Tag: Illegal outpost

Israeli army demolishes mosque in al Mufaqarah, South Hebron Hills

4 December 2012 | Operation Dove

At-Tuwani – On Tuesday 4 December at 6.30 am, two bulldozers together with a Border Police vehicle, four District Coordination Office (DCO) vehicles and five Israeli army vehicles arrived to the Palestinian village of al Mufaqarah, and demolished the mosque.

The mosque was already demolished by the Israeli army one year ago, on November 24, 2011. The inhabitants of the village had just finished to rebuild the mosque last October.

The village of al Mufaqarah belongs to Area C, under the military and administrative control of Israel. Every construction must be approved by the Israeli administration. Israel denies Palestinians the right to build on 70% of Area C, which comes out to about 44% of the West Bank, while within the remaining 30% a series of restrictions are applied which eliminate the possibility to obtain a permit.

While Palestinian villages of Area C are suffering an ongoing policy of demolitions, in the nearby outpost of Avigayil, illegal under the Israeli law itself, settlers are working on new buildings. These illegal constructions are tolerated by the army and police, despite repeated reports from international and Israeli activists.

According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833) and Avigayil, are considered illegal also under Israeli law.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani in South Hebron Hills since 2004.

 

Armed settlers harass the villagers of Qusra, a village south east of Nablus in the West Bank

14 June 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

On Saturday June 11, six or seven armed settlers accompanied by the Israeli military entered the Palestinian village of Qusra and harassed villagers. Before they escaped they threw stones at a village truck smashing the side glass and cracking the windscreen.

At approximately 5.00pm, the Imam of the mosque in Qusra started calling to the population of the village that there were armed settlers (from a new illegal outpost near the village) approaching the village, from one of the surrounding mountains. In a show of strength and solidarity, around 100 villagers went to the mountain with the purpose of defending their land. The army accompanied the settlers and threw several sound bombs to disperse the Palestinians. One of the bombs fell inbetween 19 year old Ismail Aburedi’s legs. It rendered him unconscious and later, deaf and unable to walk. The Israeli army refused to let Ismail be taken to the hospital but it is reported that his friends placed him in the back of a car and raced him to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus where he was kept until 2 am the next day. When interviewed by ISM, Ismail Aburedi said: “We will remain in this land, we have been here for hundreds of years and we will be here forever. These settlers are new, we will stay and I will defend my land. There is no where else for us to go.”

The army also tried to arrest 21 year old Burham Hassan, but the villagers dearrested him and managed to “get him back.” Before escaping, the settlers smashed the front and the windscreen of a truck owned by Hosni Aburedi.

Qusra is a village with approximately 5000 people located in the northern of the West Bank, about 30 minutes away from Nablus. The village has already lost around 300 dunams of their land to the surrounding illegal settlements in the area.

One hundred settlers gather to violate construction freeze; Israeli soldiers threaten besieged Palestinian family

2 September 2010 | ISM Media

Baqa’a valley, HEBRON

Last night (1 Sept. 2010) around 150 to 175 Israeli settlers, many armed, constructed an illegal outpost at a new location in the Baqa’a valley, east of Hebron, and attempted to harass a Palestinian family.

A large group of settlers constructing an illegal near Road 60

The Israeli army did not attempt to disperse the settler gathering but later did partially raze the area on which the makeshift outpost buildings had been built – near the illegal Israeli settlements of Kiryat Arba and Givat Harsina, on the opposite side of Route 60, the road where four settlers were killed the previous night.

ISM activists were staying in the house of Palestinian farmer Atta Jabr and his family, who have been subjected to numerous attacks due to the proximity of the illegal Harsina settlement and the nearby “Hill 18” outpost. The last incident was just two weeks when Atta and his pre-teen daughter were attacked by six settlers.

From the house the family and the activists could observe the settlers’ activities a very short distance away.

At 17:00 six settlers arrived with a truck carrying a large water tank. Three soldiers approached them and spoke to them but took no action and left. Around half an hour later, a truck came carrying timber and other building supplies. It was unloaded by twelve settlers.

By 17:45, around 100 settlers had congregated at the site, including many armed with pistols and M16s. A digger arrived carrying around 40 bags of cement in its scoop.

By 18:30, around 175 settlers had arrived, many taking part in construction.

The home of the Jabr family which was besieged for three hours

Some settlers approached the Palestinian house, located about 40m up the hill, no doubt with the intention to harass the Jabr family again. Around 20 settler youths walked around the house. A settler family car stopped outside the front porch of the Palestinian house for a short period of time while the driver looked inside – however they took no further action. The family was effectively under siege for about three hours.

Shortly afterwards the Israeli army arrived, led by the same Captain who two weeks earlier had harassed peaceful internationals instead of removing a large group of settlers from the Palestinian Baqa’a.

A squad of six soldiers walked up to the Palestinian house. The Sergeant shouted in Hebrew demands for the windows to be shut and the lights to be switched off. The internationals didn’t understand so the Sgt lifted up his rifle and cocked it. The soldiers then climbed onto the roof.

By 19:00 it appeared that some settlers had started walking away back to Harsina.

At 20:00, some Israeli activists including Rabbis for Human Rights, AATW and ICAHD tried to access the area but been denied by the army. They reported that the outpost seemed to have been demolished, apparently by the civil administration. The soldiers came down from the roof.

Meanwhile across the valley at Al Buwayra tension was high and a settler attack was fully expected due to the village’s extremely close proximity to the outpost and it’s history settler violence. Three members of CPT and one ISM activist stayed at a house in the village that often bears the brunt of these attacks. At 11.30 news came in that settlers were stoning a nearby house. On arriving near to the house it was apparent that 4-5 settlers were throwing stones from behind the security fence at a Palestinian house. Not far from the scene  the chanting and yelling of  party of settlers probably numbering 30 -40 people could be heard. Not long after the internationals arrived the settlers left and the Palestinians and internationals returned to the house.

When activists went to investigate the location of the Baqa’a valley outpost construction attempt this morning they found a 3×3 metres square of cement, covered in boot prints. Palestinian Atta Jabr told them that the settlers had already come up with a Hebrew name for the outpost they wish to illegally build on Palestinian land – ‘Navi Hevron’.

This incident occurred following an announcement by the settlers that they would unilaterally violate the freeze on settlement construction – deemed illegal under international law – which is not due to expire until September 26th.

The settlers carry out so-called “price tag” attacks on Palestinians whenever the Israeli authorities prevent settlement expansion. The resumption of construction comes after the shooting of four Israeli settlers in Hebron two days ago, an attack which the militant wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for.

Atta Jabr and his family have lived in the area for more than three generations. Their house has been demolished twice. Members of the family appeared in the acclaimed 2006 documentary Occupation 101 – (clip below)  – speaking about their experiences of life under Israeli occupation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV8N9J9gJ9c&feature=related

Provocations continue: settler rally in Al Buwayra

19 August 2010 | ISM Media

Al Buwayra /Al Baqa’a Valley

About 4 pm on 18 August 2010, a group of international activists witnessed an large number of Israeli settlers walking in groups up to “Hill 18” in Al Buwayra, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Hebron. Settlers there had made an outpost in the very heart of the village, and over the years they have repeatedly harassed and attacked the Palestinians living here. Said outpost was recently been demolished by the Israeli army, sparking settlers riots and vindictive attacks on people, property and farmland. The day after the demolition settlers began to rebuild the outpost, and this process is ongoing.

Yesterday afternoon about 100 settlers walked – or drove in minibuses – through the village, and along the road leading up to the outpost, connecting it to the illegal Harzina settlement; a road which it is forbidden for Palestinians to walk or drive on. The settlers were carrying posters with Hebrew writing on, and speaking on a megaphone. Some would stop by and tell the internationals to leave, curse them and threaten them with ‘God’s punishment’ for being present.

After gathering at the outpost, the settlers walked through the fields to Road 60, some climbing the hills almost up to three Palestinian houses on the top of the Al Baqa’a Valley. The settlers were seen to throw rocks at sheep owned by local Palestinian farmers. Down near Road 60, about 50 people gathered, made a fire, and held their posters aloft. Music was played, and some speeches were given through the megaphone.

The police and army had just arrived when the internationals got to the spot. The full attention of the police was focused on the international, and one policeman took the five activists’ passports, claiming he had to check them. While waiting on the opposite side of the road from the settlers, one policeman claimed ISM activists were not allowed to be in the area. Asked if it was a closed military zone, the police said “yes”, subsequently bringing two papers which they wouldn’t let the internationals look at properly to verify. The internationals were then asked to leave, which they naturally would not do without their passports (still held by the police).

After making a clear point that we were not the ones violating any law, and asking the police to remove the settlers from Palestinian land, activists were informed by police that “This is the land of Israel, and there is nothing named Palestinian land.” The police then stopped a few Palestinian cars, forced the drivers to get out, and searched the passengers and the vehicle. Six soldiers were observed walking up to the top of the valley, after the settlers had gone down to the road. Asked why they went there, the police responded: “To prevent anybody from getting hurt.”

The Internationals then left the area for about 20 minutes, then coming back to ask for the “closed military zone” paper, which, it seems, did not exist.

After about 2 hours settlers started to leave the area in minibuses. ISM activists then went into Buwayra and stayed overnight with a family who live close to the outpost, fearing another riot like the one seen on 6 August, when 100 setters attacked the Sultan family’s house with rocks. Nothing happened, and it seems that most of the settlers left Buwayra after their demonstration. The protest was, according to Hebrew speakers about marking the 4th anniversary of what the settlers claim was the murder of a settler on another, now demolished, outpost in Buwayra. The settlers’ demonstration comes after weeks of violence and harassment following the demolition of an Israeli outpost.