Tag: Friday Demonstrations - Page 2 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli forces shoot at protestors from rooftops in Kafr Qaddum

17th March 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

*Israeli forces on a rooftop in Kafr Qaddum. Photo: ISM/Yusuf Zidan*

On Friday 17th of March the people of Kafr Qaddum gathered for another weekly demonstration which was repressed by Israeli forces, who shot teargas, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators. Israeli forces were seen on at least one rooftop in Kafr Qaddum, as well as a nearby hill, which they used as vantage point to shoot at protesters.

Before the demonstration had started the Israeli forces were strategically stationed within the village of Kafr Qaddum, some even on the rooftop of a Palestinian home. Around 12:30, just a few minutes before the demonstration would have begun, teargas was fired. Some youth from the village began throwing stones at the Israeli forces in an attempt to drive them out. The clashes continued until around 14:30, when Israeli forces withdrew after having fired teargas, rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades at protesters.

Protestors throw back teargas canisters. Photo: ISM/Yusuf Zidan

Before the end of the demonstration rubber-coated steel bullets were shot at protesters causing light injuries to two pro-Palestinian Israeli activists. Both the rubber-coated metal bullets bounced before impact limiting the damage inflicted.

The people of Kafr Qaddum have been protesting actively for over five years against the closure of their main road to Nablus and the expansion of the illegal Israeli settlement of Kedumim. This road closure translates into a longer commute for the villagers when travelling to Nablus, as such it also has an important social and economical impact on Palestinian communities. These demonstrations continue despite encountering heavy repression with the Israeli forces regularly using live ammunition against the local activists.

Palestinian youth faces Israeli Army. Photo: ISM/Yusuf Zidan

7 year old boy targeted in Kafr Qaddum

23th December 2016 | Popular Resistance Committee of Kafr Qaddum | occupied Palestine

Today, Friday December 23rd, 2016, the village started its march as usual toward the blocked road. Suddenly 12 soldiers from a special unit of the Israeli occupation force surprised them in an ambush, and attacked and arrested a 7 year old Palestinian child. Twelve heavily armed soldier’s surrounded the boy, attacking him. One of them forcefully grabbed the boy from his neck, questioning him about his father. Three Palestinians were also injured with rubber bullets.

Masked members of the Israeli security forces briefly detain a Palestinian boy during clashes following a demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank on December 23, 2016. / AFP / JAAFAR ASHTIYEH

Kafr Qaddum’s weekly protests have been occurring since July 2011 to take back the road that connects their village to the city of Nablus, elongating Palestinians commute by 14 kilometers. These demonstrations are always met by the Israeli occupation forces and/or border police, who throw sound grenades, tear gas, rubber coated steel bullets, and at times live ammunition to prevent the nonviolent protesters from executing their democratic rights.

The young boy was released after one hour, and he told his father, “I was very afraid. I didn’t know what to do. I just began shouting between 12 huge soldiers, and one of them hanged me from my neck and asked me about my father”. The boy continues to experience post traumatic stress, shaking continuously, and sharing more and more of the experience to his family.

Israeli forces use live ammunition in Kafr Qaddum on the first Friday of Ramadhan

21st June 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al Khalil Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

On the 19th of June in Kafr Qaddum, the first Friday demonstration of Ramadhan, Israeli border police shot two Palestinians with live ammunition. One Palestinian was shot twice in the leg and the other was shot once in the leg. Israeli forces also used skunk spray (chemically treated sewage water) and tear gas as well as rubber coated steel bullets. A Palestinian man was hit with a rubber coated steel bullet in the back which caused him to fall and break his leg.

Palestinian demonstrators in Kafr Qaddum

Residents of Kafr Qaddum said that this demonstration was the first time that they were able to reach the gate which seals off part of a major road. Despite the heat and fasting hours, Kafr Qaddum continues to resist the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Israeli border police positioned themselves on the main road into Kafr Qaddum before the demonstration started and turned back internationals from the village. Internationals ignored the Israeli border police and entered Kafr Qaddum via a back route. Hundreds of Palestinians attended the demonstration. Israeli forces were reluctant to use violence in the beginning as an Israeli TV channel was present however as soon as the TV channel left, the Israeli forces on mass forced their way deep into the village using weapons such as stun grenades, skunk, live ammunition, rubber coated steel bullets and finally a barrage of tear gas which flooded the village and ignited small fires.

Israeli police positioned to fire at demonstrators in Kafr Qaddum

Residents of Kafr Qaddum have begun regular Saturday demonstrations in addition to the one on Friday to show that the resistance will not end despite the violence and pressure from Israeli forces.

All photos belong to the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee Facebook page.

Ni’lin demonstrators met with senseless violence

23th March 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

On the 20th of March, during Ni’lin’s weekly Friday demonstration, Israeli occupation forces attacked protestors with about 20 rounds of tear gas canisters shot with the ‘venom’ tear gas launcher mounted on a military jeep (which can launch up to thirty rounds of tear gas before needing to be reloaded), countless rubber-coated steel bullets and approximately one hundred rounds of live ammunition. One Israeli activist was shot in the ankle and one Palestinian boy was injured in the leg, both with rubber-coated steel bullets. Many protestors suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Even before the demonstration started, Israeli occupation forces shot several rounds of tear gas grenades boys in the fields close to the village’s school. An Israeli activist documenting this aggression was shot in the ankle with a rubber-coated steel bullet and was treated at the scene by paramedics.

After the noon prayer, the protestors started their peaceful march in the direction of the apartheid wall and the illegal settlement of Hashmon’im, but were violently stopped by Israeli forces – initially with four rounds of tear gas shot with the venom, each round simultaneously shooting 10 tear gas canisters. In order to stop protestors from regathering and continuing their march after the thick clouds of tear gas had disappeared, Israeli forces used more rounds of the venom alongside rubber-coated steel bullets, pushing the demonstration back towards the village. One round of the venom was fired in close proximity to the village’s residential area. Most of the protestors suffered from tear gas inhalation. A 15-year old boy was shot with a close-range rubber-coated steel bullet that penetrated his leg. He was evacuated to a hospital, treated and released the same evening. The Israeli military continued shooting tear gas grenades towards the village even after the protestors had left.

At the same time a group of Palestinian youth approached the fence that forms part of the Apartheid barrier separating Ni’lin from lands belonging to the village, close to the illegal Hashmon’im settlement built on Ni’lin’s lands. Without being noticed by the Israeli forces at first, the group cut a big hole into the fence, before they were attacked by countless rounds of live ammunition shot at them by the Israeli military. The shooting of tear gas grenades and live ammunition at the group of youngsters continued until they returned to the village.

VIDEO: Children assaulted and 3 women arrested at Nabi Saleh demonstration

21st March 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

Israeli forces arrested three women in Nabi Saleh and injured several protesters, one with live ammunition, during the village’s weekly Friday protest on March 13.

The demonstration was met with the usual military violence as Israeli forces threw stun grenades and fired live ammunition at unarmed and peaceful protesters. After Friday prayers about forty Palestinian protesters together with international and Israeli activists marched down the main road towards the military tower and checkpoint at the entrance to the village, which Israeli forces had closed before the protest. Within less than five minutes the Israeli military fired the first of many rounds of tear gas canisters. The protesters continued regardless and were meet by a line of Israeli soldiers whose use of unnecessary physical violence and many stun grenades resulted in multiple injuries.

stun grenades protesters Nabi — Israeli forces threw stun grenades at nonviolent demonstrators gathered in the street

girl faces soldier Nabi — This young girl from Nabi Saleh faced an Israeli border policeman after being hit in the head in a confrontation with Israeli forces. Behind her illegal an illegal Israeli settlement occupied the hill beside Nabi Saleh.

Israeli forces threatened Nabi Saleh children, who walked down the road nearer to the closed gate. One young girl was hit with a rifle in the stomach and the head; she went to the hospital for treatment. Two Palestinian women – Bushra Tamimi and Shireen al-Araj – and Israeli activist Tali Shapiro were arrested and dragged away by Israeli forces.

kids face down soldiers Nabi — Girls from Nabi Saleh confronted heavily armed Israeli soldiers

Chasing Nabi kids — Israeli forces pursuing the children in Nabi Saleh

arrests in Nabi Saleh — Israeli forces arrested protesters after they sat down across the street

The violence escalated near the end of the protest; Israeli forces used live .22 caliber ammunition and shot a young Palestinian in the lower leg. The bullet missed the bone, and he will likely recover soon.

bloody leg live JPG — Israeli forces shot a young protester in Nabi Saleh in the leg with live ammunition.

The village of Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating against the theft of its natural spring by the occupation since 2009. Israeli authorities have violently suppressed the weekly Friday protests since their inception – in the last few months alone, several villagers have been shot in the leg with live ammunition. Since the actions began, two people have been killed in the village – Mustafa Tamimi and Rushdi Tamimi; many others have been seriously injured. Despite the Israeli forces’ severe repression, the people of Nabi Saleh continue to fight against the brutal military occupation.

Israeli forces released Tali Shapiro on the night of March 13, and Shireen al-Araj the following day. Bushra Tamimi was released on the evening of March 15 after paying 2000 NIS bail.