- 10 oct 2011
Army Demolishes A House In Bethlehem
Israeli military bulldozers demolished a house in the village of Al-Jab'a, southwest of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Monday morning, the Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported.
Head of the village council, Ahmad Hamdan, reported that a large number of military jeeps and personnel carriers, accompanied by military bulldozers, invaded the village after enforcing a strict closure on it.
The army then proceeded to the Al-Madares (Schools) neighborhood and demolished the house of resident Nasr Ed-Deen Al-Toos.
Hamdan also stated that the army did not withdraw from the village after demolishing the home, but deployed its soldiers in its streets and neighborhoods.
It is worth mentioning that Nasr Ed-Deen Al-Toos had only recently built his 120- square-meter home and was getting ready to move into it.
Al Jab’a village has been subject to repeated Israeli violations, escalating in recent years as the army has confiscated large areas of the villagers' farmlands and olive orchards in order to construct Jewish-only settlements and the Annexation Wall.
http://www.imemc.org/article/62232
Locals: Israeli forces demolish home near Hebron
HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces on Monday demolished a house in the village of al-Jabaa, northwest Hebron, locals said.
Villagers told Ma'an that soldiers entered the village at dawn, before bulldozers demolished the home of Nasri al-Tous for not having a permit.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Civil Administration could not be reached for comment.
http://fwd4.me/0DQg 5 dec 2011, 14:13 , Respect -
Maria 11 oct 2011
Israel 'to legalize outposts on private Palestinian land'
(3:00) Netanyahu seeking to legalize illegal Jewish settlements - Press TV News 1 x viewed
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking ways to legalize unauthorized settlement outposts built on private Palestinian land, the Haaretz newspaper reported Tuesday.
According to the newspaper, Netanyahu told ministers from his right wing Likud party on Sunday that he would order Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to set up a task force to explore ways of legalizing such construction.
The decision to set up a task force was taken after heavy pressure from the settler lobby and right wing activists following the demolition in early September of three structures in the Migron outpost near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the report said.
The decision to demolish Migron and other outposts built on private Palestinian land was taken in February when Netanyahu and three other ministers met with Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, Haaretz said.
At the meeting, they agreed to raze all such outposts while at the same time working to retroactively legalize any illegal construction in both settlements and outposts built on state land.
According to a timetable submitted to the High Court, the government is to have demolished the Givat Asam outpost by the end of the year, as well as parts of three others: Givat HaRoeh, Ramat Gilad and Bnei Adam.
The issue of construction on private Palestinian land has been the subject of lengthy court battles, one of which saw the Supreme Court in August order the government to raze Migron by the end of March 2012.
Israel considers settlement outposts built in the West Bank without government approval to be illegal, and often sends security personnel to demolish them. They usually consist of little more than a few trailers.
The international community considers all settlements built in the occupied West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, to be illegal.
Some 500,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, amidst a population of over 2.5 million Palestinians in the same territory.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=428229
IOF demolishes mosque in Jordan Valley for the third time this year
TOBAS, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) razed Khirbat Yirza mosque near Tobas city in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday for the third time this year, local sources said.
They said that IOF troops arrived to the village escorting bulldozers and cordoned off the mosque before starting to raze it.
The IOF is using the usual pretext of lack of construction permit, which a resident in the village refuted saying that the mosque was built four decades ago before the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Abdullah Misaeed told the PIC reporter that the residents own papers proving that the mosque was built before that date, adding that the Arab Bedouins inhabiting the village are adamant on praying in it even if it was reduced to rubbles.
He said that the 200 inhabitants of the village are insistent on remaining put despite the IOF repeated demolition notices served to almost all inhabitants.
IOF army barracks surround the village and soldiers daily exercise using lived ammunition.
Hamas MP Hamed Al-Beitawi described the demolition of the mosque as “racist”, and another proof of the terrorism exercised by the Israeli military and settlers against religious shrines.
Describing the act as a violation of international laws and norms, Beitawi, who is also chairman of the Palestinian scholars association, urged the Palestinian people to adopt serious positions in face of such aggression and to protect their mosques and holy shrines.
http://fwd4.me/0DUr 5 dec 2011, 14:13 , Respect -
Maria 12 oct 2011
Right cheers, left jeers PM's outpost legalization team
Rulings by the High Court have rejected claims of legitimacy for settlements located on private Palestinian land and may make it problematic for Netanyahu in his attempt to legalize unauthorized outposts.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally announced yesterday the launch of a judicial task force to explore ways to retroactively legalize unauthorized Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank that were built on private Palestinian land.
Any recommendations made by the new panel would probably necessitate new legislation, since multiple rulings by the High Court of Justice and state attorneys general have rejected all claims of legitimacy for settlements located on private Palestinian land.
Settlers, however, have claimed that there are solutions: In some cases, the land's ownership can be challenged; in others, the owner could be compensated generously; and in others still, the owners could be declared absentees, enabling their land to be used, as is the case vis-a-vis land inside Israel.
The directive ordering Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to create the task force followed pressure from settlers and others on the right in response to the state's decision to demolish several such outposts.
In a statement yesterday the Yesha Council of settlements welcomed Netanyahu's announcement of a task force that would "resolve the issue of the outposts. The council hopes the task force will act to rectify past injustices and prevent future outrages such as the razing of the homes of thousands of children, mothers and fathers in the immediate future," the main organization representing West Bank settlers said.
The general secretary of Peace Now, Yariv Oppenheimer, said yesterday that the new body constituted a shot in the arm to the so-called price tag actions: "The settlers' terror and violence work; instead of evacuating houses constructed illegally on stolen land, Netanyahu is constructing a task force that serves the settlers and is a show of no-confidence in the attorney general. Peace Now will continue its struggle against the government's efforts to defend illegal building in the occupied territories," Oppenheimer said.
MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud ) praised the measure: "The prime minister understood that it's immoral to uproot people from their homes. It's important that we continue to promote Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, based on the understanding that this is our land," she said.
http://fwd4.me/0Lxs
Tunnels boost Gaza mosque reconstruction
GAZA CITY (IRIN) -- An increased flow of building materials entering the Gaza Strip via underground tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border has allowed reconstruction work to begin on hundreds of religious sites damaged or destroyed during the 23-day Israeli offensive which ended in January 2009.
Nearly a quarter of Gaza's 850 mosques were affected; 45 mosques were totally destroyed, 107 sustained major damage, and about another 50 had minor damage such as smashed windows and doors, according to the Gaza public works and housing ministry, the religious affairs ministry, and private mosque owners.
An Egyptian above-and-below-ground steel barrier erected with US assistance was meant to stem the flow of goods through the tunnels, but since the overthrow of Mubarak in Egypt in February 2011, if anything, traffic through the tunnels has increased, say observers.
Israel only allows building material to enter Gaza via Israeli-controlled crossings for approved projects funded by international organizations and UN agencies.
According to UN estimates, in September 946 truckloads of authorized construction materials were allowed to enter Gaza via Israeli-controlled crossings for approved international humanitarian building projects: 665 truckloads (46,550 tons) of aggregate, 232 truckloads of cement (9,195 tons), and 41 truckloads of steel bars (1,418 tons).
An average of 90,000 tons of cement, 90,000 tons of aggregate and 15,000 tons of steel bars are entering Gaza via tunnel each month, according to UN estimates.
The quantities of material now becoming available mean prices are going down. Today one ton of cement costs about $135 in Gaza, down from up to $340 per ton in January, according to deputy housing minister Yasser Shante. "Business has increased over the last three months," says Arafat Abu Hasira, owner of Abu Hasira Glass and Aluminum Company in Gaza City.
Aluminum, only available via tunnel, costs about $6 per kg, down from about $135 a year ago, said Abu Hasira.
Israel says the mosques were used by Hamas to store weapons and that Hamas operatives regularly fired rockets into Israel from within or near mosques, but Hamas disputes this.
"Religious sites are separate from any activity related to security forces or resistance factions," said deputy minister of religious affairs, Hassam Seifi, adding: "Our communities lost a lot with the destruction of each mosque."
A 'source of peace'
"Gaza is a religious society and mosques are the center of our communities," said religious affairs ministry official Abdullah Abugrboah, adding: "Gaza's population is 99 percent Muslim [predominantly Sunni], with a Christian population of less than 1 percent."
It will cost about $25 million to reconstruct the 45 mosques (an average $500,000 per mosque), said Shante, and about $10 million to repair the 157 damaged mosques, at an average cost of $100,000.
"It is motivating to see new mosques. It's a source of peace after the war," said worshiper Mohamed Samara, a 30-year-old researcher at a nearby ministry who came to pray during his lunch break.
Three mosques in his neighborhood of Shujaiyeh were destroyed during the war; one has been partially rebuilt, he said, adding: "A mosque is not only a place of worship, it's our social fabric, where Palestinians meet."
Mosques are supervised by the religious affairs ministry Waqf, in accordance with Islamic law. The ministry is under the Hamas-led government in Gaza, which is still deemed a "terrorist" organization by many Western countries.
Humanitarian law
According to international humanitarian law, there is no ban on the destruction of religious sites used by opponents for military purposes, said Yuval Shany, chair in public international law at Hebrew University, although there is a presumption that religious sites are civilian targets and should be spared.
The Israeli army maintains that its forces operated in accordance with international law, only launching proportionate attacks against military objectives, and blames Hamas for any harm to Palestinian civilians.
According to the Goldstone Report, an Israeli strike on the al-Maqadmah mosque on the outskirts of Jabalia killed 15 and injured 40 people. Israel rejected the findings of the report and denies responsibility for the attack on al-Maqadmah mosque.
Amnesty International reported the rampant destruction of Gaza mosques in its post-war assessment.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=428630
UNRWA: Israel becoming 'more efficient' at displacing Palestinians
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli demolitions affected 990 Palestinians in the West Bank in September, showing that Israeli authorities "are becoming more efficient," UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said.
The latest report from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees shows a dramatic rise in the number of people displaced or affected by Israeli demolitions. In July, the figure stood at 247.
"These figures show that the Israeli authorities are becoming more and more efficient in their demolitions, affecting and displacing ever growing numbers of Palestinians," Gunness told Ma'an.
In September, Israeli bulldozers targeted water cisterns in the West Bank, affecting a greater number of people than the demolitions of homes.
The demolition of one water cistern in Khirbet Atuf affected 300 people, Gunness said.
The Diakonia resource center for international humanitarian law says Israel's demolition of water cisterns in the West Bank has directly affected the lives of 13,602 Palestinians since 2009.
Israel's civil administration routinely destroys Palestinian structures built without Israeli permission in the 62 percent of the West Bank designated Area C under the Oslo Accords.
"Systematic and widespread administrative destruction of a range of civilian structures in area C, including homes, schools and cisterns, has been taking place since the end of 1980s," Diakonia said in its recent legal brief on West Bank demolitions.
The report highlights that the destruction of any civilian object during occupation is prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention "except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations" and even then, only if the structure is used solely by militants.
When structures such as water cisterns are destroyed, civilian populations are forced to leave the area. Diakonia notes that the forced transfer of a population is absolutely prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Gunness called for "an end to all practices and policies that lead to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
"With at least three thousand outstanding demolition orders in the rural parts of the West Bank, affecting tens of thousands of people, whole communities are living with the daily trauma and anxiety of losing their homes and livelihoods."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=428276 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 13 oct 2011
Israel Hands Palestinians Demolition Orders of Water Wells, Green Houses
SALFIT, (WAFA) – The Israeli authorities Thursday handed a number of Palestinian farmers demolition orders of several water wells and green houses and stopped construction work of rehabilitating an agricultural road in an area in Kufr Al-Deek, a town in Salfit, according to mayor of Kufr Al-Deek, Jamal Al-Deek.
One of the farmers, who was handed a demolition order, said that most of the farmers who received the demolition orders are the ones benefiting from a project recently implemented with the funding of the Dutch Government as part of the land rehabilitation projects in the area.
He added that the Israeli authorities also stopped the construction work of rehabilitating a ten year old agricultural road that will benefit large areas of land rehabilitated and planted with olive trees through the Dutch project.
The mayor said that,” The Israeli authorities and settlers are targeting this area, preventing residents and farmers from entering their land in order to displace them, aiming to seize the land for the benefit of settlements.”
He added that the Israeli authorities have recently demolished ten animal barns and tents belonging to Palestinian shepherds, who used to live in this targeted area and were prevented from living in it.
He stressed that Palestinians in this area are exerting all possible efforts to rehabilitate the remaining areas of uncultivated land, which constitutes 70% to 80% of the land of Kufr Al-Deek.
He called upon human rights institutions as well as legal and international organizations working in the PalestinianTterritory to pressure the Israeli side to stop these violations and attacks against Palestinians in Salfit, particularly in the town of Kufr Al-Deek.
To be noted, this area in Kufr Al-Deek, is a vast area of about 4000 acres, mostly planted with olive trees and contains archaeological sites of the ruins and the remains of ancient villages.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=17761
EU Missions Regret Demolition of Mosque
JERUSALEM, October 13, 2011 (WAFA) - The European Union missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed regret at the Israeli demolition of a mosque in the village of Khirbet Yarza, situated in Area C in the northern West Bank, an EU missions press release said on Thursday.
“This is the third time within a year that this mosque has been demolished,” it said.
Since the year 2000 more than 4,800 Palestinian houses and structures have been demolished in Area C for lacking a building permit.
Area C, according to the Oslo accords, is under full Israeli control and makes more than 60% of the area of the West Bank.
“The EU calls on Israel to review its policy and planning system in order to allow for the socio-economic development of the Palestinian communities,” said the EU missions.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=17760
U.S.: Israel move to legalize West Bank outposts 'unhelpful to peace efforts'
Comment by State Department official comes after Netanyahu launches task force that will look into ways to retroactively legalize settlements built on private Palestinian land.
The U.S. State Department criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's newly launched attempt to legalize West Bank outposts on Wednesday, saying the move was "unhelpful" to Mideast peace efforts.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu's office announced instructed Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to set up a task force to explore ways to legalize houses in the settlements that were built on private Palestinian land.
The instruction was issued under heavy pressure from settlers and others on the right in response to the state's decision to demolish several outposts built on private Palestinian land over the next half year.
Commenting on the announcement on Wednesday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson criticized the Israeli moves, indicating that the American stance against settlement building "remains unchanged."
"The United States has a clear policy – we do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity," the U.S. official said, adding that Washington opposed "any effort to legalize settlement outposts, which is unhelpful to our peace efforts and would contradict Israeli commitments and obligations."
The State Department spokesperson reiterated the U.S. call "on both parties to take constructive actions to promote peace and avoid actions that complicate this process or undermine trust."
"We urge both parties to take advantage of the Quartet proposal and return to direct talks," the official added.
A statement released by the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday said that "Netanyahu decided to form a committee that would examine policies and operational methods concerning construction in the West Bank the status of which is still uncertain."
"The committee will form recommendations regarding issues such as those raised in the various appeals to the High Court of Justice," the statement said.
Referring to the reported plan to legalize West Bank outposts, earlier Tuesday, Meretz ML Zehava Gal-On said that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein "must make it clear to Netanyahu that the robbery and theft of private lands cannot be legalized since it constitutes a criminal offence."
"Netanyahu's entire move is meant to further establish Israeli authority over the [Palestinian] territories and deepen the occupation," Gal-On said.
Culture Minister Limor Livnat, one of those who pushed for the task force, told Arutz Sheva radio on Monday that the goal was to examine the issue "without fear of what leftist groups will say. As the government, we need to govern."
Another politician said that even if the task force produced no solutions, its work would take several months and could provide a pretext for postponing the demolitions.
http://fwd4.me/0L4P 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 15 oct 2011
Zionist plan to efface Jerusalem’s historic walls
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Source in Jerusalem said that the occupation Jerusalem municipality is planning to change the features of historic neighbourhoods in the old city to build a so called biblical park and link it to other parks that have been already built.
The sources said that the occupation has already took control of the area between Bab al-Asbat (Lions’ Gate) and Bab al-Sahera (Herod’s Gate) in the old city. The area was covered with soil ready for planting trees. Preparations are also being made to build walking paths in the same site.
Palestinian organisations in Jerusalem have warned of the danger that these steps pose to Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque. They pointed out that the aim of such projects is efface any features in Jerusalem that reflect its Islamic and Arab character as part of the master plan of Judaizing the holy city.
This particular project will result in effacing parts of the historic wall of the old city, as the lower part of the wall will be covered, according to Palestinian Jerusalem organisations.
The historic wall which is under threat of being effaced was built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent on the ruins of the Roman wall six centuries ago. It surrounds the old city which occupies an area of 90 Hectares.
http://fwd4.me/0XiI 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 17 oct 2011
Occupation carried out 31 demolitions in Jerusalem in 2011
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Maqdisi organisation published on Monday a report about home demolitions in Jerusalem since the start of 2011 which the occupation authorities carried out or ordered the owners to carry out.
The organisation stated in the report that to date there were 31 demolitions, 14 of them were carried out by the occupation municipality, while the other 17 where carried out by owners who were forced to demolish their own homes or pay the municipality for their demolition.
These demolitions resulted in rendering 106 Palestinians, including 61 children, homeless.
Most buildings demolished were residential buildings and covered most areas of east Jerusalem, such as Jabal al-Mukabber, Silwan, Sour Baher, Wadi al-Jouz, Beit Hanina and Sheikh Jarrah.
The report also included information on the demolition of non-residential structures, including shops, kiosks, walls and a protest tent in solidarity with Jerusalem MPs threatened with deportation from their hometown.
http://fwd4.me/0fAV
Update: Factory owner: Israeli forces seized stone blocks for closure
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces raided a stone factory in Beit Ummar late on Saturday, the owner told Ma'an.
Soldiers accompanied by bulldozers confiscated ten large stone slabs to block entrances to the Hebron-district village, Issam Abu Ayyash told Ma'an.
Israeli forces threatened him when he tried to intervene, Abu Ayyash said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was not familiar with the incident.
On Saturday, Beit Ummar Popular committee spokesman Muhammad Awad told Ma'an that Israeli forces closed entrances to the village with concrete blocks overnight Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=429620 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 18 oct 2011
OCHA: Israel Cuts Access to 85% of Gaza Fishing Waters
JERUSALEM, (WAFA) – A recent report published Tuesday by the Untied Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) showed that 35% of Gaza’s farmland and 85% of its fishing waters are totally or partially inaccessible due to Israeli military measures.
The report said that the population of Gaza is 1.6 million, with over 50% under 18, and 38% of the population live in poverty.
OCHA showed that the average wage in the Gaza Strip declined by over 20% in the past six years, while 26% of the Gazan workforce, including 38% of youths, is unemployed, leading to 54% of Palestinians in Gaza are food insecure while over 75% are aid dependent.
The report showed that 50-80 million litres of partially treated sewage are dumped in the sea each day, while over 90% of the water from the Gaza aquifer is undrinkable.
About one-third of the items in the essential drug list are out of stock, as well as 85% of schools in Gaza run on double shifts.
Since the beginning of 2010, 64 Palestinian civilians have been killed and 621 injured by Israeli forces; over 60% of casualties occurred in the access-restricted areas. Another 60 civilians were killed and 137 were injured in tunnel-related accidents.
The report said that the Israeli blockade on Gaza (through the land, air and sea) is a denial of basic human rights in contravention of international law and amounts to collective punishment. It severely restricts imports and exports, as well as the movement of people in and out of Gaza, and access to agricultural land and fishing waters.
Gazans are unable to provide for their families and the quality of infrastructure and vital services has deteriorated.
Despite measures taken to ease the blockade in June 2010 the humanitarian situation has remained extremely fragile. While imports have increased, they are still at less than 40% of the pre-2007 levels. Exports remain tightly restricted and are limited to agricultural produce to Europe, and Gazan businesses cannot access their traditional markets in Israel and the West Bank. Access to land and sea remains highly restricted.
Only a minority of the projects aimed at improving housing and vital services in Gaza, submitted for approval by the international community, have been approved by the Israeli authorities, said OCHA.
Implementation of approved projects is impeded by funding shortages affecting the operating agencies, as well as by the limited capacity at the single crossing for goods. The internal Palestinian divide is an additional factor undermining the quality of vital services.
Lack of respect for international humanitarian law has continued to result in civilian casualties, particularly during escalations in armed clashes and while enforcing access restrictions to border areas.
“Thousands of people, many of them children, risk their lives smuggling goods through the tunnels under the border with Egypt every day. The thriving tunnel industry is a direct result of ongoing restrictions on the import of construction materials, the lack of employment opportunities, and the huge reconstruction needs in Gaza,” said the report.
Gazans remain isolated and cut off from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory. Entry into the West Bank, either via the Israeli Erez crossing or via Jordan, is prohibited for all Gazans. The volume of people allowed through the Egyptian Rafah Crossing remains limited, with hundreds denied passage each week.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=17798
Slum Stories: Israel and the OPT - Homeless in your own country
(6:39) Slum Stories: Israel and the OPT - Homeless in your own country 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 24 oct 2011
Rights Center says Construction of Wall in Walaja Destroys Land
RAMALLAH, (WAFA) – Israel’s construction of a section of the separation Annexation Wall on Walaja land in the Bethlehem area has destroyed land and uprooted dozens of trees, a Palestinian human rights center said on Monday.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said in a statement that the Israeli forces continued for the fourth straight week to raze land and uproot fully grown trees in the village of Walaja, southwest of Bethlehem, to build a new section of a concrete wall that is supposed to separate the West Bank from the Israeli-annexed areas south of Jerusalem.
“PCHR condemns the destruction of land,” said the statement, stressing that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, issued on July 9, 2004, was clear in condemning the construction of the wall due to the fact that it is illegal and damages Palestinian land.
Israel began construction on the Walaja section of the wall on October 3 when army-protected bulldozers started to raze land and uproot trees to level the land as a prelude toward building the concrete wall.
More than 90 dunums of agricultural land and 230 olive, almond, pine and oak trees were destroyed in addition to destruction of grape vines.
Work on the land started after the Israeli High Court gave the go ahead in August to the government to proceed with the work after it rejected a petition by the Walaja land owners filed in December to change the route of the wall.
The court claimed the route was necessary for the security of Israel, rejecting as a result pleas by the village residents to preserve their farm land, which is important for their daily livelihood, said PCHR.
The human right center called on the international community to quickly act to put a stop to Israeli violations of international law.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=17852
Land owner: Israel to confiscate land near Bethlehem for wall
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces issued a military order on Sunday to confiscate 37,000 square meters of private land from near the Cremisan Monastery in Beit Jala.
One of the owners of the land told Ma'an that Israeli forces handed confiscation warrants to him and other farmers on Sunday evening. The land slated for confiscation is used for crops, he said, adding that Israel is annexing the area to construct the separation wall.
Land owners submitted a complaint at the civil administration office in Etzion but it was rejected, the land owner said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=431839 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 26 oct 2011
Al-Aqsa Foundation Warns against Demolishing Mosque Passage
JERUSALEM, (WAFA) – The al-Aqsa Foundation for Waqf and Heritage in Jerusalem Wednesday warned of dangerous repercussions if the Israeli municipality proceeds to demolish Magharbe Gate passage to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City.
If implemented, it said, it would lead to the demolition of a section of the Mosque itself.
The Foundation called in a press release on the Arab and Islamic world to take immediate action to save al-Aqsa mosque from the Israeli occupation plans.
It said the Israeli decision to demolish the passage, which is in the shape of a wooden overpass that connects the yard of the Western Wall below to al-Aqsa compound, clearly shows Israeli determination to demolish a section of the mosque rather than what it claims that it is simply demolishing a temporary wooden bridge.
“We have repeatedly unveiled through maps, documents and pictures the dimension of the Israeli plan to demolish Magharbe Gate and to build another one in its place as it aims to build a fortified bridge for military reasons to facilitate large scale incursions of fully equipped Israeli forces, settlers and Jewish groups into the Mosque area,” it said.
It considered implementing such a decision as part of targeting al-Aqsa Mosque to assume full control over it through building tunnels and synagogues, which are part of a comprehensive plan to turn it into a Jewish site.
It added that the demolition of the gate could cause damage and cracks in the structure of al-Aqsa Mosque, especially in its western wall, similar to what happened several years ago.
The mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, also warned of the consequences of demolishing the passage.
“This Israeli aggression aims to control all entrances to al-Aqsa Mosque thus allowing the occupation forces and herds of settlers to break into the Mosque as they want, leading to serious complications which affects the security of the Mosque and the Muslim worshipers,” he said.
He added that the passage, which the Israeli authorities have tampered with several years ago, would not have become in danger of collapse if it was not for the ongoing Israeli digging underneath the Mosque.
“Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to Muslims in all parts of the world and no one else has the right to manage, supervise and take care of its affairs,” he said.
The Israeli municipality of Jerusalem claimed that Magharbe Gate passage was in danger of collapse or fire and must be demolished within 30 days.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=17878
Awkaf rejects the demolition of the Bab al-Magharba mound
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Islamic Awkaf department in occupied Jerusalem rejected an announcement made the municipality engineer on Tuesday that the Bab al-Magharba bridge is in danger of collapse and that it should be demolished within 30 days.
The Awkaf department said that it was its responsibility [not that of the occupation municipality] to maintain the Bab al-Magharaba mound as it is an Islamic Wakf (endowment) and no one but the Awkaf department is authorised to maintain it.
The occupation municipality engineer responsible for al-Buraq wall declared that legal action is going to be taken against him if the bridge is not demolished.
This decision is part of the occupation municipality's efforts to change the Islamic features of the old city. The Islamic Awakf want the bridge and the mound holding it to be renovated as a historic feature rather than being demolished and replaced with a modern bridge that is completely out of place in the old city with its historic buildings.
http://fwd4.me/0ffE 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 28 oct 2011
Israeli occupation distributes demolition notices to Silwan residents
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM , (PIC)-- Occupation municipality employees on Thursday handed demolition notices to a number of residents of the Lauza neighbourhood in Silwan district to the south of the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. The notices had "administrative demolition notice" written on them.
Amongst the families that received a notice is the Abbasi family according to local sources.
The sources added that the municipality employees and the accompanying IOF troops headed towards the Wadi Ysoul in Silwan and took photos of homes, open areas and fields.
This new aggression on Palestinian property in Silwan comes after the Zionist high court gave Elad, a settler organisation, control of "government lands" and parks in Silwan.
http://fwd4.me/0fo7
'Israel must return Palestinians' land'
(24:35) Palestinian- Israeli prisoner swap-Remember Palestine-10-22-2011
Former British Member of Parliament Baroness Jenny Tonge
Former British Member of Parliament (MP) Baroness Jenny Tonge has said that the Israelis must give back Palestinian people's land in order to solve the Palestinian issue, Press TV reports.
“They (the Israelis) really must solve this huge problem that they have made for themselves, entirely their fault, they have made this problem and they have got to solve it by giving the Palestinians their land back and creating a secure and prosperous day to Palestine,” Tonge said on Press TV's program 'Remember Palestine'.
Baroness Tonge said people are furious about the plight of the Palestinians and it is a problem that we have to solve for the future of our children and grandchildren.
Commenting on a recent prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel, she called the deal a wonderful success for the Palestinian resistance movement.
On October 18, 477 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli jails as the first part of a deal to release 1,027 Palestinian inmates in exchange for Hamas-captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
She said the release of prisoners made her quite emotional to think about the joy in all those hundreds of families being reunited.
Tonge, who was sacked on January 23, 2004 from the Liberal Democrat frontbench by the party over her pro-Palestinian remarks, termed the Palestinian Authority's statehood bid at the United Nations “a brilliant move, brilliant publicity for Palestine, a great thing to do.”
Addressing the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign rally in London in January 2004, she said, the daily "killings and the bulldozing and all the other horrible things" by Israeli forces in the occupied territories made her understand why some people become bombers.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/207011.html 5 dec 2011, 14:14 , Respect -
Maria 29 oct 2011
Sabri warns: Demolishing Maghareba prelude to destroying the Aqsa
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, the chairman of the higher Islamic authority in occupied Jerusalem, has charged that the Israeli occupation authority’s decision to raze the bridge leading to the Maghareba gate in the Aqsa mosque was illegal.
He warned in a press release on Saturday that the act was an infringement on the Islamic Waqf in the holy city and a prelude to destroying the Aqsa mosque itself.
The Sheikh said that everything was expected of the IOA, which does not care less about sanctity or law, citing its displacement of Palestinian citizens, confiscation of land, establishment of settlements on occupied territory, ban on worshippers in the Aqsa, and robbery of history and antiquities.
Sabri held the IOA responsible for the cracks in the mount on which the bridge is built, explaining that the mount was there 15 centuries ago and only started to crack when the IOA allowed intensive underground work under it.
http://fwd4.me/0frE 5 dec 2011, 14:15 , Respect -
Maria 31 oct 2011
New report says Israeli home demolitions in East Jerusalem violate international law, may constitute a war crime
Earlier today The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions gave a press conference releasing its new report on Israeli housing demolition policy in East Jerusalem, and announcing that it will submit complaints to the U.N. A press release accompanying the report reads in part:
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) will submit complaints to the UN's Special Rapporteurs - claiming that Israel's policy in East Jerusalem violates international law and may constitute a war crime.
ICAHD will submit three complaints tomorrow morning to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of IDPs (internally displaced persons), the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Occupied Palestinian Territories. ICAHD will demand to open an investigation into the legality of Israeli policy in East Jerusalem.
The complaints are based on a report, to be launched Monday October 31st, that states that Israel is committing severe violations of international law in East Jerusalem. The report, written by Advocate Emily Schaeffer and edited by Advocate Michael Sfard, analyzes Israeli policy and practice in East Jerusalem under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The report concludes that Israel is perpetrating serious violations of these laws by denying the right to adequate housing, development, and self-determination, as well as violating the prohibition on residency revocation.
Furthermore, the report states that demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem is, in the majority of cases, a war crime of destruction of property. By destroying homes, limiting the possibility to build legally, and denying permanent residency status of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Israel is forcing the migration process on the basis of ethnicity – which violates international law, and is possibly a war crime.
The report also states that there is evidence that the actions and policies implemented by Israel in East Jerusalem are designed to preserve a demographic balance in the city of a Jewish majority – a motive that is forbidden by international law.
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions is setting a precedent by turning to the UN. This is the first time that an Israeli organization has requested the opening of an investigation into Israeli practices.
Zach Resnick is living for a year in Israel/Palestine and blogging at Thoughts from Jerusalem. He recently graduated high school and is spending a year before Oberlin College interning for the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, studying jazz music at Shtriker Conservatory, and taking in life in Israel/Palestine.
http://fwd4.me/0fwO
Israeli Authorities Demolish Palestinian Residences in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM, (WAFA) – Israeli authorities Monday demolished three Palestinian residences in Khan al-Ahmar area northeast of East Jerusalem, according to local sources.
Witnesses said Israeli soldiers demolished three tan residences of three brothers adjacent to Khan al-Ahmar elementary school.
The area has been heavily targeted by Israeli forces in an attempt to deport Arab residents, in order to expand the surrounding settlements and army camps.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=17915