Thursday 7 April 2016

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (31 March – 06 April 2016)

Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
(31 March – 06 April 2016)

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  • Israeli forces continued to use excessive force in the oPt
  • 11 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
  • Israeli forces continued to target the border areas along the Gaza Strip.
  • 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
  • House demolitions on grounds of collective punishment.
  • 4 houses, north and south of the West Bank, were demolished.
  • Israeli forces conducted 77 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one in the central Gaza Strip.
  • 64 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children. Fifteen of them, including 4 children, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.
  • Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea.
  • A boat was fully burnt off Rafah shore, but the fishermen on board survived certain death.
  • Israeli forces continued their efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
  • A house in al-Mukaber Mount, southeast of the city, was demolished.
  • Israeli forces raided al-Quds University’s campus in Abu Dees and damaged some of the contents inside.
  • Settlement activities continued in the West Bank.
  • 9 houses, 3 commercial barracks, a poultry slaughterhouse and an agricultural road were demolished.
  • Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 9th
  • Dozens of temporary checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re-established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians.
  • 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were arrested at military checkpoints.

Summary
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (31 March – 06 April 2016).

Shooting:
Israeli forces have continued to commit crimes, inflicting civilian casualties. They have also continued to use excessive force against Palestinian civilians participating in peaceful protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the majority of whom were youngsters. During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 13 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, 4 of them, including a child, were in the West Bank and the 9 others, including 2 children, were in the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded. One of them was wounded during a peaceful protest, another was wounded when Israeli forces carried out an incursion, a third was wounded when Palestinians confronted Israeli forces at the entrance of Madama village, southeast of Nablus and the child was wounded in occupied Jerusalem.
On 02 April 2016, a Palestinian child sustained a bullet wound to the head when he was heading to his school in Ras al-Amoud neighbourhood, east of Jerusalem’s Old City. As a result, he was taken to Hadassa-Ein Karem Hospital to receive medical treatment.

On the same day, a Palestinian civilian sustained a bullet wound to the chest while participating in Kufor Qaddoum protests, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest at the closure of the villages’ entrance with an iron gate since the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada.

On 03 April 2016, a Palestinian boy was wounded when Israeli forces moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin, to demolish 3 houses belonging to the families of Palestinians, who carried out shooting attacks in the centre of East Jerusalem on 03 February 2016. During the incursion, dozens of youngsters gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who opened fire in response. As a result, the boy sustained a bullet wound to the lower part of his body.

On 05 April 2016, a Palestinian civilian sustained a bullet wound to the right ear by Israeli forces that were protecting dozens of settlers at the entrance of Madama village, southeast of Nablus. The settlers were performing religious rituals, due to which, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at the soldiers and settlers. Therefore, Israeli soldiers opened fire in response.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces wounded 9 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. Seven of them, including 2 children, were wounded while participating in peaceful protests and the 2 others were wounded in the context of shooting incidents at the border area.

Concerning shooting incidents during peaceful protests, on 31 March 2016, Israeli forces wounded a Palestinian civilian in his right leg when they opened fire at dozens of young men who were present near the border fence, northwest of Um al-Nasser Bedouin village, north of the Gaza Strip, throwing stones at the Israeli soldiers.

On 01 April 2016, Israeli forces wounded 2 Palestinian civilians, who were participating in a peaceful protest, north of the Gaza Strip. The first was hit with a gas canister to the face and the second was hit with a gas canister to the head.

On the same day, 4 civilians, including 2 children, were wounded while participating in a peaceful protest near the border fence, east of al-Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. Three of them sustained live bullet wounds while the fourth was hit with a gas canister to the right leg. Two of the wounded were transported by a Palestine Red Crescent Society’s (PRCS) ambulance to al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in Deir al-Balah and the 2 others were treated on the scene.

In the context of targeting border areas along the Gaza Strip, on 02 April 2016, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces stationed at the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Shouka village, east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands. Each of them sustained a bullet wound to the right leg. They were both transported to Abu Yusef al-Najjar Hospital in the city to receive the necessary medical treatment. Their wounds were moderate.

As part of Israeli attacks on fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea, on 02 April 2016, Israeli gunboats deployed in the sea off Rafah shore, south of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at a fishing boat sailing about half a nautical mile off the fishermen port. As a result, the boat was completely burnt, while the 2 fishermen on board survived certain death.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 83 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 6 ones in occupied East Jerusalem and its suburbs. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 76 Palestinian civilians, including 27 children and 2 women.  Fifteen of them, including 9 children and a woman, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.

In the Gaza Strip, on 29 March 2016, Israeli forces conducted a limited incursion, east of al-Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. They levelled lands adjacent to the border fence and withdrew later.

Restrictions on movement:

Israel continued to impose a tight 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 been 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 9 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 grave violations of the economic, social and cultural rights and a deterioration of living conditions for 1.8 million people.  The Israeli authorities have established Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shaloum) as the sole crossing for imports and exports in order to exercise its control over the Gaza Strip’s economy.  They also aim at imposing a complete ban on the Gaza Strip’s exports. The Israeli closure raised the rate of poverty to 38.8%, 21.1% of which suffer from extreme poverty. Moreover, the rate of unemployment increased up to 44%, which reflects the unprecedented economic deterioration in the Gaza Strip.

House demolitions on grounds of collective punishment

On 31 March 2016, Israeli forces used hand tools to destroy the internal and external walls of a house belonging to the family of Fathi Zakariya Maswadi in al-Sharif Mount neighbourhood, south of Hebron. The aforementioned person is the father of Ehab (22), who was killed by Israeli forces near the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron’s Old City after he carried out a stabbing and killed a settler according to the Israeli forces narrative.

On 03 April 2016, Israeli forces demolished 3 houses in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin, belonging to the families of Palestinians, who carried out a shooting attack at al-Amoud (Damscus) Gate in the centre of East Jerusalem on 03 February 2016 and killed a female soldier. The houses belong to the families of Ahmed Nassar Zakarna, Ahmed Najeh Abu al-Rub and Mohammed Ahmed Kmail.

Jewish Majority:

In the context of house demolitions, on 04 April 2016, Israeli forces demolished a house belonging to the family of Abdul Baset Abu Irmaila in al-Farouq neighbourhood in al-Mukaber Mount village, south of East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing.

On 05 April 2016, Israeli forces raided the campus of al-Quds University in Abu Dees village, northeast of the city. They also raided a number of buildings and detained the university security guards and smashed their mobile phones. Moreover, they damaged some contents. It should be noted that this is the third raid on the university from the beginning of the year.

Settlement activities:

On 04 April 2016, Israeli forces demolished 2 houses and a barrack in Kharbet al-Marajem that is located in area (C) according to Oslo Accords, south west of Douma village, southeast of Nablus. During the demolition, Israeli Border Guard officers chased the journalists, who attempted to approach, and fired about 10 tear gas canisters towards them. As a result, the journalists moved back about a kilometre away from the scene.

On the same day, Israeli forces demolished an agricultural road in al-Sahlat area on the outskirts of Qaryout village, southeast of Nablus, that was established almost a year ago. They then closed the road with sand barriers, denying the Palestinian farmers access to their farms between “Shilo” and “Eli” settlements. It should be noted that the village council had received a decision 10 days ago for the confiscation of 1,200 dunums from those farms to connect the 2 abovementioned settlements.

On 05 April 2016, Israeli forces demolished an underconstruction house in Sourif village, northwest of Hebron, belonging to the family of Majdi Ghunaimat.

On the same day also, Israeli forces demolished a storehouse and confiscated another mobile store in al-Jenab area in Beit Sahour. After that, they demolished a poultry slaughterhouse in Beit Sahour also.

On 06 April 2016, Israeli forces moved into Kherbet Um al-Khair, southeast of Yatta, southwest of Hebron. They deployed between the tents and tin-made houses and then started demolishing 6 tin-made houses
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