Israel-Palestine: The Missing Headlines

Martin Luther King flier

2012-01-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

A high resolution version of this image can be downloaded, printed front and back, and then cut in half to produce two fliers per sheet of 8.5"x11" paper.

For more information on the cost of Israel to Americans go to the If Americans Knew website section on this subject, which contains the Congressional Research Service report, an economist's analysis for the US Army War College, an article by a retired career foreign service officer, and a booklet containing these that can be downloaded or ordered in bulk.

Israel Orders Sections of Jaffa Mosque Demolished

2011-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Jaffa, (IMEMC)The Israeli Authorities in Jaffa are demanding the removal of sections of Al Bahar Mosque, in Jaffa, under the claim that these sections were built without construction permits, the Wattan TV reported.

The Authorities placed the demolish order on the main gate of the mosque; the order is demanding the destruction of two gates and a staircase within 24 hours.

The order states that “city council engineers toured the mosque last month, and found out that recent maintenance work violated the construction permit as it included illegal additions and modifications”.

The municipality said that the structures in question must be demolished within 24 hours; otherwise, the city council will demolish them, and bill the mosque.

The staircase and the two gates mentioned in the order lead to restrooms used by female worshipers.

When Israel demolishes Arab homes and structures, it bills the owners forcing them to pay unreasonable costs and very high fines.

Israel Demolishes Palestinian Properties in Jordan Valley

2011-10-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

WEST BANK, (WAFA) – Israeli forces early Thursday demolished houses, barns and barracks belonging to Palestinian shepherds in Wadi Al-Maleh and Al-Hamma areas north of the Jordan Valley, according to head of Al-Maleh village council, Aref Daraghmeh.

He said Israeli bulldozers, under the protection of Israeli soldiers, demolished houses and barns built of canvas and tin in several areas in the Jordon Valley, pointing out this happened suddenly as shepherds were preparing to head towards the fields.

In a related matter, Israeli soldiers stormed the town of Beit Kahil northwest of Hebron in the southern West Bank, imposed a tight military cordon on the area and surrounded a Palestinian house before demolishing it, firing tear gas bombs at residents who tried to stop them, according to witnesses.

The owner of the house told WAFA he was handed a demolition notice several months ago by Israeli soldiers which he appealed at Israeli court that was still looking into the matter.

Soldiers, during the house demolition, destroyed a number of olive trees, the nearby road and a number of adjacent walls.

Official: Israeli Settlers Uproot Trees in Palestinian Village near Nablus

2011-10-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Israeli settlers uprooted 200 olive trees in Qusra village near Nablus overnight Wednesday, a Palestinian Authority official said.

A number of settlers destroyed trees in the south of the village at midnight, days before the olive harvest is due to begin, the Fatah official monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank Ghassan Doughlas told Ma'an.

The trees belonged to Fateh Allah Mahmoud, Ghassan Hasan and other Qusra villagers, Doughlas said, calling on the international community to put more effort into halting attacks on Palestinians by Israelis living in illegal settlements in the West Bank.

The Nablus area has witnessed a surge in settler attacks over the last month, including village raids, attacks on property and the vandalism of two mosques.

On Sept. 5, settlers broke into al-Nurayn mosque in Qusra, smashing windows before setting fire to used tires inside the building and spray-painting anti-Arab slogans and the Star of David.

Settler-related incidents resulting in Palestinian injuries and damage to property are up more than 50 percent this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which documents violence in the Palestinian territories.

Miles Of Smiles 6 Arrives In Gaza

2011-10-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

Gaza,(IMEMC)-The Miles of Smiles convoy arrived in the Gaza Strip late on Wednesday through the Rafah Border Terminal in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and received popular and official welcome ceremonies.

Security sources at the Rafah Terminal stated that 41 human rights activists managed to cross into the Gaza Strip after completing all necessary coordination procedures with the Egyptian Authorities. The remaining activists will be allowed into Gaza soon.

The convoy carries 10 tons of medical supplies, including medications that have been unobtainable in Gaza, and a number of ambulances.

Dr. Younis Al-Astal, member of the Hamas parliamentary bloc, welcomed the activists and acknowledged their relentless efforts to enter Gaza and deliver the humanitarian supplies.

Convoy members said that trips to deliver medical and humanitarian supplies will continue until the illegal Israeli siege is fully lifted without any preconditions.

The Miles of Smiles 5 and the Africa 1 solidarity convoys managed to enter the Gaza Strip on Monday evening, August 30, via the Rafah Border Terminal with Egypt.

The Miles of Smiles 4 humanitarian convoy arrived in the Gaza Strip on July 31, and the Miles of Smiles 3 humanitarian convoy arrived in June this year, both via the Rafah Border Terminal.

The Miles of Smiles 2 aid convoy made it into the Gaza Strip in August 2010, after being stranded at the Egyptian side of the Rafah Border Terminal for 25 days.

The first Miles of Smiles convoy entered the Gaza Strip in 2009.

Despite Israeli claims of easing the siege on Gaza, medical supplies and medications are still scarce. Israel continues to impose restrictions on hundreds of items, including construction materials.

Thousands rally for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails

2011-10-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

Women take part in a protest at the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City on Oct. 3, 2011, to show their solidarity with prisoners held in Israeli jails. (Reuters/Mohammed Salem)

NABLUS (Ma'an, AFP) -- Thousands of people in the West Bank and Gaza staged demonstrations on Monday in solidarity with Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in Israeli jails.

The rallies were held as inmates saw through the seventh consecutive day of a hunger strike to protest against worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

Around 2,000 people joined a rally in front of the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Nablus, in the northern West Bank.

The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, pictures of prisoners, and banners with slogans reading: "No to solitary confinement."

They also handed over a letter calling on the Red Cross to intervene on the prisoners' behalf.

Further south, several hundred Palestinians held a similar rally in the center of Ramallah.

Demonstrators had set up a protest tent on Saturday in Ramallah's Yasser Arafat Square, formerly known as Clock Square. The group, calling themselves independent youth, accused politicians of neglecting the cause of prisoners.

In Gaza City, around 1,000 people demonstrated on Monday outside the local headquarters of the Red Cross.

Hamas leaders addressed the crowd, and pledged that Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Gaza-based militants in 2006, would not be freed until Palestinian prisoners were released.

"We assure our courageous prisoners that the day of liberation approaches and that Shalit will not taste freedom or see the light until our prisoners have been released safe and sound," Hamas leader Ismail al-Ashqar said.

Hamas has sought to exchange Shalit for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, but mediated talks between the two sides have repeatedly failed, with Israel refusing to free Palestinians accused of carrying out anti-Israeli attacks.

On Sunday, prisoner support group Addameer said Palestinian detainees affiliated to Hamas and Fatah were joining the Popular Front prisoners who launched the strike, protesting the treatment of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat, who has been held in isolation for three years.

Director of the Abu Jihad center for prisoners affairs at al-Quds university Fahd Abu al-Hajj said Sunday that 3,000 or so prisoners were taking part.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli Prisons Authority of the number of prisoners who refused food last week, but by Monday, IPA spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said "160 prisoners" were observing a hunger strike.

Prisoners are demanding an end to solitary confinement and collective punishment, fines and what they say are provocative cell raids.

They are also calling for improvements to medical care and to be allowed to take university courses and receive books, newspapers and clothes.

Palestinian Authority Minister of Detainee Affairs Issa Qaraqe said prisoners wanted better visitation rights, noting that visits were limited to 30 minutes each month. Detainees were protesting the practice of chaining their hands and legs during family visits and meetings with lawyers, he added.

In June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to toughen conditions for Palestinians in Israeli jails, in an effort to pressure Hamas to release captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit.

PA: Israeli settler violence 'not random'

2011-10-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

Ma'an -- Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian agricultural land are "condoned and supported by the Israeli government," Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib said Sunday.

Over 500 olive trees were burned and uprooted on Saturday night, in settler attacks on villages near Nablus and Hebron, a government statement said.

Khatib said the incidents followed an intensification of violence by Israeli settlers on Palestinians, adding that the Israeli government's "failure to act shows its disregard for applying the rule of law to the settlers.

"There have been no reported cases of Israeli settlers being held accountable for these crimes," Khatib said, listing settler destruction of 3,000 olive trees and grape vines, burning of 83 dunums and flooding of 40 dunums of agricultural land in the West Bank in September.

As Palestinian farmers prepare for the upcoming olive harvest season, "the settlers' season of destruction has begun early," Khatib said.

"These are not random events," he added, accusing the Israeli government of providing settlers with full impunity and army protection while they destroy Palestinian land.

Israeli military fire wounds Palestinian child in Gaza

2011-10-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – A Palestinian child was shot and wounded by Israeli military fire in Gaza Strip, the Ma'an News Agency reported on Monday.

Coordinator of medical services Adham Abu Salmiyya reported that the child, 16, was was shot in his leg while collecting scrap metal in the eastern part of Gaza.

Abu Salmiyya described the boy's injury as moderate, and added that he was moved to a local hospital for treatment.

Children are often fired upon while collecting scrap metal to earn a living due to the deadly Israeli siege on the coastal region

The army prevents the Palestinians all border areas, thus preventing them access to their own lands, under the claim of "preventing fighters from infiltrating into Israel".

Mosque torched in Israel's Galilee district

2011-10-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Similar to attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, a group of extremists burned a mosque at the entrance of Toba Zanghriyya village in the Galilee on Sunday night, and wrote “Price Tag” and “Revenge” on its walls, the Arabs48 news website reported.

The fire spread through the mosque, consuming most of its property, while hundreds of village residents rushed to try to extinguish it.

Following the attack, the villagers held a protest march in the streets, confirming that they will not be silenced. A number of youth also burnt tires and closed the main entrance of the village.

The Israeli Police said it would form an investigation committee to try to identify the assailants. Israeli TV, Channel 10, reported that the attack was likely carried out by extremist Israeli right-wingers.

Sheikh Kamal Khatib, deputy-head of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement, stated that “racism is controlling the Jewish sector in Israel.” Holding the Israeli government responsible for the attack, he added that “the Israeli government encourages hatred towards Muslims”.

In June this year, racist graffiti such as "Price Tag," "Demolish," and "War against the West Bank" were found on the walls of a mosque in a village close to Haifa. The attackers also drew the Star of David on the mosque, the Arabs48 added.

Under the "Price Tag" campaign, Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank attacked and burned several mosques, in addition to torching Palestinian orchards and farmlands.

The recent attack likely reflects a new "Price Tag" campaign, not only in the West Bank but also against Arab villages and towns in the 1948 territories (Israel).

Israeli author allowed Israeli ID with no religion listed

2011-10-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – An 81-year old Israeli intellectual has been allowed by an Israeli court to register a new identity card that does not list a religion – an anomaly in Israel, where all citizens are categorized on Israeli-issued ID cards by their religion. Israeli passports list the nationality of each citizen as either ‘Jewish’ or ‘Arab’.

Yorum Kaniuk is a well-known Israeli author who has written a number of books, including one about the Israeli war of independence, known to indigenous Palestinians as the ‘Nakba’ or ‘Catastrophe’, entitled ‘1948’.

He had filed a case with the court that he should be allowed to register without religion, under the Israeli Basic Law on Human Dignity and Freedom. Judge Gideon Ginat of Tel Aviv agreed, stating in his ruling that “Freedom from religion is a freedom derived from the right to human dignity, which is protected by the Basic Law on Human Dignity and Freedom”.

Kaniuk filed the petition in May, saying that he is not religious, but still wants to be part of the Jewish nation, saying, “Because the State of Israel does not recognize the Jewish nationality they suggested at the Interior Ministry that I convert to Christianity or Islam, but to be a member of the Jewish nation without the religion is impossible.”

The renowned Israeli author has, in recent years, criticized policies of the Israeli state, including a 2009 law banning the commemoration of or education about the Nakba – the displacement, in 1948, of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in what became the state of Israel.

In 2009, he wrote an article in the Israeli paper Yedioth Ahranoth in which he said, “The Germans tried to teach German history without the Holocaust. It didn’t work. The Holocaust is a powerful element in Germany today, because it was a powerful event. The same is true for all sorts of hasty laws by ministers who wish to correct history."

In the same article, Kaniuk wrote, “I thought that maybe it is still possible, before my death, to turn this state into a Jewish State – not one populated by zealous masses called Jews, but rather, Jews like we used to be; a state where we respect those who fought against us and were defeated. When that will happen, we will see the establishment of an Arab state alongside us, and the city of Jerusalem, also known as al-Quds, will become the capital of two states, one Jewish and one Arab. And then peace will come to Israel.”

UK court rules arrest of Palestinian Islamic leader was illegal

2011-10-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – A British Court ruled that the arrest of Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement [in Israel], had no legal grounds, and that the Sheikh can sue for compensation.

The judge ruled that Salah can seek compensation as the arrest procedures had no legal base. Yet, the court ruled that the detention of Salah was legal, and that the Sheikh still needs to head to a special immigration court to appeal a deportation order issued against him.

High Court Justice, Andrew Nicol, stated a few days ago that Salah was not informed on why he was being placed under arrest in June this year, and that he was only informed of these reasons two days after the fact.

The Judge said that due to this fact, Sheikh Salah can legally sue for compensation.

Sheikh Salah arrived in London before the end of June this year; he was planning a number of public meetings, including meetings with pro-Palestine groups, in addition to a meeting at the House of Parliament in London.

The Sheikh came to the country after an official invitation from Labor Party legislators who planned a pro-Palestine event at the Parliament.

Three days after he was legally allowed into the country, British immigration officers arrested him at his hotel and cuffed him before taking him to a police station; he was then held at an immigration detention facility for 21.

Despite the fact that Sheikh was arrested from his hotel room on June 28th, under direct orders issued by British Home Secretary, Theresa May; he was not informed of the reasons behind his arrest until June 30th.

On July 18th, Sheikh Salah was released on bail, but the bail agreement obliged him to observe a 15-hour nightly curfew, and prevented him from speaking in public.

He was also ordered to head to an immigration center on a daily basis, and was forced to wear a tracking device.

In the most recent court session against Salah, his attorney Rida Hussein, stated that Salah was arrested and held in detention without any legal grounds, and that the compensation case is based on the fact that the arrest was illegal.

Meanwhile, British Prosecutor Neil Shildon insisted that the Ministry of Interior “acted within its jurisdiction when it ordered the arrest and deportation of Salah”.

Sheikh Salah was on a 10-day tour in Britain, and was preparing to hold a number of meetings and public speaking tours, including the speech at the House of Commons. The tour was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Israel has been lobbying against Sheikh Salah in the country and abroad since many years now. He was repeatedly arrested and prevented from entering Jerusalem after he was accused of “incitement”.

On April 18 this year, Israel arrested Sheikh Salah at the Allenby Border Crossing with Jordan after border officers claimed that he attacked one of the interrogators while questioning him. He was arrested in many other incidents under different allegations.

On May 31, 2010, the Sheikh was arrested on the Turkish MV Marmara solidarity ship, after Israeli commandos violently boarded the ship in international waters killing nine Turkish activists and wounding dozens before towing the boat to Ashdod.

Israeli air strike on Saturday injured 3

2011-10-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Three Palestinians were injured as Israeli jets targeted a group of militants east of town of Beit Hanoon, north of the Gaza Strip Saturday evening, local medical sources reported.

Medical staff spokesman, Adham Abu Silmya, told the Maan News Agency that the wounded residents were transferred to some hospitals north of the Gaza Strip; one of the injuries was described as a critical condition.

The Israeli military spokeswoman admitted that an Israeli air strike targeted a group of Palestinians north of the Gaza Strip, claiming that the group was intending to fire rockets towards Israeli cities near the Gaza Strip.

However, the Palestinian factions did not claim any responsibility for intention to launch missiles towards Israeli inhabitants near Gaza.

Israeli settlers uproot dozens of olive trees near Nablus

2011-10-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – A group of extremist armed Israeli settlers uprooted on Saturday dozens of Palestinian olive trees that belong to residents of Madama village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Clashes were reported; soldiers fired gas bombs at the protesters leading to a number of injuries.

Armed settlers uprooted more than 45 olive trees that belong to the residents of Al Khalla and Qattan Al Soura villages, south of Madama.

The uprooted trees belong to residents Zakariyya Nassar and Mohammad Mustafa Al Qit.

Also on Saturday, settlers of the Yitzhar illegal settlement, burnt dozens of farming acres that belong to the residents of Einabous and Huwwara villages, south of Nablus.

Eyewitnesses told the Maan News Agency that the Israeli army declared the village as a “closed military zone” two days ago, in an attempt to prevent the residents and the international supporters from entering or leaving the village especially during the weekly nonviolent protest against the Wall and settlements in the area.

Palestinian Agricultural Committee to Launch Initiative in Order to Protect Harvest from Attacks by Israeli Settlers

2011-10-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

NABLUS (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees announced on Monday an upcoming campaign to protect West Bank farmers from attacks by Israeli settlers during the olive harvest season.

Noting a recent escalation in attacks on Palestinian lands and farmers, the agricultural support organization said it will organize groups of volunteers to accompany workers picking olives during the season.

"Olive collecting will be a form of popular resistance," the group said, adding that they were asking Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel, as well as international activists, to join the campaign.

Volunteers will particularly help farmers harvesting groves behind Israel's separation wall, which juts into the West Bank cutting off Palestinian farm land. Palestinians must apply for permits from the Israeli military authorities in the West Bank to secure access to harvest their lands.

In 2010, the Ramallah-based Ministry of Agriculture said 4.3 percent of olive trees were inaccessible behind Israel's wall, the route of which was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004.

Israeli Bulldozers Raze Agricultural Land in Palestinian Village near Bethlehem

2011-10-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

BETHLEHEM, (WAFA) – On Monday Israeli bulldozers razed agricultural land in Walaja, a Palestinian village southwest of Bethlehem, local sources said.

Saleh Khalifa, the head of the village council, said a large unit of Israeli soldiers accompanied bulldozers which entered the village at dawn, closing the area under restricted security measures.

The bulldozers destroyed around 100 olive, fig and almond trees and razed large areas of land in a continued effort in building and expanding Israel's security barrier, Khalifa added.

Mr. Khalifa continued by saying that, Israeli efforts in bulldozing the village's agricultural lands began in September. The land is being taken over and its residents displaced in order to build Israeli settlements and for the continued construction of Israels security wall, both considered illegal under international law.

OCHA: Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes doubled in 2011

2011-10-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

IMEMC, October 01 – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied territories (OCHA) reported that Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes have doubled in 20111 comparing to the figures of 2010.

OCHA reported that Israel demolished 409 Palestinian homes and structures during this year comparing to 290 in 2010, while 804 Palestinian were displaced this year comparing to 374 last year.

The report further indicated that 139 Palestinians were wounded in several attacks carried out by Israeli settlers since the beginning of this year until the date of this report, comparing to 74 Palestinians injured in similar attacks carried out by the settlers last year.

Also, the report revealed that armed Israeli settlers carried out 326 attacks since the beginning of this year until the date of this report leading to several injuries and destruction of property, comparing to 202 attacks carried out last year.

The report added that the number of Palestinians who were injured by the Israeli army arrived to 417 Palestinians since the beginning of this year comparing to 194 who were injured in the same timeframe of last year.

Israeli troops shot and killed 85 Palestinians since the beginning of this year until the date of this report, while 53 Palestinians killed in the first nine months of 2010.

Israeli settlers torch dozens of acres of farm land

2011-10-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Settlers burnt dozens of farming acres in the lands of Einabous s and Huwwara, south of Nablus on Saturday afternoon, local media sources reported.

Ghassan Douglas, chief of settlement file issue in the Northern West Bank, told the Maan that number of the Israeli “Yitizhar” settlers flamed a mountain for residents from the village of Einabous which led to spread fire to An-Naqarah area in Huwwara which is planted with hundreds of olive trees.

“Dozens of residents are trying to extinguish fire and get it under control while settlers are standing with several dozen meters far from them, but the strength of winds made them unable to get it under control,” Douglas added.

Settlers have been attacking the Palestinians since the Palestinian President's declaration of heading to the UN to ask for a full membership and independent state.

Arab Mosque Torched In The Galilee by Israeli "Price Tag" Campaigners

2011-10-03T06:54:00.001-07:00

Galilee,(IMEMC)- On Sunday night, vandals set fire to a mosque at the entrance of the Arab village of Toba Zanghriyya in the Galilee region of Israel. The walls were marred with graffiti saying "price tag" and "revenge," the Arabs48 news website reported. These attacks mimic similar acts of vandalism that occurred last week near the West Bank town of Hebron.

The fires spread through the mosque consuming most of its property while hundreds of residents rushed in an attempt to extinguish it.

Following the attack, the villages held a protest and marched in the streets of the village while confirming that they will not be silenced. A number of youth also burnt tires and closed the main entrance of the village.

The Israeli Police said it would form an investigation committee in an attempt to identify the assailants.

Israeli TV, Channel 10, reported that the attack was likely carried out by extremist Israeli right-wingers.

Sheikh Kamal Khatib, deputy-head of the Northern Branch on the Islamic Movement, stated that “racism is controlling the Jewish sector in Israel”, and held the Israeli government responsible for the attack, adding that “the Israeli government encourages hatred towards Muslims”.

In June this year, racist graffiti was found on the walls of a mosque in a village close to Haifa. The graffiti included “Price Tag”, “demolish”, and “War against the West Bank”. The attackers also drew the Star of David on the walls of the mosque, the Arabs48 added.

Under the "price tag" campaign, Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank, attacked and torched several mosques, in addition to torching Palestinian orchards and farmlands.

Israeli settlers launched the "price tag" campaign in 2010 in retaliation to the Israeli government's decisions to freeze some illegal settlement building. Whenever settlements are restricted anywhere in the lands occupied by Israel in 1967, settlers constantly threaten and attack Palestinians and their properties.

The recent attack likely reflects a new policy the campaign is undertaking, in proliferating attacks and vandalism not only in the West Bank, but also against Arab villages and towns in Israel proper.

Isolated Palestinian prisoners begin hunger strike

2011-10-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs, Issa Qaraqe’, stated Friday that around Twenty-five Palestinian detainees in solitary confinement at the Nafha. Ramon, Al Ramla and Asqalan Israeli detention facilities declared an open-ended hunger strike.

Qaraqe' said in his statement that twenty five sick detainees in Al Ramla Israeli detention center decided to strike three days a week in solidarity with the other detainees who have started their hunger the strike since September 17th in protest to the escalating humiliation and violations carried out by the Israeli government and the Israeli Prison Administration.

The Minister also stated stopping all solitary confinement policies is the main motive for the strike, as such policies are cruel and illegal policies practices against the detainees, as some of whom have been kept in solitary confinement for more than ten years.

He added that the extremist Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, instructed the Israeli Prison Administration to increase the sanctions against the detainees in order to force them to break their strike and abandon their demands.

Qaraqe' also stated that the heads of Israeli detention facilities had an argument with some government agencies as they had to cancel their vacations due to the new measures in all prisons and detention centers, in order to force the detainees to break their strike.

During a meeting with the administration of the Ramon facility, the detainees presented nine demands, including ending all forms of collective punishment, solitary confinement, financial penalties, the shackling feet and hands during lawyers and family visits, and access to healthcare and education.

Three injured as Israeli army attacks nonviolent protest near Hebron

2011-10-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Two Palestinian women and one international peace activist were injured after the Israeli army during attacked a nonviolent protest against settlements and the Annexation Wall in the southern West Bank village of Yatta north Hebron on Friday, Palestine News & Info Agency (WAFA) reported.

Coordinator of the National Committee Against Settlements and the Annexation Wall in Yatta, Rateb Jboor, stated that the protest is against the annexation of Palestinian lands located near Sosia settlement east Yatta.

He added that dozens of international activists, members of the National Committee, Fateh movement members and a number of the lands owner participated in the protest.

He added Israeli army attacked the nonviolent protesters, fired gas bombs at them to prevent them from reaching the lands, claiming that these lands are under the control of the state and the settlers.

Sana’ Qasem, 42, khawlah Abu Mreir, 48, and an international peace activist received medical treatment for the effects of teargas inhalation.

UN Committee held first meeting to discuss Palestine bid

2011-10-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

IMEMC, October 01 –The special UN Security Council Admission Committee, tasked with dealing with state membership requests, held on Friday its first meeting to discuss the Palestinian request to become a full member at the international body.

Security Council - Image UN

The official request to join the UN was officially submitted last week by Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The admission committee consists of 15 member countries.

The committee stated that its members unanimously agreed to hold another meeting at what was described as an “expert level” next week.

Security Council President for the month of September, Nawaf Salam, stated that the expert level of discussion will convene next week to decide whether to accept or reject the Palestinian demand.

Salaam, who also holds the position of the permanent Lebanese representative at the United Nations, stated that after the expert level meeting takes place next week, the chairman of the committee will report to the Security Council in two week, to inform council members about the work of the committee”.

This means that Nigeria, who will be holding the president seat in October, will be following-up the issue. The country is still considering the Palestinian bid.

After Salam made his statements, Palestinian observer at the UN, Riyad Mansour, told reporters that the Palestinians are hoping that the second stage of the process will be completed in an efficient manner, and without any delay.

To be accepted as a permanent member, the submitted application must be approved by the Security Council before it is sent to the UN General Assembly for final approval.

But the United States has repeatedly declared it will use its Veto power to topple the Palestinian request. Siding by Israel, the U.S claimed that this application is a “unilateral move”, and that a state can only be the outcome of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

In his speech, Abbas said that the real unilateral move is not the Palestinian bid at the UN, but the ongoing aggression and occupation, and Israel’s ongoing construction and expansion of settlements in the occupied territories, including in occupied East Jerusalem.

Two days ago, the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new plan to build 1100 new homes for Jewish settlers in the Gilo illegal settlement, in occupied East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian leadership regarded the new plan as a clear message from Israel regarding its rejection to real peace in the region, and also dubbed the announcement as a real unilateral move made by Israel.

The United States only said that the new plan is “counterproductive to all efforts to resume peace talks”.

Israel rejected the condemnations by claiming that Gilo is not a settlement, but a neighborhood in Jerusalem. Israel refuses to hold talks on Jerusalem, and considered is as its “eternal and united capital”

On July 30th 1980, the Israeli Knesset passed a law considering Jerusalem "complete and united" as the capital of Israel.

On August 20 1980, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 478 declaring the Israeli “Jerusalem Law” as a violation of international law, and stating that the Council will not recognize it. The resolution passed by 14 votes, with no votes against it, while the Washington abstained.

Besides ongoing invasions, attacks, takeover and demolition of Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli settlement activities were among the main issues that pushed the Palestinians to quit direct talks with Tel Aviv.

Under the United Nations, Security Council and International Law, East Jerusalem is an occupied city.

Dozens teargassed during weekly protest In Bil'in

2011-10-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

IMEMC, October 01 – On Friday, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas effects during the weekly march organized by the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Bil'in.

Present at the demonstration were Chairmen of the Advisory Council for a Green Palestine, Basem al Masri and Dr. Sabri Saydam, a member of the Central Committee of Fatah, Sultan Aboul-Enein, Adviser to the Prime Minister, Dr. Jawad Naji, the artist Ahlam Faqih, and dozens of Palestinians and international and Israeli peace activists.

The march began from the center of the village after Friday prayers, as participants marched through the village lands liberated in June, waving Palestinian flags and banners of imprisoned leader Marwan Barghouti.

They chanted patriotic slogans calling for the end of the Israeli Occupation, the destruction of the Apartheid wall, and the upholding of Palestinian rights.

Upon the arrival of participants to the al-Thahar area, where Bassem Abu-Rahma was shot and killed in 2009, the Advisory Council for a Green Palestine announced the start of a new green project in the village of Bil'in, which will involve olive tree-planting and the installation of solar-powered street lamps.

The speech was delivered by Bassem al-Masri, who called on all residents to join hands to end the Occupation through the implementation of projects and self-reliance, and said that they will rebuild, replant, and continue their struggle by developing the lands destroyed by the Occupation.

After the speech, participants processed towards the Abu Lemon area, where Sultan Aboul-Enein declared the opening of Ahlam Faqih's art exhibition, an expression of solidarity with the people of Bil'in and their battle against the Wall.

Sultan Abul-Enein declared the need for solidarity with the people of Bil'in, and said that artists play a large role in supporting the Palestinian cause in the face of the Occupation. Participants then marched along the wire fence adjacent to the wall.

Traditionally, during the demonstrations, the Israeli Occupation Forces fire tear gas on the participants after a few minutes of peaceful protest.

At today's demonstration, stones were thrown over the concrete wall from the front of the demonstration by a group of youths from the village. Immediately, soldiers stationed behind the wall fired tear gas around the demonstration and art exhibition, preventing participants from escaping the gas for hundreds of meters.

Dozens were asphyxiated and several were treated by a team from the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance. The gas canisters also ignited a fire in the olive groves adjacent to the wall, but the participants were able to control and extinguish the fire. No other incidents were reported.

Popular Committee Against the Wall and settlements - Bil'in
Friends of Freedom and Justice Bil'in
Media Center
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ramallah | non-violent action | news report saed at imemc dot org

Israeli army invades Jenin and other Palestinian towns

2011-10-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

Jenin, (IMEMC) – The Israeli army invaded, on Friday morning, the West Bank city of Jenin. The Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported that a large military force invaded the city and refugee camp in addition to some other surrounding villages in the early hours of Friday Morning.

Eyewitness reported that twelve military vehicles swept most of their neighborhoods and streets for five hours and fired grenades and machine gun fire, however no injuries were reported.

The Israeli military has also invaded many other nearby cities accompanied by military vehicles touring the streets and neighborhoods for several hours, no detentions were reported.

PCHR: Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (22 – 28 Sep. 2011)

2011-09-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

West Bank,(PCHR)- Yesterday the Palestinian Center for Human Rights published its weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The following is the report as shown on the PCHR's website.

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)

Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

A Palestinian civilian was killed and another 7 ones, including a child, were wounded by IOF in Qasra village, southeast of Nablus.

IOF continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.

OF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

18 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, and a French human rights defender were wounded.

IOF conducted 36 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

IOF arrested 4 Palestinians, including a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

IOF approved the construction of 1,100 housing units in “Gilo” settlement, south of occupied Jerusalem.

IOF confiscated 148 dunums[1] of land in Battir village, west of Bethlehem.

Israeli settlers burnt 590 trees.

Israeli settlers placed racist banners against Palestinians on the main roads in the West Bank.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (22 – 28 September 2011):

Shooting:

During the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 25 others, including 7 children, and a French human rights defender in the West Bank.

On 23 September 2011, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded another 7 ones, including a child, when they moved into Qasra village, southeast of Nablus, to provide protection to a group of Israeli settlers who raided Palestinian lands in the village

During the reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, 18 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, and a French human rights defender were wounded and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip. No fishermen were hurt, but Israeli naval troops confiscated and damaged some fishing nets.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 36 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council who was arrested by an undercover unit from the yard of the ICRC office in Jerusalem.

Restrictions on Movement:

Israel had continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

IOF have tightened the closure of the Gaza Strip and practically made Karm Abu Salem crossing as the sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip although it is not proper for commercial purposes in terms of its distance and operational capacity.

IOF have continued to apply their policy aimed at tightening the strangulation of the commercial movement in the Gaza Strip, including imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.

The total closure of al-Mentar "Karni" crossing on 02 March 2011 has created a bitter situation that has seriously affected the Gaza Strip. Following this closure, all the economic and commercial establishments in Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in the Gaza Strip in terms of its operational capacity to absorb the flow of imports and exports. The decision of al-Mentar crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions to totally close Sofa crossing, east of the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2009, and Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza City, which was dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.

These statistics which were made available to PCHR by the Border and Crossings Department indicate a continued drop in the number of truckloads of Gaza imports and exports.

IOF have continued to impose total ban on the delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Stri, except for very limited items and quantities. The limited quantities of raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

The cooking gas crisis which has erupted last November has continued to affect the Gaza Strip. This crisis was created when the Israeli occupation authorities totally closed, on 04 January 2010, Nahal Oz crossing, which used to be dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas supplies to Gaza, and shifted fuel and cooking gas supplies to Karm Abu Salem crossing which is not technically equipped to receive Gaza's needs of fuel. Karm Abu Salem crossing, with its maximum absorptive capacity, can receive only 200 tons of cooking gas per day.

Approximately 80% of Gaza civilians have continued to depend on alimentary aid provided by UNRWA and other relief agencies, rates of families who are living below poverty line have continued to be on the rise and approximately 40% of Gaza's manpower has continued to suffer from permanent unemployment as a result of shutting down the majority of Gaza's economic establishments.

IOF have continued to impose a total ban on the exportation of Gaza's products, especially industrial products, leading to undermining any real chances to rerun economic establishments. The situation has been aggravated especially after making Karm Abu Salem crossing as Gaza sole commercial crossing and the repeated closure of this crossing which negatively affected the quantity of Gazan products which were allowed to be exported during last April.

IOF have continued to prolong the implementation of their decision to allow 60 cars into Gaza weekly although more than 11 months have passed since they announced this decision after three years of ban imposed on the delivery of cars to Gaza. As a result, the prices of cars in Gaza have been on the rise and local markets experience serious shortage in spare parts.

For approximately four consecutive years, IOF have continued to ban the delivery of construction materials to Gaza. During the reporting period, IOF approved the delivery of limited quantities of construction materials for a number of international organizations.

Israel has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip. IOF only allow the movement of limited groups amidst severe restrictions, including long hours of waiting in the majority of cases. IOF have also continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinian patients allowed to move via Beit Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and Jerusalem. IOF denied new categories of Gazan patient permission to have access to hospitals via the crossing.

Israel has imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip.

For approximately 51 months, IOF have continued to deny approximately 700 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza detained in Israeli jails their visitation rights without providing any justification to this measure, which violates the rules of the international humanitarian law.

West Bank

IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

IOF have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

There are approximately 585 permanent roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank.

When complete, the illegal annexation wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the wall have already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, confiscating more Palestinian land.

At least 65% of the main roads that lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF.

There are approximately 500 kilometers of restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third of the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to Palestinians without permits issued by IOF. Such permits are extremely difficult to obtain.

IOF continue to harass and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the annexation wall.

Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and searched in the streets by IOF.

Settlement Activities:

Israel has continued its settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

On 22 September 2011, at least 10 Israeli settlers from “Oufra” settlement, northeast of Ramallah, set fire to olive and fig trees in Wad Zaghoura area in the west of Deir Jarir village. At least 40 dunums of agricultural land, including 100 olive trees and 40 fig trees, were burnt before villagers were able to extinguish fire.

On 24 September 2011, Israeli settlers raised large banners that had racist slogans against Arabs near some checkpoints, intersections and the entrances of Palestinian communities.

On the same day, at least 20 Israeli settlers from “Gilad” settlement, northeast of Qalqilya, moved into Far’ata village, northeast of Qalqilya. They threw stones at houses belonging to al-Tawil family. IOF arrived at the area and evacuated the settlers.

On 25 September 2011, Palestinian farmers in Qasra village, southeast of Nablus, found that Israeli settlers had uprooted 400 trees in Shu’ab al-Kharab area, which is located nearly 1,500 meters away from “Yish Kodish” settlement.

On the same day, Palestinian farmers in Douma village, southeast of Nablus, found that Israeli settlers had uprooted 150 trees in Shu’ab al-Kharab area, which is located nearly 1,500 meters away from “Yish Kodish” settlement.

On the same day, IOF moved into Magharat al-Dab’a village, south of Qalqilya. They handed a notice to Hani Manasra ordering him to stop establishing a greenhouse in the village.

On the same day, Israeli settlers living in settlement communities inside and around Hebron launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians. In this context, a Palestinian civilian sustained burns to the eyes, the shoulder and the neck, and bruises throughout the body.

On the same day, during the funeral procession of two Israeli settlers who died in a car accident in the weekend to the Jewish cemetery near Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron, dozens of settlers attacked Palestinian houses using stones and empty bottles. Windows and doors of two houses were damaged. IOF were present in the area, but did not intervene to stop the attack.

On 27 September 2011, a number of Israeli settlers raised racist banners against Palestinians on Tulkarm-Nablus road and near Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm.

On 28 September 2011, IOF handed notices to Palestinian civilians in Battir village, west of Bethlehem, ordering confiscation of 148 dunums of land planted with fruits, olives and vegetables belonging to at least 40 Palestinian families.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (22 – 28 September 2011)

1. Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Thursday, 22 September 2011

At approximately 07:45, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit Lahi beach in the in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats which were near the shore. At approximately 08:00, IOF boats approached the shore and destroyed fishing nets owned by Palestinian fishermen and pulled some fishing nets into the sea. As the Israeli boats approached the shore, Palestinian fishermen fled the area in fear for their lives leaving their equipment and fishing tools in the sea or at the beach. No casualties were reported. Palestinian fishermen who lost their fishing nets include: Qussai Mohammed Abed al-Sultan, 33; Ramadan Ghaleb Ramadan al-Sultan, 36; Mu’nis Abed Ramadan Zayed, 34; Ahed Ziad Mahmoud Zayed, 34; and Subuh Mohammed Hassan al-Sultan, 50, who all live in Beit Lahia.

It should be noted that Israeli gunboats carried out a similar attack on Tuesday morning, 20 September 2011, when they fired at Palestinian fishermen and at their boats, destroyed some fishing nets and pulled some other nets into the sea. Such attacks result in the loss of fishermen's living resources and put their lives at risk.

At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 20:40, IOF moved into al-Hfaira village, southeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Toura al-Gharbiya village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Also at approximately 22:30, IOF moved into al-Khiljan village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 23:15, IOF moved into the area located between Sanour al-Zawia villages, south of Jenin. According to witnesses, sounds of shooting were heard in the area. IOF withdrew later, and no casualties were reported.

Friday, 23 September 2011

At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Beit Siera village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

At approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Deir Ballout village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew at approximately 13:00. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

In the afternoon, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded another seven ones when they moved into Qasra village, southeast of Nablus, to provide protection to a group of Israeli settlers who raided Palestinian lands in the village.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 13:10 following the Friday prayers, Palestinian civilians from Qasra village noticed that a group of Israeli settlers from "Yish Kodish" settlement moved into al-We’ar area (al-Marah 2) in the south of Qasra village. The settlers who were holding Israeli flags gathered on a plot belonging to Dr. Samir Mustafa Ibrahim Hassan who is originally from Qasra village, but currently lives in occupied Jerusalem. Palestinian civilians gathered and walked towards the mentioned area. When Israeli who were positioned in a tent that they installed on a hill in (al-Marah 2) area nearly 100-120 meters from the settlers, saw the Palestinian gathering, seven soldiers left the tent and erected a checkpoint. The settlers were gathering just 40 meters behind the soldiers. The Israeli soldiers ordered the Palestinian civilians to go back to the village, but they refused and requested that the settlers leave the Palestinian land. A dispute erupted between the soldiers and the Palestinian civilians. A few minutes later, IOF’s backups arrived at the scene. An officer stepped down from one of the military vehicles and asked the soldiers to give the Palestinians two minutes to leave the area. He instructed the soldiers to fire tear gas canisters at the Palestinians if they did not obey orders to leave the area. The Palestinian civilians refused to obey IOF’s orders. IOF immediately attacked them and fired more than 50 tear gas canisters at them. They fled to the nearest house in the village. Additional IOF’s backups arrived at the scene and confronted with the Palestinians who threw stones at IOF. The serious confrontations took place near al-Dowwar and al-Khazan areas in the south of Qasra village. The confrontations lasted for three hours and IOF fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets against the Palestinian civilians. At approximately 16:20, IOF extensively fired tear gas canisters at the Palestinian demonstrators near al-Khazan area and opened fire at one of the demonstrators, directly wounding him. The wounded Palestinian was identified as Isam Kamal Abed Badran, 37. He was hit by a bullet that entered the right side and exited from the left shoulder and was transferred to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. Badran died despite doctors' attempts to save his life. Another seven civilians, including a child, were wounded in the confrontations:

1- Hamza Yousef Hassan, 25, wounded a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left ear;

2- Sadiq Mohammed Farah, 21, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the neck;

3- Mohammed Ammar Oudeh, 16, sustained burns in the abdomen as he was directly hit by a tear gas canister;

4- Jawad Shaher Hassan, 18, wounded by a bullet to the hand;

5- Rami Yousef Fayez, 38, wounded by a bullet to the hand;

6- Samer Mohammed Kharyoush, 22, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the pelvis; and

7- Yousef Mohammed Misbah, 20, wounded by two bullets to the legs.

During this attack by Israeli settlers on Qasra village, Israeli soldiers tortured two young men and let the settlers to throw stones at one of them.

In his testimony to PCHR, ‘Ammar Samer Masameer, 18, stated:

“Following the Friday Prayer on 23 September 2011, while I was at home in al-Kazan area in the south of Qasra village, southeast of Nablus, I heard loudspeakers of mosques in the village calling on people to go to al-We’ar and Bassilta areas in the south of the village as Israeli settlers attacked agricultural lands. I immediately headed to these areas together with other men. When I arrived there, I saw 17-20 settlers uprooting trees belonging to Bahjat Fawzi Hassan. When they saw us, the settlers threw stones at us, and we responded by throwing stones at them. Soon, two Israeli military arrived and stopped behind us. Israeli soldiers stepped down and surrounded us. Israeli soldiers caught Fat’hi Fayez Hassan, 14, and me. They forced me to sit down and handcuffed me. Immediately, I saw a settler coming towards me and picking up a stone. I realized that he was intending to hit me. I attempted to stand up, but a soldier hit my head with his gun butt. The settler approached me and hit my right eye with the stone. Blood covered my face. The soldiers then pushed me down and violently beat me. Soon after, a soldier pulled me towards a military jeep. He handcuffed me and pushed me into the jeep. The soldiers then brought another young man into the jeep and violently beat him. They transported us towards the mountain. There, they took us out of the jeep. They violently beat us.”

At approximately 18:30, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-Zawia village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into Zeita village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets and established a checkpoint at the entrance of the village. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. They withdrew later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into the area located between Brouqin and Kufor al-Dik villages, west of Salfit. They searched the area for some time and withdrew later.

Saturday, 24 September 2011

At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Bireh town. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 08:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein al-Sultan refugee camp, northwest of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Zaid village, northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 14:25, IOF moved into Hijja village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 17:30, IOF moved into Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Also at approximately 17:30, IOF moved into Far’ata village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into Zeita village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Sunday, 25 September 2011

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 19:45, IOF moved into ‘Izbat al-Tabib village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 20:00, IOF moved into the area located between Thinnaba suburb and Kufor al-Labad village, east of Tulkarm. They searched the area for some time and withdrew later.

At approximately 21:10, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Monday, 26 September 2011

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Nour Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 11:30, a number of Israeli civilian vehicles stopped near the ICRC office in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem. A number of persons stepped down and fabricated a quarrel. ICRC security officers and a number of Palestinians who were gathering in a sit-in tent established by members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), who are threatened to be expelled from Jerusalem. PLC Member, Ahmed Mohammed ‘Attoun, who was preparing for a press conference stood in front of the tent. Soon, the quarrelers moved into the yard of the ICRC office and arrested ‘Atwan. The quarrelers were members of an IOF undercover unit. Other PLC members survived the raid because they were away from the tent.

At approximately 14:30, IOF moved into Faqqou’a village, northeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 19:20, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 22:55, IOF moved into Bidya village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Brouqin village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1- Ussama Jamal al-Shua’ibi, 25; and

2- ‘Othman Jamal al-Shu’aibi, 20.

At approximately 10:30, IOF moved into ‘Izbat Shoufa village, southeast of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 14:45, IOF moved into Seer village, south of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Also at approximately 14:45, IOF moved into al-Jdaida village, southeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 20:30, IOF moved into Seer village, south of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Jdaida village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mahmoud ‘Abdul Raziq Jarrar, 21.

At approximately 04:30, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. Palestinian fishermen were forced to flee towards the beach. No casualties were reported.

2. Use of Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations Protesting Settlement Activities and the Construction of the Annexation Wall

During the reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest to the construction of the Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 18 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, and a French human rights defender were wounded. Additionally, dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.

Following the Friday Prayer on 23 September 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil'ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the annexation wall. They raised the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans calling for ending the occupation and annexation wall and release of all Palestinian prisoners. Moreover, the demonstrators chanted "194 is the State of Palestine" and released balloons and kites having the colors of the Palestinian flag. They raised banners calling the world for the recognition of the State of Palestine and carried the Libyan uprising flags and an American flag on which (veto) was written. They then moved towards areas of Palestinian land, which the Israeli High Court ordered to be returned to their Palestinian owners. When they reached (Abu Lemon) nature preserve, the demonstrators walked along the wall and released the balloons and kites. The demonstrators also used megaphones to call on Israeli settlers living in “Mitityaho Mizrach” settlement to leave it. Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 23 September 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne'lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest against the construction of the annexation wall. They chanted slogans calling for Palestinian reconciliation, adherence to the Palestinian inalienable rights and resistance of the occupation. Additionally, they chanted "194 is the State of Palestine" and other slogans against the American President and his speech at the United Nations that was defended the Israeli occupation. They clashed with Israeli troops positioned near the annexation wall. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 23 September 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in protest against land confiscations and settlement activities. They raised the Palestinian flag, chanted slogans against the USA, called for ending the occupation and chanted "194 is the State of Palestine". When the demonstrators attempted to reach areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near "Halmish" settlement, Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, Jihad Mohammed Tamimi, 22, was wounded by a bullet to the head, and the French activist, Chris Hoppy, 38, was hit by a tear gas canister to the right leg. They were both transported to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah for medical treatment. A number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation and other sustained bruises.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 23 September 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians from Ramallah and al-Bireh and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration at the entrance of Qalandya refugee camp, north of Jerusalem, in support to the Palestinian leadership’s demand of recognition for the Palestinian statehood by the United Nations. They moved towards Qalandya checkpoint. They set fire to tires and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired at the demonstrators. As a result, 17 Palestinians, including six children, were wounded and transported to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. Additionally, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. (PCHR keeps the names of the wounded).

At approximately 13:30, following the Friday Prayer on 23 September 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in the center of Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya. They moved towards the eastern entrance of the village, in protest against the permanent closure of the entrance since the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada. Israeli soldiers fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

3. Continued Closure of the OPT

Israel has continued to impose a tightened closure of the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal Israeli-imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The illegal closure has caused not only a humanitarian crisis but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for the population of the Gaza Strip. Measures declared recently to ease the blockade are vague, purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of the crisis, which can only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of the closure, including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on exports. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply shifting Gaza to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become internationally accepted and institutionalized. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer from the same shortage of goods, but they will remain economically dependent and unable to care for themselves, and socially, culturally and academically isolated from the rest of the world.

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

Movement at Rafah International Crossing Point

21 – 27 September 2011

*Day*	*Date*	*Traveling abroad*	*Coming into Gaza*	*Returned into Gaza*
Wednesday	21September 2011	802	313	15
Thursday	22 September 2011	856	557	20
Friday	23 September 2011	--	--	--
Saturday	24 September 2011	813	458	20
Sunday	25 September 2011	696	377	12
Monday	26 September 2011	701	362	22
Tuesday	27 September 2011	552	272	15

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

21 – 27 September 2011

Imports:

Date	Imports
	Category	Amount
	Category	Tons	Number	Liters
*21 September 2011*	*Foodstuffs*	624
	*Agricultural materials*	1,963
	*Various goods* Cartons of clothes Cartons of shoes Water tanks Glass boards Mill silos Printing machines	697	324 900 88 520 2 12
	*Humanitarian aid*	3,992
	*cooking gas*	112.100
*22 September 2011*	*Foodstuffs*	866
	*Agricultural materials*	1,659
	*Various goods* Cartons of clothes Cars Refrigerators	1,135	268 20 70
	*Humanitarian aid*	3,272
	*Cooking gas*	112.100
*25 September 2011*	*Foodstuffs*	1,281
	*Agricultural materials*	1,526
	*Various goods* Cartons of clothes Cartons of shoes Car tires Glass boards Refrigerators Cows Water tanks	1,461	2,234 1,228 857 520 439 309 218
	*Humanitarian aid*	3,325
	*Cooking gas*	141.600
*26 September 2011*	*Foodstuffs*	808
	*Agricultural materials*	1,251
	*Various goods* Cartons of clothes Cartons of shoes Washing machines Refrigerators Cars Glass boards Water tanks Cows	641	1,392 1,346 144 167 30 520 180 360
	*Humanitarian aid*	2,922
	*cooking gas*	82.470
*27 September 2011*	*Foodstuffs*	1,042
	*Agricultural materials*	1,529
	*Various goods* Cartons of clothes Cartons of shoes Refrigerators Glass boards Cows Car tires	1,120	230 496 68 520 310 678
	*Humanitarian aid*	1,709
	*cooking gas*	112.020

Notes:

On Wednesday, 21 September 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 200 tons of cement, 3,220 tons of construction aggregate, 116 tons of construction steel and 7 tons of tar for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 1,131 tons of wheat.

On Thursday, 22 September 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 120 tons of cement, 2,800 tons of construction aggregate for UNRWA, and 101 tons of construction steel for the Palestinian Water Authority. They also allowed the entry of 1,170 tons of fodders.

On Sunday, 25 September 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 680 tons of cement, 2,250 tons of construction aggregate and 45 tons of construction steel for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 1,209 tons of wheat.

On Monday, 26 September 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 733 tons of cement, 2,030 tons of construction aggregate and 17 tons of construction steel of UNRWA, 480 tons of cement for the Palestinian Water Authority and 910 tons of construction aggregate for UNDP. They also allowed the entry of 1,014 tons of fodders.

Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing: Israel has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have allowed only diplomats, a number of international journalists, employees of international agencies and a limited number of patients who suffer from serious diseases to pass through the crossing. They have continued to prevent Palestinian civilians from visiting their relatives who are detained in Israeli jails. The small number of patients permitted to pass through the crossing is only able to do so under severe restrictions that include prolonged checking.

[Movement at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

21 – 27 September 2011

Date	*21 September*	*22 September*	*23 September*	*24 September*	*25 September*	*26 September*	*27 September*
*Patients*	20	26	2	Nil	41	40	29
*Companions*	22	25	3	51	42	42	31
*Arabs from Israel*	1	10	5	Nil	12	Nil	2
*Diplomats*	5	7	Nil	Nil	1	10	12
*International Journalists*	3	8	Nil	Nil	1	1	8
*International Workers*	58	63	17	Nil	21	18	66
*Travelers abroad*	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	3	1	14
*Business People*	88	48	Nil	Nil	86	80	93
*Economic Meetings*	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	9	Nil
*Security Interviews*	4	Nil	Nil	Nil	1	4	3
*VIP's*	Nil	1	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
*Ambulances to Israel*	3	2	2	1	3	5	1
*Ambulances from Israel*	2	2	1	Nil	2	2	3

The West Bank

Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

Jerusalem: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the city. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to the city. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays, preventing Muslim Palestinians from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque.

Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah. At approximately 11:40 on Friday, 23 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Rantis village, west of Ramallah. At approximately 17:30 on the same day, they re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah. At approximately 17:50, IOF established a checkpoint at Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa intersection, southwest of Ramallah. At approximately 09:30 on Saturday, 24 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint under Kharabtha al-Misbah Bridge, southwest of Ramallah. At approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 25 September 2011, IOF re-established their presence at 'Attarah checkpoint, north of Ramallah. In the meanwhile, they established a checkpoint near 'Oyoun al-Haramiya intersection on Ramallah-Nablus road.

Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Friday, 23 September 2011, IOF established a number of checkpoints inside and around Hebron. At approximately 14:00 on Sunday, 25 September 2011, IOF closed a number of roads in the south and southeast of Hebron to secure the funeral procession of two Israeli settlers who were killed in a car accident. They forced Palestinian civilians to close their shops and turned a number of houses into observation points. On Tuesday morning, 27 September 2011, IOF ordered the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque for Palestinians on Thursday and Friday, 29 and 20 September 2011 for celebration of the new Hebrew year.

Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Friday, 23 September 2011, IOF established 9 checkpoints around the town. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 09:20 on Monday, 26 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Jainsafout village, east of Qalqilya. At approximately 15:30, IOF established a checkpoint at Jeet intersection, northeast of Qalqilya.

Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 14:30 on Thursday, 22 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Qalqilya road. At approximately 08:30 on Friday, 23 September 2011, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians through Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm. At approximately 14:15, IOF established a checkpoint near Far’oun intersection, south of Tulkarm. At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 24 September 2011, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians through Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm. At approximately 11:45 on Sunday, 25 September 2011, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians through Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm. At approximately 21:00, IOF established a checkpoint at al-Ras intersection, south of Tulkarm. At approximately 18:00 on Monday, 26 September 2011, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians through Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm. At approximately 22:30 on Tuesday, 27 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint between Jour and Beit Leed villages, southeast of Tulkarm.

Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 18:00 on Friday, 23 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-‘Araqa village, west of Jenin. At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 24 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Arraba village, south of Jenin. At approximately 12:30, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. At approximately 20:00, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Kfiret village, south of Jenin. At approximately 14:00 on Tuesday, 27 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint between Sanour and al-Jarba villages, south of Jenin.

Jericho: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 09:30 on Saturday, 24 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho. At approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 25 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of Jericho.

Salfit: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Friday, 23 September 2011, IOF established 10 checkpoints around the town. On Saturday, 24 September 2011, IOF established 5 checkpoints around the town. At approximately 06:25 on Monday, 26 September 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Brouqin village, west of Salfit.

4. Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians and Property

Israel has continued its settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

At approximately 15:30 on Thursday, 22 September 2011, at least 10 Israeli settlers from “Oufra” settlement, northeast of Ramallah, set fire to olive and fig trees in Wad Zaghoura area in the west of Deir Jarir village. At least 40 dunums of agricultural land, including 100 olive trees and 40 fig trees, were burnt before villagers were able to extinguish fire.

On Saturday, 24 September 2011, Israeli settlers raised large banners that had racist slogans against Arabs near some checkpoints, intersections and the entrances of Palestinian communities.

At approximately 17:30 also on Saturday, at least 20 Israeli settlers from “Gilad” settlement, northeast of Qalqilya, moved into Far’ata village, northeast of Qalqilya. They threw stones at houses belonging to al-Tawil family. IOF arrived at the area and evacuated the settlers.

On Sunday morning, 25 September 2011, Palestinian farmers in Qasra village, southeast of Nablus, found that Israeli settlers had uprooted 400 trees in Shu’ab al-Kharab area, which is located nearly 1,500 meters away from “Yish Kodish” settlement.

Also on Sunday morning, Palestinian farmers in Douma village, southeast of Nablus, found that Israeli settlers had uprooted 150 trees in Shu’ab al-Kharab area, which is located nearly 1,500 meters away from “Yish Kodish” settlement.

At approximately 10:05 on Sunday, IOF moved into Magharat al-Dab’a village, south of Qalqilya. They handed a notice to Hani Manasra ordering him to stop establishing a greenhouse in the village.

On Sunday evening, Israeli settlers living in settlement communities inside and around Hebron launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians. In this context, Ra’ed Jihad Abu Ermaila, 38, sustained burns to the eyes, the shoulder and the neck, and bruises throughout the body. Israeli settlers stopped Abu Ermaila and his child, 7-year-old Ussama, near the Ibrahimi Mosque and threw stones at them. The settlers then violently beat the father and sprinkled an incendiary gas onto him. Relatives of Abu Ermaila were then able to evacuate him to the hospital. It should be noted that IOF are permanently present in this area.

Also on Sunday evening, during the funeral procession of two Israeli settlers who died in a car accident in the weekend to the Jewish cemetery near Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron, dozens of settlers attacked Palestinian houses using stones and empty bottles. Windows and doors of two houses were damaged. IOF were present in the area, but did not intervene to stop the attack.

At approximately 09:30 on Tuesday, 27 September 2011, a number of Israeli settlers raised racist banners against Palestinians on Tulkarm-Nablus road and near Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm.

During the reporting period, the Israeli District Planning and Construction Committee approved a plane to construct 1,100 housing units in “Gilo” settlement, south of Jerusalem. The plan included the establishment of a footpath, a school, public buildings and an industrial zone. The Israeli Ministry of Interior issued a press release on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 stated that the committee approve the plan, which would be open for objections for 60 days. According to Ahmed Sab Laban, a researcher in settlement issues, stated that the units would be established on a 620-dunum area of land, and that those units constitute the first stage of a wider plan, as additional 600 units would be established in the future. It should be noted that the construction of 942 units was approved last August.

On Wednesday, 28 September 2011, IOF handed notices to Palestinian civilians in Battir village, west of Bethlehem, ordering confiscation of 148 dunums of land planted with fruits, olives and vegetables belonging to at least 40 Palestinian families.

………………………………………………………

Recommendations to the International Community

1- PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.

2- PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel's respect of the Convention in the OPT and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.

3- PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with their legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.

4- PCHR calls for the immediate implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank illegal.

5- PCHR recommends that international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations and NGOs, participate in the process of exposing those accused of grave breaches of international law and urge their governments to bring the perpetrators to justice.

6- PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.

7- PCHR calls on the international community to recognize the Gaza disengagement plan, which was implemented in September 2005, for what it is - not an end to occupation but a compounding of the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

8- In recognition of ICRC as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase its staff and activities in the OPT, including the facilitation of family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

9- PCHR appreciates the efforts of international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel's respect for human rights in the OPT and to demand Israel end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.

10- PCHR calls upon the international community to pressure Israel to lift the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its occupation forces on access for international organizations to the OPT.

11- PCHR reiterates that any political settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question. Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability in the region. Any peace process or agreement must be based on respect for international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.

Three Palestinians Treated for Injuries Sustained from Israeli Tear Gas, Settlers Destroy Palestinian Irrigation Pipes.

2011-09-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

West Bank,(IMEMC)-Palestinian medical sources reported, on Thursday evening, that three residents were treated for the effects of teargas inhalation during clashes with Israeli soldiers invading Yasouf Palestinian village, near the West Bank city of Salfit.

Local sources reported that the clashes first erupted when a number of armed Israeli settlers attacked the village. Israel soldiers invaded the village shortly afterwards and fired several gas bombs at the residents wounding three.

The three residents were identified as Mazin Yassin, 18, Ala’ Azzam, 18, and Osama Abdul-Raziq, 21; they were all moved to Yasser Arafat Hospital in Salfit.

In related news, a group of armed extremist Israeli settlers destroyed irrigation pipes used by the residents of Madama village, near Nablus.

Acting village council head, Ehab Al Qit, stated that approximately 20-30 settlers gathered near the spring that belongs to the village, and destroyed irrigation pipes that provide the Palestinian farmlands in the area with the needed water.

Palestinian Children forced out of bed to be photographed by the Israeli army

2011-09-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ramallah,(IMEMC) -The British newspaper, The Guardian, reported on Thursday that Israeli troops recently invaded the village of an-Nabi Saleh, known for being a center of non-violent resistance, and went house-to-house forcing children out of bed in the middle of the night to photograph them.

The Guardian article also details some of the other mistreatment of Palestinian children by the Israeli military, referencing a recent report from Defence for Children International showing that eight recommendations made last year by the organization have not been carried out by the Israeli military and government.

These include detention of children without charge, forced interrogation of children with no lawyer or parent present, the failure to investigate reports of torture by Israeli forces against Palestinian children, the refusal to inform parents that their child has been detained and the holding of criminal proceedings against children in military courts, among others.

In the invasion of Nabi Saleh Wednesday night, residents reported that the soldiers said they plan to make a file of all the children in the village to use to identify any child that may later throw stones at the army.

The village of an-Nabi Saleh, home to around five hundred people, is one of several West Bank villages that hold weekly non-violent protests against the Israeli Annexation Wall that is being built on village land. At each protest, the Israeli army uses lethal and semi-lethal weapons to attack the non-violent demonstrators.

The inhabitants of the village say that they depend on international and Palestinian human rights organization to help document the illegal Israeli practices and violations of human rights by the Israeli military, in order to save their children from these practices.

The Guardian article also quotes a July 2011 report by Israeli human rights group B'Tselem which details the practice of photographing children in the night: "The photos were taken for what the army calls 'mapping': the army did not have any basis for suspecting any particular minor they awoke to photograph, but they wanted to build a reservoir of pictures they could later use for identification purposes, should the minor be involved in stone-throwing or other violent activity. In response to a report on the issue which was broadcast on Channel 10 News, the army said that 'it uses a variety of means to maintain order and security'."

Israeli Soldiers Arrest Palestinian, Raze Land in Hebron to Make Way for New Settlement Construction

2011-09-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

HEBRON, (WAFA)– Israeli soldiers Thursday arrested a Palestinian from the town of Dura, southwest of Hebron in the Occupied West Bank, and razed land for eventual construction of new Israeli settlements according to security sources.

Sources told WAFA that Israeli soldiers arrested resident Amir Asr and took him to an unknown destination.

Israeli soldiers erected checkpoints at the entrances of several Palestinian towns and inspected Palestinians’ vehicles and identification documents.

Soldiers razed more land belonging to Palestinians to expand Beit Romano settlement in central Hebron.

Israeli Soldiers Hand 7 Palestinians Demolition Notices near town of Tulkarem

2011-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

TULKAREM,(WAFA) – Israeli soldiers Thursday handed seven Palestinians from Ezbet Shofeh, a village southeast of Tulkarem, demolition notices for their houses, according to a witness.

Witnesses told WAFA that Israeli soldiers raided the village and handed Palestinians demolition notices and that the residents must be out of the houses in one week or else the owners will have to pay for the demolition expenses.

Witnesses added that another three Palestinians were handed demolition notices three months ago, despite having the required legal documents to indicate ownership.

Israeli Settlers Destroy 55 Olive Trees South of Palestinian town of Hebron

2011-09-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

HEBRON, (WAFA) – Israeli settlers from Shim, a settlement near Hebron, destroyed 55 fruitful olive trees and wrote several threatening slogans to Palestinian residents, according to security sources.

Sources said that settlers attacked an area located between two agricultural valleys in the town, destroying 55 fruitful olive trees and writing threatening slogans to Palestinians such as ‘you will pay the price’.

These acts of vandalism are seen as retaliation for an incident that occurred earlier in the week near the Palestinian town of Halhul.(Haaretz)

This is the third Israeli attack on the town in less than two years.

Israeli Military To Start Working On A New By-pass Road Soon on Palestinian Occupied Land

2011-09-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

West Bank, (IMEMC)- Israeli military bulldozers are expected to start construction work to build a by-pass road in the southern part of the West Bank, Palestinian media sources reported on Thursday.

The Israeli military informed on Wednesday the local council of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, of their plans to build the by-pass road that will go through some of the town's land.

According to the spokesman of the popular committee against the wall and settlements, Mohammad Awad, the Israeli government will confiscate 200 acres of land for the sake of the planned road.

The road which is going to expand an existing one will be 8 kilo meters (5 miles) long and 160 meters (525 feet) wide starting from the entrance of Etzion settlement, passing by Al-Arroub refugee camp, and the village of Beit U’mmar and ending in the village of al-Nabi Yonis.

Awad said, the military is planning to start building the road in less than one week, which does not give the residents a chance to object and appeal to the courts to stop the land confiscation.

The popular committee called the residents to nonviolently resist the Israeli plans which will affect the lives of dozens of Palestinian families who will loose their land, which is their main source of income.

Study: Israeli Occupation costs Palestinian economy $7 billion

2011-09-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian Authority ministry and national research institute released a joint study Thursday which estimates that the Israeli occupation cost the Palestinian economy around $7 billion in 2010.

"Without the occupation, the Palestinian economy would be almost twice as large as it is today," the PA Ministry of National Economy and the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem said in a statement.

Losses sustained by Israel's occupation are equivalent to 85 percent of Palestinian nominal GDP, the study found.

Without Israel's control of resources and access to Palestinian territories, the economy "would run a 'healthy' fiscal surplus, ending its dependence on donors' aid," the report said.

The research quantified, for example, Israel's ban on Palestinian access to the Jordan River, Dead Sea and groundwater aquifers in the West Bank, as costing Palestinians $1.9 billion in lost agriculture revenues, $1.2 billion in mineral resources and $143 million in Dead Sea tourism.

Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip cost the Palestinian economy $1.9 billion, and restrictions on water another $1.9 billion, the study said.

Israel earns around $900 million per year through control of West Bank mining and quarrying, the research authors estimated, and $150 million from commercial Dead Sea products.

ARIJ and the national economy ministry said they had to under-estimate the figures due to a lack of data, leaving out costs which they could not quantify.

Relating to the issues of trade access and resources, the authors of the study said that the "majority of these costs do not have any relationship with security concerns," and were motivated by Israel's wish to restrict the development of a competitive Palestinian economy.

Minister of National Economy in the Ramallah-based government Hasan Abu Libdeh said the report backed findings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and demonstrated the case for taking Palestinian statehood to the UN through President Mahmoud Abbas' membership bid, submitted Friday.

"No matter what the Palestinian people achieve by our own efforts, the occupation prevents us achieving our potential as a free people in our own country," the minister said.

"It should be clear to the international community that one reason for Israel’s refusal to act in good faith as a partner for peace is the profits it makes as an occupying power."

The PA will produce regular reports costing Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian economy, the release said.

Israeli probe finds "serious shortcomings" in soldiers' actions that killed Palestinian

2011-09-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ha'aretz – Serious shortcomings have been found in Israel Defense Forces soldiers' handling of an incident in which a Palestinian was shot to death by troops in the West Bank village of Kusra on Friday, an army investigation has revealed.

Prior to the shooting on Friday a group of about 15 settlers went down into the dry riverbed near Kusra to pray, although a brigade commander in the area had identified the location as a potential flash point in advance and moved troops to the area. Despite the fact that the commander had the authority to declare the valley next to Kusra where the settlers were headed a closed military zone, he did not do so and allowed the settlers to come close to the edge of the village.

	Residents of the West Bank village of Kusra clashing with IDF troops earlier this week.
	Photo by: AFP

The area around Kusra has been the scene of repeated incidents involving Palestinians and settlers. One recent incident involved an arson attempt at a mosque in Kusra. Following the mosque incident, some of the villagers in Kusra formed a civil guard of sorts. When they spotted settlers descending into the valley on Friday, they recruited hundreds of villagers to come to the scene. When the Palestinians began throwing stones at the settlers, the IDF intervened to try to separate the two groups.

At one point, a force of IDF troops stationed in the village began to withdraw, but due to a misunderstanding, left a small group of soldiers still in the village. The remaining soldiers came under attack with rocks thrown by villagers, and most of them suffered injuries, most of them light. At that point a company commander and three other IDF troops rescued the besieged soldiers, but then they, too, came under a hail of rocks from short range. It was only when the use of tear gas failed to disperse the crowd that an order was made to use live weapon fire.

According to the interim findings of the investigation, a soldier directed two shots at the lower part of the body of the Palestinian who was shot in the incident after he was identified as the leader of the crowd. He was hit around the hips, but the bullet exited from his neck and he died.

The incident occurred just hours before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke to the UN General Assembly in a bid for Palestinian membership of the international organization. Abbas mentioned the killing in his address in New York.

Expert says new Israeli settlement to divide West Bank

2011-09-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

RAMALLAH, (WAFA) –Israel’s approval of a plan to build new 1100 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo is a prelude to an Israeli project to build a new settlement that will separate south of the West Bank from the Palestinian villages bordering Jerusalem, Wednesday said Khalil Toufakji, a Palestinian expert on Israeli settlements.

He told Voice of Palestine radio that a new residential area that would ultimately house thousands of Israelis, to be known as Givat Yael, will be constructed on land that belong to the village of al Walaja, northwest of Bethlehem, and will extend to the west of Gilo.

Israel is using the national and international situations to pass the approval of new housing units that are part of a larger settlement project to build 58,000 settlement units by 2020, he said.

Israel to confiscate land of 40 Bethlehem villagers

2011-09-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

Israeli soldiers hand out confiscation orders in the West Bank village of Izbat al-Tabib, east of Qalqiliya, on April 7, 2011. (MaanImages/Khaleel Reash, File)

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces notified villagers near Bethlehem that their land will soon be confiscated, local residents said Wednesday.

Land owned by 40 families in Battir village -- 148 dunams of vegetable, fruit and olive groves -- is earmarked for confiscation, villagers told Ma'an.

According to the notices received by villagers, the area is close to the train line to Jerusalem and next to the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo, in which Israeli authorities approved the building of 1,100 new homes on Tuesday, sparking international condemnation.

The notification of the Israeli Ministry of Finance's intention to purchase the lands said the acquisition was for military and security purposes.

Battir resident Nidal al-Zaghir told Ma'an the land confiscation "will be a great loss for the village, as they will lose many of their houses, water wells and agricultural lands."

100,000 Jewish Americans call for US to veto Palestinian UN membership

2011-09-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A petition signed by 100,000 American Jews calls for the US to veto the PLO proposal for UN membership of a Palestinian state, Israeli media said Tuesday.

The document, which says Palestinian leaders' refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state threatens their national home, was presented to Israeli Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Yuli Edelstein by US Jewish representatives, settler news site Arutz Sheva reported.

Also Tuesday, the youth wing of a US Jewish peace group released a video for the Jewish new year calling for the community to pay attention to their call to end Israel's occupation.

The same group who heckled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New Orleans in Nov. 2010 said their "message is the same."

"Listen to the voice of young Jews arguing for a more open, diverse, and critical community or see your fears of losing the youth come true," the youth manifesto of Young, Jewish, Proud urged.

Israeli troops raid villages, kidnap Palestinian

2011-09-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

(MaanImages/Rami Swidan, File)

JENIN (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces conducted raids on several northern West Bank villages early Wednesday, and detained a man in the city of Jenin.

Security officials told Ma'an that Israeli troops deployed in al-Zawiya, Meithalun, Siris, Sanour and Misliya villages in the early hours, and detained Mahmoud Abdel Razeq Jarar, 40, from his south Jenin residence.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said a Jenin man was "transferred for security questioning," but she was not aware of army activity in the villages.

Local officials said soldiers erected overnight checkpoints between Jenin and Tubas, which the spokeswoman said was "part of routine security activity."

Israel closes off West Bank for 4-day Jewish holiday

2011-09-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Israeli army announced its closure of the West Bank from midnight Tuesday until midnight Saturday, a statement said late Tuesday.

The Allenby Crossing between the West Bank and Jordan will also operate under reduced hours on Wednesday and Thursday, as Israeli Jews celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.

Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak ordered the four-day closure of crossings bridging the West Bank to Israel and Jerusalem, the army statement said.

No Palestinians will be permitted to leave the West Bank during the holiday period, except patients cleared to receive medical care in Jerusalem or Israel, according to the release.

Humanitarian aid and passage of doctors and medical staff will be subject to the authorization of the Israeli military authorities in the West Bank, it added.

The sole access point for Palestinians traveling abroad, the Allenby terminal, will be opened from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, before returning to normal operating hours, crossings authorities said.

Israeli settlers gather south of Bethlehem, block cars

2011-09-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli settlers gathered on Tuesday at the junction between the Tuqu village southeast of Bethlehem and prevented some cars from passing through, witnesses said.

Onlookers told Ma’an that dozens of settlers went out in a march near Tuqu junction and forbade the Palestinian cars from passing by throwing stones toward them.

In Jurat Ash-Sham'a village south of Bethlehem, settler security guards detained Salem Ali Hussein, 65, while he was on his way to pick grapes, said anti-wall activist Hassan Barjyeh.

He was later taken by the Israeli army to the Etzion military base before being released

Israeli army kidnaps Palestinian legislator

2011-09-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Israeli soldiers kidnapped on Monday Jerusalem legislator of the Change and Reform Block of Hamas, Ahmad Attoun, as he was in front of the protest tent that was installed in front of the Red Cross in Jerusalem more than a year ago.

Israeli Police Spokeswoman, Luba Samri, stated that undercover units of the Israeli Border Guard Police in Jerusalem, and a number of informants, arrested Attoun as he was near the entrance of the Red Cross headquarters in the city.

Samri added that Attoun is currently under interrogation, and that his Jerusalem ID card was revoked a year ago by the Israeli Ministry of Interior for “his involvement with the Hamas movement”.

It is worth mentioning that Jerusalem Legislators Ahmad Attoun, Mohammad Totah, and former Minister Khaled Abu Arafa, all of the Hamas Change and Reform Bloc, were kidnapped by Israel in 2006, and were imprisoned for nearly 3.5 years.

Dozens of West Bank legislators, including PLC head, Dr. Aziz Dweik, were also kidnapped as Israel was trying to topple the elected officials after Hamas' sweeping victory in the 2006 Legislative Elections.

Shortly after the release of Jerusalem legislators, Israel handed them deportation orders to expel them out of their city, Jerusalem, and gave them 30 days to comply. They started their protest at the tent since then.

Legislator Mohammad Abu Teir was expelled from Jerusalem to Ramallah shortly after he was released from prison.

Palestinian Presidency Spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rodeina, slammed the kidnapping of Attoun, and stated that this violation is part of the Israeli policy that aims at removing the indigenous Arab population from Jerusalem in order to replace them with Israeli settlers.

Abu Rodeina demanded the International Community to intervene and stop the Israeli violations.

The Maan News Agency reported that on August 18, a number of Palestinian officials in Jerusalem revealed that Israel is planning to expel 384 political figures and activists from the city as part of its campaign against Palestinian political activities in the occupied City.

Israel releases journalist after 49 days of detention

2011-09-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Monday afternoon, Israeli military court decided to release Al-Jazeera bureau chief in Afghanistan, journalist Samir Allawi, after 49 days in illegal detention and interrogation.

Samir Allawi appeared at Israeli military court hearings seven times since his arrest on August 9th August however he was cleared from all accusations made against him.

UFree congratulates journalist Allawi on his determination and will follow his illegal detention by Israel at international and legal platforms in order to expose the Israeli violations against freedom of expression and movement.

Eight-year-old hit by Israeli settler car dies in Palestinian town of Hebron, Governor demands "real protection"

2011-09-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

West Bank,(PNN)-On Tuesday morning, 8-year-old Farid Jaber died of injuries sustained last Friday when an Israeli settler struck him with his car on an Israeli only bypass road near Hebron. During his funeral, the governor of the town, Kamel Hamid demanded "actual international protection" for Palestinians in his province.

An official police statement obtained by Palestinian state-run news wire read, “The child martyr was gravely injured last Friday when a settler hit him as he crossed the bypass road in the Baqa’a area east of Hebron. An Israeli ambulance took him to the Hadassa Ein Karem hospital, where this morning he passed away from his injuries.”

On Friday, September 23, eyewitnesses told AFP that the incident happened at the entrance to the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, and that the driver fled the scene immediately. Israeli troops arrested two of the boy’s relatives for “attacking a police officer” afterwards.

Governor Hamid asked for "actual international protection" for Palestinians during Jaber's funeral, which took place on Tuesday afternoon. He said he appreciated the work of current international peacekeepers, such as the Christian Peacemaker Teams who patrol the old city of Hebron, but he claimed that since Israeli settlers were "targeting and intimidating Palestinian children," more work must done to document settler attacks on a daily basis.

A PNN reporter said hundreds of people attended the funeral, including dignitaries from the Ministry of Education and civil rights organizations.

Israel plans 1,100 more settlement units as Memebers of Israeli Parliament call for full annexation

2011-09-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Jerusalem,(IMEMC)-A group of right-wing Israeli Members of Knesset(Israel's Parliament) submitted a letter to the Israeli Prime Minister on Monday stating that in response to the Palestinian Authority's unilateral bid for statehood at the United Nations,Israel must retaliate by fully annexing all West Bank settlements as part of the state of Israel. The call comes just as the Israeli Jerusalem municipality prepares to approve 1,100 new settlement units on Palestinian land in the settlement of Gilo, near Bethlehem.

The plan to move ahead with new settlement construction in Gilo received preliminary approval by the Israeli Jerusalem municipality, and was submitted to the Jewish National Fund, which owns 90% of the land in Israel, for a 60-day public comment period, after which it is expected to receive final approval, and new construction will begin.( Read Article In Haaretz)

In the midst of protests over high housing prices in Israel, Israeli authorities have sought to construct new units in illegal West Bank settlements and encourage young people to move there, in violation of international law and past signed agreements between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Indeed, Interior Minister Eli Yishai issued a directive that 20% of the new units constructed in Israeli settlements should be set aside for young couples.

The right-wing Israeli legislators who submitted a letter to the Prime Minister on Monday made a far-reaching recommendation that the Israeli government officially annex over half of the West Bank, which was occupied by Israeli forces in 1967 but remains Palestinian Territory. This annexation would leave Palestinians with just 13% of their original land, split into discontiguous islands, or reservations, much like the Native American reservations where people were forced to live after European colonizers took over their land.

In their letter, the Members of Knesset wrote, "The international damage that Israel could suffer in the wake of the UN vote is significantly smaller than that it would suffer if it doesn't follow up on the principle you set a decade ago – 'If they give, they'll get; if they don't give, they get nothing." This last part was a reference to the Palestinian Authority and the Camp David Accords of 2000, during which the Israeli negotiators attempted to force the Palestinians to give up their internationally-recognized rights, including the right to freedom of movement, the right of return for refugees, and the right to live in a defensible state with clearly-defined borders.

The Israeli MKs , mainly from the right-wing Kadima party, called on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to also cut off the aid money to Palestinians, which comes from international donors, but has to pass through Israeli hands for taxation, to accelerate the construction of new settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, to prevent all Palestinian construction in the West Bank, and to cancel the 'VIP' cards of Palestinian officials which allows them easier access through the over 500 internal checkpoints run by the Israeli army in every part of the West Bank.

Palestinians detained in Israel start hunger strike

2011-09-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails have started a hunger strike to protest their treatment by the Israeli prison services, Palestinian Authority Minister of Detainee Affairs Issa Qaraqe said Tuesday.

Detainees are threatening to disobey all prison rules if their demands are not met, Qaraqe said, adding that the move would be unprecedented.

Prisoners may defy all prison orders, refuse to wear uniforms or stand up for daily counts, he said in a statement.

Detainees affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are on an open hunger strike to demand an end to the solitary confinement of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat, who has been held in isolation for three years.

They are also demanding an end to the solitary confinement of 20 other prisoners, some of whom have been held in isolation for 10 years, Qaraqe said.

In Rimon and Nafha prisons, detainees went on hunger strike after a visit by the Israeli Minister of Internal Security. The minister told prisoners' representatives that their demands would not be met.

Prisoners had demanded that Israeli authorities end solitary confinement and collective punishment, allow detainees to study, and stop humiliating inspections and the practice of chaining detainees' hands and feet during visits by lawyers and relatives.

Qaraqe said detainees in other prisons would go on hunger strike on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, but that an open hunger strike would begin if demands were not met.

Meanwhile in Shatta prison, detainees have refused to see their relatives or lawyers since the prison service announced that their hands and feet would be chained during visits, Qaraqe said.

In his address to the UN General Assembly on Friday, President Mahmoud Abbas told world leaders that peace with Israel required "the release of political prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons without delay."

He added: "The time has come for the thousands of prisoners to be released from the prisons to return to their families and their children to become a part of building their homeland, for the freedom of which they have sacrificed."

Israeli Setteler Rabbis Encourage Students to Attack Palestinians

2011-09-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

TEL AVIV, (WAFA) – Israeli newspaper Haaretz Tuesday published that extreme Jewish rabbis in ‘Od Yusuf Hai’ religious school in Yitzhar, An Israeli settlement near Nablus, encourage their students to attack Palestinians and their properties.

The newspaper said the Shin Bet security service urged the Israeli government to halt funding Od Yusuf Hai, after it received Israeli intelligence information that rabbis are encouraging their students to attack Palestinians.

“The head of the Od Yusuf Hai school, Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, is the author of the controversial work 'The King's Torah,' which, among other things, discusses circumstances under which Jewish law might permit the killing of non-Jews,” it said.

Two children, 8 and 10, kidnapped by Israeli soldiers

2011-09-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Sunday evening, two children, ages 8 and 10, from Al Bustan neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem. Clashes took place following the abduction.

File - Israeli soldiers in Silwan

Local sources reported that the two kidnapped children were identified as Wajd Abu Hlayyil, 8, and Omran Mansour, 10.

Furthermore, soldiers broke into and searched several homes in the neighborhood, and used them as army posts and monitoring towers.

Abdul-Karim Abu Sneina, spokesperson of the Popular Committee to Defend Silwan, called on all national institutions and popular committees to hold a protest in front of the Israeli Central Court in Jerusalem, on Tuesday, to protest a decision by the Jerusalem Municipality to demolish homes in the neighborhood, in preparation to remove the whole Arab neighborhood and to build Jewish-only settlements.

Abu Sneina added that the current changes in the region, and the international political developments, are giving the Jerusalem Municipality the feeling that it has the opportunity to demolish part of the Al Bustan at the current stage, so it can remove the whole neighborhood in later stages.

Ma'an reports: A report published in July 2011 by Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said that since 2005 at least 835 Palestinian minors were arrested and tried in Israeli military courts on charges of stone throwing.

Military legislation grants Palestinian children very few rights and Israeli military legislation dealing with minors does not conform to international and Israeli law, the report added.

Palestinian children are considered adults from the age of 16 years under Israeli military regulations governing the occupied Palestinian territories.

In Israel, children are considered adults from the age of 18.

Israeli police say fatal West Bank crash caused by Palestinian rock throwing

2011-09-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ha'aretz, Chaim Levinson – Police originally suspect accident caused by the driver, Kiryat Arba resident Asher Palmer, taking turn too fast.

The police and army traded accusations on Sunday over who was responsible for issuing a statement attributing the accident in which a man and his infant son were killed near Kiryat Arba on Friday to excessive speed. Police later said the car that Kiryat Arba resident Asher Palmer was driving rolled over after Palestinians threw rocks at the vehicle.

Palmer, 25, was en route to Jerusalem with his 1-year-old son to pick up his wife, a hospital nurse. Soldiers later found the bodies of Palmer and his infant son inside the family's battered car, on the shoulder of Route 60, close to Hebron.

About 20 minutes after the car was found the Israel Defense Forces Spokesman's Office informed media outlets that soldiers stationed nearby had not seen any stone-throwing and that the incident was merely a road accident.

That in itself was unusual, as the army doesn't usually investigate road accidents.

That evening the Israel Police announced that the car had flipped over after taking a turn too quickly. Yet initial findings at the site of the accident did not support this conclusion.

While the car did flip over while on a curve there were no skid marks on the road to indicate braking, which would be characteristic in such an accident.

Three rocks were found in the car, and one had blood on it. Palmer's pistol had been removed from the car.

The steering wheel bore signs of having been hit by a rock, and Palmer's face had a wound that would not normally ensue from an overturned car.

Police had created a special task force to investigate 18 previous incidents of stone-throwing at cars in that area, so such attacks were clearly not uncommon.

Later Friday evening, police reviewed the incident with Col. Guy Hazut, commander of the IDF's Hebron Brigade, and concluded that the Palmers were probably killed in a terror attack.

By Saturday morning, that seemed certain, so Saturday night, police sought a court order for an autopsy.

At the hearing, a police representative claimed police investigators had initially suspected terror attack, citing the car's smashed windshield and the rocks found in the car.

The judge refused to order an autopsy of the bodies. Police said a gash on Asher Palmer's face could have been caused by a rock thrown from a passing vehicle.

Investigators believe that he lost control of the vehicle as a result, causing his car to run off the road, hit a wall and overturn.

On Sunday afternoon, when the minutes of the court proceedings were published, the police and the army issued a statement admitting that the incident was probably a terror attack.

Police officers said the army gave too much weight to the statements of the soldiers who found the car, while the army said it merely reported the soldiers' statements and that it was the Israel Police that invented the speeding claim.

At a meeting with GOC Central Command Avi Mizrahi on sunday, settlers were furious. "There's no other way to say this: The IDF didn't tell the truth," said Danny Dayan, chairman of the Yesha Council of settlements.

[There has been a surge in settler attacks against Palestinians over the last month.

On Sunday, dozens of Israeli settlers uprooted over 400 Palestinian-owned olive trees near Nablus in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian Authority official said.

On Friday, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man, Issam Kamal Odeh, 33, during clashes sparked by settlers who entered Qusra, near Nablus.

In September, settlers in Nablus have vandalized two mosques and an Israeli army base, uprooted olive trees and set fire to cars.

Some 500,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There are about 2.5 million Palestinians in the same territory.

All settlements are considered illegal under international law.]

Israeli court orders compensation for death of Palestinian girl

2011-09-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- The family of a Palestinian girl killed in 2007 by Israeli soldiers has been awarded 1.6 million NIS ($430,000) in compensation by a Jerusalem court, the Israeli news site Ynet reported Sunday.

Abir Aramin, 10, was killed in Anata, East Jerusalem by a rubber bullet fired by an Israeli border guard officer.

Judge Orit Efal-Gabai from the Jerusalem District Court ruled that the Israeli state was responsible for the death of Abir Aramin and must pay her family compensation for burial expenses and "lost years," in addition to compensation based on the nature of her death.

Police at the time had claimed that autopsy results showed Aramin was killed by a stone.

The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem helped the family publish a pathologist's report which proved she was hit by a rubber bullet, Ynet said.

In the ruling, the judge stated that there was no dispute that the death of Abir Aramin was due to negligence and that the firing of rubber bullets violated military orders.

Abir Aramin was the daughter of Palestinian peace activist Bassam Aramin, who co-founded the peace group Combatants For Peace.

Figures published by B'Tselem say 141 Palestinian children were killed in 2006 by Israeli forces.

Israeli settlers put up posters calling for killing Arabs

2011-09-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

IMEMC – Dozens of armed Israeli settlers put up Israeli flags and posters on main and bypass roads close to Jewish settlements in the southern part of the West Bank, calling for slaughtering Arabs and Palestinians.

File

Racist posters were also placed along the Jerusalem-Hebron road, and around all settlements extending from the southern part of Bethlehem district to the northern part of Hebron.

Some of the posters read “We Will Slaughter All Arabs”, “This is the land of our fathers and forefathers”, and dozens of similar racist posters.

The settlers also camped in Palestinian farmlands and orchards south of Bethlehem, and preventing the residents from reaching their own lands.

Settlers living in the city of Hebron also hung Israeli flags and racist posters threatening to kill the Palestinians and calling for their expulsion.

Israeli settlers uproot 400 Palestinian olive trees

2011-09-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

Settlers uproot 400 olive trees near Nablus

Jewish youths hold Israeli flags during a rally march outside the West Bank
settlement of Itamar, near Nablus September 20, 2011.(Reuters/Nir Elias)

NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Dozens of Israeli settlers on Sunday uprooted over 400 Palestinian-owned olive trees near Nablus in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian Authority official said.

Settlement Affairs official Ghassan Doughlas said settlers attacked fields between Qusra and Duma villages south of Nablus.

On Friday, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man, Issam Kamal Odeh, 33, during clashes sparked by settlers who entered Qusra.

The incident comes amid a surge in settler violence in the northern district, including village raids, attacks on Palestinians and their property and the vandalism of two mosques in recent weeks.

In Qusra on Sept. 5, settlers torched a mosque and spray-painted anti-Arab slogans and the Star of David.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in West Bank

2011-09-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

NABLUS, (WAFA) – Jewish settlers Sunday morning attacked a Palestinian vehicle on a main road south of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, said local sources.

Coordinator of the Israeli Rabbis for Human Rights organization, Zakaria al-Sidda, said a group of settlers from Yitzhar settlement, south of Nablus, ambushed Palestinian cars and stoned them.

The attack is the latest in the settlers’ ongoing violent campaign against Palestinians, in retaliation for the Palestinian application last Friday for full United Nations membership of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.

On Saturday, settlers set fire to olive fields on the outskirts of Burin, a village south of Nablus, under Israeli army protection, according to local sources.

Clashes broke out in Burin after a group of settlers and Israeli forces raided the village and fired tear gas at Palestinians.

In Bethlehem, a Palestinian man was injured in his neck and back when his car veered off the road and hit a large block of stone, after a group of Jewish settlers from Beitar Illit, a settlement north of Bethlehem, stoned his car.

NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Clashes erupted Saturday between Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents of the Burin village near Nablus in the northern West Bank, witnesses and the Israeli army said.

Locals told a Ma'an correspondent that residents of the illegal Yitzhar settlement stormed the entrance to Burin, threw rocks at villagers and smashed the windscreen of a car.

Israeli soldiers arrived to the scene and fired tear gas and stun grenades, locals said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said Israeli civilians came to a road near Burin, and that forces fired riot dispersal means in response to clashes.

197 Gaza tunnel workers died since 2006

2011-09-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

GAZA, (WAFA) - Al-Mezan center for Human Rights Sunday said that the total number of victims who died while working in the smuggling tunnels in Rafah, south of the Gaza strip, has increased since 2006 to reach197 Palestinians, including 10 children.

In a press release, the center stated that 20 of the victims died by the Israeli shelling on tunnels areas, while the total number of Palestinian injured reached almost 583, pointing out to the continuous killings and injuries of these workers; two were killed and six others were injured on Saturday.

The total number of victims killed in Rafah tunnels since 2011 reached 17 dead; while 42 injured, said the center.

It strongly condemned the continuous Israeli blockade on Gaza, stressing that the continuation of the blockade and its negative effects lead to an enormous rise of the unemployment and poverty phenomena as well in pushing Palestinians toward digging tunnels as an alternative to the closed crossings, which forced a large scale of Palestinians to work in the tunnels as a way to provide sources of livelihood.

The center called upon the international community to uphold its legal and ethic responsibilities, take the necessary measures to lift of the siege imposed on Gaza and to work on insuring the protection of Palestinians’ rights to freedom of movement of people and goods.

Israeli soldiers fire at car near Bethlehem, father and daughter injured

2011-09-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

Israeli soldiers opened fire Saturday morning at a Palestinian vehicle on Tiqua road south east of Bethlehem leading the vehicle to flip over injuring the driver and his daughter.

“Israeli military soldiers chased the vehicle on Tiqua's main street used by the Palestinians who are indigenous to the area, and also used by Israeli settlers, and opened fire at the vehicle", an eyewitness told the correspondent of Maan News Agency, "The car turned over and a father and his 17-year-old daughter were injured, and were also kidnapped by the soldiers".

The witnesses added that soldiers kidnapped several persons who were in the area, and took them to an unknown destination. The kidnapped persons are from Doura town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, they were taken to an unknown destination.

Also, an eye-witnesses said that settlers of Maale Amos illegal settlement, built on the lands of Tiqua Palestinian town, opened fire at several shepherds in the town of Kisan, next to Tiqua village; no injuries were reported.

On Saturday afternoon, dozens of settlers stormed the town of Burin, south of northern West Bank city of Nablus, and smashed the windows of a local vehicle.

Furthermore, dozens of settlers of Yitzhar settlement, south of Nablus, attacked civilians at the entrance of Burin and hurled stones at them and their vehicles; damage was reported, no injuries.

An eyewitnesses said that Israeli military patrols arrived at the scene, and fired teargas bombs and stun grenades.

UN move could help establish Palestinian legal rights

2011-09-24T04:37:00.000-07:00

Ma'an, Joseph Schuman – Behind the diplomatic battle over Palestinian statehood at the United Nations this week is the prospect of a new front in the Middle East conflict: the international courts.

The Palestinians hope that full or partial UN recognition of Palestine as an independent state could give them the power to bring the Israeli government or its officials before war-crimes tribunals or sue them in other global venues.
Israeli officials warn with increasing alarm that the waging of such "lawfare" would isolate Israel and prevent its civilian and military leaders from traveling abroad out of fear they'd be arrested as war criminals.

Some commentators say that, like lawyers in any legal fight, both sides may be exaggerating the stakes in what's more of a political and public-relations drama in New York.

"The concern that something dramatic would change is overblown," said Rosa Brooks, a professor of international law at Georgetown University who has also served in policy roles at the State and Defense Departments.

But through formal recognition as a state, the Palestinians could gain greater standing at the International Criminal Court and other global judicial bodies, where they could try to put Israel on the stand.

That scenario hinges on how far the statehood effort gets in New York, where the United States is maneuvering intensively to stop it.

President Mahmoud Abbas has said he'll formally apply on Friday for UN membership at the Security Council, and if eventually rejected there - a near certainty thanks to a promised US veto - he'll turn to the General Assembly.

PALESTINIAN 'STATE'

While only the Security Council can approve full membership, a two-thirds majority of UN member states can -- and almost certainly would -- vote to upgrade the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine from "entity" to "non-member state."

This may not sound like much, but the key word is "state."

As a recognized state, Palestine could go to other international bodies where the United States wields no veto and request membership or accession to international treaties. Each organization has its own rules for admission, but at each of them General Assembly recognition would strengthen Palestinian claims to membership.

The biggest jurisdictional prize cited by Palestinians is the Hague-based ICC, the successor to war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda that was created by the Rome Statute.

The ICC is the one international venue where individuals can be criminally charged, and all 117 countries that ratified the Rome Statute are bound to turn over suspects.

Israel hasn't joined the Rome Statute -- nor has the United States -- but this would not stop the Palestinians from pursuing cases under its auspice.

Alleged war crimes or crimes against humanity can be referred for investigation to the ICC's prosecutors by the Security Council or by ICC member states. Non-member states can also ask the ICC to assume jurisdiction on their territories.

The Palestinians did just that in October 2009, requesting the prosecution of Israeli officials who carried out the 2008-2009 conflict with Hamas in Gaza and earlier "acts committed on the territory of Palestine."

SWORD OF DAMOCLES

The ICC chief prosecutor never decided whether the entity Palestine has enough standing to make such a claim.

But statehood recognition by the General Assembly could strongly influence any future ruling, said Robert Malley, the Middle East program director for the International Crisis Group.

And that's what frightens Israel.

Israeli generals and defense officials involved in the fighting over Gaza have already canceled trips to international conferences in London and Madrid out of fear they could be served with international arrest warrants there.

"Israelis are afraid of being hauled to The Hague," Malley said.

Israeli newspapers reported last week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said privately that he fears the Palestinians would also accuse Israeli settlers in the West Bank of violating the Geneva Conventions' prohibition on forced displacement of populations.

Of course, if they entered the legal battlefield, the Palestinians would risk being accused and prosecuted in the same venues where they'd try to target Israelis.

There is also no guarantee the ICC prosecutor would follow through on charges against Israel or its officials. The ICC has procedural obstacles that could head off any prosecution there. And the ICC is a political organization as much as a legal one, where geopolitical considerations can trump a strictly legal case.

"But it's a sword of Damocles the Israelis don't want hanging over their heads," the International Crisis Group's Malley said.

The author is a contributing editor for Reuters.

Israeli soldiers fire on Palestinian car near Bethlehem

2011-09-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces opened fire on a Palestinian car south of Bethlehem early Friday, witnesses said, injuring two members of the same family who were also arrested.

Muhammad Ghannam, 41, and his daughter Qamar, 17, from Dura village in Hebron, were injured in the incident and subsequently arrested, according to witnesses.

They had been driving on a main road in the Tuqu village which links several settlements.

Israeli and Palestinian ambulances arrived at the scene.

Minute-by-minute report on UN bid, with annotations

2011-09-24T04:21:00.000-07:00

Ma'an – From New York and Ramallah, with annotations from CNI

1837 GMT: We'll conclude this Live Report with AFP's Shatha Yaish in Jerusalem, who reports that a large convoy of vehicles with enthusiastic supporters of the UN bid has set off to the Muqataa (the administrative center of the Palestinian National Authority) to pay respects at Yasser Arafat's grave, beeping their horns and playing patriotic songs along the way.

On a loudspeaker, one activist declared: "We renew our pledge of allegiance to you, Arafat and Abu Mazen."

1825 GMT: With the Palestinians' bid for full UN membership now formally lodged, the pace of diplomacy is picking up, with the Quartet for Middle East peace -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and United Nations -- meeting at 1830 GMT in Ban Ki-moon's conference room, according to the UN chief's spokesman. The Quartet's special envoy, former British prime minister Tony Blair, said earlier that the Palestinian bid was a brilliant tactical move, but one that could become "confrontational" without direct talks with Israel.

1815 GMT: From Sebastian Smith: "Netanyahu's dramatic appeal for a face-to-face meeting today at the UN with Abbas and his quotation from the Bible about the 'light of peace' draws a smattering of applause from the General Assembly but not from the Palestinians, who sat glumly, showing no reaction."

1811 GMT: Netanyahu has finished his statement -- one that was rich in biblical references -- with a challenge to Abbas to meet him immediately at the United Nations. "I suggest we talk openly and honestly... With God's help, we'll find the common ground of peace." The US delegation led the final round of applause.

1801 GMT: More applause as Netanyahu adds: "The core of the conflict has always been the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize the Jewish state." To Abbas, he adds: "Recognize the Jewish state and make peace with it."

[It is generally agreed that Yasser Arafat, the late PLO Chairman and leader of Fatah, did this in 1988 and again in 1993.

In a Sep. 9, 1993 letter to former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin prior to the signing of the 1993 Oslo Declaration of Principles he stated:

"The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security.

The PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations.

The PLO considers that the signing of the Declaration of Principles constitutes a historic event, inaugurating a new epoch of peaceful coexistence, free from violence and all other acts which endanger peace and stability. Accordingly, the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators

In view of the promise of a new era and the signing of the Declaration of Principles and based on Palestinian acceptance of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the PLO affirms that those articles of the Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel's right to exist, and the provisions of the Covenant which are inconsistent with the commitments of this letter are now inoperative and no longer valid. Consequently, the PLO undertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant."]

1756 GMT: Here are some key quotes from the Israeli prime minister in full: "I extend my hand to the Palestinian people with whom we seek a just and lasting peace... The truth is that Israel wants peace, the truth is that I want peace... The truth is that we cannot reach peace through UN resolutions but through negotiations. The truth is that so far the Palestinians have refused to negotiate."

[In reality, Israel has continued to confiscate additional Palestinian land throughout all peace negotiations. Palestinian leaders finally said this must stop before they will continue.]

1750 GMT: Netanyahu is framing his case in the context of "the insatiable crocodile of militant Islam."

[He makes no mention of violent Judaism, as practiced by settlers in Itmar and elsewhere and of the leading rabbi who wrote a best-selling book saying that Jews have the regious right to kill non-Jewish babies.]

He also underlines how Israel is, as narrow at one point as the nine-mile distance between Battery Park and Columbia University in Manhattan -- and, he adds, people in New Jersey are "considerably nicer" than some of Israel's neighbors.

1745 GMT The world around Israeli is "definitely getting more dangerous," Netanyahu says, adding that the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran means that this year's Arab spring risks giving way to "an Iranian winter."

[He fails to note that Israel has nuclear weapons and that US intelligence estimates continue to find no evidence that Iran is acquiring them. He also fails to note that Israel initiated all of its wars except the 1973 war, in which Egypt and Syria attempted to re-acquire their own land.]

1739 GMT: The Israeli leader is setting out his case against the Palestinian proposal: "Peace must be anchored by security... The truth is, the Palestinians want a state without peace. The truth is, you shouldn't let it happen."

[Americans did not get a state without peace; we fought the Revolutionary War against Britain.]

1731 GMT: Benjamin Netanyahu is now addressing the General Assembly. He gets applause when he extends a hand of peace "to the Palestinian people, with whom we seek a just and lasting peace." The Palestinians are represented in the hall by a single, young note-taker in a tan suit.

1729 GMT: The Palestinian bid for UN membership will be "quickly" dealt with, Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky has just told reporters. "The appropriate procedural reviews will be quickly undertaken in the secretariat and afterwards it will be transmitted to the president of the Security Council and the president of the General Assembly."

1721 GMT: Hamas has just said that Abbas's bid for UN membership 'has no substance'

[see Hamas reaction.]

1717 GMT: Back at the UN, Sebastian Smith notes: "After the drama of Abbas' speech, the General Assembly will soon get Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address. The Israeli foreign minister did not attend while Abbas was on the podium, although there was still an Israeli representative in the hall, so it didn?t amount to a walk-out."

1711 GMT: Sara Hussein writes: "Crowds in Ramallah erupted into roars of approval as Abbas demanded the UN accept their state on the 1967 lines. 'With our souls, with our blood, we will defend Palestine!' they roared as widescreen televisions relayed live footage of Abbas holding up a copy of the membership demand that he had personally handed to Ban Ki-moon earlier. 'Jerusalem! We are coming, millions of martyrs!' they yelled, many of them waving huge placards with Abbas's portrait."

1700 GMT: AFP's Sebastian Smith again, on the scene inside the General Assembly chamber: "One section of the General Assembly opted out of the wild applause for Abbas: the US delegation did not clap, with UN Ambassador Susan Rice and two other diplomats sitting stony faced through the speech."

1656 GMT: AFP's State Department correspondent Christophe Schmidt is with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel where the US delegation is based. She refused to answer when asked for reaction on Abbas's letter, and instead kept shaking the hand of the Costa Rican president, who she was meeting. Reporters and camera crews were then quickly ushered out of the room.

1652 GMT: A big round of applause as Abbas confirms that he submitted to Ban Ki-moon an application for full UN membership based on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

Full membership would be the greatest contribution to peace in the region and the world. "Palestine is being reborn. That is my messsage. May all the people of the world stand with the people of Palestine... I hope we shall not have to wait too long."

1647 GMT: More applause when Abbas declares: "We have one goal, one goal, one goal: to be -- and we shall be." And again when he says: "The Palestinian state should have been established years ago."

1644 GMT: "It is time for the Palestinian spring, the time for independence," Abbas says.

1642 GMT: "This is our moment of truth," Abbas tells the General Assembly. "Our people are waiting... Will the world allow Israel to occupy us forever? ... Enough, enough, enough. "

1640 GMT: "I don't believe anyone with a shred of conscience can reject our application" for UN statehood, Abbas says to applause. He also gets applause when he mentions the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

1638 GMT: More from Abbas: "Our efforts are not aimed at isolating Isreal or deligitimizing it. Rather, we want to gain legitimacy for the people of Palestine... We extend our hand to the Israeli government and the Israeli people for peacemaking."

1631 GMT: From AFP's Sara Hussein in Ramallah: "As Abbas walked up to the UN podium, the crowd fell silent to listen to his address. When he mentioned the Palestinian refugees, they broke into cheers.

They also cheered when Abbas mentioned the Palestinian who was shot dead near Nablus several hours earlier. On one side of the square, a sign addressed to US President Barack Obama dangled from a window: 'Obama: grow a pair'."

1628 GMT: American reaction is just coming in. "When the speeches end today, we must all recognize that the only way to create a state is through direct negotiations, said Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations. "No shortcuts."

[Shortcuts? Palestinians have been trying to get a state for over 60 years.]

1624 GMT: Abbas is running through a long list of Palestinian grievances against "the occupying power" and "Israeli colonial occupation." He mentions today's killing on the West Bank and holds the Israeli government responsible for the conduct of "armed settlers."

[Many others were also shot and a few days ago a boy's eye was destroyed by Israeli forces.]

1618 GMT: Abbas says Israel has been refusing to commit to terms of reference based on international law and UN resolutions, as it "frantically intensifies" settlement-building on the land of the "future state of Palestine."

1615 GMT: "The question of Palestine is intricately linked with the United Nations," Abbas said. "We aspire and seek a greater role for the UN in working to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region" that recognises the Palestinians' right to self-determination.

1612 GMT: Mahmud Abbas is now addressing the General Assembly, where he was greeted with robust applause from several delegations -- the Egyptians notably were standing.

1611 GMT: Fearing a spurt of violence, some 22,000 Israeli police and border police have been put on high alert, with forces deployed along the Green Line between Israel and the West Bank, in annexed east Jerusalem, and around Arab Israeli towns. And in Lebanon, the US embassy in Beirut is advising Americans to steer clear of Palestinian neighborhoods.

1603 GMT: Israeli spokesman Gidi Shmerling, speaking to AFP at the UN: "We regret the step. We believe that the only path to true peace is through negotiations and not unilateral steps."

1601 GMT: From Ramallah, where cheering crowds are swelling, Sara Hussein is witnessing a man on stage shouting: "In the name of this flag... We send out condolences to Qusra, and our martyr" -- in reference to a Palestinian shot dead by Israeli troops following clashes with settlers in a West Bank village a few hours ago.

"This is a referendum to tell Abu Mazen we are with you," the speaker added, using Abbas's nom-de-guerre.

1558 GMT: More detail from AFP photographer Emmanuel Dunand, who was present at the meeting: "The historic moment took place in a third floor meeting room used by the secretary general.

Ban welcomed Abbas with a UN honor guard, something usually associated with heads of state. The letter with a request for admission as a state didn't come in an envelope, but a big white folder emblazoned with the Palestinian crest. Ban then sat down and looked over the letter and journalists were asked to leave the room."

1555 GMT: Abbas handed over the statehood request -- wrapped in a folder bearing the Palestinian logo -- in Ban's meeting room. The secretary general opened the folder briefly to study it.

1552 GMT: Israel has swiftly reacted, saying it 'regrets' the Palestinian request for statehood.

1549 GMT: Huge crowds of Palestinians are now gathering in West Bank cities.

1546 GMT: Abbas has asked the UN to admit the state of Palestine.

1544 GMT: Ban Ki-Moon and Mahmud Abbas have started their meeting.

1542 GMT: Outside UN headquarters, New York correspondent Sebastian Smith reports: "A flotilla of three boats carrying Palestinian statehood supporters is steaming up the East River toward UN headquarters through fog and rain.

There's a fourth boat carrying journalists and a lot of police and US Coast Guard vessels. As there's an exclusion zone around the UN building on the river, the protestors won't be able to get too close."

1540 GMT: My colleague Sara Hussein reports from the West Bank city of Ramallah: "The streets are already starting to fill up with people heading towards the city centre.

There are lots of cars flying Palestinian flags and '194' flags and honking their horns, and several police cars circulating in the streets. At one point, they were joined by a shepherd who tried to cross the road with a herd of about 50 sheep, bringing the traffic to a standstill." The '194" refers to the Palestinians' bid to be the 194th member of the UN.

1536 GMT: Under the UN Charter, the Security Council considers applications for membership, approve them, then sends them up to the General Assembly for final approval. But the Palestinians' bid would likely be stalled by a US veto at the Security Council stage -- and in any case, a vote could take weeks, leaving plenty of time for more diplomatic wrangling.

1522 GMT: Abbas set the tone last night when he met Palestinian-Americans in New York, saying: "The American administration did everything in its power to disrupt our project but we are going through with it ...

"There are small countries in the world that have gained their freedom and independence but we still haven't got ours. So we are going to demand this right and give the application to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon so he can give it to the Security Council."

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has handed over a request for a state of Palestine to be admitted as a full member of the UN just hours after it was submitted by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Maan – A spokesman for Ban's office said Friday the letter given to the UN leader earlier had already been transmitted to the UN Security Council which will now examine the documents.

Israeli forces detain 5 Palestinians teens

2011-09-24T03:32:00.000-07:00

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli police detained five Palestinian teens in Jerusalem on Friday, after thousands of officers were deployed around the city ahead of President Mahmoud Abbas's speech at the UN.

Three were detained in Beit Hanina for throwing stones, an Israeli police spokesman said.

Two young man were detained near Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, he said, adding that they had tried to enter a closed-off area.

"It is generally quiet now, with a large police presence across Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)," the spokesman said.

Earlier, an Israeli police spokesperson told Ma'an Palestinian men under 50 years-old would be prevented from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday, and troops were reinforced around the ancient city center and at entrances to the holy compound, the Haram al-Sharif.

Radio Israel reported that 22,000 officers are manning main roads, areas with mixed Palestinian and Israeli populations, the "Green Line" which marks the historic boundary between East and West Jerusalem, and other locations where tensions might erupt.

The report said Israeli police raised the alert level in Jerusalem to one below the highest state of alert.

The army also boosted numbers in the West Bank, deploying an extra 1,500 reservists across the territory, media reports said. A military spokesman on Thursday said troops would show "restraint" in dealing with any disturbances, "using riot dispersal means" in accordance with the level of unrest.

Israel's defence establishment has been preparing for months for the eventuality of rioting and mass unrest should the membership bid be scuttled, with the army, police and emergency services all on high alert on Friday.

Earlier this week, tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied across the West Bank in a massive show of support for the UN campaign, but there was little sign of any unrest and only isolated incidents of stone throwing.

More gatherings are planned for Friday evening when Palestinians are expected to turn out en masse to watch Abbas's speech to the UN General Assembly on large screens in towns and cities across the West Bank.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly pledged that the marches and demonstrations will be peaceful and stay within Palestinian-controlled areas.

AFP contributed to this report