Tag: Christian Peacemaker Team

Israeli military confiscates electricity pylons; Palestinians prohibited from improving quality of life

Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove

25 November 2009

For immediate release

At-Tuwani, South Hebron hills – On Wednesday, 25 November, the Israeli military and police removed and confiscated two standing electricity pylons from the village of At-Tuwani. The electricity pylons had been installed by the villagers of At-Tuwani in an effort to connect to the electrical grid in Yatta, a Palestinian city to the north. The Israeli military declared the area around the pylons a closed military zone in an attempt to prevent Palestinians and international activists from obstructing or documenting the confiscation. Nonetheless, dozens of villagers came out in protest, and barricaded a police jeep from entering the village.

Despite a recent visit by Tony Blair, the Quartet’s special Middle East envoy, in which Blair assured villagers of At-Tuwani that the Israeli authorities gave oral permission to carry out the electrical construction work, the community has faced repeated interruptions as it struggles to bring electricity to the area. (see CPTnet release:“At-Tuwani hosts former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair to address Israeli occupation and violence in the southern West Bank”)

On Friday, 30 October, the Israeli military forcibly stopped the village’s electrical work. Officers from the Israeli District Coordinating Office (DCO), detained Mohammed Awayesa, a Palestinian worker from Ad-Dhahiriya and confiscated items including a truck, a mechanized lift and a large spool of electrical cable. No written orders were produced for the detention, confiscations or work stoppage. (see CPTnet release: Israeli military stops work to bring electricity to At-Tuwani; confiscates building materials)

On 28 July, 2009, the DCO issued a demolition order for six newly constructed electricity pylons in At-Tuwani.

On 25 May, 2009, the DCO entered the village and ordered residents to halt construction work on the electricity pylons. No written orders were delivered. (See URGENT ACTION: Demand that Israeli occupying forces allow At-Tuwani to bring electricity into their village).

See photos from 25 November 2009 at http://cpt.org/gallery/album299

Peace activists say beaten by settlers

Tal Rabinovsky | YNet News

18 November 2009

Two foreign peace activists say they were assaulted by settlers Tuesday in South Mount Hebron while accompanying a Palestinian family to the village of Tuba. One of the activists was reportedly kicked in the stomach and needed medical attention. The two women, who filed a complaint with the police, had their cameras stolen as well.

“My colleague and I were with a family that was on its way home when we were harassed and assaulted by settlers,” Sarah MacDonald, one of the activists, told Ynet.

MacDonald, who is hear as part of her activities with the Christian Peace Group,” advised the family to travel on a different route because, according to her, many settlers travel on that route.

“They chose to take the long way home, and we went with them. We crossed the hills south of Havat Maon when we saw four settlers on the ridge above us, about 50 meters (yards) away. They stood between the outpost and us. When we kept walking, they started to run after us.”

“The Palestinian man said to them, ‘We just want to go home.’ Then the settler pushed him, and the Palestinian boy started to cry. My friend, Laura Chigi, tried to separate the settler and the Palestinian, but the settler pushed her,” added MacDonald.

“They kicked Laura’s ribs after she had fallen to the ground, and they injured her. They also managed to steal our cameras that were in action throughout the entire incident. They moment they did this, they left in the direction of Havat Maon.”

Laura needed stitches and was evacuated to a Palestinian hospital for medical attention.

When the two activists arrived in Tuba, they called the Judea and Samaria Police. The police came to take their testimonies.

According to MacDonald, the incident only reinforced the reason she came to the territories in the first place. “We walk with Palestinian families, get involved in certain incidents, and try to prevent violence. In addition, we document the events. This is why we had cameras,” she explained.

MacDonald added that the residents of Maon and Havat Maon regularly exercise violence of this sort.

MacDonald and Chigi are slated to arrive at the police station Wednesday in order to identify pictures of the suspects. Judea and Samaria Police reported that testimonies were taken from the two peace activists and that they are conducting searches for the suspects.

Israeli settlers plow privately owned Palestinian fields, Israeli police fail to intervene

9 November 2009 | Christian Peacemaker Team

For immediate release:

At-Tuwani – On the morning of Sunday 8 November 2009 four Israeli settler youth from Ma’on settlement plowed privately-owned Palestinian fields in Umm Zeituna valley. The settlers arrived at approximately 8:50am and chased two Palestinian shepherds off the land throwing stones, before starting plowing. Local Palestinian shepherds and international peace activists from Operation Dove called the Israeli police, who failed to respond to the incident.

Settlers worked for several hours and plowed the whole valley which is situated on privately-owned Palestinian land and lies outside of Ma’on’s municipal boundaries.

Local shepherds also reported that on Friday 5 November settlers from Ma’on, with the accompaniment of Israeli soldiers, plowed a field near the Palestinian village of Maghayir al Abeed belonging to Hajj Hussein Daoud from the Palestinian city of Yatta. The owner has filed several complaints regarding settlers violating his property rights. In recent years the Palestinian land owner requested the presence of Israeli police and the Israeli army during plowing and harvesting due to Israeli settler attacks.

Additionally, in recent days three privately-owned Palestinian fields in Mashakha valley, adjacent to a recent expansion by the Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on, have also been plowed. Palestinian shepherds have told internationals from Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove that they suspect that settlers from Ma’on and Havat Ma’on plowed the land.

Background information

Due to settler violence and threats, Palestinians were forced to abandon their homes in Umm Zeituna in 1998. Settlers from Ma’on and Havat Ma’on continue to harass and attack Palestinians in the area of Umm Zeituna. Despite the ongoing threats the area is still used by local Palestinian community for farming activities, grazing their flocks, gathering herbs and wood, and as path for traveling to the nearby city of Yatta.

On Friday 10 April 2009 five masked Israeli settlers attacked three Palestinian women in Umm Zeituna, throwing rocks and beating one of the women. The injured woman needed to be hospitalized to receive treatment for her injuries. (see At-Tuwani release: http://cpt.org/cptnet/2009/04/11/tuwani-release-masked-settlers-attack-three-palestinian-women-south-hebron-hills)
(Also see a B’tselem interview: http://www.btselem.org/english/testimonies/20090410_settlers_assault_pregnang_woman_near_um_al_kheir_witness_al_hazalin.asp)

In recent months settlers from the Israeli settlement of Ma’on have further expanded the settlement by erecting six new mobile homes and executing preparatory building work on land beyond the existing boundary fence of Ma’on. In addition, the illegal outpost of Havat Ma’on also continues to expand.

Israeli military stops work to bring electricity to At-Tuwani; confiscates building materials

Christian Peacemaker Team

30 October 2009

At-Tuwani – On Friday 30 October, the Israeli army forcibly stopped the electrical work of the village of At-Tuwani, located in the South Hebron hills. Officers from the Israeli District Coordinating Office (DCO), the branch of the Israeli army responsible for the administration of Palestinian civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, detained Mohammed Awayesa, a Palestinian worker from Ad-Dhahiriya and confiscated materials and tools being used for the electrical work. The items confiscated included a truck, a mechanized lift, and a large spool of electrical wire. No written orders were produced for the detention, confiscations, or work stoppage.

Even though the army has given verbal permission to the community leaders to carry on the work, the DCO told the Palestinian workers and villagers that continued work on the electrical lines was illegal without a written permission from the DCO. The DCO took Awayesa and the materials to an Israeli DCO office near Al Fahs, south of Hebron. The DCO released the man but is still holding the confiscated material. .

Despite a recent visit by Tony Blair, special middle east envoy of the Quartet, where the former Prime Minister assured villagers from At-Tuwani that the DCO gave oral permission to carry out the electricity construction work , the community struggle to bring electricity to the area has been met with ongoing interruptions by the DCO. (see AT-TUWANI: At-Tuwani hosts former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair to address Israeli occupation and violence in the southern West Bank)

On 28 July 2009, members of the DCO issued a demolition order for six newly constructed electricity pylons in the village of At-Tuwani (see AT-TUWANI URGENT ACTION: Demand that Quartet pressure Israel to revoke demolition order for electricity pylons).

On 25 May 2009, the DCO entered the village of At-Tuwani and ordered villagers to halt construction work on new electricity pylons in the village. No written orders were delivered. (see AT-TUWANI URGENT ACTION: Demand that Israeli occupying forces allow At-Tuwani to bring electricity into their village).

Israeli military delivers demolition orders for six Palestinian houses in at-Tuwani

Christian Peacemaker Team

13 September 2009

At-Tuwani – In the afternoon of 13 September, members from the Israeli District Coordinating Office (DCO), accompanied by Israeli soldiers, delivered demolition orders for six Palestinian houses near the village of At-Tuwani.

The houses were recently built on privately-owned Palestinian land in Humra valley. On the night of 16 July, while some of the houses were still under construction, one building was destroyed and a nearby olive tree was damaged. The Palestinian family suspected the house had been destroyed by Israeli settlers from the nearby settlement Ma’on or the outpost Havat Ma’on. The family began rebuilding their house the next day.

On 20 July 2009 the Israeli military delivered stop work orders on the houses and two other structures, including a cistern. Now that demolition orders have been issued the families fear the Israeli military will soon destroy the houses.

The Israeli military severely restricts Palestinian building in the South Hebron Hills area, designated Area C under the Oslo Accords and under full Israeli control. However, the nearby Israeli settlements of Ma’on and Carmel and the outposts of Avigail and Havot Ma’on continue to expand. Members of Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove have documented continuous settlement expansion since 2004.

Photos from the day are available at: http://tinyurl.com/kkb4ez