In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 24-30 March 2011, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 3 Palestinian resistance fighters were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, one of whom was extra-judicially executed. Israeli forces abducted 27 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children, during invasions into the West Bank, and abducted 16 non-violent activists at demonstrations in the West Bank.
In addition, 3 Palestinian resistance fighters were wounded in the Gaza Strip, and a number of Palestinian civilians were injured by shattered glass when Israeli warplanes bombed the Ship Building in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, 30 houses and two schools were damaged by Israeli troops in Gaza.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
In the West Bank, Israeli forces wounded 5 Palestinian civilians, including two children, and abducted 43 civilians, including 14 children.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded, and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces also abducted 14 Israeli human rights defenders and two Palestinian civilians.
On 25 March 2011, a Palestinian civilian, who suffers from a psychological disorder, was wounded by the Israeli police in Fassayel village near Jericho.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 52 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 27 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children. The widest incursions were into Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, during which Israeli forces abducted 18 Palestinian civilians, mostly children.
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 24 March 2011, Israeli forces completed the destruction of 3 water wells and water-related structures in Arab al-Rashaida village, southeast of Bethlehem. These wells were established hundreds of years ago. The destruction came before the end of the period decided by Israeli forces for the owners to appeal against the decision to destroy them.
Also on 24 March 2011, Israeli forces moved into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of Salfit. They destroyed al-Horriya road for the second time in 3 months. According to sources of the local council, the road was destroyed for the second time in 3 months, and Israeli forces have targeted the area in order to annex it to ‘Yakir’ and ‘Rafafa’ settlements, because it is rich with water.
On Friday March 25th, Israeli police fired live rounds at a Palestinian civilian, who suffers from a psychological disorder, in Fassayel village, north of Jericho. He was wounded and then abducted by the police. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 08:30, Karam Suleiman ‘Eissa, 35, from Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, moved from his work in Fassayel village, north of Jericho, to the toilettes of the mosque in the village. He was accompanied by his employer, Fawzat Abu Hussam, 45. An Israeli soldier who was on the main road called on ‘Eissa to stop, but he did not do so.
The soldier shouted at ‘Eissa, and ‘Eissa threw stones at him. An Israeli police vehicle arrived at the area, and police officers fired at ‘Eissa. He was wounded by two bullets to both legs. The Israeli police transported him to an Israeli hospital. They also detained the employer for a few hours. According to ‘Eissa’s family, he suffers from a psychological disorder and he regularly takes medicines. When he threw stones at the soldier, he had not taken his medicine.
At approximately 18:20 on the same day, Israeli forces moved into the west of Qalqilya. They searched the area for some time, claiming that a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the annexation wall. They withdrew later and no arrests were reported.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 3 Palestinian resistance fighters and wounded 3 others in two separate bombings in the Gaza Strip.
On 27 March 2011, Israeli forces killed two fighters from the al-Quds Brigades and wounded a third in the northern Gaza Strip. An Israeli warplane fired at these fighters after they fired home-made rockets into Israeli towns.
In the second incident, according to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 04:15 on Wednesday, 30 March 2011, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at Mohammed Khaled Suleiman Abu Mo’ammar, 25, and ‘Abdullah Saleh al-Ghalban, 25, as soon as they got out of the former’s house near Martyr Tariq Abu al-Hussain Mosque in al-Nasser village, north of Rafah, for the Dawn Prayer.
The two were seriously wounded. They were evacuated to European Gaza Hospital in Khan Yunis. At approximately 06:10, Abu Mo’ammar was pronounced dead. Al-Ghalban is still in a serious condition and his right leg was amputated. Abu Mo’ammar was a fighter with the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad), while al-Ghalban is a member of the Salafi movement.
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 to the construction of the Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded. Dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises. Additionally, Israeli forces abducted 14 Israeli human rights defenders and two Palestinian civilians.
Following the Friday Prayer on 25 March 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of 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, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded, one with a tear gas canister to the right hand; one with a bullet to the right foot; and one with burns to the face.Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 25 March 2011, 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, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 25 March 2011, 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. As a result, Mahmoud Wajeeh Tamimi, 15, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right hand. A number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation. Additionally, Israeli forces abducted 12 international human rights defenders and 18-year-old ‘Odai ‘Abdul Raziq Tamimi, 18.
At approximately 13:00 on Saturday, 26 March 2011, Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, in protest to the tightened siege imposed in the town. They moved towards the main entrance of the town, which has been closed by Israeli forces. Immediately, Israeli forces chased the demonstrators and fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. Israeli forces also abducted three demonstrators: Kopi Levi, 30, and Israeli human rights defender; Katia, an American human rights defender; and ‘Emad Ahmed Abu Hashem, 21, a Palestinian civilian.
Recommendations to the international community:
Due to the number 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 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.
In addition, the PCHR called 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:
