Nablus. Medical supplies driver and eight others
Held at crossroads for five hours
International Solidarity Movement ISRAELI OCCUPYING FORCES INCREASE TERROR IN NABLUS.
[Nablus] 25th November 2002.
1. Nablus. Medical supplies driver and eight others Held at crossroads for five hours.
2. Balata Village. Nablus. IOF Operation. 70 people held without food or water and questioned For six and a half hours. Women and children in eight houses, forced into one Room in each building. Houses occupied and ransacked. Nursery school bombed, shot at, and vandalized. Family home of suspect attacked with live ammunition While women and children were inside. No arrests in the area.
3. Other buildings occupied in other areas.
26th November 2002
1. IOF Demolish two houses in Kafr Qallil after Stealing their family jewelry.
2. Israeli troops tear up ISM activist's passport.
____________________________________________________
25th November 2002
(Yesterday, 25th November, the day when an eight year Old boy was killed and 15 injured by Israeli occupying Forces in Nablus, there were also several military Operations that terrorized and the local populations Of Balata village, and another area just outside of Balata Refugee Camp.)
1. Nablus. Medical supplies driver and eight others held at Checkpoint for five hours.
In the morning of 25th November, IOF held nine Palestinian men at a crossroads between Balata and Asker refugee camp. One man was a driver of a medical Supplies vehicle on his way to a health centre. Soldiers had taken his keys and his identity card Along with those the other eight men for five hours. A Tank prevented women and children from crossing the Street. We saw one mother forced to send her five year Old boy across the road alone since she was not Allowed to pass with the child to take him home. We Watched as the child was dwarfed by the tank, jeeps And armored troop carriers carrying up to one hundred IOF soldiers, all with guns raised and pointed through Armored windows. We watched two 11 year old Schoolgirls forced at gunpoint to empty their Schoolbags. They threw the books on the road before The soldier who hid within his armored patrol car Pointing his rifle at them. They refused to show him Any fear. All men were eventually released.
2.
Balata Village. IOF Operation
ISM activists observed as men were marched at Gunpoint in an attempt by IOF soldiers to locate a Wanted young man. People were detained and questioned From 1:30pm to 8:30pm. We saw Palestinian men and Young boys bound and blindfolded being interrogated in Waste ground by several soldiers. We later learned That up to seventy people been bound with hands behind Them, and denied food of drink for three and a half Hours after the breaking of the fast. Some had been Blindfolded and all had been bullied. Each person Being interrogated was taken away from the main group And closely surrounded by several soldiers. One Soldier had his face covered by a balaclava. Troops Were positioned in side windows of eight occupied Houses and on roof tops. As dark fell we saw people Held face down on the ground being pressured for Information.
We could not get close enough at the time to find out Who was detained but learned later that all were Released and no arrests were made. The person they Were looking for was not found. When we tried to Approach last night the snipers on rooftops, and in The occupied houses, used their laser sights to put Red spots on our foreheads to try and scare us.
Several tanks and armored patrol cars cordoned off The whole residential area of Balata Village and Soldiers used dogs to search in the buildings. Soldiers ransacked apartments, helped them selves to Food and drink, and left a mess behind.
We heard the explosions of bombs used to enter the Road Al Gad Nursery school. Soldiers shot into the Windows of the school and once inside destroyed Children's toys, furniture and educational equipment. A Large color television was smashed.
To make a donation to the Road Al Gad Nursery School Who are unlikely to receive compensation for all the Damage to the building, equipment and television, call The school direct in Nablus +9729/2376258.
Today we learned that no suspects had been found or Arrested in Balata village. Reports of other such Operations in the city were received this morning. Despite over 100 soldiers and at least a dozen Military vehicles, including tanks, involved in the Various operations, IOF reported that they had only Made one arrest during the night.
We also learned that when the IOF failed to get Information about the location of their suspect, they Decided to attack the family home of the man they were Looking for, further up Jerusalem Street. First they Shot up into the windows of the apartment on the Second floor. A bullet entered one of the rooms and us Could see, on a visit there today, the damage caused By ricocheting shrapnel to the room and the building. Other rooms were also attacked with live ammunition From outside before IOF entered the house still firing Their guns. There were only women and children in the Apartment at the time. As with the nursery school, When the IOF centered the apartment, they shot the Television set. No suspected terrorists were found to Be hiding in any television sets.
3.
On the same night ISM activists accompanied an old Woman who had been out to get medication for diabetes. She was with her husband and grand daughter. We walked Back to their home in the dark past the tanks and Jeeps on Jerusalem Street. We were held up by soldiers At a checkpoint with two ambulances. The soldiers said They were checking the identification of the ambulance Drivers before they could pass. The ambulances were Carrying old women with medical problems. A Red Creasing volunteer told us how more people were Desperately needed in his organization.
We were then informed that the IOF had entered two Houses in close proximity to the accompanied families House in the same way described in the report about Balata Village above.
Ceri Gibbons 067-572952 cerigibbons@yahoo.com
Catrine Akerblom 058-275945 Catrineakerblom@hotmail.com
26th November 2002
Nablus.
1.
Two houses demolished in revenge attack by Israeli Forces.
In another operation last night (25th Nov) IOF went To a house in Kafr Qallil to arrest two brothers. One 35 and one 40 years old.
The 35yr old brother was arrested but the 40 yr old Brother managed to escape. In revenge for this the IOF Returned today with Jeeps, Bulldozers, and as many as 100 soldiers. Soldiers forced the family of one Brother and the family in the neighboring house to Leave with their valuables, which the soldiers then Stole from them. They then demolished both the houses With bulldozers.
Ceri Gibbons 067-572952 cerigibbons@yahoo.com
Catrine Akerblom 058-275945 Catrineakerblom@hotmail.com
2.
Israeli Army tears up ISM Activist's Passport
When we walked back to the Balata camp today, we saw Six people sitting in the street. They were held by Three soldiers that had set up a temporary Check-point. The soldiers had taken the identity cards From them. I talked to them and asked them to let at Least one man passes. He was going to the hospital Because his son had just died. After a while they wanted to see our passports. I Showed them a photocopy of mine, and agreed to show Them the real one later.
Later that day they were back, at the entrance to Balata Camp. We watched them from a distance, because We did not want to delay the process. They did not Seem to be keeping the people waiting long this time.
We decided to go home to Balata, but as we turned away They called me back and asked for my passport again. I Walked up to them demonstratively with my passport in Hand and stopped just in front of the sitting soldier. He snatched my passport away from me and handed it to The one behind him. I asked to get it back, but they told me that they had To check it first. I said that I would not back off Until they have given my passport back. I repeated my Demand and the soldier started to sound aggressive. So Tactically I found it better to take a few steps back, And hoped that it would help. Before I had come up with a new plan, they told me to Come and get my passport. They had now given back all The Palestinians their identity cards. I took my Passport back, and when I opened it I found that they Had torn out the whole page with my picture and Personal details!
I turned to the solider and started shouting at them.
They just laughed in my face and drove a few meters up The street. I followed them, still shouting at them, And once again they drove away a few more meters. They Did this again and again as I kept following them.
Finally they drove away up the street laughing. I Never thought this could happen but it just shows that Many Israeli soldiers are nothing but bored schoolboys Looking for anyway to make their useless lives Interesting. They may not kill internationals like They do Palestinians, but they won't miss a chance to Be a pain in the arise. So, never let an Israeli Soldier gets a hold of your passport.
Catrine Akerblom 058-275945 Catrineakerblom@hotmail.com
END.
|