Tag: Action Alert - Page 8 - International Solidarity Movement

Hamze Marwan Abdomousa is asking for your support!

30th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Ramallah, occupied Palestine

UPDATED: 28.12.2015

22 year old Hamze is still in prison after obtaining a 1 year sentence. The court also ruled he must pay a fine of 4.000 shekels (or USD $1.023) before the end of December, in order to be freed by January 2016.

So far, supporters have donated 105 dollars – thank you so much. However, we still need 918 dollars to pay his fine to release him. Please, keep donating – every contribution matters!

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The International Solidarity Movement has received a call to support a political prisoner. His name is Hamze Marwan Abdomousa, and he is 22 years old. Here is his story:

On the 5th of February, 2015, Hamze was arrested by the Israeli army in his home in the Amari refugee camp, Ramallah. The military court accused him of throwing stones and of trading military equipment, and even though he refused these claims, he had to accept this accusation according to his lawyer’s plea bargain in order to get a 1 year sentence – instead of a sentence that could last three years or even longer.

But despite the fact that Hamze obtained this 1 year sentence, the court also ruled he must pay a fine of 4.000 shekels (or USD $1.023) before the end of December, in order to be freed by January 2016. This, in turn, has caused further distress on his family, not only because they are very poor, but because if he does not pay the fine, the Israeli army will keep him in prison for another 4 months.

‘This fine goes beyond the financial means of my circle of family and friends,’ Hamze explains. ‘My financial situation is very difficult, and has worsened by the fact that I have been unemployed for the past 2 years. I was forced to leave school at grade 9 to begin working and help my family. My family still depends on me for financial support, and my imprisonment has exerted an enormous burden on them. I ask all people who understand me to support me and my family.’

Hamze further says all he wants is to continue a life with dignity and build a family of his own.

The ISM is calling the international community to see Hamze’s situation and support him with donations. If you can’t make a donation, please share his story with your friends and family, in your social media and with all the people who care!

If you want to make a donation, please do so here, and write us an e-mail to palreports@gmail.com adding ‘Support Hamze’ in the subject, detailing your name and the amount you donated.

Any amount you donate will be greatly appreciated: if we all put our efforts together we can fulfill Hamze’s desire and right to freedom!

URGENT ALERT: Shuhada Street, Tel Rumeida declared ‘Closed Military Zone’; human rights activists expelled; homes raided

8th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) urges the international community to take immediate and urgent action against the Israeli occupation forces’ recent declaration of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and Shuhada street in downtown Hebron as a closed ‘Closed Military Zone.’

On November 1st, the occupation forces instructed all Palestinian residents to ‘register’. Since November 3rd, all non residents, including human rights workers, doctors, teachers, plumbers, and others are barred from entry.

This declaration comes amidst a month long escalation claiming the lives of over 70 Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza – one third of them in Hebron. Many of the extrajudicial killings in Hebron are occurring in the areas now evacuated of all internationals who had been monitoring and reporting what they witness.

As of November 3rd, all international human rights monitors in Tel Rumeida have been evicted from the area under threat of arrest and subsequent deportation. Although the order is being issued for one day, and renewed daily, the occupation forces have told residents and evicted human rights workers that it will be in force for the long term.

Israeli forces are targeting not only international human rights observers, but also Palestinian activists. On Saturday, November 7th, Israeli forces commandeered the local activist group Youth Against Settlements’ center and turned it into a military base for 24 hours. They completely destroyed the media center, stole several dozen electronic devices, and took Palestinian activists as hostages. A YAS spokesperson has been illegally held in prison for over a week already. Israeli forces also raided other Palestinian homes, trapping families inside, while settlers freely roamed the streets and chanted “Death to the Arabs!”

“Soldiers and settlers are making life for the Palestinians intolerable to force them to leave their houses voluntarily. This is a crime under international law. They are targeting activists to silence the truth and stop the truth from reaching the whole world”, explains Tel Rumeida resident Abed Salaymeh. Other international human rights observers have been directly targeted by Israeli forces through arrests, evictions and settler violence. Such conditions facilitate further extrajudicial killings in this neighborhood, as well as further takeovers of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers.

The ISM calls for:
–       An immediate end to the ‘Closed Military Zone’ order on Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street
–       Cessation of threats and harassment of residents and foreign human rights activists
–       Removal of restrictions on movement throughout downtown Hebron
–       Removal of all illegal Israeli settlers from Hebron

We call on civil society worldwide to support the above demands and do all they can to pressure the Israeli government to cease its severe human rights abuses against the Palestinian people, including joining the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

For more information, please see:

B’Tselem Press Release, Nov. 6, 2015: “New restrictions on movement in Hebron and area disrupt lives and constitute prohibited collective punishment”

B’Tselem, Oct. 20: “Footage from Hebron: Israeli military enables 5-day settler attack”

International Solidarity Movement, Nov. 7: Palestinians held hostage in their own homes by Israeli forces in al-Khalil (Hebron)

International Solidarity Movement, Nov. 4: International human rights defenders arrested and evicted while “Hebron is becoming ghettoized”

International Solidarity Movement, Oct. 30: Palestinian residents of Hebron required to register in preparation for severe new restrictions

School children kept waiting on stairs by Shuhada street for nearly an hour, 1 November — School children kept waiting on stairs by Shuhada street, 1 November

Help ISM continue our work!

Friends, the last month has been a morbid display of Israeli force in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The number of killings, injuries, and arrests of Palestinians is rising so rapidly that it is becoming increasingly difficult to clarify one extrajudicial execution from another. Two of these murders of unarmed youth occurred directly in front of our apartment in Tel Rumeida. In spite of escalating violence and amid a Zionist media storm, Palestinian resilience and resistance continues.

Palestinians and international solidarity activists are being increasingly targeted in our work of supporting this resistance. Explicit aggression towards Palestinians and internationals in Hebron (Al-Khalil) has increased drastically. Threats, intimidation, verbal and physical abuse by soldiers and illegal settlers has become a daily occurrence in our work.

On the 2nd of November one of our volunteers was taken from his home, assaulted and arrested. The following day, two international activists were arrested while monitoring human rights abuses against school children at the Shuhada street checkpoint. That afternoon, the rest of our team was evicted from our Hebron residence by Israeli forces, without the agreement of the landlord, under threat of arrest. This was carried out on the pretense that we had not been registered as residents during recent procedures surrounding the recurrent Closed Military Zone orders.

A concerted effort is being made to intimidate and drive out all international presence from Hebron. In addition, the impunity of illegal settlers and Israeli forces has created conditions conducive to more violence and attacks throughout the West Bank. Within the past month, there have been several attacks on internationals working in the northern region of Nablus. While acting as a protective presence accompanying olive farmers during the harvest period, several of our volunteers were attacked by illegal settlers just one week ago.

We are receiving increasing requests by schools, farmers, villagers and residents abutting settlements for accompaniment and monitoring. In Gaza, we continue our work of recording atrocities and the resilience of the Palestinian population, in practical solidarity work on the ground. We maintain that our presence throughout the occupied territories is both lawful and more essential than ever.

To continue our work, we need help. WE NEED PEOPLE AND WE NEED MONEY! As you might imagine, our communications, travel, and legal costs are sky-rocketing during this tense time. We anticipate an increasing need for funding to both maintain our presence here and to address our need for legal representation, both for our Palestinian contacts and those of us coming from abroad. We welcome new volunteers, and we welcome financial support in whatever capacity it can be offered.

Please follow these links to

Join us in Palestine
or
Donate through our online account or Paypal

ISM volunteer photographing Israeli Forces photographing us in al-Khalil (Hebron)

Accompaniment kindergarten kids to school in hebron (al-Khalil) — Accompanying kindergarten kids to school in al-Khalil (Hebron)

Human rights monitoring work in Hebron (al-Khalil) — Human rights monitoring work with illegal settler presence in al-Khalil (Hebron)

Action alert: Help free Ammar!

7th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwara Team | Tulkarem, occupied Palestine

Updated on November 18th

Yesterday we went to Tulkarem and finally met Ammar, together with his friend Warda. We had a long conversation, where Ammar told us how good he feels to be out of jail and all the things he wants to do in the future. Although his life is very hard, he appears optimistic and tells us he is planning to get a job and save money. He wants to take a course to become a hairdresser, because this is something he already practiced in the prison. When he gets a job as a hairdresser, he wants to continue saving money to build a house in his village. One day he wants to get married and have children.

The people of Beit Lid waited for Ammar to celebrate in the streets of the village — When he was released, the people of Beit Lid waited for Ammar to celebrate in the streets of the village. Photo credit ISM

We asked him what his life was like in the jail and he said, “There’s nothing prisoners want more than to be free.” Ammar explained to us that going to jail for your country is not a bad thing and, in the end, for him the freedom of his country is more important than his personal freedom.

His three friends are still in jail and he doesn’t know when they will be released. And although he can’t see them, their families get to visit them every two weeks.

His friends were very happy to see him back. Photo credit ISM

He also told us how he made new friends in the jail and how they support each other emotionally when they are having a difficult time. Everyday, they were allowed to leave their cell and stay a while in a common room with other prisoners, spending time together. They did not have access, though, to an area that was open to the air.

It is important to remember that, even though Ammar has finally been released, there are still things he cannot do, which in turn means he doesn’t enjoy full freedom. The court decided that if he is to be found near any illegal Israeli settlement, participates in any demonstration, or is seen walking through any checkpoint, he would be imprisoned for another five years. Therefore, he feels he cannot move with total freedom and needs to be careful.

But despite these restrictions, he is very happy to think how he will start building his future.

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Updated on November 10th

Ammar has been released and the people of his village were waiting for him to celebrate on the streets. He is back with his loved ones and has returned to live in his brother’s house. Ammar is very happy to be free again and is planning to find a job.

Here are some pictures his friends sent us to show you!

Ammar's friends welcome him back — Ammar’s friend welcomes him back

The receipt for Ammar's fine — The receipt for Ammar’s fine

Updated on November 8th

We have great news! Ammar has been released from prison and we want to thank all of you for your wonderful support! After having spent one year in jail, Ammar is finally back home with his family and can resume his normal life.

Therefore, we have decided to finish Ammar’s campaign tonight. Ammar, together with his family and friends, greatly appreciate your efforts, we could not have done this without you !!

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In September 2014, four young men from the village of Beit Lid near Tulkarem were arrested by the Israeli military. After interrogating the four friends, two confessed under torture that they witnessed 22-year-old Ammar Khalid throwing stones and destroying a fence of the illegal Israeli settlement of Anab, which is built on their village’s land. Although Ammar denied this accusation, and no evidence has been presented to support it, the Israeli military court dictated that one witness is already enough to impose a prison charge, and that other evidence is unnecessary.

Ultimately, his friends were released, but Ammar was charged with one year of prison and a fine of 2.500 shekels (approximately $650) which must be paid by November 13th, otherwise, the military will keep him imprisoned until the fine is paid.

Ammar is an orphan; although his parents are gone, he has many friends desperately trying to raise the money to free him. However, his financial situation is very bad, and an amount of 2.500 shekels is very difficult for his loved ones to collect. Without our support Ammar will remain in military detention.

Ammar is not alone in his struggle against the Israeli military, the campaign of violence against the people of Palestine has surged in the month of October, with at least 64 Palestinians killed, over 7,200 injured, and approximately 650 detained by Israeli forces.

It is essential that we pull together our efforts and resources to support Ammar. He is one young man suffering under the effects of the Israeli occupation, and one is too many. We must do all we can to help Ammar gain his freedom from Israeli imprisonment.

If you can donate, please do so here: https://palsolidarity.org/donate/

Once you send a contribution, it is important that you write to us to palreports@gmail.com, adding ‘Free Ammar’ in the subject, to give us the details of your name and the amount so that we can ensure to collect the money appropriately for Ammar.

If you cannot give money, but still want to support Ammar, please share this with as many people as possible.

Settlers lay siege to Wadi Alhussein neighbourhood in Hebron (Al Khalil), Daana family under threat

18th October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | West Bank, occupied Palestine

Sunday 18 October

The Hebron (Al Khalil) neighbourhood of Wadi Alhussein is tonight, Sunday 18th October, under siege as armed settlers rampage through the streets with support of the Israeli forces. International human rights activists are currently standing in solidarity in the home of the Daana Family who have already suffered several physical attacks in the past few days.

As of 9.40pm, three people have been injured in the Daana house, including one young child, due to attack by fire bomb, and ambulances are being prevented from delivering aid. Tear gas has been fired extensively between Palestinian houses and many stun grenades have been used in the area. The situation is anticipated to escalate overnight as settlers from the adjacent illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba are continuing to gather around Palestinian family homes.

Hebron (Al Khalil) has been in a state of borderline lockdown by Israeli forces for over 24 hours now, following the murder of Palestinian 18 year old Fadel Al-Kawasmeh by illegal settlers on Shuhada street yesterday morning. Following this Bayan Ahmad Aseeleh, 16, was shot by Israeli forces outside the Ibrahimi Mosque on allegations that she attempted to stab a soldier. Settlers were then witnessed dancing on the site of a third shooting and lying in front of the ambulance carrying Tarek Al-Natsheh who died soon after.

Immediately following this, a group of approximately 200 settlers tore down the fence between the Kiryat Arba settlement and the H2 neighbourood of Wadi Alhussein, throwing stones and fire bombs at Palestinian houses. Ten Palestinians were injured in the attack, including 13 year old Abdullah Nasser Dana, who was hit in the chest with a molotov cocktail, and Basil Khaled Dana, 16, who was hit in the ankle with a stone while helping Abdullah. 25 year old Emid Sayeed Dana, who was hit with a stone on the wrist, said earlier today ‘I think they will come again tonight.’ An unidentified Palestinian was also shot with live ammunition by a settler.

Dezeray, an international activist from the US who has been living in Hebron, is currently in the Daana house. She stated: ‘this situation is an absolute violation of peoples’ basic rights. The Daana family are just one example of daily life for Palestinians and the escalating settler violence of the past few weeks.’

Italian human rights defender Orion added, ‘Israel must be held accountable for soldiers’ extrajudicial attacks on Palestinians, as well as their support of settlers’ arbetrary attacks on innocent Palestinian families.’

The Daana family have been victim to attacks by illegal Kiryat Arbar settlers in the past, including a 2008 fire bombing of the house. In 2003 they were detained in their home for a week, with food being delivered by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. They have also had 5 horses poisoned by settlers in the past 10 years.

Nine families are living in the house, with 50 people, the majority of which are women and children.