On 12 September 2022, Hafez Huraini, along with one other local resident of the small Palestinian village of Atuwani and one international, were attacked by armed Israeli settlers while working in the community garden. During the attack, Hafez sustained multiple fractures to his arms and hands. Despite his severe injuries, he was seized and detained by occupation forces and accused of injuring one of the settlers who had been physically attacking him, by defending himself. Hafez Huraini is scheduled to be brought back before an occupation military court on Wednesday, 21 September.
Join Just Peace Advocates, the Canadian BDS Coalition, Samidoun, the Good Shepherd Collective and Palestinian and Jewish Unity to demand newly appointed Canadian diplomat in Ramallah, David Da Silva, take action to free Hafez Huraini.
Click here to write a letter directly to Da Silva (one minute action!)
Atuwani, and the larger area of Masafer Yatta, have long been the target of Israel’s settler-colonial movement. On May 4th, 2022, the Israeli High Court gave its approval for the ethnic cleansing of 8 villages across Masafer Yatta, consisting of 1,200 people — the majority of which are children.
Hafez is currently in Ofer, Military Detention Center, Ramallah district, under interrogation. On Thursday, September 15, the Israeli Ofer Military Court extended his detention for five more days in interrogation. On September 19 his detention was extended for three days with a court date tomorrow, September 21.
Huraini is one of the most prominent land defenders fighting to protect Masafer Yatta, and he and his fellow villagers are regularly attacked by settlers and soldiers. The arrest of Hafez Huraini is not only an attempt to imprison one of the leaders of the land defense movement in Masafer Yatta but to further the confiscation of Palestinian land.
Ask him to take all actions at his disposal to ensure Israel’s immediate and unconditional release of Palestinian human rights defender Hafez Huraini.
Ask him to take part as observer at the hearings of Hafez Huraini’s trial by the military courts.
Call on him to publicly condemn Israel for its policy of persecution and arbitrary arrest of human rights defenders, like Hafez Huraini, and to condemn the May 4th, 2022 ruling from the Israeli High Court for the ethnic cleansing of 8 villages across Masafer Yatta, consisting of 1,200 people — the majority of which are children.
