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, 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 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 cross Gaza border, level lands

Israeli soldiers patrol the border with the Gaza Strip. (AFP/Menahem Kahana/File)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli military vehicles on Tuesday morning crossed the border into the southern Gaza Strip and leveled Palestinian land, witnesses told Ma'an.Witnesses said that four bulldozers leveled land on the Palestinian side of the border fence in the eastern outskirts of Khuzaa town east of Khan Younis.Israeli soldiers used smoke grenades to conceal the movement of bulldozers and Palestinian farmers left their fields fearing possible shootings.Israeli forces have made repeated incursions into the Gaza Strip over the past year and have frequently opened fire on Palestinians who approach the border "buffer zone."In July alone, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights counted 27 incidents of shootings, incursions into the territory, and arrests.This included 18 shootings on land and at sea that left nine Palestinians injured, PCHR reported.

Limited Israeli incursion east of Gaza

 

 

GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) advanced a limited distance in Palestinian lands to the east of Gaza City on Thursday.

Local sources told Quds Press that several Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers advanced into lands to the eastern outskirts of the city in al-Shujaiyah district.

The Israeli forces opened machinegun fire at random and leveled lands during the incursion. No casualties have been reported.

The attack is another episode in the series of Israeli daily violations of the Cairo-brokered truce accord signed in the wake of last summer’s offensive on the besieged coastal enclave, which killed over 2,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians. 

Israeli military vehicles, bulldozers cross Gaza borders

June 10, 2015 12:22 A.M. (Updated: June 10, 2015 6:25 A.M.) 

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Palestinian residents in the Gaza Strip witnessed ongoing near daily incursions by Israeli forces Wednesday morning as Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers entered the strip, firing heavily into the air.Three bulldozers and four military tanks were observed by residents of the town of al-Qarara working on Palestinian agricultural land near the Gaza Israel border.Witnesses said the vehicles came from the Kissufim military base, reporting that Israeli forces fired gunshots into the air while the bulldozers worked.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an she had a report of "routine maintenance" carried out adjacent to the border fence, but had no further information regarding what type of maintenance was performed.Israeli authorities maintain a "buffer zone" along the Gaza-Israel border, however its exact limits are ambiguous. Farmers whose land lies within or close to the buffer zone face near daily fire or threat of fire from Israeli forces, often preventing them from cultivating their crops, rights groups say.

Israeli forces enter the Gaza Strip on a near-daily basis in contravention of international law, with Israeli forces opening fire at civilians in the "buffer zone" on land and sea over ten times between May 26 and June 1, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

According to Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the buffer zone, which Palestinians are prohibited from entering, "is illegal under both Israeli and international law."Wednesday's incident also came days after Israeli jets launched airstrikes on a military training base operated by Hamas' military wing in the northern Gaza Strip in response to a rocket fired at Israel claimed by a group Sheikh Omar Hadid-Bayt al-Maqdis.The Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel was temporarily shut following the exchange, amidst an ongoing 8-year blockade of the strip enforced by Israel and supported by Egypt to the south.

IOF Opens Fire and Arrests One Palestinian East of Al Bureij RefugeeCamp

11-05-2015 06:12

Short Link : http://www.mezan.org/en/post/20248

At approximately 8:30 pm on Monday, 11 May 2015, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) opened fire at the eastern parts of Al Bureij refugee camp and launched flare bombs in the sky. While other tanks moved adjacent to the borders and the incursion continued for two hours. Israeli forces arrested Basel Shafeeq Khaled Abu Shawish, 24, resident of An-Nusairat camp, claiming that he was trying to cross the eastern borders. According to his family, they received a call at approximately 6:45 am on Tuesday 12 May 2015, from someone who introduced herself as Israeli police and informed them that their son is arrested and will be presented before the court within the week.

Israeli military vehicles enter Gaza, soldiers open fire at farms

Published today (updated) 01/10/2014 11:20

 

(MaanImages/File)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli military vehicles entered the southern Gaza Strip early Wednesday and soldiers opened fire towards Palestinian agricultural areas, locals told Ma'an.

Twelve military vehicles entered Gaza from a gate east of the town of al-Fukhari in the Khan Younis district, witnesses said.

The vehicles reportedly crossed some 200 meters into the Strip, and soldiers scanned the area before shooting towards Palestinian farms in an apparent ceasefire violation.

Agricultural workers were forced to leave their fields when soldiers shot at their farms, the witnesses told Ma'an.

No injuries were reported.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into the incident.

Following weeks of Egyptian-brokered negotiations, Israel and Palestinian militant factions agreed to halt their fire in Gaza on Aug. 26 after 50 days.

The agreement stipulated that Israel would ease its devastating siege on the Strip, though few if any real changes have been evident in the month following the truce.

Indirect talks are set to resume mid-September to discuss specifics.

The Israeli buffer zone around Gaza was also meant to be reduced following the agreement, with farmers initially reporting that they were able to access their fields 100 meters from the border fence.

But a Palestinian farmer was shot and injured by Israeli forces on Sunday in northern Gaza after an Israeli army spokeswoman said he had come too close to the border fence.

Before Operation Protective Edge, Israeli forces routinely opened fire on those who entered the buffer zone, which ranged from 500-1,500 meters from the border and encompassed 17 percent of Gaza's total land area.

Since the signing of the agreement, Israeli forces have also repeatedly opened fire at and arrested Gaza fishermen.

Israeli forces 'injure farmer' during clash with Gaza militants

Published Wednesday 21/05/2014 (updated) 21/05/2014 17:03

(MaanImages/File)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian farmer was hit in the head by an Israeli bullet on Wednesday in the southern Gaza Strip, sustaining minor injuries, medics told Ma'an.

The man, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a military hospital in Khan Younis after being shot in the Khazaa area.

He was hit as Israeli soldiers retaliated against Palestinian militants who had detonated an explosive device, damaging a military vehicle.

Witnesses told Ma'an that Israeli military vehicles entered Gaza and leveled Palestinian agricultural fields dozens of meters away from the border with Israel in al-Qarara east of Khan Younis.

Militants detonated an explosive device remotely, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries.

Israeli forces responded by firing mortar shells into open fields without causing any injuries, locals said.

Military helicopters hovered over the area throughout the exchange.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that "an explosive devise was activated against IDF soldiers." She confirmed that the explosion damaged a vehicle.

Soldiers responded by opening fire at several "suspicious positions," the spokeswoman said, but was not initially familiar with any "hits."

Israeli tanks enter Gaza border area, navy fires at fishermen

Published yesterday (updated) 24/04/2014 19:17

(MaanImages/file)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Six Israeli military tanks on Thursday entered a border area in the southern Gaza Strip, witnesses said.

The tanks crossed into Gaza in an area called al-Qarara, north of Khan Younis, and leveled agricultural fields before leaving.

Three helicopters were seen hovering at a low altitude during the incursion.

Meanwhile, Israel's navy opened fire at fishermen off the coast of northern Gaza, locals said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said a "Palestinian vessel deviated from the designated fishing zone. Naval forces called at them to stop and fired warning shots in the air. Once it failed to comply, naval forces approached the vessel and the fishermen were taken for questioning."

Local activists named the fishermen as Hamdi Sultan and Muhammad Zayid.

In the Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to a 20-nautical-mile fishing zone off Gaza's coast but it imposed a 3-mile limit for several years, opening fire at fishermen who strayed further.

Israel has controlled Gaza waters since its occupation of the area in 1967, and has kept several warships stationed off the coast since 2008.

Israeli miltary vehicles 'enter Gaza,' warships fire at fishermen

Published Tuesday 08/04/2014 (updated) 09/04/2014 11:51

 

(MaanImages)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Several Israeli military vehicles entered the southern Gaza Strip early Tuesday, witnesses told Ma'an.

Locals said six military vehicles entered Gaza east of al-Qarara. No shooting was reported.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was not familiar with the incident.

Separately, Israeli warships opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of northern Gaza City, causing damages to one fishing boat.

A fisherman told Ma'an an Israeli naval squadron fired at Palestinian boats near the al-Sudaniyya neighborhood. No injuries were reported.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said she knew of "several instances where boats deviated from their designated fishing zones" overnight off the coast of Gaza.

The spokeswoman said the Israeli navy fired warning shots into the air or in the vicinity of the Palestinian boats, but not directly at the boats or the fishermen.

In the Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to a 20-nautical-mile fishing zone off Gaza's coast but it has imposed a three-mile limit for several years, opening fire at fishermen who stray further.

Israel has controlled Gaza's waters since its occupation of the area in 1967, and has stationed warships off the coast since 2008.

There are some 4,000 fishermen in Gaza. According to a 2011 report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, 90 percent are poor, a 40 percent increase from 2008 resulting from Israeli limits on the fishing industry.

Israeli military vehicles enter Gaza, 'fire shell'

Published Monday 07/04/2014 (updated) 08/04/2014 11:32

 

(MaanImages/File)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli military vehicles entered the central Gaza Strip early Monday, witnesses told Ma'an.

Locals said six bulldozers escorted by military vehicles and tanks drove about 150 meters into Gaza east of Deir al-Balah.

A tank fired a mortar shell towards a Palestinian neighborhood, but no injuries were reported, witnesses added.

Bulldozers leveled lands in the area before they returned to the Israeli side of the border.

An Israeli military spokeswoman called the army's presence in the area "routine activity adjacent to the border fence" but was not familiar with any mortar shells being fired.

In a separate incident, she said the army prevented "a terror attack" in Gaza.

The army said in an emailed statement that "two suspects approached the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip, carrying a suspicious object and tampering with the ground."

"IDF (Israeli army) forces fired warning shots and the suspects fled the scene, leaving the object. Moments later the object exploded."

No injuries or damages were reported.

Israeli bulldozers enter Gaza border area, level agricultural land

Published Thursday 03/04/2014 13:16

 

(MaanImages/file)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli military vehicles entered a border area in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday and leveled Palestinian agricultural lands.

Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that six bulldozers accompanied by Israeli tanks entered an area east of Rafah and leveled agricultural land.

Several aircraft patrols were seen in the area, locals added.

Israeli military vehicles enter Gaza

Published Wednesday 19/02/2014 (updated) 20/02/2014 17:45

 

(MaanImages/file)

 

GAZE CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli military vehicles entered the southern Gaza Strip early Wednesday, locals said.

Locals told Ma'an that the Israeli vehicles crossed over to the Palestinian side of the border near the town of al-Qarara in the Khan Younis district.

The vehicles remained in the area for a few hours before returning to the Israeli side, witnesses said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Israeli military vehicles enter border area in southern Gaza

Published Wednesday 15/01/2014 (updated) 16/01/2014 21:16

(MaanImages/file)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers entered a border area in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, witnesses said.

Locals told Ma'an that four tanks and three bulldozers entered an area several hundred meters east of Khan Younis and leveled private Palestinian land.

Israeli forces fired smoke bombs in the area to provide cover for the vehicles while reconnaissance planes hovered in the sky, witnesses added.

An Israeli military spokesman did not return calls seeking comment.

Israeli military vehicles cross Gaza border, navy fires at fishermen

Published Tuesday 14/01/2014 (updated) 19/01/2014 10:51

(MaanImages/File)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli military vehicles crossed into the northern Gaza Strip for surveillance activities on Monday, witnesses told Ma'an.

The limited incursion took place in a border region near Beit Lahiya, the witnesses said.

Separately, Israeli warships opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast near al-Sudaniyya west of Beit Lahiya.

No injuries were reported, but the fishermen fled and were unable to continue fishing.

The Gaza Strip has been under a severe blockade imposed by Israel since 2006.

Palestinian fishermen are only allowed to go 3 nautical miles from Gaza's shore, even though Israeli-Palestinian agreements previously settled on 20 nautical miles.

Israeli naval forces frequently harass Palestinian fishermen who near the 3-mile limit, as well as those inside the zone.

There are 4,000 fishermen in Gaza. According to a 2011 report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, 90 percent are poor, an increase of 40 percent from 2008 and a result of Israeli limits on the fishing industry.

The Israeli blockade has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans.

Israeli forces shoot, injure man in southern Gaza

Published today (updated) 13/11/2013 12:19

(MaanImages/file)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces shot and injured a man east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, witnesses said.

A number of Israeli vehicles, including six bulldozers and a number of tanks, entered a border area in southern Gaza and began leveling Palestinian land.

Israeli forces fired shots in the area, injuring one man, locals said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman told Ma'an that a Palestinian suspect approached the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip, with Israeli soldiers firing warning shots in the air.

"Once the suspect failed to comply and continued to approach the fence, soldiers opened fire towards the suspects' lower extremities," she added.

Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats opened fire at fishermen off the southern coast of Gaza, locals told Ma'an.

No injuries or arrests were reported.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said Palestinian fishing boats deviated from the designated fishing area and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots in the air.

Israeli military vehicles enter Gaza, 'fire at farmers'

Published today (updated) 07/11/2013 18:39

(MaanImages)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A number of Israeli bulldozers and military vehicles entered the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday morning and fired shots at farmers, witnesses told Ma'an.

Locals said that eight Israeli vehicles crossed into Gaza near the town of Jabaliya and opened fire at farmers, who fled immediately as Israeli forces shot at them. No injuries were reported.

The Israeli bulldozers then began razing lands, witnesses said.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said that vehicles conducted "routine activity" in northern Gaza "adjacent to the security fence" this morning, but said she was unfamiliar with reports of shots being fired.