Category: Press Releases - Page 27 - International Solidarity Movement

ACT NOW ! Put an end to the ‘Closed Military Zone’ in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street, Hebron

December 13th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement | Action Alert

The undersigned organisations are calling on the international community to take immediate action regarding the continuous closure of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and the part of Shuhada Street that has remained accessible to Palestinian residents since the Ibrahimi mosque massacre in 1994, in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). For more than a month, Palestinians and internationals have been denied access to this part of the city since the Israeli occupation forces have declared the area a ‘closed military zone’.

The ‘closed military zone’, first declared on November 1st 2015, was designed to include Palestinian neighborhoods while excluding adjacent illegal Israeli settlements. This discriminatory closure is being upheld by continuously renewed ‘military orders’ that lack official signatures or stamps. Palestinian residents were forced to register with the army or else risk being barred from their homes, while Israeli settlers are free to roam the streets without being stopped.

“This is yet another step in pushing Palestinians out of Tel Rumeida and Shuhada street”, says Jenny, from the ISM team in al Khalil.

Such a restriction of movement clearly constitutes a collective punishment on the whole Palestinian community, illegal under international law. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva convention specifically states that “no protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.”

Tel Rumeida resident Abed Salaymeh explains : “soldiers and settlers are making life for the Palestinians intolerable to force them to leave their houses voluntarily. This is a crime under international law. They are targeting activists to silence the truth and stop the truth from reaching the whole world”.

International and local activists are increasingly at risk of direct attacks by Israeli occupation forces and illegal settlers, as they are specifically targeted for their efforts to document and report on human rights abuses.

Activists are denied access to areas by Israeli occupation forces and face unfounded arbitrary arrests, such as on the 3rd of November, the 26th of November, 27th of November, and most recently on the 28th of november; purely on Israeli forces’ accusations that lack any evidence. Human rights defenders, whose work the United Nations stressed as important, are increasingly threatened even inside their homes and offices or illegally kicked out of them.

The Israeli forces’ attempts to silence the Palestinian voice on the events goes hand in hand with the closure of Palestinian radio stations in clear infringement of the freedom of press and opinion, acknowledged in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948, article 19: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.

“It is important to document in order to expose Israeli crimes”, explains Imad Abu Shamsiyyeh, a Tel Rumeida resident.

These inhumane measures come after Israeli occupation forces gunned down Homam Adnan Sa’id, 23, and Islam Rafiq ‘Ebeido on the 27th and 28th of October in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood. While the Israeli government claims that both were ‘neutralized’ when attacking Israeli forces, many eye-witness statements refute this claim; CCTV footage has not yet been released by the Israeli forces. Since the beginning of October, a total of 112 Palestinians have been shot and left to bleed to death without medical aid in a similar manner in what Amnesty International refers to as ‘unlawful killings‘.

The outlined measures, restrictions, and human rights violations are focused primarily and exclusively on making the Palestinian voice – and in the long run the inhabitants of the area – disappear altogether.

The undersigned organisations call for:

An immediate end to collective punishment and the ‘closed military zone’ order in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street;
Cessation of threats and harassment of Palestinian residents as well as foreign and local human rights defenders;
Removal of restrictions on movement throughout the Old City of Hebron;
stopping the imposed military law on Palestinian residents as they are civilians;
Suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement until Israel complies with International Law;
Removal of all illegal Israeli settlements from Hebron.
Reconsideration of the status of “charity” of the Hebron Fund, that allows people to make tax-free donations to an organisation funding the illegal settlement of Israelis in the city of Hebron
Cessation of unconditional US Aid to Israel until it complies with international law.
Release of the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, as provided in article 17 of the 1949 Geneva Convention I “[Parties to the conflict] shall further ensure that the dead are honourably interred, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, that their graves are respected, grouped if possible according to the nationality of the deceased, properly maintained and marked so that they may always be found”.

Signatories :

BDS Slovenia

Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestine

Dominican Palestine Coordinating Committee

اتحاد لجان العمل الصحي Health Work Committees

Hebron Defense Committee

Hebron Rehabilitation Committee لجنة إعمار الخليل

International Middle East Media Centre

International Women’s Peace Service

Merton PSC

Middle East Crisis Support – Woodstock, NY

Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign

Newcastle Palestine Campaign

Operation Dove – Operazione Colomba

Popular National Conference for Jerusalem

The Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC) الاغاثة الزراعية

The Palestinian Farmers Union

The Popular Committee for Palestinian Refugees in Hebron District

Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees اتحاد لجان المرأة الفلسطينية

Unison Northumberland

Women’s Studies Centre امركز الدراسات النسوية في الخليل

Youth Center – Palestinian Medical Relief Society مركز تدريب الشباب المجتمعي

If your organisation wishes to support our call, contact us : palreports@gmail.com

ACT NOW. To Save Palestinian refugee in Saudi Arabia from death penalty after unfair trial

7th December 2015 | Palestinian Centre for Human Rights | Press release

On 17 November 2015, a Saudi court sentenced to death a Palestinian Refugee, Ashraf Fayadh (35), for alleged blasphemous statements during a discussion, which are also mentioned in his poetry. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) calls upon you to participate in the global efforts to halt Fayadh’s execution and to release him.

On 01 January 2014, Saudi authorities arrested Fayadh, who lives in Saudi Arabia since he was born. He was charged with, inter alia, insulting the “Divine Self” and the Prophet Muhammad; mocking and refuting the verses of God and the Prophet’s; spreading atheism; and denying the Day of Resurrection, Fate and Divine Decree. The charges mainly depended on a complaint reported by someone to the police relevant to Fayadh’s poetry published in 2008.

Fayadh denied the charges against him and called three witnesses to refute the testimony of the man who reported him to the religious police. The defense witnesses said that the man reported Fayadh following a personal dispute and that they had never heard blasphemous statements from Fayadh. Fayadh also stressed that his book of love poetry titled “Instructions Within” was published 8 years ago and never written to insult religion.

Fayadh emphasized that he was innocent and begged the court for mercy saying, “I am repentant to God Most Gracious and I am innocent of what was mentioned in my book in this case.” However, the court convicted Fayadh and sentenced him to four years in prison and 800 lashes, on 26 May 2014.

The situation became worse when the prosecutor had appealed the ruling. As a result, the appeal court referred the case to the lower court but with a different judge. The new judge reversed the previous sentence and sentenced Fayadh to death for apostasy, on 17 November, 2015. The sentence must be approved by the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court to be applied.

Fayadh has not got the minimum guarantees of the fair trial. He was denied the right to access to his lawyer during interrogations. The court ignored the testimonies of the defense witnesses. Moreover, the convection itself goes against the minimum standards of human rights, especially the right to speech and freedom of conscience.

Five UN Special Rapporteurs in a joint statement issued on 03 December 2015 urged the Government of Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of Fayadh. The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, highlighted that the execution verdict of Fayadh was issued “on basis seemingly unreliable evidence to the effect that he exercised his freedom of expression after an unfair trial. This has to be deplored as an arbitrary and thus unlawful execution”

The misery of Fayadh also has been moving some international, regional, and national NGOs to take actions to prevent his execution. Amnesty International launched a letter-writing campaign for calling the Saudi authorities to release Fayadh. Human Rights Watch and the Arab Organization for Human Rights addressed the issue as well. Therefore, a lot of efforts are needed from all of us to rescue Fayadh’s life.

PCHR calls upon you to take urgent actions to pressurize the Saudi officials to release Fayadh. Taking an action now could save the life of an innocent man who is going to be beheaded in a savage manner. In addition, your action will be an important precedent against the death penalty in general and against persecution of freedom of conscience in particular.

Raji Sourani

Director of PCHR

Israeli forces detain Palestinian family in their home for 26 hours & wreak havoc on YAS center

9th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On the 7th of November, soldiers entered the home of the Haddad family from 5am and did not leave until 7am the following day. At this time, there were 8 people inside the home who were forced into one of the rooms. 20 soldiers entered Haddad’s home and began taking pictures, while settlers were cheering and dancing outside the front.

The family was denied any privacy as the door remained open and a guard was posted at the door for the duration of the occupation. There were significant delays for the bathroom. The youngest daughter, aged 8, had to wait for over an hour and each time the door had to be kept open.

One of the daughters of the family, aged 25, was permitted to leave to purchase food, however she was unable to return as clashes broke out in the area. She was forced to stay with her sister, therefore the family had very little food. They were permitted only 5 minutes in the kitchen and were not able to have a square meal. Whilst the family was detained in room, soldiers used the bathroom and kitchen freely, and tracked mud through the carpets. During this same period of time, the YAS centre was raided and activists were detained inside. Not only did the military occupy the centre, they also destroyed the media facilities in the apartment, stealing and destroying cameras, computers, hard drives, and other important equipment.

URGENT ALERT: Shuhada Street, Tel Rumeida declared ‘Closed Military Zone’; human rights activists expelled; homes raided

8th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) urges the international community to take immediate and urgent action against the Israeli occupation forces’ recent declaration of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and Shuhada street in downtown Hebron as a closed ‘Closed Military Zone.’

On November 1st, the occupation forces instructed all Palestinian residents to ‘register’. Since November 3rd, all non residents, including human rights workers, doctors, teachers, plumbers, and others are barred from entry.

This declaration comes amidst a month long escalation claiming the lives of over 70 Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza – one third of them in Hebron. Many of the extrajudicial killings in Hebron are occurring in the areas now evacuated of all internationals who had been monitoring and reporting what they witness.

As of November 3rd, all international human rights monitors in Tel Rumeida have been evicted from the area under threat of arrest and subsequent deportation. Although the order is being issued for one day, and renewed daily, the occupation forces have told residents and evicted human rights workers that it will be in force for the long term.

Israeli forces are targeting not only international human rights observers, but also Palestinian activists. On Saturday, November 7th, Israeli forces commandeered the local activist group Youth Against Settlements’ center and turned it into a military base for 24 hours. They completely destroyed the media center, stole several dozen electronic devices, and took Palestinian activists as hostages. A YAS spokesperson has been illegally held in prison for over a week already. Israeli forces also raided other Palestinian homes, trapping families inside, while settlers freely roamed the streets and chanted “Death to the Arabs!”

“Soldiers and settlers are making life for the Palestinians intolerable to force them to leave their houses voluntarily. This is a crime under international law. They are targeting activists to silence the truth and stop the truth from reaching the whole world”, explains Tel Rumeida resident Abed Salaymeh. Other international human rights observers have been directly targeted by Israeli forces through arrests, evictions and settler violence. Such conditions facilitate further extrajudicial killings in this neighborhood, as well as further takeovers of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers.

The ISM calls for:
–       An immediate end to the ‘Closed Military Zone’ order on Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street
–       Cessation of threats and harassment of residents and foreign human rights activists
–       Removal of restrictions on movement throughout downtown Hebron
–       Removal of all illegal Israeli settlers from Hebron

We call on civil society worldwide to support the above demands and do all they can to pressure the Israeli government to cease its severe human rights abuses against the Palestinian people, including joining the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

For more information, please see:

B’Tselem Press Release, Nov. 6, 2015: “New restrictions on movement in Hebron and area disrupt lives and constitute prohibited collective punishment”

B’Tselem, Oct. 20: “Footage from Hebron: Israeli military enables 5-day settler attack”

International Solidarity Movement, Nov. 7: Palestinians held hostage in their own homes by Israeli forces in al-Khalil (Hebron)

International Solidarity Movement, Nov. 4: International human rights defenders arrested and evicted while “Hebron is becoming ghettoized”

International Solidarity Movement, Oct. 30: Palestinian residents of Hebron required to register in preparation for severe new restrictions

School children kept waiting on stairs by Shuhada street for nearly an hour, 1 November — School children kept waiting on stairs by Shuhada street, 1 November

Palestinians held hostage in their own homes by Israeli forces in al-Khalil (Hebron)

7th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On November 7th 2015, Israeli forces violently took over several homes of Palestinian families in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), trapping the families inside their own homes. Large parts of the city have been declared a ‘closed military zone’, preventing Palestinians from moving, while settlers are freely roaming the streets.

Early in the morning, Israeli soldiers stormed various houses in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood, each time locking up the residents in one room of their home. The local activist group Youth Against Settlements’ centre was taken by the Israeli army. Tom, a German volunteer states: “the soldiers searched everything and left a chaos on the lower floor; we could hear children’s voices from inside the house, so it must have been settlers inside the house”.

Watch a video of Israeli forces attacking journalists arriving to the center to cover the takeover by the Israeli forces.

Whereas Tom’s release from the closed military zone was secured through the intervention of his embassy, Italian journalist Francesca Borri and Palestinian activists are still held hostage by the Israeli forces. Israeli settlers from the illegal settlements in Hebron have been seen dancing, chanting ‘death to Arabs’ and celebrating outside another Palestinian family houses misappropriated for military use by the Israeli forces.

Illegal Israeli settlers celebrating the takeover of Palestinian homes by Israeli forces Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement — Illegal Israeli settlers celebrating the takeover of Palestinian homes by Israeli forces
Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement

Israeli forces have also declared the neighbourhood around the Ibrahimi mosque a ‘closed military zone’, following almost a week of forced closure for Palestinian shops in the area. The Palestinian market has also been closed by the Israeli forces, denying Palestinians passage. “Soldiers and settlers are making life for the Palestinians intolerable to force them to leave their houses voluntarily. This is a crime under international law. They are targeting activists to silence the truth and stop the truth from reaching the whole world”, explains Tel Rumeida resident Abed Salaymeh. Other international human rights observers have been directly targeted by Israeli forces through arrests, evictions and settler violence.

Israeli soldiers in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood of occupied Hebron Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement — Israeli soldiers in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood of occupied Hebron
Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement

In the last few weeks, Israeli forces have continuously cracked down on Palestinians’ right to freedom of movement by declaring the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood a ‘closed military zone’ and forcing all Palestinian residents to register with the Israeli army to be allowed access. Palestinians are subjected to regular body-checks at gunpoint or denied access to their homes while Israeli settlers, often armed with machine guns, are freely walking the streets. As one Palestinian resident of Tel Rumeida related, “Everyone is too scared to leave their house now.”