Category: Reports - Page 295 - International Solidarity Movement

2 Internationals hit by tear gas canisters at the Bil’in weekly demonstration

By Vicky Blackwell
Photographs by Vicky Blackwell

9th November 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Today, during the weekly demonstration against the separation wall in Bil’in, 2 international activists were struck by tear gas canisters shot by the Israeli army. One Italian activist was struck by a canister in the leg and an American activist was struck by a canister in the foot.
The demonstration started as usual and marched through the olive groves towards the separation wall. There, lies a path running parallel to the wall with razor wire on either side of it. The peaceful demonstration marched up the path next to the wall to a gate at the top, where the army was waiting on the other side and used tear gas and sound bombs to disperse the protest. The protest then moved away from the wall towards the olive groves when the army started firing excessive amounts of tear gas at the protesters, it was at this point that an Italian solidarity activist was struck in the leg with a tear gas canister. Many people also suffered from inhalation of the gas.
Around an hour after the start of the demonstration, people started to leave and head back to the village. It was at this point, when it was clear that people were leaving the demonstration to return home, that the army fired many more rounds of tear gas at the few remaining people in the field. It was then that the American solidarity activist was struck in the foot with a tear gas canister (luckily the footwear of the protester prevented any significant injury).

The weekly demonstration starts in Bil’in

The demonstration arrives at the wall in Bil’in

Palestinian activists managed to reach the wall-gate in Bil’in before the army attempted to disperse the crowd using tear gas and sound bombs

Soldiers observe the protest from behind the wall

Clouds of tear gas shot at the protestors in Bil’in

A protestor sits near to the wall in Bil’in

“The occupation will not remove us from our land” – Bil’in

The Italian activists injury from being stuck by a tear gas canister

A mark showing where an American activist was struck on his shoe by a tear gas canister

Vicky Blackwell is a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Settlers destroy olive trees in Hebron

November 7th 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Several olive trees and one apricot tree were destroyed on the morning of November 5th in a section of Khalil (Hebron) called Jales Mount, which is near the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba.

Rashed Zaroo showed the damage to internationals that afternoon. He explained that the land is owned by his father and uncle Fayez, before that his grandfather acquired the land in the early twentieth century. The trees were planted forty years prior and were some of the strongest in a large grove that produced olives and fruit. Five months ago Shakel Zaroo was attacked and gassed by settlers that he caught damaging his property. In addition five hundred square meters of the Zaroo family land was confiscated to build the Route 60 settlers highway.

The neighboring families’ land has seen even more devastation, the Abu Rmela and Abo Sunina families had approximately 400 olive trees burned by settlers last year. The land was so unsightly that the Israeli government brought heavy equipment to remove the debris and then redistribute the uneven ground caused by the massive uprooting.

These practices come under the protection of the Israeli army. The illegal settlers who live in Hebron are of the most dangerous fanatics in all of the West Bank.

There is a spiritual link between these trees and the Palestinians and the right to live with dignity on their land has been violated by the occupying forces. The trees are rooted in this land both physically and culturally.

by Team Khalil

Settlers set ground on fire in Salman Valley, Burin [Update: Video added]

By Stephen Alexander November 6th 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Today at around sundown, settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar set fire to the ground in the Salman valley in Burin. The fire was in the same location where two ISMers and two members of the Michigan Peace Team (MPT) had been picking olives only hours before in the Najjar family groves.

The fire service attended and with the help of around 10-15 villagers the fire was finally put out after about 90 minutes. The inability of the fire truck to reach that part of the slope meant that the fire needed to be put out by beating it down with shovels. While it burned it devastated both upper slopes of the valley and destroyed some olive trees in the valley as well as at least one tree on the upper slope belonging to the Najjar family.

This small village of approximately 3,000 people deal with a constant threat of settler attacks and Israeli army harassment. Two illegal settlements and one illegal outpost surround Burin: Yitzhar, Bracha, and Givt Arousa. The residents of these illegal colonies make it clear that they will do whatever it takes to force the Palestinians out of their homes. Their criminal acts range from burning olive trees, to shooting home made rockets at the village. In 2011, approximately 4000 trees were destroyed, burned and uprooted, by the settlers’ violence.

Stephen Alexander is a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed)

House Demolished in Deirit, South Hebron Hills

November 6th 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On the morning of November 6th, 2012, a house in the village of Deirit in the South Hebron Hills was demolished by the Israeli Army amidst most of the town watching and a significant amount of media coverage. The military started moving towards the location at approximately 6 am with two excavator cranes and one bulldozer. This heavy equipment was accompanied by multiple army vehicles and border police personnel who woke up the family and forced them from their residence.

The Israeli military gave no forewarning written, verbally or otherwise as to their homes destruction. The building of the house began three years ago and was on land that was perfectly acceptable and legal to build on. At that time the Israeli military said the digging of the foundations would be problematic but had not discussed anything further with a family that merely wanted to make a place to exist on using property they own.

The building was a solid concrete structure with steal reinforcement and was obviously well built and maintained.

Mohammad Moussa Abuarram was the home owner, he and his family of eight are now being sheltered at one of his brothers houses.

by Team Khalil

Villagers from Deirit sit on the debris after the demolition.

Palestinian collapses while detained at checkpoint during Eid holiday in Hebron

October 26^th 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

A Palestinian man, his initials being IS, was harassed along with his family at a checkpoint in Hebron during the Eid celebration. He and his son were reportedly beaten by Israeli soldiers. In the aftermath IS was held by the military for about an hour and finally collapsed. IS suffers from a disability which makes it difficult for him to walk. The family has been harassed by the army several times in the past, living in the Israeli-controlled H2 area of the city.

As it was Eid, the highest Muslim holiday, the family was on their way to visit relatives. They had to go through a checkpoint, where soldiers there provoked them. Soldiers were also heard calling his wife a “bitch.”

As the situation grew more tense, IS and his teenage son were hit by the soldiers. The father was detained by the soldiers at checkpoint 56 as NGOs, ISM and locals rushed to the scene.

Internationals questioned eyewitnesses for details and documented what was happening. The soldiers tried to prevent documentation. Friends of the detained witnessed his distress while sitting in the cold. The soldiers had been ignoring his deteriorating state of health and despite locals demanding treatment, he eventually collapsed.

The Israeli paramedic finally examined him. While doing so, the army claimed he was acting. One of the soldiers was heard saying, ”Put his arm up, if his hand falls on his face he passed out, if it falls to the side he’s faking.” He was given several shots of medication before he regained consciousness. His peers attempted to monitor his health and were asking the soldiers to call an ambulance. Police and an armored vehicle with more soldiers arrived at the scene and tried to separate the crowd in order to evacuate him.

Finally a Red Crescent ambulance parked on the other side of the checkpoint in H1 (the Palestinian controlled part of the city). The paramedics crossed the checkpoint, put the man on a stretcher and examined him. They then took him through the checkpoint and into the ambulance. We later learned that he recovered after treatment in the ambulance.

Earlier this week another son of IS was reportedly attacked by a soldier at Gilbert checkpoint only a hundred meters away from checkpoint 56. IS’s wife works for the Israeli human rights organization B’tselem which helps Palestinians document abuses pertaining to the occupation. It appears the family is being targeted, as if the daily struggle with checkpoints and violence under occupation isn’t enough.

– ISM Khalil team