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| Palestine Diaries |
| courtesy The Electronic Intifada |
| Human Rights |
| courtesy The Electronic Intifada |
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Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel |
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| Prisoners index page |
The
Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others
Prisoners Archive - February 2005
Actors
at an Israeli court demonstrate Israel’s torture methods used against Palestinian
detainees as described by witnesses. Source: Miftah
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Israel to reconsider its decision to release Palestinian detainees International Middle East Media Center 2/28/2005 Israeli justice minister Tzipi Livni, informed the Palestinian Authority (PA) said Israel is opposing a meeting of the joint Palestinian-Israeli committee to discuss releasing Palestinian detainees, “The Israeli government will reconsider the release of Palestinian detainees after the Tel Aviv bombing”, Israeli radio reported. Livni stated that the Israeli decision not to hold the meeting with PA officials came “after the PA was not effective in dealing with the armed groups in the Palestinian areas”. According to the Israeli online daily Haaretz, the committee had intended to discuss the release of sick and elderly Palestinian detainees, after a request made earlier by the Palestinian Authority. Report: Mossad agent in NZ was involved in botched '98 operation Ha'aretz 2/27/2005 One of the two alleged Mossad agents who served a prison sentence in New Zealand following a botched operation was involved in another failed operation in Cyprus in 1998, according to an article in today's New Zealand Sunday Star Times. The article, published on the first anniversary of the operation in which two agents, Elisha Cara and Uriel Kelman, were each sentenced to six months in jail and a fine of 50,000 New Zealand dollars, states that the failures show "a culture of carelessness," "bad judgment" and "doing favors for friends" in the Mossad. Female detainees facing daily humiliation International Middle East Media Center 2/27/2005 Mandela Institute reported on Saturday that lawyer of the institute, Ma’moun Al-Hasheem, visited two female detainees in Al-Ramlah detention for women, who informed him of harsh procedures and daily humiliation imposed on them by the soldiers. The society reported that Al-Ramlah prison administration barred Al-Hasheem from visiting Zohour Hamdoun without any reason, and only allowed him to visit Hoda Ardha from Aaraba near Jenin, And Ala’ Hussein from Jenin. Judge orders 'enemy combatant' freed AlJazeera 2/28/2005 A US federal judge has ordered terrorism suspect Jose Padilla to be released within 45 days. The release order on Monday came after District Judge Henry Floyd ruled that President George Bush had no authority to order a US citizen to be jailed indefinitely as an "enemy combatant". padilla, who at one time was accused of plotting to detonate a "dirty bomb", was arrested in May 2002 and has been held without charge in a South Carolina Navy prison under sweeping presidential powers enacted after the September 11 attacks. Israel Moves 230 Long-Term Palestinian Prisoners to a New Jail International Press Center 2/27/2005 GAZA, Palestine, February 27,2005 (IPC)--- Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) lawyer Ra'd Mahmeed said following a visit to Al Damon Israeli prison, north of Arab 48 land, that the Israeli occupation forces opened two new awards for the Palestinian security prisoners moved 230 and placed them together with the criminal prisoners. Al Damon jail is an old built one in Al Karmel in 1953, heavily fortified, the origin name was Haifa-Damon jail...The room area does not exceed 3m X3m. 6 prisoners were put in each room. Occupation authorities bar Barguthi’s lawyer from visiting him Palestinian Information Center 2/24/2005 Ramallah - The Israeli prisons authority was still banning lawyers of Marwan Barguthi, Fatah Movement leader in the West Bank, from calling on him in his prison cell. The popular committee in defense of Barguthi said that he was moved last Tuesday from his Beer Sheba isolation ward to Hadarim prison. 13 Palestinian prisoners in isolation for three years Palestinian Information Center 2/25/2005 Nablus - Prisoners in the Israeli jail of Kfar Yuna has revealed that 13 Palestinians were held in solitary confinement in that prison for the past three years. Prisoners said that the prison authority fitted four cameras in each cell that monitored the isolated prisoners round-the-clock in addition to banning them from daily strolls and contacts with the outside world. One of them relayed their condition to the other prisoners while on his way to the prison’s clinic, adding that they have been in such isolation for the past three years and that they were from Gaza Strip and Jenin district. Hamas condemns Israeli incarceration of Sheikh Jamal Al-Tawil under administrative detention Palestinian Information Center 2/25/2005 Ramallah - The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has condemned the Israeli imprisonment of Sheikh Jamal Al-Tawil, one of the Hamas’ West Bank leaders, under administrative detention orders for six months. Hamas said that the Israeli step was a clear violation of the calming down atmospheres and a continuation of the aggression on the Palestinian people. Sheikh Jamal’s release was scheduled on Thursday 24/2/2005 after three years in prison but the Israeli prisons authority decided to hold him under administrative detention, without charges or trial. Hamas: turning "calm" to "truce" dependant on Israel International Middle East Media Center 2/25/2005 A West Bank Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef expected Friday that the upcoming Cairo meeting between Palestinian factions will not result in a formal truce unless Israel meets Hamas demands, Israel Radio reported. "Israel must release additional Palestinian prisoners and pull back soldiers from large Palestinian areas" Yousif said. Leaders of Palestinian political factions will meet with Palestinian Authority officials and senior Egyptian officials on March 5 to discuss various issues, including an Egyptian proposal for a formal cease-fire. Hamas: Cairo talks won't yield truce unless Israel meets demands Ha'aretz 2/26/2005 Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a Hamas leader in the West Bank, said Friday that an upcoming meeting of leaders of Damascus-based Palestinian opposition militant groups would not lead to a formal truce with Israel unless Israel meets Hamas demands, Israel Radio reported. Yousef said Israel must release additional Palestinian prisoners and pull back soldiers from large Palestinian areas, according to the report. He said he did not have high hopes for the summit, the radio said. Release all prisoners or else YNetNews 2/25/2005 Thousands of Hamas supporters demonstrate in Gaza, senior group member threatens to kidnap soldiers if Israel fails to release all prisoners -- GAZA - The Hamas is set to kidnap Israeli soldiers if Israel fails to release all Palestinian prisoners, a senior group member told thousands of supporters at a Gaza rally Friday. Prime Minister Sharon should watch over his troops, Fathi Hamad said, and added Hamas cells are already in place and ready to act if a “just, fair solution” to the prisoner question is not achieved. Nablus' Prisoners Represent 30 Percent of Total Female Prisoners International Press Center 2/24/2005 NABLUS, Palestine, February 24, 2005 (IPC) - - The Israeli jails hold scores of Palestinian female prisoners, of them Nablus province constitutes the highest percentage, as 31 prisoners in Israeli jails are from Nablus, if those released in the last prisoner deal were excluded. News Briefs, February 24, 2005 International Middle East Media Center 2/24/2005 Military checkpoint east of Tubas / Settlers and soldiers uproot trees north of Hebron / Military checkpoint erected east of Qalqilia / Two brothers arrested in Jericho/ Five detainees sentenced to harsh terms / Israeli arrested for threatening to harm Mofaz / Member of the brigades charged of carrying operations financed by Hezbollah / Five soldiers injured in training accident/ Two children injured as settler ram them with his car/ Dozens detained on a military checkpoint, north of the W. Bank IDF soldier sentenced to 4 months YNetNews 2/24/2005 Soldier fired at Palestinian vehicle, killing one occupant, and lied to investigators -- An Israel Defense Forces soldier who opened fire at a vehicle in the West Bank, killing one of the Palestinian passengers, was sentenced Wedensday to four-and-a-half months in prison. He was also demoted from staff sergeant to private. In the incident, the soldier violated IDF rules of engagement by opening fire without any warning shots at the vehicle that bypassed a military roadblock. He also confessed to lying to investigators in an attempt to cover up for his actions. Egyptian leader on hunger strike AlJazeera 2/24/2005 Detained Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nur has gone on hunger strike in his prison cell. Nur's wife, Jamila Ismail, said on Thursday said that the al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Party had not eaten since Tuesday evening and told a driver who visited him on Thursday that he refused to eat. "The driver said he was in very bad health and in a very bad mood ... he was saying: 'Where are you, everybody?'" she said. Palestinian Prisoners in Salem detention camp, declare an open Hunger Strike International Middle East Media Center 2/23/2005 The Palestinian detainees in Salem detention camp in the northern of the West Bank started an open hunger strike to protest the harsh living conditions in the detention. They informed the prison's administration of their decision and rejected the meals. Prisoners spokesmen told attorney Farid Hawash that they are going ahead with the strike because they believe it is the only way to end their daily suffering which is a violation of International Law and Human Rights. Palestinians Released by Israel Warn their Release Is Not Enough to Secure Peace MIFTAH 2/23/2005 Amid a cacophony of jubilant shooting, firecrackers and continuously honking car horns, Tareq Abu Sharkh, an al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade militant who was released from jail yesterday, literally stopped the traffic as he was hugged and kissed by friends and well- wishers in the middle of a busy intersection in Hebron. Mr Abu Sharkh, 31, was living proof that, for all the criticisms by militant factions that Israel's gesture to the new Palestinian leadership the release of 500 inmates was too limited, the homecoming of a prisoner is still a cause for unrestrained celebration in his local community. Palestinians freed, but barrier path still draws ire Christian Science Monitor 2/22/2005 Israel released 500 Palestinian prisoners Monday, a day after approving Gaza pullout. -- TARKUMIYA, WEST BANK – The hope and skepticism among Palestinians over whether the current cease-fire can expand into peace is coloring reactions to Israel's release of 500 Palestinian prisoners Monday. The step freed 118 administrative detainees who were never charged with any crime - as well as men convicted by military courts of crimes including shootings, possession of weapons, or ties to terrorist organizations. News Briefs, February 22, 2005 International Middle East Media Center 2/22/2005 Military checkpoint erected south of Bethlehem / Soldiers attack a peaceful protest in Hebron / Detainee in administrative detention since 2001 / Seven residents of Bethlehem sentenced to harsh terms / Military tower erected north of Tulkarem / Family farmlands bulldozed near Jerusalem / Resident of Hebron sentenced to 10 consecutive years / Two villages raided near Hebron, resident arrested / Detainee from Nablus sentenced to one life term Bitterness of those left in Israeli jails overshadows PLC vote By Amira Hass, Ha'aretz 2/22/2005 "The thing that really bothers me is not the well-known Israeli position, but the helplessness of the Palestinians and their failure to cope with Israeli logic and arguments," wrote a long-time Palestinian prisoner to his family recently. Just like all the veteran detainees, the man, who was jailed in 1989 for his actions in the first intifada, was not among the prisoners Israel freed yesterday. Many apparently share his sense of bitterness and lack of faith vis-a-vis the Palestinian leadership, and this was particularly evident yesterday, on the day on which Israel released "new" prisoners and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) failed to garner his movement's (Fatah) support for the new government he proposed. Freed Palestinians' cautious joy BBC 2/21/2005 Um Saleh carried a child and a photograph - the picture showed her four sons. All had been in Israeli prisons, she said. On Monday, one of them, Amr, was coming out after serving more than two years. The child was Amr's daughter, born after he was jailed. Palestinian families across the West Bank gathered at designated checkpoints to welcome sons and brothers with flags, tears and ululations. Israel freed 500 prisoners in what it called a goodwill gesture, meant to bolster a ceasefire deal. But the joy at their release was tempered. Administrative detainee receives tenth’s consecutive extension International Middle East Media Center 2/22/2005 For the tenth time, prisoner Raed Qadiri, 35, received an extension to his administrative detention order. Qadiri, who already spent 45 months in Israeli detention centers, received Tuesday a 3 months extension order. Qadiri, who Israeli security accuses to be a Hamas activists, was arrested on June 22, 2001. Israel has been extensively using the 1945 British Mandate administrative detention law against Palestinians. The law allows Israel to arrest any Palestinian for a renewable six months period without proper court procedures. News Briefs, February 20 - 21, 2005 International Middle East Media Center 2/21/2005 Soldiers attack, beat a youth near Nablus/ Detainee from Hebron sentenced to 13 consecutive years / Resident of Bethlehem sentenced to eleven consecutive years / Two arrested in Al-Mawasi / Army closes Qalandia checkpoint / Resident arrested near Ramallah / Resident injured near Ramallah / Siege on Qaddoum resumes / Soldiers erect caravans near a village south of Bethlehem / Tunnel collapses in Rafah trapping four / Settlers attack several homes in Hebron / Army invades Al-Khader Abbas: “All of the deportees will return within two weeks International Middle East Media Center 2/21/2005 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said after meeting with the first group of deportees which was allowed back in the west Bank, that all of the deportees will return home within two weeks; the first group includes 15 deportees and their families. “The rest will follow, we agreed with the Israelis on the return of all of the deportees, those who were expelled to the Gaza Strip and abroad, part of the deal was fulfilled, your return is part of a wider deal which includes an Israeli withdrawal, release of detainees and an Israeli commitment to stop targeting the wanted resistance fighters”, Abbas said. Detainees in solitary demand to be on the agenda International Middle East Media Center 2/21/2005 Detainees placed in solitary imprisonment in Al-Ramleh (Ayalon) detention demanded the Palestinian Leadership to place their case on the agenda and conduct extensive efforts to end the tragic situation they face in detention. The demands of the detainees came after lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Hanan Al-Khateeb, met with Ahmad Shukry, Ahmad Al-Barghouthi, and Mousa Doudin, who are placed in solitary since several years. Ahmad Shukry, from Ramallah was sentenced to one life term and additional 25 years; Shukry is considered one of the oldest detainees placed in solitary detention. 500 Palestinian Prisoners Freed Today International Press Center 2/21/2005 GAZA, Palestine, February 21, 2005 (IPC+ Agencies)--500 Palestinain handcuffed prisoners, most of them had already served at least two-thirds of their sentences, sped out in eight buses early on Monday morning, of the gates of Ketziot prison in the Israeli desert town of Negev. The prisoners, being freed today, are a part of 900 others Israel has determined to release after reaching an understanding with the Palestinian National Authority in the February 8 Sharm El-Sheik summit to end a four-years long Israeli-Palestinian violence. Israel to release 500 Palestinians today Ha'aretz 2/21/2005 Israel is planning to release 500 Palestinian prisoners this morning as part of its goodwill gestures toward the Palestinian Authority. In addition, 16 Palestinians, mainly administrative detainees who were deported to the Gaza Strip, were allowed to return to the West Bank yesterday with 38 members of their families. The deportees arrived by bus to Bitunia, southwest of Ramallah, last night after an entire day of check-ups in the Gaza Strip. Israel and the PA are reportedly close to reaching an agreement on transferring Tul Karm to the PA. Only 200 have served two-thirds of sentence Ha'aretz 2/21/2005 released today under agreements with the Palestinian Authority have served two-thirds of their sentences, the High Court of Justice heard yesterday during a debate on a petition filed against the release by the Almagor organization of terror victims. The court rejected the petition. The state's representative, attorney Dani Horin, told the court that 120 of the prisoners slated to be released were security detainees to whom the criterion of time served did not apply, while another 180 prisoners had yet to serve two-thirds of their sentences. Scenes of joy as freed Palestinian prisoners hailed as heroes Daily Star 2/22/2005 Israel releases 500 as part of deal to help revive peace process -- TULKAREM, West Bank: Hundreds of Palestinians held emotional reunions with their families on Monday after being freed from Israeli prisons and hailed as heroes by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Behind the tears and joy sparked by the releases lay the political motive of trying to help revive the Middle East peace process. Driven from the Ketziot military detention center in southern Israel, the detainees were freed at checkpoints in the Tulkarem, Ramallah, Jenin and Hebron regions of the West Bank and on the Gaza-Israel border. Bush insists Middle East peace is 'immediate goal Daily Star 2/22/2005 Israel frees 500 Palestinian prisoners in largest mass release in a decade -- U.S. President George W. Bush pledged support Monday for Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and for Palestinian reform, which he said would give momentum to changes throughout the Middle East. The pledge came as Israel freed 500 Palestinian prisoners in the largest mass release for nearly a decade, a gesture meant to bolster a cease-fire deal with new Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. News Briefs, February 17 - 18, 2005 International Middle East Media Center 2/18/2005 Procession in solidarity with the detainees in Gaza / Resident of Bethlehem receives harsh sentences / Procession in Ramallah in support to the detainees / Four residents of Bethlehem harsh prison sentence / Child injured in Gaza / Two residents of Bethlehem receive harsh prison sentence / Nine extremist settlers arrested for obstructing traffic High Court to hear petition against prisoner release Ha'aretz 2/18/2005 The High Court of Justice will hear a petition Sunday against the impending release of some of the 500 Palestinian prisoners Israel is slated to free, Israel Radio reported Friday. The petition comes after the High Court rejected a similar request, filed by the family members of terror victims, on Thursday. The Almagor organization, which represents victims of Arab terror, is requesting that the court prevent the release of prisoners who have not expressed regret for their actions and committed to staying away from terrorism. Israel set to change route of West Bank barrier Daily Star 2/19/2005 Thousands of Palestinian demonstrators demand release of all prisoners -- Israel's Cabinet is set to to endorse Sunday a change to the route of its controversial West Bank barrier and the clearing of Gaza Strip and West Bank settlements, officials said on Friday. The moves come after Israel announced it was ending its policy of demolishing the homes of militants, a practice that was condemned by human rights groups as collective punishment. In another measure, Israel said it will allow 16 Palestinians deported to the Gaza Strip on security grounds to return home to the West Bank on Friday. Hamas: No truce if all Palestinian prisoners aren't released Ha'aretz 2/19/2005 Peres: IDF evacuation from Philadelphi Route a possibility -- Sa'id Siam, a Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, said at a Friday protest that if all Palestinian prisoners aren't released from Israeli jails, a cease-fire will not be considered. Thousands of Palestinians took part in demonstrations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank city of Nablus on Friday, calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Bargouti's wife participated in the protest in Nablus. PPS: “High deception in prisoners' release deal International Middle East Media Center 2/17/2005 The Hebron office of the Palestinian Prisoners Society said that the 500 detainees who are slated for release, have already served most of the terms, and that the list did not include names of detainees who were arrested before the Oslo agreement, and detainees who spent more than 5 years in detention. “The list excluded detainees who spent 25 years or more in detention; it also excluded detainees from Jerusalem, Arab residents of Israel and members of Hamas”, the society reported. Israeli High Court: Release of prisoners will Prevent Attacks International Middle East Media Center 2/17/2005 The Israeli High Court of Justice responded to petitions submitted against the government decision to release Palestinian prisoners, saying the release would “prevent attacks”. ImageA petition against the government decision to release 500 palestinian prisoners was filed Wednesday by the Legal Center for Research on Terrorism after the names of prisoners slated for released were published to the public. "The prime minister says that in his opinion the release of 500 Palestinian prisoners will prevent attacks - and I think there are indications that this is true." High Court of Justice Vice President, Justice Mishael Cheshin said. Supreme Court Suspends a Petition Against Targeted Killings International Middle East Media Center 2/17/2005 The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday to suspend a petition calling for an end to the Assassination Policy, the army conducts against Palestinians....The Petition was submitted by the Israeli Committee Against Torture (ICAT) in 2002. ICAT accused the Israeli government of planning and implementing assassinations against Palestinians....Judge Michael Hishen stated that the petition is redundant in light of the changes on Government's Policy referring to Sharon's statement in Sharm A-Sheikh related to the targeted killings. MPA Rejects Israeli Criteria Set for Prisoners Release International Middle East Media Center 2/18/2005 The Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners Affairs submitted a report on Wednesday to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on the latest situation of the Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli jails. There are 8000 prisoners distributed on 15 jails and three detention centers, controlled by the Israeli Military. The report focused on the latest Israeli claimed intention to release 900 prisoners explaining that this decision was taken unilaterally by Israel based on an unaccepted criteria by the Palestinians. Ministry of Detainees Stresses Release of All Palestinian Prisoners International Press Center 2/17/2005 GAZA, Palestine, February 17, 2005 (IPC + WAFA) - - The Ministry of Detainees and Prisoners' Affairs asserted today its firm position that all the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails must be released within an agreed-upon timeframe, giving priority to those arrested before May 4, 1994. The Ministry prepared a report and presented it before the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), in which it revealed that there are nearly eight thousand Palestinian prisoners in 15 Israeli jails and three detention centers controlled by the Israeli army. Bargouthi: I will be free by the end of the year International Middle East Media Center 2/17/2005 The Jailed legislator and Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi, said on Thursday that he will be free by the end of the year, and called Israel to release 5000 detainees. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, which is the first interview with the paper, Barghouthi said that Israel claims that the “Palestinians keep wasting the opportunities, but Israel is wasting a golden opportunity to achieve peace”. “You do not realize yet, the changes in the Palestinian society, now the Palestinians and factions are talking about truce, cease fire, but Israel is still hesitant and not moving steadily towards peace, now the region is moving towards a new era”, Barghouthi stated. Palestinians to be freed include 44 involved in attacks Ha'aretz 2/17/2005 The 500 Palestinian prisoners who will be released by Israel in the coming days include 44 Fatah members who were convicted of involvement in shooting or bombings. This is the first time since the intifada began that people convicted of such offenses have been released early. In prior prisoner releases during the past four years, most of those freed were convicted of lesser offenses such as membership in a terrorist organization, arms dealing or undergoing military training. Palestinian prisoners' names released Jerusalem Post 2/16/2005 The Prison Service published the names of 500 Palestinian security prisoners scheduled to be released next week in the framework of gestures to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The list contains 118 administrative detainees and 382 security prisoners, including a large number who have not yet served two thirds of their sentence, and were linked to shooting attacks against soldiers and civilians. State Department to be Questioned on Silence regarding American Detainees in Israel Electronic Intifada 2/16/2005 Press Release, Council for the National Interest -- The Council for the National Interest and other concerned organizations will participate Thursday in a meeting at the Department of State regarding Israeli mistreatment of Palestinian American prisoners. Also on the agenda is the ongoing silence of the State Department in regard to Israeli detention and deportation of nonviolent American citizens seized in the occupied West Bank by Israeli security forces. The delegation Thursday will call for the release of some of the American prisoners being held by Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is currently negotiating on behalf of thousands of Palestinian prisoners. IDF begins gradual phaseout of military prisons Jerusalem Post 2/14/2005 In a historic ceremony signifying the beginning of the end of military prisons in Israel, Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra will accept responsibility for the IDF's Megiddo Prison on Tuesday and will transfer the jail's reins to the Prisons Service. The Megiddo Prison was established in the 1970s to hold Arab prisoners of war, and became a Palestinian detention center in 1988 after the army ran out of room to hold Palestinians arrested during the first intifada. Israel Delays Withdrawal from Jericho, Release of Detainees Palestine Media Center 2/15/2005 IOF Shoot Dead in Cold Blood 16-year Old Palestinian Unarmed Boy -- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot dead in cold blood an unarmed Palestinian boy Monday, postponed for a week the release of 500 Palestinian detainees, suspended their withdrawal from the West Bank city of Jericho, scheduled for Tuesday, and handed over to Palestinians only 15 bodies out of 70 bodies Israel is still holding. The IOF killed in cold blood in Hebron Monday 16-year old Palestinian unarmed boy Sabri Fayez Yunis Al-Rjoub from the southern West Bank village of Dura. Israel hands 15 bodies to PA Ha'aretz 2/15/2005 Israel transfered the bodies of 15 Palestinian terrorists to the Palestinian Authority yesterday, another confidence-building measure meant to strengthen PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The dead were terrorists killed while carrying out attacks in Israel, including suicide bombings, whose bodies were held at the Forensic Medicine Institute at Abu Kabir. Meanwhile, a small contretemps has emerged with the Justice Ministry's rejecting complaints from the Defense Ministry that the former was delaying the release of the first 500 Palestinian security prisoners whom Israel agreed to release this week. Palestinian Political Child Prisoners in Israeli Prisons Arabic Media Internet Network 2/13/2005 Monthly Update - February 2005 - Issued by Child &Youth Department, Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs -- 321 children are still in jail including 11 girls / 4% of children without charges (administrative detention) / 3% of child prisoners are girls / 64% of child prisoners pending trial / 65% of the children are held within Israeli proper / 27% of child prisoners come from Nablus area - Since the outbreak of Aqsa Intifada in September 2000, about 3,000 Palestinian children have been arrested.During 2004, the Israeli forces arrested 451 Palestinian children. MPA: 321 Child Prisoners in Israeli Prisons WAFA 2/13/2005 RAMALLAH, February 13, 2005 (WAFA)- Ministry of Prisoners Affairs (MPA) said that since the outbreak of "Al-Aqsa" Intifada in September 2000, about 3,000 Palestinian children have been arrested, 321 of them are still in jail including 11 girls. In a report issued Sunday, MPA said that during 2004, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested 451 Palestinian children, and up to now, there are 321 Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. 65% of them are held within the Israeli proper far from their place of residency. PA: Prisoners' release' list, disappointing International Middle East Media Center 2/13/2005 The Palestinian Prisoners Ministry described the list of 500 prisoners slated for release in the first stage of the prisoners release' agreement, which was sent to three Israeli jails on Saturday, as "very disappointing." According to the ministry media department, the list includes the names of 193 administrative detainees- Palestinians detained over secret evidences, without proper court procedures- 77 of the prisoners listed would end their prison term in less than a month, and excludes prisoners who spent long prison terms, female and child prisoners. Protest in front of Bir Shiva detention International Middle East Media Center 2/12/2005 Dozens of residents, parents of detainees and the Popular Committee protested in support of Sheikh Jamal Abu Al-Haija, one of Hamas leaders confined in solitary imprisonment in a cell in Bir Shiva detention in spit of hi injury. The Popular Committee appealed the humanitarian organizations to Israeli Prison Authority to provide Abu Al-Haija with the needed medical treatment, especially after his health condition deteriorated. Also, the committee demanded the Israeli authority to release Abu Al-Haija because he was not convicted of any charges. Prisoners slated for release were told they're staying in prison By Amira Hass, Ha'aretz 2/14/2005 Most of the Palestinian prisoners that Israel plans to release were about to complete their term, Palestinian Authority officials handling the release said. As officials suspected, some 70 percent of the prisoners slated for release were sentenced during the intifada to short prison terms and were to be released within two months. The group includes about 120 administrative detainees sentenced to up to three years. Only two or three of the inmates have spent more than two years in jail. News Briefs, February 12 - 14, 2005 International Middle East Media Center 2/14/2005 Three detainees sentenced to 13, 18 and 19 life terms / Five detainees from Bethlehem, including two children, highly sentenced / Settlers attack residents in Hebron, two injured / Three Qalqilia residents arrested / Army to confiscate lands near Jenin / 21 more detainees to be freed / Israeli to hand in bodies of 15 Palestinians/ Army interrogates children and teachers near Qalqilia / Peres and Erekat met in Tel Aviv / Army breaks into homes in Hebron / Resident arrested near Hebron / Two villages invaded near Hebron / Army invades Salfit, surround P.A security center Israel to hand back remains of militants The Guardian 2/14/2005 Israel will release the remains of 15 Palestinian militants killed last year during attacks on Israeli settlements and army bases in the Gaza Strip as a goodwill gesture, Israeli sources said yesterday. The Israeli national ambulance service, which is transporting the bodies with the Palestinian Red Crescent, described the move as "a humanitarian gesture". Israel's cabinet also approved a list of 500 Palestinian prisoners to be freed in coming days, in line with last week's peace agreements. Deported militants will be allowed to return to West Bank Ha'aretz 2/13/2005 Israel will allow 56 deported Palestinian militants to return to the West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian officials said yesterday. The militants include gunmen exiled abroad after holing up in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity in May 2002. Palestinian sources said Israeli will also return the bodies of 15 Palestinians killed during the intifada in attacks on settlements throughout the Gaza Strip. These moves come in addition to Israel's release of 500 Palestinian prisoners, which is due tomorrow. Ministers approve release of 500 Palestinian prisoners Ha'aretz 2/14/2005 A ministerial committee yesterday approved the release of 500 Palestinian prisoners and administrative detainees in keeping with a promise Israel gave to the Palestinian Authority before the Sharm el-Sheikh summit last week. All 500 of the prisoners will walk free by the end of the week or the beginning of next week. According to a political source, around one-quarter of the prisoners to be released are members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. PCHR Condemns an Attack by Armed Persons at Gaza Central Prison Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 2/10/2005 Calls upon the PNA to Assume Its Responsibilities to Ensure Respect for Human Rights -- PCHR strongly condemns an attack by a number of armed persons early Thursday morning against Gaza Central Prison, which left 2 prisoners dead and a number of members of the police injured.The attackers also kidnapped a third prisoner to the central Gaza Strip and tortured and killed him. PCHR believes that such attacks reflect a determination by some people to undermine the rule of law and preserve the misuse of weapons and taking the law into their own hands. Rights group opposes naming Diskin as Shin Bet head Ha'aretz 2/11/2005 The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel has urged Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not to appoint Yuval Diskin as head of the Shin Bet security service, citing the fact that Diskin came up with the idea of the targeted killings. In an urgent letter to Sharon and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, PCATI writes that an organization "as important and with such dramatic powers as the Shin Bet should be headed by an individual who was not centrally involved in violating international and Israeli law." Armed men killed three in Gaza Prison International Middle East Media Center 2/11/2005 Around 50 armed men forcefully entered the Gaza Central Prison and killed three prisoners, Palestinain security soruce reported on Thursday. The source described the attack as criminal and said the gunmen killed the three men because of a family feud. Gunmen entered the prison, known as Al-Saraya, killed two and napped a third who was found killed later in the Bureige Camp, the source said. Palestinian police managed to arrest some of the infiltrators. Group urges release of Jewish prisoners Jerusalem Post 2/10/2005 Forty-five Knesset members, from the Left and the Right, have signed a petition calling on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Moshe Katsav to release Jewish prisoners in the framework of the planned release of 900 Palestinian security detainees set to begin next week. The petition, organized by 'Hanenu' – a Jewish prisoner civil rights organization run by Shmuel Meidad – calls on the government to release Jewish prisoners who do not "have blood on their hands" such as Yitzhak Pass, father of baby Shalhevet Pass - murdered by a Palestinian sniper – and the members of the Bat Ayin underground. Israel to release 350 Palestinians from Desert Prison International Middle East Media Center 2/9/2005 Palestinian sources reported that 350 Palestinian prisoners will be released from the desert detention camp, Ansar 3, in the Negev desert. The source said that the prison administration handed a list with 350 names to be released to the prisoners representative on Wednesday. Sources from inside the prison, stated that the list included names from most of the resistance movements except Hamas. Bir Shiva detainees suffering of harsh conditions International Middle East Media Center 2/10/2005 The Bethlehem office of the Palestinian prisoners’ society reported on Thursday that detainees in Bir Shiva detention are suffering of bad living conditions, and deprived of their basic rights. Lawyer of the PPS reported that he visited detainees, who are serving high terms, in Eshel detention, including Husam Yousef Ezzat from Tulkarem, who was sentenced to 30 consecutive years. A report released by the soldiers revealed that soldiers continuously make noises while the detainees are sleeping or trying to rest and attack their sections while they are sleeping or bathing. Fahima, celebrating 29th birthday, can't get used to prison Ha'aretz 2/10/2005 Peace activist Tali Fahima probably could not hear her friends and relatives gathered outside the Neve Tirza women's prison in Ramle to celebrate her 29th birthday. Now six months in prison, Fahima has been charged with assisting the enemy at time of war because of her ties to the leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Jenin, Zakariya Zubeidi. Her trial will begin in July, and until then she will continue to be held in solitary isolation. Because Fahima is charged with alleged security crimes, she cannot be in a cell with other convicts and has been defined as "in need of protection" from other inmates who might hurt her. Prison experience as a normal part of life By Ray Smith, Electronic Intifada 2/10/2005 An interview with an inhabitant of the Balata Refugee Camp on the outskirts of Nablus -- According to the International Red Cross (ICRC), approximately 8,500 inhabitants of the occupied Palestinian territories -- among them more than a hundred women and almost 500 children -- sit for "security reasons" in Israeli jails. ICRC found in a 1999 survey that almost half of all men below 40 years have been in Israeli prisons, many of them several times. Prison experience is no exception out here, it’s the norm. Prisoners hold the key By Khaled Amayreh, Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 2/10/2005 Palestinian factions, the real makers or breakers of the truce declared in Sharm El-Sheikh, are setting their conditions in Gaza --The ultimate success of the Sharm El- Sheikh summit is likely to hinge on Israel's willingness to release thousands of Palestinian resistance and political detainees. This is the message the leaders of the various Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas, have been communicating to an Egyptian security delegation now visiting the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian delegation has been trying to obtain from the Palestinian factions a commitment to a more durable ceasefire with Israel. I hope that I can see my son before I die Daily Star 2/11/2005 Mother of longest-serving Palestinian inmate dreams of reunion -- RAMALLAH, West Bank: Widad al-Attaba has been glued to the television news since the landmark Israeli-Palestinian summit, hoping that the revival of the peace process will lead to a reunion with her son Saeed who has spent the past 28 years in prison. Saeed al-Attaba, now aged 53, is the longest serving Palestinian in an Israeli jail having been sentenced to life in 1976 for his involvement in a series of deadly attacks on Israeli military bases as a member of the leftist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). New era By Dina Ezzat, Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 2/10/2005 Behind the expressions of optimism at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit Dina Ezzat finds more than enough cause for caution -- Next week, maybe as early as Sunday, a joint Palestinian-Israeli security/negotiation committee will convene in Ramallah and Jerusalem to discuss a long list of Israeli security demands, including the blocking of tunnels connecting Gaza with Rafah and the disarmament of Palestinian Islamist factions. The joint Palestinian-Israeli meetings will also review a list of the names of Palestinian prisoners the Palestinian Authority still hopes Israel will release. Bill for soldiers to serve in prisons passes first reading Ha'aretz 2/9/2005 A bill requiring soldiers to serve in prisons where security prisoners are being held passed its first reading in the Knesset on Monday by a 14-5 vote, with all the opponents coming from the Arab parties. Deputy defense minister Ze'ev Boim (Likud), who proposed the bill, noted that the new arrangement would be in force for three years. According to Boim, since security prisoners - some of whom were sentenced by military courts - are held in the prisons, the work of guarding them is clearly a security related task requiring IDF soldiers. First prisoners due for release brought to Ketziot Prison Ha'aretz 2/10/2005 The Israel Defense Forces and Prisons Service have begun gathering the Palestinian prisoners chosen to be released early next week from Ketziot Prison in the south. According to prisoner sources, a group of inmates from Megiddo Prison, Ofer Camp near Ramallah, and other detention centers have been brought to Ketziot for the first stage of the release of some 500 prisoners. The prisoners to be released are from all Palestinian organizations, although the vast majority are Fatah members, based on understandings between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian minister: Israeli authorities should release long-serving inmates By Amira Hass, Ha'aretz 2/8/2005 There can be no peace settlement or enduring cease-fire without the release of prisoners, Palestinian Authority Minister for Prisoners Affairs Hisham Abd al-Raziq said on Sunday in an interview with Haaretz. "The Israelis must understand that this isn't the only place in the world in which the resolution of a conflict between two sides is dependent on the release of prisoners, without exception," Al-Raziq said. "We have seen it in South Africa and we have seen it in Northern Ireland - that there is no chance of solving the problem and reinforcing the cease-fire without the release of prisoners." Hamas and Jihad Ask Abbas for Conferred Ceasefire International Press Center 2/8/2005 GAZA, Palestine, February 8, 2005 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said it expected the Palestinian leadership to confer with the factions before declaring a ceasefire with Israel. Mahmoud Al Zahhar, a senior leader of Hamas in Gaza Strip, told reporters after meeting an Egyptian security delegation that President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was expected to deliberate with the Palestinian factions before declaring any possible ceasefire....He made clear that Hamas has declared self-restraint to test the Israeli intentions, pointing out that in case the Palestinian demands haven't been met, primarily the release of all prisoners from Israeli jails and the cessation of all forms of aggression, there won't be any ceasefire. News Briefs, February 8 , 2005 International Middle East Media Center 2/8/2005 1000 Palestinian laborers to be allowed to work in Israel / Military checkpoint erected east of Qalqilia/ Two female detainees released from Al-Ramleh detention / Army invades a village near Ramallah / Army closes roads leading to Nablus/ Two Fatah members arrested in Jenin / Homemade shell fired at a settlement in the Gaza strip CIA prisoners 'tortured' in Arab jails BBC 2/8/2005 A former CIA official has confirmed suspicions that dozens of terror suspects have been flown to jails in Middle Eastern countries where torture is routinely practised, and without reference to courts of law. Michael Scheuer, who once headed the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and left the CIA last November after a 22-year career, said the practice, known as "extraordinary rendition", was seen by the US as a key tactic in its war on terror. "The bottom line is getting anyone off the streets who is involved in acts of terrorism is a worthwhile activity," he told the BBC's File On 4 programme. Palestinian street expects result Ha'aretz 2/8/2005 The Palestinians are expecting to get something tangible from Israel today after they stopped the terror attacks and shooting. The main issue on which the Palestinians are focused is the prisoners (captives, in Palestinian terms), and according to Mohammad Dahlan, their greatest achievement, as of now, is Israeli readiness to establish a joint committee to discuss changing the criteria by which Israel releases prisoners. The Palestinians expect that at the new joint Israeli-Palestinian committee, Israel will agree to discuss prisoners defined as having "blood on their hands." So far there has been an Israeli refusal in principle to free such prisoners. Hamas, Islamic Jihad demand Abbas to consult with Palestinian factions prior to announcing truce International Middle East Media Center 2/8/2005 The Islamic resistance movement Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad stressed on the importance of discussing the truce with the Palestinian factions prior to announcing it. Mahmoud Zahhar, a prominent Hamas leadr, said after meeting with Egyptian security delegates in Gaza , that Hamas does not support announcing a truce on Tuesday before consulting with the Palestinian movements. Zahhar said that the movement is examining the Israeli intentions, and that if Israel does not release the detainees and does not halt its military operations and invasions, there will not be a truce. 500 detainees to conduct hunger strike on Tuesday International Middle East Media Center 2/8/2005 At least 500 detainees in Ohali Qidar detention Bir Shiva announced on Monday evening that they will conduct hunger strike on Tuesday, in protest to the Sharm Al-Sheikh summit which will be held before arriving an agreement concerning the detainees. The detainees, who are serving high terms, said that they informed the administration at the detention that they will not accept the three meals which will be provided to them on Tuesday. Women on the edge of destruction The Guardian 2/7/2005 Housed in a prison in the heart of Israel are the female suicide bombers who didn't complete their deadly missions. Manuela Dviri hears their stories -- Near the finest Israeli villas, in the heart of the Plain of Sharon, the most fertile area in the country, sits the prison, Ha Sharon. This is where the Palestinian women martyrs are kept - those who are still alive, because they changed their minds at the last moment, because they were arrested, or because they simply did not succeed. Wrestling with rules of disengagement The Guardian 2/8/2005 Palestinians and Israelis were optimistic last night at the prospect of ceasefire declarations, although the two sides remain divided on what should happen next. For some Israelis a ceasefire is simply an initial step before the Palestinian Authority dismantles what it calls the "infrastructure of terror". But Palestinian militants say they have no intention of giving up their weapons until Israel has demonstrated its good faith by releasing Palestinian prisoners and easing the occupation. Sources close to the Palestinian Authority say that an Israeli insistence on disarming militants would lead to a quick return to hostilities. Koranic duels ease terror Christian Science Monitor 2/4/2005 SANAA, YEMEN – When Judge Hamoud al-Hitar announced that he and four other Islamic scholars would challenge Yemen's Al Qaeda prisoners to a theological contest, Western antiterrorism experts warned that this high-stakes gamble would end in disaster. Nervous as he faced five captured, yet defiant, Al Qaeda members in a Sanaa prison, Judge Hitar was inclined to agree. But banishing his doubts, the youthful cleric threw down the gauntlet, in the hope of bringing peace to his troubled homeland."If you can convince us that your ideas are justified by the Koran, then we will join you in your struggle," Hitar told the militants. "But if we succeed in convincing you of our ideas, then you must agree to renounce violence." The prisoners eagerly agreed. Defense officials disagree on approach to PA Ha'aretz 2/6/2005 The disagreement between Shin Bet head Avi Dichter and Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon on how best Israel can act to bolster new Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas goes deeper than the question of Palestinian prisoner release; it includes issues of timing of the withdrawal from Palestinian cities and whether to continue the hunt for Palestinian fugitives that have been involved in the killing of Israelis. For Dichter the dispute is not only with Ya'alon but also includes opposition within the security service he heads. IFH Calls for Improving Palestinian Prisoners' Conditions International Press Center 2/6/2005 VIENNA, February 6, 2005 (IPC+ Agencies)--The Vienna-based legal organization, International Friends of Humanity (IFH), called on Saturday the Israeli Defense Minister and the Israeli prisons service to improve detention conditions experienced by thousands of Palestinian prisoners inside various jails, prisons and concentration camps. The IFH called on the Israeli occupation authorities to reconsider measures of safety and security inside their jails, so as to ensure the Palestinian prisoners are no longer tortured or harmed. PNA Rejects Israeli Offer to Release 900 Detainees Palestine Media Center 2/6/2005 Erakat, Weisglass Agree to Set up Joint Committee -- Three days ahead of the Palestinian – Israeli summit meeting in Egypt, the Palestine National Authority (PNA) and Israel reportedly agreed to set up a joint committee to discuss the criteria of detainees’ release after the summit, amid wide-spread Palestinian rejection of an Israeli cabinet decision to release only 900 out of more than 8,000 detainees in the jails of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). Palestinian Minister for Negotiations Saeb Erakat said the decision to set up a joint committee had been reached during late-night talks in Tel Aviv on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s top adviser Dov Weisglass. Israel, PA agree on panel to handle prisoner issue Ha'aretz 2/6/2005 Israel and the Palestinians agreed in talks last night on the establishment of a special committee to deal with the thorny issue of prisoner release, and to address the issue in earnest following the completion of the summit meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday. The prime minister's adviser, Dov Weisglass, will leave later today for Cairo as part of the preparations for the summit. Also yesterday, preparations were being finalized for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's lightning visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority today. US Afghan prisoner treatment decried AlJazeera 2/8/2005 A human-rights expert has accused the US of ill-treatment in Afghanistan and backed Human Rights Watch reports that question the legality of detentions. Cherif Bassiouni, the UN Human Rights Commission's independent expert on human rights in Afghanistan, denounced on Monday the "inhuman" practices at prisons in the war-torn country and demanded answers from the US on prisoner releases. Bassiouni, who is also a law professor at DePaul University in Chicago, said prisoners were being abused in Afghan jails and conditions for some inmates "violate every standard of human rights". Sharon: Terrorism must end before talks resume Daily Star 2/7/2005 PA: Prisoner release 'insufficient' -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Friday that wide-ranging peace talks aimed at ending the conflict with the Palestinians will not be renewed until Palestinian authorities take real action to prevent terror attacks on Israel. Sharon's comments appeared aimed at dampening expectations ahead of a Mideast summit in Egypt on Tuesday that Palestinians hope will revive the peace process, but Israelis want to remain focused on more limited security issues. Israel, PA Warm Up for Egypt’s Summit Islam Online 2/4/2005 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, February 4 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Israel and the Palestinians were Friday, February 4, engaged in hot preparations for next Tuesday’s peace summit hosted by Cairo, with both sides putting some of their expectations of the table, letting others guess the rest. Israel, for its part, said it was ready to “take risks” in its negotiations with the Palestinians but discord emerged over its offer to release hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Palestinians rejected an Israeli offer to release 900 detainees as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, calling the proposal “insulting.” Erikat: releasing prisoners serving short term only is not acceptable International Middle East Media Center 2/4/2005 Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erakat said Friday that Israel proposes to free prisoners serving relatively short terms only, but hinted that the dispute around the prisoners issue is possible to solve "within a few hours if Israel is willing to reopen discussion on the topic." "We want them to release those who spent more than 20 years in jail," he said. Palestinian-Israeli talks hit snag AlJazeera 2/4/2005 Palestinian officials have said a pre-Sharm al-Shaikh meeting ended in failure after Israeli officials declined to discuss the release of 237 Palestinian prisoners. The claim comes a day after Israel agreed to a troop pullback from West Bank cities and a plan to release some Palestinian prisoners, steps crucial to the success of a summit with the Palestinians next week. Thursday evening's talks between Palestinian Cabinet Secretary Hassan Abu Libdah and Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon's bureau chief Dov Weisglass failed to achieve agreement on the prisoner issue, Aljazeera learned. Hizbullah defiant Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 2/3/2005 Hizbullah vows to continue its struggle to secure the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli jails -- Defying growing international and domestic pressure to strip Hizbullah of its arms the militant Islamist Shia group pledged to "use all available means" to win the release of three Lebanese nationals still held by Israel. Hizbullah said its fighters would continue to defend Lebanon against Israel and any resettlement of Palestinian refugees in the country. PA nixes `insulting' prisoner release plan Ha'aretz 2/4/2005 The Palestinians yesterday rejected an Israeli offer to release 900 prisoners as a gesture to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, calling the proposal "insulting." The prisoner release, along with a package of other gestures and a series of Israeli-Palestinian security understandings, had been approved earlier in the day by the seven-member diplomatic cabinet, following a stormy debate. The panel authorized the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners in two groups - 500 immediately and the rest in another three months. Rare Cairo rally against Mubarak BBC 2/4/2005 About 100 people have taken part in a rare anti-government demonstration in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, demanding free elections for the presidency. Reports say thousands of policemen were deployed near the Cairo international book fair, where the protest occurred. Protesters carried placards calling for an end to the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, who may run for a sixth term. In a related development, Human Rights Watch has called on Egypt to release a number of recent detainees. 2000 Palestinian children arrested since September 2000 International Middle East Media Center 2/2/2005 The Palestinian Prisoners Society revealed that Israeli soldiers arrested 2000 Palestinian children since the outbreak of the Intifada in September 2000. 350 child detainees were imprisoned in Telmond, Ofer, Negev, Majeddo and Huwwara. Also, the PPS revealed that the younger girl in detention is Ghada Abu Hmeid, 14, from the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Report: Iran sentences alleged Israeli spy to 10 years Ha'aretz 2/3/2005 TEHRAN - Iran has sentenced a person to 10 years in prison for spying for Israel, a senior judiciary official was quoted as saying on Thursday. The semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), citing Tehran's Revolutionary Court chief Ali Mobasheri, gave no further details and did not specify whether the convicted spy was an Iranian or an Israeli citizen. Dahlan: “Truce will be under international supervision International Middle East Media Center 2/3/2005 Mohammad Dahlan, former Palestinian security minister said that the Abbas-Sharon summit aims to specify the right basis in order to resume the peace process on solid basis. Dahlan told reporters on Wednesday evening that the summit in Sharm Al-Sheikh Resort in Egypt next Tuesday “will try to solve the issues currently discussed, such as the detainees, withdrawal from the main cities, removing barriers and road blocks”, and that his talks with Israel will resume in the coming days in order to guarantee the success of the summit. Five West Bank cities to be under P.A responsibility, 500 detainees to be freed International Middle East Media Center 2/3/2005 An Israeli special ministerial team decided on Thursday afternoon a draft of arrangements with the Palestinian Authority, the draft will be presented by Sharon on Tuesday's summit with Mahmoud Abbas, the Egyptian president, Mobarak, and king Abdullah of Jordan, in the Egyptian resort of Sharm Al-Sheikh. The cabinet decided to release 900 Palestinian detainees; 500 immediately, according to the cabinet, and 400 in three months. An Israeli cabinet minister said that Palestinian involved with military activities which caused human losses will not be freed. Palestinians object to prisoner-release offer The Independent 2/3/2005 Attempts to prepare the ground for next week's Middle East summit ran into trouble last night when the two sides disagreed sharply over a new Israeli plan to release up to 900 Palestinian prisoners. A meeting to discuss the question of which prisoners should be released broke up without agreement after Palestinian officials objected to Israeli insistence that the released prisoners should not include militants whom they say have "blood on their hands". Israel approves West Bank pullback AlJazeera 2/3/2005 Israeli leaders have approved a troop pullback from West Bank cities and a plan to release Palestinian prisoners, steps crucial to the success of a summit with the Palestinians next week. As part of a confidence-building package to be presented at next Tuesday's meeting in Egypt, Israel will carry out a phased military pullback from positions around five Palestinian cities and release "several hundred" prisoners, an unnamed minister said on Thursday. Israel to free Palestinian prisoners The Guardian 2/3/2005 Israeli cabinet ministers today approved the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners, with some 500 to be freed next week, and a withdrawal from the West Bank town of Jericho in the coming days. The moves, agreed after a four hour meeting of the Israeli security cabinet - a senior group of ministers - comes ahead of a Middle East summit to be held in Egypt next week. Earlier today Palestinian and Israeli officials said they expected the summit to produce a formal ceasefire, ending more than four years of violence. 400 residents arrested in one month International Middle East Media Center 2/1/2005 A Palestinian security source reported that the Israeli army arrested since the beginning of 2005, at least 400 Palestinian in several areas in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The source stated that whenever Israeli talks about releasing political detainees, the army arrests dozens of residents in the Palestinian areas. Also, when Israel talks about releasing Palestinian detainees, it excludes resistance fighters who are accused of killing soldiers. Knesset approves a law which denies Palestinian detainees access to lawyers International Middle East Media Center 2/1/2005 Monday evening, the Israeli Knesset approved with a noticeable majority. a law which contradicts with human rights agreements and principles, by denying the detainees access to their lawyers. According to the new approved law, prison authorities in Israel are allowed to bar the detainees from meeting with their lawyers if this meeting “could endanger the security of the public or the prison”, according to a statement in the new law. 64 members of Knesset voted for the new law, 9 objected. US extends Guantanamo abuse probe AlJazeera 2/2/2005 The US military has extended its investigation into allegations of prisoner abuse at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre by four weeks. The extension came amid fresh disclosers of videotapes showing US prison guards punching detainees, tying one to a gurney for questioning and forcing a dozen to strip from waist down. One squad of guards was all-female, traumatising some Muslim prisoners. |
The calm before the storm By Danny Rubinstein, Ha'aretz 2/21/2005 The impression one gets from the goings-on among the Palestinian public and leadership is that the question isn't whether the bloody clashes will start up again - but when. In other words, when will the relative calm end and the routine of terror attacks and violence return? The reason for the few-and-far-between terror attacks in recent weeks is not only the efforts of the new government of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and his deals with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but primarily the public mood in the territories, where people are weary of the hardships of the intifada. There's a desire for some peace and quiet in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This was expressed well by the Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, who explained over the weekend that his organization had agreed to participate in maintaining the calm because Hamas and its activists are committed to rebuilding and development in the territories to the same degree that they are committed to the struggle and liberation. But there are limits to this weariness, and the seeds of trouble can be seen in the field. The first is the prisoners' affair. The publication of the list of 500 prisoners whom Israel is about to release (and it doesn't include prisoners from East Jerusalem) was met with protest rallies in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as threats of hunger strikes. Palestinian spokespersons said it was an insult, that it was like spitting in the face of Abu Mazen, while Palestinian cabinet minister Ghassan al-Khatib, exaggerating somewhat perhaps, said that since the Sharm al-Sheikh summit, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service had arrested approximately the same number of Palestinians they had hoped to release now....
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Adalah Adalah (Justice in Arabic) is the first non-profit, non-sectarian Palestinian-run legal center in Israel. The main goal of Adalah’s work is to achieve equal rights and minority rights protections for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Organization: Addameer (conscience) is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution which focuses on human rights issues. Supports Palestinian prisoners, advocates for rights of political prisoners, works to end torture. Amnesty International Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Amnesty International USA Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Arab Association for Human Rights - HRA The HRA was founded in 1988 to promote and protect the political, civil, economic, and cultural rights of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel and to further the domestic implementation of international human rights principles. It is an independent non-governmental organisation registered in Israel. Association for Civil Rights in Israel - ACRI In Hebrew - The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) was founded in 1972 as a non-political and independent body, with the goal of protecting human and civil rights in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control. B’tselem The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. It endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel. Boycott Israeli Medical Association UK: The Medical Committee for Boycott of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) will document the systematic torture of Palestinian people by agents of Israel. It will publicise the practice in order to bring world opinion to bear on Israel. And it will challenge the Israeli Medical Association which has repeatedly failed to issue advice to doctors who are involved in any way with torture. Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization, supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. Palestinian Center for Human Rights The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is an independent legal body based in Gaza City dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, and upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian Prisoners Society The Palestinian Prisoner Society is a social and human institution and its members are prisoners inside prisons and released prisoners. Membership is open to every Palestinian prisoner inside and outside prisons who meets the conditions of membership. Physicians for Human Rights - Israel Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-Israel) was established in 1988 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the medical human rights of all residents of Israel and the Occupied Territories. Public Committee Against Torture in Israel - PCATI An independent human rights organization founded that monitors the implementation conditions in detention centers and continues the struggle against the use of torture in interrogation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine The main collection contains the texts of current and historical United Nations material concerning the question of Palestine and other issues related to the Middle East situation and the search for peace. World Organisation Against Torture OMCT is today the largest international coalition of NGOs fighting against torture,summary executions, forced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in order to preserve Human Rights. It has at its disposal a network, SOS Torture, consisting of some 240 non-governmental organisations which act as sources of information. |
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