23 mar 2020
Several fanatic illegal Israeli colonists attacked, on Monday evening, a Palestinian shepherd in Ein al-Hilwa area, in the West Bank’s Northern Plains, and attacked many homes in Madama village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Palestinian human rights activist, Aref Daraghma, said several colonists assaulted a young shepherd while herding his cows in Ein al-Hilwa.
Daraghma added that the young man, identified as Moheeb Fathi Daraghma, suffered several minor cuts and bruises.
Also on Monday evening, a group of colonists attacked homes in the southern area of Madama village, south of Nablus.
Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors Israel’s illegal colonialist activities in northern West Bank, said the assailants came from Yitzhar colony, which was built on Palestinian lands south of Nablus, and added that the locals intercepted them, and forced them away.
Palestinian human rights activist, Aref Daraghma, said several colonists assaulted a young shepherd while herding his cows in Ein al-Hilwa.
Daraghma added that the young man, identified as Moheeb Fathi Daraghma, suffered several minor cuts and bruises.
Also on Monday evening, a group of colonists attacked homes in the southern area of Madama village, south of Nablus.
Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors Israel’s illegal colonialist activities in northern West Bank, said the assailants came from Yitzhar colony, which was built on Palestinian lands south of Nablus, and added that the locals intercepted them, and forced them away.
Nearly 1,600 trees have been vandalized by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2020, according to United Nations OCHA.
According to the agency’s latest report, during the period 3-16 March, Israeli settlers vandalized at least 385 Palestinian-owned trees and vehicles in the West Bank.
Three such attacks involved settlers cutting down or uprooting some 200 olive trees and 150 grapevines “belonging to farmers from Al Khader and Khallet Sakariya villages that are planted next to the Gush Etzion settlement area (Bethlehem), and 35 olive trees next to Bruchin settlement (Salfit)”.
Meanwhile, five additional attacks in the Nablus governorate, in northern West Bank, “involved slashing the tires of 11 vehicles in Huwwara town, hurling stones and damaging two houses and four vehicles in ‘Einabus village, and vandalizing an uninhabited house in Burin village.”
In addition, UN OCHA stated, Palestinian residents of the ‘Ein ar Rashash herding community near Ramallah, in central West Bank, reported 25 lambs “stolen by a settler residing in an adjacent settlement outpost”.
On top of the numerous incidents of attacks on Palestinian-owned property and livestock, Israeli settlers “physically assaulted and injured three Palestinians”, including a woman, in three separate incidents in Al Auja town and the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron city (H2), in southern West Bank.
“Additional settler attacks not resulting in injuries or damage were reported in the H2 area on 10 and 11 March, during celebrations of a Jewish holiday (Purim),” the UN OCHA report added.
The UN OCHA report is issued once a fortnight, and documents human rights violations by Israeli forces and settlers, and the impact of occupation for Palestinians.
Over the reporting period, UN OCHA documented the punitive demolition of two homes, as well as the demolition or seizing of an additional 14 Palestinian-owned structures on the grounds of a lack of building permits, displacing 29 people and affecting around 60 others.
Israeli forces also “bulldozed a section of a dirt road connecting five herding communities in southern Hebron to their main service center”, meaning that “residents must use a long detour to access their main service center and market in Yatta town”.
~ Middle East Monitor, United Nations-Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
According to the agency’s latest report, during the period 3-16 March, Israeli settlers vandalized at least 385 Palestinian-owned trees and vehicles in the West Bank.
Three such attacks involved settlers cutting down or uprooting some 200 olive trees and 150 grapevines “belonging to farmers from Al Khader and Khallet Sakariya villages that are planted next to the Gush Etzion settlement area (Bethlehem), and 35 olive trees next to Bruchin settlement (Salfit)”.
Meanwhile, five additional attacks in the Nablus governorate, in northern West Bank, “involved slashing the tires of 11 vehicles in Huwwara town, hurling stones and damaging two houses and four vehicles in ‘Einabus village, and vandalizing an uninhabited house in Burin village.”
In addition, UN OCHA stated, Palestinian residents of the ‘Ein ar Rashash herding community near Ramallah, in central West Bank, reported 25 lambs “stolen by a settler residing in an adjacent settlement outpost”.
On top of the numerous incidents of attacks on Palestinian-owned property and livestock, Israeli settlers “physically assaulted and injured three Palestinians”, including a woman, in three separate incidents in Al Auja town and the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron city (H2), in southern West Bank.
“Additional settler attacks not resulting in injuries or damage were reported in the H2 area on 10 and 11 March, during celebrations of a Jewish holiday (Purim),” the UN OCHA report added.
The UN OCHA report is issued once a fortnight, and documents human rights violations by Israeli forces and settlers, and the impact of occupation for Palestinians.
Over the reporting period, UN OCHA documented the punitive demolition of two homes, as well as the demolition or seizing of an additional 14 Palestinian-owned structures on the grounds of a lack of building permits, displacing 29 people and affecting around 60 others.
Israeli forces also “bulldozed a section of a dirt road connecting five herding communities in southern Hebron to their main service center”, meaning that “residents must use a long detour to access their main service center and market in Yatta town”.
~ Middle East Monitor, United Nations-Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
21 mar 2020
A horde of extremist Jewish settlers on Friday evening attacked an agricultural area in Burqa village, north of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
Local sources said that dozens of local youths rushed to the area and fended off the settlers.
The same settlers also attacked homes in the village on Thursday evening, the sources added.
Local sources said that dozens of local youths rushed to the area and fended off the settlers.
The same settlers also attacked homes in the village on Thursday evening, the sources added.
Marking World Water Day and World Meteorological Day 2020, which coincide tomorrow and after tomorrow consecutively, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and the Palestinian Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a joint press release the Israeli occupation authority controls more than 85 percent of the Palestinian water sources in the occupied territories.
A per capita average of 87 liters per day of water consumption in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is still below the internationally recommended level, said the press release, which is mainly due to the Israeli control over more than 85 percent of the Palestinian water sources.
Palestine mainly relies on water extracted from ground water resources, where its percentage reached 77% of available water, they said, explaining that the main reason behind the low use of surface water is due to the fact that the Israeli occupation prevents Palestinians from accessing and extracting water from the Jordan River, in addition to preventing the Palestinians from using water from valleys.
With scarce water and Israeli restrictions on access to resources, Palestinian cities are forced to purchase water from the Israeli water company, Mekorot. In 2018, they purchased 22% of the water available in Palestine, said the joint press release.
Moreover, said the press release, the pumping of water from the coastal aquifers for domestic use in the Gaza Strip has led to the depletion of groundwater reserves, with the groundwater level in the coastal aquifer reaching 19 meters below sea level, and it also led to the overlapping of sea water and sewage water filtered into the basin.
“More than 97% of the water pumped from the coastal aquifer in Gaza Strip does not meet the water quality standards of the World Health Organization,” they warned.
The data, they added, “highlighted and foreseen the possibility of facing of a real catastrophe in Gaza strip, which made the Palestinian Water Authority intensify and increase its efforts to rescue the water situation as well as mitigate the effects of this difficult situation on the daily life of about 2 million persons in Gaza Strip.”
According to 2018 data, Palestine has started producing quantities of desalinated water that is expected to increase in the upcoming years with the start of operating ed quantity desalinated water stations in Gaza Strip; however, these quantities will greatly increase with the implementation of the program of the Central Desalination Station.
Currently, the Palestinian Water Authority and Palestinian Meteorological Department, in cooperation with related local authorities, are implementing a number of programs aiming to monitor and evaluate the effects of the climate change, produce necessary reports in this regards, in addition to preparing required plans to adapt with these effects in the future, concluded the press release.
A per capita average of 87 liters per day of water consumption in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is still below the internationally recommended level, said the press release, which is mainly due to the Israeli control over more than 85 percent of the Palestinian water sources.
Palestine mainly relies on water extracted from ground water resources, where its percentage reached 77% of available water, they said, explaining that the main reason behind the low use of surface water is due to the fact that the Israeli occupation prevents Palestinians from accessing and extracting water from the Jordan River, in addition to preventing the Palestinians from using water from valleys.
With scarce water and Israeli restrictions on access to resources, Palestinian cities are forced to purchase water from the Israeli water company, Mekorot. In 2018, they purchased 22% of the water available in Palestine, said the joint press release.
Moreover, said the press release, the pumping of water from the coastal aquifers for domestic use in the Gaza Strip has led to the depletion of groundwater reserves, with the groundwater level in the coastal aquifer reaching 19 meters below sea level, and it also led to the overlapping of sea water and sewage water filtered into the basin.
“More than 97% of the water pumped from the coastal aquifer in Gaza Strip does not meet the water quality standards of the World Health Organization,” they warned.
The data, they added, “highlighted and foreseen the possibility of facing of a real catastrophe in Gaza strip, which made the Palestinian Water Authority intensify and increase its efforts to rescue the water situation as well as mitigate the effects of this difficult situation on the daily life of about 2 million persons in Gaza Strip.”
According to 2018 data, Palestine has started producing quantities of desalinated water that is expected to increase in the upcoming years with the start of operating ed quantity desalinated water stations in Gaza Strip; however, these quantities will greatly increase with the implementation of the program of the Central Desalination Station.
Currently, the Palestinian Water Authority and Palestinian Meteorological Department, in cooperation with related local authorities, are implementing a number of programs aiming to monitor and evaluate the effects of the climate change, produce necessary reports in this regards, in addition to preparing required plans to adapt with these effects in the future, concluded the press release.
20 mar 2020
A Palestinian man was injured today after being beaten by Jewish settlers who broke into the site of abandoned Homesh settlement, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian official.
Ghassan Daghlas, in charge of the Israeli settlements file in the north of the West Bank, told WAFA that settlers attacked and beat up Mustafa Abu Za'bal, a local villager, while he was working in his farm located near the abandoned settlement of Homesh, causing him bruises.
Daghlas added that the settlers also stole a horse belonging to the man.
Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by the Israeli authorities.
Israel has repeatedly been blamed by rights groups for fostering a culture of impunity to settler terrorism in the occupied West Bank and for failing to hold perpetrators to account, as it does to Palestinians accused of attacking Israeli forces or settlers.
Ghassan Daghlas, in charge of the Israeli settlements file in the north of the West Bank, told WAFA that settlers attacked and beat up Mustafa Abu Za'bal, a local villager, while he was working in his farm located near the abandoned settlement of Homesh, causing him bruises.
Daghlas added that the settlers also stole a horse belonging to the man.
Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by the Israeli authorities.
Israel has repeatedly been blamed by rights groups for fostering a culture of impunity to settler terrorism in the occupied West Bank and for failing to hold perpetrators to account, as it does to Palestinians accused of attacking Israeli forces or settlers.
19 mar 2020
Israeli authorities today demolished two residential structures and an animal barn in the village of al-Sawahreh al-Sharqiya, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, according to WAFA correspondent.
He said that Israeli forces raided the village and demolished an old residential structure and a barn for one resident before demolishing another shack and the foundation of a house that was demolished last year and owned by other village residents.
Younes Jafar, a member of Sawahreh municipality, told WAFA that Israeli authorities aim by these measures to expand nearby illegal Israeli settlements.
He said that Israeli forces raided the village and demolished an old residential structure and a barn for one resident before demolishing another shack and the foundation of a house that was demolished last year and owned by other village residents.
Younes Jafar, a member of Sawahreh municipality, told WAFA that Israeli authorities aim by these measures to expand nearby illegal Israeli settlements.
A Palestinian farmer on Thursday morning suffered a bullet injury as he was working his land in the northern Gaza Strip.
According to media sources, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened machinegun fire at a group of farmers in an agricultural area in Beit Hanoun, north of Gaza, wounding one of them.
The victim was moderately wounded and rushed to the Indonesia Hospital for medical assistance.
Despite the renewed ceasefire understandings over Gaza, the Israeli occupation army keeps targeting — sometimes injuring and killing — civilians, farmers and fishermen almost on a daily basis.
According to media sources, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened machinegun fire at a group of farmers in an agricultural area in Beit Hanoun, north of Gaza, wounding one of them.
The victim was moderately wounded and rushed to the Indonesia Hospital for medical assistance.
Despite the renewed ceasefire understandings over Gaza, the Israeli occupation army keeps targeting — sometimes injuring and killing — civilians, farmers and fishermen almost on a daily basis.
16 mar 2020
Israeli settlers today uprooted a number of vine tress in the village of Khirbet Beit Iskariya, located in the middle of the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc to the south of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, said local sources.
Hassan Breijieh, from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, told WAFA that settlers uprooted about 50 trees in the village.
Over the past three weeks, Israeli settlers, often operating under Israeli army protection, have uprooted about 1200 olive and vine trees in al-Khader town and nearby village of Wadi Fukin in the Bethlehem district.
Hassan Breijieh, from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, told WAFA that settlers uprooted about 50 trees in the village.
Over the past three weeks, Israeli settlers, often operating under Israeli army protection, have uprooted about 1200 olive and vine trees in al-Khader town and nearby village of Wadi Fukin in the Bethlehem district.
15 mar 2020
Egyptian naval forces on Saturday evening arrested two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Rafah area in the south of the besieged Gaza Strip.
According to the Fishermen Committees in Gaza, an Egyptian gunboat chased fishing boats off the coast of Rafah port before intercepting one of them and rounding up two fishermen.
Another fishing boat capsized and the fishing kit aboard it sank during the chase.
The detained fishermen were identified as Ra’fat and Tareq Qannan, residents of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
This was not the first time the Egyptian navy chased and arrested fishermen off the coast of Gaza. Some fishermen were reportedly exposed to physical assaults during their detention in previous similar incidents.
According to the Fishermen Committees in Gaza, an Egyptian gunboat chased fishing boats off the coast of Rafah port before intercepting one of them and rounding up two fishermen.
Another fishing boat capsized and the fishing kit aboard it sank during the chase.
The detained fishermen were identified as Ra’fat and Tareq Qannan, residents of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
This was not the first time the Egyptian navy chased and arrested fishermen off the coast of Gaza. Some fishermen were reportedly exposed to physical assaults during their detention in previous similar incidents.
14 mar 2020
Israeli settlers today attacked Palestinian herders while grazing livestock near the village of al-Mughayir, to the east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to a local source.
Ameen Abu Alia, mayor of the village, told WAFA that settlers attacked herders and chased them out of the pastures and attempted to steal some of the livestock.
He said Israeli soldiers in the area did not intervene to stop the settlers, rather they provided them with cover and protection.
Shepherd live off raising livestock and they often take their sheep to the open pastures for their food.
Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
Ameen Abu Alia, mayor of the village, told WAFA that settlers attacked herders and chased them out of the pastures and attempted to steal some of the livestock.
He said Israeli soldiers in the area did not intervene to stop the settlers, rather they provided them with cover and protection.
Shepherd live off raising livestock and they often take their sheep to the open pastures for their food.
Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.