This Friday another village added a demonstration to the regular mix across the West Bank: Nabi Saleh in the Ramallah district had a demonstration of over 300 people who managed to block the road near the Halamish settlement, which has stolen land from the village and continues to encroach on village agricultural land. More than 20 people were reportedly injured by rubber-coated steel bullets, including veteran popular resistance leader Ayed “Abu Ahmed” Morrar, from Budrus. The group was also assaulted by settlers from Halamish, who threw stones and fired live ammunition in the direction of the demonstrators, who despite the violence of the settlers and soldiers, managed to block the road for more than 2 hours.

In Al-Ma’asara a … Continue reading

International volunteers from PSP joined hundreds of other solidarity activists in Sheikh Jarrah on Friday afternoon to march in support of the Al-Kurd family, who have been forced from their home by right-wing Israeli settlers. The demonstration began peacefully, with activists gathering in the yard of the Al-Kurd family. However, Israeli military and police soon began attempting to disperse the crowd, using tear gas and pepper spray. What began as a peaceful demonstration ended in the arrest of 23 people, including 3 international activists, one a volunteer with PSP. Another member of PSP was lightly injured when a police van ran over his foot. Members … Continue reading

Demonstrations across Occupied Palestine this Friday had remarkable energy, despite the winter weather. In Ni’lin, more than 100 Palestinians were joined by Israeli and international activists in their routine march towards the Annexation Barrier. They were met with a barrage of tear gas and the return of the use of .22 caliber Ruger rifles, which the Israeli military claims are “crowd dispersal” weapons and “non-lethal”. Several Palestinians have been killed by these bullets which are only .003 inches smaller than the regular live ammunition used by the Israeli army in M-16s (they claim the .22 ruger is non-lethal because of a suppressor used on the guns, the logic of which has been rejected by human rights organizations … Continue reading

This Friday, November 27, Palestinians and Jews gathered in the center of Jerusalem to demonstrate against the continued violence and illegal expansion of right-wing settlers in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarra in East Jerusalem. In the early hours of Thursday, November 26, settlers who had already taken over the home of Ghawi family invaded the home next door, attacking residents of the Al-Kurd family before the police were called and the settlers were forced to leave. Though the entire incident, which occured at around 1am, happened inside the Al-Kurd family’s home, one settler accused the Palestinians of attacking him, filing a complaint with the Israeli police. The Palestinian residents were turned away when they attempted to … Continue reading

Throughout the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem Palestinians closed their shops and held demonstrations on Friday as various Palestinian movements throughout Occupied Palestine called for a “Day of anger” in response to the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to Muslim worshippers and the provocative actions of Israeli Jewish settlers, who were accompanied onto the compound by Israeli military forces last week.
During a demonstration organized by various political parties in Beit Ommar, Israeli forces invaded the village, provoking outrage by the local residents, some of whom responded by throwing stones and setting fire to tires to create a roadblock to prevent more Israeli … Continue reading

For the original article on Ma’an news, click here

A Palestinian and four Israeli police officers were injured, and dozens of Palestinians detained during confrontations spurred by heavy Israeli military presence and restricted access for Palestinians to the Old City of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Barred from entering the Old City, hundreds of Palestinian men held the Friday prayer on the sidewalk outside Damascus Gate, as armed Israeli troops looked on.

After the noon prayer confrontations between Israeli armed forces and Palestinians, mostly youth, had spread to Qalandiya, where a large Israeli military checkpoint abuts the Qalandiya Refugee Camp. Stalled traffic and closed roads lead to frustrations where local youth set car tires ablaze and Israeli military officials responded by … Continue reading

For the original article on Aljazeera.net/english, click here

Israel’s prime minister is set to approve plans to build hundreds of new homes on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, before considering US demands for a construction freeze.

Aides to Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the prime minister would consider a settlement freeze, but first planned to authorise the new building work.

The comments, quoted in Israeli media, are the first time an aide has said in the name of the prime minister’s office that a freeze could be imminent.

But the plans for new settlements are likely to anger Palestinians, who have said they will not resume peace talks unless Israel suspends construction on lands they want for a future state.

Settlement … Continue reading