Day: 3 February 2022

Israeli bulldozers today razed several structures in Deir Nidham village, northwest of Ramallah, according to local sources.

They said that Israeli forces stormed and cordoned off al-Husa area, denying people access to it.

The soldiers escorted a bulldozer to the area, where the heavy machinery tore down residential structures and shacks belonging to some Bedouins who have relocated to the area, which belongs to the villagers.

Located 14 kilometers to the northwest of Ramallah city, Deit Nidham, also written as Deit Nizzam, has a population of some 1,200 and occupies a total area of 2,758 dunams.

Under the Oslo Accords, an agreement made 25 years ago that was supposed to last just five years towards a self-governing country alongside Israel, the Palestinian Authority was given limited control over a very small pocket of 130 donums, classified as Area B and accounting for 4.7 percent of the village land. In contrast, Israel maintains control over the remainder, classified as Area C.

Israel has seized at least 22 percent of the village’s land for the construction of the nearby colonial settlement of Neve Tzuf. It has confiscated more land for the construction of settler-only by-pass Road 465, which extends 7.4 kilometers on the village’s land, which connects the settlements with one another and encloses the village from four directions.

Israel has erected concrete blocks and a metal gate at the village entrances, frequently sealing it off under the guise of maintaining security.

Israel severely restricts Palestinians’ freedom of movement through a complex combination of approximately 100 fixed checkpoints, flying checkpoints, settler-only roads and various other physical obstructions.

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 & Information Agency

Israeli forces Thursday overnight detained eight Palestinians from various parts of the West Bank, according to security sources.

They said that Israeli forces rounded up two Palestinians after breaking into the houses of their families in the northern West Bank village of Silat al-Harithiya, northwest of Jenin.

In Qalqiliya district, gun-toting soldiers barged their way into Hableh village, south of the city, and detained another.

They also re-arrested a former prisoner after appearing at his family house in the nearby town of Kafr Thulth.

Meanwhile, the sources confirmed a similar raid in Tubas city, resulting in re-arresting a former prisoner.

While in the city, the soldiers surrounded and broke into a house, tampering with its contents.

In Salfit district, military vehicles stormed Deir Istiya town, where soldiers detained another.

In the southern West Bank, the soldiers conducted a raid in Dheisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, and re-arrested a former prisoner.

They also re-arrested another after storming and thoroughly searching his family house in Hindaza area, east of the city.

Israeli forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost on a daily basis across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.

These raids, which take place also in areas under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, are conducted with no need for a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.

Under Israeli military law army commanders have full executive, legislative and judicial authority over 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians have no say in how this authority is exercised.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency

Weather today is partly cloudy and relatively cold conditions in mountainous districts and mild conditions in the Jordan Valley in daytime with steady temperature, which remains seasonal, according to the Palestinian Meteorological Department (PMD).

Partly cloudy and very cold conditions are expected in the night. Sporadic rain showers accompanied by isolated thunderstorms are expected, mainly in the north. Light to moderate southwesterly to northwesterly wind blows in daytime, while moderate to occasionally active southwesterly wind blows in the night. Sea waves are low to medium in daytime and medium to high in the night.

Temperature in the capital, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem is expected to reach a high of 13°C and a low of 5°C and in Ramallah and Hebron a high of 12°C and a low of 4°C. In Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley temperature is expected to reach a high of 21°C and a low of 11°C, while it is expected to reach a high of 19°C and a low of 10°C in Gaza and the coastal areas.

A low pressure is set to affect the region on Friday, paving the way to partly cloudy to cloudy and cold to very cold conditions and causing temperature to plummet to 6°C below the seasonal average. Occasional rain showers are expected along with thunderstorms and hail, mainly in the north and center, gradually intensifying and spreading to the south.

Saturday’s temperature is set to slightly rise by 1°C, with partly cloudy to cloudy and cold to very cold conditions. Sporadic rain showers, possibly torrential, along with occasional thunderstorms are still expected, with the chance of rain tapering off towards the night.

Sunday’s temperature is set to further rise and approach 3°C below the seasonal average, paving the way to partly cloudy and cold to very cold conditions, particularly in the mountains. The chance remains for sporadic rain showers on some districts.

PMD warns people against flash floods in flood-prone areas, gusty wind, slippery roads and low horizontal visibility.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency