10th May 2016 | Open The Zone Campaign | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Yesterday, 9th May 2016, the Mayor of Hebron and several employees of the municipality of Hebron visited the closed military zone in Shuhada Street and the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood in the framework of the Open The Zone campaign.
The delegation on Shuhada Street, with Shuada checkpoint in the background and a group of settlers passing them
The delegation from the municipality arrived to the neighbourhood through the Gilbert checkpoint, where they were surprisingly allowed to pass despite not being registered as numbered residents in the area. During their visit, at several points they were denied to continue by Israeli forces. Walking on the tiny strip of Shuhada Street still accessible to Palestinians, they were denied to go up the stairs to Qurtuba school that for more than half a year have been closed for any Palestinian, despite them stating their function as a delegation including the mayor of Hebron. When trying to walk down the same stairs from up near Qurtuba school, they were again denied passage by the Israeli forces.
Delegation detained at the stairs leading to Qurtuba school
The delegation visited several families that have been living under closure in the closed military zone (CMZ) since 1st November 2015, and listened to the demands of the families. Additionally to electricity and water-connections for the Shuhada Street kindergarten, this included an ambulance, as recently several Palestinians in need of an ambulance were denied this medical assistance by Israeli forces, at times for ridiculous reasons such as ‘it’s Shabbat’. This problem has been long-running, as in the whole area, even before the CMZ, Palestinian vehicles – thus including ambulances – are not allowed to drive. With the CMZ ambulances are now required to get additional permits – additional to the permits to be driving on this settler-only road – before being allowed to enter the CMZ.
Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street are among the oldest areas of the city of Hebron. They are also among the most difficult places for Palestinians to now live. The first illegal settlements set up after the Israeli occupation in 1967 were along Shuhada Street and in Tel Rumeida. Populated by ideological Israeli settlers who believe they have a divine claim to the land, some of the settlements’ mostinfamousmembers belong to parties now recognized as terrorist even within Israel. Despite this, their continued presence in the area is facilitated by the protection of hundreds of Israeli soldiers. Over the years settlers have attacked and harassed Palestinians in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada street, with little or no accountability for their actions.
The increased military presence protecting the settlements has exclusively impacted Palestinians. Since 1993, when an extremist Israeli settler massacred 23 Muslim worshippers at the city’s Ibrahimi mosque, checkpoints and closures have severely restricted Palestinian movement. Most of Shuhada Street, once Hebron’s main thoroughfare and marketplace, is now off limits to Palestinian vehicles, and a 1 kilometre stretch –where three illegal settlements are situated- is completely prohibited even to Palestinian pedestrians. Faced with a daily life of restrictions, harassment and violence, an estimated 1000 Palestinians were effectively forced out of their homes. The latest Closed Military Zone has further stifled Palestinian life in the area, and increased fears that all Shuhada Street and Tel Rumeida will be lost to the settlements.
Wednesday, May 25th
“The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” – Article 49, Fourth Geneva Convention.
The establishment of the Israeli settlements all over the Israeli occupied West Bank, thus, evidently contravenes international law. The Israeli state is transferring their own citizens into settlements built on Palestinian land in the Israeli occupied West Bank. These settlements all over the West Bank, built exclusively for Israeli citizens, are not only illegal under international law, but also directly cause the expropriation and expulsion of Palestinians from their own land.
The 4 Israeli settlements in down-town Hebron are no exception from this – and here, by making the majority of Shuhada Street a settler-only road and not allowing any Palestinian to be present there – the apartheid policy, and attempts at forcible displacement of Palestinians is even more obvious. There is one last tiny stretch of Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk, but not to drive, thus allowing only “numbered” Palestinian residents access.
Monday, May 23rd
Whereas Palestinian ‘numbered’ residents are not allowed to receive any kind of visitors – their sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, grandparents, cousins or nephews – settlers from the illegal settlements are free to go and even drive cars anywhere inside or outside of the CMZ.
Can you imagine having your whole family barred by a foreign occupying army from visiting you at home? This rule is strictly enforced and has no exceptions – whether it is your brother’s birthday, your daughter’s wedding or your parents are seriously ill – you will not be allowed to visit them.
Sunday, May 22nd
Marwa recounts when her and her two brothers were attacked by settlers: “Me and my two brothers were near the checkpoint, and there was a group of settler kids between the age of 8 and 15. They started yelling at us and saying bad things, so I yelled at the soldiers for help. The soldiers held all three of us back and said we could not leave before the settlers had gone. One of the settler kids told the soldier that I was a ‘troublemaker’, and then the soldier threatened me with putting me to jail if I made any trouble.”
“I live right next to the worst settlers in Hebron. I have never seen people as bad as them. I was attacked by them multiple times – everyone in my family has been injured by settlers. And the worst part is that the Israeli Police, that controls the area, does nothing about that. But if a settler accuses a Palestinian of doing anything, the Palestinian is guilty till they prove the opposite. The settlers throw stones at us without any consequences, but we can not do anything against them and no one can or will stop them from hurting us”, explains Sundus.
Friday, May 20th
Deliberate targeting of human rights defenders & press.
Once the area was declared a CMZ on 1st November 2015, Israeli forces started deliberately and directly targeting human rights defenders documenting and monitoring the Israeli forces’ and illegal settlers’ violations of human rights of Palestinians. This is by no way a coincidence; Israeli forces are deliberately trying to silence not only human rights defenders, but also the press, both of which are entirely banned from accessing the area.
Both the local Youth Against Settlements (YAS) activist group, as well as the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Hebron where evicted from their respective centers. Whereas YAS was afterwards included in the boundaries of the CMZ, ISM was repeatedly kicked out of their office by the Israeli civil police with photocopied ‘CMZ-orders’ without stamp or signature and despite them having a legal rental contract. The Israeli forces are trying to silence any voice speaking out against their crimes and violations and to stop the world from knowing the real face of ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’.
18th May 2016 | Open The Zone Campaign: ISM & YAS| Hebron, occupied Palestine
Again and again you hear Palestinians comment that the soldiers are only there to protect the Israeli settlers. If settlers behave aggressively towards Palestinians, the Israeli forces tell the Palestinians to leave, with no consequences for the aggressors. Illegal Israeli settlers are allowed to walk around freely and are not checked at checkpoints, and they are not required to be registered with a number. Regularly groups of Israeli and other jewish tourists from around the world enter the closed military zone for guided tours, with no restrictions on movement. Those Palestinians who reside in the closed military zone (CMZ) and are allowed to enter, still face delays and harassment. Additionally their friends and family living outside are not allowed to enter the area to visit them, which further hollows out the community and their ability to continue living under what was even before very difficult circumstances.
Not only is this a racist apartheid strategy but it constitutes collective punishment for the whole Palestinian community. Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, collective punishments are a war crime. Article 33 of the Fourth Convention states: “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed,” and “collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.
Similarly, the 1973 Apartheid Convention declared apartheid a crime against humanity. Article 2 defines it as ‘inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them’. It includes “ Denial to a member or members of a racial group or groups of the right to life and liberty of person by the infringement of their freedom or dignity” and “denying to members of a racial group or groups basic human rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of movement and residence”.
For Palestinians the restrictions caused by the CMZ are suffocating. Children are urged by their parents to only make absolutely necessary journeys due to the fear of soldiers and settlers. Not being able to play with friends outside in the CMZ, does not make for a happy childhood.
Understandably, this makes many families consider moving away from the area, in effect forcibly displacing them from their homes.
17th May 2016 | Open The Zone Campaign: ISM & YAS| Hebron, occupied Palestine
200 days – can you imagine your home suddenly being inside a closed military zone (CMZ), your friends and family not allowed to visit you anymore, you and your family being assigned a number that suddenly replaces your identity and decides whether a foreign army will allow you to reach your home?
This form of collective punishment for Palestinians in the CMZ in Shuhada Street and the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood today marks 200 days – 200 days too long of being a number and not being treated like a human being. It is a sad anniversary that proves that the international community has turned a blind eye on the plight of the Palestinians, that in the CMZ have been reduced to numbers. This dehumanization historically has already led to genocide.
The impunity of the Israeli forces deeds against the Palestinian population needs to stop.
Ethnic cleansing of Shuhada Street
In the aftermath of the 1994 Ibrahimi mosque massacre, only a tiny stretch of Shuhada Street has remained open for Palestinians. Whereas the majority of this once thriving Palestinian market was forced closed by the Israeli forces and Palestinian movement there is strictly prohibited, a tiny stretch of the street located between Shuhada and Daboya checkpoints, is still open for Palestinians.
As it is located on a settler only road, Palestinians are only allowed to walk through there. The declaration of the closed military zone on 1st November 2015 now further limits Palestinians’ ‘movement’ to a degree where only registered, or rather numbered, residents are allowed to walk down the street. The street is a dead end for any Palestinian, as they are not allowed to proceed past Daboya checkpoint (ironically, except for when blindfolded, handcuffed and dragged to the military base on Shuhada Street). It is obvious that the Israeli forces are attempting to ethnically cleanse even the last tiny bit of Shuhada Street of any Palestinian presence.
Numbering Palestinians
When entering the closed military zone, any Palestinian resident – unlike settlers that can freely walk anywhere inside the zone without ever being stopped – has to be registered with the Israeli forces. At the checkpoint, Palestinians are not regarded as human beings – they are registered with a number, that for most of them was written down on their IDs by the Israeli forces. When crossing the checkpoint, Palestinian residents thus have to give their number, in order to be allowed to proceed to their own homes.
The only information asked for by the Israeli forces is the ‘number’ that was assigned to the residents. To be degraded to a mere number and not considered full human beings, draws terrifying parallels to other historical events. Whereas Mohammad is not allowed to pass the checkpoint, number 938 is.
Freedom of movement at Shuhada checkpoint and numbering Palestinians
Suffocating Palestinian life – emboldening settlers
The closed military zone (CMZ) is suffocating Palestinian life in the area – while facilitating freedom of movement for settlers, and complete impunity for their actions. It is strangling Palestinian daily life by hour-long waits for an eventual humiliating passage through the checkpoint – and then merely as a number, not as a person. It is also preventing access for any outside visitors like family or friends; clearly it is not a way of life anyone would choose, nor does it make for a happy community. Thus it directly, and deliberately, creates a coercive environment that culminates in leaving no option for the Palestinian residents but to leave their homes in a search for a better life.
The sole aim of the closed military zone, therefore, clearly is the forced displacement of the Palestinian population – a population that has already been degraded to numbers. Creating such a ‘coercive environment’ that directly causes forced displacement – exactly like the closed military zone in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street in occupied Hebron – is considered a crime against humanity.
3rd May 2016 | Open The Zone Campaign| Hebron, occupied Palestine
On May 3rd 2016, the Open the Zone campaign was launched in cooperation with Zleikha Mohtaseb with a children’s play about oppression, which took place directly outside the arbitrary borders of the closed military zone in Tel Rumeida, Hebron. The campaign targets the deliberate and unjust use of closed military zones to forcibly displace Palestinian residents.
The play, called “Matchsticks,” tells the story about a boy mistreated by his parents and his right to equality and security, which served as an allegory for growing up under occupation. The interactive play encouraged the children to analyse the impact of the Israeli occupation on their lives. Zleikha Mohtaseb stated: “The children showed great maturity in the way they expressed themselves. Their minds seemed beyond their age. A girl said that the play focused on breaking the silence; a boy pointed out the symbolism of the black wall. This is the first time we have heard such eloquent words from them since we started showing the play.” For the children living inside the closed military zone, this play offered a respite from the Israeli forces attempts to stifle any kind of social life and keep Palestinians restrained to the inside of their homes.
Children’s play in Tel Rumeida
The play was the initial event opening the Open the Zone campaign, organised by Youth Against Settlements and the International Solidarity Movement. The campaign calls for an end to the closed military zone in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and Shuhada street, that was first declared on November 1st, 2015. The military order has been extended several times, and on December 12th it was expanded just enough to include the Youth Against Settlements media center, and has been used to to evict the International Solidarity Movement from the area. The closure enforced through the closed military zone attempts to strangle any and all Palestinian life inside the area, with only residents registered as numbers allowed to enter; thus keeping all visitors, friends, human rights defenders, press and repairmen barred from entering.
Highly militarised childhood for Palestinian children in the closed military zone in Hebron
The campaign focuses on the collective punishment of the Palestinian ṕopulation and the closure as a military strategy to ensure the forced displacement of Palestinian residents in the neighborhood to expand the Israeli settlements project. A press conference will take place on the 7th of May in front of checkpoint 56 to Shuhada street and Tel Rumeida in Hebron.
Zleikha Mohtaseb: “We can’t separate our reality from the occupation.”
Mufeed Sharabati, 50-years, Shuahda Street resident compares living in the closed military zone (CMZ) with prison – just worse: “Life here is even worse than being in jail. A prisoner knows when his sentence is over. A prisoner knows when he can have visits. No-one knows that here. We are caught between checkpoints and soldiers with no idea when it is going to end.”
From his various experiences at Shuhada checkpoint, that he crosses about four times a day, he recounts: “One day my daughter was on her way home from school. She had to go through Shuhada checkpoint, but when she entered the box, they closed the door behind her and locked both the doors in the interrogation box. This was at a time when many people were shot and had knives put next to them. I was afraid of loosing her, and she was terrified of the checkpoint after that. The soldiers checked her bag and eventually let her pass, but the fear and humiliation does not go away.”
The restrictions are clearly intended only for the registered – numbered – Palestinians, while settlers are free to do as they please within the closed military zone. “The closed military zone even made life easier for them. It only counts for Palestinians. Settlers have no checkpoints. No restrictions.”
Thursday, May 26th (Haitham Abu Aisha)
8-year old Haitham Abu Aisha explains that life in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood inside the closed military zone for him is difficult, and they get a lot of harassment from settlers. Sometimes they would park their car in the only entrance for the family to reach their house, blocking the entrance and preventing them from reaching their home. “They beat me, once they threw a stone at my head”.
Not only the way to his house is full of obstacles and dangers, also the way to school is difficult for him. When going to school, he has to pass a military post on Shuhada Street and go up stairs that only the school-children are allowed to pass, but sometimes the soldiers would not let them pass. Just like on the 10th of May, when they arbitrarily decided that the girls were allowed to go up, but not the boys. After about 15 minutes of the teachers discussing with the soldiers, they were finally allowed to go up the stairs and start their school-day. He recounts how one day on his way home from school he was followed by a settler that had a knife.
When asked for his wishes and hopes for the future, he says: “ I want the settlers to leave and not see any checkpoints anymore.
Monday, May 24th (Sundus)
When the checkpoints are open, Sundus and many others often have trouble going in and out of them. “It is sometimes difficult to pass the checkpoint because of some specific soldiers. They search me, search my bag and sometimes shout at me. Also the Palestinians living in the area have been giving numbers by the Israeli military, which makes us able to get in. Anyone without a number is not allowed.” For Sundus’ family and the other families in the CMZ, this means that they can not have family and friends visit them.
Marwa says: “The time it takes to go through the checkpoint depends on the soldiers there. Some soldiers just want it to go fast, but others have before emptied my schoolbag on the ground in the checkpoint.” It has before been a problem for her to bring her metal ruler with her through the checkpoint to school – it beeps in the metal detector.
There is not any logic to who are stopped or when there are delays “it depends on the mood of the soliders”, explains Arwa. “Last month we were left in the rain for hours”, recounts Sundus.
Saturday, May 21st (Yara picture)
Personal account: Yara
Another resident in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood within the closed military zone is 7-year old Yara. For her, both her home and the way to school is difficult, mainly because of settlers, but also the soldiers. “I feel scared of the settlers, once a soldier pointed a gun at my father”.
On the way to school, all the children gather to go to the school as a group with the teachers. “When I am with my teacher at a checkpoint, I’m not scared, but when I am alone, I am”. For Yara, on her way to school, she has to pass at least three checkpoints daily each way.
But even her home is not safe from harassment by Israeli forces. “Once when we were not at home, soldiers broke our door and got in the house”, she recounts. When they got back home, soldiers had not only broken the door, but also their wardrobe. In the H2-area of Hebron, that is under full Israeli control, both soldiers and settlers enjoy complete impunity for their deeds and there’s no way for Palestinians to address any of these crimes.
13th May 2016 | Open The Zone Campaign: ISM & YAS | Hebron, occupied Palestine
10 tear old Shada lives inside Hebron’s closed military zone. Watch her talk about growing uo under closures. #OpenTheZone
An old man trying to get through a checkpoint to his home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VkRhlMcTgk..
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Headmistress of Qurtuba school, Nora Nassar, about the hardships of having to navigate through a closed military zone and past settlements on the way to and from school and the basic human right to education of every Palestinian child.
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On a personal level, the implementation of the closed military zone affected 22-year old Sundus a lot. Sundus explains: “At first it had a really bad effect on me and also on others living in the area. I felt really scared walking in the streets because of the increased amount of Israeli soldiers and the many settlers in the area. Sometimes, I even stayed at home from university, because of the fright from the closed military zone and the chance of the checkpoint being closed going back home. I do not feel free living in here.”
On her way to university, where she studies to become an English-teacher, she has to pass both through Gilbert checkpoint and Shuhada checkpoint. After the closed military zone was implemented, Israeli forces have started shutting down checkpoints on a regular basis. This leaves people in a situation, where they have to use alternative ways. These often include climbing over walls and walking through agricultural land.
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Marwan is a 12 year old boy who describes very precise, how the closed military zone deprives him from his childhood, being exposed to violence at any time
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Ramzi, 21, talks about being a student and young man living inside the closed miltary zone on Shuhada street
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Children under 16, that do not have an ID, are not assigned a number like their parents and are thus not degraded to a number – but can also not prove that they are ‘registered’ residents in the closed military zone. Instead, if ordered by soldiers, they have to show their birth certificates.
13-year old Marwa explains: “I was once asked to prove that I live in Tel Rumeida. The soldier told me to go home and get my birth-certificate and come back. I never went back, but since then, I always bring it in my back. It does not say where I live, but there is a number on it, that they can check in the computer.”
Since the closed military zone was implemented, Marwa has become more scared of going to school, because of the checkpoint. She does not feel safe and the whole set-up of the checkpoint is frightening, as she is inside a ‘box’ where no-one on the outside can see what is happening to her.
Watch an interview with Marwa:
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To live under a closed military zone (CMZ) is something extremely stressful, annoying and unpleasant. We are few, yet many families living under this system, which was implemented half a year ago. To live under a CMZ means that you can not obtain your very basic rights, which was a problem even before that; the Palestinians who are living in H2 area in Hebron (under total Israeli control) are suffering from so many restrictions. For instance the Palestinians who are living here can not welcome visitors to their homes, no family members nor friends are allowed to enter the closed military zone unless they are registered as numbers at the checkpoint. The people who are living here can not get plumbers or electricians into their houses for repairs, some families may need to take their fridge out of their house in order to fix it then returning it, but unfortunately they cannot take their house out of the CMZ to fix it.
The CMZ is a crime against humanity, a crime against civilians whose fault is that they were born as Palestinians. Non of these families participated in any kind of violence against the soldiers or the settlers, but their life is miserable because of something that they are not responsible for. It is important that the world wakes up, and stops this crime, as the developed countries are signing their conventions about human rights, they must put pressure on whoever is violating these rights.
– Abd Elrahman Salayme, Shuhada Street resident
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10-year old Aisha about her life in the CMZ
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My name is Ahmad Azza, I’m 16 years old and I live in an area called Tel Rumeida, in the H2 area, under full Israeli military control in Hebron. Every time I go to school I have to pass 2 checkpoints. I can’t be free even in my area, I can’t go anywhere because of the soldiers and checkpoints. I live with my family next to Ramat Yishay illegal settlement (or Tel Rumeida settlement). We were attacked by Israeli settlers many times – physically, or they would throw stones, eggs and dirty water. They can easily attack eany Palestinian and soldiers would do nothing about it.
Last month, it was the worst month in 2015/16 in Palestine in general, and in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street in Hebron in special, because of the killing of Palestinians by Israeli forces in my area. The army closed the checkpoints, arrested many people without any reason and now the area is a closed military zone (CMZ) – no one can visit us. Only the Palestinians who live in this area can pass the checkpoint with special numbers assigned by the Israeli army and by their ID numbers. Anyone that has not been given a number – even if they live inside the area, is not allowed by the Israeli army to enter inside the area. The situation since the CMZ is getting more and more difficult.
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14-year old Mu’awya talks about the fears of living in the closed military zone in Tel Rumeida in Hebron.
3rd May is number 186 of the closed military zone in Tel Rumeida and Shuhada Street. Since November 1st, only Palestinian residents have been allowed to enter the area due to “security reasons,” as stated by the Israeli military. This violation of the freedom of movement means that no friends, family, or repairmen are allowed, and Palestinians have to pass through checkpoints to reach their homes. However, it is possible for people to access the neighbourhood by using alternative routes to avoid being detected by the army, rendering the so-called security useless.
Instead, the closure serves another purpose, namely to pressure people out of their homes by making their lives there impossible. So far, more than ten families have left the neighborhood. The closed military zone is not only collective punishment (illegal under international law,) but also a thinly-disguised attempt at forced displacement of the Palestinians in the Israeli-controlled part of Hebron. Furthermore, the army assigned numbers to each Palestinian inside the closed area and required people to state their number when entering through the main checkpoint. Today we are launching a campaign to end the closed military zone in Tel Rumeida. Palestinians are people, not numbers.
rea, does nothing about that. But if a settler accuses a Palestinian of doing anything, the Palestinian is guilty till they prove the opposite. The settlers throw stones at us without any consequences, but we can not do anything against them and no one can or will stop them from hurting us”, explains Sundus.
In the aftermath of the 1994 Ibrahimi mosque massacre, only a tiny stretch of Shuhada Street has remained open for Palestinians. Whereas the majority of this once thriving Palestinian market was forced closed by the Israeli forces and Palestinian movement there is strictly prohibited, a tiny stretch of the street located between Shuhada and Daboya checkpoints, is still open for Palestinians.
To live under a closed military zone (CMZ) is something extremely stressful, annoying and unpleasant. We are few, yet many families living under this system, which was implemented half a year ago. To live under a CMZ means that you can not obtain your very basic rights, which was a problem even before that; the Palestinians who are living in H2 area in Hebron (under total Israeli control) are suffering from so many restrictions. For instance the Palestinians who are living here can not welcome visitors to their homes, no family members nor friends are allowed to enter the closed military zone unless they are registered as numbers at the checkpoint. The people who are living here can not get plumbers or electricians into their houses for repairs, some families may need to take their fridge out of their house in order to fix it then returning it, but unfortunately they cannot take their house out of the CMZ to fix it.
My name is Ahmad Azza, I’m 16 years old and I live in an area called Tel Rumeida, in the H2 area, under full Israeli military control in Hebron. Every time I go to school I have to pass 2 checkpoints. I can’t be free even in my area, I can’t go anywhere because of the soldiers and checkpoints. I live with my family next to Ramat Yishay illegal settlement (or Tel Rumeida settlement). We were attacked by Israeli settlers many times – physically, or they would th
residents have been allowed to enter the area due to “security reasons,” as stated by the Israeli military. This violation of the freedom of movement means that no friends, family, or repairmen are allowed, and Palestinians have to pass through checkpoints to reach their homes. However, it is possible for people to access the neighbourhood by using alternative routes to avoid being detected by the army, rendering the so-called security useless.