29th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestin
Today in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces ruthlessly attacked a peaceful demonstration.
The demonstration was organised against the Israeli forces deadly shooting of 18 year old martyr Hadeel Hashlamoun at a Tel Rumeida checkpoint yawning into segregated Shuhada Street.
Israeli forces started shooting endless rounds of stun-grenades at the protestors. An ISMer present there explains: “The sound of stun grenades kept echoing throughout most of the day.” Many of the stun grenades were also directly targeted at Palesinian family homes’ roofes as well as fruit stands in the neighbourhood around the checkpoint.
Israeli soldier shooting rubber-coated steel bullet from a Palesitnian house
In the evening, rubber coated steel bullets were shot by Israeli forces at the youth. At least two persons were injured, one in the arm, and another one in the leg.
Israeli forces targeting demonstrators with rubber-coated steel bullets
Unproportional use of force against Palestinian demonstrators is widespread throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Watch a video of Israeli forces shooting rubber-coated steel bullets at the demonstrators:
27th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Nabi Saleh, occupied Palestine
On the 28th of August, Mahmoud Tamimi was arrested in Nabi Saleh during the weekly non violent demonstration. Every Friday, just after the prayer, the residents demonstrate against the expansion of the illegal settlement of Halamish which has continuously confiscated Palestinian land as well as the only water source of the village: ‘Ain al-Qaws.
During the Friday march towards the expropriated lands the residents were stopped by Israeli forces using excessive brutality, shooting tear gas, rubber coated steel bullets, live ammunition and sound grenades against civilians. Additionally, demonstrators are often arrested and beaten up.
On the 28th of August, in the course of the demonstration I, as a foreigner, was arrested by Israeli forces together with the 19-year old Palestinian Mahmoud Tamimi.
Both of us have been brutally beaten by the soldiers with punches, kicks and the butts of their guns. Both of us were arrested and secluded for 6 hours, kept blindfolded and handcuffed in a small room in a military base.
Afterwards, we were taken to the police station based in the illegal settlement of Ben Yamin and, at that point, our paths were divided: he was brought to the military prison of Ofer and I was brought to “Ramle” near Tel Aviv.
Within a few days, my predicament was positively solved: I was acquitted from the charges of throwing stones and other objects, and returned to be a free citizen. Regarding Mahmoud, although the charges were exactly the same, because he’s Palestinian, the situation is completely different: in fact Mahmoud is still under arrest in Ofer military prison and is waiting to attend his first hearing, to be held on the 28th of October, that is 60 days after his arrest. In my case, the first hearing took place the day after my arrest.
Israeli soldier arresting Mahmoud
Mahmoud is now under threat of a penalty of a minimum of 7 months which, under the practice of military law and consequently administrative detention used on the Palestinians of the West Bank, this sentence can be arbitrarily renewed for additional 6 month periods of imprisonment.
The absolute asymmetry of treatment endured by me and Mahmoud is a blatant demonstration of the discriminatory laws applied by Israel for over 40 years towards the Palestinians. According to the International law, the application of military laws in occupied territories is completely illegitimate.
Israeli soldiers use brutal force on Mahmoud
Mahmoud will be accused by military personnel covering the role of persecutors and will be judged by some other military personnel covering also the role of judges. He doesn’t have the right to be tried in front of a civilian court, although Mahmoud is a civilian – and not a soldier. All of this because he’s a Palestinian.
Even if the evidence does not indicate his guilt,just the fact that he’s in a military court with both the prosecutor and the judge from the military, will most likely result in a guilty verdict. The procedures in military court are not about establishing the truth, the possibility of establishing a defense is extremely slim, justice simply isn’t done in a military court. It’s about punishment, punishment to weaken the Palestinian resistance to an illegal occupation, even if this resistance is non-violent.
Mahmoud in court
Within this system, it must be said, settlers from illegal settlements in the West Bank are judged in front of civilian courts, not military courts – just because they have a different status: they are not Palestinians.
In my case, hard evidence would be required to bring charges against me, for Mahmoud in contrast, as a Palestinian, no evidence is required at all. All the trial is only based on the statement of 18-year old soldiers.
Of course, when an international is unjustly beaten and arrested the media reacts with utter disapproval attracting the medias’ attention and causing the civil society’s indignation. When it’s a Palestinian receiving the exact same treatment, however, the reaction is quite different. Mahmoud‘s case seems to be totally forgotten. Currently he is still rotting in a prison cell in Ofer military prison, while being entirely ignored by the media and the international community.
Mahmoud Tamimi is only 19 years old, he has 2 brothers and a sister. His uncle is Rushdie Tamimi, one of Nabi Saleh’s martyrs killed by the Israeli forces 3 years ago on the 19th of November. He died following an intense shooting during which he was inured in the thigh and the stomach. Rushdie is already the second martyr in a village which counts only 500 inhabitants. Considering the dimension of the village, they are indeed suffering from significant losses. However, we must keep in mind that in the Occupied Palestinian Territories the violence and the killings are daily and are perceived by the so called civilized world as casualties of a 60 year old conflict.
Mahmoud at al-Aqsa mosque
Let’s take a stand and spread Mahmoud’s story, let’s not forget him. We should show the world that the treatment a Palestinian youth receives – and thus the live of a Palestinian – is not less worth reporting about in the media and has to receive as much attention and result in an outcry as that of an Italian citizen. Let this not be about the rare case of an international being maltreated by Israeli forces, but about the every-day harassment, violence, illegal detentions and arrests of Palestinians.
26th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Jordan Valley, occupied Palestine
Palestinian human rights activist and community supporter, Mahmoud Abujoad, has been detained by the Israeli authorities under false allegations. He and his family urgently need our support to help get him released at his court hearing this Tuesday, September 29th at the Ofer military prison.
Mahmoud Abujoad and his wife Sireen
Mahmoud, 29, and his wife Sireen were detained by Israeli border police while they were on their way to Jordan to visit family. They were both detained for eight hours at the border, while being blindfolded, handcuffed, and denied water, food, and access to toilet facilities. Sireen was released, but Mahmoud was kept and later charged with throwing stones at a demonstration during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza a year ago, which he did not attend. His family has to pay a bail of 8000 NIS (£1300) in order to get his released.
Mahmoud is working with Jordan Valley Solidarity (JSV), a movement supporting the communities in the Jordan Valley, documenting human rights abuses, and rebuilding homes and water supplies demolished the Israeli army. Mahmoud was recently involved in a project fundraising for a school bus for children in isolated communities to access school.
As a Palestinian, Mahmoud has no right to see a lawyer, is given no presumption of innocence, and is not given a fair trial. The family has been told he can be released Sunday September 27th 2015, for 8000 NIS (£1300). Under Israeli law, the charge of throwing stones at a demonstration could sentence him to 20 years of prison.
Mahmoud, his family, and the communities he is working with need our help to secure his release.
To find out more about supporting Mahmoud and his family go here.
25th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine
Palestinians in the village Kafr Qaddum in the occupied West Bank endured an hours-long siege by Israeli forces earlier while demonstrating against occupation, ending in a 3 year old Palestinian girl and daughter of Nablus police chief, Colonel Abd al-Latif al-Qaddumi being shot in the face with a rubber coated steel bullet as she stood on the balcony of her family home.
3-year old girl shot with rubber-coated steel bullet by Israeli forces
Both the girl, Maram Abed al-Latif al-Qaddumi, and her father who was subsequently also shot in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet as he rushed to aid his heavily bleeding daughter, were treated at Rafidia Hospital and released.
For three hours, Israeli forces and Israeli border police had Palestinians, journalists and international human rights monitors trapped along a village road in several houses along with a local Mosque, as every time a Palestinian stepped into the road, rapid fire rubber coated steel bullets, foam bullet projectiles, live ammunition, sound bombs and teargas canisters fired from venom trucks were showered into the street.
Palestinians marching against occupation
Three times the Israeli military skunk truck entered the village road spraying organic waste water at homes where Palestinians were taking cover from the violent assault. For several hours after the dousing of the foul smelling composition in the village, Palestinian families were seen scrubbing the streets in front of their homes to remove the smell that lasts for up to ten days.
Instances of extreme violence against Palestinians have circulated throughout the West Bank this week after Israeli forces murdere 18 year old unarmed female Palestinian student, Hadeel al-Hashlamon, at an al-Khalil checkpoint near segregated Shuhada Street and Ahmad Izzat Khatatbeh, 26, died from his wounds after being shot three times in the shoulder, chest and abdomen at the Beit Furik checkpoint last Friday. These murders accompany a sharp rise in house raids, street harassment and settlers attacks including on a Palestinian shop in al-Khalil and settler machine gun fire on Palestinian homes in the Qeitun neighborhood.
23rd September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Today, 23rd September 2015, thousands of mourners gathered for the funeral of murdered teenager Hadil Salah Hashlamoun. The teenager was brutally gunned down in cold blood by an Israeli soldier at a military check point.
Mourners on their way to the cemetry
Tensions were high as Hadil’s body was taken from Al Hussein Mosque, through the streets of al-Khalil. Thousands paid their respects to the fallen martyr, and joined her final journey as she was taken to her final resting place.
The promising student who had been passing peacefully through a checkpoint early on Tuesday morning is believed to have been shot several times. Eye witnesses state that an Israeli soldier approached her and began shouting at her in Hebrew, which she was unable to understand, it is at this point that she was shot dead.
The teenagers funeral passed off peacefully, as per the wishes of her devastated family. After the funeral, a demonstration was organised later in the day at Bab iz-Zawwiya and attacked by occupying Israeli military firing hundreds of stun-grenades, tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets into the crowd. Several injuries were reported.
