Tag: Live Ammunition

Increased settler attacks on villages around Nablus followed by army invasions including the use of live ammunition

4 December 2009

Settler attacks have increased across the Nablus region this week, as residents of Yitzhar settlement target the villages of Burin and Asira al-Qabliya. Israeli Occupation Forces have aided and abetted settlers, terrorising the villages with the use of live ammunition, sound bombs and firing tear gas on Palestinian residents.

The homes of Ahmad Jamal and Ahmad Mohammad Saleh in Asira al-Qabliya sit a short distance from the Shalhevit Yam outpost of the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, notorious for the violent ideologies of its residents. At 8:30am this morning, December 4, approximately 50 settlers stormed the eastern edge of the village, swarming around the homes of the Jamal and Saleh families and hurling stones. Ten Israeli military jeeps arrived shortly thereafter, attacking the village already under siege from its violent ‘neighbours’. The jeeps entered the Asira al-Qabliya firing tear gas, sound bombs and live ammunition, the entire attack lasting 2 hours before the final jeep exited the village.

Residents speculate that the attack may have been ‘provoked’ by the presence of farmers in fields close to the settlement today. A severe and unrelenting problem for farmers unfortunate enough to own land close to Yitzhar, a task as simple as plowing or pruning becomes a test of one’s bravery and a potential risk for the entire village. For the Jamal and Saleh families, the fear is constant – for the homes they have built, situated on the edge of the village and dangerously close to the latest extension of Yitzhar. Since the Shalhevit Yam outpost began construction in 2001 the Palestinian families’ homes have come under attack countless times from settlers armed with stones and guns, going as far as vandalising the exterior of the houses. Windows are broken and spray-painted Stars of David emblazoned across the walls.

The story is familiar in the nearby village of Burin. The family of Abu Ayman’s home sits alone on the hill that ascends to Yitzhar, and has come under attack almost daily this past week. Settlers frequently attack en masse, hurling stones and terrorising the family, home to over 10 children, including a new baby. The Yitzhar ‘side’ of the valley that forms Burin’s land has seen over 200 olive trees cut down by settlers in the past two months, seriously damaging the economy of Burin farmers.

The ‘phenomenon’ of settlers taking the law in to their own hands has become normality, as the populations of Palestinian villages brace themselves for another outbreak of settler violence in response to the Israeli government’s latest luke-warm ‘concession’ to the Palestinians – a 10-month partial settlement freeze. Despite cabinet moves already being made to amend the freeze (effectively nullifying it), it has sparked outrage in settler communities across the West Bank – from public demonstrations to violent attacks, not only on Palestinians but Israeli inspectors attempting to supervise the halt to construction.

Palestinian demonstrator shot with live ammunition during Ni’lin protest yesterday

Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

4 December 2009

During yesterday’s demonstration in Ni’lin, Hassan Naffe’, 21, was illegally shot by a sniper using 0.22” munitions. The 0.22” munitions, often colloquially referred to as ‘twotwo’ were classified as live ammunition and banned as crowd-control measures in 2001, by the then Judge Advocate General (JAG) Menachem Finkelstein. Naffe’ was shot in the groin and evacuated to the Ramallah hospital.

An Israeli sniper using 0.22” munitions shot Palestinian protester Hassan Naffe’ in the groin yesterday, during an anti wall demonstration in the West Bank village on Ni’lin. Naffe’ was moderately injured and evacuated to the Ramallah hospital, where an xray showed the bullet had lodged itself in his hipbone.

Late in 2001, the then JAG, Menachem Finkelstein, reclassified the 0.22” munition as live ammunition, and specifically forbade its use as a crowd control means. The reclassification was decided upon following numerous deaths of Palestinian demonstrators, mostly children (see here).

Despite this fact, the Israeli military resumed using the 0.22” munitions to disperse demonstrations in the West Bank in the wake of Operation Cast Lead (see here). Since then at least two Palestinian demonstrators were killed by 0.22” fire: on 13 February 2009, Az a-Din al-Jamal, age 14, in Hebron, and on 5 June 2009, Aqel Srour, age 35 in Ni’lin. 27 more were injured in Ni’lin alone, with varied degrees of severity.

Following the death of Aqel Srour, JAG Brig. Gen. Avichai Mandelblit reasserted that the use of the 0.22” munitions “are not classified by the IDF as means for dispersing demonstrations or public disturbances” (see here) , and their use was stopped.

On 13 November 2009, the army resumed using the 0.22” munitions against demonstrators in Ni’lin, already injuring four demonstrators, in conditions very far removed from life-threatening situations (under which the shooting of live ammunition is permitted).

Of the four, Mu’ataz Naffe’ was shot in the testicle, and Hassan Naffe’ was hit in the groin. Considering the fact that these shots were made by a sniper, and are extremely precise, this can not be attributed to anything but intent.

Gate forced open in Ni’lin’s separation barrier – eight demonstrators wounded and one arrested

Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

28 November 2009

For immediate release:

This morning, a group of demonstrators in the West Bank village of Ni’lin managed to surprise the Israeli army and, using bolt cutters, cut open one of the gates in the fence built on the village’s lands. Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene and fired rubber-coated steel bullets as well as tear gas canisters at the demonstrators, followed by the use of live ammunition.

Eight people were wounded during the action. Seven demonstrators were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets, and a one and a half year-old baby was evacuated to a Ramallah hospital suffering from tear gas inhalation, caused by soldiers firing a tear gas canister into her house.

Today marks the first time Israeli soldiers invade the residential parts of Ni’lin in an attempt to suppress a demonstration, since Palestinian demonstrator Aqel Sadeq Srour was shot dead by sniper fire approximately six months ago (5 June 2009), during a protest at the village. Srour’s brother was arrested today in the village center.

Today’s response by the Israeli army illustrates the ongoing policy of escalation which the army has been implementing in Ni’ilin for the past three weeks. This policy includes reintroducing the use of 0.22 caliber live ammunition as a means of crowd dispersal – in direct contradiction to the Chief Military Attorney’s orders.

Since June 2008, five Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by soldiers’ fire during protests in Ni’ilin, including two minors – 10 year-old Ahmed Mousa and 17 year-old Yussef Amirah. A further 34 demonstrators have been injured by live ammunition, and 87 have been arrested.

As a result of the separation barrier’s construction, 3,920 dunams of Ni’lin’s lands (30% of all accessible lands) have been de-facto confiscated; this is in addition to the 1,973 dunams on which Israeli settlements have been built since 1967.

Israeli forces shoot at Gaza bird-catchers, farmers

Eva Bartlett | The Electronic Intifada

20 November 2009

Farmer Mahmoud Mohammed Shawish Zaneen was shot in both his legs while planting wheat east of Beit Hanoun. (Eva Bartlett)
Farmer Mahmoud Mohammed Shawish Zaneen was shot in both his legs while planting wheat east of Beit Hanoun. (Eva Bartlett)

On 15 November at 8:30am, a number of young men went as usual to the land near Gaza’s northern border with Israel planning to catch birds. Amjad Hassanain, 27, was among the bird-catchers hunting near the border fence when Israeli soldiers began shooting.

The shots which missed the other bird-catchers hit Hassanain, grazing his shoulder. Cameraman Abdul Rahman Hussain, filming in the vicinity, reports having seen the group of bird-catches head north.

“We were near the former Israeli settlement of Doghit,” said Hussain, referring to the area northwest of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.

“I had gone to the border area to photograph a young bird-catcher. We were about 400 meters from the border fence, but when we heard the shooting, we moved back to around one kilometer.”

According to Hussain, the other men had to carry the wounded Hassanain one kilometer from the site of injury, then transferred him to a motorcycle and finally to a car.

“He was covered in blood, I couldn’t tell where he was hit,” said Hussain.

There to document the work of bird-catchers, Hussain was surprised by the shooting.

“They always go there to catch birds. They put their nets close to the fence in order to catch as many as possible.” Like the bird-catchers, Hussain believed the Israeli soldiers along the border were familiar enough with the bird catching activity that they wouldn’t shoot.

Two hours later, Mahmoud Mohammed Shawish Zaneen and seven other farmers took a break from their work plowing land east of Beit Hanoun.

“We had three tractors with us. We’d been working since 8am, planting wheat. At first we worked about 450 meters from the border fence, but later we were 700 meters away,” he explained.

The farmers had paused to drink tea when Israeli soldiers began shooting.

Zaneen added, “The tractors were stopped and we were sitting on them. There were about seven Israeli soldiers, on foot. They shot the other tractors and then shot mine. They didn’t give us any warning, just started shooting.”

The bullet which pierced Zaneen’s left calf continued into his right calf.

Since the end of last winter’s Israeli invasion of Gaza, at least nine Palestinians have been killed, and another more than 34 injured, by Israeli shooting and shelling in the border areas in Gaza’s north and east.

Eva Bartlett is a Canadian human rights advocate and freelancer who arrived in Gaza in November 2008 on the third Free Gaza Movement boat. She has been volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement and documenting Israel’s ongoing attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. During Israel’s recent assault on Gaza, she and other ISM volunteers accompanied ambulances and documenting the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Two injured in anti-wall rally

Ali Waked | YNet News

20 November 2009

Some 400 Palestinians, left-wing activists take part in weekly demonstration against separation fence’s route in West Bank village of Naalin, say IDF violated law by dispersing crowd with sniper fire. Army says protestors were hurling stones.

Two Palestinians were moderately injured Friday afternoon by Israel Defense Forces fire during the weekly rally against the separation fence in the West Bank village of Naalin, southwest of Ramallah. The army said the protesters hurled stones and rioted.

Some 400 protesters, including Palestinians and left-wing Israel and foreign activists took part in the demonstrations. According to the protesters, the IDF violated the law by using live ammunition in the form of “tutu bullets” while attempting to disperse the crowd. The claim has not been confirmed by Israeli sources.

Earlier, the IDF conveyed a message to the protestors that the demonstrations would be handled in an aggressive manner.

The weekly protests, which often end with injuries and sometimes even fatal casualties, have become a routine event every Friday. The rallies usually take place in the villages of Naalin and Bilin, although last Saturday six protesters were detained during an anti-fence demonstration in a village near Tulkarem. At the same time, two protesters and one Border Guard officer were injured in Naalin.

In last week’s incident, protesters also claimed that the security forces reinstated the use of Ruger rifles, which have been deemed live fire by the military prosecution. The IDF confirmed the use of the rifles, which can be used to fire live ammunition with relatively low force.

In June a Palestinian was killed during an anti-fence protest in Naalin, assumedly from ammunition fired from a Ruger rifle. Four additional Palestinians were injured in the incident.