31 dec 2018
Head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege on Gaza, MP Jamal al-Khudari, on Sunday said that 2018 was the worst since the Israeli occupation of the enclave in 1967.
Al-Khudari said in a press statement that the economic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is unprecedentedly deteriorating, with direct and indirect economic losses exceeding $300 million in 2018.
Al-Khudari explained that 2018 was the most disastrous in Gaza in view of the 13-year-long Israeli blockade and the never-ending suffering resulting from three devastating military aggressions on the besieged territory.
Hundreds of Palestinian families are still suffering as their homes, which were destroyed during the 2014 aggression, have not been reconstructed yet, he noted.
Israel has imposed a ban on the entry of hundreds of kinds of goods and raw materials needed for industry into the Gaza Strip. About 90% of Gaza factories have been gravely affected, leaving nearly 300,000 workers unemployed.
According to the Palestinian MP, with thousands of jobless graduates, the unemployment rate among young people in Gaza rose to %65.
He pointed out that Gaza's per capita daily income, if there is any, is less than $2, which is the lowest in the world, while 85% of the Palestinians in Gaza live below the poverty line.
Al-Khudari appealed to all concerned Arab, Muslim, and international organizations to pressure Israel in 2019 to abide by the UN charters, the four Geneva Conventions, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which criminalize the siege and collective punishment.
He called for increasing the financial support for humanitarian and job-creating projects in the Gaza Strip, which would also improve the services offered to the families in the health, education, and infrastructure sectors.
Al-Khudari said in a press statement that the economic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is unprecedentedly deteriorating, with direct and indirect economic losses exceeding $300 million in 2018.
Al-Khudari explained that 2018 was the most disastrous in Gaza in view of the 13-year-long Israeli blockade and the never-ending suffering resulting from three devastating military aggressions on the besieged territory.
Hundreds of Palestinian families are still suffering as their homes, which were destroyed during the 2014 aggression, have not been reconstructed yet, he noted.
Israel has imposed a ban on the entry of hundreds of kinds of goods and raw materials needed for industry into the Gaza Strip. About 90% of Gaza factories have been gravely affected, leaving nearly 300,000 workers unemployed.
According to the Palestinian MP, with thousands of jobless graduates, the unemployment rate among young people in Gaza rose to %65.
He pointed out that Gaza's per capita daily income, if there is any, is less than $2, which is the lowest in the world, while 85% of the Palestinians in Gaza live below the poverty line.
Al-Khudari appealed to all concerned Arab, Muslim, and international organizations to pressure Israel in 2019 to abide by the UN charters, the four Geneva Conventions, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which criminalize the siege and collective punishment.
He called for increasing the financial support for humanitarian and job-creating projects in the Gaza Strip, which would also improve the services offered to the families in the health, education, and infrastructure sectors.
30 dec 2018
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a total of 295 Palestinians were killed and over 29,000 others were injured in 2018 by Israeli forces.
According to a recent report released by OCHA, 57 of those Palestinian fatalities and about 7,000 of the wounded citizens were under age 18.
“This is the highest death toll in a single year since the Gaza conflict of 2014, and the highest number of injuries recorded since OCHA began documenting casualties in the oPt (occupied Palestinian territories) in 2005,” the report said.
In 2018, OCHA recorded 265 incidents in which Jewish settlers killed or injured Palestinians or damaged Palestinian property, marking a 69 percent increase in the occurrence of such incidents compared with 2017.
The settlers’ attacks led to the killing of one Palestinian woman and the injury of another 115 Palestinians.
Palestinian property vandalized by settlers includes some 7,900 trees and about 540 vehicles, according to the report.
As for Israel’s demolition policy, the report said that the Israeli authorities demolished or seized 459 Palestinian structures across the West Bank, mostly in Area C of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, overwhelmingly on the grounds of a lack of Israeli-issued construction permits, which are almost impossible to obtain.
Those Israeli demolitions displaced 472 Palestinians, including 216 children and 127 women. In Area C alone, there are over 13,000 pending demolition orders, including 40 issued against schools.
The report also highlighted Israel’s siege on Gaza, saying the land, sea and air blockade on the impoverished enclave persisted, with people being able to exit on an exceptional basis only.
According to a recent report released by OCHA, 57 of those Palestinian fatalities and about 7,000 of the wounded citizens were under age 18.
“This is the highest death toll in a single year since the Gaza conflict of 2014, and the highest number of injuries recorded since OCHA began documenting casualties in the oPt (occupied Palestinian territories) in 2005,” the report said.
In 2018, OCHA recorded 265 incidents in which Jewish settlers killed or injured Palestinians or damaged Palestinian property, marking a 69 percent increase in the occurrence of such incidents compared with 2017.
The settlers’ attacks led to the killing of one Palestinian woman and the injury of another 115 Palestinians.
Palestinian property vandalized by settlers includes some 7,900 trees and about 540 vehicles, according to the report.
As for Israel’s demolition policy, the report said that the Israeli authorities demolished or seized 459 Palestinian structures across the West Bank, mostly in Area C of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, overwhelmingly on the grounds of a lack of Israeli-issued construction permits, which are almost impossible to obtain.
Those Israeli demolitions displaced 472 Palestinians, including 216 children and 127 women. In Area C alone, there are over 13,000 pending demolition orders, including 40 issued against schools.
The report also highlighted Israel’s siege on Gaza, saying the land, sea and air blockade on the impoverished enclave persisted, with people being able to exit on an exceptional basis only.
29 dec 2018
The Palestinian Detainees’ Committee has reported, Saturday, that Israeli soldiers have abducted 6489 Palestinians, including 750 patients or wounded Palestinians, 250 children and 54 women, since the beginning of this year.
The committee stated that the army also carried out extensive and very violent searched of homes, causing serious damage, in addition to repeatedly breaking into the detainees’ rooms and searching them.
It added that the detainees are facing serious violations, including being denied medical treatment, harsh living condition, extended interrogation and torture, the abduction and detention of children, women, legislators and journalists, the high fines, being denied visits in addition to being denied the right to continue their education, in addition to being held in solitary confinement in cold, humid very small cells, without covers and sheets.
6489 Palestinians Abducted in 2018
Among the 6489 abducted Palestinians are 1063 children, 140 women (including children), 6 legislators and 38 journalists.
Israeli military courts also issued the arbitrary Administrative Detention orders (without charges) against 988 detainees, including 389 new orders.
The month that witnessed the largest numbers of abductions and detention of Palestinian is December, as the soldiers abducted 675 Palestinians, including dozens of children.
All the abducted Palestinians faced at least one form of torture, humiliation, including in front of their families and others, the threat of violence against them and their loved ones.
Geographical Statistics for abductions in 2018
The army abducted the Palestinians from every part of occupied Palestine, while most of the abductions took place in the West Bank, as the soldiers took 4495 Palestinian prisoners (%69.3), including 1803 (%27.8) from occupied Jerusalem, and 191 (%2.9) from the Gaza Strip.
Among the Palestinians who are still imprisoned by Israel are %87 from the West Bank, %8 from occupied Jerusalem, and %5 from the Gaza Strip.
Distribution of the detainees:
While many of the abducted Palestinians have been released, there are at least 6000 Palestinian currently held by Israel in 22 prisons, detention centers and interrogation facilities, among them are 23 Jordanian and Syrian nationals.
The main prisons are Nafha, Ramon, Galboa’, Shatta, the Negev, Ofar, Majeddo, Hadarim, Ramla, Asqalan and Be’er as-Sabe’.
Israel is still holding captive 250 children, including one girl, 54 women, eight legislators, 27 journalists, and 450 who are held under Administrative Detention.
48 of the detainees have been held for more than twenty years, including 27 who have been held since before the Oslo Agreement of 1994.
Medical Conditions And Deaths
There are 750 detainees who suffer from various diseases and medical conditions, among them are 200 who require urgent and special treatment, including surgeries, and 34 who have cancer and many who have chronic conditions.
Since the year 1967, 2017 Palestinians have died in Israel prisons, including five who died in 2018, among them some who died hours or days after being detained.
The five detainees, who died this year, are Yassin Saradeeh, Aziz ‘Oweisat, Mohammad Anbar, Mohammad Marshoud and Mohammad al-Khatib.
70 of the detainees suffer from physical, psychological conditions, and dozens were shot prior to their abduction, and many became disabled due to medical neglect and torture.
Female Detainees
The year 2018 has witnessed escalating violations against Palestinian women and girls, while Israel is still holding 54 of them captive, and facing medical neglect, in addition to difficult living conditions, and frequent assaults, especially after Israel moved them from HaSharon prison to Damon prison.
The detainees have frequently protested the bad conditions, humiliation and violations, especially after Israel installed surveillance cameras in the small prison yards.
Child Detainees
In direct violation of various international laws and agreements, especially treaties regarding the rights of children, including the right to protection and the chance to life and development, Israel continues to hold 250 Palestinian children under very difficult conditions, and deprive most of them from family visits, education, physical and psychological treatment.
The children are held in Ofar and Majeddo prisons, and have been subject to torture, high prison terms, extreme living conditions, and high fines, in addition to being treated like abducts without any regard to their age and development.
Israel also issued house arrest orders against 100 Palestinian children from occupied Jerusalem, after holding them captive for various periods, and subjecting them to torture during interrogation.
The interrogations were carried out without any form of legal representation, or at least the presence of an adult family member.
Administrative Detention
On February 15th, 2018, the administrative Palestinian detainees started boycotting Israel’s courts, especially since they have turned the illegal policy of administrative detention into a form of endless collective punishment against them, without charges or any certainty about the end of their imprisonment.
This includes the repeated renewal of these orders for various periods of time, including 3 and six months, and in some cases the orders were renewed just moments before the scheduled release or as soon as the detainees stepped out of the prison gate.
The detainees formed a committee that represents them, and their directives also instruct their lawyers and representatives not to attend the deliberations of appellate courts and the hearings meant for rendering judgment.
Since they are arbitrarily held without charges, their stance is that they should either be released, or indicted.
There are currently 450 detainees held under Administrative Detention orders, including several children and women, six legislators and many academics and social figures.
Collective Punishment
The daily arrests and abductions of the Palestinians amidst very violent invasions and searches of homes and property are serious violations of international legal and humanitarian laws, especially since Israel also targets the families, and demolished many homes belonging to these families as part of the illegal collective punishment policies.
The collective punishment includes the abduction and imprisonments of parents and relatives of detainees, or of “wanted” Palestinians, and the demolition of their homes, in addition to abduction parents of relatives of Palestinians who were killed by the army. and the demolition of their homes, especially those accused of killing or injuring soldiers or colonialist settlers.
Hunger Strikes
This year witnessed repeated and escalating cases of hunger strikes among many detains, including some who went on strike on their own, and were later joined by dozens of detainees as an act of solidarity.
The main reason for hunger strikes is the illegal policies of Administrative Detention, medical neglect and extremely bad living conditions.
At least 39 detainees individually held hunger strikes in 2018, rejecting their Administrative Detention and demanding their rights.
Racist Israeli Laws
The year 2018 witnessed a number of “legislations” and draft legislations in the Israeli Knesset, targeting the detainees and their families.
This includes draft legislations to expel the families of Palestinian detainees from occupied Jerusalem, accused or convicted of attacking Israeli soldiers and settlers, and the draft proposal to execute those detainees.
One of the new laws is revoking the right to early release of the detainees, and the draft law for capital punishment against.
Israel also passed laws to reject being financially responsible for medical treatment for the detainees, in addition to explicitly permitting naked body searches without a proper cause, and the laws denying family visits of detainees “believed to be members of groups that are holding Israelis”, in addition to laws allowing Israel to continue holding the corpses of slain Palestinians, and not allowing the families to see and bury them, as an act of collective punishment.
The Targeting of Journalists
This year, 2018, Israel escalated its violations against the journalist in occupied Palestine, and abducted more than 40 of them, in addition to dozens of violations against media outlets, media activist and Palestinians who work at media agencies.
The army also abducted 350 Palestinians, including women and children, after their social media posts, deemed to be “incitement” by the army, such as publishing pictures of Palestinians who were killed by the army, or for just “liking” social media posts by other persons.
No such measures were ever taken against Israelis writing social media posts that include explicit incitement against the Palestinians, including calls for killing them and their mass exclusion and extended collective punishment.
It is worth mentioning that the soldiers killed Palestinian Photojournalist Yasser Mortaja, and journalist Ahmad Abu Hussein, in the Gaza Strip, in addition to wounding dozens of journalists.
The soldiers also killed three medics, identified as Razan Najjar, 22, Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein, 36, and Abdullah al-Qutati, 20, in the Gaza Strip.
The committee stated that the army also carried out extensive and very violent searched of homes, causing serious damage, in addition to repeatedly breaking into the detainees’ rooms and searching them.
It added that the detainees are facing serious violations, including being denied medical treatment, harsh living condition, extended interrogation and torture, the abduction and detention of children, women, legislators and journalists, the high fines, being denied visits in addition to being denied the right to continue their education, in addition to being held in solitary confinement in cold, humid very small cells, without covers and sheets.
6489 Palestinians Abducted in 2018
Among the 6489 abducted Palestinians are 1063 children, 140 women (including children), 6 legislators and 38 journalists.
Israeli military courts also issued the arbitrary Administrative Detention orders (without charges) against 988 detainees, including 389 new orders.
The month that witnessed the largest numbers of abductions and detention of Palestinian is December, as the soldiers abducted 675 Palestinians, including dozens of children.
All the abducted Palestinians faced at least one form of torture, humiliation, including in front of their families and others, the threat of violence against them and their loved ones.
Geographical Statistics for abductions in 2018
The army abducted the Palestinians from every part of occupied Palestine, while most of the abductions took place in the West Bank, as the soldiers took 4495 Palestinian prisoners (%69.3), including 1803 (%27.8) from occupied Jerusalem, and 191 (%2.9) from the Gaza Strip.
Among the Palestinians who are still imprisoned by Israel are %87 from the West Bank, %8 from occupied Jerusalem, and %5 from the Gaza Strip.
Distribution of the detainees:
While many of the abducted Palestinians have been released, there are at least 6000 Palestinian currently held by Israel in 22 prisons, detention centers and interrogation facilities, among them are 23 Jordanian and Syrian nationals.
The main prisons are Nafha, Ramon, Galboa’, Shatta, the Negev, Ofar, Majeddo, Hadarim, Ramla, Asqalan and Be’er as-Sabe’.
Israel is still holding captive 250 children, including one girl, 54 women, eight legislators, 27 journalists, and 450 who are held under Administrative Detention.
48 of the detainees have been held for more than twenty years, including 27 who have been held since before the Oslo Agreement of 1994.
Medical Conditions And Deaths
There are 750 detainees who suffer from various diseases and medical conditions, among them are 200 who require urgent and special treatment, including surgeries, and 34 who have cancer and many who have chronic conditions.
Since the year 1967, 2017 Palestinians have died in Israel prisons, including five who died in 2018, among them some who died hours or days after being detained.
The five detainees, who died this year, are Yassin Saradeeh, Aziz ‘Oweisat, Mohammad Anbar, Mohammad Marshoud and Mohammad al-Khatib.
70 of the detainees suffer from physical, psychological conditions, and dozens were shot prior to their abduction, and many became disabled due to medical neglect and torture.
Female Detainees
The year 2018 has witnessed escalating violations against Palestinian women and girls, while Israel is still holding 54 of them captive, and facing medical neglect, in addition to difficult living conditions, and frequent assaults, especially after Israel moved them from HaSharon prison to Damon prison.
The detainees have frequently protested the bad conditions, humiliation and violations, especially after Israel installed surveillance cameras in the small prison yards.
Child Detainees
In direct violation of various international laws and agreements, especially treaties regarding the rights of children, including the right to protection and the chance to life and development, Israel continues to hold 250 Palestinian children under very difficult conditions, and deprive most of them from family visits, education, physical and psychological treatment.
The children are held in Ofar and Majeddo prisons, and have been subject to torture, high prison terms, extreme living conditions, and high fines, in addition to being treated like abducts without any regard to their age and development.
Israel also issued house arrest orders against 100 Palestinian children from occupied Jerusalem, after holding them captive for various periods, and subjecting them to torture during interrogation.
The interrogations were carried out without any form of legal representation, or at least the presence of an adult family member.
Administrative Detention
On February 15th, 2018, the administrative Palestinian detainees started boycotting Israel’s courts, especially since they have turned the illegal policy of administrative detention into a form of endless collective punishment against them, without charges or any certainty about the end of their imprisonment.
This includes the repeated renewal of these orders for various periods of time, including 3 and six months, and in some cases the orders were renewed just moments before the scheduled release or as soon as the detainees stepped out of the prison gate.
The detainees formed a committee that represents them, and their directives also instruct their lawyers and representatives not to attend the deliberations of appellate courts and the hearings meant for rendering judgment.
Since they are arbitrarily held without charges, their stance is that they should either be released, or indicted.
There are currently 450 detainees held under Administrative Detention orders, including several children and women, six legislators and many academics and social figures.
Collective Punishment
The daily arrests and abductions of the Palestinians amidst very violent invasions and searches of homes and property are serious violations of international legal and humanitarian laws, especially since Israel also targets the families, and demolished many homes belonging to these families as part of the illegal collective punishment policies.
The collective punishment includes the abduction and imprisonments of parents and relatives of detainees, or of “wanted” Palestinians, and the demolition of their homes, in addition to abduction parents of relatives of Palestinians who were killed by the army. and the demolition of their homes, especially those accused of killing or injuring soldiers or colonialist settlers.
Hunger Strikes
This year witnessed repeated and escalating cases of hunger strikes among many detains, including some who went on strike on their own, and were later joined by dozens of detainees as an act of solidarity.
The main reason for hunger strikes is the illegal policies of Administrative Detention, medical neglect and extremely bad living conditions.
At least 39 detainees individually held hunger strikes in 2018, rejecting their Administrative Detention and demanding their rights.
Racist Israeli Laws
The year 2018 witnessed a number of “legislations” and draft legislations in the Israeli Knesset, targeting the detainees and their families.
This includes draft legislations to expel the families of Palestinian detainees from occupied Jerusalem, accused or convicted of attacking Israeli soldiers and settlers, and the draft proposal to execute those detainees.
One of the new laws is revoking the right to early release of the detainees, and the draft law for capital punishment against.
Israel also passed laws to reject being financially responsible for medical treatment for the detainees, in addition to explicitly permitting naked body searches without a proper cause, and the laws denying family visits of detainees “believed to be members of groups that are holding Israelis”, in addition to laws allowing Israel to continue holding the corpses of slain Palestinians, and not allowing the families to see and bury them, as an act of collective punishment.
The Targeting of Journalists
This year, 2018, Israel escalated its violations against the journalist in occupied Palestine, and abducted more than 40 of them, in addition to dozens of violations against media outlets, media activist and Palestinians who work at media agencies.
The army also abducted 350 Palestinians, including women and children, after their social media posts, deemed to be “incitement” by the army, such as publishing pictures of Palestinians who were killed by the army, or for just “liking” social media posts by other persons.
No such measures were ever taken against Israelis writing social media posts that include explicit incitement against the Palestinians, including calls for killing them and their mass exclusion and extended collective punishment.
It is worth mentioning that the soldiers killed Palestinian Photojournalist Yasser Mortaja, and journalist Ahmad Abu Hussein, in the Gaza Strip, in addition to wounding dozens of journalists.
The soldiers also killed three medics, identified as Razan Najjar, 22, Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein, 36, and Abdullah al-Qutati, 20, in the Gaza Strip.
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