Day: 28 July 2021

The Israeli military government today ordered the demolition of a water well and a shed in al-Fakheit hamlet, in Masafer Yatta in the south of the occupied West Bank.

Fouad al-Amour, a local activist, said that the Israeli occupation forces handed the demolition orders to the owners of the well and the shed, which was previously demolished and rebuilt by the residents.

Masafer Yatta is located in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli military control and where Palestinians are not allowed to develop or build anything, yet illegal Israeli settlers are given free hand and even incentives to build and invest in those occupied territories.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

An 11-year-old Palestinian boy was today reported in critical condition at Ahli hospital in Hebron after he was shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers at the entrance to Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, according to the Ministry of Health.

Reports said soldiers at a military watchtower located at the entrance to Beit Ummar opened fire at a Palestinian car hitting Mohammad Mouayyad Allamy, who was in the car, in the chest.

The boy was rushed to the hospital where he is reported in critical condition.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Church leaders in Jerusalem today paid a solidarity visit to Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem facing eviction from their homes for the benefit of Israeli settlers ahead of a critical court hearing.

Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and other ecumenical church leaders met with Sheikh Jarrah families and listened from them about their ordeal and battle to keep the homes they have been living in for decades.

The Israel Supreme Court is due to decide on Monday on an appeal by the families against their forced eviction from their homes as called for by Israeli settler groups seeking to take over their homes and dwell them with Jewish settlers.

After family members detailed to the church leaders the complex contours of this long-running battle, Archbishop Pierbattista offered words of encouragement to the families, as well as a pledge of the churches’ prayers and support in the face of these legal threats they are facing.

The families thanked the church leaders for their solidarity visit and support for their fight against their illegal displacement.

“Today, in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, we had the honor of a visit by the Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and a group of church leaders in Jerusalem to our neighborhood who confirmed their support for our fight against ethnic cleansing and systematic forced displacement,” said the Sheikh Jarrah community representatives.

“This visit means a lot for us and it is a strong message or support. Thank you from our heart,” they said.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

An 11-year-old Palestinian boy who was earlier today shot by Israeli soldiers at the entrance to Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and critically wounded has died of his wounds, according to the Ministry of Health.

Mohammad Mouayyad Allamy was shot in the chest when soldiers opened fire at a car driven by his father at the entrance to Beit Ummar. He was rushed to Ahli hospital in Hebron where he was reported in critical condition until he was pronounced dead.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

The European Union envoy to the Middle East peace process, Sven Koopmans, met today in Ramallah with Palestinian officials and discussed the latest political developments.

Koopmans met separately with Foreign Minister Riyad Malki and Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Civil Affairs Authority.

The two Palestinian officials briefed the European envoy on the latest political developments in Palestine.

Malki urged Koopmans to help reactivate the work of the International Quartet on the Middle East peace process and to developing Palestinian-EU relations to the level of strategic dialogue in all fields.

He also urged him to talk directly with the representatives of the Palestinian people when discussing the Palestinian cause.

Al-Sheikh also reviewed the latest political developments in Palestine and the region, and the necessity of an EU initiative to revive the political process in order to reach a just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Koopmans said the EU wants to be involved in the peace process, reiterating its support for the Palestinian people and its institutions, while stressing that he will do his best to revive the work of the quartet, which includes, in addition to the EU, the United States, Russia, and the United Nations.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

A slight rise was recorded in the number of positive coronavirus cases in Palestine in the last 24 hours, said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila.

She said in her daily report on the virus in Palestine that 40 new cases were recorded in the West Bank and 119 cases in the Gaza Strip. While no fatalities were recorded, 18 patients have recovered in the West Bank and 74 in the Gaza Strip.

Alkaila said 15 corona patients are getting treatment in hospitals, and 10 are in intensive care, while one patient is on ventilator.

A total of 479,867 people have been vaccinated against coronavirus in the West Bank and 102,854 in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency