AT-TUWANI UPDATE: January 2009
February 14th, 2009
in:
CPTnet
14 February 2009
AT-TUWANI UPDATE: January 2009
On team during this period were Janet Benvie, Art Gish, Steve Heinrichs, Joshua Hough, Ceylon Mooney, Sean O'Neill and members of Operation Dove.
[Note: According to the Geneva Conventions, the International Court of Justice in the Hague, and numerous United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts are considered illegal under Israeli law.]
Summary:
In and around at-Tuwani, the Israeli military remarkably intensified its daily interceptions of Palestinian migrant laborers trying to leave the West Bank, sometimes applying lethal force. (For background, see http://cpt.org/cptnet/2009/02/12/tuwani-soldiers-kill-palestinian-migran...) The army also continued failing to reliably accompany the schoolchildren on the complete route to and from school, leaving them vulnerable to settler attacks. Palestinian shepherds continued challenging Israeli military prohibitions against their grazing of flocks on their own land.
Thursday, 1 January
In the morning Benvie and Hough responded to an Israeli army checkpoint on the road into at-Tuwani. For about half an hour soldiers detained a Palestinian who was trying to reach the village.
Sunday, 4 January
In the morning, on the road north from at-Tuwani toward al-Birkeh ("The Pool" in Arabic), Benvie and Gish observed Israeli army and police standing around several of their jeeps, with about 20 Palestinian youth shouting at them from a hillside above. (See http://cpt.org/cptnet/2009/01/08/tuwani-reflection-quotresistance-will-n...) The Israeli soldiers and police allowed two armed Israeli settlers to drive their pickup truck toward the youth, who then ran away. Some of the soldiers got in their jeeps and pursued the youth out of sight. The CPTers sporadically heard gunfire and percussion grenades. The following day, Palestinian residents of al-Birkeh reported seeing armed settlers in the town on the previous morning.
Tuesday, 6 January
While on Khoruba Hill for afternoon school patrol, Benvie and Gish observed armed Israeli settlers leaving the area. Afterward they spoke with shepherds grazing on the south side of the hill. One shepherd said the settlers chased them, shouted and threw rocks at them.
Saturday, 10 January
The team learned that earlier in the day, Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian from the nearby village of Zif. The Palestinian had approached an army checkpoint, then turned his car around, apparently doubting he would get through. A soldier shot him the face and he was transported to a Hebron hospital, where doctors had to remove his jaw.
Monday-Tuesday, 12-13 January
Both days the Israeli army failed to escort the children, despite CPTers' repeated phone calls. The children arrived late to school, opting to walk unaccompanied on a longer route that sidesteps the Israeli settler outpost, yet still exposes them to attack. They were nervous and frustrated about being late because they were in a week of final exams.
With exams finished, the school closed for a two-week vacation.
Tuesday, 20 January
In the evening Hough observed an Israeli army humvee chasing several Palestinian cars out of at-Tuwani and across the Israeli settler highway 317. The soldiers fired several shots at the cars, which quickly dispersed in various directions.
Wednesday, 21 January
In the morning, in Mashakha Valley, soldiers approached a group of shepherds and internationals, giving them five minutes to leave before being arrested. The shepherds decided to move away.
In the afternoon CPTers observed another Israeli army humvee rapidly chasing a Palestinian van along the road north through at-Tuwani. Villagers advised them that the army was more aggressively intercepting unemployed Palestinian day-laborers who are using a nearby opening in the Israeli border fence to find work inside Israel. They said last night the soldiers had shot out tires on at least one vehicle.
Friday, 23 January
In the morning, Israeli soldiers opened and searched inside two parked Palestinian vehicles. One soldier shoved and shouted at a Palestinian who was asking them to leave.
Saturday, 24 January
The team learned that police inside Israel had arrested three members of an at-Tuwani family and put them in an Israeli jail on charges of entering Israel without permits.
Sunday, 25 January
While out with shepherds, Mooney and O'Neill observed an Israeli army humvee rapidly chasing several Palestinian cars north through at-Tuwani.
Thursday, 29 January
While Benvie and Hough accompanied Palestinian shepherds in Meshakha Valley, an Israeli settler brandishing a long knife approached one shepherd, who calmly told the settler, "I don't want any trouble." The settler said, "If you don't want trouble, you will leave now," gesturing as if to stab one of his sheep. The Palestinian decided to leave.
14 February 2009
AT-TUWANI UPDATE: January 2009
On team during this period were Janet Benvie, Art Gish, Steve Heinrichs, Joshua Hough, Ceylon Mooney, Sean O'Neill and members of Operation Dove.
[Note: According to the Geneva Conventions, the International Court of Justice in the Hague, and numerous United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts are considered illegal under Israeli law.]
Summary:
In and around at-Tuwani, the Israeli military remarkably intensified its daily interceptions of Palestinian migrant laborers trying to leave the West Bank, sometimes applying lethal force. (For background, see http://cpt.org/cptnet/2009/02/12/tuwani-soldiers-kill-palestinian-migran...) The army also continued failing to reliably accompany the schoolchildren on the complete route to and from school, leaving them vulnerable to settler attacks. Palestinian shepherds continued challenging Israeli military prohibitions against their grazing of flocks on their own land.
Thursday, 1 January
In the morning Benvie and Hough responded to an Israeli army checkpoint on the road into at-Tuwani. For about half an hour soldiers detained a Palestinian who was trying to reach the village.
Sunday, 4 January
In the morning, on the road north from at-Tuwani toward al-Birkeh ("The Pool" in Arabic), Benvie and Gish observed Israeli army and police standing around several of their jeeps, with about 20 Palestinian youth shouting at them from a hillside above. (See http://cpt.org/cptnet/2009/01/08/tuwani-reflection-quotresistance-will-n...) The Israeli soldiers and police allowed two armed Israeli settlers to drive their pickup truck toward the youth, who then ran away. Some of the soldiers got in their jeeps and pursued the youth out of sight. The CPTers sporadically heard gunfire and percussion grenades. The following day, Palestinian residents of al-Birkeh reported seeing armed settlers in the town on the previous morning.
Tuesday, 6 January
While on Khoruba Hill for afternoon school patrol, Benvie and Gish observed armed Israeli settlers leaving the area. Afterward they spoke with shepherds grazing on the south side of the hill. One shepherd said the settlers chased them, shouted and threw rocks at them.
Saturday, 10 January
The team learned that earlier in the day, Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian from the nearby village of Zif. The Palestinian had approached an army checkpoint, then turned his car around, apparently doubting he would get through. A soldier shot him the face and he was transported to a Hebron hospital, where doctors had to remove his jaw.
Monday-Tuesday, 12-13 January
Both days the Israeli army failed to escort the children, despite CPTers' repeated phone calls. The children arrived late to school, opting to walk unaccompanied on a longer route that sidesteps the Israeli settler outpost, yet still exposes them to attack. They were nervous and frustrated about being late because they were in a week of final exams.
With exams finished, the school closed for a two-week vacation.
Tuesday, 20 January
In the evening Hough observed an Israeli army humvee chasing several Palestinian cars out of at-Tuwani and across the Israeli settler highway 317. The soldiers fired several shots at the cars, which quickly dispersed in various directions.
Wednesday, 21 January
In the morning, in Mashakha Valley, soldiers approached a group of shepherds and internationals, giving them five minutes to leave before being arrested. The shepherds decided to move away.
In the afternoon CPTers observed another Israeli army humvee rapidly chasing a Palestinian van along the road north through at-Tuwani. Villagers advised them that the army was more aggressively intercepting unemployed Palestinian day-laborers who are using a nearby opening in the Israeli border fence to find work inside Israel. They said last night the soldiers had shot out tires on at least one vehicle.
Friday, 23 January
In the morning, Israeli soldiers opened and searched inside two parked Palestinian vehicles. One soldier shoved and shouted at a Palestinian who was asking them to leave.
Saturday, 24 January
The team learned that police inside Israel had arrested three members of an at-Tuwani family and put them in an Israeli jail on charges of entering Israel without permits.
Sunday, 25 January
While out with shepherds, Mooney and O'Neill observed an Israeli army humvee rapidly chasing several Palestinian cars north through at-Tuwani.
Thursday, 29 January
While Benvie and Hough accompanied Palestinian shepherds in Meshakha Valley, an Israeli settler brandishing a long knife approached one shepherd, who calmly told the settler, "I don't want any trouble." The settler said, "If you don't want trouble, you will leave now," gesturing as if to stab one of his sheep. The Palestinian decided to leave.
