Category: Nablus - Page 13 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli army prevents farmers to pick olives in Burin

9th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Burin, Occupied Palestine

This Friday morning, at approximately 10:30 am, a group of 6 soldiers came down the mountain from the illegal Israeli settlement, Arousa, in the village of Burin, to prevent the family of Ahmad Mustafa Najjar from picking their olives.

Israeli soldiers prevent Ahmad's family from picking their olives — Israeli soldiers prevent Ahmad’s family from picking their olives

Early in the morning, a group of illegal Israeli settlers from Arousa came to the farm and began threatening and intimidating Ahmad’s family. Ahmad’s uncle, Salah Najjar, telephoned Abu Mursi, from the District Coordination Office, to ask for help and managed to make settlers go away. Soon afterwards, a group of six soldiers arrived shouting aggressively and demanding the family to stop working. The family protested and the commander argued they were not authorized to pick olives, despite the fact that the family owns the land and trees and, therefore, does not need to have a permit. International activists asked the commander and soldiers what was the reason to stop them from picking olives from their own trees inside their privately owned land, and the commander and soldiers would not give an answer.

Abu Mursi, member of the village council, argues with commander that the family is entitled to pick olives in their field

Abu Mursi, member of the DCO, quickly arrived to the field to insist to the soldiers that the family does not need permission to pick their olives.

The argument continued for one hour, until a second commander arrived and made the decision that the family was not allowed to pick olives from the four highest trees, forcing them to move downwards to pick olives from other trees instead.

According to Ahmad, his family has lost $3.000 shekels because those 4 trees would make 120 liters of olive oil. He adds, “The soldiers violently beat my cousins, Muntasar and Mohammad, and I had to stand between them to stop the soldiers from killing them.”

Burin is a village located south west of the city of Nablus, which suffers from an ongoing harassment from the Israeli army. During the last month, Israeli soldiers have carried out several night raids into the villagers’ homes, waking up families in the middle of the night and searching their houses, with the clear purpose of terrifying the villagers.

Particularly during the olive harvest season, the farmers of Burin are scared of going to their fields to pick olives, especially in the farms located near the illegal settlements, due to the high risk of being attacked by settlers.

Note how one of the soldiers who came today is loaded with tear gas canisters; an unjustified excess of weapons

12 year old Palestinian killed in Bethlehem as violence explodes across the West Bank

5th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | West Bank, occupied Palestine

Abed al-Rahman Shadi Obeidallah, 12 was still in his school uniform when he was rushed in a civilian car to Beit Jala hospital from Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem today. The boy, from from a Al Kahder village, was shot in the heart during confrontations at Aida camp as violence explodes across the West Bank prompting the Red Crescent to declare a level 3 state of emergency across the occupied Palestinian territories. Another boy was shot in leg with live ammunition during the attack.

Abed al-Rahman Shadi Obeidallah, 12, just before being shot to death by Israeli forces in Bethlehem

Denouncing Israeli violations against humanitarian international law, the Palestine Red Crescent Society staff have endured 14 attacks on their emergency vehicles as Israeli forces and settler violence has sharply surged in a bloody three days. Attacks on PRCS have included medics being beaten by soldiers in Jerusalem, Israeli forces beating an ambulance crew with batons in the old city of Jerusalem and after one attack on an emergency crew in Jabal Al Taweel (Al-Bireh), two medics were injured. Israeli forces attacked an ambulance in al-Issawiya village in occupied East Jerusalem, before arresting an injured Palestinian who was being treated inside the ambulance. An ambulance windshield was also shattered by settlers in Burin village in Nablus. Burin underwent a frightening attack by settlers which left much of it in flames.

Reportedly 465 Palestinians have been injured thus far, including 28 shot with live ammunition and 68 injured with rubber coated steel bullets. Hundreds of others have been overcome by teargas that Israeli forces have been showering over villages and in cities where Palestinians have gathered to demonstrate against their murdering of several Palestinian youths since this past Saturday.

Young Palestinians martyrs recently murdered by Israeli forces.

Fadi Samir Mustafa Alloun, 19, from the East Jerusalem village of al-Issawiya, was shot to death by Israeli forces after allegedly attempting to stab a group of Israelis. 18-year-old Huthayfa Othman Suleiman was shot in the chest during clashes and died in the operating room. In a particularly heinous attack, Yousef Bayan al-Tabib, just six years old, was standing on the side of the road when a settler reportedly stopped his car, shot the child in the stomach, and fled the scene.

Across the occupied Palestinian territories, there have been reports of settlers slaughtering Palestinian’s sheep, attacking Palestinian cars with stones on roads and carrying out violent attacks on villages. As for Israeli forces, soldiers disguised as Palestinians assisting an injured Palestinian into a hospital in Ramallah, disabled security cameras and proceeded to arrest a Palestinian undergoing medical treatment. This is similar to other hospital raids in recent days where a variation of this tactic was repeated.

As for the Israeli government, Netanyahu today made an inflammatory statement to wage a “harsh offensive” against Palestinians; Zionist opportunism at its most typical. Collective punishment is the usual expectation when it comes to the illegally occupying force dealing with the civilian population whose land they are occupying. Israel launched three air strikes in the besieged Gaza strip targeting alleged Hamas ‘terror’ sites after two rockets were fired from Gaza, hitting nothing and injuring no one.

News reports of shootings, injuries, murders, arrests and raids continue to flood in as the situation unfolds at a lightning quick pace. For Palestinians enduring the brunt of Israeli incited race hatred and promoted retribution for the shooting of two Israeli settlers last week, the cavalierly imposed restrictions on al Aqsa Mosque, which have sparked outrage and violent confrontations- and the ensuing chaos, are yet another violent incursion into their lives.

ACTION ALERT! Battle of breaking the chains: 25 days of hunger strike for Palestinian prisoners

15th September | Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network | Occupied Palestine
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli administrative detention are continuing their hunger strike to demand an end to imprisonment without charge or trial. Nidal Abu Aker, Ghassan Zawahreh, Shadi Ma’ali, Munir Abu Sharar,Badr al-Ruzza, Bilal Daoud Saifi and Suleiman Eskafi are all isolated by the Israeli prison administration in an attempt to break their strike, the “Battle of Breaking the Chains.”

Bilal Daoud Saifi, 26, is being denied medication for his chronic medical condition in retaliation for his participation in the hunger strike. He has been held in administrative detention since 28 February 2015 and his detention was renewed on 28 August 2015. He has been repeatedly arrested and detained for a total of five years. All of the strikers are being held in solitary confinement in prisons and not provided with hospital care despite the 5 original strikers now having been on hunger strike for 25 days.

Organizing and events in Palestine in solidarity with the strikers have escalated. In Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem, where four of the strikers – Palestinian refugees denied their right to return – are residents, a permanent solidarity tent has been set up at the entrance to the camp. Every day the tent is full of supporters, including youth performing street theatre and leading a night march through the camp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHQeIOPLShI&w=700&h=420

In Nablus and Al-Khalil, large rallies were held in solidarity with the striking prisoners and rallies are planned in Tulkarem and Gaza City for Monday and Tuesday. The Progressive Student Action Front at Bethlehem University organized a vigil to support the prisoners’ strike, distributing salt and water to students to inform them about the strike and the situation of the prisoners. Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike consume only salt and water. The PSAF at An-Najah University in Nablus also held an event to support the prisoners, distributing water and salt to students and speaking about the prisoners and their struggle.

Event in solidarity with the hunger strikers and against political inprisonment. Phote credit: Sofyan Abu Ras — Event in solidarity with the hunger strikers and against political inprisonment.
Phote credit: Sofyan Abu Ras

There are approximately 480 Palestinian prisoners currently held without trial under administrative detention, in which Israeli military court orders detention periods of one to six months on the basis of “secret files,” not accessible by detainees or their lawyers. These detention periods are indefinitely renewable. Administrative detention was initially introduced in Palestine by the British colonial mandate. Its use as a policy by the Israeli state contravenes the Geneva Conventions and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Palestinian prisoners like Khader Adnan and Mohammed Allan have gone on lengthy hunger strikes to win their release from administrative detention, and ending it is a long-time demand of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement.

Event in solidarity with the hunger strikers and against political inprisonment. Photo credit: http://samidoun.net/ — Event in solidarity with the hunger strikers and against political inprisonment.
Photo credit: http://samidoun.net/

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expresses its strongest solidarity with the striking prisoners, and calls for international actions, mobilizations and events to demand their freedom. Samidoun emphasizes that the Israeli occupation is fully responsible for the lives and health of the strikers. We cannot wait until these brave strugglers are facing death to act and demand not only their freedom as individuals, but the abolition of administrative detention – on the road to freeing every Palestinian prisoner held in Israeli occupation jails. It is not the case that Israeli military courts are any more legitimate, fair or acceptable than administrative detention – they are just as arbitrary, racist and illegitimate. But administrative detention is a weapon of mass terror used against the Palestinian people, and it is critical to bring this practice to an end. These Palestinian prisoners have put their bodies on the line in order to end administrative detention – and it is imperative that we act to support them. These prisoners’ struggle is not only about their individual freedom – it is part of their struggle for return and liberation for Palestine.

Take Action!

1. Sign on to this statement in support of the prisoners’ demand to End Administrative Detention. Organizational and individual endorsements are welcome – and organizational endorsements particularly critical – in support of the prisoners’ demands and their actions. Click here to sign or sign below:http://bit.ly/EndAdministrativeDetention

2. Send a solidarity statement. The support of people around the world helps to inform people about the struggle of Palestinian prisoners. It is a morale booster and helps to build political solidarity. Please send your solidarity statements to samidoun@samidoun.net. They will be published and sent directly to the prisoners.

3. Hold a solidarity one-day hunger strike in your area. Gather in a tent or central area, bring materials about Palestinian prisoners and hold a one-day solidarity strike to raise awareness and provide support for the struggle of the prisoners and the Palestinian cause. Please email us at samidoun@samidoun.net to inform us of your action – we will publicize and share news with the prisoners.

4. Protest at the Israeli consulate or embassy in your area. Bring posters and flyers about administrative detention and Palestinian hunger strikers and hold a protest, or join a protest with this important information. Hold a community event or discussion, or include this issue in your next event about Palestine and social justice. Please email us at samidoun@samidoun.net to inform us of your action – we will publicize and share news with the prisoners.

5. Contact political officials in your country – members of Parliament or Congress, or the Ministry/Department of Foreign Affairs or State – and demand that they cut aid and relations with Israel on the basis of its apartheid practices, its practice of colonialism, and its numerous violations of Palestinian rights including the systematic practice of administrative detention. Demand they pressure Israel to free the hunger strikers and end administrative detention.

6. Boycott, Divest and Sanction. Hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. Don’t buy Israeli goods, and campaign to end investments in corporations that profit from the occupation. G4S, a global security corporation, is heavily involved in providing services to Israeli prisons that jail Palestinian political prisoners – there is a global call to boycott it. Palestinian political prisoners have issued a specific call urging action on G4S. Learn more about BDS at bdsmovement.net.

Original article: http://samidoun.net/2015/09/battle-of-breaking-the-chains-25-days-of-hunger-strike-for-palestinian-prisoners/

UN report: 3 Palestinians killed, 92 displaced in a week

22nd August | The Palestinian Information Center | Occupied East Jerusalem

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– A report issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) showed the escalation of Israeli violations against Palestinian civilians in their occupied territories during 11-17 August, 2015.

Photo credit: The Palestinian Information Center

OCHA revealed that Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians, 21 and 22 years old, in two separate incidents on 15 and 17 August respectively, reportedly following the stabbing of Israeli soldiers near Beita village and at the Z’atara checkpoint, both in the Nablus governorate.

The UN office pointed out that a Palestinian woman died from wounds sustained the previous week, when unexploded ordnance (UXO) detonated in a house in Rafah, bringing to five the number of fatalities from the incident, and injuries to over 50, according to medical sources. Since the cease-fire of August 2014, 16 Palestinians, including one child, have been killed in UXO incidents, and over 170, including 22 children, injured.

During the week, 27 Palestinians, including five children, were injured across the West Bank, during clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian stone-throwers, it pointed out.

The majority of injuries (21) took place during the weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum (Qalqiliya) against the closure of the village’s main entrance. In one incident, a 52-year-old man and land owner participating in a demonstration against the construction of the Barrier in Beit Jala (Bethlehem) was hospitalized due to heart failure complications, following an altercation with an Israeli soldier, OCHA added.

It documented that the Israeli forces arrested 78 Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territories, the vast majority in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, one Palestinian was arrested as he arrived at Erez Crossing, after he had received a permit to travel into the West Bank. “Four other Palestinians were arrested near the fence surrounding Gaza, after crossing into Israel without Israeli authorization.”

Three Israeli settler attacks resulting in injury to Palestinians and their property were recorded. These include the physical assault of two Palestinians, 16 and 18 years old, in ‘Azzun ‘Atma (Qalqiliya) and a 31-year-old Palestinian was physically assaulted while working in the settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev located in the Jerusalem governorate. An arson attack was recorded in the Bedouin community of ‘Ein Samiya (Ramallah), resulting in damage to a residential tent, it highlighted.

Additionally (not included in the count), a ten-year-old child was injured when run over by an Israeli-plated vehicle near Yatma (Nablus); and clashes erupted between Palestinians and around 15 Israeli settlers after the latter raided the village of Awarta (Nablus), and reportedly attempted to kidnap two Palestinians, the UN report pointed out.

According to Israeli media, one Israeli settler was injured as a result of Palestinian stone-throwing at Israeli-plated vehicles near Beit Ummar (Hebron), it stated.

OCHA mentioned, in its report, that the Israeli authorities demolished 35 Palestinian-owned structures, including six donor-funded and 16 residential structures across the West Bank, for lack of Israeli-issued building permits, displacing a total of 92 Palestinians, including 55 children, and otherwise affecting 81 Palestinians.

Of the total, 78 Palestinians, including 49 children, were displaced in the communities of Az Za’ayyem Bedouin, Khan al Ahmar Abu Falah, Bir Miskoob and Wadi Sneysel on 17 August, the largest number of people displaced in the West Bank in a single day since October 2012, it underlined.

The report said these are among the 46 Area C Bedouin communities in the central West Bank at risk of forcible transfer due to a plan advanced by the Israeli authorities to relocate the residents to one of three designated sites.

The remaining 14 Palestinians were displaced in Al-Jiftlik Abu al ‘Ajaj community (Jericho governorate) in the Jordan Valley on 11 August. This is the 15th time the residents of Al-Jiftlik Abu al ‘Ajaj have experienced demolition incidents since 2014, it highlighted.

OCHA’s report stated that in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces opened fire towards civilians in the Access Restricted Areas (ARA) on land and at sea, on at least nine occasions. No casualties were reported. On four occasions Israeli forces entered and leveled land inside Gaza.

Also in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians held 29 demonstrations, primarily in protest against a possible reduction in UNRWA services due to the Agency’s financial crisis, and in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention centers, namely, Mohammed Allan who has been on hunger strike for over 60 days in protest at his administrative detention without charge or trial since November 2014, it added.

The UN report pointed out that the Egyptian authorities exceptionally opened the Rafah crossing on 17 August in both directions, for the first time since 25 June, allowing 949 Palestinians into Gaza, and 474 Palestinians, mainly patients, students and dual nationals to exit Gaza. The Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing has been continuously closed, including for humanitarian assistance, since 24 October 2014, except for 26 days of partial openings.

Source: The Palestinian Information Center

Nablus family home suffers brutal Israeli night raid

15th July 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Awarta, Occupied Palestine

On Sunday, July 12, at 1:30 am, a group of 40 Israeli soldiers came into the village of Awarta circling and raiding the home of 22 year old Izzat Qawariq right before the family was preparing to go to sleep.

nablus3 — The wreckage left after Israeli forces raided the home.

His cousin told ISM that the soldiers violently kicked the doors open with a gun, demanded the women and men to stay in two separate rooms, while they trashed, broke glass objects and searched through all the belongings of the house. They took both Izzat’s and his mother’s telephones, and Izzat’s medical papers for the eye treatment he was taking in St. John’s hospital of Jerusalem, as well as his permit paper to be able to travel to Jerusalem for his treatment. The soldiers kept the home under siege until 4:00 in the morning, without allowing the family to have their food according to the tradition of Ramadan.

Once the soldiers arrested Izzat, his parents were trying to persuade them to allow him to leave wearing his shoes; the soldiers reacted by hitting Izzat’s father with a gun, injuring his left wrist. His father told ISM that he decided to contain his anger in fear of worse violence and to avoid also being arrested.

nablus — The hand and wrist of Izzat’s father.

Izzat’s family has no idea why they arrested him. He and his father would work with their truck plowing the land next to the illegal settlement of Etamar. Izzat has never been involved in a political party. The family also reported that this unit of soldiers was a new unit, called Dov Dovan, who wear special masks on their faces to scare the people.

That same night, during the same time of Izzat’s arrest, his cousin, Raef Qawariq, who currently lives with his wife in Huwara, was also arrested without charges in his home in similar violent conditions by a large group of Israeli soldiers. Raef, 27 years old, just got married two months ago and works as a designer in Ramallah, and like his cousin, has never been involved in a political party. There is no known reason as to why they were arrested. Both families called the Israeli human rights organization, HaMoked, to ask about them, but they were told to wait for them to call them back.

Awarta is a village in the district of Nablus, which suffers from Israeli soldiers night incursions on an almost daily basis.