This friday international and Israeli activists joined the people in Al-Walaja, Betlehem district, as they continued their struggle against the construction of the Annexation Barrier on their land. The demonstration began in the street of Al-Walaja, where a sheikh described the current situation in Al-Walaja and the devastating impact the Annexation Barrier will have on their community. After a collective prayer, the demonstrators marched to the land that had recently been bulldozed by the Israeli Occupation Forces. A woman from the community spoke passionately about the role of the international community. In particular, she directed her comments to Christians worldwide. A nearby monastery that was built many years … Continue reading

Today, Palestinian, international, and Israeli activists joined together in Beit Mirsim, Hebron District, and destroyed part of the Apartheid Fence.
Beit Mirsim is a small village near the Green Line in the southern West Bank. It is the site of beautiful archaeological sites and ancient homes, and recently, it has become yet another village caged in by the illegal Annexation Barrier. Throughout Palestine people reject the presence of this Annexation Barrier which separates Palestinian from Palestinian, farmer from his land, student from her school, people from their families. Israeli and international activists … Continue reading

The struggle against the Annexation Barrier continued in Al-Walaja this Friday. The residents, accompanied by international and Israeli activists and Palestinians from the surrounding area, gathered near the site of the current construction of the illegal Annexation Barrier for Friday prayer. After praying, demonstrators marched peacefully along the construction site. The residents of Al-Walaja will be some of the tens of thousands of Palestinians caught between the Annexation Barrier and the Green (armistice) Line. The case of Al-Walaja is particularly egregious since, because of their location between the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and the ‘Greater Jerusalem’ envelope, they will be completely surrounded by the Barrier which is confiscating much … Continue reading

On Tuesday, August 7, 2007 Palestinian students received their end-of-year exam marks. It was a day for celebration (for some), and consequently an occasion for fireworks. At approximately 1pm in the village of Al-Jab’a, Betlehem district, these celebrations were abruptly ended when Israeli Occupation Forces invaded the village, detained several male residents, and occupied at least 1 home.
Several jeeps and Armoured Personnel Carriers entered the small village of 800 residents where soldiers closed the road near the school and began stopping and questioning residents. They also forced one man to allow them into his home while his family waited outside. When international activists asked why they were … Continue reading

On August 3 at 9am Israeli Occupation Forces closed down the streets in an area in Burqa, a village north of Nablus. They shot at homes before invading them and ordering the residents outside. Using police dogs, the soldiers then ransacked peoples homes and kidnapped 8 men. In a particularly brutal fashion, soldiers put hoods over the men and tied them together with a crude rope. The men taken were: Najood Abu Omar, Tariq Saif, Amin Jamal ‘Itsougi, Tamir Dagalus, Nadeem ‘Omar, Habib Jaffer, Samir Abdullah, and Samir Ahmed. Their families were not given any information about why they were being taken or to where. All of … Continue reading

The Betlehem region was the site of two demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Barrier this friday. International and Israeli activists first joined the residents of Artas in their now weekly demonstration against the construction of a sewage drainage area for the settlement of Efrat and the section of the Annexation Barrier that are being built on Artas’ land. Palestinian, international and Israeli demonstrators marched from the village to the site of the current construction. A small concrete structure has been built on land that less than two months ago was filled with fruit trees. Sewage from the Israeli settlement will now be piped into the valley which … Continue reading

Yesterday, Palestinian, international and Israeli activists, including people from PSP and Anarchists Against the Wall, cut a section out of the Annexation Fence near the village of Surif in the Hebron District.

When completed in this area, the Annexation Fence will cut the nearby Palestinian village Al-Jab’a off from Surif and the rest of the West Bank, leaving it in a ‘no man’s land’ between the Annexation Fence and the ‘Green Line’, and surrounded by settlements.

Activists, wearing reflective vests so that the IOF would have no excuse to believe we were threatening, approached the fence and sought to do as much … Continue reading

This morning Israeli Occupation forces invaded the village of Zawata, near Nablus. Israeli tanks and jeeps were used to close the street and residents were forced to stay in their homes for several hours as Israeli forces demolished the home of the Anatur family. Residents called an ambulance, fearing the soldiers would use violence against residents, but the ambulance was prevented from reaching the area. After the demolition, Israeli forces disguised as Palestinians, arrested Abu Jihad Anatur, 21, who was a relative of the family whose home was demolished.

From IMEMC

The owner of the house, Mohammed Hussain, said that soldiers surrounded his home, which is still under construction, forcing everyone away from the house. Army bulldozers then leveled it to the ground. Hussain added that the army gave him no warning of the demolition.

The house in question is located near an illegal Israeli settlement outpost that was built on land stolen from Palestinians from Al-Asakra village.

The Israeli army, as always, stated that the house was built without the necessary permits. Such permits have never been granted by the Israeli state to Palestinians since Israeli occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967. Mr. Hussain stated that this demolition is aimed at forcing him out of his land, so … Continue reading

The Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions has begun their annual summer camp to rebuild a home in the village of Anata, near Jerusalem. At approximately 11am on July 17, the volunteers got notice that another home in Anata was going to be demolished. As International and Israeli volunteers were working with Palestinians in the village to prepare the home’s new roof, Israeli Army jeeps along with police accompanied a bulldozer to the home next to the ICAHD project. The small home was for a family of 9, who were away at the time. The bulldozer quickly demolished the home as the volunteers were forced to watch, fearful to draw attention to the home they were rebuilding, … Continue reading