Category: Reports - Page 68 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli forces violently repress Al-Aqsa solidarity demonstration in al-Khalil (Hebron) [VIDEO]

30th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

An Al-Aqsa solidarity march organized this Friday in occupied Hebron was heavily repressed by Israeli Forces. Soldiers and border police fired stun grenades, teargas, putrid-smelling “skunk” water, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition at demonstrators, injuring many. Several young protesters were also beaten and detained.

Palestinians demonstrate in Bab al-Zawiya, central al-Khalil (Hebron)

The Al-Aqsa solidarity march started from the Al-Hussein Mosque and continued on Ain Sarah street towards Bab Al-Zawiya towards Israeli controlled H2. Even before the march reached Bab Al-Zawiya, an Israeli video drone was seen flying above the scene and soldiers were getting ready on the other side of Shuhada checkpoint to face the demonstrators. The march reached Bab Al-Zawiya around 1:30 pm, at which point the Israeli forces came out through Shuhada checkpoint, which separates Palestinians from Shuhada street, and forcing some of the demonstrators ran to Wad al-Tofah Street, while others withdrew to the adjacent Ain Sarah street.

Border police reach stalemate with demonstrators on Wad al-Tofah street

Israeli forces followed the demonstrators down Wad al-Tofah street, firing rubber coated steel bullets indiscriminately at young boys and men. A skunk truck also drove down Ain Sarah and sprayed chemically treated skunk water on houses of uninvolved Palestinian civilians. A standoff ensued in which demonstrators lit tires on fire and a young boy was shot in the leg with live ammunition, before being quickly taken to hospital. Israeli forces eventually withdrew from the scene. These areas are located in the H1 area, supposedly under full Palestinian control.

Palestinian rushed to hospital after being shot by Israeli forces

The demonstrators moved up Ain Sarah, and once the protest seem to calm down the Israeli forces started shooting at demonstrators. At this point two more Palestinians were shot and injured. Israeli police and soldiers drove further along Ain Sarah, got out and started chasing the demonstrators. At 14:46 they detained a minor who, after being pulled down, was beaten down on his head and kicked on his back. Protesters withdrew down Ain Sarah, pursued by police and soldiers firing rubber-coated steel bullets and showers of teargas.

Teenager arrested after having been beaten by Israeli forces

As the soldiers seemed to withdraw towards the Bab al-Zawiya area again, the demonstrators followed them and some started to throw stones and light up tires. The Israeli forces promptly responded with stun grenades, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. The Israeli soldiers also broke into a shop in Bab Al-Zawiya, leaving an explicit note. After violently detaining a 15-year-old boy, they took him into the building, blindfolded him and then transferred him through Shuhada checkpoint. After this, the army returned again to attack the demonstrators.

Note left by Israeli soldiers in a shop that they had broken into in Bab al-Zawiya. The Hebrew states ‘Israel lives’.

One of the following attacks forced the group of young men and teenagers up the hill north of the entrance of the vegetable market. Soldiers positioned on the roof of the nearby building threw teargas and stun grenades towards the demonstrators. With around 50 border policemen in the back and support from a sniper lying at the entrance of the street, a troop of 12 soldiers went up the hill, trying unsuccessfully to break into a building. They proceeded to throw teargas and stun grenades at a group of four activists who were taking photos nearby. At the intersection at the end of the road protestors were showered in teargas and the crowd dispersed. Amidst the teagas fog a teenager, thought to be around 14 to 16 years old was shot, presumably by the sniper down the road, and was evacuated in the car of a passerby. After this incident the soldiers went back down and disappeared from Bab Al-Zawiya.

Israeli sniper takes aim at young demonstrators

The clashes lasted altogether around four and a half hours during which the Israeli forces displayed unnecessary and excessive violence not only towards demonstrators, but also towards the media. The army seemed out of control, breaking into Palestinian offices in Bab Al-Zawiya, demonstrating violence and intimidating journalists, targeting children and beating up demonstrators who were already detained, and not resisting arrest.

Soldier attempts to arrest Palestinian child after having violently assaulted him

The demonstration was in solidarity with the demonstrations in Jerusalem against the new access restrictions introduced by Israel at the Al-Aqsa compound. The Palestinian community had earlier called for a ‘day of rage’ in response to the restrictions, which Israel described as ‘security measures’.

Palestinian boy holds flag amidst the chaos on Ain Sarah street, al-Khalil

Israeli forces attack peaceful demonstration in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron)

29th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Israeli forces on Thursday night, 27th July, attacked a peaceful demonstration which was taking place outside Shuhada checkpoint, which leads to Shuhada street in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) . The demonstration was intended to protest the continued presence of heightened security measures at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque.

The demonstrators, who numbered about 30, conducted the late afternoon prayers and some chants.

After half an hour, a young boy began placing flags in the checkpoint fence as several soldiers watched from behind the gate.

Shortly after, without any warning, around 40 heavily-armed soldiers stormed out of the checkpoint, shouting and throwing sound grenades.

The demonstrators scattered in order to avoid being hit by the stun grenades. Soldiers spent about 20 minutes patrolling the nearby area, which is supposedly under full Palestinian control, before heading back through the checkpoint.

Israeli forces in supposedly Palestinian controlled area

Soldiers refused to comment about the reasons for the attack. There were no arrests or injuries.

https://youtu.be/_TMQ1BWZMEQ

Major clashes in Hebron as thousands take to the streets [VIDEO]

24th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-bOe3fXx1o

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of al-Khalil this Friday to protest Israel’s tightening of access restrictions to Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque. The protest was suppressed violently by scores of Israeli soldiers and police, who fired live ammunition indiscriminately into crowds of young men and boys.

Thousands march in Hebron against access restrictions at al-Aqsa mosque

At least 10 Palestinians were wounded with live ammunition, including one young man shot in the stomach, and another near the heart. Many more were wounded by rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas, with hospitals and ambulances struggling to hope. The situation was made worse by Israeli forces storming the nearby hospital once, and twice occupying its entrances.

Hussein Ben Ali stadium, capacity 30,000, overflows with worshippers

The demonstration followed the closure of Hebron’s mosques in solidarity with those unable to worship at al-Aqsa. Instead, worshippers prayed at Hussein Bin Ali stadium before marching down Ain Sarah street towards Bab al-Zawiye.

Demonstrators assemble in Bab al-Zawiya, before being dispersed by tear gas and sound grenades

Once the march reached the market, some children began throwing stones and fireworks at the gate of Checkpoint 56, which separates Palestinians from Shuhada street.

Soldiers responded by storming out of the checkpoint, firing tear gas and throwing sound grenades. Hundreds of demonstrators retreated back up Ain Sarah street as soldiers regrouped in the square with various armoured vehicles. The soldiers then pushed up towards al-Manarah roundabout, meeting a crowd of young men and boys. Soldiers responded to stones with live ammunition, immediately hitting a 20-year old man in the leg.

Palestinians flee live ammunition fired by Israeli forces

Meanwhile, a similar confrontation was occurring on the neighbouring Ain Sarah street, with snipers shooting a 20-year old man in the foot and a 17-year old boy in the leg.

20-year old shot in foot by sniper on Ain Sarah street

Soldiers and police continued to fire tear gas and .22 calibre ammunition at the crowd, until a volley of stones forced them to retreat towards Bab al-Zawiye.

A man is bundled into an ambulance under live fire from Israeli forces

A second offensive, however, saw Israeli forces push back towards Alia mosque. Palestinian youths continued to throw stones at the heavily-armed soldiers and police, who then sent out a water cannon to spray the boys with chemically-treated, foul-smelling ‘skunk’ water.

Israeli forces shoot foul-smelling skunk water onto Palestinian teenagers

Soldiers pursued the water cannon, and chased protesters into Queen Alia hospital, surrounding it for more than half an hour.

In the mean time, around 60 soldiers and border police pushed forward and assembled with several vehicles at the intersection, while roughly 20 more occupied the roofs of nearby residential buildings.

Smoke billows above Ain Sarah street from a tyre-fire below

Three teenage boys who had been watching the protest from their roof were blindfolded, handcuffed and detained by soldiers that stormed their building.

Three boys are blindfolded, handcuffed and arrested

A group of young Palestinians continued throwing stones at the Israeli forces, as well as rolling flaming tyres down the hill towards them. As soldiers began to push up the hill, Palestinians watching from the hospital parking lot barricaded themselves in, but without success. Doctors asked the soldiers, who were now occupying hospital grounds for a third time in one afternoon, to leave.

Israeli forces assemble at the bottom of a hill

Eventually the soldiers retreated back down the hill, regrouping with the border police and other soldiers. Despite Palestinian teenagers continuing to throw stones and tyres down the hill, Israeli forces began to head back to their bases. Local youths followed them as they made their way back to Bab al-Zawiye and Checkpoint 56.

Army Jeep leaves Ain Sarah street following the clash

Farmers protest damaging movement restrictions

19th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Deir al-Ghusun, occupied Palestine

Around 150 farmers in Deir al-Ghusun held a protest last Sunday against Israel’s travel restrictions, which were preventing them from accessing their fields.

Farmers protest movement restrictions in the West Bank

The apartheid wall runs near the town, meaning that farmers require travel permits from the Israeli army in order to travel the short distance from their homes to their fields. The Israeli army have been refusing to renew permits for the farmers for three months now. If this continues, the locals estimate that within two months no one will have a permit. One farmer at the demonstration used to have 14 permits for him and his workers, but now has just one. This means that he is forced to work the land by himself, a difficult task for a man of his age.

Two soldiers guarded the gate as members of the press interviewed the farmers. Israeli activists held signs reading ‘Agriculture is our livelihood, we want our permits back!’, and tried to engage with the soldiers.

Israeli activists protest movement restrictions of farmers in the West Bank

After around two hours, the local military commander arrived in a large Jeep with several escorts, and talked to several demonstrators through the gate. Eventually, five farmers with permits were allowed through. When they returned, the demonstrators dispersed.

Local military commander arrives to speak with demonstrators

Shortly after, in a meeting at the local municipality building, the mayor explained to activists and residents what the outcome of negotiations had been. He said that soldiers had promised to begin renewing applications within the next week, but that all 1,800 applications made in this municipality had to be re-submitted, with farmers paying the necessary administrative costs. Those present expressed skepticism at this promise, and agreed that demonstrations would continue if the promise was broken.

Activists and residents discuss the outcome of negotiations with the local mayor

The effect of the wall on the local economy has been devastating. Where it used to take two minutes for a farmer to reach his land, it now takes thirty – if he manages to acquire a permit. One farmer at the demonstration has olive trees only 40 meters from his home, but it takes him four hours to reach as he must travel by foot, with his olives, through a checkpoint.

While agriculture permits are free, farmers do have to pay administrative costs. Large areas of farmland are now barren a result of the time, money and permission required to reach them. Across the West Bank, in areas of land adjacent to illegal settlements, Israel has refused to grant permits whatsoever due to undisclosed “security issues”.

Soldier locks the gate on the fence separating farmers from their land

The situation in Deir al-Ghusun is mirrored in towns and villages throughout the West Bank, with thousands of farmers affected. The requirement for Palestinian farmers to obtain permits to travel to land located just meters from the wall is despite the fact that the wall is built two kilometers inside Israeli-recognized Palestinian territory.

Explosions and arrest in Old City of occupied al-Khalil

18th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Israeli soldiers have arrested 19 year old Ahmed Fayez in Hebron’s Old City. The teenager was working with friends when soldiers approached the group, demanding to see their IDs. When Fayez showed his, he was arrested and taken towards Beit Romano military base. He was not seen being taken into the base itself, but rather was taken to Shuhada street, where he was last seen.

The majority of Shuhada Street is ethnically cleansed of Palestinian presence and only accessible for settlers living in the illegal settlements in the heart of Hebron’s old city and international tourists. The once thriving Palestinian market connecting south and north of the city is now only “accessible” for Palestinians if they are arrested and brought to the military base there.

Immediately prior to the arrest, soldiers, border police and civil authorities had been conducting small detonations in a parking lot nearby. The purpose of these was unclear.