HEBRON (Ma’an) — A shepherd sustained facial injuries on Thursday, December 29th, 2011, when Israeli soldiers threw sound grenades at him during clashes near Hebron, a local official said.

Israeli forces raided Beit Ommar and briefly detained and attacked several locals, popular committee spokesman Muhammad Awad told Ma’an. Soldiers fired tear gas and sound bombs after residents came to defend their relatives, he added.

Ayed Mahmud Abu Maryeh, 42, was guarding his sheep when soldiers fired sound grenades at him, Awad said. He was taken to Hebron Hospital with minor injuries to his face, Awad said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman had no immediate comment on the incident.

On Dec. 9, a 28-year-old man was killed when soldiers fired a tear gas canister at his … Continue reading

On December 23rd, 2011, residents of the Palestinian village of Beit Ommar, accompanied by Israeli and international solidarity activists. held a peaceful demonstration against the illegal settlement of Karmei Tsur, and the stealing of privately owned agricultural land.

Demonstrators approached the settlement fence and were able to remove a post and some barbed wire before many police arrived and forced them back. The demonstrators remained peaceful, even when the police shoved some of them roughly to the ground. After several speeches were given explaining the illegality of the settlement and the grievances of the Palestinians, the demonstrators ended the protest peacefully. There were no arrests.

The … Continue reading

On Sunday, December 18, 2011, 550 Palestinian political prisoners were released from Israeli prisons as part of the second phase of the prisoner exchange for Gilad Shalit. Thousands of loved ones gathered all day long outside of Ofer prison in the Ramallah district of the West Bank to await the release of their friends and family members.

During the day the families celebrated with dances and speeches. At a certain point, Israeli Forces attacked the gathering shooting tear gas, rubber bullets, and using the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), otherwise known as the scream. LRAD emits high pitched frequencies that have the capacity of leaving those affected dizzy, nauseous, and at times incapacitated. At least … Continue reading

On December 22, after Friday prayers, over 50 Nabi Saleh residents held their weekly demonstration along with Israeli and international solidarity activists. The group peacefully marched though town and towards the Ein al-Qaws (the Bow Spring), which rests on lands belonging to Bashir Tamimi, the head of the Nabi Saleh village council. The spring was used historically as a source of water for the village until being illegally fenced off by Halamish settlers in 2009.

While the protesters were demonstrating peacefully hundreds of yards away from the spring the Israeli military fired dozens of tear gas canisters at them. As demonstrators returned to the village, Israeli military forces illegally shot tear gas canisters directly at them from close range. The … Continue reading

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, several dozen Palestinian women and their children from several villages and towns in the West Bank were supported by a group of Israeli women as they visited Jerusalem, defying the arbitrary Israeli laws that make Jerusalem and the rest of Israel forbidden zones for most Palestinians living in the West Bank. Occupied East Jerusalem is held out by many Palestinians as the future capitol of their state, and it is a city of great religious, cultural, and historical significance to Palestinians. This past Saturday was a continuation of Israeli-Palestinian women actions which challenge the apartheid policies of Israeli Authorities, that have been occurring for the past year and a half.

Young Israeli … Continue reading

On Saturday, December 11, 2011 around 40 Palestinian villagers in Beit Ommar held their weekly demonstration land close to the Israeli settlement of Karmei Tsur. The villagers were joined by a group of Hebron University female students and they were also supported by Israeli and international solidarity activists.

This week’s demonstration decried the murder of Mustafa Tamimi, a 28-year-old Palestinian activist from the village of Nabi Saleh, who was shot in the face from close range with a tear gas canister fired by Israeli Forces during an unarmed demonstration two days before. Mustafa died of his wounds early … Continue reading

Update: Mustafa Tamimi, who was shot in the face from close range in a demonstration in Nabi Saleh Friday, has died. His funeral will be held tomorrow morning, proceeding from Ramallah to Nabi Saleh.

On Friday, December 9, 2011, Mustafa Tamimi, a 28-year-old Palestinian activist from the village of Nabi Saleh, was critically injured by Israeli Forces after he was struck in the face by a tear gas projectile. Mustafa was injured during Nabi Saleh’s weekly unarmed demonstrations against the Israeli settlements on village land. These weekly demonstrations are aften met with severe repression by Israeli Forces, who use exessive force resulting in the injuries of dozens, as well as mass arrests.

For video, watch below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ5DipqScyE&sns=em

According to witnesses, … Continue reading

On November 15th, 2011, six Palestinian activists were arrested for boarding Israeli settlement buses in the West Bank district of Ramallah. The activists, calling themselves the Freedom Riders, drew inspiration from the 1961 Freedom Rides in the United States, in which young black and white civil rights activists challenged the segregated transportation system across southern states.

Settler buses run by the companies Egged and Veolia, connect Israeli settlements which are built on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank, and deemed illegal under International Law, with cities within Israel proper. Palestinians are not allowed to ride these buses, one of many separate … Continue reading

Berlin, Germany, 22nd September 2011: Palestinian residents of Berlin, alongside German solidarity activists and Members of Parliament, demonstrated in the center of the German capital in support of the Palestinian struggle.

Demonstrators gathered outside the German parliament to hear speeches in support of the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN. Speakers also called for a campaign of boycott, disinvestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, for an end to the occupation and the seige on Gaza, and in support of the Palestinian popular struggle.

Among the participents at the demonstration was member of the Beit Ommar popular committee and PSP co-founder Mousa … Continue reading

Last night, PSP joined thousands of Palestinians on the streets of Hebron to watch Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the UN general assembly. Large crowds congregated along al-Quds street, where several big screens had been erected.

There was an expectant and celebratory atmosphere as the crowd watched musical and cultural performances that were being staged in Beirut and Nablus in the build up to the speech, which began at approximately 7pm local time.

The crowd applauded, cheered, and chanted as … Continue reading