From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos – January 31-February 6

Activestills By Activestills February 7, 2013 | Edit

This week: Palestinians erect a new West Bank protest village, show solidarity with hunger striking prisoners and demonstrate against the occupation, while a 61-year-old Israeli woman is evicted from her home and Eritrean asylum seekers call for an end to the dictatorial regime in their home country.

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Israeli forces surround Palestinian activists in a village named Al Manatir on land belonging to the West Bank village of Burin, February 2, 2013. The protest village was established to protest settlement expansion and harrassment faced by neighboring Palestinian villages. (Photo by: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
An Israeli soldier pepper sprays a restrained Palestinian activist at point blank range in a newly created protest village named Al Manatir on land belonging to the West Bank village of Burin, February 2, 2013. (Photo by: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Activists in Jaffa show solidarity with Samer Issawi, a Palestinian on hunger strike for 194 days and held in an Israeli medical detention center, February 4, 2013. (Photo by: Shiraz Grinbaum/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Palestinians demonstrate in the West Bank village of Araba near Jenin in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners still on hunger strike in Israeli prisons; Samer Issawi (192 days), Tareq Qa’dan and Ja’far Aiz Din (67 days), February 1, 2013. (Photo by: Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Laila and Tariq Issawi, Samer Issawi’s parents, in their home, February 2, 2013. Samer Issawi is extremely unwell, and is being held in the prisoners medical center; he has been on hunger strike for 191 days. The family was prevented from attending his last hearing at the “Shalom” court in Jerusalem, on December 18, 2012. (Photo by: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Demonstration in front of Ramle prison in solidarity with Palestinian prisoner Samer Issawi, February 4, 2013. Issawi has been on hunger strike for 194 days and is currently held in an Israeli medical detention center in critical condition. (Photo by: Keren Manor/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Palestinian activists protest in front of the PLO building in the West Bank city of Ramallah, demanding the intervention of the PLO for the Palestinian prisoners’ life still on hunger strike in Israeli prisons; Ayman Sharawna (More than 210 days), Samer Issawi (195 days), Tareq Qa’dan, Jafar Ez-Din and Yousef Shaban (71 days), February 5, 2013. (Photo by:Ahmad Al Bazz/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Movers clear the belongings of 61-year-old Rivka Levi, after she was forcefully evicted from her public housing flat owned by Amidar company, Petah Tikva, January 31, 2013. Four activists were arrested trying to prevent the eviction. (Photo By: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Graffiti in Hebrew reads: “Homesh youth respect”, painted by Jewish settlers of Homesh, seen on a wall of an old Palestinian mosque where the evacuated illegal settlement of ‘Sanour/Tarsila’ was established in 1987, 20 km south of the West Bank city of Jenin. The settlement occupied an area of 39 dunums, and used to be inhabited by 15 families, and was evacuated in 2005. Palestinians villagers said that the Israeli settlers still come to the area every week. (Photo by: Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Palestinian children confront Israeli soldiers during a weekly demonstration against the occupation and separation wall in the West Bank village of Al Ma’sara, February 1, 2013. If completed as planned, the wall would cut off the village from its agricultural lands. (Photo by: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
A protester suffers from tear gas inhalation during the weekly demonstration in the village of Nabi Saleh, West Bank, February 1, 2013. (Photo by: Keren Manor/Activestills.org.)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
Eritrean refugees living in Israel take part in a protest outside the Eritrean embassy in the city of Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, February 1. 2013. The protesters were calling for the ousting of the dictatorial regime in Eritrea, and the release of all political prisoners. (Photo by: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

 

From protest villages to hunger strikes: A week in photos - January 31-February 6
The Israeli army set up a flying checkpoint on Road 60, which links the West Bank cities of Nablus and Ramallah. The Israeli army blocked the road for 45 minutes and prevented cars from passing from both sides, February 5, 2013. (Photo by:Ahmad Al Bazz/Activestills.org)
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Activestills is a collective of Israeli, Palestinian, and international photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. Our images are frequently published by many leading human rights, development, and advocacy agencies, as well as by alternative and leading news media. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook or visit our Flickr photostream.