‘Israel using Gaza as guinea pig for missile testing’

Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Meshaal
Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Meshaal has underscored the movement’s commitment to fighting Israel, saying the Zionist regime is using Gaza as a “guinea pig” for testing its missile capabilities.

“We will naturally continue our fight against Israel in political, diplomatic and media fields. We will try to get the greatest support possible from the world,” Meshaal said in an interview with Turkey’s Anatolia news agency on Sunday.

Meshaal asserted that Palestinian missiles are fired only after Israeli attacks on the strip and in self-defense. 

Israel has launched a fresh round of airstrikes on Gaza since March 9, killing more than 25 Palestinians, including children and women, and wounding dozens of others.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blatantly said last week that the Tel Aviv regime will continue airstrikes against Gaza “as long as necessary.”

China, Turkey, Iran, Jordan and the Arab League have condemned the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Israel imposed a deadly war on the Gaza Strip in December 2008-January 2009. More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the conflict.

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POSTED ON BEHALF OF : PRESS.TV

Two Gazans killed in Israeli airstrike

WHERE IS THE CEASEFIRE?

 

Israeli warplanes (file photo)

An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip has killed at least two Palestinians, increasing the death toll from four days of Israeli aggression to 25.

“Two Palestinians were killed in a raid by Israeli aircraft east of Gaza City,” Gaza emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya said late on Monday.

In the early hours of Monday morning before dawn, three Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

Later in the day, another Israeli airstrike killed an elderly man and his daughter in a refugee camp in the north of the coastal enclave.

China, Jordan, and the Arab League have condemned the Israeli attacks and urged Tel Aviv to halt the aggression.

The Arab League has called the Israeli airstrikes “a massacre.”

 
 Two Palestinians were killed in a raid by Israeli aircraft east of Gaza City.” Gaza emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya

Israeli warplanes and ground forces have frequently attacked the Gaza Strip since the end of the 22-day war on the territory in 2009. Most victims of the attacks are civilians, including women and children.

Gaza has been under an Israeli siege since 2007, when the democratically-elected Hamas government took control of the Palestinian territory.

HSH/MF/HGL

WITH MANY THANKS TO : PRESS TV

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Israeli gunfire injures two Palestinians in Gaza

WHERE IS THE CEASEFIRE?

Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:25PM GMT

 

 Two Palestinian teenagers have been injured by Israeli gunfire in the besieged Gaza Strip.

WITH MANY THANKS TO PRESS TV

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : Africa to Gaza Aid Convoy

Charge or Release? Israeli military courts as an enforcement mechanism of occupation

calltoaction
Graphic for Palestinian Political Prisoners’
Day, 17 April 2012

Khader Adnan’s 66 days of hunger strike under administrative detention, without charge or trial, sparked global discussion, outrage, and movement – perhaps the largest ever seen in the long history of the Palestinian prisoners‘ struggle – as Adnan’s courage, steadfastness and strength inspired solidarity the world over. During that time, it was on many occasions expressed that Khader Adnan should be charged, or released. Administrative detention is a particularly appalling mechanism of political detention – based on secret evidence, with no cognizable charges and no opportunity to confront said ‘evidence’ – used arbitrarily by Israel to hold Palestinian organizers for six-month renewable periods.

The abolition of administrative detention (a call which has been taken up by Amnesty International) is a long-term demand of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement – and Israel’s use of this system violates international law. However, it must be noted that “being charged” in the Israeli military courts, the justice system that governs Palestinians in the occupied West Bank of Palestine, is in no way a solution for Palestinian political prisoners. Any trial provided to a Palestinian political prisoner under such a system is fundamentally unjust and a mechanism of perpetuation of occupation. The military courts are not an alternative to administrative detention; instead, administrative detention is one piece of the structure of mass imprisonment and military rule constructed by the occupation. Given the prominence of the “charge or release” conversation in Khader Adnan’s case, it is important to explore what being “charged” in Israel’s military courts means for Palestinians under occupation and apartheid.

Out of 4,489 Palestinian political prisoners currently held in Israeli jails, 309, including Khader Adnan, are held under administrative detention. Imprisonment is a fact of life for Palestinians;over 40% of Palestinian men in the West Bank have spent time in Israeli detention or prisons. There are no Palestinian families that have not been touched by the scourge of mass imprisonment as a mechanism of suppression.

Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails come from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and Israel. All – including the Palestinians of ’48, who hold Israeli citizenship – face deeply unjust structures throughout the process of arrest, charge, trial and sentencing. Far from being an objective, neutral or beneficient system for Palestinians, the Israeli court system is part and parcel of the mechanism of occupation, bolstering and serving as a direct arm of military/state power in enforcing occupation control over Palestinian lives and land.

Over 2,500 military orders govern the West Bank. The “Order Regarding Security Provisions [Consolidated Version] (Judea and Samaria)” grants the Israeli military “the authority to arrest and prosecute Palestinians from the West Bank for so-called ‘security’ offenses,” notes Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Another military order, issued in August 1967 and still in place today, criminalizes organizing protests, assemblies or vigils, waving flags and political symbols, and printing political material, and “also deems any acts of influencing public opinion as prohibited ‘political incitement’, and under the heading of ‘support to a hostile organization,’ prohibits any activity that demonstrates sympathy for an organization deemed illegal under military orders.”

The Israeli military retains for itself the right to declare any Palestinian organization ‘illegal’ and thus prosecute membership or association with that organization. Most Palestinian political parties, including Islamic Jihad (which is one of the four largest political parties in Palestine), as well as countless labour unions, student groups, women’s organizations, and other sectoral groups, fall squarely into the category of ‘illegal organizations’ and a large number of Palestinian political prisoners who have been “charged and tried,” are serving sentences for ‘membership in an illegal organization,’ ‘support for a hostile organization’ and similar charges.

In the Israeli military courts, the charge of ‘membership in an illegal organization’ carries no maximum sentence, although “a military court decision instead set… a precedent that the minimum penalty is 24 months’ imprisonment. In fact some Palestinians, such as Ahmad Sa’adat, have been sentenced to as much as 30 years’ imprisonment on such charges. Under Israeli criminal law, the maximum penalty is one year…”

Palestinians facing military courts are often confronted with secret evidence; can be denied access to lawyers for up to 90 days; can be held for up to 2 years “until the end of legal proceedings;” and confront vague and non-specific charge sheets. It should be noted that settlers in the West Bank do not face this system of military courts; they, instead are directed into the Israeli criminal justice system, with much higher protections for the accused and much lower sentencing ranges. Addameer notes one particularly egregious example of this disparity: “On 21 January 2011, Israeli settler Nahum Korman who beat an 11-year-old Palestinian child, Helmi Shusha, to death, was sentenced to 6 months of community service. On the same day, Suad Ghazal, a 15-year-old Palestinian girl accused of attempting to stab an Israeli settler was sentenced to 6 and a half years in prison.”

Israeli military trial judges are active members of the Israeli military; many are former military-court prosecutors, and not all military judges are required to hold completed legal training.

It must be noted that the net effect of “trying” a Palestinian for membership in Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hamas, or for that matter, Fateh, all of which remain illegal organizations under the arbitrary Israeli military orders governing the West Bank, is to place that person in prison for a minimum of two years for membership in a political party. Rather than encouraging such a structure as an alternative to administrative detention, it is incumbent upon those of us who would stand in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners to recognize that administrative detention is one piece of an entire system that exists in order to buttress occupation and undermine Palestinian existence, resistance, and organization. In order to build solidarity, we must refuse to accept as normal or legitimate the criminalization of Palestinian resistance and politics by the Israeli occupation.

Palestinians from Jerusalem, in particular those from East Jerusalem occupied in 1967, face a dual system of law, usually being held for interrogation under the military system before transfer to the Israeli civil system for trial, but under the category of ‘security prisoner.’ Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, prior to 2005, were subject to the same military orders as prevail in the West Bank. Following the 2005 “disengagement,” Palestinians from Gaza abducted by the Israeli military are now held as ‘unlawful combatants,’ and subject to an administrative detention scheme with no six-month limits.  Palestinian political prisoners who are citizens of Israel are charged as ‘security’ offenders in the Israeli civil system, depriving them of rights afforded to criminal defendants. ‘Security offenders’ may be held for 60 days without being charged and denied access to a lawyer for three weeks. They are subject to the same interrogators from the Israeli Security Agency as are prisoners from the West Bank and Gaza – and thus the same tactics of abuse and inhumane treatment amounting to torture.

The Israeli court systems – certainly the military system, but also the civil ‘security’ system – are no solution for Palestinian prisoners. Instead, those systems are mandated to enforce the rule (and the illegitimate “law”) of occupation and apartheid. 

Khader Adnan is the latest in a long line of heroes and heroines of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement. Over the years, many of them have used the hunger strike – Adnan the longest – as a powerful weapon of dissent and resistance, placing their bodies on the line to confront the occupation within its own prisons. Most recently, in October 2011, hundreds of prisoners engaged in ahunger strike for over twenty days demanding the end of isolation and solitary confinement. Many of those prisoners have been held under administrative detention; many thousands more through the ‘trials’ and ‘convictions’ of the Israeli security regime. All of those prisoners need continuing support and solidarity, and the growth of such solidarity is one way in which Khader Adnan’s hunger strike, and his courage, will continue to challenge and confront the occupation.

An international coalition of prisoners’ rights and Palestine solidarity organizations have called for global mobilization for April 17, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day (and what will be the day of Adnan’s release.) Such a global mobilization is also an opportunity to link the struggle of Palestinian prisoners in mutual solidarity with political prisoners elsewhere, from Leonard Peltier to Ricardo Palmera to countless others in the jails of the U.S., Canada, and the world.  This includes Palestinian political prisoners in international jails; the 65th day of Khader Adnan’s hunger strike was also the 9th anniversary of Dr. Sami al-Arian’s arrest. Al-Arian remains under house arrest in Virginia today, years after he was acquitted on the majority of charges – and convicted of nothing – by a jury, because he refuses to be forced into becoming an informant on the Palestinian community.

 

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : by on February 23, 2012

 

The call to action for April 17 states:

“We must not allow Khader’s struggle to pass, like so many before his, as one more brave stand crushed by the armed might of the Israeli apartheid regime, unremarkable and inconsequential. Rather let this historic moment mark the beginning of a revitalized global movement for Palestinian prisoners, their rights, their families, and their struggle. Together, we can make it so.”

Aid convoy ‘nearing Gaza’

Freedom Flotilla incident. 31 may 2010. Cartog...

Aid convoy ‘nearing Gaza’

Friday, November 04, 2011 – 09:05 AM

A Irish ship taking part in a convoy bringing aid to Gaza is said to be less than a hundred miles from its destination.

According to the Irish Ship to Gaza campaign, the Irish ship and its Canadian partner are being shadowed by unidentified vessels thought to belong to the Israeli Navy.

Unless the boats are intercepted in the international waters, they will arrive in Gaza in around seven hours.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/aid-convoy-nearing-gaza-527059.html#ixzz1cjcEtKhg

Samouni Project Convoy To Gaza ( ONGOING )

A flag of for the Arabic language, including t...
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Time
01 June at 15:00 – 01 July at 18:00

Location
From Londonto Gaza

 

Created by:

More info
A convoy of vehicles to carry school equipment and aid to Gaza for the Samouni Community Classroom. If you can help in any way with fund raising & promoting this event in your community…Items/Materials/Support sought immediately;1) A UK based coordinator to facilitate this project, this is a volunteer job.

2) A mechanic or someone very good with vehicles that can travel to Retford, Nottinghamshire, in order to make sure the vehicle is sound and as purchased.3) We need the vehicle MOT’d and taxed by hopefully the same person above.4) Costs covered to put vinyl graphics on the bus, such as the Samouni Project logo as well as the logos of our sponsors.5) Costs for food, fuel, tax, MOT, and insurance for the drive to Gaza.6) Sponsors; we seek sponsors from unions, organizations, Mosques, community and Palestine Solidarity groups. We propose a minimum donation of £100 to become a sponsor, but anything will help so we encourage everyone no matter what you can contribute.

7) We will need at least two or three drivers who will have to sleep in or just outside the bus in order to ensure security.

8) More Vehicles: if we can get a couple more vehicles, possibly even a bus that can carry the whole family in Gaza, which would be great. There are good deals on vehicles and maybe people will have a vehicle or two that they would like to donate to the family, a work van would be ideal, but any working vehicle will be extremely valuable to the family.

9) Computers: Ideally we will bring 12 desktop computers, mouse, keyboard, computer speakers and if possible, 12 laptop computers so each household will also have something in their home.

10) Office Chairs – 12 is perfect.

11) Webcams with Microphone Headsets for Skype calling.

12) Laser Jet Printer/Copy/Fax/Scanner with refill ink cartridges.

13) Laminating Machine with lamination sheets.

14) Digital Cameras, the more the better, all the kids love cameras.

15) LCD Projector and screen.

16) Small generator, big enough to power a small home.

17) A nice Globe for teaching.

18) Large World Map for wall.

19) Quality books with emphasis on education, history, science, etc. English is great, but if people have Arabic language books as well, that will be fantastic.

20) We hope to bring 50 English teaching books which we already have a teacher to teach with, here is the link to the book we need; http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Headway-Beginner-St

21) We are looking for a carpenter to build Custom Bookcase and deliver to London very soon.

22) If a carpenter can work right away, we can give dimensions and precut some material for long desktops to be used for the computers and classroom.

23) Lighting, good quality lighting, LED’s lighting would be ideal so the electricity consumption is low. But we want something other than fluorescent lights, something warm and nice to read and learn with.

24) Musical instruments, if you have an instrument that you can give for these children to experiment with and play; this will be a beautiful contribution. Does somebody have a Piano?

25) Office supplies, paper, paper clips, notebooks, pens, pencils (coloured as well), markers, pencil sharpener, etc.

26) Arts & Crafts of all sorts.

27) Puppets and educational toys.

28) A telescope, this has been asked for, would be great.

29) Tiles to lay on the floor, this is roughly a 10×15 metre space.

Items that would be good to bring now as well;

1) Blankets.

2) Clothes.

3) Kids football shoes.

4) Anything of value that might be useful.

If you have or are willing to purchase any of these items then please do so and email me at 1worldcitizen@spamarrest.com (please put ‘Samouni Project’ in the subject field). If you can provide a service, volunteer to drive to Gaza or be a coordinator then again, please email me.

The following are not likely to be arranged immediately, but maybe, you never know. But even if we cannot get these things now, I would like people to know of our longer-term goals and start looking around for ways to make this happen as well.

Supporting Independence for the family; long-term items sought;

1) We would bring a machine that can process Tomatoes into sauce. The Samouni family are farmers and if they had an industrial machine of this type they would be able to really get back on their feet and be independent soon. I will get more details of the exact type of machine that would be ideal tomorrow, if you think you can help with this then message me please.

2) A loom, an industrial loom that would allow the family to make Kuffiyeh’s, if we do this I am sure the family will have a real income with exported Kuffiyeh’s, made in Gaza, with the Samouni Family brand on it.

3) Building materials to make a small factory/warehouse.

And last, something that would just be wonderful for the entire family, especially the boys;

1) 1) The materials to build a 5 on 5 football pitch, the cement for the foundation, the padding and artificial grass, the walls, goals, bleachers, lighting for night time play.

I am already planning to make a video with the kids inviting FC Barcelona to come out this summer and do a football camp. I am making it clear to the kids that there are no guarantees, but if we try, we have a good chance of getting a result.

I would like to say to everyone reading this just one thing. If we really care, we will make this next phase happen and we will do so within a couple of weeks. We can do anything we set our minds to and what is asked for to make this project happen is completely doable. We all have something to offer, the question is what do you have to offer?

To my Muslim and Arab brothers and sisters, the Samouni’s are your direct family; please make this project happen now. As a community, you alone could make this happen within a week.

Love and respect to everyone who is helping with this, you are blessing yourself big time by contributing, believe me I know this all too well.

TJP,

Ken O’KeefeSee more

 
POSTED ON BEHALF OF SAMOUNI PROJECT :   Maitreyi Atmaja
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