ISM Gaza | Farming Under Fire
18 May 2009
This is the village of Shofa, east from the town of Rafah, Gaza Strip. About 60 houses demolished by the Israeli occupation forces, during the recent war. People living in tents. Part of their agricultural land also destroyed. Palestinian farmers told us that after 5 pm they need to leave their fields because the Israeli troops along the Green Line, start to shoot.
15 May 2009
Palestinians, accompanied by international and Israeli solidarity activists, gathered to demonstrate against construction of the Apartheid Wall in Ni’lin. During the demonstration, a home of an elderly couple was occupied by soldiers, who used their roof to shoot at protesters. Several people were injured with tear-gas inhalation, tear gas canisters and a 12 year old girl was shot in her home with live ammunition in the arm.
To prepare for a demonstration meant to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the Nakba, several members of the Ni’lin Popular Committee against the Wall went to hang posters on their land. The Israeli army, already present in the olive fields, forced the members back into the village with the use of sound and tear-gas grenades.
“In the morning before the prayer, we were out in the fields to put up posters about the Al Nakba. Then the army came and started to shoot teargas and sound bombs at us” Mohammed Amira, member of the popular committee against the wall.
Later that day, Ni’lin residents marched towards their olive groves to hold the weekly prayer on their land. Israeli soldiers prevented them from reaching their land with the use of tear-gas and sound grenades. The prayer was then held in the centre of the village, near the municipality building.
Around 100 Palestinian protesters, along with Israeli and international solidarity activists, marched from the centre of town towards the construction site of the Apartheid Wall. Before reaching their olive fields near the clinic, Israeli border police fired upon the demonstrators with tear-gas and sound grenades until they dispersed. Demonstrators were pushed back into the village and several young men threw stones in response to the Israeli army’s violence.
For the second time in May, Israeli soldiers occupied homes in order to shoot at demonstrators. The home of an elderly couple, Miriam and Azmi Khawaja, was occupied with only Miriam inside. Only after 30 minutes were 2 activists able to enter her home to accompany to her son’s house while soldiers remained in her home.
Around 4:30, Israeli soldiers shot Summer Amira, 12, as she stood on the roof of her home.
The demonstration ended at 5:30pm.
18 May 2009
Dr. Haidar Eid speaks at the fourth Bil’lin International Conference on Popular Nonviolent Resistance.
15 May 2009
The Al-Ma’sara Committee against the Wall and Settlements has been organizing and participating in demonstrations against the confiscation of their land for the past two and a half years. Participants and committee members are known for their strict adherence to non-violent tactics in demonstrations. While the protesters maintained their usual tactics on 1 May 2009, Israeli forces escalated their attempt to suppress the non-violent resistance by arresting several demonstrators. A new military commander, stationed in the area two months prior, had announced his intentions to end the resistance and implemented tactics such as night invasions of organizer’s homes, destruction of property and threats.
During the demonstration on 1 May 2009, the Israeli army arrested three members of the Al-Ma’sara Committee against the Wall and Settlements; Hasan Bergia, Mohammad Bergia and Mahmoud Sawahre. Additionally, Israeli forces arrested Mustafa Fuara; a resident of Al-Ma’sara, Azmi Ash-Shyukhi; a resident of Hebron, Haggai Matar; an Israeli solidarity activist and Tom Stocker, a British national volunteering with the Holy Land Trust.
The army alleged that the arrested demonstrators were involved in rioting, interfering with police work, assault of soldiers and policemen, and the destruction of military property.
The Israeli activist Matar and British volunteer Stocker, were released the same day on 1,500 NIS bail with conditions of not entering the West Bank for two weeks. Azmi Ash-Shyukhi; Mustafa Fuara; and Mahmoud Sawahre, were released on bail (50,000 NIS all together) after being held in military prison for almost two weeks on 13 May 2009.
Hassan Bergia and Mohammad Bergia, members of the Al-Ma’sara Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, are still being held.
Mohammad Bergia’s lawyer will appeal for his release and letters of support can help shed light on the injustice of his arrest. Show support for Mohammad Bergia and help apply pressure for his release by signing and sending the sample letter below to haggai@hotmail.com.
SAMPLE LETTER
To Whom It May Concern,
I was disturbed to learn that Mr. Muhamad Bergia, a member of the Popular Committee of the village of Al-Maasara in the West Bank, was arrested for peacefully demonstrating against Israel’s separation fence on May 1st, 2009 and is still being held in prison. Over the past two and a half years Mr. Bergia and his associates have displayed an unshakable commitment to non-violence and to dignified action.
Mr. Bergia in particular is well known for his commitment to the struggle for peace through non-violent means and for his willingness to work in partnership with Israelis. He is a respected member of the community; Bergia is the secretary of the local council village and a teacher in the village. I am impressed with his honesty and commitment to non-violence. My understanding of Israeli law is that the right to demonstrate peacefully is protected. Mr. Bergia should be commended and not punished for his efforts.
I hope and trust that Mr. Bergia will be allowed to return to his family, including his young daughter, and community without further delay and that his name be cleared of all accusations.
Sincerely,
1 May 2009
On Friday, 1 May 2009 at 11.15am, an hour before the weekly Friday demonstration against the Apartheid Wall begins, Israeli forces entered the village of Ni’lin through the fields. Soldiers attempted to forcefully occupy two homes, for use as shooting posts. During their attempt, a 10 year old girl was injured by a sound grenade thrown near her leg as soldiers tried to enter her home. Another 22 individuals were injured during the demonstration; 4 were shot with rubber coated steel bullets, 4 were hit by tear-gas canisters and 12 suffered from serious tear-gas inhalation and had to be treated by medics.
Israeli forces tried to enter the family home of Ahmed and Sami Amireh. Only the women and children were present in the home, when 3 soldiers entered through their front gate. “They wear bringing water and food” said one of the women in the family “I asked them what they wear doing in our garden and they said they wanted to stay on our roof the whole day” she explained.
When the family refused to let the soldiers inside the house, they called their commander and another seven soldiers came to the house. Simultaneously, many people from the neighbouring houses came to help the family prevent the soldiers from entering. Together they blocked the door of the house and managed to stop the soldiers from entering. Trying to scatter the blockade, the army threw sound grenades directly at those in front of the home, injuring 10 year-old Raja Ibrahim Amireh. She had to be taken to the local clinic for treatment.
As the soldiers were leaving they threw several tear-gas grenades into the garden of the home. The army proceeded to occupy another home, belonging to an elderly couple, Azmi and Maysam Khawaja. Three soldiers forced their way unto the Khawaja roof, preparing to shoot at demonstrators. Together with several international solidarity activists, the son of the family, Saeeb Khawaja, came to the house and managed to get unto the roof. Instead of leaving, more soldiers arrived; ten soldiers were firing tear-gas into the village from the roof. The soldiers left 30 minutes later, after attacking Saeeb and the others with sound grenades.
The prayer before the demonstration had to take place in the centre of the village, as the presence of Israeli soldiers in Ni’lin’s olive groves prevented prayer in the fields. Following the prayer, the protestors marched along the main street to reach a road leading to the fields. The ary began to shoot tear-gas at demonstrators as they were marching, causing many to return to the village and several to throw stones at the soldiers. Soldiers proceeded to use tactics in violation of Israeli firing regulations, as they were shooting tear-gas canisters directly at protestors and houses.
At approximately 3pm, a fire truck had to be called for after the army started a fire on a big tree next to a house complex. During the coming hour the demonstration moved from inside the village to the fields where it ended at 4.30 pm. When the protesters headed back into the village, soldiers fired a 0.22 live calibre at them, but missed.
Israeli occupation forces have murdered four Ni’lin residents during demonstrations against the confiscation of their land and critically injured one international solidarity activist.
Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with live ammunition on 29 July 2008. The following day, Yousef Amira (17) was shot twice with rubber-coated steel bullets, leaving him brain dead. He died a week later on 4 August 2008. Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22), was the third Ni’lin resident to be killed by Israeli forces. He was shot in the back with live ammunition on 28 December 2008. That same day, Mohammed Khawaje (20), was shot in the head with live ammunition, leaving him brain dead. He died three days in a Ramallah hospital. Tristan Anderson (37), an American citizen, was shot with a high velocity tear gas projectile on 13 March 2009 and is currently in critical condition. In total, 26 persons have been shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition.
Since May 2008, residents of Ni’lin village have been demonstrating against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Despite being deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, the occupation continues to build a Wall, further annexing Palestinian land.
Ni’lin will lose approximately 2500 dunums of agricultural land when the construction of the Wall is completed. Ni’lin consisted of 57,000 dunums in 1948, reduced to 33,000 dunums in 1967, currently is 10,000 dunums and will be 7,500 dunums after construction of the Wall.
