Category: Reports

Settler Violence Against Human Rights Observers and Palestinians in Hebron

Tel Rumeida, Incident Report by Sarah

After the main group of settlers had passed us on the hill, Moran and I followed the rest of them up to the intersection at the top of the hill where many of them were milling around.

We wondered where Eva and Sarah were. We later found out that they had been forced into the shop by the crowd of settlers chanting “death to the arabs” and by the soldiers. The store keepers had bolted the door and showed them the back way out and they had made their way to the stairs of the apartment.

Moran and I observed about 10 small settler boys (of varying ages between 6 and 12) throwing stones up toward our apartment and yelling (although we could not understand what). We thought they knew it was the internationals’ apartment and were just generally showing hostility, but we realised later they had seen Eva and Sarah and that is who they were yelling at.

An apparently senior member of the settler group with a long beard and prayer shawl aged about 50 was shooing the boys away, and three police officers were also scattering the boys.

After less than 5 minutes one of the police approached us and spoke Hebrew to Moran: they told us to get out of here for our safety.

We returned a short way back past the soldier station down the hill and watched until the group dispersed in both directions (towards the tombs and Tel Remeida settlement).

Generally it was a very intimidating day with settlers harranguing us and the boys spitting on us (I got big green ones on 3 different occasions during the day). I also witnessed Galit intervene to stop a settler girl (around 15 years old) from touching a Palestinian child, and the girl slapped her. She was walking with a family group consisting of parents, baby carriage, a small boy and 2 teenage girls. Settler parents of often actively encourage their children to assault Palestinians and stand with them as they stone Palestinian children.

Gaza occupation continues after disengagement

From the CNI Foundation

The Israeli settlers have left, but the siege of Palestinian towns and villages in Gaza that lie near the old settlements continues unabated, according the latest report of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.

The Israeli Defense Forces razed houses and leveled areas on the eastern border with Israel. They have limited the number of Palestinians from using the international border at Rafah – the only way Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are able to gain access to the international world. All Palestinians between the ages of 16 and 35 are prohibited from leaving Gaza, for example, a prohibition that has been in effect for some time.

Unspecified attacks and sometimes unreported attacks are taking place against Palestinian civilians, for example, a 19-year-old living in Rafah, which was reported on a Rafah blog site. The PCHR reported paralyzing roadblocks on the main road of the Gaza Strip. “Thousands of Palestinian civilians were seen waiting at the roadsides to travel between the north and south of the Gaza Strip.” Moreover, the occupation in the West Bank continues at full force. During the period August 25-31, PCHR reported more than 30 military incursions into the West Bank, the raiding of private houses and arrest of civilians. The Israeli military continues to raze houses that have been constructed “without permits,” and to confiscate land for checkpoints. In Hebron, where Israli settlers have attacked Palestinians repeatedly, a new attack took place on August 25. According to PCHR, they “threw stones and empty bottles at a house belonging to Mohammed Hamed Abu ‘Eisha. They also demolished the fence of the house. The Israeli military were present in the area, but did not intervene to stop this attack. The house was damaged.”

This Week in Palestine: August 29 – September 4

Compiled by Women for Palestine

The following information has been obtained from various sources, notably the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the Electronic Intifada, the International Middle East Media Centre, Ramallah Online and others.

NORTHERN GAZA
Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Israeli soldiers arrested two Palestinian children from the northern part of the Gaza Strip whom they believed entered Doughti settlement, which was demolished by the army. The two children were not identified.

Sunday, 04 September 2005
Israeli soldiers arrested one resident in the northern Gaza Strip after he tried to cross the border into Israel.

KHAN YOUNIS
Thursday, 01 September 2005
A Palestinian child, Ibrahim Ghanim Al Darawsha, 11, was critically injured, after a settler rammed him in the Al Mawassi area, west of Khan Younis. The child received first aid at Al Mawassi clinic, then was transferred to Nasser Hospital in Kahn Younis, suffering sever head injuries. The settler sped away after ramming the child.

Ahmed Mohammed Al Qarra, 25, was rushed to the Nasser hospital in the city suffering of shrapnel wounds after he was injured by an explosive left by the army went off

SOUTHWEST GAZA
Friday, 02 September 2005
Soldiers shot and injured two residents near a fence surrounding Gush Katif settlement.

JERUSALEM
Tuesday, 30 August 2005
Israeli Border Guards policemen and agents of the Israeli security broke into a residential building in al Suwwana neighborhood in Jerusalem, and arrested Ya’coub Mahmoud Abu Asab, 33, after breaking into his home and the homes of his uncle, brother and several apartments in the building. Ya’coub was transferred to Al Maskoobiyya detention facility in Jerusalem. Soldiers ransacked the home and confiscated video discs, CDs, a computer and other equipment. Troops interrogated several members of Abu Asab family.

Israeli soldiers arrested two Palestinian residents, east of Jerusalem, and attacked a reporter working with WAFA. Rasem Abdul-Wahid, The two residents, along with other reporters and peace activists, were protesting in front of the court against the trial of human rights and civil society activists identified as Ahmed Maslamani, Nasser Abu Khdeir and Rasem O’baidat.

Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Israeli soldiers arrested Mohammad Kayed Al Yamani, 26, from Hebron, at Qalandia checkpoint as he was heading to Ramallah.

Thursday, 01 September 2005
Israeli soldiers sealed off the Qalandia military checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem in a step that would tighten the Israeli grip on the Palestinian crossings between north and south of the West Bank.

BETHLEHEM
Monday, 29 August 2005
The army arrested Anwar Asakra 37 from Al Asakra village east of Bethlehem. Troops stopped Anwar at Al Kontener checkpoint, which blocks the eastern entrance of Bethlehem, detained him for 2 hours and confiscated his ID card. He was then arrested and taken to an unknown destination.

Soldiers stationed at the container checkpoint, which blocks the road linking the north of the West Bank with its southern part, detained and assaulted Jafar Ghadatha 27 from Nahaleen village near Bethlehem as he was going back home on Sunday afternoon. Soldiers then beat him badly before they let him go. Passengers at the checkpoint called the ambulance which took him to the Beit Jala hospital for treatment. He had sustained wounds and bruises in several parts of his body.

HEBRON
The Hebron Reconstruction Committee, in the old city of Hebron, reported that residents of the old city are suffering from the presence of 400 settlers who live there and who are heavily guarded by the army. Their presence is causing daily tension in the city particularly because of the repeated attacks carried out by extremist settlers groups against the city’s Palestinian residents and their properties.

The Committee reported that the residents in the old city are facing harsh living conditions while the settlers continued their attacks and controlled several stores and buildings, especially buildings adjacent to their outposts.

Nearly 800 stores in Hebron have been closed as a result of the attacks. Some of these stores are controlled by the settlers, while 2,200 stores have become inaccessible to the residents as a result of military roadblocks and the presence of settlers outposts.

Recently, Israeli soldiers blocked the entrances of the old city with concrete blocks and iron gates as well as barbed-wire, turning the old city into a big prison and the army is barring Palestinian residents from using several streets in the city, such as Al Shuhada Street, Al Shahla Street, Bab Al-Khan area, and the Old Clothes Market, while the settlers have free access.

The army has also levelled several ancient buildings after barring the Hebron Reconstruction Committee from preserving the buildings, which have historical significance. In spite of these military procedures, the Committee managed to reconstruct 650 flats for the residents, and is currently reconstructing 120 other flats. The committee is also attempting to limit the expansion of illegal settlement outposts, which are surrounding the Palestinian homes and ancient buildings, and is also attempting to help the Palestinian families in that area by providing them with health insurances, and other social services. It has also helped some residents to create projects, which may help to improve the economic situation of the residents.

Several appeals were filed by the committee to the Israeli High Court of Justice, against the attacks carried out by settlers and soldiers against the residents and the buildings. The appeals were filed after the committee managed to report dozens of attacks, and formed a legal committee to file complaints against these attacks, and expose the violations carried out by the settlers.

Monday, 29 August 2005
Israeli soldiers attacked and badly clubbed Hijazi Kamel Al Hammoury, 19, near Al Dabboya settlement in Hebron. He was hospitalized after suffering bruises and fractures to several parts of his body. Soldiers have attacked and harshly clubbed 45 residents in Hebron, including international peace activists, since the beginning of August.

The army arrested Ali Asafra 26 and Mohamed Kamal 22 when its troops invaded the village of Beit Kahel near Hebron. Asafra works as a nurse in the medical clinic in the village and Kamal is a student at Hebron University. Troops supported by several army vehicles invaded the village and conducted wide scale search there before they arrest the two residents.

Tuesday, 30 August 2005
An extremist settlers’ group of the Ramat Yeshai illegal settlement outpost, in Tal Rmeida neighborhood, in the center of Hebron, burnt farmlands planted with olives, almonds, and grapevines. Firefighters tried to extinguish the fire which had already burnt dozens of trees.

The settlers of Ramat Yeshai outpost are known to have recently burnt other farmlands which belong to the Abu Haikal family. And, two days ago, the settlers burnt olive trees and grapevines which belong to Abdul-Khaled and Omar Sa’id.

Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Israeli soldiers decided to close the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, barring Muslim worshipers from entering it. This is in spite of the fact that Thursday marks a Muslim feast. However, Jewish worshippers were allowed to commemorate a Jewish feast on the same day.

Israeli soldiers installed two electronic gates in Tal Rmeida neighborhood and Al Sahla areas in Hebron. Soldiers installed the first gate close to Ramat Yishai illegal settlement outpost, while the second gate was installed near Abu Al Reesh mosque in the old city, close to Abraham Abino settlement outpost. The gates completely isolate dozens of families in Al Sahla and Tal Rmeida.

Saturday, 03 September 2005
The Israeli army took over one house in the old city of Hebron belonging to Amjad Al Rajabi and turned it into a military post after locking the family in one room.

In a separate incident, soldiers sealed all the roads leading to the Hebron University and held scores of residents at the checkpoints; most of the detained residents are students of the university.

Sunday, 04 September 2005
The Israeli army used three Palestinians in Hebron as human shields to break into the house of a Palestinian claimed to be wanted by Israel. This practice defies the Israeli high court of justice which ruled that using civilians as human shields is illegal.

Fifteen soldiers, armed with rifles, machine guns, took over the fourth-floor apartment. The apartment is home to 16 members of the Rajabi family, at least half of them minors. Rajabi and his wife, their children and his son Nabil and his children, live in the house. Soldiers ordered most of the family members to leave but kept hold of three of Rajabi’s sons, Nabil, 30, Raja’i 19 and Najah, 13 in the apartment. These three were used as human shields during the soldiers’ stay, against their will.

JERICHO
Monday, 29 August 2005
Israeli soldiers imposed a curfew over the village of Fasayel, north of Jericho
Soldiers invaded the villageand imposed a curfew barring the residents from leaving their homes. Soldiers threatened to shoot any resident who leaves his home.

TUBAS
Tuesday, 30 August 2005
The army invaded Bardalah Village east of Tubas near Jenin and conducted house-to-house searches and forced the residents out. They collected the numbers of their ID cards.

Thursday, 01 September 2005
Israeli soldiers installed a checkpoint at Al Malaqy Bridge, and searched dozens of vehicles. Also, soldiers detained and interrogated dozens of residents for several hours, no arrests.

Al Malaqy Bridge road links between Al Far’a in Tubas and northern west Bank areas, and also leads to Al Bathan valley and Nablus.

Sunday, 04 September 2005
Israeli soldiers installed a sudden military roadblock, north of Aqaba village near Tubas. Soldiers stopped dozens of vehicles and searched them while inspecting the identity cards of the residents.

Also, soldiers detained dozens of youths for several hours at the checkpoint, arrested two residents and confiscated their cars; the two residents and vehicles were taken towards Tiaseer military checkpoint, east of Tubas, then to an unknown destination.

QALQILYA
Monday, 29 August 2005
The Israeli army invaded the village of Habla south of Qalqilia and searched several houses. The army arrested Mohamed Aodah, 19, and Mohamed Soliman, 22, after searching their family houses.

Tuesday, 30 August 2005
The army levelled the house of Ahmad Tayyim from AL Fondok village east of of Qalqilia.

Friday, 02 September 2005
The Israeli army invaded the village of Azzoun near Qalqilia.

Troops sealed the entrance of the village, broke into and searched the homes of Ra’ed Saleem, Rami Sokkar and Ahmad Abu Asab.

Also soldiers arrested Adwan Mohamed 21 from Qalqilia during his attempt to cross Beit Eeba checkpoint near Nablus.

JENIN
Tuesday, 30 August 2005
The army invaded Anza village, west of Jenin and conducted wide scale searches which included more than 20 houses.

Sunday, 04 September 2005
Israeli soldiers detained Mohammad and Mahmoud Habaiba, who were driving on the Arraba – Jaba’ road west of Jenin and interrogated them for 30 minutes.

TULKAREM
Tuesday, 30 August 2005
The army arrested two residents Ahmad Abu Safia 20 from Tulkarem while heading to AL Najah University in Nablus. They were arrested after soldiers had installed a checkpoint on the Nablus-Tulkarem road.

Also, at another portable checkpoint installed near Araba village, south on the West Bank city of Jenin, troops arrested Nazeh Ja’ar 20 from Tulkarem and took him to unknown destination, local sources reported.

The Army invaded Bal’a village east of Tulkarem, and stormed the residents’ houses. Troops conducted military searches in the village, and broke into the homes of Fawaz Khader, Ala Mohamed, Mohammad Mohammad and Akrama Barabra, and several other surrounding homes. Resident Hayati Salamah, 28, sustained internal bleeding in the head after falling from a cliff while being chased by soldiers.

Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Israeli soldiers invaded Baqa Al Sharqiyya and Qaffeen villages north of Tulkarem. Soldiers fired concussion grenades, and arrested four residents claiming they are Islamic Jihad activists. The arrestees were identified as Mohannad Jabber, 26, years old, Muntesir Kittanah, 31, Ali Tawfeeq, 24, and Osama Ammar, 22 years old .

Saturday, 03 September 2005
The Army stopped scores of Palestinian cars at the southern tunnel road which connects the West Bank city of Tulkarem with its surrounding villages, local sources reported. Soldiers are still delaying the cars and detaining the people, especially school students, without any reason.

Israeli soldiers installed a portable checkpoint at the main entrance of the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Soldiers stopped vehicles, and held and interrogated several residents, but no arrests were made.

The Israeli army invaded the village of Dir AL Ghsoun, north of Tulkarem and broke into the homes of Zaher Hamdan, Hahar Hamdan and Maher Hamdan, after forcing their families out.

RAMALLAH
Tuesday, 30 August 2005
The Israeli army arrested three residents from Beit Leqia north of Ramallah whom the army believes are Islamic Jihad activists.

Friday, 02 September 2005
Israeli soldiers fired gas bombs and concussion grenades at dozens of residents, and International peace activists, before they even started their weekly peaceful protest in Bil’in village, near Ramallah. The army invaded the village, directly after Friday prayers were concluded, one hour before the planned time of the protest and arrested three peace activists. The soldiers placed a curfew on the village.

NABLUS
Monday, 29 August 2005
The army sealed off the West Bank city of Nablus and blocked the movement of residents, ambulances and medical teams.

Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Israeli authorities decided to annex 1000 Dunams of family orchards which belong to residents of Dir Al Hatab and Azmout, east of Nablus. Soldiers placed banners at the entrance of the village informing the residents of intentions to annex farmlands which belong to the residents. The lands belong to the families of Hussein, Hammad, Shihada, and Ismail, from Dir Al Hatab, and to residents Fleih and Faleh Abu Haasan, from Azmout village. The residents have not been allowed to enmter their lands since 2000. Settlers in the nearby Alon Moreh settlement burnt dozens of olive trees last month after barring the residents from reaching their orchards. Residents fear that the annexation orders are part of a plan to expand the settlement in order to place news settlers who were evacuated from Gaza.

Thursday, 01 September 2005
Soldiers arrested a 16-year-old Palestinian child, along a road south of Nablus claiming that he was armed with a makeshift rifle and a magazine.

Saturday, 03 September 2005
Israeli soldiers invaded Balata refugee camp in Nablus and broke into the home of Abdul-Hameed Al Teerawy, searching for his son Jamal, who works as a P.A security officer.

Israeli soldiers arrested Amin Ahamd Bsharat, at Zaatara checkpoint, near Nablus as he was heading back to his village Tammoun near Ramallah. Bsharat was taken to an unknown destination.

Sunday, 04 September 2005
Israeli soldiers invaded Askar refugee camp, near Nablus, and conducted military searches of homes. No arrests were made.
Women for Palestine is a network of Australian women who stand for nonviolence and human rights in the Middle East.

Soldiers in Bil’in

ISM Media Office

At 2:30 am, two jeeps and 20 soldiers invaded Bil’in, taking photos and walking through the village. They went to a family’s home and asked questions. In addition, they stopped Abdullah, who had gotten up to investigate, and asked him what was going on in Bil’in.

The soldiers also asked the two internationals whether they lived in the village and what organization they were working with. They told Abdullah they knew who he was, but they weren’t going to arrest him.

As of this writing, a jeep has prevented the two internationals and Abdullah from following the soldiers, some of whom are still in the village.

Tel Rumeida – Stones & Struggle

By Joe Carr

The Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron is a major flashpoint of tension between Palestinians and Israeli colonial settlers. Around forty Israeli soldiers protect over sixty of the most racist and violent of Israeli settlers, forcing over one thousand Palestinians (whose families have lived in Tel Rumeida for hundreds of years) to live in a virtual prison. Fences, walls, and checkpoints block every entrance to Tel Rumeida, and there are Israeli soldier posts throughout the neighborhood. The closures make commerce virtually impossible, and it is difficult for any non-residents to visit their Tel Rumeida friends and family. Many families have moved out for this reason alone.

Even more troublesome than the constant prison-camp conditions are the fanatical settlers who regularly harass and attack their Palestinian neighbors. Palestinians live in a constant state of terror from being beaten, stoned, robbed, and threatened with guns but they refuse to be forced out of their homes or let it interfere with their daily life.

Several international activists from the Tel Rumeida Project live fulltime in Tel Rumeida. They work with volunteers from the International Solidarity Movement, Ecumenical Accompaniment Program for Palestine & Israel, the Christian Peacemaker Teams, and a variety of Israeli groups to accompany, document, and physically intervene to deter Israeli attacks and pressure authorities to better protect Palestinians and prosecute criminal settlers. Israeli soldiers and settlers regularly harass, threaten, intimidate, and stone the international and Israeli activists, but Palestinian children say they now feel safer playing outside their homes.

Even more encouraging, is the potential for a progressive change in the climate. Unlike other accompaniment groups, the goal of the Tel Rumeida Project is to support and empower Palestinians as they stand up against this colonial oppression.

For instance, last Saturday we got a call that settler children were throwing rocks at Palestinian passers-by. When we arrived, we found five 9-13 year-old settler boys hanging out in the Israeli military post. Palestinians immediately came out of their houses to tell us how the settler boys had just stoned them while the soldiers watched. The settler boys started throwing more rocks, some from inside the military post, and we began arguing with the soldiers that they should protect the Palestinians (supposedly a part of their job). The soldiers argued with eachother about what to do while we supported the Palestinians, including a mother and daughter, as they confronted the settler boys. Palestinians yelled at the settlers and soldiers for putting them through all this, and the Israelis were visibly intimidated. More settler children came out and began throwing stones, so we stood in front of the Palestinians. I got hit pretty hard in the leg, but the soldiers started trying to stop the settler boys, which made the soldiers a target for their stones. The situation escalated, but our presence supported the Palestinians’ expression of their outrage and prevented Israeli soldiers from repressing this Palestinian resistance.

Cordova School is a Palestinian girls’ school located directly across from Israeli settlement apartments and a settler school. Settler children often harass Palestinian students and teachers as they pass by. Yesterday was the first day of school for Palestinians, so we brought a team of internationals and media to accompany the children. Two Israeli military jeeps and a police jeep arrived shortly after us. All in all, there were 25 internationals, 12 soldiers, and four police officers to get around 100 Palestinian girls to school.

There were fewer internationals and soldiers for the girls’ afternoon walk home, and the settlers escalated their attacks. They threw stones and eggs from their apartment windows, while others hollered insults and threatened us. The Israeli police (who’s job it is to arrest settler law-breakers) also became a target of the settler violence, but they did nothing to stop it. We continued patrolling the area for the rest of the day, trying to have a presence in all the areas where settlers and Palestinians interact. “We’re like human security cameras,” one activist commented, “we never let the settlers out of our sight until we know another international can see them”.

A little before 2pm, several internationals had to leave and we went out to meet their replacements. On our way back in, we got stopped at the recently upgraded Tel Rumeida checkpoint. What used to be a green tower with concrete blockades is now a fortified trailer with metal detectors and electronic sliding doors. They’ve even tried to make it prettier by painting it to look like the white stone of the surrounding ancient buildings. An Israeli soldier at the checkpoint said that they would no longer allow in any internationals that are part of organizations, “Only tourists and residents” he said. We tried to explain that we are residents and have a house in Tel Rumeida, but because he had seen us doing accompaniment and documentation work he refused us entry. To go around the checkpoint, we had to wind through back allies, scale a wall, and crawl under grapevines.

During this time, a group of settlers took advantage of our absence and attacked several Palestinians. We found a 13-year-old Palestinian boy with cuts and bruises on his arms and stomach. He said a group of around 20 settlers in their late teens had surrounded him and beat him with sticks for around ten minutes. Other settler youths threw large stones a group of Palestinians, injuring an older Palestinian woman’s leg. We accompanied the Palestinians to file reports with the police, and then became more diligent with our patrols.

Things came to a head around 5pm, when a large group of settler children, some in masks, (observed from the hill by their parents and other settler adults), began throwing large stones and other debris at Palestinians, internationals, and Israeli soldiers in the area. One international was injured on her hand when she blocked a sharp rock from hitting her head. When the police arrived, the settlers briefly dispersed but then quickly regrouped. They began intensely stoning the police, who did nothing but videotape and stay in the protection of their armored jeeps. More police arrived and drove into the settlement area, and eventually an officer grabbed a settler boy. A small riot ensued, and settlers attacked the police officers.

Later in the evening, Palestinians reported that settler boys intensely stoned two Palestinian homes. Saturday, the Jewish holy day Shabbat, is a busy day for settler religious fanatics.

All in all, we hope that the settlers now know that their days of terrorizing Palestinians with impunity are over. Though the Israeli violence continues, Palestinians are now armed with international and Israeli activists, cameras, video-cameras, potential lawsuits, and contacts with the international community. I feel privileged to be able to stand with Palestinians in their struggle, it’s an honor to be stoned along side them.

Read Joe’s blog, Lovinrevolution.