Category: Gaza

Six year anniversary of the death of Vittorio Arrigoni

16th April 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

Today marks the 6th anniversary of the death of Vittorio Arrigoni, a journalist and an italian activist working with the International Solidarity Movement, in Gaza.

Arrigoni first went to Gaza in 2008, on an activist-organised flotilla seeking to defy the Israeli blockade over Gaza, imposed two years before. On April 16th 2011, when Arrigoni was 36 years old, his body was found in Gaza city, only a few hours after “The Brigade of the Gallant Companion of the Prophet Mohammad bin Muslima”, a Salafist group operating in Gaza, released the video where he was blindfolded and wounded. After investigations, his alleged murderers were arrested and sentenced to life-imprisonment (15 years after appeal).

Vittorio “Vik” Arrigoni wearing a kaffiyeh.

Vittorio Arrigoni was one of the international activists present in Gaza during Israel’s attacks on the Gaza strip in 2008-09, while volunteering with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and was one of the few international voices dispatching information during the attacks, especially after Israel banned the entry of journalists into the territory.

For almost his 3 years living in the Gaza Strip, Arrigoni was a committed ISM activist, working in solidarity with farmers and fishermen, whose lives were being severely constrained by the blockade. His presence in protests and demonstrations allowed him to document and report the impact of the blockade, warfare and human rights violations in that territory. Arrigoni’s involvement with the Palestinian struggle made him a target for arrest and injuries by the Israeli military several times, and also led him to volunteer in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon.

After breaking the blockade in 2008, Arrigoni described that moment as being on of the happiest of his life, as “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.”.

As it has been happening every year, Palestinians have commemorated the sixth anniversary of Vittorio Arrigoni’s death yesterday, by gathering in the port of Gaza. Vittorio’s memory is also honored in Gaza by the street and school that carry his name. Some of his thoughts on his experience in Gaza and on the solidarity with the Palestinian people have also been collected and turned into a book, “Gaza: Stay Human” (a nod to the way Vittorio used to sign his emails), first published in 2011.

ISM mourns this loss and hopes to honor Vittorio’s death by supporting and showing solidarity to the Palestinian people in their daily, non-violent resistance to the blockade in Gaza and the occupation.

“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 Arrigoni

4th February 1975 – 15th April 2011

16th October Group helds a seminar about the judaization of Jerusalem

3rd March 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza, occupied

16th October Group (the foreign Media Unit in Athorayya association for Media ) held a seminar about the judaization of Jerusalem, on Monday 27 of February in Gaza city. the seminar aims at shedding the light on the suffering of the Jerusalemites and the holy sites under the Israeli Occupation.


British journalist ,Ben White-via Skype- discussed Israel’s violations of international law, focusing on policies of land colonization and displacement in Occupied East Jerusalem.

Alaa Shaaban, a member of 16th October Group confirmed that The most important objective of the wall is to implement the plan of judaizing Jerusalem by confiscating its lands and surrounding it with rings of walls and settlements that strangle it and isolate it from its Arabic and Islamic environment Samah Abu Sharekh, university student, stated that ” Up to 2006, 76 Islamic worship sites were destroyed, and 18 were turned into synagogues, and other 17 were turned into barns for animals” “such seminars target the activists to educate them about the Israeli violations of international law”


Wafa Aludaini, the manager of the 16th October Group said 16th October is a group of mainly females that aims at presenting the Palestinian issues to Westerners scientifically and objectively. 16 October endeavors to correct the stereotypical images permeating western media about Palestinian people.

 

Awareness campaign to boycotting the Israeli occupation

23rd February 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

The Boycott campaign-Palestine PCB organized an awareness campaign for some Schools in Gaza City in order to raise awareness of the importance of Boycotting the occupation and supporting local products.

A number of the boycott-campaign-Palestine activists took part in the campaign by entering classes and delivering a short speech in which they urged the students to the importance of the boycott and the seriousness of normalization.

Additionally, the campaign included a distribution of sample of  local products. In their speech with the students, the activists pointed out the benefits of boycotting the occupation: reducing unemployment, supporting Palestinian economy, and raising public awareness of belonging to the homeland and resisting the Israeli occupation.

This activity is one of several others that the Boycott campaign-Palestine intends to  organize during the upcoming period, targeting the Palestinian public to boycott the occupation and resist the normalization.

 

Remembering Tom Hurndall

16th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, ISM Australia | Gaza, occupied Palestine

It’s 13 years since Tom Hurndall, a British activist with ISM, was shot in the head while trying to carry a small boy away from a conflict zone in Gaza. His face was among a wall of martyrs I saw on arrival in the West Bank–another sobering reminder of the capacity for humanity to dehumanise: any friend of my enemy (even a child) is my enemy. The reality of my fear was: this could be me. A different situation, less high risk, but regardless. This could have been any of my friends from home – people with lives conceivably similar to mine that took them to that place, with families that have been forced to mourn publicly. Perhaps a white face can help viscerally remind non-Palestinians of this commonality: that the Palestinian daily experience is one that would be normalised if you lived there. The posters of martyrs on the street would be your friends or your neighbours – and reinforce the reality that no life is worth more than any other. A self-evident truth, but sometimes it takes self interested emotive responses to really relate to that. Globally people are separated in their struggles by feelings of difference that would dissipate seemingly instantly over cups of coffee. We will realize we are not all that different from each other when we share in each other’s struggles and pain.

A photo of Tom Hurndall (top left) amongst other internationals and Palestinians executed by Israeli forces

In memory of Tom Hurndall

13th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

January 13th, 2017 marks the 13th anniversary of British ISM activist, Tom Hurndall’s, death. He was shot in the head by Israeli forces in Gaza, while working with other ISM members to peacefully protest the shooting by Israeli forces in the Yibna district of Rafah. Human Rights Watch interviewed witnesses of the shooting. One witness remembers:

“Tom was standing in between me and Laura. There were two girls playing behind the barrier, very frightened; they did not know how to speak. So Tom walked forward and led them back down the street. Then he returned. He saw a boy behind the barrier. I saw him too, Salim Barhum. I wonder if I could have helped him more… . Tom went towards the boy, about two to three meters forward. The boy was stunned, petrified. Tom went to carry him, bent towards him with his arms out. Then he fell as a bullet hit him, and blood and brains began to pour onto his chest.”

Tom Hurdall after being shot by Israeli forces
Photo credit: silviacattori.net

Hurndall was wearing a fluorescent vest so he would not be mistaken for a combatant. The official report, however, claims that the commander who killed Hurndall saw a man wearing camouflage and moving towards the soldiers while shooting: the soldier claimed that he simply returned fire. A formal investigation was not opened until months after Hurndall was shot, after immense pressure from Israeli Human Rights groups, the media, and Hurndall’s family.

The investigation was carried out by the Israeli military, while Hurndall was in a coma. It claimed that the causes of Hurndall’s injuries were uncertain. This investigation ignored the numerous eyewitness reports; it was based entirely on the testimony of the commander, who killed Hurndall, and a soldier who was in the area. The majority of the official investigation report focuses on Palestinian attacks and condemns ISM activity. The part of the report that actually describes the shooting, gives an incorrect location—claiming that Hurndall was closer to the military outpost.

The investigation was reopened after Hurndall’s death due to pressure from the British Foreign Office and the Hurndalls. The commander, Sgt. Taysir, was found guilty of manslaughter and admitted to lying about Hurndall having a weapon. He also explained that he was given orders to fire at unarmed people. Taysir was sentenced to only 8 years in prison for manslaughter and obstruction of justice. He was released from prison early—in 2010—for good behavior.

The pressure from foreign governments and Hurndall’s family forced the Israeli military to take some action and assume responsibility. But the short sentencing and early release cause one to question if this is really justice. When we remember Hurndall today, we should realize that the fight for justice and peace is not over. The Israeli forces continue to act irresponsibly and aggressively towards civilians. When Palestinians are killed, the Israeli forces are rarely pressured to investigate and convict those responsible.