CPTnet
May 3, 2002
Beit Ummar Update: April 15 -20, 2002

Monday, April 15
A friend of the team told them that soldiers put metal spikes across the
road leading to his house, which prevented him from getting into town. Later
in the afternoon the spikes were removed and he could get through. He
expressed the fear that the soldiers would come to their house, which is
close to a settlement, and
harass them as they had done previously. CPTer Mary Lawrence went to their
home to spend the night with them.

Tuesday, April 16
Lawrence, Dianne Roe, and JoAnne Lingle visited a family whose 14-year
old-son had been shot in the leg by soldiers two months ago. (See release
"Mistake after Mistake.") The boy still experiences severe pain. While the
team
was visiting, a doctor came to give him an injection to ease the discomfort.
When asked about possible medical help for the boy from other Arab countries
the doctor replied that those who had helped in the past had worked through
the Palestinian Authority, the infrastructure of which has now been
destroyed by the IDF. He added that the boy was just one of hundreds of
suffering patients who needed assistance.

Wednesday, April 17
Lawrence and Lingle spoke with a pharmacist in town. He talked about the
impossibility of traveling between Beit Ummar and Hebron because of the
unpredictable shooting by the IDF at the bridge near the entrance to Hebron.
He said, "Guess how Palestinians know when it is safe to cross the bridge?
They send a volunteer to walk across and if there is no shooting, then they
know it is safe!"

Thursday, April 18
Around 8 pm a friend called to say that soldiers in two jeeps had entered
the village and they were near the mosque. He said that people had closed
up their shops and no one was in the streets. He called shortly afterwards
to say that more jeeps and a tank had appeared.

The team heard shooting. Around 9:30pm people were once again out in the
street--an indication
that the soldiers had left.

Friday, April 19
In the morning a friend called to say that the soldiers had come into the
village and taken a 16-year-old girl, her brother and her father from her
home the previous night.

Saturday, April 20
Lingle, Roe and Lawrence visited the village of Jala, south west of Beit
Ummar. The PA has paid to pave part of the road but soldiers have told the
villagers that the road is for settlers only. There are no cars in the
village. Because of the closure of the main bypass road, the people have to
walk to a neighboring village to get a taxi to Hebron. "Our ambulance is a
donkey," they said.

Later Lingle, Roe and Lawrence visited the family of the girl who had been
arrested on Thursday night. they found out that the IDF had arrested her on
suspicion of planning a suicide attack.
After interrogation, the girl, her father, and her brother were released at
1 am. Before being released the father was required to sign a statement
agreeing that if any member of his family causes a problem for the IDF, both
of his homes will be demolished.