Gaza, Palestine, (The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights):

Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (12-18 July 2018)

Israeli forces continued to use force against Palestinian peaceful protestors in the Gaza Strip.

Two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed.

A civilian succumbed to his previous wounds

115 Palestinian civilians, including 24 children, 5 women, 4 journalists and 3 paramedics, were wounded; 15 of them sustained serious wounds.

Israeli warplanes launched 91 missiles on the Gaza Strip.

2 Palestinian children were killed and 27 others, including 2 children were wounded.

Many civilian facilities sustained material damage.

10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a journalist, were wounded in the West Bank.

Israeli forces continued to open fire at the border areas in the Gaza Strip.

2 Palestinian civilians were wounded.

2 residential houses sustained partial damage.

Israeli forces conducted 77 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited incursion was conducted in the southern Gaza Strip.

66 civilians, including a child and a woman, were arrested in the West Bank.

5 of them were arrested in Jerusalem.

Israeli authorities continued to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.

2 residential houses and an agricultural barrack were demolished in Shu’fat and al-Tour villages.

A civilian was forced to self-demolish his house in al-Thawri neighbourhood.

Israeli forces banned holding an academic conference in Hind al-Husaini College and confiscated the contents of an elementary school in Shu’fat.

Israeli forces continued their settlement activities in the West Bank.

3 roofs and an agricultural room were demolished in Duma village, southeast of Nablus.

Israeli settlers levelled 82 dunums, burned 180 olive trees and smashed 6 vehicles’ windows.

6 shooting incidents were reported against the Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Sea, but 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 11th consecutive year.

Dozens of temporary and permanent checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re-established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians.

A civilian was arrested at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) continued during the reporting period (05 – 11 July 2018).

Shooting:

Israeli forces continued to use lethal force against Palestinian civilians, who participated in peaceful demonstrations organized within the activities of the “Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege” in the Gaza Strip.

During the reporting period in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, while another civilian succumbed to his wounds.

Moreover, the Israeli forces wounded 115 others, including 26 children, 5 women, 4 journalists and 3 paramedics. Fifteen of those wounded sustained serious wounds. In the West Bank, the Israeli forces wounded 10 civilians, including 4 children and a journalist.

In the Gaza Strip, in a new war crime, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinian civilians and wounded 23 others, including 2 children in a series of airstrikes targeting an uninhabited al-Katiba building, which is located next to a public park in a densely populated area and government and civil institutions in the center of Gaza City.

PCHR indicates that these airstrikes came in light official Israeli threats as the Israeli forces’ spokesperson Avichai Adrei stated that the Israeli army will conduct more raids in the Gaza Strip as long as it is needed. He also displayed photos of the 2014 Israeli Offensive on the Gaza Strip, pointing out for the possibility of repeating their scenario.

The Israeli forces’ spokesperson send a message through his page early today to the Gaza Strip population to “stay away from any building, infrastructure that serves the terrorist parties, any person known as terrorist and every area where terrorist organizations operate. Save your lives and you were warned.” This indicates an Israeli intention to escalate the situation, although the majority of the victims who fall as a result of this offensive are Palestinian civilians.

During the reporting period, while using the excessive force against the peaceful protesters along the Gaza Strip borders, the Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinian civilians and another one succumbed to wounds he sustained on 14 May 2018. Moreover, 115 civilians, including 24 children, 5 women, 4 journalists and 3 paramedics. Fifteen of those wounded sustained serious wounds.

Injuries in the Gaza Strip during this Week

As part of targeting the border areas, during the reporting period, Israeli forces fired 11 artillery shells along the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip with Israel. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded and 2 residential houses sustained partial damage.

As part of the airstrikes, further to the above-mentioned crime resulted in the killing of 2 Palestinian civilians and wounding 23 others, Israeli warplanes launched 91 airstrikes targeting a group of Palestinian civilians, training sites belonging to the Palestinian resistance factions and empty lands. The Israeli forces claimed that the targeted civilians fired incendiary balloons. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians were wounded.

As part of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against the Palestinian fishermen, pointing out to the ongoing Israeli policy of targeting their livelihoods.

During the reporting period, PCHR documented 6 shooting incidents at the fishermen, including 2 in the northern Gaza Strip, 2 in the central Gaza Strip and others in the southern Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, during the reporting period, the Israeli forces wounded 10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a journalist.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 77 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 4 similar ones into Jerusalem and its suburbs. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 61 Palestinians, including a child and a woman in the West Bank. Meanwhile, 5 other civilians were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs.

In the Gaza Strip, at approximately 07:30 on 17 July 2018, the Israeli forces moved 100 meters into the east of al-Qarrarah village, east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. They levelled lands and repaired the border fence for several hours, before redeploying along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Israeli Forces Continued their Measures to Create a Jewish Majority in occupied East Jerusalem

As part of demolishing houses and civilian facilities, on 17 July 2018, the Israeli authorities’ bulldozers demolished a residential house, retaining walls and an agricultural barrack belonging to Saleh Abu Khudair in Shu’fat neighborhood, north of occupied East Jerusalem. The 100-sqaure-meter house was built few months ago to shelter Salah’s family, which is comprised of 6 members. It should be noted that the Israeli Municipality bulldozers demolished his house at the end of last February and his family became homeless, so he re-built the house and the Israeli authorities demolished it again.

On the same day, Israeli forces demolished a retaining wall belonging to Ziyad ‘Awni in al-Tour village, east of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing.

On 18 July 2018, the Israeli Municipality staff demolished a residential apartment in al-Tour neighborhood, east of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. The apartment was located in a 5-strorey residential building belonging to Abu Sbitan Family.

On the same day, Jamal Hadiyah self-demolished his house in al-Thawri neighborhood, south of occupied East Jerusalem, to avoid paying the demolition costs. The Israeli Court issued a decision to demolish the 90-square-meter house and gave him until 26 July 2018 to implement the decision or the Israeli Municipality staff will demolish it and force him to pay the demolition costs estimated at NIS 100.000.

As part of restrictions imposed on NGOs’ work, on 14 July 2018, Israeli forces raided Hind al-Hussainy College in al-Shaiekh Jarrah neighborhood, north if occupied East Jerusalem and prevented holding the fourth0 academic conference entitled: “ The Islamic Endowment (Awqaf) in Jerusalem”. The conference was organized by the Jerusalem Waqf and Heritage Reservation Society and the Islamic Supreme Committee – Jerusalem.

On 17 July 2018, the Israeli Execution and Procedures Department staff raided an elementary school in Shu’fat neighborhood, north of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, and confiscated its contents under the pretext of accumulating taxes. The school administration said that the Israeli Execution and Procedures Department staff raided that school and confiscated devices and tool estimated at NIS 4.000, under the pretext of accumulating debts of “Arnona” property tax and not paying it from 2017.

Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property

As part of demolishing civilians property, on 14 July 2018, Israeli forces demolished 3 roofs and an agricultural room in al-Marajem area, southwest of Duma village, southeast of Nablus, after a year of notifying it and a week of issuing the decision to demolish it.

As part of settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and property, on 13 July 2018, hundreds of settlers, using dozens of buses, moved into ‘Ortah village, southeast of Nablus, under the Israeli forces’ protection. The Israeli settler performed their religious rituals in places that they claim to be religious shrines located on the village’s outskirts.

On the same day, a group of Israeli settlers sneaked into the outskirts of ‘Oreef village from the eastern side. They set fire to 2 Plaestinian vehicles belonging to Ziyad ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Jameel Shehadah. The 2 vehicles were parking in the house yard, during which the settlers sneaked into the house, poured a flammable material at the vehicles and then set fire to them. Moreover, they wrote slogans in Arabic (Be aware and draw the Star of David below the written slogan). The 2 vehicles caught fire before extinguishing them by the village residents.

On 16 July 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Leshim “ settlement established in the lands of Dir Balout village, west of Salfit, levelled 82 dunums. The settlers demolished 100 olive trees in favor of the abovementioned settlement. The levelled land belong to Na’iem Rushdi Jabbarah and Idrees Jabbarah ‘Abdullah, from the village.

On 17 July 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Yitzhar“ settlement established in the lands of ‘Asirah Qabaliyiah village, south of Nablus, attacked the outskirts of ‘Asirah Qabaliyiah village from the eastern side, under the Israeli forces’ protection. The Israeli settlers burned 80 olive trees. The attack resulted in smashing the windows of 4 vehicles parked in front of their owners’ houses.

[Photo: A member of the Israeli forces prepares to launch a tear gas canister as they intervene in a protest against building of Jewish settlements and separation wall in Hebron, West Bank on July 13, 2018. Photographer:  Mamoun Wazwaz/AA]