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For Immediate Release
<br>October 28, 2003
<br>
<br>ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES SHOOT TWO MORE PEACE ACTIVISTS
<br>
<br>The Israeli military shot two international peace activists in the leg
<br>with live ammunition, reports ISM Vancouver's Melissa from Balata Refugee
<br>Camp. She is one of three ISM Vancouver volunteers currently in Occupied
<br>Palestine.
<br>
<br>VANCOUVER - On Friday, November 24, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
<br>entered the Balata Refugee Camp in the West Bank city of Nablus in
<br>Occupied Palestine. According to the International Solidarity Movement
<br>(ISM), the IOF cut electricity to the camp and fired indiscriminately
<br>into the dark killing one Palestinian and wounding several others.
<br>
<br>Two human rights volunteers -- Mark, an American, and Jeremy, an Australian -- were both shot in the thigh with live ammunition after they escorted several Palestinian children to safety away from the Israeli troops.
<br>
<br>Several international witnesses stated there was no Palestinian gunfire
<br>in the area and that Mark and Jeremy had identified themselves as unarmed
<br>international civilians in the spotlight of the Israeli Humvee that
<br>subsequently shot at them.
<br>
<br>The two injured activists were taken by ambulance to Rafidia Hospital in
<br>Nablus where they are recovering from their injuries. Their ambulance was
<br>stopped and detained by Israeli soldiers en route to the hospital.
<br>
<br>Three ISM Vancouver volunteers have been in Palestine for the last month
<br>participating in the ISM Olive Harvest Campaign. In the village of
<br>Yanoun, ISM Vancouver activists recently accompanied Palestinian farmers
<br>so they could harvest their olives despite threats of Israeli settler
<br>violence. Most Palestinians in Yanoun village have been forced to leave
<br>by years of constant violence and intimidation from Israeli settlers and
<br>troops.
<br>
<br>ISM Vancouver activists also participated in non-violent demonstrations
<br>at the Apartheid wall in the village of Jayyous. The so-called "security
<br>fence" has cut-off Village farmers from 2,000 acres of their land, six
<br>groundwater wells, 120 greenhouses, 15,000 olive trees, and 50,000 citrus
<br>trees. The Apartheid wall threatens the only livelihood of more than 80
<br>percent of Jayyous families.
<br>
<br>One Vancouverite was recently refused entry to the Gaza Strip where she
<br>planned to document the Israeli military's flagrant disregard for human
<br>life and international law. In the last two weeks alone, IOF military
<br>operations in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 20 innocent civilians
<br>and destroyed hundreds of Palestinian houses leaving more than 2000
<br>people homeless. The IOF actions have been strongly condemned by both UN
<br>relief agencies and Amnesty International which said the "wanton destruction constitutes a war crime."
<br>
<br>In addition to the barbaric attacks on Palestinian lives and property,
<br>the Israeli military is continuing its campaign to intimidate, maim, and
<br>silence international peace and human rights workers and journalists in
<br>the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Israeli government wants to
<br>prevent the international community from hearing about the daily cruelty
<br>and brutality of Israeli military actions against Palestinian civilians.
<br>
<br>In July, five ISM peace activists were shot and wounded when Israeli soldiers fired on the demonstrators protesting against the construction of the Apartheid wall. Last spring IOF soldiers crushed and killed one international peace activist with a bulldozer and shot two others in the head -- one of who remains in a coma. They also shot and killed two international journalists in the same period.
<br>
<br>The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian-led movement
<br>of Palestinian and International activists who utilize nonviolent direct
<br>action to support the Palestinian struggle for freedom and oppose the
<br>illegal Israeli occupation.
<br>
<br>Three ISM-Vancouver volunteers are currently in Occupied Palestine and
<br>are available for interviews. For more information or to arrange an
<br>interview, email ISM Vancouver at: <mailto://info@ism-vancouver.org>.
<br>
<br>International Solidarity Movement (ISM-Vancouver)
<br>Box 38 - 16 W. Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1G4
<br>Email: <mailto://info@ism-vancouver.org>
<br>Web: <http://www.ism-vancouver.org> <b on></b><!-- 855 -->
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