Palestinian Youth Shot by Israeli Troops

From The Associated Press

NABLUS, West Bank – Israeli soldiers holed up in a home in this West Bank city on Monday opened fire on stone-throwing protesters outside the building, wounding two people, including a 13-year-old boy, Palestinian officials and witnesses said.

Associated Press photographers and cameramen witnessed the exchange.

“When he was wounded in the neck, he ran toward me before collapsing and the blood gushed from his neck,” said Ana Maria Espinoza, a pro-Palestinian volunteer from Chile. She said more than 100 protesting youths were gathered behind a wall about 100 yards from the house, which is located in a residential neighborhood near a school.

It was unclear what the army was doing in the area, though troops frequently conduct arrest raids in Nablus, a stronghold of Palestinian militants.

Journalists, medical volunteers and bystanders targeted, Palestinian bystander shot in the neck by Israeli sniper

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Israeli snipers shot live ammunition at journalists, international medical volunteers and unarmed Palestinians gathered outside of a house occupied by the army. A crowd of over a hundred was gathered in protest of this house occupation. Palestinian youth threw stones at wooden planks that the soldiers placed on the window of the house.

According to international medical volunteers from the United States, England, Germany, Chile, and Denmark, eighteen year old Islam Aktshot was shot with live ammunition in the neck while he was watching the events at 11:45 Monday morning. “He was standing next to the wall doing nothing when suddenly he put his hands to his neck. When he put his hand down large amounts of blood poured out,” said Danish volunteer Anamaria. “We, the medical volunteers and the journalists were standing together when the soldiers fired in our direction. A bullet whistled five centimeters away from me. ”

At 12:05pm Basam Balbali 15 years old with shot with live ammunition in the leg.

The house, which is situated on the eastern edge of the old city of Nablus, was occupied Sunday night. The Israeli military is currently occupying at least five homes in Nablus.

The practice of occupying a tactically important home and holding the occupants incommunicado is known in the Israeli Army as a “Straw Widow” operation. The army uses the occupied home as an observation post and sniper position. Such homes are often reoccupied several times.

For more information call:
In Nablus, Mohammad : 0522 223 374
Ism media office 02-2971824

Closed Military Zone Passes Over Israeli Settlers


Click for larger version

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The phenomenon in Hebron of Jewish holidays being used as an excuse for widespread harassment and violence against Palestinians is set to continue today as the Israeli military evicted international Human Rights Workers (HRWs) from the area. Up to 10,000 settler supporters are said to be visiting the Old City of Hebron today for the Passover holidays. The Israeli military last night declared Tel Rumeida and the Old City a closed military zone in anticpation of this. This order is not being selectively enforced on HRWs, giving the settlers and their supporters free reign of the supposedly “closed” area. The few remaining HRWs in the area are confined to their apartment because of the closed military zone. Widespread harassment and attacks on Palestinians have occurred during such supposedly religous events in the past. As well as the regular attacks and harassment that happen every Shabat (Saturday), an event organised by Hebron settlers back in November 2005 was advertised as a “mass prayer” (for Jews only) – it led to a hostile, stone-throwing mob of between 100 and 150 settlers and their supporters besieging Palestinian families and HRWs in their homes.

This morning, the military physically forced seven human rights workers off the streets where they accompany Palestinian schoold children on theri way to school. They were forced past the Tel Rumeida checkpoint into the H1 area of the city. The soldiers presented a copy of the closed military zone order in Hebrew, with a map specifying the Old City and Tel Rumeida areas. The settlers of Tel Rumeida are notorious for their harassment and attacks on Palestinian residents.

An Israeli soldier who did not give his name was quoted by a Tel Rumeida Project volunteer estimating that “10,000” settler-supporting visitors will be coming to Hebron today. The closed military zone order reads in Hebrew: “any solider or police man may arrest any person or group of people that are disrupting the public order or trying to disturb the public order”. Yesterday, hundreds of settler supporting visitors toured around the Old City in groups of 20 or 30.

For more information call:

Brian (Tel Rumeida Project): 054 734 3298
Anna (ISM): 054 304 5205
ISM Media office: 02 297 1824 or 057 572 0754

Settler Attacks and House Occupations in Hebron

by Tom

Settlers attacked Palestinian houses and targeted the Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida today, the first Shabbat of the Passover period.

A Palestinian boy was attacked at 4.30pm by five settlers on Shuhada Street. The settlers knocked him off his bicycle and attacked him in full view of the IDF.

Later in the afternoon fifteen settlers were seen by Human Rights Workers attempting to break into a Palestinian home near Beit Hadassa settlement, the settlers became aware of the internationals and moved on, crossing into H1. H1 is the Palestinian controlled area of Hebron and settlers are restricted from being there.

Human Rights Workers monitored the settlers as they walked through the Palestinian neighbourhood targeting Palestinian homes. When the settlers became aware that they were being observed they left H1. However, they then attacked the Human Rights Workers, and tried to steal their camera. The internationals were kicked, punched and subjected to threats. Israeli police were nearby but did not pursue the settlers.

At around 8pm the IDF occupied the community centre in Tel Rumeida. The troops unloaded a large truck of equipment and sleeping bags, signifying that they were to stay for a long period of time. They draped an Israeli flag over the roof of the building. Three ISM activists approached the door of the community centre with rackets and ping pong balls, requesting that the army let them in to play ping pong. After the troops refused their request, the activists asked them if it would be possible to enter only the first floor while the troops occupied the roof and until when the troops would be occupying the building. After several minutes of persistent request a local resident approached the commander of the unit and explained to him that the first floor of the building should be made available to people in the community, while the army continued to occupy the other floors. The commander agreed to allow us to enter the first floor and told us that the floor would be kept open to the public for the immediate future.

ISM activists were called to another house in the Abu Sneineh neighbourhood which was being occupied by a unit of soldiers. The flat was home to five people including three children. ISM activists and local residents attempted to negotiate for the soldiers to take the roof of the apartment and leave the flat free for the family. This was refused but the soldiers promised to be sensitive around the children. One Human Rights Worker is staying in the Abu Sneineh neighbourhood tonight in case there are more problems. Two more houses have been occupied by the IDF in Hebron.

The Palestinian residents of Hebron are afraid that further tensions may arise over the Passover period.

Interview with Dr. Ghassan Hamdan of Palestinian Medical Relief Services

Listen to an interview with Dr. Ghassan Hamdan of the PMRS as he tries to gain acess to two families of 15 people in Nablus imprisoned and held captive by the Israeli army as they use their home for a sniper base.

Audio Interview with Dr. Ghassan Hamdan of Palestinian Medical Relief Services. – mp3 10M

Devlish May, IMEMC

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/04/338134.html