International Solidarity Movement - Page 224 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Palestinian lawyers went on hunger strike in solidarity with Mohammed Allan and to protest against administrative detention

20th August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team |Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Last Tuesday Palestinian lawyers went on a hunger strike. Hatem Shahin, vice-president of the Palestinian Bar Association for lawyers, explains why thirteen of the Association’s members decided to take this radical step: “The main goals are to break the isolation of the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike as well as to send a message to the entire world. Palestinian voices need to be heard”. Therefore the Palestinian lawyers gathered in central Hebron to carry out their action.

IMG_030ff1-min — The lawyers form a human chain around the poster of Mohammed Allan

Whereas the immediate motivation for the strike is the grave situation of Mohammed Allan, it is also a protest against the illegal practice of administrative detention. Administrative detention allows Israel to detain almost exclusively Palestinians without charge or trial for a maximum of six months which can be renewed indefinitely. The alleged high security risk of the concerned prisoner to the Israeli settler-colonial state is emphasized to legitimize the application of administrative detention. This practice “is the most extreme measure that international humanitarian law allows an occupying power to use against residents of occupied territory” as the prisoner support and human rights association Addameer puts it. Under international law administrative detention should only be used “against protected persons in occupied territory for ‘imperative reasons of security’ (Fourth Geneva Convention, Art. 78)”. However, Israel applies this procedure frequently ever since the Nakba of ‘48 which resulted in the construction of the Israeli state. Administrative detention leaves the prisoners and their families and friends in a prolonged state of uncertainty and isolation. “We do not feel respected as human beings because of this treatment”, expresses former administrative detainee Badran Jaber. “We live lonely in front of the occupying power”.

One day after the solidarity hunger strike was started by the Palestinian lawyers, the news is received that Israel’s High Court suspends the detention of Mohammed Allan. His health severely deteriorated which led him to be hospitalised in Barzilai Medical Centre in Ashkelon, southern Israel on Friday the 14th of August. After a medical examination it was found that Mohammed Allan now suffers from brain damage. Given his current medical condition, he does not pose a security threat any more and thus administrative detention is not legitimized according to the court’s ruling. However, it is unclear whether the brain damage is permanent and, should his medical condition improve, whether administrative detention will be re-applied.

Mother and brother of Mohammed Allan embrace after the court's ruling — Mother and brother of Mohammed Allan embrace after the court’s ruling

The news of Mohammed Allan’s release has been met with enthusiasm, relief and a sense of victory by supporters within occupied Palestine and beyond. However, critics also point out that the attainment of freedom through the application of extreme damage to oneself can hardly be called justice. Furthermore, the interest in Mohammed Allan’s struggle should not deviate attention from the 180 Palestinian prisoners who are on hunger strike since the 11th of August 2015. Therefore, because of the uncertainty of a potential re-application of administrative detention should Mohammed Allan’s health improve, the continuing struggle of Palestinians inside Israeli prisons and the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine, the road to justice is still a long way ahead.

ISM spoke with lawyers, supporters and a former administrative detainee in Hebron. Watch the video below.

Israeli forces demolish homes in Wadi Joz, occupied East Jerusalem

19th August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | East Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine

Update 22nd August:

The lawyer of the Totah and Totanji families has been in touch with Israeli Authorities, and has found out, that there is no demolition order on the Wadi Joz neighborhood. There has only been given a cleaning order on Wadi Joz, so the wave of home demolitions is illeagal according to Israeli law. The lawyer will now take the case to court, and hopefully there will be no more demolitions in Wadi Joz.

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Wave of home demolition worsens in Wadi Joz

Nureddin Amro sitting on the rubble of his home, which was demolished on March 31st this year (photo credit The Washington Post)

On Wednesday August 19, at 5:30 AM, Israeli occupation forces began demolishing a three-story home of the Totah and Totanji families in the Wadi Joz neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem.

“A large number soldiers and policemen are blocking main road in Wadi Joz right now. There is no electricity because they demolished the neighbor’s house and the power network. They kicked the families and people into the street, in the middle of this hot weather, showing no humanity. Stated Nureddin Amro, a resident of the Wadi Joz, “They want to confiscate the entire neighborhood”.

On March 31, 2015 Israeli forces demolished most of Nureddin Amro’s house and that of his brother, Sharif Amro, both of whom are blind and live with their families, including 7 children under 14 years of age and their mother who is 79 years old. There was no demolition order against the houses and no prior notice. Israeli forces barely waited for the family to leave the rooms that were going to be demolished and physically attacked the family. Some property belonging to the Totah family was also destroyed that day. Since then, the Amros and Totahs have lived in constant fear of further demolitions. Other homes in the neighborhood are also slated for demolition.

Today’s demolition comes just after the largest-scale destruction of Palestinian dwellings in nearly three years.

Wadi al-Joz is located directly outside the Old City of Jerusalem in a vulnerable area with three demolitions in the last two-and-one-half weeks. Land near this neighborhood was already annexed by the Israeli authorities to create a national park encompassing an illegal Israeli settlement.

Resources:

Article by Nurredin Amro in Washington post : https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/israel-wrecked-my-home-now-it-wants-my-land/2015/07/31/79808fca-36cf-11e5-9d0f-7865a67390ee_story.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop_b

Background about home demolitions:

House demolitions in International Humanitarian Law (Diakonia) : http://www.diakonia.se/en/IHL/Occupied-Palestinian-Territory/Administration-of-Occupation/House-Demolitions1/?_t_id=1B2M2Y8AsgTpgAmY7PhCfg%3d%3d&_t_q=demolition&_t_tags=language%3aen%2csiteid%3adfed4c1a-bbd8-450f-954a-02cff1abcc09&_t_ip=188.225.141.1&_t_hit.id=Diakonia_Web_Models_Pages_ArticlePage/_892c51bc-720c-4908-8bb4-fa9627473a2d_en&_t_hit.pos=1

East Jerusalem: Key Humanitarian Concerns (UN OCHA, August 2014): http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_jerusalem_factsheet_august2014_english.pdf

Israeli forces punish Kafr Qaddum by damaging the water supply system

16 August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

On Saturday the 15^th of August 2015, the villagers from Kafr Qaddum once again demonstrated against the blockage of the road leading to Nablus as well as the nearby Kedumin settlement. In solidarity with the local people there were few international activists and journalists to cover the demonstration.

The non-violent protest was immediately suppressed by the Israeli occupation forces by shooting dozens of teargas canisters and live ammunition. Instead of the frequently used bad-smelling skunk water, the army drove a bulldozer into the village. This bulldozer destroyed the only water pipe in the village, leaving the people Kafr Qaddum without any connection to water until the pipe is repaired. Especially during the hot summer months, water is a scarce and essential good.

Murad Shtaiwi, one of the leaders of Kafr Qaddum Popular Committee, understands the damage to the water pipe as a way to collectively punish the village for its ongoing resistance. The costs of a new pipe have to be paid for by the municipality. As Murad explains, damaging the water pipe is a deliberate attempt by the Israeli army to suppress the support amongst the villagers to continue to protests and thus block future demonstrations.

Palestinians demonstrate against the sale of the Presbyterian church and new settlements near Beit El Baraka

15 August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Beit el Baraka, Occupied Palestine

Since two months concerned Palestinians demonstrate against the sale of the Presbyterian church in Beit el Baraka to right-wing activist Aryeh King. Beit el Baraka is a site on the road connecting al-Khalil/Hebron to al-Quds/Jerusalem and near Al Arroub refugee camp. Aryeh King is said to refurbish the church and the surrounding area in order to establish a new illegal settlement.

A Palestinian child protests in front of Israeli soldiers near Beit El Baraka

Today was the 16th demonstration against the sale of the church and the threat of a new settlement. Twice a week they march on the road leading from Beit Ummar to Beit el Baraka and the church. The group of protesters consisted of men, women and children explicitly identifying as Palestinian Christians or Palestinian Muslims. They carried banners and Christian crosses and chanted slogans to defend the right of Palestinians to their own land.

Israeli soldier confront a nonviolent Palestinian protestor near Beit El Baraka

There was an excessive army presence and the many soldiers outnumbered the non-violent protesters by far. As the group marched towards the Presbyterian church their passage was blocked by the army. When they crossed the street in order to continue the demonstration and the march in the fields the army speeded to further block the movement of the demonstrators.

Beit El Baraka residents plan to continue their nonviolent protests in the coming weeks.

No weaponry was used and the peaceful protesters retreated to Beit Ummar and the surrounding villages. They will be back the coming weeks to continue to resist new illegal settlements that enable to annex Palestinian land beyond the internationally recognised borders (the ‘Green Lines’) of Occupied Palestine and ‘48.

1312 reported attacks against fishermen since the end of 2014 massacre on Gaza

11th August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Team | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Two days ago, on Sunday’s night at 3am, the occupation forces kidnapped fishermen Mohamed Ismail Sharafi, 34 years old, and Mohamed Saidi, 22 years old, in Gaza City waters.

According to the testimony of the other fishermen that where working with them the night of the attack, around 10 boats, one of the two fishermen was injured by live ammunition before being kidnapped.

The aggression took place at 5 miles off shore and their boat was also taken to Ashdod.

Two weeks ago Ahmed Sharafi, Mohamed’s brother, was shot in his back with live ammunition while working with his father.

Since the end of the last Zionist massacre against Gaza there have been 1312 reported attacks against the fishermen.

Since then, 22 boats have been stolen; 26 fishermen have been injured; one fisherman, Tawfiq Abu Riela, has been assassinated; 28 boats have been disabled by bullet fire; 2 big fishing boats have been sunken by rocket fire, one in Deir El Balah at 300m from the coast and one in Gaza City at 5 miles; 51 fishermen have been kidnapped while working and 3 fishermen remain prisoners until now.

Those facts, among other practices of the occupation forces, have caused the quantity of fish caught to decrease from 1600 tons the year before the massacre to 1000 tons the year after. At the same time the number of fishermen who work in the Gaza Strip has decreased from 3000 to 1000 and the fishermen who keep working have seen how their monthly income decreased from 2000 ILS to the actual 100 ILS.

This last year, just in Beach Camp, 50 children of fishermen have left the school in order to work carrying flour sacks at the doors of UNRWA for 1 ILS each sack.

It’s becoming something common that the fishermen families have to choose between their children and decide which ones will go to school and which ones will have to work in order to support the family.

In this moment there are 900 children of fishermen in Gaza City, and 1700 in all the Strip, that should start the academic year in 20 days and whose parents can’t afford to buy them the school materials.