International Solidarity Movement activist Hannah James was singled out and arrested by the Israeli secret police, the General Security Services (GSS) as she took part in a peaceful demonstration against the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements.

James, a long-time British peace activist, was one of 40 international and Israeli peace activists who had been invited by the village of Kufr Thulth to take part in the non-violent action against the confiscation of their lands. James was arrested as she walked with more than 100 protesters to hand a set of demands to the military commander protecting a “wildcat” settlement established on the village's lands.

The illegal outpost was established three years ago by settlers from the illegal colony of Ma'ale Shomron on the land of Palestinian farmer Hamid Dheeb. Dheeb and the village have successfully petitioned the Israeli courts to have the settler roads declared illegal, however, the settlers and the Israeli occupation forces circumvented the ruling by declaring the access roads to be for military usage.

In the last few months, the illegal settlers have stepped up the pace of building on the land. They have raided Palestinian lands at least four times in the past three months, cutting, uprooting and destroying over 300 almond and olive trees. Settlers have also attacked and shot at Palestinian families trying to access their land during the olive harvest.

As James was being arrested, the Israeli military attacked the peaceful demonstration with teargas and sound grenades. Dheeb was hit in the face with a teargas canister and was rushed to an ambulance. As medics from the Red Crescent attempted to assist him the Israeli Defence Force targeted the ambulance with teargas and sound bombs.

Two Israeli peace activists were beaten by the Israeli officers as they attempted to protect the Palestinian villagers. An Israeli journalist was also attacked, his camera broken, as he attempted to film the attacks.

Despite the violence, Kufr Thulth’s mayor, Hussien al Saify, called the protest a success, explaining it was the first time the villagers had organised a protest against the seizure of their land. Explaining that it was an important start to a campaign, he told peace activists the village was willing to discuss the situation peacefully, but if the villagers’ grievances were not addressed, more non-violent demonstrations would be organised.

After her targeting and arrest, James was taken to Kava Sufr where she was interrogated for over 10 hours by the secret police. Despite having committed no crime or violent act, James was arrested for not carrying her passport and held as a “security risk’ in Hadera immigration detention in the north of Israel for seven days before she was deported. James' arrest and deportation comes just weeks after another well known British human rights activist, Angie Zelter, was denied entry to Israel.

Both James and Zelter's arrest and detention is part of a campaign by the Israeli security forces and authorities to prevent human-rights activist reporting human-rights abuses. Since mid-2004, Israel has deported at least 39 international human rights activists and denied entry to 80 others.

At the time of her arrest, James said: “Israel is pursing a policy of criminalising human rights workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Hundreds of human rights workers are denied entry to Israel each year. As the occupier, Israel is obliged under international law to faciliate passage to the territories they are occupying. As international witnesses to the crimes of the occupation, human rights workers are seen as the enemy of Israel."

On November 14, the evening before he deportation, James told Green Left Weekly by phone that she intended to pursue a legal case against Israel once she returned to Britain.