23 june 2016
Hamas slammed an Israeli military rule sentencing four anti-occupation fighters to two life-sentences, vowing to try its best to release Palestinians from Israeli jails.
Hamas spokesperson Hosam Badran said the Palestinian resistance will do whatever it takes to release the Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.
He hailed the anti-occupation fighters who carried out the Itamar attack in October 2015. He added that the attack is a natural response to the Israeli arson attack on the Dawabsheh family, which took away the life of 18-month-old toddler and his parents.
“The Itamar operation will not be the last on the road to national liberation,” Badran vowed.
An Israeli military court on Wednesday sentenced four Palestinian anti-occupation youths involved in a shooting attack in the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar to two life-sentences and 30 years in jail.
Hamas spokesperson Hosam Badran said the Palestinian resistance will do whatever it takes to release the Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.
He hailed the anti-occupation fighters who carried out the Itamar attack in October 2015. He added that the attack is a natural response to the Israeli arson attack on the Dawabsheh family, which took away the life of 18-month-old toddler and his parents.
“The Itamar operation will not be the last on the road to national liberation,” Badran vowed.
An Israeli military court on Wednesday sentenced four Palestinian anti-occupation youths involved in a shooting attack in the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar to two life-sentences and 30 years in jail.
19 june 2016
At least 57 Palestinians, among 110 from the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem released in the Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner swap deal, have been re-detained by Israel.
According to a report by the Palestine Prisoners Center for Studies, 57 Palestinians, amounting to 52% of those released in the Wafa al-Ahrar deal, were rearrested and incarcerated in Israeli jails.
Media spokesperson for the center, Riyad al-Ashqar, spoke out against Israel’s violations of the bonds of the Wafa al-Ahrar deal over the past couple of years.
Al-Ashqar slammed the Egyptian authorities for turning blind eyes to such Israeli infringements and for failing to take up their mission as a broker and supervisory party.
According to al-Ashqar 92% of those rearrested (50 detainees) were re-sentenced to previous prison-terms, including life-sentences and dozens of years in jail.
Longest-serving Nael al-Barghouti was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Al-Ashqar quoted the re-detained Palestinians as sounding the alarm over the agony they have been made to endure in Israeli jails.
The detainees further appealed to the Palestinian resistance to never yield in to Israeli pressure and to stand firm to any calls to strike another prisoner swap deal in exchange for Israeli captives before the re-arrested Palestinians restore their freedom.
According to a report by the Palestine Prisoners Center for Studies, 57 Palestinians, amounting to 52% of those released in the Wafa al-Ahrar deal, were rearrested and incarcerated in Israeli jails.
Media spokesperson for the center, Riyad al-Ashqar, spoke out against Israel’s violations of the bonds of the Wafa al-Ahrar deal over the past couple of years.
Al-Ashqar slammed the Egyptian authorities for turning blind eyes to such Israeli infringements and for failing to take up their mission as a broker and supervisory party.
According to al-Ashqar 92% of those rearrested (50 detainees) were re-sentenced to previous prison-terms, including life-sentences and dozens of years in jail.
Longest-serving Nael al-Barghouti was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Al-Ashqar quoted the re-detained Palestinians as sounding the alarm over the agony they have been made to endure in Israeli jails.
The detainees further appealed to the Palestinian resistance to never yield in to Israeli pressure and to stand firm to any calls to strike another prisoner swap deal in exchange for Israeli captives before the re-arrested Palestinians restore their freedom.
18 june 2016
Head of the Palestinian Prisoner Society, Qadoura Fares, said that the only hope left for the liberation of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails is a new swap deal between Hamas Movement and Israel.
In a statement to Quds Press, Fares condemned the arrest of the ex-detainees of the latest swap deal.
The Egyptian side has contacted Israel for the release of the 70 ex-detainees who were released within soldier Shalit's prisoner exchange deal but in vein, he said.
Fares asked the Egyptian authorities to intensify contacts with Israel for the release of the ex-detainees who were released after Shalit’s deal, which was brokered by Egypt.
Israel released 1,027 Palestinian captives in October, 2011 in return for the release of soldier Gilad Shalit who was captured by Hamas Movement in Gaza.
Israeli forces, however, re-arrested many of the released prisoners within the deal which is known as Wafa al-Ahrar.
In a statement to Quds Press, Fares condemned the arrest of the ex-detainees of the latest swap deal.
The Egyptian side has contacted Israel for the release of the 70 ex-detainees who were released within soldier Shalit's prisoner exchange deal but in vein, he said.
Fares asked the Egyptian authorities to intensify contacts with Israel for the release of the ex-detainees who were released after Shalit’s deal, which was brokered by Egypt.
Israel released 1,027 Palestinian captives in October, 2011 in return for the release of soldier Gilad Shalit who was captured by Hamas Movement in Gaza.
Israeli forces, however, re-arrested many of the released prisoners within the deal which is known as Wafa al-Ahrar.
10 june 2016
Lieutenant Goldin and Staff Sergeant Shaul will be recognized by Israel as being killed in action, but also 'missing in action and in captivity.'
The Ministry of Defense has announced that it will be changing the official status of fallen soldiers Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, who were both killed during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014. Goldin will be recognized as "killed in action", but will also receive the additional status of "missing in action and in captivity." Similarly, Shaul will be recognized as killed in action and a soldier whose place of burial is unknown, but also as missing in action and in captivity.
The slight difference between the two soldier's statuses is likely due to the fact that while some of Goldin's body parts were recovered on the battlefield, thus enabling his family to preside over a funeral procession, no remains of Shaul's body were recovered thereby precluding the possibility for a funeral. Remains of both soldiers' bodies are thought to be held by Hamas.
The redefinition of the soldiers' status came after the Goldin family petitioned the IDF to add the "missing in action and in captivity" status in an effort to prevent the conclusion of the campaign to return all of their remains to Israel. According to the family, the official recognition of their son as a fallen soldier symbolized the closure of the chapter and would lead to the premature termination of government efforts despite the fact that not all of his remains have been returned. The new status therefore, symbolized the idea of the state's obligation to retrieve Goldin's and Shaul's remains.
“We praise the IDF and the security apparatus for the new status of Hadar and Oron," said the Goldin family. "Indeed, the state of Israel’s declaration about Hadar shows that the objective of returning him has not been completed and that the country is fully obligated to return Hadar to his grave in Israel.”
“We expect practical steps to be taken by the state, by the IDF and the security apparatus to bring about Shaul’s and Hadar’s speedy return.”
When contacted by Ynet, members of the Shaul family said they were not aware of the decision. "The truth is we have not yet received any information regarding the matter," said Zehava Shaul, Staff Sgt. Shaul's mother.
The Ministry of Defense has announced that it will be changing the official status of fallen soldiers Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, who were both killed during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014. Goldin will be recognized as "killed in action", but will also receive the additional status of "missing in action and in captivity." Similarly, Shaul will be recognized as killed in action and a soldier whose place of burial is unknown, but also as missing in action and in captivity.
The slight difference between the two soldier's statuses is likely due to the fact that while some of Goldin's body parts were recovered on the battlefield, thus enabling his family to preside over a funeral procession, no remains of Shaul's body were recovered thereby precluding the possibility for a funeral. Remains of both soldiers' bodies are thought to be held by Hamas.
The redefinition of the soldiers' status came after the Goldin family petitioned the IDF to add the "missing in action and in captivity" status in an effort to prevent the conclusion of the campaign to return all of their remains to Israel. According to the family, the official recognition of their son as a fallen soldier symbolized the closure of the chapter and would lead to the premature termination of government efforts despite the fact that not all of his remains have been returned. The new status therefore, symbolized the idea of the state's obligation to retrieve Goldin's and Shaul's remains.
“We praise the IDF and the security apparatus for the new status of Hadar and Oron," said the Goldin family. "Indeed, the state of Israel’s declaration about Hadar shows that the objective of returning him has not been completed and that the country is fully obligated to return Hadar to his grave in Israel.”
“We expect practical steps to be taken by the state, by the IDF and the security apparatus to bring about Shaul’s and Hadar’s speedy return.”
When contacted by Ynet, members of the Shaul family said they were not aware of the decision. "The truth is we have not yet received any information regarding the matter," said Zehava Shaul, Staff Sgt. Shaul's mother.
30 may 2016
The Israeli occupation army has agreed to delegate a committee to reconsider the status of Israeli officer Hadar Goldin, who went missing during Israel's 2014 war on the Gaza Strip.
According to Israel's channel 7, the Israeli army decided to form a committee to reclassify the status of Givati Brigade officer Goldin, who was considered dead.
This committee was formed after the family of Goldin pressured the army to find out the fate of its son in Gaza.
Goldin is still classified, according to different military reports, as dead or unaccounted for, but al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas says he was captured and refuses to give free information about the fate of Israeli soldiers in its captivity.
The army lost contact with Goldin on the first of August 2014 in armed clashes with al-Qassam Brigades in Rafah area, south of Gaza.
According to Israel's channel 7, the Israeli army decided to form a committee to reclassify the status of Givati Brigade officer Goldin, who was considered dead.
This committee was formed after the family of Goldin pressured the army to find out the fate of its son in Gaza.
Goldin is still classified, according to different military reports, as dead or unaccounted for, but al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas says he was captured and refuses to give free information about the fate of Israeli soldiers in its captivity.
The army lost contact with Goldin on the first of August 2014 in armed clashes with al-Qassam Brigades in Rafah area, south of Gaza.
29 may 2016
The new decree was issued following nine cases during Protective Edge in which parents annulled an agreement allowing their son serve as a fighter; the IDF is still deliberating over cases of soldiers from bereaved families, and the official status of fallen soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin
A new decree issued by the IDF stipulates that parents with one son who consent to him serving in a combat capacity will not be able to annul the agreement. Prior to this decision, parents who had a change of heart could force the army to send out a retrieval unit to extract their son from the battlefield.
The policy change was influenced by incidents which took place during Operation Protective Edge 2014, in which nine parents had decided to retract their previous consent to have their son serve as a fighter. The parents' demands led to IDF forces being sent as deep as 2 km (1.24 miles) into the Gaza Strip to recover their sons.
Research conducted by the IDF Manpower Directorate raised concern that if a soldier with no brothers were to be captured during the next war—particularly if it were to take place in Lebanon—the lives of those sent to bring him home would be put in too great a risk.
Another major point for concern currently being debated centers on a soldier's freedom to choose the nature of his own service in cases where he comes from a bereaved family. The IDF is considering how to approach such situations, where the brother of a fallen soldier remains determined to be a fighter, and his parents seek to annul a waiver previously signed.
Setting a new status for a fallen soldier
As the case of single son soldiers is being deliberated, the Manpower Directorate has also been looking into another sensitive matter: finding an appropriate status for fallen soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge, along with Maj. Benaya Sarel and Staff Sgt. Liel Gidoni. Following the killings, Goldin's body was kidnapped by Hamas before pieces of his body confirming hat he had been killed were recovered from the field and buried in Israel. However, as Hamas still holds on to articles of his body, Goldin is not officially considered to be a fallen soldier whose grave site is unknown.
The IDF has been in regular contact with the Goldin family to ensure that their fallen son and brother is given an appropriate official status and that all efforts are undertaken to return him to Israel to be buried. The decision made in this case will serve as a precedent for similar cases in the future, particularly given Hamas' and Hezbollah's stated goal of abducting Israeli soldiers, regardless of their condition.
The measure will also standardize the terms used for missing captives, since no IDF standing orders currently address the subject of kidnapped soldiers but only captives (those visited by Red Cross), absent and disappeared soldiers, and those who are known to have died, but whose bodies could not be located or retrieved.
In order to prevent situations in which baseless rumors of casualties spread, the IDF has decided to implement a "sufficient notice" procedure, in which the IDF will inform families of the possibility of their son or daughter being among the known casualties. An IDF call center will allow them to call in and check on their status.
The issue of donations is also under discussion. From now on, direct donations to soldiers from civilian organizations or individuals, which was common during Operation Protective Edge, will be forbidden. Civilians interested in donating will be able to do so while the fighting continues through special centers run by the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers (AWIS, also known as Ha'aguda Lema'an Hachayal). This change was made with several goals in mind, namely preventing waste in the form of an overflow of unused donation - a prevalent feature of Operations Protective Edge. The decision is also designed to prevent the risks incurred by donors who arrive at forward operating sites. Furthermore, the IDF has increased scrutiny and oversight of these new regulations, going so far as to punish a senior non-commissioned officer from the Givati Brigade who violated the new donation procedures.
A new decree issued by the IDF stipulates that parents with one son who consent to him serving in a combat capacity will not be able to annul the agreement. Prior to this decision, parents who had a change of heart could force the army to send out a retrieval unit to extract their son from the battlefield.
The policy change was influenced by incidents which took place during Operation Protective Edge 2014, in which nine parents had decided to retract their previous consent to have their son serve as a fighter. The parents' demands led to IDF forces being sent as deep as 2 km (1.24 miles) into the Gaza Strip to recover their sons.
Research conducted by the IDF Manpower Directorate raised concern that if a soldier with no brothers were to be captured during the next war—particularly if it were to take place in Lebanon—the lives of those sent to bring him home would be put in too great a risk.
Another major point for concern currently being debated centers on a soldier's freedom to choose the nature of his own service in cases where he comes from a bereaved family. The IDF is considering how to approach such situations, where the brother of a fallen soldier remains determined to be a fighter, and his parents seek to annul a waiver previously signed.
Setting a new status for a fallen soldier
As the case of single son soldiers is being deliberated, the Manpower Directorate has also been looking into another sensitive matter: finding an appropriate status for fallen soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge, along with Maj. Benaya Sarel and Staff Sgt. Liel Gidoni. Following the killings, Goldin's body was kidnapped by Hamas before pieces of his body confirming hat he had been killed were recovered from the field and buried in Israel. However, as Hamas still holds on to articles of his body, Goldin is not officially considered to be a fallen soldier whose grave site is unknown.
The IDF has been in regular contact with the Goldin family to ensure that their fallen son and brother is given an appropriate official status and that all efforts are undertaken to return him to Israel to be buried. The decision made in this case will serve as a precedent for similar cases in the future, particularly given Hamas' and Hezbollah's stated goal of abducting Israeli soldiers, regardless of their condition.
The measure will also standardize the terms used for missing captives, since no IDF standing orders currently address the subject of kidnapped soldiers but only captives (those visited by Red Cross), absent and disappeared soldiers, and those who are known to have died, but whose bodies could not be located or retrieved.
In order to prevent situations in which baseless rumors of casualties spread, the IDF has decided to implement a "sufficient notice" procedure, in which the IDF will inform families of the possibility of their son or daughter being among the known casualties. An IDF call center will allow them to call in and check on their status.
The issue of donations is also under discussion. From now on, direct donations to soldiers from civilian organizations or individuals, which was common during Operation Protective Edge, will be forbidden. Civilians interested in donating will be able to do so while the fighting continues through special centers run by the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers (AWIS, also known as Ha'aguda Lema'an Hachayal). This change was made with several goals in mind, namely preventing waste in the form of an overflow of unused donation - a prevalent feature of Operations Protective Edge. The decision is also designed to prevent the risks incurred by donors who arrive at forward operating sites. Furthermore, the IDF has increased scrutiny and oversight of these new regulations, going so far as to punish a senior non-commissioned officer from the Givati Brigade who violated the new donation procedures.
20 may 2016
Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said Friday that the threats of the newly appointment Israeli Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, against the movement and the Gaza Strip, do not scare it, and that it will always remain steady.
Member of the Political Bureau of Hamas Fathi Hammad said during a massive procession marking the Palestinian Nakba of 1948, west of Gaza city, said that Hamas will not be intimidated into submission, and will respond to “any attack with a similar one, and any war with war.”
“We are not calling for war or escalation,” Hammad said, “But if it was forced on us, we will be ready to fight till the end.”
His statements came after Lieberman threatened to assassinate all the political leaders of the Hamas movement, should they “fail to return the bodies of soldiers,” who were killed during the 2014 Israeli aggression on the coastal region, that led to the death of more than 1600 Palestinians and dozens of thousands of injuries in 52 days, in addition to the complete or partial destruction of dozens of thousands of homes, public and private facilities, including hospitals and medical center.
Referring to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hammad said that “Abbas has no place in the leadership, and must step aside.”
At the end of the procession, many Hamas members tore and burnt pictures of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the newly appointed Defense Minister Lieberman, in addition to the sacked minister Moshe Ya’alon.
Member of the Political Bureau of Hamas Fathi Hammad said during a massive procession marking the Palestinian Nakba of 1948, west of Gaza city, said that Hamas will not be intimidated into submission, and will respond to “any attack with a similar one, and any war with war.”
“We are not calling for war or escalation,” Hammad said, “But if it was forced on us, we will be ready to fight till the end.”
His statements came after Lieberman threatened to assassinate all the political leaders of the Hamas movement, should they “fail to return the bodies of soldiers,” who were killed during the 2014 Israeli aggression on the coastal region, that led to the death of more than 1600 Palestinians and dozens of thousands of injuries in 52 days, in addition to the complete or partial destruction of dozens of thousands of homes, public and private facilities, including hospitals and medical center.
Referring to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hammad said that “Abbas has no place in the leadership, and must step aside.”
At the end of the procession, many Hamas members tore and burnt pictures of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the newly appointed Defense Minister Lieberman, in addition to the sacked minister Moshe Ya’alon.
12 may 2016
The Israeli municipal crews on Thursday handed over al-Issawi family a home demolition notice under the pretext of being built without permit.
Um Tarek al-Issawi, the mother of Samer, Shireen, and Medhat who are held currently in Israeli jails, said that she has received a notice from the Israeli municipality regarding their intention to demolish their house, for being constructed “without an Israeli permit.”
She affirmed that the family’s house was built in 1970. Al-Issawi said the decision to demolish her house was prompted by the Israeli intelligence, and described it as an act of “reprisal” against the entire family.
She said such a decision aims at “breaking the steadfastness” of her three imprisoned sons and daughter. The lawyer Shireen al-Issawi was recently sentenced for four years, while her brother Medhat was sentenced for eight years. Israel re-imposed decades-long sentence against prominent Palestinian political prisoner Samer al-Issawi, who had been released following a prisoner swap in late 2011.
Issawi was first arrested during Israel’s large-scale invasion of the West Bank in 2002 and was sentenced to thirty years imprisonment on charges of possession of weapons and involvement in armed resistance in Jerusalem. He was one of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released in late 2011 in exchange for an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza.
But just a few months later, al-Issawi, from the Jerusalem-area village of Issawiyeh, was arrested again after visiting Kufr Aqab, a nearby community within the Israeli-defined municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. Israel claims that he violated the 2011 release deal by leaving the city.
After his arrest in 2012, Issawi launched a 266-day hunger strike protest within Israel’s prison walls. He was released in late December 2013 after 17 months of detention without charge or trial, a practice known as administrative detention. Al-Issawi’s latest arrest came in June 2014, when a large force of Israeli soldiers and officers raided his family’s home.
Um Tarek al-Issawi, the mother of Samer, Shireen, and Medhat who are held currently in Israeli jails, said that she has received a notice from the Israeli municipality regarding their intention to demolish their house, for being constructed “without an Israeli permit.”
She affirmed that the family’s house was built in 1970. Al-Issawi said the decision to demolish her house was prompted by the Israeli intelligence, and described it as an act of “reprisal” against the entire family.
She said such a decision aims at “breaking the steadfastness” of her three imprisoned sons and daughter. The lawyer Shireen al-Issawi was recently sentenced for four years, while her brother Medhat was sentenced for eight years. Israel re-imposed decades-long sentence against prominent Palestinian political prisoner Samer al-Issawi, who had been released following a prisoner swap in late 2011.
Issawi was first arrested during Israel’s large-scale invasion of the West Bank in 2002 and was sentenced to thirty years imprisonment on charges of possession of weapons and involvement in armed resistance in Jerusalem. He was one of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released in late 2011 in exchange for an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza.
But just a few months later, al-Issawi, from the Jerusalem-area village of Issawiyeh, was arrested again after visiting Kufr Aqab, a nearby community within the Israeli-defined municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. Israel claims that he violated the 2011 release deal by leaving the city.
After his arrest in 2012, Issawi launched a 266-day hunger strike protest within Israel’s prison walls. He was released in late December 2013 after 17 months of detention without charge or trial, a practice known as administrative detention. Al-Issawi’s latest arrest came in June 2014, when a large force of Israeli soldiers and officers raided his family’s home.
Mother of the Israeli soldier Sean Mondschein, who was declared dead during Israeli 2014 aggression on Gaza, demanded to know what happened to her son and the whereabouts of his body.
During a televised interview, the mother affirmed that her son was in an armored personnel carrier before being shelled. Since then, his body disappeared, she added.
“I want to know what exactly happened to my son. I want detailed information. I know that it will not bring back my son but at least I will know the whereabouts of his body. It is really painful,” she said during the interview.
Meanwhile, the family of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, who was reportedly captured by al-Qassam Brigades during Israel’s 2014 aggression, stressed the need for meeting all Palestinian conditions in return for their son’s release.
The time has come to end this ordeal and to pay the price to Hamas for our son’s return, Israeli media sources quoted the family as saying.
Goldin’s parents pointed to the campaign they have been waging to bring the missing Israeli soldiers back.
A month ago, Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassam Brigades released a video, saying they were holding four Israeli soldiers captive.
During a televised interview, the mother affirmed that her son was in an armored personnel carrier before being shelled. Since then, his body disappeared, she added.
“I want to know what exactly happened to my son. I want detailed information. I know that it will not bring back my son but at least I will know the whereabouts of his body. It is really painful,” she said during the interview.
Meanwhile, the family of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, who was reportedly captured by al-Qassam Brigades during Israel’s 2014 aggression, stressed the need for meeting all Palestinian conditions in return for their son’s release.
The time has come to end this ordeal and to pay the price to Hamas for our son’s return, Israeli media sources quoted the family as saying.
Goldin’s parents pointed to the campaign they have been waging to bring the missing Israeli soldiers back.
A month ago, Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassam Brigades released a video, saying they were holding four Israeli soldiers captive.
5 may 2016
Senior Hamas official Mohamed Sabha has said that the Palestinian prisoners pin great hopes on getting their freedom through swap deals.
Sabha made his remarks to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) following his release from an Israeli jail. He had spent 15 years in detention.
"The prisoners serving life sentences have no other way to obtain their freedom than a swap deal liberating them or else they will be condemned to death," he added.
The Hamas official emphasized that the Palestinian prisoners never felt sorry for the sacrifices they made for their homeland and would remain steadfast despite all violations against them.
He said that the prisoners in Israeli jails became more united than ever in the face of their jailers' arrogance and violations.
Sabha made his remarks to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) following his release from an Israeli jail. He had spent 15 years in detention.
"The prisoners serving life sentences have no other way to obtain their freedom than a swap deal liberating them or else they will be condemned to death," he added.
The Hamas official emphasized that the Palestinian prisoners never felt sorry for the sacrifices they made for their homeland and would remain steadfast despite all violations against them.
He said that the prisoners in Israeli jails became more united than ever in the face of their jailers' arrogance and violations.
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