ISM Reports: Home Occupied By IOF Near Nablus
ISM Media Office c. | 30.05.2003 19:13
Occupied House Near Nablus
Nablus
Euridice
30 May 03
For four months, beginning on February 2nd, the
Israeli Occupation Forces have been occupying a family
house in Sarah Village.
The father of the family originally built the house in
1963. The family has grown to fourteen people. To
accommodate an eldest son who wished to marry, the
family expanded the house by adding a 2nd floor, which
was completed in December 2002- only to have it
occupied by the IOF two months later. The family has
put a great deal of money and energy into the
enlargement of the house and, with the lack of
available employment, is now in great financial debt.
The only explaination that the family ever received
from the IOF is that the house must be occupied for
"security reasons ".
No document stating the nature of
these "sercurity reasons ", or any other document has
been presented to the family. The family has not been
told when the army will leave the house.
The IOF has overtaken the second floor and the roof,
which leaves only the three rooms of the first floor
for the family 's fourteen members.
The IOF uses the house as an observation post, and as
an unofficial checkpoint. Numerous people have been
brought to the house to be detained, beaten or
tortured. The army often shoots from the house at
persons who have tried to bypass the checkpoint or who
are simply tiling their fields nearby.
The army has not paid for using the house even though
they have been consuming electricity and water and
littering the yard with trash. It is unlikely, even
if the family could afford to pursue this issue in the
courts, that they will be in any way reimbursed for
this violation of their home.
This, and other factors, are having an impact on the
mental health of the family. Imagine having your
neighbours brought to your house to be detained or
beaten by foreign soldiers. These matters mean that
the family 's children cannot properly commit
themselves to their education, and the whole family
has been isolated from the community.
One daughter in particular has been negatively impacted by the occupation. She is in her last year of school and is preparing to enter university, however she is unable to find a quiet place to study. This, coupled with the mental strain of her current situation has caused her marks to drop and her future education has been put into jeopardy.
This kind of harassment of the Palestinian people is
common: several houses are occupied by the IOF, for
longer or shorter periods of time, throughout Occupied Palestine.
Freedom for Palestine- Peace for everyone.
For further information:
Morten Wulff +972 (0)67718851
ISM Media Office c.
Homepage:
www.palsolidarity.org
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Shot Peace Activist May not Recover
31.05.2003 09:49
LONDON, U. K., May 30, 2003, The Daily Telegraph-- Nicola Woolcock wrote today that a peace activist shot by an Israeli soldier was flown back to Britain yesterday, still in a coma from which he is unlikely to recover.
Tom Hurndall, 22, was left brain-damaged when he was shot in the head while protecting children in the Gaza Strip last month.
The photo-journalism student flew back to Heathrow with his parents, who are conducting their own inquiry into the incident.
He has been transferred to the intensive care unit of the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London.
Speaking at the hospital, Anthony and Jocelyn Hurndall, of Tufnell Park, North London, described the "shock and exhaustion" they had suffered since the shooting.
"We've been physically exhausted from emotion and tremendous sadness. We are tremendously relieved to have him home. It's been a very cruel six and a half weeks." said Mrs. Hurndall. "I did what I could before Tom went to keep his eyes open to the dangers. But I'm enormously proud that he had this very strong desire to seek out injustice.
"We have his journals and thank heavens for that. It's given us an insight into his last week before he was shot. We're not hopeful about him ever coming out of the coma - we've had that explained to us."
Mr. Hurndall, a Manchester Metropolitan University student and member of the International Solidarity Movement, had been in Rafah in the Gaza Strip for a week when he was shot.
Fellow activists claim they abandoned a protest at a refugee camp when Israeli Defence Forces began shooting. They said Mr. Hurndall, wearing a fluorescent jacket, went to help three children but was shot at from a watchtower.
As part of their own inquiry, his parents have spent six weeks in Israel interviewing 15 witnesses and they say they have been promised a meeting with Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, when it is concluded.
"We've had no co-operation from the Israeli Army and have had to rely on our own investigation," said Mr. Hurndall, a 53-year-old lawyer. "We went out there with open minds. We only want to find out the truth.
"Tom was with a group that went out to stop attacks. He was trying to bring three children to safety when he was shot.
"The Israeli Army seems to be trying to frighten people out of the area, using a process of terror."
A Foreign Office spokesman said last night that it had demanded a military investigation into the shooting of Mr. Hurndall.
"We have continually pressed the Israeli government for full and transparent inquiries into the shooting," he said.
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