Tag: Apartheid Wall - Page 92 - International Solidarity Movement

Young Palestinian man and Swedish activist shot with live ammunition during Ni’lin demonstration

5pm, 30th January 2009, Ramallah: On Friday, January 30th, two people were shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition in the West Bank village of Ni’lin.

Ulrika Andersson, 31, was shot in the leg with live ammunition during the weekly demonstration against the construction of the annexation wall in the village of Ni’lin, occupied West Bank.

Ms Andersson, from the Swedish town of Gothemburg, was taking part in the non-violent demonstration when an Israeli soldier shot her from approximately 50 metres with a new 0.22 bullet. The bullet entered and exited through her lower right leg.

Witnesses have reported that the demonstration was in fact finished when the two people were shot, with Israeli forces opening fire as demonstrators were returning home.

A nineteen year old male demonstrator was also shot by a 0.22 bullet in the foot. Fragments of the bullet are still lodged within his foot. He is currently being operated on.

Both demonstrators shot has been taken to Sheikh Zaid hospital in Ramallah for emergency treatment.

Ulrika Andersson said when in Sheikh Zaid hospital;

“I am lucky, I was hit in the calf. Many residents in Ni’lin have not been so lucky resulting in many injuries from the Israeli aggression against the demonstrations in Ni’lin, including four deaths. The soldiers were aware of an international presence within the demonstration and clearly saw me.”

Since the start of the massacre on Gaza (27 December 2009), the Israeli army has been testing new types of weapons in several villages around West Bank. One of these new weapons is the 0.22 caliber bullet.

The small bullet, known by its caliber size as “0.22″, does not make a sound when fired. The low caliber allows the bullet to easily enter the body and causes internal bleeding.

Since the introduction of this new weapon, eight people have now been shot with the “0.22″ in the villages of Bi’lin, Ni’lin, and Budrus. Several people from Bi’lin and Ni’lin have this bullet lodged in their knees, one bullet went through a demonstrator’s leg and another demonstrator was shot in the stomach (causing internal bleeding).

International activists have joined the demonstrations against the construction of the annexation wall in Ni’lin since the village started it’s regular protests in May of 2008. According to the Israeli daily Maariv, in March 2008 the Israeli authorities issued a new directive enabling Israeli forces to open fire directly on Palestinians who try to demonstrate near the wall, unless internationals or Israelis are amongst demonstrators.

The construction of the annexation wall and Israeli only roads around Ni’lin will separate the village from 40% of it’s land and see a total loss of 85% of the village’s land since 1948.

Family resists house occupation during demonstration in Jayyous

The residents of Jayyous march towards the site of the Apartheid Wall.

On January 23rd, a demonstration against Israel’s apartheid wall in the village of Jayyous, was once again met with repression from the Israeli Army. Israeli soldiers and border police shot tear gas, rubber and live bullets at villagers during the weekly demonstration. At least four people, including a pregnant woman, were treated for tear gas inhalation. The army occupied two homes and used the roofs to shoot at youth. However, a family in a third home, supported by international solidarity activists, successfully prevented the army from entering the building.

Army jeeps entered Jayyous several hours before the demonstration began. The mayor of the village also received a phone call from the area commander, who him that if villagers marched to the south gate in the wall, they would be shot with live ammunition. Despite this intimidation, several hundred Jayyous residents, supported by Israeli and international solidarity activists, marched towards the gate waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against the occupation.

The crowd’s path was soon blocked by two jeeps and more than a dozen soldiers and border police. After a ten minute

Confrontation between non-violent protesters and the Israeli army

stand-off, several youth began to throw stones. The army then began firing rubber bullets, tear gas, and live ammunition at the boys. The clashes continued in the village for several hours after soldiers entered the village from three different areas.

During this time, the army occupied the roofs of two houses, from which they fired at the demonstrators below. Residents of the occupied houses were prevented from leaving the buildings. Soldiers also attempted to enter a third house, but the family refused to let them in, and told the army to leave their property. The army withdrew from the village at around 7:30pm.

Israeli army occupy a Palestinian house to shoot at protesters

Two shot with live ammunition at Ni´lin prayer demonstration

January 23, 2009

On Friday, 23 January 2009, the residents of Ni’lin gathered with international and Israeli solidarity activists in their continued resistance against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Around 100 demonstrators participated in the weekly Friday prayer demonstration, a gesture of protest to the annexation of Ni’lin’s land and apartheid policies towards the Palestinian people. The Israeli army responded to the non-violent manifestation by invading the village and injuring 15 people, two with live ammunition.

Around 12.00, residents prayed next to the clinic. Immediately afterwards, the demonstrators marched through the olive grove, towards the site where the Occupation is building the Apartheid wall. Protesters were attacked by Israeli soldiers with tear gas, rubber and plastic coated steel bullets. After 20 minutes of shooting at the demonstrators in the olive groves, the army invaded the village.

The soldiers invaded the village from the main road and the olive groves taking up several positions in the town. Soldiers were stationed at the clinic and main street, marching to the town centre. They fired tear gas, rubber-coated steal bullets, sound bombs and live ammunition from inside the village, endangering the community. Two were shot in the leg with live ammunition and required medical attention.

The whole town was affected by the military incursion, forcing people to take shelter from the attack in their homes and shops. Teargas landed in many places in the town away from any demonstrators and one person by a tear gas canister that hit his head. Soldiers were targeting houses and nearly created a catastrophe by shooting next to the petrol station. Soldiers in the main street used speakers to make a high pitched alarm, known as the ‘scream’, to panic and disorientate the demonstrators and later they played classical music as they shot at people. Additionally, soldiers occupied the medical centre and removed the Palestinian flags at Arafat and Mohamed al Khawadja’s graves (two youths murdered by the occupation forces during a solidarity with Gaza demonstration in Ni’lin).

The demonstration ended around 4:30pm when the army withdrew from the town after injuring over 15 people. This is the fourth consecutive occasion where the army has aggressively occupied the town of Ni’lin during the demonstration: a means of collective punishment on the entire village of Ni’lin for the resistance to the Apartheid Wall.

Israeli army invade Ni’lin

21 January 2009

On Wednesday, 21 January 2009, at 12.30, residents of Ni’lin, along with international and Israeli solidarity activists, gathered to demonstrate against the construction of the Apartheid Wall. The demonstration began in the olive fields but was forced back when the Israeli army shot teargas and threw sound bombs. After the demonstration began, the army invaded the town from the fields and the checkpoint at the entrance of the village, firing tear gas canisters, rubber coated steel bullets and plastic coated steel bullets. The army proceeded towards the centre of the town, shooting at houses and cars. Israeli forces arrested three Ni’lin residents who were not participating in the demonstration and injured nine individuals.

Around 60 demonstrators peacefully marched into the olive fields carrying flags and chanting slogans against the Wall. As they approached the construction site, protesters were confronted by soldiers. The army shouted at the demonstrators to end their peaceful protest and quickly proceeded to use weapons against the individuals.

The demonstrators were forced to head back to the town and the army followed them. The soldiers fired excessive amounts of tear gas, sound bombs and rubber coated steel bullets, aiming directly at people. In all, four were injured with rubber coated steel bullets and five were hit with teargas canisters; one of whom had to be taken to Ramallah hospital. Several cars and shop windows from the shooting. One teargas canister ignited a fence that had to be put out by a fire engine. The army came further into the town, driving a jeep into the town centre, where soldiers continued firing before they eventually withdrew.

The three arrested individuals were playing pool in the local pool club at the time of the demonstration. According to two medics who were inside the pool club, the soldiers fired teargas and rubber bullets into the building, hitting one person in the leg. The army then entered the building and arrested three Ni’lin residents.

This is the second invasion of Ni’lin in one week. The Occupation is collectively punishing the Palestinians of Ni’lin for their resistance to the Apartheid Wall. When completed, the Apartheid Wall will annex land belonging to villagers. Furthermore, the simultaneous establishment of the Apartheid Wall and a tunnel will allow the Israeli army to bar all but one connection leading to complete control over movement for Ni’lin residents.

Summary execution in southern West Bank

Palestine News Network

During the killing of over 1,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the demonstrations against them the occupation remains in the West Bank. This week a family lost their father in Hebron.

Yasser Saqr Ismail Tameizi had his six year old son with him. They were working on their land in Ithna Village, west of the city.

It was Tuesday morning and the 35 year old farmer’s death served as a violent reminder, commented the Al Haq Human Rights Organization, “that even as Israel engages in horrific and illegal attacks against the Gaza Strip, its oppressive occupation policies continue to undermine the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank.”

Tameizi had an Israeli-issued permit to reach his lands that the Wall had divided him from. Two eyewitnesses were in an adjacent field grazing their cattle and Tameizi and his six year old were 500 meters east of the Wall which is incomplete in this area of Hebron. Instead of a 10 meter concrete wall, it consists of barbed wire fencing that cuts through the village.

On 13 January at 11:00 am four Israeli soldiers entered Tameizi’s land through a gate in the Wall. They told the little boy to leave, which he did, and one of the soldiers kicked the father. Tameizi made a move to defend himself and his son and two of the soldiers knocked him to the ground and ties his hands behind his back. He was held down on his back by two soldiers sitting on his stomach while the others watched.

At noon an Israeli military jeep with four soldiers entered Tameizi’s land. After 15 minutes the man was thrown, blindfolded and still handcuffed, into the back of the jeep.

The eyewitnesses report, “The jeep then moved toward the gate, with four soldiers inside and the other four walking behind it.”

At 1:30 an APC, Armored Personnel Carrier, arrived and still on the side of the Wall facing the Israeli boundaries it left after 10 minutes with the jeep driving quickly to Tarqumiya Checkpoint.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reports that its Hebron branch office received a phone call at approximately 3:00 pm in which Israeli soldiers told them to pick up Tameizi who was still in their custody.

He was dead before reaching the hospital.

The 35 year old man had been shot and died of the bullet wound to his stomach which exited through his lower back. The Red Crescent said it indicates he was shot at point blank range most likely while sitting down by someone above him aiming down.

Ramallah’s Al Haq referred today to the severe violation of international law, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in addition to tenets of the Geneva Conventions and United Nations resolutions, as a “summary execution.”