Day: 21 August 2021

Hot conditions are expected today in Palestine with a rise in temperature, which becomes 4°C above the seasonal average, according to the Palestinian Meteorological Department (PMD).

Winds are westerly to northwesterly, light to moderate, and sea waves are low.

Temperature in the capital, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem is expected to reach a high of 33°C and a low of 22°C and in Ramallah and Hebron a high of 32°C and a low of 21°C. In Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley temperature is expected to reach a high of 42°C and a low of 28°C while it is expected to reach a high of 32°C and a low of 25°C in Gaza and the coastal areas.

A drop in temperature is expected tomorrow, Sunday, which nevertheless remains above the seasonal average.

No change in temperature or weather conditions is expected on Monday, but a rise in temperature is expected for Tuesday to become 3°C above the seasonal average, said the PMD, which warned people against being exposed to the sun for long period, particularly from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and setting fire to areas with dry grass.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

With two Palestinian administrative detainees in Israel recently ending their hunger strike, one after 37 days and the other after 22 days, nine detainees remain on hunger strike demanding their freedom, one of them has been fasting for 41 days, another for 39 days and a third for 38 days, according to an official with the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission (PAC).

Hasan Abed Rabbo, media advisor with PAC, told WAFA that as the hunger strike stretches, the health condition of the administrative detainees worsens.

The prisoners lost weight and suffer from severe fatigue and headaches, he said. They are being ill-treated, oppressed, harassed, constantly inspected and moved around with the aim of isolating them from the other prisoners while preventing their lawyers from meeting and visiting them, added Abed Rabbo.

Four of the nine administrative detainees have been on hunger striking for more than 30 days, one for 21 days, another for 17 and a fourth for 14 while the rest less than 10 days.

Palestinian administrative detainees, who are held without charge or trial and based on secret evidence, resort to hunger strike to force their release from prison because otherwise they could be incarcerated for indefinite periods without knowing what their charges are.

Often Israel reaches a deal with striking prisoners that would put a ceiling on their detention, which would prompt the prisoners to end their hunger strike.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Unknown persons had uprooted an iron cross that was embedded in a rock near the monastery of Tabgha on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, according to Wadie Abunassar, an official with the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land.

He said in a statement that an official in the monastery of monks belonging to the Benedictine Order had informed the Assembly of the vandalism at the church.

He said that the perpetrators, who were not known, are believed to have stormed the property of the monastery from the lake and that they intended to take out the cross and hide it, as the monastery was not subjected to theft or any other act of sabotage during this incident. Police were investigating this incident.

“We strongly condemn this heinous act, which appears to have been committed by people who hate the cross, and we call on the police to seriously investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Abunassar on behalf of this organization.

“We also call on all concerned and responsible authorities, including the state, educational and religious figures, and the people, to educate everyone to respect the symbols and beliefs of others.”

Tabgha, on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee at the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes, about 3km south-west of Capernaum, is best known for Christ’s miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish to feed a multitude.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

The Ramallah Municipality kicks off tonight its 12th version of ‘Wein a Ramallah’ musical festival, according to a press statement.

It said that all events will be held at the Rashed Hadadeen Square, across from Ramallah City Hall under the theme: From the River to the Sea, indicating the unity and the common identity of the Palestinian people throughout historic Palestine.

The first event that starts tonight at 8:00 P.M. features Banat al-Quds (Daughters of Jerusalem) musical group from Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, which will present a number of traditional and nationalist songs, according to the press release.

The events, which will continue every night through Thursday, are going to feature various musicians, including the young Egyptian singer Yasmin Ali, who will be the featured guest of the festival and will perform on Wednesday evening.

The last day of the festival will feature the popular Palestinian singer, Yacoub Shaheen, from Bethlehem, the 2017 Arab Idol winner.

Sali Abu Bakr, director of the Cultural and Community Department at Ramallah Municipality, said the festival is an opportunity for Palestinian artists to perform to a wide segment of the public and to encourage cultural tourism in the city.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Israeli soldiers today attacked a team of Palestinian technicians from the Land Settlement Authority while they were surveying land in Masafer Yatta in the south of the occupied West Bank, according to a local activist.

Fouad al-Imour, from the Protection and Steadfastness Committee in Masafer Yatta and the South Hebron Hills, told WAFA that soldiers fired teargas canisters at the surveyors while they were working on land near the illegal Avigal settlement built on Palestinian land in Umm al-Shaqhan area, east of Yatta.

He said the staff suffered from teargas suffocation and were treated at the location.

Israel does not allow Palestinians to work in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli military control.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Three people have died of the coronavirus disease in the last 24 hours in Palestine and 862 new cases were confirmed, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila.

She said in her daily report on the pandemic that 332 new cases were recorded in the West Bank, one death and 89 patients recovered, while the Gaza Strip had two deaths, 530 new cases and 55 recoveries.

Alkaila said 87 corona patients are currently hospitalized, and 30 are in intensive care, while six patients are on ventilators.

She said 33.4 percent of the West Bank population have been vaccinated compared to only 10.3 percent in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Marking the 52nd anniversary of the arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Presidency of Palestine called today upon the international community to provide protection from the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.

It said in a press release on the anniversary that the Muslim and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem are still targeted by Israeli daily violations, including provocative tours by Israeli settlers and police into the holy sites.

“Despite all the United Nations resolutions regarding occupied Jerusalem, which demanded Israel not to prejudice the sanctity of religious places, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque, a holy Muslim site of worship, Israel still ignores those decisions and turns its back to all the dangers that could erupt as a result of its reckless and irresponsible policies,” said the Presidency.

It urged Israel to abide by the UN Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016 which expressly stated that Israeli settlement activities in occupied Palestine are illegal, including in East Jerusalem.

Meantime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates called on the Arab and Islamic worlds and the international community, mainly the UN Security Council and UNESCO, to immediately implement the resolutions of the Arab and Islamic summits and the UN resolutions concerning Jerusalem and its holy places.

“The arson of Al-Aqsa is still going on and in more dangerous forms, including changing its historical and legal status that existed before the occupation, falsifying the landmarks of Al-Aqsa through excavations, and continuing the attempts to temporally and spatially divide the Mosque,” said the ministry in a statement marking the occasion.

On 21 August 1969, an extremist Australian Christian, Dennis Michael Rohan, attempted to set fire to Al-Aqsa Mosque, destroying parts of Al-Qiblah Mosque, the main building inside the Al-Aqsa compound, including the 1,000-year-old priceless wood and ivory pulpit, placed there by the Muslim leader Salaheddin.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Israeli occupation forces today blocked a road rehabilitation project and confiscated working equipment, including bulldozers, in the village of al-Jarushiyya, to the north of Tulkarm city in the occupied West Bank, according to witnesses.

Bahaa Khader, an employee in the Ministry of Agriculture, in charge of the project implementation, told WAFA that an Israeli army force raided the site of the project, confiscated bulldozers working there and briefly detained their drivers and the contractor.

He added that the Israeli occupation army ordered a halt on the project implementation.

Khader said a wrangle broke out between the workers and the Israeli soldiers since the land where the project was being implemented belonged to Palestinian farmers.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Nablus Governor Ibrahim Ramadan warned today that the number of daily coronavirus cases is rising significantly and hospital occupancy is also worryingly increasing, pointing to the fact that most of those infected with the disease have not been inoculated against the COVID-19 disease.

He said in a statement that no one wants to see a new lockdown, as was the case in the early times of the pandemic last year, which was devastating for the economy, and therefore people should get vaccinated to be able to control the spread of the disease.

“We are doing everything we can with your support and the support of our health and security staff to ensure that our life continues safely, and it is also a call for taking greater care in social distancing, following preventive measures and taking the vaccine,” said the Nablus Governor.

He urged all members of society, including teachers, the media, intellectuals, preachers, academics, and all members of the society to shoulder their responsibility in fighting this disease.

The Palestinian Health Ministry has warned of a surge in coronavirus cases in Palestine in recent days as a result of the Delta variant of COVID-19 as the number of new cases and hospitalized patients have multiplied while only 33 percent of people in the West Bank have been vaccinated compared to only 10 percent in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Ibrahim Melhem, spokesman for the Palestinian government, said today that Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh is scheduled to chair a meeting of the High Emergency Committee next Monday to discuss the recent surge in COVID cases in Palestine.

Melhem said in a press statement the bulk of the cases registered in recent days were concentrated in unvaccinated communities.

He pointed out that the Epidemiological Committee had submitted a set of recommendations that will be discussed during the meeting.

Earlier last week, the Council of Ministers urged the public to adhere to the social distancing guidelines and to get vaccinated to save lives and prevent further rise in serious morbidity.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency