Tag: Hebron - Page 14 - International Solidarity Movement

Witness Report, Video: Israeli War Crimes Against Palestinian Youth in Hebron

December 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | al-Khalil, Occupied Palestine

Witness accounts and video footage confirm that the Israeli army has been and is committing war crimes in dealing with the current wave of protests against the occupation, colonization, and ethnic cleansing in Palestine.

On Friday, December 8, 2017 around 4:30 PM, ISM activists clearly witnessed and filmed a unit of of around 40 Israeli soldiers and commanders in the H1 area of Hebron – which, according to the 1997 Hebron agreement, should be fully controlled by the Palestinian Authority – intentionally injuring the backs, shoulders, and heads of two randomly arrested teens. Much of this occurred after they had been handcuffed, blindfolded, and were held in custody.

The incidents took place shortly after the Israeli forces invaded Bab al-Zawiya from the military Checkpoint 56 (Shuhada Street in H2) and stormed more than 300 meters up Adel Street, as well as two other main civilian thoroughfares.

The teens were captured near the Hasona Petrol station. If previous child arrests in that area are any indication, they were likely grabbed at random from the street without having been involved in any form of protest beforehand.

The video evidence below, a combination of 3 different camera positions, shows how cruelly the teens are treated by different soldiers, while and after they were handcuffed, blindfolded, and cooperating with the soldiers in walking to Israeli controlled H2.

The almost-raw video footage of all three cameras is included and viewable with the following hyper-links:

Camera 1: from 4:23:10 PM

Camera 2: from 4:23:30 PM

Camera 3: from 4:23:35 PM and from 4:24:05 PM

War Crimes

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an NGO that is widely acknowledged for its monitoring and determination of human rights abuses, compiled a readable publication based on the 685 page ‘ICRC Customary International Humanitarian Law’ study manual.

In the HRW publication, war crimes are defined as:

“Serious violations of international humanitarian law, including the mistreatment of persons in custody and deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian property, when committed with criminal intent amount to war crimes. Criminal intent requires purposeful or reckless action. Individuals may also be held criminally liable for attempting to commit a war crime, as well as assisting in, facilitating, aiding or abetting a war crime. Responsibility may also fall on persons ordering, planning, or instigating the commission of a war crime. Commanders and civilian leaders may be prosecuted for war crimes as a matter of command responsibility when they knew or should have known about the commission of war crimes and took insufficient measures to prevent them or punish those responsible.” [emphasis added]

Based on this definition, the video depicts a war crime committed by the Israeli army, for which it’s soldiers and commanders bear responsibility.

This isn’t the 1st documented war crime committed by the Israeli state or its armed forces against the Palestinian people. Other examples include:

Extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully;
Willfully depriving a prisoner of war or other protected person of the rights of fair and regular trial;
Unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement;
Enforced disappearance of persons;
Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender;
The crime of apartheid;
The transfer, directly or indirectly, by the occupying power of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.

It is the obligation of all states that have signed the multiple international treaties violated here to stop these Israeli war crimes, and a duty of the people to put pressure on their governments to do so.

Israeli Violence Against Civilians, Press Continues Through Weekend in Hebron

9 December 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | al-Khalil, Occupied Palestine

Clashes continued throughout the weekend in Hebron, after Palestinian civil society groups called for “three days of rage” in response to Donald Trump’s widely unrecognized declaration that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Across the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians organized general strikes, as well as non-violent marches and demonstrations, all of which were met with military violence by Israel.

In Hebron, the violence from the Israeli army included the use of numerous rounds of tear gas, sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets, and live ammunition against the press and civilians, including passing families and the elderly. Soldiers also entered shops and forced businesses to close, causing further disruption to daily civilian life. Some young Palestinians resisted the Israeli army’s invasion using stones, and also by throwing the Israeli army’s own tear gas canisters back towards the soldiers.

On Friday alone, between 15 and 20 Palestinian minors were arrested, including at least five that weren’t involved in the clashes, one of which was taken straight from his home. Of the five boys that ISM activists witnessed being arrested, four of them were brutally beaten by large groups of soldiers after they were subdued and handcuffed and posed no threat to the soldiers. As of 5:00 PM on Saturday, two of the boys remained hospitalized due to their injuries.

In declaring that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, Donald Trump formalized the United States’ position as one in contravention of international law and the opinion of the international community. The international community has expressly stated – through UN Resolution 181 and others – that it doesn’t recognize any claim to sovereignty over Jerusalem by Israel, which is why most states maintain their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem.

Hundreds of Israeli Soldiers Violently Suppress Demonstration in Hebron

December 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | al-Khalil, Occupied Palestine

In response to Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel hundreds of heavily armed Israeli soldiers invaded the Palestinian controlled areas of Hebron to clash with demonstrators. The clashes were likely also fueled by a general strike of work and schools by Palestinians.

An elderly man waits to go home on a street taken over by soldiers. Such disruptions of Palestinians’ daily lives are common in occupied Hebron.

At roughly 10:30 AM, at least two groups of over 50 soldiers each entered H1 (Palestinian controlled Hebron) with rifles, tear gas cannons, sound bombs, and rubber coated steel bullet magazines. They entered through Checkpoint 56, from which they went into the city center, home to shops and restaurants, as well as innocent bystanders.

An elderly man, who was hit by tear gas while walking down the street, is helped to safety by a Palestinian Red Crescent Society medic.

Dozens of Palestinians, including small children, the elderly, those documenting the scene on their phones, and hospital patients at the Alia Hospital – at which soldiers fired multiple rounds of tear gas – were injured by tear gas and sound bombs. The soldiers also fired live ammunition aimlessly at buildings with no regard for civilian safety, a war crime and form of collective punishment. One boy, age 15, was shot with live ammunition when soldiers fired numerous rounds down a populated street. They then surrounded him, confiscated videos of the incident, and arrested him.

The blood of a 15 year old Palestinian boy shot by Israeli soldiers.

As of 3:00 PM, at least 7 young boys were blindfolded, handcuffed, and brought back into Checkpoint 56. At one point, soldiers held and terrorized an eight-year-old boy in a secluded, trash-filled corner of an alleyway, and proceeded to use him as a human shield while they walked up and down the street.

Protests are likely to continue throughout the West Bank and Gaza for at least the next few days, and possibly even longer, after Donald Trump formalized the United States’ position on Jerusalem as one in contravention of international law and the opinion of the international community. The international community has expressly stated – through UN Resolution 181 and others – that it doesn’t recognize any claim to sovereignty over Jerusalem by Israel, which is why most states maintain their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem.

‘Feast of Sarah’ Holiday Draws Thousands of Settlers to Al-Khalil

12th November 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | al-Khalil, Occupied Palestine

The Feast of Sarah did not pass unnoticed for the Palestinian residents of al-Khalil (Hebron). Jewish worshippers had been arriving from Israel in large numbers for days prior, together with a consequent increase of military presence. Yesterday morning, at 9:00 AM, soldiers started to isolate the road in H1 – the area of the city that is supposed to be Palestinian controlled – from the Shuhada Street checkpoint (Checkpoint 56) up towards the bus station in order to let the feast visitors pass from the H2 area to a prayer site. Two Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and two Jeeps surrounded by numerous soldiers, border police, and riot police blocked the intersection at the base of Bab Al-Zawiya, and snipers were placed on the roofs of the main buildings.

An Israeli soldier aims her rifle at the chest of an international observer as a tactical unit gathers in Bab al-Zawiya.

Around 1:00 PM, the worshippers started to walk down the road, many of them stopping to yell insults to the Palestinians watching the scene from behind the blockade.

Jewish worshippers, both from Israel and from the illegal settlements in al-Khalil, gather to taunt Palestinians in Bab al-Zawiya.

After the settlers went back into H2, the soldiers and police stayed in the area, and gathered at the cement roadblocks in front of the checkpoint. They continued down towards the market, which led to some stone throwing from protesters up the street. Soldiers replied by throwing sound bombs into crowds of civilians and journalists.

The soldiers ultimately retreated into the checkpoint, only because they had to carry a 25-year-old Palestinian man that they had brutally beaten and placed under arrest. The man was carried to Checkpoint 56, where he was held for almost three hours while the Red Crescent ambulance staff was disallowed from giving him medical treatment.

A protester is finally allowed access to medical treatment from the Red Crescent after being brutally beaten and kept for three hours in Checkpoint 56.

Settler tours into H1 from H2 occur every Saturday under the protection of Israeli forces, fanning Israeli support for migration to and the expansion of the illegal settlements in al-Khalil, both of which necessarily lead to the expulsion of Palestinian civilians from their home. However, during Jewish holidays, the number of Israelis increases dramatically, often forcing Palestinian civil society to come to a grinding halt without warning.

Settler holidays violently disrupting Palestinian every day life

10th November 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday in the Palestinian city Al-Khalil(Hebron) there was a large military presence in the area due to the coming Jewish holiday, The feast of Sarah. Solders from the Israeli military detained Palestinians, prevented children from getting to their schools, and shot rounds of tear gas and sound bombs at school children.

Two teachers are turned back from the checkpoint at Ziad Jaber School. They were prevented from accessing the school for a good 15 minutes.

Israeli Military forces prevent teachers from getting to work

At around 9 am this morning, a group of 100 soldiers and 9 military vehicles moved from the area of the Ibrahimi Mosque, gathering at the checkpoint by the Ziad Jaber Elementary school. There, Israeli soldiers blocked two Palestinian teachers from moving through the checkpoint to get to work for 10-15 minutes. Students were slowly allowed to find their way through the large group of soldiers to the school. A group of soldiers then attempted to intimidate ISM activists monitoring the situation.

Large groups of soldiers were observed searching streets around the school and looking over the school walls with their weapons. One of the soldiers justified the excessive military presence with the claim that a child had thrown some stones. During the blockade and search of the area local people were prevented from passing for over half an hour.

A pregnant Palestinian woman maintains her dignity with occupations soldiers who have invaded the H1 Palestinian area of the Salaymeh neighbourhood. Her request to pass was finally granted after a 10 minute delay.

Though the school has suffered many difficulties for years as a result of the occupation a teacher commented, “We have never had anything like this before.” When the situation had dissipated, the ISM activists followed a large group of soldiers down prayer road through the Salayme checkpoint to the Tareq Bin Ziad shopping centre. Soldiers randomly stopped Palestinians who were with younger children sometimes holding their passport at least for 15 minutes and restricted movement of cars and pedestrians through the area. Soldiers entered at least four buildings around the intersection and were seen on roofs and in upstairs windows with their weapons as others patrolled side streets sometimes letting off sound bombs for no observable reason. After approximately half an hour the soldiers began to retreat into the H2 Israeli controlled area. As they retreated Palestinians emerged from their houses and young people began to protest the invasion of their neighbourhood and the suppression of their commemoration of Yasser Arafat’s death. The retreating soldiers responded with sound bombs and tear gas.

A Palestinian school declared a closed Military zone

During this time, another ISM team were at the other end of the neighbourhood down the street from the Qeitun checkpoint. Students from the Tareq Bin Ziad School had been prevented by the Israeli army from doing the annual parade by their scout group to commemorate Yasser Arafat’s death. Many soldiers blocked the area around the school and declared it a military zone. A teacher told the activists that the army tried to enter Hajirriya School, where students had found refuge to, arrest some of them. Luckily, teachers managed to stop the soldiers who still blocked off the street forbidding anybody to pass. Some soldiers took up positions on a neighbour’s roof here too.

Soldiers positioned on a roofs in Salaymeh.

From the outset, the soldiers made it clear that the parade was out of question. After the initial attempt to enter the school, they kept blocking the entrance as many more soldiers showed up. After more than half an hour of negotiation between the soldiers and the school Principle, other teachers and some observers from the organization TIPH, the commander authorised the passage of Tareq Bin Ziad Secondary School teachers and their respective pupils. They eventually reached the Tareq Bin Ziad school under the strict surveillance of soldiers to start their school day.

Meanwhile, back in the Hajirriya School, the daily activities started as normally as possible. “We’re used to that” said a teacher in the Headmaster’s office, while he poured the coffee for one of the ISMers who was there.

Soldiers and armoured Vehiciles at the Jaber Junction checkpoint.

Soldiers throw sound bombs into groups of children

At roughly 12:00 PM, following the clashes in the Salaymeh neighbourhood the younger half of the students were leaving the Zaid Jaber School for the day. Another ISM activist witnessed the detention of the headmaster of the school, Muhanned Azam. The soldiers at the checkpoint near the school kept him in the sun for over half an hour without any reason or charges against him. As the older half of the students were leaving, many gathered around him in support, sitting with peace signs raised and singing Palestinian songs. As they sang more soldiers arrived to suppress their nonviolent protest.

The Headmaster of Ziad Jaber School is detained by Israeli occupation forces.

At roughly 12:35, two teachers who were leaving for the day, Ibrahim Zahida and Rashad Irziqat were pulled aside, arbitrarily detained, and ultimately arrested on the pretence that they were interfering with the soldiers’ operations. They were taken to the Jabara Police Station in H2 for questioning. The soldiers also threw a sound bomb into a crowd of children, teachers, and journalists who had gathered to observe and document the scene.

Student from the school gather in solidarity with the detained headmaster.

Later that afternoon groups of settlers from nearby illegal settlements were seen peeing on the streets and filming Palestinian children aggressively. Two settlers were spotted in a window yelling at young Palestinian children “Porn, Pornography” and other sexual references. When confronted about it by Palestinians, the settlers just laughed. “We were just sitting there drinking coffee when they came out of the windows yelling dirty words at the kids. They have no respect,” an nearby ISMer said. A few minutes after that incident a 30-year-old Palestinian man was arrested by the Ibrahimi mosque after being detained for over three hours.

Soldiers from the Israeli military pose in front of a Palestinian house in H2.

The situation in Hebron is tense at the moment due to the Jewish holiday, The Feast of Sarah. The Israeli Military has, from this afternoon, prevented Palestinians from entering the Ibrahimi mosque. The large military presence and the restrictions of Palestinian daily life are expected to continue over the weekend.

Teachers negotiating with soldiers to reach the school with their students.