Tag: Ni’lin

Ni’lin hold childrens demonstration in solidarity with Gaza

At 10am on 6th January 2009, children from Ni’lin village went out to the streets to demonstrate against the Apartheid regime of the State of Israel and showing their support to the one and half million of Palestinians in Gaza suffering because of the Israeli massive attacks during 11 days, that have already killed over 500 people and injured over 2500.

Around 300 children between the ages of 3 and 12 arrived from both girls and boys schools in Ni’lin to the town’s center. The youngest ones were driven first from the kindergarten to the municipality square.

They were holding banners and pictures, showing the world what the state of Israel is doing to Gaza people and children and carrying martyrs’ photographs of those army had been killed last week. The girls gathered at the town’s centre shouting messages in support for Gaza and asking for unity against occupation and massacre of the Palestinians. They gave an example of strength and courage. Once all the children met, they started the march through the village. Five children were in the front wearing white t-shirts painted with red colors as a symbol of the victims in Gaza and Ni’lin. Ni’lin’s martyrs’ younger brothers were there, carrying their brothers’ pictures.

The children marched along the main street keeping their voices loud. They continued the demonstration towards the graveyard where the last four Ni’lin martyrs rest. They first visited Ahmed Moussa, 10 years old, and Yousef Ameera, 17 years old, killed both on 29th and 30th July. They prayed and made some speeches there.

After, they walked behind the clinic, where the graves of Arafat Khawaja, 22, and Mohammed Khawaja, 19, both killed on 28th December while demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza people, are. Arafat’s youngest brother, Basil Khawaja, gave a speech about the suffering of the population in Gaza and the Israeli abuses on the Palestinian people.

A lot of media covered the demonstration. The children could express themselves telling the world, in Arabic and English, what they think, how they suffer and asking for stopping the massacre of Palestine. They finished the demonstration shouting “STOP THE CRIMES IN GAZA”.

Israeli army attack funeral of Mohammed Khawaje, the second martyr from Ni’lin in four days

1st January 2008

At around 9pm on the 31st December, Mohammed Al-Khawaje died as a result of severe brain damage following being shot in the forehead the previous Sunday.

At 10:30, his body was taken from the hospital in Ramallah in a funeral procession to Ni’lin attended by around 2,500 people. During this time, soldiers were shooting tear-gas in the town to welcome the procession.

At 11:30, his body was taken to his family home in Upper Ni’lin in order for the women of the family to pay their last respects. He was then taken out of the ambulance at the army checkpoint at the entrance to Ni’lin to be taken to the mosque in the centre of the town. There were around 50 soldiers and border police waiting for the procession on hills around the checkpoint, and also occupying the roof of a family’s home. They used sound grenades and shot tear gas a few metres from the body hitting a man and breaking his leg. They then took Mohammed’s body to the mosque where the people of Ni’lin prayed for him. He was then buried in front of the medical clinic beside the body of Arafat Al-Khawaja who was killed on the same day as Mohamed was shot.

After speeches from members of the Popular Committee and political parties at around 2pm, 150 people demonstrated on the road close to the checkpoint where the soldiers had closed the town. This continued until 5pm.

The army fired many teargas cannisters at the peaceful demonstrators, setting fire to a family’s home destroying the interior of the living room. The cannister broke through a window and set fire to the sofas. Due to the fast reaction of the towns people, the fire was contained and spared the 10 inhabitants, which included a baby.

New weapons

Today the Israeli army used a new type of tear-gas cannister which contains tear gas and also incendiary material. Although it is about 5 times as heavy as the regular cannister, it has a range of 400m which is around 4 times further than the previous ones. They are rubber coated in order to bounce more. When they are fired there is very little sound and as they only release gas upon impact, they are very difficult to follow.

As witnessed before, Israel are testing new weapons designed to maim rather than disperse, using Palestinians as targets.

Mohammed Khawaje, shot by Israeli forces in Ni’lin while demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza, has died

A Palestinian man, who was left brain-dead on the 28th December after being shot in the head with live ammunition by Israeli forces in the village of Ni’lin, died this evening.

Israeli forces shot 20 year old Mohammed Khawaje in the forehead with live ammunition as he was demonstrating in the village of Ni’lin against the Israeli massacres in Gaza. He was pronounced brain-dead on the evening of the 31st December.

Arafat Khawaje, 22, was shot in the back and killed by Israeli soldiers at the same demonstration on the 28th December.

17-year-old Muhammad Hamid was also killed on the 28th December as he protested close to an Israeli watchtower. He was transferred to Ramallah Hospital where medics announced he had sustained three gunshot wounds in his abdomen and chest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

ISM volunteers based in the village of Ni’lin witnessed the shootings by Israeli soldiers.

Sara Weinberg, a resident of Chicago, said, “The internationals that live in the village went out in solidarity with Ni’lin residents to demonstrate against the massacre on Gaza. I was standing about 15 meters from the boys, when we heard the sound of live ammunition. I heard screams and saw that 3 had been shot. One man was shot in the leg, another in the head right above the eyebrow and a third was shot in the back. Men carried all three, the one shot in the head was bleeding profusely. The one that was shot in the back was unconscious. We ran down to the street from the olive fields and the soldiers would not stop shooting tear gas at us. It took the soldiers at least 5 minutes to let the ambulance through the checkpoint at the entrance to the village.”

Ibrahim Amira, member of the Popular Committee in Ni’lin said;

“The Occupation is going to turn Ni’lin into a ghetto as it has turned Gaza into a ghetto. And the same way that a massacre is taking place in Gaza against those resisting the siege, a massacre is now taking place in Ni’lin against those resisting the Aparthied Wall”

Two other young men are currently in critical conditions after having been shot in the head by Israeli forces while demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza.

18 year old Hammam Al-Ashari, from Abu Dis, was shot three times in the head with rubber-coated steel bullets on the 29th December. He is now in critical condition in Muqassad Hospital, Jerusalem. Muhammad Jaber, 17 years old, was shot in the head near the Ibrahim Mosque on the 28th December, Hebron, with live ammunition. His condition is also classified as critical.

Ni’lin holds funeral for Arafat al Khawaja

29th December 2008 – Funeral for the 22 year old resident of Ni’lin village killed by Israeli army while protesting against Israeli massacres in Gaza.

After the Israeli attacks against Gaza strip, Ni’lin village has been continuously protesting in solidarity with the people in Gaza.


Photos courtesy of Activestills

During the demonstration on the 28th December, Israeli soldiers used live ammunition against the protesters, hitting three people from the village. 22 year old Arafat Khawaja, was killed after having been shot in the back. The two others were Mohammed Khawaja, 19, who was declared brain damaged yesterday afternoon after taking a bullet in the forehead and Mohamed Srour who was shot in the leg.

At around 10am a procession of vehicles followed the ambulance carrying the body of Arafat from Ramallah hospital. The procession arrived in Ni’lin at noon where there were around 40 soldiers waiting at the entrance.

Approximately 4,000 people walked through the town with the body, which was first brought to the house of his parents. After Arafat’s mother could see him for the last time, his body was carried to the mosque where prayers were held for him. Arafat was buried in a grave close to the medical clinic at around 2 pm.

Arafat Khawaja was from a family of six brothers and four sisters. He was in the third year of medicinal analytical science at the American University in Jenin. He was living there and just visited his family in Ni’lin during the holidays.

Many people from the surrounding villages and from Jenin came to attend the funeral which was followed by a demonstration in the main street of Ni’lin in front of the checkpoint at the entrance of the town.

Israeli soldiers started firing teargas at around 3pm and continued till 5pm. There were about 30 soldiers with two jeeps standing at the checkpoint, and 10 other soldiers were occupying the roof of one of the first houses of the village.

Ni’lin holds two demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza

Ni’lin 27th December 2008

In solidarity with the Gaza, over 350 residents of Ni’lin and 8 international solidarity activists marched towards the checkpoint at the entrance of the village at 6:15pm. After the prayer, hundreds gathered in the center of the village. They marched together to protest the brutal murder of over 210 Gazans and injury of over 340 as a result of Israeli Air Force raids earlier this morning. The group was dispersed when Israeli soldiers began to shoot tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets. Residents remained on the street until 8pm expressing their desire for an end to killings.

This demonstration is a continuation of an earlier one at the checkpoint. At around 1pm, about 40 residents along with 8 international solidarity activists protested the violent attacks on Gaza. The soldiers responded by shooting tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets directly towards demonstrators.

Two Palestinians were hit by tear gas canisters and three Palestinians were shot with rubber coated steel bullets, along with one Spanish solidarity activist. Most of the demonstrators suffered from the pepper laced tear gas. The first demonstration of the day ended at 5:30pm.

Ni’lin is severely affected by the Israeli Occupation. The construction of the Apartheid Wall will annex much of Ni’lin’s land. Their resistance is manifested through the many demonstrations against the wall and checkpoint that take place every week.