the swap deal.
"We will not stay silent on Israel's aggression against the prisoners and the Palestinian people, and the Israelis will be held accountable for their wrongdoing," he stressed.
In a related context, dozens of teachers and students at Salahuddin school of Halhoul town, near Al-Khalil city, decided to go on hunger strike inside a sit-in tent in their school in solidarity with the hunger strikers in Israeli jails.
Some of the participants said the school suspended its participation in the strikes of the union of teachers in order to partake in this solidarity hunger strike.
Immediate action needed to ensure Israel respects hunger-strikers’ rights
Addameer, Al-Haq and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) express their grave concern for the health of four Palestinian hunger-strikers and outrage at the continued use by Israel of administrative detention as a widespread practice to punish and suppress Palestinian dissent against the Israeli occupation.
In violation of international law, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has prohibited the hunger strikers from receiving family visits as well as denying them access to Addameer lawyers and independent physicians.
Due to Israel’s use of administrative detention, and the lack of due process afforded to Palestinians in the military court system, a hunger strike represents the singlemost non-violent tool available to administrative detainees and other political prisoners to fight for their basic human rights.
Each of the prisoners in question has been placed in isolation as a punitive measure at some point during their hunger strike as well as being subjected to other forms of ill-treatment and intimidation.
These include beatings, almost-daily cell and body searches and shackling to hospital beds. In addition, the IPS has confiscated all personal material belonging to the prisoners.
At a hearing yesterday, Samer Issawi, who is in a life-threatening condition and weighs less than 48 kilograms after being on intermittent hunger strike for more than 200 days, was denied release on bail by the Jerusalem Magistrate Court.
Samer is protesting his arbitrary re-arrest after his release in a prisoner exchange on 18 October 2011.
Using Military Order 1651, Article 186, the military prosecution is requesting that he serve the twenty years that remain from his previous sentence.
Samer is suffering from various health conditions including low blood pressure and irregular heart rate, severe pain in the kidney region, muscle pain and constant headaches.
Tarek Qa’adan and Jafar Azzidine have been on hunger strike for 86 days in protest against their detention without charge or trial.
Neither man has access to the information upon which his detention is based, therefore undermining their ability to effectively challenge the administrative detention order.
On 12 February, Tarek and Jafar told PHR-Israel’s lawyer that they were no longer taking any supplements or vitamins, adding further threat to their lives.
Tarek and Jafar were informed by the prison doctor that due to their rapidly deteriorating health, they were at risk of imminent heart attack unless they received adequate medical treatment.
Both men have expressed their wish to be monitored by and receive impartial medical consultation from physicians of PHR-Israel, however, this request has been ignored by the IPS. Tarek and Jafar are both being held under administrative detention orders, which are due to expire on 22 February 2013.
Ayman Sharawna has been on hunger strike since 1 July 2012, except for a brief reprieve in January 2013 when he believed that his case was moving in a positive direction.
He is protesting the Israeli prosecution’s attempt to have him serve the remaining 28 years of his previous sentence.
Ayman was released in the 18 October 2011 prisoner exchange but was re-arrested on 31 January 2012. Since then, he has been held without charge or trial, based on a “secret administrative file” which alleges that he breached the terms of the exchange deal.
Ayman and his lawyer have not been granted access to this secret file or allowed to know the nature of his alleged breach of contract.
At a Supreme Court hearing today to contest the legitimacy of his detention under Military Order 1651, Article 186, Ayman’s case was referred back to the Military Court, which will hear his case at a later date.
While in court, Ayman told Addameer’s lawyer that as of 16 January he had only been drinking water. Ayman has also been under continuous pressure from the Israeli General Security Service to end his hunger strike.
Israel’s widespread practice of administrative detention constitutes a serious breach of international humanitarian and human rights law.
While administrative detention is allowed under international humanitarian law, it must be used only under exceptional circumstances as it infringes upon basic human rights, including right to a fair trial.
There are currently 178 Palestinians being held under administrative detention orders, including five democratically elected Palestinian Legislative Council members.
Administrative detainees should at all times be entitled to habeas corpus remedy, be informed of the reasons for detention and be allowed regular family visits. This form of arbitrary arrest also contravenes Articles 9 and 14 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In March of last year the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination urged Israel to end its current practice of administrative detention, which it referred to as discriminatory and constituting arbitrary detention under international human rights law.
Similarly, Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union, this week called upon Israel to allow for the immediate restoration to the hunger strikers of family visiting rights and called upon Israel to bring formal charges against the hunger-strikers with a view to providing them with a fair trial without delay.
Also this week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated the call to Israel for administrative detainees to be charged and granted a fair trial, or be promptly released.
Such calls for Israel to abide by its international law obligations echo countless others that have been issued by the international community over decades.
We are concerned that, like those before them, they will be ignored by Israel until the Member States of the UN begin to support their rhetoric with concrete action and ensure that Israel can no longer violate international law with impunity.
Addameer, Al-Haq and PHR-Israel demand that all hunger-striking prisoners are transferred to civilian hospitals immediately, where they should receive adequate medical care without being shackled.
The shackling of hunger-striking prisoners in civilian hospitals is in violation of medical ethics as well as the guidelines of the Israeli Ministry of Health, the Israeli Medical Association, and the IPS. In addition, family visits, along with regular access to independent medical care and lawyers should be fully reinstated.
In the absence of any formal charges against the hunger-strikers and administrative detainees in general, and bearing in mind that the Israeli court system does not offer a fair and transparent judicial process for Palestinians - a point that was reiterated by the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Settlements - Addameer, Al-Haq and PHR-Israel also demand that all four prisoners and the remaining administrative detainees be released without delay.
Report
Prisoner Support And Human Rights Association (Addameer)
http://www.addameer.org/
Alhaq Human Rights Association
www.alhaq.org
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
In violation of international law, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has prohibited the hunger strikers from receiving family visits as well as denying them access to Addameer lawyers and independent physicians.
Due to Israel’s use of administrative detention, and the lack of due process afforded to Palestinians in the military court system, a hunger strike represents the singlemost non-violent tool available to administrative detainees and other political prisoners to fight for their basic human rights.
Each of the prisoners in question has been placed in isolation as a punitive measure at some point during their hunger strike as well as being subjected to other forms of ill-treatment and intimidation.
These include beatings, almost-daily cell and body searches and shackling to hospital beds. In addition, the IPS has confiscated all personal material belonging to the prisoners.
At a hearing yesterday, Samer Issawi, who is in a life-threatening condition and weighs less than 48 kilograms after being on intermittent hunger strike for more than 200 days, was denied release on bail by the Jerusalem Magistrate Court.
Samer is protesting his arbitrary re-arrest after his release in a prisoner exchange on 18 October 2011.
Using Military Order 1651, Article 186, the military prosecution is requesting that he serve the twenty years that remain from his previous sentence.
Samer is suffering from various health conditions including low blood pressure and irregular heart rate, severe pain in the kidney region, muscle pain and constant headaches.
Tarek Qa’adan and Jafar Azzidine have been on hunger strike for 86 days in protest against their detention without charge or trial.
Neither man has access to the information upon which his detention is based, therefore undermining their ability to effectively challenge the administrative detention order.
On 12 February, Tarek and Jafar told PHR-Israel’s lawyer that they were no longer taking any supplements or vitamins, adding further threat to their lives.
Tarek and Jafar were informed by the prison doctor that due to their rapidly deteriorating health, they were at risk of imminent heart attack unless they received adequate medical treatment.
Both men have expressed their wish to be monitored by and receive impartial medical consultation from physicians of PHR-Israel, however, this request has been ignored by the IPS. Tarek and Jafar are both being held under administrative detention orders, which are due to expire on 22 February 2013.
Ayman Sharawna has been on hunger strike since 1 July 2012, except for a brief reprieve in January 2013 when he believed that his case was moving in a positive direction.
He is protesting the Israeli prosecution’s attempt to have him serve the remaining 28 years of his previous sentence.
Ayman was released in the 18 October 2011 prisoner exchange but was re-arrested on 31 January 2012. Since then, he has been held without charge or trial, based on a “secret administrative file” which alleges that he breached the terms of the exchange deal.
Ayman and his lawyer have not been granted access to this secret file or allowed to know the nature of his alleged breach of contract.
At a Supreme Court hearing today to contest the legitimacy of his detention under Military Order 1651, Article 186, Ayman’s case was referred back to the Military Court, which will hear his case at a later date.
While in court, Ayman told Addameer’s lawyer that as of 16 January he had only been drinking water. Ayman has also been under continuous pressure from the Israeli General Security Service to end his hunger strike.
Israel’s widespread practice of administrative detention constitutes a serious breach of international humanitarian and human rights law.
While administrative detention is allowed under international humanitarian law, it must be used only under exceptional circumstances as it infringes upon basic human rights, including right to a fair trial.
There are currently 178 Palestinians being held under administrative detention orders, including five democratically elected Palestinian Legislative Council members.
Administrative detainees should at all times be entitled to habeas corpus remedy, be informed of the reasons for detention and be allowed regular family visits. This form of arbitrary arrest also contravenes Articles 9 and 14 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In March of last year the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination urged Israel to end its current practice of administrative detention, which it referred to as discriminatory and constituting arbitrary detention under international human rights law.
Similarly, Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union, this week called upon Israel to allow for the immediate restoration to the hunger strikers of family visiting rights and called upon Israel to bring formal charges against the hunger-strikers with a view to providing them with a fair trial without delay.
Also this week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated the call to Israel for administrative detainees to be charged and granted a fair trial, or be promptly released.
Such calls for Israel to abide by its international law obligations echo countless others that have been issued by the international community over decades.
We are concerned that, like those before them, they will be ignored by Israel until the Member States of the UN begin to support their rhetoric with concrete action and ensure that Israel can no longer violate international law with impunity.
Addameer, Al-Haq and PHR-Israel demand that all hunger-striking prisoners are transferred to civilian hospitals immediately, where they should receive adequate medical care without being shackled.
The shackling of hunger-striking prisoners in civilian hospitals is in violation of medical ethics as well as the guidelines of the Israeli Ministry of Health, the Israeli Medical Association, and the IPS. In addition, family visits, along with regular access to independent medical care and lawyers should be fully reinstated.
In the absence of any formal charges against the hunger-strikers and administrative detainees in general, and bearing in mind that the Israeli court system does not offer a fair and transparent judicial process for Palestinians - a point that was reiterated by the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Settlements - Addameer, Al-Haq and PHR-Israel also demand that all four prisoners and the remaining administrative detainees be released without delay.
Report
Prisoner Support And Human Rights Association (Addameer)
http://www.addameer.org/
Alhaq Human Rights Association
www.alhaq.org
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
FPJ slams detention of three journalists in Bethlehem
The forum of Palestinian journalists (FPJ) strongly denounced the Israeli occupation forces for detaining three Palestinian journalists on Tuesday as they were doing their jobs in Bethlehem city.
In a press release, the forum said Israeli soldiers detained Mamdouh Hamamreh, a reporter for Al-Quds satellite channel, Samer Hamad, a cameraman for Palmedia news agency, and Abdul-Rahman Younos, a reporter for Al-Quds.com, during their presence on Al-Quds street in Bethlehem.
It added that the soldiers verbally assaulted the journalists and prevented them from taking pictures, noting that they were released later.
The forum stressed that such assault is part of Israel's systematic repressive campaign against the journalists, the latest of them was Mohamed Saba'na, who works as political caricaturist for Al-Hayat Al-Jadida newspaper.
Saba'na was kidnapped after his return from Jordan where he participated in a conference on caricatures.
The forum underlined that Israel's persistence in suppressing Palestinian journalists is due to the immunity provided for it by the international community which keeps silent on its violations against the freedom of the press.
In a press release, the forum said Israeli soldiers detained Mamdouh Hamamreh, a reporter for Al-Quds satellite channel, Samer Hamad, a cameraman for Palmedia news agency, and Abdul-Rahman Younos, a reporter for Al-Quds.com, during their presence on Al-Quds street in Bethlehem.
It added that the soldiers verbally assaulted the journalists and prevented them from taking pictures, noting that they were released later.
The forum stressed that such assault is part of Israel's systematic repressive campaign against the journalists, the latest of them was Mohamed Saba'na, who works as political caricaturist for Al-Hayat Al-Jadida newspaper.
Saba'na was kidnapped after his return from Jordan where he participated in a conference on caricatures.
The forum underlined that Israel's persistence in suppressing Palestinian journalists is due to the immunity provided for it by the international community which keeps silent on its violations against the freedom of the press.
Israeli jailers transfer Hamas official Ra'fat Nasif to administrative detention
The international Tadamun (solidarity) society for human rights said the Israeli prison authority transferred on Tuesday senior Hamas official Ra'fat Nasif to administrative detention for six months in Megiddo prison.
A lawyer for Tadamun stated that the Israeli prosecutor produced a dossier described as secret in the court in order to justify the administrative detention of Nasif, especially since the interrogators failed to produce evidence against him.
Israeli prosecutors always fabricate "secret files" when they fail to prove their claims against prisoners.
Nasif underwent extensive interrogation in Salem military base during which the Israeli intelligence officers showed pictures of him while he was participating in peaceful events held in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) had kidnapped Nasif from his home in Tulkarem on February 12, 2013 during a campaign that led to the detention of dozens of Hamas figures.
Tadamun society also said that the Israeli jailers of Megiddo prison suppressed at a late hour on Monday member of Hamas prisoners' committee Mutassim Samara and transferred him to Shata jail.
The administrations of Israeli jails often transfer Samara several times during the year because of his activities in support of the prisoners' rights.
The Israeli jailers always violently and suddenly storm the room of Samara at nighttime and transfer him in chain to another jail without allowing him to change his clothes or take his belongings, according to spokesman for Tadamun society Ahmed Al-Betawi.
A lawyer for Tadamun stated that the Israeli prosecutor produced a dossier described as secret in the court in order to justify the administrative detention of Nasif, especially since the interrogators failed to produce evidence against him.
Israeli prosecutors always fabricate "secret files" when they fail to prove their claims against prisoners.
Nasif underwent extensive interrogation in Salem military base during which the Israeli intelligence officers showed pictures of him while he was participating in peaceful events held in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) had kidnapped Nasif from his home in Tulkarem on February 12, 2013 during a campaign that led to the detention of dozens of Hamas figures.
Tadamun society also said that the Israeli jailers of Megiddo prison suppressed at a late hour on Monday member of Hamas prisoners' committee Mutassim Samara and transferred him to Shata jail.
The administrations of Israeli jails often transfer Samara several times during the year because of his activities in support of the prisoners' rights.
The Israeli jailers always violently and suddenly storm the room of Samara at nighttime and transfer him in chain to another jail without allowing him to change his clothes or take his belongings, according to spokesman for Tadamun society Ahmed Al-Betawi.
Israeli special forces storm ward 9 in Negev for 8th time this year
The Palestine center for prisoners’ studies said that Israeli special forces raided ward 9 in the Negev desert prison at dawn Wednesday for the 8th time since start of 2013 and thoroughly searched room 9.
Director of the center Riyadh Al-Ashqar said that prisoners contacted him from the prison and told him that the special forces suddenly broke into the ward and targeted room 9 that comprises ten administrative detainees.
He said that the soldiers forced all ten prisoners out of the room in the cold weather without allowing them to take covers or heavy clothes with them.
The soldiers rummaged through the prisoners’ belongings and damaged many of them and tore their mattresses and covers at the pretext the prisoners were hiding mobile phones inside them, Ashqar said.
He said that after few hours of search the soldiers told them that their room would be closed and turned into solitary confinement ward until further notice, adding that the soldiers took all electric appliances from the room as punishment for the prisoners despite not finding anything of what they were searching for.
Ashqar lashed out at the Negev prison administration for escalating its targeting of the Palestinian prisoners, recalling that the storming operation on Wednesday was the 8th this year. He said that the special forces used police dogs in their search operations.
Director of the center Riyadh Al-Ashqar said that prisoners contacted him from the prison and told him that the special forces suddenly broke into the ward and targeted room 9 that comprises ten administrative detainees.
He said that the soldiers forced all ten prisoners out of the room in the cold weather without allowing them to take covers or heavy clothes with them.
The soldiers rummaged through the prisoners’ belongings and damaged many of them and tore their mattresses and covers at the pretext the prisoners were hiding mobile phones inside them, Ashqar said.
He said that after few hours of search the soldiers told them that their room would be closed and turned into solitary confinement ward until further notice, adding that the soldiers took all electric appliances from the room as punishment for the prisoners despite not finding anything of what they were searching for.
Ashqar lashed out at the Negev prison administration for escalating its targeting of the Palestinian prisoners, recalling that the storming operation on Wednesday was the 8th this year. He said that the special forces used police dogs in their search operations.
UN chief urges quick solution to Palestinian hunger strike
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is 'deeply concerned'for hunger strikers and called for a return to the agreement reached between Israel and the prisoner leadership in the previous strike.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging a swift solution to resolve the plight of Palestinian prisoners in Israel who are on hunger strike and being held without charges. He called for a return to the agreement reached between Israel and the prisoner leadership in May 2012 to end the previous hunger strike.
United Nations spokesman Martin Nesirky said Tuesday that Ban is deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating condition of the hunger strikers, especially Samer Issawi. The UN chief said Palestinian detainees should be charged and face trial or be promptly released, Nesirky said.
"The secretary-general urges for a solution to be reached without delay in order to resolve the prisoners' plight and preserve calm," he said.
Ban expressed his concerns to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent phone conversation, Nesirky said, and also calls on Israel to ensure prisoners' family visiting rights and to respect the human rights of detainees.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging a swift solution to resolve the plight of Palestinian prisoners in Israel who are on hunger strike and being held without charges. He called for a return to the agreement reached between Israel and the prisoner leadership in May 2012 to end the previous hunger strike.
United Nations spokesman Martin Nesirky said Tuesday that Ban is deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating condition of the hunger strikers, especially Samer Issawi. The UN chief said Palestinian detainees should be charged and face trial or be promptly released, Nesirky said.
"The secretary-general urges for a solution to be reached without delay in order to resolve the prisoners' plight and preserve calm," he said.
Ban expressed his concerns to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent phone conversation, Nesirky said, and also calls on Israel to ensure prisoners' family visiting rights and to respect the human rights of detainees.
19 feb 2013
Israeli Navy kidnaps fishermen, confiscates their boat
Israeli Navy Forces have kidnapped on Tuesday morning Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza Strip coast and confiscated their boat and fishing equipment.
Nezar Ayyash, the fishermen syndicate, said that the Israeli gunboats encircled a fishing boat carrying two fishermen, where they arrested them and took their boat toward the Israeli Ashdod port to the north of the strip.
The Palestinian fishermen were sailing in less than three nautical miles out from the Gaza port. The ceasefire to end Israel's recent eight-day war on Gaza, Israel agreed to allow fishermen to sail six nautical miles off the coast of Gaza.
He pointed out that the occupation forces had shot and injured yesterday other fishermen in Gaza waters, stressing that the Israeli navy continued its violations against Palestinian fishermen through arresting, shooting and confiscating their boats.
This Israeli attack on the Palestinian fishermen came in light of the continued Israeli violations to the ceasefire between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation under Egyptian mediation, where 4 Palestinians were martyred, dozens were injured, and 40 fishermen were arrested since the declaration of the ceasefire.
Nezar Ayyash, the fishermen syndicate, said that the Israeli gunboats encircled a fishing boat carrying two fishermen, where they arrested them and took their boat toward the Israeli Ashdod port to the north of the strip.
The Palestinian fishermen were sailing in less than three nautical miles out from the Gaza port. The ceasefire to end Israel's recent eight-day war on Gaza, Israel agreed to allow fishermen to sail six nautical miles off the coast of Gaza.
He pointed out that the occupation forces had shot and injured yesterday other fishermen in Gaza waters, stressing that the Israeli navy continued its violations against Palestinian fishermen through arresting, shooting and confiscating their boats.
This Israeli attack on the Palestinian fishermen came in light of the continued Israeli violations to the ceasefire between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation under Egyptian mediation, where 4 Palestinians were martyred, dozens were injured, and 40 fishermen were arrested since the declaration of the ceasefire.
Occupation summons 6 citizens from the south of the West Bank for interrogation
The occupation forces summoned on Tuesday six citizens from al-Khalil and Bethlehem, in the southern the occupied West Bank, to the Israeli intelligence headquarters.
A local source told PIC's reporter that the IOF raided the area of al-Arous in Yatta, south of al-Khalil, and handed over to the liberated prisoner Zaid Ismail, 28, a summons to the intelligence office in Etzion, south of Bethlehem.
The source added that the occupation troops raided and searched a number of houses in Tekoa and summoned 5 young men, from different areas in Bethlehem to the intelligence office in Etzion.
The Israeli soldiers erected a checkpoint on Tuesday between the towns of Burqin and Kafr Koudech, and then started to stopping and searching the vehicles and checking the identities of the passengers.
According to local sources, clashes erupted in the center of the village of Burqin in the afternoon after Israeli forces raided the town.
A local source told PIC's reporter that the IOF raided the area of al-Arous in Yatta, south of al-Khalil, and handed over to the liberated prisoner Zaid Ismail, 28, a summons to the intelligence office in Etzion, south of Bethlehem.
The source added that the occupation troops raided and searched a number of houses in Tekoa and summoned 5 young men, from different areas in Bethlehem to the intelligence office in Etzion.
The Israeli soldiers erected a checkpoint on Tuesday between the towns of Burqin and Kafr Koudech, and then started to stopping and searching the vehicles and checking the identities of the passengers.
According to local sources, clashes erupted in the center of the village of Burqin in the afternoon after Israeli forces raided the town.
Israeli prison guards beat, arrest mother of prisoner
Israeli prison guards beat the mother of prisoner Haithem Al-Batat during a visit to her son in Raymon jail on Monday afternoon. Sources close to the 55-year-old mother said that she was beaten then taken to a detention center with no reason given.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Haithem Al-Batat, from Daheria town south of Al-Khalil, eight years ago.
Batat, 30, was sentenced to two life sentences plus 30 years for affiliation with Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and for launching operations against the IOF.
Batat, the only son of the family, was arrested in a special IOF operation after six years of chase. IOF soldiers blasted the house in which he was entrenched and he miraculously survived.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Haithem Al-Batat, from Daheria town south of Al-Khalil, eight years ago.
Batat, 30, was sentenced to two life sentences plus 30 years for affiliation with Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and for launching operations against the IOF.
Batat, the only son of the family, was arrested in a special IOF operation after six years of chase. IOF soldiers blasted the house in which he was entrenched and he miraculously survived.
Mishaal phones family of Sharawna, pledges to solve issue of hunger strikers
The family of hunger striker Ayman Sharawna said that head of Hamas's political bureau Khaled Mishaal phoned it on Monday and promised an imminent end to the suffering of Ayman and his fellow prisoners. Jihad Sharawna reported that his family received a phone call from Mishaal who put it in the picture of the communications which Hamas conducted with the Egyptian side in order to address Israel's violation of the prisoner swap agreement.
Mishaal affirmed that intensive contacts are underway between his Movement and Egypt to end the suffering of the hunger strikers, especially Samer Issawi and Ayman Sharawna, who were recaptured after Israel had released them as part of a prisoner-swap deal with Hamas.
Ihsanoglu: We should internationalize the issue of Palestinian prisoners
Secretary-general of the organization of Islamic cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu expressed his deep concern over the lives of Palestinian hunger strikers, and his support for their just demands. In a press release on Monday, Ihsanoglu stressed the importance of internationalizing the issue of the Palestinian prisoners and exposing Israel's racist policies and its violation of the international law.
He urged the international community to continue pressuring Israel to compel it to comply with the international law.
In another incident, the Red Cross decided to close its doors before families of prisoners and stop giving them visit permits to see their relatives in jails.
The Red Cross took this decision in an attempt to pressure Sheikh Khader Adnan, a senior official of the Islamic Jihad Movement, to leave its headquarters in Ramallah after he decided last Wednesday to stay in there and go on hunger strike in solidarity with the Palestinian hunger strikers.
Many relatives of prisoners, who used to take visit permits from the Red Cross office in Ramallah city, had been told to go to Jericho city if they wanted to get passes, unless Adnan leave its headquarters.
A Red Cross official also told the angry families that his agency would not resume its services until all "criminals" leave its office.
Such behavior by the Red Cross, and labeling Sheikh Adnan as criminal raised the ire of the Palestinian citizens in Ramallah.
A series of protests and rallies were also held during the last few days outside the Red Cross building to protest its attitude towards the issue of Palestinian prisoners.
IUMS advocates cause of hunger strikers, slams int'l inaction
The international union for Muslim scholars (IUMS) declared its full solidarity with Palestinian hunger striker Samer Issawi and his fellow detainees and condemned the international silence towards the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. IUMS also called on the Palestinian factions to join forces to defend the cause of the hunger strikers and their rights.
"As a result of the persistent Israeli intransigence and injustice against our Palestinian brothers, including prisoner Samer Issawi, the international union for Muslim scholars confirms its full solidarity with prisoner Samer Issawi, who has been on hunger strike for more than 200 days, as well as other detainees whose hunger strike is considered the longest in prisons," IUMS underscored.
IUMS appealed to the international community, the world's noble people and human rights groups to take action to have Issawi and all Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.
It also demanded the Arab League and the organization of Islamic cooperation to break their silence and move to end the suffering of the hunger strikers and the prisoners.
In a related incident, a group of Jerusalemite dignitaries visited on Monday the family of hunger striker Issawi to express their solidarity with it.
The visit took place one day after the Israeli occupation forces stormed the house of Issawi and kidnapped his brother.
Senior official of the higher Islamic committee Abdul-Rahman Abbad and Archbishop of Sebastia of the Greek Orthodox Church Attallah Hanna were among the visitors.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners go on hunger strike
Around 800 Palestinian prisoners started on Tuesday a hunger strike in the Israeli prisons of Eshel, Nafha, and Raymon in solidarity with the hunger strikers in Israeli jails. The Palestinian prisoners society said in a statement that the strike is meant to pressure the Israeli prison service for its procrastination in meeting their demands.
The prisoners, who went on hunger strike, are affiliated with four Palestinian factions: Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front, and Democratic Front.
Mishaal affirmed that intensive contacts are underway between his Movement and Egypt to end the suffering of the hunger strikers, especially Samer Issawi and Ayman Sharawna, who were recaptured after Israel had released them as part of a prisoner-swap deal with Hamas.
Ihsanoglu: We should internationalize the issue of Palestinian prisoners
Secretary-general of the organization of Islamic cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu expressed his deep concern over the lives of Palestinian hunger strikers, and his support for their just demands. In a press release on Monday, Ihsanoglu stressed the importance of internationalizing the issue of the Palestinian prisoners and exposing Israel's racist policies and its violation of the international law.
He urged the international community to continue pressuring Israel to compel it to comply with the international law.
In another incident, the Red Cross decided to close its doors before families of prisoners and stop giving them visit permits to see their relatives in jails.
The Red Cross took this decision in an attempt to pressure Sheikh Khader Adnan, a senior official of the Islamic Jihad Movement, to leave its headquarters in Ramallah after he decided last Wednesday to stay in there and go on hunger strike in solidarity with the Palestinian hunger strikers.
Many relatives of prisoners, who used to take visit permits from the Red Cross office in Ramallah city, had been told to go to Jericho city if they wanted to get passes, unless Adnan leave its headquarters.
A Red Cross official also told the angry families that his agency would not resume its services until all "criminals" leave its office.
Such behavior by the Red Cross, and labeling Sheikh Adnan as criminal raised the ire of the Palestinian citizens in Ramallah.
A series of protests and rallies were also held during the last few days outside the Red Cross building to protest its attitude towards the issue of Palestinian prisoners.
IUMS advocates cause of hunger strikers, slams int'l inaction
The international union for Muslim scholars (IUMS) declared its full solidarity with Palestinian hunger striker Samer Issawi and his fellow detainees and condemned the international silence towards the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. IUMS also called on the Palestinian factions to join forces to defend the cause of the hunger strikers and their rights.
"As a result of the persistent Israeli intransigence and injustice against our Palestinian brothers, including prisoner Samer Issawi, the international union for Muslim scholars confirms its full solidarity with prisoner Samer Issawi, who has been on hunger strike for more than 200 days, as well as other detainees whose hunger strike is considered the longest in prisons," IUMS underscored.
IUMS appealed to the international community, the world's noble people and human rights groups to take action to have Issawi and all Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.
It also demanded the Arab League and the organization of Islamic cooperation to break their silence and move to end the suffering of the hunger strikers and the prisoners.
In a related incident, a group of Jerusalemite dignitaries visited on Monday the family of hunger striker Issawi to express their solidarity with it.
The visit took place one day after the Israeli occupation forces stormed the house of Issawi and kidnapped his brother.
Senior official of the higher Islamic committee Abdul-Rahman Abbad and Archbishop of Sebastia of the Greek Orthodox Church Attallah Hanna were among the visitors.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners go on hunger strike
Around 800 Palestinian prisoners started on Tuesday a hunger strike in the Israeli prisons of Eshel, Nafha, and Raymon in solidarity with the hunger strikers in Israeli jails. The Palestinian prisoners society said in a statement that the strike is meant to pressure the Israeli prison service for its procrastination in meeting their demands.
The prisoners, who went on hunger strike, are affiliated with four Palestinian factions: Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front, and Democratic Front.
Two students arrested on return from Umra
Two Palestinian students were arrested on their return from Saudi Arabia, where they performed Umra or minor pilgrimage, to the West Bank on Monday evening. Local sources said that Israeli intelligence detained Mohammed Zakarne, 23, and Mohammed Nazzal, 24, at the Karame bridge linking the West Bank to Jordan.
They said that intelligence agents separated the two students, from Jenin province, from the Umra convoy members and questioned them before taking them in.
The sources said that the intelligence informed families of the two students, at the Arab American University, that both young men were in custody.
In another incident, Israeli police claimed that two Palestinians were arrested in Tel Aviv on Monday night for having a pipe bomb in their possession.
The police said that the two young men were arrested at the central bus station in Tel Aviv.
They said that intelligence agents separated the two students, from Jenin province, from the Umra convoy members and questioned them before taking them in.
The sources said that the intelligence informed families of the two students, at the Arab American University, that both young men were in custody.
In another incident, Israeli police claimed that two Palestinians were arrested in Tel Aviv on Monday night for having a pipe bomb in their possession.
The police said that the two young men were arrested at the central bus station in Tel Aviv.
IOF soldiers arrest teen over alleged assault attempt
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a Palestinian teenager near Kiryat Arba settlement, east of Al-Khalil, on Monday afternoon for attempted assault on soldiers.
The IOF story said that the 18-year-old youth brandished a knife in front of the soldiers then threw it away before he was arrested and taken to an interrogation center near Al-Khalil city.
IOF soldiers have recently escalated detention of young men and women near the Ibrahimi mosque at the alleged attempt to assault soldiers or for just having “sharp tools” in their possession.
The IOF story said that the 18-year-old youth brandished a knife in front of the soldiers then threw it away before he was arrested and taken to an interrogation center near Al-Khalil city.
IOF soldiers have recently escalated detention of young men and women near the Ibrahimi mosque at the alleged attempt to assault soldiers or for just having “sharp tools” in their possession.
IOF arrests 11 citizens at Hawara roadblock
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained 11 Palestinian citizens at the Hawara roadblock, south of Nablus, on Monday night.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC that big numbers of IOF soldiers at the checkpoint ambushed citizens in between the olive trees and arrested anyone approaching.
They said that the soldiers fired teargas at participants in a demonstration that was organized in Nablus city and headed to Hawara in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation jails, adding that dozens of civilians suffered breathing difficulty.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC that big numbers of IOF soldiers at the checkpoint ambushed citizens in between the olive trees and arrested anyone approaching.
They said that the soldiers fired teargas at participants in a demonstration that was organized in Nablus city and headed to Hawara in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation jails, adding that dozens of civilians suffered breathing difficulty.
18 feb 2013
Resheq slams Israel's manipulation of prisoner swap deal with resistence
Member of Hamas's political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq strongly denounced the Israeli regime for legalizing its recapture of the Palestinian ex-detainees who were freed as part of the Egyptian-brokered swap deal and inventing a law to justify its action.
According to a new Israeli military law, the Israeli army and the security apparatuses like the Shin Bet allowed themselves to redetain 14 Palestinians released as part of the prisoner swap deal that was mediated by Egypt and Germany in October 2011. Resheq stated on Sunday
"This is a flagrant violation of the prisoner swap deal, which is considered an international agreement sponsored by Egypt, the Hamas official emphasized.
He called on Egypt to assume its responsibility in this regard and prevent Israel from manipulating its swap deal with the Palestinians in Gaza.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz had revealed on Sunday that the Israeli government had made a slight change to a military law during its prisoner swap talks in 2011 in order to enable it to redetain the Palestinians to be released in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
For his part, spokesman for Hamas Sami Abu Zuhri condemned Israel for manipulating its swap deal with his Movement.
The spokesman warned that Israel would regret its persistence in violating the swap deal and demanded it to backtrack on its decision in this regard.
Ahrar center for prisoner studies and human rights also expressed its rejection of any Israeli law intended to circumvent its commitments under the prisoner swap agreement between it and the Palestinians.
Director of the center Fouad Al-Khafsh stated that Israel wanted, through fabricating such law, to make the swap deal useless to the Palestinians and avenge the resistance for its success in extracting the freedom of many long-time prisoners from its jail.
Khafsh appealed to human rights group to necessarily stand against this new Israeli military law.
Gov’t: Re-arresting freed captives blatant violation of the agreement
The Palestinian government in Gaza lashed out at the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) for re-arresting Palestinian ex-prisoners who were freed in the prisoners’ exchange deal. Dr. Attala Abul Sabh charged in a statement on Monday that the IOA act was an atrocious violation of the exchange agreement and an additional proof of its constant breaches of international doctrines and agreements.
He said that the IOA decision that allows the re-arrest of those captives at the pretext of secret files against them, then forcing them to complete their former sentences constituted a grave atrocity.
Abul Sabh noted that the IOA had re-arrested 14 prisoners who were freed in the Wafa Al-Ahrar deal and is still holding 8 of them behind bars including Samer Al-Issawi who has been on hunger strike for 210 days and Ayman Sharawne who has been on hunger strike for 220 days protesting their detention.
The minister urged the world community to pressure Israel into ending its repeated violations against Palestinian captives.
According to a new Israeli military law, the Israeli army and the security apparatuses like the Shin Bet allowed themselves to redetain 14 Palestinians released as part of the prisoner swap deal that was mediated by Egypt and Germany in October 2011. Resheq stated on Sunday
"This is a flagrant violation of the prisoner swap deal, which is considered an international agreement sponsored by Egypt, the Hamas official emphasized.
He called on Egypt to assume its responsibility in this regard and prevent Israel from manipulating its swap deal with the Palestinians in Gaza.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz had revealed on Sunday that the Israeli government had made a slight change to a military law during its prisoner swap talks in 2011 in order to enable it to redetain the Palestinians to be released in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
For his part, spokesman for Hamas Sami Abu Zuhri condemned Israel for manipulating its swap deal with his Movement.
The spokesman warned that Israel would regret its persistence in violating the swap deal and demanded it to backtrack on its decision in this regard.
Ahrar center for prisoner studies and human rights also expressed its rejection of any Israeli law intended to circumvent its commitments under the prisoner swap agreement between it and the Palestinians.
Director of the center Fouad Al-Khafsh stated that Israel wanted, through fabricating such law, to make the swap deal useless to the Palestinians and avenge the resistance for its success in extracting the freedom of many long-time prisoners from its jail.
Khafsh appealed to human rights group to necessarily stand against this new Israeli military law.
Gov’t: Re-arresting freed captives blatant violation of the agreement
The Palestinian government in Gaza lashed out at the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) for re-arresting Palestinian ex-prisoners who were freed in the prisoners’ exchange deal. Dr. Attala Abul Sabh charged in a statement on Monday that the IOA act was an atrocious violation of the exchange agreement and an additional proof of its constant breaches of international doctrines and agreements.
He said that the IOA decision that allows the re-arrest of those captives at the pretext of secret files against them, then forcing them to complete their former sentences constituted a grave atrocity.
Abul Sabh noted that the IOA had re-arrested 14 prisoners who were freed in the Wafa Al-Ahrar deal and is still holding 8 of them behind bars including Samer Al-Issawi who has been on hunger strike for 210 days and Ayman Sharawne who has been on hunger strike for 220 days protesting their detention.
The minister urged the world community to pressure Israel into ending its repeated violations against Palestinian captives.
IOF soldiers round up six West Bankers
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up six Palestinians in various West Bank areas over the past 24 hours in line with its daily campaigns of arrests. Local sources said that IOF troops arrested 21-year-old Hamza Malash after storming his family home in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem before dawn Monday.
They said that the soldiers fired teargas and stun grenades during the arrest.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers in 15 armored vehicles forced their way into Bazariye village, north west of Nablus, and nabbed two young men after breaking into their homes.
Sources in the village said that the soldiers stormed many houses in the village and searched them before withdrawing by dawn Monday.
In Al-Khalil, undercover Israeli soldiers kidnapped a Palestinian youth, Riyadh Sami Jaradat, from his workplace in a petrol station in Sa’eer villages, east of Al-Khalil, on Sunday night and confiscated films from monitoring cameras in its vicinity.
Locals said that the same force kidnapped another young man in the village called Arafat Shahin Jaradat.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers stormed Beit Ummar village to the north of Al-Khalil at dawn Monday and burst into a number of houses and searched them.
Mohammed Awad, an activist against settlement in the village, said that the soldiers fired gas bombs in front of the house of Nasser Abu Hashim before breaking into it.
He said that the soldiers also searched the home of Jamal Abu Mariya and arrested his 17-year-old son Mohammed. He added that Mohammed was previously imprisoned in Israeli jail for five months when he was only 14 years old.
Awad said that the soldiers fired bullets, teargas canisters, and stun grenades in the area after a firebomb was tossed on them. He added that a number of citizens were treated for suffocation.
They said that the soldiers fired teargas and stun grenades during the arrest.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers in 15 armored vehicles forced their way into Bazariye village, north west of Nablus, and nabbed two young men after breaking into their homes.
Sources in the village said that the soldiers stormed many houses in the village and searched them before withdrawing by dawn Monday.
In Al-Khalil, undercover Israeli soldiers kidnapped a Palestinian youth, Riyadh Sami Jaradat, from his workplace in a petrol station in Sa’eer villages, east of Al-Khalil, on Sunday night and confiscated films from monitoring cameras in its vicinity.
Locals said that the same force kidnapped another young man in the village called Arafat Shahin Jaradat.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers stormed Beit Ummar village to the north of Al-Khalil at dawn Monday and burst into a number of houses and searched them.
Mohammed Awad, an activist against settlement in the village, said that the soldiers fired gas bombs in front of the house of Nasser Abu Hashim before breaking into it.
He said that the soldiers also searched the home of Jamal Abu Mariya and arrested his 17-year-old son Mohammed. He added that Mohammed was previously imprisoned in Israeli jail for five months when he was only 14 years old.
Awad said that the soldiers fired bullets, teargas canisters, and stun grenades in the area after a firebomb was tossed on them. He added that a number of citizens were treated for suffocation.
Wa'ed society appeals to human rights groups to save life of Abu Sisi
Wa'ed society for detainees and ex-detainees called on international human rights groups to necessarily intervene to save the life of prisoner Dirar Abu Sisi, who has been in Israeli solitary confinement for two years. According to Wa'ed, the health condition of Abu Sisi has deteriorated, especially since he suffers from several chronic diseases.
It said that Abu Sisi is isolated in a solitary cell for 23 hours and only allowed for one hour to stay in a bigger room, affirming that he is being locked up in a very tight cell.
His lawyer told Wa'ed society that the solitary confinement seriously affected his psychological health and called for immediate action to save him.
He added that the prisoner is also deprived of seeing his wife and children.
About two years ago, Israeli Mossad agents collaborating with the Ukrainian authorities kidnapped Gaza civil engineer Dirar Abusisi on a Ukrainian train before he was drugged and shipped in a coffin to the Israeli occupied lands.
There he was imprisoned under sham charges that he was Hamas's chief rocket engineer. He has languished in solitary confinement without trial since then.
In February 2011, Abu Sisi traveled to Ukraine, his wife Veronika’s native country, to seek citizenship after Israel’s winter 2008-09 attack on the Gaza Strip. The ferocity of the war made him fear for the safety of their six children and thus he decided to leave the besieged Gaza Strip.
It said that Abu Sisi is isolated in a solitary cell for 23 hours and only allowed for one hour to stay in a bigger room, affirming that he is being locked up in a very tight cell.
His lawyer told Wa'ed society that the solitary confinement seriously affected his psychological health and called for immediate action to save him.
He added that the prisoner is also deprived of seeing his wife and children.
About two years ago, Israeli Mossad agents collaborating with the Ukrainian authorities kidnapped Gaza civil engineer Dirar Abusisi on a Ukrainian train before he was drugged and shipped in a coffin to the Israeli occupied lands.
There he was imprisoned under sham charges that he was Hamas's chief rocket engineer. He has languished in solitary confinement without trial since then.
In February 2011, Abu Sisi traveled to Ukraine, his wife Veronika’s native country, to seek citizenship after Israel’s winter 2008-09 attack on the Gaza Strip. The ferocity of the war made him fear for the safety of their six children and thus he decided to leave the besieged Gaza Strip.
Mother of Sharawne goes on hunger strike
The mother of detained hunger striker Ayman Sharawne has gone on open-ended hunger strike since Sunday in solidarity with her son. Jihad and Abdulrahman, the two brothers of Ayman, have also gone on hunger strike in addition to two other activists, Ismail Sharawne and Musab Shawar, at the sit-in tent in downtown Al-Khalil.
Amjad Annajar, the director of the Palestinian prisoner’s association branch in Al-Khalil, opined that victory was approaching in the issue of those hunger strikers.
He explained that the growing popular protests and rallies had their impact on the Israeli prison service and would culminate in deterring the IPS from further quelling of Palestinian prisoners.
Ayman Sharawne went on hunger strike on 1/7/2012 for140 days then returned to hunger strike on 16/1/2013 till now after the IPS backtracked on its promise to release him.
Sharawne, who was released in the Wafa Al-Ahrar prisoners’ exchange deal, was arrested few months after his release.
Sharawne family said that Ayman was rushed to Soroka hospital in Beersheba after rapid deterioration in his health condition on Sunday.
Deported ex-captive launches a hunger strike in solidarity with prisoners
Akram Anteer, a liberated prisoner deported to Germany, announced on Monday entering an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with the hunger striking prisoners in Israeli jails, despite his illness. Anteer, 32 from the village of Burqin in Jenin, said he was determined to launch the hunger strike despite his illness, in light of the international community's neglect of the issue of hunger striking prisoners, who are exposed to slow death.
Akram was arrested by the occupation authorities after being wounded in the Jenin refugee camp. He served 7 years in Israeli jails after which he was deported to Germany, in 2009, to receive treatment in a hospital in Berlin.
Meanwhile, the Israeli organization Physicians for Human Rights revealed in a press statement on Monday that the occupation authorities have been treating badly the Palestinian prisoners; Tarek Qa'dan, Jafar Ezzedine, Ayman Sharawna and Samer Issawi, who have been on an open hunger strike in protest at their unjustifiable detention and their transfer to administrative detention.
The Organization added that the Israeli authorities have prevented independent doctors, including the Organization’s physicians, from checking on the health conditions of hunger striking prisoners.
It has also criticized the Israeli procedures against the hunger strikers, and considered them violation of the laws, international treaties and medical ethics.
Protesters trying to close the UN building in Ramallah
Young activists and students at Birzeit University tried on Monday morning to close the United Nations headquarters in the city of Ramallah, in protest at the "international silence regarding the hunger striking prisoners' issue." Dozens of young men gathered this morning outside the building, located in the area of Ain Munjid in Ramallah, and tried to close it. They were carrying banners condemning the international silence regarding the issue of hunger striking prisoners, especially that some of them have been suffering very critical health condition.
Palestinian policemen intervened and prevented the demonstrators from closing the UN building.
"This event aims to put more pressure on the international community, which stands silent in the face of the Israeli practices against the prisoners, especially the hunger strikers," one of the activists said.
He added that the goal of such activities, including the closure of the European police building, is to pressure these organizations working in Palestine to act and intervene in order to lift the Israeli injustice imposed on the Palestinian captives.
Zamalek fans support hunger strikers
Zamalek soccer fans in Egypt raised a long banner in support of Palestinian hunger striker Samer Issawi during the CAF Champions League match. The fans raised a large banner reading "Samer Issawi's empty stomach is a symbol for our dignity", referring to Samer's hunger strike in Israeli jails demanding his release and protesting against his illegal detention.
Issawi continues his hunger strike for more than 200 days, along with his colleagues Ayman Sharawna, Jafar Azzedine, and Tariq Ka'adan.
Meanwhile, Issawi family still faces with great steadfastness and patience the Israeli brutal practices against the family members, especially the elderly mother who sacrificed her son, in addition to her 4 other sons detained in Israeli jails.
Issawi family has faced at down on Sunday an Israeli military force who raided and searched the family's house accompanied with sniffer dogs.
Dozens of Israeli soldiers have brutally stormed and searched Issawi's house, where they arrested Shadi Issawi, 28, in addition to breaking into the neighboring house where they arrested the citizen Mahmoud Fayez Mahmoud, 35, Tarek Issawi, Samer's father confirmed.
The soldiers have also demolished the protest tent in al-Arbain mosque square for the 27th consecutive times.
Solidarity sit-ins and demonstrations have been organized in solidarity with Issawi family and her son Samer Issawi, on hunger strike for more than 7 months. The family has also received telephone call from Hamas leaders Khaled Meshaal and Ismail Haniyeh, where they expressed solidarity with them.
Issawiya village has also been subjected to an Israeli brutal raids and arrest campaigns as collective punishment to the villagers who have continuously organized sit-ins in solidarity with the hunger striker Samer Issawi, where 170 young men were arrested in the village in addition to the dozens of suffocation cases by Israeli tear gas bombs.
Local sources in Issawiya village expressed fears that this Israeli continued campaign against the village aims to isolate it from Jerusalem, where an extremist Jewish association have previously called for isolating the village by closing its main entrance and preventing its residents to pass through the Israeli settlement.
The Israeli bulldozers also have uprooted trees and swept lands next to Samer's house, in addition to the demolition of the house of Samer's brother in the beginning of the year.
Samer's mother and sister Shirin were also subjected to a violent attack by the Israeli guards about two months ago during Samer's trial, where Shirin was arrested 48 hours.
Samer Issawi's family has become a symbol of steadfastness, patience and resistance.
Amjad Annajar, the director of the Palestinian prisoner’s association branch in Al-Khalil, opined that victory was approaching in the issue of those hunger strikers.
He explained that the growing popular protests and rallies had their impact on the Israeli prison service and would culminate in deterring the IPS from further quelling of Palestinian prisoners.
Ayman Sharawne went on hunger strike on 1/7/2012 for140 days then returned to hunger strike on 16/1/2013 till now after the IPS backtracked on its promise to release him.
Sharawne, who was released in the Wafa Al-Ahrar prisoners’ exchange deal, was arrested few months after his release.
Sharawne family said that Ayman was rushed to Soroka hospital in Beersheba after rapid deterioration in his health condition on Sunday.
Deported ex-captive launches a hunger strike in solidarity with prisoners
Akram Anteer, a liberated prisoner deported to Germany, announced on Monday entering an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with the hunger striking prisoners in Israeli jails, despite his illness. Anteer, 32 from the village of Burqin in Jenin, said he was determined to launch the hunger strike despite his illness, in light of the international community's neglect of the issue of hunger striking prisoners, who are exposed to slow death.
Akram was arrested by the occupation authorities after being wounded in the Jenin refugee camp. He served 7 years in Israeli jails after which he was deported to Germany, in 2009, to receive treatment in a hospital in Berlin.
Meanwhile, the Israeli organization Physicians for Human Rights revealed in a press statement on Monday that the occupation authorities have been treating badly the Palestinian prisoners; Tarek Qa'dan, Jafar Ezzedine, Ayman Sharawna and Samer Issawi, who have been on an open hunger strike in protest at their unjustifiable detention and their transfer to administrative detention.
The Organization added that the Israeli authorities have prevented independent doctors, including the Organization’s physicians, from checking on the health conditions of hunger striking prisoners.
It has also criticized the Israeli procedures against the hunger strikers, and considered them violation of the laws, international treaties and medical ethics.
Protesters trying to close the UN building in Ramallah
Young activists and students at Birzeit University tried on Monday morning to close the United Nations headquarters in the city of Ramallah, in protest at the "international silence regarding the hunger striking prisoners' issue." Dozens of young men gathered this morning outside the building, located in the area of Ain Munjid in Ramallah, and tried to close it. They were carrying banners condemning the international silence regarding the issue of hunger striking prisoners, especially that some of them have been suffering very critical health condition.
Palestinian policemen intervened and prevented the demonstrators from closing the UN building.
"This event aims to put more pressure on the international community, which stands silent in the face of the Israeli practices against the prisoners, especially the hunger strikers," one of the activists said.
He added that the goal of such activities, including the closure of the European police building, is to pressure these organizations working in Palestine to act and intervene in order to lift the Israeli injustice imposed on the Palestinian captives.
Zamalek fans support hunger strikers
Zamalek soccer fans in Egypt raised a long banner in support of Palestinian hunger striker Samer Issawi during the CAF Champions League match. The fans raised a large banner reading "Samer Issawi's empty stomach is a symbol for our dignity", referring to Samer's hunger strike in Israeli jails demanding his release and protesting against his illegal detention.
Issawi continues his hunger strike for more than 200 days, along with his colleagues Ayman Sharawna, Jafar Azzedine, and Tariq Ka'adan.
Meanwhile, Issawi family still faces with great steadfastness and patience the Israeli brutal practices against the family members, especially the elderly mother who sacrificed her son, in addition to her 4 other sons detained in Israeli jails.
Issawi family has faced at down on Sunday an Israeli military force who raided and searched the family's house accompanied with sniffer dogs.
Dozens of Israeli soldiers have brutally stormed and searched Issawi's house, where they arrested Shadi Issawi, 28, in addition to breaking into the neighboring house where they arrested the citizen Mahmoud Fayez Mahmoud, 35, Tarek Issawi, Samer's father confirmed.
The soldiers have also demolished the protest tent in al-Arbain mosque square for the 27th consecutive times.
Solidarity sit-ins and demonstrations have been organized in solidarity with Issawi family and her son Samer Issawi, on hunger strike for more than 7 months. The family has also received telephone call from Hamas leaders Khaled Meshaal and Ismail Haniyeh, where they expressed solidarity with them.
Issawiya village has also been subjected to an Israeli brutal raids and arrest campaigns as collective punishment to the villagers who have continuously organized sit-ins in solidarity with the hunger striker Samer Issawi, where 170 young men were arrested in the village in addition to the dozens of suffocation cases by Israeli tear gas bombs.
Local sources in Issawiya village expressed fears that this Israeli continued campaign against the village aims to isolate it from Jerusalem, where an extremist Jewish association have previously called for isolating the village by closing its main entrance and preventing its residents to pass through the Israeli settlement.
The Israeli bulldozers also have uprooted trees and swept lands next to Samer's house, in addition to the demolition of the house of Samer's brother in the beginning of the year.
Samer's mother and sister Shirin were also subjected to a violent attack by the Israeli guards about two months ago during Samer's trial, where Shirin was arrested 48 hours.
Samer Issawi's family has become a symbol of steadfastness, patience and resistance.
Sharawna Moved To Soroka Hospital
Sharawna's Mother Holding His Picture, Talking To Palestine TV
Palestinian Minister of Detainees, Issa Qaraqe’, reported Sunday that hunger striking detainee, Ayman Sharawna, was moved to the Soroka Israel hospital in Be’er As-Sabe’ (Beersheba), due to a serious deterioration in his health condition.
Qaraqe’ told the Palestine News & Info Agency (WAFA) that the Ministry’s lawyer, Rami Al-Alami, visited at Sharawna, who was in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison before he was moved to the Soroka Israeli hospital after suffering a serious setback.
Qaraqe’ added that, last week, Sharawna fell into a coma, and when he regained consciousness, he suffered from extreme pain to several parts of his body, and was not able to move any part of his body.
Sharawna, 38, is demanding Israel to release him as he is being illegally detained without charges or trial.
He started his hunger strike on July 1 2012; 140 days later, he paused his strike following advice of Physicians for Human Rights, and resumed his strike on January 16 2013. He is currently only drinking water, refusing to even take vitamins.
Sharawna was released by Israel under the prisoner-swap deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held by the resistance in Gaza.
The deal was implemented in two stages leading to the release of 1027 Palestinian detainees held by Israel. 280 of the freed detainees were serving life terms in Israeli prisons.
The deal was achieved after long and extensive talks mediated by Egypt, and was eventually brokered by Egyptian mediators, and was also supervised by the Foreign Intelligence of Germany.
Sharawna spent more than 10 years in Israeli prisons; Israel is now trying to reinstate a previous sentence against him despite the fact that his release as part of the swap deal voids any previous ruling against him. He started his open ended strike immediately after his arrest, demanding Israel to release him.
On Sunday, Sharawna told the visiting attorney of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Yousef Matia, that Israel is trying to cause his death as the Prison Administration keeps placing him into solidarity confinement, and continuously moves him for one prison to another despite his very bad health condition.
He also complained that he is placed in a very cold room, which he described as a fridge, and added that the soldiers are not allowing him to sleep for more that 10 minutes each time, as they keep banging on the door, keep insulting a swearing at him, and in many cases place food in front of his room trying to break his steadfastness and determination.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli soldiers broke into the home of hunger striking detainee, Samer Al-Eesawy in Al-Eesawiyya, in occupied Jerusalem, violently searched the property, harassed the family and kidnapped his brother Shadi.
Their brother, Midhat, is also a political prisoner held by Israel.
Hundreds of residents were marching in support of all hunger striking detainees held by Israel, especially detainee Samer Al-Eesawy, who started his strike 210 days ago, and is facing very serious health complications.
The army attacked the protesters by firing gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at them leading to more than 40 injuries.
Arab League calls for international intervention to release hunger strikers
The general secretariat of the Arab League called on the UN and the UN Higher Commissioner for Human Rights to urgently intervene to secure the release of detained Palestinian hunger strikers. The secretariat, in two messages to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the High Commissioner Navi Pillay, asked for international action demanding the release of Samer Al-Issawi and his colleagues, who have been on hunger strike for more than 200 days.
Nabil Al-Arabi, the League’s Secretary General, described the international silence vis-à-vis such an issue as “unacceptable”.
He said that such a position only encourages Israel to go ahead in its violation of the international human rights principles.
Palestinian Minister of Detainees, Issa Qaraqe’, reported Sunday that hunger striking detainee, Ayman Sharawna, was moved to the Soroka Israel hospital in Be’er As-Sabe’ (Beersheba), due to a serious deterioration in his health condition.
Qaraqe’ told the Palestine News & Info Agency (WAFA) that the Ministry’s lawyer, Rami Al-Alami, visited at Sharawna, who was in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison before he was moved to the Soroka Israeli hospital after suffering a serious setback.
Qaraqe’ added that, last week, Sharawna fell into a coma, and when he regained consciousness, he suffered from extreme pain to several parts of his body, and was not able to move any part of his body.
Sharawna, 38, is demanding Israel to release him as he is being illegally detained without charges or trial.
He started his hunger strike on July 1 2012; 140 days later, he paused his strike following advice of Physicians for Human Rights, and resumed his strike on January 16 2013. He is currently only drinking water, refusing to even take vitamins.
Sharawna was released by Israel under the prisoner-swap deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held by the resistance in Gaza.
The deal was implemented in two stages leading to the release of 1027 Palestinian detainees held by Israel. 280 of the freed detainees were serving life terms in Israeli prisons.
The deal was achieved after long and extensive talks mediated by Egypt, and was eventually brokered by Egyptian mediators, and was also supervised by the Foreign Intelligence of Germany.
Sharawna spent more than 10 years in Israeli prisons; Israel is now trying to reinstate a previous sentence against him despite the fact that his release as part of the swap deal voids any previous ruling against him. He started his open ended strike immediately after his arrest, demanding Israel to release him.
On Sunday, Sharawna told the visiting attorney of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Yousef Matia, that Israel is trying to cause his death as the Prison Administration keeps placing him into solidarity confinement, and continuously moves him for one prison to another despite his very bad health condition.
He also complained that he is placed in a very cold room, which he described as a fridge, and added that the soldiers are not allowing him to sleep for more that 10 minutes each time, as they keep banging on the door, keep insulting a swearing at him, and in many cases place food in front of his room trying to break his steadfastness and determination.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli soldiers broke into the home of hunger striking detainee, Samer Al-Eesawy in Al-Eesawiyya, in occupied Jerusalem, violently searched the property, harassed the family and kidnapped his brother Shadi.
Their brother, Midhat, is also a political prisoner held by Israel.
Hundreds of residents were marching in support of all hunger striking detainees held by Israel, especially detainee Samer Al-Eesawy, who started his strike 210 days ago, and is facing very serious health complications.
The army attacked the protesters by firing gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at them leading to more than 40 injuries.
Arab League calls for international intervention to release hunger strikers
The general secretariat of the Arab League called on the UN and the UN Higher Commissioner for Human Rights to urgently intervene to secure the release of detained Palestinian hunger strikers. The secretariat, in two messages to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the High Commissioner Navi Pillay, asked for international action demanding the release of Samer Al-Issawi and his colleagues, who have been on hunger strike for more than 200 days.
Nabil Al-Arabi, the League’s Secretary General, described the international silence vis-à-vis such an issue as “unacceptable”.
He said that such a position only encourages Israel to go ahead in its violation of the international human rights principles.
Israeli police detain 30 West Bank workers
Israeli policemen arrested 30 West Bank workers on Sunday at the pretext of not having permits to work in 1948 occupied Palestinian land.
The website of the Hebrew daily Yediot Ahronot said that the workers were detained during a police raid on a building site in Petah Tikwa city. It added that the workers would be interrogated.
Israeli policemen arrest any Palestinian working in 1948 occupied Palestine without a permit and impose hefty fines on them other than incarcerating some of them for different periods.
The website of the Hebrew daily Yediot Ahronot said that the workers were detained during a police raid on a building site in Petah Tikwa city. It added that the workers would be interrogated.
Israeli policemen arrest any Palestinian working in 1948 occupied Palestine without a permit and impose hefty fines on them other than incarcerating some of them for different periods.
17 feb 2013
IOF soldiers arrest wife of prisoner during visit
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested the wife of prisoner Ayman al-Za’qiq during a visit to her husband in Ofer prison, west of Ramallah, on Sunday. The Palestinian prisoner’s association said that IOF soldiers detained Shireen Al-Za’qiq and her two daughters.
Ayman, from Beit Ummar village north of Al-Khalil, has been in administrative detention of the past year and a half.
IOF soldiers had detained a number of wives and their children while on similar visits in a humiliating scene that displays the racist nature of those soldiers and their regime.
Ayman, from Beit Ummar village north of Al-Khalil, has been in administrative detention of the past year and a half.
IOF soldiers had detained a number of wives and their children while on similar visits in a humiliating scene that displays the racist nature of those soldiers and their regime.
Abu Sisi’s health condition worsening
A lawyer for the Palestinian prisoner’s association said after visiting prisoner Dirar Abu Sisi in his isolation jail in Askalan that his health condition was very bad.
He quoted Abu Sisi as saying that he was finding difficulty in speaking and remembering words as he was held in complete isolation.
The lawyer said that Abu Sisi was suffering from a number of health problems including heart ailment, hypertension, high cholesterol, and anemia in addition to pain in his kidney, stomach and back. Abu Sisi takes nine kinds of medicine, he added.
The lawyer said that Abu Sisi complained of the food quantity and quality, adding that on one occasion the prison administration served him rotten vegetables.
He added that the prison guards launch night raids on his cell and take away his belongings the latest was a small memorandum in which he used to write down his thoughts, adding that he has nothing left with him.
Abu Sisi was kidnapped by Israeli agents in the Ukraine on 18/2/2010 and is being held since then in solitary confinement without trial.
He quoted Abu Sisi as saying that he was finding difficulty in speaking and remembering words as he was held in complete isolation.
The lawyer said that Abu Sisi was suffering from a number of health problems including heart ailment, hypertension, high cholesterol, and anemia in addition to pain in his kidney, stomach and back. Abu Sisi takes nine kinds of medicine, he added.
The lawyer said that Abu Sisi complained of the food quantity and quality, adding that on one occasion the prison administration served him rotten vegetables.
He added that the prison guards launch night raids on his cell and take away his belongings the latest was a small memorandum in which he used to write down his thoughts, adding that he has nothing left with him.
Abu Sisi was kidnapped by Israeli agents in the Ukraine on 18/2/2010 and is being held since then in solitary confinement without trial.
IOF soldiers storm home of Issawi, arrest neighbor
Heavily-armed Israeli occupation soldiers stormed into the home of detained hunger striker Samer Al-Issawi in Issawiye village, north of occupied Jerusalem, at dawn Sunday.
Wadi Hilwa information center said that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) ordered all family members to assemble in one room then thoroughly searched the house.
It said that the IOF soldiers also searched the homes of Issawi’s brothers Firas and Midhat.
The center said that the IOF soldiers then arrested Mahmoud Fayez, 35, who lives near to Samer’s house.
Wadi Hilwa information center said that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) ordered all family members to assemble in one room then thoroughly searched the house.
It said that the IOF soldiers also searched the homes of Issawi’s brothers Firas and Midhat.
The center said that the IOF soldiers then arrested Mahmoud Fayez, 35, who lives near to Samer’s house.
IOF arrests Palestinian cartoonist
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Palestinian cartoonist Mohammed Saba’na at the Karame border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank on Saturday.
Thaer Saba’na, a specialist in prisoners’ affairs and brother of the detainee, told Quds Press that Mohammed was on his way back home after attending a conference for the Arab American University (AAU), where he works in the public relations department, in Amman.
He added that the Palestinian liaison office told the family that Mohammed was detained at the crossing and taken to an unknown detention center, describing his arrest as a surprise as he was never before detained by the IOF.
Mohammed, 32, works as a cartoonist for al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper in addition to his work at the AAU. He participated in numerous conferences and international exhibitions and won a number of local and international awards.
The Palestinian journalists syndicate denounced the arrest of Mohammed, who hails from Qabatiya village in Jenin, and asked for his immediate release.
The syndicate charged in a press release that Mohammed’s arrest fell in line with the systematic IOF targeting of journalists and infringement on their freedom of movement.
Thaer Saba’na, a specialist in prisoners’ affairs and brother of the detainee, told Quds Press that Mohammed was on his way back home after attending a conference for the Arab American University (AAU), where he works in the public relations department, in Amman.
He added that the Palestinian liaison office told the family that Mohammed was detained at the crossing and taken to an unknown detention center, describing his arrest as a surprise as he was never before detained by the IOF.
Mohammed, 32, works as a cartoonist for al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper in addition to his work at the AAU. He participated in numerous conferences and international exhibitions and won a number of local and international awards.
The Palestinian journalists syndicate denounced the arrest of Mohammed, who hails from Qabatiya village in Jenin, and asked for his immediate release.
The syndicate charged in a press release that Mohammed’s arrest fell in line with the systematic IOF targeting of journalists and infringement on their freedom of movement.
