24th September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Bethlehem, occupied Palestine
Fire. That seemed to be the theme yesterday as we celebrated World Week for Peace in Bethlehem. Fire, when tear gas canisters erupted into flames in the Aida refugee camp, showing the continued violence. Fire, as we lit candles in the shape of the West Bank, signifying hope. And fire in our hearts, symbolizing our determination to fight for justice until peace prevails. Although the evening began with empty seats, this was not due to a lack of attendants. In an all too symbolic manner, tear gas filled the air during our worship service for peace, causing our visitors to seek immediate shelter inside. Once the tear gas finally subsided and mint leaves were passed out, then a beautiful service was finally able to begin. Following the beautiful words preached by our speakers, we demonstrated that love, hope, and peace will always prevail. This was shown by igniting tear gas canisters outlining the borders of the West Bank. But these canisters contained candles instead of the harmful smoke they usually carry. As each candle was lit, a prayer and a promise was made to dismantle barriers by continuing the nonviolent fight against the occupation, knowing one day that the wall will fall!
22nd September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
One year has passed since the extrajudicial execution of the Palestinian student Hadeel al-Hashlamoun by Israeli forces at Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). One year without justice for the family of the slain teen – one year of complete lack of consequences and continous impunity for the soldier who executed Hadeel in cold-blood despite her not posing any threat, and despite photo and video-evidence. But also one year, in which this culture of impunity for the cold-blooded murder of Palestinians has been fostered further and emboldened the Israeli forces to continue gunning down Palestinians – a crime that in Israeli society is no longer considered a crime.
18-year old Hadeel al-Hashlamoun, on the 22nd September 2015 crossed the then not yet highly-militarized and fenced-off Shuhada checkpoint. Israeli forces at the checkpoint were yelling at her – in Hebrew – the language of the occupying soldiers, that most Palestinians do not understand or speak. Despite a Palestinian bystander translating between the girl and the soldiers, Hadeel was shot several times with live ammunition in her upper body – at a point where she was at a 5 meter distance from the soldiers behind a metal-fence and could under no circumstances have posed any kind of threat to the soldiers. Israeli authorities claim that Hadeel was holding a knife. Whether or not this is the case video- and photo-evidence clearly shows, she was far away from the soldiers, and not approaching or moving towards any of them.
As in most of these kind of incidents, after Israeli forces gun down Palestinians, she was left to bleed to death on the ground, while Israeli forces threw stun grenades at a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance outside the checkpoint in order to prevent any medical treatment. Instead, in a video she can be seen pulled by her feet on the ground, seemingly in order to prevent any journalists attempting to take photos despite the stun grenades to get a shot of the dying, slowly bleeding to death, teenager. At the same time, settlers were gathering and looking on, taking their own photos and videos. At a later point, she was kidnapped to an Israeli hospital in far-away Jerusalem, whereas the Palestinian medical crew prevented from reaching the seriously injured girl would have been able to evacuate her to the nearby at only 5-minutes distance Palestinian hospital in al-Khalil. In contrast to the majority of Palestinians gunned down, her family was “granted” the right to bury their daughter, a right Israeli forces now tend to deny to families by kidnapping the bodies and refusing to hand them over to their families.
As has become all to common, the executioner of Hadeel has not had to face any consequences for the cold-blooded killing caught on camera. In the recent weeks, Israeli forces have again increased the use of lethal force against Palestinians, gunning down 10 Palestinians in only 6 days.
20th September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Israeli forces in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) are increasing their efforts to slowly annex even more of the tiny part of Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk.
The majority of Shuhada Street, once the main Palestinian market and connection between the south and north of the city, has been ethnically cleansed of Palestinians after the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994. More than 1800 shops on Shuhada Street were forced closed and their doors welded shut, and more than 600 families were forcibly displaced by the occupation army, creating a ‘sterile zone’ free of Palestinians, who’s mere presence in this area has been ruled illegal by the occupation. Out of the four settlements in the heart of the Old City of al-Khalil, three are located on Shuhada Street, and one is nearby in Tel Rumeida, conveniently connected with a road only settlers are allowed to drive on. This road extends further in the opposite direction all the way to the biggest illegal settlement on the outskirts of al-Khalil, Kiryat Arba.
The only few hundred meter of Shuhada Street, located between Shuhada and Daboya checkpoint, that are still accessible to Palestinian pedestrians, since October 2015 has been declared a ‘closed military zone’, covering the whole Tel Rumeida neighborhood; thus limiting the number of Palestinians able to use this street to registered – that is numbered – residents. Near Daboya checkpoint, which marks the ‘end’ of Shuhada Street for Palestinian residents, the spot where they’re not allowed to pass any further by the discriminatory legal system of the Israeli occupation based on racial discrimination, used to be the spot to reach Qurtuba school and the surrounding neighborhood – before these stairs have been permanently closed. Again, this closure is based on racial discrimination and only affects Palestinians, whereas settlers are free to use the stairs without any hassle. This closure effectively turned the small strip of Shuhada Street into a dead-end for Palestinians, as the rest of the Street is a no-go zone for Palestinians, and the only other option, the stairs, included in the ethnically cleansed area ‘free’ of Palestinians.
Sunday night, after Israeli forces gunned down 4 Palestinians in occupied al-Khalil in just two days, killing 3; the end of Shuhada Street leading into the ethnically cleansed part was marked with white lines, indicating a new limit for Palestinians till where they’re allowed to walk. Immediately after passing the first line – which is placed about 20 meteres from the checkpoint – Israeli forces will approach any Palestinian for the usual checks and humiliation all too common at checkpoints. The line was placed just few meters in front of the entrance to the house closest to Daboya checkpoint still inhabitet by Palestinians. Effectively, this means that whenever coming home, the residents are forced to cross this line, resulting in soldiers approaching them expecting them to try to pass further down the street. A second smaller line is marked with the Arabic word for ‘stop’, clearly illustrating that this command is deliberately only intended to affect the Palestinians. Therefore, the part of the street past the first line towards the ethnically cleansed part of the street has now become part of the ever-more expanding ‘sterile’ no-go zone for Palestinians.
Marking indicating in Arabic for Palestinians to stop. Shuhada Street.
The continuous annexation-efforts of the Israeli forces thus are going slowly, but steady, and so far have gone unnoticed by the media and the international community. With the closure of the Qurtuba stairs, the implementation of the closed military zone, and the now new restrictions though, the maze of areas effectively ethnically cleansed of Palestinian residents are increasing steadily, exacerbating the already almost impossible to navigate maze of checkpoints, restrictions, no-go zones, areas and arbitrarily declared closures, curfews, denials of passage and constant threat of injury or even death. All solely based on one distinct feature – being born Palestinian.
22nd September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah-team | Bil’in, occupied Palestine
Approximately fourty soldiers invaded the central West Bank town of Bil’in early morning of September 22nd. The army confiscated at least three laptops, one hard-drive, five phones, and two camera memory cards from the homes of six local activists. Bil’in community members feel this was part of an ongoing attempt to break the spirit of the town and disrupt the ability for community members to share their stories on social media.
Israeli forces in Palestinian family home Photo credit: Haitham al-Khatib
The soldiers barged into Bil’in at 2:30 A.M., waking up entire households, including several children. They then interrogated the activists, and haphazardly searched through their entire homes. Ashad Abu Rahmah, who is attaining his masters in Business Administration, realized after the soldiers left his home that they had taken his computer hard drive. “They want to break our courage and willingness to post anything about Bil’in on social media and news sources,” states Ashad. “But they will not succeed in this,” he continues.
The army suggested they would return the stolen items to some, but historically, promises such as this have been little more than empty words. Haitham Al Khatib, who filmed the invasion says, “I am still waiting for them to return my car, and video recording devices which they confiscated from me in a night raid before three months”.
Ashraf Abu Rahmah, whose home was one of those raided, saw the loss alone of items totaling around 4,500 shekel worth of technology. Ashraf has spent significant time in prison from consistent arrests. In 2008, while blindfolded and handcuffed as caught on tape, Ashraf was shot in the foot by a soldier. He is also the brother of Bassem and Jawaher Abu Rahmah, both of whom were killed by by Israeli army in Bil’in. For families like Ashraf’s in particular, it’s incredibly important to have access to cameras and computers in order to share internationally the stories of what takes place in Bil’in.
Additionally, the homes of Rateb Abu Rahmah, Abdullah Abu Rahmah, Bassil Mansour, Muhammed al-Khatib and Ahmad Abu Rahmah were also raided.
Watch a video of Israeli forces storming into the homes of Bil’in activists.
Night raids have deep psychological impacts on children and adults alike. Many community members struggle with persistent nightmares and Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder. Raids such as these have been a consistent disruption in the town of Bil’in for over seven years, with no sight to an end of this terrorizing tactic.
After similar raids in the past, the town has seen an increase in arrests of non-violent activists for resisting the illegal annexation of Bil’in to the illegal Israeli settlement Modi’in Illit. But this raid will not deter the community from attending nor documenting the weekly demonstrations which have taken place for the past 11 years against the illegal annexation of their land.
Israeli forces jeep in Bil’in at night Photo credit: Haitham al-Khatib
22nd September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza, occupied Palestine
Yesterday the Palestinian Committee for Breaking the Siege organized an event in Gaza’s port in order to welcome the two boats that left a few days ago from Barcelona and intend to break the siege in the coming weeks.
Adham Abu Slimiya thanked those women for reminding the world about the suffering of the people of Gaza. He also reminded that since the last aggression the pain of Gaza’s population hasn’t decreased, as even the reconstruction hasn’t taken place yet. He also invited all human rights associations and all those who care about freedom and human rights to support and protect those women so they can arrive safely to Gaza.
On the same line spoke Mona Skeik, who thanked each one of these persons and asked for the protection of the boats by the international community, reminding of what happened with the Mavi Marmara. She reminded that women, men and children of Gaza are dying slowly because of the blockade, which she said is clearly a crime against humanity. For that reason their efforts are really appreciated.
