This Week in Palestine, March 13th, 2015

Israel continued refusal to release Palestinian tax money deepens the finical difficulties facing the Palestinian government. In the meantime Israeli attacks targeting fishermen in Gaza escalates. 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. Six Palestinian civilians were injured by Israeli troops who attacked the nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Jenka Soderberg with the story:

Hundreds of Palestinians, Israeli and international peace activists, marched on Friday in the weekly nonviolent protest against the Israeli Wall and settlements, in Bil’in in the central West Bank city of Ramallah. The protesters were also marking the sixth anniversary since the soldiers shot and seriously injured American peace activist Tristan Anderson.

Israeli soldiers attacked the protest, firing gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets, and invading the southern area of the village.

The Israeli gas bombs also struck a number of homes, causing many residents, including children, to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation. In addition to Palestinian flags, the protesters carried pictures of child detainee Khaled Husam Sheikh, and the five imprisoned children from Hares village, who have been held by Israel for two years.

They also carried pictures of American peace activist Tristan Anderson, who was shot on March 13th 2009 by a high-velocity Israeli gas bomb in the forehead while at a non-violent protest in nearby Ni’lin village, causing quadriplegia and blindness in his right eye.

Many protesters also carried pictures of slain American peace activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer, on March 16 2003, while trying to prevent the soldiers from demolishing Palestinian homes in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

In the village of Nabi Saleh, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, on Friday, Many protesters were injured, and three kidnapped, when Israeli soldiers used excessive force against the nonviolent weekly protest against the Wall and Settlements.

The soldiers also attacked and beat a number of women, children and young men, wounding seven who suffered various cuts and bruises. Three children were among the wounded; including a child who suffered head injuries after the soldiers struck her on the head and shoulders.

In Kufur Qaddoum village, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, two protesters were shot and injured by live rounds fired by Israeli troops as they invaded the village, while many suffered the effects of teargas inhalation. The village pf Ni’lin also held its weekly Friday demonstration against the occupation and the Apartheid wall´s theft of Palestinian land.

In Ni’lin, soldiers attacked protesters with tear gas, a number of villagers had to be treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.

On Thursday, protesters in Nablus held a non-violent demonstration to call for the release of the children imprisoned by Israeli troops. And this past Sunday, on March 8th, marches and rallies were held in a number of West Bank cities and towns in support of

International Women’s Day, and calling for the release of female prisoners.

For IMEMC News this is Jenka Soderberg


The Political Report

This week, Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, joins Sharm Elsheikh international economic conference for Egypt. IMEMC’s Rami al Meghari has more:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will discuss with US's Secretary of States, Jhon Kerry, possible moves to solve cash problem with the Palestinian Authority.

The president is joined by a number of his key aids, including deputy-prime minister and advisor, as well as top negotiator.

In the meantime, the Palestinian Authority is facing a financial problem that has affected the PA's ability to fully pay many thousands of its own employees.

On another issue, Hamas party in Gaza said it has no problem with Abbas's recent call for elections. Mousa Abu Marzouq, deputy-political leader of Hamas, in Gaza, was quoted as saying that the elections issue was mentioned in last April's unity deal between Fatah and Hamas, in Gaza.

Unity deal between the two major parties has not come into effect , as both parties continue to trade blame for a number of shortfalls, including a salary crisis of dozens of thousands of employees in Gaza, who were on Hamas's government payoll, before the unity itself was reached.

Meanwhile, the Hamas party in Gaza, welcomed a recent Egyptian government' intention to appeal against an Egyptian court's ruling that branded Hamas a terrorist organization.

A number of Hamas leaders in the territory, echoed the same welcome and emphasized on what they believed, a good step in the right direction, awaiting results.

For IMEMC News , I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza


The West Bank and Gaza Report

This week a Palestinian man from the West Bank dies of wounds sustained last year by Israeli troops’ gunfire meanwhile Israeli navy escalated attacks targeting Palestinian fishermen in Gaza. IMEMC’s Eman Abedraboo-Bannoura reports:

A Palestinian man died, on Wednesday, of sharp complications resulting from injuries he suffered after being shot by Israeli soldiers in November of 2008. On November 7 2008, the soldiers invaded the home Omar Sobeh, in al-Far’a refugee camp, north of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and shot him in the abdomen.

The soldiers claimed they stormed his home searching for a “wanted Palestinians,” believed to be hiding there. Sobeh, 45 years of age, suffered repeated infections, and underwent various surgeries due to ongoing complications.

On Tuesday, seven Palestinian students were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets, Tuesday, as clashes broke out near Ofer detention center in Ramallah city, central West Bank. Students from Birzeit University had gathered to mark the anniversary of the death of 18-year-old Saji Darwish, who was killed by Israeli forces last year.

Also on Tuesday Israeli soldiers bulldozed large areas of Palestinian lands, in Kisan village, southern west Bank, to build an “industrial zone” that would serve nearby illegal Israeli colonies. According to villagers, Israel intends to bulldoze and uproot more than 600 Dunams (148.26 Acres) to build an Industrial Zone that would serve illegal Israeli colonies.

On Monday, scores of residents, including children suffered the effects of teargas inhalation, as Israeli soldiers conducted military training near local schools, in Hebron city, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. Elsewhere, Israeli military bulldozers uprooted large areas of Palestinian farmlands, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and uprooted more than 300 Olive trees.

In Gaza this week, Israeli attacks targeting fishermen continued this week, Israeli navy attacked Palestinian fishing boats off the shores of Beit Lahyia in the northern part of the Gaza strip. Damage was reported but no injuries.

On Thursday morning, Israeli navy ships opened fire on a number of Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza territorial waters, in the Sudaniyya Sea area, northwest of Gaza City.

Gaza fishers are subject to daily attacks and violations in Palestinian territorial waters within the six nautical miles the Palestinians are allowed to sail in and fish. The Navy even attacked fishing boats, and fishers, while the boats were docked on shore.

Dozens of thousands of families in the besieged coastal region depend on fishing as their only sources of livelihood. Last week Israeli attacks targeting fishing boats in Gaza left one fishermen dead.

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 March 7th, to the 13th, 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.