Author: ISM Media

Ransacking and arrests in Sarra and Tell

22 December 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Sarra and Tell, Occupied Palestine.

Hundreds of Israeli soldiers raided the neighbouring villages of Sarra and Tell, south of Nablus, broke into seven homes and arrested three people in the early hours of SAM_0136Thursday morning.

A family in Sarra, a village of around 5,000 inhabitants, told us how 50 Israeli soldiers violently entered their home at 1:00am. The soldiers first forced the family of seven, including two children of ages three and ten, to stand outside the home in the cold, and then later locked them in one room inside the house. This while soldiers ransacked their house and deliberately smashed electronic appliances, furniture and tiles. A flight of stairs leading to a garage was entirely destroyed, furniture was overturned, doors were dislodged and broken and stored wheat was mixed with oil. One person was arrested and taken to the Huwwara Military Camp. No reason was given for the raid or the arrest. The mother who had one of her sons arrested expressed concern at the fact that when persons are taken away by the military they might be kept in prison for weeks, months or even years. Israeli law allows the military to keep Palestinians in administrative detention for years, without informing them of the charges against them.

In the nearby village of Tell, where around 6,000 people live, hundreds of Israeli soldiers with eight military jeeps entered the village and ransacked six homes at one in the morning. One family told us how Israeli soldiers with dogs came into their home by breaking the door and forced the family to stay in one room during the 4-hour raid. As in Sarra, they left the houses in a complete disaster. They threw the trash from garbage-bags all over the place, broke tiles and window panes and smashed furniture. A woman told us how she saw her son being tied, blindfolded SAM_0138and taken away by the soldiers. A 60-year old man holding clutches recounted how he was violently pushed on the ground by the soldiers when he complained of the treatment they were receiving. Two persons from Tell were arrested during the raid.

The ransacking of houses in Sarra and Tell comes amidst a surge in violence and intimidation by the occupation forces in the West Bank in these last weeks, with an increase in violent raids at night and the use of live-ammunition in a number of situations. This is thought by many to be revenge for the successful non-member state bid at the UN. People in Tell told us weeks ago Israeli soldiers entered the village and started shooting at youths playing football. No one was hit during the incident, in what seemed to be another exercise in intimidation by the Israeli military.

Curfew imposed on Kifl Hares as settlers invade

21 December 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Kifl Haris, Occupied Palestine

At around 9.30pm last night several Israeli Army vehicles entered the village of Kifl Haris as they do many times every year. They immediately imposed a strict unannounced curfew. The Israeli military tell nobody this will happen, nobody can leave their homes, nobody is able to visit a doctor or a hospital. If settlers attack your home you must deal with it alone. Kifl Haris is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, located six kilometres west of Salfit and 18 kilometres south of Nablus. Unfortunately for the villagers of Kifl Haris they are amongst the nearest village to the West Banks largest illegal settlement Ariel.

The pretext of the invasion into Kifl Haris is a pilgrimage to three disputed tombs, praying and dancing at a site they claim holds the remains of biblical ancestors. But as a resident explained, if they want to visit the tombs, why does it have to start in the middle of the night, and go onto the morning? Why do my children have to lay awake as they sing and drink alcohol? This isn’t about religion. This about them continuously intimidating us and seizing our land.

Settlers invade the village anywhere between 5 or 10 times a year, with an Israeli military escort. Last year at around the same time around 10,000 settlers invade the village of Kifl Haris. They arrived at midnight and stayed till around 7 in the morning. This year as we awaited the arrival of the settler party we heard reports that 60 bus loads were waiting at the entrance to the village. Fortunately the weather took a turn for the worse and the rain began to fall very heavily, only a fraction of the numbers of Israeli’s that were expected actually made streets of Kifl Haris.

On certain visits the settlers have caused various different sorts of damage the village of Kifl Haris. They have forced their way into peoples homes leaving a trail of destruction behind them and often have damaged cars, by puncturing tyres or smashing windows. As the rain continued to fall the organisers began to pack belongings away earlier than expected by 2am in the morning. Although the settlers left early the Israeli Military continued to aggressively and beep there horns and rev their engines, in what certainly seemed to be intimidation.

 

An appeal to the international community to save the lives of Palestinian administrative detainees on hunger strike, al-Sharawna and al-Eissawi

20 December 2012 | Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) expresses extreme concern over the fate of Ayman al-Sharawna and Samer al-Eissawi, who have been on hunger strike in Israeli jails. PCHR holds the Israeli Occupation Forces accountable for these lives, and calls upon the international community to exert pressure on the IOF to immediately release al-Sharawna and al-Eissawi.

Ayman al-Sharawna, 36, from Hebron, and Samer al-Eissawi, 33, from Jerusalem, have now been on hunger strike for 173 days and 143 days respectively. Al-Sharawna started the hunger strike on 1 July, while al-Eisswi, started it on 1 August, in protest against being re-arrested and placed under the administrative detention. The two detainees were released in the context of the prisoners’ swap deal between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli authorities in October 2011, under which 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.

According to various human rights sources, the health conditions of the two detainees are continuously deteriorating because of the long periods of their hunger strikes, and they have recently abstained from drinking water. They suffer from various health problems, including leanness, general weakness, anemia, protein shortages, sugar shortage, deteriorated visions, and others. Their lives are at stake.

In spite of their serious health conditions, Israeli authorities have refused to release al-Sharawna and al-Eissawi, and exerted heavy pressure on both of them to stop their hunger strikes, in exchange for departing them abroad, but the two detainees have rejected these attempts and have insisted on continuing their hunger strike demanding their release to their homes.

In another development, on Wednesday, 19 December 2012, Israeli soldiers violently beat al-Eissawi in Jerusalem courtroom during the hearing held for considering the appeal to release him on bail or placing him under house arrest until his trial is concluded. The Israeli soldiers attacked al-Eissawi and his family members who came to see him, although he entered the courtroom on a wheelchair and handcuffed as he is unable to walk because of the long period of his hunger strike. They pulled al-Eissawi out of the courtroom and transported him back to Ramla Hospital. Additionally, Israeli forces raided al-Eissawi’s house and arrested him sister, Shirin al-Eissawi, who was presented to a judge. She was released yesterday, but was placed under house arrest.

PCHR has extreme concern over the fate of al-Sharawna and al-Eissawi, who are on hunger strike in Israeli jails, and seeking to save their lives:

1. Calls upon the international community to exert pressure on the IOF to immediately release them, in order to save their lives.

2. Calls upon human rights organizations and international solidarity organizations to put an end to the misuse of administrative arrests by the IOF, based on the term of ‘unlawful combatant,’ in violation of the fundamental right to a fair trial.

3. Notes with grave concern the deterioration of living conditions of more than 4,700 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Madama attack – Harrowing account from the Nassar family

18 December 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Madama, Occupied Palestine

Following yesterday’s attack on the village of Madama by Israeli soldiers and settlers, Huda Ibraheem Nassar, the mother of the family who were violently attacked yesterday, recounted to us the harrowing story of what happened.

Currently one of her sons who was seized by settlers in what yesterday was thought to be a kidnap is now being held in the Huwwara Military Camp, while the other is recovering from gunshot wounds in his leg. Huda herself and two of her daughters were beaten by Israeli soldiers during the attack on Monday.

Huda told us how two of her sons were grazing their sheep in the valley next to their village, in a spot distant from the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar. One of her sons Mahmoud went to bring a donkey back from the village, Mamun her other son spotted a settler notorious for various attacks on villages around the Yitzhar settlements. He called his brother Mahmoud to return back to the valley, fearing that he was going to be attacked. In fact, when Mahmoud returned he found Mamun handcuffed whilst being horrifically beaten by a settler. Two Israeli soldiers stood back and watched the attack, while many other soldiers surveyed the area.

Mamun was being severely beaten and strangled by the settler, his face was swollen and full of blood and he was foaming from the mouth. Seeing this, Mahmoud went to try to free his brother, but was stopped by the soldiers who started beating him on his head with the butts of their guns. Huda and two of her daughters, together with her other son, Amir, arrived on the the scene and went to attempt to help his two brothers, only to be also beaten up by the soldiers.

At that point the soldiers started shooting live bullets at the family. One shot passed just next to them, while another one hit Amir in his leg. “They wanted to kill Amir. I heard the officer giving that order. He was just lucky that the shot hit his leg,” Huda told us. As more villagers arrived at the violent scene, Amir was taken away back to the village. Mamun who was severely beaten was then taken away by the Israeli soldiers.

“I am really worried about Mamun. He was in a really bad shape, full of blood and his face was swollen. I hope they gave him the medical attention he needed”, his mother Huda said. The District Coordination Office informed the family that Mamun is currently being held at the Huwwara Military Camp.

During yesterday’s attack two other people were injured when soldiers and settlers attacked the villagers that arrived at the scene of the aggression. One was hospitalised with gunshot wounds in his leg, while the other was hit on the side of the head with a tear gas cannister.

Photos from JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP/Getty Images 2012 AFP

 

 

Homes searched during Israeli incursion in H1 Hebron

by Team Khalil

16 December 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

One Palestinian was arrested and many were harassed by Israeli soldiers on Sunday evening between 6pm and 7:30 pm during an incursion into the Palestinian Authority controlled area of Hebron.

Israeli occupation forces entered the Tel Rumeida area in H1. Homes and shops were searched, and a Palestinian teenager was restrained in handcuffs and blindfolded. The targeting of this person did  not appear to be based on any evidence. The soldiers illegal actions were an aggressive response to an incident in which a Palestinian allegedly threw a glass bottle at a watchtower.

During the excursion families, ranging from infants to elderly men and women, were made to stand on the street, vehicles were stopped and searched by the soldiers, and businessmen were made to come out of their places of work for interrogation.

The soldiers tried to raid one apartment that is rented by internationals despite possessing no legal documents authorizing a search. The civilians filmed as much of the harassment as possible in the dark and were repeatedly instructed to move 30, then 40 metres away.

When activists questioned the soldiers on their right to be in the area they were ordered to leave, threatened with arrest, and were only given the reasons: “because I said so” and “you are interfering with an investigation”. The military investigation was conducted without respect to the Hebron agreement, which states “Both sides reiterated their commitment to maintain normal life throughout the city of Hebron and to prevent any provocation or friction that may affect the normal life in the city.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_Concerning_the_Redeployment_in_Hebron).

The Hebron agreement governs the power given to soldiers in the city. Palestinians in the neighbourhood cite excursions such as this one, as well as the constant restrictions on Palestinian movement in the city, as causes for increasing conflict.