Tag: Demonstration - Page 47 - International Solidarity Movement

Two Palestinians arrested during weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum

12th April 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday, Friday the 11^th of April, during the weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, the Israeli army arrested two Palestinian youths.

As with every Friday, the demonstration [which has taken place since 2011] began after morning prayers with the people of Kafr Qaddum marching through the village to protest against the illegal settlement of Qedumim. Located on the hills South East of Kafr Qaddum, the presence of this illegal settlement has meant the frequent closure of a road that Palestinians use to travel to the city of Nablus, as well as the illegal seizure of village land.

Yesterday the march stopped at a place on the road where Area B [Palestinian civil control and joint Palestinian and Israeli security control] and Area C (solely Israeli civil and security control) meet. The march was halted by an onslaught of tear gas canisters by the Israeli forces, while Palestinian youths threw stones towards the soldiers.

The violence continued to escalate, as two Israeli military jeeps, a “skunk” truck [a large vehicle capable of firing chemicals at a high velocity that leaves a putrid smell for over a week and burns the skin], a military bulldozer, and around 12 Israeli soldiers arrived at the demonstration. Unusually a traditional wedding also joined yesterday’s protest march. The groom’s family and friends danced amongst the marchers giving the weekly protest an optimistic and happy feel, until the Israeli army attacked and arrests began to take place.

Two young Palestinians were captured during the demonstration. Raleb Halmi (21), a student at Birzet University and Ibrahim Adunan Iomma (21), a student at Al Quds Open University. They have both been taken to Huwwara’s army base with no information available on when they will be released or what they are charged with. The clashes continued until the afternoon, with Israeli soldiers using the bulldozer to clear large stones from the road in order to access the village. At around 4:30PM the army moved back to the settlement and fortunately, despite an abundant use of tear gas, the protest ended without any injuries.

Eight activists injured by live ammunition in prisoner release protest outside Ofer prison

4th April 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Ramallah, Occupied Palestine

This afternoon approximately 500 Palestinian, international and Israeli demonstrators gathered close to Ofer Prison in Ramallah to protest against the refusal of the Israeli state to release the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners. As part of the current round of talks between Fatah (the Palestinian government of the West Bank) and the Israeli government, a series of prisoner releases was promised by the state of Israel, and the fourth was due to be carried out by the end of March, the Israeli government has now refused to honor the final release.

The demonstration began at approximately 12pm, the protests’ aim was to march towards Ofer prison itself, but due to the large number of Israeli forces present, this was not possible. The demonstrators also twice attempted a prayer at the start of the protest, but were unable to due to the high level of aggression from Israeli forces.

As the demonstration was beginning a 53-year-old Palestinian was shot at several times through the window of his car as he was driving away from Israeli forces. One of these rubber-coated steel bullets struck him in the head. The rubber-coated steel bullet broke several bones around his eye, a piece of the bullet was unable to be immediately removed and so he required surgery.

The level of violence escalated from this point as Palestinian youth threw stones at the Israeli military, while they (the military) fired hundreds of tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition, injuring many demonstrators. At several points during the demonstration, Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters directly at protesters, both highly dangerous and in contravention to Israeli military procedure, which is shooting them up into an arch to lower the impacted velocity.

A full list of all those injured is currently not available, however at least 10 people were transferred by ambulance to a local hospital in Ramallah to seek medical treatment for their injuries and Red Crescent medics at the demonstration treated many others for varying wounds.

Below is a list of specific injuries that were confirmed both at the demonstration and from ISM activists at the local Ramallah hospital:

A 21-year-old Palestinian activist was injured after being shot from extremely close range with a sponge-tipped projectile in the back.
Two ISM activists were also both shot from extremely close range with sponge-tipped projectiles in their backs.
A 20-year-old Palestinian was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the head.
A 48-year-old Palestinian journalist was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the left shoulder.
A Palestinian activist was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the foot.
A 20-year-old Palestinian was shot with two .22 live ammunition bullets in his foot and in his knee.
A 30-year-old Palestinian was shot with .22 live ammunition in his right hand.
Another Palestinian was shot with .22 live ammunition in his left foot; the bullet was unable to be removed.
36-years-old Palestinian was shot with two .22 live ammunition bullets, both in his left foot.
A 31-year-old Palestinian was shot in the left leg with .22 live ammunition.
A 36-year-old Palestinian was shot with .22 live ammunition in the left foot.
Mohammed Yasin, a photojournalist from Bi’lin who was wearing a press vest, was shot in his face with a rubber-coated steel bullet and also shot in his stomach with a .22 live ammunition bullet. He remains in hospital in serious condition, as the bullet may have destroyed parts of his liver.

An ISMer who was present at Ofer had this to say: “The Israeli forces were really violent today. It was impossible to count the amount of tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition fired; it felt constant for several hours. It became clear many times during the protest that the soldiers were specifically aiming at people, they weren’t trying to ‘end’ the demo, they just wanted to injure as many people as possible. I just don’t understand how people can defend the Israeli state and its military when they use this much violence against unarmed protesters.”

Demonstration against settlement expansion in Hebron

30th March 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

At noon today approximately 50 protesters held a demonstration outside the Rajabi Building, Hebron, in protest of the recent court decision to let settlers take over the building. Settlers taking over the house would mean a huge expansion of the illegal settlement of Kyriat Aba. Heavily armed soldiers from the Israeli army monitored the non-violent demonstration.

A court decision earlier in March is forcing the owner of the building to sell it to settlers. If the Israeli ministry of defence will approve the settlers moving in, the new outpost will make it possible for the settlement of Kiryat Arba to expand dramatically. The demonstrators wanted to raise awareness of this issue.

An ISM member attending the demonstration describes it as peaceful: “The Israeli army was there, with an ambulance, jeeps and many fully loaded guns. The demonstrators were showing signs in Arabic and English, and chanting against the occupation and the expanding settlements. It was really bizarre being so surrounded by soldiers, just because some people wanted to express their opinion in a peaceful way”.

PHOTOS: Gaza calls for the rights of Palestinian prisoners and the freedom of Ahmad Sa’adat

27th March 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Rosa Schiano | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

On Monday, at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City, the weekly rally in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails saw the participation of many prisoners’ families, released prisoners, and international and Palestinian activists.

Each week, the rally focuses on certain topics, ranging from administrative detention to the health condition of sick prisoners, women prisoners and ill-treatment, to the prisoners on hunger strike.

Many women show photographs of their detained children, grandchildren, husbands or relatives.

On Monday, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine protested to demand the release of its general secretary, Ahmad Sa’adat, on the eight anniversary of his abduction by Israeli forces.

Eight years ago, on 14-15 March 2006, Israeli forces surrounded the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho, where Sa’adat was held with his comrades Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh, Majdi Rimawi, Basil al-Asmar and Hamdi Qur’an. The Israeli forces attacked and destroyed the prison, kidnapping the Palestinian prisoners held inside. United States and British guards, under whom Sa’adat and the other prisoners were held, left the prison in advance, knowing it would soon come under attack from the Israelis.

Eight years after his abduction, Sa’adat is considered a leader in and out the prison, and protests for his release, as well as broad international support, are the proof.

There are 5,200 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails.

Many of them suffer from diseases, included cancer. Due to medical negligence, their conditions worsen day by day.

Prisoners on hunger strike have also suffered punitive measures by the Israeli Prison Service in response to their strikes. These measures include solitary confinement in small and cold rooms with no blankets, denial of the right to take showers, denial of family visits, investigations and searches during the night.

Israel continues to arrest Palestinian children and apply administrative detention, arresting Palestinians without charge or trial. Yesterday an Israeli court has extended the detentions of Shireen, Medhat and Shadi Issawi, siblings of former Palestinian hunger striker Samer Issawi.

Kafr Qaddum’s protest honors Palestinian martyrs

14th March 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Today’s demonstration in Kafr Qaddum was held as a tribute to the seven martyrs who were killed by the Israeli army the past month in the West

Protesters surrounded by tear gas (Photo by ISM)

Bank. The participants carried posters of one of the martyrs, Moataz Washaha, who was assassinated by Israeli forces on February 27^th, in his family home in Bir Zeit.

Before the weekly demonstration started the army and border police were already stationed on the closed road going through the illegal settlement of Kedumim and on the hilltop overlooking Kafr Qaddum. When the demonstration was marching along the road, the army threw sound grenades and shot large amounts of teargas canisters at people. Several persons suffered from teargas inhalation and other four were hit by teargas canisters fired directly at them. During the protest, Israeli soldiers tried to get to the demonstrators by hiding between the houses, but were successfully pushed back by the villagers.

Since July 2011, the village of Kafr Qaddom holds weekly demonstrations against the occupation of Palestine and the closure of the road connecting Kafr Qaddum to Nablus. The road was closed in 2003 as a result of the construction of the illegal settlement of Kedumim. Now, residents of Kafr Qaddum have to make a 15 minutes detour to get to Nablus. The settlement of Kedumim together with four other surrounding settlements, have taken 4000 dunums of the village’s land. Farmers seeking to reach their lands face threats, attacks and arrests from settlers and the army.