Category: Video - Page 24 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli soldiers delay medical treatment to arrested Palestinian

1st October 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Khirbet Al-Tawil, Occupied Palestine

On Monday morning, the 29^th of September, settlers and the Israeli army invaded the village of Khirbet Al-Tawil east of Aqraba. They destroyed the village’s main electrical cable and water pipe. The inhabitants of the village have been without electricity and running water since then.

At noon, Wednesday October 1^st, a Palestinian man accused of repairing the electrical cable destroyed by settlers and Israeli soldiers was arrested by Israeli forces in Khirbet Al-Tawil. Asked for the reason for the arrest, an Israeli soldier replied that the electrical cable, placed on Palestinian land, was illegal due to the village not paying for the use of the electricity.

The Israeli soldiers took the Palestinian’s ID from him and forced him to drive his motorbike in front of the military jeep to the Alhamra checkpoint for interrogation. During the drive, a car with one Palestinian, one international and three ISM activists stopped to give the man some water. The Israeli soldiers stepped out of the jeep and yelled orders to the group, trying to prevent them from giving the man water. The man was shaking and while drinking the water he collapsed on the road, suffering from an epileptic seizure.

The Israeli soldiers came closer and interrupted the group that was trying to give the Palestinian first aid. Even though his condition was serious the soldiers did not call for help until the group started working on getting an ambulance. Then the Israeli solders called for backup and medical help. At that time the man was still cramping and fighting to catch his breath. One soldier stayed with the man to prevent him from escaping and the other soldiers stood by and laughed.

After about forty minutes a military ambulance followed by a group of more soldiers arrived. The man was stable at that time, but still suffering from the aftereffects of the seizure. A woman dressed as a soldier, identifying herself as a doctor took a quick look at the patient where he was sitting on the road after denying taking him inside the ambulance, even though the sun was very strong at that moment and not helping his condition.

An Israeli military commander arrived at the same time as the ambulance. He commanded the group of Palestinian, civilian and ISM activist who were taking care of the man to back off. One ISM activist refused to leave the patient and was immediately surrounded by armed soldiers. The Israeli commander became aggressive and forced the patient to stand up and walk to the military jeep and get in between two soldiers. Right before they drove away, on ISMe activist noticed the soldiers handcuffing the Palestinian. The man was released later that day.

Jews Against Genocide: Blood bucket challenge at Yad Vashem

29th September 2014 | Jews Against Genocide | Occupied Palestine

Jews Against Genocide held memorials for the victims of Israel’s recent genocidal attack on Gaza during which the speakers poured buckets of blood like liquid over themselves at Yad Vashem holocaust museum in Jerusalem, the US embassy in Tel Aviv, The Israeli Supreme court in Jerusalem, The Israeli military radio station in Tel Aviv, and at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.

International chapters of Jews Against Genocide chapters are planning similar actions at Israeli embassies around the world.

Inspired by the calls issued by Gazan civil society and by Ohio University student senate president Megan Merzak, Jews Against Genocide (JAG) have taken on the blood bucket challenge.

“Until the price that Israel pays for its crimes is higher than the profit it is making from them, Israel’s genocide of Palestinians will continue.

Less than a month after Israel murdered 2137 women, men, and children in Gaza, the US senate rewarded Israel for its crimes. It unanimously passed a bill that increases Israeli access to weapons and encourages Israel’s entry into the US visa waiver program. The UN appointed the first military officer from Israel’s occupation force to an official UN position in a global peace keeping force.

European governments have not taken any steps against Israel and continue to do business with it as usual. The EU-Israel association agreement includes a Human rights clause that commits both sides to respecting human rights. Despite this, the EU has not suspended the agreement that gives Israel preferential trade conditions with the EU after Israel’s latest massacre. Arms dealers rushed to Israel’s drone expo to buy “field tested” weapons tested on the besieged people of Gaza. But people of conscience around the world are taking action.

It is our responsibility to act in order to make the price of Israeli Apartheid higher than it’s benefits. What brought down Apartheid in south Africa will bring down Israeli Apartheid.” said JAG.

Violence and detention of children in Hebron

28th September 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

This afternoon Israeli border police entered through Salaymeh checkpoint and fired 14 tear gas grenades and one stun grenade at children leaving school.

Several teenagers threw stones towards the checkpoint and the soldiers began firing tear gas.

Children running from the soldiers and the tear gas.

An ISM activist present stated, “Four young girls were walking past the boys throwing stones. The boys deliberately stopped throwing stones so the girls could pass safely, but the border police fired tear gas anyway.”

At one point two border police grabbed a 12-year-old boy by the arm, dragged him to the checkpoint, and detained him for 20 minutes.

In a separate incident close by, nine-year-old Razain was walking near another local school when Israeli forces threw a stun grenade close to her legs. Shrapnel from the stun grenade injured her as it exploded in close proximity, stated Razain’s grandfather to ISM volunteers.

This morning at the Salaymeh checkpoint, Israeli forces fired three tear gas grenades and one stun grenade at schoolchildren.

An ISM activist present stated, “Around three young boys ran towards the checkpoint and threw stones towards the armed Israeli soldiers. They then fired a tear gas grenade towards the the children walking to school, forcing them to run through clouds of gas. This continued for around 40 minutes, with several more children throwing stones and two more tear gas grenades being fired. At one point the soldiers entered through the checkpoint towards the schools and threw one stun grenade. Many of the children were very afraid, it’s clearly no way to begin a day of education. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to concentrate and learn when your day begins with military violence.”

VIDEO: Israeli forces use violence against unarmed demonstrators attempting to plant olive sapplings in Wadi Foukeen

26th September 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Wadi Foukeen, Occupied Palestine

Wadi Foukeen is a Palestinian village just west of Bethlehem with a population of approximately 1,250 people. A weekly Friday demonstration has been organized by the village community against the Israeli occupation and in response to the recent land grab of 4,000 dunams (nearly 1,000 acres) by the Israeli government. Over a quarter of the confiscated land belongs to the village of Wadi Foukeen, which has already lost much of its land and natural resources to the constantly growing illegal Israeli settlements of Beitar Illit, Hadar Beitar, and Tsur Hadassah that surround it on three sides.

Today’s demonstration began after midday prayers with a peaceful march of about 60 Palestinians, Israelis, and International protesters and media members. The protestors marched from the village mosque to the boundary of the illegal settlement of Beitar Illit. While many of the demonstrators chanted protest songs, waved Palestinian flags and held up signs, another group of protesters dug holes into the ground to plant olive tree saplings while soldiers forcefully tried to prevent them from doing so.

The Israeli forces began to get very aggresive as they shouted at the protestors to leave declaring the area a closed military zone and threatning to use violence against the unarmed protestors if they did not comply. They began to push several Palestinian men holding signs. Without warning, the Israeli forces threw 4 stun grenades directly into the crowd followed by another 4 stun grenades. After the crowd dispersed, the Israeli forces shot several rounds of tear gas at the demonstrators. One man was hit directly in the back by a tear gas canister. Two protestors suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation and needed medical attention.

After a few more minutes, the Israeli forces shot another 6 long-range tear gas canisters into the air. Soon after they began throwing more stun grenades and firing rubber-coated steel bullets directly at a group of young boys throwing small stones. One 15-year-old boy was hit in the foot by a stun grenade. Two boys were hit by rubber-coated steel bullets in their hands, a third boy was hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet in his arm, and a fourth boy was hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet in his side. All of those with injuries required medical treatment.

VIDEO: Israeli forces arrest two children and fire 29 rounds of tear gas at schoolchildren

23rd September 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Today at Salaymeh checkpoint in Hebron, Israeli forces fired 29 rounds of tear gas and 5 stun grenades at children going to school.

The morning started off peaceful as children passed through the checkpoint but as word spread that two Palestinians had been murdered by the Israeli army the night before, tensions began to rise quickly. Israeli forces had a clear presence at the checkpoint from the start. A few small stones were thrown by a small number of young boys, but landed nowhere near the checkpoint.

Three Israeli Border police proceeded to fire the first round of tear gas at the children. In total, 29 tear gas canisters and 5 stun grenades were fired. This was extremely excessive and unnecessary as the Israeli border police were clearly in no danger. Two ambulances were called to the scene due to the immense amounts of tear gas fired and a Palestinian teacher stated that 30 school children and 15 teachers suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation.

International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activists then left Salaymeh checkpoint and headed over to Qeitun checkpoint around 5 minutes away as they heard the firing of tear gas.

At Qeitun checkpoint clashes had erupted and were underway between unarmed Palestinian youth and Israeli forces. An excessive amount of tear gas was used in addition to rubber coated steel bullets and stun grenades.

A small group of older boys were throwing stones but they did not manage to reach the Israeli forces. However, the commander insisted on firing despite the presence of the many young children, some as young as 8 years old, in front of them attempting to get to school.

Later on the Israeli forces threw stun grenades and brutally grabbed and arrested two young Palestinian boys between the ages of 14 and 15 years old. One of the boys whilst in a headlock and handcuffed was punched several times in the side. ISM activists ran up to ask the boys their names and correct ages but the Israeli forces were very hostile. They were both forced through the turnstiles and were kept at the checkpoint for a few minutes before Israeli forces marched them to the police station near the Ibrahimi mosque.