This Week in Palestine, October 13 2017

Palestinian rival political groups signed this week a unity deal, as Israeli attacks targeting both Gaza and the West Bank leave three injured civilians. 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. Two civilians kidnapped meanwhile scores others were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMC’s Majd Batjali with the details:

On Friday at 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. Many protesters suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were treated by field medics at both locations.

Meanwhile in Kufer Kadum in northern West Bank 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.

For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.


The Political Report

This week, Egypt brings together rival Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas. Both have signed a unity deal in Cairo. IMEMC’s Rami Al Meghari has more:

Both rival Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas, signed this week a unity deal, following a series of previous failed unity attempts, mediated by several parties, on top of which has been Cairo.

The new deal, signed late this week stipulated that the Hamas authorities in Gaza hand over back control over the territory, to the Palestinian Authority of Fatah party, in the West Bank. In return, the Palestinian Authority needs to stop all measures against Gaza, apparently aimed at succumbing Hamas, over the past several months.

Media reports suggest that the deal would pave the way for general elections, across the occupied Palestinian territories and would also allow deployment of 3000 Palestinian police men, belonging to the Palestinian Authority, on border crossings.

Among contentious issues that have been discussed during Cairo-hosted talks, was the disarming of Palestinian armed resistance factions, including the Hamas’s military wing, Ezzildin AL Qassam.

Egyptian officials were reported as calling for another round of talks by 21 of November, 2017, a meeting that would involve representatives of many other Palestinian factions.

Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, had earlier called on those factions to ensure smooth implementation of the deal.

Reacting to the deal, Washington has officially supported the agreement between the western-backed PA and the Islamist Hamas, signaling willingness to provide economic support to the war-battered coastal region, once Palestinians agree among each other and come out with a unified leadership.

Earlier, Washington had called on any upcoming Palestinian government, to accept past-signed peace agreements between the PA and Israel, recognize Israel’s right to exist and renounce violence.

Arab states league, backed the deal and looked forward to a better Palestinian politics that would in turn lead to a peaceful settlement in the region.

In the Gaza Strip, majority of local Palestinians have great hopes of a better life, particularly lifting the Israeli blockade of Gaza and reopening border crossings, especially the Rafah crossing terminal, which is Gaza’s sole outlet to the outside world.

For IMEMC News, I am Rami Al Meghari in Gaza


The West Bank and Gaza report

Israeli attacks this week targeting Palestinians communities in Gaza and the West Bank leave three civilian injured. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura reports:

Three Palestinians were injured on Wednesday night, in clashes that erupted with Israeli occupation forces, when Israeli settlers raided Jospeh’s Tomb in Nablus city.

Local witnesses reported that more than 30 buses of Israeli settlers stormed the tomb, escorted by a large group of Israeli soldiers. Clashes erupted as the Palestinian youths tried to confront Israeli soldiers who responded by firing rubber-coated metal bullets; three Palestinian were injured.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Israeli settlers stormed Al-Ibrahimi Mosque on Wednesday and Tuesday of this week, in Hebron, under tight protection of Israeli police and special units.

Elsewhere, Several Israeli colonists hurled stones, on Tuesday evening, at many Palestinian cars, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, causing damage to twelve cars. Media sources in Nablus said the colonists simultaneously hurled stones at Palestinian cars, driving on Yitzhar road, in addition to the main Huwwara road and the road leading to Sorra village, causing damage to twelve cars.

The sources added that the attacks seemed to be planned and coordinated, and that Israeli soldiers closed the main Yitzhar road, but failed to apprehend or stop the assailing colonists.

During the week, the Israeli army conducted at least 68 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank including Jerusalem. During those invasions Israeli troops detained at least 46 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children.

in Gaza this week, Israeli soldiers fired, late Sunday night, three shells toward a post, run by the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, east of the al-Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza. The Al-Qassam Brigades said in a press release that the Israeli shells caused property damage, but did not lead to any casualties.

The soldiers also fired many flares near Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing. later in the week, several armored military vehicles, including bulldozers, carried out a limited invasion into Palestinian lands, east of Jabalia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, while military drones hovered overhead.

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 07, to the 13, 2017. 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.