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.