Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 
Israeli Soldiers Attack Palestinian and International Peace Activists, to Force-Feed Hunger Strikers, Settlers Burn Palestinian Olive Trees

July 13, 2013

Israeli Occupation Forces subdue Palestinian and foreign activists in anti-settlement marches

 [ 13/07/2013 - 09:32 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

Many Palestinian and foreign activists suffered injuries when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) used excessive force to suppress the weekly marches held on Friday afternoon against settlement activities in different West Bank areas.

In Bethlehem, the IOF intercepted the march in Masarah village and fired tear gas grenades and rubber bullets to prevent the protestors from reaching the segregation wall, according to spokesman for the anti-wall popular committee Mohamed Berigeh.

Berigeh said that the protestors stressed, during their march, the need for expanding the activities held against Israel's settlement expansion and its segregation wall.

A massive march was also held in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah city.  The protestors chanted slogans denouncing the meetings held recently by some Palestinian parties to normalize relations with the Israeli apartheid regime.

Many suffered injuries during the march when the IOF attacked them, firing tear gas grenades and rubber bullets.

The IOF also used force to subdue the protestors in the weekly march of Kafr Qaddoum village, who demand the opening of the main road of the village.

As the IOF were attacking the march, four kids survived an attempt by Israeli occupation soldiers to arrest them during an ambush in nearby olive groves.

Illegal Israeli Jewish settlers destroy dozens of olive trees

[ 13/07/2013 - 09:31 AM ]

NABLUS, (PIC)--

Illegal Israeli Jewish settlers from Yitzhar settlement chopped down dozens of Palestinian olive trees south of Nablus on Friday.

Ghassan Daghlas, in charge of monitoring Israeli settlement activity north of the West Bank, said that the settlers destroyed around 70 olive trees in Khirbat Al-Teira in between Burin and Hawara villages.

He said that the settlers used chainsaws to cut down the olive trees, describing the attack as a new crime against olive fields in Nablus province especially in the southern rural areas.

PCHR warns of Israeli intention to force-feed hunger striking captives

[ 12/07/2013 - 02:26 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) warned of occupation authorities' intention to apply a law that will allow the authorities force-feed prisoners on hunger strike, which forms a real danger on the lives of captives.

The center said in a press statement on Thursday "The imposition of force-feeding on the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails is a ready recipe to kill because it is really dangerous to the lives of the prisoners."

The statement pointed out that the Israeli government, in the coming weeks, plans to approve the law proposed by the ministries of justice and internal security in cooperation with the Shin Bet and the prison administration.

It added that resorting to such law clearly shows the occupation's inability in dealing with prisoners on hunger strike, and the failure of policy of pressure and intimidation to force the hunger strikers to stop their strike.

"This has put the occupation government in a state of permanent confusion, unable to face this strong weapon used by prisoners and which has achieved positive results and pushed the Israeli authorities to meet some of the prisoners' demands", PCHR said.

It pointed out that the method of force-feeding caused the deaths of three Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails throughout the history of the captive movement.

More than 5 thousands prisoners are held in Israeli jails, including 1000 sick prisoners, 280 children, 15 female prisoners, 13 MPs and ministers and 450 prisoners from Gaza strip.