Author: ISM Media Group

Harassment of Palestinians at Asira al Shamalia checkpoint, Nablus

On Saturday 27 September International activists witnessed a number of Israeli soldiers and jeeps checking Palestinian vehicles at Asira al Shamalia checkpoint, creating large tailbacks at 17:30 in the run up to Ifta (the breaking of the day long fast during the Holy month of Ramadan).

Checkpoint Asira al Shamalia is the access point from Nablus city to the surrounding villages in the north and is normally an open checkpoint with a watch tower for the army to observe. Many Palestinians working in Nablus use this road to return to their villages in the North. The Israeli army has stated in public that they “are implementing a more lenient policy at checkpoints as part of the military’s effort to ease restrictions on the Palestinian population during the month of Ramadan”.

International activists passed through the checkpoint at 3pm and vehicles were passing through swiftly, however, when large queues in both directions were evident when they returned at 17:30. Witnesses report that after Ifta searches of cars and identifications ceased and vehicles were allowed to pass freely. This directly contradicts the Israeli army’s claim that checks around the West Bank have been eased during Ramadan. The use of checkpoints as a form of punishment and oppression is evident throughout the West Bank with unexplained flying checkpoints and closures common place.

On Friday 24 September, the last Friday of Ramadan, over 100 villagers from Qusin, Deir Sharaf and international activists gathered to take part in a symbolic prayer on occupied land north of Nablus city.

In 2002 Israel confiscated the land from the Abu Shusha family, owner of the quarry in the area where the waste dump is proposed. After rubbish from local settlements around Nablus where deposited on the land villagers successfully demonstrated to have the dumping cease.

In early September 2008 the Israeli military returned to the land, which is situated below illegal settlements and an Israeli industrial zone, to begin landscaping the area for a larger waste project. Village municipalities were informed that this would include not only waste from local settlements, but industrial waste and rubbish from as far away as Tel Aviv. The land is also above one of the main water reservoirs for the Nablus region supplying 40% of the water for the area.

In response to this illegal dumping and the potential ecological and health disasters for the inhabitants due to contaminated water and land, villagers and council members from Qusin and Deir Sharaf participated in a prayer demonstration on the land. A number of Palestinian officials and Palestinian Legislative Council members along with 7 internationals activists also attended the rally. Upon entrance to the site a representative from the DCO was sighted, however, fortunately the demonstration passed peacefully with no injuries or army presence.

Villagers and supporters are planning further demonstrations in the area until the illegal dumping is stopped as part of the peaceful resistance to the Israeli occupation. With the encroaching Apartheid Wall eating up much of the Palestinian lands, expanding settlements around the West Bank and violence at the hands of both settlers and the army this is yet another tragic example of the continuing Nakba inflicted upon the local Palestinian population.

Following constant violence by the residents of the illegal Yitzhar settlement and the Israeli army, which culminated on Saturday 20 September with the murder of 14 year old Suhayb Salin, the terror inflicted on the village of Asira al Qibliya has not abated. For the last 4 nights villagers have reported that at least 2 army jeeps have entered the village releasing sounds bombs between midnight and the early hours of the morning each night before leaving.

In the last month the residents of Yitzhar settlement have been inflicting a reign of terror on the local Palestinian population. Footage taken on a camera supplied by B’Teselm showed settlers and the army attacking residents of the village and vandalising their property. In a statement to the BBC the Israeli army said that they see “the wounding of civilian Palestinians as severe, and will continue to enforce law and order”. Indeed the then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated the attack was “intolerable” and police would be investigating.

International activists visited the village on Friday 26 September and no Israeli police or army officials had interviewed the villagers about the events that took place during the invasion by the Yitzhar settlers.

Suhayb Salin was shot in both legs followed by multiple bullet wounds to his chest by the Israeli army. The army alleged that Suhayb was heading towards the settlement in order to throw a Molotov cocktail, however, no evidence of such a device or any weapons have so far been presented. Amir Salin the brother of Suhayb, was arrested on the evening of Monday 22 September shortly after his brothers funeral and villagers and the family are still awaiting to hear on what charges.

Much of the village’s land populated olive trees, falls near the settlement and with the harvest due to start in the next 2 weeks, collaboration between the army and the settlers to inflict violence on the Palestinian population, requires a strong international presence. The Israeli administration has only allowed 3 days for the farmers to access their lands in an area that requires at least 10 days to harvest. This leaves them open to violent and indeed fatal attacks by settlers during this economically important period for Palestinian farmers and their families, who rely heavily on the annual harvest.