Day: 18 May 2021

: Israeli settlers erected today a new outpost on the lands of the town of Deir Istia, west of Salfit City in the West Bank, according to a local official.

Mayor of Deir Istiya Sa’eed Zidan said the settlers placed four wooden sheds in the town’s western side, with the clear intention of establishing a new settlement outpost.

The new outpost is located several meters away from the “Nofim” settlement, built illegally on Palestinian lands.

He stated that this area is located on a mountain top overlooking Wadi Qana, and adjacent to the ancient Khirbet Shehadeh, which belongs to the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan in the city.

Meanwhile, settlers attacked today the mayor of Qarawat Bani Hassan town, Ibrahim Assi, and a number of residents who tried to reach the site of the new outpost.

Assi told WAFA that five settlers aimed weapons at them and threatened to kill them when they approached the site.

Also today, a child suffered fractures when an Israeli settler’s car ran over him in Khirbet Zakaria, south of Bethlehem.

According to WAFA correspondent, the child was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: The Israeli warplanes dawn Tuesday launched dozens of airstrikes targeting civilian buildings and infrastructure across the besieged Gaza Strip as the onslaught entered its ninth day, according to WAFA correspondent.

He said that the Israeli warplanes targeted a site, a civilian institution and some roads in the vicinity of Ansar Compound and al-Katiba Mosque, west of Gaza city, a house in al-Nasr neighborhood, north of the city, in the Al-Tuffah and Al-Shujaiya neighborhoods, east of the city. No casualties were reported.

He added that the warplanes launched more than fifty raids on civilian homes, sites and civilian facilities in Beit Lahiya town and in separate areas of the town of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, causing massive damage in the targeted places and the surrounding areas.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said the overall death toll since the latest onslaught began reached 212, including 61 children, and wounded over 1400 others, mostly children and women.

The Israeli military has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on the coastal enclave, targeting what it alleged as military sites. However, the bombardment targeted and leveled multistory residential buildings, towers, houses, government institutions, media outlet offices, banks in addition to roads and other infrastructure across the strip.

Two million Palestinians live the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a punishing and crippling Israeli blockade for 12 years and repeated onslaughts that have heavily damaged much of the enclave’s infrastructure.

Gaza’s 2-million population remains under “remote control” occupation and a strict siege, which has destroyed the local economy, strangled Palestinian livelihoods, plunged them into unprecedented rates of unemployment and poverty, and cut off from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories and the wider world.

Gaza remains occupied territory, having no control over its borders, territorial waters or airspace. Meanwhile, Israel upholds very few of its responsibilities as the occupying power, failing to provide for the basic needs of Palestinian civilians living in the territory.

Every two in three Palestinians in Gaza is a refugee from lands inside what is now Israel. That government forbids them from exercising their right to return as enshrined in international law because they are not Jews.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: A number of Palestinian civilians today evening were wounded, including some seriously, in the ongoing Israeli artillery shelling and air raids that targeted civilian areas in the eastern Gaza Strip.

A number of civilians were wounded by the shelling of the Israeli artillery that targeted the Zeitoun neighborhood in the southeast of the city, said sources. The injured were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, where they were treated for various injuries.

A Palestinian civilian was also wounded by the Israeli artillery bombing in the eastern areas of Rafah city, south of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the Al-Khulafa area in the northern Gaza Strip, in addition to heavily bombing the western areas of the town of Beit Lahia, north of Gaza.

Two civilians were wounded in an Israeli drone missile attack that targeted the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.

Israeli navy also bombed several sites offshore Gaza city with multiple missiles.

The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip is ongoing for the ninth day, leaving many dead and wounded, including children, as well as causing immense destruction to residential buildings and infrastructure.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Israeli settlers erect outpost on Palestinian lands in Salfit

: A Palestinian succumbed today evening to critical live bullet injuries in the chest sustained earlier today during clashes with Israeli forces in the Ramallah area, according to the ministry of health.

In total, 64 injuries, including six seriously, were treated at medical centers in Ramallah today, said the ministry.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his high appreciation and thanks to the national position declared by the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, in his important initiative to contribute in supporting the Palestinian people to rebuild what was destroyed in Gaza by the Israeli ongoing onslaught.

He said that this national and historic Egyptian position proves the reality of Egypt and its role in the Arab world in supporting the Palestinian people and defending their rights until the establishment of their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He stressed that Egypt was and remains the strong supporter and defender of our inalienable and historical rights, on top of which are the Islamic and Christian sanctities.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: A third Palestinian succumbed today evening to critical live bullet injuries to the head sustained earlier today during clashes with Israeli forces in the Ramallah area, according to the ministry of health.

In total, 64 injuries, including six seriously, arrived at medical centers in Ramallah today, said the ministry.

Earlier today, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian youth near al-Karantina area in the center of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron,

This brings up the number of people killed today by Israeli forces’ fire in the West Bank clashes to four.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: Many Palestinians today evening were shot by live and rubber-coated steel bullets, and dozens of others injured during continuing clashes throughout the West Bank.

At least 13 Palestinians were shot and injured with live ammunition during violent clashes that broke out in the village of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah. The injuries were described as light to moderate.

Forces reportedly closed the checkpoint at the entrance of the village, preventing residents from leaving or entering.

Israeli soldiers heavily fired live bullets and tear gas canisters towards Palestinians during clashes that broke out in the village of Qaffin, north of Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, shooting and injuring a youth with a live bullet in his lower extremities.

Two youths were also shot with live bullets, and three others with rubber-coated steel bullets during clashes to the east of the town of Anabta, east of Tulkarem.

Clashes were also witnessed near Israel’s apartheid wall to the west of the town of Baita, north of Tulkarem, during which Israeli soldiers opened heavy fire and tear gas canisters towards Palestinians, causing dozens to suffocate.

A Palestinian minor was also shot by rubber-coated steel bullets, and dozens of others suffocated by tear gas during clashes at the western entrance to Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, in the southern-occupied West Bank.

A number of people suffered from suffocation during clashes with the occupation forces in Aida Refugee Camp, north of Bethlehem. The confrontations broke out in the Miftah area at the eastern entrance to the camp.

Meanwhile in the Nablus area in the northern West Bank, four Palestinians were shot and injured; two with live ammunition, and the other two with rubber-coated steel bullets, during clashes that broke out at the entrance to the town of Deir Sharaf. Many others were treated from tear-gas suffocation.

A Palestinian was also shot and injured with rubber-coated steel bullets and dozens of others suffocated by tear gas during clashes at the entrance to the village of al-Naqora, northwest of Nablus.

The deliberate heavy firing of tear gas canisters towards residents’ lands set fire to dozens of olive trees and crops in al-Naqora town.

Many others were treated from tear-gas suffocation during clashes that erupted in the village of Burqa, northwest of Nablus.

Five people were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens suffered from suffocation during clashes with Israeli occupation forces, which broke out at the entrance to al-Labban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus.

WAFA reporter said the clashes erupted at the entrance to Al-Labban Al-Sharqiya on the road between Ramallah and Nablus, during which the occupation soldiers fired bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors.

Meanwhile, three people were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens suffocated during clashes with Israeli forces at Beit Furik checkpoint, east of Nablus.

The head of the Beit Furik Council, Hussein Hajj Mohammed, told WAFA the occupation soldiers fired live and rubber bullets during the confrontations, wounding three people with rubber-coated metal bullets, while dozens suffered suffocation after being targeted by teargas.

Sources at the Palestinian Red Crescent in Nablus said that the medical staff dealt with at least 230 injuries starting from 4:00 pm until the moment, including 35 live bullet injuries, 43 by rubber-coated steel bullets, and 13 burn cases.

In Hebron, Israeli soldiers shot and injured a young man, while a number of people, including two children, suffered suffocating due to inhaling tear gas during confrontations in the city’s Beit Ummar, Zahid, and Bab al-Zawiya towns.

Another young man was injured with a live bullet during clashes with the Israeli occupation forces at the entrance to the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit.

At least seven people, including one seriously, were shot and injured by live ammunition during clashes at al-Jalama military checkpoint, northeast of Jenin, in the northern West bank. A Palestinian was also injured during similar clashes in Silat ad-Dhahr town, south of Jenin.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: The Israeli forces’ targeting of the Internet and communications networks in the Gaza Strip as part of their continuous military attack for the ninth day is utterly worrying, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said today in a statement.

Israeli’s violent bombings have severely damaged or destroyed networks, equipment and devices crucial for many communication and Internet companies, which used to operate in buildings that were unjustifiably targeted.

The attacks also targeted dozens of streets damaging utility poles which carry wires that provided Internet and communication services.

This has led to the disruption of Internet and communication services for many of the population.

The use of disproportionate force against civilian objects and residents heralds unexpected consequences on the citizens of the Gaza Strip considering the deliberate infliction of severe human and material losses.

Euro-Med Monitor talked to Khaled Al-Gamal, an official in the commercial department at the Solution Management Technology Corp. (SMT) which provides fast Internet service (fiber-optic internet). Al-Gamal said the company was destroyed after Israeli warplanes targeted the Al-Jawhara Tower on May 12.

The building contained the company’s essential equipment, he said, adding that initial losses are estimated at $2 million after all the equipment and devices were irreparably damaged.

Al-Jamal stated that this has led to a complete disruption of the service provided to thousands of clients who crucially depend on our services, such as satellite channels, international and local media agencies, and some hospitals.

“Many international news agencies and satellite channels have been harmed by the targeting of the company, as they rely mainly on the fiber-optic internet service to transmit information and directly broadcast current events in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

“The continued targeting of commercial buildings that contain Internet companies providing this service will greatly affect the ability of these companies to continue their work. The continuous bombing of streets and residential neighborhoods inflicted severe damage on the wires and cables connected to entire residential squares,” Al-Jamal stressed.

He continued, “The real problem lies in the tough measures the Israeli authorities imposed before allowing us to import fiber-optic wires under the pretext that they are dual-use goods. We apply for a permit and wait weeks or months for the approval to come, which will mean the continuation of service interruptions for an unknown period due to Israel’s complications”.

Euro-Med Monitor’s team interviewed several freelance journalists who work for local and international bodies. They reported the disruption of their work was due to the interruption of Internet services.

Journalist Mustafa Jihad said he used to work as a reporter for several international news websites, but he lost the ability to communicate with his employers after an Israeli aircraft destroyed the Al-Galaa Tower in the west of Gaza last Saturday.

Jihad added that he had to move to his friend’s house who still has internet. However, he expressed concern about the interruption of services at any moment as a result of Israel continuously targeting facilities that contain most of the network and communication equipment.

Internet and communications company Fusion announced in a statement viewed by Euro-Med Monitor that the bombing which targeted the Al-Jawhara Tower last Wednesday has left thousands in Gaza without internet. This is due to the severe damage the bombs caused to all the Internet equipment inside the building.

In addition, the lines of terrestrial and cellular communications are witnessing increasingly severe damage as a result of the Israeli attacks. This falls within the framework of isolating Gazans from the outside world and imposing a media blackout.

The Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip portend a humanitarian catastrophe that has begun to affect all basic aspects of life.

Israel deliberately inflicts heavy and direct material losses towards basic services, including the Internet and communication services.

The unspoken goal of these attacks is to prevent satellite channels and media outlets from reporting on these events and affect their coverage of civilian attacks taking place in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli authorities must stop all attacks on residential communities and civilian objects that include towers and commercial companies since international humanitarian law recognized the necessity of protecting these objects and criminalized such attacks. The aggregate attacks constitute war crimes and require immediate criminal accountability.

The international community, led by the United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council and the European Union, must shoulder their legal and moral responsibilities regarding the escalation of these unjustified violations against civilians and pressure Israel to stop its military attack on Gaza.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: The death toll among Palestinians after nine consecutive days of the brutal Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip has risen to 217, said the ministry of health.

According to the ministry of health, 217 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza since Monday the 10th of May, including 63 children, 36 women, and 16 elderly people, while 1500 people were wounded, including 450 children, and 295 women, of whom 50 are in critical condition.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: A Palestinian child was seriously injured today evening during the clashes that broke out with the occupation forces in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli occupation forces shot Sabreen al-Kiswani 12, while she was in her house in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, adding that she was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Palestinian Red Crescent in Jerusalem said that 41 Jerusalemites were injured, some with live ammunition, during confrontations with the occupation forces at Bab al-Amud and Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem today.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

: Several Palestinian civilians were injured tonight during a series of violent Israeli airstrikes that targeted the southern besieged Gaza Strip, said sources.

Israeli warplanes targeted, with at least 40 missiles, the eastern parts in the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, in the southern Strip, injuring at least seven people. they were transferred to hospitals for medical treatment.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

عبر رئيس المكتب السياسي لحركة المقاومة الإسلامية ” حماس ” إسماعيل هنية، عن شكره وتقدير للرئيس المصري عبد الفتاح السيسي، على قرار تخصيص مبلغ 500 مليون دولار لإعادة إعمار قطاع غزة.

وقال هنية في تصريح صحفي، الثلاثاء، “نعبر عن الشكر والتقدير لفخامة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية على قراره تخصيص مبلغ 500 مليون دولار لإعادة إعمار قطاع غزة، بما يعكس الالتزام القومي المصري تجاه القضية الفلسطينية، حتى ينال الشعب الفلسطيني حريته وإقامة دولته المستقلة وعاصمتها القدس”.

وثمن هنية الجهود التي تبذلها مصر من أجل كبح جماح العدوان الصهيوني على أهلنا في غزة، وإعادة فتح معبر رفح على مدار الساعة لإدخال كافة المساعدات واحتياجات القطاع.

واليوم الثلاثاء، أعلن الرئيس المصري عبد الفتاح السيسي، تقديم مصر مبلغ 500 مليون دولار، “كمبادرة مصرية تخصص لصالح عملية إعادة الإعمار في قطاع غزة نتيجة الأحداث الأخيرة، مع قيام الشركات المصرية المتخصصة بالاشتراك في تنفيذ عملية إعادة الإعمار”.

Source: Quds Press International News Agency