This Week in Palestine, February 5th, 2015

This week six Palestinian were killed by Israeli gunfire in separate attacks in the West Bank. Meanwhile Palestinian hunger striking journalist held by Israeli Mohamed Al-Qeeq enters his 73 day without food. 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. five were injured, two Israeli activists kidnapped when Israeli troops attacked nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the details:

Two youth were injured by live gunfire in Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank and 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

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. In Ni’lin , three youth were injured when they were hit directly with rubber-coated steel bullets fired by Israeli troops at protesters. Many protesters suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were treated by field medics at both locations.

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.

In the meantime two Israeli peace activists were kidnapped by Israeli soldiers tried to stop a nonviolent protest organized at settlers road 60, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. At least 350 Israeli, Palestinian and international activists joined a nonviolent protest on Friday that was organized by Combatants for Peace Movement, in collaboration with a number of Palestinian and Israeli NGOs.

For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.


The Political Report

Israeli court freezes administrative detention of Mohammad Al-Qeeq and the latter decided to continue with his hunger strike until full release. IMEMC’s George Rishmawi has more:

Israel's supreme court, suspended this week the administrative detention of Palestinian prisoner Mohammad al-Qeeq citing medical concerns after nearly 70 days of a life-threatening hunger strike.

Qadura Fares, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, told media that Israel's Supreme Court was freezing al-Qeeq's six-month administrative detention order until his health improved. He said he believed al-Qeeq might use the opportunity to accept medical treatment while seeking a more acceptable solution.

33-year old Al-Qeeq refused to end his strike an insisted that the administrative detention should be canceled not frozen. Al-Qeeq, a journalist from the occupied West Bank, initially went on hunger strike in late November, in protest of the torture and ill-treatment he said he faced while in Israeli custody. However, his protest quickly developed into another bid to challenge Israel's use of administrative detention.

Numerous Palestinian prisoners have undertaken hunger strikes to protest the controversial and archaic practice, including Khader Adnan and Mohammad Allan, as of last year, who were both close to death by the time Israel agreed to their release In recent days, a number of international bodies, including the UN and the European Union, have expressed concern over al-Qeeq's situation, as well as Israel's use of administrative detention against some 660 Palestinian prisoners.

This week, UN official Robert Piper condemned the arbitrary nature of his detention, saying: "I reiterate the United Nations' long-standing position that all administrative detainees -- Palestinian or Israeli -- should be charged or released without delay."

The Palestinian Prisoners Society has said that Israel's security establishment has, so far, shown little willingness to negotiate al-Qeeq's release.

During previous hunger strikes, Israel authorities feared that prisoner deaths might spark unrest in the occupied territory, however, unrest has already shaken the territory since October of last year, thus, the Israeli security establishment is not worried anymore on this issue.

Thursday's court ruling mirrors a decision taken last year to temporarily freeze the administrative detention of Palestinian hunger striker Mohammad Allan. Allan continued his hunger strike following that decision, and he only agreed to end the protest when Israel promised not to renew his administrative detention.

For IMEMC News, this is George Rishmawi.


The West Bank and Gaza Report

This week six Palestinians including a child were killed by Israeli gunfire in deferent parts of the West Bank. Meanwhile in Gaza two fighters died as a siege-busting tunnel collapsed on them. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura Reports:

At the start of the week, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian police officer at Beit Eil military checkpoint located at the northern entrance of Ramallah city. Amjad Sokari, 35, from Jama’in village, south of Nablus, was killed after he opened fire at the Israeli soldiers stationed at the checkpoint and wounded 3 of them.

On Monday, Israeli forces killed Ahmed Touba, 18, from Kufor Jamal village, northern West Bank, while attempting to sneak through the annexation wall into Israel in pursuit of work.

Three Palestinians were shot dead on Wednesday, after they killed an Israeli police officer and wounded another during an armed attack near Damascus Gate, in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City, Israeli police said.

The Palestinians have been identified as Ahmad Abu al-Rob, 21, Muhammad Abu Kamil, 20, both from Qabatia town, and Ahmad Ismael, 22, from Jenin city.

On Friday, Israeli troops killed a Palestinian child at a military checkpoint near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. 14 year-old Haytham Al Bou, from Haloul town near Hebron was short dead at a military checkpoint separating his village from the settlers road number 60.

Moreover, on Friday, Israeli forces used live rounds and rubber coated steel bullets against Palestinian protesters all over the West Bank. according to the Palestinian ministry of health at least 20 Palestinians were injured on Friday by Israeli gunfire including a journalist in Bethlehem city.

Also this week, Israeli forces conducted at least 81 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank in occupied East Jerusalem. During these invasions Israeli troops kidnapped more than 100 Palestinian civilians, including 24 children.

In the Gaza Strip this week, Two Hamas fighters were killed in a tunnel collapse in the southern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday. Meanwhile Israeli forces, Wednesday morning, reportedly crossed the Gazan border east of Khan Younis, advancing 100 meters into the blockaded coastal enclave where a bulldozers "leveled" farm land.

Later on Wednesday midday, The Israeli navy kidnapped four Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast and seized their boats. Local sources said that Israeli soldiers opened fire towards two Palestinian boats and, then, detained four fishermen who were aboard.

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 January 30, to February 5, 2016. 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.