13 jan 2015
The Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority (EQA), on Tuesday, said in a statement that, following the Palestinian Authority’s recent move of signing on to four international conventions on environment, Israel will be held accountable for committing crimes against the environment in Palestine.
According to WAFA correspondence, ahead of the United Nations Security Council’s recent failure to adopt a draft resolution on ending the Israeli occupation, President Mahmoud Abbas has signed letters of accession to 16 international treaties, including the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The EQA said that Israel will, therefore, be held accountable for dumping hazardous wastes in Palestinians land, and for deliberately devastating the Palestinian biodiversity and natural resources.
Furthermore, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the EQA said Palestine would act to restore its sovereignty over the water rights in the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.
Friends of the Earth International published a report, in 2013, pertaining to the ongoing colonization and ethnic cleansing of Palestine, including the control over land and water resources.
See: http://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/06-foei-palestine-report-eng-lr.pdf
The report highlights the issue of the so-called "separation wall", which was allegedly designed to segregate the West Bank from Israel, and has been built largely on Palestinian land along the Western aquifer, which is the richest strategic groundwater basin.
It also noted Israel’s use of waste water to contaminate water resources and agricultural land as a form of political pressure.
See: 12/29/14 West Bank: Israelis Raze Crops, Pollute Lands, Violate Schools
The signing of global treaties on environment will enable Palestine to sue Israel for practices which endanger the environment and Palestinians' safety.
According to WAFA correspondence, ahead of the United Nations Security Council’s recent failure to adopt a draft resolution on ending the Israeli occupation, President Mahmoud Abbas has signed letters of accession to 16 international treaties, including the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The EQA said that Israel will, therefore, be held accountable for dumping hazardous wastes in Palestinians land, and for deliberately devastating the Palestinian biodiversity and natural resources.
Furthermore, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the EQA said Palestine would act to restore its sovereignty over the water rights in the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.
Friends of the Earth International published a report, in 2013, pertaining to the ongoing colonization and ethnic cleansing of Palestine, including the control over land and water resources.
See: http://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/06-foei-palestine-report-eng-lr.pdf
The report highlights the issue of the so-called "separation wall", which was allegedly designed to segregate the West Bank from Israel, and has been built largely on Palestinian land along the Western aquifer, which is the richest strategic groundwater basin.
It also noted Israel’s use of waste water to contaminate water resources and agricultural land as a form of political pressure.
See: 12/29/14 West Bank: Israelis Raze Crops, Pollute Lands, Violate Schools
The signing of global treaties on environment will enable Palestine to sue Israel for practices which endanger the environment and Palestinians' safety.
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, stressed its absolute refusal of the Palestinian Authority (PA) going back to the United Nations Security Council in regards with the PA bid for UN statehood.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, in a statement on Tuesday, the announcement made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressing his intention to go back to the UN Security Council is illegitimate and rejected at the national level.
Abbas announced earlier on Monday that he would visit the United Nations Security Council to obtain the Palestinian people’s rights, freedom, and independence.
Eight member states of the Council voted in favor of the bid which would have required the support of nine member states to pass, under the condition that no permanent state would veto the bid.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, in a statement on Tuesday, the announcement made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressing his intention to go back to the UN Security Council is illegitimate and rejected at the national level.
Abbas announced earlier on Monday that he would visit the United Nations Security Council to obtain the Palestinian people’s rights, freedom, and independence.
Eight member states of the Council voted in favor of the bid which would have required the support of nine member states to pass, under the condition that no permanent state would veto the bid.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo arrived Tuesday morning in the Gaza Strip on a few hours visit to the Strip as part of his Middle East tour.
Quds Press reported that the Spanish FM Garcia-Margallo entered the Strip through Erez border crossing with Israel. He was accompanied with United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl and a Spanish media delegation of 25 pressmen.
For his part, the Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Ziyad Abu Amer along with high level figures welcomed Minister Garcia-Margallo at the Crossing.
The Spanish Minister is expected to check on the Palestinian refugees, who are being sheltered in Bahrain school in western Gaza due to the latest Israeli aggression.
The top Spanish diplomat is also expected to hold talks with ministers of the Palestinian unity government at the council of ministers’ headquarters in Gaza.
The Spanish foreign minister had visited the Gaza Strip in 2013 and got acquainted with conditions of Gaza’s people.
Recently, a number of European foreign ministers made visits to the Gaza Strip.
Quds Press reported that the Spanish FM Garcia-Margallo entered the Strip through Erez border crossing with Israel. He was accompanied with United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl and a Spanish media delegation of 25 pressmen.
For his part, the Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Ziyad Abu Amer along with high level figures welcomed Minister Garcia-Margallo at the Crossing.
The Spanish Minister is expected to check on the Palestinian refugees, who are being sheltered in Bahrain school in western Gaza due to the latest Israeli aggression.
The top Spanish diplomat is also expected to hold talks with ministers of the Palestinian unity government at the council of ministers’ headquarters in Gaza.
The Spanish foreign minister had visited the Gaza Strip in 2013 and got acquainted with conditions of Gaza’s people.
Recently, a number of European foreign ministers made visits to the Gaza Strip.
Secretary-general of al-Ahrar Movement Khaled Abu Hilal called for forming a national unity government able to protect its people in place of the government of Rami Hamdallah, which he said failed miserably in its duties.
"The government of Hamdallah is not a national unity government and did not make anything in terms of ending the division and uniting the government's institutions," Abu Hilal stated on Monday in press remarks.
He stressed that "this government has become part of the current crisis," and that "the problem is not only in its performance but also in its identity."
"Gaza lived through massive aggression and low-pressure weather, and we saw nothing from this government," al-Ahrar leader said.
"The government has also changed nothing in the West Bank where political arrest, oppression and corruption are still rampant, as if it is the previous government of Ramallah."
He expressed his belief that this government is controlled by president Mahmoud Abbas, "who does not believe in political partnership and monopolizes the authority."
"We need honest intentions and genuine political partnership based on what has been agreed upon and away from international pressures and dubious money," he said.
"The government of Hamdallah is not a national unity government and did not make anything in terms of ending the division and uniting the government's institutions," Abu Hilal stated on Monday in press remarks.
He stressed that "this government has become part of the current crisis," and that "the problem is not only in its performance but also in its identity."
"Gaza lived through massive aggression and low-pressure weather, and we saw nothing from this government," al-Ahrar leader said.
"The government has also changed nothing in the West Bank where political arrest, oppression and corruption are still rampant, as if it is the previous government of Ramallah."
He expressed his belief that this government is controlled by president Mahmoud Abbas, "who does not believe in political partnership and monopolizes the authority."
"We need honest intentions and genuine political partnership based on what has been agreed upon and away from international pressures and dubious money," he said.
U.S. President Barck Obama Monday briefed the Israeli premier on Washington’s positions vis-à-vis the latest Palestinian request to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Barack Obama spoke by phone on Monday with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu about ongoing nuclear talks with Iran and about the Palestinian move to join the ICC, the White House said.
"President Obama underscored that the United States does not believe Palestinian accession to the ICC is a constructive way forward," the White House said in a statement, reiterating the U.S. position that the Palestinian Authority is not a sovereign state and does not legally qualify to join the Rome Statute.
"The United States continues to strongly oppose actions by both parties that undermine trust, and encourages both sides to seek ways to deescalate tensions," the statement read.
Earlier, on Friday, the Palestinian delegation to the UN delivered the paperwork to Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Stephen Mathias, asking for membership in the ICC.
The Palestinians moved quickly to join the court after suffering a defeat at the U.N. Security Council, which rejected a resolution that would have set a three-year deadline for the end of the Israeli occupation.
Barack Obama spoke by phone on Monday with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu about ongoing nuclear talks with Iran and about the Palestinian move to join the ICC, the White House said.
"President Obama underscored that the United States does not believe Palestinian accession to the ICC is a constructive way forward," the White House said in a statement, reiterating the U.S. position that the Palestinian Authority is not a sovereign state and does not legally qualify to join the Rome Statute.
"The United States continues to strongly oppose actions by both parties that undermine trust, and encourages both sides to seek ways to deescalate tensions," the statement read.
Earlier, on Friday, the Palestinian delegation to the UN delivered the paperwork to Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Stephen Mathias, asking for membership in the ICC.
The Palestinians moved quickly to join the court after suffering a defeat at the U.N. Security Council, which rejected a resolution that would have set a three-year deadline for the end of the Israeli occupation.
12 jan 2015
American senators have threatened Palestinian leadership with a "strong response" over the recent decision to join the International Criminal Court.
Press TV reports, via PNN, that Senators Lindsey Graham, Robert Menendez, Chuck Schumer, and Mark Kirk issued the warning in a statement, on Friday.
The statement described the Palestinian move as "deplorable" and "counterproductive."
PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed an application to join the Hague-based ICC after the United Nations Security Council rejected a Palestinian proposal for statehood on December 30, 2014.
"Existing US law makes clear that if the Palestinians initiate an ICC judicially authorized investigation, or actively support such an investigation, all economic assistance to the PA must end," the senators said, adding:
"In light of this legal requirement, Congress will reassess its support for assistance to the PA and seek additional ways to make clear to President Abbas that we strongly oppose his efforts to seek membership in the ICC."
Related: Israel To Ask US Congress To Cut Aid To Palestinians
Earlier this week, the US State Department issued a similar warning.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the Palestinian Authority does not qualify for legal membership to the international court because Palestine is not yet a sovereign state.
However, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently stated: "The statute will enter into force for the State of Palestine on April 1, 2015."
Press TV reports, via PNN, that Senators Lindsey Graham, Robert Menendez, Chuck Schumer, and Mark Kirk issued the warning in a statement, on Friday.
The statement described the Palestinian move as "deplorable" and "counterproductive."
PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed an application to join the Hague-based ICC after the United Nations Security Council rejected a Palestinian proposal for statehood on December 30, 2014.
"Existing US law makes clear that if the Palestinians initiate an ICC judicially authorized investigation, or actively support such an investigation, all economic assistance to the PA must end," the senators said, adding:
"In light of this legal requirement, Congress will reassess its support for assistance to the PA and seek additional ways to make clear to President Abbas that we strongly oppose his efforts to seek membership in the ICC."
Related: Israel To Ask US Congress To Cut Aid To Palestinians
Earlier this week, the US State Department issued a similar warning.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the Palestinian Authority does not qualify for legal membership to the international court because Palestine is not yet a sovereign state.
However, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently stated: "The statute will enter into force for the State of Palestine on April 1, 2015."
The Palestinian Legislative council (PLC) is expected to resume its sessions and convene concurrently in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Wednesday. The declaration coincided with the Israeli release on Monday of two PLC members after six months of administrative detention.
Acting PLC speaker Dr. Ahmed Bahar called in a press conference on Monday in Gaza on all parliamentary blocs and independent MPs to attend the session on Wednesday, January 14. The session will be held under the theme: “The siege and its disastrous impacts on the Palestinian people”, he added.
This would help the council to maintain unity of the Palestinian people and to practice its legislative and monitoring roles provided for in the basic law, Bahar said.
He pointed out that the council sessions had been suspended over the past seven months to allow time for the Palestinian reconciliation to materialize.
Bahar criticized the Palestinian unity government for failing to provide the necessary funds for Gaza's health, education and security institutions.
He said, “The government had also dragged its feet on the reconstruction of the war-battered Gaza Strip”. Civil servants have not been paid for more than eight months, he added.
Meanwhile, Quds Press reported that the Israeli occupation authority has released MPs Omar Abdul Razeq and Fadel Hamdan after being administratively arrested for 6 months.
Hamas “Change and Reform” deputies were held captive under administrative detention without trial or charge, since mid of last June. The detention orders were renewed twice for three months each, the last of which ended on Monday.
Acting PLC speaker Dr. Ahmed Bahar called in a press conference on Monday in Gaza on all parliamentary blocs and independent MPs to attend the session on Wednesday, January 14. The session will be held under the theme: “The siege and its disastrous impacts on the Palestinian people”, he added.
This would help the council to maintain unity of the Palestinian people and to practice its legislative and monitoring roles provided for in the basic law, Bahar said.
He pointed out that the council sessions had been suspended over the past seven months to allow time for the Palestinian reconciliation to materialize.
Bahar criticized the Palestinian unity government for failing to provide the necessary funds for Gaza's health, education and security institutions.
He said, “The government had also dragged its feet on the reconstruction of the war-battered Gaza Strip”. Civil servants have not been paid for more than eight months, he added.
Meanwhile, Quds Press reported that the Israeli occupation authority has released MPs Omar Abdul Razeq and Fadel Hamdan after being administratively arrested for 6 months.
Hamas “Change and Reform” deputies were held captive under administrative detention without trial or charge, since mid of last June. The detention orders were renewed twice for three months each, the last of which ended on Monday.
Professor of mass media studies Iyad al-Qara strongly denounced Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas for participating with the Israeli premier in the pro-France solidarity march that was held in Paris on Sunday.
In press remarks to the Palestinian information center (PIC), Qara condemned Abbas's participation in the march with Benjamin Netanyahu as "provocative".
He said that Abbas blatantly ignored the suffering of his people in Gaza, while hastening to participate in a march with Netanyahu whose hands are stained with the Palestinian blood.
"The participation of these two men together means that Abbas's slogans about prosecuting Israeli war criminals is only political bargaining," professor Qara said.
"This proves that Abbas does not have the decision to prosecute war criminals, including Netanyahu in particular," he added.
"If it is about the murder of journalists, there are 17 journalists killed by the (Israeli) occupation during the last aggression against Gaza, so why did not Abbas or the world get upset for them?" he questioned.
In press remarks to the Palestinian information center (PIC), Qara condemned Abbas's participation in the march with Benjamin Netanyahu as "provocative".
He said that Abbas blatantly ignored the suffering of his people in Gaza, while hastening to participate in a march with Netanyahu whose hands are stained with the Palestinian blood.
"The participation of these two men together means that Abbas's slogans about prosecuting Israeli war criminals is only political bargaining," professor Qara said.
"This proves that Abbas does not have the decision to prosecute war criminals, including Netanyahu in particular," he added.
"If it is about the murder of journalists, there are 17 journalists killed by the (Israeli) occupation during the last aggression against Gaza, so why did not Abbas or the world get upset for them?" he questioned.
News of house fire and torrential rains rocking Occupied Jerusalem and al-Khalil Sunday marred the lives of children and civilian families across the Occupied Palestinian territories.
Seven Palestinian civilians sustained wounds and critical breathing disorders, three among whom were treated on the spot, afternoon Sunday after a fire gutted the Dheim’s family home in Jerusalem’s Jabal al-Mukabir.
Four other casualties were rushed to the hospital to receive urgent treatment, member of the rescue crew, Sami Ramouz, told the WAFA News Agency.
Locals said the house burst into flames most probably due to a short circuit hitting an electric fireplace.
Meanwhile, more than 18 vehicles, homes, and trucks sunk after floods of torrential rains bucketed down in the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil.
Hundreds of turkeys grown in a farm south of the city reportedly died after the poultry’s roof fell down.
An uncontrollable influx of floods of heavy rains was documented in the process, resulting in more deaths among the turkeys.
Seven Palestinian civilians sustained wounds and critical breathing disorders, three among whom were treated on the spot, afternoon Sunday after a fire gutted the Dheim’s family home in Jerusalem’s Jabal al-Mukabir.
Four other casualties were rushed to the hospital to receive urgent treatment, member of the rescue crew, Sami Ramouz, told the WAFA News Agency.
Locals said the house burst into flames most probably due to a short circuit hitting an electric fireplace.
Meanwhile, more than 18 vehicles, homes, and trucks sunk after floods of torrential rains bucketed down in the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil.
Hundreds of turkeys grown in a farm south of the city reportedly died after the poultry’s roof fell down.
An uncontrollable influx of floods of heavy rains was documented in the process, resulting in more deaths among the turkeys.
The Qatari foreign minister, Khaled al-Attiya, denied press reports that his country has asked Khaled Mishaal, the political bureau chairman of Hamas, to leave the country.
Addressing a joint press conference with visiting Venezuelan foreign minister Delcy Eloina Gomez on Monday, Attiya said that all what have been reported about Mishaal’s departure from Doha was untrue.
Media outlets last week quoted unidentified sources as saying that Qatar had asked Mishaal to leave the country, but the office of Mishaal and political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet al-Resheq denied the report.
Addressing a joint press conference with visiting Venezuelan foreign minister Delcy Eloina Gomez on Monday, Attiya said that all what have been reported about Mishaal’s departure from Doha was untrue.
Media outlets last week quoted unidentified sources as saying that Qatar had asked Mishaal to leave the country, but the office of Mishaal and political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet al-Resheq denied the report.
The Palestinian national and Islamic factions agreed at the conclusion of a meeting held in Gaza Sunday on the formation of a national committee to follow up the accurate implementation of the reconciliation deal.
The conveners called for the need to reconsider the mechanisms of national decision-making and to form a follow-up committee to boost up the internal reconciliation agreement signed between Hamas and Fatah, a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting read.
The Palestinian factions met, at the request of Hamas, to discuss the repercussions of a recent statement issued by the consensus government and dubbed a coup on reconciliation. Representatives of the Fatah faction did not attend the meeting.
The groups voiced serious concern over the political challenges lying ahead of the Palestinian cause and appealed for the adoption of partnership and cooperation to work out any imminent crisis.
The meeting warned of the perils laid by the blockade policies and the delay in the rebuilding process, calling for the need to press ahead with reconstruction and to reconsider such stumbling blocks as the Serry plan.
The statement called on the unity government to assume its allotted responsibilities in following up and preparing for calling the upcoming Palestinian elections.
The conveners condemned the latest bombings and attacks targeting public institutions and facilities, urging the Palestinian security apparatuses to take their share in attempts to detect the real perpetrators and uphold peace in the region.
The conveners called for the need to reconsider the mechanisms of national decision-making and to form a follow-up committee to boost up the internal reconciliation agreement signed between Hamas and Fatah, a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting read.
The Palestinian factions met, at the request of Hamas, to discuss the repercussions of a recent statement issued by the consensus government and dubbed a coup on reconciliation. Representatives of the Fatah faction did not attend the meeting.
The groups voiced serious concern over the political challenges lying ahead of the Palestinian cause and appealed for the adoption of partnership and cooperation to work out any imminent crisis.
The meeting warned of the perils laid by the blockade policies and the delay in the rebuilding process, calling for the need to press ahead with reconstruction and to reconsider such stumbling blocks as the Serry plan.
The statement called on the unity government to assume its allotted responsibilities in following up and preparing for calling the upcoming Palestinian elections.
The conveners condemned the latest bombings and attacks targeting public institutions and facilities, urging the Palestinian security apparatuses to take their share in attempts to detect the real perpetrators and uphold peace in the region.
11 jan 2015
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo is expected to visit the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, to check on the Strip’s conditions, during his tour that will also take him to Jordan, Israel and the West Bank.
The spokesman of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Adnan Abu Hasnah told the Anadolu Agency that the Spanish Foreign Minister will seek, during his visit to Gaza, to have an idea about the conditions of the territory and the needs of the Gazan people.
He will also seek to know the needs of the people affected by the latest Israeli offensive on Gaza, Abu Hasna added.
The Spanish Foreign Minister started a Middle East tour on Saturday to get firsthand information on the current conditions in the region.
This coincides with granting Spain a non-permanent member status at the United Nations Security Council, according to a statement from the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
Margallo’s tour in the region follows a visit he made to Egypt two weeks ago.
The Minister is expected to start his tour with Jordan where he will meet with the Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Jordanian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Naser Joudeh, Defense Minister Abdullah al-Nusur and a number of Spanish businessmen working in the Hashemite Kingdom.
This tour followed the call made, on November 18, by the Spanish parliament for recognizing Palestine as a state.
The Spanish Minister will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his stay in the Jordanian Capital Amman a few hours prior to his travel to the Palestinian territories.
After meeting with President Abbas, Margallo will head on Tuesday to Gaza Strip where he will meet with UNRWA’s Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl.
Margallo will conclude his tour by a visit to Israel. He will hold a series of meetings with Israeli officials.
The spokesman of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Adnan Abu Hasnah told the Anadolu Agency that the Spanish Foreign Minister will seek, during his visit to Gaza, to have an idea about the conditions of the territory and the needs of the Gazan people.
He will also seek to know the needs of the people affected by the latest Israeli offensive on Gaza, Abu Hasna added.
The Spanish Foreign Minister started a Middle East tour on Saturday to get firsthand information on the current conditions in the region.
This coincides with granting Spain a non-permanent member status at the United Nations Security Council, according to a statement from the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
Margallo’s tour in the region follows a visit he made to Egypt two weeks ago.
The Minister is expected to start his tour with Jordan where he will meet with the Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Jordanian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Naser Joudeh, Defense Minister Abdullah al-Nusur and a number of Spanish businessmen working in the Hashemite Kingdom.
This tour followed the call made, on November 18, by the Spanish parliament for recognizing Palestine as a state.
The Spanish Minister will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his stay in the Jordanian Capital Amman a few hours prior to his travel to the Palestinian territories.
After meeting with President Abbas, Margallo will head on Tuesday to Gaza Strip where he will meet with UNRWA’s Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl.
Margallo will conclude his tour by a visit to Israel. He will hold a series of meetings with Israeli officials.
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The Palestinian civil defense service in the Gaza Strip said it had carried out 303 missions to help citizens and clear roads during the harsh weather conditions that hit the enclave in the last few days.
In a press release on Saturday, the interior ministry in Gaza demanded the unity government in Ramallah to shoulder their share of responsibilities in this regard and provide the operational expenses and salaries in order for the ministry and its service departments to continue doing their jobs to the fullest. The ministry said the civil defense recently evacuated 152 families from flood-hit areas in Rafah, Khan Younis and Wadi Salaqa, and carried out 79 assignments to remove floodwaters, debris, trees, poles and signs from different places and roads. |
The civil defense teams also carried out dozens of other assignments that involved securing homes in flood-prone areas, pulling stuck cars, extinguishing fires, rescuing citizens and providing them with first aid.
In a related context, the extreme weather conditions since last Tuesday in Gaza has claimed the lives of four Palestinians, three of them children, the Palestinian ministry of health stated in a press release on Saturday.
It said that the cold spell that hit the Palestinian territories caused the death of four Palestinians last Friday and Saturday.
All the victims were living in unsuitable homes that had been partially damaged during the last Israeli war on Gaza.
In a related context, the extreme weather conditions since last Tuesday in Gaza has claimed the lives of four Palestinians, three of them children, the Palestinian ministry of health stated in a press release on Saturday.
It said that the cold spell that hit the Palestinian territories caused the death of four Palestinians last Friday and Saturday.
All the victims were living in unsuitable homes that had been partially damaged during the last Israeli war on Gaza.
A Palestinian fisherman went missing while three others were injured after their fishing boat capsized in rough seas off the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.
The boat, reportedly carrying four Palestinian fishermen on board, keeled over on its way back from a fishing trip due to the extreme weather conditions and torrential rain rocking the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The 22-year-old sailor Haithem Ibrahim al-Akraa went missing after the vessel tipped over, Palestinian security sources told the PIC.
The duly-notified rescue crews and marine police plunged into the sea in search for the missing fisherman using lamps and emergency boats but failed to find out the casualty.
By-standers at the scene said the sailor most probably died of a cardiac arrest hitting his body due to icy water and freezing weather temperatures in Gaza.
“True, no wise man would take the risk to set sail in such sub-zero temperatures,” an on-the-spot fisherman said. “But we have no other way out. This is our only source of income to feed our starved offspring.”
The boat, reportedly carrying four Palestinian fishermen on board, keeled over on its way back from a fishing trip due to the extreme weather conditions and torrential rain rocking the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The 22-year-old sailor Haithem Ibrahim al-Akraa went missing after the vessel tipped over, Palestinian security sources told the PIC.
The duly-notified rescue crews and marine police plunged into the sea in search for the missing fisherman using lamps and emergency boats but failed to find out the casualty.
By-standers at the scene said the sailor most probably died of a cardiac arrest hitting his body due to icy water and freezing weather temperatures in Gaza.
“True, no wise man would take the risk to set sail in such sub-zero temperatures,” an on-the-spot fisherman said. “But we have no other way out. This is our only source of income to feed our starved offspring.”
Hamas on Saturday slammed the Israeli premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, for having drawn parallels between the group’s resistance attacks and the latest assault on Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris.
A statement by the Islamist group said Hamas firmly condemns the attack against Charlie Hebdo magazine and insists on the fact that differences of opinion and thought cannot justify murder.
Hamas further slammed “the desperate attempts” by the Israeli premier to strike a comparison between the Palestinian resistance and global terrorism.
The Movement called on the international community to stick up with Palestinians and defend them against the mounting Israeli state terrorism.
Earlier, during a meeting with the French ambassador to Tel Aviv on Friday, Netanyahu claimed that Israel is going through the same fight as the one currently undertaken by France against terrorist groups and their "thirst for bloodshed".
A statement by the Islamist group said Hamas firmly condemns the attack against Charlie Hebdo magazine and insists on the fact that differences of opinion and thought cannot justify murder.
Hamas further slammed “the desperate attempts” by the Israeli premier to strike a comparison between the Palestinian resistance and global terrorism.
The Movement called on the international community to stick up with Palestinians and defend them against the mounting Israeli state terrorism.
Earlier, during a meeting with the French ambassador to Tel Aviv on Friday, Netanyahu claimed that Israel is going through the same fight as the one currently undertaken by France against terrorist groups and their "thirst for bloodshed".
Dream Defenders in Nazareth
A delegation of young African American leaders from Ferguson and other US cities organized by 'Dream Defenders' are traveling through the Occupied Palestinian Territories this week to see first-hand the reality of life under military occupation.
According to one of the delegation organizers, Ahmad Abuznaid, “The goals were primarily to allow for the group members to experience and see first hand the occupation, ethnic cleansing and brutality Israel has levied against Palestinians, but also to build real relationships with those on the ground leading the fight for liberation. In the spirit of Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael and many others, we thought the connections between the African American leadership of the movement in the US and those on the ground in Palestine needed to be reestablished and fortified.”
Abuznaid added, “As a Palestinian who has learned a great deal about struggle, movement, militancy and liberation from African Americans in the US, I dreamt of the day where I could bring that power back to my people in Palestine. This trip is a part of that process.”
Soon after the delegation arrived in Palestine, one of the members of the delegation tweeted, “Our brother, Legal & Policy Director, and the organizer of this trip, Ahmad Abuznaid is only allowed in Jerusalem, the place of his birth, on a work permit now. Due to the fact he is Palestinian, he can only get into Jerusalem by walking through a Checkpoint. Today, we joined him on his journey through gates that reminded us of cattle pens. #WeCantBreathe.”
Some of the organizations represented in the delegation include Black Lives Matter and the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100). Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, told reporters from Ebony magazine that her first impression of occupied Palestine was that, “This is an apartheid state. We can't deny that and if we do deny it we are apart of the Zionist violence. There are two different systems here in occupied Palestine. Two completely different systems. Folks are unable to go to parts of their own country. Folks are barred from their own country.”
Cherell Brown, another participant in the delegation, noted that “So many parallels exist between how the US polices, incarcerates, and perpetuates violence on the black community and how the Zionist state that exists in Israel perpetuates the same on Palestinians. This is not to say there aren't vast differences and nuances that need to always be named, but our oppressors are literally collaborating together, learning from one another - and as oppressed people we have to do the same."
The delegation has traveled to refugee camps in Bethlehem, as well as visiting Jerusalem, Ramallah, Haifa and Nazareth and meeting with various organizations.
Hip-hop artist Tef Poe wrote upon the conclusion of the delegation, "When I get home I get off the plane and go back to the north side of St. Louis a place where most of us are in just as much bondage as these people but the difference is we don’t know it or acknowledge it ….Power concedes to righteousness eventually."
A delegation of young African American leaders from Ferguson and other US cities organized by 'Dream Defenders' are traveling through the Occupied Palestinian Territories this week to see first-hand the reality of life under military occupation.
According to one of the delegation organizers, Ahmad Abuznaid, “The goals were primarily to allow for the group members to experience and see first hand the occupation, ethnic cleansing and brutality Israel has levied against Palestinians, but also to build real relationships with those on the ground leading the fight for liberation. In the spirit of Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael and many others, we thought the connections between the African American leadership of the movement in the US and those on the ground in Palestine needed to be reestablished and fortified.”
Abuznaid added, “As a Palestinian who has learned a great deal about struggle, movement, militancy and liberation from African Americans in the US, I dreamt of the day where I could bring that power back to my people in Palestine. This trip is a part of that process.”
Soon after the delegation arrived in Palestine, one of the members of the delegation tweeted, “Our brother, Legal & Policy Director, and the organizer of this trip, Ahmad Abuznaid is only allowed in Jerusalem, the place of his birth, on a work permit now. Due to the fact he is Palestinian, he can only get into Jerusalem by walking through a Checkpoint. Today, we joined him on his journey through gates that reminded us of cattle pens. #WeCantBreathe.”
Some of the organizations represented in the delegation include Black Lives Matter and the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100). Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, told reporters from Ebony magazine that her first impression of occupied Palestine was that, “This is an apartheid state. We can't deny that and if we do deny it we are apart of the Zionist violence. There are two different systems here in occupied Palestine. Two completely different systems. Folks are unable to go to parts of their own country. Folks are barred from their own country.”
Cherell Brown, another participant in the delegation, noted that “So many parallels exist between how the US polices, incarcerates, and perpetuates violence on the black community and how the Zionist state that exists in Israel perpetuates the same on Palestinians. This is not to say there aren't vast differences and nuances that need to always be named, but our oppressors are literally collaborating together, learning from one another - and as oppressed people we have to do the same."
The delegation has traveled to refugee camps in Bethlehem, as well as visiting Jerusalem, Ramallah, Haifa and Nazareth and meeting with various organizations.
Hip-hop artist Tef Poe wrote upon the conclusion of the delegation, "When I get home I get off the plane and go back to the north side of St. Louis a place where most of us are in just as much bondage as these people but the difference is we don’t know it or acknowledge it ….Power concedes to righteousness eventually."
The Hamas Movement denied there would be a meeting between chief of its political bureau Khaled Mishaal and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Turkey.
"The news about a meeting between Khaled Mishaal and Mahmoud Abbas in Turkey are not true," its spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated on Saturday.
Mishaal had visited Turkey last week and received an open-armed welcome from premier Ahmet Davutoglu and the Turkish people.
The information office of the Turkish presidency, for its part, said in a press release on Friday that Abbas would pay an official visit to Turkey on January 12 at the invitation of president Recep Erdogan.
The two sides will discuss the bilateral relations between Turkey and Palestine and exchange views on issues of mutual interest, especially with regard to the latest developments in the Palestinian arena and the Turkish humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people.
According to the press release, Abbas's visit to Turkey would be an additional opportunity for Turkey to present itself as the strongest advocate of the Palestinian people and their national cause.
"The news about a meeting between Khaled Mishaal and Mahmoud Abbas in Turkey are not true," its spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated on Saturday.
Mishaal had visited Turkey last week and received an open-armed welcome from premier Ahmet Davutoglu and the Turkish people.
The information office of the Turkish presidency, for its part, said in a press release on Friday that Abbas would pay an official visit to Turkey on January 12 at the invitation of president Recep Erdogan.
The two sides will discuss the bilateral relations between Turkey and Palestine and exchange views on issues of mutual interest, especially with regard to the latest developments in the Palestinian arena and the Turkish humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people.
According to the press release, Abbas's visit to Turkey would be an additional opportunity for Turkey to present itself as the strongest advocate of the Palestinian people and their national cause.
