8 mar 2017
28-year-old Mansour Darwish, beaten by Israeli police after attempting to welcome his cousin home from prison
Five Palestinians said they were pulled from their vehicles, violently assaulted, and detained by Israeli forces at a checkpoint in occupied East Jerusalem, after returning home from southern Israel where they had attempted to welcome home their relative who had just been released from Israeli prison.
Moussa Darwish was set to be released from Ktziot prison in the Negev region on Sunday after completing a 12-year sentence, but the newly freed man found Israeli intelligence officers waiting for him outside the prison, who immediately redetained him.
Israeli forces prevented the group of family and friends from approaching Darwish, after they had traveled from Issawiya in East Jerusalem and arrived to the prison.
They were notified that Darwish had been taken to Israel’s Russian Compound detention center back in West Jerusalem for interrogation. After several hours, Israeli forces again released Darwish.
However, Darwish’s friends and relatives -- Ahmad Darwish, 52, Ibrahim Darwish, 42, Mansour Darwish, 28, Muhammad Ubeid, 25, and Saeb Dirbas, 23 -- said that upon their return to Jerusalem, their three vehicles were "ambushed" by Israeli forces who had set up a flying checkpoint at the entrance to the city.
In an interview with Ma’an on Wednesday, Mansour Darwish, the former prisoner's cousin, said that their group encountered a crippling traffic jam caused by the checkpoint.
"When we tried to pass the checkpoint, our cars were stopped one after the other. Without even asking for our IDs or driving licenses, they made us step outside, and officers from the Israeli police special Yasam unit started to beat us violently -- and we had no idea why."
Mansour highlighted that Israeli forces were heavily deployed in and around the checkpoint while police punched and kicked the five men in the face, chest, behind the ears, and other sensitive areas, also beating them with rifle butts and batons.
Five Palestinians said they were pulled from their vehicles, violently assaulted, and detained by Israeli forces at a checkpoint in occupied East Jerusalem, after returning home from southern Israel where they had attempted to welcome home their relative who had just been released from Israeli prison.
Moussa Darwish was set to be released from Ktziot prison in the Negev region on Sunday after completing a 12-year sentence, but the newly freed man found Israeli intelligence officers waiting for him outside the prison, who immediately redetained him.
Israeli forces prevented the group of family and friends from approaching Darwish, after they had traveled from Issawiya in East Jerusalem and arrived to the prison.
They were notified that Darwish had been taken to Israel’s Russian Compound detention center back in West Jerusalem for interrogation. After several hours, Israeli forces again released Darwish.
However, Darwish’s friends and relatives -- Ahmad Darwish, 52, Ibrahim Darwish, 42, Mansour Darwish, 28, Muhammad Ubeid, 25, and Saeb Dirbas, 23 -- said that upon their return to Jerusalem, their three vehicles were "ambushed" by Israeli forces who had set up a flying checkpoint at the entrance to the city.
In an interview with Ma’an on Wednesday, Mansour Darwish, the former prisoner's cousin, said that their group encountered a crippling traffic jam caused by the checkpoint.
"When we tried to pass the checkpoint, our cars were stopped one after the other. Without even asking for our IDs or driving licenses, they made us step outside, and officers from the Israeli police special Yasam unit started to beat us violently -- and we had no idea why."
Mansour highlighted that Israeli forces were heavily deployed in and around the checkpoint while police punched and kicked the five men in the face, chest, behind the ears, and other sensitive areas, also beating them with rifle butts and batons.
52-year-old Ahmad Darwish, pictured with a black eye inflicted by the police beating
The five were then taken to the Russian Compound detention center, and shortly after, Ahmad Darwish, Ibrahim Darwish, and Saeb Dirbas were released.
Mansour Darwish and Muhammad Ubeid remained in detention until the following day on Monday.
Mansour Darwish said that after spending the night in detention, he and Ubeid were taken to court on Monday and the judge decided to release them at a bail of 1,500 shekels (approximately $410) each, and placed them under five-day house arrest.
He stressed that Israeli officers continued to assault the five men while they were being transported to the detention center and also while they were inside the compound.
“At midnight (Monday) when we were referred to a doctor inside the Russian Compound, he refused to treat us even though we had blood running down our faces, which were badly swollen and bruised.”
Only in the early dawn hours of Monday were they sent for treatment at Israel’s Hadassah hospital in West Jerusalem.
The victims told Ma'an that they would file a complaint against Israeli police to the internal investigations department, highlighting that despite accusations from their interrogators that they had "harassed and attacked police officers, were driving very fast, and disobeyed police orders," they had been travelling within the speed limit and were not given any police orders throughout the ordeal with which to comply.
Cases of discrimination, abuse, and mistreatment of Palestinian adults and children by Israeli police in occupied East Jerusalem have been well-documented and widely condemned for years.
Rights groups have also condemned the expansive network of checkpoints and roadblocks enforced by Israeli police across occupied East Jerusalem, disrupting freedom of movement for some 300,000 Palestinians, which Israeli NGO B’Tselem has said amounts to “collective punishment.”
In recent months, Israeli forces have meanwhile escalated a crackdown on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem through hundreds of violent overnight raids, handing down harsh prison sentences to local youth, in addition to a demolition of campaign of Palestinian homes as illegal Israeli settlements in the area continue to expand.
Israeli daily Haaretz recently reported that intelligence-gathering raids in East Jerusalem were made in breach of protocol and constituted a violation of residents’ basic rights. The report said that over the course of two months, some 500 Palestinian homes had been raided in East Jerusalem by Israeli police officers who did not present warrants, contrary to proper procedures.
The five were then taken to the Russian Compound detention center, and shortly after, Ahmad Darwish, Ibrahim Darwish, and Saeb Dirbas were released.
Mansour Darwish and Muhammad Ubeid remained in detention until the following day on Monday.
Mansour Darwish said that after spending the night in detention, he and Ubeid were taken to court on Monday and the judge decided to release them at a bail of 1,500 shekels (approximately $410) each, and placed them under five-day house arrest.
He stressed that Israeli officers continued to assault the five men while they were being transported to the detention center and also while they were inside the compound.
“At midnight (Monday) when we were referred to a doctor inside the Russian Compound, he refused to treat us even though we had blood running down our faces, which were badly swollen and bruised.”
Only in the early dawn hours of Monday were they sent for treatment at Israel’s Hadassah hospital in West Jerusalem.
The victims told Ma'an that they would file a complaint against Israeli police to the internal investigations department, highlighting that despite accusations from their interrogators that they had "harassed and attacked police officers, were driving very fast, and disobeyed police orders," they had been travelling within the speed limit and were not given any police orders throughout the ordeal with which to comply.
Cases of discrimination, abuse, and mistreatment of Palestinian adults and children by Israeli police in occupied East Jerusalem have been well-documented and widely condemned for years.
Rights groups have also condemned the expansive network of checkpoints and roadblocks enforced by Israeli police across occupied East Jerusalem, disrupting freedom of movement for some 300,000 Palestinians, which Israeli NGO B’Tselem has said amounts to “collective punishment.”
In recent months, Israeli forces have meanwhile escalated a crackdown on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem through hundreds of violent overnight raids, handing down harsh prison sentences to local youth, in addition to a demolition of campaign of Palestinian homes as illegal Israeli settlements in the area continue to expand.
Israeli daily Haaretz recently reported that intelligence-gathering raids in East Jerusalem were made in breach of protocol and constituted a violation of residents’ basic rights. The report said that over the course of two months, some 500 Palestinian homes had been raided in East Jerusalem by Israeli police officers who did not present warrants, contrary to proper procedures.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacked Wednesday morning Palestinian farmers along Gaza borders and fishermen sailing within the Palestinian territorial waters with gunfire.
According to local sources, Israeli forces stationed along the borders with eastern Rafah city, in southern Gaza Strip, opened heavy machine gunfire toward farmers and prevented them access to their borderline agricultural land. However, no injuries or material damage were reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli naval forces targeted Palestinian fishermen with gunfire, despite sailing within the 6-nuatical mile allowed fishing zone, northern of Gaza city.
No injuries were reported among the farmers who reportedly fled the scene for fear of being injured.
According to local sources, Israeli forces stationed along the borders with eastern Rafah city, in southern Gaza Strip, opened heavy machine gunfire toward farmers and prevented them access to their borderline agricultural land. However, no injuries or material damage were reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli naval forces targeted Palestinian fishermen with gunfire, despite sailing within the 6-nuatical mile allowed fishing zone, northern of Gaza city.
No injuries were reported among the farmers who reportedly fled the scene for fear of being injured.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Tuesday afternoon six Palestinians including a child when clashes broke out near Ofer prison in Ramallah.
Heavy firing of teargas bombs was monitored during the clashes, leaving a number of protesters suffering breathing problems.
Journalists have been also attacked by IOF while covering the events.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) pointed out that five Palestinian youths and a 13-year-old child were detained and taken to a nearly investigation center.
The clashes erupted following a demonstration organized by the students of Birzeit University protesting the IOF assassination of Basel al-Araj in Ramallah on Monday.
The protesters chanted slogans demanding an end to Israeli occupation and security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Earlier Monday, Basel al-Araj was fatally gunned down by IOF at his family home in the central West Bank province of Ramallah.
Heavy firing of teargas bombs was monitored during the clashes, leaving a number of protesters suffering breathing problems.
Journalists have been also attacked by IOF while covering the events.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) pointed out that five Palestinian youths and a 13-year-old child were detained and taken to a nearly investigation center.
The clashes erupted following a demonstration organized by the students of Birzeit University protesting the IOF assassination of Basel al-Araj in Ramallah on Monday.
The protesters chanted slogans demanding an end to Israeli occupation and security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Earlier Monday, Basel al-Araj was fatally gunned down by IOF at his family home in the central West Bank province of Ramallah.
7 mar 2017
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested 4 Palestinian youths and a child on Tuesday in confrontations near Ofer prison in Ramallah.
Local sources reported that a number of suffocation cases were reported in the confrontations.
The clashes erupted following a demonstration organized by the students of Birzeit University protesting the IOF assassination of Basel al-Araj in Ramallah on Monday.
The protesters chanted slogans against the Israeli occupation and called for halting the security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Local sources reported that a number of suffocation cases were reported in the confrontations.
The clashes erupted following a demonstration organized by the students of Birzeit University protesting the IOF assassination of Basel al-Araj in Ramallah on Monday.
The protesters chanted slogans against the Israeli occupation and called for halting the security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Tuesday morning shot and injured a Palestinian man in northern Gaza Strip.
The young man was slightly injured after being targeted by Israeli gunfire along with a group of people east of Jabalia refugee camp to the north of the Strip, spokesperson for the health ministry Ashraf Qudra said.
The injured was immediately taken to hospital for treatment, he added.
Four Israeli bulldozers have carried out earlier today a limited incursion east of Beit Hanoun town in the northern borders of the enclave.
IOF soldiers routinely shoot at Palestinian farmers in their agricultural lands near the border fence.
The young man was slightly injured after being targeted by Israeli gunfire along with a group of people east of Jabalia refugee camp to the north of the Strip, spokesperson for the health ministry Ashraf Qudra said.
The injured was immediately taken to hospital for treatment, he added.
Four Israeli bulldozers have carried out earlier today a limited incursion east of Beit Hanoun town in the northern borders of the enclave.
IOF soldiers routinely shoot at Palestinian farmers in their agricultural lands near the border fence.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at daybreak Tuesday stormed West Bank provinces and wreaked havoc on Palestinian ex-prisoners’ homes.
Reporting from the southern West Bank province of al-Khalil, a PIC news correspondent said the IOF ravaged over 20 ex-prisoners’ homes and seized cash.
Ex-prisoner Fayez Mesk was detained by the IOF for hours and subjected to intensive questioning before he was released afterwards.
Ex-prisoner Mesk said on Facebook that the occupation soldiers stole 15,000 shekels from his home.
The campaign also targeted the homes of ex-prisoners Anas Zagheir, Ahmed al-Aweiwi (journalist), Sheikh Fawzi al-Khatib, and Hesham al-Sharbati, among others.
The Israeli forces also rummaged into the home of ex-prisoner Rasmi Doufesh, the father of the two slain Palestinians Tareq and Jihad, and seized laptops and mobile phones.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army claimed, overnight, responsibility for the abduction of a Hamas activist from Jenin’s southern town of Qabatiya and two other Palestinians from Husan, west of Bethlehem, on allegations of involvement in anti-occupation activities.
The IOF further closed a blacksmith shop in Jama’in village, in southern Nablus, and seized all of its equipment on claims that it was used to manufacture weapons.
The IOF also claimed that weapons and ammunition were detected in Bartaa, near Jenin.
At the same time, thousands of dollars were seized by the Israeli army in arbitrary assaults targeting Palestinian homes in al-Khalil on allegations that they are funneled to anti-occupation organizations.
Meanwhile, a flock of Israeli military patrols, escorted by a police jeep, stormed Nablus’s eastern towns of Rujaib and Ourata and rummaged into civilian homes. A Palestinian vehicle was seized from Rujaib in the process.
The campaign culminated in the abduction of six Palestinians from southern Jenin. At least 20 Palestinian homes have been subjected to abrupt searches in Bartaa town, to the east.
The occupation army further cracked down on the Palestinian residents and subjected dozens to exhaustive interrogation.
The list of Jenin arrestees included Saleh Hathnawi Mootassem Qubha, Mu’nis Qubha, Mujahed Khatib, and the two brothers Hamed and Maher.
At predawn time, Palestinian youth Talib Jumu’a sustained thigh wounds in clashes with the IOF in Kafr Kaddoum, in eastern Qalqilya. He was rushed to a local hospital for urgent treatment.
The IOF further kidnapped a Palestinian youth from the town and summoned four others to questioning.
The Israeli forces reportedly raked through Qalqilya’s eastern town of Azzoun and broke into the home of the Palestinian citizen Sofyan Awdeh before they attacked his family members.
Reporting from the southern West Bank province of al-Khalil, a PIC news correspondent said the IOF ravaged over 20 ex-prisoners’ homes and seized cash.
Ex-prisoner Fayez Mesk was detained by the IOF for hours and subjected to intensive questioning before he was released afterwards.
Ex-prisoner Mesk said on Facebook that the occupation soldiers stole 15,000 shekels from his home.
The campaign also targeted the homes of ex-prisoners Anas Zagheir, Ahmed al-Aweiwi (journalist), Sheikh Fawzi al-Khatib, and Hesham al-Sharbati, among others.
The Israeli forces also rummaged into the home of ex-prisoner Rasmi Doufesh, the father of the two slain Palestinians Tareq and Jihad, and seized laptops and mobile phones.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army claimed, overnight, responsibility for the abduction of a Hamas activist from Jenin’s southern town of Qabatiya and two other Palestinians from Husan, west of Bethlehem, on allegations of involvement in anti-occupation activities.
The IOF further closed a blacksmith shop in Jama’in village, in southern Nablus, and seized all of its equipment on claims that it was used to manufacture weapons.
The IOF also claimed that weapons and ammunition were detected in Bartaa, near Jenin.
At the same time, thousands of dollars were seized by the Israeli army in arbitrary assaults targeting Palestinian homes in al-Khalil on allegations that they are funneled to anti-occupation organizations.
Meanwhile, a flock of Israeli military patrols, escorted by a police jeep, stormed Nablus’s eastern towns of Rujaib and Ourata and rummaged into civilian homes. A Palestinian vehicle was seized from Rujaib in the process.
The campaign culminated in the abduction of six Palestinians from southern Jenin. At least 20 Palestinian homes have been subjected to abrupt searches in Bartaa town, to the east.
The occupation army further cracked down on the Palestinian residents and subjected dozens to exhaustive interrogation.
The list of Jenin arrestees included Saleh Hathnawi Mootassem Qubha, Mu’nis Qubha, Mujahed Khatib, and the two brothers Hamed and Maher.
At predawn time, Palestinian youth Talib Jumu’a sustained thigh wounds in clashes with the IOF in Kafr Kaddoum, in eastern Qalqilya. He was rushed to a local hospital for urgent treatment.
The IOF further kidnapped a Palestinian youth from the town and summoned four others to questioning.
The Israeli forces reportedly raked through Qalqilya’s eastern town of Azzoun and broke into the home of the Palestinian citizen Sofyan Awdeh before they attacked his family members.
