21th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Balata Refugee Camp, Occupied Palestine
Last night, hundreds of settlers accompanied by Israeli forces invaded Balata refugee camp in Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb. Israeli soldiers shot tear gas canisters and sound bombs at residents who protested the incursion – three youths were reportedly arrested.
At around 12am, several buses carrying hundreds of settlers, escorted by Israeli military, invaded Balata refugee camp. The settlers went to Joseph’s tomb to pray while Israeli soldiers separated into various groups and patrolled the area around the tomb. Residents of Balata, outraged by the incursion, left their homes to protest the invasion and were soon met with tear gas canisters and sound bombs shot at them. Soldiers blocked all entrances of the refugee camp, severely restricting movement of people in and out of the camp.
International activists were present at the scene and could witness how Israeli soldiers were shooting the teargas canisters directly at people rather than in an arc as the Israeli military guidelines on shooting teargas dictate. Soldiers also fired teargas directly into the narrow residential streets, several times hitting and damaging civilian cars. No one was injured there are reports that three Palestinian youths from the area were arrested.
Running from the tear gas canisters fired at protesters, one resident stated: “This happens every week. This is our life in the camp; constant settler and army invasions…the Israeli army comes with the settlers to protect them while they are praying but we, Palestinians, have no right to be in our camp”.
Indeed, this type of incursion is part of the daily life of Palestinian refugees living in Balata camp. Israeli settlers believe that Joseph’s tomb is a holy place, where Joseph is buried. Thus, groups of extremist settlers storm the camp and perform religious rituals on a weekly basis. Israeli soldiers, as usual protecting the settlers, shoot tear gas canisters and sound bombs at residents around the tomb.
In an excessive use of lethal force, on Tuesday morning, 20 August 2013, Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 3 others, including 2 children, in Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
Majd Mohammed Lahlouh al-Shahla (Photo by Ma’an News Agency)
According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 04:30 on Tuesday, 20 August 2013, Israeli forces in 12 military vehicles moved into Jenin refugee camp. They patrolled the streets and surrounded a house belonging to the family of Bassm al-Sa’di, a leader of Islamic Jihad. They then raided and searched the house. In the meantime, a number of Palestinian children and young men gathered and threw stones and empty bottles at the Israeli forces. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the stone throwers. As a result, Majd Mohammed Lahlouh al-Shahla, 21, was seriously wounded by a live bullet to the chest. He was evacuated to Dr. Khalil Suleiman Hospital in Jenin, but medical efforts to save his life failed. According to medical sources, the bullet entered al-Shahla’s right armpit and settled in his heart. Additionally, another 3 civilians, including 2 children, were wounded:
1- ‘Alaa’ Jamal Abu Khalifa, 17, wounded by a live bullet to the side;
2- Kareem Subhi Abu Sbaih, 17, wounded by a live bullet to the side; and
3- Hadi Jamal Lahlouh, 23, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the chest.
PCHR expresses deep concern for this crime which reflects the continued use of excessive force by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in disregard for their lives.
PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate and effective actions to put an end to such crimes and reiterates its call for the parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 to fulfill their obligations under Common Article 1; i.e., to respect and to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their obligation under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Article 85 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions.
15th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine
Update 19th August: The three young men from Qaddum had court in Salem today. One of them, Bashar, was released today, but the situation for the other two is less certain. They are currently still imprisoned and are reportedly facing charges which could sentence them to five or six months in jail.
*******
Shortly after the release of 26 prisoners by Israel on the evening of the 13th August, as part of the ‘peace’ negotiations, thirteen people were arrested in the West Bank during army night incursions including three youths from Kafr Qaddum. At 3am on the 14th of August, Israeli occupation forces raided three homes taking three youths away from their families, 22-year-old Bashar, 21-year-old Abraham and 17-year-old Omran. Although several people have been arrested during the demonstrations at Kafr Qaddum, this is the first time in a year that the army has arrested people from their homes.
Photo of arrested youth, Bashar (photo provided by his family)
International activists visited two of the three families who had loved ones ripped away from them in the night to fill the spaces in prisons, still warm from Israel’s prisoner release. Bashar’s family hurried to get dressed when the army pounded on the door and shouted at three in the morning. When the family answered the door, the army released two dogs into the house as the children were still sleeping. Four soldiers then followed into the house and demanded the family wake the children and all wait in one room. The army proceeded to ‘check’ the house scaring the children who were distraught after their brother’s arrest, unable to sleep the rest of the night. The family were not allowed to leave the room as the army proceeded up stairs as the father who was weak, ill and disabled was still sleeping and unable to move. The soldiers demanded he be woken, something the family members tried to prevent, especially when the dogs were brought upstairs. The family pleaded not to wake him as he was unable to move, but the army woke him and told him to stay, an act clearly intended simply to intimidate.
Meanwhile one soldier pointed a gun and aimed directly at Bashar and told him to ‘come here,’ then proceeded to ransack the cupboards and rooms. After half an hour they took Bashar and took him into one of the army jeeps where a Shabak agent confirmed Bashar’s identity before they took him out the jeep and walked him away from the village through the olive trees. The family was scared when this happened as they remembered Hamada a 17 year old Kafr Qaddum martyr from 2007. Hamada was arrested in a similar night raid, blind folded and bound, then was led through the olive tree field in a similar fashion before being shot first in the head and then in the leg. The incident was reported by the Israelis that Hamada was shot whilst trying to escape.
Photo of arrested minor, Omran (photo provided by his family)
Omran’s family home was raided also at 3am when at least two jeeps and 40-50 soldiers surrounded the house. The army entered the house straight away as the door to the house was unable to close properly. The family was gathered in one room after they had collected all their IDs. The younger children of the house were scared and could not stop shaking or crying. The soldiers demanded the sons say their names in turn until they identified 17 year old Omran. Omran was one of the four children the Israeli army previously pasted up leaflets about, containing the photographs of four children and issuing a threat that they will arrest them in their homes.
They questioned Omran whilst his father asked to know why they were detaining him. The army said that Omran makes problems for Israeli security and participates in the demonstrations. His father explained that Omran cleans the mosque and so could have been seen walking from the house to the mosque and back, which is in the route where the demonstration takes place. His family report that Omran is one of the best students in his class. His father pleaded with the army that his son is innocent, to which the army replied that if the investigation finds him innocent, then he will be let go. This investigation time has many of those arrested for at least 5-6 months. Omran would be considered a minor under Israeli civilian law as he is under 18. However, under Israeli military law, which is applied to Palestinians, anyone over the age of 12 is charged as an adult.
A list of names was spotted when the soldiers came and so the villagers of Kafr Qaddum fear and feel through experience that there will be other night raids soon. A year ago, the army raided arresting three people every week and on the 5th of April arrested twenty people in one night. When Bashar was arrested he shouted to his family as he was led away blindfolded and bound to ‘make your duty and go on the demonstration, that way I will be with you in Kafr Qaddum and not in prison.’
Palestinian families have many problems due to the occupation that affect their economic well-being. Poverty and unemployment are a big problem and so when families have their loved ones arrested this puts upon them a far greater strain as they attempt to find funds to pay legal costs in spite of having very little hope in the Israeli ‘justice’ system.
The interview was cut short when the army started shooting teargas at a group of youths on the outskirts of the village. The army pushed people further back into the village shooting teargas before retreating back up the hill at sunset. In spite of repeated army repression and collective punishment of the village, Kafr Qaddum has continued demonstrating against the closure of their historic road that was made accesible only for settlers.
A video has been put online on a website claiming to be a human right organization with a woman impersonating an ISM volunteer. In the video a woman who claims to have volunteered with the ISM in Palestine says that she was sexually harassed by a prominent Palestinian activist. The ISM want to make clear that this video is a hoax: the woman is not an ISM volunteer and the Facebook and Twitter pages are not of any human rights organization. The video was initially posted to false human rights organization pages, but are now being posted by individual users.
We believe this video is designed to harm the Palestinian popular struggle and the international solidarity movement in Palestine.
It is not the first time a video in which someone claims to be an International activist has been produced in order to attack the popular struggle and the solidarity movement.
For example, before the freedom flotilla left for Gaza, a hoax video was released in which an Israeli actor posed as a solidarity activist and was eventually exposed.
When cases of sexual harassment or assault occur, as they do everywhere in the world, ISM and our Palestinian partners take reports very seriously and take action to protect people from sexual harassment and violence.
19th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Asira al Qibliya, Occupied Palestine
In the evenings of the 15th and 16th of August, the village of Asira al Qibliya was raided by Israeli occupation forces, who fired teargas canisters and sound bombs throughout the village. Residents of Asira are concerned for the children of the village and how life under the occupation is stealing their childhoods.
The Israeli military recently posted a blog that used falsified images to claim that there was not a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that Palestinians were enjoying the holiday season of Eid, which comes after the fasting month of Ramadan. It is true that Palestinians all over Palestine are enjoying the holiday season particularly the children, as they have a break from school but they still face the difficulties of living under the occupation on a daily basis.
Palestinian dubke dancing from a children’s event in Asira (Photo by ISM)
In Asira, children have been involved in various activities and workshops. On Saturday the 18th of August they celebrated the end of their music workshop with a party. The holiday had not been problem free however, as on the nights of the 15th and 16th of August, at around 9.30pm, the Israeli army drove into the village and shot teargas and soundbombs. Because it was the holidays, children had been playing in the street and families had been relaxing as they were not at work. The army invasion led to everyone being trapped in their homes, suffocating from the gas.
The army shooting their weapons in the night was ‘like lightning,’ an organiser of children’s activities said, ‘leaving people shocked and scared.’ The children’s organiser was confused about the reason behind the attack, asking ‘why do they come now? There have been no incidents or clashes, it’s the Ramadan holiday when people are relaxed, I don’t know why they come.’ The army stayed for 30-40 minutes and made no arrests, leaving the village in shock. Many people wondered why the army would come, other than to add to a list of problems and harassment that the villagers already face.
The villagers of Asira have faced problems with settlers almost daily, even during Ramadan. Settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar regularly attack the village, an attack which the army then join against the villagers when they come out to defend their homes. Settlers have been focusing their attacks on a water project on the outskirts of the village, which is being constructed in order to provide the people of the village with water. Asira has a shortage of water – unlike the nearby illegal settlement of Yitzhar – so families are required to buy tanks of water. However, these are so prohibitively expensive that villagers always have less than they need. The children’s organiser spoke about an attack that day where settlers had managed to set a small fire at the water project, but it was thankfully swiftly extinguished. The water project is scheduled to be finished in 18 months, but with almost daily attacks by the settlers, who knows its fate.
Asira al Qibliya being attacked by settlers on 30th May 2013 (Photo by ISM)
The children of Asira are naturally conditioned by the occupation. The activities organised for them aim to offer an escape and psychological support for the fear and hardships that the occupation creates. During the holidays, children were encouraged to make a film about themselves but instead wanted to make a film about the army and the settlers. This saddened the organiser who said: ‘They should take opportunity to talk about themselves and their feelings. If they want to talk about settlers it will take too long, as the history is long. Children should escape and should not always have to think about the occupation, they should talk about what they want to talk about, they must start now to talk about what they want.’
The party celebrating the end of the music project was a break from the children’s typical games of playing soldier, settler and shabab (Palestinian youth). The children listened to music and joined in with the excercises they had learnt in the workshop, before celebrating Palestinian culture through dabka and traditional songs. The party was interrupted briefly when a boy commented on gathering military on the hill and so everyone believed it would lead to a settler attack. Fortunately that evening they did not attack the village, allowing the children to enjoy their workshop.
