Category: Reports

Israeli navy harasses Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

by Rosa Schiano

21 December 2011 | Civil Peace Service Gaza

Photo: Rosa Schiano, Civil Peace Service Gaza – Click here for more images

The Oliva sailed from Gaza Seaport at 8:15 am. The Palestinian captain and two international observers from CPS staff were on boardAt 8:45 am Oliva reached four hasakas in the north of the Strip, about 2.2 nautical miles off shore (31° 35.40N / 034° 26.29E).

At 9:20 am the crew sighted an Israelis navy vessel moving toward the four hasakas and Oliva at a high rate of speed. The four hasakas and Oliva started to move toward the coast. The Israeli navy vessel continued to run after the hasakas and Oliva reaching 1.5 nautical miles off shore (31° 34.68N / 034° 26.49E) and then hanging back.

At 10:20 am the same Israeli navy vessels approached the four hasakas which were within the area marked by the float located about 2 miles off shore on the northern limit imposed on Palestinian fishing area (31° 35.41N / 034° 26.57E), continuing harassing them and shooting several times in the water.

At 11:00 am the Israeli navy vessels hanged back and Oliva returned to the port of Gaza.

Background:

Restrictions on the fishing zone are of comparable significance to Palestinian livelihood. This area was supposed to be 20 miles according to the Jericho agreements from 1994 (under the Oslo accords), then it was reduced to 12 miles, to 6 miles and now to 3 miles since January 2009. The marine ‘buffer zone’ restricts Gazan fishermen from accessing 85% of Gaza’s fishing waters agreed to by Oslo.

Israel has been regularly attacking Palestinian fishermen within the purported 3 nautical mile fishing limit. The livelihood of many Gazans relies on fishing and Israel has been using live ammunition and water cannons to prevent fishermen from doing their work.

The Israeli Siege continues after more than 4 years, limiting the sea area available for the Gaza population.

The Civil Peace Services continue monitoring potential human rights violations at the sea in front of the Gaza Strip.

Military court in Gaza holds another session to consider the case relating to the death of Italian solidarity activist, Vittorio Arrigoni

20 December 2011 | Palestinian Center for Human Rights

On Monday 19 December 2011, the Permanent Military Court in Gaza held the ninth session in Gaza City to consider the case relating to the death of the Italian solidarity activist, Vittorio Arrigoni. Lawyers from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) attended the session in their capacity as legal representatives of the Arrigoni family.

During the session, the Military Prosecution continued to present evidence.  They presented a hard disk that included footage of the victim before and after montage.  It also presented the testimony of another witness.  In conclusion, the Military Prosecution insisted on its demands that are included in the bill of indictment.  The session was adjourned to 05 January 2012 to hear the defense attorneys.

PCHR will continue to follow up the sessions held by the Court to consider Arrigoni’s case and update the Arrigoni family on developments, in coordination with the family’s representative, Attorney Gilberto Pagani, based on a power of attorney granted by the family to PCHR lawyers.

Shu’fat: Forced to pay taxes from behind a checkpoint and wall

by Jenna Bereld and Samar

19 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On December 18, 2011 residents of Shu’fat and activists protested against the separation wall in front of the new checkpoint. A certain loss of demonstrators was noted, since thirty-five organizers were arrested yesterday by Israeli policemen in their homes in the Shu’fat refugee camp in the middle of the night.

Forced to pay taxes from behind a wall – Click here for more images

The residents of Shu’fat are Israeli citizens. However, they cannot enjoy the privileges a citizenship normally includes. While the streets in the illegal settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev on the other side of the wall are clean and the municipal services are working, the Shu’fat streets are dirty and waste collection does not exist. Houses taller than two stories are illegal in East Jerusalem, so most houses here have demolition orders.

“All people in Shu’fat must pay taxes to Israel, and still the streets look like a third world country,” one of the demonstrators says.

“They are taking from the poor and give it to the wealthy,” another demonstrator says.

Shu’fat is a neighborhood in the north-east of Jerusalem, though separated from the rest of the city by the eight meters high concrete separation wall. The Palestinian population of 50,000 live more or less imprisoned in the neighborhood, forced to pass through a military checkpoint to reach the rest of Jerusalem. The checkpoint, comprising an observation tower, five stations for armed soldiers to search the cars, and the most recent surveillance technology, was inaugurated last week.

Starting on December 23, there will be weekly demonstrations in Shu’fat after the Friday prayer.

“We will come here to protest every week until this wall has fallen,” promises Jeff Halper from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

Jenna Bereld and Samar are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed).

In Photos: Settlement too close for comfort

by Amal

16 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Kufr Qaddoum’s resistance is only getting stronger and is showing no signs of slowing down. The resilience of the Kufr Qaddoum residents is remarkable. Every week the Israeli Occupation Forces have increased their aggressive attacks, and yet the people still join together every Friday against the injustices they face. Not only have they lost more than half of their land, but also their right of movement.

Too close for comfort - Click here for more images

Kufr Qaddoum has been resisting the closure of one of their main roads since 2003. They have and are still going through court appeals to change this illegal army order. Due to the useless Israeli court appeals, the residents decided to declare their rights through protests.

Although it is not obvious, many of the freedom fighters do have concerns about the increased aggression against them. During the protest several statements were made that the soldiers were firing tear gas canisters directly at participants. This was also visually evident as one canister after another just barely missed a local.

Fortunately today, the only physical contact with a tear gas canister occurred when one grazed a man’s leg.  However, the Israeli Occupation Forces’ policy of shooting tear gas to kill was not enough. After an hour of viciously attacking the village with tear gas, the soldiers forcefully drove through the village. A resident stated that the army jeep appeared it was going to run over an international activist.

Unfortunately, there are many similar stories of army incursion into the village, yet Kufr Qaddoum’s quest for freedom will continue, until they have the right to use all their roads freely.

Amal is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

 

In Photos: The construction of segregation

by Jenna Bereld and Samar

16 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Today, Israeli soldiers once again denied the Palestinians’ right to assemble and protest against the construction of the illegal separation wall.

Seeds to Apartheid sewn by Zionists - Click here for more images

About fifty villagers of Qalandia gathered after the Friday prayer and went to the construction site in a peaceful demonstration. They were not more than halfway before the Israeli occupation forces shot a large number of tear gas canisters towards the demonstrators, most of them minors, and then started to fire rubber bullets straight into the crowd.

“You know, they will continue this occupation”, one demonstrator said. “But at least we must be able to say that we did something.”

For two weeks, the villagers of Qalandia, north of Ramallah, have organized their struggle to stop the illegal construction of the wall. The Israeli government issued a map that shows the new tracing of the wall. According to this map the wall would confiscate more of the Palestinian land, 500 dunams in total. On the 7th of December, in the town of Qalandia, Palestinian and International solidarity activists, after several meetings with members of the Qalandia community, organizers, and Palestinian Authority members, organized their first action in order to stop the construction of the wall.

The International Court of Justice stated in 2004 in an important advisory opinion noted that construction of the separation barrier is illegal under the international conventions that Israel itself ratified.

Jenna Bereld and Meriem are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed).