Tag: Nablus

Settlers attack Asira al Qibliya

9 September 2009

Israeli forces arrive in Asira al Qibliya after a settler attack on the Palestinian village
Israeli forces arrive in Asira al Qibliya after a settler attack on the Palestinian village

On Wednesday 9 September 2009 the villages of Urif and Asira al Qibliya south of Nablus, came under attack from settlers from the nearby illegal Yitzhar settlement. At approximately 2pm, 10 settler youth, half of them masked and armed with machete knives, stones and slingshots attempted to attack the village of Urif and Asira al Qibliya.

The settlers attempted to first attack the village of Urif, however the Israeli army did arrive and prevented the armed youth proceeding any further. Following this the settler youth then proceeded to the village of Asira al Qibliya.

The youth destroyed a hillside tent put up by the army two months ago on the outskirts of Asira between the illegal settlement and the Palestinian village. The Israeli army then arrived with 3 jeeps, carrying 9 soldiers. The soldiers began to shout at Palestinians to return to their homes and made no attempt to push the settlers back who continued to roam a few metres from Palestinian homes. As Palestinian youth gathered at the edges of the village to defend against any attacks by the soldiers or settlers the army fired four bursts of live ammunition and tear gas on the unarmed crowd. A ricocheting bullet hit one Palestinian boy, 8 year old Machlouf Abrahim, in the arm. A number of people were also effected by two rounds of tear gas that had were fired at their homes.

After approximately one hour the army regrouped and , joined by one settlement security jeep drove through the village, firing tear gas on dozens of young boys, some of whom were throwing stones. They established a checkpoint on the main entry road and remained on the outskirts of Asira until nightfall.

Asira al Qibliya and the surrounding villages have suffered repeated attacks from the illegal settlements Yitzhar and Bracha that surround the Palestinian villages. One year ago settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar rampaged through Asira al Qibliya shooting a number of residents and causing damage to property. The incident was described by the then Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak as a ‘pogram’ and condemned at the time but despite footage of the incident the Israeli Government has not brought forward charges against any settlers. In a later incident the settlers shot dead a 14 year old boy from the village.

Settlers have also been responsible for the continual burning of land of the local Palestinian villages with 1000’s of dunams of land planted with olive trees, vital to the local economy, destroyed. Settlers have continued to engage in what they call a ‘price tag’ campaign whereby if an illegal outpost is taken down in one part of the West Bank settlers rampage, destroy and attack Palestinians and their property in retaliation. Settlements in the occupied territories and outpost are considered illegal under international law and despite their obligation to protect the local population as an occupying force the Israeli Government continues to condone and support the violent and illegal acts of settlers in the occupied territories.

Join the 2009 Olive Harvest Campaign

9 September 2009

With rapidly escalating levels of settler violence in the West Bank, the International Solidarity Movement is issuing an urgent call for volunteers to participate in the 2009 Olive Harvest Campaign.

The olive tree is a national symbol for Palestinians. As thousands of olive trees have been bulldozed, uprooted and burned by the Israeli military and settlers, harvesting has become more than a source of livelihood; it has become a form of resistance. The olive harvest is an annual affirmation of Palestinians’ historical, spiritual and economic connection to their land, and a rejection of Israeli efforts to seize it.

Palestinian communities are inviting internationals to support and show solidarity with this resistance by working in the olive groves with them. By doing so, activists can reduce the risk of extreme violence from Israeli settlers or army through non-violent intervention and documentation.

The campaign will begin on the 3rd of October and run for approximately 6-8 weeks, depending on the size of the harvest. We request a 2 week commitment from volunteers.

Training:

The ISM will be holding mandatory two day training sessions every Saturday and Sunday. Please contact palreports@gmail.com for further information.

Ongoing campaigns:

In addition to the olive harvest, there will also be other opportunities to participate in grass-roots, non-violent resistance in Palestine.
In occupied East Jerusalem, ISM activists have been staying with the Hanoun and Ghawe families, prior and post their evictions. We will continue to support the initiatives of the families who face evictions or demolitions in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and other Palestinian neighborhoods in resisting the ethnic cleansing of occupied East Jerusalem.

ISM has been active in the village of Ni’lin, supporting its non-violent resistance to construction of the Apartheid Wall that annexes much of its land. Since May 2008, Ni’lin has been demonstrating and the Israeli military suppression of their unarmed protests has led to the death of 5 Palestinians and critical injury of an ISM activist.

In Bil’in, ISM has once again taken an apartment to participate in prevention of arrests and the ongoing night raids. Since the beginning of the summer, Israeli forces have been invading and arresting in the village of Bil’in, known for its creative resistance to the Apartheid Wall and construction of settlements on village lands.

Additionally, ISM maintains a presence in Hebron and Susiya. Work in these areas includes solidarity visits, farmer accompaniment and response to settler violence.

Come! Bear witness to the suffering, courage and generosity of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. Experiencing the situation for yourself is vital to adequately convey the reality of life in Palestine to your home communities and to re-frame the debate in a way that will expose Israel’s apartheid policies; creeping ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem as well as collective punishment and genocidal practices in Gaza.

Nablus-area residents to protest home demolition orders

This coming Thursday (20/08/09) the families and friends of those affected by the demolition orders detailed below, will hold a protest outside the courts in Beit El. They will be joined by residents of nearby villages and international solidarity activists. The rally will start between 9 and 10am outside the court.

House demolition orders in Yetma:

In the village Yetma south of Nablus in the West Bank, around 17 houses was given demolition orders from the Israeli Government, issued the 27th of July 2009. All houses were built after the Oslo process, and are located in the only part of the village that is considered to be area C according to the Accords. By the Israeli government, therefor, these houses are considered as having been built without a permit. This is their official reason for issuing the orders. However, the area is located no further than aproximetely 2 km from the border of the Israeli settlement Rahel. Neither the Palestinian Authority nor the Israeli Government will give the house owners licenses saying that they own the land on which the houses are built.

The 6th of August, however, after having issued an official complaint about the demolition orders, 3 of the houses had their court case. The decision became that the legal process would be postponed until the 13th of August when a new court case will be held.

According to the demolition orders issued to 9 of the other houses, the final date on which the Israeli Government can come to evict the houses is dated the 20th of August. The house owners of these houses too, made an official complaint about the decision, but their court case will be held as late 9 o clock the 20th of August, which makes it possible for Israel to fulfill the evictions before the legal procedure takes place.

The Red Crescent will provide the families with food and tents after the demolitions.

Demolition orders for 13 houses in Dahia village east of Nablus

The village of Dahia is a very quiet area, in the mountains east of Nablus. Since the time of the Ottoman Empire, the area has belonged to the city of Kafr Qalil.

During the Oslo agreement, the land was classified under Area C, land that falls under full Israeli administrative control. Dahia has over 200 houses and new homes are under current construction. These are located near the top of the mountain where there is a fence preventing people to enter a military road which leads to a military observation point. From this point the military can overlook the whole area with its various villages and also Balata Camp. During the second Intifada the military also used to shoot people from there in Balata Camp. On the other side of the fence there is a village with Arabic Jews who live there for many years who have good relations to the people from Dahia. But to reach them you have to travel a long way round.

Most of the families moving to Dahia are people from Balata Camp who try to fulfill their dream of a secure home outside the camp. The money to build those palaces (in comparison to the conditions under which they have to live in Balata Camp) they moostly borrowed from friends, their family and the bank. Mostly it’s about the money you earn when you work 40 years. Now thirteen of the families got house demolishing orders which they received on the 21st of July. The court case will take place on the 13th of August. The houses are randomly chosen by the Israeli army. They consider them to be a security risk. Some of the houses are located close to the fence some are far away, not even built – others are directly next to the fence and can stay for the moment.

Again the conflict is as in several areas: People legally bought the land and even received deeds of ownerships for it from the responsible government (here: Kafr Qalil) which refer to the deeds from the Ottoman Empire. Afterwards they got the building license and water and energy supply.

Now as already mentioned they are considered to be a security risk. In the area of Dahia only three houses got a building license also from the Israeli government.

The inhabitants are afraid that if the 13 cases will be lost in front of the judge other house demolishing orders will follow.

Azzun:
Since some time there exists the order to build a road which shall connect the settlements of Alfei Menashe and Kamei Shomron. It’s going to be 10 km long with a buffer zone of 300 meters on each side and will cost around 180 000 000 NIS. This will change the usual root for people from Azzun on their way to Nablus. Because it will be a settlers’ only road Palestinian will have to make a detour via Jayyus.

Activists expect the plans for this road to be the reason why that many owners get demolishing orders for their houses. In 1993 2500 Dunums of Izbat at Tabib got the order to be confiscated in order to be replaced by an industrial area. This decision was postponed in 2001. Nowadays half of the 45 houses of the village have demolishing orders and settlers accompanied by IOF show up in the village and stay there for some hours. Strangely people from another village where they got house demolishing orders additional to this got the order to move to Izbat al Tabib against what the inhabitants of Izbat al Tabib got to say: They shall move to Azzun where new possibilities of housing are promised to them.

Israeli forces deliver demolition orders to Nablus-area homes

11 August 2009

In the West Bank village of Yetma, south of Nablus, around 17 houses were given demolition orders from the Israeli government, issued the 27th of July 2009. All houses were built after the Oslo process, and are located in the only part of the village that is considered to be area C according to the Accords. Therefor the Israeli government is claiming that these houses are considered as having been built without a permit. This is the official reason for issuing the orders. However, the area is located no further than approximately 2 km from the border of the Israeli settlement Rahel. Neither the Palestinian Authority nor the Israeli Government will give the house owners licenses saying that they own the land on which the houses are built.

The 6th of August, however, after having issued an official complaint about the demolition orders, 3 of the houses had their court case. The decision became that the legal process would be postponed until the 13th of August when a new court case will be held.

According to the demolition orders issued to 9 of the other houses, the final date on which the Israeli Government can come to evict the houses is dated the 20th of August. The house owners of these houses too, made an official complaint about the decision, but their court case will be held as late 9 o’clock on the 20th of August, which makes it possible for Israel to fulfill the evictions before the legal procedure takes place.

The Red Creset will provide the families with food and tents after the demolitions.

Iraq Burin demonstrates against settlements

7 August 2009

Today the first demonstration took place in Iraq Burin village. Since there exists an illegal settlement close to the village 100 dunum of land (100,000 square meters) have been confiscated, therefore farmers and shepherds are prohibited to enter their fields and areas close to the settlement, but nowadays already the closest field directly next to the village is forbidden to use after 100 meters. The farmers are faced with the illegitimate Israeli law, which expropriates Palestinian if they have not been to their land for 3 years. Obviously this is a cynical law because the army doesn’t allow farmers to access their land. On the other hand constant attacks from settlers and soldiers happen there. Five years ago settlers shot a man in his leg while he was walking on a hill far away from the settlement. In the nights settlers came to make graffiti like « The People of Israel are alive ». Since three years one shop and three houses have recieved demolishing orders.

On the 7th of August, around 150 inhabitants and a score of international activists started a demonstration in the center of the village with a festive climate. They chanted slogans against the Occupation and for their legitimate right to access of their land. The demonstration marched towards the land where settler presence has stopped the residents’ ability to access their land. went up a hill directly next to the village in the direction of the land which settlers have stolen and therefore farmers aren’t able to use their land anymore. The aim of the demonstration was to arrange a public prayer on exactly those fields.

When the march came near the settlers’ outpost there was only one soldier who immediately started shooting into the air when he saw the demonstrators. Then several armed settlers and few soldiers started to threaten the demonstrators pointing at them with their weapons. The demonstrators by means of a megaphone remained to the settlers and soldiers that this was a non violent demonstration. Even though, settlers became more and more aggressive and kept on pointing at demonstrators. More soldiers arrived to the scenery and ordered the demonstrators to leave offering violence.

The Palestinians insisted on their right to be at this place but realizing the degree of violence from the settlers they decided at least to celebrate their prayer as scheduled. When they started Settlers started to shoot life ammunition in the air and soldiers tried to disperse the demonstration with tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets. The demonstrators shortly scattered but gathered again. Now settlers and soldiers became more violent. Settlers ran down the hill towards the demonstrators screaming, unloading their guns and aiming at the people in a range of only some centimeters. The soldiers were not really able or willing to stop them. In contrast they went on throwing teargas and sound grenades. Some shabaab (young teenagers) responded in throwing stones. In the following there where some probabilities but luckily nobody was arrested or badly injured. After Israeli Border police and police arrived the leaders of the demonstration started some negotiation with them which again and again was interrupted by the violent attacks of the Settlers or sound bombs and tear gas from the soldiers . In total more than 30 members of Israeli armed forces were in the place. Finally the Palestinian leaders achieved the celebration of the prayer some meters further direction village.

Despite the difficulties of the demonstration because of the disproportional means used by the army and the risk caused by the violence of the settlers, the inhabitants left the place in a mood of hope and strength with the intention to keep on demonstrating in that area.

During the demonstration two people were injured. One of them, a journalist from Al Jazeera, was beaten by a settler with his weapon. The other injured person was a Palestinian who was hit by a tear gas canister in his stomach. He needed medical assistance and a bandage.