31 jan 2015
The government committee to break the siege on Gaza described UN Middle East envoy Robert Serry's remarks about UNRWA’s decision to stop its financial aid as political statements par excellence.
Serry’s statements came in total violation of the UN institution’s humanitarian role, the committee said.
Earlier, Serry said that donor countries refused to transfer the funds for the reconstruction due to the absence of a government in Gaza.
Such political statements come in violation of the UN institutions’ humanitarian role in occupied territories and confirm Serry’s Gaza reconstruction mechanism's failure.
The government committee said that there is only one government in Gaza Strip. “There are no obstacles in the unity government’s performance in this matter.”
The Palestinian minister for Public Works and Housing is managing the construction file from the Strip itself, the statement continued.
The committee pointed out that Serry’s plan was refused by all Palestinian segments, factions, and human rights institutions.
Serry’s plan for the reconstruction of Gaza provides legitimacy to the Israeli siege, the committee’s statement concluded.
Serry’s statements came in total violation of the UN institution’s humanitarian role, the committee said.
Earlier, Serry said that donor countries refused to transfer the funds for the reconstruction due to the absence of a government in Gaza.
Such political statements come in violation of the UN institutions’ humanitarian role in occupied territories and confirm Serry’s Gaza reconstruction mechanism's failure.
The government committee said that there is only one government in Gaza Strip. “There are no obstacles in the unity government’s performance in this matter.”
The Palestinian minister for Public Works and Housing is managing the construction file from the Strip itself, the statement continued.
The committee pointed out that Serry’s plan was refused by all Palestinian segments, factions, and human rights institutions.
Serry’s plan for the reconstruction of Gaza provides legitimacy to the Israeli siege, the committee’s statement concluded.
Hundreds of Palestinians, whose homes were destroyed in the Israeli summer 2014 aggression on Gaza, hit the streets in northern Gaza Strip on Friday protesting the UN decision to stop paying them rent subsidies.
Participants, who marched in the streets of Beit Hanun town to the north of Gaza Strip in a demonstration organized by Hamas, hoisted placards asking UNRWA to shoulder its responsibility in helping them and in reconstructing their homes.
Mohammed Kafarne, the mayor of Beit Hanun, addressed the marchers warning of an imminent explosion in Gaza due to the delay in reconstructing the destroyed houses.
He described UNRWA’s decision to stop paying rent subsidies as “collusion” in tightening the siege on the beleaguered enclave.
Kafarne urged the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to expedite the reconstruction of destroyed houses in Gaza and to alleviate their owners’ suffering.
UNRWA announced last Tuesday that it would halt paying subsidies because it did not receive the required funds.
Around 100,000 Palestinians were displaced in the wake of the Israeli war on Gaza last summer, most of whom live with relatives or rent houses while 15,000 are sheltered in UNRWA schools, according to UN estimates.
The 51-day Israeli war on Gaza killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and wounded more than 11,000 others while around 29,000 houses were destroyed either totally or partially.
Participants, who marched in the streets of Beit Hanun town to the north of Gaza Strip in a demonstration organized by Hamas, hoisted placards asking UNRWA to shoulder its responsibility in helping them and in reconstructing their homes.
Mohammed Kafarne, the mayor of Beit Hanun, addressed the marchers warning of an imminent explosion in Gaza due to the delay in reconstructing the destroyed houses.
He described UNRWA’s decision to stop paying rent subsidies as “collusion” in tightening the siege on the beleaguered enclave.
Kafarne urged the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to expedite the reconstruction of destroyed houses in Gaza and to alleviate their owners’ suffering.
UNRWA announced last Tuesday that it would halt paying subsidies because it did not receive the required funds.
Around 100,000 Palestinians were displaced in the wake of the Israeli war on Gaza last summer, most of whom live with relatives or rent houses while 15,000 are sheltered in UNRWA schools, according to UN estimates.
The 51-day Israeli war on Gaza killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and wounded more than 11,000 others while around 29,000 houses were destroyed either totally or partially.
Israeli navy ships opened fire, on Saturday at dawn, on a number of Palestinian fishing boats near the Sudaniyya shore, northwest of Gaza city.
Eyewitnesses said one of the navy ships chased the fishing boats while firing rounds of live ammunition, forcing the fishers back to the shore.
The boats were within the six nautical miles allotted for the Palestinians for fishing.
On Thursday morning, navy ships attacked a number of Palestinian fishing boats, also in the Sudaniyya Sea, opened fire on them and forced them back to the shore.
On Wednesday morning, soldiers stationed across the border fence with the Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fields east of Khan Younis.
On Monday evening, the navy opened fire on a fishing boat, in Palestinian waters west of Gaza city, causing it to sink, and kidnapped four fishermen.
The Israeli navy targets Palestinian fishing boats on almost a daily basis, in clear breach of the Egyptian-brokered truce agreement reached on August 26 of last year.
The agreement includes allowing Palestinian fishermen to sail within 6 nautical miles in the Gaza Sea, with an incremental expansion in the allotted area. Under the Olso accords, the Palestinians are allowed to fish and sail within 20 nautical miles, but Israeli kept attacking them, and repeatedly unilaterally reduced the miles to 3, then to six.
Eyewitnesses said one of the navy ships chased the fishing boats while firing rounds of live ammunition, forcing the fishers back to the shore.
The boats were within the six nautical miles allotted for the Palestinians for fishing.
On Thursday morning, navy ships attacked a number of Palestinian fishing boats, also in the Sudaniyya Sea, opened fire on them and forced them back to the shore.
On Wednesday morning, soldiers stationed across the border fence with the Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fields east of Khan Younis.
On Monday evening, the navy opened fire on a fishing boat, in Palestinian waters west of Gaza city, causing it to sink, and kidnapped four fishermen.
The Israeli navy targets Palestinian fishing boats on almost a daily basis, in clear breach of the Egyptian-brokered truce agreement reached on August 26 of last year.
The agreement includes allowing Palestinian fishermen to sail within 6 nautical miles in the Gaza Sea, with an incremental expansion in the allotted area. Under the Olso accords, the Palestinians are allowed to fish and sail within 20 nautical miles, but Israeli kept attacking them, and repeatedly unilaterally reduced the miles to 3, then to six.
30 jan 2015
A Wounded Palestinian Child In Gaza
Making up about half of both Gaza and the West Bank's population, children are the life force that keep Palestine alive and hopeful. During this summer's war, over 500 of these children were murdered. Babies were killed, toddlers were killed, teenagers were killed.
They were innocent and when innocent blood is spilled, I believe it is a declaration of war on all of humanity. See, when a powerful Western-backed military starts raining missiles on a heavily populated strip of land, people die.
Civilians die, militants die, adults die but most tragically of all, children die. In what way can that be justified?
"Israel has the right to defend itself." At what cost?
Anyone paying attention to Palestinian news will see the trend of severe child abuse from Israeli forces. It is obvious that the reasoning behind kidnapping and detaining Palestinian children has much to do with breaking them.
Breaking their spirits, breaking their families’ spirits, and in turn, breaking the Palestinian spirit.
The Defense for Children International has described the year 2014 as the most difficult year for Palestinian children and it comes as no surprise. An average of 500 - 700 Palestinian children are arrested, detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military detention system each year.
These children are kidnapped in the dead of night for absolutely no reason; they are detained, not allowed to see their families.
Threatened, beaten, grossly abused. They are held for days on end without seeing a judge or being formally charged with a crime. In no other country but Israel are children tried as adults in military court.
Just as the UN report from 2013 on this subject says, the abuse of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons is "widespread, systematic, and institutionalized."
Since September 29, 2000, close to 3,000 Palestinian children have been killed. One minute, they are outside playing or walking home from school. The next, they are under a settler's car.
Or staring a gun down it's barrel. What I would like to know is why aren't more people outraged? Why isn't the entire world screaming about this? The reports chill me to the bone.
IT is incomprehensible that people can go on with their daily lives after being witness to these heinous crimes.
This situation can only change if people are speaking out about it. People who are aware of the physical and psychological abuse Palestinians face yet continue to be silent about it have blood on their hands.
Being silent is being complacent and that is truly unforgivable.
Israeli Police are not the only cause of this horrific child abuse; settlers are guilty, also. In October 2014, Inas Shawkat Khalil and Toleen Omar Asfour, both 5-years-old, were run over by Israeli settlers; Toleen survived but Inas succumbed to her wounds.
A month before that, a settler ran over 6-year-old Mohammad al-Jabari in Hebron, and in December 2014, a settler ran over 8-year-old Ali Qrei'esh in the West Bank.
As recently as January 23 of 2015, an Israeli settler ran over 5-year-old Nabeel Hasan Drobi.
Lately these occurrences take place on a monthly basis, like clockwork.
In July of 2014, 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir was murdered by Israeli settlers; preliminary results from the autopsy suggested that he was beaten and burned while still alive.
These are just a few of the many instances where young Palestinians are singled out by Israeli settlers.
In Gaza, children are freezing to death. Families are living in graveyards, have no electricity and no heat as well as basically no help from the international community.
Israel will not let construction supplies into Gaza to rebuild, knowing hundreds of thousands of people will suffer because of it.
The government is well aware that many children will not survive such awful conditions.
The Israeli government and military do not see Palestinian children as humans. They do not see any Palestinian person as human, only as scum. Potential terrorists.
Children will no doubt grow up to be terrorists or work for Hamas.
To the Israeli public, the hearts of Palestinian children are where Israel's destruction begins. To Palestinians, the children are the reason for hope.
Hope for a future to be different from the nightmare of the present. Hope for the return to the homes they were expelled from so many decades ago.
There is this cancerous indifference that has spread throughout the world and it is destructive to the Palestinian plight. It is this indifference that keeps generation after generation of Palestinians from seeing the lives they all deserve. Lives full of opportunity and freedom.
Lives without the fear of being shot dead in the street just because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time; without fear of your home being demolished or being hit by a mortar shell.
It is a life all people deserve to live. A life full of happiness and simple joy; a life where children get to stay children for just a bit longer.
Israel continues its abuse on Palestinian children in hopes of quelling the resistance but after 70 years, it is obvious that the resistance will never die out. With each injustice, it grows stronger.
----
Erynn Baker is the personal assistant of the North American Spokesperson and Media Liaison for IMEMC.
She has been advocating for the rights of Palestinians in the oPt and abroad since she was 16 years old. You can find her @erynnbak on Twitter or her blog thejacobcrisis.wordpress.com.
Making up about half of both Gaza and the West Bank's population, children are the life force that keep Palestine alive and hopeful. During this summer's war, over 500 of these children were murdered. Babies were killed, toddlers were killed, teenagers were killed.
They were innocent and when innocent blood is spilled, I believe it is a declaration of war on all of humanity. See, when a powerful Western-backed military starts raining missiles on a heavily populated strip of land, people die.
Civilians die, militants die, adults die but most tragically of all, children die. In what way can that be justified?
"Israel has the right to defend itself." At what cost?
Anyone paying attention to Palestinian news will see the trend of severe child abuse from Israeli forces. It is obvious that the reasoning behind kidnapping and detaining Palestinian children has much to do with breaking them.
Breaking their spirits, breaking their families’ spirits, and in turn, breaking the Palestinian spirit.
The Defense for Children International has described the year 2014 as the most difficult year for Palestinian children and it comes as no surprise. An average of 500 - 700 Palestinian children are arrested, detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military detention system each year.
These children are kidnapped in the dead of night for absolutely no reason; they are detained, not allowed to see their families.
Threatened, beaten, grossly abused. They are held for days on end without seeing a judge or being formally charged with a crime. In no other country but Israel are children tried as adults in military court.
Just as the UN report from 2013 on this subject says, the abuse of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons is "widespread, systematic, and institutionalized."
Since September 29, 2000, close to 3,000 Palestinian children have been killed. One minute, they are outside playing or walking home from school. The next, they are under a settler's car.
Or staring a gun down it's barrel. What I would like to know is why aren't more people outraged? Why isn't the entire world screaming about this? The reports chill me to the bone.
IT is incomprehensible that people can go on with their daily lives after being witness to these heinous crimes.
This situation can only change if people are speaking out about it. People who are aware of the physical and psychological abuse Palestinians face yet continue to be silent about it have blood on their hands.
Being silent is being complacent and that is truly unforgivable.
Israeli Police are not the only cause of this horrific child abuse; settlers are guilty, also. In October 2014, Inas Shawkat Khalil and Toleen Omar Asfour, both 5-years-old, were run over by Israeli settlers; Toleen survived but Inas succumbed to her wounds.
A month before that, a settler ran over 6-year-old Mohammad al-Jabari in Hebron, and in December 2014, a settler ran over 8-year-old Ali Qrei'esh in the West Bank.
As recently as January 23 of 2015, an Israeli settler ran over 5-year-old Nabeel Hasan Drobi.
Lately these occurrences take place on a monthly basis, like clockwork.
In July of 2014, 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir was murdered by Israeli settlers; preliminary results from the autopsy suggested that he was beaten and burned while still alive.
These are just a few of the many instances where young Palestinians are singled out by Israeli settlers.
In Gaza, children are freezing to death. Families are living in graveyards, have no electricity and no heat as well as basically no help from the international community.
Israel will not let construction supplies into Gaza to rebuild, knowing hundreds of thousands of people will suffer because of it.
The government is well aware that many children will not survive such awful conditions.
The Israeli government and military do not see Palestinian children as humans. They do not see any Palestinian person as human, only as scum. Potential terrorists.
Children will no doubt grow up to be terrorists or work for Hamas.
To the Israeli public, the hearts of Palestinian children are where Israel's destruction begins. To Palestinians, the children are the reason for hope.
Hope for a future to be different from the nightmare of the present. Hope for the return to the homes they were expelled from so many decades ago.
There is this cancerous indifference that has spread throughout the world and it is destructive to the Palestinian plight. It is this indifference that keeps generation after generation of Palestinians from seeing the lives they all deserve. Lives full of opportunity and freedom.
Lives without the fear of being shot dead in the street just because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time; without fear of your home being demolished or being hit by a mortar shell.
It is a life all people deserve to live. A life full of happiness and simple joy; a life where children get to stay children for just a bit longer.
Israel continues its abuse on Palestinian children in hopes of quelling the resistance but after 70 years, it is obvious that the resistance will never die out. With each injustice, it grows stronger.
----
Erynn Baker is the personal assistant of the North American Spokesperson and Media Liaison for IMEMC.
She has been advocating for the rights of Palestinians in the oPt and abroad since she was 16 years old. You can find her @erynnbak on Twitter or her blog thejacobcrisis.wordpress.com.
Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman Thursday criticized premier Benjamin Netanyahu over citing the last military offensive on Gaza as an example of Israel’s power of deterrence.
"Operation Protective Edge in Gaza was the exact opposite example of how to achieve and maintain deterrence against terror organizations," Lieberman said. "This is not deterrence; it is turning a blind eye."
Lieberman also slammed Netanyahu’s decision to contain the Hezbollah attack, saying, "Those who want to contain this situation agree to allow terror organizations to hold onto the on-off switch for the daily lives of the citizens of Israel."
Earlier on Wednesday the Israeli premier threatened to strongly respond to Hezbollah's deadly attack on the Shebaa Farms in the northern borders with Palestine.
Netanyahu further called on Hezbollah to draw lessons from Israel's last devastating war on Gaza.
Later, Netanyahu declared his decision to contain the tension and not to further response to Hezbollah's attack.
"Operation Protective Edge in Gaza was the exact opposite example of how to achieve and maintain deterrence against terror organizations," Lieberman said. "This is not deterrence; it is turning a blind eye."
Lieberman also slammed Netanyahu’s decision to contain the Hezbollah attack, saying, "Those who want to contain this situation agree to allow terror organizations to hold onto the on-off switch for the daily lives of the citizens of Israel."
Earlier on Wednesday the Israeli premier threatened to strongly respond to Hezbollah's deadly attack on the Shebaa Farms in the northern borders with Palestine.
Netanyahu further called on Hezbollah to draw lessons from Israel's last devastating war on Gaza.
Later, Netanyahu declared his decision to contain the tension and not to further response to Hezbollah's attack.
29 jan 2015
Israeli Navy ships attacked, on Thursday morning, a number of Palestinian fishing boats in the Sudaniyya Sea, northwest of Gaza City, opened fire on them and forced them back to the shore.
The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) said the navy fired rounds of live ammunition on the Palestinian boats, although they were within the six nautical miles allotted for the Palestinians for fishing.
WAFA added that the navy fire completely disabled one of the fishing vessels; no injuries or arrests were reported.
The navy frequently attacks the fishermen in Gaza territorial waters, and even while docked on the Gaza shore, in direct violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The attacks include kidnapping the fishers and confiscating their boats, and have in many cases led to casualties, including death.
On Wednesday morning, soldiers stationed across the borders with the Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fields east of Khan Younis.
On Monday evening, the navy opened fire on a fishing boat, in Palestinian waters, west of Gaza city, causing it to sink, and kidnapped four fishermen.
Related Report:
PCHR Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the oPt (15 - 21 January 2015)
The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) said the navy fired rounds of live ammunition on the Palestinian boats, although they were within the six nautical miles allotted for the Palestinians for fishing.
WAFA added that the navy fire completely disabled one of the fishing vessels; no injuries or arrests were reported.
The navy frequently attacks the fishermen in Gaza territorial waters, and even while docked on the Gaza shore, in direct violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The attacks include kidnapping the fishers and confiscating their boats, and have in many cases led to casualties, including death.
On Wednesday morning, soldiers stationed across the borders with the Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fields east of Khan Younis.
On Monday evening, the navy opened fire on a fishing boat, in Palestinian waters, west of Gaza city, causing it to sink, and kidnapped four fishermen.
Related Report:
PCHR Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the oPt (15 - 21 January 2015)
Malaysia-Jerusalem institution has participated on January 24 in the international conference on the reconstruction of Gaza.
The conference was organized under the auspices of the Malaysian former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad with the participation of many political and social figures and experts in Cyberjaya City.
The International Arab Authority for the reconstruction of Gaza has called for the organization of this conference aiming to collect one billion dollars to meet Gaza’s basic needs, most notably infrastructure, water, sanitation, power, agriculture, and telecommunications.
During the conference, Malaysia-Jerusalem institution organized an exhibition highlighting the significant amounts of damage caused by Israeli aggression on Gaza, and Israel’ displacement policy against Jerusalemites.
Head of the institution Mohamed Makram briefed former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad and his wife along with a number of political leaders about the tragic situation of Jerusalemites, stressing the need to support their steadfastness and defense of al-Aqsa Mosque.
Akram pointed to Israel’s systematic targeting of the occupied city of Jerusalem and its schemes to impose a status quo and to spatially and temporally divide al-Aqsa Mosque.
Malaysia-Jerusalem institution has participated in several local and international conferences and activities to shed light on Palestinian people’s suffering in Gaza Strip.
The institution also issued a weekly magazine both in English and Malay to raise awareness about Palestine among the Malaysian people.
The conference was organized under the auspices of the Malaysian former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad with the participation of many political and social figures and experts in Cyberjaya City.
The International Arab Authority for the reconstruction of Gaza has called for the organization of this conference aiming to collect one billion dollars to meet Gaza’s basic needs, most notably infrastructure, water, sanitation, power, agriculture, and telecommunications.
During the conference, Malaysia-Jerusalem institution organized an exhibition highlighting the significant amounts of damage caused by Israeli aggression on Gaza, and Israel’ displacement policy against Jerusalemites.
Head of the institution Mohamed Makram briefed former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad and his wife along with a number of political leaders about the tragic situation of Jerusalemites, stressing the need to support their steadfastness and defense of al-Aqsa Mosque.
Akram pointed to Israel’s systematic targeting of the occupied city of Jerusalem and its schemes to impose a status quo and to spatially and temporally divide al-Aqsa Mosque.
Malaysia-Jerusalem institution has participated in several local and international conferences and activities to shed light on Palestinian people’s suffering in Gaza Strip.
The institution also issued a weekly magazine both in English and Malay to raise awareness about Palestine among the Malaysian people.
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