Tag: International law - Page 49 - International Solidarity Movement

Non violent protest in Ni’lin once again met with violence

15th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Ni’lin, occupied Palestine

On Friday, the 15th of April 2016 – and as part of a West-Bank wide protest for Prisoner’s Day – the villagers of Ni’lin held their weekly non-violent demonstration. They were protesting against Israeli apartheid politics, the theft of the villagers land through the building of the apartheid wall and illegal settlements. The protestors were also showing their opposition to the continued collective punishment that the village of Ni’lin suffers at the hands of Israeli forces.

Prayers take place before the protest in Ni'lin — Prayers take place before the protest in Ni’lin

After the midday prayers some of the Palestinian demonstrators walked up towards the road to the gate in the apartheid wall. Whilst another group of began walking down to a different part of the wall to start a fire with rubber tires in an attempt to draw the Occupation Forces away from the main demonstration. At the main clash the demonstrators were met with tear gas near the entrance to the village, but thankfully no rubber-coated metal bullets or live-ammunition were used by the Israeli forces this week. A main concern for the villagers was the shooting of tear gas in the outskirts of the city where two houses were hit. This show of collective punishment meant that the the villagers in those two houses, not taking part in the protest, were extremely badly effected by tear gas. The demonstrators, supported as ever by Israelis and Internationals showing their solidarity, were quickly forced back by the sheer volume of tear gas and the demonstration began to wind down.

Fire at the Apartheid wall away from the main protest

The excess use of force in denying Palestinians their right to peaceful protest and the use, once again, of long-range, potentially deadly teargas canisters, ended with 5 Palestinians injured as well as the damage suffered by the two houses hit by the tear gas canisters. On this occasion there were no fatalities and the medical team of the 101 Palestine Red Crescent Society were there to help the injured protesters.

If the Israeli Occupying Force continues to use the long-range, wall-piercing tear gas canisters, which cannot be seen as they are fired, it can only be a matter of time before there are further serious injuries to protestors or worse.

Excessive use of force and collective punishment at demonstrations in remembrance of Palestinian political prisoners

17th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Kafr Qaddum, Nabi Saleh & Ofer, occupied Palestine

On 15^th April, weekly demonstrations against the Israeli occupation were held throughout the occupied West Bank commemorating ‘Prisoner’s Day’.

Kafr Qaddum village has been separated from their main access road to the Palestinian city of Nablus for 13 years. They hold weekly demonstrations against the closure of this road, which was initially closed in order to allow free movement for settlers from the nearby illegal Qedumim settlement. This Friday Israeli forces inundated the demonstrators and part of the village with tear gas, resulting in dozens of people receiving emergency medical treatment for excessive tear gas inhalation. In an all too common act of collective punishment, Israeli forces did not only target the demonstrators with tear gas and rubber coated metal bullets, but also sprayed civilian homes in the village with foul smelling ‘skunk water’. Early in the morning, before the start of the demonstration, Israeli forces closed the village entrance, arbitrarily (and illegally) declaring it a ‘closed military zone’ in order to prevent international and Israeli activists from participating in the demonstration.

Israeli forces ready to shoot at demonstration in Kafr Qaddum

In the village of Nabi Saleh, villagers, international solidarity activists and journalists demonstrating the Israeli occupation and theft of land, were attacked not only by the Israeli forces, but additionally by settlers from the illegal settlement of Halamish. Israeli forces inundated the protest with tear gas, causing several cases of excessive tear gas inhalation.

Israeli forces equipped with tear gas grenades and foam bullets in Nabi Saleh

Israeli forces at the Ofer military prison complex fired stun grenades, tear gas, rubber coated metal bullets as well as live fire at unarmed protestors. They arrested four protestors and, in an act of collective punishment, entered the village of Beitunia arbitrarily shooting tear gas into the streets causing civilians to suffer from excessive tear gas inhalation.

Streets filled with tear gas in the village of Beitunia

Palestinians and supporters world-wide commemorate Prisoner Day on 17th April each year, in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. There are at least 7000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, 750 of whom are held under ‘administrative detention’ without charge or trial. This includes 1400 minors under the age of 18 since October 2015. Under Israeli military law – which is effect throughout the West Bank – Palestinian children as young as 12 years old can be arrested by Israeli forces. In many of these cases the children are denied access to family, lawyers and their most basic human rights. They are often interrogated, intimidated and physically and psychologically threatened without a family member or lawyer present. As a result these children can be forced to sign confessions in Hebrew, a language they do not understand.

Most Palestinian prisoners are transferred to prisons within the Israeli territories. This act is illegal under international law that prohibits the transfer of prisoners from the occupied Palestinian territories into an area where they can only receive family visits after applying and receiving permission from the Israeli government. This is a permission, of course, that is very rarely granted.

Bi’lin Protest on the anniversary of the death of Bassam Abu Rahma

17th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Bi’lin, occupied Palestine

This Friday 15^th April, the village of Bi’lin held their long-running protest against the illegal Israeli occupation and Apartheid wall. However, the protest on this day was tinged with further sadness, falling as it did on the seven-year anniversary of the death of Bassem Abu Rahma, who was hit directly in the chest by a long-range tear gas canister in April, 2009.

Abu Rahma’s death was immortalised in Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s film Five Broken Cameras. Footage used in the film proved that Abu Rahma was standing east of the fence, not engaging in violent demonstration (stone-throwing) and not endangering soldiers’ lives. Analysis of the documentation by imaging experts found that the gas canister that killed him was aimed directly at him, contrary to the rules of engagement as laid out by the Geneva Convention. It also clearly contradicts the instructions for the use of tear gas as a ‘less lethal’ weapon, which clearly states that it always has to be shot in an arch above protestors and never straight at them.

Seven years after his death, Subhiya Abu Rahma, Bassam’s mother, still does not have justice for her son’s murder. At this Friday’s demonstration, Palestinian, Israeli and international activists marched peacefully towards the Apartheid Wall holding pictures of Bassem, waving Palestinian flags and chanting songs. They were met and pushed back with a large volley of tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades. Dozens of people suffered the effects of the gas, with two children – who were in their house and not attending the protest, and thus uninvolved civilians, treated for serious inhalation. Once again the Israeli occupying forces used the deadly long range tear gas canisters in their attempt to end the demonstration. These canisters come with a potential range of 500 metres, are capable of piercing the walls of houses and are being aimed directly at protestors.

Sabiha, Bassem's mother, weeps over a photograph of her son — Sabiha, Bassem’s mother, weeps over a photograph of her son Photo credit: activestills

Bassem Abu Rahma posed no threat to the Israeli army the day he died and was a part of a peaceful protest against the illegal occupation of his land, much like the protest that still takes place every Friday in Bi’lin. If the army continue to respond with disproportionate and excessive violence, denying the Palestinian people (and those expressing solidarity) the right to peaceful protest, then it is only a matter of time before another life is lost in such tragic circumstances.

Non-violent protest in Ni’lin again met with collective punishment against whole village

12th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Ni’lin, occupied Palestine

On Friday, the 8th of April 2016, the villagers of Ni’lin nonviolently demonstrated against Israeli apartheid politics, the theft of the villagers land through the building of the apartheid wall and illegal settlements, and the increasing collective punishment of the village of Ni’lin by Israeli forces’ use of excessive force.

Israeli forces, yet again, were gathering near the apartheid wall that is stealing a majority of village land, long before the start of the midday prayer. After the prayer, the demonstrators walked up towards the soldiers in order to engage them in a dialogue about their actions in the village of Ni’lin and their excessive use of force against the civilian population in Ni’lin. They also questioned the soldiers about why they have been stopping the farmers – vast areas of the villages’ farming land have been illegally confiscated – even on the stretches of land that the villagers theoretically can still reach. A main concern for the villagers though was the shooting of tear gas inside the village center, where civilians not involved in the protest are affected by the tear gas. In the last few weeks, Israeli forces have thus targeted a public park including a playground and various family homes, shooting the potentially lethal long range tear gas cannisters right inside the homes.

Shortly after this non-violent questioning of the soldiers and their intentions, the soldiers ordered the Palestinians to leave the area, declaring it a ‘closed military zone’. Immediately after, they started using excessive force, inundating the fields and village of Ni’lin with tear gas. Again, soldiers were shooting endless rounds of tear gas towards the houses in an act of collective punishment that has become a weekly reality for the villagers. Additionally, they shot rubber-coated metal bullets directly at the protestors, injuring one young man in the stomach. Five persons required medical treatment after suffering from excessive tear gas inhalation.

Stomach injury caused by Israeli forces' shooting of rubber-coated metal bullets straight at protestors — Stomach injury caused by Israeli forces’ shooting of rubber-coated metal bullets straight at protestors

Press release: Last day of demolition order leaves Palestinian family in Wadi al-Joz in fear of losing their home

10^th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Jerusalem, occupied Palestine

The 10^th of April is the last day of the demolition order on the home of the Totanji family. The family lives in the Sawaneh district in Wadi al-Joz, a village in East Jerusalem near the Old City, which Israel has declared as a ‘National Park’ area. This despite it having always been a residential area. The family received the demolition order over a year and a half years ago, but lost the appeal against the order last month. Today is the last day of the demolition order, which leaves the family fearing that their house maybe demolished tonight.

The house is single-story with 4 bedrooms. However, it is currently the home of 16 people including a 7 month old baby, the granddaughter of the owner of the house. The family does not, as is the case with other Palestinian families in fear of house demolition, not have any where else to go, and will leave their whole life behind if their house is demolished. Just seven months ago, one of Totanji sons had his house demolished in the same area. This fear of losing ones home does not just apply to the Totanjis, but also to the rest of the residents in Palestine, due to the huge number of demolitions and demolition orders. In just the last week (31^st March-6^th April) 14 houses have been demolished in East Jerusalem and the West Bank by Israeli Forces.

Wadi al-Joz is located directly outside the Old City of Jerusalem in a vulnerable area. It is a neighbourhood that suffers from many demolition orders and subsequent demolitions. This is due to Israel declaring parts of the area around the Old City in Jerusalem as a ‘National Park’, to “protect the historical land.” The area covers a huge residential areas containing villages which are already overcrowded including Wadi al-Joz. In addition to the Totanjis, 13 other families in the Sawaneh district in Wadi al-Joz are also in danger of demolition. The information regarding the so called ‘National Park’ was only relayed to these families in the past two years. And whilst Israeli authorities claim that it was declared a park more than 4 decades ago, regardless, this declaration concerning annexed territory is in direct violation of international law.

The family is seeking an international presence to defer the demolition and deter the Israeli authorities. Internationals will be in the house from this evening and for the foreseeable future to prevent the demolition. There is a press conference planned tomorrow morning, 11am on 11th Apri 2016, to announce the opening of a protest tent outside the Totanji family house. The families and the community of Wadi al-Joz invites everyone to attend the protest and to lend coverage to this important event.

Address:

Wadi Al-Joz, neighbourhood of East Jerusalem

Across the Fire Station, behind the Central Market or “Hisbi”

Directions:

From Damascus Gate, follow the Old City Wall towards the Mount of Olives and continue down into Wadi Al-Joz. The home is on a dirt road on the right before you begin to go up the hill to the Mount of Olives. It is about 10-15 minute walk from Damascus Gate. Alternatively, you can drive down from the Mount of Olives past the Ibrahimiya School. The dirt road is on the left at the bottom of the hill just opposite the paved road that goes right into Wadi al-Joz.

Contacts:

Totanji family contact

Aref Tatanji: +972-(0)-508-133-590 (Arabic)

Press conference contact

Nureddin Amro: +972-(0)-525-271-587 (Arabic and English)

ISM media contact

Josephine: +972-(0)-59-740-6401(English)