At-Tuwani Update July 8 - 17
Each morning during this period the team went to Bier Jabareen, a cisternnear the Avigail outpost, to accompany shepherds from Mufakara and Sh'ebBotom as they watered their flocks. They also accompanied shepherds fromTuwani as they grazed their flocks in Humra. In addition to members fromOperation Dove (called "Doves"), CPTers on team during this period wereAngela Davis, Maureen Jack, Rich Meyer, Heidi Schramm and Diana Zimmerman.
Saturday, 8 July 2006
Meyer and a Dove were in the village of Susiya overnight and participated ina water pumping action sponsored by Ta'ayush, an Israeli peace group.Minutes after the tractors arrived at a Palestinian cistern near an Israelimilitary outpost, soldiers intervened and would not allow the group to pumpwater from the cistern. The soldiers declared the area a closed militaryzone and threatened to arrest anyone who remained. The group withdrew fromthe area.
Afterwards, several members of Ta'ayush along with Meyer drove to thevillage of Tuba to photograph a new gate that blocks the road from Tuba toAt Tuwani. On the drive back to At-Tuwani, settlers stopped the vehicles byblocking the road. The settlers spit on Meyer through the open truckwindow. The police arrived, coaxed the settlers off the road, and allowedthe vehicles to pass.
When the group arrived back in At-Tuwani, Israeli soldiers approached them,said the area was a closed military zone to all nonresidents, and orderedall the Israelis to leave. They did not request that the internationalsleave.
In the afternoon, Zimmerman and Davis monitored a temporary checkpoint setup by the border police at the entrance to At-Tuwani.
Sunday, 9 July 2006
A representative from the Israeli group Yesh Din (literally, 'there is alaw') and an Israeli lawyer visited At-Tuwani. They spoke with men fromTuba, Susiya, Magaer Al-Abeed and At-Tuwani about the difficulties they haveexperienced. The lawyer indicated that he would file charges in relationto various incidents in the hope that the Israeli judicial system wouldinvestigate them.
Monday, 10 July 2006
Shortly before 10:00 p.m., three army vehicles entered At-Tuwani. Two ofthem drove toward the Hill 833 outpost after stopping briefly. Zimmermanspoke with the soldiers from the third vehicle. They said that they wereresponding to a report that someone was throwing stones. The soldier wouldnot say who filed the report nor who was supposedly throwing the stones.Zimmerman called some families in the village, but no one knew anythingabout stone throwing. After less than fifteen minutes, the soldiers left.
Tuesday, 11 July 2006
At 11:00 a.m., the team received information that an Israeli constructioncrew was working near Tuba. Jack and Zimmerman walked via an indirectroute to Tuba to avoid potential problems with settlers. When theyapproached the work site, the workers did not object to the CPTers'documenting their work. The man in charge said that they were building acommunications tower for the army. The CPTers then walked to Tuba to passon this information to the villagers there.
Several truckloads of water arrived in At-Tuwani, provided by Oxfam. Most ofthe cisterns in the village received some water.
Wednesday, 12 July 2006
In Humra, two Doves saw an army humvee. Four soldiers were by the vehiclehaving what appeared to be a picnic. After half an hour, they left.
Thursday, 13 July 2006
From Khoruba hill two Doves took photographs of the army's newcommunications tower near Tuba.
At 10:10 a.m., Davis photographed a crane truck lifting cement blocks toblock the gap in the low wall on the north side of settler bypass road 317.Shortly after 1:00 p.m., Davis, Jack and Zimmerman responded to a reportthat soldiers were on the road. There they found several villagers andtheir vehicles stranded on the Yatta side of route 317. (See 17 July CPTnetrelease, "Access from At-Tuwani to Yatta blocked.")
Friday, 14 July 2006
After 4:00 p.m., a villager called to say that he had heard that the blockshad been removed from the road. Davis and Jack went to investigate; theblocks were still in place.
Sunday, 16 July 2006
Two members of the International Committee for the Red Cross visited thevillage. They informed the team that they have submitted complaints withthe Israeli military about crimes committed by the settlers during theprevious few months. The team gave them pictures and video documentation ofincidents that occurred during the spring.
Monday, 17 July 2006
Leaders from At-Tuwani and surrounding villages met with a representativefrom the Israeli army to talk about water distribution for the Masafer Yattaarea and the problems caused by the roadblock along route 317. The armyrepresentative said that the roadblock will be removed "soon." He refused to give a date.
Saturday, 8 July 2006
Meyer and a Dove were in the village of Susiya overnight and participated ina water pumping action sponsored by Ta'ayush, an Israeli peace group.Minutes after the tractors arrived at a Palestinian cistern near an Israelimilitary outpost, soldiers intervened and would not allow the group to pumpwater from the cistern. The soldiers declared the area a closed militaryzone and threatened to arrest anyone who remained. The group withdrew fromthe area.
Afterwards, several members of Ta'ayush along with Meyer drove to thevillage of Tuba to photograph a new gate that blocks the road from Tuba toAt Tuwani. On the drive back to At-Tuwani, settlers stopped the vehicles byblocking the road. The settlers spit on Meyer through the open truckwindow. The police arrived, coaxed the settlers off the road, and allowedthe vehicles to pass.
When the group arrived back in At-Tuwani, Israeli soldiers approached them,said the area was a closed military zone to all nonresidents, and orderedall the Israelis to leave. They did not request that the internationalsleave.
In the afternoon, Zimmerman and Davis monitored a temporary checkpoint setup by the border police at the entrance to At-Tuwani.
Sunday, 9 July 2006
A representative from the Israeli group Yesh Din (literally, 'there is alaw') and an Israeli lawyer visited At-Tuwani. They spoke with men fromTuba, Susiya, Magaer Al-Abeed and At-Tuwani about the difficulties they haveexperienced. The lawyer indicated that he would file charges in relationto various incidents in the hope that the Israeli judicial system wouldinvestigate them.
Monday, 10 July 2006
Shortly before 10:00 p.m., three army vehicles entered At-Tuwani. Two ofthem drove toward the Hill 833 outpost after stopping briefly. Zimmermanspoke with the soldiers from the third vehicle. They said that they wereresponding to a report that someone was throwing stones. The soldier wouldnot say who filed the report nor who was supposedly throwing the stones.Zimmerman called some families in the village, but no one knew anythingabout stone throwing. After less than fifteen minutes, the soldiers left.
Tuesday, 11 July 2006
At 11:00 a.m., the team received information that an Israeli constructioncrew was working near Tuba. Jack and Zimmerman walked via an indirectroute to Tuba to avoid potential problems with settlers. When theyapproached the work site, the workers did not object to the CPTers'documenting their work. The man in charge said that they were building acommunications tower for the army. The CPTers then walked to Tuba to passon this information to the villagers there.
Several truckloads of water arrived in At-Tuwani, provided by Oxfam. Most ofthe cisterns in the village received some water.
Wednesday, 12 July 2006
In Humra, two Doves saw an army humvee. Four soldiers were by the vehiclehaving what appeared to be a picnic. After half an hour, they left.
Thursday, 13 July 2006
From Khoruba hill two Doves took photographs of the army's newcommunications tower near Tuba.
At 10:10 a.m., Davis photographed a crane truck lifting cement blocks toblock the gap in the low wall on the north side of settler bypass road 317.Shortly after 1:00 p.m., Davis, Jack and Zimmerman responded to a reportthat soldiers were on the road. There they found several villagers andtheir vehicles stranded on the Yatta side of route 317. (See 17 July CPTnetrelease, "Access from At-Tuwani to Yatta blocked.")
Friday, 14 July 2006
After 4:00 p.m., a villager called to say that he had heard that the blockshad been removed from the road. Davis and Jack went to investigate; theblocks were still in place.
Sunday, 16 July 2006
Two members of the International Committee for the Red Cross visited thevillage. They informed the team that they have submitted complaints withthe Israeli military about crimes committed by the settlers during theprevious few months. The team gave them pictures and video documentation ofincidents that occurred during the spring.
Monday, 17 July 2006
Leaders from At-Tuwani and surrounding villages met with a representativefrom the Israeli army to talk about water distribution for the Masafer Yattaarea and the problems caused by the roadblock along route 317. The armyrepresentative said that the roadblock will be removed "soon." He refused to give a date.
posted by Angela Davis | 2:27 PM
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