Category: Reports - Page 188 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli settlers attack Palestinian family in Hebron, injuring five people including a child

20th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

At midnight this evening in al-Khalil (Hebron), a large group of settlers from nearby illegal settlements, attacked the home of the Al-Sharabati family.

Some of the settlers were intoxicated as they forcefully attempted to enter the Palestinian home; Israeli soldiers nearby watched the incident and made no attempt at intervention. Other Palestinians arrived as the settlers succeeded in entering into the house.

The settlers threw stones inside their house and attacked the family. Eventually the Israeli military arrived, and their response to the settler violence was to throw tear gas grenades and spray pepper spray at the Palestinians.

A 12-year-old boy was hit by a stone and knocked unconscious; he was rushed to hospital in H1 [supposedly under full Palestinian Authority civil and security control].

Four more people from the ages of 15 to 55-years-old were injured. Four of the people, including the 12-year-old child, had to be carried through a checkpoint as the Palestinian ambulance was not allowed to enter the H2 [under full Israeli military civil and security control] area of al-Khalil.

After 30 minutes the Israeli military finally allowed one ambulance to pass through and drive away with one injured person.

The Israeli military detained one youth for two hours. For an hour and 30 minutes the solders prevented Palestinians and internationals from walking near the Al-Sharabati family home.

Some of the solders appeared to make jokes with each other, posing for cameras, and when a Palestinian asked a solder if he would arrest the settlers if they attacked him, the solder responded, “no.”

Israeli forces shoot 20-year-old with live ammunition during Ni’lin demonstration

18th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

Today at the weekly demonstration in the village of Ni’lin near Ramallah, the Israeli military shot live ammunition at protesters.

Youths from the village in a cloud of tear gas before one 20-year-old protester was shot with live ammunition (photo by ISM).

Palestinians, Israeli activists, and internationals marched through the olive groves belonging to the village, demanding their land back and freedom for all Palestinians, only to be met by a cloud of tear gas.

The group split up as people ran through the trees. The army continued shooting at different groups of people and soon changed their weapons to rubber-coated steel bullets. For ten minutes the army continued to shoot at Palestinians and internationals, as well as the clearly defined Red Crescent paramedics.

The Israeli military slowly moving closer to the crowd of demonstrators. The solders then changed their weapons and began shooting live ammunition at the crowd, shooting a 20-year-old Palestinian in his leg.

Villagers reported that the army has previously used this method to arrest Palestinians, where they shoot protesters in their feet, beat them, and arrest them. At the demonstration today the young man escaped with the help of Red Crescent paramedics.

A Palestinian Red Crescent medic aids the injured youth, while other protesters escspe the continued fire of rubber-coated steel bullets (photo by ISM).

The injured 20-year-old is carried up a hill after injury from the Israeli military (photo by ISM).

A Red Crescent paramedic attends to the injured youth (photo by ISM).

The army continued to shoot at the crowd with rubber-coated steel bullets as they ran away with the injured youth.

After the 20-year-old protester was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment, the demonstration continued with the military firing many more tear gas canisters at the groups of protesters.

Two protesters view the Israeli soldiers present and a nearby illegal settlement (photo by ISM).

El-Wafa Elderly Nursing Home shelled by the Israeli military

16th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

After a night of heavy shelling in the area, the day is dawning in Gaza. The clock ticks pass 08:00; past the evacuation time the Israeli military gave to el-Wafa hospital the previous evening.

The patients were not evacuated; there is nowhere for them to go. The entire Shajajia area where the hospital is located, with a population of around 100,000 inhabitants, has also been ordered to evacuate, as well as other areas around the Gaza Strip. For so many people to move to other areas cannot be done, and without shelter they can only rely on God and their luck.

During the night’s bombardment, when el-Wafa hospital shook several times with explosions, suspicions were raised that the hospital had been hit. In fact, the building close by, el-Wafa Elderly Nursing Home was shelled by the Israeli military.

The upper part of the Nursing Home was peppered with machine gun fire and non-explosive grenades penetrated the concrete walls.

Lying on the floor lay the used grenades, business cards from the world’s “most moral” army.

The news that gradually circulates tells the story of a violent night in Gaza, with Israeli air strikes across the Strip. The number of deaths has now risen to over 200, higher than the death toll of the last war two years ago. From a window in el-Wafa hospital, the characteristic clouds of smoke, sand, and dust rise towards the sky.

The violence will apparently continue for another day.

Gaza report: “Colonisation policies will not bring peace and security”

16th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Just one or two hours after the ceasefire talks broke down, Sohil Deeb Mahmoud al Hosris’ house was completely demolished in the densely populated refugee camp of Shati in an air strike.

It was a miracle nobody were killed or injured.

Where the former house stood, only a large pile of building blocks remained, along with smashed furniture and other belongings.

Volunteers helped with clearing the narrow footpath from stones, while others are helping to rescue the few belongings that can be saved. It is of little comfort to Sohils and his family when he has lost everything that he is not alone; 570 houses have been demolished, in Gaza alone, since the current military operation was launched, this number does not included the houses demolished by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

A ceasefire, without having resolved the root cause of the situation in Gaza, can never lead to lasting peace. Withdrawing to ’67 borders, respecting international law, and lifting the siege appears to be a painful idea for this occupying power, but it is the only way to provide protection to all citizens. This does not even begin to touch on the idea of a one-state solution.

Colonisation policies will not bring peace and security, only a continued escalation in violence, more uncertainty, and more demolished homes.

Settlers attempted to kidnap and shoot two young Palestinian children

15th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Dear Istiya, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday in the village of Deir Istiya, two young boys, Hasim Abu Zeed (13) and Hathem Yaser Abu Zeed (9) were attacked by Israeli settlers.

Every day Hasim and Hathem’s family have to cross a road, which separates their homes from the village. This puts them in a dangerous position, exposing them to settler harassment and violence.

Yesterday evening when they were passing a road to visit a store in the village, a car drove by and dragged the two boys inside. Hasim screamed, causing people to wake in the village, this appeared to unnerve the settlers and the two boys managed to escape into the olive fields, close to their house.

While the boys ran, one of the settlers pulled out an M16 and tried to shoot them, and also fired into the sky. Thankfully neither boy was injured.

When the Israeli soldiers arrived, they offered the family protection for four days, but left after an hour.

The family is now extremely frightened; especially as this was not the first time one of their children was targeting by colonial settlers.

Seven months ago, Hathem’s younger brother, Ibrahim Yaser Abu Zeed (8) was crossing the street when a settle car ran him over, dragging him several meters before driving away. When the boy was found his wounds were so severe that it seemed likely he would die.

He was taken to a hospital located inside the state of Israel and fortunately survived, traumatized and badly injured, he returned to his family. Several months later, he still has to use a prescribed cream on his wounds to help the scar tissue heal. The cream costs 170 shekels, which is a serious financial burden.

Physical violence from settlers in Deir Istya is not uncommon; the situation is the same in so many other Palestinian villages close to illegal settlements. Deir Istya is being surrounded by settlements, which continue to steal more and more Palestinian land. The village itself is located in area A (under full Palestinian Authority civil and security control), but it is surrounded by area C (under full Israeli military civil and security control).

Nine people in the Zeed family live in in two rooms. The father of the family attempted to erect a tent for his goats beside the house, which Israeli soldiers immediately demanded him to destroy himself, or they would force him to pay them to destroy it.