Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in Palestine (25 February – 03 March 2021)

 

March 4, 2021

Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestine

25 February – 03 March 2021

• IOF excessive use of force in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem: 5 Palestinians wounded, including 4 children
• Eight IOF shootings reported at agricultural lands eastern Gaza, and once at fishing boats western Gaza Strip
• In 94 IOF incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem: 104 civilians arrested, including 11 children and 2 women
• Patient’s companion arrested after a summons for interview with Israeli intelligence services at Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing
• Israeli occupation announces plans to confiscate 193 dunums in Ramallah
• 4 houses (one self-demolished) and 4 shops (one self-demolished) demolished in occupied east Jerusalem
• Settler-attacks: a child was injured; entrance of the Romanian Church Monastery set on fire; and the Anadolu News Agency press crew was assaulted.
• IOF established 60 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank and arrested 11 Palestinian civilians on said checkpoints

Summary

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to commit crimes and multi-layered violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians that are mostly conducted after midnight and in the early morning hours. Additionally, IOF conducted widescale demolitions in occupied East Jerusalem; settlers launched scales across the West Bank, set fire onto a church and assaulted a media crew in Jerusalem.

This week, PCHR documented 195 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by IOF and settlers in the oPt.

IOF shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity:

IOF shot and injured 5 civilians (including 4 children) in its attacks on peaceful protests in the West Bank: 3 Palestinians, including 2 children, in Hebron; another child was arrested after IOF injured him near the Annexation Wall in Ramallah; and another child was wounded during IOF attacks on Kafr Qaddum – Qalqilya weekly protest. Dozens of others suffocated due to tear gas inhalation.

In the Gaza Strip, eight IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip, and once at fishing boats, western Gaza Strip.

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: IOF carried out 94 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this week’s incursions, 104 Palestinians were arrested, including 11 children and 2 women.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF arrested the companion of a patient (from Khan Younis) after he was summonsed for an interview with Israeli intelligence at Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing.

Demolitions:

PCHR documented 11 incidents:

• Ramallah: the occupation announced plans to confiscate 193 dunums from Deir Dibwan and Rammun.
• East Jerusalem: residential tent demolished, as well as 2 under-construction houses in Isawiya; another house was self-demolished in Silwan. A shop was self-demolished in Beit Hanina; and a residential building and 3 shops were demolished in Shu’afat refugee camp.
• Jericho: 2 barracks demolished in northern Jordan valleys.
• Bethlehem: 2 rooms demolished, and land razed in Battir.
• Hebron: two residencies and a room were demolished; a tire-made tent was also demolished. A 220 sqm barracks was dismantled and confiscated.

Settler-attacks: PCHR fieldworkers reported and documented 11 attacks:

• Ramallah: sharp-end steel bars were planted on a dirt road in Kafr Malik, puncturing a tractor’s tires.
• Bethlehem: 20 olive trees cut in Kisan.
• Hebron: attacks and provocations against civilians in Haret Jaber and Al-Shuhada Street.
• Occupied East Jerusalem: child assaulted in the French Hill neighborhood; vehicles assaulted; the entrance of the Roman Church was set on fire; and Anadolu News Agency team was assaulted while working in Mea She’arim neighborhood in Jerusalem.
• Nablus: civilian houses and vehicles assaulted in Jabel Sheikh Basher and Hawwara.
• Qalqilya: Palestinian was rammed over on the main road near the Al-Funduq village intersection.

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:

The Gaza Strip still suffers the worst closure in the history of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life.

Meanwhile, IOF continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the Second Intifada and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to arrest.

Shooting and other Violations of the Right to Life and Bodily Integrity

• At approximately 08:30 on Friday, 26 February 2021, IOF stationed along the Gaza’s border fence with Israel, east of Khan Yunis, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Al-Qarara village; no casualties were reported.
• At approximately 11:00, a peaceful protest took off in front of Beit Dajan village council, east of Nablus, north of the West Bank, at the call of the villagers and with the participation of the National Action Factions in Nablus, towards lands under the threat of confiscation, east of the village. The protestors raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against the Israeli occupation, settlers, annexation wall and deal of the century. When the protestors arrived at the area, they found a large number of Israeli soldiers awaiting them. The protestors chanted slogans again against the Israeli occupation and settlers. IOF immediately suppressed the protest and fired live and rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors. Also, many protestors suffocated due to teargas inhalation and received treatment on the spot.
• At approximately 11:30, a peaceful protest took off in front of Deir Jarir village, northeast of Ramallah, in the center of the West Bank, at the call of the villagers towards lands under the threat of confiscation and against the establishment of settlement outpost in al-Shorfa Mount area, where Israeli settlers established a tent and a water tank and conducted excavation works in the agricultural lands 2 months ago. The protestors raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against the Israeli occupation and settlers. When the protestors arrived at the area, they found a large number of Israeli soldiers awaiting them. The protestors performed Friday prayer and chanted slogans again against the Israeli occupation and settlers. IOF immediately suppressed the protest and fired live and rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors. Also, many protestors suffocated due to teargas inhalation and received treatment on the spot.
• At approximately 12:30, IOF stationed at the northern entrance to Kafr Qaddum village, north of Qalqilya, suppressed a peaceful protest organized by dozens of Palestinian young men. IOF chased Palestinian young men gathered in the area, clashed with them and fired live and sponge bullets, sound bombs and teargas canisters at them. As a result, Mahmoud Bashar Ishtawi (10) was hit with a sponge grenade in his chest.
• Following the Friday prayer, on 26 February 2021, dozens of Palestinian young men and international activist organized a peaceful protest to commemorate the 27 anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre, which was carried out by American-Israeli Baruch Goldstein against Palestinian worshipers in al-Ibrahimi Mosque in 1994. The Palestinian protestors raised Palestinian flags, chanted slogans and raised banners calling for lifting the closure imposed on Hebron and removing the checkpoints. When the protestors arrived at the gate established at al-Shuhada southern entrance, they found a large number of IOF deployed in the area. IOF fired sound bombs and teargas canisters at the protestors. As a result, many protestors suffocated due to teargas inhalation. Also, IOF declared the area as a closed-military zone and threatened to arrest the protestors if they would not leave the area.
• At approximately 14:00, IOF stationed near the annexation wall, near al-Kherba area, west of Saffa village, west of Ramallah, arrested Ahmed ‘Abed al-Razeq Falenah (16) after opening fire at him and wounding him. It should be noted that Palestinian civilians are used to head to al-Kherba area for picnic. Falenah’s family was later informed that his son was wounded with a live bullet in his lower limbs and taken to an Israeli hospital. Falenah’s family was prevented from visiting his son. PCHR’s fieldworker is still investigating the Falenah’s injury circumstances.
• At approximately 07:50 on Saturday, 27 February 2021, Israeli gunboats stationed off Waha Shore, northwest of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip, chased Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles, opened heavy fire around them, causing fear among the fishermen and forcing them to flee. No casualties were reported.
• At approximately 08:10, IOF stationed along the Gaza’s border fence with Israel, east of Khan Yunis, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Khuzaʽa village; no casualties were reported.
• At approximately 13:00 on Sunday, 28 February 202, IOF moved into Baten al-Hawa neighborhood in Silwan village, south of occupied East Jerusalem. IOF stationed in front of residential buildings’ entrances and photographed them. During which, IOF deliberately provoked Palestinian young men, pushed them and beat them. Meanwhile, clashes erupted between Palestinian young men and IOF, who fired heavy teargas canisters in the area. As a result, dozens of Palestinians suffocated due to teargas inhalation. IOF also arrested members of Baten al-Hawa Defense Committee Zuhair al-Rajbi (52) and Mohammed Salah (29) after severely beating them.
• At approximately 19:30 on Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF moved into Ein Yabrud village, northeast of Ramallah. IOF stationed on the village’s main street, adjacent to Ein Yabrud Old mosque, and fired teargas canisters at Abu Shokri supermarket. As a result, the villagers suffocated due to teargas inhalation. Also, the rear window of Abu Shokri’s vehicle was broken after being directly hit with a teargas canister. Sultan Ziyad Abu Shokri (32), the supermarket’s owner, said to that: “ At approximately 19:30, while my father and I were in my supermarket located in the center of the village, near Ein Yabrud Old mosque on the village’s main street, I saw a military USV parked 30 meters away my supermarket. After that, a number of Israeli soldiers stepped out of the USV and fired at least 18 teargas canisters at the supermarket. Civilians, who were present in the area, suffocated due teargas inhalation. I immediately got my father out of the supermarket and took him to his vehicle to drive it and go to home. When my father got into the vehicle, an Israeli soldier fired a teargas canister at the vehicle, breaking its rear windows. Additionally, my father suffocated due to teargas inhalation and received treatment on the spot. After that, IOF withdrew from the village and no clashes between Palestinian young men and IOF were reported.”
• At approximately 23:00, a large number of Israeli soldiers accompanied with Special Forces Units moved into ‘Obaid neighborhood in Isawiya village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. IOF raided ‘Obaid family’s house after damaging its doors, frightening and assaulting its inhabitan. As a result, ‘Adnan ‘obaid (54) sustained wounds in his head after being hit with a sharp tool and his son Mohammed (23) sustained bruises throughout his body. Also, IOF arrested Tareq Marwan ‘Obaid (21) after severely beating him and took him to an unknown destination. During which a number of Palestinian young men gathered and threw stones, Molotov Cocktails and fireworks at IOF, wounding 5 of them as later declared by Israeli authorities. IOF immediately fired rubber bullets and heavy teargas canisters at the protestors. The clashes continued until next day dawn. IOF called up a wastewater vehicle to spray the protestors and residential buildings with wastewater. As a result, dozens of civilians suffocated due to teargas and wastewater inhalation.
• At approximately 08:00 on Wednesday, 03 March 2021, IOF stationed along the Gaza’s border fence with Israel, eastern, central and southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Deir al-Balah city, in Maghazi camp, in Khuzaʽa, al-Qarara and Abasan villages in eastern Khan Yunis; no casualties were reported.
• At approximately 09:10, IOF stationed along the Gaza’s border fence with Israel, east of al-Showka village, east of Rafah, opened fire at agricultural lands; no casualties were reported.
• At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron, via a vehicle with a Palestinian registration plate. IOF raided Abu Hashhash family’s house in the center of the camp and locked the family members in one room. They arrested ‘Alaa Ishaq Abu Hashhash (24) and withdrew from the house. Meanwhile, a number of Palestinian young men gathered and threw stones at IOF, who responded with sound bombs, teargas canisters, and live bullets. As a result, 3 civilians, including 2 children, were wounded; the first (16) was shot with 2 live bullets in his lower limbs and the second (22) was shot with a live bullet in his right thigh. The wounded were taken via an ambulance to Abu al-Hasan al-Qasem Hospital in Yatta city.

Incursions and arrests

Thursday, 25 February 2021:

• At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Osarin, southeast of Nablus. They raided and searched several houses and arrested the police officer Raslan Jaber Adeli (48).
• Around the same time, IOF stationed at the entrance of Qusra village, southeast of Nablus, stopped the vehicle and arrested Ali Rizq Allah Owda (30) and Fadi Rebhi Kan’an (33), from Qusra.
• At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched Yazan Hamza al-Kurdi’s (19) houses and took him to an unknown destination.
• At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Rummanah village, west of Jenin, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Mahdi Mershed Bushnaq (47).
• At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into al-Sawahira al-Sharqiya, east of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Mohammed Shukri al-Hansh’s (41) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Aroub refugee camp. North of Hebron. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Hashem Hatem al-Sharif (19) and Mo’ayad Amer Banat (22) and arrested them.
• At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Abu Shukheidim village, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched Mohammed Sami Abu Dhaher’s (21) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 04:30, IOF moved into Hebron, and stationed in al-Hawooz al-Awal area. They raided and searched Ayman Yusri Shannan’s (19) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 05:00, IOF moved into Isawiya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Anwar Sami Obaid (23) and Mahmoud Sa’d al-Rajabi (24) and took them to Moscovia Detention Centre in West Jerusalem. It should be noted that Obaid was arrested 23 times during the last two years.
• At approximately 05:30, a group of Mista’arvim (Israeli Special Unit dressed like Palestinians) sneaked into Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin. They used a bus and stationed around the house of the former prisoner Wissam Mohammed Abu Zeid. They stormed and searched his house to arrest him, but he was not there, so they broke the glass of his brother’s car, and no arrests were reported.
• At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched Nehad Ahmed Edris’s (27) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 14:00, IOF moved into Baqat al-Hatab village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched Zakariya Wasfi Abu Tabikh’s (25) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 14:20, IOF stationed at the entrance of Rujeib village, northeast of Nablus, arrested Morad Ali Sharai’a (20), from Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
• At approximately 15:50, IOF moved into several neighborhoods in Tulkarm. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Yousef Antar al-Natour (26), Hammam As’ad Na’alwa (28), and Qais Murad Barhoush (28).
• At approximately 17:30, IOF arrested Husam Salayma al-Qammousi (17) and Alaa Mohammed al-Kronz (16), from al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron, while present in a land adjacent to Bypass road (60), in the southern side of the camp. IOF took the two children to an investigation center in “Kiryat Arba’” settlement, east of Hebron.
• At approximately 20:00, IOF arrested Ali Arabi (16), while present in front of Moscovia Detention Centre in West Jerusalem.
• IOF carried out (5) incursion in Tammun, southeast of Tubas; Yatta, Fawwar refugee camp, Sa’ir, and Hadab al-Fawwar villages in Hebron governorate. No arrests were reported.

Friday, 26 February 2021:

• At approximately 16:00, IOF arrested Mohammed Fares Abu Sbeitan (21), after stopping his vehicle while entering al-Tur neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. IOF took him to Moscovia Detention Centre in West Jerusalem.
• At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Batin al-Hawa neighborhood in Silwan, south of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Mohammed Jamal Ghaith (22) and Yousef Ali Salah (20) and arrested them.

It should be noted that IOF released Salah, on the next day, on conditions that banning his entry to Batin al-Hawa neighborhood for 15-days, and pay a bail of 5,000 NIS, and extended the arrest of Ghaith until the next Monday.

• At approximately 19:00, IOF stationed at Mevo Dotan military checkpoint, southwest of Jenin, arrested Yazan Sa’eed Hamarsha (17) and Mohammed Yaser Hamdoni (16), from Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin, while riding a motorcycle on the main entrance of the village.

Saturday, 27 February 2021:

• At approximately 17:00, IOF stationed at Qalandiya military checkpoint, north of the occupied East Jerusalem, arrested Maher Hamdallah Othman (28), from Abwein, northwest of Ramallah. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
• Around the same time, IOF stationed at Huwwarah military checkpoint, southeast of Nablus, arrested Mohammed Ahmed Howeiti (28), from Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
• IOF carried out (2) incursions in Halhul and Shuyukh villages in Hebron. No arrests were reported.

Sunday, 28 February 2021:

• At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Tur neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched Mohammed Khaled Khwais’s (21) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Isawiya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Feras Khader Obaid (24) and Hadi Ibrahim Derbas (17) and arrested them.
• At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Beit Fajjar village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched Issam Mohammed Taqateqa’s (26) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 10:00, IOF stationed at Huwwarah military checkpoint, southeast of Tubas, arrested Zohdi Theeb Qawariq (27), from Awarta village, southeast of Nablus. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
• IOF carried out an incursion in Ti’nik village, west of Jenin. No arrests were reported.

Monday, 01 March 2021:

• At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Shuyukh village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched Thameen Ahmed Halayqa’s (26) house and arrested him.
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Bait Kahil, north of Hebron. They raided and searched two houses and arrested (3) civilians; including a father and his son. The arrestees are: Wael Hasan Jouda (55), his son Hassan (21), and Bara’ Yousef Asafra (29).
• Also around 01:30, IOF, stationed on the entrance to Kafr Qaddum village, arrested Mahmoud Ahmed Mansour (22).
• At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Hizma, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Mohammed Hamza Salah al-Dein (23), Nadeem al-Khateeb (26), and his brother Mohammed (24).
• At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Shu’afat refugee camp, east of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Omar Mohammed Thiab’s (23) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Araqah village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (3) civilians including a child; Mohammed Ahmed Mahmoud Yehya (24), Hisham Ahmed Mohammed Yehya (20), and his brother Hussam (17).
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Silat al-Harithiya village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched Yousef Abdul Malek al-Sa’di’s (29) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Isawiya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Awni Yousef Obaid (24) and Hussain Yaser Darwish (15) and arrested them.
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Hebron. They raided and searched two houses and arrested two civilians: Izz al-Dein Mustafa Abu Hussain (23), and Mothanna Omar al-Qawasmah (20).
• At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched Mahmoud Abdul Fattah Ta’amra’s (33) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 14:00, IOF moved into Shufa village, east of Tulkarm. They raided and searched three houses belonging to Mohammed Mofeed Droubi (14), Yousef Mohammed Droubi (14) and Ahmed Ghaleb Droubi (20) and arrested them.
• At approximately 16:00, IOF arrested (3) civilians while riding a car near the annexation wall adjacent to Abu Dis, east of the occupied East Jerusalem, and took them to unknown destinations. The arrestees are: Ahmed Nabeel Bader (26), his brother Abdullah (23), and Khaled Jamal Bader (28).
• At approximately 22:30, IOF arrested Odai (23) and Ahed (21) Qar’oush, from Deir Ballout, near the village entrance in western Salfit.

Tuesday, 02 March 2021:

• At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bal’a village, north of Tulkarm. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Ahmed Yousef Samara (30), and the former prisoner Mahdi Hasan al-Hajj (29) and arrested them.
• At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Balata al-Balad village, east of Nablus. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Mousa Mohammed Dwaikat (22).
• Around the same time, IOF moved into al-Khader, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Ibrahim Suliman al-Da’doua’ (21) and Mahmoud Ahmed Issa (21) and arrested them.
• At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (4) former prisoners; Morad Waleed Malaysha (32), Mohammed Mahmoud Alawna (33), Morad Mohammed Fashafesha (31), and Lotfy Taher Malaysha (32). Later, IOF tortured them before they were released.
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Birzeit, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched Mohammed Suleiman Kan’an’s (31) house and arrested him.
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Shwaika, east of Tulkarm. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (4) civilians; Khaled Adnan al-Zibda (28), Amjad Waleed Na’alwa (34), Mahmoud Muhanna Musleh (23), and Mansour Mansour Idhelliya (50).
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Hebron. They raided and searched Ali Abdul Ghaffar Doufish’s (29) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Jericho, north of the West Bank. They surrounded, raided, and searched Sa’eed Abu Ali’s house, and arrested Shadi Abdul Ra’ouf Sbeihat (44), from al-Rummanah village, west of Jenin.
• Around the same time, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They raided and searched Majd Mohammed Jarrar’s (21) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into al-Tur neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Rabea’ Hussain al-Sayyad (42) and Eid Waheed Shabana (22) and arrested them.
• At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Tal village, southwest of Nablus. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Malek Belal Shtayyah (28) and Assem Jameel Shtayyah (25).
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Ramallah. They deployed into Ein Misbah neighborhood, stormed several houses and arrested Saad Farouq Zalloum (22).
• In morning hours, IOF stationed at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing, north of the Gaza Strip, arrested Karam Salem Abu Hadayed (38), from Khan Yunis, while referring to the Israeli Intelligence Services. Abu Hadayed applied to obtain an exit permit to Israel to accompany his cancer patient mother, so the Israeli Intelligence Services summonsed him for security interview.

His sister, Samah, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that her mother, Aziza Mohammed Abu Hadayed (60), got a medical referral to receive treatment at Augusta Victoria Hospital “al-Motale’a” in occupied Jerusalem, so she applied to obtain a permit for her and her son Karam, as a companion. At approximately 08:40, on Monday, 01 March 2021, they received the approval for the mother to travel on Tuesday, and after an hour, Karam received a summons, via a text message, to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Services in Beit Hanoun Crossing. On Thursday morning, when her mother and Karam headed to the crossing, the Israeli authorities allowed the mother to travel to the hospital alone and informed her that her son may follow her or return to Gaza. At approximately 22:00, we were informed that Karam is under arrest, noting that my mother is an old-sick woman, and seriously needs help during treatment.

• At approximately 11:00, IOF surrounded and stormed the Women’s Center in Shuafat refugee camp, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They stationed on the main door and its yards, arrested Jehad Abu Zneid (54), a member in the legislative council, and took him to an unknown destination.
• At approximately 13:00, IOF moved into Sawaneh neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched Alaa Nidal Zughayyar’s (25) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 13:30, IOF moved into Isawiya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Hussam Sameeh Alian’s (20) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 14:30, IOF arrested Mohammed Zeid al-Sawwaf (24) and Najy Akram Sughayyar (26), while present at al-Wad neighborhood, one of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City’s neighborhoods. IOF took them to one of the police centers in the city.
• At approximately 15:00, IOF moved into the African Community Quarter, near al-Majlis Gate, one of the Aqsa Mosque’s gates in the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched a house belonging to Belala family and severely beaten, pushed, pepper-sprayed and arrested Ro’a Belalah (23), her brother Mustafa (21), and her cousin Abdullah (23).
• Around the same time, IOF arrested Issac Abu-Hashash (62) from al-Fawwar camo in Hebron, after detaining him on a temporary checkpoint at the camp entrance.
• At approximately 20:40, IOF stationed in eastern Qalqilya arrested Muhanad Rabe’, an employee of the Palestinian intelligence services, and released him by 09:30.
• At approximately 23:30, IOF arrested Hamza Abu Habla (22) from Tulkram while he was reporting for a summons he received earlier by the Israeli intelligence services.
• IOF carried out (5) incursions in Nur Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarm; Beitunia, Birzeit, and Jifna in Ramallah governorate; Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho. No arrests were reported.

Wednesday, 03 March 2021:

• At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Bassam Ragheb al-Sa’di (61), and his nephew, Abdul Rahman Qasem Ragheb al-Sa’di (34). Later, IOF released them.
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched Ali Belal Abu Bakr’s (23) house and arrested him. At approximately 03:10, IOF moved into Birzeit, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched Oraib Jaber Darwish’s (33) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Bassam Ragheb al-Sa’di (61), and his nephew, Abdul Rahman Qasem Ragheb al-Sa’di (34). Later, IOF released them.
• Around the same time, IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched Ali Belal Abu Bakr’s (23) house and arrested him.
• At approximately 04:00, IOF moved nto Obaidat neighborhood, in Jabal al-Mukaber village, southeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Mohammed Hasan Obaidat (16) and Hashem Ahmed Obaidat (19), and arrested them.
• IOF carried out (2) incursions in Beit Kahil and Dura, in Hebron. No arrests were reported.

Settlement Expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem

Demolition and Confiscation of Civilian Property

• On Thursday 25 February 2021, the Israeli occupation authorities announced that 193 dunums will be annexed from the Deir Dibwan village and nearby Rammun village, east of Ramallah, to establish a landfill for the settlements near the village. Mayor of Deir Dibwan, Mansour Mansour, said that IOF distributed leaflets to farmers’ lands about their intention to confiscate 193 dunums from these lands in Deir Dibwan and Rammun villages to establish a landfill site for settlers in the area.  Mansour added that the Municipality has not received from the Israeli authorities any official confiscation decision; also, no official notices were handed to the owners.
• At approximately 00:45 on Friday, 26 February 2021, IOF demolished a tent sheltering ‘Alian Family that was established by them on the rubble of their residential building, noting that the Israeli Municipality bulldozers demolished the building last Monday in al-‘Issawiya village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, amidst IOF’s heavy firing of rubber-coated bullets and sound bombs.

Fadi ‘Alian, al-Aqsa Mosque’s guard and one of the owners of the residential apartments demolished, said that IOF tore down his family tent set up on the rubble of their residential building that included 4 residential apartments and sheltered 20 persons, including 12 children, near the entrance to al-‘Issawiya village.  ‘Alian said that IOF was irritated by the citizens’ solidarity with the family cause as they previously raided the tent and attacked those who were inside.  They threatened the citizens in case they returned to the tent in solidarity with the family. ‘Alian added that IOF again raided the tent in the dawn and removed it after firing sound bombs randomly to disperse those inside the tent.  They also removed the solidarity slogans fixed on the building rubble.  It should be noted that ‘Alian family previously stated that the decision to demolish the family building, which was implemented last Monday under the pretext of unlicensed construction, was a political decision par excellence, especially since their son, Fadi, previously received several calls from the Israeli Intelligence threatening him to demolish his family building if he continued to work as the Head of the Guard Unit in the mosque. The family added that Fadi was arrested several times and teased him lately until they demolished the family building which was established more than 10 years ago under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

• At approximately 08:00 on Monday, 01 March 2021, the Israeli Municipality bulldozers demolished 2 under-construction houses belonging to Hatem Hussein Abu Riyalah near the eastern entrance to al-‘Issawiya, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

Hatem Abu Riyalah said that Israeli Special Forces’ members backed by several vehicles moved into Abu Riyalah neighborhood in the village and closed the area surrounding the building, started to demolish the 2^nd floor without any prior warning for the fifth time consecutively.  Abu Riyalah added that the Israeli Municipality has haunted him since 1999, and in 2009 the bulldozers demolished his house for the first time; during which he fell on the ground and since then has become hemiplegic and on a wheelchair.  Before this, he was sentenced to prison allegedly for not paying the fine imposed on him for the unlicensed construction, and only few days after his release, the Municipality demolished his house.  Abu Riyalah said that it was the fifth time IOF demolish his house and the second time within 13 months as in December 2019, the Israeli Municipality bulldozers demolished his house, forcing him to re-build it and trying to obtain a license after submitting all the necessary papers but in vain although the land was identified for construction.   Abu Riyalah added that he built 2 houses above the first floor for him and for his nephew last June but did not receive any construction fine.  He noted that he had monthly paid the engineer a salary of 8300 shekels since last August to organize the land after the Israeli Municipality approved the organization.  He said that he was supposed to live in the house with his wife and 2 sons along with his nephew Yasin with his wife and kids, i.e. 9 persons, noting the house was built on an area of 200 sqms.  Abu Riyalah emphasized that he has paid since last January 650,000 shekels for the construction of the 2 houses.

• At approximately 09:00, Nidal al-Salaymah self-demolished his house in Wad Qaddoum neighborhood in Silwan, south of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, pursuant to the Israeli Municpality’s decision, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

Nidal al-Salaymah said that the Israeli Municipality raided his house at approximately 09:00 and notified him to vacate the house in order to demolish it within hours, forcing him to gather his family members to start the self-demolition for fear of paying a fine and demolition costs of 80,000 shekels in case the Municipality crews carried out the demolition.  Al-Salaymah added that 8 years ago, he got married and lived in an old room of 20 sqms, but the room did not suffice his family as he had 3 kids; the eldest is 7 years old and the youngest is one year old and a half.  Therefore, in 2019, he decided to build 2 additional rooms of 40 sqms, but the Israeli Municipality pursued him immediately and raided the house from time to time despite his attempts to license the house and hire a lawyer to freeze or delay the demolition decision.  Al-Salaymah added that a year ago he was diagnosed with cancer and has become incapable of either building a house or renting another due to the high prices in occupied Jerusalem.

• On Monday morning as well, the Israeli occupation authorities forced Abu Sneinah family to self-demolish a commercial facility in Atarot” industrial zone, north of occupied Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a license.

Adham Tabash Abu Sneinah said that lately the Israeli Interior Ministry’s crews raided his family commercial facility several times; the last was last Thursday, gave him until Monday to self-demolish the facilities or their crews will carry out the demolition and fine him with 300,000 shekels.  He added that he along with his father, brother and cousin work in this land, which is around 1 dunum and 600 sqms.  During the last 3 years, they had prepared the land to establish a car showroom and they had already established a concrete flooring and 3 offices of fortified tinplate on an area of 100 sqms.  They were preparing for the inauguration, but the Ministry of Interior refused their license and insisted on implementing the demolition notice despite all the attempts and efforts to license the facility.

Abu Sneineh said that the land was all hills and stones.  They excavated in the land and built for years costing them 570,000 shekels.  He added that there was an old caravan in the land, and they repaired it; all the money and effort of the last years vanished in hours.

• At approximately 10:00, IOF backed by military vehicles and an Israeli Civil Administration vehicle in addition to a truck mounted crane and a bulldozer moved into Fasayil village in the Northern Jordan Valley, north of Jericho. IOF deployed in central Fasayil village, and the bulldozers demolished 2 barracks built of steel and tinplate.  The barracks were used for sheep-grazing and included a toilet and a water tank.  IOF confiscated the barracks and water tank allegedly for building in Area C.  The 2 barracks belong to Ahmed Musalam Soliman Sawarkah as the area of the first barrack is 200 sqms and used for sheep-grazing while the second is 100 sqms and used for storing the fodder.
• At approximately 08:00 on Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF demolished 2 rooms in an old building, a storehouse and stone fences and leveled plots of lands in Battir village, west of Bethlehem, allegedly for unlicensed building.

Head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee in Battir village, Ghassan ‘Alian, stated that IOF accompanied with bulldozers and workers moved into the al-Batin area on the Graves Street near the railway, west of the village, and demolished two under-construction rooms, which were attached to an old building belonging to Mohammad Fouad ‘Aweinah, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. ‘Alian added that IOF also demolished a storehouse in the area belonging to the ‘Aweinah family and fences built of stones used by farmers to retain the soil and protect it from erosion, while plots of lands were levelled in the area.

It should be noted that Battir village has been under settlers’ attacks accompanied with IOF’s protection as they established caravans and tents in al-Khemar area, northeast of the village that has been targeted in a prelude to annex it for settlement expansion, but citizens there confront the settlers and removed all the encroachments.

• At approximately 10:00, IOF backed by military vehicles and accompanied with an Israeli Civil Administration vehicle, a bulldozer and an excavator moved into Kherbet Khelet al-Dabe’a, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. IOF deployed in the area, and the Civil Administration officers took out the contents of the dwellings to be demolished by the vehicles.

The following were demolished:

• A 70-sqm dwelling of bricks and concrete built few months ago and belonging to Jaber ‘Ali Mohammed Dababsah, who was supposed to move in with his family of 5 children and a wife.
• A 20-sqm room of bricks and tinplate built few months ago belonging to Jaber ‘Ali Dabasah.
• An 80-sqm unroofed dwelling of bricks belonging to ‘Amer ‘Ali Mohammed Dababsah, who was supposed to move in with his family of 7, including 5 children.

The Israeli authorities carried out the demolition without any prior warning, claiming that the citizens built in the same place where the previous dwellings were demolished on 25 November 2020.

• At approximately 13:00, IOF backed by military vehicles and accompanied with an Israeli Civil Administration vehicle, a bulldozer and an excavator moved into Kherbet al-Rakiz, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. IOF deployed between civilian houses and demolished a tent that included tires, stones and shade cloth belonging to Hatem Mohammed Ibrahim Makhamrah who was set to shelter his family of 11, including 8 children after IOF demolished his dwelling on 25 November 2020.  It should be noted that the new demolition occured without any prior warning.
• At approximately 14:00, IOF backed by military vehicles and accompanied with an excavator, a truck mounted crane and an Israeli Civil Administration in Zeef area, north of Yatta, south of Hebron. IOF deployed in the area while the Civil Administration officers dismantled the 220-sqm tinplate barrack used for sheep-grazing and confiscated it.  The barrack belonging to Farid Khader al-Ja’abrai (70) was established 4 months ago with a cost of 170,000 shekels.  The Civil Administration officer handed al-Ja’bari a confiscation writ and IOF withdrew from the area.
• On Wednesday, 03 March 2021, the Israeli Municipality bulldozers demolished an under-construction residential building belonging to Khalil Abu Mayyalah and 3 under-construction shops belonging to ‘Issa Ghaith in Sho’afat refugee camp, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, allegedly for unlicensed construction. Khalil Abu Mayyalah said that IOF moved into Sho’afat refugee camp at approximately 08:00 via the annexation wall gate next to Ras Khamis neighborhood and deployed way to al-Harah al-Tahta, which was closed to surround the building and demolish it without any prior warning.  Abu Mayyalah said that his 2-story building was built on an area of 200 sqms and included 4 under-construction apartments.  Abu Mayyalah added that he self-demolished his 50-year-old house 7 months ago to reconstruct it and build the new building instead; however, the Israeli authorities handed him a demolition notice although he obtained a license from UNRWA which owns the land.  It should be noted that when IOF was on their way out of al-Hara al-Tahta in Sho’afat refugee camp via the annexation wall gate, they surprisingly fired teargas canisters at the residents; as a result, some of them suffocated due to the gas inhalation.  After IOF bulldozers returned to Ras Khamis neighborhood in the refugee camp, they demolished 3 under-construction shops and arrested Mohammed Ra’ed Ghorab (22) after beating him all the way out of the neighborhood.  The father of the arrestee said that IOF beat his son, Mohammed, because he asked them not to sit on his car during their presence in the area, where the demolition was carried out.  He added that IOF attacked him and his wife while trying to rescue Mohammed and his brother Mo’ataz from the Israeli soldiers.

Settler attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property

• At approximately 06:00 on Friday, 26 February 2021, a group of settlers from “Kokhav HaShahar” settlement, northeast of Ramallah, fixed iron bars on the dust road between al-Tbeil and ‘Ein Samiah areas in Kafr Malik village, northeast of the city. As a result, the wheels of a tractor belonging to Majed Jaser Mohammed al-‘Omari were punctured, costing him between 7000 to 10,000 shekels, when he was on his way to fill water from ‘Ein Samiah area, where he lives in the Bedouin Community established near the abovementioned area.

Lately, the settlers many times attempted to storm al-Tbeil and ‘Ein Samia areas and seize its agricultural lands and was followed by clashes between IOF, the settlers and the residents.  It should be noted that there are 6 water wells in ‘Ein Samiah, which supplies most of Ramallah’s eastern villages with water since 1960s, and settlers have been trying for years to seize them.  Over the past months, the attempts escalated as the settlers had beaten up and intimidated the farmers, forcing them to leave their lands in the above-mentioned area.  IOF also close the entrance from time to time with sand berms and deny citizens access to the area.

• At approximately 17:00 on Friday, Israeli settlers cut 20 olive trees from a plot of land belonging to Ayoub Yousif ‘Abyyat in Kisan village, east of Bethlehem.

The Head of the village Council, Ahmed Ghazal, said that the settlers under IOF’s protection uprooted 20 olive seedlings from a plot of land belonging to Ayoub Yousif ‘Abyyat near “Eibi Hanahel” settlement established on the village lands.  Ghazal added that the villagers confronted the settlers and prevented them from continuing to uproot more seedlings.  Ghazal added that this is the second attack by settlers within 48 hours as last Wednesday Nayef Mohammed ‘Abyyat was attacked by settlers and their dogs while grazing sheep near “Ma’ale Amos” settlement, southeast of the village, under IOF’s protection for the settlers.  He was held for few hours and later withdrew from the area.

• At approximately 15:00 on Sunday, 28 February 2021, dozens of settlers living in Hebron’s Old City center under IOF’s protection organized protests in Jaber neighborhood and on Shuhadaa Street, where Palestinians live. They chanted racist slogans calling for Arabs to leave.  IOF prevented the Palestinian residents from getting out from their houses while settlers threw stones at their houses in Jaber neighborhood and knocked on the doors on al-Shuhdaa’ Street with batons as well as shouting at the residents.  These protests came after hundreds of settlers arrived at the City Center to celebrate “Purim”, which is a Jewish holiday; thus, IOF denied Palestinians’ movement and closed al-Ibrahimi Mosque for the Muslim worshippers. 

An hour later, a number of settlers living in the settlement outposts in Hebron’s Center attacked civilian houses with stones in Wad al-Hasin area near “Kiryat Arba” settlement established on the confiscated Palestinian lands. They also broke the windows of a car belonging to Thaer Fadel Da’na.  After the residents confronted the settlers, IOF arrived at the area and moved the settlers away.  At approximately 23:00, IOF raided 3 houses belonging to Da’ana Family in the same area and arrested Adham ‘Abdel Jalil Da’ana (22), Mustafa Yousif Da’ana (28) and Thaher Fadel Da’ana (30), claiming the settlers filed a complaint against them.  They were taken to an interrogation center in “Kiryat Arba” settlement and later released.

• At approximately 15:30 on Sunday, 28 February 2021, a group of settlers attacked Mohammed Hasan Abu al-Hummus (17) when he was on his way to work in the French Hill neighborhood, north of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. As a result, his finger was fractured, and he sustained an open wound in his face and bruises all over his body.

Abu al-Hummus said that when he was on his way to work in the French Hill neighborhood, he found a large group of more than 30 settlers; some of them were drinking alcohol and dancing while the others were beating and insulting a citizen he knows from Shuafat neighborhood. Abu Al-Hummus explained that when the settlers saw him, they ran towards him and shouted, “an Arab, an Arab” and hit him with a bottle of wine on his head and with another bottle under his left eye.  They then started punching and kicking him, causing him a deep wound under his left eye and wounds to his head and hand in addition to a fracture in his finger in the right hand. Abu Al-Hummus added that he was taken to Hadassah Hospital in Al-Issawiya and then to Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem, where glass was extracted from his under eye area, and he received treatment for his retina, which was severely damaged. Abu Al-Hummus pointed out that the Israeli police did not investigate the attack against him and did not arrest any of the settlers who attacked him.

• At approximately 20:00, dozens of Israeli settlers protested on Street (1) in the center of occupied East Jerusalem, and closed it, teasing the Palestinians. They then moved to al-Musrara neighborhood and threw stones at the Palestinian civilians and their vehicles, breaking windows of many vehicles. Eyewitnesses said that the settlers closed the street near al-Musrara tunnel and started provoking the Palestinians and insulting them with racist words.  They then threw stones at the vehicles parked in the area, breaking the windows of 3 of them.
• On Monday, 01 March 2021, Israeli settlers set fire to the entrance of the Romanian Church Monastery in Musrara neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem’s center, causing damage to the entrance. The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL) said in a statement that unknown persons set fire on Monday afternoon to the entrance of the Romanian Church Monastery, but the local priest managed to extinguish the fire quickly.  “This act of vandalism is the fourth in a month that targeted the same monastery; according to the authorities, some religious Orthodox Jews are suspected as the probable assailants,” ACOHL said in a statement, calling upon the Israeli authorities to open a serious investigation into these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.

It is noteworthy that this attack on the Romanian Church in Jerusalem is the fourth in one month and was preceded by a long series of attacks by extremist settlers and their attempts to attack the clerks there. The Romanian Church is considered one of the oldest churches in Jerusalem with a historical landmark and was built hundreds of years ago in an area adjacent to the “Mea Shearim” Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, which is inhabited by ultra-Orthodox Jews.

• At approximately 00:50 on Tuesday, 02 March 2021, a group of settlers from “Ahyah” settlement established on the southern lands of Jalud village, southeast of Nablus, threw stones at the Palestinian houses in Jabal al-Sheikh Beshr in southern Jalud around 200 meters away from it. They broke the windows of a vehicle parked in front of one of the houses and belonging to Mohammed Kamal Farah ‘Ayyad.  The citizens then wake up and confronted the settlers with stones, forcing them to withdraw.
• At approximately 23:00, a group of settlers from “Yitzahar” settlement established in southern Huwara village, southeast of Nablus, threw stones at the Palestinian houses in the southern village and broke the windows of the second floor in a 2-storey house belonging to Ghaleb ‘AbdulalAtif Demdi. They also broke the windows of a car parked in front of Demdi’s house belonging to Hazim Walid ‘Odah and another vehicle parked 30 meters away belonging to Mohammed Soliman ‘Odah before the residents could wake up and confront the settlers with stones, forcing them to leave.
• At approximately 20:35, a settler who was driving on the main road near al-Fondoq village’s intersection, east of Qalqilya, ran over ‘Ali Sa’id Zidwan (26) from Deir Istiya village, north of Salfit. As a result, he sustained bruises and taken to the governmental hospital in Nablus to receive treatment.
• At approximately 13:00 on Wednesday, 03 March 2021, Israeli settlers attacked assaulted the Anadolu News Agency team who were making a report in the “Mea Shearim” neighborhood, in West Jerusalem.

The team included: The Agency’s editor for the Middle East news, Turgut Alp Bouiraz, photojournalist Mustafa Kharrouf (33) and photographer Fayez Abu Rumailah (28.)  Anadolu Agency said in a statement that while its team was making interviews on the streets of ” Mea Shearim” neighborhood, which is densely inhabited by the “Haredi” groups, they were informed that their car was attacked, so they immediately rushed towards it. Upon their arrival at the scene, the team saw that the car’s windshield, front part and registration plate were all damaged, and there were sticks, stones and garbage inside, so they reported to the police directly. When the police arrived at the scene, a group of “Haredi” Jews tried to attack the team with sticks and stones. The team managed to run away without any injuries and filed a complaint against the attackers, while the police opened an investigation into the incident.

It is noteworthy that “Mea Shearim” Jewish neighborhood is one of four neighborhoods in the Old City of Jerusalem, with an area of ​​116,000 sqms, and located southeast of the Jerusalem City’s wall.  More than 20,000 Israeli settlers from the Haredi Community live in it. The “Mea Shearim” neighborhood attracts all the Israeli radical and fundamentalist Jewish religious movements or organizations that adhere to the biblical rituals strictly.

Closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement of persons and goods:

The Gaza Strip still suffers the worst closure in the history of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14^th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life.

The West Bank:

In addition to 108 permanent checkpoints and closed roads, this week witnessed the establishment of more temporary checkpoints that restrict the goods and individuals  60 temporary checkpoints, where they searched Palestinians’ vehicles, checked their IDs and arrested 11 of them. IOF closed many roads with cement cubes, metal detector gates and sand berms and tightened their measures against individuals’ movement at military permanent checkpoints.

Jerusalem:

• On Sunday, 28 February 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance to Anata village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem.
• On Monday, 01 March 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at Khan_al-Ahmar intersection, east of the city.
• On Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance to Al-Eizariya village, east of the city.
• On Wednesday, 03 March 2021, IOF established a checkpoint near Jab’ village intersection, northeast of the city.

Bethlehem:

• On Thursday, 25 February 2021, IOF established a checkpoint near al-Nshnash intersection, south of the city.
• On Friday, 26 February 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Tuqu village, east of the city.
• On Saturday, 27 February 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints at the northern entrance to Tuqu village and checkpoint near al-Nshnash intersection, south of the city.
• On Sunday, 28 February 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints at the northern entrance to Tuqu village and checkpoint near al-Nshnash intersection, south of the city.
• On Monday, 01 March 2021, IOF established a checkpoint near al-Nshnash intersection, south of the city.
• On Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF established a checkpoint near al-Nshnash intersection, south of the city.
• At approximately 07:30 on Wednesday, 03 March 2021, IOF closed a metal detector gate established at the northern entrance to Tuqu village, obstructing vehicles’ movement, and reopened it later.

Ramallah:

• On Thursday, 25 February 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints near Atara village’s bridge and at “Halamish” settlement intersection, northwest of Ramallah.
• On Sunday, 28 February 2021, IOF established 4 checkpoints at the entrances to Nabi Salih, Dura_al-Qar’ and Turmus Ayya villages and Birzeit city.
• On Monday, 01 March 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints at the entrances to Aboud and Nabi Salih villages.
• On Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints on a road connecting between Ras Karkar and Deir_Ibzi villages, and at the entrance to Nabi Salih village.

Jericho:

• On Thursday, 25 February 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Jericho.
• On Saturday, 27 February 2021, IOF stationed at al-Hamra northern checkpoint tightened their measures against Palestinians’ vehicles’ movement and checked the passengers’ IDs. IOF also established a checkpoint at the entrance to Al-Jiftlik village, north of the city.

Nablus:

• On Thursday, 25 February 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints at al-Moraba’a intersection between Nablus southern and eastern villages and at the intersection of “Shafi Shimron” settlement, that connects between Tulkarm and Nablus, west of Nablus.
• On Friday, 26 February 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints at, the intersection of “Yitzhar” settlement and at the intersection of “Shafi Shimron” settlement, that connects between Tulkarm and Nablus, west of Nablus.
• On Saturday, 27 February 2021, IOF established 2 checkpoints at al-Moraba’a intersection between Nablus southern and eastern villages and at the intersection of “Shafi Shimron” settlement, that connects between Tulkarm and Nablus, west of Nablus.

Hebron:

• On Thursday, 25 February 2021, IOF established 4 checkpoints at the northern entrance to Hebron, at the entrances to Beit Ummar and ad-Dhahiriya villages and at the entrance to Al-Arroub  refugee camp.
• On Friday, 26 February 2021, IOF established 3 checkpoints at the entrances to Idhna and Beit Kahil  villages, and at the western entrance to Hebron.
• On Saturday, 27 February 2021, IOF established 3 checkpoints at the western entrance to Hebron, and at the entrances to Bani Na’im and as-Samu
• On Monday, 01 March 2021, IOF established 4 checkpoints at the entrances to Sa’ir, Ash-Shuyukh, Bani Na’im and Beit Awwa villages.
• On Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrances to Idhna and al-Moreq villages and at the northern entrance to Yatta city.
• On Wednesday, 03 March 2021, IOF established 3 checkpoints at the entrances to Sa’ir, Bani Na’im and as-Samu

Qalqilya:

• On Thursday, 25 February 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrances to Izbat al-Tabib village, east of the city.
• On Saturday, 27 February 2021, IOF established 3 checkpoints at the entrances to Azzun and Izbat al-Tabib villages and between Jayyous and Azzun villages.
• On Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF established 4 checkpoints at the eastern entrance to the city, at the entrance to Izbat al-Tabib village, on a road connecting between Jayyous and Nabi Ilyas villages, and at the western entrance to Azzun villages, east of the city.

Salfit:

• On Thursday, 25 February 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance to Kafr ad-Dik village, west of Salfit.
• On Saturday, 27 February 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the western entrance to Haris village, north of Salfit.
• On Tuesday, 02 March 2021, IOF established a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Salfit.

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!

NO SHEEP IS SAFE IN SYRIA: ISRAEL AND ISIS AGAINST THE HERDERS

 South Front

On February 26th, The Biden Administration carried out its first strike on Iranian-backed groups and then praised the success, so far unseen, of its attack.

A response from those same Iranian-backed groups came 5 days later.

On March 3rd, at least 10 rockets struck the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq’s Anbar province. The base is the largest one in use by US-led coalition forces. The Iraqi military said that no significant losses were caused by the attack.

According to the official version, one individual died – unknown if a soldier or civilian contractor – and not due to the rocket strike directly. Rather, probably spooked by the strike, they died of cardiac arrest. The US-led coalition was able to simply argue that the person’s time had come, and the strike was just an insignificant environmental factor.

This is the same location that Iran struck with ballistic missiles back on January 8th, 2020. There’s also a similarity in the way that there is allegedly insignificant damage as a result of the attack.

If more casualties were to be reported, these could become a string of cardiac arrest deaths in the coming days and weeks, similar to the “epidemic” of traumatic brain injury caused by the previous attack.

With the US and Israel actively operating against Iran in Iraq and also in Syria, this provides ample opportunity for ISIS to carry out its various activities.

In Syria, ISIS’ resurgence is fact. A further fact is that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its Russian support are quite capable of dealing with them at this point.

Having been pushed to the brink, and due to a scarcity of resources, ISIS terrorists have become sheep thieves. On March 2nd, the terrorists attacked a group of shepherds near the town of Rahjan in the eastern countryside of Hama. They wanted to start big, attempting to steal a herd of 400 sheep. Impressive, yes.

Alternatively, this could be a plan by ISIS to broaden the focus of their attacks to include sheep as well as civilians and the various fighters opposing them.

This suggestion is further supported by the fact that Israel continues abducting and arresting Syrian shepherds in and around the occupied Golan Heights.

Tel Aviv’s actions could be intended to force the SAA to spread their forces thinly, because every herd in Syria would eventually need a squad of soldiers to protect it from ISIS attacks on its sheep.

This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Bashar al-Assad’s government and its army. Not only do civilians need protection from terrorists, from the “moderate opposition” and from Israel, the country’s oil is being stolen, and now not even the sheep are safe.

These are, indeed, grim times for the Syrian government, and it needs all the help it can get to deal with this calamity.

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!

HELL FIRE: LARGE-SCALE MISSILE STRIKE HITS OIL TRAFFICKERS MARKET, CROSSING & EQUIPMENT IN NORTHERN SYRIA (VIDEOS)

South Front

Armed Forces control the loading of the transport rocket-loading machine on a self-propelled launcher operational-tactical missile complex Iskander-M. Sergei Orlov/RIA Novosti

Late on March 5, a large-scale missile strike targeted oil traffickers’ facilities and equipment in Turkish-occupied areas in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo.

At least two ballistic missiles hit the al-Himran crossing and a nearby oil market next to the town of Jarabulus near the border with Turkey. Traffickers smuggle oil illegally produced by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria to Turkish-occupied areas through the crossing.

A few minutes later, two other ballistic missiles and several artillery rockets struck makeshift oil refineries and storage tanks in the village of Tarhin north of the town of al-Bab.

The missiles and rockets were reportedly launched from the Syrian coast, where Russia’s Hemimim Air Base is located, and from the outskirts of Aleppo city.

According to an initial report by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Right, a man was killed and at least ten others were injured as a result of the strikes.

Last week, a simllar missile strike targeted makeshift refineries and storage tanks in the village of Mazaalah southwest of the town of Jarabulus.

This was the largest missile strike on oil traffickers in Turkish-occupied Syrian areas yet. Russian forces and the Syrian Arab Army were clearly behind the strike. Moscow and Damascus are apparently determined to damge the illegal production and trafficking of Syrian oil by the SDF and Turkish proxies

MORE ON THIS TOPIC:

• US Forces Storm Crossing Between Government, SDF Areas In Deir Ezzor
• Insurgency In Aleppo? Saboteurs Burn Al-Quds Brigade Vehicle (Photos)

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!

US Backs ’Israel’ Amid ICC Probe into War Crimes against Palestinians

By Staff, Agencies

If you don’t feel shy, do whatever you want!

In brazen contempt for the international law, the US administration announced that it backs the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity’s war crimes against Palestinians in the occupied territories amid the International Criminal Court [ICC] probe into those crimes.

In a phone call with Zionist premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, US Vice President Kamala Harris underscored Washington’s support for the Tel Aviv regime, opposing what she referred to as the ICC’s “attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over ‘Israeli’ personnel”, the White House said in a statement.

Harris, the statement noted, “emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to ‘Israel’s’ security”, while resisting any move to expose the regime’s genocidal project in the occupied territories.

The first call between the two officials came a day after the ICC prosecutor said her office will formally launch a probe into Zionist war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The announcement follows a February 5 ruling by the international court claiming jurisdiction in the case.

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who is set to be replaced by British prosecutor Karim Khan in June, said in December 2019 that war crimes had been or were being committed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

She named the Zionist military, which has for years unleashed a reign of terror on Palestinians, as perpetrators of war crimes.

Bensouda further noted that there was a “reasonable basis” to launch a probe into ‘Israeli’ military actions in the besieged Gaza Strip, as well as illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

She then asked judges to rule on the extent of the court’s jurisdiction in the case, and the court last month established that it had jurisdiction.

Judges at ICC said the decision was based on jurisdictional rules in court’s founding documents, and it does not imply any attempt to determine statehood or legal borders.

The international court, which has often sought to expose war crimes committed by the ‘Israeli’ regime and the US around the world, has faced bullying and intimidation from both Tel Aviv and Washington.

The ‘Israeli’ regime occupied East al-Quds, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip in 1967. It later had to withdraw from Gaza.

About 700,000 Zionists currently occupy in over 230 illegal settlements built in the West Bank and East al-Quds, which have been deemed illegal under international law.

Palestine is a party to the ICC’s founding Rome Statute and has long carried out diplomatic efforts for the investigation of the war crimes by the ‘Israeli’ regime in the occupied territories.

Both the Tel Aviv regime and the United States have refused to be a party to the ICC, which was set up in 2002 to be the only international tribunal to investigate war crimes.

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• Statement of ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, respecting an investigation of the Situation in Palestine
• The United States Opposes the ICC Investigation into the Palestinian Situation
• Adalah welcomes opening of ICC investigation into suspected war crimes, ‘situation in Palestine’

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Biden becomes the fourth successive President to bomb Iraqis: how far could this latest round of escalation go?

March 04, 2021

By Aram Mirzaei for the Saker blog

Another president, another act of aggression. For the past few decades, it’s almost like a mandatory rite of passage for US presidents to bomb Muslim countries. I don’t think many of us are surprised to see that current US President Joe Biden turned out to be no different to his predecessors, when Washington once more bombed Iraqis last week.

Continuing the same policy of terrorism and humiliation from the Trump era, Washington felt the need to show strength against the Resistance forces on the Syrian-Iraqi border area. What angers me most, is not just the terrorist act of killing people who are fighting US occupation and US backed terrorism, but the fact that Washington cannot and will not recognize that there is a growing local resistance to Zionist hegemony, instead resorting to degrading and humiliating legitimate resistance groups such as Hashd al-Sha’abi of Iraq (PMU) or the Houthis of Yemen by labelling them “Iranian backed proxies”.

Everything and everyone that oppose Washington and Zionist hegemony in West Asia are “Iranian backed”. Whether it is a Houthi attack on a Saudi airport, a Taliban attack on a NATO convoy or a suspiciously random rocket attack on a US base in Iraq, it is always Iran’s fault and somehow the Islamic Republic must be held responsible for these attacks. Both Washington and the Zionist entity keep attacking Resistance forces in the very area where ISIS remnants have been re-emergent for the past months, claiming their right to self defense. Self defense?! America is more than 10 000 kilometres away. US troops are occupying Syrian and Iraqi territory and Washington claims the right to self defense? This narrative has been drilled into the minds of so many people in the West that nobody even reacts when one of the Obama gang’s old crude liars, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby was telling the press that Washington acted to “de-escalate” the situation when it bombed Resistance forces on the Syrian-Iraqi border.

What Kirby really meant by “de-escalation” was that he believes that Washington sent Iran and its allies a “clear message”, that messing with Washington is unwise. The sad part is that he and the other psychopaths in Washington actually believe that the so called “message” will in any way deter the Resistance forces in West Asia. It is pretty clear what the US is doing with these random attacks on the Resistance forces. Washington knows the realities on the ground and acts in response to them. In Syria, it has become clear for Washington that Damascus won’t fall, that dream came down crashing when Russia entered the war in 2015. So, Washington is acting to deny Syria and her allies their well deserved victory through the occupation and looting of eastern Syria. Washington will act for as long as it takes to starve the Syrian people into submission.

In Iraq, Washington, being well aware that the Iraqi parliament has voted to expel US forces from Iraq, is desperately seeking new reasons to prolong their occupation. Be it through the magical re-emergence of Daesh terrorists in Western Iraq or through suspicious Katyusha rocket attacks on US interests in Baghdad’s green zone, which are then blamed on the Iraqi Resistance forces without any kind of evidence presented, Washington is seeking to undermine the Iraqi parliament’s decision.
In Iraq, Washington has a foothold in Baghdad not seen in Syria’s Damascus. It is through this foothold that Washington wields influence over many Iraqi politicians and thus has the ability to cause great internal disunity and animosity among Iraqis themselves.

Washington has both great influence over the Kurds in northern Iraq and over the Prime Minister’s office. PM Al-Kadhimi is known to be a close associate of Washington’s and is suspected to be cooperating with the US to prolong their stay in Iraq. During his tenure, tensions between Baghdad and the PMU have run high as government forces have made random raids on the PMU headquarters, arresting some members even. Yet even more dangerous is the escalating tensions between Washington and the PMU. On Wednesday March 3^rd, a new rocket attack on the Ain Al-Assad military base was reported. This is the same military base that was struck by the IRGC last year in retaliation for Washington’s murder of martyrs Soleimani and Al-Muhandis. Previously the PMU had vowed revenge for Washington’s attack last week, which makes it rather obvious that Washington will blame the PMU for this recent strike.

With this latest round of escalation, one wonders what will happen next? Of course I’m just speculating but I see some real dangers with tensions running this high. I believe that Washington could very well seek to push Iraq into a new civil war in a bid to eradicate the Hashd al-Sha’abi. Many of the groups within the PMU have threatened to wage war on US forces if Washington refuses to withdraw. Unfortunately, this threat by the PMU can easily be exploited by the US, giving Washington a casus belli, as they intensify their “defensive” airstrikes while claiming to support Baghdad’s campaign to bring “stability” to Iraq. Such an endeavour could risk dragging several regional countries into the conflict as the Islamic Republic could be forced to intervene on behalf of the Iraqi Resistance forces. It is clear that Washington cannot and will not attack Iran directly, such an adventure would be too risky for the crazies in the White House and Pentagon. However, fighting “Iranian backed” forces and rolling back Iranian influence could serve to both solidify the continued US occupation of Iraq in the short term, and prevent the Resistance forces from achieving complete victory, in the mid-to-long term. In order to manufacture consent, Washington must portray their actions as both “defensive” and in service of “stability and peace”. Having others fight Washington’s wars for them is a speciality for the Empire. This is why I believe the most likely scenario to be one where Washington attempts to pit Baghdad against the PMU, then sweep in to “help” Baghdad “preserve stability”. This strategy has been used in different ways before by the Obama regime when it unleashed the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq, then claimed to fight the same terrorists it had armed and trained, in a bid to continue their occupation of Iraq and pressure pro-Iran PM Nouri Al-Maliki to resign. Obama then did the same thing in Syria with the support of Kurdish militants in a bid to pressure Damascus into concessions. Trump continued on the same path but went even further when his administration began using phony attacks on “US interests” in Iraq as a pretext for direct confrontation with the PMU, a path that ultimately led to the murder of Martyrs Soleimani and Al-Muhandis. The then-secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Washington had acted to “stabilize” Iraq with the murder of these “terrorists” who were “hated among Iraqis”.

Iraq is key to the Resistance Axis and cannot fall into enemy hands. It is however also the most vulnerable of the countries where the Resistance forces are active, as not only does Washington have great influence over Baghdad, but also over the Kurdish autonomous region in the north.

Supporting Kurdish independence is another way that Washington could seek to attack the Resistance Axis. This can be seen in Syria as well where the Kurdish militants are acting as excellent proxy troops for Washington, occupying about a third of the country and helping US forces in the looting of Syrian oil. Kurdish parties also have excellent ties to the Zionist entity in Tel Aviv, as Zionist chieftain Netanyahu has on several occasions been a vocal supporter of Kurdish independence, often likening the Kurdish people’s cause with the Zionist one. The reactionary Kurdish parties, who are too ignorant and too greedy to understand and realize that they are being used as cannon fodder to further US imperial ambitions, will be more than happy to wage war on Syria and Iraq with US support behind them.

It’s been almost 10 years since the war in Syria began, and 18 years since the war in Iraq began, and still there seems to be no peace in sight for any of the Arab countries. Biden has been in office in less than two months, but in my opinion, the next four years seem to be rather clear in terms of Washington’s policies towards the West Asia region- the long wars will continue and more blood is to be expected. Bush bombed Iraq, Obama bombed Iraq, Trump bombed Iraq, and now Biden bombs Iraq. For our people, it never matters who or what occupies the White House, the bombings and wars will continue. Iraq has a rather young population, more than 60 percent of the population is under 25 years of age. This means that most Iraqis have known nothing else except the US imposed wars on their homeland. It is a tragedy and a shameful moment in human history where most people in the totally “advanced, civilized, democratic, morally superior” West don’t care about what their despicable governments are doing in Iraq or Syria, because they are stupid Muslim terrorists anyway. This is why Iraq cannot and should not rely on Western public opinion. Resistance is the only way, and the US Empire must be kicked out with force in order for Iraqis to finally have some peace.

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SDF Current Official Bombed Khan Al-Asal with Chemical Weapon in 2013

 ARABI SOURI MARCH 5, 2021

“The former Free Syrian Army ‘moderate terrorist’ who bombed the city of Khan Al-Asal in Aleppo countryside with chemical weapons in 2013 is currently an official in the SDF Administration in Manbij!”

A leader in the US-sponsored Kurdish SDF separatist armed group in Manbij, Northern Syria, defects and exposes the relationship between ISIS, Al Qaeda, the FSA, and the SDF after his colleagues accuse him of dealing with the Syrian government.

In his firing back at his former colleagues, this Kurdish SDF leader exposes one of the main chapters of the so-called Syrian Chemical File, the file used relentlessly and repeatedly by the NATO member states at the United Nations Security Council to demonize the Syrian state and the Syrian armed forces accusing them, the victims, of using chemical weapons against their own people and in areas the Syrian Army has already won and is entering it in few hours. NATO members demonizing the victims, whitewashing the crimes of their own terrorists to justify their massive efforts in destabilizing Syria and effecting the regime change policy they and their regional minions have forever dreamt of.

This is part of the video released by this former leader of the Kurdish SDF where he speaks of his group’s connections with ISIS and with the FSA, naming, in particular, the person who carried out the bombing of Khan Al-Asal in 2013 who is currently an official in the SDF ‘Administration’ in the city of Manbij, transcript follows below:

https://videopress.com/embed/jejMnsxv?preloadContent=metadata&hd=1The video is also on YouTube (for now) and on BitChute.

Transcript of the English translation of the video:

I asked, “Jahid”, why did you act with us like this? You made us send Zaki Al-Hassan to a place and arrested him from there, and today you released Zaki Al-Hassan? He said: Zaki Al-Hassan is an intelligence officer with Haval Nahir, and it is not permissible for us to arrest Zaki Al-Hassan or dismiss him from work.

If Zaki al-Hassan is a prince of ISIS, and so you put him in a responsible position, we may not dismiss Zaki al-Hassan from his work or talk to him, who is one of the princes of ISIS, and at the same time, you accuse us of working for the regime.

It’s not only Zaki Al-Hassan, but I have also written down several names who work for you in the (SDF) Administration with your knowledge or without your knowledge:

There is Noura Al-Hamid from the village of Al-Qishla who used to work for ISIS at the Al-Furat Hospital and today, Noura Al-Hamid is a deputy in the Executive Council of the “SDF.”

There is Ali Al-Jamili, a leader in the “Jund Al-Haramain” during the days of the Free Army, Ali Al-Jamili, until this moment, is in the city of Manbij is bragging that he’s called ‘Chemical Ali’ because he was in Jund al-Haramain and he claims that he bombed the city of Khan al-Asal with chemical (weapon), and Ali al-Jamili is responsible for Religions affairs in the city of Manbij, and he has a son cadre in the Al-Jazeera region.

End of the transcript.

Longer version of the confession in Arabic:

The Syrian government has repeatedly called on the United Nations to investigate the chemical attack in the city of Khan Al-Asal in 2013, the first of a series of chemical attacks. The United Nations Secretary-General at the time Ban Ki-Moon agreed to send a team to investigate the attack but under the condition that they will just prove there was an attack without identifying the criminals behind it.

On the day the team was just leaving their hotel in Damascus heading to Khan Al-Asal in the north, they receive a phone call from the UN SG ordering them to investigate the infamous Ghouta chemical attack. Coincidences never happen in politics.

H.E. Jaafari Decries UN – OPCW 90th anti-Syria Liars Meeting, Calls for Closure of Phony ‘Syria File’

https://syrianews.cc/h-e-jaafari-decries-un-opcw-90th-anti-syria-liars-meeting-calls-for-closure-of-phony-syria-file/embed/#?secret=jSlqE0juEP

Syria will NOT Cooperate with the OPCW new Investigation Team

https://syrianews.cc/syria-will-not-cooperate-with-the-opcw-new-investigation-team/embed/#?secret=ong0qwttLJ

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الفرنسيّون استأنفوا اتّصالاتهم: باريس «مصدومة» و”بي السنة” الحريري يفقد صوابه!

——-

الفرنسيّون استأنفوا اتّصالاتهم: باريس «مصدومة» والحريري يفقد صوابه!

تقرير ميسم رزق

الجمعة 5 آذار 2021

فقد الرئيس سعد الحريري صوابَه بعدما انكشف أمام الجميع بأنه غير قادِر على تأليف حكومة من دون موافقة السعودية. فردّ ببيان اشتباك طاول حتى حزب الله، بينما لا تزال باريس مصدومة من رفضه مبادرة الرئيس ميشال عون

ساء الرئيسَ سعد الحريري انكشافُ «ملعوبه» في ملف تأليف الحكومة. خرج أمس للردّ على ما نشرته «الأخبار» عن رفضه مبادرة رئيس الجمهورية العماد ميشال عون التخلّي عن الثلث المعطّل، إذ أبلغ المدير العام للأمن العام اللواء عباس إبراهيم أنه سيكتفي بتسمية خمسة وزراء، إضافة إلى وزير لحزب الطاشناق، في حكومة من 18 وزيراً (راجع «الأخبار»، أمس). فهذا الخبر، بحدّ ذاتِه، يُشكّل إحراجاً كبيراً للرئيس المكلف الذي ظهر أخيراً بأنه غير مستعدّ للقبول بأي صيغة وزارية قبل أن تُعطيه المملكة العربية السعودية الضوء الأخضر لزيارتها، أو تومئ إليه بإشارة قبول بالتأليف. فحتى لو قبِل عون بكل شروطه المعروفة، سيخترِع الحريري شروطاً إضافية للعرقلة. هذا ما تؤكّده «كمالة» القصة التي بدأها اللواء إبراهيم منذ أسبوعين، ربطاً بالجهود التي يقوم بها على خط الحكومة، لتقريب وجهات النظر بين بعبدا ووادي أبو جميل. فقد علمت «الأخبار» أن الفرنسيين دخلوا بعدها على خط الوساطة، معتبرين أن إظهار الرئيس عون بعض الليونة في ملف الحكومة لاستعجال التأليف يُبنى عليه، وذلك بعدما تحدث اللواء إبراهيم معهم عن أن العقدة الوحيدة التي لا تزال تشكّل عائقاً أمام ولادة الحكومة هي وزارة «الداخلية» التي يُطالِب عون بأن تكون من حصته، بينما يرفض الحريري ذلك. حينها تولّى مستشار الرئيس الفرنسي باتريك دوريل الاتصال بالحريري في محاولة لإقناعه بالتراجع عن تمسكه بهذه الوزارة إلى جانب وزارة العدل. فقال المسؤول الفرنسي ما معناه: «حلّينا عقدة الثلث المعطّل، والآن لم يعُد هناك ذرائع»، لكن الحريري قال بأنه «لم يتبلّغ رسمياً من عون هذا الأمر»، مع أن اللواء إبراهيم زاره مرتين وأبلغه بذلك.

اتصال الفرنسيين أزعج الحريري، فتواصل مع إبراهيم معبّراً عن استياء شديد، إذ اعتبر بأن هناك من يتدخّل لدى الفرنسيين للضغط عليه. وليس ذلك وحسب، فمن بين «مواويل» الحريري لنسف أي جهود، أنه رداً على موقف الوزير باسيل عدم المشاركة في الحكومة أو إعطائها الثقة، قال الرئيس المكلّف إن «عدم مشاركة التيار الوطني الحر في الحكومة يعني أن رئيس الجمهورية لا يحقّ له الحصول على خمسة وزراء، إضافة إلى وزير الطاشناق، وأنه سبق أن وافق على هذا العدد على اعتبار أنهم وزراء يمثّلون الرئيس والتيار معاً، أما وقد رفض باسيل المشاركة في الحكومة، فهذا يعني أن حصة الرئيس عون ستكون أقل».

الفرنسيّون دخلوا على خطّ الوساطة بعدما أبدى عون استعداده للتخلّي عن الثلث المعطل

قبل فترة، أجاب أحد المقرّبين من الحريري عن سؤال عن قرب التأليف فأجاب: «انسَ… الآن ما في حكومة». ولعلّ كلامه لا يرتبِط بالعراقيل الداخلية من حصص وأسماء وحقائب، بقدر ما هو تعبير عن عجز الحريري الذي أقرّ سابقاً أمام من تحدثوا إليه «بصعوبة تجاوز السعوديين» (راجع «الأخبار»، 19 شباط 2021). وإلى أن تحدّد المملكة «الموعِد المنتظر» سيخترع الحريري المعضلة تلو الأخرى ويحتجِز التشكيل في جيبه، كما أشار مكتب باسيل في بيان له أمس.

وبينما جزمت مصادر قريبة من الجوّ السعودي منذُ أسابيع بأن «زيارة الحريري للمملكة أكيدة، وربما قريبة جداً»، غادر الرجل إلى الإمارات في زيارة هي الثالثة له منذ تكليفه، من دون أن يظهر بعد ما إذا كانت هناك نتيجة سياسية لهذه الزيارات، بما أنه يعوّل على الإماراتيين والفرنسيين لتمهيد الطريق له، فيما اقتصرت المكاسب منها على بعض اللقاحات ضدّ كورونا أعطيت للحريري على دفعتين، وجرى توزيعها على المقربين منه، ومشروع مستشفى ميداني وعدت الإمارات بتقديمه للمساعدة في مواجهة الجائحة ليس إلا.

إلا أن الكلام الذي صدر عن الحريري أمس رداً على ما كُتِب، كان لافتاً لجهة أنه للمرة الأولى منذُ تكليفه يفتح الهجوم باتجاه حزب الله، الذي «ينتظر قراره من إيران، فيما لا ننتظر رضى أيّ طرف خارجي لتشكيل الحكومة»، على حدّ قول الحريري.

هذا الكلام جاء تعليقاً على ما قاله نائب الأمين العام لحزب الله الشيخ نعيم قاسم في مقابلته على قناة «الميادين» أول من أمس بأن «المطلوب سعودياً لا يتحمّله الحريري وهو مواجهة حزب الله». وبينما رأى البعض موقف الحريري «طبيعياً» لأن عقدة الأسماء الشيعية في الحكومة لم تُحلّ بعد، إلا أن مشكلة الحريري ــــ باسيل طغت عليها، قال آخرون إنه بيان «مواجهة» قد يكون إما رسالة إلى المملكة أو استباقاً لزيارة قريبة جداً!

“بكامل حريته“

لكن هل بإمكان السعوديين الذين يستولي عليهم شعور القلق من سياسة الإدارة الأميركية الجديدة، وخاصة بعد الكشف عن تقرير جريمة قتل الصحافي جمال خاشقجي أن يُخصّصوا وقتاً للحريري ما داموا غير متأكدين من قدرته على تزعّم مشروع مواجهة حزب الله؟

بكل الأحوال، وضع الحريري نفسه في موقف محرج، ولا سيما مع طرف أساسي تمسّك بتكليفه، أي حزب الله. وإذا لم تأتِ زيارة الرياض، فقد يُصبِح الرئيس المكلف أضعف من أي وقت مضى. فلا هو قادر على زيارة الولايات المتحدة الأميركية التي تتجاهل إدارتها تحديد موعد له، ولا مستشاره للشؤون الروسية جورج شعبان أمّن له المواعيد لزيارة موسكو. وبين انشغال الخارج عنه والاستياء الداخلي منه، هل يُدفع الحريري الى الاعتذار؟ المعلومات المؤكدة إلى الآن هي أن الفرنسيين أجروا اتصالات يوم أمس بعدد من القوى، من بينهم عون وياسيل والحريري وجنبلاط، وعبّروا عن استغراب كبير وغضب من تعامل القوى السياسية مع ملف الحكومة، فيما البلد ذاهب الى الانفجار، بينما أكدت مصادر مطّلعة أن «باريس لم تُصدق ما فعله الحريري، وأنه هرب من التشكيل رغم تراجع الرئيس عون»!

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