Day: 16 May 2022

Israeli forces today notified residents in the village of Um al-Rehan area in Ya’bad town, southwest of Jenin, of their intentions to demolish three poultry sheds for raising chickens, according to a local official.

Head of Ya’bad village council, Majdi Zaid, told WAFA that Israeli forces delivered notices for the demolition of three poultry sheds belonging to local residents in the said area, citing unpermitted construction as a pretext.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Masayuki Magoshi, Ambassador for the Palestinian Affairs and Representative of Japan to Palestine, visited today Qibya village in Ramallah to celebrate the completion of a project for improving the educational environment for people with disabilities in 11 Schools in Ramallah.

The project was funded by the Government of Japan through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).

A grant of $89,971 was extended to the Palestinian Youth Union for the improvement of the educational environment for people with disabilities in 11 Schools in Ramallah by rehabilitating/constructing barrier-free toilets, wheelchair slopes, and water drinking areas, according to a statement issued by the Representative Office of Japan to Palestine.

Now that the project has been completed, about 45 disabled students will directly benefit from the project, and about other 3000 students have been benefiting from the water drinking areas.

In his speech, Masayuki Magoshi emphasized Japan’s firm commitment to supporting the Palestinian people from a human security perspective as well as the importance of implementing social and economic development projects needed for Palestinian communities.

Since 1993 the Government of Japan has extended its official development assistance to approximately USD 2.2 billion, to the Palestinians. GGP projects have been formulated in collaboration with the Palestinian Authority through the Ministry of Finance and Planning since 2010.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

The weekly Ministry of Health report on Covid-19 in Palestine published today shows a decline in new cases in the week between May 5 and 15 and after conducting 3310 tests, while hospitals reported zero Covid-19 patients.

It said 116 new cases were reported in the West Bank where 74 Covid-19 patients have recovered and one person died, while 11 new cases were confirmed in the Gaza Strip and one death.

No new cases were reported in East Jerusalem as 40 Covid-19 patients have recovered.

The Ministry said 62.7 percent of the people in the West Bank are fully vaccinated and 35.5 percent in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

A Jerusalem hospital is considering the possibility of prosecuting Israeli police over the recent attack on the funeral procession of slain veteran journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh.

The management of St Joseph hospital said in a press conference that they were considering the possibility of suing Israeli police over their Friday’s incursion into the hospital and attacking the funeral of iconic Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli military gunshot to the head on the morning of Friday May 11, 2022 while reporting from Jenin.

It added that it has contacted a law firm to examine the possibility of initiating a complaint against the Israeli occupation authorities over police violence.

It released a security camera footage showing dozens of heavily-armed police storming the Sheikh Jarrah-based hospital, including the Emergency unit, during Abu Akleh’s funeral, assaulting medical staff, patients and the mourners.

Another video footage showed police are firing a smoke grenade in the direction of the hospital before muscling inside.

During the conference, the nuns working at the hospital recounts how a mother in labor was ushered into the hospital by her husband through tear gas and escaping gunfire.

The hospital management affirmed that the police attack is a gross violation of humanitarian laws and unjustifiable and that it was only the police who committed and resorted to violence during Abu Akleh’s funeral procession.

Meanwhile, St Joseph’s hospital director Jamil Kousa told WAFA that he has never seen such police violence.

“I have been serving as the director of this hospital for 31 years, during which I have never seen violence similar to police violence on that day,” he said while pointing that police violence was unjustifiable.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

World Health Organization (WHO) Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, Richard Peeperkorn, and European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President, Gelsomina Vigliotti, yesterday confirmed the successful ongoing implementation of the first two technical assistance assignments conducted under the global EIB-WHO partnership for health, according to a press release.

The EIB is supporting the WHO to assist the Ministry of Health in assessing and reshaping the national primary healthcare and oncology services strategies. The support will lead to improved prioritization and increased investment in health in Palestine, said the press release.

The announcement was done when EIB President Werner Hoyer attended the opening ceremony of the new EIB Representation for the West Bank and Gaza.

“The EIB and the WHO are committed to strengthening health investments that improve public health in the West Bank and Gaza,” said EIB Vice-President Vigliotti. “The EIB contribution will help the WHO and local authorities to better plan and unlock investments for the welfare of the Palestinian people, such as primary healthcare and oncology services. The two projects we confirm today are an example of the joint commitment to deliver on our global partnership for health, complementing each other’s strengths.”

“The EIB-supported joint Ministry of Health and WHO assessments are strategic and will help to update essential health packages and health financing strategy, improve governance of oncology services, and guide the much-needed increased investment in health in Palestine,” said Peeperkorn.

On 1 May 2020, the European Investment Bank and the World Health Organization signed their first Memorandum of Understanding, outlining common focus areas including increased collaboration on primary healthcare and health system resilience. The occupied Palestinian territory is the first pilot area where cooperation has been initiated between the two organizations.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)