Awarta residents report daily IDF raids

[Scurrilous]

Israel wants to destroy village, expand nearby settlements, says mayor of Awarta, near Itamar

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4055526,00.html

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"Palestinians from Awarta are reporting that IDF soldiers have been raiding their village every day recently, humiliating residents and damaging property while maintaining road blocks at the entrance.

Awarta lies in close proximity to Itamar, in which five family members were stabbed to death a month ago.

Mayor Qais Awwad told Ynet Monday that Israel has also taken over land belonging to the West Bank village in order to expand nearby settlements."



Village remains under siege weeks after settlement murders

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"Awarta is a poor, sprawling village in the northern occupied West Bank. Surrounded by land that is now a vivid green from the winter rains, trails of cactus plants grow between the houses of the village. Two weeks ago, however, Israel designated Awarta a closed military zone, sealing the village off from the outside world for five days. During this time, no ambulances, groceries or fresh produce were permitted in, and no one was allowed to leave to work or even visit the hospital. For these five days, Awarta was inaccessible to any media; if residents snapped a photo, their phones and cameras would be confiscated immediately.

Awarta was subjected to this siege because of the murder of five members of the Fogel family in the neighboring illegal settlement outpost, Itamar. Under the guise of an investigation, Israel applied this severe punishment to the entire village though the identity of the perpetrator of the attack is unknown.

Israel's use of collective punishment in the occupied West Bank and Gaza -- which is prohibited under international law -- dates to the beginning of the occupation after the June 1967 War and was originally used by the British army during the mandate era (1922-1948). The use of such tactics suggests an intention other than the pursuit of justice for the Fogel family.

While no media was able to witness the closure while it was in place, after the lockdown was lifted the stories of what the Israeli military unleashed on the village began to emerge."

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[Jefferson23]

1. kick n/t

[azurnoir]

2. From today - Awarta raided overnight, 5 more detained

Concern is mounting for the residents of Awarta, as 71 villagers including a teenage girl and two elderly women remain held in Israeli custody without charge, and official visits to ensure their well being were prevented by Israeli forces.

Three Palestinians from the village who were living in Ramallah were detained from their homes there overnight, as their relatives in Awarta, including two brothers, were detained during an overnight raid.

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On Monday night, caretaker Prime Minister in the West Bank Salam Fayyad was refused permission by Israel to enter the area and visit the residents, alarming groups calling for an international presence there to observe the ongoing arrests and searches.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=377850

[Jefferson23]

3. Israel murder probe is 'collective punishment'

2 hrs 31 mins ago
AWARTA, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – The council head of a Palestinian village at the centre of an investigation into a brutal stabbing murder accused the Israeli army on Tuesday of collectively punishing his town.

Qais Awad told AFP the village of Awarta had been under curfew for 33 days while the military investigates the March 11 stabbing of a couple and three of their children at the nearby Jewish settlement of Itamar.

"There isn't a house in the village that hasn't been subjected to breaking and smashing of things, from washing machines and fridges to satellite dishes and sinks," he said.

"Electricity was cut off, they confiscated thousands of dunums (hundreds of hectares, acres) of village land," he said, adding that water had also been sporadically cut off along with power, before being restored without warning or explanation.

The army has refused to comment on any part of its operations in Awarta, which lies near the northern West Bank town of Nablus and is home to about 7,000 people.

Awad said the village remained under curfew and that Israeli troops have arrested hundreds of people without charge.

The latest arrests included several members of the Awad family, including three who were detained in the town of Beitunia, on the outskirts of the city of Ramallah.

On Monday, village officials said three other members of the Awad family had been detained, including a 15-year-old girl and her mother.

Despite hundreds of arrests, no one has been charged with the slayings, though Israeli media reported on Tuesday that a breakthrough in the case was "imminent," without providing further details.

in full: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110412/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansconflictsettlerawarta_20110412173249