Day: 8 August 2021

The heatwave that hit Palestine last week is expected to come to decline today with temperature setting back to 4°C above the seasonal average, according to the Palestinian Meteorological Department (PMD). Still, weather remains generally hot to very hot.

Winds are southwesterly to northwesterly, light to moderate and active at times. Sea waves are low to medium.

Temperature in the capital, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem is expected to reach a high of 31°C and a low of 22°C and in Ramallah and Hebron a high of 30°C and a low of 21°C. In Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley temperature is expected to reach a high of 40°C and a low of 28°C while it is expected to reach a high of 31°C and a low of 25°C in Gaza and the coastal areas.

No change in weather conditions or temperature is expected on Monday, the Muslin Hijra New Year, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, said the PMD.

People are warned against being exposed to sunlight for long period, especially from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and against setting fire to areas with dry grass.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Extremist Israeli settlers last night attacked vehicles of Palestinians as they passed through an Israeli military checkpoint near the village of Tayasir, east of Tubas town in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.

Muataz Besharat, a local anti-settlement activist, told WAFA that the settlers physically attacked the vehicles and smashed the windshields of two of them as they approached the checkpoint.

No injuries were reported.

Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property is commonplace in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

Violence by settlers includes arsons of property, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.

Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

The Qatar National Library (QNL) is set to kick off a new online event showcasing the colorful and varied culture of Palestine.

The I AM QATAR magazine said ‘Palestine Cultural Week: A Land Worthy of Life’ will run from 8 to 12 August and promises educational and creative activities for adults and children.

“As a guardian of the region’s heritage, it is our responsibility to educate our people about Arab history and heritage. We believe the sessions will help all attendees learn more about Palestinians and understand their fight for freedom,” Director of Research and Learning Services at QNL Abeer Saad Al Kuwari said.

The event kicks off on 8 August with a book discussion session on the novel Kilimanjaro Spirit by Palestinian author Ibrahim Nasrallah.

On 9 August, attendees will be taken on a virtual “Journey to Al-Aqsa Mosque,” located inside the Old City of Jerusalem. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the architecture and design of Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the largest and holiest mosques in the world, including watching a video about the holy site. This session will be conducted in Arabic and English for the general public.

On 10 August, attendees will get a chance to immerse themselves in the Palestinian folk dance al dabke. Mohammad Salm will share insights on one of the most important traditional Palestinian art forms and a critical element of Palestinian heritage.

On 11 August, attendees will get a glimpse into “The Palestinian Keffiyeh: The Symbol of Resistance.” Dr. Yehia Zakaria Al-Agha, Ambassador for Cultural and Educational Affairs at the Palestinian Embassy and Vice-Chairman of the Palestinian Schools Board, will present the history of the garment and its transformation into a symbol of resistance.

On the same day, the Library will host “From the Palestinian Memory,” in which director Bashar Hamdan will shed light on the initiatives and attempts to collect and document Palestinian archives. The session will also highlight the efforts made to safeguard stolen and lost archives and preserve Palestinian cinema archives, and the importance of employing culture, arts and cinema for the sake of further legitimizing the Palestinian cause. The session will conclude with a presentation of Palestinian items from the Heritage Library.

Both programs on 11 August will be presented in Arabic with interpretation in English.

On 12 August, visitors will learn about traditional Palestinian embroidery, a folkloric tradition passed down through generations and a fine art that defines Palestinian women. Feda Allouh will talk about how the decorations on the dress indicate the identity of the village or region to which it belongs.

The Library will also provide some participants with embroidery tools to fully experience the engaging and educational session with yarns and needles.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Israeli repression units raided today section 2 in the Israeli prison of Ktzi’ot, in the Naqab desert, where Palestinian political detainees are incarcerated, and brutally assaulted and clashed with them, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

The PPS said in a statement that clashes erupted between the Palestinian prisoners and the attacking repression units, but said no further details were available concerning the situation of the prisoners at the moment.

The Israeli prison’s repression units are composed of heavily trained soldiers armed with knives, batons, teargas canisters, electric sticks and other means of repression. The soldiers are especially trained to attack Palestinian political prisoners and keep them under constant crackdown.

The Israeli occupation authorities are incarcerating more than 4,500 Palestinian and Arab prisoners for resisting the Israeli occupation of their homeland.

In recent years, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention have launched multiple strikes to demand better imprisonment conditions, including an end to the unjustified Israeli policy of raiding prisoners’ sections.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid has reiterated her love for Palestine, the birthplace of her father, through a photo she shared with her followers on her Instagram page.

“A Palestinian girl on the cover of Vogue,” Bella wrote in her post. “I am happy to say: I will not stop talking about the oppression and pain that Palestinians systematically face. With only love in my heart and an open mind to educate myself and learn more every day . No matter what, I love you (Palestine).”

Fans interacted with Bella’s post, including celebrities, declaring their support with writings filled with love for Palestine and sympathy with the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom.

Hadid, the son of Palestinian businessman Mohammad Hadid, does not stop talking about the Palestinian cause through posts on her pages in the communication sites, where she was severely criticized by supporters of Israel who accused her of “anti-Semitism.”

Last May, Hadid, was also seen in videos on social media marching with thousands at the demonstration in Bay Ridge, New York, in protest of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

At that time, she shared that her father and his family “were taken out of their homes in Palestine in 1948, becoming refugees in Syria, then Lebanon, then Tunisia.”

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

A total of 13 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention currently remain on hunger strike in protest of their unfair administrative detention without a charge or trial, according to the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission.

The Commission said longest hunger-striker of the 13 prisoners is prisoner Salem Ziadat, 40 years old, who has been on hunger strike for 28 days in protest of his detention without a charge or trial.

The number of the hunger-striking detainees was fifteen until yesterday, when prisoners Mohammad Khaled Abusill and Ahmad Abdulrahman Abusill reached an agreement with the Israel Prison Service regarding a limitation of their administrative detention sentence.

Israel’s widely condemned policy of administrative detention allows the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial for renewable intervals usually ranging between three and six months based on undisclosed evidence that even a detainee’s lawyer is barred from viewing.

Currently, Israel is holding some 540 Palestinians in administrative detention, deemed illegal by international law, most of them former prisoners who spent years in prison for their resistance of the Israeli occupation.

Over the years, Israel has placed thousands of Palestinians in administrative detention for prolonged periods of time, without trying them, without informing them of the charges against them, and without allowing them or their counsel to examine the evidence.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes as a way to protest their illegal administrative detention and to demand an end to this policy which violates international law.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency