26 jan 2018
French academics and writers published a collective letter in Le Monde on 23 January, focusing on the case of Ahed Tamimi and the plight of the approximately 360 Palestinian child prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The letter also highlights the case of Salah Hamouri, the French-Palestinian lawyer jailed without charge or trial under administrative detention. Public officials and municipalities across the country have adopted declarations demanding Hamouri’s release and even the French government has acceded to the popular call to demand his freedom.
The statement follows below:
We call for the support and intervention of the President to stop the detention of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. We especially wish to draw attention to the case of Ahed Tamimi, pursued by the Israeli government. Last 15 December, Mohammed Tamimi, 15, was hit in the head by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired at close range by soldiers of the Israeli occupation army. The boy was in critical condition and his cousin Ahed Tamimi, age 16, was visibly upset by the announcement of his condition and the severity of his injuries.
This same unit of soldiers approached the family home an hour later, and Ahed screamed at them and slapped a soldier. This time, the encounter was filmed by her mother and posted on social media, and it shows the courage of an unarmed teenager confronting two heavily armed soldiers.
On 19 December 2017, Ahed Tamimi was abducted from her home in the night by the army and brought before a military court. The twelve counts of indictment brought against her could carry a sentence of 12 years in prison. Israeli military courts deal exclusively with Palestinian prisoners, with a conviction rate of 99.74 percent. Thus, the future of Ahed Tamimi appears dark without intervention.
Some as young as 12
We call on the President to provide urgent support for the immediate release of Ahed Tamimi and the dismissal of all charges against her. However, Ahed Tamimi’s case is not isolated. According to Defense for Children International – Palestine, Israel brings 500 to 700 Palestinian children before military courts each year, some as young as 12. It imprisons an average of 200 children in any given period.
According to the reports of international agencies, including UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, Amnesty International and Defense for Children International – Palestine, three out of every four children arrested experience violence during arrest or interrogation. They are frequently arrested in night raids on their home; 85 percent of arrested Palestinian children were blindfolded and 95 percent were handcuffed.
They are deprived of access to lawyers, denied the presence of their parents during interrogation and forced to sign confessions. They are also subject to “administrative detention,” imprisonment without charge or trial. They are often detained in detention centers located outside the territories occupied by Israel, making visits from their families difficult. The use of isolation cells for the interrogation of children is a practice that has been likened to torture under international law.
Salah Hamouri victim of the same procedure
The UNICEF report of 2013, “Children in Israeli military detention,” concludes: “The abuse of children in contact with the military detention system appears to be widespread, systemic and institutionalized throughout the process, from the time of arrest through the prosecution of the child, their potential conviction and the application of a penalty.”
We urge President Emmanuel Macron to take action urgently to contact the Israeli authorities to finally end their detention practices that violate children’s rights, human rights and international law. We also remind him that, to date, our compatriot Salah Hamouri also remains in Israeli jails, a victim of the same unfair framework of “administrative detention.” France must ask so that Ahed Tamimi and other Palestinian child prisoners come home as soon as possible. We cannot look away while children and one of our compatriots are illegally detained far from their families.
Signatories: Etienne Balibar, emeritus professor of philosophy, université de Paris- Ouest ; Pierre Barbancey, journalist ; Michel Benassayag, psychoanalyst and philosopher ; Rony Brauman, physician and essayist ; Alain Brossat, professor of philosophy ; Marie Buisson, FERC CGT ; Cybèle David, organizer of the SUD Education Federation ; Alain Gresh, editor of the online journal OrientXXI.info ; Bernadette Groison, general secretary of the FSU ; Nacira Guénif, sociologist, université Paris-8 ; Kaddour Hadadi, artist (HK) ; Geneviève Jacques, president of Cimade ; Nicole Lapierre, social anthropologist ; Jean Etienne de Linarès, CEO of ACAT ; Gilles Manceron, historian ; Malik Salembour, president of the LDH ; Sylvie Tissot, sociologist ; Dominique Vidal, collaborator of Le Monde diplomatique.
Original French version at Samidoun.
The letter also highlights the case of Salah Hamouri, the French-Palestinian lawyer jailed without charge or trial under administrative detention. Public officials and municipalities across the country have adopted declarations demanding Hamouri’s release and even the French government has acceded to the popular call to demand his freedom.
The statement follows below:
We call for the support and intervention of the President to stop the detention of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. We especially wish to draw attention to the case of Ahed Tamimi, pursued by the Israeli government. Last 15 December, Mohammed Tamimi, 15, was hit in the head by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired at close range by soldiers of the Israeli occupation army. The boy was in critical condition and his cousin Ahed Tamimi, age 16, was visibly upset by the announcement of his condition and the severity of his injuries.
This same unit of soldiers approached the family home an hour later, and Ahed screamed at them and slapped a soldier. This time, the encounter was filmed by her mother and posted on social media, and it shows the courage of an unarmed teenager confronting two heavily armed soldiers.
On 19 December 2017, Ahed Tamimi was abducted from her home in the night by the army and brought before a military court. The twelve counts of indictment brought against her could carry a sentence of 12 years in prison. Israeli military courts deal exclusively with Palestinian prisoners, with a conviction rate of 99.74 percent. Thus, the future of Ahed Tamimi appears dark without intervention.
Some as young as 12
We call on the President to provide urgent support for the immediate release of Ahed Tamimi and the dismissal of all charges against her. However, Ahed Tamimi’s case is not isolated. According to Defense for Children International – Palestine, Israel brings 500 to 700 Palestinian children before military courts each year, some as young as 12. It imprisons an average of 200 children in any given period.
According to the reports of international agencies, including UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, Amnesty International and Defense for Children International – Palestine, three out of every four children arrested experience violence during arrest or interrogation. They are frequently arrested in night raids on their home; 85 percent of arrested Palestinian children were blindfolded and 95 percent were handcuffed.
They are deprived of access to lawyers, denied the presence of their parents during interrogation and forced to sign confessions. They are also subject to “administrative detention,” imprisonment without charge or trial. They are often detained in detention centers located outside the territories occupied by Israel, making visits from their families difficult. The use of isolation cells for the interrogation of children is a practice that has been likened to torture under international law.
Salah Hamouri victim of the same procedure
The UNICEF report of 2013, “Children in Israeli military detention,” concludes: “The abuse of children in contact with the military detention system appears to be widespread, systemic and institutionalized throughout the process, from the time of arrest through the prosecution of the child, their potential conviction and the application of a penalty.”
We urge President Emmanuel Macron to take action urgently to contact the Israeli authorities to finally end their detention practices that violate children’s rights, human rights and international law. We also remind him that, to date, our compatriot Salah Hamouri also remains in Israeli jails, a victim of the same unfair framework of “administrative detention.” France must ask so that Ahed Tamimi and other Palestinian child prisoners come home as soon as possible. We cannot look away while children and one of our compatriots are illegally detained far from their families.
Signatories: Etienne Balibar, emeritus professor of philosophy, université de Paris- Ouest ; Pierre Barbancey, journalist ; Michel Benassayag, psychoanalyst and philosopher ; Rony Brauman, physician and essayist ; Alain Brossat, professor of philosophy ; Marie Buisson, FERC CGT ; Cybèle David, organizer of the SUD Education Federation ; Alain Gresh, editor of the online journal OrientXXI.info ; Bernadette Groison, general secretary of the FSU ; Nacira Guénif, sociologist, université Paris-8 ; Kaddour Hadadi, artist (HK) ; Geneviève Jacques, president of Cimade ; Nicole Lapierre, social anthropologist ; Jean Etienne de Linarès, CEO of ACAT ; Gilles Manceron, historian ; Malik Salembour, president of the LDH ; Sylvie Tissot, sociologist ; Dominique Vidal, collaborator of Le Monde diplomatique.
Original French version at Samidoun.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Friday arrested at least five Palestinian citizens and summoned others in raid campaigns launched in the West Bank.
A local source said that the IOF soldiers at dawn raided the southern area of al-Khalil city and arrested two Palestinian citizens after claiming that they had found a gun inside their house that was intended to be used in an anti-Israel attack.
According to the PIC reporter, the IOF broke into the house of the Palestinian prisoner Mousa Halaiqa in al-Shuyoukh town and handed his two sons summonses to appear before the Israeli intelligence in Etzion detention center.
Local sources told the PIC reporter that the IOF for the 9th day in a row carried out a large-scale search operation in Jenin and raided dozens of Palestinian houses in search for the wanted Palestinian Ahmad Jarrar.
The operation was accompanied by intensive deployment of Israeli military vehicles in the towns and villages of Jenin.
A Palestinian youth was reportedly arrested in Jenin city and transferred to an unknown destination.
In another context, the IOF stormed al-Lubban al-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus, searched a number of houses and confiscated two Palestinian vehicles.
The IOF kidnapped a Palestinian young man while he was passing through a military checkpoint near Nablus and arrested another after breaking into his house in Awarta town in Nablus and wreaking havoc on it.
A local source said that the IOF soldiers at dawn raided the southern area of al-Khalil city and arrested two Palestinian citizens after claiming that they had found a gun inside their house that was intended to be used in an anti-Israel attack.
According to the PIC reporter, the IOF broke into the house of the Palestinian prisoner Mousa Halaiqa in al-Shuyoukh town and handed his two sons summonses to appear before the Israeli intelligence in Etzion detention center.
Local sources told the PIC reporter that the IOF for the 9th day in a row carried out a large-scale search operation in Jenin and raided dozens of Palestinian houses in search for the wanted Palestinian Ahmad Jarrar.
The operation was accompanied by intensive deployment of Israeli military vehicles in the towns and villages of Jenin.
A Palestinian youth was reportedly arrested in Jenin city and transferred to an unknown destination.
In another context, the IOF stormed al-Lubban al-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus, searched a number of houses and confiscated two Palestinian vehicles.
The IOF kidnapped a Palestinian young man while he was passing through a military checkpoint near Nablus and arrested another after breaking into his house in Awarta town in Nablus and wreaking havoc on it.
A commission for supporting the Palestinians inside the Green Line has strongly denounced the Israeli security authorities for persisting in persecuting Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib, a senior official of the high follow-up committee for Arab citizens of Israel and head of its committee of freedoms, prisoners and martyrs.
“What Sheikh Khatib is being exposed to is a continuation of the aggressive policy that aims to obliterate our political, social and human existence in our occupied land,” head of the commission Helmi al-Balbisi, said in a press release on Thursday.
Balbisi expressed his belief that “Israel’s hostile attitude towards the symbols of the Palestinian national action in occupied Palestine is a prelude to declaring itself as a Jewish state.”
The Israeli police last Tuesday raided the house of Sheikh Khatib in Kafr Kanna town (Galilee) and arrested him to interrogate him about communicating with what they called banned groups before releasing him on the same day.
Sheikh Khatib had been detained and summoned arbitrarily by the police several times before, and there is a ban on his travel.
“What Sheikh Khatib is being exposed to is a continuation of the aggressive policy that aims to obliterate our political, social and human existence in our occupied land,” head of the commission Helmi al-Balbisi, said in a press release on Thursday.
Balbisi expressed his belief that “Israel’s hostile attitude towards the symbols of the Palestinian national action in occupied Palestine is a prelude to declaring itself as a Jewish state.”
The Israeli police last Tuesday raided the house of Sheikh Khatib in Kafr Kanna town (Galilee) and arrested him to interrogate him about communicating with what they called banned groups before releasing him on the same day.
Sheikh Khatib had been detained and summoned arbitrarily by the police several times before, and there is a ban on his travel.
The Israeli Jerusalem District Court on Thursday sentenced the Palestinian prisoner Naser Abu Khdeir to 16 months in prison and 10 months suspended.
Abu Khdeir's wife described the court's decision as unjust saying that no charge was leveled against her husband.
She told the PIC reporter that Naser has been held in Raymond jail in Negev desert since 21st May 2017, pointing out that her husband is in a difficult health condition as he is suffering from severe backaches.
Abu Khdeir's wife said that Naser spent more than 15 years in Israeli jails and that the last time he was imprisoned by the Israeli authorities he spent five years and a half. Only seven months following his release, Naser was re-arrested without charge.
Abu Khdeir is a prominent leader of national action in Occupied Jerusalem. A father of five, he has a master's degree in Zionist studies and had worked as a lecturer at al-Quds University (Abu Dis).
Abu Khdeir's wife described the court's decision as unjust saying that no charge was leveled against her husband.
She told the PIC reporter that Naser has been held in Raymond jail in Negev desert since 21st May 2017, pointing out that her husband is in a difficult health condition as he is suffering from severe backaches.
Abu Khdeir's wife said that Naser spent more than 15 years in Israeli jails and that the last time he was imprisoned by the Israeli authorities he spent five years and a half. Only seven months following his release, Naser was re-arrested without charge.
Abu Khdeir is a prominent leader of national action in Occupied Jerusalem. A father of five, he has a master's degree in Zionist studies and had worked as a lecturer at al-Quds University (Abu Dis).
After over 10 years in Israeli jails, the Israeli security authorities released Palestinian prisoner Yehya Ashour, a senior member of al-Aqsa Brigades, the dissolved armed wing of Fatah.
According to a reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) in al-Khalil, the Israeli occupation authority released 42-year-old Yehya Ashour from Negev jail after he completed his prison term, which lasted for 10 and a half years.
Relatives along with scores of national figures and citizens received him upon his release.
The Israeli occupation forces kidnapped Ashour in 2007 and accused him of being affiliated with al-Aqsa Brigades and being involved in armed activities against Israel.
According to a reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) in al-Khalil, the Israeli occupation authority released 42-year-old Yehya Ashour from Negev jail after he completed his prison term, which lasted for 10 and a half years.
Relatives along with scores of national figures and citizens received him upon his release.
The Israeli occupation forces kidnapped Ashour in 2007 and accused him of being affiliated with al-Aqsa Brigades and being involved in armed activities against Israel.
25 jan 2018
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MK Oren (L) believes Ahed Tamimi and her family are actors
Michael Oren reveals he had conducted a secret parliamentary investigation into the Tamimi family, suspecting their 'blond hair, freckles and Western clothes' belied the fact they were not 'real' Palestinians but part of the 'Pallywood' industry; Bassem Tamimi, Ahed's father, said the investigation was 'silly and racist.' Kulanu MK Michael Oren on Wednesday said he led a secret investigation into 16-year-old Palestinian provocateur Ahed Tamimi and her family, in part because their appearance—including "blond-haired, freckled" children in "Western clothes"—made them seem less like "real" Palestinians. |
The stunning comments by Oren, a deputy minister and former ambassador to the United States, promptly drew accusations of racism from the family—the latest twist in a case that has turned into a public relations headache for Israel.
The case revolves around Israel's handling of Ahed Tamimi, who was arrested on December 19 for slapping two Israeli soldiers outside her West Bank home four days earlier.
Video of the scuffle quickly spread, giving Tamimi worldwide attention. The girl, noticeable for her long blonde curls, and her mother are now being held in jail. Ahed faces charges that carry up to 14 years in prison.
Oren told The Associated Press that he had led a classified parliamentary investigation into the Tamimis two years ago in which Israeli security agencies and diplomats participated.
The family has a long history of leading protests against Israeli policies in the West Bank that often turn into clashes with soldiers in their village of Nabi Salih, and Ahed has been involved in highly publicized scuffles with soldiers in the past.
Oren said his investigation looked into whether the protests were genuine or whether the family members were provocateurs, paid to send children to clash with soldiers.
Derisively calling the skirmishes caught on tape "Pallywood," Oren claimed that "someone" was funding the unrest to harm Israel's image, without providing evidence.
"The Tamimi family and those claiming to be part of the Tamimi family have been provoking Israeli soldiers for many, many years now," he said. "The children were chosen on the basis of their appearance, to look Western, freckled, and blond-haired."
"They were dressed as Westerners," he added. "They don't dress the way children dress in the West Bank, for a very specific purpose: to get soldiers to react violently to them, to take pictures of this violence and to spread it around the world in order to delegitimize, discredit the State of Israel."
He called it a "very sophisticated operation" that has succeeded in manipulating the Western press.
In an interview with Channel 10, Oren claimed one boy appeared in different videos with a cast on one arm at one protest, and on his other arm at another protest, before disappearing from demonstrations altogether.
In a statement from his office, Oren said, "In discussions held in the committee, the issue of the family’s credibility was raised, and if it really is a real family."
Ahed's father, Bassem Tamimi, called Oren's investigation "silly and stupid" and said the investigation was racist.
"We, the Tamimi family, were here in Palestine before the creation of Israel, and we will stay," he said. "Denying that Palestinians could be blond reflects the racism in Israeli society."
Ahed has been celebrated by Palestinians as a national hero, and Israel's treatment of her has drawn the attention of international activists, human rights groups and UN officials.
In the December 15 video, she is seen approaching two soldiers standing outside her home. She yells at them, tells them to leave, then kicks and slaps them as they stand silently.
The family says the girl was upset because a young cousin had been shot in the head and seriously wounded with a rubber bullet fired by Israeli troops. But the altercation drew outrage in Israel over what some had seen as a humiliation of the military.
In a reflection of tensions, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the popular Army Radio station to ban any songs composed by Yehonatan Geffen, a leading journalist and songwriter, because of a poem he published that praised Ahed. The attorney general ruled that Lieberman has no authority over the station's programming.
Defense Minister Lieberman was then criticized by Geffen's two children, Shira and Aviv, who wrote a poem and an open letter respectively blasting him for his treatment of their father and political positions.
Opposition lawmaker Nachman Shai (Zionist Union), a former chief military spokesman who is often critical of the government, acknowledged that the incident has become part of the war for the "hearts and minds" of people around the world.
But he said Israel had no choice in how to handle the case.
"She does not deserve to return home as if nothing happened," he said. "You cannot ignore it, because that will cause other Palestinians to follow her."
Tamimi was arrested in an overnight raid on December 19, and her mother was arrested when she visited her daughter at a police station.
An Israeli military court has ordered they both be held for the duration of their trial—a process that is expected to take months. Ahed has been charged with 12 counts of attacking soldiers in five incidents going back to April 2016, while her mother has been charged with incitement. A cousin arrested with Ahed has been released on bail.
The family lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said the trial is scheduled to begin on January 31, Ahed's 17th birthday. She said she was hopeful prosecutors would not seek the maximum 14-year sentence for the girl and would agree to a reduced sentence of several months.
Asked about Oren's investigation, she said she was "ashamed" to hear a parliamentary committee was dealing with "wild conspiracy theories."
The case revolves around Israel's handling of Ahed Tamimi, who was arrested on December 19 for slapping two Israeli soldiers outside her West Bank home four days earlier.
Video of the scuffle quickly spread, giving Tamimi worldwide attention. The girl, noticeable for her long blonde curls, and her mother are now being held in jail. Ahed faces charges that carry up to 14 years in prison.
Oren told The Associated Press that he had led a classified parliamentary investigation into the Tamimis two years ago in which Israeli security agencies and diplomats participated.
The family has a long history of leading protests against Israeli policies in the West Bank that often turn into clashes with soldiers in their village of Nabi Salih, and Ahed has been involved in highly publicized scuffles with soldiers in the past.
Oren said his investigation looked into whether the protests were genuine or whether the family members were provocateurs, paid to send children to clash with soldiers.
Derisively calling the skirmishes caught on tape "Pallywood," Oren claimed that "someone" was funding the unrest to harm Israel's image, without providing evidence.
"The Tamimi family and those claiming to be part of the Tamimi family have been provoking Israeli soldiers for many, many years now," he said. "The children were chosen on the basis of their appearance, to look Western, freckled, and blond-haired."
"They were dressed as Westerners," he added. "They don't dress the way children dress in the West Bank, for a very specific purpose: to get soldiers to react violently to them, to take pictures of this violence and to spread it around the world in order to delegitimize, discredit the State of Israel."
He called it a "very sophisticated operation" that has succeeded in manipulating the Western press.
In an interview with Channel 10, Oren claimed one boy appeared in different videos with a cast on one arm at one protest, and on his other arm at another protest, before disappearing from demonstrations altogether.
In a statement from his office, Oren said, "In discussions held in the committee, the issue of the family’s credibility was raised, and if it really is a real family."
Ahed's father, Bassem Tamimi, called Oren's investigation "silly and stupid" and said the investigation was racist.
"We, the Tamimi family, were here in Palestine before the creation of Israel, and we will stay," he said. "Denying that Palestinians could be blond reflects the racism in Israeli society."
Ahed has been celebrated by Palestinians as a national hero, and Israel's treatment of her has drawn the attention of international activists, human rights groups and UN officials.
In the December 15 video, she is seen approaching two soldiers standing outside her home. She yells at them, tells them to leave, then kicks and slaps them as they stand silently.
The family says the girl was upset because a young cousin had been shot in the head and seriously wounded with a rubber bullet fired by Israeli troops. But the altercation drew outrage in Israel over what some had seen as a humiliation of the military.
In a reflection of tensions, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the popular Army Radio station to ban any songs composed by Yehonatan Geffen, a leading journalist and songwriter, because of a poem he published that praised Ahed. The attorney general ruled that Lieberman has no authority over the station's programming.
Defense Minister Lieberman was then criticized by Geffen's two children, Shira and Aviv, who wrote a poem and an open letter respectively blasting him for his treatment of their father and political positions.
Opposition lawmaker Nachman Shai (Zionist Union), a former chief military spokesman who is often critical of the government, acknowledged that the incident has become part of the war for the "hearts and minds" of people around the world.
But he said Israel had no choice in how to handle the case.
"She does not deserve to return home as if nothing happened," he said. "You cannot ignore it, because that will cause other Palestinians to follow her."
Tamimi was arrested in an overnight raid on December 19, and her mother was arrested when she visited her daughter at a police station.
An Israeli military court has ordered they both be held for the duration of their trial—a process that is expected to take months. Ahed has been charged with 12 counts of attacking soldiers in five incidents going back to April 2016, while her mother has been charged with incitement. A cousin arrested with Ahed has been released on bail.
The family lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said the trial is scheduled to begin on January 31, Ahed's 17th birthday. She said she was hopeful prosecutors would not seek the maximum 14-year sentence for the girl and would agree to a reduced sentence of several months.
Asked about Oren's investigation, she said she was "ashamed" to hear a parliamentary committee was dealing with "wild conspiracy theories."
Israel’s Salem military court extended the detention of two injured Palestinian children until January 30.
Mohamed Haj Mohamed and Ahmed Zaqzouq, both aged 15 and held at Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, have had their remand extended.
The two children were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces on January 23 after they were shot and injured near Zaatara military checkpoint, south of Nablus province.
An Israeli court in Occupied Jerusalem also ruled for extending the detention of four Palestinians, aged between 17 and 19, until Sunday.
The Israeli police spokesman claimed the four boys were arrested after they targeted Israeli guards with fireworks.
Mohamed Haj Mohamed and Ahmed Zaqzouq, both aged 15 and held at Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, have had their remand extended.
The two children were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces on January 23 after they were shot and injured near Zaatara military checkpoint, south of Nablus province.
An Israeli court in Occupied Jerusalem also ruled for extending the detention of four Palestinians, aged between 17 and 19, until Sunday.
The Israeli police spokesman claimed the four boys were arrested after they targeted Israeli guards with fireworks.
A Palestinian young man was kidnapped by the Israeli forces on Thursday from Palestinian territories occupied in 1948.
Israeli police kidnapped the Palestinian youth Fursan al-Ghoul from his workplace in 1948 Occupied Palestine.
Thousands of Palestinians working in 1948 occupied territories have been subjected to arbitrary manhunts and crackdowns by the Israeli forces on claims that they do not hold work permits.
Israeli police kidnapped the Palestinian youth Fursan al-Ghoul from his workplace in 1948 Occupied Palestine.
Thousands of Palestinians working in 1948 occupied territories have been subjected to arbitrary manhunts and crackdowns by the Israeli forces on claims that they do not hold work permits.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Thursday afternoon arrested a Palestinian man from Beit Ummar town north of al-Khalil while passing through the Container barrier in the city.
A local source said that IOF soldiers who were stationed at the Container barrier rounded up Ahmad al-Alami, 24, from Beit Ummar town.
Besides, two other youths were detained for a while at another IOF checkpoint near Yitzhar settlement which was established by force over Palestinian lands in Nablus.
The detained youths were released after checking their IDs and being abused and assaulted by IOF troops at the barrier.
A local source said that IOF soldiers who were stationed at the Container barrier rounded up Ahmad al-Alami, 24, from Beit Ummar town.
Besides, two other youths were detained for a while at another IOF checkpoint near Yitzhar settlement which was established by force over Palestinian lands in Nablus.
The detained youths were released after checking their IDs and being abused and assaulted by IOF troops at the barrier.
Israeli central court sentenced on Thursday morning three Jerusalemites to prison and imposed on them heavy fines.
The prisoner Mohamed Abu Kaf was sentenced to 15 years plus a fine of 50,000 shekels, while the prisoner Walid al-Atrash was imprisoned to 13 years plus a fine of 50,000 shekels.
Ali Issa was also sentenced to seven years imprisonment with a fine of 25, 000 shekels.
The three prisoners were arrested in September 2015 for being involved in the killing of an Israeli settler after throwing stones at his car while driving near Sur baher town.
The prisoner Mohamed Abu Kaf was sentenced to 15 years plus a fine of 50,000 shekels, while the prisoner Walid al-Atrash was imprisoned to 13 years plus a fine of 50,000 shekels.
Ali Issa was also sentenced to seven years imprisonment with a fine of 25, 000 shekels.
The three prisoners were arrested in September 2015 for being involved in the killing of an Israeli settler after throwing stones at his car while driving near Sur baher town.
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Thursday afternoon, two in two separate areas near Jerusalem, and took them to interrogation centers.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said the soldiers abducted Ahmad Mohammad al-‘Allami, 24, from Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The Palestinian was abducted at the “Container Roadblock,” south of occupied East Jerusalem, while he was on his way back to Hebron.
In addition, the soldiers abducted a young man, identified as Forsan Hani al-Ghoul, from Jenin refugee camp, in northern West Bank, while he was working in occupied Jerusalem.
In related news, dozens of soldiers and colonist settlers invaded the archeological area in Sebastia Palestinian town, northwest of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and removed Palestinian flags.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said the soldiers abducted Ahmad Mohammad al-‘Allami, 24, from Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The Palestinian was abducted at the “Container Roadblock,” south of occupied East Jerusalem, while he was on his way back to Hebron.
In addition, the soldiers abducted a young man, identified as Forsan Hani al-Ghoul, from Jenin refugee camp, in northern West Bank, while he was working in occupied Jerusalem.
In related news, dozens of soldiers and colonist settlers invaded the archeological area in Sebastia Palestinian town, northwest of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and removed Palestinian flags.
Israeli Supreme Court in Jerusalem rejected, early on Thursday, the appeal presented by the severely-burnt detainee Israa Jaabis, demanding to reduce her 11- year sentence, according to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency.
Earlier, on January 11, the Supreme Court postponed its response to the appeal of Jaabis and decided to send it to her lawyer, Lea Zimmel.
In turn, Israa’s family prepared to file a plea to the Israeli court to allow the entry of a surgeon and a psychologist to examine her condition.
In October of 2015, Jaabis was detained in critical condition after a gas cylinder exploded in her car, near a military checkpoint to the east of Jerusalem. She was sentenced to 11 years in jail after being charged with attempting to carry out a terrorist operation.
“There is no justification for my detention two years ago, without treatment or assistance,” Jaabis said during her appearance at the previous appeal hearing.
In an urgent letter from inside the Hasharon prison, she appealed for urgent intervention to provide treatment for her, and to follow up on her health in the difficult living conditions she suffers from.
Earlier, on January 11, the Supreme Court postponed its response to the appeal of Jaabis and decided to send it to her lawyer, Lea Zimmel.
In turn, Israa’s family prepared to file a plea to the Israeli court to allow the entry of a surgeon and a psychologist to examine her condition.
In October of 2015, Jaabis was detained in critical condition after a gas cylinder exploded in her car, near a military checkpoint to the east of Jerusalem. She was sentenced to 11 years in jail after being charged with attempting to carry out a terrorist operation.
“There is no justification for my detention two years ago, without treatment or assistance,” Jaabis said during her appearance at the previous appeal hearing.
In an urgent letter from inside the Hasharon prison, she appealed for urgent intervention to provide treatment for her, and to follow up on her health in the difficult living conditions she suffers from.
Updated: The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported that Israeli soldiers abducted, Thursday, a Palestinian father and his son, in Bani Neim town, east of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and one woman near the Ibrahimi Mosque, in Hebron city.
The PPS said the soldiers invaded and searched many homes, and interrogated several Palestinians, before abducting the father and his son.
It stated that the soldiers abducted Ahmad Damen Ziyadat, 47, and his son, Mohammad, and added that the soldiers also still in the town, breaking into homes, and stores, and searching them.
The soldiers searched Ziyadat’s home for more than two hours, removed and destroyed tiles, and furniture, causing excessive damage.
It is worth mentioning that the soldiers also abducted a woman, identified as Sahar Mousa Ezreiqat, 41, from Taffouh town, west of Hebron, after stopping her near the Ibrahimi Mosque, in Hebron city.
IOF arrests Palestinian woman near Ibrahimi mosque
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Thursday a Palestinian woman at a military checkpoint erected near the Ibrahimi mosque in al-Khalil.
Local sources affirmed that the woman Sahar Arzieqat, from Tafouh town west of the city, was stopped at a military checkpoint before being arrested and taken to unknown detention center.
Arzieqat, 41, was accompanied with her husband when she was detained, the sources added.
Earlier today, 14 Palesitnians were rounded up during Israeli pre-dawn raids into several West Bank towns and cities.
The PPS said the soldiers invaded and searched many homes, and interrogated several Palestinians, before abducting the father and his son.
It stated that the soldiers abducted Ahmad Damen Ziyadat, 47, and his son, Mohammad, and added that the soldiers also still in the town, breaking into homes, and stores, and searching them.
The soldiers searched Ziyadat’s home for more than two hours, removed and destroyed tiles, and furniture, causing excessive damage.
It is worth mentioning that the soldiers also abducted a woman, identified as Sahar Mousa Ezreiqat, 41, from Taffouh town, west of Hebron, after stopping her near the Ibrahimi Mosque, in Hebron city.
IOF arrests Palestinian woman near Ibrahimi mosque
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Thursday a Palestinian woman at a military checkpoint erected near the Ibrahimi mosque in al-Khalil.
Local sources affirmed that the woman Sahar Arzieqat, from Tafouh town west of the city, was stopped at a military checkpoint before being arrested and taken to unknown detention center.
Arzieqat, 41, was accompanied with her husband when she was detained, the sources added.
Earlier today, 14 Palesitnians were rounded up during Israeli pre-dawn raids into several West Bank towns and cities.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Thursday raided homes and kidnapped several Palestinian citizens during campaigns in different West Bank areas.
According to local sources, 14 Palestinians were taken prisoners during IOF campaigns in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, al-Khalil and Ramallah.
In Nablus, Israeli soldiers kidnapped a young man called Diya al-Aghbar from his home in the city.
In Bethlehem, two young men identified as Abdullah Abiyat and Nidhal Subaih were kidnapped from their homes in different areas.
The IOF also ransacked homes in Jenin, al-Khalil and Beit Liqya town in Ramallah and kidnapped several citizens.
According to local sources, 14 Palestinians were taken prisoners during IOF campaigns in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, al-Khalil and Ramallah.
In Nablus, Israeli soldiers kidnapped a young man called Diya al-Aghbar from his home in the city.
In Bethlehem, two young men identified as Abdullah Abiyat and Nidhal Subaih were kidnapped from their homes in different areas.
The IOF also ransacked homes in Jenin, al-Khalil and Beit Liqya town in Ramallah and kidnapped several citizens.
Israeli soldiers invaded, on Thursday morning, Sa’ir town, east of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and shot a Palestinian teen with a live round, before abducting him.
Media sources in Hebron said the soldiers stormed and ransacked many homes and shops, in several neighborhoods in the town.
The soldiers also invaded Beit Einoun area, shot Ahmad Issa Shalalda, 16, with a live round in his leg, and abducted him.
The teen was shot after the soldiers attacked with live fire, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs, dozens of Palestinians, who protested the invasion.
In addition, the soldiers installed roadblocks on main roads leading to villages and towns near Road #60, used by colonialist settlers and the military.
The soldiers also stopped and searched many cars and interrogated many Palestinians while inspecting their ID cards.
In related news, the soldiers abducted a young Palestinian man from the al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
It is worth mentioning that the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported that the soldiers abducted fourteen Palestinians, in various parts of the West Bank.
Besides Shalalda, four of the abducted Palestinians have been identified as Nidal Sa’id Sbeih, 25, and Abdullah Awad ‘Obeyyat, from Bethlehem, Dia’ al-Aghbar from Nablus, and Fayez Sa’id Dar Doura from Beit Liqya, southwest of Ramallah.
Media sources in Hebron said the soldiers stormed and ransacked many homes and shops, in several neighborhoods in the town.
The soldiers also invaded Beit Einoun area, shot Ahmad Issa Shalalda, 16, with a live round in his leg, and abducted him.
The teen was shot after the soldiers attacked with live fire, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs, dozens of Palestinians, who protested the invasion.
In addition, the soldiers installed roadblocks on main roads leading to villages and towns near Road #60, used by colonialist settlers and the military.
The soldiers also stopped and searched many cars and interrogated many Palestinians while inspecting their ID cards.
In related news, the soldiers abducted a young Palestinian man from the al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
It is worth mentioning that the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported that the soldiers abducted fourteen Palestinians, in various parts of the West Bank.
Besides Shalalda, four of the abducted Palestinians have been identified as Nidal Sa’id Sbeih, 25, and Abdullah Awad ‘Obeyyat, from Bethlehem, Dia’ al-Aghbar from Nablus, and Fayez Sa’id Dar Doura from Beit Liqya, southwest of Ramallah.
