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Abu Michel watches the destruction of his children's playground. |
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Israeli bulldozers today destroyed a garden and children’s playground
in Beit Jala, and 100 fruit and olive trees in Al Walaja, both in the
Bethlehem district, to make way for the continued construction of their
illegal apartheid wall. Soldiers present used violent force to remove
Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who attempted to
prevent the destruction. Two Israelis were arrested immediately, and
six internationals were later arrested.
In Beit Jala, this is the second time that this particular garden and
playground has been bulldozed. A legal injunction preventing further
destruction expired this week. Following the previous demolition, in
early March, local Palestinian residents and international supporters
rebuilt the playground and planted new olive trees in the garden. All
these were today destroyed.
Twelve people, representing six different nationalities, sat in
front of the Caterpillar bulldozer as it moved up to the garden.
Soldiers forcefully removed all twelve, several of whom sustained minor
injuries, and one of whom was hospitalised with suspected broken ribs
after his stomach was repeatedly stamped upon by one of the soldiers.
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Demonstrators in Beit Jala prevented from accessing family's home. |
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After soldiers forced everyone but the owners of the garden up to
the road above, they joined approximately 50 other internationals and
local residents to hold a demonstration which lasted into the evening.
Overlooking the wreckage of the morning’s destruction, the protesters
chanted and sang, asking only to be allowed back down to the house,
where bulldozing had finished, to speak with the family there. Late in
the afternoon, six activists, from the USA, Italy, Spain, Germany and
France, managed to access the house via a back route, bringing food in
to the family, before being arrested by Israeli Border Police, accused
of illegally entering a Closed Military Zone.
In Al Walaja, Israeli military prevented any internationals or
journalists from accessing the area to observe the uprooting of
approximately 40 olive trees.
The International Court of Justice has ruled that the building of
Israel’s apartheid wall is in violation of international law. When
complete, the wall will run for over 700km, the vast majority of it
passing through and effectively annexing Palestinian land in the West
Bank.
International Solidarity Movement