In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 06- 12 Sep. 2012, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 3 members of the Palestinian resistance were killed in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, 9 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and 3 women, were injured by Israeli air strikes.In addition, Two Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli forces in the West Bank. During the Israeli air strikes, two sheds and a shop were destroyed and 26 houses were damaged.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, on 06 September 2012, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip killed 3 members of the Palestinian resistance, including two brothers, in the northern Gaza Strip. According to medical crews of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, they received information that there were wounded people in the area, so they immediately went there. Once they got as close as to 350 meters from the border, Israeli forces opened fire at them, so they were forced to move back. Later, several women and young men went to the location of the incident in an attempt to evacuate the bodies and the wounded young man, but Israeli forces fired at them. An hour and a half later, they were able to reach the bodies and the wounded young man. They took them to ambulances that were nearly 1,000 meters away from the border, which transported them to Beit Hanoun Hospitals. There, medical efforts to save al-Kafarna’s life failed.
On the same day, a Palestinian civilian was wounded at approximately 14:10 on 06 September, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip to the east of Jabalya opened fire at a number of young men who got close to the border. As a result, Mohammed Haidar Abu Khater, 20, from al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, was wounded by a bullet to the left arm. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, around 20 young men participating in the funeral procession of 3 Palestinians who had been killed by Israeli forces got close to the border and threw stones at Israeli forces.
On 10 September 2012, Israeli warplanes launched 4 air strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip. As a result, two sheds and a shop were destroyed, 26 houses were damaged and 7 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and two women, were lightly injured.
Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip. On 10 and 11 September 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted 3 limited incursions into Palestinian areas, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land.
On 07 September 2012, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel abducted a Palestinian civilian when he attempted to cross the border to find a job in Israel.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 53 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces abducted 25 Palestinians, including a child.
Israeli forces abducted at least 5 Palestinian children at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
In the West Bank, on 10 September 2012, a Palestinian civilian was wounded and abducted by Israeli forces in the center of Hebron. Israeli forces claimed that he threw a Molotov cocktail at them.
On the same day, a Palestinian civilian was wounded and abducted by Israeli forces in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, during clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian boys.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest of the construction of the annexation wall, settlement activities and other Israeli practices in the West Bank. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday Prayer on 07 September 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities and the trial of Mohammed Baraka, an Arab member of the Israeli Knesset. They moved towards areas of the annexation wall. They called through megaphones on Israeli settlers in “Mitityahu” settlement to leave Palestinian land. Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 07 September 2012, 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 and settlement activities. The demonstrators moved towards areas of the annexation wall. Immediately, Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, some demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 07 August 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians and Israeli and international human rights defenders gathered in the center of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to start the weekly peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The protesters walked towards the gate erected by Israeli forces near the entrance of the village and leading to Palestinian lands that Israeli settlers from the nearby ‘Halmish’ settlement are trying to seize. Israeli soldiers who had been extensively deployed in the area and near all the entrances of the village since the morning, began to confront the protesters who wanted to walk towards the affected lands. Israeli soldiers fired live and rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protesters. As a result, some demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 12:00 on Saturday, 08 September 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in the center of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, in protest to the confiscation of land and settlement activities in the town. The demonstrators moved towards Khillat al-Kutla area near “Karmi Tsur” settlement to the northeast of the town. Before reaching the area, Israeli soldier fired at the demonstrators and beat a number of them. As a result, Hamza Ahmed Abu Hashem, 13, sustained fractures to his feet.
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 07 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers from “Emanuel” settlement set fire to olive trees in Ematin village, northeast of Qalqilya. As a result, at least 100 olive trees were burnt.
On 08 September 2012, Israeli forces moved into al-Mussafer area in the southeast of Yatta village, south of Hebron. They delivered a notice to Ahmed Isma’il al-‘Odara, 40, ordering demolition of his 150-square-meter, two-storey house.
On 10 September 2012, Israeli forces, accompanied by bulldozers, moved into Jourish villag, southeast of Nablus. The bulldozers destroyed a 30-dunum area of land, demolished a 1,500-meter-long fence and uprooted dozens of trees that were planted in March 2011 by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.
On 11 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers from “Talmoun” settlement outpost, which stands on the lands of al-Mazra’a al-Qibliya village, northwest of Ramallah, threw stones at a number of Palestinian houses in the village. Dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered and clashed with the settlers, which left the area. As a result of the attack, a number of houses were damaged.
On 11 September 2012, Israeli forces blocked an entrance that leads to several houses in Jaber quarter in the old town of Hebron, allegedly in application of a decision issued by the Israeli High Court.
On 12 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers from “Etani’el” settlement, south of Hebron, stormed Meesh village. They wrote racist slogans on the walls of Salman al-Faresi Mosque, such as “Death for Arabs,” and “You will pay a heavy price.”
On the same day, a female Israeli settler ran down Hayat Mohammed Sobeh, 8, from Taqqou’a village southeast of Bethlehem, at the main road near an elementary school. The settler was traveling very fast when she ran down the child. The child was injured and her condition was described as stable.
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 any political settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question. Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability in the region. Any peace process or agreement must be based on respect for international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
