Author: ISM Media - Page 397 - International Solidarity Movement

Humanity has no nationality: 2nd anniversary of the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni

15th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

“We must remain human, even in the most difficult times …
Because, despite everything, there must always be humanity within us. We have to bring it to others.” -Vittorio Arirgoni

Today marks the second anniversary of the murder of ISM activist and comrade Vittorio Arrigoni in the Gaza Strip. Vittorio arrived in Gaza on the 23rd of August 2009, breaking the Israeli siege on Gaza with around 40 other international activists which he described as one of the happiest moments of his life: “It became clear, not only to the world, but Palestinians also that there are people who are willing to spend their lives to come and hug their brothers here in Gaza.”

From his arrival until his murder on the 15th of April 2011 , Vittorio stayed in Gaza to work with the International Solidarity Movement there where he attended regular demonstrations, helped both farmers and fishermen and documented the countless Israeli crimes against humanity that he witnessed. Vittorio also stayed in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead which massacred hundreds of unarmed Palestinian civilians.

In an interview he said: “I am from a partisan family, my grandfathers fought and died struggling against occupation, a fascist Nazi one. For that reason presumably in my DNA, my blood, there are particles that push me to struggle for freedom and human rights.”

As the children of Gaza continue to be born under siege and the Palestinian people suffer the brutality of the occupation every single day, the best way to honour the memory of Vittorio Arrigoni is to continue his work and never cease to resist. Vittorio continues to be an inspiration to people all over the world resisting injustice and inhumanity. To echo one of his favourite quotes, “A victor is merely a dreamer who never stops dreaming.” Vittorio, we will never forget you.

VIDEO: 13 year old boy arrested in Hebron

13th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

13 year old boy is arrested by an Israeli soldier

A thirteen year old boy was arrested from his home in the Old City of Hebron, blindfolded and detained inside several small checkpoint boxes as well as the military base on Hebron’s Shuhada Street. International activists who attempted to document the incident were physically stopped and threatened by soldiers and settlers.

The boy was taken from his home and transported to Checkpoint 56, a small metal box on the border between the Israeli and Palestinian controlled areas of the city. He was blindfolded and shut inside the checkpoint for around 20 minutes. After this, he was removed by soldiers and walked down Shuhada Street, still blindfolded, and put inside another small checkpoint box.

After 15 minutes he was removed from this checkpoint and walked to an Israeli army base. International activists who attempted to follow to document the situation were stopped by soldiers who called them “Nazi pigs”, pushed them and refused to accept their passports as identification. After several minutes of the soldier harassing activists a group of around fifteen settlers arrived, several carrying automatic weapons. They pushed and threatened the international activists – see video below.

A man is blindfolded and led down Shuhada street by a soldier — Blindfolded man led down Shuhada street by soldier

During this time, the boy was taken to the Israeli military base on Shuhada Street, at which point activists could hear several soldiers shouting loudly, seemingly at the boy. After around another 15 minutes, the boy was taken by jeep back to Checkpoint 56, where he was released to the Palestinian side of Hebron into the custody of the Palestinian police. He was accused by the Israeli military of stone throwing, a charge they regularly use against children and young men, many of whom are arrested at random.

Earlier in the day, a woman was detained at a checkpoint in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron. When asked why the woman was detained the soldier told international activists that “she was suspected of carrying a knife”. Despite this accusation, she was not searched for knives andwas was released after ten minutes.

Another man was detained in the area of Shuhada Street before being blindfolded and led down the street by an Israeli soldier. The blindfolded man said that he did not know why he was being arrested, whereas soldiers claimed that he had entered the part of Shuhada Street to which the Israeli authorities deny access for Palestinians. Soldiers told international activists that he had been released but this remains unconfirmed. Another Palestinian man working with a Latvian journalist was also detained on Shuhada Street during the day, held at a checkpoint for around 15 minutes and then released.

The arrest of a 13 year old boy on the 14th April follows a disturbing series of arrests and detentions of children as young as seven in the Old City of Hebron in recent months – “Occupied Childhoods”, a report on child-arrests compiled by the Hebron Christian Peacemaker Team is available here.

Israeli military invades houses during settler tour of Hebron

13th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

Soldiers invading the souq - photo by ISM — Soldiers invading the souq – photo by ISM

Israeli soldiers invaded at least four Palestinian houses in the city of Hebron on Saturday 13th April, prior to and during the settler tour, intimidating children and families. During the tour, around fifty settlers and Jewish tourists occupied the Palestinian souq (market), surrounded by around fifty heavily-armed Israeli soldiers, border police and police officers.

Before the tour began, around twenty soldiers walked through the market, pointing guns into doorways, intimidating shoppers and restricting movement for Palestinians. At this point soldiers invaded two Palestinian homes, stationing themselves on the roofs of these homes for several hours until the end of the tour.

Following this initial military sweep of the area, fifty settlers and tourists entered the souq from settlements on Hebron’s Shuhada Street. Surrounded by around the same number of Israeli military personnel, they walked through the market, stopping regularly as their tour guides gave a biased, inaccurate and sensationalised account of the history of Hebron.

Soldiers invade a Palestinian home, scaring children. Photo by ISM

As the tour progressed through the souq, a group of soldiers split from the main group and invaded two other Palestinian houses, in one home disturbing a family with several young children and in another walking in on a young woman who was home alone (see video below). She stated that they enter her home every week, and she is usually the only person there. The soldiers are all heavily armed, aggressive and do not respond when asked why they are entering private Palestinian property.

After around an hour of disturbing Palestinian life in the souq, the settlers, tourists and soldiers returned to illegal Israeli settlements in the centre of the Old City of Hebron.

This “tour” of Hebron happens every week and is a regular disturbance for Palestinians in the busy souq of Hebron. Since the 2000 closure of Shuhada Street – traditionally the busiest market street in the Old City – more trade has moved into the souq. Rather than close it, many Palestinians believe that the Israeli authorities are trying to make life as uncomfortable and unsustainable as possible, in the hope that Palestinians will move from the area.

Photo essay : Demonstration at Hagai roadblock

12th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

Photo Essay : The demonstrations at Hagai roadblock have been taking place for just over two months. The road has been blocked off since 2008, adding 12km to the journey from Hebron to villages and towns in the South Hebron Hills.

Tear gas was fired excessively at the small group of unarmed demonstrators roughly one minute after they started marching

One demonstrator was taken away in an ambulance after excessive exposure to tear gas

A demonstrator suffers from tear gas inhalation

A demonstrator kicks away a tear gas cannister

An Israeli flag is burned and placards of hunger strike Samer Issawi are held by demonstrators

A skunk water truck sprays foul smelling liquid into residential homes

Updated: Nabi Saleh demonstration violently suppressed by Israeli forces; activist shot three times

UPDATE 13th April 2013: The injured Spanish activist returned to hospital Saturday morning, after experiencing continued pain, dizziness and fatigue. She had been shot three times with plastic coated steel bullets at Nabi Saleh demonstration the day before. She is currently under observation at the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, being treated with antibiotics.

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12th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

Around one hundred Palestinians, joined by a handful of Israeli and international activists, participated in today’s demonstration in Nabi Saleh. After midday prayers, protesters marched from the centre of the village, deviating from their usual route and walking across the main road and up the hill, trying to reach the water spring stolen by settlers from Halamish settlement more than three years ago.

By the time protesters reached the hilltop, several Israeli Border Police officers waiting and immediately started to shoot tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at them. One Spanish international activist was hit by a rubber coated bullet in the right leg. As people retreated from the hilltop back to the main road, Israeli forces continued shooting tear gas canisters.

As protesters walked chanting and clapping towards a large group of Israeli military personnel and jeeps blocking the road, they were ambushed. Border police officers who had invaded the village shot multiple volleys of rubber coated steel bullets directly at unarmed protesters from a vantage point on top of the hill, as protesters retreated.
The same international activist who had previously been shot was again shot with two bullets; one in the ribs on the back and the other on the stomach. This breaks the Israeli forces’ own rules of engagement which state that rubber coated bullets should be fired at the legs. Despite the fact that officers clearly saw that the activist was injured, they continued shooting rubber coated steel bullets along the road. The activist was immediately assisted by Red Crescent personnel and taken to hospital by ambulance. She is in good health condition, recovering from the injuries at home.

Activist's injury by rubber coated steel bullets — Activist’s injury by rubber coated steel bullets

Israeli forces continued shooting tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at protesters until three in the afternoon, when the demonstration finished.

The village of Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating against the theft of the natural spring and the occupation since December 2009. Israeli forces violently suppress the weekly Friday protests by shooting tear gas canisters, skunk water, sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets and even live ammunition at protesters. Two people have been killed, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, and many others severely injured. Bassem Tamimi, from Nabi Saleh, has spent 16 months in Israeli jails, merely for being a prominent activist at the protests. After more than three year and despite the repression, Nabi Saleh continues to fight against the injustices of a brutal military Israeli occupation.