Tag: Demonstration

Mohammed Khawaje, shot by Israeli forces in Ni’lin while demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza, has died

A Palestinian man, who was left brain-dead on the 28th December after being shot in the head with live ammunition by Israeli forces in the village of Ni’lin, died this evening.

Israeli forces shot 20 year old Mohammed Khawaje in the forehead with live ammunition as he was demonstrating in the village of Ni’lin against the Israeli massacres in Gaza. He was pronounced brain-dead on the evening of the 31st December.

Arafat Khawaje, 22, was shot in the back and killed by Israeli soldiers at the same demonstration on the 28th December.

17-year-old Muhammad Hamid was also killed on the 28th December as he protested close to an Israeli watchtower. He was transferred to Ramallah Hospital where medics announced he had sustained three gunshot wounds in his abdomen and chest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

ISM volunteers based in the village of Ni’lin witnessed the shootings by Israeli soldiers.

Sara Weinberg, a resident of Chicago, said, “The internationals that live in the village went out in solidarity with Ni’lin residents to demonstrate against the massacre on Gaza. I was standing about 15 meters from the boys, when we heard the sound of live ammunition. I heard screams and saw that 3 had been shot. One man was shot in the leg, another in the head right above the eyebrow and a third was shot in the back. Men carried all three, the one shot in the head was bleeding profusely. The one that was shot in the back was unconscious. We ran down to the street from the olive fields and the soldiers would not stop shooting tear gas at us. It took the soldiers at least 5 minutes to let the ambulance through the checkpoint at the entrance to the village.”

Ibrahim Amira, member of the Popular Committee in Ni’lin said;

“The Occupation is going to turn Ni’lin into a ghetto as it has turned Gaza into a ghetto. And the same way that a massacre is taking place in Gaza against those resisting the siege, a massacre is now taking place in Ni’lin against those resisting the Aparthied Wall”

Two other young men are currently in critical conditions after having been shot in the head by Israeli forces while demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza.

18 year old Hammam Al-Ashari, from Abu Dis, was shot three times in the head with rubber-coated steel bullets on the 29th December. He is now in critical condition in Muqassad Hospital, Jerusalem. Muhammad Jaber, 17 years old, was shot in the head near the Ibrahim Mosque on the 28th December, Hebron, with live ammunition. His condition is also classified as critical.

Ni’lin holds funeral for Arafat al Khawaja

29th December 2008 – Funeral for the 22 year old resident of Ni’lin village killed by Israeli army while protesting against Israeli massacres in Gaza.

After the Israeli attacks against Gaza strip, Ni’lin village has been continuously protesting in solidarity with the people in Gaza.


Photos courtesy of Activestills

During the demonstration on the 28th December, Israeli soldiers used live ammunition against the protesters, hitting three people from the village. 22 year old Arafat Khawaja, was killed after having been shot in the back. The two others were Mohammed Khawaja, 19, who was declared brain damaged yesterday afternoon after taking a bullet in the forehead and Mohamed Srour who was shot in the leg.

At around 10am a procession of vehicles followed the ambulance carrying the body of Arafat from Ramallah hospital. The procession arrived in Ni’lin at noon where there were around 40 soldiers waiting at the entrance.

Approximately 4,000 people walked through the town with the body, which was first brought to the house of his parents. After Arafat’s mother could see him for the last time, his body was carried to the mosque where prayers were held for him. Arafat was buried in a grave close to the medical clinic at around 2 pm.

Arafat Khawaja was from a family of six brothers and four sisters. He was in the third year of medicinal analytical science at the American University in Jenin. He was living there and just visited his family in Ni’lin during the holidays.

Many people from the surrounding villages and from Jenin came to attend the funeral which was followed by a demonstration in the main street of Ni’lin in front of the checkpoint at the entrance of the town.

Israeli soldiers started firing teargas at around 3pm and continued till 5pm. There were about 30 soldiers with two jeeps standing at the checkpoint, and 10 other soldiers were occupying the roof of one of the first houses of the village.

Ni’lin holds two demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza

Ni’lin 27th December 2008

In solidarity with the Gaza, over 350 residents of Ni’lin and 8 international solidarity activists marched towards the checkpoint at the entrance of the village at 6:15pm. After the prayer, hundreds gathered in the center of the village. They marched together to protest the brutal murder of over 210 Gazans and injury of over 340 as a result of Israeli Air Force raids earlier this morning. The group was dispersed when Israeli soldiers began to shoot tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets. Residents remained on the street until 8pm expressing their desire for an end to killings.

This demonstration is a continuation of an earlier one at the checkpoint. At around 1pm, about 40 residents along with 8 international solidarity activists protested the violent attacks on Gaza. The soldiers responded by shooting tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets directly towards demonstrators.

Two Palestinians were hit by tear gas canisters and three Palestinians were shot with rubber coated steel bullets, along with one Spanish solidarity activist. Most of the demonstrators suffered from the pepper laced tear gas. The first demonstration of the day ended at 5:30pm.

Ni’lin is severely affected by the Israeli Occupation. The construction of the Apartheid Wall will annex much of Ni’lin’s land. Their resistance is manifested through the many demonstrations against the wall and checkpoint that take place every week.

Israeli forces kill resident of Ni’lin and leave another in critical condition during demonstration of solidarity with Gaza

Israeli forces have killed one Palestinian man from Ni’lin, while another is in critical condition, as they opened fire on a demonstration against the Israeli massacre of the people of Gaza.

Arafat Rateb Khawaje, 22 years old, was shot in the back with live ammunition, he died at 2:45pm in Ramallah Hospital.

Mohammed Kasim Khawaje, 20 years old, was shot in the forehead with live ammunition from close range. He remains in critical condition in Ramallah hospital.

Mohammed Sror was shot in the leg with live ammunition, but his injuries are not critical.

Sara Weinberg, a resident of Chicago, said, “The internationals that live in the village went out in solidarity with Ni’lin residents to demonstrate against the massacre on Gaza. I was standing about 15 meters from the boys, when we heard the sound of live ammunition. I heard screams and saw that 3 had been shot. One man was shot in the leg, another in the head right above the eyebrow and a third was shot in the back. Men carried all three, the one shot in the head was bleeding profusely. The one that was shot in the back was unconscious. We ran down to the street from the olive fields and the soldiers would not stop shooting tear gas at us. It took the soldiers at least 5 minutes to let the ambulance through the checkpoint at the entrance to the village.”

Israeli activist Jonathan Polack said that;

“Fifteen Palestinian youths were protesting when five soldiers, who were 15 metres away opened fire with live ammunition straight at the group of protesters. They shot one protester in the back, one in the forehead and one in the leg”

Ibrahim Amira, member of the Popular Committee in Ni’lin said;

“The Occupation is going to turn Ni’lin into a ghetto as it has turned Gaza into a ghetto. And the same way that a massacre is taking place in Gaza against those resisting the siege, a massacre is now taking place in Ni’lin against those resisting the Aparthied Wall”

Arafat Khawaje is now the third resident of Ni’lin to be killed by Israeli soldiers during demonstrations against the construction of the Apartheid Wall on Nil’in’s land.

On the 29th July 2008, ten year old Ahmed Mousa was shot through the forehead with live ammunition, killing him instantly. The following day Yousef Amira was shot twice from close range with rubber-coated steel bullets leaving him brain-dead. He died a week later on 4th August 2008.

Lina Escobar, a Spanish citizen who witnessed the attack, stated;

“By agreeing to upgrade relations with Israel the European Union is rewarding Israel for it’s policies of mass murder in Lebanon and Palestine. It makes it complicit in the murder of the youth of Ni’lin for protesting their village being turned into a prison by the Apartheid Wall”

For more information and for photos of those killed and injured please contact:

Adam Taylor – ISM Media Office – +972 598 503948 or email palreports@gmail.com

Ni’lin holds two consecutive demonstrations against the Apartheid Wall

December 26, 2008

On Friday 26th December, around 250 protesters turned out for the Friday prayer demonstration against the Apartheid wall in Ni´lin. There was a large international and Israeli presence there in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The prayer started around noon followed by a march towards the construction site. The protesters were met by a barrage of tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets from the Israeli army who were waiting for the demonstration. The scattered the protesters who were split into two main groups, one who remained in the field and the other who moved to the checkpoint at the entrance of the town.

Many people suffered from tear gas inhalation with many also hit by rubber-coated steel bullets. There was a highly increased amount of teargas fired, most of which were aimed directly at the bodies of the protesters. Since mid-November the army also has been using an extension which can fire multiple round plastic covered steel bullets. Luckily no one was severely injured.

The demonstration continued until five o´clock.

The townspeople have been protesting on a regular basis since May 2008 against the construction of the Apartheid wall, which will annex another 40% of Ni’lin’s land accumulating a loss of around 85% of its land since 1948. Two children have been killed and hundreds of others have been injured by teargas, sound grenades and rubber coated steel bullets. 31 people are currently imprisoned, six of them are children, and many of them without legitimate charges.

Ni’lin – Thursday 25th of December

About 40 protesters vigilantly march down to the road to the construction site of the wall in monsoon like rain. After about 15 minutes soldiers arrived and started to shoot tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets. The army came close to the town and shot tear gas at the nearby houses.

The demonstration started around noon and ended at three o´clock. Two people were hit by rubber coated steel bullet, one of them in the head who required two stitches. Many others where asphyxiated by tear gas.