International Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.
9th September 2009, Susiya, South Hebron Hills
5:30 am: International volunteers conducted usual rounds with the shepherds grazing their sheep. All was quiet.
8.30am: Army jeeps passed and one had stopped. More border police jeeps and a D9 armored bulldozer moved toward a settler outpost and started demolishing it. International volunteers continued to monitor the situation as fears of settler attacks spread among the local community.
Around 10.30am: A group of settlers were seen walking towards one of the Palestinian camps. The Palestinians ran in that direction and the internationals followed. They also saw an army jeep racing towards the scene.
The settlers, Palestinians and army all met at the same time. A fight broke out between the Palestinians and settlers. The settlers were dispersed after the intervention from the army.
One international attempted to negotiate with the soldiers to allow the locals to return to their homes, as they were being detained in the hot sun while fasting. The soldiers only allowed them to move into the shade.
After the Palestinians were finally released, the international and Israeli activists went to see the home that the settlers ran through, causing damage. They saw that the settlers attempted to damage a solar panel by throwing stones at it.
Upon returning to the main camp the police arrived and took statements from the Palestinian families. More international and Israeli activists joined the locals (Ta’ayush, COMET, Operation Dove and EAPPI). The army declared the area a ‘closed military zone’. One of the Israeli activists was arrested by Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security service, shortly after his arrival.
The international activists and local Palestinians kept watch throughout the night. There were no more incidents. During the night the outpost was being rebuilt, with the army present.
The following morning around 5.30am, the internationals conducted rounds again. All was quiet.
