23rd June 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On Thursday the 21st of June, a group of around a hundred Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida gathered at the checkpoint outside of the Jabal Al Rahma mosque to protest against the constant delays, harassment and humiliation that happen in the area. A large amount of the protesters were young children and women, sitting peacefully by the checkpoint.
Residents of Tel Rumeida begin to gather at the Jabal Al Rahma mosque checkpoint on Thursday evening (photo: ISM)
The demonstration was prompted by a recent increase in strip searches carried out by Israeli forces on Palestinian citizens in the checkpoints of Tel Rumeida, which is in the H2 area of the city and so under strict Israeli control. Imad Abu Shamsiya, a resident of Tel Rumeida, stated that on Tuesday the 19th of June, Israeli forces demanded that residents took off their clothes when passing through a checkpoint to enter their homes. Up until now, inspections at the checkpoint have consisted mainly of ID checks, bag checks and body searches, where men are forced to lift up their shirts and the legs of their pants.
A man in Tel Rumeida is forced to remove his clothing at a checkpoint (photo: IMEMC)
A member of the Abu Aisha family who was visiting from abroad told International Solidarity Movement activists, “I was held at this checkpoint by Israeli forces for two hours when I came to visit my father because my name was not written in their book. My father lives here, my brothers live here, we have the same name – but I could not pass to see them in their house for all that time because of paperwork.” Eventually, after a long wait, he was allowed to pass.
On Friday the 22nd June, for the second day in a row, residents of Tel Rumeida participated in a sit-in at Shliva checkpoint to demonstrate against the constant harassment and humiliation, in particular the introduction of strip-searches, caused at the checkpoints in the area.
Residents of Tel Rumeida participate in another sit-in at Shliva checkpoint on Friday afternoon (photo: ISM)
Heavily armed soldiers were stationed at either end of the peaceful protest and after around two hours hours declared that demonstrators had two minutes on the clock to leave.
Heavily armed soldiers were stationed at both sides of the checkpoint on Friday (photo: ISM)
Taysir Abu Sneina, the mayor of al-Khalil, also came to speak with residents and sit in solidarity.
Taysir Abu Sneina speaks to demonstrators through the checkpoint before entering to sit in solidarity with residents (photo: ISM)
Throughout the morning of Friday 8th June, many Palestinians passed through Qalandiya checkpoint into Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, in order to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque. The Israeli government allows a slight easing of the travel restrictions that ban most Palestinians in the West Bank from entering Jerusalem, only for Friday prayers during the month of Ramadan. Older men above 45 or 50, women of any age and children under 12 are allowed to pass through to pray in Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Fridays, although this year the Israeli military have not allowed anyone from Gaza to travel to Jerusalem. Also, despite the easing of the occupation’s restrictions of freedom of movement for Palestinians during Ramadan, many older men, women and children do not get to make it through for arbitrary reasons or because of delays at the checkpoint. It was apparent that many women, children and older men were not allowed to pass through this morning.
Israeli forces eject woman from Qalandiya checkpoint waiting areaAfter ejecting her from checkpoint waiting area, Israeli forces push woman to floor
Outside a pedestrian entrance to the waiting area from the main road, at around 1145am, Israeli police assaulted a middle aged woman, ejecting her from the waiting area and shoving her onto the floor. Watch a video from Quds News Network here. Israeli police and border police then closed a pedestrian entrance towards the checkpoint from the main road and made many of the people, mainly women, trying to pass through walk around. Israeli forces pushed and shoved many young men and children gathered outside the checkpoint. Many Palestinians go to Qalandiya on Fridays during Ramadan to protest the ongoing travel restrictions that prevent them from going from the West Bank to the occupied city of Jerusalem. Some gathered to pray outside the checkpoint after not being allowed to pass through.
Israeli forces push people back from entrance to Qalandiya checkpoint waiting area before 12pmMen not allowed to pass through Qalandiya to pray in Al-Aqsa mosque gather to pray outside checkpoint
Israeli police pushes boy in waiting area outside Qalandiya checkpointIsraeli border police points tear gas launcher at people outside Qalandiya checkpoint
After pushing men towards the exit of Qalandiya checkpoint, Israeli security officer raises pepper spray at peopleIsraeli security officer threatens people at Qalandiya checkpoint
Women and children not allowed to pass through Qalandiya checkpoint to go to occupied Jerusalem
Inside the military checkpoint, Israeli forces harassed many men, women and children, some of whom were allowed to pass through while others were forced to wait for hours inside the checkpoint. At around 12pm, Israeli forces closed the main checkpoint going into Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli forces continued to assault people within the checkpoint, and one border police pointed a tear gas launcher at a crowd of men, women and children, threatening to fire tear gas at them. Israeli forces pushed a metal fence against a group of women and children, and started to push people out of the checkpoint, assaulting several women. The same Israeli border police officer who had pointed his tear gas launcher at a crowd of people then assaulted a group of women and children as he pushed them out of the checkpoint. Another Israeli border police officer pushed men and women from the checkpoint and threatened them by raising pepper spray in their faces. As far as ISM observed, no one was injured during the assaults, although two young girls around the age of 9 or 10 were visibly upset and crying. Outside the checkpoint, Israeli police and border police continued to push people away, including a group of women sat on the floor in a shady area, for no apparent reason.
One man, from the Nablus area, aged 50, had not been allowed to pass through to Jerusalem, and was stuck on the Ramallah side of the checkpoint, not able to meet his friend in Jerusalem and attend prayers at Al-Aqsa. As men, women and children continued to be pushed back from the checkpoint after it was closed, he laughed as he said, ‘what, do we need a Jerusalem ID to be here [in the waiting area outside of the checkpoint] now?’ He told ISM that he has been inside occupied East Jerusalem on the other side of the Israeli-controlled military checkpoints, and that it makes him sad. ‘Because it’s beautiful, and it’s our land, it’s my land.’ Many other men from the West Bank have never been allowed into the occupied city of Jerusalem because of the Israeli occupation’s travel restrictions. For more on the extent of travel restrictions imposed on all Palestinians across the occupied West Bank see here.
At around 2pm many Palestinians arriving on buses from Jerusalem walked back through Qalandiya checkpoint, returning to the rest of the West Bank. Israeli border police continued to harass people who not allowed through and were stood waiting for their friends and family to return. A group of border police started to push Palestinians selling bread, sweets and drinks on the Ramallah side of the checkpoint, demanding that they move their stalls away, despite there being plenty of room for people to walk through. Israeli border police seized cartloads of bread, sweets and drinks from the market sellers, moving them inside the gates of the checkpoint, and did not allow them to sell their goods for at least half an hour. ISM observed as two Israeli security forces filmed the Palestinians passing back through the checkpoint, apparently on personal mobile phones. One Israeli security officer approached international observers to harass and film them.
Israeli border police officer confiscates juice from market sellers in Qalandiya checkpoint waiting area
Israeli border police confiscate bread from market sellersIsraeli police keep market sellers’ bread on other side of fence and don’t allow them to sell itIsraeli security officer films and photographs Palestinians returning through Qalandiya from occupied Jerusalem
22th January 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Jerusalem, occupied Palestine
Three days ago, the ISM visited the Old City in Jerusalem to talk with different Palestinian residents who live and work there and see what the situation is like nowadays.
Harassment by the Israeli Police, particularly on the youth, is a constant burden. Every day, police are seen stopping youth in different corners to body check them and look at their ID’s. These actions, normally ignored by passersby and tourists who wander in the streets of the Old City, produces in contrast an enormous feeling of tension and threat on the Palestinian youth, since every movement or action they make is being permanently controlled.
Israeli police checking Palestinian youth
A parent advises his son, “When they check you, remain cool, don’t get nervous or upset. Don’t give them any reason to attack you, because in the meantime, the soldiers are looking for targets.”
Palestinian youth getting checked by the police
There are about 9 intersections in the Alwadi street with three to six soldiers standing in each intersection, stopping people and checking everybody’s movements. Palestinians get checked every time they walk in these corners. You can hardly see any tourists on this street and shop owners comment on how badly their businesses are doing.
Since the beginning of October, after Mohannad al Halabi carried out a stabbing attack and was immediately killed afterward, the Israeli authorities began harassing the shop owners of the area, blaming them for not preventing or aiding the soldier and settlers who were attacked. But this blame is completely unjustified, as one of the shop owners told the ISM. It was the end of the day, most shops were already closed and they were back home with their families in the night. He recalls hearing the news in the television. But even if they would have been present, people are very scared when these things happen.
The shop owners in Alwadi street are very exhausted with the situation. Nobody really wants to continue talking about this, after giving so many interviews to the international media in October, they feel tired and hopeless. Nothing has changed for them, and they don’t really want to remember the incidents.
The shop owner who talked with us, and who prefers not to give his name, gives us an example of the daily harassment they face. “Just today in the morning, a costumer who was sitting in the restaurant across the street, was smoking a cigarette. The Israeli police came inside and gave the owner a fine of 1.000 shekels. Not long ago,” he continues, “They gave a fine to the owner of a close by coffee shop of 6.000 shekels because he did not have a non-smoking sign on the window.”
“But as you can see, he hardly has any costumers and doesn’t have the money to pay this. Then the police came and confiscated the sign with the coffee shop’s name, and demanded he must pay another 500 shekels on top of the fine. They do not apply these policies to Israeli shop owners.”
A 50 year old Palestinian man from the Old City, who struggles with his personal business as a tour guide, told the ISM how the official tour guides boycott the Palestinian economy in the Old City. Part of the official tours include walking through the Palestinian neighborhoods, but the guides tell the tourists not to stop, talk, or buy anything from Palestinian shop owners, and not to go to Palestinian restaurants, hotels or other businesses.
Just like in Alwadi street, the shops around the Church of the Holy Sepulcher find themselves at risk of being bankrupt. The situation is the same for all Palestinian shops: now, they close earlier than usual, and more and more shop owners are finding themselves forced to close permanently and get low-wage jobs inside of Israel.
The harassment provoked from young illegal Israeli settlers is also notorious. They walk on the streets making provocative comments to Palestinians who, on the contrary, try as much as possible to stay calm. They know that if they answer back and a fight starts, the Israeli police will immediately go after them. Everyone is aware that the Israeli settlers are completely backed by the police and, as the shop owner who talked with us said, “Its very easy to just shoot you and place a knife next to your body, claiming you intended to stab someone.”
All this harassment and the boycott of their businesses are intended to produce pressure on Palestinians and make their life difficult enough so that they feel forced to leave Jerusalem.
17th January 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Yesterday, 16th of January 2016, the area of Queitun in Al-Khalil (Hebron) in the occupied West Bank was invaded by more than 50 Israeli Forces and more than six military jeeps and two police cars. The Israeli Forces raided multiple houses in the area from 4 pm until 7 pm and arrested at least seven Palestinians from the area before finally leaving the families alone.
Israeli Forces entering house in Queitun
According to witnesses, the Israeli forces entered the area explaining that they heard shooting coming from an unidentified Palestinian home close to the Queitun Checkpoint that leads into the area. However, Palestinians in the neighborhood did not hear any such noises throughout the day.
After the Israeli Forces entered the checkpoint, they raided multiple family homes nearby. In some homes, the soldiers damaged the residents’ belongings and left the homes wrecked. They also beat some residents without any reason. A young man from one of these homes needed medical treatment in the hospital after soldiers violently attacked him.
Young man beaten by soldiers with there guns.
During the three hours that the Israeli Forces spend terrorizing the area and harassing the residents, they arrested at least 7 Palestinians. Three of the arrestees were taken around 4 pm and were all from the Karaki family. They were released after less than three hours.
Arrest in Queitun. Photo Credit: CPT Palestine
At the same time 40 soldiers entered the Abu Ramooz family home in Queitun to search before going to the neighbor’s house to arrest Hammad Said, 19. During that time, the 8-year-old sister of Hamad was struck in the head by a soldier after asking the Israeli Forces why they were attacking her brother and taking him away. The soldiers then went back to the Abu Ramooz family and arrested Wasam Abu Ramooz, 20, local shop owner Yunis Serbel, 32, and Shaudi Abu Hadid, 48, who was taken from his house where he was alone at the time. These four men had not been released at 8 pm and the families were still not being informed about where they were or what was happening to them.
More than 50 Israeli Forces took part in the mission in Queitun leaving many families in fear.
House raids and arrests like these are not uncommon in the area of Queitun that has been suffering from ongoing harassment and military presence. The Israeli Forces took over a whole floor of a Palestinian house more than a month ago and have been using it as a military outpost. The increasing amount of harassment in the area has left many families afraid of letting their children play in streets and opening their shops. This is a clear example of how the military occupation affects the everyday lives of Palestinian families.
21st December, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al Khalil team | Al Khalil, occupied Palestine
Children and teachers of Ziad Jaber elementary school in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) are daily subjected to body searches and intimidation by armed Israeli soldiers at checkpoints, as they walk to school.
International ISM activists monitored a checkpoint right in front of the school two times today: during the morning when children go to it and during the afternoon, when they go back home.
During the morning, when teachers and students went to school, as well as during the afternoon when they left school after the exams, international observers monitored:
20 male adults body searched
12 male teachers body searched
11 females bag searched
34 boys body searched
~150 people passed throught the checkpoint
Some boys turned around because they did not want to be humiliated due to the body search, avoiding the street they were walking through.
