Journalists killed by Israel while reporting in Gaza were remembered at an award ceremony in Gaza City yesterday; family members and co-workers received a plaque in their honour.
Abu Walid Mahmoud Al-Zaq of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF), the group organising the event – on their 43rd anniversary – presented awards in memory of ten journalists.
One of those was James Miller, a British documentary-maker killed in Gaza in May 2003, whose award was accepted on his behalf by current members of the International Solidarity Movement working in Gaza.
One Palestinian journalist honoured was Fadel Shana’a, killed along with eight other noncombatants, by a flechette shell fired by an Israeli tank, clearly seen by Fadel’s own footage of the shell being fired before he was killed a few seconds later.
After the first missile that killed Fadel, the clearly marked Reuters vehicle in which he had been travelling took a direct hit from a second tank, killing two children and another civilian close by, and injuring twelve others, including five children. Wafa Abu Mezyed, 25, a Reuters sound technician, was also injured.
On 13 August 2009 the IDF closed an investigation into Fadel Shana’a’s death, without taking disciplinary action against the tank crew that his own video clearly showed killing him.
Collecting the award on his behalf was cameraman and friend Sameer Al-Boje of Palmedia.. He expressed happiness that there were organisations showing appreciation for – and raising the profile of – the invaluable and often perilous work of journalists and cameramen in the occupied territories.
cameraman Sameer Al-Boje of Palmedia receiving the award in honour of Fadel Shana'a
When asked of the dangers he continues to face in Gaza he told us, “They don’t outweigh the importance of getting the real story out as to what is happening to the Palestinians.”
“When I entered this job, I knew that Israel doesn’t care about Palestinian journalists and that they would be happy to shoot them – there is no protection for the media here in Gaza because Israel does not want us to get this kind of news out.”
Sameer called on international organisations to do more to ensure safety for journalists in the course of their important work: “I feel its dangerous every time I go out there. We are not provided with any freedom of the press and media rights taken for granted in other countries. This is what we need if we are to continue sending out the real news of what’s happening in Gaza.”
Like the Palestinian Red Crescent, Palestinian journalists continue to be the first at the scene in the most dangerous times in Gaza, and so much of the footage the world sees is recorded by people well aware that they could become the next news story or grim statistic following the next Israeli attack in the continuous barrage.
A poster of Ihab Al-Wehadi killed 9th January during Operation Cast Lea
The full list of the journalists deservedly honoured at the ceremony
Hamza Shaheen, photojournalist for the Shihab News Agency, died December 2008.
Fadel Shana’a, a Reuters camerman, killed April 16th 2008.
Hassa Shaqora, killed March 2008.
James Miller, killed in Rafah on 2nd May 2003. Watch a video about his death here.
Ihab Al-Wehadi, (pictured right) cameraman for Palestine TV, killed with his wife and mother on 9th January 2009 during Operation Cast Lead when Israel shelled their apartment in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.
Fire engines struggle to control the blaze in the olive groves of Burin
At 11:30 yesterday, 26th July 2010, settlers from the Berakha Shomronim settlement began shooting at Palestinians in the village of Burin and setting fire to crops on their land.
Trouble flared when Israeli authorities ordered the demolition of a structure in an illegal settler outpost because of the freeze on settlement construction. Israeli police failed to contain the settler riot which followed and closed Huwara checkpoint, near Nablus, in response.
The village of Burin covers 1500 dunams and about 3000 olive trees are planted on this land. Much of this was destroyed yesterday after fires were lit by a group of approximately 120 settlers and then spread to the next village of Kafr Qalil. The Palestinian fire services arrived to help the villagers who were attempting to put out the the flames with olive branches.
International activists from ISM arrived in Burin to report on the incident but were quickly and forcefully dragged away by Border Police, who took their passports and stated that “there was nothing to see here”. Later they were told that it was unsafe because the settlers were armed – but according to a local witness, Ahmed from Iraq Burin, the Border Police were acting as security for the settlers and preventing an ambulance from entering the area.
The ambulance was called after two Palestinians were injured. Reports received by ISM allege that these injuries were sustained from being shot at by settlers. At present we have been unable to verify this, the identity of the victims, or reports that this morning one person died in hospital from their wounds. Both ISM and EAPPI members are conducting further interviews and photography on the scene.
There were also reports of settlers smashing the windows of houses and cars, and throwing stones in the village of An Nabi Saleh in the Ramallah region.
A picture of Ahmad Burnat from the movie Interrupted Stream
Dear friend,
At 1:30 in the morning on July 19th armed Israeli soldiers drove into our village, Bil’in, under the cover of the pitch black night, and raided the house of my friend and well known activist Wajeeh Burnat, who was featured in the documentary Bil’in Habibti. This time, the raid was conducted to take Ahmad, his 17 year-old son.
It is not often that we ask for such help, but we turn to you today asking for a donation, large or small, to help in securing his release.
Last Sunday, a military judge ruled Ahmad could be released, but only on the condition that a sum of 10,000 NIS (2,600 USD) be deposited as bail.
Ahmad’s family has lost most of its land to the construction of the Wall, and have paid dearly for their role in the struggle – Ahmad’s eldest brother, Rani, is paralyzed from the neck down after being shot in the neck by a sniper during a demonstration in the year 2000. Following the injury, Israel also revoked Ahmad’s father’s work permit. Another of Ahmad’s brothers, Ibrahim Burnat, was also arrested six months ago and has been in jail since.
Ahmad’s family cannot afford the money to pay Ahmad’s bail. Unless we are able to raise that sum, he will remain languishing at the Ofer Military Prison for the duration of his trial, which could last one year.
Raids such as the one Ahmad was arrested in are not exceptional in Bil’in, or in any of the other villages in which grassroots protest against the occupation takes place on a regular basis. In Bil’in alone, ninety people have been arrested in connection to demonstrations in the village.
The West Bank village of Bil’in, among numerous other villages, has been targeted by Israeli authorities for their commitment to grassroots organizing. Hundreds more have been arrested in the past two years in Ni’ilin, Nabi Saleh, Budrus, Jayyous, alMa’asara and the other villages who take part in the popular struggle against the occupation.
Every such arrest is a threat to our ability to sustain this new vital wave of grassroots resistance. Lawyers fees, bails and prisoner support are an obstacle that we will be able to overcome, but to do so, we need your support today more than we have ever needed it before.
Please click here to make a donation and encourage the work being done in these villages. Your contributions can help us stand up for a true justice in Palestine.
Al Ma’sara (23 July 2010): Strong turn out for the second week running
Over 100 people participated in Al Ma’sara’s demonstration today in a successful protest against the Israeli Apartheid Wall which saw one person injured.
With the support of many internationals, including a large French contingent, the village – known for creatively themed protests – chose ‘European solidarity’ as the slogan this week.
The demonstration in Al Ma’sara against the wall which annexes land from eight surrounding villages has been going since November 2006, when construction of the wall in the area began.
For the last year and a half Israeli soldiers have erected barbed wire and forced protestors back. However the army were surprised by the number of demonstrators today and although they threw tear gas and sound bombs at the peaceful protestors spirits and solidarity remained high, partly thanks to the presence of 6 piece drumming band.
The marchers approached the entrance of the villages while chanting ‘Free free Palestine, occupation is a crime’ and singing songs in French, English, Italian and Arabic. Despite the violent reaction from soldiers which forced the group to retreat some way, they stood they ground, dancing and singing – eventually the soldiers gave up.
One young woman from France, part of a group from Generation Palestine, was injured when a sound bomb exploded by her ear. She was taken to hospital where piece of shrapnel had to be removed from her ear. She required four stitches, and will be kept overnight to test for hearing problems.
Soldiers also detained one journalist and photographer for some time, in an unwarranted attack on freedom of the press.
Although the Israeli Occupation Forces have been more violent towards peaceful protestors in recent weeks, the determination to keep protesting is stronger than ever in Al Ma’sara. Protests will continue until the theft of thousands of dunums of agricultural land – which represents the villagers’ livelihood – for the illegal Gush Etzion settlement ends.
Beit Ommar (24 July 2010): Peaceful protest met with cynical military violence
In Beit Ommar, following last week’s attack on a journalist from Associated Press another member of the press – this time from Reuters – was injured due to the reckless and irresponsible use of weapons by the Israeli army. Around thirty soldiers intercepted the demonstration throwing sound grenades and tear gas cannisters directly at peoples’ heads and torsos, injuring several.
The 50 demonstrators (including twenty international activists) at this Saturday’s demonstration in Beit Ommar were met by a large military presence on their way to the land which has been confiscated by the military and nearby settlement since 2006. A few minutes were given to the protesters to leave the area declared to be a “closed military zone” – the commander counted the seconds on his watch whilst the soldiers prepared sound grenades behind their backs.
The Palestinians and internationals present responded to the conditions by sitting on the floor and asserting their non-violent resistance against the decision. Suddenly a succession of ten or more sound bombs exploded in the crowd and it was clear that soldiers had been instructed to throw them at the fleeing protesters. Two international women were targeted from close range; one being hit in the back and the other in the head.
The severe response from the military caused many to run back, more soldiers appeared from the sides and threw tear gas into the crowd again injuring an international activist in the back of the head and wounding her.
Ni’lin (23 July 2010): Large international presence reduces military violence – until later that day
This Friday’s protest in Nil’in was both extremely lively and unusually peaceful, as the Israeli Occupation Forces, against all expectations, refrained from shooting both tear gas and other weapons. The outstanding number of demonstrators – more than one hundred, and including many internationals and Israeli activists – seemed to have taken the soldiers by surprise. However, a military incursion followed in the early evening.
Around one o’clock, the approximately hundred locals and internationals met at an olive field in the vicinity of the Apartheid Wall, which, along with the building of illegal settlements, has annexed about 30% of the farm land of Nil’in.
The demonstration was also a protest against the decision of an Israeli military court in sentencing the coordinator of the popular committee, Ibrahim Amireh, and two other committee members, Hassan Mousa and Zaydoon Srour. Each was sentenced to eleven and a half months in jail – having already been imprisoned for 7 months – and a 9000 shekel fine, for the crime of being key organizers of the peaceful resistance in Ni’lin.
Al Ma'sara 23 July 2010
As always, the protest was initiated by the traditional Friday noon prayer, after which the crowd approached the wall, waving flags and banners and chanting pro-Palestinian slogans in several languages.
Following the usual pattern of the Nil’in protests, some villagers began throwing stones against the wall built on their farm land, but the army for once didn’t answer with the usual tear gas and sound bomb attacks. This surprisingly peaceful reaction was probably thanks to the strong international presence. The protest ended around 3 o’clock, with no injuries or arrests.
However, later that evening, when internationals and media were no longer present, the army came to the village. At about 8pm four jeeps arrived and threw tear gas and sound bombs around and at people’s houses. A Ni’lin resident reported that two children were shot directly with tear gas canisters.
Having around 30% of their farm land annexed by illegal settlements and the wall – that also was declared illegal by The International Court of Justice in 2004 – Nil’in has become one of the most important sites for resistance against the occupation. The first suggested route of the wall was judged illegal by the The International Court of Justice as well as Israel’s own supreme court, as was another suggested route. The present route is still stealing large parts of Nil’in’s farm land and is still in conflict with international law.
After the verdicts against the wall in 2004, the construction stopped, but was commenced again in 2008. Since then, five villagers of Nil’in has been killed in the weekly protests, among them a ten-year-old boy. Many more have been injured and arrested.
An Nabi Saleh (23 July 2010): Soldiers fire low-flying tear gas but fail to deter protesters
The demonstration at An Nabi Saleh this week started out with a gathering at a local coordinator’s house. South-Korean and South-African Press, local people and international and Israeli activists had lunch before going to the city centre near the mosque to meet up with the rest before the demonstration started.
At about 13.30, the group moved towards the city crossroad where soldiers blocked their way. The local coordinator as well as other citizens discussed for about 15-20 minutes with the soldiers before trying to go around the blockade. Soldiers responded with sound bombs, aggression and an arrest of an Israeli activist. He was soon released since no police were present.
Since the group didn’t manage to break the soldiers’ blockade, they instead jumped a small wall to get to the crossroad. Around 14.30 a group of mainly children sat down and sung in front of the soldiers for a while. When the group moved back, the shebab immediately threw stones from higher ground at the army vehicles and soldiers, who quickly fired tear gas canisters back.
For the next hour or two the shebab and internationals were spread around the city top and soldiers were firing tear gas canisters in different directions setting a field on fire. At about 16:00 the demonstrators met again at the house where the group met at the beginning. There was a new group of about 6 soldiers standing at the hilltop behind the house. Bushes were burning from the tear gas they were shooting, but the fire was quickly put out.
Lots of tear gas canisters were fired at close range near the house, in which people were retreating to. Videos uploaded on to youtube clearly show the soldiers firing tear gas canisters directly at people and making no attempts to fire it in the air as it is supposed to be used.. Soldiers came in jeeps to the front of the house in order to make arrests, but the shebab had by then disappeared. Shortly after, the jeeps left and the situation was normal again.
Iraq Burin (25 July 2010): Protesters defy Israeli Occupation Forces
Iraq Burin can be quite difficult to reach since an Israeli flying checkpoint is located on the main road to the village. To avoid the checkpoint internationals and Palestinian protesters this Saturday (24 July 2010) had to climb up hills in order to get there. As a consequence of the checkpoint two Palestinian boys were arrested before the demonstration even started.
About an hour before the demonstration began people gathered at the edge of the hill on which the village is located. The goal was to get to the nearby settlement which is causing trouble for the local farmers and city water supply.
Due to the killing of two Palestinian boys in Iraq Burin in the autumn, tensions are obvious. When the group started moving shabab immediately gathered rocks and scarfed themselves in order to avoid being recognized. About 20 soldiers where located on a hilltop which the demonstration had to move towards to get to the settlement.
Shabab and soldiers where equal in numbers and about 10-15 internationals where present. Fights immediately broke out and lasting for around 2 hours with lots of rocks being thrown and tear gas canisters fired. No further arrests were made or any injuries reported. The only damage caused was to the already quite burnt hill.
Additional information about a settler attack in Boere last night has been added to the end of this post, along with new photos, one of which shows a bite mark inflicted on a female demonstrator by a soldier.
Soldiers threaten a demonstrator during a violently repressed protest
The recent escalation of settler violence in Al-Khalil (Hebron) was matched by unwarranted military violence and the arbitrary arrest of peaceful protestors at the latest protest against the closure of Shuhada Street and illegal presence of Israeli settlers on Saturday 24 July 2010.
Cynical military violence
Israeli soldiers were brutal with an overwhelmingly peaceful group of demonstrators and made six arrests, apparently at random. Soldiers used great violence to arrest three French men, an Israeli activist, a Swedish man – and later that day a Palestinian. Protestors were kicked, punched, stamped on, dragged by the hair and two even reported being bitten by soldiers whilst they held on to fellow activists to prevent their arrest.
A peaceful tone for the protest was set by the local popular committee who had arranged for a visiting dance troupe from Syria to perform a traditional ‘dabka’ dance. Spirited chanting ensued and protestors linked arms to walk towards the market. However soldiers with M-16 rifles blocked their path and physically shoved them back.
A peaceful Swedish demonstrator was violently arrested by soldiers and detained for several hours
At one point a single protestor used a plastic flag pole to poke a soldier, after extreme and unnecessary force had already been employd by soldiers. Following this the army set upon the demonstrators, and started to beat any and all of those present. Arrests were made in an extremely vicious way, with young men being grabbed by their necks and put in headlocks. Several people were successfully de-arrested by fellow activists but the large military contingent made five arrests, handcuffing innocent people on the spot and dragging them away.
The protest calmed down somewhat when demonstrators sat on the floor to continue chanting peacefully. However the soldiers refused to allow even this. They drove people away from the closed off entrance to Shuhada Street and as they slowly backed off one soldier hurled a sound grenade into the retreating crowd – a rare occurrence in Hebron and a sign of the harsh manner in which the protest was repressed this week.
Arrests and legal intimidation
At least 25 people went to Kiryat Arba police station in Hebron, to demand the release of those arrested. They chanted and sang songs for three hours demanding they be freed. Later that evening the Swedish man – photos show the bruises on his body from being violently arrested – and the Israeli man were released without even being questioned, suggesting that police were well aware they had committed no crime.
However, the three French people, who had also done nothing wrong and are understood to have been observing the demonstration and not even participating, have been banned from Hebron, Ni’lin and Bil’in – three of the most important sites of nonviolent Palestinian resistance. This may have been because they admitted to being part of a group, called Generation Palestine.
The commander of the unit raises his arm to hit a peaceful protester
Last week a Swedish man, Marcus Regnander, was banned from the entire West Bank for six months after a similar arbitrary arrest and with again no evidence presented against him. His lawyer plans to appeal the case.
A Palestinian man arrested later that day at a checkpoint but was released Monday afternoon. His release may have been because police knew that their was a lot of video evidence of soldiers attacking him – rather than the other way round – so their claim that he attacked soldiers would easily have been exposed as a lie – however he still faces a court case.
Daily settler violence
In the past two weeks, Hebron – where human rights violations occur every day – has been even more troubled than usual.
On July 17, Mohammed, a shopkeeper, was attacked by twelve Israeli settlers near his shop by the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Without provocation, two of the settlers grabbed Mohammed and a third punched him in the face. When the ambulance arrived to take Mohammed to the hospital, the military refused to let it through, though he eventually saw a doctor who warned him he might require surgery on his left eye.
On July 18th an eleven year old Palestinian boy was run over by a settler on a motorbike. A witness, who said the man was driving at 80kph and continued after hitting the boy, said it was clearly no accident and similar incidents have occurred in the past.
Windows of a Palestinian property smashed by Israeli settlers
On July 20th there were problems at the shops near the Tomb of the Patriarchs. A group of settlers had parked their cars in front of the shops preventing people from getting access to them, even preventing one of the shops from opening, since a car had parked just in front of the entrance to the shop. Internationals were able to help resolve the situation peacefully and the cars were moved.
In Boere village activists met with local women who told them that during the last two weeks the settlers have been setting fire to crops near the family house, destroyed the water system in one of the plantations, cut a large number of tomato plants, smashed windows and slashed the tyres of two cars in the village. Locals also suspect that settlers might plan to steal more land in the village, since they also have cleared trees from an area on a hillside opposite the village, owned by a Palestinian family.
UPDATE 27 July 2010:
The bite mark on an activist's arm - inflicted by an Israeli soldier
ISM activists in Hebron report that last night in the village of Boere, about 100 settlers marched the streets proclaiming the area their territory. They are also said to have attacked members of CPT (Christian Peacemakers Team) who were videoing the settlers’ activities.
This photo shows a bite mark on the arm of a female demonstrator. She was one of two women who reported being bitten by a soldier when holding on to a fellow activist in order to de-arrest them.
