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Settler violence escalating behind the Coronavirus smokescreen
From: Michal Hai, Ta`ayush
Email from m.michal.hai@gmail.com
 

This week – March 22-28, 2020 – in the Occupied Territories.

Steep escalation throughout: Jewish settler-colonists from outposts and
colonies in the South Hebron Hills, Palestinian Jordan Valley and the West
Bank hill ranges have been attacking Palestinian shepherds, farmers and
whole communities, fully backed up by the Israeli army, taking advantage of
the closure in Israel and the resulting absence of Israeli activists on the
ground; a retarded youth from Tuba who was picking Akoub herbs was arrested,
restrained and taken to a distant Israeli army camp, and released from there
no phone nor any contact with his family; settler-colonists from Havat Maon
are coming day after day to attack and throw stones at the Palestinian
village of Tawane, and among other means have released a dog that bit and
wounded a Palestinian in the belly,while his friends were wounded by beating
and teargas fired by violent Israeli soldiers – who attacked them instead of
chasing away their assailants; incursions from the outposts on the hill
range into Palestinians’ fields and attacks against shepherds this week have
caused several communities to dismantle their tents and leave; in the
northern and southern Palestinian Jordan Valley the occupation forces are on
a rampage of demolitions in the midst of this Corona virus crisis,
destroying dwellings and a mosque, and sequestering materials that were
meant to construct two clinics.

South Hebron Hills:The settler-colonists take advantage of the state of
emergency and absence of Israeli activists on the ground to escalate their
harassment of Palestinian inhabitants and make them leave their lands, with
the Israeli army helping exacerbate these actions all the way.On Sunday,
March 22, the Israeli army chased away shepherds in Haruba near Tawane, and
on Tuesday settler-colonists chased away shepherds near the settler-colony
of Sham’a. In both areas, expelling the shepherds had no legal basis
whatsoever to prevent them from grazing there.

On Monday,March 23, the security official at settler-colony Maon summoned
the army in order to harass a retarded youth from Tuba who was picking wild
Akoub herbs.The soldiers arrested the boy, restrained him and confiscated
the herb and his scissors. He was taken to the army base near Yatir
checkpoint. The boy has no cell phone and when finally released, had to walk
from the Yatir checkpoint all the way to Kawawis, and only then was there
contact with his family.

The same security official at Maon summoned the army on Thursday, too, this
time to chase away shepherds grazing their flock on their privately owned
lands in the Hali valley, near Tawane. The soldiers who arrived on the spot
detained the shepherds for nearly an hour.

Assaults by settler-colonists against residents of Tawane and its
surroundings have escalated greatly during the weekend. On Friday around
noon, a group of settler-colonists attacked shepherds in Humra valley with
stones, and one of them set his dog at them. One of the Palestinians was
bitten in his hand and belly and needed medical care.Another settler-
colonist held a handgun, pointed it and threatened to fire. At the same
time, another group of settler-colonists came to the outskirts of the
village and threw stones at the house on the village edge. Soldiers summoned
to help arrived and immediately declared a `closed military zone`, and
violently distanced the local Palestinians.

On Saturday, around 2:30 p.m., a girl accompanied by two young men left
Tawane in the direction of Tuba. Settler-colonists came down from the Havat
Maon outpost to block their way and threw stones at them. The three tried to
run back to the village, but more settler-colonists with their dogs joined
the attack and chased the youngsters all the way to the house on the edge of
Tawane, and began throwing stones at the village.

Soldiers reached the spot,and instead of dealing with the settler-colonists
turned to chase Palestinians,fired teargas at them and beat them violently.
A Palestinian was harmed by inhaling teargas, another was wounded in his
hand when a settler-colonist tried to grab his cell phone. A third
Palestinian was wounded, beaten in the head by a soldier with his rifle butt
while arresting him. The army arrested him and two more Palestinian
villagers. Two of the arrestees were released later that evening, the third
is still in custody. No settler-colonist was detained or arrested.

All afternoon, until 7 p.m. the settler-colonists continued their attacks in
the Humra valley and outskirts of Tawane. Thanks to the closure, Jewish
settler-colonists with their donkeys invaded fields owned and tended by
Palestinians at Umm Al Arais, and caused extensive damages.Since closure was
imposed on the territories, Israeli soldiers have been preventing passage at
Yatir Checkpoint of the Abu Kabita family members, who are caged beyond the
Separation Fence inside the Seam-line Zone, and need to travel to
Palestinian towns for supplies and medical care.

On Thursday evening, March 26, one of the family children needed urgent
medical care, but was detained at the checkpoint and only much later
transferred for treatment.

The Palestinian Jordan Valley and West Bank hill ranges Near the settler-
colony Rimonim on the West Bank hill ranges settler-colonists continue their
daily incursions out of their new outpost into Palestinian-owned and tended
fields. This week they threatened the inhabitants of one of the local
communities and caused them and other shepherd communities in the area to
dismantle their tents and leave.

At Rashash settler-colonists of the outpost continue their illegal road-
paving inside a firing zone. In one instance this week, activists documented
the activity and return of the heavy equipment to the outpost – located
inside an army base – and passed this filmed evidence to army officers and
the Civil Administration.

Inhabitants of shepherd communities in the northern Palestinian Jordan
Valley – Khalat Makhoul, Humsa, Al Hadidiya, Ras Al Ahmar and others – are
suffering serious nutrition and economic shortages due to the closures that
prevent them from traveling to Palestinian towns.

In this region, too,settler-colonists are taking advantage of the absence of
Israeli activists in order to expel shepherds from growing areas, vigorously
helped by the Israeli army.

On Wednesday, March 26, settler-colonists from Maskiyot settler-colony,
aided by Israeli soldiers, attacked shepherds from En Al Hilwa. The soldiers
arrested two shepherds, releasing them several hours later. Settler-
colonists attacked the son of one of the arrested shepherds, who was hurt
and taken to hospital in Toubas.

At the same time, in the midst of the present state of emergency, occupation
forces went on a confiscation and structure destruction rampage on Thursday,
March 27. At Khirbet Ibzik in the northern Palestinian Jordan Valley, metal
rods, plastic sheets and other materials meant for constructing clinics were
all confiscated, and four dwelling structures were demolished - put up as
emergency aid for families whose homes had been demolished as well as
mosque. The same day, the army demolished three dwellings at En A-Duyuk in
the southern Palestinian Jordan Valley.

East Jerusalem

The Jerusalem district police continues its incursions in the neighborhood
of Issawiya nearly every day in the late afternoon, puts up checkposts,
exerts violence and intentionally creates crowding. The weekly protest in
Sheikh Jarrah was also held last Friday, adhering to emergency procedures.
*Please note: Due to daylight saving time, starting this Friday, April 3,
the weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah will begin at 4 p.m.

Ta`ayush
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