12 aug 2013
As families of veteran Palestinian prisoners impatiently await the release of the first group of 104 Palestinians detained before the 1994 Oslo Accord, families of other prisoners are disappointed.
Releasing the 104 veteran prisoners in groups is a big mistake in the first place, says Fadwa Barghouthi, wife of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi. All 104 prisoners must be released at once before resuming negotiations with the Israelis, she told Ma’an on Monday.
On the other hand, Barghouthi was disappointed because the Palestinian leadership did not raise with the Israelis the release of her husband who has been serving five life sentences since 2002.
“Does the Palestinian leadership want prisoners like Marwan and Ahmad Saadat (secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and others to wait 30 more years in custody before being freed?” Fadwa wondered.
But she welcomed the release of any pre-Oslo prisoners. “Before he was detained, Marwan had struggled to release long-serving prisoners, and he always slammed Oslo over (its) failure to free them,” she added.
Fadwa urged the Palestinian leadership to adopt a well-planned strategy to secure the release of all Palestinian prisoners. Experienced persons should be in charge of the prisoners’ case, she said highlighting that improvisation in this case is unacceptable.
Releasing the 104 veteran prisoners in groups is a big mistake in the first place, says Fadwa Barghouthi, wife of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi. All 104 prisoners must be released at once before resuming negotiations with the Israelis, she told Ma’an on Monday.
On the other hand, Barghouthi was disappointed because the Palestinian leadership did not raise with the Israelis the release of her husband who has been serving five life sentences since 2002.
“Does the Palestinian leadership want prisoners like Marwan and Ahmad Saadat (secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and others to wait 30 more years in custody before being freed?” Fadwa wondered.
But she welcomed the release of any pre-Oslo prisoners. “Before he was detained, Marwan had struggled to release long-serving prisoners, and he always slammed Oslo over (its) failure to free them,” she added.
Fadwa urged the Palestinian leadership to adopt a well-planned strategy to secure the release of all Palestinian prisoners. Experienced persons should be in charge of the prisoners’ case, she said highlighting that improvisation in this case is unacceptable.
A new batch of prisoners' families from the Gaza Strip, including 17 children, at dawn Monday headed for Nafha prison to visit their detained relatives. The Information Officer in the International Committee of the Red Cross Nasser Al-Najjar told PIC's correspondent that 84 citizens from Gaza, including 17 children, took the buses and headed for Beit Hanoun / Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, and then to the Israeli Nafha prison to visit their detained family members.
Occupation allowed after six years the resumption of visits for prisoners from Gaza, under the agreement signed between the leadership of the captive movement and the Israeli Prison Authority.
Occupation allowed after six years the resumption of visits for prisoners from Gaza, under the agreement signed between the leadership of the captive movement and the Israeli Prison Authority.
26 Palestinian prisoners to be released Tuesday night
An Israeli source said that the release of the 26 Palestinian prisoners authorized to be freed by the cabinet last month will take place late Tuesday night. Jerusalem told Ynet that the release could be delayed in the case of unexpected developments or surprises, and hence there has yet to be official confirmation of the date and time.
The prisoner release is intended as a gesture of good will toward the Palestinians. Israel prefers the release take place at night in a bid to minimize Palestinian celebrations and prevent mass participation on their part.
An Israeli source said that the release of the 26 Palestinian prisoners authorized to be freed by the cabinet last month will take place late Tuesday night. Jerusalem told Ynet that the release could be delayed in the case of unexpected developments or surprises, and hence there has yet to be official confirmation of the date and time.
The prisoner release is intended as a gesture of good will toward the Palestinians. Israel prefers the release take place at night in a bid to minimize Palestinian celebrations and prevent mass participation on their part.
Fuad Al-Khoffash, head of the Ahrar Center for Detainees Studies and Human Rights, stated that not a single detainee from the Jerusalem and historic Palestine is included in the list of detained to be released by Israel, and that not all old detainees are included.
His statements came after Israel announced the names of 26 Palestinian detainees to be released as part of an American mediated agreement to ensure the resumption of direct peace talks between Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
“This list is very disappointing to the detainees, their families and the Palestinian people”, he said, “Israel was supposed to release old detainees who spent many years in prison”.
He also stated that the Palestinians are happy for the release of any detainee, and added that the release should have been based on real standards, instead of illusions, especially since Israel chose the names of the detainees without any coordination with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
“The worst part of this list is that detainees from Jerusalem from Jerusalem and historic Palestine have been excluded”, Al-Khoffash said, “The list was concentrated on detainees from Gaza”.
He said that there are 57 old detainees from the West Bank and 23 from Gaza, and that Israel was supposed to release 15 detainees from Gaza and 11 from the West Bank.
Al-Khoffash also said that two detainees, members of Hamas, are slated to be release in a month.
“Detainee Samir Hussein Mortaji from Gaza, was kidnapped on October 29 1993, and was sentenced to twenty ears, he served his term and is supposed to be released next month anyways”, he stated, “Detainee Jamal Ambdul-Wahab Natsha was kidnapped on December 12 1992 and was sentenced to 21 years, he served his term, and was scheduled to be released in three months”.
Also on the list are four detainees who were supposed to be released anyways in less than a year, including three, from Gaza, who have been sentenced to 25 years, and one from the West Bank who was sentenced to 21 years and is supposed to be released anyway in six months.
“Nihad Yousef Jondiyya, from Gaza, was kidnapped on July 14 1989, Mohammad Mahmoud Hamdiyya, from Gaza, was taken prisoner on the same day, Mohammad Jaber Nabshat, from Gaza, was kidnapped on September 20 1990”, he said, “Also resident Taher Mahmoud Zyoud, from Jenin, was taken prisoner on February 6 1993, he was sentenced to 21 years, and was supposed to be released in six months”.
He also stated that detainee Ismael Abdul-Hafeeth Mansour, was kidnapped on October 26 1993; he was sentenced to 22 years and was scheduled to be released in two years.
In addition, detainee Atef Izzat Sha’ath, from Gaza, was kidnapped on March 13 1993, and spent 21 years of his 25-year term. Detainee Yousef Sa’id Abdul-‘Aal, from Gaza, was kidnapped on February 22 1994, and spent 20 years of his 22-year term.
Al- Khoffash further said detainee Borhan Sbeih will also be released despite the fact that he is not one of the long serving detainees as he was kidnapped on February 18 2001. He used to work as an officer of the Palestinian Preventative Security Forces.
He added that Israel will be releasing five detainees from Nablus, who were sentenced to life-terms, one from Bethlehem, three from Jenin, one from Ramallah and one from Hebron, and that the rest (15 detainees) are from Gaza, and 17 of the detainees who will be released are serving life terms.
“The reason behind this analysis is that the Palestinians need to clearly understand the nature of this deal, especially since the Palestinian negotiators had no input in it as the names have been chosen by Israel and were kept secret”, Al-Khoffash stated, “We need to understand that the mistakes that have been made in the past, are repeated now in this deal”.
He also said that all old detainees should have been released, including those who still have many years in their terms, and all of the detainees sentenced to life terms without any exceptions.
The release is part of an agreement reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, under direct supervision and mediation from U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, in an attempt to revive peace talks.
However, Israel was left to choose the names it wants and the criterion it wants to follow.
His statements came after Israel announced the names of 26 Palestinian detainees to be released as part of an American mediated agreement to ensure the resumption of direct peace talks between Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
“This list is very disappointing to the detainees, their families and the Palestinian people”, he said, “Israel was supposed to release old detainees who spent many years in prison”.
He also stated that the Palestinians are happy for the release of any detainee, and added that the release should have been based on real standards, instead of illusions, especially since Israel chose the names of the detainees without any coordination with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
“The worst part of this list is that detainees from Jerusalem from Jerusalem and historic Palestine have been excluded”, Al-Khoffash said, “The list was concentrated on detainees from Gaza”.
He said that there are 57 old detainees from the West Bank and 23 from Gaza, and that Israel was supposed to release 15 detainees from Gaza and 11 from the West Bank.
Al-Khoffash also said that two detainees, members of Hamas, are slated to be release in a month.
“Detainee Samir Hussein Mortaji from Gaza, was kidnapped on October 29 1993, and was sentenced to twenty ears, he served his term and is supposed to be released next month anyways”, he stated, “Detainee Jamal Ambdul-Wahab Natsha was kidnapped on December 12 1992 and was sentenced to 21 years, he served his term, and was scheduled to be released in three months”.
Also on the list are four detainees who were supposed to be released anyways in less than a year, including three, from Gaza, who have been sentenced to 25 years, and one from the West Bank who was sentenced to 21 years and is supposed to be released anyway in six months.
“Nihad Yousef Jondiyya, from Gaza, was kidnapped on July 14 1989, Mohammad Mahmoud Hamdiyya, from Gaza, was taken prisoner on the same day, Mohammad Jaber Nabshat, from Gaza, was kidnapped on September 20 1990”, he said, “Also resident Taher Mahmoud Zyoud, from Jenin, was taken prisoner on February 6 1993, he was sentenced to 21 years, and was supposed to be released in six months”.
He also stated that detainee Ismael Abdul-Hafeeth Mansour, was kidnapped on October 26 1993; he was sentenced to 22 years and was scheduled to be released in two years.
In addition, detainee Atef Izzat Sha’ath, from Gaza, was kidnapped on March 13 1993, and spent 21 years of his 25-year term. Detainee Yousef Sa’id Abdul-‘Aal, from Gaza, was kidnapped on February 22 1994, and spent 20 years of his 22-year term.
Al- Khoffash further said detainee Borhan Sbeih will also be released despite the fact that he is not one of the long serving detainees as he was kidnapped on February 18 2001. He used to work as an officer of the Palestinian Preventative Security Forces.
He added that Israel will be releasing five detainees from Nablus, who were sentenced to life-terms, one from Bethlehem, three from Jenin, one from Ramallah and one from Hebron, and that the rest (15 detainees) are from Gaza, and 17 of the detainees who will be released are serving life terms.
“The reason behind this analysis is that the Palestinians need to clearly understand the nature of this deal, especially since the Palestinian negotiators had no input in it as the names have been chosen by Israel and were kept secret”, Al-Khoffash stated, “We need to understand that the mistakes that have been made in the past, are repeated now in this deal”.
He also said that all old detainees should have been released, including those who still have many years in their terms, and all of the detainees sentenced to life terms without any exceptions.
The release is part of an agreement reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, under direct supervision and mediation from U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, in an attempt to revive peace talks.
However, Israel was left to choose the names it wants and the criterion it wants to follow.
Israeli lightly injured from stone throwing near Jenin
An Israeli citizen was lightly injured from stones thrown at his vehicle south of Jenin. He was treated by a military medical team and IDF forces are conducting searches in the area. Meanwhile, IDF forces uncovered a knife in the possession of a Palestinian during a routine security inspection at Tapuach Junction. The knife was confiscated and the Palestinian was taken to questioning.
An Israeli citizen was lightly injured from stones thrown at his vehicle south of Jenin. He was treated by a military medical team and IDF forces are conducting searches in the area. Meanwhile, IDF forces uncovered a knife in the possession of a Palestinian during a routine security inspection at Tapuach Junction. The knife was confiscated and the Palestinian was taken to questioning.
Former Palestinian minister of prisoners' affairs Wasfi Qabha said that the efforts that had been made lately by senior Hamas officials and some lawyers in addition to leading Hamas detainees led to the agreement that was brokered on Sunday between the Jordanian hunger strikers and Israeli jailers. In a press release, Qabha stated that intensive telephone contacts took place between prisoner Abdullah Al-Barghouthi, who is in Afola hospital, and the other hunger strikers in Ramla and Beersheba jails to discuss the Israeli offer to meet their minimum demands.
The Hamas official noted that this agreement had been in place about a week ago, but the Israeli refusal to allow the father of Abdullah Barghouthi and the wife of Ibrahim Hamed to visit them in prison delayed its announcement.
He added that the hunger strikers' insistence on having their minimum rights fully prompted the Israeli prison authority to respond to their demands and backtrack on its refusal to allow the father of Barghouthi and the wife of Hamed to be among the visitors.
The official affirmed that the hunger strikers started to drink milk following their agreement with senior Israeli prison and intelligence officials, pointing that prisoner Abdullah Barghouthi was able to phone his wife and his children for about 15 minutes.
Qabah said that Anas Abu Khadir, member of the Jordanian prisoners support team, would reveal later further details of the agreement that happened between the hunger strikers and the Israeli side.
The Hamas official noted that this agreement had been in place about a week ago, but the Israeli refusal to allow the father of Abdullah Barghouthi and the wife of Ibrahim Hamed to visit them in prison delayed its announcement.
He added that the hunger strikers' insistence on having their minimum rights fully prompted the Israeli prison authority to respond to their demands and backtrack on its refusal to allow the father of Barghouthi and the wife of Hamed to be among the visitors.
The official affirmed that the hunger strikers started to drink milk following their agreement with senior Israeli prison and intelligence officials, pointing that prisoner Abdullah Barghouthi was able to phone his wife and his children for about 15 minutes.
Qabah said that Anas Abu Khadir, member of the Jordanian prisoners support team, would reveal later further details of the agreement that happened between the hunger strikers and the Israeli side.
Israeli forces released Sunday two prisoners from Gaza strip after serving eight years behind Israeli bars. Maher Akkad and Ahmed Laham, from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, were released at Eriz crossing near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip where their families and friends were waiting for them.
The two prisoners were arrested in 2005 for resisting the occupation where they were sentenced to eight years.
Meanwhile, the occupation authorities have released Sunday Fayez Mahmoud Abdel Jadallah Halaiqa, 33, from al-Khalil.
Halaiqa was detained in August 2005 for being affiliated with Hamas's military-wing, the Qassam Brigades. He was released from Negev prison after spending eight years in custody.
The two prisoners were arrested in 2005 for resisting the occupation where they were sentenced to eight years.
Meanwhile, the occupation authorities have released Sunday Fayez Mahmoud Abdel Jadallah Halaiqa, 33, from al-Khalil.
Halaiqa was detained in August 2005 for being affiliated with Hamas's military-wing, the Qassam Brigades. He was released from Negev prison after spending eight years in custody.
The occupation forces have waged Sunday a new arrest campaign in occupied Jerusalem where they arrested 4 Jerusalemites including a child. The occupation soldiers have detained three Jerusalemites in al-Aqsa mosque squares including a human rights activist in addition to arresting a 13-year-old child after raiding his house east of Jerusalem, Wadi Hilweh Information Center said.
The child Abdullah Omar Shalabi, the son of the secretary of Fatah committee in Jerusalem, was detained and took to al-Maskubiya detention center after raiding and searching his parents' house.
The child Abdullah Omar Shalabi, the son of the secretary of Fatah committee in Jerusalem, was detained and took to al-Maskubiya detention center after raiding and searching his parents' house.
The Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) held the Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) responsible for the life of a wounded prisoner who suffers difficult health condition in Israeli jails. The Israeli forces arrested Saturday Louay Abdullah Badawi, 22, from al-Khalil while receiving treatment after being shot with two bullets to his jaw and head last May, the PPS stated.
The PPS called on the Red Cross to intervene immediately, warning that his detention risks his life.
During his arrest process, the Israeli soldiers have severely attacked and beaten him despite his health situation. He was then handcuffed and taken to an Israeli detention center, his family said.
The PPS called on the Red Cross to intervene immediately, warning that his detention risks his life.
During his arrest process, the Israeli soldiers have severely attacked and beaten him despite his health situation. He was then handcuffed and taken to an Israeli detention center, his family said.
Israeli forces Monday arrested 11 Palestinians from across the West Bank cities of Nablus, Hebron, and Bethlehem, according to local and security sources. Israeli forces stormed the city of Nablus and arrested four Palestinians after raiding and searching their homes.
The forces also arrested a lieutenant in the National Security Force and his brother, a college student, at Za’atra military checkpoint, south of the Nablus.
Israeli forces also arrested three Palestinians, including two in their early twenties, from the Hebron area.
In Bethlehem, forces arrested two Palestinian, including a 13-year-old minor who was previously arrested twice, after raiding and searching their homes.
Ten Palestinians Kidnapped In Different Parts of West Bank
Israeli soldiers invaded on Monday at dawn [August 12, 2013] various districts in the occupied West Bank, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnapped 10 Palestinians. Soldiers also installed various roadblocks.
Local sources have reported that at least twelve armored Israeli military vehicles invaded the Al-Far’a refugee camp, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and clashes with local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at them.
Soldiers fired gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at the residents, and left the area to invade the central West Bank district of Tubas.
The Maan News Agency has reported that dozens of soldiers invaded Ras Al-Ein, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnaped two identified as Ahmad Mer’ey Hawwash, 21, and Firas Hawwash, 22.
Soldiers also invaded the Balata Refugee camp, in Nablus, and kidnapped one resident identified as Mo’ayyad Hannoun, 24.
Several military vehicles further invaded Rafidia area, in Nablus, fired gas bombs, including gas bombes fired into local homes, and kidnapped a former political prisoner, identified as Khader Khaled As-Sarkaji, 35, from his home in Haifa Street in the city.
In addition, soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, violently broke into and searched the Qalqilia Islamic Club, and kidnapped two of its administrators identified as Mohammad Abu Salman and Monther Nassar.
In Bethlehem district, the soldiers invaded the As-Saff Street, Wad Shahin area, and Doha city, and kidnapped two brothers identified as Fadi and Mohammad Da’amsa, from Wad Shahin.
Furthermore, soldiers invaded various villages and towns in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, violently broke into several homes and searched them leading to excessive property damage.
Palestinian security sources have reported that the soldiers also kidnapped Abdul-Majid Bassam Amro, 21, and Ali Taleb Amro, 20, from Hebron city, and Jalal Yasser Sweity from Doura town, south of Hebron.
Medical sources gave reported that resident Anas Abu Haikal, 23, from Hebron, suffered various cuts and bruises after being assaulted by the soldiers, and was moved to a local hospital.
Media sources in Hebron stated that the soldiers also invaded Taffouh town, and various neighborhoods in Hebron city, before installing several roadblocks.
Dozens of soldiers further invaded the Al-Ezariyya town, east of occupied East Jerusalem, and broke into the home of Ramadan Hijazi in Al-Qastal area, in an attempt to kidnap him, but he was not home. Clashes have also been reported between local youths and the invading soldiers.
The invasions and arrests are part on daily assaults carried out by the soldiers in different parts of occupied Palestine.
The forces also arrested a lieutenant in the National Security Force and his brother, a college student, at Za’atra military checkpoint, south of the Nablus.
Israeli forces also arrested three Palestinians, including two in their early twenties, from the Hebron area.
In Bethlehem, forces arrested two Palestinian, including a 13-year-old minor who was previously arrested twice, after raiding and searching their homes.
Ten Palestinians Kidnapped In Different Parts of West Bank
Israeli soldiers invaded on Monday at dawn [August 12, 2013] various districts in the occupied West Bank, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnapped 10 Palestinians. Soldiers also installed various roadblocks.
Local sources have reported that at least twelve armored Israeli military vehicles invaded the Al-Far’a refugee camp, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and clashes with local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at them.
Soldiers fired gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at the residents, and left the area to invade the central West Bank district of Tubas.
The Maan News Agency has reported that dozens of soldiers invaded Ras Al-Ein, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnaped two identified as Ahmad Mer’ey Hawwash, 21, and Firas Hawwash, 22.
Soldiers also invaded the Balata Refugee camp, in Nablus, and kidnapped one resident identified as Mo’ayyad Hannoun, 24.
Several military vehicles further invaded Rafidia area, in Nablus, fired gas bombs, including gas bombes fired into local homes, and kidnapped a former political prisoner, identified as Khader Khaled As-Sarkaji, 35, from his home in Haifa Street in the city.
In addition, soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, violently broke into and searched the Qalqilia Islamic Club, and kidnapped two of its administrators identified as Mohammad Abu Salman and Monther Nassar.
In Bethlehem district, the soldiers invaded the As-Saff Street, Wad Shahin area, and Doha city, and kidnapped two brothers identified as Fadi and Mohammad Da’amsa, from Wad Shahin.
Furthermore, soldiers invaded various villages and towns in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, violently broke into several homes and searched them leading to excessive property damage.
Palestinian security sources have reported that the soldiers also kidnapped Abdul-Majid Bassam Amro, 21, and Ali Taleb Amro, 20, from Hebron city, and Jalal Yasser Sweity from Doura town, south of Hebron.
Medical sources gave reported that resident Anas Abu Haikal, 23, from Hebron, suffered various cuts and bruises after being assaulted by the soldiers, and was moved to a local hospital.
Media sources in Hebron stated that the soldiers also invaded Taffouh town, and various neighborhoods in Hebron city, before installing several roadblocks.
Dozens of soldiers further invaded the Al-Ezariyya town, east of occupied East Jerusalem, and broke into the home of Ramadan Hijazi in Al-Qastal area, in an attempt to kidnap him, but he was not home. Clashes have also been reported between local youths and the invading soldiers.
The invasions and arrests are part on daily assaults carried out by the soldiers in different parts of occupied Palestine.
Two of the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, Ayman Hamdan and Imad al-Batran, are facing serious health deterioration, Palestinian media outlets reported Saturday.
The captives are being held in the military hospital Sarafand (Asaf Harofe), in solitary confinement.
Ayman Hamdan, one of the strikers, has been detained since 22 August, 2012. Hamdan began his hunger strike on 28 April 2013 in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial. His hospitalization began on 26 June 2013.
One of the lawyers for the Ministry of Detainees' and Ex-detainees' Affairs, Fadi Obeidat, said that Hamdan’s health is worsening, and that he suffers from low blood pressure and heart rate, as well as vitamin deficiency and a weakened heart muscle.
Hamdan takes only water, sugar, salt and vitamins and, according to Obeidat, he has lost 22kg of weight. The lawyer also said Hamdan’s ability to move is declining and he experiences a general weakness, dizziness and aches in his head and joints. Hamdan is reportedly determined to continue the hunger strike until his administrative detention is revoked.
Obeidat also saw Imad al-Batran, another imprisoned striker, and reported serious health deterioration, despite the supplements he has been taking at the hospital.
The lawyer said Batran has a low heart rate, for which he takes medicine, and suffers from overall weakness, hair loss, insomnia and dry eyes.
It's worth noting that there is a long list of hungers striking prisoners, including Abdullah al-Barghouthi, Ala’ Hammad, Munir Ma’ari, Hamzah Othman, Muhammad al-Rimawi, Ayman Hamdan, Imad al-Batran, Adel Harbeyat, Ayman Etbish, Husam Matter and Abdul-Majid Khudeirat.
The captives are being held in the military hospital Sarafand (Asaf Harofe), in solitary confinement.
Ayman Hamdan, one of the strikers, has been detained since 22 August, 2012. Hamdan began his hunger strike on 28 April 2013 in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial. His hospitalization began on 26 June 2013.
One of the lawyers for the Ministry of Detainees' and Ex-detainees' Affairs, Fadi Obeidat, said that Hamdan’s health is worsening, and that he suffers from low blood pressure and heart rate, as well as vitamin deficiency and a weakened heart muscle.
Hamdan takes only water, sugar, salt and vitamins and, according to Obeidat, he has lost 22kg of weight. The lawyer also said Hamdan’s ability to move is declining and he experiences a general weakness, dizziness and aches in his head and joints. Hamdan is reportedly determined to continue the hunger strike until his administrative detention is revoked.
Obeidat also saw Imad al-Batran, another imprisoned striker, and reported serious health deterioration, despite the supplements he has been taking at the hospital.
The lawyer said Batran has a low heart rate, for which he takes medicine, and suffers from overall weakness, hair loss, insomnia and dry eyes.
It's worth noting that there is a long list of hungers striking prisoners, including Abdullah al-Barghouthi, Ala’ Hammad, Munir Ma’ari, Hamzah Othman, Muhammad al-Rimawi, Ayman Hamdan, Imad al-Batran, Adel Harbeyat, Ayman Etbish, Husam Matter and Abdul-Majid Khudeirat.
Palestinian prisoner in Israeli truck
In a move labeled by Israeli government officials as a 'goodwill' gesture, but questioned by the families of the over 4,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel as a public relations stunt, just 12 prisoners will be released on Tuesday, with an additional 14 to be exiled to the Gaza Strip.
In the past, such prisoner releases have involved hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians, but this time, the Israeli government has approved just 12 prisoners for full release. An additional 14 Palestinian prisoners will be exiled to the Gaza Strip, unable to return to their families and homes in the West Bank.
Israeli forces engage in daily raids of Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps, abducting sometimes dozens of people each day. So Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups say that the release of a dozen prisoners is rather disingenuous on the Israeli government's part, since the Israeli military usually abducts that many in a single day.
Despite the low number of prisoners to be released, Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks held a protest to challenge the release of any Palestinian prisoners. They also filed an appeal with the Israeli government committee that approved the release.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had previously stated that the Israeli government had approved the release of 107 Palestinians who have been imprisoned for more than twenty years.
Although most of the Palestinians on the list were imprisoned for killing Israelis, prisoner rights advocates in Palestine point out that Palestinians are often convicted based on circumstantial evidence and without proper legal representation. Many Palestinian prisoners have also been forced to 'confess' through the use of torture techniques. The prison advocacy organization Addameer has documented the extensive and routine use of torture in the interrogations of Palestinian prisoners.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahranoth, the prisoners to be released or exiled on Tuesday are the following:
1. Kor Mattawa Hamad Faiz, jailed since '85, for the murder of Menahem Dadon and attempted murder of Salomon Abukasis, sentenced to life imprisonment.
2. Salah Ibrahim Ahmad Mughdad, jailed since '93, for the murder of Israel Tenenbaum, sentenced to life imprisonment.
3. Na’anish Naif Abdel Jafar Samir, jailed since '89, for the murder of Binyamin Meisner, sentenced to life imprisonment.
4. Arshid A. Hamid Yusef Yusef, jailed since '93, for the murder of Nadal Rabu Ja’ab, Adnan Ajad Dib, Mufid Cana’an, Tawafiq Jaradat and Ibrahim Sa’id Ziwad, sentenced to life imprisonment.
5. Al Haj Othman Amar Mustafa, jailed since '89, for the murder Steven Frederick Rosenfeld, sentenced to life imprisonment.
6. Maslah Abdallah Salama Salma, jailed since '93, for the murder of Reuven David, sentenced to life imprisonment.
7. Abu Moussa Salam Ali Atiya, jailed since '94, for the murder Isaac Rotenberg, sentenced to life imprisonment.
8. Maqlad Mahmoud Zayd Salah, jailed since '93, for the murder of Yeshayahu Deutsch, sentenced to life imprisonment.
9. Sawalha Bad Almajed Mahmad Mahmad, jailed since '93 for the murder of Baruch Heisler, and attempted murder of Betty Malka, Shai Cohen, Avishag Cohen, sentenced to life imprisonment.
10. Shaath Azath Shaaban Attaf, jailed since '93, for being the accessory to the murder of Simcha Levy, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
11. Abdel Aal Sa’id Ouda Yusef, jailed since '94, for throwing explosives, accessory to the murder of Ian Feinberg and Sami Ramadan, sentenced for 22 years imprisonment.
12. Barbakh Faiz Rajab Madhat, jailed since '94, for the murder of Moshe Beker, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
13. Raai Ibrahim Salam Ali, jailed since '94, for the murder of Moris Eisenstatt, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
14. Nashbat Jabar Yusef Mahmad, jailed since '90, for being an accessory to the murder of Amnon Pomerantz, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
15. Mortja Hasin Ganim Samir, jailed since '93, for abduction, interrogation through torture, and murder of Samir Alsilawi, Khaled Malka, Nasser Aqila, Ali al Zaabot, sentenced for 20 years imprisonment.
16. Sawalha Faz Ahmad Husni, jailed since '90, for the murder of Heisler Baruch, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
17. Ramahi Salah Abdallah Faraj, jailed since '92, for the murder of Avraham Kinstler, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
18. Abu Satta Ahmad Sa’id Aladdin, jailed since 1994, for the murder of David Dadi and Hayim Weizman, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
19. Abu Sita Talab Mahmad Ayman, jailed since 1994, for the murder of David Dadi and Hayim Weizman, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
20. Mansour Omar Abdel Hafiz Asmat, jailed since 1993, for being an accessory to the murder of Hayim Mizrahi, sentenced for 22 years imprisonment.
21. Asqara Mahmad Ahmad Khaled, jailed in '91, for the murder of Annie Ley, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
22. Janadiya Yusef Radwan Nahad, jailed since '89, for the murder of Zalman Shlein, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
23. Hamadiah Mahmoud Awad Muhammad, jailed since '89, for the murder of Zalman Shlein, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
24. Abdel Nabi A. Wahab Jamal Jamil, jailed since '92, for the murder of Shmuel Gersh, sentenced for 21 years imprisonment.
25. Ziwad Muhammad Taher Taher, jailed since '93, for the murder of Avraham Cohen, sentenced for 21 years imprisonment.
26. Sabih Abed Hamed Borhan, jailed since '01, for the murder of Jamil Muhammad Naim Sabih, Aisha Abdullah Haradin, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
In a move labeled by Israeli government officials as a 'goodwill' gesture, but questioned by the families of the over 4,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel as a public relations stunt, just 12 prisoners will be released on Tuesday, with an additional 14 to be exiled to the Gaza Strip.
In the past, such prisoner releases have involved hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians, but this time, the Israeli government has approved just 12 prisoners for full release. An additional 14 Palestinian prisoners will be exiled to the Gaza Strip, unable to return to their families and homes in the West Bank.
Israeli forces engage in daily raids of Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps, abducting sometimes dozens of people each day. So Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups say that the release of a dozen prisoners is rather disingenuous on the Israeli government's part, since the Israeli military usually abducts that many in a single day.
Despite the low number of prisoners to be released, Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks held a protest to challenge the release of any Palestinian prisoners. They also filed an appeal with the Israeli government committee that approved the release.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had previously stated that the Israeli government had approved the release of 107 Palestinians who have been imprisoned for more than twenty years.
Although most of the Palestinians on the list were imprisoned for killing Israelis, prisoner rights advocates in Palestine point out that Palestinians are often convicted based on circumstantial evidence and without proper legal representation. Many Palestinian prisoners have also been forced to 'confess' through the use of torture techniques. The prison advocacy organization Addameer has documented the extensive and routine use of torture in the interrogations of Palestinian prisoners.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahranoth, the prisoners to be released or exiled on Tuesday are the following:
1. Kor Mattawa Hamad Faiz, jailed since '85, for the murder of Menahem Dadon and attempted murder of Salomon Abukasis, sentenced to life imprisonment.
2. Salah Ibrahim Ahmad Mughdad, jailed since '93, for the murder of Israel Tenenbaum, sentenced to life imprisonment.
3. Na’anish Naif Abdel Jafar Samir, jailed since '89, for the murder of Binyamin Meisner, sentenced to life imprisonment.
4. Arshid A. Hamid Yusef Yusef, jailed since '93, for the murder of Nadal Rabu Ja’ab, Adnan Ajad Dib, Mufid Cana’an, Tawafiq Jaradat and Ibrahim Sa’id Ziwad, sentenced to life imprisonment.
5. Al Haj Othman Amar Mustafa, jailed since '89, for the murder Steven Frederick Rosenfeld, sentenced to life imprisonment.
6. Maslah Abdallah Salama Salma, jailed since '93, for the murder of Reuven David, sentenced to life imprisonment.
7. Abu Moussa Salam Ali Atiya, jailed since '94, for the murder Isaac Rotenberg, sentenced to life imprisonment.
8. Maqlad Mahmoud Zayd Salah, jailed since '93, for the murder of Yeshayahu Deutsch, sentenced to life imprisonment.
9. Sawalha Bad Almajed Mahmad Mahmad, jailed since '93 for the murder of Baruch Heisler, and attempted murder of Betty Malka, Shai Cohen, Avishag Cohen, sentenced to life imprisonment.
10. Shaath Azath Shaaban Attaf, jailed since '93, for being the accessory to the murder of Simcha Levy, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
11. Abdel Aal Sa’id Ouda Yusef, jailed since '94, for throwing explosives, accessory to the murder of Ian Feinberg and Sami Ramadan, sentenced for 22 years imprisonment.
12. Barbakh Faiz Rajab Madhat, jailed since '94, for the murder of Moshe Beker, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
13. Raai Ibrahim Salam Ali, jailed since '94, for the murder of Moris Eisenstatt, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
14. Nashbat Jabar Yusef Mahmad, jailed since '90, for being an accessory to the murder of Amnon Pomerantz, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
15. Mortja Hasin Ganim Samir, jailed since '93, for abduction, interrogation through torture, and murder of Samir Alsilawi, Khaled Malka, Nasser Aqila, Ali al Zaabot, sentenced for 20 years imprisonment.
16. Sawalha Faz Ahmad Husni, jailed since '90, for the murder of Heisler Baruch, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
17. Ramahi Salah Abdallah Faraj, jailed since '92, for the murder of Avraham Kinstler, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
18. Abu Satta Ahmad Sa’id Aladdin, jailed since 1994, for the murder of David Dadi and Hayim Weizman, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
19. Abu Sita Talab Mahmad Ayman, jailed since 1994, for the murder of David Dadi and Hayim Weizman, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
20. Mansour Omar Abdel Hafiz Asmat, jailed since 1993, for being an accessory to the murder of Hayim Mizrahi, sentenced for 22 years imprisonment.
21. Asqara Mahmad Ahmad Khaled, jailed in '91, for the murder of Annie Ley, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
22. Janadiya Yusef Radwan Nahad, jailed since '89, for the murder of Zalman Shlein, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
23. Hamadiah Mahmoud Awad Muhammad, jailed since '89, for the murder of Zalman Shlein, sentenced for 25 years imprisonment.
24. Abdel Nabi A. Wahab Jamal Jamil, jailed since '92, for the murder of Shmuel Gersh, sentenced for 21 years imprisonment.
25. Ziwad Muhammad Taher Taher, jailed since '93, for the murder of Avraham Cohen, sentenced for 21 years imprisonment.
26. Sabih Abed Hamed Borhan, jailed since '01, for the murder of Jamil Muhammad Naim Sabih, Aisha Abdullah Haradin, sentenced for life-term imprisonment.
11 aug 2013
Palestinian officials disappointed in list of prisoners
Palestinian officials expressed disappointment following the publication of the names of 26 prisoners set to be released later in the week as part of resuming peace talks. The officials said they were expecting the list to contain the names of well known prisoners whose release would have raised public support for the negotiations.
Palestinian officials expressed disappointment following the publication of the names of 26 prisoners set to be released later in the week as part of resuming peace talks. The officials said they were expecting the list to contain the names of well known prisoners whose release would have raised public support for the negotiations.
Abbas: Israel to release 104 prisoners, none to be deported
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel will release 104 Palestinian prisoners who were jailed before the Oslo Accords were signed, including Arab-Israelis and residents of east Jerusalem. Abbas' statement was given during a meeting in his office with Prisoners Affairs Minister Issa Karaka.
According to him, the release will be made in four stages, and no prisoner will be deported from his homeland. Abbas added that prisoners' release will improve the chances to reach a peace deal with Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel will release 104 Palestinian prisoners who were jailed before the Oslo Accords were signed, including Arab-Israelis and residents of east Jerusalem. Abbas' statement was given during a meeting in his office with Prisoners Affairs Minister Issa Karaka.
According to him, the release will be made in four stages, and no prisoner will be deported from his homeland. Abbas added that prisoners' release will improve the chances to reach a peace deal with Israel.
The Palestinian prisoners holding Jordanian citizenship have suspended their hunger strike following concessions from the Israeli prison authorities to allow them regular family visits from their family members in Jordan. This was reported in a press conference held in Amman by family members of the prisoners on August 11, 2013. The five Jordanian hunger strikers are Abdullah Barghouthi, Mohammad Rimawi, Muneer Mar’i, Hamza Othman al-Dabbas and Alaa Hammad. They have been striking since May 2, 2013, for 100 days.
The first visit will take place on August 27, and will be for four hours, without glass or bars between the prisoners and their family members. After this, the visits will be available on a monthly basis for two family members per prisoner. An agreement has been signed to this effect, which will also apply to fellow Palestinian prisoner Ibrahim Hamed, whose wife is in Jordan. Barghouthi had not seen his family for 13 years; Rimawi has been denied family visits for 5 years.
There are reports that Alaa Hammad is still on open hunger strike and has not suspended his strike as part of this agreement.
The first visit will take place on August 27, and will be for four hours, without glass or bars between the prisoners and their family members. After this, the visits will be available on a monthly basis for two family members per prisoner. An agreement has been signed to this effect, which will also apply to fellow Palestinian prisoner Ibrahim Hamed, whose wife is in Jordan. Barghouthi had not seen his family for 13 years; Rimawi has been denied family visits for 5 years.
There are reports that Alaa Hammad is still on open hunger strike and has not suspended his strike as part of this agreement.
Abdullah Shalabi 13
45 Jewish extremists, protected by the Israeli police, stormed on Sunday morning Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided at dawn the house of Omar Shalabi, secretary general of Fatah in Jerusalem, and arrested his 13-year-old son.
Local sources reported that the forces arrested the boy in a provocative way for unknown reasons.
45 Jewish extremists, protected by the Israeli police, stormed on Sunday morning Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided at dawn the house of Omar Shalabi, secretary general of Fatah in Jerusalem, and arrested his 13-year-old son.
Local sources reported that the forces arrested the boy in a provocative way for unknown reasons.
Israeli military forces on Sunday stormed a church in the city of al-Khalil in the south of the occupied West Bank. According to Palestinian security sources, three Israeli military vehicles raided in the early morning hours the Moscobiya Church in the city of al-Khalil. No arrests were reported.
Meanwhile, the occupation forces arrested a 17-year-old Palestinian boy, following a raid on his house in the town of Khader near Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.
Meanwhile, the occupation forces arrested a 17-year-old Palestinian boy, following a raid on his house in the town of Khader near Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.
10 aug 2013
Indyk, to land in Israel
Ministerial committee to determine Sunday which prisoners will be released two days later. Meanwhile, US envoy Martin Indyk will land in Israel for preliminary talks with both sides
The ministerial committee that was formed some two weeks ago to compose the list of prisoners who are to face release as part of an Israeli gesture as part of the resumption of negotiations, is to convene for the first time on Sunday, when the committee will finalize a list of prisoners to be released on Tuesday. The identity of the prisoners expected to be released remains unknown.
US envoy Martin Indyk is scheduled to land in Israel on Sunday. During his visit, Indyk will hold talks with both sides ahead of formal negotiations. The criteria by which the ministers are to determine which of the prisoners can be released were set by the Shin Bet, which prioritized the names of the prisoners according to the amount of threat they pose to Israeli security.
The Shin Bet lists will be presented to the ministerial committee on Sunday, and the names of the prisoners who are to be released will be published once the committee finalizes the list.
The State is required by law to publish the names in the Israel Prison Service website 48 hours prior to the release of the prisoners.
President Shimon Peres will most likely not be signing pardons, seeing as most of the security prisoners who will be released Tuesday will be Palestinians, in which case the release needs the approval of the IDF .
If all goes according to plan, negotiation teams will reconvene on Wednesday.
Ahead of Indyk's visit to the region, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry Saturday night, in which he accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of incitement against Israel.
PMO sources said that the letter mentioned quotes in which Abbas speaks against Israeli presence in the future Palestinian state, and additional quotes from the official Palestinian television broadcasts. "Incitement and peace cannot go hand in hand," Netanyahu wrote in the letter.
In another letter to Kerry, the chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday that Israel's intention to build 1,000 new homes in settlements was an indication of "Israel's bad faith and lack of seriousness" in the talks.
Ministerial committee to determine Sunday which prisoners will be released two days later. Meanwhile, US envoy Martin Indyk will land in Israel for preliminary talks with both sides
The ministerial committee that was formed some two weeks ago to compose the list of prisoners who are to face release as part of an Israeli gesture as part of the resumption of negotiations, is to convene for the first time on Sunday, when the committee will finalize a list of prisoners to be released on Tuesday. The identity of the prisoners expected to be released remains unknown.
US envoy Martin Indyk is scheduled to land in Israel on Sunday. During his visit, Indyk will hold talks with both sides ahead of formal negotiations. The criteria by which the ministers are to determine which of the prisoners can be released were set by the Shin Bet, which prioritized the names of the prisoners according to the amount of threat they pose to Israeli security.
The Shin Bet lists will be presented to the ministerial committee on Sunday, and the names of the prisoners who are to be released will be published once the committee finalizes the list.
The State is required by law to publish the names in the Israel Prison Service website 48 hours prior to the release of the prisoners.
President Shimon Peres will most likely not be signing pardons, seeing as most of the security prisoners who will be released Tuesday will be Palestinians, in which case the release needs the approval of the IDF .
If all goes according to plan, negotiation teams will reconvene on Wednesday.
Ahead of Indyk's visit to the region, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry Saturday night, in which he accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of incitement against Israel.
PMO sources said that the letter mentioned quotes in which Abbas speaks against Israeli presence in the future Palestinian state, and additional quotes from the official Palestinian television broadcasts. "Incitement and peace cannot go hand in hand," Netanyahu wrote in the letter.
In another letter to Kerry, the chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday that Israel's intention to build 1,000 new homes in settlements was an indication of "Israel's bad faith and lack of seriousness" in the talks.
Sheikh Jamal Abdel Salam Abu Hija, 54, has spent for the first time the Eid with one of his family members where he was prevented to meet any of them since his detention ten years ago. Sheikh Jamal spent for the first time the Eid with his eldest son Abdul Salam, detained since April, in the same room in Eshel prison in Beersheba.
The Israeli Prison Services prevented Sheikh Jamal from family visits during the past ten years under the pretext that all his family members have been jailed in Israeli prisons including his wife and daughter, his family told PIC reporter.
The family expressed satisfaction over the meeting between the father and his son although it was behind Israeli bars.
Sheikh Jamal, 9 years in solitary confinement, suffers very difficult health situation especially that his hand was amputated during the Israeli invasion of Jenin refugee camp in 2002. He is sentenced to 9 life terms plus 20 years.
The Israeli Prison Services prevented Sheikh Jamal from family visits during the past ten years under the pretext that all his family members have been jailed in Israeli prisons including his wife and daughter, his family told PIC reporter.
The family expressed satisfaction over the meeting between the father and his son although it was behind Israeli bars.
Sheikh Jamal, 9 years in solitary confinement, suffers very difficult health situation especially that his hand was amputated during the Israeli invasion of Jenin refugee camp in 2002. He is sentenced to 9 life terms plus 20 years.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped on Saturday morning ex-detainee Othman Abu Arram, a 23-year old young man from Yatta town, south of Al-Khalil city. The father of Othman told the Palestinian information center (PIC) that the IOF kidnapped his son at a checkpoint they established suddenly at Zaif junction to the south of Al-Khalil, as he was en route to his workplace in a restaurant in Ramallah city.
Abu Arram was kidnapped for the first time when he was at age 17 and charged, then, with attempting to stab an Israeli soldier and carrying attacks against Israelis.
Abu Arram was kidnapped for the first time when he was at age 17 and charged, then, with attempting to stab an Israeli soldier and carrying attacks against Israelis.
Protesters rallied in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners at the weekly demonstration in Bilin near Ramallah on Friday.
Israeli forces fired plastic-coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs toward the demonstrators, activists said. The tear gas canisters set fire to olive trees in the Abu Laimoun reserve, they added.
Protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans for national unity, and demanded the release of all prisoners, particularly those on long-term hunger strikes in Israeli jails.
Israeli forces fired plastic-coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs toward the demonstrators, activists said. The tear gas canisters set fire to olive trees in the Abu Laimoun reserve, they added.
Protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans for national unity, and demanded the release of all prisoners, particularly those on long-term hunger strikes in Israeli jails.
9 aug 2013
The health situation of the two captives Ayman Hamdan and Imad al-Batran who have been on hunger strike for more than a hundred days has seriously deteriorated. The two captives are held in solitary at the military Sarafand Hospital (Asaf Harofe) where their situation is continuously deteriorating.
The lawyer for the Ministry of Captives, Fadi Obeidat said that Ayman Hamdan whom he visited at the hospital is administratively detained since 22 August 2012 and that he started his hunger strike on 28 April 2013 to protest his administrative detention without charge or trial.
He added that his health is worsening and that he suffers low blood pressure, low heart rate, vitamin deficiency and weakening of the heart muscle.
Hamdan has been hospitalised since 26 June 2013 and takes water, sugar, salt and vitamins. He lost 22 Kg of his weight, according to the lawyer.
Hamdan told the lawyer that his movement has become difficult and suffers from general weakness, dizziness and head as well as joint aches. He added that despite all this he is determined to continue with his hunger strike until his administrative detention is revoked.
The lawyer also met with Imad al-Batran and noticed serious deterioration in his health despite the fact that he is taking supplements at the hospital.
Batran told the lawyer that he suffers from law heart rate (40 per minute) and takes medicine to regulate his heart. He suffers from general weakness, hair loss, insomnia and dryness of the eyes.
The hunger-striking prisoners are Abdullah al-Barghouthi, Ala’ Hammad, Munir Ma’ari, Hamzah Othman, Muhammad al-Rimawi, Ayman Hamdan, Imad al-Batran, Adel Harbeyat, Ayman Etbish, Husam Matter and Abdul-Majid Khudeirat.
The lawyer for the Ministry of Captives, Fadi Obeidat said that Ayman Hamdan whom he visited at the hospital is administratively detained since 22 August 2012 and that he started his hunger strike on 28 April 2013 to protest his administrative detention without charge or trial.
He added that his health is worsening and that he suffers low blood pressure, low heart rate, vitamin deficiency and weakening of the heart muscle.
Hamdan has been hospitalised since 26 June 2013 and takes water, sugar, salt and vitamins. He lost 22 Kg of his weight, according to the lawyer.
Hamdan told the lawyer that his movement has become difficult and suffers from general weakness, dizziness and head as well as joint aches. He added that despite all this he is determined to continue with his hunger strike until his administrative detention is revoked.
The lawyer also met with Imad al-Batran and noticed serious deterioration in his health despite the fact that he is taking supplements at the hospital.
Batran told the lawyer that he suffers from law heart rate (40 per minute) and takes medicine to regulate his heart. He suffers from general weakness, hair loss, insomnia and dryness of the eyes.
The hunger-striking prisoners are Abdullah al-Barghouthi, Ala’ Hammad, Munir Ma’ari, Hamzah Othman, Muhammad al-Rimawi, Ayman Hamdan, Imad al-Batran, Adel Harbeyat, Ayman Etbish, Husam Matter and Abdul-Majid Khudeirat.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Thursday more than twenty Palestinians after their arrival from occupied Jerusalem. The Israeli soldiers have set up makeshift roadblocks throughout occupied Jerusalem directly after Eid prayers searching for Palestinian youths who spent the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan in al-Aqsa mosque, eyewitnesses told PIC reporter.
The sources added that the Israeli soldiers stopped all buses heading from occupied Jerusalem to West Bank cities where they checked their identity cards and arrested those who entered the city without permits. The soldiers transferred the detainees to Atarot interrogation center.
The sources added that the Israeli soldiers stopped all buses heading from occupied Jerusalem to West Bank cities where they checked their identity cards and arrested those who entered the city without permits. The soldiers transferred the detainees to Atarot interrogation center.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested on the first day of Eid al-Fitr holiday a Palestinian child in al-Khalil in the southern occupied West Bank, after he pointed his plastic toy gun at a group of Israeli soldiers. Spokesperson of the Popular Committee to Resist the Wall and Settlement in Beit Ummar, Mohammad Awad, confirmed that the IOF arrested the 14-year-old child Diaa Khalil Alami, from Beit Ummar, under the pretext of possessing a plastic toy gun and directing it at the Israeli soldiers while playing with his neighborhood friends.
A few hours later, the child was released after the Palestinian military liaison intervened, Awad added.
A few hours later, the child was released after the Palestinian military liaison intervened, Awad added.
8 aug 2013
Israel on Wednesday released a 60-year-old Palestinian after detaining him without charge for almost three years.
Omar al-Bargouthi, from Kubar village in Ramallah, spent 34 months in administrative detention, without charge or trial.
The Ahrar Prisoners Center said Israel detained al-Barghouthi on Oct. 2, 2010. He had previously spent 26 years in Israeli jails, center director Foad al-Khafsh said.
Omar al-Bargouthi, from Kubar village in Ramallah, spent 34 months in administrative detention, without charge or trial.
The Ahrar Prisoners Center said Israel detained al-Barghouthi on Oct. 2, 2010. He had previously spent 26 years in Israeli jails, center director Foad al-Khafsh said.
Gaza premier Ismail Haneyya has welcomed the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails on condition that the step would not be linked to concessions. Haneyya, addressing the Eid congregation on Thursday, expressed surprise at the return of PA to negotiations with the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) and warned it against offering concessions in those talks.
He said that the negotiations process allowed the IOA to go ahead in its Judaization and settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Haneyya, also deputy political bureau chairman of Hamas, called on Egypt to re-open the Rafah border crossing before individuals and goods.
He affirmed that his movement does not interfere in the internal affairs of Arab countries, adding that recent revelations (of secret Fatah documents) confirmed such trend and exposed those trying to smear the movement’s image.
The premier underlined that the unlimited American military support for Israel would not succeed in ending its isolation in the region.
He said that the negotiations process allowed the IOA to go ahead in its Judaization and settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Haneyya, also deputy political bureau chairman of Hamas, called on Egypt to re-open the Rafah border crossing before individuals and goods.
He affirmed that his movement does not interfere in the internal affairs of Arab countries, adding that recent revelations (of secret Fatah documents) confirmed such trend and exposed those trying to smear the movement’s image.
The premier underlined that the unlimited American military support for Israel would not succeed in ending its isolation in the region.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has warned of the serious health deterioration of the Jordanian prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 97 days. In a press release issued Wednesday, the PPS pointed to the difficult health situation of the hunger strikers Munir Mari, Alaa Hammad, Mohammed Remawi, and Hamza Al-Dabbas coupled with the Israeli jailors’ repressive policy.
The PPS said that the hunger striker Remawi has stopped drinking water since Tuesday after being assaulted by the Israeli guards due to his rejection to be held alone in a separate room.
Rimawi said that he was subjected to severe beating after being handcuffed despite his serious health situation as part of the Israeli Prison Services' policy to undermine the prisoners' spirits and determination.
The Jordanian prisoners stressed that they will continue their hunger strike despite their health condition. The statement pointed out that the hunger strikers Mari and Dabbas are deprived of medical texts and vitamins.
For his part, prisoner Alaa Hammad stopped taking fluids and drinking water in protest at the Israeli repressive policy.
In a letter addressed to the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples, the Jordanian hunger strikers called for intensified popular events in support of the prisoners' issue.
The five Jordanian prisoners, topped by leader Abdullah al-Barghouthi, have launched their hunger strike since early May demanding completion of their sentences in Jordanian prisons.
The PPS said that the hunger striker Remawi has stopped drinking water since Tuesday after being assaulted by the Israeli guards due to his rejection to be held alone in a separate room.
Rimawi said that he was subjected to severe beating after being handcuffed despite his serious health situation as part of the Israeli Prison Services' policy to undermine the prisoners' spirits and determination.
The Jordanian prisoners stressed that they will continue their hunger strike despite their health condition. The statement pointed out that the hunger strikers Mari and Dabbas are deprived of medical texts and vitamins.
For his part, prisoner Alaa Hammad stopped taking fluids and drinking water in protest at the Israeli repressive policy.
In a letter addressed to the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples, the Jordanian hunger strikers called for intensified popular events in support of the prisoners' issue.
The five Jordanian prisoners, topped by leader Abdullah al-Barghouthi, have launched their hunger strike since early May demanding completion of their sentences in Jordanian prisons.
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 100 Palestinians in Al-Khalil province during the month of Ramadan including 30 minors, a report said. The Palestinian prisoner’s society said in a report on Wednesday that the IOF in cooperation with the Shabak launched the largest arrest campaign ever in Al-Khalil in Ramadan.
The report charged that the soldiers humiliated and harassed citizens during the arrest campaigns, describing the arrest measures as savage and vengeful.
It said that the Israeli interrogators pursue sadistic interrogation methods against the detainees in violation of the international humanitarian law and all ethical and religious values.
The report pointed out that in addition to 30 detainees under 18 years old the IOF did not spare students and rounded up 28 of them in the same period mostly university students.
The report charged that the soldiers humiliated and harassed citizens during the arrest campaigns, describing the arrest measures as savage and vengeful.
It said that the Israeli interrogators pursue sadistic interrogation methods against the detainees in violation of the international humanitarian law and all ethical and religious values.
The report pointed out that in addition to 30 detainees under 18 years old the IOF did not spare students and rounded up 28 of them in the same period mostly university students.
The Israeli Government has officially announced a timeframe for the release of 104 Palestinian detainees, imprisoned since before the first Oslo peace accord was signed in 1993, and said that the detainees will be released in four stages, starting next week, and ending in eight months of direct talks.
The Israeli Radio has reported that the first group of detainees will be released next week, then four months later, the second group will be released “depending on the progress of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) in the West Bank.”
The Radio added that the third and fourth stages would be implemented after the direct talks have continued for six and eight months, and that the release is solely dependent on the “progress of talks with the Palestinians”.
Direct talks with Tel Aviv started recently following several years of stalemate due to ongoing Israeli violations topped by Israel’s illegal settlement construction and expansion activities in occupied Palestine, its ongoing invasions and assaults.
U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, managed to get the talks started “without preconditions”, and without an Israel commitment to completely stop its illegal settlement activities.
Various Palestinian factions and groups, and the general public attitude in Palestine, rejected the move made by the P.A., and considered it a setback to the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.
Originally, Israel was supposed to release the 104 political prisoners, those who spent 20 or more years in Israeli prisons, as a goodwill gesture from Tel Aviv to boost the prospects of direct talks, but Israel then decided not to release the detainees all at once.
On its part, the Hamas movement said that the release of a few dozen of detainees under Israeli preconditions is an Israeli act meant to delude the public opinion, and the international community.
Hamas added that, despite the joy of freedom, and the happiness it brings to every detainee and the Palestinian people; the Palestinians will not be deluded, and will never abandon their legitimate rights of real freedom, liberation and independence.
The Israeli Radio has reported that the first group of detainees will be released next week, then four months later, the second group will be released “depending on the progress of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) in the West Bank.”
The Radio added that the third and fourth stages would be implemented after the direct talks have continued for six and eight months, and that the release is solely dependent on the “progress of talks with the Palestinians”.
Direct talks with Tel Aviv started recently following several years of stalemate due to ongoing Israeli violations topped by Israel’s illegal settlement construction and expansion activities in occupied Palestine, its ongoing invasions and assaults.
U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, managed to get the talks started “without preconditions”, and without an Israel commitment to completely stop its illegal settlement activities.
Various Palestinian factions and groups, and the general public attitude in Palestine, rejected the move made by the P.A., and considered it a setback to the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.
Originally, Israel was supposed to release the 104 political prisoners, those who spent 20 or more years in Israeli prisons, as a goodwill gesture from Tel Aviv to boost the prospects of direct talks, but Israel then decided not to release the detainees all at once.
On its part, the Hamas movement said that the release of a few dozen of detainees under Israeli preconditions is an Israeli act meant to delude the public opinion, and the international community.
Hamas added that, despite the joy of freedom, and the happiness it brings to every detainee and the Palestinian people; the Palestinians will not be deluded, and will never abandon their legitimate rights of real freedom, liberation and independence.
7 aug 2013
A poster of hunger striker Abdullah Barghouti is displayed at a rally outside the Red Cross offices in Gaza City
A lawyer with the Palestinian human rights and prisoner advocacy group Addameer says that five Israeli soldiers “savagely beat” a hunger striking prisoner on Monday after he asked why he was being transferred to another section of Soroka Hospital, where he is being held.
Mohammad Rimawi, along with two other hunger striking prisoners, has refused food for 99 days, Addameer stated today. Rimawi stopped taking vitamins, water and minerals on Sunday, and “is suffering from severe problems in liver and kidney function, general weakness, fatigue and dizziness and is unable to walk without assistance.”
After the attack, Rimawi was shackled to a bed and was visited by an Israeli officer who threatened to force feed him — an often painful and widely condemned practice — and threatened to move him to solitary confinement “without providing any medical treatment until he dies in his cell,” according to Addameer.
Lack of international pressure When Rimawi complained about the attack, the officer reportedly told Rimawi that Israeli forces can treat him as they wish “due to the lack of international attention on his case, particularly from Jordan.”
Along with the two others who have refused food for 99 days, Rimawi holds Jordanian citizenship. According to Addameer, the Jordanian hunger strikers “are demanding to be released from Israeli prisons to serve the remainder of their sentences in Jordan in line with previous agreements between Israel and Jordan.”
Israel currently enjoys normal diplomatic relations with Jordan after the 1994 Wadi Araba Treaty signed by the two countries, an effort that coincided with the Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The two other hunger strikers with Jordanian nationality — Abdullah Barghouti and Ala Hamad — are in critical condition.
According to Addameer, “Barghouthi is shackled to a bed by his right hand and his left foot and is guarded by three Israeli soldiers. Like his fellow hunger striker [Mohammed Rimawi,] Barghouti has been threatened with force feeding should he fall into a coma.”
Addameer adds that on Monday, Ala Hamad “fainted and remained unconscious for five hours, without the guards calling a doctor. After finally receiving treatment Hammad regained consciousness.”
The World Medical Association guidelines on the treatment of hunger strikers forbid the use of coercive measures, and specify:
Physicians or other health care personnel may not apply undue pressure of any sort on the hunger striker to suspend the strike. Treatment or care of the hunger striker must not be conditional upon suspension of the hunger strike.
Hunger strikers isolated, punished Last month Addameer stated that it along with other human rights groups “are consistently being denied access to the hunger striking prisoners, both from denied applications and by indirect means, such as transferring the prisoner to another location on the date of an approved visit.”
On one such occasion, Addameer was approved to visit five hunger strikers but was only allowed access to two: “the other prisoners were transferred without notice on the day of Addameer’s visit, thereby denying them their right to legal counsel and further isolating them from the outside world.”
A lawyer with the Palestinian human rights and prisoner advocacy group Addameer says that five Israeli soldiers “savagely beat” a hunger striking prisoner on Monday after he asked why he was being transferred to another section of Soroka Hospital, where he is being held.
Mohammad Rimawi, along with two other hunger striking prisoners, has refused food for 99 days, Addameer stated today. Rimawi stopped taking vitamins, water and minerals on Sunday, and “is suffering from severe problems in liver and kidney function, general weakness, fatigue and dizziness and is unable to walk without assistance.”
After the attack, Rimawi was shackled to a bed and was visited by an Israeli officer who threatened to force feed him — an often painful and widely condemned practice — and threatened to move him to solitary confinement “without providing any medical treatment until he dies in his cell,” according to Addameer.
Lack of international pressure When Rimawi complained about the attack, the officer reportedly told Rimawi that Israeli forces can treat him as they wish “due to the lack of international attention on his case, particularly from Jordan.”
Along with the two others who have refused food for 99 days, Rimawi holds Jordanian citizenship. According to Addameer, the Jordanian hunger strikers “are demanding to be released from Israeli prisons to serve the remainder of their sentences in Jordan in line with previous agreements between Israel and Jordan.”
Israel currently enjoys normal diplomatic relations with Jordan after the 1994 Wadi Araba Treaty signed by the two countries, an effort that coincided with the Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The two other hunger strikers with Jordanian nationality — Abdullah Barghouti and Ala Hamad — are in critical condition.
According to Addameer, “Barghouthi is shackled to a bed by his right hand and his left foot and is guarded by three Israeli soldiers. Like his fellow hunger striker [Mohammed Rimawi,] Barghouti has been threatened with force feeding should he fall into a coma.”
Addameer adds that on Monday, Ala Hamad “fainted and remained unconscious for five hours, without the guards calling a doctor. After finally receiving treatment Hammad regained consciousness.”
The World Medical Association guidelines on the treatment of hunger strikers forbid the use of coercive measures, and specify:
Physicians or other health care personnel may not apply undue pressure of any sort on the hunger striker to suspend the strike. Treatment or care of the hunger striker must not be conditional upon suspension of the hunger strike.
Hunger strikers isolated, punished Last month Addameer stated that it along with other human rights groups “are consistently being denied access to the hunger striking prisoners, both from denied applications and by indirect means, such as transferring the prisoner to another location on the date of an approved visit.”
On one such occasion, Addameer was approved to visit five hunger strikers but was only allowed access to two: “the other prisoners were transferred without notice on the day of Addameer’s visit, thereby denying them their right to legal counsel and further isolating them from the outside world.”
Palestinian women in the West Bank city of Ramallah protest in solidarity with political prisoners; Mohammed Rimawi is shown in the poster on the left and Ayman Tbeisheh is at the center of the poster in the middle.
There are currently twelve hunger strikers in Israeli prisons and Israel has used various tactics to try to break their will. Ayman Tbeisheh, who is protesting being held by Israel without charge or trial under indefinitely renewable administrative detention orders, told Addameer he was held for five weeks in isolation in a two by two windowless cell with a mattress on the floor. Tbeisheh says that five other strikers, including Mohammed Rimawi, have been held in similar conditions.
Addameer also states that hunger striking prisoners “have reported that they are continuously transferred to different cells, subjected to night inspections, not allowed clothing, sheets, family visits and any contact with others except for a one hour recreation period in the yard. Those who are on hunger strike in protest of administrative detention have been promised verbally that they will not receive a renewal order, but the IPS [Israeli Prison Service] refuses to document the agreement in writing.”
The rights group Amnesty International has previously condemned such punitive measures during the ongoing waves of Palestinian hunger strikes in Israeli prisons since September 2011, stating that “Such treatment is strictly prohibited under the ICCPR [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights], and the Convention against Torture, to which Israel is a state party. It is also a violation of the requirement under international humanitarian law of humane treatment.”
In a joint statement condemning the force feeding of hunger striking prisoners in Israeli prisons, at Guantanamo Bay detention camp and California prisons, where a historic mass hunger strike is underway, Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups report:
The Government of Israel is currently drafting a proposed bill that would allow the force-feeding of Palestinian political prisoners on hunger-strike. The proposed bill by the Justice Ministry as well as security and intelligence agencies is clearly designed to subdue the prisoners. We believe that medical decision making, both professionally and ethically, should not in any circumstances be regulated and controlled by political interests or security agencies. Ill prisoners attempt suicide Two ill Palestinians in Israeli prisons recently swallowed more than 40 pills at Ramle prison clinic in an attempt to take their own lives, Ma’an News Agency reported yesterday, citing the a statement issued by the Palestinian Authority’s ministry of prisoners affairs.
The prisoners “were disappointed after their cases were not included in the ongoing negotiations with the Israeli government seeking to free detainees ahead of resuming peace talks,” according to the ministry, which added that there are 18 seriously ill Palestinian prisoners hospitalized at Ramle prison clinic. The ill prisoners have petitioned PA leader Mahmoud Abbas to prioritize their cases in any talks with Israel to release prisoners.
Protests erupted earlier this year when Palestinian prisoner Maysara Abuhamdia, who suffered from cancer, died in Israeli custody. Abuhamdia, 64 years old, died shackled to a bed in the same hospital where Mohammed Rimawi was beaten this week.
Abuhamdia accused Israeli prison authorities of “intentional negligence” of ill Palestinian prisoners in a letter that he wrote before his death.
Another Palestinian died in Israeli custody this year; young father Arafat Jaradat passed away after being interrogated by Israeli intelligence agents following an arrest at his home seven days earlier in the village of Sair near Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
There are currently twelve hunger strikers in Israeli prisons and Israel has used various tactics to try to break their will. Ayman Tbeisheh, who is protesting being held by Israel without charge or trial under indefinitely renewable administrative detention orders, told Addameer he was held for five weeks in isolation in a two by two windowless cell with a mattress on the floor. Tbeisheh says that five other strikers, including Mohammed Rimawi, have been held in similar conditions.
Addameer also states that hunger striking prisoners “have reported that they are continuously transferred to different cells, subjected to night inspections, not allowed clothing, sheets, family visits and any contact with others except for a one hour recreation period in the yard. Those who are on hunger strike in protest of administrative detention have been promised verbally that they will not receive a renewal order, but the IPS [Israeli Prison Service] refuses to document the agreement in writing.”
The rights group Amnesty International has previously condemned such punitive measures during the ongoing waves of Palestinian hunger strikes in Israeli prisons since September 2011, stating that “Such treatment is strictly prohibited under the ICCPR [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights], and the Convention against Torture, to which Israel is a state party. It is also a violation of the requirement under international humanitarian law of humane treatment.”
In a joint statement condemning the force feeding of hunger striking prisoners in Israeli prisons, at Guantanamo Bay detention camp and California prisons, where a historic mass hunger strike is underway, Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups report:
The Government of Israel is currently drafting a proposed bill that would allow the force-feeding of Palestinian political prisoners on hunger-strike. The proposed bill by the Justice Ministry as well as security and intelligence agencies is clearly designed to subdue the prisoners. We believe that medical decision making, both professionally and ethically, should not in any circumstances be regulated and controlled by political interests or security agencies. Ill prisoners attempt suicide Two ill Palestinians in Israeli prisons recently swallowed more than 40 pills at Ramle prison clinic in an attempt to take their own lives, Ma’an News Agency reported yesterday, citing the a statement issued by the Palestinian Authority’s ministry of prisoners affairs.
The prisoners “were disappointed after their cases were not included in the ongoing negotiations with the Israeli government seeking to free detainees ahead of resuming peace talks,” according to the ministry, which added that there are 18 seriously ill Palestinian prisoners hospitalized at Ramle prison clinic. The ill prisoners have petitioned PA leader Mahmoud Abbas to prioritize their cases in any talks with Israel to release prisoners.
Protests erupted earlier this year when Palestinian prisoner Maysara Abuhamdia, who suffered from cancer, died in Israeli custody. Abuhamdia, 64 years old, died shackled to a bed in the same hospital where Mohammed Rimawi was beaten this week.
Abuhamdia accused Israeli prison authorities of “intentional negligence” of ill Palestinian prisoners in a letter that he wrote before his death.
Another Palestinian died in Israeli custody this year; young father Arafat Jaradat passed away after being interrogated by Israeli intelligence agents following an arrest at his home seven days earlier in the village of Sair near Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
State to High Court: Reject petition against terrorist release
The State asked the High Court to reject the appeal filed by the bereaved families and victims organization Almagor, against the release of Palestinian terrorists, as part of the renewal of negotiations. "This is a purely political matter which is completely within the executive authority and the court refrains from getting involved in it, again and again," wrote the State in response to the High Court.
The State asked the High Court to reject the appeal filed by the bereaved families and victims organization Almagor, against the release of Palestinian terrorists, as part of the renewal of negotiations. "This is a purely political matter which is completely within the executive authority and the court refrains from getting involved in it, again and again," wrote the State in response to the High Court.
A Palestinian human rights organization has documented mass Israeli arrests and attacks against Jerusalemites and their properties during July. In its report issued Wednesday, Wadi al-Hilweh Information Center stated that 35 Jerusalemites were arrested during July including two minors and one woman, pointing out to the Israeli continued attacks against al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalemite properties.
The report documented an escalation in Israeli break-ins into al-Aqsa Mosque during July where Talmudic rituals were performed.
Israeli settlers continued their attacks against Palestinians and their cars in al-Asbat Gate during the so-called the "destruction of the Temple march", the report said.
The center pointed out to the Israeli confiscation to a number of Jerusalemite houses and the assault of Jerusalemites in Tur neighborhood.
The report documented an escalation in Israeli break-ins into al-Aqsa Mosque during July where Talmudic rituals were performed.
Israeli settlers continued their attacks against Palestinians and their cars in al-Asbat Gate during the so-called the "destruction of the Temple march", the report said.
The center pointed out to the Israeli confiscation to a number of Jerusalemite houses and the assault of Jerusalemites in Tur neighborhood.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) clashed at dawn Wednesday with Palestinian young men and kidnapped a senior Islamic Jihad official in Jenin city. Local sources reported that Israeli soldiers aboard more than 15 military vehicles stormed Jenin city at dawn and kidnapped Sheikh Abdul-Halim Izzuddin, a leading Islamic Jihad figure.
During the campaign in the city, the IOF violently subdued angry young men, who threw stones at them.
Many young men suffered tear gas suffocation during the clashes.
The IOF also raided the eastern district of the city and kidnapped a young man named Ahmed Hathnawi, 28, from his home.
During the campaign in the city, the IOF violently subdued angry young men, who threw stones at them.
Many young men suffered tear gas suffocation during the clashes.
The IOF also raided the eastern district of the city and kidnapped a young man named Ahmed Hathnawi, 28, from his home.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped at dawn Wednesday Mohamed Mona, a reporter for Quds Press from his home in Nablus city. His brother Abdul-Karim stated that the IOF stormed the house at two o'clock at dawn and ransacked it before taking Mohamed prisoner.
He added that the Israeli soldiers confiscated his brother's personal computer, his cellphone and some documents, pointing that his brother had been arrested several times by the IOF or the PA security forces.
He added that the Israeli soldiers confiscated his brother's personal computer, his cellphone and some documents, pointing that his brother had been arrested several times by the IOF or the PA security forces.
The Israeli magistrates' court in occupied Jerusalem held a deliberation session on Tuesday to hear the representations about the file of a Friday khutba (sermon) Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement, had delivered in Wadi Joz area in 2007. During the session, the Israeli prosecutor accused Sheikh Salah of inciting a Palestinian congregation, prevented then from praying at the Aqsa Mosque, to violence, hatred and racism.
Lawyer Feldman, in turn, refuted the prosecutor's claims and said that what Sheikh Salah had said during that time was normal and related to an Israeli action that raised the ire of the whole Palestinian street in the holy city.
Feldman affirmed that the speech of Sheikh Salah before the congregation did not contain any kind of incitement to violence and was part of the freedom of opinion.
He added that Sheikh Salah verbally defends the Aqsa Mosque against Israel's violations and is well known for that, so his anger for an Islamic holy site is something natural.
Lawyer Feldman, in turn, refuted the prosecutor's claims and said that what Sheikh Salah had said during that time was normal and related to an Israeli action that raised the ire of the whole Palestinian street in the holy city.
Feldman affirmed that the speech of Sheikh Salah before the congregation did not contain any kind of incitement to violence and was part of the freedom of opinion.
He added that Sheikh Salah verbally defends the Aqsa Mosque against Israel's violations and is well known for that, so his anger for an Islamic holy site is something natural.
Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, kidnapped two children, and injured five Palestinians.
Mohammad Awad, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Ummar, stated that dozens of soldiers invaded the town, and kidnapped two children identified as Mustafa Mohammad Awad, 16, and Ramzi Abdul-Hamid Al-‘Allamy, 15.
Both children were taken prisoner from their homes, while the soldiers also violently attacked and beat Al-‘Allamy.
Awad added that violent clashes took place in the town as local youths hurled stones at the invading soldiers. The army fired gas bombs and dozens of rubber-coated metal bullets.
He said that resident Ahmad Khalil Abu Hashem, 21, was shot by a rubber-coated bullet in his left shoulder, and another resident identified as Aktam Yousef Ikhlayyil, was shot in his abdomen and right arm. They were moved to the Hebron Government Hospital suffering moderate injuries.
Three more Palestinians suffered mild injuries after being hit by rubber-coated metal bullets, and were treated by local medics; their injuries did not require hospitalization.
Furthermore, Red Crescent medics provided treatment to a number of residents who suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.
Several families had to leave their homes at dawn due to the large number of gas bombs fired by the army.
Awad said that clashes took place in several main areas in the town, and that a number of youths hurled Molotov cocktails at a armored Israeli military vehicles; one armored troop carrier was burnt, no injuries have been reported among the soldiers.
Several soldiers also broke into a number of homes, and violently searched them causing property damage, and terrifying the residents, especially the children.
Earlier on Wednesday, dozens of soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and kidnapped one resident. Another resident was also kidnapped in Teqoua’ village, near Bethlehem.
Israel soldiers invaded Palestinian communities in the occupied territories on a daily basis, violently break into and search local homes, and kidnap residents.
Mohammad Awad, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Ummar, stated that dozens of soldiers invaded the town, and kidnapped two children identified as Mustafa Mohammad Awad, 16, and Ramzi Abdul-Hamid Al-‘Allamy, 15.
Both children were taken prisoner from their homes, while the soldiers also violently attacked and beat Al-‘Allamy.
Awad added that violent clashes took place in the town as local youths hurled stones at the invading soldiers. The army fired gas bombs and dozens of rubber-coated metal bullets.
He said that resident Ahmad Khalil Abu Hashem, 21, was shot by a rubber-coated bullet in his left shoulder, and another resident identified as Aktam Yousef Ikhlayyil, was shot in his abdomen and right arm. They were moved to the Hebron Government Hospital suffering moderate injuries.
Three more Palestinians suffered mild injuries after being hit by rubber-coated metal bullets, and were treated by local medics; their injuries did not require hospitalization.
Furthermore, Red Crescent medics provided treatment to a number of residents who suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.
Several families had to leave their homes at dawn due to the large number of gas bombs fired by the army.
Awad said that clashes took place in several main areas in the town, and that a number of youths hurled Molotov cocktails at a armored Israeli military vehicles; one armored troop carrier was burnt, no injuries have been reported among the soldiers.
Several soldiers also broke into a number of homes, and violently searched them causing property damage, and terrifying the residents, especially the children.
Earlier on Wednesday, dozens of soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and kidnapped one resident. Another resident was also kidnapped in Teqoua’ village, near Bethlehem.
Israel soldiers invaded Palestinian communities in the occupied territories on a daily basis, violently break into and search local homes, and kidnap residents.
According to Wadi Hilweh Information Center, the Israeli police raided the Silwan area in East Jerusalem on Monday, attacked two Palestinian minors, and arrested another.
The Information Center reported that this incursion involved an undercover Israeli unit, intercepting the minors as they were going home. The unit also lashed out violently at families, when they attempted to prevent the attacks on these children.
The Information Center reported that this incursion involved an undercover Israeli unit, intercepting the minors as they were going home. The unit also lashed out violently at families, when they attempted to prevent the attacks on these children.
A number of young activists staged a sit-in on Tuesday evening before the main office of the International Red Cross in the Gaza Strip in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike.
The participants decided to break their fast on Ramadan 28th with briny water to show solidarity with the hunger strikers.
Yasser Ashour, one of the coordinators of the initiative, said in a press statement that "the activity came to confirm that the prisoners issue must be the focus of everyone's attention,"
He stressed that young people will remain the Palestinian enforcers of prisoners issue and their work should be huge to activate the issue of prisoners.
Activist Mohammed Hasna called on the Palestinian youth to organize such activities on a regular basis, calling on Arab nations to immediately intervene to save the hunger strikers by pressing their governments to make feasible decisions that would help release them.
This article was originally posted on Alray. Click here to view the original article.
The participants decided to break their fast on Ramadan 28th with briny water to show solidarity with the hunger strikers.
Yasser Ashour, one of the coordinators of the initiative, said in a press statement that "the activity came to confirm that the prisoners issue must be the focus of everyone's attention,"
He stressed that young people will remain the Palestinian enforcers of prisoners issue and their work should be huge to activate the issue of prisoners.
Activist Mohammed Hasna called on the Palestinian youth to organize such activities on a regular basis, calling on Arab nations to immediately intervene to save the hunger strikers by pressing their governments to make feasible decisions that would help release them.
This article was originally posted on Alray. Click here to view the original article.
Cabinet congratulated, during its meeting in Ramallah Tuesday, chaired by Dr. Rami Hamdallah, the Prime Minister of the caretaker government, the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations on Eid Al-Fitr, and wished to have a blessed one and for the freedom and independence of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, and stressed that the specialized governmental committees are functioning responsibly when it comes to controlling prices and protecting citizens from exploitation during the festive period, in addition to the distribution of the financial assistance to the needy citizens.
In another context, Cabinet condemned the continuing violations of the army and settlers against Palestinian civilians and their properties, in addition to the latest decision of the Israeli government which supports more than 90 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the attacks and beating against Palestinian children at a military checkpoint in the south of Hebron and Bethlehem, as well as the smashing of more than 15 vehicles by settlers in the south of Nablus and the attacks on farmers and shepherds which caused the death of many of their cattle in the south of Nablus.
Cabinet warned of the Minister of the Israeli Economy's call to kill Palestinian prisoners immediately after their arrest which was seen as a clear threat, it also called on the international community and human rights organizations to hold responsible to protect the Palestinian prisoners and compel Israel to the international law and to stop its violations against them and save the lives of the prisoners on hunger strike, especially Jordanian prisoners who have been suffering from critical health conditions.
In a separate context, Cabinet welcomed the initiative of the Palestinian leadership in Syria, which requires the departure of all Syrian militants in the Palestinian refugee camps and to emphasize the neutrality of the refugee camps from the Syrian conflict, it also called on the Syrian parties to abide by the terms of the Palestinian initiative about the ongoing conflict and stop the killings of our people.
In another context, Cabinet condemned the continuing violations of the army and settlers against Palestinian civilians and their properties, in addition to the latest decision of the Israeli government which supports more than 90 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the attacks and beating against Palestinian children at a military checkpoint in the south of Hebron and Bethlehem, as well as the smashing of more than 15 vehicles by settlers in the south of Nablus and the attacks on farmers and shepherds which caused the death of many of their cattle in the south of Nablus.
Cabinet warned of the Minister of the Israeli Economy's call to kill Palestinian prisoners immediately after their arrest which was seen as a clear threat, it also called on the international community and human rights organizations to hold responsible to protect the Palestinian prisoners and compel Israel to the international law and to stop its violations against them and save the lives of the prisoners on hunger strike, especially Jordanian prisoners who have been suffering from critical health conditions.
In a separate context, Cabinet welcomed the initiative of the Palestinian leadership in Syria, which requires the departure of all Syrian militants in the Palestinian refugee camps and to emphasize the neutrality of the refugee camps from the Syrian conflict, it also called on the Syrian parties to abide by the terms of the Palestinian initiative about the ongoing conflict and stop the killings of our people.
Several armored Israeli military vehicles invaded, on Wednesday at dawn [August 7 2013], the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and kidnapped one resident; clashes and injuries have been reported. One resident was also kidnapped in Bethlehem. Local and medical sources in Jenin have reported that more than 12 military vehicles invaded the city just before dawn prayers, and added that the invasion targeted the southern area, especially the Jaffa Street area.
At least two Palestinians have been treated for the effects of teargas inhalation, while the soldiers also broke into the home of resident Abdul-Halim Ezzeddeen, violently searched the property and kidnapped him before taking him to an unknown destination.
Local sources said that Ezzeddeen, a political leader of the Islamic Jihad Movement, was interrogated in his home before the army kidnapped him.
Furthermore, clashes took place at the Ministry Of Interior Junction in the city, while the soldiers fired dozens of gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at the invading soldiers.
Two least two Palestinians received treatment for the effects of teargas inhalation.
In related news, dozens of soldiers invaded the Teqoua’ village, west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and kidnapped one resident identified as Mohammad Nasser Ta’amra, 20.
Local sources said that the soldiers searched the home of Ta’amra before kidnapping him.
At least two Palestinians have been treated for the effects of teargas inhalation, while the soldiers also broke into the home of resident Abdul-Halim Ezzeddeen, violently searched the property and kidnapped him before taking him to an unknown destination.
Local sources said that Ezzeddeen, a political leader of the Islamic Jihad Movement, was interrogated in his home before the army kidnapped him.
Furthermore, clashes took place at the Ministry Of Interior Junction in the city, while the soldiers fired dozens of gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at the invading soldiers.
Two least two Palestinians received treatment for the effects of teargas inhalation.
In related news, dozens of soldiers invaded the Teqoua’ village, west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and kidnapped one resident identified as Mohammad Nasser Ta’amra, 20.
Local sources said that the soldiers searched the home of Ta’amra before kidnapping him.
