May 2016 - Operation Dove

REPORT

Human Rights   Violations and   Popular Struggle   in South Hebron Hills May 2016

Operation Dove Nonviolent Peace Corps of Associazione “Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII”

w w w. o p e r a t i o n d o v e . o r g  

INDEX

ISRAELI ARMY AND POLICE • SCHOOL PATROL • MILITARY HARASSMENT AND AGGRESSIONS • DEMOLITIONS AND STOP WORKING ORDERS • CHECKPOINT 

ISRAELI SETTLERS • SETTLERS HARASSMENT AND AGGRESSIONS • SETTLEMENT EXPANSION 

PALESTINIAN POPULAR STRUGGLE • POPULAR COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES • AWARENESS-RAISING ACTIVITIES 

MAPS

Human Rights Violations and Popular Struggle in South Hebron Hills / May 2016

4 Palestinian village Israeli settlement/outpost Military harassment/aggression Police activity Demolition/stop working order Settlers harassment/aggression Settlement expansion ⦿ Checkpoint


ISRAELI ARMY AND POLICE SCHOOL PATROL May was the final month in the 2016 school year in Palestine. During the month Operation Dove volunteers documented multiple incidents in which the Israeli soldiers assigned to the school escort failed to adequately protect the schoolchildren from Tuba and Magyar Al Abeed. The soldiers failed to protect the children by arriving late, forcing the children to wait in a dangerous area, and by failing to remain with the children for the full walk past the settlement and outpost. The children have to wait for the escort in a dangerous place every day before and after school, sometimes for a few minutes and sometimes for more than one hour. The soldiers were more than one hour late on four occasions in May, and in one incident a settler harassed the children as they waited. Three times during May the soldiers failed to complete the most dangerous segment of the path with the children leaving them to walk alone in an area where they are vulnerable to settler violence and harassment as described in the following incidents. On May 2, at 1:40 pm when the Palestinian schoolchildren were walking home from school in Tuwani the Israeli military escort stopped inside the settlement on the street some distance from the barn at the edge of the settlement and refused to continue with the children. The children were forced to continue the walk unprotected inside the illegal outpost of Havat Ma’on. A family group of settlers approached them and yelled at them, threatening and scaring the children. On May 8, at 1:42 pm, the Israeli military escort was late. While the Palestinian children from the villages of Tuba and Magyar Al Abeed were waiting for the soldiers at the meeting point an Israeli settler on a motorcycle crossed over the gate and drove towards the children. When the settler saw Operation Dove volunteers recording him with a camera he turned around and went away.

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MILITARY HARASSMENT AND AGGRESSIONS Palestinians living in the village of Tuwani experienced harassment from Israeli soldiers inside the village twice during the month of May. On both occasions the incidents began when settlers called the military. On May 7, at 2:10 pm, Israeli soldiers drove an army jeep into the Palestinian village of At Tuwani. Residents of the village were holding a demonstration and planting olive trees on the hill at the top of the village. Three soldiers got out of the jeep and spoke with the organizers of the demonstration and checked the area. The soldiers left the village at 2:25 pm. The soldiers arrived after a family of settlers from the Israeli settlement of Ma'on, and the security chief of Ma'on saw the demonstration and made some calls. On May 8, in the afternoon, two Palestinian children were grazing their flock in Khelly valley. A settler from Ma'on settlement saw them and called a soldier, who went along the street near the fence above the valley and stopped there to watch the two children. When the children saw the soldier they moved their flock to the side of the valley closer to At-Tuwani village.

Palestinian village Israeli settlement/outpost 

Military harassment/aggression

Demolition/stop working order Settlers harassment/aggression 

Police activity 

Settlement expansion

⦿ Checkpoint

DEMOLITIONS AND STOP WORKING ORDERS On the morning of May 5 Israeli soldiers arrived in the Palestinian village of Jawwaya to deliver a “stop work order” to the owners of a new house being built by a family in the village. Israeli personnel from the District Coordination Office (DCO) arrived with the soldiers to confiscate building materials. During the confiscation a DCO officer assaulted the head of the family. Later, while another member of the family was trying to take back the confiscated materials an Israeli soldier threw him to the ground and immobilized him by holding his neck, raising the tension in the village even higher. The soldiers and DCO left with the confiscated building materials after delivering the stop work order.  6


CHECKPOINT During the month of May Israeli soldiers and police established checkpoints near the village of At Tuwani on 5 occasions. The police and soldiers delayed drivers, checked licenses and vehicle numbers, and searched the interior of cars. On one occasion Israeli police confiscated two cars and fined the drivers. On May 6 at 4:05 pm a Palestinian from Tuwani called international volunteers because there was a checkpoint in the road to Al Birkeh. After 46 minutes the soldiers left without stopping any cars. Several Palestinian drivers coming from Al Birkeh turned back when they saw the jeep on the road. Palestinian witnesses reported on May 14 that Israeli police stopped and then confiscated two Palestinian cars at about 3pm at the intersection of Israeli Road 317 and the road that leads to the Palestinian village of Al Birkeh. The police also fined the drivers. On May 14, at around 11:30, Israeli police stopped a Palestinian car on the road which between the Palestinian villages of At Tuwani and Al-Birkeh and threatened to confiscate it . When Operation Dove volunteers arrived the police threatened to arrest them if they remained close to the car. The soldiers spoke with the Palestinian land gave him a paper but allowed him to keep the car. On May 26, at around 4:15 pm, Israeli soldiers established a checkpoint on the road from At Tuwani to Al Birkeh. For about one half hour the soldiers stopped all of Palestinian cars that passed, total of six. They checked the driving licenses of the drivers and looked inside the cars. The soldiers left at 4:49 pm without confiscating any of the cars. On May 28, at 11:16 am. An Israeli police car stopped a Palestinian car on the road that connects AtTuwani to the Israeli Road 317. The police detained the car for about 15 minutes while they checked the driver's license, the engine of the car and the interior. Meanwhile another Palestinian car approached and one of the policemen checked that car as well. After 15 minutes the police left without confiscating either vehicle.  


Military harassment/aggression Police activity 

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Demolition/stop working order


Settlers harassment/aggression 

⦿ Checkpoint


ISRAELI SETTLERS SETTLERS HARASSMENT AND AGGRESSIONS During the month of May Operation Dove volunteers documented a sharp increase in settler harassment and intimidation of Palestinian shepherds and internationals in the area around AtTuwani. In ten separate incidents during the month Israeli settlers attempted to prevent Palestinians from accessing land for grazing and agricultural work, chased internationals from the area, trespassed on Palestinian lands which are closed to Israelis, attempted to intimidate Palestinian children as they grazed flocks on Palestinian land, interrupted agricultural work by calling the Israeli military, and intentionally grazed settler sheep on Palestinian grazing lands. The spring grazing season is very brief and this organized and intentional effort on the part of settlers to disrupt the work of Palestinian shepherds and farmers by preventing them from accessing their land and crops constitutes a grave threat to the livelihoods of Palestinian families in the area.

Palestinian village

Military harassment/aggression

Israeli settlement/outpost 

Police activity 




⦿ Checkpoint

On May 4, at 10:00 am a settler drove from Havat Ma'on to Old Havat Ma’on while a Palestinian shepherd was grazing a flock in the Palestinian valley of Shabel Shamsti. The settler got out of the car and moved towards the shepherd, forcing him to move. After a few minutes the settler got back in the car ad drove away On May 5, at 5:50 pm, a settler with his face covered by a shirt chased two Operation Dove volunteers who were coming back from the Palestinian village of Tuba Palestinian village to At Tuwani village. The settler ran after the volunteers and chased them almost to the road which runs between the illegal settlement of Havat Ma’on and the site of Old Havat Ma’on before he turned back.

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On May 6 at 7:30 am, two Operation Dove volunteers found that a settler shepherd and a child were grazing a flock on Palestinian land on Meshaha hill, near the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on. Three Palestinian shepherds who were grazing flocks in the area were forced to stay far away from Meshaha while the settlers were in the area. The Palestinians told the volunteers that the settlers shepherd arrived at about 6.30 am and grazed his flock down in the Palestinian valley, inside an area which is closed to Israelis. The settler left the area at about 8:30 am On May 7, in the afternoon, a large group of Israeli setters gathered on Palestinian lands in the area of Humra and Meshaha, near the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on. At 3:50 pm a group of six settler children came out of the wooded area of the outpost and went to the Palestinian well near the end of Humra valley. The settler children stayed there for several minutes and then walked near Humra valley towards the Palestinian village of At Tuwani where they stopped in the middle of the road. At 4:50 pm two adult settlers emerged from the wooded part of the illegal outpost and went to the same Palestinian well in Humra valley. They stayed there several minutes and then left in the direction of the illegal Israeli outpost of Avigayil. At 5:50 pm two settler teenagers went to Meshaha hill and walked almost to the end of the hill, then came back, walking through Kharrouba valley. Throughout this time two Palestinian shepherds who were trying to graze their flocks had to stay out of the entire area On May 8, a Palestinian shepherd was grazing his flock in Khelly valley when the security chief of Ma'on Israeli settlement arrived by car and began to film the Palestinian. After some minutes the settler went away. On May 9, at 8.30 am when international volunteers arrived on Kharrouba hill, an Israeli settler was present on Palestinian land on Meshaha hill with a flock and 3 settler children. Palestinians shepherds in the area had to stay far away from Meshaha in order to avoid the settlers. The settler shepherd stayed in the area for about two hours. The Palestinian shepherds said that the settler was in the area from about 6.30 am and that he also went down into Meshaha valley. Meshaha valley is private Palestinian agricultural land and has been declared closed to Israelis. On May 9, at 2:30 pm, an Israeli settler and two setter children brought a flock from the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on to Meshaha hill. Palestinians shepherds in the area had to stay far away from Meshaha in order to avoid the settlers. The settler shepherd stayed in the area until 3:45 pm. The same settler shepherd was present in the area on the morning of the same day. As a result the Palestinian shepherds who usually graze their flocks on Meshaha were unable to access the land for the entire day. On May 10, at 4:00 pm an Israeli settler was present on Meshaha hill with his sheep. The settler grazed the flock in a large area from Meshaha hill and the way to Old Havat Ma’on. His presence prevented Palestinian shepherds from grazing sheep as they usually do in Kharrouba valley and on Meshaha hill. On May 11, at 7:10 am an Israeli settler grazed a flock on Old Havat Ma'on hill while a Palestinian child was grazing a flock in Meshaha valley. The settler brought his sheep to the part of Old Havat Ma’on which is near Meshaha and stayed there for about 20 minutes, then went down the hill and along Meshaha valley towards the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on. They then took the flock of sheep onto the first step of Meshaha hill and continued along the top of the hill almost to the end. Throughout this time the presence of the settlers prevented the Palestinian shepherd from accessing Meshaha hill and Meshaha valley, and forced the Palestinian shepherd to move his flock away in order to avoid the settlers. The settlers and their flock returned to the illegal outpost at about 8:40 am On May 20, at 1:30 pm, Palestinians who were working in the fields between the Palestinian village of Qawawis and the illegal Israeli outpost of Mitzpe Yair Israeli saw two settlers approaching with two Israeli soldiers. The soldiers told the Palestinians that the area was closed and that they were not allowed to work in the fields. The Palestinians had a permit and insisted that they were allowed to 9


work in the fields. After half an hour the soldiers spoke with someone from the Israeli Civil Administration (DCO) who confirmed that the Palestinians had a permit, and the soldiers and settlers left the area.

SETTLEMENT EXPANSION On May 5, Palestinian shepherds from Tuba village reported to Operation Dove volunteers that Israeli settlers from Havat Ma'on illegal outpost were planting trees in Umm Zeitouna valley. On May 9 OD volunteers heard the sound of a pneumatic drill and bulldozer coming from inside the illegal Israeli outpost just above the edge of Humra valley, near the sheep barn inside the outpost. Operation Dove volunteers saw an excavator working in wooded area inside the outpost, and saw that settles have built a new structure near the sheep barn. On May 10, at 8 am a bulldozer arrived from the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat and leveled the land in two parts of the upper side of Khelly valley.


Military harassment/aggression Police activity 

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⦿ Checkpoint


PALESTINIAN  POPULAR STRUGGLE POPULAR COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES On May 7, Palestinians from villages throughout the South Hebron Hills gathered on the hill above the Palestinian village of At Tuwani to plant olive trees. Participants were members of the organization “CHANGE” and together with the residents of At Tuwani they planted olive trees over a large area on the hilltop, and affixed the name of a Palestinian martyr to each tree. The Palestinian media was also present at the event. During the demonstration the security chief of the illegal settlement of called the Israeli Army. One jeep of Israeli soldiers arrived and watched the demonstration for a while, then left. The settler security chief remained for a while talking with a soldier, then left the area. The demonstration concluded with lunch under a tree for all of the participants.

AWARENESS-RAISING ACTIVITIES On May 8 a delegation of 15 people from the Netherlands came to At-Tuwani village. A young member of the Popular Committee told them the story of At-Tuwani and guided them in a tour of the village. They also visited the Women's Cooperative shop and heard the history of the founder and of the cooperative. After their visit in Tuwani they went to Susiya village.

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