SOUTH HEBRON HILLS: Israeli military detains driver, confiscates vehicle donated for transport of schoolchildren in South Hebron Hills

Posted on November 20, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

Children being denied an education due to the restrictions on movement imposed on Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills. Due to the restrictions of movement around settlements and firing zones, Palestinians are required to make large detours to get to their destination, or are denied permits to drive vehicles. The UNOCHA report on West Bank movement and access (Special Focus) details the impacts on both urban and rural communities of these restrictions.

This story from the Christian Peacemaker Teams based in the South Hebron Hills describes the impacts on education these punitive measures are having:

On 18 November 2013 at 11:00, Mufid Abu Qbeita—the driver for the students who live in the South Hebron Hills area that the Israeli military has designated as “Firing Zone 918”—was driving children back to their homes from Al Fakheit school. Israeli Security Forces and representatives of the Israeli Civil Administration stopped him near Al-Sfai, one of the villages in the Firing Zone, while he had a child in the car.

Soldiers took his ID and detained him for thirty minutes; afterwards, they told him to follow them to Gush Etzion Police Station. Two soldiers accompanied Abu Qbeita in the car. He had to leave the child in Al-Sfai.

Abu Qbeita informed the soldiers that the jeep belonged to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and was donated by Japan, but they still forced him to drive to the settlement of Gush Etzion. After several hours, they released him, but the jeep remains at the police station. When Abu Qbeita asked why the soldiers had confiscated the jeep, they answered, “Because you were driving in the firing zone of the South Hebron Hills which is not allowed.”

CPT, EAPPI and Operation Dove take turns accompanying Abu Qbeita and the SUV from the city of Yatta into the Firing Zone during the week, in order to prevent incidents like the above occurring, but until recently, once in the zone, he had not faced problems. On 27 October, eight Israeli soldiers detained him, verbally abused him, and then beat him on his abdomen, face, and back. Afterwards, they forced him drive over spikes used to stop vehicles at army checkpoints to puncture the SUV’s tires.

Restrictions on movement mean Al-Hathaleen villagers increasingly unable to access health care

Posted on November 17, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

As the villages in the Mount South Hebron Hills continue to suffer under the restrictions enforced upon them due to their status as a village in Area C, the ongoing construction of illegal settlements near the villages acutely threatens their safety and survival. The article contains a video with heartfelt pleas from the villagers for authorities and policy makers to take action and allow them their rights. These villagers are refugees from 1948 and originally hailed from a village nearthe town of Beersheba. They were driven off their land during the Nakba. Our first kindergarten is named after this village: the Al-Hathaleen kindergarten.

HEBRON (Ma’an) — Palestinian Bedouins historically moved freely across the land, and their lifestyle and survival depended on their mobility. The Israeli occupation, however, has changed all of this. Continue reading here

Despite settler aggression, children are steadfast in their pursuit of education

Posted on November 10, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

As the kindergarten in Tel Rumeida comes to completion, children are reminded of the constant hostilities against them by the neighbouring settlers. They are greeted every day by the graffiti “Death to Arabs” that has been sprayed at the entrance to the school.

Israeli settlers vandalized a Palestinian kindergarten in Hebron, spray-painting “Death to Arabs” on its wall, it was discovered this week. This is the only kindergarten in the Israeli-controlled section of Hebron to which Palestinian parents can send their three- to five- year-old children without them having to pass through an Israeli checkpoint. This is what the children saw when they arrived: Read the full article here

Soldiers’ refusal to abide by open-fire regulations result in serious injury to children

Posted on October 4, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

The ongoing use of force against children continues in occupied Palestine, with children continually falling victim to serious injury. A young boy, South of Hebron, loses an eye when he is hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet in the face:

(MaanImages)

HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces shot 6-year-old Musab al-Sarahneh in the eye in al-Fawwar refugee camp south of Hebron early last week, his family reported.

The boy lost his right eye after Israeli forces opened fire on the car he was traveling in with rubber-coated steel bullets, according to the family’s account.

At the time, last Friday, Musab was sitting in a car holding his mother’s hand as they made their way home, his family says. Read more here.

Defence for Children International – Palestine interviewed a number of children that have been injured through the lax enforcement of open-fire regulations by the Israeli military. As serious injuries continue to be inflicted on children, there is little recourse to seek justice when soldiers disobey their regulations. In fact, of all complaints filed against the army, only 5% have led to indictments. The following article goes into more depth about the rules of engagement, and tells the story of Atta, who was shot directly, while retrieving his school bag, and the tragedy that unfolded:

The bullet struck Atta Sabah, 12, in the stomach and exited through his back, severing his spinal cord and causing paralysis from the waist down.

With high numbers of demonstrations occurring throughout the West Bank during the first six months of 2013, lax enforcement of the Israeli army’s open-fire regulations has led to increased violence against Palestinian civilians and has perpetuated impunity.

The regulations allow soldiers to use live ammunition “only under circumstances of real mortal danger,” according to a recent report by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group.

Israeli forces are prohibited from firing rubber-coated metal bullets at women and children. Where firing rubber-coated metal bullets is allowed, police and military procedures state that they must only be fired from a distance of 50-60 meters (165 – 195 feet) and at the legs of people.The regulations prohibit directly targeting demonstrators with tear-gas canisters. Read the full story here

Tel Rumeida renovations continue

Posted on September 16, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

The ceaseless work of volunteers has continued in Hebron, and the new kindergarten is taking shape. The donated building has been undergoing some serious renovations and the derelict building has two clean and rehabilitated rooms, and the outside of the building is bursting with colour.

To see the progress of the building to date, click here

Tell U.S. Secretary of State: Heed Israeli Jurists’ and Writers’ Petitions Against Forced Evacuation of Firing Zone 918

Posted on August 27, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

Map of “Firing Zone 918,” courtesy of B’Tselem

More than 1,000 Palestinian herders — including 452 children — need your support to stop the Israeli military from forcing them permanently out of their homes in the southern West Bank. Israeli military helicopters and troops frequently raid villages, harass and arrest herders and their children at night, and block their roads. The Israeli military intends to demolish homes, cisterns, outdoor toilets, solar panels, wind turbines and the only two schools in the area, denying children their right to education. Israel’s High Court of Justice is set to hear and decide upon this case on September 2, 2013. Israeli writers and law professors have demanded justice by launching to two petitions below. They request your support. Tell U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to listen to these Israelis and press Israel to let the villagers live in peace. Read more and sign the petition here.

We visit our kindies in Hebron

Posted on June 25, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

Two members of Friends of Hebron have just had the great privilege of visiting Hebron on Tuesday, 18 June, 2013.

We met with Hamed, representing our partner organisation, Hebron International Resource Network (HIRN). Hamed took us to visit the preschools at Umm Al Khair and Khashem Al Daraj, in the South Hebron Hills. Not only do residents of these vulnerable villages have to cope with a harsh, desert climate but they are located in Area C so subject to Israeli military and administrative controls.

The kindergarten at Umm Al Khair is bright and colorful but there is no outdoor play area. Israel’s intransigence means that any playground equipment provided is likely to be quickly demolished.

Nevertheless, as our photo shows, we have been able to provide a safe and happy building for the littlies to start their education. Unfortunately the village has ony a tent school because of the building restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities. [See this excellent article by Ruth Pollard in the SMH]

The kindergarten at Khashem al Daraj is also looking good and even has a playground, as this village has the advantage of being “on the masterplan”.

Finally, the news from Hebron city is only partly good. A house was been donated to provide preschool education for refugee children in the Tel Rumeida area. Wonderful work by volunteers over several weekends has cleared most of the accumulated rubbish from the yard. Since then, some settlers have painted hateful graffiti on the wall.

One of the volunteers was arrested as we visited, but we later heard he was released without charge. This tactic of arrest and release is a common method of harassment by the Israeli military in Hebron. Young men who try to make a positive contribution to their community seem to be targeted.

Dr Mona El-Farra – invitation for dinner and presentation

Posted on June 4, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

Dear Friends,

We would like to invite you to a farewell dinner and fundraiser with Dr Mona El-Farra – an acclaimed human rights activist, Gaza blogger and physician. Take part in her last presentation in her current Australian tour and show your support for her work with traumatised children in Gaza and their need for clean water, along with other basic necessities of life.

Details are:

Monday 10th June, 6.30 pm
Hellenic Club Restaurant (upstairs)
251 Elizabeth St, Sydney
(opposite Museum Station)

$50 per person + drinks

This includes 3 course meal and a contribution to two projects for Gaza’s childen:

Play and Heal – to provide psychological support
Maia – for clean drinking water

Bookings essential to confirm numbers to restaurant

How to pay:
1. RSVP to CJPP at events@coalitionforpalestine.org
2. Pay $50 into CJPP bank account: BSB no.: 112-879 Acct no.: 155 748 603
and please put your last name as payment reference
3. Please pay by Friday 7 June 2013

A flyer for this event is attached.

Information is also at:

http://coalitionforpalestine.org/current-events/gaza-solidarity-dinner-and-talk-from-dr-mona-el-farra/

Children blocked from returning home after collecting food from soup kitchen

Posted on May 30, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

The Christian Peacemaker Teams are on the ground, daily, in the Old City of Hebron. They are observers and photograph and document violations and tensions in the Old City and Hebron Governorate. Read this story to see how the border police are continuously harassing the residents of the Old City, including impeding their ability to move freely:

Because of the dire economic situation in the Old City in Hebron every day children go to the Ibrahimi Mosque soup-kitchen to get food. Walking out through the mosque checkpoint shortly after noon on Sunday 26 May, I was surprised by the number of people standing at the other end of the checkpoint.

Upon passing out through the checkpoint I realized that the turnstile to enter the mosque area was closed and nobody was being allowed through. A dozen young boys held plastic tubs of soup they had collected at the soup kitchen. They told us they had been waiting for around half an hour. Read more here

Harrowing video shows Israeli soldiers arresting Hebron children

Posted on May 3, 2013 by hebronleichhardt

This article, published in the Electronic Intifada, highlights the increased phenomena of arresting very young children in Hebron. According to the rights group Defence for Children International – Palestine Section, 236 Palestinian children were in Israeli detention in February of this year, 39 of them aged 15 or younger:

Two videos of Israeli soldiers arresting three young boys in Hebron give a harrowing glimpse into the everyday violence faced by children in the occupied West Bank city where settlers have taken over Palestinian homes under the protection of the army. (Videos embedded above and below.)

The videos, published by the group Youth Against Settlements, show a chaotic scene of settlers confronting Israeli soldiers, Palestinian residents and international observers at Shuhada Street on Sunday. The heavily-armed Israeli soldiers drag away three young boys while Palestinians and an international activist attempt to intervene. One of the boys wails with fright as he is pulled away. A woman who identifies herself as the mother of one of the children defiantly goes into the Israeli army jeep and manages to remove one of the boys from it. Read more here

Friends of Hebron Sydney

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