2 jan 2017

The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) are still holding the Palestinian professor Esam al-Ashqar, 57, in custody without charge or trial despite his difficult health condition.
The lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Society said, after the visit he paid to the Palestinian professor in Ramleh prison clinic, that Ashqar is suffering from blood pressure problems, chronic headache, and stiffness and stenosis in the arteries leading to the kidneys.
The lawyer added that Ashqar had a semi-clot in the brain before his detention, which led to an almost complete paralysis in the right side of his body.
Ashqar is a professor of physical sciences and a lecturer in al-Najah University. He was arrested several times, and either served sentences in Israeli jails or was held in administrative detention. He was lately arrested on 24th November 2016.
The lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Society said, after the visit he paid to the Palestinian professor in Ramleh prison clinic, that Ashqar is suffering from blood pressure problems, chronic headache, and stiffness and stenosis in the arteries leading to the kidneys.
The lawyer added that Ashqar had a semi-clot in the brain before his detention, which led to an almost complete paralysis in the right side of his body.
Ashqar is a professor of physical sciences and a lecturer in al-Najah University. He was arrested several times, and either served sentences in Israeli jails or was held in administrative detention. He was lately arrested on 24th November 2016.

Israeli forces detained at least 15 Palestinians, including eight minors, during overnight and predawn military raids Monday in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinians sources.
In the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem, Palestinian security sources told Ma’an that Suhaib Sami Jalad, 16, Diyaa Eyad Kamel Ahmad, 16, and Huthaifa Jihad Jalad, 17, were detained in an area near the Nitzani Oz checkpoint in the western part of Tulkarem and took them to an unknown location.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said in a statement that the three were later released.
According to PPS, eight Palestinians were detained from the Jerusalem district, including five minors between the ages of 15-17.
The minors were identified as Ameer Darwish, Adam Mustafa, Hussam Eliyan, Moumen Hashim and Saleh Abu Assab. PPS also identified two Jerusalemite brothers who were detained as Omar and Nasser Ibrahim.
In the southern West Bank Hebron district, local activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the town of Beit Ummar north west of Hebron and detained former prisoners Muhammad Kamel Zaaqiq, 26, and Anwar Yousif Ekhdir Awad, 22.
Locals in Hebron city told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the city and detained Adel Barakat Ghayth from his house.
According to PPS, Nasser Rabee Abu Snina, 22, was also detained from Hebron.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed a total of three overnight detentions to Ma’an, citing two from Beit Ummar and one from Hebron city.
Israeli forces conduct night raids across the occupied Palestinian territory on a near-daily basis. According to UN documentation, the Israeli army carried out 178 military detention raids between Dec. 13 and Dec. 26.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of October. The organization estimates that 40 percent of Palestinian men have been detained by Israel at some point in their lives.
In the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem, Palestinian security sources told Ma’an that Suhaib Sami Jalad, 16, Diyaa Eyad Kamel Ahmad, 16, and Huthaifa Jihad Jalad, 17, were detained in an area near the Nitzani Oz checkpoint in the western part of Tulkarem and took them to an unknown location.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said in a statement that the three were later released.
According to PPS, eight Palestinians were detained from the Jerusalem district, including five minors between the ages of 15-17.
The minors were identified as Ameer Darwish, Adam Mustafa, Hussam Eliyan, Moumen Hashim and Saleh Abu Assab. PPS also identified two Jerusalemite brothers who were detained as Omar and Nasser Ibrahim.
In the southern West Bank Hebron district, local activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the town of Beit Ummar north west of Hebron and detained former prisoners Muhammad Kamel Zaaqiq, 26, and Anwar Yousif Ekhdir Awad, 22.
Locals in Hebron city told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the city and detained Adel Barakat Ghayth from his house.
According to PPS, Nasser Rabee Abu Snina, 22, was also detained from Hebron.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed a total of three overnight detentions to Ma’an, citing two from Beit Ummar and one from Hebron city.
Israeli forces conduct night raids across the occupied Palestinian territory on a near-daily basis. According to UN documentation, the Israeli army carried out 178 military detention raids between Dec. 13 and Dec. 26.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of October. The organization estimates that 40 percent of Palestinian men have been detained by Israel at some point in their lives.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday morning arrested five staff members of the Palestinian reconstruction committee in the Old City of al-Khalil, in the southern West Bank.
Head of the local reconstruction committee, Emad Hamdan, said the IOF stormed a home under construction in al-Shuhadaa Street, in al-Khalil, and arrested five workers.
According to Hamdan, staff members of the local reconstruction committee have often been targeted by Israeli abduction sweeps. A number of workers have been forced to shell out steep fines in order to be released from Israeli custody.
A predawn time, three Palestinian ex-prisoners were kidnapped by the occupation soldiers from al-Khalil province.
Head of the local reconstruction committee, Emad Hamdan, said the IOF stormed a home under construction in al-Shuhadaa Street, in al-Khalil, and arrested five workers.
According to Hamdan, staff members of the local reconstruction committee have often been targeted by Israeli abduction sweeps. A number of workers have been forced to shell out steep fines in order to be released from Israeli custody.
A predawn time, three Palestinian ex-prisoners were kidnapped by the occupation soldiers from al-Khalil province.

Israeli Special Forces assigned for quelling prisoners stormed overnight section 1 in Nafha prison and carried out a violent search campaign, Prisoners Information Center revealed Monday.
Speaking to the PIC reporter, head of the center Abdul Rahman Shadid affirmed that Israeli forces stormed section 1 where Hamas’ prisoners are held and violently searched their belongings.
The Special Forces also prevented the prisoners from going out and violently attacked them with pepper gas.
Shadid pointed out that a state of tension has been erupted throughout the prison, warming of more punitive measures against the prisoners.
Israeli cabinet declared Sunday a series of punitive measures against Hamas’ prisoners and martyrs in a failed attempt to push for the release of Israeli soldiers captured by Qassam Brigades during 2014 aggression on Gaza.
Speaking to the PIC reporter, head of the center Abdul Rahman Shadid affirmed that Israeli forces stormed section 1 where Hamas’ prisoners are held and violently searched their belongings.
The Special Forces also prevented the prisoners from going out and violently attacked them with pepper gas.
Shadid pointed out that a state of tension has been erupted throughout the prison, warming of more punitive measures against the prisoners.
Israeli cabinet declared Sunday a series of punitive measures against Hamas’ prisoners and martyrs in a failed attempt to push for the release of Israeli soldiers captured by Qassam Brigades during 2014 aggression on Gaza.

Israeli soldiers abducted, on Sunday evening, three Palestinian teens in Tulkarem city, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.
The Tulkarem office of the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said the soldiers invaded an area close to a factory, west of the city, and abducted three teens who were walking nearby.
It identified the abducted Palestinians as Soheib Sami al-Jallad, 16, Hotheifa Jihad al-Jallad, 17, and Dia’ Kamel Ahmad, 16.
The soldiers cuffed and blindfolded the three abducted teens, and took them to an unknown destination.
The Tulkarem office of the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said the soldiers invaded an area close to a factory, west of the city, and abducted three teens who were walking nearby.
It identified the abducted Palestinians as Soheib Sami al-Jallad, 16, Hotheifa Jihad al-Jallad, 17, and Dia’ Kamel Ahmad, 16.
The soldiers cuffed and blindfolded the three abducted teens, and took them to an unknown destination.
1 jan 2017

The Israeli magistrate's court in Jerusalem on Sunday postponed announcing a sentence for 16-year-old Manar Shweiki, accused of planning to carry out a stabbing attack against Israelis.
The ruling was postponed until the court receives a report regarding her behavior over the course of the year that she has already served in Israeli custody. Nevertheless, Shweiki's lawyer Mustafa Yahya said he already reached a plea bargain with the Israeli prosecution, according to which Shweiki will be sentenced to six years in prison.
Shweiki was detained on Dec. 22, 2015 in the Wadi Hilweh area of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, when she was accused of planning to carry out a stabbing attack against Israelis.
Israeli authorities claimed at the time that she was carrying a knife in her school bag.
She is currently being held at Israel's HaSharon prison.
Marie’s prison sentence is the latest in an Israeli crackdown on young Jerusalemite Palestinians, many of them women, who have been accused of involvement in attacks, while Israeli authorities have ordered lengthy prison sentences for Palestinians as young as 14 years old.
Last week, the Jerusalem magistrate's court sentenced 22-year-old Abd al-Aziz Hamad Marie to 35 years in prison for allegedly assisting in a stabbing attack.
Days earlier, the court sentenced 19-year-old Shurouq Dwayya to 16 years in prison and her family was fined of 80,000 shekels ($20,929).
Shurouq was shot and injured by the 35-year-old Israeli settler after she allegedly attempted to stab him on Oct. 7, 2015. However, witnesses told Ma'an at the time that she had been assaulted by the Israeli settler and did not have any sharp objects on her at the time of the incident.
The week prior, an Israeli military court sentenced 15-year-old Natalie Shukha to a year and a half in prison after she was convicted of attempting to stab an Israeli soldier at a military checkpoint. Shukha was shot in the chest and injured by Israeli forces on the scene.
According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, some 10,000 Palestinian women and girls have been detained by Israeli forces over the past 45 years. In 2015 alone, Israeli forces detained 106 Palestinian women and girls, which according to the group represented a 70 percent increase compared to detention numbers in 2013.
In October, Addameer reported that Israel was holding 64 female Palestinian prisoners and some 400 Palestinian minors.
Since a wave of political unrest spread across the occupied Palestinian territory in October, leading to Israeli forces carrying out mass detention campaigns, the number of Palestinian women and girls detained by Israeli forces has risen sharply.
Since Oct. 2015, 34 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians and 246 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers. While Israel alleges many of those were attempting to attack Israelis when they were shot, Palestinians and rights groups have disputed Israel's version of events in a number of cases.
The ruling was postponed until the court receives a report regarding her behavior over the course of the year that she has already served in Israeli custody. Nevertheless, Shweiki's lawyer Mustafa Yahya said he already reached a plea bargain with the Israeli prosecution, according to which Shweiki will be sentenced to six years in prison.
Shweiki was detained on Dec. 22, 2015 in the Wadi Hilweh area of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, when she was accused of planning to carry out a stabbing attack against Israelis.
Israeli authorities claimed at the time that she was carrying a knife in her school bag.
She is currently being held at Israel's HaSharon prison.
Marie’s prison sentence is the latest in an Israeli crackdown on young Jerusalemite Palestinians, many of them women, who have been accused of involvement in attacks, while Israeli authorities have ordered lengthy prison sentences for Palestinians as young as 14 years old.
Last week, the Jerusalem magistrate's court sentenced 22-year-old Abd al-Aziz Hamad Marie to 35 years in prison for allegedly assisting in a stabbing attack.
Days earlier, the court sentenced 19-year-old Shurouq Dwayya to 16 years in prison and her family was fined of 80,000 shekels ($20,929).
Shurouq was shot and injured by the 35-year-old Israeli settler after she allegedly attempted to stab him on Oct. 7, 2015. However, witnesses told Ma'an at the time that she had been assaulted by the Israeli settler and did not have any sharp objects on her at the time of the incident.
The week prior, an Israeli military court sentenced 15-year-old Natalie Shukha to a year and a half in prison after she was convicted of attempting to stab an Israeli soldier at a military checkpoint. Shukha was shot in the chest and injured by Israeli forces on the scene.
According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, some 10,000 Palestinian women and girls have been detained by Israeli forces over the past 45 years. In 2015 alone, Israeli forces detained 106 Palestinian women and girls, which according to the group represented a 70 percent increase compared to detention numbers in 2013.
In October, Addameer reported that Israel was holding 64 female Palestinian prisoners and some 400 Palestinian minors.
Since a wave of political unrest spread across the occupied Palestinian territory in October, leading to Israeli forces carrying out mass detention campaigns, the number of Palestinian women and girls detained by Israeli forces has risen sharply.
Since Oct. 2015, 34 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians and 246 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers. While Israel alleges many of those were attempting to attack Israelis when they were shot, Palestinians and rights groups have disputed Israel's version of events in a number of cases.

Israeli prison guards arrested on Sunday the mother of a Jerusalemite detainee when she arrived at the Gilboa jail to visit her son.
Amjad Abu Assab, chairman of Jerusalem Committee for Families of Prisoners, said that the guards arrested Raeda Alian, mother of the detainee Mohammed Alian, once she entered the prison to visit her son.
He added that she was then taken to the Israeli police station in the area without a clear reason.
Mohammed Alian, who spent more than a year and a half in the Israeli jail, is from al-Issawiya village to the east of occupied Jerusalem. In June 2016, he was sentenced to 44 months on charges of throwing Molotov cocktails at the Israeli forces and being a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Amjad Abu Assab, chairman of Jerusalem Committee for Families of Prisoners, said that the guards arrested Raeda Alian, mother of the detainee Mohammed Alian, once she entered the prison to visit her son.
He added that she was then taken to the Israeli police station in the area without a clear reason.
Mohammed Alian, who spent more than a year and a half in the Israeli jail, is from al-Issawiya village to the east of occupied Jerusalem. In June 2016, he was sentenced to 44 months on charges of throwing Molotov cocktails at the Israeli forces and being a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The Palestinian detainee Mohammed Alaqmeh, 27, from Barta'a town to the south of Jenin city continued his open hunger strike he started 6 days ago after his administrative detention in Israeli jail was extended last week.
Munir Alaqmeh, brother of the detainee, told the PIC reporter on Sunday that his brother was arrested last August at Barta'a checkpoint while returning home. The Palestinian detainee served 4 months in administrative detention before the detention period was extended few days ago.
Alaqmeh said that his brother, who is currently held in Negev prison, has been on hunger strike for 6 days now, adding that Mohammed is married and has two children.
Munir Alaqmeh, brother of the detainee, told the PIC reporter on Sunday that his brother was arrested last August at Barta'a checkpoint while returning home. The Palestinian detainee served 4 months in administrative detention before the detention period was extended few days ago.
Alaqmeh said that his brother, who is currently held in Negev prison, has been on hunger strike for 6 days now, adding that Mohammed is married and has two children.

At least eight Palestinians were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in an abduction weep rocking West Bank provinces at dawn Sunday.
The Israeli occupation army claimed responsibility for the abduction of seven Palestinians from the West Bank provinces of Jenin and al-Khalil.
15-year-old child Rani Mohamed Ihdeib was kidnapped by the IOF from al-Arroub Camp, in al-Khalil while youngster Bajis Sweiti was kidnapped from Beit Awa.
Another Palestinian, indentified as Hesham Salah, was kidnapped by the occupation soldiers as he was driving near the Container checkpoint, in Bethlehem province.
At predawn time, the IOF wreaked havoc on civilian homes in Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jenin and attacked the Palestinian protesters with randomly-unlashed spates of teargas canisters.
The Israeli occupation army claimed responsibility for the abduction of seven Palestinians from the West Bank provinces of Jenin and al-Khalil.
15-year-old child Rani Mohamed Ihdeib was kidnapped by the IOF from al-Arroub Camp, in al-Khalil while youngster Bajis Sweiti was kidnapped from Beit Awa.
Another Palestinian, indentified as Hesham Salah, was kidnapped by the occupation soldiers as he was driving near the Container checkpoint, in Bethlehem province.
At predawn time, the IOF wreaked havoc on civilian homes in Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jenin and attacked the Palestinian protesters with randomly-unlashed spates of teargas canisters.

The Israeli magistrate court in Occupied Jerusalem on Saturday extended the detention of Jihan Hashima, a 35-year-old woman from al-Issawiya district, until next Thursday.
According to lawyer Mohamed Mahmoud, a court hearing was held in absentia for Hashima, who suffered bullet injuries after Israeli border soldiers opened fire at her on Friday morning at Qalandiya checkpoint on suspicion of possessing a knife.
Hashima underwent surgery in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital after being shot three times in the leg.
The Israeli police claimed the woman was carrying a knife and walking towards the vehicle lane of the checkpoint, although eyewitnesses confirmed there was no knife in her hand.
According to lawyer Mohamed Mahmoud, a court hearing was held in absentia for Hashima, who suffered bullet injuries after Israeli border soldiers opened fire at her on Friday morning at Qalandiya checkpoint on suspicion of possessing a knife.
Hashima underwent surgery in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital after being shot three times in the leg.
The Israeli police claimed the woman was carrying a knife and walking towards the vehicle lane of the checkpoint, although eyewitnesses confirmed there was no knife in her hand.
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