International Solidarity Movement - Page 333 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Gazan farmers and fisherfolk call for food sovereignty and an end to Israeli attacks

20th November 2013 | Corporate Watch, Tom Anderson and Therezia Cooper | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Palestinians demonstrate outside UNSCO – 20/11/13. (Photo by Corporate Watch)

On 20th November 2013, hundreds of farmers and fisherfolk gathered outside the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East (UNSCO) in Gaza City to demand that the international community take action to prevent the Israeli military’s attacks against them and to end the occupation.

One fisherman told Corporate Watch, “We are only looking for our daily food and a livelihood. We want to ask the UN to pressure the Israeli occupation not to attack us. We are just trying to earn a living for our families.”

Saad El-Deen Ziada, Farmer and Fishermen Coordinator for the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, said, “This demonstration was the start of a Palestinian and international campaign to access our lands and control our water. To achieve what we call food sovereignty.

“We want to send a message to the international community and the General Secretary of the United Nations that it is time to stop the Israeli attacks against Palestinian farmers and to activate human rights law. International human rights law gives us the chance to sanction the occupation government and to support the Palestinians to stay on their land. The international community must deal with the situation as a political issue and not a humanitarian one. First of all we need to end the Israeli occupation. We condemn the international community’s silence at the crimes we are subjected to.”

Several of the speakers at the demonstration also emphasised the importance of the international campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israeli apartheid.

A delegation from the demonstration delivered a letter to a representative of Ban Ki-moon articulating the protesters’ demands.

Palestinians and internationals deliver a message to the international community – 20/11/13. (Photo by Corporate Watch)

Video: Gaza mother remembers Israeli airstrike that decimated her family a year ago

20th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Gal·la López | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

On 19th November 2012, shortly before the end of Israel’s “Operation Pillar of Defense” military offensive against the Gaza Strip, an Israeli missile struck the Hijazi family’s house as they watched TV.

The father and two his children were killed. Other family members were injured. Their house was destroyed, and their lives will never be the same.

Amna Hijazi, the mother and wife of the victims who was amid the carnage of the attack, recalls the details of the day one year later.

Shelter and water tank demolished in the village of Tawayel

20th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Tawayel, Occupied Palestine

Today, 20^th of November, the Israeli army entered Tawayel, a village next to Aqraba, south of Nablus, to demolish a well and a shelter belonging to two families.

At approximately 6:00 in the morning, for the third time this year, around 30 soldiers arrived with seven military jeeps and three bulldozers to further demolish this side of the village where families have been living and farming the land for more than 200 years. These demolitions come just three weeks after the same family was victim to the destruction of another water tank and sheep shelter.

The families, with help from the municipalities in Aqraba, have attempted to challenge the demolition orders in the Israeli court several times since 2009 without success. The only exception was when the Israeli army wanted to destroy the electricity system which was funded by the Belgian government. With the diplomatic pressure of the Belgium consulate in Jerusalem, the electricity network was allowed to stay.

The demolition of the water tank today will prevent the harvest of vegetables; the major source of income for the family who built the tank ten years ago. Their income is now restricted to their sheep, which used to drink water from the now demolished water tank. The rain season, which usually starts in November, is late this year, it will hopefully begin soon but the wells will not be filled. The destruction of the shelter leaves the sheep and goats without a safe place during the winter months.

The homes and agricultural structures that the families currently use in Tawayel need reconstructing, and in order to do this the farmers sent several applications for planning permission, they did not receive a response from the Israeli government and this is why the administration declared those constructions as illegal. To this date the Israeli government has not approved any plans for refurbishment in Tawayel and therefore it is most likely that the families cannot build new water tanks and shelters without repeated demolitions.

Home demolitions in this village are strategic. Tawayel is located adjacent to the Jordan Valley in Area C where the soil is very fertile, provided that the farmers have access to water. Israel has many so called “economical settlements” in the Jordan Valley which produce vegetables and fruits for export, and these continue to expand, encroaching on Palestinian land.

According to international laws and the Geneva Convention, these settlements are illegal, but European countries still import products from these settlements. This summer the European Union issued guidelines to restrict commercial relations with Israeli settlements, it has yet to be seen whether this will have any impact.

Photos: Gaza families and supporters rally for Palestinians detained by Israel

19th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Team | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Families and supporters of Palestinian detainees gather in the Red Cross' Gaza courtyard every Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Catron) — Families and supporters of Palestinian detainees gather in the Red Cross’ Gaza courtyard every Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Catron)

On Monday morning, families and supporters of Palestinian detainees held a weekly sit-in in the courtyard of the International Committee of the Red Cross’ Gaza office.

The regular event, launched by two detainees’ mothers in 1995, demands the freedom of Palestinian prisoners and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Morning settler attack triggers clash with serious injuries in Qusra

18th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Qusra, Occupied Palestine

Early yesterday morning, a Palestinian family was attacked by approximately 20 settlers on their fields in Qusra village, southeast of Nablus. 30 olive trees were also destroyed. Following this incident, a clash broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinian youth in the village where a house was raided and Israeli soldiers fired many tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets and injured eight Palestinians.

At 10:00 yesterday morning a family from Qusra entered their olive grove. Shortly afterwards a group of approximately 20 settlers from the illegal settlement of Migdalim arrived and began to threaten the family, uprooting between 30-50 olive trees. This land stretches across 50 dunams and borders the Israeli controlled Area C portion of the West Bank, it is the fifth time this family’s land have been attacked by settlers. Half an hour passed before Israeli soldiers arrived and removed the settlers to limit the damage, however when an international activist arrived to document the incident, Israeli forces had already entered Qusra village.

A group of 50 young Palestinians threw stones to try and prevent an Israeli military vehicle from invading the village; however Israeli forces then began firing tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets. After one hour passed, five Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets and the Israeli soldiers were extremely aggressive in their attack. They then withdrew from the village only to enter from another part of Qusra, proceeding to raid a house in the centre of the village and from the roof of this house continuing to fire many rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters.

The invaded house belongs to the same Palestinian family who was attacked by settlers early in the day, whether this was a sign of warning to the family is unknown, however much tear gas entered the house during the raid and several family members suffered from tear gas inhalation. Two children, ages six and seven, were unconscious for several minutes and required medical treatment from the Red Crescent ambulant service that was present during the raid. Muhammad Nashad, the uncle of these two children, was beaten by the Israeli soldiers, who forced him to his knees and fired a stun grenade directly in front of him. 21-year-old Ali Farid, another family member, attempted to block the soldier’s entrance into the home when he was shot in the arm with a rubber-coated steel bullet.

Israeli forces eventually left the village, leaving behind damaged property and at least 8 injuries, including 18-year-old Hamada Rida who was shot in the chest with a rubber-coated steel bullet and was taken to hospital to receive medical treatment.