17 june 2018
Under the proposed bill, photos like this would be illegal (Photo: B'Tselem)
Proposed legislation criminalizes taking photos or filming IDF soldiers on duty, setting the punishment at 5-10 years in prison; more moderate version also under consideration; deputy AG says bill won't pass legal scrutiny.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved on Sunday a bill proposal seeking to bar the filming and photography of IDF soldiers, which could completely change the nature of military coverage.
Deputy Attorney General Raz Nizri said during the Ministerial Committee discussion that barring the filming and photography of IDF soldiers would not pass legal scrutiny.
"We could go for a more moderate proposal, while drawing the comparison to police officers, but the problem is that it would set a minimum for punishment," Nizri said. "This means there will be no choice but to have criminal record."
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, meanwhile, welcomed the advancement of the legislation, writing on Twitter, "IDF soldiers are under attack from within by Israel haters and terror supporters who seek to humiliate, disgrace and harm them. We'll put an end to that."
Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg slammed the decision, saying "If the government wants to take care of IDF soldiers so much, perhaps it should start by handling the settlers who dismantle military vehicles, wound police officers and throw stones at soldiers."
The legislation will be brought to the Knesset for a preliminary reading on Wednesday.
The bill, sponsored by Yisrael Beytenu MK Robert Ilatov and backed by Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, targets anyone who documents IDF soldiers on duty and distributes the materials.
Under the original version of the bill, offenders could face anywhere between five and ten years in prison if the documentation is found to be "undermining the spirit of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens" or harming state security.
"This decision aims to cover up crimes committed by Israeli soldiers against our people, and to free their hands to commit more crimes," Deputy Palestinian Information Minister Fayez Abu Aitta said.
The phrasing of the bill stops short of a blanket ban, aiming instead at "anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian organizations" which spend "entire days near Israeli soldiers waiting breathlessly for actions that can be documented in a slanted and one-sided way so that soldiers can be smeared".
Naming B'Tselem and several other left-wing groups, the bill says many of them are supported by organizations and governments with "a clear anti-Israel agenda" and that the videos are used to harm Israel and national security.
The ban would cover social networks as well as traditional media.
B'Tselem shrugged off the bill.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was able to soften the legislation, setting the punishment from anywhere between two weeks and three years.
But even if a more moderate version of the bill is eventually passed into law, it would still limit media coverage in the West Bank and on Israel's borders, as the Israeli media gets photos and videos of many incidents from the Palestinians or from left-wing organizations.
Diplomatic officials expressed concern that the attempt to prevent the filming and photography of soldiers in the public sphere in the West Bank could damage to Israel's image.
"We're fighting about Israel's image as a democratic country that acts with transparency, and the initiative to prevent documentation (of soldiers) could present us in the opposite light—as a country that has something to hide," one official said.
Despite Mandleblit’s softening of the punishment stipulated in the bill will be compared to a large extent to the prohibition against disturbing police officers while performing their duties, meaning that the decision to prohibit the use of cameras would be left to the discretion of the soldier, who would be authorized to limit photographers and to remove protesters causing disruptions.
The implementation of the bill would depend to large extent on instructions received by soldiers in the field.
The vague wording in the current bill will likely have to be brought before the High Court of Justice. However, the bill may not only be applicable to left-wing organizations, which for years have sought to capture violent incidents involving the IDF in the West Bank on camera and disseminated the recordings in a negative light, which supporters of the army say stains its image.
While the bill received Lieberman’s blessing, officials in the army have yet to state their position.
MK Ilatov’s office has not rejected the possibility of widening the bill to also include Israeli journalists who regularly cover what is taking place in the various sectors, and it has not yet been made clear whether it will apply to Area A, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
At the same time, right-wing activists also often use their cameras to document violent skirmishes with Israeli security forces during court-ordered evacuations of illegal outposts. It remains unclear whether they, too, would be forbidden from using recording the incidents.
The majority of photographers at B’Tselem are Palestinian volunteers who permanently carry a camera. Violent outbreaks, pursuits against terrorists, raids in villages and other IDF operation on the Gaza or Lebanese border are almost invariably filmed live by the Palestinians and foreign photographers. The footage and photographs are then transferred to Arab and international television networks.
The videos are then distributed on Facebook and other social media outlets.
Proposed legislation criminalizes taking photos or filming IDF soldiers on duty, setting the punishment at 5-10 years in prison; more moderate version also under consideration; deputy AG says bill won't pass legal scrutiny.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved on Sunday a bill proposal seeking to bar the filming and photography of IDF soldiers, which could completely change the nature of military coverage.
Deputy Attorney General Raz Nizri said during the Ministerial Committee discussion that barring the filming and photography of IDF soldiers would not pass legal scrutiny.
"We could go for a more moderate proposal, while drawing the comparison to police officers, but the problem is that it would set a minimum for punishment," Nizri said. "This means there will be no choice but to have criminal record."
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, meanwhile, welcomed the advancement of the legislation, writing on Twitter, "IDF soldiers are under attack from within by Israel haters and terror supporters who seek to humiliate, disgrace and harm them. We'll put an end to that."
Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg slammed the decision, saying "If the government wants to take care of IDF soldiers so much, perhaps it should start by handling the settlers who dismantle military vehicles, wound police officers and throw stones at soldiers."
The legislation will be brought to the Knesset for a preliminary reading on Wednesday.
The bill, sponsored by Yisrael Beytenu MK Robert Ilatov and backed by Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, targets anyone who documents IDF soldiers on duty and distributes the materials.
Under the original version of the bill, offenders could face anywhere between five and ten years in prison if the documentation is found to be "undermining the spirit of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens" or harming state security.
"This decision aims to cover up crimes committed by Israeli soldiers against our people, and to free their hands to commit more crimes," Deputy Palestinian Information Minister Fayez Abu Aitta said.
The phrasing of the bill stops short of a blanket ban, aiming instead at "anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian organizations" which spend "entire days near Israeli soldiers waiting breathlessly for actions that can be documented in a slanted and one-sided way so that soldiers can be smeared".
Naming B'Tselem and several other left-wing groups, the bill says many of them are supported by organizations and governments with "a clear anti-Israel agenda" and that the videos are used to harm Israel and national security.
The ban would cover social networks as well as traditional media.
B'Tselem shrugged off the bill.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was able to soften the legislation, setting the punishment from anywhere between two weeks and three years.
But even if a more moderate version of the bill is eventually passed into law, it would still limit media coverage in the West Bank and on Israel's borders, as the Israeli media gets photos and videos of many incidents from the Palestinians or from left-wing organizations.
Diplomatic officials expressed concern that the attempt to prevent the filming and photography of soldiers in the public sphere in the West Bank could damage to Israel's image.
"We're fighting about Israel's image as a democratic country that acts with transparency, and the initiative to prevent documentation (of soldiers) could present us in the opposite light—as a country that has something to hide," one official said.
Despite Mandleblit’s softening of the punishment stipulated in the bill will be compared to a large extent to the prohibition against disturbing police officers while performing their duties, meaning that the decision to prohibit the use of cameras would be left to the discretion of the soldier, who would be authorized to limit photographers and to remove protesters causing disruptions.
The implementation of the bill would depend to large extent on instructions received by soldiers in the field.
The vague wording in the current bill will likely have to be brought before the High Court of Justice. However, the bill may not only be applicable to left-wing organizations, which for years have sought to capture violent incidents involving the IDF in the West Bank on camera and disseminated the recordings in a negative light, which supporters of the army say stains its image.
While the bill received Lieberman’s blessing, officials in the army have yet to state their position.
MK Ilatov’s office has not rejected the possibility of widening the bill to also include Israeli journalists who regularly cover what is taking place in the various sectors, and it has not yet been made clear whether it will apply to Area A, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
At the same time, right-wing activists also often use their cameras to document violent skirmishes with Israeli security forces during court-ordered evacuations of illegal outposts. It remains unclear whether they, too, would be forbidden from using recording the incidents.
The majority of photographers at B’Tselem are Palestinian volunteers who permanently carry a camera. Violent outbreaks, pursuits against terrorists, raids in villages and other IDF operation on the Gaza or Lebanese border are almost invariably filmed live by the Palestinians and foreign photographers. The footage and photographs are then transferred to Arab and international television networks.
The videos are then distributed on Facebook and other social media outlets.
Israeli Shin Bet earlier 2018 arrested a large Hamas cell operating in the West Bank city of Nablus and allegedly planning to conduct a number of anti-Israel bombings and shooting attacks, the Hebrew TV channel 7 said on Sunday.
The TV channel claimed that it was determined during the interrogations that the cell planned to carry out attacks in central cities including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Itamar settlement.
The Shin Bet said that it arrested more than 20 suspected members of the Hamas cell in late April, including its two leaders Mu'tasem Salem, 35, and Feras Zebidi, 33. Both of them are residents of Nablus.
According to the Israel security service, this cell began operating in October 2017, and most of the detainees have a connection to Hamas and a rich history of resistance activities including the production of explosives and bombs.
Following the arrests, the TV channel 7 reported, Israeli security forces found multiple explosive devices that the group is believed to have manufactured in addition to materials for manufacturing bombs and explosives.
A senior official at the Shin Bet said that the discovery of the Nablus cell shows a constant desire by Hamas to form cells that carry out attacks against Israeli targets in the West Bank.
The TV channel claimed that it was determined during the interrogations that the cell planned to carry out attacks in central cities including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Itamar settlement.
The Shin Bet said that it arrested more than 20 suspected members of the Hamas cell in late April, including its two leaders Mu'tasem Salem, 35, and Feras Zebidi, 33. Both of them are residents of Nablus.
According to the Israel security service, this cell began operating in October 2017, and most of the detainees have a connection to Hamas and a rich history of resistance activities including the production of explosives and bombs.
Following the arrests, the TV channel 7 reported, Israeli security forces found multiple explosive devices that the group is believed to have manufactured in addition to materials for manufacturing bombs and explosives.
A senior official at the Shin Bet said that the discovery of the Nablus cell shows a constant desire by Hamas to form cells that carry out attacks against Israeli targets in the West Bank.
Several Israeli army jeeps invaded, earlier Sunday, Kufur Qaddoum town, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, and abducted a child after assaulting and wounding him.
Morad Eshteiwi, the media coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Annexation Wall and Colonies in Kufur Qaddoum, said the soldiers invaded the home of Nabil Ali, violently searched the property and abducted his child, Tareq, only 14 years of age.
Eshteiwi added that the soldiers repeatedly assaulted the child, causing various cuts and bruises, before adducting him.
Many local youngsters hurled stones at the invading soldiers, while the army fired rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades.
Morad Eshteiwi, the media coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Annexation Wall and Colonies in Kufur Qaddoum, said the soldiers invaded the home of Nabil Ali, violently searched the property and abducted his child, Tareq, only 14 years of age.
Eshteiwi added that the soldiers repeatedly assaulted the child, causing various cuts and bruises, before adducting him.
Many local youngsters hurled stones at the invading soldiers, while the army fired rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades.
Israeli soldiers invaded, on Sunday at dawn, the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, searched homes and abducted a young man and two children.
Media sources said the soldiers abducted Raed al-Beyari, 18, in addition to Qussai Barakat, 15 and Sultan al-‘Ammouri, 15, and took them to an unknown destination.
The soldiers also invaded the home of Saed al-Masri and summoned one of his sons for interrogation.
During the invasion, several youngsters hurled stones at the soldiers who fired live rounds, sound bombs and concussion grenades.
Media sources said the soldiers abducted Raed al-Beyari, 18, in addition to Qussai Barakat, 15 and Sultan al-‘Ammouri, 15, and took them to an unknown destination.
The soldiers also invaded the home of Saed al-Masri and summoned one of his sons for interrogation.
During the invasion, several youngsters hurled stones at the soldiers who fired live rounds, sound bombs and concussion grenades.
16 june 2018
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Saturday afternoon arrested four Palestinian young men at the northern entrance to Huwara town south of Nablus city in the northern West Bank.
Eyewitnesses reported that the four detainees were transferred to Huwara military camp.
In a related context, the IOF abruptly set up a temporary checkpoint near al-Marba'a area west of Tal town in Nablus.
There are hundreds of Israeli permanent and temporary checkpoints scattered all over the West Bank isolating the Palestinian cities from each other and restricting the citizens' movement.
Eyewitnesses reported that the four detainees were transferred to Huwara military camp.
In a related context, the IOF abruptly set up a temporary checkpoint near al-Marba'a area west of Tal town in Nablus.
There are hundreds of Israeli permanent and temporary checkpoints scattered all over the West Bank isolating the Palestinian cities from each other and restricting the citizens' movement.
Israeli special forces assaulted Palestinian prisoners in Nafha jail on Friday, the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.
A Hebrew radio report claimed that Israeli prison service soldiers subdued prisoners in Nafah after the transfer of a detainee to an isolation cell provoked riots.
The radio report added that the isolated prisoner appeared on social media in a picture taken by a cellphone showing him preparing Eid cookies.
A Hebrew radio report claimed that Israeli prison service soldiers subdued prisoners in Nafah after the transfer of a detainee to an isolation cell provoked riots.
The radio report added that the isolated prisoner appeared on social media in a picture taken by a cellphone showing him preparing Eid cookies.
Israeli science minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) has expressed dismay for not giving orders to execute a Palestinian young man on site instead of arresting him during a raid in al-Am'ari refugee camp in Ramallah.
In televised remarks last Thursday, Akunis criticized the orders given to Israel security forces assigned to capture the wanted Palestinian, saying he should have been liquidated during the operation.
“It would have been better if they would have finished the job, just finished the job and shot him. We do not need to take him into custody, we need him dead,” he said.
“They needed to just shoot him. Find him, then shoot him,” he added.
Last month, during an Israeli military campaign in Am’ari camp, 32-year-old Islaam Yousef Abu Hamid dropped a marble slab on a soldier’s head. The soldier died later of a critical injury.
In televised remarks last Thursday, Akunis criticized the orders given to Israel security forces assigned to capture the wanted Palestinian, saying he should have been liquidated during the operation.
“It would have been better if they would have finished the job, just finished the job and shot him. We do not need to take him into custody, we need him dead,” he said.
“They needed to just shoot him. Find him, then shoot him,” he added.
Last month, during an Israeli military campaign in Am’ari camp, 32-year-old Islaam Yousef Abu Hamid dropped a marble slab on a soldier’s head. The soldier died later of a critical injury.
Violent clashes broke out on Friday night and continued into the early hours of Saturday between Palestinian young men and Israeli soldiers in Azzun town, east of Qalqilya.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that Israeli soldiers engaged in skirmishes with local youths at the main entrance to Azzun town and showered them with a hail of tear gas and stun grenades to disperse them.
The sources added that several young men suffered from their exposure to tear gas fumes.
They also said that two young men identified as Abdul-Karim Hussein and Akram Salim were rounded up by soldiers at the main entrance to the town as they were passing by.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that Israeli soldiers engaged in skirmishes with local youths at the main entrance to Azzun town and showered them with a hail of tear gas and stun grenades to disperse them.
The sources added that several young men suffered from their exposure to tear gas fumes.
They also said that two young men identified as Abdul-Karim Hussein and Akram Salim were rounded up by soldiers at the main entrance to the town as they were passing by.
15 june 2018
An Israeli court on Friday decided to extend the administrative detention of the member of the Palestinian Legislative council Khaleda Jarrar.
Local sources reported that Ofer military court issued a six-month administrative detention order against the leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Khaleda Jarrar.
The Israeli occupation forces arrested Jarrar from her house in Ramallah on 2nd July 2017. She had previously spent 10 months in Israeli jails.
Local sources reported that Ofer military court issued a six-month administrative detention order against the leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Khaleda Jarrar.
The Israeli occupation forces arrested Jarrar from her house in Ramallah on 2nd July 2017. She had previously spent 10 months in Israeli jails.
The Israeli occupation forces on Thursday evening arrested a Palestinian young man in al-Khalil for allegedly carrying a sharp weapon.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that a Palestinian youth was caught hiding a knife in his clothes near the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil.
The paper added that the Palestinian was detained by an Israeli border guard unit and taken for interrogation.
Arrests over alleged knife possession are witnessed on a regular basis in the West Bank. The detained Palestinians are usually accused of attempting to carry out stabbing attacks against Israeli soldiers or settlers.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that a Palestinian youth was caught hiding a knife in his clothes near the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil.
The paper added that the Palestinian was detained by an Israeli border guard unit and taken for interrogation.
Arrests over alleged knife possession are witnessed on a regular basis in the West Bank. The detained Palestinians are usually accused of attempting to carry out stabbing attacks against Israeli soldiers or settlers.
The Israeli occupation army on Friday announced that a Palestinian citizen was arrested north of the Gaza Strip after he attempted to sneak into the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that a Palestinian youth was arrested after he crossed the border fence in northern Gaza.
The Hebrew newspaper said that the detainee was transferred to an unknown destination for interrogation.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that a Palestinian youth was arrested after he crossed the border fence in northern Gaza.
The Hebrew newspaper said that the detainee was transferred to an unknown destination for interrogation.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Thursday raided the house of Palestinian lawmaker Fathi Qar’awi in Tulkarem city in the West Bank, assaulted his family and kidnapped one of his sons.
According to Quds Press, Israeli soldiers broke into and ransacked the house of MP Qar’awi and assaulted his sons Hazem and Mu’men after raiding apartments belonging to the family.
Mu’men suffered a nervous breakdown after his exposure to physical assault at the hands of soldiers and was transferred to hospital later, a family source told Quds Press.
The military force also stormed houses belonging to the lawmakers’ children and kidnapped his son Baraa Qar’awi, 30.
For his part, MP Qar’awi explained on his Facebook page that the IOF stormed his home at dawn and embarked on separating men from women before assaulting his sons Hazem and Mu’men.
He added that soldiers smashed in doors of apartments belongings to his sons.
The IOF already raided the house of MP Qar’awi on June 6 and rounded up anew his son Hamza. He has been detained at Petah Tikva interrogation center since then.
MP Qar’awi, senior Hamas official, has been detained several times before and spent in Israeli jails more than 10 years.
According to Quds Press, Israeli soldiers broke into and ransacked the house of MP Qar’awi and assaulted his sons Hazem and Mu’men after raiding apartments belonging to the family.
Mu’men suffered a nervous breakdown after his exposure to physical assault at the hands of soldiers and was transferred to hospital later, a family source told Quds Press.
The military force also stormed houses belonging to the lawmakers’ children and kidnapped his son Baraa Qar’awi, 30.
For his part, MP Qar’awi explained on his Facebook page that the IOF stormed his home at dawn and embarked on separating men from women before assaulting his sons Hazem and Mu’men.
He added that soldiers smashed in doors of apartments belongings to his sons.
The IOF already raided the house of MP Qar’awi on June 6 and rounded up anew his son Hamza. He has been detained at Petah Tikva interrogation center since then.
MP Qar’awi, senior Hamas official, has been detained several times before and spent in Israeli jails more than 10 years.
A Palestinian from Amari refugee camp, near Ramallah, and who was detained by the Israeli army on June 6, said he was tortured during interrogation at the Russian Compound prison in West Jerusalem, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said on Thursday.
According to the organization, the army first detained Islam Abu Hmeid, 32, during a raid at Amari camp on May 28, two days after an Israeli soldier from an elite unit was killed by a tile that dropped on his head from a roof, during an army operation at the camp, then released him.
The army re-detained Abu Hmeid on June 6, during another raid on the camp, and accused him of throwing the object that killed the soldier.
PPS attorney Mamoun Hasheem said, according to WAFA, that Abu Hmeid informed him that he was tortured during interrogation at the Russian Compound.
Abu Hmeid said, in an affidavit, that eight interrogators questioned him constantly for six consecutive days, during which he was deprived of full sleep and while cuffed both hand and foot.
The interrogator also used the shaking method against him, as well as profanity and other threats.
Hasheem said that a military court remanded Abu Hmeid in custody for eight more days, for further interrogation.
Four of Abu Hmeid’s siblings are serving multiple life terms in Israeli prisons for resisting the occupation, a fifth is being held in administrative detention, and a sixth brother was killed by the army, years ago.
According to the organization, the army first detained Islam Abu Hmeid, 32, during a raid at Amari camp on May 28, two days after an Israeli soldier from an elite unit was killed by a tile that dropped on his head from a roof, during an army operation at the camp, then released him.
The army re-detained Abu Hmeid on June 6, during another raid on the camp, and accused him of throwing the object that killed the soldier.
PPS attorney Mamoun Hasheem said, according to WAFA, that Abu Hmeid informed him that he was tortured during interrogation at the Russian Compound.
Abu Hmeid said, in an affidavit, that eight interrogators questioned him constantly for six consecutive days, during which he was deprived of full sleep and while cuffed both hand and foot.
The interrogator also used the shaking method against him, as well as profanity and other threats.
Hasheem said that a military court remanded Abu Hmeid in custody for eight more days, for further interrogation.
Four of Abu Hmeid’s siblings are serving multiple life terms in Israeli prisons for resisting the occupation, a fifth is being held in administrative detention, and a sixth brother was killed by the army, years ago.
Palestinian human rights associations, including the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and the Al-Mezan Center for human rights issued their monthly report on Israeli occupation forces’ arrests of Palestinians in May 2018.
Translated by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.
Israeli occupation forces arrested 605 Palestinians from the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, including 94 children and nine women. Occupation forces seized 197 Palestinians from the city of Jerusalem, 104 from Ramallah and el-Bireh, 70 from al-Khalil, 33 from Jenin, 44 from Bethleheme, 48 from Nablus, 15 from Tulkarem, 32 from Qalqilya, 5 from Tubas, 20 from Salfit, 8 from Jericho and 29 from the Gaza Strip.
In addition, the Israeli occupation forces issued 83 administrative detention orders in May 2018 for the imprisonment of Palestinians without charge or trial.
36 of these were new orders and the remainder were renewals of existing detention orders. There are approximately 6000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 54 women and six minor girls. There are approximately 350 Palestinian children in Israeli jails and 430 Palestinians jailed without charge or trial under administrative detention.
The cases of the martyr Aziz Aweisat and Hassan al-Tamimi: Crimes of the Israeli prison administration
Aziz Aweisat, 53 years old and from Jabal al-Mukabber in Jerusalem, was brutally assaulted by Israeli occupation forces inside prison. He was subject to a beating inside his cell at the Eshel detention center before being transferred in the “Bosta,” according to one of the prisoners who was with him on 7 May 2018.
On 9 May 2018, two days later, Aweisat suffered a heart attack at the Ramleh prison clinic. He was taken to the Israeli Assaf Harofeh hospital in a very serious condition until he died on 20 May 2018. Israeli occupation authorities have refused to release his body. He was serving a 30 year prison sentence and has been detained since 2014.
Hassan al-Tamimi, 18, from the village of Deir Nizam, lost his sight completely after being subject to medical neglect by the Israeli prison administration since his detention on 7 April 2018. Al-Tamimi has suffered from kidney and liver problems that affect his ability to absorb proteins since childhood. He requires specific treatments and a specialized diet, which were denied to him by the prison administration, causing his health to deteriorate by late May. He was later transferred to the Shaare Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem and has reportedly lost his sight completely. In this context, the Israeli occupation authorities decided to release him in an attempt to evade responsibility for his health and life.
Invasions and attacks during arrest raids
Israeli occupation forces stormed a home with a troop consisting of 30 military vehicles, accompanied by a bulldozer and a “skunk water” vehicle, in al-Amari refugee camp on Monday, 28 May 2018. They surrounded a home for over five hours and seized 15 young people. The Israeli attack on the entrance to the camp caused the injury of 13 young people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
In this context, we present the testimony of Mr. Jamal Suleiman Eid, 56, the father of the detainee Iyad Eid, who said: “At about 6:15 am, we woke up to the shouts of the army. After a few minutes, we heard a scream from my sister’s house, adjacent to our hose. After a while, they broke down the door of our home and attacked my son Iyad. One of the soldiers put his hand over Eyad’s mouth. He started shouting and asked them to move away from him because he is sick, but the soldiers did not respond to him and they beat him in front of me. There were about 15 soldiers inside. They then took both of us with our hands behind our backs with plastic restraints, and took us to a room on the ground floor of the building. There, I also found my nephews, Firas and Louay, blindfolded and restrained.”
The Israeli army’s extensive arrest campaigns against Palestinian civilians and attacks on detainees and their families during the arrest process are an integral part of the policy of collective punishment practiced by the occupation forces, which is fundamentally contrary to articles 33 and 34 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The occupation’s practices aim toward punishing all of the people of the camp, disrupting their lives and imposing harsh conditions on all citizens, including women, children and elders.
“Nachshon” repressive forces and repeated attacks against child prisoners
According to the monitoring and documentation departments of the Palestinian human rights institutions, the increasing number of complaints by child prisoners in the Ofer and Megiddo prison stems from a deliberate policy of repression adopted by the “Nachshon” forces in beating and torturing them during their transfer from one prison to another or to or from the courts. Lawyers’ visits to child detainees during the month of May confirmed the increase in complaints and visible signs of attacks on their bodies during the visits.
The “Nachshon” forces are special units that wear a distinctive uniform. They include soldiers with high levels of physical strength and experience through serving in different military units within the occupation army. They are placed in special centers and summoned if there is a protest inside the prisons. Their most important tasks are the transfer of prisoners from one prison to another and from prison to the courts, in addition to transferring sick prisoners and controlling the prisons. The prison administration uses these units to suppress prisoners and force them to carry out their orders.
The prisoners’ institutions highlighted that the occupation bears full responsibility for the deterioration of the situation in occupied Palestine. The practices of the occupation and its settlers are the cause of this deterioration, especially the excessive use of force against demonstrators in the Gaza Strip, the attacks on the families of Palestinian prisoners during their detention, home demolitions, large-scale arrests and extrajudicial execution of Palestinians and attacks on Palestinian civilians in their homes and workplaces.
The occupation policies against the Palestinian people violate international humanitarian law, which categorically prohibits collective punishment and reprisals against peoples living under occupation, as stated in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which applies to the occupied Palestinian territories. People under occupation have the status of protected persons under international law.
The Palestinian human rights institutions affirmed the right of Palestinian prisoners and detainees to receive recognition of their status as freedom fighters, their right to medical care, proper food and education, their right to fair trial guarantees, their right to family visits and respect for their human dignity.
Translated by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.
Israeli occupation forces arrested 605 Palestinians from the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, including 94 children and nine women. Occupation forces seized 197 Palestinians from the city of Jerusalem, 104 from Ramallah and el-Bireh, 70 from al-Khalil, 33 from Jenin, 44 from Bethleheme, 48 from Nablus, 15 from Tulkarem, 32 from Qalqilya, 5 from Tubas, 20 from Salfit, 8 from Jericho and 29 from the Gaza Strip.
In addition, the Israeli occupation forces issued 83 administrative detention orders in May 2018 for the imprisonment of Palestinians without charge or trial.
36 of these were new orders and the remainder were renewals of existing detention orders. There are approximately 6000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 54 women and six minor girls. There are approximately 350 Palestinian children in Israeli jails and 430 Palestinians jailed without charge or trial under administrative detention.
The cases of the martyr Aziz Aweisat and Hassan al-Tamimi: Crimes of the Israeli prison administration
Aziz Aweisat, 53 years old and from Jabal al-Mukabber in Jerusalem, was brutally assaulted by Israeli occupation forces inside prison. He was subject to a beating inside his cell at the Eshel detention center before being transferred in the “Bosta,” according to one of the prisoners who was with him on 7 May 2018.
On 9 May 2018, two days later, Aweisat suffered a heart attack at the Ramleh prison clinic. He was taken to the Israeli Assaf Harofeh hospital in a very serious condition until he died on 20 May 2018. Israeli occupation authorities have refused to release his body. He was serving a 30 year prison sentence and has been detained since 2014.
Hassan al-Tamimi, 18, from the village of Deir Nizam, lost his sight completely after being subject to medical neglect by the Israeli prison administration since his detention on 7 April 2018. Al-Tamimi has suffered from kidney and liver problems that affect his ability to absorb proteins since childhood. He requires specific treatments and a specialized diet, which were denied to him by the prison administration, causing his health to deteriorate by late May. He was later transferred to the Shaare Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem and has reportedly lost his sight completely. In this context, the Israeli occupation authorities decided to release him in an attempt to evade responsibility for his health and life.
Invasions and attacks during arrest raids
Israeli occupation forces stormed a home with a troop consisting of 30 military vehicles, accompanied by a bulldozer and a “skunk water” vehicle, in al-Amari refugee camp on Monday, 28 May 2018. They surrounded a home for over five hours and seized 15 young people. The Israeli attack on the entrance to the camp caused the injury of 13 young people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
In this context, we present the testimony of Mr. Jamal Suleiman Eid, 56, the father of the detainee Iyad Eid, who said: “At about 6:15 am, we woke up to the shouts of the army. After a few minutes, we heard a scream from my sister’s house, adjacent to our hose. After a while, they broke down the door of our home and attacked my son Iyad. One of the soldiers put his hand over Eyad’s mouth. He started shouting and asked them to move away from him because he is sick, but the soldiers did not respond to him and they beat him in front of me. There were about 15 soldiers inside. They then took both of us with our hands behind our backs with plastic restraints, and took us to a room on the ground floor of the building. There, I also found my nephews, Firas and Louay, blindfolded and restrained.”
The Israeli army’s extensive arrest campaigns against Palestinian civilians and attacks on detainees and their families during the arrest process are an integral part of the policy of collective punishment practiced by the occupation forces, which is fundamentally contrary to articles 33 and 34 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The occupation’s practices aim toward punishing all of the people of the camp, disrupting their lives and imposing harsh conditions on all citizens, including women, children and elders.
“Nachshon” repressive forces and repeated attacks against child prisoners
According to the monitoring and documentation departments of the Palestinian human rights institutions, the increasing number of complaints by child prisoners in the Ofer and Megiddo prison stems from a deliberate policy of repression adopted by the “Nachshon” forces in beating and torturing them during their transfer from one prison to another or to or from the courts. Lawyers’ visits to child detainees during the month of May confirmed the increase in complaints and visible signs of attacks on their bodies during the visits.
The “Nachshon” forces are special units that wear a distinctive uniform. They include soldiers with high levels of physical strength and experience through serving in different military units within the occupation army. They are placed in special centers and summoned if there is a protest inside the prisons. Their most important tasks are the transfer of prisoners from one prison to another and from prison to the courts, in addition to transferring sick prisoners and controlling the prisons. The prison administration uses these units to suppress prisoners and force them to carry out their orders.
The prisoners’ institutions highlighted that the occupation bears full responsibility for the deterioration of the situation in occupied Palestine. The practices of the occupation and its settlers are the cause of this deterioration, especially the excessive use of force against demonstrators in the Gaza Strip, the attacks on the families of Palestinian prisoners during their detention, home demolitions, large-scale arrests and extrajudicial execution of Palestinians and attacks on Palestinian civilians in their homes and workplaces.
The occupation policies against the Palestinian people violate international humanitarian law, which categorically prohibits collective punishment and reprisals against peoples living under occupation, as stated in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which applies to the occupied Palestinian territories. People under occupation have the status of protected persons under international law.
The Palestinian human rights institutions affirmed the right of Palestinian prisoners and detainees to receive recognition of their status as freedom fighters, their right to medical care, proper food and education, their right to fair trial guarantees, their right to family visits and respect for their human dignity.
