15th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Bethlehem, occupied Palestine
The Prisoners Club held a demonstration and march to the illegal apartheid wall on Sunday afternoon to demand the return of the bodies of martyrs held unjustly by the colonial occupying Zionist State of Israel.
The Zionist Israeli forces often take the bodies of murdered Palestinian martyrs and hold them, usually for long periods of time, threatening to bury them in unmarked graves in the cemetery of numbers if Palestinian resistance continues. The families want the bodies of their loved ones returned for funeral and burial.
The demonstration and march was attended by well over 150 Palestinian men, women and children along with several internationals.
After the march to the illegal colonial apartheid wall, as the group was leaving, the Israeli occupation forces opened the gate in the wall with several military vehicles and began to fire tear gas, sound grenades and rubber coated steel bullets into and at the crowd. A handful of people were minimally affected by teargas with no medical treatment needed and no other injuries reported. The clash lasted about one and half hours.
Over 150 demonstrators demand return of martyrs bodies in Bethlehem.Children out in force at Bethlehem demonstration demanding return of martyrs’ bodies.Demonstration continues after march to apartheid wall in Bethlehem.Demonstrators carry symbolic coffins, demanding return of martyrs’ bodies in Bethlehem.Demonstrators call for support from upcoming Paris conference.Protesters at the apartheid wall demanding the release of martyrs’ bodies in occupied Bethlehem.A boy runs after tear gas canister and throws it back at Bethlehem demonstration.Tear gas fired by Israeli forces fills the street in Bethlehem following demonstration.
13th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine
The Friday demonstration against the illegal wall in Kafr Qaddum was attended by over 100 Palestinians along with numerous pro-Palestinian Israelis and other internationals.
Two days prior to the demonstration, the villagers were told if there was the usual demonstration on Friday, everyone would be arrested.
There were two surprises this Friday. A high ranking female member of the Palestinian authority (PA) attended the demonstration. Prior to the march she spoke to those gathered about the importance of continued activism and protests against the illegal colonial settlements and apartheid wall.
The second surprise was the Israeli occupation forces made no arrests and in fact only a handful of soldiers were seen about 500 metres from the demonstration. It is only speculation on the part of this writer but this may have been due to the PA official being present at the demonstration. There were no shots fired and no injuries reported.
At the Friday demonstration a week earlier in Kafr Qaddum, a 7-year old boy was kidnapped by Israeli forces and interrogated before being returned to his family a couple of hours later. The boy has said that soldiers threatened to kill his father if he did not cooperate.
Village leader addresses demonstration in Kafr Qaddum.Member of the Palestinian Authority addresses the demonstration in Kafr Qaddum.Children out in force at demonstration in Kafr Qaddum.Over 100 villagers protesting illegal apartheid wall in Kafr Qaddum.The Palestinian flag still continues to fly in Kafr Qaddum.Blocking the road to Israeli forces with burning tires.Illegal colonial settlements built on stolen land right next to village of Kafr Qaddum.7-year old kidnapped by Israeli forces in Kafr Qaddum at the previous week’s demonstration.
13th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On Friday the 13th of January, during the Friday noon prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque in occupied Hebron (al-Khalil), large numbers of Palestinians were delayed on their way to the prayer, and subjected to ID checks, bag searches and random detainments, carried out by Israeli forces.
Friday is the sixth day in the Islamic week, and as such it represents the day of congregation. It was a day celebrated by the prophet Muhammed, who declared the prayer of Jummah (the noon prayer on Fridays) as a weekly eid. And as such, it is important to many muslims that they are able to go their local mosque, receive the readings from their Imam, and perform the prayer.
Since the Ibrahimi mosque (the fourth holiest sights within Islam) is located in occupied Hebron (al-Khalil), muslim citizens of Hebron attend the Friday prayer here – though not without obstacles. At every entrance to the mosque, checkpoints are put in place, and a new ones built. It is impossible to enter the mosque without first passing through a metal detector and worshippers risk being detained till the prayer is over, which happens often.
On Friday the 13th, two ISM volunteers were stationed at the checkpoint located in the old city, in order to monitor and report back on the number of detainees and other violations of the right to free movement. 38 adult males had their IDs checked by a soldier and 10 were detained. On top of this, 9 boys where detained and had their IDs checked, while one female had her bag searched. Having already waited in line, about sixty individuals in total were hindered from entering to the mosque freely.
The weekly oppression at the Friday noon prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque, is one of many examples of how Israeli forces suppress the Palestinian people’s right to freedom of religion.
Palestinians waiting in line at the checkpoint
Israeli forces detain and ID check Palestinian male.
Group of Palestinian men being detained at the checkpoint.
16th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Israeli forces on Sunday, 15th January 2017, have put up new barbed wire at the edge of an Islamic cemetery in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), showing no respect for the graves.
The Islamic cemetery is located alongside Shuhada Street in the heart of the city. After the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994, in which an Israeli settler killed 29 Palestinians praying inside Ibrahimi Mosque, Shuhada Street was slowly but steadily ethnically cleansed of Palestinians by the Israeli forces. Nowadays, the larger part of the road, once the main thorourghfare and market of al-Khalil, is completely forbidden for Palestinians, whose presence has been outlawed by the Israeli forces. Only a tiny strip near Shuhada checkpoint remains, where Palestinians are allowed to walk, but not to drive any kind of vehicles, including ambulances. Shuhada Street is a clear example of the Israeli forces’ steady measures of ethnic cleansing.
The Islamic cemetery borders directly onto the larger section of Shuhada Street where Palestinian presence is entirely outlawed, as the main illegal settlements in downtown al-Khalil are situated here. On Sunday, Israeli forces installed extra layers of barbed-wire at the side of the cemetery bordering Shuhada Street. During a break, soldiers were sitting on grave-stones, without any respect for the dignity and peace of the dead, or their loved ones’ feelings as they see the occupying army stomping through the cemetery, ‘resting’ on grave-stones and lying barbed-wire on the graves. Israeli forces in the past have repeatedly bluntly disregarded this cemetery as a resting place, regularly conducting military exercise inside the cemetery.
Israeli soldier comfortably sitting down ongrave-stone in Islamic cemetery. Photo credit: Zleikha Muhtaseb
13th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Gaza, occupied Palestine
January 13th, 2017 marks the 13th anniversary of British ISM activist, Tom Hurndall’s, death. He was shot in the head by Israeli forces in Gaza, while working with other ISM members to peacefully protest the shooting by Israeli forces in the Yibna district of Rafah. Human Rights Watch interviewed witnesses of the shooting. One witness remembers:
“Tom was standing in between me and Laura. There were two girls playing behind the barrier, very frightened; they did not know how to speak. So Tom walked forward and led them back down the street. Then he returned. He saw a boy behind the barrier. I saw him too, Salim Barhum. I wonder if I could have helped him more… . Tom went towards the boy, about two to three meters forward. The boy was stunned, petrified. Tom went to carry him, bent towards him with his arms out. Then he fell as a bullet hit him, and blood and brains began to pour onto his chest.”
Tom Hurdall after being shot by Israeli forces Photo credit: silviacattori.net
Hurndall was wearing a fluorescent vest so he would not be mistaken for a combatant. The official report, however, claims that the commander who killed Hurndall saw a man wearing camouflage and moving towards the soldiers while shooting: the soldier claimed that he simply returned fire. A formal investigation was not opened until months after Hurndall was shot, after immense pressure from Israeli Human Rights groups, the media, and Hurndall’s family.
The investigation was carried out by the Israeli military, while Hurndall was in a coma. It claimed that the causes of Hurndall’s injuries were uncertain. This investigation ignored the numerous eyewitness reports; it was based entirely on the testimony of the commander, who killed Hurndall, and a soldier who was in the area. The majority of the official investigation report focuses on Palestinian attacks and condemns ISM activity. The part of the report that actually describes the shooting, gives an incorrect location—claiming that Hurndall was closer to the military outpost.
The investigation was reopened after Hurndall’s death due to pressure from the British Foreign Office and the Hurndalls. The commander, Sgt. Taysir, was found guilty of manslaughter and admitted to lying about Hurndall having a weapon. He also explained that he was given orders to fire at unarmed people. Taysir was sentenced to only 8 years in prison for manslaughter and obstruction of justice. He was released from prison early—in 2010—for good behavior.
The pressure from foreign governments and Hurndall’s family forced the Israeli military to take some action and assume responsibility. But the short sentencing and early release cause one to question if this is really justice. When we remember Hurndall today, we should realize that the fight for justice and peace is not over. The Israeli forces continue to act irresponsibly and aggressively towards civilians. When Palestinians are killed, the Israeli forces are rarely pressured to investigate and convict those responsible.
