2 Palestinian Children Killed in a Terrorist Israeli Air Strike on Gaza, Scores Injured in the West Bank, March 13, 2016

2 Palestinian Children Killed in a Terrorist Israeli Air Strike on Gaza, Scores Injured in the West Bank

March 13, 2016


10-year-old Palestinian infant Yaseen Abu Khousa killed in an Israeli terrorist air strike on Gaza, March 12, 2016 imemc	19 Palestinians injured by Israeli occupation soldiers' fire at a protest in Abu Dis, East Jerusalem, March 12, 2016 imemc


Hanan Ashrawi, PLO Executive Committee member	Palestinian fishing boat attacked by Israeli naval terrorists inside Gaza port

Hours After Her Brother Was Killed In Israeli Bombardment; Child Dies Of Her Wounds In Gaza

Saturday March 12, 2016 15:07 by IMEMC News

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has reported, Saturday, that a child, six years of age, who was seriously injured after the Israeli Air Force fired a missile into their home in northern Gaza, killing her brother, died of her serious wounds.

The Ministry said the child, Issraa’ Suleiman Abu Khousa, only six years of age, died of her serious wounds in the Indonesian Hospital, In Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip.

Her brother, Yaseen Sulayman Abu Khousa, only 10 years of age, was instantly killed after the Israeli army bombarded the family home.

Her other brother, Ayyoub, 13 years of age, suffered moderate wounds.

"I was sleeping in the other room, my kids and their mom were sleeping in this room, then I heard the blast, and rushed to their room," The father said, "My boy was instantly killed, drowning in his own blood; my daughter was very seriously injured."

His other son said the family was sleeping when the Israeli missile struck their home, and that when he looked at his brother and sister, he found them heavily bleeding from their heads and various parts of their bodies.

The Israeli Air Force also fired three missiles into Falasteen and Asqalan bases, run by the al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, in addition to Fayez Abu Jarad base, in central Gaza, and the Sourani Mountain area, east of Gaza city.

Child Killed, His Sister And Brother Seriously Injured, As Israeli Air Force Bombards Gaza

Saturday March 12, 2016 09:16 by IMEMC News

The Israeli Air Force carried out, on Saturday at dawn, a series of airstrikes targeting different areas in the Gaza Strip, killing a child and seriously wounding his sister, and his brother, after an Israeli missile directly struck their home.

Medical sources in Gaza said the slain child has been identified as Yassin Suleiman Abu Khousa, only 10 years of age, and said that his sister, Irsaa’, 6, and his brother Ayyoub, 13, were injured in the Israeli attack.

The sources said the children were in their home, near a building that was targeted by the Israeli Air Force with at least one missile in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Medics and rescue teams rushed to the scene, and moved the wounded siblings to the Indonesian Hospital, in Beit Lahia.

Israeli war jets also fired, at least, one missile into an area, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, causing damage to several homes.

Two Israeli missiles were also fired in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, and struck an open area, in the Sourani Mountain area.

The Israeli army claimed its bombardment of the Gaza Strip came in retaliation for four rockets, reportedly fired from the coastal area, into areas south of the country.

It said that sirens were sounded in the Negev town of Sderot and Sha’ar HaNegev settlement, adding that the missiles "landed and detonated in open areas, causing no damage or injuries."

Navy Attacks Fishermen Off Gaza Shore

Saturday March 12, 2016 16:41 by IMEMC News & Agencies

Israeli naval boats, Saturday, targeted Palestinian fishermen’s boats with several missiles, despite sailing within the unilaterally-designated allowed fishing zone offshore, to the northwest of Gaza City.

WAFA correspondence said that soldiers fired at least six missiles at Palestinian fishermen’s boats, despite sailing within the six-nautical-mile allowed fishing zone. The current six-nautical-mile fishing zone falls drastically short of the twenty nautical miles allocated to Palestinian fishermen in the 1993 Oslo Accords.

The attack caused severe damages to three boats, whereas no injuries were reported among fishermen who were forced to leave the sea, for fear of being injured, killed, or detained.

The Israeli navy targets Gaza fishermen and farmers along the borderline on an almost daily basis, in a blatant breach of a ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and armed Palestinian groups in August of 2014, following 51 days of bloody aggression on the Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of over 2.200 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), all Israeli attacks on Palestinian fishermen have taken place within the distance of six nautical miles, which it said “proves that Israeli forces' policies aim to tighten restrictions on the Gaza Strip's fishermen and their livelihoods.”

Israel has imposed a tightened blockade since 2007 after Hamas won the democratic legislative election and took over power in the Strip.

19 Palestinians Injured In Abu Dis

Saturday March 12, 2016 11:58 by IMEMC News

Israeli soldiers invaded, on Friday evening, Abu Dis town, east of occupied Jerusalem, and clashed with dozens of local youths, wounding nineteen Palestinians, including one who was shot in his eye.

Bassam Bahar, head of the Abu Dis Lands Defence Committee, said the several Israeli military vehicles invaded the town and fired dozens of gas bombs, and rubber-coated steel bullets.

The Red Crescent Society said 19 Palestinians were injured, four of them with rubber-coated steel bullets, including one who was shot in the eye, and fifteen others suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.

Many Palestinians were also injured at the northern entrance of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, during clashes with Israeli soldiers.

Medical sources said some of the wounded were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, and many others suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.

Soldiers Injure Many Palestinians Near Ramallah, Kidnap Two Near Jenin

Saturday March 12, 2016 02:06 by IMEMC & Agencies

Two Palestinians have been injured Friday, and dozens suffered the effects of teargas inhalation after Israeli soldiers invaded Silwad, east of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. The army invaded the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, and clashed with many Palestinians, wounding three. Clashes also took place near the Ofer detention center.

A large military force gathered near Settlement Road #60, close to Silwad town, before dozens of soldiers invaded the Shuhada Street, and were deployed between many homes, to ambush the protesters.

The soldiers fired many gas bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets, and sponge-tipped bullets, wounding two Palestinians with sponge-tipped bullets from a very close range.

The army also fired many gas bombs on the protesters, and towards a number of homes in the town, causing dozens of residents to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation.

In related news, the soldiers invaded the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, and fired dozens of rubber-coated steel bullets, wounding three Palestinians, while many suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.

Clashes also took place near the Ofer Israeli detention center and military base; the soldiers fired many gas bombs on the protesters, who managed to throw some of those gas bombs back on the troops. Many Palestinians suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.

On Friday evening, the soldiers invaded Qabatia town, south of Jenin, and installed a roadblock, closing the town’s main road, before kidnapping two young Palestinian men.

The soldiers stopped and searched dozens of cars, and examined the ID cards of the passengers while interrogating some of them.

Ashrawi Meets with US Officials, Tell them About Israeli Brutality and Gaza Siege

Saturday March 12, 2016 17:39 by IMEMC News & Agencies

This week, PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi conducted a series of meetings in Washington D.C., and accompanied by Palestinian Ambassador Maen Rashid Areikat, Chief Representative of the General Delegation of the PLO to the U.S.

Ashrawi first met with Anne Patterson, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near East Affairs, Frank Lowenstein, Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, Chris Henzel, Director of Israel-Palestinian Affairs, and Andrew Lederman, Political Officer of Israel-Palestinian Affairs.

Both parties, according to the PNN, discussed the latest political developments, and in the context of multilateral engagement. Dr. Ashrawi emphasized the importance of American support of the French initiative to organize an international peace conference.

In order for the conference to succeed, Dr. Ashrawi said that there must be clearly defined objectives, a concrete basis from which to begin, and a binding timeframe.

She also provided a brief assessment of the deteriorating conditions on the ground in Gaza, and stressed that the illegal siege of Gaza must end, and there needs to be a national unity government that has full control of Gaza.

In a separate meeting, Dr. Ashrawi met with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), and briefed him and his staff on Israel’s willful efforts to destroy the two-state solution, including its illegal settlement activities, settler violence and terrorism, extra-judicial killings, the withholding of Palestinian remains, home demolitions, the arbitrary detention of Palestinian men, women and children, unlawful actions at the Al-Haram al-Sharif, and settler attacks against Christian and Muslim holy sites, among other violations.

Dr. Ashrawi and Senator Gordon discussed the role of the U.S. Congress, and she stressed that there should be more voices in Congress to stand up for what is morally right and to work to end the military occupation.

She also raised the issue of the $159 million in fiscal year 2015 US assistance to the Palestinians currently being held by Congress Representatives Kay Granger (R-TX) and Ed Royce (R-CA); she urged Senator Merkley’s staff to coordinate with other Senate Appropriations offices in a bipartisan effort to pressure House Republicans to release the funds.

In her final meeting, Dr. Ashrawi met with Rob Malley, Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and White House Coordinator for MENA, and Steven Galpern, National Security Council Director of Israeli-Palestinian Affairs.

In the meeting, which focused on the latest political developments in Palestine and the escalation of Israeli violations, Dr. Ashrawi asked for American support of future Palestinian initiatives calling for the United Nations to take a more significant role in ending the occupation and safeguarding the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

The discussion also focused on the issue of incitement, and Dr. Ashrawi stressed that the occupation is the ultimate form of incitement and that incitement comes directly from Israeli government officials who are never held accountable:

“Israeli incitement is a constant barrage of hateful language that dehumanizes the victim, and it frequently comes from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Dr. Ashrawi also emphasized that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian officials remain committed to nonviolent resistance of the occupation, and to working towards peace and justice on behalf of the Palestinians.

On March 12, Dr. Ashrawi will speak at the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund-Washington D.C. Chapter’s Second Annual Hope and Healing Gala in Vienna, Virginia.

***

Share this article with your facebook friends

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.