Category: Features - Page 100 - International Solidarity Movement

ACT NOW ! Put an end to the ‘Closed Military Zone’ in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street, Hebron

11th January 2016 | Action Alert

last updated 21st January 2016

*** Arabic version below ***

The undersigned organisations are calling on the international community to take immediate action regarding the continuous closure of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and the part of Shuhada Street that has remained accessible to Palestinian residents since the Ibrahimi mosque massacre in 1994, in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). For more than two months, Palestinians and internationals have been denied access to this part of the city since the Israeli occupation forces have declared the area a ‘closed military zone’.

The ‘closed military zone’, first declared on November 1st 2015, was designed to include Palestinian neighborhoods while excluding adjacent illegal Israeli settlements. This discriminatory closure is being upheld by continuously renewed ‘military orders’ that lack official signatures or stamps. Palestinian residents were forced to register with the army or else risk being barred from their homes, while Israeli settlers are free to roam the streets without being stopped.

“This is yet another step in pushing Palestinians out of Tel Rumeida and Shuhada street”, says Jenny, from the ISM team in al Khalil.

Such a restriction of movement clearly constitutes a collective punishment on the whole Palestinian community, illegal under international law. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva convention specifically states that “no protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.”

Tel Rumeida resident Abed Salaymeh explains : “soldiers and settlers are making life for the Palestinians intolerable to force them to leave their houses voluntarily. This is a crime under international law. They are targeting activists to silence the truth and stop the truth from reaching the whole world.”

International and local activists are increasingly at risk of direct attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers from the illegal settlements in al-Khalil, as activists are specifically targeted for their efforts to document and report on human rights abuses.

Activists are denied access to areas by Israeli occupation forces and face unfounded arbitrary arrests, such as on the 3rd of November, the 26th of November, 27th of November, and on the 28th of November; purely on Israeli forces’ accusations that lack any evidence. Human rights defenders, whose work the United Nations stressed as important, are increasingly threatened even inside their homes and offices or illegally kicked out of them. The closed military zone was expanded and extended until the 31^st January 2016.

The Israeli forces’ attempts to silence the Palestinian voice on the events goes hand in hand with the closure of Palestinian radio stations in clear infringement of the freedom of press and opinion, acknowledged in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948, article 19: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

“It is important to document in order to expose Israeli crimes”, explains Imad Abu Shamsiyyeh, a Tel Rumeida resident.

These inhumane measures come after Israeli occupation forces gunned down Homam Adnan Sa’id, 23, and Islam Rafiq ‘Ebeido on the 27th and 28th of October in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood. While the Israeli government claims that both were ‘neutralized’ when attacking Israeli forces, many eye-witness statements refute this claim; CCTV footage has not yet been released by the Israeli forces. Since the beginning of October, a total of 163 Palestinians have been shot and left to bleed to death without medical aid in a similar manner in what Amnesty International refers to as ‘unlawful killings‘.

The outlined measures, restrictions, and human rights violations are focused primarily and exclusively on making the Palestinian voice – and in the long run the inhabitants of the area – disappear altogether.

The undersigned organisations call for:

An immediate end to collective punishment and the ‘closed military zone’ order in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street;
Cessation of threats and harassment of Palestinian residents as well as foreign and local human rights defenders;
Removal of restrictions on movement throughout the Old City of Hebron;
stopping the imposed military law on Palestinian residents as they are civilians;
Suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement until Israel complies with International Law;
Removal of all illegal Israeli settlements from Hebron.
Reconsideration of the status of “charity” of the Hebron Fund, that allows people to make tax-free donations to an organisation funding the illegal settlement of Israelis in the city of Hebron
Cessation of unconditional US Aid to Israel until it complies with international law.
Release of the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, as provided in article 17 of the 1949 Geneva Convention I “[Parties to the conflict] shall further ensure that the dead are honourably interred, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, that their graves are respected, grouped if possible according to the nationality of the deceased, properly maintained and marked so that they may always be found”.

Signatories (continuously updated):

Alternative Information Center (AIC)
Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine (APJP)
Assopace Palestina
BDS Slovenia
Boston University Students for Justice in Palestine
Chico Palestine Action Group
Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestine
Delaware Neighbors Against the Occupation
Dominican Palestine Coordinating Committee
Edmonton Small Press Association
Education Equals Making Community Connection
Football Against Apartheid
Gaza Action Ireland
Health Work Committees
Hebron Defense Committee
Hebron Rehabilitation Committee
Human Rights Defenders Group
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC)
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) – Finland
International Middle East Media Centre
International Women’s Peace Service
International Solidarity Movement
ISM Italy
Leeds Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Love without Borders
Memphis Voices for Palestine
Merton PSC
Middle East Crisis Support – Woodstock, NY
Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign
Newcastle Palestine Campaign
Operation Dove – Operazione Colomba
Philly BDS
Popular National Conference for Jerusalem
Rural Women’s Development Society
Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights
South Coast People for Peace and Justice
The Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC)
The General Union of Palestinian Teachers, Hebron
The Hampton Institute
The Palestinian Farmers Union
The Popular Committee for Palestinian Refugees in Hebron District
The Union of Palestinian Working Women’s Committees
The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees
Unison Northumberland
Women’s Studies Centre
Youth Center – Palestinian Medical Relief Society

If your organisation wishes to support the call, contact us at: palreports@gmail.com

********************** Arabic version **********************

نداء عاجل، ضعوا حدا لأمر الاحتلال العسكري الذي يغلق (تل الرميده) و (شارع الشهداء) في الخليل.

إن المنظمات والهيئات الموقعة على هذا النداء تدعو المجتمع الدولي الى اتخاذ إجراءات فورية تجاه الاغلاق المستمر لحي تل الرميده وذلك الجزء من شارع الشهداء الذي بقي متاحاً أمام حركة المواطنين الفلسطينيين عقب مجزرة الحرم الإبراهيمي في الخليل المحتلة في عام 1994. منذ أكثر من شهر منع الفلسطينيون والدوليون من دخول هذا الجزء من المدينة حيث أعلنت القوات الإسرائيلية عنه كمنطقة عسكرية مغلقة.

المنطقة العسكرية المغلقة أعلنت اولا في مطلع شهر تشرين الثاني/ نوفمبر 2015 وتطال السكان الفلسطينيون والأحياء الفلسطينية بينما تستثني البؤر الاستيطانية غير القانونية، هذا الإغلاق المعبر عن التمييز العنصري مفروض بأوامر عسكرية مكتوبة متجددة وتفتقر حتى إلى التواقيع والاختام الرسمية. السكان الفلسطينيون اجبروا على تسجيل أسمائهم لدى الجيش والا فإنهم سيقعوا تحت خطر الإبعاد عن بيوتهم، بينما المستوطنون يحظون بحرية التجوال والحركة بدون قيود.

هذه خطوة إضافية للضغط على الفلسطينيين لمغادرة بيوتهم الواقعة في تل الرميده وشارع الشهداء” كما قالت جيني (Jenny) من حركة التضامن الدولية (ISM) في الخليل.

هذه القيود على الحركة تشكل بوضوح عقابا جماعيا لكل المجتمع الفلسطيني وتعد خرقا فاضحا للقانون الدولي. تنص المادة (33) من اتفاقية جنيف الرابعة على أنه “لا يجوز معاقبة أي شخص محمي على مخالفة لم يقترفها هو شخصيا. تحظر العقوبات الجماعية وبالمثل جميع تدابير التهديد أو الإرهاب”

يقول المواطن الفلسطيني عبد السلايمه الساكن في تل الرميده: “الجيش والمستوطنون يعملون على جعل حياة المواطنين الفلسطينيين لا تطاق من أجل دفعهم لأن يتركوا بيوتهم بشكل طوعي. هذه جريمة وفق القانون الدولي. انهم يستهدفون النشطاء من أجل طمس الحقيقة ومنع وصولها للعالم“.

يعيش النشطاء الدوليون والمحليون في خطر متزايد جراء الهجمات المباشرة من القوات الإسرائيلية والمستوطنين غير الشرعيين، انهم مستهدفون بسبب ما يقوموا به من توثيق ونشر لانتهاكات حقوق الإنسان.

النشطاء يمنعوا من الدخول إلى مناطق بأوامر قوات الاحتلال ويواجهون خطر الاعتقال التعسفي، مثلما حصل في 3 تشرين الثاني/نوفمبر الماضي وأيضا في 26 و 27 و 28 من ذات الشهر دون وجود أي أدلة لدى الجيش على اتهاماتهم الباطلة الموجهة للنشطاء. المدافعون عن حقوق الإنسان والذين يقومون بعمل تؤكد على أهميته منظمة الأمم المتحدة يواجهون مخاطر متصاعدة حتى داخل بيوتهم ومكاتبهم ويطرَدون منها بصورة تعسفية وغير قانونية.

تحاول السلطات الإسرائيلية إسكات الصوت الفلسطيني خلال الأحداث الجارية تزامنا مع إغلاقها لمحطات إذاعية فلسطينية في خرق فاضح لحرية الصحافة والرأي والمقرة في الاعلان العالمي لحقوق الانسان لعام 1948 والذي ينص في المادة 19 منه “لكل شخص الحق في حرية الرأي والتعبير، ويشمل هذا الحق حرية اعتناق الآراء دون أي تدخل، واستقاء الأنباء والأفكار وتلقيها وإذاعتها بأية وسيلة كانت دون تقيد بالحدود الجغرافية“.

التوثيق مهم جدا لفضح الجرائم الإسرائيلية” كما قال عماد أبو شمسية المواطن الفلسطيني من سكان حي تل الرميده.

تأتي هذه الإجراءات غير الإنسانية عقب قيام القوات الاسرائيلية بإطلاق النار وقتل كل من همام عدنان السعيد “نحو 23 عاما” و إسلام رفيق اعبيدو في 27 و 28 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر في حي تل الرميده، وكانت الحكومة الإسرائيلية حينها قد بررت عمليتا القتل بأنهما جاءتا ردا على هجمات حسب ما ادعته، في حين نفى شهود عيان هذه الإدعاءات ولم تقم قوات الجيش بنشر تسجيلات كاميرات المراقبة خاصتها والمثبته في المكان لتأكيد ما تدعيه.

منذ بداية شهر تشرين الأول/اكتوبر أطلقت النار على ما مجموعه163 فلسطيني تركوا ينزفون من دون تقديم اسعافات أولية لهم أو علاج طبي حيث وصفت منظمة العفو الدولية ( Amnesty International ) ذلك بالقتل خارج نطاق القضاء.

الإجراءات الاحتلالية المذكورة المناقضة لحقوق الإنسان هدفها إخماد الصوت الفلسطيني وفي المدى البعيد هدفها إجبار سكان المنطقة الفلسطينيين على الرحيل والإختفاء بشكل كامل.

إن المنظمات والهيئات الموقعة على هذا النداء تطالب بما يلي

الوقف الفوري لسياسة العقاب الجماعي بحق الفلسطينيين في حي تل الرميدة وشارع الشهداء وإنهاء الأمر العسكري بإغلاقهما.

وقف التهديدات والمضايقات ضد السكان الفلسطينيين، وكذلك ضد نشطاء حقوق الإنسان المحليين والدوليين في تل الرميده وشارع الشهداء.

إزالة الحواجز والقيود على الحركة المنتشرة داخل البلدة القديمة من الخليل.

وقف العمل بالقوانين والأوامر العسكرية الاسرائيلية على السكان الفلسطينيين المدنيين.

إيقاف اتفاقية التعاون بين الاتحاد الأوروبي وإسرائيل حتى تلتزم اسرائيل بالقوانين الدولية.

إزالة كل البؤر الاستيطانية غير الشرعية من الخليل.

إعادة النظر بمكانة “الخيري” التي يحظى بها صندوق الخليل (Hebron Fund) والذي يتيح الفرصة للأفراد من عدة دول بتقديم التبرعات التي تخصم من ضرائبهم للمنظمة التي تمول الاستيطان في الخليل.

وقف المساعدات الأميركية غير المشروطة المقدمة لإسرائيل حتى تنصاع للقانون الدولي.

إعادة جثامين الفلسطينيين الذين قتلتهم القوات الإسرائيلية لذويهم وفقا لما تنص عليه المادة (17) من اتفاقية جنيف الأولى لعام 1949 والتي ورد فيها “على أطراف النزاع التحقق من أن الموتى قد دفنوا باحترام وطبقا لشعائر دينهم إذا أمكن، وأن مقابرهم تحترم وتجمع تبعا لجنسياتهم إذا أمكن وتصان بشكل ملائم، وتميز بكيفية تمكن من الاستدلال عليها دائما“

الموقعون:

حملة مقاطعة اسرائيل في سلوفينيا

حركة التضامن الدولية
غزة اكشن, ايرلاندا
الحركة الاسرائيلية ضد هدم البيوت
الحركة الاسرائيلية ضد هدم البيوت, فنلندا

لفرق المسيحية لصنع السلام/ فلسطين

لجنة التنسيق الدومينيكان فلسطين

اتحاد لجان العمل الصحي

لجنة الدفاع عن الخليل

لجنة إعمار الخليل

مركز الشرق الأوسط الدولي للإعلام

خدمات نساء السلام الدولية

حملة التضامن مع فلسطين/ ميرتون/ المملكة المتحدة

مجموعة دعم منكوبي الشرق الأوسط/ وودستوك/ نيويورك

حملة مقاطعة اسرائيل في مينوسوتا/ الولايات المتحدة

حملة التضامن مع فلسطين في نيوكاسل

منظمة حمامة السلام/ ايطاليا

هيئة مؤتمر القدس وشدوا الرحال

الاغاثة الزراعية

اتحاد المزارعين الفلسطينيين

اللجنة الشعبية للاجئين في محافظة الخليل

اتحاد لجان المرأة الفلسطينية

نقابة العمال “يونيسون” نورث أمبرلاند/ المملكة المتحدة

مركز الدراسات النسوية في الخليل

المدافعون عن حقوق الانسان

الاتحاد العام للمعلمين الفلسطينيين/ الخليل

اتحاد لجان المرأة العاملة الفلسطينية

حركة التضامن الدولية, ايطاليا

منظمة ادمنتون للصحافة الصغيرة

حب بدون حدود

مهندسون ومزارعون للعدالة في فلسطين

مركز تدريب الشباب المجتمعي/ الإغاثة الطبية

معهد هامبتون

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Ziad Jaber school marks start of winter holidays after another semester under occupation

10th January 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | al-Khalil, occupied Palestine

On Wednesday, 6^th January 2016, schools in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) marked the start of the winter holiday by handing out certificates to the students and giving awards to the best students.

Teachers and students taking photos with report cards

At Ziad Jaber elementary boys school, school started at 9 o’clock with a ceremony where teachers handed out certificates to all the students, who had finished their final exams before the holidays in the weeks before. The best students from each class were also awarded certificates for their outstanding achievements.

Throughout the school year thus far, teachers and students have had to face harassment, intimidation and violence from both Israeli forces and settlers from the adjacent illegal Kiryat Arba settlement. At the military gate blocking one of the roads leading towards the school, teachers have been body searched before their students’ eyes on an almost daily basis. Even students, despite their young age, have often been forced by Israeli soldiers stationed both at the military gate and at another checkpoint on the other side of the main road to wait to either have their bags searched or to lift up their shirts and trouser legs.

Teacher forced to lift up his shirt by Israeli soldiers

Student forced to take of his jacket by Israeli soldiers

As the main road leading past the school connects directly to the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement, settler harassment has also been common for both students and teachers. More than once, settlers have intimidated students and threatened violence or ordered soldiers to arrest children. In an incident on 30^th December, infamous and violent settler Ofer, who usually drives in an ambulance even though he has no medical training, commanded soldiers to arrest children, claiming that they were throwing stones. Luckily teachers from the school were able to stop Ofer from entering the schoolyard.

Students looking at each others certificates — Students looking at each other’s certificates

The impact of all the harassment, intimidation and violence students face on a daily basis on their academic achievements can hardly be estimated. That it impacts the accessibility of education – a basic right for every child – is without doubt. Growing up in Israeli military occupied Palestine takes a huge toll on childhood.

Students leaving school for the holidays with their certificates

Six families in Jerusalem wait for their homes to be demolished

On Thursday, January 7th, the ISM went to visit Kifaya Rishek, a widow who lives in Beit Hanina, occupied East Jerusalem, waiting for her home to be demolished.

But Kifaya is not alone, she lives in this house together with her five children and 16 grandchildren, including 11 year-old, Malak, who is physically disabled. Their financial situation is very difficult; Murad and Ashraf, who have 4 children each, both work cleaning the Cinema City. Sharif has 5 children, and works selling toys in a store. Mohannad has 1 child and works in construction, but his salary is unstable since he works when he is called in by the company. Her daughter, Faiza, is divorced and also lives here with her 2 children. These 5 families who live here will be left homeless.

Friend Nuredin Amro and his son, Abedkarim sit on the far left side. Seven of the children who live in this house are, from left to right: Mira, Mayaan, Ahmad, Yara. On top, Fajer. On the floor, Mohammad and Badar. — Friend Nuredin Amro and his son, Abedkarim, sit on the far left side. Seven of the children who live in this house are, from left to right: Mira, Mayaan, Ahmad, Yara. On top, Fajer. On the floor, Mohammad and Badar.

In 2012, the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem came to Kifaya’s house to tell them that they planned to build a road that would pass through the land where they live and that they would demolish only the outdoor kitchen that sits in the terrasse. With time, the Israeli authorities changed their plan and said they would demolish the whole house.

Kifaya brought her case to court, with the intention of having the lawyer convince the municipality to change the direction of the road so that it would pass through another piece of land that her family owns together with another family, named Zaloum. She would attend the court hearings, but they were always in Hebrew, which she does not understand. In the end, she lost her case in the High Court, leaving her and her family with no more options in the Israeli controlled legal system. All of this is happening even though the house and land belongs to them: all payments are up to date, including their monthly taxes.

This decision on the part of the court and the Israeli authorities only shows that, in reality, the intention behind the demolition of Kifaya’s home is just part of a much larger Zionist plan to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians who live in Jerusalem, and make them refugees inside the West Bank.

The demolition order became effective a week ago, which means that the family lives in the house waiting every day for the workers to come with the bulldozer.

This kind of collective punishment creates a horrible life for Palestinians, as they are all incredibly anxious, sad and absolutely uncertain of not knowing when they will lose their house, because Israel does not give any prior notice as to when they will come with the bulldozer. The demolition can happen at any time, maybe a week, a month or a year ahead. And the family will not only lose their house, since the intention is to build a road, they will also lose their land. Unlike other families who, after the demolition, can still build another home on the same land, the Rishek family is being expelled.

The children’s teachers are seeing signs of distress. They have told the parents that they are not concentrating and their grades are going down in school. Malak says, “I’m afraid that when I go to school, when I come back the house will not be there anymore.”

Malak is 11 years old and has a physical disability in her legs. She gets treatment in the ALYN Pediatric Hospital in Jerusalem.

But the extent of their loss goes far beyond the material loss of their home and land. Since the family is very poor, they cannot afford moving to another neighborhood inside Jerusalem, therefore, they will be forced to relocate inside the West Bank, becoming refugees. This means they will lose their jobs, the children’s school and Malak’s therapy program, their health insurance, and pension plans. Once the family leaves Jerusalem, they will lose their Jerusalem identity cards, together with all their social benefits, such as the insurance for all the children (according to the Jerusalem Municipality Regulation), widow pension plan, health insurance and special disability insurance. The men will also lose their jobs, since they will not be able to move long distances and cross checkpoints to get to their current jobs. All the children go to school in the Shuafat Refugee Camp. When they move into the West Bank, they will need to find a new school. They will lose all their friends, and probably the whole school year, too. Malak’s physiotherapy program, which is covered with insurance in the ALYN Hospital, will also be lost and her parents are afraid they won’t be able to afford another therapy program in the West Bank.

In a situation that produces such levels of anxiety and the feeling of not having control of one’s life, Kifaya has developed a habit of collecting all her important belongings then putting them back in their place. The family has no idea where they will go live afterward.

The living room of Kifaya's family — The living room of Kifaya’s family

In a second interview, we visited Rajeh and Nadia Hawareen, the neighbors who live next door, facing the exact same situation. The road will also pass on top of their land, and this house will be the second house that Israel demolishes for Rajeh and Nadia as collective punishment.

The couple lives in the house with their four children. 2 of them are engaged and plan to marry in August next year, but living with this kind of threat does not allow them to plan their weddings appropriately.

Rajeh explains how they suffer from the same psychological distress as Kifaya’s family. They used up their savings paying all the lawyers, engineers, and professionals they could to find a way to prevent this demolition. But just like Kifaya, they lost their case.

The Hawareen's living room. — The Hawareen’s living room.

“This is our land. They can kill our people, but we will stay. We will never leave it,” Rafeh reassures us. “When you try to prepare your house, you prepare your dreams. And Israel destroys it. I am 50 years old, and I don’t have another 50 years to build my life again. This is very stressful, especially for my wife.”

Rajeh also explains how the situation inside the court is absolutely unfair. Palestinians are not allowed to talk and the hearings are held in Hebrew. The law, of course, is also different for Palestinians and Israelis. Israel also passes special laws for Palestinians who live in Jerusalem, in order to evict them.

“I’ve had enough of 60 years of documentation from international organizations,” Rajeh continues. “We lose our dignity, they treat us like less than animals. We lose everything, we are thrown out to the street. That’s why I don’t like international organizations, establishments or institutions, because they take orders from governments.”

“65 years of writing documents, and nobody listens, no one wants to hear. I made thousands of documents for the UN and OCHA in New York, but nobody does anything. There are no results. We need answers, even if these answers are negative to know what to expect. Governments are hypocrites. They just care about relationships and mutual benefits. They don’t care about the humanitarian issues, the oppressed people. Politics has no mercy.”

“But we never give up. We believe that one day they will hear us.”

The bulldozers are working on the land nearby. Anytime soon they will arrive to the families doorsteps. — The bulldozers are working on the land nearby. Anytime soon they will arrive to the families’ doorsteps.

Photo story: newly expanded Shuhada checkpoint is even more difficult to traverse

January 6th 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | al-Khalil, occupied Palestine

At the end of December Israeli forces re-opened the newly expanded Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). The checkpoint had been closed since December 7th, when Israeli forces had declared they would be conducting “renovations” for a then-unknown period of time.

Officially known as Checkpoint 56, Shuhada checkpoint separates Bab al-Zawiye, a Palestinian neighborhood in the H1 (nominally Palestinian-controlled and administered) part of al-Khalil and Tel Rumeida, part of Israeli military-controlled H2 and currently covered in part by a closed military zone order first issued on November 1st.

walking through wm — Palestinian family leaving Tel Rumeida, crossing toward Bab al-Zawiye

The checkpoint was rebuilt with a high fence blocking the entire street and additional turnstiles and metal detectors. The turnstiles make it very difficult for anyone carrying heavy, bulky luggage or even several bags of groceries to pass. Israeli authorities also added a completely closed off room in the center of the checkpoint, where Palestinians are questioned and searched entirely out of site of any onlookers, media, or human rights monitors.

As in previous versions of the checkpoint, there is no possibility for any car or truck – even an ambulance responding to an emergency – to pass; any vehicle larger than a baby carriage must take a time-consuming detour in order to enter or leave Tel Rumeida.

woman walking high view wm — Shuhada checkpoint as seen from a nearby window in Bab al-Zawiye, an imposing barrier Palestinian families living in Tel Rumeida must navigate

The new checkpoint has already become a flashpoint for Israeli military aggressions against Palestinians, which include the arrest of 38-year-old Wafa’ Sharabati on Monday afternoon by Israeli forces who first claimed she had a discrepancy in her ID then accused her of being a troublemaker and threatened to plant a knife on her. Wafa’s family and local activists staged a sit-in outside Shuhada checkpoint to protest her treatment and the continued humiliation and harassment faced by Palestinians forced to endure the checkpoint and the closed military zone.

family waiting for release copy — Wafa Sharabati’s family staged a sit-in awaiting her release

ppl in front of shuhada wm — A large group of local activists and residents gathered after Wafa’s arrest in front of the checkpoint, which has has been the site of countless demonstrations against the Israeli occupation of al-Khalil

rubber coated metal soldier wm — He never fired, but this Israeli soldier spent much of Monday afternoon on the roof of Shuhada checkpoint, prepared to attack nonviolent Palestinian demonstrators with potentially deadly rubber-coated metal bullets

A sign on the H1 side of the checkpoint explains the protocols for passing through: metal detector, bag search, no animals allowed through, checkpoint closed if there are any clashes. The 4th instruction reads “wait until the soldier will allow you to pass.” Sometimes people can pass in six minutes; sometimes they must wait for over an hour, outside and exposed to any weather, before being allowed to pass the few meters of turnstiles, metal detectors, fences and walls between them and the streets leading to their homes.

Lines on Monday evening left many, including young children, waiting for nearly half an hour in the cold night. Only Palestinians who are registered in the closed military zone can ever pass through the checkpoint; family members of residents, journalists, human rights defenders and internationals have all been barred. Even Palestinians who are registered have reported being forced to wait for over an hour only to be harassed and threatened by the soldiers inside the checkpoint.

Activists have planned another protest for Thursday morning to continue the struggle against the closed military zone, the even harsher regime at the newly reopened checkpoint, and the continued closure and Israeli military occupation of al-Khalil.

boy fire wm — A young Palestinian boy enthusiastically fanned the fire local residents and activists gathered around on Monday night to protest the checkpoint and all it represents

Shufa village threatened as Israeli forces begin to excavate Palestinian land

4th January 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Tulkarm Team | Shufa village, occupied Palestine

On the 22nd of December, Israeli forces started excavating land belonging to the Palestinian village of Shufa. Residents fear the possibility of settlement expansion will threaten the future of their village.

shufa2wm — Bulldozer excavating the hillside. In the back sits the illegal Avne Hefez settlement.

Shufa village is very close to Avne Hefez, an illegal Israeli settlement that was established in 1987, which originally comprised 44 dunums of land. The settlement has continued expanding ever since and currently covers 3.000 dunums of land, all belonging to Palestinian villagers from the area.

shufa4wm — Another view of the excavation.

At the center, constructions site. Right sie: the first house of Shufa and at the far left, the first building of the Avne Hefez settlement. the road in the middle is for exclusive settler use. — At the center lies the construction site. At far right sits the first house of Shufa and at far left, the first building of the Avne Hefez settlement. The road in the middle is for exclusive settler use.

Unlike most other villages in the West Bank, Shufa is located on top of a hill, while the Avne Hefez settlement is located at a lower point. Israeli bulldozers and excavators are now digging the side of the hill where Shufa is located, just a few hundred meters from the center of the village. The landowner hasn’t received any previous notice of the excavation, and what exactly the Israeli army intends to build is still not known.One assumption is that they are trying to connect both Avne Hefez and Enav settlements with a nearby illegal outpost. Villagers fear that Israel intends to create a big settlement block in the area, by connecting these three places. Since the construction site is located at the bottom of the hill, posing a strategic disadvantage for the Israelis, the residents of Shufa are afraid that the Israeli forces will use certain measures, typically on the pretext of ‘security’, to prevent Palestinians from accessing their farm land on that particular part of the hill in the future.

Palestinians living next to Avne Hefez are already facing a lot of difficulties. Farmers are not allowed to enter their farmlands located next to the illegal settlement if they don’t hold a special permit. Israel, in turn, hardly ever gives them these permits. In a more extreme example of the harassment that farmers have to face, the Israeli military recently demolished 4 greenhouse structures in a farm belonging to a villager of Kafa, as well as uprooting more than 100 trees.

In addition to all this, the villagers in Shufa are in desperate need of an increased water supply, in order to irrigate their farmlands. But Israel doesn’t let them finish a newly constructed water pipeline that starts in the nearby village of Esba Shufa, and is planned to go all the way to Shufa. The reason for Israel to stop this pipeline construction is that part of it is meant to go through the land area designated as Area C: the territory that comprises 60% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control. Residents of Shufa also mentioned that the neighboring village of Saffarin is facing worse water problems. They do not have a drinking water pipeline at all, and must buy water from surrounding Palestinian villages at double the normal price.Shufa is just a few minutes drive from Tulkarm. Since the 2nd intifada, Israeli forces have closed the road between Shufa and Tulkarm periodically, forcing the residents to make 32 km detours in order to get to Tulkarm. During a demonstration on Friday, December 18th, villagers from Shufa removed the illegal Israeli roadblock. Israeli commanders then promised that the road will be kept open. But until now, the road has remained closed most of the time. The few occasions when the soldiers open the road, they begin checking all ID-cards, allowing only residents of Shufa to pass through.