Category: Reports - Page 85 - International Solidarity Movement

‘We are strong and we will be free’ – Hashem Azzeh memorial

24th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

One year has lapsed since the passing of Hashem Azzeh, a devoted husband and loving father of three, and close friend of ISM. Hashem died following an exacerbation of a latent heart condition that was triggered by tear gas inhalation suffered in his own home when Israeli forces were showering demonstrators at Bab al-Zawwiyeh with tear gas. The circumstances of Hashems death are inextricably entwined with the objective of his life, which was to defend his city of Hebron and its Palestinian residents from Israeli occupiers determined to remove them from it.

Hashem lived in the H2 area of Tel Reumeida, a neighbourhood that has been devastated by the Israeli occupation and the settlements that now surround it. He and his family suffered daily harassment at the hands of settlers and Israeli forces alike, who regularly attacked their home and enforced upon them curfews, which often saw them imprisoned in their own home. In perhaps the most disturbing example of the violence they experienced, his wife, Nizeem, suffered two miscarriages following physical assault by settlers during her pregnancies. However, despite these despicable and inhumane atrocities carried out against them, Hashem and his family remained steadfast and unwavering in their determination not to be intimidated from their home, and that of several generations that preceded them. It is for this unyielding strength and resilience shown in the face of relentless assault that Hashem will best be remembered.

Hashem’s activism saw him conjure close ties with international activists from all over the world. Testament to the admiration held for him by the international activist community was the presence of a large number of internationals at his memorial, which was held last Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary of his passing, organised by the Hebron Defense Committee (HDC). Invited to speak were Anan Dana (HDC), Ahmad Jaradat (Alternative Information Centre), Fahmi Shaheen (Co-ordination Committee of the Political Factions), Abdelmaieed AlKhateeb (The Residents of Tel Rumeida) Mohammed Al Qeeq (Hungerstriker of 94 days) and Stella (Unadikum Association representing international friends of Hashem).

Since Hashem’s death, the situation in the Old City of Hebron and throughout occupied Palestine has only worsened. Hashem, like Fadi and Hadeel, is just one of the more than 35 Palestinians killed in the Old City of al-Khalil by Israeli forces, with completely impunity for the occupying forces and settlers from the illegal settlements committing these war crimes. In addition to executing and murdering Palestinians, Israeli forces then kidnap the bodies of these martyrs, denying their families the very basic right of a funeral. In the Tel Rumeida neighborhoud, the roadblocks and checkpoints have increased and worsened, and the whole area has been declared a ‘closed military zone’ in obvious attempts of Judaization of the area through ethnic cleansing of it’s Palestinian population.

However, by far the most moving tribute was delivered by Hashems’ daughter, Raghad Azzeh, who described how after her father’s death, the situation just grew worse. In a time where the international community is not acting, the Palestinians of the area need to stand with each other as Hebronites (people living in Hebron). After her fathers’ death, the prison that Israeli forces have made the family home, has worsened, with the main access to their house closed down just a day after Hashem’s tragic death. In her address she appealed to those present that they honour his memory by embracing the principles that guided Hashems’ own activism, and to remain resolute in opposition of Israel’s continued encroachment of their homes and livelihoods until Hebron, and its Palestinian residents, are freed from the occupation under which they currently suffer.

Watch ‘Hashem, a living legend of resistance’ by the Alternative Information Center.

Israeli Forces Shoot a Palestinian Fisherman for the Third Time

24th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza-team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

On Sep 5th, 2016, the Gaza fisherman, Ahmed Mohamed Zaied. 32 years of age, was fishing along with his friend using a hasaka (small boat). They were fishing closer than 1.5 miles in the Palestinian territorial waters, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, when the tarrad (Israeli warship) was at 3 miles.

ism-fisherman-2 — Fisherman Ahmed Zaied on his bed with his three sons after his injury from the Israeli forces while he was fishing.

“The Israeli occupation warship approached us and started to shoot at our boat, without even warning us. I got injured in my right arm and my belly. I was screaming out loud in pain when my friend was trying to escape, trying to go back to the beach. Luckily, an ambulance was there, it took me directly to the hospital,” says Zaied.

Zaied stayed in the hospital for 9 days and is now forced to stay in his bed for a period of six months. Since the date of the incident, Zaied was not able to get out of bed but for a short walk that the doctor ordered him to have.

picture-ism — Fisherman Ahmed Zaied third injury shot by the Israeli Forces while he was fishing in Gaza sea.

“The suffering of the Palestinian fishermen in Gaza doesn’t end with the ‘shoot to kill’ policy that the Israeli occupation is applying,” Zaied’s brother who is also a fisherman, says. “My four brothers and I, we are all fishermen. Each one of us used to have his own small boat, but the occupation has taken 3 of them 2 years ago.”

“They say that we are working against the security of Israel, but generally, tell me what do I want from going to fish but to provide for my family?”, explains Zaied.

Palestinian fishermen depend on fishing as their only source of livelihood in the Gaza Strip, but the navy continuously attacks the fishermen, preventing them from providing for their families. Such attacks also led to many casualties, like Zaied’s case, including fatalities, dozens of arrested, in addition to the high costs of repairing the boats, while many other boats are illegally confiscated by the navy.

“Now it’s the fishing season, during those months they save money for all the year,” his brother explains. “Instead he is lying in bed. He wants to sell his boat, even for half of its value, because he needs about 20 NIS each day for medicine for 6 months, and he simply can’t afford it.”

Zaied has been shot 3 times by the Israeli occupation warships, the first time was in 2000 while he was at the beach, and he was injured in his leg. He was also shot in 2006 while he was fishing. His injury was in his chest and his right arm.

fisherman-ism-picture — Ahmed Zaied second injury, shot by the Israeli forces while he was fishing.

“They say that we can’t fish here, but that’s our land, how can they forbid us to fish in our own land and our own sea?” Zaied explains trying to move on his left side with pain: “I am waiting for another operation that I have to do to take away what is left of the bullet in my belly. I am dying slowly with all this pain I am bearing.”

He continues, “Whenever I came back home with 20 NIS I feel happy. I don’t belong to any faction and never have I shot any rocket. What do they want from me? I just want to live.”

Palestinians are enduring various forms of suffering, mainly because of the imposed siege on Gaza, and the fishermen are facing so many hardships due to their nature of work, that requires them to go to the sea to fish.

“Despite his situation, my husband is always thinking of another way to provide for his family, me and our three sons, in the time that he is unable to leave his bed,” his wife expresses.

Olive harvest next to the illegal settlements in Bruqin

23rd October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah-team | Bruqin, occupied Palestine

On October 21st, an ISM-team joined farmers in the village of Bruqin, Salfit district, for the olive harvest. The family’s fields are occupied by an illegal Israeli settlement and they are denied access to their land by the Israeli military except during the olive harvest.

A team of solidarity activists went to meet the farmers and set out to the olive fields together. The crop this year was very small as the access restriction prevents the farmers from caring for their trees during the year. The wild condition of the field made the harvest more difficult and less fruitful. Neither settlers nor military appeared during the harvest day.

In 1999, the illegal Israeli settlement Burchin was established near the village of Bruqin. The establishment of this illegal settlement led to local farmers being denied access to land which has belonged to their families for generations. In 2011, the settlement structure was expanded by several baracks, confiscating even more land. The illegal settlers have repeatedly harrassed the local farmers verbally, phyiscally and by also cutting down olive trees in their fields. Moreover, the local farmers are harrassed by the Israeli military every year, trying to deny them access to their land even on the day of the harvest. On one of the local family’s fields, the access restriction and harressment by settlers and military has led to a huge decrease in gain from the harvest from formerly 1000 kg of olives per season to now 30 kg of olives per season.

Apart from the harrassment and land restrictions, the nearby illegal industrial settlement Barkan streams its toxic waste water down into the village of Bruqin. This poses also an environmental threat to the olive harvest and the peoples’ health in the village in general.

The olive field is overgrown as the access restrictions prevent the local farmers from caring for their fields during the year

“No Palestinians during the holiday”: Palestinian man harassed during Sukkot

21st October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Late Thursday morning, as Palestinian schools in the Old City of occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) were dismissing their students early due to enhanced settler activity, Israeli forces harassed a Palestinian man and denied him his right of movement through the large parking lot near the base of al-Ibrahimi Mosque. The reason for this incident, as well as the increase in settler activity, was due to the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles. Throughout this entire week, Israeli Forces have increased their numbers stationed around the Mosque, and it was one of these members of the occupation forces that decided to harass this Palestinian civilian.

The man, a local tour guide in the Old City of al-Khalil, entered the parking lot in order to reach a group of Turkish tourists who had just arrived. Upon setting foot in the lot, two members of the Israeli Border Police approached him, with one using his hands to physically shove him away from the cordoned off entrance. As he tried to explain that he merely wanted to pass through to reach the tourists, the border policeman raised his voice and shouted at him to get back. When the man asked why he was not allowed to pass through when so many tourists were permitted to, the answer he received was, “You are Palestinian. No Palestinians pass through here during the holiday.” The man had no choice but to turn around and walk around the parking lot.

The denial towards Palestinians of their right to movement by Israeli forces is a fundamental weapon of the occupation. By preventing Palestinians from entering historical and religious sites, and working to minimize their presence around Jewish festivities, Israel uses the excuse of the holidays to continue its process of ethnically cleaning al-Khalil of its indigenous Palestinian population. On Wednesday, Israeli Forces came out in force to block off a road in the so-called Palestinian controlled H1 area to allow settlers from the illegal Israeli settlements to have access to a supposed prayer site in the city. This is merely one of the many examples of how Jewish holidays act as a cover for forceful intimidation of Palestinians.

The harassment of this man this morning is symptomatic of the devaluation of Palestinian life under the Israeli occupation across the land of Palestine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrToi8Hq2AM

Israeli forces shut down Palestinian street for Sukkot tour in occupied al-Khalil

20th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Shortly after noon on October 19, Israeli Forces began congregating on the militarized H2 side of the Shuhada Street checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil. A massive gathering of international Jewish tourists and settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlements followed shortly after. This is nothing new for the people of occupied al-Khalil – every year during the week of Sukkot, the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles, Israeli forces shut down part of the central square of Bab al-Zawiye to form a “safe zone” for settlers and tourists.

Palsetinian civilians forced to stand back as Israeli forces take over area outside Shuhada Street checkpoint. — Palestinian civilians forced to stand back as Israeli forces take over area outside Shuhada Street checkpoint.

First to exit the checkpoint into the so-called Palestinian controlled H1 area were the Israeli forces. After forming a human barrier around the two armored cars that had just arrived from around the corner via an H1 street, additional soldiers marched up towards a supposed sacred site in order to line themselves up in the “safe zone” formation. Once this had been done, massive groups of settlers and tourists began walking along this now-militarized Palestinian street. By this point, snipers had set up on rooftops, soldiers had sound bombs at the ready, and Israeli forces of all colors were spontaneously aiming their weapons at unarmed Palestinian civilians as a form of intimidation.

Jewish tourists and settlers from nearby illegal Israeli settlements walk up and down the now-militarized H1 street.

These “safe zones” are simply additional tools used by Israeli forces to further their ethnic cleansing operations in occupied al-Khalil. The military setup of the operation presented a distorted and dehumanized spectacle of Palestinians as wild, bloodthirsty animals that needed to be controlled to the settlers, when in reality these people were only seeking to shop, socialize, and live their normal, everyday lives. By demonizing Palestinian civilians as “terrorists” and presenting their military offenses as “security operations”, Israeli forces have sought to justify their illegal incursions into the H1 area. These incursions present an ample opportunity for arrests and acts of violence against Palestinians, in many cases leading to the clearing of Palestinian residents to make room for additional illegal Israeli settlements.

Therefore, not only are these guided settler tours and the militarized “safe zones” they conjure up used as a powerful zionist propaganda presentation, they are in fact part and parcel with Israel’s process of ethnically cleansing al-Khalil of its indigenous Palestinian population. At no time is this practice so consistently played out annually than during the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Every year in occupied al-Khalil, settlers and tourists from Israel and abroad are bussed in by the truckloads towards the al-Ibrahimi mosque.

Israeli Border Police block off roads leading to the settler tour destination, doing whatever they please to modify the physical boundaries of the occupation.

The mosque becomes shut down for Palestinian Muslims and many of the checkpoints throughout the city are closed at random points with no prior warning. As Jewish tourists set up tents on the lawn in front of the mosque, many abandoned buildings (former homes of evicted Palestinians) are refitted into military bases. Students from the nearby schools are forced to walk to and from school past this military madness every day of the week, and young male Palestinians are stripped searched for weapons while Israeli settlers are allowed to walk by fully armed to the teeth with assault weapons slung across their bodies out in the open.

What happened today in the thriving Palestinian center of Bab al-Zawiye is nothing new for the people of occupied al-Khalil. It is simply a systemic occurrence of the slow and violent creep of ethnic cleansing by the state of Israel towards the people of occupied Palestine.