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October 4-10: The never-ending story, settler harassments all over the West Bank

From Taayush 2013
taayush2013@gmail.com

Gangs of settlers, massively aided by Israeli soldiers and police,attacked
Palestinian shepherds, farmers and property throughout the West Bank this
week: 6 olive harvesters attacked in Huwarra were wounded, and the olive
grove set on fire; The Israeli army hurled teargas canisters to protect an
incursion of settlers into the Palestinian village of Bourin, where two
children were hurt and homes were damaged; an entire olive grove was
destroyed in Qawawis; settlers` dogs caused destruction and death in a flock
of sheep near Umm Zaitouna, and the person arrested and still under arrest
is the attacked Palestinian shepherd; an incursion by settlers into a
privately-owned Palestinian land in the village of Deir Istiya, where they
rebuilt a ‘wading pool’ at the same spot where the Civil Administration had
demolished their previous attempt – ended with the arrest of the Palestinian
landowner and an activist who accompanied him; all this happened behind the
silence curtain of the Israeli media, who have consistently ignored all the
reports from the ground.

Throughout the West Bank On Thursday, October 7, settlers from Yitzhar
attacked olive harvesters and activists who helped them in Huwarra (Nablus
district). The attackers were escorted by Israeli soldiers who not only
didn`t prevent the settlers from throwing stones at the harvesters, but
actually fired teargas and stun grenades at the harvesters and accompanying
activists.

Six harvesters were wounded and a fire broke out in the olive grove as a
result of a stun grenade fired by the soldiers. The event, well documented
by video, was not reported in Israeli media. On Friday, October 9, a Yesh
Din researcher reported that a group of masked settlers descended from the
outpost Giv`at Ronen around 17:30 towards homes in the eastern neighborhood
of the Palestinian village of Bourin.

The event lasted over 20 minutes, during which army forces arrived, firing
teargas at the Palestinians. Two children were hurt by inhaling it, and
damage was done to the houses. The vandals returned unhampered to their
outpost. This case too was documented on video.During a protest action that
Palestinians held in Beit Dajan that day, against a new outpost erected on
their land, soldiers fired teargas directly at dozens of people engaged in
the Friday prayers.

Earlier, the army tried to disperse the protesters with stun grenades and
teargas, but dozens managed to come back to the spot and pray. The soldiers
blocked demonstrators at a distance of over a kilometer from the
settlers’outpost, erected two weeks ago.

Due to the olive harvest, the weekly Friday demonstration at Hares did not
take place. On Saturday, farmers and activists accompanying them at nearby
Deir Istiya were attacked in an area adjacent to the fence of settlement
Yakir, a privately owned Palestinian plot whose ownership is attested in
Civil Administration documentation and ruled in earlier court sessions.

In May, settlers from Yakir dug a hole in the ground, poured cement into it
and turned it into a‘wading pool’, including benches put up in the shade of
the trees on site. The land owner managed to arrive there a few times while
the work went on, and showed soldiers and policemen his ownership papers.
However, the Israeli authorities did not stop the works (that were illegal
even had they been carried out on private land) and the pool was completed.

With the help of the Yesh Din NGO, the landowner appealed to the Civil
Administration and in a very rare instance, succeeded to have them demolish
the pool in July. Needless to mention, no measures were taken against the
violators although their identity was known. A complaint lodged with the
police, complete with identifying details of the perpetrators, was dismissed
within a week.

Lastweek, the settlers again built the pool on the very same spot they had
built it before. On Saturday, the landowner arrived there accompanied by
several Israeli activists. Within 15 minutes, the settlement security
official arrived,summoned army and police, and the policemen notified the
activists that they were detained on account of `destroying a water spring`.

The owner showed the policeman a Civil Administration document reasserting
removal of the invasion to his land, but the policeman notified him and an
Israeli activist that they were detained since they are needed for
questioning, and refused to explain why.

The two were taken to the Ariel police station. The Israeli activist was
released a few hours later, but the Palestinian land owner remained in
custody for assault and property destruction, and his arrest has been
extended until Monday, October 12.

For joining activity in the area, please contact Aviv - avivsky@gmail.com

South Hebron Hills

Settlers from the outpost Mitzpe Yair, riding motorcycles, invaded the
Palestinian village of Qawawis a few times on Sunday and Tuesday, ran wild
among the tents and shacks and threatened to damage the village olive
trees.And indeed, on Thursday, October 8, an entire olive tree grove was
found ruined. On Saturday, activists documented the damage: all 37 trees
were cut off by the roots, beyond any chance of recovery.

On Tuesday, October 6, around Umm Zaitouna,settlers from the new outpost
there attacked a Palestinian shepherd who was grazing his flock near the
village of Taghale, threw stones at the sheep and set their dog on them. As
a result of the attack,one ewe was killed, four miscarried, and at least
another three were wounded by stones and dog bites.

After the attack, Israeli soldiers joined the assailants and blamed the
shepherds for entering settler lands. An hour later,police came to the
village and arrested the shepherd who was attacked, claiming he threw stones
at his attackers.

In a session to prolong his arrest, on Thursday, a military judge did
prolong his custody until Monday this week. The court protocol specifies
that the assailants are not locals, claiming they were`hiking` (during a
strict lockdown…). The police did nothing to look into the claims of the
shepherds or document the horrid results of the assault.

On Friday, activists joined a protest action of the local villagers against
the new outpost from which the assailants had arrived. In spite of the
army`s attempts to block their way, the protesters did get to the place and
held their prayer on site.

On Saturday activists accompanied the shepherds with their herd to graze
there. A settler who headed towards them with dogs turned back and their
grazing went unhampered.

To join Ta`ayush in The South Hebron Hills this Saturday call 055-2770168.
Please make an effort to register no later than Thursday evening, so we can
organize the transportation and the activity properly.

Please bring an ID/passport, a hat, water and food for the day. It is
advised to take into consideration cultural differences in the choice of
clothing.

Jordan valley:

This week Israeli activists accompanied Palestinian shepherds around
Nu`eima. This went on unhampered on Wednesday.

On Friday, a settler from Mevo`ot Yericho came to the area, drove very fast
towards the flock and began honking until the flock scattered in fright. The
shepherds and their flocks were forced to go back home.

To join activity in the Jordan Valley, please contact Arik: 050-5607034

Today,October 12, 2020, is the 77th day of hunger striking by administrative
detainee Maher Khares, hospitalized in critical condition at Kaplan
Hospital.

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