Monday 15 December 2014

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (04-10 December 2014)

Israeli forces continue systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
FULL REPORT Here

·Israeli forces killed Director of the Palestinian Authority Commission against the Annexation Wall and Settlement Activity, Minister Ziad Abu 'Ain, on the International Day of Human rights.

  • Israeli forces continued to open fire at border areas in the Gaza Strip.
- 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the north of the Gaza Strip.
- 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 brothers, a woman and 3 girls, were wounded due to the explosion of 2 objects of Israeli military remnants in the Gaza Strip.

  • Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
- 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a photojournalist of Palestine TV, were wounded during peaceful protests against the annexation wall and settlement activity.
- 11 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, were wounded during other protests.
 
  • Israeli forces conducted 64 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the southern Gaza Strip.
- 93 Palestinian civilians, including 13 children and 3 women, were arrested in the West Bank.
- 30 of these civilians, including 9 children and 2 women, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.
- 2 Palestinian civilians were arrested while attempting to infiltrate into Israel via the border fence.
 
  • Israel continued to impose a total closure on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank.
- At least 8 Palestinian civilians, including a girl, were arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

  • Israeli navy forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip sea.
- Israeli navy forces arrested 12 fishermen, seized 5 fishing boats and damaged fishing tools and equipment.

  • Israeli forces continued their measures to create Jewish majority in occupied Jerusalem.
- 5 Palestinian civilians were deported out of Jerusalem for 5 months.
- Settlers attacked 2 Palestinian civilians while being in their work in West Jerusalem.
 
  • Israeli forces continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- Israeli settlers cut off 60 olive seedlings in Aqraba village, southeast of Nablus


Summary
 
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (04 – 10 December 2014).
 
Shooting:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed Ziad Abu ‘Ain, Director of the Palestinian Authority Commission against the Annexation Wall and Settlement Activity and member of the Revolutionary Council in Fatah movement. Israeli forces also wounded 16 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; 14 of whom, including the 7 children and a photojournalist, were wounded in the West Bank; while the other two ones were wounded in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, 3 girls and a woman were wounded due to the explosion of suspicious objects of the Israeli military remnants in the family house in the Gaza Strip, and 2 brothers were wounded in similar incident in the south of the Gaza Strip.
 
In the West Bank, in a new crime on 10 December 2014, Ziad Abu ‘Ain (55), Director of the Palestinian Authority Commission against the Annexation Wall and Settlement Activity and member of the Revolutionary Council in Fatah movement, after Israeli soldiers attacked him.
 
In the same context, 10 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, were wounded during protests organized in protest at Israeli soldiers' and settlers' attacks in al-Aqsa mosque particularly and Israeli attacks in oPt generally.
 
In the Gaza Strip, on 04 December 2014, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and 3 girls, were wounded due to the explosion of a suspicious object of Israeli military remnants during the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
 
On 05 December 2014, in excessive use of force, Israeli forces wounded 2 Palestinian civilians near the border fence, east of Jabalia in the north of the Gaza Strip.
 
In the context of targeting fishermen in the Gaza Strip sea, Israeli gunboats opened fire twice at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing. Moreover, Israeli navy forces arrested 12 fishermen and took them to an unknown destination, seized 5 fishing boats and damaged other fishing tools.

Incursions:
 
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 64 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 93 Palestinians, including 13 children and 3 women.  Thirty of these civilians, including 9 children and 2 woman, were arrested in Jerusalem.
 
In the Gaza Strip, on 09 December 2014, Israeli forces moved about 200 meters into the east of al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. They levelled lands along the border fence for few hours and withdrew later.
 
On 02 December 2014, Israeli forces station along the border fence, east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, arrested 2 Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel through the border fence.
 
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 8 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. During the reporting period, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian patient who obtained a permit to travel to the West Bank for medical treatment, while another civilian accompanying his father was arrested while the father was denied travel for medical treatment.
 
Efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in occupied East Jerusalem
     
On 04 December 2014, Israeli forces raided and searched 5 houses in Jerusalem and handed their residents military orders issued by the military commander of the area deporting them from Jerusalem for 5 months.
 
As part of Israeli forces bulldozing activities, the occupation municipality continued to issue demolition orders for several civilian houses and civil buildings.
 
In terms of the settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians, on 07 December 2014, two settlers attacked two Palestinian civilians when they were working in Ain Karem gas station, south of Jerusalem.
 
Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property
 
On 04 December 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-Deirat village, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. They stationed near al-Deirat school and handed the headmaster an order to stop construction in the school cafeteria under the pretext of not having a construction permit.
 
On 09 December 2014, Israeli forces stopped work in agricultural lands in the western area of Kufur al-Deek village, west of Salfit. They confiscated the bulldozer and detained two employees, calming that the area is a natural reserve.
 
On 05 December 2014, a group of settlers from “Etimar” settlement attacked an agricultural land in al-Jahir area, east of ‘Aqraba village. They uprooted 60 trees aged between 3-4 years.
 
On 08 December 2014, a group of settlers’ attacked an 18-year-old man from Abu Tayyah area, southeast of Hebron. They used sharp tools causing moderate wounds to the aforementioned. On the same day, a group of settlers from “Givat Runim” settlement attacked the lands of al-Saba Mountain and al-Thathnia gate area.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
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