International Solidarity Movement - Page 394 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Settlers and Israeli forces suppress second joint Friday protest in Silwad and Deir Jarir villages

3th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

Teargas being shot at demonstrators in Deir Jarir

Around four hundred Palestinians, joined by a handful of international activists, participated in today’s weekly demonstration organised by Silwad and Deir Jarir villages on their lands, upon which settlers from Ofra set up an illegal outpost more than four weeks ago.

Today, at around 12pm, several hundred people from Silwad and Deir Jarir villages gathered on a hilltop facing the new outpost to hold their second weekly protest. As they were waiting for more people to join them, around ten settlers invaded the nearby Palestinian valley and clashes ensued. Israeli forces, already present at the scene, began shooting tear gas canisters at Palestinians.

After the midday prayers were performed on the hilltop those who were gathered started marching towards the new outpost. Israeli soldiers assembled in a line facing the protesters immediately started shooting extensive amounts of tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at the people.

The march was then dispersed, with several people suffering from tear gas suffocation and requiring assistance from Palestinian Red Crescent personnel. One international activist was also shot with a plastic coated steel bullet. As clashes continued to erupt between Israeli forces and protesters, settlers appeared again at the scene. Palestinian protesters went forward to push the settlers back from their land and were soon met with more tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets fired by Israeli forces.

Confrontations between Palestinians lasted for another hour until the settlers retreated from the scene. The extensive use of tear gas throughout the afternoon led to a number of fires being sparked on the agricultural land that continued burning throughout the clashes.

Yesterday, a jeep driven by settlers drove on to the land broke down a gate and ran over top of 35 olive trees destroying them. Settler attacks often occur in these villages, settlers from nearby Ofra settlement recently raided the village of Deir Jarir, setting fire to ten of the resident’s cars. Earlier in April settlers severely attacked a Silwad villager who used to be a judge, beating him with an iron rod until he lost consciousness. Silwad has seen consistent clashes in recent weeks due to this violence and the establishment of the illegal Nezah Benjamin outpost twenty days ago.

Trees destroyed by settlers on 2nd May 2013

This outpost consist of caravans and huts situated on Palestinian farm land that the residents of Silwad, Deir Jarir, Taybeh and Ein Yabrud have been denied access to for over a decade. A settlement outpost is the first move made by settlers when conducting a land-grab in the West Bank; establishing temporary buildings which are protected by the military and eventually made permanent, in order to establish ‘facts on the ground’ and steal Palestinian land.

This is the second weekly demonstration that the villages of Silwad and Deir Jarir have held together to protests the land theft and settler violence and more demonstrations are expected to be organised in the following weeks.

Revisiting Ni’lin after four years

2nd May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

It’s been four years since I had visited and lived in Ni’lin and the decision to visit on Friday filled me simultaneously with excitement and longing but also dread. Four years ago I had supported the non violent resistance in Ni’lin as an ISM activist and had experienced the horror and oppression of the occupiers against such actions. Ni’lin’s demonstrations against the Apartheid Wall represented the Ni’lin population’s resilience. They would not let more land, that was the life blood of the community, be stolen.

I arrived in the village not knowing what to expect. Four years is a long time and although parts looked familiar everything was also completely different. The town seemed busier and I was surprised to see cash machines in the Baladia (town centre). I felt disorientated as I gazed at the walls that were adorned with advertisements instead of martyr posters. Ni’lin has suffered heavily under the occupation, not just from the loss of land but also the persecution of its non violent resistance. Five shaheeds (martyrs) were killed by the Israeli occupation forces for opposing the Wall. I arrived early and wandered around Ni`lin with a fellow activist to hopefully reconnect with old friends. I had imagined that it would be okay just to turn up for the demonstration but needed time to acknowledge and deal with things that happened during my stay. I walked to the shop to prepare by buying ‘Top Drink’ a hydration must when sampling Ni’lin produce. From there we walked up the hill to the hospital, as I knew that two of the martyrs were buried near there. Four years ago Ni’lin did not just demonstrate against the wall but jumped into action to demonstrate against the slaughter that was taking place in Gaza as part of ‘Operation Cast Lead.’ Ni’lin demonstrated with other Palestinians on everyday of the operation from mid day until sunset. On the 28th of Decenber 2008 20 year old Mohammed Khawaje and 22 year old Arafat Khawaje were shot with live ammunition whilst demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza alongside international and Israeli activists.

The atrocity was just two of the many that happened at the time as international media was focussed on Gaza. The killings were unimaginable to myself and were the reason it took me so long to return to Palestine.
Walking back towards the baladia, we were approached by a young boy who recognised me. This made me very happy and we spoke about his older brother and family who I knew and made arrangements to meet them after the demonstration. The boy was now 10 but was still as happy as he always was. I felt concern for him as he joined the demonstrations fearing for his safety as all Palestinians who participate put themselves in danger. The first martyr from Ni’lin was his age, Ahmed Mousa, who was shot dead at a demonstration on 29th July 2008. At Ahmed’s funeral 17 year old Youssef Amirah was shot dead with a rubber coated steal bullet a day later.

My young friend took me to the demonstration in the olive fields where we passed a martyr poster, the most recent, that I hurtfully found out when checking up on Ni’lin after I had gone back to my country. Yousef ‘Akil’ Srour who was 36 years old when shot with 0.22 live ammunition during a demonstration.

We proceeded to the demonstration where people came up and welcomed me, hugging me and shaking my hand as I apologised for taking so long to return. After the prayer, we approached the wall, which is now complete. Before 1948 Ni’lin owned 58’000 dunams of land from which 40’000 was stolen by the creation of Israel. The 1967 occupation lead to the construction of the illegal settlements of Nili, Modin ilit, Hashmon’im Mattiyahu that took 8’000 dunams. In 2008, the construction of the Wall stole another 2’500 dunams and a tunnel exclusively for settlers, highlighting the nature of apartheid, 200 dunams. Nearly 90% of Ni’lins original land has been stolen since 1948.

It infuriated and saddened me that the Wall was built after so much tragedy. The demonstrators tried to force open the metal gate as army fired tear gas. I felt very tense and worried during the demonstration, remembering the arsenal of weapons that had been previously used on Ni’lin demonstrations. On this occasion they just fired tear gas, but in the past they used live ammunition, 0.22 live ammunition, rubber and plastic coated steel bullets and the deadly high velocity tear gas canister that critically injured 37 year old Tristan Anderson, an international volunteer, on March 13th 2009 just a week after I left, who needed 15 months of treatment in hospital and has been left permanently disfigured.

I met up with a friend after the demonstration where I met his new brother and sister who had been born during the time I was away. It felt symbolic that he had a brother who was four and a sister of two who played around him, that showed the new life and that there is hope that the future generation need not live in fear. We spoke a lot about the situation and the past whilst drinking coffee and smoking argila. I asked about how the wall had changed life in Ni’lin, but the responses were always optimistic, ‘life is good, life will be better, the wall will fall.’

I said goodbye and promised it would not take four years to return and looked forward to my next visit.

Night raids and arrests in Hares, Kifl Hares and Deir Istiya

1st May 2013 | International Women’s Peace Service, Salfit, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday night, at 21:40, an announcement was made over the mosque loudspeaker in Deir Istiya that settlers were planning an attack. Villagers were warned to stay wake and on watch for possible violence. At 22:45 IWPS began a night watch in Deir Istiya and learned that the Israeli District Coordination Officer had contacted Salfit municipality who in turn communicated to Hares, Kifl Hares and Deir Istiya’s councils that settlers were surrounding villages and to be on the lookout for possible attacks targeting the mosques from the illegal settlements of Yakir, Ariel and Revava. The men of Deir Istiya, Hares and Kifl Hares stayed up all night on the streets keeping watch over the village.
At 1:00, approximately 30 Israeli soldiers were seen along with two army vehicles on the main road outside of Hares. At 2:00 the soldiers entered the village. The 30 soldiers entered a house premises on foot and asked a 15 year-old for his 21 year-old brother by name. The brother of the young man stated the person they were looking for is a university student and not in the house. The military entered the home and forced the 10 members of the household to sit in one of the downstairs rooms as the soldiers searched the house four times. When the soldiers did not find the 21 year-old student they were looking for, they grabbed the 15 year-old brother who had answered their questions at the door. One soldier began to bind the boy’s hands and blindfold him but another stopped him, stating they would continue when they were out of sight of the family. The soldiers stated to the family that their son “had caused some problems” and they would return him in two hours after questioning. The soldiers left the family a handwritten note for the 21 year-old older brother to meet Captain Afiq at the Qalqiliya checkpoint at 9:00 on 9 May.

Captain Afiq came to the door of another house in Hares ordering the family to “count your sons” and then referencing one by name whom he wanted to see outside for “five minutes”. The 16 year-old was then blindfolded and handcuffed from behind. The arrested youth’s 20 year-old brother is currently serving a total of nine months in Megiddo prison (three months for a stone throwing charge, plus six additional months for it being his second offense). The entire 10 person household, the youngest being 12 years-old, were forced to stay in one room for two hours. The soldiers also broke the front gate and damaged the door by forcing it open.
Simultaneously, a 23 year-old was taken by the Israeli military for the second time. At 1:00 the mother of the household heard a noise, opened her window and saw an Israeli soldier jumping over the fence that surrounds her yard. Around 30 soldiers came into the family courtyard, some entered the house. The family of 11, with 9 children and a father with a neurological disorder who frequently loses consciousness, were pushed into one room. The soldiers had a slip of paper with one of the son’s name printed on it; the young man was woken up and brought to the next room where they would not let him retrieve his identification card nor would they allow him to dress. The soldiers blindfolded him and tied his hands behind his back while his mother attempted to give him clothing. This young man, who has previously been in prison for a year, was told that he was “again making problems” and will get a five year sentence.
Between 2:30 and 3:00 the army entered two separate houses in the village of Deir Istiya. The soldiers were observed entering from the illegal settlement of Yakir through the hillside olive groves. The soldiers took two minors outside and started questioning them about who was throwing stones and what the announcements from the mosque were. In one case the soldiers took the entire family outside and then searched their house while they were not present and then left. No arrests were made in Deir Istiya that night. Although a 22 year-old and an 18-year old were arrested in the village of Kifl Hares at 2:30 AM.

12- and 11-year old Palestinian children arrested after attack by settler children – Swedish activist also arrested, resisting deportation

28th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

UPDATE 2nd May 09.30 Full video of child arrests now available from Youth Against Settlements. Swedish activist Gustav is resisting deportation to highlight the issue of child arrests in Hebron which have seriously escalated in recent months.

UPDATE 29th April 20.00 Gustav, the arrested Swedish activist is currently being held in Givon immigration prison, having had his visa revoked by the Israeli authorities. He was beaten during his arrest and hit with a gun. Soldiers conducted two mock executions by pointing guns at his head, loading them and pretending to press the trigger. He was blindfolded and kept inside the military base in Hebron, where he could hear the crying of the arrested children next to him. He is now awaiting deportation back to Sweden by the Israeli authorities, for peacefully objecting to the arrest of two Palestinian children.

UPDATE 28th April 19.30 The two Heikel brothers were released around 18.30. Ahmed (aged 12) has had his fingerprints taken by the police and his younger brother Mouawieh (aged 11) was kicked in the stomach by an Israeli soldier.

UPDATE 28th April 18.30: The Swedish activist has now been transferred to Jerusalem. He is facing possible deportation by the Israeli authorities for trying to non-violently intervene in the wrongful arrest of two Palestinian children.
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28th April 14.00:Israeli military today arrested Ahmed Abu Heikel, aged 12, and his brother Mouawieh, aged 11, in Hebron after they were attacked by a settler child from the illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah. One Swedish activist was also arrested after intervening in the arrests of the children.

12 year old Ahmad being protected by the headteacher of the Qortoba School as he was being arrested

At around 1pm Palestinian children were walking home from Qortoba school when they were attacked by the child of extremist settlers living in the centre of Hebron, who was accompanied by his two older brothers. The youngest settler boy started throwing sticks, beating Ahmed and hurling insults at him. As soon as Ahmed defended himself against the beatings, the settler children immediately called for soldiers at nearby checkpoints who came running. Eyewitnesses state that the Palestinian children were not violent. The settler children pointed out Ahmed and Mouawieh as well as their classmate Bilal Said, who were violently grabbed and pushed against a wall by soldiers.

A crowd of about 50 people quickly gathered, mostly Palestinian neighbours and classmates as well as international activists, journalists and settlers. The crowd, and especially the headmistress of Qortoba school, Noora Zayer, who was walking with the boys and witnessed the attack, insisted that the arrest was unacceptable. Bystanders and international activists managed to de-arrest Bilal, who then ran away. However Ahmed and Mouawieh were arrested; Ahmed is apparently being charged with assaulting the Israeli soldier who was called to the scene by the settler children and grabbed the Palestinian rather than the settler child.

A non-violent Swedish activist who intervened peacefully on behalf of the children has also been arrested and is being charged with assaulting a soldier. The two children and the Swedish activist were taken away separately in military jeeps. The Swedish activist is currently being held in Givat Havot settlement near Hebron city, whilst Ahmed and Mouawieh are being held in interrogation centres.

Gustav Karlsson being arrested. Photo credit EAPPI

The Israeli soldiers took no action against the settler children who had instigated the attack. The police summoned the youngest settler child who had attacked Ahmed and spoke to him in the presence of his parents for about half a minute, after which he was allowed to go back home without any repercussions. Israeli children living in illegal settlements across the West Bank are subject to civilian law, meaning they are not criminally liable when they are under the age of 14, whereas military law is applied to Palestinian children, who are deemed by the Israeli authorities not to be minors if they are over 12.

This is the latest in an escalating series of arrests of children by the Israeli military in recent months. Christian Peacemakers Team Hebron have compiled a report of these child arrests, which includes 27 children attacked and arrested outside of their school. The report is available here.

Video by Youth Against Settlements

Villages of Urif, Burin and Asira violently attacked by settlers

1st May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

Yesterday Israeli settlers from the Illegal settlement of Yizhar set fire to the fields of Asira al Qibliya, Burin and Urif as well as attacking the school and many homes in the villages, all while the Israeli Military and Border Police provided protection for them.

Settlers attack village residents as the Israeli army stand by . Photo: Activestills

The attacks were provoked by the stabbing of a settler from Yitzhar settlement this morning who died on the scene at Tappuah Junction near Nablus. This was the first Israeli to die in the West Bank since 2011. 9 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of this year and serious attacks by settlers regularly occur without punishment for the perpetrators. At around the same time as the settler was killed this morning, a man in Gaza was killed by a targeted Israeli air strike whilst he rode his motorcycle.

At 11.15am 50 settlers from Yitzhar, named by the UN as one of the most violent settlements in the West Bank, attacked the boys high school in Urif whilst lessons were in progress. Standing outside the school the settlers threw rocks into the school breaking windows. Two students were injured by the flying glass when it hit their head, another student was injured when a rock hit his foot. Around 100 students then fled the school by jumping over the outer walls whilst the other 100 students remained inside too scared to leave. They were then trapped in the school as the settlers continued to throw rocks at the school and into the car park and at cars when anyone attempted to leave.

The settlers simultaneously lit at least ten fires on the agricultural land surrounding the school. Within ten minutes of the attack the army arrived and began shooting tear gas into the school grounds and at locals who had arrived to protect the school. One student was hit in the head by a tear gas canister and taken to hospital for medical attention.

The fighting then continued on the land above the school where the fifty settlers continued to throw rocks at locals and Palestinians responded by throwing rocks in return. Around fifty army and border police stood between and around the two groups firing tear gas and sound bombs at the Urif locals. The army did not fire tear gas or sound bombs at the settlers. Settlers continued to throw rocks at locals and at international activists whilst the army tried to push the locals back, at times using pepper spray to incapacitate a number of people. Some scuffles between Urif locals and army broke out but no arrests were made.

The clashes continued until around 1pm when the settlers finally began to return to Yitzhar and locals were pushed back down into the village by the army using tear gas and sound bombs. A drone plane was spotted flying over the village at this time. The army continued to fire tear gas into the village for the next hour after the fighting had stopped. At least one local was incapacitated by gas inhalation and required medical attention. Around 3pm settlers approached the village from the other side and threw Molotov cocktails at machinery and lit fires on land near olive trees until they were driven back by locals arriving on the scene.

In the neighbouring village of Asira settlers set fire to 14 fields which destroyed large areas of land. 4 Israeli military jeeps entered the village and shot tear gas at the residents as they tried to protect their land. At the Tappuah junction school busses containing Palestinian children were stoned heavily by settlers. Around fifty settlers also attacked Burin during their rampage, attacking the village and setting fire to large areas of agricultural land.

The villages of Burin, Asira and Urif which surround the illegal settlement of Yitzhar face daily violence from its Zionist settlers. Palestinians are regularly injured, schools are frequently attacked, agricultural land it often set alight and residential homes are often damaged. The Israeli army also frequently raid the villages, often in the middle of the night, to search houses and make wanton arrests, often of children. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention collective punishment is a war crime.

Fields burn during settler attacks. Photo : Activestils