31 dec 2017
Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, director of Islamic Endowments Department, said that Israeli break-ins into Al-Aqsa Mosque during 2017 were notably escalated.
Speaking to the PIC reporter, Sheikh al-Khatib affirmed that 26,000 settlers stormed the holy shrine over 2017 under Israeli government’ support.
The rate constitutes the highest over the years, he added.
Sheikh al-Khatib raised alarm bells over Israeli ongoing attempts to change the status quo in the Mosque.
Speaking to the PIC reporter, Sheikh al-Khatib affirmed that 26,000 settlers stormed the holy shrine over 2017 under Israeli government’ support.
The rate constitutes the highest over the years, he added.
Sheikh al-Khatib raised alarm bells over Israeli ongoing attempts to change the status quo in the Mosque.
30 dec 2017
Dozens of fanatic Jewish settlers on Saturday assaulted a group of Palestinian municipality staff while paving the roads of the Old City in al-Khalil in the southern West Bank.
The PIC reporter said that extremist settlers raided al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the Old City and asked the workers to leave the area. When they refused to do so, altercations and clashes resulted, he added.
Israeli occupation forces were summoned by settlers who were attacking Palestinians with stones. The municipality staff were forced to end their works and leave the area after being injured and left with bruises.
The PIC reporter said that extremist settlers raided al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the Old City and asked the workers to leave the area. When they refused to do so, altercations and clashes resulted, he added.
Israeli occupation forces were summoned by settlers who were attacking Palestinians with stones. The municipality staff were forced to end their works and leave the area after being injured and left with bruises.
29 dec 2017
A group of extremist Jewish settlers carried out arson attacks two days ago on Palestinian homes in Beit Safafa, south of Occupied Jerusalem, in a failed attempt to kill families.
A local resident called Riyadh Khattab told Quds Press that settlers, from the price tag gang, threw Molotov cocktails on his parked car near his house in Beit Safafa in an attempt to kill him along with family members, affirming that the car was very close the house.
“We woke up to the sounds of explosions and something burning at dawn Wednesday and when we went outside to see what was happening, we found our car in flames,” Khattab explained.
He said that the settlers also threw at least one Molotov cocktail on their neighborhood’s house, adding that no one was hurt in the arson attacks, which caused only material damage.
He pointed out that they called in the Israeli police immediately and when officers came they conducted a quick investigation into the incident and refused to accuse settlers of committing the attack, although there was a surveillance video recording proving they were settlers.
The police also considered the incident a criminal case and not an act of terrorism, he said.
The phrase "price tag" is notorious in Palestine, associated with a string of violent attacks carried out by an organized Zionist movement on Muslim and Christian Arabs, their property and holy sites over the past decade.
A local resident called Riyadh Khattab told Quds Press that settlers, from the price tag gang, threw Molotov cocktails on his parked car near his house in Beit Safafa in an attempt to kill him along with family members, affirming that the car was very close the house.
“We woke up to the sounds of explosions and something burning at dawn Wednesday and when we went outside to see what was happening, we found our car in flames,” Khattab explained.
He said that the settlers also threw at least one Molotov cocktail on their neighborhood’s house, adding that no one was hurt in the arson attacks, which caused only material damage.
He pointed out that they called in the Israeli police immediately and when officers came they conducted a quick investigation into the incident and refused to accuse settlers of committing the attack, although there was a surveillance video recording proving they were settlers.
The police also considered the incident a criminal case and not an act of terrorism, he said.
The phrase "price tag" is notorious in Palestine, associated with a string of violent attacks carried out by an organized Zionist movement on Muslim and Christian Arabs, their property and holy sites over the past decade.
28 dec 2017
A group of Jewish settlers escorted by soldiers on Wednesday surveyed a vast tract of land in an area between the towns of Duma and Qusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
Local sources said that several settlers and soldiers were seen using maps in their land survey, expressing fears of Israeli intents to annex lands in their area for settlement projects.
Recently, one Palestinian farmer was killed and dozens were either injured or arrested after hordes of settlers and soldiers stormed Qusra area and attacked locals.
Local sources said that several settlers and soldiers were seen using maps in their land survey, expressing fears of Israeli intents to annex lands in their area for settlement projects.
Recently, one Palestinian farmer was killed and dozens were either injured or arrested after hordes of settlers and soldiers stormed Qusra area and attacked locals.
A Palestinian school student suffered a rubber bullet injury on Thursday morning after Israeli soldiers stormed Burin town in Nablus to provide protection for extremist Jewish settlers, who infiltrated into the town and clashed with local residents.
Eyewitnesses explained the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that at first, a horde of violent settlers entered the town and encircled the school of Burin before attempting to storm it to attack students and teachers, who were busy doing semester exams.
The settlers also caused damage to three parked cars outside the school, and brutalized and detained several teachers on the main road of the town.
Soon later, local residents rushed to the school to fend off the settlers and clashed with them before soldiers showed up and started to fire volleys of tear gas as well as rubber and live bullets randomly to protect the settlers.
Consequently, one student was injured and several others inside and outside the school suffered from their exposure to teargas fumes.
The administration of the school also had to postpone the exams and dismiss the students following the events.
In a separate incident, a large number of Israeli soldiers stormed Rujeib town, southeast of Nablus, amid intensive shooting of tear gas and stun grenades near homes.
Eyewitnesses reported that the soldiers detained some students on the streets of the town for a while and searched them before letting them go.
The soldiers also clashed with local young men during their campaign in the town and withdrew without making arrests.
Eyewitnesses explained the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that at first, a horde of violent settlers entered the town and encircled the school of Burin before attempting to storm it to attack students and teachers, who were busy doing semester exams.
The settlers also caused damage to three parked cars outside the school, and brutalized and detained several teachers on the main road of the town.
Soon later, local residents rushed to the school to fend off the settlers and clashed with them before soldiers showed up and started to fire volleys of tear gas as well as rubber and live bullets randomly to protect the settlers.
Consequently, one student was injured and several others inside and outside the school suffered from their exposure to teargas fumes.
The administration of the school also had to postpone the exams and dismiss the students following the events.
In a separate incident, a large number of Israeli soldiers stormed Rujeib town, southeast of Nablus, amid intensive shooting of tear gas and stun grenades near homes.
Eyewitnesses reported that the soldiers detained some students on the streets of the town for a while and searched them before letting them go.
The soldiers also clashed with local young men during their campaign in the town and withdrew without making arrests.
Dozens of Jewish settlers on Thursday morning desecrated the Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards under tight police guard.
According to local media sources, about 112 settlers entered the Mosque in groups through al-Maghariba Gate, while several police troops were deployed throughout the Mosque’s plateaus and among Palestinian worshipers.
During their presence at the Mosque, the settlers received information about the holy site, which they claim to be the temple mount, and some of them were seen performing quick rituals or mumbling prayers.
The Israeli police allow Jewish settlers to take guided tours at the Aqsa Mosque on a daily basis, except on Fridays and Saturdays.
According to local media sources, about 112 settlers entered the Mosque in groups through al-Maghariba Gate, while several police troops were deployed throughout the Mosque’s plateaus and among Palestinian worshipers.
During their presence at the Mosque, the settlers received information about the holy site, which they claim to be the temple mount, and some of them were seen performing quick rituals or mumbling prayers.
The Israeli police allow Jewish settlers to take guided tours at the Aqsa Mosque on a daily basis, except on Fridays and Saturdays.
27 dec 2017
On Monday, 25 December 2017, a group of extremists led by Oren Hazan, Member of Israeli Knesset of the Right-Wing Likud Party, boarded a bus coming from the Gaza Strip and carrying Palestinian prisoners’ families.
The families were on their way to visit their sons in Ramon Prison. Videos published on Social Media showed the extremist Oren Hazan verbally assaulted a prisoner’s mother saying:” Your son is an “insect” and a “dog” and you will not be able to visit him again, except under the ground.”
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns this assault and holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for it, especially that this assault was committed under the Israeli forces’ protection. The Israeli forces were supposed to provide protection for the prisoners’ ‘families, not the aggressor, but they allowed the Israeli extremist Lawmaker to take the cameras and photograph his assault on the prisoners’ families in a humiliating manner.
This assault confirms the involvement of the Israeli official authorities in this assault because they had a prior knowledge of the Israeli right-wing parties’ intention to boarding the bus of the prisoners’ families from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, this assault amounts to inhuman and degrading treatment that is criminalized under the international Convention against Torture.
PCHR warns of the serious repercussions of repeating such assaults against the prisoners’ families, whereas the majority of them is elderlies, children and women. PCHR also holds the Israeli authorities and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) full responsibility for the lives of the prisoners’ families and maintaining their dignity, in accordance with their obligations under the Geneva Conventions.
The Israeli Right-Wing Organizations have previously announced their intention to obstruct buses from the Gaza Strip carrying the prisoners’ mothers and children in the Israeli jails as a preamble to prevent these visits within a campaign called “Campaign for releasing prisoners and missing persons in Israel”. This campaign refers to the Israeli soldiers alleged to be detained by the Palestinian armed groups in Gaza.
In response to the incident, ICRC confirmed that it seriously considers what happened and contacted with the concerned parties. The spokesperson of the ICRC in Gaza City said in a statement: “Families have the right to visit their loved ones in a dignified manner without interference”.
She added that:” The ICRC is a human organization that facilitates the visits’ program in favor of the prisoners’ families.”, but It is the responsibility of the competent authorities to ensure that the visits take place safely and without interference.
PCHR welcomes the ICRC’s statement, but considers it not enough. PCHR believes that ICRC should have immediately intervened once it has known about the intention of the extremist organizations, rather than waiting for the incident to happen for being the responsible party of the coordination in order to properly provide the visits.
PCHR also stresses that this assault is a crime of inhuman and degrading treatment. PCHR believes that this assault is not only for the prisoners’ families, but also a blatant assault of the ICRC, its immunity and prestigious in front of the media.
Moreover, PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth 1949 Geneva Convention to immediately intervene to ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention.
PCHR also calls upon the ICRC to seriously work to facilitate the visits of the prisoners’ families in a manner that preserves their dignity, properly coordinate with the Israeli authorities to prevent repeating such assaults, and take the necessary measures in case the Israeli authorities failed to fulfill its obligations.
The families were on their way to visit their sons in Ramon Prison. Videos published on Social Media showed the extremist Oren Hazan verbally assaulted a prisoner’s mother saying:” Your son is an “insect” and a “dog” and you will not be able to visit him again, except under the ground.”
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns this assault and holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for it, especially that this assault was committed under the Israeli forces’ protection. The Israeli forces were supposed to provide protection for the prisoners’ ‘families, not the aggressor, but they allowed the Israeli extremist Lawmaker to take the cameras and photograph his assault on the prisoners’ families in a humiliating manner.
This assault confirms the involvement of the Israeli official authorities in this assault because they had a prior knowledge of the Israeli right-wing parties’ intention to boarding the bus of the prisoners’ families from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, this assault amounts to inhuman and degrading treatment that is criminalized under the international Convention against Torture.
PCHR warns of the serious repercussions of repeating such assaults against the prisoners’ families, whereas the majority of them is elderlies, children and women. PCHR also holds the Israeli authorities and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) full responsibility for the lives of the prisoners’ families and maintaining their dignity, in accordance with their obligations under the Geneva Conventions.
The Israeli Right-Wing Organizations have previously announced their intention to obstruct buses from the Gaza Strip carrying the prisoners’ mothers and children in the Israeli jails as a preamble to prevent these visits within a campaign called “Campaign for releasing prisoners and missing persons in Israel”. This campaign refers to the Israeli soldiers alleged to be detained by the Palestinian armed groups in Gaza.
In response to the incident, ICRC confirmed that it seriously considers what happened and contacted with the concerned parties. The spokesperson of the ICRC in Gaza City said in a statement: “Families have the right to visit their loved ones in a dignified manner without interference”.
She added that:” The ICRC is a human organization that facilitates the visits’ program in favor of the prisoners’ families.”, but It is the responsibility of the competent authorities to ensure that the visits take place safely and without interference.
PCHR welcomes the ICRC’s statement, but considers it not enough. PCHR believes that ICRC should have immediately intervened once it has known about the intention of the extremist organizations, rather than waiting for the incident to happen for being the responsible party of the coordination in order to properly provide the visits.
PCHR also stresses that this assault is a crime of inhuman and degrading treatment. PCHR believes that this assault is not only for the prisoners’ families, but also a blatant assault of the ICRC, its immunity and prestigious in front of the media.
Moreover, PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth 1949 Geneva Convention to immediately intervene to ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention.
PCHR also calls upon the ICRC to seriously work to facilitate the visits of the prisoners’ families in a manner that preserves their dignity, properly coordinate with the Israeli authorities to prevent repeating such assaults, and take the necessary measures in case the Israeli authorities failed to fulfill its obligations.
