Author: ISM Media - Page 7 - International Solidarity Movement

Zanuta: A Story of Return

26 August 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Zanuta

On Wednesday, August 21, following a long overdue court order, the families of Zanuta, in the South of the West Bank, returned to their village for the first time in 10 months after being forcibly displaced, determined to rebuild their home from the rubble of their village that remained.

At the end of October 2023, the residents of Zanuta were told by settlers that if they didn’t leave in 24 hours, they would kill every last one of them. All of the residents of Zanuta – who had already been enduring unending violence from these settlers, from making it impossible to shepherd, to property damage, to physical attacks, to home invasions and assault – were forcibly displaced from their land and homes.

On Wednesday, the families and flocks returned to their land. Palestinians triumphantly drove their flocks over their land and camped out in the ruins of their homes and propped up the destroyed roof of the school using pieces of scrap metal.

After families left Zanuta in October, settlers came into the village and removed the rooves of the buildings. It was winter, so this meant it was impossible for the families to return. In November, they briefly went back to try to work their land. When they tried to rebuild the rooves, they were stopped by army who said that it was unauthorised building.

Later on settlers returned to destroy everything. The homes and school had their walls and contents destroyed. Trees were cut down and solar panels destroyed. While they would not allow Palestinians to return and tend to their lands, the settlers ploughed the land themselves. Plowing Palestinian land while making it impossible to return to is a legal tactic used by settlers to increase their “claim” to the land under Israeli law.

A supreme court order issued a few weeks ago says that villagers can return to Zanuta (and the smaller village opposite Zanuta). The order also defines Zanuta as a firing zone, meaning that no new building is authorized. With this court order, the Israeli army are required to support the safe return of the villagers, however army and police only made perfunctory visits.

Zanuta is close to Havant Meitarim (“Strings farm”) outpost, whose settlers Yinon Levi and Ilay Federman (son of renowned right wing Kahanist terrorist Noam Federman) were amongst those sanctioned by the US.

If you know anything about 48, you know that supposed court orders hold little to no meaning in ensuring the safety of the Zanuta residents as they come home. They are still legally unable to transform Zanuta into home again due to “unauthorized building” restrictions.

If you know anything about the people of Palestine, you know that sumud will carry on regardless.

Israeli Military Operation in Tulkarm Camp

23 August 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarm Camp

*Tulkarm – West Bank*
*22-Aug-2024*
*By Diana Khwaelid*

On the night of August 22, Israeli occupation forces carried out a massive military operation in the Tulkarm refugee camp that lasted 14 hours. Armed clashes took place between Palestinian resistance and Israeli forces in the camp.

**Siege of the camp**
Israeli occupation forces surrounded all the main entrances to the camp, blocking roads with various military vehicles. The siege lasted 14 hours, cutting off electricity, water, and internet. Israeli snipers were deployed on rooftops and surrounding buildings.

**Israeli military reinforcements**
Israeli forces continued to send reinforcements to Tulkarm throughout the operation, centered in the refugee camp. This led to heightened tensions between Palestinians in the camp and the surrounding city.

**Destruction of camp infrastructure**
A month and a half after the last military operation, during which roads and infrastructure were repaired by the municipality and Palestinian Civil Defense, Israeli forces again stormed the camp and destroyed the newly repaired infrastructure. Bulldozers began clearing the main entrance to the camp, known as the Madrasa corridor, and destroyed roads, power lines, water networks, and the sewage system. This destruction of infrastructure by Israeli forces is not the first, nor will it be the last.

**Obstruction of ambulances**
Israeli occupation forces obstructed Palestinian ambulances from entering the camp to transport the injured. Volunteer medical teams inside the camp risked their lives to assist the wounded, and they were the ones who transported the bodies of Palestinians hit by Israeli shelling.

**Destruction and shelling of houses**
Dozens of Palestinian homes and shops were bombed and destroyed, either partially or totally. Israeli forces bombed more than four houses using drones, including one in the town of Aktabah, a neighborhood northeast of Tulkarm.

**Three Palestinian martyrs**
Three Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli aerial bombardment inside one of the camp’s houses. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, three Palestinians were seriously injured by Israeli shelling while seeking shelter. The martyrs are Imad Shuraim, 34, Muawiya Al-Hajj Ahmed, 30, and Wasim Anbar, 30—all residents of Tulkarm refugee camp. Their bodies were buried three hours after Israeli forces withdrew, with their relatives bidding them a final farewell in the Danaba cemetery near the camp.

Palestinian elder raises his flag in defiance of the occupation forces

Celebrating Resilience: The Burin Kite Festival

June 19 – Once a year, the skies of Burin come alive with a dazzling display of color and resilience. The Kite Festival, organized by residents and activists, brings the community together in a joyful celebration of resistance and steadfast joy. Against the backdrop of occupation, this festival has become a powerful symbol of the daily struggles and unwavering spirit of the people of Burin.

Since 2008, the village of Burin has hosted the Kite Festival almost every year. This small village, nestled among the rolling hills of the northern West Bank, is home to nearly three thousand residents who have cherished this land for centuries. Surrounded by three illegal and oppressive Israeli settlements, the people of Burin face constant challenges and aggressions, yet they remain steadfast in their connection to their home and the children of this town.

They are challenged to find smiles and happiness against the brutality of occupation, but with ice cream and toys and the gift of song they are triumphant. This statement may seem exaggerated to some, but for the people of Burin, it reflects their harsh reality. The Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) regularly invade the village, ransacking homes, arresting residents without charge, and instilling fear among families. The settlers from the surrounding hilltops also pose a constant threat, attacking villagers, burning olive trees, and disrupting daily life. The streets are often blocked arbitrarily in an efforts to psychologically torture this town.

In the face of such adversity, the Kite Festival is a beacon of hope and wonder. Children and families gather on the soil their ancestors have farmed for generations, flying kites that symbolize freedom and defiance. The sight of kites soaring high above the settlements and beyond barbed wire is a powerful reminder that Burin remains resilient and unbroken.

The festival is organized by The Bureen Club and Ghassan Najjar, a resident who refuses to give up on his land or his people. As the festival marks its 16th year, residents reflects on its significance: “While Israeli and settlers are trying to prevent us from going to our lands and they steal it, it is good to see volunteers from around the world who come every time to give us their solidarity with us the Palestinians who are struggling from this occupation, and to reflect the image of the Palestinians that we are a welcoming people and we love life also,” said Ammar an engineer and resident of Burin

The festival’s simplicity belies its profound impact. Each kite, adorned with the Palestinian flag, using recycled plastic or simply yellow like the sun, sends a clear message to the occupiers: this land is Palestinian, and the spirit of its people will not be extinguished. Despite threats and intimidation from the IOF, Ghassan and his fellow organizers remain defiant. There is no intimidation in the beauty and dreaming of kites however, the absurdity of the occupation’s attempts to quash even the most innocent acts of joy is ever present.

This year, the festival also acts as a show of solidarity for the children of Gaza and a memorial for 3 children murdered by the IOF:
Muataz Eid (12) – 22/11/2023
Amer Najjar (9) – 5/3/2024
Mohammed Eid (19) – 6/3/2024

Members of their community and family were present as the entire festival also calls for Palestinian unity. Coordinated with residents all over the world, kites will be flown simultaneously in a show of solidarity. Children and families from all over the West Bank will join the festival, flying their kites above the settlements, reclaiming the sky with hundreds of Palestinian flags.

The Burin Kite Festival is a testament to the resilience and determination of the Palestinian people. Amidst music, some subtle dancing, and the joyous laughter of children, the festival conveys a simple yet profound message: the right to smile, to have fun, to be happy, and to live freely. As the kites soar high above Burin, they carry with them the hopes and dreams of a people who refuse to be silenced.

Long live Palestine.

Resisting Colonization in Beita

Child confronting Israeli soldiers, July 19, Beita.

24 July 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Beita

Residents of Beita, south of Nablus, have restarted the weekly Friday demonstrations to resist the further theft of their land. In June, the Israeli security cabinet greenlighted the “legalization” of Evyatar, an outpost established on Sabih Mountain, situated on the outskirts of the town.

Beita residents have a long history of steadfastly resisting the colonization of their land. While demonstrations had almost ceased since October 7 due to the escalation of violence from Israeli occupation forces, July 5 saw a renewed push with dozens of Palestinians, accompanied by international and Israeli activists, marching down the adjacent mountain and through the valley towards the outpost.

The protestors were met with violence from the army as they burned tires in a show of protest. In response, volleys of tear gas were used to disperse the crowd, followed by rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition.

On the following Fridays, the army prevented the protestors from marching down the valley and instead pushed everyone back, firing tear gas which set fire to the surrounding fields of olive trees.

Field of olive trees burning due to tear gas. July 19, Beita.

Israeli settlers first tried to take over lands belonging to the town of Beita at the top of Jabel Sabih in 2013 and again in 2018, but were repelled by popular resistance mounted by the people of Beita. Settlers returned again in May 2021 to establish the Evyatar outpost, this time with documented support by Israeli forces stationed to guard them.

By July 2021, the Israeli army was forced to evict the settlers, striking a deal with them that steps will be taken to legalize the settlement at a later stage. The settlers left but the structures remained and the land was not returned to Palestinians. Settlers returned to Jabel Sabih in June 2023.

The establishment of the new outpost sparked an unprecedented wave of resistance, mobilizing thousands to demonstrate day and night in the vicinity of Jabel Sabih, trying to scale it to repel the settlers and dismantle the outpost. The Israeli response was one of intense military repression, killing 17 protestors over the past few years, causing serious injuries to thousands, including many suffering debilitating injuries, and arresting hundreds more.

The land represents a strategic spot on the road stretching all the way from Tel Aviv to the Jordan Valley, allowing for contiguity between Israeli settlements while preventing the latter for Palestinian villages.

**Martyrs**

– Mohammed Hamayyel, 15 (March 11, 2020)
– Islam Dwikat, 22 (April 9, 2020)
– Karam Amin Dwikat, 17 (October 15, 2023)
– Issa Sliman Barham, 40 (May 14, 2021)
– Tareq Ommar Snobar, 27 (May 16, 2021)
– Zakaria Maher Hamayyel, 25 (May 28, 2021)
– Mohammed Said Hamayyel, 15 (June 11, 2021)
– Ahmad Zahi Bani Shamsa, 15 (June 16, 2021)
– Shadi Ommar Sharafa, 41 (July 27, 2021)
– Imad Ali Dwikat, 38 (August 6, 2021)
– Mohammed Ali Khbeissa, 27 (September 24, 2021)
– Jamil Jamal Abu Ayyash, 32 (December 1, 2021)
– Fawaz Ahmad Hamayyel, 47 (April 13, 2022)
– Immad Jareh Bani Shamsa, 16 (October 9, 2023)
– Mohammed Ibrahim Adili, 13 (November 23, 2023)
– Maath Ashraf Bani Shamsa, 17 (February 9, 2024)
– Ameed Ghaleb Said al-Jaroub, 34 (March 22, 2024, died of a bullet wound injury to the head sustained on August 21, 2023)

Israeli soldier harassing the press. July 19, Beita.

Tear gas thrown at protestors. July 19, Beita.

Israeli Settlers in the West Bank Brutally Attack and Injure Palestinians and International Volunteers Only One Day After ICJ Rules Israeli Occupation Illegal

The German volunteer after being attacked by settlers.

On the heels of the ICJ decision pronouncing Israeli occupation illegal as a whole and pointing out to systematic lack of accountability for settler violence, three international volunteers were evacuated to a hospital in Nablus after being attacked by settlers in the West Bank village of Qusra, south of Nablus. Israeli authorities on location failed to arrest the assailants.

Settlers who descended from the extremist Esh Kodesh south of Nablus, attacked Palestinian farmers tending to their lands, as well as international volunteers accompanying them for protection against such attacks. The Israeli settlers carried out the attack using metal pipes, batons and threw stones at the people from close range. Three of the international volunteers sustained wounds requiring hospitalization with suspected fractures. A German national was hit in the face and arm with a metal pipe, and two American volunteers were clobbered using wooden batons. A fourth American volunteer suffered more minor injuries after being hit by stones thrown at her by the settlers, who also stole her phone.

Soldiers who arrived at the scene failed to carry out any arrests. Additionally, the Israeli Police emergency hotline refused to dispatch forces, telling the volunteer who called them for help that “the army notified them there is no need to send forces.”

For more details: Jonathan Pollak +972-50-3010160; jonathan@defendpalestine.org
A Video of the assault is available here (You might need to to save the file to your device in order to view it)

The volunteers who were attacked were part of the recently-launched Defend Palestine campaign, organized by Palestinian grassroots organizers. The campaign calls on international volunteers to come to the West Bank en mass and be part of an organized international protective presence.

Mohammed Khatib, an organizer with the campaign said, “The attack today, not even 24 hours after the ICJ ruled that Israeli occupation is illegal and that settlers enjoy impunity when exercising violence, serves as further proof for the dire need for international civil protection in Palestine. 18 communities in the West Bank have been completely wiped out by such violence since October, and the Palestinian people have no more time to wait.”

The village of Qusra, surrounded by the settlement of Migdalim and settler outposts of Esh Kodesh, Bar Farm, Ahiya and Kida, has been the target of nearly daily attacks by Israeli settlers who attack villagers, vandalize farms and have even burnt several houses in the village with complete impunity. On October 11, four villagers were killed following such an attack and two more were killed in a subsequent attack the following day, on October 12.

The attack today took place as farmers were accompanied to their olive groves adjacent to the Israeli Esh Kodesh settlement by international volunteers. Unchecked settler violence has prevented farmers from accessing these groves and much more of their land since October. Despite these being privately owned lands in Area B, Israeli authorities have not made any attempt to reign in the settlers or act in any way to allow Palestinians to their lands.