10 feb 2015
Israeli forces on Tuesday raided the "Jerusalem Gate" protest camp near Abu Dis, threatening to dismantle it within 24 hours, a local coordinator said.
Thaer Anees, coordinator for the Jerusalem district popular resistance committees, said Israeli forces entered the camp accompanied by intelligence officers.
The protest camp has been destroyed by Israeli forces and rebuilt four times in the past week.
Popular resistance spokesman Hani Halabiya told Ma'an that dozens of local and international activists and nearby villagers have come to the camp daily in protest against the confiscation of Palestinian land.
The camp was built in protest against an Israeli plan to build Jewish-only settlements in the E1 corridor east of Jerusalem on the way to Jericho where Palestinian Bedouins have been living for decades.
In January 2013, Palestinian activists set-up over 25 tents and a medical center in the E1 area east of Jerusalem to protest Israeli settlement plans and protect Palestinian land from annexation.
The protest village, called Bab al-Shams, or 'Gate of the Sun', was later demolished by Israeli forces.
Over the following months, activists set up the al-Karamah (Dignity) protest village in Beit Iksa, and the Ahfad Younis village in Eizariya.
Thaer Anees, coordinator for the Jerusalem district popular resistance committees, said Israeli forces entered the camp accompanied by intelligence officers.
The protest camp has been destroyed by Israeli forces and rebuilt four times in the past week.
Popular resistance spokesman Hani Halabiya told Ma'an that dozens of local and international activists and nearby villagers have come to the camp daily in protest against the confiscation of Palestinian land.
The camp was built in protest against an Israeli plan to build Jewish-only settlements in the E1 corridor east of Jerusalem on the way to Jericho where Palestinian Bedouins have been living for decades.
In January 2013, Palestinian activists set-up over 25 tents and a medical center in the E1 area east of Jerusalem to protest Israeli settlement plans and protect Palestinian land from annexation.
The protest village, called Bab al-Shams, or 'Gate of the Sun', was later demolished by Israeli forces.
Over the following months, activists set up the al-Karamah (Dignity) protest village in Beit Iksa, and the Ahfad Younis village in Eizariya.
Israeli military bulldozers demolished, on Tuesday morning, a house belonging to the al-Absi family of the Silwan neighborhood, to the south of al-Aqsa Mosque, occupied East Jerusalem.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces again went ahead with demolition procedures under the pretext of building without permission.
Crews of municipality accompanied the soldiers and provided security to them while the demolition took place.
From January 20-23, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded the Israeli demolition of 42 Palestinian-owned structures in the Ramallah, Jerusalem, Jericho and Hebron governorates.
The planning policies applied by Israel in Area C discriminate against Palestinians, making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits. This is then used as a legal claim to their property.
In 2014, OCHA recorded 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and East Jerusalem destroyed by Israeli authorities, displacing 1,177 people. It is the highest number recorded since the agency started monitoring displacement in 2008.
More than 400 rabbis from Israel, Britain and around the world, last week, called on Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes.
Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) submitted an open letter to the Israeli Prime Minister, claiming that his stance is not in line with “international law and Jewish tradition”.
Al Ray further reports that, on Tuesday, the Israeli occupation converted a set of Islamic historical estates west of al-Aqsa into public bathrooms for settlers and foreign tourists visiting the region.
Al-Aqsa Foundation said in a statement that the ancient monuments are located in Jisr em-al-Banat in Jeruslaem's Mughrabi Gate neighborhood, about 50 meters away from the mosque.
Palestinians consider the Hait al-Buraq area an Islamic landmark. Jews call it the "Western" or "Wailing Wall" and perform prayers near it.
In its report, al-Aqsa Foundation said that the restrooms were part of a major Jewish synagogue being built in the area.
The report went on to note that the area in question contains dozens of historical buildings and Islamic landmarks, including some which date back to the Ottoman era, declaring that Israel was committing a "crime against civilization and history" by implementing the conversion.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces again went ahead with demolition procedures under the pretext of building without permission.
Crews of municipality accompanied the soldiers and provided security to them while the demolition took place.
From January 20-23, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded the Israeli demolition of 42 Palestinian-owned structures in the Ramallah, Jerusalem, Jericho and Hebron governorates.
The planning policies applied by Israel in Area C discriminate against Palestinians, making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits. This is then used as a legal claim to their property.
In 2014, OCHA recorded 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and East Jerusalem destroyed by Israeli authorities, displacing 1,177 people. It is the highest number recorded since the agency started monitoring displacement in 2008.
More than 400 rabbis from Israel, Britain and around the world, last week, called on Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes.
Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) submitted an open letter to the Israeli Prime Minister, claiming that his stance is not in line with “international law and Jewish tradition”.
Al Ray further reports that, on Tuesday, the Israeli occupation converted a set of Islamic historical estates west of al-Aqsa into public bathrooms for settlers and foreign tourists visiting the region.
Al-Aqsa Foundation said in a statement that the ancient monuments are located in Jisr em-al-Banat in Jeruslaem's Mughrabi Gate neighborhood, about 50 meters away from the mosque.
Palestinians consider the Hait al-Buraq area an Islamic landmark. Jews call it the "Western" or "Wailing Wall" and perform prayers near it.
In its report, al-Aqsa Foundation said that the restrooms were part of a major Jewish synagogue being built in the area.
The report went on to note that the area in question contains dozens of historical buildings and Islamic landmarks, including some which date back to the Ottoman era, declaring that Israel was committing a "crime against civilization and history" by implementing the conversion.
Israeli Occupation Authority (IOA) handed on Tuesday a notice to a Palestinian man informing him of the intention to uproot 2000 of his trees in his land in northern Salfit.
Local sources said the IOA handed the notice to the owner of the land, claiming that it has been confiscated.
The sources from the nearby Keflharis town also said the land is located on Qasr Ibris area near the town to the north of Salfit governorate. The land has been planted with olive and other kinds of trees for 15 years; its area is estimated at 55 dunums, the sources said.
The Palestinian villages and towns of Salfit district are constantly subjected to Israeli leveling works for the expansion of twenty four settlements in the region.
Local sources said the IOA handed the notice to the owner of the land, claiming that it has been confiscated.
The sources from the nearby Keflharis town also said the land is located on Qasr Ibris area near the town to the north of Salfit governorate. The land has been planted with olive and other kinds of trees for 15 years; its area is estimated at 55 dunums, the sources said.
The Palestinian villages and towns of Salfit district are constantly subjected to Israeli leveling works for the expansion of twenty four settlements in the region.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed on Tuesday the house of a Palestinian martyr in southern al-Khalil for the second day in a row.
Local sources, close to the family of Ezziddin al-Qassam martyr Amer Abu Eishe, said the IOF broke into and wreaked havoc in the house. They deliberately caused damage inside the house and threatened to explode the house in case the family refused to give them all their money and golden jewelry, the sources added.
The Israeli forces also robbed other belongings like aids offered to the family by friends and relatives. The soldiers’ primary aim was to terrify the family members, the sources said.
Local sources, close to the family of Ezziddin al-Qassam martyr Amer Abu Eishe, said the IOF broke into and wreaked havoc in the house. They deliberately caused damage inside the house and threatened to explode the house in case the family refused to give them all their money and golden jewelry, the sources added.
The Israeli forces also robbed other belongings like aids offered to the family by friends and relatives. The soldiers’ primary aim was to terrify the family members, the sources said.
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Israeli bulldozers on Tuesday morning demolished the house of Ahmed al-Abbasi in al-Suweih neighborhood in Silwan district, east of Jerusalem, at the pretext of unlicensed construction.
According to Wadi Hilweh Information Center, four bulldozers escorted by Israeli police forces stormed Suweih neighborhood in the morning and embarked on knocking down the house without giving a chance for the owner to remove the furniture. The homeowner told the center that he had started to build the house in February last year and moved to it recently with 14 individuals of his family, including seven children. |
He added that the Israeli municipal authorities demolished his house, although a court hearing was supposed to be held next week to look into the Israeli demolition order.
To the northeast of al-Khalil city, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on the same day stormed a neighborhood in Ashiyukh town and handed its residents orders to appropriate their lands.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that employees from the planning and building council escorted by Israeli troops came in the morning to the neighborhood and handed the residents notices ordering them to evacuate the area, claiming that it is a state property.
The Palestinian neighborhood is full of populated homes and such Israeli step will lead the displacement of dozens of Palestinian families.
In another incident, the Israeli army's civil administration ordered residents of a Bedouin hamlet in Masafer Yatta area, south of al-Khalil, to evacuate their homes and structures, and stop construction activities, according to the national anti-settlement committee in Yatta.
The committee told Quds Press that the Israeli army claimed that the homes and structures were built in Adqiqa hamlet without licenses and that the number of its population increased illegally in the area.
To the northeast of al-Khalil city, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on the same day stormed a neighborhood in Ashiyukh town and handed its residents orders to appropriate their lands.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that employees from the planning and building council escorted by Israeli troops came in the morning to the neighborhood and handed the residents notices ordering them to evacuate the area, claiming that it is a state property.
The Palestinian neighborhood is full of populated homes and such Israeli step will lead the displacement of dozens of Palestinian families.
In another incident, the Israeli army's civil administration ordered residents of a Bedouin hamlet in Masafer Yatta area, south of al-Khalil, to evacuate their homes and structures, and stop construction activities, according to the national anti-settlement committee in Yatta.
The committee told Quds Press that the Israeli army claimed that the homes and structures were built in Adqiqa hamlet without licenses and that the number of its population increased illegally in the area.
The Israeli army issued a ruling, on Monday evening, considering large areas of the West Bank desert, a closed military zone, in preparation for the expansion of five illegal Jewish-only colonies, and for further military control.
Head of the Land Defense Committee in Jerusalem Bassam Bahar said the decision would lead to preventing the Palestinians from even entering a large desert area in the West Bank, extending from ‘Anata town, east of occupied East Jerusalem, to Bethlehem and Hebron, and all the way to the Dead Sea.
Bahar said the plan is part of Israel’s policies aiming at removing the Palestinians from their lands and replacing them with illegal colonies and military zones.
He also said the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank previously declared its intention to create a natural reserve and an airport in this area, but Israel decided to block the move, and added that such a plan would lead to the illegal annexation of thousands of Dunams of Palestinian lands.
“They want to build colonies, expand existing ones; this is what Israel announced a few days ago,” Bahar stated, “The lands extend from East Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, Hebron and the Dead Sea; Israel has been largely using those areas for military training and settlement activities.”
The official further stated that the Israel plan comes amidst a serious escalation of Israel’s illegal colonial activities, including its latest decision to displace thousands of Bedouins, in addition to “Greater Jerusalem” plan that would lead to the theft of more than 67.000 Dunams of Palestinian lands, east of Jerusalem.
This would all lead to more outposts, more expansion of existing colonies, and implementing the E1 project that aims at connecting Maaleh Adumim and dozens of settlements east of Jerusalem, with settlements that extend to Jericho and the Dead Sea.
“Israel is trying to concentrate the Bedouin population near Abu Dis, so that it can continue to expand and build its colonies and military zones," he added, “Protests are ongoing against the plan; that is why the Jerusalem Gate tent village was installed on lands Israel wants to loot; the army demolished it four times in five days.”
The official said the Israel plans largely aim at preventing the establishment of an independent, contiguous state, and even to nullify any possible land swap as part of any future agreement.
He called on President Mahmoud Abbas, and various legal and human rights groups, to contact different international groups, including the UN and the International Criminal Court to expose Israel and its ongoing crimes.
Head of the Land Defense Committee in Jerusalem Bassam Bahar said the decision would lead to preventing the Palestinians from even entering a large desert area in the West Bank, extending from ‘Anata town, east of occupied East Jerusalem, to Bethlehem and Hebron, and all the way to the Dead Sea.
Bahar said the plan is part of Israel’s policies aiming at removing the Palestinians from their lands and replacing them with illegal colonies and military zones.
He also said the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank previously declared its intention to create a natural reserve and an airport in this area, but Israel decided to block the move, and added that such a plan would lead to the illegal annexation of thousands of Dunams of Palestinian lands.
“They want to build colonies, expand existing ones; this is what Israel announced a few days ago,” Bahar stated, “The lands extend from East Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, Hebron and the Dead Sea; Israel has been largely using those areas for military training and settlement activities.”
The official further stated that the Israel plan comes amidst a serious escalation of Israel’s illegal colonial activities, including its latest decision to displace thousands of Bedouins, in addition to “Greater Jerusalem” plan that would lead to the theft of more than 67.000 Dunams of Palestinian lands, east of Jerusalem.
This would all lead to more outposts, more expansion of existing colonies, and implementing the E1 project that aims at connecting Maaleh Adumim and dozens of settlements east of Jerusalem, with settlements that extend to Jericho and the Dead Sea.
“Israel is trying to concentrate the Bedouin population near Abu Dis, so that it can continue to expand and build its colonies and military zones," he added, “Protests are ongoing against the plan; that is why the Jerusalem Gate tent village was installed on lands Israel wants to loot; the army demolished it four times in five days.”
The official said the Israel plans largely aim at preventing the establishment of an independent, contiguous state, and even to nullify any possible land swap as part of any future agreement.
He called on President Mahmoud Abbas, and various legal and human rights groups, to contact different international groups, including the UN and the International Criminal Court to expose Israel and its ongoing crimes.
The Popular Resistance activists and the people of Jerusalem on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 were able to construct a number of tents. They called them "Jerusalem Gate".
These tents were constructed as a manifestation in protest against the occupation and colonial settler policies which are practiced on Palestinian lands in occupied East Jerusalem, Abu Dies and Al Eizarieh, which are threatened with confiscation.
Israeli forces announced that they will demolish these tents hours after their construction.
In the early morning hours of February 4, 2015, a day after the establishment of the symbolic village, the area was raided by the Israeli army's bulldozers. The occupation army used gas bombs and stun grenades against the activists. The occupation army demolished the tents and the iron structure which the activists used to sleep in. After the brutal assault on the protesters and activists, they immediately returned to the area and rebuilt the tents, including those that remained.
They declared that the battle against the occupation will continue until their schemes are foiled. Popular resistance activists and the residents of the threatened land in Al Eizarieh and Abu Dis will continue to construct these tents with the aim of expressing their rejection, as well as their continuing solidarity in standing against the policies of the military which are leading to the further confiscation of Palestinian lands and the expulsion of Bedouin communities in East Jerusalem.
Israeli continues its daily assault against Palestinians in these areas through the demolition of their homes, as was the case in Arab Al Ka'abneh two weeks ago. Residents were expelled to join a larger collective of people in the Jordan Valley against their will and without any consultation with the community.
These tents were constructed as a manifestation in protest against the occupation and colonial settler policies which are practiced on Palestinian lands in occupied East Jerusalem, Abu Dies and Al Eizarieh, which are threatened with confiscation.
Israeli forces announced that they will demolish these tents hours after their construction.
In the early morning hours of February 4, 2015, a day after the establishment of the symbolic village, the area was raided by the Israeli army's bulldozers. The occupation army used gas bombs and stun grenades against the activists. The occupation army demolished the tents and the iron structure which the activists used to sleep in. After the brutal assault on the protesters and activists, they immediately returned to the area and rebuilt the tents, including those that remained.
They declared that the battle against the occupation will continue until their schemes are foiled. Popular resistance activists and the residents of the threatened land in Al Eizarieh and Abu Dis will continue to construct these tents with the aim of expressing their rejection, as well as their continuing solidarity in standing against the policies of the military which are leading to the further confiscation of Palestinian lands and the expulsion of Bedouin communities in East Jerusalem.
Israeli continues its daily assault against Palestinians in these areas through the demolition of their homes, as was the case in Arab Al Ka'abneh two weeks ago. Residents were expelled to join a larger collective of people in the Jordan Valley against their will and without any consultation with the community.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Tuesday stormed the house of Hamas leader Nazih Abu Oun, in Jenin city, and stole his money and destroyed whatever came in their way.
Dozens of IOF troops broke into the house of the 53-year-old Nazih at around 2.30 a.m. and locked up all the family members in one single room, shortly before they scoured the house and crashed our belongings and furniture under the pretext of search, Abu Oun’s family members told the PIC.
The IOF soldiers misappropriated whatever family funds that had come in their way, estimated at some 2,600 shekels, and refused to hand the family any document corroborating the misappropriation, the family said.
The family said though the assault has not been the first of its kind, as the IOF soldiers have stormed the house over the past few years for over 15 times, it has nevertheless been the most brutal and caused unprecedented damage.
The raid fell in line with a decision issued by the Israeli Salem court afternoon Monday ruling for the adjournment of a court hearing to look into the set of indictments filed against Abu Oun on charges of affiliation with Hamas.
Earlier, Abu Oun had been locked up at the Israeli occupation jails for over 13 years under the same allegations.
Detainee Abu Oun, re-captured 10 months ago, has been diagnosed with critical heath disorders, namely chronic stomachaches and severe back pains.
Dozens of IOF troops broke into the house of the 53-year-old Nazih at around 2.30 a.m. and locked up all the family members in one single room, shortly before they scoured the house and crashed our belongings and furniture under the pretext of search, Abu Oun’s family members told the PIC.
The IOF soldiers misappropriated whatever family funds that had come in their way, estimated at some 2,600 shekels, and refused to hand the family any document corroborating the misappropriation, the family said.
The family said though the assault has not been the first of its kind, as the IOF soldiers have stormed the house over the past few years for over 15 times, it has nevertheless been the most brutal and caused unprecedented damage.
The raid fell in line with a decision issued by the Israeli Salem court afternoon Monday ruling for the adjournment of a court hearing to look into the set of indictments filed against Abu Oun on charges of affiliation with Hamas.
Earlier, Abu Oun had been locked up at the Israeli occupation jails for over 13 years under the same allegations.
Detainee Abu Oun, re-captured 10 months ago, has been diagnosed with critical heath disorders, namely chronic stomachaches and severe back pains.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) stressed Monday the need to expedite complaint against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in light of its escalating violence, confiscation policy and violations against the Palestinian people and their land and property.
MP Kais Abdulkarim said in a press release that Israeli government is trying to win more time to impose a de-facto annexation of more Palestinian lands in favor of settlement expansion.
Israel’s latest tenders for new settlements in occupied Jerusalem support Palestinian position to join the ICC and stress the urgent need to submit settlement file to the ICC in order to put an end to Israel’s confiscation policy, Abdulkarim said.
MP Kais Abdulkarim said in a press release that Israeli government is trying to win more time to impose a de-facto annexation of more Palestinian lands in favor of settlement expansion.
Israel’s latest tenders for new settlements in occupied Jerusalem support Palestinian position to join the ICC and stress the urgent need to submit settlement file to the ICC in order to put an end to Israel’s confiscation policy, Abdulkarim said.
9 feb 2015
Israeli setters tried Monday to confiscate a Palestinian-owned home in the Old City in occupied Jerusalem.
The home’s owner Ahmed Sub Laban clarified that a group of settlers tried to storm his house accompanied with members of the Israeli immigration authority as a prelude to confiscate it.
Fortunately, Sub Laban’s 9-year-old son was in the home and refused to allow the settlers in.
The setters tried to storm the home after the family submitted an appeal against a court’s order that ruled in favor of the settlers. However, the settlers refused to wait for the court’s final decision and came into the home without the police's escort.
Sub Laban pointed out that his family rented the house since 1956 from the so-called ‘Jordan Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP)’.
Earlier, the Jewish organization Ateret Cohanim filed a lawsuit at the Israeli magistrate court to seize the property in 2010, and won it. Nevertheless, the family appealed the decision before the District Court, which is expected to release its final decision on May 31, 2015.
The researcher in settlements’ affairs Sub Laban said that a number of neighboring Palestinian-owned homes were also confiscated by Israeli settlers in the suburb.
The home’s owner Ahmed Sub Laban clarified that a group of settlers tried to storm his house accompanied with members of the Israeli immigration authority as a prelude to confiscate it.
Fortunately, Sub Laban’s 9-year-old son was in the home and refused to allow the settlers in.
The setters tried to storm the home after the family submitted an appeal against a court’s order that ruled in favor of the settlers. However, the settlers refused to wait for the court’s final decision and came into the home without the police's escort.
Sub Laban pointed out that his family rented the house since 1956 from the so-called ‘Jordan Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP)’.
Earlier, the Jewish organization Ateret Cohanim filed a lawsuit at the Israeli magistrate court to seize the property in 2010, and won it. Nevertheless, the family appealed the decision before the District Court, which is expected to release its final decision on May 31, 2015.
The researcher in settlements’ affairs Sub Laban said that a number of neighboring Palestinian-owned homes were also confiscated by Israeli settlers in the suburb.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) handed Palestinians on Monday dozens of evacuation and demolition notices of their houses to the east of Yatta town in southern al-Khalil.
The coordinator of Anti-Wall and Settlement Committee in Yatta, Ratib al-Jabour, told the PIC reporter that the IOF handed twenty five notices to Palestinian Bedouin families living in a small hamlet near Yatta town.
“The Israeli Occupation Authority (IOA) aims at displacing the Palestinian families in favor of settlement expansion”, Jabour said.
Jabour appealed to human rights institutions to work on aiding those Bedouin families who sustain harsh living conditions.
The coordinator of Anti-Wall and Settlement Committee in Yatta, Ratib al-Jabour, told the PIC reporter that the IOF handed twenty five notices to Palestinian Bedouin families living in a small hamlet near Yatta town.
“The Israeli Occupation Authority (IOA) aims at displacing the Palestinian families in favor of settlement expansion”, Jabour said.
Jabour appealed to human rights institutions to work on aiding those Bedouin families who sustain harsh living conditions.
Abu Ein's replacement detained during tree planting action
Extremist Israeli settlers cut down over 70 Palestinian olive trees in the Hebron district on Monday, according to locals. Meanwhile, some 3,740 dunams in areas of four West Bank settlements have been marked as "state lands" by Israeli authorities.
Witnesses told Ma'an News Agency that the settlers destroyed over 70 tree saplings near the town of Sair.
The trees had been planted a week ago in an area threatened with annexation, near the illegal settlement of Metzad, located in the Gush Etzion bloc west of Bethlehem.
Locals have organized a campaign to replant the trees.
Attacks on olive trees are a key way by which Palestinians are forced out of their homes and lands confiscated for settlement construction, as the loss of a year's crop can signal destitution for many.
The olive industry supports the livelihoods of roughly 80,000 families in the occupied West Bank.
Since 1967, approximately 800,000 West Bank olive trees have been uprooted, according to a joint report by the Palestinian Authority and the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem.
In a related vein, Israeli forces were reported to have detained the president of the Palestinian Authority's committee against the apartheid wall and settlements while he was planting trees near Ramallah.
Sources told Ma'an that Jamil al-Barghouthi was arrested while taking part in a tree planting demonstration on Silwad land that is under threat of Israeli confiscation.
Israeli forces reportedly assaulted al-Barghouthi and other participants in the activity before making the arrest.
The soldiers also detained the man's escort, Iyad al-Barghouthi.
In December, PA President Mahmoud Abbas appointed al-Barghouthi to replace Ziad Abu Ein as the head of the PA committee against the wall and settlements.
Abu Ein died after being assaulted by Israeli soldiers during a tree planting demonstration in the village of Turmusayya in the Ramallah district on December 10th.
PNN reports that Israeli Civil Administration, last year, prepared major expansions of four West Bank settlements; Kedumim, Vered Yericho, Neveh Tzuf and Emanuel. Some 3,740 dunams in the areas of the settlements were marked as state lands. More than 99% of "state lands" are allocated to settlements.
According to Haaretz, Preparations for submitting construction plans were carried out on 18 projects encompassing 12,840 dunams. This marked a significant decline from 2013 when preparations were made on 26,548 dunams. An examination of the work done in these areas demonstrates the government's intentions to expand settlements.
There has also been a change in settlements' areas of jurisdiction. Last year they increased by 1,162 dunams. Psagot received 155 dunams, Elkana 904 dunams, and Mevo Horon 600 dunams. On the other hand, the settlements Tzufim, Kfar Oranim and Halamish became smaller.
Last December Haaretz reported that the state had marked 35,000 dunams located in firing zones near the settlements as state lands. Although the government claims that the firing zones are used for army training exercises, they have in fact started to prepare them for transfer to the settlements.
Researcher Dror Etkes, who heads the Peace Now settlement tracking project, analyzed the data and told Haaretz: "These data prove that the Netanyahu government continued in 2014 to energetically promote the End of Days vision of an apartheid state, where settlements are built simultaneously all over the West Bank, and millions of Palestinians live as second-class citizens in the enclaves between them."
Extremist Israeli settlers cut down over 70 Palestinian olive trees in the Hebron district on Monday, according to locals. Meanwhile, some 3,740 dunams in areas of four West Bank settlements have been marked as "state lands" by Israeli authorities.
Witnesses told Ma'an News Agency that the settlers destroyed over 70 tree saplings near the town of Sair.
The trees had been planted a week ago in an area threatened with annexation, near the illegal settlement of Metzad, located in the Gush Etzion bloc west of Bethlehem.
Locals have organized a campaign to replant the trees.
Attacks on olive trees are a key way by which Palestinians are forced out of their homes and lands confiscated for settlement construction, as the loss of a year's crop can signal destitution for many.
The olive industry supports the livelihoods of roughly 80,000 families in the occupied West Bank.
Since 1967, approximately 800,000 West Bank olive trees have been uprooted, according to a joint report by the Palestinian Authority and the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem.
In a related vein, Israeli forces were reported to have detained the president of the Palestinian Authority's committee against the apartheid wall and settlements while he was planting trees near Ramallah.
Sources told Ma'an that Jamil al-Barghouthi was arrested while taking part in a tree planting demonstration on Silwad land that is under threat of Israeli confiscation.
Israeli forces reportedly assaulted al-Barghouthi and other participants in the activity before making the arrest.
The soldiers also detained the man's escort, Iyad al-Barghouthi.
In December, PA President Mahmoud Abbas appointed al-Barghouthi to replace Ziad Abu Ein as the head of the PA committee against the wall and settlements.
Abu Ein died after being assaulted by Israeli soldiers during a tree planting demonstration in the village of Turmusayya in the Ramallah district on December 10th.
PNN reports that Israeli Civil Administration, last year, prepared major expansions of four West Bank settlements; Kedumim, Vered Yericho, Neveh Tzuf and Emanuel. Some 3,740 dunams in the areas of the settlements were marked as state lands. More than 99% of "state lands" are allocated to settlements.
According to Haaretz, Preparations for submitting construction plans were carried out on 18 projects encompassing 12,840 dunams. This marked a significant decline from 2013 when preparations were made on 26,548 dunams. An examination of the work done in these areas demonstrates the government's intentions to expand settlements.
There has also been a change in settlements' areas of jurisdiction. Last year they increased by 1,162 dunams. Psagot received 155 dunams, Elkana 904 dunams, and Mevo Horon 600 dunams. On the other hand, the settlements Tzufim, Kfar Oranim and Halamish became smaller.
Last December Haaretz reported that the state had marked 35,000 dunams located in firing zones near the settlements as state lands. Although the government claims that the firing zones are used for army training exercises, they have in fact started to prepare them for transfer to the settlements.
Researcher Dror Etkes, who heads the Peace Now settlement tracking project, analyzed the data and told Haaretz: "These data prove that the Netanyahu government continued in 2014 to energetically promote the End of Days vision of an apartheid state, where settlements are built simultaneously all over the West Bank, and millions of Palestinians live as second-class citizens in the enclaves between them."
The Israeli Civil Administration is preparing for major settlement expansions in the West Bank, Haaretz Hebrew newspaper revealed Monday.
The projected bid aims at the annexation of some 3,740 dunums of Palestinian land lots so as to set the stage for marking them as state property and later expand four Israeli settlements making use of those annexed land lots.
The same source identified the to-be-expanded settlements as Kedumim, Vered Yericho, Halamish and Emanuel.
The projected bid aims at the annexation of some 3,740 dunums of Palestinian land lots so as to set the stage for marking them as state property and later expand four Israeli settlements making use of those annexed land lots.
The same source identified the to-be-expanded settlements as Kedumim, Vered Yericho, Halamish and Emanuel.
Dr. Alastair McPhail, British Consul General visited the Nuweimah area in Jericho last week. He saw the site proposed for the relocation of Bedouin communities currently living in Area C.
During his visit Dr. McPhail met representatives of the Bedouin community. He heard about their concerns about the impact of the plans on their lifestyle and the social structure within the communities.
Representatives from UNRWA and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) briefed Dr McPhail about the current legal situation. The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) is funding NRC's work to support Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank so that they can access their rights and prevent their displacement. The UN has stated that such a move could be considered the forcible transfer of a protected population, a grave breach of the fourth Geneva Convention.
Following the visit, Dr. McPhail said:
"The UK is deeply concerned by the proposal to relocate Bedouin communities to Nuweimah and by the impact of Israeli occupation on Area C Bedouin. As I heard today, this will cause considerable suffering to these communities. It would also be harmful to the peace process. Displacement of a protected population and the building of settlements in the West Bank endangers the viability of the two state solution. This is why the UK is supporting Norwegian Refugee Council's work to help vulnerable Bedouin communities."
During his visit Dr. McPhail met representatives of the Bedouin community. He heard about their concerns about the impact of the plans on their lifestyle and the social structure within the communities.
Representatives from UNRWA and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) briefed Dr McPhail about the current legal situation. The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) is funding NRC's work to support Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank so that they can access their rights and prevent their displacement. The UN has stated that such a move could be considered the forcible transfer of a protected population, a grave breach of the fourth Geneva Convention.
Following the visit, Dr. McPhail said:
"The UK is deeply concerned by the proposal to relocate Bedouin communities to Nuweimah and by the impact of Israeli occupation on Area C Bedouin. As I heard today, this will cause considerable suffering to these communities. It would also be harmful to the peace process. Displacement of a protected population and the building of settlements in the West Bank endangers the viability of the two state solution. This is why the UK is supporting Norwegian Refugee Council's work to help vulnerable Bedouin communities."
The Israeli High Court ordered, on Sunday, the removal of nine homes illegally built in the “Ofra” colony, built on privately owned Palestinian lands in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, and gave the Israeli government two years to implement the ruling.
The decision was made after a number of human rights groups, legal organizations, and owners of the Palestinian lands, filed appeals demanding the removal of the illegal construction.
Residents of ‘Ein Yabroud, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, along with Yesh Din and B’Tselem Israeli Human Rights groups filed the appeal against the illegal construction in 2008, demanding the removal of homes illegally built on privately-owned Palestinian lands.
The developments were built without the approval of the Israeli “Civil Administration Office," run by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank.
It was recently revealed that the Israeli Housing Ministry financed the construction of dozens of homes, illegally built in Ofra settlements, despite its knowledge that the Civil Administration never approved those constructions.
Israeli daily Haaretz recently reported that one-third of the budget for development and construction in rural areas went, over the last two years, for the benefit of settlement construction and expansion, including Ofra colony that received 1.7 Million New Israeli Shekels, to construct 66 units.
On December 18 2013, the Housing Ministry approved a budget for the construction that actually started, without any license of approval, by the end of 2010.
It was also revealed that Amna Israeli movement, founded in 1978 as the colonial branch for the “Regional Council of Settlements,” started large-scale construction in an old Jordanian army base that was illegally confiscated by Israel and its lands became part of Ofra.
In April of 2011, the Palestinians filed an appeal to the Israeli High Court leading to a ruling to halt all construction, although many settlers have already moved into dozens of completely built units, while many units were still in the construction phase.
However, in January of this year, the Civil Administration made a decision, retroactively approving the construction, and retroactively approving the structural construction plan and maps, in order to avoid being accused of financing construction that had not been licensed, although Housing Ministry data reveals that the construction started in 2011.
The decision was made after a number of human rights groups, legal organizations, and owners of the Palestinian lands, filed appeals demanding the removal of the illegal construction.
Residents of ‘Ein Yabroud, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, along with Yesh Din and B’Tselem Israeli Human Rights groups filed the appeal against the illegal construction in 2008, demanding the removal of homes illegally built on privately-owned Palestinian lands.
The developments were built without the approval of the Israeli “Civil Administration Office," run by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank.
It was recently revealed that the Israeli Housing Ministry financed the construction of dozens of homes, illegally built in Ofra settlements, despite its knowledge that the Civil Administration never approved those constructions.
Israeli daily Haaretz recently reported that one-third of the budget for development and construction in rural areas went, over the last two years, for the benefit of settlement construction and expansion, including Ofra colony that received 1.7 Million New Israeli Shekels, to construct 66 units.
On December 18 2013, the Housing Ministry approved a budget for the construction that actually started, without any license of approval, by the end of 2010.
It was also revealed that Amna Israeli movement, founded in 1978 as the colonial branch for the “Regional Council of Settlements,” started large-scale construction in an old Jordanian army base that was illegally confiscated by Israel and its lands became part of Ofra.
In April of 2011, the Palestinians filed an appeal to the Israeli High Court leading to a ruling to halt all construction, although many settlers have already moved into dozens of completely built units, while many units were still in the construction phase.
However, in January of this year, the Civil Administration made a decision, retroactively approving the construction, and retroactively approving the structural construction plan and maps, in order to avoid being accused of financing construction that had not been licensed, although Housing Ministry data reveals that the construction started in 2011.
8 feb 2015
Head of Jerusalem International Center Hassan Khater expressed his concern about the growing number of Jewish inhabitants in eastern Jerusalem compared to the Palestinian natives.
Before 1967, 100% of the inhabitants in East Jerusalem were Palestinians with a zero percentage for the Jews. However, 50% of the inhabitants at present are Jews, Dr. Hassan Khater said in a press release on Sunday.
Khater added the Israeli occupation has managed to confiscate 89% of Jerusalem lands leaving only 11% for the Jerusalemite people. He pointed out that the enormous acceleration in Judaization of Jerusalem has not been met with significant change in the forms and methods of resistance which is confined to repeated emotional media discourse, according to Khater.
The head of the Center urged the Arab and Islamic nations to take a more effective stand in support and in defense of Jerusalem and its holy shrines.
Before 1967, 100% of the inhabitants in East Jerusalem were Palestinians with a zero percentage for the Jews. However, 50% of the inhabitants at present are Jews, Dr. Hassan Khater said in a press release on Sunday.
Khater added the Israeli occupation has managed to confiscate 89% of Jerusalem lands leaving only 11% for the Jerusalemite people. He pointed out that the enormous acceleration in Judaization of Jerusalem has not been met with significant change in the forms and methods of resistance which is confined to repeated emotional media discourse, according to Khater.
The head of the Center urged the Arab and Islamic nations to take a more effective stand in support and in defense of Jerusalem and its holy shrines.
The symbolic village for popular resistance, "Jerusalem Gate", was demolished for the fourth time, on Sunday.
Mustafa Al-Barghourthi, General Secretary of the Palestine National Initiative (PNI), told the Palestinian News Network (PNN) that, if Abu Dis falls under Israeli control, the West Bank will be divided in half, with 62% of the land seized, and futher hindering any possibility Palestinian state.
Israeli forces, for the third time, dismantled the village on Thursday, just hours after it had been rebuilt, using pickup trucks and bulldozers. Tents were damaged, ID's retained, chairs and supplemental food were confiscated, and the village was again rebuilt.
The project was first established Tuesday, on lands inhabited by the al-Jahalin Bedouin clan, in protest of the new "E1" settlement project which aims to confiscate thousands of dunams from East Jerusalem, for the purpose of settlement expansion.
On Wednesday, Israeli occupation forces attacked popular struggle activists in the newly rebuilt village, again removing tents and confiscating property. Munther Amira, chair of the higher coordination committee against the wall and settlements, assured the PNN that the committee will carry on with activities and work to increase resistance against Israeli apartheid policies.
Activist Mahmoud Zawahra said that Israeli forces chased the participants, as well as residents of Abu Dis, Ezariyah and other East Jerusalem desert villages, attacking them with teargas and sound grenades.
Jamil Barghouthi, activist and coordinator of the village, said that Jerusalem Gate was a reaction and rejection of the Israeli decision to displace East Jerusalem Bedouins into al-Eizariyya and Nuway'imah, near the Jordan Valley.
Voicing the role of the popular struggle against settlements and continued Israeli violations, Barghouthi called on popular resistance and relative associations to participate in the upcoming activities, in order to make 2015 the year for ending the Israeli occupation and its ethnic cleansing campaigns.
Israeli forces demolished homes of the Ka'abneh clan two weeks ago, in an attempt to displace them into a residential area of the Jordan Valley against their will.
The Israeli occupation continues with its discriminatory policies against Arabs in East Jerusalem, serving them with arbitrary demolition notices under the pretext of building without a permit, or simply claiming their land for the state as "absentee property".
Through these policies, Israel intends to further expand East Jerusalem's largest settlement, "Ma'ali Adummin", and connect it with other Israeli-occupied cities, to seize it and evict Palestinian residents from the area.
The project began in 2007, threatening more than 15,000 Bedouin Palestinians (half of whom are children) living in groups since the Nakba of 1948.
Mustafa Al-Barghourthi, General Secretary of the Palestine National Initiative (PNI), told the Palestinian News Network (PNN) that, if Abu Dis falls under Israeli control, the West Bank will be divided in half, with 62% of the land seized, and futher hindering any possibility Palestinian state.
Israeli forces, for the third time, dismantled the village on Thursday, just hours after it had been rebuilt, using pickup trucks and bulldozers. Tents were damaged, ID's retained, chairs and supplemental food were confiscated, and the village was again rebuilt.
The project was first established Tuesday, on lands inhabited by the al-Jahalin Bedouin clan, in protest of the new "E1" settlement project which aims to confiscate thousands of dunams from East Jerusalem, for the purpose of settlement expansion.
On Wednesday, Israeli occupation forces attacked popular struggle activists in the newly rebuilt village, again removing tents and confiscating property. Munther Amira, chair of the higher coordination committee against the wall and settlements, assured the PNN that the committee will carry on with activities and work to increase resistance against Israeli apartheid policies.
Activist Mahmoud Zawahra said that Israeli forces chased the participants, as well as residents of Abu Dis, Ezariyah and other East Jerusalem desert villages, attacking them with teargas and sound grenades.
Jamil Barghouthi, activist and coordinator of the village, said that Jerusalem Gate was a reaction and rejection of the Israeli decision to displace East Jerusalem Bedouins into al-Eizariyya and Nuway'imah, near the Jordan Valley.
Voicing the role of the popular struggle against settlements and continued Israeli violations, Barghouthi called on popular resistance and relative associations to participate in the upcoming activities, in order to make 2015 the year for ending the Israeli occupation and its ethnic cleansing campaigns.
Israeli forces demolished homes of the Ka'abneh clan two weeks ago, in an attempt to displace them into a residential area of the Jordan Valley against their will.
The Israeli occupation continues with its discriminatory policies against Arabs in East Jerusalem, serving them with arbitrary demolition notices under the pretext of building without a permit, or simply claiming their land for the state as "absentee property".
Through these policies, Israel intends to further expand East Jerusalem's largest settlement, "Ma'ali Adummin", and connect it with other Israeli-occupied cities, to seize it and evict Palestinian residents from the area.
The project began in 2007, threatening more than 15,000 Bedouin Palestinians (half of whom are children) living in groups since the Nakba of 1948.
Hundreds of rabbis from the four corners of the world have slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for acting against the international law.
Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) submitted an open letter by as many as 400 rabbis from across the world to the Israeli premier, criticizing his policies toward Palestinians.
The rabbis called on Netanyahu to halt razing to the ground Palestinian homes in the occupied territories, saying that Netanyahu’s policies toward Palestinians are in contradiction to “international law.”
“Thousands have been forced to build without permits, and great human suffering is caused when hundreds of homes are demolished each year,” the letter stated.
It was in reaction to Netanyahu’s recent decision to destroy some 400 newly-built Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank.
The move by the Israeli premier came after the British newspaper Daily Mail in a report alleged that the European Union had funded the construction of the homes, according to Israeli media.
Tel Aviv claims that the EU should have asked for its permit for the construction.
On February 6, a spokesman for the EU, whose name was not mentioned in the reports, defended its funding for the Palestinian homes.
In addition, Shadi Othman, a communications officer at the Office of the European Union Representative in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, told the Daily Mail a day earlier that the project “is part of the work done to build the future Palestinian state.”
“Palestinians have a right to live there, build schools there, have economic development,” Othman added.
On January 23, James W. Rawley, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, voiced concern over Israel’s recent spate of demolitions in the West Bank and East al-Quds.
“Some of the demolished structures were provided by the international community to support vulnerable families. Demolitions that result in forced evictions and displacement run counter to Israel’s obligations under international law,” Rawley added.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recently announced that in 2014, “according to OCHA figures, the Israeli authorities destroyed 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C (in the West Bank) and East Jerusalem, displacing 1,177 people -- the highest level of displacement in the West Bank since the OCHA began systematically monitoring the issue in 2008.”
Israel’s settlement policy
The developments come amid widespread global condemnation of Israel’s land grab policies. Tel Aviv has approved a series of plans for new settler units in East al-Quds in recent months.
The European Union has often criticized Israel for building thousands of settlement units in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Upward of half a million Israelis live in more than 120 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East al-Quds, in 1967.
The Israeli settlements are considered to be illegal by much of the international community because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are thus subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.
Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) submitted an open letter by as many as 400 rabbis from across the world to the Israeli premier, criticizing his policies toward Palestinians.
The rabbis called on Netanyahu to halt razing to the ground Palestinian homes in the occupied territories, saying that Netanyahu’s policies toward Palestinians are in contradiction to “international law.”
“Thousands have been forced to build without permits, and great human suffering is caused when hundreds of homes are demolished each year,” the letter stated.
It was in reaction to Netanyahu’s recent decision to destroy some 400 newly-built Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank.
The move by the Israeli premier came after the British newspaper Daily Mail in a report alleged that the European Union had funded the construction of the homes, according to Israeli media.
Tel Aviv claims that the EU should have asked for its permit for the construction.
On February 6, a spokesman for the EU, whose name was not mentioned in the reports, defended its funding for the Palestinian homes.
In addition, Shadi Othman, a communications officer at the Office of the European Union Representative in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, told the Daily Mail a day earlier that the project “is part of the work done to build the future Palestinian state.”
“Palestinians have a right to live there, build schools there, have economic development,” Othman added.
On January 23, James W. Rawley, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, voiced concern over Israel’s recent spate of demolitions in the West Bank and East al-Quds.
“Some of the demolished structures were provided by the international community to support vulnerable families. Demolitions that result in forced evictions and displacement run counter to Israel’s obligations under international law,” Rawley added.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recently announced that in 2014, “according to OCHA figures, the Israeli authorities destroyed 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C (in the West Bank) and East Jerusalem, displacing 1,177 people -- the highest level of displacement in the West Bank since the OCHA began systematically monitoring the issue in 2008.”
Israel’s settlement policy
The developments come amid widespread global condemnation of Israel’s land grab policies. Tel Aviv has approved a series of plans for new settler units in East al-Quds in recent months.
The European Union has often criticized Israel for building thousands of settlement units in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Upward of half a million Israelis live in more than 120 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East al-Quds, in 1967.
The Israeli settlements are considered to be illegal by much of the international community because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are thus subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.