The Freedom Flotilla Sails to Gaza in May
Written by Free Gaza Team 28 April 2010 Posted in News
(London, UK) On May 24, 2010, the Freedom Flotilla sets sail for Gaza determined to, once again, challenge Israel’s blockade of 1.5 million Palestinians trapped in an open-air prison. Under the coordination of the Free Gaza Movement, numerous human rights organizations, including the Turkish Relief Foundation (IHH), the Perdana Global Peace Organization from Malaysia, the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza, and the Swedish and Greek Boat to Gaza initiatives will send three cargo ships loaded with reconstruction, medical and educational supplies. At least five passenger boats with over 600 people on board will accompany the cargo ships.
These passengers include members of Parliament from around the world, U.N., human rights and trade union activists, as well as journalists who will document the largest coordinated effort to directly confront Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza and take in basic supplies.
Said Mary Hughes Thompson, one of Free Gaza’s co-founders, “Although we were happy with the first trips, it was bitter-sweet, knowing that our small boats and symbolic amounts of relief paled in comparison to what was really needed in Gaza. Now, we finally feel we are helping to organize a powerful action, one with the potential to translate into a sustained campaign of much more effective challenges to Israel's brutal siege.”
In the past three months, Israel has limited fuel to run the power station. Much of Gaza is often in darkness. There are just enough trucks coming in to barely prevent total starvation, and Egypt, complicit with the Israeli-US policy of blockading Palestinians, is building an underground steel wall to prevent people in Gaza from bringing in vitally needed supplies through tunnels.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:23:28 GMT
Israeli soldiers take a Palestinian prisoner out of an armored personnel carrier.
The Palestinian Authority's (PA) Minister of Prisoners Affairs, Issa Qaraqi, holds Israel responsible for the death of Raed Abu Hammad, 27, who was in an Israeli jail for 18 months. Hammad was reportedly beaten by Israeli prison guards to death. He was found dead in his solitary confinement cell. Qaraqi said on Thursday that the cause of death was from "a blow to the lower spinal cord with a direct hit." The minister added that based on reports he had received, the detainee had been kicked strongly in the lower back. The PA will, in the beginning of next week, request from the Magistrate court in Beer Sheva, to investigate the cause of death based on available reports. Israeli authorities have dismissed the allegations as unfounded and declined to give any details. More than 7,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli jails.
Israeli soldiers take a Palestinian prisoner out of an armored personnel carrier.
The Palestinian Authority's (PA) Minister of Prisoners Affairs, Issa Qaraqi, holds Israel responsible for the death of Raed Abu Hammad, 27, who was in an Israeli jail for 18 months. Hammad was reportedly beaten by Israeli prison guards to death. He was found dead in his solitary confinement cell. Qaraqi said on Thursday that the cause of death was from "a blow to the lower spinal cord with a direct hit." The minister added that based on reports he had received, the detainee had been kicked strongly in the lower back. The PA will, in the beginning of next week, request from the Magistrate court in Beer Sheva, to investigate the cause of death based on available reports. Israeli authorities have dismissed the allegations as unfounded and declined to give any details. More than 7,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli jails.
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Note: more than 7000 apparantly is the number of Palestinian Political prisoners in israel's jails but the total number of Palestinians in israel's prisons is more than 11000 as I know
Thursday, April 22, 2010
15 palestinians detained on one day , israeli tanks destroyed Gaza farms
Israeli tanks had enterned Gaza strip in support of israeli buldozers to destroy Gaza's cultivated farms
Israeli tanks destroy Gaza farm lands
Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:04:54 GMT
Israeli tanks frequently invade border areas in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli tanks and bulldozers have invaded the Abassan al-Mubra village in the southern district of Gaza Strip, destroying a number of Palestinian farm lands. The tanks also opened fire at residential homes on Thursday as bulldozers uprooted trees and destroyed farm lands owned by local Palestinian farmers, witnesses told Palestine's Maan news agency. Israeli tanks frequently invade border areas in the Gaza Strip and destroy lands with the aim to create a security buffer zone along the Israeli-Gaza border. Meanwhile, in yet another invasion of the northern West Bank, Israeli troops entered the region and detained fifteen Palestinian civilians in the early hours of Thursday. Local sources reported that in Jenin, a villager sustained light injuries after soldiers attacked him while on his way to work. In the city of Jenin, Israeli troops detained three men. Another six teenagers were taken away by soldiers during house-to-house search, targeting the village of Azon near Qalqilia. Three men and three teenagers were also detained from the village of Taqua near Beit Lahm (Bethlehem). The Israeli army radio announced that all the 15 detained on Thursday were taken to military detention camps for questioning.
Iran Navy rescues tanker in Somalia
Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:33:07 GMT
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A US Military handout picture dated April 10, 2010 shows a burning pirate skiff that was hit after opening fire on a US Navy ship.
Iran's anti-piracy naval forces have rescued an Iranian oil supertanker following a Somali pirate attack in the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden. The oil tanker was sailing from the southern Iranian Island of Khark to Egypt with a 300,000-ton cargo of crude oil worth USD 150 million, IRNA cited a navy statement. The supertanker was reportedly attacked by a fleet of 15 pirate boats as soon as it entered the Gulf of Aden “a few days ago”, but the hijacking attempt was thwarted after the Iranian Navy exchanged fire with the sea bandits. The vessel is now en route to its original destination with a naval escort. Since November 2008, the Iranian Navy has dispatched seven naval vessels to patrol the pirate-infested waters of Somalia. Despite an internationally-backed EU anti-piracy mission, heavily-armed bandits have become increasingly emboldened over the past few years and are spreading piracy further into the Indian Ocean. Earlier this month, the Iranian Navy prevented a similar attack on another Iranian tanker bound for Turkey. Last month, a group of Iranian fishermen were rescued by a Spanish frigate working under the European Union's NAVFOR Somalia. Pirates had left the tied-up fishermen for dead after looting their goods and emptying their oil.
Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:33:07 GMT
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A US Military handout picture dated April 10, 2010 shows a burning pirate skiff that was hit after opening fire on a US Navy ship.
Iran's anti-piracy naval forces have rescued an Iranian oil supertanker following a Somali pirate attack in the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden. The oil tanker was sailing from the southern Iranian Island of Khark to Egypt with a 300,000-ton cargo of crude oil worth USD 150 million, IRNA cited a navy statement. The supertanker was reportedly attacked by a fleet of 15 pirate boats as soon as it entered the Gulf of Aden “a few days ago”, but the hijacking attempt was thwarted after the Iranian Navy exchanged fire with the sea bandits. The vessel is now en route to its original destination with a naval escort. Since November 2008, the Iranian Navy has dispatched seven naval vessels to patrol the pirate-infested waters of Somalia. Despite an internationally-backed EU anti-piracy mission, heavily-armed bandits have become increasingly emboldened over the past few years and are spreading piracy further into the Indian Ocean. Earlier this month, the Iranian Navy prevented a similar attack on another Iranian tanker bound for Turkey. Last month, a group of Iranian fishermen were rescued by a Spanish frigate working under the European Union's NAVFOR Somalia. Pirates had left the tied-up fishermen for dead after looting their goods and emptying their oil.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Mohamed ElBaradei has expressed support for Palestinian resistance, calling Gaza the world's largest jail
ElBaradei: Gaza, world's largest jail
Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:21:02 GMT
Former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei has expressed support for Palestinian resistance, calling Gaza the world's largest jail. In a report published by UPI on Tuesday, ElBaradei described resistance the only path open to the Palestinian people, because the Israeli occupation only understands the language of force. "The peace process has become a stupid joke which we talk about without achieving any progress," the Egyptian diplomat reportedly said, adding that the Arabs should back their negotiation option with force and deterrence. He also criticized Cairo's construction of a steel wall along the border with the Gaza Strip, aimed at disrupting Palestinians' "survival" tunnel network, as harmful to Egypt's reputation. He described Egypt's construction of the wall as joining Israel in its closure of the strip, which he said "has become the world's largest prison." "The logical solution to the problem would be to close the tunnels and open border crossings while creating a free trade zone in Rafah where Palestinians can trade and then return to Gaza." More than two years of a crippling Israeli blockade has pushed some 1.5 million Gazans on the verge of starvation and has irreparably hurt Gaza's economy as the siege totally cuts off the territory from the outside world. As Israel refuses to open Gaza border crossings it has closed since 2007, the Rafah crossing — the only terminal not under Tel Aviv's control — is sealed off by Egyptian officials. The 67-year old ElBaradei is largely expected to run in Egypt's 2011 presidential elections, as opposition parties are seeking to pressure President Hosni Mubarak for democratic reforms.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
'No trace of Israel will remain if Iran attacked'
Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has lashed out at the United States for its dual-based nuclear policies. "The US is working on a new generation of nuclear bombs. It also defends Israel that has tens of nuclear warheads but it opposes Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy. This shows a double-standard in their nuclear policies," ISNA quoted Vahidi as saying on Wednesday. The Iranian minister also rejected the possibility of a military strike against Iran's nuclear sites by Israel or the United States. "The Zionist regime of Israel is too weak to attack Iran," he added. "No trace of Israel will remain if the Zionist regime declares a war on Iran," he warned. Tehran has repeatedly dismissed Israeli threats of military strikes against Iran as psychological warfare aimed at pressuring the Islamic Republic to abandon its peaceful nuclear work. ...
Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has lashed out at the United States for its dual-based nuclear policies. "The US is working on a new generation of nuclear bombs. It also defends Israel that has tens of nuclear warheads but it opposes Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy. This shows a double-standard in their nuclear policies," ISNA quoted Vahidi as saying on Wednesday. The Iranian minister also rejected the possibility of a military strike against Iran's nuclear sites by Israel or the United States. "The Zionist regime of Israel is too weak to attack Iran," he added. "No trace of Israel will remain if the Zionist regime declares a war on Iran," he warned. Tehran has repeatedly dismissed Israeli threats of military strikes against Iran as psychological warfare aimed at pressuring the Islamic Republic to abandon its peaceful nuclear work. ...
Monday, April 12, 2010
Europe holds events in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
Europe holds events in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
Saturday 10 April 2010 13:09
A number of European countries has witnessed lately a series of events in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails organized by different human rights and civil organizations. Palestinian and international institutions in Europe had declared 2010 a year for the defense of the issue of prisoners after the issue of occupied Jerusalem was the center of Palestinian activities in Europe last year. In this context, various popular ceremonies were held during this month in a number of Italian cities including Milan, Turin and Brescia dedicated to highlighting the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, where halls and sport stadiums were crowded with thousands of people who attended at the invitation of the Palestinian assembly in Italy. Friends of humanity international and the institution of south house will organize in April 17 a symposium on the occasion of the Palestinian prisoner day in the Austrian capital Vienna. Among the speakers in this symposium will be former Egyptian deputy minister of foreign affairs Abdullah Al-Ash’al and European lawmaker Alexandra Tyne. A documentary film showing the harsh incarceration conditions in Israeli jails will be screened during the event. For its part, Friends of humanity recently issued a comprehensive report on the detention conditions of Palestinian prisoners and the violations committed against them by Israeli jailers during 2009. The issue of Palestinian prisoners will also be high on the agenda of the upcoming Palestinians in Europe conference that is slated to be held in the German capital Berlin.
Saturday 10 April 2010 13:09
A number of European countries has witnessed lately a series of events in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails organized by different human rights and civil organizations. Palestinian and international institutions in Europe had declared 2010 a year for the defense of the issue of prisoners after the issue of occupied Jerusalem was the center of Palestinian activities in Europe last year. In this context, various popular ceremonies were held during this month in a number of Italian cities including Milan, Turin and Brescia dedicated to highlighting the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, where halls and sport stadiums were crowded with thousands of people who attended at the invitation of the Palestinian assembly in Italy. Friends of humanity international and the institution of south house will organize in April 17 a symposium on the occasion of the Palestinian prisoner day in the Austrian capital Vienna. Among the speakers in this symposium will be former Egyptian deputy minister of foreign affairs Abdullah Al-Ash’al and European lawmaker Alexandra Tyne. A documentary film showing the harsh incarceration conditions in Israeli jails will be screened during the event. For its part, Friends of humanity recently issued a comprehensive report on the detention conditions of Palestinian prisoners and the violations committed against them by Israeli jailers during 2009. The issue of Palestinian prisoners will also be high on the agenda of the upcoming Palestinians in Europe conference that is slated to be held in the German capital Berlin.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Gaza in blackout as Israeli blockade continues
Gaza in blackout as Israeli blockade continues
Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:42:16 GMT
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The only power plant in the blockaded Gaza Strip has shut down as a crippling Israeli closure keeps the impoverished region stripped of much needed fuel.
The facility was forces to close on Friday, following a week of limited fuel imports and Israeli authorities' refusal to open any border-crossings.
Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh confirmed the closure of all crossings and that they were expected to remain closed for Saturday as well.
That would mean the populated enclave will dip in a blackout for the next three days until fuel supplies are allowed and transported to the power plant.
Vice President of the Palestinian Energy Authority Kanaan Ubeid said all of the four generators at the facility had ceased to function as fuel supplies had reduced from 2,200 units per day to 750 units. "This is not enough to run even one generator on," Ubeid said.
Gaza's sole power plant has been grappled with fuel shortages since December, when European officials handed over responsibility for fuel transfers to the Palestinian Authority upon a request by Ramallah that the aid from the European Union be channeled into civil servant salaries.
Ubeid blamed the transfer and corresponding closure of the main fuel transfer terminal at Nahal Oz for the shortages, saying imports have fallen by half ever since.
The Gaza Strip has been under a paralyzing Israeli siege since 2007 when the democratically elected Hamas-led Palestinian government had to limit its rule to the coastal sliver, while the Western-backed Fatah mounted its own government in the West Bank.
Israel maintained the blockade during and after its devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip which left more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, killed and thousands of others injured.
Three weeks of relentless aerial bombardments and ground incursions devastated much of the region's infrastructure and leveled scores of residential and office buildings.
Gaza still lies in ruin as Israel prevents the delivery of the materials needed for the reconstruction into the Palestinian territory.
Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:42:16 GMT
Font size :
The only power plant in the blockaded Gaza Strip has shut down as a crippling Israeli closure keeps the impoverished region stripped of much needed fuel.
The facility was forces to close on Friday, following a week of limited fuel imports and Israeli authorities' refusal to open any border-crossings.
Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh confirmed the closure of all crossings and that they were expected to remain closed for Saturday as well.
That would mean the populated enclave will dip in a blackout for the next three days until fuel supplies are allowed and transported to the power plant.
Vice President of the Palestinian Energy Authority Kanaan Ubeid said all of the four generators at the facility had ceased to function as fuel supplies had reduced from 2,200 units per day to 750 units. "This is not enough to run even one generator on," Ubeid said.
Gaza's sole power plant has been grappled with fuel shortages since December, when European officials handed over responsibility for fuel transfers to the Palestinian Authority upon a request by Ramallah that the aid from the European Union be channeled into civil servant salaries.
Ubeid blamed the transfer and corresponding closure of the main fuel transfer terminal at Nahal Oz for the shortages, saying imports have fallen by half ever since.
The Gaza Strip has been under a paralyzing Israeli siege since 2007 when the democratically elected Hamas-led Palestinian government had to limit its rule to the coastal sliver, while the Western-backed Fatah mounted its own government in the West Bank.
Israel maintained the blockade during and after its devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip which left more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, killed and thousands of others injured.
Three weeks of relentless aerial bombardments and ground incursions devastated much of the region's infrastructure and leveled scores of residential and office buildings.
Gaza still lies in ruin as Israel prevents the delivery of the materials needed for the reconstruction into the Palestinian territory.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Hamas warns about plight of Palestinian prisoners
Hamas warns about plight of Palestinian prisoners
Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:25:21 GMT
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File photo of a boy reconstructing the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in a protest calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Hamas spokesperson warns if the international community continues to turn a blind eye on the maltreatment of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, the group will take prisoner more Israeli soldiers. Sami Abu Zuhri complained on Thursday in Gaza that the world is only concerned with the release of Israeli prisoner of war Gilad Shalit from Hamas prison, but is was least bothered about the ill-treatment and sufferings of the Palestinians in Israeli jails. If this ill-treatment continues and the world carries on with the same trend, then Hamas will be forced to find "new friends" for the Israeli soldier Shalit, he said. Almost 10,000 Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons. Earlier, in retaliation to Israel's six mortar shells that injured six in the beleaguered Gaza Strip, Israeli Army Radio reported that three mortar bombs were fired at a military unit patrolling near the border with Israel. No injures were reported.
Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:25:21 GMT
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File photo of a boy reconstructing the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in a protest calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Hamas spokesperson warns if the international community continues to turn a blind eye on the maltreatment of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, the group will take prisoner more Israeli soldiers. Sami Abu Zuhri complained on Thursday in Gaza that the world is only concerned with the release of Israeli prisoner of war Gilad Shalit from Hamas prison, but is was least bothered about the ill-treatment and sufferings of the Palestinians in Israeli jails. If this ill-treatment continues and the world carries on with the same trend, then Hamas will be forced to find "new friends" for the Israeli soldier Shalit, he said. Almost 10,000 Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons. Earlier, in retaliation to Israel's six mortar shells that injured six in the beleaguered Gaza Strip, Israeli Army Radio reported that three mortar bombs were fired at a military unit patrolling near the border with Israel. No injures were reported.
Israel launches ground incursion into Gaza Strip
Israel launches ground incursion into Gaza Strip
Thu, 08 Apr 2010 06:36:04 GMT
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Israel has launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip with its troops entering the south of the long-blockaded coastal sliver. Israeli tanks and bulldozers advanced about 500 meters into the east of the southern city of Khan Yunis on Wednesday, the Press TV correspondent in Gaza reported. Late in March, Israeli forces crossed into the southern Qarara region and then invaded Dair al-Balah in central Gaza. This was days after Israeli armored vehicles crossed into an area near the southern town of Khan Yunis, leaving one Palestinian dead and several others wounded. Israeli forces have carried out numerous incursions into Gaza since Tel Aviv's 22-day war on the strip at the turn of 2009. The so-called Operation Cast Lead devastated much of the infrastructure in the impoverished Palestinian enclave, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
Thu, 08 Apr 2010 06:36:04 GMT
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Israel has launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip with its troops entering the south of the long-blockaded coastal sliver. Israeli tanks and bulldozers advanced about 500 meters into the east of the southern city of Khan Yunis on Wednesday, the Press TV correspondent in Gaza reported. Late in March, Israeli forces crossed into the southern Qarara region and then invaded Dair al-Balah in central Gaza. This was days after Israeli armored vehicles crossed into an area near the southern town of Khan Yunis, leaving one Palestinian dead and several others wounded. Israeli forces have carried out numerous incursions into Gaza since Tel Aviv's 22-day war on the strip at the turn of 2009. The so-called Operation Cast Lead devastated much of the infrastructure in the impoverished Palestinian enclave, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Israeli occupation troops round up 1,400 Palestinians in 3 months
Monday, April 5
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Palestine Information Center
GAZA — The higher national committee in support of prisoners on Sunday said that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) had detained more than 1,400 Palestinians in the first quarter of 2010 including 90 from the Gaza Strip.
Monday, April 5
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Palestine Information Center
GAZA — The higher national committee in support of prisoners on Sunday said that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) had detained more than 1,400 Palestinians in the first quarter of 2010 including 90 from the Gaza Strip.
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