Palestinian farmers, shepherds forced to leave fields by live Israeli fire

April 29, 2016 2:30 A.M. (Updated: April 29, 2016 2:30 A.M.)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Palestinian farmers and shepherds were forced to leave their fields after coming under live Israeli fire in eastern Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip early Friday, witnesses said.

Israeli forces deployed on the borderline in the Khuzaa and al-Fakhari area of eastern Khan Younis where they opened fire on farmers and shepherds working in their fields, witnesses told Ma’an. The farmers and shepherds left the area following the shooting. No injuries were reported. An Israeli army spokesperson said they were looking into reports on the incident. The Israeli army regularly opens fire on Palestinian fisherman and farmers along the border areas of the besieged enclave, despite a ceasefire agreement that ended Israel's 2014 offensive on the strip.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented nearly 100 instances of Israeli forces opening fire on Palestinians in the military-enforced "buffer zone" between the besieged enclave and Israel, on both land and sea sides

Israeli bulldozers level lands in eastern Gaza Strip

April 27, 2016 12:25 P.M. (Updated: April 27, 2016 4:44 P.M.)


GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli bulldozers leveled land east of al-Bureji refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip Wednesday morning after crossing through the border fence, witnesses said.
Witnesses told Ma’an that four armored bulldozers escorted by Israeli military vehicles crossed the border fence between Israel and the besieged enclave before leveling land on the Palestinian side of the border, leaving shortly after. No gunfire or injuries were reported. An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an they were looking into the reports. Israeli military incursions inside the besieged Gaza Strip and near the “buffer zone" which lies on both land and sea sides of the strip, have long been a near-daily occurrence.Palestinians who work near the “buffer zone” between the Palestinian enclave and Israel often come under fire from military forces, as the Israeli military has not made clear the precise area of the designated zone. The Israeli army regularly open fires on Palestinian fisherman and farmers along the border areas, despite a ceasefire agreement that ended the 2014 war. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported last month at least 42 cases of Israeli forces opening fire on Palestinians in the buffer zone, on both land and sea sides

Israeli forces open fire on fishermen, level land in Gaza

April 26, 2016 10:22 A.M. (Updated: April 26, 2016 4:22 P.M.)


GAZA (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces on Tuesday opened fire on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip as military forces leveled Palestinian land on the borderline with Israel, locals said.
Witnesses told Ma’an that Israeli naval forces fired live ammunition at fishermen working off the coast of al-Zahra area of central Gaza. No injuries were reported.In the eastern area of the besieged enclave, locals said Israeli bulldozers entered Palestinian land near al-Shujaiyya and leveled the area.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an they were looking into the reports.The Israeli military enters Palestinian areas on both land and sea sides of the Gaza Strip on a near-daily basis, often putting Palestinian fishermen and farmers -- and their livelihoods -- at risk.While Israeli authorities this month expanded the fishing zone designated for Palestinian fishermen to nine nautical miles in the southern Gaza Strip, and retained the six mile zone in the north, fishermen regularly report detentions, live fire, and boat confiscation within these limits.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented over 40 instances of Israeli incursions into the Gaza border area this month alone.

Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian farmers in southern Gaza

April 23, 2016 12:40 P.M. (Updated: April 23, 2016 6:15 P.M.)


GAZA (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian farmers on Saturday morning in the southern Gaza Strip, locals said.
Witnesses told Ma'an that Israeli forces stationed near the borderline along Khan Yunis opened fire on agricultural lands where the farmers were working.  No injuries were reported.

An Israeli army spokesperson said they were looking into reports.

Israeli military forces routinely enter the Gaza Strip near the “buffer zone,” which lies on the border between the besieged enclave and Israel.

Israeli military activities, which have become almost daily occurrences, often interfere with Palestinian farmers whose land lies in the area.

Approximately 35 percent of Palestinian agricultural land in Gaza is inaccessible without high personal risk, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.

The Israeli army says the use of live fire is necessary to deter potential "security threats." However, the practice has destroyed much of both the agricultural and fishing sectors of the impoverished coastal enclave, which has been under Israeli blockade for nearly a decade.

Israeli forces injure 5 Palestinians in weekly Gaza protests

April 23, 2016 10:37 A.M. (Updated: April 23, 2016 4:51 P.M.)


GAZA (Ma'an) -- Five Palestinians were injured when clashes broke out across the Gaza Strip on Friday night after Israeli forces attempted to suppress weekly protests, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said.
One Palestinian was injured with live fire, and two suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation near the Nahal Oz crossing in the northeastern Gaza Strip. Near the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, two Palestinians suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation when Israeli forces attempted to suppress a protest there.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an they did not have information on clashes in the Gaza Strip Friday evening.Also on Friday, a Palestinian teenager was wounded by a rubber-coated steel bullet and dozens others suffered excessive tear gas inhalation when Israeli forces dispersed weekly protests across the occupied West Bank.The clashes came amidst tightened security measures implemented by the Israeli authorities for the Jewish holiday of Passover. All crossings in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank were closed to Palestinians beginning midnight Thursday, in effect until midnight Saturday.Palestinians in the Gaza Strip crowd near the borders with Israel every Friday to show solidarity with what Palestinians in besieged coastal enclave have termed the “Jerusalem Intifada” taking place in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.Nearly 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since the unrest spread in October, the majority shot dead during clashes on the Gaza-Israel border.More than 1,300 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces since the start of this year, the majority during clashes that broke out with the Israeli military during protests in the occupied West Bank, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.Earlier this month, the US accused Israel of an "excessive use of force" against Palestinians, amounting to a violation of human rights, in its annual report of global human rights abuses.

Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian farmers, level lands in southern Gaza

April 16, 2016 11:47 A.M. (Updated: April 16, 2016 6:10 P.M.)


GAZA (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Saturday opened fire on Palestinian farmers and leveled lands in the southern Gaza Strip, locals said.
Witnesses told Ma’an Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands near the the village of Khuzaa east of Khan Yunis.In the eastern side of the Rafah district of the southern Gaza Strip, seven Israeli bulldozers leveled lands in the border area, continuing excavation works that have been reported by locals in the area almost daily for the past two weeks.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an Israeli forces fired warning shots into the air after "two suspects breached the buffer zone" and the suspects returned.Israeli military forces routinely enter the Gaza Strip near the “buffer zone,” which lies on the border between the besieged enclave and Israel.Israeli military activities, which have become almost daily occurrences, often interfere with Palestinian farmers whose land lies in the area. Approximately 35 percent of Palestinian agricultural land in Gaza is inaccessible without high personal risk, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported at least 30 incidents of Israeli military forces opening fire in the "buffer zone" in the first week of April alone, in two cases injuring Palestinians were were as far as 350 meters away from the border.The Israeli army says the use of live fire is necessary to deter potential "security threats." However, the practice has destroyed much of both the agricultural and fishing sectors of the impoverished coastal enclave, which has been under Israeli blockade for nearly a decade.

Israeli forces injure 3 Palestinians in Friday clashes

April 15, 2016 11:08 P.M. (Updated: April 16, 2016 11:04 A.M.)

 

 

BETHLEHEM (MA'AN) -- At least three Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces amid clashes across the Palestinian territory Friday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.Medics told Ma’an Israeli forces shot and injured two Palestinians with live fire in eastern Gaza City.An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed that two hits were made when clashes broke out after dozens of "rioters" attempted to "damage the security fence and infiltrate the buffer zone." Israeli forces responded by "firing shots toward the instigators,” she added.In the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, an Israeli army vehicle ran over and injured a Palestinian teenager during clashes in al-Arrub refugee camp. Local sources said an Israeli army vehicle ran over Muhammad Nidhal Abu Ghazi,15, before youths took him in a private car to a hospital in Hebron in moderate condition. Several people suffered from tear gas inhalation and were treated on the scene. The clashes in al-Arroub come after a Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli forces Thursday at the entrance of camp in the Hebron district, after he reportedly attempted to attack a soldier with an ax.Two Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces in separate incidents in the area later the same evening.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip crowd near the borders with Israel every Friday to show solidarity with what Palestinians in besieged coastal enclave have termed the “Jerusalem Intifada” taking place in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

More than 1,400 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces since the start of this year, the majority during clashes that broke out with the Israeli military during protests in the occupied West Bank, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Israeli bulldozers, accompanied by drones, level land in Gaza

April 14, 2016 10:44 A.M. (Updated: April 14, 2016 1:01 P.M.)


GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Several Israeli bulldozers entered into the southern Gaza Strip early Thursday and leveled land near the borderline, locals said.
Witnesses told Ma'an that four Israeli military bulldozers entered dozens of meters into the eastern Rafah district and leveled lands near the border fence.They added that Israeli drones were flying above the area at the time. No shooting was reported.An Israeli army spokesperson said they were looking into the reports.Locals have reported incursions into the Rafah district by Israeli bulldozers and drones on a near-daily basis in the past ten days.While the army typically cites “routine activity” in the Israeli-enforced “buffer zone” along the border with Israel and off of Gaza’s coast, forces often open fire on Palestinian farmers and fishermen working near the zone.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported at least 30 incidents of Israeli military forces opening fire in the "buffer zone" in the first week of April alone, in two cases injuring Palestinians were were as far as 350 meters away from the border.

Locals: Bulldozers level Gaza land under drone surveillance for 7th day

April 12, 2016 9:53 A.M. (Updated: April 12, 2016 4:54 P.M.)

An Israeli D9 bulldozer rolls along the southern Israeli border with the Gaza Strip. (AFP/File)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli bulldozers under the surveillance of Israeli military drones razed Palestinian lands near Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday for the seventh day in a row, locals said.Locals told Ma’an that the bulldozers crossed through the borderline with Israel into al-Nahda neighborhood of eastern Rafah as military drones flew overhead.Several bulldozers also crossed from the Kisufim military site into al-Qarrara in northeastern Khan Yunis and leveled land in the area, witnesses said.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an they were looking into the reports.Israeli military forces enter the blockaded Gaza Strip on a near-daily basis, often to the detriment of Palestinian locals who work near the border on both land and sea sides.While the army typically cites “routine activity” in the Israeli-enforced “buffer zone” along the border with Israel and off of Gaza’s coast, forces often open fire on Palestinian farmers and fishermen working near the zone.A 13-year-old Palestinian child was shot and injured by Israeli forces on Monday while herding cattle in Hujr al-Dik area in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, according to witnesses.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported at least 30 incidents of Israeli military forces opening fire in the "buffer zone" in the first week of April alone, in two cases injuring Palestinians were were as far as 350 meters away from the border.The Israeli army says the use of live fire is necessary to deter potential "security threats." However, the practice has destroyed much of both the agricultural and fishing sectors of the impoverished coastal enclave, which has been under Israeli blockade for nearly a decade.

Israeli forces shoot, injure Palestinian boy in Gaza Strip

April 11, 2016 8:49 P.M. (Updated: April 12, 2016 9:53 A.M.)


GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Monday shot and injured a Palestinian boy in the central Gaza Strip.

Witnesses told Ma'an that Israeli forces deployed near Hujr al-Dik area in central Gaza Strip opened fire at a young teenager herding cattle, injuring him in the foot. Medical sources identified him as Amir al-Tarabin,13, and said he was in moderate condition.An Israeli army spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Israeli forces frequently open fire on Palestinians inside of or near a military-imposed “buffer zone” on both land and seaside borders of the besieged enclave.The exact limits of the zone are unclear but enforced with live fire, putting the lives of Palestinian farmers and fishermen who work near the border at risk. The Israeli army says the use of live fire is necessary to deter potential "security threats." However, the practice has destroyed much of both the agricultural and fishing sectors of the impoverished coastal enclave, which has been under Israeli blockade nearly nine years.