Tag: Israeli Army - Page 116 - International Solidarity Movement

Bil’in continue their weekly demonstration against the occupation

12th October 2013 | Friends of Freedom and Justice | Bil’in, Occupied Palestine

Israeli forces and Bil'in demonstratiors — Israeli forces and Bil’in demonstratiors

Yesterday, 11th October, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters at a Palestinian family while they were attempting to harvest their olives. This coincided with the weekly Bil’in demonstration against the Apartheid Wall where Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters.

The Rafeeq Al Khateeb family suffered from tear gas inhalation, fired by Israeli soldiers, while they were attempting to pick olives from their land. Tear gas canisters are often used by Israeli forces in the weekly Friday demonstrations, and yesterday was no exception with many protesters struggling with the large amounts of tear gas fired.

The Friday protest began after afternoon prayers, with Palestinian, Israeli and international activists marching from the village towards the Apartheid Wall. Israeli soldiers met the activists and fired stun grenades, tear gas and plastic-coated steel bullets. Israeli military vehicles then attempted to break up the demonstration and chase protesters away from the Apartheid Wall back towards the village. Bil’in has been demonstrating since 2005 and despite the violence and aggression of the Israeli army, the people of Bil’lin will continue their struggle against the Occupation.

Updated: Four children arrested on their way to school

7th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

The children being detained by Israeli soldiers (photo by ISM).

Update 10th October: Two of the four children are now being held in Ofer Prison in Ramallah. They have been in custody since Sunday (6/10/13) morning. More updates will be published when they are available.

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Yesterday, Sunday the 6th of October, at 7:40 AM in Khalil, four children aged 12 and under (Sami Bent, Munif Darna, Muhammad Mussa Kremeri and one unconfirmed name) were arrested whilst on their way to school after a small gathering of children threw stones at Israeli soldiers.

At approximately 7:20 AM around 100 children were attempting to walk to school when they noticed 3 soldiers standing underneath a building. This was unusual behaviour from the soldiers and some of the youths and children present began to throw stones. Whilst these soldiers drew the attention of the children, 5 other soldiers approached from an alley. These soldiers then charged the crowd of children indiscriminately attempting to detain the nearest child regardless of whether they had thrown stones or not. As a result of this 4 young children were arrested.

International activists and local Palestinian’s challenged the legitimacy of these actions to no avail. After detaining these children behind army vehicles they subsequently released an 8 year old child from their custody. However shortly after this, they arrested Sami, a 12-year-old child.

These 4 children were then placed into the back of 2 army vehicles and driven away. Upon subsequent investigation the international activists who where present learnt they had been taken to a local police station located inside an illegal settlement. The activists then attended this site in an attempt to talk to an officer and notify them the children they had arrested where innocent of the alleged charges. The police officers would not interact with the activists and refused to bring a superior officer. It is currently unknown whether the children remain in custody, however activists groups were able to confirm they were still being held at 4pm yesterday afternoon.

The children of Khalil are regularly harassed by the Israeli forces; a recent incident was filmed where Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas canisters towards crowds of school children.

Palestinian man and his 3-year-old niece assaulted by Israeli soldiers

3rd October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Israeli soldiers at the Sider family home after the violent incident occurred

On Tuesday 2nd October local Khalil shop owner Abed Sider and his 3-year-old niece were hospitalised after being assaulted by several soldiers.

On the day of his birthday at 6:30pm, Abed had his home invaded by five Israeli soldiers who had come to interrogate his three year old niece on allegations of stone throwing. The Israeli forces dragged Abed from his home into the street; this aggressive action caused injury to his arm which later necessitated hospital treatment. Additionally the Israeli soldiers injured Abed’s three-year-old niece who also required hospitalisation.

The soldiers alleged that nearby illegal settlers from Beit Hadassah had made several complaints of stone throwing from the little girls’ bedroom window that overlooks the settlement playground. The window in question is sealed and caged to protect the Sider family from the constant attacks from the settlers.

An Israeli commander later came to the Sider family home and was convinced by Abed’s brother, Shadi, to view footage of the incident that showed the soldier’s aggressive actions. After viewing the video, the commander stated that the soldiers had been acting “out of accordance” with Israeli army policy and that they will be reprimanded and moved to a new post out of Hebron.

This is another incident in a long line of harassment and intimidation that Abed has had to endure; his seven-year-old son was recently blinded by an acid attack from settlers, and is in Jordan awaiting surgery to restore his vision. The Israeli government has refused Abed and his family the necessary travel permits to visit their son and pay for the treatment.

VIDEO: Israeli soldiers fire tear gas canisters and stun grenades at school children

1st October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

This morning, Tuesday 1^st October, Israeli soldiers fired two tear gas canisters and four stun grenades at children on their way to school.

In this case, a few children threw stones and pebbles at Israeli forces as the soldiers stood watching them walk to morning classes. The response from the Israeli soldiers present was incredibly disproportionate.

The incident occurred near checkpoint 29 in Khalil (Hebron) and is not an isolated event. International activists in Khalil monitor several checkpoints each morning, as Israeli soldiers regularly harass, intimidate and fire weapons on children as young as 5-years-old.

Vicious settler attack leaves 15-year-old in need of hospitalisation

24th September 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday, Monday 23rd September, a mob of Israeli settlers invaded the roof of a Palestinian family in Hebron, attacked several Palestinians and international activists and beat a 15-year-old unconscious, leading to hospitalisation.

At approximately 5pm a group of Israeli settlers and Jewish tourists entered the roof of the Abu Shamsiyeh family without permission after they had already tried to force their way into another family’s house in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood. After international activists confronted the invading group and insisted that nearby soldiers remove the trespassers, they eventually left the roof but continued to verbally harass Palestinians and internationals present.

The verbal harassment quickly turned into a vicious assault with several settlers pushing, hitting and kicking Palestinians. Three teenage settlers brutally assaulted Abu Shamsiyeh’s 15-year-old son leaving him unconscious and requiring hospital treatment. He has since been released and is recovering in the care of his family.

In past years, several Palestinians in Tel Rumeida have been severely attacked, beaten and injured by settlers, have lost pregnancies due to attacks, have had their houses broken into and furniture and electrical appliances smashed, trees in their gardens cut down and plants uprooted and poisoned. On a day to day basis, Palestinians have to deal with minor incidents such as spitting, stone-throwing and insults by the settler community. Especially on Shabbat and during Jewish holidays, settler attacks against the Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida take place.

This incident is particularly concerning in the light of Netanyahu’s recent announcement that settlers would be allowed to move into Abu Rajab house by checkpoint 209 as well as the pending court case decision on the Rajabeh house, which would connect Kiryat Arba with the Tomb of the Patriarchs. It is clear that settlement expansion in Hebron will have disastrous consequences and will come with a great humanitarian cost for the surrounding Palestinian communities.