Author: ISM Media Group

Just another night in Balata

by ISM Nablus, 3rd November

In a shockingly common scenario, the Israeli occupation forces shot a Palestinian child dead in Nablus’ Balata Refugee Camp early this morning and wounded two other Palestinian civilians. Fifteen year-old Brahmin Smakreh was shot and killed as he tried to help his brother Ahmed who was lying in the street after being wounded by the Israeli military.

The unsurprising tragedy began last night at 9:30pm when a small Israeli force entered the Balata refugee camp, reportedly looking for two wanted men. The soldiers fired a number of shots but did not injure anyone and left after about an hour. Balata residents, who are subjected to frequent military operations, returned to the streets.

Then at 1:30am this morning, a much larger force of soldiers invaded Balata in a numerous jeeps, humvees and tanks and laid virtual siege to the camp. The Israeli army occupied a Palestinian house to set up sniper positions, blindfolding the family and forcing them to huddle in one room. The soldiers fired heavy caliber weapons into the main street of Balata and engaged in many clashes with resistance fighters.

Palestinian paramedics were called to the camp after Israeli soldiers severely beat a Palestinian man, 30 year-old Nazem Qatawi, while searching for the wanted men. The Israeli military refused to allow the ambulance or medical teams into the camp, so the ambulance waited nearby.

After Ahmed Smakreh was wounded on the street in front of his house, his younger brother Brahim tried to cross the street and drag him to safety. But before Brahim could reach his brother, he was shot by an Israeli sniper.

Palestinian paramedics received the report of additional casualties and again requested permission to enter the camp to evacuate the wounded. According to the paramedics, the Israeli army responded by firing live ammunition directly at the uniformed paramedics and their Red Crescent ambulance.

Around 4:30am there was a series of explosions followed by a much larger blast as the Israeli army blew up a car on the main street of Balata. The massive explosion knocked out electricity to the entire refugee camp, blew out windows of the neighboring houses, and started a fire that threatened the nearest house. The paramedics called in the Nablus fire department but the Israeli military would not allow any fire trucks to enter the camp.

By 5:30am the Israeli soldiers left Balata camp without arresting anyone. Palestinian paramedics and firemen immediately entered the camp to put out the fire and attend to the civilian casualties. Once the fire was extinguished and the wounded evacuated, electricity crews began to fixeding the electrical wiring to restore power as quickly as possible to the beleaguered citizens of Balata.

The funeral for the murdered boy, Brahim was held at 10:30 this morning. His brother Ahmed and Nazem Qatawi are recovering from their injuries in hospital.

Haaretz: “Activists: Security forces fired live ammo at anti-fence protest”

by Itim, November 3rd

Anti-fence activists on Friday claimed security forces fired live ammunition at them during a protest near the West Bank town of Bil’in, moderately wounding a French activist.

Doctors at a Ramallah hospital who treated the man said his wounds were caused by a live bullet. An IDF spokesperson, however, denied the allegations, claiming security forces at the demonstration made use only of tear gas and rubber-coated bullets.

Activists at the demonstration claim they have video footage of security forces shooting live ammunition.

Two Palestinian youths at the demonstration sustained light wounds from rubber-coated bullets fired by security forces.

Some 100 protesters took part in the weekly rally which has become the focus point in anti-fence groups’ efforts to stop the erection of the barrier which they say infringes on the rights of Palestinians.

MK Dov Hanin (Hadash) called on Defense Minister Amir Peretz, to investigate the army’s crowd dispersal techniques and added that “it’s important to act now before a lethal tragedy occurs to the citizens of Bil’in.

Frenchman shot by Israeli forces in Bil’in

by ISM media team, November 3rd

For the second week in a row the Israeli military have shot a demonstrator with live ammunition at the Palestinian village of Bil’in. This week was the turn of 69-year old Frenchman José Jeandrot, a volunteer in the olive harvest as part of a delegation from a French solidarity group. He was shot in the wrist and received treatment in Sheikh Zaid hospital in Ramallah. José was shot by Israeli forces that were still in the village after the demonstration ended.

On their way back to the village the demonstrators encountered soldiers facing resistance from the village youth who threw stones at the invaders. As the soldiers were withdrawing they started firing rubber bullets and live ammunition at the youth. In addition to José’s injury, 8 other people were shot with rubber bullets and one woman broke her leg while running away from the soldiers.

As the village youth were trying to repel a military jeep that invaded the village with stones, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition at them and drove up a driveway where onlookers were gathered. The soldiers then got out of their jeep and fired at the youth. The onlookers were standing around a corner and José, who was filming the incursion, was standing at least 50m from the village youth when he was hit in the wrist.

Earlier on Bil’in villagers had been joined by international and Israeli supporters as they marched to the Israeli annexation barrier, which has ceased over 50% of the village land. The marchers managed to cross one of the fences and marched to the gate where they demanded to be let through to reach the olive groves. Many of the internationals present, including José, are accompanying farmers to their olive groves in areas where they face violence and intimidation from Israeli settlers and soldiers. The protest passed off peacefully despite the military’s use of tear gas and sound bombs against the protesters. When this violence failed to intimidate the marchers the soldiers started violently pushing and shoving them. Towards the end of the demonstration some border policemen violently pushed protesters returning to the village.

Injuries

Amjad Abu Rahme, 11 – shot with a rubber bullet in the shoulder
Amer Nasser, 22 – shot with a rubber bullet in the shoulder
Ibrahim Burnat, 25 – shot with a rubber bullet in the hand
Ashraf Khatib, 24 – shot with a rubber bullet in the leg
Bader Khatib, 35 – shot with a rubber bullet in the leg
Sharar Mansour, 22 – shot with a rubber bullet in the leg
Wael Nasser, 31 – shot with a rubber bullet in the neck
Leila Zoada, 32 – leg broken while running away from soldiers

For more information contact:
Abdullah Abu Rahme: 0547258210
ISM media office: 02 2971824, 0599943157
José – 0525169105

The Sounds of War: Israeli incursion into Tulkarem

by Bill Dienst MD, November 3rd

04:15 – The roosters start crowing. The minarets start calling the faithful to prayer. I wake up here on the top floor dormitory of the Women’s Center in Tulkarem where I have been staying these past 4 nights alone. At night, I have had this whole building to myself. During the daytime a kindergarten and school for developmentally delayed children is held downstairs. Today at 07:20, I will be returning to Ramallah. I begin to finish my packing.

04:45 – I hear 2 very loud explosions and then the staccato of gunfire from a semiautomatic weapon. I hear shouts of Allahu Akbar! (God is greatest) twice. It seems to be coming from a pink and white building 3 blocks to the north. I look down the street and see an Israeli Armored Personnel Vehicle (APV) just 1 block away. I turn off the lights to my room. Now the APV passes just below my room, and I back away from the window until it passes. I hear stern shouts from a megaphone ordering someone to do something. I think the shouts are in Arabic, but with a distinct Hebrew accent.

04:55 – I hear another very loud explosion from the direction of the pink and white building and then another round of gunfire.

05:00 – I hear 3 low pitched loud thuds and a flash (Mortar Fire?). More shouts from the megaphone. More shouts in Arabic: Allahu Akbar!

05:08 – More shouts over the megaphone in Hebrew this time; more roosters crowing and crickets chirping.

05:13 – More megaphone shouts

05:26 – Electricity is cut off in several buildings to the North. I check; the electricity in our building still works.

05:45 – I think the Israeli occupation forces are gone now. I see people on the rooftops and out in the street.

I am not sure exactly what happened here this morning, but I am sure we will hear about it in the news.

Israeli Army Allows Settlers to Steal Palestinian Olives in Hebron

by Mary, October 30th 2006

At 4.20pm, international Human Rights Workers (HRWs) at the Tel Rumeida crossing noticed that Israeli settlers from the Tel Rumeida settlement were picking olives by the Israeli army post nearby the settlement. These olive trees belong to the Abu Hekel family, who are due to start picking tomorrow. There has been an Israeli court order that Palestinians are to be provided with protection for their property by the Israeli army or police and allowed to pick their olives in safety.

A HRW approached the soldiers at the crossing and drew attention to the Israeli boys in an olive tree and women on the ground. The boys had a long stick and were beating the branches of the tree and the women and others were picking up the olives from the ground. A soldier, who spoke little English and no Arabic, seemed to understand the situation. He contacted the soldier, who was near the settlers. This soldier spoke to the settlers, who took no notice and continued stealing olives. After pressure from the HRWs, the soldier at the crossing continued telephoning. After about 15 minutes, more soldiers arrived. These were followed by an Israeli police jeep. The settler boys came out of the tree and a settler woman walked across the street to the settlement and brought back more women and children to the olive grove. Despite the presence of a soldier, the picking continued and at least one woman managed to take away some olives. Then an Israeli army officer and soldier arrived. These were followed by an Israeli police jeep, an army vehicle and a third police jeep. At least three cars driven by Jewish men came up the hill and parked. Eight orthodox Jewish men walked out of the settlement and down towards Beit Hadasa settlement. It was not clear if they had been involved in the theft of olives or not. In the end there were eight Israeli police, border police and soldiers. They were gradually able to get the Israeli settlers to return to the settlement. The settlers took the olives they collected with them. A clear case of theft.

Israeli settlers were chanting outside the settlement for about ten minutes. Then a number of settler children were driven away. Apparently they had been brought to Tel Rumeida settlement to take part in this illegal action. Israeli children under the age of twelve cannot be arrested here, no matter what they do. Their parents and adults who supervise them in such actions are not held responsible.