[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Palestine and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Palestine Page co-editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each roundup to Palestine@jadaliyya.com.]
The Occupation Forces
Israel Policewoman ‘shot Palestinian for fun’, Court Hears An Israeli policewoman is suspected of shooting an unarmed Palestinian “for fun” while on duty near a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank. On Monday, the court heard that she shot an unarmed Palestinian in the back with a sponge-tipped bullet, leaving him seriously wounded. The judge, Elad Persky, said that she seemed to have shot the Palestinian person “as a dubious form of entertainment”, before ordering that she be held for another three days.
Union: Israel ‘systematically’ Targeting Journalists The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate yesterday condemned Israel’s shooting of photojournalist Jaffar Ishtayeh with a gas canister in his head, Shehab.ps reported. The group also condemned the Israeli shooting of five other journalists and photographers as they covering the Great March of Return protests in Gaza.
Israeli Forces Kill 7 Palestinians in Gaza Protests Seven Palestinians were killed and at least two hundred fifty two others were injured as Israel escalated suppression of weekly protests at the eastern borders of the besieged Gaza Strip. Six of the killed Palestinians in the al-Breij were identified by the ministry as: Ahmad Ibrahim Zaki al-Tawil, twenty seven, Ahmad Ahmad Abdullah Abu Naim, seventeen, from the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, Muhammad Abed al-Hafith Youssef Ismail, twenty nine, from the al-Breij refugee camp, Afifi Mahmoud Atta Afifi, eighteen, from Gaza City, Abdullah Barham Suleiman al-Dughmeh, twenty five, from Abasan al-Jadida and Tamer Iyad Mahmoud Abu Armaneh, twenty two, from Rafah City.
Israeli Forces Hold 100 Palestinian Athletes Inside Stadium Heavily armed Israeli forces held some hundred athletes, on Wednesday evening, at a Palestinian stadium in the al-Khader village in the southern occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem. Locals said that Israeli forces stormed the stadium and banned Palestinian players and administers, including coaches, who represent several sports teams, from leaving the premises after their training session ended.
Israeli Reconnaissance Aircraft Targets Youths In Gaza, Bulldozers Invade Eastern Border An Israeli Reconnaissance aircraft on Tuesday morning has targeted a group of young men in the northern Gaza Strip, while Israeli occupation forces moved into the Gaza strip from its Eastern border. Local sources said a drone targeted a group of youths in the northern Gaza Strip. However, no injuries were reported. At the same time, Israeli bulldozers moved into the eastern Gaza Strip and opened fire towards farmers and civilians, with no casualties reported.
Domestic Policy
Abbas Calls For Dissolving Palestinian Parliament Without reaching a reconciliation with the Palestinian factions, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Monday called for the Palestinian parliament to be dissolved. During a meeting of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council in Ramallah, Abbas issued a decision calling for the PLO’s Central Council to take the needed measures to dissolve parliament.
Israel Orders Immediate Halt of Fuel Deliveries to Gaza Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has ordered an immediate halt to fuel deliveries headed to the besieged Gaza Strip in response to what he said were attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, his office announced on Friday. Qatari-bought fuel began arriving on Tuesday in a bid to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave and prevent any escalation in Israeli-Palestinian violence.
Palestinians in Historic Town Face Israeli Gentrification Threat Some say it's an architectural "jewel in the crown" of an ancient port in Israel. But the Khan al-Umdan - in the old city of Acre - has been neglected to the point of near collapse. Palestinians say the 18th-century center for sailors is a symbol of how they are being squeezed out as rich Israelis and tourists move in. Sami Hawari, an anti-gentrification activist, highlighted that the government funds go almost exclusively to Jewish nationals and that this, combined with the apartheid laws that prohibit Palestinians from renovating, selling, or passing historic houses to their children, will push Palestinians out of the old city.
Foreign Policy
UN Allows Palestinians to Act More Like Full Member in 2019 The one hundred ninety-three members United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday allowed the Palestinians to act more like a full UN member state during meetings in 2019 when they will chair the group of seventy-seven developing nations, Reuters reports. The United States, Israel, and Australia voted against the move, which won one hundred forty-six votes in favor.
Israel’s Ambassador Attacks UNESCO After Adoption of Resolutions in Favor of Palestine Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon issued a statement condemning the decision of the Executive Council of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to protect Palestinian heritage.
Russia Rejects Israel’s Claim to Sovereignty Over Golan Heights Russia has rejected Israel’s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights which has been under illegal Israeli occupation for fifty-one years. The status of the Golan Heights is determined by the resolutions of the UN Security Council,” Lavrov was quoted by Tass as telling reporters yesterday. “To change this status bypassing the Security Council, I think, would be a direct violation of these resolutions.” Lavrov’s remarks appear to be a direct response to comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu’s on Monday while standing on the Golan Heights and declaring that it will remain under Israeli sovereignty.
Israel, US Secretly Trained Against Russia’s Missile System in Ukraine Israel and the US sent secret military delegations to Ukraine to train against the Russian S-300 missile defense system which was shipped to Syria last month. The claim was first reported by Israel’s Hadashot TV yesterday, which cited Syrian and Russian news outlets as its source. The Times of Israel added that “one Russian report said F-15 planes are training in Ukraine against the S-300 as part of an international exercise that includes Israeli pilots.”
Foreign Ministry Calls on Australia to Reconsider Jerusalem Remarks The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on Tuesday, to reconsider remarks he made regarding the possibility of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The ministry stressed, in a statement, that such a move would be "in violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolution 478 (1980)."
Japan-funded Projects Completed in Gaza Strip Takeshi Okubo, Ambassador for the Palestinian Affairs and Representative of Japan to Palestine, visited al-Ahlyia Association for the Development of Palm and Dates in Deir al-Balah, in the central besieged Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, to celebrate the completion of a Japan-funded project for providing feedstuff production machines in Gaza.
US Greenblatt Reveals Plan to Unite West Bank, Gaza The United States' Middle East Peace Envoy, Jason Greenblatt, stressed that the United States is involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to help "all Palestinians, in both the West Bank and Gaza," and revealed intentions of unification of the West Bank and Gaza, on Tuesday. According to a Hebrew-language news outlet, Greenblatt said, "The White House's peace plan entails intentions to unify the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."
Settlers and Illegal Settlements
Khan Al-Ahmar Flooded with Waste Water, Again Khan Al-Ahmar was today once again flooded with wastewater by illegal Israeli settlers, as Israeli army bulldozers stormed the village. Sources from Khan Al-Ahmar told Wafa that “the wastewater from the [illegal Kfar Adumim] settlement flooded large areas of village lands, as settlers attempt to aid their government in its drive to force the village residents to leave”.
Palestinian Woman Killed As Israeli Settlers Attack Vehicle in Nablus A Palestinian woman was killed while her husband was injured after Israeli settlers attacked their vehicle near the Zaatara checkpoint in southern Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, late Friday night. Palestinian sources identified the woman as Aisha Muhammad Talal al-Rabi, forty-seven, pointing out that the couple is from the Bidya village near Salfit in the northern West Bank.
Israel Approves $6 Million Settlement Expansion in Hebron City The Israeli government approved, on Sunday, twenty-two million shekels in government funding to expand an illegal settlement inside the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. The housing units are the first project to expand illegal settlements in Hebron after more than a decade.
Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions Movement
Israel Withdraws From Azerbaijan Conference After Algeria Writer Threatens to Boycott Algerian researcher Ahcene Tlilani said yesterday that the organizers of the 5th Baku International Theatre Conference in Azerbaijan have informed him that the Israeli delegation would withdraw from the conference attended by Arab, Islamic and foreign delegations. On 7 October Tlilani announced that he would boycott the 5th Baku International Theatre Conference scheduled to take place on 5-6 November after receiving an official invitation which included Israel in the list of participants. In response, Tlilani sent a written letter of protest to the conference organizers to condemn the inclusion of Israel. The organizers sent out a new list, which did not include Israel’s name.
Law
Palestinian Activist Released to House Arrest Following Appeal Palestinian political activist and Abnaa Al-Balad leader Raja Eghbaria was released to house arrest yesterday, after an Israeli court agreed with his defense team “that police behavior confirms he poses no threat justifying detention for a series of Facebook posts over the last year”. According to legal rights center Adalah, Haifa Magistrates’ Court released Eghbaria on terms that ban him from using the internet and telephone, after denying the Israeli police’s request to keep him in detention until the conclusion of court proceedings against him.
Palestinian Prisoner on 40th Day of Hunger Strike Palestinian prisoner, Khader Adnan, forty, continues his open hunger strike for the 40th day in a row, protesting his "arbitrary" detention by Israel. The prisoners' rights group Muhjat al-Quds Foundation said that Adnan started his open hunger strike on September 2nd, demanding his immediate release. Locals reported that the Israeli authorities continue to prevent lawyers from meeting with Adnan since September 17.
Environment, Economy, and Other
Gaza Saw 45% Drop in Exits Through Israel-controlled Erez Crossing September saw a forty-five percent drop in Palestinian exits through the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing of the occupied Gaza Strip, Israeli NGO Gisha reported yesterday. According to the press release, there was a total of 5,263 exits of Palestinians through Erez in September, a decrease of forty-five percent compared to August (9,626), fifty-four percent compared to July (11,522), and twelve percent compared to the monthly average in 2017.
Mayor Salman: Stop Using Christians As A Tool To Whitewash Occupation The Mayor of Bethlehem, Anton Salman, responded to Netanyahu's statements on Bethlehem and the situation of Palestinian Christians, calling it "another Israeli attempt at distorting the reality of the Israeli occupation and particularly the effects that Israeli policies have had on the Palestinian Christian community since 1948." Netanyahu said "Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the Christian community thrives and grows. Salman responded by saying, "It is shameful that while calling himself a 'protector of Christianity,' he would use Christians as a tool for his Islamophobic talking points.
Poll: 50% Dissatisfied With Egyptian Role in Palestinian Reconciliation A public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre (JMCC) in cooperation with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) showed the majority of Palestinians polled, 67.8% supported the idea of a long-term ceasefire with Israel, while 28.7% opposed it. The poll showed that 50.6% of those polled are dissatisfied with the Egyptian role in sponsoring reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas, with a slight majority of those disappointed in Gaza.