Palestinian media reported that Khader Adnan, former long-term hunger striker and freed former administrative detainee, was re-arrested by occupation forces in Jenin on July 8.
Occupation forces have not laid any formal charges against him, but said he was arrested for “activities that threaten regional security,” according to Palestine News Network. Adnan, a baker from Jenin, launched his hunger strike in February 2012, garnering international support and attention that led to his release from administrative detention, where he had been held without charge or trial. The iconic graphic image of Adnan by Palestinian artist Hafez Omar covered the streets of Palestine and appeared in protests around the world.
Since his release, he has been a leading figure in supporting Palestinian prisoners’ struggle for freedom and justice, including various hunger strike campaigns.
This arrest came amid 31 arrests of Palestinians in Jerusalem, and following the arrests of over 830 Palestinian political prisoners since June 12. Al-Mayadeen TV reported on the afternoon of June 8 that it is an Israeli official decision to round up the cadres of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
While occupation forces are sweeping the West Bank with violent raids and arrests, they have announced “Operation Protective Edge” in Gaza, which has so far taken the lives of at least 23 Palestinians, 9 on July 7 and 14 so far on July 8, including children killed when a massive bomb was dropped on the Qaware’ family home in Beit Hanoun.
Raja Ighbarieh, member of the Political Bureau of Abna’a el-Balad Movement, a Palestinian political movement in Occupied Palestine ’48, was arrested from his home in a raid by occupation police in Umm el-Fahm on the morning of July 7. He will have a hearing on Wednesday morning, July 8 at the Magistrate’s Court in Hadera at 8:30 am.
Over 110 Palestinian political detainees were rounded up in mass arrests by occupation forces inside occupied Palestine ’48 in the past days, reported Arabs48.com, including political leaders of Palestinian movements that have organized demonstrations that have swept the ’48 areas, including Arara, Umm el-Fahm, Shafa’amr, Akka, Nazareth, Arraba al-Batouf, Wadi ‘Ara, Tira, Yafa, Kafr Qana and elsewhere. Over half of those detained were minors, and occupation police have stated they are planning to carry out further arrests. Despite the arrests, mass protests are continuing as of Monday evening.
Murad Haddad, member of the National Democratic Alliance (Balad) Political Bureau was also arrested and detained, with his detention extended through Tuesday by the Hadera Magistrate’s Court.
Both Ighbarieh and Haddad are being accused of “incitement” for their political advocacy and role in protests and demonstrations.
Abna’a el-Balad movement issued a statement on the arrest of Raja Ighbarieh:
Occupation police forces arrested this morning (July 7), Comrade Raja Ighbarieh, member of the Political Bureau of Abna’a el-Balad Movement, searched his home and confiscated his papers and personal computer. This brutal action comes against the backdrop of mass popular demonstrations condemning the policies of the occupation, especially after the killing of the child martyr Mohammed Abu Khdeir in Jerusalem.
We are no stranger to the use of brute force to arrest and prosecute the cadres and leaders of Abna’a el-Balad in particular and the activists and leaders of our people in general. Does the occupation think that the mass arrests will intimidate and terrorize us from being at the forefront defending our people and their national rights? We in Abnaa el-Balad condemn this arrest and the terrorist prosecution, we hold the Israeli government and its prime minister responsible for all the crimes being committed against our people. We promise to our people that we will continue to move forward on the path. We demand immediate freedom for Comrade Raja Ighbarieh and all of the prisoners and detainees of our people. Protest and demonstration is a natural right and we will continue this project until we achieve our national and human goals.
Together on the road
Political Bureau – Abna’a el-Balad Movement
Over 830 Palestinians from the West Bank, Jerusalem and Occupied Palestine ’48 have been imprisoned in mass arrests and raids since June 12, reported the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society on Monday, after 56 were arrested overnight in the West Bank. There are now over 6,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails, noted researcher Abdel Nasser Ferwana.
This came amid ongoing attacks from occupation forces, who bombed Gaza in a series of airstrikes, killing nine people: Ibrahim al-Bal’aawy, 24; Abdul-Rahman al-Zamili, 22; Mustafa Abu Morr, 22; his twin brother Khaled Abu Morr, 22; Yousef Sharaf Ghannam, 22; Joma’a Abu Shallouf, 24; Ibrahim Abdeen; Mazen al-Jedya, 33; and Marwan Salim, 23.
An Israeli colonist ran over three Palestinian workers with his car near Haifa on July 6, killing two instantly: Zahi Abu Hamed of Qalqilya and Anwar al-Satel of Yafa.
Occupation attacks and invasions in Palestinian cities continued; 20 Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated metal bullets in al-Arroub refugee camp and several were injured early on July 7 when soldiers invaded their homes. Several Palestinians were shot in Tulkarem and al-Khalil with live ammunition in occupation forces’ violent raids.
Mufid al-Hajj, lawyer for the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, said that the detention of Karim Abu Khdeir, Fathi al-Shawish, and Ammar Abu Hussein was extended for a second time to July 9.
The detention of two minors, Mahmoud Abu Khdeir and Muhammad Abu Nea, was extended until July 8.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities extended the detention of Ahmad Salhab, Nasser Abu Subeih, Khaled Abu Snineh, Alaa Abu Laban, and Shafe Salhab for a third time until July 9.
Mahmoud Abu Rmeileh was sentenced to house arrest for 10 days, prevented from entering the Shufat neighborhood for 30 days, and fined 5000 shekels ($1,461).
Occupation forces have continued to escalate their repression against Palestinian prisoners in occupation jails. For the fourth consecutive week, occupation prison authorities banned family visits for prisoners from the Gaza Strip.
In Nafha prison, special units of occupation forces stormed section 14 of Nafha prison, conducting violent raids and inspections, lasting for over 3 hours. Prisoners were handcuffed and kept in a small room while these forces ransacked rooms and destroyed belongings, under the pretext of searching for communication devices.
In Hadarim, Ramon, Eshel, Ofer and Negev prisons, recreation has been reduced to a half-hour from one hour and Palestinian political prisoners are limited to 400 shekels in their canteen accounts, as well as family visits restricted to once every two months for 30 minutes. Prisoners are prohibited from buying fans in the canteen despite the high temperatures and humidity particularly in the Negev desert prison, which is also overcrowded.
Tarek Abu Khdeir, 15, was released from Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court, after being arrested by an Israeli special unit, brutally beaten, and detained without charge since Thursday. Abu Khdeir is a Palestinian American visiting Palestine with his family, and is the cousin of murdered Palestinian boy Mohammad Abu Khdeir, 16, who was killed last Wednesday by Israeli settlers. His family was ordered to pay bail of 3000 NIS and confined to house arrest within Beit Hanina village for 9 days – and excluded from Shu’afat, his family home and where he was arrested and beaten.
Photos and videos of Abu Khdeir’s beating and his severe injuries spread around the world and across the US. There are 200 Palestinian children held as political detainees and prisoners in Israeli prisons.
Video via Addameer. Tarek Abu Khdeir speaks about his beating by Israeli police:
International protests and demonstrations around the world expressed solidarity with Palestine on July 5, through July 12 as Palestinian communities in exile and diaspora, social justice movements and solidarity organizers held events in major cities globally. These international protests were organized in response to the killing of over 100 by occupation forces’ bombings and assassinations in Gaza, the torture and killing of Palestinian boy Mohammad Abu Khdeir, the mass arrests and raids of over 1000 Palestinians, checkpoints, brutal beatings, and the ongoing siege, apartheid and occupation – more protests are being announced daily. Click here for the current, updated list of international actions in support of the Palestinian people – or email samidoun@samidoun.net to add your own! Please also email samidoun@samidoun.net to add your photos to this page.
Simultaneously, and inspiring these international actions, Palestinians have taken to the streets in all areas of historic Palestine – from Shu’afat, where Abu Khdeir was kidnapped, tortured and murdered, and other areas of Jerusalem, to the West Bank, Gaza, and Occupied Palestine ’48, where marchers claimed the streets of Nazareth, Umm el-Fahm, Shafa’amr, Ar’ara and Kufr Manda.
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Tarek Abu Khdeir, following beating by occupation forces.
Occupied Ramallah. July 5, 2014 – Mohammed Mahmoud, a lawyer with Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, said that Israeli forces and undercover units arrested 11 children and young men from the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Shu’afat, the hometown of the child martyr Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was kidnapped, killed and burned by a gang of settlers last Wednesday.
Among those arrested was the 15-year-old child, Tarek Abu Khdeir (a cousin of Mohammed Hussein Abu Khdeir), who was arrested by a special unit in front of his family home in Shu’afat at 8 PM on Thursday and severely beaten on the head, chest and back. He was not transferred to the hospital for treatment until after midnight.
A lawyer with Addameer, who represented the child Tarek Abu Khdeir before the Magistrate’s Court on Friday, said that the beatings he received were severe enough to kill him, and cause severe injuries to his face and bruises on his head and chest. Despite this, the Magistrate’s Court refused to release him and extended his detention to Sunday for interrogation, stating that he may flee the country as he is an American citizen.
The lawyer said that despite the judge viewing the reality of torture and attempted murder as recorded and documented on a video of the brutal beating suffered by the child, and the medical report submitted by Hadassah hospital, they chose to extend the child’s detention, risking him being exposed to further physical and psychological torture at the hands of interrogators in the Moskobiyeh interrogation center.
The lawyer said that the judge also extended the detention of ten other young men arrested by the special forces and undercover agents last Wednesday in Beit Hanina and Shu’afat after the demonstrations denouncing the kidnapping, killing, torture and burning of the child Mohammed Abu Khdeir.
Among those arrested was Amer Ali Hassan, 21, who was severely beaten with a gun to his head and face and remains hospitalized for treatment, and did not appear in court due to his injuries; the judge extended his detention until Monday.
Addameer represented the following prisoners at the hearing:
1. Tarek Abu Khdeir, 15, Shu’afat, subjected to brutal beatings;
2. Karim Abu Khdeir, 21, Shu’afat, severely beaten, detention extended until Monday;
3. Amer Ali Hassan, 21, Shua’fat, severely beaten, hospitalized, detention extended until Monday;
4. Fathi Shawish, 30, Shua’fat, beaten, detention extended until Monday;
5. Nasser Abu Sabih, 21, Beit Hanina, beaten and arrested in Shua’fat, extended until Sunday;
6. Khaled Abu Sneineh, 22, Beit Hanina, arrested in Shua’fat, extended until Sunday.
Jerusalem has experienced since last Wednesday wide-ranging demonstrations against the heinous crime committed by settler terror against the child Mohammed Hussein Abu Khdeir, which have been attacked by occupation forces, who have arrested dozens of young men, wounding 200 including children with various injuries due to rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas.
Addameer is deeply appalled as the occupation forces and settler terrorist gangs continue a broad and systematic torture of Palestinian children, through detention, kidnapping, torture and murder. The absence of international accountability and action is what encourages the occupation state and the gangs to attempt to destroy the Palestinian people, rob them of their rights, and broadcast calls to kill them.
Addameer is demanding the United Nations and the High Contracting Parties of the four Geneva Conventions to act urgently to rein in the terrorist Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians and children and to hold the occupation state accountable for its war crimes and daily crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinian people.
On July 3, people in Vancouver and Toronto took to the streets, responding to Israeli aggression, attacks and assaults on the Palestinian people. In Toronto, the rally came also for the Palestinian community to defend itself from attempted intimidation and threats by the ultra-right-wing racist Zionist organization, the Jewish Defense League.
Protesters in Vancouver, including Red Sparks Union, the Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign, the Revolutionary Student Union and members of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid Vancouver and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights at UBC, rallied at the Vancouver public library on July 3, demanding an end to Israeli war crimes and Canadian complicity and support for those crimes.
The organizers reported: “The organizers acknowledge that we are on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh. As we are here to condemn the gross Israeli war crimes of the past few weeks and to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for liberation we have a responsibility to take a stand against the Canadian colonial settler state and in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of this land in their struggle for sovereignty, self-determination and liberation.
Palestinians, solidarity activists and concerned people from numerous Vancouver communities gathered to protest Israel’s ongoing and escalating war crimes in Palestine. Israel is completely morally bankrupt in using the death of three settler youth to justify its renewed and brutal assault on Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and within the Palestinian lands occupied in 1948. Defense for Children International has documented over 1400 Palestinian children killed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers since 2000. Just in the past two weeks more than 630 prisoners have been rounded up by Israeli occupation forces. Palestinians have been killed and wounded by Israeli Occupation Forces and now settler violence has been released on Palestinians with the brutal murder of 17 year old boy in East Jerusalem and general wave of state sanctioned terror. This isn’t about justice or looking at the causes of the three settler youth, it is about Israel’s continuing agenda of occupation, of expansion and of containment of the Palestinian liberation struggle.”
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In Toronto, the Palestinian community organized to resist the infamous racist and violent Jewish Defense League after it attempted to intimidate the Palestinian community by declaring it would demonstrate at Palestinian community centre Palestine House. The JDL is described by the Southern Poverty Law Centre as: “a radical organization that preaches a violent form of anti-Arab, Jewish nationalism. Its late founder, Rabbi Meir Kahane, claimed that Jews face fierce anti-Semitism domestically and abroad and must protect themselves by any means necessary. The JDL’s position with regard to Israel is denial of any Palestinian claims to land and the calling for the removal of all Arabs from the “Jewish-inherited soil.” The group has orchestrated countless terrorist attacks in the U.S. and abroad, and has engaged in intense harassment of foreign diplomats, Muslims, Jewish scholars and community leaders, and officials.”
The Palestinian community, its supporters and friends mobilized to resist the JDL, defend Palestine House and the Palestinian community and denounce Israeli terror. Palestine House wrote on its Facebook page, “Yesterday, the Palestinian Community in Toronto stood firmly and countered the JDL protest against our Palestinian people in Gaza and The West Bank. Thanks for every child , every woman, student, man and our great elderly who came to Palestine House to condemn the continuous Israeli occupation to Palestine. Our Palestinian flag as usual looked so beautiful in the hands of our children. Let Palestine always unite us and let Palestine House gather us here in Toronto.”
It should be noted that Palestine House, the centre of a large Palestinian community, has come under attack not only from the JDL but also from the Canadian government, which under Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney defunded the centre, which had been supported for services to new immigrants. The center was attacked and defunded for honouring the release of political prisoners, respecting historic Palestinian leaders such as Dr. George Habash, and for including the map of Palestine in its logo, per government statements.
Despite these various attacks, the community has continued to rally around their center, to organize, and to stand strong, as demonstrated once again on July 3.
Bushra al-Tawil, 20, a former Palestinian prisoner, prisoners’ rights advocate and journalist, was arrested on July 1 in the middle of the night from her home in el-Bireh, in the West Bank. She is one of over 600 Palestinians rounded up in mass raids and arrests by occupation forces in the West Bank since June 12.
Al-Tawil, a journalist and prisoners’ solidarity activist, was first arrested at the age of 17, where she was held in administrative detention without charge or trial until her release in December 2011 as part of the Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange.
Al-Tawil’s father, Jamal, the former mayor of El-Bireh, is also currently held in administrative detention without charge or trial. Bushra is the spokesperson of the “Aneen Al-Qaid Media” Network, local news agency specialized in covering news about the Palestinian detainees, and political prisoners.
Palestinian American boy, Tarek Abu Khdeir, was beaten brutally by Israeli occupation forces only days after the vicious murder of his cousin, Mohammad Abu Khdeir, by Israeli settlers. Tarek, 15, has no charges against him – yet his detention has been extended. Click here for action items to demand Tarek’s freedom.
Press Release from the family of Tarek Abu Khdeir:
Following the brutal abduction and murder of 16-year-old Mohammad Abu Khdeir in Jerusalem, his cousin, 15-year-old Tarek Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian-American child in Jerusalem on holiday from Tampa, Florida is in Israeli detention after being beaten by two undercover Israeli police agents last night.
Despite needing critical medical attention for severe injuries to his head and face, the Israeli authorities denied medical treatment for 5 hours before he was transferred to Hadassa Hospital. He was then taken directly to court and is currently in detention at the notorious Russian compound (al-Maskobiya), known for brutal interrogation techniques.
His father, Salah Abu Khdeir, asked that his son be seen at a hospital of the family’s choosing, but was denied, and was subsequently denied having an Arab doctor present during Tarek’s treatment. Although his son was unconscious, he was chained to the bed. While in the hospital, his face had swollen to a degree to which he could not speak when conscious and blood was also found in his urine, concerning family that there could be internal bleeding.
He has not yet been formally charged, though prosecutors claim he was throwing stones despite being unable to provide any evidence to the court. When asked by the court under what basis Tarek was being held, prosecutors said they were still “collecting evidence.” His hearing is scheduled for Sunday.
Tarek is in dire need of medical attention and his family is calling for his immediate release after this brutal beating and arbitrary arrest.
“No charges or accusations have been brought against Tarek, yet his despite his young age and unlawful treatment, his detention has been extended until the morning of Sunday 6 July in the Court of First Instances in Jerusalem.
Tarek is one of 11 Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in Shofat last night following the brutal murder of 16-year old child Mohammad Abu Khdeir, who was found beaten and burned on the ruins of Palestinian destroyed village Deir Yassin hours after he was kidnapped in a retribution act. The Israeli government has instated a gag-order regarding the circumstances of Mohammad’s kidnapping and murder.
The continued state-sanctioned violence against children is unlawful and unacceptable.
Addameer urges immediate action and calls on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United States consulate and all regional embassies and consulates, human rights organizations and journalists to attend Tarek Abu Khdeir’s hearing on Sunday 6 July to investigate the intensified aggression against Palestinian children.”
TAKE ACTION!
1. Call the US Embassy in Tel Aviv and demand Tarek’s release and access to medical care. The embassy’s number is +972-3-519-7575.
3. TWITTERSTORM Saturday, July 5th at 11:00am Pacific Time / 1:00pm Central time/ 2:00pm Eastern Time/ 9:00pm Palestine time, we will be tweeting about Tarek using the hashtag #FreeTarek.
Palestinian media reported that Khader Adnan, former long-term hunger striker and freed former administrative detainee, was re-arrested by occupation forces in Jenin on July 8.
Occupation forces have not laid any formal charges against him, but said he was arrested for “activities that threaten regional security,” according to Palestine News Network. Adnan, a baker from Jenin, launched his hunger strike in February 2012, garnering international support and attention that led to his release from administrative detention, where he had been held without charge or trial. The iconic graphic image of Adnan by Palestinian artist Hafez Omar covered the streets of Palestine and appeared in protests around the world.
