Tag: Jayyous

B’Tselem to Judge Advocate General – order security forces to stop firing tear-gas grenades directly at people

B’Tselem

22 April 2009

Last Friday, 17 April, during a demonstration in Bi’lin, in the Ramallah District, a soldier fired a tear-gas grenade from an increased distance at Bassem Ibrahim Abu Rahma, 30. The grenade left a hole in his chest, causing massive internal bleeding, which led to his death. Two video clips filmed at the site prove that Abu Rahma was standing on the eastern side of the fence, about thirty meters from the soldiers, when he was hit. The video clips also show that during the incident, he did not throw stones, did not damage the fence, and did not endanger soldiers in any way whatsoever.

http://blip.tv/play/gukm+6pshKtR
Footage of the shooting of Bassem Abu Rahmah

B’Tselem wrote to the Judge Advocate General (JAG), Brig. Gen. Avichai Mandelblit on 21 April 2009, demanding that he immediately order a Military Police investigation into the circumstances of Abu Rahma’s death, and that he make it clear to security forces that it is absolutely forbidden to fire tear-gas grenades directly at people. In a previous letter that B’Tselem sent to the JAG on this matter last month, following the severe injuries sustained by the American, Tristan Anderson, when he was struck in the forhead by a tear-gas grenade fired from an increased distance, no response has been received.

http://blip.tv/play/gukm97tThKtR
Video footage documenting the shooting of tear-gas canisters directly at people

In its letter of last week, B’Tselem attached video clips of demonstrations in Ni’lin, Bi’lin, and Jayyus filmed in recent months. The clips document repeated firing of tear-gas grenades directly at demonstrators, proving that, contrary to the army’s contentions, security forces in the West Bank have commonly practiced this unlawful act.

B’Tselem also noted that, at the location of the demonstrations in Bi’lin and Ni’lin, senior army and border patrol officers are always present. Whether they turn a blind eye to the extensive breach of the Open-Fire Regulations or give express orders to security forces to violate regulations, they bear responsibility for the lethal consequences of this forbidden practice. Furthermore, for some time, and at least since the extensive media coverage of the serious head injury to Tristan Anderson, on 13 March 2009, mentioned above, senior officers of the army and border police have known about direct firing of grenades at demonstrators. Since they were in a position to end this practice, they too bear responsibility for the lethal shooting.

Freedom Summer 2009: Defend the Land and Jerusalem

The International Solidarity Movement is issuing a call-out for internationals to volunteer as field activists and office workers in the West Bank, Gaza, and occupied East Jerusalem this summer.

Whether you can come for only few weeks or several months, your presence is needed to support Palestinian communities who are nonviolently resisting the Israeli occupation. Freedom Summer 2009, which will run from June 6th until August 15th, aims to challenge the continued theft of Palestinian land for the rapid expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and their infrastructure in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Volunteer training sessions will be held every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Visit our “Join Us in Palestine” section to read more information about volunteering.

Below are some of the actions ISM volunteers can anticipate this summer:

  1. ISM volunteers will stand in solidarity with the Palestinian families of occupied East Jerusalem who face dispossession.
    International activists will join families in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, Shu’fat, and other neighborhoods whose residences are threatened, in resisting evictions and demolitions with non-violent, direct actions methods. ISM volunteers will also participate in demonstrations against discriminatory Israeli policies and support ongoing organization of Palestinian heritage and cultural events.
  2. In the West Bank, volunteers will join Palestinian villagers in nonviolent demonstrations against the Wall, and other apartheid infrastructure of the occupation such as checkpoint, settlements, and Israeli-only roads. Activists will be working in communities such as Ni’lin, Bil’in, Jayyous, Husan and Tulkarem to support direct actions under Palestinian popular leadership. Recently Israeli military violence during nonviolent demonstrations has escalated, making it more important that international solidarity activists are present to help deter and document the repression from Israeli forces. Additionally, volunteers will accompany farmers and shepherds to deter violence from the Israeli military and settlers. In the South Hebron hills, the army’s designation of large areas as military closed zones will be challenged.
  3. The ISM volunteers in the Gaza Strip will continue to accompany Palestinian farmers who frequently face live fire from the army as they work their land in the buffer zone. Volunteers will stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza against the crippling siege and sporadic attacks on the region. Several ISM activists will be joining the Free Gaza Movement’s Hope Fleet that will sail into Gaza’s port at the end of May. International activists will mass on the Egyptian border with Gaza between the 22nd of May and the 14th of June, in an attempt to challenging the ongoing closure and isolation of the people of Gaza. Individuals interested in volunteering with ISM Gaza must have previous experience with ISM in the West Bank.

Come to Palestine to support the Palestinian people in their struggle against occupation. Become an eyewitness to the Palestinian struggle for freedom! ISM volunteers have become better advocates for the freedom and self-determination of the Palestinian people in their home communities.

This summer, support and participate in the Palestinian non-violent resistance to the Occupation by using direct action methods to defend the land of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Youth break through the Wall in Jayyous

Stop the Wall

13 April 2009

Soldiers fire on youth during a Friday demonstration. Villagers have refused to accept the new path of the Wall, resulting in weekly demonstrations and increasing army repression.
Soldiers fire on youth during a Friday demonstration. Villagers have refused to accept the new path of the Wall, resulting in weekly demonstrations and increasing army repression.

Last night youth from the village of Jayyous broke through the Wall in the village. A small group then proceeded to the site where the new path is being constructed, destroying and setting fire to building materials. Occupation forces responded by raiding the village, where they remained into the early hours of the morning.

At around six in the evening, a small group of youth from the village broke through a section of fencing near the south gate. Through the hole, they snuck across the village’s isolated lands to the site where the new path of the Wall is being constructed. There, they destroyed and burned materials before escaping back into the village.

Soldiers in the area responded by mounting a raid on the village. A total of 15 jeeps, 9 from the regular army and 6 from the Border Police, drove into the village. Youth threw stones at the invading jeeps, and soldiers fired back. Jayyous was placed under curfew from seven until midnight, and soldiers remained in the village until two in the morning, firing sound bombs and using vehicle loudspeakers to prevent people from sleeping.

Carmel blockaded in Jayyous solidarity action

8th February 2009

At around 6:30 this morning a group of students from Brighton locked themselves to Carmel Agrexco, the Israeli state owned export company, to protest against their complicity in the illegal annexation of the West Bank and the repression of students in the Palestinian village of Jayyous.

Carmel Agrexco grows and imports agricultural produce (including fruit, vegetables and flowers) from illegal settlements in the West Bank which are then sold in supermarkets such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and many others. As such, companies such as Carmel Agrexco are responsible for the systematic annexation of Palestinian land.

In these settlements workers, including children, are known to work in slave-labor conditions, with low wages, inadequate access to food and water, and no contract. Furthermore, the settlements have not only stolen land, but use up much needed agricultural resources such as water.

This action has been done in response to a callout for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, after the events of 18th February and onwards in Jayyous. On this day, occupying Israeli Defence Force soldiers invaded the town of Jayyous, where regular protests have been held against the building of the apartheid wall, which will annex 5,585 dunums (558.5 hectares) of land from the town, much of which is to be used for the expansion of the illegal settlement, Zufim.

75 soldiers and 25 army jeeps invaded the town in the early hours of the morning, conducting house to house raids: throwing sound-bombs at houses before forcing families out at gunpoint and ransacking their houses. At least 75 people were arrested, the vast majority students, including the entire student Stop the Wall Committee. Those arrested were taken to a school that the army had turned into a detention centre. Most of the people were blindfolded and handcuffed and all were forced to sit in stress positions. They were not allowed to eat, drink or talk to each other as they were taken in for interrogation one by one. They were held for as much as 19 hours and 15 young men were taken to Huwarra military base on unknown charges. Bulldozers were then brought in which created blockades at the entrances to the town and the population were put under curfew for 18 hours.

Since then, the village has been invaded two further times, on the second time a half-day curfew was imposed on the town. Residents have also been threatened with home demolitions.

James Robinson, one of the protesters, said

The situation in Jayyous is demonstrative of the systematic human rights abuses perpetrated against the Palestinians for the expansion of the settlements which Carmel Agrexco supports and profits from.

Soldiers kidnap Palestinian youth in Jayous and impose curfew on the village

On Friday, February 27, residents of the village of Jayous conducted their weekly demonstration despite a torrential downpour. The marchers reached the last intersection before the south gate of the Apartheid Fence carrying Palestinian flags and chanting. They then dispersed to find shelter from the rain.

Despite the kidnapping of dozens of youths the previous week by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and the continued detention of about 15 of them, roughly two dozen approached the gate and began throwing rocks at the Israeli jeeps stationed on the far side.

Unlike some weeks, the youths did not build barricades in the roadway leading into the village. Military jeeps entered the village via that roadway a few minutes later and soldiers gave chase to the fleeing young men. Maher Mohammed Fazi Shamasna was arrested in the immediate vicinity of his home, despite no indications that he had been involved in the stone throwing. His mother stated that he had gone outside to feed the family’s chickens when he was abducted by the soldiers who had not yet been able to capture any of their antagonists.

Maher was placed in a military jeep before any international or Israeli activists could respond to the situation. Soldiers near the jeep threw sound bombs at nearby people. His mother and female relatives pleaded with the soldiers to release Maher and activists who had arrived attempted to question the soldiers as to the reason for the arrest. The Israeli soldiers and border police refused to answer any questions and threatened the international and Israeli activists with arrest. They demanded that no photos or video footage be taken and demanded ID’s from the activists, all of whom refused to produce them for the soldiers.

All of the activists consented to go inside one of the Palestinian homes at the request of the mother of the kidnapped youth, who was attempting to negotiate the release of her son. The jeep carrying Maher had already exited the south gate and returned without the prisoner. The IOF then imposed a curfew on the village and showed a closed military zone order which had been apparently produced in advance of the demonstration. They remained in the village until dark. International activists who left homes in defiance of the curfew were threatened with shooting by the soldiers occupying a rooftop and another group was threatened with immediate arrest if seen on the streets again.

To date, Maher Shanasna is still in custody and is reported to have been transferred to the Huwarra detention center where he may be held for an indefinite period without legal representation or contact with family members.