12 January 2011 | International Solidarity Movement
Dkaika children outside their destroyed classroom
More than 13 homes and three school buildings were bulldozed this morning by occupation forces in the small Bedouin village of Dkaika near Yatta south of Hebron. One eye witness – an English teacher at the school – said “the Israeli army arrived at the village at around 7:30am with over fifty military vehicles and at least six bulldozers before forcibly removing the children from the school and destroying three classrooms.” He went on, “the children, some of whom are as young as seven years old, were crying and shouting at the soldiers to stop.”
In addition to the destruction wrought upon the school, ISM representatives were led by the crushed earthen tracks and violent gouge marks left by bulldozers to the tell tale piles of rubble and twisted steel which littered the surrounding area. If there had been any doubt that each had once been a home, then the hurriedly assembled mounds of personal possessions, furniture, and children’s toys which accompanied each pile of rubble surely testified to the fact that these were dwellings.
As it was, there were plenty of family members eager to testify themselves, and in the moments following the re-opening of the village’s only road, EAPPI and ISM members– who had been prevented by road blocks from accessing the scene – moved in to speak to those left homeless by the action.
When asked what reason was given for the demolition, the above witness, visibly upset, replied “they do not want us to live here, that is the reason. I would like to tell you that this community has been here since before the establishment of the Israeli [state]. They took most of our land during the Nakba and they would like to dismiss us from here completely”.
9 January 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza
In one week’s time, the Israeli Navy has twice abducted fishermen from Gazan waters; they were released the same day, but their boats remain confiscated.
Abduction of Baker fishermen on January 4th
On Tuesday morning, January 4th, Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader Baker (54), Ziad Mohammed Baker (25), Mohammed Mahmoud Baker (28) and Ra’ef Nabeel Baker (25) were out fishing at approximately 2.5 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza City when they were intercepted by an Israeli gunboat. At gunpoint they were forced to hold their hands up for over an hour, while the gunboat awaited reinforcement of two zodiacs coming from Ashdod. The men were told to undress and swim towards the zodiacs, where they were cuffed, blindfolded and transferred to the gunboat.
“I told them that I am sick and too old to throw myself into the sea with these kinds of temperatures. One of the soldiers on the zodiac replied that if I didn’t jump into the water he would blow my head and the boat”, says the 54 year old Mohamed Abed Qader Baker. Their hassaka, a basic fishing boat of approximately 6 meters, was taken to Ashkelon, while the fishermen were taken to Ashdod. One by one they were taken into a small interrogation room in the harbor, where an officer of the Shin Bet, the Israeli Internal Security Service, inquired about their connections with the Gazan government.
“They told me I was three sea miles and twenty meters from the coast, which is 20 meters beyond the limit the Israeli Navy imposed on us, but it is not true! I am always very careful, I have a GPS: I am sure that I was no further out than 2.5 miles”, states Mohamed firmly.
At the time of the interception, four other Palestinian fishing boats were in the near vicinity, but were not stopped. To Mohamed it is clear why:
“I had just installed a new engine, which coasted 5,500$. The Israeli soldiers are watching us every day: they know when we have new equipment on board. Probably my engine has already been sold to Ashkelon by now.”
Fishermen at Gaza’s port shared the suspicion that well equipped boats were more likely to be confiscated. It is a certainty that not one hassaka seized by the Israeli Navy has ever returned.
“One day we eat the fish, the other day we sell the catch. I’ve put myself in debt to buy that engine and now I don’t have any means to pay them off, nor to provide my family with. We are 25 people in one house; that is six people per room”, says Mohamed.
On September 24th 2010, the Baker family lost 20 year old Mohammed Mansour Baker; he was killed by bullets coming from an Israeli gunboat while he was fishing 2 sea miles off Sudaniya Beach.
Six Fishermen Abducted on December 28th
Early Thursday morning, December 28th 2010, six fishermen, Subeh ‘Abdul Salam al-Hissi, ‘Aadel ‘Abdul Karim Baker, Ramadan Isma’il al-Hissi, Fayez Ahmed al-Hissi and Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi returned back to Gaza the same day, but the family’s 19 meters fishing boat remains confiscated by Israel. Thirty families’ incomes, each counting six to seven members, are dependent on this boat.
At 6:30 am they left the port of Gaza with their wooden fishing boat heading towards the north of the Strip. Close to Beit Lahya, 1 to 1.5 miles off Gaza’s coastline, the boat was intercepted by two Israeli zodiacs, each containing approximately 20 soldiers. They boarded the boat, searched, cuffed and blindfolded the men, before obliging them to lay down on the wet surface of the ship. Fayez Ahmed al-Hissi (31) adds that he was hit on the head during the takeover of the ship. The eldest of the company, 59 year old Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi, was ordered to sail the boat into Ashdod’s harbor.
In Ashdod, soldiers instructed them to take the fishing net in, after which they were transferred to a docked Israeli gunboat. Plastic bags were put over the men’s heads making it hard for them to breathe, while they were shivering in their soaked clothes. One by one they were interrogated in a small room in the harbor, where the investigator showed a particular interest in Gaza’s harbor and the governmental support for fishermen who suffered damages during the last storm. The head officer, who introduced himself as Ghalid, claiming to be responsible for Al-Shati refugee camp, asked them to point out their houses on a detailed picture taken from the air and to give phone numbers of relatives and friends.
“I replied evasively to their questions, saying the pictures weren’t very clear and that I didn’t know any phone numbers by heart”, said Subeh ‘Abdul Salam al-Hissi (33).
The men could not grasp what they had done to end up there until Subeh’ asked: “Why are we here? Why did you take us from Gazan waters?” Ambiguously, the investigator returned the question by asking them whether they had not felt anything strange while sailing. Different media outlets quote an Israeli military spokesperson saying that the boat “dragged a suspicious object”. Earlier that morning, the men had responded to a call from fellow fishermen that had technical problems at sea. The boat was towed into Gaza’s marina after which the men headed towards northern Gaza, with a fishing net being the only thing the boat dragged.
“I hope we will get our boats back soon, maybe after a month”, says Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi hopefully. The wooden boat requires daily maintenance to protect it from water damage. “I asked them if someone could at least turn on the bilge pump each day to pump the water from the boat, but the officer simply stated that it was not his responsibility.”
“Since the siege, our income has come down from 700 dollars to less than 200 dollars a month per fisher. Israel refuses to allow fishing nets in, so we are dependent on the low quality nets from Egypt that come in through the tunnels. Spare parts for the boat are very scarce too. All that and the fishing area being depleted, results in a poor catch, while fish from Al Arish come in abundantly through the tunnels, obliging us to sell our fish at a low price”, says Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi.
“Now, I don’t know what to do. We are all waiting at home until our boat comes back.”
Legal background
Al Mazen Center for Human Rights states that between 1 May 2009 and 30 November 2010 the IOF carried out 53 attacks against fishermen: two men were killed, seven injured and 42 arrested, while 17 fishing boats were confiscated and one destroyed. These acts constitute flagrant violations of Israel’s obligations under international law as an occupying power. They violate the Fishermen’s rights to life, work, safety and bodily integrity. They also infringe upon the right not to be tortured and prevent them from maintaining an adequate standard of living.
The Oslo Accords allowed Gazan fishermen to fish in the Mediterranean sea up to 20 nautical miles away from Gaza’s shoreline, but since 1993 Israel has imposed successive restrictions on fishing, the limit for fishermen now stands at just 3 nautical miles since Israel imposed the siege on Gaza in 2007. This has severely reduced the quantity, quality and diversity of the catch. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, nearly 90% of Gaza’s 4000 fishermen are now considered either poor (with a monthly income of between 100 and 190 US dollars) or very poor (earning less than 100 dollars a month), up from 50% in 2008.
2 January 2010 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza
Hassan Mohammed Qedeh, age 19On Tuesday evening, December 28, 19-year-old Hassan Mohammed Qedeh was killed by the Israeli military in the village of Khoza’a, east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. According to the Israeli forces, and subsequently repeated by various media outlets, he was a resistance fighter. However, witnesses in the area, as well as relatives, have confirmed that he had civilian status at the time when he was killed.
Sometime before sunset, Hassan had gone into the area of the border where an Apache had killed two of his relatives, Issa Abu Rok and Muhammad An-Najjar, two nights before, on December 26—both of them members of the armed resistance. According to his brother Ahmed Qedeh, Hassan ventured into the area to examine the place where his relatives had died. Ahmed says that a sniper sitting in a jeep alongside the border shot Hassan in the leg.
Ahmed added, “Hassan treated himself, while the IDF let him bleed slowly for the subsequent two hours, preventing any emergency vehicles, or his friends, from reaching him. Afterward, they shot munitions from a border-area tank, decapitating him.” He explained that “the area where they killed my brother is flat, free of any obstacles that could have blocked their view. The soldiers must have clearly seen that Hassan was a civilian, without any weapons, and shot anyway.”
According to Ahmed, five of Hassan’s friends repeatedly attempted to save Hassan, but came under heavy fire, and were unable to do so. Eventually they were shelled with a kind of gas bomb which caused them to faint.
According to United Nations figures, 59 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by the IDF this year, 24 of them civilians. The number of wounded has been ten times that—220. And the count rises daily.
Hassan’s uncle, Abd Alazeer Yousef Abu Rjila’a, adds that the Israeli army came back to the crime site on the night of the 29th with a bulldozer that demolished 4 dunams of farming land. The man has not only lost three family members in a few days, but has lost his main source of income: most of his olive trees are uprooted and the water tank is destroyed. The man tried to reach his land twice on December 30th, but was forced to keep away as the army fired bullets at him to ward him off.
“Three families are dependent on me and that area: it’s our only source of income. I was already suffering, both psychologically and physically; I have high blood pressure and asthma, but now I can’t even reach my land, so how can I bring food to the table?” says Abd Alazeer Youssef Abu Rjila.
30 December 2010 | International Solidarity Movement
When I locked arms in front of the idling bulldozer, I wanted finances to be the farthest from my mind. As M16- and tear gas-armed soldiers approached us and the Palestinian woman to my right embraced me tighter and my fellow ISM volunteer to my left reached for her medic kit, I did not want to think of money.
That day, we stopped the construction of the Apartheid Wall and the ethnic cleansing of the Al-Walaja village near Bethlehem. When the construction was cancelled and the soldiers returned home, ISM volunteers continued their work inside the village to plan for the next day. Despite our focus on planning, the fear of mounting legal fees and medical funds depleting our desperately stretched funds are too strong a reality to ignore.
The strength that volunteers draw upon daily to complete the demanding and draining tasks of fighting the occupation comes from you. Our work relies on the network of compassionate human beings who believe that justice is both a necessity and a right.
As 2010 comes to an end, the struggle for the liberation of the Palestinian people continues. Consider yourself a pillar of strength for the volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Donate today and the impact will be felt immediately by Palestine solidarity activists, from around the globe, residing in Palestine and resisting the occupation.
Despite the real threat of physical harm, deportation, night raids and arrest, activists continue to join ISM and employ nonviolent direct action tactics in the struggle for justice. ISM is one of the few organizations working directly with Palestinians in the popular struggle against the occupation. As the resistance grows, so does the demand for ISM volunteers. We cannot answer the call without you.
Al tiempo que amanece un nuevo año de Resistencia, ayudad al ISM a apoyar la resistencia popular en Palestina.
Cuando cerré mis brazos en frente de la excavadora al ralentí, yo quería que el tema económico estuviera lo más alejado de mi mente. Mientras los soldados armados con M-16 y gases lacrimógenos se acercaban a nosotros y la mujer Palestina a mi derecha me abrazaba más y más fuerte y mis compañeros voluntarios del ISM a mi izquierda le acercaban el kit médico, no quería pensar en dinero.
Aquel día habíamos parado la construcción del Muro del Apartheid y la limpieza étnica del pueblo de Al-Walaja cerca de Belén. Cuando la construcción se canceló y los soldados volvieron a sus casas, los y las voluntarixs del ISM continuaron su trabajo dentro del pueblo para planificar el siguiente día. A pesar de que nos centramos en la planificación, el miedo de incrementar los honorarios de abogados y los gastos médicos que agotan nuestros fondos que estiramos desesperadamente, son una realidad demasiado fuerte para ser ignorada.
La fuerza que los voluntarios sacan diariamente para llevar a cabo la exigente y necesaria tarea de luchar contra la ocupación viene de ti. Nuestro trabajo confía en la red de seres humanos compasivos que creen que la justicia es tanto una necesidad como un derecho.
Al terminar este 2010 la lucha por la liberación del pueblo Palestino continua. Considérate un pilar de fuerza para los voluntarios del Movimiento Internacional de Solidaridad en Cisjordania y en la Franja de Gaza. Dona hoy y el impacto se sentirá inmediatamente por los activistas de solidaridad con Palestina de todo el mundo, que residen en Palestina y resisten contra la ocupación.
A pesar del peligro real de daño físico, deportación, redadas nocturnas y arresto, los activistas continúan uniéndose al ISM y emplean las tácticas de la acción directa noviolenta en la lucha por la justicia. El ISM es una de las únicas organizaciones que trabajan directamente con los Palestinos en la lucha popular contra la ocupación. A medida que crece la resistencia, así también la demanda de voluntarios/as del ISM. No podemos responder los llamamientos sin tí.
A l’aube d’une nouvelle année de résistance, aidez ISM à soutenir la résistance populaire en Palestine
Lorsque je me suis mis, les bras croisés, face au bulldozer qui avançait lentement, j’aurais aimé que les questions d’argent soit le plus loin possible de mes préoccupations. Tandis que les soldats armés de M16 et de grenades lacrymogènes s’approchaient de nous, que la Palestinienne à ma droite me serrait plus fort et que mon collègue d’ISM à ma gauche attrapait sa trousse médicale, j’aurais aimé ne pas avoir à penser à l’argent.
Ce jour-là, nous avons interrompu la construction du mur d’apartheid et le nettoyage ethnique du village d’Al-Walaja, près de Bethléem. Lorsque la journée de construction a été annulée et que les soldats sont rentrés à leurs casernes, les bénévoles d’ISM ont repris leur travail dans le village pour préparer l’action du lendemain. Bien que concentrés sur les préparatifs, la crainte des frais juridiques et médicaux en augmentation qui appauvrissent nos fonds désespérément tendus était une réalité trop forte pour que nous l’ignorions.
C’est de vous que les bénévoles puisent quotidiennement leur force pour accomplir les tâches exigeantes du combat contre l’occupation. Notre travail s’appuie sur un réseau d’êtres humains empathiques qui croient que la justice est à la fois une nécessité et un droit.
Tandis que 2010 se termine, la lutte pour la libération du peuple palestinien continue. Considérez-vous comme une force pour les militants du Mouvement International de Solidarité en Cisjordanie et dans la Bande de Gaza. Ce que vous donnerez aujourd’hui aura un impact qui se fera sentir immédiatement parmi les militants de la solidarité qui sont en Palestine et qui résistent à l’occupation.
Malgré les menaces réelles d’atteinte physique, d’expulsion, de raids nocturnes et d’arrestations, des activistes continuent de rejoindre ISM et de mettre en pratique des tactiques d’actions directes non violentes dans la lutte pour la justice.
ISM est l’une des seules organisations qui travaillent directement avec les Palestiniens dans la lutte populaire contre l’occupation. La résistance grandit, et le besoin de militants bénévoles ISM aussi. Nous ne pouvons répondre à cet appel sans vous.
Mit dem Beginn eines neuen Jahres braucht die ISM Deine Hilfe für die fortgesetzte Unterstützung des zivilen Widerstandes in Palästina
Als ich Schulter an Schulter vor dem wartenden Bulldozer stand, wollte ich zu allerletzt an Finanzielles denken. Als mit M16 und Tränengas bewaffnete Soldaten sich uns näherten und die Palästinenserin an meiner rechten Seite mich fester hielt und meine Kollegin von der Internationalen Solidaritätsbwegung (ISM/International Solidarity Movement) zu meiner linken nach ihrem Verbandszeug griff, wollte ich nicht an Geld denken.
An diesem Tag hielten wir die Konstruktion der Apartheidmauer und die ethnische Säuberung des Dorfes Al-Walaja bei Betlehem auf. Als die Bauarbeiten abgesagt und die Soldaten nach Hause gegangen waren, setzten die Freiwilligen der ISM ihre Arbeit im Dorf fort und planten den nächsten Tag. Obwohl wir uns ganz auf die Planung konzentrieren wollen, sind unsere finanziellen Sorgen angesichts steigender medizinischer und gerichtlicher Kosten, die unser Budget bis an die Grenzen belasten, eine Realität, die wir nicht länger ignorieren können.
Die Stärke, die die Freiwilligen täglich benötigen, um die anspruchsvollen und Kräfte zehrenden Aktionen im Widerstand gegen die Besatzung auszuführen, kommt von Dir. Unsere Arbeit stützt sich auf ein Netz von Mitmenschen, die davon überzeugt sind, dass Gerechtigkeit eine Notwendigkeit und ein Recht ist.
Das Jahr 2010 geht zu Ende und der Kampf für die Befreiung des palästinensischen Volkes geht weiter. Dein Beitrag ist unverzichtbar für die Unterstützung der Freiwilligen der Internationalen Solidaritätsbewegung in der Westbank und in Gaza. Mach Deine Spende heute und Du wirst sofort und unmittelbar die Bedingungen für palästinensische Solidaritätsaktivisten aus der ganzen Welt verbessern, die in Palästina leben und gegen die Besatzung Widerstand leisten.
Obwohl Mitglieder der ISM unter der konkreten Androhung von Verletzungen, Deportationen, nächtliche Razzien und Festnahmen stehen, sind Aktivisten immer neu bereit, zur Internationalen Solidaritätsbewegung zu kommen, um sich an den gewaltlosen Aktionen im Kampf für Gerechtigkeit zu beteiligen. Die ISM ist eine der wenigen Organisationen, die in unmittelbarer Zusammenarbeit mit Palästinensern am weitverbreiteten friedlichen Widerstand gegen die Besatzung teilnehmen. Je mehr sich die Widerstandsbewegung verbreitet, desto mehr ISM – Freiwillge benötigen wir. Unsere Beteiligung ist ohne Dich nicht möglich.
Al termine di un altro anno di resistenza, aiuta l´ISM a sostenere la resistenza popolare in Palestina
Nel momento in cui ho incrociato le braccia di fronte a quel bulldozer immobile avrei voluto che l´aspetto finanziario fosse lontano dalla mia mente. Mentre soldati armati di M16 e gas lacrimogeno ci avvicinavano e la donna Palestinese alla mia destra cominciava a stringermi piu forte e il mio compagno dell´ISM alla mia sinistra afferrava il suo kit medico, io non avrei voluto dover pensare al denaro.
Quel giorno, riuscimmo a fermare la costruzione del muro dell´apartheid e la pulizia etnica del villaggio di Al-Walaja vicino a Betlemme. Dopo che la costruzione del muro fu abbandonata e i soldati fecero ritorno a casa, i volontari dell´ISM continuarono il loro lavoro nel villaggio facendo il piano per il giorno successivo. Malgrado i nostri progetti sull´aspetto della pianificazione delle attività, la paura rispetto alle sempre crescenti spese legali e alle sempre piu esigue risorse mediche cominciarono a diventare un fatto troppo importante per essere ignorato.
La forza da cui i volontari attingono quotidianamente per portare avanti il compito estenuante di combattere contro l’occupazione viene da voi. Il nostro lavoro si basa su un network di persone che credono che la giustizia sia una necessità e, nello stesso tempo, un diritto.
Anche col finire dell’anno 2010, la lotta per la liberazione del popolo palestinese continua. Considerati un pilastro della forza cui attingono i volontari dell’International Solidarity Movement nella Cisgiordania\West Bank e nella striscia di Gaza. Se fai una donazione oggi stesso i volontari internazionali residenti in Palestina resistendo all’occupazione ne sentiranno immediatamente i benefici.
Nonostante la minaccia reale del poter essere feriti, della deportazione, delle retate e degli arresti notturni, altri attivisti si aggiungono all’ISM adottando tattiche di nonviolenza attiva e diretta nella lotta per la giustizia. L’ISM è una delle poche organizzazioni che lavorano
direttamente con i Palestinesi nella battaglia popolare contro l’occupazione. Al crescere della resistenza, cresce la domanda e il bisogno di attivisti MA non possiamo rispondere a questa chiamata senza il tuo aiuto.
Direniş yeni bir yılına girerken Uluslararası Dayanışma Hareketine desteğinizle halkın yanında olun!
Önümdeki buldozere elimle dayanırken parapul işlerinin aklımı kurcalamasını istemezdim.
M16 lı gas silahlı asker bize yaklaşırken, Filistinli kadın ve ISM’li arkadaş yardım çantasıyla bana yaklaşırken gene parapulu dert etmek istemem.
O gün için Ayrım Duvarının inşaatını durdurmuştuk, Beytüllahim kenarındaki El Vilaye köyündeki etnik arındırmaya karşı durmuştuk. İnşaat ara verince askerler geri dönünce ISM gönüllüleri olarak köyün içinde faaliyete devam ettik, müteakip günleri düşünmeye başlamıştık. Planlara odaklandık ama tıbbi yardımlar ve gündelik faaliyet masrafları da korkutuyordu: Kaçınılmaz gerçekler.
Gönüllülerin işgale karşı verebilecekleri mücadele gösterebilecekleri direniş sizlere bakıyor. Bizim yapageldiklerimiz bir çevreye dayanıyor. Adaletin hem bir ihtiyaç hem de bir hak olduğuna inanan insanların çevresine.
2010 yılı geçti ve Filistin halkının kurtuluş mücadelesi devam etmekte. Kendinizi ISM’nin Batı Şeria ve Gazze Şeridindeki gönüllülerinin dayanağı addediniz.Bugün desteğinizi gönderin yarın bunun Filistin için dünyanın her yerinden gelip işgale karşı direnen insanlar neznindeki etkisini göreceksiniz.
Fiziken hedef almalara, sınırdışılara, gece sorgularına rağmen gönüllüler ISM’de bulunmaya ve şiddet-dışı doğrudan eylemlerle adalet arayışına devam ediyorlar.
ISM, Filistinlilerle birlikte doğrudan halkın içinde işgale karşı direniş veren yegane kuruluştur. Direniş büyürse ISM gönüllüleri de artacaktır.
28 December 2010 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza
Mahmoud Mousa Mohammed Al Sirsik, age 19
This morning Mahmoud Mousa Mohammed Al Sirsik, aged 19, was going about his daily business, collecting stones with his horse cart in the border area, east of Gaza City, when Israeli army jeeps entered the area. Seeing the danger approaching, Mahmoud tried to run away, but found himself immobilized as the army trapped him in a rain of bullets to his left and right. One bullet hit a nearby object; a piece of shrapnel bounced back and pierced the young man’s nostril. The injured Mahmoud managed to hide for half-an-hour while the shooting from the jeeps continued and were even reinforced by a tank crossing into Gaza.
“I was sure they were going to arrest me. The tank kept moving in on me– it came as close as 20 meters. At that point I felt I had nothing to lose anymore, so I ran away as fast as I could. Bullets were still passing me by at both sides; it’s impossible to say how many they fired in total,” states an overwhelmed Mahmoud.
One of his relatives interrupts him sternly: “I heard it! It must have been close to a hundred! They wanted to kill him.”
The Al Sarsik family of 16 is dependent on Mahmoud and his brother to provide income by collecting rubble. Terrorized by today’s events, Mahmoud claims he will not take up work as a scrap collector ever again. He hopes to find another job, but it is Gaza’s scarce job opportunities that drive people into despair and force them to take up this kind of hazardous work.
Today’s attack exemplifies yet again Israel’s escalating assault on workers in the border area: since the beginning of November, approximately 40 people have been injured in the buffer zone: the no-go zone as declared by Israeli military that runs along the Gazan side of the border in a swathe 300 to 500 meters wide. However, according to the United Nations, this “high risk” zone stretches up to 1000-1500 meters. The total area amounts to 35% of Gaza’s arable land. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, more than 84 workers have been injured and ten have been killed by the Israeli military since January 2010.
