Tag: Nablus

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A Palestinian family home near the settlement of Yizhar has been under constant attacks from its inhabitants. On Friday 5 September settlers came down the mountain, a mere kilometre from the village, to the families’ home and threw stones and painted stars of David on the walls. This has not been the first occasion.

The home has been under constant attack from settlers over the past four years, coming down the mountain, harassing and intimidating the family who have small children and two other Palestinian homes in close proximity. On one occasion settlers fired guns into the air and ground forcing the family on each occasion to lock themselves in their home. When the Israeli army have been contacted about the attacks they have not taken any further action against the perpetrators and the attacks have continued.

The village of Asira al Qibliya is also dependent on its annual olive harvest and farmers attempting to harvest and tend to their trees next to the settlement have been under repeated attacks over the past few years from both settlers and the army. This year they will be accompanied by international solidarity activists with the aim of achieving as full a harvest as possible.

The Israeli Army invaded Kafr Qallil on Thursday 21st August and arrested two men. Cousins Montasar Ahmed and Naseer Aamir were both taken from Montasar’s family home which he shares with nine other people.

Montasar’s father says that more than fifty soldiers surrounded the house at around 3.30pm. Local people began throwing stones and the soldiers responded with tear gas and sound bombs. According to several eyewitnesses, soldiers also fired live ammunition close to where people stood.

Montasar’s father was ordered to send his son outside. He says he tried to go with Montasar but the soldiers stopped him and threatened to shoot him if he attempted to reach his son. He says he then saw the soldiers take Montasar some distance from the house and punch, kick and beat him with their guns. When Montasar’s mother tried to reach her son she was pushed by soldiers and collapsed.

An ambulance was called, but neighbours say that the army prevented it from reaching the house. A media team was also stopped. Montasar was then taken into his family’s house with the soldiers who brought a dog team. Furniture and other belongings were destroyed and a collection of photos were taken as soldiers searched the home. Both Montasar and his cousin Naseer were taken to Huwarra military detention centre.

His father says that this is the second time that Montasar has been arrested. In November 2007 he was held in administrative detention for nine months and released without charge.

On the night between the 5th and 6th of August, Israeli army invaded Nablus to arrest Majida Fada, a 38-year elected member of the municipality.

People from the neighborhood report that the army arrived around 1:30am, closing the area and shooting out street lights. About ten soldiers then moved into the residential building where Majida Fada lived with her parents, forcing the doors open and storming into family homes. A man named Based Khader was reported to have been used as a human shield while soldiers carried out their search.

Majida Fada, head of the municipality committee responsible for the beautification of Nablus, is one of 7 municipality council electives who have been arrested this year. This is the second time Majida Fada has been arrested. Three years ago she was held for six months without trial before being released. As with her previous arrest, the family says that they have not been told the reason for her detention.

Thursday the 24th July the popular organizations of Nablus arranged a protest march against the previous weeks military assaults on Nablus social and economic life.

The 250 participants gathered in the city centre and marched to the local TV-station Afaq that was vandalized by the Israeli army. Before the march speakers acknowledged that the resistance against the assaults upon health clinics, mosques, schools and organizations will continue and that they will not let the social and economic life of the city get strangled by the military invasions.

The protesters marched to the TV-station Afaq and opened the door that was sealed by the Israeli army during the invasion.

On Thursday, 24th July, the electric and telephone lines of the Burin Village were destroyed with a fire started by settlers from the nearby settlement of Yizhar.

Thirty settlers arrived in seven cars and began to throw stones at the local people’s cars, in addition to starting the fire. The villagers called the Palestinian police, who alerted the Israeli police and army. Once at the scene, the soldiers began to tear gas the Palestinians to disperse the crowd. One settler took a gun from a soldier and for a few minutes shot at the villagers. The settler will receive only a week-long arrest and the settler who started the fire will be briefly arrested as well. While no one in the village was injured during this attack, an ambulance had to give medical attention to a woman who inhaled too much tear gas. The electrical and phone networks had to be replaced by the village.

The problems for the village began close to twenty-four years ago, but since 2005 the difficulties have severely worsened through daily attacks which vary in degree of damage. The village houses three thousand residents and is located between two settlments, Yitzhar and Abraha. Several members of the village council report that approximately five thousand olive trees have been cut or burned thus far, and multiple horses and sheep have been stolen.