Tag: Tear-Gas Canister - Page 5 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli Armed Forces use Live Ammunition in Al-Khalil and Detain Two Boys

06th October 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On Friday the 06th of October, around 30 Israeli soldiers entered the H1 area of Al-Khalil with three armoured military vehicles.

The Israeli armed forces entered the area at around 2.00pm, using sound grenades and tear gas around the central hub of the city leading up to the Manara roundabout. The vehicles drove back and forth between two roundabouts firing tear gas and sound grenades randomly.
Bystanders and street vendors were affected by tear gas. Live ammunition was also used.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon and into the evening soldiers were stationed around the city which many interpreted as a provocation.
In the evening at around 6.00pm, two boys aged 17 and 16 were detained by the soldiers and taken to the nearby police station by Israeli police despite attempts by family members to have them freed. They were accused of throwing stones at soldiers and were detained without providing any evidence to their accusations.

This is one of several occasions the Israeli armed forces have entered the H1 area of Al-Khalil, using weapons and vehicles to counter small protests on Fridays.

Israeli Forces use live ammunition in occupied Hebron

22nd September 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On Friday, September 22, the usual small scale and unorganised protests next to the Shuhada checkpoint elicited an exaggerated response from the Israeli military. At 2:00 PM approximately 15 soldiers went into H1 in pursuit of the protesters, firing tear gas and sound bombs. Subsequently, the military jeeps spread into multiple focal points of the city, where they continued their assault.

At approximately 3:00 PM, the soldiers fired live ammunition for the second time in one week in the Manara square of occupied Hebron, one of the most densely circulated areas, thus putting at risk passers-by of all ages. Traffic was also disrupted, as roads leading to the square were blocked. Manara is one of the main junctions in the city, therefore drivers were forced to take alternative routes, which created additional havoc in the city.

Throughout the day, the soldiers made nine arrests, of which eight were young Palestinians. Some of the people who were detained did not seem to have been involved in any manner in the protest.

During the afternoon and evening, the soldiers advanced into H1, which according to the Hebron agreement is under full Palestinian control. If so far the army used to enter the area of H1 surrounding the Shuhada checkpoint, during their latest actions, they have begun to invade more and more of the city, thus severely interfering with people’s daily lives and causing financial losses for business owners in the main commercial areas of Hebron.

The soldiers retreated after six hours inside of H1, after 8:00 PM, leaving behind streets covered in bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs.

Israeli military presence in South-Eastern Hebron results in revolt from civilians.

14th September 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

(Military vehicles entering the H1 area through a guarded checkpoint)

On Thursday evening, at around 6:40pm, the Al-Khalil team was patrolling the city and came across Israeli forces stationed by the Tareq roundabout, in the Altahta area south of the city. The military teams consisted of two groups of around six soldiers, several military vehicles and more soldiers stationed on the roof tops.

The tension was high since the area is a highly active traffic hub in Hebron, with large amounts of Palestinian residents in the streets.

The situation escalated when the crowd got larger and military forces used sound grenades and tear gas canisters to suppress the crowds. This was met with successful resistance from civilians, and the soldiers were forced to go back into the Salameh checkpoint.

Although nobody suffered from direct injuries, one Palestinian individual lost consciousness due to the stressful situation, and had to be carried away from the area.

The general situation in occupied Hebron has become more tense, due to the recent decision by the Israeli army to extend municipal powers to settlers in H2. The Israeli forces going into the H1 area of the city are common provocations towards the Palestinian people. Thursday nights are spent relaxing and enjoying the night off as Friday is a holiday. There was no threat or protest on the Palestinian side before the soldiers had entered, meaning that the Israeli forces’ decision to illegally enter the H1 area was unnecessary.

Israeli forces invade Hebrons commercial center on Friday

10th September 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On Friday, 8th of September, large amounts of Israeli soldiers went into the H1 area of occupied Hebron, supposedly under full Palestinian control. The army used teargas and stun grenades at one of the main junctions in downtown Hebron, effecting the accessibility of the Manara square area for Palestinian citizens.

Soldiers at the al-Manara circle in Hebron

After Friday noon-prayer, the normal small scale protests took place by young Palestinians where ten soldiers came out of the H2 area monitoring the protesters in the street. Following this, the protesters backed away and discontinued their protesting. About 15 minutes later, 40 soldiers invaded the area throwing sound grenades within the Old City and moving up into the main central hub of Hebron, in an area supposedly under full Palestinian control, in two military vehicles. Some rocks were thrown at the soldiers by a few Palestinian youth, which was immediately met with unreasonable force by soldiers throwing stun grenades and several tear gas canisters in an area with uninvolved civilians. Many Palestinians were forced to rapidly drive away in their cars in order to escape the suffocating effects of teargas used by the israeli forces in a civilian neighbourhood. These included young children and families, and additionally many shop owners had to evacuate their shops due to the amount of tear gas clouds.

Isreali forces shooting teargas in civilian Palestinian area

The direction of the wind blew the tear gas back towards the soldiers who were throwing it, indicating that this disruption was not thoroughly planned, and many of the soldiers were not experienced enough to handle tear gas in the first place. Consequently, the soldiers were forced back past Shuhada checkpoint and into the H2-area under full Israeli military control. Tear gas, a so-called ‘non-lethal weapon’, causes effects of suffocation and untreated can lead to death. Many of its long terms effects are still unknown.

Friday is a holy day in Islam, and many Palestinian citizens were enjoying their day off of work in the city-center. Most did not expect to have the city center disrupted by the Israeli forces, and others who work even on holidays, lost some of their daily income. The area which was invaded, is part of the H1-area, which according to the Hebron Protocol, is supposedly under full Palestinian control. This disruption was an extremely exaggerated response, in view of the fact that the small amount of protesters were not posing any kind of imminent threat.

Israeli forces in their jeeps driving towards Hebron city center

Three children arrested in occupied Hebron

23rd August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Three underage boys, 2 aged 13 and 1 aged 14, were arrested today in occupied Hebron (al-Khalil), the soldiers accusing them of throwing stones. Up to 40 soldiers went out of their military base in Bab al-Baladdbiya, and raided several houses searching alleged suspects.

Israeli soldiers raiding homes and arresting three underage boys

Israeli occupation forces arresting 3 children

After arresting the three children and bringing them to the military base, the heavy armed military presence stayed in the old town and raided several houses, ID-checking young male Palestinians and blocked the main market street, preventing residents from reaching their houses.

Israeli soldiers blocking the streets, and denying Palestinians access to the streets

The occupation forces violently controlled the crowed by shooting teargas into the crowd, and throwing stun grenades.