Category: Nablus

Day of the Child: Houses overturned, 20 arrested by “American style” Israeli military

by Lydia

8 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Houses overturned during night raids – For more pictures click here

April 5th marked a day to celebrate the children of Palestine. This year the Israeli military decided to contribute to the special day of the children of Kufr Qaddoum by invading the village and kidnapping 20 fathers and brothers. Boys and men were taken from their homes in a series of overly aggressive and destructive raids.

At 2 AM approximately 200 soldiers stormed the center of the village and split up in to groups of around 30 soldiers. Efficiency was key in the military’s plan to cause as much destruction and intimidation before the sun rose. The soldiers did not come alone, all teams were accompanied by dogs, and intelligence showed up later on in the morning to assist with interrogations.

The Israeli military has seen escalating its intimidation of members of the village, and the soldiers’ main goal is to stop the Friday demonstrations that the villagers host. These have grown in strength and popularity.

Since June 2011,  Kufr Qaddoum has been subjected to many night raids but nothing of this scale. Murad Ishtawi, the lead organizer of the weekly demonstrations, said, “I have never seen anything like this in the village before, I have never seen them storm in like that.”

Bashar Ishtawi, brother of Riad who was arrested, likened the raids to “a video game. Very aggressive and American style.”

Out of the 20 arrests made, five of the homes entered by the soldiers were overturned and vandalized. Upon entering the house of Bashar Ishtewi, husband and father of three children under the ages of 11, soldiers demanded that Ishtewi “give them the men.” Ishtawi tried to tell them all he had were his children and his wife, but this answer was not sufficient. The soldiers herded the family into one room and carried on destroying the house. Their daughter, Zainab, who is 6 years old, was vomiting from stress and has not uttered a word since the raids on her house.

In the house of Iman Ishtawi, father of two children under the age of three, is where the story is most disturbing. Ishtawi informed the soldiers that he had no son to arrest and was told “we know this, we are here simply to destroy your house, nothing else.” Ishtawi with his wife and children were made to stand outside and listen to there home being destroyed. After twenty minutes the children became sick and started to cough. Iman tried to to reason with the soldiers, to show the commander that his babies need warmth. The soldiers simply replied, “That is the business of a doctor, not the business of a soldier.” The family was finally allowed in but were forced to stay in the small kitchen until the soldiers were finished.

The nightmare continued until 5am. The homes were turned upside down, in another house they even removed the windows from the entire house, showing the transparency of this operation. For the Israeli military, they will convince themselves that this operation was in search of rms and young men unlawfully defending their land, but in reality this was an act of intimidation, an operation to try and put an end to the peaceful, popular resistance carried out lawfully every Friday. It fits in an agenda of ethnically cleansing Palestine.

The fate of the following names is still not known, they are currently in interogation centers:

Rihad Mohammad Ishtawi – 38

Thaer Baseem Ishtawi – 38, Ibrahim Mohammad Amer – 38

Hekmat Mahmoud Ishtawi – 35

Harib Mashur Jumaq – 18

Alkamia Mahmoud Jumaq – 18

Mohammad Majid Jumaq – 17

Mujahed Hassan Habas – 24

Ahmad Abdelkadar Abdullah 17

Salam Teyseer Bayram – 20

Yousef Mustafa Ishtawi – 17

Kais Chaher Jamaq – 16

Roslan Abdulkhalid Ishtawi -25

Awis Abdulrizik Amer – 24

Mujahed Sabeh Darwish – 22

Sabir Atta – 22

Tarik Mahmoud Taha – 18

Mahmoud Manjur Ishtawi – 18

Nisfat Mahmoud Ishtawi – 26

Wassim Abdulkhalid Ishtawi – 25

Lydia is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Amani al Khandaqja released following hunger strike

Amani al Khandaqja with her father, pose following her release

by Lydia 

6 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

“You are a very clever woman Amani, you are the first free woman from Ashkalan, this brings me great frustration.”

These are the words of the Chief of Intelligence at Huwarra Camp where Amani al Khandaqja was forced to go during her first Sunday of freedom after her 10 days of imprisonment. On the 20th of March, al Khandaqja was taken from her home, Nablus City, in a 2AM night raid, shackled, handcuffed and blindfolded, her 10 days of imprisonment were as follows:

On entering the Ashkelon interrogation prison, al Khandaqja made the decision to begin an open ended hunger strike, bringing her to the immediate decision of the military to be held in solitary confinement. Her days started with fierce determination to show that she is not and will not be intimidated by the interrogators or the prison.

When taken for the routine strip search, al Khandaqja simply but vehemently refused anything of the sort. She spent her days in a room too small for any comfort, the light was on day and night, and food was used as a constant temptation out of her hunger strike.

The military used low, pathetic tactics including sitting her in front of a table with chicken, burgers, chips and rice. On refusal of the food soldiers asked al Khandaqja , “Why do you not like food?” al Khandaqja was quick to reassure them that she is in fact very fond of food but she “like [her] mother’s food, [her] sisters’ food, even [her] brother’s food, but [she] will not eat [their] food.”

Tactics quickly became even more personal by offering Amani an opportunity to see her brother Bassam. Bassam is a political prisoner in Ashkelon’s mixed sex prison, who is 9 years into his life sentence. The terms of the negotiation were to stop the hunger strike for a short visit. The negotiation was rejected by al Khandaqja.

As the days and nights passed and interrogation continued, the military became weaker and weaker. “All they had to say was that I was too active on Facebook.” Amani explained how the interrogator informed her, “I know your words have power” but this simply was not enough to keep Amani captured.

The Israeli military often offers monetary rewards for those it convinces to become collaborators against the Palestinian people, and with Amani the offers came thick and fast. Having studied psychology at university, and one who has traveled to Europe working with women groups in campaigns addressing issues such as domestic violence, she is a woman who is not easily scared or intimidated. This was evident to the Israeli military.

It is true that al Khandaqja is a threat to Israel’s apartheid, but not because of their usual rhetoric of her being a “violent Palestinian,” but because Amani is a clever, determined, educated, and passionate young woman who, it seems, will stop at nothing in her struggle for human rights. When asked if and when she will return back to work, Amani replied “I am always working. I will not stop. I write everyday about the conditions of the prisoners. I am only writing for peace, and I do not want to see anymore violence”

Amani, who is from Nablus City was releasd at Turkoomia checkpoint in Al Khalil (Hebron), 77 kilometer from Nablus. She was left with no phone or money. Fortunately she was able track down her father and have a car sent to her, not before visiting friends in Al Khalil as word had gotten out about her release. That night, the 30th March, Amani returned home split with emotion. The prospect of seeing her family filled her with happiness but to have left her brother Bassam and personal friend Masser Halabi behind brought an overwhelming sadness, a sadness that is sure to inspire and motivate Amani to continue the struggle with more passion and determination than ever before.

Lydia is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Nablus City: Family left pleading in the night for their sons’ freedom

by Lydia

3 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Essam Amer Ghassal,16 Khaled Beal Harabi, 22, Yousef Beal Harabi, 23: Three more names to be added to the political prisoner list, two more mothers to carry framed pictures of their children to prisoner awareness demonstrations.

At 2 AM, on April 2nd the Israeli soldiers invaded an apartment block on An Najjah university road, Nablus city. They arrived at the homes of Essam, 16 and Khaled,22, friends who live just two floors apart. Both families were asked to step away from their door as the soldiers entered with force. Both families offered to open the doors for the soldiers, but the soldiers insisted on breaking the door down, preferring to use the force of their riffles to maximize damage. The shocked families were faced with 20 soldiers whose  riffles aimed head height when the doors was opened.

The members of Essam Amer Ghassal’s family were lined up in the living room with their hands raised above their heads, and Essam was picked out from the line and taken by the soldiers. His ankles were in shackles, his eyes were blindfolded and his wrists in handcuffs. The soldiers left the apartment with Essam and his laptop for further investigation. Layla, the mother of Essam was worried for her child, who was taken from his bed in his night clothes. She begged the commander to let her see her child one last time and to give him warm clothes. With determination Layla kept pleading with the words “please, he is my son, do you understand, he is my son. I want to see him, I want him to be warm.”

The commander finally gave into Layla’s requests, but insisted that only he would pass on the clothes. Layla was able to see her son from the balcony with a final lasting image of him blindfolded and being put into a military jeep. Essam was taken away from his school studies, his friends and his family who are struggling to get by. His father has health problems and is not able to work.  Later that day he was   admitted to a hospital due to complications with his diabetes brought on by the stress of the arrest.

Essam was first taken to Huwwara military camp. This is a common practice with those newly arrested. He was then moved on the evening of 2nd April to Patachtekfa interrogation center, near Jenin. This where they will be questioned for hours on end and have allegations forced at them. It is usual that the army ensures that the arrested are in a state of fatigue before questioning begins, keeping the victims from sleeping, keeping bright lights on at all hours of the day and not allowing them to wash or maintain their sanitation.

The family of Khaled Beal Harabi was awaken slightly later and they suffered the same ordeal. They were not allowed to open their own door, instead the soldiers opted to open it with force, again using the butt of the riffles instead of the doorbell. The members of the family were lined up in their living room, again with hands above their heads and the father and Khaled were taken outside. Khaled was soon arrested and taken straight to the interrogation center in Petach Tikva, Jenin. Khaled is a student at An Najah University, he had also just started a new job.

It is here also, in Petach Tikva interrogation center where his brother, Yousef, has been incarcerated for a week. Both Yousef and Khaled were released from jail eight months ago after Khaled served 2 years and Yousef 2.5 years. Just like Esam, they both had their laptops seized. Yousef recently had his interrogation extended by twelve days.

On visiting the families, Myassar Attyani was present, who is a member of the Popular Committee for Nablus, and a dedicated member of the Political Prisoner Club. Attyani expressed a serious concern regarding the influx of arrests and invasions of Nablus city which is area A. She explains “the invasions by the Zionist soldiers are all part of a strategic game to frighten peoples minds.”

Lydia is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Israeli soldiers arrest 20 in a pre-dawn raid on Kufr Qaddoum

by Abir Kopty

5 April 2012 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

During the raid, soldiers pillaged jewelry and caused extensive damage to houses. Residents are certain that arrests were made to quash regular protests in the village

Massive numbers of Israeli soldiers staged an extensive pre-dawn raid on the West Bank village of Kufr Qaddoum last night, storming over a dozen houses. Twenty individuals, aged 16 to 38 were motioned from their beds at gunpoint and  arrested.

Several of the raided houses were ransacked and left with extensive damage to their interiors. Soldiers have gone as far as pillaging gold jewelry estimated in thousands of shekels from the house belonging to Atta Shtawi, whose son Sabri was detained.

Media contact: Abir Kopty: 054-678-2420

Among those arrested are three minors – one 16 year-old and two 17 year-olds – as well as Riad Shtewi, a member of the village’s popular committee.

Villagers from Kufr Qaddoum have been holding regular weekly demonstrations for the past 9 months in protest of ongoing land theft by the adjacent Jewish-only settlement of Qadummim and in demand that the main road to the village be reopened. the road has been sealed by the army at the beginning of the second intifada.

Protesters in Kufr Qaddoum regularly face ever increasing levels of military violence, including the use of a military assault dogs the soldiers sicced  at protesters two weeks ago.

Video: Israeli military shooting directly at press in Kufr Qaddoum

by Axel

4 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On Friday the 30th of March the weekly demonstration was held in the village Kufr Qaddoum outside of Nablus. This day was however the same day as the Global March to Jerusalem, meaning less media attention than normal, and also less internationals present as most of the activists attended the demonstrations in Qalandiya, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. To further minimize attendance, the Israeli soldiers had set up a checkpoint outside the village, preventing people from entering.

 The situation was also more tense than usual, as it was only two weeks ago the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) released attack dogs on the demonstrators, resulting in savage attacks and sever injuries.

 Despite these facts approximately 500 people, including about 10 internationals, gathered after the Muslim Friday prayer to march along the main road of the village that the IOF  are still obstructing even though the Israels court has approved its reopening.

 “As we approached the road block we could see that there were a lot of soldiers, approximately 35, and they had brought a tractor and the ‘skunk water’ truck,” said Odai Al-Jumah, a film-maker from the village.

When the demonstration reached the barbwire road block, they were cheering and started to talk to the soldiers through a megaphone, demanding the reopening of the road. As normal the soldiers  responded to this non-violent action by shooting tear gas, stun grenades and skunk water. But this time they did not shoot upwards to make the metal tear gas canister fly in an arc, but instead they were illegally aiming right at the crowd just 20 meters in front of them.

“I was standing on the side of the demonstration, filming when I saw one of the soldiers aiming at me. I had no where to run, so I just covered my head with one of my arms,” said Al-Jumah.

 Luckily he was fast enough. The tear gas canister would have hit him right in the face, but instead it hit his arm and then ricocheted down to his chest. Tear gas canisters are a fatal weapon used by Israel against nonviolent protesters, using the crowd dispersion weapon as a projectile directed at destroying human life, as was the recent case of Mustafa Tamimi of Nabi Saleh. He ran a few meters and then collapsed. He got picked up buy the Red Crescent staff who carried him to an ambulance where they decided to take him to a nearby hospital.

On the way they had to cross the checkpoint where the soldiers stopped them. They wanted to interrogate Al Jumah.

 “I heard the ambulance driver asking what they wanted, but they just told him to shut up and open the back door.”

 He was then interrogated for more than half an hour, a very long time as he had sever pain in his arm and chest. After asking over and over again what he was doing at the demonstration, and if he had thrown any stone, they let him go as it was obvious he was there to document and was not even a part of the demonstration. The obvious delay to reaching any medical attention is one of the many ways Kufr Qaddoum and villages throughout Palestine are impacted by Israeli checkpoints, road blocks, and longer detours sustained by the illegal Israeli occupation.

Al Jumah was then taken to a hospital in Nablus where they found no serious injury, but he had to spend the night under observation.

The soldiers were apparently very violent through out the demonstration as more then 30 people were injured, most of them from inhaling very significant amounts of tear gas.

Five were shot directly with the canisters, including the press who were merely documenting Israeli violence and lack of concern. In February Reporters without Borders released a statement condemning Israel’s targeting of journalists.

The Israeli violence did not conclude with the demonstration but continued in other forms of oppression and harassment. On Sunday April 1st four soldiers came into the village and violently entered the house of Murad Shtawi, one of the organisers of the demonstration who was recently arrested by the military.

 “I was out for a walk when people from the village said there were soldiers in my house,” said Shtawi .

 He ran back to his home, and when he got there he asked the soldiers what they wanted. They showed a picture of his six year old son, saying the child was suspected of throwing stones. The family was shocked, and started screaming at the soldiers, chasing them out of the house. The soldiers then went back to their military jeep, leaving the village empty handed.

 “They really have no limits. What possible threat can they see in a six year old boy?” asked Shtawi.

 This is a question Shtawi, Al Jumah, or the locals of Kufr Qaddoum will not get answered. The collective punishment and practice of fear tactics exercised by Zionist military and settlers against the indigenous people of Palestine and their supporters is simply central to the strategy of Israel’s apartheid.

 Axel is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).