Year: 2012 - Page 11 - International Solidarity Movement

Settlers set mosque on fire in Urif, West Bank

by Vincent Redheart and Anas Green

19th November 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Today, Monday 19 of November at around 4 am, a bunch of settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar set a mosque in the village of Urif on fire. The door has been damaged and the prayer mats were severely burned. After a few hours Israeli soldiers reached the area causing several clashes with the inhabitants who appeared nervous due to the attack. The soldiers shot a huge amount of tear-gas and sound bombs at the residents.
The village of Urif has been attacked many times in similar ways by the illegal settlement of Yitzhar. This year, on 29th April, mask-wearing settlers invaded the village supported by Israeli soldiers who used tear-gas, sound bombs and live ammunitions. Another event happened on 26th May when armed settlers burned cultivated fields, threw stones and shot live ammunition against the Palestinian people, one of whom was injured in the abdomen.
The illegal settlement of Yitzhar is responsible of countless attacks against surrounding villages: not only Urif but also Burin and Asira al-Qabaliya suffered similar attacks.
Urif is a Palestinian town near Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, located thirteen kilometres South of Nablus. The town has a population of just under 3000 inhabitants and is overlooked by the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar.

The front of the mosque is seen here with scorch marks near the door

The prayer mats are seen here, scorched by flames

Vincent Redheart and Anas Green are volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed)

Voices of Resistance

For Media: We have English (as well as other languages) speaking people in Gaza wishing for their voices to be heard. To arrange for interviews please contact: p alreports@gmail.com

Haidar Eid, professor (Tel Al Hawa, Gaza)

Quote november 18th “I was supposed to give an interview today at the Shuruk building one of the two buildings that house the media outlets in Gaza. Both were bombed. Apartheid Israel must not get away with its crimes against the innocent civilians of Gaza. What more does the international community need to see to be convinced to act than the dozens of dead corpses and amputated bodies of children and women in Gaza? We no longer count on governments, especially Western, but rather on people of conscience and civil society to exert whatever pressure they can on the fascist government of Israel to stop its war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in broad day light! “

Omnia Abu Shahla, student (Gaza City Center)
‘’Please, help us. I’m really scared we will die soon. Yesterday was a bombing around us. Windows broken, everybody crying, the fire everywhere. I’m a human being. This is not human what is going on. We are just trying to live.’’

Khalil Shaheen, PCHR (Tel Al Hawa)

‘’It is very important that we as PCHR and all Palestinian NGOs get together now. We have just finished our press conference in front of a journalist building which was attacked this morning. This was the strongest message to send, to assure our friends we use all possible tools. The international community should form a convention to stop Israeli aggression. This is already five days of escalating violence and Palestinians pay the price. We have more than 140 children injured. The international community should intervene. It is time for justice for all the victims, for all of us also and to demand accountability of Israel.’’

Rana Baker, student and blogger (Gaza City Center)

‘’The international media should cover more what is going on in Gaza. There are so many people that want to speak up, but my friends on Twitter tell me not much is written.’’

Rita Mari (Deir al-Balah, Gaza)
“We give birth to children so that they can live and build their country. But Israel robs them of their childhood, puts a siege on their country and destroys their future. In Gaza, the children are being killed for no reason by the terrorist Israeli occupation. Bombings and explosions everywhere.”

Call from Gaza to the citizens of the world: STOP THE ONGOING MASSACRE

18.11.2012 – Besieged Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Four years after the Israeli Occupation Forces perpetrated a massacre upon the population of Gaza, Apartheid Israel commits another crime. The latest round of Israeli war crimes has resulted in a new massacre ; at the time of writing more than 40 innocent civilians, including 15 children, have been murdered brutally as they slept in their own houses. More than 400 have been critically injured.

We request that the citizens of the world oppose this deadly crime. We no longer rely on governments. The failure of the United Nations and its numerous organizations to condemn such crimes proves their complicity. Only civil society is able to mobilize to demand the application of international law and put an end to Israel’s impunity. The intervention of civil society was effective in the late 1980s against the apartheid regime of South Africa. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have not only described Israel’s oppressive and violent control of Palestinians as Apartheid, they have also joined this call for the world’s civil society to intervene again.

We, therefore, ask people of conscience and civil society organizations to put pressure on their governments until Israel is forced to abide by international law and international humanitarian
law. Without the intervention of the international community which was effective against apartheid in South Africa, Israel will continue its war crimes and crimes against humanity, as articulated by the Goldstone report.

We call on civil society organizations worldwide to intensify the anti-Israel sanctions campaign to compel Israel to end to its aggression.

The international conspiracy of silence towards the genocidal war taking place against the 1.5 million civilians in Gaza indicates complicity in these war crimes.

We call upon the international community to demand that the rouge State of Israel end its siege and compensate for the destruction of life and infrastructure that it has visited upon the Palestinian people. We alse call upon all Palestine solidarity groups and all international civil society organisations to demand:

– An end to occupation, Apartheid and other war crimes committed by Israel
– An end to the siege that has been imposed on the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip since 2006.
– The protection of civilian lives and property, as stipulated in International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law such as The Fourth Geneva Convention.
– That Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip be provided with material support to cope with the immense hardship that they are experiencing..
– Immediate reparations and compensation for all destruction carried out by the Israeli Occupation Forces in the Gaza Strip.
– Holding Israeli generals and leaders accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the civilians of Gaza.

Signatory Organizations:
Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions
The One Democratic State Group
University Teachers’ Association
Palestinian Students’ Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel

List of People Twitting in English from Gaza [Constantly Updated]

In Gaza:

@RanaGaza – Rana

@annepaq – Anne Paq (Activestills photographer)

@DimaEleiwa – Dima Eleiwa

@pdanahar – Paul Danahar (BBC Journalist)

@jncatron – Joe Catron

@AhmdFarra – Ahmad Farra

@MyFreePal – Rawan

@ShahdAbusalama – Shah Abusalama

@Palestinianism – Farah Filasteen

@Solarah – Samah Saleh

@RichardDufek – Richard Dufek

@emilie_baujard – Emelie Baujard (Radio France journalist)

@GazaYBO – Gaza Youth Break Out

@PTelegraph – Palestine Telegraph

@WillOuda – Wael

@sarahussein – Sara Hussein (Agence France-Presse journalist)

Relevant information sources about Gaza:

@IsmPalestine – International Solidarity Movement

@MedicalAidPal – Medical Aid Palestine

@jadaliyya – Jadaliyya

@AliAbunimah – Ali Abunimah

@intifada – Electronic Intifada

Demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza: all over the West Bank, all over the world [Constantly Updated]

Since the bombing on Gaza started days ago, demonstrations all over the West Bank and in cities all over the wolrd, from Jerusalem to New York; have been happening every day. Here we present updates from these protests:

West Bank Updates:

November 17th:

Nablus

Around 200 people block the road near Huwwara checkpoint. Army uses tear gas on demonstrators. Around 10 palestinians arrested.

http://youtu.be/-8L-HiFgVLQ

Ramallah

Around 400 people demonstrating in front of Ofer Prison. Army uses tear gas, sound bombs and live ammunition to disperse protestors. At least 9 wounded. Two medics injuried, one of them critically.

via @JskwLeeds

Hebron

Clashes between demonstrators and the army near the old city. Tear gas and sound granades used on demonstrators. Border police enters a building to control the area. One person arrested.

Beit Ummar

Clashes with the army.

Jenin

Clashes with the army at Jalama Checkpoint. Several protestors arrested.

Nabi Saleh

Tear gas, skunk water and live ammunition used on demonstrators. Three injuried, one of them by a bullet.

A selection of photographs from previous demonstrations:

Ramallah: