Photos: Palestinians rally in Gaza Red Cross against Israel’s detentions and Italy ties

3rd December 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Marco Varasio | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

(Photo by Silvia Todeschini)
(Photo by Silvia Todeschini)

Like every Monday morning, relatives and friends, as well as local and international activists, gathered at the International Committee of the Red Cross in solidarity with the Palestinian political prisoners.

The rally started with the protesters chanting slogans, especially about their homeland Palestine and the political prisoner Marwan Barghouti.

Wives and mothers of the detainees stood in the middle of the tent holding pictures and banners of their imprisoned relatives.

After the weekly ceremony in support of the prisoners, Isra W. Almodallal, spokeswoman of the Palestinian government in Gaza, and Italian ISM activist Rosa Schiano spoke against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Italy.

In their speeches, they highlighted how the agreements signed in the day’s bilateral meeting between Italy and Israel are violations of human rights and international law. They warned against the dangers of the military and scientific cooperation between the two countries and called for BDS campaigns as alternatives to cooperation with war criminals.

BDS directly affects Israel’s detention of Palestinians, since one of the companies targeted by BDS, the British-Danish G4S, operates inside Israeli prisons and detention facilities.

Photos: Palestinians rally in Gaza to stop Prawer Plan on international “Day of Rage”

3rd December 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Team | Gaza, Occupied Palestine 

An Intifada Youth Coalition activist waves the organization's banner from a sound truck. (Photo by Joe Catron)
An Intifada Youth Coalition activist waves the organization’s banner from a sound truck. (Photo by Joe Catron)

Dozens of Palestinians rallied in Gaza City’s Palestine Square (al-Saha) on Saturday, 30th November 2013, joining a “Day of Rage” against the Prawer-Begin Plan held throughout Palestine and across the world.

The Plan, a proposal in the Israeli Knesset, would displace tens of thousands of Palestinian  Bedouin from dozens of villages in the Naqab region, replacing their homes with new Jewish settlements.

 

Viscous crackdown on unarmed protesters against the Prawer Plan just outside Ramallah

2nd December 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Occupied Palestine

Over 100 Palestinians and international activists took part in a non-violent demonstration on the 30th of November to protest against the Prawer Plan. The demonstration began at the al-Bireh municipality building in Ramallah and proceeded onto the Bet El settlement nearby. Demonstrators were met with stones then live ammunition from settlers before the Israeli army and border police arrived, employing violent tactics to disperse the demonstrators and arresting three Palestinians in the process.

Protesters gathered at the municipality building at around 2pm to protest the Prawer Plan (Israel’s planned removal of up to 70,000 members of the Bedouin population living in the Negev) before travelling by bus to the Bet El settlement. On arrival protesters made their way up a side entrance of the illegal settlement whilst under attack from stones thrown by settler youth. This did not deter the demonstrators who chanted slogans and attached banners to the settlement fence. This brought the attention of settlers armed with automatic firearms. After a brief period of pushing on the chain linked fence the armed settlers fired a volley of live ammunition in the air in an attempt to intimidate the non-violent protesters. Shortly after this Israeli forces began arriving on the scene.

This prompted those present to continue demonstrating on the main road adjacent to the settlement. The Israeli army and border police were initially passive due to the large presence of journalists and photographers, which led those present to believe that this non-violent protest would be allowed to continue without violent intervention. However it quickly degenerated into a brutal crackdown on all peaceful protesters present. The security forces initially fired a flurry of tear gas canisters whilst advancing 30 meters before breaking into formations with riot shields to obstruct the road. Numerous stun grenades were then thrown at the feet of protesters in an effort to disperse them. However it was only once arrests began to take place that this occurred. One of those arrested was slammed to the ground and held there by up to 12 soldiers and border police before being led away to an undisclosed location.

By this point a good deal of the demonstrators had dispersed but a small number headed towards Jalzaun refugee camp and created road blocks to attempt to disrupt the advance of the Israeli soldiers. Some also began to throw stones up the road where the lines of army and border police remained, at which point tear gas was fired in vast quantities towards the Palestinian protesters. Some protesters were forced to leave the area due to the thickness of the tear gas in the air and the unbearable conditions that this created. However those that did remain, as well as the residents of the refugee camp, were shot at with both rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition even after the demonstration was clearly finished. Despite this, no serious injuries were reported although many people were treated on the scene for tear gas inhalation.

Protests against the Prawer Plan have taken place across Palestine, but also worldwide over the last few days including in the Negev itself where up to 1000 people attended. However despite this Benjamin Netanyahu described the Prawer Plan demonstrations as “riots” and stated, “We shall continue to advance the Prawer Bill.”

Daily brutality towards Palestinians in occupied Al-Khalil

2 December 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Israeli forces regularly exercise brutal and irrational behaviour in the H2 area of Khalil (Hebron), which is under military control.

Israeli soldiers marching a Palestinian to Tel Rumeida military base (photo by ISM)

An example of this treatment took place on Saturday 30th November, when 7 Israeli soldiers reacted to a group of Palestinian youth throwing stones at an illegal settlement by launching stun grenades through the souk (market). International activists witnessed the Israeli soldiers running into the market and indiscriminately throwing stun grenades, causing panic and distress amongst people in the street.

When questioned by internationals, Israeli soldiers admitted that it was a “mistake” to use their weapons in this way and said they do not “enjoy” their actions. However this does not alter the reality for Palestinians living in Khalil, who are subjected to these excessive reactions on a regular basis.

This behaviour is consistent with other recent events, for example the treatment Palestinians often experience on arrest. On Friday 29th November two Palestinians were arrested, supposedly accused of throwing stones. They were held at a checkpoint, blindfolded, handcuffed and marched to Tel Rumeida military base. It is understood that the two men have yet to be released.

Conversely, when Israeli Border Police witness settler violence they readily ignore it. This was highlighted by an incident on Saturday 30th November when a police officer looked on as an international activist was kicked by an illegal settler.

The regularity of this unjust behaviour towards Palestinians by Israeli forces serves to intensify the daily impact of the Occupation.

Israeli army demolish a house in the Salfit village of Deir Ballut

29th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Deir Ballut, Occupied Palestine

The demolished house (photo by ISM).
The demolished house (photo by ISM).

On Thursday morning at five am, the Israeli army demolished a house under construction, and left the area before the owner Ghaneem Mahmoud Abdullah Al-Karim or other villagers were able to arrive at the scene. It is believed that the Israeli forces conduct these activities so early in the morning in order to avoid nonviolent resistance from the villagers. This was the first house to be demolished in Deir Ballut but there are over sixty houses that have been served demolition orders from the Israeli army.

The village is over five hundred years old, and within the Oslo Agreements the village was literally split between Area B and Area C. There are over a hundred and eighty houses that now fall within Area C and therefore are under threat of demolition. The inhabitants of Area C need permission from the Israeli government to even refurbish their houses, which is often impossible to get.

Deir Ballut (to the left of the map) is in risk of being surrounded by the annexation wall. The red line is the wall today while the black marks the planned route (source: OCHA).
Deir Ballut (to the left of the map) is in risk of being surrounded by the annexation wall. The red line is the wall today while the black marks the planned route (source: OCHA).

The majority of Deir Ballut, as with other villages in the area, is classified as Area C and is controlled by the occupation forces. Many villages in the Salfit area have lost land to settlement and to the construction of the separation wall. Deir Ballut has lost 2,000 dunums which was confiscated when Israel built the Apartheid Wall, and the intended reassignment of the Wall which is to be carried out in coming years will mean that the village will lose even more land and is surrounded by the wall.

As Deir Ballut’s population increases, families are forced to build in Area C, as is the case for the Al Karim family. The villagers are committed to continue constructing homes on their land, and to help Ghaneem and his family to rebuild their house.