16 july 2019
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) demolished a pool used for irrigation in Wadi al-Ghroos, an area close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba, to the east of the occupied southern West Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday.
WAFA News correspondent said a large unit of IOF, accompanied by bulldozers and other heavy machinery, raided the area and demolished the 4500 cubic meter pool owned by local resident Ziad Jaabari.
The pool is used for the irrigation of fields and crops, and the pretext for demolition was that it was built in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli military rule. video
The correspondent added that Israeli forces verbally insulted and physically attacked residents, journalists and activists while they were at the scene. video
Jaabari said the pool was used to collect rain water in order to use during the summer season to irrigate their farms, expressing fear that without the pool and the water, many crops, in particular tomatoes and cucumbers, may get ruined.
Several houses in the same area have been given notices of demolition by Israeli soldiers for the same reason, which is construction without a the impossible-to-get permit in Area C.
WAFA News correspondent said a large unit of IOF, accompanied by bulldozers and other heavy machinery, raided the area and demolished the 4500 cubic meter pool owned by local resident Ziad Jaabari.
The pool is used for the irrigation of fields and crops, and the pretext for demolition was that it was built in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli military rule. video
The correspondent added that Israeli forces verbally insulted and physically attacked residents, journalists and activists while they were at the scene. video
Jaabari said the pool was used to collect rain water in order to use during the summer season to irrigate their farms, expressing fear that without the pool and the water, many crops, in particular tomatoes and cucumbers, may get ruined.
Several houses in the same area have been given notices of demolition by Israeli soldiers for the same reason, which is construction without a the impossible-to-get permit in Area C.
Israeli settlers flood Khan al Ahmar with wastewater
by Ramzy Baroud
Writing in The Jewish Journal under the title, “A Spillover Crisis: How Gaza’s Water Shortage Affects Israel”, Dominik Doehler explains the direct link between Gaza’s water problems and Israel.
Doehler offered a scientific explanation behind the besieged Strip’s water crisis, but when it was time to assign responsibility, something went wrong. Instead of recognising how Israel’s war and protracted siege destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure, the writer blamed the “ongoing conflict between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority” for Gaza’s suffering.
“Today, those who pay the price of the conflict between the Palestinian factions are the two million people in Gaza,” Doehler writes, without any mention of Israel’s primary role in any of this.
The dishonesty of the writer should not be entirely surprising, considering the biased nature of the publication. This is particularly symptomatic of Israeli and pro-Israeli media which often shy away from acknowledging the facts, but deflect responsibility from Israel, and point the finger of blame on Palestinians only.
That said, it is interesting that Gaza’s growing humanitarian crisis is finally registering in Israel as a pressing problem requiring action. However, it is not the impact of the crisis on the population of Gaza that is sounding the alarm bells in Tel Aviv, but rather the potential environmental damage Gaza’s ongoing misery may cause Israel.
On June 3, researchers from Israel’s Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion universities presented a report commissioned by the environmental organization, EcoPeace Middle East, in which they warned that “the collapsing water, sewage and electricity infrastructure in the Gaza Strip pose a material danger to Israel’s groundwater, seawater, beaches and desalination plants”.
One would expect any report on the environmental situation in Gaza to focus on the fact that nearly two million Palestinians in the Strip are living in inhumane conditions due to a relentless 12-year Israeli blockade and repeated devastating military assaults which are rending the area “uninhabitable by 2020“.
Instead, the report has implied that the residents are solely responsible for the imminent environmental catastrophe in Gaza, which is threatening the security and well-being of Israeli citizens. The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, which published a detailed report on the presentation, also spun the issue as a matter of national security.
But what Israel has now identified as a “national security problem” is indeed a disaster of its own making. The occupation, colonisation, dispossession and aggression against Palestine and the Palestinians have caused untold environmental damage to the extent that now, even the Israeli occupier is suffering.
The environmental situation in Gaza is indeed dire at the moment, but it is not the Palestinians who made it so. Neither the “rapid population growth”, nor neglect or ignorance of residents that are its root causes. Countless reports by the United Nations and other organisations have documented in detail how and why the main culprit is Israel, its violent assaults on Gaza and its merciless siege.
Take the problem of untreated sewage ending up in the sea, which is causing issues for Israeli beach-goers and water desalination plants. The reason why Gaza’s sewage is getting disposed of in this “irresponsible” way is that water treatment plants are not operational; they were targeted in the 2014 Israeli assault on the Strip and were never rebuilt because the Israeli siege does not allow for construction materials and spare parts to be brought in.
Untreated sewage is part of the larger water crisis in Gaza. As the report rightly points out, Gaza residents are overusing the aquifer under the Strip, which has become increasingly contaminated with seawater and chemicals and which constitutes the only source of freshwater for residents because of the involuntary separation with the West Bank.
The reason for Palestinians in Gaza being unable to establish a proper water management system is again Israel’s doing. Israel has repeatedly bombed its water infrastructure, including water pipes, wells and other facilities, and the debilitating Israeli siege has prevented the local authorities from fixing it and building a water desalination plant.
Gaza’s water problem is not only an annoyance for the Israelis but a potential source of an epidemic for the Palestinians. Already, diarrheal diseases have doubled, reaching epidemic levels, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, while salmonella and typhoid fever are also on the rise.
Then there is the problem with rubbish which Palestinians are burning, hence “polluting Israeli air”. As Cambridge University academic, Ramy Salemdeeb, has pointed out, Gaza has been unable to develop a proper waste management system because of economic restrictions due to the Israeli siege and a “limited land availability” because of its isolation from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories.
Given that Israel is a settler-colonial project, the overexploitation of the colonised land to the detriment of the environment and the local population is naturally a part of its modus operandi.
Indeed, all the land Israel has taken and occupied has suffered from environmental degradation in one way or another, with its harmful effects being conveniently shifted towards Palestinians area, villages and cities.
If Israel continues to treat the issue as a “security problem” it will never get resolved because at the heart of it is the destructive logic of a colonial enterprise which seeks to exploit both land and people with no regard for nature and human wellbeing.
In other words, Israel will never achieve security – environmental or otherwise – as long as it continues to oppress the Palestinians, occupy their land and ravage the environment. Israeli air, water and the overall environment will never be immune from the Israeli-made disasters in occupied Palestine.
by Ramzy Baroud
Writing in The Jewish Journal under the title, “A Spillover Crisis: How Gaza’s Water Shortage Affects Israel”, Dominik Doehler explains the direct link between Gaza’s water problems and Israel.
Doehler offered a scientific explanation behind the besieged Strip’s water crisis, but when it was time to assign responsibility, something went wrong. Instead of recognising how Israel’s war and protracted siege destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure, the writer blamed the “ongoing conflict between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority” for Gaza’s suffering.
“Today, those who pay the price of the conflict between the Palestinian factions are the two million people in Gaza,” Doehler writes, without any mention of Israel’s primary role in any of this.
The dishonesty of the writer should not be entirely surprising, considering the biased nature of the publication. This is particularly symptomatic of Israeli and pro-Israeli media which often shy away from acknowledging the facts, but deflect responsibility from Israel, and point the finger of blame on Palestinians only.
That said, it is interesting that Gaza’s growing humanitarian crisis is finally registering in Israel as a pressing problem requiring action. However, it is not the impact of the crisis on the population of Gaza that is sounding the alarm bells in Tel Aviv, but rather the potential environmental damage Gaza’s ongoing misery may cause Israel.
On June 3, researchers from Israel’s Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion universities presented a report commissioned by the environmental organization, EcoPeace Middle East, in which they warned that “the collapsing water, sewage and electricity infrastructure in the Gaza Strip pose a material danger to Israel’s groundwater, seawater, beaches and desalination plants”.
One would expect any report on the environmental situation in Gaza to focus on the fact that nearly two million Palestinians in the Strip are living in inhumane conditions due to a relentless 12-year Israeli blockade and repeated devastating military assaults which are rending the area “uninhabitable by 2020“.
Instead, the report has implied that the residents are solely responsible for the imminent environmental catastrophe in Gaza, which is threatening the security and well-being of Israeli citizens. The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, which published a detailed report on the presentation, also spun the issue as a matter of national security.
But what Israel has now identified as a “national security problem” is indeed a disaster of its own making. The occupation, colonisation, dispossession and aggression against Palestine and the Palestinians have caused untold environmental damage to the extent that now, even the Israeli occupier is suffering.
The environmental situation in Gaza is indeed dire at the moment, but it is not the Palestinians who made it so. Neither the “rapid population growth”, nor neglect or ignorance of residents that are its root causes. Countless reports by the United Nations and other organisations have documented in detail how and why the main culprit is Israel, its violent assaults on Gaza and its merciless siege.
Take the problem of untreated sewage ending up in the sea, which is causing issues for Israeli beach-goers and water desalination plants. The reason why Gaza’s sewage is getting disposed of in this “irresponsible” way is that water treatment plants are not operational; they were targeted in the 2014 Israeli assault on the Strip and were never rebuilt because the Israeli siege does not allow for construction materials and spare parts to be brought in.
Untreated sewage is part of the larger water crisis in Gaza. As the report rightly points out, Gaza residents are overusing the aquifer under the Strip, which has become increasingly contaminated with seawater and chemicals and which constitutes the only source of freshwater for residents because of the involuntary separation with the West Bank.
The reason for Palestinians in Gaza being unable to establish a proper water management system is again Israel’s doing. Israel has repeatedly bombed its water infrastructure, including water pipes, wells and other facilities, and the debilitating Israeli siege has prevented the local authorities from fixing it and building a water desalination plant.
Gaza’s water problem is not only an annoyance for the Israelis but a potential source of an epidemic for the Palestinians. Already, diarrheal diseases have doubled, reaching epidemic levels, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, while salmonella and typhoid fever are also on the rise.
Then there is the problem with rubbish which Palestinians are burning, hence “polluting Israeli air”. As Cambridge University academic, Ramy Salemdeeb, has pointed out, Gaza has been unable to develop a proper waste management system because of economic restrictions due to the Israeli siege and a “limited land availability” because of its isolation from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories.
Given that Israel is a settler-colonial project, the overexploitation of the colonised land to the detriment of the environment and the local population is naturally a part of its modus operandi.
Indeed, all the land Israel has taken and occupied has suffered from environmental degradation in one way or another, with its harmful effects being conveniently shifted towards Palestinians area, villages and cities.
If Israel continues to treat the issue as a “security problem” it will never get resolved because at the heart of it is the destructive logic of a colonial enterprise which seeks to exploit both land and people with no regard for nature and human wellbeing.
In other words, Israel will never achieve security – environmental or otherwise – as long as it continues to oppress the Palestinians, occupy their land and ravage the environment. Israeli air, water and the overall environment will never be immune from the Israeli-made disasters in occupied Palestine.
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Video showing sewage being pumped into the sea in Gaza. This clip was taken in June of this year.
Hassan Qassem’s family failed to find a safe and clean swimming area along the shore of Gaza City to swim in because of the pollution of the sea with sewage. The seashore is the only natural relief for the two million people living in the Gaza Strip in light of the continuing electricity crisis and the 13-year-long Israeli siege. Despite encouraging reports of a drop in the rate of pollution in the sea after increasing the hours of electricity supply, this, however, has not been achieved and the problem persists. Qassem, 39, from Sheikh Radwan, east of Gaza City, brought his seven-member family, mostly children, to the Sudaniyeh seashore but where shocked to see that the color of the water was dark brown and it smelled bad. “The children insisted that we go to the sea for the summer vacation and due to the heat and power outages,” he said. “But the disaster was the pollution of the sea and therefore I prevented my children from swimming for fear for their safety and health,” Qassem told WAFA. The problem of the sea pollution with sewage is mainly due to the continuation of the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip since 2006, and thus the municipalities pump thousands of liters of untreated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea. Some people do not care that the sea is polluted with sewage and they go for a swim along with their children because they cannot afford to rent private cabins placed along the shore. |
The beaches of Gaza are crowded with thousands of vacationers every day to escape the heat of the summer and the long hours of interruption of electricity from their homes.
Health authorities warn of the transmission of bacteria, parasites and viruses to vacationers because of the pollution of the sea.
Along the Gaza Strip’s 40 kilometers coastline, most areas are not suitable for swimming. Signs warning of swimming or fishing have been posted along the beach.
In general, the majority of north Gaza and Gaza governorate beaches are bad for swimming, as well as the south of the Gaza Strip where the situation is slightly better but remains relatively bad, while the best area for swimming in Zouaydeh and Deir al-Balah in the central province where pollution is low.
The problem of the sea pollution is not ed to the people, but also for those who leased rest areas from the municipalities for a large amount of money.
Some of these people told WAFA that they may not be able to pay the salaries of their workers this year, pointing out that people cannot stand the smell of the sea and the sewage pollution.
Since the start of the problem of pollution in 2013, private cabins began appearing along the coast attended by people who can afford them at a cost of between 250 and 400 shekels ($70 -$110) for 12 hours.
Unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip is about 51%, while 80% of the population depends on relief assistance provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and Arab and international humanitarian agencies.
Health authorities warn of the transmission of bacteria, parasites and viruses to vacationers because of the pollution of the sea.
Along the Gaza Strip’s 40 kilometers coastline, most areas are not suitable for swimming. Signs warning of swimming or fishing have been posted along the beach.
In general, the majority of north Gaza and Gaza governorate beaches are bad for swimming, as well as the south of the Gaza Strip where the situation is slightly better but remains relatively bad, while the best area for swimming in Zouaydeh and Deir al-Balah in the central province where pollution is low.
The problem of the sea pollution is not ed to the people, but also for those who leased rest areas from the municipalities for a large amount of money.
Some of these people told WAFA that they may not be able to pay the salaries of their workers this year, pointing out that people cannot stand the smell of the sea and the sewage pollution.
Since the start of the problem of pollution in 2013, private cabins began appearing along the coast attended by people who can afford them at a cost of between 250 and 400 shekels ($70 -$110) for 12 hours.
Unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip is about 51%, while 80% of the population depends on relief assistance provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and Arab and international humanitarian agencies.
13 july 2019
Israeli navy boats attacked this morning Palestinian fishermen near Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, detained two fishermen and seized their boat, according to fishermen.
The told WAFA that the Israeli navy shot live fire at the boat owned by Mohammad and his brother Ahmad Bardawil and opened the water hoses at it while sailing in the sea before detaining the two brothers and seizing their boat.
Gaza fishermen report of daily harassment by the Israeli navy, which prevents them from doing their work and earning a decent living.
The told WAFA that the Israeli navy shot live fire at the boat owned by Mohammad and his brother Ahmad Bardawil and opened the water hoses at it while sailing in the sea before detaining the two brothers and seizing their boat.
Gaza fishermen report of daily harassment by the Israeli navy, which prevents them from doing their work and earning a decent living.
12 july 2019
Several illegal Israeli colonialist settlers invaded, Friday, Khirbat Samra Palestinian village, in the West Bank’s Northern Plains, and occupied irrigation wells.
Palestinian human rights activist, Aref Daraghma, said the colonists, occupied all the Palestinian wells, and prevented the farmers from using them, before using the water for their cows.
Daraghma added that the colonists prevented the Palestinians from using the well to feed their sheep, and planted trees in Khallet Hamad area, near the tents of local shepherds, in preparation to occupy the lands.
The Palestinians in the Northern Plains of the West Bank are subject to ongoing violations by the illegal Israeli colonialist settlers, and face frequent assaults and displacement by the Israeli soldiers.
Palestinian human rights activist, Aref Daraghma, said the colonists, occupied all the Palestinian wells, and prevented the farmers from using them, before using the water for their cows.
Daraghma added that the colonists prevented the Palestinians from using the well to feed their sheep, and planted trees in Khallet Hamad area, near the tents of local shepherds, in preparation to occupy the lands.
The Palestinians in the Northern Plains of the West Bank are subject to ongoing violations by the illegal Israeli colonialist settlers, and face frequent assaults and displacement by the Israeli soldiers.
Israeli soldiers shot, Friday, a young Palestinian man near Beit Lahia town, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and fired many live rounds at fishermen, and at an observation post near Gaza city and Khan Younis.
The soldiers, stationed across the perimeter fence near Beit Lahia, fired many live rounds at the Palestinian, and injured him before moving him to an unknown destination.
Furthermore, the soldiers fired several live rounds at an observation post, east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Media sources said the post is near the an-Najjar neighborhood, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis.
In addition, Israeli navy ships fired several live rounds, and used water cannons, targeting Palestinian fishing boats, in Gaza Sea.
The soldiers, stationed across the perimeter fence near Beit Lahia, fired many live rounds at the Palestinian, and injured him before moving him to an unknown destination.
Furthermore, the soldiers fired several live rounds at an observation post, east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Media sources said the post is near the an-Najjar neighborhood, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis.
In addition, Israeli navy ships fired several live rounds, and used water cannons, targeting Palestinian fishing boats, in Gaza Sea.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday delivered stop-work orders issued against six homes and one farm structure in Rummanah village, west of Jenin in the West Bank.
According to local sources, a large number of Israeli troops stormed Rummanah village and took photos of six homes under construction and one small barn, which belong to local residents.
The stop-work and removal notices, which the owners received, claimed the structures were built near the separation wall.
According to local sources, a large number of Israeli troops stormed Rummanah village and took photos of six homes under construction and one small barn, which belong to local residents.
The stop-work and removal notices, which the owners received, claimed the structures were built near the separation wall.
11 july 2019
Israeli soldiers attacked, on Thursday afternoon, the solidarity tent in Wad al-Hummus area, in Sur Baher town, south of occupied Jerusalem, and forcibly demolished and removed it, in addition to firing many gas bombs and concussion grenades, casing dozens of Palestinians to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, and burning farmlands, the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) has reported.
Media sources said the soldiers fired a barrage of gas bombs and concussion grenades at the Palestinians, nonviolently protesting in the tent, demanding Israel to void its plans to demolish more than 230 apartments and displace the families. video
They added that dozens of Palestinians suffered the effects of teargas inhalation, in addition to cuts and bruises, after being assaulted by the soldiers.
Fire also broke out in Palestinian lands, burning many trees and plants due to the intensity of the Israeli gas bombs and concussion grenades.
The soldiers also invaded the al-‘Isawiya town, in Jerusalem, and abducted a young man, identified as Ahmad al-Masri. video
In addition, dozens of soldiers and officers stormed Wad Yasoul neighborhood in Silwan town, in Jerusalem, and attacked many Palestinians, in addition to removing Palestinian flags. video video video
The soldiers, accompanied by workers of the Jerusalem City Council, also invaded many streets in the al-‘Isawiya town, before attacking many Palestinians, and removed Palestinian flags in addition to poster of Mohammad Samir Obeid, 21, who was killed by the army on June 27th.
Media sources said the soldiers fired a barrage of gas bombs and concussion grenades at the Palestinians, nonviolently protesting in the tent, demanding Israel to void its plans to demolish more than 230 apartments and displace the families. video
They added that dozens of Palestinians suffered the effects of teargas inhalation, in addition to cuts and bruises, after being assaulted by the soldiers.
Fire also broke out in Palestinian lands, burning many trees and plants due to the intensity of the Israeli gas bombs and concussion grenades.
The soldiers also invaded the al-‘Isawiya town, in Jerusalem, and abducted a young man, identified as Ahmad al-Masri. video
In addition, dozens of soldiers and officers stormed Wad Yasoul neighborhood in Silwan town, in Jerusalem, and attacked many Palestinians, in addition to removing Palestinian flags. video video video
The soldiers, accompanied by workers of the Jerusalem City Council, also invaded many streets in the al-‘Isawiya town, before attacking many Palestinians, and removed Palestinian flags in addition to poster of Mohammad Samir Obeid, 21, who was killed by the army on June 27th.
Israeli soldiers invaded, Thursday, the town of Ethna, west of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and delivered demolition orders targeting several homes, agricultural structures and a barn.
Media sources in Hebron said the soldiers delivered many demolition orders, which included several homes, agricultural structures and sheds, in addition to a barn.
They added that the targeting buildings and structures are in the section of the town, which is in “Area C” of the occupied West Bank, under full Israeli military and administrative control.
More than two-third of the town is designated as Area C, and the army frequently targets with demolition Palestinian buildings, barns and various structures.
Area C: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Over 60 per cent of the West Bank is considered Area C, where Israel retains near exclusive control, including over law enforcement, planning and construction.
Most of Area C has been allocated for the benefit of Israeli settlements or the Israeli military, at the expense of Palestinian communities.
This impedes the development of adequate housing, infrastructure and livelihoods in Palestinian communities, and has significant consequences for the entire West Bank population.
Structures built without permits are regularly served with demolition orders, creating chronic uncertainty and threat, and encouraging people to leave. Where the orders are implemented, they have resulted in displacement and disruption of livelihoods, the entrenchment of poverty and increased aid dependency.
The humanitarian community has faced a range of difficulties in providing aid in Area C, including the demolition and confiscation of assistance by the Israeli authorities.
Media sources in Hebron said the soldiers delivered many demolition orders, which included several homes, agricultural structures and sheds, in addition to a barn.
They added that the targeting buildings and structures are in the section of the town, which is in “Area C” of the occupied West Bank, under full Israeli military and administrative control.
More than two-third of the town is designated as Area C, and the army frequently targets with demolition Palestinian buildings, barns and various structures.
Area C: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Over 60 per cent of the West Bank is considered Area C, where Israel retains near exclusive control, including over law enforcement, planning and construction.
Most of Area C has been allocated for the benefit of Israeli settlements or the Israeli military, at the expense of Palestinian communities.
This impedes the development of adequate housing, infrastructure and livelihoods in Palestinian communities, and has significant consequences for the entire West Bank population.
Structures built without permits are regularly served with demolition orders, creating chronic uncertainty and threat, and encouraging people to leave. Where the orders are implemented, they have resulted in displacement and disruption of livelihoods, the entrenchment of poverty and increased aid dependency.
The humanitarian community has faced a range of difficulties in providing aid in Area C, including the demolition and confiscation of assistance by the Israeli authorities.
At least one Palestinian citizen on Thursday morning was injured when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at two observation posts belonging to the resistance in the north and south of the Gaza Strip.
According to local sources, one citizen suffered a bullet injury during an Israeli gunfire attack on an observation post in the east of Beit Hanoun, north of Gaza.
A similar attack happened on an observation post in the east of Rafah, south of Gaza. Luckily, no one was hurt.
The IOF also opened machinegun fire at agricultural lands in the east of al-Qarara town, south of Gaza, while the naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen and their boasts off the northern coast of Gaza, with no reported casualties or material damage.
According to local sources, one citizen suffered a bullet injury during an Israeli gunfire attack on an observation post in the east of Beit Hanoun, north of Gaza.
A similar attack happened on an observation post in the east of Rafah, south of Gaza. Luckily, no one was hurt.
The IOF also opened machinegun fire at agricultural lands in the east of al-Qarara town, south of Gaza, while the naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen and their boasts off the northern coast of Gaza, with no reported casualties or material damage.
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