This Week in Palestine, April 17th, 2015

This week Israeli attacks targeting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank leave one killed and at least 20 others injured. Meanwhile the Palestinian unity government ministers announce intentions to visit the besieged Gaza Strip. 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. At least seven Palestinian protesters were injured and many more were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked the weekly nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the details:

This week Protesters were in commemoration of the Palestinian political prisoners’ day. Currently Israeli is detaining around 6,000 Palestinians in military detention camps, among them about 300 children.
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 protests were organized in the villages of Kufer Qadum in northern West Bank and Al Ma’ssara and Beit Ummer villages in the south. Israeli soldiers used live rounds, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets against protesters.

In Bil’in, two youth were injured after being hit by live rounds fired by Israeli soldiers. Moreover, four more youth were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets in the village of Bil’in. One more youth were injured and kidnapped by Israeli troops in Kufer Kadum village.

In the meantime two youth were injured by Israeli troops gunfire in Beit Ummer village during the anti-wall and settlements protest there.

According to Palestinian sources scores of residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation in all protests.

For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.


The Political Report

Palestinian ministers are about to visit the Gaza Strip, in a bid to solve a number of issues. Meanwhile, European Union parliament is set to discuss a bill that deals with Israeli goods. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a televised speech that the profile of Palestinian detainees inside Israeli concentration camps, will be on top of complaints, to be submitted soon to the International Court of Justice.

The president confirmed that the Palestinian Authority is going ahead with the move at the ICC, in order to bring Israel to justice, for what the PA believes, war crimes against the Palestinian people, including the last year's Israeli war on Gaza.

In another move, the PA's ministers, belonging to the consensus government, will be heading for Gaza next week, in order to help solve a number of outstanding problems, such as the employees standoff.

Palestinian minister, Mofeed Alhasayna, was quoted this week as saying that all employees of Gaza, will be merged within the various Gaza-based ministries.

In the meantime, the European Union parliament will be discussing a bill that demands traders and grocers in EU countries to label Israel products that are produced in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian lands.

For IMEMC News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza


The West Bank and Gaza Report

This week Israeli attacks leave one killed Palestinian fighter in Gaza, meanwhile in the west Bank Israeli troops invade west Bank communities and kidnap scores of civilians including children. IMEMC’s Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura Reports:

This week Israeli troops kidnapped at least 50 Palestinian civilians’ during pre-dawn invasions targeting West Bank communities. Kidnappings and home searches were focused this week in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nablus and Ramallah cities.

On Thursday midday nine Palestinian civilians were injured when Israeli troops attacked a protest organized by Palestinian NGO’s outside the Ofer Israeli military detention camp near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

According to medical sources all nine injured were hit by rubber-coated steel bullets fired by Israeli troops. Clashes erupted after the soldiers attack and lasted for several hours, local media reported.

The march was organized by Palestinian political prisoners support groups in protest of the ill-treatment Palestinian political prisoners are facing in Israeli military detention facilities. In renewed clashes near Ofer detention center two youth were injured by Israeli troops gunfire.

Earlier in the week, Israeli soldiers demolished, on Tuesday at dawn, an under construction four-story residential building in Wad al-Jouz neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem.

In the Gaza Strip this week, a Palestinian fighter of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, died on Tuesday after succumbing to wounds he sustained last summer.

The fighter, 22 years of age, suffered various wounds, including a serious head injury, by an Israeli missile during the Israeli onslaught on Gaza eight months ago. He remained in a critical condition since then until he died on Tuesday, medical sources reported.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that around 2140 Palestinians, including 577 children, were killed in the Israeli onslaught; dozens of Palestinians died of their serious injuries in the months that followed the Israeli onslaught. Over 11,100 Palestinians, including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people were injured.

Also on Tuesday, a Palestinian reporter, working for the Palestinian TV, was stabbed to death near his home in the Nasr neighborhood in Gaza city. The reporter, Kamal Abu Nahl, 40 years of age, was stabbed, with a sharp object, three times to the neck, throat and his lower back. According to family members, worshipers found Abu Nahl’s body near his home, following dawn prayers.

Wednesday morning, Israeli gunboats again targeted with live fire Palestinian fishing boats off Gaza City shores. Fishers were forced back to shore, no injuries were reported. Local sources announced that the attack took place in the allotted area of three nautical miles allowed for Palestinians.

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 April 11th, to the 17th, 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.