Ongoing attacks on Palestinians
The increased violence in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and in Israel has led to more than 180 Palestinians being killed and an even greater number of injuries; to date (March 2nd 2016) there have been 28 Israelis deaths. Thanks to Middle East Monitor we can publish the names of the Palestinians and Israelis who have died in the period from October 1st to February 21st. There are large numbers of very young people and families who have lost more than one member. The full list can be read here.
Since 21st February, there have been even more deaths and injuries – the list will be updated.
There has also been a dramatic increase in demolitions, including punitive demolitions. In the first two months of this year over 300 homes and other structures have been demolished, whereas during the whole of 2015 447 were demolished. Further demolitions are planned for Bedouin villages in the Jordan Valley, the E1 corridor outside Jerusalem, in the South Hebron Hills and also in the Negev.
The Israeli authorities uprooted 120 olive trees in the Salfit area on the grounds that the area is a designated nature reserve… a further 30 trees were recently uprooted by Israeli settlers close to Nablus.
Israeli forces damaged 100 acres of planted land in Massafer Yatta (South Hebron Hills) during military training. (The area is labelled as Firing Zone 918 by the Army).
Further information can be found from UNOCHA. http://www.ochaopt.org
It is important that we continue to protest and to take what action we can to further the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign.
We are asking you to get as many signatures as possible for our postcard from Palestine to government minister, Matthew Hancock. He went all the way to Israel to announce that the UK Government has new guidelines and will issue regulations that try to prevent councils from making ethical decisions. The government wants to block Councils from supporting campaigns against Israeli settlements.
Tell the Government to hold the Israeli Government to account and act to uphold Palestinian human rights and British democracy.
Israeli Apartheid Week
Israeli Apartheid Week was launched in Toronto in 2005, and now takes place in more than 150 cities every year, on university campuses across the world. Palestine Solidarity Campaign works with a number of Palestine societies in the UK, aiding their campaigning and awareness-raising in any way possible.
Students around the country expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, with debates on the academic boycott of Israel, Palestinian cultural events, mock checkpoint actions and BDS campaigns. In London, activists ‘subvertised’ millions of Londoners’ daily commute, with Israeli Apartheid Week posters appearing in London Underground carriages.
Challenging Israel’s settler-colonialism and apartheid, Israeli Apartheid Week continues across Europe, Palestine, South Africa and the Arab world this week. http://apartheidweek.org/
Palestinian prisoners
Mohammed Al Qeeq ends 94 day hunger strike.
33 year old journalist Mohammed Al Qeeq was imprisoned under administrative detention in November 2015; four days later he started a hunger strike and took only water for 94 days and was considered very closed to death. An agreement was reached that his administrative detention ‘would not be renewed’ and he is due to be released on 21st May 2016, which is at the end of the 6 month period that a period of administrative detention can last.
Despite Mohammed Al Qeeq coming close to death, administrative detention levels continue to rise.
Palestinian prisoners
The number of Palestinians held in prison by the Israeli authorities continues to rise, including the number in administrative detention, i.e. held without being charged or brought to trial.
At the end of 2016, there were 6,066 (now estimated to be 6,900) of which 3,445 prisoners were serving sentences, 1,740 with legal proceedings continuing. At the end of 2016 there were 584 held in administrative detention that figure is now closer to 650. 450 children are currently being held in prison. (Recent figures from Addameer).
Further information from: http://www.addameer.org/ and http://www.btselem.org/statistics/detainees_and_prisoners
Anti Democratic Laws against Palestinians and others who defend their rights
We have received the following information from Adalah – the Legal Centre for Arab and Minority Rights in Israel.
“Nearly one year since the Israeli elections in March 2015, the Knesset has introduced new discriminatory and anti-democratic legislation that will severely harm the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), as well as those who defend their rights.
Adalah has collected 10 examples of these new laws and bills, which were enacted or proposed in the backdrop of the latest round of violence in Israel and the OPT, and the increasing attacks on human rightrs orfganisations and movements.’ Link here to their short paper.
Events
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