22 aug 2014
A Palestinian media watchdog on Thursday said that July was the bloodiest month on record in the history of the Palestinian press, as nine journalists were killed and eight media outlets shelled during the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza.
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms said in a statement that the targeting of Palestinian media had continued into August, with at least six more journalists killed in the last three weeks as well.
General director of MADA Mousa Rimawi said in the statement that the attacks on journalists were widespread and focused in Gaza, where the homes of 16 journalists were also destroyed and transmission to a number of different TV, radio, and media websites was cut by the Israeli military.
"MADA believes that they would not have died if (Israeli forces) had been hold accountable for its previous crimes against journalists, which are considered war crimes according to the Geneva Conventions which protect all civilians in case of war." The report said that seven journalists were killed in Israeli assaults on Gaza in 2009 and 2012, and "so far nobody has been held accountable."
The statement said that in July, Israeli occupation forces had committed 73 violations of media freedom throughout the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, while three were committed by Palestinian parties in the West Bank.
The report stressed that the the 15 journalists killed in the last six weeks "were killed in civilian sites which are supposed to be safe for civilians, including news workers."
The report also said that while some were killed in their homes or while covering the aftermath of Israeli operations in residential neighborhoods, others were "deliberately targeted."
"PalMedia Company driver Hamid Adballah Shihab was killed while he was driving a PalMedia's car carrying a 'Press' sign, journalist Hamadah Khaled Maqat was killed by a rocket while he was walking, and Palestine Public TV sport commentator Ahed Zaqout was killed during the shelling of his house," the report said.
The report also counted at least 12 journalists that had been injured during the Israeli assault on Gaza.
"The circumstances of the Israeli crimes and attacks against journalists and media outlets during the Gaza assault indicate that some were deliberately committed to silent them," the report said, noting that "Israel did not hide the fact that it deliberately shelled the media outlets it accuses of being Hamas propaganda mouthpiece, such as Al-Aqsa TV and satellite channel."
Of the eight media outlets that MADA said were destroyed, it said five were targeted deliberately, including three headquarters of Al-Aqsa, the office of Alwataniya Agency for Media, and the Al-Jazeera TV premises, which the report noted was hit a day after Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to close it.
71 percent increase in violations in West Bank
The report also noted that the Israeli military disrupted the broadcasting of seven radio and TV stations and websites, and used the stations to "broadcast inciting messages against the Palestinian resistance."
The report said that the crackdown was not limited to Gaza but extended into the West Bank, where they recorded a 71 percent increase in violations of media freedom, including "arrests, physical abuses, shooting of live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas grenades, prevention from coverage, expulsion and detention, and confiscation and damage of equipment."
MADA counted five journalists arrested across the West Bank as well as one whose home was raided and searched before being handed a summons for interrogation regarding his work.
The report also said 17 journalists were injured in the West Bank, the vast majority by rubber-coated steel bullets fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes.
It noted that two Palestinian journalists were also injured inside Israel when they were attacked by groups of Jewish Israelis near Sderot in southern Israel as they were covering the assault on Gaza from a hill there.
The report also said that Palestinian authorities had carried out three violations of media freedom, including preventing journalists from covering a story in Jenin as well as summons for interrogations for two other journalists based on Facebook posts.
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms said in a statement that the targeting of Palestinian media had continued into August, with at least six more journalists killed in the last three weeks as well.
General director of MADA Mousa Rimawi said in the statement that the attacks on journalists were widespread and focused in Gaza, where the homes of 16 journalists were also destroyed and transmission to a number of different TV, radio, and media websites was cut by the Israeli military.
"MADA believes that they would not have died if (Israeli forces) had been hold accountable for its previous crimes against journalists, which are considered war crimes according to the Geneva Conventions which protect all civilians in case of war." The report said that seven journalists were killed in Israeli assaults on Gaza in 2009 and 2012, and "so far nobody has been held accountable."
The statement said that in July, Israeli occupation forces had committed 73 violations of media freedom throughout the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, while three were committed by Palestinian parties in the West Bank.
The report stressed that the the 15 journalists killed in the last six weeks "were killed in civilian sites which are supposed to be safe for civilians, including news workers."
The report also said that while some were killed in their homes or while covering the aftermath of Israeli operations in residential neighborhoods, others were "deliberately targeted."
"PalMedia Company driver Hamid Adballah Shihab was killed while he was driving a PalMedia's car carrying a 'Press' sign, journalist Hamadah Khaled Maqat was killed by a rocket while he was walking, and Palestine Public TV sport commentator Ahed Zaqout was killed during the shelling of his house," the report said.
The report also counted at least 12 journalists that had been injured during the Israeli assault on Gaza.
"The circumstances of the Israeli crimes and attacks against journalists and media outlets during the Gaza assault indicate that some were deliberately committed to silent them," the report said, noting that "Israel did not hide the fact that it deliberately shelled the media outlets it accuses of being Hamas propaganda mouthpiece, such as Al-Aqsa TV and satellite channel."
Of the eight media outlets that MADA said were destroyed, it said five were targeted deliberately, including three headquarters of Al-Aqsa, the office of Alwataniya Agency for Media, and the Al-Jazeera TV premises, which the report noted was hit a day after Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to close it.
71 percent increase in violations in West Bank
The report also noted that the Israeli military disrupted the broadcasting of seven radio and TV stations and websites, and used the stations to "broadcast inciting messages against the Palestinian resistance."
The report said that the crackdown was not limited to Gaza but extended into the West Bank, where they recorded a 71 percent increase in violations of media freedom, including "arrests, physical abuses, shooting of live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas grenades, prevention from coverage, expulsion and detention, and confiscation and damage of equipment."
MADA counted five journalists arrested across the West Bank as well as one whose home was raided and searched before being handed a summons for interrogation regarding his work.
The report also said 17 journalists were injured in the West Bank, the vast majority by rubber-coated steel bullets fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes.
It noted that two Palestinian journalists were also injured inside Israel when they were attacked by groups of Jewish Israelis near Sderot in southern Israel as they were covering the assault on Gaza from a hill there.
The report also said that Palestinian authorities had carried out three violations of media freedom, including preventing journalists from covering a story in Jenin as well as summons for interrogations for two other journalists based on Facebook posts.
Smoke trails mark the path of Palestinian missiles fired from the north-east of Gaza City on August 21, 2014
Britain, France and Germany have launched a fresh bid at the UN to end six weeks of violence in Gaza, after Israeli warplanes killed three top Hamas commanders, inflicting a heavy blow on the movement's armed wing.
The European initiative on Thursday came as fighting flared on the ground and an Egyptian-led effort to broker peace talks teetered on the verge of collapse.
In a document obtained by AFP, the three countries urged an immediate and sustainable ceasefire that would put an end to the firing of rockets and military operations in the Gaza Strip.
It calls for a lifting of the Israeli blockade and a monitoring mechanism to report on ceasefire violations and verify the flow of goods into the Gaza Strip.
Diplomats said the text was aimed at advancing efforts to reach agreement within the 15-member UN Security Council on a resolution after Jordan's draft text met with resistance, notably from the United States.
The so-called "elements" document lays out the parameters for a ceasefire deal that would address Israel's security concerns and meet Palestinian demands.
It asks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to immediately come up with proposals to "implement the relevant provisions" in a move that could jump-start peace negotiations.
Bid to shore up Egypt's mediation
UN diplomats said they hoped the initiative would shore up the Egyptian-led peace track and lead to a lasting ceasefire that would avoid a relapse into war.
More than 2,083 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict that began on July 8, most of them civilians, according to UN officials.
The European-drafted document calls for the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, which has been under Hamas control for the past seven years.
It provides for the lifting of economic and humanitarian restrictions on the Gaza Strip to allow for a massive reconstruction effort, and for the re-opening of border crossings.
An international monitoring and verification mission would be established with a mandate to report on ceasefire violations and check the flow of goods into Gaza -- a key point missing from the Jordanian draft resolution.
Ban has pledged international help to rebuild Gaza but warned that this would be "for the last time" after three wars in six years.
As the six-week war between Israel and Hamas raged on leaving truce talks in tatters, a pre-dawn air strike Thursday killed three members of the movement's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.
"The assassination... is a big Israeli crime, which will not succeed in breaking our will or weakening our resistance," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency said Muhammad Abu Shammala and Raed al-Attar were among the top five most-wanted Hamas militants.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon hailed their deaths as "a big operational and intelligence achievement", and warned that Israel would not hesitate to track down the rest of the group's leaders.
Witnesses said nine missiles blasted the four-story building in Rafah to smithereens, leaving a huge crater.
Four surrounding buildings had their doors and windows blown out and some outer walls destroyed.
The body of Sabah Yunis, a four-year-old girl, was also pulled from the rubble, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.
Abbas meets Mashaal
The deadly strikes came 36 hours after Israel tried and failed to assassinate Brigades chief Mohammed Deif, who has topped its most wanted list for more than a decade.
That attack leveled a six-story building in Gaza City, killing two women and three children, among them Deif's wife, his infant son and three-year-old daughter, although he escaped unharmed.
The UN has identified about 70 percent of them as civilians.
On the Israeli side, 67 people have been killed, 64 of them soldiers.
UN aid workers stepped up calls for an urgent ceasefire, warning that spiralling violence endangered their ability to respond to the needs of Gaza's 1.8 million people.
Despite the collapse of the negotiations, President Mahmoud Abbas held talks in Qatar with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, official Palestinian and Gulf news agencies said.
Also present were Azzam al-Ahmad, who led the Palestinian delegation at truce talks in Cairo, senior negotiator Saeb Erekat and Palestinian intelligence chief Majid Faraj.
Arms embargo?
Israeli confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has steadily declined during the war, but his 53 percent approval rating is still higher than before the conflict, according to a survey for the private Channel 2 television.
British aid charity Oxfam, meanwhile, urged the international community to "immediately suspend transfers of arms or ammunition while there is serious risk that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law".
It said the widespread killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure during the Israeli operation was the worst it had witnessed in 20 years of working in Gaza.
Britain, France and Germany have launched a fresh bid at the UN to end six weeks of violence in Gaza, after Israeli warplanes killed three top Hamas commanders, inflicting a heavy blow on the movement's armed wing.
The European initiative on Thursday came as fighting flared on the ground and an Egyptian-led effort to broker peace talks teetered on the verge of collapse.
In a document obtained by AFP, the three countries urged an immediate and sustainable ceasefire that would put an end to the firing of rockets and military operations in the Gaza Strip.
It calls for a lifting of the Israeli blockade and a monitoring mechanism to report on ceasefire violations and verify the flow of goods into the Gaza Strip.
Diplomats said the text was aimed at advancing efforts to reach agreement within the 15-member UN Security Council on a resolution after Jordan's draft text met with resistance, notably from the United States.
The so-called "elements" document lays out the parameters for a ceasefire deal that would address Israel's security concerns and meet Palestinian demands.
It asks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to immediately come up with proposals to "implement the relevant provisions" in a move that could jump-start peace negotiations.
Bid to shore up Egypt's mediation
UN diplomats said they hoped the initiative would shore up the Egyptian-led peace track and lead to a lasting ceasefire that would avoid a relapse into war.
More than 2,083 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict that began on July 8, most of them civilians, according to UN officials.
The European-drafted document calls for the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, which has been under Hamas control for the past seven years.
It provides for the lifting of economic and humanitarian restrictions on the Gaza Strip to allow for a massive reconstruction effort, and for the re-opening of border crossings.
An international monitoring and verification mission would be established with a mandate to report on ceasefire violations and check the flow of goods into Gaza -- a key point missing from the Jordanian draft resolution.
Ban has pledged international help to rebuild Gaza but warned that this would be "for the last time" after three wars in six years.
As the six-week war between Israel and Hamas raged on leaving truce talks in tatters, a pre-dawn air strike Thursday killed three members of the movement's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.
"The assassination... is a big Israeli crime, which will not succeed in breaking our will or weakening our resistance," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency said Muhammad Abu Shammala and Raed al-Attar were among the top five most-wanted Hamas militants.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon hailed their deaths as "a big operational and intelligence achievement", and warned that Israel would not hesitate to track down the rest of the group's leaders.
Witnesses said nine missiles blasted the four-story building in Rafah to smithereens, leaving a huge crater.
Four surrounding buildings had their doors and windows blown out and some outer walls destroyed.
The body of Sabah Yunis, a four-year-old girl, was also pulled from the rubble, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.
Abbas meets Mashaal
The deadly strikes came 36 hours after Israel tried and failed to assassinate Brigades chief Mohammed Deif, who has topped its most wanted list for more than a decade.
That attack leveled a six-story building in Gaza City, killing two women and three children, among them Deif's wife, his infant son and three-year-old daughter, although he escaped unharmed.
The UN has identified about 70 percent of them as civilians.
On the Israeli side, 67 people have been killed, 64 of them soldiers.
UN aid workers stepped up calls for an urgent ceasefire, warning that spiralling violence endangered their ability to respond to the needs of Gaza's 1.8 million people.
Despite the collapse of the negotiations, President Mahmoud Abbas held talks in Qatar with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, official Palestinian and Gulf news agencies said.
Also present were Azzam al-Ahmad, who led the Palestinian delegation at truce talks in Cairo, senior negotiator Saeb Erekat and Palestinian intelligence chief Majid Faraj.
Arms embargo?
Israeli confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has steadily declined during the war, but his 53 percent approval rating is still higher than before the conflict, according to a survey for the private Channel 2 television.
British aid charity Oxfam, meanwhile, urged the international community to "immediately suspend transfers of arms or ammunition while there is serious risk that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law".
It said the widespread killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure during the Israeli operation was the worst it had witnessed in 20 years of working in Gaza.
Essam Younis, the director of the Al Mizan Center for Human Rights
Lawyer Essam Younis, director of the Al Mizan Center for Human Rights in Gaza, says that bombing civilians living in a highly residential area without any warning is a massive crime. Younis' parents were recently killed after Israeli warplanes bombed several houses in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
"No silence any more," declared Essam, according to Al Ray.
"The world is still silent toward those crimes, so Palestinians should continue their human rights struggle, and hurry the signing of Rome statute and joining the international courts, to hold the occupation accountable."
He explained that the Palestinian demands are legitimate, lawful and guaranteed by the international law saying: "Palestinians did not demand but lifting the siege."
At least, seven Palestinians were killed and 25 injured following another civilian assault by Israeli warplanes which bombed five houses with incredibly destructive missiles in Rafah.
Palestinians have been demanding an end to the Israeli blockade, the release of re-arrested prisoners, the reconstruction of Gaza, the building of a sea and air port, the removal of the buffer zone, and the widening of the fishing zone.
These demands are legitimate by the Oslo Accords, which were signed by Israel but never fully honored, especially following a 2006 election victory by the Hamas party, which the regime continues to brand as a terrorist organization.
OVer 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,000 others injured since Israeli military attacks on Gaza began again in early July.
See also: PCHR Calls Upon Palestine to Immediately Accede to the Rome Statute
Lawyer Essam Younis, director of the Al Mizan Center for Human Rights in Gaza, says that bombing civilians living in a highly residential area without any warning is a massive crime. Younis' parents were recently killed after Israeli warplanes bombed several houses in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
"No silence any more," declared Essam, according to Al Ray.
"The world is still silent toward those crimes, so Palestinians should continue their human rights struggle, and hurry the signing of Rome statute and joining the international courts, to hold the occupation accountable."
He explained that the Palestinian demands are legitimate, lawful and guaranteed by the international law saying: "Palestinians did not demand but lifting the siege."
At least, seven Palestinians were killed and 25 injured following another civilian assault by Israeli warplanes which bombed five houses with incredibly destructive missiles in Rafah.
Palestinians have been demanding an end to the Israeli blockade, the release of re-arrested prisoners, the reconstruction of Gaza, the building of a sea and air port, the removal of the buffer zone, and the widening of the fishing zone.
These demands are legitimate by the Oslo Accords, which were signed by Israel but never fully honored, especially following a 2006 election victory by the Hamas party, which the regime continues to brand as a terrorist organization.
OVer 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,000 others injured since Israeli military attacks on Gaza began again in early July.
See also: PCHR Calls Upon Palestine to Immediately Accede to the Rome Statute
21 aug 2014
Ahmad Abu Raida was only 16 when Israeli soldiers repeatedly used him as a human shield for five days in Khuza'a, southern Gaza.
Israeli soldiers repeatedly used Ahmad Abu Raida, 17, as a human shield for five days while he was held hostage during Israel’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Ahmad, from Khuza'a, near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, was just 16 years old when he was taken from his family on July 23. He was forced at gunpoint to search for tunnels for five days, during which time he was interrogated, verbally and physically abused, and deprived of food and sleep. Ahmad told DCI-Palestine in a sworn testimony that Israeli soldiers attempted both to extract information from him regarding Hamas members, and recruit him as an informant, before releasing him on July 27.
"The Israeli military has consistently accused Hamas of using civilians - particularly children - as human shields, but this incident represents a clear case of their soldiers forcing a child to directly assist in military operations," said Rifat Kassis, executive director of DCI-Palestine. "Israeli officials make generalized accusations while Israeli soldiers engage in conduct that amounts to war crimes."
Ahmad’s ordeal began on July 21, when Israeli tanks entered Khuza'a, a town where Israeli forces allegedly committed war crimes during the the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. After two days of hiding at home, Ahmad’s family and neighbors attempted to flee intense artillery fire. As they tried to leave, however, Israeli soldiers assembled civilians, separating young men from others.
Ahmad was singled out, detained with his hands tied behind his back, and kicked and insulted by a soldier. His family was released, but lost sight of him as they fled the area.
In the days that followed, despite not being associated with Hamas, Ahmad was interrogated about his political affiliation and the location of Hamas tunnels. He managed to sleep for just two hours on the first night, sitting in a chair with his hands tied behind him. Every day he was made to search for tunnels, including at one point digging under the afternoon sun.
Speaking to DCI-Palestine, Ahmad said, "[The Captain and the soldiers] were walking behind me, with their rifles pointed at me. "Get in and see if there are tunnels or not," [the Captain] ordered me. They made me search all the rooms for tunnels. Whenever I told them there were no tunnels, they would take me out and search the room themselves."
Ahmad details an almost constant stream of abuse and threats during his detention, including kicks and punches, whips with a wire, and threats of a sexual nature. When he was left alone in a civilian house for a period, he found some note paper and wrote a secret letter to his family, believing that he would be killed. On Sunday, July 27, he was finally released. Ahmad's father confirmed that, for five days, the family believed that he was dead.
Israeli soldiers repeatedly used Ahmad Abu Raida, 17, as a human shield for five days while he was held hostage during Israel’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Ahmad, from Khuza'a, near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, was just 16 years old when he was taken from his family on July 23. He was forced at gunpoint to search for tunnels for five days, during which time he was interrogated, verbally and physically abused, and deprived of food and sleep. Ahmad told DCI-Palestine in a sworn testimony that Israeli soldiers attempted both to extract information from him regarding Hamas members, and recruit him as an informant, before releasing him on July 27.
"The Israeli military has consistently accused Hamas of using civilians - particularly children - as human shields, but this incident represents a clear case of their soldiers forcing a child to directly assist in military operations," said Rifat Kassis, executive director of DCI-Palestine. "Israeli officials make generalized accusations while Israeli soldiers engage in conduct that amounts to war crimes."
Ahmad’s ordeal began on July 21, when Israeli tanks entered Khuza'a, a town where Israeli forces allegedly committed war crimes during the the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. After two days of hiding at home, Ahmad’s family and neighbors attempted to flee intense artillery fire. As they tried to leave, however, Israeli soldiers assembled civilians, separating young men from others.
Ahmad was singled out, detained with his hands tied behind his back, and kicked and insulted by a soldier. His family was released, but lost sight of him as they fled the area.
In the days that followed, despite not being associated with Hamas, Ahmad was interrogated about his political affiliation and the location of Hamas tunnels. He managed to sleep for just two hours on the first night, sitting in a chair with his hands tied behind him. Every day he was made to search for tunnels, including at one point digging under the afternoon sun.
Speaking to DCI-Palestine, Ahmad said, "[The Captain and the soldiers] were walking behind me, with their rifles pointed at me. "Get in and see if there are tunnels or not," [the Captain] ordered me. They made me search all the rooms for tunnels. Whenever I told them there were no tunnels, they would take me out and search the room themselves."
Ahmad details an almost constant stream of abuse and threats during his detention, including kicks and punches, whips with a wire, and threats of a sexual nature. When he was left alone in a civilian house for a period, he found some note paper and wrote a secret letter to his family, believing that he would be killed. On Sunday, July 27, he was finally released. Ahmad's father confirmed that, for five days, the family believed that he was dead.
Ahmad Abu Raida found a notepad and a pen in one of the homes he was forced to search by Israeli soldiers. Worried he'd never see his family again, he wrote the following: "I spent Friday, July 25, with Israel occupation soldiers who locked me in this room. I do not know whether I am going to live or they are going to kill me. I do not know anything about what might happen next to me. I am writing this letter hoping someone would find it and inform my family about it. In case I die or get arrested, please send my greetings to my family. Ahmad Jamal Abu Raida."
The use of civilians as human shields, which involves forcing civilians to directly assist in military operations or using them to shield a military object or troops from attack, is prohibited under international law.
The practice is also prohibited under Israeli law based on a 2005 ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice.
Israel has repeatedly blamed the high civilian death toll in Gaza on Hamas, accusing them of using civilians as human shields. Human rights groups and journalist have found no evidence to support the claim. The mere presence of Palestinian armed group members among the civilian population does not rise to the standard under international law.
During the six-week long bombardment of the Gaza Strip, over 2,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians and including more than 460 children, have lost their lives. On the Israeli side, 67 people have died, of whom 64 were soldiers.
The high Palestinian death toll has provoked outrage among the international community, with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemning the loss of Palestinian lives. Despite this, however, international attempts to broker a sustained ceasefire and reach a solution through negotiations in Egypt have failed. Violence returned to Gaza on Wednesday as Palestinian groups renewed rocket fire, and Israel retaliated with over 60 airstrikes.
Ahmad, like all Gazans, is living in a state of instability and violence once again. Remembering his ordeal, he said, "I lived through fear, terror, ate disgusting food, could not sleep normally, was not treated like a human being, was shot at, ordered to walk in front of the soldiers, forced to search for tunnels and dig in a well at noon, not to mention being insulted, humiliated and interrogated every day."
The use of civilians as human shields, which involves forcing civilians to directly assist in military operations or using them to shield a military object or troops from attack, is prohibited under international law.
The practice is also prohibited under Israeli law based on a 2005 ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice.
Israel has repeatedly blamed the high civilian death toll in Gaza on Hamas, accusing them of using civilians as human shields. Human rights groups and journalist have found no evidence to support the claim. The mere presence of Palestinian armed group members among the civilian population does not rise to the standard under international law.
During the six-week long bombardment of the Gaza Strip, over 2,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians and including more than 460 children, have lost their lives. On the Israeli side, 67 people have died, of whom 64 were soldiers.
The high Palestinian death toll has provoked outrage among the international community, with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemning the loss of Palestinian lives. Despite this, however, international attempts to broker a sustained ceasefire and reach a solution through negotiations in Egypt have failed. Violence returned to Gaza on Wednesday as Palestinian groups renewed rocket fire, and Israel retaliated with over 60 airstrikes.
Ahmad, like all Gazans, is living in a state of instability and violence once again. Remembering his ordeal, he said, "I lived through fear, terror, ate disgusting food, could not sleep normally, was not treated like a human being, was shot at, ordered to walk in front of the soldiers, forced to search for tunnels and dig in a well at noon, not to mention being insulted, humiliated and interrogated every day."
20 aug 2014
The Israeli government declared its intention to ask the UN Security Council to issue a resolution for an immediate ceasefire similarly to the 1701 resolution that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah in July 2006, the Israeli army radio said. The broadcast added that it would be difficult for the Israeli negotiation delegation to return to Cairo.
Israeli warplanes bombed on Tuesday evening different targets in Gaza Strip in a new violation of the 24-hour truce while resistance factions responded by bombing Israeli targets.
On the other hand, the Israeli army called up 2000 reserve soldiers to the borders of Gaza only few hours after resuming airstrikes on the Strip.
About 2,000 reserve soldiers, who had been sent home two weeks ago when fighting seemed to have simmered down, were called up for duty again Wednesday, the army radio said.
82 thousand reserve soldiers participated in the ongoing aggression on Gaza before the start of negotiation rounds, of which 27 thousand troops were sent home.
Israeli warplanes bombed on Tuesday evening different targets in Gaza Strip in a new violation of the 24-hour truce while resistance factions responded by bombing Israeli targets.
On the other hand, the Israeli army called up 2000 reserve soldiers to the borders of Gaza only few hours after resuming airstrikes on the Strip.
About 2,000 reserve soldiers, who had been sent home two weeks ago when fighting seemed to have simmered down, were called up for duty again Wednesday, the army radio said.
82 thousand reserve soldiers participated in the ongoing aggression on Gaza before the start of negotiation rounds, of which 27 thousand troops were sent home.
A Palestinian human rights organization has called for the launch of an investigation into Israel’s potential usage of chemical weapons during its military campaign in besieged Gaza. Al-Damir Association for Human Rights said in a press statement on Wednesday: “Ever since Israel has initiated its aggression on Gaza, Palestinians and professional authorities, particularly medics, had mounting suspicions that Israel might have fired mortars and rockets that released gases similar to the ones discharged by burned trash. Israel has also used fighter drones to spray such chemical gases.”
Palestinian citizens, especially at the border areas, near to the seacoast, have been inhaling such toxic smells overnight, leading to breathing difficulties and eye and throat irritations, among many other health disorders, the report pointed out.
Medics have had mounting suspicions that Israel unleashed deadly weapons which have cut the bodies of Gaza civilians into shreds, leaving no shrapnel traces over the casualties’ bodies.
In light of such violations, Gaza medics strongly believe that the Israeli occupation has been using DTMEK-based mortars and rockets that caused several limb amputations among Palestinian civilians.
The human rights organization raised alarm bells over the repercussions of such potential Israeli violations, dubbing them “flagrant breaches of international laws.”
Al-Damir called on the International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to immediately step in so as to investigate Israel’s potential use of chemical weapons and the aftermaths of such crimes on the Palestinian citizen and environment.
Palestinian citizens, especially at the border areas, near to the seacoast, have been inhaling such toxic smells overnight, leading to breathing difficulties and eye and throat irritations, among many other health disorders, the report pointed out.
Medics have had mounting suspicions that Israel unleashed deadly weapons which have cut the bodies of Gaza civilians into shreds, leaving no shrapnel traces over the casualties’ bodies.
In light of such violations, Gaza medics strongly believe that the Israeli occupation has been using DTMEK-based mortars and rockets that caused several limb amputations among Palestinian civilians.
The human rights organization raised alarm bells over the repercussions of such potential Israeli violations, dubbing them “flagrant breaches of international laws.”
Al-Damir called on the International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to immediately step in so as to investigate Israel’s potential use of chemical weapons and the aftermaths of such crimes on the Palestinian citizen and environment.
An Israeli cabinet minister on Wednesday justified an airstrike on Gaza that killed the wife and child of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, saying he was a legitimate target.
"Mohammed Deif deserves to die just like (the late al-Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden. He is an arch murderer and as long as we have an opportunity we will try to kill him," Interior Minister Gideon Saar told army radio.
It was not immediately clear whether Deif had been killed or injured in the strike, which leveled a six-story house in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood late on Tuesday.
Emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra initially said three people were killed in the strike, among them an unidentified man, but later revised the toll down to two. He did not explain why.
Among the dead were Deif's second wife, Widad, 27, and his seven-month-old son Ali. Rescue workers on Wednesday pulled the bodies of a 48-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy from the rubble, Qudra said.
Witnesses said at least three rockets were fired at the building, home to the al-Dalou family, pulverizing it into a pile of dust, debris and twisted metal and leaving a huge crater in the ground where the building once stood.
Appointed head of Hamas' armed wing in 2002 after his predecessor Salah Shehade was assassinated when Israel dropped a one-ton bomb on his house, Deif has already escaped five previous assassination attempts by Israel.
The Israelis see him as "the brains" behind the campaign of suicide bombings that targeted buses and public places during the Second Intifada (2000-2005) and consider him personally responsible for the deaths of dozens of civilians.
"Mohammed Deif deserves to die just like (the late al-Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden. He is an arch murderer and as long as we have an opportunity we will try to kill him," Interior Minister Gideon Saar told army radio.
It was not immediately clear whether Deif had been killed or injured in the strike, which leveled a six-story house in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood late on Tuesday.
Emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra initially said three people were killed in the strike, among them an unidentified man, but later revised the toll down to two. He did not explain why.
Among the dead were Deif's second wife, Widad, 27, and his seven-month-old son Ali. Rescue workers on Wednesday pulled the bodies of a 48-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy from the rubble, Qudra said.
Witnesses said at least three rockets were fired at the building, home to the al-Dalou family, pulverizing it into a pile of dust, debris and twisted metal and leaving a huge crater in the ground where the building once stood.
Appointed head of Hamas' armed wing in 2002 after his predecessor Salah Shehade was assassinated when Israel dropped a one-ton bomb on his house, Deif has already escaped five previous assassination attempts by Israel.
The Israelis see him as "the brains" behind the campaign of suicide bombings that targeted buses and public places during the Second Intifada (2000-2005) and consider him personally responsible for the deaths of dozens of civilians.
19 aug 2014
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the Israeli and Egyptian authorities obstruct their efforts to investigate allegations of war crimes and human rights violations in the Gaza Strip. Representatives from the two organizations have failed to get official permissions to enter Gaza from Israel and Egypt since the early days of the military aggression, while the former blatantly denies that its army has committed violations in Gaza and still rejects any UN probe in this regard.
Senior Amnesty official Deborah Hyams said that despite all obstacles, its group and Watch are doing their best to document what has happened during Israel's military attacks on Gaza.
Senior Amnesty official Deborah Hyams said that despite all obstacles, its group and Watch are doing their best to document what has happened during Israel's military attacks on Gaza.
The 24-year-old Mahmoud Abu Rock was asleep in his house in Khuzaa town east of Khan Younis when shrapnel of an Israeli flechette shell hit him over a month ago. During an interview with the PIC reporter, Abu Rock has brought a dart with a length of 37.5 mm saying that it was fired by Israeli forces on July 17 and caused him serious injuries.
He added that flechette shells were fired on that day in order to force the residents to leave their homes before storming the town. Dozens of casualties were reported while large numbers of homes were destroyed.
The flechette shell is an Israeli weapon used during the last aggression on Gaza against civilians in total violation of international laws and conventions.
Military experts said that the flechette shell is an anti-personnel weapon that is generally fired from a tank.
The shell explodes in the air and releases thousands of metal darts 37.5mm in length, which disperse in a conical arch 300 meters long and about 90 meters wide.
Um Mohamed said, in her turn, that her husband was injured in a similar attack by a flechette shell.
The citizen Nahla Khalil Najjar, 37, has also suffered injuries to her chest in the flechette shelling at her home. “It contains tiny and potentially lethal metal darts, aiming to cause the largest number of casualties,” she explained.
Flechette shells were fired at very crowded civilian communities in Gaza Strip in flagrant violation of international laws that prohibit its use in residential areas.
Israeli forces have used flechette shells in previous wars against civilians, causing dozens of martyrs and injured people.
He added that flechette shells were fired on that day in order to force the residents to leave their homes before storming the town. Dozens of casualties were reported while large numbers of homes were destroyed.
The flechette shell is an Israeli weapon used during the last aggression on Gaza against civilians in total violation of international laws and conventions.
Military experts said that the flechette shell is an anti-personnel weapon that is generally fired from a tank.
The shell explodes in the air and releases thousands of metal darts 37.5mm in length, which disperse in a conical arch 300 meters long and about 90 meters wide.
Um Mohamed said, in her turn, that her husband was injured in a similar attack by a flechette shell.
The citizen Nahla Khalil Najjar, 37, has also suffered injuries to her chest in the flechette shelling at her home. “It contains tiny and potentially lethal metal darts, aiming to cause the largest number of casualties,” she explained.
Flechette shells were fired at very crowded civilian communities in Gaza Strip in flagrant violation of international laws that prohibit its use in residential areas.
Israeli forces have used flechette shells in previous wars against civilians, causing dozens of martyrs and injured people.
Palestinian jurists and politicians called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to be decisive with its declared intention to join the international criminal court. This came during a workshop organized on Monday by the Palestinian center for policy research and strategic studies in el-Bireh city.
Several speakers during the meeting called on the PA not to procrastinate its recent decision to join the criminal court, and stressed the need for a popular pressure on the Palestinian leadership in this regard.
The speakers unanimously agreed that joining this international tribunal would act as a deterrent that would prevent Israel from committing further crimes and violations against the Palestinian people in the future.
They expressed their belief that the negative political effects of taking such step would be much less than its advantages and benefits, and could be minimized and overcome with time.
Several speakers during the meeting called on the PA not to procrastinate its recent decision to join the criminal court, and stressed the need for a popular pressure on the Palestinian leadership in this regard.
The speakers unanimously agreed that joining this international tribunal would act as a deterrent that would prevent Israel from committing further crimes and violations against the Palestinian people in the future.
They expressed their belief that the negative political effects of taking such step would be much less than its advantages and benefits, and could be minimized and overcome with time.
