20 February 2011 | International Solidarity Movement
Eight young Palestinian men were arrested by the Israeli military yesterday in the village of Deir Al Ghusun, north of Tulkarem. Three of them remain in custody, Jala Anwar, Omar Abu Safa and Sohayb Abu Shakra, all aged 17 years. The teenagers were taking part in a protest against the illegal Israeli separation barrier when soldiers and the border police entered through the gate on foot and in army jeeps. The protesters were running away from the army, but the soldiers managed to grab and take eight young men from the crowd and detain them in their army jeeps. Activists tried to get between the soldiers and one of the youths in an attempt to protect him, but without success.
Protestors in Tulkarem
It is still unclear what will happen to the three boys who are still in Israeli custody, and the families have not been told there were they are being held.
20 February 2011 | International Solidarity Movement
The villagers in Khirbet Tana, near Beit Furik in the Nablus region, once again faced Israeli bulldozers destroying their homes. Only ten days after the last demolition, the Israeli army arrived in the village, and jeeps full of soldiers blocked the roads to the village whilst the bulldozers and diggers completely destroyed ten structures, including homes and animal shelters. A sheep was found on the ground that had been crushed by a bulldozer and was left dying. One tractor was also destroyed, and it has been reported that another one was confiscated by the army.
Two of the tents that the Red Cross had provided the families with after the last demolition were seized by the Israeli army, leaving them without shelter.
Palestinian man sits amongst the ruins of his home
The soldiers blocked the road and prevented anybody that wanted to go to the village during the time the demolition was going on. Around a dozen men from the village had to wait on the road while the army destroyed their homes, and were prevented from going to their families.
One asked: “What are you doing here?” The soldier answered: “We are carrying out orders from the Israeli government, army business. These houses are illegal; they don’t have permission to live here.” When asked, “Permission from whom? Do you have any proof which says these houses are illegal? Do you have papers that say you are allowed to destroy these homes and to make these people homeless?” The soldier answered, “We don’t need a permission, we don’t need a paper, I am your paper, I am a soldier.”
One of the people that had their home destroyed was Radi Mahmoud Hanani. Sitting in the remains of his home, he asked: “Where will we cook now? Where will we eat? Where will we sleep?”
The residents of Khirbet Tana are determined and soon after the Israeli army departed, they commenced with rebuilding the structures with what materials they could salvage.
Seven people were arrested yesterday in An Nabi Saleh during the weekly demonstration against the occupation and settlements. After the Israeli army invaded the village two Palestinians, four Israelis and one international were arrested. They are still held by Israeli forces, and we are told that the two Palestinians were separated from the rest during their ride to Binyamin police station. This does not bode well for them and could mean that they are being sent to Ofer on the account of the soldiers’ false testimonies.
The weekly march through the village of Nabi Saleh was slowed down by army threats to open fire. Soon enough they shot tear gas canisters at the protesters, invaded the village, made some arrests and attempted many more.
Close to the end of the day the youth of An Nabi Saleh came to reclaim their village. The army responded with an immediate tear gas attack. Later on, the army used massive amounts of tear gas on the entire village and brought the “skunk” water tank to spray the center of the village with foul-smelling water. This “skunk” water leaves any place it is fired at unfit for living for about a week and still smelly for many weeks after. The soldiers and their vehicles were warded off by a “rain” of stones, and the clashes finally ended at sundown.
During the weekly demonstration five people were injured and dozens suffered from server cases of asphyxia from tear gas. Hundreds of Palestinians joined by Israeli and international solidarity actives marched under the banner of unity and an end to the occupation. Today’s demonstration marked six years of struggle in the village against the wall and the occupation. In that time, Bil’in has become an international symbol of unarmed resistance to Israeli Occupation. Entering the seventh year of resistance, the village called for Palestinian unity and end to the Israeli Occupation, the longest military occupation in modern history.
The demonstration began after midday prayer with a march under Palestine flags and pictures of Jawaher and Bassem Abu Rahmah, who have been killed in demonstrations in Bil’in. Protesters also carried photos of the imprisoned popular committee leader Abdallah Abu Rahmah, who has been in jail for the past 14 months. The demonstrators marched from the village chanting for national union., Demonstrators also confirmed the need for a resounding Palestinian resistance to occupation and the release of all prisoners, and freedom for Palestine.
The march headed towards the barrier, where the military forces of the Israeli occupation army had created a barrier of human soldiers near the gate of the wall of the western side of the fence to prevent demonstrators from entering the land behind the wall, where a large number of soldiers were deployed. Within minutes, soldiers began spraying demonstrators with sewage water mixed with pertochemcials. When protesters tried to cross the barrier towards the soldiers, the army fired sound bombs and bullets coated metal bullets as well as tear gas. Soldiers then began to fire live bullets (.22 caliber) in all directions. Hamza Suleiman Bernat (18 years old) was shot in the back and the leg. He was taken away from the protest and to a Ramallah hospital for treatment. Ahmed Abo Rahma (16 years old) was burned by tear gas canister. Fadi Mustafa Omar (30) and Abdullah Ahmed Yassin (19 years) where sprayed directly in the face with pepper spray by soldiers during the demonstration. Dozens of other demonstrations suffered from tear gas inhalation.
15 February 2011 | International Solidarity Movement
Settlers shot and wounded a boy of 18 whilst he was farming on his father’s land at 1400hrs today, in the village of Jaloud, south-west of Nablus. Wael Mahmoud Tobase Ayad was planting trees together with his brother. As they were finishing, three settlers from a nearby illegal settlement, armed with handguns and a rifle, appeared from amongst some trees between 50 – 100m away. One of the settlers shot and wounded him in his right side with a hand gun.
Gunshot wound of Palestinian teen
He is now in Rafidia hospital in Nablus, where he is due to have an operation to remove the bullet tomorrow. His condition is reported to be stable.
Wael’s father was shot in the leg by settlers in the same area in 2002.
The people of Jaloud are regularly harassed by settlers. There are two illegal settlements in the area, Shilo and Eli, and several outposts have also been built close to the village.
