Tag: Nablus

Lauren’s Journal: Shaheid means Martyr

Oh. God. They killed another one. Another shaheid. Another child martyr. Oh. God. Oh god. Ohgod. His blood. On the rocks. A hole in his head. It was a big hole. He is still alive after an hour from the shooting. But what does a rubber bullet 2 inches inside his brain with multiple skull fractures really offer? Oh god, when will this killing end? And I only just got here. Another mother lost a son. Another sister will cry tonight and every night. Another son only allowed to live 17 years. Prowling the streets, hunting for rocks the size of his hand to hurl at a jeep that would kill him. How does this make sense that this is all that was given to him in life?

But this boy was already free in a way before he was shot. He wasn’t afraid anymore. He stood up to the jeep. He was standing, until the bullet brought him face-down on the rocks. Maybe this is why they shot him, because the Israelis in the armored jeep were threatened by his fearlessness of them. He wasn’t suffering like the hundreds of thousands of people in Nablus from fear of their bullets.

Maybe he no longer wet himself at night dreaming of them burning down his house or killing his grandmother. Maybe he didn’t cower from the jeeps when they rolled down his street, or lose control at the sound of gunfire at close range. He was able to shake off this suffocating fear that I feel, that makes the ceiling descend and the world cease to exist beyond a few steps in front my feet – this is an admirable feat to have accomplished. And this is why he is a martyr.

Teen Shot in the Head in Nablus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nablus, West Bank

According to Dr. Samir Abu Zarour, at the emergency room in Rafidia Hospital, a 17 year-old boy “has multiple skull fractures on the right side of his head. A rubber-coated metal bullet made a tract through brain tissue and is now lodged in the left side. There is a grave risk to his life.”

Mohamed Saqer, from Askar refugee camp, and his friend Habesh [first name withheld] were throwing stones at a jeep (registration number 611046) driving on Aman Street, the main thoroughfare between Nablus and Balata. Habesh reported that the jeep pulled up to the corner and stopped. A soldier then fired one bullet directly at Saqer’s head from 15 meters away.

Israeli Open-Fire Regulations require a minimum range of forty meters for firing “rubber” bullets. The Regulations also stipulate that the bullets be fired only at a person’s legs.

For more information contact:
Lee 054 738 5754
Mohammed 054 621 8759
ISM Media Office 02 297 1824

Timline of a Nablus Invasion

By Lee

At approximately 11:00am the Army arrives at Tel street in Mafea Area of Nablus.

Military Operation to search the 5 story Aljhe building, likely used by students at nearby al-Naija university, and possibly to arrest some occupants. Four jeeps in attendance.

Soldiers arrived and used live ammunition from the start. Youth stone throwing at jeeps from surrounding buildings and adjacent road thats 30m higher.

We arrive at 11:45. Timeline as follows:

11:56- Smoke bomb set off outside building. Obscures view

12:00- Jeep drives from outside building and moves 20m next to ambluance
Uses it as cover from stones

12:06- Smoke clearing from outside building

12:07- 2 soldiers enter building (more could have entered when view obscured by smoke)

12:09- Smoke pouring from 2 & 3 storey windows of building. Something said over one of jeeps loudspeakers

12:17- 2 jeeps have returned. 4 jeeps again in total

12:23- Smell of tear gas coming from building, smoke still coming from several windows, but concentrated on 4th floor
2 soldiers exit building & return to jeep

12:35- 3 jeeps drive from building and move 30m to ambulance. Stone throwing recommences, hitting ambulance and jeeps. One then drives on and pushes aside makeshift barricade (metal wheelie bin & rubbish). 2 others follow. then final jeep drives from building

12:37- enter building with ambulance crews. Its full of smoke and tear gas. 1st and 2nd story doors are open and rooms are empty except for smoke and soot on the floor. 3rd story doors still closed. 4th story doors open but impossible to see inside – too much smoke & gas and its painful & difficult to breathe. Head a bit dizzy. Need to breathe out of windows on the stair landings. Remove window panes with ambulance crew to let more smoke out. Grab some pics – not sure if any good. After maybe 7 minutes, fire brigade arrive and man in breathing apparatus ascends stairs. i gotta leave, feeling ill. Take pics of fireman and rush outside

12:50- Fire brigade begin hosing down building to wash away soot and clear smoke. Oh, and ive got a headache and painful breathing, serves me right!

Not sure if anyone was living in the apartments as all looked empty but if they were, they wont be able to live there for a few days, place is a total mess

12:52- residents, media and ambulance crews all say that no one was arrested. Just no way anyone could have stayed in the building through the operation thats a fact

Epilogue: Last Night: 7 were arrested from Askar refugee camp. Army attacked at 02.00 and left and 07.00. 3 arrested from Nablus including 50 yr old woman Wafiqa Adela.

Update on Nablus Incursions

Today, April 22nd, the army invaded Nablus again, which they have done almost everyday since last Monday, evacuating soldiers in houses that they have occupied. Today 5 people were hit with rubber bullets, one of them below the eye. One of them was a reporter with Reuters, Ashraf Sharwis, who was filming an armoured vehicle the open, but far from the kids throwing stones. They hit him with a rubber bullet in the leg, and he moved closer to the TV jeep but continued to film. Then they shot him again in the shoulder and he was evacuated in an ambulance. At the same time (another shot or the same bullet, I don’t know) hit a very young kid that was standing next to the reporters and ambulance and was not throwing stones. I would estimate his age is about 11 or 12 years old.

Lauren, ISM Nablus

New House Occupations in Nablus

Pictures from yesterday’s house occupations

Today, the Israeli army has occupied three more buildings in Nablus that we are aware of. One of them is a brand new shopping mall which has not yet opened. The local youth are outside burning tyres in protest. This will have little effect on the soldiers who are at least 10 stories up. Despite this they are firing live ammunition. Yesterday’s woundings of two boys has not deterred them in the least.

The doors that the soldiers were using as shields

I need to stress this further: the soldiers are recklessly and randomly firing live ammunition down onto an area crowded with market traders, women, children and workers. This is madness – it utterly disgusts me. Some locals may have learned to live with these army invasions – what choice do they have after all?

Kitchen of about 15ft by 6ft in which a family of 6 was held for 12 hours

If they allow their ‘fight or flight’ buttons to be pressed every single time something happens they could not survive. But this is not normal, this is not OK and i can see the stress in people’s faces and an increaed urgency in their movements.