Tag: Demonstration - Page 9 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli occupation forces attack peaceful sit-in demonstration in Khursa near Dura village [VIDEO]

4th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On Friday 4th of August in the village of Khursa in occupied Al-Khalil (Hebron), the residents gathered for a peaceful sit-in demonstration and Friday prayer against the new Israeli military watchtower. After the prayer, tensions were high and Israeli forces started firing stun grenades, tear gas, skunk water as well as rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators.

Residents of Khursa arrive to pray in front of the closed military zone and the new watch tower.

Around 1 pm in the afternoon, the villagers of Khursa gathered to pray and demonstrate peacefully against the new Israeli watchtower installed earlier this week. Meanwhile, the soldiers gathered around the demonstrators and on the border of the recently declared closed military zone. After the prayer, the Israeli forces tried to push back the peaceful demonstrators using stun grenades and tear gas. Soon after, they brought in more soldiers in jeeps and a skunk truck.

Boy holding a flag while demonstrators prepare to pray (notice Israeli soldiers on the roof in the background)

The demonstrators were forced to flee and the press was denied access to film near the area. Furthermore, the Israeli occupation forces barricaded the roads trapping Palestinians inside the area and refused to allow an ambulance to arrive at the scene. The Israeli aggression went on until 6 pm, during which the Israeli forces repeatedly attacked with tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and putrid-smelling skunk water. The Israeli forces deliberately and repeatedly aimed the chemically treated skunk water at private property as well as at international observers. The soldiers were seen laughing afterwards.

Israeli army jeeps blocking the road, aiming their weapons at and taking photographs of demonstrators.

Israeli forces spray “skunk” water at private property, at demonstrators and international observers.

The local residents and other Palestinians arrived in Khursa to protest the construction of a new Israeli army watchtower near Dura village, which according to them, is for the protection of the illegal Israeli settlers living nearby. Last week, the Israeli occupation forces had declared the area a closed military zone and forbid Palestinians to enter. Soon after, the Israeli bulldozers came in to level the ground, and during the week leading up to friday’s protest a construction team came in and put up the military watch tower. In doing this, Israel severely impedes the free movement of Palestinians. Those who dare to remind Israel of their wrongdoings, as today in Khursa demonstration, Israeli occupation forces quickly suppress with violence.

Israeli occupation forces shoot tear gas at demonstrators.

Israeli forces violently repress Al-Aqsa solidarity demonstration in al-Khalil (Hebron) [VIDEO]

30th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

An Al-Aqsa solidarity march organized this Friday in occupied Hebron was heavily repressed by Israeli Forces. Soldiers and border police fired stun grenades, teargas, putrid-smelling “skunk” water, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition at demonstrators, injuring many. Several young protesters were also beaten and detained.

Palestinians demonstrate in Bab al-Zawiya, central al-Khalil (Hebron)

The Al-Aqsa solidarity march started from the Al-Hussein Mosque and continued on Ain Sarah street towards Bab Al-Zawiya towards Israeli controlled H2. Even before the march reached Bab Al-Zawiya, an Israeli video drone was seen flying above the scene and soldiers were getting ready on the other side of Shuhada checkpoint to face the demonstrators. The march reached Bab Al-Zawiya around 1:30 pm, at which point the Israeli forces came out through Shuhada checkpoint, which separates Palestinians from Shuhada street, and forcing some of the demonstrators ran to Wad al-Tofah Street, while others withdrew to the adjacent Ain Sarah street.

Border police reach stalemate with demonstrators on Wad al-Tofah street

Israeli forces followed the demonstrators down Wad al-Tofah street, firing rubber coated steel bullets indiscriminately at young boys and men. A skunk truck also drove down Ain Sarah and sprayed chemically treated skunk water on houses of uninvolved Palestinian civilians. A standoff ensued in which demonstrators lit tires on fire and a young boy was shot in the leg with live ammunition, before being quickly taken to hospital. Israeli forces eventually withdrew from the scene. These areas are located in the H1 area, supposedly under full Palestinian control.

Palestinian rushed to hospital after being shot by Israeli forces

The demonstrators moved up Ain Sarah, and once the protest seem to calm down the Israeli forces started shooting at demonstrators. At this point two more Palestinians were shot and injured. Israeli police and soldiers drove further along Ain Sarah, got out and started chasing the demonstrators. At 14:46 they detained a minor who, after being pulled down, was beaten down on his head and kicked on his back. Protesters withdrew down Ain Sarah, pursued by police and soldiers firing rubber-coated steel bullets and showers of teargas.

Teenager arrested after having been beaten by Israeli forces

As the soldiers seemed to withdraw towards the Bab al-Zawiya area again, the demonstrators followed them and some started to throw stones and light up tires. The Israeli forces promptly responded with stun grenades, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. The Israeli soldiers also broke into a shop in Bab Al-Zawiya, leaving an explicit note. After violently detaining a 15-year-old boy, they took him into the building, blindfolded him and then transferred him through Shuhada checkpoint. After this, the army returned again to attack the demonstrators.

Note left by Israeli soldiers in a shop that they had broken into in Bab al-Zawiya. The Hebrew states ‘Israel lives’.

One of the following attacks forced the group of young men and teenagers up the hill north of the entrance of the vegetable market. Soldiers positioned on the roof of the nearby building threw teargas and stun grenades towards the demonstrators. With around 50 border policemen in the back and support from a sniper lying at the entrance of the street, a troop of 12 soldiers went up the hill, trying unsuccessfully to break into a building. They proceeded to throw teargas and stun grenades at a group of four activists who were taking photos nearby. At the intersection at the end of the road protestors were showered in teargas and the crowd dispersed. Amidst the teagas fog a teenager, thought to be around 14 to 16 years old was shot, presumably by the sniper down the road, and was evacuated in the car of a passerby. After this incident the soldiers went back down and disappeared from Bab Al-Zawiya.

Israeli sniper takes aim at young demonstrators

The clashes lasted altogether around four and a half hours during which the Israeli forces displayed unnecessary and excessive violence not only towards demonstrators, but also towards the media. The army seemed out of control, breaking into Palestinian offices in Bab Al-Zawiya, demonstrating violence and intimidating journalists, targeting children and beating up demonstrators who were already detained, and not resisting arrest.

Soldier attempts to arrest Palestinian child after having violently assaulted him

The demonstration was in solidarity with the demonstrations in Jerusalem against the new access restrictions introduced by Israel at the Al-Aqsa compound. The Palestinian community had earlier called for a ‘day of rage’ in response to the restrictions, which Israel described as ‘security measures’.

Palestinian boy holds flag amidst the chaos on Ain Sarah street, al-Khalil

Major clashes in Hebron as thousands take to the streets [VIDEO]

24th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-bOe3fXx1o

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of al-Khalil this Friday to protest Israel’s tightening of access restrictions to Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque. The protest was suppressed violently by scores of Israeli soldiers and police, who fired live ammunition indiscriminately into crowds of young men and boys.

Thousands march in Hebron against access restrictions at al-Aqsa mosque

At least 10 Palestinians were wounded with live ammunition, including one young man shot in the stomach, and another near the heart. Many more were wounded by rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas, with hospitals and ambulances struggling to hope. The situation was made worse by Israeli forces storming the nearby hospital once, and twice occupying its entrances.

Hussein Ben Ali stadium, capacity 30,000, overflows with worshippers

The demonstration followed the closure of Hebron’s mosques in solidarity with those unable to worship at al-Aqsa. Instead, worshippers prayed at Hussein Bin Ali stadium before marching down Ain Sarah street towards Bab al-Zawiye.

Demonstrators assemble in Bab al-Zawiya, before being dispersed by tear gas and sound grenades

Once the march reached the market, some children began throwing stones and fireworks at the gate of Checkpoint 56, which separates Palestinians from Shuhada street.

Soldiers responded by storming out of the checkpoint, firing tear gas and throwing sound grenades. Hundreds of demonstrators retreated back up Ain Sarah street as soldiers regrouped in the square with various armoured vehicles. The soldiers then pushed up towards al-Manarah roundabout, meeting a crowd of young men and boys. Soldiers responded to stones with live ammunition, immediately hitting a 20-year old man in the leg.

Palestinians flee live ammunition fired by Israeli forces

Meanwhile, a similar confrontation was occurring on the neighbouring Ain Sarah street, with snipers shooting a 20-year old man in the foot and a 17-year old boy in the leg.

20-year old shot in foot by sniper on Ain Sarah street

Soldiers and police continued to fire tear gas and .22 calibre ammunition at the crowd, until a volley of stones forced them to retreat towards Bab al-Zawiye.

A man is bundled into an ambulance under live fire from Israeli forces

A second offensive, however, saw Israeli forces push back towards Alia mosque. Palestinian youths continued to throw stones at the heavily-armed soldiers and police, who then sent out a water cannon to spray the boys with chemically-treated, foul-smelling ‘skunk’ water.

Israeli forces shoot foul-smelling skunk water onto Palestinian teenagers

Soldiers pursued the water cannon, and chased protesters into Queen Alia hospital, surrounding it for more than half an hour.

In the mean time, around 60 soldiers and border police pushed forward and assembled with several vehicles at the intersection, while roughly 20 more occupied the roofs of nearby residential buildings.

Smoke billows above Ain Sarah street from a tyre-fire below

Three teenage boys who had been watching the protest from their roof were blindfolded, handcuffed and detained by soldiers that stormed their building.

Three boys are blindfolded, handcuffed and arrested

A group of young Palestinians continued throwing stones at the Israeli forces, as well as rolling flaming tyres down the hill towards them. As soldiers began to push up the hill, Palestinians watching from the hospital parking lot barricaded themselves in, but without success. Doctors asked the soldiers, who were now occupying hospital grounds for a third time in one afternoon, to leave.

Israeli forces assemble at the bottom of a hill

Eventually the soldiers retreated back down the hill, regrouping with the border police and other soldiers. Despite Palestinian teenagers continuing to throw stones and tyres down the hill, Israeli forces began to head back to their bases. Local youths followed them as they made their way back to Bab al-Zawiye and Checkpoint 56.

Army Jeep leaves Ain Sarah street following the clash

Israeli forces attack peaceful demonstration in Bethlehem [VIDEO]

23rd July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Bethlehem, occupied Palestine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vztesR-sh08

Israeli forces attacked a peaceful demonstration in Bethlehem this Wednesday, using tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets on the crowd of around 200 Palestinians. The demonstrators were protesting the new access restrictions introduced by Israel at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque. Palestinian leaders had called for a ‘day of rage’ in response to the changes.

Demonstrators marched down Hebron Road towards Rachel’s Tomb, chanting and holding signs. When the group reached the checkpoint gates, they were immediately attacked with tear gas and sound bombs. While most demonstrators subsequently fell back, Palestinian youths responded by throwing stones at the Israeli soldiers and police, who in turn responded with rubber-coated steel bullets and more tear gas.

There were several arrests as Israeli forces harassed Palestinian activists and journalists near the checkpoint. A busload of tourists arrived at a nearby hotel during the clash, and were hit by a volley of tear gas. Israeli forces twice used a Venom launcher attached to the top of an armoured vehicle to fire tear gas into the crowd.

A group of demonstrators held two prayers in the middle of the road, close to the checkpoint, despite Israeli police firing tear gas at other protesters. These prayers were performed as an act of solidarity with worshippers in Jerusalem, who cannot pray at Al-Aqsa mosque due to the new restrictions introduced by Israel this week.

As well as harassing journalists and activists, Israeli occupation forces checked the IDs of random demonstrators and illegally demanded to photograph journalists’ passports.

Israeli forces shoot teargas and rubber coated steel bullets at the 6th anniversary demonstration of Kafr Qaddum

9th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On Friday 7^th of July the residents of Kafr Qaddum gathered for their weekly demonstration marking its 6^th anniversary, which was repressed by the Israeli forces shooting teargas, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators. Israeli forces approached the demonstrators in a jeep and were seen on a hill next to the road connecting Kafr Qaddum and the Israeli settlement. Towards the end of the demonstration Israeli forces also forced their way into a Palestinian house to use it as a vantage point to aim at the demonstrators.

After the afternoon prayers at 1 pm, the people of Kafr Qaddum started their non-violent demonstration marching towards the illegal Israeli settlement of Kedumim. Soon after, the Israeli forces welcomed the demonstrators by shooting rubber-coated steel bullets and teargas. Halfway through the demonstration, an elderly Palestinian man was shot in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet while taking cover from the shooting. Towards the end of the demonstration, an additional five Palestinians and a Korean activist were injured by the Israeli forces. Those who were injured were taken to receive treatment.

One of the Palestinians injured by Israeli forces gun-shots is brought to receive treatment

According to information provided by the Israeli military spokesperson to Ma’an news, no Israeli army forces were present at the demonstration, but instead it was the Israeli police that repressed the non-violent demonstration. This however is not true, as later during the demonstration Israeli army soldiers were seen at a nearby hill, and soon replaced the police on the road with more jeeps and an armored personnel carrier. The soldiers then proceeded to fire rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters and activists, and threw several stun grenades in an attempt to disperse the demonstration. Israeli soldiers also forced their way into a house and took up positions on the balcony overlooking the road.