25 nov 2016

12 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli security forces across the 1948 occupied territories on suspicion of involvement in the raging wildfires.
The abductions come as Israeli leaders have raised suspicions over the possibility that Palestinian assailants had intentionally set the blazes.
The suspects are being interrogated in connection to the fires flaring across the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich received instructions to form a committee to investigate the incident.
Speaking to reporters in the northern city of Haifa, where firefighters were battling blazes engulfing several neighborhoods and tens of thousands of people were evacuated, Alsheich claimed: “It’s likely that there is a nationalist motive in some of the arson cases.”
However, he said, there was no reason to suspect it was an “organized” effort, adding that police would “investigate as needed.”
Alsheich added that some arrests had been made in connection with the fires, but refused to give any additional details on the investigation.
The fires began three days ago at the Neve Shalom illegal settlement near Occupied Jerusalem where Israelis set up roots on Palestinian lands. Later, blazes erupted in the northern Israeli area of Zichron Yaakov and elsewhere near Occupied Jerusalem before the largest ones spread across Haifa.
Israel’s Channel 7 quoted the so-called expert in Middle Eastern affairs, David Bucaille, as stating that he fled with his family from Hadar neighborhood due to the unabated fires which he attributed to the “coexistence of Arabs” next to the Israelis in Haifa.
He claimed that an arson attack was launched by Arabs as part of a campaign staged by Arab MKs in response to the Adhan ban bid.
Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint (Arab) List Knesset faction, hit back at the Israelis on Thursday for suggesting that fires raging across the country had been intentionally set by Arabs.
“To my regret, someone decided to exploit this dreadful situation to incite and to lash out at an entire community,” Odeh said.
“Whoever loves our homeland has to focus right now on putting out the fires and helping the injured and not on fanning hate,” he added.
On Thursday, Odeh called any arson cases “despicable” and said arsonists “are the enemy of us all.”
The rash of fires is the worst since 2010, when Israel was hit by the deadliest wildfire in its history. The 2016 blaze has burned out of control for four days and is being reined in only after firefighting aircraft arrived from as far away as Greece and Russia.
Though no serious injuries were caused, several dozen Israelis were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Israel on Thursday called up military reservists to join overstretched police and firefighters and made use of an international fleet of firefighting aircraft sent by several countries.
The abductions come as Israeli leaders have raised suspicions over the possibility that Palestinian assailants had intentionally set the blazes.
The suspects are being interrogated in connection to the fires flaring across the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich received instructions to form a committee to investigate the incident.
Speaking to reporters in the northern city of Haifa, where firefighters were battling blazes engulfing several neighborhoods and tens of thousands of people were evacuated, Alsheich claimed: “It’s likely that there is a nationalist motive in some of the arson cases.”
However, he said, there was no reason to suspect it was an “organized” effort, adding that police would “investigate as needed.”
Alsheich added that some arrests had been made in connection with the fires, but refused to give any additional details on the investigation.
The fires began three days ago at the Neve Shalom illegal settlement near Occupied Jerusalem where Israelis set up roots on Palestinian lands. Later, blazes erupted in the northern Israeli area of Zichron Yaakov and elsewhere near Occupied Jerusalem before the largest ones spread across Haifa.
Israel’s Channel 7 quoted the so-called expert in Middle Eastern affairs, David Bucaille, as stating that he fled with his family from Hadar neighborhood due to the unabated fires which he attributed to the “coexistence of Arabs” next to the Israelis in Haifa.
He claimed that an arson attack was launched by Arabs as part of a campaign staged by Arab MKs in response to the Adhan ban bid.
Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint (Arab) List Knesset faction, hit back at the Israelis on Thursday for suggesting that fires raging across the country had been intentionally set by Arabs.
“To my regret, someone decided to exploit this dreadful situation to incite and to lash out at an entire community,” Odeh said.
“Whoever loves our homeland has to focus right now on putting out the fires and helping the injured and not on fanning hate,” he added.
On Thursday, Odeh called any arson cases “despicable” and said arsonists “are the enemy of us all.”
The rash of fires is the worst since 2010, when Israel was hit by the deadliest wildfire in its history. The 2016 blaze has burned out of control for four days and is being reined in only after firefighting aircraft arrived from as far away as Greece and Russia.
Though no serious injuries were caused, several dozen Israelis were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Israel on Thursday called up military reservists to join overstretched police and firefighters and made use of an international fleet of firefighting aircraft sent by several countries.

Israeli soldiers abducted, late on Thursday evening, two Palestinian men from the West Bank districts of Jenin and Ramallah; one of them is the father of a Palestinian who was killed by the army in 2014, while the other was taken prisoner at a roadblock near Nablus.
Media sources in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, said the soldiers, stationed at the Za’tara military roadblock, south of Nablus, abducted a young man, identified as Amjad Majed Rabay’a.
The sources added that Amjad is from Meithaloon town, south of Jenin, and that the soldiers abducted him at the military roadblock after interrogating him.
In addition, the soldiers abducted Sayel Darwish Jarab’a, 55, after storming his home and searching it, in Beiteen village, east of Ramallah.
The soldiers invaded the home of the abducted Palestinian, located near Road #60, and violently searched it.
It is worth mentioning that Jarab’a is the Father of Saji Darwish (Jarab’a), 18, who was shot and killed, on Monday evening, March 10, 2014, by the soldiers as he was heading to the family barn, close to the Givat Asaf illegal Israeli settlement, illegally built on lands belonging to residents of Beiteen.
Media sources in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, said the soldiers, stationed at the Za’tara military roadblock, south of Nablus, abducted a young man, identified as Amjad Majed Rabay’a.
The sources added that Amjad is from Meithaloon town, south of Jenin, and that the soldiers abducted him at the military roadblock after interrogating him.
In addition, the soldiers abducted Sayel Darwish Jarab’a, 55, after storming his home and searching it, in Beiteen village, east of Ramallah.
The soldiers invaded the home of the abducted Palestinian, located near Road #60, and violently searched it.
It is worth mentioning that Jarab’a is the Father of Saji Darwish (Jarab’a), 18, who was shot and killed, on Monday evening, March 10, 2014, by the soldiers as he was heading to the family barn, close to the Givat Asaf illegal Israeli settlement, illegally built on lands belonging to residents of Beiteen.

The Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) extended Thursday the administrative detention of the journalist Omar Nazzal for two more months.
Nazzal was arrested on April 23, 2016 and held since then in administrative detention without charge or trial.
The IOA also issued on Thursday 25 administrative orders against Palestinian citizens ranging between two and six months.
Nazzal was arrested on April 23, 2016 and held since then in administrative detention without charge or trial.
The IOA also issued on Thursday 25 administrative orders against Palestinian citizens ranging between two and six months.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Friday kidnapped two Palestinians from the southern West Bank province of al-Khalil.
The Israeli 0404 news site claimed that the Israeli army troops stumbled upon weapons and ammunition in a Palestinian home in Abu Esneineh neighborhood, in al-Khalil, as they stormed the area and rummaged into civilian homes.
The Israeli soldiers kidnapped two Palestinians from the city and dragged them to an investigation center pending intensive questioning.
At predawn time, the IOF scoured the city in search for alleged anti-occupation stone-throwers.
The Israeli 0404 news site claimed that the Israeli army troops stumbled upon weapons and ammunition in a Palestinian home in Abu Esneineh neighborhood, in al-Khalil, as they stormed the area and rummaged into civilian homes.
The Israeli soldiers kidnapped two Palestinians from the city and dragged them to an investigation center pending intensive questioning.
At predawn time, the IOF scoured the city in search for alleged anti-occupation stone-throwers.

The Israeli occupation police released late Thursday evening four Palestinian children, from Occupied Jerusalem, on condition of house confinement.
Lawyer Saleh Mheissen, from the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, said the four Palestinian children were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces from Silwan town, three among whom while on their way back home from school.
They were identified as 13-year-old Amer Waleed Abdul Razzaq and Mahdi Moussa Qara’ine, along with Muadh Jamal Zaytoune, 14. The captives were held in custody and subjected to intensive questioning on claims of stone-hurling. They were released hours later on conditions of a five-day house confinement and an unpaid bail of up to 5,000 shekels.
The fourth child, 13-year-old Jamal Mohamed Qara’ine, endured hours of exhaustive interrogation on the same allegation and was released on conditions of a seven-day house arrest, a bail of 1,000 shekels, and a third-party bail.
Jamal said he was arrested on his way out of a barbershop in Silwan and was transferred to an Israeli police station in Salah al-Din Street, where he had been subjected to heavy beating and verbal abuse in order to force confession.
Lawyer Saleh Mheissen, from the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, said the four Palestinian children were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces from Silwan town, three among whom while on their way back home from school.
They were identified as 13-year-old Amer Waleed Abdul Razzaq and Mahdi Moussa Qara’ine, along with Muadh Jamal Zaytoune, 14. The captives were held in custody and subjected to intensive questioning on claims of stone-hurling. They were released hours later on conditions of a five-day house confinement and an unpaid bail of up to 5,000 shekels.
The fourth child, 13-year-old Jamal Mohamed Qara’ine, endured hours of exhaustive interrogation on the same allegation and was released on conditions of a seven-day house arrest, a bail of 1,000 shekels, and a third-party bail.
Jamal said he was arrested on his way out of a barbershop in Silwan and was transferred to an Israeli police station in Salah al-Din Street, where he had been subjected to heavy beating and verbal abuse in order to force confession.
24 nov 2016

The Israeli Magistrate Court released Wednesday six Palestinian sit-inners and extended the arrest of four others till next Sunday.
Israeli prosecution has earlier submitted indictments against four Palestinian sit-inners and demanded the extension of their arrest pending investigation.
Six other detainees were released on bail and house arrest condition.
The ten Palestinians were earlier arrested over their activism in support of al-Aqsa Mosque.
In this regard, head of the Freedoms committee within the Green Line Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib strongly denounced the Israeli systematic targeting of Palestinian sit-inners in al-Aqsa.
He called for stopping the Israeli political persecution against them.
Israeli prosecution has earlier submitted indictments against four Palestinian sit-inners and demanded the extension of their arrest pending investigation.
Six other detainees were released on bail and house arrest condition.
The ten Palestinians were earlier arrested over their activism in support of al-Aqsa Mosque.
In this regard, head of the Freedoms committee within the Green Line Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib strongly denounced the Israeli systematic targeting of Palestinian sit-inners in al-Aqsa.
He called for stopping the Israeli political persecution against them.

Israeli soldiers abducted, overnight and on Thursday at dawn, at least ten Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank, and summoned several Palestinians for interrogation.
In Jenin, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, the soldiers searched several homes and abducted Ayyoub Enfei’at, and his brother Ayyoub.
Also in Jenin, the soldiers invaded ‘Aneen nearby village, west of Jenin, searched homes, and abducted Abdul-Nasser Mohammad Yassin, 42, after storming his home and ransacking it.
The soldiers also invaded several communities in the northern West Bank district of Nablus, and abducted Professor Essam Rashed al-Ashqar, 57, who teaches at the Najah University in the city.
The Nablus office of the PPS said Professor Al-Ashqar was repeatedly abducted and imprisoned by Israel, including this year. The soldiers took him prisoner after invading his home, and violently searching it.
Furthermore, the soldiers invaded Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, searched a few homes and kidnapped Ezzat Hasan Deeriyya, 52.
In Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, the soldiers invaded Beit Ummar town, north of the city, violently searched homes and summoned two Palestinians for interrogation in Etzion military base and security center.
The soldiers invaded the home of Mohammad Awwad Awad, of the Popular Committee in Hebron, and violently searched it for more than two hours.
Awad said the soldiers smashed the main and inner doors of his property, and caused excessive property damage while searching it, before summoning his two sons, Ahmad, 30, and Mohammad, 26, for interrogation in Etzion.
He added that this was the second time this month that the army invaded his property, and violently searches it.
Also in Beit Ummar, the soldiers stormed the nearby home of Mahmoud Abdul-Aziz Awad, 31, under the allegation of searching for his son, who is still under interrogation, after the Israeli army abducted him two weeks ago.
Furthermore, the soldiers searched homes in occupied East Jerusalem, abducted Amjad Abu Sbeih, who was only released from prison just ten days ago, and instantly slapped an arbitrary administrative detention against him, holding him captive without charges or trial.
In Qotna town, northwest of Jenin, the soldiers abducted Mojahed Abu Shamasna, after breaking into his home and searching it.
In Ramallah, in central west Bank, the soldiers abducted two Palestinians, identified as Mohammad Abdullah Rezeq, 28, and Khaled Mohammad Rezeq, 38.
In Jericho, the soldiers abducted one Palestinian, identified as Mohmmad Hussein Tabeyya, after breaking into his home and searching it.
In Jenin, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, the soldiers searched several homes and abducted Ayyoub Enfei’at, and his brother Ayyoub.
Also in Jenin, the soldiers invaded ‘Aneen nearby village, west of Jenin, searched homes, and abducted Abdul-Nasser Mohammad Yassin, 42, after storming his home and ransacking it.
The soldiers also invaded several communities in the northern West Bank district of Nablus, and abducted Professor Essam Rashed al-Ashqar, 57, who teaches at the Najah University in the city.
The Nablus office of the PPS said Professor Al-Ashqar was repeatedly abducted and imprisoned by Israel, including this year. The soldiers took him prisoner after invading his home, and violently searching it.
Furthermore, the soldiers invaded Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, searched a few homes and kidnapped Ezzat Hasan Deeriyya, 52.
In Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, the soldiers invaded Beit Ummar town, north of the city, violently searched homes and summoned two Palestinians for interrogation in Etzion military base and security center.
The soldiers invaded the home of Mohammad Awwad Awad, of the Popular Committee in Hebron, and violently searched it for more than two hours.
Awad said the soldiers smashed the main and inner doors of his property, and caused excessive property damage while searching it, before summoning his two sons, Ahmad, 30, and Mohammad, 26, for interrogation in Etzion.
He added that this was the second time this month that the army invaded his property, and violently searches it.
Also in Beit Ummar, the soldiers stormed the nearby home of Mahmoud Abdul-Aziz Awad, 31, under the allegation of searching for his son, who is still under interrogation, after the Israeli army abducted him two weeks ago.
Furthermore, the soldiers searched homes in occupied East Jerusalem, abducted Amjad Abu Sbeih, who was only released from prison just ten days ago, and instantly slapped an arbitrary administrative detention against him, holding him captive without charges or trial.
In Qotna town, northwest of Jenin, the soldiers abducted Mojahed Abu Shamasna, after breaking into his home and searching it.
In Ramallah, in central west Bank, the soldiers abducted two Palestinians, identified as Mohammad Abdullah Rezeq, 28, and Khaled Mohammad Rezeq, 38.
In Jericho, the soldiers abducted one Palestinian, identified as Mohmmad Hussein Tabeyya, after breaking into his home and searching it.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday kidnapped two Palestinians from southern Nablus province on suspicions of involvement in anti-occupation activities.
The Israeli occupation police said they stopped a vehicle at a military checkpoint pitched in southern Nablus province and seized $5,000 along with mobile phones allegedly intended to be used in operations against Israeli soldiers.
The police statement added that the two youngsters are aged 25 and 29 and that both were transferred to an Israeli detention center pending further questioning.
At dawn Wednesday, 17 Palestinians were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation army following abrupt assaults on Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The Israeli occupation police said they stopped a vehicle at a military checkpoint pitched in southern Nablus province and seized $5,000 along with mobile phones allegedly intended to be used in operations against Israeli soldiers.
The police statement added that the two youngsters are aged 25 and 29 and that both were transferred to an Israeli detention center pending further questioning.
At dawn Wednesday, 17 Palestinians were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation army following abrupt assaults on Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.