On Fridays 6th, people in Deir Istya protested against a new outpost that was built three months ago close to the village.
After the prayer almost 70 protesters, among them members of the local Popular Resistance Committee, residents from the surrounding villages, ISM internationals and Israeli activists went down from the hill and, waving their flags, tried, peacefully, to reach the outpost.
Blocked by the army, there was a long confrontation between protesters, soldiers and Border Police.
The protesters were making clear their reasons for demonstrating while the soldiers were trying – shouting and pushing violently – to repel them.
Finally the Border Police started to launch a lot of sound bombs and gas canisters. 10 people suffered for the gas and one needed assistance from the Red Crescent volunteer. The soldiers arrested a journalist and the Minister of the Commission of Resistance to the Wall and Colonies: handcuffed and blindfolded them and violently pushed them into their military jeep.
A sniper held a group of boys in his sight, preventing them from continuing the protest.
Flags, voices and the absolute awareness of being right against sound bombs and gas canisters of one of the strongest army in the world… this is Palestine.
Following the killing of an Israeli settler in Hebron on Monday 14 August, there has been an increase in the threat and use of violence by Israeli settlers in Masafer Yatta.
On Tuesday, three settlers from the illegal Israeli outpost of Avat Ma’on arrived in the village of Tuba with their flock, and got provocatively close to the house of a Palestinian family while they were also out with their own flock. Two brothers from the family confronted them and told them to leave their land. In response, one settler pepper-sprayed one of the two brothers, as well as his elderly mother and father. ISMers arrived at the scene minutes after the attack had ended and the settlers had left.
A Palestinian man receiving treatment after a settler attack in TubaTreating a man for pepper spray
On the same night, settlers gathered near the Palestinian village of Susya, where two ISMers were providing protective presence. One settler arrived to the village on a horse and terrorized the villagers by firing a single shot with his gun, while shouting to the Palestinians that they must leave the area.
In the meanwhile, masked settlers from the illegal outpost of Avat Ma’on tried to sneak in the Palestinian village of At-Tuwani. The attack was deterred by a large presence of Palestinian and international activists with torches, who identified one of the assailants as he was descending a hill.
On Tuesday morning, a settler drove his car into a Palestinian car, where a man and two children were travelling. Five ISMers arrived at the scene shortly after, as the settler had fled the scene, to provide protective presence to the victims, as the army and an ambulance arrived.
In the meanwhile, Palestinians in Masafar Yatta are fighting a legal battle to prevent the school in the village of Fakhit from getting demolished by the army.
According to local activists, the demolition is likely to occur some time in the next few weeks.
Mahmoud, an English teacher at the school, explained why the army is targeting it: “This is the only secondary school in the firing zone. They know that if they demolish it, dozens of families will be forced to move to [the nearby city of] Yatta if they want their children to continue studying”
“But we the teachers will not stop working” – he continued. “If they demolish the school, we will put up tents and teach in the tents. And if they confiscate the tents, we will teach under the sun, if necessary”.
Mohammed Fouad Atta Bayyed’ sister standing next to a banner of her late brother
On Friday 23rd July, Israeli occupation forces fatally shot Mohammed Fouad Atta Bayyed, 17, at a demonstration in Um Safa, a village north of Ramallah which, for the past few months, has been marked by increased settler violence and encroachment.
With at least hundreds of Dunams of land confiscated by the Israelis for the purpose of settlement construction, the village faces similar threats to many rural Palestinian communities. With the vast majority of the village located inside area C—under full Israeli civil and military control—both formal and informal incursions by occupation forces are common.
However, marked by the establishment of a new outpost in late June, the village has seen violence escalate. Settler violence and encroachment has increased, with houses and fields being burned, rocks thrown, and shooting: the outpost was only dismantled on July 14th, after demonstrations were met with violence, and ultimately the killing of Abdul Jawad Hamdan Saleh, 24.
It is in this context that Mohammed Fouad Atta Bayyed, just two weeks after Abdul Jawad Hamdan Saleh, was killed at a peaceful demonstration against settlement expansion. After Friday prayers, an orderly march was held that led out of town, before being stopped by the Israeli army and Border Police. Palestinian, international, and Israeli activists chanted ‘Settlers out’, and ‘Umsafa is Arab’. Soldiers, some in balaclavas, pointed their guns at demonstrators: as the crowd returned to the village, they started firing rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at demonstrators.
As the crowd dispersed, young Palestinians responded to this aggression with the throwing of rocks, and the creation of small road blocks. After the army called in reinforcements, the mood remained relatively calm: despite the rock throwing and tear gas, there were no physical confrontations between the army, police, and Palestinians, nor were there arrests.
This changed when the military began to use live fire against demonstrators and journalists, culminating with a sniper shooting Fouad Atta Bayyed in the back of the head at a distance of forty metres from an occupied house. A second Palestinian youth was shot in the stomach who, while in hospital, is out of critical condition. The situation was such that an ambulance did not take either of the boys to hospital, and they had to be driven by car.
Israeli occupation army stopping Palestinians during the Friday peaceful demonstration
After the shootings, and the pronouncement of Fouad Atta Bayyed’s death, the Israeli army stayed in Um Safa for several hours, blocking traffic in and out of town, and preventing the movement of individuals and mourners down the main road through the village.
The death of Fouad Atta Bayyed comes only 25 days after the death of his grandfather, who despite an autopsy not being performed for religious reasons, died in hospital after exposure to teargas, and three years after the death of his father. Born in Jalazone refugee camp, where he is buried next to his father, Mohammed, who worked on a farm and hoped to return to education, is survived by his sisters and mother, the latter of whom told ISM interviewers that she calls for “increased protective presence” in Palestinian communities, and for “the violence to end so that children can live in peace”, and cases such as Mohammed’s are not repeated.
December 31 | International Solidarity Movement | Olive Harvest journal
The olive harvest in Palestine (October – November) represents much more than simply picking olives. While it is an important contributor for the income of thousands of families in the West Bank – with a revenue between $160m and $190m in 2021 according to Aljazeera – it is also a symbol of resistance and defiance towards the occupation. Families come together in the fields and endure and resist systematic harassment by Israeli soldiers and settlers. Settlers notoriously insist on watching olive pickers, throwing stones at them and often attacking them and their vehicles. The IOF regularly allows this behaviour, protecting settlers during these actions, and being an aggressor itself.
Most of the olive trees are situated in Area C of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli control. Some private Palestinian lands are inside the apartheid wall or inside illegal settlements, or they are very close to Israeli military areas or settlements. In these cases, farmers need a permit issued by the Israel administration to access their land and harvest. Farmers are normally given 2- or 3-day access permit which is not enough to finish harvesting all the olive trees. In the rest of the areas, there is a coordination programme through the Israeli-Palestinian district coordination offices (DCO) for farmers to ask for a permit. These permits are sometimes refused even on lands far from settlements.
International activists joined Faz3a, a Palestinian youth-led campaign that supports Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, other organizations and Palestinian families to show solidarity and support during this season. Their presence is a reminder that the international community is aware and documenting the disgraceful treatment of Palestinians.
ISM activists joined farmers in many locations across the West Bank for the 2022 olive harvest. This is what they witnessed:
Al-Janiya, west Ramallah
More than 30 Palestinians, Israelis and international activists joined the Faza3 campaign on their first day in the fields this year in Al-Janiya village, west of Ramallah.
We were there to support the farmer Abu Mohammed who hasn’t been able to access his land since the first intifada. His land is at the edge of three settlements surrounding his village from east, north and south.
Abu Mohammed told activists that every time he tried to reach his land the settlers would attack him and prevent him from entering. His cousin also said that one day Abu Mohammed’s father was attacked by settlers throwing stones, hitting him in his head. He was seriously injured and died a few months after the settlers’ attack.
All day ISM activists on the ground were followed by a drone from a nearby settlement filming their work and movements. Despite this, activists managed to harvest a good part of Abu Mohammed’s land without settlers interfering or attacking, which proves how important international solidarity and campaigns like Faza3 are.
Burin, near Nablus
ISM activists joined Faz3a, with Palestinian and Israeli activists, in the village of Burin, near Nablus, to help the farmer Abu Jamal, a young owner of a olive field attacked several times by Ytzar settlers who also burned his house. We had a successful harvest day and enjoyed the food Abu Jamal’s wife prepared for us. We also met his child, a two-year-old boy who was recently terrorized by settlers. Abu was able to rescue his child, but the settlers attacked and set fire to his car.
Hares, near Salfit
In Hares, near the West Bank town of Salfit, activists joined Faz3a to harvest. The farm was near the illegal settlement of Rivava. The farmer asked for help as he had not received his permit yet, but he believed it is still his right to go and harvest his land.
IOF arrived soon after we started and tried to chase people away. They inspected documents, took pictures, told the farmer where we could and could not go, giving us “only 5 minutes” to finish harvesting olives from this tree or that tree. We worked hard trying to ignore them and we had a very successful harvest under the constant watch of the army.
Husan, near Bethlem
ISM activists joined Palestinian farmer Shireen for the olive harvest in Husan, 19 km from Bethlehem, up on a hill several times besieged by the army. The field has already been burned 6 times (Shireen has lost more than 100 trees) by the illegal settlers of Beitar Illit, who also stole many donums of land. This year, settlers protected by the army stole more land and dumped earth and boulders over olive trees in order to build an Israeli security control station. While the land already taken is becoming a large road to connect Better Eleet with another illegal settlement.
On the second day, we found a big tree had been cut down and big stones thrown at her property. This time there were no physical assaults, but nonetheless, settlers caused deep suffering and frustration. Shireen will file a complaint, but to whom if the prime offender is the Israeli government?
At-Tuwani, Massafer Yatta
IOF threw tear gas and violently disrupted the olive harvest in at-Tuwani, a small village in the Massafer Yatta region in the south of the West Bank. More than 50 Palestinians, internationals and Israeli volunteers took part in an olive harvest event organised by Faz3a and the Ministry against the Wall and Settlements in the valley of Humra, near at-Tuwani.
Farmers from the village are exposed to settler violence and harassment neighbouring the 1981 illegal settlement Ma’on and its early 2000’s expansion, the illegal outpost Havat Ma’on.
Not long after arriving at Humra and starting to pick olives, the first settlers showed up, quickly followed by Israeli army and police. Five army jeeps with around 20 soldiers and around 15 settlers were there. Palestinian activists went to the edge of the field facing the army and settlers, raising Palestinian flags and chanting their right to be on their land and in Palestine.
The army reacted violently by throwing tear gas at the crowd, making it impossible for people to stay. Most people were forced to stop and only a small group remained to harvest.
Jibya, north Ramallah
A Palestinian activist was injured and over 12 cars were smashed by settlers in Jibya, north of Ramallah.
ISM and Faz3a activists, joined by international journalists, went harvesting near an outpost of the Israeli settlement of Halamish. The farmer appealed for help because he faces systematic attack from Israeli settlers. He tried to harvest his land a couple of days earlier but was harassed by settlers.
Soon after we started, a group of settlers with M16 arrived, taking pictures of everyone to provoke us. Army and more settlers also joined. Settlers were asking where everyone was from and why we were there, and army tried to remove us saying the area was a closed military zone. People then heard women crying and shouting: settlers had gone down the hill and threw stones and smashed the parked cars’ windows. One of the activists who was on the scene filming and telling the settlers to stop attacking, was injured as he fell on a piece of metal that cut his leg while trying to reach security and he needed 15 stitches.
Khalet, a Faz3a activist, said: “This happened under the watch of the Israeli army. The settlers were armed. We were peacefully activists and volunteers who came there just to help the farmers picking olives.”
Bidu, south-west of Ramallah
Around 40 volunteers, Palestinians and internationals, joined a harvest organised by Right to Movement in the village of Bidu, near Ramallah. We had a successful day with plenty of olives harvested.
The farmer is suffering as two of his sons are unjustly imprisoned by the Israeli occupation and the family in general face difficulties due to the occupation.
Kafr Qalil, south of Nablus
ISM activists joined the Suleiman al-Quni family in Kafr Qalil, south of Nablus, to assist in harvesting their land. The Israeli government granted them permits to harvest on 2 days.
The land is on a hill and valley overlooking the main road into Nablus, near the settlement of Bracha. During the harvest the pickers were watched constantly by a small number of settlers and 6 IOF soldiers, but the day went well without incidents, in an area that is often on the receiving end of harassment.
Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit
We joined Ali Nassar, a Palestinian farmer from the town of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit, who has an olive field near the settlement of Alie Zahav. Kafr al-Dik’s land was confiscated for building Alei Zahav. Ali has around 120 olive trees. We harvested close to the settlement without any issues.
Burin, near Nablus
ISM activists joined Faz3a in the village of Burin, near the Yitsahar settlement. The elderly farmers we were there to help had been attacked and chased off their land the previous day by settlers, and the elderly woman was limping as a result. In the end, the couple were too afraid to take us harvesting because they were threatened by settlers not to return, especially with international support, unless they’d coordinated with the military.
Atara, north of Ramallah
We harvested in Atara Spring, very close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Ateret, which is currently being expanded.
ISM members were helping to harvest on behalf of the land owners who were attacked on multiple occasions last year whilst harvesting, so were afraid to harvest this year.
On multiple occasions, the settlement security stopped to ask what we were doing, if it was our land, and told the Palestinian farmer not to make a mess and to keep the road clear. At one point two settlers stopped their car to get out and watch us.
December 29 | International Solidarity Movement | Al-Khalil
Around 30,000 settlers gathered in Al- Khalil (Hebron) on Saturday, November 19, to celebrate Sarah’s Sabbath and wreaked havoc in the Old City market, attacking Palestinians and their shops, houses and destroying cars. This happened under the watch of the Israeli army who cordoned the area so that settlers could go around “safely” and arrested and injured Palestinians as they tried to defend themselves.
Settlers arrived from all over the West Bank the previous night and slept in tents around the Ibrahimi Mosque and in Shuhada Street, which has been under Israeli control since the mosque massacre in 1994. During the night, settlers went around some Palestinian neighbourhoods, chanting racists slurs and threatening people, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF). Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzmar Yehidit party and now set to be Israel’s national security minister, was also seen in Shuhada St and attended the march the day after.
Early on the Saturday, the army went out of the Shuhada St checkpoint and started putting up fences for the safe passage of settlers in the Old Town. They removed people from the streets and ordered Palestinian shops to close, therefore disrupting one of the busiest days for business. Badee Dweik, from Human Rights Defenders, told the ISM: “Saturday is one of the most important days for shopping and business for Palestinians, because people from ’48 come to shop in here.”
ISM activists in Shuhada St witnessed hundreds of settlers, lots of them armed, allowed out of the checkpoint at the end of the road. On the street, settlers were threatening to break into the few Palestinian homes left in Shuhada St, shouted and threw stones from nearby roofs.
This year, for the first time, settlers marched in the Old Shalala street. Passing through Khalil’s Old Market, they destroyed stalls, threw stones and hurled abuse at Palestinians. Around 20 Palestinians were injured and 9 were arrested. 11 cars were destroyed and many houses were attacked. Around 100 settlers gathered around the house of Imad, a well-known activist, and threw stones at it.
“This time was more violent than other years,” Badee continued. “Settler attacked Palestinian families, broke houses, broke inside the houses, attacked cars, threw stones. Soldiers, instead of controlling them, also invaded some Palestinian houses and arrested people since last night.”
“It is a cooperation between army and settlers. Settlers are just army without uniform, this is the only difference.”
ISM activists also witnessed attacks and abuses in the Jaber neighbourhood, a Palestinian neighbourhood located between the Kiryat Arba Israeli settlement and the Ibrahimi Mosque. Settlers went around shouting racist slurs and threatening local Palestinians or throwing stones, saying that the city and country is theirs and they have the right to move around. IOF also threw sound grenades, scaring the residents.
Alaa Jaber, a resident of the neighbourhood, told the ISM: “Today few settlers stormed this neighbourhood, and we went after them to tell them they were not allowed to come here, it is a Palestinian neighbourhood. They neglected us. They were heading towards my family’s house. Even the soldiers told them they had to leave, but they did not respond.
“Two settlers showed me pepper spray to threaten me. The soldier saw that the settler had the pepper spray, but they didn’t say anything. They only asked me to go inside my house.
“Every time settlers have a ceremony, the Palestinians are forced to stay at home. They steal our moments. They make us stuck at home. If we go out, we are afraid the settlers will attack our home.
We feel like we’re living in a ghetto, isolated from any support.”
The situation has been exacerbated by the newly-elected government in Israel, which saw Ben Gvir leading the third party in government.
“They have a very extremist ideology that Palestinians should not exist here and now the settlers will be more violent because they think they have more protection since they have the third political party who can defend them,” Badee added.
Sarah’s Day or Sabbath is one of the most important holidays held by the Chabad/Hasidim Jews, and it has been used by Israeli settlers to intimidate and antagonise Palestinians living in Al-Khalil.
