Category: Reports - Page 101 - International Solidarity Movement

Violent night raid in Ni’lin leaves 7-days old baby suffering from tear gas inhalation

3rd May 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Ni’lin, occupied Palestine

During nighttime on the 1st of May, Israeli Forces raided the village of Ni’lin in the West Bank in occupied Palestine without any reason.
First, with the arrival of one military jeep, villagers were already aguishly awaiting why the Israeli army is invading the village, fearing arrests. Later on, several armored military jeeps invaded the village and immediately started shooting tear gas towards the houses in an act of collective punishment, targeting civilians that were mainly still asleep. Additionally, the Israeli forces fired rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition towards the house. Ni’lin in the last weeks has repeatedly seen army attacks on civilians entirely uninvolved even in the weekly Friday demonstrations.

Photo from demonstration in Ni'lin. Photo credit: Palestine Solidarity Campaign — Photo from demonstration in Ni’lin. Photo credit: Palestine Solidarity Campaign

This night, a 17-year old young man was shot in the head with a rubber coated steel bullet, but luckily did not sustain any major injuries. Additionally, a newborn, only 7 days old baby, had to be taken to hospital for tear gas inhalation. This is a result of the Israeli forces tactic of deliberately targeting civilians and all the villagers in acts of collective punishment. In the recent weeks, several children and elderly had to be treated for excessive tear gas inhalation as Israeli Forces targeted a public park with a playground, showering it in tear gas; and shooting the potentially deadly long-range tear gas canisters straight into the village. As this long-range tear gas canister can not be heard and has an extremely hard metal tip, it is not only potenitally deadly – an international solidarity activist Tristan Anderson was critically injured with this kind of tear gas canister in the head in 2009 in Ni’lin and now requires 24-hour care – but it also easily breaks through windows and even walls. This is just another proof of how dangerous it is. Thus, tear gas can easily, and has already, trapped civilians inside their own homes, causing excessive tear gas inhalation.

During the last weekly Friday demonstration in Ni’lin against the illegal Israeli apartheid wall and the theft of the majority of the villages agricultural lands (the majority still located and theoretically accessible on the villages’ side of the wall has arbitrarily been declared a ‘closed military zone’ thus denying the villagers access), Israeli forces, surprisingly did not use the violence against the peaceful protestors, the villagers were forced to get used to.

The nightly raid on Monday, thus, appears to the villagers to be an even more twisted act of revenge by the Israeli forces.

See the video from the invasion here:

Israeli forces attack weekly protests in the West Bank

2nd May 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Deir Istiya, Kafr Qaddum, Ni’lin; occupied Palestine

Last week, as every week, Israeli forces attacked demonstrations in the West Bank against the illegal Israeli land-theft, the apartheid-wall and illegal Israeli settlements.

In Deir Istiya, near Nablus in northern occupied West Bank, farmers continued their protest against the closure of agricultural roads that are essential for them to reach their land and thus ensure their own and their families income. The protest, as during the last few weeks, started with a prayer close to the settler road that cuts the farmers off from their land and prevents their access.

Farmers in Deir Istiya protesting the closure of their agricultural roads

In Kafr Qaddum village, demonstrators went out in their weekly march to protest against the closure of their main access road to the closest nearby village, Nablus. With the closure of the main road, the once 10-minute drive to nearby Nablus now takes at least half an hour – time that can be essential in case of emergencies and can thus cost the essential time an ambulance needs to reach a hospital on time. This closure clearly illustrates the Israeli apartheid policies as the only reason is to facilitate movement for the illegal settlement of Kedumim.
Israeli forces fired rubber coated metal bullets, stun grenades and excessive amounts of tear gas at the demonstrators. Three Palestinians were injured, one had his hand burned when hit with a hot tear gas canister, and two were injured when hit with rubber coated metal bullets in the stomach and back. Several suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation, as the Israeli forces deliberately attacked the whole village in an act of collective punishment.

Israeli forces chasing demonstrators, illegal settlement can be seen in the back

In the West Bank village of Ni’lin, Israeli forces this week, unlike before, did not invade the village before the start of the demonstration. The demonstrators therefore marched up to the soldiers. Surprisingly – and in contrast to years of demonstrations, Israeli forces last Friday did not target civilian homes with tear gas or use any other means of supposedly ‘less-lethal’ ‘crowd-control’ weapons. Israeli forces did shoot some tear gas, but not the amounts the villagers have become used to in the years of struggle against the illegal apartheid wall separating them from the majority of their farming land. The villagers are now hoping, that the collective punishment of the whole village, the targeting of civilians and the use of excessive force has come to an end.

Demonstrators with the Palestinian flag in Ni'lin — Demonstrators with the Palestinian flag in Ni’lin

Closing of 7th annual Open Shuhada Street campaign

28^th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On the 27^th of April 2016 Youth Against Settlements hosted the closing event of the annual campaign “Open Shuhada Street”. This year was the 7^th year of the campaign, and YAS is determined to continue the success. This year more then 155 events took place all over the world and 3 Palestinian activist were in Europe to raise awareness about life under Israeli military occupation on Shuhada Street in specific, but throughout Hebron and all over occupied Palestine in general. The closing event took place in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood in Hebron, right outside the YAS center, that has deliberately been included into a ‘closed military zone’ that was first pronounced on 1st November 2016 and covers the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood and the tiny strip of Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk.

The closing event concluded the 2016 campaign, and gave a chance for YAS to thank its’ partners world wide and confirm their committment to organise events in even more countries and thus reach even more people with next years campaign. In his opening speech, Issa Amro, the coordinator of Youth Against Settlements, confirmed this committment to the campaign and that it will not stop until it reaches its aims and the Israeli occupation is abolished. This year, Palestinian activists from Hebron went to Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and France as part of the campaign, and YAS is planing on expanding the number of countries, to increase the outreach of the campaign and reach a wider audience. After the speeches, YAS had arranged a movie screening, where the attendants at the event could get a closer look into the life under occupation. The event was finished with a BBQ and signing around a bon-fire. The songs sang confirmed and enforced the Palestinian national identity and the rightful claims of Palestinians to a live in dignity and freedom.

Throughout the event, Israeli forces were standing close by keeping an eye on everything that happened, at times filming the participants and singling out people they recognized for ID-checks. Right at the beginning, Israeli forces ordered everyone present to ‘move away ten meteres’ from the YAS center, clearly illustrating that the closed military zone deliberately targets the YAS center itself and thus what it stands for – the struggle against the illegal Israeli occupation.

Movie screening with soldiers that can be seen in the background observing the event

The goal of the Open Shuhada Street campaign is to open Shuhaha Street and end the occupation of Palestine. Shuhada street clearly shows the apartheid regime opposed on Palestinians by Israel. Shuhada street has been closed for 21 years since the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, when Israeli settler, Baruch Goldstein, murdered 29 Palestinians during Friday Ramadan prayers in the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. In response to the massacre, the Israeli army introduced an apartheid system of separation in Hebron, including the closure of Shuhada Street to Palestinians, effectively creating a ghost town. Shuhada street was the center of the old city’s commercial district before Israeli settlement projects and military rule forced its closure. To this day, the street remains almost entirely closed to Palestinians, while Israeli settlers move freely. The closure of Shuhada Street is a symbol of Israel’s wider apartheid policy of separation.

Since the 1^st of November, the small part of Shuhada Street, that Palestinians can actually access and are allowed to walk in, has been declared a closed military zone together with the area of Tel Rumeida. This restricts the movement of Palestinians in the area even more, barring access to anyone that is not registered – meaning ‘numbered’ as a resident by the Israeli forces. Palestinians in this area thus can not receive visitors and human rights defenders have been barred access and are targeted by the Israeli forces. With both Youth against Settlements and the International Solidarity Movement evicted from the closed military zone, human rights activists are effectively kicked out from this area.

Illegal settler visits impose severe restrictions on Palestinian presence in al-Khalil

27^th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil | Hebron, occupied Palestine

During this week’s ‘Pessach’ celebrations from 22^nd to 29^thApril, Israeli settlers and Israeli forces throughout occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) have been taking over Palestinians houses, rooftops, streets and entire areas while denying passage for Palestinians.

Settlers 'celebrating Pesaach' while Palestinians are denied access to the area — Settlers ‘celebrating Pesaach’ while Palestinians are denied access to the area

Last Friday night, with the start of the ‘holiday’, large groups of settlers were going from the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of al-Khalil, towards the Ibrahimi mosque, 60% of which has been taken over by the settlers that installed a ‘synagogue’ following the 1994 Ibrahimi mosque massacre; while Palestinians were stopped, frisked and delayed.

Israeli forces taking over the roofs of Palestinian family homes

On Monday and Tuesday, Palestinians’ movement was entirely restricted and H2 was completely void of any Palestinian presence in order to facilitate the settler’s freedom of movement and to enable a space for the main ‘Pessach celebrations’. During these two days the checkpoint at the Ibrahimi mosque has remained closed, thus closing off the main entrance for Palestinians heading to the mosque. Palestinians were entirely barred from entering the mosque during these two days, while settlers used the additional 40% of the mosque that has so far remained for Palestinians – with the ‘usual’ entry restrictions and harassments by Israeli forces.

closed Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint barring Palestinian movement — Closed Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint barring Palestinian movement

While bus loads of settlers from all over Palestine are arriving in the Old City of al-Khalil, new barricades, entry and movement restrictions for Palestinians are springing up throughout the city. Al-Faiha’a girls school, right opposite the parking lot used for the settler only buses, has been forced to finish early in order to at least attempt to provide a safe way home for the girls, despite the heavy army and settler presence. During Monday and Tuesday, a sharp decrease in the number of girls attending school was noted by both the teachers and international human rights defenders offering protective presence. Israeli forces have also taken control of two shops right next to the school building and turned it into a military base.

Israeli forces moving into the building next to the girls school

On Monday, Israeli forces escorted endless groups of settlers on a ‘tour’ through the main Palestinian market in the Old City during the busy noon hours – blocking the narrow alleyways while giving a Zionist version of the history of the city. Palestinians were stopped and forced to wait for the tours to pass. One Palestinian man was arrested while another one was seriously injured when settlers threw a rock into the Palestinian market hitting him right on the head.

Palestinians forced to wait till settlers move on in their 'tour' of the Palestinian market — Palestinians forced to wait till settlers move on in their ‘tour’ of the Palestinian market

Despite the area behind Shuhada checkpoint being H1 and thus supposedly under full Palestinian control, Israeli forces on Tuesday brought large groups of settlers, after ‘clearing’ the area for bombs, in a sheer show of their power and in total disregard of any (international) agreement. Shuhada checkpoint has during the ‘holiday’ season seen repeated and arbitrary delays, causing Palestinians to wait for, at times, hours to be allowed to go to their homes located in the ‘closed military zone’ while settlers were freely roaming the streets and could be seen from the checkpoint chit-chatting with the soldiers.

Israeli army take control of street under Palestinian authority for illegal settlers’ visit

27th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

At around 11.30am on Tuesday 26 April, heavily armed Israeli occupation soldiers and border police started appearing in large numbers through Shuhada checkpoint (also called checkpoint 56). This area is H1 area, supposedly controlled by the Palestinian Authority, where Israelis have no legal authority. In blatant disregard of this fact they proceeded to walk down Bir Saba Street, stopping at each shop demanding all cars on the street were removed, but did not make the shops close as they usually do. At the same time the soldiers closed Shuhada checkpoint for registered resident Palestinians, who could neither leave or enter to reach their homes.

Soldiers demanding shop keepers move their vehicles from Bir Saba Street. Photo credit: ISM

The soldiers moved up and down the street, ensuring their demands were met and the cars removed. Where they could not find the owners, they broke into cars to search for explosives. While this was ongoing, more soldiers and border police arrived blocking off the road at the other end from the checkpoint. A sniffer dog was led up and down the street by the soldiers to also search for non existent explosives. The army rummaged around rubbish piles along the road, or made local shop keepers move rubbish for them to inspect, leaving a mess for the Palestinians to clean up.

Occupation soldiers searching for explosives outside local shops. Photo credit: ISM

Several hours later, having also made locals move off the road and sit on the pavement, the reason for this elaborate exercise was clear when a group of approximately 40 settlers, escorted by the same number of border police and soldiers, moved from the illegal settlement inside Shuhada checkpoint into Palestinian territory down the road to a clearly revered tomb, where they spent ten minutes or so. They were then escorted back into the illegal settlement, and followed by five subsequent groups of illegal settlers, again escorted by police and army.

Illegal settlers escorted by occupation soldiers and border police to the tomb in H1. Photo credit: ISM

Local and international activists were present at several points along the road to monitor and photograph events, and any incidents. When the settlers walked past several of them took photos and/or filmed the activists along the road, for unknown reasons. One settler asked where the internationals were from, and welcomed them to Israel. Not only was this factually inaccurate and a disregard of the Oslo agreement, but a highly insensitive and conflictual comment, made on Palestinian territory.

At three o’clock the “tours” were finished and all the settlers escorted back through the checkpoint into H2 area, where large groups of Palestinians live under Israeli military control. A day of trading was lost for the local shops keepers; not to mention that an Israeli incursion into a Palestinian area is illegal and unacceptable.