[Dryerase] Updates and Reports from Occupied Palestine (December 23-26,2002)]

[ckln NEWS 88.1fm]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 2) Updates and Reports from Occupied Palestine (December
23-26,2002)
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 18:25:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Jaggi Singh <jaggi at tao.ca>
To: jaggisingh2003 at yahoo.ca


Included below are the following reports and releases:

1) The forced detention of ISM Nablus co-coordinator Omar Al-Titi (with
update)
2) IOF tanks shell civilian homes in Rafah (with update)
3) Palestinian and international solidarity activists to defy Gaza
checkpoint (postponed)
4) Palestinian Land Defense Communities to oppose the Apartheid Wall
5) IOF soldiers strip Palestinian men in public in Qalqiliah
6) IOF denies Palestinian farmers access to fields
7) Nablus Incident Report (December 26, 2002)
8) Qalqiliah Incident Report (December 26, 2002)
9) Hundreds march in Christmas procession in Beit Sahour (includes
photos)
10) Bethlehem to Rafah, Christmas 2002 (dispatch by Kristen Ess)

The above reports were written between December 23-26, 2002, in occupied
Palestine. -- Jaggi
----------

1) [NOTE: A separate e-mail has more info about this case.]

The forced detention of ISM Nablus co-coordinator Omar Al-Titi; location
unknown

[UPDATE (December 24, 2002, morning) - According to ISM members in
Nablus,
Omar Al-Titi has been moved, and his location has not been confirmed.
ISM
members and supporters in Nablus and elsewhere are actively engaged in
support work for Omar, to determine his location, and to negotiate his
release. Included below is yesterday's incident report about Omar's
case.]

INCIDENT REPORT, December 23, 2002
The forced detention of ISM Nablus co-coordinator Omar Al-Titi

Around 3pm this afternoon, the ISM Media Office learned about the forced
detention of Omar Al-Titi, a coordinator active in the Nablus-area.
Omar,
along with several internationals involved with the ISM, were trying to
cross an army checkpoint in the Nablus-area. The Israeli Occupation
Forces
were holding more than 20 young Palestinian men while checking their
identity cards. Omar was handcuffed by the soldiers, and then
blindfolded.
He was placed in an army vehicle and driven away to an undisclosed
location. His forced detention was witnessed by at least six
internationals, including Lyn Cohen of Los Angeles, a Hebrew-speaker.

Omar's detention location has now been confirmed. He is being detained
in
an occupied house in Mesakken Shabiya on the outskirts of Nablus. There
is
a presence of internationals outside the house, who are still trying to
negotiate his release. At one point, the internationals observed Omar
outside the house, still blindfolded and handcuffed and accompanied by
IOF
soldiers. His handcuffs were briefly removed so that he could urinate.

ISM support people in Nablus are actively working on Omar's situation.
An
update will follow when there is more news.

For info on-the-ground in Nablus, contact Ceri Gibbons 059 385 551. To
contact the ISM Media Office, phone 02 277 4602.

[Prepared by Jaggi Singh, ISM volunteer in Beit Sahour. 7:15pm.]
----------

2) IOF tanks shell civilian homes in Rafah City

[UPDATE (December 24, 2002, morning) - The ISM Media Office has just
spoken with Henrik Dahl in Rafah City. At least 15 ISM members are
strategizing their next steps in a meeting. He also reports that several
more houses were dynamited in Rafah. The original incident report from
yesterday is included below.]

INCIDENT REPORT, December 23, 2002
IOF tanks shelling civilian homes in Rafah City (Gaza)

[NOTE: Not for public distribution until more facts and details are
confirmed.]

The ISM Media Office has received a call at approximately 7:45pm from
Henrik Dahl, a Swedish international in Rafah City (Gaza). He just
escaped
a house, along with 4 Palestinians and two other internationals (a Brit
and an Italian), that collapsed after being hit by Israeli Occupation
Forces tank shells.

Henrik and other members of the ISM are staying in Palestinian homes in
Block J of Rafah City. The homes are being demolished to permit the
building of Israel's Apartheid Wall. He reports that an entire block of
homes is slated for demolition, and several homes were demolished in the
past few days, but the home he was staying in was not in the line of
demolition. The IOF tanks fired their shells, three in total according
to
his telephone report, without warning.

Henrik Dahl can be reached by phone at 055 811 735. The ISM Media office
can be reached at 02 277 4602.

[Prepared by Jaggi Singh, ISM volunteer in Beit Sahour. 8:11 pm.]
----------

3) [NOTE: This action was postponed by protest organizers. They intend
to
challenge the checkpoint in about a week to deliver the food and medical
supplies.]

MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release
December 25, 2002


PALESTINIANS AND INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS TO DEFY
ISRAELI CHECKPOINT IN GAZA

Tomorrow - Thursday, December 26, 2002 -- a group of Palestinians, on
the
initiative of the Palestinian Popular Refugee Committee in Rafah (Gaza
Strip), will attempt to cross an Israeli Occupation Forces checkpoint at
Mawasi in order to deliver emergency food and medical supplies to a
village surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements.

The delegation will be accompanied by more than 15 international
observers
(from Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and the United States).

The action will begin at 9am at the Palestinian Popular Refugee
Committee
Center in Rafah, and expects to be at the Mawasi checkpoint by noon. The
checkpoint is surrounded by IDF guard towers, and live bullet rounds
have
been reported to be shot at others that try to cross the checkpoint
without IDF authorization.

Contacts in Rafah: Tom 056 903 720 or Ben 067 361 681

-	30 -

----------

4) MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release
December 26, 2002

PALESTINIAN LAND DEFENSE COMMUNITIES OPPOSE THE APARTHEID WALL

MARCHES AND RALLY TO TAKE PLACE IN QALQILIAH DISTRICT


WHEN & WHERE:
Sunday, December 29, 2002. Marches begin at 9am in both K. Jbarah (North
of Qalqiliah District) and Hablah (South of Qalqiliah District),
converging on Jayyous at approximately 12pm.

CONTACTS:
Issam Nofal (059 778 185) - Coordinator the Land Defense Committee in
Jayyous; Radhika Sainath (052 574 754) or Patrick Connors (067 628 514
and
052 371 338)

BACKGROUND:
The National, Local and Land Defense Communities in Qalqiliah District
of
occupied Palestine are organizing a landmark "Day of Solidarity" with
local people and farmers, who are suffering from the construction of
Israel's so-called security fence, better known to Palestinians as the
"Apartheid Wall". The wall, which is being constructed within
Palestinian
territory, divides villages and fields, and is affecting Qalqiliah
District adversely. The first stage of wall construction will
effectively
annex 10% of Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Two separate marches will begin at K. Jbarah and Hablah, and pass thru
several towns and villages before converging on Jayyous for a major
rally,
focusing on the legal status and the facts surrounding the construction
of
the apartheid wall

In addition to local villagers and farmers, invitations have been
extended
to Palestinian ministries, Palestinian non-governmental organizations,
and
members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, as well as members of
the
Israeli Knesset, members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM),
and representatives of various legal organizations.

-30-
-----------

5) INCIDENT REPORT - IOF soldiers strip Palestinian men in public in
Qalqilya (December 25, 2002)

December 25, 2002, approximately 1pm -- ISM member Usama Qashoo reports
from Qalqilya that Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have been stripping
Palestinian men to their underwear at the main checkpoint into the city.
He reports that incidents have occurred yesterday and today. Qalqilya is
currently under its fifth day of curfew (meaning house arrest for all
residents). For more info and updates, please phone Usama at 052 366 944
or 059 837 611.
----------

6) INCIDENT REPORT - IOF denies Palestinian farmers access to fields
(December 24, 2002)

December 24, 2002 - International ISM activists in the Tulkarem area of
Palestine report that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), as well as
the
border police, refused to let Palestinian farmers access their fields.
The
fields are within the "Green Line" (1967 cease-fire border), but on the
other side of the "Apartheid Wall" that is currently being constructed
by
Israel to seal off the West Bank. At least 4 internationals accompanied
more than 10 Palestinians (representing 5 farmers), as they removed
recently placed roadblocks near the construction site of the Apartheid
Wall, around the village of Atil. IOF soldiers and the notorious Israeli
border police soon appeared. They refused access to the farmers, and
with
pressure from activists, only allowed farmers to go to their fields on
donkey cart, expressly forbidding tractors or vehicles. For more info,
please phone Patrick at 067 628 514 or 052 371 338.
----------

7) NABLUS INCIDENT REPORT - December 26, 2002, 11:35am - The ISM Media
Office has received a report from Nablus (the southwest side of the
city)
from ISM members. They are reporting that there has been sporadic
gunfire
by Israeli Occupation Forces soldiers from within an occupied house. At
one point, Palestinian medical officials, two internationals, as well as
11 Palestinians were forcibly locked inside the house. The medical
officials - from the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
(UPMRC) -- entered the house at dawn to assist injured persons inside,
along with the two internationals. After interventions by ISM members
outside, everyone inside the house was allowed to leave.

According to ISM members on the ground, the IOF is undertaking active
operations in the city of Nablus, including the old city. There are also
reports of more incidents involving gunfire. For more up-to-date
information on the ground in Nablus, please contact Susan at 059 877 091
or Saif at 067 328 536.

----------

8) QALQILIAH INCIDENT REPORT - December 26, 2002, 11:09am - The ISM
Media
Office has just received reports from ISM members in Qalqiliah (the
eastern part of the city). They are right beside Israeli Occupation
Forces
(IOF) soldiers who are shooting rubber bullets at schoolchildren who are
throwing stones from a distance. There are more than fifty children,
estimated to be between six to ten years old, who were in school buses.
The soldiers have already shot tear gas as well as percussion grenades
at
the kids. The shooting incident is occurring near a block of homes. The
soldiers arrived with a bulldozer and are accompanied by dogs that are
going thru the houses. A group of internationals have positioned
themselves in front of the homes, while others are positioned beside the
soldiers. They are fearful that the soldiers will attempt to demolish
the
homes.

Qalqiliah is now in its sixth day of curfew. Several tanks, APCs and
jeeps
have imposed curfew in areas of the city, including the eastern part of
Qalqiliah where the above incidents took place. Up to fifty Palestinian
men were forced to lie down on the street, in the rain, and they have
now
been crammed into two vehicles.

For more information on the ground in Qalqiliah, please contact Roba at
067 768 257 or Usama at 052 225 703.
----------

9) Hundreds march in Christmas procession in Beit Sahour

[NOTE: Three photos from the demo have not been attached to avoid taking
up too much memory. If you want the photos as an attachment (about 3
megs), just e-mail jaggi at tao.ca requesting them.]

BEIT SAHOUR, PALESTINE,  December 25, 2002 -- Despite a constant
downpour,
about 500 residents of Beit Sahour, Beit Jala, and Bethlehem, as well a
significant contingent of international supporters, marched from
Shepherd's Field to a church courtyard in Beit Sahour. The candlelight
procession is an annual event in the area since 1991, and a focal point
for opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The demonstration was led by a banner reading, "Imprisoned in my land:
Stop the Israeli Apartheid Wall", referring to the so-called "security
fence" - an 8 metre high wall, including roads and sensors on either
side
- that Israel is building to seal off the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The
wall will effectively annex 10% of Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Other lead banners, carried by local children, read: "Bethlehem is sad
on
Christmas day" and "Jerusalem is our capital forever". The
Bethlehem-area,
including the neighboring towns of Beit Sahour and Beit Jala, has been
under a virtual 24-hour curfew (meaning house arrest) imposed by Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) for at least the past month. The curfew was
lifted
by the IOF a few days before Christmas. It's expected that the curfew
will
be re-imposed in a few days, as the IOF continues its search for
so-called
"terrorists" in the area.

In past years, the procession from Beit Sahour has marched to the
Bethlehem-Jerusalem checkpoint, demanding to be allowed to travel freely
to the Palestinian capital. In 2000, a few months into the second
intifada, at least 8000 people marched to the checkpoint. This year,
organizers cancelled the checkpoint challenge, due to the low numbers,
and
the inclement weather.

This year's procession was a mix between Christmas street party and
political rally. Arabic Christmas carols were blasted out of improvised
sound systems, and many participants wore Christmas hats, while the
speeches, banners and slogans denounced the Israeli occupation.

One march organizer, in ending the demonstration, promised that before
next Christmas, a challenge would be organized against the
Bethlehem-Jerusalem checkpoint.

Earlier, on Christmas Eve afternoon, about 400 protesters gathered in
Manger Square in Bethlehem, near the Church of the Nativity, for another
rally against the occupation. The protest included a large delegation of
Israeli peace activists and refuseniks.

Meanwhile, in protest against the curfew that was only recently lifted
in
Bethlehem, Palestinian authorities refused to put up the traditional
Christmas tree in Manger Square, and decorations were noticeably absent
all over Bethlehem and the surrounding area.

[Attached photos: 1) Lead Banner; 2) Banners in front of Candlelight
Procession; 3) Beit Sahour children light candles. For the photos, just
e-mail jaggi at tao.ca.]

-- Reported by Jaggi Singh (jaggi at taol.ca) in Beit Sahour, Palestine

----------

10) Bethlehem to Rafah (Christmas 2002)

At the last minute, at the end of the day before Christmas Eve, the
Israeli government announced it would lift its curfew of Bethlehem. This
was another move in the endless game of Israeli propaganda, and one that
was expected. Thousands of eyes were on Bethlehem, the West Bank city
that
has been under curfew and reinvasion for the past month. For the second
year in a row the Israeli government did not allow President Arafat to
move the 13 miles from Ramallah to Bethlehem. There is a chair inside
the
Church of Nativity with a photo of Arafat and a kaffiyeh sitting on it.
The entire West Bank remains under curfew and reinvasion. The Israeli
military did not leave Bethlehem, just remained out of site of the
cameras. They occupied five high buildings throughout the Bethlehem
area,
using them as watchtowers and sniper posts. Israeli military jeeps drove
through the streets and around the camps. The night before Christmas
Eve,
Israeli soldiers took 8 Palestinians from their homes and dumped them in
Israeli detention for interrogation. The next night it was seven. On
Christmas night Israeli soldiers abducted ten Palestinians. The Israeli
military government is holding over 8,000 Palestinians hostage in its
prisons.

Today, the day after Christmas, the Israeli military took over Manger
Square again. They began shooting and firing gas. They were yelling from
their jeep loudspeakers that curfew was re-imposed. Some of Bethlehem's
residents resisted by throwing stones for two hours.

Last week in Bethlehem's Azzeh refugee camp, 50 Israeli soldiers stormed
into a sleeping household, one that has welcomed me as their sister and
daughter for the past year. One of the son's, living on the second of
three floors, went to his door. He called out, "I'm unarmed, I'm opening
the door now." He's telling me this, everyone in the family has told me
the way it went for them, saying, "I didn't know, you know, they could
have shot me right then. We don't ever know if they're gonna kill all of
us." The Israeli soldiers ran into the house and demanded that everyone
come outside. They put their guns in the backs of the family and pushed
at
those who live on the upper floors. They searched the blankets that the
babies were wrapped in. One of the women is pregnant. One son has a
mental
disability. The mother and father are elderly. The entire family was
forced to stand in the camp allyway with their hands on the cement wall.
It was 2 o'clock in the morning, a winter night. The Israelis took one
of
the sons. He wears glasses, writes poems, laughs out loud, makes good
coffee, listens to music. He's a student. Israeli soldiers blindfolded
him
and bound his hands. They stuffed him in the back of a jeep. The kids
were
calling out goodbye. He is in an Israeli prison now, without charge. The
father and all of the sons in the family, save for two, have been
abducted
in this way. His mother is sobbing throughout all of this. It's enough.

A soft-spoken man who used to live in Rafah in the south of the Gaza
Strip
until the Israeli military demolished his Block O house in order to
build
their separation wall, tells me, "You know really," he pauses for a long
time, "I'm afraid now that we are just all wanted." The night before
Christmas Eve the Israeli military demolished thirty houses in Rafah.
Tanks fired into the houses, the families ran out, and the bulldozers
ripped through. There was not even a half second of notice.

Kristen Ess
Occupied Palestine
26 December, 2002