Tag: Settlers

CPT: Rampaging Israeli settlers invade Palestinian village of Tuba

16 May 2011 | Christian Peacemaker Team

(Tuba, South Hebron Hills, West Bank) Late last night, Israeli settlers invaded the village of Tuba, damaged property, and killed and stole several sheep belonging to the Ali Awad family. Palestinians of Tuba reported that they counted seven masked settlers, who entered and left the village on foot, and saw two cars at the outskirts of Tuba, near the chicken barns of Ma’on settlement.

The rampaging settlers stole seven sheep, killed two, and injured others, including one which lost an eye. In addition, the settlers upended three water tanks, which held a total of 4.5 cubic meters of water. They destroyed fences, punctured a storage tent and three large sacks of yogurt, damaged a goat pen and destroyed the ventilation pipe of an outhouse. They also set loose a donkey, which later returned.

Around midnight on Sunday 15 May, internationals from Christian Peacemaker Teams received a call from a Tuba resident to report the settler invasion and request help in urging the Israeli police to come to Tuba. The police refused to go to the village because no one there could speak to them in Hebrew. Two Israeli soldiers arrived in Tuba on Monday morning, but did not speak Arabic and so could not communicate with the villagers.

The Ali Awad family is considering making a complaint to the Israeli police, despite the fact that all their previous complaints about settler attacks, vandalism or harassment have not yet resulted in any indictments or compensation. On 21 March 2011, a masked settler from the illegal outpost of Havat Ma’on stabbed Mahmoud Ibrahim Ali Awad as the Palestinian traveled by donkey from Tuba to the city of Yatta. Mahmoud Ali Awad spent a week in the hospital recovering from stab wounds on his chest and arm.

Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove have maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Activists in Hebron accompany farmer suffering from settler attacks

15 May 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

This past week in the outskirts of Hebron, ISM activists have been helping farmer Abd al Kareim Al Jabari to work his land after him and his family have suffered continuous harrasment from settlers who have prevented them from working their land. In the most recent settler attack on Monday 8th, settlers stole the crops that Abd al Kareim had gathered during the day, took them to another field and tried to set them on fire. To prevent further attacks, he has asked ISM activists to be present whilst he works on his fields.

Six members of Abd al Kareim’s family have been injured after unprovoked attacks by settlers. In 2005 Abd al Kareim’s arm was broken during a prolonged attack. In 2008 his daughter Ayatt Jabari was hurt after being hit in the head by a stone thrown by a settler. Since Palestinian vehicle movement is restricted in the area, Ayatt Jabari had to wait two hours before the ambulance arrived.

Eight years ago a tent serving as a synagogue was raised on the family’s land. The High court has ruled that it should be removed from the private land, but it still remains, despite several complaints and protests from the family and Palestinian, Israeli and international activists.

The family’s land is situated in between the illegal settlements of Kiryat Arba and Hava Oat in the east of Hebron. Hava Oat is a small settlement situated on the top of a hill opposite the main entrance to Kiryat Arba. Kiryat Arba is the biggest settlement in Hebron with approximately 7200 illegal inhabitants. Settlers have made a walkway through the fields of the family. Subsequently, settlers pass by through the fields throughout all the day.

Villagers of Jaloud protest their electricity being cut

13 May 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

Today the village of Jaloud held a non-violent demonstration against the decision of Israel to cut off the electricity of seven families living on the outskirts of the village. The villagers and several international organizations marched from the village to the aforementioned houses carrying banners protesting the theft of their land and electricity. Jaloud, which is home to nearly 1,000 villagers is, according to the plan of the District Coordinating Office located in area B. However a small number of properties fall into area C outside of this plan, despite being inhabited for over 80 years and have recently been served with notices that they will have their electricity cut off. They have been given a court date of 19th May, where they will be able to object to this decision. Village Mayor Abdullah Haj Mohamd says that he doesn’t know what the families will do if their power is cut as they are reliant on electricity for their everyday life and farm work.

Jaloud, which has been inhabited for over 6,000 years is now surrounded by seven illegal Israeli settlements and a military base. Since the beginning of the occupation the village has lost 80% of it’s land to settlements and it suffers from frequent attacks by the settlers, often at night. The village has also been targeted by the Israeli military who three months ago uprooted and removed 200 olive trees the villagers had planted on their land. This most recent move from the state of Israel can be seen as an attempt to prevent the expansion of the village and force families back into the centre, all the while facilitating the expansion of the surrounding settlements.

Settlers attack a school in northern West Bank

09 May 2011 | Palestine News Network

A group of Israeli settlers attacked on Monday morning a Palestinian school in the southern part of Nablus, northern West Bank.

Witnesses told local media that the settlers smashed windows and put-up a banner and wrote slogans on the outer wall of the school calling for the killing of Arabs.

Israeli soldiers were providing protection for the settlers and did not do anything to stop the attack in the school, the Palestinian Education Ministry announced on Monday.

According residents the school had to shut down today fearing that settlers will attack students, adding that such attacks on the school are committed under the protection of the military

Settlers set fire to Huwwara prayer hall

3 May 2011 | Ma’an News

Ultra-orthodox Jewish Israeli settlers raided the northern west Bank town of Huwwara in the early hours of Tuesday morning and according to residents set fire a prayer hall in the local school.

Ghassan Daghlas, PA official charged with monitoring settler activity in the district, said the prayer hall in Huwwara sustained material damages due to the fire.

Locals reported the incident after hundreds of settlers entered the northern West Bank city of Nablus heading to Joseph’s Tomb for prayer.

According to Israeli news site Ynet, the event was a vigil for a settler who had been shot by Palestinian police in April, when he and a group of 30 others attempted to sneak into the shrine without coordination with the military or Palestinian police.

“The service was duly coordinated with the IDF,” the news site noted, adding that when the service completed and soldiers prepared to escort the group back to their settlements, “several dozens of youths tried to barricade themselves in the compound, but were evicted by the troops.”

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP a small group of Israelis were arrested on Tuesday near the contested Joseph’s Tomb site.

“We arrested more than a dozen Jewish worshipers who were at Joseph’s Tomb without authorization,” Rosenfeld said.

The group appeared to be extremists who arrived at the tomb shortly after an authorized group of Jewish worshipers prayed there.

The arrival of the smaller group provoked clashes with Palestinian youths, who throw stones at their cars, an AFP photographer at the scene said.

The town is located south of Nablus and Joseph’s Tomb, on the main road connecting the northern and central West Bank. The town has often been the focus of settler attacks and vandalism.

Israeli and Palestinian liaison officials visited the site of the arson and initiated an investigation, sources said.

Officials said they feared further settler attacks against Palestinians, as tensions flare amid a possible unity agreement between rival political parties Fatah and Hamas. The move would reunify Palestinians under a single government, with the hopes that a single voice would be a diplomatic asset when leaders head to the UN in September to seek recognition of statehood.

Tensions in the northern West Bank were particularly high two weeks ago when settlers snuck into the area of Joseph’s Tomb.

Palestinian police said they fired warning shots to disperse the group, which responded by blowing past a PA checkpoint. In the exchange of fire, one settler was killed.

Settler communities labeled the incident a “terrorist attack.”