According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, during the week of 08 – 14 Oct. 2009, a Palestinian child died from wounds inflicted by Israeli forces in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. Israeli forces wounded 4 Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and one in the West Bank, and denied Palestinian farmers access to their lands, which are isolated by the Wall, to cultivate olives.Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the reporting period, a Palestinian child of wounds inflicted by Israeli forces earlier this year, and 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by Israeli forces gunfire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
On 12 October 2009, medical sources at al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron declared that Tha’er Sa’id Mohammed Abu ‘Ayash, 17, from Beit Ummar village north of Hebron, died of wounds he had sustained on 04 March 2009. According to PCHR’s documentation, on 04 March 2009, Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided a house belonging to Yousef ‘Awadh Badran and transformed its upper floor and rooftop into a military post. Soon, a number of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at Israeli forces troops. Immediately, Israeli forces troops fired at the children. As a result, ‘Ayash was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head. He was evacuated to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, where he had received medical treatment until he died of his wound.
On 12 October, a Palestinian child was wounded in Yatta village, south of Hebron, when Israeli forces fired at a number of children who demonstrated in protest at the seizure of a Palestinian house in the area.
Israeli forces have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. Israeli forces have continued to impose a tightened siege on East Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque since Friday, 09 October 2009. They have erected a number of checkpoints at the entrances of the old town and nearby villages and suburbs. Thousands of Israeli soldiers and police officers have been deployed in the streets as Israeli forces have declared a state of high alert under the pretext of preventing any clashes that may erupt between Palestinian civilians and Israeli settlers who declared that they would break into the al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli forces have also denied men aged below 50 access to the al-Aqsa Mosque.
At approximately 13:00 on Friday Oct. 9, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at Palestinian civilians in Ras al-‘Aamoud neighborhood. Israeli forces undercover units disguised as press teams also arrested 3 Palestinian civilians. They violently beat those civilians in front of television cameras. Additionally, at least 10 civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.
On 12 October 2009, Israeli forces, demolished a 50-square-meter house belonging to Amjad Khamis al-Tiryaqi, in which 5 people, including 3 children live, in Beit Hanina village, north of Jerusalem.
During the last week, Israeli forces conducted 21 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 18 Palestinian civilians.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
Following the Friday Prayer on 09 October 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in the center of Bil’in village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the Wall and following altercations 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.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 09 October 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and 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. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces denied Palestinian farmers access to their agricultural lands, which are isolated by the Wall, to cultivate olives, claiming that the farmers do not have permits to cross the Wall to their lands. In Jenin, Israeli forces prevented at least 300 Palestinian civilians from al-Taybeh village from reaching their lands, which are isolated by the Wall. According to the mayor of the village, Israeli forces issued permits for only 160 of 450 farmers.
In Beit Jala, Israeli forces prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands in Wadi Ahmed area in the west of the town to cultivate olives and arrested one of them. They also attempted to confiscate cameras belonging to a number of international human rights defenders who accompanied the Palestinian farmers.
Israeli settlement activity:
Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank in violation of international humanitarian law and Israeli settlers living have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 12 October 2009, a number of Israeli settlers living in a new settlement outpost in al-Barassin area in the southeast of Kufor Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilya, launched an arson attack against olive s in the area. At least 100 olive trees belonging to Sadiq Hamed Eshtaiwi and ‘Omar Yousef Eshtaiwi were burnt. On the same day, a few hours after beginning the olive harvest in Wadi al-Hussain neighborhood to the west of ‘Kiryat Arba’ settlement, southeast of Hebron, at least 15 Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers with stones. They also robbed buckets and sacks where the farmers put cultivated olives.
At approximately 07:45 on Wednesday, 14 October 2009, an Israeli settler from ‘Elli’ settlement, south of Nablus, attacked a number of Palestinian farmers who were cultivating olives in al-Qlayla area in the west of Qaryout village, and prevented them from working in the area. The settler showed the farmers 4 pieces of ham and threatened to cut the farmers like those pieces if they did not leave the area. The farmers called the secretary of the local council of the village, Mofeed Jameel Abu Murra, 45, who came to the area soon. The settler immediately attempted to attack Abu Murra, but two young men were able to stop him. According to Abu Murra, Israeli forces arrived at the area later and took the settler away. At approximately 09:20, the Israeli police arrived at the area for investigation.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, on 14 October 2009, 4 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces warplanes bombarded area located near the border with Egypt, south of Rafah, allegedly to destroy tunnels.
Israeli naval troops continued to attack Palestinian fishers and boats in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip, 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.
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 human rights organizations, bar associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel’s respect for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank and Gaza) and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
PCHR calls upon the international community to pressure Israel to lift the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its occupation forces on access for international organizations to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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