13 apr 2016
Member of Hamas Movement’s political bureau Ezzat al-Resheq has warned of the serious implications of Israeli settlers’ provocative break-ins into al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Palestinian people will not stand idly towards the Israeli escalated threats and Judaization plans against al-Aqsa Mosque, he underlined in a press statement on Tuesday.
Al-Aqsa is a red line. Our people will never accept the Israeli temporal and spatial division to the compound as it will always remain a pure Islamic property, Resheq stressed.
The senior leader in Hamas called on the Palestinian people to intensify their presence in the holy shrine and to confront Israeli Judaization plans and daily break-ins into the compound.
Resheq also called on local, Arab, and foreign media outlets to expose the criminal reality of Israeli occupation and its escalated violations against Palestinian sit-inners in the Mosque.
The Palestinian people will not stand idly towards the Israeli escalated threats and Judaization plans against al-Aqsa Mosque, he underlined in a press statement on Tuesday.
Al-Aqsa is a red line. Our people will never accept the Israeli temporal and spatial division to the compound as it will always remain a pure Islamic property, Resheq stressed.
The senior leader in Hamas called on the Palestinian people to intensify their presence in the holy shrine and to confront Israeli Judaization plans and daily break-ins into the compound.
Resheq also called on local, Arab, and foreign media outlets to expose the criminal reality of Israeli occupation and its escalated violations against Palestinian sit-inners in the Mosque.
The so-called Temple Institute, an Israeli organization which works to "establish the Third Temple" on the ruins of al-Aqsa Mosque, declared that it secretly held a Jewish wedding in the holy shrine few days ago, Yediot Ahranot Hebrew newspaper revealed Wednesday.
The newspaper quoted Rabbi Chaim Richman, who manages the institute's international activity, as saying that he accepted a request by an Israeli couple who asked him to marry them at the Mosque.
He said all those involved were asked to keep the ceremony a secret, the newspaper added, pointing out that the wedding was held according to the law of Moses and Israel.
The paper described the event as an “unusual event that could reignite violence at the sensitive holy site and elsewhere.”
According to the Hebrew newspaper, Israeli police every week detain and at times also arrest right-wing activists on suspicion of praying or violating the rules in another manner.
The Jewish institute said the wedding ceremony in al-Aqsa Mosque is “a great achievement in light of the Waqf and the police's anti-Jewish discrimination, which rejects any Jewish expression at the holy site."
The institute claims that the moment was documented, but the couple has asked that the video would not be released in full. Instead, the institute posted photos of the married couple's ringed-fingers without exposing their identity.
“The wedding in al-Aqsa Mosque is a unique event in history, since the Temple's destruction 2,000 years ago," the institute claimed in its Facebook page.
The newspaper quoted Rabbi Chaim Richman, who manages the institute's international activity, as saying that he accepted a request by an Israeli couple who asked him to marry them at the Mosque.
He said all those involved were asked to keep the ceremony a secret, the newspaper added, pointing out that the wedding was held according to the law of Moses and Israel.
The paper described the event as an “unusual event that could reignite violence at the sensitive holy site and elsewhere.”
According to the Hebrew newspaper, Israeli police every week detain and at times also arrest right-wing activists on suspicion of praying or violating the rules in another manner.
The Jewish institute said the wedding ceremony in al-Aqsa Mosque is “a great achievement in light of the Waqf and the police's anti-Jewish discrimination, which rejects any Jewish expression at the holy site."
The institute claims that the moment was documented, but the couple has asked that the video would not be released in full. Instead, the institute posted photos of the married couple's ringed-fingers without exposing their identity.
“The wedding in al-Aqsa Mosque is a unique event in history, since the Temple's destruction 2,000 years ago," the institute claimed in its Facebook page.
In an unprecedented achievement, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Advocacy Center (JLAC) managed to revoke an Israeli decision to demolish the home in a Palestinian, who was killed on Monday January 25, 2016, after carrying out a stabbing attack.
The JLAC said it managed to get the Israeli Army general commander to revoke his earlier decision to demolish the family home of Ibrahim Allan, after its lawyer, Raed Nasser Basheer, filed an appeal that includes various detailed field researches, and legal documents, proving that the demolition of homes is an act of collective punishment, in direct violation of basic laws and human rights principles.
Basheer detailed how collective punishment never worked, as the demolitions of homes belonging to families of Palestinian attackers were not a deterrent, but in fact, led to more escalation and vengeance attacks.
“We provided the military judge with all need documents, comparative and scientific studies that convinced him that all of his previous decisions were wrong as he never took the impacted families into consideration.” Basheer said, “This is an unprecedented move that could cause a change in Israel’s home demolition policies as a punishment for families of Palestinians believed to be involved or responsible for attacks against Israel.”
The JLAC said that this was the first decision ever, and carries a great significance on the legal level, adding that Israel recently demolished 27 homes in punitive, collective punishment, rulings against families of Palestinians who attacked Israelis, including soldiers and settlers.
It added that there are 91 outstanding demolition orders, which if implemented, hundreds of Palestinians, including children and elderly, will be rendered homeless, an issue that violates International Law and all related agreements, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention and the protection of civilians.
On Monday, January 25, 2016, Ibrahim Allan and Hussein Abu Ghosh were killed after carrying out a stabbing attack in Beit Horon Israeli colony, built on Palestinian lands, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
A day later, a seriously wounded Israeli woman, identified as Shlomit Krigman, 24, died from her wounds at the Hadassah Israeli medical center, in Jerusalem. Another Israeli woman suffered a moderate wound.
The Israeli military commander issued the demolition order of the Allan family home on February 14, and only granted the family 48 hours to file an appeal.
The family instantly headed to the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Advocacy Center (JLAC), and the center immediately accepted the case, and started a relentless work to overturn the military decision, based on the fact that the demolition order in an act of collective punishment.
The JLAC said it managed to get the Israeli Army general commander to revoke his earlier decision to demolish the family home of Ibrahim Allan, after its lawyer, Raed Nasser Basheer, filed an appeal that includes various detailed field researches, and legal documents, proving that the demolition of homes is an act of collective punishment, in direct violation of basic laws and human rights principles.
Basheer detailed how collective punishment never worked, as the demolitions of homes belonging to families of Palestinian attackers were not a deterrent, but in fact, led to more escalation and vengeance attacks.
“We provided the military judge with all need documents, comparative and scientific studies that convinced him that all of his previous decisions were wrong as he never took the impacted families into consideration.” Basheer said, “This is an unprecedented move that could cause a change in Israel’s home demolition policies as a punishment for families of Palestinians believed to be involved or responsible for attacks against Israel.”
The JLAC said that this was the first decision ever, and carries a great significance on the legal level, adding that Israel recently demolished 27 homes in punitive, collective punishment, rulings against families of Palestinians who attacked Israelis, including soldiers and settlers.
It added that there are 91 outstanding demolition orders, which if implemented, hundreds of Palestinians, including children and elderly, will be rendered homeless, an issue that violates International Law and all related agreements, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention and the protection of civilians.
On Monday, January 25, 2016, Ibrahim Allan and Hussein Abu Ghosh were killed after carrying out a stabbing attack in Beit Horon Israeli colony, built on Palestinian lands, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
A day later, a seriously wounded Israeli woman, identified as Shlomit Krigman, 24, died from her wounds at the Hadassah Israeli medical center, in Jerusalem. Another Israeli woman suffered a moderate wound.
The Israeli military commander issued the demolition order of the Allan family home on February 14, and only granted the family 48 hours to file an appeal.
The family instantly headed to the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Advocacy Center (JLAC), and the center immediately accepted the case, and started a relentless work to overturn the military decision, based on the fact that the demolition order in an act of collective punishment.
12 apr 2016
Supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) torched on Tuesday photos of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, his Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki, and PA ambassador to Bulgaria Mahmoud al-Madbouh during a rally in Gaza City.
The PFLP had organized a rally in Gaza city marking the 40th day after the assassination of Omar al-Naif, a prominent PFLP leader who was killed by persons believed to be Israeli agents in the PA embassy in Bulgaria.
The rally kicked off from al-Saraya square where senior PFLP political leader Hussein Mansour alluded to the possibility of PA officials' complicity in al-Naif’s assassination.
He vowed during his speech to prosecute all those responsible for and involved in al-Naif’s murder including the Palestinian ambassador in Bulgaria and the Foreign Minister. On the other hand, the leader in PFLP strongly slammed Abbas’s recent decision to freeze funds allocated for the group through the PLO National Fund, considering it “a failed revenge policy.”
Mansour called for adopting a real national strategy to support the prisoners’ issue as it represents “a central issue” for the Palestinian people.
He also called for making more efforts to restore Palestinian slain bodies held by Israel for allegedly carrying out anti-occupation attacks. Israeli policy of detaining Palestinian bodies is a failed policy that aims to stop the Jerusalem Intifada, he said.
The PFLP had organized a rally in Gaza city marking the 40th day after the assassination of Omar al-Naif, a prominent PFLP leader who was killed by persons believed to be Israeli agents in the PA embassy in Bulgaria.
The rally kicked off from al-Saraya square where senior PFLP political leader Hussein Mansour alluded to the possibility of PA officials' complicity in al-Naif’s assassination.
He vowed during his speech to prosecute all those responsible for and involved in al-Naif’s murder including the Palestinian ambassador in Bulgaria and the Foreign Minister. On the other hand, the leader in PFLP strongly slammed Abbas’s recent decision to freeze funds allocated for the group through the PLO National Fund, considering it “a failed revenge policy.”
Mansour called for adopting a real national strategy to support the prisoners’ issue as it represents “a central issue” for the Palestinian people.
He also called for making more efforts to restore Palestinian slain bodies held by Israel for allegedly carrying out anti-occupation attacks. Israeli policy of detaining Palestinian bodies is a failed policy that aims to stop the Jerusalem Intifada, he said.
Every early morning during the past three weeks, the Israeli occupation army has blocked before the Palestinians the road that runs between the village of Anata, north of Jerusalem, and the Hizmeh checkpoint, which leads to the holy city.
Palestinian local residents have complained the Israeli measure is aimed to prevent early-morning traffic jams at the checkpoint at a time of day when Jewish residents of West Bank settlements are on their way to work in Occupied Jerusalem.
Because it now takes one and a half hours for the Palestinian residents to get through the checkpoint there, some of them get up earlier at four am to be at work in Jerusalem by seven am.
Palestinian local residents have complained the Israeli measure is aimed to prevent early-morning traffic jams at the checkpoint at a time of day when Jewish residents of West Bank settlements are on their way to work in Occupied Jerusalem.
Because it now takes one and a half hours for the Palestinian residents to get through the checkpoint there, some of them get up earlier at four am to be at work in Jerusalem by seven am.
The PA committee for prisoners and ex-prisoners revealed in a new report issued Tuesday that 5,000 Palestinians were arrested since the outbreak of Jerusalem Intifada on October 1, 2015.
The report pointed out that 1,900 children, 180 women, and 85 injured persons were among the detainees.
The report also said that 40 Palestinian prisoners spent more than 20 consecutive years in Israeli jails including the prisoners Karim Younis and Maher Younis who spent 34 years behind bars.
The prisoner Nael Barghouthi spent 35 years separately in Israeli jails where he was re-arrested in 2014 after being released during Shalit Deal.
According to the committee, the Palestinian detainee Lina Jarbouni, who spent 14 years out of her 17-year sentence, is considered the oldest-serving Palestinian female prisoner in Israeli jails, while Dima al-Wawi, 12, is considered the youngest Palestinian prisoner.
The experience of Israeli arrest, interrogation, and detention causes severe psychological harm, and leaves lasting scars on Palestinian detainees, their families, and community.
The report pointed out that 1,900 children, 180 women, and 85 injured persons were among the detainees.
The report also said that 40 Palestinian prisoners spent more than 20 consecutive years in Israeli jails including the prisoners Karim Younis and Maher Younis who spent 34 years behind bars.
The prisoner Nael Barghouthi spent 35 years separately in Israeli jails where he was re-arrested in 2014 after being released during Shalit Deal.
According to the committee, the Palestinian detainee Lina Jarbouni, who spent 14 years out of her 17-year sentence, is considered the oldest-serving Palestinian female prisoner in Israeli jails, while Dima al-Wawi, 12, is considered the youngest Palestinian prisoner.
The experience of Israeli arrest, interrogation, and detention causes severe psychological harm, and leaves lasting scars on Palestinian detainees, their families, and community.
11 apr 2016
IDF confiscates printer in Dheisheh refugee camp
Analysis: A combination of goodwill gestures by the IDF, better tactical operations, and proactive measures taken by the Palestinian security services has discouraged Palestinians from carrying out stabbing attacks in the past few weeks.
Is the third intifada coming to its end? Six months since Eitam and Na'ama Heinkin were murdered near Nablus, the attack that symbolizes the beginning of what grew into a popular yet unorganized intifada which claimed the lives of 34 Israelis, the most recent data points to a dramatic drop in terror attacks.
The last substantial terror attack took place more than two weeks ago, when two terrorists stabbed two soldiers in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, lightly to moderately wounding the latter two. Ironically, what happened 11 minutes later could have escalated the violent uprising; a Kfir Brigade soldier arrived at the scene as reinforcement and shot one of the terrorists who lying, neutralized on the ground. Despite fear of reprisals, Palestinians have not carried out new attacks. In fact, officers in the West Bank Division have said that Palestinian officials have relayed to them that the Israeli public and military response to the incident has calmed Palestinian desire to exact revenge.
"Since successful lone wolf attacks inspire new attacks, if we succeed in preventing successful (attacks) for three weeks or a month, it is plausible that the terror wave will end," remarked a senior officer in the IDF Central Command and it appears that he is correct. No one in the IDF is prepared to declare that the intifada is behind us and while some have moved in that direction, the West Bank Division has continued to develop new and creative measures to further reinforce stability.
Roman Gofman, commander of the IDF's Gush Etzion Brigade, has succeeded in stopping tens of attacks at the Gush Etzion junction, offering "carrots" to lighten the atmosphere. "The young Palestinian generation is frustrated and despairing; they are looking for hope," a senior officer in the West Bank Division told Ynet.
Gofman has held many candid talks in recent weeks with village leaders and he acceded to a request of the head of the Al-Arroub refugee camp to open the rear entrances to the village to lower the number of rock throwing incidents on Route 60, where Israeli cars travel. In a nearby village, Beit Ummar, another major stone throwing site, Gofman is helping build a soccer field for village youth. Moreover, in the entrances to large villages, the army is assisting Palestinians in building orderly parking lots for service taxis, which will decrease the traffic.
At the behest of the Palestinians in Beit Ummar, the IDF is also arranging for the transfer of a cemetery to a location further away from Route 60 to decrease rock throwing at Israeli cars during funerals. Additionally, the army has returned some cars and engineering tools used for illegal building.
"This generation does know Jews. 50 percent of them have not left the village where they were raised. They don't know what houses in Ashdod and Ashkelon that their forefathers built or beaches in Tel Aviv look like. So what will a 16-year-old Palestinian do after completing his studies?"
After a week long siege on Beit Fajar because two of its residents carried out attacks near Ariel, local leaders gathered their youth and called on them to stop the violence. Similar gatherings have taken place in Sair and Qabatiya. "The Palestinian security services are also doing much more to stop the terror wave," a senior security official admitted. They are searching the bags of students to find knives and are succeeding in stopping lone wolf terrorists. Additionally, the IDF has raided improvised weapons factories, where the Carl Gustav is produced, and is fighting against incitement."
Regarding incitement, the security establishment initially struggled to address the issue, but recently territorial divisions in the West Bank have created new methods to fight against inciters. Just as the IDF searches for and arrests individuals calling for unrest or the murder of Jews on the radio, the IDF now takes similar action when it comes to incitement on the internet. In addition, the Gush Etzion Brigade is required to arrest at least three Palestinians who spread incitement weekly.
The weekly operation takes place from the military headquarters of territorial brigades near the Gush Etzion junction by an officer from the Civil Administration and an intelligence gathering officer. They collect inciting videos, pictures, and posts uploaded to Facebook and then send them to the legal advisor of the West Bank Division. Thereafter, the IDF arrests the inciter and puts him in front of a court.
"The evidence that we gather before the arrest is enough to bring someone to court or send the inciter to prison for six months to a year. We are talking about people with no security history," notes an officer. "Being satisfied with the intelligence that we receive from Unit 8200 (an Israeli Intelligence Corps unit - ed.) is too passive. 90 percent of the Palestinian adults have Facebook and we discovered that they are using it primarily in the night between 11:00PM and 2:00AM. We are talking about 1.5 million Facebook users, who are mostly men."
"What causes attacks today is incitement on Facebook – not mosque leaflets. We arrested a Facebook inciter from Halhoul who has thousands of followers. Following such arrests, we feel a drop in the number of attacks from the same village. And in the case in which we are struggling to gather sufficient evidence to arrest inciters, we go to them at night and warn them."
The IDF is continuing to take offensive action against incitement deep in the West Bank. A few weeks ago, the IDF discovered leaflets, bearing the picture of the Shin Bet coordinator in Bethlehem and a call to attack him. Then, on Tuesday night, Kfir Brigade soldiers entered the Dheisheh refugee camp and confiscated the private printer, which had printed the leaflets. "The owner of the print shop would have preferred to be arrested and imprisoned instead of his printer being confiscated, which costs hundreds of thousands of shekels," remarked an officer.
In light of the recent reports that Israel and the Palestinian Authority are negotiating the entry of IDF forces into area A only in exceptional circumstances, it is possible that such a confiscation operation will not be approved in a number of weeks or months. Field officers in the West Bank Division have not expressed their opinion on the topic, but they note the importance of the IDF's freedom of movement in villages and cities. The soldiers, who entered the Dheisheh refugee camp and were stoned in their bulletproof cars, said: "It is good that the energy of the same kids is directed against us and not Israeli cars in Efrat."
But these activities by the Etzion Territorial Brigade are also shadowed by the dark cloud of the Hebron shooter. The soldiers of the Shimshon Battalion, in which the suspect soldier served, have been operating in the Etzion area for nearly six months, and have foiled dozens of attempted attacks, with no previous instances of that kind. The Gush Etzion Junction has also experienced a period of calm, due to the elite Maglan unit’s activities in the area, as well as the implementation of orders forbidding Palestinian pedestrians from passing through the complex, and the introduction of special cameras that can identify unusual movement and alert security forces.
The IDF thankfully embraces every day that passes without further incidents inspired and supported by the Hebron soldier, and its commanders’ attempts to halt such incidents from occurring are ongoing. The West Bank Division even put consultants in touch with territorial brigades, in order to assist in instructing the soldiers in proper conduct on moral, operational, and legal levels, with regards to controversial events such as the Hebron incident.
“We gave the soldiers a questionnaire about that incident, to make sure they understood what’s right. The impression is that, from the level of platoon commanders and upward, their understanding is that the soldier’s actions were wrong. That’s why we’re investing in the lower-level commanders, such as squad leaders and soldiers in the field, who absorb most of the mental stress from the numerous events (in which they take part).”
Analysis: A combination of goodwill gestures by the IDF, better tactical operations, and proactive measures taken by the Palestinian security services has discouraged Palestinians from carrying out stabbing attacks in the past few weeks.
Is the third intifada coming to its end? Six months since Eitam and Na'ama Heinkin were murdered near Nablus, the attack that symbolizes the beginning of what grew into a popular yet unorganized intifada which claimed the lives of 34 Israelis, the most recent data points to a dramatic drop in terror attacks.
The last substantial terror attack took place more than two weeks ago, when two terrorists stabbed two soldiers in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, lightly to moderately wounding the latter two. Ironically, what happened 11 minutes later could have escalated the violent uprising; a Kfir Brigade soldier arrived at the scene as reinforcement and shot one of the terrorists who lying, neutralized on the ground. Despite fear of reprisals, Palestinians have not carried out new attacks. In fact, officers in the West Bank Division have said that Palestinian officials have relayed to them that the Israeli public and military response to the incident has calmed Palestinian desire to exact revenge.
"Since successful lone wolf attacks inspire new attacks, if we succeed in preventing successful (attacks) for three weeks or a month, it is plausible that the terror wave will end," remarked a senior officer in the IDF Central Command and it appears that he is correct. No one in the IDF is prepared to declare that the intifada is behind us and while some have moved in that direction, the West Bank Division has continued to develop new and creative measures to further reinforce stability.
Roman Gofman, commander of the IDF's Gush Etzion Brigade, has succeeded in stopping tens of attacks at the Gush Etzion junction, offering "carrots" to lighten the atmosphere. "The young Palestinian generation is frustrated and despairing; they are looking for hope," a senior officer in the West Bank Division told Ynet.
Gofman has held many candid talks in recent weeks with village leaders and he acceded to a request of the head of the Al-Arroub refugee camp to open the rear entrances to the village to lower the number of rock throwing incidents on Route 60, where Israeli cars travel. In a nearby village, Beit Ummar, another major stone throwing site, Gofman is helping build a soccer field for village youth. Moreover, in the entrances to large villages, the army is assisting Palestinians in building orderly parking lots for service taxis, which will decrease the traffic.
At the behest of the Palestinians in Beit Ummar, the IDF is also arranging for the transfer of a cemetery to a location further away from Route 60 to decrease rock throwing at Israeli cars during funerals. Additionally, the army has returned some cars and engineering tools used for illegal building.
"This generation does know Jews. 50 percent of them have not left the village where they were raised. They don't know what houses in Ashdod and Ashkelon that their forefathers built or beaches in Tel Aviv look like. So what will a 16-year-old Palestinian do after completing his studies?"
After a week long siege on Beit Fajar because two of its residents carried out attacks near Ariel, local leaders gathered their youth and called on them to stop the violence. Similar gatherings have taken place in Sair and Qabatiya. "The Palestinian security services are also doing much more to stop the terror wave," a senior security official admitted. They are searching the bags of students to find knives and are succeeding in stopping lone wolf terrorists. Additionally, the IDF has raided improvised weapons factories, where the Carl Gustav is produced, and is fighting against incitement."
Regarding incitement, the security establishment initially struggled to address the issue, but recently territorial divisions in the West Bank have created new methods to fight against inciters. Just as the IDF searches for and arrests individuals calling for unrest or the murder of Jews on the radio, the IDF now takes similar action when it comes to incitement on the internet. In addition, the Gush Etzion Brigade is required to arrest at least three Palestinians who spread incitement weekly.
The weekly operation takes place from the military headquarters of territorial brigades near the Gush Etzion junction by an officer from the Civil Administration and an intelligence gathering officer. They collect inciting videos, pictures, and posts uploaded to Facebook and then send them to the legal advisor of the West Bank Division. Thereafter, the IDF arrests the inciter and puts him in front of a court.
"The evidence that we gather before the arrest is enough to bring someone to court or send the inciter to prison for six months to a year. We are talking about people with no security history," notes an officer. "Being satisfied with the intelligence that we receive from Unit 8200 (an Israeli Intelligence Corps unit - ed.) is too passive. 90 percent of the Palestinian adults have Facebook and we discovered that they are using it primarily in the night between 11:00PM and 2:00AM. We are talking about 1.5 million Facebook users, who are mostly men."
"What causes attacks today is incitement on Facebook – not mosque leaflets. We arrested a Facebook inciter from Halhoul who has thousands of followers. Following such arrests, we feel a drop in the number of attacks from the same village. And in the case in which we are struggling to gather sufficient evidence to arrest inciters, we go to them at night and warn them."
The IDF is continuing to take offensive action against incitement deep in the West Bank. A few weeks ago, the IDF discovered leaflets, bearing the picture of the Shin Bet coordinator in Bethlehem and a call to attack him. Then, on Tuesday night, Kfir Brigade soldiers entered the Dheisheh refugee camp and confiscated the private printer, which had printed the leaflets. "The owner of the print shop would have preferred to be arrested and imprisoned instead of his printer being confiscated, which costs hundreds of thousands of shekels," remarked an officer.
In light of the recent reports that Israel and the Palestinian Authority are negotiating the entry of IDF forces into area A only in exceptional circumstances, it is possible that such a confiscation operation will not be approved in a number of weeks or months. Field officers in the West Bank Division have not expressed their opinion on the topic, but they note the importance of the IDF's freedom of movement in villages and cities. The soldiers, who entered the Dheisheh refugee camp and were stoned in their bulletproof cars, said: "It is good that the energy of the same kids is directed against us and not Israeli cars in Efrat."
But these activities by the Etzion Territorial Brigade are also shadowed by the dark cloud of the Hebron shooter. The soldiers of the Shimshon Battalion, in which the suspect soldier served, have been operating in the Etzion area for nearly six months, and have foiled dozens of attempted attacks, with no previous instances of that kind. The Gush Etzion Junction has also experienced a period of calm, due to the elite Maglan unit’s activities in the area, as well as the implementation of orders forbidding Palestinian pedestrians from passing through the complex, and the introduction of special cameras that can identify unusual movement and alert security forces.
The IDF thankfully embraces every day that passes without further incidents inspired and supported by the Hebron soldier, and its commanders’ attempts to halt such incidents from occurring are ongoing. The West Bank Division even put consultants in touch with territorial brigades, in order to assist in instructing the soldiers in proper conduct on moral, operational, and legal levels, with regards to controversial events such as the Hebron incident.
“We gave the soldiers a questionnaire about that incident, to make sure they understood what’s right. The impression is that, from the level of platoon commanders and upward, their understanding is that the soldier’s actions were wrong. That’s why we’re investing in the lower-level commanders, such as squad leaders and soldiers in the field, who absorb most of the mental stress from the numerous events (in which they take part).”
Hamas and Islamic Jihad called for national unity in support of Jerusalem Intifada and for setting objectives to the uprising in order to be achieved by all means possible.
They affirmed that the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails tops the priorities of both movements.
This came during a mutual festival in solidarity with prisoners and Jerusalem Intifada organized by both movements Monday morning before the headquarters of the Red Cross in Gaza in the presence of representatives of Palestinian factions and families of detainees.
Hammad al-Raqeb, the spokesman of Hamas, said that resistance is the only way to regain all of the Palestinian land and to free Palestinian captives.
For his part, the Islamic Jihad leader and head of Muhjat al-Quds foundation Yasser Saleh revealed that 7,000 prisoners are languishing in Israeli jails including 1,600 patients with 25 of them suffering from cancer, 700 held under illegal administrative detention and 67 female captives.
They affirmed that the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails tops the priorities of both movements.
This came during a mutual festival in solidarity with prisoners and Jerusalem Intifada organized by both movements Monday morning before the headquarters of the Red Cross in Gaza in the presence of representatives of Palestinian factions and families of detainees.
Hammad al-Raqeb, the spokesman of Hamas, said that resistance is the only way to regain all of the Palestinian land and to free Palestinian captives.
For his part, the Islamic Jihad leader and head of Muhjat al-Quds foundation Yasser Saleh revealed that 7,000 prisoners are languishing in Israeli jails including 1,600 patients with 25 of them suffering from cancer, 700 held under illegal administrative detention and 67 female captives.
The Israeli occupation police on Sunday issued decisions banning the entry of six Palestinian women to the Aqsa Mosque and another one to the Old City of Jerusalem for several months.
Umm Ihab al-Jallad, one of many women already banned from entering the Aqsa Mosque, said that the Israeli police summoned six women to its center in Qishleh area in the Old City and handed them orders banning their entry to the Mosque for different periods.
Jallad added that she refused to sign or receive a written verdict ordering her to stay away from the Old City for six months. One of the six women, Samiha Shahin, also refused to take an order preventing her from entering the Aqsa Mosque for six months.
The Israeli police started to impose a ban on the entry of Palestinian women to the Aqsa Mosque in Ramadan 2014, especially during the morning hours when Jewish settlers carry out mass break-ins at the Islamic holy shrine under security protection.
The Israeli occupation authority uses such measure to prepare the ground for the Jews to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque at any time and provide them with an opportunity to perform their rituals without any angry reactions from Muslims.
Umm Ihab al-Jallad, one of many women already banned from entering the Aqsa Mosque, said that the Israeli police summoned six women to its center in Qishleh area in the Old City and handed them orders banning their entry to the Mosque for different periods.
Jallad added that she refused to sign or receive a written verdict ordering her to stay away from the Old City for six months. One of the six women, Samiha Shahin, also refused to take an order preventing her from entering the Aqsa Mosque for six months.
The Israeli police started to impose a ban on the entry of Palestinian women to the Aqsa Mosque in Ramadan 2014, especially during the morning hours when Jewish settlers carry out mass break-ins at the Islamic holy shrine under security protection.
The Israeli occupation authority uses such measure to prepare the ground for the Jews to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque at any time and provide them with an opportunity to perform their rituals without any angry reactions from Muslims.
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Sheikh Ra'ed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, of inflaming the situation in Jerusalem and at the Aqsa Mosque and called for putting him in jail.
According to Israel's channel 7, Netanyahu made his remarks during a cabinet meeting attended by senior Shin Bet officials on Sunday. Netanyahu claimed that Sheikh Salah was trying to stir up trouble in Jerusalem ahead of the Passover holiday and labelled him as a "bomb".
He also urged the Israeli ministries of interior and justice to work on exiling or imprisoning him. Senior Israeli officials have accused Sheikh Salah of igniting the spark of the third intifada (uprising), and using the slogan, "al-Aqsa in danger" to prevent Jewish settlers from visiting what they call the temple mount.
The Israeli occupation authority issued on November 17, 2015 a decision banning and outlawing the activities of the Islamic Movement and closed about 20 Palestinian charitable institutions at the pretext they were its affiliates.
According to Israel's channel 7, Netanyahu made his remarks during a cabinet meeting attended by senior Shin Bet officials on Sunday. Netanyahu claimed that Sheikh Salah was trying to stir up trouble in Jerusalem ahead of the Passover holiday and labelled him as a "bomb".
He also urged the Israeli ministries of interior and justice to work on exiling or imprisoning him. Senior Israeli officials have accused Sheikh Salah of igniting the spark of the third intifada (uprising), and using the slogan, "al-Aqsa in danger" to prevent Jewish settlers from visiting what they call the temple mount.
The Israeli occupation authority issued on November 17, 2015 a decision banning and outlawing the activities of the Islamic Movement and closed about 20 Palestinian charitable institutions at the pretext they were its affiliates.
10 apr 2016
The Hamas Movement has denounced the reported role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in arresting four resistance fighters in the West Bank as "very serious and a reflection of its growing security cooperation with Israel."
In a press release on Sunday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that the PA's security collaboration with Israel is aimed at ending the Palestinian people's intifada (uprising) against the occupation. Abu Zuhri expressed his Movement's condemnation of the PA's persistence in its security cooperation with Israel and held its leadership and Fatah fully responsible for such "antinational practices."
The Israeli news website 0404 said last night that the Shin Bet in cooperation with the PA security forces was able to frustrate an operation targeting Israelis through arresting four Palestinian young men in Ramallah. The website noted that three of the young men had been reported missing by their families in early April.
The detained young men were claimed to have been found in possession of weapons and hand grenades.
In a press release on Sunday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that the PA's security collaboration with Israel is aimed at ending the Palestinian people's intifada (uprising) against the occupation. Abu Zuhri expressed his Movement's condemnation of the PA's persistence in its security cooperation with Israel and held its leadership and Fatah fully responsible for such "antinational practices."
The Israeli news website 0404 said last night that the Shin Bet in cooperation with the PA security forces was able to frustrate an operation targeting Israelis through arresting four Palestinian young men in Ramallah. The website noted that three of the young men had been reported missing by their families in early April.
The detained young men were claimed to have been found in possession of weapons and hand grenades.
A number of Israeli settlers defiled the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday morning under tight security measures.
Local sources said that 15 settlers entered the holy Islamic site after Israeli policemen were deployed in all its corners to provide protection for them.
The ongoing Jerusalem Intifada broke out in early October last year in reaction to the escalating Israeli raids into and violations of the Aqsa Mosque.
Local sources said that 15 settlers entered the holy Islamic site after Israeli policemen were deployed in all its corners to provide protection for them.
The ongoing Jerusalem Intifada broke out in early October last year in reaction to the escalating Israeli raids into and violations of the Aqsa Mosque.
Palestinian Authority (PA) forces on Saturday arrested three Palestinian youths who had been missing for 10 days, claiming to have foiled a planned anti-occupation attack, Israeli news outlets said.
PA forces had conducted intensive searches for the three since they were reported missing. The trio was found near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
Another youngster was arrested by the PA troops in the area for allegedly supplying the trio with weapons.
Israeli sources claimed the youngsters had weapons and hand grenades with them, and it is believed they were planning an anti-occupation attack.
The abduction is the by-product of ongoing security coordination between the PA forces and the Israeli occupation army. The trio was allegedly planning to carry out an anti-occupation shooting attack and take hostage of Israeli soldiers.
The youngsters were taken for interrogation in Aroura village, to the northwest of Ramallah, where they were found. Over the past few days, the Israeli occupation police notified of an imminent anti-occupation attack after the three youngsters had gone missing.
PA forces had conducted intensive searches for the three since they were reported missing. The trio was found near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
Another youngster was arrested by the PA troops in the area for allegedly supplying the trio with weapons.
Israeli sources claimed the youngsters had weapons and hand grenades with them, and it is believed they were planning an anti-occupation attack.
The abduction is the by-product of ongoing security coordination between the PA forces and the Israeli occupation army. The trio was allegedly planning to carry out an anti-occupation shooting attack and take hostage of Israeli soldiers.
The youngsters were taken for interrogation in Aroura village, to the northwest of Ramallah, where they were found. Over the past few days, the Israeli occupation police notified of an imminent anti-occupation attack after the three youngsters had gone missing.
Preacher of Muslims’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Salim, spoke out against his detention by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF), saying it is rather a sign of provocation to the Muslim worshipers.
Talking to a PIC journalist, Sheikh Salim said the IOF detained him for hours on allegations of incitement. “It is the right of al-Aqsa preacher to raise people’s awareness and try to alleviate their pains,” said the preacher.
As he offered a copy of the sermon he delivered at al-Aqsa, Salim denied Israeli accusations that he incited to violence, saying: “Islam is the religion of peace, security, and stability.
Islam illegitimates oppression, whatever its form and means.” The Supreme Islamic Committee and Jerusalem’s Endowment Council also slammed, in a joint statement, Salim’s detention, saying the latter was rather targeted for his anti-occupation speeches.
The groups dubbed the move “a dangerous and unprecedented attempt to suppress the freedom of speech and meddle in Muslims’ religious freedom.” “Religious speeches at al-Aqsa have their own sanctity.
Persecution of Muslim worshipers will never discourage them from performing their prayers at al-Aqsa for it is part and parcel of who they are,” the statement added.
Talking to a PIC journalist, Sheikh Salim said the IOF detained him for hours on allegations of incitement. “It is the right of al-Aqsa preacher to raise people’s awareness and try to alleviate their pains,” said the preacher.
As he offered a copy of the sermon he delivered at al-Aqsa, Salim denied Israeli accusations that he incited to violence, saying: “Islam is the religion of peace, security, and stability.
Islam illegitimates oppression, whatever its form and means.” The Supreme Islamic Committee and Jerusalem’s Endowment Council also slammed, in a joint statement, Salim’s detention, saying the latter was rather targeted for his anti-occupation speeches.
The groups dubbed the move “a dangerous and unprecedented attempt to suppress the freedom of speech and meddle in Muslims’ religious freedom.” “Religious speeches at al-Aqsa have their own sanctity.
Persecution of Muslim worshipers will never discourage them from performing their prayers at al-Aqsa for it is part and parcel of who they are,” the statement added.