PCHR releases report on the Israeli violations

Every week, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza monitors Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt during the period of 28 September – 04 October 2017, Israel committed many violations, which are highlighted below:

    6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

    Israeli forces conducted 67 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 6 similar incursions into Jerusalem.
    58 civilians, including 11 children, a journalist and a woman, were arrested in the West Bank.
    10 of them, including a child, were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs.
    Police dogs were used during incursions, and maltreatment crimes increased against Palestinian civilians.
    Amounts of money belonging to families in Hebron were confiscated, claiming they are for “terrorism funding.”

    Israeli forces continued to apply the collective punishment policy
    Israeli forces continued to impose the closure on the north-western side of Jerusalem, and al-Jamal Family was given a demolition notice for their house.

    Israeli forces continued settlement activities in the West Bank
    Israeli forces imposed more restrictions on the Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season.

    Israeli forces continued to target the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea.
    5 Shooting incidents were documented against Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.
    Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 10th
    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 were arrested at the checkpoints in the West Bank.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (28 September – 04 October 2017).

Shooting:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  In the Gaza Strip, Israeli naval forces continued to chase Palestinian fishermen in the Sea.

In the West Bank, 28 September 2017, a Palestinian child in Beit Sorik village, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, was hit with several bullets.  However, his condition is so far unknown as the Israeli forces arrested him.

On 29 September 2017, A Palestinian civilian was hit with a rubber-coated metal bullet when Israeli forces moved into the areas of Jabal al-Mawaleh and Wadi Shahin in Bethlehem. Meanwhile, dozens of children and young men gathered in Shahin area and threw stones and empty bottles at the Israeli vehicles.  The Israeli soldiers in response opened fire at them.

On 03 October 2017, 3 civilians, including a child, were wounded when Israeli forces moved into Sho’afat refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, to arrest some of the camp’s residents.  A number of children and young men gathered to throw stones and empty bottles at the Israeli soldiers, who chased them and then randomly fired sound bombs, tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets in the area.  As a result, the three civilians were wounded.

In the Gaza Strip, the border areas witnessed protests against the ongoing unjust closure on the Gaza population.  During the protests, the Israeli forces used force against the protestors and opened fire in order to disperse them.  As a result, a child sustained shrapnel wounds to the neck.

In the pretext of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the Sea, on 01 October 2017, Israeli gunboats sporadically opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip and chased them.  The shooting recurred in the same area in the morning.

On 29 September 2017, Israeli gunboats sporadically opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats, west of al-Soudaniya, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, and chased them.  The shooting recurred in the same morning and on 30 September.  During all those incidents, no casualties were reported; however, the fishermen were forced to flee for fear of being wounded, arrested or their boats being confiscated.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 67 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank while 6 other incursions were conducted in Jerusalem and its suburbs. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 58 Palestinian civilians, including 11 children, a journalist and woman. Ten of those, including children, were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs.  Among the arrestees this week in the southern West Bank was ‘Alaa’ Jaber al-Titi (34), Reporter of al-Aqsa Satellite Channel.  Al-Titi was arrested from his family house in al-‘Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron.

During the reporting period, many maltreatment crimes against Palestinian civilians were reported.  On 29 September 2017, Israeli forces accompanied with police dogs moved into many areas in Hebron.  In al-Hawouz neighbourhood, Israeli soldiers raided al-Basah Gas Station, where its workers were beaten up and then attacked by a police dog.  One of the workers was later arrested.  In al-Jame’ah neighbourhood, Israeli soldiers raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Helmi Mahmoud al-Qawasmah (70).  They let their police dog attack Helmi’s wife while she was asleep in her bed and his 8-month-pregnant daughter-in-law, Walaa’ (26).  The Israeli soldiers also broke the outside doors and damage the iron doors outside.

On 01 October 2017, Israeli forces moved into al-Dawhah village, west of Bethlehem, and raided a house belonging to Mohammed Sa’ed and exploded the entrance with explosives.  As a result, the building sustained severe damage and caught fire.

During this week as well, Israeli forces confiscated NIS 12,000 from al-Basah Gas Station in Hebron, NIS 10,500 from a house belonging to Ibrahim ‘Abdel Hamid Abu Mariah, NIS 1450 from a house belonging to Maher Ibrahim ‘Odah Sabarnah and 3-thousand-shekel jewellery from a house belonging to Nadim Sabarnah (37).  All of them are from Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, claiming the money is for funding terrorism.

Collective Punishment Measures:

For the second consecutive week, Israeli forces continued to close the northwestern side of occupied Jerusalem, by closing all the roads to this area.  The closure included 16 Palestinian villages.  Those restrictions came after Nemer al-Jamal carried out a shooting attack at the entrance to “Har Adar” settlement and killed 3 Israeli soldiers.  The closure disrupted the school year in around 50 schools with 4000 students in addition to completely hindering the daily life in the area.  The Israeli forces also denied ambulances, journalists, and international organizations access to the area.  Moreover, Israeli forces totally isolated Beit Iksa village from the nearby villages and banned all civilians from leaving or entering the village.

On 03 October 2017, Israeli forces handed Nemer al-Jamal’s family a house demolition notice and gave them 72 hours to implement the demolition. The notice included evacuating their house and submitting an appeal before the Israeli court within this period.

Settlement Activities and Settlers’ Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and their property:

As part of restrictions imposed on Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season, on 01 October 2017, Israeli forces forced farmers from ‘Azoun village, east of Qalqilya, to go home when the later were on their way to harvest olives from their lands near “Ma’ale Shomron” settlement, north of the abovementioned village.  A number of farmers said that when they headed to Khelet al-Romanah and Khelet Abu Zeinah areas, Israeli soldiers arrived at the areas and expelled them so that they return to their lands after 16 October 2017.

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 2 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 65%. Moreover, the rate of unemployment increased up to 47% and youth constitutes 65% of the unemployed persons.  Moreover, 80% of the Gaza Strip population depends on international aid to secure their minimum daily needs. These rates indicate the unprecedented economic deterioration in the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces continued to suffocate the Palestinian cities and village by imposing military checkpoints around and/or between them. This created “cantons” isolated from each other that hinders the movement of civilians. Moreover, the Palestinian civilians suffering aggravated because of the annexation wall and checkpoints erected on daily basis to catch Palestinians.

Source: PNN