{PCHR):
Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) (11 – 17 January 2018)
Israeli forces continued to use excessive force in the oPt
3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were killed, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
112 Palestinian civilians, including 29 children, 2 journalists and a paramedic, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
44 of them were hit with live bullets, 54 were hit with rubber-coated metal bullets, and 14 were hit with tear gas canisters and their shrapnel.
12 demonstrators were arrested, including 5 children, in the West Bank.
Israeli warplanes targeted a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported.
Israeli forces conducted 79 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one was conducted in the southern Gaza Strip.
101 civilians, including 25 children and 3 women, were arrested.
38 of them, including 14 children and 2 women, were arrested in Jerusalem.
Several shooting incidents targeting the Palestinian fishing boats occurred in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli authorities continued their settlement activities in the West Bank.
Israeli settlers started to establish a settlement road between Nablus and Qalqiliya.
Shooting was reported towards the border areas of the Gaza Strip, 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 checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re-established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians.
4 Palestinian civilians, including a woman, 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 (11 – 17 January 2018).
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They also wounded 112 Palestinian civilians, including 29 children, 2 journalists and a paramedic, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces continued to chase Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea and target border areas in addition to targeting tunnels by Israeli warplanes.
In the West Bank, On 11 January 2018, Israeli forces killed ‘Ali Qino (Qadous) (17) from ‘Iraq Burin village, south of Nablus. The aforementioned child was killed when Israeli soldiers stationed near cement cubes established by Israeli forces in the morning on the main street of the village to close it opened fire at him. A number of children threw stones from a distance of 150 meters at the Israeli soldiers. The latter immediately opened fire at them, killing the abovementioned child. Doctors in Nablus Specialist Hospital where the child was transferred said that the latter was hit with a bullet that entered his forehead and exited the left side, causing skull fracture and brain herniation
On 15 January 2018, in a similar crime, Israeli forces killed Ahmed Salim (24) from Jayous village, northeast of Qaqliliya. The aforementioned was killed when he was in a peaceful protest against the U.S. President’s Decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel daily organized in al-Mentar area near the annexation wall, west of the village. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces fired more than 20 live bullets in a row from a distance of only 20 meters.
During the reporting period, the West Bank witnessed protests against the U.S. President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. During the protests, the Israeli forces used force against the protesters, and the shooting to disperse the protests resulted in the injury of 30 civilians, including 4 children, 2 journalists and a paramedic. Four civilians were hit with live bullets, 20 were hit with rubber-coated metal bullets, and 6 were directly hit with tear gas canisters and sound bombs shrapnel.
In the same context, in addition to the abovementioned wounded persons, on 15 January 2018, 7 civilians, including 3 children, were wounded when Israeli forces moved into Burqin village, west of Jenin and a number of Palestinian children and youngsters protested against the soldiers. On 16 January 2018, Israeli forces wounded a civilian when they moved into Nablus to carry out an arrest campaign and protect hundreds of Israeli settlers who entered the city to perform their Talmudic rituals in “Josef’s Tomb.” On 17 January 2018, 28 civilians, including 12 children, were wounded; 25 were hit with rubber-coated metal bullets and 3 with sound bombs and tear gas canisters. This happened when Israeli settlers moved into ‘Azoun village, east of Qalqiliya, and civilians confronted them. Meanwhile, the Israeli soldiers moved into the village amidst intensive firing of sound bombs, tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets after cutting off the electricity.
In the Gaza Strip, in new crime of using lethal force, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip killed Amir Abu Musa’ed (15) from al-Musadder village after being shot with a bullet to the chest. The child was killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire at 20 children and young men who were protesting on Um Hasaniyah Hill area, east of the camp, and throwing stones at the soldiers stationed behind sand barriers.
The border areas with Israel witnessed protests against the U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy to it. During the protests, the Israeli forces used force against the protestors. Due to opening fire to disperse the protests, 46 civilians were wounded, including 10 children. Thirty-nine were hit with live bullets, 2 were hit with rubber-coated metal bullets, and 5 were directly with tear gas canisters at their bodies.
As part of the Israeli airstrikes, on 13 January 2018, Israeli warplanes launched 2 missiles at a tunnel near Kerm Abu Salem Crossing in al-Shokah village at the border junction between Egypt, Israel and the Gaza Strip to the southeastern side of Rafah City. However, no casualties were reported.
As part of targeting fishermen in the sea, on 11 January 2018, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Sudaniyah Shore, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. The shooting recurred in the above-mentioned area on 13 January 2018.
As part of targeting the border areas, on 11 January 2018, Israeli soldiers opened fire at the agricultural lands, east of Gaza Valley village near the eastern borders of the village. The shooting recurred in the same area on 13 January 2019. However, no casualties were reported in both incidents.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 79 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank while they conducted 10 incursions into Jerusalem and its suburbs. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 63 Palestinian civilians, including 11 children and a girl, in the West Bank. Thirty-eight of them, including 14 children and 2 women, were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs. In addition to those arrested, Israeli forces arrested 12 civilians, including 5 children, during their participation in peaceful protests. Thus, the number of arrestees amounted to 113 civilians, including 30 children and the 3 women.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces confiscated about NIS 17,400, JD700, and $600 from a house belonging to Mo’yad Taqatqa in ‘Alar village, north of Tulkarm. They also confiscated an Opel car belonging to ‘Abdel Rahman Shtayah, from Salem village, northeast of Nablus. Moreover, Mohammed Za’amrah’s family lost NIS2600 belonging to his wife after their house was raided and searched in al-Masyoun neighbourhood in Ramallah.
In the Gaza Strip, on 17 January 2018, Israeli forces moved into the eastern side of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. They levelled and combed the lands adjacent to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the eastern side of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. They later redeployed along the border fence.
Israeli Settlers’ attacks:
On 11 January 2018, a group of Israeli settler from “Gilead” settlement moved intoFare’at village, northeast of Qalqiliya, and attempted to carry out assaults for the second consecutive time. It should be noted one day before; a group of Israeli settlers attacked civilian houses in the village and threw stones at them. As a result, windows of 7 houses were broken.
On 12 January 2018, around 100 Israeli settlers from “Ariel” settlement established in the southern side of Salfit attacked a house belonging to Yousef Hasan Suliman Daraghmah, south of al-Laban village, south of Nablus.
On 13 January 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Yitzhar” settlement established in the western side of Hawarah village, south of Nablus, damaged around 80 fruitful olive trees in al-Lohaf area near the abovementioned settlement.
On the same day, around 30 Israeli settlers from” Yitzhar” settlement raided a house belonging to Moneer Suliman al-Nouri, in the outskirts of ‘Oreef village, south of Nablus. The Israeli settlers set fire to an old tractor and broke windows of houses.
On the same day, Israeli settlers under the intensive protection of Israeli forces leveled lands belonging to the villages’ residents in al-Khanadeq and Khelet Abu ‘Amer Areas between the villages of Tal and Fare’ata. This reflects the clear intention of the Israeli authorities to seize vacant areas and annex them to the “Havat Gelad” settlement outpost to connect it with “Kadomim” settlement established on the lands of Kafr Qaddoum, east of Qaliqilya, in order to be an official settlement.
[Photo: Palestinian old man Walid Haddad tries to find usable wares after Israeli army demolished his house due to unlicensed construction license accusation, in Beit Hanina, Jerusalem on January 17, 2018. Photographer: Mahmoud İbrahim/AA]
