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Settler Violence Report 80 Print E-mail
Written by Ahmad Jaradat   
Thursday, 14 July 2005
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Settler Violence and Occupation Watch: Report LXXX

15th June - 15th July 2005

Hebron Region

 

- In the middle of the night on 17th June, six settlers from Kiryat Arba forced entry into three shops in the centre of Hebron, damaging the doors and contents and graffiting anti-Arab slogans on the shop walls. These shops all belong to the Jaber family. An eyewitness, Kaed Da?na descried how ?armed settlers came.., forced the doors of the shops and left after two hours of vandalism?.

 

- In mid June approximately ten settlers attacked the gardens of the Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi Mosque (cave of the patriarchs). Having supplied themselves with electricity they proceeded to uproot trees and flowers and damage the water well. They continued to vandalise and conduct celebratorary parties inside the gardens, all within full view of soldiers who did nothing to stop them or their actions.

 

These gardens were occupied three months previously and on that occasion the settlers forced municipality workers to leave. This case is currently being tried in the Israeli court, yet the settlers still returned to occupy the gardens once again.

 

- 0n 20th June, Raja? Abu Aisha, 16, from Tel Rumeyda sustained injuries to her back after three settlers, from the outpost of Ramot Yashai, threw stones at her as she stood near her home, itself situated near the outpost. These same settlers later threw stones at shops and residents in a street to the west of the outpost.

 

- In the afternoon of 24th June, tens of settlers from numerous settlements and outposts in the city engaged in marches and demonstrations in the city centre. During the demonstration they forced the residents to leave the streets and threw stones at shops and houses. They chanted and graffitied a number of offensive slogans, such as ?death to Arabs?. This all happened under the protection of soldiers. These marches were repeated on 8th July.

 

- On 25th June, Fares Hijazee Batesh, 37, sustained injuries to his head after a group of settlers from Avraham Avino threw a large rock at him as he walked to Sahala Market, west of the Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi Mosque, in the centre. Soldiers took him to the Israeli Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva due to the serious nature of his injuries. The soldiers did nothing to stop them returning home.

 

The same day settlers from the same outpost burned a shop near the outpost. This was put out by the municipality fire brigade.

 

- Settlers from the Outpost of Ramot Yashai have attacked the home of Abu Aisha on a number of occasions in the past month. The first instance was on 28th June when they not only attacked his house but also forced away his visiting relatives. On this occasion the iron gate to his house was damaged and two windows were broken. On 7th July the settlers forced away workers, who had come to fix the gate, with more showers of stones. The next day they renewed their general attacks on his and his neighbours houses. On all occasions these attacks were done in the full view of soldiers stationed on the nearby checkpoint, who did nothing to stop the settlers!

 

Bethlehem region

 

- On 1st July, Maryam Ali Salah, 73, from Al Khader was seriously injured in the head when she was run over by a settler car whilst walking down the main road, near Neve Daniel settlement, south of the town. The settler attempted to drive off but tens of farmers detained him until the police arrived.

 

Nablus and North of West Bank

 

- In the middle of the night of 17th June, settlers from Eli cut down and damaged tens of trees belonging to a number of families from Karyout village.

 

- On 20th June, a settler from Rotem, east of Tobas, opened fired on a cow belonging to the Daraghma family, from Wadi Maleh village. The cow was killed whilst being shepherded near the village. The settlers claim that piece of land belongs to the settlement. Aref Daraghmeh, chairman of the local council said ?the settlers attack any one who attempts to access this land, claiming it is part of their settlement which we consider as an illegal confiscation?. Two weeks later, on 5th July, three settlers from Rotem prevented shepherds accessing this same land, forcing them to leave and warning them not return.

 

- On 24th June, settlers from Qedumim settlement, east of Qalquilya, threw stones at cars driving down the main road between Qalquilya and Nablus, two cars? windows were smashed. They repeated these actions on 2nd July on the road which links the villages of Kfar Qaddum and Haja, again breaking two cars? windows.

 

- In the morning of 28th June, settlers from Tarsala closed the road between Nablus and Jenin as tens of them gathered in the middle road carrying anti-Arab banners. Soldiers arrived in the name of ?preventing clashes between Settlers and Palestinian residents? however they only preventing the Palestinians cars from passing and did nothing to stop the settlers!

 

- On 1st July, eight Palestinians were injured when settlers from Itamar threw stones at a passing car. Adnan Wishahe, the driver, reported ?I drive a shared taxi between Ramallah and Jenin. On this occasion when I reached the junction near Itamar settlement at 3pm, I saw five settlers who threw stones at my car until it flipped over. At that point an army vehicle appeared and the soldiers helped us out of the car.? Wishahe told the soldiers about what had happened but the settlers were able to return to the settlement.

 

- In the afternoon of 2nd July, approximately 15 settlers from Qana attacked the home of Hani Amer, in the village of Misha, west of Salfit, with stones. These attacks have occurred on numerous previous occasions due to the fact that Amer?s house is separated from the village by the Separation Wall. Amer states ?My case with settlers has been reported to the both the Israeli Army and the Palestinian Authority, I have made many complaints but nothing positive has happened.? The house is home to eight people who have become virtually imprisoned as a result of both the wall and settlers attacks.

 

- On 8th July, tens of dunams were levelled and damaged in the village of Amateen, Qalquilya district, by Army bulldozers. Haitham Siwwan, chairman of the Local Council reported how in the morning the council was informed by local farmers that bulldozers had started uprooting and levelling tens of dunams of Olive orchards. ?We later found out that this was in order to build a new small settlement. More than 2000 dunams will be confiscated for this settlement which means that tens of families from Amateen and other, nearby villages will loose their income.? Soldiers prevented residents from reaching the land in order protest but unperturbed they have vowed to pursue their case through both courts and demonstrations.

 

- On 11th July, the army informed Mohammed Radwan, a farmer from Nabi Elyas, Qalquilya district that 3 dunams of his land would be confiscated for a new settlement road. Palestinians sources state that this is a small part of a much larger project to confiscate large amounts of land in the area.

 

Gaza Strip

 

- On 19th June, Naser Wafee and Mohammed Majaida were injured when settlers opened fire at them near Khan Yunis. Wafee said ?We were sitting near the beach when approximately thirty settlers, mostly armed, from Gush Katif appeared and immediately started beating us with their fists and guns. When we attempted to escape they opened fire at us, I was injured in the leg, my friend in the head. After half an hour an Ambulance arrived and we were taken to hospital?.

 

- On 26th June, tens of settlers from Gush Katif occupied Hafez Astal?s house, in Al Mawasi, west of Khan Yunis. They forced the family to leave, cut the telephone line and smashed windows. At the same time other settlers also invaded the home of Mansour Beyouk, in the same area, setting fire to part of it when soldiers attempted to remove them. These actions are part of the settlers? protests against the Israeli disengagement from Gaza. A few days previously, settlers damaged and destroyed many mobile houses belonging to numerous families in the Al Mawasi. They renewed their attacks on the residents of Al Mawasi on 30th June, damaging the water network, uprooting tens of trees and throwing stones at the Residents. In addition they occupied the health clinic, preventing access. Fayez Sha?th, chairman of Al Gods Association for Development said that ?for a week Palestinians couldn?t reach the clinic because of tens of armed settlers occupying it?. They also threw stones at ambulances, smashing windows. At the same time, to the north of Khan Yunis, the army prevented settlers from closing a road.

 

- In the early hours of 2nd July, hundreds of settlers from Neve Dekalim attempted to enter Allaham and Malalha, west of Khan Yunis, in a big demonstration. They threw stones at houses until soldiers forced them back.



 
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