Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2003 22:40:40 +0200
From: "International Solidarity Movement"
Subject: Israeli Occupation Forces Terrorise 3 Palestinian Families and Two ISM Activists Before Abducting Palestinian Man

Israeli Occupation Forces Terrorise 3 Palestinian Families and Two ISM Activists Before Abducting Palestinian Man



On Friday night soldiers of the Israeli occupation force (IOF) stormed the house of
the family of Barak Kilfeh who was involved in a suicide attack in Tel Aviv a
month ago. During the attack the IDF soldiers terrorised the 3
families and 2 ISM activists living in the house, and arrested one
Palestinian.

Martial, a French ISM activist was woken up at 2:10 am when 1 jeep, 1 APC and 1
Hummer (special forces vehicle) stopped outside the house. Minutes later soldiers stormed the upper
part of the house where they forced all 20 inhabitants into one room at
gunpoint. They then used one Palestinian man as a human shield to search the
two flats upstairs, ransacking the two flats,
emptying all cupboards and terrorising the families and
the activist with shouts and threats at gunpoint. The IDF soldiers
then took another Palestinian as a human shield to storm the flat
downstairs, occupied by the Barak family and a Swedish ISM activist.

When Margareta, an activist from Sweden, questioned the soldiers
motives for the terrorizing the family a soldier pushed his M16
into her chest to force her to sit down.

At one point during the 40 minute operation Barak's mother was put
on the phone with an Israeli Intelligence Services officer who asked her
if she wanted all her sons to be suicide bombers. When she replied no and
that she didn't want any Israelis hurt either, the officer told her that they
would take Mohammad and that she will have to look after Rjai, her 15 year old
son, on her own.

The soldiers then took Mohammad to an unknown destination. When Margareta questioned their motives for his abduction they replied that he was a terrorist without providing
any other details the arrest. The
22 year old Mohammad Kilfeh, an employee of the Nablus municipal office
who has not been involved in any political activities, was the sole
breadwinner in his family since his
father died when he was 16.

Photos of the house on Saturday morning:
 http://www.leenus.com/palestina/khilfeh/

For more information please contact:
Martial 052-364439
Margareta 059-381803



=======================================
Michael
ISM Media Coordinator
Beit Sahour
Occupied Palestine
Phone: +972-2-2774602
Cell: +972-67-628439
web:  http://www.palsolidarity.org