At a time when the Corona virus crisis has crowded out other news, the Alliance is producing news briefs every two weeks to keep our members informed about the situation in occupied Palestine.
Brief for July 14, 2020
By July 13 Covid-19 cases had soared in Israel to 39,871 with 364 deaths, and climbed to 7263 with 35 deaths in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, while in the Gaza Strip cases still number 72, with 1 death. Both Israel and the West Bank imposed new closures, with Israel doubling the fine for not wearing masks. In Tel Aviv on July 11 over 10,000 Israelis protested the Netanyahu government’s Covid-19 policies and inadequate unemployment stipends.
What happened to de jure annexation?
Netanyahu’s target date of July 1 came and went without annexation plans being introduced into the Knesset. Incomplete Israel-US mapping of the territory to be annexed, the far right’s insistence that the entire West Bank should be up for grabs, the build-up of international pressure as well as signals from some Members of Congress that they were prepared to condition aid if annexation goes ahead could all have played a part in the delay, but it is likely that the upsurge of Covid-19 and dissatisfaction with the government may have played a bigger role. Whether or not annexation remains on the immediate agenda, “Israel will continue its campaign of dividing and conquering Palestinians, annexation or not” (Haaretz headline, July 6).
Palestinian resistance
On July 1 the PA closed the West Bank to deal with the virus spike, and only a few small anti-annexation rallies occurred, while thousands marched against it in the Gaza Strip. On July 2, Hamas and Fatah gave a rare joint press conference intended to send people a message of unity. Haaretz (July 4) stated that “the rift in the civil and security coordination between the PA and Israel is nearly total this time.” It is not clear whether Hamas supports President Abbas’ July 5th call to Merkel and then Putin saying Palestine is ready to return to ‘two state’ negotiations with Israel under the auspices of the Quartet (EU, US, Russia and the UN).
The Occupation grinds on
The Times of Israel (July 13) reported a tripling of army Covid-19 cases over the last 9 days causing training exercises to be cancelled. But daily raids, shootings, arrests, house demolitions, land confiscation and soldier-settler attacks were ongoing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. On July 10 Ibrahim Abu Yaqoub was shot and killed and a friend injured while they were jogging near their village of Kifl Hares. There have been at least 3 army incursions into the Gaza Strip, 2 airstrikes and 6 attacks by Israeli gunboats on Gazan fishermen during the last 2 weeks.
See these links: https://www.pchrgaza.org/en/?p=14782
