In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for the week of 09 – 15 December. 2010, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. In addition, two Palestinian children were killed by the explosion of an object left by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.Two Palestinian resistance fighters were wounded by flechette shells fired by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the Gaza Strip, wounding 12 Palestinian workers and one farmer.
A Palestinian civilian was wounded by Israeli gunfire in al-‘Eissawiya village near Jerusalem. Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded. Israeli forces abducted 3 international human rights defenders.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 15 Palestinian civilians, including two children.
In one example of the week’s 25 incursions, on December 10th, in the early morning, Israeli forces moved into a town, southwest of Hebron. They raided, searched and damaged a number of houses and abducted 5 Palestinian civilians. During the house raids, Israeli forces forced the wife of one of the abducted men, who had given birth in a caesarian operation 3 days earlier, and her baby to stay out in cold weather for nearly an hour.
In another example, on Wednesday, 15 December 2010, at approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Tammoun village, south of Tubas. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of ‘Abdul Sattar Khaled Bani ‘Ouda, 22, and abducted him. The same night, at approximately 03:30, Israeli forces moved into Ektaba suburb, east of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to Salah Mahmoud ‘Alariya, 45, and abducted him.
On 14 December 2010, Israeli forces destroyed 6 water wells in Um al-Daraj village, southeast of Hebron, claiming that they were established without licenses. These wells used to provide drinking water for sheep. They belonging to the families of Sarai’a and Hathalin. The destruction of these wells came in the context of efforts to force Palestinian civilians living in the area to leave it.
Rstrictions on movement throughout the West Bank have continued this week. Israeli forces have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
There are approximately 585 permanent roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. At least 65% of the main roads that lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by Israeli forces.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, while two children were killed by the explosion of a projectile left by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes attacked a number of civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. During the reporting period, Israeli forces fired at Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials. As a result, 12 workers, including two children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire.
On Thursday December 9th, at approximately 02:40, Israeli warplanes fired 4 missiles, 3 of which hit an under-construction house, a water well and a site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), in al-Mughraqa village in the central Gaza Strip. The fourth missile landed at the entrance of the village, nearly 50 meters away from a police station. The house and the well, which belong to ‘Abed Rabbu ‘Awad ‘Obaid, and the site were damaged. Electricity was also cut from large parts of the central Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.
On the same night, at approximately 02:50, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at Tunisia site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in al-Dabba area in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. The site was destroyed and a number of nearby schools were heavily damaged. No casualties were reported.
On 10 December 2010, two Palestinian children were killed in al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in Gaza City by the explosion of a projectile left by Israeli forces. At approximately 09:00, Mo’men Nahidh Hilles, 16, and Muntasser ‘Omar al-Batniji, 16, from al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, were killed. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, the two children were on a tract of land belonging to ‘Omar Hamed al-Batniji, nearly 2 kilometers away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Ayman al-Batniji, spokesman of the Palestinian police, stated to PCHR that the two children were killed when they played with an unexploded projectile that had been left by Israeli forces, which was covered by sand. The projectile exploded and killed the two children.
Also on Friday, 10 December, at approximately 07:55, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers to the north of the Bedouin village in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials from Erez industrial zone. As a result, Hussam Tawfiq Abu Hashish, 19, was wounded by a bullet to the right thigh, when he was nearly 200 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
At approximately 08:20, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers to the north of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of ‘Elli Sinai’ used to stand. As a result, Rasmi Ibrahim Ghaben, 16, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the right leg, when he was nearly 150 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli soldiers stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of the southern Gaza Strip of Khan Yunis opened fire at Palestinian agricultural areas in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis. As a result, Nidal Hassan al-Najjar, 16, was wounded by a bullet to the right foot, when he was nearly 800 meters away from the border.
On 11 December 2010, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian resistance fighters near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of al-Boreij refugee camp. Palestinian medical crews were not allow to evacuate the bodies for two days. At approximately 09:00, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of al-Boreij refugee camp fired a number of artillery shells at two Palestinians who got close to the border killing them. Soon, an Israeli military spokesman claimed that Israeli forces killed two Palestinians who attempted to clash with them. Medical crews of Palestine Red Crescent Society went to the area to remove the bodies following coordination through the ICRC, but Israeli forces prevented them from attending the bodies. Two days later, at approximately 15:00, Israeli forces allowed medical crews to evacuate the bodies from the area. The two victims were identified as: Ussama Kamal Ghazi al-Nabahin, 20, from Nussairat refugee camp, a student in the police college in Gaza; and Jihad ‘Izzat Ahmed al-Hour, a worker from Nussairat refugee camp.
On 13 December 2010, two activists of the Palestinian resistance were wounded by shrapnel from flechette shells fired by Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip.
During the reporting period, Israeli warplanes attacked a number of targets in the Gaza Strip. As a result, a paramilitary site was destroyed and two schools were heavily damaged in Gaza City, and a house and a water well were damaged in al-Mughraqa village in the central Gaza Strip.
A house and a water well were damaged in al-Mughraqa village in the central Gaza Strip.
A paramilitary site was destroyed and two schools were heavily damaged in Gaza City.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Construction on the Annexation Wall continued throughout the West Bank this week. 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.
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 and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, two Palestinian civilians were wounded. Dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.
Following the Friday Prayer on 10 December 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders, including Dr. Mustafa al-Barghouthi, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative; Moheeb ‘Awad, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council; Hisham Abu Raya, member of the political bureau of Palestine Liberation Front; and Jamal Jom’a, Coordinator of the Public Committee against the Wall and Settlement in the West Bank, organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, on the 23rd anniversary of the first Palestinian Intifada, International Human Rights Day and the first anniversary of the detention of ‘Abdullah Abu Rahma, an activist against the construction of the annexation wall. They moved towards the annexation wall. Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, Mohammed Shawkat al-Khatib, 19, was hit by a tear gas canister to the right foot. A number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten by Israeli soldiers. Additionally, Israeli forces abducted a German human rights defender, who has not been identified.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 10 December 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 10 December 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in commemoration of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and 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. As a result, a number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation and others . Israeli forces also abducted an Israeli human rights defender. They further turned the roof of a house belonging to ‘Abdul Hafiz al-Tamimi into a military site until approximately 16:30.
At approximately 12:00 on Friday, 10 December 2010, on the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the 23rd anniversary of the first Palestinian Intifada, dozens of Palestinian civilians and a number of international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in the center of al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem. The demonstrator moved towards areas of Palestinian agricultural land closed or threatened to be confiscated by Israeli forces. When the demonstrators arrived at the western entrance of the village, dozens of Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. As a result, 8 demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 11:30, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the establishment of a fence at the main road near the village. The demonstrators moved towards the eastern entrance of the village, where an Israeli military checkpoint and an observation tower stand. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators. As a result, Saqer Sadiq Abu Maria, 38, was wounded by shrapnel from a sound bombs to the left hand, and a number of other demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. Israeli soldiers also beat a number of demonstrators. Those demonstrators sustained bruises, including an American human rights defender who was later abducted by Israeli soldiers.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israel has continued its settlement activities in the West Bank in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 09 December 2010, a number of Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, broke into Kufol Hares village, north of Salfit, allegedly to perform religious rituals. When they were on their way from Joshua Tomb to Zulkifl Tomb, they attacked a Palestinian civilian vehicle.
On 09 December 2010, waste water flowed from ‘Sha’ari Tikva’ settlement to the east of ‘Azzoun ‘Atma village, southeast of Qalqilya, onto the yards and playgrounds of ‘Azzoun-Beit Amin Secondary School.
On 13 December 2010, at least 15 Israeli settlers from ‘Sousa’ settlement, south of Hebron, including a number of armed ones, attacked residences of 4 Palestinian families counting at least 70 individuals. They used stones and sticks to attack Palestinian civilians. As a result, a Palestinian civilian was injured.
Recommendations to the international community:
Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations this week, the PCHR made several 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. The 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.
The 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 Occupied Palestinian Territories and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
