In Gaza, hundreds of miles from the battlefield

28th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

The "buffer zone" is seen from the second floor of Nasser Abu Said's house in Jahr el-Deek. On 28 April 2011 the house, which stands 300 meters from the separation barrier, was shelled by Israeli tanks and partially destroyed. (Photo by Desde Palestina)
The “buffer zone” is seen from the second floor of Nasser Abu Said’s house in Jahr el-Deek. On 28 April 2011 the house, which stands 300 meters from the separation barrier, was shelled by Israeli tanks and partially destroyed. (Photo by Desde Palestina)

Drones fly over rooftops at night, awakening peoples’ memories. They may only patrol, or carry deadly cargo with them. F-16 planes draws streaks across the sky. Here on the ground, no one knows what order the pilot has for the day. Tanks raid across the separation barrier, devastating farmland. Do farmers plant more seeds, or is it too late in the season?

Boats patrol off the coast. For how many nautical miles do they allow fishing today? Enough for it to be meaningful? Or will they start shooting like so many times before, ruin fishermen’s gear, seize their boats, and take away their livelihood, forcing the men on board to strip naked and swim over to them, laughing at them, humiliating them, arresting them for trying to support themselves and their families in their own waters?

Medicine cabinets sit empty in the hospitals. Only the labels are left for antibiotics and other vital medicines. During long power cuts, only the generator in the basement of the hospital keeps dialysis patients alive. Will they get more gas for it before it runs out?

It’s a scene from a war. But the battle is not here. Nor is in Jerusalem or the West Bank.

Palestinian and international activists hold signs in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by the buffer zone in Zeitoun on 9 February 2013.
Palestinian and international activists hold signs in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by the buffer zone in Zeitoun on 9 February 2013. (Photo by Desde Palestina)

The battlefield is in the West. That is where the war can be won. The battle is against the media, lobbyists and companies that do not have a column for people in their annual reports. Victory getting people to understand what is happening, getting them to take off their blinders, engaging them and winning their hearts . Victory is to expose the true nature of politicians who insist that some people are not people and therefore are exempt from human rights. Victory is to show the unvarnished truth , the naked truth without censorship or editing. Victory is forcing the democratically-elected leaders of the West to take responsibility.

Victory will be achieved by people exercising their power to influence, either individually or in groups. This is where the battlefield is.

Israeli soldiers blocking the entrances of Ni’lin village

28th October 2013 | Ni’lin Village | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

Since last week the village of Ni’lin is being targeted daily by midnight raids from the Israeli occupation forces. The soldiers have been shooting tear gas into people’s homes while they are sleeping. Only two people have been arrested but ten houses have been invaded by the soldiers.

Israeli forces in the village of Ni'lin (photo by Ni'lin village)
Israeli forces in the village of Ni’lin (photo by Ni’lin village)

The arrested are Naha Nafi, 21, and Tariq Kawaja, 24. Another three young men were sought after but could not be found.

The situation has escalated in the last few days. Israeli soldiers have started blocking the entrances of Ni’lin preventing people from entering or leaving the village. For the villagers who commute to Ramallah for work or studies this collective punishment has caused huge problems.

However, 11 pm on Saturday night a large number of Israeli jeeps invaded the village, seemingly just to cause disturbance. The soldiers began harassing villagers, firing their rifles without any apparent reason. As youths gathered to drive the soldiers out of the village they were directly fired upon with rubber coated steel bullets. One young man was hit in his leg and many bystanders suffered from tear gas asphyxiation. Also at this occurrence tear gas was fired into the homes of sleeping villagers.

At present the entrances to Ni’lin is still being blocked by the Israeli military. The villagers are awaiting their next move with anxiety.

Tear gas in Hebron school leads to cancellation of classes

27th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Two school children suffer from the effects of tear gas
Two school children suffer from the effects of tear gas

In the Israeli controlled H2 area in the center of Khalil (Hebron) children are used to tear gas canisters being fired after them before going to school.

Usually the teaching is delayed for at least half an hour, as many children are afraid of walking along Shalala Street where the school is, and with good reason. This morning, eight Israeli soldiers and two members of the Border Police were present as the children made their way to school, and they responded with no hesitation when four young children threw a hand full stones towards the checkpoint. At first one stun grenade was thrown from behind the checkpoint where the soldiers held their position, but they moved immediately out of the checkpoint towards the school.

From this position, another five stun grenades were thrown and six tear gas canisters were fired, one of which was fired carelessly down the street, nearly hitting a Palestinian woman on her way to work. This would have required hospitalization.

One stun grenade was purposely thrown at two international activists who were taking photos of the episode. After around half an hour the soldiers and police decided to go back to the checkpoint where two of them remained to check the ID’s of Palestinians and internationals. The rest of the soldiers and police left in a jeep while teachers and pupils walked back home since the school yard and classrooms had tear gas hanging in the air.

Seven years of popular resistance in Al-Masara: ‘We want freedom, not aid money’

26th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Al Masara, Occupied Palestine

Some of the protesters at the demonstration
Some of the protesters at the demonstration

Yesterday, Friday 25th October, over a hundred non-violent protesters, half of them internationals from more than a dozen countries all over the world marked the seventh anniversary of the popular struggle of the people of Al Masara against illegal Israeli settlements, most notably the expansion of the Efrata settlement.

After activists were prevented from marching to the Al Masara land by a row of Israeli soldiers in riot gear, several speeches were given. Most notably by Hasan, the leader of the Al Masara non-violent resistance, and Rabbi Brant Rosen from a Jewish-Palestinian delegation from Chicago, highlighting the importance that fighting oppression and injustice takes in the Torah, addressing both the protesters and the soldiers.

Wrapping up this successful non-violent stand against the blatant violation of the international law taking place in the West Bank, some of the internationals and the Palestinians gathered in Hasan’s house to listen to an impassioned speech by his mother Fatima, who recounted the role of the international community in the Palestinian struggle and stressed the desire for freedom and a state that the Palestinians could call their own, rather than alms in aid money.

Palestinian boy beaten at checkpoint leads to clashes in Hebron

24th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On Tuesday 22nd October in Khalil, a15-year-old Palestinian was beaten for not having identification (ID) that the Israeli government does not issue until the age of 16.

At approximately 2:30pm on Tuesday, Mahmod from Tel Rumeida (not his real name) was attempting to pass through checkpoint 56 on his way home. When asked to produce his ID, he explained to the soldiers that he was only 15-years-old so had therefore not yet been issued an ID. The soldiers did not believe this and pushed him against a wall, whilst in this position a soldier struck him three times, twice in the abdomen with the butt of his rifle and once on the back of his head with his fist.

Mahmod then collapsed to the ground and started to have a bout of violent seizures. These seizures lasted for over 15 minutes before he was taken to an ambulance on the H1 (Palestinian) side of the checkpoint. By this time his family arrived and was able to accompany him to hospital.

Upon seeing the injuries of Mahmod some local Palestinian youth proceeded to throw stones at the building that was in front of the checkpoint. This proceeded for 15 minutes before a group of Israeli soldiers occupied two local Palestinian buildings overlooking the checkpoint. The Israeli forces began by throwing stun grenades at the youth and sporadically firing rubber coated steel bullets at the gathering crowd.

The clashes continued this way until Israeli forces began to move forward, forcing the Palestinian youth back, allowing Israeli soldiers to occupy a building in this Palestinian “controlled” area. Upon entry to this building the army took control of the roof before having to withdraw one level as rocks were thrown towards there position. It seemed that as the soldiers were unable to clearly see the gathering crowd, they blew a small hole in the side of the occupied building to allow them to fire rubber-coated steel bullets. This indiscriminate fire blew out the back window of a passing Palestinian vehicle. The clashes lasted for around three hours, with many stun grenades thrown by the Israeli army, though no more injuries were reported.