According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ Weekly Report:
On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 14-20 Jan. 2010, 9 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank. 7 of these civilians, including 3 journalists, were wounded when Israeli troops used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations protesting the construction of the annexation wall. Israeli forces also stormed the houses of a number of activists working against the construction of the annexation wall.Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Over the last week, Israeli forces conducted 22 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those invasions, Israeli forces abducted 34 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, in the West Bank.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 9 Palestinian civilians, including two children and 3 journalists, in the West Bank.
Seven Palestinian civilians, including 3 journalists, were wounded when Israeli forces used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders, in protest of the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank.
On 16 January 2010, a child was wounded in Yatta village, south of Hebron, while playing with an old explosive left in the area by Israeli forces.
On 19 January 2010, a child was wounded when Israeli forces moved into Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank and fired at a number of children who demonstrated in the area.
Two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were also wounded by Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints.
Israeli forces troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank abducted 5 Palestinian civilians, including a journalist.
Israeli forces have continued measures aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem. In one instance, Israeli forces forced a Palestinian civilian to demolish a house and two animal sheds belonging to him.
In addition, ground collapses were reported in Silwan village due to Israeli excavations. And Israeli forces demolished a house to the northeast of Jerusalem.
At noon on Saturday, 17 January 2010, Israeli troops patrolling near ‘Beita Elite’ settlement, west of Bethlehem, stopped and violently beat Mohammed ‘Abdul Halim Halahla, 35, and Mahmoud Ahmed Ramadan, 15, both from Kharas village near Hebron. The two civilians sustained bruises all over their bodies.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces 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 in protest to the construction of the Wall.
Following the Friday Prayer on 15 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in the center of Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the Wall and threw stones at Israeli forces troops positioned in the area. Immediately, Israeli forces troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and Bassem Ahmed Yassin, 34, sustained a fracture to the right leg following the beating by Israeli forces. Rubber-coated metal bullets also wounded seven civilians, including two journalists.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 15 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest of 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. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 15 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest of 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 and violently beat a number of them. No casualties or arrests were reported.
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 14 January 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from ‘Gilad’ settlement, northeast of Qalqiliya, burned two cars and a tractor belonging to Palestinian civilians from Ematin village, east of Qalqiliya.
On the same day, Israeli settlers living in the ‘Havat Ma’oun’ settlement outpost to the east of Yatta village, south of Hebron, uprooted 70 olive trees in the east of al-Twana village.
On 19 January 2010, Israeli forces demolished a house in Jaba’ village, northeast of Jerusalem, claiming that it was built without a license.
On the same day, Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, moved into ‘Awarta village, south of Nablus. They headed to the ‘Eizairat area, which they claim is sacred, and performed prayers until the following morning. When the settlers and Israeli forces left the village, Palestinian civilians found that the cemetery of the village had been desecrated and that 3 gravestones were destroyed. They also found hostile phrases in Arabic and Russian.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip over two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.
1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.
The main concern of 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.
Israel has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for the past two and a half years. Israel has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas, since 10 December 2008.
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 comply with their legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.
Also, the PCHR called for the immediate implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank illegal.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
