15 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
October 14th was the seventeenth day of the hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. People took to the streets for a solidarity demonstration in the village of Beit Ummar, Hebron. This is the second such demonstration in this village, a similar march last week led to several arrests in a dawn raid on Thursday 13th October.
There have been numerous demonstrations across the West Bank since the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike began. These are in support of the 9 demands of Palestinian prisoners, which include the right to family visits, end to the use of isolation as a punishment, and an end to the profiteering of Israeli prisons from financial penalties charged against prisoners.
The Beit Ummar protest began after noon prayers with a peaceful march through the village, but later there were clashes between approximately 10 – 15 young demonstrators and the Israeli military, who used tear gas to disperse them. The clashes continued until around 4pm. Nobody was seriously hurt.
Later that evening – after the press and international observers had left – Israeli forces closed all main entrances to the village. These have yet to be re-opened. Popular Committee spokesman, Muhammed Awad, reported that an ambulance was prevented from passing through. It was en route to attend to a sick man, but the Israeli forces refused access despite protestations from the ambulance crew.
The mayor of Beit Ummar, Nasri Sabarneh, has condemned the action, calling it revenge for the hunger strike solidarity marches.
The names of three men arrested following last weeks protest are Yousef Ekhil, 40; Muhamad Bahar, 17 and Ahmad Sleibi, 16.
13 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
For the third morning children and teachers from Qordoba Scool gathered on the H1 side of Checkpoint 56 at 7.30am. The children, with the support of their teachers and the Director of Education in Hebron, Nisreen Amro, peacefully protested against heightened “security measures” that were introduced by the Israeli Army on Tuesday 11th October 2011.
The protest was covered by local, national and international press.
School children as young as 6 years old had their lessons outside, sitting on the floor by the checkpoint while standing at intervals to passionately chant, “We will not return, we want our right to education.”
The Director of Education in Hebron, representatives from the Governor of Hebron’s office, and teachers from Qordoba School attempted to reason with the soldiers, however the army continued to refuse anyone entry through the checkpoint gate. The Israeli Army’s response to the children’s peaceful protest was to send approx 10 soldiers and border police through the checkpoint to push the children further away from the checkpoint entrance.
For the past seven years teachers have had an agreement with the Israeli army that they can pass through the checkpoint gate instead of the metal detectors. However two days ago without giving prior notification the Israeli army changed the rules – they are currently insisting that everyone, including teachers, pregnant women and people with heart complaints/ pace makers must pass through the metal detector.
As previously reported by ISM the children’s impromptu protest on Tuesday 11th October resulted in a number of children requiring hospital treatment after being hit (with the butts of rifles) and kicked by both the Israeli army and the Israeli Police. Initially ISM reported that 7 children were taken to hospital, however today the father of one of the injured children informed ISM that 9 children were taken to hospital with injuries (1 boy and 8 girls). Fortunately all 9 children were able to leave hospital after a few hours.
Today ISM volunteers interviewed 11 year old Yazan Sharbati, one of the boys violently dragged into the checkpoint by an Israeli Police Officer on Tuesday 11th October as seen in the following video.
Sharbati stated, “There were no teachers in the school and so we protested to the army that we wanted our teachers. The army told us to go back to school, we told them that without teachers there is no school.”
Sharbati was asked how he felt when the Policeman grabbed him and pushed him into the checkpoint.
Hebron students continue to advocate – Click here for more images
“I was so afraid that something bad was going to happen. He pushed me very hard,” he said.
When asked if he intends to continue protesting against the closure of the gate at Checkpoint 56 Sharbati replied, without hesitation, “Of course”.
The Director of Education for Hebron, Nisreen Amro, said to ISM volunteers “If the Israeli Army does not reverse their decision by Sunday, chalkboards will be brought to the checkpoint and lessons will be held here.”
At the end of the protest as ISM volunteers left the checkpoint they observed soldiers refusing to allow a far along, pregnant, Palestinian lady through the checkpoint gate. She and her toddler were forced to climb the steep hill next to the checkpoint in order to avoid the metal detector.
International volunteers will continue to observe and report on any future protests.
13 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Six protesters in Nablus completed their fifth day on open hunger strike today in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails.
Palestinian prisoners in several Israeli jails began open hunger strikes, taking only water with salt, on the 27 September 2011 in protest against solitary confinement, restricted visiting hours and harsh prison conditions. There are now 404 prisoners affiliated to PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) on open hunger strike in Israeli prisons, along with 5 leaders of Hamas, 10 members of Fatah, and 3 people affiliated to other parties.
Myassar Atyani, Director of the Cultural Committee in the PLO’s General Women’s Union, is one of six people on open hunger strike in Nablus. They are spending the days in tents in the Duwar area of the city to raise awareness of their cause.
“We are on hunger strike in solidarity with the prisoners – they will be happy to hear that people outside are supporting them” she said.
The Nablus hunger strikers are undergoing regular medical checks, and are currently in good health, but they are weak and tired. Atyani says they intend to continue until the Israeli authorities meet their demands.
Atyani claims that some prisoners on hunger strike have been denied salt for their water, which is vital in keeping the stomach healthy during a prolonged period without food.
She also expressed concern regarding the fate of many of the 1027 Palestinian prisoners about to be released by the Israeli authorities in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since 2006. Atyani claimed that around 200 of the prisoners would be sent into exile to Turkey and Qatar upon release and that prisoners from the West Bank may be sent to Gaza.
Atyani claims that the protests are enjoying huge support and are bringing the different Palestinian political factions together. There are reportedly tents with hunger strikers in support of the prison protests across Palestine in Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, Gaza, Salfit, and Tulkarem.
At around 5.30pm today a procession of over 50 children beat drums and marched round central Nablus in support of the hunger strikers. Many of the children held pictures of family members in Israeli prisons.
Alistair George is an activist with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
12 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
This morning the pupils and teachers from Qutuba School protested against the treatment of teachers at checkpoint 56. When, for the second day running, the teachers were not allowed to use the checkpoint gate that they usually use, they refused to pass through. In response at 8 AM the school closed, and the pupils came out to take their lessons outside of the checkpoint.
Addressing the children at the beginning of a lesson one teacher said, “Until the teachers are allowed to pass around the checkpoint we will have our lessons here.”
At the same time thousands of Palestinians gathered near the municipality of Hebron in a solidarity demonstration with the hunger striking prisoners. Here there were speeches from the head of the prisoners club, Amjad Najjar and the governor of Hebron, Kamil Hamid. In the square where the demonstration took place there have been tents forming a solidatarity camp for the prisoners for the last one and a half weeks. The demonstration ended peacefully at 10am.
Lessons resume at Checkpoint 56 - Click here for more images
At the same time, away from the demonstration, in the old city, there were reports that some settlers had attacked Palestinians. The settlers reportedly threw stones at the Palestinians, and after a short while the Israeli Occupation Forces arrived. When the Palestinians did not disperse immediately, the soldiers shot tear gas canisters directly into the crowd and made 4 arrests. One of the detained men is Fatel Dendis, 20 who has learning difficulties. After half an hour of unrest the Palestinian Police arrived and dispersed the Palestinian protesters.
In an act of collective punishment the soldiers demanded that all traders in the Old City to close their shops immediately, and offered no indication of when they would be permitted to re-open.
12 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
The Israeli military ordered villagers to stop picking olives on their own land in Burin, near Nablus, today. The soldiers refused to give a reason for suspending the harvest.
“It is nothing to do with us, we just get orders from our superiors,” they said.
Villagers from Burin were picking olives on their land high up in the hills, near the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar. At around 8 AM Palestinian farmers and ISM activists entered the land closest to the settlement, and after just a few minutes an Israeli security truck was visible on the hilltop next to the land. Four soldiers arrived in an armoured vehicle at around 8:30 AM and instructed villagers to immediately stop picking olives in the area. They stated that villagers must ask for permission and would only be given three days to finish picking all the olives on their land. The farmers continued the harvest further away from the settlement.
At around midday, a military vehicle was again seen driving through the olive groves further down the hill, closer to the main road. At one point the vehicle left the track, breaking branches as it maneuvered through the densely planted olive grove.
Ghassan Najjar, 21, is the Director of the Community Centre in Burin. His father owns the land nearest the settlement. He said that it was common for the Israeli military to interfere with Burin’s olive harvest.
“I was extremely uncomfortable today – I controlled my emotions for my father’s sake and to avoid escalating the situation, otherwise nothing would make me leave my land.”
Settler attacks have been escalating in recent years. This year settlers have already attacked locals four times since April and more than 4,000 trees have been burnt down. Gangs of settlers have fired live ammunition and thrown stones at villagers during olive harvests in previous years.
Alistair George is an activist with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
