Tag: Settlers - Page 30 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli forces continue policy of arbitrary and violent arrests in Hebron’s Old City

25th February 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On 25^th February 2016, Israeli forces violently arrested two Palestinian men in the souq, the Palestinian market, in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). Both of them were arbitrarily arrested and finally allowed to leave only after residents intervened.

Palestinian arrested by Israeli forces with arm twisted behind his back

Israeli forces entered a Palestinian house in the souq that is undergoing renovations already in the morning – as settlers from the nearby illegal settlements had repeatedly complained about the ongoing renovation work at the Palestinian house to the army. Following the orders of the settlers, the Israeli army entered the Palestinian market and the Palestinian family home in order to stop the renovations. Similarly, in the afternoon, Israeli forces climbed the staircase to the roof where they stayed for about an hour. International observers that arrived in the house were prevented by the Israeli forces from accessing the roof as soldiers pointed their guns at them to force them to stay at the bottom of the staircase.

When the soldiers finally left the family roof, it became clear that they had arrested two Palestinian men. They clearly dragged one of them, Yusef, down the staircase with his arm painfully twisted behind his back, even though he at no point resisted or fought back. Israeli forces also violently pushed him into a door. A second man, an engineer with the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee that is overseeing the renovations in the house, was forced to come with the soldiers. They briskly walked both of the men to the back entrance of the illegal settlements, where they were held in front of the door that directly leads into the settlement by the group of seven soldiers. The whole time, Yusef had his arm twisted behind his back by a soldier, that would not let go of him. When international observers asked the engineer for his name, in order to be able to inform his family about the arrest, soldiers forcefully instructed him not to talk to them.

Israeli forces dragging Yusef down the stairs

Palestinian families living close to the entrance to the illegal settlement came out of their houses, trying to find out why the two men were arrested. Soldiers refused to give any information though, and only when two residents that were able to speak Hebrew talked to the soldiers, did they say what the problem was. According to the soldiers, Yusef was arrested as his ID was ‘old’, meaning it was worn out. As residents took out their own ID-cards and compared them with Yusef’s to show to soldiers that this does not mean that it is a mere photocopy of an ID-card, but how the green West Bank Palestinian ID-card actually looks like, they eventually let him go. The other man was also eventually allowed to leave.

Israeli forces photographing Palestinian ID with their private phones

The soldiers disappeared back through the door into the illegall settlement located in the historic city center of al-Khalil. The power the settlers living there wield over the soldiers is clearly illustrated by simple complaints by them resulting in soldiers stopping renovations in a Palestinian house that had previously been approved by the Israeli government, and the entirely arbitrary arrest of the two Palestinian men.

Wreath-laying in commemoration of Ibrahimi mosque massacre

25th February 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

25 February 2016 marks the 22^nd anniversary of the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). In commemoration of the Palestinians killed in this massacre, the Hebron Defense Committee (HDC) organised a wreath-laying at the martyrs cemetry.

Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli settler walked into the Ibrahimi mosque on 25^th February during the Ramadan noon-prayer and opened fire on the worshippers, executing 29 and injuring more than 120 Palestinians. In the direct aftermath of this massacre, Israeli forces started cracking down on Palestinian basic human rights, freedom of movement and freedom of worship. The Ibrahimi mosque was divided into two parts and a synagogue installed in one part with exclusive use for Israeli settlers from the illegal Israeli settlers in al-Khalil. The once bustling Palestinian market in Shuhada Street was closed for Palestinians, their shops forced to close and doors welded shut – and has now become known as ‘ghost town’.

In order to remember and commemorate the Palestinians killed in the massacre, the Hebron Defense Committee, representatives of the families of the martyrs of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, the governor of Hebron amongst others attended the wreath-laying at the martyrs cemetry in al-Khalil, where those killed by Israeli forces and settlers are laid for their last rest. In a speech, Hisham Sharabati, the coordinator of the HDC, stressed the importance of the ‘freedom of worship’ that is so often infringed on by the Israeli forces, and the duty to protect this freedom. As direct results of the heinous massacre committeed by Baruch Goldstein, Israeli forces imposed restrictions and closures on the whole Palestinian population – a collective punishment that is illegal under international law – in an attempt to force Palestinians out. According to Hisham Sharabati, thus it is even more important to remember and continue the struggle for their rights, under the motto ‘Dismantle the Ghetto, take the settlers out of Hebron‘ with the aim of ending the illegal Israeli occupation.

The representative of the families of those murdered in the Ibrahimi mosque massacre asked for more attention for the victims families. Whereas the grave of Baruch Goldstein in the biggest illegal settlement right on the outskirts of occupied al-Khalil, Kiryat Arba, has become a shrine that is worshipped by settlers not only from al-Khalil but throughout the occupied West Bank and Israel; while the families of the Palestinian victims are asking for more attention. Instead, they are suffering from the Israeli forces violence, harassment and closures that are violently enforced on the whole Palestinian population in al-Khalil.

Aggressive settler interrupts nonviolent commemorative event hosted by Youth Against Settlements

24nd February 2016 | Youth Against Settlements | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Notorious settler Anat Cohen interrupted a peaceful movie screening, which was hosted by Youth Against Settlements to commemorate the victims of the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre in 1994.

12596062_930292280358953_36423822_n — Palestinians gather around fire near checkpoint by Ibrahimi mosque, lighting candles

Every night, Palestinians gather around a bonfire in the Salaymeh neighborhood of occupied Hebron to keep watch in case of settler attacks. Today, as part of the Open Shuhada Street campaign, 50-60 people had come here to light candles in memory of each of the 33 victims of the massacre and its immediate consequences, followed by a documentary titled “Hebron Under the Microscope.”

12788033_930292290358952_1751592501_n — Candles lit in commemoration of the victims of the Ibrahimi mosque massacre

29 Palestinians were murdered inside the Ibrahimi Mosque on the 25th of February, 1994, when Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein entered and opened fire at the Muslim worshipers inside. Four Palestinians were killed on the same day in the clashes that broke out around the Mosque in response to the massacre. In the aftermath, the mosque (also known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs) was divided in two, with the larger part turned into a synagogue while heavy scrutiny was imposed on the Palestinians and areas closed completely to them, including an important market and the main street, Shuhada street. In protest of these closures, Youth Against Settlements organizes events around the anniversary of the massacre as part of their Open Shuhada Street campaign, held annually in Hebron and worldwide since 2010.

12767781_930292277025620_985790354_n — Palestinians gathering for the Open Shuhada Street event

During the screening of the documentary, three Palestinians were detained by the army for no apparent reason across the street along with a ten-year-old girl. The coordinator of Youth Against Settlements, Issa Amro, was also detained when trying to reason with the soldiers.

detained girl and men — Israeli forces arbitrarily detained 3 young men and a 10-year-old girl

Then the notoriously aggressive settler Anat Cohen slowed down her car next to a group of Palestinians and hit those who could not escape fast enough. She made a u-turn and left her car to yell at and intimidate the Palestinians gathered in the street. She filmed and verbally and physically attacked Palestinians and internationals while soldiers stood by and did not intervene. Instead of stopping her unprovoked aggressions, they began loudly pushing back the Palestinians, restricting them to certain parts of the street and preventing them from documenting.

pushing palestinians away — Soldiers forcing Palestinians back

Heavy arguments broke out. A man fainted and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance when he witnessed a soldier hit his wife with a gun. The army repeatedly pushed back Palestinians using excessive force. Eventually, Anat Cohen left without facing any consequences for her violent assaults and harassment, witnessed by the army and civil police.

Wael Fakhouri, a resident of the neighborhood: “We work hard to protect ourselves from settler violence.”

Contact: Issa Amro 059 934 0549 issaamro@gmail.com

Children face fear and threat of violence after young woman shot in Hebron

22nd February 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

A day after 21-year old Yasmin al-Zarou was gunned down by Israeli forces when passing the Salaymeh checkpoint, many of the children were forced to walk right past where she had layn on the ground bleeding – where her blood is still clearly visible on the ground. Yasmin had passed the checkpoint on 14th February 2016, when Israeli forces shot her several times with live ammunition, critically injuring her. Instead of administering first aid to Yasmin, lying on the ground, writhing in pain and losing massive amounts of blood, Israeli forces were busy violently attacking anyone attempting to help the injured young woman.

Scene of Yasmins shooting after she was taken away in an army jeep Photo credit: Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestine — Scene of Yasmins shooting after she was taken away in an army jeep
Photo credit: Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestine

A shocking video shows Israeli medics and soldiers standing around her as she lies on a stretcher, interrogating her, not examining her or providing medical care and shoving away her outstretched hands.

https://youtu.be/AZ5Jskw3iDQ

A disabled man in a wheelchair was even pushed over by Israeli forces, who shortly after threw stun grenades at Palestinian residents of the area – all while Yasmin was on the ground losing blood.

https://youtu.be/0N9lFf6c9Tk

The same video appeared a few days later, posted by an Israeli propaganda group – edited to make the disabled man’s crutches look like a rifle.

Even though an Israeli ‘ambulance’ arrived, no one gave Yasmin any first aid. The ambulance was driven by the infamous violent settler Ofer, who is neither medically trained nor operates a functioning ambulance, and who never provides any medical help when arriving on such a scene. He has been seen at several scenes where Palestinians had just been gunned down by Israeli forces on the claim of having knifes, always arriving in the fake ambulance, often taking photos of the dying Palestinians and instructing others not to treat them.

This video shows Ofer commenting as Yasmin lies bleeding on the ground without anyone offering first aid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhLBYENRrKA

Eyewitnesses reported that Yasmin was just passing the checkpoint with her sister when she was shot by Israeli forces. While bystanders were prevented from administering first aid, Israeli forces never attempted to do so. In the end, she was taken on a stretcher in an army vehicle while the fake Israeli ambulance was still at the scene. The refusal of medical help, just a day before, on 13th February 2016, directly resulted in the death of 18-year old Kilzar al-Uweiwi close to another checkpoint in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi mosque. Even though she was shot in the neck, her autopsy indicated that her life would have been saved if she had received immediate life-saving medical treatment. Thus her death directly resulted from the Israeli forces’ policy, demonstrated repeatedly in recent months, of denying any kind of medical help to Palestinians and instead leaving them to bleed to death on the ground.

Yasmin was taken to Shaare Zedek hospital in illegally annexed al-Quds (Jerusalem), and since then information on her condition has not been released. Her parents and family are all al-Khalil residents and must carry the green Isreali-issued West Bank IDs which bar Palestinians without a permit from visiting al-Quds (where Palestinians require blue IDs); they are not allowed to visit their daughter in the hospital and are thus left completely in the dark about her condition.

The morning after Yasmin was shot, schoolchildren were forced to pass the pool of blood that was still clearly visible on the ground, and many children living in the neighbourhood were talking about the incident the day before. Several parents whose children attend a kindergarten directly next to Ibrahimi mosque were too afraid to send their children to the kindergarten after a sleepless night following the shooting.

Israeli forces have announced that the Salaymeh checkpoint, a major passage-way for children on their way to and from school, will be closed from the 21st of February 2016 for three weeks for ‘renovations’. Such checkpoint renovations have already been carried out many times in al-Khalil, with the most recent expansion of Shuhada checkpoint making passage even more harrowing for local Palestinians.

In the past week, children on their way to and from school in the area around the Ibrahimi mosque in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) have endured constant harassment and intimidation by Israeli forces. They face checkpoints guarded by heavily armed Israeli forces and the ensuing bag-searches, ID-checks and harassments on a daily basis. Six schools are situated behind Salaymeh and Qeitun checkpoints; the majority of their students can only reach their schools by passing one of these two checkpoints, as Israeli forces blocked off an alternative route with concrete blocks and barbed wire. Al-Faihaa girls school, located on the main road between the two checkpoints, has repeatedly been threatened by Israeli forces that their main gate will be permanently closed if any boys are seen crossing through the schoolyard and thus avoiding being forced to pass the two checkpoints. The main road which runs past the two checkpoint and the girls’ school directly connects the illegal settlements in the center of al-Khalil with the far larger illegal Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of the city. Thus, on their way to school, Palestinian girls are often confronted with violent settlers trying to hit them with their cars – often driven on roads where only settlers and Israeli forces are permitted to drive while Palestinians are barred from operating vehicles – or physically and verbally attacking them.

Youth Against Settlements holds press conference in front of Shuhada Street checkpoint to announce 2016 Open Shuhada Street campaign

20th February 2016 | Youth Against Settlements | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Youth Against Settlements held a press conference in front of the Shuhada Street checkpoint to announce the beginning of the Open Shuhada Street Campaign. Over a hundred people attended. Palestinian TV, AL-Quds TV, and other local and international media organizations were present. Youth Against Settlements welcomed everyone from Palestine and abroad to take part in the annual Open Shuhada Street events and demonstrations between 21 February – 26 February.

Youth Against Settlement in front of Shuhada checkpoint

Shuhada Street has been closed almost entirely to Palestinians since the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994, when Brooklyn born Jewish settler, Baruch Goldstein, opened fire in the Ibrahimi mosque, murdering 29 worshipers and injuring 125. In 1997, Hebron was divided into zones H1 and H2, with H1 being under control of the Palestinian authority and H2 being under full Israeli military control. Since 2010, Youth Against Settlements has held annual events in commemoration of the massacre and to highlight human rights violations against Palestinians.

Since late October 2015, Hebron residents have seen increasing restrictions. On 30 October, Shuhada Street and parts of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood were declared closed military zones. Subsequently, the Israeli military extended the closed military zone orders to include the Youth Against Settlement center. Under the closed military zone orders, no guests, journalists, human rights observers, doctors, or home repair professionals may enter the area.

Issa Amro: “The Israeli occupation forces have maintained an apartheid regime in Hebron since the Ibrahimi mosque massacre in 1994. These days there are even more restrictions on Palestinians than ever to make it as hard as possible for Palestinians to stay and remain in their homes. We organize the Open Shuhada Street campaign to increase awareness about what is happening in Hebron and to make the world react against the occupation. The campaign aims to show the world who Palestinians are and not allow Israel to dictate to the media an image of Palestinians as violent people. As Palestinians, we are looking for justice, freedom, and equality, nothing more than that.”

Memorial for Hadeel al-Hashlamoun, gunned down by Israeli forces at Shuhada checkpoint on 22nd September 2015

Issa Amro, coordinator and founder of Youth Against Settlements, spoke about the closed military zones, the long lasting effects of the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre, the apartheid system of separation in Hebron, and how the occupation targets Palestinians by expelling them from their homes and businesses. Salah Hashlamoun, father of Hadil Hashlamoun, spoke about his daughter, her unlawful killing by the Israeli soldiers, and how it has impacted the life of his family. He called the killing of Palestinians a war crime, and encouraged continued resistance to the Israeli occupation. Abdul-Moneem Zahda, the representative for the families of the victims of the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre, outlined what had happened at the massacre, he talked about Baruch Goldstein killing 29 people as they prayed during Ramadan in 1994. He stated that the goal of the massacre was to judaize the heart of the city of Hebron. Mufeed Sharabati, a resident of Shuhada Street, spoke about the families of the street continuing their resistance against Israeli forces and remaining in their homes. Palestinian activists, Fareed Al-Atrash received a plaque to commemorate his work as a leader in the peaceful struggle against the Israeli occupation.

During the press conference, the Israeli army called the Palestinian Department of Civil Administration to request a stop to the event and removal of the sit-in tent. Youth Against Settlements erected the tent on 7 January in response to the closed military zones. Army drones were hovering above as the protesters refused to adhere to the army’s demands.

Mufeed Sharabati, a resident of Shuhada Street: “We will continue our resistance. We refuse to leave our homes. The families here are in the front line of the conflict.”

Many countries including, Italy, Denmark, Germany, France, Switzerland, Brazil, UK, and US, are joining the Open Shuhada Street campaign. Beginning in Italy on 14 February, international events and actions have included lectures, presentations, role-plays, film screenings, social media campaigns, and petitions. Youth Against Settlements activist, Murad Amro, traveled to Germany to give a presentation for the German Open Shuhada Street campaign. There, Murad met with the German Foreign Minister to request protection for Palestinian activists and demand an end to the closed military zones.

The Open Shuhada Street campaign continues through 26 February, when it will culminate with a mass demonstration. The upcoming week-long events for the Open Shuhada Street campaign in Hebron will include exhibitions, movie screenings, demonstrations, and cultural events. The schedule is as follows:

Satuday 20 February 11:00 AM press conference and memorial for Hadeel Hadshlom – Shuhada Street Entrance

Sunday 21 February 11:00 AM photo exhibition and painting – Shuhada Street Entrance

Monday 22 February all day photo exhibition – Shuhada Street Entrance

Monday 22 February 5:00 PM film screening Settlers on the Roof – YAS center, Tel Rumeida

Tuesday 23 February 4:00 PM cultural event – Shuhada Street Entrance

Wednesday 24 February 11:00 AM candle lighting and film screening – Alsalayhah neighborhood

Thursday 25 February 11:00 AM Ibrahimi mosque massacre memorial ceremony – Shuhada Street Entrance

Friday 26 February 11:00 AM Demonstration to open Shuhada Street – Nemreh mosque

Contact: Issa Amro 059 934 0549 issaamro@gmail.com