Israeli settlers chase families off their Nablus land while soldiers stand by

by ISM Nablus, 4th of November 2006

Today, Palestinian farmers from Azmut village north of Nablus city were attacked on their land by a gang of Israeli settlers, who were accompanied by two soldiers. The settlers ran after the families, shouted and threw stones at them. At one point they kicked and hit international volunteers, who had come to help the farmers pick olives. The group of settlers, aged from around eight to twenty, came from the settlement of Elon Moreh two kilometres away from the village.

This year’s olive harvest has been difficult for the people of Azmut. This is the third time this week that farmers from the village were forced off their land. Five days ago an armed settler stopped nearby and used a megaphone to threaten families picking olives, intimidating them into leaving. Yesterday, a group of settlers chased the farmers off their land. The farmers, knowing the violence that has come from these settlers in the past and the extreme views of those in the Elon Moreh settlement, didn’t want to risk any injuries and subsequently left.

This morning the farmers had to begin their work by picking up all the olives that settlers had thrown across the ground the previous night. They had only harvested for about forty minutes, when two soldiers approached and told them that “there is no coordination today, come back tomorrow”.

The international volunteers attempted to negotiate with the soldiers about the families’ legal right to access their land at any time, but after a couple of minutes a gang of around 25 settler children and young people suddenly descended down the hill towards the groves. The families had no time to collect their tools and olive sacks as they were forced to flee.

As the settlers approached the families and international volunteers, they stopped by the soldiers to pick up and throw stones. As they got closer one volunteer was kicked by a settler. Other volunteers were hit with rocks, one volunteer seemingly because he was recording the attack with a video camera. All of this happened with soldiers standing by and making no attempt to stop the settlers or to protect the families and the international volunteers, in spite of their legal obligations under Israeli law to stop settler attacks.

Elon Moreh is one of the oldest settlements in the northern West Bank and has explicitly expressed its purpose: to block the creation of a Palestinian state. The 1200 or so inhabitants are infamous for their religious and violent extremism. They have been involved in a number of serious attacks on Palestinian villages, where they have burnt down trees, attacked Palestinians and in some cases killed them.

This settler attack is just another example of the harassment that Palestinians face. Checkpoints, settler-only roads and military harassment all serve to keep them away from their land and livelihoods. The villagers of Azmut are afraid. But they are also determined to go back to their land, even in the face of such violence, to continue their harvest and to keep their land.

For more information on Elon Moreh, see this entry on the Peace Now website.

Israeli military kills non-violent demonstrators in Gaza

Israeli attacks on Gaza continue Friday with the murder of two unarmed female non-violent demonstrators in the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

As one woman participating in the demonstration stated “We risked our lives to free our sons.” (source: BBC article, see below)

The BBC has published video of the non-violent demonstration at which the two women were killed. It can be seen by clicking the ‘watch’ link at the top right-hand side of the page on the BBC News site.

More video can be downloaded here.

It is a contravention of the Fourth Geneva convention for armies to fail to make a distinction between unarmed civilians and armed combatants. Israel is continually violating its obligations under the convention, to which it is a signatory.

Blogger, doctor and citizen-journalist Mona Elfarra has been covering the attacks from inside Beit Hanoun. See below for some of her recent reports.

Gaza: While the world is silent

by Mona Elfarra

This is happening in the north of the Gaza Strip while the world is silent. Break the silence and speak for the speechless.

Gaza, 5pm, Thursday, 2 November 2006

During its large scale military operation against Gaza, the Israeli occupying army today continued its attack on the village of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza strip. Twelve people were killed and at least 75 injured, many seriously. All casualities received at Al Awda hospital emergency room were seriously injured, with gunshot wounds to chests, abdomens and heads.

Movement of ambulances in and outside of the village is greatly restricted. Many different types of patients are confined to their homes, including patients whose life depends on renal dialysis. The only hospital inside Beit Hanoun is surrounded by dozens of army tanks and military vehicles. With continuous shelling and shooting, any moving body would be shot at once.

All men over 16 were asked to gather inside one of the village schools. As I write, the local radio station has just announced the death of one of the women trying to stop the army actions against her family.

As medical teams we are working under great pressure. The situation has been very bad and is deteriorating daily, with sanctions against the Palestinian Authority, long periods of border closure, military assualts and so on.

We were hoping that negotiations for the release of the captured Israeli soldier would bring some hope for improvement of our situation, but it seems that Israel is pressing ahead with its preplanned agenda against Gaza and the Palestinian people.

I call upon you to spread the word and to try to shake the silent world.

End the Assault Against the North of Gaza

Press Release: 2 November 2006

Yesterday the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) began their grotesquely named “Operation Autumn of Fury” in the Gaza Strip. Beit Hanoun, scene of repeated massacres by Israeli forces since June 25th, was re-occupied by Israeli tanks. Since yesterday 12 civilians have been shot dead and more than 65 women and children have been injured. On the first day of Eid El Fiter last week, 7 residents of the town were killed by the IOF.

The town of Beit Hanoun was bombed by Apache helicopters and F16 and V58 fighter planes. Beit Hanoun’s residents have no water or electricity today. These air-strikes which damage essential infrastructure and terrify the civilian population are a form of collective punishment against the Palestinian people and are war crimes which are forbidden under international humanitarian law. The Fourth Geneva Convention calls for any military to do its utmost to distinguish between civilians and combatants and forbids attacks on civilans or civilian infrastructure. Israel is a signatory of this convention.

We therefore call on the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli Occupation Forces to conduct themselves within the boundaries of international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of all Palestinian civilians.

We also demand the immediate halt of the Israeli Occupation Forces’ attacks on the Gaza Strip and an end to the closure and isolation of the Strip, both of which are exacerbating an already desperate humanitarian situation.

For comments contact:
Dr. Mona Al Farra +970 82 846 602 or +972 599 410 741.
Dr Abu Ala’a, Gaza Strip, + 972 599 441766
Dr Asaad Abu Sharkh, Gaza Strip, + 972 599 322636
Dr Ayyoub Othman, + 972 599 412 826

Army attack non-violent protest in Al Khader village near Bethlehem city

by Michael Whiting, IMEMC, November 3rd

Several non-violent protesters were severely beaten by Israeli military and border police troops today, as a demonstration was staged at the tunnel checkpoint on route 60, a main Israeli controled road on the route to the south of the West Bank from Jerusalem.

At three in the afternoon Palestinian, Israeli and international protesters bearing Palestinian flags and anti-occupation banners marched from Al Khader village near the West Bank town of Bethlehem, to the busy checkpoint on the main south-bound road out of Jerusalem. They brought with them several gallons of olive oil, around thirty kilos of olives and, in a gesture of peace, two large olive tree branches. The olives and olive oil were dumped in the path of traffic, causing confusion on the road and a good deal of disruption for over an hour.

This symbolic action was intended to draw attention to the severe difficulties faced by Palestinian farmers, increasing numbers of whom cannot access their land. These negative effects of the occupation are felt with particular force in this time of olive harvest. The illegal wall that Israel is building inside the West Bank succeeds in effectively annexing large areas of Palestinian olive groves, preventing the harvest of the olives which is the life-blood of many Palestinian families.

It was not long before the peaceful protest turned ugly as the Israeli security forces attempted to control the situation with excessive force. Witnessed by dozens of international tourists passing through the checkpoint, as well as countless motorists, five of the policemen targeted a Palestinian demonstrator, dragging him from the crowd and issuing a beating as they forced his face into the tarmac.

Further arrests followed as the policemen singled out other Palestinian protesters and dragged them violently into waiting jeeps. Soldiers and policemen alike were seen to lose their composure, shouting furiously at the demonstrators, shoving them to the ground. During an attempted arrest, a Palestinian man was dropped head first onto the concrete, knocking him unconscious. Despite some objections from the police, a Palestinian ambulance was called and quickly arrived at the scene.

Over the course of an hour five arrests were made including two Israeli activists. Throughout the commotion the remaining protesters maintained their non-violent resistance by waving their banners at the now slow-moving traffic and valiantly trying to deliver their message as the olives lay scattered across the road.

Eventually, in the face of unnecessary physical and verbal abuse, the demonstration was dispersed and the military took up brooms to deal with the after effects of an olive based offensive.

For another account of this protest and more photos visit:

Demonstration in Al-Khadr Met with Violence; 5 Arrested, 2 Hospitalized

Just another night in Balata

by ISM Nablus, 3rd November

In a shockingly common scenario, the Israeli occupation forces shot a Palestinian child dead in Nablus’ Balata Refugee Camp early this morning and wounded two other Palestinian civilians. Fifteen year-old Brahmin Smakreh was shot and killed as he tried to help his brother Ahmed who was lying in the street after being wounded by the Israeli military.

The unsurprising tragedy began last night at 9:30pm when a small Israeli force entered the Balata refugee camp, reportedly looking for two wanted men. The soldiers fired a number of shots but did not injure anyone and left after about an hour. Balata residents, who are subjected to frequent military operations, returned to the streets.

Then at 1:30am this morning, a much larger force of soldiers invaded Balata in a numerous jeeps, humvees and tanks and laid virtual siege to the camp. The Israeli army occupied a Palestinian house to set up sniper positions, blindfolding the family and forcing them to huddle in one room. The soldiers fired heavy caliber weapons into the main street of Balata and engaged in many clashes with resistance fighters.

Palestinian paramedics were called to the camp after Israeli soldiers severely beat a Palestinian man, 30 year-old Nazem Qatawi, while searching for the wanted men. The Israeli military refused to allow the ambulance or medical teams into the camp, so the ambulance waited nearby.

After Ahmed Smakreh was wounded on the street in front of his house, his younger brother Brahim tried to cross the street and drag him to safety. But before Brahim could reach his brother, he was shot by an Israeli sniper.

Palestinian paramedics received the report of additional casualties and again requested permission to enter the camp to evacuate the wounded. According to the paramedics, the Israeli army responded by firing live ammunition directly at the uniformed paramedics and their Red Crescent ambulance.

Around 4:30am there was a series of explosions followed by a much larger blast as the Israeli army blew up a car on the main street of Balata. The massive explosion knocked out electricity to the entire refugee camp, blew out windows of the neighboring houses, and started a fire that threatened the nearest house. The paramedics called in the Nablus fire department but the Israeli military would not allow any fire trucks to enter the camp.

By 5:30am the Israeli soldiers left Balata camp without arresting anyone. Palestinian paramedics and firemen immediately entered the camp to put out the fire and attend to the civilian casualties. Once the fire was extinguished and the wounded evacuated, electricity crews began to fixeding the electrical wiring to restore power as quickly as possible to the beleaguered citizens of Balata.

The funeral for the murdered boy, Brahim was held at 10:30 this morning. His brother Ahmed and Nazem Qatawi are recovering from their injuries in hospital.

Haaretz: “Activists: Security forces fired live ammo at anti-fence protest”

by Itim, November 3rd

Anti-fence activists on Friday claimed security forces fired live ammunition at them during a protest near the West Bank town of Bil’in, moderately wounding a French activist.

Doctors at a Ramallah hospital who treated the man said his wounds were caused by a live bullet. An IDF spokesperson, however, denied the allegations, claiming security forces at the demonstration made use only of tear gas and rubber-coated bullets.

Activists at the demonstration claim they have video footage of security forces shooting live ammunition.

Two Palestinian youths at the demonstration sustained light wounds from rubber-coated bullets fired by security forces.

Some 100 protesters took part in the weekly rally which has become the focus point in anti-fence groups’ efforts to stop the erection of the barrier which they say infringes on the rights of Palestinians.

MK Dov Hanin (Hadash) called on Defense Minister Amir Peretz, to investigate the army’s crowd dispersal techniques and added that “it’s important to act now before a lethal tragedy occurs to the citizens of Bil’in.