Tag: Deir Jarir

Live ammunition fired at Deir Jarir demonstration against land grab and settler violence

17th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Team Nablus | Deir Jarir, Occupied Palestine

Bulldozer working Palestinian land accompanied by peaceful protesters. Illegal settlement outpost visible on hill
Bulldozer working Palestinian land accompanied by peaceful protesters. Illegal settlement outpost visible on hill
The village of Deir Jarir today, 17th May, held its fourth consecutive weekly demonstration to protest Israeli land grab and settler violence against its villagers. The rally was violently suppressed by Israeli forces, who shot large amounts of tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at demonstrators. Live ammunition was also fired.

At 12am, around two hundred people gathered on a hilltop near the village where they held a long and emotive speech, followed by midday prayers. Soon after that, participants started to march, accompanied by a bulldozer, which was being used to work the land, along the road constructed the week before. Israeli forces located on the opposite hilltop, begun shooting tear gas at protesters, starting multiple fires in the valley.

Palestinian youth then confronted Israeli soldiers and border police officers as they continued shooting tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at them. Over the course of the demonstration, the fire spread through the whole valley, damaging crops and olive trees on the land. A Palestinian fire brigade truck arrived at the scene, but was prevented by the Israeli forces to put out fires on the Palestinian land.

Israeli forces, who were spread across the hill in groups of five or six, continued to shoot tear gas canisters, rubber coated steel bullets – occasionally live ammunition shots were also heard by Palestinian and international activists. Despite the extreme levels of violence, no one was injured.

The protest finished at around 3.30pm when Israeli forces were driven from the scene by Palestinian protesters. Unarmed protesters from Deir Jarir began to hold weekly demonstrations a month ago, as violence and land grabs by settlers of the nearby Israeli settlement and outpost. Several weeks ago, settlers established a new outpost on a hilltop situated on Deir Jarir and Silwad’s land but Palestinians dismantled it after a Silwad villager was severely attacked by settlers. The village of Deir Jarir was also raided by settlers who set fire to ten of the resident’s cars. Previous demonstrations where villagers have tried to work their land have also been violently suppressed.

Tear gas being fired at demonstrators setting fires in the valley
Tear gas being fired at demonstrators setting fires in the valley

Settlers and Israeli forces suppress second joint Friday protest in Silwad and Deir Jarir villages

3th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

Teargas being shot at demonstrators in Deir Jarir
Teargas being shot at demonstrators in Deir Jarir

Around four hundred Palestinians, joined by a handful of international activists, participated in today’s weekly demonstration organised by Silwad and Deir Jarir villages on their lands, upon which settlers from Ofra set up an illegal outpost more than four weeks ago.

Today, at around 12pm, several hundred people from Silwad and Deir Jarir villages gathered on a hilltop facing the new outpost to hold their second weekly protest. As they were waiting for more people to join them, around ten settlers invaded the nearby Palestinian valley and clashes ensued. Israeli forces, already present at the scene, began shooting tear gas canisters at Palestinians.

After the midday prayers were performed on the hilltop those who were gathered started marching towards the new outpost. Israeli soldiers assembled in a line facing the protesters immediately started shooting extensive amounts of tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at the people.

The march was then dispersed, with several people suffering from tear gas suffocation and requiring assistance from Palestinian Red Crescent personnel. One international activist was also shot with a plastic coated steel bullet. As clashes continued to erupt between Israeli forces and protesters, settlers appeared again at the scene. Palestinian protesters went forward to push the settlers back from their land and were soon met with more tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets fired by Israeli forces.

Confrontations between Palestinians lasted for another hour until the settlers retreated from the scene. The extensive use of tear gas throughout the afternoon led to a number of fires being sparked on the agricultural land that continued burning throughout the clashes.

Yesterday, a jeep driven by settlers drove on to the land broke down a gate and ran over top of 35 olive trees destroying them. Settler attacks often occur in these villages, settlers from nearby Ofra settlement recently raided the village of Deir Jarir, setting fire to ten of the resident’s cars. Earlier in April settlers severely attacked a Silwad villager who used to be a judge, beating him with an iron rod until he lost consciousness. Silwad has seen consistent clashes in recent weeks due to this violence and the establishment of the illegal Nezah Benjamin outpost twenty days ago.

Trees destroyed by settlers on 2nd May 2013
Trees destroyed by settlers on 2nd May 2013

This outpost consist of caravans and huts situated on Palestinian farm land that the residents of Silwad, Deir Jarir, Taybeh and Ein Yabrud have been denied access to for over a decade. A settlement outpost is the first move made by settlers when conducting a land-grab in the West Bank; establishing temporary buildings which are protected by the military and eventually made permanent, in order to establish ‘facts on the ground’ and steal Palestinian land.

This is the second weekly demonstration that the villages of Silwad and Deir Jarir have held together to protests the land theft and settler violence and more demonstrations are expected to be organised in the following weeks.