Category: Reports

Clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians in Ramallah

by Sousan Hammad,

I’m sitting in the ISC office in Ramallah. I get a phone call from one of the workers of the organization. I really could not understand what he was saying. He was yelling, “Don’t go outside, they are closing off the streets and the Israeli army are coming, whatever you do, don’t go outside!”….well I went outside..

There were tanks, jeeps and hummers. A line of 20, each following one another. I couldn’t believe this was happening in front of me. The streets are chaotic, everyone running in between buildings to get away from the line of fire. There are more gun shots. I could not make out the other sounds..maybe bombs? I dont know. I ask all those around me what is going on. Everyone was on their cell phone. At this very moment, less than 100 feet ahead of me a van is lit on fire. A black cloud of smoke fills the streets. I hear more and more gunfire. This time it does not stop. I am hearing different stories from different people.

“Two Palestinians were kidnapped by undercover Israeli Special Forces..” No….”Two undercover Israeli Special Forces were kidnapped and are being held in that building over there” Ok Ok, so which when do I want to believe? Sadly, the first one turned out to be the story.


Damaged van (apparently belonging to the Israeli death squad)

The van that was on fire was the vehicle that the two undercover Israeli men came in with. I realized I didn’t have my camera, so I run back to the office to grab my camera. I go back, camera in hand, and get in the middle of the action. At this point, hundreds of young men were throwing rocks and shooting at the Israeli vehicles. The Israelis retaliated with more power, bullets and anger. Everytime the Israelis shot, everyone scattered back behind buildings, waited a few seconds, and then went back to throwing rocks and some were shooting back. The ambulances were in and out. More cars destroyed. More bullets and this battle seemed never-ending.

They finally left after arresting the one Palestinian whom the undercover officers came for in the first place. They came for two, killed one and took the other alive. As soon as the streets were clear everyone runs in, including medics, to pick up more of the wounded. I see blood on the hands of men who were helping pick up the bodies. Some shops were destroyed. What did the shopkeepers and innocent bystanders do to deserve this? What did the Palestinians do to deserve this?

Just when things began to settle down, the marching began. This part almost made me cry, everyone was yelling “Allahu-Akbar!” (God is Greatest) and marching in solidarity. After 35 were injured and 3 dead. They still had the strength to wave the Palestinian flag. I guess the ritual continues from here on.

To get on Sousan’s e-mail list, send a request to sousan@solidaritydesign.com

ICAHD: “Don’t Say ‘We Didn’t Know'”

A message from the Israeli committee against home demolitions:

A few years ago Zakya from the village Zita donated a kidney to her brother. It didn’t help and he passed away due to delays in the granting of permits for continuation of the treatments. This was at the beginning of the Intifada. Today Zakya’s income feeds and clothes her sister-in-law, her four children (aged 2-12) and also her elderly parents.

Zakya’s main source of income is her land. The construction of the separation fence passes near her village, about 3km from the Green Line, has left around 500 dunam (out of the total village land of 1000 dunam) on the other side of the fence. Therefore Zakya is forced to walk 10km to pass through the gate in the fence and arrive at her land, which is around 500 meters from her home. Additionally, her permits are occasionally not reviewed and she is entirely prevented from reaching her land.

Bil’in Protest: Journalists Targeted, Many Injured


Hitham al-Khateeb, who was filming the demonstration, suffered a skull fracture from a tear gas canister

Today Friday May 19, 2006, the army escalated its violent tactics against non-violent protestors in Bil’in, leaving 26 people injured, including Hitham al-Khateeb, who was filming the demonstration, suffered a fracture in his skull from a tear gas canister to the head and is in the intensive care unit of Ramallah Governmental Hospital. Israeli soldiers often aim teargas canisters directly at demonstrators, a practice against the Israeli militaries regulations. The soldiers also regularly target people filming the demonstration.

Seven Palestinians were arrested; two Israelis and two internationals, all have been released.

The people of Bil’in, with international and Israeli peace activists, marched to the Apartheid Wall to protest the confiscation of their land by the Wall. Non-violent demonstrators carried a banner and held signs illustrating the connection between the villages that were destroyed in 1948 Nakba, and the villages that are being torn apart by the building of the Wall today.

Using a large carpet thrown over the fence, thirty protestors crossed the barbed wire that separates Bil’in villagers from their land and entered onto the patrol road. They attempted to exercise their right to enter their own land and sit on the road, but the Army and the Border Police immediately responded with sound grenades, tear gas, rubber bullets and beating. The protestors were forced to spread out, but continued to stand their ground for one hour despite many arrests and serious injuries.

They continued to fire tear gas and sound bombs at the crowd as they evacuated the patrol road and as they were leaving the area. And at 6pm the army continued to fire at people in the area, wounding Amer Hisham, 21, and Abnafez Abdel Karim, 15, with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the legs and back, who were also taken to the hospital in Ramallah.

The names of the 7 Palestinians that were taken to the hospital are: Hitham Al-Khateeb, Akram Khateeb, Ahmad Mohammad Hassan, Ratib Abu Rahme, Samer Burnat, Mohammad Monsour, Adeeb Abu Rahme. Others that were injured are: Mazen Ahmed Yasin, Mujahed Abdul Rahman Said, Jowad Amran Khateeb, Fuad Mohammad Samara, Jabber Muhammad Abu Rahme, and Nimer Abu Rahme.

Four children were injured, all 14 years old: Karasam Barakat Khateeb, Ali Omar Khateeb, Mohammad Fathi Abu Rahme, Salem Abdul Kareem Mansour.

The journalists that were injured are Eyad Hammad from AP, Musheer Karakrah from Ma’an News Network, and Abbas Almomani from AFP. The two internationals injured were Victor from Sweden and Allan from Scotland.

The Palestinians that were arrested were all released, and names are: Muhammad Khateeb, Abdul Fattah Burnat, Mujahed A’ashal, Muhammad Khaleel Abu Rahme, Basem Ahmad Aisa, Ahmad Zohad A’ashal, Naseer Samara. 5 Israelis and 2 internationals.

Non-Violent Demonstration Against the Wall in Ar-Ram Attacked by Israeli Military

by ISM Media Office volunteers

Saturday 13th May: Around 800 Palestinian and 200 Israeli and international demonstrators, representing a broad coalition of people, united in a march to call for the dismantling of the Apartheid Wall in the Palestinian town of Ar-Ram, just north of Jerusalem. With the participation of schoolchildren, teachers, neighborhood residents and representatives of all the different Palestinian political parties, it was carefully prepared as a non-violent protest. It was well disciplined, with a line of organizers at the front of the march preventing any impatient youth from provoking a confrontation with the soldiers.

The large, peaceful march was headed by a children’s marching band. Despite this, it was violently attacked when Israeli Border Police shot round after round of tear gas at the demonstrators as it approached a checkpoint, forcing demonstrators to flee for cover in nearby homes. Chief Muslim Cleric, Sheikh Taiseer Tamimmi, Palestine Chief Justice, was among the injured, IMEMC reported. A few children in the crowd then responded with rocks to the tear gas attack. As is their standard practice, the Border Police afterwards lied to the press, saying that they were attacked by the demonstrators, and it seems that all the press (including al-Jazeera) took their lies at face value. We have photos and video footage proving that the demonstration was peaceful and was attacked by the Israeli soldiers.

The Border Police continued to shoot tear gas preventing protesters from regrouping. They also denied the entry to many Israeli activists through Ar-Ram checkpoint from Jerusalem, forcing some to crawl through the fence and others to hold a solidarity protest on the other side of the fence.

In conjunction with the regular Israeli police, the Border Police arrested 11 people – 7 Palestinians and 4 Israelis, including one man who it seemed was arrested for carrying the Palestinian flag. They also confiscated the protestor’s signs saying they wanted them “for evidence”. The three Israelis were all released that afternoon, but all the Palestinians were accused of stone throwing (supposedly “endangering people’s lives”) and participating in an “illegal protest”. They were taken to the Russian Compound jail in West Jerusalem and held overnight. All seven were released today (the 14th) on condition that they will have to return to court if the state decides that they will be procede with prosecution.

The Wall divides the main street of Ar-Ram in two. Contrary to the myth popular in the Israeli and international press, the main effect of the Wall is to divide Palestinians from each other, because it is built within Palestinian territory, and not on the internationally recognized 1949 armistice border, or “Green Line”. It has critically damaged the life of the residents of Ar-Ram. It has divided families, stopped workers from reaching their workplace and cut off teachers and students from their schools; in fact, three schools have already been forced to close.

The mayor, Sirhan Al-Salaimeh, stated after the demonstration that Palestinians will continue their joint activities with Israelis and internationals against the occupation and the wall and for a peace that is just for both peoples.

This was a continuation of demonstrations organized by a broad coalition of forces in the Jerusalem area including: the Ar-Ram Counsel, the Public Committee to Resist the Wall in the Jerusalem district (which represents districts and villages surrounding Jerusalem on both sides of the wall), the Concord for Jerusalem, the Islamic and National Parties in the Jerusalem area, the Palestinian National Initiative (former Presidential candidate and Palestinian MP Mustafa Bhargouti’s party), The Stop the Wall campaign, the International Solidarity Movement, Anarchists Against the Wall, Gush Shalom, Ta’ayush, and other Israeli peace organizations.

Two videos from the demo:

For pictures see:
ISM site: www.palsolidarity.org
Wafa News Agency: http://www.wafa.ps/morephoto.asp?group=1437
Gush Shalom site: www.gush-shalom.org

For more information or to arrange for video footage contact:
ISM Media office 02 297 1824

Shabbat+new soldiers+settlers=ouch!

By Mary, a 75 year-old ISM volunteer in Tel Rumeida

Shabbat, new soldiers and violent settlers make a very unpleasant day.

At 11am, I was at the Tel Rumeida crossing waiting for children to come from the Qurduba school. The Palestinian Abu Aeshah girls, who live near the Israeli Tel Rumeida settlement came. I accompanied them towards the settlement. The soldier outside the settlement told me to stop and go back. I said that I would go back if he would watch the girls to their house. There were Israeli settler children outside. They often attack the Palestinian children. The soldier seemed more interested in watching me than the children and did not help.

At 11.15am the Al Azzeh children arrived. They walk along a track next to the settlement. There were settler children at the entrance to the settlement, so an EAPPI human rights worker walked up to the track with them. The settler children started to throw stones at the Palestinian children so other EAPPI human rights workers and I went up too to stand between the Palestinians and the stones. The soldiers tried to push the children back to the crossing for safety instead of controlling about 8 settler children, who were throwing stones. I came between the soldier and 14 year old Janette. It is not right that an eighteen year old soldier should be standing with his body so close to a young girl, who is already under attack. More soldiers came but the stone throwing continued further along the track and the Palestinian children were not able to pass. Three TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) workers arrived to observe the incident. Finally the police were called and came quickly. They were able to control the situation and the children were able to reach their homes.

I told the police and soldiers that there would be other children needing to pass from 12.30 to 1.30pm. The police said that the soldiers would look after this and that they would be patrolling. TIPH agreed to stay until all the children were home.

At 12.35pm, one of the Abu Aeshah boys arrived. I walked with him up towards the settlement. There were now two soldiers on duty outside the Tel Rumeida settlement. They would not let me pass and were watching me instead of the Palestinian boy. I finally convinced one of them to look the other way. The boy got home safely but Israeli settler children were beginning to come to the entrance of the settlement and waiting.

At 1.00pm, Samir Abu Aeshah arrived. I walked with him towards the settlement followed by another international with a camera. Israeli settler children came out of the settlement. Girls came right up to us abusing and yelling at us. Twenty young settler boys threw stones at us. I was hit several times. There were eight soldiers who pushed us back towards the crossing. They did not stop the stone throwing and tried to stop any filming. Samir Abu Aeshah ran to hide in his uncle’s house. Another six soldiers arrived and attacked our person who was filming. They also attacked a woman from TIPH, who was taking photos. Israel recognizes TIPH and they are allowed film anywhere. I was being hit by stones. As a soldier was telling me to go back, settler boys were coming round behind me and throwing large rocks at my back. I was then hit on the head with a rock. Settler children were now nearly to the crossing and still attacking and I was outside my house.

I called the DCO, saying that I had been hit with 12 stones and rocks and had been hit on the head. The woman on the line agreed with me that this should not happen. Another army jeep arrived. There were now twenty soldiers, about twenty violent young settler boys, ten abusive settler girls and many settler adults including Sara Marzel (wife of Baruch Marzell, founder of the ultra-extremist Chayil Party (Jewish National Front) ). Some of the soldiers started grabbing the boys who resisted and kept throwing stones. The girls kept coming right up to me and abusing me. The settler adults watched and did nothing to help or control their children. I called the police. When they came they were able to control the situation but there was still no way to get Samir Abu Aeshah home.

Some of the Israeli settler children and adults walked to the Jewish cemetery followed by an army jeep. I went in the Israeli police jeep to make a complaint. Sometime later, Samir came out of hiding and walked home by himself, with no support from the soldiers.