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| Settlements Violence Report LXXXII
15th July- 15th August
Today, as we prepare this regular report, on Settler violence within the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), we are living through days that are far from regular. The date of 17th August 2005 will enter the history books as an important and momentous date, as the day the occupation in Gaza, and of four West Bank settlements, began to be dismantled.
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Since the 10th June 1967, thirty eight years ago, Israeli settlers, with the complete support of and often active encouragement by every single one of Israel?s governments, have confiscated Palestinian land, seizing control of huge areas, whilst cutting, chopping and segregating the remaining Palestinian lands. Today, as we begin this report, the rights of some Palestinians, alongside their estranged lands are finally being returned to them.
Yet this small step, is far from enough, and barely begins the long road to peace. Until all settlements have been dismantled and all of the settlers have left the occupied Palestinian territories the violence of these settlers against Palestinians is sure to continue, manifesting itself in yet more and worsening attacks. How easily the world has forgotten the act of one settler from Shilo, in the northern West Bank, who decided to show his protest at the withdrawal by attacking a group of Palestinian workers, killing four and injuring three. Whilst the withdrawal from Gaza is capturing the news and the imagination of many we must never forget the facts on the ground and the reality which 2.4 million Palestinians face today.
The evacuation of Gaza may be something many of us never dreamed would happen, however we must not be satisfied by it and should never lose sight of our hopes and dreams of all the Palestinian territories without settlements, settlers and the violence and attacks against the Palestinian people they continue to perpetuate.
It is our hope that one day there will be no need for this report. We dream one day that the settlement projects, plans and constructions will be no more and that a full withdrawal will happen. We, with the Palestinian people, look for the day when all of their deserved rights are returned to them and we eagerly await when that day will come.
Until that happens, we have only today and ahead of us there is a long road and a lot of work for all the people, both in the region and the rest of the world, who like us believe in a real peace.
Jeni Dixon/Ahmad Jaradat
Report 15 July ? 15 August
Hebron Region
- On 15th July, settlers from Karmei Tzur settlement, south east of Yatta, stole a donkey belonging to Khaleel Issa Abu Tabeekh, from Litwani village, close to the settlement. They led the donkey away into the settlement. Later, when a member of the Christian Peace Makers Team (CPT) attempted to collect the donkey, for Abu Tabeekh, the settlers attacked and beat him up. Saber Huraini, chairman of the Local Council, believes these actions are in order to make the farmers? lives so difficult they will leave their land, allowing the settlers to take it over.
- On 16th July, a settler from Avraham Avino outpost, downtown Hebron, attacked two workers from the Hebron Restoration Committee, as they worked on old buildings, in the Sahala area of the city centre. After half an hour soldiers arrived and joined in the attacks! The workers, Ahmed No?man Da?na, 17, and Adeeb Abu Isnaina, 22 were later taken to a nearby clinic for treatment.
In the afternoon of 16th July, a settler ran over Adel Azmi Shehda, 15, from Hebron, whilst he walked along road 60, south east of the city. The settler drove off, leaving the boy, who local residents took to the Ahlee Hospital in Hebron, where his case is described as serious.
0n 16th July, settlers from Avraham Avino outpost attacked and vandalised five shops in the city. These shops have been closed for three years, under military orders. The settlers damaged the doors and inside walls of the shops, which belong to Jum?a Ghannam Nazer, Mohmoud Salman Rasheed, Kayed Muhtaseb, Majed Nassar and Majdi Nassar. These shops are located west of the outpost and are just a few of the twenty five shops which have been attacked in the last three months.
- On 19th July, Wadha Khaleel Musalam, 61, from Susiya village suffered numerous injuries after four settlers from Susiya settlement, south east of Yatta attacked her with sticks and stones. She was taken to the local clinic in Yatta for treatment. According to Mohammed Nawaj?a, Local Council, this is not the first time settlers have attacked the residents on land near the settlement, such actions are daily occurances with a clear aim to expand the settlement.
- On 23rd July, settlers from Avraham Avino renewed their attacks against residents? houses in the Sahla Quarter. Shehda Ja?bari said that a settler tried to open fire at him but at the last moment soldiers stopped him. In addition, some houses in the quarter were stoned. On the same day settlers from Ramot Yashai outpost stoned Jamil Abu Haikal?s, house near to the outpost.
- On 26th July, settlers from Susiya settlement attacked farmers whilst they worked their land, west of the settlement. The farmers, Mohammed Jaber Nawaj?a, 45, Isma?eel Salama Nawaj?a, 65, and their sons were forced to leave their land.
On 26th July, Mosa Jamal Alameh, 14, from Beit Ommer, north of Hebron, was killed when a settler ran him over at the junction leading to the village, near the main road. Soldiers on the military checkpoint at the junction took the body to Kfar Atzion Military Station. The family said he died immediately.
- On 27th July, the army started damaging and levelling land around the Adora and Telem settlements, near Tarkomya town, west of Hebron. Tens of trees were uprooted. According to the mayor of the town, Mohammed Ja?afra, this work is in order to expand the perimeter fence of the two settlements. He added that through this work over 200 dunams will be confiscated and isolated from the town. The land concerned belongs to the Tannina, Ja?afra, and Ighrayyeb families.
- On 2nd August, settlers from Ma?on, south east of Yatta, renewed their attacks against farmers and shepherds, forcing them to leave their land located west of the settlement. Husain Shawaheen, one of the farmers, reported that ?approximately twenty five settlers, some of them armed, opened fire at us whilst we were on our land. Six goats were killed. After one hour the army came, the soldiers told us to leave, informing us that the area is a Closed Military Zone. Soldiers arrested Ahmad Mohammed Shawaheen and took him to Police Station in Kiryat Arba?.
- On 7th August, tens of settlers, again from Ma?on settlement, uprooted eighty olive trees and attacked four farmers on land located to the west of the settlement. Issa Shawaheen, who owns three hundred dunams of the effected land, which was only planted with olive trees ea year ago. He described how the settlers used stones and butts of guns to beat up the farmers and sent their dogs to chase and attack them and shepherds. The farmers attacked are Ahmed Khaleel Shawaheen, Adham Ahmed Shawaheen , Husain Shawaheen and Anan Nawaj?a. They were forced to leave their land.
- On 9th August, the army Officer for the Hebron District issued an order to confiscate one hundred and thirty dunams belonging to many families from Bani Na?eem, east of Hebron. The confiscation is in order to expand the border of the nearby Bani Haiver settlement. The land is planted with olive trees and owned by approximately twenty families from the town.
- On 25th August, at least ten houses in Wadi El-Nasara, south of Kiryat Arba were stoned by settlers. At the same time the settlers continued to level land close to the settlement, which belongs to the Jaber family. They transported the soil from the land, in lorries, into the settlement. On the same day settlers from Ramot Yashai threw stones at houses near the outpost, belonging to the Abu Aisha and Abu Haikal families.
Nablus and North of West Bank
- On 13th July, tens of settlers from Qedumim settlement, Qalquilya district, threw stones at Palestinians cars on the road near the settlement. Five cars had their windows smashed.
In the early morning of 13th July, approximately ten settlers from Itemar settlement, Nablus District, attacked a house in the village of Asera Qibliyya, belonging to Mahmoud Saleh. He reported that some windows were broken and that his car, parked in front of the house, was set on fire. Mohammed Ma?rof, mayor of the village, said that these actions have happened tens of times before, against the houses near the settlement, in order to force the residents to leave that area for settlement expansion.
- On 18th July, the army started levelling and damaging land south of Avnei Hefetz settlement, Tulkarem District. This land belongs to the Hannon family from Shofa village, South east of Tulkarem. The aim of this levelling is in order to expand the border of Avnei Hefetz. Ten dunams of Olive Groves will be confiscated.
- On 20th July, five settlers from Shilo settlement, south of Nablus, stabbed Yazan Mohammed Mosa, 13, from Qaryout village, whilst playing with other children near the village. Yazan was taken to the local clinic in the village but sadly died before reaching it. The Israeli police have opened an investigation into the case.
- On 21st July, security officers from Avnei Hefetz, Tulkarem District opened fire at shepherds herding their goats. This action forced the shepherds from their own land.
0n 21st July, an armed settler from Rotem, near Tobas, northern West Bank, attempted to shoot Palestinians from Wadi Maleh village, east of Tobas, as they drove down the main road linking the village with Tobas. After failing in his attempted chases, he returned to the settlement. This road has been witness to numerous attacks by settlers from Rotem over the past few months (see previous settlers violence reports).
- On 1st August, settlers from Sa-Nur and Tarsala settlements, south of Jenin, prevented residents from Asa?sa village from burying a resident who died in the village. The mayor of the village, Atef Mosa, said that the settlers from both settlements came to the village graveyard and destroyed the tomb that the dead man was to buried in. In addition, they threw stones at the mourners. The same settlers had threw stones at Palestinians cars on the main road linking Jenin and Nablus. The Mayor added that ?it seems that such actions are part of the protest by settlers against the Israeli decision to evacuate the four settlements in the Jenin District as part of the current withdrawal plan?.
- On 11th August, Abeer Mosa Ata, 12, from Arora village, was seriously injured when a settler ran her over, as she tried to cross the main road with her parents, near Fondog village, Qalquilya District. The settler did not stop. Abeer was taken to Agsa Hospital.
Gaza Strip
- On 19th July, settlers from Gush Katif settlements in Khan Yunis District released raw sewage from the settlements onto Palestinian agricultural land in Al Mawasi, west of Khan Yunis. A large amount of this sewage covered the plants and damaged green houses. The Mayor of the city reported that this action damaged the both the agriculture of the area and polluted water resources.
- On 6th August, a settler from Neve Dakalim, Khan Yunis District, attacked the house belonging to Abu Hashim Agha, in Al Mawasi. He threw Molotov Cocktails at the house, setting fire to part of the three storey house. Neighbours were able to put it out. Eyewitnesses said that the settler drove his car from the above settlement direct to the house, threw the bombs and escaped back to the settlement.
Three days earlier, in the same area, a group of settlers had thrown stones at two shops belonging to the Shobaki and Sha?th families.
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