Category: Hebron - Page 109 - International Solidarity Movement

Palestinian boy beaten at checkpoint leads to clashes in Hebron

24th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On Tuesday 22nd October in Khalil, a15-year-old Palestinian was beaten for not having identification (ID) that the Israeli government does not issue until the age of 16.

At approximately 2:30pm on Tuesday, Mahmod from Tel Rumeida (not his real name) was attempting to pass through checkpoint 56 on his way home. When asked to produce his ID, he explained to the soldiers that he was only 15-years-old so had therefore not yet been issued an ID. The soldiers did not believe this and pushed him against a wall, whilst in this position a soldier struck him three times, twice in the abdomen with the butt of his rifle and once on the back of his head with his fist.

Mahmod then collapsed to the ground and started to have a bout of violent seizures. These seizures lasted for over 15 minutes before he was taken to an ambulance on the H1 (Palestinian) side of the checkpoint. By this time his family arrived and was able to accompany him to hospital.

Upon seeing the injuries of Mahmod some local Palestinian youth proceeded to throw stones at the building that was in front of the checkpoint. This proceeded for 15 minutes before a group of Israeli soldiers occupied two local Palestinian buildings overlooking the checkpoint. The Israeli forces began by throwing stun grenades at the youth and sporadically firing rubber coated steel bullets at the gathering crowd.

The clashes continued this way until Israeli forces began to move forward, forcing the Palestinian youth back, allowing Israeli soldiers to occupy a building in this Palestinian “controlled” area. Upon entry to this building the army took control of the roof before having to withdraw one level as rocks were thrown towards there position. It seemed that as the soldiers were unable to clearly see the gathering crowd, they blew a small hole in the side of the occupied building to allow them to fire rubber-coated steel bullets. This indiscriminate fire blew out the back window of a passing Palestinian vehicle. The clashes lasted for around three hours, with many stun grenades thrown by the Israeli army, though no more injuries were reported.

Updated: Family home ransacked and young teenager detained during Eid

16th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

The young teenager and his father with the Israeli soldiers

Yesterday, 15th October, a young teenager visiting his family was detained from inside a Palestinian home after it was forcibly entered and searched by armed Israeli soldiers on the evening of Eid.

A Palestinian family’s home was entered on the evening of the 1st day of the Muslim festival of Eid by at least 8 Israeli soldiers. According to other family members the soldiers were searching for a toy gun. The family of 6 were locked into one room whilst the Israeli soldiers ransacked their home breaking beds, upturning furniture, and throwing clothes and jewelry around the house. International activists asked to enter the house but were forcibly prevented by several armed soldiers.

The Israeli soldiers eventually left the house, detaining the young teenage boy and his father. When the international activists tried to question the soldiers about the detention, they were aggressively and forcibly pushed away and prevented from communicating with the father and son.

The father and his son were marched to a military base where the father was released soon after, leaving the teenager detained alone for several hours.

He was then taken from the military base in a police vehicle and released to his family. He was ordered to report to the police station at 9am this morning. This is the third time in three weeks that the Israeli army has entered this Palestinian home with little or no reason given for these intrusions

Updated: Continued settler harassment and international arrested in Hebron

13th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Palestinians view the fence around the Azzeh home

One international was arrested after settlers fenced off the Asseh family home for a second day in a row in Hebron’s Tel Rumeida area.

Yesterday, early Saturday morning, settlers tied a fence across the exit of the Asseh family home with a wire gate to prevent them from leaving for a second day. After the family and internationals removed the gate, settler children threw rocks, water and water mixed with faeces at them. Two Israeli soldiers stood close and did nothing. The police arrived but also took no action despite being informed of what had happened.

Within an hour of the Asseh family and the internationals dispersing, the gate had been reassembled and reinforced. One adult male settler stood over the gate and prevented anyone from passing through or disassembling it. After 20 minutes the Asseh family and internationals finally managed to remove the gate despite repeated physical attacks by the settler. A number of internationals sustained minor injuries. During this, soldiers continued to stand by and do nothing.

The police arrived and first questioned the settler and then two soldiers who were present. After being shown video footage by an international, police demanded that four internationals accompany them to the police station to file a complaint. When the internationals requested to file the complaint later, police became violent and arrested one international. Other internationals were thrown to the ground by police and soldiers who assisted the arrest. The arrested international was eventually released after being questioned in the police station at the illegal settlement of Givat Ha’avot.

Illegal settlers prevent family from leaving their home and attack internationals whilst Israeli soldiers watch

Yesterday, 11th October at 7 pm, a group of settlers of the illegal settlement of Tel Rumeida surrounded the entrance of the Azzeh family property and built a wire fence to block the exit. Young settlers fixed the fence in place using plastic cable ties.

Hashem Azzeh and his family were about to leave the house when they found the gate blocking their way and the settlers confronted them saying they couldn’t go out that way any more. A group of Israeli soldiers were present but did not stop the action.

Two international activists arrived on the scene and were surrounded by settlers and physically and verbally attacked by them, one of them had water thrown over his camera and another was kicked. An international journalist also present was hospitalized after a settler threw bleach into her eyes. After more international activists arrived, they managed to remove the fence. Despite multiple appeals to the Israeli soldiers to prevent the settler violence by both the Azzeh family and the international activists, they took no action. Jewish Defense League leader Baruch Marzel, was left free to verbally attack Hashem Azzeh.

The Azzeh family has long been a target of settler intimidation and harassment. Last Thursday during the night settlers trespassed on the Azzeh family property and stole about 400 Kilos of olives from 40 olive trees. Hashem Azzeh had been prevented from starting his olive harvest pending a permit from the Israeli Civil Administration. Four days after his olive trees had been raided, he was suddenly informed by the administration that he should start his harvest immediately, but unfortunately he doesn’t have any olive trees left.

48 young olive trees destroyed in South Hebron Hills

4th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Operation Dove | Qawawis, Occupied Palestine

The destroyed olive trees (Photo by Operation Dove).

Yesterday morning, 3rd October, Palestinians discovered 48 olive trees destroyed alongside bypass road 317 near the South Hebron Hills area village of Qawawis.

The olive tree grove belongs to Ali Shetat from Qawawis and had been planted six years ago. At 10 am yesterday morning the owners, several internationals and B’tselem staff members gathered near the destroyed trees, waiting for the police. After 20 minutes the Israeli police and army arrived on the scene and documented the incident.

On May 10, 62 olive trees were cut during the night in a field next to bypass road 317, near the village of At Tuwani. On a small wall near the olive grove the slogan “price tag for those who steal” was found. The “price tag policy” (Hebrew: מדיניות תג מחיר) is, according to B’tselem, the name given to “acts of random violence aimed at the Palestinian population and Israeli security forces” by radical Israeli settlers.

The number of Palestinian-owned trees uprooted and damaged in the South Hebron Hills area from the beginning of 2013 now stands at 139. This is a substantial increase over 2012, when 101 olive trees were damaged.

Just in the last two months and right before the olive harvest season, 22 olive trees were destroyed in this area.

Olive trees are an essential resource for the Palestinian community in the South Hebron Hills area, and their damage causes serious economic loss.