13th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Nablus and Tulkarem, Occupied Palestine
By Team Nablus
Today, at around 8am, over thirty people from the Palestinian General Union of People with Disability marched through the city of Nablus to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Nakba.
Participants gather in Nablus before the march (Photo by ISM)People marching along al-Quds Street in Nablus (Photo by ISM)
After the march, a bus drove participants to Tulkarem where they were joined by approximately 40 more demonstrators. Together they continued the march through the city of Tulkarem. They sang and chanted slogans remembering the 1948 massacre and reclaiming the right of return.
Palestinian Scout’s band leading the demonstration (Photo by ISM)
Participant with sign symbolizing the Palestinians’ right of return (Photo by ISM)
Two young demonstrators participating in the march (Photo by ISM)
The marched finished at the Israeli Chemical factory on the outskirts of the city. Demonstrators hung Palestinian flags and flags calling for the right of return from the wall.
Protesters hang Palestinian flags on the wall of the illegal Israeli chemical factory (Photo by ISM)
13th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Beit Ummar, Occupied Palestine
Team Khalil
At 3am on 13th May, Nasri Sabarna of Beit Ummar woke up to the sound of Israeli soldiers kicking down his front door. The sound of them shooting tear gas, rubber bullets and sound bombs at people passing his house on their way to the Mosque for morning prayer also woke up his 3 year old granddaughter, whose crying in turn woke up the rest of the Sabarna household.
Nasri Sabarna
The 6 jeeps full of soldiers had come to arrest his 21 year old son Achmed – for the fifth time. Achmed is a 21 year old student who has yet to be charged with any crime. As Achmed was not home at the time the soldiers invaded his home, the whole family were ordered to go to the police station in the illegal settlement of Gush Etzyon the following morning at 9am. It was here that Achmed was taken into interrogation. Despite not being guilty of committing any crime, his father does not expect to see him anytime soon. Achmed has already been forced to miss two years of university because of similar incidents, which have cost his family alot of money – Achmed was arrested for the first time when he was 13 years old.
His father, Nasri is no stranger to the Israeli culture of injustice practiced against Palestinians. At the age of 13, he himself was arrested by Israeli soldiers without charge and imprisoned for 10 months. His whole life has been shaped by the occupation around him. He remembers seeing Israeli bulldozers demolish three historic homes in his village of Beit Ummar at the age of 10 – such events inspired him to become politically active. In 1978 he established the first student council in Palestine, going on later to become mayor of his home village of Beit Ummar. In Israel’s bid to crush any Palestinian political organisation, Nasri was imprisoned for 6 years between 1988 and 1994 for the sole reason of being a member of the political party Fatah.
Nasri’s main concern now is the effect that Israel’s systematic use of administrative detention, harrassment and abuse will have on the younger generations of Palestinians born under occupation. When he was mayor, 40 soldiers broke into his house and destroyed most of their belongings. They wore balaclavas as they did so and terrified his youngest son Abdullah.
Over the following weeks Abdullah’s teachers told his father that his mood had changed, he had become aggressive, arguementative and unusually violent. Nasri sought the help of psychologists from Medicenes Sans Frontiers who worked with Abdullah regularly. He told the psychologists of times where soldiers had lined him and his classmates up when walking home from school and made them jump over their guns before beating them.
The psychological treatment helped Abdullah, who is now ten, to deal with such issues and his behaviour is now back to normal. But Nasri worries for those hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children who are not so lucky to recieve treatment. A combination of abuse and detentions coupled with the daily destruction of homes, land, resources and opportunities for young people in the West Bank diminishes any hope they may have for the future and ultimately leads them to seek out revenge through violence.
Nasri emphasised that this is not a struggle between religions, nor are different religious groups inherently incapable of coexisting in harmony. Colonialism and Zionism are the driving forces behind the brutality of the occupation and only granting Palestinians their freedom can bring around real peace. To summarise, Nasri said “No nation can just get rid of another nation.”
On May 1st many countries celebrate the achievement of workers on Labor Day weekend. In Gaza too, workers celebrated labour day in a demonstration in the centre of Gaza City. Yet, for the Palestinian fishermen there was nothing to celebrate.
Hospital report (Photo by Rosa Schiano)
In the early hours of Wednesday morning on May 1st 2013, a Palestinian fisherman was seriously injured when Israeli naval vessels off the coast of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats that were within 3 nautical miles of the Gaza coast.During the attack, a piece of the engine that is used to pull in the nets, smashed into the head of 51 year old Karim Adel Al Baker from Gaza City, leaving him seriously injured.
Adel Najjar Baker was transported to the hospital and then to the European Hospital in Khan Younis. We headed to the hospital to check on his condition.Adel is in the Intensive care unit. A document in the hospital room reads,“Time of admission: 5am”We spoke with Dr. Yasser AlKhaldi, head of the Intensive Care Unit of the European hospital. Dr. AlKhadi told us that Adel has suffered a serious head injury and that he had arrived at the hospital unconscious.The doctor added that Adel has undergone surgery to relieve the pressure from the bone fragments from the skull and that he was now under artificial ventilation.
Adel has suffered a depressed skull fracture (a depressed skull fracture is a break to the bone of the skull with depression caused by the bone going into the brain).Dr. AlKhaldi added that there was an improvement to the condition of Adel and they have started to reduce the sedatives.
During the visit we met Aatef Baker’s brother Adel. “Adel was on a fishing boat together with eleven fishermen. While he was fishing, the Israeli navy opened fire, a bullet hit an object on the boat, it fell on his head, causing the trauma. We were near the border with Egypt, 2 miles from the coast. “, said Aatef.We left the hospital and took the contacts of Dr. Adel AlKhaldi and family in order to be updated on his condition.
I felt a sense of helplessness and anguish, but at the same time I was hoping with all my might that Adel was strong enough to survive, that he would be strong enough this time.
Karim Adel Al Baker, 51, in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (Photo by Rosa Schiano)
The next day we went to visit the family of Adel in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
Adel has 7 daughters and 2 sons, one of whom is a fisherman. A cousin of Adel, Mostafa Baker, told us that perhaps they would later evaluate the possibility of a transfer to another hospital.
The house was full of women and children and they occasionally fixed their eyes on us.
“The entire family gathered here because we’re waiting for news. Adel’s brother is coming back from the hospital”, said Mostafa.
“The attacks and arrests affect our lives. With no fish we have no money,” exclaimed a woman of the family Um Eid Baker, adding, “remember when our fathers were able to reach 12 miles from the coast.”
Adel Baker worked for 30 years as a fisherman, and was the only person in the family to have a job, his family has no other sources of income.
“This is the normally the best season for fishermen” said Mostafa, “the major season for sardines.” The family then specified that the fishermen, because of the limit of the 3 nautical miles from the coast, are forced to go to Rafah in order to fish, and even enter Egyptian waters, a move that involves great expense especially for fuel.
During our conversation, Aatef, the brother of Adel, returned from the hospital carrying the hospital report.
The hospital report specified that Baker and Adel was transferred from Al Najjar to the European hospital, having suffered a head injury and damage to the brain. It indicates the need for surgery and treatment. In addition, the report specifies: “Al Aqsa conditions”, an expression which is used to define someone injured or a victim of Israeli aggression.
Then we met Sobeh El-Hessi, a fisherman who was on board the vessel along with Adel Baker, as well as the manager of the vessel.
“We were fishing the waters on the border between Egypt and Palestinian waters. At 2 am the Israeli navy started shooting, we were about 2 nautical miles from the coast,” he began to tell Sobeh. “We tried to hide from the bullets. Then when soldiers stopped shooting, we saw the body of Adel Baker lying on the floor and we thought he’d been hit by a bullet wound to the head. Then we realized that it was not a bullet, but a heavy object that is part of the engine, and Adel had a large wound to the head. I called the Union of the fishermen to communicate that someone was wounded and asked for an ambulance. Adel A Hasaka was carried to the beach and the ambulance was ready to take him to hospital, it was about 3 in the morning, “, Sobeh told us.
The fishermen had entered Egyptian waters and were returning to Palestinian waters when the attack happened.
The next day the fishermen did not go fishing.
Sobeh told us also with concern about the recent Israeli attacks with water cannons. The attacks are happening in fact even at a distance of 10 metres between the fishing vessels and the Israeli military.
Just over a year ago a fisherman was killed by a short circuit as a result of an Israeli attack with a water cannon.
The Israeli army directs their high pressure water cannons directly at the power supply, they shoot at networks, the engine, thus causing accidents. There is also the danger of electric shock or heavy machinery collisions such that with Adel.
“Fishermen can see the fish beyond three miles, but can not pass through them,” said Sobeh as he described the living conditions of the fishermen of Gaza.
“When the Israeli soldiers shoot we escape, but we can not support our families. These last few days have been tough. Prior to the war the Israeli attacks occurred at a greater distance, but after the war the Navy began to get very close and soldiers are shooting more than usual, “says Sobeh.
The eyes of Sobeh el Hessi are sad, frightened, but also angry about what happened to Adel.
In Gaza, going fishing now means going to face an army.
As reported consistently by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. Notably this is covered in article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Not to mention the right to work and the right to a life with dignity.
Indiscriminate attacks against civilians constitute war crimes.
Israel has progressively imposed restrictions on Palestinian fishermen’s access to the sea. The 20 nautical miles established under the agreements of Jericho in 1994 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), were reduced to 12 miles under the Bertini Agreement in 2002. In 2006, the area permitted for Palestinian fishing was reduced to 6 nautical miles from the coast. Following the Israeli military offensive “Cast Lead” (2008-2009) Israel imposed a limit of 3 nautical miles from the coast, preventing the Palestinians access to 85% of the water to which they are entitled according to the agreements of Jericho 1994.
The agreements reached between Israel and the Palestinian resistance after the Israeli military offensive in November 2012, “Pillar of Defense,” allowed Gazan fishermen back out to 6 nautical miles from the coast. Despite these agreements, the Israeli navy has not stopped attacks on Gaza fishermen, even within this limit. In March 2013, Israel imposed once again the 3 nautical mile limit, saying that the decision had been taken following the sending of some Palestinian rockets towards Israel.
In Gaza, there are currently about 4,000 registered fishermen, while in 2000 there were about 10,000. In the last ten years, the numbers have declined since Israel began to impose restrictions on access to the sea and used violence to enforce them, arrests and more attacks, forcing fishermen to abandon their work and deny them the only source of livelihood for their families. Many fishermen, with courage and determination, continue to risk their life in order to support their families.
At the time of writing, the conditions of Adel Baker have slightly improved, but he is still unconscious in the ICU. While Adel Baker fights on in the hospital, many fishermen are at sea facing the daily risk of new attacks. It is inevitable, given this barbarity that another one of them will soon be facing a similar fight just like Adel is right now.
While the international community remains in horrible silence, our thoughts and our hearts are on the side of these brave men.
7th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Hebron, Occupied Palestine
By Team Khalil
Regular updates on harassment of Palestinian schoolchildren by Israeli military in Hebron.
Soldiers pictured shortly after having charged at schoolchildren, yelling and throwing a soundbombUPDATE 12th May 2013: On the 12th May, once again, 2 Israeli military jeeps were stationed at the checkpoint at 7am as children passed through to get to their respective schools. At first, 3 heavily armed soldiers proceeded to walk through the checkpoint, they stopped in an alley opposite the elementary school, intimidating school children as they walked past. When questioned on their purpose for this action, they had no response. As the school children (some as young as 5) began to gather outside their school gates, the 3 soldiers with their helmets on, weapons in hand and completely unprovoked, charged at the children, dropping a sound bomb and yelling aggressively in Hebrew. After this intimidation tactic occured, 3 more soldiers came through the checkpoint and watched all the children from a distance with binoculars. Many children stayed at the bottom of the street, resisting the soldier’s scare tactics with chants.
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Children have to walk through a checkpoint manned by several Israeli border police each morning in order to reach their schools, often receiving hassle from the soldiers as they do so. On the morning of the 5th of May, some children threw stones at the checkpoint – in response the border police radioed for army back up and two jeeps arrived on the scene. One jeep then proceeded through the checkpoint driving down towards the school parking outside whilst children were still arriving. After it left the other jeep drove down outside the schools and four army officers exited the vehicle and patrolled outside the schools for another half an hour.
On the 6th May at around 7.00am as children were walking towards their classes, three military jeeps arrived without provocation and ten soldiers patrolled in front of the school, maintaining a presence for over an hour.
On the 7th May two jeeps arrived at the checkpoint and seven soldiers walked through it, towards the schools. When asked what their purpose in the school area was, the commander answered “we’re protecting our people”. They had no further response when it was suggested that their actions seemed absurd, considering the disparity of power between the heavily armed Israeli military occupiers and a few young children throwing stones in resistance.
This daily military presence must be a continual reminder for the children who were arrested and their classmates of the military brutality of the 20th March. One bystander stated “this could inhibit the right to education – children might be too scared to come to school.”
In a city which has seen at least 66 child detentions and arrests since mid-February (these are just those witnessed by international observers), this continued initimidation and persecution of children is evidence of Israel’s disregard for international law for the protection of children – a finding backed up by Unicef’s recent report criticising Israeli military treatment of Palestinian children.
13th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Hebron, Occupied Palestine
By Team Khalil
UPDATE 14th May 2013: Gustav is currently being put onto a plane against his will. His lawyer tried a last minute stay on the deportation to allow to the legal process of his appeal to continue, but this was ignored by the Israeli courts. He will arrive into Stockholm later today.
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Swedish activist Gustav Karlsson is today, 13th May, being transferred to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv in preparation to be flown back to Sweden against his will. He is currently appealing his deportation legally.
Gustav was arrested on the 28th April in the West Bank city of Hebron, as he objected to the violent arrests by Israeli military of two 11- and 12-year old children, who were released later the same day. Soldiers violently grabbed Gustav, arresting him solely for his non-violent protest. He was accused of assaulting a soldier, and some news sources have stated that he grabbed a soldier’s weapon. Video evidence clearly debunks all of these false charges.
Gustav was shoved with guns and soldiers pretended to shoot him as he was blindfolded after he was arrested. He has been held in Givon immigration detention centre since the 29th April – the Israeli authorities declined to allow him a court hearing to prove false the charges against him. Instead they transferred him directly to the Ministry of Interior for deportation, a practise more and more commonly used against peaceful activists documenting Israel’s human rights abuses. Gustav is currently appealing the decision to deport him with a lawyer but the Israeli Ministry of Interior proves today by transferring Gustav that they are ignoring this process of law. He has given no consent to be deported and has not signed any agreement, as he denies that he should be deported.
Gustav Karlsson being arrested in Hebron
Gustav said today “I am very indignant about the contempt for justice in the Israeli system – not only did the soldiers first wrongfully arrest two young children, now they are deporting me without giving me a chance to defend myself in court, even though the charges against me are clearly false. Time and time again, the Israeli system denies justice to the Palestinians and those who come here in solidarity with them.” See the original article about Gustav’s arrest here.
The Israeli justice system operates on separate levels for people of different ethnic origins – Israeli civilians are tried in civil courts, as are international activists (when they are not transferred immediately to immigration detention), whereas Palestinians are tried in military courts.
