Tag: Tear-Gas Canister - Page 37 - International Solidarity Movement

Weekly demonstration in Kufr Qaddum violently suppressed by Israeli forces

5th of April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

After Friday prayers, the villagers of Kufr Qaddum and international activists attempted to access the main road in Kufr Qaddum, blocked by the Israeli Army for 13 years. They were met by armed Israeli soldiers and tear gas, with many suffering the effects of the gas.

Villagers marching along the road (Photo by AlMasira)

The village has been demonstrating against the closure for the last 2 years, which cuts the village off from a direct route to the local village of Jit and Nablus city. A route which once took 30 minutes, 11km, now takes villagers an hour and a half to complete and more than doubles the distance.

The village is right next to the illegal settlement of Qedumin and has already lost two-thirds of their land to the settlement. The Israeli Army closed the road under the pretext of security for the illegal settlement.

Since demonstration begun the village has suffered incursions from the Army, with around 150 men and boys arrested, some as young as 11 years old. To date there are still 40 people in Israeli prisons, with the longest held for 9 months.

The demonstration which was well attended by over 100 villagers sought to open the road, but also referenced the killing of the two boys from Anabta on Wednesday at the nearby Enav checkpoint by the Israeli Army.

Kufr Qaddum is one of the latest series of Palestinian villagers to resist the illegal and Apartheid policies imposed by the Israeli occupation. Villagers in Bilin and Jayous both successfully protested to have the route of the Apartheid Wall moved on their lands. And most recently the village of Sabastiya demonstrated against a sewage outlet from the illegal settlement of Shave Shomron which pumped out raw sewerage onto their lands. They found out on Tuesday 2 April that the outlet pipe had been closed.

Israeli border police officers and armored bulldozer invading the village (Photo by ISM)

Protesters building a tyre barricade (Photo by ISM)

Non Violent Demonstration in South Hebron ends with violent military response

10th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

On Friday afternoon near the illegal Beit Hagai settlement, a non violent demonstration over the closing of the vital road between Al Fawar Camp and Al Hareaq (South of Hebron) ended with military violence.

Within minutes of the demonstration beginning, the military responded by firing tear gas indiscriminately into the crowd. After retreating to a safer distance the crowd attempted to walk back to the road block, with one of the protesters calling out “We don’t want to fight, we come in peace,” which was ignored as the soldiers ushered in a skunk water truck, which showered the demonstrators and nearby Palestinian land.

Re-opening the road block has been a continuous struggle over the last 12 years (amongst the many struggles Palestinians are facing during the occupation), it serves as a symbol of the constant harassment and military control over how the Palestinian people move through their land.

Demonstrators attempt to shield themselves behind wooden board

Sebastiya protests against sewage dumping

9th March 2013| Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

On Friday, the village of Sebastiya held its first demonstration in order to protest the flooding of its land by the sewage coming from the nearby Jewish-only settlement of Save Shomron. Around 150 people from Sebastiya, together with Israeli and international activists, participated in the demonstration which was broken up quickly by tear gas canisters and stun grenades.

A convoy of vehicles ran from the village to the land next to the settlement where the sewage water is being dumped. Palestinians held the Friday prayer on the fields and after that, demonstrators marched towards the settlement. Soon afterwards, Israeli forces started to shoot tear gas canisters and stun grenades at protesters. As people ran through the fields Israeli forces continued firing tear gas canisters and Palestinian youth threw some stones back. One person was taken away by ambulance as a result of overexposure to tear gas. The protest lasted for an hour.

Sabastiya is an ancient village located just 10 km north of Nablus. For over a decade, residents of the village have been suffering harassment from Israeli forces and settlers. In 2001 settlers uprooted and destroyed around 1000 olive trees, substantially damaging the land of several families. In 2006 the Israeli army put up a fence in an attempt to confiscate the land where the trees had originally been, but farmers from the village pulled it down.

Recently, the nearby settlement of Shave Shomron has been pumping their raw and untreated water sewage directly onto Palestinian fields, poisoning the apricot and olive trees. In addition to holding demonstrations, residents of Sabastiya are currently bringing legal action against Shave Shomron in order to stop the settlement from dumping its sewage on Palestinian lands.

Residents of Sabastiya pray before demonstrating

A demonstrator is treated for tear gas inhalation

Palestinian still detained after he was shot in the head at peaceful demonstration

5th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

22 year old Ibrahim Saadi is still being held at Ofer Prison in Ramallah after being shot in the head close range by a rubber bullet and arrested during a peaceful demonstration in Hebron on Friday.
His brother told us he had recieved a number of stitches on his head before being transferred to Ofer.

Ibrahim Saadi with wounds to head being dragged down street by soldiers

The peaceful protest organised in remembrance of the Abraham mosque massacre in 1994 was broken up by tear gas and stun grenades in Hebron on Friday. Many parts of Hebron have been shut off to palestinians since the massacre, including Shuhada Street which was once a busy commercial area.
The demonstration was organised by Hebron Defence League and was attended by Palestinian, Israeli and International activists who sat down on the road close to the gate which blocks access to Shuhada street. Soldiers threw tear gas canisters and sound grenades at the demonstrators causing many to disperse.

When the remaining demonstrators regrouped, they were prevented from moving anywhere else by a line of soldiers. Soldiers attempted to take the megaphone of one activist but was blocked by both Israeli and International activists.

Not long after the demonstration ended , 22 year old Ibrahim Sa`adi was dragged unconscious down the street by a group of soldiers with his face covered in blood. According to several eyewitnesses including his brother, Ibrahim was shot at close range with a rubber bullet. His eight year old sister saw the entire scene and was left in shock.
After the news of Sa`adi`s arrest spread , clashes erupted around bab al zawiya area of Hebron. Dozens of demonstrators were injured , including one international, as the army fired rubber coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades and live ammunition. The clashes continued until after sunset.

Israeli Occupation Forces stand in between peaceful demonstrators

Earlier that morning 19 year old Abdel Basset was arrested by soldiers in Tel Rumeida A witness who filmed the arrest was made to delete the video by the soldiers.

Ibrahim Saadi is dragged down the street unconscious by soldiers

By Team Khalil

Fierce clashes in Hebron rage after death of Arafat Jaradat in Israeli detention

24 February 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Palestinians protesting last night’s death of Arafat Jaradat while in Israeli administrative detention clashed with Israeli Occupation Forces throughout today in Hebron. Israeli officials claim that Jaradat died in an interrogation centre of a heart attack despite having no health conditions prior to his detention. In a recent court appearance, Jaradat told his lawyer, that “he had serious pains in his back and other parts of his body because he was being beaten up and hanged for many long hours while he was being investigated”. Jaradat was father to a 4 year-old daughter and 2 year-old son and worked as a petrol station attendant; his widow, Dalal, is currently pregnant.

Teenager shot in thigh with live ammunition now in critical condition — Teenager shot in the thigh with live ammunition and now in critical condition

Centered around the Bab al-Zawiyeh area of central Hebron, soldiers primarily fired rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades at around 1500 demonstrators. Skunk water and teargas was also used excessively at times. An alarm to disperse crowds was played at high volume followed by a warning from the ‘American Technology Corporation’. Dozens were injured (including journalists and one ISM volunteer) with ambulances driving back and forth amongst the crowds.
At least three were injured by live ammunition, including one teenager who was shot in the thigh with a live bullet, which were fired at demonstrators throughout the day. He was taken to Ramallah hospital, but was swiftly moved elsewhere as his condition became critical.

Around an hour ago the soldiers announced that they were about to fire live ammunition into the crowds.
The army was clearly expecting a backlash for the death of Jaradat, with soldiers stationed on the rooftops throughout the old city since the early hours of the morning. Less than 500 meters away on Shuhada Street, around two hundred settlers wore fancy dress, drank alcohol and danced on the street in celebration of the Jewish holiday Purim .

Soldiers fire teargas and steel coated rubber bullets at demonstrators — Soldiers fired teargas and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators

Journalist treated for teargas inhalation — A journalist being treated for teargas inhalation

Skunk water is sprayed to disperse demonstrators — Skunk water was sprayed to disperse demonstrators

Team Khalil