Current situation
In March, 3 attacks were carried out in different areas of Israel causing 2 victims in Hadera, 4 in Beersheba and 5 in Tel Aviv on March 30th. In response to these incidents, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced a tightening up of public security measures. The same evening some clashes occurred in Jenin, Ramallah and Nablus, as well as in the refugee camps of the main cities.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published the results of a research conducted by the association “Breaking the Silence”, according to which Israeli soldiers are allegedly collecting sensitive data on Human Rights activists in the South Hebron Hills, with a particular focus on the ones coming from European countries. This action would pursue the objective to identify activists by taking photos of their passports and faces, in order to keep a file on them in the system called Blue Wolf which already collects sensitive data to monitor Palestinian citizens. In this way, the access to the country would be prevented for them from the arrival at the airport.
Sharing, Work and news about Volunteers
In March, the volunteers guaranteed a presence both in the south and north of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with particular attention to the Jordan Valley. In this area, new villages were explored, getting to know new contexts and communities dedicated to pastoralism. Unfortunately, the conditions for accessing the land have worsened in recent months. Israeli settlers graze their flocks undisturbed on Palestinian lands, while the legitimate owners of the area barely access them since they are attacked and expelled by the settlers protected by the army.
Starting on March 11th, violent night raids occurred in the village of At-Tuwani at least once a week for 3 weeks. On March 17th, Israeli soldiers locked Palestinian activists up in their houses to prevent them from filming what was happening. Also international activists were violently prevented from filming and reporting Human Rights violations.
During the raid on March 22nd, a Palestinian was arrested and left blindfolded and gagged on the roadside.
On March 16th, 9 Palestinian children were stopped along a bypass road while they were on their way back home. Some Israeli settlers forced them to stop and kneel for no reason, holding them still for an hour in the cold.
On March 30th, 8 settlers from the Havat Ma’on outpost broke in Tuba village by quad where they threw stones at houses and cars, completely destroying two vehicles under the eyes of the Israeli army. Instead of stopping the aggression and arresting the perpetrators, the military arrested a Palestinian, unjustly accused by the settlers of throwing stones. He was taken to the Kiryat Arba prison and released only the following night.
The Israeli authorities keep on disseminating demolition orders for Palestinian buildings. In particular, on March 31st, the Civil Administration and the army confiscated the tractor of a Palestinian shepherd who was hospitalized after the military beat him up.
On March 15th, a court hearing was held in Jerusalem regarding the trial about the expulsion of Palestinian inhabitants from their villages in Masafer-Yatta area which has been declared to be relevant for the military (Firing Zone) by the Israeli authorities. The final decision will be taken next June.
On March 8th, a shepherd from the village of Mak-hul (Jordan Valley), who usually grazes his flock near a military base along a bypass road on the land of Al Hadidya village, was arrested by 8 Israeli policemen. They also destroyed the cameras of the activists who were there in that moment.
OPERAZIONE COLOMBA
