According to the Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, during the week of 01-07 April 2010, an Israeli settler ran over and killed a Palestinian teen, and the body of an activist of the Palestinian resistance was found in the Gaza Strip having been missing for one week. 5 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in border areas of the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes conducted a series of air strikes against civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. A dairy factory, two country houses, a room of another home and an automobile were destroyed.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
In the West Bank, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded and 3 journalists sustained bruises during the reporting period when Israeli forces used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 15 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Israeli forces abducted 22 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children.
At approximately 09:00 on Saturday, 03 April 2010, a number of students organized a demonstration in ‘Aaboud village, northwest of Ramallah, in response to the death of 19-year-old Samar Yousef Radwan, who was run over by an Israeli settler on Thursday, 01 April 2010. Israeli forces moved into the village and fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the students. A number of students suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises. Israeli troops also abducted ‘Izz Mohammed Radwan, 16, but released him later.
There are around 500 kilometers of restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third of the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to Palestinians without a permit issued by the Israeli forces. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
On 02 April 2010, medical personnel of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society found the body of Jihad ‘Ata Suleiman al-Daghma, 18, near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. Al-Daghma, an activist of the Palestinian resistance, was killed during armed clashes between the Palestinian resistance and Israeli forces in the area on Friday, 26 March 2010, during which two Palestinians were killed and 6 others wounded.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces launched a series of air strikes against civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinian children were wounded, and a dairy factory, two country homes, a room of another home and a car were destroyed.
On Friday, 02 April 2010, at approximately 00:35, Israeli warplanes fired 3 missiles at agricultural areas in the vicinity of Asdaa’ Media Town to the west of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli settlers threatened to expel Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem. A British human rights defender was injured by Israeli settlers. Israel has continued its settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the West Bank in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 05 April 2010, the Israeli Sephardim Association and the Gila Shimon Company handed threatening letters to the al-Dajani and al-Daoudi families, urging them to evacuate their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah housing project in Jerusalem. The families have been living in these homes since 1956. The Israeli organizations claim that they own the land on which these homes are built. They had previously expelled several other Palestinian families from their homes in the area.
During the reporting period, lawyers of Israeli settlers who seized homes belonging to the Hannoun family demanded the family pay 13,086 NIS to cover the costs of evacuating their houses. Otherwise, Majed and Khalil Hannoun would be imprisoned. Israeli settlers had seized homes belonging to the family on 09 August 2010.
On 06 April 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from a settlement outpost in the Sheikh Jarrah area of Jerusalem attacked several Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders and made threats to Arabs. A British human rights defender was injured. When Palestinian civilians attempted to stop the attack by settlers, Israeli forces intervened and escorted the settlers away from the area.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israel has continued to construct the Annexation Wall and 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 of the construction of the Wall and the ongoing settlement activities. At least 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child and 3 journalists, were seriously hurt, and others sustained bruises or suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday Prayer on 02 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall and attempted to access annexed lands behind it. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and some of them sustained bruises.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 02 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli 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 positioned near the Wall. Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and other sustained bruises.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 2 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabil Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in protest of land confiscations in the Wad al-Raya area between the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators attempted to reach areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near ‘Halmish’ settlement, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets. Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation, and other sustained bruises.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 02 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians in al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem, organized a peaceful demonstration on the anniversary of Land Day, protesting against land confiscation and the construction of the Annexation Wall. Israeli forces reinforced their presence at the entrances of the village, and attacked the demonstrators who attempted to march towards the area of the wall. Israeli troops fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators and beat a number of them. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 photojournalists, sustained bruises. A number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 13:30 on Saturday, 03 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians demonstrated in the center of ‘Iraq Bourin village, south of Nablus, on the anniversary of Land Day. They moved towards areas of Palestinian land located near ‘Brakha’ settlement, but Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. A number of 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 Palestinian Center for Human Rights 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. 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.
In addition, PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel’s respect of the Convention in the West Bank and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
