Israeli Settlers Target More Palestinian Land.

On March 30, 2011, Israeli settlers from the Illegal Israeli settlement of Efrat located southwest of Bethlehem city, and is one of the settlements comprising the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, stormed under the protection of the Israeli occupation army 'Hreiqet Qiqan' area in Al Khader village, located inside the boundary of Efrat settlement and uprooted dozens of Olive and other fruit trees planted in 13 dunums of owned-Palestinian lands. The targeted lands are owned by 4 Palestinian farmers from Al- Khader village, they are: Mr. Khalid Ibrahim Subeih, Mr. Taleb Khalil Subeih, Mr. Fawwaz Jamil Subeih and the sons of Naji Shihadeh Ghuneim, and located few meters away from Efrat settlement.

In an interview conducted by ARIJ field team, Mr. Taleb Khalil Subeih indicated that their lands are adjacent to Efrat settlement and they used to cultivate it for tens of years, where they usually enter to their lands after taking the permission of the Israeli guards manning the entrance of the settlement since their lands are located inside the settlement's borders. Mr. Khalil added that he, along with other land owners, who were targeted by the latest Israeli attack, had never got any Israeli warning or military order from the Israeli Occupation Authorities. He also added that the guards of the settlement humiliate them every time they try to access their lands, impose obstacles, and prevent them from bringing the needed equipments for cultivating their lands under flimsy pretexts.

See the map below.

The targeted lands in Al Khader Village.

Al- Khader village is located some 4.5 kilometers west of Bethlehem city. It is bordered by Bethlehem city from the east, Husan and Battir villages from the west and northwest, Al Doha and Beit Jala cities from the north and northeast, and Al Duheisha Refugee camp and Artas villages from the south.  The built-up area of Al- Khader village spreads on 601 dunums of land, about 3% of the village's total land area (20,090 dunums). The village is home to 11,666 inhabitants (PCBS 2010), most of whom tended to work in agriculture, where the rich and fertile soil has made farming and agriculture feasible in the village, therefore, agriculture has been and is still considered the major source of income for residents of the village.

The Geopolitical Divisions of Al-Khader Village Lands

According to the Oslo II Interim Agreement that was signed in September 1995 between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, the Palestinian areas in the West Bank were classified into three areas: 

·         Area A :   The Palestinians have complete autonomy over administrative and security issues.

·         Area B :  The Palestinians have full control over the civil responsibilities and Israel continues to have overriding responsibility for security;

·         while Area C :  Israel retains full control over security and administration related to territory. 

Accordingly, the 20,090 dunums of Al- Khader Village were classified to areas A, B and C, 565 Dunums, of which were classified as area 'A' ( 2.8 % of the total village area) where most of the built up area is concentrated; while 1,176 dunums (5.9% of the total village area) were classified as areas 'B'; while the remaining area of the village, a total of 18,349 dunums of Al-Khader village lands were classified as areas 'C' (91.3 % of the total village area) and include all the agricultural lands and open spaces.

Geopolitical Division of Al Khader Village  according to Oslo II  Interim Agreement of 1995
Classification of Lands	Area in dunums	% of the Village's total area
Area A	565	2.8
Area B	1,176	5.9
Area C	18,349	91.3
Total Area	20,090	100
Source: ARIJ GIS Unit - 2011

  

 The Israeli Colonial Activities in Al-Khader Village

 The Israeli colonial activities in Al Khader village started right after the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza strip in 1967. Throughout the years of occupation, the village of Al Khader lost 2791 Dunums (13.8% from the total village lands) for the establishment of 6 Israeli settlements, Neve Daniel, Alon Shevut, Rosh Tzurim, Efrat and Ele’azar and Migdal ‘Oz; not forgetting to mention the lands that were confiscated and used for the construction of Israeli Bypass Roads to link Israeli settlements with each other.

Israeli Settlements established on land of Al Khader Village
Israeli Settlement	Date of Establishment	Population	Area (Dunums)	Location
Rosh Zurim	1969	302	3	West of Al Khader (Bethlehem)
Allon Shevut	1971	2,960	38	Southwest of Al Khader (Bethlehem)
Migdal Oz	1977	327	45	South of Al Khader (Bethlehem)
Neve Daniel	1982	1,065	583	Southwest of Al Khader (Bethlehem)
El’azar	1975	870	449	Southwest of Al Khader (Bethlehem)
Efrat	1979	6,996	1,673	Southeast of Al Khader (Bethlehem)
Total	***	12,520	2,791	***

  

Furthermore, The Israeli Segregation Wall constitutes another Israeli colonial tool to loot as much land as possible from Al-Khader village, where it stretches 6.7 km on the lands of the village and cuts most of the village's agriculture lands and open spaces. When completed, the Segregation Wall will lead to the isolation of 15,144 dunums of the village lands (75.4% of the total village's lands).

To Conclude

The International community (the Quartet, the European Union, and the United States) the main sponsors of the “peace process”, must put an end to the Israeli expansionist plans and Illegal violations which are being conducted on daily-basis and targeting the Palestinian people and their properties. These violations constitute a grave breach of the International law rules and conventions such as:-

Uprooting of trees owned by residents of the OPT violate the trade policies of the Paris protocols of 1954 which calls for 'free access for Palestinian goods to the Israeli market and vice versa.' The curfews and the uprooting are a clear violation of this clear security.

1.       Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention indicated that: Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. Is a grave breach of the Convention.

2.       In addition, the uprooting and the closures are a clear violation of Article 23 of The Hague Convention Art. 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 also provides: In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.

3. Also Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17 reads: 'No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.' Which means it bans Israel from destroying or confiscating the property of the Palestinians at any case.

Israeli Settlements In The Occupied West Bank.

Israeli settlements in The Occupied West Bank expand during the 10-month settlement construction freeze.

When the Israeli PM Netanyahu declared a 10 months settlement freeze moratorium on November 25, 2009, claiming that it is to give the peace process a chance to move forward, the international community applauded the Israeli act but it seems that the international community has short memory when it comes to Israel’s credibility on promises and deeds; most recent of which the so-called moratorium, in which Israel excluded the under construction projects in the Israeli settlements and narrowed down the moratorium as not to initiate any new projects in the settlements, excluding East Jerusalem settlements. 

An analysis of high precision aerial photos (0.5x0.5 meters) conducted by the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ) team revealed that settlements’ construction during 2010 (under the so-called settlement freeze moratorium) was palpable with the construction of 1819 structures in 133 settlements all over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It should be noted here that the 1819 structures built in settlements during 2010 disperse into 7276 housing units averaging 902000 square meters, distributed in the Palestinian governorates as follow: 

Table 1: No. of Buildings built in Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank during the 10-months freeze moratorium Governorate No. of Buildings Percent of total Bethlehem 214 11.8 Hebron 138 7.6 Jenin 35 1.9 Jericho 15 0.8 Jerusalem 420 23.1 Nablus 160 8.8 Qalqilyah 219 12.0 Ramallah 324 17.8 Salfit 268 14.7 Tubas 11 0.6 Tulkarem 15 0.8 Total 1819 100.0  Source: the Geographical Information System, ARIJ 2011  The analysis also showed that the 133 Israeli settlements also witnessed the addition of 1433 caravans (mobile homes) all over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, distributed in the Palestinian governorates as follow: Table 2: No. of Caravans built in Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank during the 10-months freeze moratorium Governorate No. of Caravans Percent of total Bethlehem 75 5.2 Hebron 242 16.9 Jenin 94 6.6 Jericho 41 2.9 Jerusalem 97 6.8 Nablus 128 8.9 Qalqilyia 82 5.7 Ramallah 484 33.8 Salfit 156 10.9 Tubas 9 0.6 Tulkarem 25 1.7 Total 1433 100.0 Source: the Geographical Information System, ARIJ 2011 Settlement Expansion with regard to the Israeli Segregation Wall Path In line with that concept, the bulk of buildings construction has taken place in 76 settlements located in the western segregation zone (the area that falls between the line of the Segregation Wall and the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line)), at 73.3% (698.56 dunums) whereas the construction operations in 57 settlements located east of the Segregation Wall was limited to 26.7% (203.81 dunums). Table 3: Expansion in Israeli settlements East and West of the Israeli Segregation Wall Location from Wall No. of Buildings Percent No. of Caravans Percent East 485 26.7 537 37.5 West 1334 73.3 896 62.5 Total 1819 100 1433 100 Source: the Geographical Information System, ARIJ 2011    The illegality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank according to Interntional Law: The United Nations Security Council Resolution 465[1] of 1980 ' determines that all measures taken by Israel to change the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure or status of the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, or any part thereof, have no legal validity and that Israel's policy and practices of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in those territories constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and also constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.' Article 55[2] of the Hague Convention stipulates that “the occupying state shall be regarded only as administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct”. Article 49[3], paragraph 6 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly stipulates that “the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies”. The International Court of Justice advisory opinion of July 9, 2004 addresses the construction of the wall in the West Bank in particular and the West Bank itself in general, stating that [4]“the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (including East Jerusalem) have been established in breach of international law.”

JERUSALEM: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

1.       What is the difference between East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem?

East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem are separated by the 1949 Armistice Line, known as the Green Line. During the 1948 War, Israel took control of the western portion of Jerusalem, expelled Palestinians from their homes and lands, and expanded its territorial control to include a significant portion of the territory that was intended for the Arab state under the 1947 United Nations (UN) Partition Plan. The West Bank, including the eastern part of Jerusalem, fell under Jordanian control until 1967, when Israel occupied them, an occupation that persists to this day. At present, no country recognizes any part of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

2.       Is East Jerusalem considered occupied territory under international law?

Yes, as a result of the 1967 War, the entire territory of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including East Jerusalem, fell under Israeli occupation. Following its occupation of the city, Israel unilaterally expanded East Jerusalem’s municipal borders from 6 square kilometers to 72 square kilometers. Within these new borders, Israel incorporated large tracts of adjacent West Bank land and applied Israeli law, administration and jurisdiction, thus annexing occupied territory in gross violation of fundamental principles of international law prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force. The UN Security Council declared the Israeli annexation null and void and reiterated the status of East Jerusalem as occupied territory under international law1. Protections granted under international humanitarian law to the occupied Palestinian territory and Palestinians living therein apply equally to East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Thus, under international law, any Israeli claim to sovereignty over East Jerusalem holds no validity.

3.       Why is East Jerusalem significant for Palestinians and crucial to the viability of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state?

In addition to Palestinian rights over East Jerusalem guaranteed by international law, Palestinians have concrete needs and interests. East Jerusalem is the natural socio-economic and political center for the future Palestinian state, given its wealth of religious sites, commercial vitality, historical significance, and geographic centrality (it geographically connects the northern and southern parts of the Palestinian territory). Metropolitan East Jerusalem, extending from Ramallah to Bethlehem, accounts for 35% of Palestinian economic output.

4.       Israel claims both East and West Jerusalem as its ‘eternal and undivided’ capital, how can these two positions be reconciled?

The international community, including the UN, the United States and the European Union, do not recognize Israel’s illegal annexation and claim of sovereignty over Jerusalem. Contrary to Israel’s exclusionist vision for the city, which maintains that Jerusalem would be the exclusive capital of Israel and would restrict access to Jerusalem, the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) vision is that of an open and shared city, housing two capitals for two states—Israel and Palestine. The PLO is committed to respecting freedom of worship at, and access to, all sites of religious significance within Jerusalem. All possible measures will be taken to protect such sites and preserve their dignity. Moreover, the PLO is willing to consider a number of creative solutions, as long as they are in Palestinian interests and in line with international law.

Wall in Northern Jerusalem

5.       What is the legal status of Palestinians in East Jerusalem?

After 1967, Palestinians living in Jerusalem were given the status of “permanent resident.” Under this status, Palestinians are able to live and work within Israel without a special permit; similar to the status granted to immigrants to Israel. However Israel treats the indigenous Palestinian population of East Jerusalem as visitors with temporary permits and residency revocation has become a regular practice, forcing many Palestinian residents out of their city and homes in Jerusalem. According to Israeli human rights organizations, more than 13,000 “permanent residencies” were revoked between 1967 and 2008.2 Half of these revocations occurred between 2006 and 2008.3

6.       Why have Palestinians asked for a freeze on settlement construction in East Jerusalem?

In an attempt to maximize contiguous territory for illegal Israeli settlements with minimal Palestinian presence, and to territorially isolate Jerusalem from the remainder of occupied Palestinian territory, Israeli authorities continue to advance and approve the construction of illegal settlements in and around occupied East Jerusalem. Extensive settlement planning is taking place around four settlements in particular: Har Homa and Gilo in the South, Maale Adumim in the East, and Givat Zeev in the north. Additionally, in order to offset the demographic imbalance in East Jerusalem, Israeli policy makers, along with settler organizations, are creating an arc of settlements around the Old City stretching from Sheikh Jarrah to the “City of David” settlement in Silwan. The result of such illegal settlement construction has been to increase the almost negligible pre-1967 Jewish population to over 190,000 in East Jerusalem. Recent estimates indicate that some 50,000 settlement housing units are in various stages of development in and around occupied East Jerusalem.4 These Israeli polices stand in clear violation of international law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits settlements in an occupied territory.

Further, since 1967, Israeli authorities have systematically carried out demolition orders against Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem. The main purpose of the house demolition policy is to dispossess Palestinian families from East Jerusalem in an attempt to alter the demographic nature of the city. Estimates indicate that more than 3,200 houses have been demolished since 1967, including several historic and religious sites, such as the historic Moroccan Quarter in the Old City. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 87 Palestinian houses were demolished in 2008 and 103 in 2009. The house demolition policy is planned to continue as hundreds of pending house demolition orders indicate, including plans to demolish over 100 Palestinian homes in the Al Bustan neighborhood of Silwan.

7.       Are Palestinian East Jerusalemites able to build and do they have access to land like their Israeli counterparts?

No, in fact, while the Israeli government supports a continued occupation of East Jerusalem, it has imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian East Jerusalemites to obtain building permits. These restrictions on building, and the scarcity of land designated for Palestinian development (the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem represents 58 percent of the total population but lives on only 13 percent of the total 72 km² of the East Jerusalem municipality area), combined with the influx of Palestinians who return to Jerusalem in order to preserve their residency status, have caused overcrowding to become a major problem in many Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem. In 2008, the average housing density per room was twice as high as among Jews, and the problem continues to be compounded.

Demolition of Shepherd’s Hotel 

Further, since 1967, Israeli authorities have systematically carried out demolition orders against Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem. The main purpose of the house demolition policy is to dispossess Palestinian families from East Jerusalem in an attempt to alter the demographic nature of the city. Estimates indicate that more than 3,200 houses have been demolished since 1967, including several historic and religious sites, such as the historic Moroccan Quarter in the Old City. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 87 Palestinian houses were demolished in 2008 and 103 in 2009. The house demolition policy is planned to continue as hundreds of pending house demolition orders indicate, including plans to demolish over 100 Palestinian homes in the Al Bustan neighborhood of Silwan.

8.       What is the impact of the Wall around Jerusalem?

With the ongoing illegal construction of the Wall in and around occupied East Jerusalem, Palestinian access to Jerusalem has become increasingly difficult as the Wall has become a de facto (albeit non-recognized) Israeli unilaterally imposed border. The Wall, most of which has been completed around occupied East Jerusalem, is being used to consolidate and expand Israel’s hold on Palestinian land in order to facilitate further settlement expansion. It also serves to physically and functionally sever the northern and southern West Bank. One of the immediate implications of Israel’s policy was and remains the prevention of four million Christian and Muslim Palestinians from accessing their holy sites and places of prayer located in occupied East Jerusalem. Moreover, the Wall has fragmented the Palestinian social fabric and disconnected up to 60,000 Palestinian residents of Jerusalem from their city, as they were left outside the Wall. Consequently, the closure and the Wall severely limit trade and commerce in, through and around Jerusalem. Palestinians are cut off from schools, universities and specialized medical care. The Wall fragments Palestinian communities and isolates residents from their families and from vital social support networks.

Message From Palestine Embassy.

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Dr. Saeb Erakat said today that “Israel’s latest announcement of more settlement construction further threatens the already stagnated negotiations process. This latest unilateral Israeli act necessitates dramatic international action for immediate recognition of the Palestinian State on the June 4, 1967 borders.”

Yesterday, on November 8, 2010, the Israeli government announced a plan for 1,300 new housing units in the settlements of Har Homa and Ramot, to be illegally built on occupied lands in Beit Sahour and East Jerusalem. That announcement was quickly followed this morning by news reports of private construction starts of approximately 800 units in Ariel settlement in the northern West Bank.

“Once more, at the moment when we expected Prime Minister Netanyahu to announce a full settlement freeze from Washington DC, he has sent Palestinians and the US administration a clear message that Israel chooses settlements, not peace.

Netanyahu sent the same message during US Vice-President Biden’s visit last March by announcing a plan to build 1,600 units in Ramat Shlomo settlement,” Dr. Erakat said.

“Israel’s settlement enterprise which comprises not only of the actual settlements, but also the Wall, settler-only roads, and movement restrictions on Palestinians, is nothing but a premeditated process to kill the possibility of an independent Palestinian state.”

Calling on the international community to immediately and boldly intervene to save the two-state solution and the possibility of lasting peace, Dr. Erakat continued, “Israel is acting as a state above the law, and the international community must react. If, by building settlements, Israel wants to boycott the creation of a sovereign Palestinian State, the world must respond by recognizing the Palestinian State on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem its capital.”

Dr. Erakat, added that “it is time for tough decisions. Unfortunately, the international community continues to support a peace process that has nothing of peace and a lot of process.

We will not accept the status quo anymore that has only allowed Israel to consolidate its occupation of our land.”

Dr. Erakat.

Chief Palestinian Negotiator.

Berita Dari Palestin 24.06.2010.

Laporan: Jumlah jutawan di Israel meningkat sebanyak 43% pada tahun 2009.

Pada hari Selasa yang lalu, firma perunding perniagaan Capgemini dan firma penasihat pengurusan kewangan Merrill Lynch telah mengumumkan bahawa bilangan jutawan Israel meningkat secara mendadak kepada 43% dalam tahun 2009, meskipun krisis ekonomi melanda dunia waktu itu. Pada masa yang sama, jumlah jutawan di seluruh dunia meningkat kepada 17%.

Peningkatan drastik ini meletakkan Israel sebagai negara ketiga yang mempunyai kadar kenaikan jumlah jutawan per kapita, selepas India dan Hong Kong. Hong Kong mengungguli kadar kenaikan jumlah jutawan tertinggi sebanyak 104%, sementara India mencatatkan peningkatan sebanyak 50.9%.Negara yang mempunyai jumlah jutawan terbanyak masih diungguli Amerika Syarikat, Jerman dan Jepun.

US Bimbang Rancangan Roboh Rumah di Baitulmuqaddis.

Jabatan Luar Negeri Amerika Syarikat menyatakan rasa bimbang tentang rancangan Israel untuk merobohkan 22 buah rumah Palestin di Baitulmuqaddis Timur yang dijajah. Jurucakap PJ Crowley mengatakan itu adalah bentuk tindakan yang merosakkan kepercayaan dan meningkatkan risiko keganasan.

Rancangan itu sebahagian daripada projek pembangunan kembali di persekitaran Silwan yang masih dalam peringkat awal. Menteri Pertahanan Israel juga mengkritik Majlis Perbandaran Baitulmuqaddis pelan yang dibuat dalam masa yang buruk dan miskin “akal”. Di bawah rancangan yang telah diluluskan pada hari Isnin, 22 rumah akan diroboh untuk memberikan ruang bagi sebuah taman pelancongan Israel. 66 bangunan lain dibina tanpa kebenaran Israel akan disahkan. Hal ini sangat ditentang oleh orang Palestin, yang percaya akan memperketat kawalan Israel ke atas wilayah itu.

PBB akan mendesak penarikan semula sekatan Gaza.

Penarikan penuh sekatan ke atas Gaza akan memberikan peluang wilayah itu untuk dibangunkan semula, demikian menurut agensi PBB yang bertanggungjawab ke atas pelarian Palestin pada hari Isnin, sehari selepas kerajaan haram Israel berkata akan mengundurkan kawalannya.

Kerajaan haram Israel, yang menutup laluan di perairan wilayah Gaza untuk menghalang Hamas daripada mendapatkan senjata, sedang dalam tekanan antarabangsa untuk membuka sekatan Palestin selepas tentera rejim Israel membunuh sembilan aktivis dalam serangan ke atas kapal bantuan Flotilla pada 31 Mei yang lepas.

Dalam undang-undang sekatan yang lepas, sebarang barang yang yang tidak termasuk dalam senarai yang dibenarkan diharamkan daripada dibawa masuk. Kerajaan haram Israel berkata buat masa ini semua barang akan dibenarkan masuk ke Gaza kecuali barang berkenaan termasuk dalam senarai yang diharamkan termasuk senjata dan bahan untuk membuat senjata.

Pemuda Palestin ditahan selepas dibebaskan sebulan yang lalu w/pun telah menjalani hukuman 8 tahun.

Rejim Zionis telah menangkap/menahan seorang pemuda daripada bandar Nablus hari ini selepas/sejurus/setelah membebaskannya sebulan yang lalu/lepas. Pemuda tersebut telah menjalani hukuman 8 tahun di dalam penjara Israel selepas dibebaskan pada kali pertama. Sumber-sumber Palestin telah berkata bahawa Mazen Aldanbak, 34, merupakan ahli gerakan Fatah di Nablus. Kuasa pendudukan Israel telah membebaskannya pada Mei 18, 2010 selapas menjalani 8 tahun secara berturut-turut di dalam penjara (kuasa) pendudukan tersebut.

Sumber-sumber juga mengatakan/menambah bahawa pendudukan kuasa telah menyerbu rumah Aldanbak yang terletak di Nablus pada waktu fajar/subuh hari ni dan telah menahan Mazen Aldanbak.

Zionis benarkan beberapa barang komoditi baru masuk Gaza.

Ir. Raed Fattouh, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pembekalan Gaza berkata kerajaan haram Israel bersetuju hari ini untuk membenarkan kemasukan beberapa barang komoditi baru ke Semenanjung Gaza yang diisytiharkan sebagai ‘komoditi baru dibenarkan’ sejak beberapa hari lalu.

Fattouh berkata dalam satu kenyataan media, kira-kira 130 buah trak yang sarat dengan muatan bantuan kemanusiaan bagi sektor perdagangan dan pertanian memasuki Semenanjung Gaza melalui pintu sempadan Kerem Abu Salem. Bantuan tersebut termasuklah barangan keperluan yang tidak mencukupi seperti gas masakan dan diesel industri untuk kegunaan stesen janakuasa tenaga Gaza. Pintu sempadan komersil Karni masih lagi ditutup.

Kerajaan haram Israel telah mengisytiharkan senarai komoditi baru yang dibenarkan memasuki Gaza sebagai sebahagian daripada rancangan untuk melonggarkan sekatan ke atas Gaza. Antara yang tersenarai adalah kicap, mayonis, jarum jahitan, barang mainan kanak-kanak, enjin kereta dan barang kosmetik. Walaupunbagaimanapun, penduduk Palestin menganggap langkah ini sebagai mengetatkan lagi sekatan dan bukannya melonggarkannya. Mereka menggesa kemasukan bahan-bahan asas seperti simen, besi dan bahan-bahan industri.

Seruan supaya meneruskan kerjasama bagi tujuan menghapuskan kepungan keatas Gaza.

Para Peguam dan ahli undang-undang berpendapat bahawa perlunya lanjutan terhadap usaha kerjasama antarabangsa serta usaha memberi tekanan kepada penjajah Zionis, melalui pembentukan kesatuan politik, dalam rangka menghapuskan kepungan Zionis keatas Gaza.

perkara tersebut muncul ketika sesi diskusi pendapat yg dilakukan oleh Pusat Kajian Dasar dan Pembangunan, pada hari Isnin (21-6), berjudul “Serangan musuh terhadap armada kebebasan dan jalan untuk menghadapinya.”

Raji Surani, Pengarah Pusat Palestin dan Hak Asasi Manusia, berkata “bahawa rakyat Turki telah berdepan (isu ini) dengan sangat serius dan bertanggungjawab dengan mengambil tindakan undang-undang atas pembunuhan yg dilakukan secara kejam oleh penjajah Zionis keatas kapal armada kebebasan di kawasan perairan antarabangsa.”

Israel Pertahan Kepungan Gaza.

Menteri Pertahanan Israel mengatakan bahawa kerajaan haram Isreal akan meminta Lebanon bertanggung jawab jika terdapat lebih kekerasan dalam halangan terhadap kapal-kapal bantuan untuk Gaza.

Perahu yang terdiri daripada aktivis dan bantuan akan memulakan perjalanan dalam beberapa hari dalam usaha ke Gaza selepas pihak berkuasa Lubnan memberikan izin untuk kapal itu belayar ke Cyprus. Kerajaan Haram Israel telah membuat kenyataan bahawa walaupun ia telah melonggarkan kepungan atas Gaza, ia akan tetap mempertahankan kepungan laut dan tidak akan membenarkan kapal ke dermaga di sana kerana takut mereka boleh membawa senjata untuk Hamas.

Kapal Bantuan Iran Akan Berangkat Ahad Ini.

Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Iran bertekad mengirim sebuah kapal yang membawa 1100 ton barangan bantuan kemanusiaan ke Gaza. Kapal yang akan bergerak Ahad ini (27/06) diberi nama “Kapal untuk Anak-anak Gaza”.

Jurucakap Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Iran, Abdul Rauf Habib Zada, menyatakan, Selasa (22/6), persatuannya akan mengirim sebuah kapal yang membawa 1100 ton bantuan kemanusiaan ke Gaza Ahad depan, terutama ubat-ubatan, makanan dan pakaian kanak-kanak. Beliau menyatakan bahawa kapal ini akan meninggalkan pelabuhan Bandar Abbas di Teluk, Ahad depan menuju laut tengah.

Beliau menambah, “Kapal ini hanya akan disertai 10 orang sahaja iaitu seramai 5 orang wartawan dan 5 sukarelawan kemanusiaan. Kapal ini memerlukan masa 14 hari untuk tiba di pantai Gaza.”

Pembentukkan Suruhanjaya Antarabangsa Untuk Siasatan Serangan Ke Atas Flotilla.

Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia yang bernaung di bawah Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu telah disahkan mendapat Suara Majoriti Selesa ke atas cadangan untuk membentuk suatu Suruhanjaya Siasatan Antarabangsa terhadap serangan yang dilakukan Rejim Zionis ke atas Freedom Flotilla pada 31 Mei yang lalu yang telah mengakibatkan puluhan manusia mati syahid dan cedera parah di Kawasan Perairan Antarabangsa.

Dan berkatanya “Kempen Kesatuan Eropah Demi Memberhentikan Sekatan Ke Atas Gaza” iaitu salah satu daripada pertubuhan yang bergabung dengan Freedom Flotilla dan merupakan pertubuhan yang sering mengambil bahagian di dalam perjalanan Perjumpaan Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia :

“Sesungguhnya Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia telah pun mengisytiharkan nama-nama untuk ke Misi Siasatan Antarabangsa iaitu pada hari Isnin (21/6) untuk menyiasat dan mengkaji segala fakta-fakta yang berkaitan untuk mengesahkan pencabulan Undang-Undang Antarabangsa yang berpunca daripada serangan Pihak Israel terhadap Kapal Konvoi Bantuan Kemanusiaan ke Gaza.

Dan pertubuhan tersebut menambah di dalam suatu kenyataan bertulis dan Pusat Informasi Palestin telah menerima satu salinan daripada kenyatan tersebut :

“Sesungguhnya draf resolusi tersebut telah diutarakan oleh salah seorang daripada perwakilan Pakistan ( di atas nama Jemaah Perwakilan Bangsa Arab ) berdasarkan di atas permintaan Turki yang menjadi korban pada malam serangan tersebut yang mana telah mengorbankan 9 orang ahli konvoi warganya, dan draf resolusi tersebut telah dikeluarkan bersama-sama dengan nama-nama anggota suruhanjaya yang ditubuhkan itu, sambil memberitahu bahawa misi siasatan tersebut akan menggabungkan ahli-ahlinya yang terdiri daripada :

1. Dino Criciotbs yang merupakan seorang peguam bertaraf antarabangsa dari Zimbabwe yang sekarang ini bertugas di Jabatan Awam Undang-Undang Antarabangsa di University Nottingham di dalam jurusan undang-undang,
2. Puan Singh yang merupakan mantan Ahli Jawatankuasa Diskriminasi Terhadap Wanita dari India,
3. Dmitry Rafik yang merupakan mantan Ahli Perwakilan Hak-Hak Asasi Manusia di Serbia,dan Anaguiborg Sólrún Zdzisladottir yang merupakan mantan Menteri Luar Iceland dan merupakan mantan Pegawai Tertinggi di Mahkamah Jenayah Antarabangsa di Canada.

Barak desak PBB hentikan penubuhan badan siasatan Flotilla.

Menteri Pertahanan Israel, Ehud Barak mendesak PBB untuk menangguhkan rancangan menubuhkan badan siasatan bebas yang disokong oleh pertubuhan antarabangsa berikutan serangan komando Israel terhadap konvoi kapal bantuan kemanusiaan yang melakukan perjalanan ke Gaza bulan lalu sehingga meragut nyawa sembilan rakyat Turki.

Berkata kepada wartawan selepas pertemuan dengan Ban Ki-moon, Barak meminta Setiausaha Agung PBB supaya menangguhkan rancangan untuk membentuk suruhanjaya siasatan serangan Israel terhadap kapal konvoi keamanan termasuk enam kapal pelancongan yang membawa bantuan dan aktivis keamanan ke Gaza.

Barak menambah, “Kami telah menyuarakan pandangan kami bahawa pada ketika ini dan selagi mana masih ada konvoi kapal laut lain sedang bersiap untuk belayar ke Gaza, mungkin cara yang terbaik adalah untuk meninggalkannya (siasatan PBB) di atas rak untuk beberapa ketika. ”