Tag: Hebron - Page 77 - International Solidarity Movement

Settler attacking international activists in Hebron

1st September | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Yesterday in al-Khalil (Hebron) in occupied Palestine, a female settler harassed and attacked international activists who were monitoring a checkpoint during school-time.

In the morning volunteers were standing close to Qurtuba school, monitoring children on their way to school. This school is particularly prone to attacks by settlers, as the stairs leading to the school are located directly at the entrance to Shuhada Street, which has been entirely closed for Palestinian and occupied by settlers since 1994.

Anat Cohen, infamous for several attacks on Palestinians, came driving down the street and suddenly almost backed up into the international activists, who had to jump out of the way in order to avoid being run over. She then got out of the car yelling at the volunteers to leave, insulting them verbally and threatening to beat them. The soldier stationed at the checkpoint right opposite did not intervene, even when repeatedly being asked for help by the activists. When the police arrived they ‘explained’ Anat Cohen’s behaviour by stating that it was the first day of school after the holidays for children from the illegal settlements in al-Khalil. They then ordered the internationals to do as Anat Cohen requested and not stand on the street. This is just another striking example of the power individual settlers exercise over the police.

In the afternoon, the volunteers returned to the checkpoint for the end of the school-day for Palestinian children in Qurtuba school and the close-by kindergarten. When Anat Cohen came driving by in her car again, she was driving directly towards one of the volunteers in fast speed. The activist was only able to save herself from being hit in the last minute by running away. Instead of taking any action against Anat trying to hit the volunteers with their car, the soldier threatened the volunteers to call the police and have them arrested if they did not leave immediately.

Watch the video of Anat Cohen attacking internationals here.

Violent arrest of Palestinian man in al-Khalil (Hebron)

29th August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

A 52-year old Palestinian man was arrested at Shuhada checkpoint in al-Khalil (Hebron) yesterday, for ‘not obeying soldiers’ orders. Israeli forces painfully handcuffed and blindfolded him.

Around 1:30 pm, Hisham Azzeh walked through Shuhada Checkpoint in order to reach his house that is located up the hill next to the illegal settlement in Tel Rumeida. At this first checkpoint on his way home, Hisham passed through the metal detector without it beeping to indicate he had to go back and pass again. Therefore, he continued on his way, but Israeli soldiers yelled at him to go back and pass through the checkpoint again for no reason.

When he did not immediately comply with the soldiers orders, they arrested him. Israeli soldiers painfully handcuffed him with his hands behind his back with plastic handcuffs, without any regard for a recent operation on his hand. The soldiers also blindfolded him, so he was unable to see what happened to him and where he was brought. On the way up the hill towards the military base, the pain, caused by the plastic handcuffs, was so intense, that Israeli soldiers had to allow Azzeh to sit down on the ground, as he was unable to continue walking.

Palestinian man sitting on the ground in pain

Palestinians observing the arrest were continously telling soldiers about Azzeh’s recent operation on his hand and the plate that had to be inserted during this operation. Even though they were explaining the immense pain the plastic handcuffs were causing to Azzeh due to this operation, the Israeli soldiers shouted at them to leave the area and be quiet. Various requests to call an ambulance were denied. Only after Azzeh’s brother, who is a medical professional, arrived and reasoned with the soldiers, they attempted to cut the handcuffs. As the soldiers put the handcuffs too tight, they were struggling to cut the handcuffs without cutting Azzeh’s hands, making the procedure even longer and more painful, with Azzeh suffering immensely and crying out in pain.

Hisham's hand showing scars from the operation. Photo credit: Youth against settlement — Hisham’s hand showing scars from the operation. Photo credit: Youth against settlement

In the meantime, a civil police car was driving past on a regular patrol and got stopped by the Palestinians in an attempt to alleviate the situation for Hisham. After the handcuffs were finally cut off, by-standers cooled his hand first with a bottle of cold water until an ice-pack was brought for him. The police took Hisham Azzeh to the police station after a long discussion. After about an hour, Azzeh was released. He is now doing okay, but is still suffering from pain in his hands.

Police, bystanders and the soldiers standing around Hisham

Harassment like this in al-Khalil (Hebron) is not unusual. Palestinians have to pass through various checkpoints on their way home or to work and often get detained for long periods of time.

Watch the video here

Continual harrassment, threatening and intimidation of Palestinian family by settlers in Hebron

25th August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

The Palestinian Abu Rajab family in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) is facing continual intimidation by groups of settlers and Israeli forces protecting these settlers in their attempts to take over the Abu Rajab family home.

In the last few weeks, settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlements on various occasions have camped outside the home under the protection of the Israeli forces, leaving the family confined to the house not able to leave fearing attacks by settlers as well as settlers taking over the rest of the house.

Settler women with their children blocking the stairs to the Abu Rajab house

In March 2012, a group of settlers from illegal settlements within the city broke the gate of the house and occupied the two upper floors of the house at night-time during Passover. Afterwards the settlers claimed to have legally bought the house, a claim that until now could not be proven legit by an Israeli court. Until the final decision of the court, the Abu Rajab extended family is not permitted to use that part of their home. The same year, one of the sons, in his early twenties, was arrested and put in administrative detention (detention without charges or trial) for a year.

When in September 2013 an Israeli soldier was shot in the neighbourhood of the Abu Rajab house, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu promised the settler movement that they would be allowed to move back into the house.

Settler women, Palestinians sitting opposite

Since the beginning of this year, the threats and attacks by settlers on the family have increased. A month ago, during Passover, settlers again tried to move into the house. Instead of protecting the family from these repeated and unlawful attacks, they threatened the family to leave the house. Since then, settlers again and again camp or even sleep outside the families’ home. On Monday and Tuesday, small groups of settler women with their children have been blocking the stairs to the house’s door all afternoon. The children, all under eight years old, were instrumentalised by their mothers as they are too young to understand what was going on. Palestinian children playing nearby the house were forced by soldiers to leave the area.

Palestinian lawyers went on hunger strike in solidarity with Mohammed Allan and to protest against administrative detention

20th August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team |Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Last Tuesday Palestinian lawyers went on a hunger strike. Hatem Shahin, vice-president of the Palestinian Bar Association for lawyers, explains why thirteen of the Association’s members decided to take this radical step: “The main goals are to break the isolation of the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike as well as to send a message to the entire world. Palestinian voices need to be heard”. Therefore the Palestinian lawyers gathered in central Hebron to carry out their action.

IMG_030ff1-min — The lawyers form a human chain around the poster of Mohammed Allan

Whereas the immediate motivation for the strike is the grave situation of Mohammed Allan, it is also a protest against the illegal practice of administrative detention. Administrative detention allows Israel to detain almost exclusively Palestinians without charge or trial for a maximum of six months which can be renewed indefinitely. The alleged high security risk of the concerned prisoner to the Israeli settler-colonial state is emphasized to legitimize the application of administrative detention. This practice “is the most extreme measure that international humanitarian law allows an occupying power to use against residents of occupied territory” as the prisoner support and human rights association Addameer puts it. Under international law administrative detention should only be used “against protected persons in occupied territory for ‘imperative reasons of security’ (Fourth Geneva Convention, Art. 78)”. However, Israel applies this procedure frequently ever since the Nakba of ‘48 which resulted in the construction of the Israeli state. Administrative detention leaves the prisoners and their families and friends in a prolonged state of uncertainty and isolation. “We do not feel respected as human beings because of this treatment”, expresses former administrative detainee Badran Jaber. “We live lonely in front of the occupying power”.

One day after the solidarity hunger strike was started by the Palestinian lawyers, the news is received that Israel’s High Court suspends the detention of Mohammed Allan. His health severely deteriorated which led him to be hospitalised in Barzilai Medical Centre in Ashkelon, southern Israel on Friday the 14th of August. After a medical examination it was found that Mohammed Allan now suffers from brain damage. Given his current medical condition, he does not pose a security threat any more and thus administrative detention is not legitimized according to the court’s ruling. However, it is unclear whether the brain damage is permanent and, should his medical condition improve, whether administrative detention will be re-applied.

Mother and brother of Mohammed Allan embrace after the court's ruling — Mother and brother of Mohammed Allan embrace after the court’s ruling

The news of Mohammed Allan’s release has been met with enthusiasm, relief and a sense of victory by supporters within occupied Palestine and beyond. However, critics also point out that the attainment of freedom through the application of extreme damage to oneself can hardly be called justice. Furthermore, the interest in Mohammed Allan’s struggle should not deviate attention from the 180 Palestinian prisoners who are on hunger strike since the 11th of August 2015. Therefore, because of the uncertainty of a potential re-application of administrative detention should Mohammed Allan’s health improve, the continuing struggle of Palestinians inside Israeli prisons and the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine, the road to justice is still a long way ahead.

ISM spoke with lawyers, supporters and a former administrative detainee in Hebron. Watch the video below.

Nightraids in the Souk: Israeli Soldiers Terrorize Old City of Hebron

3rd August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Al Khalil, Occupied Palestine

At around 11:00 PM on the night of August 1st, a fire began in souk of Hebron’s Old City.

The fire was coming from a building that overhangs into the souk from the illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah. The Israeli military came and immediately began detaining Palestinians, saying that the cause of the fire was from a Molotov.

Local Palestinians say that they believe it was actually an illegal Israeli settler that threw the Molotov into the house, as a way to cause problems for the Palestinians. No one lived in the house where the Molotov was thrown. The Israeli military presence became massive with about 70 soldiers, border police, and police, as well as army jeeps and a large armored vehivle. The military was claiming that there was a homemade bomb in one of the houses. They started to forbid movement and surrounded the area, detaining people for several hours.

They detained eight Palestinians, two of whom were arrested, handcuffed, and blindfolded.

The military, claiming Shalaleh street a closed military zone, announced that if people went any further, they would be arrested. CPTers were also present and documenting the situation. A large military vehicle came out through Bab al Baladia from the illegal settlement. The soldiers began raiding houses, looking for the ‘homemade bomb.’

Eventually, a smaller remote controlled robotic device came out from the back of the large military vehicle. The soldiers said that it would be used to detonate the bomb they claimed was hidden somewhere in the souk.

Meanwhile, groups of military and border police were scattered throughout the souk, not allowing people to cross while raiding houses.

A group of 30 soldiers started to force open the gate of a shop with a crowbar in search of a surveillance cameras that may have filmed whatever caused the fire.

The army forced themselves in and broke down the door without even botheriing to ask for the key from the owner of the shop. At this time they also detained a young man near the shop, making him put his head against the wall.

When ISMers were questioning the soldiers about what they were doing, the ‘commander’ told them to back off and then said if he saw them again, he would have them arrested. He also called the soldiers at checkpoint 56 (also known as H1/H2 or Shuhada street checkpoint) and told them to tell the ISMers the same thing.

All accounts of the situation vary, but this is the information ISM knows from what was witnessed and from Palestinian sources.