17th June 2015 | International Solidarity Movement | Qaryut, Occupied Palestine

In the early hours on Tuesday 16th of June Israeli occupation forces raided several Palestinian homes in the village of Qaryut, near Nablus. The soldiers invaded the homes in search of the Palestinian activist Bashar al-Sadiq Yusuf Moammar (Bashar Qaryouti).

The incident is possibly sparked by the fact that villagers of Qaryout have recently taken up weekly demonstrations, arranged by the PSCC, which Bashar Qaryouti is part of. These are demonstrations against the illegal Israeli settlements that surround the city and continue to annex Palestinian land.

Soldiers invaded at least five different houses in order to find Bashar, and trashed the family homes in the process. Abdullah Qaryouti, whose family fell victim to one of these raids, explained how this included the soldiers locking up the family in one room whilst ransacking the rest of their house using K9’s.

According to Abdullah Qaryouti this is common behaviour for the occupation forces, who invade and ruin Palestinian homes on a regular basis.

The local activists presume the most recent house raids to be part of the on going efforts of Israeli forces to intimidate and threaten any resident that participates in non-violent resistance.

Credit to PSCC for the photos, they do not belong to ISM.

Palestinian man whose house was raided in Qaryut

Damage in a Palestinian home in Qaryut

Israeli soldiers overturned the bed in a Palestinian home

More destruction by soldiers raiding a Palestinian home

Soldiers completely ransacked the home.