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Israeli Apartheid Regime Neglicts the Spread of Coronavirus Among Palestinians in Occupation Prisons and in East Jerusalem April 17, 2020 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 stories are 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:http://english.wafa.ps/, https://english.palinfo.com/, https://imemc.org/, https://paltoday.ps/ar/
UNRWA: Israel Restricts Fight Against Covid-19 in East Jerusalem April 15, 2020 4:56 PM IMEMC & Agencies Spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Mr. Sami Mosha’sha, said on Wednesday, that Israeli occupation authorities in the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem, have imposed restrictions on the work of UNRWA-affiliated medical crews serving refugee populations there. In a phone interview with the Palestinian Wafa News Agency, Mosha’sha added; “Such Israel-imposed restrictions on UNRWA, only add to a great deal of restrictions Israel has imposed over the past few years, particularly following the US administration’s recognition of both East and West Jerusalem, as Israel’s capital. The UNRWA spokesman further noted that the UNRWA’s mandate includes Palestinian refugee populations in East Jerusalem and that over the past several weeks, the UNRWA has been making some efforts to curb the Coronavirus (COVID-19), among those populations. He criticized those Israeli restrictive measures, which he said constrain movement, in and out of the refugee populations, estimated at tens of thousands of people. Mosh’asha believed that Israeli practices, including invasion of Palestinian neighborhoods of the old city, would leave a very negative impact on the Palestinian economy and prevent smooth UNRWA-run services, including food rations, education, health and sanitation. In December of 2017, United States’ President, Donald Trump declared Jerusalem, including eastern and western parts, as a unified capital of Israel. Several months later, Trump announced cuts to annual financial aid provided to the UNRWA. The withheld American contribution constitutes one third of UNRWA’s annual budget of 1.2 billion US Dollars. UNRWA, which was established by a United Nations’ decree one year after the outbreak of the Palestinian people’s Nakba or catastrophe in 1948, is the main service provider for approximately 6 million Palestinian refugees in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In 1967, Israel occupied the Arab East Jerusalem and a decade later, it embarked on internationally-illegal settlement construction in the city itself, in addition to other parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Trump’s declarations have been largely rejected by the majority of world countries and by the United Nations itself. Image: Alshakaba 2nd Appeal in COVID-19 Crisis: PCHR Calls for Immediate Release of Minors, Women, Patients and Elderlies among Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails April 15, 2020 5:37 AM PCHR At a time where the whole world is combating the coronavirus pandemic and States have adopted precautionary and preventive measures to defy the virus, Israeli authorities maintain the imprisonment of more than 5,000 Palestinians, including 180 children, 43 women and more than 700 patients in harsh and unsanitary conditions that are inhumane to say the least. Imprisonment conditions for Palestinians in Israeli jails do not meet the minimum international standards guaranteed under the international humanitarian law (IHL), as Israeli prisons provide inadequate living conditions, and they are crowded. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has been closely following the concerning updates relevant to the reality of Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails with the spread of coronavirus. Despite PCHR’s numerous and urgent interventions with the Israeli authorities, and its continued demands that Israeli authorities adopt immediately and urgently the necessary measures to protect inmates from the coronavirus pandemic, Israeli authorities have adopted a number of measures that further violates prisoners’ rights. Israeli authorities have adopted strict new measures, including banning visitations with prisoners’ families, and prisoners’ lawyers since 17 March 2020, without offering an alternative mean to ensure prisoners have constant contact with their families and lawyers. Additionally, Israeli authorities have neglected the continued and urgent requests for the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners who are considered at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, the elderlies and the chronically ill in particular. Making matters worse, Physicians for Human Rights received a shocking decision by the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) rejecting its petition to the Court demanding it order the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and the Ministry of Health to ensure proper medical services are provided for Palestinian prisoners, and take necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus within the prison system. The Court had determined that the petition did not include any legal demands that warrants its intervention; thus, it was refused. The current situation is no different to the ongoing Israeli policy of medical negligence against Palestinian detainees, despite HCJ’s recognition in its decision of the seriousness of this deadly virus and the death rate of those affected is significantly higher among elderlies and patients suffering from chronic diseases, including heart disease, high-blood pressure and diabetes. However, HCJ’s decision ignored the need to take serious measures to protect the lives of prisoners in these categories of this deadly virus, including the need to immediately release them. Therefore, the Israeli authorities are still failing to take urgent and serious precautions to protect the lives of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, despite the real threat to the lives of thousands of them. PCHR stresses that Israeli authorities do not comply with its obligations towards Palestinian detainees according to the rules of international law, including the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners in addition to the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions. PCHR reiterates its call on the Israeli authorities to take all serious and immediate measures, which no longer can stand delays or procrastination, including providing adequate healthcare and medical treatment for the prisoners and the need for immediate release of all detainees, especially the patients, elderlies, women, and children. PCHR confirms that Israeli authorities bear full legal responsibility for the lives of Palestinian prisoners. Image: Alray *** Israeli Troops Abduct Three Palestinians in Jenin and Al-Bireh April 14, 2020 7:23 PM IMEMC & Agencies Israeli troops reportedly abducted, on Tuesday, three Palestinians, including 2 minors, in both Al-Bireh and Jenin towns, in the West Bank. Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, announced that both Loui Alsho’la and Omar Abu Alrob from Al-Bireh town, in the central occupied West Bank, were abducted by Israeli troops at dawn. In another similar incident, Israeli troops abducted 31-year-old Palestinian, Naser Jarrar, after he was summoned by Israeli authorities to an interrogation center, near the northern West Bank town of Jenin. The media office added that the Israeli troops summoned Jarrar to the Salem Israeli center, late on Monday night, before they put him onto custody. The office noted that Jarrar is an ex-prisoner, who has been frequently detained by Israeli occupation authorities. Abduction of Palestinian civilians, across the occupied West Bank is a daily Israeli army practice. Since 2000, Israeli occupation authorities have stepped up arrest campaigns against Palestinian residents. Image: Addameer *** Israeli Settlers Unleash Cattle on Palestinian-owned Farm Lands April 15, 2020 7:49 PM IMEMC & Agencies Israeli colonial settlers unleashed their cattle, on Wednesday, onto Palestinian-owned farm lands in the northern Alghour area of the Jordan Valley, in the West Bank. Local legal activist, Aref Daraghma, told Palestinian Wafa News Agency that tens of cows were released onto farm lands of wheat and barely, in the Umm al-Qaba village in the Alghour area. The legal activist believed that those cattle, which belong to Israeli colonists, living nearby, have been herded excessively, causing large quantities of wheat and barley to be destroyed. Palestinian farm lands have recently been frequently exposed to attacks by nearby illegal Israeli settlers in the Alghour area of the Jordan Valley, which is considered to be a rich farming region. Israeli Settlers set up Mobile Home near Nablus, Attempt Invasion of Youth Center in Hebron April 15, 2020 8:29 PM Ali Salam Several Israeli settlers, on Wednesday, set up a mobile home in the northern occupied West Bank village of Qaryout, south of Nablus, according to a local official. Palestinian official, Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors Israeli settlement activities in the area, said settlers from the illegal Shilo colony placed a mobile home on lands of the Palestinian village of Qaryout, in order to seize more Palestinian land and establish an illegal settlement outpost. Daghlas added that, on Tuesday, illegal Israeli settlers chopped 36 olive trees in the same village. In related news, Israeli settlers attacked, late Tuesday night, a Palestinian youth center, in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian WAFA correspondent reported. Under Israeli military cover, the illegal settlers attempted to break into the Youth Against Settlements center in Tel Rumeida, until Palestinian activists rushed to protect the center, and confronted the colonists, blocking their attempts to invade. Image: Palestine News Network Israeli Settlers Assault Palestinians, Set Fire to Vehicles, Near Dead Sea April 14, 2020 8:13 PM IMEMC & Agencies Dozens of Israeli colonial settlers reportedly, on Tuesday, fired tear-gas canisters and threw rocks towards Palestinian residents of the Al-Aghwar area, in the West Bank. According to Israeli media outlets, dozens of Israeli settlers belonging to a known terrorist organization called Hilltops’ Youth, attacked Palestinian residents, near the Dead Sea, earlier on Tuesday. The media outlets reported that the settlers wore masks while they assaulted the local Palestinian residents, with tear-gas canisters and rocks. They added that the settlers set fire to two Palestinian-owned vehicles, resulting in damage, no injuries among Palestinians were reported. Israeli media outlets added that the settlers, prior to the incident, were placed under quarantine by Israeli police at one of their facilities and provided with food and blankets, within precautionary measures to fight the Coronavirus. However, the colonial settlers were able to escape the quarantine and embark on their assault on Palestinians in the area, media outlets said, adding that Israeli police forces chased and held them all. Over the past several years, a number of Israeli terror groups have committed crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Among those crimes was the burning to death of the Palestinian Dawabsha family, in Douma village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, on July 31st, 2015, as the family slept. 18 month old Ali was killed in the fire, his older brother was badly burned, and both the father, Sa’ad Dawabsha, and his wife Reham died after months of suffering from the severe burns inflicted on them. Another similar burning crime was that against a 16-year-old Palestinian child, Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir on July 2, 2014. Concerned Palestinian bodies have always contended that such terrorist groups have not been brought to justice, therefore, their crimes continue. Image: Alray sraeli Settlers Flood Palestinian Crops with Waste Water in Hebron April 13, 2020 6:17 PM IMEMC & Agencies Several armed Israeli colonial settlers reportedly caused flooding of Palestinian-owned grape farms, on Monday, in north of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. Local Palestinian media activist, Mohammad Awwad, told media outlets that for the second time in a week, several armed settlers from the nearby illegal colonial settlement of Gush Etzion, flooded grape farm lands in the Beit Ummar village, with large quantities of waste water, causing grape trees to flood, causing damage. Awwad quoted grape farmers from the Palestinian families of Sabarna and Awwad, as saying that armed Israeli settlers have been intentionally flooding their farm lands with large quantities of waste water, over the past few years, causing a great deal of financial losses, due to damage of their grape crops. The media activist estimated the size of those grape farms at more than 4 acres. The southern West Bank city of Hebron is a major supplier of grapes across the occupied Palestinian territories, being of excellent quality for both consumption and export. *** PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (09 – 15 April 2020) April 17, 2020 4:08 AM PCHR Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to violate Palestinians’ human rights and commit crimes against civilians and their properties, conducting raids into Palestinian cities without regard to the state of emergency declared across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 06 March 2020, in the efforts put forward to combat the spread of coronavirus. IOF raids are conducted without proper attention to prevention and safety standards to mitigate the risk of transmitting coronavirus to Palestinian territory, as the virus is widespread throughout Israel. PCHR’s concerns over Israeli raids still stand, as those raids undermine preventive measures adopted by the government. Meanwhile, settlers backed up by IOF continued to seize more civilian property and attack civilians and their property. Furthermore, PCHR expresses its concern over the Israeli occupation’s policy of banning any preventive measures by the Palestinian Authority in occupied East Jerusalem, especially that Israel has adopted lenient measures in the city despite its responsibility for it under international law as an occupying power. PCHR has also been increasingly wary of Palestinian prisoners’ situation in Israeli jails under the coronavirus pandemic; instead of adopting the necessary measures to protect inmates from the pandemic, Israeli authorities have adopted a number of measures that further violate prisoners’ rights. PCHR reiterates its calls for the Israeli authorities to urgently and immediately adopt the necessary measures for the protection of Palestinian prisoners from COVID-19, and calls for immediate release of all imprisoned patients, elderlies, women, and children. This week, PCHR documented 71 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by IOF and settlers in the oPt. The restrictions imposed under the state of emergency have hindered our fieldwork team’s ability to cover all incidents in the oPt and were forced to collect information via phone from trusted local sources. As such, this report is an in-comprehensive record of Israeli violations of human rights against Palestinians in the oPt, as IOF continues its attacks against civilians despite the exceptional circumstances that have overcome the whole world in the face of a life-threatening viral pandemic. 1. IOF Shooting and Violation of Right to Bodily Integrity: 3 Palestinian civilians were shot and wounded by IOF; 1 during suppression of civilians at Qalqilia; and 2 fishermen in Gaza. Also, 3 children sustained wounds as a suspicious device left by IOF exploded in Hebron. IOF opened fire 5 times during raids into the West Bank; 11 shootings against the agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip while 5 shootings were reported against Palestinian fishing boats off the northern Gaza Strip shore. 2. IOF Incursions and Arrests of Palestinian Civilians: IOF carried out 26 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this week’s incursions, 26 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 children. Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, IOF arrested 3 young Palestinians while attempting to cross into Israel through the border fence area in Rafah; they were released after investigation. 3. Settlement Expansion Activities and Settlers’ Attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, PCHR documented the confiscation of a construction vehicle in Beit Dojon village, northeast of Nablus, under the pretext of working in area C. PCHR also documented 8 settler attacks: sabotaging olive trees seedlings in Ain Qesis, al-Khader village, southern Bethlehem; raids into Palestinian cities and neighbourhoods and a settlers’ tent erected in Salfit; 2 children assaulted an a settlers’ tent erected in Hebron; sewer water pumped into Bethlehem lands; and olive trees cut in Nablus. 4. Israeli Closure Policy and Restrictions on Freedom of Movement: For the fifth consecutive week, Israeli authorities continued to impose restrictions on Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing and West Bank Crossings under the pretext of confronting the fast-spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. IOF continued to impose closure declared on Wednesday 08 April 2020, on the pretext of the Jewish Passover holiday. Israeli authorities stated that the closure that has already been imposed on the Palestinian areas will remain the same, as entry through the crossings will be allowed only for exceptional humanitarian cases and urgent medical cases. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities still continued to impose restrictions on Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing, except humanitarian cases would be allowed to pass through the crossing. Concerning Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing, the crossing will be operated on a limited scale. Also, Israeli authorities closed Erez Crossing on Wednesday and Thursday, 08/09 April 2020, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, 14/15 April 2020. This comes in a time when the Gaza Strip still suffers the worst closure in the History of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life. Furthermore, IOF uses Erez Crossing that is designated for movement of individuals as an ambush to arrest Palestinians who obtain permits to exit via Israel. Meanwhile, IOF continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the Second Intifada and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to arrest. 1. Violation of the Right to Life and to Bodily Integrity: Shooting and Other Violations
2. Incursions and Arrests Thursday, 09 April 2020:
Friday, 10 April 2020:
Saturday, 11 April 2020:
Sunday, 14 April 2020:
Monday, 13 April 2020:
Tuesday, 14 April 2020:
3. Settlement Expansion and settler violence in the West Bank a. Demolition and Confiscation of Civilian Property for Settlement Expansion Activities
At approximately 11:00 on Wednesday, 15 April 2020, IOF accompanied with a military SUV moved into Beit Dajan village, northeast of Nablus. They confiscated a bulldozer belonging to Yousef Sari Yousef Nasasrah (58), from Beit Foreek village, while working in ‘Adel Abu Helwan’s land, under the pretext of non-licensing in Area C. IOF forced Nasasrah at gunpoint to drive the bulldozer toward “Makhoura” settlement in northern Jordan Valley and allowed him to leave later. b. Israeli Settler Violence
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