Israel authorizes force-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners

"JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's parliament authorized on Thursday the force-feeding of prisoners on hunger strike, a move that has met vehement opposition from the country's medical association and rights groups.

"But Israel's Medical Association, which considers force- feeding a form of torture and medically risky, has urged Israeli doctors not to abide by the law.

"In the West Bank, Qadoura Fares, chairman of the Palestinian Prisoners Club that advocates for Palestinians jailed by Israel, denounced the law as a product of a "racist and fascist" government.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel called the law shameful.

"It pushes the medical community to severely violate medical ethics for political gains, as was done in other dark regimes in history," the group said in a statement, urging the doctors "to refuse to serve as a fig leaf for torture". News Link

A Palestinian village braces for Israeli demolition

"At the heart of the matter is the struggle over the 62 percent of the West Bank that was placed under full Israeli control under interim peace accords two decades ago. This land, called Area C, is home to more than 350,000 Jewish settlers, more than double the number of Palestinians living there. Critics say Israel has blocked virtually all Palestinian development in Area C, while expanding the Jewish settlements there — a charge Israel denies.

"The people are afraid," said Nasser Nawajah, a leading activist among Susiya's residents. He said his children will not sleep alone at night. During the day, Nawajah said, the children are constantly on edge that any group approaching could be Israeli soldiers." News Link

Israel passes controversial 20-year sentence for stone-throwers

"A committee headed by cabinet Secretary Avichai Mendelblit of the right-wing Jewish Home party proposed the law following a series of Palestinian protests in East Jerusalem last year, Haaretz reports. After a heated debate, Israel's parliament voted 69 to 17 to increase existing punishments." News Link

Israel says 2 citizens held in Gaza

"Israeli defense officials identified one of the men as Avraham Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent in his late 20s.

"Israeli Channel 10 broadcast an interview with a man it identified as Mengistu's father. "They didn't do anything," Haili Mengistu said. "Where is my son?"

"While Mengistu's disappearance had been well known inside Israel's Ethiopian community, Israel had barred publication of the incident for several months." News Link

Israeli blockade makes Gaza recovery 'impossible': aid agency

"LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Israel's blockade of building materials for Gaza has created one of the highest levels of unemployment in the world and made it impossible for the small coastal enclave to recover from the war a year ago, aid agencies said on Wednesday." News Link

Israel arrests dozens in West Bank & Cancels West Bankers' Gaza visits

"Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel said Wednesday it was revoking permits for hundreds of Palestinians living in the West Bank to visit relatives in the Gaza Strip, after a series of attacks, some fatal." News Link

"JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli forces have arrested dozens of Hamas members suspected of planning attacks and trying to build up the Palestinian militant group in the occupied West Bank, Israel's Shin Bet security service said on Wednesday." News Link