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. Share the link of this article with your facebook friends

 

Netanyahu-Gantz Apartheid, Racist, Occupation Regime Announces Israeli Annexation of Palestinian West Bank Major Parts by July

April 22, 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/

Palestinian youngman, Ibrahim Mohammad Hijazi, 24, was killed by Israeli occupation soldiers, on April 22, 2020	Palestinian political prisoner, Jabir Barghouthi, who died in an Israeli occupation prison, on April 21, 2020 imem

Palestinians Decry Israeli Consensus over Annexation of (majority of the) West Bank

April 21, 2020 12:20 AM IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip decried, on Monday, the latest Israeli consensus over annexation of the occupied Palestinian West Bank to the Israeli apartheid, racist, occupation regime.

Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, reacted to the Israeli announcement by saying “Forming an annexation cabinet would literally mean blocking a two-state solution and dismembering the Palestinian people. This comes in violation of international law and other relevant international resolutions”.

Top Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, called on the international community, including key players to curb Israel’s plans to annex the occupied West Bank, within the provisions of international law and relevant United Nations’ resolutions. Erekat dubbed an Israeli unity government deal a threat to prospects of peace in the region.

Those remarks came shortly after both Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud rightist party and his rival Benny Gantz of the White and Blue party, reportedly signed a unity government agreement that puts to an end the eighteen months of disparity over forming a unity cabinet.

Both Israeli leaders agreed that Israel would embark on a long-pending move of annexing (major parts of) the occupied Palestinian West Bank to the boundaries of the state of Israel by July of this year.

This would result in the hi-jacking of Palestinian sovereignty over the internationally-recognized occupied West Bank.

Meanwhile, influential Palestinian figure and head of the National Palestinian Initiative Party, Mustafa Barghouti, described the newly formed Netanyahu-Gantz unity government as a government of occupation, annexation, racism and judaization.

Barghouti said in a statement, released shortly after the announcement, that both Netanyahu and Gantz are leading an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

He also maintained that the two Israeli parties, the rightist Likud and the White and Blue, are two faces of the same coin, warning of what he believes is the creation, by Israel, of the worst Apartheid regime in history that would also badly affect citizenship rights of Palestinian-Arab residents, who live inside Israel.

In the Gaza Strip, spokesperson for the ruling Islamist Hamas party, Fawzi Barhoum, echoed the same reaction by Barghouti, addressing all those who still believe in peace with what he termed, the apartheid state of Israel.

He urged them all to drop such a peace option, before it is too late.

For its part, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), described the newly-formed Israeli unity government as a government of war and hatred against the Palestinian people and their national inalienable rights.

The Palestinian West Bank, which Israel refers to as ‘Judea and Samaria’, has been subject to an Israeli military occupation since 1967. Shortly after Israel occupied it, United Nations’ Security Council, demanded that Israel withdraw from the area immediately.

Palestinians and Israelis agreed in 1993 to an autonomous rule in both Gaza and West Bank, where Palestinians began maintaining an autonomy rule on parts of the West Bank. Since the Oslo Peace Accords were signed, Israel has accelerated illegal colonial settlement construction, with hundreds of illegal colonies now erected on Palestinian-owned lands.

Israel’s move to annex the occupied West Bank has reportedly been reinforced by means of United States unwavering support for Israel.

This cooperation reached its climax in January 2020, when the current US administration of President, Donald Trump, announced the so-called ‘deal of the century’, which Palestinians everywhere rejected vehemently.

The Trump and Kushner so called ‘peace plan’ offers Palestinians only very small, disconnected portions of the West Bank for the Palestinians to be awarded a state of their own.

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U.S. Jewish Groups Warn of West Bank Annexation in Wake of Netanyahu-Gantz Deal

The agreement to form a government allows Netanyahu to bring a bill to apply Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank for a Knesset vote as of July

By Amir Tibon, Washington Apr 21, 2020

WASHINGTON —

Jewish organizations in the U.S. welcomed Monday the agreement between Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government, but warned against annexing parts of the West Bank the deal could lead to.

The agreement allows Netanyahu to bring a bill to apply Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank for a Knesset vote as of July.

Bibi's got the perfect exit strategy - just not for the coronavirusHaaretz

The Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish organization in North America, said in a statement: “We are heartened that Israel has a new government. We wish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and MK Benny Gantz success in dealing with the coronavirus crisis and offer our partnership toward a better future for all.”

However, the organization’s president, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, added that “We call on this new government to refrain from unilateral actions that could potentially hinder or thwart the renewal of the peace process in the short and long term, especially unilateral annexation.”

Israel Policy Forum, which promotes a two-state soliton to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, released a statement saying that while it “welcomes the conclusion of a period of political stagnation with the formation of a new Israeli government,” adding that the government should not only address the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis, but “should also take care not to add to Israel’s burden by creating new self-inflicted challenges that will have far-reaching ramifications.”

The organization noted that “We hope that the new Israeli government closely examines the potential consequences of unilateral annexation and the deleterious impact it will have on Israeli security and diplomacy and that it heeds the warnings against unilateral annexation that have come from Israeli security experts, the United States Congress, the European Union, foreign policy experts, and American Jewish leaders.”

J Street said in a statement that it was “deeply alarmed” by the language on annexation in the Netanyahu-Gantz agreement, and cautioned that it “would severely imperil Israel’s future as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people, along with the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship.” It urged “responsible American leaders” to express their stark opposition to annexing parts of the West Bank.

Americans for Peace Now also warned that “The meaning of this agreement is that the Netanyahu-Gantz government, allegedly established to join forces to fight the coronavirus, will be the first in Israel's history to adopt the extremist policy principle of West Bank annexation.”

AIPAC, the leading lobby group supporting Israel in Washington refrained from mentioning the matter of West Bank annexation in its official statement congratulating Netanyahu and Gantz for the formation of the new government. “AIPAC welcomes the announcement of the agreement to form a new Israeli government. We congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu and Lt. Gen. Gantz for their significant achievement in forging a broad-based coalition government,” the organization said.

AIPAC added that “Israel has once again demonstrated the resiliency and vibrancy of the only genuine democracy in the region. We look forward to further strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Israel as these two allies confront the challenges in the region and advance our mutual security, health and economic interests.”

Former top White House adviser and Middle East peace negotiator Dennis Ross wrote that “Israel’s new government allows PM Netanyahu to raise unilateral annexation on July 1. He needs Trump’s agreement to implement it. That’s the only condition; it will take a Palestinian counteroffer or key Arab leaders weighing in to stop it.” Ross added that “one state for two peoples is more likely.”

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-u-s-jewish-groups-warn-of-west-bank-annexation-in-wake-of-netanyahu-gantz-deal-1.8785516

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Israeli Soldiers Kill A Palestinian Near Bethlehem

April 22, 2020 12:10 PM IMEMC News

Israeli soldiers killed, on Wednesday morning, a young Palestinian man near Bethlehem city, south of occupied East Jerusalem in the West Bank. The Israeli army said the man tried to ram the soldiers and attacked one with a knife before he was shot dead.

The Israeli army stated that the soldiers shot the Palestinian dead when he attempted to ram soldiers with his car, and ran after one of them with a knife, at the Container military roadblock, east of Bethlehem, south of occupied Jerusalem.

Israeli daily Haaretz said the injured soldier is a Border Police Officer, who suffered moderate wounds.

Israeli Ynet News said the man struck the soldiers with his car, before getting out of the vehicle and stabbing the soldiers, 20 years of age, and added that the soldiers in the roadblock kiosk started firing at the Palestinian and killed him.

The slain Palestinian has been identified as Ibrahim Mohammad Hijazi, 24, from the as-Sawahra ash-Sharqiya town, east of occupied East Jerusalem.

Palestinian Detainee Dies In Israeli Prison

April 22, 2020 11:36 AM IMEMC News

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported that a detainee died, on Tuesday at night, in the Negev Desert Detention Camp, after fainting in the shower, and Israeli soldiers failed to provide him with any medical aid for more than thirty minutes.

The PPS stated that the detainee, Nour Jaber Barghouthi, 23, was from ‘Aboud town, northwest of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and added that he was abducted by the soldiers four years ago, and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

It stated that the detainee was showering in Section 25 of the Negev Detention camp when he collapsed and lost consciousness.

The PPS held Israel fully responsible for the death of the detainee and denounced its deadly neglect of basic, internationally guaranteed rights of the detainees in direct violation of all related International laws, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

On his part, the head of the Palestinian Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees Committee, Qadri Abu Bakr, said that Israel continues to abuse the detainees, violate their basic rights, in addition to its constant use of torture during interrogation, and the continuous invasions and violent searches of the detainees’ rooms.

Abu Bakr added that the detainees are also denied professional medical attention in Israeli prisons, especially those suffering from cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, and other serious health conditions.

Barghouthi’s death brings the number of Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli prisons since the year 1967 after Israel occupied the rest of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, to 273.

Israel is also still holding the remains of five deceased detainees, identified as Anis Doula who died of medical neglect in the year 1980, Aziz Oweisat, 53, who died on May 20, 2018, at an Israeli hospital from serious complications after he was assaulted by several Israeli soldiers in the prison, Fares Baroud, 51, who died on February 6, 2019, of medical neglect in an Israeli prison, Nassar Taqatqa, 31, who died after having been tortured in an Israeli prison on July 16, 2019, and Bassam Sayeh, 47, who died on September 8, 2019, in an Israeli prison, due to medical neglect.

It is worth mentioning that more than 73 of the detainees who died in Israeli prisons since 1967 were tortured to death, 67 died after not receiving the needed medical treatment, 75 were shot to death after being captured, and seven were killed by Israeli army fire while in prison.

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Israel Bulldozers Invade Parts of Northern Gaza, Troops Open Fire in the South, Navy Injures One Offshore

April 21, 2020 7:24 PM IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli troops reportedly invaded, early on Tuesday, parts of the northern and southern besieged Gaza Strip local sources reported.

Local witnesses said that a number of armored vehicles including bulldozers, advanced tens of meters deep into the Jabalia refugee camp, north of the coastal enclave.

Witnesses added that the bulldozers embarked on levelling Palestinian-owned farm lands, just near the border fence between Gaza and Israel.

Concurrently, Israeli forces in south of the territory, opened fire and fired tear-gas canisters towards local farmers near the border fence with Israel in Qarara and Khuza’a towns.

Witnesses said that the farmers were forced to leave their workplaces immediately, with no causalities reported.

Frequently, Israeli troops, stationed on the Israeli side of the northern and eastern border lines with Gaza, carry out small-scale invasions in Palestinian-owned farm lands. In some cases, Palestinian farmers have been shot and wounded by Israeli army fire.

Israel enforces a so-called ‘buffer zone’, along the eastern and northern border areas of the isolated Gaza Strip, blocking entry of local Palestinians within 300-meters.

Also, on Tuesday, Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported that a fisherman was injured when an Israeli navy ship opened fire at him while sailing off the Gaza shore.

The fisherman, 25, said he was sailing within the permitted three nautical miles off shore, when Israeli navy ships fired rubber-coated steel bullets, hitting him in the head, as well as damaging his boat.

Image: Palestine News Network

Israeli Forces Invade Homes, Detain Several Palestinians Across the West Bank

April 21, 2020 9:25 PM Ali Salam

Israeli forces detained a total of 9 Palestinians in invasions across the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian WAFA news Agency.

Security sources said that Israeli forces, on Tuesday, detained 2 Palestinian youths from the Bethlehem-area village of Nahalin, after storming and searching their family homes.

Sources added that the soldiers detained 4 Palestinians from the Hebron district, including earlier reported former prisoner, Mohammad Alsaleeby, 24.

In the northern West Bank, soldiers detained 2 youths from the town of Yabad, southwest of Jenin, after invading and searching their homes, according to local sources, and 1 teenager from the town of Faroun in the Tulkarem district after invading and searching his family home, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) reported.

~ WAFA

Israeli Troops Shoot, Injure Palestinian Youth in Bethlehem

April 21, 2020 6:10 PM IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian media sources reported early on Tuesday, that Israeli troops shot and wounded a Palestinian young man on Monday night, in the southern occupied West Bank.

Sources said that the soldiers set up an ambush for the young man, before they chased and opened fire on him in the Taqou’ town, southeast of Bethlehem city.

The wounded Palestinian was not identified but the sources confirmed he was abducted immediately after he was shot by Israeli forces.

No further details were available at the time of reporting, the status of the injured Palestinian is unknown at this time.

Israeli Soldiers Shoot, Injure Three Palestinians in Kufur Qaddoum

April 19, 2020 4:44 AM Ali Salam

At least three Palestinians were injured, on Saturday, by Israeli forces as troops invaded the northern West Bank village of Kufur Qaddoum, local sources reported.

Morad Eshteiwi, coordinator of the popular resistance in Kufur Qaddoum, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that the Israeli army stormed the village, provoking resistance from local Palestinians. Occupation forces fired live rounds at the protesters, injuring three of them. Israeli troops also fired tear-gas towards protestors, causing many others to choke.

According to local sources, Israeli forces suppressed the weekly demonstration, held every Friday in Kufur Qaddoum village in the Qalqilia district.

Morad Eshteiwi, a local activist, told the Palestinian Information Center that the soldiers and attacked peaceful demonstrators with live rounds, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear-gas canisters and stun grenades, causing some to suffer inhalation injuries, and were treated at the scene.

Since 2002, the citizens of Kufur Qaddoum have been staging weekly demonstrations in an expression of their opposition to Israeli settlements, the annexation wall, and the closure of the main road leading east to Nablus City.

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