26 sept 2014
OneVoice Palestine has launched "The Land Is Ours" campaign, aiming to promote the role of young Palestinians in popular non-violent resistance.
The activities promoted include those which support the political and diplomatic efforts of the Palestinian leadership at all levels -- especially in the United Nations -- to end the occupation, to implement a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
According to the Palestinian News Network (PNN), the reality imposed by the Israeli occupation requires sincere efforts in motivating young Palestinians to take the initiative and implement activities against settlement expansion in the West Bank and, additionally, build encouraging positive Palestinian facts on the ground to counter what is currently being built by Israeli authorities and settlers.
The campaign reportedly continues the work of OneVoice Palestine's previous campaign "The Land Is Ours, Leave Us Be", which was launched back in 2012 and whereby hundreds of young Palestinian addressed illegal Israeli settlement expansion and further Palestinian land confiscation by planting hundreds of trees in a number of areas threatened by confiscation. The youth had hoped to counter Israeli arguments used to confiscate these lands.
OneVoice volunteers will also encourage the Palestinian public to actively participate in popular resistance as one of the most important ways to achieve independence, in addition to a number of other activities, seminars and political events.
Samer Makhlouf, Executive Director for OneVoice Palestine, explained the importance of reviving the campaign:
"The aftermath of the events that accompanied the Israeli attack on Gaza confirmed the importance of strengthening public participation. It is very urgent to start dealing with the aftermath of the war on Gaza, as there have been some serious consequences on the Palestinian road map and national agenda adopted by the Palestine Liberation Organization...
"The political effort of the Palestinian leadership must be matched by massive activities on the ground to protect Palestinians' national rights and unite all Palestinian behind one political agenda carried out by Palestine Liberation Organization," Mr. Makhlouf added.
"There must be an agreement on a Palestinian strategy, based on popular resistance in all forms, to achieve independence and reach a just and comprehensive peace agreement that preserve our Palestinian rights."
The activities promoted include those which support the political and diplomatic efforts of the Palestinian leadership at all levels -- especially in the United Nations -- to end the occupation, to implement a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
According to the Palestinian News Network (PNN), the reality imposed by the Israeli occupation requires sincere efforts in motivating young Palestinians to take the initiative and implement activities against settlement expansion in the West Bank and, additionally, build encouraging positive Palestinian facts on the ground to counter what is currently being built by Israeli authorities and settlers.
The campaign reportedly continues the work of OneVoice Palestine's previous campaign "The Land Is Ours, Leave Us Be", which was launched back in 2012 and whereby hundreds of young Palestinian addressed illegal Israeli settlement expansion and further Palestinian land confiscation by planting hundreds of trees in a number of areas threatened by confiscation. The youth had hoped to counter Israeli arguments used to confiscate these lands.
OneVoice volunteers will also encourage the Palestinian public to actively participate in popular resistance as one of the most important ways to achieve independence, in addition to a number of other activities, seminars and political events.
Samer Makhlouf, Executive Director for OneVoice Palestine, explained the importance of reviving the campaign:
"The aftermath of the events that accompanied the Israeli attack on Gaza confirmed the importance of strengthening public participation. It is very urgent to start dealing with the aftermath of the war on Gaza, as there have been some serious consequences on the Palestinian road map and national agenda adopted by the Palestine Liberation Organization...
"The political effort of the Palestinian leadership must be matched by massive activities on the ground to protect Palestinians' national rights and unite all Palestinian behind one political agenda carried out by Palestine Liberation Organization," Mr. Makhlouf added.
"There must be an agreement on a Palestinian strategy, based on popular resistance in all forms, to achieve independence and reach a just and comprehensive peace agreement that preserve our Palestinian rights."
25 sept 2014
Mohammed Al Rantisi (right) with his friend and business partner Sajed (left). Their business was destroyed by five missiles from Israeli F16s
Over 400 asylum seekers, including 100 children, were drowned in international waters on their way to Italy after the boat they were travelling on was rammed on 10 September, 2014 by people-smugglers angry because the migrants refused to transfer to a smaller boat. As a report into the mass murder by human rights organisation EuroMid says, the travellers from the Gaza Strip, Syria, Egypt and Sudan had been promised a safe journey to Europe on a secure and comfortable ship.
One of them was our son and brother, Mohammed Al Rantisi, a 23 year old Management and Technology graduate heading to Europe in search of a brighter future. His favourite song was a message of farewell.
Mohammed wanted to complete a Masters and PhD in technology applications for business administration. He had applied to Germany, and was accepted by the Clausthal University in April this year, but Israeli authorities in Tel Aviv refused his visa application to leave.
When he told us he was going to go through the tunnels and by boat, we begged him not to go. But he was determined, because there were no employment prospects for him in Gaza, especially after the last Israeli offensive when the company that he had formed with his friend Sajed was destroyed by five Israeli F-16 rockets.
They could see no future for themselves in Gaza after this. We tried every argument we could think of, suggesting part-time work, arguing that he could not leave his family or his country, and pleading with him not to take those risks. But in his usual non-conformist way he refused to stay, reassuring us that the trip was safe and all the boats before them had arrived safely in Italy. So sadly, we watched him leave.
He went with his friend Sajed to the house of the 'broker' who lived in Khan Younis, and the group then went through the tunnels. A car was waiting to take them to Al Arish, where they stayed the night.
Next day they went to Alexandria, and all this time he kept in contact with us by phone, telling us about an Egyptian military checkpoint they passed through without problem, where their passports were stamped. Everything was going well, they were on schedule to get their boat on 7 September.
When they reached Alexandria they were told they would have to stay in an apartment for the night, but Mohammed refused to wait until the next day, and insisted on getting the boat called 6 September on the Saturday, which was a fatal decision. It was the death boat.
Our last call from Mohammed was at 9pm on 6 September. He called us and talked with our mum and dad and brother Yousef, and dad also talked with Sajed and asked him to take care of Mohammed and stay by his side.
The boat set off to sea, and that was the last contact we ever had with them.
The next Saturday we heard about the crime, and some of the survivors' names were published online. We managed to get their phone numbers, and called them to find out if they knew what had happened to Mohammed and his friend Sajed. They told us that the trip was good and they were close to Italy after four days at sea. They said our son and brother was so funny and inspiring to everyone on board, and they used to call him the photographer, Abu Khaled, because he took photos of everything and everyone on the boat.
Then black Wednesday came, when the other boat hit them. They said there were six people in the boat that rammed them, and their boat capsized and everyone was thrown into the sea – women, children, young men – everyone.
At the beginning all of them were alive because they were wearing lifejackets, and they were praying, and reciting the Qu'ran and asking God to help them. They drifted all night and when dawn broke they saw that some of the women and children were dead, and floating in the water.
They told us that when the other boat struck them Sajed had been injured, so Mohammed was clinging onto him tightly.
Mohammed kept swimming for four days, day and night, they said, still clinging onto his friend who by then had become unconscious. Mohammed asked one of the guys they were swimming with to get his phone from his pocket because it had lots of photos and records on it. Mohammed became tired and fell behind the others who were rescued by a passing ship, so last they knew Mohammed and Sajed were still in the sea.
It is now two weeks since their boat was sunk, and we still have no word about what has happened to our Mohammed, or his friend Sajed.
Our mum cries every day, not knowing if Mohammed is alive or dead, worrying about whether he is lying injured somewhere with no-one to help him. One moment we accept that after this length of time he must be dead, but the next moment we think maybe a fishing boat rescued him, or he washed up on an island – after all, he is a very good swimmer.
Relations and friends visit every day to give their condolences but maybe we should be celebrating his survival, not fearing his death. We just don't know what to do, or what to believe. Until we see his body, alive or dead, we cannot have real peace of mind. We ask the international community to do something about the conditions that drive peoples' loved ones to go to such extremes to achieve things that people in Europe and the US and other places just take for granted – taking up a scholarship, travelling outside of your country.
We ask the international community to do something about the unscrupulous people who prey on these desperate migrants, and profit from their misery.
We ask the international community to shoulder their human responsibilities to help people in such circumstances – to search and rescue them, to search for their bodies at the very least. It pains us so much to think of our son and brother swimming desperately for days on end, holding his injured friend, while no country cared enough to even look, let alone save them. How must he have felt?
No family should have to suffer what we are going through. Please, make sure no other family does.
Over 400 asylum seekers, including 100 children, were drowned in international waters on their way to Italy after the boat they were travelling on was rammed on 10 September, 2014 by people-smugglers angry because the migrants refused to transfer to a smaller boat. As a report into the mass murder by human rights organisation EuroMid says, the travellers from the Gaza Strip, Syria, Egypt and Sudan had been promised a safe journey to Europe on a secure and comfortable ship.
One of them was our son and brother, Mohammed Al Rantisi, a 23 year old Management and Technology graduate heading to Europe in search of a brighter future. His favourite song was a message of farewell.
Mohammed wanted to complete a Masters and PhD in technology applications for business administration. He had applied to Germany, and was accepted by the Clausthal University in April this year, but Israeli authorities in Tel Aviv refused his visa application to leave.
When he told us he was going to go through the tunnels and by boat, we begged him not to go. But he was determined, because there were no employment prospects for him in Gaza, especially after the last Israeli offensive when the company that he had formed with his friend Sajed was destroyed by five Israeli F-16 rockets.
They could see no future for themselves in Gaza after this. We tried every argument we could think of, suggesting part-time work, arguing that he could not leave his family or his country, and pleading with him not to take those risks. But in his usual non-conformist way he refused to stay, reassuring us that the trip was safe and all the boats before them had arrived safely in Italy. So sadly, we watched him leave.
He went with his friend Sajed to the house of the 'broker' who lived in Khan Younis, and the group then went through the tunnels. A car was waiting to take them to Al Arish, where they stayed the night.
Next day they went to Alexandria, and all this time he kept in contact with us by phone, telling us about an Egyptian military checkpoint they passed through without problem, where their passports were stamped. Everything was going well, they were on schedule to get their boat on 7 September.
When they reached Alexandria they were told they would have to stay in an apartment for the night, but Mohammed refused to wait until the next day, and insisted on getting the boat called 6 September on the Saturday, which was a fatal decision. It was the death boat.
Our last call from Mohammed was at 9pm on 6 September. He called us and talked with our mum and dad and brother Yousef, and dad also talked with Sajed and asked him to take care of Mohammed and stay by his side.
The boat set off to sea, and that was the last contact we ever had with them.
The next Saturday we heard about the crime, and some of the survivors' names were published online. We managed to get their phone numbers, and called them to find out if they knew what had happened to Mohammed and his friend Sajed. They told us that the trip was good and they were close to Italy after four days at sea. They said our son and brother was so funny and inspiring to everyone on board, and they used to call him the photographer, Abu Khaled, because he took photos of everything and everyone on the boat.
Then black Wednesday came, when the other boat hit them. They said there were six people in the boat that rammed them, and their boat capsized and everyone was thrown into the sea – women, children, young men – everyone.
At the beginning all of them were alive because they were wearing lifejackets, and they were praying, and reciting the Qu'ran and asking God to help them. They drifted all night and when dawn broke they saw that some of the women and children were dead, and floating in the water.
They told us that when the other boat struck them Sajed had been injured, so Mohammed was clinging onto him tightly.
Mohammed kept swimming for four days, day and night, they said, still clinging onto his friend who by then had become unconscious. Mohammed asked one of the guys they were swimming with to get his phone from his pocket because it had lots of photos and records on it. Mohammed became tired and fell behind the others who were rescued by a passing ship, so last they knew Mohammed and Sajed were still in the sea.
It is now two weeks since their boat was sunk, and we still have no word about what has happened to our Mohammed, or his friend Sajed.
Our mum cries every day, not knowing if Mohammed is alive or dead, worrying about whether he is lying injured somewhere with no-one to help him. One moment we accept that after this length of time he must be dead, but the next moment we think maybe a fishing boat rescued him, or he washed up on an island – after all, he is a very good swimmer.
Relations and friends visit every day to give their condolences but maybe we should be celebrating his survival, not fearing his death. We just don't know what to do, or what to believe. Until we see his body, alive or dead, we cannot have real peace of mind. We ask the international community to do something about the conditions that drive peoples' loved ones to go to such extremes to achieve things that people in Europe and the US and other places just take for granted – taking up a scholarship, travelling outside of your country.
We ask the international community to do something about the unscrupulous people who prey on these desperate migrants, and profit from their misery.
We ask the international community to shoulder their human responsibilities to help people in such circumstances – to search and rescue them, to search for their bodies at the very least. It pains us so much to think of our son and brother swimming desperately for days on end, holding his injured friend, while no country cared enough to even look, let alone save them. How must he have felt?
No family should have to suffer what we are going through. Please, make sure no other family does.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Azzam al-Ahmad (center left) of the Fatah movement shakes hands with Hamas deputy leader Musa Abu Marzouk (center right) at a hotel in Cairo following reconciliation talks on Sept. 24, 2014
The rival Palestinian political factions of Hamas and Fateh reached a "comprehensive" agreement, on Thursday, to implement the return of their unity government in Gaza, after just two days of talks in Cairo, according to negotiators from both sides.
Egyptian sources told Ma'an News Agency that the two movements were able to reach an agreement on a number of major points of discrepancy, including the Palestinian Authority's take over of Rafah crossing, as well as the adjacent Philadelphia corridor along the border.
Additionally, an agreement has reportedly been reached on the issues of activating the PA's rule and authority in Gaza, the payment of former Hamas employees' salaries, and making decisions related to war and peace.
See: 09/08/14 PA Deputy: Authority Will Not Pay Hamas Wages for background info.
Furthermore, the Egyptian side has informed all parties that ongoing Palestinian disputes will "carry away the fate of the indirect talks with Israel" and that quick solutions must be reached to unite Palestinians.
Sources added that the agreement will be officially announced in a press conference, later on Thursday, and will conclude all terms agreed upon.
The rival Palestinian political factions of Hamas and Fateh reached a "comprehensive" agreement, on Thursday, to implement the return of their unity government in Gaza, after just two days of talks in Cairo, according to negotiators from both sides.
Egyptian sources told Ma'an News Agency that the two movements were able to reach an agreement on a number of major points of discrepancy, including the Palestinian Authority's take over of Rafah crossing, as well as the adjacent Philadelphia corridor along the border.
Additionally, an agreement has reportedly been reached on the issues of activating the PA's rule and authority in Gaza, the payment of former Hamas employees' salaries, and making decisions related to war and peace.
See: 09/08/14 PA Deputy: Authority Will Not Pay Hamas Wages for background info.
Furthermore, the Egyptian side has informed all parties that ongoing Palestinian disputes will "carry away the fate of the indirect talks with Israel" and that quick solutions must be reached to unite Palestinians.
Sources added that the agreement will be officially announced in a press conference, later on Thursday, and will conclude all terms agreed upon.
24 sept 2014
Mahmoud Abbas
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that he intends to submit, Friday, a resolution calling for a three-year timetable for the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank, after his scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly.
Israeli daily Haaretz said Abbas informed US Secretary of State, John Kerry, that he is determined to submit the resolution proposal as more than twenty years of direct “peace talks” with Tel Aviv failed to achieve their intended goal of liberation and independence, while Israel continues its violations, and settlement construction and expansion activities.
Israel does not seem to be concerned about the Palestinian move as its leaders are sure the United States will use its Veto power to topple the resolution, as it did numerous times before, while the US insists “only direct peace talks” can bring a resolution to the conflict.
See: Washington Threatens Sanctions Should PA Approach UN with Proposal to Dismantle Israeli Occupation
Abbas is hoping the UN Security Council would pass a binding resolution, setting a timetable for complete withdrawal from the territories Israel illegally captured during the 1967 war, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Haaretz said the United States did not offer Abbas any alternatives to his plan, but only asked him not to head to the Security Council.
On his part, Abbas said his aim is to get the United Nations to set a timetable for direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and to agree on a map that clearly defines the borders of Israel and the future Palestinian State.
The Palestinian leader added that Israel was failing to show any interest in real peace talks as its continued its invasions and violations in the occupied territories, and is ongoing with its illegitimate construction of expansion of Jewish settlement on Palestinian lands illegally occupied by Tel Aviv.
He added that, should the UN reject his plan; the Palestinians will resume their applications to join more international institutions, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), an issue that would allow the Palestinians to bring charged against Israel for war crime, including Israel’s repeated wars on the civilians in Gaza.
Joining the ICC also opens the door for filing charges of war crimes against Tel Aviv for its ongoing construction and expansion of Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, as settlements violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, and International Law.
President Abbas will be holding a meeting with Egypt’s President Abdul-Fattah al-Sissi, and U.S. President Barack Obama, hoping that this could advance the Palestinian demands.
According to the Associated Press, Prime Minister of the interim government in the West Bank Dr. Rami Hamdallah, told its reporter following a meeting for Donor Counties in Norway, that reconstructing Gaza requires around $3.8 Billion due to Israel’s extensive bombardment, including its bombardment homes, hospitals and medical centers, the Gaza Power Plant, and infrastructure.
He added that Saudi Arabia already pledged $500 million, while many other nations expressed interest in provided the needed support.
Meanwhile, the AFP said that President Abbas, Monday, called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and make peace with the Palestinians.
Israeli Ynet News said Netanyahu will be delivering a speech in the UN General Assembly, and will hold a meeting with Obama to discuss the operations against the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria(ISIS)," the political agenda for “peace” talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that he intends to submit, Friday, a resolution calling for a three-year timetable for the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank, after his scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly.
Israeli daily Haaretz said Abbas informed US Secretary of State, John Kerry, that he is determined to submit the resolution proposal as more than twenty years of direct “peace talks” with Tel Aviv failed to achieve their intended goal of liberation and independence, while Israel continues its violations, and settlement construction and expansion activities.
Israel does not seem to be concerned about the Palestinian move as its leaders are sure the United States will use its Veto power to topple the resolution, as it did numerous times before, while the US insists “only direct peace talks” can bring a resolution to the conflict.
See: Washington Threatens Sanctions Should PA Approach UN with Proposal to Dismantle Israeli Occupation
Abbas is hoping the UN Security Council would pass a binding resolution, setting a timetable for complete withdrawal from the territories Israel illegally captured during the 1967 war, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Haaretz said the United States did not offer Abbas any alternatives to his plan, but only asked him not to head to the Security Council.
On his part, Abbas said his aim is to get the United Nations to set a timetable for direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and to agree on a map that clearly defines the borders of Israel and the future Palestinian State.
The Palestinian leader added that Israel was failing to show any interest in real peace talks as its continued its invasions and violations in the occupied territories, and is ongoing with its illegitimate construction of expansion of Jewish settlement on Palestinian lands illegally occupied by Tel Aviv.
He added that, should the UN reject his plan; the Palestinians will resume their applications to join more international institutions, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), an issue that would allow the Palestinians to bring charged against Israel for war crime, including Israel’s repeated wars on the civilians in Gaza.
Joining the ICC also opens the door for filing charges of war crimes against Tel Aviv for its ongoing construction and expansion of Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, as settlements violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, and International Law.
President Abbas will be holding a meeting with Egypt’s President Abdul-Fattah al-Sissi, and U.S. President Barack Obama, hoping that this could advance the Palestinian demands.
According to the Associated Press, Prime Minister of the interim government in the West Bank Dr. Rami Hamdallah, told its reporter following a meeting for Donor Counties in Norway, that reconstructing Gaza requires around $3.8 Billion due to Israel’s extensive bombardment, including its bombardment homes, hospitals and medical centers, the Gaza Power Plant, and infrastructure.
He added that Saudi Arabia already pledged $500 million, while many other nations expressed interest in provided the needed support.
Meanwhile, the AFP said that President Abbas, Monday, called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and make peace with the Palestinians.
Israeli Ynet News said Netanyahu will be delivering a speech in the UN General Assembly, and will hold a meeting with Obama to discuss the operations against the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria(ISIS)," the political agenda for “peace” talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
22 sept 2014
Palestinians’ fight for freedom is not limited to the besieged Gaza Strip and nobody shall ever pull out Jerusalem and the West Bank from the grips of the Palestinian resistance, political bureau head of Hamas, Khaled Mishaal, said, adding: “There is a huge difference between resistance and terrorism.” Addressing an audience during a ceremony held by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) in Qatar on Sunday afternoon, Mishaal hailed the Palestinian resistance, declaring: “Despite of the complicated state of affairs and security coordination, the West Bank will remain a burning fire against the Israeli invaders.”
According to Mishaal, those who have made guns and rockets out of stones are competent enough to overcome all obstacles lying in store.
“Resistance is our right and duty. Nobody shall ever appropriate such a sacred right,” he warned.
Moving on to national unity, Mishaal’s speech propped up the “unity in diversity” motto, underscoring: “Hamas is keen on promoting national welfare rather than personal or partisan agendas.”
“The Palestinian reconciliation process stipulates the unconditional execution of all reconciliation accords. We will not tolerate any disregard for any of the tabled files,” he warned, adding: “Our resistance weapon shall never be laid up for discussion. Neither should it be a bone of contention between the Palestinian factions. It targets the Israeli colonizer only. We will not accept any procrastination or cancellation of any single bond of the reconciliation accord.”
Mishaal urged the Muslim leaders and peoples to back up Gaza’s reconstruction project and rehabilitate what has been damaged by the Israeli occupation.
He further confirmed that Hamas adopts a moderate approach to Islam and an open-minded political vision.
“Hamas does not engage into battles on a religious or ethnic basis. We rather believe in the cross-cultural dialogue…. Hamas does not tolerate occupation and aggression. There is a huge difference between resistance and terrorism,” Mishaal proceeded.
“As soon as the Israeli offensive on Gaza laid down its arms, the nation has rejoiced at Gaza’s and the resistance’s victory. This is a gift from God. We are moving at a steady pace. Our resistance has proved that it is up to our expectations and that its ordnance is sophisticated enough to overthrow the enemy,” Mishaal said as he acclaimed UIMS’s calls to uphold armed resistance.
“We shall never give up even a single inch of our occupied Palestinian soil. Israel might represent “something” for some people; for us it means nothing,” Hamas leader confirmed.
In Mishaal’s view, the achievements of the Palestinian resistance are reminders of the miracles of Quran embodied in the verse: “… And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war.”
“Jerusalem is the nucleus of Palestinians’ fight for freedom,” the speech went on.
According to Mishaal, the Israeli occupation not only cordoned off Jerusalem and tightened grips on its Palestinian natives, but it has also strived to deal a blow at the very Islamic character and spirit of the city via Judaization schemes.
“Jerusalem dwells deep in our hearts. I wish that it would mark each and every occasion, each and every sermon, and each and every celebration,” he pleaded.
According to Mishaal, those who have made guns and rockets out of stones are competent enough to overcome all obstacles lying in store.
“Resistance is our right and duty. Nobody shall ever appropriate such a sacred right,” he warned.
Moving on to national unity, Mishaal’s speech propped up the “unity in diversity” motto, underscoring: “Hamas is keen on promoting national welfare rather than personal or partisan agendas.”
“The Palestinian reconciliation process stipulates the unconditional execution of all reconciliation accords. We will not tolerate any disregard for any of the tabled files,” he warned, adding: “Our resistance weapon shall never be laid up for discussion. Neither should it be a bone of contention between the Palestinian factions. It targets the Israeli colonizer only. We will not accept any procrastination or cancellation of any single bond of the reconciliation accord.”
Mishaal urged the Muslim leaders and peoples to back up Gaza’s reconstruction project and rehabilitate what has been damaged by the Israeli occupation.
He further confirmed that Hamas adopts a moderate approach to Islam and an open-minded political vision.
“Hamas does not engage into battles on a religious or ethnic basis. We rather believe in the cross-cultural dialogue…. Hamas does not tolerate occupation and aggression. There is a huge difference between resistance and terrorism,” Mishaal proceeded.
“As soon as the Israeli offensive on Gaza laid down its arms, the nation has rejoiced at Gaza’s and the resistance’s victory. This is a gift from God. We are moving at a steady pace. Our resistance has proved that it is up to our expectations and that its ordnance is sophisticated enough to overthrow the enemy,” Mishaal said as he acclaimed UIMS’s calls to uphold armed resistance.
“We shall never give up even a single inch of our occupied Palestinian soil. Israel might represent “something” for some people; for us it means nothing,” Hamas leader confirmed.
In Mishaal’s view, the achievements of the Palestinian resistance are reminders of the miracles of Quran embodied in the verse: “… And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war.”
“Jerusalem is the nucleus of Palestinians’ fight for freedom,” the speech went on.
According to Mishaal, the Israeli occupation not only cordoned off Jerusalem and tightened grips on its Palestinian natives, but it has also strived to deal a blow at the very Islamic character and spirit of the city via Judaization schemes.
“Jerusalem dwells deep in our hearts. I wish that it would mark each and every occasion, each and every sermon, and each and every celebration,” he pleaded.
21 sept 2014
|
|
survivers
More than two weeks after a boat carrying migrants to Europe sunk off the coast of Malta, none of the bodies of Palestinians who are thought to have drowned at sea have been recovered by search teams. Eight Palestinians are known to have survived the Sept. 6 shipwreck that killed around 500 migrants, and they are being cared for between Italy, Greece, and Malta. But Palestinian ambassador to Italy Mai al-Kaila on Saturday told Ma'an that rescuers have had difficulties recovering bodies from the sea because the boat capsized in international waters. Despite this, however, she said that Italian coastal guards are continuing the search for the missing. Al-Kaila said that Italian authorities have promised to give political asylum to two Palestinians who survived the shipwreck, and the pair will also be allowed to bring their families to live in Italy. Meanwhile, Marwan Tubasi, Palestine's ambassador to Greece, told Ma'an Saturday that authorities in that country had granted three Palestinian survivors permission to stay for six months, and that the embassy was working to acquire them Palestinian passports as well. Families in 'open mourning' The fate of those who were unable to make it to European shores, however, is far less certain at this stage, with ambassadors in all three countries pointing out that coast guards have failed to locate any of the missing Palestinians from the sea so far. In Gaza, some families have already started mourning their missing loved ones, as the days have dragged on and no indication of their survival has surfaced. Dozens of family members of the missing migrants on Sunday demonstrated outside the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City, urging authorities to give them more information on the whereabouts of their missing loved ones. "15 days have passed and we still haven't received any news about my husband and my son," said protester Um Udayy Nahhal. Speaking to reporters while carrying a photo of her husband Fawzi Nahhal and her seven-year-old son Udayy, she said that the pair were among the migrants feared dead in the shipwreck. "It is my very right to know whether they are alive or dead," she told reporters. A spokesman of the families of missing Gazan migrants also urged the ICRC and other human rights groups to reveal the destiny of the missing migrants for the last 15 days. Gaza resident Khalil Abu Shammala told Ma'an that two of his sons were on the boat which capsized two weeks ago, one of an unknown number of Palestinians from Gaza who fled to Egypt before boarding the vessel to seek a better life across the sea in Europe. |
"The families of the missing people have been in open mourning" for the last two weeks he said, appealing to President Mahmoud Abbas to help uncover information regarding those still missing from the shipwreck.
A key part of the problem relates to the issue of jurisdiction, since the fact that the boat capsized in international water -- meaning more than 200 nautical miles away from any coast -- means no nearby state is immediately responsible for recovery, while the home states of the migrants themselves generally lack the ability to carry out any rescue operations.
Palestine to ask Egypt to stop allowing boats to sail
Despite this, the undersecretary of the Palestinian foreign ministry Taysir Jaradat told Ma'an that he would lead a Palestinian delegation to Italy, Malta, and Greece in the coming days to follow up on the boat accident.
The delegation, he said, plans to ask authorities in the three countries for information about the missing Palestinians who potentially drowned in their territorial waters.
Jaradat added that the Palestinian foreign ministry had contacted the Egyptian authorities and asked them to prevent human traffickers from sending migrant boats from Egyptian territories.
Any action on the part of Egyptian authorities, however, will likely fail to stem the flow of migrants across the sea, which has shot up to its highest level in recorded memory this year.
So far, watchdogs say that more than 120,000 migrants have crossed the sea in 2014 alone so far, while more than 2,500 have perished.
The surge is the result of political instability and a lack of economic prospects across the southern Mediterranean and Africa, and the number includes many Palestinians who have fled Syria as well as Gaza via boat from Egypt.
Due to unrest in neighboring Libya and heavy surveillance of the seas off the Moroccan coast, thousands of migrants have started making the trek from Egypt in recent months, a far more lengthy -- and far more dangerous -- trip than before.
The migrants include hundreds of Gazans who are thought to have escaped via tunnels to Egypt in order to flee the nearly two-month offensive that left more than 2,000 dead and 110,000 homeless in the tiny coastal enclave.
The mass devastation wreaked by the Israeli bombardment has dimmed Gaza's economic prospects for the near future even further, and as Egypt continues to crack down on movement of goods and people through tunnels -- including shooting one man dead on Saturday -- the tide is likely to continue.
A key part of the problem relates to the issue of jurisdiction, since the fact that the boat capsized in international water -- meaning more than 200 nautical miles away from any coast -- means no nearby state is immediately responsible for recovery, while the home states of the migrants themselves generally lack the ability to carry out any rescue operations.
Palestine to ask Egypt to stop allowing boats to sail
Despite this, the undersecretary of the Palestinian foreign ministry Taysir Jaradat told Ma'an that he would lead a Palestinian delegation to Italy, Malta, and Greece in the coming days to follow up on the boat accident.
The delegation, he said, plans to ask authorities in the three countries for information about the missing Palestinians who potentially drowned in their territorial waters.
Jaradat added that the Palestinian foreign ministry had contacted the Egyptian authorities and asked them to prevent human traffickers from sending migrant boats from Egyptian territories.
Any action on the part of Egyptian authorities, however, will likely fail to stem the flow of migrants across the sea, which has shot up to its highest level in recorded memory this year.
So far, watchdogs say that more than 120,000 migrants have crossed the sea in 2014 alone so far, while more than 2,500 have perished.
The surge is the result of political instability and a lack of economic prospects across the southern Mediterranean and Africa, and the number includes many Palestinians who have fled Syria as well as Gaza via boat from Egypt.
Due to unrest in neighboring Libya and heavy surveillance of the seas off the Moroccan coast, thousands of migrants have started making the trek from Egypt in recent months, a far more lengthy -- and far more dangerous -- trip than before.
The migrants include hundreds of Gazans who are thought to have escaped via tunnels to Egypt in order to flee the nearly two-month offensive that left more than 2,000 dead and 110,000 homeless in the tiny coastal enclave.
The mass devastation wreaked by the Israeli bombardment has dimmed Gaza's economic prospects for the near future even further, and as Egypt continues to crack down on movement of goods and people through tunnels -- including shooting one man dead on Saturday -- the tide is likely to continue.
Information Ministry undersecretary, Ihab al-Ghasin, on Saturday dubbed mounting talks on the entrenchment of an “illegal immigration” phenomenon an overstated fuss, calling instead for the launch of regular follow-ups to keep tabs on the affair. Ghussain said in a press conference held in Gaza on Saturday: “We found out after meticulous scrutiny of the names of “illegal” migrants who arrived in foreign territories that most of the refugees left the Gaza Strip via legal means, using the Rafah crossing.”
“A large number of migrants have been residing outside of the Strip for several years, particularly in Egypt,” he added.
In Ghussain’s terms, a small number of citizens who left the Gaza Strip through illegal ways did so via tunnels dug up over the past few months, before authorities detected the tunnels and indicted the persons responsible for the affair.
The incident has taken more than its fair share of dramatization, Ghussain said, adding: “This is cheer nonsense. We are talking about a nation that has never left its native soil even during the most atrocious of all wars, compared to the millions who departed their mother lands. The bulk of our diaspora have come back home during the offensive to corroborate their devotion to their land even in the hardest circumstances ever.”
Ghussain held the Israeli occupation and the blockade responsible for Gaza’s economic breakdown and unprecedented upsurge in unemployment rates.
He further slammed the international community for its silence vis-à-vis the siege and its reluctance to impeach Israel’s war criminals.
He called for opening the Rafah crossing as an efficient way-out to smooth the access of passengers and goods out of and into Gaza and enhance the Strip’s work mechanisms.
Ghussain urged the Arab countries to meet Palestinian refugees’ rights to live in safety and open up new prospects before Palestinian graduates as the only way-out of illegal immigration to the West.
The Palestinian official denounced bidding and political exploitation of the cause, calling rather for pulling resources to work out the affair and mitigate Palestinians’ agony.
All of Gaza’s employees have been ready since the first days of the formation of the unity government to carry out their allotted missions and cooperate with it in the very best way possible, Ghussain emphasized.
He hailed Palestinians’ determination to overthrow the Israeli colonizer and cling to every single inch of their lands until their last breath.
“A large number of migrants have been residing outside of the Strip for several years, particularly in Egypt,” he added.
In Ghussain’s terms, a small number of citizens who left the Gaza Strip through illegal ways did so via tunnels dug up over the past few months, before authorities detected the tunnels and indicted the persons responsible for the affair.
The incident has taken more than its fair share of dramatization, Ghussain said, adding: “This is cheer nonsense. We are talking about a nation that has never left its native soil even during the most atrocious of all wars, compared to the millions who departed their mother lands. The bulk of our diaspora have come back home during the offensive to corroborate their devotion to their land even in the hardest circumstances ever.”
Ghussain held the Israeli occupation and the blockade responsible for Gaza’s economic breakdown and unprecedented upsurge in unemployment rates.
He further slammed the international community for its silence vis-à-vis the siege and its reluctance to impeach Israel’s war criminals.
He called for opening the Rafah crossing as an efficient way-out to smooth the access of passengers and goods out of and into Gaza and enhance the Strip’s work mechanisms.
Ghussain urged the Arab countries to meet Palestinian refugees’ rights to live in safety and open up new prospects before Palestinian graduates as the only way-out of illegal immigration to the West.
The Palestinian official denounced bidding and political exploitation of the cause, calling rather for pulling resources to work out the affair and mitigate Palestinians’ agony.
All of Gaza’s employees have been ready since the first days of the formation of the unity government to carry out their allotted missions and cooperate with it in the very best way possible, Ghussain emphasized.
He hailed Palestinians’ determination to overthrow the Israeli colonizer and cling to every single inch of their lands until their last breath.
British MPs will have an unprecedented opportunity to vote on whether there should be a Palestinian state when the House of Commons resumes after its current party conference break on October 13. A group of MPs from all major political parties, headed by Labor’s Grahame Morris – including Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, Liberal Democrat Sir Bob Russell, and Green Party former leader Caroline Lucas – have secured a debate under a relatively new procedure for a full-scale, whole day’s debate in the Commons chamber.
The motion reads: “This House believes that the government should recognize that state of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.’’ With those proposing the motion appearing determined to push the issue to a vote, seasoned Westminster observers fear a vote in favor of immediate recognition of a Palestinian state could cause a substantial shift in public opinion and lead to added pressures on the government to change its current policy, which favors securing an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians before considering granting Palestinians recognition.
The debate will offer the MPs the first-ever opportunity to vote on the vexed issue. As the topic for debate has been chosen by backbenchers, it is very unlikely party whips will order MPs to attend or advise them how to vote, so predicting any possible outcome is virtually impossible.
However, The Jerusalem Post understands that the pro-Palestinian lobby will not have it entirely its own way. Several pro-Israel MPs from across the political divide in the Commons have just tabled an amendment that in effect insists that any call for establishing a Palestinian state should come about only “on the conclusion of successful peace negotiations between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.”
Those associated with the amendment include former Conservative Friends of Israel chairman James Arbuthnot, the highly regarded former Middle East minister Alistair Burt, Labor Friends of Israel chairwoman Anne McGuire, and LFI vice chairwoman Louise Ellman.
After working very hard behind the scenes to ensure an amendment was tabled, Conservative Friends of Israel’s energetic director, Stuart Polak, told the Post: “It’s comforting to know that there are backbench MPs who understand the reality of the situation and were able to amend Grahame Morris’s motion. Calling for two states for two peoples after the resumption of successful peace negotiations is something all MPs should support.”
Without indicating which way the government minister – who will participate in the debate – will advise MPs on how to cast their vote, a Foreign Office spokesman told the Post in scarcely coded language that the government would not be endorsing a call favoring the recognition of a Palestinian state.
The spokesman made clear that the government “reserved the right to bilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a moment of our choosing and when it can best help bring about peace,’’ before crucially adding that the government continues to believe that negotiations toward a two-state solution are “the best route to meeting Palestinian aspirations in reality and on the ground.”
Ellman told the Post that a negotiated two-state solution is required to give Israel security, and “that is the only way mutual recognition between the Palestinians and Israelis can be achieved with an agreement on sensitive issues including border and security arrangements.”
She added that the debate under the terms proposed by Morris and his colleagues is a clear attempt to bypass these requirements and would not require a Palestinian state to recognize Israel’s borders.
The motion reads: “This House believes that the government should recognize that state of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.’’ With those proposing the motion appearing determined to push the issue to a vote, seasoned Westminster observers fear a vote in favor of immediate recognition of a Palestinian state could cause a substantial shift in public opinion and lead to added pressures on the government to change its current policy, which favors securing an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians before considering granting Palestinians recognition.
The debate will offer the MPs the first-ever opportunity to vote on the vexed issue. As the topic for debate has been chosen by backbenchers, it is very unlikely party whips will order MPs to attend or advise them how to vote, so predicting any possible outcome is virtually impossible.
However, The Jerusalem Post understands that the pro-Palestinian lobby will not have it entirely its own way. Several pro-Israel MPs from across the political divide in the Commons have just tabled an amendment that in effect insists that any call for establishing a Palestinian state should come about only “on the conclusion of successful peace negotiations between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.”
Those associated with the amendment include former Conservative Friends of Israel chairman James Arbuthnot, the highly regarded former Middle East minister Alistair Burt, Labor Friends of Israel chairwoman Anne McGuire, and LFI vice chairwoman Louise Ellman.
After working very hard behind the scenes to ensure an amendment was tabled, Conservative Friends of Israel’s energetic director, Stuart Polak, told the Post: “It’s comforting to know that there are backbench MPs who understand the reality of the situation and were able to amend Grahame Morris’s motion. Calling for two states for two peoples after the resumption of successful peace negotiations is something all MPs should support.”
Without indicating which way the government minister – who will participate in the debate – will advise MPs on how to cast their vote, a Foreign Office spokesman told the Post in scarcely coded language that the government would not be endorsing a call favoring the recognition of a Palestinian state.
The spokesman made clear that the government “reserved the right to bilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a moment of our choosing and when it can best help bring about peace,’’ before crucially adding that the government continues to believe that negotiations toward a two-state solution are “the best route to meeting Palestinian aspirations in reality and on the ground.”
Ellman told the Post that a negotiated two-state solution is required to give Israel security, and “that is the only way mutual recognition between the Palestinians and Israelis can be achieved with an agreement on sensitive issues including border and security arrangements.”
She added that the debate under the terms proposed by Morris and his colleagues is a clear attempt to bypass these requirements and would not require a Palestinian state to recognize Israel’s borders.
20 sept 2014
Ahmed Bahar, the first deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council (PLC), demanded the unity government in Ramallah to resign if it was not able to assume its responsibilities under the reconciliation agreement towards the Gaza Strip. "Al-Hamdallah was not in contact with the people in Gaza, neither before the war nor during or after it, so if the government does not want its ministers to come to Gaza to serve its people, it has to resign," Bahar stated during a festival held on Friday for the families of martyrs in Rafah area.
"Do not the paramedics, civil defense men and doctors, who were racing to save their people, deserve to receive their salaries, especially after many of them were martyred while saving their brothers, sisters and people? Or does the government classify them as illegitimate employees?" the lawmaker questioned.
He stressed that the reconstruction of Gaza was supposed to start immediately after the war ended, but there are attempts to blackmail the Palestinian resistance in Gaza into surrendering its weapons in exchange for reconstruction.
"Such cheap bargains will fall down and Gaza will be reconstructed, God willing," he said.
"Those who want to use the peaceful and popular resistance, they are free to do that, and those who want to knock on pots and pans, let them do so, but do not dare get near the resistance weapon and the great fighters who achieved victory for our nation and defended its honor."
"Do not the paramedics, civil defense men and doctors, who were racing to save their people, deserve to receive their salaries, especially after many of them were martyred while saving their brothers, sisters and people? Or does the government classify them as illegitimate employees?" the lawmaker questioned.
He stressed that the reconstruction of Gaza was supposed to start immediately after the war ended, but there are attempts to blackmail the Palestinian resistance in Gaza into surrendering its weapons in exchange for reconstruction.
"Such cheap bargains will fall down and Gaza will be reconstructed, God willing," he said.
"Those who want to use the peaceful and popular resistance, they are free to do that, and those who want to knock on pots and pans, let them do so, but do not dare get near the resistance weapon and the great fighters who achieved victory for our nation and defended its honor."
French President Francois Hollande declared on Friday during a joint press conference with PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Paris that France would present a resolution to the United Nations Security Council calling for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “We will have a resolution, to be presented to the Security Council, that will say very clearly what we expect from the (peace) process and what the solution to the conflict must be,” according to Hollande's statement.
"There is a perception that there will never be a solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even though we know the outlines” of a possible agreement, he said.
This is the third time that Gaza has been destroyed, Hollande underlined. "What we must look for is a durable peace accord," he said, adding that stalled peace talks "must now reach their end".
For his part, Abbas called on "all states to assume their responsibilities to put an end to the conflict ongoing for more than 66 years," stressing that "peace-making would give greater legitimacy to combat terrorism in the region."
Abbas, who is seeking to rally support before the announcement of a new Palestinian diplomatic initiative in the United Nations, said that "France can press for an international mobilization for the implementation of the Arab initiative."
Abbas has recently won Arab League support for his plan calling for an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within three years and the formation of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.
Abbas is to scheduled travel from Paris to New York within two days to participate in the annual UN General Assembly session starting September 24. He is slated to deliver a speech at the meeting.
"There is a perception that there will never be a solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even though we know the outlines” of a possible agreement, he said.
This is the third time that Gaza has been destroyed, Hollande underlined. "What we must look for is a durable peace accord," he said, adding that stalled peace talks "must now reach their end".
For his part, Abbas called on "all states to assume their responsibilities to put an end to the conflict ongoing for more than 66 years," stressing that "peace-making would give greater legitimacy to combat terrorism in the region."
Abbas, who is seeking to rally support before the announcement of a new Palestinian diplomatic initiative in the United Nations, said that "France can press for an international mobilization for the implementation of the Arab initiative."
Abbas has recently won Arab League support for his plan calling for an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within three years and the formation of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.
Abbas is to scheduled travel from Paris to New York within two days to participate in the annual UN General Assembly session starting September 24. He is slated to deliver a speech at the meeting.
18 sept 2014
En route to Europe
Three Gazans who made the journey to Greece, following extremely risky sea trips, say that the fate of many of their on-board companions is still unknown.
Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency reports that the Brussels-based Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights recently published a short video interview with the young travellers, who said that an Egyptian youth and two Syrian girls on the boat also arrived in Greece on Sep 6.
The center identified the Palestinian survivors as Shokri al-As'soli, Mohammed Radi, and Abdul-Majeed al-Heila.
Dr. Ramy Abdu, Director of Euro-Med Observer, stated that official reports from Greece say that only three Palestinians from Gaza were saved, in addition to a 19-year-old young Egyptian lady, and two little Syrian girls.
Estimates of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveal that nearly three thousand immigrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, this year -- four times 2013 estimates.
See: 09/09/14 Thousands Fleeing Gaza By Any Means for background info.
According to the Palestinian workers' union, the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip caused 30,000 Gazans to lose their jobs, as over 500 shops, factories and company offices were destroyed in the relentless bombardment, leaving little economic hope for residents of the already besieged coastal enclave, despite reconstruction efforts.
Palestinians now make up the largest refugee population in the entire world.
Three Gazans who made the journey to Greece, following extremely risky sea trips, say that the fate of many of their on-board companions is still unknown.
Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency reports that the Brussels-based Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights recently published a short video interview with the young travellers, who said that an Egyptian youth and two Syrian girls on the boat also arrived in Greece on Sep 6.
The center identified the Palestinian survivors as Shokri al-As'soli, Mohammed Radi, and Abdul-Majeed al-Heila.
Dr. Ramy Abdu, Director of Euro-Med Observer, stated that official reports from Greece say that only three Palestinians from Gaza were saved, in addition to a 19-year-old young Egyptian lady, and two little Syrian girls.
Estimates of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveal that nearly three thousand immigrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, this year -- four times 2013 estimates.
See: 09/09/14 Thousands Fleeing Gaza By Any Means for background info.
According to the Palestinian workers' union, the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip caused 30,000 Gazans to lose their jobs, as over 500 shops, factories and company offices were destroyed in the relentless bombardment, leaving little economic hope for residents of the already besieged coastal enclave, despite reconstruction efforts.
Palestinians now make up the largest refugee population in the entire world.
16 sept 2014
Three Palestinian survivors of ship which sunk near Malta arrived have safely in the country after Panamanian trade ships came to their rescue.
According to Ma'an, Palestinian ambassador in Malta, Jubran Tawil, said in a statement that a Maltese helicopter transported the three survivors to safety, along with several bodies of victims who didn't survive the wreck.
The survivors have been identified as Mohammad Awadallah, Ibrahim Awadallah, and Mamoun Daghmash. Daghmash is reportedly receiving treatment at a Malta hospital.
According to Ma'an, Palestinian ambassador in Malta, Jubran Tawil, said in a statement that a Maltese helicopter transported the three survivors to safety, along with several bodies of victims who didn't survive the wreck.
The survivors have been identified as Mohammad Awadallah, Ibrahim Awadallah, and Mamoun Daghmash. Daghmash is reportedly receiving treatment at a Malta hospital.
Ambassador Tawil has contacted the survivors and arranged for a meeting with them, Tuesday.
Ma'an reports that as many as 500 hopeful migrants are thought to have drowned after traffickers rammed and sank their boat in what the International Organization for Migration has described as "the worst shipwreck in years."
Dozens of African migrants were reported missing and feared dead after their boat sank off the coast of Libya, on Sunday.
"If this story, which police are investigating, is true, it would be the worst shipwreck in years ... not an accident but a mass murder, perpetrated by criminals without scruples or any respect for human life," the IOM said in a statement.
According to the survivors, Syrian, Palestinian, Egyptian, and Sudanese migrants set out from Damietta, Egypt, on Sept. 6, and were forced to change boats several times during the crossing into European waters.
The traffickers ordered the migrants onto a smaller vessel, with many of the migrants fearing that it was too small to hold them. When they refused to change boats, the traffickers rammed them until they capsized.
"Two survivors brought to Sicily told us that there had been at least 500 people on board. Nine other survivors were rescued by Greek and Maltese ships, but all the rest appear to have perished," IOM spokesman in Italy, Flavio Di Giacomo, told AFP.
Ma'an reports that as many as 500 hopeful migrants are thought to have drowned after traffickers rammed and sank their boat in what the International Organization for Migration has described as "the worst shipwreck in years."
Dozens of African migrants were reported missing and feared dead after their boat sank off the coast of Libya, on Sunday.
"If this story, which police are investigating, is true, it would be the worst shipwreck in years ... not an accident but a mass murder, perpetrated by criminals without scruples or any respect for human life," the IOM said in a statement.
According to the survivors, Syrian, Palestinian, Egyptian, and Sudanese migrants set out from Damietta, Egypt, on Sept. 6, and were forced to change boats several times during the crossing into European waters.
The traffickers ordered the migrants onto a smaller vessel, with many of the migrants fearing that it was too small to hold them. When they refused to change boats, the traffickers rammed them until they capsized.
"Two survivors brought to Sicily told us that there had been at least 500 people on board. Nine other survivors were rescued by Greek and Maltese ships, but all the rest appear to have perished," IOM spokesman in Italy, Flavio Di Giacomo, told AFP.
15 sept 2014
Captured migrants on Egyptian naval ship
A boat carrying nearly one hundred migrants, including dozens of Palestinians fleeing from Gaza, overturned in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt, on Saturday, killing fifteen of those on board, according to Al-Anadolu news agency. An additional 72 passengers were rescued by the Egyptian navy.
The boat left the Egyptian shore Saturday night bound for Italy, but capsized when it hit a rock. Fifteen Palestinians from Gaza drowned, and their bodies were pulled from the sea by the Egyptian navy. The other passengers were rescued and taken to an Egyptian immigration prison.
The Palestinians who attempted to flee from the sealed, blockaded Gaza Strip had traveled via tunnel to Egypt, then boarded a boat bound for Europe along with migrants from Egypt and Syria.
The boat that sank on Saturday had been dubbed the 'Abu Othman', and was off the coast of al-Ajami, near Alexandria, when it hit a rock. The migrant boats travel by dead of night in order not to be noticed, and often lack the technology to detect obstacles, like rocks, in the water.
Following the sinking of the boat, Egyptian authorities arrested 153 migrants who were attempting to board a fishing boat near Alexandria, at the port of Abu Qir, before they could get underway. According to the Star-Tribune, each migrant had paid $3500 USD for passage.
Those arrested included 43 Palestinians, 35 Sudanese and 18 Syrians, and they included men, women and children.
The Palestinians who have risked escaping from the Gaza Strip, to try to reach Europe, say they have nothing left to live for in their native land, which has been sealed off with no ability to export or import, and no economy, since 2006. Such a voyage is expensive and risky, but an estimated 100,000 Palestinians have attempted the trip in 2014 alone.
A boat carrying nearly one hundred migrants, including dozens of Palestinians fleeing from Gaza, overturned in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt, on Saturday, killing fifteen of those on board, according to Al-Anadolu news agency. An additional 72 passengers were rescued by the Egyptian navy.
The boat left the Egyptian shore Saturday night bound for Italy, but capsized when it hit a rock. Fifteen Palestinians from Gaza drowned, and their bodies were pulled from the sea by the Egyptian navy. The other passengers were rescued and taken to an Egyptian immigration prison.
The Palestinians who attempted to flee from the sealed, blockaded Gaza Strip had traveled via tunnel to Egypt, then boarded a boat bound for Europe along with migrants from Egypt and Syria.
The boat that sank on Saturday had been dubbed the 'Abu Othman', and was off the coast of al-Ajami, near Alexandria, when it hit a rock. The migrant boats travel by dead of night in order not to be noticed, and often lack the technology to detect obstacles, like rocks, in the water.
Following the sinking of the boat, Egyptian authorities arrested 153 migrants who were attempting to board a fishing boat near Alexandria, at the port of Abu Qir, before they could get underway. According to the Star-Tribune, each migrant had paid $3500 USD for passage.
Those arrested included 43 Palestinians, 35 Sudanese and 18 Syrians, and they included men, women and children.
The Palestinians who have risked escaping from the Gaza Strip, to try to reach Europe, say they have nothing left to live for in their native land, which has been sealed off with no ability to export or import, and no economy, since 2006. Such a voyage is expensive and risky, but an estimated 100,000 Palestinians have attempted the trip in 2014 alone.
