On August 16, 2004, Adalah submitted a petition to the Supreme Court demanding that the Court issue an order of injunction instructing the Israel Prison Authority (IPA) to allow the children of prisoners classified by the IPA as security prisoners to have physical contact with their parents during prison visits. The petition was submitted on behalf of ten children of “security” prisoners, the Prisoner Association and in Adalah’s own name, against the IPA. Read more about Adalah: "Allow children of prisoners contact with their parents"
A senior Hamas leader, Sheikh Ja’abari has survived an Israeli assassination attempt in the Gaza Strip, but at least five other Palestinians, including Ja’abari’s son, his brother, nephew, and his son-in-law were killed in the explosion that tore through his home. Ja’abari sustained moderate injuries as did three other Palestinians, including a child and a second brother of Ja’abari. Israeli military sources claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to the Israeli media. Some said that a military aircraft attacked the home. Read more about Israel kills five Palestinians in attempt to assassinate Hamas leader
Early in the morning of Monday, August 16, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian civilians, east of Jabalyah town, in the north of the Gaza Strip. The two men were killed when Israeli helicopters launched four missiles at an agricultural field. Preliminary investigations by PCHR indicate that the two victims were killed by shrapnel from a rocket and rounds of live ammunition. The attack took place when the two men were collecting wood in area which had been destroyed by an earlier IOF incursion. Eyewitness reports and investigations by PCHR fieldworkers suggest that Israeli helicopter gunships fired four guided missiles at an agricultural field. These missiles were followed by random shelling from the helicopter gunships, targeting the same area. Read more about Israeli forces kill two Palestinians near Jabalyah
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) condemns the ruthless and irresponsible remark made by Tzachi Hanegbi, Minister of Internal Security, regarding the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners that “as far as I am concerned they can strike for a day, a month and onto death”. Hannah Friedman, Executive Director of PCATI, said: “it is unthinkable that an Israeli government minister would express himself in this fashion displaying a total disregard for the lives of the people in his custody. Read more about Israel's Internal Security Minister is "indifferent" to lives of Palestinian prisoners
This week Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including three children. Israeli destroyed 26 homes in Rafah refugee camp and razed 130 donums of agricultural land in the middle of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces attacked Palestinians gathering in Khan Yunis refugee camp from the air, ten of them were injured, many seriously. Israel continues the construction of the apartheid wall. Israel reopened Rafah terminal in the south of the Gaza Strip. One elderly Palestinian civilian died at Rafah because of restrictions imposed by Israeli occupation forces. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
The Palestinian Medical Relief Society condemns Tuesday’s attack against PMRS ambulance staff whilst they distributed first aid kits to residents of Rafah. Whilst ambulance staff, including 5 doctors, 2 nurses and the driver, distributed the first aid kits in the Tal al Sultan neighborhood, Israeli forces started firing at the ambulance. According to the staff, firing came from the “Rafih Yam” settlements towers. They at first thought that it was random shooting however; when some bullets were only 50 cm away they realized that this was in fact intentional. Fortunately there were no injuries. Read more about Israeli forces attack medical staff in Rafah
Israel should immediately release `Abd al-Latif Gheith, a prominent rights activist now being held without charge in a military detention camp, Human Rights Watch said today. In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Human Rights Watch said that if Mr. Gheith was suspected of violating any laws, the government should file charges in a court that meets international standards for fair trials. Gheith, 63 years old and board chairman of Addameer, a prisoner support organization based in Ramallah, was detained on July 29 after security officials questioned him at a military checkpoint about Addameer’s activities and staff. Read more about Arrest of Palestinian Human Rights Defender
In its new report, The Forbidden Roads: The Discriminatory West Bank Road Regime, B’Tselem finds that Israel restricts Palestinian travel on forty-one roads and sections of roads throughout the West Bank, totaling more than 700 kilometers of roadway. The Forbidden Roads Regime operates under the premise that every Palestinian is a security risk. The Roads Regime violates the rights to freedom of movement and to equality of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank. By unlawfully discriminating against Palestinians based on their national origin, the Forbidden Roads Regime is reminiscent of the apartheid system that existed in South Africa. Read more about The Forbidden Road Regime in the West Bank - An Apartheid Practice
Developments since the International Court of Justice issued its advisory opinion on Israel’s construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian territory and the General Assembly meeting that followed were less than promising, Palestine’s Observer Nasser Al-Kidwa told the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People this morning. Israeli officials rejected the opinion, spoke with disdain for the Court, its opinion and the Assembly, and stated its intention to continue its construction of the wall. Meanwhile, the situation on the ground has further deteriorated. Read more about Developments since World Court opinion on Israeli wall "less than promising"
This week Israeli forces killed 8 Palestinians, 6 of whom are civilians, including 3 children and one woman. Israel continued its military offensive against Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces invaded a number of Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces demolished 45 homes and a number of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip. One house was destroyed in the context of retaliatory measures against families of Palestinian activists. Israeli forces continued indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and at least 30 Palestinian civilians were injured. Despite the UNGA resolution and the ICJ ruling, Israel continued construction of the Wall on occupied Palestinian territory. Israel continued to impose a total siege. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
