New construction in Umm al-Khair

14th January 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Umm al Khair, South Hebron Hills, occupied Palestine

Occupation soldiers attempt to stop the work at Umm al-Khair
Occupation soldiers attempt to stop the work at Umm al-Khair

Video below.

ISMers joined with other international and Israeli activists in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Khair on Saturday at the invitation of the Bedouin community. Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, was a busy day constructing a dwelling for a Bedouin family while Israeli authorities have their day of rest.

The new home at Umm al-Khair
The new home at Umm al-Khair

Umm al-Khair came into existence in 1948 when the Bedouin villagers fled in the Nakba in 1948 and relocated to the South Hebron Hills. The Bedouin homes composing the village lie only metres away from a fence separating them from the illegal Zionist settlement of Carmel. Settlers from Carmel continually attack the village throwing stones over the nearby fence at night to disrupt their sleep and attempt to pressure them to leave.

In 1981, Zionist Settlers started the illegal settlement of Carmel next to the village. It was provided with modern infrastructure: electricity, water and sewerage. But Umm al-Khair struggles under bureaucratic oppression to build even a simple structure and has to provide its own infrastructure including solar panels for their electricity. Not only can they not get building permits but they are also continually issued with stop work or demolition orders for every structure.

Umm al-Khair (at left) next to the illegal settlement of Carmel
Umm al-Khair (at left) next to the illegal settlement of Carmel

This is why the large contingent of solidarity workers came on a Saturday to speed up the construction of a new family home. The simple structure had to be finished in one day, hopefully before any soldiers arrive and attempt to stop them and while the Civil authorities have their day off. The family immediately moves into their new home and when civil authority seeks a demolition order there is greater chance of fighting the order in the Israeli Court if a family will become homeless.

A military jeep with 4 armed soldiers arrived when construction had almost finished. A young villager explained the conversation, “They say that we have to stop, but we will continue and finish the home today.”

Palestinian villages attacked – yet resisting illegal outposts

12th January 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Occupied Palestine

Today in Kfar Qaddum the protesters, marching towards the road closed off due to the illegal settlement of Kadumim, were suppressed by Israeli military. Protesters were met with teargas and rubber coated steel bullets. Luckily there were no serious injuries. Three days ago though, hundreds of settlers from the illegal settlement of Havat Gilad attacked the neighboring village of Far’ata.

When ISMers spoke to the protesters in Kfar Qaddum, they expressed more relief than usual about there being no serious injuries today. “There is so much violence around the West Bank right now, so if something happened here we fear that it would go unnoticed.” says the main coordinator Murad Shtawi. He showed ISM the video taken by his friends in Far’ata where dozens of settlers forcibly enter the village.

Following the funeral of a recently killed settler from the illegal outpost of Havat Gilad, dozens of settlers attacked the nearby village of Far’ata. The settlers from the illegal outpost threw stones at seven Palestinian homes, breaking windows and causing other property damage. The attacking settlers also damaged trees belonging to Palestinian villagers.

Photos from the security cameras in the Far’ata families’ homes.

The illegal outpost of Havat Gilad, founded in 2002, has had numerous incidents of land theft, destruction, vandalism, and violence towards nearby Palestinian villages. The illegal outpost is scheduled for demolition under an international agreement, but Israel has yet to remove the illegal outpost. Outposts, like Havat Gilad, are illegal under Israeli and International law.

Video of settlers in Far’ata

The villagers in Kfar Qaddum have been protesting the effects of the illegal settlement Kadumim since 2011. Apart from the land theft, which is still ongoing, in 2003 the villagers lost their main connection with Nablus increasing their commute to almost an hour instead of previous ten minutes.

Night Demonstration in Al-Khalil, Hebron

9th January 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | al-Khalil, Hebron, occupied Palestine

A protest and march against the occupation of Palestine took place in al-Khalil tonight. Protestors gathered at Dawar Ibn Roojd before marching with lit torches at dusk to checkpoint 56 in Shuhada Street.

The action was organized by Dismantle the Ghetto, a collation of Human Rights organizations, popular resistance committees and Palestinian political organizations. They call for the removal of checkpoints and the illegal settlements in Hebron.

Marchers gathered outside the checkpoint chanting for the removal of the checkpoints and illegal settlements within the city. Soldiers eventually stormed out from the checkpoint into the H1, Palestinian part of the city, throwing stun grenades and threatening protestors with their weapons. The peaceful protest was scattered by this violence as the soldiers spread out throwing more stun grenades and dispersing the crowd. Effectively this aggression suppressed the free speech of the Palestinian people.

This event was organized as a precursor to the annual Dismantle the Ghetto campaign to take place in February.

 

Friday Demonstration at Beit’El

Some impressions of last friday demonstration (Dec 29) at Beit’El where an illegal settlement has been set up:

The settlement of Beit’El has been built illegally in the year 1977. Growing in its population it counts more than 5600 settlers. By taking their land Palestinians do not have full access to water supplies, farming land housing and mobility.

 

For more information on illegal settlements on the bases of International Law we recommend this report by Al-Haq, a Palestinian non-governmental human rights organisation.