17 may 2014
A Palestinian academic researcher has called for intensifying popular action in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails especially those who declared hunger strike in protest against their continued detention without charge or trial. Dr. Saed Abu-Hijleh, a lecturer at An-Najah National University in Nablus, called on Saturday for declaring next Monday an International Day in Support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
He called on PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, members of PLO Executive Committee, the Palestinian government and political and national factions, and local and international institutions to declare an international one-day hunger strike on Monday in solidarity with the striking administrative detainees.
Abu Hijleh stated that declaring an international hunger strike would help internationalize the Palestinian prisoners' issue and end Israeli administrative detention policy.
He called for uniting popular and official efforts to work for halting the unfair policy of administrative detention.
In a related context, Waad Association for Detainees and Ex-Detainees warned of the serious deterioration of Palestinian administrative detainees' health conditions after 24 days of their hunger strike.
Waad stated that striking administrative detainees are subjected to tough sanctions and punitive measures in an attempt to break their strike, warning of serious deterioration of their health condition after four weeks without food.
The association stressed the importance of the current battle especially that hundreds of prisoners have joined the strike demanding an end to administrative detention policy over which thousands of Palestinians were held in Israeli jails without trial or charge.
90% of the striking prisoners are sick detainees who reached their fifties which will make the situation worse, Waad association added.
The association, working on prisoners' issue, called for increasing support for the Palestinian hunger strikers' demands.
Palestinian administrative detainees have continued their strike for the 24th day in a row demanding an end to their detention without trial or charge.
Palestine Center for Prisoners' Affairs confirmed on Saturday that the striking prisoners' health condition has sharply deteriorated, as some of them become unable to stand while performing prayers.
Most of the strikers are now suffering from low blood pressure, low sugar levels, fatigue, and frequent dizziness, it said.
The human rights center added that prisoners in different Israeli jails declared their intention to join the hunger strike.
Israeli pressure tactics include solitary confinement, cell raids, mass transfer campaign, in addition to number of tough sanctions and restrictions.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prisoners Society stated that the detainee Katiba Moslim has declared hunger strike three days ago, demanding providing him with necessary treatment as he suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes.
The detainee, arrested in 2000, has spent 25 years out of his 35-year sentence. He is also deprived of family visits.
He called on PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, members of PLO Executive Committee, the Palestinian government and political and national factions, and local and international institutions to declare an international one-day hunger strike on Monday in solidarity with the striking administrative detainees.
Abu Hijleh stated that declaring an international hunger strike would help internationalize the Palestinian prisoners' issue and end Israeli administrative detention policy.
He called for uniting popular and official efforts to work for halting the unfair policy of administrative detention.
In a related context, Waad Association for Detainees and Ex-Detainees warned of the serious deterioration of Palestinian administrative detainees' health conditions after 24 days of their hunger strike.
Waad stated that striking administrative detainees are subjected to tough sanctions and punitive measures in an attempt to break their strike, warning of serious deterioration of their health condition after four weeks without food.
The association stressed the importance of the current battle especially that hundreds of prisoners have joined the strike demanding an end to administrative detention policy over which thousands of Palestinians were held in Israeli jails without trial or charge.
90% of the striking prisoners are sick detainees who reached their fifties which will make the situation worse, Waad association added.
The association, working on prisoners' issue, called for increasing support for the Palestinian hunger strikers' demands.
Palestinian administrative detainees have continued their strike for the 24th day in a row demanding an end to their detention without trial or charge.
Palestine Center for Prisoners' Affairs confirmed on Saturday that the striking prisoners' health condition has sharply deteriorated, as some of them become unable to stand while performing prayers.
Most of the strikers are now suffering from low blood pressure, low sugar levels, fatigue, and frequent dizziness, it said.
The human rights center added that prisoners in different Israeli jails declared their intention to join the hunger strike.
Israeli pressure tactics include solitary confinement, cell raids, mass transfer campaign, in addition to number of tough sanctions and restrictions.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prisoners Society stated that the detainee Katiba Moslim has declared hunger strike three days ago, demanding providing him with necessary treatment as he suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes.
The detainee, arrested in 2000, has spent 25 years out of his 35-year sentence. He is also deprived of family visits.
Israeli undercover unit arrested on Friday night four Jerusalemites including three minors in Silwan southern al-Aqsa Mosque. Wadi al-Hilweh Information Center said on Saturday that an Israeli undercover unit arrested three minors after brutally attacking them and took them to "the city of David settlement".
Violent clashes have continued for the second consecutive day between Jerusalemite youths and Israeli forces.
Eight Jerusalemites were arrested after Friday prayers in al-Aqsa Mosque under the pretext of stoning Israeli policemen.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces have arrested on Friday the Palestinian young man Rabii Awis, from Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, after stopping the taxi in which he was travelling at the Hawara checkpoint.
Awis was on his way home after attending his friend's wedding, when Israeli forces stopped the taxi and detained him with two other passengers.
Israeli forces later released the two passengers and kept Awis in custody. Awis had earlier spent three years in Israel jails.
On the other hand, Israeli forces stormed last night Madama village south of Nablus and impeded traffic in the village.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter several Israeli patrols stormed the village and carried out raid and search campaigns in different Palestinian homes.
The sources added that an Israeli infantry unit raided al-Ragmnat area in the village and arrested a Palestinian young man while standing in front of his home.
Violent clashes have continued for the second consecutive day between Jerusalemite youths and Israeli forces.
Eight Jerusalemites were arrested after Friday prayers in al-Aqsa Mosque under the pretext of stoning Israeli policemen.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces have arrested on Friday the Palestinian young man Rabii Awis, from Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, after stopping the taxi in which he was travelling at the Hawara checkpoint.
Awis was on his way home after attending his friend's wedding, when Israeli forces stopped the taxi and detained him with two other passengers.
Israeli forces later released the two passengers and kept Awis in custody. Awis had earlier spent three years in Israel jails.
On the other hand, Israeli forces stormed last night Madama village south of Nablus and impeded traffic in the village.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter several Israeli patrols stormed the village and carried out raid and search campaigns in different Palestinian homes.
The sources added that an Israeli infantry unit raided al-Ragmnat area in the village and arrested a Palestinian young man while standing in front of his home.
Violent confrontations were reported inside the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem immediately after the Friday prayers during which six Jerusalemites were arrested including two cameramen. The PIC reporter said that Israeli special forces fired sound bombs and teargas at the worshipers and chased them inside the holy site.
He said that policemen detained Amjad Arafa, a cameraman working for the Aqsa satellite TV station, on his departure from the Mosque.
Meanwhile, two Jerusalemites were injured in confrontations in Issawiye village, east of occupied Jerusalem, on Friday.
Local sources told the PIC reporter that one of the citizens was wounded in his head while the other suffered injuries in his neck, describing their injuries as moderate.
He said that policemen detained Amjad Arafa, a cameraman working for the Aqsa satellite TV station, on his departure from the Mosque.
Meanwhile, two Jerusalemites were injured in confrontations in Issawiye village, east of occupied Jerusalem, on Friday.
Local sources told the PIC reporter that one of the citizens was wounded in his head while the other suffered injuries in his neck, describing their injuries as moderate.
Israeli forces near Nablus early Saturday detained a former Palestinian militant who had been pardoned by Israel, security sources told Ma'an.
Palestinian security sources said that 25-year-old Rabee Bassam Uweid from Balata refugee camp was detained at the Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus.
Israeli troops at the checkpoint stopped Uweid and three other men while they were en route to a wedding party in a nearby village. Soldiers released the other three men but took Uweid into custody.
Uweid used to be a militant in Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, but was pardoned by Israel, the sources said, without elaborating.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that soldiers detained a man at Huwwara checkpoint on Saturday after finding "a knife in his car."
Palestinian security sources said that 25-year-old Rabee Bassam Uweid from Balata refugee camp was detained at the Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus.
Israeli troops at the checkpoint stopped Uweid and three other men while they were en route to a wedding party in a nearby village. Soldiers released the other three men but took Uweid into custody.
Uweid used to be a militant in Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, but was pardoned by Israel, the sources said, without elaborating.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that soldiers detained a man at Huwwara checkpoint on Saturday after finding "a knife in his car."
A 70-year-old Palestinian man died of heart attack during an Israeli occupation forces’ raid on his home in al-Khalil city at dawn Saturday. Amjad Obeida, a relative of the old man Mohammed Obeido, 70, told the PIC that IOF soldiers “savagely” broke into the “martyr’s home at 0200 in the morning causing panic amid all those present in the house”.
He said that the soldiers were looking for Mohammed’s son Mazen, adding that a scuffle broke out between the old man and the soldiers causing him a heart attack.
He added that Mohammed fainted as a result then later died.
For her part, Mohammed’s widow said that the soldiers kept on knocking on the door and when they entered they argued with Mohammed then violently pushed him without caring about his old age and health condition, leading to his instant death.
He said that the soldiers were looking for Mohammed’s son Mazen, adding that a scuffle broke out between the old man and the soldiers causing him a heart attack.
He added that Mohammed fainted as a result then later died.
For her part, Mohammed’s widow said that the soldiers kept on knocking on the door and when they entered they argued with Mohammed then violently pushed him without caring about his old age and health condition, leading to his instant death.
16 may 2014
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The Musta’ribeen (undercover) unit arrested four children and one citizen from the area of “Ein Al-Daraj” in Silwan on Friday afternoon.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center was informed that the Musta’ribeen arrested 11-year old Seif Bassam Abu Nab, 12-year old Ali Ala’ Eddin Jaber, 18-year Mohammad Naser Abbasi, 15-year old Mohammad Mustafa Qadi “Karaki” and 45-year old Fayez Ahmad Abbasi. Witnesses said that the Musta’ribeen assaulted and severely beaten the detainees before arresting and taking them on foot to the settlement outpost “City of David”. |
After detaining them for more than two hours in the settlement outpost, a large Israeli force closed the neighbourhood of Wadi Hilweh, blindfolded the detainees and transferred them to Salah Eddin Street police station.
The police released Abu Nab and Jaber later that night, and the two children said that the forces assaulted and severely beat them using their hands and the butts of their guns. Abu Nab pointed out that one of the Musta’ribeen put a mask on Abu Nab’s face after arresting him and forced him to carry stones in his hand.
Clashes had occurred in Silwan between the young men and the Israeli forces.
The police released Abu Nab and Jaber later that night, and the two children said that the forces assaulted and severely beat them using their hands and the butts of their guns. Abu Nab pointed out that one of the Musta’ribeen put a mask on Abu Nab’s face after arresting him and forced him to carry stones in his hand.
Clashes had occurred in Silwan between the young men and the Israeli forces.
Ex-detainee Kifah Tafish, who spent 8 years in Israeli jails, has warned shortly after his release of escalating Israeli repressive policy against Palestinian striking detainees.
The liberated detainee said on Thursday that Israeli prison authority stepped up their repressive policies against Palestinian administrative detainees in an attempt to break their hunger strike.
Palestinian prisoners held in Negev prison suffer very health problems due to the Israeli physical and psychological torture and tough sanctions practiced and imposed against them, he added.
He pointed out that popular events in solidarity with administrative detainees' hunger strike would play an important role in pressuring Israeli occupation to meet Captive Movement's demands.
Tafish called after his release for the implementation of reconciliation agreement and for intensifying popular events in solidarity with prisoners' issue.
The liberated prisoner confirmed that 27 Palestinian detainees are in real danger due to the Israeli deliberate medical negligence especially those who suffer cancer.
He stressed the need for international intervention to save their lives before it is too late.
The liberated detainee said on Thursday that Israeli prison authority stepped up their repressive policies against Palestinian administrative detainees in an attempt to break their hunger strike.
Palestinian prisoners held in Negev prison suffer very health problems due to the Israeli physical and psychological torture and tough sanctions practiced and imposed against them, he added.
He pointed out that popular events in solidarity with administrative detainees' hunger strike would play an important role in pressuring Israeli occupation to meet Captive Movement's demands.
Tafish called after his release for the implementation of reconciliation agreement and for intensifying popular events in solidarity with prisoners' issue.
The liberated prisoner confirmed that 27 Palestinian detainees are in real danger due to the Israeli deliberate medical negligence especially those who suffer cancer.
He stressed the need for international intervention to save their lives before it is too late.
Over 15 Palestinians were injured on Friday during clashes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, medics said.
Medics told Ma'an that 11 people were lightly injured by rubber-coated steel bullets, while another four suffered moderate injures, including two people shot in the head.
Tamar Obeid, 17, was detained during the clashes.
Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at the entrance to the East Jerusalem neighborhood after locals organized a demonstration to protest the killing of two Palestinian youths during a Nakba Day rally on Thursday.
In Silwan, a local community center said undercover Israeli forces detained 10-year-old Said Abu Nab and teenagers Muhammad and Fayez al-Abbasi, without providing further details.
Clashes were also reported in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Anata. There were no reports of injuries.
Medics told Ma'an that 11 people were lightly injured by rubber-coated steel bullets, while another four suffered moderate injures, including two people shot in the head.
Tamar Obeid, 17, was detained during the clashes.
Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at the entrance to the East Jerusalem neighborhood after locals organized a demonstration to protest the killing of two Palestinian youths during a Nakba Day rally on Thursday.
In Silwan, a local community center said undercover Israeli forces detained 10-year-old Said Abu Nab and teenagers Muhammad and Fayez al-Abbasi, without providing further details.
Clashes were also reported in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Anata. There were no reports of injuries.
Israeli forces detained eight Palestinians in East Jerusalem's Old City on Friday.
Six men were detained as they left the al-Aqsa mosque compound for allegedly throwing stones and firecrackers at Israeli police near the Moroccan Gate.
They were taken to a police station near the Lion's Gate, where they were assaulted and then transferred to another police station, a Ma'an reporter said.
One of the detainees was identified as Amjad Arafeh, a journalist.
Earlier, Al-Quds newspaper photographer Rami Alariya was briefly detained for two hours near the Old City and released on condition that he does not enter the area for 24 hours.
Six men were detained as they left the al-Aqsa mosque compound for allegedly throwing stones and firecrackers at Israeli police near the Moroccan Gate.
They were taken to a police station near the Lion's Gate, where they were assaulted and then transferred to another police station, a Ma'an reporter said.
One of the detainees was identified as Amjad Arafeh, a journalist.
Earlier, Al-Quds newspaper photographer Rami Alariya was briefly detained for two hours near the Old City and released on condition that he does not enter the area for 24 hours.
By Daoud Kuttab
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University.
Imagine being stopped at an Israeli checkpoint and being taken into custody.
Then finding yourself in an Israeli jail for six months without charge or trial. After six months, the administrative order signed by a military commander is renewed. An Israeli military judge is presented a secret file which neither you nor your lawyer are allowed to see. Within minutes your nightmare is extended for another six months.
And this same thing happens again and again. During this entire period you are held without charge or trial, based on the antiquated British 1945 Emergency Regulations that the current rulers of Israel were so critical of that they compared it to Nazi laws.
The above is not a fictional story and it does not take place in North Korea or a Third World dictatorship.
At present, 186 Palestinian doctors, parliamentarians and teenagers are held without charge or trial by Israel, a country that calls itself the Middle East's only democracy.
Administrative detention is rejected by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International as well as Israeli human rights groups such as B'Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, in addition to Palestinian human rights organizations such as Al Haq and the Independent Center for Citizen's Rights.
It is a violation of international humanitarian law as well as of the basic tenets of justice that demand the right of a defendant to be charged and tried in court.
Palestinian prisoners have regularly protested such illegal and inhumane detention, most often by going on extensive hunger strikes with simultaneous protest campaigns in Palestine and around the world.
These efforts have sometimes made Israel not renew some of the most egregious cases, such as when a person had been detained continuously for five or six consecutive six-month terms. But within months of being free, the same persons are sometimes picked up again and the process starts anew without any concern for this violation of international humanitarian law.
Last month, on April 26, most administrative detainees went on hunger strike.
A campaign began outside the prison cell in support of these unjustified prolonged detentions.
Two years ago, Adnan Khader's campaign used his hash-tag to rally international support and that effort succeeded in forcing the Israelis not to renew his and a few others’ detention as part of a deal with prisoners to stop their hunger strike.
Palestinians and their supporters are again using Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #waterandsalt as well as #stopAD, to raise awareness about this Israeli form of punishment.
Ironically the country that produced the emergency regulations which is Israel’s legal basis for the extended detention denounced the Israeli abuse of these order.
The United Kingdom, in its most recent human rights report, called on Israel to curtail the use of administrative detention as a tool of punishment.
"Administrative detention should only be used when absolutely necessary for reasons of security, and as a preventive, not punitive. measure."
Palestinians believe firmly that these arrests are a form of punishment.
The fact that Israel is unable to charge these individuals in its military courts, which are not known for their even-handedness towards the Palestinians, is the best proof that the Israelis are using the antiquated emergency laws to punish individuals for a wide assortment of reasons.
The administrative detention scheme is often a weapon used by the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency.
Many Palestinians complain that this is one of the favorite weapons used by the Shin Bet to recruit agents from among Palestinians.
If the individuals they are targeting refuse to become agents, they threaten and then carry out their threats to hold them indefinitely in jail using the administrative detention orders.
This is why it is the Shin Bet that presents at the six-month intervals the secret files which cannot be challenged or questioned by the prisoners or their lawyers, allowing the Israeli intelligence agents to fabricate any fact to justify the detention.
The time has come for the world community, especially Israel’s Western allies, to ask it to stop its continued abuse of Palestinian rights.
The Israeli Knesset passed a law to ban the use of the emergency regulations in Israel. It is time that this law be also enforced on the Israeli army and intelligence in the occupied territories.
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University.
Imagine being stopped at an Israeli checkpoint and being taken into custody.
Then finding yourself in an Israeli jail for six months without charge or trial. After six months, the administrative order signed by a military commander is renewed. An Israeli military judge is presented a secret file which neither you nor your lawyer are allowed to see. Within minutes your nightmare is extended for another six months.
And this same thing happens again and again. During this entire period you are held without charge or trial, based on the antiquated British 1945 Emergency Regulations that the current rulers of Israel were so critical of that they compared it to Nazi laws.
The above is not a fictional story and it does not take place in North Korea or a Third World dictatorship.
At present, 186 Palestinian doctors, parliamentarians and teenagers are held without charge or trial by Israel, a country that calls itself the Middle East's only democracy.
Administrative detention is rejected by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International as well as Israeli human rights groups such as B'Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, in addition to Palestinian human rights organizations such as Al Haq and the Independent Center for Citizen's Rights.
It is a violation of international humanitarian law as well as of the basic tenets of justice that demand the right of a defendant to be charged and tried in court.
Palestinian prisoners have regularly protested such illegal and inhumane detention, most often by going on extensive hunger strikes with simultaneous protest campaigns in Palestine and around the world.
These efforts have sometimes made Israel not renew some of the most egregious cases, such as when a person had been detained continuously for five or six consecutive six-month terms. But within months of being free, the same persons are sometimes picked up again and the process starts anew without any concern for this violation of international humanitarian law.
Last month, on April 26, most administrative detainees went on hunger strike.
A campaign began outside the prison cell in support of these unjustified prolonged detentions.
Two years ago, Adnan Khader's campaign used his hash-tag to rally international support and that effort succeeded in forcing the Israelis not to renew his and a few others’ detention as part of a deal with prisoners to stop their hunger strike.
Palestinians and their supporters are again using Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #waterandsalt as well as #stopAD, to raise awareness about this Israeli form of punishment.
Ironically the country that produced the emergency regulations which is Israel’s legal basis for the extended detention denounced the Israeli abuse of these order.
The United Kingdom, in its most recent human rights report, called on Israel to curtail the use of administrative detention as a tool of punishment.
"Administrative detention should only be used when absolutely necessary for reasons of security, and as a preventive, not punitive. measure."
Palestinians believe firmly that these arrests are a form of punishment.
The fact that Israel is unable to charge these individuals in its military courts, which are not known for their even-handedness towards the Palestinians, is the best proof that the Israelis are using the antiquated emergency laws to punish individuals for a wide assortment of reasons.
The administrative detention scheme is often a weapon used by the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency.
Many Palestinians complain that this is one of the favorite weapons used by the Shin Bet to recruit agents from among Palestinians.
If the individuals they are targeting refuse to become agents, they threaten and then carry out their threats to hold them indefinitely in jail using the administrative detention orders.
This is why it is the Shin Bet that presents at the six-month intervals the secret files which cannot be challenged or questioned by the prisoners or their lawyers, allowing the Israeli intelligence agents to fabricate any fact to justify the detention.
The time has come for the world community, especially Israel’s Western allies, to ask it to stop its continued abuse of Palestinian rights.
The Israeli Knesset passed a law to ban the use of the emergency regulations in Israel. It is time that this law be also enforced on the Israeli army and intelligence in the occupied territories.
An Israeli military force invaded Burqa town northwest of Nablus and raided the house of Palestinian citizen Zaher Abu Omar in an attempt to arrest one of his sons named Ryaas. Palestinian youth activist Shadi Abu Omar told the Palestinian information center (PIC) that when the invading troops did not find the son in the house, they told his father to necessarily turn him in tomorrow to the Israeli intelligence in Hawwara military post.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a young man from the same village yesterday, which increased the number of Palestinians kidnapped from the village to 50 detainees.
In a related context, the IOF closed on Thursday evening Hawara military checkpoint in Nablus for one hour leading to traffic congestion.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a young man from the same village yesterday, which increased the number of Palestinians kidnapped from the village to 50 detainees.
In a related context, the IOF closed on Thursday evening Hawara military checkpoint in Nablus for one hour leading to traffic congestion.
Zeid Junaidi
Ex-detainee Zeid Junaidi, who had been on an hunger strike for 22 days and was released Thursday from Ramla prison, said the health conditions of some Palestinian hunger-strikers reached a life-threatening stage. Junaidi, bedridden in Al-Ahli hospital in al-Khalil, told the Palestinian information center (PIC) that the hunger striking prisoners are exposed to daily harassment and punitive measures in Israeli jails.
Junaidi added aged detainees, lawmakers, and former ministers in Israeli prisons are also bullied and beaten by their jailers, noting
Ex-detainee Zeid Junaidi, who had been on an hunger strike for 22 days and was released Thursday from Ramla prison, said the health conditions of some Palestinian hunger-strikers reached a life-threatening stage. Junaidi, bedridden in Al-Ahli hospital in al-Khalil, told the Palestinian information center (PIC) that the hunger striking prisoners are exposed to daily harassment and punitive measures in Israeli jails.
Junaidi added aged detainees, lawmakers, and former ministers in Israeli prisons are also bullied and beaten by their jailers, noting
that MP Sheikh Mohamad Al-Natsha was severely beaten until he lost his consciousness for 4 hours.
MP Mohamad Badr was also physically assaulted by Israeli jailers, he added.
Junaidi called on all citizens to participate in events and marches in solidarity with the prisoners and support their steadfastness in the face of the Israeli suppression.
MP Mohamad Badr was also physically assaulted by Israeli jailers, he added.
Junaidi called on all citizens to participate in events and marches in solidarity with the prisoners and support their steadfastness in the face of the Israeli suppression.
