10th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine
By Team Khalil
On Friday afternoon near the illegal Beit Hagai settlement, a non violent demonstration over the closing of the vital road between Al Fawar Camp and Al Hareaq (South of Hebron) ended with military violence.
Soldiers fire tear gas at demonstrators
Within minutes of the demonstration beginning, the military responded by firing tear gas indiscriminately into the crowd. After retreating to a safer distance the crowd attempted to walk back to the road block, with one of the protesters calling out “We don’t want to fight, we come in peace,” which was ignored as the soldiers ushered in a skunk water truck, which showered the demonstrators and nearby Palestinian land.
Re-opening the road block has been a continuous struggle over the last 12 years (amongst the many struggles Palestinians are facing during the occupation), it serves as a symbol of the constant harassment and military control over how the Palestinian people move through their land.
Demonstrators attempt to shield themselves behind wooden board
9th March 2013| Popular Struggle Coordination Committee
On Friday, the village of Sebastiya held its first demonstration in order to protest the flooding of its land by the sewage coming from the nearby Jewish-only settlement of Save Shomron. Around 150 people from Sebastiya, together with Israeli and international activists, participated in the demonstration which was broken up quickly by tear gas canisters and stun grenades.A demonstrator at Sabastiya
A convoy of vehicles ran from the village to the land next to the settlement where the sewage water is being dumped. Palestinians held the Friday prayer on the fields and after that, demonstrators marched towards the settlement. Soon afterwards, Israeli forces started to shoot tear gas canisters and stun grenades at protesters. As people ran through the fields Israeli forces continued firing tear gas canisters and Palestinian youth threw some stones back. One person was taken away by ambulance as a result of overexposure to tear gas. The protest lasted for an hour.
Sabastiya is an ancient village located just 10 km north of Nablus. For over a decade, residents of the village have been suffering harassment from Israeli forces and settlers. In 2001 settlers uprooted and destroyed around 1000 olive trees, substantially damaging the land of several families. In 2006 the Israeli army put up a fence in an attempt to confiscate the land where the trees had originally been, but farmers from the village pulled it down.
Recently, the nearby settlement of Shave Shomron has been pumping their raw and untreated water sewage directly onto Palestinian fields, poisoning the apricot and olive trees. In addition to holding demonstrations, residents of Sabastiya are currently bringing legal action against Shave Shomron in order to stop the settlement from dumping its sewage on Palestinian lands.
Residents of Sabastiya pray before demonstratingA demonstrator is treated for tear gas inhalation
8th March 2013| Popular Struggle Coordination Committee
Muhammad Asfour, 23, was injured two weeks ago from rubber coated steel bullet in his head during a protest. His Funeral will take place after Friday noon prayer in Aboud. Since the beginning of 2013, six Palestinians were killed from soldiers’ shooting.
The medical staff of Echilov hospital declared today the death of Muhammad Asfour, 23, resident of the village of Aboud West of Ramallah, of injury sustained two weeks ago, after he was shot by Israeli soldiers during clashes that erupted during a protest at Aboud in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger striker.
Funeral of Muhammad Asfour March 8th 2013 (Photo by: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)
Asfour was shot on February 22nd, with a rubber coated steel bullet in the head which settled in the brain. He was evacuated to Salfit hospital and then to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. Few days later he was transferred to Echilov hospital in Tel Aviv in critical condition.
Asfour was 4th year Physical Education student at Alquds University in Abu Dis and played football in the village’s team. Born on 9.3.1990, Asfour dies two days before celebrating his 23rd birthday.
Asfour is the sixth Palestinian to die from Israeli soldiers shooting in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, (see B’Tselem report here), in addition to prisoner Arafat Jaradat who died two weeks ago in the Israeli prison “Megiddo”, six days after his arrest:
11 January 2013: Anwar al-Mamluk, 20, of a-Shuja’iyeh neighborhood, Gaza City, fatally shot by soldiers near the Gaza military perimeter fence
12 January 2013: ‘Udai Darwish, 21, of Dura, Hebron District, fatally shot by soldiers after crossing the Separation Barrier into Israel on his way to work
15 January 2013: Samir ‘Awad, 17, of the village of Budrus, Ramallah District, fatally shot by soldiers beside the Separation Barrier near Budrus
18 January 2013: Saleh al-‘Amarin, 15, of al-‘Aza Refugee Camp, Bethlehem District, fatally shot by soldiers in al-A’yda Refugee Camp
23 January 2013: Lubna al-Hanash, 21, of Bethlehem, fatally shot by soldiers near Route 60, by al-‘Arrub Refugee Camp
One international activist and two Palestinians were arrested at this Friday´s demonstration in Kufr Qaddoum.
Although being restrained by armed police, a rock is used to finish the job (source: Wafa/ICAI)
Around 150 Palestinians, together with Israeli and international activists, participated in Kufr Qaddoum’s weekly demonstration against the closure of the road leading to Nablus.
After midday prayers, protesters marched from the center of the village up the main road, but they were soon blocked by Israeli border police who threw stun grenades at the crowd. Clashes ensued for half an hour, after which Israeli forces retreated. Soon after, border police agents suddenly reappeared at the scene and, whilst throwing stun grenades, arrested two Palestinians – Belal Fathi Jomaa (22, now in Huwara military base) and Nayif Khalel Jomaa (17, currently in Megiddo prison, where Arafat Jaradat was recently murdered) – and one ISM volunteer. The Palestinians were beaten up, one with a rock against his head and the other was caused a nose bleed; whilst the international activist was, once captive, blindfolded, punched in the head twice and had rifles cocked next to him in order to intimidate him.
Israeli authorities are falsely charging the three protesters with throwing stones, a common ruse. The international activist is facing deportation within the next few days. Recently, two other international activists were deported after taking part in Canaan protest camp in the South Hebron Hills. Israeli authorities regularly falsely accuse international human rights activists in order to deport them. This can be seen by the fact that no evidence of crime was presented during the ISMer´s court hearing on Sunday.
Palestinian getting arrested by Israeli border police during Kufr Qaddoum weekly protest, 1st March 2013.
Another international activist who was present at the scene stated: “We will never be deterred by these arrests and deportations. We are not doing anything illegal, but supporting the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle against an illegal military occupation. We will continue coming to Palestine, in hundreds and thousands. Israel will never stop the movement of international solidarity.”
24 February 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine
Palestinians protesting last night’s death of Arafat Jaradat while in Israeli administrative detention clashed with Israeli Occupation Forces throughout today in Hebron. Israeli officials claim that Jaradat died in an interrogation centre of a heart attack despite having no health conditions prior to his detention. In a recent court appearance, Jaradat told his lawyer, that “he had serious pains in his back and other parts of his body because he was being beaten up and hanged for many long hours while he was being investigated”. Jaradat was father to a 4 year-old daughter and 2 year-old son and worked as a petrol station attendant; his widow, Dalal, is currently pregnant.
Teenager shot in the thigh with live ammunition and now in critical condition
Centered around the Bab al-Zawiyeh area of central Hebron, soldiers primarily fired rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades at around 1500 demonstrators. Skunk water and teargas was also used excessively at times. An alarm to disperse crowds was played at high volume followed by a warning from the ‘American Technology Corporation’. Dozens were injured (including journalists and one ISM volunteer) with ambulances driving back and forth amongst the crowds.
At least three were injured by live ammunition, including one teenager who was shot in the thigh with a live bullet, which were fired at demonstrators throughout the day. He was taken to Ramallah hospital, but was swiftly moved elsewhere as his condition became critical.
Around an hour ago the soldiers announced that they were about to fire live ammunition into the crowds.
The army was clearly expecting a backlash for the death of Jaradat, with soldiers stationed on the rooftops throughout the old city since the early hours of the morning. Less than 500 meters away on Shuhada Street, around two hundred settlers wore fancy dress, drank alcohol and danced on the street in celebration of the Jewish holiday Purim .
Soldiers fired teargas and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstratorsA journalist being treated for teargas inhalationSoldiers mixed their use of rubber-coated steel bullets, teargas and live roundsSkunk water was sprayed to disperse demonstrators
