Tag: Demonstration - Page 69 - International Solidarity Movement

Weekly demonstration in Kufr Qaddum violently suppressed by Israeli forces

5th of April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

After Friday prayers, the villagers of Kufr Qaddum and international activists attempted to access the main road in Kufr Qaddum, blocked by the Israeli Army for 13 years. They were met by armed Israeli soldiers and tear gas, with many suffering the effects of the gas.

Villagers marching along the road (Photo by AlMasira)

The village has been demonstrating against the closure for the last 2 years, which cuts the village off from a direct route to the local village of Jit and Nablus city. A route which once took 30 minutes, 11km, now takes villagers an hour and a half to complete and more than doubles the distance.

The village is right next to the illegal settlement of Qedumin and has already lost two-thirds of their land to the settlement. The Israeli Army closed the road under the pretext of security for the illegal settlement.

Since demonstration begun the village has suffered incursions from the Army, with around 150 men and boys arrested, some as young as 11 years old. To date there are still 40 people in Israeli prisons, with the longest held for 9 months.

The demonstration which was well attended by over 100 villagers sought to open the road, but also referenced the killing of the two boys from Anabta on Wednesday at the nearby Enav checkpoint by the Israeli Army.

Kufr Qaddum is one of the latest series of Palestinian villagers to resist the illegal and Apartheid policies imposed by the Israeli occupation. Villagers in Bilin and Jayous both successfully protested to have the route of the Apartheid Wall moved on their lands. And most recently the village of Sabastiya demonstrated against a sewage outlet from the illegal settlement of Shave Shomron which pumped out raw sewerage onto their lands. They found out on Tuesday 2 April that the outlet pipe had been closed.

Israeli border police officers and armored bulldozer invading the village (Photo by ISM)

Protesters building a tyre barricade (Photo by ISM)

Funeral procession for two young boys killed by the Israeli army in ‘Anabta

4th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, ‘Anabta, Occupied Palestine

by Team Nablus

On Thursday 4 April the village of ‘Anabta, near Tulkarem buried two of their young men. Amer Nassar, 17 and Naji al-Balbisi, 18 were shot dead by the Israeli Army at the Enav checkpoint late on Wednesday evening.

Amer Nassars body in the morgue. Photo by WAFA News

Despite reports last night that Naji had escaped the Army gunfire, he was found by the Red Crescent medics on Thursday morning after a phone call from the Israeli Army.

Last night Amer was shot in the chest and the Israeli Army prevented his fellow villagers attempts to reach him
resulting in Fadi Abu-A’sr being shot in the arm. Naji was shot in the back, indicating he was running away from the soldiers, which accords with reports taken from witnesses.

The funeral procession was joined by the entire village including Khader Adnan and fellow former hunger striking prisoners. To date there has been no information from the Israeli Army about the fate of Deiyaa’ Nassar, despite reports he was injured at the time of his arrest. His family have been unable to obtain any information from the Army on his condition or whereabouts.

The Army regularly arrest Palestinians, holding them for up to 8 days without access to a lawyer, adequate medical attention or contact with their families. This detention can continue indefinitely and has sparked the mass hunger strikes from prisoners such as Khader and the current hunger striker Samer Al-Issawi, who is in a critical condition after refusing food for over 250 days.

This escalation in violence is a familiar pattern for Palestinians. In recent months the Israeli security forces killed Arafat Jaradat as a result of interrogation tactics. The murder of Amer and Naji and arrest of Deiyaa’, also comes a day after the prisoner Maisara Abu Hamdiyeh died as a result of medical neglect.

Funeral procession today in 'Anabta - photo credit ISM — Funeral procession today in ‘Anabta – photo credit ISM

UPDATED: Two teenagers murdered at checkpoint

4th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, ‘Anabta, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

At 22:30 on 3 April Israeli soldiers opened fire with live ammunition and killed a 17 year-old boy, from the village of ‘Anabta near Enav checkpoint and east of Tulkarm. Amer Nassar was murdered with a bullet to his chest.

Fadi Abu-A'sr was shot in the lower arm. — Fadi Abu-A’sr was shot in the lower arm.

On hearing the shooting 3 boys from the village went to investigate and saw Amer lying on the floor with soldiers standing over him. The boys tried to reach Amer, but the soldiers would not let them approach and opened fire, injuring Fadi Abu-A’sr with a bullet to his lower arm.

The Army prevented ambulance crews access to Amer for 30 minutes, threatening to shoot anyone that attempted to help. Deiyaa’ Nasser, who attempted to get to Amer was arrested by the Israeli Army and taken to an unknown location.

The body of a Amer’s cousin, Naji Abdul-Karim Balbisi, 18, was found at first light Thursday morning near a house in the vicinity of the checkpoint. He had been hoped, last night, to be missing, still hiding in a factory. He was discovered, shot from behind in the torso, laying in a field.

The Israeli Army regularly open fire with live ammunition against unarmed protestors and the general population. Amer’s death is the latest in a string of recent murders committed by the Israeli Army, and came a day after the death of Maisara Abu Hamdiyeh as a result of neglect in Israeli prisons.

17 year old Amer Nasser was today killed by the Israeli army

Protests sparked after prisoner Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh dies in Israeli custody

3rd April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Occupied Palestine

Demonstrations have been held today in several cities across the West Bank to protest the death of prisoner Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh. A strike has also been held in Nablus, Hebron and East Jerusalem, amongst other cities.

In Nablus, over three hundred Palestinians, together with international activists, participated today in the demonstration to protest the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh. The demonstration was first held at Shuhada Square, where protesters were holding banners and chanting emotional songs in support of Palestinian prisoners. After an hour, the crowd marched towards Huwwara Checkpoint, passing through Balata refugee camp. As demonstrators arrived at the junction next to the checkpoint, they built several barricades along the road, where Israeli soldiers were already located.

Palestinian youths threw some stones at the jeeps and Israeli soldiers threw tear gas canisters at the crowd. Shortly after that, two jeeps drove by the road parallel to the main one where protesters were and started shooting more tear gas canisters. As demonstrators ran back to get closer to the jeeps clashes continued for several hours more.

In Hebron, clashes were particularly intense, with several demonstrators wounded as Palestinians persisted in their fight against Israeli guns with nothing but stones. The sound of tear gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets have become a prominent fixture of the last few days in central Hebron.

As the nation mourns, we can only hope that international action is taken to prevent the continuous maltreatment of Palestinians in Israeli cutody. The death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh has brought up many questions about the treatment of Palestinians in Israeli jails, with the PA minister for prisoners claiming Palestine must join the International Criminal Court to stop the disrespect of prisoners rights. Abu Hamdiyeh is the 207th Palestinian to die in Israeli custody.

Protesters running away from Israeli army jeeps near Huwwara checkpoint (Photo by ISM)

Demonstration in commemoration of Land Day

30th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Burin, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

On the 30th March 1976, Palestinian citizens of Israel instigated demonstrations in protest at Israeli government plans to confiscate large amounts of Palestinian land in the Galilee region for new Israeli settlements. The thousands of people who took part in non-violent general strikes, demonstrations and marches were violently attacked by the Israeli military, who injured many hundreds and killed six young Palestinian men.

Farmers watched by Israeli Occupation Forces

Thirty-seven years later, Israeli land-grabs continue and settlements continue to expand. But Palestinians in the West Bank, in Gaza, in Israel and in the diaspora unite in solidarity on Land Day each year, demonstrating to the Israeli authorities their continuing sense of a Palestinian community – a people who will continue to struggle against occupation and fight for self-determination.

Today in the village of Burin , a group of Palestinians and internationals planted olive trees in a field close by to Yitzar and Bratcha settlements. Pictures of Rachel Corrie, Vittorio Arrigoni and Tom Hundrnall were hung from the newly planted trees. Black balloons adorned with the Palestinian flag and Land Day posters were released into the air.

A young boy holds a Palestinian flag in front of Israeli soldiers

The activists were joined almost immediately by several Israeli military and police jeeps. A soldier announced that we were in a closed military zone and that we had 25 minutes to vacate the land. The village mayor wanted to avoid any problems so all of the activists then left the land.

The activists were then invited to a house next to the field for tea but the soldiers said that this also was a closed military zone and that we should leave immediately.

Olive trees are planted to commemorate Land Day

Poster of deceased ISM activist Tom Hurdnall is planted alongside an olive tree.