Yesterday afternoon, 12th of October, settlers attacked the village of Tuwani, in the south of Hebron, assaulting the residents, injuring one. The settlers shot live ammunition in the direction of the Palestinians and internationalists in the village. They also raised Israeli flags on the Palestinians’ land. Local sources reported that these were settlers wearing army uniforms. The settlers vandalised and destroyed cultivated land of the residents and stormed one of the houses.
These attacks are increasing drastically in the occupied West Bank, with settlers taking advantage of the current situation of violence in Gaza, knowing that all forms of violence will go either unnoticed or will be excused.
Ali Alyan, 31, a resident of the village of Baqa al-Sharqiya, northeast of the city of Tulkarem, was killed by the Israeli Iron Dome rockets which were countering the resistance rockets fired from Gaza near the occupied city of Ashkelon. Tuesday evening – 10-10-2023.
Ali was married with two sons, he was working at his workplace with his eldest son when the rocket was intercepted, he and his son were injured, he and his son were taken to the hospital, but he did not survive and his son miraculously survived. Five other citizens were injured by shrapnel and burns as a result of being hit by the Israeli Iron Dome rocket, sent to intercept the Palestinian reistance rocket.
The resistance’s rockets were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome at the same time as the war with Gaza was being fought.
Severe damage resulted from the interception. Five Palestinian houses in the village were significantly damaged as well as three cars belonging to Palestinian citizens, four shops were damaged, a workshop which was near the site of the Iron Dome rocket launch. The main street in the village was destroyed.
Ali, who was working in one of the workshops near the launch of the rocket, did not know that it was his last day, and he did not know what would happen to him, he was working in his workshop safely, and yet he did not survive.
It was sad day in the city of Tulkarem and the village of eastern Baqa, to bid farewell to the young Ali Alyan and mourn him. His body was laid to rest on Wednesday morning, and his family took a last farewell look. Ali left his family, friends, wife and children behind him. Hundreds of Palestinians participated in the funeral of
the martyr Ali Alyan and chanted angry phrases in solidarity with the people of Gaza at a time when the Strip is going through difficult and sad times.
He was taken to the mosque so people to pray for him, after which he was transferred to one of the village’s cemeteries, the residents of the village of Baqa al-Sharqiya declared mass mourning in the village, out of respect and in honor of his soul.
The funeral of Ali Alysn – in Beqa’a al Sharqiya
Missile fragments in Beqa al SharqiyaA damaged Palestinian car in Beqa Al SharqiyaDamage caused by the Iron Dome missile in Beqa Al Sharqiya
Ahmed Abu Artema, who lives in Gaza, describes Israel’s relentless bombing as it continues to wipe out entire neighborhoods around him. Since Saturday, Israel has been bombing Gaza—a 25-mile strip of land, where half of the residents are children—non-stop. #PalestineUnderAttackpic.twitter.com/C4ifhVIKTr
In these days, as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing “mighty vengeance” following Saturday’s offensive by the Palestinian resistance, European governments are releasing statements essentially greenlighting Israel’s bombing campaign, which has already killed more than 400 Palestinians in Gaza and that might soon be followed by a ferocious ground invasion. For its part, the United States government has pledged a swift additional package of military aid to Israel. Once again deciding to directly participate in the crimes of the Israeli government.
Colonial violence is rising in the West Bank, as Israeli soldiers and settlers seek reprisals against Palestinian communities. The Israeli government now feels it has additional clearance from the West to escalate its project of ethnic cleansing.
The International Solidarity Movement maintains its presence on the ground in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, provide protective presence and report on human rights abuses.
Given the dire situation, more volunteers are needed. We are calling for all those who stand in solidarity with Palestine to join ISM’s efforts on the ground in the West Bank.
The ISM also calls on everyone in solidarity with Palestine to act immediately to stop Israeli massacres by organising demonstrations, and pickets and direct actions, organising boycott campaigns in line with the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid. We also call for people to contact their representatives, and lobby them to condemn the colonial policies of the Israeli state.
Palestinians have been living under Israeli occupation, settler colonialism and racist military dictatorship for decades. In particular, for 16 years Palestinians in Gaza have been subjected to an inhuman military blockade, under which the Israeli government calculatedly deprives two million Palestinians of the most basic necessities, such as access to essential goods, medical treatment, electricity and water. Recurrent bombing campaigns by the Israeli military killed more than 6400 Palestinians between 2008 and 2022, and deliberately targeted critical civilian infrastructures such as schools, hospitals and water plants.
Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem face killings, torture, beatings, night raids, settler pogroms, tear-gas, house and school demolitions, collective punishments, ethnic cleansing, expulsions, land seizure, arbitrary arrests, humiliations at check-points, and systematic racial discrimination on a daily basis.
No Palestinian is a stranger to the war that Israel has been waging on them for decades, a war that has only escalated under the current Israeli government, the most far-right the country has ever seen.
On Saturday Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was at war. What this really means is that for the first time in decades, Palestinians are not the only ones facing the consequences of Israel’s colonial apartheid state.
The International Solidarity Movement joins Palestinians and Palestine solidarity activists and organisations all around the world in restating that the root cause of the current violence is Israeli occupation and settler colonialism. Until the oppression of Palestinians comes to an end, Israel is responsible for the death and misery of Palestinians and Israelis. Governments and companies that directly support Israeli apartheid and military occupation, and the international community that fails to react to constrain Israeli terror, also share responsibility for the continuing violence.
ISM activists will maintain their presence on the ground in the West Bank and continue their efforts outside of Palestine to stand in solidarity with Palestinians against Israeli oppression, until freedom, justice and equality is achieved. We invite you to contact your local ISM support group and join us in Palestine.
On Fridays 6th, people in Deir Istya protested against a new outpost that was built three months ago close to the village.
After the prayer almost 70 protesters, among them members of the local Popular Resistance Committee, residents from the surrounding villages, ISM internationals and Israeli activists went down from the hill and, waving their flags, tried, peacefully, to reach the outpost.
Blocked by the army, there was a long confrontation between protesters, soldiers and Border Police.
The protesters were making clear their reasons for demonstrating while the soldiers were trying – shouting and pushing violently – to repel them.
Finally the Border Police started to launch a lot of sound bombs and gas canisters. 10 people suffered for the gas and one needed assistance from the Red Crescent volunteer. The soldiers arrested a journalist and the Minister of the Commission of Resistance to the Wall and Colonies: handcuffed and blindfolded them and violently pushed them into their military jeep.
A sniper held a group of boys in his sight, preventing them from continuing the protest.
Flags, voices and the absolute awareness of being right against sound bombs and gas canisters of one of the strongest army in the world… this is Palestine.
