Tag: Hebron

A Normal Day in the Lives of My Palestinian Neighbors

Paulette S. | Christian Peacemaker Team

Our neighbor Haniya shrugged her shoulders as she spoke in a disheartened way: “This is all normal for us now. What can we do anyway?” Yet, when I see armed Israeli soldiers on the rooftops, and when I witness Palestinians going through checkpoints to go to the Mosque, I see this Occupation as an ongoing, huge human tragedy.

It’s been a long 40+ years now that the Israeli Occupation has ruled a huge section of the West Bank. Here Martial law governs thousands of people’s lives in almost every aspect of their days: travel: to their families, to schools, to health services, to their farms or to their stores.

My friend Fatima lived in a small outlying village, but due to lack of money, she moved to H2, Hebron, where she could work in a small shop owned by her sister. Fatima’s 7 children are now all teens, and one daughter is married. The two sons, though certainly bright enough, have quit high school. The reality of finding a good job after schooling is almost nonexistent, they reason. Because there is no mandatory schooling for Palestinian children, the children roam the streets, smoke, or help their family. Two times in the recent past, the Military snatched two of these working young men. One of these boys was using a cutting knife to help his father unpack boxes of store goods. The other boy was sent by his father on an errand, but the child’s coat resembled a policeman’s coat. The Military took him and questioned him for hours while his father reasoned with the soldiers.

Fatima, like many shopkeepers, opens her shop each morning very early, hoping that tourists will buy a dress or an embroidered pillow case or small purse or shawl that day. She and her sister have plenty of women who want to embroider for them, but Fatima barely makes enough money for her own family. Since her husband is not able to work, the family depends entirely on Fatima’s scant income. She and internationals constantly assure visitors there is no need for them to fear entering the Old City. Visitors see guns and soldiers throughout H2, but they soon learn that only the Palestinians are the target of M-16’s.

Fatima, like most parents, tries to live through the day as “normally” as possible with a good sense of humor. Already, one of her two sons, 15 years old, has been accused of throwing a stone at a soldier and despite all his insistence and those of eye witnesses who said he did not throw the stone, he served 2 1/2 months in an Israeli prison. Like many other families this family too borrowed and paid 1200 shekels on the release of their son. Israel makes a fortune from the “stone throwing” accusations dished out to young Palestinian men.

The day isn’t over when it’s over for these people. Parents with teenage sons rarely sleep soundly. Like a mother with a newborn baby, they worry that the night will bring soldiers breaking into their home, awakening everyone, locking the family into one room and then taking their teenage son with them to a prison. CPT’s 1st. year University friend, grabbed from his home at 1:30am, served 6 months in prison with no official charge against him. I ask myself: “How can anyone, any country not hear the cries of these people for compassion and justice?” Don’t they deserve a truly normal life also?

CPT: Armed man kills two animals near Maghayir Al-Abeed village; Escapes to Havat Ma’on settlement

24 January 2011 | Operation Dove & Christian Peacemaker Team

In the early afternoon of 23 January 2011, an armed man killed two animals near the South Hebron Hills village of Maghayir Al-Abeed. Two teenage shepherds reported that they were watering their family’s flock at a well just above their village when a man running through the area, carrying an M-16, fired four or five shots at the dog which accompanies their flock. The shooter proceeded to chase the flock, kicking a ewe and throwing rocks at its head. The dog died immediately from four gunshot wounds and the incapacitated sheep died approximately two hours after the beating.

The two teenage shepherds, Mohammed Mahmoud Mukahmri, 15, and ‘Awli ‘Ali Mukhamri, 13, ascended the hill, following the assailant from a distance, in time to see the man enter the grouping of trees which surrounds Ma’on settlement and Havat Ma’on outpost. They reported the man had a dark brown beard and was wearing black pants, a black shirt, and a yarmulke.

Ninety minutes after the incident, Israeli authorities arrived to investigate the crime scene and take testimonies from those present during the incident.

Hani Salaami Mukhamri, the owner of animals who arrived at the scene mere moments after the shooting, reacted sharply to the police investigator’s doubts that Mukhamri could be certain the assailant that he saw was an Israeli settler, and not an Arab. “Palestinians in this area don’t have guns, never in my life have I seen a Palestinian civilian with a gun. Only settlers have guns here.” Mukhamri also lamented the utter disregard for the lives of his animals, “three lives were lost here today: my shepherding dog, a sheep, and the unborn lamb that the ewe was carrying.”

The well where the shooting took place is a main source of water for the families in Maghayir Al-Abeed . In early 2001, Mukamri’s mother was shot in the leg by an Israeli settler while she drew water from the very same well.

International peace activists from Christian Peacemaker Teams arrived at the scene after the shooting, taking testimony and photo and video documentation.

Operation Dove and Christian Peacemaker Teams have maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Hebron: Checkpoint soldiers shoot driver

21 January 2011 / Ma’an News

Soldiers at a flying checkpoint on Route 60 north of Hebron shot and critically wounded a Palestinian citizen of Israel on Thursday night.

The Israeli military said events around the shooting were unclear.

Security sources identified the man as 28-year-old Jalal Al-Masri, and said he sustained a bullet wound in his head.

Officials said the Israeli report was that Al-Masri disobeyed orders of checkpoint soldiers and was fired on.

According to reports by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the military is investigating the possibilities that the driver either did not notice the flying checkpoint, or that he intended to harm soldiers and sped toward it.

Hours earlier in the northern West Bank, the Ya’bad Mevo Dotan checkpoint was closed and eyewitnesses said the body of a Palestinian man remained lying in the car passage terminal after the Israeli military reported a man was shot in an exchange of gunfire.

The slain man, identified as Salem Omar As-Samudi, 24, from Yamoun in the Jenin district, was said by eyewitnesses to have opened fire on Israeli forces at the checkpoint, confirming Israeli military reports that a man approached checkpoint soldiers and opened fire.

Two others had been shot dead at checkpoints in the last three weeks. On January 8 Israeli troops stationed at Hamra checkpoint east of Nablus shot and killeda Palestinian man who onlookers identified as 25-year-old Khaldoun Sammoudi, of Al-Yamun village near Jenin.

An Israeli military spokesman said a man approached the checkpoint in a taxi, then got out of the vehicle and ran towards forces holding a suspicious object and shouting “Allahu Akbar.” He did not heed orders to stop and forces followed operational procedures and shot him, the army official said.

At the same checkpoint on January 1, soldiers shot and killed a 21-year-old Palestinian identified as Ahmad Maslamani, who a military spokeswoman said approached soldiers in an unauthorized lane carrying a glass bottle and did not heed orders to stop.

Witnesses said the victim approached the checkpoint carrying a coca-cola can, a female soldier shouted at him and two male soldiers immediately opened fire. Medics said Maslamani’s body was riddled with bullets.

“Soldiers, settlers, and the police are the occupation”: Hani Abu Haikal’s life inside the Tel Rumeida settlement

9 January 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramona

Hani Abu Haikal and his family live in Hebron’s H2, which is under Israeli control. They are part of the 30,000 Palestinians that live among 500 settlers in this part of the city. Life for Palestinians inside H2 is extremely difficult, with many of them facing settler harassment, movement constraints, and a large military and police presence serving settlers’ interests, even if most attacks are directed at Palestinians.

Hani and his family have to deal with all these issues, in addition to the fact that they live deep inside the Tel Rumeida settlement, surrounded by settlers on all sides. Only around five Palestinian families remain inside, while many have left because of the troubles they faced. The situation got especially bad during the second Intifada, in 2000, when there was a curfew imposed on Palestinians for three years. This meant that Palestinians could not work, or go to school, among other much needed activities needed to survive.

Many restrictions continue to exist for families inside the settlement. They cannot have guests without getting prior permission from Israeli authorities. This includes family member and friends, and even ambulances and doctors. Israeli authorities reject around 60% of their requests for visitors. This makes life for Hani’s family very difficult, especially for his mother who is very sick and old. She cannot walk, so she needs to have doctors come inside the settlement to visit her.

There are many other restrictions that Hani’s family has to deal with. Palestinians have no permission to own cars so they have to walk everywhere, and carry everything to their home. Settlers on the other hand, can have as many cars as they want. Palestinians inside the settlement live under martial law, while the Israelis live under civilian law. Palestinians constantly face harassment at the hands of settlers. Settlers have beaten up Hani’s son, without any repercussions. In the past, when Hani was able to own cars, settlers burned more than six of his cars. Settlers have also repeatedly damaged and burned his land.

Recently, an empty Palestinian home was taken over by settlers. The Palestinian owner of the house has an Israeli Supreme Court order to evacuate the settlers, but the police have not followed the order.

On Wednesday, January 5, Hani had a visit from the recently appointed Hebron governor, Kamil Hamid as well as Palestinian Authority doctors, who came to visit Hani’s sick mother. As is the case with all people coming to visit his home, he had to get special permission from Israeli authorities to allow the visit. It took two weeks to get the permission. It was also promised that the military would protect the governor from settler attacks.

Things did not turn out so smoothly, however. The governor faced settler verbal and physical attacks, without any protection from the military or police. Baruch Marcel, the founder of the extreme right-wing Jewish National Front party, who also lives in the Tel Rumeida settlement, lead and gathered all the settlers. The Israeli military and police stood by while the attacks were happening, and Hani and his body guards had to rush over to protect the governor.

After the governor, the doctors and Hani were able to get inside his home safely, they were trapped inside for three hours while the settlers’ mob remained outside. Soldiers tried to get the governor to leave the building from the back, but he refused, and said “I am a governor, I am not a thief. I come with special permission, under Israeli protection and I’m supposed to come back as I came in.”

For Hani, this incident was indicative of the troubles Palestinians face in Hebron’s H2. “I liked what happened because the governor saw what our real lives are like here” Hani said. It was an opportunity for the governor to see the unfair treatment that Palestinians receive from Israeli authorities. Even with all the preparation that went into having the governor visit Hani’s home, he was still not provided with the protection he was promised. This shows that the Israeli system is unjust in its treatment of Palestinians, even if they are high government officials.

According to Hani, the occupation’s strength comes from soldiers, settlers, and police working together to uphold the occupation. There is a misconception that the Israeli soldiers and police uphold the system of law and justice, and protect everyone equally. He says. “Anyone who lives here like me knows that the soldiers, the police and the settlers are a team that work together.” he says. “The settlers, they attack us. The solders give settlers protection. And the police arrests us.” This team works together to implement and enforce Israel’s efforts at population transfer of Palestinians from areas Israel wants to control. Life is made so difficult for Palestinians that they often have no other choice but to leave.

Hebron man executed during Israeli raid

07 January 2011 | Ma’an News

During an arrest raid in Hebron which appeared to target Hamas men released from PA custody the day before, Israeli forces shot and killed a 66-year-old man in his bed, in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity.

Arrested in Hebron overnight were Wael Al-Bitar, Majdi E’beid, Ahmad E’wewy, Muhand Neirukh, and Wisam Al-Qawasmi , all released from PA custody the day before, following intense lobby efforts from the detainees, who had been on hunger strike for weeks.

A sixth man released, Mohammad Suqieyah, returned home to Jenin and was not detained during the raid.

The execution came during the arrest of Wael Al-Bitar, who was released to his home in Hebron, one floor under Omer Salim Al-Qawasmi, the elderly victim. The two lived in the Ash- Sheikh neighborhood of Hebron.

Omer’s son Raja’e was home when Israeli soldiers broke into the building and came up the stairs. It was during the dawn prayer and he said his mother was in the livingroom praying. “Soldiers forced her into my disabled brother’s room, then entered my father’s bedroom.”

He said he heard no shots fired, saw the troops leave the building and then “they arrested Wael, who lives on the first floor of our home.”

When the troops left the area with Al-Bitar, Raja’e said they went to check on his father. “We were shocked, he was drenched in blood, we did not hear shooting, I suppose they used a silencer to kill my father.”

Raja’e said the only reason he could think of for shooting his father, was that they thought Al-Bitar was living on the second floor of the building.

“They thought it was Wael so they fired bullets immediately after entering my father’s room while he was sleeping in his bed, I guess they did not make sure of his identity.”

Medical sources in Hebron’s Governmental Hospital said Al-Qawasmi’s body was received with several gunshot wounds to his upper body, and bullet wounds that had smashed his face.

An Israeli military statement about the incident confirmed that “a Palestinian man who was present in one of the terrorist’s homes was killed,” adding that the military ” regrets the outcome of the incident and the GOC Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrachi has ordered the commander of Judea and Samaria Division, Brig. Gen. Nitzan Alon to immediately investigate the incident and to present its conclusions as early as next week.”

The statement said only five men were detained during the raid.

The men detained during the raid had been released the day before by order from President Mahmoud Abbas, following a negotiation with the prisoners and their political party. Six were released.

Most of the men had not been sentenced but were being held for various crimes by the PA, all connected to their involvement with the resistance movement and their affiliation with Hamas. Police had said that they could not guarantee the safety of the men, who were reportedly wanted by Israel.

Hebron Governor Kamel Ihmeid cast the move as an effort toward inter-Palestinian unity during a news conference in Hebron, where the prisoners had been moved to be closer to their families. Until late December, the prisoners were being held in Bethlehem.