In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 25 – 31 July 2013, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian civilians in border areas in the Gaza Strip, wounding 2 Palestinian civilians. 5 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the West Bank during Israeli incursions, and 2 Palestinian civilians, including a B’Tselem volunteer, were wounded by Israeli forces during non-violent demonstrations.Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 51 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, abducting at least 26 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children.
In the West Bank, 5 Palestinian civilians were wounded in Jenin town and refugee camp during clashes with Israeli forces that moved into the town and the refugee camp. On Thursday, July 25th, at approximately 04:45, Israeli forces moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched an under-construction kindergarten in the camp. In the meantime, a number of Palestinian youngsters gathered and threw stones and empty bottles at the Israeli forces. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the youngsters. As a result, a 20-year-old Palestinian was injured by shrapnel from sound bombs, and a number of others suffered tear gas inhalation.
During one of this week’s 51 incursions, Israeli forces attacked a Palestinian family in al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, while abducting a child.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were abducted by Israeli forces at checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces have continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 30 July 2013, Israeli forces moved in Be’r al-Ballouta area to the west of Ethna village, west of Hebron. They delivered a notice to a Palestinian civilian ordering the demolition of a 200-cubic-meter water reservoir that belongs to the municipality, claiming that it was established without a license.
On 26 July 2013, dozens of Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, stormed the lands of Seilat al-Zaher village, south of Jenin, where an evacuated Israeli settlement, “Homesh,” used to stand. The settlers performed Talmudic rituals and set up a number of tents in the area. They left the area later and no more incidents were reported.
On the same day, a number of Israeli settlers from “Matsvi Yair” settlement to the southeast of Yatta village, south of Hebron, stormed the lands of Khirbat Qoyous area and attacked Palestinian farmers and shepherds and international solidarity activists. Israeli forces also intervened and abducted 3 Palestinians.
On 27 July 2013, a number of Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, stormed the lands to the south of Jenin, where an evacuated Israeli settlement, “Tirsla,” used to stand. The settlers performed Talmudic rituals and set up a number of tents in the area. They left the area later and no more incidents were reported.
On 29 July 2013, a number of Israeli settlers from “Bitar Illit” settlement, which stands on Palestinian lands to the west of Bethlehem, stormed ‘Ein Fares area in the west of Nahalin village.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli forces in the central and northern Gaza Strip. On Saturday, July 27th, At approximately 19:15, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at a person who approached the border in the central Gaza Strip, wounding him with 2 bullets to legs. He was identified as Fadi Waleed ‘Eissa, 29, from Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City. According to his mother, he suffers from a physiological disorder.
During the reporting period, Israeli naval forces continued to attack Palestinian fishing boats. On 27 July 2013, a Palestinian fishing boat was damaged as it was hit by the Israeli gunfire when it was sailing 6 nautical miles of Gaza shore.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces continued the systematic use of excessive force against peaceful protests organised by Palestinian, Israeli and international activists against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a B’Tselem volunteer, were wounded. Besides, dozens suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to Israeli soldiers’ attack on them.
Following the Friday Prayer on 26 July 2013, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The demonstrators made their way towards the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the wall gate with barbwire. When the demonstrators attempted to access the lands behind the barbwire, they were stopped by Israeli soldiers. The demonstrators threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who responded with live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters, and chased them across fields of olive trees. As a result, Haitham Mohammed al-Khatib, a photographer of the Public Committee against the Wall in Bil’in and a volunteer in B’Tselem – the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, was hit by a tear gas canister. An 18-year-old civilian was also wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left leg. Additionally, dozens of demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.
Also following the Friday Prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The demonstrators made their way towards the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the wall gate with barbed wire and, when the demonstrators attempted to access the lands behind the barbed wire, they were stopped by Israeli soldiers. The demonstrators threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who responded with live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters, and chased them across fields of olive trees as far as the outskirts of the village. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.
Around the same time on Friday, dozens of Palestinian civilians, Israeli and international human rights activists gathered at the Martyrs Square in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to organize a weekly peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The protesters walked towards Palestinian lands that Israeli settlers from the nearby ‘Halmish’ settlement are trying to seize. From the morning, Israeli forces had closed all entrances to the village to prevent Palestinians, international activists, and journalists from joining the demonstration. Upon their arrival in the area, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters, chased the demonstrators into the village and sprayed them and civilian houses with waste water. As a result, dozens of Palestinians suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.
Also following the Friday Prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall. The demonstration moved from the center of the village towards the wall. Israeli forces attacked the demonstrators and abducted Mahmoud ‘Alaa’ al-Din, 27.
At 13:12, following the Friday Prayer, 26 July 2013, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, heading to the eastern entrance of the village in protest at closing that entrance since the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000. The demonstrators gathered in front of the entrance. Israeli forces fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation. Neither casualties nor abductions were reported.
Recommendations to the international community:
Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations this week, the PCHR made several recommendations to the international community. Among these were a recommendation that the international community and the United Nations use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination, through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine;
The PCHR also calls upon the United Nations to provide international protection to Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and to ensure the non-recurrence of aggression against the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially the Gaza Strip.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
