Day: 4 January 2022

The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, reiterated yesterday his organization’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.

This came in a meeting with Palestine Permanent Representative to the OIC, Maher al-Karaki, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat.

During the meeting, they discussed the latest political and field developments in Palestine and ways to strengthen the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, said a statement by the OIC Secretary-General’s office.

“Brahim Taha stressed the OIC’s unwavering commitment to support the central cause of the Muslim Ummah in the international arena and to defend the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to independence and the realization of sovereign State of Palestine with Al-Quds Ash-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital on the 1967 borders,” concluded the statement.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency

A group of Israeli settlers attacked today agricultural land belonging to a local resident in Khallet Hassan, north of Bidya of Salfit governorate.

A group of settlers broke the lock on the main gate and released cows into the land, which caused the destruction of olive, fig, and grape trees, said the landowner, Nilson Salameh.

The land covers an area of 10 dunums and is planted with 150 olive trees, grapes, figs, and other crops since 2018.

Khallet Hassan, estimated at 4,000 dunums of land is threatened with seizure by the occupation for the benefit of settlement expansion projects and establishing a new settlement which would link together five existing settlements and a number of settlement blocs and outposts between the governorates of Salfit and Qalqilia.

The settlers’ attempts to grab the lands of the village date back to 1983.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency

The General-Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed grave concern over the critical health situation of the Palestinian prisoner Hisham Abu Hawash, who is on an open-ended hunger strike for the 141st day in protest against his detention without trial in the Israeli occupation jails.

In a statement, Secretary-General, Hissein Brahim Taha, said the OIC stands in support of Palestinian prisoners and will continue to channel their voice and convey their ordeal to the world at large.

He also called on international human rights institutions to immediately interfere to secure the release of Hisham Abu Hawash and all other Palestinian prisoners held without trial or charge, and to pressurize Israel, the occupation force, to honor its obligations under the international human rights law, international humanitarian instruments and relevant Geneva conventions on Palestinian prisoners and detainees in occupation prisons.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency

The Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission said that 50 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails will start tonight an open-ended hunger strike in support of administrative detainee, Hisham Abu Hawash, whose health condition has severally deteriorated after 141 consecutive days of hunger strike to protest his detention without charge or trial.

The commission in a statement said the leaders of the Islamic Jihad movement in Israeli jails will join the hunger strike.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency

A Palestinian youth was shot and injured today evening with live ammunition during clashes that erupted with Israeli forces at the entrance to the al-Fawwar refugee camp to the south of Hebron, in the south of the West Bank, according to security sources.

Sources told WAFA that clashes broke out after the Israeli army closed the metal gate erected on the road between the town of Dura and al-Fawwar refugee camp.

A youth was shot in the thigh with live fire and transferred to hospital, where his condition was described as moderate.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency

Israeli occupation forces opened heavy random fire towards agricultural lands in the southern besieged Gaza Strip, according to sources.

Forces stationed at the “Kisofim” military site east of al-Qarara area in the southern Strip opened intensive fire towards agricultural lands, shooting indiscriminately towards the al-Wad area.

No injuries or causalities have been reported.

The occupation forces carry out daily attacks against the eastern and northern borders of the Gaza Strip.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency

With President Mahmoud Abbas’ directives and the vigorous follow-up of the General Intelligence Service, a deal with the Israeli side was reached tonight for the release of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner, Hisham Abu Hawash, thus ending his 141 consecutive days of hunger strike in protest of his detention without charge or trial.

The Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission in a statement said Abu Hawash ended his hunger strike after reaching a deal with the Israeli occupation authorities to end his administrative detention and free him on February 26.

Abu Hawash, 40, from the town of Dura, south of Hebron, was detained on October 27, 2020. Immediately after his arrest, an administrative detention order was issued against him for a period of six months and was renewed several times. He is married and a father of five children. His health has reached a critical stage due to the hunger strike.

A statement issued by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said the battle of Abu Hawash has brought the issue of the prisoners, specifically the issue of administrative detention, back to the forefront despite all the challenges that he and other prisoners, who preceded him on the strike, have faced by the series of systematic policies of all arms of the Israeli government.

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held without trial or charge have launched four days ago a boycott of Israel’s military courts in protest of their administrative detention.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency