- 23 dec 2011
Israeli gunfire injures Palestinian demonstrator
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian protester in the occupied West Bank, activists in Nabi Saleh village near Ramallah said Friday.
The protester was shot in the leg, activists said, pointing to photos taken Friday.
Two protesters were arrested at the demonstration, they said, while a photographer suffered a light injury from a tear-gas canister.
An Israeli military spokesman said the injured protester was hurling rocks at security forces before they opened fire with .22 caliber rounds targeting the lower part of his body.
The spokesman termed the protest a "violent and illegal riot" and said the protester, who was not identified, "is known to security forces for his previous involvement in such violence and illegal riots."
A border policeman was also injured at the demonstration, the spokesman said.
Earlier this month, a demonstrator died after succumbing to his wounds sustained during a similar protest in the village. Mustafa Tamimi had been shot in the face by a tear-gas canister.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=447323
30 oct 2012, 15:21 , Respect -
Maria 23 dec 2011
Israeli artillery fire target the southern and northern Gaza Strip
GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation tanks on Friday morning fired artillery shells to the east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and Jabal al-Kashef in the northern Gaza Strip without any casualties reported.
Local sources told PIC correspondent that occupation tanks fired two artillery shells which fell to the west of the Shahin water well in Abasan al-Jadida targeting a group of Palestinians, but no casualties were reported.
The sources said that ambulances rushed to the scene and started searching for any casualties.
Occupation tanks also fired two artillery shells at the Jabal al-Kashef neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.
http://fwd4.me/0j4A 30 oct 2012, 15:21 , Respect -
Maria 31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 24 dec 2011
IOF troops shell Gaza areas
GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired a number of artillery shells at eastern Gaza areas on Saturday morning but no casualties were reported, local sources said.
Eyewitnesses said that the artillery shells slammed into eastern Gaza city and Shujaia suburb in particular.
They said that the shelling spread fears of an imminent incursion since it was intensive and violent.
http://fwd4.me/0j7B 31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 24 dec 2011
Gunmen open fire on Fatah leader in Jordan Valley
NABLUS (Ma’an) -- Unidentified gunmen on Friday opened fire on the home of a local Fatah leader in the Jordan Valley.
Muhammad Abu al-Zour came under fire around midnight on Friday as he stepped out of a car outside his home. He was not injured in the incident although material damage was reported, a Ma'an correspondent said.
Secretary general of the Fatah movement in Nablus Mahmoud Shtayyeh denounced the attack.
“As we look seriously into this act of cowardice, we see it as a suspicious attempt posing question marks on those who were behind it,” he said in a statement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=447518
Israeli forces storm Azzun, say response to gunfire
QALQILIYA (Ma’an) – Israeli forces on Saturday morning closed all the entrances to the northern West Bank village of Azzun east of Qalqiliya preventing all residents from going in or out.
Locals told Ma’an a large number of troops stormed the village in the morning.
The soldiers completely shut down the northern and the western entrances before they ascended to the roof of a local resident’s home and started ransacking houses for inspection.
Onlookers said the soldiers claimed to have come under fire.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=447491
31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 25 dec 2011
Report: Israeli air-force attacked targets in South Sudan
TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- Sudanese media sources have been reporting that Israel's air-force launched attacks on vehicles in South Sudan last week, Israeli news site Ynet said Sunday.
Al-Intibaha reported last week that two vehicles were hit, killing four people. In a second alleged attack on Dec. 18, a car was bombed.
It is thought that the vehicles belonged to arms smugglers. The reports were not confirmed by Sudanese officials.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=447750
31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 25 dec 2011
Rights group calls for stop of Israeli shooting of activists
RAMALLAH, (WAFA) – The Palestinian rights group, Stop the Wall, has sent an urgent complaint to UN Special Rapporteurs and diplomatic missions urging them to investigate Israeli targeted shooting of activists, according to a press release issued Sunday.
The complaint came following the shooting of a 20-year-old protester in the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, exactly two weeks after the killing of Mustafa Tamimi in the same village when hit directly in the face by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli soldiers.
It quoted eyewitnesses from the village as saying that they noticed two soldiers advancing alone towards the protesting crowd, one staying behind the other, and when they were between 10 to 15 meters from the protesters the soldier in the back took out a pistol, aimed it at the 20-year-old youth and shot him in the leg.
“Stop the Wall denounces this shooting as a further grave breach of international law and Palestinian human rights,” said the complaint.
It said the Israeli army actions “are premeditated and targeted. They are by no means aimed at crowd control but at targeting the most active human rights defenders and depriving individuals and entire communities from their fundamental civil and human rights, including their right to life.”
It said “Israel should be held accountable for its crimes and that the international community in 2012 takes effective steps to stop Israeli violations of Palestinian national, human and civil rights. Silence is complicity.”
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18481 31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 27 dec 2011
13-year-old boy injured by Israeli gunfire in Gaza
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- A 13-year-old boy was injured by Israeli gunfire on Tuesday.
Medical sources in the Gaza Strip said that Muhammad Talbani was shot in the foot and taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Earlier on Tuesday, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the al-Naser Salah ad-Din Brigades, said in a statement that Israeli forces had crossed the border in the central Gaza Strip.
The group said it had clashed with the soldiers.
An Israeli army spokeswoman had no immediate reports of the incidents.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=448157
Israeli Forces Open Fire at Palestinians, Injure Teenager in Gaza
GAZA, (WAFA) – Israeli forces Tuesday opened fire at Palestinians, injuring a teenager, east of Al-Masdar, a village in central Gaza, according to medical sources.
They said that Mohammad al-Tlbani, 13, was shot and injured by Israeli soldiers in his foot.
The injured was transferred to hospital for treatment, where his condition was described as moderate.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18500
31 oct 2012, 11:20 , Respect -
Maria 27 dec 2011
Israeli Missile Targets Motorcycle, Kills Palestinian in Gaza
Abdallah al-Telbani
GAZA, (WAFA) – An Israeli reconnaissance plane Tuesday fired a missile at a motorcycle, killing a Palestinian in Dowar Abu Sharkh area, in the northern Gaza Strip, according to WAFA correspondent.
He said that an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft fired a missile at a motorcycle that was traveling in the Dowar Abu Sharkh area, linking Saftawi Street and the town of Jabalia, killing a Palestinian.
The murdered's body was transferred to Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya, north of Gaza.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18508
31 oct 2012, 11:21 , Respect -
Maria 27 dec 2011
Israeli raids kill 1, injure 10 in Gaza
Abdallah al-Telbani
Two separate Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have claimed the life of one Palestinian and left 10 others wounded, Palestinian medics say.
In one of the strikes, which took place on Tuesday evening, a young Palestinian, identified as Abdallah al-Telbani, was killed and two others were injured when a rocket hit a motorcycle in Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Another Israeli rocket struck a civilian car in western Gaza City, wounding at least eight people.
Witnesses said Israeli drones were flying over the blockaded enclave after the attacks.
The strikes took place on the third anniversary of Israel's devastating 22-day war on the Gaza Strip in December 2008-January 2009, which claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Since the end of the Gaza war in 2009, a large number of Palestinians have been killed or wounded in Israeli air attacks on the besieged coastal strip. Many Palestinian structures have also been destroyed in the raids.
More than 1.5 million Palestinians still live in what is known to be the “world's largest open-air prison” as Israel remains in full control of the airspace, territorial waters and border crossings of Gaza.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218078.html
IDF chief: Gaza war against Hamas was an 'excellent' operation
Benny Gantz speaking with Ilana Dayan Tuesday on Army Radio
Second round of fighting in Gaza is not a matter of choice for Israel; it must be initiated by Israel and must be 'swift and painful,' Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz says.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz marked the three-year anniversary of Operation Cast Lead on Tuesday by hailing it "an excellent operation that achieved deterrence for Israel vis-a-vis Hamas." However, he warned, cracks have emerged in that deterrence over time, and a second round of fighting in the Gaza Strip is not a matter of choice for Israel.
Such a round must be initiated by Israel and must be "swift and painful," he said, adding, "I do not advise Hamas to test our mettle."
Speaking on Army Radio on Tuesday in honor of Shirutrom, the IDF's annual telethon, Gantz gave his most wide-ranging interview since taking office more than 10 months ago. His predecessor, Gabi Ashkenazi, gave no interviews to the civilian media during his four years in office. Only once a year, in honor of the telethon, did he agree to any interviews at all.
Gantz appears to be taking the same tack, although sources close to him say he will be interviewed by the civilian media in the future.
In response to a question by interviewer Ilana Dayan regarding the timing of such an attack, Gantz said, "We will act when the conditions are right."
In reference to the debate over the best way to act against the Iranian nuclear program, Dayan asked Gantz whether his position and that of the new Mossad chief Tamir Pardo were not as strong as that of Ashkenazi and the former Mossad head, Meir Dagan. Gantz rejected the idea, stating, "Whoever should hear, hears my voice loud and clear."
Last November, after Yoav Galant was appointed to succeed Ashkenazi as chief of staff and Gantz retired from the IDF - only to return as chief of staff three months later when Galant's appointment was rescinded - Gantz told Haaretz he was proud he did not have to compromise his principles in the race for chief of staff.
Much of the interview was devoted to high-profile issues in the media of late, such as women singing in the IDF. Gantz characterized an incident last week in which female soldiers were prevented from singing at a Hanukkah ceremony at a basic training camp as "not good." He said he would act to prevent such occurrences in the future and would order an investigation into the incident.
Gantz also made a distinction between official IDF ceremonies, where he said he would not allow Orthodox soldiers to leave while women were singing, and entertainment, where Gantz said "we can and should respect [Orthodox soldiers' wishes to leave the hall]."
"We don't quarrel with people. We look for how we can serve them," he added.
"Women's singing is not banned and ... the person who decides what happens in the room is the commander. The State of Israel and the IDF must make clear that the only authority is that of the commanders," Gantz told Dayan.
Gantz apologized again for a recent exchange with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, interpreted by some as an insult to women. "I was mistaken in the way I expressed myself," he said, referring to a comment caught on tape during a recent Golani Brigade exercise in the Golan Heights.
"Women will serve everywhere they need to serve. They can contribute operationally and can function in an operational environment," Gantz said.
Gantz noted that the defense minister had approved the recent round of top appointments he made. He said the appointment of Brig. Gen. Nitzan Alon as GOC Central Command had nothing to do with Alon's statements against the extreme right. He attributed Alon's appointment solely to his skills.
It appears Gantz successfully navigated his first media test, conveying the messages he wanted to convey and avoiding unnecessary pitfalls. And yet it may be hoped that, next time, Gantz will take somewhat more of a risk and speak on the record to the civilian media as well.
Another question, one that did not come up in the interview, remains unanswered: Why does the IDF, with massive funding at its disposal each year, still need to hold a telethon and scrounge for pennies from civilians?
http://fwd4.me/0jFq
Arab League Reiterates Calls to Prosecute Israeli War Criminals
CAIRO, December 27, 2011 (WAFA) – The Arab League reiterated calls to prosecute Israeli war criminals, who committed heinous massacres against Palestinians during the Cast Lead Operation in Gaza between December 27, 2008 and January 18, 2009, Tuesday said a press release by Arab League.
It said, “Today [Tuesday] marks the third anniversary of the Cast Lead Operation in Gaza, in which Israeli forces killed over 1,400 Palestinians, injured around 5,300 and destroyed the city’s infrastructure, institutions and farms.”
The Gaza strip and its people are still suffering from the consequences of the Israeli assault till this very day, it said.
It added that Gaza, which is still under illegal blockade that violates all international laws, is also suffering from a deterioration in health sector condition due to the sever lack of medicine and medical supplies.
“Thousands of Palestinian families lost their income source due to the vast deterioration in economic sectors, including controlling the fishing industry,” it said.
The release said that the league affirmed Israel is still preventing humanitarian aid convoys from entering the Strip, as well as assaulting these convoys, such as the ‘Marmara’ Turkish flotilla attack.
Only three years have passed since the inhuman attack on Gaza, yet another aggression is looming in the horizon, it said.
The Arab League called on the international community, especially the United Nations, to stop the unlawful Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip and prosecute Israel for its crimes against Palestinians.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18507
Human Rights Centers: More than 1,400 Palestinians Killed in Cast Lead
RAMALLAH, (WAFA) – Tuesday marks the third anniversary of Operation Cast Lead against the Gaza Strip, when Israel killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and injured around 5,300 between December 27, 2008 and January 18, 2009, according to reports issued by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) and al-Mezan Center for Human Rights.
PCHR reports said that December 27, 2008 also marks the anniversary of the single bloodiest day in the history of occupation, when 334 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces; 76.6% of whom were civilian.
Al-Mezan report documented the death of 355 Palestinian children, 111 women, and 949 civilians during the operation, as well as detailed destruction of over 40,000 houses in the Strip.
Cast Lead Operation was unprecedented in terms of the scale of grave and systematic violations of the international humanitarian law that level up to war crimes, as Israel targeted civilian Palestinians and objects in disregard of human rights standards, added al-Mezan.
PCHR said it submitted 490 criminal complaints, on behalf of 1,046 victims, to the Israeli Military Advocate General (MAG), alleging the commission of international crimes and requested the opening of a criminal investigation.
PCHR received 21 responses, of which only one indicated that an Israeli soldier had been charged and convicted of the theft of a credit card, and sentenced to 7.5 months in jail.
The Israeli violations entailing individual criminal responsibility included --but were not limited to-- the crimes of “willful killing, the extensive destruction of civilian property, the direct targeting of civilians and civilian objects, the use of human shields, and the launching of indiscriminate attacks,” reported PCHR.
PCHR called on the United Nations Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, to “refer the situation in Israel and Palestine to the International Criminal Court,” and reminded States, as High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, of their pressing legal obligation, “to search for and prosecute all those suspected of committing war crimes, regardless of their nationality.”
Al-Mezan stressed that the international community needs to take immediate actions to end the illegal and immoral Israeli blockade on Gaza, guarantee free passage of people and goods into the Strip, including material necessary to rebuild Gaza, and to protect Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian Territory and the Strip.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18506
Absent Justice
(36:14) Absent Justice - Episode 1 1 x viewed
This documentary series provides eyewitness accounts and analysis from Israeli, Palestinians and international experts who are able to provide a hugely credible and informed insight into the cause and effect of Operation Defensive Shield.
Episode 1: 1000 Palestinian Casualties. This episode looks at the failure of Camp David and its repercussions, the grave consequences and Ariel Sharon's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the resultant use of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
(40:21) Absent Justice - Episode 2 1 x viewed
Episode 2: This Episode highlights the incursion of the West-Bank in the month of March 2002 - the Natanya bombing and the Israeli action in declaring operation "Defensive Shield". It examines the violations international human rights committed against international journalists and medical crews.
(39:59) Absent Justice - Episode 3
Episode 3: This Episode highlights the curfew of Bethlehem and the seizure of the Church of Nativity. You will hear the accounts of civilians who have been used as human shields and from the family members of some of the victims. The episode provides comprehensive analysis from legal experts.
(38:50) Absent Justice - Episode 4
Episode 4: This Episode highlights the Israeli military action and the bombardment of houses in Jenin and Nablus, the demolishing of historical and ancient sites and the rampage of the museum in the old city of Nablus. Testimony is provided relating to the horrific crimes that took place in Nablus and Jenin -- from victims and their families as well as Israeli and international lawyers.
(41:04) Absent Justice - Episode 5
Episode 5: In this episode of the series you will see innocent civilians targeted by sniper bullets during partial lifting of curfew in Palestinian towns. The episode further details the brutal killings in the Jenin refugee camp and goes on to show the escalation of the Nativity church crisis.
(42:43) Absent Justice - Episode 6 1 x viewed
Episode 6: This episode details the large scale demolitions that took place in the old city of Nablus, the countless bodies buried under the rubble, and the rumours about the removal of dead bodies in refrigerated trucks. Firsthand accounts are given of the massacre that took place and we hear how international observers were prohibited from entering the Jenin camp. Negotiations aimed at solving the Nativity church crisis continue.
(40:44) Absent Justice - Episode 7 1 x viewed
Episode 7: This episode details the major health crisis which engulfed Jenin and Nablus as a result of the curfew. It talks about the decision of the Security Council to send a delegation on an afact finding mission and the reasons behind the subsequent cancellation of the mission. It also highlights the details of the final agreement reached in respect of the church of Nativity crisis. Lastly it focuses on the extent of the human rights violations committed and provides eyewitness accounts from experts and activists.
31 oct 2012, 11:21 , Respect -
Maria 27 dec 2011
Israeli Forces Open Fire at Agricultural Land North of Gaza
GAZA, (WAFA) – Israeli forces late Monday night opened fire at agricultural land east of the town of Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza strip, according to WAFA correspondent.
He told WAFA that Israeli troops stationed at an area east of Beit Hanoun opened machine fire at agricultural land amid intensive reconnaissance planes presence.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided North West of the town of Beit Lahiya, in Gaza, amid heavy shooting.
No injuries were reported.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18498
31 oct 2012, 11:21 , Respect -
Maria 27 dec 2011
Israeli Forces Storm Area South of Nablus
NABLUS, (WAFA) – Israeli forces Tuesday stormed al-Tour, an area south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus and tightened its procedures at checkpoints stationed at the vicinity of Nablus, according to security sources.
They told WAFA that Israeli forces stormed al-Tour area after a number of Jewish settlers broke into a building under construction in the area.
They added that forces also closed the checkpoint stationed at the entrance of the town of Beit Fourik, preventing Palestinian residents from leaving and entering the town.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces tightened its procedures at Hawara and Awarta’s checkpoints, south of Nablus.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18499