A CALL FOR ACTION…
Thursday, August 4
by Dorothy
International Women’s Peace Service
The Israeli army invaded the village of Marda on the night of Tuesday, Aug. 2, searched homes and abducted about 15 boys. They arrested four of the boys. IWPS will do its best to furnish you with all the relevant information you might need to begin action. following this article, there is a call for action. You can help these boys.
At approximately 9 p.m. on August 2, about 6 Israeli army jeeps entered the village of Marda. Soldiers spread out on foot throughout the village and the surrounding olive groves. For about two hours, the soldiers searched houses. Residents reported that the soldiers seized teenage boys from several homes. By 11:30 p.m., the soldiers gathered about 15 boys and kept them blindfolded and handcuffed at the main entrance to the village, with four jeeps and about 20 soldiers on site. Some of the boys appeared to be as young as 13. The soldiers claimed that they were looking for boys who threw stones in the area of the road earlier that day, breaking a car window.
For several hours, the boys were kept sitting or standing, blindfolded and handcuffed. Soldiers took them one by one into a jeep for questioning; sounds of yelling could be heard coming from the jeep. The boys’ parents gathered near the entrance and tried to speak to the soldiers – one father explained that his son had been home all evening studying with a friend. The soldiers ordered the parents away from the site, and they moved further down the road. International observers were allowed to remain on site, but not to speak to the boys.
At 1:30 a.m., about 12 boys were released. At 2 a.m., soldiers said that the remaining four boys had confessed to throwing stones. One of the boys was 15; two others appeared to be 13 or 14. The boys were loaded into a jeep and driven away. When IWPS volunteers left the village at about 8 a.m., the four boys had not been returned to the village, and two army jeeps were still patrolling the main road.
UPDATE AND CALL FOR ACTION:
Dorothy of IWPS writes: Now, at 10:45 AM Palestine/Israel time, three of the youngsters taken by Israeli soldiers in Marda are still in confinement. I don’t have their IDs, unfortunately, but their names are as follows: Nabhan Ahmed Suliman ( age 14); Amir Wadal Khufash ( age 14); Asad Gazi Khufash ( age 15).
Imagine that these were your sons or grandsons or sons of friends, or whatever! How would you feel if the military came in the night and pulled a youngster from your home? Please make strong appeals, as if these were your own! Call the phone numbers listed below and insist on having these children released IMMEDIATELY!
Israeli DCL Qalqilya/Salfit
From abroad : 972-9-775-9219
Locally : 09-775-9219 ; 09-792-2359
Qedumim Military Prison
From abroad : 972-9-775-9333
Locally: 09-775-9333
Army spokesperson
From abroad : 972-3-608-0340/1
Locally: 03-608-0340/1
Ophir Pines – Minister of Internal Affairs
pinespaz@knesset.gov.il
From abroad: 972-2-675-3754 or 972-2-675-3953
Fax: 972-2-649-6171
Locally: 02-675-3754 or 02-675-3953
Local Fax: 02-649-6171