Saturday, 14 October 2017

israel very excited that Trump’s speech may start a war with Iran

ays Trump Speech May Start War With Iran

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s intelligence minister said U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech against the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran on Friday was “very significant” and could lead to war given threats that preceded it from Tehran.

Israel’s Channel 2 TV asked Intelligence Minister Israel Katz whether he saw a risk of war after Trump’s speech.

“Absolutely, yes. I think that the speech was very significant,” Katz responded. “Iran is the new North Korea. We see where things are goings.”

Israeli minister says Trump speech may start war with Iran

A woman displays pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump as she follows the news on her mobile phone in Tehran, Iran October 13, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.

The Deep State’s Bogus ‘Iranian Threat’

The Deep State’s Bogus ‘Iranian Threat’

by David Stockman

from David Stockman’s Contra Corner.

Yesterday we identified a permanent fiscal crisis as one of the quadruple witching forces arising in October 2017 which will shatter the global financial bubble. Today the Donald is on the cusp of making the crisis dramatically worse by decertifying the Iranian nuke deal, thereby reinforcing another false narrative that enables the $1 trillion Warfare State to continue bleeding the nation’s fiscal solvency.

In a word, the whole notion that Iran is a national security threat and state sponsor of terrorism is just as bogus as the Russian meddling story or the claim that the chain of events resulting from the coup d’ etat fostered by Washington on the streets of Kiev in February 2014 is evidence of Russian expansionism and aggression.

Likewise, it’s part of the same tissue of lies which led to Washington’s massive, destructive and counterproductive interventions in Syria and Libya — when neither regime posed an iota of threat to the safety and security of the American homeland.
To the contrary, all of these false narratives are the cover stories which justify the Warfare State’s massive draw on the nation’s broken finances. We will get to the Big Lie about Iran momentarily, but first it is useful to demonstrate just how enormously excessive the nation’s defense budget actually is, and why the denizens of the Imperial City—especially the neocon ideologues—-find it necessary to peddle such threadbare untruths.
Spoiler alert: Iran has actually never attacked a single foreign nation in modern history whereas Washington has chosen to unilaterally intervene in or arm virtually every surrounding country in the region.

Here’s some historical context that dramatizes our point about Washington’s hideously excessive spending on defense. Back in 1962 on the eve of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US defense budget was $52 billion, which would amount to $340 billion in today’s (2017$) purchasing power.

Needless to say, the world came to the brink of nuclear Armageddon at a time when the Soviet Union was at the peak of its power and was armed to the teeth. In addition to thousands of nuclear warheads deliverable by missiles and bombers, it had 50,000 tanks facing NATO and nearly 4 million men under arms.

The now open Soviet archives, of course, show that the Soviets had far more bark than bite and never conceived of attacking the US or even western Europe; they didn’t remotely have the wherewithal or the strategic nerve.

Nevertheless, by 1962 false moves and provocations by both sides had created a state of “cold war” that was real. Yet even then, the $340 billion military budget was more than adequate to deter the Soviet threat. Nor is that our view as an armchair historian.

The 1962 defense budget was essentially President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s budget, and it is one that he had drastically slashed from the $500 billion (in today’s dollars) he had inherited from Truman at the end of the Korean War.

That is to say, the greatest general who ever led American forces had concluded that $340 billion was enough. And that came as he left office warning about just the opposite—-the danger that the military/industrial complex would gain inordinate political power and pursue foreign policies which required ever larger military spending.

Unlike standard cold warriors, Ike believed that the ultimate national security resource of America was a healthy capitalist economy and that excessive government debt was deeply inimical to that outcome.

That’s why he balanced the Federal budget three times during his tenure and presided over a fiscal consolidation—thanks to sharply reduced defense spending—that generated an average deficit of hardly 1 percent of GDP. That’s an outcome scarcely imaginable at all in the present world.

Even then, the Soviet empire with all the captive republics that have become independent nations since 1991 (e.g. Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan etc.) had a GDP in 1960 that was estimated to be 50 percent the size of the US. So Ike’s bet was that capitalist growth over time was the ultimate source of national strength; that a healthy domestic economy would eventually leave the centralized command-and-control Soviet economy in the dust; and that ultimately the Kremlin’s brand of statist socialism and militarism would fail.

He was right. Russia today is a shadow of what Ronald Reagan called the Evil Empire. Its GDP of $1.3 trillion is smaller than that of the New York metro area ($1.6 trillion) and only 7 percent of total US GDP.

Moreover, unlike the militarized Soviet economy which devoted upwards of 40 percent of output to defense, the current Russian defense budget of $60 billion is just 4.5 percent of its vastly shrunken GDP.

So how in the world did the national security apparatus convince the Donald that we need the $700 billion defense program for FY 2018—-12X bigger than Russia’s—- that he just signed into law?

What we mean, of course, is how do you explain that—- beyond the fact that the Donald knows virtually nothing about national security policy and history; and, to boot, is surrounded by generals who have spent a lifetime scouring the earth for enemies and threats to repel and reasons for more weapons and bigger forces.

The real answer, however, is both simple and consequential. To wit, the entire prosperity and modus operandi of the Imperial City is based on a panoply of “threats” that are vastly exaggerated or even purely invented; they retain their currency by virtue of endless repetition in the groupthink that passes for analysis. We’d actually put it in the category of cocktail party chatter.

For crying out loud. Why is Russia considered a threat to the American homeland when it doesn’t even have a blue water navy or any other basis to project offensive power to the North American continent?

Indeed, its “attack” fleet consists of a single, 40-year old smoke-belching aircraft carrier that could never get out of the Mediterranean bathtub ringed by overwhelming US forces.
Beyond conventional offensive power there is the non-power of its 1500 or so deployable nuclear warheads. Whatever you may think of Vlad Putin’s kleptomania and hard-edged suppression of internal dissent, he is surely the “Cool Hand Luke” of the modern world. Do you think he would be rash or suicidal enough to threaten the US with nuclear weapons?

Or for that matter that Russia with its pipsqueak $1.3 trillion GDP and limited military capacity actually intends to invade and occupy Europe, which has a GDP of $17 trillion and sufficient military force—even without the US—-to make such a project unthinkable

Likewise, so what if the Chinese want to waste money building sand castles (i.e. man-made islands with military uses)in the South China Sea. It’s their backyard—just as the Gulf of Mexico is ours.

Besides, the great Red Ponzi is utterly dependent upon exporting $2 trillion per years of goods to the US, Western Europe, Japan, South Korea etc. Without those markets its massively leveraged, speculation-ridden, malinvested bubble economy would collapse in 6 months or less. So does anyone really think that the PLA (People Liberation Army) will be bombing 4,000 Wal-Marts in America any time soon?

The truth is, the US defense budget is hideously oversized for a reason so obvious that it constitutes the ultimate elephant in the room. No matter how you slice it, there just are no real big industrialized, high tech countries in the world which can threaten the American homeland or even have the slightest intention of doing so.

Indeed, to continue with our historical benchmarks, the American homeland has not been so immune to foreign military threat since WW II. Yet during all those years of true peril, it never spent close too the Donald’s $700 billion boondoggle.

For instance, during the height of LBJs Vietnam folly (1968) defense spending in today’s dollars was about $400 billion. And even at the top of Reagan’s utterly unnecessary military building up (by the 1980s the Soviet Union was collapsing under the weight of its own socialist dystopia), total US defense spending was just $550 billion.

That gets us to the bogus Iranian threat. It originated in the early 1990s when the neocon’s in the George HW Bush Administration realized that with the cold war’s end, the Warfare State was in grave danger of massive demobilization like the US had done after every war until 1945.

So among many other invented two-bit threats, the Iranian regime was demonized in order to keep the Imperial City in thrall to its purported national security threat and in support of the vast global armada of military forces, bases and occupations needed to contain it (including the Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf and US bases throughout the region).

The truth, however, is that according to the 2008 NIE ( National Intelligence Estimates) of the nation’s 17 intelligence agency, the Iranian’s never had a serious nuclear weapons program, and the small research effort that they did have was disbanded by orders of the Ayatollah Khamenei in 2003.

Likewise, what the Imperial City claims to be state sponsored terror is actually nothing more than Iran’s foreign policy—something that every sovereign state on the planet is permitted to have.

Thus, as the leader of the minority Shiite schism of the Islamic world, Iran has made political and confessional allliances with various Shiite regimes in the region. These include the one that Washington actually installed in Bagdad; the Alawite/Shitte regime in Syria; the largest political party and representative of 40 percent of the population in Lebanon(Hezbollah); and the Houthi/Shitte of Yemen, who historically occupied the northern parts of the country and are now under savage attack by American weapons supplied to Saud Arabia.

In the case of both Syria and Iraq, their respective governments invited Iranian help, which is also their prerogative as sovereign nations. Ironically, it was the Shiite Crescent alliance of Iran/Assad/Hezbollah that bears much of the credit for defeating ISIS on the ground in Mosul, Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and elsewhere in the now largely defunct Islamic State.

In tomorrow’s installment we will address the details of the Iran nuke agreement and why the Donald is making a horrible mistake in proposing to decertify it. But there should be no doubt about the consequence: It will reinforce the neocon dominance of the Republican party and insure that the nation’s $1 trillion Warfare State remains fully entrenched.
Needless to say, that will also insure that the America’s gathering fiscal crisis will turn into an outright Fiscal Calamity in the years just ahead

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

“طلال سلمان: حول “الربيع العربي

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

Intense fighting breaks out between pro-gov’t and pro-Kurdish forces in northern Iraq

By Leith Fadel

–

14/10/2017

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:25 A.M.) – Intense fighting broke-out between pro-government Turkmen forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in the Tuz Kharmatu area, tonight, amid growing tensions between the KRG regime and Iraqi government.

According to local reports, the Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd Al-Sha’abi) attacked the Peshmerga positions inside Tuz Kharmatu, resulting in a series of clashes in northern Iraq tonight.

No further details have been released.

Tensions between Turkmen and Kurdish residents of Tuz Kharmatu have been at an all-time high after the recent Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum, which saw the latter emancipate itself from Baghdad.

HEAVY CLASHES BETWEEN PESHMERGA AND POPULAR MOBILIZATION UNITS BREAK OUT SOUTH OF KIRKUK CITY (VIDEOS)

14.10.2017

On October 14, heave clashes between Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) broke out inside the Turkmen Shiite Tuz Khurmatu town 50km south of Kirkuk city, according to Iraqi sources.

Initial reports claimed that Peshmerga units opened fire on the Dah Dah Hussainiya hall in al-Askari neighborhood of Tuz Khurmatu town. A Hussainiya is a hall used for Shiite commemoration ceremonies, and its considered by Shiites a holy place just like Mosques.

Iraqi sources reported that local PMU fighters in Tuz Khurmatu town destroyed a vehicle of the Peshmerga during the clashes. In turn, Peshmerga shelled PMU positions inside the town with mortars.

Meanwhile, an official of the PMU confirmed to the Iraqi media that heavy clashes are ongoing around the Turuz hospital in the center of Tuz Khurmatu town. However, the official said that the clashes are with “unknown” gunmen.

The situation in Tuz Khurmatu town is still not clear, especially that no officials of the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) or the Iraqi Federal Government have commented on the ongoing clashes yet.

An impact site of the Peshmerga mortar fire:

Heavy Clashes Between Peshmerga And Popular Mobilization Units Break Out South Of Kirkuk City (Videos)

More about the PMU

حكومة بغداد لأربيل: التراجع إلى «الخط الأزرق»… أو المعركة

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

The messages of Al Sayyed Nasrollah’s speech رسائل خطاب السيد

The messages of Al Sayyed Nasrollah’s speech

أكتوبر 13, 2017

Written by Nasser Kandil,

The speech of the Secretary-General Al Sayyed Hassan Nasrollah is full of signs of victory of the axis of the resistance on ISIS, where Hezbollah is in the center of this axis; ISIS is the most dangerous outcome of the US-Saudi project to dominate the region, to destroy its entities, armies, and communities. It is full as well of signs that show the magnitude of the US – Saudi ravage resulted from the consequences of this victory and the forces which contributed in its making, and the seeking to disable it, to ruffle it, and to undermine the forces which led to it at their forefront Hezbollah, and the attempt to confuse the main arenas of the movement of these force.

The answers of Al Sayyed Hassan Nasrollah for the new challenges start with how to deal with the attempts of disabling that made by the US-Saudi alliance to prevent achieving the victory, or obstructing it, or distorting it. Al Sayyed asserted the determination to continue waging the war on ISIS, violating the red lines which the Americans and the Saudis draw to postpone the victory and to lengthen the war; Deir Al-Zour will be liberated despite the desire of the Americans and the Saudis. The Syrian army along with its allies will enter the cities of Al Mayadeen and Al Boukamal and the Syrian army will converge with its allies the Iraqi army and the Popular Crowd on the Syrian-Iraqi borders no matter what the Americans and the Saudis did.

In confronting the attempts of undermining the victory-makers and making them pay the bills of the failure of the US – Saudi project, Al Sayyed Nasrollah said that opening the file of the understanding about the Iranian nuclear file is one of the signs of these attempts, the modified sanctions as opening the Iranian nuclear program are not related to the posed files about the nuclear understanding or Hezbollah, however they are translation of the US recognition of defeat, the feeling of loss, and the seeking to avenge from those who subdue America and its arrogance. The project of the secession of Kurdistan is not far from that title, through affecting Iran, Iraq, and the region entities. Hezbollah was satisfied with showing the effectiveness of these sanctions by referring to what was said by the Saudi Minister Al Sabhan that these sanctions will not change anything, calling for an alternative to punish Hezbollah for overthrowing the Saudi-US project through resorting to an international alliance against Hezbollah and what is included of recognition of the limitedness of the impact of the sanctions on Hezbollah, taking into consideration the capacities of Hezbollah which exceed the ones of Saudi Arabia and its allies in Lebanon and the region in order to affect them.

In confronting the attempts of tampering in the main arenas of the forces which made the victory and continues its making, Al Sayyed Nasrollah talked about what concerns Hezbollah as threats of tampering made by the Saudis, the Americans, and the Israelis. He reaffirmed the seeking of the resistance for peace and stability in Lebanon, the support of dialogue, and the confidence in the President of the Republic as a strong independent President who does not fear intimidation and is not subjected to extortion. Al- Sayyed warned of affecting the elections at their date, and manipulating in the series of salaries and ranks, he emphasized on the accurate implementation of the entitlements, obligations and their dates, he added his crucial sentence which will be considered well: The hand which will affect Lebanon will be cut off no matter to whom it belongs.

The words of Al Sayyed Nasrollah reached quickly; Al Sabhan responded provokingly, he searched for a response to the response by harassment. But the answer was; where is the international coalition which you promised of, we will do what we promised of, since the war is our war and we do not care about Al-Sabhan’s dotage, since his name means weak-minded, crazy and arrogant.

Translated by Lina Shehadeh,

رسائل خطاب السيد

أكتوبر 9, 2017

ناصر قنديل

– ينبض خطاب الأمين العام لحزب الله السيد حسن نصر الله بالإشارات على النصر الذي يقترب محور المقاومة، وحزب الله في قلبه، من إعلانه على تنظيم داعش، باعتباره أخطر منتجات المشروع الأميركي السعودي للهيمنة على المنطقة، وتدمير كياناتها وجيوشها ومجتمعاتها. كما يمتلئ بالإشارات على حجم الغيظ الأميركي السعودي من نتائج هذا النصر والقوى التي ساهمت في صنعه، والسعي لإعاقته وتنغيصه، والنيل من القوى التي صنعته، وفي قلبها حزب الله، ومحاولة إرباك الساحات الرئيسية لحركة هذه القوى.

– أجوبة السيد نصر الله على التحديات الجديدة تبدأ من كيفية التعامل مع محاولات الإعاقة التي يقوم بها الحلف الأميركي السعودي، لمنع تحقيق النصر أو عرقلته أو تشويهه، فيؤكد العزم على المضيّ في خوض الحرب على داعش، والدوس على خطوط حمراء يرسمها الأميركيون والسعوديون لتأخير النصر، وإطالة أمد الحرب، فدير الزور ومحافظتها ستتحرّران رغم أنوف الأميركيين والسعوديين، والجيش السوري وحلفاؤه سيدخلون مدينتي الميادين والبوكمال، وسيلتقي الجيش السوري وحلفاؤه مع الجيش العراقي والحشد الشعبي على الحدود السورية العراقية، مهما فعل الأميركيون والسعوديون.

– في مواجهة محاولات النيل من صنّاع النصر ومعاقبتهم، وتدفيعهم فواتير فشل المشروع الأميركي السعودي، يقول السيد نصر الله، إنّ فتح ملف التفاهم حول الملف النووي الإيراني إحدى علامات هذه المحاولات، وإنّ ما يخص حزب الله، فالعقوبات المعدّلة هي كما فتح الملف النووي الإيراني ليست بدواعٍ تتصل بالملفات المطروحة حول التفاهم النووي أو حزب الله، بل هي ترجمة للتسليم الأميركي بالهزيمة، والشعور بالخسارة، والسعي للانتقام من الذين مرّغوا أنف أميركا وعنجهيتها بوحول المنطقة، ومشروع انفصال كردستان ليس بعيداً عن هذا العنوان برفعه خنجراً في خاصرة إيران والعراق وكيانات المنطقة، وحزب الله يكتفي تعليقاً على فعالية هذه العقوبات، بما قاله الوزير السعودي السبهان عنها، بأنها لن تغيّر شيئاً، داعياً كبديل لمعاقبة حزب الله على إسقاط المشروع الأميركي السعودي، إلى تحالف دولي بوجه حزب الله، وما يتضمّنه ذلك من اعتراف بمحدودية تأثير العقوبات على حزب الله، وبحجم حزب الله الذي يفوق مقدرات السعودية وحلفائها في لبنان والمنطقة لإلحاق الأذى به، والحاجة لمواجهته إلى تحالف دولي.

– في مواجهة محاولات العبث في الساحات الرئيسية لحركة القوى التي صنعت النصر وتواصل صنعه، يتوقف السيد نصر الله أمام ما يعني حزب الله منها، من مخاطر عبث قد يخبئه السعوديون أو الأميركيون أو «الإسرائيليون». ويجدّد تأكيد سعي المقاومة للسلام والاستقرار في لبنان، ودعم الحوار، والثقة برئيس الجمهورية كرئيس مستقلّ وقوي لا يهاب تهديداً ولا يخضع لابتزاز، محذراً من المساس بالانتخابات في موعدها ومن التلاعب بسلسلة الرتب والرواتب، بتأكيدها على التنفيذ الدقيق للاستحقاقات والالتزامات ومواعيدها، مضيفاً جملته الحاسمة، التي ستقرأ جيداً، أنّ اليد التي ستمتدّ إلى لبنان ستقطع أياً تكن هذه اليد.

– كلام السيد نصر الله وصل سريعاً، فردّ السبهان بتحرّش يبحث عن ردّ على الردّ، وليس لديه إلا التحرّش بالشتيمة، والجواب هو الجواب، هات التحالف الدولي الذي وعدت به وطلبته، وستكون الترجمة بما وعد السيد، اليد التي ستمتدّ ستُقطع. فاللغو لغوكم، والحرب حربنا، ولا يهمّنا سبهُ سبهان. والسبهُ في لسان العرب ذهاب العقل من الهَرَم ورجل مَسْبُوه ومُسَبَّهٌ وسَباهٍ مُدَلَّهٌ ذاهبُ العقل، أَنشد ابن الأَعرابي «ومُنْتَخَبٍ كأَنَّ هالَة أُمّه سَباهِي الفُؤادِ ما يَعيش بمعْقُولِ» إنما السُّباهُ ذهاب العقل أَو نشاط الذي كأَنه مجنون، رجل مِسَبَّهُ العقل أَي ذاهب العقل ورجل سَباهِيُّ العَقْل إذا كان ضعيف العقل ورجل سَبِهٌ وسَباهٌ وسَباهٍ وسباهِيَةٌ متكبّر مجنون.

Weekly report on israel's terrorism against the State of Palestine (05 – 11 October 2017)

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)

(05 – 11 October 2017)

5 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces conducted 68 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the Gaza Strip.
46 civilians, including 7 children and a woman, were arrested in the West Bank.
3 of them were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs.

Israeli forces continue to target the Gaza Strip border areas.
A watchtower belonging to the Palestinian armed groups sustained damage, but no casualties were reported.

Israeli authorities continue to make a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
Hundreds of settlers raided al-Aqsa Mosque and performed their prayers in its yards to mark the Jewish Sukkot Holiday.
Israeli forces continue settlement activities in the West Bank
Settlers attacked a civilian car on Nablus-Ramallah Road and seriously wounded one of its passengers.
A girl was wounded in Hebron in a similar attack.

Israeli forces continued to target the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea.
4 Shooting incidents were documented against Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 10^th
Dozens of temporary checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re-established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians.
8 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were arrested at the checkpoints in the West Bank.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (05 – 11 October 2017).

Shooting:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 5 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli naval forces continued to chase Palestinian fishermen in the Sea and open fire at farmers and houses in the border areas.

In the West Bank, 05 October 2017, a Palestinian child was wounded when Israeli soldiers who established a checkpoint in al-Sweitat area, south of Jenin, opened fire at civilians in the vicinity of the checkpoint. The child was hit with a bullet to the right thigh and then arrested along with two other civilians. They were taken to al-Jalamah checkpoint, north of the city. The child was then transferred via a Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance.

On 10 October 2017, a 14-year-ld child was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet to his right foot when Israeli forces opened fire at youngsters protesting against the soldiers’ incursion into al-Thaher area near “Karmei Tzur” settlement, south of Beit Ummer village, north of Hebron.

On 11 October 2017, an 18-year-old civilian, from ‘Askar al-Jadid refugee camp, northeast of Nablus, was hit with 3 rubber-coated metal bullets to the back, left shoulder and right leg. He was wounded when Israeli forces moved into the city to secure the entry of dozens of buses carrying settlers to Josef’s Tomb in Balatet al-Balad, so dozens of children and youngsters protested against them.

In the Gaza Strip, the border areas witnessed protests against the on-going unjust closure on the Gaza population. During the protests, the Israeli forces used force against the protestors and opened fire in order to disperse them. As a result, 2 children were wounded; one of them in al-Brueij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip with a bullet to the right thigh and the other in eastern Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip with a bullet to the right leg.

In the pretext of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the Sea, on 05 October 2017, Israeli gunboats opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip and chased them. The shooting recurred in the same area on 07 October 2017.

On 06 October 2017, Israeli gunboats opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats, west of al-Soudaniya, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, and chased them. The shooting recurred in the same area on 07 October 2017. The shooting forced the fishermen to flee for fear of being wounded. However, neither casualties nor damage to the boats were reported.

In the context of targeting the border areas, on 07 October 2017, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, north of Um al-Nasser “Bedouni Village” in the northern Gaza Strip, sporadically opened fire at the border area. However, neither casualties nor damage to property were reported.

On 09 October 2017, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at the lands and houses, east of al-Bureij and Gaza Valley village in the central Gaza Strip. Neither casualties nor damage to the property were reported.

On the same day, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired 2 artillery shells at a watchtower belonging to the Palestinian armed groups, east of al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip. As a result, the watchtower sustained damage, but no casualties were reported. Israeli forces re-shelled the abovmentioned watchtower on 11 October 2017.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 68 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 46 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children and a woman. Three of those were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs.

In the Gaza Strip, on 10 October 2017, Israeli forces moved into the southeastern side of Beit Hanoun village in the northern Gaza Strip. They patrolled to the south and stationed off Abu Safiyah Military Site, east of Jabalia. They levelled and combed vacant lands previously levelled amist Israeli sporadic shooting. They later redeployed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Measures to Make Jewish Majority in occupied East Jerusalem

In the context of Israeli settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property, hundreds of settlers raided al-Aqsa Mosque and is yards in East Jerusalem’s Old City while prayers and demonstrations were held in al-Buraq Wall yard and Silwan village, south of the mosque, to mark the Jewish Sukkot Holiday. As a result, the Israeli police closed the roads to the area, and a helicopter was hovering over the city.

Settlement Activities and Settlers’ Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and their property:

As part of settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property, on 05 October 2017, 3 settlers near “Shilo” settlement on Ramallah-Nablus Road threw stones at a Palestinian civilian car carrying 3 civilians. As a result, its window was broken and one of the passengers was hit with a stone to the right side of his head. The wounded civilian was taken to Istishari Hospital in al-Rihan Suburb, north of Ramallah. Following medical check-up, it was found out that he suffered from a skull fracture and severe bleeding in his head, so he is in the ICU now due to his serious condition.

On 06 October 2017, Israeli settlers gathered on Bypass Road 60 near the sub-road leading to Kherbet al-Boq’ah, east of Hebron, to throw stones at the Palestinian vehicles traveling on the road. As a result, the window of a car belonging to Nemer Jaber (40) was broken, and his daughter, Yafa, sustained glass shrapnel wounds. She was taken to the Hebron Governmental Hospital to receive medical treatment.

Restrictions on movement:

Israel continued to impose a tight closure of the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

The illegal closure of the Gaza Strip, which has been steadily tightened since June 2007 has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli authorities impose measures to undermine the freedom of trade, including the basic needs for the Gaza Strip population and the agricultural and industrial products to be exported. For 9 consecutive years, Israel has tightened the land and naval closure to isolate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and other countries around the world. This resulted in grave violations of the economic, social and cultural rights and a deterioration of living conditions for 2 million people. The Israeli authorities have established Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shaloum) as the sole crossing for imports and exports in order to exercise its control over the Gaza Strip’s economy. They also aim at imposing a complete ban on the Gaza Strip’s exports. The Israeli closure raised the rate of poverty to 65%. Moreover, the rate of unemployment increased up to 47% and youth constitutes 65% of the unemployed persons. Moreover, 80% of the Gaza Strip population depends on international aid to secure their minimum daily needs. These rates indicate the unprecedented economic deterioration in the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces continued to suffocate the Palestinian cities and village by imposing military checkpoints around and/or between them. This created “cantons” isolated from each other that hinders the movement of civilians. Moreover, the Palestinian civilians suffering aggravated because of the annexation wall and checkpoints erected on daily basis to catch Palestinians.

Details

Incursions into Palestinian Areas, and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Thursday, 05 October 2017

At approximately 19:50, Israeli gunboats stationed offshore, northwest of Beit Lahia village in the northern Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 2 nautical miles. They also fired flare bombs and chased the boats. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

Note: During the aforementioned day, Israeli forces conducted (3) incursions in the following areas and no arrests were reported: Salfit, al-Mawreq, and Taffuh villages in Hebron.

Friday, 06 October 2017

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Qabatiyah village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched 2 houses belonging to Khalid Abu Zaineh “Kamil” (22) and Mohammed Zeyad Abu al-Rab (23). The Israeli forces later withdrew from the house, and no arrests were reported. It should be noted that the Israeli forces arrested the abovementioned civilians at a checkpoint established in al-Suwaitat neighborhood in Jenin few hours before they moved into the village. (See Arrests at Military Checkpoints.)

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Ya’bud village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to ‘Aboud Herzallah (19) and then arrested him.

At approximately 07:35, Israeli gunboats stationed offshore, west of al-Sudaniyah, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 4 nautical miles and chased them. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

Note: During the aforementioned day, Israeli forces conducted (6) incursions in the following areas and no arrests were reported: ‘Ezbet Shufa village, southeast of Tulkarm; Dura, al-Thaheriyah, Deir al-‘Asal and Beit al-Roush villages in Hebron; and Beit Fajjar village, west of Bethlehem.

Saturday 07 October 2017:

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Ya’bud village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to Anas ‘Adnan Hamarshah (17) and then arrested him.

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Wad Rahal village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to Noor Eden Ibrahim al-Faghuri (17) and then arrested him.
At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Bethlehem and stationed in al-Saf Street in the center of the city. They raided and searched a house belonging to Emad ‘Ali al-Shuweiki (45) and then arrested him.

At approximately 07:40, Israeli gunboats stationed offshore, northwest of Beit Lahia village in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles and chased them. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 20:20, Israeli gunboats stationed offshore, west of al-Sudaniyah area, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 4 nautical miles and chased them. As a result, the fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 21:25, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, north of Um al-Naser Bedouin village in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at the border area. They also fired flare bombs in the sky. As a result, civilians, whose houses are near the area, panicked, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

Note: During the aforementioned day, Israeli forces conducted (6) incursions in the following areas and no arrests were reported: al-Samou’, Bani Na’im, Sa’ir and al-jalajel villages in Hebron; Bedia and Mashah villages, west of Salfit.

Sunday, 08 October 2017:

At approximately 00:30, Israeli forces moved into al-Birah and stationed in Um al-Sharayet Suburb, west of the city. They raided and searched 2 houses belonging to Rami ‘Abdou and ‘Ali Abu Musallam and then arrested them. Following that, the Israeli forces raided and searched a house belonging to Jamal Mohammed Farah al-Tawil, Hamas Leader and former prisoner,. The soldiers detained the family members in one room while searching the house. They then handed a summons to al-Tawil to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Service in “Ofer” military camp, west of Ramallah on 10 October 2017.

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Bethlehem and stationed in Shaheen Valley area in the centre of the city. They raided and searched a number of houses after which they arrested Hamzah Nawawrah (20) and Edrees Suleiman ‘Obaiyat (19).

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Beit al-Roush al-Fuqa village, west of Dura, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Matar Abu Sharar (60) and then arrested his sons Abdul Hamid (28) and Amin (27).

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Sa’ir village, east of Jerusalem and stationed in al-Dowarah area. They raided and searched a house belonging to Hejazi Rawhi Jaradat (23) and the arrested him.

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into ‘Asker refugee camp, north of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and then arrested 3 civilians namely Majd Jawad ‘Ajouri (19), Arqam Khalid Ahmed Qar’an (18), both from ‘Asker al-Jadeed refugee camp, and Sanad Fathi Abu Za’bal (22) from ‘Aker al-Qadeem refugee camp.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched 2 houses belonging to Mohammed Moneer Nakhlah and Hamzah Mohammed Abu al-Jalil and then arrested them.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Beit Fajjar village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to Walid ‘Ezzat Deriyah (26) and then arrested him.

At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces moved into Beit Awa village, southwest of Dura, southwest of Hebron, and stationed in al-Semiyah area. They raided and searched a house belonging to Nidal Malouh Masalmah (56). They detained the family members in one room and then arrested Nidal’s son Mohammed (22).

At approximately 00:00, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at Palestinian lands and houses, east of al-Buraij and Gaza Valley village in the centre of the city. As a result, the civilians living in the area panicked, but neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 23:30, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired 2 artillery shells at a military training site belonging to the Palestinian armed groups, east of al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip. The shelling caused damage to the site, but no casualties were reported.

Note: During the aforementioned day, Israeli forces conducted (3) incursions in the following areas and no arrests were reported: Deir Samet and al-Shuyoukh villages in Hebron, and Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm.

Monday, 09 October 2017

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses after which they arrested Talal Ahmed Thyab al-Husari (22), Ahmed ‘Azmi Huwail (22) and Tareq Abu Tbaikh (21)

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Bedia village, northwest of Salfit. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mohammed Radi Kamel Kan’an (23) and then arrested him.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummer village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and then arrested 4 civilians, including a child, namely Ibrahim Tumar Ekhleil (24), Muhanad ‘Ali Mohammed Abu ‘Ayash (20), ‘Odai Eyad Bassam Za’aqiq (16), and Khalid Mahmoud Safi Salebi (15).

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into ‘Anabus village, south of Nablus. They raided and a house belonging to Hamzah Abdul Latif Hamad (25) and then arrested him.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into al-‘Ezzah refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to Maher Mahmoud Abu Tarboush(43) and then arrested them.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Qalqiliyah. They raided and searched 2 houses belonging to Arbakan Mohammed Tabsiyah (24), and ‘Ezz Eden Mustafa Nofel (19) and then arrested them.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into al-Masharqah al-Tahtah neighborhood in the southern area in Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Foad ‘Ata Hamed al-Rajbi (37), who was released a month ago after serving 14 years in prison. The Israeli forces handed him a summons to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Service in “Gush Etzion” settlement complex, south of Bethlehem. Meanwhile, another Israeli force raided and searched houses belonging to Mohammed Hasan al-Ja’bari (40), Foad Rashid Eskafi (34), and Mohammed Hazem Salim Qafishah (32) and then arrested them.

At approximately 17:00, Israeli forces moved into Hebron market in Bab al-Zawiyah area, al-Sa’ah intersection, and Beir al-Sabe’i Street and closed the market with several military vehicles. The soldiers topped the houses’ roofs and deployed in shops to guard dozens of settlers coming from “Hebron Mount” settlements to perform religious rituals in an archeological site, which they claim is a site for an ancient Jew called “Otniel Tomb”. Meanwhile, a number of young men threw stones at the soldiers, who fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them and the shoppers. The soldiers then moved into al-Sa’ah Intersection area as one of them fired several rubber-coated metal bullets at a bus that was leaving the area. As a result, the bus’s windshield was broken and the glass scattered on the women who were in the bus.

Mustafa Shabanah, the bus driver, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that;

“I turned on the bus after the 7 women along with their children got into it. A number of the Israeli soldiers, who were in the area, fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the shoppers after the soldiers were stoned by a number of young men. A soldier, who was standing about 10 meters away from me, fired 3 rubber-coated metal bullets at the bus. As a result, the windshield of the bus was broken and scattered on the women in the bus. The women then shouted and cried out of fear, but none of them was hurt. I stepped out of the bus and spoke with the soldier, who opened fire at my vehicle. However, the soldier shouted at me and ordered me to leave the area while the soldiers’ pointing their guns at me. In the next day, I changed the broken windshield, which cost me NIS 1100.”

Note: During the aforementioned day, Israeli forces conducted (5) incursions in the following areas and no arrests were reported: Dura, Beit al-Roush al-Tahta, al-Samou’ and Beit Kahel villages in Hebron; and Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm.

Tuesday, 10 October 2017 2017

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummer village. They raided and searched a house belonging to Abdul ‘Aziz Sha’ban al-Hendi in al-Tarbiqah neighborhood and then arrested him.

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a house belonging to Ahmed ‘Azmi Mansour (28) in Sheikh Mo’nes neighborhood in Nablus’s Old City. They then arrested him.

At approximately 01:50, Israeli forces moved into Qalqiliyah. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mohammed Abdul Latif Zaid (20) and then arrested him.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Marada village, north of Salfit. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mohammed Noor Eden Ahmed ‘Ayash (24) and then arrested him.

At approximately 02:30, Israeli forces moved into Yatta, south of Hebron, and stationed in Roq’ah neighborhood. They raided and searched a house belonging to Taysir Mousa Rab’ei and then arrested his wife Khadijah Jebril al-‘amour (30).

At approximately 03:50, Israeli forces moved into Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to Yazan Eyad Abu ‘Eishah (22) and then arrested him.

At approximately 03:30, Israeli forces moved into Bethlehem and stationed in Shaheen Valley area in the center of the city. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mohammed Hafeth Jabrin (17) and then arrested him.

At approximately 09:00, Israeli forces accompanied with 2 tanks and 2 bulldozers moved about 100 meters into the southeastern side of Beit Hanoun village in the northern Gaza Strip, and stationed near Abu Safiyah military site, east of Jabalia. They then combed and leveled empty lands that were previously leveled amidst shooting. However, neither casualties nor material damage was reported. Few hours later, the Israeli forces redeployed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Bier al-Basha village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched 2 houses belonging to the prisoners Husain Sharif Ghawadrah and Mo’ammer Murshed Ghawadrah, who are sentenced to life imprisonment. The soldiers confiscated the 16-month visit permit from ‘Arafat Sharif Ghawadrah and banned him from visiting his prisoned brother Mo’ammer.

At approximately 16:00, Israeli forces accompanied with 2 military vehicles moved into al-Thaher area near “Carmi Tsur” settlement, south of Beit Ummer village in the northern Gaza Strip, and stationed in the vicinity of the residential houses. A number of youngsters gathered and threw stones at the Israeli soldiers, who immediately fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. A number of the soldiers then topped the houses’ roofs and fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the youngsters. As a result, a 14-year-old child sustained a metal bullet wound to the right foot. The Israeli forces later withdrew, and no arrests were reported.

Note: During the aforementioned day, Israeli forces conducted (7) incursions in the following areas and no arrests were reported: Tulkarm and Shuweikah Suburb, northeast of the city; ‘Anabtah and Kafer al-Labad villages, east of the city; Kherbet Tarousah, al-Thaheriyah and Ethna villages in Hebron.

Wednesday, 11 October 2017

At approximately 00:30, Israeli forces moved into Nablus and stationed in the eastern side to secure the entry of dozens of buses carrying settlers to Joseph’s Tomb in Balatet al-Balad. The settlers performed their religious rituals and Talmudic prayers until early morning. Meanwhile, dozens of youngsters gathered, set fire to tires, and threw stones at the Israeli soldiers. The soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets and sound bombs to disperse the youngsters. As a result, an 18-year-old civilian, from ‘Askar al-Jadeed refugee camp, north of the city, was hit with 3 metal bullets to the back, left shoulder, and right leg. The wounded child was transferred to Rafidiya Hospital to receive medical treatment. His wounds were classified as minor. He then left the hospital.

(PCHR keeps the name of the wounded child)

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to Anas Ibrahim Abdul Fattah Naifah (22) and then arrested him.

At approximately 04:00, Israeli forces moved into Bal’a village, northeast of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mazen Mohammed Abu Ghali (22) and then arrested him.

At approximately 13:00, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired around 2 artillery shells at a military watchtower belonging to the Palestinian armed groups, east of al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip. The shelling caused damage to the site, but no casualties were reported. It should be noted that the same site was shelled on 08 October 2017.

At approximately 14:00, Israeli forces moved into Zeta village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled the streets and stationed in front of Zeta Secondary School for Boys. The soldiers stopped several students and questioned them on the spot. They then arrested Nafeth Ehab Nafeth Masourah (12).

Note: During the aforementioned day, Israeli forces conducted (4) incursions in the following areas and no arrests were reported: Traqumiya, Surif, Sa’ir villages and Khelet al-Mayyah area in Hebron.

Demonstrations in protest against the annexation wall and settlement activities

West Bank:

On Friday, 06 October 2017, dozens of Palestinians and supporters organized the Friday Prayer at the entrance to Kherbet Qalqas, south of Hebron, in protest against closing the main and sole road leading to the Kherbah and the Bypass Street (60). At the end of the prayer, the protestors raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans. Meanwhile, a large number of Israeli forces arrived at the area. They fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors and press crews that arrived to cover the peaceful protest. As a result, a number of journalists suffered tear gas inhalation, while some of them were prevented from taking photos. It should be noted that Kherbet Qalqas is inhabited by 2000 people and the Israeli forces continue to close its entrance from the southern side with sand and rocks for 17 years. As a result, the civilians are forced to walk through an alternative long road crossing Kherbet al-Samn Valley and Khelet al-Dar. In the same time, the Israeli forces are expanding “Beit Hagai”settlement established on the al-Kherbah lands from the southern side.

Following the Friday prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and Israeli and international human rights defenders organized protests in Bil’in and Ni’lin villages, west of Ramallah; al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of the city; and Kafer Qadoum village, northeast of Qalqiliyah. Israeli forces forcibly dispersed the protesters, firing live and rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs. They also chased protesters into olive fields and between the houses. As a result, some of the protesters suffered tear gas inhalation while others sustained bruises as Israeli soldiers beat them up.

Gaza Strip:

At approximately 14:30 on Friday, 06 October 2017, about 30 Palestinian youngsters made their way to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Buraij refugee in the central Gaza Strip, in protest against the Israeli closure imposed on the Gaza Strip. The youngsters gathered near the security fence and set fire to tires. They also raised banners and flags and threw stones at the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence. The soldiers sporadically fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors and agricultural lands located to the west of the abovementioned border fence. As a result, a 17-year-old child sustained a live bullet wound to the thigh while others suffered tear gas inhalation. The wounded child was transferred to Shuhadaa’ al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah to receive medical treatment. His wounds were classified as moderate.

(PCHR keeps the name of the wounded child)

At approximately 16:30 on the same Friday, dozens of Palestinian youngsters made their way to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Shuhada’a Cemetery, east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, protesting against the Israeli closure imposed on the Gaza Strip. The youngsters approached the security fence and threw stones at the Israeli soldiers along the border fence. The soldiers fired live bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, and tear gas canisters at the protestors. As a result, a 14-year-old child sustained a live bullet wound to the right foot. His injury was classified as minor.

(PCHR keeps the name of the wounded child)

Continued closure of the oPt

Israel continued to impose a tight closure on the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

Israeli forces continuously tighten the closure of the Gaza Strip and close all commercial crossings, making the Karm Abu Salem crossing the sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip, although it is not suitable for commercial purposes in terms of its operational capacity and distance from markets.

Israeli forces have continued to apply the policy, which is aimed to tighten the closure on all commercial crossings, by imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.

Israeli forces have continued to impose a total ban on the delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Strip, except for very limited items and quantities. The limited quantities of raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces also continued to impose an almost total ban on the Gaza Strip exports, including agricultural and industrial products, except for light-weighted products such as flowers, strawberries, and spices. However, they lately allowed the exportation of some vegetables such as cucumber and tomatoes, furniture and fish.

Israel has continued to close the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for the majority of Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip. Israel only allows the movement of a limited number of groups, with many hours of waiting in the majority of cases. Israel has continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinian patients allowed to move via the Beit Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel also continued applying the policy of making certain civilian traveling via the crossing interviewed by the Israeli intelligence service to be questioned, blackmailed or arrested.

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, southeast of Rafah, is designated for the movement of goods

Date	Imports
	Category	Amount
	Category	Tons	Number	Liters
03 October	Various goods	3601
	Humanitarian aid	14045
	Cooking gas	275,190
	Benzene			75,991
	DieselDiesel for UNRWA			520,00576.000
	Construction aggregates	10000
	Cement	3000
	Construction steel	240
08 October	Various goods	5243
	Humanitarian aid	11404
	Cooking gas	300,650
	Benzene			151.998
	DieselDiesel for UNRWA			600.96776,000
	Construction aggregates	8000
	Cement	2160
	Construction steel	194
09 October	Various goods	3258
	Humanitarian aid	13541
	Cooking gas	296,160
	Benzene			75,994
	DieselDiesel for UNRWA			676,99076,000
	Construction aggregates	8800
	Cement	3480
	Construction steel	577

Exports:

On Tuesday, 03 October 2017, Israeli forces allowed the exportation of 8 tons of clothes.
On Sunday, 08 October 2017, Israeli forces allowed the exportation of 8 truckloads of vegetables.
On Monday, 09 October 2017, Israeli forces allowed the exportation of 45.1 tons of tomatoes; 0.6 tons of fish; 20.4 7 tons of cucumbers; 2 tons of eggplants; 440 pieces of animal skin; and 5.2 tons of sweet peppers.

Note: Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing was closed on Wednesday and Thursday, 04 and 05 October 2017, due to Jewish holidays.

Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing, in the north of the Gaza Strip, is designated for the movement of individuals, and links the Gaza Strip with the West Bank.

Movement at Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing

(04-10 October 2017)

Category	04 October	05 October	06 October	07 October	08 October	09 October	01 October
Patients	31	–	3	–	64	21	42
Companions	28	–	3	–	57	18	37
Personal needs	32	–	4	–	–	4	1
Familiesof prisoners	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Arabs fromIsrael	4	–	4	–	3	6	8
Diplomats	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
International journalists	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
International workers	20	–	10	–	17	13	32
Travelersabroad	–	–	–	–	1	1	1
Business people	–	–	–	–	1	6	2
Business meetings	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Security interviews	–	–	–	–	1	1	1
VIPs	1	–	1	–	–	–	–
Ambulances to Israel	2	–	–	–	1	4	9
Patients’ Companions	1	3	–	–	1	3	9

Note:

On Wednesday 04 October 2017, the Israeli authorities closed Erez crossing and prevented all categories from traveling, except the humanitarian cases “Heart and cancer patients and children”.
On Thursday, 05 October 2017, the crossing was completely closed and all categories were prevented from travelling.
On Friday, 06 October 2017, the crossing was opened until 12:00, during which limited categories were allowed to travel.
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, 08, 09 and 10 October 2017, the crossing was partially opened for all categories until 13:00, due to the Jewish Sukkot Holiday.

Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the reporting period, Israeli forces imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians:

Hebron: Israeli forces established (21) checkpoints all over the city.

On Thursday 05 October 2017, Israeli forces established 4 checkpoints at the entrances to Tarama, Raboud- Abu al-‘Asjah, and Ethna villages; on Beit ‘Awaa village road, at the northern entrance to Hebron.

On Friday, 06 October 2017, Israeli forces established 3 checkpoints on ‘Ayoun Abu Seif road and at the entrances to Beit Ummer and Sa’ir villages.

On Saturday, 07 October 2017, 2 similar checkpoints were established at the entrances to Halhoul and al-Dahiriyia villages.

On Sunday, 08 October 2017, Israeli forces established 4 checkpoints at the entrances to Beit Ummer, Ethna, al-Shayyoukh and al-Moureq villages.

On Monday, 09 October 2017, 2 checkpoints were established at the entrances to Beit ‘Awaa and Beit Ummer villages.

On Tuesday, 10 October 2017, Israeli forces established 3 checkpoints at the entrances to Halhoul and Yatta villages and on Kharsa village road.

On Wednesday, 11 October 2017, 3 similar checkpoints were established at the entrances to Beit ‘Awaa and Ethna villages and on al-Karmel village road, east of Yatta.

Qalqiliyia: Israeli forces established (12) checkpoints all over the city.

On Thursday, 05 October 2017, Israeli forces established 3 checkpoints under the bridge of ‘Azoun village, on the road between Qalqiliyia and Tulkarm, at the eastern entrance to Qalqiliyia, and on road No.55 between Qalqiliyia and Nablus.

On Friday, 06 October 2017, Israeli forces established 3 checkpoints between Jayyous and ‘Azoun villages, east of Qalqiliyia; at the eastern entrance to Qalqiliyia; and at the entrance to Heblah village, south of the city.

On Saturday, 07 October 2017, 4 similar checkpoints were established at the eastern entrance to Qalqiliyia, under the bridge of ‘Azoun village, on the road between Qalqiliyia and Tulkarm, at the entrance to ‘Azoun village, and between ‘Azoun and ‘Ezbit al-Tabeeb village, east of the city.

At approximately 17:25 on Monday, 09 October 2017, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance to ‘Azoun village, east of Qalqiliyia.

At approximately 20:20, a similar checkpoint was established on the main street between Qalqiliyia and Nablus near “Kedumim “settlement.

Salfit: Israeli forces established (6) checkpoints all over the city.

On Thursday, 05 October 2017, Israeli forces established 3 checkpoints at the entrance to Qarawet Bani Hassan village, northwest of Salfit; under the bridge of Askaka village, east of the city; and between Kaful Hares and Hares village, north of the city.

At approximately 16:30 on Friday, 06 October 2017, Israeli forces established a checkpoint under the bridge of Askaka village, east of Salfit.

On Saturday, 07 October 2017, 3 similar checkpoints were established at the northern entrance to Salfit; under the bridge of Askaka village, east of the city; and at the entrance to Qarawet Bani Hassan village, northwest of the city.

Jenin: Israeli forces established (3) checkpoints all over the city.

At approximately 18:00 on Sunday, 08 October 2017, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance to Zaboubah village, west of Jenin.

At approximately 19:00 on the same day, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance to Ya’boud village, southwest of the city.

At approximately 18:00 on Tuesday, 10 October 2017, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance to Zaboubah village, west of Jenin.

Arrests at Military Checkpoints:

At approximately 21:00 on Thursday, 05 October 2017, Israeli forces established a checkpoint in al-Zaytounah area in al-Sweitat neighbourhood, south of Jenin. They stopped a Palestinian vehicle carrying Yousef Khaled Abu Zinah “ Kmail” (22), and Mohamed Ziyad Abu al-Rub (23). Both of them are from Qabatia village, southeast of the village. The Israeli forces checked Yousef and Mohamed’s IDs before arresting them. The Israeli forces claimed that the abovementioned persons killed an Israeli in Kafur Qasem village 3 days before their arrest. When the Israeli forces established the checkpoint, they opened fire at Palestinian young men in the vicinity of the checkpoint. As a result, Adham Mostafa Ibrahim Abu Kharj (17) was hit with a live bullet to the right thigh. The Israeli forces arrested Adham and took him along with Yousef and Mohamed to al-Jamlah checkpoint, north of Jenin. Adham was then taken by a PRCS ambulance to Khalil Suliman Hospital in Jenin to receive medical treatment.

At approximately 19:30 on Friday, 06 October 2017, Israeli forces established a checkpoint under the bridge of ‘Azoun village on the road between Qalqiliyia and Tulkarm. They searched Palestinian civilians’ vehicles and checked their IDs. In the meantime, they arrested Islam Zaher Saleh Hasaneen Dawoud (17), from Qalqiliyia.

At approximately 15:00 on Saturday, 07 October 2017, Israeli forces arrested Naser Nassar Ali al-Jundi (44), from Yatta village, south of Hebron. Naser was arrested at a checkpoint established at the entrance to al-Fawar refugee camp, south of the city.

At approximately 17:00 on Saturday, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on Ramallah-Nablus Road. They stopped Palestinian vehicles and checked their IDs. In the meantime, they arrested Sanad Mohamed Mahmoud Khadir Istiti (25), from Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin.

At approximately 20:00 on Sunday, 08 October 2017, Israeli forces stationed at the intersection of “Gosh Etzion” settlement, south of Bethlehem, arrested Nasri Yousef Abu Jouda (25).
At approximately 17:00 on Monday, 09 October 2017, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on Faqou’a village road, southeast of Jenin. They stopped Palestinian vehicles and checked their IDs. In the meantime, the Israeli forces arrested Sufian Rizeq Fares (36), from Kafreet village, southwest of the city.

Efforts to Create Jewish majority

Israeli forces escalated their attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property. They have also continued their raids on al-Aqsa Mosque and denied the Palestinians access to it:

Arrests and Incursions:

At approximately 01:00 on Monday, 09 October 2017, Israeli forces moved into Beit Sorik village, northwest of occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched a house belonging to Yazan Mohamed Yaser (23) and arrested him.
At approximately 02:00 on Tuesday, 10 October 2017, Israeli forces moved into al-‘Issawiyia village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched houses from which they arrested Ahmed Mohamed Derbas (26) and Mohamed Ali Naser (22).

Israeli settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and property

On Sunday, 08 October 2017, hundreds of Israeli settlers raided al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. Moreover, they performed prayers and organized demonstrations in al-Buraq Wall yard and Silwan village due to the Jewish Sukkot holiday. The Islamic Endowment Department (Awqaf) stated that around 524 Israeli settlers raided al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning and afternoon; around 366 settlers raided the mosque in the morning while 158 others in the afternoon via al-Magharebah Gate. The Israeli settlers wandered the mosque’s yards while the Israeli soldiers were heavily deployed in the area. During the storming, many Israeli settlers performed prayers in the al-Aqsa Mosque while other settlers wandered and performed their rituals at the gates outside. Moreover, Member of Israeli Knesset Yehuda Glick, performed prayers at al-Qataneen Gate outside. Furthermore, thousands of Israeli settlers performed prayers of Jewish Sukkot holiday in al Buraq Wall yard, and the Israeli police closed all roads leading to the area. Moreover, a helicopter hovered over the city. The Israeli forces also closed all roads leading to Silwan village in conjunction with the Israelis’ arrival at the village to perform their rituals and prayers in al-Tantour Fer’oun and ‘Ain Silwan areas.

On Monday, 09 October 2017, Israeli settlers continued to raid al-Aqsa Mosque for the 2^nd consecutive day. The Islamic Endowment Department (Awqaf) stated that hundreds of Israeli settlers raided al Aqsa Mosque in the morning and afternoon via al-Magharebah Gate. The raiders were 612 Israeli settlers, including 150 Israeli students.

On Tuesday, 10 October 2017, hundreds of Israeli settlers raided al-Aqsa Mosque for the 3^rd consecutive day under the Israeli forces protection. The Islamic Endowment Department (Awqaf) stated that around 628 Israeli settlers raided al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning and afternoon via al-Magharebah Gate and wandered the mosque yards. Moreover, the Israeli police checked the Palestinian worshipers’ IDs before entering the mosque, especially in the morning. In the morning, hundreds of Israeli settlers moved into occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City and headed towards al-Buraq Wall. They were holding palm fronds to perform their prayers due to Jewish Sukkot holiday. They also wandered and performed prayers outside at al-Aqsa Mosque Gates.

Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property

Israeli settlers’ attacks:

At approximately 21:45 on Thursday, 05 October 2017, 3 Israeli settlers who were on the right side of street near “Shilo” settlement on Ramallah-Nablus Road attacked a Palestinian car carrying 3 Palestinian National Security officers. The Israeli settlers threw stones at the vehicle, breaking its windshield. As a result, Mohamed Mahmoud Jarar’ah (26), from ‘Asira village, north of Nablus, was hit with a stone to the right side of thehead. Mohamed was then taken to hospital in al-Rihan suburb, north of Ramallah. Medical tests showed that Mohamed suffers from a skull fracture and severe bleeding in the head. He is so far in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to his serious health condition.

Abed Yousef al-‘Obaidy, one of the vehicle’s passengers, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that,

“At approximately 20:30 on Thursday, 05 October 2017, my friends, Mohamed Jara’rah (26), from ‘Asira village, north of Nablus; and Ghassan Qasrawi, from Masliya village, southeast of Jenin; and I were heading to our work from Nablus to Bethlehem via a car driven by Ghassan as we are officers at the Palestinian National Security Service. While we were on our way near “Shilo” settlement, we saw 3 Israeli settlers on the right side of Ramallah-Nablus Main Road. One of the settlers had a torch and sporadically pointing it towards us. I said to Ghassan: slow down. I think this is the Israeli police. We were around 100 meter away from them. Ghassan slowly drove and when we approached them, we then knew they were Israeli settlers. In the meantime, one of them threw stones at the right window, which was closed, and broke it. Another settler threw stone at the right rear window next to Mohammed, so he was hit with the stone to the head. Mohamed shouted and was bleeding. I quickly told Ghassan to head to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. Mohamed received medical treatment and underwent a CT scan, which showed that he suffers from a skull fractur and severe bleeding in the head. He was then transferred to the Isitishari Hospital in al-Rihan suburb.”

At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 06 October 2017, dozens of Israeli settlers from “Kiryat ‘Arba’” and “ Kharsina” settlements gathered on Bypass Road (60) near a sub-road leading to Khirbet al-Boq’a, east of the city, where many Palestinian families live. The Israeli settlers threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles. When Nimer Jaber (40) traveling his car arrived on the sub-road leading to Khirbet al-Boq’a, the Israeli settler threw stones at his vehicle. As a result, the vehcile’s windows were broken, and his daughter Yaffa sustained glass shrapnel She was then taken to Hebron Hospital to receive medical treatment.

At approximately 23:20 on Saturday, 07 October 2017, hundreds of Israeli settlers moved into ‘Awerta village, south of Nablus, under the Israeli forces protection. They performed their Talmudic rituals around Jewish historical tombs as they claim. In the next day morning, 08 October 2017, the Israeli settlers and soldiers withdrew from the village, and no further incidents were reported.

Recommendations to the International Community

PCHR warns of the escalating settlement construction in the West Bank, the attempts to legitimize settlement outposts established on Palestinian lands in the West Bank and the continued summary executions of Palestinian civilians under the pretext that they pose a security threat to the Israeli forces. PCHR reminds the international community that thousands of Palestinian civilians have been rendered homeless and lived in caravans under tragic circumstances due to the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been under a tight closure for almost 10 years. PCHR welcomes the UN Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334, which states that settlements are a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and calls upon Israel to stop them and not to recognize any demographic change in the oPt since 1967. PCHR hopes this resolution will pave the way for eliminating the settlement crime and bring to justice those responsible for it. PCHR further reiterates that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation in spite of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan of 2005. PCHR emphasizes that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law. Israel is bound to apply international human rights law and the law of war, sometimes reciprocally and other times in parallel, in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for the victims.

PCHR calls upon the international community to respect the Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334 and to ensure that Israel respects it as well, in particular point 5 which obliges Israel not to deal with settlements as if they were part of Israel.
PCHR calls upon the ICC in 2017 to open an investigation into Israeli crimes committed in the oPt, particularly the settlement crimes and the 2014 offensive on the Gaza Strip.
PCHR Calls upon the European Union (EU) and all international bodies to boycott settlements and ban working and investing in them in application of their obligations according to international human rights law and international humanitarian law considering settlements as a war crime.
PCHR calls upon the international community to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine.
PCHR calls upon the international community and United Nations to take all necessary measures to stop Israeli policies aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem and at voiding Palestine from its original inhabitants through deportations and house demolitions as a collective punishment, which violates international humanitarian law, amounting to a crime against humanity.
PCHR calls upon the international community to condemn summary executions carried out by Israeli forces against Palestinians and to pressurize Israel to stop them.
PCHR calls upon the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to work hard to hold Israeli war criminals accountable.
PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfill their obligations under article (1) of the Convention to ensure respect for the Conventions under all circumstances, and under articles (146) and (147) to search for and prosecute those responsible for committing grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions to ensure justice and remedy for Palestinian victims, especially in light of the almost complete denial of justice for them before the Israeli judiciary.
PCHR calls upon the international community to speed up the reconstruction process necessary because of the destruction inflicted by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
PCHR calls for a prompt intervention to compel the Israeli authorities to lift the closure that obstructs the freedom of movement of goods and 1.8 million civilians that experience unprecedented economic, social, political and cultural hardships due to collective punishment policies and retaliatory action against civilians.
PCHR calls upon the European Union to apply human rights standards embedded in the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to respect its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights when dealing with Israel.
PCHR calls upon the international community, especially states that import Israeli weapons and military services, to meet their moral and legal responsibility not to allow Israel to use the offensive in Gaza to test new weapons and not accept training services based on the field experience in Gaza in order to avoid turning Palestinian civilians in Gaza into testing objects for Israeli weapons and military tactics.
PCHR calls upon the parties to international human rights instruments, especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to pressurize Israel to comply with its provisions in the oPt and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the relevant committees.
PCHR calls upon the EU and international human rights bodies to pressurize the Israeli forces to stop their attacks against Palestinian fishermen and farmers, mainly in the border area.