Nur Shams Refugee Camp – An Unbreakable Will

By Diana Khwaelid

We witness an unbreakable will in the Nour Shams refugee camp, located north-east in the city of
Tulkarem, despite being subjected to more than 10 incursions, killings, arrests,
destruction of roads and other infrastructure, shelling, and burning of houses and shops.

Storming the Nour Shams camp
On the evening of Monday December 25th, the Israeli occupation forces stormed
the Nur Shams refugee camp northeast of the city of Tulkarem in the north of the West
Bank.

Dozens of Israeli military vehicles accompanied by troop carriers and 4 D9 bulldozers were used by the occupation forces to destroy infrastructure in preparation for the entry of occupation soldiers on foot.
This Israeli military operation launched by the occupation forces on the camp lasted for more than 9 continuous hours.

Confronting the occupation forces and defending the camp.
Palestinian resistance fighters defended the camp and its residents and confronted the Israeli occupation forces who stormed the camp without warning. Armed clashes occurred between Palestinian gunmen who tried to defend the camp and the Israeli occupation forces who targeted residents and houses with live ammunition.

Destruction of infrastructure and roads.
The main and secondary roads were largely destroyed and neighborhoods of Nour Shams camp, mostly concentrated in the Al Damj neighborhood and Manshiyeh neighborhood. The Israeli occupation forces
destroyed the main roads by using military vehicles to bulldoze land and streets with military-type D9 bulldozers. Agricultural land with farming of crops was also destroyed.

 

Bombing of a house and burning of another.

The Israeli occupation forces targeted two Palestinian houses, one of which was
destroyed by aerial bombardment, and another one that was burned. Everything within it was destroyed from clothes to furniture. Other homes nearby suffered partial damage, such as glass being broken, doors being ripped off. The first house belongs to the citizen Youssef Zandiq one of the camp residents. the second house that was burned belongs to the family of the young man Musa
al-Azeb. The family of the young man Youssef Zandiq said:

“We evacuated the house before it was bombed as no one was inside. Thank God for
everything, we are lucky that there were no human losses.”

Some Palestinian homes were also stormed during the incursion, including the house of the Dahrouki family.
Israeli occupation forces also painted the logo of the star of the state of Israel, as a sign signalling that it will be bombed in the next incursion.
Despite all the violence and destruction carried out by the Israeli occupying forces during the past weeks and months, despite the human and material losses caused by the destruction of houses, roads, agricultural land andshops, the residents of Nur Shams camp still have a strong and unbroken will.

 

 

 

 

Palestinians hold protest on International Palestinian Prisoners day

17/04/2018 International Solidarity Movement Al Khalil | Hebron

Today’s demonstration was held by the Palestinian prisoners club, political factions and Palestinian civil society also in attendance were Palestinian prisoner family members and internationals. Palestinians marched from the stadium in Al Khalil, Hebron to Ibn Rushd square. The aim of the protest was to support and highlight the Palestinian prisoners on International Palestinian Prisoners day.

Palestinian Protestors march from the stadium to Ibn Rushd Square

Hisham Sharabati from Hebron defense committee present at the demonstration stated:

” We want all Palestinian prisoners free until then we want decent human conditions for detainees. Prisoners under administrative detention are clearly under arbitrary detention”.

” All the prisoners are not terrorists as Israel likes to claim, they are freedom fighters who are working for the liberation of their people and land. International law guarantees the right of the occupied to resist the occupier.”

Palestinians gather at Ibn Rushd Square to hear speeches in support of Palestinian Prisoners

Palestinian Prisoner statistics

There are 500 Administrative detainees who are boycotting the Israeli legal system.
6,500 Palestinian prisoners held inside Israeli jails
350 Palestinian child prisoners
6 Palestinian MP’s
20 Prisoners have spent 20 years in prison
25 have spent more than 25 years in prison
700 Palestinian prisoners are in need or urgent medical attention or treatment as Israel does not provide sufficient medical care for detainees.
64 Female prisoners including minors.

Palestinians hold placards of Palestinian prisoners at Ibn Rushd Square

A Palestinian who spoke at the demonstration said: ” The battle for the freedom of Palestinian detainees is not just a battle with the Israeli occupation only, but it is also a struggle against the imperialist powers including the united states of America who are currently pressurizing the Palestinian authority to cut funds for the Palestinian prisoners and their families”.

Family members of Palestinian Prisoners