International Solidarity Movement - Page 189 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Arbitrary arrest of local activists as settlers lay siege to soumud house in Hebron

28th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Yesterday night, Israeli forces arrested two activists from the local activist group Youth Against Settlement in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). Illegal settlers, under the protection of the Israeli forces, then layed siege to the YAS center, the Soumud house, trapping everyone inside.

Illegal settlers close to the Soumud house. Photo credit : Youth against settlements

Israeli forces stormed the house in the evening around 7 pm, and arrested 16-year old Ahmad al-Azzeh, accusing him of ‘having a knife’. Soldiers also arrested Issa Amro under the accusation of ‘disturbing the soldiers’ and ‘hiding a terrorist in his house’. Issa Amro was detained in a bathroom for more than four hours, with his hands cuffed behind his back and blindfolded. He was interrogated for long periods of time. Whereas Issa Amro was released after more than 5 and a half hours, Ahmad al-Azzeh’s arrest was extended for another 4 days. He has been arrested merely on a soldier’s accusation of ‘seeing him with a knife’. This ridiculous allegation is clearly a means to intimidate the whole group and on the long run force them to leave the area.

Israeli forces arresting Issa Amro. Photo credit : Youth against settlements

After the arrest, settlers from the nearby illegal settlement approached the Soumud house, protesting and demanding Israeli forces to close it immediately. Groups of settlers have been outside the center the whole evening, and even brought mattresses to sleep in front of the house’s door the whole night. Everyone there, thus, was trapped inside without a possibility to leave. The whole time, Israeli soldiers present in large numbers allowed the settlers to do as they pleased, without ever intervening. A group of about 30 settlers camped outside the Soumud house, thus laying a siege to it and forcing everyone inside to spent the night there. As of Saturday, 28th November 10:30am, settlers are still outside the center.

The local activist group, Youth Against Settlements, has constantly been targeted by the Israeli forces for their non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation. Only a month ago, Israeli forces took over the center for military use, destroying their media equipment. Settlers have repeatedly attacked the group members and wrongfully accused them of crimes.

The Palestinian civilians of Queitun are locked up by massive roadblocks and skunked for no reason

27th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

In the early morning of November 26th, 2015, just a few hours after training some 50 new soldiers for house-invasions, the Israeli occupation army put three massive roadblocks in Sida, a connecting street in the Qeitun neighborhood of Hebron H2 (Israeli controlled). Two of these roadblocks were built with huge watchtower elements of steel reinforced concrete, placed horizontally and put in place with heavy concrete blocks, nearly impossible to remove.

There was no incident in Qeitun that could give any credibility for placing these roadblocks. There is absolutely no security reason for doing this.

Its purpose is clearly to block the traffic in this important connecting street. We can only guess about their further plans.

It has already been announced that the remaining few meters on the north-west of Shuhada Street will be annexed for extending checkpoint 56. In all likelyhood the Israeli state wants to take over the remaining south-eastern part of this historical busy shopping street as well. First by blocking it for all car traffic, and next turning it into an Apartheid Jews-only street, as is Shuhada Street now.

Shuhada Apartheid street. Red: no Palestinians allowed. Purple: No Palestinian cars allowed

That remaining south-eastern part of the Shuhada street is currently the main shopping street of Qeitun, and vital for the economic and social life of this Palestinian neighbourhood.

Further incidents on this thursday 26 November:

From 8 o’clock in the morning, a batallion of the Israeli occupation army was occupying rooftops alongside the newly locked down Sida street. It is not certain though if they will permanently stay there.

At 2 pm the same day, a skunk water truck went on the main street of this neighborhood and emptied its chemical container in the streets, also targeting houses and rooftops alongside the street. Again without any security reason. Just to make life hard and unpleasant in this Palestinian neighborhood of Hebron H2. Please watch video below to get an idea of what happened.

The following day the Israeli occupation army was back in the same neighborhood entering homes, assumably to set up rooftop observation posts alongside the Sida street. While doing this, they scared away civilians with tear gas and bullets.

In Gaza, Israeli Forces brutally stop farmers from working on land

November 27th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Khuzaa, Gaza strip, Occupied Palestine

Soldiers observe farmers working on their fields

In Gaza, farmers should have started to plant wheat almost a month ago. However, in Khuzaa, a village close to Khan Younis, farmers who own land near the fence have not been able to start, as they don’t have the permission to access their land. They have been waiting for help from the Red Cross, who has a project to support farmers who need to work their land in that area. However, each time they contacted the Red Cross during the last weeks, they were told that the Israeli Forces didn’t allow them to work, and threatened to shoot any person aproaching the lands.

Two days ago, tired of waiting, they decided to go to their land and start planting. A few minutes after beginning to work, several jeeps and a tank approached the area. A group of soldiers came out of one of the jeeps and stayed hidden next to the fence. They shot several rounds of live ammunition, without injuring anyone, and insulted the farmers and the international human rights activists.

Jeeps and a tank intervened to stop the farmers

Soldiers were shooting live ammunition at the workers

Call from Palestine: Stop the execution of our children

27th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

We, the undersigned Palestinian political forces and organizations, appeal to local and international institutions, human rights organisations and democratic forces for immediate and decisive action concerning the execution of Palestinian children by Israeli occupation forces and settlers. To date, 18 Palestinian children have been killed and executed in cold blood at the checkpoints and on the streets since the beginning of the current Palestinian uprising. Dozens of Palestinian children have been injured, arrested and brutally interrogated by Israeli forces.

These practices carried out by Israeli occupation forces and settlers rise to the level of war crimes and require confrontation and a response to halt this murder of Palestinian children.

We therefore request from human rights and humanitarian groups, as well as social movements, trade unions, democratic parties and concerned individuals throughout the world, to take responsibility and work to halt these crimes, which represent a flagrant violation of international conventions and treaties.

Signed (in alphabetical order):

Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hebron

Hebron Defense Committee

International Solidarity Movement

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hebron

Palestinian People’s Party, Hebron

18-year old boy arrested in occupied Hebron and international banned from the entire West Bank

26thNovember 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team| Hebron, occupied Palestine

On Thursday 26th November, at around 8 am, Israeli forces detained two young Palestinians boys at Quitoun checkpoint in occupied Hebron (Al-Khalil), allegedly throwing stones at the soldiers. On the way towards the police station where the Palestinian boys were taken by the Israeli forces – near the Ibrahimi mosque—two international human rights activists were documenting the events at the scene.

The human rights activists questioned the Israeli forces about the respective name and age of the two boys, one of which was only twelve years of age. Israeli forces refused to answer the legitimate questions of the human rights activists. One of the boys, an eighteen year old from Abu Sneineh was taken to the police station, while the international activists continued to monitor the events and ask for the age of the younger child who was still outside, detained by Israeli forces.

Embarrassed by the questions of the international human rights activists, but most of all by them witnessing this illegal detention, Israeli forces decided to arbitrarily arrest one of the human right activist, claiming that she was disturbing Israeli forces in doing their job.

The child was released after around an hour in detention, in tears and shock.

Inside the police station, the French human rights activist and the Palestinian boy were waiting for investigation, without being allowed to use their phone to inform their families and lawyers

Inside the police station, the French human rights activist and the Palestinian boy were waiting for the investigation, without being allowed to use their phone to inform their families and lawyers.

After one hour, they were taken to the police station of the illegal settlement Kiryat Arba for the investigation. The international human right activist was accused of preventing the Israeli forces to do their job and blocking their way, although she merely asked for the age of the boy, as clearly visible in the video

In the official document by the Israeli police, the human rights activist is accused of being a danger to the public safety the Israeli state and was therefore banned from the entire West Bank for two weeks
Until now, it remains unknown what will happen to the eighteen years old boy who had been arrested