International Solidarity Movement - Page 271 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

UPDATED: Urgent Action alert: Rescue team delivering urgent humanitarian aid to Rafah at risk

4th August 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

UPDATED:

Thanks to all the people who contacted their representatives and the foreign offices of the UK, Sweden, and the USA! The Palestinian human rights defenders, joined by international volunteers, safely delivered mattresses, food, and water to citizens in Rafah today.

*******

Call your representatives and the foreign offices of the UK, Sweden, and the USA to inform them that citizens of these countries are travelling to Rafah to deliver aid. Demand that Israel cease targeting medical personnel rescue teams and civilians, and immediately provides an evacuation route to transfer humanitarian aid to Rafah and to evacuate patients to other hospitals in Gaza for treatment.

Some contact information is provided below.

Palestinian human rights defenders, joined by international volunteers, are now travelling to western Rafah with a Red Crescent truck to deliver food, mattresses, and water.

“The situation in Rafah cannot continue, people are left with nothing. There is a small window of time, that will dissolve in two hours, and then no one knows what will happen to all the civilians- the families- who need support. That’s why we’re going with mattresses, water, and food, these supplies are desperately needed right now.” Stated Swedish International Solidarity Movement (ISM) volunteer, Charlie Andreasson.

The group of international volunteers, including Swedish, U.S and UK citizens, are travelling from Jabalya down the Beach Road to western Rafah, with supplies donated by al-Fatiha Global and Project Akhirah.

Arwa Wael, resident of western Rafah, spoke to the ISM and stated that, “thousands of people were forced to leave the eastern side of Rafah travelling to what they thought to be the safer western side, taking shelter in UNRWA schools, in relatives and friends homes. In spite of this, these places were attacked by Israeli warplanes and many people were killed in a very short period of time, including ten members of the Zorad family. Now we are without electricity, without water and without food. Due to the shelling of the Abu Yousef hospital, the patients were evacuated to two clinics, one of which is also in the western part. The clinic doesn’t have a morgue, so ice-cream and vegetable fridges are being used to hold the dead bodies, generators are powering these fridges and are swiftly running out of fuel.”

A press release issued by the Gaza Ministry of Health on August 3rd reports that at least 170 people have been killed and dozens injured in Rafah in recent days. The two maternity hospitals in Rafah, the Kuwaiti Maternity Hospital and the Emirati Red Crescent Maternity Hospital, are not equipped to deal with the large number of wounded and dying people, and there is no safe evacuation route to transfer patients to other hospitals in Gaza for treatment.

Contact:

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office

MP Philip Hammond

+44 20 7008 1500

020 7219 4055

@foreignoffice

US Department of State

Israel Foreign Service Desk: 202-647-3672

@StateDept

Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Carl Bildt

+46 8 405 10 00

(Plus a load more phone numbers on this page: www.government.se/sb/d/2085)

@carlbildt

@SweMFA

Israeli army cause fire in Palestinian home

3rd August 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On Friday the 1st of August, at approximately 19:30 in the Gabal Gohar area of H2 (under full Israeli military civil and security control) in al-Khalil (Hebron), solders from the Israeli military caused a fire to a Palestinian apartment. The solders were shooting tear gas at Palestinian youths during clashes, when five tear gas canisters burst through the window of a Palestinians home an exploded inside.

Windows in part of the house broke in the fire. The damage is up to 20,000 NIS, for the windows alone.

The family living in the apartment consists of two adults and five children, who were all located inside when the tear gas broke the apartment and the fire started. The family managed to escape, however most of their furniture and other valuables were ruined in the fire.

Broken and burnt furniture, now moved outside the apartment.

Soot still covers most off the walls of the apartment, even after neighbours gathered to help the family clean. Electricity went out in part of the apartment and the damage is extensive, the full costs still unknown.

Soot covers part of the house from the outside, and a large part of the house inside.

The army has continued to shoot tear gas and stun grenades in the area for the past days, causing many problems for the local residents.

Palestinians protest in solidarity with Gaza

3rd August 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Vern | Bethlehem, Occupied Palestine

On Friday August 1st, Palestinians in Bethlehem demonstrated against Israel’s massacre Gaza. Between 3,000-5,000 people protested, men, women, and children. The demonstrators marched to the checkpoint, where they faced an Israeli guard tower. People were chanting and singing, and no one was throwing any stones.

Approximately 20 Israeli soldiers came out and shot tear gas into the crowd. People in the front were suffered very badly, and a few had to be taken away by ambulance due to excessive tear gas inhalation.

A small group of Palestinian youths responded by throwing rocks at the soldiers, who shot more tear gas into the crowd. After that, most of the crowd dispersed, and approximately 20 youths confronted the army, who opened fire with rubber-coated steel bullets. More people were injured.

Palestinians tear down Apartheid fence

2nd August 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Rafat, Occupied Palestine

Today at approximately 1 PM on Saturday 2nd August, Palestinians from across the West Bank gathered in the village of Rafat near Ramallah to mourn the death of Ada Naafz Jabr.

Ada was killed by Israeli forces on the 1st of August near Saffa while protesting against Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip.

After the funeral, Palestinians spontaneously marched to and proceeded to destroy a section of the Apartheid fence.

Israeli police arrived after several minutes and clashed with Palestinian youths.

Palestinians threw stones while the police fired larges amounts of tear gas, which caused numerous fires to break out amongst Palestinian olive trees and crops.

Palestinians and international activists attempted to extinguish the fires, but their work was impeded by the Israeli police who continued to fire tear gas.

After around 20 minutes the Palestinian fire brigade arrived to help extinguish the fires.

Palestinians block settler road in solidarity with Gaza

2nd August 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Al-Khader, Occupied Palestine

On the 30th July, approximately 40 Palestinian and international activists marched from al-Khader gate on the outskirts of Bethlehem and blocked Road 60, which connects all the illegal settlements in the area to Jerusalem, in protest over Israel’s attack on the people of Gaza. The group peacefully marched up the road leading to the junction connecting the Palestinian road and the settlement road, chanting slogans against the occupation.

When the group reached the junction, they blocked one of the roads for a short time, which involved standing in front of an army jeep, blocking its path. Around five soldiers saw the demonstration and called for reinforcements. After a few minutes, more soldiers arrived and pushed the demonstrators, first onto the pavement and then back down the road. Some of the soldiers were very aggressive and violent towards the Palestinian protestors. The soldiers then closed the military barrier at the end of that road so Palestinian traffic was obstructed. Palestinians continued to chant peacefully from the other side of the barrier and the soldiers stood and watched for a few minutes.

Then suddenly, without warning, soldiers threw and fired multiple stun grenades directly at Palestinians, in breach of military rules. Palestinians were forced to run backwards as three Israeli soldiers positioned themselves on an adjacent area and aimed sniper rifles at the demonstrators.

With the non-violent demonstration having been violently dispersed, a number of Palestinian youths went to another junction nearby and clashed with the Israeli army. The Israeli army fired tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, and ‘skunk’ (chemical) water while Palestinians responded by throwing stones, launching fireworks and burning tires. The military also occupied a number of local houses, from which they fired weapons at youths and protesters.