29 dec 2014
Member of Hamas's political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk said there is a tendency to form a national body to oversee the reconstruction of the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Abu Marzouk made his remarks during a meeting with heads of Palestinian factions and civil society organizations in Gaza City.
Abu Marzouk stressed during the meeting the need for pressuring the unity government to immediately assume its responsibility for Gaza and work on lifting the blockade and reconstructing what had been destroyed by the Israeli war machine.
He affirmed that many Palestinians in Gaza need to know when and how their homes would be rebuilt.
The Hamas official expressed his hope that the intended visit of Palestinian cabinet ministers to Gaza would bring good news for the owners of destroyed homes and property.
He also reiterated his Movement's rejection of the Gaza reconstruction plan that was devised by UN envoy Robert Serry, calling it a humiliation for the Gaza people, who had suffered from Israel's terrorism for 51 days.
Commenting on the Palestinian Authority's statehood bid at the UN, Abu Marzouk said the draft resolution in this regard poses a threat to the Palestinian cause, describing it as a document of concessions on the Palestinian rights and constants.
Abu Marzouk made his remarks during a meeting with heads of Palestinian factions and civil society organizations in Gaza City.
Abu Marzouk stressed during the meeting the need for pressuring the unity government to immediately assume its responsibility for Gaza and work on lifting the blockade and reconstructing what had been destroyed by the Israeli war machine.
He affirmed that many Palestinians in Gaza need to know when and how their homes would be rebuilt.
The Hamas official expressed his hope that the intended visit of Palestinian cabinet ministers to Gaza would bring good news for the owners of destroyed homes and property.
He also reiterated his Movement's rejection of the Gaza reconstruction plan that was devised by UN envoy Robert Serry, calling it a humiliation for the Gaza people, who had suffered from Israel's terrorism for 51 days.
Commenting on the Palestinian Authority's statehood bid at the UN, Abu Marzouk said the draft resolution in this regard poses a threat to the Palestinian cause, describing it as a document of concessions on the Palestinian rights and constants.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Monday staged an incursion into the Gaza Strip and scoured Palestinian land tracts.
A drove of Israeli military bulldozers stationed near the border pushed some meters into Palestinian farmlands in Gaza's southern Rafah city, moments before they scooped a large tract of farmland.
Israeli drones have also been seen flying at low altitudes all along the incursion.
Monday's incursion is another episode in Israel’s violations of the Cairo-brokered ceasefire accord signed on August 26 with Palestinian resistance factions in the wake of a seven-week Israeli military onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Sunday evening the IOF launched a limited incursion east of Rafah city, in southern Gaza, and scraped the area via army bulldozers.
The Rome-based International Federation for Human Rights and Development has documented a total of 162 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, signed four months ago, between August 26 and December 26, 2014.
The federation detected 108 violations of the Cairo-brokered ceasefire against Palestinian fishermen. 11 fishermen sustained injuries in 53 incidents of IOF machinegun fire shooting. 31 fishermen were arrested while some 16 fishing boats were misappropriated.
The report kept record of eight cases of scooping operations and incursions into Palestinian lands, mostly east of Khan Younis.
The federation reported 29 incidents of gunfire shooting on Palestinian farmers and cultivated lands particularly north of the Gaza Strip.
The International Federation called on the Israeli occupation to bring such infringements to a halt and abide by the terms of the truce accord ruling for unblocking the border crossings so as to smooth Palestinians’ access out of and into Gaza.
It further urged the Israeli occupation to allow the entry of humanitarian aids and rebuilding materials into the Strip, warning of an imminent explosion to be flaring up soon in case such noose tightened around Gazans’ necks is not untied.
A drove of Israeli military bulldozers stationed near the border pushed some meters into Palestinian farmlands in Gaza's southern Rafah city, moments before they scooped a large tract of farmland.
Israeli drones have also been seen flying at low altitudes all along the incursion.
Monday's incursion is another episode in Israel’s violations of the Cairo-brokered ceasefire accord signed on August 26 with Palestinian resistance factions in the wake of a seven-week Israeli military onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Sunday evening the IOF launched a limited incursion east of Rafah city, in southern Gaza, and scraped the area via army bulldozers.
The Rome-based International Federation for Human Rights and Development has documented a total of 162 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, signed four months ago, between August 26 and December 26, 2014.
The federation detected 108 violations of the Cairo-brokered ceasefire against Palestinian fishermen. 11 fishermen sustained injuries in 53 incidents of IOF machinegun fire shooting. 31 fishermen were arrested while some 16 fishing boats were misappropriated.
The report kept record of eight cases of scooping operations and incursions into Palestinian lands, mostly east of Khan Younis.
The federation reported 29 incidents of gunfire shooting on Palestinian farmers and cultivated lands particularly north of the Gaza Strip.
The International Federation called on the Israeli occupation to bring such infringements to a halt and abide by the terms of the truce accord ruling for unblocking the border crossings so as to smooth Palestinians’ access out of and into Gaza.
It further urged the Israeli occupation to allow the entry of humanitarian aids and rebuilding materials into the Strip, warning of an imminent explosion to be flaring up soon in case such noose tightened around Gazans’ necks is not untied.
28 dec 2014
Three Palestinian citizens suffered bullet injuries at the hands of Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in northern Gaza afternoon Sunday while participating in a peaceful march against siege.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, the health ministry spokesman in Gaza, told the PIC reporter that three citizens were wounded in the IOF shooting at the march near Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing in northern Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Palestinians took part in the ‘National Day against the Siege’ march organized by Islamic and national factions in the besieged enclave.
The participants stood in a human chain along the Salahuddin main road in the Strip to protest the continued siege and the delay in reconstruction.
Palestinian sources said that IOF soldiers in the vicinity of Erez crossing fired at the participants near the crossing.
3 Injured by Israeli Fire in Gaza, Farmers Attacked near Khan Younis
Hundreds rally in mass protest of Israeli crimes
Three Palestinians were injured, Sunday afternoon, after Israeli forces opened fire on protesters near Erez crossing, on the border with Israel, in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli border guards, stationed at Khan Younis, were also reported to have opened fire on Palestinian farmers.
Witnesses told Ma'an News Agency that Israeli troops fired on dozens of young protestors who approached the border fence, after participating in a local rally in protest of the ongoing siege and in demand of Gaza's reconstruction.
Three young men sustained gunshot injuries, as a result. One, who was hit in the thigh, was evacuated to a hospital in nearby Beit Hanoun.
An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying that "40 or more Palestinians were hurling rocks and rioting violently" and that Israeli forces "attempted to disperse the riot" and "fired toward the main instigator's lower extremities."
Hundreds of Palestinians have been rallying across the Gaza Strip, demanding reconstruction of the war-torn coastal enclave and protesting the crippling Israeli siege on the region, which has been in place, now, for the past seven years.
The largest rally reportedly took place at the entrance of Gaza City's Shuja'eyya neighborhood, which was utterly devastated by a summer-long Israeli military assault that destroyed tens of thousands of homes and left nearly 110,000 Palestinians homeless.
Over 2,000 Palestinians, including women, children and elderly -- mostly civilians -- were brutally murdered in the offensive.
Despite promises made by Israel, when the ceasefire was signed in August, the siege on Gaza continues, severely limiting the amount of reconstruction materials being allowed in.
Other rallies took place in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, Bani Suheila and Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, as well as near the Erez crossing close to Beit Hanoun, where Israeli soldiers also opened fire on marchers.
Ma'an further reports that the rallies come just a day after senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouq slammed the national unity government for failing to have carried out its duties in Gaza.
He accused the government of refusing to take control and thus stymieing reconstruction, as donors lacked a governmental partner to work with.
-- --
Also on Sunday, in the Gaza Strip, Israeli border guards stationed at the Khan Younis eastern borders fired at Palestinian farmers who were farming their land, according to WAFA correspondence.
Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition at the farmers who were working their lands close to the buffer zone.
The Israeli military has issued orders prohibiting any Palestinian presence on the land within Gaza abutting the territory’s perimeter fence, currently up to 300 meters from the fence, but Israeli forces have frequently shot at Palestinians beyond that distance.
United Nations figures indicate that Israeli military forces have killed four and wounded more than 60 civilians near the perimeter fence with Gaza since the beginning of 2014.
Israeli forces target farmers along the borders on an almost daily basis, further breaching the August ceasefire agreement.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the buffer zone takes up about 44% of Gaza’s territory.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, the health ministry spokesman in Gaza, told the PIC reporter that three citizens were wounded in the IOF shooting at the march near Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing in northern Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Palestinians took part in the ‘National Day against the Siege’ march organized by Islamic and national factions in the besieged enclave.
The participants stood in a human chain along the Salahuddin main road in the Strip to protest the continued siege and the delay in reconstruction.
Palestinian sources said that IOF soldiers in the vicinity of Erez crossing fired at the participants near the crossing.
3 Injured by Israeli Fire in Gaza, Farmers Attacked near Khan Younis
Hundreds rally in mass protest of Israeli crimes
Three Palestinians were injured, Sunday afternoon, after Israeli forces opened fire on protesters near Erez crossing, on the border with Israel, in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli border guards, stationed at Khan Younis, were also reported to have opened fire on Palestinian farmers.
Witnesses told Ma'an News Agency that Israeli troops fired on dozens of young protestors who approached the border fence, after participating in a local rally in protest of the ongoing siege and in demand of Gaza's reconstruction.
Three young men sustained gunshot injuries, as a result. One, who was hit in the thigh, was evacuated to a hospital in nearby Beit Hanoun.
An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying that "40 or more Palestinians were hurling rocks and rioting violently" and that Israeli forces "attempted to disperse the riot" and "fired toward the main instigator's lower extremities."
Hundreds of Palestinians have been rallying across the Gaza Strip, demanding reconstruction of the war-torn coastal enclave and protesting the crippling Israeli siege on the region, which has been in place, now, for the past seven years.
The largest rally reportedly took place at the entrance of Gaza City's Shuja'eyya neighborhood, which was utterly devastated by a summer-long Israeli military assault that destroyed tens of thousands of homes and left nearly 110,000 Palestinians homeless.
Over 2,000 Palestinians, including women, children and elderly -- mostly civilians -- were brutally murdered in the offensive.
Despite promises made by Israel, when the ceasefire was signed in August, the siege on Gaza continues, severely limiting the amount of reconstruction materials being allowed in.
Other rallies took place in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, Bani Suheila and Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, as well as near the Erez crossing close to Beit Hanoun, where Israeli soldiers also opened fire on marchers.
Ma'an further reports that the rallies come just a day after senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouq slammed the national unity government for failing to have carried out its duties in Gaza.
He accused the government of refusing to take control and thus stymieing reconstruction, as donors lacked a governmental partner to work with.
-- --
Also on Sunday, in the Gaza Strip, Israeli border guards stationed at the Khan Younis eastern borders fired at Palestinian farmers who were farming their land, according to WAFA correspondence.
Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition at the farmers who were working their lands close to the buffer zone.
The Israeli military has issued orders prohibiting any Palestinian presence on the land within Gaza abutting the territory’s perimeter fence, currently up to 300 meters from the fence, but Israeli forces have frequently shot at Palestinians beyond that distance.
United Nations figures indicate that Israeli military forces have killed four and wounded more than 60 civilians near the perimeter fence with Gaza since the beginning of 2014.
Israeli forces target farmers along the borders on an almost daily basis, further breaching the August ceasefire agreement.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the buffer zone takes up about 44% of Gaza’s territory.
Spokesperson for the popular committee against the siege Hamad al-Rakb warned of an imminent explosion to rock the Gaza Strip, saying the Palestinian masses will take to the streets to protest the blockade policy and the delay in the reconstruction process.
Al-Rakb said in a statement to al-Aqsa TV Channel that an explosion is expected to flare up if the siege is not lifted.
He said the Palestinian national factions did not lose their pressure cards yet, adding that the situation of Palestinians in Gaza is different from what it was in 2007.
“We’ve become more committed to our rights. We have all means to daunt the enemy ,” he added.
He said the fact that all national factions will flock to the streets, hand in hand, discredits all rumors that an internal rift stands as a stumbling block in the Palestinians’ fight for freedom.
The National and Islamic Forces in the Gaza Strip have called for a massive popular rally in Gaza on Sunday demanding the immediate end to the siege on Gaza and the reconstruction of Gaza without further delay.
Al-Rakb said in a statement to al-Aqsa TV Channel that an explosion is expected to flare up if the siege is not lifted.
He said the Palestinian national factions did not lose their pressure cards yet, adding that the situation of Palestinians in Gaza is different from what it was in 2007.
“We’ve become more committed to our rights. We have all means to daunt the enemy ,” he added.
He said the fact that all national factions will flock to the streets, hand in hand, discredits all rumors that an internal rift stands as a stumbling block in the Palestinians’ fight for freedom.
The National and Islamic Forces in the Gaza Strip have called for a massive popular rally in Gaza on Sunday demanding the immediate end to the siege on Gaza and the reconstruction of Gaza without further delay.
27 dec 2014
Deputy head of Hamas's political bureau Ismail Haneyya said that contacts are underway with Egypt and other concerned parties to pressure Israel to respect the ceasefire agreement it had signed with the Movement in Cairo last August.
"We are committed to what has been agreed upon in Cairo as long as the occupation is committed to it," Haneyya told al-Aqsa satellite channel on Friday evening.
The Hamas official also urged Cairo to open the Rafah border crossing permanently before passengers and goods, reiterating his Movement's keenness on Egypt's security and stability.
"Egypt's security and stability is a priority for us," he said.
Last Wednesday, Israeli soldiers busted the border fence east of Khan Younis in Gaza amid intensive gunfire, which provoked a response from Hamas fighters. However, the incident escalated and turned into a firefight that led to the killing of one fighter from the Movement and the injury of one Israeli officer.
"We are committed to what has been agreed upon in Cairo as long as the occupation is committed to it," Haneyya told al-Aqsa satellite channel on Friday evening.
The Hamas official also urged Cairo to open the Rafah border crossing permanently before passengers and goods, reiterating his Movement's keenness on Egypt's security and stability.
"Egypt's security and stability is a priority for us," he said.
Last Wednesday, Israeli soldiers busted the border fence east of Khan Younis in Gaza amid intensive gunfire, which provoked a response from Hamas fighters. However, the incident escalated and turned into a firefight that led to the killing of one fighter from the Movement and the injury of one Israeli officer.
False warning sirens were reportedly heard, this Friday, in the Israeli border towns of Yad Mordechai and Netiv Ha'asara.
The two towns are located near the northern border of the Gaza Strip. There were no reports of any rockets striking Israel or of any other explosions, according to the PNN.
Israeli forces confirmed that it was a false alarm, in response to alleged gunfire within the Gaza Strip.
The two towns are located near the northern border of the Gaza Strip. There were no reports of any rockets striking Israel or of any other explosions, according to the PNN.
Israeli forces confirmed that it was a false alarm, in response to alleged gunfire within the Gaza Strip.
Corruption and Israel's tight blockade are some of the reasons for the delay in the reconstruction of the embattled Gaza Strip, the London-based Guardian newspaper said in a recent report.
Following 50 days of Israeli massive military attacks on already war-torn Gaza, its reconstruction is moving at "glacial pace" with only a very small amount of the pledged building materials so far delivered, according to the British newspaper's report.
It affirmed that amid mounting criticism of the slow pace of the rebuilding efforts, the UN-designed mechanisms to control the supply of building materials to Gaza and prevent them from falling into the hands of armed groups involved widespread corruption.
A report released by Oxfam this month, it said, warned that despite $5.4 billion in pledges at an international donor conference this year and an agreement between the Palestinian Authority, Israel and the UN to allow in building materials, a few truckloads of materials found its way into the Strip.
The Oxfam report added that only 287 such truckloads had entered Gaza in November, noting that "at this rate, reconstruction and development could take decades."
According to UN estimations, some 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in the last Israeli war, which affected more than 600,000 people in Gaza.
A large number of Gazans still have no access to piped water while everyone suffers from power cuts of up to 18 hours a day.
The mechanisms for allowing the entry of materials into Gaza, which were devised by UN special envoy Robert Serry, were aimed to dispel the Israeli government's fears that cement shipments would not be diverted to Hamas for military purposes, including the construction of tunnels.
However, the Guardian revealed that some people from the UN and international aid groups had expressed fears in-camera that the Serry's mechanisms, which involve inspection, registration and monitoring, was vulnerable to corruption.
"Despite promises that some 20,000 householders would qualify for help in rebuilding, the mechanism for that help has been hit by problems and controversy. Under the scheme, householders are assessed to see if they qualify for rebuilding materials, then registered and issued with a coupon allowing them to buy a specified amount of materials from warehouses monitored by a UN-administered inspection regime," the Guardian explained.
Recently, a reporter from the newspaper visited cement warehouses in Gaza and saw cement sacks being resold a few feet outside the warehouse doors at up to four times the cost within minutes of being handed over to householders with coupons.
Elsewhere, the Guardian heard allegations of officials taking bribes to produce coupons for more cement than the needs of householders, so the excess could be resold on the black market.
Following 50 days of Israeli massive military attacks on already war-torn Gaza, its reconstruction is moving at "glacial pace" with only a very small amount of the pledged building materials so far delivered, according to the British newspaper's report.
It affirmed that amid mounting criticism of the slow pace of the rebuilding efforts, the UN-designed mechanisms to control the supply of building materials to Gaza and prevent them from falling into the hands of armed groups involved widespread corruption.
A report released by Oxfam this month, it said, warned that despite $5.4 billion in pledges at an international donor conference this year and an agreement between the Palestinian Authority, Israel and the UN to allow in building materials, a few truckloads of materials found its way into the Strip.
The Oxfam report added that only 287 such truckloads had entered Gaza in November, noting that "at this rate, reconstruction and development could take decades."
According to UN estimations, some 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in the last Israeli war, which affected more than 600,000 people in Gaza.
A large number of Gazans still have no access to piped water while everyone suffers from power cuts of up to 18 hours a day.
The mechanisms for allowing the entry of materials into Gaza, which were devised by UN special envoy Robert Serry, were aimed to dispel the Israeli government's fears that cement shipments would not be diverted to Hamas for military purposes, including the construction of tunnels.
However, the Guardian revealed that some people from the UN and international aid groups had expressed fears in-camera that the Serry's mechanisms, which involve inspection, registration and monitoring, was vulnerable to corruption.
"Despite promises that some 20,000 householders would qualify for help in rebuilding, the mechanism for that help has been hit by problems and controversy. Under the scheme, householders are assessed to see if they qualify for rebuilding materials, then registered and issued with a coupon allowing them to buy a specified amount of materials from warehouses monitored by a UN-administered inspection regime," the Guardian explained.
Recently, a reporter from the newspaper visited cement warehouses in Gaza and saw cement sacks being resold a few feet outside the warehouse doors at up to four times the cost within minutes of being handed over to householders with coupons.
Elsewhere, the Guardian heard allegations of officials taking bribes to produce coupons for more cement than the needs of householders, so the excess could be resold on the black market.
26 dec 2014
A Palestinian man who was apparently attempting to cross the border from Gaza into Israel for work was shot by Israeli troops on Friday.
Two workers were apparently attempting to cross the border in the early hours of Friday morning when they were spotted by the Israeli soldiers stationed at the border and shot. One of the two men was hit, and wounded in the leg.
The wounded Palestinian has not yet been identified, but both he and his companion were taken into custody by Israeli troops for interrogation.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the shooting, which they said occurred when the two men entered the 'kill zone' along the border.
The economy of Gaza was largely dependent on Palestinians working inside Israel, which made up around 50% of Gaza's economy before the Israeli government imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007.
Since then, Palestinian workers from Gaza attempting to enter Israel have had to do so in violation of the blockade, since no work permits have been issued in the last seven years. They have been subject to abduction, interrogation and dozens have been shot and killed attempting to cross the border for work.
Two workers were apparently attempting to cross the border in the early hours of Friday morning when they were spotted by the Israeli soldiers stationed at the border and shot. One of the two men was hit, and wounded in the leg.
The wounded Palestinian has not yet been identified, but both he and his companion were taken into custody by Israeli troops for interrogation.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the shooting, which they said occurred when the two men entered the 'kill zone' along the border.
The economy of Gaza was largely dependent on Palestinians working inside Israel, which made up around 50% of Gaza's economy before the Israeli government imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007.
Since then, Palestinian workers from Gaza attempting to enter Israel have had to do so in violation of the blockade, since no work permits have been issued in the last seven years. They have been subject to abduction, interrogation and dozens have been shot and killed attempting to cross the border for work.
25 dec 2014
Ehab Mohammed Sahwil, 15 years old, died on December 25, 2014 from wounds sustained this summer in Israel's Operation Protective Edge.
He is from Beit Hanoun but died in a hospital in Jerusalem.
Palestinian child dies of wounds inflicted in Israeli offensive on Gaza
A Palestinian child on Thursday evening succumbed to wounds sustained during Israel's latest offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of casualties to 2164.
He is from Beit Hanoun but died in a hospital in Jerusalem.
Palestinian child dies of wounds inflicted in Israeli offensive on Gaza
A Palestinian child on Thursday evening succumbed to wounds sustained during Israel's latest offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of casualties to 2164.
Palestinian medics said the 15-year-old minor Ihab Mohamed Sahwil breathed his last on Thursday evening at an Israeli hospital in Occupied Jerusalem.
The minor Sahwil died of the critical injuries he sustained in an Israeli raid on his family home in Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip.
Ihab’s brother was also killed in the attack that targeted the Sahwil’s family home.
Over 2100 Palestinian citizens, mostly women and children, were mass-murdered in the notorious Israeli 51-day offensive on Gaza while some 11,000 have been left wounded.
The minor Sahwil died of the critical injuries he sustained in an Israeli raid on his family home in Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip.
Ihab’s brother was also killed in the attack that targeted the Sahwil’s family home.
Over 2100 Palestinian citizens, mostly women and children, were mass-murdered in the notorious Israeli 51-day offensive on Gaza while some 11,000 have been left wounded.
Israeli navy gunboats opened heavy fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza on Thursday morning damaging a number of them.
Nizar Ayyash, the chairman of the Palestinian fishermen syndicate in Gaza, said the Israeli naval forces claimed that the fishermen exceeded the six nautical miles limit.
He said that though no casualties were suffered yet several boats were damaged in the attack, noting that the Israeli gunboats almost daily fire at Palestinian fishermen and obstruct their work.
In another development, eyewitnesses told Anadolu news agency that Israeli occupation forces opened gunfire at Palestinian farmland to the south of the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning.
Nizar Ayyash, the chairman of the Palestinian fishermen syndicate in Gaza, said the Israeli naval forces claimed that the fishermen exceeded the six nautical miles limit.
He said that though no casualties were suffered yet several boats were damaged in the attack, noting that the Israeli gunboats almost daily fire at Palestinian fishermen and obstruct their work.
In another development, eyewitnesses told Anadolu news agency that Israeli occupation forces opened gunfire at Palestinian farmland to the south of the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning.
Father Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, called for speeding the efforts to reconstruct the Gaza Strip and improve the humanitarian and living conditions of its population.
During the Christmas midnight mass that was held in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Father Twal urged the world to help the Gaza people and not to forget their suffering.
"The human life in the Gaza Strip is tragic while the world's attention is drawn to other concerns," the Father stated.
"Four months ago, we saw a war in Gaza that claimed the lives of thousands of victims and destroyed homes, and I wonder if these homes were rebuilt, who would rebuild the psychology of traumatized children who lived through three wars."
The Latin Patriarch also talked briefly about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and what he described as the seemingly never-ending violence between the Palestinians and Israelis.
"All the sacrifices went in vain … Nothing has changed in favor of the cause. Israel still lives in fear and insecurity, and the Palestinian people still demands their land," He emphasized, adding that "the wall will never give Israel security and peace."
"I hope next year there will be no separation wall and I hope we will have bridges of peace instead."
During the Christmas midnight mass that was held in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Father Twal urged the world to help the Gaza people and not to forget their suffering.
"The human life in the Gaza Strip is tragic while the world's attention is drawn to other concerns," the Father stated.
"Four months ago, we saw a war in Gaza that claimed the lives of thousands of victims and destroyed homes, and I wonder if these homes were rebuilt, who would rebuild the psychology of traumatized children who lived through three wars."
The Latin Patriarch also talked briefly about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and what he described as the seemingly never-ending violence between the Palestinians and Israelis.
"All the sacrifices went in vain … Nothing has changed in favor of the cause. Israel still lives in fear and insecurity, and the Palestinian people still demands their land," He emphasized, adding that "the wall will never give Israel security and peace."
"I hope next year there will be no separation wall and I hope we will have bridges of peace instead."
Hamas on Wednesday called on all Palestinian national factions to join a meeting set to be convened Thursday to decide on a response to Israel’s murder of a resistance fighter south of Gaza in a renewed violation of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire accord.
Hamas said in a statement the meeting is to be convened at 10 a.m. on Thursday to decide on a reaction to Israel’s infringement of the truce accord.
Taiseer Yousef Samiri, 34, one of al-Qassam resistance fighters, was killed during clashes that took place after the Israeli occupation soldiers fired shells close to east of al-Qarara town, near Khan Younis, in the southern area of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas held the Israeli occupation responsible for the simmering tension that rocked southern Gaza Wednesday.
Hamas spoke out against the series of violations and terror campaigns perpetrated by the Israeli occupation on a quasi-daily basis in Gaza. This includes the mock raids, infiltrations into the border fence and the random shooting of fishermen and farmers.
The movement said Hamas would only be committed to the truce agreement on conditions that the Israeli occupation is.
Hamas’s armed wing, Izzeddin al-Qassam, warned the Israeli occupation against stepping up violations of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, saying “Israel would be the first to be burned by its fire.”
Referring to Wednesday’s attack, the group said this was a “dangerous violation and a crossing of all red lines, as well as an act of playing with fire.”
“The enemy alone bears the responsibility of the repercussions of its uncalculated actions,” al-Qassam warned.
“The blood of our martyrs will remain a beacon lighting up our way to the liberation of Palestine,” the group added.
“It seems that this murderous enemy has not learned the hard lessons it was dealt by the resistance in the past,” al-Qassam added. “The enemy thinks that our people and the resistance are tired or exhausted after the last war.”
At least 2,100 Palestinians were killed while over 11,000 were left wounded in the latest 51-day Israeli offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip last summer.
Taiseer is the second Palestinian to be killed by the Israeli occupation forces since the two sides struck the truce deal on August 26.
Hamas said in a statement the meeting is to be convened at 10 a.m. on Thursday to decide on a reaction to Israel’s infringement of the truce accord.
Taiseer Yousef Samiri, 34, one of al-Qassam resistance fighters, was killed during clashes that took place after the Israeli occupation soldiers fired shells close to east of al-Qarara town, near Khan Younis, in the southern area of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas held the Israeli occupation responsible for the simmering tension that rocked southern Gaza Wednesday.
Hamas spoke out against the series of violations and terror campaigns perpetrated by the Israeli occupation on a quasi-daily basis in Gaza. This includes the mock raids, infiltrations into the border fence and the random shooting of fishermen and farmers.
The movement said Hamas would only be committed to the truce agreement on conditions that the Israeli occupation is.
Hamas’s armed wing, Izzeddin al-Qassam, warned the Israeli occupation against stepping up violations of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, saying “Israel would be the first to be burned by its fire.”
Referring to Wednesday’s attack, the group said this was a “dangerous violation and a crossing of all red lines, as well as an act of playing with fire.”
“The enemy alone bears the responsibility of the repercussions of its uncalculated actions,” al-Qassam warned.
“The blood of our martyrs will remain a beacon lighting up our way to the liberation of Palestine,” the group added.
“It seems that this murderous enemy has not learned the hard lessons it was dealt by the resistance in the past,” al-Qassam added. “The enemy thinks that our people and the resistance are tired or exhausted after the last war.”
At least 2,100 Palestinians were killed while over 11,000 were left wounded in the latest 51-day Israeli offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip last summer.
Taiseer is the second Palestinian to be killed by the Israeli occupation forces since the two sides struck the truce deal on August 26.
The UN called upon the Palestinians and Israelis to retain the ceasefire agreement they had signed five months ago and refrain from escalating the situation in Gaza.
UN humanitarian coordinator James Rawley expressed grave concern over the death of a Palestinian and the injury of an Israeli officer south of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Rawley pointed out that this development happened following a serious of armed incidents in Gaza since last November, and called on both parties to show restraint and respect the ceasefire agreement between them.
A resistance fighter from al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas was killed during a firefight with infiltrating Israeli troops east of Khan Younis.
This was the second Palestinian killed by the Israeli army since the open-ended ceasefire agreement took effect on August 26.
The Hamas Movement blamed the Israeli army for the deadly clash, saying that its soldiers had busted the border fence on Wednesday.
"The Israeli occupation is responsible for the tension east of Khan Younis. They tried to cross the border and opened fire at citizens, provoking a response from Hamas," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated in Facebook remarks.
Early last July, Israel had launched massive artillery and aerial attacks on Gaza for 51 days, killing more than 2,100 Palestinians and injuring thousands, mostly civilians.
UN humanitarian coordinator James Rawley expressed grave concern over the death of a Palestinian and the injury of an Israeli officer south of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Rawley pointed out that this development happened following a serious of armed incidents in Gaza since last November, and called on both parties to show restraint and respect the ceasefire agreement between them.
A resistance fighter from al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas was killed during a firefight with infiltrating Israeli troops east of Khan Younis.
This was the second Palestinian killed by the Israeli army since the open-ended ceasefire agreement took effect on August 26.
The Hamas Movement blamed the Israeli army for the deadly clash, saying that its soldiers had busted the border fence on Wednesday.
"The Israeli occupation is responsible for the tension east of Khan Younis. They tried to cross the border and opened fire at citizens, provoking a response from Hamas," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated in Facebook remarks.
Early last July, Israel had launched massive artillery and aerial attacks on Gaza for 51 days, killing more than 2,100 Palestinians and injuring thousands, mostly civilians.
24 dec 2014
Taiseer Yousef Samiri, 34
Two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded and a member of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, was killed in a clash in southern Gaza on Wednesday.
The PIC reporter quoted eyewitnesses as saying that a unit of the Israeli military engineering corps advanced into eastern al-Qarara town to the east of Khan Younis city and a sniper of the Qassam Brigades fired at them wounding two of the soldiers.
They added that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) then shelled a monitoring unit for the Qassam Brigades killing the field commander Tayseer al-Samiri.
The Hebrew website 0404, for its part, said that the two soldiers were transferred aboard an army chopper to Soroka hospital in Beersheba.
It added that the IOF ordered its elements to remain aloof from the security fence and nearby fields in anticipation of more sniper fire.
The PIC reporter said that heavy exchange of fire between Palestinian resistance fighters and IOF soldiers are currently raging in the area as IOF reinforcements are arriving to the scene of the clashes.
Two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded and a member of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, was killed in a clash in southern Gaza on Wednesday.
The PIC reporter quoted eyewitnesses as saying that a unit of the Israeli military engineering corps advanced into eastern al-Qarara town to the east of Khan Younis city and a sniper of the Qassam Brigades fired at them wounding two of the soldiers.
They added that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) then shelled a monitoring unit for the Qassam Brigades killing the field commander Tayseer al-Samiri.
The Hebrew website 0404, for its part, said that the two soldiers were transferred aboard an army chopper to Soroka hospital in Beersheba.
It added that the IOF ordered its elements to remain aloof from the security fence and nearby fields in anticipation of more sniper fire.
The PIC reporter said that heavy exchange of fire between Palestinian resistance fighters and IOF soldiers are currently raging in the area as IOF reinforcements are arriving to the scene of the clashes.
23 dec 2014
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at Palestinian farmers south of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning for the third day running.
Eyewitnesses said that IOF soldiers in military positions and army vehicles opened fire at farmers and houses in Abbasan in eastern Khan Younis.
The shooting for the third day running on that same area did not inflict any casualties, the sources said, adding that reconnaissance planes were flying over the area at the time of the incident.
Eyewitnesses said that IOF soldiers in military positions and army vehicles opened fire at farmers and houses in Abbasan in eastern Khan Younis.
The shooting for the third day running on that same area did not inflict any casualties, the sources said, adding that reconnaissance planes were flying over the area at the time of the incident.
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