On January 17th, 2011, Israeli Authorities delivered home demolition notices to five Palestinian tent residences in Susiya, in the South Hebron Hills. The tents belong to the families of Ayssa Housena Al-Jobor, Omar Housen Al-Jobor, Ahmed Housen Al-Jobor, Ayssa Badr Al-Jobor and Omar Badr Al-Jobor.

The lawyer representing the families, Yasser Al-Jobor, confirmed that the occupation civilian administration had delivered the notices this week. It is not known when the tents will be destroyed and the families currently live in constant uncertainty.

Palestinian Bedouin villagers in Susiya and other communities in the South Hebron Hills face constant harassment from Israeli settlers as well as from the Israeli military. Residences and water wells are periodically demolished and these isolated … Continue reading

At around 12pm on Wednesday, January 19th 2011, Israeli soldiers stopped four Palestinian children along Route 60, between Beit Ommar and the city of Hebron. The soldiers detained the youth, all of whom appeared under the age of 15, in an isolated area out of sight of the road. By chance, international observers with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) traveling in a car spotted the soldiers leading the children away and followed to advocate for their welfare.

Despite the presence of international human rights activists, at one point the youth were forced to sit on the ground in the stress position … Continue reading

During an arrest raid in Hebron which appeared to target Hamas men released from PA custody the day before, Israeli forces shot and killed a 66-year-old man in his bed, in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity.

Arrested in Hebron overnight were Wael Al-Bitar, Majdi E’beid, Ahmad E’wewy, Muhand Neirukh, and Wisam Al-Qawasmi , all released from PA custody the day before, following intense lobby efforts from the detainees, who had been on hunger strike for weeks.

A sixth man released, Mohammad Suqieyah, returned home to Jenin and was not detained during the raid.

The execution came during the arrest of Wael Al-Bitar, who was released to … Continue reading

On Friday, January 7th, at 10am, Israeli settlers attacked Azmi Shoyokhi, a general member of all National Committees in the West Bank, while he was supporting Palestinian farmers in Om Al-Arrays, in the South Hebron Hills. About a dozen settlers surrounded Azmi, striking him in his head. Israeli military along with police were in the area and witnessed the attack, but they did nothing to intervene.

Palestinian organizers with the Palestine Solidarity Project were also present in Om Al-Arrays at the time of the attack to show solidarity with Kamal Nawajeaa, a farmers who owns 1500 dunums of land close to an Israeli settlement. Settlers plant … Continue reading

On Tuesday November 16th, Beit Ommar National Committee Member Eyad Jamil Al Alami was released from prison. He was arrested on Monday, October 11th, 2010, when Israeli forces raided his house in Beit Ommar. After three days he was taken to military court, where he was sentenced to four months administrative detention. He was released after one month, most likely due to the total lack of evidence against him.

Eyad is a 25-year-old student at the Polytechnic University in Hebron. He was arrested in April of this year at a nonviolent demonstration in Beit Ommar and was released after twenty days without charges.

Palestinians held in administrative detention are not informed … Continue reading

Like Palestinians for centuries before them, Shaban Atiya Al-Hur and Ahmed Atiya Al-Hur have farmed the Al-Hajahat area of Surif. This morning both men attended their land to find that settlers from the nearby Bat Ayn settlement had destroyed 85 of their olive and fig trees. The trees were destroyed by deliberately lit fires and amount to around half the trees in the area. The fires were started at approximately 9:30am and lasted for around half an hour.

Employment and economic opportunities for Palestinian residents of the region are extremely limited and the loss of these trees will have a devastating impact on the families of the affected farmers. Whilst the trees can be replanted, it will take several years before … Continue reading

On Friday, October 22nd, 2010, around 50 Palestinian residents from the village of Beit Ula, in the southern West Bank, organized a prayer demonstration near Israel’s Separation Barrier. Residents gathered around 12:00pm near the barrier which is built on farmland appropriated from the village. The demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and were attempting to peacefully pray on the land. Three Israeli military jeeps drove up to the gathering and told the Palestinians that they had to leave the area and return to the village.

Activists in Beit Ula intend to resume demonstrations every Friday against continued harassment from Israeli Forces when Palestinian farmers attempt to work … Continue reading

Palestinian medical sources in the southern West Bank city of Hebron reported Friday morning that two Palestinians were killed and ten others were wounded after the army invaded the city, surrounded a house of a resistance fighter and fired mortars at it. Shortly after midnight, at least 40 military vehicles and armored bulldozers invaded Jawhar Mountain in Hebron while several army choppers fired flares. Troops then surrounded a three-story home and started demolishing it.

Local sources reported that the surrounded building is owned by Radwan Rajabi, Saadi Borqan and Ayyoub Gheith.According to the military, resistance fighters barricaded themselves in the building and refused to surrender. Soldiers also surrounded nearby houses and used loud speakers to order the residents out. Later on, … Continue reading

In spite of the heat and Ramadan fatigue, protesters gathered today in Beit Ommar to protest the theft of the village’s land by the illegal Karmei Tsur settlement. A group of about 15 protesters marched through the fields of the the Abu Hashem family toward the fence that separates the settlement from the village, but were stopped before they could reach it by a line of Israeli soldiers outnumbering the protesters nearly 2 to 1. The soldiers drew a line in the dirt and informed the crowed that anyone who crossed it would be arrested. After about 15 minutes they push the crowd back about 30 feet and made the same announcement. Despite being outnumbered the demonstrators stood their ground … Continue reading

Crowds of activists paraded through the old city of Hebron on Saturday in celebration of the old city’s shop owners, who have kept their doors open despite increased pressure by the Israeli military to close up shop. A battalion of high-spirited drummers led a crowd of forty to fifty activists, who handed out certificates of appreciation to the many merchants who have refused to cave to the Israeli military’s increased intimidation and coercion. The Israeli army has been pressuring merchants in the old city to close their stores, blaming the weekly demonstrations in the old city for the increased harassment. By blaming the demonstrators the army has attempted to turn Palestinians against each other, sabotaging community ties and discouraging resistance. … Continue reading