14th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Nablus, occupied Palestine
Three storage house with demolished first floor in Al Dahia, Nablus
Early Saturday morning, November 14th, four homes belonging to Palestinians accused in the killings of two illegal settlers were demolished. Three of the houses were located in the Nablus area belonging to the families of imprisoned Samir Zahir Kusa, Kerem Lufti Razek and Yahia Haj Hamed.
The house demolitions are a part of a series of punitive measures by the Israeli government with the declared rationale being “prevention” of future attacks. The unlawful collective punishment, however, is breaking international law by meting out vengeance on the entire family, regardless of the fact that they haven’t been found guilty of any crime.
The case of the demolition of Kerem Lufti Razek’s home on the densely populated Al Rawda College Street, Nablus, clearly exemplifies the collective impact of the punitive measure. At 1am on November 14th, Israeli forces entered the neighborhood, forcing the residents to leave their homes, and confiscated their mobile phones to avoid video footage showing the incident. They then put up temporary checkpoints enclosing the area, and at 2:30 am started demolishing the house of Kerem Lufti with explosives.
Not only was the second floor belonging to Kerem Lufti, his parents, two brothers and one sister completely destroyed, leaving only bricks and broken walls, but also the first and third floors of the house were severely damaged and are now unsuitable for living. In the neighboring houses all windows were broken and critical structural elements were extensively damaged by the force of the blast.
Demolished home of Kerem Lutfi Razek in Al Rawada College St, Nablus
Simultaneously, Israeli forces entered the Al Dahia-neighborhood of Nablus where the family of imprisoned Samir Zahir Kusa until tonight was resident. In this case, the first floor housing the wife of Samir and their three children was completely reduced into a dusty pile of rubble and broken walls, while the two upper floors housing the family of a cousin and a brother were seriously damaged as well.
Lower floor of Samir Zahir Kusa’s home reduced into rubble and broken walls
Samir Zahir Kusa, Kerem Lufti Razek and Yahia Haj Hamed were detained on October 5th as suspects in the drive-by killing of two settlers from the notorious illegal Yitzhar settlement, Naama and Eitam Henkin, in the Nablus district on October 1st.After the detention of the men, the judge’s decision of demolition was temporarily suspended but was reissued earlier this month. In Silwad village near Ramallah the house of Maad Hamad, who is accused of killing an Israeli settler on June 29th, was the fourth home to be demolished this morning.
A 19-year old resident of Nablus witnessing the house demolition in Al Dahia stated: “If they destroy our homes, we will build a hundred new,” exemplifying that despite having to face brutality, violence, displacement and destruction, the Palestinian spirit of sumud endures.
Neighbouring home at Al Rawda College St. with damaged walls, roofs and windows
Israel is experimenting with dynamite (TNT) to demolish Palestinian homes, instead of the older procedure of using Volvo Excavators. The collatoral damage on neigboring houses was clearly visible. It is an extension of the collective punishment, which is illegal by international law.
Today released video of the Israeli army, promotes the new demolishing procedure to the world.
14th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Team | Gaza, occupied Palestine
In Gaza today, November the 13th, protestors all over Gaza aproached the fence that encloses them in a small strip of land. In the Erez border crossing (Beit Hanoun), Nahel Oz (Shijaia), Karni border crossing, and Bureij and Abassan (Khan Younis) confrontations errupted, leaving at least 18 young men injured by Israeli snipers, teargas inhalation, and others by the direct impact of the gas grenades.
On the Israeli side, the number of dead and injured – once again – is zero, neither civilian population nor military personnel were injured. This proves that the protestors doesn’t represent any kind of threat for the Israeli forces.
Protestors throwing back tear gas canisterYouths at demonstration in GazaIsraeli Forces on top the Apartheid WallTeargas being fired toward protestors
13th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Nablus, occupied Palestine
Update: 15th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Nablus, occupied Palestine
Italian acitivist Antonio Fresta photographed day after been arrested and beaten by the police.
Four human rights defenders arrested in Bil’in on 13th November when peacefully observing a demonstration against the apartheid wall have been let out on bail. All were held at the police station for approximate 10 hours, interrogated, photographed and fingerprinted. Embassies of the activists contacted the police station, providing assistance to detainees. Police was first reluctant to define reasons for the arrests. Main reason presented later was an accusation of the activists being on a “closed military zone”, despite the lack of signs signifying the area as one. In case of some of the detainees the police kept changing the reason presented for the arrest. Police has so far provided no evidence for the accusations.
As the video evidence clearly portraits, the Italian activist Antonio Fresta was repeatedly denied medical assistance by the ambulance personnel during the arrest. The police officers refusing the medics to approach or place Fresta on a stretcher were identified by their first names, Nikolai and Ruslan. Both were in border police uniform and appearing to be of higher rank. Fresta had the sim card of his phone confiscated and later returned by the police. Fresta’s credit card also disappeared from his personal belongins after they were taken by the police.
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Four human rights defenders have been arrested this afternoon at a demonstration against the apartheid wall in Bil’in. Approximately sixty villagers and supporters spread out throughout the valley and the human rights defenders were peacefully monitoring the situation when they were attacked.
Palestinian activist Mohammed Khatib, American Jewish Code Pink activist, a Finnish activist and Italian activist, Antonio Fresta, were arrested. Antonio was assaulted and repeatedly pepper-sprayed from close range in the face. They are presently still detained.
Italian man brutally pepper-sprayed and arrested
At approximately 1pm two women, an American and a Scandinavian, were walking along the road near to the wall with 3 other people when Israeli Forces advanced and detained both of them. When Mohammad al-Khatib approached the Israeli forces to question why the women were being detained, he was also detained and arrested. The soldiers then shot several rounds of teargas across the valley, and ran after a Chilean and Italian filming nearby.
American woman peacefully participating in the demonstration arrested
According to Australian ISM volunteer Phoebe, who was also present at the scene, “there were just a few men throwing stones at the wall, far away from two jeeps, and far away from those they arrested, and then they seemed to come directly for our friends and arrest the first Palestinian who came near them.
“While moving away from the rain of teargas, the Italian was chased, beaten and pepper-sprayed repeatedly, before being arrested and dragged into a jeep by Israeli forces. Despite the fact that he did not resist arrest nor break any perceivable law in his actions, he was denied medical assistance from the nearby ambulance and has been taken directly into custody. The Chilean activist stated “We were running because they were shooting and I think Antonio fell. They sprayed him right in the eyes again and again. I told them we are not doing anything wrong, but then they kept going.”
The Italian man brought to the military vehicle
Antonio Fresta beaten by soldiers after being pepper sprayed.
12th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Yesterday, international activists regained access to their Tel Rumeida apartment after being denied entry for a week. This morning at 8.45am another activist tried to enter the apartment but was prevented by soldiers, even after showing them the rental contract granting her the right to reside in Tel Rumeida. Soldiers then came up the stairs to the front door and threatened the three activists with arrest if they failed to leave the apartment within five minutes.
After a short delay, the police arrived and demanded the activists open the door and leave the building. When the activists questioned this, the Israeli forces replied that they were in a closed military zone and were not allowed to be there. This was despite the activists having demonstrated the right to reside in the property on the previous day.
The Israeli forces began to batter down the front door with a crowbar. When they were unable to get in after 10 minutes, other soldiers climbed onto the roof and smashed their way in through the roof access door within a few minutes. The commander and two soldiers entered the room where the activists were sitting without showing any resistance.
They demanded the activists leave, stating they had no right to be in the area and they were acting illegally. They then claimed that they had checked with their lawyers and the contract ‘is illegal…because it’s a closed military zone’. The commander said the activists are not residents, just ‘guests’ and that they didn’t understand the contract because it was written in Arabic.
Then several more soldiers entered, together with 2 police officers. They took the activists’ passports and told them to leave aggressively. They also showed them the closed military zone document. When the activists questioned the army’s right to break in to the apartment, the police officer told them to take the case to court.
The commander then twisted the arm of one activist, forcing him to the floor, although none of the activists offered any physical resistance. The activists were then escorted out of the apartment, down the street to checkpoint 56 and out of Tel Rumeida.
11th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil (Hebron) Team | Khalil (Hebron), occupied Palestine
Since October 1st from Gaza to the OPT, casualties are rising almost daily as are injuries, arrests, raids and the outrageous closure of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Hebron along with segregated Shuhada Street by military order.
A crisis within a crisis is slowly devouring the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Israeli military controlled Area C Hebron. In an urgent alert released just days ago by the International Solidarity Movement, with teams on the ground in both the Gaza strip as well as in the West Bank;
“The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) urges the international community to take immediate and urgent action against the Israeli occupation forces’ recent declaration of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and Shuhada Street in downtown Hebron as a closed ‘Closed Military
On November 1st, the occupation forces instructed all Palestinian residents to ‘register’. Since November 3rd, all non-residents, including human rights workers, doctors, teachers, plumbers, and others are barred from entry.
Army presence at school runs
This declaration comes amidst a month long escalation claiming the lives of over 70 Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza – one third of them in Hebron. Many of the extrajudicial killings in Hebron are occurring in the areas now evacuated of all internationals who had been monitoring and reporting what they witness.”
The International Solidarity Movement’s flat, housing international human rights monitors has since been evicted of residents under threat of arrest. It is incumbent upon the international community to get involved in such a way that empowers paths to immediate solutions and allows for the opening of downtown Hebron as well as the return of human rights activists into the area who have endured violent attacks from ideological extremist Israeli settlers, including enemy of the state style wanted posters picturing internationals and inciting harassment, violence or worse against them.
Palestinians suffocating under the violent pyrotechnic confluence of Israeli settlers/soldiers in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood are being forced to register, facing Israeli extremist violence unabated and are undergoing the isolating vaccumization of their community which is not only under occupation but now under closed military zone orders by Israeli forces.
Youth detained by Israeli army
The mayhem continues and its scenes are as dramatic as they are unbelievable. Hospitals are being raided after Israeli soldiers disguised as injured Palestinians file in, storm the medical facility and arrest those with injuries suspected to have happened during clashes and demanding Palestinians private medical files.
Palestinian medics as well as journalists have consistently been targets of the Israeli military monster and have endured violently imposed injuries including the pepper spraying of a journalistby occupation forces and the destruction and damaging of emergency medical vehicles which prompted the declaration of a state of emergency in early October when IOF became habituated to attacking Palestinian emergency medical personnel.
But Palestine is fighting back.
Injured in the head by rubber coated steel bullet
Solidarity organization Stop the Wall has an interactive map detailing current acts of resistance, mobilizations and demonstrations in reaction to the wave of violence sweeping across the West Bank and Gaza.
The escalation has featured snapshots of breathtaking moments of terrorism acted out with precision by occupation soldiers acting with a brazen impunity instilled in them by either deadly silence or deadlier financial support from global governance which collectively looks on while Palestinians are violently felled on a routine basis.
“Ramadan Thawabteh, eight months old, died from asphyxiation today after inhaling tear gas, fired by the Israeli army, that entered the house of his family,” a ministry spokesman said back on October 30th; a violent crescendo to a month of the violent bloodletting of dozens of Palestinians, mostly youth. The infant’s death came just days after an ominous threat was levied via loudspeaker throughout the quiet streets of the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem by Israeli occupation soldiers.
In transcripts from the statement, “People of Aida Refugee camp we are the occupation army. You throw stones and we will hit you with gas until you all die. The children, the youth, the old people, you will all die, we won’t leave any of you alive. And we have arrested one of you, he is with us now. We took him from his home and we will slaughter and kill him while you are watch if you keep throwing stones. Go home or we will gas you until you die. Your families, your children, everyone we will kill you. Listen to me, all of you go home, it’s better for you. “
Youth at a demonstration
Again circumventing international humanitarian law, occupation forces have taken over the private residential home of the Abu Rajab family in Hebron, leaving them with a military order declaring part of their home a ‘closed military zone’ for an unspecified period of time. This was preceded by the storming of a Palestinian radio station in Hebron, destruction of equipment and the issuance of a military order to halt broadcasting.
The isolating of a people already under attack. In a Speak Out Loud piece, a piece which is actually aimed at breaking down in digestible pieces different psychological warfares utilized in domestic abuse situations. They expose tactical stratagems abusers use to coercively control a population of one or several- here Israel has managed to expand these stratagems to an entire population; a population they are working tirelessly at making invisible to the global community.
Isolation is a pivotal tactic used in order to weaken their victims, prevent them from hearing others’ perspectives and to bring them into line with their own beliefs and requirements.
The machine rages and it is imperative for criminal acts perpetrated under the cloak of night, in Palestine’s case- a night eternal, to be exposed.
The ISM has set forth demands in reaction to the closures of both Shuhada Street as well as the Tel Rumeida neighborhood. They call for:
– An immediate end to the ‘Closed Military Zone’ order on Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street
– Cessation of threats and harassment of residents and foreign human rights activists
– Removal of restrictions on movement throughout downtown Hebron
– Removal of all illegal Israeli settlers from Hebron
We call on civil society worldwide to support the above demands and do all they can to pressure the Israeli government to cease its severe human rights abuses against the Palestinian people, includin g joining the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Organise a protest or visually exciting, creative action in solidarity with Palestinian popular struggle.
Take steps to ensure your actions are covered in the media and shared through social media. Please use the #SolidarityWaveBDS hashtag.
Ensure that calls for a comprehensive military embargo is a key demand of all protests.
Pressure parliaments to impose a military embargo on Israel, particularly if they have or are in the process of developing military relations with Israel.
Campaign against Israeli military companies such as Elbit Systems.
Support and launch boycott and divestment campaigns against complicit companies, such as G4S and HP that are most blatantly complicit in Israel’s infrastructure of oppression.
Pass effective and strategic, not just symbolic, BDS resolutions in unions, academic associations, student governments and social movements that can lead to concrete measures, and enhance the cultural boycott of Israel.
We have been given a microphone to cry from. A path to charge down. A goal to speed towards. For those trudging with steps made heavy by occupation and self-appointed, global government approved religious entitlement, we cannot begin soon enough.
