Author: ISM Media - Page 388 - International Solidarity Movement

12- and 11-year old Palestinian children arrested after attack by settler children – Swedish activist also arrested

28th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

UPDATE 2nd May 09.30 Full video of child arrests now available from Youth Against Settlements. Swedish activist Gustav is resisting deportation to highlight the issue of child arrests in Hebron which have seriously escalated in recent months.

UPDATE 29th April 20.00 Gustav, the arrested Swedish activist is currently being held in Givon immigration prison, having had his visa revoked by the Israeli authorities. He was beaten during his arrest and hit with a gun. Soldiers conducted two mock executions by pointing guns at his head, loading them and pretending to press the trigger. He was blindfolded and kept inside the military base in Hebron, where he could hear the crying of the arrested children next to him. He is now awaiting deportation back to Sweden by the Israeli authorities, for peacefully objecting to the arrest of two Palestinian children.

UPDATE 28th April 19.30 The two Heikel brothers were released around 18.30. Ahmed (aged 12) has had his fingerprints taken by the police and his younger brother Mouawieh (aged 11) was kicked in the stomach by an Israeli soldier.

UPDATE 28th April 18.30: The Swedish activist has now been transferred to Jerusalem. He is facing possible deportation by the Israeli authorities for trying to non-violently intervene in the wrongful arrest of two Palestinian children.
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28th April 14.00:Israeli military today arrested Ahmed Abu Heikel, aged 12, and his brother Mouawieh, aged 11, in Hebron after they were attacked by a settler child from the illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah. One Swedish activist was also arrested after intervening in the arrests of the children.

At around 1pm Palestinian children were walking home from Qortoba school when they were attacked by the child of extremist settlers living in the centre of Hebron, who was accompanied by his two older brothers. The youngest settler boy started throwing sticks, beating Ahmed and hurling insults at him. As soon as Ahmed defended himself against the beatings, the settler children immediately called for soldiers at nearby checkpoints who came running. Eyewitnesses state that the Palestinian children were not violent. The settler children pointed out Ahmed and Mouawieh as well as their classmate Bilal Said, who were violently grabbed and pushed against a wall by soldiers.

12 year old Ahmad being protected by the headteacher of the Qortoba School as he was being arrested — 12 year old Ahmad being protected by the headteacher of the Qortoba School as soldiers were trying to arrest him

A crowd of about 50 people quickly gathered, mostly Palestinian neighbours and classmates as well as international activists, journalists and settlers. The crowd, and especially the headmistress of Qortoba school, Noora Zayer, who was walking with the boys and witnessed the attack, insisted that the arrest was unacceptable. Bystanders and international activists managed to de-arrest Bilal, who then ran away. However Ahmed and Mouawieh were arrested; Ahmed is apparently being charged with assaulting the Israeli soldier who was called to the scene by the settler children and grabbed the Palestinian rather than the settler child.

A non-violent Swedish activist who intervened peacefully on behalf of the children has also been arrested and is being charged with assaulting a soldier. The two children and the Swedish activist were taken away separately in military jeeps. The Swedish activist is currently being held in Givat Havot settlement near Hebron city, whilst Ahmed and Mouawieh are being held in interrogation centres.

The Israeli soldiers took no action against the settler children who had instigated the attack. The police summoned the youngest settler child who had attacked Ahmed and spoke to him in the presence of his parents for about half a minute, after which he was allowed to go back home without any repercussions. Israeli children living in illegal settlements across the West Bank are subject to civilian law, meaning they are not criminally liable when they are under the age of 14, whereas military law is applied to Palestinian children, who are deemed by the Israeli authorities not to be minors if they are over 12.

This is the latest in an escalating series of arrests of children by the Israeli military in recent months. Christian Peacemakers Team Hebron have compiled a report of these child arrests, which includes 27 children attacked and arrested outside of their school. The report is available here.

Video by Youth Against Settlements

Ni’lin continues to resist after 5 years of Israeli occupation and systematic land theft

27th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

Around 50 Palestinians supported by around 20 international activists, demonstrated against the apartheid wall yesterday in Ni’lin, which is a village close to Ramallah. The residents attempted to dismantle the wall and were met with violence. Around 20 were treated for tear gas inhalation and one demonstrator was injured when he was shot in the chest with a tear gas canister.

The demonstration started when around 100 people from the community gathered for the Friday prayer in an olive field. After prayers the demonstrators approached the apartheid wall, chanting peace slogans in Arabic and Hebrew. In a speech, a member of the Popular Committee expressed the injustices that Ni’lin has faced in the past and continues to face today because of the actions of the Israeli military.

Residents tried to open the metal door that separates them from most of their land that has been appropriated illegally by the establishment of settlements and the construction of the wall. Soldiers fired tear gas at the demonstrators. One demonstrator, who had climbed the wall using a ladder, was speaking to the soldiers through a megaphone before they shot him directly in the chest with a tear gas canister.The impact caused him to fall of the ladder and require medical treatment. More tear gas was fired at other demonstrators, photographers and internationals.The demonstration lasted about one hour, weakening the wall and showing the resilience of the population of Ni’lin.

Ni’lin’s history is characterised by land theft, starting with the first Israeli occupation of Palestine in 1948. Before 1948 the village of Ni’lin owned 58’000 dunams of land, from which 40’000 were stolen with the creation of Israel. The 1967 occupation lead to the construction of illegal settlements on Ni’lin’s land, stealing a further 8’000 dunams. The illegitimate establishment of the wall, which began in 2008, has stolen a further 2’500 dunams. Furthermore, the entrance of the village was closed in order to build a tunnel exclusively for settlers that lead to a further land theft of 200 dunams, highlighting the apartheid nature of Israeli policy. Nearly 90% of Ni’lin’s original land has been lost due to this systematic theft from war, settlements and the wall.

The non-violent demonstrations since 2008 have lead to the killings of five Palestinians. 10 year old Ahmed Moussa, 17 year old Yousef Amera, 22 year old Arafat Khawaja, 20 year old Mohammed Khawaja and 36 year old Yousef ‘Akil’ Srour. The residents of Ni’lin still struggle for peace and justice, and will not give up hope in spite of Israel’s use of extreme force and oppression.

Video: Israeli forces try to crush protest at Hagai roadblock

26th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

Danish activist injured by tear gas canister

On Friday 26th April, around sixty Palestinian and international activists were met with dozens of teargas rounds and rubber-coated steel bullets while protesting against a road closure in the Wad al-Huriyeh area of Hebron. The road is adjacent to the illegal Israeli settlement of Hagai.

Tear gas was fired immediately by Israeli forces as the demonstration started, with rounds fired directly at protesters. A Danish activist was hit in the stomach by a tear gas canister, and many other activists suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces later fired on the non-violent demonstration from two separate locations at once, increasing the danger to protesters.

Following the end of the demonstration, the Israeli military invaded Wad al-Huriyeh and sprayed foul-smelling skunk water over Palestinian houses, in an act of collective punishment against the townspeople for organising the protest. The Fourth Geneva convention specifically prohibits such collective punishment and intimidation of civilian populations.

Demonstrations at Hagai roadblock have been taking place for over two months. The road has been blocked since 2008, adding 12km to the journey between Hebron city and Al Fawwar refugee camp and villages and towns in the South Hebron Hills.

Palestinian villages protest together against illegal settlement outpost

26th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Silwad, Occupied Palestine

Israeli military shooting tear gas at protesters. Photo credit: Activestills

Around six hundred Palestinians along with a small number of international and Israeli activists participated in today’s demonstration in the lands between Silwad and Deir Jreer, in protest against both settler violence and settlement expansion. A new illegal outpost of Ofra settlement consisting of several caravans was established on the villages’ land 20 days ago. This sparked the several days of clashes, followed by this Friday demonstration, one of the first organised with collaboration between the villages.

The protest began as midday prayers were held on a hilltop facing the new illegal Israeli outpost. After the prayers, demonstrators proceeded to march towards the outpost but were soon met with excessive amounts of tear gas, rubber coated steel bullets and stun grenades, shot by Israeli forces standing on a nearby hilltop. As protesters got closer to the outpost Israeli forces pursued the group, shooting tear gas canisters at them. Multiple rounds of tear gas canisters were also fired from military jeeps. Several demonstrators were treated by Palestinian Red Crescent medics for tear gas inhalation, including some children.

The demonstration finished at around 3pm when Palestinian activists left the fields. Despite this, Israeli forces continued shooting tear gas at the nearby road where people were standing and cars were driving past.

Settlers from nearby Ofra settlement recently raided the village of Deir Jarir, setting fire to ten of the resident’s cars. Earlier in April settlers severely attacked a Silwad villager who used to be a judge, beating him with an iron rod until he lost consciousness. Silwad has seen consistent clashes in recent weeks due to this violence and the establishment of the illegal Ofra outpost twenty days ago.

This outpost consist of caravans and huts situated on Palestinian farm land that the residents of Silwad, Deir Jarir, Taibe and Ein Yabrud have been denied access to for over a decade. A settlement outpost is the first move made by settlers when conducting a land-grab in the West Bank; establishing temporary buildings which are protected by the military and eventually made permanent, in order to establish ‘facts on the ground’ and steal Palestinian land.

Tear gas fired onto the road at the end of today's demonstration — Tear gas fired onto the road at the end of today’s demonstration

Amir Nasser from Madama awaiting trial on the 21st of May

25th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Madama, Occupied Palestine.

By Team Nablus

Amir Nasser arrested three months ago is still being held in prison awaiting trial on the 21st of May. The trial was originally set for the 4th of April but was postponed until the current date. Amir was arrested on January 27 after making a formal complaint to the Israeli Authorities about the assault on his brother Mamun by settlers. When going to the aid of his brother Mamun during the attack Amir was shot in the leg by an Israeli soldier and was still recovering at home from this wound when arrested.

At the time of his arrest he was not formally charged but has since been accused of throwing a rock at a guard from the settlement of Yizhar, a settlement notorious for its violence towards the surrounding Palestinian villages. It is stated in the charges that the guard’s left eye was injured by the rock and he subsequently required treatment in hospital for five days and then 14 days of bed rest.
Amir and family say that this accusation is a fabrication, another part of the continual harassment of the family by settlers and Israeli Authorities. Amir is currently being held in Megiddo prison where his mother, Huda, has been able to visit him once. If convicted Amir will face four years in prison and a fine of 11,000 NIS.
The first incident in this ongoing harassment was when Amir’s brother Mamun was brutally attacked by settlers and then arrested on December 17 2012 despite his family and other residents of Madama trying to intervene. What was initially an attack by settlers on Mamun then became an attack by settlers and Israeli soldiers on the rest of the family and villagers coming to his aid. This then led to the arrest and imprisonment of Mamun despite the fact he was the victim and committed no crime.
After spending nearly two months in prison he was released in February thanks to donations to ISM that were used to cover the bail. Since his release he has not been allowed to work on his land near the settlement. Mamun now has to return to court on May 22 to recover the bond used to achieve his release. If the bail money is returned it will go towards the ISM legal fund to support similar cases.