International Solidarity Movement - Page 181 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Five Palestinian teens blackmailed into accepting 15 years prison term and exorbitant ‘fines’ for a crime that never happened

December 13th, 2015 | The Hares Boys campaign| Hares, Salfit

The five boys from the village of Hares.

UPDATE: 05.01.2016

Congratulations! The campaign for the Hares Boys has marked the halfway point by collecting 75944.56 NIS (~US $19314.24). However, we still have a long way before reaching the 150,000 NIS by the deadline of 28 January 2016 in order to avoid having each boy’s sentence being prolonged from 15 years to possibly to at least 25 years in prison.

Please, keep sharing the campaign and ask the people who care to donate through paypal on our website – every contribution matters!

Do not stay silent in the face of what is not right.

*****

It is with great sadness and anger that we hereby inform you of the outcome of the Hares Boys case: the five teenagers are being sentenced to 15 years in prison and are to pay a total of NIS 150,000 (~US $39,000 or €35,000) to the Israeli authorities. Failure to provide the exorbitant sum would, it is implied, result in more years of prison added to the boys’ sentences.

Ali Shamlawi, Mohammed Kleib, Mohammed Suleiman, Ammar Souf, and Tamer Souf have been kept in prison for 2 years and 8 months and are now being sentenced for a crime that never happened. The five teenagers (16-17 years old at the time) from the village of Hares (Salfit governorate, West Bank, occupied Palestine) were kidnapped from their homes by the Israeli army in March 2013. The teens were accused of throwing stones at illegal settler cars, one of which drove under a truck that was parked along Route 5 near the village of Hares. The driver’s children were injured during the accident and one of them died two years later after pneumonia complications. The boys denied throwing stones but were forced to sign ‘confessions’ following torturous interrogations at the hands of Israeli secret services. There was never any evidence of the boys’ guilt but it is sadly a reality in the Israeli military court system that does not comply with due process and convicts Palestinians at a 99.7% rate.

After almost 3 years of routine hearings at Israeli military courts, where the boys were initially accused of ‘attempted murder’, they were told on 26 November 2015 that they are now being charged with manslaughter and are being sentenced to prison terms of 15 years, provided their families pay ‘fines’ of NIS 30,000 [US $7,750 or € 7,100] each by the deadline of 28 January 2016. Failure to pay the amount requested by the Israeli military court would, it is understood, result in each boy’s sentence being prolonged, possibly to at least 25 years in prison.

There is no other way to describe this situation the five teens and their families have endured other than as criminal activity on behalf of the Israeli system of ‘justice’. Pressing the families to agree to a court ‘deal’ and threatening them with harsher sentences if they don’t accept is nothing less than extortion. Demanding that families pay large sums of money as a ‘fine’ or a ‘compensation’ to the occupying power is nothing less than a demand for ransom.

On behalf of the Free the Hares Boys campaign we condemn such acts of injustice committed by the Israeli military court.

We invite local and international human rights organizations, the world’s democratic government institutions and people of conscience to stand up to this injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation and to demand justice for the Hares Boys. Please consider contacting your country’s diplomatic representatives in Tel Aviv or occupied Jerusalem; the Israeli Ministry of Justice; your local politicians; asking them to intervene and condemn such injustice and disrespect for the rule of law. Organize events in your community to highlight the Hares Boys case and the situation of hundreds of other Palestinian children who are being kept in occupation prisons.

Do not stay silent in the face of what is not right.

Now, the Hares boys and their families are appealing for your support in order to collect the NIS 30,000 [US $7,750 or € 7,100] for each boy by the deadline of 28 January 2016. Please donate through paypal on our website, every contribution matters!

Further information and Contact:
Website: haresboys.wordpress.com Email: haresboys@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/FreeTheHaresBoys Twitter: @HaresBoys

ACT NOW ! Put an end to the ‘Closed Military Zone’ in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street, Hebron

December 13th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement | Action Alert

The undersigned organisations are calling on the international community to take immediate action regarding the continuous closure of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and the part of Shuhada Street that has remained accessible to Palestinian residents since the Ibrahimi mosque massacre in 1994, in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). For more than a month, Palestinians and internationals have been denied access to this part of the city since the Israeli occupation forces have declared the area a ‘closed military zone’.

The ‘closed military zone’, first declared on November 1st 2015, was designed to include Palestinian neighborhoods while excluding adjacent illegal Israeli settlements. This discriminatory closure is being upheld by continuously renewed ‘military orders’ that lack official signatures or stamps. Palestinian residents were forced to register with the army or else risk being barred from their homes, while Israeli settlers are free to roam the streets without being stopped.

“This is yet another step in pushing Palestinians out of Tel Rumeida and Shuhada street”, says Jenny, from the ISM team in al Khalil.

Such a restriction of movement clearly constitutes a collective punishment on the whole Palestinian community, illegal under international law. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva convention specifically states that “no protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.”

Tel Rumeida resident Abed Salaymeh explains : “soldiers and settlers are making life for the Palestinians intolerable to force them to leave their houses voluntarily. This is a crime under international law. They are targeting activists to silence the truth and stop the truth from reaching the whole world”.

International and local activists are increasingly at risk of direct attacks by Israeli occupation forces and illegal settlers, as they are specifically targeted for their efforts to document and report on human rights abuses.

Activists are denied access to areas by Israeli occupation forces and face unfounded arbitrary arrests, such as on the 3rd of November, the 26th of November, 27th of November, and most recently on the 28th of november; purely on Israeli forces’ accusations that lack any evidence. Human rights defenders, whose work the United Nations stressed as important, are increasingly threatened even inside their homes and offices or illegally kicked out of them.

The Israeli forces’ attempts to silence the Palestinian voice on the events goes hand in hand with the closure of Palestinian radio stations in clear infringement of the freedom of press and opinion, acknowledged in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948, article 19: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.

“It is important to document in order to expose Israeli crimes”, explains Imad Abu Shamsiyyeh, a Tel Rumeida resident.

These inhumane measures come after Israeli occupation forces gunned down Homam Adnan Sa’id, 23, and Islam Rafiq ‘Ebeido on the 27th and 28th of October in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood. While the Israeli government claims that both were ‘neutralized’ when attacking Israeli forces, many eye-witness statements refute this claim; CCTV footage has not yet been released by the Israeli forces. Since the beginning of October, a total of 112 Palestinians have been shot and left to bleed to death without medical aid in a similar manner in what Amnesty International refers to as ‘unlawful killings‘.

The outlined measures, restrictions, and human rights violations are focused primarily and exclusively on making the Palestinian voice – and in the long run the inhabitants of the area – disappear altogether.

The undersigned organisations call for:

An immediate end to collective punishment and the ‘closed military zone’ order in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street;
Cessation of threats and harassment of Palestinian residents as well as foreign and local human rights defenders;
Removal of restrictions on movement throughout the Old City of Hebron;
stopping the imposed military law on Palestinian residents as they are civilians;
Suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement until Israel complies with International Law;
Removal of all illegal Israeli settlements from Hebron.
Reconsideration of the status of “charity” of the Hebron Fund, that allows people to make tax-free donations to an organisation funding the illegal settlement of Israelis in the city of Hebron
Cessation of unconditional US Aid to Israel until it complies with international law.
Release of the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, as provided in article 17 of the 1949 Geneva Convention I “[Parties to the conflict] shall further ensure that the dead are honourably interred, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, that their graves are respected, grouped if possible according to the nationality of the deceased, properly maintained and marked so that they may always be found”.

Signatories :

BDS Slovenia

Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestine

Dominican Palestine Coordinating Committee

اتحاد لجان العمل الصحي Health Work Committees

Hebron Defense Committee

Hebron Rehabilitation Committee لجنة إعمار الخليل

International Middle East Media Centre

International Women’s Peace Service

Merton PSC

Middle East Crisis Support – Woodstock, NY

Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign

Newcastle Palestine Campaign

Operation Dove – Operazione Colomba

Popular National Conference for Jerusalem

The Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC) الاغاثة الزراعية

The Palestinian Farmers Union

The Popular Committee for Palestinian Refugees in Hebron District

Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees اتحاد لجان المرأة الفلسطينية

Unison Northumberland

Women’s Studies Centre امركز الدراسات النسوية في الخليل

Youth Center – Palestinian Medical Relief Society مركز تدريب الشباب المجتمعي

If your organisation wishes to support our call, contact us : palreports@gmail.com

4 protesters shot in Kafr Qaddum demonstration

December 11th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Tulkarm team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

Friday, December 11th, in Kafr Qaddum, the Israeli occupation forces shot three young men in the legs with tutu, and a fourth youth was injured with a rubber coated steel bullet at a demonstration protesting the road closure. Two illegal Israeli settlements located between Kafr Qaddum and Jit have blocked the Palestinian road and the Israeli occupation forces have been shooting protesters that just want to travel from one village to the other. The protest has been happening every Friday at 12:30 pm and will also be every Saturday at 2:30 pm.

Standing at the end of the road, protesters started a fire. The Israeli occupation forces moved towards the protesters. Without using tear gas to disperse the crowd, as was done the week earlier, the Israeli soldiers simply began to shoot rubber coated steel bullets at the unarmed Palestinian boys. The crowd began to run away from the seven soldiers. Several boys carried the injured to the ambulance. The Meta Peace Team, press and ISM were there to witness the event.

There was one Israeli man standing against the Israeli soldiers and yelling in Hebrew “you are criminals using live ammunition against unarmed people” and “your commanding officer is sending you to hell.” Road closures near illegal Israeli settlements are just one example of how the Israeli settlers control the military and governmental policy to some extent. According to the mayor of Kafr Qaddum, over 70 Palestinians have been shot so far by Israeli occupation forces at demonstrations there.

4 protesters were injured during the protest

22 Palestinians injured by Israeli Forces in Silwad village

On Friday the 11th of December, hundreds of protesters gathered in the village of Silwad, Ramallah area, in a demonstration demanding the return of the body of Anas Bassam Hammad who was killed on December 4th by Israeli soldiers. After the Friday prayer, the protesters marched towards the eastern entrance of the village near road 60 when Israeli forces attacked the demonstration using tear gas, live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, hollow point bullets and foam tipped bullets.

Protesters marching towards the eastern entrance of Silwad village.

22 Palestinians were injured according to International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC), seven of them injured with hollow point bullets – also known as “dum dum” – which detonates on impact causing severe damage and therefore are declared illegal under international law.

A young man was seriously wounded when shot in his abdomen having his liver penetrated by bullet fragments which afterwards came out through his back. Another young man suffered a moderate injure after being shot in his abdomen.

Injured youth carried towards ambulance by locals.

In addition, sources state that fifteen Palestinians at the demonstration were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets and many suffocated after tear gas inhalation.

In the village, a family of five suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation, after having a gas bomb fired by Israeli forces into the home of the family. A young female family member was severely injured in the retina of her eye as a consequence of the tear gas.

Demonstration attacked with tear gas shot by Israeli forces.

Furthermore, medics were targeted as Israeli soldiers opened fire towards a Red Crescent ambulance, damaging its windshield. Another ambulance was searched by Israeli forces while taking a wounded Palestinian to the hospital.

Palestinian journalists were also targeted with the wide range of weaponry, wounding a Palestine TV-reporter. In addition, many journalists suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Soldiers preparing to shoot at protesters in the village of Silwad.

The refusal of the Israeli government to return the dead body of Anas Hammad to his family follows a common pattern of violating both Israeli and international humanitarian law. Israel continues to evade it’s obligation to return the bodies of dead Palestinians to their respective families.

DCIM100GOPROGOPR8347. — Locals gathering in the Friday prayer before the demonstration.

Israeli border police walking towards protesters.

Israeli forces take a next step in threatening 3 families from Deir Istyia.

December 9th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara team | Deir Istyia, occupied Palestine

In the end of November we told the story of three families, living in the outskirts of Deir Istyia who were under daily threats and harassment from the Israeli forces. Now the threatening from the IOF has reached another level for these 3 families. Last week the soldiers cut both the electrity ground cable to the house and a couple of days later the powerline, one of the families was therefore without electricity for 7 hours. The family waited an hour and a half before they dared going out, see what happened and why the electrity went off. When they went out, the soldiers started shooting teargas towards them and their house, while shouting that they should leave the area. The Israeli forces also threw stones at the houses.

We visited the families twice last week. Both parents and children were traumatized after repeated attacks. We realized how Israeli Defence Forces are threatening vulnerable families to take over their houses and land that have been theirs for decades. One of the families who used to live there moved into the village of Deir Istyia last year. Now the army is trying to make these three families’ lives so unbearable that they too would decide to move out.