Tag: Ni’lin

Israeli forces abduct minors from Ni’lin

Ni’lin – Thursday September 10th 2008

At 2am Thursday September 10th Israeli forces invaded the West bank village of Ni’lin and arrested 9 persons, three of them are under 18 and are still being kept in jail.

Israeli forces invaded the village in the early hours of the morning, firing live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear-gas and sound bombs. They entered many houses, arresting 9 residents. Among those arrested were at least 3 minors, including a 12 year old and 13 year old.

Witnesses have reported that the Israeli forces were in the cases of two of the minors looking for other people, taking the minors when they could not find those they intended to arrest. Mohammed Salah Khawaje (12), Mohammed Loi Khawaje (13), Arafat Amira, Sofian Nawaf Khawaje (17), Imad Azzam Khawaje (18), Mustafa Khawaje (20 year old journalist), Milhim Amira (22), Yousef Amira (34) and Salah Mira (36).

The father of the 12-year-old says that the army came to look for him but since he was not at home they roughly searched the house and ended up taking his 12-year-old son, the father sees it as a reaction to threaten him because he is active as a medic in the demonstrations.

The army handcuffed and blindfolded the 12-year-old boy and pushed him down the hill outside the families home while his terrified mother and sister were held back., and could only watch the soldiers violent assault of the little boy.

The brutal behaviour the Israeli army has exposed on the villagers of Ni’lin did not stop them from carrying out the planned demonstrations against the apartheid wall at 1pm the next day.

The military stopped the protest before it got out of the village and started shooting tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at the about 20 protesters.

Almost 6000 Palestinian children have been arrested since the start of the Al Aqsa intifada in September 2000.

The Israeli law as well as the United Nations Convention on children’s rights defines a child as a person under the age of 18. The Israeli military law, the apartheid law system Israel has imposed on all Palestinians, defines a child as a person under the age of 12.

Yesterday Yousef Khawaja, 32 years was shot in the leg with live ammunition by Israeli forces operating in Ni’lin. Fortunately his situation is not critical and he may be released from Ramallah hospital today. Two other protesters were also injured by Israeli rubber-coated steel bullets.

The Israeli Human Rights organisation, B’Tselem, last week released a statement condemning the violence used by Israeli forces in Ni’lin (to view the statement click here), after the shooting of Awad Sror, stating that;

“The recent wave of similar cases, which led to B’Tselem’s request, raises the grave suspicion that soldiers and Border Police officers systematically breach the Open-Fire Regulations in their use of rubber-coated bullets, often with the knowledge and approval of officers.”

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Ynet article on the abductions:


IDF forces apprehend West Bank boy suspected of involvement in violent demonstrations against West Bank security barrier. Father: Soldiers led him away like a sheep, used him as human shield

By Ali Waked

To view original article, published by Ynet on the 11th September, click here

Large IDF forces arrived Wednesday night at the West Bank village of Naalin in order to arrest 12-year-old Muhammad Hawaja, who is suspected of involvement in violent riots held in protest of Israel’s construction of the security barrier.

His father, Salah Hawaja, told Ynet that the forces, “came in from the mountains, surrounded the house and removed Muhammad from his bed.

“My wife and I can’t forget the image of IDF soldiers grabbing hold of Muhammad’s pajama collar and leading him away as if he were a sheep crying and screaming,” said the father, a paramedic.

According to him, the troops used Muhammad as a sort of human shield as they left the village, located near Modi’in.

“Upon leaving the house the forces were confronted by village youths, who hurled stones,” Hawaja said. “Muhammad was used as a shield.”

The father, who was recently been arrested during two separate anti-security fence rallies, says the detainment of his son was conducted as “an act of revenge”.

“If they (soldiers) came because of me, then I’ll say it again – I was merely fulfilling my duty as a paramedic and do not pose a threat of any kind.

“My 12-year-old son should certainly not have to be a victim of the IDF’s attempts to get back at me,” he said.

Salah said he has yet to be notified where his son is being held.

About a month ago the father was beaten by Colonel Omri Burberg, who was relieved of his command following the incident in which a soldier fired a rubber-coated bullet at a bound Palestinian in Naalin. The indecent was caught on tape.

Residents of Naalin and the Anti-Fence Committee fear that Muhammad’s arrest was part of a new strategy aimed at applying psychological pressure on them.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Office said in response that Muhammad was arrested after evidence that was gathered linked him to violent disturbances, including attacks on security forces with cinder blocks and stones.

On Wednesday evening a resident of the village was injured from live fire. The man, in his 20s, sustained injuries to his leg.

“I used to dream about my future” – Israeli forces tear-gas school children in Ni’lin

“I used to dream about my future. About going to university, getting married and having a family. I stopped doing that. I have to face that tomorrow I might be dead.” – Quote by a 16-year-old boy from Ni’lin when talking the military violence in the village of Ni’lin

On Tuesday September 9th, the pupils of the boys school in the West Bank village of Ni’lin started a protest against the building of the apartheid wall and the violent occupation they are put under by the Israeli army.

The army ambushed the protesting children while they were still inside the village, heavily tear-gassing the girls school and the gardens around. The army shot live ammunition at the young protesters as well as huge amounts of rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas.

50 girls needed medical assistance after their school had been heavily tear gassed. Three boys were hit by rubber coated steel bullets, one by a tear gas canister shot directly at his leg. Eye witnesses also report a young man was grazed by a live bullet on his hand.

At approximately 9am the boys of Ni’lin started the protest against the apartheid wall. The army answered back on the protest with an ambush, they shot tear gas inside the village around the girl school which resulted in panic among the girls and a pregnant woman being heavily gassed. Gardens were attacked on purpose with tear gas so little children had to run into their houses in fear, in an attempt to avoid the heavy clouds of gas surrounding them.

Live ammunition, rubber coated steel bullets and huge amounts of tear gas were used towards the protesters.

Ni’lin serves at the moment as the centre of education, health and economy for the surrounding villages. The secondary school of Ni’lin is the top school of the area and students from the surrounding villages attend it as well as the villagers themselves. Factories producing soft drinks and rubber are placed in Ni’lin. With the building of the illegal apartheid wall and the planned tunnel as the only possible entrance to the village the pupils from the surrounding villages face trouble getting to the school. Some because their way to school gets much longer since they stop being able to go directly and for all is the fact that the tunnel will close at 7 pm and is possible to shut down with only one military jeep worrying since it will make the pupils education relying on the occupation power that, so far, has shown no humanity to the Palestinians in the area.

The factories will with the cut of from the rest of the West Bank, that the wall and the tunnel creates, have to either move to another place or shut down hence people will loose their jobs.

In 1948 the villagers of Ni’lin owned 58,000 dunums, already in 1948 40,000 dunums of Ni’lin land was stolen by the new state of Israel, building of settlements and apartheid roads have caused continued annexation. The construction of the wall and the tunnel steals 2500 dunums of land from the villagers of Ni’lin leaving them with only 2300 dunums of their farming land.

This is what the pupils of Ni’lin protest against, the destruction of their present possibility of getting an education and their future possibility of getting a job. Their ability to even dream about tomorrow.

Ni’lin continue their struggle against the apartheid wall

On Monday September 8th 2008 approximately 100 Palestinians, Israelis and international solidarity activists marched in protest towards the construction site of the illegal apartheid wall in Ni’lin.


Video By Israel Putermam


Photos courtesy of Activestills

The protest started at 1pm and ended at approximately 4pm. Rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas and sound bombs were shot at the non-violent protesters. In the end of the protest the Israeli army used verbal violence and yelled “Inte Shamuta” (you are a prostitute) to the shocked protesters.

The Israeli army stopped the non violent protesters in the fields before they reached the focus point for the protest, the construction site of the illegal apartheid wall. Israeli forces threatened one of the members of the popular committee with arrest if the protesters did not go back. When the non-violent protesters turned their back to the soldiers in an attempt to avoid an escalation of the violence the unprovoked soldiers started shooting rubber coated steel bullets, tear gas and sound bombs at them.

A group of the protesters managed to reach the construction site in the end of the protest and started building security road blocks out of rocks to prevent the army from coming into the village and tear gas the women and children in their houses. The soldiers shouted “inte shamuta” in their loud speaker to the working protesters in addition to the heavily shooting of tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets.

The annexation of Ni’lin villagers farming land for the illegal apartheid wall and the illegal settlements around Ni’lin leave the villagers with only 10 percent of the land they owned before 1948. In addition to the apartheid wall the plan is to build a tunnel that closes at 7pm and will be able to be closed down extremely easily, leaving the village isolated. Students and villagers who work outside of Ni’lin risk their jobs and education if they stay in Ni’lin and farmers who have lost almost all their land will have to find new ways to earn money for themselves and their families.

Resident of Ni’lin tells of his experiences after being arrested by Israeli forces

On Saturday August 31 2008 Ibrahim from Ni’lin was stopped in an Israeli checkpoint on his way to work and was prevented from going since his working permission, which makes it possible for him to enter Israel, had been taken away from him. It was his first day at work after 15 days in Israeli prison were he had experienced isolation and daily interrogation. He was accused of leading the boys in their resistance against the building of the apartheid wall in Ni’lin, he could not answer the questions he was asked, hence his working permission was taken away due to lack of co-operation with the Shabaq.

After 15 days in a dark cell with interrogations of up to 4 times a day, the only break from the darkness came as Ibrahim was relieved from Maskubia prison to go to court.

Only the last 5 minutes of the court case was reserved for him to defend himself. He spoke to the judge in Hebrew, said how important the land the apartheid wall steals away from him is to him and his family. He told of how his two little twins ask him why they all of a sudden they cannot go to have picnic in the family’s olive groves and asked the judge what he should reply the next time his children brought up this topic. He told about the importance for his children having this free space, to spend time outside without fear. His family still have the key for their home in Jaffa and he used to bring his children to the sea 10 years ago before Israel took away their freedom of movement and prevented them from going. He told them that the only nature he could offer his children now is the olive groves that are now taken away from them.

The accusations against him was that he was the leader of the young boys who remove barbed-wire from their families’ land and fight against the heavily armed Israeli army by throwing stones at their jeeps when they come into arrest innocent villagers at night.

He had told them already under the first interrogation that he was not a part of the groups of boys and that being 42 and as a member of the Popular Committee in Ni’lin he had no knowledge about the names of these boys.

Ibrahim was arrested in his home at 2am on the 14th of August. The border police took him to the police station in the nearby settlement where they left him outside, handcuffed and blindfolded until 10 a clock next morning. In the 8 hours he was sitting outside the police station the border police ordered him to sit in a stress position with his back bent over. They told him that they would hit him if he stretched his back.

After the 8 hours first in the cool night and the following hot sunny day Ibrahim was taken into a jeep still ordered to sit in the stress position for two hours on bumpy roads to Maskubia prison.

The cell Ibrahim was held in was small and no light ever reached him. He did not know whether it was day or night and when he asked the guards they refused to talk to him or made fun of him. He lost track of time, the interrogation being as monotone as the dark cell, with the same questions asked over and over again. ‘What are the names of the boys? How do you plan with them?’

At one interrogation, 3 interrogators sat on chairs all the way around Ibrahim with two pressing their boots into his head from each side and one pressing his boots into Ibrahim’s face. Under other interrogations the soldiers pinched him under his arms and accused him of buying the influence with the boys with ice cream and water.

Ibrahim did not give any information to the Shabaq, hence they took away his permission to go and work inside Israel. He has subsequently lost his job, the only income of the family of 10, due to false accusations. Accusations based on no evidence, made up to punish and scare a caring father and his entire family.

Ibrahim’s oldest son just started studying engineering at university, while his other children are supposed to start university in the following two years; bright children whose future are put on risk by the occupation that takes away their freedom and even their chances of building up a society based on knowledge. Ibrahim has to borrow money from friends and family to put food on his family’s table, but he is proud of his decision not just to give a random name to escape the hard conditions he knew would follow the arrest.

He will try to borrow money for the rest of his children’s education if he can not find a new job.

He is known as a man with a lot of friends and he does not believe in or accept political party conflicts. Ibrahim believes one of the strongest ways of resisting the occupation is to stand united no matter what political or religious stands the Palestinian people have.

Resident of Ni’lin in critical condition after being shot in the head from close range by Israeli army

At approximately 3am this morning, the Israeli army shot a 40 year old resident of Ni’lin four times from close range while invading his house. He is now in a serious condition in Ramallah hospital.

Ayed Awad Srur, 40, was shot four times with rubber-coated steel bullets from extremely close range as Israeli soldiers entered his house looking to arrest his brother Akil Srur. One bullet was shot through his eye, another at his head causing large internal hemorrhaging. 2 other bullets were fired into his chest.

At 3am the Israeli army invaded the village of Ni’lin and entered the house of Ayed Awad Srur in order to reach the second floor of the building where his brother lives. Awad, who suffers from a speech disability, shouted at the soldiers repeatedly before being shot four times from point blank range. The soldiers then proceeded to arrest Akil Srur who is now being held in Israeli detention.

Ayed was immediately taken to Ramallah hospital where his condition remains critical.

To view Ynet article on the incident click here

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To date, fifteen Palestinians, ten of them minors, were killed while protesting the wall.

Muhammad Fadel Hashem Rian, age 25

Zakaria Mahmoud ‘Eid Salem, age 28
Shot dead during a demonstration against the wall in Biddu on February 26th, 2004.

Abdal Rahman Abu ‘Eid, age 62
Died of a heart attack after teargas projectiles were shot into his home during a demonstration against the wall in Biddu on February 26th, 2004.

Muhammad Da’ud Saleh Badwan, age 21
Shot during a demonstration against the wall in Biddu on February 26th, 2004, and died of his wounds March 3rd.

Hussein Mahmoud ‘Awad ‘Alian, age 17
Shot dead during a demonstration against the wall in Betunya on April 16th, 2004

Diaa’ A-Din ‘Abd al-Karim Ibrahim Abu ‘Eid, age 23
Shot dead during a demonstration against the wall in Biddu on April 18th, 2004.

Islam Hashem Rizik Zhahran, age 14
Shot during a demonstration against the wall in Deir Abu Mash’al on April 18th, 2004, and died of his wounds April 28th.

‘Alaa’ Muhammad ‘Abd a-Rahman Khalil, age 14
Shot dead while throwing stones at an Israeli vehicle driven by private security guards near the wall in Betunya on February 15th, 2005.

Jamal Jaber Ibrahim ‘Asi, age 15

U’dai Mufid Mahmoud ‘Asi, age 14
Shot dead during a demonstration against the wall in Beit Liqya on May 4th, 2005

Taha Muhammad Subhi al-Quljawi, age 16
Shot dead when he and two friends tried to cut the razor wire portion of the wall in the Qalandiya Refugee Camp on February 2nd, 2007. He was wounded in the thigh and died from loss of blood after remaining a long time in the field without being treated.

Muhammad Elias Mahmoud ‘Aweideh, age 15
Shot dead during a demonstration against the wall in Um a-Sharayet – Samiramis on March 28th, 2007.

Mahmoud Muhammad Ahmad Masalmeh, age 15
Shot when trying to cut the razor wire portion of the wall in Beit Awwa on March 2nd, 2008.

Ahmed Husan Youssef Mousa, age 10
Killed during a demonstration against the wall in Ni’ilin on July 29th, 2008

Youssef Ahmed Younes Amireh, age 17
Shot in the head with rubber coated bullets during a demonstration against the wall in Ni’ilin on July 30th, 2008 and died of his wounds August 4th.

Three others, all minors or mentally disabled, were killed just for being in the proximity of the wall:

Du’aa Naser Saleh ‘Abd al-Qader, age 14
Killed in Far’un when she approached the wall with her friend on December 19th, 2006.

Fatah a-Deen Muhammad ‘Ali al-Khuli, age 20
Killed near Habla when he approached the wall on January 22nd, 2001. He was mentally disabled.

Mahyoub Ahmad Nemer ‘Asi, age 15
Killed by a private security guard while he was in his family’s plot, about 200 meters away from the path of the wall, on July 8th, 2005

From the original 58,000 dunums of Ni’lin land (580 hectares) more than 69% was taken by Israel in 1948, while in 1967 44% of the remaining land was used for construction of the nearby settlements. The annexation wall, illegal under international law, will take a further 25% of the farming land that the village relies on for its income, and will make the once commercial capital of the area isolated from the surrounding villages. This will leave Nil’in, when the wall is finished, with only 10% of its original land (less than 15,000 dunums).