Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (15 – 21 December 2016)

Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)

(PCHR):

Jerusalem: On 19 December 2016, Israeli Forces Demolish Commercial Facility in Shaikh Jarrah Neighborhood Belonging to Adnan Harhash.
Jerusalem: On 19 December 2016, Israeli Forces Demolish Commercial Facility in Shaikh Jarrah Neighborhood Belonging to Adnan Harhash.

A Palestinian child was killed and another was wounded in Beit Rima village, northwest of Ramallah.
A Palestinian civilian was wounded in Silwan village, south of occupied Jerusalem.

Israeli forces continued to target the Gaza Strip border areas, but no casualties were reported.

Israeli forces conducted 54 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 9 ones in occupied Jerusalem.
78 civilians, including 28 children and 2 women, were arrested.
Forty of them, including 18 children and the 2 women, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.

Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea.

Israeli forces continued their efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
A car shop was demolished in al-Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood as well as a residential room in al-Thawri neighbourhood.
The Israeli “Nature Authority” fixed banners in al-Rahmah cemetery, preventing burying dead people in parts of it.

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.
6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were arrested at military checkpoints.
Two Palestinian traders arrested at Erez Crossing in the northern Gaza Strip

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (15 – 21 December 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 killed a Palestinian child and wounded another civilian in Beit Rima village, northwest of Ramallah while they wounded another civilian in Silwan village, south of occupied Jerusalem.

In the West Bank, in excessive use of deadly force, on 18 December 2016, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian child in Beit Rima village, northwest of Ramallah, when the latter was participating in a protest against the Israeli forces that moved into the village. The protest did not pose any threats to the life of soldiers. During the shooting, a 19-year-old civilian was wounded with a bullet to the shoulder.

On 17 December 2016, Israeli soldiers protecting settlers, who raided Baten al-Hawa neighbourhood in Silwan village, south of occupied East Jerusalem, wounded a Palestinian civilian. Altercations erupted between Palestinian children and young men from one side and a number of settlers from the other side.

In the Gaza Strip, in the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 18 December 2016, Israeli gunboats stationed off Khan Younis shore in the southern Gaza Strip heavily opened fire in the vicinity of Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area. A similar attacked occurred on the same day off Jabalaia shore in the northern Gaza Strip. The fishermen sailed back fearing for their lives. Neither casualties nor material damage were reported.

In the context of targeting the border areas, Israeli forces stationed in the eastern side of al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip fired 3 artillery shells at a Palestinian checkpoint belonging to Palestinian armed groups. However, no casualties were reported, but the checkpoint sustained damages.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 54 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 9 others in occupied Jerusalem and its suburbs. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 78 Palestinian civilians, including 28 children and 2 women. Forty of them, including 18 children and 2 women, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.

Creating Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem:

In the context of house demolitions, on 19 December 2016, Israeli municipality bulldozers demolished a car shop belonging to ‘Adnan Harhash in al-Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. The shop established in 2006 is comprised of a 50-square-meter hall and a 110-square-meter office in the second floor. Moreover, two cars were confiscated.

The Israeli Nature Authority staffs accompanied with Israeli forces fixed 10 banners in different parts of al-Rahmah Gate Cemetery adjacent to al-Aqsa Mosque to prevent burying in parts of it under the pretext that they are “national gardens.”

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.

[Photo: Palestinians carry the body of Cihad Halil El-Kaddumi, 48, who was killed in November, by Israel soldiers near the Kalandia check point between Jerusalem and Ramallah, during the funeral ceremony at Beit Wazan in Nablus district of West Bank on December 24, 2016. Photographer: Muhabiri Nedal Eshtayah/AA]

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