Tag: Arrests - Page 49 - International Solidarity Movement

Journalists detained in Hebron, leading to two arrests and threats to restrict Palestinian movement

By Team Khalil

24th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

In the afternoon of the 24^th March, two Palestinian Al Jazeera journalists arrived into Hebron to interview a Palestinian family living near the illegal Israeli settlement in the area of Tel Rumeida. When they arrived, settlers called the Israeli military and police, who arrived and confiscated the journalists’ ID cards, despite having seen their press credentials. The Al Jazeera reporters had their ID cards returned after around an hour, but two Hebron Palestinians who attempted to intervene on their behalf with police were arrested and removed in a police car. Their status is currently unknown and no reason was given for their arrest.

After the journalists were today apprehended, police and settlers arrived into the area with rolls of barbed wire, informing another Palestinian resident that his primary access to the main road would be closed. Hashem Azzeh and his family live underneath the Tel Rumeida settlement, with their access to the main road running directly next to the settlement. This path has been repeatedly closed by the Israeli authorities since 2000, and was only opened most recently in late 2012 after extensive legal battles in the Israeli courts.

The police and settlers claimed today that the path would be closed because unapproved people had been walking along it. According to the Israeli authorities, only Hashem, his family and guests walking with them have permission to use the path. Hashem states that he has no knowledge of strangers using this route to access his house.

Without the path, Hashem and his family have to travel a much longer, rock-strewn and hazardous route to leave their home. Hashem said today, “I think they will close my access now, they will say it is for security reasons.” He thinks that the settlers used the arrival of the journalists and the subsequent confusion as a pretext to close his path and restrict his family’s movement, in further attempts to drive them from their home – they already face regular hassle from Israeli authorities and attacks from the settlers, including on Hashem’s young children.

Police (inside car) question journalists while soldiers stand by – Tel Rumeida settlement is visible in the background

UPDATED – “Obama” arrested on Shuhada Street

20th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

Update 20th March 20.45: Three Palestinians have been released on bail and all three internationals are being deported.

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Four Palestinians and three international activists have been arrested by the Israeli military today, 20th March 2013, during a demonstration calling for Obama to take action against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Obama is currently visiting Israel and plans to make a short visit to the West Bank.

Palestinian and Israeli activists walked together down Hebron’s Shuhada Street today – an area which Palestinians have been denied since the year 2000. Activists wore masks of President Obama and Martin Luther King Jr and wore “I Have a Dream” t-shirts, representing the struggle for equal rights for Palestinians and an end to Israeli occupation. International activists were observing and documenting the protest.

Israeli military arrived on the scene, breaking up the demonstration and beating Palestinian protesters, including prominent Youth Against Settlements organisers Issa Amro, Badia Dwaik and Mohammed Zugayer. Soldiers were witnessed beating Palestinians and dragging them into side streets away from observers, media and journalists. There are also reports that at least one journalist is currently being detained, and one Palestinian activist has a broken nose. The four Palestinians and three international activists – from Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic – are still currently being detained in the police station in illegal Israeli settlement Givat Ha’avot.

Shuhada Street was previously the main market street of the Palestinian city of Hebron. In 1994, access was banned for Palestinian cars, and in the year 2000 Palestinians were denied access to the street altogether, because of the 500 illegal Israeli settlers who now live in the area. There is a strong Israeli military presence in Hebron and there is severe restriction of movement for Palestinians.

Obama has not taken action against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the US administration continues to fund the Israeli military. Obama said in a speech on arrival to Israel today, “I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and to speak directly to the people of Israel and to your neighbours.”

Photo by Youth Against Settlements — Demonstrators with Obama and MLK masks – photo by Youth Against Settlements

A 21 year-old man arrested in Burin. Repression intensifies

16th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Occupied palestine

On the night of the 12^th March, Israeli forces invaded the village of Burin and arrested a 21 year-old man in his house.

This arrest is part of a wave of arrests and repression of the village by Israeli forces since al-Manatir neighbourhood was established on a village’s hilltop in early February.

Al-Manatir neighbourhood was attacked by settlers and evicted by Israeli forces (Photo by ISM)

The hilltop, threatened of confiscation by Israeli settlers and military, has been inaccessible to Palestinians since 2007. Last February, dozens of Palestinians activists established Al-Manatir neighbouhood but the protest camp was soon attack by settlers from Yitzhar and Bracha settlements and evicted by Israeli forces. Seven people were violently arrested, three of them remaining in prison for twelve days. In addition, a young Palestinian boy was shot with live ammunition in the leg by a settler.

Since then, six people from the village have been arrested; two of them are still in prison. Muntasser Mahmoud Eid was taken blindfolded from his house at 2pm and is currently being held in Jalama prison.

The arrest was made after confrontations between Palestinian youth and Israeli forces erupted on the hilltop. Israeli army prevented Palestinians from accesing the hilltop by shooting tear gas canisters at them. Afterwards, at night, at around 2pm, several military jeeps inavaded the village and entered Muntasser’s house; tearing him in hi sleep.

It is expected that more arrests will be made in the following weeks as Israeli authorities clearly want to crush the village’s popular struggle against the occupation.

The Village of Burin, situated in between two of the most violent and fundamentalist settlements in the occupied West Bank, Yizhar and Bracha, has been facing constant harassment, intimidation and violence by both the settlers and the Israeli army for years.

UPDATE – VIDEO – Army arrest two children, one adult during Hebron clashes

15th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

by Team Khalil

Clashes in Hebron continued on Friday 15th March, following the death of 25 year old Mahmoud Adel Tete in the nearby Al Fawar refugee camp three days previously. At around 3pm, one adult male and two boys were detained by soldiers in the Palestinian controlled H1 area, and were forced into the small terminal comprising Checkpoint 56.

The boys are aged around 9 and 11. They were held inside the sealed cabin with several soldiers for half an hour, with observers being denied access, despite repeated attempts made to ensure that the detainees were not being mistreated. All three had their hands zip-tied and the adult was blindfolded.

One of the detained children being taken to the army jeep.

The detainees were eventually removed from the checkpoint into a waiting army jeep. Soldiers stated that they would be taken to the police station. This brings the total number of Hebron citizens arrested in the last three days to eleven, none of whom have yet been released.

During the demonstration today, Israeli forces shot large amounts of teargas and rubber bullets at crowds of Palestinians protesting at the killing of Mahmoud Adel Tete, making repeated invasions into Palestinian controlled H1 area – which under the Oslo accords the Israeli army are not permitted to enter. They also invaded homes to use for further attacks on the resisting Palestinians. Several were wounded, including an international activist shot with a plastic coated steel bullet.

International activist faces deportation after Kufr Qaddoum demonstration

One international activist and two Palestinians were arrested at this Friday´s demonstration in Kufr Qaddoum.

kufrqaddum1mar11 — Although being restrained by armed police, a rock is used to finish the job (source: Wafa/ICAI)

Around 150 Palestinians, together with Israeli and international activists, participated in Kufr Qaddoum’s weekly demonstration against the closure of the road leading to Nablus.
After midday prayers, protesters marched from the center of the village up the main road, but they were soon blocked by Israeli border police who threw stun grenades at the crowd. Clashes ensued for half an hour, after which Israeli forces retreated. Soon after, border police agents suddenly reappeared at the scene and, whilst throwing stun grenades, arrested two Palestinians – Belal Fathi Jomaa (22, now in Huwara military base) and Nayif Khalel Jomaa (17, currently in Megiddo prison, where Arafat Jaradat was recently murdered) – and one ISM volunteer. The Palestinians were beaten up, one with a rock against his head and the other was caused a nose bleed; whilst the international activist was, once captive, blindfolded, punched in the head twice and had rifles cocked next to him in order to intimidate him.

Israeli authorities are falsely charging the three protesters with throwing stones, a common ruse. The international activist is facing deportation within the next few days. Recently, two other international activists were deported after taking part in Canaan protest camp in the South Hebron Hills. Israeli authorities regularly falsely accuse international human rights activists in order to deport them. This can be seen by the fact that no evidence of crime was presented during the ISMer´s court hearing on Sunday.

1.3. — Palestinian getting arrested by Israeli border police during Kufr Qaddoum weekly protest, 1st March 2013.

Another international activist who was present at the scene stated: “We will never be deterred by these arrests and deportations. We are not doing anything illegal, but supporting the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle against an illegal military occupation. We will continue coming to Palestine, in hundreds and thousands. Israel will never stop the movement of international solidarity.”