18 june 2020

A Palestinian man who went to the Israeli High Court today to appeal a decision to demolish his house in Jerusalem's Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood hoping to get justice from the highest court in Israel, was instead told by the court that he has until Sunday to tear down his house or he will be fined $30,000.
Abdullah Zaatra said that his brother, Yasin, appealed through his lawyer to the High Court against a decision by the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem to demolish his house in five days for construction without permit.
To his surprise, the Court quickly ruled on the matter and ordered Zaatra to either demolish his house with his own hand by Sunday or he will be fined $30,000 if the municipality goes ahead with the demolition.
Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem say they are forced to build without a permit because getting one is an almost impossible task in light of Israel's discriminatory building policy in the occupied city which favors Jewish construction and presence to Palestinian.
Abdullah Zaatra said that his brother, Yasin, appealed through his lawyer to the High Court against a decision by the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem to demolish his house in five days for construction without permit.
To his surprise, the Court quickly ruled on the matter and ordered Zaatra to either demolish his house with his own hand by Sunday or he will be fined $30,000 if the municipality goes ahead with the demolition.
Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem say they are forced to build without a permit because getting one is an almost impossible task in light of Israel's discriminatory building policy in the occupied city which favors Jewish construction and presence to Palestinian.

Israeli forces today demolished a Palestinian-owned house in al-Khader town, located to the south of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to WAFA correspondent.
He said that a large army forces escorted a bulldozer into town, where the heavy machinery demolished a two-room house belonging to Samir Salah.
This was not the first time that Israeli forces demolish Salah’s house. Six months ago, soldiers demolished his first house, which occupied 150 square meters, prompting him to build the other one, which was demolished today.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces tore down a car wash in El-Mansheya village, close to Tuqu' town, located to the east of Bethlehem.
Mayor of Tuqu' Tayseer Abu Mifreh confirmed that an Israeli military unit raided the village and proceeded to demolish a car wash belonging to Ali al-Khatib.
Both demolitions were carried out because the structures were purportedly built without permits.
Israel demolishes Palestinian houses and structures almost on a daily basis as a means to achieve “demographic control” of the occupied territories.
Israel denies planning permits for Palestinians to build on their own land or to extend existing houses to accommodate natural growth, particularly in Jerusalem and Area C, which constitutes 60 percent of the occupied West Bank and falls under full Israeli military rule, forcing residents to build without obtaining rarely-granted permits to provide shelters for their families.
In contrast, Israel argues that building within existing colonial settlements is necessary to accommodate the “natural growth” of settlers.
Therefore, it much more easily gives the estimated 550,000 Jewish Israeli settlers there building permits and provides them with roads, electricity, water and sewage systems that remain inaccessible to many neighboring Palestinians.
He said that a large army forces escorted a bulldozer into town, where the heavy machinery demolished a two-room house belonging to Samir Salah.
This was not the first time that Israeli forces demolish Salah’s house. Six months ago, soldiers demolished his first house, which occupied 150 square meters, prompting him to build the other one, which was demolished today.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces tore down a car wash in El-Mansheya village, close to Tuqu' town, located to the east of Bethlehem.
Mayor of Tuqu' Tayseer Abu Mifreh confirmed that an Israeli military unit raided the village and proceeded to demolish a car wash belonging to Ali al-Khatib.
Both demolitions were carried out because the structures were purportedly built without permits.
Israel demolishes Palestinian houses and structures almost on a daily basis as a means to achieve “demographic control” of the occupied territories.
Israel denies planning permits for Palestinians to build on their own land or to extend existing houses to accommodate natural growth, particularly in Jerusalem and Area C, which constitutes 60 percent of the occupied West Bank and falls under full Israeli military rule, forcing residents to build without obtaining rarely-granted permits to provide shelters for their families.
In contrast, Israel argues that building within existing colonial settlements is necessary to accommodate the “natural growth” of settlers.
Therefore, it much more easily gives the estimated 550,000 Jewish Israeli settlers there building permits and provides them with roads, electricity, water and sewage systems that remain inaccessible to many neighboring Palestinians.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday stormed a quarry in al-Mazra'a al-Gharbiya village, northwest of Ramallah, and appropriated Palestinian-owned bulldozers and equipment.
Member of the village municipality Waseem Ladawdeh said that dozens of soldiers stormed the quarry, detained workmen inside a container and seized bulldozers, generators and different tools and machines used to dig out rocks and stones.
Ladawdeh pointed out that the IOF confiscated five bulldozers out of 13 from the site.
As other areas of the West Bank, the IOF systematically carries out different arbitrary measures and practices against the local residents in order to force them to leave al-Mazra'a al-Gharbiya village.
Member of the village municipality Waseem Ladawdeh said that dozens of soldiers stormed the quarry, detained workmen inside a container and seized bulldozers, generators and different tools and machines used to dig out rocks and stones.
Ladawdeh pointed out that the IOF confiscated five bulldozers out of 13 from the site.
As other areas of the West Bank, the IOF systematically carries out different arbitrary measures and practices against the local residents in order to force them to leave al-Mazra'a al-Gharbiya village.

Jewish settlers on Wednesday bulldozed several dunums of Palestinian land in Qusra town, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, in order to build a new road.
Local official Ghassan Daghlas said bulldozers belonging to settlers started to level many dunums of land in Qusra town in order to build a seven-kilometer road connecting, in particular, Esh Kodesh outpost and Migdalim settlement with each other.
The road will also connect all settlements and outposts in the north of the West Bank with those in the Jordan Valley, according to Daghlas.
The Israeli occupation government and its settlers recently embarked on escalating their settlement activities in the West Bank as part of premier Netanyahu’s plan to annex the Jordan Valley and parts of the occupied Palestinian territories.
Local official Ghassan Daghlas said bulldozers belonging to settlers started to level many dunums of land in Qusra town in order to build a seven-kilometer road connecting, in particular, Esh Kodesh outpost and Migdalim settlement with each other.
The road will also connect all settlements and outposts in the north of the West Bank with those in the Jordan Valley, according to Daghlas.
The Israeli occupation government and its settlers recently embarked on escalating their settlement activities in the West Bank as part of premier Netanyahu’s plan to annex the Jordan Valley and parts of the occupied Palestinian territories.

An extremist Jewish settler on Wednesday continued to bulldoze a vast tract of Palestinian land in the Bedouin area of Arab al-Malihat in the northwest of Jericho city.
Local sources said that an armed settler from the illegal outpost of Mevo’ot Yericho resumed bulldozing over 350 dunums of land on the eastern side of the Bedu al-Ka'abneh High School.
Recently, this settler started to bulldoze the same area in order to build a wall separating his outpost from the Bedouin community of Arab al-Malihat.
Local sources said that an armed settler from the illegal outpost of Mevo’ot Yericho resumed bulldozing over 350 dunums of land on the eastern side of the Bedu al-Ka'abneh High School.
Recently, this settler started to bulldoze the same area in order to build a wall separating his outpost from the Bedouin community of Arab al-Malihat.

A horde of extremist Jewish settlers on Wednesday set fire to an olive grove in Burin town, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
Local official Ghassan Daghlas said settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar stormed an agricultural area in Burin and set ablaze a plot of land planted with olive trees.
Daghlas added that the settlers also attacked, under military protection, some local residents in the town, where soldiers showered them with tear gas canisters and fired rubber bullets at them.
In a separate incident, the Israeli occupation army on Wednesday notified a Jerusalemite family in as-Sawahira al-Gharbiya town of its intent to demolish his house.
Head of a local land defense committee Yunis Jaafar said that Israeli soldiers stormed the town and handed Yassin Zaatera a demolition notice against his home.
Local official Ghassan Daghlas said settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar stormed an agricultural area in Burin and set ablaze a plot of land planted with olive trees.
Daghlas added that the settlers also attacked, under military protection, some local residents in the town, where soldiers showered them with tear gas canisters and fired rubber bullets at them.
In a separate incident, the Israeli occupation army on Wednesday notified a Jerusalemite family in as-Sawahira al-Gharbiya town of its intent to demolish his house.
Head of a local land defense committee Yunis Jaafar said that Israeli soldiers stormed the town and handed Yassin Zaatera a demolition notice against his home.
17 june 2020

David Elhayani criticizes Donald Trump's plan at a protest in Jerusalem
Settlement heads suggest alterations to Trump map of West Bank land to be annexed by Israel, saying their proposal ensures territorial contiguity; Israeli officials warn White House will only accept 'cosmetic changes'
As July 1, the date of Israel’s West Bank annexation, looms ever closer, settler leaders are working to curb, or at least amend, U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
The issue has already led to clashes between settler leaders and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is a staunch supporter of the U.S. plan.
The heads of the Yesha Council of Settlers now propose an alternative annexation plan, hoping to avoid leaving 19 settlements as isolated enclaves within Palestinian territory.
The settlers want to connect the isolated settlements to the blocs without exceeding the 30% of the West Bank that the U.S. plan stipulates will be under Israeli rule.
As such, the alternative plan proposes to expand the enclaves so their borders connect with the West Bank’s larger settlements, thus creating territorial contiguity.
For example, the territory of the Ma'ale Amos and Asfar settlements in the southern West Bank would be expanded and connected to the Gush Etzion junction.
Similarly, the plan calls for the roads in the northern West Bank connecting the settlements of Itamar, Har Bracha, Elon Moreh and Yitzhar to become part of the enclave itself and then expanded to Tapuah Junction when the areas around them are annexed.
In exchange for these additional areas, the settlers are ready to postpone at this stage the annexation of other areas that under the Trump plan should be under Israeli sovereignty.
The settlers argue that annexation can be delayed in some places, such as the area near Highway 443 west of Jerusalem, where thousands of Palestinians live, so as to not exceed the 30% of West Bank allocated to Israel.
Thousands of maps showing the alternative proposal have already been drawn up. Yesha leaders have already submitted the map to the Americans and are preparing to distribute them across the West Bank in the coming days.
Israeli officials are lowering expectations, however, explaining that the White House has refused to make any alterations to maps it has drafted and will accept only "cosmetic changes."
"Despite the Americans' refusal, Netanyahu should insist on these changes," said David Elhayani, chairman of the Yesha Council, who himself was recently criticized by Netanyahu for his opposition to Trump’s plan.
"We demand that he listen to the needs of the settlements and draft a better map of sovereignty, not a map of a Palestinian state,” he said.
Settlement heads suggest alterations to Trump map of West Bank land to be annexed by Israel, saying their proposal ensures territorial contiguity; Israeli officials warn White House will only accept 'cosmetic changes'
As July 1, the date of Israel’s West Bank annexation, looms ever closer, settler leaders are working to curb, or at least amend, U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
The issue has already led to clashes between settler leaders and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is a staunch supporter of the U.S. plan.
The heads of the Yesha Council of Settlers now propose an alternative annexation plan, hoping to avoid leaving 19 settlements as isolated enclaves within Palestinian territory.
The settlers want to connect the isolated settlements to the blocs without exceeding the 30% of the West Bank that the U.S. plan stipulates will be under Israeli rule.
As such, the alternative plan proposes to expand the enclaves so their borders connect with the West Bank’s larger settlements, thus creating territorial contiguity.
For example, the territory of the Ma'ale Amos and Asfar settlements in the southern West Bank would be expanded and connected to the Gush Etzion junction.
Similarly, the plan calls for the roads in the northern West Bank connecting the settlements of Itamar, Har Bracha, Elon Moreh and Yitzhar to become part of the enclave itself and then expanded to Tapuah Junction when the areas around them are annexed.
In exchange for these additional areas, the settlers are ready to postpone at this stage the annexation of other areas that under the Trump plan should be under Israeli sovereignty.
The settlers argue that annexation can be delayed in some places, such as the area near Highway 443 west of Jerusalem, where thousands of Palestinians live, so as to not exceed the 30% of West Bank allocated to Israel.
Thousands of maps showing the alternative proposal have already been drawn up. Yesha leaders have already submitted the map to the Americans and are preparing to distribute them across the West Bank in the coming days.
Israeli officials are lowering expectations, however, explaining that the White House has refused to make any alterations to maps it has drafted and will accept only "cosmetic changes."
"Despite the Americans' refusal, Netanyahu should insist on these changes," said David Elhayani, chairman of the Yesha Council, who himself was recently criticized by Netanyahu for his opposition to Trump’s plan.
"We demand that he listen to the needs of the settlements and draft a better map of sovereignty, not a map of a Palestinian state,” he said.

The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) at dawn Wednesday demolished Palestinian-owned structures in Abu Dis town, east Jerusalem. video
According to local sources, Israeli bulldozers escorted by police forces demolished a structure belonging to Dawoud Shuqairat, a building under construction and stores belonging to Tareq as-Sarkhi, and a residential building under construction belonging to Ali Sawwan and Mohamed al-Araj. video
The demolitions took place near al-Quds University in Abu Dis and in a nearby area between the town and as-Sawahira village in east Jerusalem.
The bulldozers also knocked down a fence on the playing field of al-Quds University in Abu Dis.
According to local sources, Israeli bulldozers escorted by police forces demolished a structure belonging to Dawoud Shuqairat, a building under construction and stores belonging to Tareq as-Sarkhi, and a residential building under construction belonging to Ali Sawwan and Mohamed al-Araj. video
The demolitions took place near al-Quds University in Abu Dis and in a nearby area between the town and as-Sawahira village in east Jerusalem.
The bulldozers also knocked down a fence on the playing field of al-Quds University in Abu Dis.
16 june 2020
|
Illegal Israeli settlers committed vandalism of Palestinian-owned property by damaging solar panels, on Monday, in the village of Aqraba, south of Nablus city, the Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported.
Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official monitoring Israel’s colonialist activities in the northern West Bank, said that colonists attacked the homes of farmers and shepherds in Aqraba, and smashed solar panels, which were vital in providing the village with electricity. Daghlas added that the illegal colonists damaged Palestinian-owned shelters and animal barns, stealing equipment and other items. |
Page: 37 - 36 - 35 - 34 - 33 - 32 - 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16