In its weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for the week of 3– 9 June 2010, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that one Palestinian civilian and five resistance fighters were killed by Israeli forces. Two Palestinian civilians and one resistance fighter were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank. Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. 4 demonstrators, including a child, were wounded and 4 journalists sustained bruises. Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in border areas of the Gaza Strip. 4 journalists also sustained bruises when they were beaten by Israeli forces.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
In the West Bank, on 03 June 2010, 2 Palestinian children were wounded by an Israeli settler at the entrance of al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 11 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 16 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children. They also abducted 6 human rights defenders, including 3 Israelis.
Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints in the West Bank abducted 1 Palestinian civilian.
Israel has continued to take measures aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem. To that end, Israeli forces cancelled permanent residences of 4 Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Jerusalem.
Israeli forces stormed and searched Beit Hanina Club. Israeli forces closed Wad Hilwa road in Silwan village.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces canceled the permanent residence in occupied Jerusalem of 4 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), from the Change and Reform Bloc affiliated to Hamas, and expelled them from the city to the West Bank. The 4 PLC Members are: Mohammed Abu Tair; Ahmed ‘Atwan; Mohammed Toutah; and Eng. Khaled Abu ‘Arafa. All 4 became PLC Members following the January 2006 Palestinian legislative elections; they were abducted by Israeli Occupation Forces (Israeli forces) following the capture of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in the Gaza Strip in 2006. The 4 PLC members were released after serving their prison sentences. The cancellation of their permanent residence was based on a decision by former Israeli Interior Minister, Ron Bar’oun, under allegations of ‘breaking loyalty to the state’ and participating in the Palestinian legislative elections.
On 06 June 2010, Israeli forces closed Wad Hilwa Street in Silwan village to the south of the old city of Jerusalem for vehicles. Israeli bulldozers conducted work on the road, which caused cracks and collapses. An Israeli plan for Silwan village includes the establishment of a network of tunnels under the village.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall and settlement activities. At least 4 civilians, including a child, were wounded. 4 journalists sustained bruises and others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday Prayer on 04 June 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest against the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. The demonstrators carried an incarnate of the Turkish Marmara ship, which was attacked by the Israeli navy, and raised Palestinian flags and those of 32 countries whose citizens joined the Gaza aid flotilla. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall and attempted to access annexed lands behind it. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 3 demonstrators were hit by tear gas canisters.
4 journalists also sustained bruises. Israeli forces also abducted 3 demonstrators.
‘Arraf and Shalif were released later, while Abu Rahma remained in custody. Additionally, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and some of them sustained bruises.
· Also following the Friday Prayer on 04 June 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest against 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. As a result, ‘Eissa ‘Awadh ‘Amira, 17, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the back. Additionally, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 04 June 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in protest against land confiscations in the Wad al-Raya area between the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators attempted to reach areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near ‘Halmish’ settlement, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At 12:00 on Friday, 04 June 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders and a number of Palestinian political leaders, including Hanin Zo’bi, member of the Israeli Knesset; PLC member Qais ‘Abdul Karim and Moheeb ‘Awad; and Dr. Leila Ghannam, Governor of Ramallah, organized a peaceful demonstration of ‘Return to Latron Villages.’ They gathered in Nouba village, west of Ramallah, and moved towards the annexation walls. When they attempted to cross towards land isolated by the wall, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at them. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
On Wednesday morning, 09 June 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem. Israeli forces attacked the demonstration and abducted Dr. Mazen Qamsiya, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Rapprochement Between People, and 2 Israeli human rights defenders: Shai Ghalatzi; and Yutam Wolf.
Israeli settlement activities;
Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
2 Palestinian children were wounded by an Israeli settler in Hebron. According to investigations conducted by PCHR and a testimony by Mahmoud ‘Aaref Tafesh, 17, at approximately 09:40 on Thursday, Mr. Tafesh and his classmates attended a picnic in a wooded area in the northwest of al-‘Arroub refugee camp. As he and his companions—Hisham Jamal al-Titi, 17, Mo’taz Mousa ‘Omran, 16, and Ibrahim Mohammed al-Biss, 16—arrived at road #60 (Hebron-Bethlehem road), near an Israeli military observation tower, an Israeli settler stopped his car nearly 3 meters away from them, exited his car and fired his pistol at the children. As a result, 2 children were wounded
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
On June 6th at 3 am, Israeli forces shot and killed 3 men dividng underwater off the coast of Gaza. The Palestinian media quoted sources of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades as saying that members of the Brigades wearing diving suits were training in the sea, nearly 1 kilometer away from al-Zahraa’ beach, whereupon Israeli naval troops intercepted and fired at them. The Israeli media quoted sources of Israeli forces as saying that the Israeli navy foiled an attempt of infiltration into Israel through the sea.
In the Gaza Strip, on 07 June 2010, 1 Palestinian civilian and 5 activists of the Palestinian resistance were wounded by Israeli forces in the sea off the coast of the al-Zahraa’ beach, southwest of Gaza City.
On the same day, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a Palestinian resistance activist in the northern Gaza Strip, wounding him with shrapnel.
Also on June 7th, a Palestinian civilian was wounded when Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at workers who were collecting construction aggregate.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted 1 limited incursion into Palestinian areas, during which they leveled previously razed areas of land.
Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza, 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 the right 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 PCHR made a number of recommendations to the international communty. Among these were a recommendation that the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel’s respect of the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
The PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its 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:
