Um Salamuna is a village of about 2,000 residents in the Bethlehem district next to the second biggest Israeli settlement in the West Bank, Efrat, and another settlement called Migdal Oz. On 23 November 2006, the Israeli occupation authorities came to a part of the village called Wadi Dumbak and informed the Takartra and ‘Issa families that their land would be expropriated for a new checkpoint and tunnel that will be part of the Apartheid Wall. The families, who depend on agriculture to survive, will lose all of their land – some 300 dunams currently planted with olive, peach, and grape trees. Seven extended families, numbering some 300 people in all, will be … Continue reading

An Israeli settler named Ya’akov, together with other settlers from the Susiya settlement, has been plowing 300 dunams of land belonging to Palestinians from Imneizil, a small village near Susiya, for the past two weeks. One week ago, the Palestinian owners of the land came to plow and discovered that the settlers had already been working on the land and intending to take it over. When the Palestinians attempted to plow their land, Ya’akov ran in front of the tractor and lay down in front of it in order to prevent them from working. Ya’akov called the army who arrived and forbade the Palestinians from plowing their land.
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Tuwani is a small Palestinian village south of Yatta, very near the Maon settlement. At 8am this morning a group of settlers carrying weapons came into the village and approached the house of Juma’a Nuwajah. They surrounded the house, shouted at Juma’a and his family, pointed their M16s at them, and threatened to occupy the house. Juma’a's younger brother went out of the house to speak to the settlers and they hit him. The settlers called the army and a jeep arrived almost immediately and the soldiers began to yell at the Palestinians, ignoring the fact that the settlers had created the problem. More Palestinians arrived from the village, and more Israeli soldiers arrived, as well as Palestinians and internationals … Continue reading

Israeli Bulldozers Destroy Palestinian Farmland near Jabalia Refugee Camp

The Israeli occupation forces destroyed Palestinian farmland today near Jabalia Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip. Israeli bulldozers destroyed a large area planted with fruit trees and several greenhouses, while Israeli tanks fired ammunition and sound bombs so that the air was filled with bad-smelling smoke and the Palestinian residents could not see what the bulldozers were doing. This is part of an ongoing Israeli policy of destroying any sources of income within Gaza.

The Israeli soldiers also killed a 12-year-old boy, Iyad Muhammed Ibrahim, from Jabalia Refugee Camp. This Israeli aggression is part of an ongoing … Continue reading

The tragic scenes of Palestinian citizens crowding into the Rafah Border Crossing every day hoping to be allowed in or out of Gaza continue.

The Rafah Border Crossing is Gaza’s only connection with the outside world. The overcrowding created by the Israeli occupation forces’ refusal to open the crossing has brought harm and tragedy to many citizens, denying them their basic rights of freedom of movement. The prolonged closure of the crossing has prevented Gazan patients from traveling abroad for urgent medical treatment, and many patients have been stuck waiting at the crossing for days or weeks.

This inhumane and illegal closure violates all the Israeli-Palestinian agreements, and the humanitarian crisis at the crossing … Continue reading

Beit Hanoun, Gaza

At dawn on Wednesday November 8, 2006, the Israeli occupation forces committed a massacre against the Palestinian residents of Beit Hanoun, using planes and tanks. The army entered Beit Hanoun where it killed a number of martyrs* and injured other citizens. The occupation forces relied upon the help of tanks, military vehicles and helicopters to strengthen their assault. The helicopters fired dozens of missiles at the innocent civilians, killing children and fired more missiles at homes, using the excuse of the presence of resistance fighters, an illegitimate excuse the army often uses to kill innocent civilians, as later on, one could see ambulances carrying women and children having nothing to do with the Israeli government’s allegations. doctors working … Continue reading

Yousef Abu Maria, 28 years old, Beit Ommar

Yousef worked as the PSP Coordinator in Beit Ommar for approximately 2 months before being arrested in a non-violent demonstration in June, 2006. Nearly 3 months later, he was finally brought before a military court in Ofer on 5 September 2006 and sentenced to 6 months in prison for his activities with PSP (including the time he has already spent in jail). He is currently being held in Ofer detention camp, and should be released on 4 January.

Yousef was first interrogated in Gush Etzion Settlement police station and was repeatedly asked about his activities with international activists.

During the interrogation, the Israeli shabak (General Security Services) tortured Yousef by beating him on his … Continue reading

Al-Jaba’a will be the focus of our Olive Harvest activities beginning this week!

The road between the village of Al-Jaba’a and the town of Surif has been closed by the Israeli occupation forces for four years now. This road connects the two areas and its closure makes it very difficult for residents to travel in the area. The Palestine Solidarity Project, in cooperation with Al-Jaba’a residents, succeeded in opening the road by removing the roadblocks, in spite of the violence of the Israeli soldiers against Palestinians, internationals, and members of the Israeli activist group Ta’ayush. The Israeli government considers Al-Jaba’a a “closed area” and will soon begin building the Apartheid Wall around the village, so that there will be one … Continue reading

The Israeli occupation forces closed the main road leading to the main vegetable market in Beit Ommar so that farmers from the village would not be able to transport their produce to regional markets. The market is a large storage area where residents can bring their vegetables and transport trucks can pick them up and transport to the surrounding areas.

The Israeli soldiers in the village are also harassing residents trying to use the market or the roads leading to it. The market is located in an area called Beit Za’atah which has about 300 residents who are directly affected by the roadblocks placed by the Israeli army, which force them to make … Continue reading

This report comes from the resident of Beit Hanoun who sent us the first report about the Nov. 8th attack, he has now been able to provide us with the photographs.

The Al-’Athamina family in Beit Hanoun

Their houses were destroyed, their body parts were scattered, their blood drenched the ground. The children of Beit Hanoun cannot cry out to their fathers. The mothers scream for their children who were killed by the Israeli tanks. On Wednesday, 8 November 2006, the Israeli tanks fired 11 rockets on Hamad Street in Beit Hanoun. The shelling was aimed at three houses belonging to the Hamad, Abu ‘Odeh, and Al-’Athamina families. 20 people from these families were killed, … Continue reading