In its weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Territories of Palestine, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that during the week of 10-16 June 2010, Israeli forces killed 1 Palestinian civilian and wounded 1 child in Jerusalem.The Israeli military continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation in the West Bank and 1 sustained a fracture in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces abducted 7 civilians, including 3 journalists and 2 human rights defenders.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
During the last week, Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian workers who were collecting construction materials. As a result, 4 workers were wounded in 4 separate incidents.
On 14 June 2010, Israeli troops that moved into al-Qarara and ‘Abassan villages, east of Khan Yunis, fired 5 artillery shells at the area; no casualties were reported.
On the same day, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip; no casualties were reported.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted 2 limited incursions into Palestinian areas, during which they leveled areas of previously razed land.
On Monday morning, 14 June 2010, the Public Committee against the Israeli Security Zone in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to the establishment of a 300-meter-wide buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The demonstration moved from Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, towards the border. The demonstrators raised Palestinian flags.
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.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
In the West Bank, on 11 June 2010, Israeli forces killed 1 Palestinian civilian in Wad al-Jouz neighborhood in East Jerusalem, and wounded 1 Palestinian child. Israeli forces claimed that the victim was driving a car, did not obey orders to stop at a checkpoint in Wad al-Jouz and attempted to run down 2 soldiers, who were injured. Investigations conducted by PCHR refute this claim and confirm that the civilian was willfully killed.
Israeli forces conducted 24 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 29 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children. Israeli forces summoned a 7-year-old child for interrogation.
Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints in the West Bank abducted 2 Palestinian civilians. Israeli troops continued to harass Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces abducted 3 journalists, 3 human rights defender and a university student during the dispersion of peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest to settlement activities and the construction of the Annexation Wall.
Israeli forces also stormed the house of Ahmed Khalil Abu Hashem, 43, Secretary of the National Committee against Settlement Activities and the Wall in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. On Thursday June 10th, according to Abu Hashem, at approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Khillat al-Barahish area in the south of Beit Ummar village. At approximately 02:15, they threw stones at the windows and doors of Abu Hashem’s house. They also detonated sound bombs in the vicinity of the house and called on Abu Hashem through megaphones to move to his roof with his hands up. When he and his wife got up the roof, they forced him to uncover the upper part of his body and to return to the house and awaken the 11 other residents of the house. Israeli forces forced the residents out of the house and questioned them until 04:45. According to Abu Hashem, this house raid was the tenth of its kind in the past 2 months. Before raiding Abu Hashem’s house, Israeli forces had raided 4 houses, including 2 belonging to his brothers. During these house raids, Israeli forces violently beat Abu Hashem’s nephew, 16-year-old Sakher.
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 Wall and settlement activities. 4 Palestinian civilians were injured, 4 journalists sustained bruises and others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday Prayer on 11 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’in village, west of Ramallah. Some demonstrators wore soccer shirts. They moved towards a playground, which has been isolated by the annexation Wall, to play a match on the first day of the World Cup. Israeli troops prevented them from doing so, hence they played the match near the Wall. Soon Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. They also detained 5 demonstrators, including 3 journalists, until the end of the demonstration.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 11 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 troops positioned near the Wall. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, 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.
Also on Friday noon, 11 June 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem. Israeli forces closed the entrance of the village and fired sound bombs at the demonstrators. They also abducted Hassan Ahmed Braijiya, 40, Coordinator of the National Committee against Settlement and the Wall.
When complete, the illegal Annexation Wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the Wall have already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land.
Israeli settlement activities:
On 16 June 2010, Israeli forces, accompanied by a bulldozer, moved into al-‘Abasiya quarter in Silwan village. There they demolished two 18-square-meter stores belonging to Maher Na’im Siam, claiming that they were built without a license. Israeli forces also confiscated an 18-square-meter container and demolished a 100-sqiuare-meter barrack belonging to the family. On the same day, Israeli forces moved into al-Thawri neighborhood in Jerusalem. Without warning, they demolished a 30-square-meter garage belonging to Kamal Ibrahim al-Shoubaki.
On 14 June 2010, the Planning and Construction Committee of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem, approved the construction of 1,600 housing units in ‘Ramat Shlomo’ settlement in Jerusalem. Israeli postponed the approval of the construction to this week to avoid any crisis with the United States.
Recommendations to the international community:
Because of 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 international community recognize the Gaza disengagement plan, which was implemented in September 2005, for what it is—not an end to occupation but a compounding of the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
In recognition of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase its staff and activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the facilitation of family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
