Collective punishment

In the shared taxi 2 days ago, between Ramallah and Alkhalil, we could see missiles drawing trails in the sky above. The radio said that 'Israel' was closing its borders. We cackled at the irony. WHICH borders ?? In the West Bank, you drive between barbed wire fences, below frequent hilltop fortifications, through checkpoints where a soldier aims his gun directly at you while you pass. By occupying the lands and homes of millions of people Israel has created borders everywhere.

How can they defend or close all of them?

Their soldiers are busy arresting non-violent activists, helping settlers herd cattle on Palestinian lands....in al Khalil the occupation is everywhere and its borders are between 2 houses and are drawn down the middle of streets.

Palestinians are trying to remove them as I write

Military crackdown in el-Khalil.

An ambulance, with sirens blaring, was forcing its way through the streets as we arrived in the city centre of Hebron. Chanting youngsters, wearing the green headbands of Hamas, handed us green-wrapped chocolates to celebrate the breakout from Gaza.

These guys were standing up to the occupation army which was in the act of pushing people out of the old city, near the Zionist settlements. To accomplish this they were using tear gas, sound bombs and, apparently, random gunfire.

We tried to reach the house of an activist friend of ours, only to find that he had been arrested in the morning (to keep him quiet?) and that the area round his house was declared a closed military area.

"This a war zone, get out of here, go to Gaza" the soldiers told us. (My language is more polite than theirs!)

....

Remember, ALL of Palestine is suffering under occupation. There is a link between today's events near Gaza and the constant, murderous settler and military attacks on West Bank towns and refugee camps.

Collective punishment again:

I was supposed to be doing an English workshop with some young girls in alKhalil today. They cannot leave their homes. The occupation has put their part of the city under lockdown.

Another of our activities is protective presence, accompanying school children who are at risk of being attacked by terrorist settlers. We're not doing that because their schools are closed (Tuwani)

As I told you, I was supposed to be doing an English workshop yesterday, but couldn't because the army of occupation had put the residential area in al-Khalil, the West Bank, under lockdown.

When I checked in with one of the girls, she told me that three of her cousins had been killed by the occupation. Three family members. Over the past 24 hours.

This was the first time I really choked up. What can you say? What confort can there be?

The combined might of the US and Europe is backing random shootings of civilians in cities which have been under daily restrictions for decades.

I'm not a Muslim, but I sincerely meant it when I said "God rest their souls". I don't know much about faith, but I know the difference between good and evil, and these killings are evil.