{The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)}:

Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory(oPt) (20 – 27 September 2017)

An armed Palestinian was killed at the entrance to “Har Adar” settlement, northwest of Jerusalem.

A Palestinian civilian wounded during Kafer Qaddoum weekly protest, northeast of Qalqiliya.

Israeli forces conducted 85 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the Southern Gaza Strip.

75 civilians, including 12 children and 3 journalists, were arrested in the West Bank.

Israeli forces continued to apply the collective punishment policy

Villages of Northwest Jerusalem were declared as a closed military zone, and 60,000 Palestinians were besieged insided.

Israeli forces continued settlement activities in the West Bank

Israeli forces demolished a workshop for stone manufacturing.

Israeli forces demolished a car wash and 2 barracks for grazing sheep in Deir Ballout village, west of Salfit.

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

7 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.

6 Palestinian civilians, including a girl, 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 (20 – 27 September 2017).

Shooting:

During the reporting period, on 26 September 2017, Israeli forces killed Nemer Mahmoud Jamal (37) from Beit Sorik village, northwest of occupied Jerusalem when 4 Israeli Border Guard officers at the entrance to “Har Adar” settlement opened fire at him. Moreover, three Israeli soldiers were killed and the fourth was wounded.

On 22 September 2017, Israeli forces wounded a Palestinian civilian with a rubber-coated metal bullet when they opened fire at dozens of Palestinians and international activist during Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest, northeast of Qalqiliya.

In the pretext of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the Sea, on 21 September 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 on 25 September 2017 and twice on 26 September 2017.

On 24 Septmber 2017, Israeli gunboats sporadically opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats, west of al-Soudaniya , wwest of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, and chased them. The gunboats recurred the same shooting twice on 26 Stpember while no casualties were reported in all the incidents. However, the fisehrmen were forced to flee for fear of being wounded, arrested or their boats being damaged.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 85 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 75 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children. Among those arrested during this week was journalist ‘Abdel Rahman ‘Awad, Reporter of Safa News Agency in Ramallah and al-Bireh. He was arrested from his family house in Burdus village, west of Ramallah, and Raghid Tabasiyah (26), who is also a photojournalist at Annajah Satallite Channel in Nablus, was arrested as well from his family house in Qalqiliya. The Israeli forces also arrested ‘Alaa’ Badarnah, a photojournalist at the Gemran News Agency while covering the weekly protest in the Northern Jordan Valley and took him to “Samra” settlement. After two hours, he was released.

In the Gaza Strip, on 24 September 2017, Israeli forces moved into Khuza’ah village, east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces combed and levelled the lands for hours along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel and then headed to the eastern side of al-Fokhari. Israeli forces later redeployed along the fence.

Collective Punishment Measures:

Following the armed attack at the entrance to “Har Adar” settlement, northwest of Jerusalem, on 26 September 2017, the Israeli Prime Ministerm Benyamin Netanyahu, threated, “the Attacker’s house would be demolished and Israeli work permits withdrawn from his extended family.” As soon as the attacker was identified, the Israeli forces declared Beit Sorik village, where the attacker lived, as a closed military zone and imposed a tightened cordon on it. Israeli forces also prevented any vehicle, civilian, ambulances and jouralists from entering or leaving the village. They also closed the Tunnel Road, which is the only one connecting the villages of Northwest Jerusalem and its surroundings. The cordon has not been so far lifted.

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

As part of house demolitions, on 25 September 2017, Israeli forces demolished a workshop for stone manufacturing in Beit Za’tah area, east of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, under the pretext of building without a license in Area (C) according to the 1993 Oslo Accords. The workshop which built of tin plates and bricks on an area of 150 square meters belongs to Zamel Hamad Abu Mariah (45).

On the same day, Israeli forces demolished a car wash and two barracks for grazing sheep in Bab al-Marj area at the western entrance to Deir Balut village, west of Salfit, for the same abovementioned pretext.

On 07 September 2017, agroup of settlers from “Rahlim” settlement established on the lands of Yitma and al-Sawiyah villages, south of Nablus, cut down 43 olive trees with automatic saws. Those trees belong to Gom’ah ‘Aadi from al-Sawiyah.

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.

[Archive Photo: Israeli troops invading Jenin refugee camp on 4 October, 2015. Photographer: Nidal Eshtayeh/AA]