Category: News

Israeli police arrested three Palestinian youth on Friday evening as the latter were trying to confront an attack by illegal Israeli settlers on the neighborhood of Ras al-Amud in occupied Jerusalem, said WAFA correspondent.

A few minutes earlier, a group of Israeli settlers backed by police stormed the neighborhood and tried to assault Palestinian civilians there, but were confronted by residents who clashed with the settlers and the police.

The Israeli police arrested three Palestinian young men in the aftermath of the settlers’ attack.

Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in occupied Jerusalem are commonplace, and are frequently protected by Israeli police and security forces.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

The Palestinian Ministry of National Economy announced today the resumption of the supply of wheat flour from Russia into Palestine, despite the current Russian-Ukrainian crisis and its negative repercussions on the supply chains.

The ministry said in a statement that about 15,000 tons of Russian wheat flour are scheduled to arrive in Palestine by the end of this month, despite ongoing national efforts to diversify international markets that supply Palestine with basic commodities.

The ministry said it therefore expects a decline in wheat flour prices in Palestine in light of the positive data regarding the supply of basic commodities to the Palestinian market, on top of which wheat flour.

Of note, the Palestinian government recently decided to exempt all sales of wheat flour wrapped in bags of 25 kg and above from the value-added tax of 16% for the months March, April and May 2022.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Several Palestinians were lightly injured today by the Israeli occupation army during the weekly anti-occupation protest in the village of Beita, in the occupied West Bank province of Nablus, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC).

Ahmad Jibril, a PRC spokesman, told WAFA that Israeli occupation soldiers fired rubber-coated rounds, stun grenades and teargas at the protesters in Beita, injuring at least one protester with a live bullet in his hand of them by live fire and causing many others to suffocate from teargas. All of them were treated at the scene.

Meantime, a Palestinian protester was injured by live Israeli bullets during similar clashes with the Israeli occupation army in downtown Hebron, south of the occupied West Bank.

For near nearly ten months, Palestinians from Beita and neighboring villages have been holding almost daily protests against Israel’s construction of an illegal settlement outpost, Evaytar, on Jabal Sabih mount which is adjacent to the village.

Several Palestinian protesters have been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli occupation forces during recurrent clashes over the past five months.

In July last year, Israeli settlers vacated the illegal outpost under an agreement with the Israeli government that will allow for the outpost to remain intact and under permanent supervision of the Israeli occupation army, despite its unauthorized construction.

Before leaving, the dozens of Zionist families who had settled there erected a 13-meter-high iron Star of David facing the nearby Palestinian village of Beita with the phrase “We will return” inscribed next to it.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Over 10,000 Palestinian and international runners today descended on Bethlehem to participate in the Eighth International Palestine Marathon.

The Marathon started at the Church of the Nativity in the center of the Old City of Bethlehem in the attendance of a host of officials, most notably Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestine Olympic Committee and of the Higher Council for Youth and Sports.

Rajoub, who gave the nod for the launch of the marathon, said that the event sends the message that the Palestinian people have the right to live and move freely on the territories of the State of Palestine.

The marathon course took athletes through different view on Palestinian everyday life, including few steep hills and with some fast sections. It started at the Church of Nativity taking the runners through the city, the two refugee camps of Aida and Dheisheh and along the Israeli apartheid wall, deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004.

It included four tracks; the full 42-kilometer race, a 21-kilometer race, a 10-kilometer race and the five-kilometer family race.

Held for the first time on April 21, 2013, the Palestine Marathon is held this year, 2022, after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic, starting at 6:00 am, from the Manager Square in Bethlehem like it has been for the past 9 years since it was not possible to find a 42 km stretch within the Palestinian Territories without passing through Israeli checkpoints, it was decided to hold the event on an 11 km stretch, which full marathon runners would complete 4 times.

According to the marathon’s coordinator, Itidal Abdul Ghani, there are over 10,000 Palestinian and international athletes, including 1,150 internationals representing 80 states, including athletes from Jordan, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and 500 members of the diplomatic corps in Palestine. Females account for 50 percent of the total number of athletes.

As part of the logistics, 200 police officers are deployed to ensure free movement for the athletes in addition to over 500 volunteers responsible for providing first aid treatment, among others.

The Palestine Olympic Committee, which sponsored the event, said that the “event shows the international community another side of Palestinians; it creates international awareness of the Palestinian story, increases knowledge of Palestinian life, culture, and hospitality, and builds understanding across cultures. Moreover, the annual marathon adds value to the Palestinian economy and the tourism sector.”

It added that the marathon provides international athletes with the opportunity to “hit” Israel’s apartheid wall, which “prevents Palestinians from exercising their basic human right to freedom of movement and separates them from their land and from each other,” not to mention other movement impediments, namely the complex combination of military checkpoints and Gaza’s blockade.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Celebrating the European year for youth, the European Union and partners launched Thursday the EU funded Youth Empowerment Program at the Youth Village near Ramallah with young Palestinians, Palestinian Authority officials, and representatives of civil society organizations, according to a press release from the Office of the EU Representative in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Youth Empowerment Program is an EU initiative that supports economic empowerment and promote socio-economic engagement of young Palestinians. The program consists of three main projects to be implemented by the Belgian development agency (Enabel), the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), and Sharek Youth Forum.

These projects expect to reach over 8000 young Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the next three years. They are designed to contribute to two main objectives: the first is to facilitate a stronger connection between skilled youth/promising entrepreneurs and the labour market through capacity development and entrepreneurship skills programmes, including internship, job placement and on-the-job coaching. The second is aimed at promoting youth socio-economic engagement of youth in the society through leadership programmes and the establishment of a Youth Advisory Panel for Palestine.

During the launching ceremony, the implementing partners briefed the audience, particularly the young people, on the components and activities of each project. The partners highlighted the learning and training opportunities that will be made available for the young beneficiaries during the thee-years implementation of the programme.

“The Palestinian society has been continuously described as a ‘young society’, with people under 29 comprising 30% of the population. Knowing that the young people in Palestine face many challenges affecting their economic, social and health wellbeing, we are joining representatives of the young people today to celebrate the European Year of Youth, and the launch of our newly established programme on youth empowerment. The potential and capabilities of young people, in the West Bank, East Jerusalem or Gaza are remarkable. We see young people excelling in every aspect of life, and we are proud to be able to contribute to youth empowerment in all sectors”, said the EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff during the launching ceremony.

“Enabel is happy to be part of this important initiative to Empower Palestinian youth, including young women, to become active citizens with better socio-economic opportunities by providing them with skills and entrepreneurial mindset necessary to find sustainable employment and promote the engagement of youth as future leaders in the society. We believe that partnering with the EU and other local and international organizations is key to maximize results.” Christelle Jocquet, Resident Representative of Enabel in Palestine.

“We need more youth around the table where decisions are made. We need their perspectives, their wisdom, and their energy. UNFPA has long experience of working with and for young people, and we are profoundly aware of their enormous potential to make positive change. We are therefore excited to get started together with young people from across all of Palestine, and deeply grateful to the European Union for their belief in young people to make a difference” said Kristine Blokhus, UNFPA Representative.

“Sharek works to develop and empower youth as active participants in the civil society and encourages youth to participate in Palestinian political, economic, and social affairs. As it is the duty and commitment of Sharek to promote youth development, engagement, education and expose them to various experiences, Sharek still seeks new partnerships. We are delighted to take part in this partnership, which to our vision, can result unprecedented benefits to the Palestinian youth. Over the course of the last 11 years, the Tamayyaz program had gained the necessary experience to locate and tackle employability challenges the Palestinian youth faces. We believe that the Tamayyaz program, with its new design, will support 4500 young people from 12 partner universities and vocational training centers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in being well-prepared to entering the marketplace,” Sharek’s Team said.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

At least eight Palestinians were injured by Israeli occupation forces today during the weekly protest against Israeli settlement construction in the village of Kafr Qaddum, in the West Bank province of Qalqilia.

Morad Shtewi, a local anti-occupation activist, told WAFA that Israeli soldiers attacked the protesters with rubber-coated rounds and tear gas canisters, injuring eight of them by rubber-coated rounds and causing many cases of suffocation from gas inhalation.

All of the injured protesters were treated at the scene of the clashes.

For many years, villagers from Kafr Qaddum and neighboring villages have been protesting every Friday against illegal Israeli settlement construction.

Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across the occupied Palestinian Territories in violation of international law.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)

Prayers held outdoors in Jabal al-Mukabir to highlight suffering under Israeli home demolitions

دعت حركة المقاومة الإسلامية “حماس” اليوم الأربعاء، جماهير الشعب الفلسطيني في أماكن تواجده كافة، إلى مواصلة المشاركة الفاعلة والحشد في حملة “الفجر العظيم” المستمرة منذ أسابيع.

وقالت “حماس” في تصريح صحفي، اليوم الأربعاء، إن “هذه الجمعة تأتي بعنوان (فجر الحرائر)، اعتزازًا وتكريمًا للمرأة الفلسطينية المرابطة في كل الساحات والميادين، وعلى ثغور فلسطين، وفي القلب منها المسجد الأقصى المبارك”.

وجددت الحركة التأكيد على “حيوية الشعب الفلسطيني وامتلاكه مكامن القوة والصمود، دفاعاً عن حقوقه المشروعة، ورفضًا لكلّ محاولات الاحتلال المساس بحرمة الأقصى وقدسيته، وتصديًّا لمشاريعه الاستيطانية والتهويدية، وأنه على عهد المقاومة والنضال ماض حتى تحرير الأرض والمسرى والأسرى”.

وبعثت الحركة بتحية الفخر والاعتزاز لكلّ الجماهير، بمختلف أطيافها ومكوّناتها الوطنية، المشاركة في جُمَعِ (الفجر العظيم) السابقة.

يذكر أن فكرة “الفجر العظيم” انطلقت من المسجد الإبراهيمي بمدينة الخليل (جنوب الضفة الغربية المحتلة) في كانون الأول/ديسمبر 2019، “تأكيدًا على إسلامية المسجد، وحمايته من الأطماع الإسرائيلية” وفق القائمين عليها، لينضم بعدها المسجد الأقصى ومساجد كثيرة في الضفة وغزة، وفي دول عربية وإسلامية.

Source: Qud Press International News Agency

قال نادي الأسير الفلسطيني، اليوم الأربعاء، إن “الوضع الصحي للأسير ناصر أبو حميد، الذي يقبع في عيادة سجن الرملة، شمال غرب القدس، ينذر بمخاطر مضاعفة على مصيره، مقارنة مع الفترة السابقة”.

وأوضح النادي في بيان تلقته “قدس برس”، أن “نتيجة الفحوصات بيّنت مؤخراً احتمالية انتشار السرطان في أجزاء أخرى من جسد أبو حميد، بعد انتشاره بالرئتين”.

وأضاف أن الأسير يعاني حالياً “من دوران مستمر، واستفراغ، وعدم القدرة على تناول الطعام، وأصبح بحاجة إلى أن يظل موصولاً بالأكسجين بشكل أكبر من الفترة الماضية”.

وأشار إلى أنه “لم يتم تحديد موعد استئناف جلسات العلاج الكيماوي له، والتي توقفت بعد تدهور وضعه الصحي في مستشفى برزلاي الإسرائيلي قبل عدة أشهر”.

ولفت نادي الأسير إلى أن أبو حميد “يخضع هذه الأيام لجلسات علاجية حتى يتمكن من تحريك يديه وقدميه، فيما يعمل شقيقه الأسير محمد الذي يلازمه منذ نقله إلى عيادة سجن الرملة، على إنعاش ذاكرته، حيث إنه يتذكر بعض الأمور بصعوبة بالغة، وبشكل بطيء جداً”.

يُذكر أن الوضع الصحي للأسير تدهور بشكل واضح منذ آب/أغسطس 2021، حيث بدأ يعاني من آلام في صدره، إلى أن تبين أنه مصاب بورم في الرئة.

وأبو حميد، محكوم بالسجن المؤبد سبع مرات و50 عامًا، وهو واحد من بين خمسة أشقاء، يواجهون الحكم المؤبد في سجون الاحتلال، وله شقيق سادس شهيد.

Source: Qud Press International News Agency