8 nov 2019
A video has surfaced online showing two Israeli soldiers shoving and cocking a gun in the face of a Palestinian father in the presence of his young son, causing outrage among Palestinian social media users.
The scuffle — which took place in the southern West Bank city of (Hebron) on Tuesday — starts with an Israeli soldier shouting at the man, saying that the child has been throwing rocks at the regime’s forces.
“Throwing rocks?! He’s five years old,” exclaimed the father.
“Yes, throwing rocks, all your friends are throwing rocks. I don’t care [how old he is],” the Israeli soldier replied.
Another Israeli soldier then joined in and both started shoving the Palestinian man. The man responded by saying “don’t raise your hands on me.”
One of the Israeli soldiers cocked and aimed his gun at the father’s face as he tried to move on with his child.
The incident, nonetheless, gained widespread attention, prompting Israeli authorities to claim that they were probing the incident.
This is not the first time that Israeli soldiers have been caught on camera assaulting Palestinians.
Just last week, footage emerged showing an Israeli police officer firing at an unarmed young Palestinian man as he was leaving the scene with his arms raised.
Israeli police claimed the incident had taken place roughly a year and a half ago and the officer had been arrested on suspicion of shooting the Palestinian man with a sponge-tipped bullet “as a dubious form of entertainment.”
Crimes perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians are rarely acknowledged by their authorities. Limited cases against Israeli forces are addressed in courts and are also known to result in very mild prison sentences.
In a notable case in 2017, the United Nations slammed a “lenient” 18-month prison sentence handed to Israeli Sergeant Elor Azaria who had killed a wounded Palestinian. The UN described the murder as an apparent “extrajudicial execution.”
Several human rights organizations have highlighted that the Israeli military purposely targets Palestinians with unnecessary lethal force, with one report saying that senior Israeli officials have encouraged forces “to unlawfully shoot to kill.”
The scuffle — which took place in the southern West Bank city of (Hebron) on Tuesday — starts with an Israeli soldier shouting at the man, saying that the child has been throwing rocks at the regime’s forces.
“Throwing rocks?! He’s five years old,” exclaimed the father.
“Yes, throwing rocks, all your friends are throwing rocks. I don’t care [how old he is],” the Israeli soldier replied.
Another Israeli soldier then joined in and both started shoving the Palestinian man. The man responded by saying “don’t raise your hands on me.”
One of the Israeli soldiers cocked and aimed his gun at the father’s face as he tried to move on with his child.
The incident, nonetheless, gained widespread attention, prompting Israeli authorities to claim that they were probing the incident.
This is not the first time that Israeli soldiers have been caught on camera assaulting Palestinians.
Just last week, footage emerged showing an Israeli police officer firing at an unarmed young Palestinian man as he was leaving the scene with his arms raised.
Israeli police claimed the incident had taken place roughly a year and a half ago and the officer had been arrested on suspicion of shooting the Palestinian man with a sponge-tipped bullet “as a dubious form of entertainment.”
Crimes perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians are rarely acknowledged by their authorities. Limited cases against Israeli forces are addressed in courts and are also known to result in very mild prison sentences.
In a notable case in 2017, the United Nations slammed a “lenient” 18-month prison sentence handed to Israeli Sergeant Elor Azaria who had killed a wounded Palestinian. The UN described the murder as an apparent “extrajudicial execution.”
Several human rights organizations have highlighted that the Israeli military purposely targets Palestinians with unnecessary lethal force, with one report saying that senior Israeli officials have encouraged forces “to unlawfully shoot to kill.”
The Palestinian Center For Human Rights (PCHR):104 Palestinian civilians, including 43 children, a woman and a paramedic, were shot and injured by Israeli occupation forces’ (IOF) fire against peaceful protestors at the 82nd Great March of Return (GMR), this Friday, 08 November 2019.
This week, IOF continued the use of excessive force against peaceful protestors, as 41 civilians sustained live-bullet-injuries – including 2 children in critical condition- in addition to other injuries by rubber bullets and tear gas canisters mainly in protesters’ upper bodies.
Large crowds participated in the protest, as thousands of civilians joined across the 5 GMR encampments. Today’s protest titled: “We Shall Carry On” and lasted from 14:00 to 17:30.
Since the outbreak of GMR on 30 March 2018, PCHR documented 214 civilian killings by IOF, including 46 children, 2 women, 9 persons with disabilities, 4 paramedics and 2 journalists. Additionally, IOF shot and injured 14,706 civilians, including 3,691 children, 387 women, 253 paramedics and 218 journalists, noting that many sustained multiple injuries on separate occasions.
The following is a summary of today’s events along the Gaza Strip border:
Northern Gaza Strip:
demonstrations took part in eastern Jabalia. Protesters threw stones at IOF stationed along the border fence. It was noted that IOF installed surveillance cameras on the sand berms, 50 meters away from the border fence.
These cameras were directed towards the protestors. IOF shot and injured 23 civilians, including a woman and 11 children; one was deemed critical: 8 with live bullets and shrapnel, 11 with rubber bullets and 4 were hit with tear gas canisters. ‘Abed al-Rahman Talal ‘Abed al-Latif al-Hisami (16) was shot with an explosive live bullet, causing serious laceration in his legs bones and cuts in the veins and tendons.
Gaza City:
protests took part in Malaka area in eastern Gaza City. IOF shot and injured 13 civilians, including 6 children: 2 with live bullets and shrapnel, 10 with rubber bullets and one was hit with a tear gas canister.
Central Gaza Strip:
protests took part in eastern al-Buriej Camp and the area witnessed several shows. Hundreds gathered near the border fence and attempted to throw stones and sound bombs at IOF, who fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 11 civilians, including 4 children, were injured: 8 with live bullets and 3 with rubber bullets.
Khan Younis:
Hundreds of civilians joint today’s protests in Khuza’ah area in eastern Khan Yunis. The protest involved activities such as raising flags and banners written on them “To Continue” by protestors. Dozens gathered near the border fence, set fire to tires and attempted to throw stones and firecrackers. IOF fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them.
As a result, 12 civilians, including 7 children and a paramedic, were injured and taken to hospitals: 7 shot with live bullets and shrapnel and 5 with rubber bullets. Moreover, many civilians sustained superficial rubber bullets wounds and suffocated due to tear gas inhalation.
They received treatment on the spot. The wounded paramedic, Kamal Jawad Kamal al-Shehri (24), was shot with a rubber bullet in his head. It should be noted that some Palestinian young men flocked to today’s protests at 13:00 and were shot with live bullets and hit with tear gas canisters.
Rafah:
hundreds of protestors gathered in eastern al-Shawka neighborhood while others remained at the protest encampment, where speeches and theatrical performances were performed. Dozens attempted to approach the fence and throw stones and burnt tires. IOF fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at protestors and pumped wastewater at them.
As a result, 45 civilians, including 15 children, were injured; one was deemed critical: 16 shot with live bullets and shrapnel, 24 with rubber bullets and 5 were hit with tear gas canisters. Mousa Fawzi ‘Ali Abu Hussain (12) was directly hit with a tear gas canister in his head causing fracture in his skull. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis.
Public Document
**************************************
Follow PCHR on Facebook and Twitter
For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893
Gaza- Jamal ‘Abdel Nasser “al-Thalathini” Street – Al-Roya Building- Floor 12 , El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: [email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
This week, IOF continued the use of excessive force against peaceful protestors, as 41 civilians sustained live-bullet-injuries – including 2 children in critical condition- in addition to other injuries by rubber bullets and tear gas canisters mainly in protesters’ upper bodies.
Large crowds participated in the protest, as thousands of civilians joined across the 5 GMR encampments. Today’s protest titled: “We Shall Carry On” and lasted from 14:00 to 17:30.
Since the outbreak of GMR on 30 March 2018, PCHR documented 214 civilian killings by IOF, including 46 children, 2 women, 9 persons with disabilities, 4 paramedics and 2 journalists. Additionally, IOF shot and injured 14,706 civilians, including 3,691 children, 387 women, 253 paramedics and 218 journalists, noting that many sustained multiple injuries on separate occasions.
The following is a summary of today’s events along the Gaza Strip border:
Northern Gaza Strip:
demonstrations took part in eastern Jabalia. Protesters threw stones at IOF stationed along the border fence. It was noted that IOF installed surveillance cameras on the sand berms, 50 meters away from the border fence.
These cameras were directed towards the protestors. IOF shot and injured 23 civilians, including a woman and 11 children; one was deemed critical: 8 with live bullets and shrapnel, 11 with rubber bullets and 4 were hit with tear gas canisters. ‘Abed al-Rahman Talal ‘Abed al-Latif al-Hisami (16) was shot with an explosive live bullet, causing serious laceration in his legs bones and cuts in the veins and tendons.
Gaza City:
protests took part in Malaka area in eastern Gaza City. IOF shot and injured 13 civilians, including 6 children: 2 with live bullets and shrapnel, 10 with rubber bullets and one was hit with a tear gas canister.
Central Gaza Strip:
protests took part in eastern al-Buriej Camp and the area witnessed several shows. Hundreds gathered near the border fence and attempted to throw stones and sound bombs at IOF, who fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 11 civilians, including 4 children, were injured: 8 with live bullets and 3 with rubber bullets.
Khan Younis:
Hundreds of civilians joint today’s protests in Khuza’ah area in eastern Khan Yunis. The protest involved activities such as raising flags and banners written on them “To Continue” by protestors. Dozens gathered near the border fence, set fire to tires and attempted to throw stones and firecrackers. IOF fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them.
As a result, 12 civilians, including 7 children and a paramedic, were injured and taken to hospitals: 7 shot with live bullets and shrapnel and 5 with rubber bullets. Moreover, many civilians sustained superficial rubber bullets wounds and suffocated due to tear gas inhalation.
They received treatment on the spot. The wounded paramedic, Kamal Jawad Kamal al-Shehri (24), was shot with a rubber bullet in his head. It should be noted that some Palestinian young men flocked to today’s protests at 13:00 and were shot with live bullets and hit with tear gas canisters.
Rafah:
hundreds of protestors gathered in eastern al-Shawka neighborhood while others remained at the protest encampment, where speeches and theatrical performances were performed. Dozens attempted to approach the fence and throw stones and burnt tires. IOF fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at protestors and pumped wastewater at them.
As a result, 45 civilians, including 15 children, were injured; one was deemed critical: 16 shot with live bullets and shrapnel, 24 with rubber bullets and 5 were hit with tear gas canisters. Mousa Fawzi ‘Ali Abu Hussain (12) was directly hit with a tear gas canister in his head causing fracture in his skull. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis.
Public Document
**************************************
Follow PCHR on Facebook and Twitter
For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893
Gaza- Jamal ‘Abdel Nasser “al-Thalathini” Street – Al-Roya Building- Floor 12 , El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: [email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) last night and at dawn Friday stormed different areas of the West Bank and kidnaped at least five Palestinian citizens.
According to a statement by the Israeli army, the IOF arrested four wanted Palestinians in the West Bank.
Local sources in Ramallah said that the IOF kidnaped two brothers from the family of Dalaysha from their home in al-Jalazoun refugee camp.
The IOF also stormed al-Baloua neighborhood in al-Bireh city and later kidnaped two young men from Wad al-Dalb area in Ramallah.
In Nablus, the IOF ransacked several homes in Beit Furik town and one store belonging to a prisoner before kidnaping a citizen from his house.
The IOF also stormed Azzun town in Qalqilya and confiscated a car for a while on the main road leading to its northern entrance.
Local sources said that Israeli soldiers fired tear gas grenades at Palestinian cars entering and leaving Azzun town and chased local youths in ash-Shamiya neighborhood during the campaign.
Meanwhile, the IOF raided several homes in al-Khalil city and Halhul town in the north, without making arrests.
According to a statement by the Israeli army, the IOF arrested four wanted Palestinians in the West Bank.
Local sources in Ramallah said that the IOF kidnaped two brothers from the family of Dalaysha from their home in al-Jalazoun refugee camp.
The IOF also stormed al-Baloua neighborhood in al-Bireh city and later kidnaped two young men from Wad al-Dalb area in Ramallah.
In Nablus, the IOF ransacked several homes in Beit Furik town and one store belonging to a prisoner before kidnaping a citizen from his house.
The IOF also stormed Azzun town in Qalqilya and confiscated a car for a while on the main road leading to its northern entrance.
Local sources said that Israeli soldiers fired tear gas grenades at Palestinian cars entering and leaving Azzun town and chased local youths in ash-Shamiya neighborhood during the campaign.
Meanwhile, the IOF raided several homes in al-Khalil city and Halhul town in the north, without making arrests.
The Israeli occupation navy on Thursday kidnaped two fishermen and confiscated their boat off the southern coast of the Gaza Strip.
According to local sources, Israeli gunboats fired live ammunition and water cannons at the fishermen and their boats as they were working off the shore of Rafah last night.
Naval forces aboard the gunboats kidnaped two fishermen after encircling their boat and confiscating it, the sources added.
Israeli gunboats are around Gaza fishermen almost every day, harassing them, shooting at them, damaging their boats, and making arrests. Sometimes fishermen are injured or killed during gunfire attacks.
Under the 1993 Oslo accords, Palestinian fishermen are permitted to fish up to 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, but since then Israel has kept reducing the fishing area gradually to a limit of three nautical miles as part of its blockade on Gaza.
Fishermen and human rights groups also say that since the 2008-09 war in Gaza, the Israeli army has been regularly enforcing a limit even closer to the shore.
According to local sources, Israeli gunboats fired live ammunition and water cannons at the fishermen and their boats as they were working off the shore of Rafah last night.
Naval forces aboard the gunboats kidnaped two fishermen after encircling their boat and confiscating it, the sources added.
Israeli gunboats are around Gaza fishermen almost every day, harassing them, shooting at them, damaging their boats, and making arrests. Sometimes fishermen are injured or killed during gunfire attacks.
Under the 1993 Oslo accords, Palestinian fishermen are permitted to fish up to 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, but since then Israel has kept reducing the fishing area gradually to a limit of three nautical miles as part of its blockade on Gaza.
Fishermen and human rights groups also say that since the 2008-09 war in Gaza, the Israeli army has been regularly enforcing a limit even closer to the shore.
Israeli soldiers invaded, on Thursday evening, the al-‘Isawiya town in occupied East Jerusalem, and shot a woman with a rubber-coated steel bullet in her head, before abducting her teenage boy.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (SIlwanic) said the soldiers attacked many Palestinians, who were protesting the invasion into the area of a local mosque, especially after the soldiers stormed and searched stores and homes.
Silwanic added that the soldiers fired rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades at random, injuring a woman with a rubber-coated steel bullet in her head, before abducting her teenage son, Amir Karim Hweih.
The woman was moved to Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, while her son was taken to a detention facility in the occupied city. video
In related news, the soldiers abducted a former political prisoner, identified as Mohammad Ibrahim Abu Mariya, 24, after stopping him at a sudden military roadblock, near the al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in southern West Bank.
The abducted Palestinian is from Beit Ummar town, north of the Hebron; the soldiers took him to a nearby military base.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (SIlwanic) said the soldiers attacked many Palestinians, who were protesting the invasion into the area of a local mosque, especially after the soldiers stormed and searched stores and homes.
Silwanic added that the soldiers fired rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades at random, injuring a woman with a rubber-coated steel bullet in her head, before abducting her teenage son, Amir Karim Hweih.
The woman was moved to Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, while her son was taken to a detention facility in the occupied city. video
In related news, the soldiers abducted a former political prisoner, identified as Mohammad Ibrahim Abu Mariya, 24, after stopping him at a sudden military roadblock, near the al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in southern West Bank.
The abducted Palestinian is from Beit Ummar town, north of the Hebron; the soldiers took him to a nearby military base.
7 nov 2019
Smoke rises from Er-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City after Israeli warplanes carry out a fresh wave of airstrikes across the blockaded Gaza Strip on 25 March, 2019, in Gaza City, Gaza
Benny Gantz, the leader of Israel’s newly-founded Kahol Lavan – the Blue and White Party – is the rising star of Israeli politics. The fact that he has the opportunity to finally oust long-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks volumes about the appeal of his political message, his charisma, and his growing credibility among many social sectors in Israel.
Gantz’s rival, Netanyahu, is a polarizing character in Israel, as well as in the United States.
‘Bibi’s’ special relationship with the American President, Donald Trump, made him either loved or hated by most Americans. According to a February 2017 Gallup poll, 65% of all Republicans view Netanyahu favorably, while only 18% of Democrats share that view.
But Netanyahu is not just the archetypical, devious and self-serving politician, he is able to inflict immense damage as well. He has launched major wars on Gaza and used military force, and blockades on civilian populations to serve his own limited political agenda and to simply garner votes. While avowedly racist, Netanyahu’s racism often flares during election seasons to galvanize his ardent far-right supporters.
“The Arabs want to annihilate us all — women, children and men”, read a message from Netanyahu’s Facebook page that was sent to Israeli voters during his election campaign in September. In his message, Netanyahu used a word for genocide usually reserved for the Holocaust,” reported the LA Times.
However, enthusiasm to see the end of the sinister Netanyahu legacy may blind some from understanding that a Gantz-led government does not necessarily signal a shift in Israeli politics, neither in Gaza nor anywhere else.
As a former chief of general staff of the Israeli army, Gantz orchestrated the destructive war on the besieged Gaza Strip in 2014. Despite the heavy death toll, he showed no remorse. Instead, in a campaign video clip in January 2019, he boasted about sending “parts of Gaza back to the Stone Age”.
Indeed, Gantz oversaw the systematic annihilation of the besieged Gaza region, which resulted in the deaths of over 2,200 Palestinians and the destruction of 18,000 housing units.
Despite his violent pledge, Gantz failed to achieve the needed votes to form a government in the April 2019 elections. That was followed by Netanyahu’s failure to unify the ranks of his rightwing coalition which ultimately led to holding yet another general election in September.
To bolster his image as a strong Israeli leader, worthy of the people’s trust, Gantz promised in August that the next round of war against Gaza will be the “final round”.
“We do not intend to let deterrence continue to be eroded; we do not intend to allow this model of another round and another round and another kite and another missile and another thing to continue,” Gantz said during a visit to the fence separating besieged Gaza from Israel.
“The next time something happens here, we will make sure that it’s the final round,” he said.
The Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that “Gantz further said that if another conflict erupts while he is prime minister, the military would move to kill all of Hamas’ leadership”.
Judging by his constant references to the subject, Gantz appears genuinely obsessed with killing and destroying, with Gaza featuring constantly and prominently in his violent language.
Now that Gantz is in the throes of government formation, he is desperate to win the support of as many Israeli members of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) as possible. Expectedly, Gantz unleashed his political venom on Gaza, yet again.
“A government led by me will not bear a threat against the residents in the south and will not accept undermining Israel’s sovereignty,” he wrote on Twitter on November 2. “We will return deterrence with any cost, even if we are obliged to kill those who lead the escalations.”
It could be argued that Gantz’s violent attitude towards Palestinians is simply equal to that of Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders. However, one important difference makes Gantz even more dangerous. If the former general becomes Israel’s prime minister, he would take office with so much to prove, a reputation to garner and uphold, and numerous violent promises to fulfill.
In fact, Gantz is likely to arrive on the political scene with a vengeance; after all, he has already accused Netanyahu of being too “weak” on Gaza.
“People who are weak in front of Hamas in Gaza might bring a wave of horror to the West Bank,” Gantz said in August, referring to Netanyahu’s right-wing government.
Imagine, Netanyahu who was responsible for the highest death toll in any war launched against Gaza since 1967 is considered, per Gantz’s reasoning, “weak”. One can only guess what such an ominous statement means in practice.
The truth is, regardless of who rules Israel next, war on Gaza seems imminent. A Gantz-led government is likely to try to appease Israel’s war-hungry constituency; a Netanyahu-led government would naturally want to assert itself and prove that, unlike recurring accusations, it is not “weak”; and, finally, a joint-government coalition is likely to present to Palestinians and the entire region a two-headed monster, combining all of Israel’s violent forces into a perfect war storm.
The difference between Gantz and Netanyahu is hardly distinguishable; neither has a plan to achieve a just peace, or even the faintest desire to find one. It must certainly be satisfying for many to see war-criminal Netanyahu exiting the political office, or better yet, behind bars for his many corruption scandals. The sad truth is, however, that Gantz is unlikely to fare better as a prime minister than Netanyahu. Based on his war-mongering discourse, the Israeli general’s plans for war on Gaza are most likely already formulated and ready for execution.
Benny Gantz, the leader of Israel’s newly-founded Kahol Lavan – the Blue and White Party – is the rising star of Israeli politics. The fact that he has the opportunity to finally oust long-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks volumes about the appeal of his political message, his charisma, and his growing credibility among many social sectors in Israel.
Gantz’s rival, Netanyahu, is a polarizing character in Israel, as well as in the United States.
‘Bibi’s’ special relationship with the American President, Donald Trump, made him either loved or hated by most Americans. According to a February 2017 Gallup poll, 65% of all Republicans view Netanyahu favorably, while only 18% of Democrats share that view.
But Netanyahu is not just the archetypical, devious and self-serving politician, he is able to inflict immense damage as well. He has launched major wars on Gaza and used military force, and blockades on civilian populations to serve his own limited political agenda and to simply garner votes. While avowedly racist, Netanyahu’s racism often flares during election seasons to galvanize his ardent far-right supporters.
“The Arabs want to annihilate us all — women, children and men”, read a message from Netanyahu’s Facebook page that was sent to Israeli voters during his election campaign in September. In his message, Netanyahu used a word for genocide usually reserved for the Holocaust,” reported the LA Times.
However, enthusiasm to see the end of the sinister Netanyahu legacy may blind some from understanding that a Gantz-led government does not necessarily signal a shift in Israeli politics, neither in Gaza nor anywhere else.
As a former chief of general staff of the Israeli army, Gantz orchestrated the destructive war on the besieged Gaza Strip in 2014. Despite the heavy death toll, he showed no remorse. Instead, in a campaign video clip in January 2019, he boasted about sending “parts of Gaza back to the Stone Age”.
Indeed, Gantz oversaw the systematic annihilation of the besieged Gaza region, which resulted in the deaths of over 2,200 Palestinians and the destruction of 18,000 housing units.
Despite his violent pledge, Gantz failed to achieve the needed votes to form a government in the April 2019 elections. That was followed by Netanyahu’s failure to unify the ranks of his rightwing coalition which ultimately led to holding yet another general election in September.
To bolster his image as a strong Israeli leader, worthy of the people’s trust, Gantz promised in August that the next round of war against Gaza will be the “final round”.
“We do not intend to let deterrence continue to be eroded; we do not intend to allow this model of another round and another round and another kite and another missile and another thing to continue,” Gantz said during a visit to the fence separating besieged Gaza from Israel.
“The next time something happens here, we will make sure that it’s the final round,” he said.
The Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that “Gantz further said that if another conflict erupts while he is prime minister, the military would move to kill all of Hamas’ leadership”.
Judging by his constant references to the subject, Gantz appears genuinely obsessed with killing and destroying, with Gaza featuring constantly and prominently in his violent language.
Now that Gantz is in the throes of government formation, he is desperate to win the support of as many Israeli members of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) as possible. Expectedly, Gantz unleashed his political venom on Gaza, yet again.
“A government led by me will not bear a threat against the residents in the south and will not accept undermining Israel’s sovereignty,” he wrote on Twitter on November 2. “We will return deterrence with any cost, even if we are obliged to kill those who lead the escalations.”
It could be argued that Gantz’s violent attitude towards Palestinians is simply equal to that of Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders. However, one important difference makes Gantz even more dangerous. If the former general becomes Israel’s prime minister, he would take office with so much to prove, a reputation to garner and uphold, and numerous violent promises to fulfill.
In fact, Gantz is likely to arrive on the political scene with a vengeance; after all, he has already accused Netanyahu of being too “weak” on Gaza.
“People who are weak in front of Hamas in Gaza might bring a wave of horror to the West Bank,” Gantz said in August, referring to Netanyahu’s right-wing government.
Imagine, Netanyahu who was responsible for the highest death toll in any war launched against Gaza since 1967 is considered, per Gantz’s reasoning, “weak”. One can only guess what such an ominous statement means in practice.
The truth is, regardless of who rules Israel next, war on Gaza seems imminent. A Gantz-led government is likely to try to appease Israel’s war-hungry constituency; a Netanyahu-led government would naturally want to assert itself and prove that, unlike recurring accusations, it is not “weak”; and, finally, a joint-government coalition is likely to present to Palestinians and the entire region a two-headed monster, combining all of Israel’s violent forces into a perfect war storm.
The difference between Gantz and Netanyahu is hardly distinguishable; neither has a plan to achieve a just peace, or even the faintest desire to find one. It must certainly be satisfying for many to see war-criminal Netanyahu exiting the political office, or better yet, behind bars for his many corruption scandals. The sad truth is, however, that Gantz is unlikely to fare better as a prime minister than Netanyahu. Based on his war-mongering discourse, the Israeli general’s plans for war on Gaza are most likely already formulated and ready for execution.
Israeli navy ships attacked, late on Wednesday at night, several Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza territorial waters in Rafah, in the southern part of the coastal region, and abducted two fishermen.
Eyewitnesses said the navy fired several live rounds at the fishing boats, in addition to trying to capsize them with water cannons.
They added that the navy abducted Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hadi al-Qan, 27, and Mohammad Shehda Zo’rob, 23, after surrounding their boat, and took them to an unknown destination.
Such violations are frequent in the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip, and include attacks against farmers and workers in areas close to the perimeter fence.
Eyewitnesses said the navy fired several live rounds at the fishing boats, in addition to trying to capsize them with water cannons.
They added that the navy abducted Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hadi al-Qan, 27, and Mohammad Shehda Zo’rob, 23, after surrounding their boat, and took them to an unknown destination.
Such violations are frequent in the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip, and include attacks against farmers and workers in areas close to the perimeter fence.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday morning launched a teargas attack on young bird hunters in a border area near the security fence in the east of central Gaza.
According to SAFA news agency, Israeli soldiers showered young men with tear gas grenades as they were hunting birds near Umm Husseineh area in the east of al-Bureij refugee camp and forced them to leave.
The IOF have targeted farmers, shepherds, bird hunters and citizens several times before during their presence in border areas inside Gaza at the pretext that they entered no-go areas.
According to SAFA news agency, Israeli soldiers showered young men with tear gas grenades as they were hunting birds near Umm Husseineh area in the east of al-Bureij refugee camp and forced them to leave.
The IOF have targeted farmers, shepherds, bird hunters and citizens several times before during their presence in border areas inside Gaza at the pretext that they entered no-go areas.
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Israeli soldiers shot, Wednesday, one Palestinian teenager, and abducted him along with another teen, in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian activist, Mohammad Ayyad Awad, said the soldiers ambushed several residents walking in the ath-Thaher area in Beit Ummar, and opened fire at them, wounding a teenager, identified as Amro Arafat Za’aqeeq, 17. He added that the teen was shot with a live round in his leg, before the soldiers forced him in their jeep, and drove to the nearby Karmie Tzur colony, which was built on illegally confiscated private Palestinian lands. |
The soldiers also prevented his father from seeing his wounded son and pushed him out of the area.
In addition, the soldiers abducted Rami Rafiq al-‘Allami, 17, from the same area, while he was working at a construction site. video
Many Palestinian workers and residents tried to de-arrest the teen, but the soldiers started firing live rounds in the air, before taking him to Karmie Tzur colony.
In addition, the soldiers abducted Rami Rafiq al-‘Allami, 17, from the same area, while he was working at a construction site. video
Many Palestinian workers and residents tried to de-arrest the teen, but the soldiers started firing live rounds in the air, before taking him to Karmie Tzur colony.
6 nov 2019
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday morning carried out a limited incursion into the northeast of the Gaza Strip border.
Local sources said that several armored bulldozers advanced a few meters into a border area in the east of Jabalia and embarked on leveling plots of land.
The sources reported seeing some soldiers deploying barbed wire along the security fence in the area.
The eastern border areas of Gaza are repeatedly exposed to Israeli military incursions and gunfire attacks, which prevents hundreds of farmers from working their lands near the security fence.
Local sources said that several armored bulldozers advanced a few meters into a border area in the east of Jabalia and embarked on leveling plots of land.
The sources reported seeing some soldiers deploying barbed wire along the security fence in the area.
The eastern border areas of Gaza are repeatedly exposed to Israeli military incursions and gunfire attacks, which prevents hundreds of farmers from working their lands near the security fence.
