Tag: Demonstration

Israeli military shot 20-year old in the chest with rubber coated steel bullet

8th September 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara-team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

During the demonstration in Kfar Qaddum today, Friday the 8th of September, a 20-year old Palestinian protester was shot with a rubber coated steel bullet in his chest, and treated at the scene, while camera drones were buzzing above the heads of the participants. The ISM-ers present also noticed how the Israeli military forces were photographing and filming the protesters. This material is usually used in order to arrest participants, often underage and denied access to lawyers.

Israeli military forces taking photos and filming the protesters.

The Israeli army is blocking the road leading from the village of Kfar Qaddum to the city of Nablus since 2003. The closure of the road has doubled the commute to Nablus for the villagers, increasing both travel time and cost. Since 2011 the villagers have protested weekly against this road closure.

The settlement of Quedummim, bulit in 1975, has expanded over the last years, and during just the past weeks new illegal mobile homes have been placed in the outskirts of the settlement annexing more Palestinian land. The caravans are placed strategically in order to connect the two parts of Quedummim, which would cause the Kfar Qaddum villagers losing several dunams (hectar) of land nourishing hundreds of olive trees.

The illegal caravans placed strategically between the illegal Israeli settlement of Quedummim and the land with olive trees belonging to the village of Kfar Qaddum.

The expansion of settlements, blocking of roads and land thefts are witnessed daily in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories.

Friday protest in occupied Hebron

20th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Last Friday, 18th of August, during a protest in front of checkpoint 56 in Hebron, a group of young Palestinians were demonstrating against the illegal occupation of Palestine.

Israeli soldiers illegally patrolling the H1 area

The Israeli forces violently dispersed the crowd, by illegally entering the H1 area in Hebron (al-Khalil). At least 30 soldiers went out of the checkpoint into the H1 area. The division of Hebron was established in the Hebron Agreement, and divided Hebron into two areas; H1, supposedly under full control of the Palestinian authority, and H2, under Israeli authority.

Around 3 PM the Israeli soldiers exited the checkpoint and entered H1, where they suppressed the protesters by throwing stun grenades and illegally started patrolling the H1 area while using private Palestinian properties for surveillance. During this time, the checkpoint was closed off, which severely affected the mobility of the Palestinians in the area.

The checkpoint 56 is a hotspot for frequent demonstrations, where the Israeli forces uses stun grenades, teargas, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition against the protesters.

Israeli occupation forces suppress peaceful protest with rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition

20th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara-team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

Israeli occupation forces suppressed another non-violent demonstration on Friday the 18th of August, in the village Kafr Qaddum, in the occupied West Bank. The weekly demonstrations protest the closure of the main road connecting the village with Nablus, which is the main city in the area.

The blocking of the road was enforced, to “secure” the nearby illegal settlement Kedumim, thus prohibiting Palestinians from using the main road to Nablus. Kedumim illegal settlement is currently being expanded further.

Smoke from burning tires rising at the demonstration

Within the first 30 minutes of the demonstration the Israeli forces were firing both live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets at protestors. This went on for two and a half hours, before the army retreated and the participators of the march went home. Throughout the demonstration the Israeli forces circulated the area with a drone, filming the participants of the protest. Additionally, the soldiers were carrying cameras on their bodies.

Palestinians demonstrating the illegal land theft

Apart from keeping files on individuals supporting the popular resistance, such pictures can serve as ‘evidence’ against Palestinians for the participation in ‘illegal’ demonstration.

While it was not the case this particular Friday, the occupying army has been raiding houses regularly in the early hours on days of demonstrations, taking pictures of all young men in the given homes.

Israeli forces in Palestinian civilians homes

During this Friday’s demonstration however, various homes were raided, as Israeli soldiers made their way unto balconies and rooftops of strategically located houses, to control the protest. This is a common protocol for the Israeli army, and an intrusion the local residents can do nothing about.

Protest against house demolition in al-Walaje

19th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement | Al-Khalil team, Occupied Hebron

Friday 18th of August, the villagers from al-Walaje, a village near Bethlehem, were peacefully protesting the demolition orders of 22 houses in their village. The residents received the demolition order last month.

Friday protest in al-Walaje against house demolition

The Israeli forces want to demolish the houses in order to expand the construction of the apartheid wall, and build new settlements on the villagers’ land. Farmers from the villages have lost access to their olive fields due to the apartheid wall, and they are forced to apply for permission to access their own land for the olive harvest. In this case they are granted permission for only a few days to harvest their fields.

One of the houses with a demolition order

The residents of al-Walaje have been facing repeated harassment and house demolitions in the previous years. Just last May, two jeeps and 16 soldiers from the Israeli military went into the village at 3 AM, and demolished four houses. The military closed off the entrances to the village, preventing people from entering or leaving. The residents were not given any previous warning, and people were not able to defend themselves or pack their belongings. Residents tried to protect their houses, but faced violence from the soldiers, and several Palestinian men were arrested. The 11th of August, the Israeli military raided the village at night, photographing and video-recording residents, claiming that they were searching for a wanted individual.

Young woman protesting against the demolition orders and the Israeli occupation

Earlier the same week, residents in al-Walaje resisted a house demolition, by peacefully standing in front of the house and refusing to move. The Israeli forces decided to call off the house demolition until further notice. The villagers protest regularly against the Israeli occupation and land grabbing. Usually the peaceful protests are violently dispersed by the Israeli occupation forces.    

 

Children from al-Walaje participating in the Friday protest

 

Israeli forces repress Friday demonstration in Kafr Qaddum

6th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

On Friday 4th of August residents of Kafr Quaddum held their weekly demonstration against the closure of a road, once the main transport route from the community to Nablus. The weekly Friday demonstrations began on 1st July 2011.

Palestinians march in Kafr Qaddum during last Friday’s protest

The closing of the road was justified as a security measure for the nearby illegal settlement of Kedumim, and has led to residents of Kafr Quaddum having to use a significantly longer route to Nablus, and the surrounding area.

 Last friday’s demonstration started around 1 PM, with local residents, joined by Israeli and International activists, marching through the village.They were met by Israeli soldiers who used tear gas, sound bombs and rubber-coated steel bullets to suppress the crowd. The demonstration was pushed back from several directions, with Israeli forces raiding the house of local resident Jamal Jumaa, and using it as a strategic point from which to disperse the protesters.

Kafr Qaddum residents have been protesting the closure of a main road since 2011

Despite the use of excessive violence by Israeli forces, no one was injured during the three hour demonstration.

Drones were also deployed in order to surveil residents participating in the protest, so as to identify targets for arrest.

Israeli forces repressed the demonstration and raided the house of Jamal Jumaa, a local resident

In the six years since the weekly demonstrations began, locals report that 85 Palestinians have been shot with live ammunition, with a further 170 people arrested.