Category: Reports - Page 137 - International Solidarity Movement

Settler aggression escalates with army support in al-Khalil (Hebron)

11th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Last night, October 10^th 2015, Israeli soldiers and settlers harassed and violently attacked families and a local activist group in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron).

Israeli soldiers took over the roof of a Palestinian kindergarten close to Qurtuba school, and started harassing families living close by. As large groups of settlers, their faces masked, gathered close to checkpoint 55 next to the illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah, Palestinian families were on the roof of their houses watching out for possible settler attacks. Many neighbourhoods in al-Khalil have seen a sharp increase in violent settler attacks in the last days, resulting in worried families staying together on the roofs of their houses in order to be able to know about attacks happening. Israeli soldiers invading the roof started screaming at Palestinian families, yelling at them to leave and go home, even though the families – in stark contrast to the Israeli soldiers invading private family homes – were on their own roofs. When Palestinians started documenting the harassment of the soldiers, they pointed their guns and flashlights at the families, including small children and kept yelling at them to ‘go home’. In total, the soldiers stayed on the roof of the kindergarten for about an hour, constantly harassing the families staying there.

The same evening, a group of about 50 settlers, armed with machine guns, surrounded the house of the local activist group Youth Against Settlement, hurling rocks at them. Israeli soldiers that arrived later on, invaded the house, searched every room, then forced everyone present into one room. One by one, everyone was brought out of that room, to be ‘shown’ to a group of settlers. One of the settler women then picked one of the youth out of the group, accusing him of attacking her. Soldiers arrested the youth and took him to the police station in the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, where he was held for three hours before being released. Even though the settler accused him of an attack, she did not file a complaint at the police station, resulting in the release of the young man. Clearly, the accusation was false and not based on any evidence – still, the Palestinian youth was arrested on one settler woman’s accusation. Complaints by Youth Against Settlement members regarding stone-throwing by the settlers was completely ignored by both the Israeli army and the Israeli police.

Palestinian youth arrested by Israeli forces on settler accusation Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement — Palestinian youth arrested by Israeli forces on settler accusation
Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement

This is yet another illustration of the total control settlers have over the actions and choices of the army and the police, who will not just follow settlers’ orders, but also condone and enable any of their illegal and violent behavior, be it stone-throwing or attacks on Palestinians. Recently, settler attacks have become an almost everyday event, an everyday event that for Palestinians can result in beatings, arrests, and deaths. Meanwhile, every incident clearly reinforces the message that Palestinians are absolutely not protected or even respected by the Israeli forces.

Israeli forces raiding the house of Youth Against Settlement Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement — Israeli forces raiding the house of Youth Against Settlement
Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement

The other occupation: Settlers terrorize Palestinians of the West Bank

11th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

It was another emotional day for Palestinians in al-Khalil, (Hebron) after the burial of martyr Muhammad al-Jabari who was shot to death by Israeli forces near the entrance to the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement.

Thousands filled the streets as the body of the 19 year old boy was carried through the masses up to the martyr’s cemetery which is the same cemetery where 18 year old unarmed Palestinian female student Hadeel Hashlamoun was laid to rest after being shot to death at the checkpoint yawning into segregated Shuhada Street.

Immediately beyond the service, Palestinians gathered in the Bab al-Zawiya section of Khalil for a demonstration against the Israeli occupation forces use of violence which has now claimed the lives of nearly 20 young Palestinians in just one week. The demonstration was met with extreme violence by the Israeli military which settlers in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood gathered to watch on Saturday afternoon.

The Shamsiyyeh family’s home has long been the target of violence from Israeli settlers who have thrown rocks and other debris as well as poisoning their water tanks on several occasions and even cutting their water pipes on the roof. Today, settlers again filed onto the family home’s roof to watch the Israeli military assault on Palestinians in Bab al-Zawwiya, some armed with machine guns.

Israeli occupation forces predictably did nothing to calm the situation or remove the settlers from the roof of the family home. One settler sprayed pepper spray from the roof, gassing the family and subsequently himself. Israeli forces allowed him to leave with the pepper spray without asking a single question.

Israeli settler pointing his gun at Palestinian families

Just a few hours later, a settler armed with a machine gun, lightly slung around him just like an accessoire, came onto the roof. Soldiers close-by refused to ask the settler to leave from the private Palestinian family home’s roof. The settler then suddenly pointed his machine gun at Palestinians, including small children, on nearby houses roofs. Soldiers at first watched the events unfold only to join the settler on the roof, taking orders from him on what to do.
Watch a video here:

In occupied al-Khalil, it has been apparent that settlers rule the military, both through demanding arrests and ID checks of Palestinians and through getting away with any transgression of Palestinian’s human rights by being handed total impunity by the occupying forces. This is especially disturbing since a West Jerusalem mayor has publicly called for settlers to carry guns amidst a high pressure situation with exploding violence across the occupied Palestinian territories.

In the Tel Rumeida section of al-Khalil, just days ago, settlers held a large march up the hill chanting “Death to Arabs” and burning Palestinian flags.

Non violent action by elderly Palestinian despite Israeli military violence

10th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Today on October 10^th in Al-Khalil at around 13h, thousands attended the funeral of Mohammed Fares Mohammed Abdullah Al-Jabari, killed yesterday near Kiryat Arba at the hands of an Israeli police officer, after allegedly trying to stab him. After the funeral a crowd of mourners headed to Bab Al-Zawiyah to demonstrate against the Israeli occupation as they have been doing daily since the unrest broke out in the West Bank a few days ago.

The Palestinian youth Mohammed Fares Mohammed Abdullah Al-Jabari was shot dead by the IOF in the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, near Hebron

A contingent of Israeli soldiers and police occupied several private buildings in the area as well as the entrance of the Shuhada checkpoint. From their position, the IOF repressed the incipient gathering shooting tear-gas and rubber coated steel bullets. As the crowd resisted and refused to disperse the IOF reaction became more aggressive and also started shooting live ammunition at protesters, injuring at least seven with rubber coated steel bullets, including a Doctor who was shot in the face while attending to the injured. On the other side, a group of protesters tried to fight back just by throwing stones that could not even reach the soldiers’ position.

Live ammunition bullet casings litter the ground at the site of today's demonstration in Bab al-Zawiyah in al-Khalil (Hebron) — Live ammunition bullet casings litter the ground at the site of today’s demonstration in Bab al-Zawiyah in al-Khalil (Hebron)

In the middle of the clashes, a local elderly man bravely stood himself in front of the soldiers and asked them to stop the shooting and leave the place. According the current Oslo Agreements, the area is under Palestinian authority and the IOF should not make presence there. Suddenly, the man fainted before the indifference of the Israeli officers, who restricted themselves to pointing at him with their fingers, while other locals and members of the Red Crescent came to his aid.

International observers as well as several press staff witnessed the use of live ammunition and the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli armed forces.

Elderly Palestinian man faints after confronting Israeli forces and blocking their fire towards Palestinian demonstrating youth.

At the time of writing (18h) clashes are still ongoing in the surroundings of Bab al-Zawiyah, with large amounts of stun grenades, tear-gas and rubber coated steel bullets being shot.

Israeli forces attacks demonstration in Kafr Qaddum

10th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

In the afternoon of October 9th 2015 in Kafr Qaddum, Israeli forces preempted a peaceful demonstration with an ovewhelming display of military power by shooting an unarmed man with live ammunition in the thigh and abdomen. This man is Moayad Shtaiwi, 61, and when he was shot just after midday. He was dressed in professional clothing, face uncovered, standing three hundred metres from the Israeli bulldozer, waving the Palestinian flag in one hand and making a peace sign with the other. He was carried to medical assistance by several others on the scene, during which he lost enough blood to necessitate a transfusion and emergency surgery. The shrapnel created by the bullet lacerated his themoral artery and colon, and put him in critical condition.

Moayyad Shtaiwi carried off to an ambulance after being shot

Though a peaceful demonstration was planned for later that day, at the time that forces began to advance just a few people were loosely gathered and nothing had begun. Before the sniper shot Mr Shtaiwi, Israeli forces were moving down the residential street toward the demonstrators with a bulldozer, a jeep, a truck-mounted cannon used for spraying skunk water, and around thirty soldiers, while at least two rubber-coasted steel bullets had been fired at Palestinian children. Soldiers attacked the children and private Palestinian homes on the street and hillside with noxious skunk water chemicals, and continued to shoot live rounds into the crowd. Children scattered into the surrounding hillside where the Israeli forces circled around them and mounted several snipers atop the hill from which they shot endless rounds of both live and rubber-coated steel bullets and rained down several blasts of tear gas. What was left of the peaceful demonstrators began to disperse shortly after 3pm.

Moayad Shtaiwi waving the Palestinian flag

Moayad Shtaiwi was shot and critically injured by Israeli forces

Beit El demonstration under attack by Israeli forces after Martyr laid to rest

10th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Ramallah, occupied Palestine

Less than one hour after the Halabi family laid their son, martyr Mohannad al-Halabi, to rest in a cemetery in Ramallah, violent confrontations broke out in the nearby Beit El area. In a continuation of the sharp escalation in violence seen across the occupied Palestinian territories and Jerusalem, demonstrations across the West Bank today were met with an unleashing of brutality by Israeli forces that left hundreds injured and two dead.

After withholding the body of 19 year old Mohannad al-Halabi for seven days, his family received him at 2am Friday morning at a hospital in Ramallah. Thousands gathered Friday afternoon at the Abd al Nasser Mosque for prayers before bringing his body to a nearby cemetery where he was laid to rest near his grandfather.

As Palestinians filled the streets in the Beit El area for demonstration, Israeli forces began showering the crowd with rapid live ammunition fire, hitting 23 and seriously wounding at least 2. 44 others sustained injuries by rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades and clouds of tear gas which were fired in rapid succession by venom trucks. Water cannons filled the streets with foul smelling organic or chemical composition fluid.

Confrontations raged on during a demonstration near the Beit El settlement

A Palestinian youth was unharmed after being run over at the demonstration by an Israeli military jeep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unRWEnqmbm0

Video credit: Maan News

In Gaza City, where West Bank and Jerusalem solidarity demonstrations were held, 7 young Palestinians were martyred in similarly brutal Israeli military attacks that utilized exploding bullets aimed at Palestinian children’s heads and chests. 145 others were reportedly injured as Israeli military forces opened fire at the demonstration held by the border fence east of Gaza City, near Khan Younis on Friday, medics and the Ministry of Health confirmed.

Two Palestinians have been confirmed killed by Israeli occupation forces as of today, bringing the toll of Palestinians murdered in a week of sharply escalated violence in the West Bank to 16 martyred. Over 1,000 have been injured during the escalation. Tensions were sparked after the Israeli government, again, imposed restrictions and refused Muslims entry into al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

An Israeli governmental official in Jerusalem, days ago, made inflammatory statements in calling for Israeli’s to arm themselves amidst the conflict. These statements sharply conflict with other Israeli official’s statements claiming to want to calm tensions raging throughout the West Bank where Palestinians are undergoing not just Israeli military violence but brutal attacks by settlers which include attacks on Palestinian cars, homes and random attacks in the streets.

Days ago in the Tel Rumeida section of al-Khalil, (Hebron) nearly two hundred settlers marched, burning Palestinian flags, chanting ‘death to Arabs,’ and attacking Palestinians and human rights monitors with stones and physical violence.

Today, the 22 year old Palestinian man shot to death near the Kiryat Arba illegal settlement in al-Khalil will be laid to rest after funeral services. In the occupied Palestinian territories, violent escalation continues.