By Fida Qishta
Fida Qishta interviews Mona El-Farra, of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society for the Gaza Strip, regarding the pending arrival of the Free Gaza Movement who will be sailing to Gaza soon in efforts to break the siege.
To view the Free Gaza Movement website click here
On Wednesday August the 13th 2008 a thirteen year old boy was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers and has reported that he was beaten. He was held for six hours before being released. Also, an epileptic shepherd from the West Bank village of Ni’lin told international activists that he was beaten up by Israeli soldiers when he attempted to take his sheep to his fields near his home at 9am.
The Israeli army has harassed the farmers of Ni’lin every morning for at least a week by sending soldiers to the road half way between the village and the construction site of the illegal apartheid wall. The soldiers says the land is declared a closed military zone, but have not shown any document proving that claim.
The soldiers continued the harassment by removing the security road blocks villagers of Ni’lin have build of stones on the sand roads leading into the village, in order to keep the soldiers away from their homes.
Villagers protested spontaneously against the removal of the stones and the military answered back by shooting rubber coated steel bullets, teargas and sound bombs at the demonstrators.
The Israeli army moved all the way into the village and shot at the protesters from the health care clinic.
The army chased the protesters forward and back in the fieds right outside the village from approximately 12.30 to 5 pm, continuously shooting huge amounts of teargas and rubber coated steel bullets.
5 villagers were seriously injured by rubber coated steel bullets. One were sent to the nearby hospital Al Shekh Zaid after being hit by 4 bullets, two of the bullets hit him on his left arm right next to his heart.
One 9 year old boy was kidnapped by the soldiers and beaten before they took him to the police station where the Israeli army held him for 6 hours before his family finally was allowed to come and take him home.
After a few hours of silence the military entered the village again at approximately 1am. 8 jeeps with heavily armed soldiers woke up the sleeping villagers by shooting sound bombs and tear-gas in the streets and into the houses. One man was taken to the police station without any charges or explanation and afterwards his house among others were tear-gassed.
To view original article, published by Maan News Agency on the 12th August, click here
A planned siege-breaking voyage to Gaza has been delayed by inclement weather at the Island of Crete, an official said on Tuesday.
Jamal Al-Khudari, chairman of the Popular Committee Against the Siege, and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council said that he spoke with the coordinator of the Free Gaza Movement, the group that is planning to sail to Gaza’s Mediterranean port in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade.
Paul Larudee, one of the co-founders of the Free Gaza Movement, and spokesperson Osama Qashu’ informed Al-Khudari that tremendous winds and bad weather prevented the ship from leaving Cyprus, then to Crete and on to Gaza.
Meteorologists expect the weather to lift on Saturday. The boat is expected to arrive in Gaza next Tuesday or Wednesday. A mass welcoming ceremony is planned for the activists in Gaza.
European, American, Palestinian, and Israeli activists are aboard the ship, which s carrying a delivery of medical supplies. One Jewish Holocaust survivor, 84-year-old Hedy Epstein, is among the activists.
Israel once again impose a total closure on Gaza’s borders on Tuesday, stopping all movement of vital supplies into the Strip. Israel began its blockade of Gaza in June 2006, trapping 1.5 million Palestinians inside.
At 11 am on Monday August the 11th approximately 200 Palestinians, Israeli and international activists marched towards the construction site of the illegal apartheid wall in the West Bank village of Ni’lin.
Photos courtesy of Activestills
The wall annexes more than half of the current farming land of Ni’lin and more than 80 percent of the land belonging to the villagers before 1948. Even the land that the Palestinians of Ni’lin have left after the construction of the wall is restricted to them. On the morning of the protest the Israeli army blocked the road half way in between the village and the construction site making it impossible for the farmers to reach and farm their land.
When the nonviolent protesters reached the sand road on which the illegal apartheid wall is being built, the Israeli army attempted to scare away the crowd by shooting live ammunition in the air as well as in the ground in front of the many people gathered. Huge amounts of teargas and sound grenades followed and divided the demonstrators into small groups. One group of Palestinians, Israelis and internationals kept trying to reach the construction machines, but were attacked by the many soldiers present.
The Israeli army continued shooting teargas and rubber-coated steel bullets at the nonviolent protesters until 5 pm while they tried to escape from the brutality of the soldiers.
7 Palestinians where seriously injured and required medical assistance after being hit by rubber-coated steel bullets.
One French protester had to be hospitalised after being hit in the head by a teargas cannister at close range in the beginning of the demonstration.
On 9th August 2008 15:48 At around 15:30 three donkeys which had been stolen by settlers in the morning were released by Palestinians under protection from Israeli police. This took place on land that has been occupied by settlers illegaly for 5 months. The land is owned by Palestinians and has grape, olive and almond treas on it that the Jabar family rely on for income. It has now become impossible for the family to enter this land.
On 9th August 2008 at 17:30 the Jabar family were attacked by settlers who threw stones at their house and tried to steal their sheep. When the army arrived at the place they pushed away the Palestinians who tried to prevent the settlers to steal their sheep. The settlers eventually stole 4 of the family’s sheep.
On 10th August at 17:30 8 settlers entered the H1 area of Hebron and began to pray. The Israeli army and border police entered and protected the settlers, at the same time they closed all the shops in Bab Al-Zawiya area around the checkpoint and the Beer Al-Saba Street. Later groups of settlers walked from Tel Rumeida checkpoint, through the Beer Al-Saba street, towards an old tomb to celebrate a Jewish holiday. The Palestinians didn’t get access to the street again until around 20:30 when the army and border police left and escorted away the last settlers.
