Operazione Colomba

Monthly Report March 2022

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.

Monthly Report - December 2021

Current Situation

In December, Israel once again closed its borders to foreigners due to the new Covid-19 variant called Omicron, which could have further repercussions on the international human rights
organizations’ staff operating in the country as well as in Palestine.
On December 6th, the Israeli government blocked the construction of the new settlements in East Jerusalem. This construction project would have caused the demolition of new buildings in Silwan and Sheik Jarrah neighborhoods where a theme park inspired by the biblical events of the Old Testament was supposed to be created.
Moreover, during this month the Israeli Foreign Minister visited Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in order to establish new economic relations.
On December 22nd, Israel started to administer the fourth dose of Pfizer vaccine to people from 80 to 60 years old.

Sharing, Work and News about Volunteers

In the South Hebron Hills, the military and civil Israeli occupation continues to be practiced by arrests, raids, demolitions, attacks against children, ban on access to the lands, uprooting of olive trees with heavy consequences on the Palestinian population.

Monthly Report - September 2021

CURRENT SITUATION

The month of September has been dedicated to the Jewish festivities in Israel, resulting in the closure of checkpoints and the Ben Gurion airport during the Yom Kippur day.
Notwithstanding the growth of Covid-19 cases, the Government did not increase the restrictions, carrying on the vaccine campaign for the third dose and allowing the use of public spaces to all those in possession of a Green Pass.
On September 6th, six Palestinian detainees escaped from Gilboa high-security prison located in the north of the country. The escape put Israel on high alert and so most of the checkpoints between the West Bank and Israel were closed to recapture the fugitives.
Several clashes occurred especially in Jenin, the hometown where most of the fugitives come from. In Jenin Israeli forces closed also the Jalama checkpoint, which delimits the city.

Monthly Report - September 2021

Current Situation

The month of September has been dedicated to the Jewish festivities in Israel, resulting in the closure of checkpoints and the Ben Gurion airport during the Yom Kippur day.
Notwithstanding the growth of Covid-19 cases, the Government did not increase the restrictions, carrying on the vaccine campaign for the third dose and allowing the use of public spaces to all those in possession of a Green Pass.
On September 6th, six Palestinian detainees escaped from Gilboa high-security prison located in the north of the country. The escape put Israel on high alert and so most of the checkpoints between the West Bank and Israel were closed to recapture the fugitives.
Several clashes occurred especially in Jenin, the hometown where most of the fugitives come from. In Jenin Israeli forces closed also the Jalama checkpoint, which delimits the city.
On September 10th, two fugitives were caught near Nazareth and other two in Umm al-Ghanam. Eventually, a few days later, the last two fugitives were also recaptured near Jenin. All of them will be brought to trial after being tortured during questioning.

Monthly Report - May 2021

CURRENT SITUATION

During the month of May, Israel tried again to form a government, after the last election occurred two months before. At the end of May, the parties of Yamina and Yair Lapid reached an agreement, according to which their leaders will respectively take turns as Prime Minister for the next five years. Both leaders will have a mandate of 2 years and half long.
The fight against the occupations in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood continued throughout the whole month: many people were arrested and, in the middle of the month, the road to access the area was blocked with concrete barriers. The police constantly monitored the district, raiding several times and removing people from the neighborhood.
May 11th is the so-called Jerusalem Day, commemorating the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City after the "6-Day War". On that day, Israeli military forces threw grenades into Al Aqsa Mosque, causing a fire. The police broke up the Muslim believers by sticks, rubber bullets and tear gas.