November 8th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine
Thursday evening November the 5th, Egyptian Forces opened fired on 18-year old Faris Meqdad and his younger brother while fishing in Palestinian waters. The brothers were in a small fishing vessel within the 3 nautical mile limit of the Gazan coast when Faris was hit in the abdomen and his brother injured. Faris died after being brought to the hospital.
Family mourn the passing of Faris Meqdad, 18
Maha Hussaini, spokesperson for the Gaza branch of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (EMHRM), told Al Jazeera on Friday: “Meqdad wasn’t in Egyptian waters, he was in Palestinian waters and was shot by the Egyptians. He was completely unarmed and posed no threat to the Egyptian forces”.
The boys were in fact within the current 3 nautical mile limit (5,6 km) that during the past two decades has been reduced from 20 nautical miles (37 km). The reduced limit is an element of the naval blockade on Gaza that prevents Gazan fishermen from accessing “quality” fish. Higher value fish such as tuna are not present within the 3nm limit and fishing is desolate concerning the size of fish.
Faris Meqdad is yet another victim of the stranglehold grip on Gaza. Another son has been lost, and the world watches on.
October 8th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine
Israeli Forces shot and killed a 23 year old on Friday, the 6th of October, in demonstrations east of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza strip. The man was identified by The Ministry of Health in Gaza as Salameh Moussa Abu Jame and was the 75th Palestinian to be killed since the beginning of October. Five others were injured in the clashes, from a combination of tear-gas and live ammunition.
Furthermore, in demonstrations in Nahel Oz and Karni border crossing, both in the area of Shijaia, Israeli forces shot tear gas and live ammunition at the civilian demonstrators injuring 30.
Palestinian youths at the demonstration in the Shijaia area.
November 7th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Nablus, Occupied Palestine
Today, at 6 pm local time in Occupied Jerusalem, Palestinians and supporters gathered in peaceful events all over the world to sing the “unofficial” Palestinian national anthem, Mawtini (In Arabic موطني).
Crowds gathered to sing in Arafat Square, Ramallah
Events were scheduled to take place in Occupied Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Jericho, Jordan Valley, Jenin and Salfit, and schools throughout the West Bank were encouraged to chant Mawtini during the school day and upload videos to the Facebook page of the #Mawtini-event. On the Facebook-event, posts from Ivory Coast, Syria, Gaza, and others show the wide international solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people.
Crowds sing ‘Matwini’ in Ramallah
The beginning of the second verse reads: “The youth will not tire, ’till your independence” and is a clear symbol of the current situation on the West Bank; the young generation growing up under the Oslo Accords of 1993 are the ones exerting their political power by risking their lives. They have grown up in a world where the occupation – among many other things – took away their freedom of movement by temporary check-points, road-blocks, and denying them access to Jerusalem.
A group of children singing in Ramallah
Seeing the diverse attendance and participation and listening to the poem written by the Palestinian poet Ibrahim Toukan shows the anatomy of the Palestinian people; for decades they have had their freedom of movement stolen, had their children killed, and had their villages divided by the Apartheid Wall but they continue to exist and to resist with dignity and joy.
“Mawtini (my homeland) will I see you in your eminence reaching the stars?”
7th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On November 7th 2015, Israeli forces violently took over several homes of Palestinian families in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), trapping the families inside their own homes. Large parts of the city have been declared a ‘closed military zone’, preventing Palestinians from moving, while settlers are freely roaming the streets.
Early in the morning, Israeli soldiers stormed various houses in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood, each time locking up the residents in one room of their home. The local activist group Youth Against Settlements’ centre was taken by the Israeli army. Tom, a German volunteer states: “the soldiers searched everything and left a chaos on the lower floor; we could hear children’s voices from inside the house, so it must have been settlers inside the house”.
Watch a video of Israeli forces attacking journalists arriving to the center to cover the takeover by the Israeli forces.
Whereas Tom’s release from the closed military zone was secured through the intervention of his embassy, Italian journalist Francesca Borri and Palestinian activists are still held hostage by the Israeli forces. Israeli settlers from the illegal settlements in Hebron have been seen dancing, chanting ‘death to Arabs’ and celebrating outside another Palestinian family houses misappropriated for military use by the Israeli forces.
Illegal Israeli settlers celebrating the takeover of Palestinian homes by Israeli forces Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement
Israeli forces have also declared the neighbourhood around the Ibrahimi mosque a ‘closed military zone’, following almost a week of forced closure for Palestinian shops in the area. The Palestinian market has also been closed by the Israeli forces, denying Palestinians passage. “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”, explains Tel Rumeida resident Abed Salaymeh. Other international human rights observers have been directly targeted by Israeli forces through arrests, evictions and settler violence.
Israeli soldiers in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood of occupied Hebron Photo credit: Youth Against Settlement
In the last few weeks, Israeli forces have continuously cracked down on Palestinians’ right to freedom of movement by declaring the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood a ‘closed military zone’ and forcing all Palestinian residents to register with the Israeli army to be allowed access. Palestinians are subjected to regular body-checks at gunpoint or denied access to their homes while Israeli settlers, often armed with machine guns, are freely walking the streets. As one Palestinian resident of Tel Rumeida related, “Everyone is too scared to leave their house now.”
7th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwara Team | Tulkarem, occupied Palestine
Updated on November 18th
Yesterday we went to Tulkarem and finally met Ammar, together with his friend Warda. We had a long conversation, where Ammar told us how good he feels to be out of jail and all the things he wants to do in the future. Although his life is very hard, he appears optimistic and tells us he is planning to get a job and save money. He wants to take a course to become a hairdresser, because this is something he already practiced in the prison. When he gets a job as a hairdresser, he wants to continue saving money to build a house in his village. One day he wants to get married and have children.
When he was released, the people of Beit Lid waited for Ammar to celebrate in the streets of the village. Photo credit ISM
We asked him what his life was like in the jail and he said, “There’s nothing prisoners want more than to be free.” Ammar explained to us that going to jail for your country is not a bad thing and, in the end, for him the freedom of his country is more important than his personal freedom.
His three friends are still in jail and he doesn’t know when they will be released. And although he can’t see them, their families get to visit them every two weeks.
His friends were very happy to see him back. Photo credit ISM
Ammar and his friends. Photo credit ISM
He also told us how he made new friends in the jail and how they support each other emotionally when they are having a difficult time. Everyday, they were allowed to leave their cell and stay a while in a common room with other prisoners, spending time together. They did not have access, though, to an area that was open to the air.
It is important to remember that, even though Ammar has finally been released, there are still things he cannot do, which in turn means he doesn’t enjoy full freedom. The court decided that if he is to be found near any illegal Israeli settlement, participates in any demonstration, or is seen walking through any checkpoint, he would be imprisoned for another five years. Therefore, he feels he cannot move with total freedom and needs to be careful.
But despite these restrictions, he is very happy to think how he will start building his future.
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Updated on November 10th
Ammar has been released and the people of his village were waiting for him to celebrate on the streets. He is back with his loved ones and has returned to live in his brother’s house. Ammar is very happy to be free again and is planning to find a job.
Here are some pictures his friends sent us to show you!
Ammar with his aunt
Ammar’s friend welcomes him back
The receipt for Ammar’s fine
Updated on November 8th
We have great news! Ammar has been released from prison and we want to thank all of you for your wonderful support! After having spent one year in jail, Ammar is finally back home with his family and can resume his normal life.
Therefore, we have decided to finish Ammar’s campaign tonight. Ammar, together with his family and friends, greatly appreciate your efforts, we could not have done this without you !!
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In September 2014, four young men from the village of Beit Lid near Tulkarem were arrested by the Israeli military. After interrogating the four friends, two confessed under torture that they witnessed 22-year-old Ammar Khalid throwing stones and destroying a fence of the illegal Israeli settlement of Anab, which is built on their village’s land. Although Ammar denied this accusation, and no evidence has been presented to support it, the Israeli military court dictated that one witness is already enough to impose a prison charge, and that other evidence is unnecessary.
Ultimately, his friends were released, but Ammar was charged with one year of prison and a fine of 2.500 shekels (approximately $650) which must be paid by November 13th, otherwise, the military will keep him imprisoned until the fine is paid.
Ammar is an orphan; although his parents are gone, he has many friends desperately trying to raise the money to free him. However, his financial situation is very bad, and an amount of 2.500 shekels is very difficult for his loved ones to collect. Without our support Ammar will remain in military detention.
Ammar is not alone in his struggle against the Israeli military, the campaign of violence against the people of Palestine has surged in the month of October, with at least 64 Palestinians killed, over 7,200 injured, and approximately 650 detained by Israeli forces.
It is essential that we pull together our efforts and resources to support Ammar. He is one young man suffering under the effects of the Israeli occupation, and one is too many. We must do all we can to help Ammar gain his freedom from Israeli imprisonment.
Once you send a contribution, it is important that you write to us to palreports@gmail.com, adding ‘Free Ammar’ in the subject, to give us the details of your name and the amount so that we can ensure to collect the money appropriately for Ammar.
If you cannot give money, but still want to support Ammar, please share this with as many people as possible.
