Category: Hebron - Page 81 - International Solidarity Movement

Settlers set Palestinian home on fire

31st May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al Khalil Team | Al Khalil, Occupied Palestine

Around 12 PM Saturday night the 30th/31st of May, Imad Abu Shamsiyeh woke up to the sound of stones being thrown at his home, in Tel Rumeida, Al Khalil (Hebron). This is not at all out of the ordinary for the Abu Shamsiyeh family – they are often harassed, sometimes daily, and attacked by Israeli settlers.

As he went out of his house to see what was going on, Imad discovered that part of his house had been set on fire by Settlers. He saw the six young Israeli settlers escaping from his roof, as he went back into his house to get his wife and kids out of the burning building. The settlers – all appearing to be in their early twenties – accessed the roof of Imad’s house and poured gasoline down one side. They then proceeded to set the whole area ablaze including a sofa situated in the terrace.

Accompanied by neighbors Imad put out the fire. Afterwards, he approached Israeli soldiers who had been positioned nearby his house when the incident occurred and asked what they had witnessed. The soldiers answered by accusing him of starting the fire.

Burnt out scraps of Shamsiye's sofa — Burnt out scraps of Shamsiye’s sofa

The day after, (31st May), Imad went to the police station to report what had happened. Despite the fact that this was far from the first time the family had been violently attacked by Israeli settlers, the police discarded the report as a minor issue, and did not follow up on the case.

As mentioned previously, the Abu Shamsiyeh family have been victims of multiple incidents of settler violence. Only two months ago settlers poisoned the water tank on top of the house. This water tank is the source of all of the family’s water supply. As a result of frequent settler violence, including stone throwing, the family has put a fence up over the top of their terrace to protect themselves.

The fence over the Abu Shamsiye family's terrace — The fence over the Abu Shamsiye family’s terrace

Imad Abu Shamsiyeh is the deputy coordinator of Human Rights Defenders, a Hebron based group for documenting the violation and harassment carried out by soldiers and settlers in the West Bank. Several hours before the house burning, he reported a knife attack by settlers against Palestinians youths in Tel Rumeida.

Israeli forces break the arm of a Palestinian man at peaceful protest, Beit Ummar

30th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Beit Ummar, Occupied Palestine

Demonstrators in front of Beit El Baraka

Today in Beit Ummar, just north of Al Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces broke the arm of local activist Yousif Abu Maria, and then arrested him. Yousif was protesting with a group of around 30 local Palestinian activists outside an illegal Israeli settlement. While the police and military attempted to arrest Yousif he was subjected to excessive violence that resulted in his arm being broken. Israeli occupation forces continued to violently arrest him even though his cries of pain were obvious.

At 10.30 am the group drove to the gate of the Beit Al Baraka building. Roughly four years ago the old hospital and church complex was purchased by the right-wing Israeli Zionist group, Israeli Land Fund, under the guise of a Christian refurbishment organisation. Aryeh King, director and founder of Israeli Land Fund, had brought the property to support the illegal expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

On reaching the complex the Palestinian activists marched to the front gate chanting for a free Palestine. The Palestinians were joined by many Israeli and international activists. Seconds after arriving over 20 boarder police, police and military, quickly surrounded the group. The occupation forces then began pushing people back with their rifles. Yousif was injured and thrown to the floor. An Israeli activists then attempted to pull him away from the violence, but was also assaulted and pepper sprayed in the eyes. Both Yousif and the Israeli activists were dragged away to the military jeeps parked near by, but Yousif was then arrested and the Israeli activists was released without any repercussions.

Yousef Abu Maria on his knees after occupation forces broke his arm, during the arrest

A large amount of sound grenades were also used. Around 20 of the heavy metal grenades were thrown, some directly at protesters causing superficial injuries. After forcing all protesters to move away from the fenced off complex, Israeli police then questioned and checked the ID’s of many of the activists.

Soldiers pepperspray Israeli activist (in blue shirt) after forcing him to the ground — Soldiers pepper spray Israeli activist (in blue shirt) after forcing him to the ground

The Palestinian group finished the protest with the promise to return and continue to use non-violent action to resist the expansion of illegal settlements that both annex Palestinian land illegally and are detrimental for the economy and existence of Palestinian communities. After an increase in Israeli military and police presence over the past two months around the Al Baraka building, the residents of Beit Ummar worry that, if occupied by settlers, the complex will lead to further disruption of the entire region.

Palestinian activist faced by occupation forces

Another violent attack on Palestinian family

23rd May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al Khalil Team | Al Khalil, Occupied Palestine

On the 23rd May, settlers in Al Khalil (Hebron) blocked the entrance to Hashem Younes Azzeh’s house and attacked his family. Large rocks were thrown at them and his daughter was hit in the hand.

Hashem lives with his wife and four children in Tel Rumeida, part of the H2 area of Al Khalil. H2 is under Israeli military control and many settlers have constructed illegal homes within this part of the city. For the Palestinians, it has become an extremely tense place to live due to daily harassment from the settlers and the Israeli army alike.

Early in the morning, the settlers had parked their car right in front of the entrance to Hashem’s house, making it a tight squeeze for anyone to get by. Later on, as Hashem was walking an international group of Quakers back to the checkpoint, six settler boys, aged between 10 and 12, started throwing large amounts of stones at them. The internationals quickly escaped and when Hashem got home, he found five Israeli soldiers there. They were checking the IDs of his daughter, Raghad, and his wife, Nisreen. Raghad attempted to show the soldiers a video of the attack, but because she had filmed while trying to avoid big stones thrown at her, the footage was blurry. The soldiers called her a liar and were about to arrest her, blaming her for the stone throwing.

Hashem squeezes by the car blocking his entrance.

All of a sudden, under the eyes of the soldiers, the settlers started throwing stones at them again and injured Raghad’s hand. Unable to support their lie anymore, the soldiers said that they would go and check on the settlers and come back – hours later, they still have not returned.

The Azzeh family has been subjected to regular attacks since 1984, when the settlers arrived in Al Khalil. Their neighbor is the leader of the Jewish National Front, Baruch Marzel. This man has a sticker on his wall that says “God gave us the right to kill Arabs and we love it”.

Hashem’s house has been invaded and turned upside down by settlers and soldiers several times, with furniture and equipment smashed. He has been shot at inside his house, narrowly missing him and his family. Hashem has been threatened, intimidated and beaten up by settlers, of which the scars on his face bear witness. His wife has suffered two miscarriages due to being beaten by settlers. His children are also regularly attacked, beaten up and have stones thrown at them. The fruit trees in his garden have been poisoned, and he has been prevented from harvesting his olives due to settler attacks. The walls of his house are still graffitied with death threats such as “gas the Arabs”. They have also had to live without water for three years because the settlers had cut their water pipes. The soldiers even came once to arrest their five year old son accusing him of throwing stones. Hashem asked if they were sure about their accusations – “No, but the settlers told us so”.

Settler house overlooking, the Azzeh's family home. — Settler house overlooking, the Azzeh’s family home.

These are just examples from an endless series of attacks, where the Israeli army and the settlers [living in illegal settlements under international law], work hand in hand to continue this silent form of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. Hashem has tried to go to court many times to seek justice for his family, but he hasn’t even been able to come close to anything resembling this term.

A member of ISM (International Solidarity Movement) asked if Hashem was going to file a complaint for today’s attack. Hashem smiled and muttered, “What’s the point?”

Action alert: Susiya village at high risk of demolition

11th May 2015 | Operation Dove | At Tuwani, South Hebron Hills, Occupied Palestine

POPULAR STRUGGLE COORDINATION COMMITTEE
AND
POPULAR STRUGGLE COMMITTEE OF SOUTH HEBRON HILLS
CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
IN SUSIYA VILLAGE

Where: Susiya Village, South Hebron Hills

When: From now, permanently

What: Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and Popular Struggle committee of South Hebron Hills has just opened the “Solidarity tent” and invites you all to bring your solidarity and your support in order to save Susiya village from the eviction plan. Internationals are also invited to document and to spread the information about the situation in Susiya.

Why: In 1986 the village of Susiya was declared archeological site, its land expropriated and inhabitants were evicted and forced to move in their nearby agricultural land where on 2012, Israel’s Civil Administration distributed demolition orders to over 50 temporary structures. In 2014 the residents of Susiya, represented by Rabbis for Human Rights, sued for a request to freeze the demolition order’s implementation. In 2015, on May 5, the Israeli High Court rejected that request, allowing the demolition of the village.

Now the threat to be evicted and deported again, becomes more imminent for the inhabitants of Susiya.
Please come to participate at the initiative.

Contact: 059 9330164, Hafez al-Hreini
Contact: 054 992 5773, Operation Dove

Read more about the background and the current situation in Susiya here.

Palestinian woman and her children attacked by settlers

9th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al Khalil Team | Al Khalil, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday evening in Al Khalil (Hebron), a Palestinian woman and her two small children were attacked by settlers from the illegal settlement as they were on their way to the shops.

Marwat Abu Remele lives in Tel Rumeida, an area in Al Khalil under Israeli control. She was on her way to buy groceries, when about twenty settlers gathered around them and attacked her son. A Palestinian man, Mohammed Abu Hazerh, promptly ran to protect them from this harassment. Harassment of this kind is not unusual for the Palestinians living in this part of the city.

A settler woman managed to convince Israeli soldiers that the Palestinians were in the wrong, and Mohammed narrowly escaped arrest. When the soldiers agreed to release him, the Israeli woman became hysterical and with a crowd of children ran after him. While she was shouting and insulting everyone standing on the street, the settler children spat, harassed and kicked other Palestinians and internationals that had come to witness the scene.

The soldiers attempted to stop all filming of what was going on and were failing to prevent the settlers harassing and taunting local people. The Abu Shamsiyeh family, who live on the street where the attack took place, were unable to enter their home as settlers were blocking their entrance. One of the Palestinian women who was trying to film the scene was violently attacked by two settlers.

About an hour later, Marwat and her children came back from their errand down in the old city but were afraid of passing through the crowd of settlers who were blocking the road, preventing her going home. Finally, some soldiers and Palestinian neighbours escorted her back to the house while settlers hurled insults at her.

The video clearly shows how the settlers, who have taken over much of the neighbourhood from local Palestinians, are making it harder and harder for them to live in peace. Palestinian children are terrified and full of frustration and anger, as they cannot move freely outside their homes without the fear of being attacked or arrested. The Israeli forces remit is to protect the settlers and they are not interested in the welfare of the Palestinians.