5 nov 2016

A Palestinian official report has accused the Israeli government of taking steps to erase the green line through establishing settlement projects on its both sides.
These projects would be funded from the general budget that was approved by the Knesset last Wednesday.
The report was issued by the national bureau for defending the land and resisting settlement, which is an affiliate of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The bureau affirmed that this Israeli budget reflected the systematic policy pursued by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to torpedo any chance for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The bureau said that Israel’s settlement plans accelerated recently especially after it announced its intent to carry out the industrial zone project on 310 dunums of land annexed from the Palestinian villages of Safa and Beit Sira, which are located on both sides of the green line.
These projects would be funded from the general budget that was approved by the Knesset last Wednesday.
The report was issued by the national bureau for defending the land and resisting settlement, which is an affiliate of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The bureau affirmed that this Israeli budget reflected the systematic policy pursued by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to torpedo any chance for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The bureau said that Israel’s settlement plans accelerated recently especially after it announced its intent to carry out the industrial zone project on 310 dunums of land annexed from the Palestinian villages of Safa and Beit Sira, which are located on both sides of the green line.

Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) continued their Judaization and settlement construction policies in Silwan town, south of al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied Jerusalem.
Speaking to a PIC reporter, member of the Committee for the Defense of Jerusalem Properties Fakhri Abu Diab affirmed that Silwan town has been systematically targeted by the IOA as it represents the key to wipe out the Islamic and Arab identity of al-Aqsa Mosque.
More than 4,500 houses in Silwan town are threatened with demolition which means that 40% of its people are threatened with displacement, he pointed out.
More than 13.5 million shekels are yearly paid as taxes from Silwan residents, however; they are not used for the infrastructures, according to him.
Abu Diab underlined that Silwan residents suffer from economic and psychological burdens due to the Israeli daily arrests and house demolitions.
Earlier on Friday, dozens of Palestinians performed Friday prayer in Ein al-Louze neighborhood for the second consecutive week in protest against Israeli demolition of dozens of local houses.
Speaking to a PIC reporter, member of the Committee for the Defense of Jerusalem Properties Fakhri Abu Diab affirmed that Silwan town has been systematically targeted by the IOA as it represents the key to wipe out the Islamic and Arab identity of al-Aqsa Mosque.
More than 4,500 houses in Silwan town are threatened with demolition which means that 40% of its people are threatened with displacement, he pointed out.
More than 13.5 million shekels are yearly paid as taxes from Silwan residents, however; they are not used for the infrastructures, according to him.
Abu Diab underlined that Silwan residents suffer from economic and psychological burdens due to the Israeli daily arrests and house demolitions.
Earlier on Friday, dozens of Palestinians performed Friday prayer in Ein al-Louze neighborhood for the second consecutive week in protest against Israeli demolition of dozens of local houses.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) notified Saturday afternoon owner of an agricultural facility with demolition west of Qalqilia to the north of the West Bank.
Local sources affirmed to the PIC reporter that Israeli forces handed over demolition order against a room and a yard in a Palestinian-owned farm west of the city under the pretext of being built without Israeli permit.
Ignoring Palestinian needs, Israel practically bans Palestinian construction and development in Area C which covers 60% of the occupied West Bank.
At the same time, it encourages the construction of Israeli settlements through a parallel planning mechanism.
Local sources affirmed to the PIC reporter that Israeli forces handed over demolition order against a room and a yard in a Palestinian-owned farm west of the city under the pretext of being built without Israeli permit.
Ignoring Palestinian needs, Israel practically bans Palestinian construction and development in Area C which covers 60% of the occupied West Bank.
At the same time, it encourages the construction of Israeli settlements through a parallel planning mechanism.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, revealed in its weekly report, covering the period between 18 - 31 October 2016, that Israel’s demolition policy has been increased by 150% compared to 2015.
Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, the Israeli authorities demolished or confiscated 18 structures in six Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem and Area C, displacing 54 people, including 29 children and affecting the livelihoods of more than 46 others, according to the report.
Eight of the targeted structures, including residential shelters, latrines and a water cistern, had been provided as humanitarian assistance in response to previous demolitions.
This brings the total number of assistance items destroyed or confiscated since the beginning of 2016 to 273, up more than 150 per cent compared to all of 2015.
Israeli forces, along with the Israel Antiquities Authority, also damaged construction materials in a cemetery near the Old City of Jerusalem, on grounds of being used to build gravestones without permits.
According to the report, Israeli forces conducted on five separate occasions military training exercises in the northern Jordan Valley, in the vicinity of three herding communities (Humsa al Bqai’a, Tell al Khashabeh and Lifjim).
While these incidents resulted in no displacement, damage to structures and access restrictions to grazing areas were reported, affecting 15 families.
During the reported period, Israeli forces conducted 196 search and arrest operations and arrested 234 Palestinians in the West Bank.
The Jerusalem governorate accounted for the highest portion of arrests (97) and operations (56), including the raiding of a secondary boy’s school in East Jerusalem.
Also, in Jerusalem, the Israeli police banned 15 Palestinians from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque for periods ranging between three months and two weeks.
Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, the Israeli authorities demolished or confiscated 18 structures in six Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem and Area C, displacing 54 people, including 29 children and affecting the livelihoods of more than 46 others, according to the report.
Eight of the targeted structures, including residential shelters, latrines and a water cistern, had been provided as humanitarian assistance in response to previous demolitions.
This brings the total number of assistance items destroyed or confiscated since the beginning of 2016 to 273, up more than 150 per cent compared to all of 2015.
Israeli forces, along with the Israel Antiquities Authority, also damaged construction materials in a cemetery near the Old City of Jerusalem, on grounds of being used to build gravestones without permits.
According to the report, Israeli forces conducted on five separate occasions military training exercises in the northern Jordan Valley, in the vicinity of three herding communities (Humsa al Bqai’a, Tell al Khashabeh and Lifjim).
While these incidents resulted in no displacement, damage to structures and access restrictions to grazing areas were reported, affecting 15 families.
During the reported period, Israeli forces conducted 196 search and arrest operations and arrested 234 Palestinians in the West Bank.
The Jerusalem governorate accounted for the highest portion of arrests (97) and operations (56), including the raiding of a secondary boy’s school in East Jerusalem.
Also, in Jerusalem, the Israeli police banned 15 Palestinians from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque for periods ranging between three months and two weeks.
3 nov 2016

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) notified Thursday a number of Palestinian agricultural facilities with demolition in Qasra town, south of Nablus.
Mayor of Qasra Abdul Adhim Wadi told the PIC reporter that Israeli authorities notified a number of local farmers to demolish their agricultural facilities, located near Migdalim settlement illegally built north of the town, within seven days under the pretext of being built in Area C.
The notified facilities include EU-funded barns and water wells, the mayor said, adding that a water tank and a fence were also demolished in the area.
Demolitions in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem have seen an unprecedented upsurge in recent months, as Israeli authorities demolished 905 Palestinian structures in the occupied Palestinian territories so far this year, in a big increase from 453 in all of 2015, according to UN documentation.
Mayor of Qasra Abdul Adhim Wadi told the PIC reporter that Israeli authorities notified a number of local farmers to demolish their agricultural facilities, located near Migdalim settlement illegally built north of the town, within seven days under the pretext of being built in Area C.
The notified facilities include EU-funded barns and water wells, the mayor said, adding that a water tank and a fence were also demolished in the area.
Demolitions in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem have seen an unprecedented upsurge in recent months, as Israeli authorities demolished 905 Palestinian structures in the occupied Palestinian territories so far this year, in a big increase from 453 in all of 2015, according to UN documentation.

The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) finalized a plan to construct 270 top-notch settlement units in East Occupied Jerusalem.
The projected apartments, which will be annexed to the Gilo settlement, to the southwest of Salfit, are to be built on an area of 15 dunums to be seized from the Palestinian Darwish family in Occupied Jerusalem.
The plan was handed over to Gilo’s administrative committee for the final touches and recommendations.
The Jerusalem municipality vowed to approve the bid as soon as it is passed on to its representative committees.
The targeted land tract is reportedly located outside the Green Line.
According to activist Sami Darwish, a set of documents prove that the Darwish family members have been the only owners of the land for over 100 years, since the Ottoman Era. The IOA claimed they have grabbed hold of the land 50 years ago.
Darwish added that the Israeli land department claimed ownership of the land by mistake and that an Israeli court rule delivered a verdict over the affair.
The move falls in line with an Israeli decision to construct 170 illegal settlement units in Gilo hills, in a bid approved by the Israeli planning committee in Occupied Jerusalem.
The projected apartments, which will be annexed to the Gilo settlement, to the southwest of Salfit, are to be built on an area of 15 dunums to be seized from the Palestinian Darwish family in Occupied Jerusalem.
The plan was handed over to Gilo’s administrative committee for the final touches and recommendations.
The Jerusalem municipality vowed to approve the bid as soon as it is passed on to its representative committees.
The targeted land tract is reportedly located outside the Green Line.
According to activist Sami Darwish, a set of documents prove that the Darwish family members have been the only owners of the land for over 100 years, since the Ottoman Era. The IOA claimed they have grabbed hold of the land 50 years ago.
Darwish added that the Israeli land department claimed ownership of the land by mistake and that an Israeli court rule delivered a verdict over the affair.
The move falls in line with an Israeli decision to construct 170 illegal settlement units in Gilo hills, in a bid approved by the Israeli planning committee in Occupied Jerusalem.

Knesset members from Habayit Hayehudi and Likud (government coalition parties) on Wednesday tabled a bill that would legalize Jewish outposts built on privately owned Palestinian land in the West Bank.
According to Haaretz, “It is still not clear whether the bill will receive the support of attorney general Avichai Mandelblit, who ruled that a previous bill on the subject was unconstitutional and would not stand up to the scrutiny of the high court of justice.”
The new draft law distinguishes between ownership of land and the right to utilize land. It aims to enable the Israeli government to give itself the right to use private Palestinian land without taking ownership of it.
Moreover, if the bill was passed, it would only apply to illegal outposts that the government was involved in establishing, such as the highly contentious outpost of Amona, whose residents face a high court eviction order, which must be enforced by December 25.
According to Haaretz, “It is still not clear whether the bill will receive the support of attorney general Avichai Mandelblit, who ruled that a previous bill on the subject was unconstitutional and would not stand up to the scrutiny of the high court of justice.”
The new draft law distinguishes between ownership of land and the right to utilize land. It aims to enable the Israeli government to give itself the right to use private Palestinian land without taking ownership of it.
Moreover, if the bill was passed, it would only apply to illegal outposts that the government was involved in establishing, such as the highly contentious outpost of Amona, whose residents face a high court eviction order, which must be enforced by December 25.

Several Israeli military jeeps, and a bulldozer, invaded in Thursday at dawn Beita town, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and demolishes a butcher’s shop and two sheds.
The invasion was carried out during early dawn hours after the soldiers surrounded the town and advanced from several directions.
Wassef M’alla, the head of Beta Local Council, said the soldiers demolished a butcher’s shop, belonging to Mohammad Abdul-Rahman Odah, without any prior notice or warning.
He added that the army also demolished two sheds belonging to Mohammad Rezqallah Eqteish and Essam Mahmoud Najjar, without a prior notice or warning.
The sheds were used to store card boxes, near the Central Fruits and Vegetable Market, close to the main entrance of the town.
The invasion was carried out during early dawn hours after the soldiers surrounded the town and advanced from several directions.
Wassef M’alla, the head of Beta Local Council, said the soldiers demolished a butcher’s shop, belonging to Mohammad Abdul-Rahman Odah, without any prior notice or warning.
He added that the army also demolished two sheds belonging to Mohammad Rezqallah Eqteish and Essam Mahmoud Najjar, without a prior notice or warning.
The sheds were used to store card boxes, near the Central Fruits and Vegetable Market, close to the main entrance of the town.

Israeli soldiers invaded, earlier Thursday, a Palestinian home in the al-Am’ari refugee camp, south of Ramallah, and kidnapped a father, his wife, and their five children, in addition to confiscating equipment from the family’s auto repair shop.
Media sources in Ramallah said several Israeli army vehicles invaded the refugee camp before breaking into the home of Mahran Abu Shousha, and violently searching it, causing excessive damage.
The soldiers then kidnapped the father, Mahran, his wife and their five children, and took them to an unknown destination.
The army also invaded the family’s car repair shop, on the ground level of the property, and confiscated several cars.
The invasion led to clashes between the soldiers and local youths who hurled stones at the military vehicles, while the soldiers fired many rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs.
Two Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, and many others suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.
Media sources in Ramallah said several Israeli army vehicles invaded the refugee camp before breaking into the home of Mahran Abu Shousha, and violently searching it, causing excessive damage.
The soldiers then kidnapped the father, Mahran, his wife and their five children, and took them to an unknown destination.
The army also invaded the family’s car repair shop, on the ground level of the property, and confiscated several cars.
The invasion led to clashes between the soldiers and local youths who hurled stones at the military vehicles, while the soldiers fired many rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs.
Two Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, and many others suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.
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