International Solidarity Movement - Page 188 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Israeli forces invade homes and threaten families with nine children in Deir Istyia

November 30th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement with IWPS, Huwwara team | Deir Istyia, occupied Palestine

Deir Istyia, in Salfit district, is a village of 4000 inhabitants who mostly live on agriculture. The Salfit district has 19 villages and 24 settlements. Land confiscation is ongoing in the area and many of the settlements are growing, as the road that connects them is widening.

The 3 families are now the only Palestinians living on the west side of the road.

Now three families, living in the outskirts of Deir Istyia (see photo), are under daily threats and harassment from the Israeli forces. They don’t know if the goal is to take over their land or just to try to make their lives so unbearable that they will themselves decide to move from the land on which they have been living peacefully for many generations.

It started in the beginning of october this year, where the soldiers started to come to the houses and harass the families, mainly at daytime. Often the women are alone with the children during the day while the men are working. Israeli forces have chosen this time to come to the houses and scare the families. One of the women explained to us that the soldiers hit her, told her that the house wasn’t hers and that she soon would have to move away. They also told her that she was a terrorist, and that the soldiers would soon come back and shoot her.

Over the last 4 days the Israeli forces have been there day and night, telling the families that they have permission to stay on the roof of one of the houses. One night, they stayed all night and slept on the roof. They claim to have to watch the road and the surroundings, because of stone throwers, even though there hasn’t been any stone throwing in that area. Last Saturday, when the soldiers were there, they took pictures of the house and the yard.

Now, the children are very insecure, and their mothers don’t leave the houses as they are afraid of leaving them alone, a situation that makes them feel, as they describe it, as in prison. They can hear the soldiers walking around outside their houses and standing on the olive hill behind them at night.

Volunteers from International Solidarity Movement and International Women’s Peace Service will follow up on the situation of these families.

Hamze Marwan Abdomousa is asking for your support!

30th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Ramallah, occupied Palestine

UPDATED: 28.12.2015

22 year old Hamze is still in prison after obtaining a 1 year sentence. The court also ruled he must pay a fine of 4.000 shekels (or USD $1.023) before the end of December, in order to be freed by January 2016.

So far, supporters have donated 105 dollars – thank you so much. However, we still need 918 dollars to pay his fine to release him. Please, keep donating – every contribution matters!

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The International Solidarity Movement has received a call to support a political prisoner. His name is Hamze Marwan Abdomousa, and he is 22 years old. Here is his story:

On the 5th of February, 2015, Hamze was arrested by the Israeli army in his home in the Amari refugee camp, Ramallah. The military court accused him of throwing stones and of trading military equipment, and even though he refused these claims, he had to accept this accusation according to his lawyer’s plea bargain in order to get a 1 year sentence – instead of a sentence that could last three years or even longer.

But despite the fact that Hamze obtained this 1 year sentence, the court also ruled he must pay a fine of 4.000 shekels (or USD $1.023) before the end of December, in order to be freed by January 2016. This, in turn, has caused further distress on his family, not only because they are very poor, but because if he does not pay the fine, the Israeli army will keep him in prison for another 4 months.

‘This fine goes beyond the financial means of my circle of family and friends,’ Hamze explains. ‘My financial situation is very difficult, and has worsened by the fact that I have been unemployed for the past 2 years. I was forced to leave school at grade 9 to begin working and help my family. My family still depends on me for financial support, and my imprisonment has exerted an enormous burden on them. I ask all people who understand me to support me and my family.’

Hamze further says all he wants is to continue a life with dignity and build a family of his own.

The ISM is calling the international community to see Hamze’s situation and support him with donations. If you can’t make a donation, please share his story with your friends and family, in your social media and with all the people who care!

If you want to make a donation, please do so here, and write us an e-mail to palreports@gmail.com adding ‘Support Hamze’ in the subject, detailing your name and the amount you donated.

Any amount you donate will be greatly appreciated: if we all put our efforts together we can fulfill Hamze’s desire and right to freedom!

Free Mahmoud Abujoad!

29th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Huwwara, occupied Palestine

UPDATED: 05.01.2016

Congratulations! With 420 US dollars collected we have now reached a third of the amount needed to cover the costs of the lawyer, who is representing Mahmoud in the Israeli court. However, we still have to collect 867 US dollars.

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

Free Mahmoud!

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UPDATED: 28.12.2015

So far, 310 dollars have been collected. We are still far away from the 1287 dollars we need to cover the costs of the lawyer, Khaled Al Araaj, who will be representing Mahmoud in the Israeli court. Please continue your kind donations!

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Palestinian human rights activist and community supporter Mahmoud Abujoad, from the Deishah refugee camp in Bethlehem is still in prison waiting to be reunited with his wife and family! Mahmud was arrested on September 9th 2015 whilst traveling with his newly wedded wife to Jordan on a family holiday. He is being charged by the occupation authorities under allegations of throwing stones at a demonstration against Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge” massacre in Gaza, more than a year ago. A military judged ruled to release him on bail and his loved ones gathered the money that was needed with your help. However, the military prosecution appealed and the decision to release him was overturned as an act of collective punishment.

Newly married Mahmoud Abujoad and his wife Sireen

Military Judge Lt. Colonol Shmuel Keidar said in his decision “ I believe that the court can deviate from the micro-considerations regarding the defendant himself and to include considerations of general deterrent, considering the wide population in the area. Because of these things I believe it is not wrong to use the the reason of general deterrent straightaway or for detention and should express it as much as the situation needs. For all of these reasons I accept to keep him until the end of proceedings.”

Now, Mahmoud and his family and friends are appealing for support for 5,000 NIS (1,287 US$) for the costs of the lawyer, Khaled Al Araaj, who will be representing Mahmoud. Please donate through PayPal on our website, every contribution matters!

Free Mahmoud!

Mahmoud and his wife Sireen, married just three months at the time of Mahmoud’s arrest in Jordan by Israeli authorities.

Illegal Israeli settlers threaten to burn a family of 11

28th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Madama, occupied Palestine

Earlier today, November 28th, a group of Israeli illegal settlers, in the presence of three Israeli soldiers, threatened to burn down a family in the village of Madama, occupied West Bank.

At noon, 25 settlers from the nearby settlement of Yitzhar trespassed the land of the Palestinian village Madama. Once they had reached the outskirts of the village they started yelling and threatening a family. The family, who previously had problems with the settlers from Yitzhar, includes 9 children and an additional one is expected within two months.

1 illegal settler hiking on the hills around Madama, accompanied by 2 israeli soldiers. — 1 illegal settler walking on the hills around Madama, accompanied by 2 Israeli soldiers.

The settlers, some of whom were armed with rifles, were standing within 100-150 metres from the family’s house when they were yelling at the family. The illegal settlers were threatening the family with facing the same end as the Dawasheh family, referring to a previous attack this year where a settler firebombed a Palestinian family. 18 month old Ali Dawasheh was burned alive and both his parents later succumbed from the arson attack, leaving 4 year old Ahmed as the only surviving member of the family.

The settlers today also yelled at the family that they would be the next Mohammed Abu Khdeir. Mohammed was only 16 years old when he was kidnapped outside his house in the neighborhood of Shuafat, East Jerusalem. The kidnappers, later found out to be Jewish Israeli nationalists, beat him up and forced him to drink gasoline before finally burning him alive, from the inside out.

After today’s attack, the family in Madama is feeling even more insecure. Due to repeated attacks by the settlers the family recently got founding by the authorities to put up a barb wire fence, surrounding the house. And the father of the family has put a cover on the windows to protect his family from potential rocks thrown by the settlers.

Demonstration at Huwwara checkpoint demanding the return of martyr’s body violently met by Israeli forces

28th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Huwwara, occupied Palestine

Protesters from Nablus and the surrounding villages gathered in a demonstration on Saturday, November 28th, demanding the return of a young martyr’s body. Alaa Khalil Hashash, aged 16, was killed by Israeli forces after allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier at the Huwwara checkpoint near the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Monday, November 23rd.

Israeli forces fire tear gas towards protesters.

At today’s demonstration, two youths were injured by live ammunition, two were injured by rubber coated steel bullets and ten protesters suffocated after inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli forces towards the crowd. Furthermore, an ambulance was attacked with tear gas while trying to give medical aid to an injured protester.

Protester suffocated after inhaling tear gas.

The Huwwara checkpoint was closed for traffic going out of Nablus during the demonstration, causing massive traffic jam. Locals stated that the closure of the checkpoint was collective punishment, as Palestinians from the surroundings were being punished for protesters practicing their lawful right to protest.

Israel’s practice of withholding the dead bodies follows a common patter 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.

The Huwwara checkpoint has been the scene of numerous executions in he past weeks, many of which were executions of children. At the checkpoint on November 22nd, 16-year old Ashraqat Taha Qatnani was shot dead by Israeli forces after already being hit by the car of Gershon Mesika, the former head of the “Samaria regional council” representing the illegal settlements in the northern West Bank. 24 hours later, Alaa Khalil Hashash was shot dead while Samah Abd al-Mumen Ahmad, a Palestinian woman, was shot in the head in the crossfire as she drove past the scene.