15 jan 2015
A group of extremist Israeli settlers, accompanied by three bulldozers, invaded Palestinian lands, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and started bulldozing and uprooting them.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, south of Bethlehem, Hasan Breijiyya, told the WAFA Palestinian News Agency that the setters drove three bulldozers into Khallet an-Nahla area, close to the Efrat illegal colony, and starting bulldozing nearly 30 Dunams of farmlands.
The lands belong to resident Mohammad Yahia ‘Ayyash; it has been repeated invaded, and bulldozed, by the Israeli fanatics.
Breijiyya said the bulldozing and uprooting in the area aims at paving a new road that would lead to an illegal settlement outpost the settlers intend to establish.
He added that, in 2013, a group of armed Israeli extremists, invaded the area and installed a tent, meant to be the foundation of the new illegal outpost.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, south of Bethlehem, Hasan Breijiyya, told the WAFA Palestinian News Agency that the setters drove three bulldozers into Khallet an-Nahla area, close to the Efrat illegal colony, and starting bulldozing nearly 30 Dunams of farmlands.
The lands belong to resident Mohammad Yahia ‘Ayyash; it has been repeated invaded, and bulldozed, by the Israeli fanatics.
Breijiyya said the bulldozing and uprooting in the area aims at paving a new road that would lead to an illegal settlement outpost the settlers intend to establish.
He added that, in 2013, a group of armed Israeli extremists, invaded the area and installed a tent, meant to be the foundation of the new illegal outpost.
Israeli Jewish settlers along with pressmen stormed on Thursday the plazas of the Aqsa Mosque under police protection.
Media Coordinator of Endowments Department in Jerusalem Feras al-Debes said, in a statement, two settlers accompanied by five pressmen of Israeli TV Channel 10 along with one Israeli police officer broke into the Mosque and toured its vicinity.
He pointed out that the police officer insulted and cursed the Mosque guards and other Palestinians present at al-Magharibeh Gate. Dozens of Palestinians along with the guards rushed to the scene after the officer savagely assaulted Jerusalemite women.
Debes added the police officers stationed at the Gate are still holding the identity cards of those who passed through it earlier.
The holy Aqsa Mosque is exposed to almost daily incursions by Jewish extremist groups amid assaults against worshipers especially women.
Media Coordinator of Endowments Department in Jerusalem Feras al-Debes said, in a statement, two settlers accompanied by five pressmen of Israeli TV Channel 10 along with one Israeli police officer broke into the Mosque and toured its vicinity.
He pointed out that the police officer insulted and cursed the Mosque guards and other Palestinians present at al-Magharibeh Gate. Dozens of Palestinians along with the guards rushed to the scene after the officer savagely assaulted Jerusalemite women.
Debes added the police officers stationed at the Gate are still holding the identity cards of those who passed through it earlier.
The holy Aqsa Mosque is exposed to almost daily incursions by Jewish extremist groups amid assaults against worshipers especially women.
Approximately ten Israeli settlers stormed Wednesday a secondary school in Tur neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem and fired tear gas and sound bombs into it under Israeli police protection.
Head of the follow-up committee in Tur neighborhood Mufid Abu Ghannam confirmed that ten Jewish settlers stormed the school Wednesday afternoon while the students were leaving their classes.
The students panicked at the attack and started shouting and screaming, forcing the settlers and soldiers to withdraw from the school amid heavy fire of tear gas bombs.
Israeli forces, in their turn, fired heavy volleys of live bullets into the air to scare the students, he added.
Beit Orot settlers have twice tried to break into the school on previous days; however the local residents confronted them and forced them to withdraw, Abu Ghannam pointed out.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces stormed under heavy tear gas bombs the nearby girls' elementary school under the pretext of looking for a wanted person.
Head of the follow-up committee in Tur neighborhood Mufid Abu Ghannam confirmed that ten Jewish settlers stormed the school Wednesday afternoon while the students were leaving their classes.
The students panicked at the attack and started shouting and screaming, forcing the settlers and soldiers to withdraw from the school amid heavy fire of tear gas bombs.
Israeli forces, in their turn, fired heavy volleys of live bullets into the air to scare the students, he added.
Beit Orot settlers have twice tried to break into the school on previous days; however the local residents confronted them and forced them to withdraw, Abu Ghannam pointed out.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces stormed under heavy tear gas bombs the nearby girls' elementary school under the pretext of looking for a wanted person.
14 jan 2015
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On Monday, January 11th, a farmer in Yasuf went out to see how his land had weathered during the recent storm and saw that a large number of olive trees in neighbouring plots had been cut down to their trunks.
He immediately alerted the Yasuf Municipality. The Municipality came to the site, took photographs and shot a video. They found that thirty-six trees had been chopped to the point where they could no longer live. Some of the severed branches were still very green, indicating a very recent attack, while others were more browned, suggesting a separate incident which they estimate occurred five to eight days ago. The mayor of Yasuf, Abu Hamad, and several municipality employees |
spoke with ISM. They elaborated the issues surrounding the trees which were cut down. Four different farmers, three from the large Yassin family, were affected. The killed trees were in the agricultural area known as Al-Teen Al-Shami, a couple kilometers from the village by a road which the Israeli military has closed off with a gate since 2002. This is used in such a way as to severely restrict the time in which farmers can harvest their olives and graze their animals.
Yasuf is surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements and outposts; [PDF] there have been numerous attacks on the village by settlers in recent years. This is not the first time they have targeted trees – there was a similar incident three or four months ago and the affected family went to the Israeli police. No action has been taken. Settlers have also set fire to a mosque and attacked people’s cars. But it’s not time to give up yet – the Yasuf Municipality is considering having an event to plant more olive trees to replace those that were lost.
Yasuf is surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements and outposts; [PDF] there have been numerous attacks on the village by settlers in recent years. This is not the first time they have targeted trees – there was a similar incident three or four months ago and the affected family went to the Israeli police. No action has been taken. Settlers have also set fire to a mosque and attacked people’s cars. But it’s not time to give up yet – the Yasuf Municipality is considering having an event to plant more olive trees to replace those that were lost.
Israeli settlers’ bulldozers razed more Palestinian lands in Salfit province to the north of the West Bank to pave the way for settlement expansion.
Expert in settlements affairs Khaled Maali quoted local farmers as saying that bulldozers belonging to Israeli settlers razed Palestinian agricultural lands in nine different areas in the province.
The bulldozing operations aim at establishing new roads to link the nearby settlements and to build new housing units and workshops for the settlers.
He warned of the seriousness of Israeli schemes to separate the north half of West Bank from its southern half.
Maali pointed out that settlers of Ariel settlement continued to deliberately dump their sewage water into the local valleys of the province.
Expert in settlements affairs Khaled Maali quoted local farmers as saying that bulldozers belonging to Israeli settlers razed Palestinian agricultural lands in nine different areas in the province.
The bulldozing operations aim at establishing new roads to link the nearby settlements and to build new housing units and workshops for the settlers.
He warned of the seriousness of Israeli schemes to separate the north half of West Bank from its southern half.
Maali pointed out that settlers of Ariel settlement continued to deliberately dump their sewage water into the local valleys of the province.
In an apparent price tag attack, around 12 vehicles belonging to local residents of Beit Safafa village in occupied Jerusalem have been damaged at dawn Wednesday at the hands of Jewish settlers.
The settlers sprayed racist slogans before leaving including “get out of the area”. The attack is considered the first of its kind in the village.
Israeli extremist settlers persist in their racist attacks against Jerusalemites and their properties in the holy city under Israeli forces’ protection.
The settlers sprayed racist slogans before leaving including “get out of the area”. The attack is considered the first of its kind in the village.
Israeli extremist settlers persist in their racist attacks against Jerusalemites and their properties in the holy city under Israeli forces’ protection.
The Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage (AFEH) warned of an Israeli plan to register Muslims’ holy al-Aqsa Mosque as an Israeli state property to be officially run by the so-called Tabu (land registration) office.
The Aqsa Foundation notified of Israeli intents to urge the future government to endorse the bid as a means to set the stage for establishing a Jewish synagogue over parts of the holy Mosque.
The move comes after the Yishai organization, led by the fanatic rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, failed to reap the authorities’ approval of a request to enlist al-Aqsa’s overall area as an Israeli state property.
The Yishai organization claimed that al-Buraq plaza was fully registered in 1996 as an Israeli-run Tabu.
The Foundation warned of an Israeli tender to build a Jewish synagogue in the eastern part of the al-Aqsa compound, between the Marwani Masjid and Bab al-Rahma.
The bid falls in line with Israel’s mounting Judaization plans, aimed at grabbing hold of the Mosque and enforcing a spatio-temporal division on the compound, and with Israel’s calculations for future elections and Judaization complots.
The fact that the Israeli occupation has ceaselessly tightened noose around the necks of Muslim worshipers and sit-inners on a quasi-daily basis stands as a living proof to Israel’s malevolent intents and the serious repercussion laid by its Judaization schemes, the statement added.
AFEH vowed that all Israeli “dreams” to set up the alleged temple on the ruins of the holy Aqsa Mosque shall never see the day and that the compound, covering an overall 144-dunum-area, will remain Muslims’ own crown of honor.
The Aqsa Foundation notified of Israeli intents to urge the future government to endorse the bid as a means to set the stage for establishing a Jewish synagogue over parts of the holy Mosque.
The move comes after the Yishai organization, led by the fanatic rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, failed to reap the authorities’ approval of a request to enlist al-Aqsa’s overall area as an Israeli state property.
The Yishai organization claimed that al-Buraq plaza was fully registered in 1996 as an Israeli-run Tabu.
The Foundation warned of an Israeli tender to build a Jewish synagogue in the eastern part of the al-Aqsa compound, between the Marwani Masjid and Bab al-Rahma.
The bid falls in line with Israel’s mounting Judaization plans, aimed at grabbing hold of the Mosque and enforcing a spatio-temporal division on the compound, and with Israel’s calculations for future elections and Judaization complots.
The fact that the Israeli occupation has ceaselessly tightened noose around the necks of Muslim worshipers and sit-inners on a quasi-daily basis stands as a living proof to Israel’s malevolent intents and the serious repercussion laid by its Judaization schemes, the statement added.
AFEH vowed that all Israeli “dreams” to set up the alleged temple on the ruins of the holy Aqsa Mosque shall never see the day and that the compound, covering an overall 144-dunum-area, will remain Muslims’ own crown of honor.
13 jan 2015
The Israeli supreme court in occupied Jerusalem on Monday rejected the petition filed by a Palestinian citizen against a decision to demolish part of his house at the pretext it prevents daylight and air from reaching one of the nearby Jewish settlers' homes.
Ayed Kastero, owner of the house, said the Israeli municipal authorities intend to remove the roofs of three rooms as well as a balcony and the walled stair landing at the third floor of his building, which is located in al-Qarmi neighborhood of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Five Jewish settlement groups had filed a lawsuit in 2005 against Kastero, demanding the demolition of the house on allegations that it obstructs daylight and ventilation to a settler's home and poses a threat to the safety of other settlers living nearby.
Kastero lives with his wife and nine members of his family in this building, which was built according to a plan approved by the Israeli authorities themselves.
He described the court decision as politically-motivated and part of an Israeli scheme to expel the native residents from their neighborhood.
Ayed Kastero, owner of the house, said the Israeli municipal authorities intend to remove the roofs of three rooms as well as a balcony and the walled stair landing at the third floor of his building, which is located in al-Qarmi neighborhood of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Five Jewish settlement groups had filed a lawsuit in 2005 against Kastero, demanding the demolition of the house on allegations that it obstructs daylight and ventilation to a settler's home and poses a threat to the safety of other settlers living nearby.
Kastero lives with his wife and nine members of his family in this building, which was built according to a plan approved by the Israeli authorities themselves.
He described the court decision as politically-motivated and part of an Israeli scheme to expel the native residents from their neighborhood.
12 jan 2015
Israeli police say they have arrested a settler suspected of shooting and injuring a Palestinian teenager in Hebron on Saturday.
According to Ma'an News Agency, a "public security officer" was arrested on suspicion of shooting Ibrahim Issa Suleiman al-Tubasi, age 15, while he was working his family's land south of Hebron.
The unidentified settler is from Beit Hagai, in the south Hebron hills, and is to appear in court later on Monday.
Settlers in the south Hebron hills regularly attack Palestinian farmers and school children, who are often accompanied by international peace volunteers to protect them.
The south Hebron hills are located in Area C, where less than 1 percent of the land has been planned for Palestinian development.
There are some 135 settlements and over 100 outposts in the same area, according to Ma'an.
According to Ma'an News Agency, a "public security officer" was arrested on suspicion of shooting Ibrahim Issa Suleiman al-Tubasi, age 15, while he was working his family's land south of Hebron.
The unidentified settler is from Beit Hagai, in the south Hebron hills, and is to appear in court later on Monday.
Settlers in the south Hebron hills regularly attack Palestinian farmers and school children, who are often accompanied by international peace volunteers to protect them.
The south Hebron hills are located in Area C, where less than 1 percent of the land has been planned for Palestinian development.
There are some 135 settlements and over 100 outposts in the same area, according to Ma'an.
Jewish settlers from Tafouh settlement uprooted about 36 olive trees in Yasouf town east of Salfit Governorate.
Farmers at the town said the settlers uprooted Sunday evening olive trees which are planted behind the gate of the nearby Tafouh settlement where guards are intensively deployed and prohibit entry of Palestinian farmers to tend to their own land.
They added, “The Jewish settlers bar us from farming our lands in this area”.
Farmers at the town said the settlers uprooted Sunday evening olive trees which are planted behind the gate of the nearby Tafouh settlement where guards are intensively deployed and prohibit entry of Palestinian farmers to tend to their own land.
They added, “The Jewish settlers bar us from farming our lands in this area”.
A Jerusalem magistrate court has ruled that Israeli settlers who occupied Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem may not make substantial changes to the properties, a lawyer said Monday.
Medhat Diba told Ma'an that the court issued a preliminary order on Jan. 8 on behalf of the Qarain family for two properties in Silwan.
The homes were part of 23 properties in the flashpoint neighborhood which were taken over by settlers from the Elad group on Sept. 30.
The court ruled that the settlers may not rent, sell or make any changes to the two homes belonging to the Qarain family.
The properties are commonly owned by several heirs of the Qarain family and therefore any decision to sell or rent the homes must have their approval, Diab said.
The claim by settlers that they bought the properties is void as the heirs did not sign a contract authorizing the sale, he added.
The Ir David Foundation, or Elad, is an organization that promotes a Jewish connection to parts of the Silwan neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, including the "City of David" archaeological site.
Jewish groups buying up property in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods is an explosive political issue because it touches on the future of East Jerusalem, which the international community sees as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
The groups are looking to establish a contiguous Jewish presence in the area, thereby preventing any future division of the Holy City under a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Medhat Diba told Ma'an that the court issued a preliminary order on Jan. 8 on behalf of the Qarain family for two properties in Silwan.
The homes were part of 23 properties in the flashpoint neighborhood which were taken over by settlers from the Elad group on Sept. 30.
The court ruled that the settlers may not rent, sell or make any changes to the two homes belonging to the Qarain family.
The properties are commonly owned by several heirs of the Qarain family and therefore any decision to sell or rent the homes must have their approval, Diab said.
The claim by settlers that they bought the properties is void as the heirs did not sign a contract authorizing the sale, he added.
The Ir David Foundation, or Elad, is an organization that promotes a Jewish connection to parts of the Silwan neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, including the "City of David" archaeological site.
Jewish groups buying up property in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods is an explosive political issue because it touches on the future of East Jerusalem, which the international community sees as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
The groups are looking to establish a contiguous Jewish presence in the area, thereby preventing any future division of the Holy City under a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Israeli settlers have cut down over 170 olive trees in a village to the south of Nablus, the third such attack in the occupied West Bank over the past three days.
Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement-related activities in the northern West Bank, told Ma'an News Agency that settlers from the illegal settlement of Tappuah completely chopped down more than 170 ancient olive trees.
The attack took place in private Palestinian groves located in Yasuf, near the settlement's perimeter fence.
The trees were reportedly of the "Roman" variety, a term used in Arabic to describe olive trees with huge trunks that are known to be hundreds of years old.
This recent act of settler vandalism comes only two days after colonial Israeli settlers carried out two different operations, near Hebron, in which they destroyed some 345 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers.
Attacks on olive trees are a key way of attempting to force Palestinians out of their homes. Their lands are then confiscated for settlement construction.
The olive industry supports the livelihoods of roughly 80,000 families in the occupied West Bank, Ma'an further reports.
Since 1967, approximately 800,000 olive trees have been uprooted in the occupied West Bank, according to a joint report by the Palestinian Authority and the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem.
There were at least 329 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in 2014, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Though UN resolutions are firmly in place to protect the rights of Palestinians, they are not enforced, further contributing to the historic disenfranchisement and displacement of the Palestinian people.
Palestinians now make up the largest refugee group in the entire world.
Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement-related activities in the northern West Bank, told Ma'an News Agency that settlers from the illegal settlement of Tappuah completely chopped down more than 170 ancient olive trees.
The attack took place in private Palestinian groves located in Yasuf, near the settlement's perimeter fence.
The trees were reportedly of the "Roman" variety, a term used in Arabic to describe olive trees with huge trunks that are known to be hundreds of years old.
This recent act of settler vandalism comes only two days after colonial Israeli settlers carried out two different operations, near Hebron, in which they destroyed some 345 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers.
Attacks on olive trees are a key way of attempting to force Palestinians out of their homes. Their lands are then confiscated for settlement construction.
The olive industry supports the livelihoods of roughly 80,000 families in the occupied West Bank, Ma'an further reports.
Since 1967, approximately 800,000 olive trees have been uprooted in the occupied West Bank, according to a joint report by the Palestinian Authority and the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem.
There were at least 329 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in 2014, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Though UN resolutions are firmly in place to protect the rights of Palestinians, they are not enforced, further contributing to the historic disenfranchisement and displacement of the Palestinian people.
Palestinians now make up the largest refugee group in the entire world.
11 jan 2015
Israeli settlers stormed Sunday morning the plazas of the Aqsa Mosque from the Magharibah gate under heavy police protection.
The settlers broke into and toured the courtyards of the Mosque in groups while listening to Jewish sermons.
Many Muslim worshipers, from Jerusalem and the 1948 occupied territories, were present in the holy place. They confronted, by chants of Allahu Akabar, the settlers and extremist Jewish groups which have been calling for the escalation of breaking into the Mosque in the coming days.
The settlers broke into and toured the courtyards of the Mosque in groups while listening to Jewish sermons.
Many Muslim worshipers, from Jerusalem and the 1948 occupied territories, were present in the holy place. They confronted, by chants of Allahu Akabar, the settlers and extremist Jewish groups which have been calling for the escalation of breaking into the Mosque in the coming days.
A Palestinian girl from Nablus sustained wounds on Saturday night after a group of Israeli settlers hurled rocks at the car she was traveling in.
Local sources said that 12-year-old Rua Hazim Sawalha was in a car just north of Ramallah near the Jewish-only settlement of Beit El when the rocks struck her car and injured her.
Sawalha was evacuated to St. Luke's Hospital in Nablus as a result of her injuries.
The group of settlers was reportedly standing on the side of the main road, throwing rocks at cars with white Palestinian license plates.
Jewish settlers in the West Bank have yellow Israeli license plates, meanwhile.
In 2014, there were at least 329 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the UN.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
Local sources said that 12-year-old Rua Hazim Sawalha was in a car just north of Ramallah near the Jewish-only settlement of Beit El when the rocks struck her car and injured her.
Sawalha was evacuated to St. Luke's Hospital in Nablus as a result of her injuries.
The group of settlers was reportedly standing on the side of the main road, throwing rocks at cars with white Palestinian license plates.
Jewish settlers in the West Bank have yellow Israeli license plates, meanwhile.
In 2014, there were at least 329 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the UN.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
An armed fanatic Israeli settler provocatively entered a Palestinian market, in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem, started insulting local residents before attacking a young man, and opened fire.
Local sources said that the Israeli assailant lives in one of the illegal colonial outposts in the Old City, and that he started walking provocatively in the market, while carrying his government-issued automatic rifle.
He then started shouting and cursing at the Palestinian merchants and residents before assaulting a young man, identified as Anwar Mona, 24 years of age.
The settler also opened fire at the Palestinians in the area, causing no injuries, while Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene, provided protection to the Israeli assailant, and kidnapped Anwar.
The soldiers also installed sudden roadblocks, on Saturday evening, blocking most Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem, especially Bab al-Amoud (Damascus Gate), Bab al-Asbat (Gate of the Tribes) and Bab al-Khalil (Hebron Gate), and prevented the Palestinian from entering or leaving the area for more than 30 minutes.
The soldiers also stopped and interrogated dozens of Palestinians, especially young men, and inspected their ID cards.
Local sources said that the Israeli assailant lives in one of the illegal colonial outposts in the Old City, and that he started walking provocatively in the market, while carrying his government-issued automatic rifle.
He then started shouting and cursing at the Palestinian merchants and residents before assaulting a young man, identified as Anwar Mona, 24 years of age.
The settler also opened fire at the Palestinians in the area, causing no injuries, while Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene, provided protection to the Israeli assailant, and kidnapped Anwar.
The soldiers also installed sudden roadblocks, on Saturday evening, blocking most Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem, especially Bab al-Amoud (Damascus Gate), Bab al-Asbat (Gate of the Tribes) and Bab al-Khalil (Hebron Gate), and prevented the Palestinian from entering or leaving the area for more than 30 minutes.
The soldiers also stopped and interrogated dozens of Palestinians, especially young men, and inspected their ID cards.