Day: 22 September 2021

Weather today is partly cloudy and mild in the mountains and relatively hot in other districts in daytime with a drop in temperature, which remains slightly unseasonably high, according to the Palestinian Meteorological Department (PMD).

Partly cloudy and moderate to slightly cold conditions are expected in the morning and night hours, especially in the mountains. Light to moderate northwesterly wind blows. Sea waves are low.

Temperature in the capital, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem is expected to reach a high of 29°C and a low of 19°C and in Ramallah and Hebron a high of 28°C and a low of 18°C. In Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley temperature is expected to reach a high of 38°C and a low of 27°C while it is expected to reach a high of 30°C and a low of 22°C in Gaza and the coastal areas.

Thursday’s temperature is set to significantly drop and approach 3°C below the seasonal average, paving the way to partly cloudy and moderate to slightly cold conditions in the morning and night hours.

Moderate conditions in the mountains and relatively hot conditions in other districts are expected in daytime. There is a chance of isolated light rainfall, especially in the north.

An additional drop is expected in temperature which approaches 5°C below the seasonal average on Friday, paving the way to partially cloudy and relatively cold conditions in the mountains and mild conditions in other districts. Chance of isolated light rainfall is still expected.

A significant rise is expected in temperature which becomes seasonal on Saturday, paving the way to partly cloudy to clear and moderate conditions in the mountains and relatively hot in the Jordan Valley.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Israeli forces Wednesday morning obstructed students’ access to their school in al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus, according to local sources.

They said that Israeli soldiers deliberately prevented the students from walking on the Nablus-Ramallah Road to reach their school on time, forcing them to go through rough terrain to reach it.

They also held a 17-year-old student from the nearby village of Ammuriya for over two hours before releasing him.

Attacks on education by Israeli military forces and Israeli settlers in the Palestine constitute grave violations of children’s rights to education and development. These attacks are particularly prevalent in the most vulnerable areas of the West Bank – Area C, H2 and Jerusalem.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Israeli forces Wednesday morning sealed off the archeological site of Sebastia, north of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, in preparation for a settler intrusion, local sources said.

Mayor of Sebastia, Mohammad Azem, told WAFA that a large unit of Israeli soldiers deployed at the town entrances and the road leading to the archeological site, and prevented Palestinains from opening their commercial stores in anticipation of the intrusion of dozens of settlers into the site.

Located 11 kilometers to the northwest of Nablus, Sebastia is a small historical town located on a hill with panoramic views across the West Bank and has a population of some 3,000 Palestinians.

A prominent settlement during the Iron Age as well as the Hellenistic and Roman eras, the town embraces a Roman amphitheater, temples, a Byzantine and a crusader churches, dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner, who baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, besides to a mosque built in honor of the saint. Christians and Muslims believe the town to be the burial place of the saint.

Israel has been attempting to take over the town, which has become a site of heated cultural conflict, preventing the Palestinian Authority from conducting restoration works at the site, prohibiting providing tourist services to visitors from around the world, and stealing antiquities from it.

Palestinians complain that Israeli settlers have repeatedly attacked the town and fenced parts of its antiquities, where they hold religious rituals.

Twelve dunums of the archaeological area is located within (B) areas, which are controlled by Israeli military and Palestinian administrative authority, while the other part of the area lies within (C) areas, which falls under complete Israeli administrative and military control.

Owners of restaurants and hotels complain about the Israeli acts in the town which have caused them severe damages and losses.

Israel uses the Jewish nationalist name “Judea and Samaria” to refer to the occupied West Bank to reinforce its bogus claims to the territory and to give them a veneer of historical and religious legitimacy.

There are almost 834,000 Israeli settlers living in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

The Israeli occupation authorities Tuesday evening denied Palestinians access to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron city, citing Jewish holidays as a pretext.

The Mosque Director, Hefzi Abu Sneineh, told WAFA that Israeli forces informed the mosque administration that the site would be closed as of Tuesday night until Friday midnight under the pretext of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

He added that the occupation authorities have prevented the call at the mosque 60 times since September 1 purportedly for annoying settlers.

Twenty six years ago, Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein broke into the Ibrahimi Mosque and opened fire at Palestinian Muslim worshippers, killing 29. Four Palestinians were killed on the same day in the clashes that broke out around the Mosque in response to the massacre.

In the aftermath, the mosque, known to Jews as Tomb of the Patriarchs, was divided in two, with the larger part turned into a synagogue while heavy scrutiny was imposed on the Palestinians and areas closed completely to them, including an important market and the main street, Shuhada street.

An estimated 800 notoriously aggressive Israeli settlers live under the protection of thousands of soldiers in Hebron’s city center. The city is home to over 30,000 Palestinians.

Israel uses the Jewish nationalist name “Judea and Samaria” to refer to the occupied West Bank to reinforce its bogus claims to the territory and to give them a veneer of historical and religious legitimacy.

Such Israeli measures, taken under the guise of security, are intended to entrench Israel’s 54-year-old military occupation of the West Bank and its settler colonial project which it enforces with routine and frequently deadly violence against Palestinians.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Israeli forces today proceeded with razing Palestinian land in Kardala village, northeast of Tubas city, according to local sources.

Aref Daraghmeh, a local human rights activist, said that Israeli forces escorted a bulldozer to the southern part of the village, where the heavy machinery leveled a tract of land in preparation for the construction of a huge cement water reservoir to be operated by the Israeli water company of Mekorot.

Mekorot has depleted water wells and has been granted monopoly on the excavation, restoration, distribution and selling of water in the northern Jordan Valley and across the occupied territories.

Head of Kardala Village Council, Ghassan Fuqaha, voiced the villagers concerns that this step would pave the way for the takeover of more Palestinian land in favor of colonial settlement construction and infrastructure.

Under international law, driving residents of an occupied territory from their homes is considered forcible transfer of protected persons, which constitutes a war crime. But residents of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley are no strangers to such disruptive Israeli policies.

The valley, which is a fertile strip of land running west along the Jordan River, is home to about 65,000 Palestinians and makes up approximately 30% of the West Bank.

Since 1967, when the Israeli army occupied the West Bank, Israel has transferred at least 11,000 of its Jewish citizens to the Jordan Valley. Some of the settlements in which they live were built almost entirely on private Palestinian land.

The Israel military has also designated about 46 percent of the Jordan Valley as a closed military zone since the beginning of the occupation in June 1967, and has been utilizing the pretext of military drills to forcefully displace Palestinian families living there as part of a policy of ethnic cleansing and stifling Palestinian development in the area.

Approximately 6,200 Palestinians live in 38 communities in places earmarked for military use and have had to obtain permission from the Israeli authorities to enter and live in their communities.

In violation of international law, the Israeli military not only temporarily displaces the communities on a regular basis, but also confiscates their farmlands, demolishes their homes and infrastructure from time to time.

Besides undergoing temporary displacement, the Palestinian families living there face a myriad restrictions on access to resources and services. Meanwhile, Israel exploits the resources of the area and generates profit by allocating generous tracts of land and water resources for the benefit of settlers.

Israeli politicians have made it clear on several occasions that the highly strategic Jordan Valley would remain under their control in any eventuality.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

The Israeli occupation authorities today leveled a large tract of Palestinian land to the south of the West Bank city of Nablus, according to a local official.

Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors Israeli colonial settlement activities in the northern West Bank, said that Israeli bulldozers razed 30 donums of land belonging to the villagers of Qusra, Jurish and Aqraba.

He expressed his concerns that this step was intended as a prelude to the construction of a new colonial settlement outpost in the area.

Over 700,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only colonial settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

The number of settlers has almost tripled since the Oslo Accords of 1993, when settlers’ number estimated 252,000. Illegal colonial settlements have leapt from 144 to over 515 in that time.

Israel’s nation-state law that passed last July stated that building and strengthening settlements as a “national interest.”

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

President of the Republic of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, said the Government and the people of Maldives stand firmly and resolutely with the Palestinian people, and that the Maldives will continue to fight for the full recognition of Palestine as an independent State.

The President said this in his general debate statement at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.

President Solih had previously also stated that the UN had collectively failed to resolve the issue of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, condemning the actions of Israel, during his general debate statement in the 74th Session of the UNGA, in 2019.

Addressing the 76th general assembly, President Solih stated that despite decades of United Nations efforts, the Palestinian people have yet to see justice. He stated that we continue to bear witness to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people being so wantonly violated, in ever-escalating ways, by Israel.

Despite the many resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council, the rights of Palestine are minimal or non-existent, he said.

Speaking as the head of a small island state who is able to stand in front of the general assembly because the Maldives was recognized as a sovereign nation, President Solih questioned the assembly on what the world has to lose by fully recognizing Palestine as an independent State.

He pointed out the generations of educated youth around the world are standing up for the rights of the Palestinian people, standing up in protest against the unjust and inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people.

President Solih called on the UN, on behalf of the Maldivian people, to fully recognize the Palestinian State with all the benefits and opportunities that membership confers and to extend the same privileges to the millions of Palestinian to have their individual liberties protected.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Government of Japan Wednesday celebrated the completion of the Construction of Sewage Network in Aqbat Jabr Palestine Refugee Camp in the West Bank.

The ceremony was attended by the Japanese Ambassador to Palestinian territories, Masayuki Magoshi, the Director of UNRWA’s Affairs in the West Bank, Gwyn Lewis, Yasr abu Kishk and Kanaan AL Jamal representing the Department of Refugee Affairs (DoRA), Jihad Abu AL Asal the governor, Salem Al Grouf the Mayor of the city and representatives of the local community.

In his speech during the closing ceremony, the Japanese Ambassador emphasized that “this project would dramatically improve circumstances of Aqbat Jabr refugee camp residents by having contributed significantly to the infrastructure in the refugee camp; and waste water management is an integral part of infrastructure in the effort to reduce threats to the public health of people and to safeguard the environment, especially, under the current COVID-19 crisis.”

Magoshi added: “Through these efforts, we are contributing to improving the environment in the area and protecting precious natural resources. In this regard, we are also supporting the construction of a sewage network in Ein Sultan refugee camp in collaboration with UNRWA.”

In response, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, Gwyn Lewis thanked the Japanese for their continuous support to Palestine refugees, stressing that: “Thanks to this generous contribution, and by working together in phase one and two of the project, we have been able to connect 1,236 households to the Jericho sewage system. This represents a significant accomplishments and translates into real improvements in the daily lives of the Palestine refugees living in Aqbat Jabr.”

Thanking UNRWA and Japan, Jamal Awadat, the head of Aqbet Jabr camp services committee said: “The most important thing about this project is that it came right on time, as people have started making random cesspits, which started to negatively impact the incremental health in the camp and reduced the spaces the residents could have used had their houses been connected to the sewerage system.” Thanking the People and the government of Japan for all of their support to all camps in the West Bank and to the department of refugee affairs, Awadat called to connect the rest of the houses in the camp as well.

Through the grant agreement of $6.2 million, this project allowed the construction of approximately 54 km of sewerage network in phase two, connected to three main manholes of the Jericho sewerage system, followed by the connection of 748 households in Aqbet Jabr camp. This is the second phase of this important collaboration and has meant that the majority of the camp is now connected to the main sewage lines.

The connection of the majority of households to a functioning and sustainable sewage network system will ultimately improve their health, environment, quality of life and living conditions. Prior to the project, camp residents often used old and deteriorated cesspits, which led to the contamination of the ground water and posed risks for contaminated water-borne diseases. The construction of the sewage network therefore contributes to reducing environmental hazards and improving sanitary conditions for the 9,803 Palestine refugees living inside the camp.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

Petitioners demanded the US Congress support sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law and puts an end to its apartheid regime.

This action is co-organized by members of the Invest in Justice Coalition.

The action; Heed the call of Palestinians demanding safety and freedom. Send a letter to Congress to demand the following: Hold Israel Accountable: Demand that Congress support sanctions on Israel until complies with international law and puts an end to its apartheid regime.

End U.S. military funding to Israel: The bombs are weapons Israel uses on Palestinians are funded by our taxpayer money. Demand that your Congressional representative supports H.R. 2590, which calls an end to U.S. funding of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.

Uplift Palestinian Calls for Freedom: Demand that Congress center those most harmed by violence and oppression the Palestinian people and support their right to resist Israel’s ethnic cleansing. Answer their demands for freedom, justice, and safety.

Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem to Lydd to Gaza are rising up against Israel’s continued ethnic cleansing and apartheid in Palestine. As Israel violently attacks Palestinians for resisting the oppression they have faced for 73 years, the cruelty of its settler-colonial regime is on full display for the world to from deadly bombs raining down on Gaza to tear gas, grenades, and raids on worshipers at the holy site of al-Aqsa Mosque. The time to take action is now.

Each year, $3,800,000,000 of our tax dollars are invested in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. The U.S. provides Israel with unconditional diplomatic support and military funding, and Israel uses U.S. backing to act with impunity: stealing Palestinian land, entrenching its apartheid regime, and prolonging its blockade on Gaza. Our tax dollars are funding Israel’s crimes against humanity while here at home we are told there is not enough money for Medicare for All, minimum wage, or public infrastructure all of which have a disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities. We should have a say in how our tax dollars are used.

Our demand is simple: stop bankrolling ethnic cleansing and apartheid, and start investing in health and safety for all. Raise your voice by telling Congress to end military funding to Israel and sanction Israeli apartheid today.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

The Palestinian and British sides agreed today to resume customs exemptions on Palestinian agricultural products entering the British market while ensuring mechanisms to benefit from this decision.

This came at the conclusion of the first virtual meeting of the Palestinian-British Joint Committee to develop and strengthen economic and trade cooperation relations in various fields.

The Palestinian Ministry of National Economy and the UK Department for International Trade agreed to sign the terms of reference for the Palestinian-British joint committee and to hold it periodically to follow up on technical issues and mechanisms for implementing the partnership agreement between the two countries.

On July 1st, the Minister of Economy Khaled Ossaili and UK Secretary of State for International Trade Elizabeth Truss, launched the work of the Palestinian-British Joint Committee to develop and strengthen economic and trade cooperation relations in various fields.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency