18th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine
Today in Kafr Qaddum, a village close to Nablus, Israeli forces injured almost 100 people.
Israeli forces attacked the village at around 11 am and invaded a family home. Upon breaking into the house Israeli forces attacked the whole family with pepper-spray. The 2 year old Bisan, 6 year old Moemen, 8 year old Nour and a 55-year old woman were all pepper-sprayed. The Israeli Forces then prevented any medical aid from assisting the family after this aggression.
Three people were injured with live ammunition by Israeli forces, a 13-year old boy and a 46-year old man in the leg and another man was ambushed and shot with live ammunition by Israeli forces while he was in his brothers house. They are being treated in a hospital in Nablus. 75 people had to be treated for exhessive tear gas inhalation.
Israeli bulldozer at the demonstration
Tear gas covering the village
An 8-year old girl was shot in the head with a sponge bullet by Israeli forces, and a 55-year old man with a sponge bullet in the arm.
The Israeli army also sprayed family homes with foul-smelling skunk water, inflicting collective punishment on the whole village. Weekly Friday demonstrations in Kafr Qaddum protest against the closure of the main road leading to the city of Nablus because of the illegal settlement of Qedumim. This weeks demonstration was also in protest of Israeli aggressions against and inside al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Bilal Daoud Saifi, 26, is being denied medication for his chronic medical condition in retaliation for his participation in the hunger strike. He has been held in administrative detention since 28 February 2015 and his detention was renewed on 28 August 2015. He has been repeatedly arrested and detained for a total of five years. All of the strikers are being held in solitary confinement in prisons and not provided with hospital care despite the 5 original strikers now having been on hunger strike for 25 days.
Organizing and events in Palestine in solidarity with the strikers have escalated. In Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem, where four of the strikers – Palestinian refugees denied their right to return – are residents, a permanent solidarity tent has been set up at the entrance to the camp. Every day the tent is full of supporters, including youth performing street theatre and leading a night march through the camp.
In Nablus and Al-Khalil, large rallies were held in solidarity with the striking prisoners and rallies are planned in Tulkarem and Gaza City for Monday and Tuesday. The Progressive Student Action Front at Bethlehem University organized a vigil to support the prisoners’ strike, distributing salt and water to students to inform them about the strike and the situation of the prisoners. Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike consume only salt and water. The PSAF at An-Najah University in Nablus also held an event to support the prisoners, distributing water and salt to students and speaking about the prisoners and their struggle.
Event in solidarity with the hunger strikers and against political inprisonment. Phote credit: Sofyan Abu Ras
There are approximately 480 Palestinian prisoners currently held without trial under administrative detention, in which Israeli military court orders detention periods of one to six months on the basis of “secret files,” not accessible by detainees or their lawyers. These detention periods are indefinitely renewable. Administrative detention was initially introduced in Palestine by the British colonial mandate. Its use as a policy by the Israeli state contravenes the Geneva Conventions and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Palestinian prisoners like Khader Adnan and Mohammed Allan have gone on lengthy hunger strikes to win their release from administrative detention, and ending it is a long-time demand of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement.
Event in solidarity with the hunger strikers and against political inprisonment. Photo credit: http://samidoun.net/
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expresses its strongest solidarity with the striking prisoners, and calls for international actions, mobilizations and events to demand their freedom. Samidoun emphasizes that the Israeli occupation is fully responsible for the lives and health of the strikers. We cannot wait until these brave strugglers are facing death to act and demand not only their freedom as individuals, but the abolition of administrative detention – on the road to freeing every Palestinian prisoner held in Israeli occupation jails. It is not the case that Israeli military courts are any more legitimate, fair or acceptable than administrative detention – they are just as arbitrary, racist and illegitimate. But administrative detention is a weapon of mass terror used against the Palestinian people, and it is critical to bring this practice to an end. These Palestinian prisoners have put their bodies on the line in order to end administrative detention – and it is imperative that we act to support them. These prisoners’ struggle is not only about their individual freedom – it is part of their struggle for return and liberation for Palestine.
Event in solidarity with the hunger strikers and against political inprisonment. Phote credit: Sofyan Abu Ras
2. Send a solidarity statement. The support of people around the world helps to inform people about the struggle of Palestinian prisoners. It is a morale booster and helps to build political solidarity. Please send your solidarity statements to samidoun@samidoun.net. They will be published and sent directly to the prisoners.
3. Hold a solidarity one-day hunger strike in your area. Gather in a tent or central area, bring materials about Palestinian prisoners and hold a one-day solidarity strike to raise awareness and provide support for the struggle of the prisoners and the Palestinian cause. Please email us at samidoun@samidoun.net to inform us of your action – we will publicize and share news with the prisoners.
4. Protest at the Israeli consulate or embassy in your area. Bring posters and flyers about administrative detention and Palestinian hunger strikers and hold a protest, or join a protest with this important information. Hold a community event or discussion, or include this issue in your next event about Palestine and social justice. Please email us at samidoun@samidoun.net to inform us of your action – we will publicize and share news with the prisoners.
5. Contact political officials in your country – members of Parliament or Congress, or the Ministry/Department of Foreign Affairs or State – and demand that they cut aid and relations with Israel on the basis of its apartheid practices, its practice of colonialism, and its numerous violations of Palestinian rights including the systematic practice of administrative detention. Demand they pressure Israel to free the hunger strikers and end administrative detention.
11th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Vittorio Fera was arrested on 28th August 2015 at a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh in occupied Palestine. He was beaten up several times by Israeli soldiers during and after his arrest and they only handed him over to the Israeli police after repeated requests by his lawyer to do so.
Israeli soldiers accused him of attacking them and throwing stones – claims completely unfounded, as he was documenting the violent arrest of Mohammed Tamimi. The decision on the case was postponed till Monday the 31st of August, where the court released him on a 3.000 shekel bill after 3 days in prison, and the condition to have yet another court on Tuesday the 8th September. Finally, the court took the decision to cancel this court date and relinquish the case.
With no evidence ever submitted to prove any of the claims by Israeli soldiers on the reason of Vittorio’s arrest, this is just the final step in the farce of ‘justice’ provided by the Israeli system. With the final court hearing just dropped, Vittorio’s innocence in all charges can not be officially determined by the court. The soldiers responsible for his wrongful arrest and beating him will not face any consequences on their illegal and immoral behaviour and will be free to continue as if nothing ever happened.
Vittorio’s statement on his case and the media attention:
“When things like this happen to an international, the media immediately starts to spread the news as if it’s an extraordinary case. People need to open their blind eye because these kind of things happen on a daily basis in Palestinian’s everyday lives. We need the same attention and condemnation of these acts of violence, brutality and illegal activity by the Israeli government.
Whereas an international can be deported or declared not guilty and that’s just it, for Palestinians on the other hand, even without any evidence, they can be put in administrative detention and kept locked up in a prison for years without the right to a due process.”
Vittorio Fera is released on bail after an extremely violent and terrifying time in Israeli prisons. He is falsely accused of throwing stones and attacking Israeli soldiers. His case will be in court again Tuesday the 8th of September in Jerusalem.
Here is Fera’s own testimony on the arrest, imprisonment and the international media attention:
31st August | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Update 31-08-2015 20:00: Vittorio Feras court this morning again did not take any final decisions. It was ruled to release him on a 3000 shekel bill under the condition that he stay in Jerusalem and not leave the country until yet another court date on September 8. Even though the bail has already been paid at noon, Israeli forces kept delaying Vittorios release under different pretences. Only at 8 pm was he finally released from prison.
Italian activist Vittorio Fera was violently arrested and beaten by soldiers at weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh in occupied Palestine. The Italian activist, 31-year old Vittorio Fera, is falsely accused of throwing stones and attacking soldiers. His case will be taken to court the second time Monday 31st August between 9 and 11 am.
During a weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh Israeli soldiers randomly arrested two protesters: one 18-year old Palestinian youth and the Italian activist Vittorio Fera. Fera went to the protest to document human rights violations by the Israeli army against Palestinians and became a victim of military violence himself.
While documenting an Israeli soldier strangling a 12-year old boy, Vittorio and the other activists were ambushed by Israeli forces. Vittorio was separated from the group and violently shoved to the ground. “We were shocked to see the boy being choked by a soldier, when suddenly soldiers came running at us and attacked Vittorio”, Josephine from Denmark explains.
Vittorio Fera with clear marks of military assult.
Journalists witnessed soldiers kicking and beating him during the arrest, even though he did not resist or fight back. Vittorio, and the Palestinian youth, were forced into a military jeep where they were detained for almost nine hours by the Israeli army, before they were finally taken to a police station. Despite various demands of Feras lawyer to have him brought to a police station immediately, both him and the Palestinian were illegally kept in the military jeep until shortly before midnight.
Vittorio Fera with clear marks of military assult.
The military accuses Vittorio Fera of throwing stones and attacking the soldiers – an unfounded accusation. A first sentencing in court late Saturday night only resulted in the postponing of the sentencing until Monday morning. The hearing will take place in in Jerusalem Monday the 31st August 2015 between 9 and 11 am.
