Attack on Khadouri university continues

16th of December, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Tulkarm team | Tulkarm, occupied Palestine

Today, on the 16th of december, Israeli forces, yet again, entered the center of the campus at Khadori university, leaving several students injured.

“I am so afraid! The situation here is so bad, the soldiers open fire at anybody” says a student, who wishes to be anonymous, as he wipes away tears from his face caused by the tear gas.

According to medics on the ground, several people were injured during this afternoon raid on campus, both by live ammunition and rubber coated steel bullets. ISM-activists estimate that more than 200 students suffered from inhalation of the tear gas, some of whom needed medical attention.

Earlier this morning, at the outskirt of the campus, a student was shot with live ammunition on his left foot by the Israeli soldiers.

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As we have reported earlier, the attacks on the university started in October, when Israeli soldiers from the nearby checkpoint begun entering the campus. The Israeli forces have also caused severe damage to the university buildings. Multiple windows have been shattered. The greenhouses located close to the military training area have been badly damaged by the tear gas canisters and were put on fire, last week, by the Israeli soldiers.

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Almost every day, students witness Israeli soldiers using a small military training field, built on the university ground in the 90’s, as a base from which they sit and aim at students. Since october, ambulances are parked on campus every day, being ready to take the next injured student to the hospital. To this date, Israeli forces have injured more than 400 students.

4 protesters shot in Kafr Qaddum demonstration

December 11th, 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Tulkarm team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

Friday, December 11th, in Kafr Qaddum, the Israeli occupation forces shot three young men in the legs with tutu, and a fourth youth was injured with a rubber coated steel bullet at a demonstration protesting the road closure. Two illegal Israeli settlements located between Kafr Qaddum and Jit have blocked the Palestinian road and the Israeli occupation forces have been shooting protesters that just want to travel from one village to the other. The protest has been happening every Friday at 12:30 pm and will also be every Saturday at 2:30 pm.

Standing at the end of the road, protesters started a fire. The Israeli occupation forces moved towards the protesters. Without using tear gas to disperse the crowd, as was done the week earlier, the Israeli soldiers simply began to shoot rubber coated steel bullets at the unarmed Palestinian boys. The crowd began to run away from the seven soldiers. Several boys carried the injured to the ambulance. The Meta Peace Team, press and ISM were there to witness the event.

There was one Israeli man standing against the Israeli soldiers and yelling in Hebrew “you are criminals using live ammunition against unarmed people” and “your commanding officer is sending you to hell.” Road closures near illegal Israeli settlements are just one example of how the Israeli settlers control the military and governmental policy to some extent. According to the mayor of Kafr Qaddum, over 70 Palestinians have been shot so far by Israeli occupation forces at demonstrations there.

 

4 protesters were injured during the protest
4 protesters were injured during the protest

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Al-Kadoorie: the only university in the world with a military training zone inside its campus

November 18th 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwara Team | Tulkarm, occupied Palestine

On the 17th of November, in a meeting in the University of Al Kadoorie, in the city of Tulkarm, the institution’s Director of Public Relations, Mr. Azmi Saleh, and a group of students described the recent human rights violations that the Israeli army has carried out against the Palestinian students of the University.

 

Mr. Amzi Saleh, Director of Public Relations, University of Al Khadoorie.
Mr. Azmi Saleh, Director of Public Relations, University of Al Kadoorie.

 

Since the beginning of October, the Israeli army has perpetrated raids into the University while students attend lectures and exams. Mohammed, one of the students who was present, explained:

“Everyday they enter the campus firing their guns in the air and throwing tear gas canisters. We go out to see what is happening. Then they start shooting at us. We can’t stand this anymore, to see our friends and classmates getting shot and imprisoned.”

Approximately 350 students have been injured since the beginning of October, meaning injured students are being sent to the hospital on a daily basis. Likewise, twelve students have been in jail for six months. There is no knowledge about when they will be released.

 

This desk shows blood stains of an injured student who needed urgent first aid treatment on site, while the hospitals was too crowded to receive more injured students.
This desk shows blood stains of an injured student who needed urgent first aid treatment on site, in a time when the hospital was too crowded to receive more injured students.

 

In addition, the Israeli army has given no official explanation as to why they are committing these crimes. The administration staff has tried to communicate with authorities in the army to know why they are doing this and try to persuade them to stop, but the Israeli army does not respond to their complaints.

The students of Al Kadoorie University expressed their fear and suffering, asking for the international community to do all that they possibly can to help stop these human rights violations.

The students are so afraid of going to the University, that these actions are clearly preventing them from continuing their studies.

During the past decades, the Israeli occupation forces have stolen more than 200 dunums of land from Al Kadoorie University. In an area where there used to be functioning greenhouses that belonged to the Applied Research Centre of the Faculty of Agriculture, the Israeli army installed a military training field, keeping it for 21 years. The Apartheid wall, which sits right behind this training field, sets the boundary between the West Bank and the State of Israel, leaving the University premises at the very edge of the West Bank.

 

One of the four greenhouses that used to operate in the Research Centre of teh Faculty of Agriculture: today sits empty inside the illegal Israeli military training field.
One of the four greenhouses that used to operate in the Applied Research Centre of the Faculty of Agriculture: today sits empty inside the illegal Israeli military training field.

 

Behind the illegal military training field lies the Apartheid Wall that sets the final bounday between the West Bank, and the University's premises, and the State of Israel.
Behind the illegal military training field lies the Apartheid Wall and a military watchtower that sets the final boundary between the West Bank, the University’s premises, and the State of Israel.

 

Two days ago, after weeks of enduring these raids, the University decided to bring a bulldozer to tear down the facilities of the army’s military training field, which is where the soldiers begin their operations. The Israeli forces confiscated the bulldozer and detained the Vice President for over half an hour, with the threat of taking him to prison.

It is important to note that the students of Al Kadoorie regularly participate in peaceful demonstrations against the Apartheid wall that sits next to their campus and the Israeli industrial zone whose factories emit air pollutants that they suspect contain hazardous chemicals. Students complain that there are times that these fumes hurt their skin. Even though the reasons why the students protest are legitimate, during its military raids the Israeli army demands that they stop demonstrating.

 

Al Kadoorie University has approximately 7.000 students every year, coming from all the districts of teh West Bank, including some students from Gaza.
Al Kadoorie University has approximately 7.000 students every year, coming from all the districts of the West Bank, including some students from Gaza.

 

Violent military attack on peaceful demonstration in Tulkarm

4th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwarra team | Tulkarm, occupied Palestine

On November 3rd, two demonstrations took place in Tulkarm. In the city center, children gathered to protest against the incarceration of their loved ones in so-called “administrative detention”, where they’re held without trial for indefinite periods. The children were singing and chanting in the street. Their parents, teachers and friends gathered around along with internationals, waving Palestinian flags and showing their support.

Children demonstrating in city center of Tulkarm
Children demonstrating against detentions in the city center of Tulkarm

 

About an hour later, around 30 people went outside the city center to protest against the apartheid wall and the illegal Israeli occupation. Protesters and international human rights observers marched together towards the wall, clapping hands and singing slogans. They arrived close to the two high fences and the gate, which is part of the apartheid wall in the area of Tulkarm.

A military jeep from Israeli forces was waiting on the other side of the wall when the demonstration arrived. Three soldiers went out, shooting live ammunition in the air and shouting at the protesters to leave. Chanting and clapping continued among the demonstrators. The Israeli forces called for reinforcement and another military truck arrived. Nine soldiers gathered by the fence and started to shoot plastic-coated steel bullets into the group of demonstrators. A Palestinian woman was shot in her knee, and a man leading the chant was shot in his legs twice. Both were taken to hospital and another person took over the megaphone and the lead of the chanting. At least two other people were also hurt by bullets at the time.

Protesters in Tulkarm against the apartheid wall
Protesters in Tulkarm against the apartheid wall

The Israeli forces continued their repression by throwing teargas and stun grenades over the fence onto the Palestinian land. After making several attacks, they locked up the gate and went through the wall, up to the protesters. Soldiers started shoving and shouting at people, particularly attacking the person with the megaphone, pushing him violently. They shouted at people to move back and started once again to throw teargas and stun grenades towards the demonstrators.

Despite the military violence, the demonstration went on peacefully all the way through.