In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 26 Sep.- 02 Oct. 2013, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that a Palestinian civilian was killed and another one was wounded and abducted by Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip.In addition, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded in Hebron, including one of the children who lost an eye. 17 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, were wounded when Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
This week, Israeli troops wounded 22 civilians, including 7 children and a journalist, in the West Bank. 17 of those civilians, including 5 children, were wounded in peaceful protests, while the other 5 ones, including 2 children, were wounded during Israeli military incursions into Palestinian communities.
16 of those civilians were wounded during peaceful demonstrations on the 13th anniversary of the al-Aqsa Intifada. The wounded a cameraman of France Press Agency. Dozens of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation.
Israeli forces conducted 45 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. At least 23 Palestinian civilians, including 1 child, were abducted in the West Bank.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. At least 10 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were abducted at checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded and abducted another one in the Gaza Strip.
In the Gaza Strip, on 30 September 2013, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded and abducted another one near the border with Israel to the east of Beit Hanoun town. The victim was hit by several bullets to the back and one bullet to the head. He was unarmed, and according to his family, he attempted to cross the border into Israel to search for a job.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
The illegal closure of the Gaza Strip, which has 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.
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.
Israeli settlers set fire to 2 cars in Dura al-Qare’ village, north of Ramallah.
Israeli settlers blocked roads in the northern West Bank and threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
In the West Bank, 22 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, were wounded by Israeli forces while protesting the Israeli annexation wall and settlements.
On 27 September 2013, a 6-year-old child and his 14-year-old sister were wounded in al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron. The child was hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right eye and consequently, he lost his sight n it.
On the same day, 3 civilians were wounded during clashed with Israeli forces in the center of Hebron.
16 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, were wounded when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstration organized in the West Bank on the 13th anniversary of the al-Aqsa Intifada.
On Friday, 27 September 2013, at approximately 16:00, Israeli forces closed the main entrance to al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron. They deployed in lands around bypass road (60). Some boys gathered and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers, who fired tear gas canisters in response. As a result, a number of boys suffered tear gas inhalation. In the meantime, a soldier fired rubber-coated metal bullets at a woman and her children while they were standing around. As a result, Mos’ab Isma’il Sarahna (6) was wounded by a bullet to the right eye. As a result, he lost his sight. Moreover, his sister Hajar (14) was wounded by a bullet to the left leg. The wounded were taken to Abu al-Hassan al-Qasem Hospital in Yatta by a private vehicle, while Mos’ab was taken to Hebron Governmental Hospital and then transferred to St. John’s Hospital in Jerusalem. The child underwent a surgery. It was found out that he lost his eye, as he was shot from a close range with a rubber-coated metal bullet that caused him distortion in the face.
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 he United Nations confirm that holding war criminals in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a precondition to achieve stability and peace in the regions, and that peace cannot be built on the expense of human rights and victims.
In addition, the PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council to explicitly declare that the Israeli closure policy in Gaza and the annexation wall in the West Bank are illegal, and accordingly refer the two issues to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel to compel it to remove them.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
