AL-KHALIL (HEBRON): Twenty years of CPT Palestine in photos

CPTnet | July 18, 2015

This summer marks the twentieth year of Christian Peacemaker Team’s presence in Palestine.  While that does not seem to be a reason to celebrate, we do feel we should mark the occasion.

1995: Armed Settlers Pictured here: An unchanged reality since 1995 that clearly shows the imbalance of force between Israeli settlers and Palestinians is the fact that only the settlers are allowed to carry guns, besides having protection from trained soldiers. 1996: Girls of Cordoba School Pictured here: One of the first most symbolic acts of resistance against the Occupation in Hebron were student from Cordoba Girls School proudly lifting the Palestinian flag, something that enraged the settlers. 1997: Direct Action Pictured here: A CPTer takes part in a rebuilding action at the Waheed Zalloum house, which is located between the settlements of Kiryat Arba and Harsina in Hebron. 1998: Nonviolence Training Pictured here: A CPTer helps to demonstrate a technique used by the Israeli state to torture Palestinian prisoners, which was defined as “moderate physical pressure”. 1999: Settler Objection Pictured here: In past and present settlers constantly protest the attempts to reopen shops on Shuhada Street . 2000: Collective Punishment Pictured here: Palestinian were forbidden to use the gate at the Chicken Market, closing off Shuhada Street. 2001: Settler Violence Pictured here: Palestinian shop in the Vegetable Market was burned by settlers during a curfew imposed by the Israeli Army on Palestinians. 2002: Home Demolition Pictured here: Palestinian house destroyed by Israeli forces in the Abu Sneineh neighborhood in Hebron during the Intifada. 2003: Open Shuhada Street Pictured here: International women demonstrating for the opening of Shuhada Street. 2004: It is about Security! Pictured here: Israeli settler women making a walk in the Old City with a baby stroller and protected by soldiers even though Palestinians were prevented from opening their shops in that time. 2005: The Settler tour Pictured here: A pattern that will repeat itself every Saturday for the following decade: settlers touring the Old City of Hebron surrounded by soldiers. 2006: Segregated paths Pictured here: The segregation on Sahle street between Israeli settlers and Palestinians with either removable or concrete blocks would continue till 2013, when they were moved to a nearby area in the Worshipers Way. 2007: Roadblock Removal Pictured here: Palestinian activists removing a road block. Many roadblocks like this still exist, part of more than 600 closures that restrict the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank.

2008: No One is Immune! Pictured here: A sheep wounded by settlers is carried by the Israeli police for investigation. 2009: Road to Education Pictured here: Palestinian children from the villages of Tuba and Maghayr Al-‘Abd are escorted to school in the village of Tuwani by Israeli soldiers on  a road between the settlement of Ma’on and the outpost of Havat Ma’on. 2010: Contradiction Pictured here: Palestinian boys get detained by the same Israeli soldiers who supposed to protect them on their way to school in Tuwani. 2011: Despair Pictured here: Elderly Palestinian man in the South Hebron Hills sits in front of an Israeli bulldozer destroying his land. 2012: Under Attack Pictured here: Golani brigade in one its many arbitrary arrests and detention of Palestinians in H2 area of Hebron. A special report was issued by the international accompaniment groups in order to remove the brigade that was abusing the local population with incessant violations. 2013: Tear Gas! Pictured here: Israeli soldiers after shooting tear gas towards Palestinian school children in front of Tariq Bin Zyad School, close to Salaymeh Checkpoint. 2013 witnessed a spike in the use of tear gas against children during school time. 2014: Brother’s Keeper Pictured here: One of the levels of the Abu Eisha family house blown up by Israeli forces in Hebron. The destruction of the family homes of the two suspects of kidnapping three Israeli settlers culminated Operation Brother’s Keeper, which raided hundreds of Palestinian houses, and the subsequent escalation of the situation with Hamas in Gaza, which led to the Operation Protective Edge. This assault on Gaza Strip resulted in more than 2.200 Palestinian deaths (about 70% civilian), as well as the death of 66 Israeli soldiers and 6 Israeli civilians. 2015: Military Order Pictured here: Palestinian woman holds the key up to the soldier welding her family house’s door shut. Israeli forces claimed without showing any evidence that Palestinians used the roof of the house to throw a Molotov cocktail towards the settlement. For that reason, the house where just an old lady used to live was sealed.