Slippery Slope

Israel denied entry to Nour Joudah, an American who teaches English in Ramallah, even though she has a valid one-year multiple-entrance visa, citing her refusal to cooperate on security matters with the Shin-Bet. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

The IDF is checking claims that three critically injured Palestinians were shot with live ammunition by settlers in the area of Qusra, between Ramallah and Nablus. (Ynetnews)

(Hebrew – Walla!)

A Palestinian resident of Ramallah was not allowed to send a package from Jerusalem’s central post office, even though he showed his identity card, an official Israeli document, as required. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

The government is expected to invest more than 100 million NIS in the development of two underground tunnels at Adam junction near Ramallah.  Some of the plans for the development have already been approved by the Civil Administration’s planning committee, while the rest are still in the planning phase.  The Ministry of Transportation approved the project and instructed the Civil Administration to work toward issuing building permits for the project by January.

(Hebrew – Walla!)

IDF soldiers shot at a Palestinian Medical Relief ambulance transporting a wounded man to hospital and wounded three volunteers. The incident occurred near the Beitunia crossing near Ramallah.

Defamatory slogans mentioning the Migron outpost were sprayed in the village Burka, close to Ramallah. It is suspected that right-wing extremists who sprayed the slogans also attempted to set vehicle on fire.

(Hebrew)

Dog handlers from the IDF’s Oketz unit train their dogs using Palestinian vehicles driving through one of the roadblocks surrounding Ramallah.  The training exercise, which delays the Palestinians and is conducted without their permission, has been conducted several times in the past weeks, and according to testimony collected by “Breaking the Silence”, this is not the first time such exercises are conducted. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew - Haaretz)

Settlers built 20 structures on land owned by Palestinians in the outpost of Mitzpe Kramim near Ramallah.

(Haaretz – Hebrew)

The IDF has raided Palestinian TV station Al-Watan, which broadcast from Ramallah, confiscated broadcasting equipment, computers, and mobile phones, and arrested several employees.

(Hebrew)

A newly approved internal report of European Heads of Mission, titled “Area C and Palestinian State Building,” cautioned that the chances for a two-state solution on 1967 borders will be lost if Israel does not change its policies in Area C. Area C is defined by the Oslo Accords as those parts of the West Bank under full Israeli control. “What’s special about this report is that we are all partners in it and agree on the wording of it,” a European diplomat commented. In the factual section of the original, the report stated that Israeli policy in Area C “result in forced transfer of the native population.” According to the report, 5.8% of the West Bank’s Palestinian population – about 150,000 people – lives on Area C, which constitutes 62 % of the West Bank. The report found that the Israeli planning policy in these areas encourages the building of settlements and prevents Palestinian building; Israel demolishes houses to which it wouldn’t give building permits, prevents infrastructure development, restricts Palestinian’s freedom of movement and access to water and other resources.