7 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Today, in the town of Qalandia, north of Ramallah, Palestinian and international solidarity activists tried to stop the illegal construction of the separation wall. The Israeli government issued a map that shows the new tracing of the wall. According to this map the wall would take more Palestinian land.
After several meetings with members of the Qalandia’s community, organizers, and PA members, they decided to organize an action today in order to stop the construction of the wall.
About 25 palestinians and two ISM volunteers went to the construction site to try to stop the bulldozers. They stopped the work of the builders. Less than five minutes later, two border police cars arrived. The policemen asked the demonstrators to leave within five minutes. Two minutes later they started to violently push Palestinians away from the road. At least 5 palestinians who were trying to resist the violent policemen were heavily pepper sprayed. The border policemen also used many sounds bombs which they threw at the demonstrators.
One ISM volunteer, Wahed, who was sitting in front of the bulldozer was sprayed with a significant amount of pepper spray in the face. He was badly injured, his face and eyes were burning. An ambulance took him to the hospital. It was only two hours later that he started feeling better.
The protest lasted 45 minutes. The Palestinians were forced to leave by the border police.
The International Court of Justice stated in 2004 in an important advisory opinion, that “the consequences of the construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian territory” and its construction is illegal under the international conventions that Israel ratified. Indeed, by building a wall, the Israeli government is violating some of the basic Human rights to which it signed to.
24 September 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
September 23 was a historical day for Palestinians worldwide and within the territories, as the Palestinian Authority submitted a bid to the UN to be recognized as the 194th nation of the world. While diplomats and political discussions ensued, a typical dialogue between Palestinians continued in the face of constant illegal Israeli oppression.
Qalandia:
The demonstration started just after the noon prayer. By 5 there were approximately 200 Palestinians. Most of the soldiers were special forces, dressed in black uniforms. The “Scream” a loud siren used to deter demonstrators with its screeching noise, made its second appearance at Qalandia this week. A jeep mounted tear gas launcher was used to fire at least ten tear gas canisters at once. Due to the enclosed environment near the Qalandia checkpoint and refugee camp, escaping the clouds of gas was difficult for demonstrators. After launching teargas rounds, special forces charged up the street firing rubber coated steel bullets into the backs of protesters running from the gas. Red Crescent workers estimated at least 30 people were injured, with one person suffering a gunshot wound to the head after being hit with a rubber coated steel bullet. As late as 8:30 PM, the Israeli army was still firing occasional volleys of teargas from the Qalandia watchtower and on the ground until demonstrators finally dispersed.
Nabi Saleh:
Following noon prayers, peaceful demonstrators found themselves being attacked by Israeli military volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets almost immediately upon their presence. With a skunk water truck present, the “Scream” siren sounded to deter the presence of locals, as the Israeli military shot low to the ground and at close range, about 16-20 meters from peaceful demonstrators. 4 were injured by rubber coated steel bullets while a French photographer sustained a wound to his leg from a tear gas canister.
Qusra:
After finishing their Friday prayers, Qusra residents found that illegal settlers from a neighboring illegal settlement were destroying olive trees just before the national olive harvest season. As locals approached their land to salvage what they could, the Israeli military intervened to defend these illegal settlers, killing Essam Aoudhi and wounding others.
Hebron:
Following an emergency call, international volunteers immediately went to the home of the Sultan family, where the previous settler attacks were documented at Tar Abusie School children. When they arrived on the closed off road for Palestinians, they encountered a collection of vehicles filled with settlers from a nearby large, illegal Israeli settlement off the road. At the entrance of the compound, a soldier awaited them and opened gate. At the end of the group, a soldier enclosed jeep followed behind.
Volunteers continued toward the Sultan family area to see if more settlers had stayed behind. They had left, but the family expressed that the settlers held a demonstration regularly, every Friday about 12 noon to1 p.m. Internationals will be monitoring this area of Hebron regularly this Friday.
Around 5 p.m ISM received another call that the settlers had returned to harrass the farmers in the Sultan family area.
Later that night in the main center of Hebron, a gigantic screen was placed in the street for the town to hear the speeches of all the PA politicos. The town came out for the occasion. A large barbed wire had been placed into the opening of the old city past Checkpoint 56. At least 100 PA police, as well as Israeli soldiers were out guarding. At one point about 300 young men gathered in a street to get into the Old City and possibly the checkpoints, but the PA police held them back. The IDF was ready for them near the checkpoint with about 40 soldiers.
29 August 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
On the final Friday of Ramadan, Palestinians and supporters alike peacefully marched towards Jerusalem from four directions in a symbolic attempt to enter Jerusalem, which has been illegally annexed by Israel, preventing fasting Muslims from worshiping during the final holy days of Ramadan. Yet more than just to protect the freedom of worship or even the freedom to access Jerusalem, Palestinians demonstrated the harshness of geopolitical obstructions meant to defy an identity tied to the history of the land. And just as symbolically, the Israeli military attempted to defy the everlasting humanity of Palestinians with a show of force, flying teargas, and typical oppression.
10 July 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
On 9th July, a group of twenty Palestinians accompanied by twenty internationals, managed to cut through some fence near the checkpoint at Qalandia.
The direct action was organised by Welcome to Palestine as part of the Week of Action in the West Bank. The action was in defiance against the Apartheid Wall, which divides the West Bank and is central to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Activists were able to cut through the barbed wire fence and plant Palestinian flags on the other side.
On Sunday four civilians were killed and 30 injured when Israeli soldiers opened fire at protesters marking Naksa across the West Bank, Gaza, and the Syrian border.
Forty-four years ago, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights during the six-day war, which later became known to Palestinians as the Naksa, or setback.
Golan Heights:
At the Syrian border, Israeli soldiers fired live-rounds at protesters marking Naksa when they reached the border fence near Majdal Shams. So far Syrian sources said that four civilians were killed and 30 were injured by Israeli gunfire. The protest continues, sources reported.
On Saturday Israeli forces closed Majdal Shams and did not allow Palestinians form Israeli areas to reach the Sryian town to protest the Naksa. During last month’s Nakba commemoration five civilians were killed and at least 30 more were injured when Israeli troops stationed at the Syrian borders opened fire at protesters form the Syrian border village of Majdal Shams.
In total, Israeli military attacks on Nakba protests on May 15th left 16 killed and 400 injured. Israeli troops attacked Nakba protests in several parts of the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in addition to the Lebanese and Syrian borders.
Ramallah:
Also on Sunday Israeli forces invaded the central West Bank city of Ramallah and attacked Naksa protesters as people marched towards Qalandiya checkpoint which separates the city from Jerusalem. Witnesses said that troops invaded the entrance of Ramallah city and fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at unarmed protesters. So far five civilians were reported injured by soldiers’ rubber-coated steel bullets
Bethlehem:
At the village of al-Walajeh, located between the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, international and Israeli protesters joined the villagers and marched marking the 44th anniversary of the Naksa.
The Israeli army has locked-down the village since last night. Today, troops stopped buses transporting supporters into the village. At around 11 a.m. protesters marched, demanding an end to the Israeli occupation.
Al-Walajeh village was among the 500 Palestinian villages that was destroyed in 1948 when Israel was created – what Palestinians call the Nakba. People moved towards Bethlehem and built a new village at what was left from their lands that were occupied by Israel in 1967.
Hebron:
Also in southern West Bank on Sunday, people gathered in Hebron city and marked the 44th anniversary of the 1967 war or what is called by Palestinians as Naksa. Clashes were reported between Israeli troops and settlers in one side and Palestinian youth on the other. No injuries were reported.
Gaza:
A number of Naksa commemoration protests were organized in the Gaza Strip on Sunday. The ralies ended after speeches were delivered by political leaders in Gaza City. Sources said that Palestinian police stopped local youth from reaching the borders with Israel.
Israeli Sources:
Haaretz reported that protesters threw rocks at Israeli police in the East Jerusalem village of Isawiyeh. Thirteen protesters were arrested and one police officer injured during the clashes, which involved an Israeli helicopter team, said the report.
Police were dispersing crowds of protesters with tear gas and other “demonstration dispersal weaponry” at Qalandiyah checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem, said the report.
At the Israel-Syria border, where Syrian TV has reported four protesters killed and 30 injured, Haaretz reported that an Israeli Army spokesperson did not confirm any casualties. The spokesperson told Haaretz that Israeli soldiers had fired warning shots and then shot at protesters legs.
Other Israeli Army officials questioned the truth of Syrian reports that protesters had been killed, saying that any shots fired had been fired accurately, “guided by senior officers on the ground,” reported Haaretz.
