Palestinian prisoner moved to hospital after entering coma
The Israel Prison Service on Tuesday moved a Palestinian prisoner to an Israeli hospital after the man entered a coma on his sixth day of hunger strike, the Palestinian Prisoners and Former Prisoners' Affairs Committee said.
The committee said Rabie Atta Muhammad Jibril was moved from Negev prison to the Soroka Hospital in southern Israel.
Jibril, who has been in Israeli custody since Aug. 19, went on hunger strike in protest of his administrative detention -- an Israeli policy that allows Palestinians to be held without charge or trial, indefinitely.
The committee said it had warned Israeli authorities days ago, that Jibril's health was rapidly deteriorating, adding that the man shows signs of cirrhosis and cancer.
Before Jibril fell into a coma, the committee said he had lost the ability to stand on his own or relieve his bowels, and was "constantly vomiting."
Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Qiq has been on hunger strike for for 84 days and counting, as an Israeli court on Tuesday refused his appeal to be transferred to a hospital in the occupied West Bank.
Israel has negotiated in cases of hunger strikes launched by Palestinian prisoners in the past out of fear that prisoners' death could spark unrest in the occupied Palestinian territory, but upheaval has already laid into the territory for months.
Palestinian Prisoners' Society head Qadura Fares said earlier this month that the Israeli security establishment now believes it has "nothing to lose."
Israeli Soldiers Kidnap Ten Palestinians In The West Bank
Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Tuesday at dawn, ten Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank, including one in occupied Jerusalem, in numerous invasions of communities and violent searches of homes. The soldiers also shot a Palestinian in Nablus.
In Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, the soldiers kidnapped Mohammad Hasan al-Ja'bari, and his brother Edrees, from their home in the al-Mohawwel area, in the city.
Two Palestinians, identified as Taha Hosni Sharif, 19, and Hashem Jom'a al-Atrash, 19, were also kidnapped from their homes, in Hebron's Old City.
In Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, several armored military vehicles invaded the al 'Arqa village, searched many homes and kidnapped Abboud Mohammad Khalil Hammad, 18, while Ammar Ibrahim Hammour, 28, was kidnapped from his home in the nearby Jaba' town.
The soldiers also invaded Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, and kidnapped Hani Abdullah Taqatqa, 39, and Qussai Mahmoud Thawabta, 22, while resident Mahmoud Abdullah Taqatqa, 19, was summoned for interrogation in the Etzion military base.
In Qalqilia, in the northern part of the West Bank, the soldiers searched many homes and kidnapped Adeeb Ghalban.
In Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, the soldiers shot Ahmad Bilal Zeitoun, 24, with a live round in his left leg, after several Israeli military vehicles invaded the city, stormed and ransacked many homes.
In occupied Jerusalem, the soldiers stopped a young man, in Bab al-'Amoud area, and kidnapped him allegedly for carrying a knife.
The police claimed it "foiled a planned attack," and that the Palestinian, in his twenties, is from the Jenin district. He was moved to an interrogation center in the city.
Red Cross visited 13,400 Palestinians in Israeli jails in 2015
The International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday said it paid visits to some 13,400 Palestinian detainees in different Israeli jails and detention centers in 2015.
Representatives of the Red Cross said in a press statement that the organization visited 13,400 Palestinians held in several lock-ups across the Occupied West Bank and 1948 Occupied Palestine. The Red Cross committee also said it kept tabs on the situation of 2,600 detainees in Israeli jails.
Follow up committees were also appointed for 21 Palestinian hunger-strikers in Israeli jails and 13 others in hospitals and Palestinian detention centers. The committee added that efforts have been underway to prevent mistreatment of hunger-strikers and ill prisoners.
Meanwhile, reports were released by the Palestinian Prisoners Society on the mistreatment which prisoners Thamer Abu Diyeh and Haytham Khleif were subjected to while they were kidnapped from their family homes by the occupation soldiers.
Both arrestees were transferred to administrative detention, with neither charge nor trial, in the Etzion lock-up.
Al-Qeiq family launches a cry for help
The family of the Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Qeiq appealed to the free world to save their sons' life as he reached a very critical stage of hunger strike.
Speaking to the PIC reporter, al-Qeiq's wife Fayha Shalash expressed deep sadness and intense fear over her husband's deteriorating health situation especially after a video broadcasted by al-Quds TV Channel showed al-Qeiq while shouting loudly and screaming from sharp pains in his chest.
Fayha also called for a mass participation in the rallies and marches set to be staged across occupied Palestine in support for al-Qeiq, who has been struggling against death after 84 days of ongoing hunger strike. Earlier Monday, the Israeli higher court rejected al-Qeiq's request to be moved from Afula hospital to a Palestinian-run hospital in Ramallah for medical treatment, and decided to hold another session on Tuesday to review al-Qeiq's appeal against his administrative detention.
Lawyer of the PA Committee for Prisoners' Affairs Hanan al-Khatib said in a statement issued Monday that al-Qeiq's health situation has reached an unprecedented critical stage as he started suffering sharp pain in his chest, numbness in his face, and had begun shouting loudly, and screaming: "Let me hear my son's voice, please God." "I have not seen him like that during the whole period of his strike. The situation is painful, saddening, and very critical," she continued. Video
Tension flares up in Jenin as IOF cracks down on Palestinians
Tension has been running high across Jenin after the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rolled into the city and aggressively attacked the Palestinian protesters and residents.
Reporting from Erka town, in western Jenin, a PIC journalist said clashes burst out shortly after the occupation troops showered the area with bullet fire and teargas canisters, resulting in bullet injuries and dozens of suffocation cases among the Palestinians.
The occupation troops have reportedly tightened the noose around the town and sealed off its main access roads.
A Palestinian mother and her daughter were also subjected to exhaustive questioning by the IOF at the Jalama checkpoint in Jenin while on their way to visit their imprisoned relative. The IOF prevented the daughter from visiting her brother, Fadi al-Derbi, in Israeli jail under the security pretext.
Six ill prisoners suffer worsening health conditions
Palestinian Prisoners Society revealed on Monday that six Gazan prisoners who are held in the Israeli jail of Nafha suffer from worsened health conditions due to the Israeli policy of medical neglect against captives.
The society's lawyer who visited detainees in Nafha pointed out that captive Raef al-Farra, 40 from Khan Younis, has been complaining of migraine for seven years and receiving only painkillers. He has been detained since 2004 and sentenced to life imprisonment for six times in addition to twenty five years, the lawyer added.
The lawyer also said that captive Usama Abu al-Asal, 40 from Khan Younis, has been suffering from high cholesterol and artery blockage for eight years. He is sentenced to twenty two years and has been arrested since 2003.
A third Gazan detainee, Abed Abdelmouti, 52 from Jabalya, is suffering health problems in the glands, teeth, neck ache and hernia. He has been demanding treatment for years but his appeals were in vein. He has been detained since 2002 and sentenced to twenty years.
The society also revealed that captive Ibrahim al-Bitar, 34, complains of Krone's disease which he caught in jail, a few months later of his arrest. He also suffers from anemia, vision loss in one eye and osteoporosis. He is sentenced to seventeen years and has been arrested since 2003.
Khaled Abu Amsheh, 52 from Beit Hanoun, also suffers from weak heart muscle and breathing problems in addition to chronic joint infections. He also complains of severe vision weakness and teeth problems. Amsheh has been detained since 2006 and sentenced to 6 life imprisonment terms in addition to 60 years.
Alaa Salah, 41, from Jabalya, complains of acute headache and problems in the liver, kidney and teeth. He does not receive any treatment and has not been allowed to undergo medical examinations despite his condition. Salah has been in jail since 2004 and sentenced to life imprisonment for four times in addition to sixteen years.
Two injured as settlers break into Youssef's tomb in Nablus
Two Palestinian youths were injured at dawn Tuesday as clashes erupted in Nablus after hundreds of Israeli settlers broke into Youssef's tomb.
The PIC reporter quoted eyewitnesses as saying that Israeli troops stormed the eastern neighborhoods of Nablus after mid night and deployed throughout the area before turning a number of local buildings into checkpoints.
The Israeli military presence came in order to pave the way for a number of Israeli buses carrying hundreds of setters.
Violent clashes erupted after Israeli settlers tried to perform Talmudic rituals in Youssef's tomb. During the clashes, Israeli forces fired bullets and tear gas bombs at local residents leaving two youths injured.
Local youths affirmed that at least two live shot injuries were reported while dozens suffered effects of tear gas inhalation. Meanwhile, confrontation continued overnight in Arqa town west of Jenin where dozens of injuries were reported.
The clashes erupted in protest against Israeli forces' continued closure of the town's entrances and main roads. Along the same line, at least one youth was detained in Qabatia town, south of Jenin, as IOF soldiers violently stormed the town.
Clashes at Shuafat checkpoint and in other areas of J'lem
Violent clashes broke out on Monday night between young men and Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint Shuafat refugee camp in Occupied Jerusalem.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) closed the Shuafat checkpoint following overnight clashes with local young men in the area.
Skirmishes also took place in Jabel Mukaber neighborhood in Jerusalem near the house of Rama Ja'abis, the teenage girl who was arrested earlier on the same day in the Old City on allegations of finding a sharp object in her possession.
Similar events also started in Issawiya district, east Jerusalem, after police forces stormed its streets and intensively fired tear gas grenades at young men and homes. Israeli police troops also invaded Abu Dis town, east of the holy city, and fired shots in the vicinity of al-Quds University, with no reported reason.
According to Quds Press, the Israeli occupation police on Monday intensified its security measures in the holy city, deployed a large number of its forces in its neighborhoods and alleys, and installed new surveillance and listening devices in and around Bab al-Amud area. Several Palestinian passersby on the streets of east Jerusalem were searched and interrogated by policemen during the day, Quds Press added.
Three young men were also kidnapped during the same day by Israeli and military forces in different areas in and near Jerusalem. Local sources said that policemen kidnapped a kid identified as Ahmed Asha'yer from Attur neighborhood in east Jerusalem.
Two other young men identified as Ahmed Luqyana and Adan Majed were taken prisoners in Beit Iksa town, northwest of Jerusalem, and at Jaba checkpoint, northeast of the city. In al-Khalil, Israeli soldiers on Monday evening physically assaulted a young man named Taha al-Sharif before rounding him up near the Ibrahimi Mosque, according to local sources.
Lawyer: Hunger-striking journalist 'screams' to hear son's voice
The health of Palestinian prisoner Muhammad al-Qiq has deteriorated further, one of his lawyers said Monday, as the imprisoned journalist entered his 83rd day on hunger strike.
Hanan al-Khatib, a lawyer with the Palestinian Authority Committee for Prisoners' Affairs, said in a statement that al-Qiq was suffering sharp pain in his chest, numbness in his face, and had begun "shouting loudly, and screaming: 'Let me hear my son's voice, please God."
She said: "I have not seen him like that during the whole period of his strike. The situation is painful, saddening, and very critical."
Khatib said the latest deterioration in his health was "unprecedented." She said a medical team had gone to HaEmek Hospital in Afula, where al-Qiq is being held, but the journalist refused to be touched or treated.
Al-Qiq, a 33-year-old Palestinian journalist and father of two, began his hunger strike in November to protest his administrative detention by Israel -- internment without trial or charge.
Earlier this month, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled to temporarily suspend his administrative detention sentence due to his poor health, but said the sentence would be resumed once his health improved.
Al-Qiq rejected the ruling, saying he would not end his hunger strike unless Israel agreed to his full release.
The Palestinian Prisoner's Society has repeatedly said Israel was "not showing attention or willingness" to solve al-Qiq's case.
Israel has negotiated in cases of hunger strikes launched by Palestinian prisoners in the past out of fear that prisoners' deaths could spark unrest in the occupied Palestinian territory, but the territory has already faced turmoil for months.
The head of the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, Qadura Fares, said earlier this month that the Israeli security establishment now believes it has "nothing to lose" by letting al-Qiq die.
Israeli policemen arrest girl after claiming she was planning stabbing attack
Israeli policemen arrested a Palestinian girl in occupied Jerusalem on Monday afternoon after claiming she tried to carry out a stabbing attack.
The Hebrew website 0404 said that the policemen beat the girl with their batons before arresting her near Bab el-Amud in occupied Jerusalem.
Hebrew media sources claimed that the policemen found a knife in the possession of the girl.
Israeli Soldiers Kidnap 24 Palestinians In The West Bank
Israeli soldiers kidnapped, overnight and on Monday morning, 24 Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank, largely in the Ramallah and al-Biereh District, and Nablus.
The soldiers invaded various parts of Ramallah and al-Biereh district, in central West Bank, and kidnapped nine Palestinians, after breaking into their homes and searching them.
The kidnapped are, member of Fateh Movement's Revolutionary Council, Jamal Abu al-Leil, Mohammad Rashad Barghouthi, his brothers Nour and Hussein, from 'Aboud nearby town, in addition to Dia Jabr, Baha' Jabr, Wisam Jabr, Daoud Suleiman Habboub and Nasser al-Khairi, from the al-Am'ari refugee camp.
In the northern West Bank district of Nablus, the soldiers also invaded and searched homes and kidnapped six Palestinians identified as Yazan Nasser Asayra, 20, Abdul-Fattah Ahmad, and Abed Yahya Saleh, 22, from Aseera al-Qibleyya town, in addition to Raed Hamdan, Ala Abu Zanat and Fares Halawa.
The soldiers also kidnapped Ahmad Leqyaniyya, from Beit Iksa town, northwest of Jerusalem, Baraa' Rasheed from the Qalandia refugee camp, north of the city.
In Bethlehem, the soldiers kidnapped Ayman Khalil Saleh, 42, Haitham Ahmad Khleif, 29, and Tamer Mustafa Abu Dayya, 29.
The soldiers also kidnapped a Palestinian from the al-'Obeydiyya town, east of Bethlehem.
The worker has been identified as Hani Eid Rabay'a, 38; he was heading to work when the soldiers stopped him, and kidnapped him, reportedly for not carrying a work permit.
In Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, the soldiers kidnapped three Palestinians, identified as Faleh Abdul-Jawad ar-Razeq, 16, Thaer Jihad Abu Sondos, from Doura town, and Raed Ishaq Abu Hmeid from Yatta town, south of Hebron.
Issawi goes on hunger strike in solidarity with journalist Qeiq
Palestinian prisoner Samer al-Issawi, from Occupied Jerusalem, has started an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with hunger-striking journalist Mohamed al-Qeiq, whose health condition reached a life-threatening stage.
Quds Press quoted the father of Issawi as saying that his son had told him about his solidarity step during a recent prison visit.
"Samer has gone through the same ordeal before and knows full well what it is like to have your freedom taken from you without any guilt," the father added.
The Israeli military court in Ofer in May last year had reinstated his previous 30-year prison term on a charge of his affiliation with the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Issawi has become world famous because of his legendary record-breaking hunger strike during his previous detention.
Prisoners face tragic conditions, but call for solidarity strike with al-Qeiq
Palestinian prisoners in Raymond prison complained of the difficult conditions and procedures the sick prisoners face, particularly the transportation via Bosta. A lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said during a visit to the prison that transferring sick prisoners to hospitals via the Bosta vehicle exacerbate their suffering, as the journey might last for long hours up to a full day, during which a prisoner is being shackled, is given only one meal, and is not allowed to use the toilet.
The PPS said that among the sick prisoners is captive Shady Halawa, 36, from Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Halawa suffers from a disease in the stomach, causing vomiting, and has lost more than 15 kilos of his weight recently. The Israeli doctors decided that he needs to undergo an urgent surgery, but its date has not been specified yet.
The captive also suffers of virus (C) in the liver, but is not receiving any treatment for that, in addition to his suffering from dental problems as well as problems in the nervous system as he was shot by the IOF during his arrest in 2005. Captive Halawa is sentenced to four life imprisonments and (40 years), he is languishing in the Raymond jail.
On the other hand, the lawyer of the PPS, Iyad Mohamed, confirmed on Sunday that the captive Mohammed Jalal al-Muhr is on hunger strike in protest against his detention. The lawyer added that the judges in the Israeli Military Court in Salem told him that the prisoner did not attend a scheduled court hearing due to his transfer to the hospital because of his hunger strike. In the same context, the family of al-Muhr told the PPS that their son has been on hunger strike for 42 days in the Megiddo prison before being transferred to hospital.
Al-Muhr has been detained since 11/3/2015 and the Israeli prosecution has issued an indictment against him. In another context, the PPS called on the leaders of Palestinian factions inside the Israeli jails to join in the move of solidarity with prisoner Al-Qeiq. The solidarity move, which is waged by members of the senior leadership body, is the announcement of beginning an open hunger strike until captive al-Qeiq gets his freedom.
The Media spokesman for the PPS, Riyad Al-Ashqar, saluted the solidarity move which is taken by Hamas prisoners and a number of its leaders in the Israeli jails to go on hunger strike to support the captive al-Qeiq. He called other prisoners to follow suit, as the captive al-Qeiq's health conditions have worsened dramatically, therefore, the situation needs the support of everyone inside and outside Israeli prisons.
He opined that expanding the hunger strike, especially if prominent leaders participated and went on hunger strikes themselves, will put pressure on the Israeli occupation to reconsider its way of handling the issue of the captive al-Qeiq. Al-Ashqar said that the Israeli occupation authority is being unprecedentedly stubborn regarding the case of the captive al-Qeiq. He added that al-Qeiq's health is in a critical condition threatening his life to the extent that he might die at any moment after the collapse of his body suddenly, which requires immediate action from within prisons.
Al-Ashqar said that the events of solidarity with captive al-Qeiq are good but not sufficient and limited to the popular reaction, while the official side is not making a real effort to communicate with the international institutions, request a session of the United Nations, or to file an urgent complaint with the ICC and other institutions to which the Palestinian Authority had recently joined.
Silent theater in Gaza to speak up for hunger-striker Qeiq
A role play of silent theater was performed by a group of amateurs in the blockaded Gaza Strip in solidarity with the Palestinian hunger-striking journalist Muhammad al-Qeiq.
Barbed wire and metal barricades appeared on the stage while iron bars were tightened around the actors' bodies in an attempt to transmit to the audience the pain endured by Palestinians in Israeli jails.
The show was staged by the Wafi youth group in Gaza under the title "Freedom for Muhammad al-Qeiq." Actors wearing brown prison uniforms and surrounded by Israeli soldiers from all sides also emerged on stage. The mock-soldiers appeared to be aggressively attacking the hunger-striking detainees.
In another act performed in Gaza streets, a hunger-striker unbolts the iron bars and gets out of jail while lifting a banner reading: "Freedom for al-Qeiq". Spokesperson for the band, Hussam Ghandur, said the show was enacted to mobilize solidarity with al-Qeiq, whose hunger strike in Israeli custody has entered its third month.
Injuries reported as clashes erupt in Ramallah, Jenin
Violent clashes broke out in al-Ama'ari refugee camp in Ramallah when Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) surrounded a local home and ascended roofs of nearby houses.
Palestinian Health Ministry said that more than ten injuries were reported during the clashes. Most of the injured were hit in their lower body parts.
The surrounded house's owner and his son were arrested during the raid, local sources pointed out. In Jenin, local youths in Erqa village stoned Israeli forces in rejection of the Israeli military cordon which was imposed on the town since the early morning hours.
The PIC news reporter quoted local sources as saying that two Israeli military bulldozers closed all entrances leading to the village with sand mounds after two local minors were shot and killed earlier Sunday. Local youths and school students stoned the Israeli forces who responded by firing tear gas bombs. A number of young men were treated for suffocation.
Earlier Sunday, two Palestinian minors were gunned down by Israeli forces at a roadblock in Erqa west of Jenin city. The death of the two minors brings the number of Palestinians killed at the hands of IOF soldiers since the start of the Jerusalem Intifada on 1st October 2015 to 177 including 39 children.
Israeli prosecutor refuses al-Qeiq transfer to Ramallah hospital
The Israeli prosecutor refused on Sunday evening al-Qeiq's request to be transferred to a Palestinian hospital. The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said that the Israeli prosecutor's refusal meant that the ball is back in the court of the High Court.
A second court session is scheduled to be held on Monday afternoon to decide over al-Qeiq's appeal. The PPS has earlier submitted a petition to the Israeli Supreme court on behalf of hunger-striking journalist Mohamed al-Qeiq asking for his transfer from Afula hospital to a Palestinian one in order to provide him with proper medical care.
The PPS stated that it made this request after the health of Qeiq sharply declined and all efforts to have him released failed. The PA Committee of Prisoners' Affairs said on Sunday afternoon that the Israeli Supreme Court has demanded the Israeli prosecutor to decide over Mohamed al-Qeiq's appeal to be transferred to a Palestinian hospital in Ramallah.
The court gave the Israeli prosecutor till Sunday evening to decide over al-Qeiq's appeal after his serious health deterioration amid fears that he might suffer from a stroke. The committee has called on Israeli government to end al-Qeiq's administrative detention and to transfer him from Afula hospital to a Palestinian one in order to provide him with proper medical care.
The Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Qeiq has been on a continuous hunger strike for 82 days in protest against his arbitrary punishment of administrative detention by the Israeli occupation authorities. Similar to several hundreds of Palestinian civilians, Muhammad Al-Qeiq is a victim of the arbitrary punishment of administrative detention and is being held by Israel without charge or trial by administrative order and not by judicial decree.
As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for the safety and well-being of Muhammad Al-Qeiq and must be compelled to respect its obligations under international humanitarian law without exception. Amnesty International had voiced serious concern that the Israeli authorities are using the so-called administrative detention "as a method of punishing al-Qeiq without prosecuting him, which would amount to arbitrary detention."
20-month imprisonment against Jerusalemite for confronting settlers
Israeli central court in Occupied Jerusalem on Sunday placed an unfair sentence against a Jerusalemite man, Muawiyah Khairi, 31, to 20-month imprisonment over the charge of confronting Jewish settlers in the Old City of Jerusalem. Khairi, who resides in the Old City of Occupied Jerusalem, was arrested on September, 29, 2015.
In a similar context, the same court released a 17-year-old Jerusalemite minor called Riyad Abu Ta'a, who resides in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Occupied Jerusalem, after he had finished his unjust long sentence of 15 months for a minor charge. Abu Ta'a was arrested on December, 14, 2013 and charged of stone throwing at settlers.
Fresh arrests carried out in occupied J'lem, W.B.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed at dawn Monday occupied Jerusalem and a number of West Bank cities and towns where a large-scale arrest campaign was carried out.
A Palestinian young man was injured after being shot by Israeli forces while storming the Old City in Nablus to the north of occupied West Bank.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that IOF soldiers stormed in large numbers the Old City amid heavy fire of live rounds and sound bombs, leaving at least one young man injured.
Three youths were detained from their homes during the raid. Along the same line, IOF imposed since the early morning hours a military cordon on Erqa village west of Jenin after two local youths were shot and killed earlier Sunday. The PIC news reporter quoted local sources as saying that two Israeli military bulldozers closed all entrances leading to the village.
Israeli forces, meanwhile, carried out combing operations in the area and erected a number of make-shift checkpoints throughout the village. Similar combing operations and raids were carried out in Qabatia town since the early morning hours. In Ramallah, four Palestinians were arrested including a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council as IOF patrols broke into the city.
Two other youths were arrested overnight in al-Khalil and occupied Jerusalem.
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