Tag: Israeli Army - Page 107 - International Solidarity Movement

Palestinian murdered by Israeli forces in Huwarra

4th June 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Huwwara, Occupied Palestine

In the late hours of Monday evening, Israeli forces executed 30-year-old, father of two, Alaa’ Mohammed ‘Awadh, at Za’tara checkpoint, in southern Nablus.

The Israeli army claimed that a Palestinian gunman was shot dead after he injured an Israeli police officer in the leg. The villagers of Huwwara stated their amazement at the version released by the border police; Alaa’ was the owner of a phone shop in Huwarra and not politically affiliated.

The taxi driver stated that Alaa was standing next to the taxi, unarmed, when Israeli soldiers opened fire. A relative of the victim said that Alaa’ arrived at the checkpoint to collect material for his shop.

According to multiple sources, the Israeli military prohibited Red Crescent paramedics from reaching Alaa’. The Israeli army seized his body for “security reasons”, loaded him on into a military vehicle for ‘investigation’.

Yesterday, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) sent a call for a neutral and impartial investigation into the death of Alaa’.

At dawn, Israeli soldiers stormed the village of Huwwara, ransacking the victim’s home, those of his relatives, and his shop, interrogating his parents, his brother and the taxi driver. After the arrival of the military, youth of Huwwara village tried to drive out Israeli forces by throwing stones while Israeli soldiers fired their weapons. One youth was arrested, though his identity is currently unknown. The shops around the village have closed their doors in protest.

At approximately 19:30 yesterday evening, the body was finally handed back to the family, after a short time, the Alaa’s body was transferred to Rafidiah hospital in Nablus.

According to one of the doctors who conducted the autopsy, the majority of Alaa’s wounds were to his chest, abdomen, and both thighs. Alaa’s body held approximately 14 bullet wounds, including a serious wound to the heart and both lungs. His left arm had multiple fractures and a 10×7 cm wound in his left leg. Two fingers were missing on his right hand, and two toes missing from his right foot. Their was also a large wound on the back of his neck.

The funeral march from Nablus to Huwwara (photo by ISM).

“What Happened to your Hand?”

24th May 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Awarta, Occupied Palestine

On March 22nd 2013, Mohamad Walleed Qwareeq was near the local school in the northern district of the town of Awarta, located approximately 8 kilometers southeast of Nablus.

Mohamad, 22 at the time, was with a friend eating almonds, in a grassy field, when he came across a foreign object that would alter his life forever.

Mohamad opened what appeared to be a covered box which was triggered to explode. “They [the Israeli military] put them there in spring because they know all the kids play in the fields,” says Mohamad.

This box is apparently a common phenomenon in Awarta during the spring season, with two other serious incidents apparently being recorded last March.

As a result Mohamad sustained a multitude of serious injuries: charred legs with lacerations, tinnitus (constant ringing/buzzing in the ears), ageusia (loss of taste), the maiming/ loss of his right hand, a
decreased sense of smell, and a loss of sight approximately described as a 70% and 60% loss in the left and right eyes respectively. He can only see one meter out of his left eye.

Mohamad was brought to a hospital in Nablus to be treated; however with insufficient supplies to perform an operation on his eyes, the medical staff suggested he apply to have the operation in Jerusalem.

After what has become the standardized modus operandi from the DCO (District Coordination Office) to refuse proper medical treatment to Palestinians, Mohamad’s request was denied. Instead he was suggested
to visit Ramallah hospital and it is now too late to consider a full recovery.

Due to his tinnitus, most nights Mohamad cannot sleep from the buzzing in his ears. Mohamad has been struggling financially and has received almost no support. He is forced to pay for the vast amount of medication himself, with the only cost covered being that of the eye operation.

Mohamad doesn’t have the money to do a proper check-up on his eyes, and his family is poor. He cannot read Arabic since he was often leaving school to go work whatever jobs were available; therefore finding work now is extremely difficult. In addition, his father suffers from an intestinal illness that forced him to stop working; Mohamad has four sisters and two brothers all living in the same house.

To add to the torment, Mohamad, his brother, and a friend were walking on the main street in Awarta two months after the event, when they passed a temporary Israeli military checkpoint in the form of a military jeep. All three were detained on false grounds, with his friend and brother being interrogated for four hours, and with Mohamad remaining in custody for 18 days.

Apparently suspicious of his injuries, during his interrogation he was asked, “What happened to your hand?”

UPDATED: House demolitions at Khirbet al-Taweel

30th April 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Khirbet al-Taweel, Occupied Palestine

Update 15th May:

On Monday the 12^th of May, at 7AM, approximately 350 Israeli soldiers, two buses, and several military jeeps arrived at the remote village of Khirbet al-Taweel and ordered the inhabitants of two houses to remove all furniture in order to proceed with their illegal demolition. Previously the IRC (International Red Crescent) had aided the village providing tents as temporary shelter. However, two tents were ultimately seized and one destroyed that morning. The owner of one of the houses apparently offered the soldiers tea saying, “You may take away my house, but you can’t take away my hospitality”.

Currently the villagers are planning to establish a temporary camp 200 meters away from the previous demolitions as under Israeli law this requires a new demolition order to be enacted. Some of the buildings are historical landmarks under Israeli Law; however any renovations (fixing the roof, adding a toilet) are photographed by the Israeli military in order to ‘justify’ their demolition.

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On Tuesday the 29^th of April, at 02:00AM, the Israeli army arrived at the small Bedouin village of Khirbet al-Taweel to demolish several structures claiming that they were built without permits. In total, three houses, several animal shelters and the village’s mosque were destroyed.

Khirbet al-Taweel has an approximate population of 180 inhabitants. 30 of them are now without homes because of the demolitions, 17 of which are children; the youngest child is only one-year old.

Three families were forced out of their homes at gunpoint at 02.00AM. They had no time to collect their belongings and were only able to take the most necessary items before the demolitions started. The Israeli army took two hours to carry out the demolitions, until 04:00AM, destroying three houses and the village mosque, which was built in 2008.

The three families also lost their water tanks to the demolitions carried out by the Israeli army. In order to get drinking water, they now have to walk 30 minutes uphill to get to the nearest town (Aqraba), and then back.

During the day, the Red Crescent provided the families with some tents. However according to one of the women who were evicted, the Israeli army told them that they were not allowed to stay in the area and had to leave immediately.

The woman stated that: “We have nowhere to go. This is our land, our homes. Where should we go?”

During the past five years, Khirbet al-Taweel has had many demolitions. According to several local villagers, this is a strategy from the Israeli authorities to force local populations to move, and thus expand the illegal farming settlements, located on the other side of the mountain from Khirbet al-Taweel.

Daily Harassment in the Qeitun area

6th May 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Residents of Qeitun area of Al-Khalil, near Shuhada St. are presented with a very different kind of daily routine than other areas of the occupied West Bank. Israel occupation forces not only raid houses and harass people on a daily basis, but also use the local population as part of their military training.

On Tuesday, the 29th of April, the Israeli army was training for the erecting and working of a flying checkpoint, pulling over cars on the main road of the area which leads to the military base, also called Qeitun. During this training the commander was instructing the soldiers how to stop and search drivers and their cars.

Two days later, on Thursday 1^st of May at 11:30pm, ISM activists were called out to witness the Israeli army performing a massive operation of night raids, with approximately 100 soldiers. When the activist got to the area, the army had detained an 18-year old. The youth was released 30 minutes after the arrival of the activists. Many of the local people, still in their nightdresses, were out in the streets while the soldiers were inside their houses.

At around 1:00am the soldiers left the area and had what seemed like a quick evaluation of the whole operation, making it difficult to know whether it was an actual military operation or just some sort of training, similar to the flying checkpoint training that took place two days earlier. For the people of Qeitun there’s no actual difference between “training” and a live military operation of the occupation forces.

In an ISM visit with a family of the Qeitun area, they report that the soldiers have been starting the raids as early as 9pm and had raided a total of 50 houses. They also reported that during one of the raids the soldiers had broken into a house with such violence that an elderly woman with a heart condition, had gone into coma and had to be rushed to the hospital.

The family reported that the area experiences night raids at least two or three times a week. Israeli soldiers enter and harass the locals on a daily basis and the army has arrested two minors during the last month.

During the second intifada almost all families living in the houses located near Shuhada St. were forced out by the Israeli army, allegedly for security reasons, making this part of the area a ghost town.

15-year-old Palestinian violently arrested by Israeli forces

30th April 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On the 27th of April, four Palestinian boys were detained in al-Khalil (Hebron) at checkpoint 55.

Three YAS (Youth Against Settlements) members arrived at the scene, and tried to document the incident. While filming they were harassed by several settlers from nearby illegal settlements, this led to the YAS volunteers being detained by Israeli forces for over one hour.

Three of the boys were allowed to leave, while one was held back. One of the Israeli soldiers loaded his weapon with live ammunition and threatened to shoot the 15-year old Palestinian, who still didn’t know why he was being held.

The arrest was very violent, as the Palestinian boy was pushed and kicked several times.

YAS activists called the DCO (District Coordination Officer- legal collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian authorities) to inform them about the arrest of a young teenager.

The Israeli Police then contacted the DCO, and tried to misinform them about the situation – denying that the arrest was happening.

The Palestinian boy was then taken to a nearby Police Station, still not knowing the circumstances of his arrest. His current situation is unknown.

The harassment and detention of Palestinian children is unfortunately common in al-Khalil. On Wednesday 23^rd of April, Israeli Border Police detained a 6-year-old boy.

Two days later on the 25^th April, the Hebron Christian Peacemakers Team documented Israeli soldiers detaining an 8-year-old boy.

In both cases the children were held for approximately 20 minutes without their parents present.