17 dec 2008
Locals inspect the damage from Wednesday night's airstrike in Khan Younis
A 53-year-old Palestinian man was killed and three others injured by an Israeli artillery attack on a house in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday night.
The shelling was the only fatality in a night of Israeli attacks in Gaza that included at least three separate airstrikes less than 24 hours before a six-month-old ceasefire is due to expire.
Palestinian fighters continued to fire homemade projectiles into Israel throughout the evening. By the count of one Israeli newspaper more than 40 homemade rockets have been fired into Israel since Tuesday.
By Wednesday evening, three Israelis had suffered minor shrapnel injuries and nine were treated for shock, according to Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.
One of Wednesday night's Israeli military strikes saw a ground-to-ground missile launched at the home of Salah Abu Owal in Tal Az-Za'atar in the northern Gaza Strip.
Locals identified the slain man as 53-year-old Salah Abu Oqal, who witnesses say was "cut into pieces" following a direct hit by the Israeli missile.
Witnesses also claimed that Oqal was not affiliated with any armed group, although the Israeli military's press office reported the assault was in response to Palestinian rocket attacks.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health's Director of Ambulance and Emergency Services Dr Mu'awiyah Hassanein said the three injured men were taken to Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital with moderate wounds. He identified one of the men as the son of Oqal, the home's owner.
The missile damaged Oqal's home in addition to several other buildings in the area.
Early on Thursday morning, Israeli F16 fighter jets fired missiles at a car in the Ma'en area in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The car belonged to Iyad Jabbour. No one was injured.
Later, Israeli warplanes struck a car parked next to the Hussein Abu An-Nasser house in Jabalia Refugee Camp in northern Gaza, causing no injuries.
Also on Wednesday evening, witnesses said Israeli helicopters fired at least two missiles at farmland in the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed an airstrike in the area.
Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades have claimed responsibility for the bulk of the projectile attacks on Israeli towns. The group said it was responding to Israel's assassination of an Islamic Jihad fighter in the West Bank city of Jenin on the previous day.
At least two Palestinian armed groups claimed to have fired more projectiles in response to Wednesday night's Israeli assaults.
The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed to have launched three projectiles at the western Negev desert and a landing strip, east of the Gaza Strip town of Juhr Ad-Dik, on Wednesday at midnight.
The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said this attack was in response to Israel's deadly shelling earlier in northern Gaza.
The Al-Buraq Army, a branch of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, claimed to have fired two projectiles at the Israeli towns of Sderot and Ashkelon on Thursday at dawn.
A 53-year-old Palestinian man was killed and three others injured by an Israeli artillery attack on a house in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday night.
The shelling was the only fatality in a night of Israeli attacks in Gaza that included at least three separate airstrikes less than 24 hours before a six-month-old ceasefire is due to expire.
Palestinian fighters continued to fire homemade projectiles into Israel throughout the evening. By the count of one Israeli newspaper more than 40 homemade rockets have been fired into Israel since Tuesday.
By Wednesday evening, three Israelis had suffered minor shrapnel injuries and nine were treated for shock, according to Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.
One of Wednesday night's Israeli military strikes saw a ground-to-ground missile launched at the home of Salah Abu Owal in Tal Az-Za'atar in the northern Gaza Strip.
Locals identified the slain man as 53-year-old Salah Abu Oqal, who witnesses say was "cut into pieces" following a direct hit by the Israeli missile.
Witnesses also claimed that Oqal was not affiliated with any armed group, although the Israeli military's press office reported the assault was in response to Palestinian rocket attacks.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health's Director of Ambulance and Emergency Services Dr Mu'awiyah Hassanein said the three injured men were taken to Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital with moderate wounds. He identified one of the men as the son of Oqal, the home's owner.
The missile damaged Oqal's home in addition to several other buildings in the area.
Early on Thursday morning, Israeli F16 fighter jets fired missiles at a car in the Ma'en area in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The car belonged to Iyad Jabbour. No one was injured.
Later, Israeli warplanes struck a car parked next to the Hussein Abu An-Nasser house in Jabalia Refugee Camp in northern Gaza, causing no injuries.
Also on Wednesday evening, witnesses said Israeli helicopters fired at least two missiles at farmland in the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed an airstrike in the area.
Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades have claimed responsibility for the bulk of the projectile attacks on Israeli towns. The group said it was responding to Israel's assassination of an Islamic Jihad fighter in the West Bank city of Jenin on the previous day.
At least two Palestinian armed groups claimed to have fired more projectiles in response to Wednesday night's Israeli assaults.
The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed to have launched three projectiles at the western Negev desert and a landing strip, east of the Gaza Strip town of Juhr Ad-Dik, on Wednesday at midnight.
The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said this attack was in response to Israel's deadly shelling earlier in northern Gaza.
The Al-Buraq Army, a branch of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, claimed to have fired two projectiles at the Israeli towns of Sderot and Ashkelon on Thursday at dawn.
Israeli apache helicopters launched at least two missiles at farmland in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening, witnesses said.
Residents have also reported low-flying Israeli planes over Gaza City, and heavy machine gun fire in the town of Beit Hanoun, where the airstrike took place. The strike was confirmed by the Israeli military.
Three residents of the Israeli town of Sderot were injured by Palestinian homemade rockets that were fired at the town from Gaza.
Israeli media reported that a rocket landed in the parking lot of a medical center, damaging several cars and a builfing.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the rockets, saying that they had fired 14 projectiles at Sderot since the killing on Tuesday of an Islamic Jihad fighter in the West Bank.
Residents have also reported low-flying Israeli planes over Gaza City, and heavy machine gun fire in the town of Beit Hanoun, where the airstrike took place. The strike was confirmed by the Israeli military.
Three residents of the Israeli town of Sderot were injured by Palestinian homemade rockets that were fired at the town from Gaza.
Israeli media reported that a rocket landed in the parking lot of a medical center, damaging several cars and a builfing.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the rockets, saying that they had fired 14 projectiles at Sderot since the killing on Tuesday of an Islamic Jihad fighter in the West Bank.
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Gaza fighters fire at Israeli targets for second day
16 dec 2008
A 2006 funeral for slain fighter in Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip
Three Palestinians including two women were injured on Tuesday evening when an Israeli aerial drone fired a missile at Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.
Witnesses told Ma'an that the Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a group of ordinary Palestinian civilians north of the town.
The director of ambulance and emergency service in the Palestinian Health Ministry, Mu'awiya Hassanain, said that one injured person was transferred to Kamal Udwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. Hassanain described the injury as moderate.
In the same regard, the military wing affiliated to Islamic Jihad, earlier on Tuesday, fired three homemade projectiles towards Israeli town of Sderot.
In a statement the Al-Quds Brigades said shelling was in retaliation for the assassination of the group's operative Jihad Nawahda on Monday night in Jenin, in the northern West Bank.
A fragile six-month-old Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in Gaza expires on Friday. The agreement between the Israeli government and the Hamas-run de facto government in Gaza called on Israel to ease the blockade.
Al-Quds Brigades also fired four homemade projectiles into an area east of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning.
Three Palestinians including two women were injured on Tuesday evening when an Israeli aerial drone fired a missile at Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.
Witnesses told Ma'an that the Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a group of ordinary Palestinian civilians north of the town.
The director of ambulance and emergency service in the Palestinian Health Ministry, Mu'awiya Hassanain, said that one injured person was transferred to Kamal Udwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. Hassanain described the injury as moderate.
In the same regard, the military wing affiliated to Islamic Jihad, earlier on Tuesday, fired three homemade projectiles towards Israeli town of Sderot.
In a statement the Al-Quds Brigades said shelling was in retaliation for the assassination of the group's operative Jihad Nawahda on Monday night in Jenin, in the northern West Bank.
A fragile six-month-old Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in Gaza expires on Friday. The agreement between the Israeli government and the Hamas-run de facto government in Gaza called on Israel to ease the blockade.
Al-Quds Brigades also fired four homemade projectiles into an area east of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning.
Jihad Nawahda's funeral in a Al-Yamou
Islamic Jihad vowed on Tuesday to strike back at Israel for the killing of one of its fighters on Monday.
Israeli forces assassinated a leader in the armed wing of Islamic Jihad during a raid near the West Bank city of Jenin late on Monday.
In a statement Islamic Jihad said it would respond to the killing "at the proper time."
An Islamic Jihad source told Ma'an that Israeli troops surrounded the home of 23-year-old Jihad Nawahda, in the town of Al-Yamoun before seizing him from the house and executing him in a field.
The source said Nawahda is a leader of Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades in the northern West Bank, and has been "wanted" by the Israeli government for years.
Palestinian security sources offered a different account of the killing. They said Nawahda was leaving an internet café when Israeli troops approached him in the street, asking him to surrender. According to the security sources, Nawahda refused and the Israeli soldiers then shot him dead.
Witnesses told Ma'an that Nawahda was walking near the Al-Yamoun municipality building when he was approached by undercover Israeli officers travelling in a white Mercedes Benz. Six men jumped from the car and opened fire, injuring Nawahda, who collapsed but was still alive. The undercover Israeli troops then pulled Nawahda inside the car, killed him, and threw him from the vehicle.
In a statement vowing revenge for the killing, Islamic Jihad called the assassination a "crime," and criticized Monday's release of 227 Palestinian prisoners as an attempt to cover up Israel's overall oppression of the Palestinians.
The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, also threatened to respond to the killing.
Abu Mahmoud, a leader in an armed group called the Yasser Arafat Brigades said, "The response to this assassination will be harsh."
On Tuesday morning Palestinian fighters fired four homemade rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The projectiles landed in the Eshkol area, east of Gaza, causing no casualties.
The Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility for the rockets, which they said were in response to the assassination.
Islamic Jihad vowed on Tuesday to strike back at Israel for the killing of one of its fighters on Monday.
Israeli forces assassinated a leader in the armed wing of Islamic Jihad during a raid near the West Bank city of Jenin late on Monday.
In a statement Islamic Jihad said it would respond to the killing "at the proper time."
An Islamic Jihad source told Ma'an that Israeli troops surrounded the home of 23-year-old Jihad Nawahda, in the town of Al-Yamoun before seizing him from the house and executing him in a field.
The source said Nawahda is a leader of Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades in the northern West Bank, and has been "wanted" by the Israeli government for years.
Palestinian security sources offered a different account of the killing. They said Nawahda was leaving an internet café when Israeli troops approached him in the street, asking him to surrender. According to the security sources, Nawahda refused and the Israeli soldiers then shot him dead.
Witnesses told Ma'an that Nawahda was walking near the Al-Yamoun municipality building when he was approached by undercover Israeli officers travelling in a white Mercedes Benz. Six men jumped from the car and opened fire, injuring Nawahda, who collapsed but was still alive. The undercover Israeli troops then pulled Nawahda inside the car, killed him, and threw him from the vehicle.
In a statement vowing revenge for the killing, Islamic Jihad called the assassination a "crime," and criticized Monday's release of 227 Palestinian prisoners as an attempt to cover up Israel's overall oppression of the Palestinians.
The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, also threatened to respond to the killing.
Abu Mahmoud, a leader in an armed group called the Yasser Arafat Brigades said, "The response to this assassination will be harsh."
On Tuesday morning Palestinian fighters fired four homemade rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The projectiles landed in the Eshkol area, east of Gaza, causing no casualties.
The Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility for the rockets, which they said were in response to the assassination.
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Israeli forces seize 22 Palestinians in West Bank raids
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Water pollution exposed as cause of Nablus epidemic
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Israeli forces seize 22 Palestinians in West Bank raids
15 dec 2008
Israeli military raids refugee camp and detains two youth
Israeli forces detained two Palestinian youth from the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus early Monday morning.
Israeli military vehicles raided the camp before the sun rose and ransacked several homes then seized 18-year-old Rami Shalabiyya and 18-year-old Mujahid Abu Sarris. Both were taken to an unknown location.
Israeli forces detained two Palestinian youth from the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus early Monday morning.
Israeli military vehicles raided the camp before the sun rose and ransacked several homes then seized 18-year-old Rami Shalabiyya and 18-year-old Mujahid Abu Sarris. Both were taken to an unknown location.
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Israeli troops seize land south of Hebron for separation wall
Israeli Forces detain TV cameraman and prevent filiming in Qalqilia
Palestinian woman dies of heart attack upon learning that none of sons released by Israel
Israel denies UN Rapporteur entry at airport, sends official back to Washington
DFLP military wing opens fire at Israeli military patrol in Gaza
Israeli troops seize land south of Hebron for separation wall
Israeli Forces detain TV cameraman and prevent filiming in Qalqilia
Palestinian woman dies of heart attack upon learning that none of sons released by Israel
Israel denies UN Rapporteur entry at airport, sends official back to Washington
DFLP military wing opens fire at Israeli military patrol in Gaza
14 dec 2008
One shot, one beaten and arrested by Israeli forces in Salfit
Israeli soldiers beat and arrested a high school student, and shot another in the back during an incursion in the West Bank town of Salfit on Friday, witnesses told Ma'an.
According to the witnesses, Israeli troops approached the boy's secondary school in Salfit, then assaulted and detained one of the school's students, and also stole the teenager's bicycle.
The soldiers fired tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber-coated metal bullets, and ordered shopkeepers to close their stores.
Witnesses also said that 26-year-old Ahmad Salim was shot in the back by the Israeli soldiers while he was on his way home from Friday prayers. He was treated at Yasser Arafat Hospital.
The head of the local Public Union of Workers, Mahmoud Al-Bur, denounced the incursion and called on human rights organizations to document the attack.
Israeli soldiers beat and arrested a high school student, and shot another in the back during an incursion in the West Bank town of Salfit on Friday, witnesses told Ma'an.
According to the witnesses, Israeli troops approached the boy's secondary school in Salfit, then assaulted and detained one of the school's students, and also stole the teenager's bicycle.
The soldiers fired tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber-coated metal bullets, and ordered shopkeepers to close their stores.
Witnesses also said that 26-year-old Ahmad Salim was shot in the back by the Israeli soldiers while he was on his way home from Friday prayers. He was treated at Yasser Arafat Hospital.
The head of the local Public Union of Workers, Mahmoud Al-Bur, denounced the incursion and called on human rights organizations to document the attack.
13 dec 2008
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Israeli soldiers invade Al-Bireh, enter several buildings
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12 dec 2008
An Israeli bullet caught 14-year-old Ya'qub Al-Qasrawi in the head on Friday while the boy was standing outside his family home in Hebron. He was transferred to the Hadasah Israeli hospital in Jerusalem in critical condition.
Eyewitnesses said the boy was standing in front of his home when he crumpled to the ground. Locals suspect the bullet was from the barrel of a sniper gun.
According to the Israeli press Ya'qub was "throwing stones" at an Israeli military position, and was hit with a rubber coated bullet. Israeli military spokespeople indicated an investigation into the incident was underway.
Ya'qub lives in the Al-Karantina neighborhood in the West Bank city of Hebron. The area is in the Palestinian Authority (PA) controlled H1, and south of the four small settlements staked out in the center of the city.
Earlier Friday settlers from the Tel Rumeida settlement, south of the entrance to the old city and north of Ya'qub's home, attacked several Palestinian homes in the area.
Eyewitnesses said the boy was standing in front of his home when he crumpled to the ground. Locals suspect the bullet was from the barrel of a sniper gun.
According to the Israeli press Ya'qub was "throwing stones" at an Israeli military position, and was hit with a rubber coated bullet. Israeli military spokespeople indicated an investigation into the incident was underway.
Ya'qub lives in the Al-Karantina neighborhood in the West Bank city of Hebron. The area is in the Palestinian Authority (PA) controlled H1, and south of the four small settlements staked out in the center of the city.
Earlier Friday settlers from the Tel Rumeida settlement, south of the entrance to the old city and north of Ya'qub's home, attacked several Palestinian homes in the area.
Three Palestinians seriously injured in Israeli assault on Bil'in protest
Three Palestinian were injured by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Bil'in on Friday, according to a statement received by Ma'an.
A "massive march" was organized by residents of the village near Ramallah and attended by a group of international and Israeli peace activists. Also present was a delegation from the Bethlehem-based Committee for Solidarity, an organization that sheds light on the plight of owners of confiscated land and areas affected by the Israeli-constructed separation wall.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and banners bringing attention to the first popular uprising's anniversary, twenty years since it began. Protestors marched, chanted slogans and called for the removal of the wall, settlements and checkpoints, as well as the release of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
But Israeli soldiers on the scene prevented the group from crossing the main gate, where soldiers erected concrete blocks and fired percussion grenades, teargas canisters and rubber-coated bullets at the protesters, causing dozens to suffer inhalation injuries.
Three Palestinians were more seriously injured, including an eight-year-old boy. Two other Palestinians, 30-year-old Ibrahim Aborhmh and 37-year-old Hamamra Abdul, the statement said.
On a lighter note, the People's Committee Against the Wall in Bil'in, along with Anarchists Against the Wall won the World Carl von Ositzqui prize that is granted annually by the World Assembly for Human Rights in Germany.
The two local activist groups were awarded the prize based on their dedication to "defending human rights and the continuing struggle against the construction of the wall and settlements."
Three Palestinian were injured by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Bil'in on Friday, according to a statement received by Ma'an.
A "massive march" was organized by residents of the village near Ramallah and attended by a group of international and Israeli peace activists. Also present was a delegation from the Bethlehem-based Committee for Solidarity, an organization that sheds light on the plight of owners of confiscated land and areas affected by the Israeli-constructed separation wall.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and banners bringing attention to the first popular uprising's anniversary, twenty years since it began. Protestors marched, chanted slogans and called for the removal of the wall, settlements and checkpoints, as well as the release of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
But Israeli soldiers on the scene prevented the group from crossing the main gate, where soldiers erected concrete blocks and fired percussion grenades, teargas canisters and rubber-coated bullets at the protesters, causing dozens to suffer inhalation injuries.
Three Palestinians were more seriously injured, including an eight-year-old boy. Two other Palestinians, 30-year-old Ibrahim Aborhmh and 37-year-old Hamamra Abdul, the statement said.
On a lighter note, the People's Committee Against the Wall in Bil'in, along with Anarchists Against the Wall won the World Carl von Ositzqui prize that is granted annually by the World Assembly for Human Rights in Germany.
The two local activist groups were awarded the prize based on their dedication to "defending human rights and the continuing struggle against the construction of the wall and settlements."
sraeli soldiers seized four Palestinians in the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Friday, according to local witnesses.
Israeli forces invaded the Ash-Sheikh Imad neighborhood west of Nablus, residents said.
They added that a number of Israeli military jeeps drove into the area, known as the Old Parks Area, where locals tend to congregate during the holidays.
Forces reportedly seized four residents at the site before dispersing the crowd that remained behind.
Israeli forces invaded the Ash-Sheikh Imad neighborhood west of Nablus, residents said.
They added that a number of Israeli military jeeps drove into the area, known as the Old Parks Area, where locals tend to congregate during the holidays.
Forces reportedly seized four residents at the site before dispersing the crowd that remained behind.
Israeli soldiers, Palestinians clash in Salfit
The Israeli military invaded the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Friday, clashing with residents and firing percussion grenades and rubber-coated bullets, according to witnesses.
Local residents told Ma'an that five Israeli military jeeps invaded the city center, clashing with youths who threw stones and empty bottles toward the soldiers.
Soldiers responded by firing rubber-coated bullets and percussion grenades toward the residents, though no injuries or arrests were immediately reported.
The Israeli military invaded the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Friday, clashing with residents and firing percussion grenades and rubber-coated bullets, according to witnesses.
Local residents told Ma'an that five Israeli military jeeps invaded the city center, clashing with youths who threw stones and empty bottles toward the soldiers.
Soldiers responded by firing rubber-coated bullets and percussion grenades toward the residents, though no injuries or arrests were immediately reported.
Israeli forces breached Gaza borders Friday morning and detained three Palestinians in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades claimed to have fired three mortar shells at the invading forces, the Palestinian-Hizbullah claimed a second projectile launch in the afternoon, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)'s Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades reported that they shelled Kibutz Sa'd with three projectiles Friday evening.
Israeli sources announced the detentions Friday afternoon, and the Al-Quds Brigades followed closely with a press release detailing their counter-attack.
Similarly the Hizbullah Brigades of the Gaza Strip sent a statement claiming they launched a projectile at the Israeli crossing point Nahal Oz. The two projectiles may have been those reported by Israeli sources which said projectiles landed in the western Negev. No injuries were reported.
The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades sent a statement claiming their attacks were in response to the arrest of the men in Khan Younis and the continued siege on Gaza.
The back-and-fourth military operations come as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak considers a major alteration to his military's response to armed attacks on Israeli targets originating in the Gaza Strip.
Barak has been considering the military's current strategy in light of recent comments made by the country's legal experts, such as former Chief Supreme Court Justice Meir Shamghar, according to an analysis published in the Hebrew-language newspaper Ma'ariv.
The newspaper pointed out that ongoing meetings were aimed at formulating the view of the "legality" of Israel firing on Palestinian sites from which attacks originate, as well as cutting off electricity in the strip. The Israeli government's legal advisor, Minni Mazuz, considers such moves illegal.
Regardless, a number of Israeli cabinet members, including Deputy Prime Minister Haiym Ramon and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have called for escalating attacks on the besieged strip.
Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades claimed to have fired three mortar shells at the invading forces, the Palestinian-Hizbullah claimed a second projectile launch in the afternoon, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)'s Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades reported that they shelled Kibutz Sa'd with three projectiles Friday evening.
Israeli sources announced the detentions Friday afternoon, and the Al-Quds Brigades followed closely with a press release detailing their counter-attack.
Similarly the Hizbullah Brigades of the Gaza Strip sent a statement claiming they launched a projectile at the Israeli crossing point Nahal Oz. The two projectiles may have been those reported by Israeli sources which said projectiles landed in the western Negev. No injuries were reported.
The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades sent a statement claiming their attacks were in response to the arrest of the men in Khan Younis and the continued siege on Gaza.
The back-and-fourth military operations come as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak considers a major alteration to his military's response to armed attacks on Israeli targets originating in the Gaza Strip.
Barak has been considering the military's current strategy in light of recent comments made by the country's legal experts, such as former Chief Supreme Court Justice Meir Shamghar, according to an analysis published in the Hebrew-language newspaper Ma'ariv.
The newspaper pointed out that ongoing meetings were aimed at formulating the view of the "legality" of Israel firing on Palestinian sites from which attacks originate, as well as cutting off electricity in the strip. The Israeli government's legal advisor, Minni Mazuz, considers such moves illegal.
Regardless, a number of Israeli cabinet members, including Deputy Prime Minister Haiym Ramon and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have called for escalating attacks on the besieged strip.
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11 dec 2008
Israeli forces raided a village near Nablus early on Thursday morning, according to witnesses and a municipality official.
Soldiers overran the Burqa village west of Nablus just before dawn on Thursday, where a percussion grenade fired toward a house set fire to a room. The house reportedly belongs to 55-year-old Tawfiq Abdullah Yousef.
Ghassan Daghlas, an official in the village's local council, told Ma'an in a telephone interview that in addition to the house fire soldiers destroyed a car belonging to Muhammad Oddeh Abu Amer, which was parked in front of his home in the village.
Soldiers overran the Burqa village west of Nablus just before dawn on Thursday, where a percussion grenade fired toward a house set fire to a room. The house reportedly belongs to 55-year-old Tawfiq Abdullah Yousef.
Ghassan Daghlas, an official in the village's local council, told Ma'an in a telephone interview that in addition to the house fire soldiers destroyed a car belonging to Muhammad Oddeh Abu Amer, which was parked in front of his home in the village.
Dozens of Israeli settlers opened fire on Palestinian homes near the illegal settlement of Shavei Shomron southwest of Nablus on Wednesday, residents told Ma'an.
Sources added that a number of settlers had arrived after the commotion and fired dozens of bullets from automatic weapons before finally withdrawing when the Israeli army arrived in coordination with the Palestinian Liaison Office.
Sources added that a number of settlers had arrived after the commotion and fired dozens of bullets from automatic weapons before finally withdrawing when the Israeli army arrived in coordination with the Palestinian Liaison Office.
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Settler indicted one week after shooting two Palestinians
Al-Quds and NRC Brigades announce clash with Israeli forces in Gaza
Report: Israel arresting West Bank Palestinians by the hundreds
10 dec 2008
Stone-throwing youths are a symbol of the Intifada
Hamas warned on Wednesday that settler violence in the West Bank and Israel's crippling siege of the Gaza Strip could provoke a new Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.
There have been two Palestinian Intifadas, revolts against the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. The First Intifada began in late 1987 and was characterized by popular resistance and demonstrations. The second, the Al-Aqsa Intifada, began in September 2000, has been more heavily based on armed struggle.
Salah Al-Bardawil a Gaza-based Hamas leader and the spokesman of Hamas' parliamentary bloc, made this pronouncement in a statement carried on a Hamas-affiliated website, the Palestinian Information Center.
"The situation experienced by Palestinians nowadays is similar to the situation before the Intifada in 1987," he said.
Al-Bardawil added: "The settlers' attacks aim at making our people to kneel, as if they did not know that Palestinians will react to what they receive from Israel. They are never silent."
He also said "The more barbaric the attacks by Israel the more our feel that the end of Israel is coming."
Hamas warned on Wednesday that settler violence in the West Bank and Israel's crippling siege of the Gaza Strip could provoke a new Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.
There have been two Palestinian Intifadas, revolts against the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. The First Intifada began in late 1987 and was characterized by popular resistance and demonstrations. The second, the Al-Aqsa Intifada, began in September 2000, has been more heavily based on armed struggle.
Salah Al-Bardawil a Gaza-based Hamas leader and the spokesman of Hamas' parliamentary bloc, made this pronouncement in a statement carried on a Hamas-affiliated website, the Palestinian Information Center.
"The situation experienced by Palestinians nowadays is similar to the situation before the Intifada in 1987," he said.
Al-Bardawil added: "The settlers' attacks aim at making our people to kneel, as if they did not know that Palestinians will react to what they receive from Israel. They are never silent."
He also said "The more barbaric the attacks by Israel the more our feel that the end of Israel is coming."
Ehud Barak
Israel's top three ministers met in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning to discuss a possible major incursion in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli news agency Ynet.
Gaza was expected to take up the bulk of the meeting between Israel's prime minister and his government's foreign and defense ministers.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak will brief his two top colleagues on policies toward Gaza, including the truce with Hamas and other groups that ends on 19 December, as well as upcoming Palestinian elections.
According to the Israeli news agency, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have been increasingly at odds with the defense minister over Israel's assault on Gaza, which they want to escalate, while Barak hopes to maintain the relative calm.
The defense minister apparently is at odds with Livni and Olmert over the use of force in response to projectiles being launched from the besieged strip. Livni wants an Israeli military strike in response to every projectile, saying, "Fire must be answered with fire."
"I don't care what the return address on the missile is, as far as I'm concerned Hamas is responsible for all artillery fired from Gaza," she said.
And Livni's advisors agree, according to the news agency. "The current situation is intolerable," said a source close to the foreign minister. "Hamas and the terror organizations are firing. We're closing the crossings, but not retaliating militarily."
Olmert is also "decidedly determined" to launch a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, the agency reported. During a recent visit to two Israeli towns near Gaza, Olmert reportedly told residents that the government "knows what needs to be done."
Before the meeting Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit urged the Israeli government to invade the Gaza.
Sheetrit said, "we must act in Gaza and stop dragging our feet. Instead of fortifying we should be attacking."
He added, "For years we have taught the IDF that the best defense is offence. I want the Gazans to fortify themselves, not the Israelis."
Israel's top three ministers met in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning to discuss a possible major incursion in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli news agency Ynet.
Gaza was expected to take up the bulk of the meeting between Israel's prime minister and his government's foreign and defense ministers.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak will brief his two top colleagues on policies toward Gaza, including the truce with Hamas and other groups that ends on 19 December, as well as upcoming Palestinian elections.
According to the Israeli news agency, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have been increasingly at odds with the defense minister over Israel's assault on Gaza, which they want to escalate, while Barak hopes to maintain the relative calm.
The defense minister apparently is at odds with Livni and Olmert over the use of force in response to projectiles being launched from the besieged strip. Livni wants an Israeli military strike in response to every projectile, saying, "Fire must be answered with fire."
"I don't care what the return address on the missile is, as far as I'm concerned Hamas is responsible for all artillery fired from Gaza," she said.
And Livni's advisors agree, according to the news agency. "The current situation is intolerable," said a source close to the foreign minister. "Hamas and the terror organizations are firing. We're closing the crossings, but not retaliating militarily."
Olmert is also "decidedly determined" to launch a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, the agency reported. During a recent visit to two Israeli towns near Gaza, Olmert reportedly told residents that the government "knows what needs to be done."
Before the meeting Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit urged the Israeli government to invade the Gaza.
Sheetrit said, "we must act in Gaza and stop dragging our feet. Instead of fortifying we should be attacking."
He added, "For years we have taught the IDF that the best defense is offence. I want the Gazans to fortify themselves, not the Israelis."
Israeli military vehicles stormed the West Bank village of Azmut, east of the city of Nablus early on Wednesday morning.
Local sources told Ma'an that Israeli troops invaded the house of resident Jawad Ibrahim Thabet, in the north of the village, bordering the Israeli Elon Moreh settlement. Israeli troops occupied the house for two hours, imprisoning the family in one room.
Local sources told Ma'an that Israeli troops invaded the house of resident Jawad Ibrahim Thabet, in the north of the village, bordering the Israeli Elon Moreh settlement. Israeli troops occupied the house for two hours, imprisoning the family in one room.
Other attacks
Gaza lawmaker: Settler attacks on Palestinians "terrorism"
Projectile fired toward Ashkelon from Gaza Strip
Gaza lawmaker: Settler attacks on Palestinians "terrorism"
Projectile fired toward Ashkelon from Gaza Strip
9 dec 2008
Image shows Israeli settler as he opens fire on Palestinians in Hebron
An Israeli criminal court on Monday rejected a bail appeal filed by a settler filmed shooting two Palestinians in Hebron last Thursday.
Ze'ev Brauda, a resident of the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, on Monday appealed to the Jerusalem District Court over a remand imposed the day before. It was denied.
Justice Orit Efal Gabai ordered that Brauda remain behind bars as he is "likely to try and hinder the investigation," according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
Brauda turned himself in to police in Hebron following the release of a videotape of the incident that was sent to and published by Ma'an. The settler is shown firing a gun toward a group of Palestinians, shooting two of them at nearly point-blank range.
The footage was taken by Jamal Abu Sa'ifan, a Hebron photographer participating in Israeli human rights group B'Tselem's "Shooting Back" campaign, which provides video cameras to West Bank Palestinians.
For his part, Brauda said he "didn't mean to hurt anyone," according to a statement he gave to police on Sunday and repeated to Israeli news agency Ynet on Monday.
"I only fired in self defense; I feared for my life," Brauda maintained. "My harming the Palestinians was a gross error. I only meant to fire warning shots in the air."
But an Israeli police spokesperson rejected his self-defense story, insisting Brauda attacked the Palestinians first, clearly taking aim before firing.
"Any sensible person would have fled the moment the locals picked up stones, but Brauda stood there and clashed with the Palestinians," a police representative said in court on Monday.
The Israeli settler "aimed the weapon to kill," the representative added. "It's a miracle that this case isn't a murder case, and if he had a gun with different bullets there is no doubt that people would have lost their lives."
According to police officer Daniel Toledano, Brauda "headed toward the Ja'abri family home for no other reason than to provoke them."
"He turned to the Palestinian with gun in hand. The family members stepped out of the house and asked him to leave, but he refused and proceeded to open fire on the first Palestinian and then on the father who tried to contain him."
"This is a blatant violation of the law," Toledano added.
Another judge agreed with the police's assessment of the incident. Justice Malka Aviv said that on the video, "[Brauda] can be seen veering off the trail he was supposed to walk and confronting the local face to face."
"At a certain point, the suspect pushes and strikes [the Palestinian man]," Aviv added.
However, the Israeli court did not rule out foul play by Palestinians, including the two injured: "There are a number of question marks regarding the behavior of [Hebron Palestinians] who were allegedly shot by [Brauda], as they can be seen getting up and continuing to throw stones at him."
"In their behavior the Palestinians contributed greatly to the incident's grave consequences," Aviv said.
Brauda must remain behind bars for at least four days as police investigate the shooting and determine whether or not to charge the Hebron settler with attempted murder. Hebron settler Gabi Bibi, who was arrested alongside Brauda and filmed firing an automatic weapon into the air, was released on Sunday.
The video came a day after a "wave of settler violence" was unleashed against Palestinians in retaliation for the Israeli army's actions against illegal settlements in Hebron.
Israeli forces forcibly removed 250 right-wing settlers from a Palestinian house in the West Bank city of Hebron last Thursday, weeks after the Israeli High Court ordered their eviction.
Settlers have repeatedly attacked Palestinian homes in the city over the past few days. In the hours leading up to the evacuation, Israeli settlers fired randomly at Palestinian homes. Settlers set fire to two Palestinian homes and a store, later attacking a number of residents in the Wadi Hussein area of Hebron.
The house evacuation touched off violent settler attacks across the West Bank.
An Israeli criminal court on Monday rejected a bail appeal filed by a settler filmed shooting two Palestinians in Hebron last Thursday.
Ze'ev Brauda, a resident of the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, on Monday appealed to the Jerusalem District Court over a remand imposed the day before. It was denied.
Justice Orit Efal Gabai ordered that Brauda remain behind bars as he is "likely to try and hinder the investigation," according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
Brauda turned himself in to police in Hebron following the release of a videotape of the incident that was sent to and published by Ma'an. The settler is shown firing a gun toward a group of Palestinians, shooting two of them at nearly point-blank range.
The footage was taken by Jamal Abu Sa'ifan, a Hebron photographer participating in Israeli human rights group B'Tselem's "Shooting Back" campaign, which provides video cameras to West Bank Palestinians.
For his part, Brauda said he "didn't mean to hurt anyone," according to a statement he gave to police on Sunday and repeated to Israeli news agency Ynet on Monday.
"I only fired in self defense; I feared for my life," Brauda maintained. "My harming the Palestinians was a gross error. I only meant to fire warning shots in the air."
But an Israeli police spokesperson rejected his self-defense story, insisting Brauda attacked the Palestinians first, clearly taking aim before firing.
"Any sensible person would have fled the moment the locals picked up stones, but Brauda stood there and clashed with the Palestinians," a police representative said in court on Monday.
The Israeli settler "aimed the weapon to kill," the representative added. "It's a miracle that this case isn't a murder case, and if he had a gun with different bullets there is no doubt that people would have lost their lives."
According to police officer Daniel Toledano, Brauda "headed toward the Ja'abri family home for no other reason than to provoke them."
"He turned to the Palestinian with gun in hand. The family members stepped out of the house and asked him to leave, but he refused and proceeded to open fire on the first Palestinian and then on the father who tried to contain him."
"This is a blatant violation of the law," Toledano added.
Another judge agreed with the police's assessment of the incident. Justice Malka Aviv said that on the video, "[Brauda] can be seen veering off the trail he was supposed to walk and confronting the local face to face."
"At a certain point, the suspect pushes and strikes [the Palestinian man]," Aviv added.
However, the Israeli court did not rule out foul play by Palestinians, including the two injured: "There are a number of question marks regarding the behavior of [Hebron Palestinians] who were allegedly shot by [Brauda], as they can be seen getting up and continuing to throw stones at him."
"In their behavior the Palestinians contributed greatly to the incident's grave consequences," Aviv said.
Brauda must remain behind bars for at least four days as police investigate the shooting and determine whether or not to charge the Hebron settler with attempted murder. Hebron settler Gabi Bibi, who was arrested alongside Brauda and filmed firing an automatic weapon into the air, was released on Sunday.
The video came a day after a "wave of settler violence" was unleashed against Palestinians in retaliation for the Israeli army's actions against illegal settlements in Hebron.
Israeli forces forcibly removed 250 right-wing settlers from a Palestinian house in the West Bank city of Hebron last Thursday, weeks after the Israeli High Court ordered their eviction.
Settlers have repeatedly attacked Palestinian homes in the city over the past few days. In the hours leading up to the evacuation, Israeli settlers fired randomly at Palestinian homes. Settlers set fire to two Palestinian homes and a store, later attacking a number of residents in the Wadi Hussein area of Hebron.
The house evacuation touched off violent settler attacks across the West Bank.
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, issued the following statement:
In recent days the desperate plight of the civilian population of Gaza has been acknowledged by such respected international figures as the Secretary General of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Last week, Karen AbyZayd, who heads the UN relief effort in Gaza, offered first-hand confirmation of the desperate urgency and unacceptable conditions facing the civilian population of Gaza. Although many leaders have commented on the cruelty and unlawfulness of the Gaza blockade imposed by Israel, such a flurry of denunciations by normally cautious UN officials has not occurred on a global level since the heyday of South African apartheid.
And still Israel maintains its Gaza siege in its full fury, allowing only barely enough food and fuel to enter to stave off mass famine and disease. Such a policy of collective punishment, initiated by Israel to punish Gazans for political developments within the Gaza strip, constitutes a continuing flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law as laid down in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
It is long past the time when talk suffices. As AbuZayd has written, "the chasm between word and deed" with respect to upholding human rights in occupied Palestine creates a situation where "radicalism and extremism easily take root." The UN is obligated to respond under these conditions. Some governments of the world are complicit by continuing their support politically and economically for Israel's punitive approach.
Protective action must be taken immediately to offset the persisting and wide-ranging violations of the fundamental human right to life, and in view of the emergency situation that is producing a humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding day by day. However difficult politically, it is time to act. At the very least, an urgent effort should be made at the United Nations to implement the agreed norm of a 'responsibility to protect' a civilian population being collectively punished by policies that amount to a Crime Against Humanity.
In a similar vein, it would seem mandatory for the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation, and determine whether the Israeli civilian leaders and military commanders responsible for the Gaza siege should be indicted and prosecuted for violations of international criminal law. As AbuZayd has declared, "This is a humanitarian crisis deliberately imposed by political actors."
It should be noted that the situation worsened in recent days due to the breakdown of a truce between Hamas and Israel that had been observed for several months by both sides. The truce was maintained by Hamas despite the failure of Israel to fulfill its obligation under the agreement to improve the living conditions of the people of Gaza.
The recent upsurge of violence occurred after an Israeli incursion that killed several alleged Palestinian militants within Gaza. It is a criminal violation of international law for elements of Hamas or anyone else to fire rockets at Israeli towns regardless of provocation, but such Palestinian behavior does not legalize Israel's imposition of a collective punishment of a life- and health-threatening character on the people of Gaza, and should not distract the UN or international society from discharging their fundamental moral and legal duty to render protection to the Palestinian people.
In recent days the desperate plight of the civilian population of Gaza has been acknowledged by such respected international figures as the Secretary General of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Last week, Karen AbyZayd, who heads the UN relief effort in Gaza, offered first-hand confirmation of the desperate urgency and unacceptable conditions facing the civilian population of Gaza. Although many leaders have commented on the cruelty and unlawfulness of the Gaza blockade imposed by Israel, such a flurry of denunciations by normally cautious UN officials has not occurred on a global level since the heyday of South African apartheid.
And still Israel maintains its Gaza siege in its full fury, allowing only barely enough food and fuel to enter to stave off mass famine and disease. Such a policy of collective punishment, initiated by Israel to punish Gazans for political developments within the Gaza strip, constitutes a continuing flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law as laid down in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
It is long past the time when talk suffices. As AbuZayd has written, "the chasm between word and deed" with respect to upholding human rights in occupied Palestine creates a situation where "radicalism and extremism easily take root." The UN is obligated to respond under these conditions. Some governments of the world are complicit by continuing their support politically and economically for Israel's punitive approach.
Protective action must be taken immediately to offset the persisting and wide-ranging violations of the fundamental human right to life, and in view of the emergency situation that is producing a humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding day by day. However difficult politically, it is time to act. At the very least, an urgent effort should be made at the United Nations to implement the agreed norm of a 'responsibility to protect' a civilian population being collectively punished by policies that amount to a Crime Against Humanity.
In a similar vein, it would seem mandatory for the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation, and determine whether the Israeli civilian leaders and military commanders responsible for the Gaza siege should be indicted and prosecuted for violations of international criminal law. As AbuZayd has declared, "This is a humanitarian crisis deliberately imposed by political actors."
It should be noted that the situation worsened in recent days due to the breakdown of a truce between Hamas and Israel that had been observed for several months by both sides. The truce was maintained by Hamas despite the failure of Israel to fulfill its obligation under the agreement to improve the living conditions of the people of Gaza.
The recent upsurge of violence occurred after an Israeli incursion that killed several alleged Palestinian militants within Gaza. It is a criminal violation of international law for elements of Hamas or anyone else to fire rockets at Israeli towns regardless of provocation, but such Palestinian behavior does not legalize Israel's imposition of a collective punishment of a life- and health-threatening character on the people of Gaza, and should not distract the UN or international society from discharging their fundamental moral and legal duty to render protection to the Palestinian people.
8 dec 2008
Dozens of settlers stormed Duma Mosque, opening fire on the building and attacked the Imam early Monday morning in the south of Nablus.
More than 20 cars loaded with settlers from the nearby Migdalim settlement barged into the village at 4:30am, broke into the mosque and attacked Imam Mohamed Hassan Dawabsheh, who was trying to stop them.
Israeli forces intervened more than an hour and a half after the settlers entered the mosque.
No one was injured during the incident, which lasted more than two hours and took place on the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha.
More than 20 cars loaded with settlers from the nearby Migdalim settlement barged into the village at 4:30am, broke into the mosque and attacked Imam Mohamed Hassan Dawabsheh, who was trying to stop them.
Israeli forces intervened more than an hour and a half after the settlers entered the mosque.
No one was injured during the incident, which lasted more than two hours and took place on the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha.
