Israel to isolate Jerusalem from the West Bank

1/17/2005 9:37:00 PM GMT

According to Palestinian legal sources, Israel has embarked on a scheme which is aimed at isolating the holy city of Jerusalem from the West Bank.

The construction of three crossings connecting the northern West Bank areas to occupied Jerusalem have already begun in which one of the terminals would be set up east of the Qalandia military roadblock. The building of this terminal is due to finish within one year.

The second terminal would be constructed to the east of the town of Al-Ram, while a third one is meant to be built north of the town of Alezariah.

Accordingly, entrance to these terminals would only be made possible to Palestinians who carry Jerusalem IDs or valid permits.

The Qalandia barrier will be removed to be replaced with a partition of the separation fence.

Meanwhile, the regional council of Arab villages located in the Negev desert organised a mass rally in which thousands of Palestinians took part. The rally was in protest to the distribution of hundreds of written orders ordering the demolition of Arab civilian homes situated in the villages of Al-Sadir, Tal Arad and Um Al-Hayran.

Mass Palestinian arrests

Around 15 Palestinian youth who work in Haifa were arrested by the Israeli authorities, who claimed they did not have work permits.

A further 44 Palestinian workers were rounded up in Nazareth, this time for being illegal residents of the city. While another 23 Palestinian residents in the town of Kufr Qassem were arrested on charges of helping workers from the West Bank stay and work in the city only to 'transport' them out in their Israel registered cars.

Israeli prisons reported

The fines imposed on Palestinian inmates by the Israeli authorities have been described as "pillage" by the Palestinian Prisoner's Club. The club asserts that the Israeli authorities are practicing what amounts to a looting policy against the inmates.

The club states that around 95% of the Palestinian detainees who appear before the Israeli military courts have had heavy fines imposed on them. While minors fines have increased nearly 100% despite the fact that the detaining and prosecution of children constitutes a direct breach of international law.

Raed Mahamid, a legal counsel for the Prisoners Club, states that the living conditions in the infamous Israeli Jalbo prison are extremely poor. Moreover, the basic human rights of the Palestinian inmates are not being met by the prison authorities.

Mahamid states that medical attention is being denied to the inmates in addition to their being subjected to "mortifying strip searches".

The necessary steps have been taken in order for the prisoners' situation to be rectified, with the non-governmental organisation Medicine San Frontier and other legal organisations being informed.

Pressure is expected to be put on the Israeli authorities to vastly improve the living conditions and provide sick inmates with the necessary medical care.

The inmates appealed with Medicine San Frontier association and all legal societies to pressure the Zionist occupation authorities to improve the imprisonment conditions and to provide the sick ones with the necessary medication the soonest.

Meanwhile, some 25 Palestinian prisoners have seen their jail terms renewed by the Israelis while 12 others have been released. One hundred Palestinian prisoners held in the Ofer and Megidido detention centres have been transferred to the Negev prison.