Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (30 August – 13 September 2017)
Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
A Palestinian civilian from al-Dheishah refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, succumbed to his wounds.
10 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces conducted 108 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the Southern Gaza Strip.
104 civilians, including 15 children and 2 women, were arrested in the West Bank.
Thirty-five of them, including 12 children and a woman, were arrested in Jerusalem.
Israeli forces raided al-Hurriyah Radio Station in Hebron, confiscated its contents, and closed it for 6 months, under the pretext of incitement on terrorism!!
Israeli forces continued efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli forces vacated Shamasnah Family from their house rented 53 years ago in al-Sheikh Jarrah.
Settlers built a room in a yard in a disputed house in Silwan village despite a judicial decision banning making any change to the hose.
A 2-storey building was demolished in Ras al-‘Amoud neighbourhood.
Israeli forces continued settlement activities in the West Bank
Israeli forces notified 11 houses and a barrack for grazing sheep in Jeet village, northeast of Qalqiliya, to stop the construction works.
Israeli settlers cut down 43 olive trees, south of Nablus.
Israeli forces continued to target the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea.
Shooting incidents were documented against Palestinian fishing boats in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. Neither causalities nor damage was reported.
Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 10th time
Dozens of temporary checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re-established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians.
8Palestinian civilians, including a child, were arrested at the checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian lecturer and a patient, at Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.
Summary
Shooting:
During the reporting period, a Palestinian civilian succumbed to his wounds after being previously shot by the Israeli forces.
Israeli forces also wounded 7 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Seven of them, including the 2 children, were wounded in the West Bank, and the 3 others, were wounded in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip continued to chase the Palestinian fishermen in the sea and to target the border areas in the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, on 03 September 2017, the Israeli authorities declared that Ra’ed al-Salhi (22), from al-Dheishah refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, succumbed to his wounds. According to PCHR’s investigation, on 09 August 2017, the above mentioned civilian was wounded when the Israeli forces moved into the camp to arrest him. When they raided the family house, al-Salhi attempted to flee, so the Israeli forces opened fire at him. As a result, he was hit with 5 bullets to the kidney and 2 others to the thigh. They then arrested him and left him to bleed on the street for 20 minutes without providing him first aid. He was then taken to Hadasa-‘Ein Karem” Hospital in West Jerusalem and stayed there until declaring his death. Moreover, the Israeli authorities refused to let his family visit him during his stay at the above mentioned hospital.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 7 civilians, including 2 children, in the West Bank. On 31 August 2017, Israeli soldiers who surprisingly established a checkpoint on the road between Qabatia and Masliyah villages, south of Jenin, opened fire at a Palestinian civilian car. As a result, the driver was wounded.
On 02 September 2017, Fayez al-Rajabi (60) was hit with a sound bomb to his head when he was near his house in Batn al-Hawa neighbourhood in Silwan village, south of Jerusalem’s Old City. The Israeli soldiers randomly fired sound bombs in the area in response to child and young men protesting against their incursion into the neighbrhood.
In the Gaza Strip, border areas witnessed protests against the unjust closure imposed on the Gaza population. During these protests, Israeli forces used force against the protestors, particularly when dispersing them. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded after being directly hit with tear gas canisters.
On 05 September 2017, a 21-year-old civilian was hit with a bullet to the right foot when Israeli forces moved into al-Far’ah refugee camp, south of Tubas, to carry out an arrest campaign against the Palestinian civilians.
On 13 September 2017, Laith Daraghmah (18) was hit with a bullet to the left foot when Israeli forces moved into Tubas to carry out an arrest campaign against the Palestinian civilians.
On 13 September 2017, Haitham Jaradat (15) from Sa’ir village, east of Hebron, was hit with several bullets after the Israeli soldiers opened fire at him when he was the eastern entrance to “Karayat Arbaa’” settlement. The Israeli forces claimed that the above-mentioned child attempted to carry out a stab attack and was then taken to an Israeli hospital.
Two civilians were wounded, including a child, with rubber-coated metal bullets during the Kafr Qaddoum Protest, northeast of Qalqiliya, against the closure of the eastern entrance to the village since the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada with an iron gate.
In the Gaza Strip, the border areas witnessed protests against the continued and unjust closure imposed on its population. The Israeli forces used force against the protesters as the shooting occurred to disperse those protests resulted in the injury of 3 civilians. One of them was hit with a bullet to the hand, the second was hit with 2 rubber-coated metal bullets to the legs and the third was hit with a tear gas canister to the back.
In the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen offshore, on 30 August 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 abovementioned area on 10 September 2017.
On 02 September 2017, Israeli gunboats sporadically opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats, west of al-Sudaniyah, west of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, and chased them. The shooting recurred in the same area at approximately 07:30. On 03 September 2017, the shooting recurred twice; on 06 September 2017 recurred twice; on 11 September 2017 recurred twice; and once on 12 September.
On 08 September 2017, Israeli gunboats heavily opened fire in the vicinity of the Palestinian fishing boats within the limited fishing area off Khanyounis shore in the southern Gaza Strip. Neither casualties nor damage was reported.
In the context of targeting the border areas, on 10 September 2017, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence opened fire at the agricultural lands, east of Khaza’ah village, east of Khan Younis. However, no casualties were reported.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 108 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 10 ones in Jerusalem. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 104 Palestinian civilians, including 15 children and 2 women. Thirty five of them, including 12 children and a woman, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem and its suburbs.
In the context of targeting the media institutions, on 31 August 2017, Israeli forces raided al-Hurriyah Radio Station in Hebron. They damaged the radio station’s contents and furniture and confiscated others. They fixed to the door a decision to close the radio for 6 months under the pretext of inciting on terrorism and later withdrew.
In the Gaza Strip, on 11 September 2017, Israeli forces moved 80 meters into al-Qararah village, northeast of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces combed and levelled the agricultural lands along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Israeli forces later redeployed along the fence.
Efforts to create Jewish Majority in occupied East Jerusalem:
In the context of creating a Jewish majority in the City, On 05 September 2017, Israeli forces evacuated Shamasnah Family from their house in al-Sheikh Jarrah, north of occupied Jerusalem, to shelter settlers, rendering its eight members, who had lived here for 53 years, homeless. Shamasnah said that Israeli police expelled the house’s owner, Ayoub Shamasnah (85) on a wheel chair; his wife, Fahmiyah (76), and their son, Mohammed, and his 5-member family. The Israeli soldiers then vacated the house of its contents. The family said that they were expelled from their house, which they rented in 1964, and the Israeli forces claimed that the house belongs to a Jewish family before NAKBAH.
As part of house demolitions, on 13 September 2017, Israeli Muncipality demolished a building in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood, east of Jerusalem’s Old City. The building belongs to Montaser and Mo’atasem Abu Farhah , under the preotext of building with a license. Mo’atasem Abu Farhah, said that the 2-sotrey building sheltered him, his wife and child in addition to his brother Montaser, his wife and 3 children.
As part of settlers’ attacks, on 04 Septemebr 2017, a number of Israeli settlers built a room in front of a house belonging to ‘Ezzat Salah in Wadi Helwah neighborhood in Silwan village, south of the Old City, despite the court’s decision to ban making any change in the house
Settlement Activities and Settlers’ Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and their property:
As part of demolishing houses, on 07 September 2017, Israeli forces handed notices to stop the construction work in 11 houses and a barrack for grazing sheep, northeast of Qalqilya, under the pretext of building without a license.
As part of settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property, on 06 September 2017, a group of Israeli settlers, from the evacuated “Homish” settlement, where settlers go there from time to time, attacked Usamah Daghlas (16 and hit him with a stone to the head. As a result, he was taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus for medical treatment.
On 07 Septemebr 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.
On the same day, dozens of settlers from al-Khalil Moutains settlemnts moved into al-Foqar area, east of Halhoul, north of Hebron. They performed religious rituals near old water wells in the area. A number of settlers, from “Kermayel” settlement, east of Yata, south of Hebron, threw stones at the residents of Bedouin Kherbet Um al-Kheir and insulted them.
On 08 September 2017, dozens of settlers from Beit ‘Ein settlement established on Palestinian lands, west of Beit Ummer, north of Hebron, and performed religious rituals there in an old Islamic tomb.
On 09 September 2017, dozens of settlers from settlements established in the centre of Hebron’s Old City, threw stones at a house belonging to ‘Ali Abu Rajab after attempting to raid the house following the court’s decision to close the part which the settlers seized on 05 July 2017 and where they stayed for a few days.
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: An Israeli security force member grabs a child by his arm during a protest against Israel’s resolution to separate Masjid-e-Khalil from Palestinian administration linked municipality in Hebron, West Bank on September 3, 2017. Photographer: Mamoun Wazwaz/AA]
