Sunday 14 September 2014

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

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



Israeli forces continue systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) 
 
  • Israeli forces wilfully killed a Palestinian civilian in al-Am'ari refugee camp in Ramallah. 
  • 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, died of wounds they sustained during the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. 
  • A Palestinian child died of wounds he sustained in occupied Jerusalem. 
  • A child was wounded when Israeli forces moved into Ya’bad village in Jenin and opened fire. 
  • Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
- 7 civilians, including a child, were wounded during peaceful protests in Kufor Qaddoum and Selwad villages and the vicinity of Ofer detention facility.
 
  • Israeli forces conducted 60 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
- 56 Palestinian civilians, including 16 children, were arrested.
- 9 of those civilians, including 3 children, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem and its suburbs.
 
  • Israel has 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 9 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, were arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
 
  • Israeli naval forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza waters.
- Israeli forces arrested 4 fishermen from the sea in the north of the Gaza Strip, and confiscated their fishing boat and equipment.
- Israeli forces opened fire at fishermen thrice and chased them in the sea.

  • Efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
- Israeli forces carried out a number of incursions into villages, house raids and arrests.
- 7 Palestinian civilians, including 2 journalists and a cameraman, were wounded in Wad al-Jouz neighborhood, east of Jerusalem’s Old City.

  • Israeli forces have continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- Israeli forces closed 4 agricultural roads in the west of Ethna, west of Hebron.
- Israeli settlers moved into Joseph Tomb area, east of Nablus, and performed religious rituals.
- A woman sustained bruises as settlers stoned her vehicle on a bypass road leading to al-Bireh.


Summary
 
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (04 – 10 September 2014).
 
Shooting:
 
In the Gaza Strip, although 2 weeks have passed since the Egyptian-brokered truce agreement between the Palestinian armed groups and Israel entered into force, the catastrophic consequences of the 51-day Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip have been present. During the reporting period, a number of wounded persons died of wounds they sustained during the offensive. Hundreds of wounded Palestinians have been receiving medical treatment in hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and other hospitals abroad for the seriousness of their wounds. In the meanwhile, Israeli forces violated the truce several times by opening fire at Palestinian fishing boats that were sailing within the allowed fishing area and arresting a number of fishermen.
 
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian in al-Am'ari refugee camp in Ramallah, while a child died in Jerusalem of wounds he sustained last week. In addition, 4 other Palestinian civilians, including a child, died of wounds they sustained during the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. During the reporting period, 15 civilians, including 2 children and 2 journalists, were wounded in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.
 
In the West Bank, on Wednesday, 10 September 2014, Israeli forces wilfully killed a Palestinian civilian who was standing with his friends in al-Amari refugee camp.
 
On 07 September 2014, a medical source at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem pronounced Mohammed Sunqrut (16) dead of wounds he sustained in the Old City of East Jerusalem, on 31 August 2014.
 
Israeli forces used excessive force against peaceful protests organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, a 19-year-old civilian sustained a bullet wound to the right leg and a 60-year-old civilian was hit by a gas canister to the left leg during Kufor Qaddoum protest, northeast of Qalqilya. Many other civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
 
In the same context, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child and 2 brothers, were wounded during other protest.
 
In the context of chasing Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 07 September 2014, Israeli navy forces opened fire at fishing boats off al-Sudaniyah area, west of Jabalia, and off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip. On 08 September, Israeli forces opened fire again in the same 2 areas. Neither material damage nor casualties were reported. It should be noted that firing at fishermen is part of the Israeli violations of the long-term truce that was declared at 19:00 on Tuesday, 26 August 2014. On 09 September 2014, 4 fishermen were arrested off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia, after they had been chased within a distance of 1.5 nautical miles. Israeli forces confiscated their fishing boat and equipment.
 
Incursions:
 
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 60 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 56 Palestinians, including 16 children.  Nine of these civilians were arrested in Jerusalem.
 
Restrictions on movement:
 
Israel has 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 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 grave violations of the economic, social and cultural rights and a deterioration of living conditions for 1.7 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.
 
 
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 9 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

Efforts to create Jewish majority

On 7 September 2104, medical sources at Hadassah – Ain Karem Hospital declared the death of Muahmmed Abdel Majid Sunqrut (16) of wounds he sustained earlier.
 
 
On 4 September 2014, Israeli forces moved into Wadi al-Jouz neighborhood, east of the Old City in Jerusalem. They arrested a Palestinian child.
 
On 5 September 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-‘Izrayya, east of Jerusalem, and arrested a Palestinian child.
 
On 6 September 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-‘Isawia village, northeast of Jerusalem. They arrested 2 Palestinian civilians.
 
On 7 September 2014, Israeli forces moved into Shams al-Dein al-Asuti area in Wadi al-Jouz neighborhood after the death of Muahmmed Abdel Majid Sunqrut (16). Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters at Palestinian youths who participated in the clashes. Settlers and Israeli soldiers threw stones and empty bottles at Palestinians’ cars and injured many of them.
 
On 8 September 2014, Israeli forces moved into Wadi al-Jouz area in the same time of Muahmmed Abdel Majid Sunqrut’s funeral in al-Mujahdin cemetery in Bab al-Sahera Gate. Dozens of civilians surfed tear gas inhalation and some sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers. Moreover, Qassam Barqan, Sunqrut’s uncle, and Muahmmed Ibrahim S’adi (61) were wounded. Israeli forces arrested 4 civilians who were participating in the funeral.
 
On 9 September 2014, the Israeli police arrested Mizid Muahmmed al-Abbasi (12) when he was heading home from school in Silwan neighborhood, east of the Old City in Jerusalem.

Settlement activities
 
Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, in a direct violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
 
Attacks carried out by Israeli forces
 
On 4 September 2014, Israeli forces backed by 3 military vehicles and a bulldozer moved into the agricultural lands, west of Ezna village, west of Hebron. These agricultural lands are located near the annexation wall which prevents its owners from reaching them.
 
Attacks carried out by settlers:
 
On 4 September 2014, dozens of settlers guarded by Israeli forces moved into Joseph Tomb area, east of Nablus, and preformed their religious rituals there. Dozens of Palestinian youths gathered and threw stones and empty bottles at them. Israeli soldiers fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters in response.
 
On the same day, a group of settlers threw stones from “Beit Eil” settlement at a Palestinian vehicle traveling on the bypass to al-Berih, 300 meters east of Beit Eil checkpoint. As a result, Manal Lutfi Sharif Taher (40) sustained wounds, a fracture in her jaw, and bruises to her right hand.
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
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