Tag: Ramallah

The Release of Prisoners and the Ceasefire in Gaza

By: Diana Khwaelid
21 January 2025

After a year and two months of suffering, displacement and genocide, the ceasefire heralds great joy on the streets of Palestine. But with Israeli forces stepping up aggression in the West Bank, Palestinians fear the war of annihilation has not ended, only moved.

Ramallah, West Bank — Celebrations bloomed in cities and villages across the West Bank following the start of the ceasefire in Gaza and the liberation 90 women and children imprisoned by Israeli occupation forces. Their release trails the release of three Israeli women held in Gaza, a delay which suggests the occupation will continue to flex its power even as it stands down militarily. The release was watched closely by dozens of Palestinian families and Palestinian and foreign activists, along with news media from around the world.

Celebrating the release of prisoners.

Some ten thousand Palestinians remain imprisoned by the occupation, in addition to 57 Israelis being held in Gaza. This “Flood of the Free” is not the first prisoner exchange deal and it will not be the last as long as so many Palestinians languish in the occupation’s prisons.

Celebration of Palestinian youth

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) teams received the three Israeli prisoners released by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip. For this purpose, they crossed the Netzarim corridor that divides the Gaza Strip into North and South. The corridor has been a point of tension in the ceasefire talks, as occupation forces want to retain some control over the area, bisecting the strip.

A female freed captive embraces her family

Hamas confirmed on Sunday its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and attributed the delay in handing over the names of the Israeli prisoners who will be released in the first batch to “technical field reasons.” Israeli media reported that a number of buses left Haifa’s “Damon” prison, designated for Palestinian female prisoners, amid tight security measures. Damon is located in the ruins of the Palestinian village of Khirbat Al-Dumun, whose residents were killed or expelled during the Nakba.

Gas bombs fired as Palestinians await the release of prisoners.

Meanwhile, outside Ofer prison in Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces attacked Palestinian families with tear gas as they awaited the release of their loved ones. In Al Fawakeh square in Beitunia, Ramallah, crowds cheered as prisoners were released. The women were greeted by their families and friends with hugs and tears of joy—and grief. Nearly all have lost friends and relatives since the start of the war of annihilation in Gaza on October 7th. For them, release from prison is the beginning, not the end, of a long road towards healing.

Unprecedented Coordinated IOF Attacks in West Bank

28 December 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | West Bank

Early this morning, between 1:00 am and 6:00 am, Israeli Occupation Forces invaded several cities across the West Bank. Seven of the eleven Palestinian governorates in the West Bank were invaded in a coordinated attack, the largest since October 7. Clashes were documented in Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Ramallah, with reports of invasions in Tulkarem, Nablus, and Jericho. Invasion forces stormed the cities, targeting money transfer stations, stating that funds were being funneled from these major cities to Hamas. Many eyewitness reports observed soldiers breaking open safes and, according to The New Arab, stealing at least $2.8 million from these targeted locations after classifying them as having involvement with “terrorism”. 

IOF Soldiers in Ramallah steal millions (source: FajerTV)

IOF in Qadura Refugee Camp

On the ground ISM members in Ramallah report dozens of army tanks storming and patrolling the streets before direct clashes with Palestinian youth resistance in Al Manara square and in the Qadura refugee camp. Youth were preparing to resist by smashing large rocks to break them up while tanks loaded steel bullets into their assault rifles (steel bullets, as opposed to copper, are intended to be able to penetrate helmets, concrete, and other industrial materials). 

Israeli military shell casings vs Palestinian defense weapon

Palestinians fiercely resisted the military invasion for hours, throwing rocks, metal pieces and molotov cocktails at the indestructible tanks. Invasion forces responded with live fire, rubber tipped steel bullets, tear gas, sound grenades, and other explosive devices. This bombardment withstood for several hours, mostly concentrated between 2 and 5 am, resulting in one IOF soldier shot, 14 Palestinians injured, at least 4 of which were with live ammunition, and one Palestinian, named Hazim Al-Qatawi (23), shot and killed.

 

 

Along with bodily harm, this extension of the ongoing occupation has resulted in storefront destruction, shattered car windows, and the street littered with remnants of destruction.

Community cleans up after shop destroyed near Al Manara square

Cab in Al Manara

 

Worldwide Pressure Escalates with Global Strike for Gaza

     Striking Palestinians across the occupied West Bank have been joined by millions in countries across the world for the Global Strike for Gaza, which was announced by a coalition of major Palestinian factions. The cadence of the strike declarations accelerated rapidly throughout the day in demand of an immediate ceasefire and an end to the genocide in Gaza.  

     The global strike action was coordinated in response to the dashing of efforts toward an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.  Comfortably seated with his arm stretched high, US Ambassador Alternate Representative of the US for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations Robert A. Wood  lit a fire of rage and condemnation across every continent following his signaling that the United States would use its veto power to kill a UN resolution, supported almost thoroughly through the UN security council, to block an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.  

     Entire nations shut down.  A strike was born.  

Sign on shop in Jordan announcing closure due to strike. Photo Credit: (MEE/Mohammad Ersan)

Occupied West Bank:

     Across the territory, shops fell silent.  Schools remained closed.  Government offices shut down.  Masses gathered in Ramallah’s Al-Manara Square for what was, by many accounts, the largest crowd gathered in protest in the area in some time.   Palestinian children made art work and protestors carried a banner naming Gaza’s martyrs while large protests occurred simultaneously in al Khalil.  Shops in occupied East Jerusalem remained shuttered through the day as the global strike action flashed across the planet with several countries joining in nationwide efforts to deal economic blows to the heart of the powers who profit from the continuation of occupation force’s genocide in Gaza.  

Silence in the streets of Nablus. Photo Credit: [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
Lebanon:

     Secretary-general of Lebanon’s Council of Ministers, Mahmoud Mekkiya delivered the announcement to the nation; all governments and national institutions would be shuttered in solidarity with the global call out.  In reports out of major Lebanese cities, “workers downed tools” and the call for global strike was supported in calls for nationwide solidarity by the ministers of education and culture and several heads of finance.  People across Lebanon engaged in the strike in solidarity with Gaza as well as southern Lebanese villages which have also been impacted in occupation forces bombardment.  

Jordan:  

     Streets were bare across Jordan as a stunning show of solidarity surged through “the transportation sector, aviation, trade, banks, ports, as well as schools and universities.”  Thousands gathered in the streets of Amman and across Jordan in massive protests.  Handmade signs announcing solidarity strikes were placed across hundreds of shops as the nation grinded to a halt in a powerful cry to end the continued atrocities being committed in Gaza.  

Photo Credit: English News.cn (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Turkey:

     In observation of the strike, the country saw abandoned streets throughout the day, with images circulating across social media of empty streets and gated shops in the typically bustling city of Istanbul.    

Photo Credit: Palestine Online @OnlinePalEng

     While many countries held full nationwide shutdowns in honor of the strike call, others which did not, saw massive protests in major cities across the world.  Entire communities vocally joined the strike in solidarity.  #StrikeForGaza was trending across social media, businesses announced individual shutdowns, millions across the world did not report to work or school and millions more refused all financial transactions for the day, no physical purchases, no shopping, no online orders.  Boycott actions are a powerful tool to cost companies standing on the side of genocide, occupation and apartheid millions of dollars in profit.  Momentum continues to build for an end to the bombardment which has now claimed nearly 20,000 lives.  Thousands of the missing lie among the rubble.  

     One day prior to the global strike, the world marked the 75th anniversary of International Human Rights Day as the bombs continued to fall on Gaza.  

Prisoners’ Solidarity Demo

Weekly demo in front of the International Red Cross, Ramallah, to demand the release of prisoners from the Occupation’s jails

24 October 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Ramallah

The ISM attended the weekly demonstration held in front of the International Red Cross, in Ramallah, to demand the release of prisoners from the Occupation’s jails. When we arrived at the demonstration, a lady called out to me in French – “You’re French? Macron shouldn’t come here, he should go home. It’s a disgrace!”

Macron is currently visiting Ramallah after he held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

This Palestinian lady was brought up by the nuns in Bethlehem, went to their school and speaks excellent French. She still takes great pleasure in reading in French. Like everyone else here, she is scandalised and horrified by the images we see over and over again on all the screens. She took me as a witness to express her revulsion and incomprehension. How can France approve of these massacres of women and children?

She demonstrated in front of the International Red Cross to support the families of the prisoners. Her own son spent 15 years in prison, and many of his friends were caught up in the round-ups that have been taking place every night since 7 October.

The number of prisoners in Israeli jails has doubled in the last 15 days. Many of these captives are being held in administrative detention. Their families no longer have the right to visit them.

On average, one Palestinian in five will spend time behind bars in Israel.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231024-palestinian-prisoners-dies-in-israels-jails-2-weeks-into-his-detention

https://www.btselem.org/administrative_detention

 

Palestinians hospitalised in settler attack near Ramallah 

Wadi Siq school has been regularly attacked by settlers from new outposts set up near the Bedouin village, east of Ramallah

 

 

15 October, 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Wadi Siq

Armed settlers attacked Palestinians and international volunteers in the Bedouin village of Wadi Siq, east of Ramallah, on Thursday (October 12) hospitalising two people. 

Villagers were also beaten after the illegal settlers returned for a second attack later that day, ISMers were told. 

ISMers and Israeli activists in partnership with the Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) have been based in the village several nights a week at the request of residents due to increasing intimidation and violence by settlers following the setting up of outposts nearby in recent months. 

The villagers have experienced harassment, intimidation, assault and damage to, and theft of, their property on a regular basis. This usually happens at night, increasing the trauma inflicted on villagers. 

Wadi Siq, which consists of individual family encampments widely dispersed over rocky, hilly terrain, is served by the Al-Tahidi School. Providing education for 60 Bedouin children from the age of five to 14 years, the school is also on the receiving end of attacks by settlers.

The headteacher reported that settlers have rammed the school bus with children onboard and teachers’ cars as they leave work. Thefts of school property are common with the building’s generator being stolen last week. The head is also very worried about the impact of the attacks on the physical and mental wellbeing of the children.

Last week, Israeli activist Rabbi Arik Asherman was detained after he reported to the police that the entrance to the village had been blocked by the settlers. He was then arrested and, at the time of writing, is still being held.

Following Israel’s bombardment of Gaza last Saturday, settlers have ramped up their attacks even further. 

On Thursday at around 11am a group of armed settlers set upon volunteers based at the site. Two of the CRWC personnel (Abu Hassan and Mohamad Nada) were badly beaten, requiring hospitalisation.  

Settlers also circled the village in SUV to intimidate residents while a group of volunteers were threatened with guns when they approached two settlers who were standing on the track close to one of the encampments. 

After sunrise settlers broke into a large metal storage container and stole valuable items including a solar power unit and batteries and vandalised the other items being stored. This represented a serious loss for the family concerned.