1 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
4 people were injured today at a peaceful rally held near the Ofer military prison, in solidarity with hunger striking Palestinians within Israel’s Occupation prisons.
Injuries sustained were caused by rubber coated steel bullets, along with tear gas canisters, skunk water, and pepper spray. Taysir Arabsha was injured by a rubber coated steel bullet, while others sustained lighter injuries from these bullets.
A Palestinian woman’s iconic gesture of resistance echoed loudly across the world as she climbed atop a skunk water truck at the demonstration. Titled “Flag Woman” by fellow activists, she managed to avoid arrest, yet she and others suffered from direct pepper spray as they escaped Israel’s violent presence at the rally.
About two weeks ago on Prisoners Day, thousands of Palestinian prisoners within Israeli Occupation Prisons began hunger striking with those who had resisted nourishment by the Zionists for weeks on end prior. Today Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahla entered their 63rd day of hunger strike. Reports have indicated that they have been transferred to hospitals as their declining health is becoming more fatal.
The hunger strikes come as resistance to Israel’s overall collective punishment of the Palestinian people, in illegally besieging them and occupying them in open air prisons, while arbitrarily arresting Palestinians and subjecting them to administrative detention, which can be extended for periods on end without any evidence or a formal court hearing.
Khader Adnan and Hana al Shalabi were released from prison following their hunger strikes, with Shalabi relocated to Gaza and separated from her family and loved ones.
About 4,000 Palestinians are currently held in Occupation prisons.
Jessica Mansour is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
Palestinians gather in Ramallah to protest in support of prisoners who have been on hunger strike in Israeli jail. While two have been on hunger strike for over 60 days, the majority of the estimated 3,000 participants have been on hunger strike since April 17th.
13 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Please SUBMIT pictures in solidarity with Hassan Safady
FREE HASSAN SAFADY
FREE ALL PRISONERS IN ADMINSTRATIVE DETENTION
Today Hasan Safady entered into his 42nd day of hunger strike. Ten months ago, he was brutally arrested from his home in the old city of Nablus and has since then been kept in administrative detention. Hassan’s older brother Fouad Safady explains that their family have been denied any communication or visits to Hassan, so any information gained has been acquired through his lawyer. Since Hassan began his hunger strike he has been exposed to severe violence and beatings from prison guards. In a further attempt to silence his resistance, Hassan has been threatened with an 800 shekel fine for each day of his hunger strike. This will have devastating economic consequences for him and his family.
Hassan’s condition became more critical ten days ago, when he was transferred to Ramla prison hospital. His health is said to have further deteriorated since he stopped taking water five days ago. This extreme measure was a response to his placement in solitary confinement. After being transferred to Ramla Hospital, Hassan’s lawyer was presented with a report about his medical condition stating that he has severe pains in stomach and head, and that his kidneys are in danger of taking irreparable damage.
Until now his family has had no information of his release. Hassan has been in administrative detention for a total of 105 months during the last ten years. His family is unsurprisingly resigned about the situation; “They will probably release him at some point and then arrest him again after two or three months. They play with us,” says Fouad Safad.
The Safady family has suffered irrevocably at the hands of the occupation. In 1996 Hassans brother Farik was killed by the Israeli army. Hassan’s parents have had to watch as each of their children were imprisoned or detained in Israeli military jails. In a deal like that of Hana Shalabi’s, Hassan’s sister and husband have been deported to Gaza in exchange for their freedom, adding to the agonizing division of the Safady family.
Outside the family home, pictures and posters of Hassan plaster the walls of a solidarity tent, a final act of resistance allowing friends and family to gather and share support. However, the Israeli army is determined to relinquish any remaining hope the Safady family may still hinder. On Sunday night the occupation forces entered the old city of Nablus, destroying the tent and tearing up photographs of Hassan.
Hassan Safady is one of many Palestinian prisoners who have found the refusal of food to be the only remaining tool in their political resistance to administrative detention. Hassan’s hunger strike has now entered a critical phase, as everyday it becomes less and less likely that his body will ever gain a full recovery.
Immediate international attention and solidarity is needed for Hassan and his family as they continue their struggle for freedom and justice.
Andreas and Silvia are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed).
This week International Solidarity Movement is calling for international solidarity in the run up to Palestinian Prisoners Day on the 17th April. The Palestinian prisoners struggle needs immediate international attention as Israel’s treatment of prisoners under a military judicial system starkly violates international law and fundamental human rights. According to Addammer there are currently 4,637 Palestinian political prisoners are kept in Israeli military jails and detention centers, including 320 administrative detainees.
Some of the primary objectives of the prisoners struggle are:
To stop the system known as administrative detention, which allows the imprisonment of individuals without charge or trail
To halt the practice of solitary confinement.
To stop the use of torture and ill treatment. Palestinians are exposed to systematic ill and degrading treatment from the moment of arrest – both physiological and physical terrors are used as means of breaking the prisoners and getting details and information.
To stop the illegal transference of prisoners from the occupied territories into Israeli borders. Every time Israel brings a prisoner from the West bank jails inside their borders – they are in clear violation with the 4th Geneva Convention.
To stop the use of military courts for civilians.
To stop arrest and imprisonment of vulnerable groups such as children, elder and disabled.
Besides the suffering of individual prisoners, Israel systematically uses collective punishment towards the relatives of prisoners. The journeys to visit your husband, wife, son, or daughter may take up to 15 hours as the prisoners are systematically placed as far from their home as possible. Furthermore, visitors will face degrading processes of strip search at the borders to Israel and at the entrance to the prisons. Sometimes they even get turned away.
“All people and governments of conscience in the world have an immediate responsibility to put pressure on Israel forcing them to respect International law and human rights!” says Faris Sabbah, from Addammer, the Prisoners support and Human Rights Association.
TAKE ACTION
You can:
Organize a protest in front of the Israeli Embassy or consulate in our town
Write letters to protest the violations of rights of Palestinian political prisoners and to call for an intervention to the International Committee of the Red Cross, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and your governoment or parliamentarians.
Write letters to Palestinian prisoners expressing your support. Read more about thise here:
Submit your photos:
What ever action you choose to take – please submit photos from your action to ISM at palreports@gmail.com.
Amani al Khandaqja with her father, pose following her release
by Lydia
6 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
“You are a very clever woman Amani, you are the first free woman from Ashkalan, this brings me great frustration.”
These are the words of the Chief of Intelligence at Huwarra Camp where Amani al Khandaqja was forced to go during her first Sunday of freedom after her 10 days of imprisonment. On the 20th of March, al Khandaqja was taken from her home, Nablus City, in a 2AM night raid, shackled, handcuffed and blindfolded, her 10 days of imprisonment were as follows:
On entering the Ashkelon interrogation prison, al Khandaqja made the decision to begin an open ended hunger strike, bringing her to the immediate decision of the military to be held in solitary confinement. Her days started with fierce determination to show that she is not and will not be intimidated by the interrogators or the prison.
When taken for the routine strip search, al Khandaqja simply but vehemently refused anything of the sort. She spent her days in a room too small for any comfort, the light was on day and night, and food was used as a constant temptation out of her hunger strike.
The military used low, pathetic tactics including sitting her in front of a table with chicken, burgers, chips and rice. On refusal of the food soldiers asked al Khandaqja , “Why do you not like food?” al Khandaqja was quick to reassure them that she is in fact very fond of food but she “like [her] mother’s food, [her] sisters’ food, even [her] brother’s food, but [she] will not eat [their] food.”
Tactics quickly became even more personal by offering Amani an opportunity to see her brother Bassam. Bassam is a political prisoner in Ashkelon’s mixed sex prison, who is 9 years into his life sentence. The terms of the negotiation were to stop the hunger strike for a short visit. The negotiation was rejected by al Khandaqja.
As the days and nights passed and interrogation continued, the military became weaker and weaker. “All they had to say was that I was too active on Facebook.” Amani explained how the interrogator informed her, “I know your words have power” but this simply was not enough to keep Amani captured.
The Israeli military often offers monetary rewards for those it convinces to become collaborators against the Palestinian people, and with Amani the offers came thick and fast. Having studied psychology at university, and one who has traveled to Europe working with women groups in campaigns addressing issues such as domestic violence, she is a woman who is not easily scared or intimidated. This was evident to the Israeli military.
It is true that al Khandaqja is a threat to Israel’s apartheid, but not because of their usual rhetoric of her being a “violent Palestinian,” but because Amani is a clever, determined, educated, and passionate young woman who, it seems, will stop at nothing in her struggle for human rights. When asked if and when she will return back to work, Amani replied “I am always working. I will not stop. I write everyday about the conditions of the prisoners. I am only writing for peace, and I do not want to see anymore violence”
Amani, who is from Nablus City was releasd at Turkoomia checkpoint in Al Khalil (Hebron), 77 kilometer from Nablus. She was left with no phone or money. Fortunately she was able track down her father and have a car sent to her, not before visiting friends in Al Khalil as word had gotten out about her release. That night, the 30th March, Amani returned home split with emotion. The prospect of seeing her family filled her with happiness but to have left her brother Bassam and personal friend Masser Halabi behind brought an overwhelming sadness, a sadness that is sure to inspire and motivate Amani to continue the struggle with more passion and determination than ever before.
Lydia is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
