Opinion Editorials, September 2010

Illegal Israeli settlers build new outpost west of Salfit

[ 25/09/2010 - 10:17 AM ]

SALFIT, (PIC)--

Illegal Israeli Zionist settlers from Revava settlement established on the land of Dair Estiya and Hares villages, northwest of Salfit district, seized tens of dunums of Dair Estiya village on Friday night.

The mayor of the village said on Saturday that the settlers installed 20 caravans on lands owned by two Palestinians near Revava.

He underlined that leveling land was still ongoing by those settlers to control more Palestinian lands in the area and to establish a new settlement outpost.

Woman and little girl among others affected by tear gas in Silwan clashes

[ 25/09/2010 - 10:06 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

Many Palestinian citizens including a 40-year-old woman and a little girl in Silwan neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem suffered from tear gas inhalation in the violent clashes that continued for the third consecutive day on Friday.

Eyewitness reported that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) intensified their attacks on different neighborhoods in Jerusalem, especially in Batn Al-Hawa of Silwan district, and excessively used tear gas grenades and rubber bullets to quell the angry protesters.

A woman above age 40 and a 15-year-old girl were transferred to hospital in serious condition after they inhaled tear gas.

The clashes erupted last Wednesday when a group of Israeli settlers escorted by armed gunmen killed a Palestinian young man and wounded many others in this area of occupied Jerusalem.

In this context, the Hebrew radio reported that the Israeli police detained 16 Jerusalemite citizens on suspicion of participating in Silwan events, adding that the police chief in the holy city ordered his forces to continue to be on alert following these events.

For its part, the Jerusalem committee of the Palestinian ministry of religious affairs strongly denounced that the tight Israeli restrictions imposed on the holy city's neighborhoods and alleys, and the entrances to the Aqsa Mosque.

In a statement, the committee said that the IOF troops imposed restrictions Friday morning on the entry of worshipers to the holy Mosque which led to the outbreak of violent confrontations following Friday prayers in Rababa neighborhood in Silwan.

It added that a large number of Israeli troops, snipers, and special forces were deployed in different areas of Jerusalem, especially in Issawiya, Silwan, and Shu'fat suburbs in an attempt to quell the Jerusalemite citizens' angry uprising that started in retaliation to the crimes committed by Israeli settlers and soldiers.

The IOF troops kidnapped about 26 Jerusalemites and journalists in different parts of the holy city at the pretext of their involvement in the clashes that took place lately, the committee noted.

Dozens injured in clashes during weekly marches in Ramallah, Bethlehem

[ 25/09/2010 - 07:40 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

Dozens of protesters in weekly marches against the illegal Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall and illegal Israeli settlement activity in Ramallah and Bethlehem were injured Friday amid clashes with Israeli occupation forces (IOF).

Bethlehem’s Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlement Activity media spokesman Mohammed Berjaya in a press statement said activists began marching in the village of al-Ma’asara, Bethlehem, early afternoon and headed out towards territories affected by the wall.

IOF soldiers stopped the marchers from progressing and fired stun grenades and toxic gas at them. Dozens of marchers sustained breathing difficulties and were left unconscious after inhaling gas.

In the same context, the anti-wall and settlement committee said four Palestinians, including two media reporters, were injured during clashes that erupted Friday at noon in the town of Bil’in, Ramallah. Dozens also sustained breathing difficulties when Israeli forces fired rubber bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas at marchers.

The injured were identified as photographer Iyad Jadallah, 25, Ashraf al-Khatib, 30, who was wounded in his leg, photographer Haytham al-Khatib, 34, who was wounded in the chest, and Samir Barnat, 32, who was wounded in the foot.

In a separate incident, thousands of Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem flooded roads along Jerusalem’s Old City after Israeli authorities passed a decision to shut off Al-Aqsa Mosque for anyone below the age of 50.

IOF troops shut down several of the mosque’s gates and posted checkpoints at the other gates into the mosque and Jerusalem’s Old City to check the IDs of visitors in an attempt to deny access to worshippers under 50 years of age.

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