Category: Reports

10-year old girl arrested on settler children accusation

5th July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Israeli forces on Monday 4th July arrested a 10-year old Palestinian girl near the Ibrahimi mosque in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), as a group of settler children arbitrarily accused her of throwing an enormous rock at them.

A large group of settler children were playing near the Ibrahimi mosque, again and again harassing a family living next to a checkpoint manned by heavily-armed Israeli forces. When a boy accused one of the Palestinian children of throwing a rock at them, all the settler children and large numbers of Israeli forces gathered at the house. A group of soldiers then entered the house with the settler boy, and eventually came out with the 10-year old girl, crying.

They then walked her off to the police station, despite her young age. Even under Israeli military law, that applies on all Palestinians in the West Bank, the arrest of Palestinian children is prohibited under the age of 12. Under the Israeli civil law which applies even on settlers living in illegal settlements, in contrast, arrests of children are legal only from the age of 14. Despite the girl being only 10-years old – a fact that was repeatedly told to the soldiers – the girl was taken to the police station. The girls mother was prevented by the Israeli forces to reach the police station, which is located on part of a street where Palestinians are not even allowed to walk. Luckily, the girl was accompanied by her aunt, but denied the presence of her mother.

The settlers in the meantime kept harassing the Palestinian family, throwing small stones at the family, sitting on the stairs outside their house, waiting and hoping for the release of the girl. As the house is located directly opposite one of the many checkpoints, this happened in plain view of the Israeli forces, who in the beginning entirely ignored the events and intervened only when realizing that people started filming and taking photos.

After about half an hour, she was released, and Israeli forces explained to her family, that they were just being ‘nice’ as they were sure she threw the rock. The rock the settler boy accused her of throwing at them is so big, that the 10-year old girl would not even been able to lift it up.

Watch the video below:

This illustrates how Israeli settlers, even small children, have complete impunity for their actions, and Israeli forces act upon their every word and wish – even if acting illegally under the Israeli law.

This comes at a time where Israeli forces are enacting severe restrictions on Palestinians in the area around the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Israeli forces escort illegal settlers through al-Khalil (Hebron) old town as tensions rise

4th July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after Israeli forces implemented a discriminatory siege on Hebron and less than 12 hours after Israeli forces entered the H1, Palestinian controlled areas of the West Bank’s most populous city, a group of illegal settlers were escorted through the city by Israeli forces.

Settler Tour-1
Settler Tour in Old City of Hebron

Approximately 100 settlers were escorted through the old city by over 30 soldiers. Israeli forces blocked access to some Palestinians who were attempting to walk through the market or were forced to wait for the large group to pass.

Settler Tour-2
Palestinians being treated as second class citizens in their own home

Some settlers were openly carrying weapons with one man having what looked to be an M4 rifle slung over his shoulder. The settlers appeared to have no interest in buying any goods from the local vendors and the exercise seemed to be for the sole purpose of further disrupting Palestinian’s daily lives, intimidation and a show of force.

This is just another display of apartheid in Hebron where Palestinians have had their right to movement denied while illegal settlers are escorted through the streets by Israeli forces.

Israel continues to besiege Palestinian towns, breach international law in occupied West Bank

3rd July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Occupied Hebron

In the last three days Israeli military forces have implemented several blockades isolating the cities of Yatta and Bani Na’im south of Hebron. It is reported that cement roadblocks, earth mounds, gates and checkpoints have been installed across the region, with no timeline for when they may be removed.

The blockades are only implemented to restrict the movement of Palestinians as illegal Israeli settlers can still pass the checkpoints. This discrimination is a clear apartheid strategy and limits Palestinians to not only being unable to attend work but also reaching basic human services such as hospitals. This strategy clearly violates Palestinian’s right to freedom of movement (Art.13 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

By enforcing these illegal blockades Israel is also restricting Palestinian movement during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan where thousands of Muslims wish to travel to the most significant religious sites for prayer and visit their families.

This act is also another example of Israel using collective punishment techniques, which are also illegal under international law. Israeli forces continually use collective punishment in the form of revoking travel and work permits, blockading cities and punitive house demolitions.    

Operation Dove have compiled the following interactive map to illustrate the extent of the blockade.  

The innocent people who are living under siege in Yatta and Bani Na’im are significantly impacted by the Israeli forces implementing such blockades, which have been condemned internationally by human rights organisations and NGOs.

Remembering Mohammed Abu Khdeir two years after his brutal murder

2nd July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Occupied Palestine

Today marks the two year anniversary of the brutal kidnap, torture and eventual murder of 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khdeir. The teenager was kidnapped in the Shufat neighbourhood of occupied Jerusalem by Ben David of the illegal settlement Geva Binyamin and two assailants on 2 July 2014, Abu Khdeir was then beaten, forced to drink gasoline and burnt alive.

The autopsy found that gasoline was poured down Abu Khdeir’s throat and that there was soot in his lungs which shows that he was still breathing as this attackers burnt him alive. The autopsy also found that he was repeatedly beaten over the head with a sharp object, most likely a tire iron or a wrench.

Two days prior to Abu Khdeir’s abduction the group attempted to kidnap a 7-year-old boy Moussa Zaloum although he was able to escape with the help of his mother. The family reported the attempted kidnapping to Israeli police although they did not investigate the incident.

Three days after the attack, Mohammed’s cousin, 15-year-old American citizen Tariq Abu Khdeir was detained and brutally beaten by Israeli border police, an event caught on camera, before being released.

Earlier this year, a relative of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, 63 year old Coheir Abu Khdeir was also badly assaulted in an attack carried out in Shufat. When his family went to Israeli police they refused to take their complaint insisting that the 63-year-old would have to come to the police station himself.

On 2 July 2015 there was a peaceful demonstration held in commemoration for Mohammed Abu Khdeir which was violently dispersed by Israeli Forces. The Israeli Forces used pepper spray and tear gas on the non-violent demonstrators which included Palestinians, international activists and journalists.

Earlier this year, the ringleader of the attack Ben David was sentenced to life in prison and an additional 20 years while his two assailants, both minors at the time, were sentenced to life in prison and 21 years respectively.

Two years on we wish to remember Mohammed Abu Khdeir to ensure we don’t forget the tragedy of this brutal act of torture and murder.

Photo credit: Facebook
Photo credit: Facebook

Hebron under selective and racist siege

2nd July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The southern West Bank city of occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) has been put under siege by Israeli forces – exclusively for Palestinians.

Israeli forces declared a complete closure of the city as a ‘security measure’, closing all entries and exits into the city itself and the surrounding villages belonging to the Hebron governorate indefinitely. An exception to the rule is military and humanitarian cases.

Closures enforced on Palestinian villages by Israeli forces Photo credit: PNN English
Closures enforced on Palestinian villages by Israeli forces
Photo credit: PNN English

The official Israeli statement, though, does feature already, that this siege is only implemented on the Palestinian residents – deliberately excluding any settler living in one of the illegal Israeli settlements from these draconian measures. Punishing the entire Palestinian population with a siege like this, additionally, is a form of collective punishment prohibited by Art. 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that a person can not be “[…] punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited”.

Enforcing a siege on the entire Palestinian population in this area, furthermore illustrates the racism and apartheid-measures of the Israeli government, openly admitting to impose a siege specifically and exclusively on a certain group, the Palestinians, while deliberately excluding the illegal settler population from the same measure.

Closure on exit of Hebron used by Palestinians Photo credit: PNN English
Closure on exit of Hebron used by Palestinians
Photo credit: PNN English

Whereas measures like these are not new, they definitely illustrate how bluntly the Israeli authorities publicly state their racism, breaches of international law and human rights, and how they don’t even fear illustrating their apartheid-measures. The question that remains is, is the international community going to take notice – and especially action?