According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights’ Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the period from 11 – 24 November 2010, a Palestinian resistance fighter and his brother were extra-judicially executed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. 4 Palestinian civilians, including two children and a woman, and a resistance resistance fighter were wounded by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. 9 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded. Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the Gaza Strip. 4 Palestinian workers were wounded. Israeli forces conducted 50 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and two limited ones into the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces abducted 29 Palestinian civilians, including a child.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, on 17 November 2010, Israeli forces extra-judicially executed an resistance fighter of the Army of Islam in Gaza City. An Israeli forces warplane fired a missile at the car in which the resistance fighter and his brother were traveling. As a result, the two brothers were killed. Israeli forces admitted responsibility for the attack, claiming that the resistance fighter was planning to kidnap Israelis in Sinai Peninsula.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces fired at Palestinian workers who were collecting raw construction materials near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. As a result, 4 workers were wounded.
On 19 November 2010, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and a toddler, were wounded, when Israeli warplanes bombarded a house in the central Gaza Strip. At approximately 15:00, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a 120-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Mohammed ‘Alaa’ al-Sharaf, 43, in the east of Wadi al-Salqa village, east of the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah. The house was totally destroyed. A nearby house belonging to Ruqaya Abu Mustafa was damaged, and 3 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and a toddler, were wounded
On 18 November 2010, a Palestinian resistance fighter was wounded in the northern Gaza Strip when Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israeli fired at a number of resistance fighters.
On 19 November 2010, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a training site of al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) in Khan Yunis. The site was damaged.
On the same day, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a tunnel on the Egyptian border near Yibna refugee camp in the south of Rafah. As a result, the tunnel and a fuel store were destroyed.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
On Thursday, 11 November 2010, at approximately 07:40, Israeli forces moved into Jeet village, east of Qalqilya. They surrounded Jeet Secondary School, as students began to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the death of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers closed the gates of the school and requested its administration to evacuate the students. The students were evacuated at approximately 08:15.
At approximately 11:00, Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired a number of artillery shells at al-Farrahin area in the east of ‘Abassan village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. The shelling targeted space areas and a deserted home, located nearly 700 meters away from the border, where a number of resistance fighters were located. The resistance fighters withdrew from the area and no casualties were reported. Israeli helicopter gunships also opened fire at the area, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 14:00, Israeli forces moved into Zabbouba village, northwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets. A number of Palestinian boys gathered and threw stones at Israeli military vehicles. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired at the boys, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 15:00, an Israeli forces undercover unit moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. Israeli soldiers raided and searched a house belonging to Fareed Ragheb ‘Alawna, and abducted one of his sons. One of ‘Alawna’s sons, Najeh, 36, stated to a PCHR field worker that a civilian vehicle that has an Israeli registration plate stopped near the family’s house. Immediately, 8 persons wearing civilian clothes and armed with small machine guns broke into the front yard of the house, shouting: ‘We are from the army.’ They forced his brother, 33-year-old Mazen, who was in the yard to sit on the ground. When his other brother, 30-year-old Ragheb heard the noise, he jumped through the window onto the backyard and hid in a barnyard under the house. Israeli soldiers broke into the house and forced the family out. They forced members of the family into the front yard and forced them to sit on the ground. They then asked the father whether anyone was still inside the house and he denied the presence of anyone there. They threatened to blow up the house if they discovered the opposite. Soon, 3 Israeli military vehicles arrived at the area. Israeli soldiers stepped down. Some of them moved towards the front yard. An Israeli intelligence officer entered the yard. He questioned the father and ordered him to accompany soldiers to search the house. Soon after, the intelligence officer came back and took Mazen with him to search the upper floor. When Israeli soldiers did not find anyone, they brought the owner’s grandchild, 4-year-old Bahaa’, and the intelligence officer asked him about his uncle Ragheb. A number of young men gathered outside the house and threw stone at Israeli soldiers, who fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs. Israeli soldiers searched the house again and discovered a door leading to the barnyard and captured Ragheb. They handcuffed and blindfolded him and took him to an unknown destination.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall. As a result, 9 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded, and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises. Israeli forces also abducted 5 international human rights defenders and a Palestinian child.
In addition, an anti-Wall activist was targeted by Israeli forces in a night raid of his village.
At approximately 20:30, Israeli forces moved into Bil’in village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets and raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ashraf Mohammed al-Khatib, 30, looking for him, but he was not at home. They handed a notice to his family ordering him to appear before Israeli intelligence officers in Oufar interrogation center.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israel has continued its settlement activities in the West Bank in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
At approximately 08:00 on Thursday, 11 November 2010, dozens of Israeli settlers gathered near Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus. They threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on Nablus-Ramallah road on their way to Ramallah to participate in the commemoration of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. No injuries were reported.
At approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 14 November 2010, Israeli forces moved into Jabal al-Sheikh area in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They handed 3 notices issued by the Israeli forces Higher Council of Organization ordering the demolition of 3 houses, claiming that they were built without licenses. The targeted houses, in which 16 individuals live, were built in 1975. They are located about 150 meters away from ‘Halmish’ settlement. Israeli forces threatened to demolish the three houses in a week.
At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 14 November 2010, Na’el Sa’id Soufan, 30, a peddler from Qalqilya, was run down by an Israeli settlers on the bypass road linking between ‘Ennab’ settlement, east of Tulkarm, and the Arab town of al-Taybeh inside Israel. Soufan stated to PCHR that while he was selling copies of the Holy Quran to vehicles traveling to Tulkarm, nearly 250 meters away from Jbara checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, he was surprised by a Chevrolet car that has an Israeli registration number plate (3768772) traveling fast and running him down. The car then fled towards to the checkpoint. Israeli soldier stationed at the checkpoint stopped the settler. Soufan was offered first medical aid by an Israeli ambulance crew, and was then evacuated in a Palestinian ambulance to Dr. Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm. Soufan left the hospital on his own responsibility before the completion of his medical treatment, as he was not able to pay the expenses of treatment.
At approximately 15:00 on Tuesday, 16 November 2010, Israeli settlers from ‘Gilad’ settlement set fire to dozens of donums of agricultural land belonging to a Palestinian farmer from Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya.
The owner of the land, Adeeb Yamin, stated to a PCHR field worker that: ‘At approximately 15:00 on Tuesday, 16 November 2010, I received a phone call from my neighbors who told me that fire broke out on my land, which is located opposite to their house. I immediately went there. I found that fire had broken out on my land and extended to a neighboring tract of land. I stood helpless until fire fighters arrived, but they were not able to extinguish fire as it extended to large areas. Israeli settlers arrived at the area and attempted to attack Palestinian civilians who wanted to extinguish fire. The settlers were escorted by Israeli soldiers who attempted to attack a journalist and attempted to prevent him from photographing the scene. Zakaria al-Sidda, from Rabbis for Human Rights, intervened and called the Israeli military liaison, which stopped the attack. Palestinian civilians attempted to extinguish fire, but in vain. Fire destroyed 42 olives trees.’
On Tuesday evening, 16 November 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from ‘Bat ‘Ain’ settlement to the north of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, launched an arson attack on area of Palestinian agricultural land planted with olives and almonds in Beit Ummar village and the neighboring Safa village. Palestinian farmers, other locals and fire engines rushed to extinguish fire, but Israeli forces prevented them from reaching the affected area for more than 3 hours. They only called Israeli fire fighters to prevent fire from extending to the fence of the aforementioned settlement. When Palestinians were allowed to reach the affected areas, they were hardly able to extinguish fire. According to information available to PCHR, at least 20 donums of agricultural land were destroyed. It worth noting that this attack was the 4th of its kind in the same area this year.
At approximately 09:15 on Monday, 22 November 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from ‘Shilo’ settlement, south of Nablus, escorted by Israeli forces, expelled Palestinian farmers from their lands in Silon area in the south of Qaryout village. According to eyewitnesses, Palestinian farmers from Qaryout village went to their lands in the area after they had obtained a decision by the Israeli judicial advisor allowing them to farm their land, to which they had been denied access to. However, the settlers, escorted by Israeli forces expelled them.
At approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, 23 November 2010, Israeli forces moved into al-Farouq quarter in Jabal al-Mukabber village, southeast of Jerusalem. They closed the vicinity a building belonging to the Qara’in family. At approximately 07:00, they raided the building and forced its residents out. Immediately, Israeli settlers brought furniture into the building. At noon, the settlers set up observation cameras and a fence around the building. The seized building is comprised of 3 floors, and it served as a house for 15 Palestinian civilians, in including 7 children, from the Qara’in family.
At approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 23 November 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from ‘Ma’ale Shomron’ settlement, east of Qalqilya, set fire to a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives belonging to Mohammed ‘Abdul Latif Kharfan, 37, from ‘Azzoun village east of Qalqilya. At least 10 olive trees were burnt.
At approximately 06:00 on Wednesday, 24 November 2010, Israeli forces, accompanied by two bulldozers, moved into Abu al-‘Ajaj area in the south of al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho. They demolished 4 barnyards, killing 15 sheep, and two tin-made houses, claiming that these facilities were established without licenses. A number of Palestinian civilians attempted to stop the demolition. Israeli forces attacked these civilians. As a result, 4 civilians sustained bruises. Israeli forces also abducted 3 civilians.
Recommendations to the International Community
Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations this week, the OCHR 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.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
