22 dec 2014
|
|
After Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza on Friday, the BBC described the air strike on “a Hamas facility” as “the first such action since the declaration of a truce in August.” The short BBC News item, essentially a repackaged Israeli army press statement, added that the strike was “in response” to a rocket fired earlier from Gaza. The casual reader would understand this to mean that Israel has held its fire since the August ceasefire which ended the intensive bombing this summer that claimed more than 2,200 Palestinian lives. However, the reality is that Israel has fired on Palestinians in Gaza nearly |
every day since the 26 August truce. Meanwhile, Israel and Egypt have kept Gaza totally sealed and its 1.8 million inhabitants effectively imprisoned.
Ceasefire violations One of the main Palestinian conditions for a ceasefire was the lifting of the years-long siege that has all but obliterated Gaza’s economy, and which has had a deleterious impact on nearly all aspects of life there.
During the 51 days of Israeli bombing this summer, the unanimous cry from Gaza was not just for the ending of the genocidal violence. A return to the status quo of slow suffocation under siege and complete impunity for Israel’s constant violations of Palestinian rights was not tenable. Gaza’s staggering sacrifice — more than one in every thousand of its residents killed — required the fulfillment of basic rights.
“A ceasefire is not enough,” wrote the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ Raji Sourani during the height of Israel’s violence.
The August ceasefire deal brokered by siege-enforcing Egypt, while never made transparent to the public, reportedly called for the opening of Gaza’s crossings, allowing the entry of reconstruction materials needed to rebuild Gaza’s devastated neighborhoods, the extension of the permitted fishing areas off Gaza’s shore and the relaxation of access restrictions in the areas along Gaza’s perimeter fence with Israel.
These truce conditions are similar to those that ended twelve days of Israeli bombing — claiming hundreds of Palestinian lives in Gaza — in November 2012.
Like its relentless violations of that earlier ceasefire, Israel has violated the August agreement with total impunity.
Here is a brief breakdown:
Ceasefire violations One of the main Palestinian conditions for a ceasefire was the lifting of the years-long siege that has all but obliterated Gaza’s economy, and which has had a deleterious impact on nearly all aspects of life there.
During the 51 days of Israeli bombing this summer, the unanimous cry from Gaza was not just for the ending of the genocidal violence. A return to the status quo of slow suffocation under siege and complete impunity for Israel’s constant violations of Palestinian rights was not tenable. Gaza’s staggering sacrifice — more than one in every thousand of its residents killed — required the fulfillment of basic rights.
“A ceasefire is not enough,” wrote the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ Raji Sourani during the height of Israel’s violence.
The August ceasefire deal brokered by siege-enforcing Egypt, while never made transparent to the public, reportedly called for the opening of Gaza’s crossings, allowing the entry of reconstruction materials needed to rebuild Gaza’s devastated neighborhoods, the extension of the permitted fishing areas off Gaza’s shore and the relaxation of access restrictions in the areas along Gaza’s perimeter fence with Israel.
These truce conditions are similar to those that ended twelve days of Israeli bombing — claiming hundreds of Palestinian lives in Gaza — in November 2012.
Like its relentless violations of that earlier ceasefire, Israel has violated the August agreement with total impunity.
Here is a brief breakdown:
- Gaza remains sealed. While the Israeli closure of all of Gaza’s other crossings remains in place, travel through the Rafah crossing with Egypt — the sole point of entry and exit for the vast majority of Gaza’s residents — has also been strangled. On Sunday, approximately 630 Palestinians left Gaza via Rafah after Cairo temporarily reopened the crossing — for only the second time in two months.
Travel via Rafah is limited to those seeking medical treatment or people holding permits to stay abroad; at the end of last month, there were an estimated thirty thousand people waiting to exit Gaza via Rafah. Amongst them were one thousand patients who include “those with advanced cancer, renal and heart diseases, and orthopedic and ophthalmological needs,” according to the United Nations monitoring group OCHA.
- Construction materials are not allowed in to Gaza. Though $5.4 billion was pledged at a donors conference in Cairo in October, “reconstruction of Gaza has barely begun” and “even fewer construction materials are now entering Gaza than before the conflict,” according to the humanitarian group Oxfam. Despite the massive scale of destruction — it is estimated that Israel dropped the equivalent of an atomic bomb on Gaza this summer — only one percent of the estimated five million tons of construction materials required have been allowed in to Gaza. “At this rate it would take more than 23 years to meet ‘immediate’ needs alone,” states Oxfam.
- Exports are not allowed out of Gaza. Only a trickle of exports from Gaza are allowed through the Israeli-controlled commercial crossings each month. Before the blockade was imposed in May 2007, an average of 240 truckloads of exports left Gaza each week [PDF] . So far this year, an average of only two truckloads of exports have been allowed out of Gaza each week. Though the Israeli government announced an easing of export restrictions in October, the reality is that the total number of trucks of exports allowed out of Gaza so far this year is about only half of the weekly average before the siege, according to data compiled from OCHA’s weekly reporting.
- Gaza is under constant Israeli fire. The Israeli military, which monitors movement in the area of the boundary fence, uses deadly force against any Palestinians who dare approach the perimeters of the Gaza open-air prison, where much of the most fertile farmland is located.
Though the August ceasefire deal stipulated that Palestinians would have increased access to the perimeter areas, Israel has “so far not officially announced the boundaries of what they consider a restricted area, thus generating uncertainty and increasing the risks to the civilian population,” states OCHA [PDF] . “Field observations suggest that areas within 100 meters from the fence are largely inaccessible, while access to areas several hundred meters beyond this distance is risky.” Meanwhile, access to fishing waters “is restricted to six nautical miles from the coast.”
Indeed, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinians in the “access restricted areas” on a daily basis the week of 9-15 December (the last week of available data [PDF] from OCHA), resulting in the injury of four civilians. Twenty incidents of Israeli fire were recorded the week before that [PDF] and an average of two incidents per day during the last week of November [PDF]. One Palestinian civilian was killed and a seventeen-year-old boy was critically wounded by Israeli fire in the perimeter area last month [PDF], in the most serious of such incidents.
Oxfam data show that approximately fifteen rockets have been fired from Gaza since the August ceasefire, including “test rockets” fired toward the sea. During that same period, there were about 45 incidents of Israeli naval fire, 35 incidents of Israeli border fire, and about a half-dozen army incursions into Gaza. Israel has fired on Palestinians in Gaza on almost a daily basis since the ceasefire. Six Palestinians were shot during a protest earlier the same day that Israel bombed Gaza “in response” — as the BBC put it — to a rocket fired from Gaza which landed in an open field, causing no injuries.
Not only is the pre-ceasefire status quo of Israeli siege still firmly in place, but the secret terms of the United Nations-backed Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism “include onerous controls of building supplies and intrusive monitoring of Palestinian families seeking to rebuild homes destroyed by Israel,” as The Electronic Intifada has previously reported:
The mechanism gives Israeli occupation authorities access to Palestinian families’ personal information on UN databases, effectively turning the UN into the enforcer and partner of Israel’s Gaza siege. The deal, brokered and championed by UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry, capitulated ultimate control of reconstruction to Israel while doing nothing for people in Gaza.
Instead of easing its grip since August, Israel finds that it enjoys more control over Palestinians in Gaza than ever before.
But none of this has made international news headlines, which largely seem to regurgitate Israeli government press briefings.
One notable exception is Newsweek’s recent cover story which comprehensively lays out the horror to which Gaza has been subjected — from the erasure of almost one hundred Palestinian families in Israeli air strikes this summer to the practical and moral failure of what has become known as the “menacing mechanism” for reconstruction.
The daily violence Israel wreaks on forsaken Gaza has gone otherwise unreported — and when there is a brief news item on Israeli air strikes on Gaza, it is Israel which “responds” to Palestinian rocket fire. Never is rocket fire from Gaza presented as a “response” to Israel’s routine violation of Palestinians’ most basic rights.
The mechanism gives Israeli occupation authorities access to Palestinian families’ personal information on UN databases, effectively turning the UN into the enforcer and partner of Israel’s Gaza siege. The deal, brokered and championed by UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry, capitulated ultimate control of reconstruction to Israel while doing nothing for people in Gaza.
Instead of easing its grip since August, Israel finds that it enjoys more control over Palestinians in Gaza than ever before.
But none of this has made international news headlines, which largely seem to regurgitate Israeli government press briefings.
One notable exception is Newsweek’s recent cover story which comprehensively lays out the horror to which Gaza has been subjected — from the erasure of almost one hundred Palestinian families in Israeli air strikes this summer to the practical and moral failure of what has become known as the “menacing mechanism” for reconstruction.
The daily violence Israel wreaks on forsaken Gaza has gone otherwise unreported — and when there is a brief news item on Israeli air strikes on Gaza, it is Israel which “responds” to Palestinian rocket fire. Never is rocket fire from Gaza presented as a “response” to Israel’s routine violation of Palestinians’ most basic rights.
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened heavy machinegun fire at Palestinian farmers south of the Gaza Strip on Monday morning.
Quds Press quoted a field observer as saying that IOF soldiers stationed in eastern Khan Younis opened fire at farmers and houses, but no casualties were reported.
The source noted that the shooting coincided with movement of IOF army vehicles along the southern borders of Gaza and over flights by reconnaissance planes.
The shooting is the latest incident in a series of IOF violations of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt last August.
Quds Press quoted a field observer as saying that IOF soldiers stationed in eastern Khan Younis opened fire at farmers and houses, but no casualties were reported.
The source noted that the shooting coincided with movement of IOF army vehicles along the southern borders of Gaza and over flights by reconnaissance planes.
The shooting is the latest incident in a series of IOF violations of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt last August.
21 dec 2014
Humanity for Palestine has reported that, since the ceasefire agreement of August, 2014, Israel has committed 94 ceasefire violations. The latest was Saturday's airstrike in Khan Younis, along with an attack on Gaza fishermen.
archive image: Palestinian News Network
On August 26th, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, acting on behalf of the Palestinian people – including those living in Gaza – agreed to a ceasefire to end the massive Israeli assault and the indigenous resistance.
The ceasefire was based on following terms:
A multilateral ceasefire. (No more attacks by either side.)
The opening of Israeli crossings into and out of Gaza, allowing the flow of human traffic, humanitarian imports and commercial trade.
Extension of fishing limit off Gaza’s coast from three to six miles, with discussions in one month about extending it further.
Reduction of the “security zone” inside Gaza from 300m to 100m.
Resumption of Egyptian-brokered talks by Sept. 26 to discuss release of prisoners, seaport/airport and other remaining issues.
However, in the approximately three months since then, Israel has violated the truce repeatedly – including 33 times in which Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinians, injuring 16 and killing one. Since the ceasefire was called, no more than a week has passed without Israeli fire at Palestinian protesters, farmers or fishermen. Yet only one rocket has been fired from Gaza, for which Hamas claimed no responsibility.
Likewise, as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz itself has reported:
“barely any progress has been made in rebuilding the shattered territory, despite donors pledging $5 billion…The cement and gravel are being regulated as if they were nuclear weapons.”
Meanwhile, no resumption of negotiations toward a longer-term, more permanent truce and a just, peaceful co-existence has occurred.
Multilateral Ceasefire
12/3: A Palestinian fisherman was critically injured after Israeli warships fired several shells toward the coast near Gaza City. Nizar Ayyash, head of the Gaza fishermen’s union, said fisherman Fakher Nizar Abu Riyaleh, 32, was critically injured in the head by shrapnel from Israeli shells. Abu Riyaleh was taken to al-Shifa hospital for treatment.
11/30: The Israeli army opened fire on agricultural land at the edges of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses reported that the army deployed at the Kissufim military base fired electromagnetic bombs on farmland, causing mild damage to crops.
11/29: A 16-year-old Palestinian boy suffered a shooting injury after approaching the security fence by Beit Lahia in northern Gaza and allegedly ignoring IDF warning shots for him to back away from the spot. He was evacuated to a hospital after IDF forces shot him in the leg.
11/28: A Palestinian was injured in his right foot after Israeli forces opened fire near the border east of Jabaliya.
11/27: Shots were exchanged between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, after the Israeli army claimed that an unidentified gunman in fired at and struck an IDF jeep as it carried out a routine border patrol in the area of Kibbutz Be’eri. No one was injured.
11/23: Israeli forces shot and killed Fadel Mohammed Halawa, 32. He was reported to have been searching for songbirds that nest close to the boundary with Israel, east of the Jabalya refugee camp. The spokesman for emergency services in Gaza said Halawa was shot in the back.
11/23: A teenager was seriously injured and two others were arrested by Israeli forces when they approached the border near the Kerem Shalom crossing. Medical sources said a 17-year-old known as A.K. was shot by Israeli forces near the crossing and taken to Abu Yusef Najjar hospital in a serious condition.
11/19: Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast by the town of Rafah, with no casualties reported, according to head of Gaza’s Palestinian Fishermen’s Union Nizar Ayyash.
11/16: Israeli soldiers stationed at a watch tower near the Kissufim military base opened fire at a Palestinian, critically injuring him.
11/10: In the second incident in less than a day, the Israeli navy opened fire on a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the Gaza Strip, reportedly destroying it. The boat was on its way back to Gaza from Egypt, where it had picked up supplies. The Israel Defense Forces claimed that a smuggling attempt had been foiled. Several fishermen were seen jumping into the water, and two fishermen were reportedly injured in the incident. Four were missing and may have been arrested.
11/9: Israeli troops stationed on the Gaza border opened fire with machine guns and projectiles at agricultural land to the southeast of Al-Baraj refugee camp. In addition, the Israeli Navy fired on a fishing boat that it claimed had made it to Egypt, taken on cargo and returned. Witnesses said Israeli forces shot at the boat until it took fire, and that fishermen in a nearby boat managed to pull the three injured men aboard. The injured fishermen were taken to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.
11/7: Israeli troops guarding the Gaza border fired at a group of protesters, wounding one of them. On the same day, warning sirens sounded in Israeli towns near Gaza. However, the rocket landed inside Palestinian territory.
11/5: Israeli troops deployed behind the border fence was of the Qarara district in Khan Younis fired sporadically at Palestinian homes and agricultural property with machine guns and “flashbang” grenades. No injuries were reported.
10/31: A single rocket reportedly landed in Eshkol Regional Council, southern Israel. No injuries or property damaged was caused, and none of the Palestinian factions claimed responsibility. Yet it triggered an indefinite border closure and F16 forays. Gazans suspect a false-flag operation.
10/29: A 27-year-old man identified only by his initials, S. Gh., was seriously injured after being shot in the thigh in Beit Lahiya. He was taken to Kamal Udwan Hospital. An Israeli army spokesman said warning shots were fired because the man “approached the security fence.”
10/28: The Israeli navy targeted Palestinian fishing boats with gunfire offshore the coast of Gaza. No casualties were reported.
10/22: Israeli forces opened fire on two boats carrying seven fishermen. Five fishermen from the Bakr family were taken into custody for questioning and their boat was dragged to an unknown location.
10/16: Israeli boats opened fire at boats belonging to local a fisherman off the coast of Deir al-Balah. The boat belonging to Jamal Abu Watfa was sunk in the attack and he lost consciousness, but was saved from the water.
10/11: A 24-year-old civilian was injured by Israeli fire approximately 300 meters from the border in Beit Lahia.
10/9: Israeli army forces stationed at the Kisovim military post opened fire on Palestinian farmlands in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported.
10/7: Navy ships and a helicopter opened fire close to a number of fishing boats in the al-Waha area, in northwest Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.
10/1: Twelve military vehicles entered Gaza from a gate east of the town of al-Fukhari in the Khan Younis district. The vehicles reportedly crossed some 200 meters into the Strip, and soldiers scanned the area before shooting towards Palestinian farms. Agricultural workers were forced to leave their fields when soldiers shot.
9/29: Rajab Maarouf, a 22-year-old farmer, was shot in the foot in northern Beit Lahiya and taken to Kamal Adwan hospital with moderate injuries.
9/22: Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian boat carrying five fishermen off the Al-Zahra shore, southwest of Gaza City. The five men were forced to jump into the water and swim to the Israeli ship, where their hands were bound and they were taken to Ashdod Seaport. They were freed the next day, but their boat was not released.
9/17: Israeli naval forces opened fire off the coast of northern Gaza, moderately injuring fisherman Yousef Zayif, 70.
9/16: A single rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel, but was not claimed by any Palestinian faction and no injuries/property damage resulted.
9/14: An Israeli war ship fired “warning shots” at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City’s Al-Shati refugee camp.
9/12: Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Beit Lahiya to the north.
9/11: Four Israeli bulldozers entered a border area in southern Gaza, near the village of al-Qarara, and leveled private Palestinian land. Military vehicles accompanying the bulldozers fired shots, with no reports of injuries.
9/9: Israeli naval forces detained two Palestinian fishermen from the Al-Sultan family, Tariq (18) and ‘Issam ‘Abdel Bari Mohammed Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (21), just 1.5 miles from the coast of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. Their boat was confiscated and the men were arrested. An hour and a half later, gunned down the fishing boat of two other Al-Sultan brothers – Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (25) and Ahmed As’ad Mohammed (22). They too were arrested and their boat was confiscated.
9/8: Israeli military fired on fishermen, pushing them back to a five-mile limit.
9/5: Israeli military opened fire on two fishermen and arrested them.
9/3: Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within one nautical mile off the shore of Beit Lahia. Soldiers forced two fishermen, Mohammed Ishaq Mohammed Zayed (18) and Mousa Talal ‘Ata Al-Sultan (24), to jump into the water and swim toward the Israeli gunboat.
9/2: Israeli military opened fire with machine guns on Gaza fishermen.
Opening of Israeli crossings into and out of Gaza (with PA control)
12/2: Haaretz: “Since the July-August war between Israel and Hamas, barely any progress has been made rebuilding the shattered territory, despite donors pledging $5 billion…’The cement and gravel are being regulated as if they were a nuclear weapon,’ said Sari Bashi, co-founder of Gisha, an Israeli organisation which monitors access to Gaza and says only a tiny fraction of cement needed to satisfy demand is reaching the strip. A new system set up with the United Nations to comply with Israeli requirements lets through at most 2,000.”
12/1: A total of 442 trucks of food and basic supplies went into the Gaza Strip, the Office of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories said in a statement.
11/26: At a press conference in Gaza City, Dr. Faisal al-Shawwa, chair of the Private Sector Coordination Council, said that Gaza’s private sector had rejected the UN-backed reconstruction agreement from the start. Al-Shawwa said that the mechanism amounts to a plan to administer Israel’s siegeand paralyzes, rather than facilitate, reconstruction, the Ma’an News Agency reported in Arabic. Al-Shawwa said that Gaza needs the complete opening of all the crossings in order to rebuild in three years, but that under Serry’s mechanism it would take far longer. While calling for a full effort to lift the siege, Al-Shawwa urged the UN to take responsibility for rebuilding destroyed homes using a tendering mechanism that existed prior to the summer attack.
11/26: The Israeli group Gisha reported: The current need for construction materials is estimated at 5 million tons, mostly for restoring homes and basic infrastructure. Between Aug. 26 and Nov. 20, however, only 62,928 tons of construction materials entered Gaza, just 1.2 percent of the overall need. And the majority of that small amount (59,592 tons) is reserved for international humanitarian and Qatari-funded projects. Although the private sector plays a very important role in both the restoration of buildings in the Gaza Strip and in its economic recovery, as of 20 November 20, only 3,336 tons of construction materials entered Gaza for the private sector.
11/25: Raed Fatuh, the Palestinian Authority official in charge of the entry of goods into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, said 28 trucks, each loaded with 40 tons of cement, crossed into Gaza.”This is the biggest delivery of cement since the war ended,” he said. “But it is not enough, it is only a tiny amount for the reconstruction.” Fatuh added that it is not clear whether Tuesday’s delivery of building materials is a one-time transfer or it would continue. Palestinian officials maintain that 100 trucks of building materials a day are needed to rebuild Gaza Strip within three years.
11/24: Israeli authorities barred, at Kerem Abu Salem crossing, 10 truckloads of agricultural products from passing out of Gaza to the West Bank and Saudi Arabia, due to a dispute between the Israeli army and the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.
11/22: Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh announced that the next week would see the second round of construction material and equipment entering the Strip. The announcement came only days after UN authorities said that nearly 30,000 Palestinians were still living in temporary shelters in Gaza, even as rain caused flooding and further hardship for thousands of families displaced by Israel’s summer assault. Al-Sheikh said this second phase of construction materials would be the biggest, and that materials would reach 24,000 families.
11/18: Jens Toyberg-Frandzen, a senior UN official, announcedthat just 1,086 people in Gaza had so far been able to buy building material under the “temporary Gaza reconstruction mechanism.” The material delivered to date included 10,416 bags of cement (of a need for 1.5 million TONS). Israel allows only 350 trucks of building material into Gaza per day, although it has reportedly agreed to raise that limit to 800 trucks. Under the “reconstruction mechanism” forged by the UN with the PA and Israel, Gaza’s residents may buy cement and other material from designated vendors. This means that ordinary people are being required to pay for rebuilding homes that were attacked by the Israeli military.
11/17: Deliveries of reconstruction material to Gaza have started, announced the Palestinian minister of civil affairs. (This is CONFUSING. Previous reports announced the same thing. So?) Some 100 trucks carrying 4,000 tons of supplies for Qatar-financed road repairs were expected to enter on Nov. 17. He said asphalt would enter the Gaza Strip the next day, and that it has been agreed with the Israelis to allow 100 trucks of road construction materials per day to cover the needs of rebuilding. Hussein Al-Sheikh added that clothing exports from Gaza to the West Bank also are beginning.
11/10: Israel allowed two Gaza businessmen (fishmonger Munir Abu Hassira and his business partner) to export fish to the West Bank for the first time since 2007. The shipment of more than 730 kilograms of fish marked a symbolic easing of a longstanding Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. Gaza used to ship up to 1,200 tons of fish to the West Bank each year before the blockade.
11/6: For the first time since 2007, a truck carrying 10 tons of cucumbers grown in the Gaza Strip was allowed by Israeli authorities to pass through the Kerem Shalon headed for Hebron in the West Bank.
11/4: Israel re-opened its crossings. Palestinian officials reported that 330 truckloads of goods and one truckload of cement (just ONE????) now will be allowed in.
11/2: Israel indefinitely closed its two crossings into Gaza in response to a single rocketfrom Gaza that was not claimed by anyone and did not cause any injury or damage.
10/27: The United Nations finally announcedthat after two weeks of sitting in “off limits” in warehouses, the still-insufficient building supplies that had made it into Gaza could finally be used. However, it was not until 11/4 that Robert Serry, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, announced that its reconstruction effort had begun in Gaza, with 700 families being allowed to purchase materials to repair their homes. Seven hundred is just a fraction of the 60,000 homes that need repairs or to be rebuilt.
10/26: Gishanoted that Israel has made official several (very) small improvements in the volume of human traffic allowed in and out of Israel via Erez: a) a daily quota of 20 non-urgent medical patients, b) issuance of 250 biometric cards that allow expedited travel for business people and merchants, c) visits to up to 50 prisoners in Israeli jails a week (three immediate family members per prisoner, compared to four previously); d) an increase in the quota of crossing permits issued for Palestinian employees of international organizations of 600, bringing the total to1,000 (300 additional permits for employees between the ages of 25 and 28 and 300 for employees older than 28); e) permission for 50 medical personnel to travel to the West Bank and Jerusalem for training, per month; and f) travel permits for members of the Palestinian national soccer, basketball, table tennis and running teams; representatives on the Olympic Committee; and officials in the national unity government.
10/25: The New York Times reportedthat truckloads of cement, steel and travel remain locked in Gaza warehouses, unavailable to thousands of families who are desperate to fix their homes. The supplies cannot be distributed until a monitoring system to prevent them from being diverted to Hamas is in place.
10/14: Shortly after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon attended the Reconstructing Gaza conference in Cairo, Israel allowed 75 trucksof construction materials into Gaza.
10/8: Palestinian border authorities reportedon Oct.7 that Israeli authorities delayed indefinitely the entry of 60 truckloads of building materials into the Gaza Strip. The next day, it was announced that Palestinians would be able to begin importing reconstruction material into the Gaza Strip through Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing starting the following week.
9/28: Mounir al-Ghalban, administrator for the Palestinian side of the crossing from Israel into Gaza, told Alakhbarthat “the (Kerem Shalom) continues to operate at its pre-cease-fire capacity, being used mostly for the entry of foodstuff and humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
9/16: Gishareported several slight improvements: an increase in the age of children allowed to accompany parents on humanitarian visits from 6 to 15, a daily quota of 200 merchants permitted to exit Gaza and an increase in the overall number of merchants cleared for exit to 2,000. The Kerem Shalom crossing has returned to function “exactly as it did prior to the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli youths in the West Bank in mid-June.” (In other words, no improvement.) Israel has begun allowing construction materials destined for international aid organizations and the Palestinian Water Authority, but the amounts are “a fraction of what is needed in order to advance reconstruction at a reasonable pace.” Some goods also were exported out of Gaza for the first time since June – two trucks carrying 8.3 tons of sweet potatoes en route to Europe. From the beginning of the year until the end of August, Gaza exported 11 truckloads per month on average – less than 1% of the monthly average before the closure was imposed in 2007.
9/4: Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson: The ceasefire terms have virtually no enforcement mechanism. OCHA’s Occupied Palestinian Territory deputy head of office Maria Jose Torres: “(T)here hasn’t been any change in the regime of allowing passage for people or goods. We were expecting that the agreement of the ceasefire would have some kind of timeline for easing and lifting the blockade but so far there’s nothing.” Fikr Shaltoot, head of the UK-based Medical Aid for the Palestinians: “We were hoping to see immediate change on all the crossings. So far I don’t see any kind of improvement on this. Even before the aggression, there were severe shortages of drugs – 28 percent of essential goods were at zero stock. Now the situation is critical.”
9/3: Meanwhile, EU sourceshave revealed that Israel is profiting from reconstruction efforts in the Gaza strip by effectively blocking all non-Israeli building material (primarily steel and cement) into the enclave. While no formal Israeli ban prevents the importing of reconstruction materials made outside Israel, EU sources speaking on condition of anonymity say that in practice, Israeli security demands mean that a de facto ban is in place – thus increasing construction and transaction costs and fattening the coffers of Israeli middlemen.
9/2: Israel insisted that a “bilateral committee” be establishedto oversee imports of building materials, consisting of Israel, the PA and the UN. This post-deal demand means that these vital materials will be held up indefinitely in “discussions.”
8/31: Mounir al-Ghalban, director of the Palestinian side of the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing: “As was the case before and during the war, Israel still allows only 200-400 trucks loaded with aid supplies as well as limited quantities of fuel and cooking gas through the crossing daily. An improvement would be felt if [Israel] starts permitting more than 400 trucks daily.”
Extension of fishing limit off Gaza’s coast from three to six miles, with discussions in one month about extending it further.
12/7: Israeli forces detained 12 Palestinian fishermen from five boats near the al-Sudaniyya area off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip. Forces first detained Mahmoud Zayid and his brother Ahmad from Beit Lahiya. They then detained three more fishermen from Gaza City and later six more. The men were arrested and the boats were confiscated, taken to an unknown destination.
12/3: A Palestinian fisherman was critically injured after Israeli warships fired several shells toward the coast near Gaza City. Nizar Ayyash, head of the Gaza fishermen’s union, said fisherman Fakher Nizar Abu Riyaleh, 32, was critically injured in the head by shrapnel from Israeli shells. Abu Riyaleh was taken to al-Shifa hospital for treatment.
11/19: Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast by the town of Rafah, with no casualties reported, according to head of Gaza’s Palestinian Fishermen’s Union Nizar Ayyash.
11/10: In the second incident in less than a day, the Israeli navy opened fire on a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the Gaza Strip, reportedly destroying it. The boat was on its way back to Gaza from Egypt, where it had picked up supplies. The Israel Defense Forces claimed that a smuggling attempt had been foiled. Several fishermen were seen jumping into the water, and two fishermen were reportedly injured in the incident. Four were missing and may have been arrested.
11/9: The Israeli Navy fired on a fishing boat that it claimed had made it to Egypt, taken on cargo and returned. Witnesses said Israeli forces shot at the boat until it took fire, and that fishermen in a nearby boat managed to pull the three injured men aboard. The injured fishermen were taken to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.
10/28: The Israeli navy targeted Palestinian fishing boats with gunfire offshore the coast of Gaza. No casualties were reported.
10/22: Israeli forces opened fire on two boats carrying seven fishermen. Five fishermen from the Bakr family were taken into custody for questioning and their boat was dragged to an unknown location. An Israeli spokesperson claimed the Palestinians were 1.8 nautical miles beyond the permitted fishing zone.
10/16: Israeli boats opened fire at boats belonging to local a fisherman off the coast of Deir al-Balah. The boat belonging to Jamal Abu Watfa was sunk in the attack and he lost consciousness, but was saved from the water. The financial losses to the fisherman could reach more than $140,000.
10/11: A 24-year-old civilian was injured by Israeli fire approximately 300 meters from the border in Beit Lahia.
10/7: Navy ships and a helicopter opened fire close to a number of fishing boats in the al-Waha area, in northwest Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.
9/25: The National reported that, “Every time Gaza fishermen go to sea, the same thing happens: five nautical miles offshore, shots ring out and a voice over an Israeli loudspeaker demands they turn back. Nearly a month after the ceasefire took effect, even the six nautical miles (included in the terms) – which the fishermen say is not nearly enough – are unattainable. September and October is sardine season and they are only found between six to nine nautical miles.”
9/22: Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian boat carrying five fishermen off the Al-Zahra shore, southwest of Gaza City. The five men were forced to jump into the water and swim to the Israeli ship, where their hands were bound and they were taken to Ashdod Seaport. They were freed the next day, but their boat was not released. The men: Sofia Mohyi Al-Deen Kollab (47), Mohammed Yousif Abu ‘Odah (24), Mustafa Haidar Abu ‘Odah (25), Ahmed Ziyad Al-Sharif (32) and ‘Abdel Rahim Abu Selmiyah (30).
9/17: Israeli naval forces opened fire off the coast of northern Gaza, moderately injuring fisherman Jom’aah Zayed, 69, with a bullet to his right leg. He had been waiting for his sons on the shore near al-Sudaniya.
9/14: An Israeli war ship fired warning shots at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City’s Al-Shati refugee camp.
9/12: Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Beit Lahiya to the north. Fishermen fled the area immediately.
9/9: Israeli naval forces detained two Palestinian fishermen from the Al-Sultan family, Tariq (18) and ‘Issam ‘Abdel Bari Mohammed Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (21), just 1.5 miles from the coast of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. Their boat was confiscated and the men were arrested. An hour and a half later, gunned down the fishing boat of two other Al-Sultan brothers – Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (25) and Ahmed As’ad Mohammed (22). They too were arrested and their boat was confiscated.
9/8: Israeli warships fired on fishing boats when they touched the six-mile limit, and marked a boundary of five miles — warning the fishermen against crossing over it. This reverses the truce terms.
9/5: Israeli navy forces arrested two Palestinian fishermen near the Waha area off the coast of Beit Lahiya, according to the head of the fishermen syndicate in Gaza. An Israeli military boat intercepted a small fishing boat at a distance of less than two nautical miles off the Sudaniya coast at Beit Lahiya. The Israeli boat opened fire on the fishermen, then dragged them toward the Ashdod Port, where they arrested two of them. The two arrested fishermen are reported to be Mohammed Zayid and Moussa Al-Sultan.
9/3: Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within one nautical mile off the shore of Beit Lahia. Soldiers forced two fishermen, Mohammed Ishaq Mohammed Zayed (18) and Mousa Talal ‘Ata Al-Sultan (24), to jump into the water and swim toward the Israeli gunboat. The men then were arrested and their boat confiscated.
9/2: Israeli forces opened fire at fishermen off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip. Palestinian fishermen told Ma’an News that Israeli warships fired at their boats with machine guns while they were sailing within the agreed-upon six-nautical-mile limit near Rafah. No injuries were reported.
Reduction of “security zone” inside Gaza from 300m to 100m
11/30: The Israeli army opened fire on agricultural land at the edges of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses reported that the army deployed at the Kissufim military base fired electromagnetic bombs on farmland, causing mild damage to crops.
11/23: Israeli forces shot and killed Fadel Mohammed Halawa, 32. He was reported to have been searching for songbirds that nest close to the boundary with Israel, east of the Jabalya refugee camp. The spokesman for emergency services in Gaza reported that Halawa was shot in the back.
11/10: Several Israeli military vehicles accompanied bulldozers that leveled Palestinian land near the Gaza borders in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses said they saw four military tanks and three bulldozers entering Gaza via a gate in the border fence near the Kissufim military base in northeast Khan Younis. The bulldozers, they added, leveled lands about 200 meters from the border fence. Heavy fire was heard during the Israeli incursion, but no casualties were reported.
11/9: Israeli troops stationed on the Gaza border opened fire with machine guns and projectiles at agricultural land to the southeast of Al-Baraj refugee camp.
11/7: Israeli troops guarding the Gaza border fired at a group of protesters, wounding one of them.
10/29: A 27-year-old man identified only by his initials, S. Gh., was seriously injured after being shot in the thigh in Beit Lahiya. He was taken to Kamal Udwan Hospital. An Israeli army spokesman said warning shots were fired because the man “approached the security fence.”
10/26: The Egyptian government blamed Hamas for not controlling factions within the Strip that have stoked unrest in the Sinai, thus postponing resumption of the talks
10/9: Israeli army forces stationed at the Kisovim military post opened fire on Palestinian farmlands in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were
10/1: Twelve military vehicles entered Gaza from a gate east of the town of al-Fukhari in the Khan Younis district. The vehicles reportedly crossed some 200 meters into the Strip, and soldiers scanned the area before shooting towards Palestinian farms. Agricultural workers were forced to leave their fields when soldiers shot.
9/29: Rajab Maarouf, a 22-year-old farmer, was shot in the foot in northern Beit Lahiya and taken to Kamal Adwan hospital with moderate injuries. An Israeli army spokesperson said he “warning shots” were fired because he “approached the security fence.”
9/23: Reuters reported the various parties agreed to resume talks in late October, after the end of upcoming Jewish and Muslim religious holidays, and allowing time for Palestinian factions to resolve internal differences.
9/19: Several Israeli bulldozers entered the southern Gaza Strip, about 150 meters into the Al-Qarara area near Khan Younis, and leveled Palestinian land.
9/11: Four Israeli bulldozers entered a border area in southern Gaza, near the village of al-Qarara, and leveled private Palestinian land. Military vehicles accompanying the bulldozers fired shots, with no reports of injuries.
9/2: Israeli forces opened fire toward Palestinian agricultural lands in Khuza’a, the site of one of the massacres during the war, in the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported. (source: Euro-Mid Observer of Human Rights) Resumption of Egyptian-brokered talks by 9/26 to discuss release of prisoners, seaport/airport and other remaining issues
Humanity for Palestine (H4P) is an online global citizen’s action collective, whose goal is to plan, implement, support and coordinate concrete positive actions in support of Palestine, Palestinians, and the search for a just and lasting Middle East peace. It seeks move from talk to action by facilitating the participation of people of all backgrounds, skills, interests and time constraints in meaningful actions in support of Palestine, helping to directing their time and energy toward where it can impact most.
Official website: www.humanityforpalestine.org
archive image: Palestinian News Network
On August 26th, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, acting on behalf of the Palestinian people – including those living in Gaza – agreed to a ceasefire to end the massive Israeli assault and the indigenous resistance.
The ceasefire was based on following terms:
A multilateral ceasefire. (No more attacks by either side.)
The opening of Israeli crossings into and out of Gaza, allowing the flow of human traffic, humanitarian imports and commercial trade.
Extension of fishing limit off Gaza’s coast from three to six miles, with discussions in one month about extending it further.
Reduction of the “security zone” inside Gaza from 300m to 100m.
Resumption of Egyptian-brokered talks by Sept. 26 to discuss release of prisoners, seaport/airport and other remaining issues.
However, in the approximately three months since then, Israel has violated the truce repeatedly – including 33 times in which Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinians, injuring 16 and killing one. Since the ceasefire was called, no more than a week has passed without Israeli fire at Palestinian protesters, farmers or fishermen. Yet only one rocket has been fired from Gaza, for which Hamas claimed no responsibility.
Likewise, as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz itself has reported:
“barely any progress has been made in rebuilding the shattered territory, despite donors pledging $5 billion…The cement and gravel are being regulated as if they were nuclear weapons.”
Meanwhile, no resumption of negotiations toward a longer-term, more permanent truce and a just, peaceful co-existence has occurred.
Multilateral Ceasefire
12/3: A Palestinian fisherman was critically injured after Israeli warships fired several shells toward the coast near Gaza City. Nizar Ayyash, head of the Gaza fishermen’s union, said fisherman Fakher Nizar Abu Riyaleh, 32, was critically injured in the head by shrapnel from Israeli shells. Abu Riyaleh was taken to al-Shifa hospital for treatment.
11/30: The Israeli army opened fire on agricultural land at the edges of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses reported that the army deployed at the Kissufim military base fired electromagnetic bombs on farmland, causing mild damage to crops.
11/29: A 16-year-old Palestinian boy suffered a shooting injury after approaching the security fence by Beit Lahia in northern Gaza and allegedly ignoring IDF warning shots for him to back away from the spot. He was evacuated to a hospital after IDF forces shot him in the leg.
11/28: A Palestinian was injured in his right foot after Israeli forces opened fire near the border east of Jabaliya.
11/27: Shots were exchanged between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, after the Israeli army claimed that an unidentified gunman in fired at and struck an IDF jeep as it carried out a routine border patrol in the area of Kibbutz Be’eri. No one was injured.
11/23: Israeli forces shot and killed Fadel Mohammed Halawa, 32. He was reported to have been searching for songbirds that nest close to the boundary with Israel, east of the Jabalya refugee camp. The spokesman for emergency services in Gaza said Halawa was shot in the back.
11/23: A teenager was seriously injured and two others were arrested by Israeli forces when they approached the border near the Kerem Shalom crossing. Medical sources said a 17-year-old known as A.K. was shot by Israeli forces near the crossing and taken to Abu Yusef Najjar hospital in a serious condition.
11/19: Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast by the town of Rafah, with no casualties reported, according to head of Gaza’s Palestinian Fishermen’s Union Nizar Ayyash.
11/16: Israeli soldiers stationed at a watch tower near the Kissufim military base opened fire at a Palestinian, critically injuring him.
11/10: In the second incident in less than a day, the Israeli navy opened fire on a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the Gaza Strip, reportedly destroying it. The boat was on its way back to Gaza from Egypt, where it had picked up supplies. The Israel Defense Forces claimed that a smuggling attempt had been foiled. Several fishermen were seen jumping into the water, and two fishermen were reportedly injured in the incident. Four were missing and may have been arrested.
11/9: Israeli troops stationed on the Gaza border opened fire with machine guns and projectiles at agricultural land to the southeast of Al-Baraj refugee camp. In addition, the Israeli Navy fired on a fishing boat that it claimed had made it to Egypt, taken on cargo and returned. Witnesses said Israeli forces shot at the boat until it took fire, and that fishermen in a nearby boat managed to pull the three injured men aboard. The injured fishermen were taken to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.
11/7: Israeli troops guarding the Gaza border fired at a group of protesters, wounding one of them. On the same day, warning sirens sounded in Israeli towns near Gaza. However, the rocket landed inside Palestinian territory.
11/5: Israeli troops deployed behind the border fence was of the Qarara district in Khan Younis fired sporadically at Palestinian homes and agricultural property with machine guns and “flashbang” grenades. No injuries were reported.
10/31: A single rocket reportedly landed in Eshkol Regional Council, southern Israel. No injuries or property damaged was caused, and none of the Palestinian factions claimed responsibility. Yet it triggered an indefinite border closure and F16 forays. Gazans suspect a false-flag operation.
10/29: A 27-year-old man identified only by his initials, S. Gh., was seriously injured after being shot in the thigh in Beit Lahiya. He was taken to Kamal Udwan Hospital. An Israeli army spokesman said warning shots were fired because the man “approached the security fence.”
10/28: The Israeli navy targeted Palestinian fishing boats with gunfire offshore the coast of Gaza. No casualties were reported.
10/22: Israeli forces opened fire on two boats carrying seven fishermen. Five fishermen from the Bakr family were taken into custody for questioning and their boat was dragged to an unknown location.
10/16: Israeli boats opened fire at boats belonging to local a fisherman off the coast of Deir al-Balah. The boat belonging to Jamal Abu Watfa was sunk in the attack and he lost consciousness, but was saved from the water.
10/11: A 24-year-old civilian was injured by Israeli fire approximately 300 meters from the border in Beit Lahia.
10/9: Israeli army forces stationed at the Kisovim military post opened fire on Palestinian farmlands in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported.
10/7: Navy ships and a helicopter opened fire close to a number of fishing boats in the al-Waha area, in northwest Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.
10/1: Twelve military vehicles entered Gaza from a gate east of the town of al-Fukhari in the Khan Younis district. The vehicles reportedly crossed some 200 meters into the Strip, and soldiers scanned the area before shooting towards Palestinian farms. Agricultural workers were forced to leave their fields when soldiers shot.
9/29: Rajab Maarouf, a 22-year-old farmer, was shot in the foot in northern Beit Lahiya and taken to Kamal Adwan hospital with moderate injuries.
9/22: Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian boat carrying five fishermen off the Al-Zahra shore, southwest of Gaza City. The five men were forced to jump into the water and swim to the Israeli ship, where their hands were bound and they were taken to Ashdod Seaport. They were freed the next day, but their boat was not released.
9/17: Israeli naval forces opened fire off the coast of northern Gaza, moderately injuring fisherman Yousef Zayif, 70.
9/16: A single rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel, but was not claimed by any Palestinian faction and no injuries/property damage resulted.
9/14: An Israeli war ship fired “warning shots” at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City’s Al-Shati refugee camp.
9/12: Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Beit Lahiya to the north.
9/11: Four Israeli bulldozers entered a border area in southern Gaza, near the village of al-Qarara, and leveled private Palestinian land. Military vehicles accompanying the bulldozers fired shots, with no reports of injuries.
9/9: Israeli naval forces detained two Palestinian fishermen from the Al-Sultan family, Tariq (18) and ‘Issam ‘Abdel Bari Mohammed Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (21), just 1.5 miles from the coast of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. Their boat was confiscated and the men were arrested. An hour and a half later, gunned down the fishing boat of two other Al-Sultan brothers – Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (25) and Ahmed As’ad Mohammed (22). They too were arrested and their boat was confiscated.
9/8: Israeli military fired on fishermen, pushing them back to a five-mile limit.
9/5: Israeli military opened fire on two fishermen and arrested them.
9/3: Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within one nautical mile off the shore of Beit Lahia. Soldiers forced two fishermen, Mohammed Ishaq Mohammed Zayed (18) and Mousa Talal ‘Ata Al-Sultan (24), to jump into the water and swim toward the Israeli gunboat.
9/2: Israeli military opened fire with machine guns on Gaza fishermen.
Opening of Israeli crossings into and out of Gaza (with PA control)
12/2: Haaretz: “Since the July-August war between Israel and Hamas, barely any progress has been made rebuilding the shattered territory, despite donors pledging $5 billion…’The cement and gravel are being regulated as if they were a nuclear weapon,’ said Sari Bashi, co-founder of Gisha, an Israeli organisation which monitors access to Gaza and says only a tiny fraction of cement needed to satisfy demand is reaching the strip. A new system set up with the United Nations to comply with Israeli requirements lets through at most 2,000.”
12/1: A total of 442 trucks of food and basic supplies went into the Gaza Strip, the Office of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories said in a statement.
11/26: At a press conference in Gaza City, Dr. Faisal al-Shawwa, chair of the Private Sector Coordination Council, said that Gaza’s private sector had rejected the UN-backed reconstruction agreement from the start. Al-Shawwa said that the mechanism amounts to a plan to administer Israel’s siegeand paralyzes, rather than facilitate, reconstruction, the Ma’an News Agency reported in Arabic. Al-Shawwa said that Gaza needs the complete opening of all the crossings in order to rebuild in three years, but that under Serry’s mechanism it would take far longer. While calling for a full effort to lift the siege, Al-Shawwa urged the UN to take responsibility for rebuilding destroyed homes using a tendering mechanism that existed prior to the summer attack.
11/26: The Israeli group Gisha reported: The current need for construction materials is estimated at 5 million tons, mostly for restoring homes and basic infrastructure. Between Aug. 26 and Nov. 20, however, only 62,928 tons of construction materials entered Gaza, just 1.2 percent of the overall need. And the majority of that small amount (59,592 tons) is reserved for international humanitarian and Qatari-funded projects. Although the private sector plays a very important role in both the restoration of buildings in the Gaza Strip and in its economic recovery, as of 20 November 20, only 3,336 tons of construction materials entered Gaza for the private sector.
11/25: Raed Fatuh, the Palestinian Authority official in charge of the entry of goods into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, said 28 trucks, each loaded with 40 tons of cement, crossed into Gaza.”This is the biggest delivery of cement since the war ended,” he said. “But it is not enough, it is only a tiny amount for the reconstruction.” Fatuh added that it is not clear whether Tuesday’s delivery of building materials is a one-time transfer or it would continue. Palestinian officials maintain that 100 trucks of building materials a day are needed to rebuild Gaza Strip within three years.
11/24: Israeli authorities barred, at Kerem Abu Salem crossing, 10 truckloads of agricultural products from passing out of Gaza to the West Bank and Saudi Arabia, due to a dispute between the Israeli army and the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.
11/22: Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh announced that the next week would see the second round of construction material and equipment entering the Strip. The announcement came only days after UN authorities said that nearly 30,000 Palestinians were still living in temporary shelters in Gaza, even as rain caused flooding and further hardship for thousands of families displaced by Israel’s summer assault. Al-Sheikh said this second phase of construction materials would be the biggest, and that materials would reach 24,000 families.
11/18: Jens Toyberg-Frandzen, a senior UN official, announcedthat just 1,086 people in Gaza had so far been able to buy building material under the “temporary Gaza reconstruction mechanism.” The material delivered to date included 10,416 bags of cement (of a need for 1.5 million TONS). Israel allows only 350 trucks of building material into Gaza per day, although it has reportedly agreed to raise that limit to 800 trucks. Under the “reconstruction mechanism” forged by the UN with the PA and Israel, Gaza’s residents may buy cement and other material from designated vendors. This means that ordinary people are being required to pay for rebuilding homes that were attacked by the Israeli military.
11/17: Deliveries of reconstruction material to Gaza have started, announced the Palestinian minister of civil affairs. (This is CONFUSING. Previous reports announced the same thing. So?) Some 100 trucks carrying 4,000 tons of supplies for Qatar-financed road repairs were expected to enter on Nov. 17. He said asphalt would enter the Gaza Strip the next day, and that it has been agreed with the Israelis to allow 100 trucks of road construction materials per day to cover the needs of rebuilding. Hussein Al-Sheikh added that clothing exports from Gaza to the West Bank also are beginning.
11/10: Israel allowed two Gaza businessmen (fishmonger Munir Abu Hassira and his business partner) to export fish to the West Bank for the first time since 2007. The shipment of more than 730 kilograms of fish marked a symbolic easing of a longstanding Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. Gaza used to ship up to 1,200 tons of fish to the West Bank each year before the blockade.
11/6: For the first time since 2007, a truck carrying 10 tons of cucumbers grown in the Gaza Strip was allowed by Israeli authorities to pass through the Kerem Shalon headed for Hebron in the West Bank.
11/4: Israel re-opened its crossings. Palestinian officials reported that 330 truckloads of goods and one truckload of cement (just ONE????) now will be allowed in.
11/2: Israel indefinitely closed its two crossings into Gaza in response to a single rocketfrom Gaza that was not claimed by anyone and did not cause any injury or damage.
10/27: The United Nations finally announcedthat after two weeks of sitting in “off limits” in warehouses, the still-insufficient building supplies that had made it into Gaza could finally be used. However, it was not until 11/4 that Robert Serry, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, announced that its reconstruction effort had begun in Gaza, with 700 families being allowed to purchase materials to repair their homes. Seven hundred is just a fraction of the 60,000 homes that need repairs or to be rebuilt.
10/26: Gishanoted that Israel has made official several (very) small improvements in the volume of human traffic allowed in and out of Israel via Erez: a) a daily quota of 20 non-urgent medical patients, b) issuance of 250 biometric cards that allow expedited travel for business people and merchants, c) visits to up to 50 prisoners in Israeli jails a week (three immediate family members per prisoner, compared to four previously); d) an increase in the quota of crossing permits issued for Palestinian employees of international organizations of 600, bringing the total to1,000 (300 additional permits for employees between the ages of 25 and 28 and 300 for employees older than 28); e) permission for 50 medical personnel to travel to the West Bank and Jerusalem for training, per month; and f) travel permits for members of the Palestinian national soccer, basketball, table tennis and running teams; representatives on the Olympic Committee; and officials in the national unity government.
10/25: The New York Times reportedthat truckloads of cement, steel and travel remain locked in Gaza warehouses, unavailable to thousands of families who are desperate to fix their homes. The supplies cannot be distributed until a monitoring system to prevent them from being diverted to Hamas is in place.
10/14: Shortly after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon attended the Reconstructing Gaza conference in Cairo, Israel allowed 75 trucksof construction materials into Gaza.
10/8: Palestinian border authorities reportedon Oct.7 that Israeli authorities delayed indefinitely the entry of 60 truckloads of building materials into the Gaza Strip. The next day, it was announced that Palestinians would be able to begin importing reconstruction material into the Gaza Strip through Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing starting the following week.
9/28: Mounir al-Ghalban, administrator for the Palestinian side of the crossing from Israel into Gaza, told Alakhbarthat “the (Kerem Shalom) continues to operate at its pre-cease-fire capacity, being used mostly for the entry of foodstuff and humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
9/16: Gishareported several slight improvements: an increase in the age of children allowed to accompany parents on humanitarian visits from 6 to 15, a daily quota of 200 merchants permitted to exit Gaza and an increase in the overall number of merchants cleared for exit to 2,000. The Kerem Shalom crossing has returned to function “exactly as it did prior to the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli youths in the West Bank in mid-June.” (In other words, no improvement.) Israel has begun allowing construction materials destined for international aid organizations and the Palestinian Water Authority, but the amounts are “a fraction of what is needed in order to advance reconstruction at a reasonable pace.” Some goods also were exported out of Gaza for the first time since June – two trucks carrying 8.3 tons of sweet potatoes en route to Europe. From the beginning of the year until the end of August, Gaza exported 11 truckloads per month on average – less than 1% of the monthly average before the closure was imposed in 2007.
9/4: Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson: The ceasefire terms have virtually no enforcement mechanism. OCHA’s Occupied Palestinian Territory deputy head of office Maria Jose Torres: “(T)here hasn’t been any change in the regime of allowing passage for people or goods. We were expecting that the agreement of the ceasefire would have some kind of timeline for easing and lifting the blockade but so far there’s nothing.” Fikr Shaltoot, head of the UK-based Medical Aid for the Palestinians: “We were hoping to see immediate change on all the crossings. So far I don’t see any kind of improvement on this. Even before the aggression, there were severe shortages of drugs – 28 percent of essential goods were at zero stock. Now the situation is critical.”
9/3: Meanwhile, EU sourceshave revealed that Israel is profiting from reconstruction efforts in the Gaza strip by effectively blocking all non-Israeli building material (primarily steel and cement) into the enclave. While no formal Israeli ban prevents the importing of reconstruction materials made outside Israel, EU sources speaking on condition of anonymity say that in practice, Israeli security demands mean that a de facto ban is in place – thus increasing construction and transaction costs and fattening the coffers of Israeli middlemen.
9/2: Israel insisted that a “bilateral committee” be establishedto oversee imports of building materials, consisting of Israel, the PA and the UN. This post-deal demand means that these vital materials will be held up indefinitely in “discussions.”
8/31: Mounir al-Ghalban, director of the Palestinian side of the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing: “As was the case before and during the war, Israel still allows only 200-400 trucks loaded with aid supplies as well as limited quantities of fuel and cooking gas through the crossing daily. An improvement would be felt if [Israel] starts permitting more than 400 trucks daily.”
Extension of fishing limit off Gaza’s coast from three to six miles, with discussions in one month about extending it further.
12/7: Israeli forces detained 12 Palestinian fishermen from five boats near the al-Sudaniyya area off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip. Forces first detained Mahmoud Zayid and his brother Ahmad from Beit Lahiya. They then detained three more fishermen from Gaza City and later six more. The men were arrested and the boats were confiscated, taken to an unknown destination.
12/3: A Palestinian fisherman was critically injured after Israeli warships fired several shells toward the coast near Gaza City. Nizar Ayyash, head of the Gaza fishermen’s union, said fisherman Fakher Nizar Abu Riyaleh, 32, was critically injured in the head by shrapnel from Israeli shells. Abu Riyaleh was taken to al-Shifa hospital for treatment.
11/19: Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast by the town of Rafah, with no casualties reported, according to head of Gaza’s Palestinian Fishermen’s Union Nizar Ayyash.
11/10: In the second incident in less than a day, the Israeli navy opened fire on a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the Gaza Strip, reportedly destroying it. The boat was on its way back to Gaza from Egypt, where it had picked up supplies. The Israel Defense Forces claimed that a smuggling attempt had been foiled. Several fishermen were seen jumping into the water, and two fishermen were reportedly injured in the incident. Four were missing and may have been arrested.
11/9: The Israeli Navy fired on a fishing boat that it claimed had made it to Egypt, taken on cargo and returned. Witnesses said Israeli forces shot at the boat until it took fire, and that fishermen in a nearby boat managed to pull the three injured men aboard. The injured fishermen were taken to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.
10/28: The Israeli navy targeted Palestinian fishing boats with gunfire offshore the coast of Gaza. No casualties were reported.
10/22: Israeli forces opened fire on two boats carrying seven fishermen. Five fishermen from the Bakr family were taken into custody for questioning and their boat was dragged to an unknown location. An Israeli spokesperson claimed the Palestinians were 1.8 nautical miles beyond the permitted fishing zone.
10/16: Israeli boats opened fire at boats belonging to local a fisherman off the coast of Deir al-Balah. The boat belonging to Jamal Abu Watfa was sunk in the attack and he lost consciousness, but was saved from the water. The financial losses to the fisherman could reach more than $140,000.
10/11: A 24-year-old civilian was injured by Israeli fire approximately 300 meters from the border in Beit Lahia.
10/7: Navy ships and a helicopter opened fire close to a number of fishing boats in the al-Waha area, in northwest Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.
9/25: The National reported that, “Every time Gaza fishermen go to sea, the same thing happens: five nautical miles offshore, shots ring out and a voice over an Israeli loudspeaker demands they turn back. Nearly a month after the ceasefire took effect, even the six nautical miles (included in the terms) – which the fishermen say is not nearly enough – are unattainable. September and October is sardine season and they are only found between six to nine nautical miles.”
9/22: Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian boat carrying five fishermen off the Al-Zahra shore, southwest of Gaza City. The five men were forced to jump into the water and swim to the Israeli ship, where their hands were bound and they were taken to Ashdod Seaport. They were freed the next day, but their boat was not released. The men: Sofia Mohyi Al-Deen Kollab (47), Mohammed Yousif Abu ‘Odah (24), Mustafa Haidar Abu ‘Odah (25), Ahmed Ziyad Al-Sharif (32) and ‘Abdel Rahim Abu Selmiyah (30).
9/17: Israeli naval forces opened fire off the coast of northern Gaza, moderately injuring fisherman Jom’aah Zayed, 69, with a bullet to his right leg. He had been waiting for his sons on the shore near al-Sudaniya.
9/14: An Israeli war ship fired warning shots at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City’s Al-Shati refugee camp.
9/12: Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Beit Lahiya to the north. Fishermen fled the area immediately.
9/9: Israeli naval forces detained two Palestinian fishermen from the Al-Sultan family, Tariq (18) and ‘Issam ‘Abdel Bari Mohammed Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (21), just 1.5 miles from the coast of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. Their boat was confiscated and the men were arrested. An hour and a half later, gunned down the fishing boat of two other Al-Sultan brothers – Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed (25) and Ahmed As’ad Mohammed (22). They too were arrested and their boat was confiscated.
9/8: Israeli warships fired on fishing boats when they touched the six-mile limit, and marked a boundary of five miles — warning the fishermen against crossing over it. This reverses the truce terms.
9/5: Israeli navy forces arrested two Palestinian fishermen near the Waha area off the coast of Beit Lahiya, according to the head of the fishermen syndicate in Gaza. An Israeli military boat intercepted a small fishing boat at a distance of less than two nautical miles off the Sudaniya coast at Beit Lahiya. The Israeli boat opened fire on the fishermen, then dragged them toward the Ashdod Port, where they arrested two of them. The two arrested fishermen are reported to be Mohammed Zayid and Moussa Al-Sultan.
9/3: Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within one nautical mile off the shore of Beit Lahia. Soldiers forced two fishermen, Mohammed Ishaq Mohammed Zayed (18) and Mousa Talal ‘Ata Al-Sultan (24), to jump into the water and swim toward the Israeli gunboat. The men then were arrested and their boat confiscated.
9/2: Israeli forces opened fire at fishermen off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip. Palestinian fishermen told Ma’an News that Israeli warships fired at their boats with machine guns while they were sailing within the agreed-upon six-nautical-mile limit near Rafah. No injuries were reported.
Reduction of “security zone” inside Gaza from 300m to 100m
11/30: The Israeli army opened fire on agricultural land at the edges of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses reported that the army deployed at the Kissufim military base fired electromagnetic bombs on farmland, causing mild damage to crops.
11/23: Israeli forces shot and killed Fadel Mohammed Halawa, 32. He was reported to have been searching for songbirds that nest close to the boundary with Israel, east of the Jabalya refugee camp. The spokesman for emergency services in Gaza reported that Halawa was shot in the back.
11/10: Several Israeli military vehicles accompanied bulldozers that leveled Palestinian land near the Gaza borders in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses said they saw four military tanks and three bulldozers entering Gaza via a gate in the border fence near the Kissufim military base in northeast Khan Younis. The bulldozers, they added, leveled lands about 200 meters from the border fence. Heavy fire was heard during the Israeli incursion, but no casualties were reported.
11/9: Israeli troops stationed on the Gaza border opened fire with machine guns and projectiles at agricultural land to the southeast of Al-Baraj refugee camp.
11/7: Israeli troops guarding the Gaza border fired at a group of protesters, wounding one of them.
10/29: A 27-year-old man identified only by his initials, S. Gh., was seriously injured after being shot in the thigh in Beit Lahiya. He was taken to Kamal Udwan Hospital. An Israeli army spokesman said warning shots were fired because the man “approached the security fence.”
10/26: The Egyptian government blamed Hamas for not controlling factions within the Strip that have stoked unrest in the Sinai, thus postponing resumption of the talks
10/9: Israeli army forces stationed at the Kisovim military post opened fire on Palestinian farmlands in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were
10/1: Twelve military vehicles entered Gaza from a gate east of the town of al-Fukhari in the Khan Younis district. The vehicles reportedly crossed some 200 meters into the Strip, and soldiers scanned the area before shooting towards Palestinian farms. Agricultural workers were forced to leave their fields when soldiers shot.
9/29: Rajab Maarouf, a 22-year-old farmer, was shot in the foot in northern Beit Lahiya and taken to Kamal Adwan hospital with moderate injuries. An Israeli army spokesperson said he “warning shots” were fired because he “approached the security fence.”
9/23: Reuters reported the various parties agreed to resume talks in late October, after the end of upcoming Jewish and Muslim religious holidays, and allowing time for Palestinian factions to resolve internal differences.
9/19: Several Israeli bulldozers entered the southern Gaza Strip, about 150 meters into the Al-Qarara area near Khan Younis, and leveled Palestinian land.
9/11: Four Israeli bulldozers entered a border area in southern Gaza, near the village of al-Qarara, and leveled private Palestinian land. Military vehicles accompanying the bulldozers fired shots, with no reports of injuries.
9/2: Israeli forces opened fire toward Palestinian agricultural lands in Khuza’a, the site of one of the massacres during the war, in the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported. (source: Euro-Mid Observer of Human Rights) Resumption of Egyptian-brokered talks by 9/26 to discuss release of prisoners, seaport/airport and other remaining issues
Humanity for Palestine (H4P) is an online global citizen’s action collective, whose goal is to plan, implement, support and coordinate concrete positive actions in support of Palestine, Palestinians, and the search for a just and lasting Middle East peace. It seeks move from talk to action by facilitating the participation of people of all backgrounds, skills, interests and time constraints in meaningful actions in support of Palestine, helping to directing their time and energy toward where it can impact most.
Official website: www.humanityforpalestine.org
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened machinegun fire at Palestinian farmers and houses to the south of the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning.
Press sources said that IOF soldiers stationed to the east of Khan Younis opened heavy gunfire at Palestinian fields and houses to the east of Abasan in eastern Khan Younis.
They noted that Israeli drones were flying over the area during the shooting.
Meanwhile, locals pointed to the intensive over flights of Israeli F16s over Gaza Strip on Sunday morning spreading fear among inhabitants that they would launch fresh raids.
For their part, Israeli navy boats opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City, Palestinian sources said, adding that the fishermen were forced to abandon their boats and go back to the beach.
Both incidents constituted a further breach of the ceasefire agreement signed in Cairo last August
Press sources said that IOF soldiers stationed to the east of Khan Younis opened heavy gunfire at Palestinian fields and houses to the east of Abasan in eastern Khan Younis.
They noted that Israeli drones were flying over the area during the shooting.
Meanwhile, locals pointed to the intensive over flights of Israeli F16s over Gaza Strip on Sunday morning spreading fear among inhabitants that they would launch fresh raids.
For their part, Israeli navy boats opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City, Palestinian sources said, adding that the fishermen were forced to abandon their boats and go back to the beach.
Both incidents constituted a further breach of the ceasefire agreement signed in Cairo last August
Hamas Movement condemned the Israeli raid on the Gaza Strip, slamming the Israeli occupation government for having flouted the maxims of the truce accord brokered in Cairo on August 26, 2014.
Hamas warned, in a statement issued in Beirut following a meeting between its representative in Lebanon Ali Baraka and a delegation of Palestinians of the 1948 occupied Palestine on Saturday, of the repercussions of any projected resumption of peace talks as a means to boost up the French initiative.
“Resuming peace talks will be of advantage to the Israeli occupation only,” the statement read.
The statement called for the need to pool resources and devise a unified resistance strategy to face up to the Israeli colonizer and make Palestinians’ dreams come true.
The statement reiterated Hamas’s commitment to Palestinians’ right of return as an entitlement that can never be subject to the statute of limitations.
Meanwhile, the Israeli war minister Moshe Ya'alon also spoke on Saturday evening claiming that the Israeli army will not tolerate a new "trickle" of rockets from Gaza.
"Last night's airstrike in Gaza, which was in response to Friday's rocket attack, was on a factory making cement that would be used to build tunnels,” he claimed.
“It is a clear message to Hamas that we won't put up with a 'trickle' of rockets on our citizens. We hold Hamas responsible for what happens in the Strip, and we know how to respond to the attacks if they don't know how to stop them," Ya'alon further threatened.
Israel’s attack on a cement factory on Saturday represents a flagrant breach of the terms of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire accord signed in the wake of the notorious 51-day-offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Hamas warned, in a statement issued in Beirut following a meeting between its representative in Lebanon Ali Baraka and a delegation of Palestinians of the 1948 occupied Palestine on Saturday, of the repercussions of any projected resumption of peace talks as a means to boost up the French initiative.
“Resuming peace talks will be of advantage to the Israeli occupation only,” the statement read.
The statement called for the need to pool resources and devise a unified resistance strategy to face up to the Israeli colonizer and make Palestinians’ dreams come true.
The statement reiterated Hamas’s commitment to Palestinians’ right of return as an entitlement that can never be subject to the statute of limitations.
Meanwhile, the Israeli war minister Moshe Ya'alon also spoke on Saturday evening claiming that the Israeli army will not tolerate a new "trickle" of rockets from Gaza.
"Last night's airstrike in Gaza, which was in response to Friday's rocket attack, was on a factory making cement that would be used to build tunnels,” he claimed.
“It is a clear message to Hamas that we won't put up with a 'trickle' of rockets on our citizens. We hold Hamas responsible for what happens in the Strip, and we know how to respond to the attacks if they don't know how to stop them," Ya'alon further threatened.
Israel’s attack on a cement factory on Saturday represents a flagrant breach of the terms of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire accord signed in the wake of the notorious 51-day-offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Mousa Abu Mazrouk
Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement said that Hamas is committed to Egyptian-mediated ceasefire agreement, as long as Israeli is committed too.
On his Facebook page, Abu Marzouk said Hamas is not pleased with the repeated Israeli violations, adding that Israel must stop its attacks and violations.
“We in Hamas are committed to the ceasefire, as long as Israel is,” he said, “We of course know the enemy has hostile policies. It's violating all what we agreed upon during indirect talks mediated by Egypt.”
“Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement; those violations must end,” Abu Marzouk added.
“In general, should the enemy be committed to ceasefire, then we are also committed; the latest bombardment came after a shell was fired into Ashkelon,” the Hamas official stated, “We are working with all resistance groups to remain committed to ceasefire so that we don’t give the enemy a chance to bombard border areas, or other areas in Gaza.”
He also said that Hamas is interested is maintaining calm and avoiding any escalation in the area, and added that “should Israel continue its violations, then all options are open; we can deal with any situation that emerges.”
Commenting on the internal Palestinian situation, the Hamas official said there should be better political policies and real changes on the ground “so that we can perform our duties towards our people.”
“There are many regional and international parties involved in this process either by direct support, and financing, or by pressuring Israel into halting its violations," he concluded.
On Friday at dawn, the Israeli Air Force carried out two air strikes targeting in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Navy also opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza territorial waters.
Video Of Abu Marzouk Facebook Statement in Arabic.
Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement said that Hamas is committed to Egyptian-mediated ceasefire agreement, as long as Israeli is committed too.
On his Facebook page, Abu Marzouk said Hamas is not pleased with the repeated Israeli violations, adding that Israel must stop its attacks and violations.
“We in Hamas are committed to the ceasefire, as long as Israel is,” he said, “We of course know the enemy has hostile policies. It's violating all what we agreed upon during indirect talks mediated by Egypt.”
“Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement; those violations must end,” Abu Marzouk added.
“In general, should the enemy be committed to ceasefire, then we are also committed; the latest bombardment came after a shell was fired into Ashkelon,” the Hamas official stated, “We are working with all resistance groups to remain committed to ceasefire so that we don’t give the enemy a chance to bombard border areas, or other areas in Gaza.”
He also said that Hamas is interested is maintaining calm and avoiding any escalation in the area, and added that “should Israel continue its violations, then all options are open; we can deal with any situation that emerges.”
Commenting on the internal Palestinian situation, the Hamas official said there should be better political policies and real changes on the ground “so that we can perform our duties towards our people.”
“There are many regional and international parties involved in this process either by direct support, and financing, or by pressuring Israel into halting its violations," he concluded.
On Friday at dawn, the Israeli Air Force carried out two air strikes targeting in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Navy also opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza territorial waters.
Video Of Abu Marzouk Facebook Statement in Arabic.
20 dec 2014
Hamas denounces 'foolishness' of recent Israeli airstrikes
The Israeli navy, on Saturday, again opened fire at Palestinian fishermen boats, this time along the As-Sudaneyya shore, northwest of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has denied responsibility for an alleged rocket attack coming from Gaza, denouncing the recently renewed Israeli airstrikes as foolish.
Local sources reported, according to the PNN, that the shots targeted small fishing boats sailing in the area. No casualties were reported.
Attacks on Palestinian fishermen have been continuous since the August 26 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, though, according to the agreement, Gaza's allotted fishing zone was supposed to expand, incrementally.
When the siege on Gaza was first imposed, in 2006, fishermen were limited to only three nautical miles off the Gaza shore.
As part of an earlier ceasefire agreement, in November of 2012, Israel agreed to expand the area to six nautical miles, but unilaterally decreased is again to three miles.
Fishermen and their boats, however, remained under constant threat, even within those three miles, leading to dozens of casualties and excessive property damage. Dozens of Palestinian fishermen, in addition, have been kidnapped by soldiers.
Under the Oslo accords of the mid-nineties, Palestinians are supposed to be allowed to fish within 20 nautical miles off the Gaza shore, but Tel Aviv has constantly violated the agreement.
The daily illegal Israeli assaults on the Gaza Sea violate the economic and social rights of the Palestinian fishermen who are only allowed a limited area to fish and sustain a livelihood within.
The Hamas party, on Saturday, denounced the recent Israeli airstrikes against a military base in Gaza as a "dangerous escalation", as political parties across Palestine condemned the first bombing since the August ceasefire.
According to Ma'an News Agency, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri warned Palestinians of another "foolish" Israeli act, calling upon the international community to carry out its responsibilities toward the renewed Israeli aggression.
The Israeli military said that launched the attack in retaliation for a rocket fired from Gaza just the day before, but Hamas has denied any responsibility for the alleged attack. Israel, however, has said that it holds Hamas responsible for any rocket fired by any group inside Gaza.
Palestinian political organizations have widely denounced the bombing, condemning Israel for its repeated violations of the recent ceasefire which halted this past summer's devastating conflict.
The Israeli navy, on Saturday, again opened fire at Palestinian fishermen boats, this time along the As-Sudaneyya shore, northwest of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has denied responsibility for an alleged rocket attack coming from Gaza, denouncing the recently renewed Israeli airstrikes as foolish.
Local sources reported, according to the PNN, that the shots targeted small fishing boats sailing in the area. No casualties were reported.
Attacks on Palestinian fishermen have been continuous since the August 26 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, though, according to the agreement, Gaza's allotted fishing zone was supposed to expand, incrementally.
When the siege on Gaza was first imposed, in 2006, fishermen were limited to only three nautical miles off the Gaza shore.
As part of an earlier ceasefire agreement, in November of 2012, Israel agreed to expand the area to six nautical miles, but unilaterally decreased is again to three miles.
Fishermen and their boats, however, remained under constant threat, even within those three miles, leading to dozens of casualties and excessive property damage. Dozens of Palestinian fishermen, in addition, have been kidnapped by soldiers.
Under the Oslo accords of the mid-nineties, Palestinians are supposed to be allowed to fish within 20 nautical miles off the Gaza shore, but Tel Aviv has constantly violated the agreement.
The daily illegal Israeli assaults on the Gaza Sea violate the economic and social rights of the Palestinian fishermen who are only allowed a limited area to fish and sustain a livelihood within.
The Hamas party, on Saturday, denounced the recent Israeli airstrikes against a military base in Gaza as a "dangerous escalation", as political parties across Palestine condemned the first bombing since the August ceasefire.
According to Ma'an News Agency, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri warned Palestinians of another "foolish" Israeli act, calling upon the international community to carry out its responsibilities toward the renewed Israeli aggression.
The Israeli military said that launched the attack in retaliation for a rocket fired from Gaza just the day before, but Hamas has denied any responsibility for the alleged attack. Israel, however, has said that it holds Hamas responsible for any rocket fired by any group inside Gaza.
Palestinian political organizations have widely denounced the bombing, condemning Israel for its repeated violations of the recent ceasefire which halted this past summer's devastating conflict.
Hamas Movement warned Saturday against Israel’s continued and repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement, calling on the international community to bear its responsibility to prevent any further breach of the truce.
Commenting on Israel’s overnight airstrikes on Gaza, the leader in Hamas Movement Salah Bardawil wrote on his Facebook that Israeli airstrikes this morning and the continuous targeting of fishermen and farmers in Gaza fall as part of Israel's tampering with the ceasefire agreement.
He pointed out that Israel's latest violation could be part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign in order to make up for his defeat in Gaza.
For its part, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the National Resistance Brigades, threatened to cancel its commitment to the ceasefire agreement in case Israel’s violations of the truce continued.
The National Resistance Brigades slammed Israel’s recent airstrikes to the south of Gaza that “came in parallel with its violations against Gazan fishermen and farmers.”
"Israeli repeated bombings against resistance sites in Gaza would only force us to cancel our commitment to the ceasefire agreement and to defend our people in face of Israeli violations," the statement said.
The Brigades called on Palestinian resistance factions to urgently meet in order to discuss ways to respond to Israel’s crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
Early Saturday, an Israeli warplane bombed an area to the south of the Gaza Strip, with no reported casualties.
Commenting on Israel’s overnight airstrikes on Gaza, the leader in Hamas Movement Salah Bardawil wrote on his Facebook that Israeli airstrikes this morning and the continuous targeting of fishermen and farmers in Gaza fall as part of Israel's tampering with the ceasefire agreement.
He pointed out that Israel's latest violation could be part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign in order to make up for his defeat in Gaza.
For its part, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the National Resistance Brigades, threatened to cancel its commitment to the ceasefire agreement in case Israel’s violations of the truce continued.
The National Resistance Brigades slammed Israel’s recent airstrikes to the south of Gaza that “came in parallel with its violations against Gazan fishermen and farmers.”
"Israeli repeated bombings against resistance sites in Gaza would only force us to cancel our commitment to the ceasefire agreement and to defend our people in face of Israeli violations," the statement said.
The Brigades called on Palestinian resistance factions to urgently meet in order to discuss ways to respond to Israel’s crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
Early Saturday, an Israeli warplane bombed an area to the south of the Gaza Strip, with no reported casualties.
An Israeli warplane bombed after midnight an area to the south of the Gaza Strip, with no reported casualties.
Local sources told the Palestinian information center (PIC) that an Israeli warplane fired after midnight, precisely during the first hour of Saturday, two missiles at Hittin neighborhood, northwest of Khan Younis.
The air raid resulted in loud explosions that rocked the area and were heard across the Gaza Strip, but no casualties or material damage have been reported so far.
Different areas of Khan Younis plunged into darkness immediately following the aerial attack.
Locals also reported concurrent military overflights in Gaza airspace, which caused widespread panic among civilians.
In this regard, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that the Israeli air force attacked overnight targets in Gaza in response to the fall of a Palestinian rocket in an empty area near Eshkol settlement, south of the border with Gaza.
This was the first aerial attack since Israel ended its last war on Gaza in August following a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian resistance.
In an earlier incident, six Gazan young men suffered different bullet injuries when Israeli soldiers behind the border fence to the east of Jabaliya district, north of Gaza, opened fire at them on Friday evening.
Local sources said that Israeli soldiers opened fire at citizens during their presence near al-Shuhadaa cemetery in a border area inside Gaza.
The wounded citizens suffered moderate to medium injuries in the lower parts of their bodies and were rushed to Kamal Adwan hospital for medical treatment.
IAF strikes Gaza in response to rocket fire
Air force jets attack Hamas training facility in Khan Yunis in retaliation for rocket fired at Israel earlier Friday; attack marks first IAF strike in Gaza since military op.
The Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas training facility in the area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday night in retaliation for a rocket fired at southern Israel earlier in the day. The attack marks the first time Israel carried out an air strike in the Gaza Strip since Operation Protective Edge ended in August. No injuries were reported.
Local sources told the Palestinian information center (PIC) that an Israeli warplane fired after midnight, precisely during the first hour of Saturday, two missiles at Hittin neighborhood, northwest of Khan Younis.
The air raid resulted in loud explosions that rocked the area and were heard across the Gaza Strip, but no casualties or material damage have been reported so far.
Different areas of Khan Younis plunged into darkness immediately following the aerial attack.
Locals also reported concurrent military overflights in Gaza airspace, which caused widespread panic among civilians.
In this regard, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that the Israeli air force attacked overnight targets in Gaza in response to the fall of a Palestinian rocket in an empty area near Eshkol settlement, south of the border with Gaza.
This was the first aerial attack since Israel ended its last war on Gaza in August following a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian resistance.
In an earlier incident, six Gazan young men suffered different bullet injuries when Israeli soldiers behind the border fence to the east of Jabaliya district, north of Gaza, opened fire at them on Friday evening.
Local sources said that Israeli soldiers opened fire at citizens during their presence near al-Shuhadaa cemetery in a border area inside Gaza.
The wounded citizens suffered moderate to medium injuries in the lower parts of their bodies and were rushed to Kamal Adwan hospital for medical treatment.
IAF strikes Gaza in response to rocket fire
Air force jets attack Hamas training facility in Khan Yunis in retaliation for rocket fired at Israel earlier Friday; attack marks first IAF strike in Gaza since military op.
The Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas training facility in the area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday night in retaliation for a rocket fired at southern Israel earlier in the day. The attack marks the first time Israel carried out an air strike in the Gaza Strip since Operation Protective Edge ended in August. No injuries were reported.
The rocket that was launched into Israel on Friday
The IDF spokesperson issued a statement confirming that the IAF hit "terrorist infrastructure" belonging to Hamas's military wing in the southern Gaza Strip.
A direct hit was detected, the statement said, adding that the "attack constituted a response to the steep trajectory rocket fire towards Israeli territory at the noon time hours."
Earlier Friday, a Code Red siren was heard shortly before noon in the Eshkol Regional Council, an Israeli community close to the Israel Gaza border, and was soon followed by blasts, residents reported - indicating that a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed in Israel.
IDF forces canvassing the area found the rocket in an open area, and no injuries or damage were reported. This is the third time a Gaza rocket has landed on the Israeli side of the border since the end of Israel and Hamas' 50-day summer war.
The head of the Eshkol Regional Council Haim Yellin warned residents that a diplomatic approach must be taken to restore quiet in southern Israel in a remark after the code red alert this morning, "Whoever thinks that a strong IDF response is the solution for quiet in the Gaza border communities does not understand that wars are decided by politicians, who with courage can bring peace and security. After Operation Protective Edge, the country had an opportunity to establish a long-term arrangement. Instead of this, we found ourselves with a ticking clock until the next escalation and war."
Ilan Yosef, from the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz located in the Eshkol Regional Council, said the alarm was sounded on the first day of a visit by Jewish-American parents visiting their children who had volunteered to serve in the IDF and were residing in the kibbutz.
"It caused us to jump on our feet, we ran to the shelter. We have American guests who came to visit their children who live with us as part of the Garin Tzabar program. They just arrived today to spend time with their children and we already found ourselves running to the shelter. It was very frightening and not pleasant but we did not hear an explosion and we did not receive any updates regarding a landing," said Yosef.
Other residents of the Gaza border communities described the ongoing tension that has persisted after the deadly summer war with Hamas: "We knew it and we were waiting for this," said Roni. "We are returning to the path. We knew it was only temporarily quiet."
Anat Hefetz, a resident of Eshkol and member of the Future of the Western Negev organization, said, "Ever since the war ended, we have been waiting for the next war. It was known ahead of time. For four months already nothing has been done to prevent this."
According to Hefetz, "The war ended – as if – but nothing was done to change the reality. No initiative was taken. We left the area on the other side to be controlled by Hamas. We also feel this as residents. There are always infiltrations, attempts to shoot rockets and false alarms. It does not surprise us."
In early November another Code Red siren, indicating an incomng rocket from Gaza, was sounded duing morning hours in Israel's Gaza-border communities. The rocket fell a few meters into Israeli territory inside the Eshkol Regional Council. A few days later, shots were fired towards the Erez border crossing, according to an initial report.
Earlier Friday, Ynet learned that Hamas has begun to renew tunnel construction within Gaza and shifted its military strategy.
According to Palestinian sources in the Strip who spoke to Ynet, after Israel allowed the flow of limited goods and materials into Gaza, a black market for mortar emerged - allowing Hamas to renew construction of concrete slabs used to line the inside of the tunnels.
The IDF spokesperson issued a statement confirming that the IAF hit "terrorist infrastructure" belonging to Hamas's military wing in the southern Gaza Strip.
A direct hit was detected, the statement said, adding that the "attack constituted a response to the steep trajectory rocket fire towards Israeli territory at the noon time hours."
Earlier Friday, a Code Red siren was heard shortly before noon in the Eshkol Regional Council, an Israeli community close to the Israel Gaza border, and was soon followed by blasts, residents reported - indicating that a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed in Israel.
IDF forces canvassing the area found the rocket in an open area, and no injuries or damage were reported. This is the third time a Gaza rocket has landed on the Israeli side of the border since the end of Israel and Hamas' 50-day summer war.
The head of the Eshkol Regional Council Haim Yellin warned residents that a diplomatic approach must be taken to restore quiet in southern Israel in a remark after the code red alert this morning, "Whoever thinks that a strong IDF response is the solution for quiet in the Gaza border communities does not understand that wars are decided by politicians, who with courage can bring peace and security. After Operation Protective Edge, the country had an opportunity to establish a long-term arrangement. Instead of this, we found ourselves with a ticking clock until the next escalation and war."
Ilan Yosef, from the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz located in the Eshkol Regional Council, said the alarm was sounded on the first day of a visit by Jewish-American parents visiting their children who had volunteered to serve in the IDF and were residing in the kibbutz.
"It caused us to jump on our feet, we ran to the shelter. We have American guests who came to visit their children who live with us as part of the Garin Tzabar program. They just arrived today to spend time with their children and we already found ourselves running to the shelter. It was very frightening and not pleasant but we did not hear an explosion and we did not receive any updates regarding a landing," said Yosef.
Other residents of the Gaza border communities described the ongoing tension that has persisted after the deadly summer war with Hamas: "We knew it and we were waiting for this," said Roni. "We are returning to the path. We knew it was only temporarily quiet."
Anat Hefetz, a resident of Eshkol and member of the Future of the Western Negev organization, said, "Ever since the war ended, we have been waiting for the next war. It was known ahead of time. For four months already nothing has been done to prevent this."
According to Hefetz, "The war ended – as if – but nothing was done to change the reality. No initiative was taken. We left the area on the other side to be controlled by Hamas. We also feel this as residents. There are always infiltrations, attempts to shoot rockets and false alarms. It does not surprise us."
In early November another Code Red siren, indicating an incomng rocket from Gaza, was sounded duing morning hours in Israel's Gaza-border communities. The rocket fell a few meters into Israeli territory inside the Eshkol Regional Council. A few days later, shots were fired towards the Erez border crossing, according to an initial report.
Earlier Friday, Ynet learned that Hamas has begun to renew tunnel construction within Gaza and shifted its military strategy.
According to Palestinian sources in the Strip who spoke to Ynet, after Israel allowed the flow of limited goods and materials into Gaza, a black market for mortar emerged - allowing Hamas to renew construction of concrete slabs used to line the inside of the tunnels.
19 dec 2014
Director of UNRWA operations in Gaza Robert Turner warned that as of January the agency would not be able to provide rental subsidies to the homeless Gazans and refugee families affected by the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, calling on for urgent relief funds to address such needs with the advent of winter.
"The main concern right now is not only the scale of the requirement, but the pace at which we will be able to address the needs. Unless the situation changes urgently, we will run out of funds in January, meaning we will not be able to provide rental subsidies for many affected families nor provide the support required to carry out repairs," said Robert Turner.
"The impact of UNRWA ceasing payments to affected families would be dramatic. Tens of thousands of refugee families will find themselves with inadequate shelter and no support during the hardest months of winter, this is not a situation we – nor the refugees - wanted to find ourselves in."
More than twice as many refugee family homes in Gaza were damaged or destroyed during this summer’s conflict than had initially been estimated, according to the technical assessment just completed by UNRWA.
"Based on satellite imagery and preliminary field work conducted immediately after the conflict we estimated about 42,000 refugee family shelters had been affected by the war, we now know that over 96,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, more than double what we expected to find," Turner added.
Over 7,000 refugee homes were completely destroyed, affecting some 10,000 families. An additional 89,000 homes suffered damage, about 10,000 of them major damage (more than US$ 5,000), the statement read.
“These numbers are huge and represent both a major challenge to the Agency as it works to provide transitional shelter and repair and reconstruction support, and clear physical evidence of the ferocity and wide-spread nature of the conflict” added Mr. Turner. “You can see from the map of damage, nowhere was safe.”
UNRWA has estimated the total funding required to provide rental subsidies to families with no alternative shelter, reconstruction of destroyed homes and repair for those with damage will cost some 720 million dollars. To date, some 100 million dollars has been pledged, leaving a gap of 620 million dollars.
"The main concern right now is not only the scale of the requirement, but the pace at which we will be able to address the needs. Unless the situation changes urgently, we will run out of funds in January, meaning we will not be able to provide rental subsidies for many affected families nor provide the support required to carry out repairs," said Robert Turner.
"The impact of UNRWA ceasing payments to affected families would be dramatic. Tens of thousands of refugee families will find themselves with inadequate shelter and no support during the hardest months of winter, this is not a situation we – nor the refugees - wanted to find ourselves in."
More than twice as many refugee family homes in Gaza were damaged or destroyed during this summer’s conflict than had initially been estimated, according to the technical assessment just completed by UNRWA.
"Based on satellite imagery and preliminary field work conducted immediately after the conflict we estimated about 42,000 refugee family shelters had been affected by the war, we now know that over 96,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, more than double what we expected to find," Turner added.
Over 7,000 refugee homes were completely destroyed, affecting some 10,000 families. An additional 89,000 homes suffered damage, about 10,000 of them major damage (more than US$ 5,000), the statement read.
“These numbers are huge and represent both a major challenge to the Agency as it works to provide transitional shelter and repair and reconstruction support, and clear physical evidence of the ferocity and wide-spread nature of the conflict” added Mr. Turner. “You can see from the map of damage, nowhere was safe.”
UNRWA has estimated the total funding required to provide rental subsidies to families with no alternative shelter, reconstruction of destroyed homes and repair for those with damage will cost some 720 million dollars. To date, some 100 million dollars has been pledged, leaving a gap of 620 million dollars.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has officially recognized Palestine as a state, expressed its support for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and has called for speeding the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
The decision was made Thursday, during a conference in Brussels, while approving of many recommendations and resolutions with regard to boosting the power of workers around the world, and establishing programs for the Arab world as part of plans meant to support the Arab Labor Union and its affiliated unions.
Head of the Palestinian Trade Union, Shaher Sa’ad, attended the conference and said that many will be organized soon, with a number of representatives from international unions, including the elected General Secretary of the ITUC Sharan Burrow, in attendance.
Burrow will be meeting with several Palestinian officials, to observe the situation in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
She intends to present Palestinian leadership with the resolution of the ITUC World Conference, held in Berlin, back in May this year, in denunciation of the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine, and calling for recognition of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.
It also called for an end to the construction of illegal Israeli settlements and the removal of existing settlements, Israel’s full withdrawal from all Palestinian lands occupied since June 4, 1967, as well as the dismantling of the Annexation Wall.
The ITUC includes 170 Million members from 312 affiliated organizations from 175 countries around the world.
The decision was made Thursday, during a conference in Brussels, while approving of many recommendations and resolutions with regard to boosting the power of workers around the world, and establishing programs for the Arab world as part of plans meant to support the Arab Labor Union and its affiliated unions.
Head of the Palestinian Trade Union, Shaher Sa’ad, attended the conference and said that many will be organized soon, with a number of representatives from international unions, including the elected General Secretary of the ITUC Sharan Burrow, in attendance.
Burrow will be meeting with several Palestinian officials, to observe the situation in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
She intends to present Palestinian leadership with the resolution of the ITUC World Conference, held in Berlin, back in May this year, in denunciation of the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine, and calling for recognition of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.
It also called for an end to the construction of illegal Israeli settlements and the removal of existing settlements, Israel’s full withdrawal from all Palestinian lands occupied since June 4, 1967, as well as the dismantling of the Annexation Wall.
The ITUC includes 170 Million members from 312 affiliated organizations from 175 countries around the world.
17 dec 2014
A cluster of Palestinian traders voiced their deep disappointment over a plan mapped by the UN Special envoy to the Middle East, Robert Serry, for the reconstruction of Gaza, saying the strategy blocks the smooth access of rebuilding materials into the blockaded Strip.
Gaza dealers raised concerns over the criteria and purposes lying behind the Serry plan, saying the strategy has given way to the monopolization of Gaza’s shares of rebuilding stuff by a “an elite of businessmen” who have refused to restock the local traders.
The protesters prevented a number of trucks loaded with bags of cement, gravel, and steel from gaining access into Gaza until an evenhanded mechanism of distribution is used throughout the delivery phase.
“The mechanisms of distribution are neither fair nor well-structured. It is just unacceptable that some people are taking more than enough while we, small traders, are begging for small shares of rebuilding materials,” a Gazan dealer charged.
Talking exclusively to the PIC, expert in economics, Mohamed Abu Jayab, said: “The crisis emanating from the access of the reconstruction supplies into Gaza is taking a turn for the worse with each and every crack of dawn.”
He attributed the critical state of affairs to Serry’s strategy stipulating that all cement traders be compulsorily subject to Israel’s and the UN’s accreditation to get their share of reconstruction stuff.
The expert said such protest moves are set to be stepped up by the underprivileged merchants who have been left on the margins throughout the distribution process.
Gaza dealers raised concerns over the criteria and purposes lying behind the Serry plan, saying the strategy has given way to the monopolization of Gaza’s shares of rebuilding stuff by a “an elite of businessmen” who have refused to restock the local traders.
The protesters prevented a number of trucks loaded with bags of cement, gravel, and steel from gaining access into Gaza until an evenhanded mechanism of distribution is used throughout the delivery phase.
“The mechanisms of distribution are neither fair nor well-structured. It is just unacceptable that some people are taking more than enough while we, small traders, are begging for small shares of rebuilding materials,” a Gazan dealer charged.
Talking exclusively to the PIC, expert in economics, Mohamed Abu Jayab, said: “The crisis emanating from the access of the reconstruction supplies into Gaza is taking a turn for the worse with each and every crack of dawn.”
He attributed the critical state of affairs to Serry’s strategy stipulating that all cement traders be compulsorily subject to Israel’s and the UN’s accreditation to get their share of reconstruction stuff.
The expert said such protest moves are set to be stepped up by the underprivileged merchants who have been left on the margins throughout the distribution process.
Page: 147 - 146 - 145 - 144 - 143 - 142 - 141 - 140 - 139 - 138 - 137 - 136 - 135 - 134 - 133 - 132 - 131 - 130
Truce violations List of names Pictures of martyrs
Days: Aug: 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
July: 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8
