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.......read more reports from our delegates participating in the Olive Harvest Campaign 2004

Nov 28th, 2004 Internationals Block Army Jeeps at Balata Refugee Camp

John p. in Balata Refugee Camp, West Bank, Palestine

At 6:30 in the morning a small incursion of Israeli military vehicles entered
Balata Refugee Camp. There have been at least 5 such incursions over the past
2 weeks. The military, supported by a few armored jeeps as well as Armored
personnel Carriers (APC's), usually merely sets up near main intersections
while one drives around the outskirts of the Camp. Today, however, they
entered the Camp several times driving on both the main street (Market
Street) as well as numerous small side streets that crisscross it.

The timing of the arrival of the military was particularly bad as children
were just beginning their journey to school. Hundreds of children poured onto
Market Street and walked toward the intersection when the jeeps met them. Not
trusting the intentions of the military's actions, the children backed up and
sought alternative routes to school.

At least 6 tear gas canisters were fired into the center of Balata from a
distance of over 100 yards away. One of gas canisters hit the Mosque and
another landed in a U.N.-run compound. A number of sound grenades were also
fired at seemingly random moments. The effect of all this was that business'
were closed, people driving taxis and trucks frantically made U-turns to
avoid coming into contact with them, and people stayed in doors or away from
where the military was.

Internationals on the scene documented the actions and a couple of times
prevented the jeeps from entering the camp by standing in the road and
refusing to move. The jeeps would drive aggressively toward us but stop a
couple of feet in front. They would then back up and leave the camp. The
reason that blocking the Jeep's entrance into the camp was taken was to
prevent them from creating the hostile and confrontational environment they
seek. The military is well aware that the inhabitants view their actions as
hostile and that rock throwing by the youths will be the response. Such a
response by the youths gives justification to the military to kill or badly
injure them. Such is what occurs often, as evidenced by what happened in
Nablus last week when a Jeep entered the Old city and proceeded to shoot dead
two teenage boys. Because Balata is notorious amongst the military as a place
that has an active resistance to the occupation they receive the bulk of
incursions in the West Bank.

As far as we were able to access, only one shot was fired from the military.
As a jeep was passing through the center of town on Market Street, it fired
down an alleyway that was only moments before evacuated by Palestinians and
an international. At the time of this report, we were not aware of any
injuries.

At 10:00 a.m., the military vehicles just picked up and left. They obnoxiously
gave us a wave goodbye as they headed out of town. Within minutes of them
leaving, all the shops in the area opened up for business. Opening their
steel doors and windows, turning on their lights, the streets quickly filled
up again with pedestrians and thus completing another "normal" day for the
besieged residents of Balata Refugee Camp.