Tag: Hebron - Page 90 - International Solidarity Movement

Live ammo used as ‘crowd dispersal’

31st July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Vern | Occupied Palestine

On July 29th, Palestinian activists from the Human Rights Defenders Group, as well as several ISM volunteers, went to the Almezan Hospital in Hebron, and met some of the Palestinians recently shot and injured by Israeli soldiers. Some of them were taking part in clashes; others were watching from rooftops or leaving their cars. They range in ages from 17 to 24-years-old. All of them were shot with live ammunition by the Israeli army.

Here are eight of their stories:

Abdi* is 18-years-old. He is from Beit Fajjar. He went to a peaceful demonstration, which turned quickly turned violent. The soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians, killing one person and wounding nine. Five minutes into the demonstration, the approximately 100 soldiers present began to use live ammunition. They did not throw stun grenades or use tear gas. There were no arrests. The tactic seemed to be to heavily wound or kill people and Abdi was shot in the leg with live ammunition.

Omar* is from Seiir village. He is 22-years-old. Omar was shot and wounded in Beit Anun, which is between Hebron and his village of Seiir. He was shot in the leg with a live bullet, which was fired from 30-40 meters away, and he then required surgery. Three others were also shot and injured that day. Neither Omar nor the people he was with were throwing rocks at the army. People were chanting before they were shot. The Israeli army came to the protest, with the sole purpose of inflicting harm.

Hamdi* is 19-years-old. Last Friday, he was taking part in clashes in Hebron. He was shot in the right leg with live ammunition. Part of his ligament had to be removed. Live ammunition was shot at him and other demonstrators, from 13 meters away. Seven people were injured in the demonstration. When he was carried into the hospital, three other wounded people were carried in with him. Afterwards, four more were brought in. He will need to remain in the hospital for two more weeks.

Nasser* is 19-years-old, and he is from Hebron. He was injured in last Friday’s demonstration, which took part by the Halhul Bridge. A live bullet, fired by a soldier standing some 30-40 meters away, went through both of his legs. It is still embedded in his left leg. The soldiers who shot him started with stun grenades and tear gas, then moved on to live ammunition. Some of the soldiers were using silencers. Nasser lost four units of blood, and will need to spend ten more days in the hospital.

Ali* is 24-years-old, and is from Saiir. He took part in a demonstration at Beit Anun, during which clashes broke out. A bullet was fired into his leg, which exploded upon entry. The Israeli military used rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades, and live ammunition. Ali was shot by a bullet that was fired from a silencer. He was shot from a distance of 30 meters.

Yusuf* is 17-years-old. Last Sunday, he took part in a demonstration against the massacre in Gaza, in Bab Al-Zawiye, the city center of Hebron. He was shot from the roof by a sniper, and the live bullet that entered his leg was fired from a distance of 80-100 meters. A silencer was used. Initially, the soldiers shot tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Some of the demonstrators threw it back at them. While some of the protesters were throwing rocks, not all of them were, and the soldiers nevertheless fired at everyone. Yusuf has spent 10 days in the hospital already, and does not know when he will be able to go home.

Bukhari* is from Tarkumia, a village near Hebron. He is 20-years-old. Bukhari was injured during clashes near the Halhul Bridge, but he was not taking part in the protests. Bukhari was taking a service (shared taxi) to go home after work, when soldiers closed the bridge. He had to look for another vehicle for transportation, and as he was leaving the service, he was shot. Bukhari was shot with a live bullet that went through his leg, from a distance of 11 meter. He lost eight units of blood. Bukhari will need another 14 days in the hospital, and will need physical rehabilitation for some time, to help him walk again.

Jalal* is 20-years-old. He was injured at Bab Al-Zawiye on Monday, July 21st. That night, clashes were taking place between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. He was shot with a bullet that went into one leg and exited through the other. He was not taking part in the clashes, but instead observing from his roof. He was shot by a sniper who was on a nearby roof. The march he was observing was the second demonstration against the massacre in Gaza, during which people marched from Hosseini Mosque to Bab Al-Zawiye. It was a very large demonstration. Jalal will need to spend at least 15 more days in the hospital.

*All names have been changed for security reasons.

Video: Free the bubbles

30th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

At approximately 1 pm on July 28^th, international volunteers made giant bubbles with Palestinian children to celebrate Eid, in Tel Rumeida, al-Khalil (Hebron).

Several settlers passed by in their cars and were visibly annoyed, and two stopped to complain to the Israeli soldiers present. At 1:30 pm, a group of settler youth started pushing Palestinian children who were playing on Tel Rumeida hill.

Several Palestinian women stepped in to prevent the violence. Shortly after this, more setter children and a settler woman, who identified herself as Tzippi, came down from the illegal settlement of Tel Rumeida and began aggressively photographing Palestinians.

Tzippi claimed that her children had been assaulted. She pushed several Palestinians and put her camera extremely close to several of their faces. One Palestinian girl tried to run away and Tzippi chased her up the street. Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers pushed Palestinians an attempted to force some of them into their houses. Eventually, Tzippi chased the Palestinian girl into her own garden. She was then joined by more settlers. An international volunteer blocked her path, by standing with his back to her with his arms outstretched. Soldiers then rushed into the garden and started shouting at Tzippi.

After a short time the Israeli police arrived. The settlers wrongly accused several Palestinians and the international activist of pushing them. These lies were contradicted by several videos that showed what happened and were shown to the police.

Nevertheless, five Palestinians and the international volunteer were arrested by the Israeli police. They were held for around seven hours, and interrogated. One of the Palestinians remained in handcuffs and leg chains throughout his detention.

Meanwhile, the settlers wandered around the police station pointing out Palestinians who they claimed had assaulted them. These Palestinians were all together in a room with no other Palestinians, and were either in chains or behind an interrogation desk in connection with this case. The “identification” process was therefore of no evidential value.

During his interrogation, the police told the international activist that the settlers were very angry and had filed a complaint about the bubbles. The police officer said that he was not taking that particular complaint further because, “it is not illegal for Palestinian children to play.” The police also accepted his account of the incident. However, they police nevertheless took the fingerprints and DNA of those who had been arrested and only released them subject to strict conditions.

Settlers break in to Palestinian home, Palestinians arrested

25th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Israeli settlers in the H2 (under full Israeli military civil and security control) area of Hebron, forced entry into a basement and passage connected to the home of a Palestinian, Abed Sider, which is bordered by a sealed off building now occupied by settlers at around 15:00 on July 24th. Four International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activists arrived following a phone call from Abed telling them that the neighboring settlers broke through a door into an unused part of Abed’s home.

Shortly after the ISM volunteers arrived, several Israeli soldiers, two police officers, and two plain clothed men, who appeared to be settlers, arrived. The police began to question Abed’s brother, Shaady, who also came to the house after receiving a phone call from Abed about the break in. After 30 minutes of questioning at the house, the police and army then took Shaady and Abed to Kiryat Arba police station. Abed’s wife had believed they were being taken to file a report as victims of the break-in.

A few hours after being taken by Israeli forces, family members of Abed and Shaady were informed that he had been arrested and interrogated.

They were being falsely accused of attempting to break into the neighboring settlement by the settlers who had forced entry into Abed’s basement. They were released yesterday morning.

Palestinians threatened by settler and then detained by soldiers

23rd July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Vern | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

At approximately 23:30 on the night of the 21st July, I noticed a group of Israeli soldiers detain four Palestinian men near our apartment. The men detained were Ahmed, Izzat, Anas, and Muhammad. They were ordered to sit on the ground by several armed soldiers. A settler male, armed with an assault rifle, was talking to one of the soldiers.

Ahmed told me that the settler had threatened to shoot them with the gun he carried. There were other Palestinians who were observing, and among them a woman who corroborated their statements, and who had a camera with her. Three TIPH observers (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) were also present. One of them confirmed that the settler was the one who started the confrontation, by pointing his gun at the unarmed men. According to Ahmed, after the settler threatened them, he asked nearby soldiers for help. The soldiers responded by detaining the three Palestinians whom the settler had threatened.

I asked the soldiers why they are detaining the men, and was told it was not my business.

They ordered me to move back. The soldiers grabbed the four men roughly and marched them away uphill.

Upon being asked what was happening, the soldiers claimed that the men were not being arrested, only taken “for a talk” to the military base. I asked them if they are aware that TIPH had documented that the settler was the one at fault, and if they were intending to detain the settler. I was told to move back or face arrest. Palestinians observers were also ordered to move back.

People were taking photos of the soldiers, so one soldier began taking pictures of us with his cellphone. A settler appeared with two children, and began shining a green laser light into people’s eyes. Some of the soldiers found that very funny.

About an hour later, Ahmed, Anas, and Muhammad were released. Izzat was not with them. Ahmad said that on the way to the base, one of the soldiers struck him across the back.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinian family in Hebron, injuring five people including a child

20th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

At midnight this evening in al-Khalil (Hebron), a large group of settlers from nearby illegal settlements, attacked the home of the Al-Sharabati family.

Some of the settlers were intoxicated as they forcefully attempted to enter the Palestinian home; Israeli soldiers nearby watched the incident and made no attempt at intervention. Other Palestinians arrived as the settlers succeeded in entering into the house.

The settlers threw stones inside their house and attacked the family. Eventually the Israeli military arrived, and their response to the settler violence was to throw tear gas grenades and spray pepper spray at the Palestinians.

A 12-year-old boy was hit by a stone and knocked unconscious; he was rushed to hospital in H1 [supposedly under full Palestinian Authority civil and security control].

Four more people from the ages of 15 to 55-years-old were injured. Four of the people, including the 12-year-old child, had to be carried through a checkpoint as the Palestinian ambulance was not allowed to enter the H2 [under full Israeli military civil and security control] area of al-Khalil.

After 30 minutes the Israeli military finally allowed one ambulance to pass through and drive away with one injured person.

The Israeli military detained one youth for two hours. For an hour and 30 minutes the solders prevented Palestinians and internationals from walking near the Al-Sharabati family home.

Some of the solders appeared to make jokes with each other, posing for cameras, and when a Palestinian asked a solder if he would arrest the settlers if they attacked him, the solder responded, “no.”