Shots fired as activists test Gaza 'exclusion zone'

Published today (updated) 09/02/2010 11:03

Gaza – Ma'an –

A few dozen Palestinian and international protesters approached Gaza's northern-most area on Sunday, came under  fire from the Israeli occupation forces operating an "exclusion zone" imposed inside the Gaza Strip borders.

Israeli occupation forces fired four gunshots when the group approached an area near the Erez crossing, said Saber Az-Za'anin, coordinator of Local Initiative, a Beit Hanoun-based organization seeking to reclaim some 300 meters of privately owned farmland.

Az-Za'anin said soldiers also shouted at the protesters, demanding they leave the area, and opened fire when they initially refused. "We decided to leave for the sake of our lives and to avoid any danger ... we want to break the siege in a peaceful way," he said.

An Israeli occupation forces spokesman told Ma'an that "IDF soldiers identified a suspicious gathering in a restricted area in the northern Gaza. Soldiers responded according to procedures by firing warning shots in the air."

A few weeks ago, Israeli aircraft dropped warning flyers over the Gaza Strip reiterating that Palestinians were banned from approaching the zones, which are inside Gaza but along the periphery.

Similar demonstrations have taken place four times in recent weeks, the latest protest marking the closest they have come to the Gaza-Israel borderline. To mark the occasion, two Palestinian flags were placed at the furtherest spots the demonstrators reached, which they said was about 50 meters from the barrier.

Local Initiative activists "are determined to reclaim the right to move freely on every inch of the Palestinian land and to support farmers to continue farming near the border where they often face firing and threats," the International Solidarity Movement said in a statement.

The area of Beit Hanoun, located in northeastern Gaza, suffered significant destruction during the Israeli military assault that began in late December 2008. Many houses were completely destroyed and no buildings were left standing anywhere near the border.

This combined with the imposition of the "buffer zone" and a general lack of safety has made farming extremely risky in the otherwise fertile area, where wheat, vegetables and fruit, including Gaza's famous strawberries, have been grown for centuries.

The Israeli Occupation Forces Kidnap 16 Palestinian Civilians From The West Bank

Tuesday February 09, 2010 15:35 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

The Israeli occupation forces kidnapped 16 Palestinian civilians during invasions targeting West Bank communities, late Monday night and Tuesday at dawn.

The Israeli occupation army radio announced that all those detained today were on its “wanted list.” The radio added that all detainees were moved to military camps for questioning.

Local Palestinian sources reported invasions to the cities of Tulkarem, Qalqilia, and Nablus northern West Bank in addition to the central City of Ramallah and Hebron city, southern West Bank.

Last week the Israeli occupation forces conducted at least 19 invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Israeli troops detained at least 51 Palestinian civilians, including one child.

Female Activist Kidnapped By The Army

Tuesday February 09, 2010 04:54 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Ahrar Center for Detainee Studies stated that the Israeli army detained, on Monday, Montaha Taweel, 45, an activist who works to defend the rights of the Palestinian detainees, and the wife of the mayor of al-Biereh.

Al-Biereh is near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Fuad al-Khoffash, director of the Ahrar center, warned of the increasing arrests carried out by the Israeli army against Palestinian women, especially social and political activists.

In a press release, al-Khoffash stated that Taweel organizes and participates in activities in support of the Palestinian detainees and their rights.

He slammed the ongoing and escalating arrests carried out by the Israeli army against the Palestinians in the occupied territories.

IOF continues arrest campaign in Shafat refugee camp and Al-Khalil

[ 09/02/2010 - 03:57 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) are still rounding up Palestinians in the Shafat refugee camp since Monday night in a campaign of arrests that continued till the early hours on Tuesday, local sources said.

Camp sources said that clashes erupted on Tuesday between the IOF troops and students in the camp and that a 15-year-old boy was detained at the main entrance of the camp north of occupied Jerusalem.

fist fights broke out between the soldiers and the young men, the sources said, noting that the soldiers used teargas to disperse the students.

The IOF troops also raided Al-Khalil district at dawn Tuesday and detained eight Palestinians, sources reported, noting that 30 citizens were arrested in Al-Khalil since the start of the month of February.

Meanwhile, Jewish settlers tried to forcibly evict Palestinian farmers from their lands in Yatta village, Al-Khalil district, to annex them to the Susiya settlement.

Human rights group: IOA escalating detention of Palestinian women

[ 09/02/2010 - 07:57 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

A Palestinian human rights group has charged the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) with escalating the targeting of Palestinian women in a bid to spread fear among the Palestinian people and to humiliate them.

The Ahrar center for prisoners studies and human rights denounced the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) for arresting Muntaha Al-Tawil, 45, the wife of the detained mayor of El-Bireh Jamal Al-Tawil and one of the activists in the issue of prisoners.

Fuad Al-Khafsh, the director of the center, described the detention of Muntaha as a "cowardly act" aimed at weakening the Palestinian family and the Palestinian social fabric in addition to terrorizing female activists.

He pointed to the escalating arrest campaign in lines of Palestinians in general in the West Bank that occurs on daily basis.

The IOF soldiers rounded up 16 Palestinians on Monday night in the districts of Al-Khalil, Ramallah, Tulkarem and Qalqilia.

Meanwhile, 256 Palestinian workers were detained by the IOA police in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian general union for workers said in a statement on Tuesday that the IOA policemen used gas bombs and fired bullets during the arrest campaign that took place north of occupied Jerusalem in the villages of Enata and Aisawiya in addition to the Shafat refugee camp.

It asked for immediate international intervention to bridle the Israeli repression of Palestinians in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.