This Week in Palestine, August 12th, 2016

As Palestinians warn of ongoing Israeli escalation in the West Bank, a Palestinian was killed more than a dozen others injured in attacks targeting Palestinian communities. 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 protests were organized in the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin and al Nabi Saleh in central West Bank, and in the northern West Bank village of Kufer Kadum. This week protests were in solidarity with hunger-striking detainee Bilal Kayed. He is on hunger strike from more than two months.

in Kufer Kadum many residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation as Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest there. Troops later stormed the village and fired tear gas into residents homes. Moreover troops’ tear gas damaged the electricity grid in the village.

Meanwhile in the villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin, in central West Bank, Israeli soldiers attacked the protesters as soon as they reached the gate in the wall that separates local farmers from their lands.

At the nearby al Nabi Saleh village, troops attacked protesters at the village entrance. Israeli soldiers fired several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at protesters and nearby homes. Many residents suffered effects of tear gas inhalation as a result


The Political Report

Palestinians warn against current Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for internal municipal elections. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:

Member of Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, Hanan Ashrawi, called for an international intervention to prevent Israel from further escalation on the ground.

Ashrawi dubbed Israeli settlement plans in the occupied East Jerusalem, illegal. She referred to an Israeli intention to erect five police posts throughout Arab-Palestinian neighborhoods.

She further noted that Israeli occupation authorities have been stepping up actions, across areas, classified as Areas C in the occupied West Bank. Among those measures is uprooting hundreds of olive trees, belonging to Palestinian residents of those areas that fall under Israeli security control.

On the internal Palestinian level, leftist Palestinian groups including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and others, have asserted on the need for holding municipal elections.

In a joint statement, those factions believed that such elections are an important step towards political division between the rival Islamist Hamas party and the Fatah party of Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

Municipal elections are scheduled to be held by October this year, in Gaza , West Bank and East Jerusalem.

For IMEMC News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza.


The West Bank and Gaza Report

This week an elderly Palestinian man dies after being rammed by an Israeli settler In the West Bank, meanwhile in Gaza eight workers injured in a tunnel accident. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura Reports:

A Palestinian old man died after he was run over by an Israeli settler near the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday. 85 year old Moussa Salmman was riding his donkey and herding his sheep when he was hit by a motorcycle driven by an Israeli settler. After the incident the settler fled the scene.

Also on Wednesday, four Palestinians were injured when Israeli soldiers invaded al Amari refugee camp near the central West Bank city of Ramallah and clashed with local youth. Troops responded by firing live rounds and tear gas. All four injured were hit with live gunfire, local sources reported.

Earlier in the week, Nine Palestinian civilians were injured on Tuesday at dawn when Israeli troops invaded the Deheishe refugee camp in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. Israeli forces stormed the camp searched homes and opened live gunfire at protesting youth.

Also this week, Israeli soldiers, accompanied by military bulldozers, invaded earlier on Tuesday at dawn, the town of Sabastia, north of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and demolished a restaurant and a porcelain workshop. The Israeli army claimed that the constructions are located in Area C, under full Israeli military and administrative control.

Moreover, a number of Israeli military jeeps and bulldozers invaded, on Tuesday at dawn, Um al-Kheir village, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and demolished five residential sheds. Um al-Kheir, a small Palestinian Bedouin community, was built by the residents under funding from the European Union. Israel is frequently trying to displace the villagers in order o expand illegal nearby settlements.

In the meantime, Israeli forces conducted at least 70 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and in occupied East Jerusalem this week. During these invasions troops kidnapped at least 44 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.

In the Gaza Strip, eight Palestinian workers were injured on Wednesday morning as a tunnel they work in collapsed on them. Local sources said that the tunnel is located in the eastern part of Gaza city, the workers sustained light to moderate injuries and were moved to hospital for treatment.

Since Israeli implemented its siege son the costal enclave in 2007, the tunnels at the Gaza – Egypt borders became the main sources of much needed food and medicine to the 1.6 million Palestinians living there.

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 6, to the 12, 2016. From the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates please visit our website at www-dot-imemc-dot-org, This week’s report has been brought to you by George Rishmawi and me Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura.