settlers6maan.jpgSettlers Fill Ancient Well near Salfit

Settlers Fill Ancient Well near Salfit Monday July 27, 2015 Israeli settlers filled up an ancient agricultural well in the West Bank village of Deir Istiya west of Salfit on Saturday, local farmers told Ma'an News Agency. Witnesses said that the settlers filled the well with earth and rocks using "primitive" tools. Khalid Maali, a researcher on settlement affairs, said that filling up the well is part of a larger plan to forcibly move people from Wadi Qana to clear the way for the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. Several illegal Israeli settlements surround Deir Istiya, the closest of which are Revava and YaqirI. About 17 percent of Deir Istiya's village territory is classified as Area B, according to the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem, with the remaining 83 percent Area C, giving Israel full civil and military authority. ARIJ said in a 2013 report that Deir Istiya "has been subjected to numerous Israeli confiscations for the benefit of various Israeli objectives," including the construction of settlements, outposts, checkpoints, bypass roads and the Israeli separation wall. The report said that Israeli settlers living on the village's land "have had a significant impact on Palestinian residents and their properties." Settler attacks have contributed to the loss of Palestinian lands and landowners have been barred from their plots, which have been fenced in with barbed wire and planted with trees, the report said. It added: "Israeli settlers have also carried out a series of attacks against Palestinian landowners in an attempt to intimidate them and deter them from returning to their lands." Israeli forces continue abuses on Gaza fishermen, open fire at dawn 21st July 2015 At 3:00 AM on the 21st of July 2015, Israeli forces once again opened fire on fishermen in the Gaza city area. 20 year old Ahmed Ismail al-Sharafi was shot in the right side of the back. The bullet exited very close to the spine. Two other fishermen were arrested and one of the boats was taken to Ashdod port. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reports that in May alone, there were a total of 51 incidents of shootings, incursions into the coastal enclave, and arrests. This included 41 shootings, which left nine injured, including one minor. Despite Israeli promises at the end of the ceasefire to ease restrictions on Palestinian access to both the sea and the border region near the “security buffer zone,” these attacks continue on a very often basis.