IDF in Awarta
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 7:03AM Gilad Atzmon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today the village of Awarta, near Nablus, is facing the second day of a severe curfew imposed by the Israeli military, following Friday morning’s murder of a settler family in the settlement Itamar . Three ISM activists–Cinda, 23, Chad, 25, from Sweden, and Cissy, 53, from Norway–are currently trapped in the village. Anyone caught stepping outside of their house is arrested. Soldiers have said that they’ll maintain the curfew until they’ve apprehended the settler family’s murderer.
The army hasn’t presented any evidence that the murderer was from Awarta, and villagers have said to the ISM that they strongly doubt the murderer was even Palestinian as the settlement is so heavily guarded it would be impossible to break in. Soldiers are beating people and continuing their house raids: destroying houses from the inside, cutting off electricity, and polluting the drinking water by throwing mud in the water-tanks. 30 homes were occupied by soldiers last night. Computers and phones have been destroyed and money and property were stolen by the soldiers. In the last two days soldiers have been throwing sound grenades inside and outside the houses, and shooting in the air.
The ISM activists may be arrested soon, but they intend to stay as long as possible because they feel their presence improves the behavior of the soldiers, and villagers have asked them to stay. As of 12:30pm the ISM activists are locked in a room with the children of the family that they’ve been staying with while soldiers search the house. They've heard an unconfirmed report that 100 village men were taken into detention at the school for interrogation a few hours ago.
For more information:
Cinda, ISM activist inside the village: +972 59 741 4023
ISM Media Office, Ramallah: +972 59 760 6276
[ 15/03/2011 - 05:31 PM ]
GAZA, (PIC)-- Hamas has condemned the ”collective punishment” befalling the village of Awarta near Nablus city, referring to strict security measures and settler attacks that followed the knife attack that left five family members dead in nearby Itamar.
A strict curfew has since the incident been enforced in the village east of Nablus in the northern West Bank as well as a campaign of arrests, house raids and patrols.
The curfew has caused a shortage in the village's food supply and has prevented the sick from receiving treatment.
Hamas has said it holds Israel responsible for the attacks and also denounced the participation of the security forces of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
The movement has called on the PA to desist from the arrest campaign in Awarta as well as all other forms of security coordination with Israel.
It has also called on rights groups to act urgently to protect the Palestinians against blatant humanitarian violations and settler attacks.
Meanwhile, dozens of Jewish settlers from Itamar have infiltrated and attacked Palestinian homes inside the Awarta village.
Medics reported that stones thrown by the assailants have broken the hand of a villager.
Locals said the Israeli army made no attempt to stop the settler attacks.
Earlier, Jews from the same settlement had marched inside the village raising banners and shouting anti-Arab remarks, such as ”death to Arabs” and ”death to Awarta”.
Itamar settlers have erected an outpost of pre-fabricated homes in the village.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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