Source: Ma’an

Twenty-three Palestinian lawmakers are currently being held in Israeli jails, a majority of whom have been detained in the last two weeks during the Israeli arrest campaign across the West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said on Wednesday.

Eleven of the 23 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council were detained prior to the campaign, the first of whom was Marwan Barghouthi in 2002.

The two most recently-detained lawmakers were taken on Tuesday night during a raid in Bethlehem. Read more »

Supporters of hunger-striking prisoners can eat again

AlQuds Ramallah

by Ali Samoudi

Sixty-three Palestinian administrative detainees have suspended the hunger strike they started 63 days ago.

President of the prisoners Club Qaddura Fares told Alquds.Com that the prisoners signed an agreement to suspend the hunger strike, and in return the administration will meet many of their demands. He added that all of the details will be announced at a press conference today in accordance with the desire of the prisoners. Read more »

by samidoun

In the early morning of June 25, after 63 days of hunger strike, Palestinian administrative detainees announced they were suspending their strike, with details of their agreement with the prison administration to be announced at a press conference at 10 AM on June 25.

Ma’an News reported that lawyer Ashraf Abu Sneineh and the Prisoners’ leading committee of the hunger strike at Tal Hashomer hospital signed the agreement.

So far tonight two airstrikes in North Gaza, three in Nuseirat in middle Gaza, one in Khan Younes and F-16s still roaring about overhead.

by Julie Webb-Pullman

Gazan families and supporters of prisoners losing faith in the international community

The scene outside the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza on Monday morning reflected the growing dissatisfaction amongst families and supporters of Palestinian prisoners with the inaction of both their own authorities, and that of the international community. Read more »

PRESS RELEASE
ADDAMEER Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association

24 June 2014 Occupied Ramallah

One hundred Palestinian administrative detainees continue their 62nd day on hunger strike in protest of the policy of administrative detention, which has denied them their right to know their charges or stand trial.

Solidarity strikers stopped their strikes due to their deteriorating health conditions and the Israeli Prison Service’s (IPS) refusal to negotiate with the hunger strikers. Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association is deeply concerned about the deteriorating health conditions of the hunger strikers, especially in light of the degrading and inhumane treatment they are subjected to in Israeli prisons and hospitals.

“Difficult and Humiliating” Daily Suffering

Signed affidavits from several detainees has confirmed the continued policy of shackling the hunger strikers in hospital 24 hours a day with their legs tied to the bed continuously and one hand shackled to the bed for 12 hours (from 7PM to 7AM) every night. Prisoners have also described the horrific and degrading conditions they are subjected to in order to use the restroom or shower. The intentionally humiliating process has been described by a hunger striker in Barzilai Medical Center: Read more »

Palestinian human rights sources:

The number of Palestinians arrested by Israeli troops since the start of the Israeli campaign in the West Bank rose by 61 Monday, reaching a total of 529 Palestinians detained in the last 12 days.

Source: Mondoweiss

by Adam Horowitz, Scott Roth and Philip Weiss

The Israeli government has imposed a gag order on journalists covering the apparent abduction of three Jewish teens in the West Bank last week to keep media from reporting details of its investigation.

The gag order, which we publish below, has prevented media from reporting on an emergency telephone call made by one of the abducted youths. A widespread rumor is that the sound of a shot can be heard on the call. Mondoweiss has talked with one Israeli source who claims to have listened to the recording and confirms gunshots can be heard. This rumor has fed speculation that Israeli authorities believe one or more of the boys is dead– speculation that has appeared in print. Read more »

The number of Palestinians detained in the West Bank has now risen to 471.

11 of them are parliamentarians, including the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr Aziz Dwaik.

There are six dead, and 118 injured of whom 17 are in a critical condition.

There are not enough doctors available to cover the needs of the hospitals and clinics, and there is a shortage of medications and supplies.

The Ministry of Health has requested five truck-loads of medical supplies be permitted entry into Hebron, but Israel has so far prevented their delivery.

Government Media Office, Ramallah
Source: Alray

Dr Ihab Bseiso, Unity Government Spokesperson

The Palestinian unity government has appealed to Palestinian citizens in Gaza to ignore rumours about payment of their salaries, and only believe information from official government sources.

Government spokesperson Dr Ihab Bseiso said on Saturday that the government is facing a major challenge and that fabrications and rumors regarding salaries aim to create friction and increase anxiety. He emphasised that this crisis will not be solved in the short term as it is dependent on the outcome of deliberations being undertaken by the administrative Commission of the Ministers Council tasked with addressing personnel issues. Read more »

By Gideon Levy
Source: Haaretz

It is ridiculous to think that one of the most advanced armies in the world is pursuing a ‘war’ against an army of barefoot peasants.

Another dawn, another death in the West bank

Operation Brother’s Keeper has entered its grotesque phase. If it didn’t involve the lives, the honor and the liberty of Israelis and Palestinians, one could almost laugh.

But in farce, as in farce ­­- in the end, it always turns into tragedy. The events of the past week have long since passed beyond the sphere of concern for the kidnapped teens, and the grotesqueness of it all is only growing. Read more »

As of Saturday morning, the number of civilians detained by Israel in their sacking of the West Bank has risen to 370, two thirds of them members of the Hamas movement.

Maan reports that former minister of prisoner affairs Issa Qaraqe said that the number of Palestinians being held without charge or trial had jumped to 260 detainees in recent days, while the number of minors being detained had hit 241. Read more »

Source: Palestine Information Centre

GAZA,(PIC)– The Palestinian Health Ministry has decided to stop non-emergency surgeries in all hospitals in the Gaza Strip due to the acute shortage of medicines and fuel in light of the recent Israeli military escalation.

Spokesman for the ministry Ashraf Qudra said in a press release on Friday that hospitals in the besieged Strip suffer from an unprecedented acute shortage of medicines and medical supplies, and their fuel needs started to run short. Read more »

by Julie Webb-Pullman
Source: Middle East Monitor

It is increasingly perceived that the three missing settlers are but pawns in Netanyahu’s political game; providing an opportunity for Israel to crack down on Hamas to distract attention from hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners.

In a solid show of unity, Palestinian factions joined Palestinian Unity Government ministers and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in Gaza on Thursday to denounce the violent military operations against civilians in the West Bank, and warned of revolution. Read more »

PRESS RELEASE
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani
Location: Geneva
Subject: Israel / occupied Palestinian territory

Prisoner being force-fed in the US

We continue to follow closely the situation of Palestinian hunger strikers protesting Israel’s ongoing practice of administrative detention. The Secretary-General and the High Commissioner have repeatedly stated that administrative detainees should be charged or released without delay. The health of a number of hunger strikers is reportedly critical and continues to deteriorate.

We are concerned that the legislative amendment on force-feeding before the Israeli Knesset could be passed as early as Monday, 23 June 2014, and that a new provision reportedly allowing for the sedation of prisoners who refuse force-feeding has been introduced in the bill. The High Commissioner has written to the Israeli Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva to express her concerns that, if passed, this amendment would permit force-feeding and medical treatment of prisoners on hunger strike against their will under certain conditions, in contravention of international standards. Read more »

PRESS RELEASE
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
19 June 2014

The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel warns against granting, as reported, permission to interrogators in the current kidnapping affair to use “moderate physical pressure” under the so called “ticking bomb” procedure against Palestinian detainees. To do so would be a clear violation of the 1999 High Court decision on torture.

The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel calls on the Attorney General to clearly articualate to all security officials that there is no allowance to provide for pre-approval of torture and that torture and ill treatment are absolutely prohibited. Read more »

By Avraham Burg
Source: Haaretz

“We are incapable of understanding the suffering of a society, its cry, and the future of an entire nation that has been kidnapped by us.”

Palestinian workers from Hebron at Tarqumiya Checkpoint. Photo by Emil Salman

Our hearts are in pain over those three teenage boys whose identities we did not even know a moment ago, but who now belong to all of us. Each of them looks like my own son, the son of every one of my friends and their friends.

Like many people, I hope with all my heart that the moment will come when we see them alive among us, and that all this tension dissipates into blissful relief. I hope, with real trembling, but I cannot and do not want to ignore the silenced truth that surrounds their kidnapping. Read more »

by Rana Alshami

Israel has launched yet another campaign against the Palestinian people. This time their excuse is the kidnapping of three teenage “boys.” Israel is using this incident to once again collectively punish my people. According to international law, collective punishment is a crime. Read more »

by Gazans Against Bias:
A Gazan writers’ collective

Gilad Sha’ar, 16, missing from illegal Israeli settlement

Sex-offender abduction? Run-aways? Zionist false flag operation? Or kidnapping?

Any of those scenarios could well have described the failure of three young settlers to return to their homes in illegal settlements last Thursday night. Any competent investigation would consider them all, and obtain supportive evidence, before making accusations. Not so Israel’s.

No evidence was produced by Israel to demonstrate that the three were, in fact, kidnapped. This did not stop Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately making wild claims not only of a kidnapping, but also of Hamas involvement.

Claims that were promptly leapt upon, and sung from the stalls by a chorus of international organisations that should know better. Read more »

by Julie Webb-Pullman

Raafat Hamdona, Director of Centre for Prisoners’ Studies

Director of the Gaza Centre for Prisoners’ Studies Raafat Hamdona today accused international organisations and institutions such as the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross of not doing their job properly. Read more »