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Kufr Qaddoum, occupied West Bank- For the past 10 years, this village in the occupied West Bank in the north has held protests every weekend against the expropriation of nearly 1,000 acres (405 hectares) of land for illegal Israeli settlements.
During the protests last Friday, four Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens of others were treated for tear gas inhalation.
Village spokesperson Murad Stevie told Al Jazeera that Israeli soldiers invaded houses and snipers shot demonstrators from the roofs of some houses.
The protest started with a peaceful march to the settlement, but ended with a violent confrontation between Israeli soldiers and stone-throwing Palestinian youths.
Stevie, one of the organizers of the Friday-Saturday protests, said: “They took away our land, including the olive grove and a road that bypassed the settlement, where we used to go to the nearest commercial center. Nablus.”
“This forces all the villagers to take a longer and more circuitous route to Nablus, which requires more time and fuel,” Shteiwi added.
Village spokesperson Murad Shteiwi during the weekly Kufr Qaddoum protest [Al Jazeera]Although protests are held twice a week, Stevie said that when Israeli soldiers attacked villages and invaded houses at night, other demonstrations often broke out.
“We started to hold protests every Friday, but after Israel implemented a policy of collective punishment, targeting families and all villagers-including women, children and the elderly-we decided to send a message to the Israeli authorities that their strategy will not work , Nothing can stop us,” he added.
Pay a high price
The Palestinian residents of Kufr Qaddoum paid a high price for resisting Israeli occupation.
According to locals, at least 170 people were arrested and hundreds were hit by live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets.
“Three serious cases involving rubber bullets included a person who lost his eye, his uncle was shot in the head, and a 15-year-old child was shot by an Israeli sniper with a rubber bullet, causing his skull to fracture and subsequent brain damage,” Stevie said.
“He can’t walk or talk now, nor can he move the right side of his body.”
Among the hundreds of injured, more than 100 were hit by live ammunition.
A nine-year-old child was shot dead Head with “explosive” bullet; He is now paralyzed and can only move his eyes.
As the organizer of the protests, Stevie himself was shot several times, and was briefly arrested and detained five times.
His 15-year-old son Khalid was arrested two years ago and was shot twice on two different occasions, once A bullet that exploded in his leg When he was 11 years old, he used rubber bullets once.
When they arrested Khalid, who was 13 at the time, Shteiwi was shocked.
“When Israeli soldiers surrounded my house, I thought they would arrest me, but I didn’t expect them to arrest my young son. My wife fainted during the arrest,” he said.
The Israeli army accused Khalid of participating in some demonstrations, which Stevie said was common among children in many villages. He said that because of the Israelis’ use of force, the protests turned into confrontations.
“We do everything we can to protect the children and take them away when things go bad. The children are trying to send a message to the world, although children in other places can lead a peaceful and normal life, but here they cannot ,” Stevie said.
“My 11-year-old son, Moa’men, was hit in the head by a rubber bullet several years ago, causing multiple fractures to his skull.”
Moa’men was also ambushed by Israeli special forces a few years ago as they waited in the ditches near the village road where the protesters marched.
An Israeli soldier pointed his weapon at a Palestinian demonstrator in Kafr Qaddum [File: Raneen Sawafta/Reuters]Over the years, Shteiwi’s home has also been the target of rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, which smashed many windows. In some cases, there were no protests in the village.
Over the years, five reporters covering the demonstrations were hit by rubber bullets and live ammunition.
The Israeli army stated that the village organized “violent riots”, including throwing rocks and rolling burning tires at them.
“They will be forced to return the land”
Akef Qaddoumi, 59, is one of the main protest organizers and a member of the village council. He often participates in demonstrations.
At each rally, Kadumi can be seen standing in front of a group of young people, unarmed, waving the Palestinian flag.
He has been shot many times, including in protests against Israeli land theft in other villages in the area.
Kadumi told Al Jazeera: “During a protest against settlements in the village of Beit Dajan, when I was hit in the head by a rubber bullet, I fractured my skull.”
Akef Qaddoumi, 59, is one of the main protest organizers and a member of the village committee [Al Jazeera]Kadumi’s family has protested the occupation for three generations.
“I have five children who participated in the resistance, and my 4-year-old grandson Watan is now also participating in the protest,” Kadumi said.
One of his sons rode on a horse and held a wedding in a demonstration.
“Although we have not achieved the goal of reclaiming the land, our village is united to resist the occupation,” Kadumi said. “We are determined to resist the occupation in a relatively peaceful way and set an example for other villages in the area.”
Shteiwi said that the protests will not stop, “until we realize our rights and our land is returned, we can drive on our roads.”
“Ultimately, the Israelis will be forced to return the land,” he said.
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