According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 28 Jan.- 03 Feb. 2010, a Palestinian child was wounded in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. In addition, busloads of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers with the support of Israeli forces. Israeli forces conducted 19 incursions into the West Bank and 2 into the Gaza Strip, abducting 29 civilians.
According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 28 Jan.- 03 Feb. 2010, a Palestinian child was wounded in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. In addition, busloads of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers with the support of Israeli forces. Israeli forces conducted 19 incursions into the West Bank and 2 into the Gaza Strip, abducting 29 civilians.
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 20 Palestinian civilians, including one child. Israeli forces also stormed houses of activists working against the construction of the Annexation Wall. Israeli forces abducted two civilians in Bil’ein who are members of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, as well as one American human rights defender.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded a Palestinian child in the West Bank village of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. On 30 January 2010, Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummar village and chased a number of children and youth in the Bayad area. The children and youth threw stones at Israeli soldiers who responded by firing sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the children and youth. One of the children sustained shrapnel wounds in his back as a result.
Israeli forces continued to systematically use excessive force to disperse demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders protesting the Annexation Wall, settlement activities and attacks of Israeli settlers. Many of the demonstrators sustained bruises as they were beaten by Israeli forces while others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces launched numerous air strikes and shot bullets on many occasions in the Gaza Strip. On 31 January 2010, Israeli forces stationed along the Gaza Strip border to the east of Juhr Addiq village, east of Gaza City, fired several shells at the waste treatment office of Gaza Municipality and the employees were forced to flee.
On 1 February 2010, Israeli forces positioned in observation towers at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, in the northern Gaza Strip, fired at a group of Palestinian civilians who were collecting iron bars from the rubble of buildings destroyed in the nearby industrial zone. The civilians were forced to flee in fear for their lives, but no casualties were reported. On the same day, Israeli forces fired indiscriminately at the Shejaeya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
On 2 February 2010, an Israeli gunboat fired at Palestinian fishing boats off the shore of Deir al-Balah. Then a number of rubber boats from the gunboat began to chase the Palestinian fishing boats. They fired at fishing nets, destroying them partially, and confiscated them. On the same day, Israeli forces warplanes launched 6 air strikes in the city of Rafah. They fired at least 5 missiles at Gaza International Airport, southeast of Rafah. At least one missile was fired at a tunnel near Rafah crossing, southeast of Rafah. No casualties were reported.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted 2 limited incursions in the south and the north of the territory. On 28 January 2010, Israeli forces moved approximately 250 meters into the east of Khza’a village, east of Khan Younis. They positioned themselves in the east of the neighborhood inhabited by the Abu Rida clan, leveled farms and fired indiscriminately. No casualties were reported.
On 3 February 2010, Israeli forces moved approximately 350 meters to the east of Martyrs’ Cemetery, in the east of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip. They leveled lands and fired sporadically.
Israeli settlement activities:
According to PCHR investigations and statements given by eyewitnesses, including ‘Ata Abdul Jawad Jaber, at approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 31 January 2010, five buses transporting large numbers of Israeli settlers, mostly youth, arrived at the Buqa’a area in the east of Hebron. Forces of the “Settlement Security”, Israeli police, and vehicles from the municipality of “Kiryat Arba’a” settlement were accompanying the settlers. Israeli forces immediately deployed in the area and settlers who were accompanied by military protection entered farms located in the vicinity of Palestinian houses along settlement road No. 60. They took position across an area of more than 200 donums. Settlers planted pine trees. Accompanying Israeli officers claimed that the targeted lands were ‘state-owned.”
Approximately 40 Palestinian civilians gathered to prevent Israeli settlers’ activities on their lands and to conduct a peaceful protest against this event. Israeli forces soldiers immediately used force and threats in order to drive the Palestinian civilians from the area. They provided protection and all necessary facilitations to settlers so they could continue the planting of pine trees. Israeli forces abducted Rashid Rabi’ Jaber, 16, and transferred him to “Kiryat Arba’a” settlement, southeast of Hebron. Jaber was released later on the same day after his family paid a bail of 1,200 NIS. Israeli forces accused Jaber of disrupting their work in the area.
Israeli forces imposed a closure on the Palestinian civilians who were present in the area and chased them for several hours. They tried to drive them out of the area and to prevent their disruption of the settlers’ activities. Israeli forces attacked the Palestinian civilians, pushing some of them violently and causing them to fall to the ground. Four Palestinians, including three women, sustained bruises as a result. One of the injured women was transferred to Hebron Governmental Hospital for treatment while the others were treated on site.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces stormed houses of a number of activists working against the construction of the Annexation Wall.
On Wednesday 3 February, at approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Bil’in village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched the house of Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Khatib, 35, abducted al-Khatib and confiscated some of his documents. Al-Khatib is a member of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bil’in. Dr. Adib Abu Rahma, a member of the Popular Committee, stated that 35 activists involved with the popular action in Bil’ein has been abducted during the past six months.
On the same night, at approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched the home of Ibrahim Abdul Fattah Burnat, 29, a member of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bil’ein. In the meantime, Hamdi Phathi Abu Rahma, a photographer from the Freedom and Justice Friends Association, arrived at Burnat’s house to cover the event. In addition, an American citizen, called ‘Stormy’, arrived at the house in an attempt to prevent Israeli forces from arresting Burnat. Israeli forces abducted Burnat, Abu Rahma and ‘Stormy’.
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.
On the morning of Thursday, 28 January 2010, dozens of farmers from Bourin village, south of Nablus, and other civilians who came from other areas headed to farms belonging to the village in order to plant olive seedlings. The farms are located along the bypass road that separates Bourin village and “Yetsahar” settlement. While the civilians were working, an Israeli forces jeep arrived at the scene. Four soldiers stepped out of the jeep and requested the Palestinian civilians to leave the area. The Palestinian civilians refused to leave and the soldiers called additional forces. Israeli forces soldiers tried to force journalists to leave and confiscated their cameras. Then Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at civilians and chased them for approximately 200 meters.
Following the Friday Prayer on 29 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in the center of Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the Wall. An Israeli forces troop was hiding behind cement blocks in the area. The troops blocked the gate of the wall with barbed wire fence. As the participants tried to pass the Wall to reach lands located behind it, Israeli forces fired live bullets, rubber coated bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. Dozens of participants suffered suffocation as they inhaled tear gas while others sustained bruises from Israeli forces beatings.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 29 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in the center of Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall. They moved towards the Wall and tried to gain accessto lands behind the Wall, which are a part of the lands of Ne’lin village. Israeli forces prevented them from crossing the gate erected in the Wall and the demonstrators stoned Israeli forces. Israeli forces responded by firing live bullets, rubber coated bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten by Israeli forces. It should be noted that Israeli forces had closed the western and eastern entrances of Ne’lin village in the morning in order to prevent solidarity activist and internationals from accessing the village to participate in the demonstration.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 29 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in the Wad al-Raya area, between al-Nabi Saleh village and Deir Netham, northwest of Ramallah. As they were trying to reach lands located near “Halmish” settlement to plant seedlings, Israeli forces soldiers who were in the area fired rubber coated bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. Dozens 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 PCHR made a number of recommendations to the international community. Among these were a recommendation that 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 OPT and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
The PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with their legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
