Tag: Settlers - Page 19 - International Solidarity Movement

Nowhere to hide: New illegal observation tower in occupied Hebron

3rd October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Israeli forces put up a CCTV observation tower in the Ibrahimi mosque area, further increasing not only their all-encompassing surveillance of Palestinians, but also their slow but steady illegal annexation of more and more Palestinian land in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron).

At the end of last week, Israeli forces in a ‘secret’ over-night action put up the observation tower, surrounded by dozens of cement blocks and barbed-wire. Located in a corner between Palestinian houses, the observation post with a container and all the surrounding paraphernalia is just another step in the illegal annexation of yet more land. In recent weeks, Israeli forces have increased their illegal annexations of the tiny strip of Shuhada Street still accessible to Palestinian pedestrians and stepped up the game of creating a coercive environment directly leading to forced displacement of Palestinians in the Tel Rumeida area.

CCTV surveillance tower newly put up in Palestinian neighborhood

This observation tower is fitted with a camera that reaches high above the houses in the neighborhood, thus watching Palestinians constantly. This feeling of permanently being watched for Palestinians is combined with the ever present controls and humiliations at the more-and-more militarized checkpoints. Palestinians are watched, humiliated, numbered, deprived of their most basic human rights – occupied not only physically by the Israeli occupation forces, but also mentally. They can never tell whether they’ll be allowed through a checkpoint (something that solely depends on the respective soldiers whim), whether their children will be tear-gassed on their way to school or arrested, or even whether they’ll be gunned down by Israeli forces at a checkpoint and left to bleed to death. Any and all of these forms of collective punishment are enforced by the Israeli occupying forces on the entire population of civilians in complete disregard of any care for international law or humane treatment of the occupied indigenous Palestinian population.

The Tel Rumeida neighborhood, Shuhada Street, and the area around the Ibrahimi Mosque are already linked by a settler-only street that has been ethnically cleansed of Palestinians in the aftermath of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre. Restrictions in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood (declared a ‘closed military zone’ solely enforced on Palestinian residents for almost a year now) and around the Ibrahimi Mosque (where Palestinians are often prevented from passing checkpoints on a age-limit between 15-30) have escalated in a very short amount of time, making life for the Palstinians as hard – or rather impossible – as possible, leaving them with no choice than to leave. The only and clear aim is the forcible transfer of all Palestinians in this area, thus geographically linking the illegal settlements in an area ethnically cleansed of any Palestinian presence.

CCTV camero on top of the surveillance tower

Israeli forces continue annexation of ethnically cleansed Shuhada Street

20th September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Israeli forces in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) are increasing their efforts to slowly annex even more of the tiny part of Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk.

The majority of Shuhada Street, once the main Palestinian market and connection between the south and north of the city, has been ethnically cleansed of Palestinians after the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994. More than 1800 shops on Shuhada Street were forced closed and their doors welded shut, and more than 600 families were forcibly displaced by the occupation army, creating a ‘sterile zone’ free of Palestinians, who’s mere presence in this area has been ruled illegal by the occupation. Out of the four settlements in the heart of the Old City of al-Khalil, three are located on Shuhada Street, and one is nearby in Tel Rumeida, conveniently connected with a road only settlers are allowed to drive on. This road extends further in the opposite direction all the way to the biggest illegal settlement on the outskirts of al-Khalil, Kiryat Arba.

The only few hundred meter of Shuhada Street, located between Shuhada and Daboya checkpoint, that are still accessible to Palestinian pedestrians, since October 2015 has been declared a ‘closed military zone’, covering the whole Tel Rumeida neighborhood; thus limiting the number of Palestinians able to use this street to registered – that is numbered – residents. Near Daboya checkpoint, which marks the ‘end’ of Shuhada Street for Palestinian residents, the spot where they’re not allowed to pass any further by the discriminatory legal system of the Israeli occupation based on racial discrimination, used to be the spot to reach Qurtuba school and the surrounding neighborhood – before these stairs have been permanently closed. Again, this closure is based on racial discrimination and only affects Palestinians, whereas settlers are free to use the stairs without any hassle. This closure effectively turned the small strip of Shuhada Street into a dead-end for Palestinians, as the rest of the Street is a no-go zone for Palestinians, and the only other option, the stairs, included in the ethnically cleansed area ‘free’ of Palestinians.

Sunday night, after Israeli forces gunned down 4 Palestinians in occupied al-Khalil in just two days, killing 3; the end of Shuhada Street leading into the ethnically cleansed part was marked with white lines, indicating a new limit for Palestinians till where they’re allowed to walk. Immediately after passing the first line – which is placed about 20 meteres from the checkpoint – Israeli forces will approach any Palestinian for the usual checks and humiliation all too common at checkpoints. The line was placed just few meters in front of the entrance to the house closest to Daboya checkpoint still inhabitet by Palestinians. Effectively, this means that whenever coming home, the residents are forced to cross this line, resulting in soldiers approaching them expecting them to try to pass further down the street. A second smaller line is marked with the Arabic word for ‘stop’, clearly illustrating that this command is deliberately only intended to affect the Palestinians. Therefore, the part of the street past the first line towards the ethnically cleansed part of the street has now become part of the ever-more expanding ‘sterile’ no-go zone for Palestinians.

Marking indicating in Arabic for Palestinians to stop. Shuhada Street.

The continuous annexation-efforts of the Israeli forces thus are going slowly, but steady, and so far have gone unnoticed by the media and the international community. With the closure of the Qurtuba stairs, the implementation of the closed military zone, and the now new restrictions though, the maze of areas effectively ethnically cleansed of Palestinian residents are increasing steadily, exacerbating the already almost impossible to navigate maze of checkpoints, restrictions, no-go zones, areas and arbitrarily declared closures, curfews, denials of passage and constant threat of injury or even death. All solely based on one distinct feature – being born Palestinian.

Settlers tour H1, Palestinian movement restricted in Bab E Zawiyeh

14th August 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Surrounded by many Israeli Army and Border Police personnel, a group of several dozen Israeli settlers two days ago went on a tour of Bab E Zawiyeh, an area in Hebron.

Prior to the tour, the Israeli military made a show of force, leaving their base and patrolling down the streets in great numbers. Some of the soldiers ordered Palestinians to move out of the way, others took up positions on rooftops.

Both Israeli Army and Border Police obstructed freedom of movement for Palestinians, denying some permission to go to their homes because the settlers were in the way. Israeli Border Police and Army soldiers got into verbal confrontations with Palestinian youth, and several times forced people to move back. A Palestinian journalist was briefly detained by Israeli Border Police, and forced to show his camera and phone to them.

The event lasted several hours, and caused lots of harassment for the Palestinians in Bab E Zawiyeh. This is not the first time Israeli settlers, protected by the Border Police and Army, entered H1.

H1 is a part of Hebron that is supposed to be under control of the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli Army enters it regularly, showing disregard for Palestinian sovereignty. What happened yesterday was only one example of this.

The tense situation could have ended in bloodshed or even deaths, if clashes broke out. During the tour, the Israeli military settlers once again displayed a lack of consideration for the human rights and dignity of the Palestinian people living in Hebron.

A Palestinian man and woman are denied entry to cross the street, as Israeli settlers are escorted on their tour.

Two Palestinian woman are denied permission to move past the soldiers.

Israeli Border Police detain a Palestinian journalist and demand he show them his camera and phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gPrKUzLqNk

Israeli Border Police try intimidating Palestinian young men and boys, ordering them to move back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFI3Caxu7CQ

Despite intimidation efforts by the Border Police, the young men and youth refuse to submit to the occupation.

Israeli Border Police question Palestinian children

10th August 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

What started and should have ended a few hours ago as a scuffle between two boys ended up with a Israeli Border Police action that once again demonstrated the racism and oppression that Palestinians face in an occupied city.

Close to Ibrahimi Mosque, an Israeli settler boy and a Palestinian boy got into a fight. It isn’t very clear who started it, but according to the Palestinians who witnessed it, blows were exchanged on both sides. They broke the fight up, and the Palestinian boy went home. The incident happened in view of the Border Police, who initially did not do anything.

After the fight ended, however, the Israeli boy called his father, who showed up with his automatic weapon and demanded to speak to the Border Police.

Led by their commander, the military went into a Palestinian courtyard and interrogated Palestinians they came across. They took two boys and forced them to go to the Israeli child and his father, who declared they are innocent. Only then were they let go.

The Border Police then came entered a Palestinian shop and looked for children. They interrogated other boys they came across, demanding information. They went to another home, and a father brought his child to the commander and the settlers who were observing.

Despite the fact that a fight broke out between two kids, it was the Palestinian kid who was intensively searched for and it was other Palestinian kids who were interrogated and brought down to the settlers.

Had the circumstances been reversed, such an intensive search for an Israeli boy who hit a Palestinian, whether in a fight or not, would not have taken place. This is life for the Palestinian people in Hebron, a city under occupation.

Israeli soldiers enter a Palestinian courtyard, looking for a Palestinian boy who fought with an Israeli boy.

Two Palestinian boys are taken by Israeli Border Police officers to the Israeli settler boy and his father.

Another Palestinian child is brought to the Border Police for questioning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azypLTH_pPE

Israeli Border Police bring two Palestinian boys over to the Israeli settler boy and his father.

Israeli Border Police interrogate two Palestinian boys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az0zyVKhx3E

Israeli Border Police talk to the father of another Palestinian child at a checkpoint.

Israeli military destroys six homes in Umm Khaeyr

9th August 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Umm Khaeyr village, occupied Palestine

On the morning of August 9, 2016, ten Israeli military jeeps each filled with five soldiers, arrived in the village of Umm Khaeyr. It was 6:30, and most people were still in bed. The soldiers made the people sit down, and did not let them move.

Then they destroyed six houses, three of which were built with funding by the European Union.
According to Bilal, one of the villagers who took us around, the homes were destroyed for allegedly having been built without permits. Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank are very rarely given permission to build homes, even though it is in their own land.

One of the houses was inhabited by an elderly woman and her children. They now live in a shack.

Shockingly, one of the homes had an EU sticker on it, it could not have been more clear that it was built with international assistance.

According to Bilal, the commander told him “everywhere I see this paper, I will demolish without reason”.

As traumatic as this demolition was for the community, it was not the only one they experienced. Such actions are terrible at any point in time, but especially during the winter, when it is cold outside.

One winter, Bilal asked the soldiers how will the women and children whom they made homeless survive.

The answer he heard was short and cruel.

“It is not our business”.

Bilal’s own house had been demolished two years ago.

Fuming, he told us “I worked for this house. The settlers are paid to live here”.

Israeli soldiers not only demolish people’s homes, but also last year destroyed an oven that the villagers use to make bread.

Umm Khaeyr is literally only meters away from the settlement of Carmel. We could see the homes just beside us, most of them nice looking buildings with red roofs. Most were in an area that is surrounded by barbed wire.

According to Bilal, the settlers sometimes come down from their red roofed homes and harass the villagers. In 2012, the settlers stole ten goats.

He described another incident when they came down from the settlement, and beat up some women- then accused the women of assaulting them. Fortunately, the villagers had a camera with them and filmed what took place. The soldiers released the women- and the settlers, although there was video evidence showing them committing assault- and then fined the women one thousand shekels.

While in the village, we saw two army helicopters fly overhead, and later heard a loud BOOM far off in the distance. The village is evidently close to a military training ground. Bilal said that sometimes the choppers land very close to people in another village, and their propellers cause dust and dirt to fly everywhere, including on people whom they land close by.

Despite the demolitions and harassment that they face on a regular basis, neither Bilal or the other villagers plan to give up. They will in most likelihood try to rebuild, even though they know the structures will probably be knocked down again sooner than later. Even as we speak, many other of the buildings in the village- homes as well as buildings where animals are kept- have been given papers that state their demolition is imminent also.

However, they will not be chased away.

“I will stay here, I will not leave this area. This is my land”.