This week – January 23-29, 2022 – in the Occupied Territories

The occupation forces demolished a dwelling in the A-Tour neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Wednesday, leaving two Palestinian families homeless in the snow; terrorist-colonists from ‘Yitzhar’ celebrated the release from prison of their friend by holding a pogrom in Huwwara, wounding three Palestinians, among them a 3-year-old child; Minister Isawi Freij came to tour the South Hebron Hills escorted by army and GSS forces, but was chased out of the area by a drone flown by settlers from a nearby outpost; The outpost terrorists continue to attack and threaten Palestinian shepherds, and invade tended Palestinian fields with their flocks in the Palestinian Jordan Valley and West Bank Hill Range; At least 45 Palestinians were arrested in East Jerusalem while celebrating the snow with Palestine flags and throwing snowballs at the occupation forces;

South Hebron Hills

On Monday, January 24, the soldiers appointed by Knesset Committee to protect the Touba schoolchildren on their way to school in Tawane from the terrorists of ‘Havat Maon’ outpost, tried to distance activists awaiting the children at the designated meeting point. The soldiers threatened to discontinue their escort. These threats were repeated on Tuesday, and finally on Wednesday, the soldiers presented a closed military zone order and distanced the activists.

On Tuesday, January 25, ‘Carmel’ settlers put up a new fence of separation between them and the Palestinian village of Umm Al Kheir, whose current route takes over more of the village’s land. That day, thugs from the outpost ‘Havat Ya’ir’ invaded with their flock a firing zone and Palestinian fields near Fakhit, where a Palestinian flock was grazing. The settlers tried to blame the Palestinians for stealing sheep and summoned the army. Activists came and the settlers left.

On Tuesday morning a tour was held in the South Hebron Hills for Minsiter Isawi Freij escorted by large forces. However, while the minister received explanations from activists about a new ranch-outpost in the region, settlers from the outpost flew a drone above the minister’s convoy – and the minister was rushed away, the tour interupted and ended.

On Tuesday night, it was reported that settlers planted trees in privately-owned Palestinian land near the outpost ‘Avigail’. On Saturday morning, a Palestinian family came to plant trees on its own land near ‘Avigail’, but was chased away by the Israeli army.

On Saturday, thugs from ‘Havat Maon’ with their flocks invaded once again the area round a water hole in Palestinian lands officially out of bounds for Israelis in Humra near Tawane. The Palestinian landowners arrived on the spot and were chased away by the army, who only then also distanced the settlers.

On Saturday around noon, thugs from the new outpost near ‘Meitarim’ chased away shepherds and a flock from Zanouta and let loose a dog at the flock, in full view of soldiers who watched without intervening.

Activists accompanied the Umm Al Arais landowner to his fields and shepherds to grazing around Shweike, unhampered.

To join Ta`ayush in The South Hebron Hills this Saturday call 055-2770168

Please make an effort to register no later than Thursday evening. Please bring an ID/passport, a hat, water and food for the day. It is advised to take into consideration cultural differences in the choice of clothing.

Palestinian Jordan Valley and West Bank Hill Range

Terrorists from settler outposts around Auja in the southern Jordan Valley are persisting with their rampages – after a Palestinian shepherdess lodged a complaint with the Israeli police on Monday, January 24, about a sheep of her flock that was run over by two settlers the previous week. On Tuesday, an activist physically blocked a settler riding his ATV into a flock. Soldiers arrived, the settler left, and grazing continued. On Saturday, a thug from the outpost came again, riding his ATV, and threatened a Palestinian shepherd with killing his sheep.

Settlers and their flocks continue to invade privately-owned and tended Palestinian fields at Tayibe Junction and Deir Jarayer on the West Bank Hill Range. On Sunday, January 23, activists managed to make the police detain the invading rancher and lodged a complaint against the owner of the flock who was then summoned for questioning. The invaders and their cattle came back to the tended field on Tuesday, and activists once again alerted the police.

In Hamra in the northern Jordan Valley, settlers snatched a goat from a Palestinian flock, but after the shepherd and activists complained to the police, the goat was returned. The next day, the shepherd came to the police station to lodge a complaint and was subsequently questioned under warning, but released – apparently because of the presence of Israeli activists. At the same time, settlers harassed a shepherd and another flock form Hamra with a drone. Near ‘Hemdat’ settler-colony, settler cattle invaded tended Palestinian fields. Most days of the week, activists accompanied Palestinian grazing in the northern part of the Palestinian Jordan Valley – at Farisiya, Khalat Makhoul, En Al Hilwa and Samra - unhampered. On Tuesday a new outpost was documented and mapped near the settler-colony of ‘Mekhora’.

To join activity in the Jordan Valley, please contact Arik: 050-5607034

Jerusalem

With Jerusalem celebrating the snow, during the night between Wednesday and Thursday the police arrested at least 45 Palestinians for waving Palestine flags and throwing snowballs at the occupation forces.

During the Friday weekly protest vigil in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem policemen resumed their brutal tactics, grabbing Palestine flags and beating protestors. A policeman undercover as a right-wing activist waved an Israel flag in the face of demonstrators and arrested one of them. Later, a demonstrator marching innocently and no way provocative - was violently arrested.

The weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah takes place every Friday. We will meet at the Sheikh Jarrah Garden, Nablus Road and Dahlmann St. at 3 p.m

On Sunday, inhabitants of the Jabal Mukabar neighborhood demonstrated at the Safra Square opposite the Jerusalem Municipality, protesting home demolitions. In the past year, a peak number of house demolitions has taken place in East Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, January 26, at the height of the cold spell and just before a snowstorm, the occupation forces demolished a 2-apartment house in the A-Tour neighborhood, leaving 10 Palestinians, among them 6 children, homeless.

Throughout the West Bank

On Monday, January 24, terrorists from settler-colony ‘Yitzhar’ ran wild with their cars in Huwwara village, threw stones and wounded three Palestinians, among them a 3-year-old child. The terrorists came out to hold a pogrom in celebration of the release of their mate, a minor charged with throwing a stun grenade at a Palestinian home. Soldiers were seen in the village during this incident.

On Tuesday, a settler was reported wounded from a stone thrown near the Cave of the Fathers, after which settlers began throwing stones at Palestinians from the roof of the ‘Romano House’ in Hebron. Israeli army forces shut down shops in the Hebron market all the following days.

On Wednesday, Jewish terrorists attacked Palestinian cars with stones and pepper spray near the village of Burqa (Nablus district). Soldiers distanced them after a while, and one of them was detained by the police.

Activists demonstrated on Friday at the ‘Yitzhar’ junction, near the village of Bourin against the violent Jewish terrorists who attacked and wounded Palestinian farmers and Israeli activists who accompanied them planting tree saplings the previous week. None of the assailants have been arrested yet.

On Friday, Palestinians held their weekly Friday protest vigil against the theft of their land in Beita (Nablus district) and Kafr Qaddoum (Qalqiliya district). The Occupation forces attacked the demonstrators as usual with stun grenades and rubber-coated bullets.