Day: 1 March 2022

Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh met today at his Ramallah office with the Norwegian Special Envoy for the Peace Process John Hensen and discussed with him the upcoming meeting of the donor countries.

PM Shtayyeh urged international intervention to force Israel to free the withheld Palestinian funds and to stop all its deductions from the clearance funds, which he stressed would relieve the Palestinian government from its financial crunch.

The Prime Minister briefed his guest on government efforts to manage the financial crisis with the least resources available, as well the financial and administrative reforms it is undertaking and economic growth.

Hensen, on the other hand, informed Shtayyeh of the preparations that are underway to hold the next donors meeting, which will be held in Brussels in May.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

President Mahmoud Abbas stressed today the importance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) continuing to provide services and emergency assistance to Palestine refugees.

This came during a meeting with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.

The President welcomed Commissioner-General Lazzarini, expressing appreciation for his efforts and all the staff working in the Agency, stressing his support for efforts to raise the necessary funding for UNRWA to continue providing its basic and emergency services to the Palestinian people in the diaspora.

The President also stressed his support for the efforts made to renew UNRWA’s mandate to ensure the continuation of its noble role, stressing that the refugee issue is one of the crucial and important issues for the Palestinian people, which must be resolved in accordance with United Nations resolutions.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini, on the other hand, briefed the President about the services provided by UNRWA to Palestine refugees and the necessity of aid to support its basic and emergency operations. He also briefed the President about the situation in light of the political and economic challenges that the region is going through in general.

Lazzarini spoke about UNRWA’s efforts to preserve its role, as per its mandate entrusted to it in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and the importance of joint work to enhance this role.

He stressed the importance of continued coordination with all Palestinian institutions, as well as with the Department of Refugee Affairs in the Palestine Liberation Organization, to mobilize financial support, to continue its work, and to renew its mandate.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Palestinians demonstrated today in various cities of the occupied territories in support of the just demands of jailed freedom fighters held in Israel for better prison conditions.

The protests were called for by prisoners’ advocacy groups who called for a day of rage today throughout the occupied territories and abroad in support of the freedom fighters.

In Ramallah, dozens of people waving the Palestinian flag marched in the city center, chanting slogans calling for the release of the critically sick prisoners.

In Hebron, Palestinians clashed with Israeli soldiers at contact points in the old town area following a rally and a demonstration in the southern West Bank city.

Israeli soldiers manning checkpoints around the Israeli-controlled section of Hebron known as H2 fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the Palestinians causing several cases of injures and suffocation.

Prisoners had urged the public to support them in their battle to improve their prison conditions, which promoted advocacy groups to call for a day of rage today in support of the prisoners.

In Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, Palestinians also clashed with Israeli soldiers manning checkpoints at the entrance to the town. The soldiers showered the stone-throwing Palestinians with tear gas and rubber bullets causing minor injuries.

Similar rallies and demonstrations were held in Tulkarm, Bethlehem, and in other cities and towns.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

The Israeli occupation authorities today demolished Palestinian-owned structures and razed lands in Sur Baher neighborhood, south of occupied Jerusalem, said witnesses.

Israeli forces accompanied by a bulldozer raided an area of the neighborhood where the structures were located and proceeded to demolish them while cordoning off the area.

The bulldozer razed the four-dunum plot of land, destroying everything on it, including a shack and a warehouse, then tore down inner and outer walls, said the witnesses.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Israeli forces today halted the construction of three Palestinian houses to the south of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, according to local sources.

Yousef al-Basaytah, a local resident, told WAFA that the Israeli forces raided the area of Khirbet Um Qussa, one of the hamlets making up Masafer Yatta, and ordered a halt on the construction of three houses.

The houses, all of which are still under construction, belong to members of the Ka‘abneh family.

Located in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli administrative and military control, the area has been subjected to repeated Israeli violations by settlers and soldiers targeting their main source of living – livestock.

It has been designated as a closed Israeli military zone for training since 1980s and accordingly referred to as Firing Zone 918.

Israeli violations against the area include demolition of animal barns, homes and residential structures. Issuance of construction permits by Israel to local Palestinians in the area is non-existent.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

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

They said that Israeli troops re-arrested a former prisoner after storming and searching his house in Kafr Ni’ma town, west of Ramallah.

The heavily-armed troops re-arrested another after ransacking his family house in Ni’lin town, northwest of Ramallah.

While in the town, soldiers re-arrested five others, but released them following hours of interrogation.

In Nablus district, the sources confirmed a similar raid in Beit Furik town, southeast of the city, resulting in the detention of another.

In the northern West Bank, Israeli special forces driving vehicles with Palestinian registration plates sneaked their way into Jenin refugee camp and re-arrested a former prisoner.

Heavily-armed soldiers barged their way into Jalamah town, north of Jenin, where they re-arrested another and seized her mobile phones after forcibly entering and searching her family house.

In the southern West Bank, the military vehicles stormed Za’atara town, southeast of Bethlehem, where soldiers detained a Fatah activist.

In Hebron district, gun-toting soldiers carried out a raid in Hahul town, north of the southern West Bank city, where they rounded up another after shooting him in the leg.

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 & Info Agency (WAFA)

Israeli navy dawn Tuesday opened fire at Palestinian fishermen offshore al-Sudaniya, west of Gaza city, according to local sources.

The fishermen were sailing within three nautical miles offshore the area when Israeli naval boats opened gunfire toward them, forcing the fishermen to flee for their safety.

No casualties were reported, however.

Two million Palestinians live the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a punishing and crippling Israeli blockade for 12 years and repeated onslaughts that have heavily damaged much of the enclave’s infrastructure.

Gaza’s 2-million population remains under “remote control” occupation and a strict siege, which has destroyed the local economy, strangled Palestinian livelihoods, plunged them into unprecedented rates of unemployment and poverty, and cut off from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories and the wider world.

Gaza remains occupied territory, having no control over its borders, territorial waters or airspace. Meanwhile, Israel upholds very few of its responsibilities as the occupying power, failing to provide for the basic needs of Palestinian civilians living in the territory.

Every two in three Palestinians in Gaza is a refugee from lands inside what is now Israel. That government forbids them from exercising their right to return as enshrined in international law because they are not Jews.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

News about the aggressive Israeli forces’ assaults against Palestinians who gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate al-Isra Wal Miraj Muslim holiday hit the front pages of the three Arabic Palestinian dailies on Tuesday.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida, al-Ayyam and al-Quds said that Israeli police attacked Palestinians who gathered at Bab al-Amoud, also known as Damascus Gate, one of the gates of the old city of Jerusalem, to celebrate al-Isra Wal Miraj Muslim holiday. As a result, dozens of Palestinians were injured and others were detained as Israeli police suppressed a special ceremony to celebrate the Muslim holiday.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it dealt with at least 31 injury cases, four of whom were transferred to hospital. A six-month-old baby and a child with special needs were reportedly injured after being struck in the face with a stun canister fired by the police.

The dailies added that a number of Palestinians suffocated after inhaling tear gas fired at them by Israeli forces who were providing protection to settlers attacking the residents’ lands and their livestock to the east of the town of Yatta, south of Hebron.

They reported that Palestinian residents in al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya village to the south of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, fended off evening an attack by Israeli settlers against the village, leading to clashes with Israeli forces.

Al-Quds said that Israeli forces set up a new outpost in the village of Assira al-Qabaliya, south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that the Israeli occupation is the main cause behind the financial crisis we are facing.

Shtayyeh, during a virtual meeting with Deputy Chief in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Fiscal Affairs Department, Alexander Tieman, stressed that the difficult economic situation we are facing is the result of Israel’s continuous measures to piracy our money, the obstacles it places on the free movement of goods and individuals, and our inability to access and exploit area C of the West Bank, which constitutes 60 percent of the occupied West Bank and falls under full Israeli military rule.

The papers said that Palestine recorded 1256 new Covid-19 cases, twelve fatalities, and 2625 recovery cases in the last 24 hours.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

A Palestinian was today shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near Beit Fajjar town, south of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to the Ministry of Health, the third killed by soldiers today.

The Health Ministry said it was informed by the Civil Affairs Authority that Ammar Shafiq Abu Afifeh, from Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron city, was shot by soldiers and killed at the entrance of Beit Fajjar.

Abu Afifeh is the third Palestinian shot and killed by Israeli soldiers today.

Soldiers earlier shot and killed two Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp in the north of the West Bank.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Nineteen people have died of coronavirus in Palestine in the last 24 hours while 836 new cases were recorded, today said the Ministry of Health.

It said nine deaths were reported in each of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and one death in East Jerusalem.

The West Bank recorded 168 new cases and 767 recoveries, the Gaza Strip 188 new cases and 1500 recoveries, while East Jerusalem recorded 480 new cases and 570 recoveries.

The ministry said 155 people remain hospitalized for coronavirus while 88 are in intensive care and 30 are on ventilators.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)