Tag: Burin - Page 13 - International Solidarity Movement

Settlers attack Nablus-area village of Burin

13 September 2009

On the evening of Sunday 13 September at approximately 21:00 masked settlers from the illegal settlement of Bracha, armed with guns, set alight tyres and sprayed gasoline on the roof of a house under construction in the village of Burin just south of Nablus. Palestinians in neighbouring homes saw the blaze and retreating settlers and called the local fire brigade who came to extinguish the flames.

International activists then joined local Palestinians in a 24 hour vigil of the house which has come under constant attack since the beginning of its construction a year go. At 2am in the morning international activists and Palestinians witnessed two settlers on the upper Burin road near to the home. The group managed to chase the settlers away before any damage was done. At 4.30am 2 settlers again approached the home and were seen throwing stones before being chased from the scene.

The Israeli District Coordinating Office and 4 jeeps attended the scene on each occasion and stated that they would be stationing a jeep near the illegal settlement to prevent further attacks. Despite the jeep being on the ridge just below the illegal outpost settlers continued to attack several times during the night.

In the early hours of Thursday 10 September the home of local Burin resident, Bruce Lee, suffered the first arson attack by masked settlers and just one year previously settlers had attacked the newly built foundations of the home.

On Monday 14 September international activists were joined by members from the International Women’s Peace Service and a constant watch has been maintained by locals and internationals until the concrete roof and supporting wooden beams is set and therefore less vulnerable to attack.

The village of Burin and its surrounding neighbours have been subject to numerous violent attacks from the two illegal settlements of Bracha and Yitzhar that sandwich the local Palestinian villages. Only on Wednesday 9 September, the neighbouring villages of Asira al Qibliya and Urif were attacked by armed, masked settler youth. On Tuesday 15 September armed settlers shot and brutally attacked local shepherds from the village of Einabus just below the illegal settlement of Yitzhar.

Burin village has also lost thousands of dunams of land planted with olive trees due to settlers burning the land and in 2006 settlers from the illegal settlement of Bracha fired homemade rockets on the village burning a house down.

Settlements are illegal under international law and both settlements have numerous outposts that continue to annex further Palestinian land in violation of both Israeli and international law.

Settlers attack Palestinian home in Burin

10 September 2009

In the early hours of Thursday 10 September at approximately 3am, 20 masked settlers came down from the illegal settlement of Bracha near Nablus to a home under construction in the Palestinian village of Burin. The home which is currently under construction had just been furnished with a wooden roof ready for concrete to be poured.

Two local Palestinian boys had been sleeping at the home as it is close to the illegal settlement of Bracha and has been subject to attacks in the past. The boys were awoken by 20 masked settler youths who threw stones at them and threatened them. The Palestinian boys retreated to telephone the owner of the home and alert local international groups.

Upon arriving at the scene the home owner, Bruce Lee, discovered the settlers had sprayed the wooden roof planks with gasoline and ignited it. The Palestinians called the local Burin fire brigade who came and extinguished the fire. The settlers had also smashed the overhead lights around the home.

The local villagers and international activists are now keeping a 24 hour presence at the home until the roof is poured with concrete and therefore less libel for settler damage. One year ago construction on the house had to stop due to constant settler attacks which resulted in some of the foundation beams being damaged and in need of replacement.

The village of Burin and its surrounding neighbours have been subject to numerous violent attacks from the two illegal settlements of Bracha and Yitzhar that sandwich the local Palestinian villages. Only on Wednesday 9 September, the neighbouring villages of Asira al Qibliya and Urif were attacked by armed, masked settler youth. Burin village has also lost thousands of dunams of land planted with olive trees due to settlers burning the land and in 2006 settlers from the illegal settlement of Bracha fired homemade rockets on the village burning a house down.

Settlements are illegal under international law and both settlements have numerous outposts that continue to annex further Palestinian land in violation of both Israeli and international law.

Iraq Burin demonstrates against settlements

7 August 2009

Today the first demonstration took place in Iraq Burin village. Since there exists an illegal settlement close to the village 100 dunum of land (100,000 square meters) have been confiscated, therefore farmers and shepherds are prohibited to enter their fields and areas close to the settlement, but nowadays already the closest field directly next to the village is forbidden to use after 100 meters. The farmers are faced with the illegitimate Israeli law, which expropriates Palestinian if they have not been to their land for 3 years. Obviously this is a cynical law because the army doesn’t allow farmers to access their land. On the other hand constant attacks from settlers and soldiers happen there. Five years ago settlers shot a man in his leg while he was walking on a hill far away from the settlement. In the nights settlers came to make graffiti like « The People of Israel are alive ». Since three years one shop and three houses have recieved demolishing orders.

On the 7th of August, around 150 inhabitants and a score of international activists started a demonstration in the center of the village with a festive climate. They chanted slogans against the Occupation and for their legitimate right to access of their land. The demonstration marched towards the land where settler presence has stopped the residents’ ability to access their land. went up a hill directly next to the village in the direction of the land which settlers have stolen and therefore farmers aren’t able to use their land anymore. The aim of the demonstration was to arrange a public prayer on exactly those fields.

When the march came near the settlers’ outpost there was only one soldier who immediately started shooting into the air when he saw the demonstrators. Then several armed settlers and few soldiers started to threaten the demonstrators pointing at them with their weapons. The demonstrators by means of a megaphone remained to the settlers and soldiers that this was a non violent demonstration. Even though, settlers became more and more aggressive and kept on pointing at demonstrators. More soldiers arrived to the scenery and ordered the demonstrators to leave offering violence.

The Palestinians insisted on their right to be at this place but realizing the degree of violence from the settlers they decided at least to celebrate their prayer as scheduled. When they started Settlers started to shoot life ammunition in the air and soldiers tried to disperse the demonstration with tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets. The demonstrators shortly scattered but gathered again. Now settlers and soldiers became more violent. Settlers ran down the hill towards the demonstrators screaming, unloading their guns and aiming at the people in a range of only some centimeters. The soldiers were not really able or willing to stop them. In contrast they went on throwing teargas and sound grenades. Some shabaab (young teenagers) responded in throwing stones. In the following there where some probabilities but luckily nobody was arrested or badly injured. After Israeli Border police and police arrived the leaders of the demonstration started some negotiation with them which again and again was interrupted by the violent attacks of the Settlers or sound bombs and tear gas from the soldiers . In total more than 30 members of Israeli armed forces were in the place. Finally the Palestinian leaders achieved the celebration of the prayer some meters further direction village.

Despite the difficulties of the demonstration because of the disproportional means used by the army and the risk caused by the violence of the settlers, the inhabitants left the place in a mood of hope and strength with the intention to keep on demonstrating in that area.

During the demonstration two people were injured. One of them, a journalist from Al Jazeera, was beaten by a settler with his weapon. The other injured person was a Palestinian who was hit by a tear gas canister in his stomach. He needed medical assistance and a bandage.

Settlers set Palestinian land ablaze and attack villagers in the West Bank

1 June 2009

Settlers rampage on Palestinian land in Faratta village

Early in the morning of the 1st of June, settlers started to burn farm land of the village of Burin. Continuing throughout the day, settlers also set fire to the crops and olive trees of Tell, Jit, Immatin, and Far’ata villages in the Nablus region of the West Bank. Six Palestinians were also attacked violently by settlers while they were on their way to work near the villages.

At 4 o’clock in the morning, the first group of settlers started to come towards a house on the outskirts of Burin. The family had to close all the shutters and doors to stop the settlers from entering the house.

One woman of the house said “We’re very afraid. This is not the first time the settlers have come. They harass us, cut the electricity wires to the house, and throw burning things on our roof.”

The settlers seemed to move away from the village, however, at 6 o’clock the first fires were seen by villagers of Burin only a short distance from the village. The fires burned throughout the day. The presence of settlers, soldiers, and road blocks prevented people and the fire brigade from extinguishing the fires.

Simultaneously, settlers made arson attacks on large areas of land belonging to the villages of Tell, Jit, Immatin, and Far’ata. Some of the settlers were masked and brandishing bats. The Israeli Army restrained the most aggressive settlers and forced the Palestinian farmers, who tried to access their land protesting against the destruction of their crops and olive trees, to leave. The Army threw a sound grenade to disperse the crowd forcing it back to the village.

In addition, six Palestinians were attacked by settlers on their way to work. According to Maan News, one of them, 44-year-old Ali As-Sadda from the village of Jit, was seriously injured and transferred to Al-Arabi Hospital in Nablus with a head injury.

Israeli army attack non-violent demonstration and steal cameras in Burin, Nablus region

On the 13th of March 2009, in Burin village (Nablus district), the Israeli army repressed a peaceful and non violent demonstration by shooting live ammunition and teargas canister aimed directly at protesters.

The protesters decided to hold ground, before a group of twenty Israeli soldiers started to chase the demonstrators down to the village, beating up the Palestinians demonstrators, including a journalist, and international activists. They also set about illegally confiscating all the cameras and a a video recorder that previously where being used to document the soldiers’ actions.

Between seventy and a hundred people took part in the demonstration against the expansion of the illegal settlement in the village, who will result in the confiscation of much of the village’s lands.

This is again a blatant example that Israel still refuse any kind of freedom of expression to the Palestinian people and try to prevent journalists or internationals to report and document about the illegal Israeli occupation.