Tag: Settlers - Page 42 - International Solidarity Movement

Settler violence escalates in the vicinity of Kiryat Arba illegal settlement

19th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

The children of the Jabari family in Jabari neighbourhood of al-Khalil are singing along to a Palestinian children’s television show. It is a sunny Saturday morning but in the small living area, six tiny children sit with their mothers who explain to us that they do not go outside because of the settlers. They quietly recite every word of the television songs to themselves.

Jabari family' children — Jabari family’ children

With the massive illegal Israeli settlement, Kiryat Arba – home to nearly eight thousand Israeli settlers, directly facing their home, Saturday morning’s aren’t the only time the Jabari family is being affected. They have a newly built synagogue behind them, along with an Israeli police station. All are connected by a path that brings settlers along the family property on a regular basis. “The settlers jump behind our home in the night. They bang on the children’s windows and terrorize them.”

International human rights observers from the ISM and others have been providing protective presence for the family who, with so many children living in the home, haven’t had running water since the second Intifada. Their well, fronting the home, contains more trash than water and once they are able to procure the resources to repair it, it is subject to the same assault the family themselves endure month in and month out.

“During the Jewish holiday, the settlers filled the streets praying loudly. They shouted curse words at us.” Settlers had built a synagogue tent structure in recent months which was ordered demolished by the Israeli court system. Yet even with this small justice being done, a greater injustice persists. The land, belonging to Palestinians, has now been declared by Israeli forces to be a ‘closed military zone,’ which makes it off limits to all but Israeli military personnel.

However, settlers routinely frequent the area to pray under the protection of the Israeli army, while Palestinians are barred completely from entering. For the Jabari family, protective presence carries on as does the settler violence, harassment and constant intrusion into their lives.

10-year old boy arrested and blindfolded in Hebron

18th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Tonight in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces arrested a 10-year old Palestinian boy twice. Both times he was taken to the military base.

Israeli soldiers arresting Marwan Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Israeli soldiers arresting Marwan
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

Marwan Sharabati was playing outside his house, riding a bicycle in the street, in the vicinity of a military checkpoint cordoning off part of segregated Shuhada Street for Palestinians. Settlers from the nearby illegal settlements, who are allowed to freely walk down this street, came towards him, stole the bicycle from him and left with it. Whereas Israeli soldiers at the nearby checkpoint did nothing to prevent this or even interfere, they did arrest 10-year old Marwan, telling his family they were just taking him ‘to bring his bicycle back’. When soldiers forced him to walk down the street towards the military base he was clearly scared and crying.

Marwan taken by Israeli soldiers Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Marwan taken by Israeli soldiers
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

The boy was released from the military base after half an hour and was walked back to the checkpoint by Israeli soldiers. A group of settlers watched the events unfold. Upon Marwan being received by a friend of the family, infamous settler Anat Cohen, charged at an international volunteer attacking her, while soldiers were standing by idly. On Anat Cohen’s request 10-year old Marwan was again arrested by the Israeli army only a few minutes after being released. A Palestinian man, who was with him at that moment insisted to stay at Marwan’s side as he is just a small boy. Israeli soldiers coerced both of them to walk down the street to the military base and barely stopped settlers from attacking the man and boy along the way. Both of them were blindfolded and made to sit on the ground in the military base, with soldiers verbally insulting them. All requests of informing the parents and allowing the boy to talk to his father were bluntly refused by Israeli soldiers.

Anat Cohen attacking international Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Anat Cohen attacking international
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

The family and friends were, in the meantime, forced to desert the street and go into the house by Israeli soldiers on orders of Anat Cohen. After repeated complaints of her, soldiers entered the house thus funnelling everyone into one room and preventing them from leaving. Only after Anat Cohen left the Palestinians were allowed to leave the house again. This again illustrates the power settlers exercise over the Israeli army, following their orders and whishes.

Israeli soldiers coercing Palestinians off the street Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Israeli soldiers coercing Palestinians off the street
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

After more than an hour of being held in the military base, both the boy and the man accompanying him were finally released but had to climb onto the roof of the house to get back inside as settlers were still at the checkpoint close to the house. Even under Israeli law, it is illegal to arrest children under the age of eleven. Still, this is just one out of many cases of child arrests and violations of basic laws that are part of Palestinians’ every day lives.

Reham Dawabshe’s funeral

8th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Duma, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday, Monday 7th September, at approximately 1pm, thousands of people where waiting for martyr, Reham Dawabshe, to arrive to Duma to attend her funeral.

After struggling for five weeks from severe burns all over her body, Reham Dawabshe died in the hospital. Reham’s home was attacked by illegal Israeli settlers on July 31st, by smashing the windows in the middle of the night, throwing in flammable liquids and molotov bombs and setting the whole house on fire. Her 18-month-old baby, Ali, died in the flames trapped in the house and her husband, Saed, died one week later in the hospital.

Saed, Reham and Ali Dawabshe, now all gone. Photo credit: Rex Features

Until this day, only 4-year-old, Ahmad, has survived but is still struggling from severe wounds in the hospital.

4 year old Ahmad Dawabshe is still in the hospital.

Thousands of people mourned the mother’s death in Duma, including hundreds of teachers and dozens of students from the Jurish School for Girls, where Reham worked as a math teacher. Many government representatives were present, including the Governor of Nablus, Akram al-Rujoub, and the Minister of Education, Sabri Seidam.

Thousands march in funeral procession in Duma. Photo credit ISM

Message from Directorate of Education of South Nablus. 'Gardens of Eternity, Martyrs go to Paradise, Oh, martyr, Reham Dawabshe' Photo credit ISM — Message from Directorate of Education of South Nablus. ‘Gardens of Eternity, Martyrs go to Paradise, Oh, martyr, Reham Dawabshe’ Photo credit ISM

Funeral procession where people demanded for justice and political unity. Photo credit ISM

Reham's funeral march. Photo credit ISM — Reham’s funeral march. Photo credit ISM

Palestinians marched towards the family grave. Photo credit ISM

Reham was buried next to her husband and son. Photo credit ISM

Soon after the funeral procession was finished, clashes broke out in the entrance of the village of Duma, where Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound grenades towards Palestinian youth.

Clashes broke out in the entrance of Duma after the funeral. Photo credit ISM

To this day, the perpetrators of the arson attack that killed Ali, Reham and Saed Dawabshe have not been arrested. Israeli authorities only arrested a few random settlers right after the event occurred in order to show in the news media that they were working to make justice, but soon after most of these suspects were released.

It is important to note that the great majority of attacks perpetuated by illegal Israeli settlers towards Palestinian villagers are always ignored by the Israeli authorities, whereas Palestinians are harassed, imprisoned and beaten by Israeli soldiers on a daily basis for no reason.

Jabari family again facing the threat of losing their land

6th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The Jabari family in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) is again facing threats of settlers, taking over their land.

Settlers coming from the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba onto Palestinian land for prayers

The family owns a piece of land sandwidched between the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba and the Israeli police station Givat Ha’vot. Settlers built a synagogue tent on the land, but the Israeli Supreme Court finally took the decision that as it is illegal and has to be demolished in the beginning of this year. This resulted in attacks by settlers on the family, Palestinians living in the neighbourhood and human rights observers.

Settlers praying on the Jabari-family land

The area is now declared a closed military zone, so the settlers coming to pray there last Friday are illegaly trespassing and should be arrested for their crime. Still, they were protected by Israeli forces refusing to interfere. The case involving settlers taking over this land has been dragged on in court since 2000, which keeps the family from actually using their own land.

Israeli forces protecting settlers trespassing on private Palestinian land

Settlers violently attack a Palestinian man on Shuhada-street

5th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Tonight at around 6 pm a Palestinian man was detained at Daboya checkpoint in Shuhada-Street in Hebron in occupied Palestine. While he was detained a group of young settlers came to the checkpoint and attacked him. The 3 settlers were beating the Palestinian youth, while a soldier was standing close by without interfering. When the Palestinian youth ran away from the violent attackers, the unmasked settler pepper-sprayed him, right before he was able to escape the violent attack by running into the house of a Palestinian family living opposite the checkpoint.

After the attack, the Palestinian youth was falling in and out of consciousness for over half an hour. Palestinian cars and thus also ambulances are not allowed in this area by Israeli forces, which led to a long period of waiting before the youth was able to receive medical attention. Due to the closure of the road for Palestinians, the medics from the Red Crescent first had to pass through another checkpoint walking to the location of the incident and then had to carry the Palestinian youth back through the checkpoint. He was brought to the hospital with the suspicion of broken rips and in an enormous amount of pain. He is now out of the hospital and his condition is stable.

Watch a video of the attack from Youth Against Settlements here:

Photo credit: Youth Against Settlements