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.
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.
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 activistsIsraeli soldiers enter a Palestinian home against the will of the occupantSoldier 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.
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.
30th April 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | al-Khalil (Hebron), occupied Palestine
Heavy clashes broke out during two consecutive days as Israeli forces stormed the Bab Al-Zawiah neighborhood in al-Khalil, attacking young Palestinians protesting in solidarity with the ongoing prisoners’ hunger strike. It resulted in multiple persons being injured, caused by live ammunition and teargas, and at least one protester being detained.
Thursday
Clashes erupted on Thursday in the Bab al-Zawiyah area of Hebron between Palestinian youths and the forces of the Israeli Army and Border Police. Minor confrontations occurred in the souq in the morning before the situation escalated at noon when several platoons of Israeli soldiers, accompanied by Border Police, entered Bab al-Zawiah in the Palestinian controlled H1 area, causing anger among the hundred-or-so Palestinian youths gathered there.
Young Palestinian protestors, Bab al-Zawiyah
On Thursday, a general strike was held across occupied Palestine in solidarity with the 1500 Palestinians currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons, demanding their right to humane and fair treatment in accordance with international law. Consequently, all shops and public transportation were shut down during the day. Many Palestinian youths had gathered in the Bab al-Zawiyah neighbourhood – not far from Ibn Rusht square, where the solidarity tent is placed in support of the hunger striking prisoners – to express their anger through spontaneous protests.
At around 12:30 on Thursday, at least two platoons of Israeli soldiers and around 10 border policemen made their way up the souq towards the vegetable market and Bab al-Zawiya. While initially seemingly halting their movements at the H1/H2 border, the soldiers soon took up positions around 200 meters into the nominally Palestinian controlled H1. From there, the Israeli forces began bombarding the surrounding area with teargas and sound grenades, as well as shooting live ammunition into the crowd of protesters.
Street leading up from vegetable market filling up with tear gas
Additional groups of Israeli forces soon swamped the roofs of the area, from which protesters were targeted with continuous showers of sound grenades. Swaying back and forth among a few centrally located streets, the clashes continued for several hours as the ground became littered with empty teargas canisters, grenades, and used bullets.
Israeli soldiers throwing sound grenades from a roof in H1
Fighting continued throughout the day as Israeli forces used live ammunition, sound grenades, and large amounts of teargas against Palestinians, who responded by throwing stones and burning tires. In addition to the numerous injuries caused by the indiscriminate firing of teargas canisters, ISM activists witnessed at least two Palestinians being seriously wounded after being shot with live ammunition in their feet. The two young protesters were quickly carried away and rushed to hospital.
Protesters halts a passing car to to bring an injured man to hospital. He was shot through the foot with live ammunition
Later in the afternoon the intensity of the clashes began to subside as the Israeli forces retreated back into H2. However, at around 17:30 several platoons of soldiers began to once again cross into Bab al-Zawiya which was by then all but empty. Their incursion soon caused renewed anger among the youths still present in the area, resulting in a resumption of clashes.
Israeli soldiers moving up through the souq towards Bab Al-Zawiyah
Two Israeli army jeeps sped towards Ibn Rusht square shortly before 18:00, followed by dozens of soldiers. However, the remaining protesters prevented them from reaching the square by setting up barricades. Soldiers began to enter private yards and parking lots adjacent to the streets leading up to the square. A standoff then ensued with Israeli soldiers yet again hurling grenades and firing rubber bullets into the crowd.
At the peak of the army incursion – which primarily went up Faisal al-Maliki Street – the soldiers reached almost 500 meters inside H1. As well as the army jeeps, there were also at least 50 soldiers accompanied by an Armoured Personnel Carrier and a water cannon truck.
Before finally retreating from Bab al-Zawiya into H2, a group of soldiers detained a young Palestinian man before escorting him, handcuffed and blindfolded, into the Beit Romano military base. When asked about the charges against the man, an Israeli army officer claimed that he had attempted to stab a soldier in the souq. Given the place of arrest and actions of the soldiers at the time – i.e., using live ammunition from long range – the ISM concludes that the stated scenario is highly implausible, but have not been able to obtain any other information on the background to the detention.
Detained Palestinian being escorted blindfolded by Israeli soldiers towards the Beit Romano base
Friday
The following day, a “Day of Rage” was called by Fatah and the national committee in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners. The day started calmly as Palestinian security forces attempted to separate protestors and Israeli soldiers. However, they eventually failed and Israeli forces yet again advanced into Bab al-Zawiyah, firing rubber bullets and teargas. Several army vehicles, including a water cannon truck, spearheaded the charge before grinding to a halt half a kilometre into H1. Clashes continued for several hours, only to calm down when the contingents of soldiers retreated into their base at around 20:00.
A Friday prayer was conducted at Ibn Rush Square where people gathered to support the relatives of prisoners. Meanwhile,Palestinian security forces were stationed close to the infamous Shuhada checkpoint in an attempt to keep Israeli forces from entering H1 and to keep away potential protestors.
Friday Prayer conducted at Ibn Rusht Square
At 15:30 in the afternoon, with Palestinian forces now gone from the scene, Israeli forces once again approached Bab al-Zawiyah from the souq. The forces were spearheaded by a water cannon truck which immediately began to spray water towards protestors and into nearby buildings, accompanied by torrents of teargas grenades.
At least 50 Israeli soldiers quickly advanced towards Ibn Rusht square and the area around Alia hospital; effectively occupying most of the Bab al-Zawiya neighbourhood within only a few minutes. As well as attacking protesters, soldiers also broke down the doors of private buildings to occupy the rooftops. Border Police also shot so-called “sponge grenades” at the crowds.
Clashes continued until 17:00 when the soldiers withdrew to H2, only to erupt again half an hour later as Israeli forces poured into the city firing teargas indiscriminately. The drivers of cars who unknowingly tried to pass the area were violently harassed by soldiers who had set up flying checkpoints throughout the city.
Water cannon surrounded by tear gas around 500 meters into H1, Faisal al-Maliki Street
The sun had already set when the soldiers finally began to retreat towards the military base, leaving behind them screens of teargas which mixed with the smoke of burning tires over Bab al-Zawiyah.
![Soldiers detain 12-year old child in al-Khalil [VIDEO]](https://palsolidarity.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/patrol-in-hebron.jpg)
Israeli soldiers patrol Hebron this morning
