Israel destroys over 1,000 olive trees in Hebron village

Source : Maan News Agency

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces destroyed over 1,300 olive trees in the south Hebron hills on Tuesday.

Israeli soldiers accompanied officials from Israel's civil administration as demolition crews uprooted hundreds of olive trees in the village of Susiya, Ma'an's reporter said.

According to B'Tselem, there are 26 outstanding Israeli demolition orders in the village.

In February 2012, right-wing settler advocacy group Regavim petitioned Israel's supreme court on behalf of an Israe settlement overshadowing the village, calling for Israeli authorities t implement the demolition orders.

Meanwhile, settlers from Karmi Tzur uprooted 30 olive trees east of Halhu local Saeed Madiyah told Ma'an.

In al-Malih and al-Madareb, in the Jordan Valley, Israeli forces demolished 1 animal shelters belonging to Bedouins in the area.

In Hizma, north of Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished shelters belonging t Nayef al-Ashab.

Al-Ashab told Ma'an he used the shelters to store produce for his shop and tha he was not warned they would be demolished. The goods were all destroyed the demolition, he said.

Syria rebels must distance themselves from "terrorists" - Westerwelle

Source : Strategic-Culture.org

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Saturday the Syrian opposition must distance itself from "terrorist and extremist" forces and said Germany was sceptical about supplying weapons to the rebels.

"We expect from the opposition that they clearly distance themselves in Syria from terrorist and extremist forces," Westerwelle told reporters in Istanbul at a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders and their international backers.

"We are sceptical as the German government when it comes to delivering weapons because we are concerned that weapons could fall into the wrong, namely extremist, hands, but it is a matter that must now be discussed in the European Union."

Israel injects Palestinian prisoners with dangerous viruses

Source : Tehran Times

The Israeli regime injects Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails with “dangerous viruses” before releasing them, a report says.

“A Palestinian released from Israeli jails, Rania Saqa, has brought to light that the Israeli regime injected detainees that are out of prisons with dangerous viruses,” Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda wrote on Friday.

Saqa also said many of the prisoners are suffering from mysteriously incurable diseases such as bladder cancer and liver disorders.

She said it is a standard procedure for Israelis to inject Palestinian detainees before freeing them.

“Most former inmates die after being released from Israeli jails,” the newspaper wrote.

Palestinian prisoners are calling on international organizations to take urgent action to stop this.

A rights organization has accused Israel of using Palestinian prisoners to test new drugs.

The International Solidarity for Human Rights Institute said such conduct blatantly contradicts moral and medical principles.

According to human rights group B'Tselem, more than 4,700 Palestinian prisoners, including about 170 administrative detainees, are currently being held in Israeli prisons.

Administrative detention is a sort of imprisonment without trial or charge that allows Israel to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months. The detention order can be renewed for indefinite periods of time.