Palestinian Forced to Demolish own Home at Orders from the Zionist Authorities

BETHLEHEM -A Palestinian resident of Bir Oneh area, west of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, began today to tear down his home after he received a demolition order from the Israeli authorities, according to WAFA correspondent.

He said Ayman Zarineh got the demolition order for his two-story house under the pretext it was built without a permit. He was told that he has until tomorrow to tear down his home, otherwise, the Israeli authorities would demolish it and force him to pay exorbitant costs.

Israel demolished six structures for the same family in recent weeks and several other homes for area Palestinian residents all under the pretext of building without a permit.

 Most of Bir Oneh, an area part of the city of Beit Jala, which is attached to Bethlehem, has been annexed by Israel and joined to al-Quds from its southern end. In that process, Israel began to clear all Palestinian homes in the annexed part in order to expand Jewish settlements and development projects in the area, including opening highways that serve the settlers.

In an attempt to crush the hunger strike, Israeli Prison Service starts  

On the other hand, the Israel Prison Services (IPS) began today relocating striking Palestinian prisoners from the Naqab (Ketziot) and Ramon prisons in the south of the country to other prisons in an attempt to crush their hunger strike, said the head of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Qadri Abu Bakr.

About 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails for resisting the occupation began yesterday an open-ended hunger strike in the two prisons following failure of negotiation between the IPS and prisoners’ representatives demanding better prison conditions., including removing recently installed jamming devices deemed hazardous to the health of the prisoners.

Abu Bakr told WAFA that more prisoners are expected to join their fellow striking prisoners today, while a larger number of prisoners will join the strike on April 17 and on May 1, noting that the Israeli occupation authorities are expected to intensify their repressive measures against the striking prisoners in the coming days, especially force-feeding them.

While the strikers currently refuse food, they are expected to also refuse water in one week, which could lead to serious consequences on their health.

Meanwhile, prisoners support organizations have called for wide public support for the striking prisoners with activities planned for today and the coming days in the various cities.

Dozens of students suffocate from Israeli teargas

In al-Khalil, Dozens of Palestinian students, most of them children, suffered from suffocation today when Israeli soldiers threw teargas and stun grenades at their schools in the Israeli-controlled section of the southern West Bank city of al-Kalil, reported local sources.

They said the soldiers threw the grenades at the yards of four schools while the students were getting ready to enter their classes causing suffocation and panic among the students and disruption of the school day.

The injured students were treated on the spot, said the sources.

Students and teachers have been protesting their treatment at Israeli army checkpoints when they go and return from the schools.

Wafa News Agency

R.S