Settlement organization entices Jews into Jerusalem settlement for $136 per day
Middle East Monitor 3 Oct -- The Ir David Foundation, known as Elad, has published an announcement on social media networks in search of Jewish settlers to live in Palestinian homes that it has captured in the town of Silwan, occupied East Jerusalem, in return for a financial reward estimated at 500 shekels ($136) per day, Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported on Wednesday. Elad is known for its Judaisation projects of the city of Jerusalem. According to the association's advertisement, an amount of 500 shekels will be given to each settler who agrees to live in one of the homes that have been seized, with the settler only required to "keep his gun loaded and ready to fire at any time", according to the declaration. Haaretz quoted one of the advertisements as follows: "We are looking for people who can stay in the apartments and watch them until families move into them. The work will probably take ten to 30 days (perhaps even more). The daily wage is 500 shekels gross. The workers will stay in the apartments and guard them until they are inhabited by families. Only suitable applicants will be accepted. Please pass this on to friends." ... With the assistance of armed guards, the Foundation seized, overnight on Monday, ten individual buildings that include 23 apartments in the Wadi Hilweh neighbourhood of Silwan, located just south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, claiming that the settlers now own them.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.
Settlers take over 7 E. Jerusalem homes in dead of night
972blog 30 Sept by Orly Noy -- ‘Settlers say that they bought the house, but they haven’t shown us any documents,’ says one Palestinian woman whose home settlers took over Tuesday morning. ‘Now they’re sleeping in my bed; all of our clothes and furniture is still inside -- Israeli settlers took over seven homes in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem Tuesday morning, primarily in Wadi Hilwe, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare. According to residents, the settlers arrived at around 2 a.m., escorted by large numbers of riot police. “I was still awake, here in the store,” said neighborhood resident Ahmed Qareen, the owner of a small market in Wadi Hilwe. “I saw a large group of settlers and police but I didn’t think that they were going to take more homes. I assumed that it was somehow related to your (Jewish) holidays now, that they were walking around here at such an hour.” ... The dirt alley that leads to the Hayat family home is littered with stones and various flags, perhaps a sign of what took place here early this morning. But by the afternoon, almost complete quiet stood over the place. A group of Palestinian youths is standing outside the house and are looking at the cops, who are coming and going. “What are you waiting for?” I ask. “For Allah’s benevolence,” the oldest one answers. Inside the building, Bushra [Hayat] is going up and down the stairs, making her way in between the police officers, trying to steal another glance into the apartment in which settlers are now holed up. Earlier she broke a side window and now through it she can see that the new tenants have already managed to tear down one of the walls. They’ve also already put bars on the outside windows -- efficient. All the while, she’s trying to find out how her diabetic father is doing; his condition deteriorated after clashing with the police and he is now in the hospital. “He arrived early in the morning, when he heard. When he got here, they had already changed the locks and he wasn’t able to open the door to the house. I wasn’t able to with my key either.”
http://972mag.com/settlers-
In Silwan, the settlers are winning - big time
972blog 1 Oct by Yonathan Mizrachi -- ... After seven years of activism and struggle in Silwan, the settlers are winning — big time. The biggest losers so far are the Palestinian residents, and especially those activists standing front and center in the struggle for their homes and identity. Seven years of struggle and Silwan’s residents can’t claim even one tangible and clear victory. Not one home has been returned to its original residents, not one settler has left Silwan and the “City of David” archaeological site is only becoming a stronger national tourism destination. More so, among the Palestinians, some of them lost their homes, some have been persecuted and arrested by the police based on various accusations, some of them have lost their sources of income and some have been physically harmed. Some of them have been harmed in more ways than one. But the common denominator among everyone is the feeling -- or maybe the knowledge -- that they are still being oppressed by the authorities and the settlers. The struggles in Silwan take place in very low resolution: every house, street, archeological excavation or tunnel dug is part of the political battle and affects the residents’ lives. It’s very difficult to understand the political significance of every action or project like this. But when you connect all of the various dots in Silwan it becomes clear that it’s all related. The houses, the excavations and the tunnels are part of one goal: building the Israeli “City of David” in place of Palestinian Silwan. It appears that the difficulty in grasping the details permits the settlers to continue advancing their various plans and to claim that the efforts and goals are not one and the same.
http://972mag.com/in-silwan-
Israel starts planning phase for new units in East Jerusalem settlement
IMEMC/Agencies 2 Oct by Saed Bannoura -- The Jerusalem City Council has started the planning stage for the construction of 2610 units in the illegal Givat Hamatos Jewish settlement, south of occupied East Jerusalem. The Council granted its approval for the construction project in December of 2012, and officially announced the plan via the Israeli media a week ago. It would also be announcing construction bids in local Israeli newspapers. Following the Israeli announcement, a number of European countries denounced the plan, and expressed concern about the Israeli move, as it places more obstacles in front of the ongoing efforts to resume direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli Army Radio said the timing of the plan is very problematic as it was made just before the planned meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama, and amidst European statements, warning that this move affects the outcome of two-state solution talks and the future of Jerusalem. The Jerusalem City Council claimed that the issue here is a matter of “bureaucracy", and “has nothing to do with politics”, adding that the actual construction will not start any time soon, and that “some of the units will be designated for Arabs”.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Israel illegally confiscates five dunams for settlement road
IMEMC/Agencies 2 Oct -- The Civil Administration Office of the Israeli army, in the occupied West Bank, issued a decision on Wednesday to confiscate five dunams (1.23 Acres) of Palestinian lands to expand a road section used by settlers of the illegal Adam settlements, east of Jerusalem. Israeli sources said that the plan is meant for expanding road #437, near the Palestinian town of Hezma, and that the new section would “reduce traffic jams on the main road" linking occupied Jerusalem with Israeli settlements in the central West Bank district of Ramallah. The Civil Administration did not provide any information, so far, of what would happen to a number of Palestinian homes in the area which Israel intends to confiscate.
Israeli Peace Now Movement said in a statement on its webpage that about 35% of the occupied West Bank is under the jurisdiction of settlements’ "Regional Councils”. Peace Now additionally stated that this means “an additional one-third of the West Bank became off-limits to the Palestinians, and under the control of settlers. The group asserts that settlements led to the confiscation of hundreds of kilometers of lands in the West Bank to build roads leading to them, and to connect them to each other and to Israel. Settlements, and their roads, are spread all over the West Bank, separating Palestinian communities from each other, and lead to severely hindering the movement and access of Palestinians. “These roads do not only deny Palestinian contiguity; they also occupy a significant amount of land that became off-limits to the Palestinians,” Peace Now stated.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Israel lets unauthorized West Bank outpost encroach into nature reserve
Haaretz 2 Oct by Chaim Levinson & Zafrir Rinat -- Outpost will expand, even though it restricts some Palestinian farmers. -- El Matan was founded in 2000 next to the Ma’aleh Shomron settlement and adjacent to the Kaneh River [Wadi Qana] nature reserve. A synagogue that is part of the outpost extends into the reserve. Following plans that were approved by then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak between November 2012 and March 2013, temporary structures in the outpost are being removed. They are to be replaced by 40 buildings that will be used for artists’ studios and year-round and vacation homes. Some of the land is to be used for farming. The plans for the site were submitted for public comment by the Civil Administration’s planning council, which is now hearing objections filed by Palestinians from the adjacent villages. According to the plan, around 100 dunams (25 acres) of the nature reserve is earmarked for farmland, including community gardening plots, and related roads and buildings. Palestinians from Deir Istiya continued to work their fields even after the Civil Administration designated farmland owned by the villagers as the Kaneh River reserve. But for several years, employees of the Civil Administration and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority have claimed that the farmers damaged the reserve by expanding their cultivated areas and planting olive trees. They also claimed that Palestinians caused damage by building roads and putting up fences ... Over the past year, Palestinians and human rights groups grew increasingly concerned about further settler activity in the area, when it emerged that the Samaria Regional Council and other entities were promoting a master plan for developing tourism in the Kaneh River region. Preliminary maps of the plan showed new roads within the reserve that would connect settlements and outposts in the area....
http://www.haaretz.com/news/
Belgium condemns Israeli destruction of West Bank power grid
IMEMC/Agencies 3 Oct by Saed Bannoura -- Belgium issued a strong condemnation of the Israeli destruction of a major power grid in the occupied West Bank which was funded by the country, and serving Khirbet at-Tawil village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and demanded Israel pay compensation. Last Monday, Israel demolished and removed 70 electricity poles and around 4.5 kilometers of cables providing electricity to the village. The cost of the destroyed power grid and network is estimated at 55.000 Euros. On Thursday, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders summoned the Israeli Ambassador to condemn the recent Israeli assault, and asked Israel to pay compensation for this destruction. Reynders said that the Israeli violations do not only target Belgian projects in the occupied territories, but also target many projects funded by other countries. Oxfam aid organization said the power network was built in 2007, with Belgian money, and was meant to provide electricity for Palestinian shepherds in the area ... Reynders said that Israel first issued the destruction order in 2008 and, then again, in March of this year, but Israel went ahead and destroyed the grid last Monday, adding that Belgium conducted utmost diplomatic efforts to stop the destruction.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Fire breaks out in dumping ground south of Jenin
JENIN (Ma‘an) 3 Oct -- Firefighters managed to control a blaze that erupted south of Jenin on Friday in a dumping ground used by Israeli settlers, civil defense crews said. The fire broke out in Um al-Rihan town south of Jenin, damaging dozens of olive trees. Firefighters eventually controlled the blaze and managed to protect surrounding agricultural lands.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Israel imposes strict closures across Palestine for Yom Kippur
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 2 Oct -- Israeli authorities will impose wide-ranging closures on the West Bank and Gaza beginning Thursday during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, limiting the movement of Palestinians just as the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival begins. Military authorities said in a statement on Thursday that the closures would begin at midnight on Thursday and last until Saturday midnight, massively limiting the movement of all Palestinians in and out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the holiday. The only possible exceptions that could be made, the statement continued, were for humanitarian and medical needs, although the closure of government offices during the same time could present difficulties to those seeking to utilize the exceptions. Israel routinely seals the Palestinian territories during Jewish holidays, depriving Palestinians of the freedom of movement and cutting them off from family and work inside Israel. This year's closure, however, is particularly controversial, as the somber Yom Kippur day of repentance overlaps with the joyous Eid al-Adha festival, celebrated by millions of Palestinian Muslims. Yom Kippur lasts from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, while the Eid holiday is marked for five days beginning Friday ... Limits of Eid permits for Palestinians An Israeli security source told Ma‘an that facilitation for Palestinian Muslims seeking permits to visit Israel during the festival will begin on Sunday, giving them three days for travel. Palestinians frequently visit Israel during the Eid holiday to visit Muslim holy sites, travel to the many Palestinian cities inside the country, or just visit the beach, taking advantage of the distribution of permits to escape the occupied West Bank for a brief respite.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Israel braces for conflict as Yom Kippur, Eid al-Adha coincide
Al-Monitor 2 Oct by Daniel Ben Simon -- The newspapers are well prepared. Some warn of trouble to come; others run ads designed to prevent it. Many organizations, especially those devoted to promoting Jewish-Arab coexistence, have mobilized for the mission. All fear the highly sensitive encounter between the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, and the Muslim and Druze Feast of the Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha. Both fall on this coming Saturday, Oct. 4, and each is considered the holiest day of their respective faiths. While Jews fast and walk to the synagogue to ask for forgiveness and atone for their sins, Muslims and Druze mark the day by eating, singing and dancing. Many fear that these displays of religious fervor will deteriorate into an emotional and explosive encounter between Jewish worshipers and Muslim celebrants. The ads published in the media virtually beg believers to conduct themselves with restraint and tolerance. A major ad by the New Israel Fund, the Abraham Fund Initiatives and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation read, “We call on the Jewish public to recognize the needs of those of the Muslim faith to perform the rites of their holy day. We call on the Muslim public to celebrate with sensitivity and consideration of the Jewish public. This day could be an exemplary model of coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect.” The ad ran in Hebrew and Arabic.
http://www.al-monitor.com/
Incitement ushers in a tense Yom Kippur for Israel
Haaretz 'A Special Place in Hell' blog 2 Oct by Bradley Burston -- A historian and opponent of Holocaust denial chooses this week to engage in Naqba denial -- ... In a Thursday Yedioth Ahronoth opinion piece, Dr. Guy Bechor, remarking that we have much to learn today from the events of 1948, proceeds to retell the history of the founding of Israel in a way that is not only wholly dishonest, but is certain to exacerbate mistrust, inflame old wounds, and make the uphill work of Jewish-Arab co-existence that much more challenging. In Bechor's retelling, the Arabs of Mandatory Palestine fled solely at the explicit request of Arabs who promised to exterminate the Jews, then divide the homes and the women of the Jews among the refugee Arabs on their return to Palestine: "For the purpose of the extermination, they were asked to leave the country temporarily for the Arab armies that were invading at the time, in order that the slaughter of the Jews could proceed easily and without hindrance, after which they would return and divide the spoils amongst themselves." At this point the story takes a turn for what seems to be something akin to parody. But Bechor is dead serious: "And so it came to pass that the Jews of the Land of Israel were astonished to see their neighbors get up one day and leave en masse. "They asked them to stay - 'We'll defend you,' they told them, but the Arabs only laughed, explaining that the Arab armies intended to annihilate all the Jews, and that they would certainly then return. They also told them that they had already divided up the Jews' homes and women for themselves." One might imagine that a historian well-versed in Jews' sensitivity to Holocaust denial, might think twice about engaging in Naqba denial - portraying the central tragedy of the Palestinian people as wholly self-inflicted, a greed-rooted backfiring of plans for Nazi-style genocide against Jews: "Alas, the plot failed, and all that the Palestinians had left to them, was screaming 'Naqba!' the world over," he writes. There's more, much more....
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/
Between Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha: Navigating stone-throwing with Waze
972blog 2 Oct by Samah Salaime Egbariya -- Tensions in Israel are increasing as the Jewish fast and the Muslim feast are set to take place on the same day. But should Muslims give up their holiday joy just to ensure that Jews are not disturbed? -- Once every 33 years it happens: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, and on the same day the Jews are engaged in introspection each looking at their relations with others in the world, and seeking forgiveness, on Yom Kippur. Jews fast while we feast from dawn to dusk in a rare and inexplicable festivity. I assure you that occasionally jokes are cracked about our fast, a month-long fast, compared to our Jewish cousins’ single day which they are unable to withstand. But this year we must celebrate this holiday, no matter what. Because during the summer, nobody celebrated Eid al-Fitr at the height of the war on Gaza, and we don’t have another holiday until next summer. We dub this holiday “Al Eid al Kabir” “the Great holiday.” In Judaism, Yom Kippur, is “the holiest day of the year”. In our holiday, in addition to sacrificing lots of sheep and calves, emulating the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) who was on the verge of sacrificing his son Ishmael (Ismail), we have another custom. We each visit all our family members, including those who live outside the neighborhood. We travel wherever we need to travel and greet everyone ... On this Kippur/al-Adha day I will travel as much as I need to and go to where I need to, and I’ll continue to dream of a normal country. I’ll dream of a country where everyone – Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Baha’i, Armenian, Buddhist and what have you – can act according to their conscience, in their private space, without hurting, or causing pain and suffering to others.
http://972mag.com/between-yom-
Israel is not killing the Palestinian people - it's killing their culture
Haaretz 3 Oct by Yossi Sarid -- It is a local version of ethnocide, which erases language, names, symbols and narratives of the abundant minority that lives among us. This is how the tapestry of its life is unraveled and broken apart -- And now a group of Knesset members from Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu and Habayit Hayehudi are pushing a law that states that Hebrew is the only official language; one language and one speech and only the same things for one people. And in different Hebrew words: They are shutting up the second language, and canceling the government’s obligation to publish regulations, advertisements and forms in Arabic. “This proposed law will contribute to social cohesion, the collective identity, crystallizing mutual faith and preserving democratic values,” the sponsors propose in Orwellian language. It will make it easier for us to silence you, Mohammed, and leave in the public space only one voice. The Education Ministry follows the lead of this gang of lawmakers, contributes its part to casting aside and denying the “other.” Whoever does not plan on serving in Military Intelligence Unit 8200 can do without the study of Arabic, which they are reducing gradually. The program for meetings between Jewish and Arab youths is slowly dying, since it is more important for now to bring together the religious and nonreligious, between settlers and Israelis. And what does the education minister care if the bilingual schools are forced to deal with his forked tongue. We have not been meeting lately Mohammed, a sign that you do not exist ... Even three poems of a Mahmoud in the school curriculum is a mortal danger for tender souls. In genocide you kill the bodies of a people, while in ethnocide you only kill its culture; so why exaggerate and slander? This is nothing but the finger of God and Allah, which has given us a sign tomorrow in the form of two holidays on the same day.
http://www.haaretz.com/
Violence / Raids / Suppression of protests / Illegal arrests
Israeli forces 'assault family' in Hebron camp
HEBRON (Ma‘an) 2 Oct -- Israeli forces on Wednesday evening stormed a Palestinian home in al-Arrub refugee camp north of Hebron in the southern West Bank and assaulted family members. The owner Khamis Awad al-Badawi, 59, told Ma‘an that Israeli soldiers broke into his home and damaged parts of the interior before they ascended to the rooftop. The soldiers then detained al-Badawi’s sons Dirar, 23, Tayeed, 25, Ahmad, 28 and Muhammad, 30. He said that he underwent coronary cauterization the same day. In addition, one of his sons, Ahid, 16, has cancer. Al-Badawi added that the soldiers kept his wife outside the house for more than two hours. The soldiers then forcibly took al-Badawi and his sons to a military watchtower on the other side of the road where they were allegedly beaten for hours before they were set free.
Separately, Israeli forces detained three teenage boys from the al-Badawi family and a journalist from the Jihad al-Badawi family.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Palestinian injured in Jenin
IMEMC/Agencies 2 Oct by Saed Bannoura -- Palestinian Medical sources have reported that a young man was shot by Israeli army fire, after a number of military jeeps invaded the Jenin refugee camp, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. The sources said a young man, identified as Mohammad Mofid Abu Khorj, was shot by a live round to his leg, while many suffered the effects of teargas inhalation. Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers broke into and searched dozens of homes in the camp, and one shop, forcing families out of their homes for hours while ransacking their properties. They added that several soldiers occupied the rooftops of several homes, using them as monitoring towers, while the invading soldiers also fired rounds of live ammunition, gas bombs, concussion grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets.
In related news, soldiers beat a young disabled man identified as Suleiman Ibrahim ‘Amer, and used a number of youngsters as human shields while invading homes and neighborhoods in the camp.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Army invades village near Hebron
IMEMC/Agencies 2 Oct -- Israeli soldiers invaded, Thursday, the village of Kherbit Safa, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, broke into and searched several homes, and took pictures of the families, and their ID cards. Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and settlements in Beit Ummar, Mohammad Awad, said the soldiers violently searched several homes in Kherbit Safa, west of Beit Ummar, and forced the families to hold their ID cards close to their face, and photographed them. Awad added that the soldiers forced the families to fill some forms that include their information, number of rooms, and other info, before handing the families a statement issued by the regional military commander in Etzion base. The statement is practically a threat to the families; informing them the army would act harder and conduct more invasions “should the Palestinians carry out attacks against nearby settlements.”
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Israeli forces disperse protests across West Bank, injuring 5
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 3 Oct -- Five Palestinians were shot by Israeli forces on Friday as protests erupted across the central West Bank in protest against the Israeli occupation and the confiscation of Palestinian land to build the separation wall. The protests, which come on the first day of the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival, were held by dozens of villagers in Kafr Qaddum and Bil‘in. Kafr Qaddum One Palestinian man was injured on Friday by Israeli sniper fire in the central West Bank village of Kafr Qaddum and four shot with rubber-coated steel bullets after clashes erupted following a protest march, organizers said. Dozens also suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation as Israeli soldiers shot multiple rounds of tear gas canisters at the crowd, who were chanting slogans against Israeli settlement construction in the occupied territory ... The march was launched from the Omar Ibn al-Khattab mosque in the village center and headed toward a major road that Israeli forces have kept shut closed for years to Palestinian residents. Bil‘in Dozens of Palestinians and foreign supporters also suffered from severe tear-gas inhalation after Israeli soldiers dispersed a weekly demonstration in the village of Bil‘in near Ramallah on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Hebrew University cracks down on Palestinian demos
JERUSALEM (Ma‘an) 3 Oct -- The Hebrew University in Jerusalem has referred 12 Palestinian students to "obedience committees" for organizing student demonstrations throughout the year, the students' movement said. The university claims that the 12 students violated university laws by organizing "illegal demonstrations" on the campus. The students' movement said that the students were only "exercising their natural rights; including the right of expression and right to demonstrate." The administration has failed to intimidate students, the group said. "The solution is to organize student movements inside the campus and give them enough space to express their opinion. The administration keeps searching for new ways of suppression." "This cause includes all Arab students and we will not allow the administration to make any student pay for it on his/her own," a statement added. The request to send the Palestinian students in front of a committee was submitted by the dean of students, Udi Shavit.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Two minor injuries and two arrests in West Bank, E. Jerusalem security incidents
Haaretz 2 Oct -- In two security incidents on Thursday, Border Police arrested two Palestinians in possession of explosives and weapons in the West Bank and two Israelis were lightly injured when rocks were thrown at their car in Jerusalem. The West Bank incident occurred at the Tapuach Junction, near Ariel, when Border Police on duty at the checkpoint noticed what they said was suspicious behavior on the part of two Palestinians in their 20s. The men were apprehended and searched, leading to the discovery of three explosive devices, a pistol and several knives. They were handed over to the Shin Bet security service for questioning. In Jerusalem, two teenage girls were lightly injured when the car they were travelling in was stoned in the A-Tur neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The windows of the car were shattered.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/
165 Palestinians, including 40 children, kidnapped in Hebron in September
IMEMC/Agencies 1 Oct by Saed Bannoura -- The Hebron office of the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported that the Israeli army kidnapped 165 Palestinians, including 40 children and 25 patients, in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, in September, and imposed high fines on many detainees. The PPS in Hebron said 70 of the kidnapped Palestinians have been moved into Administrative Detention, without charges, and that the soldiers kidnapped 40 children, 25 Palestinians who suffer from chronic diseases, 20 school and college students, and imposed fines mounting to 50.000 NIS on several detainees. Head of the Hebron office of the PPS Amjad Najjar said most of the kidnapped Palestinians, and many family members, have been beaten and assaulted by the soldiers, who searched and ransacked their homes and properties....
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Twilight Zone - No weddings and a funeral: a Palestinian love story cut short
Haaretz 2 Oct by Gideon Levy & Alex Levac -- Mohammed al-Qatari, a promising young Palestinian soccer player, was killed on August 8 by one round of live ammunition fired into his chest by an Israel Defense Forces sharpshooter. A month later, on September 10, his cousin, Issa al-Qatari, was killed in a reprise of that event: An IDF soldier’s bullet struck him in the heart. Issa was supposed to have been married in August, but postponed the wedding because of the death of Mohammed. He was killed a week before the rescheduled date. Cruelly, two small flickering hopes in the Al-Amari refugee camp, outside Ramallah, were snuffed out: the hope of the soccer player, for whom Joseph Blatter, the president of FIFA, the international soccer federation, predicted a professional future; and the hope of the prospective groom and bride, preparing for their wedding. When we visited the camp to document the circumstances of Mohammed’s death (August 29), we could not have imagined that we’d be back so soon, after the pointless death of another young man, his cousin ... Pictures of Issa cover the walls of the living room in his parents’ home – one of them depicts the two cousins, Mohammad and Issa, for all eternity. The back wall is draped with a huge poster, showing Issa on the right and Yasser Arafat on the left. The living room is narrow and dark, the effect intensified by the pall of gloom that hangs over everything. The parents, Zahiya and Khaled, are inconsolable. The young fiancĂ©e, Samah Tomala, sits close between them, as though she were their daughter ... Issa was standing next to the local mosque with another four young men. The soldiers up the street, about 100 meters away. According to testimonies collected by Iyad Hadad, a field researcher for the B’Tselem human rights organization, the soldiers were just leaving when something made one of their vehicles turn around and reenter the camp. Hadad, who reached the scene shortly after the soldiers left, says he found no signs on the street to suggest that stones or Molotov cocktails were thrown. But at one point a soldier aimed his rifle and fired a single shot, which hit Issa – who was standing at a distance, down the street – in the heart. Issa shouted for help and tried to make a run for it with his friends in an alley, but collapsed to the ground...
http://www.haaretz.com/
Prisoners / Court actions
Jerusalem court allows public to attend Abu Khdeir murder trial
IMEMC/Agencies 3 Oct -- The Israeli Regional Court in occupied Jerusalem has decided to open its court sessions for the case of murdered Palestinian teen Mohammad Abu Khdeir to the public, but kept the gag order on the identity of underage Israelis involved in his brutal torture and murder. Israel initially only allowed the immediate family of Abu Khdeir to attend the deliberations, and kept sensitive details from reaching the public. The latest court session was held in August, while the family of Abu Khdeir said, then, that they do not trust Israel’s legal system, and threatened to seek justice in international courts to prosecute Israel for not punishing those responsible for the horrific crime. Family lawyer Mohannad Jabara said that the court session was technical and superficial, only concerned in the request of defendants' lawyers to release them until the end of deliberations. Jabara said the only adult, 29 years of age, who stands accused of this brutal murder agreed to stay imprisoned until a verdict is read, while the underage suspects are demanding to be released under a different deal, including house arrest. The court said it would look into the issue next week. The adult, Yousef Hayim Ben David, confessed to the abduction of Abu Khdeir, and to burning him to death after torturing him ... Lawyers of Ben David are alleging that he has mental issues and, therefore, was not aware of what he was doing. However, the circumstances and evidence prove that he was fully aware of his actions, especially when taking into consideration all aspects of the crime, the abduction, the accomplices and the locations of both the abduction and murder.
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Report: 1500 ill Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 2 Oct -- There are currently 1,500 sick Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, the Palestinian Department of Prisoner Affairs said Thursday, stressing that the number is increasing due to medical neglect and lack of treatment. The department said in a report that of the numerous ill prisoners, 25 suffer from cancer, 65 are disabled or paralyzed, 20 prisoners are being held in al-Ramla hospital with "complicated conditions," and 18 have psychological and nervous conditions. The report underscored the poor medical and sanitary conditions experienced by the more than 7,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons, including more than 500 without charge or trial. The report added that because of the medical neglect suffered, the lives of many prisoners are now in danger....
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gaza
Official: Israel to allow 500 Gazans to visit Jerusalem over Eid
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 1 Oct -- Israeli authorities have granted 500 Palestinians from Gaza three-day permits to visit Jerusalem over the Eid al-Adha holiday, an official said Wednesday. A Palestinian liaison official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Ma‘an that this was the first time Israel had granted visitor permits to such a large number of Gazans since Hamas took power in the Strip in 2007. The Palestinians are all over the age of 60 and will be allowed to visit Jerusalem from Sunday to next Tuesday, he said. In the same regard, the Israeli news site Ynet reported that Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met with a top Israeli official late Tuesday to discuss changes in restrictions on Gaza. Hamdallah and the unnamed Israeli official reportedly discussed the possibility of Palestinians from Gaza being granted permits to visit Jerusalem for religious services during Muslim holidays. They also discussed the possibility of Israel allowing produce and goods from the Strip to be exported to the West Bank and easing restrictions that prevent Gazans from studying in the West Bank and abroad, Ynet reported, citing anonymous officials ... Palestinians from Gaza, to an even greater extent than West Bankers, are normally barred from visiting occupied East Jerusalem, even though it is internationally recognized as Palestinian territory and home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Israel to allow exports of fish, vegetables from Gaza to West Bank
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 1 Oct -- Israel has agreed to allow Palestinians to export vegetables and fresh fish from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank for the first time since 2007, the head of the Palestinian crossings authority said Wednesday. Nathmi Mhanna told Ma‘an that Israel also agreed to let 450 units of heavy equipment including trucks, tractors, forklifts, buses, diggers, cement pumps, and rollers into the Gaza Strip.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
IDF chief: Gaza war could buy years of quiet if Israel boosts Strip's economy
Haaretz 2 Oct by Amos Harel -- With the fighting against Hamas over, Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz stresses the need to 'permit the opening of the Strip to goods’ in excerpt of interview with Haaretz -- ... Hamas “has lost assets, tunnels, rockets,” Gantz noted, adding that the group’s confidence in its abilities had suffered. But maintaining the quiet depends on steps to improve the Gaza Strip’s economy, he said. In September, in coordination with the United Nations -- and the Palestinian Authority, which in 2007 lost control of Gaza to Hamas -- Israel crafted a mechanism to oversee imports of goods and construction materials for rebuilding Gaza. The goal was to prevent Hamas from using materials for military purposes. “We need to be careful in this regard, but we also need to conduct ourselves rationally,” Gantz said. “We need to permit the opening of the Strip to goods. In the end, there are 1.8 million people there, with Israel and Egypt surrounding them. These people need to live.” Hope must hold sway over the current despair, Gantz added -- “That in my view is the key to success.”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/
Egypt to close Rafah crossing during Eid
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 2 Oct -- Egyptian authorities will close the Rafah crossing for the Eid al-Adha holiday starting Friday. The crossing will be closed from Friday until Tuesday for the religious holiday, Palestinian officials said. It will reopen on Wednesday. The Rafah crossing is the principal connection between Gaza's 1.7 million people and the outside world, but Egypt largely keeps it shut as part of the jointly enforced Israeli blockade.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Egypt allows Omani delegation into Gaza for half an hour
Middle East Monitor 3 Oct -- The Ministry of Interior in Gaza said that the Egyptian government allowed an Omani delegation to enter the Gaza Strip via Rafah for 30 minutes on Thursday evening, allowing them to deliver humanitarian and food supplies. The Minister issued a press release stating that the delegation affiliated with the Omani Public Authority for Charity entered the Gaza Strip, accompanied by a convoy of approximately 20 trucks filled with humanitarian aid and food supplies. Last month, the Minister of Interior in the Gaza Strip had issued a statement clarifying that there had been "a nearly complete halt in the in the movement of delegations and convoys entering the Gaza Strip, especially when compared to those following the Gaza War of 2012". Palestinian officials accused the Egyptian government of preventing dozens of delegations and supplies from entering the Gaza Strip as the Rafah crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip to Egypt, has been reserved for the movement of individuals exclusively.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.
Gaza hospital employees on strike after 5 months without wages
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 2 Oct -- Workers in all hospitals in the Gaza Strip launched a partial strike in protest against authorities' failure to pay salaries for the last five months, the latest in a series of strikes by medical workers in the besieged coastal enclave. Employees affiliated with the health unions in Gaza hospitals went on a strike after 11 a.m. on Thursday in a bid to get paid before the start of the five-day Eid al-Adha holiday that begins Friday. Head of Nurses' union Eid Sabah said in a statement that the strike is intended to "protest not receiving paychecks for months and especially now that the al-Adha holiday is here and they still have not received their paychecks." Sabah added that officials promised thousands of employees via media that they would receive their paychecks before the holiday, but so far they had failed to do so. Sabah said that a comprehensive strike in all Gaza hospitals might take place following the al-Adha holiday if the workers' demands were still not met.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gunness: 138 UNRWA students killed since July
UNRWA 3 Oct by Chris Gunness -- With 241,000 children back in UNRWA schools to continue their education, UNRWA now has a more accurate picture of the impact of the 50-day war on students and their families. We can confirm that 138 UNRWA students were killed since 8 July. An additional 814 were injured and 560 have become orphans as a result of the recent hostilities. Family life for so many has been devastated. Behind each of these statistics is a heart-breaking, individual story, a dignity and a destiny that must be respected, even in death. Palestinian children are not statistics. UNRWA remains committed to dealing with the psychological scars of the conflict, particularly among children. During the past week, the Agency’s Community Mental Health Programme implemented more training for UNRWA teachers on providing classroom-based psychosocial interventions. The training at schools included stress management skills for teachers, life skills education for elementary students, and structured recreational activities for preparatory students.
Meanwhile, UNRWA’s assessment of refugee homes continued over the past week and we have revised upwards our initial assessment of damage. According to estimates based on preliminary information, as many as 80,000 refugee homes were damaged or destroyed during the fifty days of hostilities, a much higher figure than the total number of 60,000 refugees and non-refugees – estimated earlier. We estimate that at least 20,000 of these are uninhabitable. The majority of Gaza’s 110,000 homeless people are children. They are being denied the space which children the world over take for granted, a place where their humanity is nurtured and developed....
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Why must Gaza wait in the dark?
972blog 3 Oct by Sam Bahour -- Separating Gaza’s electricity supply from the political conflict is a step long overdue -- When I asked my colleague in Gaza about her biggest dream, her answer made an impression on me: “I dream of what life would be like with 24-hour electricity.” This was the answer of a single, mid-career, western educated, professional woman who lives in the more affluent part of Gaza City. Her response suggests the depth of despair among Palestinians throughout Gaza. Day-to-day life in Gaza between Israeli attacks is unworthy news for Western mainstream media. As a result, few people are aware that electricity in Gaza is a luxury, with blackouts lasting 16-18 hours -- every day. This bitter reality has warped people’s lives for years now, as they must plan their daily activities around the four-six hours when they anticipate electricity, even if that means waking up to put laundry in the washing machine in the middle of the night. Contrary to common belief, the severe undersupply of electricity in Gaza is not new, and not a result of the latest military aggression. Gaza has not had uninterrupted electricity since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. In an attempt to compensate for the Israeli disruption of Gaza’s power supply, the Palestinians established their first power generation plant in 2004. Ever since, Israel has regularly limited the supply of electricity and industrial fuel needed to operate this only power plant in Gaza. Israel’s ability to deny families in Gaza the energy they need is nothing less than collective punishment of Palestinians -- an entire community is made to pay for the acts of a few.
http://972mag.com/why-must-
Fatwas issued to stop illegal migration from Gaza
KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip (Al-Monitor) 2 Oct by Hana Saleh -- Dozens of Palestinians emigrating from Gaza are missing after boats ferrying asylum seekers sank in the Mediterranean in September. The first boat was deliberately sunk by unknown perpetrators on Sept. 10, followed by the sinking of a second boat off the coast of Alexandria on Sept. 12 and a third vessel off the Libyan coast on Sept. 14. Abu Anwar al-Masri lost nine of his family members in the Sept. 10 tragedy, including his two young sons, Fadel, 10, and Walid, 17, his sister and her children. Since that day, Abu Anwar stands by the sea every afternoon, hoping to find at least one body of his sons. Bodies would allow him to give his beloved ones a proper farewell, hold funeral services for them and receive mourners ... Issam Younis, director of Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that a meeting was held Sept. 21 between a number of human rights organizations and Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, to discuss the issue of migration from Gaza. He said, “Emigration has not yet become a [big] phenomenon, but human rights organizations are following with great concern the new method of sea migration, because official, domestic and international solidarity is required to stop this threat.” Younis also stated, “Gazans' limited horizon drives them to resort to emigration in light of the difficult economic conditions plaguing them, especially after the recent war, where there seemed to be no difference between life and death.” At the religious level, the Supreme Fatwa Council in the Palestinian territories issued a fatwa rejecting emigration by Palestinians, asserting that moving to the unknown is an “abominable crime.” The council stated, “The disaster suffered by Gazans during their attempt to sneak into other countries and escape their difficult reality through the sea portends destructive results.” In discussing the fatwa, Abu Anwar said of his sons, “This was not a permanent migration. It was only for a few years to work on improving their economic conditions, and then returning to the homeland.” He also stated, “No one likes to see their sons migrate, but that’s the only option I have when I cannot even secure their most basic needs. All I wanted was for them to establish a better future.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/
Gaza landlords refuse to rent to 'targeted families'
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (Al-Monitor) 1 Oct by Asmaa al-Ghoul -- The tragedy that befell Yasser Hajj, who lost all his family members on July 10 after Israel shelled his home in Khan Yunis, was followed by isolation. Hajj was forced to leave his destroyed home and had a hard time finding a new place to rent. The building owner's excuse was always the same -- “We do not rent to targeted families or resistance members.” Hajj told Al-Monitor: “I never expected this to happen after I had lost my family, especially because everyone knows my relatives are not members of the targeted resistance [Hamas]. My mother, father, younger siblings and I are not members of the resistance.” He and his married sister are the only ones left in the Hajj family. They decided to live together as they try and pick up their lives. But each time they looked to rent a home, they encountered rejection out of fear by landlords that their building might be targeted by shelling in a future confrontation with Israel. “One time, we went to see a building owner who was preaching in a mosque during the war, encouraging and praising the resistance. When I asked him if he had any apartments for rent, he said, ‘I do not rent out to members of the resistance or families whose houses were targeted.’ Is this not hypocrisy?” Hajj said in despair. He finally found a modest home, not an apartment in a building. Hajj called on everyone to welcome those who lost their families during the war, instead of isolating them. As soon as the 51-day war ended on Aug. 26, many raised their concerns about allowing political factions to rent apartments ... [Hamas spokesman Sami Abu] Zuhri said that all the leaders whose homes were bombed have recently rented apartments among citizens without any problems. “They [Hamas leaders] are part of the [Gazan] people and families. I confirm that no military parties have been renting apartments among [civilians], only media offices,” he said. A political source, who was among those who attended the Cairo negotiations, told Al-Monitor that during the war Israel bombed residential towers so that civilians would pressure the resistance and step up the public opinion to stop the war. “This is what actually happened..."
http://www.al-monitor.com/
Hamas evasive on Gaza's new popular army
Al-Monitor 2 Oct by Adnan Abu Amer -- As soon as the recent Gaza war came to an end on Aug. 26, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, made announcements in some Gaza City mosques, calling on Palestinians to enlist in a "popular army," sources close to Hamas told Al-Monitor. The announcements described the characteristics and goals of training a popular army that would support al-Qassam Brigades in any new war with Israel. Moreover, its members would be trained to use various light weapons to prepare for any upcoming confrontation with the Israeli army. The training would take place in military academies throughout Gaza that would remain open year-round to receive new recruits. Abu Jaafar, an al-Qassam Brigades official, told the media Sept. 25 that thousands of young people above the age of 16 registered with the brigades’ delegates throughout Gaza. However, Abu Jaafar stopped short of disclosing the nature of tasks that the popular army would handle. He said that this army has become a necessity and will handle specific tasks in case of future war with Israel. Hamas did not deny or confirm the news, but a high-ranking official in the movement told Al-Monitor, “There are no talks about forming an army in the true sense of the word, but the idea is to complement the youth training project that the former government’s Ministry of Education launched in Gaza schools. The program was dedicated to high school students who would attend summer camps every year. However, the new consensus government decided to halt the project because it goes against its political agenda.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/
Hamas: Fatah fugitives can return to Gaza
Middle East Monitor 1 Oct -- Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk said on Tuesday that Fatah fugitives could return to the Gaza Strip based on the "clear" reconciliation agreement reached between Hamas and Fatah, Palestine's Quds Net news agency reported. Hundreds of Fatah members who took part in the fighting against Hamas left the Gaza Strip in 2007, when after electoral victory Hamas swept the Palestinian Authority (PA) from the coastal enclave. Quds Net quoted Abu Marzouk as saying that those who can sort out their problems on their own could return immediately, but for those who are accused of taking part in blood issues, it is better for them to wait until the social reconciliation committee had resolved their issues. He also pointed out that all Gaza employees, both before and after the internal division, would remain at work based on the agreement. Abu Marzouk said that there were several issues that the agreement with Fatah has not yet sorted out; however, he insisted that both movements had agreed that 3,000 Hamas security officers would soon be absorbed into the PA security services.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.
Mohammed Ismail -- Gaza engineer trying to build desalinization plant
KBOO Radio 3 Oct -- Mohammed Ismail is one of a group of engineers in Gaza who are attempting to crowdfund the construction of a small, solar-powered desalination plant. Here is a link to the audio of the interview:
http://kboo.fm/audio/download/
https://www.indiegogo.com/
http://www.imemc.org/article/
Report: Missile launched into sea from Gaza
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 3 Oct -- An Israeli website on Friday reported that a missile was launched from the Gaza Strip into the sea. Walla Hebrew-language website reported that the missile launch was believed to be a weapons experiment, although it was not immediately clear who carried out the test. No injuries were reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Political, other news
1st cabinet meeting of unity govt to be held in Gaza after Eid
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 3 Oct -- The first cabinet meeting of the Palestinian unity government will take place in Gaza after the Eid al-Adha holiday, a Palestinian official said late Wednesday. Hussein al-Sheikh, Minister of Civil Affairs, told Ma‘an that the meeting is an important indicator of the agreement last week between Fatah and Hamas to let the unity government take control of Gaza. It will also show Palestinians that the unity government is ready to provide services to citizens in Gaza, he added. A committee of PA, UN and Israeli officials are due to meet on Thursday for further discussions of the entry of construction material to the Gaza Strip, al-Sheikh said. Reconstruction will officially begin following a donor conference in Cairo on Oct. 12. Palestinian teams will also begin work at the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossing to help facilitate the entry of goods. Al-Sheikh said that under the ceasefire agreement, officials agreed to increase the capacity of Kerem Shalom to 700 trucks per day and Erez to 1,500 trucks. Hamas has approved all procedures related to the reconstruction of Gaza, al-Sheikh added.
On the issue of salaries, al-Sheikh said that Qatar has offered a one-time payment of $30 million to cover any deficits, while Hamas and Fatah officials agreed in the last Cairo meeting to leave the issue to a committee of legal experts. Additionally, the PA is suffering a financial crisis which could get worse as the PLO moves against Israel at the UN. The PA is also restricted in paying former Hamas employees because the US does not approve of the payments, al-Sheikh added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Sweden to recognize State of Palestine
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 3 Oct -- The prime minister of the Kingdom of Sweden on Friday said that the country would recognize the State of Palestine, becoming the first major Western European state to do so. Prime Minister Setfan Loefven said during his inaugural address that "the conflict between Israel and Palestine can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law." "A two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful coexistence. Sweden will therefore recognize the state of Palestine," he added. Although more than 134 countries around the world currently recognize the State of Palestine, the majority of Western Europe and North American have refused to do so out of deference to Israel. Sweden's shift in position, however, suggests the possibility that others in Western Europe may follow suit, particularly given widespread anger at Israel's massive assault on Gaza over the summer that left more than 2,000 dead. Loefven's Social Democratic-Green Party coalition -- which formed a minority government on Friday -- is more supportive of demands for a Palestinian state than the previous centre-right administration.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gunmen open fire at Fatah members near Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (Ma‘an) 2 Oct -- Gunmen opened fire at a group of Fatah members northwest of Jerusalem on Thursday, the officials said. The incident occurred in the village of Beit Duqqu, northwest of Jerusalem. Secretary-general of Fatah in Jerusalem, Omar al-Shalabi, said that gunmen opened fire at a car that he and a group of Fatah members were traveling in while leaving the village. The gunfire continued until the car left the area. "When we reached the next village two masked men came out at the main road and opened fire at our cars, but when we came out of the cars they fled the area," he said. A group of locals warned the Fatah members that other masked men were waiting to ambush them in a nearby area. It is unclear who opened fire at the Fatah members. No injuries were reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
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