19th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Bruqin, Occupied Palestine
On Thursday 15th August, Israeli occupation forces entered the village of Bruqin in the early hours of the morning. Four jeeps full of soldiers made their way first into the valley, and then into the village itself. The Israeli army at first did not exit their vehicles; they stayed inside the village for approximately 15 minutes before leaving. After 40 minutes had passed the jeeps returned, once again waking the residents, and this time the soldiers entered Bruqin on foot. This night invasion shortly follows the release of Mustafa Othman al-Haj, one of the 26 prisoners released on Tuesday 13th August.
Residents were concerned that Mustafa would be re-arrested in the raid, having seen that one of the jeeps appeared to be carrying Shabak (Israeli intelligence) agents, who appeared to be referring to information on a computer as they patrolled around the village. “It is common that they re-arrest these released people, or come and give them a warning in the night” said one resident of Bruqin. It was also witnessed that soldiers were carrying devices used by the Israeli military to forcibly break down doors, although they were not used.
Welcoming released prisoners on 14th August 2013 in Ramallah (Photo by Activestills)
Mustafa is one of five men from Bruqin who was arrested and held by Israel for many years. A further man is due to be released in the coming months, another in the next year, with the final two residents remaining in prison. Although Mustafa is now a free man, his release is not without conditions, for the next 10 years he must abide by certain guidelines and for the next year he must remain in a specific area of the West Bank. His return to Bruqin caused considerable celebration as he had been imprisoned for over 24 years. However, there is much to be concerned about in Bruqin and indeed the whole of Occupied Palestine; according to Addameer (Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association) since the “peace” negotiations were announced on July 19th there have been over 200 arrests.
Bruqin itself is not unused to the injustice of occupation, currently the village is at risk of having 100 dunums of land stolen by an illegal settlement. The villagers of Bruqin have attempted to contest these plans in court but so far there attempts have been unsuccessful. All settlements are illegal under international law but this has not stopped the loss of Palestinian land, in Bruqin and the West Bank as a whole.
8th August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine
For one Hebron family, this year’s Eid is more worrisome than festive. They will have to spend it wondering about their father and husband, whom they have not been able to talk to since the 4th of August. Last Sunday at around 2am Mohammed* was arrested – he was woken up by 20-30 soldiers and taken away without being told the charges against him. His family has not yet been able to talk to him or give him the medicine that he needs.
Freedom for Palestinian prisoners
When the Israeli military Sunday morning invaded Mohammed’s house with five jeeps and two armed vehicles, it took him and his family completely by surprise. The entire family – Mohammed, his wife and their six children – were woken up and told to gather in the house of Mohammed’s brother. Mohammed was then told he should kiss his children and say goodbye for he was being arrested. However neither Mohammed nor his family was informed of the charges upon his arrest.
After having placed Mohammed’s family under surveillance the Israeli military took Mohammed to his workplace. Here they told him to close all the security cameras or they would destroy his office. The office was thoroughly searched, however nothing was removed or changed. Mohammed was then taken to Ashkelon Prison at around 4am.
Mohammed’s family has still not been able to contact him, the Israeli military or the prison. They are deeply concerned as Mohammed is in need of medication due to a recent procedure performed on his eyes.
Mohammed was previously detained in 1994 for four months without ever knowing the charges. All Mohammed and his family know about the previous arrest is that Israeli military suspected some association with the Muslim Brotherhood. Since 1994 Mohammed has been a free man and has lived a quiet life without harassment from the Israeli occupation forces until he was suddenly arrested last Sunday.
Mohammed has still not been officially accused of a crime, however yesterday evening he and his family were informed that he was suspected of “threatening the security of the area”. His arrest has been extended for nine days at the end of which he will have a military court hearing.
Mohammed’s lawyer seems optimistic that Mohammed will be released after these nine days, since the Israeli occupation forces do not seem to have evidence on which they can hold him. However it is sadly not uncommon that administrative detention can be used, cases in which an arrest of a Palestinian incessantly is extended and military hearings continuously are pushed back. This is especially true of military hearings as it is only the judge and the prosecutor who are presented to the base of the deferment, not even the defense is shown the evidence.
*Name changed by request of the family who wish to remain anonymous
23th July 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Azzun, Occupied Palestine
Israeli forces continue their strike on the village of Azzun. Last week alone, three teenagers were arrested and one was handed a paper to go to the Israeli DCO (District Coordination Office).
On Thursday 18th July, two young men, Yahya Ali Adwan and Abdal Hameed, both seventeen years old, were arrested by the Israeli forces. Soldiers invaded the village early in the morning and took the boys from their homes, handcuffed and blindfolded.
Yahya Ali Adwan’s photo on his family living room wall (Photo by ISM)
At around 1am on the morning of Thursday 18th July soldiers invaded Azzun, entering houses, claiming to have reason to search. They were looking specifically for Yahya Ali Adwan, as they raided the house of his uncle and demanded to be taken to him. On arriving at Yahya’s home the Israeli army, dressed in balaclavas, refused to wait for his father to open the door and forced entry. The family were woken and told to produce their IDs. When they saw Yahya’s they handcuffed and blindfolded him and took him to a waiting military vehicle. When his father asked why they were taking his son the soldiers simply replied ‘He is under arrest’.
No contact was made to the family until two days after, with a call informing them that Yahya had been taken to al Jalame prison (Jenin) and was under investigation.
Abdal Hameed, also seventeen, was arrested on the same night under similar circumstances. Both boys, even at this young age, have already spent over two years in Israeli prisons. Yahya was released just three months ago.
During the time of their arrests, numerous other military jeeps and soldiers were in the area, shooting tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets and sound bombs to suppress resistance from local residents.
Various members of Abdal Hameed and Yahya Ali Adwan’s family are also currently in prison. Abdel Hameed’s brother has been in jail for a long time and has been put in solitary confinement for months at a time – treatment which has severely affected his health. According to the family, once when his mother went to visit him in the prison he didn’t even recognize her.
On the Friday 19th July, after these 2 arrests, at around 10pm, two more young men from Azzun were detained by the Israeli forces when they were walking on the main street near their home. Thamer Thabet Aabed, seventeen, was taken into a military jeep and arrested for the first time in his life. The other teenager, also seventeen, was let go but told to meet with the Israeli DCO on Sunday 21st July. Contact was made with the Red Cross on Saturday 20th to try and find out where Thamer was taken, but his location is still unknown.
The town of Azzun is the home of about 10,000 Palestinians. It is located in the northern West Bank district of Qalqiliya and it is surrounded by several military towers and five illegal settelements including Ma’ale Shomeron, Qarne Shomron and Alfe Menashe.
Since 1990, the Israeli military has been randomly blocking three entrances to the village; the eastern, northern and northwest which leads to Road 55. In 2005, the military removed all roadblocks except the one in the eastern entrance. However, the main entrance, located in the north part of the village, has been closed regularly for several years. This ranges from closures of several hours to 45 days, with the military using road blocks or closing the army-installed gate to enforce this on Azzun. According to B’Tselem, since the beginning of 2013, the military has blocked the road nine times.
Northern entrance to Azzun (Photo by ISM)
Blocking access to the road from the northern entrance not only harms the lives of the residents of Azzun but of the population from the villagers nearby as they have to access road 55 from Azzun.
Settler attacks are also a constant for residents of Azzun. On June 18, settler women hung up a banner at the entrance of Azzun reading: “On Tuesday, the village will become ours.” The unconcealed threat was signed by “The Women of Samaria”. About three months earlier, the town had been attacked by around fifty young settlers who entered the town through the eastern-most checkpoint.
Army incursions into the town happen on a daily basis and arrests of minors and men are extremely frequent. According to a council worker, Azzun has the largest number of arrestees, around 150 people, 95% of them less than eighteen years old.
The Israeli army use torture and violence to force confessions from children prisoners. Often the arrestees are made to sign a statement written in Hebrew that they can’t understand, which includes details of other children living in the town or confessions from the arrestees, allowing the army to use this as ‘evidence’ of invented crimes.
“Azzun is like Guantanamo, a huge prison where human rights are systematically violated with total impunity” stated a council worker.
23rd July 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Nablus, Occupied Palestine
Tonight 23rd July 2013, the Israeli army invaded Nablus and shot large amounts of tear gas canisters and sound bombs at Palestinian youth trying to push back the invading forces.
At around 2:45am, Israeli army invaded Faisal Street, the main artery that crosses the city from East to West. Some Palestinian youth were already in the city centre, enjoying the nights of Ramadan, and others joined them after the army invaded. Together, they responded to the invasion by throwing stones at the soldiers who rapidly shot tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them.
Stationed in groups of three or four along the street, Israeli soldiers continued shooting at people during an hour and a half. A group of international activists living in Nablus went to the area where the shooting was happening and when they made clear that they were internationals and there were unarmed civilians in the area, Israeli soldiers pointed at them, threw a couple of sound bombs and shot several tear gas canisters directly at them.
During the time of the invasion, Israeli forces shot numerous tear gas canisters low and directly at people. Two Palestinians and an international activist were hit by the canisters. The soldiers reportedly arrested one man from a car in the city centre.
Every week the Israeli army comes and often raids different parts of the city of Nablus, ransacking houses, arresting people, firing sound bombs and gas canisters.
According to the Oslo agreements, Nablus is in Area A, which means that both security and civil administration should be the role of the Palestinian Authority. Once again last night, the Israeli army ignored these agreements.
13th July 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine
On Friday, 13 July, around 30 people gathered for the Friday demonstration in the outskirts of Ni’lin village. After finishing prayers Palestinians marched towards the Apartheid Wall that has annexed the land of the village, along with internationals. From the beginning of the protest, tear-gas canisters and stun grenades were fired by the Israeli army and after about an hour 30 soldiers broke out from behind the wall intending to arrest the demonstrators who pulled back into the nearby olive grove.
After leading a chase for about 50 meters into the fields that lasted approximately for one and a half hours the soldiers retreated back behind the wall and the protest continued. More teargas canisters were shot by the soldiers beyond the wall and at this point also rubber coated steel bullets were shot towards the demonstrators.
The protest lasted approximately two hours, no arrests were made but one international was injured while running from Israeli soldiers who were arbitrarily shooting teargas and steel bullets and chasing after people.
Protesters say the demonstration this week was shorter than usual because of the Ramadan, however it has been no less intense as soldiers have been crossing the wall intending to make arrests for the last three weeks’ demonstrations. Ni’lin has experienced a wave of harassment since the spring and soldiers have been continuously invading the village arresting people. Many of these arrests occurred during night raids during which soldiers invade Palestinian homes.
Ni’lin village has lost more that 50,000 dunums of its land to the occupation and the apartheid wall that was build in 2008. Since then the people of Ni’lin have been protesting against the wall and the occupation. These protests have been suppressed with extreme violence by the Israeli army, resulting in the killing of five people, including a ten year old boy.
Protesters facing teargas in front of the annexation wall (Photo by ISM)Tear gas cloud spreading through the fields of Ni’lin (Photo by ISM)Soldiers invading the fields of Ni’lin, trying to arrest protesters (Photo by ISM)
