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Settler Violence Report 78 Print E-mail
Written by Ahmad Jaradat   
Sunday, 15 May 2005
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Settler Violence and Occupation Watch: Report LXXVIII

15th March - 15th May 2005

Hebron Region

 

- 0n 15th March, approximately 40 settlers from outposts in down town Hebron entered the home of Naji Sharabtee in the old city. They damaged the house. Naji reports that ?the settlers came to the house, which has 21 rooms and is home to 17 people from the family. They told us to leave the house, claiming it belongs to the outpost Avraham Avino. In 2002 these settlers made similar attacks, forcing the family to leave. We went to the Israeli Supreme Court, and only last month the court ruled in our favour, awarding us the right to return home. As soon as we returned the settlers resumed their attacks despite the court decision.

 

- 0n 17th March, Husni Abu Is'ifan, 40, was taken to Alya Hospital in Hebron after he suffered injuries to his head when settler from Kiryat Arba threw stones at him as he stood near his house in Wadi Hussein, near the settlement.

 

- On 18th March, settlers from the outpost of Ramot Yashai, in Hebron, renewed their attacks against residents? houses near the outpost. Mohammed Abu Aisha reported ?at noon around 7 settlers threw stones at my house and other houses in Tel Rumeyda, we couldn't leave the houses, this is the second time these settlers have attacked our houses within 24 hours. All these aggressive acts took place in full view of soldiers who were stationed, throughout this, at the nearby checkpoint?.

 

- On 18th March, settlers from Susiya settlement, south east of Yatta, attacked shepherds with stones, forcing them to leave their land. Naser Nawaj'a reported ?tens of settlers, some of them armed came to Qawawis, east of the settlement, and started throwing stones at the shepherds who were herding their goats. Some settlers pointed guns, forcing us to leave our land. All of these actions, which are daily occurrences, are intended to force us to leave our land, located near the settlements. It is very clear that they want to annex and confiscate it for the settlements. Throughout the last months we were unable to access thousands of dunams in the area as settlers, often in cooperation with soldiers, attacked us?.

 

- On19th March, settlers from settlements located to the east of Yatta, uprooted 30 olive trees and damaged a fence belonging to Ablah Khaleel Rajabi. Rajabi said that this is the second time settlers have attacked her land in the last two weeks.

 

- On 19th March, Fatimah Salameh Huraini, aged 70, suffered injuries to her face when tens of settlers from Susiya and Ma'on settlements attacked farmers, from the village of Litwani, on their land. The settlers came and ordered the farmers to leave the land, when they refused the settlers attacked them with fists and stones. The settlers also damaged tens of olive trees on the land. Soldiers later arrived, informing the farmers to leave the land for their own safety. On the same day settlers from Susiya attacked some International Solidarity Movement (ISM) members who had come to support the farmers with their work on the land. An Israeli activist from Ta'ayush (Arab-Jewish Partnership) was beaten and his camera damaged by settlers during a protest against settler aggression.

 

- On 28th March, around 50 settlers, some of them armed, engaged in large celebrations in the streets of the old city of Hebron, during which they attacked Palestinian residents, at work and in the streets, with stones and fists. Abe el Raoof Muhtaseb and Abed Wadood Ja'bari sustained injuries to their heads and backs when settlers threw stones at them whilst they were working with the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee. On the same day the settlers threw stones at houses belonging to Tayseer Salhab, located near the outpost Abraham Avino, in the old city, damaging a number of windows.

 

- On 30th March, five settlers from Beit Hadasa outpost, in the old city, threw stones at the students in ?Qurtoba Elementary School For Girls? near to the outpost. Fortunately no one was injured, the soldiers at the nearby checkpoint did nothing to stop the attack. The same day, settlers from Ramot Yashai threw stones at Yousef Hisham Azza, only 9 years old. His face was injured and two of his teeth were damaged. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

- Near Kiryat Arba settlement, to the east of Hebron, seven armed settlers forced Bed Assame' Muhtaseb to leave his land, which is located to the east of the settlement. Muhtaseb reported ?I have 20 dunams planted with olive trees and vines, the settlers want to confiscate it, this is not the first time that these settlers have attacked me and my family when we come to work the land. I went to the police station in the settlement many times but there has been no positive response!?

 

- On 3rd April, tens of settlers from Ma'on settlement, south east of Yatta, attacked farmers working their land, near the settlement, forcing them to leave the land. Soldiers also came and forced the farmers to leave, arresting Mahmmoud Hasan Shawaheen, taking him to the police station in Kiryat Arba. They served him with a fine of 1000 NIS claiming he entered a closed military zone near Ma'on. The residents said these attacks are a daily occurrence.

 

- On 5th and 6th April, settlers from Ma'on settlement renewed poisoning near by Palestinian fields with pellets, preventing the shepherds to use the land for their goats and sheep. According to the local council in the nearby village of Litwani this the second time the settlers have undertaken such actions. The first time was March 21st causing the death of 20 goats belonging to many families from the village. This actions became a big issues during the last month due to media interest and attention from numerous International NGOs and Solidarity Movements.

 

- 0n 7th April, the Military Officer of Hebron issued an order confiscating 70 dunams of land near Negohot settlement, west of the city. This land belongs to Yousef and Ali Mahmoud Naser. Land Defence Committees sources believe this land will be used to expand the settlement and build access roads.

 

- On 7th April, for two continuous days settlers from Givat Kharsina, east of Hebron, attacked Palestinians homes west of the settlement with rocks. Khaleefa Da'na reported ?in the last few days settlers have been throwing stones at our house every evening. We couldn't leave our houses due to these attacks.?

 

- On 18th April, settlers from Kiryat Arba attacked numerous houses in Wadi El-Nasara, south of the settlement. The attacks started when the settlers tried to establish a new outpost on the land belonging to the Jaber family. Soldiers came and stopped the erection of tents and Caravans by the settlers. The settlers, angered by the soldiers? actions, then attacked the residents houses on numerous occasions throughout the week.

 

- On 19th April, three armed settlers from Susiya, south-east of Yatta prevented Wadha Nawaj'a, a local farmer, from working her land, 800 meters west of the settlement. Wadha has suffered these attacks numerous times over the past few months.

 

- On 5th May, Tayseer Hamed Abu Aisha from Tel Rumeyda, down town Hebron, was injured in his hand when a group of settlers from Ramot Yashai outpost attacked him with stones as he was walking to his house, near the outpost, the settlers also threw stones at the house damaging some of windows.

 

- On 5th May, settlers from Susiya placed three Caravans on Palestinian land near the settlements indicating they intend to confiscate this land.

 

Bethlehem Region

 

- On 19th March, Army bulldozers damaged and uprooted tens of olive trees in Wad Ahmed, north west of Beit Jala. Chairman of the Local Council, Jamal Jawareesh, reported that ?this action is intended to expand Gilo settlement and build the separation wall. More than 100 dunams will be levelled and isolated inside the wall, resulting in farmers loosing their land and trees.

 

- On 30th March, the Army Officer of the Bethlehem Region gave seven Palestinians from south of Alkhader town, orders to demolish their houses. Kheld Azza, Land Defence manager in the Local Government Ministry described this as an evacuation policy in order to expand nearby Efrat and build a new settler road.

 

- On 1st April, the Army demolished seven houses in Wadi Rahhal village, south east of Bethlehem. The army officer claims the houses were built illegally, but the owners believe it is in order to confiscate more land on the eastern edge of Efrat, where construction and road building are taking place.

 

- On 18th April, a settler from Tko?a, south east of Bethlehem, whilst speeding, ran over Nida Ali Sulaiman, aged 12, from Tuqu' village, while she was walking on the main road, near the village. The settler sped off, leaving the girl lying in the road. She was later taken to hospital in Bethlehem and from there to Hadasa Hospital in Jerusalem, in a critical situation.

 

- On 18th April, settlers from Neve Daniel, south west of Alkhader, uprooted 100 olive trees and 100 grape vines. Mosa Salah, owner of the trees reported that ?our land is very near the settlement and settlers have often damaged and uprooted trees, but this time they uprooted a large number of trees, indeed the majority of those belonging to me and my family, indicating to me that they intend to confiscate the land, preventing us from using it. I have taken my case to the Military station and am following it up with the Courts?.

 

- On 21st April, five settlers from Beitar Illit, west of Bethlehem, attacked Mohammed Yaqoup Hamamereh, aged 30, from Husan village, while he herded his goats on his land nearby. They detained him for three hours, beating him with stones, before releasing him. He suffered injuries to his head.

 

- On 28th April, settlers from Efrat, south of Bethlehem, blocked the road leading to Wadi Beyar agricultural zone, to the west of the settlement, with large stones. When the farmers attempted to enter their land the settlers attacked them with stones, forcing them to leave. The attack was lead by Hananya, a settler well known for his numerous attacks on the farmers.

 

Nablus and North West Bank

 

- On 15th March, settlers from Matan outpost, near Kafr Thulth, east of Qalquilya, uprooted around 20 olive trees belonging to Hamed Deeb Odeh, east of the village. Local Council sources believe they want to expand the outpost, hence the uprooting of many trees over the last few months.

 

- On 29th March, six armed settlers entered Silat adh Dhahr village, between Nablus and Jenin. They went directly to the medical centre in the village and attacked cars parked near the centre. Tens of residents faced them and forced them to leave the village. The settlers then opened fire. This is the second time settlers have attacked the centre in the last month.

 

- On the night of 9th April, five armed settlers from Shavei Shomron, west of Nablus entered Deir Sharaf village. They started throwing stones at three houses. The residents gathered and forced them to leave to the settlement. Mohammed Abed el Hameed reports that ?my house and those of my neighbours were attacked and windows smashed. We ran after the settlers who escaped to the settlement?.

 

- On 13th April, settlers from Qedumim, east of Qalquilya, damaged and levelled around 30 dunams of olive trees belonging to Abed Salam Shahwan from Kfar Qaddum. Local Council sources believe ?the settlers want to expand the settlement thus they have been confiscating hundred of dunams land surrounding it over the last year. These actions all took place within clear view of soldiers who did nothing to stop the settlers?.

 

Gaza Strip

 

- On 29th March, around ten armed settlers from Kfar Yam, near Khan Yunis, threw stones at student from Jarrar Qodwa School. Eyewitness said that the settlers came from the settlement at noon, when the students leave school, and threw stones at the students before closing the main road and throwing stones at the Palestinian cars, damaging five.



 
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