Israeli settlers burn a house in Ad-Deirat. Israeli forces demolish a tent in Al-Mufaqarah.

(Italian follows)

December 31, 2014

At-Tuwani – On December 31, at about 3:00 am, Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian house in the South Hebron hills village of Ad-Deirat. In the same day, at about 12:50 pm, Israeli forces demolished a tent in the village of Al-Mufaqarah.

As witnessed by Palestinians, at about 3:00 am two settlers wrote with black spray near the front door of a Palestinian’s house in the village of Ad-Deirat a sentence, in which is recognizable only the word: “revenge“. Then, settlers broke a window and threw a molotov cocktail inside the house. The molotov cocktail damaged furniture and the television, but didn’t injure any Palestinian living in the house as they were all sleeping in another room.

In the same day, at about 12:50 pm, Israeli forces demolished a tent and a cement base for a tent, both belonging to a Palestinian family, in the village of Al-Mufaqarah. The tent was a storage of food for the sheep and for the wood used by the family to protect itself from the winter cold.

Palestinians in South Hebron hills have suffered the Israeli settlers’ presence since the 70s. The settlers, occupying Palestinian-owned lands, deprive the Palestinians of their main livelihood. Moreover the settlers, with their ongoing violence, prevent Palestinians from having a regular daily life and restrict their freedom of movement, thus forcing them to leave the South Hebron hills area.

Ad-Deirat and Al-Mufaqarah villages are located in Area C, under Israeli military and administrative control. That means that all the constructions must be approved by the Israeli administration. Israel denies Palestinians the right to build on the 70 percent of Area C, which is about the 44 percent of all the West Bank, while within the remaining 30 percent a series of restrictions are applied in order to prevent Palestinians from obtaining building permits (source: OCHA oPt).

Nevertheless the Palestinian communities of the South Hebron Hills area are still strongly committed to nonviolent popular resistance against the Israeli occupation.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the settlers ’price tag’ attack in Ad-Deirat: http://goo.gl/hrU4RJ

Video of the demolition in Al-Mufaqarah: http://youtu.be/Veht8zZuCfY

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

School patrol military escort delays twice this week.

At Tuwani, December 10 – On December 8 the military escort arrived at the meeting point at 8:16 am and on December 10 at 8:28 am. The Israeli soldiers are supposed to be at the meeting point at 7:30 am and wait for the Palestinian children from Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed villages (South Hebron Hills) to arrive, in order to safely accompany them to school in At Tuwani village for the all path. The arranged meeting point is a very dangerous spot, attached to Ma’on Israeli settlement’s chicken barns and just a few meters away from Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost. In Havat Ma’on violent national-religious Israeli settlers live, the ones from whom Palestinian children need protection in order to reach the school as safely as possible.

From the beginning of the school year the military escort arrived late in 5 of the total mornings, therefore children missed a total of more than 2 hours of school.

On December 10, while waiting the escort to arrive, Palestinian children were verbally harassed by Israeli settlers from Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost who shouted to them.

2014 is the tenth year since when in 2004, after several settler violent attacks toward Palestinian children and International volunteers, the DCO issued a verbal order for a daily escort of the schoolchildren; the Israeli Knesset Committee for Children’s Rights later confirmed this order. According to the initial agreement between DCO and the major of At Tuwani, Palestinian children must use the shortest route to reach the school (about 2.5 km from Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed). The shortest route is the road that passes between the land where the Israeli settlement of Ma’on sits from 1982 and the Hill 833, where in 2001 the outpost of Havat Ma’on was built. This is the only viable road between Tuba and At Tuwani, after 2001 settler violence became so intense that it deterred Palestinians from using it.

Since 2004 International volunteers have monitored every day the Israeli military escort and have registered several misconducts: lack of punctuality, refusal to walk with the children, refusal to complete the escort, negligence in protecting the children in case of harassments from the settlers. Also, when the military escort doesn’t come Palestinian children have to walk through a longer (about one and half hour) and still dangerous way, very close to Havat Ma’on.

10 Palestinian schoolchildren from Tuba waiting for the military escort to arrive at the arranged meeting point. Behind them there is Ma’on Israeli settlement and in front of them Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost.

Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost was built in 2001 on “Tel Abu Jundyia” Palestinian owned land, also called Hill 833.

La scorta militare israeliana per gli studenti palestinesi arriva in ritardo due volte questa settimana.

At Tuwani, 10 dicembre – Il giorno 8 dicembre la scorta militare è arrivata al punto d’incontro alle 8:16 e il giorno 10 dicembre alle 8:28. I soldati israeliani dovrebbero trovarsi al punto d’incontro concordato alle 7:30 e aspettare che i bambini palestinesi dei villaggi di Tuba e Maghyir Al Abeed (colline a sud di Hebron) arrivino, così da poterli scortare a scuola nel villaggio di At Tuwani per tutto il percorso. Il punto d’incontro concordato è un posto pericoloso, adiacente le stalle dei polli della colonia israeliana di Ma’on e a pochi metri di distanza dall’avamposto israeliano illegale di Havat Ma’on. Nell’avamposto di Havat Ma’on vivono violenti coloni nazional–religiosi, a causa di questi ultimi i bambini palestinesi hanno bisogno di protezione per arrivare a scuola nel modo più sicuro possibile.

Dall’inizio dell’anno scolastico la scorta militare è arrivata in ritardo in 5 mattine, questo ha fatto si che i bambini perdessero un totale di più di 2 ore di scuola.

Il 10 dicembre, mentre aspettavano la scorta, i bambini sono stati verbalmente attaccati con urla e fischi dai coloni dell’avamposto israeliano illegale di Havat Ma’on.

Il 2014 è il decimo anno da quando nel 2004, dopo ripetuti atti di violenza dei coloni verso bambini palestinesi e volontari internazionali, la DCO (District Coordination Office, una branca dell’esercito israeliano che si occupa dell’amministrazione civile dei territori occupati palestinesi) ha emesso un ordine verbale per la presenza di una scorta che accompagnasse gli studenti; poco dopo la Commissione per i Diritti dei Bambini del Parlamento Israeliano ha confermato l’ordine. Stando ad un accordo iniziale tra la DCO ed il sindaco di At Tuwani, i bambini palestinesi devono usare la via più breve per raggiungere la scuola (circa 2,5 km da Tuba e Maghayir Al Abeed). La via più breve è la strada che passa in mezzo alla terra su cui dal 1982 si trova la colonia israeliana di Ma’on e la Hill 833, collina sulla quale nel 2001 è stato costruito l’avamposto israeliano illegale di Havat Ma’on. Questa è l’unica strada percorribile tra Tuba ed At Tuwani, dal 2001 la violenza dei coloni l’ha resa impraticabile ai palestinesi.

Volontari internazionali monitorano la scorta militare ogni giorno dal 2004, e da allora registrano diverse mancanze: mancanza di puntualità, rifiuto di camminare con i bambini, rifiuto di completare il percorso, negligenza nel proteggere i bambini in caso di violenza da parte dei coloni. In più, quando la scorta militare non si presenta, i bambini palestinesi devono percorrere una strada più lunga (che gli richiede circa 1 ora e mezza) e comunque pericolosa, molto vicina ad Havat Ma’on.

(Italian follows)

At Tuwani – On October 10, a dog belonging to a palestinian family from Um al Kher village, was shot.

According to Palestinian witnesses, early in the morning a shepherd was grazing his flock with the dog, when they heard a gun shot coming from the Israeli settlement of Karmel. After some minutes the dog returned to the village, with a bullet wound.

The Palestinians from Um al Kher called the Israeli police to complain about the situation and they were asked to go to Kiryat Arba police station. Considering that the police officers know there are not weapons owned by the palestinians from Um al Kher, they decided to enter in Karmel to collect evidences and to speak to the security chief of the settlement.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the incident: http://goo.gl/7vdfQ4

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

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Cane da pastore riporta ferita d’arma da fuoco vicino alla colonia di Karmel

At Tuwani – Il 10 ottobre un cane di proprietà di una famiglia del villaggio di Um al Kher, ha riportato una ferita d’arma da fuoco.

Secondo testimoni palestinesi, di prima mattina un pastore stava pascolando il suo gregge con il cane, quando hanno sentito un colpo d’arma da fuoco proveniente dalla colonia israeliana di Karmel. Dopo pochi minuti il cane è ritornato al villaggio con una ferita d’arma da fuoco.

I palestinesi di Um al Kher hanno chiamato la polizia israeliana per denunciare il fatto e gli è stato chiesto di recarsi alla stazione di polizia di Kiryat Arba. Considerato che gli agenti di polizia sanno che i palestinesi di Um al Kher non possiedono armi, hanno deciso di entrare a Karmel per raccogliere prove dell’accaduto e per parlare con il capo della sicurezza della colonia.

Operazione Colomba mantiene una presenza costante nel villaggio di At-Tuwani e nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron dal 2004.

Foto dell’incidente: http://goo.gl/7vdfQ4

[Note: secondo la IV Convenzione di Ginevra, la II Convenzione dell’Aja, la Corte Internazionale di Giustizia e numerose risoluzioni ONU, tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nei Territori Palestinesi Occupati sono illegali. Gli avamposti sono considerati illegali anche secondo la legge israeliana.]

By Yossi Gurvitz, for Yesh Din (+972 Magazine)

Through the use of civilian security coordinators in settlements and outposts, the IDF has, essentially, privatized law enforcement in the West Bank. A further aspect of this symbiotic relationship is the army’s use of the coordinators to promote de facto recognition of unauthorized settler outposts.

Our first post about our report “The Lawless Zone” focused on the unclear relationship through which Israel effectively privatizes powers in the field of defense, law enforcement and policing, and transfers these to Israeli settlers. The security coordinators are residents of West Bank settlements who receive quasi-military powers. Although they are not formally empowered to issue commands to soldiers, in practice they do so, and in many cases they exploit their powers in order to expand their settlements’ territory.

This is the main problem created by the institution of the security coordinators, and accordingly our key recommendation is that the army should reassume these powers and appoint security coordinators who are officers in the permanent army and are accountable solely to the army and not to the settlements. There is another problem, however, one that highlights the symbiotic relationship between the army and the settlers.

In the mid-1990s, the Israeli government decided not to establish new settlements unless they were approved by the entire government. Since then the phenomenon of the “outposts” has developed. An outpost is the result of the seizure of land that is ostensibly private and unauthorized, but enjoys the de facto support of the authorities, including generous support from government sources. This tool is used by settlers to seize Palestinian or public land. This process was described in extensive detail both in a report prepared by Attorney Talia Sasson and in the Yesh Din report “The Road to Dispossession.” In recent years the emphasis has been on expanding and approving existing outposts, rather than on establishing new ones.

None of this could have happened without extensive assistance from the army. In one instance, the outpost of Netzach Binyamin was torched by Palestinians. The army did not provide protection and so the Israeli civilians fled. In a case involving the land seizure orders in Dura al-Qara, the army concealed the existence of the orders from the Palestinian residents to prevent them appealing, exposing a long-standing pattern of collaboration between the army and the settlers. Our latest report has identified a new dimension to this collaboration.

In 2009 the district brigades redefined the guarding areas for which the security coordinators are responsible. The changes were made after many years in which the coordinators effectively worked without any geographical restriction, since the guard order defining their operations did not specify the boundaries of the settlements. Following a petition submitted by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the army took no less than four years to prepare the amendment.

The amendment led to two changes. Firstly, the guarding area of the settlement was defined not according to its municipal boundaries, but according to the defense perception of the brigade commander. More importantly, for the first time the orders defined guarding areas for illegal outposts: 48 such outposts were allocated independent guarding areas, while 35 more were included in the guarding area of their parent settlement.

This provision constitutes the de facto approval of the outposts by the IDF – and this in an administrative process that was supposed to restrict the security coordinators’ operations.

This process happened quietly, without a government decision, without public discussion and without updating the courts, which are still hearing the issue. An ostensibly technical military order bypassed all these stages, granting official recognition to a criminal offense.

This post is presented as a public service, in case you still believe in the fairytale about the wild settler and the army that does not pick and choose its operations. The army very much picks and chooses its operations; it has always done so.

Written by Yossi Gurvitz in his capacity as a blogger for Yesh Din, Volunteers for Human Rights. A version of this post was first published on Yesh Din’s blog.

Read the full Yesh Din report here.

(Italian follows)

September 22, 2013

Tuwani – On September 20, the South Hebron Hills Popular Committee (SHHPC) have organized a nonviolent action to claim the Palestinians right to access to the land and to denounce the illegal settlers expansion, near the Palestinian village of Susiya.

One week ago the Israeli settlers illegally built a tent (about 20 s.m.) on Palestinian land, situated between the Palestinian village of Susiya and the Israeli Suseya settlement, where the settlers used to gather every afternoon. Beside this tent there is a well owned by a Palestinian from Susiya in which the settlers used to swim. This violations prevented the Palestinian shepherds and villagers to use the well and to graze in the valley close to the place.

On Saturday morning, at 10 a.m. several Palestinian men, women and children, with the solidarity of Israeli activists went to the tent and dismantled it. Subsequently they collected the garbage around the well and they took water from it as a demonstrative action.
Suddenly around ten settlers came out from Suseya and some of them crossed an area in which the access is forbidden to Israelis and raged against the nonviolent activists.
In the meanwhile Israeli Forces arrived and the Palestinians denounced the settlers violations. At 10:45 the Israeli army and Border Police declared the area a “close military zone” for one day, in order to push away the Palestinians and the Israeli activists. Yet the settlers remained inside the temporary close military area with the Police and army.

The nonviolent action aimed to prevent the settlement illegal territorial expansion and to stop the ongoing appropriation of Palestinian land from the settlers present in the South Hebron Hills are.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the action: http://goo.gl/21d7bw

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

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I Palestinesi resistono all’espansione delle colonie, colline a sud di Hebron

22 settembre 2014

At Tuwani – Il 20 settembre, il Comitato Popolare delle colline a sud di Hebron ha organizzato un’azione nonviolenta per affermare il diritto dei Palestinesi di accesso alla terra e per denunciare l’illegale espansione dei coloni, vicino al villaggio palestinese di Susiya.

Una settimana prima i coloni Israeliani hanno illegalmente costruito una tenda (di circa 20 mq) su terra di proprietà palestinese, situata tra il villaggio Palestinese di Susiya e l’insediamento Israeliano di Suseya, dove i coloni usano riunirsi tutti i pomeriggi. A fianco alla tenda c’è un posso di proprietà di un palestinese di Susiya, nel quale i coloni fanno il bagno. Queste violazioni impediscono ai pastori e gli abitanti palestinesi di usare il pozzo e di pascolare nella valle vicina.

Il sabato mattina alle 10:00 molti palestinesi (uomini, donne e bambini) con la solidarietà degli attivisti israeliani sono andati alla tenda e l’hanno smantellata. Successivamente hanno raccolto i rifiuti intorno al pozzo e, come azione dimostrativa, hanno utilizzato l’acqua.
Improvvisamente circa dieci coloni sono venuti dall’insediamento di Suseya e alcuni di loro hanno attraversato un’area in cui l’accesso è vietato agli israeliani e si sono infuriati contro gli attivisti nonviolenti.
Nel frattempo sono arrivate le forze armate israeliane e i palestinesi hanno denunciato le violazioni dei coloni. Alle 10:45 l’esercito israeliano e la polizia hanno dichiarato la zona un area militare chiusa per un giorno, al fine di scacciare i palestinesi e gli attivisti israeliani. Eppure i coloni sono rimasti dentro la temporanea area militare chiusa con la polizia e l’esercito.

L’azione nonviolenta ha lo scopo di impedire l’illegale espansione territoriale della colonia e di fermare la continua appropriazione di terra palestinesi da parte dei coloni israeliani nelle colline a sud di Hebron.

Operazione Colomba mantiene una presenza costante nel villaggio di At-Tuwani e nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron dal 2004.

Foto dell’azione: http://goo.gl/21d7bw

[Note: secondo la IV Convenzione di Ginevra, la II Convenzione dell’Aja, la Corte Internazionale di Giustizia e numerose risoluzioni ONU, tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nei Territori Palestinesi Occupati sono illegali. Gli avamposti sono considerati illegali anche secondo la legge israeliana.]

September 19, 2014

At Tuwani – On September 17, at 5:30 a.m. three cars with fourteen Israeli settlers came into the Palestinian village of At Tuwani, escorted by two army jeep.

The settlers entered in the archeological site located between several Palestinian homes, in the middle of the village, one of them was armed. At Tuwani inhabitants started to gather at the closest Palestinian home and the owner of the house demanded to the Israeli army explanations about the happening. After the villagers nonviolent pressure on the Israelis both settlers and soldiers, they left the village at 6:15 a.m. This is just the last of several ongoing provocations carried out by the Israeli army and settlers to which the South Hebron Hills palestinian communities keep reacting in a nonviolent way.

In 2011, in At Tuwani were conducted excavations by Israeli archaeologists escorted by the army. Several archeologist that came to visit the village affirmed that the evidences are dating from the Byzantine period. Yet in December 2011 during an archeology meeting placed in the Israeli settlement of Suseya (in the South Hebron Hills area) was declared that the ruins are part of an ancient synagogue. In the meeting was also explained how to reach the site. The finding of ancient jewish ruins in the ’80s was the formal pretext to forcibly evict the Palestinian population of Susiya village.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the incident: http://goo.gl/mJicAx

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

17 giugno 2014

At Tuwani – Il 17 Settembre, alle ore 5:30, tre macchine con quattordici coloni Israeliani sono arrivate nel villaggio Palestinese di At Tuwani, scortate da due jeep dell’esercito.

I coloni sono entrati nel sito archeologico situato tra le case di alcuni palestinesi, nel centro del villaggio, uno di questi era armato. Gli abitanti di At Tuwani si sono riuniti presso la casa palestinese più vicina e il proprietario della casa ha chiesto spiegazioni all’esercito Israeliano riguardo a quello che stava accadendo. Dopo la pressione nonviolenta esercitata dagli abitanti del villaggio sull’esercito e sui coloni, questi se ne sono andati alle 6:15. Questa è l’ennesima delle continue provocazioni compiute dall’esercito e dai coloni israeliani, alla quale le comunità Palestinesi delle colline a sud di Hebron continuano a reagire in maniera nonviolenta.

Nel 2011 ad At Tuwani sono stati condotti scavi da parte di archeologi israeliani scortati dall’esercito. Molti degli archeologi che hanno visitato il villaggio affermano che i ritrovamenti risalgono all’epoca Bizantina. Eppure nel Dicembre 2011, durante una conferenza sull’archeologia avvenuta nell’insediamento Israeliano di Suseya (nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron), è stato dichiarato che le rovine sono appartenenti ad una antica sinagoga. Nella conferenza è stato anche indicato come raggiungere il sito archeologico. Il ritrovamento di antiche rovine ebraiche negli anno ’80 è stato il pretesto formale per l’evacuazione forzata della popolazione palestinese dal villaggio di Susiya.

Operazione Colomba mantiene una presenza costante nel villaggio di At-Tuwani e nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron dal 2004.

Foto dell’incidente: http://goo.gl/mJicAx

[Note: secondo la IV Convenzione di Ginevra, la II Convenzione dell’Aja, la Corte Internazionale di Giustizia e numerose risoluzioni ONU, tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nei Territori Palestinesi Occupati sono illegali. Gli avamposti sono considerati illegali anche secondo la legge israeliana.]

The Israeli occupation continues to “normalize” the violation of the Palestinian human rights

At Tuwani – Operation Dove, Nonviolent Peace Corps of the Pope John XXIII Community-Association, maintains a constant presence in the South Hebron hills, Palestinian Occupied Territory, continuing from 10 years to accompany and support the Palestinians of the area in their struggle choice by nonviolent methods in order to protect their lives and their rights.

“On the seventh day since the beginning of the Israeli state ‘Protective Edge’ military operation against the Gaza Strip (which has already killed at least 180 people and injured more than 1200), the situation here is alarming,” says a volunteer. “Although no serious things happened during the past 7 days, the local population is very apprehensive and scared. It is expected that in parallel with the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army and settlers could begin a new massive violence phase in the area. A lot of shepherds, that we usually accompany by non-armed escort during their everyday activities, now they stay in their houses and don’t approach work areas close to Israeli settlements or outposts, because scared of attacks that could attempt on their safety. ”

Operation Dove strongly condemns this further outbreak of violence: in addition to the massacre and the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, the Israeli military operation that followed the kidnapping and murder of three young Israelis, in the West Bank has led to at least 10 people killed including children, and 150 injured during the raids. More than 500 people have been kidnapped and imprisoned, many of them subjected to “administrative detention”, so without charge. More than two thousand properties were raided, damaged or looted. Towns, villages and refugee camps have been put under siege by checkpoints and roadblocks.

Operation Dove strongly condemns the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories  that dehumanizes the occupier and the occupied. This dehumanization, institutionalized, sought and wanted by the occupying state, makes possible the murder of three young Israelis by two Palestinians, as it seems, or the barbaric murder of a 16 year old Palestinian from East Jerusalem, burned alive by Israeli extremists. This occupation “normalizes” the continued human rights violations of the Palestinian people.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

For further information:
Operation Dove, 054 99 25 773

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

15 luglio 2014

At Tuwani – Operazione Colomba, Corpo Nonviolento di Pace della Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, mantiene una presenza costante nelle colline a sud di Hebron, Territori Palestinesi Occupati, continuando ad accompagnare e supportare da ormai dieci anni i palestinesi della zona nella loro scelta di lottare con metodi nonviolenti per la tutela della propria vita e dei propri diritti.

“Al settimo giorno dall’inizio dell’operazione “Protective Edge” dello Stato israeliano contro la Striscia di Gaza (che ha già ucciso almeno 180 persone e ferite più di 1200), la situazione qui è preoccupante” racconta un volontario. “Nonostante non siano successi fatti gravi negli ultimi 7 giorni, la popolazione locale è molto in apprensione e spaventata. Si aspetta che parallelamente ai bombardamenti israeliani sulla striscia di Gaza, militari e coloni israeliani possano dare inizio a una nuova fase di violenza massiccia nell’area. Molti pastori che ogni giorno scortiamo in maniera non armata nelle attività quotidiane stanno in casa e non si avvicinano alle zone di lavoro adiacenti alle colonie e agli avamposti israeliani per paura di attacchi che possano attentare alla loro incolumità”.

Operazione Colomba guarda con sgomento e condanna  questa ulteriore esplosione di violenza: oltre al massacro e al disastro umanitario a Gaza, l’operazione militare israeliana seguita al sequestro e all’uccisione di tre giovani israeliani, in Cisgiordania ha portato ad almeno 10 persone uccise, tra cui bambini, e 150 ferite durante le incursioni. Più di 500 persone sono state sequestrate ed incarcerate, di cui una buona parte sottoposte a “detenzione amministrativa”, cioè senza un’accusa. Più di duemila proprietà sono state perquisite, danneggiate o saccheggiate. Città, villaggi e campi profughi sono stati messi sotto assedio da checkpoint e roadblock.

Operazione Colomba condanna l’ occupazione israeliana dei Territori Palestinesi  che disumanizza l’occupante e l’occupato. E’ questa disumanizzazione, istituzionalizzata, cercata e voluta dallo stato occupante, che  rende possibili l’assassinio di tre giovani israeliani ad opera di due palestinesi, come pare, o il barbaro assassinio di un 16enne palestinese di Gerusalemme est, bruciato vivo da estremisti israeliani. E’ questa occupazione che “normalizza” la continua violazione dei diritti umani del popolo palestinese.

Operazione Colomba mantiene una presenza costante nel villaggio di At-Tuwani e nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron dal 2004.

Per informazioni:
Operazione Colomba, +972 54 99 25 773

[Note: secondo la IV Convenzione di Ginevra, la II Convenzione dell’Aja, la Corte Internazionale di Giustizia e numerose risoluzioni ONU, tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nei Territori Palestinesi Occupati sono illegali. Gli avamposti sono considerati illegali anche secondo la legge israeliana.]

By Amira Hass, Haaretz, May 21 2014

Officer tells Knesset committee method used to reduce illegal construction, Palestinian population in Area C; Habayit Hayehudi MK urges crack-down on international groups who assist construction.
Military training in live-fire zones in the West Bank is used as a way of reducing the number of Palestinians living nearby, and serves as an important part of the campaign against Palestinian illegal construction, an army officer revealed at a recent Knesset committee meeting.

Every saturday, since one year and a half, Palestinians together with Israeli activists organise nonviolent actions to claim the right to return to their land in the South Hebron Hills, on which settlers from the Israeli illegal outpost of Mitzpe Yair have built greenhouses. The land is situated between the Palestinian village of Shi’b Al Butum and the Israeli illegal outpost of Mitzpe Yair.

This land is called Umm Al Arayes and it’s a Palestinian private propriety.  Demolition orders have been issued against the greenhouses by the Israeli District Coordination Office. The Israeli army declaration of lands as closed military zone impedes the Palestinians from accessing their land. Since 2001 the Palestinians in the area have faced restricted access to these lands.

Palestinians from the South Hebron Hills keep facing the Israeli occupation through the popular nonviolent resistance.

For more information about the area you can see also: http://tuwaniresiste.operazionecolomba.it/?s=Umm+Al+Arayes

2014-05-10: Isareli army and Border police preventing Palestinina from accessing their private land in Umm Al Arayes

Palestinesi continuano a lottare per la terra a Umm Al Arayes

Ogni sabato, da un anno e mezzo, palestinesi insieme ad attivisti israeliani organizzano azioni nonviolente per reclamare il diritto di accesso alla propria terra nelle colline a sud di Hebron, dove i coloni dell’avamposto illegale israeliano di Mitzpe Yair hanno costruito delle serre. La terra in questione si trova tra il villaggio palestinese di Shi’b Al Butum e l’avamposto illegale israeliano di Mitzpe Yair.

Questa terra è chiamata Umm Al Arayes ed proprietà privata palestinese. Contro le serre sono stati consegnati ordini di demolizione dal Ufficio di Coordinamento Distrettuale dell’Amministrazione Civile Israeliana (DCO). Ai palestinesi è impedito l’accesso alla propria terra in quanto dichiarata dall’esercito israeliano “zona militare chiusa”.

I palestinesi delle colline a sud di Hebron continuano ad affrontare l’occupazione israeliana tramite la resistenza popolare nonviolenta.

Per maggiori informazioni riguaradanti l’area potete vedere anche: http://tuwaniresiste.operazionecolomba.it/?s=Umm+Al+Arayes