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Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

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Palestinian President Suspends Agreements with Israel Following Demolition of 70 Palestinian Homes, in Sur Bahir, East Jerusalem

July 28, 2019 

Editor's Note:

While brutal force has been used to create Zionist Israel and sustain it thus far, Zionist claims to Palestine are false. Actually, from the five thousand years of known written history, there has been a continuous Palestinian-Canaanite presence in the Holy Land. Despite the Zionist false claims, the ancient Israelites ruled part of the land for only 85 years (during the reign of David, Solomon, and Solomon's son).

 After that, the Egyptians conquered Palestine-Canaan in 925 BC, followed by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, before the Arab Muslim rule, starting from 636 AD.

By the Time Jesus started his mission, the three population groups of Canaanites, Palestinians, and Israelites were melted together in religion and language. Most of them became Christians when Constantine converted in 313 AD. Then, most of them became Muslims in the 7th and 8th centuries AD.

So, Palestinian Muslims, Christians, and Jews are the ones who have the right to claim descent from ancient Israelites, Palestinians, and Canaanites, not Zionists from other continents.

The following news story is just examples of the Israeli occupation government violations of Palestinian human rights, on daily basis.

More detailed news stories can be found at the following sources: https://english.palinfo.com/, http://imemc.org/, https://paltoday.ps/ar/

 

Israeli bulldozers demolish 70 Palestinian houses in Sur Bahir, East Jerusalem, July 22, 2019 Israeli occupation soldiers blowing up and demolishing 70 Palestinian houses in
Sur Bahir, East Jerusalem, July 22, 2019

Israeli occupation soldiers blowing up and demolishing 70 Palestinian houses in Sur Bahir, East Jerusalem, July 22, 2019 Israeli occupation soldiers scuffling a Palestinian couple during the demolion of 70
Palestinian houses in Sur Bahir, East Jerusalem, July 22, 2019

Palestinian President Suspends Agreements with Israel Following Demolition of 70 Palestinian Homes, in Sur Bahir, East Jerusalem

July 26, 2019 1:00 AM IMEMC News

The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, announced Thursday evening the suspension of all agreements and accords signed with the Israeli occupation government, citing the demolition this week of 70 Palestinian homes in Sur Bahir, an area that is supposed to be under full Palestinian control according to the signed agreements.

Abbas also cited the pressure put on him to accede to the Kushner Plan, called by Kushner and Trump a so-called ‘deal of the century’, which would force the Palestinians to give up their right to self-determination on their own land.

In his statement, Abbas also called for reconciliation between the Palestinian political factions to form a united front against the Israeli military occupation.

He said the suspension will take effect by Friday.

“We will not succumb to the dictates and the imposing of a fait accompli on the ground with brute force, specifically in Jerusalem. All that the (Israeli) occupation state is doing is illegal.

“Our hands have been and are still extended to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. But this does not mean that we accept the status quo or surrender to the measures of the occupation.

“We will not surrender and we will not coexist with the occupation, nor will we accept the ‘deal of the century.’ Palestine and Jerusalem are not for sale or bargain. They are not a real estate deal in a real estate company….no matter how much time it takes, the repugnant occupation is going to be defeated and our future state will be independent.”

He called for the implementation of th Egyptian-mediated Cairo Agreement of 2017 between the Palestinian factions, including Hamas, saying, “My hand is extended for reconciliation and it is time to get more serious”.

The statement came after Israeli military forces demolished 11 buildings, including a nine-story apartment building, and rendered 70 Palestinian families homeless on Monday and Tuesday of this week in Wadi al-Hummus, in the Sur Baher township.

Israel claimed that the buildings were too close to the Israeli-constructed Wall, which severs Jerusalem from West Bank.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2004 that the barrier violated international law, but Israeli forces continued its construction throughout the West Bank.

US Blocks Attempt to Condemn Demolition of Palestinian Houses at UN

July 25, 2019 12:10 PM admin Human rights,

NEW YORK,  Thursday, July 25, 2019 (WAFA) – 

The US blocked an attempt to get the United Nations Security Council to issue a formal statement condemning Israel’s demolitions of Palestinian homes Sur Baher neighborhood, southeast of Jerusalem, earlier this week.

The draft statement, circulated by Kuwait, Indonesia and South Africa to the 15-member council, expressed “grave concern” and warned that the demolition “undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for just and lasting peace,” as quoted in a Reuters report.

According to Reuters, diplomats said that the US told its counterparts in the UNSC that it could not support the draft text. A revised three paragraph draft statement was circulated, but rejected again by the US.

The Israeli occupation government recently commenced the demolition of 16 buildings, which comprise of 100 apartments, in Wadi al-Hummus.

The Israeli high court has approved the demolition of the buildings, thus upholding military allegations that the buildings are “close to the Annexation Wall” and “pose a security threat” due to their proximity to the illegal wall.

Palestinian appeals to demolition orders are frequently dismissed by Israeli courts, which are in fact complicit in perpetuating the Israeli policies of forcible transfer and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

The buildings are located in Area A, supposedly under the full jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority as per the Oslo Accords.

The demolition is expected to have a disastrous effect on all other areas of the West Bank adjacent to Israel’s wall, putting these areas at a high risk of mass demolitions under security pretenses and putting the lives of Palestinians living in such areas at the risk of imminent forcible transfer.

Hundreds Lose Shelter as Israeli Occupation Forces Destroy Dozens of Housing Units in Sour Baher in occupied East Jerusalem

July 22, 2019 6:23 PM PCHR Human rights,

On Monday morning, 22 July 2019, Israeli occupation forces launched a large-scale destruction operation against civilian property in Wadi al-Humus neighborhood, in Sour Baher in the southern part of occupied East Jerusalem. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and machinery carried out the destructions that resulted in hundreds of civilians losing their shelter.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns this crime against civilians and considers it on par for ethnic cleansing, and holds the Israeli government accountable for escalating the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

PCHR calls upon the international community to hold its legal and moral responsibility and intervene effectively to stop Israeli crimes against Palestinian civilians and to provide necessary protection.

According to PCHR’s documentation, at approximately 2:00 on Monday, 22 July 2019, hundreds of Israeli soldiers moved into Sour Baher village with dozens of construction vehicles.

They stationed in Wadi al-Humus neighborhood, closed its entrances and cut all power supplies. Israeli occupation soldiers then forcefully vacated buildings in the neighborhood, used physical violence against them and banned them from taking any of their belongings with them.

At approximately 06:00, destruction machinery took to work and preliminary numbers assert that at least 8 houses and buildings were destroyed, and explosives were planted in a 10-story building in order to destroy it. The destroyed houses include:

Isma’il ‘Ebeidiyah: a 2-sotry house built on 250 square meters and sheltering a 7-member family, including 5 children; Ghaleb Hawan and his son Monther: a 2-story house built on 210 square meters and sheltering a 10-member family, including 6 children; Belal al-Kiswani: a 1-story house sheltering a 5-member family, including 3 children; ‘Alaa’ ‘Amirah:  a 2-story house built on 400 square meters (uninhabited) Mohammed Idris Abu Teir: a 7-story building comprised of 40 residential apartments (under-construction) Ja’afar Abu Hamed: a 1-story house (under-construction); Mohammed Salem al-Atrash: a 4-sotry building (under-construction); and ‘Ali Khalil Hamadah: a 4-sotry building (under-construction)

It should be mentioned that on 13 June 2019, the Israeli High Court approved the Israeli military’s decision to demolish 16 residential buildings comprised of 100 apartments in Wadi al-Humus neighborhood under the pretext of being near the annexation wall which was established on the village’s lands.  On 20 June 2019, the Israeli forces handed tens of residents notices to self-demolish their property by 18 July or the Israeli forces will later do so.  On 21 July 2019, the Israeli High Court rejected the appeal filed by the residents to freeze the demolition orders, and within hours the Israeli forces stormed the neighborhood and started the demolitions.

Wadi al-Humus neighborhood (area: 3,000 dunums; population: 6000) is located on the edge of Sour Baher, south of occupied East Jerusalem.  The neighbourhood is not within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries and most of its lands are classified in Area A that is under full control of the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo Accords; thus, the buildings’ owners obtained construction licenses from the Palestinian Ministry of Local Governance.  Following the construction of the annexation wall in 2003, the neighborhood was split as some houses ended up in the Israeli side but not under jurisdiction of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem.

PCHR deeply condemns the Israeli forces’ violations against Wadi al-Humus neighbourhood and affirms that:

First: the international community’s silence towards the Israeli violations, especially the destruction of an entire neighbourhood and displacement of its residents, reflects the inability of international bodies to protect international humanitarian law, as well as hundreds of United Nations resolutions issued over the past seven decades relevant to the Palestinian cause.

Second: PCHR reiterates that the Israeli judicial system, including the High Court, acts in support of the occupation and legitimizes its violations of IHL when the issues concern Palestinian victims.

Third: PCHR stresses that East Jerusalem is an occupied territory, and all measures taken by Israel since 1967 do not change its legal status as an occupied territory.

Fourth: Article (49) of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention prohibited the Individual or mass forcible transfer or deportation of persons from their places of residence, unless it was for their own interest, such as protecting them from the dangers of armed conflicts.

Article 7.1.d of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court stipulates that Deportation or forcible transfer of population be considered a crime against humanity when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population. This is also emphasized in articles 6, 7, and 8 of the Rome Statute.

PCHR calls upon the international community and UN bodies to intervene to stop Israel’s crimes and violations of Palestinian human rights, and to provide them with protection. 

Abbas: We decided to renounce agreements signed with Israel Short url Related

July 26, 2019, RAMALLAH, (PIC) + -

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said he decided to stop abiding by the agreements signed with the Israeli side and to form a committee to implement the decision taken in this regard by the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

“We will not bow to any dictates or faits accomplis being imposed on the ground by brute force, specifically in Jerusalem,” Abbas said in press remarks on Thursday, describing Israel’s practices in the occupied territories as “illegitimate and wrong.”

“Our hands have always been extended for just, comprehensive and lasting peace; however, this does not mean that we should accept the status quo or surrender to the occupation’s measures,” the president said.

“And we will not go along with the deal of the century because Palestine and Jerusalem are not for sale and barter,” he added.

“There is no peace, no security and no stability in our region and the world without our people getting their rights fully, and no matter how long or short the time was, the obnoxious occupation would be routed and our deep-rooted state would obtain its freedom,” Abbas underscored.

Abbas announced such decision in response to Israel’s recent mass home demolitions in the PA-controlled town of Sur Baher, east of Occupied Jerusalem.

Hamas lauds Abbas’s decision to revoke agreements with Israel

GAZA, (PIC) + -

The Hamas Movement has applauded Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas’s decision to renounce the agreements signed with Israel as “a step in the right direction,” calling for translating it into actions immediately.

“This move is in line with the requirements of the difficult stage the Palestinian cause is facing and will repair wrong paths that have always twisted the Palestinian political trajectory and brought the Palestinian question to such difficult juncture,” Hamas stated on Thursday.

The Movement stressed that the Palestinian people looks forward to real and urgent practical measures that translate Abbas’s decision into actions.

Abu Marzouk: Abbas’ decision needs practical steps

 BEIRUT, (PIC) + -

Member of Hamas’s political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk has described Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas’s decision to revoke the agreements signed with Israel as “a step reflecting the wishes of the Palestinian people who aspire for freedom and independence.”

In Twitter remarks on Saturday, Abu Marzouk said that Abbas’s decision needs practical steps and a national unity to confront the potential dangers.

Abbas announced his decision to stop abiding by the agreements signed with Israel last Thursday and said there would be a committee working on taking steps in this regard.

Abbas’s move came a few days after the Israeli occupation authority carried out mass home demolitions in the PA-controlled town of Sur Baher, southeast of Jerusalem.

 Morocco’s foreign ministry denounces Israel‘s mass home demolitions in the Palestinian town of Sur Baher, east of Occupied Jerusalem.

RABAT, (PIC) + -

Morocco’s foreign ministry has denounced Israel‘s mass home demolitions in the Palestinian town of Sur Baher, east of Occupied Jerusalem.

Last Thursday, minister of foreign affairs Nasser Bourita said that Morocco “expresses its firm condemnation of the demolition by the Israeli authorities of houses belonging to Palestinian citizens.”

Bourita made his remarks in a news conference following talks with the premier of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Timothy Harris, in Rabat.

The foreign minister said that Israel’s demolition policy is “unacceptable,” and violates the provisions of international law and the agreements the Israelis signed with the Palestinian Authority.

He also described Israeli practices as a flagrant violation of the provisions of international law and UN resolutions.

“Morocco flatly rejects all unilateral measures likely to change the historical and legal status in al-Quds (Jerusalem), to stir feelings of despair and disappointment among the Palestinian people and to undermine the Middle East peace process,” he added.  

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