From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Israel Electric cuts Palestinian power again
(JTA) — Two West Bank cities had their electricity cut for the second time in a week because of unpaid bills.
The state-owned Israel Electric Corp. cut power for an hour to Nablus and Jenin on Wednesday to protest what it says is $482 million in debt. The company also briefly cut power to the cities on Monday.
In a statement released by the Israel Electric on Wednesday, the company said, “Having issued numerous warnings and attempts to reach an agreement, the IEC’s board instructed the CEO to take action to minimize the debt,” the Times of Israel reported.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen criticized the electric company’s decision, citing the potentially high humanitarian and diplomatic costs the blackouts would cause, according to Haaretz.
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From PressTV
Israel escalates pressure on Palestinian prisoners
Israel has enforced severe measures against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad prisoners, transferring them from Raymond jail in Negev desert to Ela prison in Be’er Sheva.
The punishments include solitary confinement for 21 days and fines of up to 450 shekels for each prisoner, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) reported on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Israeli forces stormed Section 3 of Raymond prison, preventing inmates from leaving their rooms in order to punish them for expressing solidarity with Jihad detainees.
Tension has flared up after a Palestinian captive held in Raymond jail stabbed an Israeli officer on Monday to protest the cruel Israeli measures against Palestinian detainees.
After the stabbing, Israeli forces stormed Section 4, mostly filled with Hamas and Islamic Jihad detainees, beat the inmates up and pepper-sprayed them.
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From PressTV
Israeli troops kill Palestinian near Bethlehem: Medics
Israeli troops have shot dead a Palestinian teenager and wounded several others at a refugee camp near the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Palestinian medics say.
The 19-year-old Palestinian identified as Jihad Shehada al-Ja’fary was killed on Tuesday, when Israeli soldiers invaded the Deheishe refugee camp.
According to medical sources, the Palestinian man was shot by a live round that penetrated his left shoulder and lodged in his chest, causing a severe bleeding.
Israeli troops prevented medics from reaching the seriously wounded teen and he bled to death before the medics managed to move him to the al-Yamama hospital, the sources said.
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From the Jewish Daily Forward
John Kerry Slams Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘Judgment’ on Iran as Feud Deepens
Says Israel Premier ‘May Not Be Correct’ on Deal
In an escalation of hostile exchanges between the allies six days before Netanyahu gives a speech to Congress on the threat from Iran, the Israeli leader accused world powers of abandoning a pledge to prevent Tehran from getting a nuclear bomb.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, engaged in international talks with Tehran on its nuclear program, said Netanyahu may be wrong. Kerry told a congressional hearing: “He may have a judgment that just may not be correct here.”
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Amnesty Int’l: Israel and Hamas committed war crimes
(JTA) — Amnesty International accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during last summer’s war in Gaza.
The human rights organization in its 415-page annual report released Wednesday reiterated its claims from December that Israel’s assault on Gaza “was marked by callous indifference and involved war crimes.” The report said that Israel during its military operation last July and August carried out attacks on “inhabited homes, in some cases killing entire families, and on medical facilities and schools.”
However, the report also said that Hamas had committed war crimes by “firing indiscriminate rockets into Israel causing six deaths” and killing at least 23 Palestinian civilians that it accused of collaborating with Israel.
A spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the report biased, The Times of Israel reported, and said that Amnesty International has “completely disregarded the suffering of tens of thousands of Israelis, who for years — especially during Operation Protective Edge — were victims of Hamas rocket terror.”
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Torching of West Bank mosque called nationalistic attack
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A West Bank mosque was set on fire and nationalist slogans were painted on its walls.
The attack in the Jaba village, near Bethlehem, occurred early Wednesday morning. A mosque window was broken and a burning object was thrown inside. The interior walls and furniture were damaged.
Worshippers who arrived at the mosque at 4:30 a.m. saw the flames and put out the fire, the Palestinian Maan news agency reported.
Phrases spray-painted on the mosque’s outside walls included “we want the redemption of Zion” and “revenge.”
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From Russia Today
Kiev trying to invalidate weapons withdraw plan, undermine Minsk deal – militia officials
Kiev is trying to invalidate the plan of heavy weaponry withdrawal from the demarcation line in eastern Ukraine, thus undermining the Minsk peace deal, Donbass officials claim. An OSCE top official says Kiev is not pulling away its artillery.
According to the peace deal, heavy weapons must be withdrawn from the agreed demarcation line starting February 22. But Donetsk representative Denis Pushilin and Lugansk representative Vladislav Deynego have claimed in a joint statement that Kiev is “attempting to invalidate the plan.”
The Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which has a monitoring mission in the conflict area, said Kiev has so far failed to begin moving its weapons from the demarcation line.
“Ukrainian military forces keep silent for the moment being. They don’t pull out their heavy weaponry and say that a pause is needed. That is what really triggers certain concern of the OSCE, as this pause may last indefinitely,” said the Russian ambassador to the organization, Andrey Kelin.
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From Russia Today
Poland likely to send military advisers to help Ukraine – defense aid
Poland has been a staunch ally of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Warsaw says the number of military advisers will range from around a dozen to several dozens.
“The defense ministry intends to send Polish instructors to support the training of Ukrainian non-commissioned officers,” Defense Ministry adviser Boguslaw Pacek told Reuters.
The move comes in the wake of a decision by British Prime Minister David Cameron to send military advisers to Ukraine, a move which was praised by Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, who said“playing the right tune on Ukraine” with his decision to send military personnel to the war-torn country, which was reported by the Polish press agency.
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From The Times of Israel
Amnesty: 2014 ‘catastrophic’ year for human rights
Watchdog accuses Israel of committing ‘war crimes’ in Gaza; Foreign Ministry says report ‘disregards’ Israeli suffering
World leaders have proved “shameful and ineffective” in failing to protect civilians from groups like Islamic State, Amnesty International said Wednesday, calling 2014 a “catastrophic” year and warning that the situation would get worse unless leaders took immediate action.
In its 415-page annual report detailing abuses in 160 countries, the group accused governments of “pretending the protection of civilians is beyond their power.”
It said millions of civilians had been killed from Syria to Ukraine, Gaza to Nigeria, while the number of displaced people around the world exceeded 50 million last year for the first time since the end of World War II.
According to Amnesty, Israel was one of the 18 countries along with Syria, Iraq and Libya where war crimes were committed by the government or armed groups.
“2014 was a catastrophic year for millions caught up in violence,” said Amnesty’s secretary general, Shalil Shetty. “The global response to conflict and abuses by states and armed groups has been shameful and ineffective.
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