International Solidarity Movement - Page 61 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Anat Cohen assaults ISM volunteers in Al-Khalil (again)

[three_fifth_last]February 08, 2019 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Al-Khalil, occupied Palestine

ISM volunteers were detained by Hebron Police for over 8 hours after Anat Cohen assaulted them outside the Qurtuba school checkpoint on Thursday.

In direct response to the violence waged against Palestinians at the hands of illegal settlers (and the military that protects them), a neutral observer force had been present in Hebron (Al-Khalil) for the past 22-years, in part, to ensure that children walking to/from school would not be harmed, harassed, or murdered by settlers. This observer force was called TIPH.

Unfortunately, the Israeli government expelled TIPH from Hebron last week.

One of the more dangerous checkpoints for Palestinian children in Al-Khalil exists outside the Qurtuba school–which is juxtaposed immediately adjacent to the Beit Hadassah settlement. Another independent observer group, EAPPI, had been peacefully monitoring this checkpoint until last week–when their head offices announced that their team would also withdraw from Hebron following a targeted campaign of harassment by the right-wing fascist group Im Turtsu.

To fill this void, ISM volunteers have been monitoring the Qurtuba checkpoint in mornings and afternoons to provide an international presence to ensure the safety of Palestinian schoolchildren. As a result, ISM has become the target of harassment by these illegal settlers. On Thursday, this ordinary verbal abuse escalated to physical assault when Anat Cohen–a particularly violent settler with a history of attacking peaceful observers–assaulted ISM volunteers at the Qartuba checkpoint.

ISM captured the assault on video:

Minutes after Cohen assaulted the ISM volunteers, she called the police. When the local Hebron Police arrived, they detained the ISM volunteers and informed them that Cohen was pressing charges against the ISM volunteers for assault.

The ISM volunteers vehemently deny these accusations, and they have video evidence clearly showing that the only physical violence that occured was when Cohen assaulted the peaceful ISM volunteers, who were simply observing the checkpoint to ensure the safety of the schoolchildren.

“Hundred Million Dollar Home” Hebron Shop Keeper Punished for Resistance to Occupation

2nd February 2019 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Today, our good friend Abdulraouf Al-Mohtaseb’s, the famous owner of the 100 Million Dollar home , had his shop enclosed by steel barricades. We condemn this blatant act of aggression by the IDF against shop owners in the Old City of Al-Khalil. This is a direct response against Abdulraouf’s resilient act of resistance with his refusal to comply with the occupation.

We stand with Abdulraouf and the shop owners of Al-Khalil.

Call for volunteers after TIPH & EAPPI exodus from Hebron

1st February 2019 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

In the wake of TIPH being ejected from Al-Khalil (Hebron), it’s critical for ISM to sustain an international presence to protect the Palestinians.

After an Israeli settler murdered 29 worshippers while they were praying at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in 1994, the UN Security Council published Resolution 904 called for the establishment of an international presence “to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilians throughout the occupied territory”.

That international presence became TIPH, which operated–most recently–for 22 consecutive years since the Hebron Protocol of 1997.

But last week, PM Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that he would not be extending TIPH–a move that has emboldened Israeli settlers and further endangered the security of Palestinians.

Moreover, the day after Israel decided to remove TIPH, another international observer force on the ground in Hebron–EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel)–left Hebron after their personnel were targeted by a campaign of harassment from the right-wing fascist group Im Turtsu.

In the wake of this exodus of teams critical to thwarting violent attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and soldiers, we ask the international community to come defend Palestinian human rights on the ground here in Hebron. If you’re interested in joining the ISM team in Hebron, please contact us about an upcoming ISM training session in Palestine.

Hebron Schools Gassed

16th December 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine.

At 1pm, 4 Israeli occupation soldiers entered Salaymeh neighbourhood, Hebron.

Activists were present from 12:30 pm and did not witness any stones thrown or other provocation.

The soldiers fired 21 tear gas rounds in under 5 minutes into the street outside the 3 schools and into two schoolyards.

Another video account of this incident [480p VIDEO] or [HD VIDEO]

There are 3 primary schools on the street where the tear gas was used:

Hebron School
UNRWA Hebron Basic Boys School
Khadijah School

There are also 4 other schools in the immediate area.

During this time the soldiers also threw three concussion grenades over a wall into the Hebron School. They were unable to see who was on the other side of the wall or where they were at the time.

Tear gas rounds and concussion grenades, Hebron School

The headmaster of Hebron School said that 5 tear gas rounds were fired into the schoolyard in total.

Older school students were still in Hebron School. 30 boys and 5 teachers suffered tear gas inhalation.

Activists also found a spent tear gas round in a garden in the grounds of the UNRWA Hebron Basic Boys School.

Occupations soldiers fire tear gas, Salaymeh

There was no threat to the soldiers or anyone else at the time yet the soldiers continued to fire tear gas into the neighbourhood even the streets were completely empty of people.

They seemed to stop only when they had run out of tear gas.

Tear gas fired outside and inside Hebron School.

The tear gas spread through the neighbourhood into schools and residential buildings along the streets where families live. It was a still afternoon and the tear gas stayed in the immediate area and dispersed very slowly continuing to effect local residents.

Last month 238 tear gas rounds and 51 concussion grenades were fired in this neighbourhood. See the November report on Education in Palestine from Christian Peacemaker Teams:

Palestine School Report: Education under Military Occupation November, 2018

This latest tear gas assault comes on the tail of two weeks when 6 boys between 10 and 14 years of age were abducted by Israeli occupation soldiers and Border Police.

See our last report from al Khalil:
Child Abductions by Israeli Forces in Hebron, 4-11 Dec, 2018.

Child Abductions by Israeli Forces in Hebron, 4-11 Dec 2018

15th December 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

7 children were abducted on 3 different days in the Qeitun and Salaymeh neighbourhoods of al Khalil (Hebron) so far in December. ISM activists were present on these 3 occasions and this report contains video footage from all 3 incidents.

Location: Qeitun / Salaymeh neighbourhoods.

The area where these abductions occurred are in the centre of Hebron a short distance to the south to the Ibrahimi Mosque. Here, the two roads to Tareq Ibn Ziad shopping area are blocked by Qeitun Checkpoint and Salaymeh Checkpoint. Qeitun checkpoint is also know as Abu Rish Checkpoint. Salaymeh is also commonly called Checkpoint 160. To make matters confusing there are also other names and Palestinian and Israeli authorities have different numbering systems for them. For simplicities sake I call the checkpoints and the neighbourhoods to the south of them as “Qeitun” and “Salamyeh”

The town roads running south form the checkpoints are in a narrow part of the valley with one block (about 200m) between them. So the area is very small with steep hills ascending on either side.

Abductions:

4 December, 2018

There were two incidents on the 4th December, on the parallel streets leading from the checkpoints of Salaymeh (checkpoint 160) and Qeitun (Abu Rish).

Abductions by Israeli occupation soldiers by Salaymeh checkpoint:

Soldiers had entered the neighbourhood through Salaymeh checkpoint. One group stayed on the street and the other entered behind houses into back gardens from where they moved close to the school.
A small group of boys gathered by the school driveway after school.
International activists were present and observing the situation from within 5 metres.
No stones were thrown by any of the boys.
The soldiers on the street maintained the children’s attention while the other group entered the back of a garage between the school driveway and a neighbouring house.
The soldiers ran from the garage where they are hiding and ambushed the boys who were standing about 3 metres away.
Activists intervened challenging the soldiers about their actions and asking what the boys had done. 1 child managed to escape. but two were abducted and taken to Salayme checkpoint.

[Photos]

Abduction by Israeli occupation soldiers by Qeitun checkpoint:

Concurrent to the abduction at Salaymeh, Israel Border police entered the Qeitun neighbourhood.
They established up a “checkpoint” approximately 200 metres outside the “Alhajryt” Boys School checking IDs and body searching a Palestinian against the fence.
They then moved back towards Salaymeh before pushing down the street to capture someone. The only boy in the vicinity was standing outside the Alhajryt School with one of his teachers.
Again activists were close by when the ambush occurred. The child did nothing to justify his abduction.
The boy’s teacher refused to leave him and they were escorted together to the Qeitun checkpoint.
The following video documents this abduction:

5 December, 2018

Three Abductions at Qeitun

Border Police entered the area outside Quetun checkpoint, clearing the area of traffic.
Two of them took position at the intersection closest to the checkpoint. Once again this seemed to be to hold the children attention.
Another group of Border Police ambushed a group of children form behind in coordination with the first group who ran down the street. The second group seems to have set their ambush by entering through buildings from above the street.
The boys were taken to the Qeitun checkpoint.
The following videos shows the boys being taken away:

11 December, 2018

Abduction at Qeitun

Border police entered the Qeitun neighbourhood through a gate next to al Faihaa School and opposite the “bus checkpoint” by the Ibrahimi Mosque.
They proceeded through the olive trees to a factory building in the centre of the block and hid there for more than 30 minutes until the school children finished school.
After an unsuccessful attempt at emerging onto the street without being spotted near to Qeitun checkpoint they came out onto the cross street between Salaymeh and Qeitun.
They tried an initial sprint to the intersection but there were no children there.
They then wandered aimlessly around but were unable to provoke anyone to throw stones at them.
A man was randomly stopped, taken from his car, ID checked and body searched.
They then returned to the intersection with road from Qeitun checkpoint and managed to provoke a few small stones to be thrown.
The commander then ordered two of the soldiers to sprint down the road in another attempt to capture someone.
The only boy they could find was a 10 year old standing outside a shop holding the hand of his 4 year old brother. They were surrounded by adults.
Activists were on the street on both sides of the shop and witnessed no stones being thrown.
Activists tried to intervene and repeatedly asked for a reason for the boy’s abduction but were ignored as the boy was forcefully taken.
He can be heard calling, “Achi! Achi! [My brother. My brother!] as he is taken away. Leaving his younger brother without a family member.
The Border Police escorted the boy to he police station by the Ibrahimi Mosque via the same route they entered the neighbourhood through the gardens olive groves.
See the following video:

Summary:

All four incidents on these three days, 4th, 5th, and 11th December 2018 have several things in common:

The Israeli Border Police and the Israeli occupation soldiers all acted with the intent of abducting Palestinian school children.
Once they had succeeded they left the area immediately showing that this was their objective from the beginning.
The presence and behaviour of the soldiers and Border Police was provocative and invited an excuse for abduction.
None of the children abducted on these days was throwing stones. Nor was there any significant unrest or stone-throwing on any of these 3 days.
International activists were close at hand on each occasion abductions occurred.
One boy was 14 but the rest were younger.
The children were never accompanied by a parent of family member and no attempt was made to locate one.

Conclusions:

The abduction of innocent children especially in these circumstances is violations of natural justice, humanitarian and international law.
If the intent of these abductions was intended to be one of deterrence then it can only be construed as a form of collective punishment or psychological intimidation in order to subdue any form of resistance to Israeli occupation.
If this was a civil matter the Palestinian authorities would work with the children as in any other country deal with such issues.
The root of the problem is the occupation itself. The systematic oppression of the Palestinian people whom the children are part of is the problem that needs to be addressed.
The abductions yet are another aspect of this systematic oppression that perpetuates itself as long as the occupation continues.
The injustices of these arbitrary abductions only reinforces the resolve of Palestinians to resist the occupation and fuels reactions from the Palestinian youth who endure such things.