This Week in Palestine, August 21st, 2015

This week Israeli troops killed two Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints in the West Bank, in the meantime Palestinian political prisoner held by Israeli wins freedom after 65 days of hunger strike. 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. This week, Israeli troops attacked anti wall and settlement protests organized at a number of west Bank villages using live ammunition, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets as a result many civilians were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation. IMEMC’s Salam Qumsiyeh has more:

On Friday protests were organized at the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin and Al Nabi saleh in central West Bank. Anti-wall and settlements protests were also organized in the southern West Bank village of Susiya and in Kufer Qadum in the north.

In Kufer Qadum, Israeli troops attacked the villagers and their international supporters at the village entrance. Later troops stormed the village and fired tear gas at protesters, many civilians were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.

Moreover Israeli soldiers in Al Nabi saleh village attacked protesters in Al Nabi saleh before even leaving the village. At the nearby villages of Bil’in, and Ni’lin, residents and their supporters reached the Israeli wall.

Soldiers stationed their showered them with tear gas and chemical water that generate bad smell. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.

Meanwhile Israeli troops attacked the villagers of al Ma’ssara and their supporters at village entrance then forced them back using rifle buts and batons, no injuries were reported.

Earlier in the week residents and lands owners from Biet Jala town near Bethlehem protested on Sunday, on their lands located between the town and Jerusalem.

Troops attacked the residents inuring one man and detaining two others. On Saturday army bulldozers stared to uproot hundreds of olive trees owned by local farmers to make way for the Israeli wall there.

For IMEMC News this is Salam Qumsiyeh.


The Political Report

Palestinian prisoner Mohammad Allan will be freed as soon as he recovers following 65 days of hunger strike, IMEMC's George Rishmawi with details:

The Israeli Supreme Court cleared the way on Wednesday for the release of Palestinian prisoner Mohammad Allan whose two-month hunger strike might have left him with brain damage.

The ruling said, “at the current stage, in light of the hunger striker’s medical condition, the administrative warrant is no longer in effect.”

The health of Allan, who has not eaten since June 16 to protest his indefinite incarceration, under the administrative detention, had worsened since Israel passed a law last month that allowed the force-feeding of hunger strikers.

Following the court ruling Allan ended his fast and is currently subjected to intensive care at the Barzilai Medical Center in Askalan. Allan refused offers from the Israeli military to end his hunger strike in exchange of an immediate release and deportation outside of Palestine, he also rejected another offer to release him at the end of the current administrative term in early November. He insisted to be immediately unconditionally released, a demand that almost cost him his life.

Allan’s fast underscored the problems with the recent Israeli law that allows the force feeding of hunger strikers in extreme cases. The law was not applied in this case, and its future remains uncertain.Doctors at Barzilai medical center refused to implement this law on Allan, saying that this law violates the auth they made when they became doctors. The also refused to check him until he approved that, after the court ruling.

The head of the Palestinian Detainees Committee Issa Qaraqe has reported, Thursday, that the health condition of Allan is still considered serious, but is gradually improving. On his part, Eli Ben-Dahan, Israel’s deputy defense minister, said the court ruling hurt the Israel's security. He told the right wing Israel’s Channel 7 television after the ruling on Wednesday, “surrendering to the extortion of a single prisoner is giving a prize to terrorism and will only lead to mass hunger strikes of more prisoners.”

At least eight Palestinians in Israeli jails have been released in recent years after lengthy hunger strikes. In the past years, Palestinian prisoners fasted to enhance living conditions in prison, however, this move which was started by Khader Adnan who was released after he fasted for 55 days, encouraged many others to fast demanding the end of unlawful administrative detention.

For IMEMC News, this is George Rishmawi


The West Bank and Gaza Report

This week Israeli troops shoot and kill two Palestinian civilians at West Bank checkpoints. In the meantime nine Palestinian refugee are killed in sea near Turkish shores. IMEMC’s Ali Talhami reports:

At least nine Palestinian refugees died on Wednesday, after an overloaded boat carrying illegal migrants fleeing the Syrian conflict capsized off the coast of Turkey, according to media sources.

Among the victims were women and children, news sources reported. In September 2014, about 15 Palestinian migrants attempting to flee the besieged and war-torn Gaza Strip died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of northern Egypt.

Earlier in the week, a Palestinian man was shoot and killed by Israeli troops on Saturday night at the Za'tara roadblock, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The army claimed the man stabbed and mildly injured a soldier. According to Palestinian sources, Rafiq at-Taj, 21 years of age, from Tubas, was shot with several rounds of live ammunition. Soldiers refused to allow Palestinian medics to approach him.

On Monday another Palestinian man, Mohammed al-Atrash, 26, was killed at Za'tara checkpoint after being shot by Israeli troops. Troops claimed he tried also to stab a solider. Israeli forces reportedly denied medical teams access to him, leaving him to bleed to death, the Red Crescent reported.

Palestinian human rights groups say that five Palestinians were killed since the start of August. Three of them were killed at checkpoints of the Israeli military. According to the Middle East Monitor at least 23 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since January.

Also this week, Israeli military bulldozers demolished Palestinian homes and structures all over the West Bank. On Monday Israeli bulldozers demolished structures belonging to more than 20 families of the Jahalin Bedouin community in eastern Jerusalem.

On Tuesday more than 12 tents owned by Palestinian Bedwens in Al Fasayel area in the Jordan Valley were destroyed by the Israeli army. Later on Wednesday, Israeli authorities demolished two residential units in Jerusalem and Ramallah. on Thursday morning, Israeli troops demolished homes and agricultural facilities in Tubas city, northern West Bank

In the Gaza Strip this week, four Israeli tanks and three bulldozers entered border farmlands of Beit Hanoun city, northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. In the center of the Strip, Israeli soldiers in military watchtowers opened fire on farmlands. Damage was reported but no injuries. Israeli tanks and bulldozers often enter the Gaza strip, violating the truce signed last August between Gaza ruling (Hamas) and Israel, following the 51-day Israeli war on Gaza that killed over 2,200 Palestinians.

For IMEMC News this is Ali Talhami.


Conclusion

And that’s all for today from This Week in Palestine. This was the Weekly report for August 15th, to the 21st, 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 Ghassan Bannoura.