Salem Israeli Court Sentences 6 Detainees to Different Terms of Imprisonment

(WAFA) - An Israeli military court sentenced Saturday six detainees to different terms of imprisonment and imposed inflated fines.

Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) in Tulkarem, said that Salem Israeli Court sentenced Murad Zeydan of Anabta town to ten years, Anan Zandeeq of Nour al-Shams Refugee Camp to 18 months, Omar Murjan to 6 months and a fine of NIS1000 (Israeli currency), Samer Abu Khalil of Atteel town to 18 months and a fine of NIS2000.

The court also has expanded the detention of seven other detainees, including a female.

In the meantime, members of a Jerusalemite family appealed to HR organisations to enable them for visiting their son in Ofer Israeli jail, who was arrested last February.



Caritas Deeply Concerned about Deteriorating Situation in Gaza

-Though overshadowed in the media by Israel's attacks on Lebanon three weeks ago, Israeli raids and attacks in the Gaza Strip continue to weigh on the civilian population, which is going hungry and thirsty, said Caritas Jerusalem.

"These attacks are not a punishment for a certain party, or branch, or person or sect. It is punishment for an entire nation, and this is a war crime," said Fr Manuel Musallam, parish priest of the Latin Convent, Gaza's only Catholic Church. "This destruction, without cause, is a crime."

Omar Shaban, director of Caritas member Catholic Relief Service's office in Gaza, said the constant attacks by the Israeli military into Gaza have led to an ever-worsening situation for people living in the Gaza Strip.

"Even if we get 200 food packets for families whose homes have been destroyed, the next day we need 200 more, because every day more people's homes are destroyed," Mr. Shaban said. "Every day it gets worse."

Fr Musallam explained that the constant flouting of international laws, and the lack of respect for Palestinian people, has made it difficult for him to champion his message of peace and reconciliation.

"I will call for a Day of Prayer for Jerusalem on Sunday. I will invite Muslims, Christians, and Jews to pray together for peace. We will continue to pray, and to hope for hope," he said, "because people have no hope, they see nothing in their future."

Caritas Jerusalem has appealed to the Confederation for $1.5 million to help alleviate the suffering of the 1.4 million Palestinians, half of them children, who have been made all the more vulnerable by the conflict.

Caritas Jerusalem reports that shortages of electricity, fuel, food, water, medicines, and medical equipment have reached critical levels.

The infrastructure is tattered, poorly functioning wastewater treatment plants have led to major public health concerns. Furthermore, thousands of health care workers and government employees have not received salaries in months, and are barely scraping by.

Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations present in 200 countries and territories


UN: Tensions Across Palestinian Territory as Locals Flee Israeli Attacks
- Israeli troops kept up their operations around Gaza's international airport, forcing Palestinians to flee to safety, the United Nations said.

Almost 2,000 Palestinians are already being sheltered by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the agency is opening an additional facility to deal with more people fleeing the violence and also Thursday overnight Israeli air strikes, UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told reporters.

He said that Israeli incursion around the Gaza International Airport is continuing, adding that there have been two air strikes in Gaza City overnight following earlier phone calls received by the residents warning that their homes were going to be targeted by the Israeli air force.

Turning to the other part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the West Bank, Mr. Fawzi said "heightened tensions" were continuing and security forces are still preventing most people from entering Israel, even if they have the correct paperwork.

"On the West Bank the external closure has continued for a fifth day - that is, since 31 July. Palestinians with West Bank ID cards and valid permits to enter Israel have not been allowed to enter Israel, including workers and traders."

"Our Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) field officers have reported continued heightened tensions throughout the West Bank, including more protests about the situation in Lebanon."


'Trapped in Hell' - CARE's Official on the Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza
Marwa El-Ansary, CARE'S Middle East senior programme officer, has been based in East Jerusalem for the last week. She's been working with CARE'S West Bank and Gaza team to raise funds so that they step up our emergency response there. Here she writes about what she has seen and heard during the week.

"It's clear from talking to colleagues here that the situation in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster. Recently as a result of the increase in the conflict, there have been no services operating there. Water supplies are all on back-up generators because the main power stations were hit in the recent incursions. That means there is electricity only for a couple of hours a day and very little water in people's homes. In addition, public services have declined. There's no rubbish collection, for example.

"Now Gaza covers a very small area of land and at this time of the year it's extremely hot. This, coupled with very low medical supplies and equipment, means it is a fertile ground for health problems. It really has become 'hell' for the people living there who are also trapped as there are severe border restrictions on movement in and out of Gaza.

"We've been providing clean water and sanitation facilities in Gaza and supporting local health services for some time now, using emergency funding from the European Commission. Because of the recent conflict, we've had to introduce a new component to our work, getting fresh food like vegetables to people in Gaza because they're really scarce.

"§Most of my time spent here has been focused on discussing potential ways we can increase the humanitarian efforts for Gaza with donors and other UN and agencies. Also with all that's happening in Lebanon, the limelight rarely focuses on how bad the situation has really become in Gaza so CARE has also been publishing statements urging the international community to take notice of this unfolding crisis.

"It's also been really apparent to me that in the region as a whole, people are feeling extremely frustrated and demoralised. For example, many people in Lebanon and the West Bank have dual nationality and had come back to settle here in the past 10 years or so. Most of those people have now fled, often leaving behind friends and family who feel helpless. Morale is very low. The situation is very depressing.

"During the week I've been here, I've been based in East Jerusalem - it's not been possible to travel to Gaza. In fact, throughout the years of conflict, Jerusalem has been quite isolated. 'Jerusalemites' is the identity of people here. Walking the streets of Jerusalem, you get a false sense of security, as it's relatively quiet here. Then you talk to people and your perception changes.

"Beneath the surface, the situation is very difficult for Palestinians living here. One example is the permit system which is highly complicated. Palestinians living in Jerusalem hold Jerusalem ID, and easily travel to the West Bank but they are not allowed to hold Palestinian passports. On the other hand, Palestinians living in the West Bank who have a Palestinian passport find it very difficult to go to Jerusalem and have to apply for special permit to do so. Even car plates are colour coded between Jerusalem and the West Bank!

"All this makes travel very difficult and can make people's lives quite unbearable - including our colleagues here in the country office. It can be very difficult to see their families, for example, or to get the services they need.

"This is my third visit here. Every time I come it is a real eye-opening experience. I am well aware of the problems but, when I am here, the reality of the situation always hits me in the face. I am leaving tomorrow feeling that I wish I could do more but also knowing that our colleagues in the country office are doing as much as possible to help - even if we all know that much more needs to be done."