Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of al-Khalil this Friday to protest Israel’s tightening of access restrictions to Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque. The protest was suppressed violently by scores of Israeli soldiers and police, who fired live ammunition indiscriminately into crowds of young men and boys.
Thousands march in Hebron against access restrictions at al-Aqsa mosque
At least 10 Palestinians were wounded with live ammunition, including one young man shot in the stomach, and another near the heart. Many more were wounded by rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas, with hospitals and ambulances struggling to hope. The situation was made worse by Israeli forces storming the nearby hospital once, and twice occupying its entrances.
Hussein Ben Ali stadium, capacity 30,000, overflows with worshippers
The demonstration followed the closure of Hebron’s mosques in solidarity with those unable to worship at al-Aqsa. Instead, worshippers prayed at Hussein Bin Ali stadium before marching down Ain Sarah street towards Bab al-Zawiye.
Demonstrators assemble in Bab al-Zawiya, before being dispersed by tear gas and sound grenades
Once the march reached the market, some children began throwing stones and fireworks at the gate of Checkpoint 56, which separates Palestinians from Shuhada street.
Israeli forces push up Ain Sarah street
Soldiers responded by storming out of the checkpoint, firing tear gas and throwing sound grenades. Hundreds of demonstrators retreated back up Ain Sarah street as soldiers regrouped in the square with various armoured vehicles. The soldiers then pushed up towards al-Manarah roundabout, meeting a crowd of young men and boys. Soldiers responded to stones with live ammunition, immediately hitting a 20-year old man in the leg.
Palestinians flee live ammunition fired by Israeli forces
Meanwhile, a similar confrontation was occurring on the neighbouring Ain Sarah street, with snipers shooting a 20-year old man in the foot and a 17-year old boy in the leg.
20-year old shot in foot by sniper on Ain Sarah street
Soldiers and police continued to fire tear gas and .22 calibre ammunition at the crowd, until a volley of stones forced them to retreat towards Bab al-Zawiye.
A man is bundled into an ambulance under live fire from Israeli forces
A second offensive, however, saw Israeli forces push back towards Alia mosque. Palestinian youths continued to throw stones at the heavily-armed soldiers and police, who then sent out a water cannon to spray the boys with chemically-treated, foul-smelling ‘skunk’ water.
Israeli forces shoot foul-smelling skunk water onto Palestinian teenagers
Soldiers pursued the water cannon, and chased protesters into Queen Alia hospital, surrounding it for more than half an hour.
Soldiers occupy hospital parking lot
In the mean time, around 60 soldiers and border police pushed forward and assembled with several vehicles at the intersection, while roughly 20 more occupied the roofs of nearby residential buildings.
Smoke billows above Ain Sarah street from a tyre-fire below
Three teenage boys who had been watching the protest from their roof were blindfolded, handcuffed and detained by soldiers that stormed their building.
Three boys are blindfolded, handcuffed and arrested
A group of young Palestinians continued throwing stones at the Israeli forces, as well as rolling flaming tyres down the hill towards them. As soldiers began to push up the hill, Palestinians watching from the hospital parking lot barricaded themselves in, but without success. Doctors asked the soldiers, who were now occupying hospital grounds for a third time in one afternoon, to leave.
Israeli forces assemble at the bottom of a hill
Eventually the soldiers retreated back down the hill, regrouping with the border police and other soldiers. Despite Palestinian teenagers continuing to throw stones and tyres down the hill, Israeli forces began to head back to their bases. Local youths followed them as they made their way back to Bab al-Zawiye and Checkpoint 56.
Army Jeep leaves Ain Sarah street following the clash
6th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On Tuesday, 4th July 2017, Israeli forces were conducting a ‘military training’ in a civilian Palestinian neighborhood near Gilbert checkpoint in Tel Rumeida in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). The result of this ‘military training’ was a fatal shot by one Israeli soldier to the other. The injured commander was immediately evacuated to hospital by an Israeli ambulance, and was later confirmed dead. The Israeli forces immediately closed the whole area to Palestinians by closing all the checkpoints, collectively punishing the civilian Palestinian population. The army, after the incident, announced that these ‘military trainings’ will be suspended in al-Khalil.
The whole incident, though, needs to be contextualized: an occupying army conducted a ‘military training’ near a checkpoint installed for the control and humiliation of the occupied population, in a civilian residential neighborhood. Immediate medical assistance to the injured occupying soldier, with an ambulance that, without any problems, was granted immediate access to the injured.
Military trainings, under international humanitarian law, are prohibited in civilian areas. The Israeli occupying army in al-Khalil, and all over the occupied territories, though, conducts trainings in civilian areas. This serves two functions: for one, it is more ‘real’, a training in the area where the perceived ‘enemy population’ is living, and second, the intimidation of the population. Israeli forces in al-Khalil are sometimes seen ‘practicing’ the ‘neutralization’, as it is called in Israeli rhetoric, of Palestinians at checkpoints. In those cases, a Palestinian that allegedly carries a knife is seen as a threat to the life of the heavily armed and armored occupation forces – and thus has to be shot and, as documented in so many cases, left to bleed to death on the ground without any medical assistance. The idea is always to shoot to kill.
Whereas an Israeli soldier or settler from the illegal settlements would immediately receive medical assistance, as Israeli ambulance are free to pass, Palestinian ambulances, and actually any Palestinian vehicles (often including donkeys and bicycles) are not allowed to drive on one of the roads in al-Khalil – which conveniently connects the settlements in down-town al-Khalil with the Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of the city. Palestinian ambulances, as they are not allowed on this street, instead, are often detained by Israeli forces at the checkpoints, denied to pass and thus denied access to give first aid.
Immediately after the incident, the Israeli forces closed all the checkpoints in the area, effectively putting the area under curfew – for Palestinian residents. Any Palestinian civilian inside the area, thus, was prevented from leaving, and anyone outside trying to reach their homes, was prevented from coming back home. This is clearly collective punishment of the Palestinian civilians, who are not involved in the incident at all – other than living in an area that the Israeli forces are trying hard to rid of any Palestinian presence. Whereas Palestinian movement was completely restricted and Palestinians trying to film the incident and it’s aftermath were stopped and harassed by soldiers. Settlers, however, from the illegal settlements, were allowed to move around freely. In a separate incident, a settler beat up a Palestinian young man, causing his face to be unrecognizable as it was covered in blood. The settler though, can be sure that he’ll enjoy full impunity under the protection of the Israeli forces.
These kind of military trainings in the aftermath were declared ‘suspended’ in the city of al-Khalil. However, only because a soldier was killed, not because of their illegal nature in civilian areas or a possible threat to the occupied population.
This incident illustrates the apartheid system installed by the Israeli occupying forces in al-Khalil, and all over the occupied Palestinian territories. An apartheid-strategy that aims to displace the Palestinian population from their homeland in favor of illegal settlements.
30th April 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | al-Khalil (Hebron), occupied Palestine
Heavy clashes broke out during two consecutive days as Israeli forces stormed the Bab Al-Zawiah neighborhood in al-Khalil, attacking young Palestinians protesting in solidarity with the ongoing prisoners’ hunger strike. It resulted in multiple persons being injured, caused by live ammunition and teargas, and at least one protester being detained.
Thursday
Clashes erupted on Thursday in the Bab al-Zawiyah area of Hebron between Palestinian youths and the forces of the Israeli Army and Border Police. Minor confrontations occurred in the souq in the morning before the situation escalated at noon when several platoons of Israeli soldiers, accompanied by Border Police, entered Bab al-Zawiah in the Palestinian controlled H1 area, causing anger among the hundred-or-so Palestinian youths gathered there.
Young Palestinian protestors, Bab al-Zawiyah
On Thursday, a general strike was held across occupied Palestine in solidarity with the 1500 Palestinians currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons, demanding their right to humane and fair treatment in accordance with international law. Consequently, all shops and public transportation were shut down during the day. Many Palestinian youths had gathered in the Bab al-Zawiyah neighbourhood – not far from Ibn Rusht square, where the solidarity tent is placed in support of the hunger striking prisoners – to express their anger through spontaneous protests.
At around 12:30 on Thursday, at least two platoons of Israeli soldiers and around 10 border policemen made their way up the souq towards the vegetable market and Bab al-Zawiya. While initially seemingly halting their movements at the H1/H2 border, the soldiers soon took up positions around 200 meters into the nominally Palestinian controlled H1. From there, the Israeli forces began bombarding the surrounding area with teargas and sound grenades, as well as shooting live ammunition into the crowd of protesters.
Street leading up from vegetable market filling up with tear gas
Additional groups of Israeli forces soon swamped the roofs of the area, from which protesters were targeted with continuous showers of sound grenades. Swaying back and forth among a few centrally located streets, the clashes continued for several hours as the ground became littered with empty teargas canisters, grenades, and used bullets.
Israeli soldiers throwing sound grenades from a roof in H1
Fighting continued throughout the day as Israeli forces used live ammunition, sound grenades, and large amounts of teargas against Palestinians, who responded by throwing stones and burning tires. In addition to the numerous injuries caused by the indiscriminate firing of teargas canisters, ISM activists witnessed at least two Palestinians being seriously wounded after being shot with live ammunition in their feet. The two young protesters were quickly carried away and rushed to hospital.
Protesters halts a passing car to to bring an injured man to hospital. He was shot through the foot with live ammunition
Later in the afternoon the intensity of the clashes began to subside as the Israeli forces retreated back into H2. However, at around 17:30 several platoons of soldiers began to once again cross into Bab al-Zawiya which was by then all but empty. Their incursion soon caused renewed anger among the youths still present in the area, resulting in a resumption of clashes.
Israeli soldiers moving up through the souq towards Bab Al-Zawiyah
Two Israeli army jeeps sped towards Ibn Rusht square shortly before 18:00, followed by dozens of soldiers. However, the remaining protesters prevented them from reaching the square by setting up barricades. Soldiers began to enter private yards and parking lots adjacent to the streets leading up to the square. A standoff then ensued with Israeli soldiers yet again hurling grenades and firing rubber bullets into the crowd.
At the peak of the army incursion – which primarily went up Faisal al-Maliki Street – the soldiers reached almost 500 meters inside H1. As well as the army jeeps, there were also at least 50 soldiers accompanied by an Armoured Personnel Carrier and a water cannon truck.
Before finally retreating from Bab al-Zawiya into H2, a group of soldiers detained a young Palestinian man before escorting him, handcuffed and blindfolded, into the Beit Romano military base. When asked about the charges against the man, an Israeli army officer claimed that he had attempted to stab a soldier in the souq. Given the place of arrest and actions of the soldiers at the time – i.e., using live ammunition from long range – the ISM concludes that the stated scenario is highly implausible, but have not been able to obtain any other information on the background to the detention.
Detained Palestinian being escorted blindfolded by Israeli soldiers towards the Beit Romano base
Friday
The following day, a “Day of Rage” was called by Fatah and the national committee in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners. The day started calmly as Palestinian security forces attempted to separate protestors and Israeli soldiers. However, they eventually failed and Israeli forces yet again advanced into Bab al-Zawiyah, firing rubber bullets and teargas. Several army vehicles, including a water cannon truck, spearheaded the charge before grinding to a halt half a kilometre into H1. Clashes continued for several hours, only to calm down when the contingents of soldiers retreated into their base at around 20:00.
A Friday prayer was conducted at Ibn Rush Square where people gathered to support the relatives of prisoners. Meanwhile,Palestinian security forces were stationed close to the infamous Shuhada checkpoint in an attempt to keep Israeli forces from entering H1 and to keep away potential protestors.
Friday Prayer conducted at Ibn Rusht Square
At 15:30 in the afternoon, with Palestinian forces now gone from the scene, Israeli forces once again approached Bab al-Zawiyah from the souq. The forces were spearheaded by a water cannon truck which immediately began to spray water towards protestors and into nearby buildings, accompanied by torrents of teargas grenades.
At least 50 Israeli soldiers quickly advanced towards Ibn Rusht square and the area around Alia hospital; effectively occupying most of the Bab al-Zawiya neighbourhood within only a few minutes. As well as attacking protesters, soldiers also broke down the doors of private buildings to occupy the rooftops. Border Police also shot so-called “sponge grenades” at the crowds.
Clashes continued until 17:00 when the soldiers withdrew to H2, only to erupt again half an hour later as Israeli forces poured into the city firing teargas indiscriminately. The drivers of cars who unknowingly tried to pass the area were violently harassed by soldiers who had set up flying checkpoints throughout the city.
Water cannon surrounded by tear gas around 500 meters into H1, Faisal al-Maliki Street
The sun had already set when the soldiers finally began to retreat towards the military base, leaving behind them screens of teargas which mixed with the smoke of burning tires over Bab al-Zawiyah.
22nd April 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Nabi Salih, occupied Palestine
Demonstrators walk through Nabi Salih, waving flags depicting prisoner Marwan Barghouti.
On Friday 21st April, a demonstration held in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike was violently supressed by Israeli forces at Nabi Salih, occupied West Bank. Teargas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and live rounds were fired at demonstrators by Israeli forces who later surrounded and blockaded the village for several hours.
Following Friday prayers, Palestinians marched from the town centre towards the Israeli checkpoint at the entrance to Nabi Salih. Joined by Israeli and international comrades, demonstrators carried images of imprisoned hunger-striker Marwan Barghouti.
As the demonstration marched towards the checkpoint, stones were laid along the road to prevent an incursion by Israeli military vehicles. 100 yards before the checkpoint, Israeli forces began firing volleys of teargas grenades at the demonstrators. With the wind against them, demonstrators had nowhere to shelter, with small children worst affected by the gas.
Protesters build rock wall barrier to prevent Israeli forces from driving into the town.
Whilst some demonstrators remained near the checkpoint, others moved to the nearby hills to prevent Israeli forces entering the village from the main road. As clashes continued, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and live rounds at demonstrators. A 13 year old Palestinian boy was injured when he was shot in the chest with a rubber-coated steel bullet.
After the demonstration Israeli forces gathered at the surrounding checkpoints, controlling movement in and out of the village. Activists had to wait several hours before they could leave the village.
The demonstration at Nabi Salih was held on the 5th day of hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, and is just one of many actions of solidarity held across Palestine and throughout the world.
Over 1500 Palestinian political prisoners have been on hunger strike since Palestinian Prisoners day, April 17th. Lead by Marwan Barghouti, this mass hunger strike raises an international awareness of the numerous human rights violations by Israel and their widespread practice of arbitrarily arresting Palestinian people.
24th March 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Al-Mughayyir, occupied Palestine
On 24th March 2017 the popular resistance in Al-Mughayyir, north-east of Ramallah, held a demonstration against a new illegal outpost which was established approximately 10 days ago by Israeli settlers who set up caravans on Palestinian land. Basic buildings and infrastructure have already been built along with a new access road, all of which are protected by barbed wire and the constant presence of Israeli soldiers. Live ammunition was fired at Palestinian protesters injuring five, according to a Palestinian news agency.
The protest, which mobilized the people of four nearby towns and other popular struggle committees, was quickly repressed by Israeli forces, who fired teargas, live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators, injuring several Palestinians in the process.
The action started with Palestinian demonstrators – who were joined by international and Israeli activists – gathering at the bottom of the hill where, according to local sources, the new outpost may eventually give way to a new settlement. At around 11:00, shortly after the demonstration had started, the Israeli forces stationed at the illegal settlement began firing teargas canisters in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators.
Israeli forces firing teargas at protesters. Photo: ISM/Charlie Donnelly
The clashes continued with some attempts made by the Palestinians to get closer to the illegal outpost. However, Israeli forces began throwing stun grenades and firing at demonstrators with both rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition. Tear gas was fired by Israeli forces throughout the demonstration and Palestinians responded to the aggressors by throwing stones and returning tear gas canisters towards the soldiers.
Palestinian hurls a teargas canister back at Israeli forces. Photo: ISM/Charlie Donnelly
At around 12:30 the Israeli forces established a new strategic position at the bottom of the hill, intensifying their use of live ammunition. From here, a soldier with a sniper rifle fitted with a silencer fired at protesters with live ammunition. ISM activists witnessed three Palestinians sustaining injuries from live ammunition during the clashes. Though the demonstration began to disperse at around 13:00, Israeli forces continued to fire tear gas whilst the protesters fled the hill and back to their villages. Israeli forces flanked the road back to Al-Mughayyir.
Palestinians carry an injured protester, possibly from live ammunition. Photo: ISM/Charlie Donnelly
This new illegal outpost is being established on Palestinian land shared by the villages of Al-Mughayyir, Abu Falah and Kufr Malik and will possibly serve to replace the recently evicted Amona illegal settlement. Despite heavy repression by Israeli forces, Palestinian resistance to the illegal annexation of their land continues. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2013) recently documented settler violence against the residents of Al-Mughayyir.
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