Category: Reports - Page 408 - International Solidarity Movement

Young man shot in the head by a tear gas projectile at the weekly demonstration in An Nabi Saleh

17 December 2010 | International Solidarity Movement

Shebab injured by tear gas projectile — Shebab injured by teargas projectile

Friday, at the weekly demonstration held in the village of An Nabi Saleh, a young Palestinian was shot by a tear gas canister in the back of his head. Falling down, he was further injured on the front of his head.

The military continued to shoot tear gas into the area, without regard for the people coming to help the young unconscious man. It took over 45 minutes before an ambulance arrived, as the army stopped it and prevented them from entering the village. By the time the ambulance arrived, the injured man had regained consciousness. Leaving the village, the ambulance was stopped twice more. The man is now being treated at the hospital in Ramallah.

For one year the people of Nabi Saleh have been protesting the occupation, the illegal settlement, and massive land confiscations from their village. In response to village youth confronting the soldiers, each week the Israeli army shoots tear gas into the village and closes the checkpoint for several hours.

This Friday at 11 o’clock, 6 jeeps entered the village, bringing many soldiers into the village. After midday prayer the protest began with villagers walking down the main road through the village. Demonstrators attempted to cross the street to reach the spring located on village land but occupied by the settlers of Halamish. The villagers have been denied access to this spring for many years, which had traditionally served as a water source for the two neighboring Palestinian villages.

The soldiers began throwing sound bombs between demonstrators, and the demo split up: Israeli and international activists stayed close to the army, and the shebabs engaged in a confrontation with soldiers in the village.

At one point a media team interviewed the commander of the army troops. When an Israeli activist asked them to interview someone from the Palestinian side, they refused.

The teargassing continued until after sunset, when it was no longer light enough to see anything. One year after the first demonstration in Nabi Salah, the Israeli army still responds to their non-violent resistance with excessive force, making it the most violent and dangerous protest in the whole west bank.

Sheikh Jarrah: Daoudi family faces first court appearance to fight eviction

16 December 2010 | International Solidarity Movement

Today in Jerusalem, the Daoudi family appeared at their first court hearing to defend themselves against forced eviction. The Daoudis live in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Palestinian East Jerusalem where Israeli settlers are seeking to illegally evict and displace Palestinian residents from their homes. According to the UN, of the approximately 2,800 Palestinian residents in Sheikh Jarrah, more than 60 have lost their homes and 500 are at risk of forced eviction.

Earlier this year on April 6, the Nahalat Shimon Company filed civil eviction proceedings to force the Daoudi family from their home. The Daoudis have lived in their home in Sheikh Jarrah since 1956, when the land was a Jordanian refugee camp for Palestinians. The family was displaced from West Jerusalem, and came to East Jerusalem as refugees.

Today, 15 supporters packed the courtroom before officials refused to allow any more to enter. Additional supporters waited outside. ISM and EAPPI members were in attendance.

The two sides did not discuss any of the substantive issues today. The Daoudi’s lawyers requested 60 days to present questionnaires and request documents.

A date for the next hearing has not been set, but an announcement is expected within the next couple days.

Settlers doggedly intimidate Palestinians

UPDATE | 16 November 2010:

On Thursday December 16, an Israeli court sentenced Ayman Al Ghawi, a 19-year-old Palestinian, to four days under house-arrest following a confrontation with Israeli settlers in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem the prior day.

15 December 2010 | International Solidarity Movement

At around 3:30pm, Israeli police arrested a 19-year-old Palestinian man named Imen in Sheikh Jarrah, following a confrontation with settlers.

The settlers’ dog, on a 2-meter long chain, attacked Imen as he stood on the street outside of his former home, which the settlers had dispossessed. The settlers responded with laughter and walked up to another house, which they are occupying although it had been the home of another Palestinian.

As the settlers stood in front of the house, the man who had been attacked swung a pole against the house to make noise to scare the dog away. Then, the settlers began to take pictures with their mobile phones, and called the police.

Imen left the area with his mother and his brothers. The police arrived and another settler, who now occupies in Imen’s former home, rushed to the police to point out Imen on the street. The police detained Imen.

The police took statements only from the settlers, although international observers and Palestinians also witnessed the events. As this happened, nearly a dozen settlers surrounded and photographed Imen, as he waited in the back of the police car, and his family. Imen’s mother removed her shoe and used it to block the settlers’ cameras to prevent them from taking pictures of her. The police eventually separated the settlers from the Palestinian families.

Imen will most likely serve twenty-four hours in jail.

Settlers in Sheikh Jarrah often use their dogs to attack and intimidate Palestinians.

Adeeb Abu Rahma’s release celebrated in Bil’in

13 December 2010 | International Solidarity Movement

Adeeb greeting friends and family in Bil'in

Yesterday, the 12th of December, Adeeb Abu Rahma was released after 18 months of incarceration in Ofer Military prison. Adeeb Abu Rahma, 40 years old, is a leading activist in the struggle of Bil’in. For six years, the village has been holding a weekly demonstration against the Israeli occupation, the illegal settlement of Mod’in, and the annexation wall being built through the village.

Adeeb Abu Rahma, father of nine children, was arrested July 10th in 2009 for his involvement in the weekly peaceful demonstration in Bilin. Charged with “being present in a declared military zone”, “incitement” and “activity against public order,” he was sentenced to 12 months incarceration. The sentence was extended for six extra months. Adeeb is still suspended from political activism for four years – if he breaks this condition he will be fined with 6000 NIS.

The whole village was in a state of euphoria and Adeeb’s release was celebrated enthusiastically despite the bad weather. The village organized a parade through the village up to the house of Adeeb where his friends and family were already waiting. For eighteen months not even Adeeb’s wife was able to get permission to visit him.

Adeeb’s welcome was ecstatic. He was greeted, hugged and kissed by the waiting crowd, and even some tears were shed. Adeeb was lifted by the chanting crowd and carried to his house, where he was able to see his wife and children for the first time in 18 months. In the street, people danced, unhindered by the strong wind. The ceremony continued in a tent, decorated for the occasion, where Adeeb made a speech. Soon after, the celebrating crowd dispersed, leaving Adeeb alone to spend the first night at home with his family in 18 months.

photos by Hamde Abo Rahma

Israel’s crackdown on the border area injures four more

11 December 2010 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza

The Israeli Offensive Forces are cracking down on people working in the buffer zone. In the past two weeks 20 people have been shot, four of whom were children. Today the atrocities continued: this morning three people were injured in Beit Lahiya; in Khuza’a, near Khan Younis, the army shot a child of 16.

Early this morning Nidal Hasan El Najar, age 16, set out to work with his two brothers and grandmother in the family’s bean field, which is in the border area. At approximately 7 am, a military jeep approached and quickly pulled over for a soldier to jump out and shoot Nidal in the upper leg. The jeep then just took off again. No warning shots were fired.

The boy was taken to Europa hospital in Khan Younis where he underwent surgery for a commuted bone fracture. At the time ISM volunteers visited him, Nidal was regaining consciousness from surgery while his family stood by with worry. One of his uncles exclaimed in disbelief: “Every day, every day! Every day things like this happen.”

The family owns 9 dunams, or 9 square km, of land in Khuza’a, stretching close to the south east border of the Strip. The family lives off the farming land they have there and previously had no problems with the Israeli army. This attack comes unexpected, but seems to be part of Israel’s crackdown on any presence in the border area. Israel has declared 300 meters from the fence to be a no-go-zone and does not hesitate to fire at anyone in or nearing this zone.