- 28 mei 2005
Telmond detention for women; a new Guantanamo
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Maria 30 mei 2005
Report: 4032 killed, 44666 injured since September 29, 2000
The Palestinian National Information Center reported that the Israeli army killed since the beginning of the Intifada in September 29, 2000, 4032 residents, and injured 44666, excluding 8435 residents who received treatment by field medical teams.
The total number of Palestinian children killed during the Intifada arrived to 750, in addition to 732 residents, including 262 females, who were killed when the army shelled Palestinian homes.
Also, Israeli soldiers killed 344 members of the Palestinian security, and 817 school students and teachers.
According to the report, the army killed 325 Palestinians in extrajudicial assassinations.
131 residents, including children, aged people and pregnant women, died on military checkpoints after the army delayed the ambulances or cars transferring them to hospitals and medical facilities.
50 residents were killed by settlers, 36 medics were killed by the army, in addition to 36 Civil Defense members, 9 reporters, and 220 athletes.
728 attacks against journalists were reported.
4800 school students were injured after the army fired at schools, or at students on their way to school or back from it.
8500 detainees are still in Israeli prisons, 624 detainees were arrested before the Intifada, 1389 school or university students are still in detention, including 330 children; 196 teachers were also arrested.
Currently, there are 900 detainees suffering from chronic diseases, and 123 female detainees, including 42 who were sentenced, 73 detained without trial, and 8 in administrative detention.
Army shelled residential neighborhoods since October 1, 2001 until April 30, 2005, 31712 times.
The number of homes completely damaged by military shelling and operations arrived to 69843, including 7995 in the Gaza Strip, 63099 homes were partially damaged, including 22897 in the Gaza Strip.
590 public buildings and security facilities were damaged, 12 universities and schools were closed by military orders, 316 schools and buildings which belong to the Ministry of Education were shelled, 43 schools were used by the army as military camps.
Also, Israeli soldiers bulldozed 76867 Dunams of farmlands, uprooted 13555290 trees, and leveled 770 agricultural barracks and agricultural storage rooms, 765 farms, 16 tractors damages, in addition to considerable damages in agricultural gear.
9077 workshops and stores were completely damaged since October 1, 2001.
Also, soldiers bulldozed farms used for livestock, which resulted in killing 899767 chickens used for eating, 350292 chickens used for laying eggs, 12132 cows and sheep, and 15265 bee cells.
Army also bulldozed 403 wells, and 207 homes which belong to farmers.
Number of unemployed residents arrived to 272.000, 26.3%; poverty rate arrived to 67.6%.
Since March, 29, 2003, army annexed 234664 in order to construct the separation wall in the West Bank.
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Maria 31 mei 2005
Ya'alon: a Palestinian state will lead to a future war
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Maria 1 juni 2005
New military camp in Hebron
Israeli soldiers started constructing a military camp on Palestinian owned lands in Jabal Johar, east of Hebron.
A local source in Hebron said that military gear, armored jeeps and vehicles, and other materials were brought to the area on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning and stationed in the new camp, in an area which was grabbed by the army since the beginning of the Intifada in 2000.
The lands, 5000 Dunams, belong to the family of abu Rajab.
Also, soldiers bulldozed several fields around the new camp, and surrounded it with barbed wires and sand hills.
The new camp overlooks at the center of Hebron, its old city, al-Takroory Mountain, and abu Sneina neighborhood.
Moreover, the camp is only several meters away from a primary school and a mosque, which endagers teh loves of the children and residents especially during military trainings.
The residents fear that the bulldozing and the new camp will be the beginning of a new wave of annexations of their lands to be used for military purposes, which will increase the suffering of the people, especially school students on their way to school or back from it.
Also, the camp will monitor the daily activities of the residents and limit their free movement between different sections of the city.
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Maria 2 juni 2005
Army to expand settlements east of Nablus
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Maria 6-8 juni 2005
Following clashes in al-Aqsa mosque; residents under 45 barred entry
7 juni 2005
Report: 250 Palestinians arrested in May
8 juni 2005
Hebron settlers damage, burn a store in old city
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Maria 11 juni 2005
This Week in Palestine - June Week 2
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Maria 12 juni 2005
Take No Prisoners
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B’Tselem, reported that the Israeli government formally adopted since the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, a policy of assassinating Palestinians suspected of membership in military wings or carrying attacks against the army.
Israel, and in order to counter such reports, claimed that the arm only carried assassinations when soldiers were not able to ‘capture’ their targets.
According to B’Tselem’s figures, since the beginning of 2004, Israeli soldiers have killed eighty-nine Palestinians during operations that that the army refers to as arrest operations.
At least seventeen of the persons killed were not wanted by the Israeli security, but were ordinary civilians.
In addition, at least forty-three of those killed were unarmed, or were not attempting to use their arms against army at the time they were killed. None of these cases were investigated by the Military Police investigation unit.
Take No Prisoners presents four cases investigated by B’Tselem in which Palestinians were killed during these so-called arrest operations.
“Two of the cases relate to incidents in which soldiers surrounded a house in which Israel claimed that a wanted person was present, and then fired at another occupant of the house when he opened the door, without any prior warning and without offering them a chance to surrender” B’Tselem reported.
In the other two cases, troops disarmed the wanted persons, but then shot and killed them.
“In all these cases, soldiers acted as if they were carrying out an assassination and not an arrest, in flagrant breach of international humanitarian law.
Based on the report’s findings, there is a grave suspicion that execution of Palestinians has become a norm among the security forces”, B’Tselem added.
At the beginning of the second Intifada, the Israeli army changed the open-fire regulations, in particular as regards operations to arrest wanted residents.
Soldiers were instructed to open fire also in situations in which they were not in life-threatening situations. The orders on when to open fire were given verbally, and were often vague, enabling a broad interpretation and making a partial or misleading transmission of the orders possible.
Also, B’Tselem reported that since the beginning of the Intifada, the judge advocate general’s office in Israel has refrained from ordering Military Police investigations in cases in which Palestinians were shot and killed by soldiers, except in exceptional cases.
Such a procedure created a situation in which soldiers were not held accountable for their actions, thus enabling the army to perform certain executions without any direct orders in many cases, B’Tselem report added..
At the end of its reports, B’Tselem said that senior military and security officials should instruct the soldiers to refrain from opening fire when their lives aren’t endangered.
Also, B’Tselem urged Israel to provide the soldiers with clear and written orders which specifies “when to open fire, and when its prohibited to do so”, and that the Israeli Defense establishment should investigate all of the cases were Palestinian civilians were shot by the army while they “were not involved in any activity against the soldiers’, and did not pose any threat on them.
B’Tselem also said that the Israeli army should be forbidden from asking or forcing Palestinian civilians to perform military tasks to help the army or to cooperate with the soldiers in order to carry out a certain task, and demanded Israel to investigate all cases in which soldiers used civilians in this way, and prosecute the officer and soldiers involved in such acts.
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Maria 17 juni 2005
Israeli Army may be positioned in Khan Younis during evacuation
- 25 apr 2005
39 children born at Israeli checkpoints -
Maria 29 apr 2005
Qaraqi: 25% of Palestinians were jailed by Israel
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Maria 9 mei 2005
Israeli army: Shell fired into Lebanon was accidental
Medical neglect threatens the life of a detainee in Galboa
A humiliating US gift
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Maria 11-13 mei 2005
Checkpoint for ever
13 mei 2005
Hezbollah, Israel exchange fire across borders
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Maria 16 mei 2005
Suicidal attempt to fire missile at Haram Al-Sharif, grenades at police uncovered
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Maria 21 mei 2005
This Week in Palestine - May Week 3
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Maria 24 mei 2005
Residents forced to drink urine: "Drink or die"
After the horrific story of soldiers abusing two Palestinian workers, and forcing one of them to drink the soldiers urine until he fainted, one of the soldiers stood in court and admitted to the hidden truth which even the press was hesitant to admit: “What we did was inhuman"?.
The extreme brutality which revealed a hidden face of the Israeli army was revealed during the trial of the soldiers who abused the workers and forced one of them to drink their urine.
The event took place on September, 2004 when soldiers based at a military checkpoint in Abu Dis, near Jerusalem, stopped Sameeh Rahhal, 22, from Bethlehem, and Firas al-Bakry, 22, from Hebron, and other workers.
The soldiers claimed that the workers were "illegally" staying in Jerusalem and decided to punish them?. And took them to an abandoned hotel, which the army was using as a military post.
There, at the hotel the abuse and cruelty of the soldiers was exposed on its highest level.
Sameeh said in his testimony that soldiers forced him to choose between having his hands and legs broken or drinking the soldiers' urine.
“First, the soldiers stopped us, along with dozens of workers, then they drew lots with our identity cards, randomly choosing two, and released the other workers"?, Sameeh said.
Sameeh and Firas and were forced in what Israeli soldiers called 'entertainment' to choose one from three paper notes inside a box.
The “Game" which soldiers chose to play, included three sorts of punishments; breaking hands, legs and drinking from bottles filled with the soldiers' urine.
“I told them I would not do it, and they attacked me and sprayed my face with one of the urine bottles, I pushed one soldier away from me, then six soldiers attacked me and pointed their M-16 rifles in my face, this time I had to choose between drinking urine and death, Sameeh added.
He had to drink the urine until fell unconscious. After that, soldiers left him there on the ground until he was found by other civilians near the checkpoint, and was transferred to the Abu Dees clinic, where his stomach was emptied of the urine, and he was then moved to Beit Jala Hospital.
An Israeli military court convicted Nier Levy, the commander of the unit, of abusing the workers and sentenced him to 14 months, and one year on parole.
Apparently, abusing a Palestinian in this inhuman way and degrading him, threatening him with death, is not even grounds for a demotion.
The courts ruling read that Levy, along with other soldiers, identified as Ariel Simhayev, Alexander Meropolsky, Robert Schneider and Yussi Moshiashiviely, jumped over the two workers, clubbed them, then one of the soldiers inserted his rifle top in the mouth of Sameeh and said, “When I say I will shoot, I mean I will shoot"?.
The soldiers also found a piece of soap on Sameeh's bag, and forced him to paint his face with it, and rub it with sand, as if he was washing himself.
Later on, the soldiers told him to jump from a high window, but he said that it's too high, and then they ordered him to jump from a lower window, which caused several injuries, and forced him to drink the urine until he fell unconscious.
Sameeh was transferred to a clinic in Abu Dis, and received medication to clean his stomach, and then he was transferred to Bethlehem Governmental Hospital.
Simhayev was sentenced to 7 and a half months, Schneider was sentenced to eight months, Moshiashiviely was sentenced to four months in public service, since he did not directly participate in the event, but did not file a report against the soldiers who warned him not to, while Meropolsky was not sentenced yet.
Israeli soldiers manning the random checkpoints throughout the occupied Palestinian territories often force Palestinians to go through such 'entertainment'. A civilian in Hebron recently suffered multiple fractures in his limbs when he was forced to go through the same choices Sameeh had to choose from.
Yet, military checkpoints remain in every part of Palestine, separating the cities from each other, and even from their surrounding villages which depend on these cities socially and economically.
At each of these checkpoint, residents are often forced to undress, to dance, to stand in the sun or rain for several hours. Sick residents and even ambulances transporting patients in urgent conditions have to wait until they are allowed to pass, and are often blocked from passing through at all.
Over 100 patients have died at checkpoints since 2000, when Israeli troops prevented them from reaching hospitals. Even unborn babies have to suffer from these checkpoints, and die, those infants have been sentenced to death, even before seeing the light of this world, even before they managed to know what it is like out there!
One of these cases was the fetus of Amnah Abdul-Karim Safadi, 19, from a village near Nablus; the baby died before being born because the mother was denied access to the hospital at Huwwara checkpoint.
She was delayed for 5 hours before she could access Alitihad hospital in Nablus.
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Maria 24 mei 2005
300 residents killed near Nitzarim settlement since 1987
- 19 mrt 2005
Aerial photos show extensive building in settlements
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Maria 7 apr 2005
Four seriously injured west of Salfit
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Maria 10-12 apr 2005
Peace times more dangerous than crisis periods
12 apr 2005
PEA: Some Gaza Strip Settlements Contain Toxic Waste
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Maria 20 apr 2005
Army to expel 27 residents from a village near Tubas
20 jan 2005
Salah a-Din 'Ikab Saqer Abu Muhsin 13
resident of Tubas, killed in Tubas. Did not participate in hostilities when killed. Killed while playing with a toy gun, which soldiers thought was real.
IDF soldier shoots and kills a 14 year-old boy playing with his friends, in Tubas, north of Nablus, January 2005
Salah a-Din 'Ikab Saqer Abu Muhsin 13
resident of Tubas, killed in Tubas. Did not participate in hostilities when killed. Killed while playing with a toy gun, which soldiers thought was real.
IDF soldier shoots and kills a 14 year-old boy playing with his friends, in Tubas, north of Nablus, January 2005
Salah's friend Taufik Abu Muhsan, aged 14
I'm an 8th grade student at the junior high school in Tubas. On Thursday morning, 20 January 2005, I woke up early in the morning and was very excited because it was the first day of the holiday. I took five shekels from my father and five from my mother and went to the toy store. I bought a plastic toy gun. All of my friends play with toy weapons. We like to play a game we called "the Israeli army against the Arabs." Around 8:30 A.M. [on 20 January 2005], my friend Salah a-Din came over to play with me on the street near my house, where most kids our age play. We played the role of Arabs and our friends pretended to be the Israeli army. Two army jeeps were parked around 150 meters away. They were searching vehicles driving towards Tayasir village. We didn't pay any attention to them since they were far away. There were about six soldiers standing near the Israeli jeeps.
At around 10:30 AM I saw one of the soldiers stick his head out through the roof of the first jeep and aim his weapon at us. I heard one shot and then another two or three shots. I saw Salah a-Din fall to the ground without making a sound. His chest was bleeding. I tried to pick him up, but I couldn't.Then a vehicle came from the east. The driver got out of the car, picked Salah a-Din up and took him to the clinic. The jeep from which Salah a-Din was shot drove over to where Salah had fallen down. We ran away and hid in my backyard. We could see from there that a soldier got out of the jeep and picked something up off the ground. Maybe it was the toy gun that Salah a-Din was playing with.
My father told me later that Salah was taken to hospital in Jenin. An hour and a half later, I heard on the loudspeaker that he was dead , and everyone was called to participate in the funeral. I felt terrible. He was my friend, and we studied together. We were playing together, and we were far away from the soldiers. Nothing happened to cause the soldiers to fire. At night, my father came home and broke the pistol that I bought that morning. He told me that that was the reason that Salah a-Din had died, because he, too, played with a plastic rifle.
Taufik Muhammad Hassan Abu Muhsan, aged 14, is an 8th grade and resident of Tubas. His testimony was taken by Salma a-Deb'i, in his house, on 23 January, 2005.
IDF soldier shoots and kills a 14 year-old boy playing with his friends, in Tubas, north of Nablus, January 2005
(Muhammad Daraghmeh, neighbor)
I'm an 8th grade student at the junior high school in Tubas. On Thursday morning, 20 January 2005, I woke up early in the morning and was very excited because it was the first day of the holiday. I took five shekels from my father and five from my mother and went to the toy store. I bought a plastic toy gun. All of my friends play with toy weapons. We like to play a game we called "the Israeli army against the Arabs." Around 8:30 A.M. [on 20 January 2005], my friend Salah a-Din came over to play with me on the street near my house, where most kids our age play. We played the role of Arabs and our friends pretended to be the Israeli army. Two army jeeps were parked around 150 meters away. They were searching vehicles driving towards Tayasir village. We didn't pay any attention to them since they were far away. There were about six soldiers standing near the Israeli jeeps.
At around 10:30 AM I saw one of the soldiers stick his head out through the roof of the first jeep and aim his weapon at us. I heard one shot and then another two or three shots. I saw Salah a-Din fall to the ground without making a sound. His chest was bleeding. I tried to pick him up, but I couldn't.Then a vehicle came from the east. The driver got out of the car, picked Salah a-Din up and took him to the clinic. The jeep from which Salah a-Din was shot drove over to where Salah had fallen down. We ran away and hid in my backyard. We could see from there that a soldier got out of the jeep and picked something up off the ground. Maybe it was the toy gun that Salah a-Din was playing with.
My father told me later that Salah was taken to hospital in Jenin. An hour and a half later, I heard on the loudspeaker that he was dead , and everyone was called to participate in the funeral. I felt terrible. He was my friend, and we studied together. We were playing together, and we were far away from the soldiers. Nothing happened to cause the soldiers to fire. At night, my father came home and broke the pistol that I bought that morning. He told me that that was the reason that Salah a-Din had died, because he, too, played with a plastic rifle.
Taufik Muhammad Hassan Abu Muhsan, aged 14, is an 8th grade and resident of Tubas. His testimony was taken by Salma a-Deb'i, in his house, on 23 January, 2005.
IDF soldier shoots and kills a 14 year-old boy playing with his friends, in Tubas, north of Nablus, January 2005
(Muhammad Daraghmeh, neighbor)
17 jan 2005
New Zealand Slams Israel's home demolitions policy, increases aid to Palestinian homeless
New Zealand Slams Israel's home demolitions policy, increases aid to Palestinian homeless
16 sept 2004
Internationals demand an investigation in the killing of Nablus five
The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) sent out a media alert demanding an investigation on the killing of five Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus by an Israeli special undercover unit on Wednesday.
The ISM activists are accompanying the medical teams of the Union of the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) in Nablus.
The ISM said that according to medical examinations, the five men were killed execution style.
"At 1:00am the Israeli Army attacked homes on Old Najaf Street in Nablus, West of the old city. Five young men were killed and one eleven year-old girl. Medical examination evidence suggests the five men were executed" the press release said.
Four of the five men were shot in the head at close range. The bullets did not pass through their skulls and instead exploded the young men's heads, indicating that they were shot at close range, Dr. Samir Abu Srour of the UPMRC said.
According to the UPMRC, one man had a boot print on his chest, further suggesting that he was restrained before being shot. In addition, one man had a bullet entering in his neck and exploding upwards, leaving blood stains high up on the wall. This angle and evidence strongly suggests he was shot after being detained, also at close range.
Another man had knife cuts on his arm. All five were found in close proximity of each other.
The eleven year-old girl was shot in the cheek while in her home by a soldier occupying a near-by house.
Another eleven year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot in the head with a rubber bullet at close range, dislodging part of his brain.
One thirty-five year-old, mentally challenged man, was shot in the head and a thirty-three year-old man was shot in the femur. Both are in the intensive care unit.
According to eye-witness reports the Israeli army also occupied several homes and a church. They detained members of the church, including 13 disabled children and elderly men and women who are living in the centers belonging to the church.
When the priest attempted to enter the church to check on the condition of the people, an Israeli soldier pointed his machine gun at his head and threatened to shoot him. They were forced to remain in one room without food or water until 12:00pm.
The international solidarity Movement is a group Palestinians and Internationals that encourages and engages in nonviolent resistance organized by the Palestinians in the occupied areas. It was founded in December 2000 right after the second Intifada started.
Internationals demand an investigation in the killing of Nablus five
The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) sent out a media alert demanding an investigation on the killing of five Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus by an Israeli special undercover unit on Wednesday.
The ISM activists are accompanying the medical teams of the Union of the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) in Nablus.
The ISM said that according to medical examinations, the five men were killed execution style.
"At 1:00am the Israeli Army attacked homes on Old Najaf Street in Nablus, West of the old city. Five young men were killed and one eleven year-old girl. Medical examination evidence suggests the five men were executed" the press release said.
Four of the five men were shot in the head at close range. The bullets did not pass through their skulls and instead exploded the young men's heads, indicating that they were shot at close range, Dr. Samir Abu Srour of the UPMRC said.
According to the UPMRC, one man had a boot print on his chest, further suggesting that he was restrained before being shot. In addition, one man had a bullet entering in his neck and exploding upwards, leaving blood stains high up on the wall. This angle and evidence strongly suggests he was shot after being detained, also at close range.
Another man had knife cuts on his arm. All five were found in close proximity of each other.
The eleven year-old girl was shot in the cheek while in her home by a soldier occupying a near-by house.
Another eleven year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot in the head with a rubber bullet at close range, dislodging part of his brain.
One thirty-five year-old, mentally challenged man, was shot in the head and a thirty-three year-old man was shot in the femur. Both are in the intensive care unit.
According to eye-witness reports the Israeli army also occupied several homes and a church. They detained members of the church, including 13 disabled children and elderly men and women who are living in the centers belonging to the church.
When the priest attempted to enter the church to check on the condition of the people, an Israeli soldier pointed his machine gun at his head and threatened to shoot him. They were forced to remain in one room without food or water until 12:00pm.
The international solidarity Movement is a group Palestinians and Internationals that encourages and engages in nonviolent resistance organized by the Palestinians in the occupied areas. It was founded in December 2000 right after the second Intifada started.
6 sept 2004
Report: 47 Killed in August, 580 wounded Including 154 Children
8 dec 2011, 20:04 , Respect
Maria 7 sept 2004
Settlers create territorial contiguity with 'connecting outposts'
Until a few years ago, the small settlement of Harasha in the western part of the northern West Bank was defined as an outpost.
Harasha, on a hill 780 meters above sea level with a view of the Mediterranean coast, has a population of 30 families.
During Sharon's term as infrastructure minister, he ordered Israeli water authority Mekorot to build a reservoir there.
Sharon humorously explained to the settlers, "You'll put a guard at the reservoir. The guard is sure to get lonely. He'll get married and have a family. The kids need company. Other families will come. There will be a prayer quorum, and a prayer quorum needs a synagogue. Women need a ritual bath. Kids need kindergartens and parks. That's how we'll turn the Harasha into a settlement."
Within a few years, Sharon's vision became a reality.
Settlers established many Strategic outposts with the purpose of creating settlements contiguity and prevent the evacuation of isolated settlements. About 10 families reside in each.
In Itamar, a chain of six outposts were established. Six years ago settlers built an unpaved road to connect the six outposts to the Jordan Valley.
During the Barak government, in 2000, the outposts were given retroactive legal status, and the road was paved.
Shiloh and Shvut Rachel are among the other mountain settlements linked to the Jordan Valley via the older outposts of Ahiya and Adei Ad.
A semi-circle of outposts were established to link three settlements in the central part of the northern West Bank: Eli, Ma'aleh Levonah, and Shiloh.
This is an attempt to create a large bloc of settlements in the hope of connecting it to Shvut Rachel and its six settlements.
Nofei Nehemiya is another "connecting outpost" linking Rachelim and Ariel settlements.
The settlers also see Havat Gilad outpost, halfway between Yizhar and Kedumim, as a connecting outpost, as Ramot Gilad and Alonei Shiloh outposts are seen as connecting Karnei Shomron and Immanuel settlements.
The settlers consider Megaron outpost as connecting Michmash and Kokhav Hashahar, with Psagot and Kokhav Yaakov settlements.
They see Givat Asaf outpost as connecting Ofra to Kokhav Yaakov and Psagot settlements.
In the southern West Bank, a road connects Susya settlement in the east to the settlement of Shema in the west. There is no Jewish population along this road, and so the connecting outpost of Asael was founded.
"All through the years, the political level believed that contiguous settlement can and should be created," explained Adi Mintz, until recently director-general of the Yesha council of settlements.
"The outposts were carefully planned and coordinated with the prime minister. Even Ben-Eliezer approved them. So the process of licensing the outposts has already begun. At one stage Sharon changed his attitude 180 degrees, at which point the system stopped cooperating. We are not lawbreakers and we are not the bad guy in this story." He added.
Report: 47 Killed in August, 580 wounded Including 154 Children
8 dec 2011, 20:04 , Respect
Maria 7 sept 2004
Settlers create territorial contiguity with 'connecting outposts'
Until a few years ago, the small settlement of Harasha in the western part of the northern West Bank was defined as an outpost.
Harasha, on a hill 780 meters above sea level with a view of the Mediterranean coast, has a population of 30 families.
During Sharon's term as infrastructure minister, he ordered Israeli water authority Mekorot to build a reservoir there.
Sharon humorously explained to the settlers, "You'll put a guard at the reservoir. The guard is sure to get lonely. He'll get married and have a family. The kids need company. Other families will come. There will be a prayer quorum, and a prayer quorum needs a synagogue. Women need a ritual bath. Kids need kindergartens and parks. That's how we'll turn the Harasha into a settlement."
Within a few years, Sharon's vision became a reality.
Settlers established many Strategic outposts with the purpose of creating settlements contiguity and prevent the evacuation of isolated settlements. About 10 families reside in each.
In Itamar, a chain of six outposts were established. Six years ago settlers built an unpaved road to connect the six outposts to the Jordan Valley.
During the Barak government, in 2000, the outposts were given retroactive legal status, and the road was paved.
Shiloh and Shvut Rachel are among the other mountain settlements linked to the Jordan Valley via the older outposts of Ahiya and Adei Ad.
A semi-circle of outposts were established to link three settlements in the central part of the northern West Bank: Eli, Ma'aleh Levonah, and Shiloh.
This is an attempt to create a large bloc of settlements in the hope of connecting it to Shvut Rachel and its six settlements.
Nofei Nehemiya is another "connecting outpost" linking Rachelim and Ariel settlements.
The settlers also see Havat Gilad outpost, halfway between Yizhar and Kedumim, as a connecting outpost, as Ramot Gilad and Alonei Shiloh outposts are seen as connecting Karnei Shomron and Immanuel settlements.
The settlers consider Megaron outpost as connecting Michmash and Kokhav Hashahar, with Psagot and Kokhav Yaakov settlements.
They see Givat Asaf outpost as connecting Ofra to Kokhav Yaakov and Psagot settlements.
In the southern West Bank, a road connects Susya settlement in the east to the settlement of Shema in the west. There is no Jewish population along this road, and so the connecting outpost of Asael was founded.
"All through the years, the political level believed that contiguous settlement can and should be created," explained Adi Mintz, until recently director-general of the Yesha council of settlements.
"The outposts were carefully planned and coordinated with the prime minister. Even Ben-Eliezer approved them. So the process of licensing the outposts has already begun. At one stage Sharon changed his attitude 180 degrees, at which point the system stopped cooperating. We are not lawbreakers and we are not the bad guy in this story." He added.
2 aug 2004
Israeli Army kills 81 Palestinians, including 19 children in one month
The Palestinian Council for Justice and Peace released its monthly report which revealed that Israeli army killed 81 Palestinian including 19 children, and 25 assassinations during the month of July.
According to the report, 686 residents were wounded, including 193 children, 586 Palestinians arrested, 452 homes sustained damages in addition to 115 industrial institution.
Moreover, army bulldozed 3612 Dunums (900 acres), uprooted 8986 trees and plants, and confiscated 115 Dunums (28 acres) for the construction of the Separation wall.
The monthly report of the center sets the number of Palestinian killed since the beginning of the Intifada in September, 28th, 2000 until July, 31, 2004, at 3088, including 780 children and 415 women.
Among the dead, 432 school, university students or teachers; 314 PA security and Police personnel; 116 were killed at military checkpoints; 448 were assassinated; 44 were killed by settlers.
Number of Palestinians wounded is 55138, including 6280 cases of permanent disabilities including 3010 children, 16.000 who received treatment at the field of injury, 15406 children, and 2540 women.
Total number of trees uprooted is 862731, while 45752 homes damaged including 4250 homes which were completely demolished.
Number of detainees since the beginning of the Intifada reached 29675 detainees, 7300 detainees is still in detention.
Moreover, 28 medics were killed, and 462 cases of assaults against medical teams were reported, 40 ambulances destroyed, 59 women gave birth on checkpoints, 31 infants and 115 sick persons died after banning ambulances and cars from crossing the checkpoints.
Israeli Army kills 81 Palestinians, including 19 children in one month
The Palestinian Council for Justice and Peace released its monthly report which revealed that Israeli army killed 81 Palestinian including 19 children, and 25 assassinations during the month of July.
According to the report, 686 residents were wounded, including 193 children, 586 Palestinians arrested, 452 homes sustained damages in addition to 115 industrial institution.
Moreover, army bulldozed 3612 Dunums (900 acres), uprooted 8986 trees and plants, and confiscated 115 Dunums (28 acres) for the construction of the Separation wall.
The monthly report of the center sets the number of Palestinian killed since the beginning of the Intifada in September, 28th, 2000 until July, 31, 2004, at 3088, including 780 children and 415 women.
Among the dead, 432 school, university students or teachers; 314 PA security and Police personnel; 116 were killed at military checkpoints; 448 were assassinated; 44 were killed by settlers.
Number of Palestinians wounded is 55138, including 6280 cases of permanent disabilities including 3010 children, 16.000 who received treatment at the field of injury, 15406 children, and 2540 women.
Total number of trees uprooted is 862731, while 45752 homes damaged including 4250 homes which were completely demolished.
Number of detainees since the beginning of the Intifada reached 29675 detainees, 7300 detainees is still in detention.
Moreover, 28 medics were killed, and 462 cases of assaults against medical teams were reported, 40 ambulances destroyed, 59 women gave birth on checkpoints, 31 infants and 115 sick persons died after banning ambulances and cars from crossing the checkpoints.