29 feb 2020
A Palestinian man was injured today evening after he was attacked by Jewish settlers near the village of Burqa, to the north of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.
Ghassan Daghlas, a local official in charge of monitoring settler violence, told WAFA that a group of settlers attacked and beat up a Palestinian farmer identified as Mahmoud Hussein Hajji, 58, while he was working in a farm of his own near the village.
Hajji reportedly sustained a moderate injury and was moved to hospital for medical treatment.
Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property is commonplace in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities. It includes arsons of property and mosques, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
Ghassan Daghlas, a local official in charge of monitoring settler violence, told WAFA that a group of settlers attacked and beat up a Palestinian farmer identified as Mahmoud Hussein Hajji, 58, while he was working in a farm of his own near the village.
Hajji reportedly sustained a moderate injury and was moved to hospital for medical treatment.
Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property is commonplace in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities. It includes arsons of property and mosques, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
Extremist Jewish settlers today chopped off about 200 grape trees belonging to a Palestinian farmer in the village of al-Khader, near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said.
Imad Dadou, a local activist who monitors violations by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers, told WAFA that settlers broke into a grape-planted grove belonging to a Palestinian villager from al-Khader, before proceeding to chop off about 200 trees there.
Dadou said this was the second attack by settlers on the village since yesterday, when a group of settlers forced their way into another ranch and smashed dozens of grape trees that belong to local villagers.
Settler violence is commonplace across the occupied West Bank, and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities as the Palestinian Authority has no jurisdiction over Israeli settlers.
Palestinians and rights groups have repeatedly blamed Israel for fostering a “culture of impunity” for Jewish settlers committing acts of violence against Palestinians.
Imad Dadou, a local activist who monitors violations by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers, told WAFA that settlers broke into a grape-planted grove belonging to a Palestinian villager from al-Khader, before proceeding to chop off about 200 trees there.
Dadou said this was the second attack by settlers on the village since yesterday, when a group of settlers forced their way into another ranch and smashed dozens of grape trees that belong to local villagers.
Settler violence is commonplace across the occupied West Bank, and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities as the Palestinian Authority has no jurisdiction over Israeli settlers.
Palestinians and rights groups have repeatedly blamed Israel for fostering a “culture of impunity” for Jewish settlers committing acts of violence against Palestinians.
27 feb 2020
An Israeli municipal crew escorted by police forces put up evacuation notices on walls of two facilities in Sheikh Jarrah district, east of Occupied Jerusalem.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, the facilities are two areas of land used as a car wash and a bus station. video video
The owners of the facilities were given 48 hours to comply with the evacuation orders.
The Israeli municipality also threatened to close al-Zahara parking lot in Ali Ibn Abi Taleb street in Jerusalem, claiming the place is unlicensed.
The parking lot was established on a privately owned piece of land in 1997, but the Israeli municipality froze or revoked its license during the past 10 years, during which it imposed exorbitant financial penalties on the landowner. video
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, the facilities are two areas of land used as a car wash and a bus station. video video
The owners of the facilities were given 48 hours to comply with the evacuation orders.
The Israeli municipality also threatened to close al-Zahara parking lot in Ali Ibn Abi Taleb street in Jerusalem, claiming the place is unlicensed.
The parking lot was established on a privately owned piece of land in 1997, but the Israeli municipality froze or revoked its license during the past 10 years, during which it imposed exorbitant financial penalties on the landowner. video
Israeli settlers today uprooted hundreds of olive and vine trees in the town of al-Khader, to the south of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to Emad Dadoo, a local activist. video
He told WAFA that settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Eliazar uprooted about 200 olive trees and 80 vine trees in lands belonging to Palestinian residents located close to the settlement.
He noted that settlers have recently been targeting village lands, especially those close to settlements, by razing lands, uprooting trees and preventing farmers access to their lands.
He told WAFA that settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Eliazar uprooted about 200 olive trees and 80 vine trees in lands belonging to Palestinian residents located close to the settlement.
He noted that settlers have recently been targeting village lands, especially those close to settlements, by razing lands, uprooting trees and preventing farmers access to their lands.
Israeli forces today demolished two Palestinian homes and two animal barns in the area of Masafer Yatta, in the south of the occupied West Bank, under the pretext they were built without a permit, according to a local source.
Coordinator of the Popular Committees against the Wall and Settlements in the south of the West Bank, Rateb Jabour, told WAFA that Israeli forces raided several areas in Masafer Yatta and demolished two 80-square-meter residential structures in al-Mafqara and in Rakiz hamlets. video
In addition, said Fouad Amour, a local activist, Israeli army bulldozers demolished two animal barns in Saffi hamlet in Masafer Yatta. video
The Israel army demolished this month a number of structures, including residential rooms and barns, all under the pretext of construction without a permit.
Masafer Yatta is classified as Area C, which is under full Israeli military control. Area C makes up around 60 percent of the area of the occupied West Bank, which Israel plans to annex after expelling its Palestinian population.
Getting an Israeli building permit in Area C is almost impossible, as confirmed by many human rights organizations.
Coordinator of the Popular Committees against the Wall and Settlements in the south of the West Bank, Rateb Jabour, told WAFA that Israeli forces raided several areas in Masafer Yatta and demolished two 80-square-meter residential structures in al-Mafqara and in Rakiz hamlets. video
In addition, said Fouad Amour, a local activist, Israeli army bulldozers demolished two animal barns in Saffi hamlet in Masafer Yatta. video
The Israel army demolished this month a number of structures, including residential rooms and barns, all under the pretext of construction without a permit.
Masafer Yatta is classified as Area C, which is under full Israeli military control. Area C makes up around 60 percent of the area of the occupied West Bank, which Israel plans to annex after expelling its Palestinian population.
Getting an Israeli building permit in Area C is almost impossible, as confirmed by many human rights organizations.
The Israeli occupation army on Wednesday decided to again allow Palestinian fisherman to work off the Gaza coast up to 15 nautical miles.
According to the fishermen committees in Gaza, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles as of Thursday 04:00 am.
During the last Israeli military escalation, the Israeli army had closed the Beit Hanoun (Erez) and Karam Abu Salem border crossings in Gaza and reduced the fishing zone to six nautical miles before deciding to close the entire fishing area.
However, the Israeli decision to lift those sanctions on Gaza came following a security assessment of the situation.
“Following a new situation assessment — and assuming the security stability remains — it was decided to return to service the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings beginning tomorrow (Thursday) morning. In addition, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles,” Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians said in a statement.
Israel has systematically used the opening and closing of these crossings and the shortening and extending of the fishing zone over long years as alternately penalty and reward for the embattled Gaza Strip, which many human rights groups decry as a form of mass punishment.
According to the fishermen committees in Gaza, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles as of Thursday 04:00 am.
During the last Israeli military escalation, the Israeli army had closed the Beit Hanoun (Erez) and Karam Abu Salem border crossings in Gaza and reduced the fishing zone to six nautical miles before deciding to close the entire fishing area.
However, the Israeli decision to lift those sanctions on Gaza came following a security assessment of the situation.
“Following a new situation assessment — and assuming the security stability remains — it was decided to return to service the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings beginning tomorrow (Thursday) morning. In addition, the fishing zone will return to 15 nautical miles,” Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians said in a statement.
Israel has systematically used the opening and closing of these crossings and the shortening and extending of the fishing zone over long years as alternately penalty and reward for the embattled Gaza Strip, which many human rights groups decry as a form of mass punishment.
26 feb 2020
Israeli occupation forces confiscated, on Wednesday at dawn, lathe machines from a blacksmith’s workshop in Hebron, in southern West Bank, and ransacked searched several houses in the towns of al-Borj and Sa’ir, south, and east of Hebron.
Local sources said the soldiers broke into a blacksmith’s workshop in the at-Tihta area, south of Hebron, destroyed equipment and confiscated several lathe machines.
They added that the soldiers surrounded the entire area and prevented the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.
The soldiers also stormed and ransacked several houses in the town of al-Borj, south of Hebron, and invaded the town of Sa’ir, east of Hebron, before searching a few homes.
Local sources said the soldiers broke into a blacksmith’s workshop in the at-Tihta area, south of Hebron, destroyed equipment and confiscated several lathe machines.
They added that the soldiers surrounded the entire area and prevented the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.
The soldiers also stormed and ransacked several houses in the town of al-Borj, south of Hebron, and invaded the town of Sa’ir, east of Hebron, before searching a few homes.
25 feb 2020
Israeli bulldozers today proceeded to raze Palestinian lands in the village of Huwwara, south of the northern occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to a local source.
Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors Israeli settlement activities the north of the West Bank, told WAFA that Israeli bulldozers have been razing lands since the early morning hours near the village’s military checkpoint in preparation to build a bypass road for the settlers.
Israeli government issued a decision to build the 7-kilometer-long road in April, whose establishment will lead to the seizure of more than 400 dunums of land from seven villages to the south of Nablus.
Daghlas said that opening this road will cause losses in agricultural lands and will contribute to Israel’s apartheid system of separate roads to settlers and the original Palestinian inhabitants of the area.
Israel also started the construction of an 8-kilometer-long road that would connect the colonial settlements of Eli and Shilo in the Nablus district with other colonial settlements in the occupied Jordan Valley to the east.
Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors Israeli settlement activities the north of the West Bank, told WAFA that Israeli bulldozers have been razing lands since the early morning hours near the village’s military checkpoint in preparation to build a bypass road for the settlers.
Israeli government issued a decision to build the 7-kilometer-long road in April, whose establishment will lead to the seizure of more than 400 dunums of land from seven villages to the south of Nablus.
Daghlas said that opening this road will cause losses in agricultural lands and will contribute to Israel’s apartheid system of separate roads to settlers and the original Palestinian inhabitants of the area.
Israel also started the construction of an 8-kilometer-long road that would connect the colonial settlements of Eli and Shilo in the Nablus district with other colonial settlements in the occupied Jordan Valley to the east.
The Israeli occupation army on Monday announced its decision to close the Beit Hanoun (Erez) border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip and reduce the permissible fishing areas in the Gaza Sea as punitive measures for rocket counterattacks on Israeli areas.
Kamil Abu Rukun, coordinator of the Israeli government activities in the occupied territories, said the Erez crossing would be closed until a further announcement, according to Israeli news reports.
He added that the fishing areas off the coast of Gaza would also be decreased to “six nautical miles,” and all Gazan businessmen would be denied entry to Israel.
The Israeli steps came following Palestinian rocket counterattacks from Gaza on Israeli areas.
Israeli air raids on Gaza continued intensely throughout the afternoon and evening of Monday, targeting civilian and resistance structures and areas. The Israeli occupation army claimed its attacks on Gaza were in response to persistent rocket fire by the Palestinian resistance.
However, the military escalation started after Israeli forces brutally killed a Palestinian citizen, desecrated his body and injured others inside a Gaza border area on Sunday.
An Israeli overnight air raid on Damascus on Sunday night also claimed the lives of two Palestinians affiliated with the Islamic Jihad Movement.
Such Israeli crimes provoked the Palestinian resistance to launch counterattacks on Israeli settlements and military targets.
Kamil Abu Rukun, coordinator of the Israeli government activities in the occupied territories, said the Erez crossing would be closed until a further announcement, according to Israeli news reports.
He added that the fishing areas off the coast of Gaza would also be decreased to “six nautical miles,” and all Gazan businessmen would be denied entry to Israel.
The Israeli steps came following Palestinian rocket counterattacks from Gaza on Israeli areas.
Israeli air raids on Gaza continued intensely throughout the afternoon and evening of Monday, targeting civilian and resistance structures and areas. The Israeli occupation army claimed its attacks on Gaza were in response to persistent rocket fire by the Palestinian resistance.
However, the military escalation started after Israeli forces brutally killed a Palestinian citizen, desecrated his body and injured others inside a Gaza border area on Sunday.
An Israeli overnight air raid on Damascus on Sunday night also claimed the lives of two Palestinians affiliated with the Islamic Jihad Movement.
Such Israeli crimes provoked the Palestinian resistance to launch counterattacks on Israeli settlements and military targets.
24 feb 2020
Israeli settlers on Monday morning destroyed Palestinian wheat fields with poisonous chemicals near al-Sakout village in the northern Jordan Valley.
Human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh said that Israeli settlers sprayed about 12 dunums of wheat fields with poisonous pesticides destroying and burning crops.
Daraghmeh said that settler attacks on Palestinian farmlands in the Jordan Valley fall in line with a large-scale scheme by the Israeli authorities aimed at forcing the Palestinians out of the area.
Al-Sakout is a Palestinian village on the border with Jordan. It was destroyed by the Israeli occupation army in 1967 along with 32 villages in the northern Jordan Valley.
Human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh said that Israeli settlers sprayed about 12 dunums of wheat fields with poisonous pesticides destroying and burning crops.
Daraghmeh said that settler attacks on Palestinian farmlands in the Jordan Valley fall in line with a large-scale scheme by the Israeli authorities aimed at forcing the Palestinians out of the area.
Al-Sakout is a Palestinian village on the border with Jordan. It was destroyed by the Israeli occupation army in 1967 along with 32 villages in the northern Jordan Valley.
A Palestinian bakery in the heart of Old Jerusalem has been forced to close by Israeli authorities after 60 years in business.
The reason provided for the forced closure was that the bakery had been providing baked goods to Palestinian worshipers headed to Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray.
The Israeli occupation government in Jerusalem ordered the owner of the bakery, Abu Naser Abu Sneineh, to cease providing ka’ek — an oval shaped bread with sesame seeds that is extremely popular in Palestine — to people praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Many Palestinians think of ka’ek as ‘the essence of Palestine’, and the smell of the sesame bread fills the streets of Jerusalem in the early morning hours.
The Israeli municipal authorities that gave the order did not say why it was a problem for the bakery to be distributing ka’ek to worshipers, but Palestinian analysts say that it appears to be part of the ongoing pressure campaign against the mosque and the people who pray there.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam, and is a revered place of worship for the one billion Muslims around the world. Palestinians have maintained the site for over a thousand years. But in the past several years, right-wing Israeli settlers have invaded the mosque grounds on a regular basis with the stated intent of taking it over to destroy the Mosque and construct a Jewish Temple there instead.
Indeed, just outside the Mosque, near the location of the bakery, Israeli stores and market stalls offer for sale to tourists t-shirts bearing images of the Mosque blown up in an explosion, with a Jewish Temple in its place.
The current Israeli government adheres to this line of thinking, and has taken numerous steps to try to expel the Palestinians who run the mosque, and the tens of thousands of Palestinians who pray there each week.
According to Quds News, crews from the Israeli municipality and police stormed the bakery, owned by Abu Naser Abu Sneineh, in the neighborhood of Bab Hittah on February 19th, and detained the son of the owner for several hours.
The Israeli municipality had previously stormed the bakery on February 9th and threatened to close it unless Abu Sneineh fulfilled certain terms in one week.
The municipality accused the bakery, which has been working for over 60 years so far, of distributing its famous Palestinian Ka’ek to worshipers at Al Aqsa mosque during the “Great Dawn” campaign.
The bakery was previously targeted by several Israeli search and raid campaigns.
The reason provided for the forced closure was that the bakery had been providing baked goods to Palestinian worshipers headed to Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray.
The Israeli occupation government in Jerusalem ordered the owner of the bakery, Abu Naser Abu Sneineh, to cease providing ka’ek — an oval shaped bread with sesame seeds that is extremely popular in Palestine — to people praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Many Palestinians think of ka’ek as ‘the essence of Palestine’, and the smell of the sesame bread fills the streets of Jerusalem in the early morning hours.
The Israeli municipal authorities that gave the order did not say why it was a problem for the bakery to be distributing ka’ek to worshipers, but Palestinian analysts say that it appears to be part of the ongoing pressure campaign against the mosque and the people who pray there.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam, and is a revered place of worship for the one billion Muslims around the world. Palestinians have maintained the site for over a thousand years. But in the past several years, right-wing Israeli settlers have invaded the mosque grounds on a regular basis with the stated intent of taking it over to destroy the Mosque and construct a Jewish Temple there instead.
Indeed, just outside the Mosque, near the location of the bakery, Israeli stores and market stalls offer for sale to tourists t-shirts bearing images of the Mosque blown up in an explosion, with a Jewish Temple in its place.
The current Israeli government adheres to this line of thinking, and has taken numerous steps to try to expel the Palestinians who run the mosque, and the tens of thousands of Palestinians who pray there each week.
According to Quds News, crews from the Israeli municipality and police stormed the bakery, owned by Abu Naser Abu Sneineh, in the neighborhood of Bab Hittah on February 19th, and detained the son of the owner for several hours.
The Israeli municipality had previously stormed the bakery on February 9th and threatened to close it unless Abu Sneineh fulfilled certain terms in one week.
The municipality accused the bakery, which has been working for over 60 years so far, of distributing its famous Palestinian Ka’ek to worshipers at Al Aqsa mosque during the “Great Dawn” campaign.
The bakery was previously targeted by several Israeli search and raid campaigns.
Israeli settlers, on Sunday, continued fencing large tracts of land in the northern Jordan Valley as they chased Palestinian herders out of pastures in the area, according to local sources.
Aref Daraghmeh, a local rights activist, told the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) that extremist settlers continued for the second day in a row encircling thousands of dunams of Palestinian-owned agricultural lands.
On Saturday, illegal Israeli colonists installed fences around large areas of grazing lands in the West Bank’s Northern plains.
Recently there has been an increase in the severity and incidences of settler invasions, and attacks, as settlers have become emboldened with the introduction of the widely rejected Trump/Kushner so-called peace deal.
Aref Daraghmeh, a local rights activist, told the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) that extremist settlers continued for the second day in a row encircling thousands of dunams of Palestinian-owned agricultural lands.
On Saturday, illegal Israeli colonists installed fences around large areas of grazing lands in the West Bank’s Northern plains.
Recently there has been an increase in the severity and incidences of settler invasions, and attacks, as settlers have become emboldened with the introduction of the widely rejected Trump/Kushner so-called peace deal.
23 feb 2020
Many fanatic illegal Israeli colonists invaded, Saturday, Palestinian grazing lands in the West Bank’s Northern plains, before installing fences around them.
Human rights activist Aref Daraghma said the colonists invaded the grazing lands, east of Khirbat Makhoul village, and north of Khirbat Samra.
He added that the colonists installed fences around large areas of grazing lands in the two areas, to completely prevent the Palestinian shepherds from entering them.
It is worth mentioning that the areas where the attacks took place are near a small illegal outpost that was installed by a fanatic illegal colonist, who brought his herd with the help of other colonists and remained there due to the complacency of Israeli soldiers.
Israeli soldiers also often attacked the Palestinian shepherds and force them away.
Human rights activist Aref Daraghma said the colonists invaded the grazing lands, east of Khirbat Makhoul village, and north of Khirbat Samra.
He added that the colonists installed fences around large areas of grazing lands in the two areas, to completely prevent the Palestinian shepherds from entering them.
It is worth mentioning that the areas where the attacks took place are near a small illegal outpost that was installed by a fanatic illegal colonist, who brought his herd with the help of other colonists and remained there due to the complacency of Israeli soldiers.
Israeli soldiers also often attacked the Palestinian shepherds and force them away.