23 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
The demand in Kufr Qaddoum for their main road to be reopened continues. Today’s demonstration exceeded the number of participants in the past few protests. Approximately 200 people joined together against this illegal street closure. Many of the supporters came from different parts of Palestine and the international community, from Bilin residents to an activist all the way from Norway.
Hundreds stand in solidarity against military Occupation - Click here for more images
Kufr Qaddoum is finally starting to receive the exposure it needs in order to get its story out to the public and the world.
Unfortunately, this did not stop the Israeli Occupation Soldiers from their pattern of increased violence during demonstrations. The majority of the tear gas canisters used today were aimed either directly into crowds or at specific individuals. It is illegal to use tear gas as a fatal weapon rather than for dispersion. There were many close instances of potential serious injuries due to these canisters being shot as physical contact weapons. To make the possibility of serious injuries greater, the soldiers positioned themselves on the roof of a house, which gave them a clearer view of their human targets. There was no regard for the people that live in this house as the soldiers occupied the top of it.
Besides shooting tear gas canisters directly at protesters, the soldiers spent a lot of time taking pictures of the participants. Pictures taken by soldiers have been used many times to imprison participates of these unarmed protests. The Israeli Occupation Forces have many methods to diminish any resistance such as imprisonment and fatal injuries. These are the risks that protesters accept with the hope that one day their people will be free.
Amal is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
16 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Kufr Qaddoum’s resistance is only getting stronger and is showing no signs of slowing down. The resilience of the Kufr Qaddoum residents is remarkable. Every week the Israeli Occupation Forces have increased their aggressive attacks, and yet the people still join together every Friday against the injustices they face. Not only have they lost more than half of their land, but also their right of movement.
Too close for comfort - Click here for more images
Kufr Qaddoum has been resisting the closure of one of their main roads since 2003. They have and are still going through court appeals to change this illegal army order. Due to the useless Israeli court appeals, the residents decided to declare their rights through protests.
Although it is not obvious, many of the freedom fighters do have concerns about the increased aggression against them. During the protest several statements were made that the soldiers were firing tear gas canisters directly at participants. This was also visually evident as one canister after another just barely missed a local.
Fortunately today, the only physical contact with a tear gas canister occurred when one grazed a man’s leg. However, the Israeli Occupation Forces’ policy of shooting tear gas to kill was not enough. After an hour of viciously attacking the village with tear gas, the soldiers forcefully drove through the village. A resident stated that the army jeep appeared it was going to run over an international activist.
Unfortunately, there are many similar stories of army incursion into the village, yet Kufr Qaddoum’s quest for freedom will continue, until they have the right to use all their roads freely.
Amal is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
9 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
The Israeli military fired tear gas canisters directly at demonstrators in Kufr Qaddoum today in an aggressive response to the weekly protest against the closure of the main road linking the village with Nablus. Many people suffered from severe gas inhalation.
After midday prayers, over 200 people marched to the edge of Kufr Qaddoum where several people made speeches calling for the road to be re-opened to the village, including officials from the Palestinian Authority and the Chief of the Palestinian District Coordinators Office. The route to the road was blocked by around 10 Israeli soldiers, supported by armoured vehicles and soldiers on the hill overlooking the village.
Teargassing Kufr Qaddoum – Click here for more images.
Many people returned to Kufr Qaddoum after the speeches, however some Palestinian youths threw stones at the Israeli military, who responded by mounting an aggressive incursion inside the village, firing tear gas canisters directly at protesters and into houses and gardens lining the village’s main street.
Although it is permissible to fire tear gas canisters in an arc to disperse demonstrations, it is forbidden to use them as weapons by firing them directly at protesters. Firing tear gas canisters directly at protesters and at close range turns the canisters into a missile that can maim and endanger life. According to B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, “Firing of this kind has already resulted in injuries, some grave, to dozens of Palestinians and Israeli and foreign citizens”. A Palestinian man was seriously injured at the weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh today, after reportedly being hit in the face by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli military forces at close range.
The main road linking Kufr Qaddoum to Nablus passes by Qadumim, an illegal Israeli settlement, and was closed to the village by the Israeli military in 2003. The closure of the road has doubled the length of time that it takes villagers to travel to Nablus. A report published in September by the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy estimated that restrictions on movement imposed by Israeli forces costs the Palestinian economy $184m a year.
After their appeal to re-open the road failed in the Israeli courts, the village began weekly protests on 1 July 2011. Since then the response from the Israeli military has grown increasingly violent, mounting incursions deep into the village. Abu Musub, President of Kufr Qaddoum’s community centre, said that “Every week they fire more gas – they want to stop the demonstrations but we will continue until the open the road.”
According to Abu Musub, the Israeli military enters Kufr Qaddoum every night, often detonating loud sound bombs in the village’s streets. They have also arrested many of the village’s men in connection with the protests. Four men were arrested by the Israeli military on 29 November 2011 – Osama Bram, 22, Abdallah Jumu, 23, Refit Bram, 21, and Abdel Juma, 23. The arrests were probably made in connection with the demonstrations, however they have been denied contact with their families or a lawyer so no information is available at present. Abu Musub claims that the Israeli military caused severe damage to the Abdel Juma’s house during his arrest; damaging carpets, smashing furniture and ripping open bags containing food.
Abu Musub claimed that there are 20-21 people from the village in Israeli custody – eight of whom have been arrested in connection with the weekly protest.
Alistair George is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
18 November 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Following last week’s violence in the village of Nabi Saleh near Ramallah, international observers and activists were today denied entry into the village by Israeli soldiers. The soldiers said that the entire village was a closed military zone and provided paperwork that seemed to support their claim. The internationals were followed and harassed by the Israel military as they attempted to leave the village.
Every Friday the village of Nabi Saleh organizes a march to protest the 2009 confiscation of an important water source by the Israelis. Last week Abu Hussam Tamimi suffered injuries after being shot in the face at close range by Israeli soldiers, in violation of international law. Also last week an 11 year old boy from the village suffered rib injuries from a “rubber bullet”*
Five international activists from the International Solidarity Movement were denied entry to the village while attempting to document this weeks protest. After leaving the main entrance to the village the activists were followed by military jeeps and harassed by soldiers.
When it became clear that any entry to the village was impossible, the activists tried to obtain transportation back to Ramallah. The Israeli military prevented taxis and services to stop to pick them up.
The video below shows activists asking soldiers to allow them to travel back to Ramallah. After approximately two hours the activists were able to find transportation out of the area. The van was followed by an Israeli military vehicle for several kilometers.
Last week an ISM activists was detained for several hours after being arrested in Kufr Qaddoum while photographing the weekly protest there. He was falsely accused of throwing stones and was physically abused by the Israelis. He was released later that night.
* Israel commonly uses the term “rubber bullets” when describing round steel bullets with a thin rubber coating
Wahed Rejol is an activist with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
12 November 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Following the first barrage of tear gas during November 11th’s peaceful demonstration in Kufr Qaddoum , some Israeli soldiers began to make their way into the village. The soldiers picked up one villager, 30 year old Hazzem Barham, who was lying down unconscious from the tear gas and arrested him; carrying him into their jeep. Minutes later, after documenting the arrest of Barham, soldiers targeted an activist from the United States, handcuffed him and took him into a second jeep. Whilst arrested, soldiers took turns beating him, presumably for his solidarity with the non-violent Palestinian resistance.
