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Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)

Prisoners

• 27.05.19 Palestinian MK released from prison after two-year sentence
• 30.05.19 Israel Issues 30 Administrative Detention Orders against Palestinians Prisoners (VIDEO)

Jerusalem

• 26.05.19 Volunteer women guard Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan
• 30.05.19 Israel arrests Jerusalemite woman who protects Al-Aqsa
• 30.05.19 Israel to build new housing units in East Jerusalem

West Bank

• 29.05.19 Manoeuvring through life with checkpoints: daily difficulties in the West Bank
• 29.05.19 Israel hands Palestinian minor 4-month jail term
• 27.05.19 Israeli Forces Detain 8 Palestinians in West Bank
• 28.05.19 Israeli Forces Detain 21 Palestinians, Including Injured Minor
• 30.05.19 Israel demolishes Al-Araqeeb for 145th time
• 31.05.19 Israeli Forces Kill 16-Year-Old Palestinian in Bethlehem

Gaza

• 26.05.19 2 Palestinians injured by Israeli fire in Gaza
• 27.05.19 Gaza Strip suffered $9.5m losses from Israel strikes in early May
• 28.05.19 Baby clothes store destroyed by Israel
• 28.05.19 Video: Ramadan in Gaza tainted with destruction
• 29.05.19 Empty chairs in Amman as Gaza doctors are denied permits to medical conference on Palestine
• 29.05.19 Palestinian mum, baby reunited after Israel denied travel permit for 6 months
• 25.05.19 16 Palestinians Injured in Gaza Protests
• 26.05.19 Two Palestinians Injured by Israeli Fire in Gaza
• 27.05.19 Gaza Strip Lost $9.5 million Due to Israeli Strikes in May
• 29.05.19 Israel reinstates Gaza fishing zone restrictions

Settlers and Settlements

• 27.05.19 Settler filmed starting fire in West Bank field is Israeli soldier
• 27.05.19 Israeli police evacuated after settler attack in West Bank
• 27.05.19 Settler Seen Starting Fire in West Bank Is Israeli Soldier (VIDEO)

Domestic Affairs

• 27.05.19 Palestine Lauds Czech Refusal to Move Embassy to Jerusalem
• 30.05.19 More than 13m Palestinians around the world

Foreign Affairs

UK

• 28.05.19 Palestinian Forum in Britain hosts 5th annual Iftar
• 29.05.19 UK unveils £1.6m aid package for Gaza to provide life-saving medical treatment to nearly 400,000 people

Israel

• 25.05.19 Israel launches global initiative to protect its image from BDS activists
• 27.05.19 Israeli army sentences conscientious objector to 30 days behind bars
• 28.05.19 Meet the Israelis trying to stop arms sales to dictatorships
• 30.05.19 Israel PM meets top US officials amid political crisis
• 30.05.19 Israel’s Arab parties look to join forces again to oust Netanyahu
• 30.05.19 Netanyahu ‘weaker’ as Israel heads for new election
• 28.05.19 Israel and Syria Exchange Fire amid Soaring Tensions in the Region (VIDEO)
• 28.05.19 Israel Heads to New Election as Netanyahu Struggles to Form Government

US

• 26.05.19 Petition to stop ban of Palestine children’s book at Highland Park, NJ, public library
• 30.05.19 Trump peace plan is now ‘dead and buried’
• 30.05.19 Kushner visits Jordan, Morocco, Israel ahead of Bahrain summit

Rest of World

• 30.05.19 King Abdullah to Kushner: Palestinian State with 1967 Demarcation is the Only Solution
• 30.05.19 My friend Walter Wolfgang’s life was a portrait in moral courage
• 27.05.19 China Will Not Participate in US-Led Bahrain Conference

Legal

• 25.05.19 UNRWA rejects US calls to end agency’s mandate
• 29.05.19 Amnesty demands Trip Advisor stop promoting Israel settlements

‘Former Balad MK Basel Ghattas was released from prison Monday morning after serving two years for smuggling cellphones to Palestinian political prisoners in Israel. Although his family was told that Ghattas would be released from Megiddo Prison at 10 a.m., an Israeli Prison Service vehicle dropped him off in Afula in the early morning hours, most likely to prevent a public reception.’

Read the rest of the article at 972Mag

‘Two Palestinian prisoners have been on hunger for 49 days to protest their administrative detention, the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said today.
Odeh Hroub and Hasan Awawi are having serious health issues as a result of their long strike.’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

‘Israeli authorities recently issued administrative detention orders against 30 Palestinian detainees, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said on Thursday.PPS said in a statement that some of the orders were issued against Palestinian prisoners for the first time, while the other detainees had their administrative detention renewed.’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

‘They are assigned for regulating ranks in women’s sections, to open corridors for transitions, to keep calm, to prevent noise and to ensure safety’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

30.05.19 Israel arrests Jerusalemite woman who protects Al-Aqsa

‘Israel stormed the house of Jerusalemite Hanadi Al-Halawani and arrested her this morning, local activists have reported.

Al-Halawani, a teacher at Al-Aqsa Mosque schools, is an activist who has been going to the Muslim holy site to serve the iftar, break fast meal, to those who are fasting.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

30.05.19 Israel to build new housing units in East Jerusalem

‘The Israeli government has announced plans to build 805 new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem, an Israeli website has reported, according to Anadolu Agency.

Israel’s Housing Ministry on Thursday announced tenders for the construction of the new housing units in the Jewish-only Ramot and Pisgat Ze’ev settlements, according to the pro-settler Arutz Sheva7 website.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

‘Drive slowly. Turn off your music. Put out your cigarette. Place your hands firmly on the steering wheel – make them visible. Stay alert. Wait for their signal.

This is what Mahmoud Ali*, 29, must do about 15 times every day while at work. He is a salesman for a plumbing and sanitary product company based in Ramallah, who lives in a village in Salfit and must drive to his clients in the Bethlehem and Hebron governorates. He easily drives over 200 km per day. In the occupied West Bank, this means going through many obstacles.’

Read the rest of the article at Mondoweiss

27.05.19 Israeli Forces Detain 8 Palestinians in West Bank

‘Israeli forces rounded up eight Palestinians in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military on Monday, Anadolu reports.
The individuals were arrested for “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities”, the army said in a statement, without elaborating on the nature of these activities.’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

28.05.19 Israeli Forces Detain 21 Palestinians, Including Injured Minor

‘Israeli forces detained 21 Palestinians, including an injured minor, in multiple overnight raids across the West Bank, said the Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS).
PPS confirmed that Israeli forces detained eight Palestinians after storming their houses in Hizma town, east of Jerusalem.
WAFA correspondent identified one of the detainees as 15-year-old Ahmad al-Khatib, who was shot and injured by Israeli live fire in his left leg in his hometown of Hizma on April 16.’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

29.05.19 Israel hands Palestinian minor 4-month jail term

‘A 15-year-old Palestinian was yesterday sentenced to four months in jail and fined 3,000 shekels ($830) for stone-throwing.

Israel’s Salem military court in the north of the occupied West Bank, issued its verdict against Abdul-Jaber Yasin 25 days after he was arrested on 3 May in Asira al-Qibliya.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

30.05.19 Israel demolishes Al-Araqeeb for 145th time

‘Israeli occupation forces this morning demolished the Arab village of Al-Araqeeb in the Negev, south of Israel, for the 145th time, Arab48 reported.

Local witnesses said that Israeli forces raided the village in the morning, protecting bulldozers that demolished the houses of the villagers.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

31.05.19 Israeli Forces Kill 16-Year-Old Palestinian in Bethlehem

‘A young Palestinian man was killed and another injured by Israeli military gunfire as they attempted to cross Wadi Abu al-Hummus, east of Bethlehem, to Jerusalem.

Local sources confirmed that Israeli forces opened fire on two Palestinians who attempted to cross the area of Wadi Abu al-Hummus, near the villages of al-Khas and al-Numan, hitting 16-year-old Abdullah Louai Gheith and killing him.’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

31.05.19 Israel to auction prefab classrooms donated by EU to Palestinians

‘Israel’s defence ministry plans to hold an auction next week to sell two prefabricated classrooms that were donated to Palestinian schoolchildren by the EU.

The Civil Administration, the body tasked with running the occupation, tore down and confiscated the classrooms last October. They had been intended for 49 students, in grades one to six, in Ibziq, in the northern occupied West Bank.’

Read the rest of the article at The Guardian

‘Two Palestinians were reportedly injured by Israeli gunfire early Sunday in the Gaza Strip, according to local residents, Anadolu Agency has reported.

Israeli soldiers opened fire on two youths near the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip, the residents said.’

Read the rest of the article at the Middle East Monitor

27.05.19 Gaza Strip suffered $9.5m losses from Israel strikes in early May

‘The Gaza Strip suffered financial losses of more than $9.5 million as a result of Israeli attacks during the escalation in early May, reported Xinhua.

The figure was given by Naji Sarhan, deputy minister of Public Works and Housing, during a press conference on Sunday, who said that the “losses affected agriculture, economy, health, education and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip”.’

28.05.19 Baby clothes store destroyed by Israel

‘Earlier this month, I went shopping so that my baby son Khalil would have something new to wear for the holiday of Eid. It never occurred to me that the store where I bought his clothes would be attacked one day later.

Run by Husam al-Haddad, it was one of many shops and offices located in Gaza City’s al-Khuzundar building. On 4 May, Israel fired four missiles at the building, which also hosted a Turkish charity aiding Palestinian orphans.’

28.05.19 Video: Ramadan in Gaza tainted with destruction

‘Ramadan in the Gaza Strip is different this year.

The fasting month for Muslims began with Israel’s assault, which killed more than 25 Palestinians.

Many who survived the attacks were left homeless after Israel demolished residential and commercial buildings.’

29.05.19 Empty chairs in Amman as Gaza doctors are denied permits to medical conference on Palestine

‘In late March and early April 2019 I traveled to Jordan and the West Bank (Palestine) with two colleagues, Sonia Dettman and S. Komarovsky, first to attend the Lancet Palestine Health Alliance conference in Amman and then to explore and better understand the lives of refugees and the workings of UNRWA, with a focus on the status of refugee health.’

29.05.19 Palestinian mum, baby reunited after Israel denied travel permit for 6 months

‘A Palestinian mother who travelled to Gaza to bury two of her triplets has been reunited with her one surviving daughter, after Israel deprived her of a travel permit to return to hospital to collect the child for almost six months.’

Read the rest of article at Middle East Monitor

25.05.19 16 Palestinians Injured in Gaza Protests

‘Palestinian demonstrators on Friday converged along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone to take part in ongoing rallies against Israel’s decades-long occupation, Anadolu Agency reports.
At least 16 unarmed Palestinian protesters were injured, including a volunteer and medic, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.’

27.05.19 Gaza Strip Lost $9.5 million Due to Israeli Strikes in May

‘The Gaza Strip suffered financial losses of more than $9.5 million as a result of Israeli attacks during the escalation in early May, reported Xinhua.
The figure was given by Naji Sarhan, deputy minister of Public Works and Housing, during a press conference on Sunday, who said that the “losses affected agriculture, economy, health, education and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip”.’

29.05.19 Israel reinstates Gaza fishing zone restrictions

‘Israel announced on Wednesday it had tightened restrictions on Palestinian fishing off the blockaded Gaza Strip after more balloons fitted with firebombs were floated from the enclave into its territory.
The zone it allows Gaza fishermen was reduced to a maximum of 10 nautical miles from 15, COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry unit that oversees such regulations, said.’

27.05.19 Settler filmed starting fire in West Bank field is Israeli soldier

One of the two Jewish settlers recently caught on video starting a fire in the occupied West Bank is an Israeli soldier, it has been revealed.

According to reports in the Israeli media, “the army knows the identity of the settler”, and “two security sources confirmed the details, saying that the soldier was on leave when the arson took place”.

Read the rest of the article in Middle East Monitor

27.05.19 Israeli police evacuated after settler attack in West Bank

‘Israeli police officers had to be extracted by soldiers after a sustained attack Saturday by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

According to Haaretz, “dozens of extreme right-wing activists assaulted police” near the notorious Yitzhar settlement, with masked men throwing stones and other objects at police and their van, and puncturing the tires of two police vehicles. “No one was arrested”, Haaretz noted.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

27.05.19 Settler Seen Starting Fire in West Bank Is Israeli Soldier (VIDEO)

‘One of the two Jewish settlers recently caught on video starting a fire in the occupied West Bank is an Israeli soldier, it has been revealed.
According to reports in the Israeli media, “the army knows the identity of the settler”, and “two security sources confirmed the details, saying that the soldier was on leave when the arson took place”.’

27.05.19 Palestine Lauds Czech Refusal to Move Embassy to Jerusalem

‘The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018 followed by Guatemala. Later, Honduras and Romania said they would follow suit.

The Palestinian foreign ministry welcomed the Czech Republic’s rejection to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv because the country would like to remain committed to international agreements on the issue.’

Read the rest of the article at TeleSur

30.05.19 More than 13m Palestinians around the world

‘There are between 13-15 million Palestinians in the world, the Department of Refugees Affairs in the Hamas government said.

In a statement, the body said it used data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, UNRWA, the websites of Palestinian communities in different countries as well as Palestinian research centres to gather the information.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

28.05.19 Palestinian Forum in Britain hosts 5th annual iftar

‘The Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB) on Monday hosted its 5th annual Iftar in North West London.

Guests of honour included well-known Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi; trade unionist and chair of West London Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Hugh Lanning; Labour Party’s Colin Monehen; Shamiul Joarder from Friends of Alaqsa (FOA); and prominent Palestinians Attallah Sayed, Ghada Hamaad and Fuad Haddad. They were all presented with honorary awards. Aimee Shalan, executive director of Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), was also issued an award on the night but was not present to receive it.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

29.05.19 UK unveils £1.6m aid package for Gaza to provide life-saving medical treatment to nearly 400,000 people

‘Britain’s new Middle East minister has unveiled a £1.6m aid package for Gaza to help provide life-saving medical treatment for nearly 400,000 people, warning the crisis in the besieged enclave was “unsustainable”.’

Read the rest of the article at The Independent

30.05.19 My friend Walter Wolfgang’s life was a portrait in moral courage

‘Donald Trump flies into the UK next week, and we will be treated to the surreal spectacle of a widely reviled president meeting a defeated prime minister amid scenes of pomp, ceremony and protest.

For all the high-level meetings he will attend, the president would gain far more by staying home and learning about the life of my friend Walter Wolfgang, who died this week at the age of 95. A lifelong peace activist, he was preoccupied in his final days by Trump and his growing belligerence towards Iran.’

Read the rest of the article at The Guardian

25.05.19 Israel launches global initiative to protect its image from BDS activists

‘Israel launches massive recruitment drive for social media warriors
MEMO 23 May — Israel has embarked on a massive recruitment drive to support the country’s online propaganda campaign one day after its companies were exposed for spreading disinformation and meddling in the elections of several African, Asian and Latin American countries. The new initiative, which would see the government funding pro-Israel groups overseas, was unveiled by Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs, a government arm set up to combat the global rise of pro-Palestinian activism and Israel’s poor global image.’

Read the rest of the article at Mondoweiss

27.05.19 Israeli army sentences conscientious objector to 30 days behind bars

‘Roman Levin will serve another 30 days in military prison for refusing to continue his military service due to his opposition to the occupation. An IDF disciplinary body sentenced Israeli conscientious objector Roman Levin to 30 days in military prison last week for his refusal to continue serving in the military.’

Read the rest of the article at 972Mag

28.05.19 Meet the Israelis trying to stop arms sales to dictatorships

‘For decades, Israel has been selling arms and providing military training to some of the world’s most brutal regimes, from Rwanda to Burma to Pinochet’s Chile. Now a group of Israelis are coming together to try and force the government to stop those arms deals, and come clean about its past and present ties to murderous dictatorships.’

Read the rest of the article at 972Mag

30.05.19 Israel PM meets top US officials amid political crisis

‘Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday met with Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser (and son-in-law), and Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s Mideast envoy, Anadolu Agency reports.

Kushner and Greenblatt are visiting Israel as part of a wider Middle East tour in the run-up to a planned US-sponsored meeting in Bahrain meant to lure investment to the Palestinian territories.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

30.05.19 Israel’s Arab parties look to join forces again to oust Netanyahu

‘Israel’s Arab-majority parties are looking to reunite in a joint list after Israel’s parliament dissolved itself just after midnight on Thursday and sent the country back into election mode only seven weeks after the last vote.

Leaders of the two main Arab party blocks – Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am-Balad – have said they are in discussions about forming a new coalition in an effort to boost their electoral strength after the Arab Joint List split before the last election.’

Read the rest of the article at The National

30.05.19 Netanyahu ‘weaker’ as Israel heads for new election

‘Benjamin Netanyahu, who appeared to have secured a fifth term as Israeli prime minister in April but failed to form a government, goes into the election on September 17 in a weaker position, analysts say.’

Read the rest of the article at Al Jazeera

28.05.19 Israel and Syria Exchange Fire amid Soaring Tensions in the Region (VIDEO)

‘Israel has carried out a rocket attack in Syria’s Golan Heights region, according to Syrian state news and the Israeli military.
“An Israeli missile targeted Tel al-Shaar in Quneitra,” the Syrian news agency SANA said, adding that a “military vehicle was targeted and there are wounded.”’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

28.05.19 Israel Heads to New Election as Netanyahu Struggles to Form Government

‘Israel moved towards a new election on Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to form a government following a national ballot just last month remained deadlocked, reports Reuters.
In a preliminary vote, parliament decided to dissolve itself. In order to disperse and set an election date, legislators would still have to hold a final vote, likely to take place on Wednesday.’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

26.05.19 Petition to stop ban of Palestine children’s book at Highland Park, NJ, public library

‘On May 19, a New Jersey public library canceled a reading by Golbarg Bashi from her children’s book, “P Is for Palestine,” after vocal opposition, notably from the pro-Israel Jewish community. This is hardly the first time Bashi has faced banning. Among the objections to the book is the page, “I is for intifadah,” which Bashi has explained is a word for 70 years of resistance to occupation.’

Read the rest of the article at Mondoweiss

30.05.19 Trump peace plan is now ‘dead and buried’

‘If there’s any consensus to emerge from the political chaos in Israel, it’s that the Trump peace plan will get kicked down the road again for months, right into the U.S. election season, so it may disappear entirely. Several Israel observers say the plan is over.’

Read the rest of the article at Mondoweiss

30.05.19 Kushner visits Jordan, Morocco, Israel ahead of Bahrain summit

‘US President Donald Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited Morocco on Tuesday and Jordan yesterday to rally support for the “deal of the century” peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians.

The trip comes as the US prepares to launch the “Peace to Prosperity” conference in the Bahraini capital, Manama, next month, while will “encourage investing capital in the West Bank, Gaza, and the region”.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

30.05.19 King Abdullah to Kushner: Palestinian State with 1967 Demarcation is the Only Solution

‘Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard noted that the only solution is for the “withdrawal of Zionists from the occupied lands and return of Palestinian refugees to hold free elections.”

King Abdullah II of Jordan has told senior adviser to the president of the United States, Jared Kushner, that the only solution to peace in the Middle East is with the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as capital.’

Read the rest of the article at TeleSur

29.05.19 China Will Not Participate in US-Led Bahrain Conference

‘Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Palestine, Guo Wei, said that his country will not take part in the US-led ‘Peace to Prosperity’ conference, scheduled on June 25-26 in Bahrain’s capital, Manama.
In a meeting with Nabil Shaath, advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas for external affairs and international relations, the ambassador of China said that boycotting the Bahrain conference comes within the framework of a bilateral Russian-Chinese agreement not to participate in it.’

Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle

25.05.19 UNRWA rejects US calls to end agency’s mandate

‘UNRWA officials are hitting back after a US proposal to remove the agency’s mandate by calling on countries hosting Palestinian refugees to take over food aid services from the group.

Commissioner of UNRWA Pierre Krähenbühl spoke at a news conference in Gaza on Thursday where he gave his reassurances that the agency’s mandate to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East will continue.’

Read the rest of the article at Mondoweiss

29.05.19 Amnesty demands Trip Advisor stop promoting Israel settlements

‘Amnesty International has called on the US-based company, Trip Advisor, to stop promoting tourist sites in illegal Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian lands.

In a statement published on its website, the organisation indicated that Trip Advisor’s site promotes about 70 properties and places in illegal Israeli settlements constructed in occupied Palestinian territories.’

Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor

24.05.19 It Must Be Heaven review – Palestine’s holy fool lives the dream

‘The Palestinian film-maker Elia Suleiman, dishevelled yet dapper at all times and never without his hat, saunters across continents in this new movie, fixing the amusingly surreal tableau scenes he comes across with a mildly perplexed gaze. He doesn’t talk and smiles just once, when a tiny little bird (a digital creation) flies into his hotel room and drinks water from a cup while is working at his laptop. Suleiman is the holy fool who is no fool.’

Read the rest of the article at The Guardian