Tag: Eviction - Page 6 - International Solidarity Movement

International human rights defenders arrested and evicted while “Hebron is becoming ghettoized”

4th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Two international human rights defenders were arrested in Hebron (al-Khalil) yesterday morning, November 3^rd, while six others were ordered to leave an apartment in the H2 neighbourhood of Tel Rumeida by threat of arrest.

The German and American nationals were arrested at 7.50am while monitoring checkpoint 56 at the entrance of Shuhada Street, after being seemingly arbitrarily denied access to checkpoint 55 further down the street. They were arrested while peacefully observing the checkpoint on allegations of ‘disturbing soldiers’ and being in a closed military zone after a soldier at the checkpoint made a complaint to officers in a passing police vehicle.

The internationals were denied their legal right to communicate with their embassies, and were only given water to drink at the police station after repeated requests. ‘We were scared about what was going to happen, but we were still so much better off than the Palestinian we heard being beaten by Israeli forces in the police station’ one of the women announced. They were released at 4.30pm, on agreeing to sign conditions barring them from Hebron for one week. Immediately before being released from the police station, the investigating officer actually admitted that there was ‘no evidence’ against them, but they were still being punished for the soldiers allegations.

Several hours later, other members of the team were prevented from passing through Checkpoint 56 which divides Tel Rumeida from the H1 area of Hebron, which is under full Palestinian authority. As of Saturday, 31^st of October, when Tel Rumeida was declared a ‘closed military zone’ for 24 hours, both internationals’ and Palestinian movement through the area has been severely restricted. Residents were ordered to register their ID’s or risk being prevented from passing the checkpoints which intersect the entire district.

While official documentation of the zoning of Tel Rumeida has been conspicuously inconsistent recently, the activists were shocked this afternoon when their passports were confiscated and they were confronted with an order to leave the closed military zone which encapsulates their apartment. Israeli forces demanded that they immediately sign an absent legal contract declaring their residency in the area, or they would be forcibly removed and deported.

Checkpoint 55 is frequented by students from several school groups, who pass it on route to and from schools which abut the Tel Rumeida illegal settlement. It was blocked for passage last Sunday in what soldiers described as “new measures against terrorism.” For years now international agencies have been monitoring the impact of the occupation on the schoolchildren of Hebron however this work has been severely restricted in recent weeks, amid mounting tensions in the district.

A volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, a school teacher from Australia known as Phoebe, stated: “Will they never be satisfied? In the past month, Israeli forces have blatantly disregarded international law. They have performed extrajudicial executions of Palestinians in front of eyewitnesses with complete impunity.” She added: “We have been physically attacked on a daily basis by settlers in front of soldiers and police and then been ordered to leave, by threat of arrest for provoking them by our presence. We have been intimidated, harassed, abused, detained, and now this: arrest for our monitoring of human rights abuses on children and eviction for our presence in a fraught neighbourhood. Our presence is lawful and we believe more essential than ever.”

However, the internationals have stated their greatest concerns remain for the Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida and the disturbing intensification of both settler violence and the physical manifestations of the occupation, including an expansion of infrastructure used to limit movement on the streets. Echoing concerns by local Palestinian residents, a Dutch volunteer stated that such measures have created an alarming sense that, “Hebron is being ghettoized.” He added, “if the international community does not react to this now then the illegal settlement will surely take over all of Tel Rumeida…This is what we are most afraid of.”

The internationals, from Holland, Italy, Britain, Germany, Unites States, Poland, France and Australia have vowed to return to their work of protective presence, monitoring and journalism in the district and consider this to be an appalling reflection on Israel’s supposedly democratic ideals.

3-11-15blur kicked-out-of-the-appartement — internationals being forced to leave their apartment

SONY DSC — Closed military order presented to the internationals when told to leave apartment

map of closed military zoning presented to internationals

Related reports:

Israeli forces redouble brutal efforts to curtail and isolate Palestinians’ daily lives – 1^st November
https://palsolidarity.org/2015/11/israeli-violence-against-school-children-and-international-observers/

Israeli forces increase harassment of Palestinian school-children in al-Khalil (Hebron) – 1^st November
https://palsolidarity.org/2015/11/israeli-forces-increase-harassment-of-palestinian-school-children-in-al-khalil-hebron/

Palestinian residents of Hebron required to register in preparation for severe new restrictions – 30^th October
https://palsolidarity.org/2015/10/palestinian-residents-of-hebron-required-to-register-in-preparation-for-severe-new-restrictions/

Constant settler harassment for Palestinians in Shuhada Street – 30 October
https://palsolidarity.org/2015/10/constant-settler-harassment-for-palestinians-in-shuhada-street/

Young unarmed man murdered in cold blood in Hebron – 28 October
https://palsolidarity.org/2015/10/young-unarmed-man-murdered-in-cold-blod-in-hebron/

Settlers call for attacks on International human rights defenders in al-Khalil (Hebron) – 21^st October
https://palsolidarity.org/2015/10/settlers-call-for-attacks-on-international-human-rights-defenders-in-al-khalil/

Action alert: Susiya village at high risk of demolition

11th May 2015 | Operation Dove | At Tuwani, South Hebron Hills, Occupied Palestine

POPULAR STRUGGLE COORDINATION COMMITTEE
AND
POPULAR STRUGGLE COMMITTEE OF SOUTH HEBRON HILLS
CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
IN SUSIYA VILLAGE

Where: Susiya Village, South Hebron Hills

When: From now, permanently

What: Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and Popular Struggle committee of South Hebron Hills has just opened the “Solidarity tent” and invites you all to bring your solidarity and your support in order to save Susiya village from the eviction plan. Internationals are also invited to document and to spread the information about the situation in Susiya.

Why: In 1986 the village of Susiya was declared archeological site, its land expropriated and inhabitants were evicted and forced to move in their nearby agricultural land where on 2012, Israel’s Civil Administration distributed demolition orders to over 50 temporary structures. In 2014 the residents of Susiya, represented by Rabbis for Human Rights, sued for a request to freeze the demolition order’s implementation. In 2015, on May 5, the Israeli High Court rejected that request, allowing the demolition of the village.

Now the threat to be evicted and deported again, becomes more imminent for the inhabitants of Susiya.
Please come to participate at the initiative.

Contact: 059 9330164, Hafez al-Hreini
Contact: 054 992 5773, Operation Dove

Read more about the background and the current situation in Susiya here.

Journal: House demolition in East Jerusalem

27th April 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Team Al Khalil | East Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine

The family and internationals sitting around a fire during the night

This has been hard to write down. The three of us put off again and again the thoughts and fears of that day, to remember them and to finally write them down. We have been avoiding it, because it is easier to simply try and forget. But then at the same time, for us it was just this one night, whereas for the families living in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi al-Joz this is everyday life.

An illegal demolition of the majority of the Amro-family home on the 31^stof March, 2015 left all the families in Wadi al-Joz scared for the future. If Israeli forces can just turn up one early morning and tear down half a family home without prior notice or any legal grounds, might this also happen to the other few families still living in this neighborhood?

On a Sunday night, the 18^th of April, 10 international activists and journalists as well as a few members of the Tutalji family sat outside the family’s home. It was a cold night but we had set up a fire to warm us up. The stars were shining and we were drinking tea and chatting. The children were asleep inside.

Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?

The truth is, the atmosphere was filled with fear and despair. Only a few days earlier, the Tutalji family had received a demolition order for their house, home to Aref Tutalji, his wife and adult daughter, as well as twelve children, aged between 4 and 18 years. They were told the Israeli army would come to demolish their home at four o’clock that night. At very short notice the family now stood to be homeless. After seeing what happened to their neighbours, the Amro-family, the Tutalji family tried to store their life, their most precious belongings, in cardboard-boxes to be kept outside the home.

The Amro family told us that they wanted to get rid of the rubble of their house, but felt it difficult to do so due to their connection to the house. They felt attached to the rubble. The house of your family is not just four walls and a roof- it is your history. You feel the memories in the walls, and you know every corner and every crack, even if you are blind – as is the case with Nureddin, the father of the Amro family.

It was a long night; sitting outside the house, listening to the family’s stories, their fears and desperation. What are they going to do if their house, the only home they’ve ever known, gets destroyed? What kind of future would that bring for their children? Were they going to be killed by the army, that told them that, when they come, they “see nothing in front of them”? As a precaution, the family-dogs were given away and animal shelters were moved to the outer limit of their land.

Most of the family was unable to sleep that night. They were too scared they would wake up to their house being demolished or not being able to get out of the house fast enough. Listening to the family talk about their fears, not only for this night, but also for the longer run, it was hard to hold back the tears.

Earlier that night, the three of us sat down for a pizza in the old town of East Jerusalem – self-care, we called it. We went through possible scenarios for the coming night, scared and unsure of what was about to happen. What would we do, if the army immediately starts demolishing the house? Were people going to get hurt – were the children going to be beaten by the army, as happened during the demolition of the Amro-family’s home? It was good to talk about all the possibilities, but also hard to admit how scared we were of what might happen during this night.

We felt the frustration of the father who kept asking why this was happening to his family. Why did their house pose a threat to the Israeli state? Where were they going to sleep? What about the kids? He pleaded that he doesn’t hold grudges against Judaism, Christianity or any other religion, and told us that he wanted nothing more than to live in peace, side by side with his neighbours. But how can he live in peace when they come and ruin his home? These house demolitions are strange. After having lived for several generations on their land, these people are pushed out of their homes in order for Jews from Brooklyn to come and replace them. You have to wonder why.

In the early evening, we tried to get some sleep, but every time we heard the sound of a car driving past the house, we would sit up, turn our heads and look at each other, sure that now, they were coming to tear down the house. It would take some time listening to what was going on to realise that again, this was just a car driving past – until we heard yet another car. Next morning the Amro-family told us that having internationals stay with them meant they were able to sleep through the whole night for the first time for three weeks. Having stayed only one night, not being able to fall asleep dreading what might happen, we were able to understand that easily.

For us it was only one night. For the families living in this neighborhood, this is everyday life. Every night, the families wonder what to do, how to continue their life, if all their belongings are destroyed with their house. Every night, going to bed they are worried they might not have a house the next morning. Every night, they have to worry about getting beaten, to have their home – and their future – destroyed.

Maja, Siggy and Jenny.

Protest against forced eviction pushes Israeli forces from the area

22nd September 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Ezaryah, Occupied Palestine

Today at 10:00, approximately 40 Palestinians and internationals marched together on a demonstration in the Ezaryah area east of Jerusalem. The demonstration was called to protest the forceful eviction of Palestinian Bedouin families in the Ras al-Baba area, close to Jerusalem.

The civil administration is planning to build a village for the Bedouin community on top of a rubbish site, this plan includes completely clearing the outskirts of Jerusalem, which would mean forcibly removing around 12,500 Bedouins from many areas for illegal settlement expansion.

Israeli border police were pushing the demonstrators and at one point nearly arrested a Palestinian man holding a sign as he attempted to place the Palestinian flag on an Israeli military jeep.

The Palestinian activists vowed to return to the area for more non-violent resistance over the coming days. The demonstration lasted around one hour; the civil administration, contractors and Israeli border police were left with no choice but to leave the area whilst demonstrators cheered.

Summary of nine days of demolitions and displacement in Al Maleh, Jordan Valley

29 January 2013 | OCHA Displacement Working Group, edited by International Solidarity Movement, Al Maleh, Occupied Palestine

On 17 January, Israeli occupation forces demolished 47 (sic) residential and other structures in Hamamat Al Maleh area, displacing 60 people, more than half of them children. On 19 January, Israeli occupation forces confiscated basic emergency tents that had been provided to the families in the aftermath of the demolitions. On 21 January evening, while villagers tried rebuilding their homes, army returned and forced them to stop. A few days later, on 24 January, another 4 structures belonging to one of the displaced families were destroyed. Israeli occupation forces entered Al Maleh again on 25 January to photograph remaining structures. At the same time, a large group of illegal Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, toured the area. The families have been informed by the army that if they erect further shelters or try to rebuild their homes, they will be subject to arrest and their livestock confiscated. As a result, the families have been forced to temporarily relocate to another area to receive basic humanitarian assistance, including emergency tents, after having spent several nights without shelter.

Hamamat al Maleh area is home to around 260 people residing in three clusters of communities: 1) Hamamat Al Maleh, 2) Hamamat Al Maleh – Al Meita and 3) Hamamat Al Maleh – Al Burj, which have existed in the Jordan Valley since the 1970s. The communities have suffered demolitions in the past, including in 2011 and 2012, and have also suffered repeated temporary displacement due to military training exercises carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the area. Prior to this year’s demolitions, the affected families had received a combination of stop-work orders (30 July 2012), demolition orders (August/September 2012) and eviction orders from a closed military area (6 November and again on 31 December 2012). The lawyer of the families had tried to challenge these orders on numerous occasions, submitting the last request for postponement on 20 December 2012.

According to initial information the communities are located on a land owned by the Latin Patriarchate, with reportedly owns around 7,000 dunums of land in the area. Some of the land, including the land where Hamamat al Maleh-al Meita stands, has been designated by the Israeli military as a closed military zone for training purposes. However, the other two communities seem to be located outside the current boundaries of that area.

Here is a brief history of the nine days in Al Maleh:

Pre-2013: Since 2009, four demolitions took place in the Al Maleh area, all in Hamamat Al Maleh – Al Meita, on the grounds that the structures were located in a Firing Zone. During these demolitions – three in 2011 and one in 2012 – seven residential structures, 10 animal structures, and one beehive were demolished, resulting in the displacement of 36 people and affecting 35 others.

17 January 2013: Israeli occupation forces demolished 47 (sic) residential and animal structures: 20 residential tents (18 inhabited/2 uninhabited), 20 animal structures, five kitchens and one toilet in Hamamat Al Maleh – Al Meita and Hamamat Al Maleh. Two water tanks and a solar panel were also damaged. As a result, 10 families comprising 60 people, including 36 children, were displaced and two additional households including three children were affected.

19 January 2013: Between 6.30 am and 8 am, Israeli army confiscated 37 emergency tents (including 14 new tents given by Red Cross) provided as humanitarian assistance in response to the demolitions on 17 January, leaving the families without any shelter for themselves or their animals. The area was subsequently declared a closed military area and access to the area was restricted through existing checkpoints as well as several flying checkpoints. International observers and journalists were denied access.

21 January 2013: The Palestinian DCL (District Civil Liason), the Israeli DCL and the Tubas Governor carried out a joint visit to Al Maleh. Israeli army indicated during the visit that they would try to find an acceptable solution, but no further information has been received in that regard. In the evening the people of Al Maleh tried to rebuild their homes and tents. However, within one hour the army returned to demand that they stop rebuilding. Army’s message is clear: “If you are going to put up any tents, structures, build anything, we are going to demolish it and punish you by confiscating your animals.” People slept in fields, fearing further army retaliations.

24 January 2013: At 8 am in the morning Israeli occupational forces once again demolished homes in Al Maleh: a residential tent, a tent used for storage, a kitchen and a livelihood structure (for bees). A family of nine people including six children, was displaced as a result. Army bulldozers swifted off to Jiftlik to carry out another destructive piece of work.

25 January 2013: Israeli forces took photographs of all remaining structures in Hamamat Al Maleh as well as in Al Farisiya. A group of Israeli settlers, including women and children, visited the area on the same day, accompanied by Israeli soldiers.

The communities in Hamamat al Maleh are some of the most vulnerable in the West Bank. The restrictions imposed on their lives and livelihoods, including their repeated evacuation to make way for military training exercises, has increased their levels of poverty and their dependence on aid. These recent developments have had a devastating impact on the families, leaving them without adequate shelter, disrupting their livelihoods and access to basic services, and has resulted in trauma, particularly amongst the children.

Repeated displacement of civilians, combined with the destruction or confiscation of their property and the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian assistance, raises serious concerns under international law. Israel, as an occupying power, has an obligation to protect civilians at all times and to administer the territory for their benefit, ensuring that people’s basic needs are met. International law specifically prohibits an occupying power from forcibly displacing or transferring civilians, regardless of the means or methods used, or to destroy or confiscate private or public property.

Now the villagers are relocated to another area. An NGO has provided shelters as part of humanitarian response, funded by EU. Israeli occupation forces keep taking photos of the village. The governor of Tubas is in communication with Latin Patriarchate. The village of Al Maleh continues to “exit by resisting”, the latest example being on 26 January by planting olive trees and organizing a fun day for children, supported by other Palestinians and international activists. Israeli army reacted by closing off the area during these activities and by installing a temporary roadblock until late hours. Sources say that “the demolitions were inevitable as the Latin Patriarchate did not prolong the contracts to the villagers”.

See more photos here. Related information can also be found on Jordan Valley Solidarity. See call to action here.