21 mar 2020
As the Arab world is marking Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 21, there are still 19 Palestinian mothers in Israeli jails, being deprived of seeing their children or even talking with them over the phone.
“The occasion of Mother’s Day has come this year during exceptional circumstances that have compounded the female prisoners’ suffering in light of the mounting concern about the spread of the coronavirus disease,” the Palestinian Prisoner Center for Studies (PPCS) said in a press release on Saturday.
“Halting visits for fear that the coronavirus may spread has doubled the female detainees’ suffering, for it is the only way they have to communicate with their families and check on them as the occupation deprives them of being in contact with them by phone,” PPCS added.
Some of those mothers have infants and suffer from great anxiety as they are constantly thinking about the conditions of their children and how they live, PPCS underlined.
PPCS has appealed to human rights groups and women’s institutions to urgently intervene to put an end to the suffering of mothers in Israeli jails and work on having them released and reunited with children.
“The occasion of Mother’s Day has come this year during exceptional circumstances that have compounded the female prisoners’ suffering in light of the mounting concern about the spread of the coronavirus disease,” the Palestinian Prisoner Center for Studies (PPCS) said in a press release on Saturday.
“Halting visits for fear that the coronavirus may spread has doubled the female detainees’ suffering, for it is the only way they have to communicate with their families and check on them as the occupation deprives them of being in contact with them by phone,” PPCS added.
Some of those mothers have infants and suffer from great anxiety as they are constantly thinking about the conditions of their children and how they live, PPCS underlined.
PPCS has appealed to human rights groups and women’s institutions to urgently intervene to put an end to the suffering of mothers in Israeli jails and work on having them released and reunited with children.
20 mar 2020
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Despite the unprecedented health crisis requiring residents of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to take extreme social isolation measures, the Israel Police have chosen now, of all times, to escalate their abuse and collective punishment of Palestinians in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-’Isawiya, as part of an operation that began in April 2019.
Border Police and Special Patrol Unit officers invade the crowded neighborhood daily, even at night, and more so on weekends, for no apparent reason and initiate friction with the residents. In the ensuing confrontations, the police act violently, firing sponge rounds, tear gas canisters and stun grenades. |
They also close off the entrances to the neighborhood.
During these incursions, the police arrest residents, mostly minors, and take them to a police station where they are interrogated alone.
Most minors are released after a short period, sometimes after spending all night in custody.
The police abuse of Palestinians in al-’Isawiya, by now a permanent feature of life in the neighborhood, is illegal and cannot be justified even under the usual routine of occupation.
Yet at this sensitive time, such conduct exposes residents to substantial, completely unnecessary health risks, as it encourages gatherings and forces arrested residents, including many minors, to leave home and be around strangers.
The police conduct is jeopardizing public safety (including the health of the police officers) and violating the medical guidelines on social isolation.
The fact that Israeli authorities disregard the lives of al-’Isawiya residents, including children and teens, is nothing new.
Yet continuing and even escalating such conduct during a pandemic is an especially appalling manifestation of this policy.
~ B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
During these incursions, the police arrest residents, mostly minors, and take them to a police station where they are interrogated alone.
Most minors are released after a short period, sometimes after spending all night in custody.
The police abuse of Palestinians in al-’Isawiya, by now a permanent feature of life in the neighborhood, is illegal and cannot be justified even under the usual routine of occupation.
Yet at this sensitive time, such conduct exposes residents to substantial, completely unnecessary health risks, as it encourages gatherings and forces arrested residents, including many minors, to leave home and be around strangers.
The police conduct is jeopardizing public safety (including the health of the police officers) and violating the medical guidelines on social isolation.
The fact that Israeli authorities disregard the lives of al-’Isawiya residents, including children and teens, is nothing new.
Yet continuing and even escalating such conduct during a pandemic is an especially appalling manifestation of this policy.
~ B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Friday arrested two Palestinian citizens and seized the car they were aboard in the east of Jenin City in the northern West Bank.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center's reporter that the IOF stopped a Palestinian car in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin City, searched it, interrogated its two passengers and scrutinized their IDs.
The IOF later detained the two passengers and confiscated the car, eyewitnesses reported.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center's reporter that the IOF stopped a Palestinian car in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin City, searched it, interrogated its two passengers and scrutinized their IDs.
The IOF later detained the two passengers and confiscated the car, eyewitnesses reported.
Israeli police forces on Friday violently assaulted groups of Palestinian worshipers as they were heading to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for the Friday Prayer. video video
Local sources said the Israeli police physically attacked worshipers near al-Silsila and Asbat Gates, two of al-Aqsa Mosque's main doors, and used stun grenades to disperse them. video video
One worshiper identified as Yousef al-Sharif was arrested after he was brutally beaten by the police, they added. video video
Dozens of worshipers had to pray on the streets as they were prevented by the Israeli police from entering al-Aqsa Mosque.
On Friday morning, the Israeli police closed most of al-Aqsa Mosque's doors leaving three gates open only: Hitta, al-Majles and al-Silsila.
Local sources said the Israeli police physically attacked worshipers near al-Silsila and Asbat Gates, two of al-Aqsa Mosque's main doors, and used stun grenades to disperse them. video video
One worshiper identified as Yousef al-Sharif was arrested after he was brutally beaten by the police, they added. video video
Dozens of worshipers had to pray on the streets as they were prevented by the Israeli police from entering al-Aqsa Mosque.
On Friday morning, the Israeli police closed most of al-Aqsa Mosque's doors leaving three gates open only: Hitta, al-Majles and al-Silsila.
Palestinian Committee for Prisoners Affairs said on Thursday that Israeli media reports, suggesting that four Palestinian prisoners have been infected by the widely-spread Coronavirus, are inaccurate.
The committee said in a statement, that four Palestinian prisoners have been isolated under quarantine by the Israeli authorities, however, none of them show any signs of the virus.
The statement explained that after having contacted the Israeli Prisons Authority and Arab members of the Israeli parliament, the committee learned that the four prisoners, in question, have been infected with the Coronavirus.
Those four prisoners, held in section 4 of the Majeddo jail, were placed in a special quarantine area, inside the prison.
The Prisoners Committee blamed Israeli Prisons Authority for not having taken needed precautionary measures to protect the a 5,000 Palestinian prisoners inside various Israeli jails.
Meanwhile, Abdelnasser Ferwana, Chief of Studies and Documentation Unit of the Prisoners and Former Prisoners Committee, said that the Israeli Prison System (IPS) mockingly said “let the prisoners use their socks” as safety masks, against the Coronavirus.
Several human rights groups have reportedly warned that the lives of 5000 Palestinian prisoners are now at risk of contacting the Corona virus, stating that the Israeli authorities have not yet applied precautionary measures to its prisons.
The committee said in a statement, that four Palestinian prisoners have been isolated under quarantine by the Israeli authorities, however, none of them show any signs of the virus.
The statement explained that after having contacted the Israeli Prisons Authority and Arab members of the Israeli parliament, the committee learned that the four prisoners, in question, have been infected with the Coronavirus.
Those four prisoners, held in section 4 of the Majeddo jail, were placed in a special quarantine area, inside the prison.
The Prisoners Committee blamed Israeli Prisons Authority for not having taken needed precautionary measures to protect the a 5,000 Palestinian prisoners inside various Israeli jails.
Meanwhile, Abdelnasser Ferwana, Chief of Studies and Documentation Unit of the Prisoners and Former Prisoners Committee, said that the Israeli Prison System (IPS) mockingly said “let the prisoners use their socks” as safety masks, against the Coronavirus.
Several human rights groups have reportedly warned that the lives of 5000 Palestinian prisoners are now at risk of contacting the Corona virus, stating that the Israeli authorities have not yet applied precautionary measures to its prisons.
An Israeli police force abducted on Thursday three Palestinian youths in the occupied West Bank city of East Jerusalem, local sources reported.
Witnesses in the Altour neighborhood of East Jerusalem told media outlets that an Israeli police force chased a Palestinian-owned vehicle, until they stopped it.
A few moments later, the police forced the driver out of his car, handcuffed, assaulted and abducted him, taking him to an unknown location. video
During the incident, witnesses added, a group of Palestinian youths in the area, quarrelled with the police force, to which the police responded by attacking two of the youth with a taser (electric-shock weapon) and then abducting them as well.
Israeli police in occupied East Jerusalem frequently stop and inspect Palestinian residents’ ID’s and vehicles.
Witnesses in the Altour neighborhood of East Jerusalem told media outlets that an Israeli police force chased a Palestinian-owned vehicle, until they stopped it.
A few moments later, the police forced the driver out of his car, handcuffed, assaulted and abducted him, taking him to an unknown location. video
During the incident, witnesses added, a group of Palestinian youths in the area, quarrelled with the police force, to which the police responded by attacking two of the youth with a taser (electric-shock weapon) and then abducting them as well.
Israeli police in occupied East Jerusalem frequently stop and inspect Palestinian residents’ ID’s and vehicles.
The Palestinian Committee for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs, said on Thursday that the Salem Israeli court sentenced prisoner, Waleed Na’alwa, father of late Ashraf Na’alwa, who was killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, for 18 months of imprisonment and 12 other months of suspended sentence for a period of five years, along with a fine of 3000 NIS (834 US Dollars).
The committee added that Waleed’s wife, Wafa’a Mahdawi, who is being imprisoned by Israel, as well, was supposed to be released from prison, however, another Israeli court postponed her release.
Ashraf, 23 and son of current prisoner Waleed Na’alwa, was killed during an armed clash with personnel of an Israeli army special unit and Israeli intelligence service, known as the Shin Bet, in Ashraf’s hideout in the West Bank new refugee camp of Askar, east of Nablus city, on January 13, 2018.
Ashraf, 23 and son of current prisoner Waleed Na’alwa, was killed during an armed clash with personnel of an Israeli army special unit and Israeli intelligence service, known as the Shin Bet, in Ashraf’s hideout in the West Bank new refugee camp of Askar, east of Nablus city, on January 13, 2018.
Ashraf was accused by Israel of carrying out a shooting on the Israeli colonial settlement, erected illegally on Palestinian lands in the West Bank city of Salfit. The shoot out caused the death of two Israeli colonial settlers and injury of a third, before Ashraf was able to flee.
The prisoners committee further explained that as Ashraf was in a hideout for a couple of months, before he was shoot dead by Israeli troops, Israeli troops abducted his father, Waleed and mother, Wafa’a, along with all his brothers and sisters, then subjected them all to interrogation inside solitary confinement cells. All of them were released later, except for his parents and brother, Amjad.
By then, Israeli media sources quoted senior military and security officials stating that the first weeks after fatal shooting in the settlement, the hunt for Na’alwa was largely focused on extensive searches of homes, caves and buildings, but later the search became more focused on individuals, who were detained and “interrogated,” on suspicion of providing aid to him.
After killing the young man, the soldiers invaded many areas in Tulkarem, especially in Shweika area, near the Annexation Wall, and fired a barrage of gas bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets and live rounds, at Palestinian protesters, as well as attacking journalists and forcing them to leave the area.
The prisoners committee further explained that as Ashraf was in a hideout for a couple of months, before he was shoot dead by Israeli troops, Israeli troops abducted his father, Waleed and mother, Wafa’a, along with all his brothers and sisters, then subjected them all to interrogation inside solitary confinement cells. All of them were released later, except for his parents and brother, Amjad.
By then, Israeli media sources quoted senior military and security officials stating that the first weeks after fatal shooting in the settlement, the hunt for Na’alwa was largely focused on extensive searches of homes, caves and buildings, but later the search became more focused on individuals, who were detained and “interrogated,” on suspicion of providing aid to him.
After killing the young man, the soldiers invaded many areas in Tulkarem, especially in Shweika area, near the Annexation Wall, and fired a barrage of gas bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets and live rounds, at Palestinian protesters, as well as attacking journalists and forcing them to leave the area.
