5 may 2019
The Israeli occupation authorities on Sunday ordered the demolition of a Palestinian sheep barn in al-Walaja village, west of Bethlehem, and imposed a heavy fine on its owner.
Activist Ibrahim Awadallah said that the Israeli forces stormed Khillat al-Samak area in al-Walaja and handed the Palestinian citizen Emad ad-Darras a notice providing for the demolition of his sheep Barn under the pretext of being unlicensed.
Ad-Darras will also be ordered to pay a 30,000-140,000 NIS fine, Awadallah added.
The Israeli forces further took photos of several Palestinian homes and farmlands in the area before they withdrew.
Local residents said that al-Walaja has been recently subjected to a stepped up home demolition campaign.
Activist Ibrahim Awadallah said that the Israeli forces stormed Khillat al-Samak area in al-Walaja and handed the Palestinian citizen Emad ad-Darras a notice providing for the demolition of his sheep Barn under the pretext of being unlicensed.
Ad-Darras will also be ordered to pay a 30,000-140,000 NIS fine, Awadallah added.
The Israeli forces further took photos of several Palestinian homes and farmlands in the area before they withdrew.
Local residents said that al-Walaja has been recently subjected to a stepped up home demolition campaign.
Israeli military bulldozers uprooted 120 olive trees in Lubban al-Gharbiya village in western Ramallah on Sunday morning.
The village’s former municipality council chairman, Fawaz Salem, said that the Israeli occupation authorities informed a village resident, Shafiq Abu Salem, a month ago that his land would be confiscated to allow the construction of a road serving a nearby settlement.
He added that Israeli occupation forces started in the early morning Sunday in uprooting 120 olive trees in Abu Salem’s 3-dunum piece of land.
The village’s former municipality council chairman, Fawaz Salem, said that the Israeli occupation authorities informed a village resident, Shafiq Abu Salem, a month ago that his land would be confiscated to allow the construction of a road serving a nearby settlement.
He added that Israeli occupation forces started in the early morning Sunday in uprooting 120 olive trees in Abu Salem’s 3-dunum piece of land.
|
|
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) launched 150 raids on Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours killing seven Palestinians including a pregnant woman and her baby child and wounding 50 others while inflicting vast destruction.
The Palestinian government media office said in a statement on Sunday that the IOF launched air raids and fired artillery shells at the besieged enclave that destroyed 200 civilian facilities and infrastructure. It explained that seven buildings were flattened while four others were targeted in missile strikes, adding that hundreds of other houses were partially damaged due to the attacks. |
The statement pointed out that a mosque was targeted by Israeli warplanes in Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City while four workshops were bombed to the east of the city.
The raids also targeted fishermen piers in Rafah, Gaza, and Khan Younis in addition to 21 training camps and 17 resistance watchtowers, it said.
The statement pointed out that schools, cars, cultivated land lots, greenhouses, and medical service vehicles were damaged in the vicious attacks.
The raids also targeted fishermen piers in Rafah, Gaza, and Khan Younis in addition to 21 training camps and 17 resistance watchtowers, it said.
The statement pointed out that schools, cars, cultivated land lots, greenhouses, and medical service vehicles were damaged in the vicious attacks.
3 may 2019
The European Union (EU) announced, on Friday, its contribution of 15 million Euros to the April monthly payroll and pensions of around 57,000 Palestinian civil servants in the occupied West Bank.
The EU said in a statement that the EU-funded contribution was a part of direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) through the PEGASE mechanism.
EU Representative, Ralf Tarraf, said, "The European Union is committed to protecting the future of a two-state solution and creating the foundations of a future Palestinian state, and this requires our political engagement, in addition to our financial support.”
Tarraf added, "Our support today to pay the salaries and pensions of Palestinian civil servants is another proof of our political will and commitment to stability and security. The EU has always been a reliable partner and will remain committed to the main political positions on the Palestinians."
It is noteworthy that the Palestinian government paid only 50% of the March salary to civil servants for the second month in a row.
The EU said in a statement that the EU-funded contribution was a part of direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) through the PEGASE mechanism.
EU Representative, Ralf Tarraf, said, "The European Union is committed to protecting the future of a two-state solution and creating the foundations of a future Palestinian state, and this requires our political engagement, in addition to our financial support.”
Tarraf added, "Our support today to pay the salaries and pensions of Palestinian civil servants is another proof of our political will and commitment to stability and security. The EU has always been a reliable partner and will remain committed to the main political positions on the Palestinians."
It is noteworthy that the Palestinian government paid only 50% of the March salary to civil servants for the second month in a row.
2 may 2019
The Israeli occupation army’s civil administration approved plans to annex thousands of dunums to build two bypass roads for Jewish settlers in Palestinian areas in the north and south of the West Bank
According to the Hebrew website 0404, the first road will be built in the north of the West Bank and goes around Huwara town in Nablus and the second one will be built near al-Arroub refugee camp in al-Khalil.
Thousands of dunums of agricultural land will be annexed to build these roads.
The council of settlements in the West Bank applauded the plans, affirming that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu gave the go-ahead for the construction of the road.
According to the Hebrew website 0404, the first road will be built in the north of the West Bank and goes around Huwara town in Nablus and the second one will be built near al-Arroub refugee camp in al-Khalil.
Thousands of dunums of agricultural land will be annexed to build these roads.
The council of settlements in the West Bank applauded the plans, affirming that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu gave the go-ahead for the construction of the road.
1 may 2019
The Israeli occupation army on Wednesday morning carried out a limited incursion into blockaded Gaza and razed Palestinian lands.
The PIC reporter said that 8 Israeli bulldozers rolled a few hundred meters into Juhor ad Dik area east of Gaza city and razed farmlands along the border fence.
Local sources said that the operation was accompanied by heavy firing of live ammunition and tear gas canisters at Palestinian farmers working in their lands near the border. No injuries were reported.
The Israeli army on almost a daily basis attacks Palestinian farmers and fishermen in Gaza border areas in violation of the Egypt-sponsored ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in 2014.
Israeli bulldozers raze lands east of Gaza City
Several Israeli military vehicles raided Palestinian lands, on Wednesday, east of Gaza City in the central besieged Gaza Strip.
A Ma'an reporter said that eight large D-9 Israeli military bulldozers entered dozens of meters into Palestinian lands.
Sources added that Israeli military bulldozers razed and leveled the lands while drones flew overhead.
Israeli military incursions inside the besieged Gaza Strip and near the "buffer zone," which lies on both land and sea sides of Gaza, have long been a near-daily occurrence.
The Israeli army also regularly detains and opens fire on unarmed Palestinian fishermen, shepherds, and farmers along the border areas if they approach the buffer zone, as the authorities have not made clear the precise area of the designated zone.
The practice has in effect destroyed much of the agricultural and fishing sector of the blockaded coastal enclave, which has been under an Israeli air, land and sea blockade for nearly 12 years.
The PIC reporter said that 8 Israeli bulldozers rolled a few hundred meters into Juhor ad Dik area east of Gaza city and razed farmlands along the border fence.
Local sources said that the operation was accompanied by heavy firing of live ammunition and tear gas canisters at Palestinian farmers working in their lands near the border. No injuries were reported.
The Israeli army on almost a daily basis attacks Palestinian farmers and fishermen in Gaza border areas in violation of the Egypt-sponsored ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in 2014.
Israeli bulldozers raze lands east of Gaza City
Several Israeli military vehicles raided Palestinian lands, on Wednesday, east of Gaza City in the central besieged Gaza Strip.
A Ma'an reporter said that eight large D-9 Israeli military bulldozers entered dozens of meters into Palestinian lands.
Sources added that Israeli military bulldozers razed and leveled the lands while drones flew overhead.
Israeli military incursions inside the besieged Gaza Strip and near the "buffer zone," which lies on both land and sea sides of Gaza, have long been a near-daily occurrence.
The Israeli army also regularly detains and opens fire on unarmed Palestinian fishermen, shepherds, and farmers along the border areas if they approach the buffer zone, as the authorities have not made clear the precise area of the designated zone.
The practice has in effect destroyed much of the agricultural and fishing sector of the blockaded coastal enclave, which has been under an Israeli air, land and sea blockade for nearly 12 years.
A Palestinian fisherman was injured and two others arrested by the Israeli occupation navy while sailing off Gaza shore on Wednesday morning.
The PIC reporter said that the Israeli navy chased Palestinian fishing boats off northern Gaza shore and opened fire at them.
He added that the fisherman Mohammed Abu Ryala was injured in the attack and transferred to a Gaza hospital for treatment, while the detainees Hazem and Khaled Abu Ryala were taken by the Israeli navy to an undeclared destination.
The PIC reporter confirmed that the attack took place within the permitted fishing zone.
Targeting Palestinian fishermen in Gaza sea on a daily basis is a crime added to a long series of Israeli crimes committed against the Gaza Strip since the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in August 2014 under the auspices of Egypt.
The attack came only one day after Israel decided to reduce Gaza's fishing zone to 6 nautical miles in violation of newly reached understandings.
The PIC reporter said that the Israeli navy chased Palestinian fishing boats off northern Gaza shore and opened fire at them.
He added that the fisherman Mohammed Abu Ryala was injured in the attack and transferred to a Gaza hospital for treatment, while the detainees Hazem and Khaled Abu Ryala were taken by the Israeli navy to an undeclared destination.
The PIC reporter confirmed that the attack took place within the permitted fishing zone.
Targeting Palestinian fishermen in Gaza sea on a daily basis is a crime added to a long series of Israeli crimes committed against the Gaza Strip since the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in August 2014 under the auspices of Egypt.
The attack came only one day after Israel decided to reduce Gaza's fishing zone to 6 nautical miles in violation of newly reached understandings.
Marking International Labor Day, the besieged Gaza Strip has seen its unemployment rate rise to 54% with poverty levels rising to 80%, according to Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), on Wednesday.
The head of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, Sami al-Amassi, said in a statement that the situation in Gaza reached a catastrophic level, noting that the numbers are “shocking.”
The increase of unemployment and poverty are a result of the Israeli 12-year siege, which has limited the import and export of necessities, crippled the economy, hindered fund transfers, and left two million Palestinians living in the world’s largest open-air prison.
Al-Amassi said that although the Palestinian government has set the minimum wage at 1,450 shekels ($404), a government contracted cleaner only earns 730 shekels ($209) monthly.
However, al-Amassi pointed out that Palestinian workers are unable to complain about the low salaries due to there being no alternative forms of employment.
He called for development projects and industrial zones to be launched in Gaza, in order to promote the Palestinian economy with international protection from the Israeli occupation.
The head of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, Sami al-Amassi, said in a statement that the situation in Gaza reached a catastrophic level, noting that the numbers are “shocking.”
The increase of unemployment and poverty are a result of the Israeli 12-year siege, which has limited the import and export of necessities, crippled the economy, hindered fund transfers, and left two million Palestinians living in the world’s largest open-air prison.
Al-Amassi said that although the Palestinian government has set the minimum wage at 1,450 shekels ($404), a government contracted cleaner only earns 730 shekels ($209) monthly.
However, al-Amassi pointed out that Palestinian workers are unable to complain about the low salaries due to there being no alternative forms of employment.
He called for development projects and industrial zones to be launched in Gaza, in order to promote the Palestinian economy with international protection from the Israeli occupation.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced, on Tuesday, over €22 million of additional humanitarian assistance in support of the most vulnerable people in the besieged Gaza Strip and in the occupied West Bank.
Mogherini made the announcement at a press conference ahead of the extraordinary session of the International Donor Group for Palestine, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).
She said the AHLC "is a tool that was created because of the Oslo agreements to pave the way towards the creation of two states in the Holy Land with a Palestinian State living in peace alongside the State of Israel."
She added, "25 years after that moment, the very possibility of two states is being dismantled. Settlement expansion continues while international mechanisms that protect the Palestinians in occupied territory are forcefully removed."
Mogherini stressed that "the two-state solution remains the only realistic way forward” and urged the Palestinians and Israel "to resume dialogue in order to preserve and re-launch the Oslo framework."
"Economic and fiscal agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, including the Paris Protocol, must be implemented in full. A solution must be found to the current fiscal crisis in order to avoid a financial collapse that would have terrible consequences for the security of the region. The Palestinian economy needs resources to grow. We, as the European Union, are and stand ready to help the parties come back to dialogue based on their agreements," she continued.
The EU official said the European Union "is and will remain the biggest and the most reliable donor to the Palestinians" with more than €300 million per year for the past 15 years.
Mogherini reiterated, "This support will continue, because Palestinians have the right to live in dignity and because we Europeans know very well that this money is an investment in security for the Palestinians, for the Israelis, for the region and for ourselves” and announced over €22 million of additional humanitarian assistance in support of the most vulnerable people in Gaza and in the West Bank.
Mogherini said the gathering today in Brussels "is not for charity. It is for supporting a political objective together with the rest of the international community and together with the region, starting from the Arab world, united on this.
“This political objective is the two-state solution,” she noted, adding, “I want to be clear about this: a political two-state solution cannot be substituted by endless technical and financial assistance and capacity building. It would simply not work.”
Mogherini concluded, "We believe there is a solution to this conflict and it is the two-state solution. It requires our support and this is why we are here. It also requires political will. This is something that from our side is there for sure, but obviously, we also need this political will and this commitment from others."
Mogherini made the announcement at a press conference ahead of the extraordinary session of the International Donor Group for Palestine, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).
She said the AHLC "is a tool that was created because of the Oslo agreements to pave the way towards the creation of two states in the Holy Land with a Palestinian State living in peace alongside the State of Israel."
She added, "25 years after that moment, the very possibility of two states is being dismantled. Settlement expansion continues while international mechanisms that protect the Palestinians in occupied territory are forcefully removed."
Mogherini stressed that "the two-state solution remains the only realistic way forward” and urged the Palestinians and Israel "to resume dialogue in order to preserve and re-launch the Oslo framework."
"Economic and fiscal agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, including the Paris Protocol, must be implemented in full. A solution must be found to the current fiscal crisis in order to avoid a financial collapse that would have terrible consequences for the security of the region. The Palestinian economy needs resources to grow. We, as the European Union, are and stand ready to help the parties come back to dialogue based on their agreements," she continued.
The EU official said the European Union "is and will remain the biggest and the most reliable donor to the Palestinians" with more than €300 million per year for the past 15 years.
Mogherini reiterated, "This support will continue, because Palestinians have the right to live in dignity and because we Europeans know very well that this money is an investment in security for the Palestinians, for the Israelis, for the region and for ourselves” and announced over €22 million of additional humanitarian assistance in support of the most vulnerable people in Gaza and in the West Bank.
Mogherini said the gathering today in Brussels "is not for charity. It is for supporting a political objective together with the rest of the international community and together with the region, starting from the Arab world, united on this.
“This political objective is the two-state solution,” she noted, adding, “I want to be clear about this: a political two-state solution cannot be substituted by endless technical and financial assistance and capacity building. It would simply not work.”
Mogherini concluded, "We believe there is a solution to this conflict and it is the two-state solution. It requires our support and this is why we are here. It also requires political will. This is something that from our side is there for sure, but obviously, we also need this political will and this commitment from others."
The United Kingdom announced a contribution of nine million pounds for the water desalination plant in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Mazen Ghneim, head of the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA), on Tuesday.
The announcement took place at the opening of an international conference on the water desalination project in the Gaza Strip, which was attended by 31 countries and held at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
The conference aims to raise financial funds to be able to kick start the project after raising last year $565 million or 80% of the total cost of the project.
Ghneim urged the donors at the opening of the international conference to continue to support the project due to its importance to more than two million people living in the Strip.
Ghneim said the PWA completed the large part of the plan for the project and that work will start by the end of 2019.
The plant is expected to provide 55 million cubic meters of water a year in the first stage until 2021, but will later expand to provide 110 million cubic meters of water every year.
Ghneim said that the project is expected to help Gaza, where only 3% of its current water is suitable for drinking while 97% of the coastal belt water is not suitable for human consumption, making the water desalination plant its only way out of this humanitarian crisis.
The announcement took place at the opening of an international conference on the water desalination project in the Gaza Strip, which was attended by 31 countries and held at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
The conference aims to raise financial funds to be able to kick start the project after raising last year $565 million or 80% of the total cost of the project.
Ghneim urged the donors at the opening of the international conference to continue to support the project due to its importance to more than two million people living in the Strip.
Ghneim said the PWA completed the large part of the plan for the project and that work will start by the end of 2019.
The plant is expected to provide 55 million cubic meters of water a year in the first stage until 2021, but will later expand to provide 110 million cubic meters of water every year.
Ghneim said that the project is expected to help Gaza, where only 3% of its current water is suitable for drinking while 97% of the coastal belt water is not suitable for human consumption, making the water desalination plant its only way out of this humanitarian crisis.
A group of illegal Israeli colonialist settlers invaded, on Wednesday at dawn, Palestinian olive orchards near the central West Bank city of Ramallah and cut more than 150 trees.
Media sources said the assailants came from an illegal outpost, which was installed on private Palestinian lands in Burqa village, east of Ramallah, and cut more than 150 olive trees.
Ibrahim Kanaan, one of the villagers whose trees were cut, said the attack came just two days after several colonists attempted to assault him while he was plowing his land.
Such violations and assaults are frequent in the occupied West Bank, and include bulldozing Palestinian lands, burning them and even flooding them with sewage.
Media sources said the assailants came from an illegal outpost, which was installed on private Palestinian lands in Burqa village, east of Ramallah, and cut more than 150 olive trees.
Ibrahim Kanaan, one of the villagers whose trees were cut, said the attack came just two days after several colonists attempted to assault him while he was plowing his land.
Such violations and assaults are frequent in the occupied West Bank, and include bulldozing Palestinian lands, burning them and even flooding them with sewage.
