21 july 2016
Hundreds of Palestinian citizens at dawn Wednesday marched in the funeral procession of 22-year-old Anwar Salaymeh in Shuafat refugee camp, northeast of Occupied Jerusalem, after receiving his body from the Israeli side.
According to Quds Press, a Red Crescent ambulance crew received on Tuesday night the body of martyr Salaymeh at Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv after the Israeli security authorities refused to hand him over at Ofer military checkpoint, west of Ramallah.
Then, the martyr's body was taken aboard a Red Crescent ambulance to Shuafat refugee camp, where his family gave him a final farewell and prepared him for burial before taking him to Abu Obaida Mosque for the funeral prayer.
During the funeral procession, some armed participants fired several farewell shots into the air while others carried Palestinian flags.
Salaymeh was murdered by Israeli soldiers on July 13 as he was aboard a car along with two friends in al-Ram town, northeast of Jerusalem.
The Israeli army justified the incident by saying that its soldiers opened fire on a speeding vehicle heading towards them.
However, the other two surviving passengers in the car categorically denied they had attempted to run over the soldiers, asserting that they were heading to a bakery without knowing that troops were deployed in the area.
According to Quds Press, a Red Crescent ambulance crew received on Tuesday night the body of martyr Salaymeh at Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv after the Israeli security authorities refused to hand him over at Ofer military checkpoint, west of Ramallah.
Then, the martyr's body was taken aboard a Red Crescent ambulance to Shuafat refugee camp, where his family gave him a final farewell and prepared him for burial before taking him to Abu Obaida Mosque for the funeral prayer.
During the funeral procession, some armed participants fired several farewell shots into the air while others carried Palestinian flags.
Salaymeh was murdered by Israeli soldiers on July 13 as he was aboard a car along with two friends in al-Ram town, northeast of Jerusalem.
The Israeli army justified the incident by saying that its soldiers opened fire on a speeding vehicle heading towards them.
However, the other two surviving passengers in the car categorically denied they had attempted to run over the soldiers, asserting that they were heading to a bakery without knowing that troops were deployed in the area.
14 july 2016
After Israel conducted an autopsy on the body of Anwar Falah Salaima, 24, who was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers, at dawn Wednesday, it became clear that the young man was shot with three live rounds in his back.
The Palestinian was driving back home, with two of his friends, when the soldiers opened fire on their car, killing him and wounding one of his friends in the head.
His family approved the autopsy under the condition that a Palestinian physician attends, especially after X-Ray revealed he was shot three times in his back.
Lawyer Mohammad Mahmoud of the Palestinian Detainees’ Committee, said it remains unknown when will Israel allow the transfer of Salaima’s body back to his family.
Salaima was driving with Mahmoud Resheq, 22, and Mohammad Nassar, 20, when the soldiers opened fire on their car while the army was invading the town of ar-Ram, north of occupied East Jerusalem.
Mahmoud al-Resheq was shot in his head, but despite his injury, his condition was classified as stable.
The Israeli military claimed that the Palestinians “attempted to ram soldiers with their car.”
It is worth mentioning that the slain Palestinian got married less than two months ago, and was driving back home with two of his friends, after finishing work at a Wedding Hall, in Talpiot area, south of Jerusalem.
The three had no idea that the army was invading their town, and were surprised by the soldiers who fired many rounds of live ammunition on their car, killing Salaima, and wounding Resheq, in addition to kidnapping Mohammad Tawfiq Nassar.
The Israeli army said it invaded the town to break into a blacksmith’s workshop allegedly used for manufacturing weapons.
The death of Salaima brings the number of Palestinians, killed by Israeli fire since October 1st 2015 to 227, including 51 from Jerusalem and its suburbs.
The Palestinian was driving back home, with two of his friends, when the soldiers opened fire on their car, killing him and wounding one of his friends in the head.
His family approved the autopsy under the condition that a Palestinian physician attends, especially after X-Ray revealed he was shot three times in his back.
Lawyer Mohammad Mahmoud of the Palestinian Detainees’ Committee, said it remains unknown when will Israel allow the transfer of Salaima’s body back to his family.
Salaima was driving with Mahmoud Resheq, 22, and Mohammad Nassar, 20, when the soldiers opened fire on their car while the army was invading the town of ar-Ram, north of occupied East Jerusalem.
Mahmoud al-Resheq was shot in his head, but despite his injury, his condition was classified as stable.
The Israeli military claimed that the Palestinians “attempted to ram soldiers with their car.”
It is worth mentioning that the slain Palestinian got married less than two months ago, and was driving back home with two of his friends, after finishing work at a Wedding Hall, in Talpiot area, south of Jerusalem.
The three had no idea that the army was invading their town, and were surprised by the soldiers who fired many rounds of live ammunition on their car, killing Salaima, and wounding Resheq, in addition to kidnapping Mohammad Tawfiq Nassar.
The Israeli army said it invaded the town to break into a blacksmith’s workshop allegedly used for manufacturing weapons.
The death of Salaima brings the number of Palestinians, killed by Israeli fire since October 1st 2015 to 227, including 51 from Jerusalem and its suburbs.
10 july 2016
Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett advocated, on Thursday, for Israelis to kidnap Palestinians, to be used as leverage to obtain the release of two Israeli civilians and the bodies of two soldiers held in the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported.
In an interview with Radio Darom, Bennett — who leads the far-right Jewish Home party — discussed the issue of releasing Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal to obtain the return of Israeli citizens Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, as well as the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, two soldiers killed during Israel’s 2014 offensive on Gaza.
“My policies are consistent over the years: complete opposition to disproportionate deals to free terrorists, and certainly in exchange for bodies,” The Times of Israel quoted Bennett as saying, according to Ma’an.
According to Israeli news outlet The Jerusalem Post, Bennett then advocated for the kidnapping of Palestinians to pressure for the release of the slain soldiers and missing Israelis.
“We should do what the State of Israel once did,” he said. “What we once did in such situations was we would go and kidnap from the other side, and create new leverage against the other side, rather than releasing more and more terrorists.”
The Jerusalem Post quoted Bennett’s spokesperson as specifying that the far-right political leader was suggesting kidnapping “terrorists,” not Palestinian civilians.
It remained unclear from Bennett’s statement whether he advocated the kidnapping of Palestinians to use as a bargaining chip to exchange with Israelis, in contradiction of his earlier statement, or as an intimidation tactic to coerce those holding the Israelis in Gaza into releasing them.
It was also unclear whether Bennett was pushing for Israel should detain more Palestinians in addition to the 7,000 currently held in Israeli prisons, or hold them completely extrajudicially.
Spokespeople for the Education Ministry and Bennett’s office were unavailable for comment on Friday, the weekend in Israel, to clarify the minister’s statements.
Bennett is well known for his incendiary rhetoric vis-a-vis Palestinians.
In the wake of several attacks last week which killed two Israelis, including a 13-year-old girl, and three Palestinians, Bennett advocated for a number of measures which have been denounced by rights groups as constituting collective punishment.
These proposed measures, many of which have been implemented, included increased settlement construction; stepping up Israel’s policy of demolition of Palestinian property built without permits; full Israeli military control over the entirety of the occupied West Bank; military closures of suspected attackers’ hometowns; the detention of suspected attackers’ family members; and cutting off internet and cellular access to the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
Israel is still withholding the bodies of at least seven Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since October, as the slain Palestinians’ families remain uncertain as to when, and if, they will be released for burial.
In an interview with Radio Darom, Bennett — who leads the far-right Jewish Home party — discussed the issue of releasing Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal to obtain the return of Israeli citizens Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, as well as the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, two soldiers killed during Israel’s 2014 offensive on Gaza.
“My policies are consistent over the years: complete opposition to disproportionate deals to free terrorists, and certainly in exchange for bodies,” The Times of Israel quoted Bennett as saying, according to Ma’an.
According to Israeli news outlet The Jerusalem Post, Bennett then advocated for the kidnapping of Palestinians to pressure for the release of the slain soldiers and missing Israelis.
“We should do what the State of Israel once did,” he said. “What we once did in such situations was we would go and kidnap from the other side, and create new leverage against the other side, rather than releasing more and more terrorists.”
The Jerusalem Post quoted Bennett’s spokesperson as specifying that the far-right political leader was suggesting kidnapping “terrorists,” not Palestinian civilians.
It remained unclear from Bennett’s statement whether he advocated the kidnapping of Palestinians to use as a bargaining chip to exchange with Israelis, in contradiction of his earlier statement, or as an intimidation tactic to coerce those holding the Israelis in Gaza into releasing them.
It was also unclear whether Bennett was pushing for Israel should detain more Palestinians in addition to the 7,000 currently held in Israeli prisons, or hold them completely extrajudicially.
Spokespeople for the Education Ministry and Bennett’s office were unavailable for comment on Friday, the weekend in Israel, to clarify the minister’s statements.
Bennett is well known for his incendiary rhetoric vis-a-vis Palestinians.
In the wake of several attacks last week which killed two Israelis, including a 13-year-old girl, and three Palestinians, Bennett advocated for a number of measures which have been denounced by rights groups as constituting collective punishment.
These proposed measures, many of which have been implemented, included increased settlement construction; stepping up Israel’s policy of demolition of Palestinian property built without permits; full Israeli military control over the entirety of the occupied West Bank; military closures of suspected attackers’ hometowns; the detention of suspected attackers’ family members; and cutting off internet and cellular access to the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
Israel is still withholding the bodies of at least seven Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since October, as the slain Palestinians’ families remain uncertain as to when, and if, they will be released for burial.
5 july 2016
The Israeli Supreme Court on Monday transferred the file of the withheld bodies of slain Palestinian youths to the legal adviser, pending a final decision on the case.
The decision was made during a session held in Occupied Jerusalem following calls to bury the bodies of slain Palestinians in the Cemetery of Numbers during the latest cabinet meeting.
Lawyer Muhammad Mahmoud said the court asked the government’s legal counselor to work out the case.
The adviser is expected to decide on the case on July 11. The father of slain Bahaa Alyan said 12 Palestinian bodies are still withheld by the Israeli occupation authorities, including six Jerusalemites whose bodies have been withheld for 10 months.
He added that the families of the slain youths have run out of patience, calling for stepping up pressure on the Israeli occupation to release the withheld bodies and allow their families to bid them last farewell.
The decision was made during a session held in Occupied Jerusalem following calls to bury the bodies of slain Palestinians in the Cemetery of Numbers during the latest cabinet meeting.
Lawyer Muhammad Mahmoud said the court asked the government’s legal counselor to work out the case.
The adviser is expected to decide on the case on July 11. The father of slain Bahaa Alyan said 12 Palestinian bodies are still withheld by the Israeli occupation authorities, including six Jerusalemites whose bodies have been withheld for 10 months.
He added that the families of the slain youths have run out of patience, calling for stepping up pressure on the Israeli occupation to release the withheld bodies and allow their families to bid them last farewell.
3 july 2016
The Israeli security cabinet on Saturday decided not to return the bodies of Palestinian martyrs to their families and bury them secretly in a new cemetery allocated for them.
The Israeli government claims the step is part of other punitive measures taken against the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Jerusalem in response to recent deadly attacks against Jewish settlers.
Since al-Quds intifada (uprising) started in early October last year in response to Israel's escalation of violations against the Palestinians and their holy sites, the Israeli security authorities have been withholding bodies of attackers as a punitive measure.
This practice was implemented mainly against attackers who were residents of east Jerusalem.
While bodies of attackers from the West Bank are usually returned to their families within a short time, the bodies of attackers from east Jerusalem have been withheld by the Israeli occupation police since the start of the intifada.
The security cabinet also decided during that meeting to impose a complete closure on al-Khalil province, where two deadly attacks happened recently.
Other reprisal measures include seizing some of the tax funds collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and its government, building 42 housing units in Kiryat Arba settlement, and cancelling work permits for some 2,800 Palestinians from Bani Na'im village, where one of the attackers came from.
The Israeli government claims the step is part of other punitive measures taken against the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Jerusalem in response to recent deadly attacks against Jewish settlers.
Since al-Quds intifada (uprising) started in early October last year in response to Israel's escalation of violations against the Palestinians and their holy sites, the Israeli security authorities have been withholding bodies of attackers as a punitive measure.
This practice was implemented mainly against attackers who were residents of east Jerusalem.
While bodies of attackers from the West Bank are usually returned to their families within a short time, the bodies of attackers from east Jerusalem have been withheld by the Israeli occupation police since the start of the intifada.
The security cabinet also decided during that meeting to impose a complete closure on al-Khalil province, where two deadly attacks happened recently.
Other reprisal measures include seizing some of the tax funds collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and its government, building 42 housing units in Kiryat Arba settlement, and cancelling work permits for some 2,800 Palestinians from Bani Na'im village, where one of the attackers came from.
30 june 2016
Palestinian families protested Wednesday in Ramallah city in central West Bank, calling for the release of their slain sons’ bodies.
During the event, the slain Palestinian Thaer Abu Ghazala’s father urged international human rights institutions to intervene for the release of slain Palestinians’ bodies.
“We have organized a series of events in West Bank, occupied Jerusalem, and within the Green Line to put more pressure on the Israeli authorities for the release of our sons’ bodies.
However, it was in vain.” Israeli authorities, he continued, have been manipulating in meeting our demands and refusing to reveal any information about their whereabouts.
Israeli Supreme Court had earlier set 7th of July to decide upon the petition submitted by slain Palestinians’ families for the release of their sons’ bodies.
Bodies of nine slain Palestinians are still held by Israeli authorities for different periods of time with some of them up to nine months.
During the event, the slain Palestinian Thaer Abu Ghazala’s father urged international human rights institutions to intervene for the release of slain Palestinians’ bodies.
“We have organized a series of events in West Bank, occupied Jerusalem, and within the Green Line to put more pressure on the Israeli authorities for the release of our sons’ bodies.
However, it was in vain.” Israeli authorities, he continued, have been manipulating in meeting our demands and refusing to reveal any information about their whereabouts.
Israeli Supreme Court had earlier set 7th of July to decide upon the petition submitted by slain Palestinians’ families for the release of their sons’ bodies.
Bodies of nine slain Palestinians are still held by Israeli authorities for different periods of time with some of them up to nine months.
23 june 2016
On Wednesday, the Israeli military transferred the corpse of the slain Palestinian child, who was killed by army fire, on Tuesday at dawn, back to his family in the central West Bank district of Ramallah.
The child, Mahmoud Badran, 14, was killed after the soldiers opened fire on a Palestinian car, driving to Beit ‘Or at-Tihta village, west of Ramallah, after he and his friends swam in a pool in Beit Sira nearby village.
The fatal shooting took place close to the Ofer Israeli prison and military base, built on Palestinian lands belonging to Betunia residents, west of Ramallah.
The military initially claimed that the child was among several Palestinians, who allegedly hurled stones and a firebomb on Israeli cars on the highway between Jerusalem and Modi’in illegal colony, built on Palestinian lands, west of Ramallah.
It later admitted that the child was just a bystander, and had nothing to do with the alleged incident. The soldiers fired many live rounds, killing Badran and wounding at least four other Palestinians.
The funeral ceremony of the slain child will be held on Thursday afternoon, in Beit ‘Or at-Tihta, local sources said.
The child, Mahmoud Badran, 14, was killed after the soldiers opened fire on a Palestinian car, driving to Beit ‘Or at-Tihta village, west of Ramallah, after he and his friends swam in a pool in Beit Sira nearby village.
The fatal shooting took place close to the Ofer Israeli prison and military base, built on Palestinian lands belonging to Betunia residents, west of Ramallah.
The military initially claimed that the child was among several Palestinians, who allegedly hurled stones and a firebomb on Israeli cars on the highway between Jerusalem and Modi’in illegal colony, built on Palestinian lands, west of Ramallah.
It later admitted that the child was just a bystander, and had nothing to do with the alleged incident. The soldiers fired many live rounds, killing Badran and wounding at least four other Palestinians.
The funeral ceremony of the slain child will be held on Thursday afternoon, in Beit ‘Or at-Tihta, local sources said.
22 june 2016
Dozens of Palestinian families and political figures protested Tuesday outside the Israeli Greenberg National Institute of Forensic Medicine (also known as Abu Kabir Forensic Institute) in Jaffa city within the Green Line, calling for the release of slain Palestinians’ bodies.
The participants held photos of the slain Palestinians whose bodies are still held by Israeli forces for different periods of time with some of them up to nine months.
During the event, the slain Palestinian Baha Alyan’s father pointed out that the protest came as part of a series of events to be held in the coming period to put more pressures on Israeli authorities for the release of slain Palestinians’ bodies.
"Enough is enough. Bring back out sons’ bodies!" He said. He said that Israeli authorities have been manipulating in meeting our demands, he continued.
Israeli Supreme Court has earlier set 7th of July to decide upon the petition submitted by slain Palestinians’ families for the release of their sons’ bodies. Bodies of nine slain Palestinians are still held by Israeli authorities. The last of them was shot dead “by mistake” by Israeli forces last night.
The participants held photos of the slain Palestinians whose bodies are still held by Israeli forces for different periods of time with some of them up to nine months.
During the event, the slain Palestinian Baha Alyan’s father pointed out that the protest came as part of a series of events to be held in the coming period to put more pressures on Israeli authorities for the release of slain Palestinians’ bodies.
"Enough is enough. Bring back out sons’ bodies!" He said. He said that Israeli authorities have been manipulating in meeting our demands, he continued.
Israeli Supreme Court has earlier set 7th of July to decide upon the petition submitted by slain Palestinians’ families for the release of their sons’ bodies. Bodies of nine slain Palestinians are still held by Israeli authorities. The last of them was shot dead “by mistake” by Israeli forces last night.
15 june 2016
Families of Palestinians slain by Israel called on Tuesday for bringing Israeli officials before the international criminal court for withholding dead bodies.
“We have doubts that our detained children are still alive and that their bodies have been withheld for unknown reasons.
Israel has to prove the opposite,” spokesperson for the popular campaign to release the bodies of slain Palestinians, Muhammad Alyan, said.
According to Alyan the families’ concerns that their children might be alive have been triggered by Israelis’ reluctance over the release of dead bodies along with their refusal of appeals to inspect the dead bodies by the Red Cross.
In addition no single medical report has been issued on the matter.
The families raised concerns that their children’s bodies might have been tortured to death by Israel and that some of their organs might have been eviscerated. The father of the slain Palestinian youth Hassan Manasreh could only identify his son through a sign in his foot, the activist stated.
Secretary General of the Palestinian Initiative, Mustafa al-Barghouti, said Israel’s detention of slain youths’ bodies represents a serious violation of human rights conventions and emanates from a policy of collective punishment against Palestinian families.
He harked back to the statement released by the Israeli war minister Avigdor Lieberman who said: “We are in a state of war with the families of slain Palestinians. We will continue to withhold the dead bodies.”
“What has been going on is an act of terrorism against the Palestinian people,” said Alyan, adding that Israel is stipulating new terms to prevent the families from attending their children’s funeral processions.
He said Israeli conditions to restrict the number of funeral attendants and prescribe the time and place of the burial raises concerns that the withheld Palestinians might have not died yet.
He called for appealing to the ICC to impeach the Israeli criminals. The bodies of at least eight Palestinians are still being withheld by the Israeli occupation authorities out of a total of 112 bodies detained since the start of the Jerusalem anti-occupation Intifada.
“We have doubts that our detained children are still alive and that their bodies have been withheld for unknown reasons.
Israel has to prove the opposite,” spokesperson for the popular campaign to release the bodies of slain Palestinians, Muhammad Alyan, said.
According to Alyan the families’ concerns that their children might be alive have been triggered by Israelis’ reluctance over the release of dead bodies along with their refusal of appeals to inspect the dead bodies by the Red Cross.
In addition no single medical report has been issued on the matter.
The families raised concerns that their children’s bodies might have been tortured to death by Israel and that some of their organs might have been eviscerated. The father of the slain Palestinian youth Hassan Manasreh could only identify his son through a sign in his foot, the activist stated.
Secretary General of the Palestinian Initiative, Mustafa al-Barghouti, said Israel’s detention of slain youths’ bodies represents a serious violation of human rights conventions and emanates from a policy of collective punishment against Palestinian families.
He harked back to the statement released by the Israeli war minister Avigdor Lieberman who said: “We are in a state of war with the families of slain Palestinians. We will continue to withhold the dead bodies.”
“What has been going on is an act of terrorism against the Palestinian people,” said Alyan, adding that Israel is stipulating new terms to prevent the families from attending their children’s funeral processions.
He said Israeli conditions to restrict the number of funeral attendants and prescribe the time and place of the burial raises concerns that the withheld Palestinians might have not died yet.
He called for appealing to the ICC to impeach the Israeli criminals. The bodies of at least eight Palestinians are still being withheld by the Israeli occupation authorities out of a total of 112 bodies detained since the start of the Jerusalem anti-occupation Intifada.
14 june 2016
The Israeli minister of public security and the Attorney General of Israel agreed on Monday to return seven detained bodies of slain Palestinians to their families, but have yet to confirm a deadline for their release.
Six of the Palestinians were from occupied Jerusalem and the seventh, Abd al-Hamid Abu Srour, was from Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.
Lawyer Muhammad Mahmoud affirmed that he received a “positive answer” to a petition he submitted to an Israeli court asking for the return of bodies of Palestinians who were killed while allegedly committing or attempting to commit anti-occupation attacks.
According to Mahmoud, the answer stated that after examining the situation, the Israeli minister of public security agreed to return the bodies included in the petition to their families in accordance with the terms set by Israeli police.
The terms include, among others, that a limited number of people join the funeral, families deposit an amount of money to guarantee that they will adhere with police stipulations, and that the burial must be at night and immediately after the family receives the body.
Mahmoud highlighted the Israeli authorities' recent decision that Israeli police have the right to determine which cemetery the body will be buried in, and where the funeral will take place. Israeli police claimed that the new term was added to enable police to take control over the situation.
Mahmoud stressed that the answer he received from Israeli prosecution did not set a deadline for returning the bodies “which have been kept in morgues for several months.”
Six of the Palestinians were from occupied Jerusalem and the seventh, Abd al-Hamid Abu Srour, was from Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.
Lawyer Muhammad Mahmoud affirmed that he received a “positive answer” to a petition he submitted to an Israeli court asking for the return of bodies of Palestinians who were killed while allegedly committing or attempting to commit anti-occupation attacks.
According to Mahmoud, the answer stated that after examining the situation, the Israeli minister of public security agreed to return the bodies included in the petition to their families in accordance with the terms set by Israeli police.
The terms include, among others, that a limited number of people join the funeral, families deposit an amount of money to guarantee that they will adhere with police stipulations, and that the burial must be at night and immediately after the family receives the body.
Mahmoud highlighted the Israeli authorities' recent decision that Israeli police have the right to determine which cemetery the body will be buried in, and where the funeral will take place. Israeli police claimed that the new term was added to enable police to take control over the situation.
Mahmoud stressed that the answer he received from Israeli prosecution did not set a deadline for returning the bodies “which have been kept in morgues for several months.”
