According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 29 Oct.- 04 Nov. 2009, three civilians in the West bank and the Gaza Strip were injured by bullet wounds when Israeli forces fired at them. 12 civilians, including 2 cameramen and 8 women, sustained injuries and bruises when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations in the West Bank. In addition, Israeli forces abducted 13 Palestinian civilians, including one child, in the West Bank, and a wounded civilian from the Gaza Strip.
According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 29 Oct.- 04 Nov. 2009, three civilians in the West bank and the Gaza Strip were injured by bullet wounds when Israeli forces fired at them. 12 civilians, including 2 cameramen and 8 women, sustained injuries and bruises when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations in the West Bank. In addition, Israeli forces abducted 13 Palestinian civilians, including one child, in the West Bank, and a wounded civilian from the Gaza Strip.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the last week, Israeli forces conducted 15 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
Israeli forces deported a Palestinian student from Bethlehem University to the Gaza Strip. At 13:00 on Wednesday, 28 October 2009, Israeli forces positioned at the “Container” checkpoint, east of al-Sawahra al-Sharqeya village in the southeast of occupied Jerusalem, stopped Berlanti Grace Polis ‘Azzam, 21, a student at Bethlehem University. They checked her ID card and saw that she was a resident of the Gaza Strip. They placed her under field interrogation regarding her presence in the West Bank. Then they held her as a first step to take measures to return her to the Gaza Strip. She remained held till 20:00 o’clock. Then Israeli forces handcuffed and blindfolded her. They transferred her by a jeep and then by a police vehicle to the border with the Gaza Strip. She was returned to Gaza via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. She arrived at home at midnight.
According to ‘Azzam, she went to live in Bethlehem in 2005 and that she is a student at Bethlehem University. She was scheduled to graduate in two months. ‘Azzam stated to PCHR that when she was held by Israeli forces, she was forced to sit on a metal chair near the checkpoint, after she had been told that she was held because she “lived illegally in the West Bank”. While being held by Israeli forces, ‘Azzam suffered low blood pressure and weakness in her limbs. In response Israeli forces offered her water and asked her to move her limbs.
She also added: “At approximately 20:00, a military jeep arrived at the checkpoint. Some female soldiers were in the jeep. One of the female soldiers searched me and searched my bag. The soldiers then handcuffed me. thn they used my shawl to blindfold me. They then transferred me by a jeep. Then they forced me to walk for more than one hour and a half before transferring me by a police car to the border with the Gaza Strip. I was forced to return to the Gaza Strip via ‘Erez’ crossing at approximately 23:00. I arrived home at around midnight”.
In Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished four houses in Beit Hanina, al-Thawri neighborhood and Jabal al-Mukaber village and displaced four families of 34 individuals:
On 1 November 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed the house of Mousa Mashahra, 53, in al-Sala’a neighborhood in Jabal al-Mukaber village, southeast of occupied Jerusalem. A family of six used to live in the house that occupied an area of 50 m2 and was composed of two rooms.
On 2 November 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed the house of Majed al-Rajji, 50, in al-‘Aqaba neighborhoos in Beit Hanina village, north of occupied Jerusalem. A family of 15 used to live in the house that stood on an area of 100 m2 and was composed of three rooms.
Also on 2 November 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed the house of Haroun al-Qawasmi, 61, and the house of Naser al-Shweiki in al-Thawri neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. The house of al-Qawasmi, where a family of six used to live, was built 25 years ago. The house where the seven-member al-Shwiki family used to live was owned by Mohammed al-Qawasmi and was built on an area of 80 square meters.
Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by Israeli forces in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and searched in the streets by Israeli forces.
On Friday morning, 30 October 2009, Israeli forces prevented the installation of power networks in al-Tawani village, opposite to “Ma’on” settlement south of Hebron. According to local sources and to statements of international solidarity activists who live in the village, officers from the Israeli “Military Liaison Office” stopped the installation of power networks in al-Tawani village. They also abducted a Palestinian worker from al-Dhahereya village. Israeli forces released the worker later but confiscated his equipment. The confiscated equipment included a lorry, an automatic ladder and a large roll of electric wires. On 22 July 2009, officers from the Israeli “Military Liaison Office” issued an order to remove six power stations from the village. Further, on 25 May 2009, these officers, with an Israeli soldier, raided the village to stop the establishment of eight power stations in the village.
According to PCHR investigations and statements by Suleiman Mohammed al-‘Adra, a Palestinian from al-Tawani village, Israeli forces have banned the development of infrastructure in al-Tawani village, including power; water and telephone networks. Israeli forces have also prevented Palestinians in the village from constructing houses. Civilians are forced to live in caves or in shelters established before 1967. Sometimes, Palestinians in the village are forced to construct their house without getting building license; Israeli forces later demolish the structures.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
Israeli forces have continued to impose a total blockade and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
On Oct. 31st, at approximately 15:00, Israeli forces positioned inside observation towers on the border strip in the northwest of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, fired at Ashraf Saleh Salem Jaber, 40, from ‘Izbat ‘Abed Rabbo in the east of Jabalia town. Jaber was wounded by a bullet to his left foot. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, Jaber was wounded while walking on the beach as he approached the border strip in the northwest of the ex-settlement of Doghit in the northwest of Beit Lahia. His family told PCHR that their son suffers from mental disorder and that he had left the house two days before the incident. After Israeli forces fired at Jaber and wounded him, an Israeli forces undercover unit moved into the scene and transferred Jaber inside Israel. After the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian Liaison Office managed to make coordination with Israeli forces, Jaber was transferred to Gaza via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing and delivered to a Palestinian ambulance. He was then transferred to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza city where he was diagnosed with severe fractures in his left foot.
Israeli naval troops continued to attack Palestinian fishermen and boats in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 29 October 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed 14 donums of agricultural lands, including 11 donums that had been reclaimed recently in al-Buqa’a area, east of Hebron. They also demolished 1,000 meters of retaining walls, destroyed more than 300 meters of irrigation networks and destroyed two water collection pools. It should be noted that al-Buqa’a area is one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Hebron. Settlement Road no. 60 passes through the area which is close to “Kiryat Arba’a” and “Kharsina” settlements in the east of Hebron. Israeli forces impose a ban on construction works in al-Buqa’a area and obstruct the delivery of services to the area as part of their plans to force Palestinians to leave their houses and lands, Israeli forces and Israeli settlers repeatedly conduct attacks on civilians in al-Buqa’a area in order to take control of new areas of Palestinian lands by force.
Also on 29 October 2009, Israeli forces delivered notices to four civilians in Kherbat al-Hejri, southwest of Hebron, notifying them of Israeli forces intent to demolish their houses in Kherbat al-Hejri under the pretext of the lack of a building license.
On 30 October 2009, Israeli forces prevented the installation of power networks in al-Tawani village, opposite to “Ma’on” settlement south of Hebron. Israeli forces have banned the establishment of infrastructure in al-Tawani village, including power; water and telephone networks. Israeli forces have also prevented Palestinians in the village from constructing houses. Civilians are forced to live in caves or in shelters that had been established before 1967. Sometimes, Palestinians in the village construct houses without getting building licenses, but Israeli forces later demolish them.
On 31 October 2009, eight settlers from “Brakha” settlement, protected by Israeli forces, raided Iraq Borin village, south of Nablus. Dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered near the southern entrance of the village and stoned the settlers in an attempt to prevent them from entering the village. Israeli forces responded by firing bullets at the Palestinians.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders to protest the construction of the Wall.
According to Abdullah Abu Rahma, spokesman of the Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign in Bil’in, Following the Friday Prayer on 30 October 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli peace activists and human rights defenders gathered in the center of Bil’in village, west of Ramallah. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. Following the attack by the Israeli troops, children threw stones at Israeli forces positioned in the area.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 30 October 2009, and according to data made available by the Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign in Ne’lin, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall. They clashed with Israeli forces troops positioned near the Wall. Israeli forces troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 30 October 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem. Israeli troops closed the entrance of the village and attacked the demonstrators. They fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Israeli forces beat some of the demonstrators. A child, Zeid Mohammed Zawahra, 17, was wounded in his right hand. In addition, three demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Recommendations to the international community:
Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations this week, the PCHR made a number of recommendations to the international community. Among these were a recommendation that the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
