This Week in Palestine, October 9th, 2015

Israeli attacks on Palestinian protesters leave at least 10 killed Palestinians and more than 1600 others injured. Meanwhile Israeli Prime Minister and senior officials continue to flame the situation. 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. A Palestinian civilian was injured and many more were treated for the effects if tear gas inhalation as Israeli troops attacked anti wall and settlements protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Majd Batajali reports:

This week anti wall and settlements protests were organized in the central west Bank villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin, and al Nabi Saleh. In addition to the village of Kufer Qadum in northern West Bank. Israeli soldiers used live rounds, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets against the unarmed protesters.

One youth was injured in his abdomen after being shot by Israeli troops live rounds and scores of civilians were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation during the weekly protest in Kufer Kadum village. Later troops stormed the village and fired tear gas into residents’ homes. The injured youth was moved to the nearby Qalqilia city hospital.

In Bil’in and Ni’lin ,protesters managed to reach the Israeli wall. Meanwhile in 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. Many protesters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation at the three villages.

For IMEMC News this Majd Batajali.


The Political Report

This week, the Palestinian Authority calls the Palestinians to stop responding to Israeli violence, while Israeli Prime Minister and senior officials continue to flame the situation. IMEMC’s George Rishmawi with the details:

The ongoing escalation of violence has resulted in the death of a number of Palestinians and Israelis and the injury of hundreds during the past couple of weeks in Jerusalem and the rest of the Palestinian territories.

Both Palestinians and Israelis are trading blames for this dire situation. Thousands of Israeli soldiers and police were deployed in Jerusalem and Israel imposed tight restrictions on the movement of Palestinians into and out of the city.

On his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the Palestinians to calm and not to respond to the Israeli attacks. In the meantime, Israeli media sources said that Netanyahu does not have a vision for ending this escalation, instead, he and some of his aids are inciting for more violence.

The Israeli mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barakt has asked the Israelis to take up arms in response to some stabbing attacks carried out by Palestinians in the past week, as a result, at least four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli police and armed civilians.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote: “While the prime minister, a few of his cabinet ministers and, chiefly, extreme right-wing activists and settler leaders are busy fanning the flames, calling for and taking action to toughen punitive measures against the Palestinians, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas continues to do everything in his power to calm the situation.”

In an interview with Jack Khoury, Haaretz reporter Abbas said that he supports nonviolent struggle and is opposed to all violence and use of weapons.

Violence escalated due to several invasions by the settlers into Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and intensified after the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech to the UN General Assembly on September 30th.

In his speech, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority will not commit to the signed agreement as long as Israel is not committing to these agreements.

While some people call it a third Intifada, several Palestinian observers and analysts see there is no Palestinian leadership currently in control and what is happening is a Palestinian street reaction to the Israeli attacks and settler violence.

For IMEMC News, this is George Rishmawi


The West Bank and Gaza Report

At least 10 Palestinian civilians were killed this week and more than 1700 others injured by Israeli troops gunfire during Israeli army attacks on protesters in the West Bank and Gaza. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura Reports:

On Friday, seven Palestinian civilians were killed and more than 94 others were injured by Israeli army live gunfire, rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas in clashes that took place in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Six of those killed on Friday were shoot dead by Israeli troops who attacked protesters near Gaza city and the town of Khan Younis in the southern part of the costal enclave. The seventh victim was shoot dead in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Another Palestinian woman was shot dead on Friday midday at a bus station in Al Afula town near Nazrath. A video published on social media networks showed that Israeli troops shot the woman from a close range without any reason.

Two more Palestinians were killed on Thursday in Jerusalem after being shot by Israeli troops. One youth was killed in clashes that took place in Shofat refugee camp. The other was killed by Israeli troops near Jerusalem old city. The circumstances of his death remains unclear.

A Palestinian youth was shot dead on Wednesday allegedly after he snatched a weapon of an Israeli soldier in Kiryat Gat, south of Tel Aviv, and ran into a nearby building. Another Palestinian young woman was critically injured after a settler shot her in Jerusalem old city.

On Monday afternoon, a 13-year –old child was killed by an Israel army sniper as he was walking back from school to his home in 'Aida refugee camp, in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. On Monday at dawn at 18-year-old youth was killed by Israeli troops live gunfire during clashes that took place near the Nitzani roadblock, west of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem.

On Sunday at dawn, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian teenager in the al-Misrara area, in Bab al-Amoud in occupied east Jerusalem. The young man was running away from Israeli radical settlers mob towards Israeli police officers who shot him dead. Another youth was killed on Saturday when he stabbed two settlers in Jerusalem old city before he was killed by Israeli officers.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced on Friday that 1640 Palestinians have been injured all over the West Bank since the start of October until Thursday midnight. 101 were injured after being hit by Israeli troops’ live gunfire, 442 were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets and 1066 were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation. In addition there was 31 residents who were injured after being beat-up by soldiers, the RCS reported.

The recent wave of clashes erupted over a week ago, as Israeli settlers under the protection of the Israeli army escalated their invasions to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s old city.

For IMEMC News this is Ghassan Bannoura.


Conclusion

And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine. This was the Weekly report for October 5th, to the 9th, 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 by Maher Qasiess and me Eman Abedraboo- Bannoura.