International Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.
By the ISM Media Team
July 2nd, 2007. At approximately 2 pm a water tanker was on its way to refill the water tanks of the Palestinian Abu Heikel family, living in Tel Rumeida, Hebron. Since their house is on the opposite side of the illegal Israeli settlement of Tel Rumeida, the truck had to take the road passing this settlement.
When the truck tried to reach its destination, a group of approximately fifteen settlers went out of their homes, blocked the street and prevented the driver of going further. The truck spent about one hour in this miserable situation. During this time settlers were shouting at the truck driver and using a CD to reflect the sun into his eyes. A couple of children made several attempts to enter the truck by stepping on the trucks stairs, while other settlers were throwing eggs at the trucks windshield.
Several soldiers joined the scene and surrounded the drivers cab. Whether their purpose was to protect the driver or to join the settler’s harassments couldn’t be surely known. They did not do anything to prevent the settlers from blocking the road, therefore the truck had to go back down the hill and stopped at the nearby crossroads.
When the house owner arrived he started negotiating with the police, which had already been there, because of another incident happening at the same time. After another hour the house owner went up the hill, with the police following him. At approximately 4.30 pm the truck was finally allowed to make another attempt to deliver his load. Without any further incidents he was able to reach the Abu Heikel family house and refill their water tanks.
