Monday, August 3, 2015

In Gaza, Israeli forces level land e. of Khan Yunis along the border fence. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian man at a checkpoint s. of Nablus when he refuses to undergo a security check. Israeli forces conduct a raid in a village nr. Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian residents. According to the village residents, errant tear gas canisters fired by the Israeli soldiers landed in a nearby agricultural area, setting a number of olive trees on fire. IDF troops conduct latenight raids in Hebron and nearby al-‘Arub r.c., as well as Aida r.c. and 1 village nr. Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians, assaulting 2, and issuing an arrest summons to 1. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish a home and part of another in an outpost nr. the Eli settlement. Israeli settlers throw rocks at Palestinian cars nr. Ramallah, causing damage; set fire to 10 olive trees nr. Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, unknown assailants throw a firebomb at an Israeli car in Bayt Hanina, causing an accident and injuring 3 Jewish Israelis (9 Palestinians will be arrested in connection with this attack and indicted on 8/23). Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinian children accused of stone-throwing and 5 Palestinians on raids in Silwan. (HA, MNA, WAFA 8/3; JP 8/4; PCHR 8/6; HA 8/23)

PA FM al-Maliki meets with ICC prosecutor Bensouda in The Hague and files a report on Israeli settler violence with the ICC. Meanwhile, Palestinian amb. to Jordan Atallah Khairi says that the Jordanian govt. and Palestinian leadership have agreed to submit a draft res. to the UNSC calling for international defense of Palestinian civilians following the 7/31 arson attack. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/3; MNA 8/4)

On behalf of the State of Palestine, PA PM Hamdallah signs a formal request to join Interpol, an intergovernmental organization that facilitates police cooperation across borders. The PA plans to use membership to prosecute Palestinians living abroad on corruption charges. (TOI 8/3)