According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, during the week of 15 – 21 Oct. 2009, 4 civilians were wounded when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, during the week of 15 – 21 Oct. 2009, 4 civilians were wounded when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
Israeli forces denied Palestinian farmers access to their lands, which are isolated by the Wall, to cultivate olives. In addition, Israeli forces arrested 25 Palestinian civilians, including two children.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 19 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Israeli forces abducted 25 Palestinian civilians, including two children.
In one example of this week’s 25 abductions, on Thursday, 15 October 2009, at approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into al-Salam Street in the northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched the house of journalist Eyad Sha’ban Sorour, 37, and arrested him.
Israeli troops positioned at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank abducted one Palestinian civilian.
In one example of this week’s arbitrary blockades and closures, on Wednesday, 21 October 2009, at approximately 04:30, Israeli forces moved into Jayyous village, northeast of Qalqilya, and imposed a curfew, claiming that stones were thrown at military vehicles traveling on a nearby road.
In another example, Israeli forces positioned at Shavi Shomron checkpoint on the Nablus-Jenin road, and at Za’tara checkpoint, south of the city, have also continued to restrict the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 07:00 on Thursday, 15 October 2009, Israeli forces closed a checkpoint in Deir Sharaf area, west of the town, for several hours. At noon, Israeli forces closed Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus. At the same time, Israeli forces closed Shavi Shomron checkpoint. On Sunday morning, 18 October 2009, Israeli troops positioned at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, conducted prolonged checking on Palestinian civilians.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces have 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 16 October 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in the center of Bil’in village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the Wall and following provocation 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. As a result, two Palestinian civilians, a French human rights defender and a Canadian journalist were hit by tear gas canisters: Jaber Mohammed Abu Rahma, 21; ‘Abdullah Ahmed al-Rawashda, 22; Martin Bogie, 60; and a Canadian journalist, 52.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 16 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.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 16 October 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to 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. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians sustained bruises: Ya’qoub Bader al-Din Barijiya, 22; ‘Omar ‘Alaa’ al-Din, 24; and Hamza Mahmoud Zawahra, 25.
Israeli settlement activities:
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.
Israeli forces have continued construction works in dozens of settlements in the West Bank. According to Israeli media sources, extensive construction works have been started in 11 settlements in the past three weeks.
In this context, the Israeli daily ‘Ha’aretz’ reported on Friday, 16 October 2009, that such construction ‘is not part of stages of the construction of 2,500 housing unit agreed on between the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and the US administration.’ They also do not include 492 new housing units whose construction has been approved by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Additionally, construction has continued in another 20 settlements. Settlement construction is being implemented on large areas of Palestinian land in the West Bank. Last week, the Israeli Peace Now pointed out that construction works in 34 settlements aim at building 800 housing units.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The illegal Israeli forces 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.
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.
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 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:
