This Week in Palestine, January 2nd, 2015

Two Palestinian civilians are killed this week by Israeli attacks, in the meantime the Palestinian Authority has submitted its endorsement of 20 international conventions. These stories, and more, coming up, stay tuned.


The Nonviolence Report

Let’s begin our weekly report as usual with the nonviolent activities organized in the West Bank. One boy injured, scores civilians were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation on Friday when Israeli soldiers attacked the nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the details:

Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest organized by the villagers of Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank. Soldiers also invaded the village and fired tear gas into residents’ homes, as a result many civilians, including children suffered effects of tear gas inhalation. Troops also kidnapped a villager and took him to unknown location.

In central West Bank, at the villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin, Israeli soldiers attacked the protesters as soon as they reached the gate in the wall that separates local farmers from their lands. As a result many protesters suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were treated by field medics.

At the nearby al Nabi Saleh village, Israeli troops fired several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets at the villagers as soon as they reached the village entrance.

One boy was injured in his leg and was moved to hospital in the nearby city of Ramallah. Moreover Israeli troops fired tear gas at residential areas causing damage to the houses as some of the tear gas canisters went through the windows inside the villagers’ homes.

In Al-Ma’asara village, Israeli troops stopped villagers and their supporters at the entrance of the village and forced them back, however, no injuries were reported.

For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.


The Political Report

Palestinian Authority has submitted its endorsement of 20 international conventions, including the Rome Pact. Meanwhile, the PA voiced resentment over the US's veto against a UN bid. IMEMC’s Rami al Meghari has more:

Top Palestinian negotiator , Seb Eriqat said that the PA is determined to join international conventions, following the failure of UN's security council to vote for a Palestinian bid to end the Israeli occupation within a deadline.

Eriqat expressed the PA's sorrow for the failure, saying that the PA had made sure 9 members of the Security Council would vote for, until the last minute, when Nigeria abstained.

He called on the organization of Islamic conference to look into Niegria's changed position, given the fact that Nigeria is strong supporter of Palestinian rights.

In the meantime, Eriqat added, that joining the conventions including the Rome Pact, would allow the PA to bring Israel to justice over war crimes.

At the internal Palestinian level, Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Alhamdallah, was quoted as saying that Gaza Strip remains a priority for his consensus government.

He added that the government is exerting every possible efforts to ensure funds for all employees on PA's payroll. Yet, he maintained that Israel is still withholding large funds in tax money that Israel collects on behalf of the PA.

In Gaza, the Islamist Hamas party, which gave up governing Gaza for the consensus government, installed in June of last year, refused results of a latest visit by Alhamdalah's cabinet members, to Gaza.

Hamas demands equal rights for Gaza employees, recruited since 2007, when Hamas took control of the territory. Spokesperson for the Alhamdallah's cabinet said the cabinet will study the employees file, on professional basis.

For IMEMC News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza


The West Bank and Gaza Report

A youth and an older man are killed this week due to Israeli attacks targeting West Bank communities. In the meantime Israeli navy continues to attack Gaza fishermen. IMEMC’s Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura Reports:

A Palestinian youth was killed another injured on Monday midday when Israeli soldiers opened fire at a group of residents near the Za’tara military checkpoint just outside the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Jamiel Dowekat, 17, was shot and killed by live rounds fired by Israeli soldiers, meanwhile 16 year old Tal’at Thwieb was injured and moved to a hospital in Nablus city.

The Israeli army said that a group of Palestinian youth hurled stones at Israeli settlers cars living in illegal settlements nearby, and that troops chased them and opened live fire at them killing Dowekat and injuring Thwieb. Local sources said that troops detained Dowekat after injuring him and refused to get him much needed medical help until he died.

Later on Monday evening Israeli troops targeted a Palestinian car near the southern West Bank city town of Beit Ummer and inured two youth. According to Palestinian sources two youth were injured, one critically, when Israeli troops opened fire at a Palestinian car trying to get into Beit Ummer village.

Both youth were moved to Hebron city hospital for treatment.

On Tuesday, an elderly Palestinian man from Jerusalem died of wounds suffered more than three months ago, after Israeli soldiers opened fire on the funeral procession of a Palestinian child who was killed by army fire. Mohammad Hasheema, 63, was injured in the face back in September, during the funeral ceremony of Mohammad Sonnoqrot, 16 years of age.

On Thursday, Jewish settlers uprooted more than 5,000 olive tree saplings in lands east of the town of Turmusayya, north of Ramallah, in the central occupied West Bank. Later on Thursday night, Settlers uprooted olive saplings near Bethlehem.

Such attacks are reportedly carried out in order to ensure that Palestinian farmers are unable to plant in the area, further disenfranchising them and, thus, forcing them to leave the land, opening it to confiscation by settlers.

In Gaza this week, Israeli naval forces, on Monday, again opened fire on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip. In the meantime Israeli troops shot at a group of Palestinians near the border fence with Gaza. The two incidents ended without any injuries, local sources reported.

For IMEMC News this is Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura.


Conclusion

And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine. This was the Weekly report for December 27th, 2014 to January 2nd, 2015. From the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates please visit our website at http://www.imemc.org. This week’s report has been brought to you George Rishmawi and me Ghassan Bannoura.