Tag: Madama

Continued harrassment of the Nasser family in Madama

27 January 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Madama, Occupied Palestine

Settler attacks in Madama. Photo by Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images 2012A month after unprovoked settler and army attacks, the victim of severe violence Mamun Nasser remains in Israeli prison. The arrest of yet another member of the Nasser family, Amir Nasser, shows Israeli army’s continued harassment in Madama.

On December 18th the notorious security guard charged with the protection of the illegal settlement of Yizhar, Jacob, attacked Mamun Nasser while he was tending to his flock of sheep in a hill outside the settlement. Mamun was handcuffed and beaten in front of his entire family, who desperately tried to intervene.

The Israeli army arrived on the scene, who responded by firing live ammunition on the Nasser family and others who tried to help, quickly ending their attempt to stop the vicious assault.  One round passed through Mamun’s sisters clothing narrowly missing her while another one hit his brother, Amir, in the leg. His mother told us “They wanted to kill him [Amir]. I heard the officer giving that order. He was lucky that he was only shot in his leg.” Severely beaten, Mamun was then arrested and taken away by the Israeli military into custody. One month later he remains detained in Majdou Prison.

On January 23rd at 4 pm, the Israeli army followed up the harassment by raiding the Nasser family home in Madama, arresting Mamun’s brother Amir who was still recovering from the gunshot wound he received only a month prior. This is another episode in the continued harassment of villagers surrounding Yizhar which is described as the West Bank’s most violent settlement by the United Nations.

Video taken by settlers during the incident on December 18th

Madama attack – Harrowing account from the Nassar family

18 December 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Madama, Occupied Palestine

Following yesterday’s attack on the village of Madama by Israeli soldiers and settlers, Huda Ibraheem Nassar, the mother of the family who were violently attacked yesterday, recounted to us the harrowing story of what happened.

Currently one of her sons who was seized by settlers in what yesterday was thought to be a kidnap is now being held in the Huwwara Military Camp, while the other is recovering from gunshot wounds in his leg. Huda herself and two of her daughters were beaten by Israeli soldiers during the attack on Monday.

Huda told us how two of her sons were grazing their sheep in the valley next to their village, in a spot distant from the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar. One of her sons Mahmoud went to bring a donkey back from the village, Mamun her other son spotted a settler notorious for various attacks on villages around the Yitzhar settlements. He called his brother Mahmoud to return back to the valley, fearing that he was going to be attacked. In fact, when Mahmoud returned he found Mamun handcuffed whilst being horrifically beaten by a settler. Two Israeli soldiers stood back and watched the attack, while many other soldiers surveyed the area.

Mamun was being severely beaten and strangled by the settler, his face was swollen and full of blood and he was foaming from the mouth. Seeing this, Mahmoud went to try to free his brother, but was stopped by the soldiers who started beating him on his head with the butts of their guns. Huda and two of her daughters, together with her other son, Amir, arrived on the the scene and went to attempt to help his two brothers, only to be also beaten up by the soldiers.

At that point the soldiers started shooting live bullets at the family. One shot passed just next to them, while another one hit Amir in his leg. “They wanted to kill Amir. I heard the officer giving that order. He was just lucky that the shot hit his leg,” Huda told us. As more villagers arrived at the violent scene, Amir was taken away back to the village. Mamun who was severely beaten was then taken away by the Israeli soldiers.

“I am really worried about Mamun. He was in a really bad shape, full of blood and his face was swollen. I hope they gave him the medical attention he needed”, his mother Huda said. The District Coordination Office informed the family that Mamun is currently being held at the Huwwara Military Camp.

During yesterday’s attack two other people were injured when soldiers and settlers attacked the villagers that arrived at the scene of the aggression. One was hospitalised with gunshot wounds in his leg, while the other was hit on the side of the head with a tear gas cannister.

Photos from JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP/Getty Images 2012 AFP

 

 

Three people shot in Madama, Palestine

17 December 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Madama, Occupied Palestine

Israeli settlers, then the Israeli army violently attacked  the village of Madama, near Nablus, West Bank. Three people were shot with live ammunition and one person was taken by Israeli settlers.

It  all started at 10.30 this morning when two brothers and their sister were attacked by a group of Israeli settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar. The three Palestinians were with sheep on the hills above Madama when the settlers attacked. Two were shot and have been taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. One of the brothers was hit in the head by settlers, who then took him into the settlement where hebelieve was arrested by Israeli Military. All three were aged between 20 and 30 years old.

Youth from the village went to the aid of the three siblings, and were met by the Israeli Army. Over the course of approximately five hours, soldiers fired live ammunition, tear gas, and stun grenades at Palestinian youth armed only with stones. A further two Palestinians were seriously injured in the clash, one shot in the leg with live ammunition and another was hit by a tear gas canister. The army also arrested one Palestinian.

A Red Crescent medic at the scene said since the successful UN state bid he had seen a dramatic rise in wounds resulting from the fire of live ammunition.

A Palestinian from Madama who was involved in the clashes today said that settlers have been attacking the village and their agriculture for a long time. Olive trees are regularly burnt or destroyed, and farmers have often been injured. The village lies in a valley between the Yitzhar and Bracha settlements, and their land runs up to the fences of these settlements.

Photos from JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP/Getty Images 2012 AFP

Second settler arson attack on Madama in a week

3 June 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

On Thursday June 2 at about 1pm, the villagers of Madama were again victims of a settler arson attack on their land.

According to Samed Hamad, a 15 year old Palestinian who saw the incident, settlers from the nearby illegal settlement Yizhar, set fire to a crop Field on the mountain not far from the place they had attacked on Monday 30 May. Residents of the village went up to the blaze to put it out and it was then that a group of settlers accompanied by settler guards and Israeli soldiers attacked the Palestinians with stones. According to Samed, one of the soldiers later handed over his tear gas gun to a settler to fire at the villagers. The army entered the village from the “bridge” (a main road into the village) and from the settlement, thereby cornering the residents of Madama and trapping them.

Whilst the ISM was in Madama to report about the attack this afternoon, three Israeli jeeps entered the village again, throwing sound bombs and arresting 17 year old Hussein Othman Muhammad, seemingly at random. They tied his hands behind his back with a plastic strap and frog marched him blindfolded to the army jeeps where he was then forced to kneel down and eventually bundled into the back of one. When ISM talked to residents of the village later, they said that Hussein had been up on the mountain helping to put the fire out.

Today marks an increase in the settler campaign against Madama´s residents following an arson attack to wheat crops two days ago and a severe physical attack last week against 66 year old Hamad Jaber Qut which hospitalized him for 5 days.

Madama is a village with 2,000 inhabitants located in the south of Nablus, in the West Bank. According to its mayor, Ihab Tahsin Qut, since the construction of the illegal settlement of Yitzhar in 1985, many villagers have been attacked by the settlers and 1,000 dunams of land have already been confiscated from the village. Settler attacks on the farmers have severely effected the village’s agricultural trade in the past years.

Settler arson attack on the village of Madama

01 June 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

On Monday 30 May at 4pm, the villagers of Madama reported that a fire had been started by seven to eight settlers in one of the village’s wheat fields. The field was close to the place where less than a week ago, Hamad Jaber Qut – a 66 year old shepherd, was attacked by 15 settler youths with knives and sticks whilst tending his sheep and getting ready for prayer.

Mohammed, a resident of Madama, witnessed the arson attack which came at the hands of settlers who reside in the illegal settlement, Yizhar which is 1.5km away on top of one of the hills overlooking the Palestinian village. Mohammed saw them throw petrol and light the wheat. On seeing the smoke, the residents of Madama called the fire brigade to put the fire out, by which time the settlers had retreated back into the settlement. The fire was put out in due course.

When the ISM went to see where the attack had taken place, a jeep of Israeli soldiers could be seen watching the area.

This arson attack follows a violent physical attack on Hamad Jaber Qut who has sustained serious injuries to his face including two black eyes, gashes to his head, and bruising to his abdomen and legs after being attacked by 15 settler youths. When asked by the ISM whether he would go back to the land, he replied; “This land is our land, the settlement is in an area they should not be. The settlers did not take into consideration that I was preparing to pray before I was attacked. They are animals. This will not make us feel afraid, we have the right and god will be with us. All the world should know that their [the settlers] existence is illegal.” When asked whether he will go back to the land to tend his sheep, he replied; “Yes, I will go back. They will not stop us going.”

Madama is a village with 2,000 inhabitants located in the south of Nablus, in the West Bank. According to its mayor, Lehab Tahsin Qut, since the construction of the illegal settlement of Yitzhar in 1985, 1,000 dunams of land has already been confiscated from the village.