Category: Reports

Friday protest in occupied Hebron

20th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Last Friday, 18th of August, during a protest in front of checkpoint 56 in Hebron, a group of young Palestinians were demonstrating against the illegal occupation of Palestine.

Israeli soldiers illegally patrolling the H1 area

The Israeli forces violently dispersed the crowd, by illegally entering the H1 area in Hebron (al-Khalil). At least 30 soldiers went out of the checkpoint into the H1 area. The division of Hebron was established in the Hebron Agreement, and divided Hebron into two areas; H1, supposedly under full control of the Palestinian authority, and H2, under Israeli authority.

Around 3 PM the Israeli soldiers exited the checkpoint and entered H1, where they suppressed the protesters by throwing stun grenades and illegally started patrolling the H1 area while using private Palestinian properties for surveillance. During this time, the checkpoint was closed off, which severely affected the mobility of the Palestinians in the area.

The checkpoint 56 is a hotspot for frequent demonstrations, where the Israeli forces uses stun grenades, teargas, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition against the protesters.

Israeli occupation forces suppress peaceful protest with rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition

20th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara-team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

Israeli occupation forces suppressed another non-violent demonstration on Friday the 18th of August, in the village Kafr Qaddum, in the occupied West Bank. The weekly demonstrations protest the closure of the main road connecting the village with Nablus, which is the main city in the area.

The blocking of the road was enforced, to “secure” the nearby illegal settlement Kedumim, thus prohibiting Palestinians from using the main road to Nablus. Kedumim illegal settlement is currently being expanded further.

Smoke from burning tires rising at the demonstration

Within the first 30 minutes of the demonstration the Israeli forces were firing both live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets at protestors. This went on for two and a half hours, before the army retreated and the participators of the march went home. Throughout the demonstration the Israeli forces circulated the area with a drone, filming the participants of the protest. Additionally, the soldiers were carrying cameras on their bodies.

Palestinians demonstrating the illegal land theft

Apart from keeping files on individuals supporting the popular resistance, such pictures can serve as ‘evidence’ against Palestinians for the participation in ‘illegal’ demonstration.

While it was not the case this particular Friday, the occupying army has been raiding houses regularly in the early hours on days of demonstrations, taking pictures of all young men in the given homes.

Israeli forces in Palestinian civilians homes

During this Friday’s demonstration however, various homes were raided, as Israeli soldiers made their way unto balconies and rooftops of strategically located houses, to control the protest. This is a common protocol for the Israeli army, and an intrusion the local residents can do nothing about.

Protest against house demolition in al-Walaje

19th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement | Al-Khalil team, Occupied Hebron

Friday 18th of August, the villagers from al-Walaje, a village near Bethlehem, were peacefully protesting the demolition orders of 22 houses in their village. The residents received the demolition order last month.

Friday protest in al-Walaje against house demolition

The Israeli forces want to demolish the houses in order to expand the construction of the apartheid wall, and build new settlements on the villagers’ land. Farmers from the villages have lost access to their olive fields due to the apartheid wall, and they are forced to apply for permission to access their own land for the olive harvest. In this case they are granted permission for only a few days to harvest their fields.

One of the houses with a demolition order

The residents of al-Walaje have been facing repeated harassment and house demolitions in the previous years. Just last May, two jeeps and 16 soldiers from the Israeli military went into the village at 3 AM, and demolished four houses. The military closed off the entrances to the village, preventing people from entering or leaving. The residents were not given any previous warning, and people were not able to defend themselves or pack their belongings. Residents tried to protect their houses, but faced violence from the soldiers, and several Palestinian men were arrested. The 11th of August, the Israeli military raided the village at night, photographing and video-recording residents, claiming that they were searching for a wanted individual.

Young woman protesting against the demolition orders and the Israeli occupation

Earlier the same week, residents in al-Walaje resisted a house demolition, by peacefully standing in front of the house and refusing to move. The Israeli forces decided to call off the house demolition until further notice. The villagers protest regularly against the Israeli occupation and land grabbing. Usually the peaceful protests are violently dispersed by the Israeli occupation forces.    

 

Children from al-Walaje participating in the Friday protest

 

Israeli army restrict international access to Kafr Qaddum during confrontation

17th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus-team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

Israeli occupation forces blocked international access to Kafr Qaddum on Saturday, before apparently attacking Palestinian demonstrators for the second time in two days.

Israeli force searching Palestinian cars

The Israeli military set up a road block at the entrance to the village, which has seen weekly demonstrations for several years, searching cars and checking IDs. Internationals who attempted to enter were detained for three hours with their passports confiscated. No reason was given for their detention, other than that the village was ‘dangerous’.

Israeli forces inspecting Palestinian cars

Kafr Qaddum, a small town in the Nablus area, has seen biweekly demonstrations for 6 years, since Israel blocked off their main access to Nablus in order to facilitate settler travel. The roadblock has doubled the length of journeys into Nablus, including for ambulances which are forced to take a 13km detour.

Israeli forces violently dispersed demonstration in Kafr Qaddum

13th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

Friday 11th of August, the Israeli forces violently dispersed the weekly Friday demonstration in Kafr Qaddum. The villagers have been protesting since 2011 against the closure of their main road that leads to Nablus. The closure of the road complicates the everyday life of the Palestinians living in Kafr Qaddum, it restricts their right to free movement and furthermore adds economical pressure to the villagers who are forced to spend more time and money on public transportation. The closed road leads to the agricultural areas surrounding Kafr Qaddum, prohibiting the farmers from accessing their land freely.

Friday 11th at 1 PM the villagers of Kafr Qaddum began the demonstration. A group of Palestinians and international activists marched towards the road that leads to Nablus, passing the illegal settlement of Kedumim. The demonstration was immediately interrupted by the Israeli occupation forces. They blocked the road at the entrance to the village, and started shooting rubber coated steel bullets, live ammunition and throwing stun grenades. The demonstration was dispersed, and people sought shelter nearby. The Palestinians and the international activists tried to continue the demonstration, but were continuously pushed back by the violence used by the Israeli occupation forces. The soldiers were strategically placed around the village, ensuring that the demonstration could not move elsewhere, and firing at the demonstration from different angles.

The following day, Saturday 12th, the villagers held another demonstration. Three international activist were denied from joining the protest and were detained for three hours by the Israeli occupation forces.

During the past 6 years of the weekly Friday protest, the Israeli occupation forces has continuously used violence to repress the villagers.