During November…One Martyr…the arrest of 40 children…self-demolishing of four residential apartments…and isolating 27 citizens from Al-Aqsa
Wadi Hilweh Information Center- Silwan monitored the Israeli violations against Jerusalemites in the month of November which witnessed several arrests of minors, court order to self demolish apartments in addition to raiding Jerusalemite neighbourhoods. Al-Aqsa Mosque The Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque continued when the police isolated 27 citizens (men and women) from Al-Aqsa for various periods. The police arrested a number of Al-Aqsa students (Masateb) from inside Al-Aqsa courtyards and at its gates and handed them the isolation order just before the Jewish holiday “Hanukkah”. At the same time, the police surprisingly cancelled the order which banned extremist “Yehuda Galbek” from entering Al-Aqsa as the “Brigade Commander” of police in the city of Jerusalem, Yossi Barinti, called Yehuda Galbek and informed him that the order to ban him from entering Al-Aqsa was cancelled. Brigadier Avi Biton, commander of the old city in Jerusalem, promised Yehuda to protect him during his break-ins. Afterwards, extremist Yehuda Galbek along with a group of extremists broke-into and provided dozens of extremists with explanations about the “alleged temple”. Arrests… The Information Center monitored the arrest of more than 75 Jerusalemites during the month of November including 40 children, 4 Jerusalemite women, an old man and Journalist Mohammad Abu Khdeir who is a reporter at Al-Quds newspaper. The ages of children who were arrested ranged between 10 and 17 years and the police issued a warrant of arrest against a 4-year old child from the neighbourhood of Al-Sa’dyeh. The forces raided the home of 4-year old Mohammad Zein Al-Majed in the early morning hours and refused to believe his father when he told them that his son was only four years old until he woke him up; note that they threatened the father to call his son for investigation in case they confirm he took part in injuring a settler. Arresting children occurred the most in the village of Esawyeh as the Israeli forces arrested a group and accused them of burning down the Israeli military camp in the village in addition to throwing stones at Israeli vehicles. Children were also arrested from the old city of Jerusalem, Shu’fat refugee camp and Silwan and most of the arrests were executed in the early morning hours after raiding the houses of the children while sleeping and arrest them without informing their parents the charges against their children or the reason of the arrest; note that the children were taken alone in the police cars and were transferred to the interrogation centers. The Information Center confirmed the illegality of arresting children –according to International and Israeli laws- as they were arrested in the early morning hours and without allowing any of their parents to accompany them in the police cars in addition to handcuffing them and terrifying and assaulting them during the arrest. Self-demolition of four residential apartments During November, the families of Amira and Za’tara were forced to self demolish their homes in order to execute the order of the Jerusalem municipality and to avoid paying high financial fees. Citizen Samer Za’tara self-demolished his home in Oqbat Al-Saraya in the old city of Jerusalem last month which consists of two floors (three bedrooms and a bathroom) and was built as an addition to an old family’s building 18 years ago. Za’tara lived in the house along with his wife and six children (oldest is 16 and youngest is one) noting that the municipality gave him until the beginning of next February to execute the demolition order. Mohammad and Nidal Amira demolished three residential apartments in the area of “Der Al-Amood” in the village of Sur Baher south of Jerusalem that were still under construction. Mohammad was planning to live in one of the apartments with his family that consists of 5 individuals, while Nidal demolished a building that only has one 150-square meters apartment and he was also planning to live in with his family that consists of 7 individuals. The occupation municipality’s bulldozers demolished the residential caravans of Castero family in the town of Beit Hanina north of Jerusalem under the pretext of building without a permit. The family was forced to live in tents and caravans in order to save their land after the occupation forces demolished their residential building at the beginning of last February; note that 30 individuals from the Castero family were displaced one more time. Demolition orders were also distributed in the village of Esawyeh and the forces raided Shu’fat refugee camp and took pictures for buildings in the neighbourhood of Ras Khamees and Ras Shihadeh; note that a court in the Jerusalem municipality issued a temporary order that bans the demolition of 10 residential building in Ras Khamis near the refugee camp of Shu’fat. Settlers’ assault Settlers continued their assaults on Jerusalemites and their properties during the month of November and the Center monitored that assault on 40-year old Majdi Hirbawi as he got injured with wounds and bruises after several Jewish extremists attacked and assaulted him while passing by in one of the streets of West Jerusalem just for being an “Arab”. They also damaged several Arabian cars that were passing in the area in conjunction with a protest that was organized in the street of “Bar Elan”; note that the police was present nearby but did not intervene to prevent the assaults. Two settlers attacked 48-year old Adnan Mohammad Basileh “Abu Odai” on Tuesday morning near the Wailing Wall “Dung Gate route” which led to broken ribs in addition to a cut in one of the veins. The guards of the settlers in the neighbourhood of Al-Tur attacked the young men and locals and fired live bullets towards them for no reason. Martyr of the “checkpoint” Last month, 14-year old Nour Mohammad Afaneh from the village of Abu Dis east of Jerusalem passed away after she arrived late at the hospital due to the closure of the “Container” checkpoint. She suffered a severe lung infection and needed to be transferred to the ICU in Bet Jala Hospital through the “container” checkpoint where there was heavy traffic from all entrances due to the closure of the checkpoint. The family tried to take their daughter to Ramallah Hospital but she passed away before getting to the hospital; note that she is a special needs child. Also, Jerusalemite young man Khalil Alami was injured with a live bullet in his chest that went through his lung during clashes that broke out in Ezaryeh. Suppressing freedom of opinion and speech…and raiding neighbourhoods The Israeli forces suppressed last month a protest in Jerusalem against “Prawer Plan” in the Negev and assaulted the participants using sound bombs and water hoses; note that one young man was arrested. The Israeli forces also banned the memorial service that was going to take place on occasion of the 9th anniversary of the death of Martyr Yasser Arafat as ordered by the Minister of Internal Security “Ishaq Ahranovich”. The forces surrounded and evacuated the Club which led to the break out of clashes in the neighbourhood. Last month also witnessed the closure of the Jerusalem Foundation for Development in the neighbourhood of Beit Hanina and Salah Eddin Street in Jerusalem. They also broke into “Sana” press in Al-Zahra Street and confiscated computers in addition to raiding “Quality Net” in Ras Al-Amood. Esawyeh witnessed clashes on an almost daily basis after the forces raided the village and purposely fired sound bombs towards the houses and commercial stores. One bomb was fired towards a women’s hair salon and led to the injury of a woman with shrapnel of the bombs. The forces also arrested 53-year old Basel Mahmoud after assaulting and beating him with batons and sound bombs. They also raided several neighbourhoods and houses in Silwan and assaulted the young men and women. A commercial store that sells cell phones was raided and sound bombs were randomly fired towards houses and led to the injury of 15-year old Diana Mohammad Abu Tayeh with burns in her upper and lower limbs; note that she is diabetic. Her 16-year old Baha’ was injured with burns in his legs. The forces also broke the windows of houses and cars using the butts of their guns and fired bombs toward the women in the neighbourhood. The Center was informed that the forces fired a gas bomb inside a store that sells birds and that is owned by Maher Kash’am in the neighbourhood of Ein Al-Lozeh. Kash’am explained that the forces fired a gas bomb and a sound bomb inside his store which caused the electric wires to blow and led to the burning of the store. As a result, more than 10 birds died and several others were injured. Settlement schemes The center also monitored the intent of “Keshet production company” to film a new drama series for American network NBC in coordination with the Jerusalem Municipality and Israeli Ministry of Economy in the settlement outpost “City of David” that is established at the entrance of Silwan south of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The six-episode series, entitled DIG, will revolve around the murder of an American archaeologist in Jerusalem (his life, work and investigation of the murder). The project was praised by both Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barakat and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett and considered it to be an achievement for the whole production industry in the area since Israel is rich in terms of historical monuments and places and being the first American series filmed in Israel. On the other hand, the Israeli Building and Planning District Committee ratified the “National Park” plan on the lands of Al-Tur and Esawyeh. It is noteworthy that the project of “National Park 11092 A” taking place in the heart of Al-Tur and Esawyeh will result in the confiscation of 740 Dunoms of locals’ lands. The Jerusalem municipality, Nature and Parks Authority and Jerusalem Development Authority submitted the project of “National Park” in July of 2009 and in December of 2009 the project was ratified after meeting the initial conditions. In January 2010, the Local Committee decided to expand the project to the North and North West and in April of 2010, the Israeli District Committee for organizing and building ratified the project with a total area of 740 Dunoms. Before ratifying, the Israeli Building and Planning District Committee which is part of the Israeli Ministry of Interior held a session to hear the objections submitted against the project and the session lasted from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. and two hours after later, the committee ratified the project. The center points out that Minister of Israeli environment protection requested the head of Nature and Parks Authority on 02/10/2013 to stop the project because the area does not have any special natural value. On the 29th of October, the office of Israeli Prime Minister announced the intent of the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to proceed with the implementation of the project. The Jerusalem municipality employees distributed flyers to several locals of the neighbourhood of Wadi Hilweh to initiate the implementation of “Kadam complex -City of David- the Old City” project in the courtyard of Dung Gate near the entrance of Silwan south Al-Aqsa Mosque. The project aims at establishing a tourism building which includes a parking around the Jerusalem Wall under the pretext of development and revealing an archeological site in addition to maintaining and developing it. The project will be established on a surface area of 16 thousand square meters. He Antiquities Authority confiscated a one-Dunom land owned by the family of Abu Rmeileh in the neigbourhood of Wadi Al-Rababeh and started digging right away. The locals confronted the Antiquities Authority several times but the Israeli forces provided them with protection and arrested several young men and assaulted them. The family is trying to get their land back through courts. Locals of the village of Esawyeh were surprised when the Jerusalem municipality’s bulldozers started digging and doing excavation works at the entrance of the village and in favor of Hadassah Hospital to build a 1.5-meter wall and expand the parking lot the hospital; note that the lands are owned by several families in Esawyeh and were confiscated after the occupation of Jerusalem for “public interest.” Banning entrance to the West bank or leaving the country… Wadi Hilweh Information Center was informed that the occupation authorities handed young men Rami Barakeh and Amin Shweiki orders which ban them from entering the West Bank for 6 months, and handed Haitham Jo’beh and Khalil Ghazzawi orders to prevent them from travelling abroad for 6 months.
