Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (02- 08 January 2014)

3 civilians were wounded in different shooting incidents.

 A Palestinian child was wounded in Bil'in weekly protest, west of Ramallah.

  

 At least 23 Palestinians, including a child, were arrested.

Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank.

A patient was arrested at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.

At least 3 Palestinian civilians were arrested at checkpoints in the West Bank.

Israeli naval forces opened fire 4 times at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported.

 Israeli forces have continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

A project was initiated to build 272 new settlement units in settlements in the West Bank.

Israeli forces levelled an agricultural area in the centre of Hebron and uprooted 50 almond and grape trees.

The settlers continued their attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property.

Fire was set to 2 vehicles in Madama village, south of Nablus.

 Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (02 – 08 January 2014).

 During the reporting period, a Palestinian child died of wounds he sustained a day earlier, while 3 other civilians were wounded in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces carried out 2 airstrikes, 4 shooting incidents along the border fence and 4 shooting incidents at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, a Palestinian child was wounded during peaceful protests organized by Palestinians and international and Israeli activists in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities.

 In the Gaza Strip, on 03 January 2014, medical sources at Shifa hospital in Gaza City pronounced Adnan Jamil Abu Khater (17), from Jabalia, dead of wounds he sustained a day earlier.

 On the same day, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, north of Beit Hanoun, opened fire at Nahez Jamal Abdul Dayem (29), an iron collector, from Ezbet Beit Hanoun. As a result, he sustained a bullet wound to the right leg and was taken to Kamal Odwan hospital in Beit Lahia.

 On 03 January 2014 also, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the northern Gaza Strip when Israeli forces positioned along the border fence opened fire at a group of civilians in 2 separate incidents.

 On the same day, Israeli warplanes launched 2 airstrikes on the central and northern Gaza Strip. However, neither casualties nor material damage were reported.

 In the context of targeting fishermen in the sea, Israeli forces targeted fishermen on 04, 05 and 06 January 2014, but neither casualties nor material damage were reported.

 In the West Bank, Israeli forces continued the systematic use of excessive force against peaceful protests organised by Palestinian, Israeli and international activists against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West. As a result, a 16-year-old civilian was wounded by a Tutu bullet in Bil'in weekly protest, west of Ramallah.

 During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 71 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 23 Palestinians, including a child.

 Israel continued to impose a tightened closure of the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

 The illegal closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007 has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  The Israeli authorities impose measures to undermine the freedom of trade, including the basic needs for the Gaza Strip population and the agricultural and industrial products to be exported. For 7 consecutive years, Israel has tightened the land and naval closure to isolate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and other countries around the world. This resulted in a grave violation of the economic, social and cultural rights and a deterioration of living conditions for 1.7 million people.  The Israeli authorities have turned  Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shaloum) into the sole crossing for imports and exports and therewith continue  to exercise its control over the Gaza Strip’s economy. They also aim at imposing a complete ban on the Gaza Strip’s exports.

 Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

 As part of using military checkpoints and border crossings as traps to arrest Palestinian civilians under the pretext they are wanted, Israeli forces arrested at least 16 civilians, including 4 children, in the West Bank.

 Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, a direct violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

 On 05 January 2014, Israeli forces backed with military vehicles and accompanied with a vehicle belonging to the Israeli Civil Administration (the construction and organization department), moved into Tal al-Ramidah neighbourhood in central Hebron.  Israeli soldiers deployed in the area prevented civilians’ movement.  A military bulldozer levelled a 2300m2  tract of land and uprooted almond trees rented by Abu Haykal Family since 1949 from “the enemy’s property guard” at that time.  They denied civilians access into it.

 On 05 January 2014, Israeli forces denied civilians in Kherbet Um al-Kheir, east of Yatta, south of Hebron, access into the farmlands surrounding the village where there are water wells.  Meanwhile, Israeli authorities allow the urban expansion in “Kermaeil” settlement established on Palestinian lands in the surrounding village.

 Regarding the new settlement construction projects, on 06 January 2014, the Israeli “Peace Now” movement against settlements, revealed a project to build 272 new settlement units in the West Bank. This was approved on the eve of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s departure.  The movement said in its statement that a project to build 250 new settlement units in “’Ofrah” settlement and 22 others in “Kerni Shamrone” settlement was approved.

 On 08 January 2014, an Israeli Infantry force backed with 3 military vehicles and accompanied with a vehicle belonging to the Israeli Civil Administration (the construction and organization department), moved into Deir Samit village, west of Dura, southwest of Hebron.  They stationed at the intersection leading to the village and deployed in the area.  The Civil Administration officer handed 4 notices to stop construction works under the pretext of no permit.

 On 04 January 2014, a group of settlers from the settlements established on Palestinians lands, east of Hebron, moved into the old city markets, Shalalah Street in central Hebron.  They threw stones and empty bottles at the shops, and a number of them destroyed some stands belonging to peddlers.

 On the same day in the afternoon, settlers from “Beit Hadasa” outpost  in the centre of the old city in central Hebron attacked a house belonging to Mofid al-Sahrbati in al-Shuhadaa’ Street, which has been closed for 12 years.

 On 06 January 2014, a group of settlers from “Metsebi Ya’ir” settlement established on Palestinian lands, east of Yatta, south of Hebron, attacked farmers while working in their lands in the area of al-‘Ad well, southeast of Yatta.

 At approximately 20:00 on Tuesday, 07 January 2014, a number of settlers from “Sousia” settlement established on Palestinian lands, south of Yatta, south of Hebron, destroyed an 8m2 tent belonging to ‘Ezz al-Din Ghaith al-Da’ajnah (44) in al-Rakhim Valley Mountain near Kherbet Sousia.

 On 08 January 2014, a group of settlers from “Yitshar” settlement established on part of Madma lands, south of Nablus, set fire to two cars in the centre of the aforementioned village and wrote hostile slogans against Arabs and residents.