Category: Hebron

Detained and arrested for no reason, Palestinian told it’s his “last chance”

15th March 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, al Khalil team | Occupied Palestine
Yesterday, Ayman al Fakhori, age 25, was detained for an hour outside the Ibrahimi Mosque checkpoint before being arrested for no reason and escorted down Shuhada Street into a military base. He was shortly after released and escorted by Israeli forces out of checkpoint 56.
Internationals interviewed him after his release about his time in the military base. He relayed to us that the commander said, “This is the last chance you’ll get,” and threatened his life if he gets arrested again. Fakhori, however, doesn’t know what caused his arrest in the first place.
The only logical explanation, according to Fakhori, is that he is active in informing the public about the Israeli occupation via giving tours throughout al Khalil / Hebron to pro-Palestinian NGO’s and individuals.
 
The normalcy of his case showed as Fakhori nonchalantly explained the events of the day, affirming that he will not leave his home to make room for the settlers as the soldiers recommended he do. He was happy, though, to see Shuhada Street for the first time; as it is now an apartheid road closed to all Palestinians for the majority of 24 years.

Resistance & Death in al Khalil/Hebron

9th March 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, al Khalil team | Occupied Palestine

Friday at around 16.00, 24-year old Al Khalil resident Mohammad Zain al-Jabari was shot and killed by armed Israeli occupational forces during smaller clashes in Al Khalil, Hebron.

He leaves behind his wife and his 4-year-old child.

Al-Jabari was hit in the neck when Israeli soldiers opened fire with live ammunition against the local youth in the H1 area of Al Khalil, an area legally under full Palestinian control.

He was rushed to the local hospital where he died minutes later.

Fearing Israeli occupational forces would raid the hospital, Palestinians quickly removed Al-Jabari’s body from the hospital, to avoid the Israelis from confiscating the body.

The bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupational forces are often confiscated for longer periods of time, making it impossible for the Palestinians to bury the body within 24 hours of death, as is common practice for muslim funerals.

Minutes after the ambulance left the hospital clashes broke out in the streets outside the hospital and Israeli occupational forces quickly answered with extensive use of teargas and stun grenades.

Al-Jabari’s body was prepared for burial that evening, where three to four hundred chanting persons marched the streets to the martyrs’ cemetery where he was laid to rest with all too many others.

“In the first two months of 2018, 10 Palestinians have been killed in attacks carried out by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank,” says a report from The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory.

This death was one more example of the Israeli military using excessive force to impose their illegal control on the Palestinian people of the occupied territories.

May Mohammed Zain al-Jabari rest in peace.

Occupation forces invade downtown al-Khalil / Hebron arresting two teens from a shop

3nd March 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, al Khalil team | Occupied Palestine

Israeli soldiers invaded Bab-al-Zawiye today as young people protested the illegal occupation of Palestine. The soldiers used cameras with zoom lenses to photograph the protesters for well over an hour. Israel controls the population register of all Palestinians with a restrictive system of IDs. Protestors that are identified can be arrested from their homes at any time. 

Later soldiers pursued youth through the narrow alleyways and streets of the downtown neighborhood exploding stun grenades and firing tear gas. Families with young children live in apartments in the neighborhood where clouds of tear gas frequently fill the streets. A large amount of tear gas was fired right outside an open vegetable shop, affecting their business and causing shop owners harm.

Two young people working in a shop were randomly apprehended by the soldiers when they failed to capture any of the youth protesting. Hassan abu Gezele, aged 16, and Baja abu Haluwe, aged 15, were forced into an army jeep with excessive force and driven away.

The arrests of these two boys speak volumes to the careless criminalization of youth in occupied Palestine by Israeli forces. Unfortunately, their cases are not rare and teenage boys are used to such criminal treatment on the streets of al Khalil/Hebron.

Israeli soldiers lockdown checkpoints for jewish settler parade, Purim

Israeli soldiers close checkpoint 56 leading to the neighborhood of Tel Rumeida for an hour this morning, restricting the freedom of movement even further for Palestinian residents. Israeli settlers were celebrating the jewish holiday Purim as they paraded down Al Shuhada street and gathered outside Al Ibrahimi mosque playing loud music and drinking alcohol. Shop owners had to close due to the fear of violence from the settlers.

Palestinians wait as checkpoint remains closed, children sneak through the exit gate and play games.

Palestinians could not reach their own homes; checkpoint 56 stayed closed long after the parade had passed. A mother was separated from her child who had passed through the checkpoint on his own before its closure. Checkpoint 55 also closed today for 45 minutes just down the road for the same reason.

An Israeli soldier told us the checkpoints were on lockdown for ‘security reasons’. When questioned further the soldier stated, “Orders come from above I cannot do anything.” When pressed about the morality of stopping Palestinian adults and children from their homes the soldier stated, “I’m just following orders, if you ask me again in two years after my service is over I will tell you something else.”

This is the second time this week that Israeli forces have locked down checkpoints for prolonged periods of time in the immediate area. The last time this happened was thanks to a visit by the Israeli defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, on his way to the illegal settlements in and around Al Khalil, Hebron. Checkpoint closures are common in H2, Palestinians are unfortunately used to the constant inconvenience of the oppressive Israeli occupation.

Israeli forces provoke and fire tear gas and stun grenades at school children

28th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, al Khalil team | Occupied Palestine

This morning, armed Israeli Border Police entered Salaymeh neighborhood in Al Khalil, Hebron. They advanced towards the schools and shot one tear gas canister and one stun grenade at school children at 7:45 am. This happened after a single border police provoked the children by kneeling down and pointing her weapon directly at them. International activists also witnessed two bag checks performed on minors, boys no older than 13, an action completely illegal according to international law.

Border Police recede after firing tear gas and stun grenade at students

Also this morning, Israeli forces also fired two tear gas canisters from a roof top beside the Ziad Al Jaber school in the Jaber neighborhood at school children. As a result many children suffered from tear gas inhalation and one child was hospitalized. The teachers rushed to children’s aid, while Israeli forces also prevented a psychology teacher from entering the school.

Palestinian child gets treated for bad tear gas inhalation

After the tear gas was fired, an army jeep was positioned outside of the school Israeli forces were stopping people at random and performing ID checks. The teachers remained weary as the children recovered throughout their lessons. 

Teachers rush to students’ aid after inhaling tear gas this morning

Tear gas was also fired at school children in the Queitun neighborhood this morning. Today was a busy day for the Israeli armed forces. Palestinians approach this weekend’s jewish celebration of Purim with caution. Only Wednesday and tension and violence seems to be escalating before and after school hours.   

Children that grow up under military occupation are unfortunately accustomed to this kind of treatment on their way to and from school, all of them hoping to avoid hospitalization and someday see a free Palestine.