Category: Hebron - Page 83 - International Solidarity Movement

Big turn out and high spirits at Wadi Fukin Land Day olive tree planting and protest

31th March 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al Khalil Team | Wadi Fukin, Occupied Palestine

On Monday March 30th about two hundred people commemorated Land Day in the village of Wadi Fukin. The protest, which involved planting olive trees was a response to Israeli theft of village land.

Land Day protest marching in the streets of Wadi Fukin.

After midday prayer around two hundred Palestinians and internationals gathered in the village of Wadi Fukin to commemorate Land Day and support the villagers struggle against the illegal Israeli expropriation of their lands. People from Wadi Fukin, neighbouring villages and internationals started their march towards the green line carrying Palestinian flags, digging tools, playing music and singing, to where the settlement of Beitar Illit is forcibly taking over Palestinian land in order to expand. The protest continued peacefully through the small streets of Wadi Fukin and just before going to the hill above the village every protester was given an olive tree to carry. Spirits were high as protesters climbed the village hill overshadowed by the settlement expansion site and began to take back Palestinian land by planting the trees.

A village caught between settlements and under extreme pressure
Wadi Fukin is in a valley sandwiched between the Green Line to the north-west and the fastest-growing illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank, Beitar Illit. With around 80.000 inhabitants (as of 2014), Beitar Illit is part of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc surrounding and cornering Wadi Fukin. In order to expand these settlements and steal even more land, the apartheid wall is being built on Palestinian land far inside the Green Line around this settlement bloc. Regular Friday demonstrations are held in Wadi Fukin protesting against this continuous illegal land grab.

200 people at Land Day protest in Wadi Fukin, Beitar Illit settlement block in the background.

Military attacking unarmed Palestinians on their own land.
As Land Day protesters reached the Israeli construction site they managed to plant both olive trees and Palestinian flags directly on the site. While Palestinian flags and olive trees popped up on the ground, young Palestinian men and women also managed to take over and plant flags on the unmanned bulldozers and tractors parked there.

After about ten minutes on the site 4 military jeeps arrived with more than 40 soldiers and border police. The military attacked the protesters with tear gas and stun grenades and a police helicopter began circling the area and filming the protesters from the sky. As tear gas clouds drove the protesters from their lands and down the hill, soldiers began kicking down and destroying the newly planted olive trees and flags.

Soldiers and border police gassing protesters on their own land.

Spirits kept high in spite of tear gassing
Though several people suffered from tear gas poisoning the protest continued on the hill between Wadi Fukin village and the settlement expansion on the Green Line. Alternately running from tear gas and planting trees, protesters managed to stay on the hill for an hour continuing to plant and protest.

As everyone returned to the village spirits remained high and the succesful event was celebrated with music, speeches and freshly made bread.

Olive tree and flag planting at Land Day protes, Wadi Fukin.

Land Day – a historic day for fighting occupation and expropriation
Land Day marks the day of a general stike on March 30th in 1976. The strike was a response to the Israeli Government’s expropriation of thousands of dunums of Palestinian land. There were marches in Palestinian cities within present-day Israel from the Naqab to Galilee. Six unarmed Palestinians were killed, 100 wounded and hundreds more arrested. The Land Day was a turning point in the struggle against the occupation as it was the first mass mobilization by Palestinians within the borders of 1948 Israel.

Protests have been and will be continue to be going on all through the West Bank in the weeks surrounding Land Day.

Stories from Al Arroub refugee camp

28th March 2015 | International Women’s Peace Service | Al Arroub refugee camp, Occupied Palestine

Situated along the main Hebron-Jerusalem road, across the street from a University, sits the heavily fenced and concrete blockaded main entrance to Al Arroub Palestinian refugee camp. Taysir, a 39 year old former prisoner of the Israeli government and resident of the camp, waits out front of the camp entry way to give an intimate and shocking view of Al Arroub which is home to over 10,000 refugees living on less than a square mile of land and originating from nearly 3 dozen villages from as far away as Gaza.

Al Arroub, a maze of crumbling buildings and graffiti telling the story of Palestinian resistance to occupation, was established in 1949 and remained as tented housing until concrete living structures were built in 1956. Just steps into the camp, laid the remnants of a fired rubber-coated steel bullet laying near a post which bore the scar from the shot. Taysir lifts the bullet, “Violence here explodes within moments.” A few more steps and along the building sits a small cement structure to mark the spot where a 17 year old Palestinian boy was murdered, but he is not alone- throughout the camp there are photos, posters and spray paint stenciled portraits of those Palestinians whose lives were ended violently by Israeli soldiers. Palestinian refugee camps are the heart of the resistance and the birthplace of both intifadas; this is evidenced in a colorful section of wall which calls out in Arabic, “Enough! We want freedom!”

There is one children’s center in the camp and from the outside you can see the cage like fencing around the play area for dozens of young children, their ecstatic yells echoing through the bars. Proud mother’s lead the way upstairs to a room for infants where babies born to an occupied nation lay napping. The children sing, change into traditional Palestinian dress and rush excitedly around one another in the cramped center. One of the main issues facing the refugees of the camp is overcrowded schools. UNRWA’s camp profile cites three schools in Al Arroub; along with high unemployment rates and the lack of an appropriate sewage network.

IWPS members are introduced to Nazaar, whose 28 year old brother Eid, married just one year, was shot two dozen times by occupation forces during a raid in the camp as last year’s war in Gaza raged to a fever pitch. The murder took place on the first day’s Eid celebration of the Ramadan month of fasting as Nazaar was driving his brother’s to a family meal. He stands beside the poster of his murdered brother as he recalls the horror, “This was an execution. They killed him in the streets in front of everyone. Why? He was happy, he loved life. This was a tragedy.”

Just over a week ago, violent clashes were reported in Al Arroub when solidarity protests for Ibrahim Jamal, a prisoner of Israel’s Eshel prison, lost sight and speech after hitting his head on the end of an iron bed, occurred in the camp and Israeli forces responded by firing tear gas bombs and rubber-coated steel bullets indiscriminately at the protesters. Jamal, already suffering from an uncurable disease, received no treatment despite being injured in the prison. Violence stemming from Israeli incursions has seemingly touched every life inside the camp. Between raids, kidnappings and collective punishment, the personal stories are as seemingly endless as the occupation itself.

The day is ended at the home of a woman who has had every one of her children imprisoned. Two of which still languish in administrative detention. In the room is Taysir, imprisoned four years- A young Palestinian who was kidnapped from a field near school and imprisoned two years along with a film maker and actor who spent “just a year” in Israeli detention. The young man still bears the scars from his time in jail, two on his knee- for which he didn’t receive medical attention for three days, and many others on his arm- but these were self inflicted. “Before my time in jail, I was happy and gentle. Now I feel rage over the smallest thing. I began to cut myself. I didn’t feel relief until I saw the blood.” He goes on to expose a sinister issue that is eating away at the very fabric of life at Al Arroub and indeed all over occupied Palestine.

“Yes, we love life and freedom. But we are not afraid of dying for our rights and for the absolute truth. “

“When I was released from prison, I had drug withdawal symptoms and had no idea why.” He fears he was drugged during his time in Ben Yamen, Asharon and Demoon Prisons- It is common for Palestinians to be moved from prison to prison, it is a disorienting and unnerving tactic. “They called me three times since I have been released offering me money, a car and a pass to work inside of Israel if I sell ketamine for them. We don’t need you to collaborate with us, you are our brother, let’s just be friends, they told me.” Collaboration has been reported as a huge point of harrassment, especially for child prisoners, coming from elements of the Israeli military. And drug abuse is rising among residents of Palestinian refugee camps.

Torture is also a common tactic utilized in Israeli prisons, ranging from psychological and emotional abuse to violently imposed physical trauma. Taysir recalls the hours he spent in a chair, sleep deprived and in isolation. He was seated in a room where he could hear prisoners screaming in pain and calling for help. “You can hear the torture and you fear that this will happen to you next. They do this on purpose.” Taysir went two years in detention before he received a court date. Two years later, he was released through a prisoner exchange agreement. “The pain during interrogation may go away quickly but the pain of the life you spent in prison never goes away.”

At the heart of Palestinian resistance to occupation, Israeli violence, military presence and poor living conditions continues to be the reality of day to day life for refugees living inside of Al Arroub refugee camp as well as the many other refugee camps located in occupied Palestine.

Israeli forces raid yet another family’s home in Tel Rumeida

11th March 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday on the 10th of March around 1 AM in occupied Al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli occupation forces raided the home of human rights activist Imad Abu Shamsiya and his family. The soldiers turned the house upside-down; the family watched as soldiers broke one of their cameras and stole the SD card and a hard drive. Imad Abu Shamsiya is a well known member of the Human Rights Defenders and his family has been frequently targeted by the Israeli army and settlers.

abu shamsiya — The Abu Shamsiyeh family home – Photo by Human Rights Defenders

At least 25 soldiers came to the house. 10 of them went inside and woke up the 7 family members, including children and teenagers between the ages of 11 and 17. The soldiers told the family to gather all in one room, taking photos of everyone and documenting their IDs. After breaking a cupboard, searching through the computer and ransacking the house, they left after approximately 2 hours.

All family members have been attacked by settlers and either detained or arrested during the last 5 months. Yesterday, the day before the raid one of Imad’s sons, Awne, age 15, was detained for 3 hours because he refused to give up the name of one of his friends who the soldiers where looking for.

The raid on the Abu Shamsiya family is only one of the most recent in a series of home invasions Israeli forces have been conducting in Al-Khalil. The following night at 1:00 AM, soldiers raided the Abu Sneneh family’s home in Qeitun neighborhood. Around forty soldiers broke into the house in the night, forcing open every door and ransacking all the rooms, destroying some of the family’s belongings and remaining inside for three hours.

abu sneneh20_n — The Abu Sneneh family’s home after Israeli soldiers invaded

VIDEO: Israeli forces invade ISM apartment as part of a campaign of continual harassment against activists in Hebron

5th March 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

To date, ISM volunteers in Al-Khalil (Hebron) have faced two attempted night raids, two invasions, and continual daily harassment from Israeli occupation forces. Other organizations in Hebron, including Youth Against Settlements and Christian Peacemaker Teams, have also faced harassment including raids, detentions, and arrests.

On the night from the 18 to the 19 of February Israeli Military tried to raid the ISM apartment in Hebron. Four volunteers woke up to a loud banging on the front door at one a clock in the morning. Soldiers constantly banged on the front door, threatening to break it open, if the volunteers refused to open it. Repeated questions for whether they had a warrant to legally enter the apartment were negated and replied with comments such as “we don’t need a warrant” and “I am the law”. The soldiers also threatened the volunteers that if they don’t open the door “bad things will happen.” In order to stop internationals from documenting and getting an overview of the situation, the soldiers aimed green lasers mounted on their rifles through the apartment windows.

B-OerYkCUAAcaUh.jpg-large — (photo by Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine https://www.facebook.com/cptpalestine)

A few days before this incident the internationals were prevented from standing near a school were schoolchildren had to pass a group of soldiers. Israeli forces called the police, who detained ISM volunteers and took pictures of their passports. During the night raid volunteers recognized the voices of the soldiers who had detained them earlier. Soldiers also told them “we don’t need to see your passports, we already saw it.”

The following day ISMers were stopped in the street at every possibility and ID-checked. In the afternoon, on their way back to the apartment, Palestinians warned the ISMers that fifteen soldiers have been asking for them and were trying to arrest them. After about an hour the volunteers were able to come back to the apartment, as the soldiers went back to the military base.

On the morning of the 25^th of February, about twenty minutes after two out of the three volunteers left the apartment, soldiers were banging on the door of the apartment another time, demanding that it be opened. The soldiers claimed they were searching for Issa, a prominent member of the Palestinian activist group Youth Against Settlements, whose house was raided the same on the night of that same day. Issa was not present in the apartment at the time. Soldiers threatened the volunteer inside the house, saying that if they were not allowed to come inside, they would “come back at night, break the door and throw grenades into the house.” They threatened that the ISM volunteers “won’t be able to close an eye during night-time.” After more than an hour the dozen soldiers, who had been threatening to enter the house while stopping the other volunteers from going inside finally left.

soldiers on stairs — Soldiers in the morning on the stairs outside the ISM house

A small number of soldiers came to the apartment three times that evening, knocking on the door but leaving after only a few minutes.

The following night around 1:00 AM, the volunteers woke up to loud noises at the door, as soldiers started to force it open. The soldiers did not answer when ISM activists asked whether they had a warrant. After about 30 minutes the soldiers broke the door open and came into the apartment, aiming their guns at volunteers.

ISM volunteers tried to document the break-in as soldiers searched the house; they were gathered into the kitchen and at one point prohibited from making phone calls.

mean soldiers in kitched — Soldiers forced ISM volunteers to stay in the kitchen of the apartment while they searched

The soldiers took a map from the wall of the apartment, claiming it was sufficient evidence for having the volunteers deported. They left after 30 minutes, threatening that within 24 hours the volunteers will be arrested by the immigration police. As the activists had expected, the threats were groundless; over a week later they continue to work in Al-Khalil.

The following night, when volunteers came back late at night around quarter to one, seven soldiers were just collecting the tools they used to break down the newly repaired door. Another three soldiers stopped the ISM volunteers from going back inside the apartment. After a few minutes, ISMers managed to reach the apartment and found the door destroyed and their personal belongings ransacked.

On the same night, Israeli forces also raided the house of Youth Against Settlements (YAS), also searching the house and taking only one poster off the wall. Soldiers raided the house on the eve of the Open Shuhada Street demonstration; they also arrested Issa Amro, the coordinator of YAS, about a week before.

10322642_10152571405626829_68223643904821244_n — Soldiers after invading YAS house (photo by Youth Against Settlements https://www.facebook.com/media.yas)

The harassment did not stop after the Open Shuhada Street demonstration – where around 20 were injured, several activists including an17-year-old and a female German activist were shot with live ammunition, and three were arrested.

A couple of days later Israeli border police detained and arrested two volunteers from Christian Peacemaker Teams, stopping them after they had been walking Palestinian kindergarteners home from school.

Soldiers continue to harass, threaten, and detain international solidarity volunteers. Just this morning two ISM and two CPT volunteers were detained for over an hour at a checkpoint, after monitoring the border police aggression toward schoolchildren that morning.

Israeli forces arrest two shepherds in the South Hebron Hills

5th March 2015 | Operation Dove | South Hebron Hills, Occupied Palestine

On the morning of February 28, Israeli police arrested two Palestinian shepherds as they grazed their flock in the valley of Umm Zeitouna near the Israeli settlement of Ma’on.

In late morning the security chief of Ma’on settlement and Israeli soldiers arrived in Umm Zeitouna valley where the shepherds, accompanied by international volunteers, were grazing their flock on land which Israeli settlers from Ma’on are attempting to annex. After a few minutes the Israeli police arrived and they immediately detained two shepherds and two international volunteers. At about 12.30 pm Israeli police arrested the two shepherds and took them to Kyriat Arba police station. The volunteers were released. The Palestinians were released at about 3 pm, after paying a fine of 500 NIS for each person.

Screen Shot 2015-03-05 at 11.29.41 AM — Still from video Operation Dove took of the arrests (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZFpsum27Hk)

Residents of the South Hebron Hills experience continual harassment from settlers in nearby settlements and outposts, but remain steadfast in their commitment to nonviolent resistance. Each day that they graze their sheep in contested areas, the shepherds continue to resist settler attempts to drive them from their lands. International volunteers have witnessed shepherds chased from Umm Zeitouna six times since the start of the year (in five of these occasions the Israeli army came after a settler’s call).

The arrest followed a nonviolent action that morning during which residents successfully repaired the road which links At-Tuwani village to Yatta, and the attendance on February 27 of the South Hebron Hills Popular Resistance Committee at the 10th anniversary nonviolent action in Bil’in.

These are two examples of the commitment of the South Hebron hills people to use nonviolence to resist the occupation, both in their own communities and throughout Palestine. The life of South Hebron Hills residents is one of a daily resistance to the Israeli occupation.