Tag: Al Khalil

Remembering Balfour under Apartheid

6th November 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday in al Khalil (Hebron) the Palestinian group Youth Against Settlements held an event to mark the 100th years anniversary of The Balfour Declaration. The Balfour Declaration is viewed as a foundational document of the Israeli states ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Despite promises to the Palestinian population the British government, in an act of betrayal, made a declaration that was viewed by the zionist as a promise of Palestine becoming a homeland for the Jewish people.

 

sadadada
“The event was colourful and different,“ an ISM’er says.

A large group of Palestinians and internationals gathered at the “Beeping Gate” which is one of the closuers in al Khalil (Hebron). The “Beeping Gate” is at the bottom of “apartheid road” where a fence divides a Palestinian pathway from the road Israelis walk on. An extension to the apartheid fence finishes at a new gate which fences in part of the Salaymeh neighbourhood. The gate is locked at night forcing Palestinians to walk a longer route on foot to their houses. When the people of the neighbourhood use the gate it sets off an ear-piercing beep adding a tormenting repetitive noise to the harsh realities of discrimination and occupation the neighbourhood suffers.

“The event was colourful and different,“ an ISM’er that attended the event says. “Kids and clowns gathered to mark the Palestinian rejection of the colonial Balfour Declaration which supports the Zionist project.“

Border Police from the Israeli military push Internationals away while a settler from a nearby settlement films.

Even tough the event was light-hearted a group of Boarder Police Officers, Civil Police and Soldiers from the Israeli army showed up and watched the Palestinians and internationals. The children chanted, speeches were made and clowns interacted with the children with balloons, dances and face painting.

A settler from a nearby illegal settlement films the Palestinians at their event through the gate.

An aggressive Zionist settler from a nearby settlement, who had previously intimidated ISM activists during the day showed up at the event. His attempted intimidation failed to disrupt the colourful and joyful celebration of the Palestinian resistance of the occupation. After a while he was led away from the celebration by Israeli Border police. He continued to film from outside attempting to provoke the Palestinians behind the fence.

“I think the colourful event expressed the Palestinian’s Sumud (Arabic for stedfastness) against the occupation and discrimination they face on a daily basis,“ another ISM’er said.

Palestinian Activist Detained In Hebron

A 22 year old Palestinian activist was detained in al-Khalil this morning. He was held and interrogated for thirty minutes, before being escorted through the Shuhada Street checkpoint. He was released after another half hour with no charge, but was told that Israeli forces would raid his house if they found he was linked to the Palestinian Authority.

Eiman Faroukh was detained and questioned while walking in the Old Soukh. Once they saw that international activists were documenting the incident, soldiers took him into an alley out of sight before demanding that he hand over his wallet and phone. When he attempted to give them to a friend, the friend was also threatened with detention unless the items were handed over.

They then proceeded to escort him to the Shuhada Street checkpoint, where he was interrogated further. Border Police were called in to harass activists taking photos, threatening them with arrest. When the activists refused to leave, Israeli forces escorted the man into Shuhada Street, where Palestinian activists could not go.

Soldiers detain 12-year old child in al-Khalil [VIDEO]

A 12-year old Palestinian boy was detained by Israeli armed forces this afternoon in Hebron’s Bab al-Baladiyya military base. The boy was apparently targeted by the soldiers, who were interrogating passers-by on his whereabouts. When he was identified, the heavily-armed soldiers quickly surrounded the boy and his father before forcing them into the military base.

Despite onlookers objecting that the boy had not thrown any stones at the gate of the base, soldiers argued that it seemed he was preparing to do so. Officials from the Palestinian Authority attempted to intervene but were not successful, while a Palestinian who agreed to be interviewed by ISM after the incident was subject to deliberate intimidation by Israeli forces.

The boy’s mother attempted to join her husband, but was forbidden. The boy’s much younger brother was seen crying in confusion, tugging on his mother’s leg as the 12-year old and his father were led into the compound. Sources tell ISM that this was the 12-year old’s first experience of military detention.

14-year old detained in al-Khalil as tensions run high

A 14-year old Palestinian boy was detained yesterday afternoon as Israeli forces conducted a search in Hebron’s Old City. The boy was riding his bike when four heavily armed soldiers began interrogating him. Shortly after, he was taken to Bab al-Baladiyya military base.

14-year old Palestinian is detained by Israeli soldiers

Prior to the search, soldiers had stopped several men outside the base. With their IDs confiscated, they were questioned for 20 minutes on suspicion of throwing stones. One soldier attempted to intimidate ISM activists and nearby tourists by taking photos of them.

Palestinian men stopped and questioned by Israeli soldiers, IDs confiscated

After letting the men go, the soldiers entered the Old City in an apparent manhunt. They again harassed ISM activists, threatening to arrest them if they continued to take photos and illegally declaring a closed military zone in the area. One soldier then threatened an activist, saying that he had already killed one boy on that road. After ISM activists challenged them, they ran away and forced their way into a Palestinian home, taking positions on the rooftop.

Israeli soldiers run away from ISM activists
Israeli soldiers enter a Palestinian home against the will of the occupant
Soldier takes position on the rooftop

After 5 minutes, the Israelis came down and began the search again. They soon found the 14-year old sitting on his bike, and began to interrogate him. The heavily armed soldiers then escorted the boy down to the base, refusing to comment on the reason for his detention.

Soldier interrogates 14-year old Palestinian

The boy has reportedly been a repeated target for Israeli forces, having been detained 5 times already. According to a local source, the soldiers had originally sought the boy for having knowledge of who was throwing stones, but now accuse him of throwing stones himself.

Soldiers order ISM activist to stop taking photos as they detain 14-year old boy

A day earlier, the same soldiers had been filmed harassing another young Palestinian boy for no apparent reason.

Major clashes as hundreds demonstrate in solidarity with prisoners’ hunger strike

Clashes broke out yesterday in the centre of Hebron as a peaceful demonstration was met with heavy armed resistance from Israeli soldiers and border police.

 

 Demonstrators run from tear gas during today’s march in Hebron

 

Hundreds gathered outside Hebron’s football stadium at 1pm before marching down Ein Sarah street towards Ibn Rushd square, where a tent has been set up to honour the 1,500 prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons.

 

Hundreds gathered to march in solidarity with the prisoners’ hunger strike

 

Shortly after arriving at the square, which is in nominally Palestinian-controlled H1, demonstrators were met by dozens of heavily armed Israeli soldiers and border police. Soldiers on the rooftops fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, while Palestinian teenagers responded with stones.

 

 Israeli occupation forces await the demonstrators on their route

 

When the tear gas failed to deter the protestors, an Israeli ‘skunk trunk’ sprayed the crowd with putrid-smelling chemically-treated water.

 

 Israeli army spray demonstrators with putrid-smelling ‘skunk’ water

 

 Demonstrators flee an Israeli Jeep

 

In the end, the Israeli assault failed to disperse the crowd, with the demonstration only thinning out to under a hundred people after 4pm.

 

 Israeli soldiers advance on the demonstrators

 

Tensions were high throughout the day. Armed patrols in the morning saw four soldiers harass a child in the market and several ISM activists in the Old City, while others watched from nearby rooftops.

 

Israeli soldiers patrol Hebron this morning

 

Israeli soldiers question a young Palestinian boy

 

 Israeli soldiers conduct armed patrol in Hebron’s market this morning

 

In the evening, Palestinian youths shouted at soldiers who were in the market, and soldiers responded with four rounds of tear gas and aggressive military manoeuvres intended to scare the children.