For immediate release
December 12th, 2012
Gaza- Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at unarmed farmers and international solidarity activists
working in Khuza’a, a small village outside of Khan Younis located near the Israeli border. At 10:30 AM, the farmers
arrived and began to plough approximately 100 meters from the separation fence while internationals lined up in between
the border and the farmers. They were quickly met by an Israeli military jeep and transport vehicle. An Israeli soldier
issued a warning in Arabic to leave the area and then fired two rounds into the air. The farmers and internationals
remained calm and continued their work and the Israeli soldiers left the area. At around 11 AM, approximately 20
Palestinians and farmers gathered around 300 meters back from the fence. Two military jeeps returned to the area. One
soldier exited his vehicle and fired four shots in the direction of the farmers and activists. The fourth shot crossed
the line of the activists and landed in the field being ploughed. Again, the Palestinians and internationals were not
deterred.
The Israeli jeeps left and the farmers finished working on this section of land and moved on to an adjacent plot.
Fifteen minutes later, two Israeli jeeps returned, one equipped with an automatic machine gun. A soldier fired three
canisters of tear gas directly in front of the activists. He proceeded to shoot at the tractor, damaging its engine and
bringing the work to a halt. An international was accompanying the driver aboard the tractor. The accompaniment team
included participants from Spain, Italy, France, England, Scotland, Germany and the United States Gazan farmers
successfully ploughed and sewed wheat in adjacent plots, with the presence of internationals, during the two days prior
to the incident. Though they were issued warnings by Israeli forces to stay 100 meters from the fence, they were not
fired upon in a similar fashion. “This incident is a prime example of the military harassment and unpredictability of
the Israeli occupation forces that farmers routinely face while working their land in Gaza,” said a solidarity activist
from Spain. For a report from the previous days farming, see http://palsolidarity.org/2012/12/gazan-farmers-at-work-in-kuzaa/.
Residents from Khuza’a said they have not planted in this area, declared a closed military zone by Israel, for the past
thirteen years. Formerly an orchard, Israeli forces bulldozed the field multiple times during military incursions and
regularly shoots at farmers who attempt to work there. Farmers were under the impression that this area was now
accessible after the November 21st ceasefire’s stipulations that Israeli forces would “refrain from targeting residents
in the border areas” and to “stop all hostilities in the Gaza Strip land, sea and air including incursions and targeting
of individuals.” This is the optimum season for planting wheat and the Gazan farmers only have a small window of time in
which to work before the land will be rendered unusable.
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The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian-led non-violent resistance movement committed to ending
Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land. We call for full compliance with all relevant UN resolutions and
international law.
ENDS