The Middle-East Observer » Israel-Palestine

Deal sought to free Palestinian hunger striker from Israeli jail

YosefSadowsky — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:08:41 +0000

On December 17^th, Khader Adnan was arrested by Israeli forces in the West Bank and soon began a hunger strike citing a lack of any evidence warranting his arrest. Now on day 55 of his hunger strike, and without a charge against him, Adnan’s health status will soon become critical. Israeli and Palestinian officials are scrambling to form a deal for his release which will prevent subsequent hunger striking. With Adnan’s health in decline, it seems that Israel will have to compromise somehow to avoid international uproar and Palestinian demonstrations that the PA warns will happen if Adnan dies.

The Daily Star, Lebanon

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Jews, Palestinians plant trees together in West Bank

Iris Swinkels — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:33:39 +0000

On Wednesday, an initiative to promote coexistence in the West Bank, Palestinian residents and school children from the nearby settlement planted trees together. The event was held on the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shvat, a nature-oriented holiday. The trees are aimed to block hazardous dust that was bothering both Palestinian and Jewish residents of the area. A Jewish resident after the event said ”this is how we could fulfill the mitzvah while also tightening our ties and work towards peaceful co-existence,”

Ynetnews, Israel.

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Hamas ‘will never recognise Israel’ — Gaza premier

Iris Swinkels — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:13:06 +0000

Gaza Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh said on Saturday in Iran that Hamas “will never recognize Israel”. He furthermore stated that “The resistance will continue until all Palestinian land, including Al Quds [Jerusalem], has been liberated and all the refugees have returned.” His speech was made on the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, to a crowd of over 30,000 people on a square in Tehran. Haniyeh’s words are likely to impede the efforts of Fateh and Hamas to form a unity government, as Israel opposes collaboration with Hamas, which it views as a terrorist organisation.

Agence France Press (AFP), France.

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Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh

HRW to Israel: charge or free Palestinian hunger striker

Iris Swinkels — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:58:08 +0000

A statement of the international NGO Human Rights Watch called on Israel for the “immediately charge or release” of Khader Adnan, a Palestinian prisoner that has been on a hunger strike for 56 days. Adnan was a spokesman for ‘Islamic Jihad’, but has so far not been charged formally, neither has Israel revealed any evidence against him. Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process also called on Israel “to do everything in its power to preserve the health of the prisoner and resolve this case while abiding by all legal obligations under international law.”

Al Arabiya, United Arab Emirates.

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Foundation: New structure near Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem

Iris Swinkels — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:50:21 +0000

According to the Al-Aqsa foundation for Endowment and Heritage, a committee within the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem has submitted plans for a new structure adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The 3,700-square-meter structure will consist of five floors, two of which will be underground. In its statement, the foundation said that the purpose of the building will be to “serve settlers and foreign tourists who visit the square,” but it would be built on ruins dating back to different Islamic and Arab eras.

Ma’an News Agency, Palestine.

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PCHR Weekly Report: 11 civilians wounded, 25 abducted by Israeli troops this week

Iris Swinkels — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:22:39 +0000

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights released their weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Friday, stating that 11 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces this week, including 4 children. The article describes in detail which casualties have taken place in the Gaza strip, the West Bank and which incidents are related to settlement activities and the Israeli Annexation wall.

International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC), Palestine.

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Israeli ministers to debate tax cuts for settlement donors

Iris Swinkels — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:04:06 +0000

A bill proposed by Ze’ev Elkin and Tzion Pinyan (Likud) will be debated on Sunday. The bill would allow people to receive a 35% tax dispensation on donations to NGO’s that encourage settlement activity. Elkin has said that he first wanted to make the bill more explicit by using the words ‘zionist settlement’, but that he has removed that from the final amendment. Meanwhile, Yariv Oppenheimer, director of left-wing NGO ‘peace now’ called the bill “outrageous”.

The Jerusalem Post, Israel.

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Ma'ale Efrayim Israeli settlement in the Jordan Valley, West Bank

Report: Palestinian killed, three injured in IAF strike on Gaza sites

Iris Swinkels — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:52:13 +0000

One Palestinian man died and three others were injured after strikes of the Israeli Air Force on the north of Gaza. The strikes aimed at tunnels and a weapon depot, and were a reaction to a short-ranged rocket launch from Gaza on Saturday, that wounded an Israeli woman.

Haaretz, Israel.

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Palestinian economy could be ‘double’ without Israeli occupation

Iris Swinkels — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:25:47 +0000

Jad Isaac, director of the Applied Research Institute in Jerusalem, said on a UN meeting in Cairo that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is the main impediment to any prospects for a sustainable Palestinian economy. The total measured cost of the Israeli occupation is estimated to be at 84 percent of Palestinian GDP. The majority of financial losses was accounted for by the restrictions for Palestinians to access their own national resources. Moreover, Israel exploits the water, land and mineral resources on Palestinian lands for its own economic gain, hereby preventing Palestinians to benefit from it.

Maan News Agency, Palestine.

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Support grows for Palestinian hunger striker

Iris Swinkels — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:19:16 +0000

Supporters of Khader Adnan, a Palestinian activist who has been on hunger strike since he was detained mid-December, have called for a worldwide solidarity hunger strike. Adnan is believed to be the leader of the Palestinian group ‘Islamic Jihad’ and is currently in administrative detention, a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold prisoners indefinitely without charge or trial. The call for worldwide solidarity came after Amnesty International reported that Adnan’s life was in danger, as he continued his protest against his detention without trial or charge, his violent arrest and humiliating interrogation sessions.

Al Jazeera, Qatar.

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