Gaza, Palestine, (Palestinian Center for Human Rights):
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory [oPt] (14– 20 February 2019)
Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful protestors in the Gaza Strip.
119 civilians, including 31 children, 6 women, 2 paramedics, and a journalist, were wounded in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces conducted 82 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 3 other incursions in Jerusalem.
4 civilians, including a journalist, sustained wounds in different incidents in the West Bank.
87 civilians, including 8 children and a woman, were arrested. 33 of them, including 2 children and a woman, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.
12 shooting incidents were reported against the fishing boats in the sea.
4 fishermen, including 2 siblings, sustained wounds in addition to confiscating their fishing boats.
Shooting incidents were reported against Palestinian farmers and shepherds in the border areas of the Gaza Strip and no injuries were reported.
Israeli authorities continued to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
A residential building was demolished in Bir ‘Onah neighborhood in al-Walajah village and 2 apartments were demolished in Beit Huninah village.
A family was forced to evacuate his house in the Old City and then handed it to a settlement association.
Israeli authorities continued their settlement activities in the West Bank.
Israeli forces demolished 2 residential tents and 9 other facilities in northern Jordan Valley.
Israeli forces carried out 2 attacks, which included throwing stones, attacking civilians and incursions.
Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 13th consecutive year.
Israeli forces established 103 permanent checkpoints and 106 temporary checkpoints in the West Bank.
6 civilians, including 2 children, were arrested at the military checkpoints in the West Bank.
Summary
Shooting:
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces continued to use lethal force against the participants in the peaceful protests organized along the Gaza Strip borders, which witnessed the peaceful protests for the 47th week along the eastern and northern border area of the Gaza Strip. They also continued to use force as well during the incursions into the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces wounded 119 civilians, including 31 children, 6 women, 2 paramedics, and a journalist, while participating in the Return March.
In the West Bank, 4 civilians, including a journalist, were wounded by the Israeli forces in different incidents.
Injuries in the Gaza Strip between 14-20 February 2019 According to the Governorate
| Governorate | Injuries | |||||
| Total | Children | Women | Journalists | Paramedics | Critical Injuries | |
| Northern Gaza Strip | 41 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Gaza City | 34 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Central Gaza Strip | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Khan Younis | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rafah | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 119 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
As part of targeting the Palestinian fishermen in the sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against the Palestinian fishermen, indicating the on-going Israeli policy to target their livelihoods.
During the reporting period, PCHR documented 12 incidents were off the Gaza Strip Shores. The latest of these incidents was on Wednesday, 20 February 2019, Israeli gunboats stationed in the sea, west of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 11 nautical miles.
The Israeli gunboats chased and surrounded 2 fishing boats; one of them belong to Tareq ‘Abed al-Razeq Baker, from Gaza City.
The first fishing boat was manned by Hitham (27) and ‘Awad (22) Tareq ‘Abed al-Razeq Baker. Both of them were arrested in addition to confiscating his fishing boat. The second fishing boat belong to Khadir Marwan al-Sa’idi (30) and was manned by Khadir and Mohamed Sa’ied al-Sa’idi (27). Both of them are from al-Shati camp. The 2 fishermen were arrested and the fishing boat was confiscated.
As part of targeting the border areas, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence with Israel, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of al-Bureij camp, and no casualties were reported.
On the same day, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence with Israel, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Gaza Valley village (Johr al-Dik), al-Buraij and al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.
On 17 February 2019, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence with Israel, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Dir al-Balah, and no casualties were reported.
On the same day, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence with Israel, fired 2 artillery shells at 2 checkpoints belonging to al-Qassam Brigades, and no casualties were reported.
On 19 February 2019, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence with Israel, east of al-Shawka village, east of Rafah, opened fire at agricultural lands, and no casualties were reported.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces wounded 4 civilians, including a journalist, in different incidents.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 82 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 54 Palestinians, including 6 children.
Moreover, the Israeli forces conducted at least 3 military incursions into Jerusalem, where they arrested 33 civilians, including 2 children and a woman.
Israeli Forces Continued to Create a Jewish Majority in East Jerusalem City:
As part of the Israeli house demolitions and notices, on 14 February 2019, Israeli forces surrounded a house belonging to Mohammad Moussa Razaina and demolished it under the pretext of non-licensing. The 80-square-meter house sheltered a family of 5 members, including 3 children. It should be mentioned that the Israeli forces had demolished Mohammad’s house in 2016 under the pretext that it is close to the annexation wall.
On 20 February 2019, Israeli Jerusalem Municipality bulldozers demolished 2 apartments and a horse stall in al-Ashqaria neighborhood in Beit Hanina village, north of occupied East Jerusalem. The first apartment built on an area of 72 sqaure meters and shelters Taysseeer Mohammad al-Mohtasseb and his family, which is comprised of 6 member, including 2 children, while the other apartment built on an area of 48 square meters and shelters Shadi al-Mohtasseb, Taysseer’s son, and his family, which is comprised of 4 members, including 2 children. Moreover, an 18-square-meter horse stall was demolished.
Israeli Forces continued their settlement activities, and the settlers continued their attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property
As part of Israeli settlers’ attacks and demolition, Israeli forces accompanied with a bulldozer moved into ‘Ein al-Hejra, east of Dura, southwest of Hebron. The bulldozer damaged sheds that farmers of Abu Moqadam family made to sell vegetables produced in their land. The Israeli authorities alleged that the sheds were illegally established near bypass road (60).
On 17 February 2019, Israeli forces accompanied with 2 bulldozers moved into Marakah area, in the eastern area of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus. The bulldozers started to demolish the 100-meter water line between al-Nassria village in the Central Jordan Valley and Beit Furik and Beit Dajan water well.
On 19 February 2019, , Israeli forces accompanied with 3 Israeli Civil Administration vehicles and 2 bulldozers moved into Khirbet al-Ras al-Ahmar in the Northern Jordan Valley, east of Tubas. The bulldozers demolished 2 residential tents, 4 barracks for breeding livestock, a mobile bathroom, a water tank, and a sheep barn belonging to Jehad Mohammad Fahed Bani ‘Odah and Fatma Suliman Mafthy Bani ‘Odah.
On the same day, Israeli forces confiscated 450m2 of street tiles out of 2760m2 located in Hayat al-Reef Park in al-Mas’oudiyia area, northwest of Nablus. It should be mentioned that the park is established on an area of 5 dunums, 3.5 of which are in (B) area and 1.5 in (C) area.
As part of the Israeli settlers’ attacks against the Palestinians civilians and their property, PCHR’s fieldworkers documented during the reporting period 2 attacks carried out by Israeli settlers. Those attacks were as follows:
On 14 February 2019, a group of settlers, from “Yitzhar” settlement, backed by Israeli forces moved into the east of ‘Urif village, south of Nablus. They raided ‘Urif High School for Males and lowered the Palestinian flag and tore it down.
On 17 February 2019, a group of Israeli settlers, from the evacuated “Homesh” settlement in the east of Silat al-Dhahr village, south of Jenin, attacked a vegetable stall at the southern entrance of the village. The settlers stepped out of their vehicles and smashed the windshield of a car belonging to Abdul Kareem Jameel Ahmad Rabai’a (34), from Meithalun village, southeast of Jenin, which he uses to sell vegetables. Abuld Kareem immediately escaped leaving the stall on the street. Following that, the settlers stole some of the stall’s items.
[Photo: Jewish settlers confront members of the Palestinian Youth Against Settlements (YAS) activists as they gather in Hebron, West Bank on February 10, 2019. Photographer: Mamoun Wazwaz/AA]
