“We are the army…we will catch you or we will come to your house” – Soldiers threaten children of Kafr Qaddum

7th June 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

In the early hours of the 7th June, the Israeli military conducted a night raid on the village of Kafr Qaddum for what is reportedly the tenth time in the last three weeks. This follows threats made by soldiers against children of the village and continued harassment, day and night. Friday’s demonstration was a chance for the children of the village to show that they are not afraid and demand justice. Although the peaceful march was violently repressed with excessive use of tear gas, the villagers remain steadfast.

Pictures of Kufr Qaddum children posted by the army with threats
Child pictures with threats by army

Recent weeks have seen a rise in night raids on the village, many for several hours with gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition fired both at random throughout the village and at people who leave their homes to protect their families. During Thursday night’s two hour invasion from 12.30-2.30am, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition into the air to threaten residents and shot multiple rounds of tear gas, some through the windows of people’s homes. One home was that of a seven month-old baby who was suffocated by the gas and had to be treated in an ambulance.

This child abuse follows the army’s recent pasting of posters around the village showing the faces of four 15-16 year old children. The message on the posters read, “We are the army, take care, we will catch you if we see you, or we will come to your house.” During night raids over the course of the last weeks Israeli soldiers have also stolen tyres from the village, which are used in the course of the Friday demonstrations to block the army from entering the village.

At today’s demonstration, the children of Kafr Qaddoum held placards calling for the soldiers to face justice for their threats against them and for their repression of the people of the village and of Palestine. Around one hundred people calling for justice marched through Kafr Qaddum towards the Israeli roadblock which prevents access for villagers to the main road to Nablus; the obstruction means an extra 14 kilometres on the journey and is emblematic of the restriction of movement imposed by the Israeli authorities on Palestinians in the West Bank.

Children of Kufr Qaddum demand justice and refuse intimidation
Children of Kufr Qaddum demand justice and refuse intimidation (Photo: ISM)

As protesters walked along the road they were immediately showered with tear gas, which was shot in multiple rounds from ‘the tempest’ – a jeep-loaded device used to shoot up to sixty canisters at a time. Soldiers also shot metal gas canisters directly at the peaceful demonstrators, violating Israeli rules of engagement which state that tear-gas should be shot at an arc into the air. Several people were injured and many suffered from tear gas inhalation and needed to be treated by Palestinian ambulance teams. Tear gas fired by Israeli forces sparked fires in olive groves around the village, requiring the fire brigade to also be called.

Israeli forces continue to threaten and repress non-violent resistance to the occupation with tactics such as threatening children and attacking the village at night, but Mourad a villager today stated, “Despite the fact that our village is under siege and our people suppressed, we are still determined to continue our march and achieve our goals.”

Israeli jeeps with attachment to fire 'the tempest' of tear gas
Israeli jeeps with attachment to fire ‘the tempest’ of tear gas (Photo: Kafr Qaddum Media)

Violent repression continues by the Israeli Army against protesters in Kufr Qaddum

31th May 2013 | International Women’s Peace Service | Kufr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

UPDATE 1st June: Last night, two Israeli military jeeps invaded Kufr Qaddum. Soldiers threw stun grenades  and stuck several posters with photos of four children around the village. The posters read: “We are the army. Be careful. If we see you, we are going to catch you. If not, we will come to your houses and take you”

Poster with the photos of the children (Photo by resident of Kufr Qaddum)
Poster with the photos of the children (Photo by resident of Kufr Qaddum)

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On 31 May the residents of Kufr Qaddum held their weekly demonstration after the Friday prayer and were violently repressed when the Israeli army invaded the village, firing tear gas and sound bombs directly at the protesters and into several houses and the local mosque.

Window broken by Israeli soldiers during army incursion in weekly Friday demonstration (Photo by IWPS)
Window broken by Israeli soldiers during army incursion (Photo by IWPS)

The protest began at around 13:15 with the regular march to the eastern side of the village toward the road closure that separates Kufr Qaddum from the illegal Israeli settler colony Qedumim, which was built on land stolen from Kufr Qaddum. As protesters approached the last house on the edge of the village, the road was blocked by one Border Police jeep and a bulldozer. A standoff ensued between Israeli forces and local youth who built defensive stone barricades along the main road to prevent an army incursion. After half an hour, Israeli soldiers began to shoot tear gas canisters from a device know as “The Tempest,” which fires multiple canisters simultaneously. As the protesters retreated from the continuous barrage of tear gas from Israeli foot soldiers, the bulldozer advanced into the village, clearing the barricades along the way.

Residents at the western part of the village alerted the protesters in the east that the Israeli army was seen on the road outside the entrance. As residents attempted to construct new barricades, 3 Israeli army and Border Police jeeps charged into the village, accompanied by others invading from the north and the east, attempting to surround the protesters. Many residents took shelter in nearby houses as army and border police forces in the center of the village began to fire directly at people. Several women came out from their houses to confront the soldiers, who continued to shoot indiscriminately at local youth. Many tear gas canisters were shot into houses and into the mosque, where carpets were burnt by the canisters. Excessive amounts of tear gas entered one home and 5 children (ages 9, 7, 4, 1 and 6 months) suffered from tear gas inhalation. A journalist from PALMEDIA also passed out from gas inhalation after putting his gas mask onto a local woman, and was assisted by local paramedics.

After half an hour, the Israeli forces withdrew from the town, having fired more tear gas at the protesters who had once again gathered at the eastern side of the village. Two Israeli activists were arrested and taken to Ariel police station. One was later released, while the other has not yet been released (as of midnight 31 May). After the demonstration, witnesses observed many spent casings from live ammunition along the protest route, as well as a window that was broken by the soldiers.

Israeli army and Border Police invade Kufr Qaddum during the protest (Photo by IWPS)
Israeli army and Border Police invade Kufr Qaddum during the protest (Photo by IWPS)

Israeli forces violently suppress villagers working their land in Nabi Saleh

31th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

Unlike in previous demonstrations, two army jeeps invaded Nabi Saleh today an hour before the demonstration was due to begin. After midday prayers, over 60 villagers, joined by a number of Israeli and international activists, marched from the center of the village along a path through the olive groves on to the main road. The march then diverted into the valley below the village and proceeded towards the olive groves located by road 465, the road closest to the Halamish settlement that occupies Nabi Saleh land.

Palestinian activists protesting the denial of access to Nabi Saleh's land (Photo by ISM)
Palestinian activists protesting the denial of access to Nabi Saleh’s land (Photo by ISM)

Reaching the olive groves, the villagers started clearing the lands around the olive trees and several army and border police jeeps arrived. One of the soldiers shouted at the crowd with a megaphone declaring the area a close military zone. The nonviolent protesters continued working the land, but Israeli forces began shooting tear gas canisters at them.

Despite the crowd dispersing around the valley, Israeli forces continued shooting tear gas canisters and then began aiming directly at people. The canisters ignited the surrounding agricultural land on fire and, with the high temperature and strong winds, the flames soon spread throughout the valley.

A number of villagers went peacefully towards the soldiers to protest the denial of access to their own land, but were soon met with stun grenades thrown, tear gas canisters shot and skunk water sprayed at them.

Israeli forces also launched several rounds of multiple tear-gas canisters from jeep-top launchers.  As a result, three people were treated for tear gas suffocation by Red Crescent personnel.

When the valley was full of tear gas, protesters marched back to the village where three border-police officers remained shooting tear gas canisters first at young boys still near the valley, and then further tear-gas and rubber-coated steel bullets indiscriminately into the village.

The protest finished at around 4:30pm when Israeli forces retreated back to the main road.

The village of Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating against the theft of the natural spring and the occupation since December 2009. Israeli forces violently suppress the weekly Friday protests by shooting tear gas canisters, skunk water, sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets and even live ammunition at protesters. Two people have been killed, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, and many others severely injured. Bassem Tamimi, from Nabi Saleh, has spent 17 months in Israeli jails, merely for being a prominent activist at the protests. After more than three year and despite the repression, Nabi Saleh continues to fight against the injustices of a brutal military Israeli occupation.

 

Israeli forces shoot tear gas canisters at protesters setting the land on fire (Photo by ISM)
Israeli forces shoot tear gas canisters, setting the land on fire (Photo by ISM)
Skunk water truck spraying protesters (Photo by ISM)
Skunk water truck spraying protesters while soldiers shoot tear gas canisters (Photo by ISM)

Arson attack on Asira village by illegal settlement of Yitzhar

30th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Asira, Occupied Palestine

At 1.30pm today, 30th May, thirty settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar trespassed on to land above the village of Asira, lighting fires and throwing rocks at around seventy villagers who came to extinguish the flames and defend their village. Israeli military and Border Police cooperated with the settlers whilst standing in front of them, firing teargas and blocking the Palestinians and fire service from putting out the spreading fires that in total burned 200 dunams of village land over the course of two hours.

Settlers from Yitzhar throwing rocks at villagers from Asira while Israeli army looks on
Settlers from Yitzhar throwing rocks at villagers from Asira while Israeli army looks on

After setting fire to the village land above Asira the settlers then stood and threw rocks at any villagers who came near. Several youth from Asira were injured after being hit by rocks during the attack. Twenty five Israeli soldiers and Border Police were present at the scene throughout the course of events. Countless times the settlers ran down the hill towards the villagers throwing rocks and the army stood by or attempted to prevent the villagers from standing their ground and stopping the settlers from entering the village. In attempts to disperse the villagers the army threw sound bombs and shot tear gas into the stationary crowd.

The villagers could only stand and watch as their land containing olive trees and wheat crops burned in front of them. A tractor with a front end loader was visible at the nearby military outpost digging a trench around it to prevent the fire spreading into the outpost with no consideration taken for the many dunams of village land ignited. At 3pm the settlers turned and ran back up the hill whilst the army stood in front of the villagers threatening them with their guns.

Once the settlers had vacated the area, the villagers were still prevented from putting out the fire on their land. In desperation the villagers began to harvest wheat that was in danger of being burned. Another ten minutes passed before the army began putting out the fire themselves and then allowed the Palestinian Fire Brigade to complete the job. In total over 200 dunams of land had been burnt across land owned by the village of Asira and on to that of the neighbouring village of Urif.

Security employed by the illegal settlement of Yitzhar was also present, parking their truck with three Israeli Military army jeeps, observing the attack from above. This assault comes a month after a violent settler attack on Asira and neighbouring villages of Urif and Burin in retaliation for stabbing of a settler from Yitzhar settlement. Yitzhar is considered the most violent of settlements in the West Bank by the UN.

Asira and the other villages which surround the illegal settlement of Yitzhar face daily violence from its Zionist settlers. Palestinians are regularly injured, schools are frequently attacked, agricultural land it often set alight and residential homes are often damaged. The Israeli army also frequently raid the villages, often in the middle of the night, to search houses and make wanton arrests, often of children. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention collective punishment is a war crime.

Asira villagers try to harvest crops before they are burnt
Asira villagers try to harvest crops before they are burnt in fires set by settlers

Kafr Qaddum – Blocked from life’s basics; pushed back when doing something about it

24th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Tear-gas showered down on villagers in Kafr Qaddum yesterday, nearly blinding one media worker in a direct hit and nearly suffocating a child as villagers protested the roadblock that has hindered their lives for a full decade. The villager’s own stone barricades, meant to slow Israeli vehicle access during demonstrations, were bulldozed and jeeps entered the village shooting tear-gas indiscriminately. At least 5 dunams of land was also set fire to by tear-gas, some intentionally shot in such a way as to cause fire by the searing hot canisters.

The villagers marching towards the Israeli roadblock did not even get to the edge of the residential area as usual before a jeep, specially equipped to fire multiple rounds of tear-gas simultaneously, sent villagers back in order to breathe. With the gas barely cleared, villagers regained momentum and continued. Awaiting them was a bulldozer, a familiar sight in Kafr Qaddum, which ploughed through the numerous stone barricades that stall incursions by jeeps. The bulldozer, specially designed to withstand physical damage, was escorted on foot by the Magav (so-called ‘border’ police), who fired additional tear-gas at those symbolically throwing stones at the bulldozer as it dismantled the scant protection they have against Israeli jeeps rapidly storming into their village. The rocks gone, two jeeps pursued the protesters further into the village with the Magav firing tear-gas at them to aid in their advance.

Gathering themselves together again, the demonstrators moved towards a point in the village to which the Magav had then pulled back. New road barricades were placed and a brief stand-off ensued. Then officers on foot fired tear-gas from their rifles; one directly-aimed canister hit Ayman Nazzal, from a television news crew there, right in the face. Fortunately, his gas mask absorbed most of the impact but he sustained an injury just above his right eye, which would have been critical had it been a finger-width lower. Immediately following this volley of gas by the Magav, the bulldozer went in for a second time, trailed by the jeeps and then the officers who had stood alongside the bulldozer, who intermittently shot tear-gas in whatever direction they saw villagers that had not been chased by the pair of jeeps.

Additional border police, on top of the adjacent mountainside overlooking the whole scene, had meanwhile shot tear-gas down at those gathered on the slope below them; the tear-gas canisters caused several large fires amongst the dry bushes and several olive trees, the villagers’ livelihoods. The fire service was called in and, after the protest had finished, they remained along with a few villagers to calm the flames.

By the close of the demonstration, Yazan Brham, only 10 years-old, had to receive medical treatment after inhaling the toxic gas shot. He and Ayman are in a stable condition, with Ayman having had an overnight stay in Rafidia Hospital in west Nablus, the city to which the roadblock impedes direct access from Kafr Qaddum.

“There are two things that are most important to us: organization and character,” said Murad Shtiawi, a local participant. Recent weeks have displayed the kind of organization Murad noted as the village demonstrators have faced bulldozers, a skunk truck, foot soldiers in the village and raining tear-gas propelled from army jeeps; all countered with careful response by the demonstrators as they communicate throughout the protest and constantly employ media to document their resistance. At the protest a fortnight ago, soldiers waited on the top of the adjacent mountainside, hid amongst roadside olive tree groves and inside army trucks, attempting to surround the protesters from three sides. As villagers saw the trap coming, they stayed back in stalemate until a bulldozer arrived to remove barricades the residents had built to slow potential invasion of the village by Israeli forces. In front of the bulldozer walked the Magav, firing tear-gas canisters and clearing the way in front of the bulldozer.

Kafr Qaddum is a 3,000 year-old agricultural village that sits on 24,000 dunams of land. The village was occupied by the Israeli army in 1967 and 1978 saw the establishment of the illegal settler-colony of Qedumim. The settlement, built on the remains of a former Jordanian army camp, occupies 4,000 dunams of land stolen from Kafr Qaddum. The villagers are currently unable to access an additional 11,000 dunams of land due to the closure of the village’s main and only road leading to Nablus by the Israeli army in 2003.

The road was closed in three stages, ultimately restricting access for farmers to the 11,000 dunams of land that lie along either side to one or two times a year. Since the road closure, the people of Kafr Qaddum have been forced to rely on an old goat path to access this area; the road is therefore small and narrow, suitable, as the locals describe, only for animals. In 2004 and 2006, three villagers died when they were unable to reach the hospital in time. The ambulances carrying them were prohibited from using the main road and were forced to take a 13km detour. These deaths provoked even greater resentment in Kafr Qaddum and, on 1st July 2011, the villagers decided to unite in protest in order to re-open the road and protect the land in danger of settlement expansion along it.

Kafr Qaddum is home to only 4,000 people, yet almost 500 residents come to the weekly demonstrations held after Friday prayers. The villagers’ resilience, determination and organisation has been met with extreme repression. More than 120 village residents have been arrested. Most of them spend between three to eight months in prison and together they have paid over 100,000 Shekels to the Israeli courts.  Two thousand residents have suffocated from tear-gas inhalation, some in their own homes and 100 residents have been shot directly with tear-gas canisters. On 27th April 2012, one man was shot in the head by a tear-gas canister, fracturing his skull in three places and costing his ability to speak. An Israeli soldier released his dog into the crowded demonstration on 16th March 2012, where it attacked a young man for nearly 15 minutes whilst the army watched. When other residents tried to assist him, they were pushed away and some were pepper-sprayed directly in the face.