Tag: Arrests - Page 22 - International Solidarity Movement

Three young Palestinians arrested on violent settler’s allegations

1st October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Today, October 1^st 2015, a 14-year old boy was arrested by Israeli forces in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) after being accused of stone-throwing by a settler notorious for harassing Palestinians.

Mohammed Imad Abu Shamsiyye was taken by Israeli soldiers from right outside his home just after coming home from school. Even though he was taken from outside his family home and he is a minor, Israeli forces did not inform the parents. His father was only informed about the arrest of his son by neighbours. Mohammed was physically assaulted by one soldier while being detained at a checkpoint close to his house.

They then walked him to Shuhada checkpoint, were he was forced to sit with another teen that was arrested by Israeli forces after attempting to cross the checkpoint. Mohammed’s accuser, the extremist settler, Ofer, is infamous for his aggressive behaviour towards Palestinians and international observers. He immediately drove up to the checkpoint taking videos, ridiculing and insulting internationals and Palestinians.

Mohammed (right) and another Palestinian boy detained at Shuhada checkpoint

At the same time another 17-year old boy was forced to first sit outside in the baking sun and then in an army jeep for about twenty minutes before being taken to a police station. The young man, as well as Mohammed’s arrest were based on the allegations of this one settler, that was not even in the same location as any of the two boys for the time he accuses.

17-year old boy taken to the police station by Israeli forces

When Israeli forces walked Mohammed to the military base in segregated Shuhada Street, the two settlers went along ridiculing and berating the boy all the way up to the military base. The settlers, as well as soldiers at the base kept harassing and insulting internationals present outside the military base, until Mohammed was taken to the police station in the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba about half an hour later. He was finally released from the police station after one and a half hours – in total an ordeal of over two hours of arrest for a minor child.

Settlers from the various illegal settlements in al-Khalil often posses an enormous amount of power over the Israeli army that will act upon their every whim and allegation. Palestinians on the other hand, when complaining about attacks by settlers are most often ignored or even arrested.

Free Mahmoud Abujoad!

26th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Jordan Valley, occupied Palestine

Palestinian human rights activist and community supporter, Mahmoud Abujoad, has been detained by the Israeli authorities under false allegations. He and his family urgently need our support to help get him released at his court hearing this Tuesday, September 29th at the Ofer military prison.

Mahmoud, 29, and his wife Sireen were detained by Israeli border police while they were on their way to Jordan to visit family. They were both detained for eight hours at the border, while being blindfolded, handcuffed, and denied water, food, and access to toilet facilities. Sireen was released, but Mahmoud was kept and later charged with throwing stones at a demonstration during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza a year ago, which he did not attend. His family has to pay a bail of 8000 NIS (£1300) in order to get his released.

Mahmoud is working with Jordan Valley Solidarity (JSV), a movement supporting the communities in the Jordan Valley, documenting human rights abuses, and rebuilding homes and water supplies demolished the Israeli army. Mahmoud was recently involved in a project fundraising for a school bus for children in isolated communities to access school.

As a Palestinian, Mahmoud has no right to see a lawyer, is given no presumption of innocence, and is not given a fair trial. The family has been told he can be released Sunday September 27th 2015, for 8000 NIS (£1300). Under Israeli law, the charge of throwing stones at a demonstration could sentence him to 20 years of prison.

Mahmoud, his family, and the communities he is working with need our help to secure his release.

To find out more about supporting Mahmoud and his family go here.

Israeli soldiers attempt to falsely arrest internationals

22nd September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Last night Israeli soldiers threatened to arrest internationals, who were present during the arrest of 3 Palestinian boys in Tel Rumeida, al-Khalil (Hebron).

After the 3 boys were brought to the military base, internationals went back into the house in Tel Rumeida. Ten minutes later about 15 soldiers surrounded the house and half a dozen of them walked up the stairs to the main door, demanding them to open it, because they wanted to arrest the internationals.

Even though the internationals repeatedly asked to see a warrant on the arrest, soldiers kept refusing to show any legitimate reason for their arrest. The soldiers only verbally accused the internationals of entering a closed military zone. When the internationals refused to open the door as soldiers cannot arrest internationals, they kept banging on the door, shouting and threatening to bring the police to have them arrested. Upon the embassies requests, the internationals asked for the commanders name which was outright refused by soldiers in front of the door.

After about one and a half hours, the soldiers called the police and a policeman arrived, He did not talk to the internationals at all, and left after less than half an hour. In the meantime, soldiers started accusing the internationals of consuming drugs in the apartment without any real reason or evidence. After yet another half hour soldiers again called the police, and came to the door with a policeman that did not speak any English. Instead of translating what the Policeman was saying to the internationals, the soldier just kept up the same conversation as before, with only one sentence being translated to the policeman. The soldiers refused to let the policemen talk to the international’s lawyer and did not give the internationals any information on how to contact the police station or military base, who send out the arrest warrant. After the policeman left the soldiers threatened the internationals to break down the door of the house.

In total, soldiers stayed outside the apartment for about four hours, threatening internationals with arrest, leaving only with the threat of the police arresting them the next morning.

Three Palestinian boys violently arrested at night in Hebron

21st September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Monday the 21st of August three boys were arrested in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron, occupied Palestine. The boys were arrested at 8:45 pm and taken to the military base in Tel Rumeida.

Two of the boys were arrested after allegedly having a fight with ‘Jewish boys’. The two boys – Awne Abu Shamsiyye, 17, and Tarek Salhab, 17 – where both dragged up a hill by soldiers, the first handcuffed, the latter one with his arms twisted behind his back by a soldier. The three boys from the illegal settlement in Tel Rumeida however, did not even get stopped or questioned by the soldiers.Instead, they stood watching the arrest and harrassing the boy’s families and Palestinian families living in the neighbourhood.

Boy blindfolded and handcuffed by Israeli army.

Nizar Salhab, only 16 years old, was accused of hitting a soldier, and thus handcuffed and blindfolded by soldiers in front of Gilbert checkpoint. He was forced to wait standing on the sidewalk unable to see anything for almost an hour. His family and friends then helped him remove the blindfold, only a few minutes before the army took him to the military base in a jeep.

One of the boys being dragged up the hill by a soldier.

Even though soldiers claimed to have video-evidence for all the accusations, Awne was released after about two hours in the military base. The two other boys instead were taken to the police station and only released after about 5 hours.

Random arrests of Palestinian chlidren is a common occurence in al-Khalil (Hebron). Palestinian families constantly have to live with the fear of their children being arrested or kidnapped and disappeared, with soldiers not informing families of these kind of events. The three boys yesterday, fortunately, were released – but still this only happens rarely and still, they were detained for a long time without any evidence or valid reason.

Israeli forces targeting Palestinian children in al-Khalil (Hebron)

Everyday, Palestinian families get attacked by Israeli forces in their own homes. Sometimes they bang on the door in the middle of the night, scaring children and adults, ransacking the house. On some of these raids, both during the night and in daytime, Israeli forces randomly arrest family members and take them to an unknown destination without any reason.

Last night, Israeli forces entered the Palestinian market in the Old City of al-Khalil (Hebron) and entered a Palestinian family home where they kidnapped an 8-year old girl and arrested 3 more young men. All of them were walked towards the military base in Shuhada street, but then kept behind a fence and military gate for more than 15 minutes before being released. No reason was given for the random arrest.

Small boy forced to pass Israeli forces' armored trucks — Small boy forced to pass Israeli forces’ armored trucks

Even the way to school can be a dangerous and perilous journey for children in al-Khalil (Hebron). Having to pass through sometimes multiple checkpoints to get to school, children as young as 4 years old have to pass by heavily armed Israeli soldiers. As if the ubiquitous military presence weren’t scary enough, children are subjected to bag-searches, frisking, detainment and arrests. With Israeli forces using tear gas on children on their way to school and back home after a long school-day, children also have to duck away from tear-gas grenades shot towards them and navigate past clouds of tear-gas lingering on in the alleys.

Israeli forces shooting tear gas at children on their way to school

Arresting children under the age of 11 is illegal even under Israeli law, as it is considered to be too traumatizing and detrimental to a child’s well-being, regardless of the accusations brought forward against a child. However, Palestinian children are detained, frisked, body-searched and arrested by Israeli forces on an every-day basis. As this illegal practice does not result in any consequences for the soldiers or policemen at all, Palestinian children are constantly at risk of maltreatment, abuse and denial of their most basic human rights.