Tag: west bank - Page 2 - International Solidarity Movement

Statement from the family of Ayşenur Eygi

Today our family and our community are in shock and grief, as we wrestle with the reality that our beloved Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi is gone. Like the olive tree she lay beneath where she took her last breaths, Ayşenur was strong, beautiful, and nourishing. Her presence in our lives was taken needlessly, unlawfully, and violently by the Israeli military.

Ayşenur was a loving daughter, sister, partner, and aunt. She was gentle, brave, silly, supportive, and a ray of sunshine. She wore her heart on her sleeves. She felt a deep responsibility to serve others and lived a life of caring for those in need with action. She was a fiercely passionate human rights activist her whole life — a steadfast and staunch advocate of justice.

Ayşenur just turned 26 and graduated three months ago from the University of Washington, where she studied Psychology and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. She was active on campus in student-led protests, advocating for human dignity, and calling for an end to the violence against the people of Palestine. Ayşenur felt compelled to travel to the West Bank to stand in solidarity with Palestinian civilians who continue to endure ongoing repressing and violence.

A U.S. citizen, Ayşenur was peacefully standing for justice when she was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military shooter. We welcome the White House’s statement of condolences, but given the circumstances of Aysenur’s killing, an Israeli investigation is not adequate.

We call on President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a U.S. citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties. We ask the public for privacy as we grieve and try to make sense of the unimaginable tragedy that is Ayşenur’s killing.

Statement issued by Beita municipality regarding the martyrdom of the foreign solidarity activist on Mount Sabih

‎The Beita Municipality condemns in the strongest terms the crime of execution committed by the occupation forces against the American solidarity activist of Turkish origin, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, by firing live bullets at her and hitting her directly in the head, where she fell on the land of our town of Beita, to be her last message of solidarity written in blood against injustice and tyranny.

The martyr Ayşenur passed away while carrying out her noble message, in solidarity and support for the legitimate and just rights of the Palestinian people, and in confronting the occupation’s plans to settle on Mount Sabih, this authentic part of the town of Beita.

Beita Municipality demands that the American administration in particular, and the international community in general, exert real pressure on the Israeli government to remove the settlement outpost on Mount Sabih by an extremist group of settlers, which has led since its establishment over the past three years to an explosion of the situation in Beita and its surroundings, leading to the martyrdom of fifteen citizens, the last of whom was the American citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, in addition to wounding thousands of citizens.

Beita Municipality calls on the international community and the American administration in particular to open an investigation committee into the assassination of the American citizen who was killed by American bullets at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces, and also calls on the international community to intervene urgently to stop the crimes committed in our town of Beita and in all Palestinian areas.

Beita Municipality extends its most sincere condolences to her family, friends and loved ones, and we ask God to inspire them all with patience and solace.

The Israeli occupation forces use a warplane to carry out an assassination in Nur Shams Camp

By Diana Khwaelid

Tulkarm-Nur Shams refugee camp

30 – Jun – 2024

The Israeli occupying forces carried out an assassination in partnership with the Israeli commander in charge of the north-central areas of the West Bank and The Israeli internal security service, an assassination in broad daylight in the Nur Shams refugee camp northeast of the city of Tulkarem in the West Bank.

At about 2: 00pm an Israeli warplane bombed a Palestinian house in the Al-Manshiyeh area of the camp,with Palestinian resistance members inside. The bombing resulted in the death of a Palestinian man, and injured five others. Two of them are in serious condition.

According to Palestinian eyewitnesses, there are at least four Palestinian houses damaged by this shelling, where women, children, and men were living inside and whose lives were threatenede as a result of shrapnel that penetrated the walls of their houses and the windows were broken from the force of the shelling.

A resident of Nour Shams Camp looks out of her window after the Israeli attack — A resident of Nur Shams Camp looks out of her window after the Israeli attack

A resident of Nour Shams sits amongst shrapnel strewn inside his home after the Israeli bombardment — A resident of Nur Shams sits amongst shrapnel strewn inside his home after the Israeli bombardment

The Palestinian medical and civil defense teams rushed to secure the house and the area. They recovered the injured and the body of the Palestinian martyr Saad Jaber, 24, who died as a result of his injury.

The residents of Nur al-Shams camp are living in a state of fear due to the increase in Israeli attacks on the camp over the past few months.

Hundreds of Palestinians mourned the Palestinian martyr Said Ezzat Jaber, 24, who Israeli occupation forces tried to assassinate more than once. The last time a few days ago, but he miraculously survived these attempts. Said is considered one of the most prominent Palestinian resisters in the camp and he died defending the camp today. The people of the camp are mourning him and saying goodbye for the last time.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, there are at least 116 martyrs in the city of Tulkarm since October 7.

The funeral of a martyr from Nour Shams — The funeral of a martyr from Nur Shams

Who is Holding Israel Accountable for its Crimes?

November 21 Tulkarm, Occupied West Bank

On Tuesday evening, the Israeli occupation forces carried out a military operation that lasted for 10 continuous hours resulting in the killing of 6 Palestinians and the destruction of the camp’s infrastructure – streets, and roads, shelling of the al-Balaawneh Diwan, and two other houses.

Occupation forces destruction of Tulkarm

While the residents of the camp were enjoying the calm on Tuesday evening around 11: 00, the residents of the city of Tulkarm, and the residents of the Tulkarm refugee camp specifically, woke up due to the news of the storming of dozens of military vehicles to the city and to the camp. Eyewitnesses said that about 40 military vehicles, including jeeps and D9 bulldozers, stormed the Tulkarm refugee camp.

Israeli snipers were deployed everywhere, especially on the roofs of Palestinian houses inside the camp and its surroundings, as well as inside buildings under construction in the city, targeting anything that moved.

The Israeli occupation bulldozers began bulldozing the main roads in the camp as usual, destroying the infrastructure as they did in the previous incursion, and destroying the water and sewage network.

An Israeli drone also targeted the building (Diwan Al-balaawneh), a public property of the camp, and targeted those inside it. Four Palestinians were killed who had been inside the building. Two more Palestinians were killed by Israeli snipers.

Three houses were destroyed with moderate damage, a car was burned and three other cars were damaged, belonging to two civilian residents of the camp.

Feelings of fear, tension, and despair prevailed among the residents of the camp because the Israeli occupation forces continued to storm the camp, kill Palestinians, and destroy the infrastructure, streets, and roads in the camp.

Hundreds of Palestinians participated in the funeral of the bodies of the 6 martyrs in the camp. Their bodies were transferred to their families’ home for a final farewell look, after which their bodies were transferred to the UNRWA school to pray for them. And because of their large number, the number of camp residents participating in the funeral alike. The camp residents carried the bodies of the martyrs on their shoulders and chanted words expressing anger, unity and resistance to the occupation inlegitimate ways. Until they arrive at the cemetery of Denabaa.

Tulkarm residents gather for the funeral of 6 martyrs of the occupation army raid.

The Israeli occupying forces continue to commit and intensify their crimes against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, in particular in the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of martyrs of the West Bank since October 7 has reached more than 215.

Grief and fear persist for Palestinians in Tulkarm and across the occupied West Bank.

Another crime committed in Tulkarem camp by the Occupation Forces

Several Israeli military vehicles driving down the street in Tulkarem

14 November 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarem

By Diana Khwaelid

Another crime perpetrated by the Israeli occupation in the Tulkarem refugee camp. The blood of the four Palestinians who were killed about a week ago had not yet dried up before the Israeli Occupation Forces committed a new crime that claimed the lives of 7 Palestinian civilians.

On the evening of last Tuesday Nov 14th, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarem. Around 10pm Israeli special forces tried to infiltrate the Tulkarem refugee camp as well but initially failed after being met with resistance by Palestinian youths.

Dozens of Israeli military vehicles including troop carriers and D9 bulldozers, stormed the city of Tulkarem and the camp, during which the IOF bulldozed the main roads connecting the camp. The Balawneh neighbourhood was especially hard hit. The IOF also destroyed and demolished the memorial symbol at the entrance to the camp which is dedicated to the two martyrs Samer Al-Shafi’I and Hamza Al-Khoshafqi.

A street in Tulkarem that has been severely damaged. Several adults and children are walking around. — A street in Tulkarem that has been severely damaged

Another street that has been torn up by a D9 bulldozer. — Another street that has been torn up by a D9 bulldozer

7 Palestinian civilians were killed in the 13 hours the military operation lasted. 2 of them were killed by Israeli Special Forces and 4 of them were killed in the bombing of the 3 residential buildings, including one 3 storey building. Dozens of civilian cars belonging to the camp residents were also destroyed.

Two houses whose fronts have collapsed from bombings

The aftermath of the bombing of a residential area. Several residents are on the ground taking in what has happened. — The aftermath of the bombing of a residential area

Electricity was cut off from the camp residents and the water network was destroyed in the first hours of the invasion. The Israeli occupation forces prevented medical staff from performing their work, refusing to let them enter the camp to transport the injured to the hospital or even provide first aid. During this, press crews were targeted with tear gas bombs.

14 continuous hours of anxiety and fear experienced by the residents of Tulkarem city and in particular the Tulkarem refugee camp.