18th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Qusra, Occupied Palestine
Early yesterday morning, a Palestinian family was attacked by approximately 20 settlers on their fields in Qusra village, southeast of Nablus. 30 olive trees were also destroyed. Following this incident, a clash broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinian youth in the village where a house was raided and Israeli soldiers fired many tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets and injured eight Palestinians.
At 10:00 yesterday morning a family from Qusra entered their olive grove. Shortly afterwards a group of approximately 20 settlers from the illegal settlement of Migdalim arrived and began to threaten the family, uprooting between 30-50 olive trees. This land stretches across 50 dunams and borders the Israeli controlled Area C portion of the West Bank, it is the fifth time this family’s land have been attacked by settlers. Half an hour passed before Israeli soldiers arrived and removed the settlers to limit the damage, however when an international activist arrived to document the incident, Israeli forces had already entered Qusra village.
A group of 50 young Palestinians threw stones to try and prevent an Israeli military vehicle from invading the village; however Israeli forces then began firing tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets. After one hour passed, five Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets and the Israeli soldiers were extremely aggressive in their attack. They then withdrew from the village only to enter from another part of Qusra, proceeding to raid a house in the centre of the village and from the roof of this house continuing to fire many rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters.
The invaded house belongs to the same Palestinian family who was attacked by settlers early in the day, whether this was a sign of warning to the family is unknown, however much tear gas entered the house during the raid and several family members suffered from tear gas inhalation. Two children, ages six and seven, were unconscious for several minutes and required medical treatment from the Red Crescent ambulant service that was present during the raid. Muhammad Nashad, the uncle of these two children, was beaten by the Israeli soldiers, who forced him to his knees and fired a stun grenade directly in front of him. 21-year-old Ali Farid, another family member, attempted to block the soldier’s entrance into the home when he was shot in the arm with a rubber-coated steel bullet.
Israeli forces eventually left the village, leaving behind damaged property and at least 8 injuries, including 18-year-old Hamada Rida who was shot in the chest with a rubber-coated steel bullet and was taken to hospital to receive medical treatment.