International Solidarity Movement - Page 2 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

For Immediate Release: The State of Israel vs. Activists

Israeli colonial settlers and Knesset Members celebrated on social media the de facto deportation of two German citizens, who were imprisoned by the Israeli authorities, from the occupied Palestinian territories to Jordan on Sunday October 6th. Itamar Ben Gvir and Tzvi Sukot posted about the expulsion of German activists as an achievement for their special task force and governmental committee, which was created to deal with what they call “dangerous anarchists” in the West Bank. Israel’s criminal right wing government uses the term “anarchists” to refer to all Israeli and international human rights defenders who are supporting Palestinians living under illegal occupation in the West Bank.

According to eyewitnesses, on the morning of October 2, the two activists were arbitrarily arrested by Israeli forces in Masafer Yatta (South Hebron Hills) as they accompanied a Palestinian farmer to his garden in the village of Tuwani. The Palestinian farmer they were accompanying faces daily harassment, attacks, and invasions of his private land by Israeli settlers and occupation forces, which all make it difficult for him to access his land, to cultivate it, and even to remain in his home. Police claimed in court that the activists had entered a settlement, confronted a soldier and disturbed him in fulfilling his duty. These claims contradict video footage of the arrest.

The onslaught of harassment against Palestinian residents of the region of Masafer Yatta extends beyond Tuwani. Every village in the area is affected. In the village of Zanuta in this same region, residents have been forcibly displaced multiple times despite a court ruling in their favor. Residents of Um Durit have had their livestock and property stolen and destroyed, and their land abused by settlers. Last July, around 200 settlers launched a coordinated attack in which they destroyed vehicles, burned fruit trees and beat up residents in Khalet Al Daba’a and Um Fagarah. In the past year, at least 19 Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank have been forcefully displaced by Israel settlers with the support of the Israeli occupation forces.

The activists were transferred to the central unit in the occupied West Bank near the Malleh Adumim colonial settlement. The police illegally broke into the phone of one of the activists and questioned them about photos on their phones of signs and stickers condemning the genocide in Gaza and supporting Palestinian rights. The police alleged that this proved that they supported terror and were terrorists. They were also questioned on whether they knew about the International Solidarity movement (ISM), and were shown a presentation on the organization with pictures of Israelis and internationals and asked if they knew them.

The activists were taken to court and accused of three offenses: disturbing a police officer/soldier performing his responsibilities, membership in an illegal association, and “sympathizing and identifying with a terror organization”. According to the police, the illegal association they are members of is ISM, which they claimed has been designated as forbidden to work in Israel and the West Bank.

It is important to note that while many respectable human rights organizations have been designated as terror organizations by Israel, the ISM has not yet been designated as forbidden, nor has any international ISM activist ever been indicted and charged with a crime in Israeli courts.

The German citizens were imprisoned in harsh conditions from Wednesday to Sunday and then given the option of leaving through the King Hussein bridge, and they are now in Jordan. For similar vague and unsubstantiated accusations, Palestinians are frequently arrested and tortured in the West Bank, and in Gaza the accused are murdered along with their families.

This most recent set of arrests is part of the ongoing barrage of harassment by Israeli settlers and soldiers of Palestinians and of human rights activists in area, and comes in the wake of the murder of ISM volunteer Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi in the village of Beita during a protest against settlement expansion on the village’s land.

18 Martyrs and Dozens Injured in Israeli Shelling on Tulkarm Camp

On Thursday 3rd October, in the evening, the Israeli military bombed the Tulkarm refugee camp, in the North-East of the West Bank, killing at least 18 Palestinians in a single blast. The attack targeted a popular local café in the al-Hamam neighbourhood, also destroying the apartments above it and murdering the family of four that lived there, including two young children.

The bombing was carried out by an F16 jet, a war plane able to fly extremely quickly and take its target by surprise – which also meant the military was able to use a large missile, instantly wrecking the area and burying victims under heavy rubble, as well as dismembering the bodies.

Rescuers from the Civil Defense Team and Palestinian medical crews reported struggling to look for survivors under the wreckage, and finding many unidentifiable body parts that were transferred in boxes to the hospital.

In just a few days, Palestinians were already planning to commemorate the massacre
of the Nour Shams refugee camp that occurred in Tulkarem on October 22 last year, in which 12 Palestinians were killed, but they did not know that the Israeli occupation would commit a new massacre with such horror just before.

One American activist currently working in the West Bank commented: “The scenes were reminiscent of the genocide still raging in Gaza. In one video posted immediately after the bombing, you see a man’s lifeless body hanging from the building. My group was supposed to be going to Nour Shams tomorrow [Saturday] to distribute aid to the camp but now we can’t because the situation is too unsafe for us. This attack has been devastating.”

While attacks from both the Israeli military and Israeli settlers have been constant in the area since last year and before, this massacre marks a worrying turn as it is the first bombing carried out by a fighter jet in the West Bank since the Second Intifada that lasted from 2002-2005, as well as the deadliest single attack there in over twenty years.

This comes after months of Israeli harassment targeting the Tulkarem refugee camp with raids, strikes and sieges, particularly intensifying in the month of August, which saw a large-scale military operation targeting both Tulkarem and Jenin. Strikes on Tulkarm tend to be particularly murderous, as this camp is home to 25,000 Palestinian refugees.

F16 jets are central to the genocide Israel is leading in Gaza, where scenes like the one seen in Tulkarem on Thursday are daily occurrences. In Gaza, as in the West Bank, refugee camps are the prime targets of Israeli raids where the primary objective is annihilating Palestinians and rendering their land inhabitable. The Israeli strategy remains one of total destruction as a preamble to colonial expansion on stolen land.

There have already been at least 701 Palestinian casualties in the West Bank since October 7th 2023, mostly caused by the Israeli army – the rest by settlers who are often assisted and directly protected by them. If Israel continues to escalate in these areas, this number is likely to go up exponentially in the next few months, furthering the total genocide of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Israeli occupation forces murder journalist Wafa Al Udaini and her family

ISM mourns Wafa Al Udaini, a Palestinian activist and journalist we were honored to have worked with. Israeli forces bombed her home in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, in the early hours of Monday morning, September 30, murdering Wafa, her husband Munir Atiyeh Al-Udaini, 5-year-old daughter Balsam, and 7-month-old son Tamim. She is survived by her two young sons.

Wafa was a dedicated and passionate Gaza-based activist and coordinator. She majored in English in Al Aqsa University, with the intention of becoming a teacher and translator. However, anger and frustration with how mainstream media ‘distorts our image in Palestine’, led her towards a career in journalism. She reported from Gaza during the invasions of 2008, 2014-2015 (during which her home was destroyed), and the current genocide, during which her and her family were displaced three times.

Wafa was committed to teaching Palestinian youth and giving them the skills to tell their stories to the world. Her work ranged from leading a women’s youth group that worked on changing the stereotypes about Palestinians, to founding the Gaza-based 16th October Group, a group of English-language young journalists and activists.

‘Being a journalist in Gaza is not an easy task, because every single day, you are subjected to (the possibility) of being killed, injured, or arrested by the Israeli occupation forces. In fact hundreds of journalists get killed by Israeli fire. Everyone is a target.’ – Wafa Al Udaini

She is the 174th journalist killed by Israel since 7 October 2023. Her killing was condemned by the government media office in Gaza and the Palestinian Media Forum.

The last article Wafa wrote was, “There is no such thing as protective attire for journalists in Gaza.” In it, she described the total lack of protection for journalists in Gaza, and her colleagues Israeli forces had killed. Journalists in Gaza work “on empty stomachs and often without electricity to cover the genocide of their people”, amidst the constant threat of abduction, torture, or murder from Israeli forces, she wrote.

E., who volunteered with ISM and worked with Wafa, said: ‘I first got to know Wafa when she was writing about the Great March of Return and life in Gaza under Israeli seige. One thing that impressed me while collaborating with her was her conviction and determination to stay true to what she felt was right, even at great personal cost.’

‘As the genocide became worse and it was clear that Israeli forces would kill anyone who dared to report on it, Wafa continued faithfully documenting the atrocities happening around her, and how Palestinians tried to help each other survive. Even after being targeted by Israeli tank fire, she continued sharing the stories of Gazans until the end, telling me she wanted to “help in spreading the truth.”‘

‘To me, Wafa was a hero, and one of the bravest people I ever knew. Rest in power Wafa, and may you live on in our memories and the truths you told.’

Neta Golan, ISM co-founder, said: ‘Wafa and her family were murdered and dismembered because she was committed to delivering a message from Gaza to the world, about the reality of Israeli colonialism, in English. She believed in us. She believed that if we knew, we would do all we can to end the genocide and support Palestine’s liberation. She risked her life to tell us about the reality of the unfolding genocide, and The Israeli occupation murdered her and her family members for it. But the truth can not be silenced. We are committed to Wafa’s mission of amplifying Palestinian voices, and we are committed to heeding their call.’

Settlers Steal Water as Harassment and Violence Continues towards Palestinians and Activists

24 September 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Anizan

In the West Bank village of Anizan, South Hebron Hills, aggressions escalated yesterday as settlers harassed residents and stole water from their local well. A volunteer, who was present on the scene, reported the settlers had begun their provocations the day before, draining water and taunting the villagers. Early yesterday morning, the activists positioned themselves by the well to prevent further waste. A lone settler appeared but quickly left after seeing the volunteer.

By afternoon, two settlers returned, including a familiar figure known for frequent harassment in the area. According to the activist, the settlers claimed the well—and the land—belonged to Israel, dismissing the notion that the area was part of Palestine. For over 15 minutes, the settlers shook the well’s cover as the activist sat on it. The situation became more dangerous, and the activist was eventually shoved off the well. The settlers then used the well water to splash about and wash their vehicles. This Palestinian well serves the dire needs of the families of Anizan so stealing the water just added to the cruelty.

One of the settlers then accused the activist of causing injury and threatened to contact the authorities. Later in the evening, the settlers returned, this time harassing the villagers directly.

Today, the settlers returned to Anizan once more. This time one of the settlers came on horseback, making it possible for them to drive the Palestinians’ herds away from where they needed to be. The settlers also stole more water and splashed it on the horse.

Notably, this harassment took place across the road from Zanuta, where residents were recently served with a dire ultimatum of displacement, in an area where everyone else has been pushed out. The incident highlights the ongoing struggle over water resources and land rights in the region, as well as the daily challenges faced by Palestinian communities under occupation.

Video showing the various kinds of settler harassment in Anizan, September 23-24

Zanuta Residents Slammed with Displacement Ultimatum 3 Weeks after Returning to their Lands

20 September 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Zanuta

The recently returned residents of the village of Zanuta (in the southernmost area of the occupied West Bank) have been slammed once again with more colonial practices from the Israeli forces.

Three weeks after returning to their land and homes, which had been destroyed by settlers, after having suffered daily settlers attacks and army harassment, and being barred from rebuilding the destroyed homes or even putting up a fence for their livestock, the citizens received an ultimatum from the Israeli Civil Administration. The order gave the villagers 30 days to accept what it calls an “offer” to relocate somewhere else; otherwise Israeli forces will demolish the already destroyed homes.

This is an illusion of offering a “solution”, and a coverup to show the international community the Israeli regime has “good intentions” by offering solutions which the Palestinians actually cannot accept. In reality, the alternative place “offered” is located in Area C contiguous to Area B of the West Bank, therefore continuing the implementation of the ghettoization of Palestinians into densely populated areas in Area A and B. Furthermore, the place is surrounded by outposts with extremely violent settlers, placing the Palestinians at certain risk of increased settler violence. Finally, the land designated as an alternative has been deemed State Land (“ownership” of the Israeli State), but is in fact Palestinian private land which the colonial State does not recognise as such.

It is critical to this story to remember that the Zanuta residents were forcibly displaced from their land last November due to settler violence and returned last month, after an Israeli court ruled that they could do so under the “protection” of the Israeli army.