In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 05– 11 May 2011, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that a Palestinian resistance fighter with the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades died of Wounds that he had sustained earlier in the Gaza Strip.In addition, Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian civilians in border areas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces opened fire at a peaceful demonstration in the northern Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported.
Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza sea, firing live rounds at the fishermen on several occasions.
Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. Three demonstrators, including a child, a woman and an international human rights defender, were wounded in Nabi Saleh and Bil’in villages.
Israeli forces abducted at least 12 Palestinians at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 45 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 18 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children.
Some of the most prominent abducted persons during this week were:
Sheikh Bassam Ragheb Abdul Rahman al-Saadi, 51, who is one of the most prominent leaders of the Islamic Jihad in the West Bank and he was released from Israeli jails just less than two months ago after spending seven years and a half in jail. He was abducted from his house in Jenin;
Tareq Hussein Awad Qaadan, 40, who is a leader of the Islamic Jihad. He was abducted from his house in Arraba village;
Khaled Mohammed Amin al-Haj, 45, who is Hamas spokesman in Jenin. He was abducted at a checkpoint erected near the entrance of Arraba village, southwest of Jenin; and
Bassam Nabil Said Dyab, 28, a leader of the Islamic Jihad from Kafr Ra’ei village, southwest of Jenin. He was abducted at a checkpoint erected near the crossroads connecting Zeita and Allar villages, north of Tulkarm.
Israeli forces have continued to use checkpoints and border crossings as traps to capture allegedly wanted Palestinian civilians. During the reporting period, Israeli forces abducted at least 12 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, at checkpoints and border crossings.
Also during the reporting period, a PCHR fieldworker in Qaqilya documented two incidents in which Israeli forces destroyed the contents of two Palestinian houses in Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. On 05 May 2011, Israeli forces raided the house of Yousef Saqr Ibrahim Salim, 15, in Azzoun village. They destroyed the furniture, beds, home tools, windows and doors. On 07 May 2011, Israeli forces raided the house of Imran Abdullah Hussein, 17. They destroyed the windows and furniture.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers continued their attacks in the West Bank. Israeli settlers, who live in the West Bank in violation of international humanitarian law, have continued to commit systematic crimes against Palestinian civilians and Palestinian property with full protection provided by Israeli forces that ignore conducting investigations into complaints submitted by Palestinian civilians against settlers.
Israeli forces bulldozed four brick and tin houses and 12 tents in Kherbet Um Nir, south of Hebron.
On Thursday, 05 May 2011, Israeli forces demolished many Palestinian houses and property in Kherbat Um Nir, east of Yatta in the south of Hebron under the pretext of the lack of licenses from the Israeli occupation authorities. Four brick and tin houses and 12 tents belonging to 8 families composed of 50 members, including a large number of children and women, were destroyed. Israeli forces also uprooted approximately 600 olive seedlings which were cultivated in the proximity of the targeted houses and tents belong to extended families including Issa Hussein Mohammed al-Jbour, Mohammed Rateb Hussein al-Jbour and Fouad Ali al-Nawajaa.
On Tuesday, 10 May 2011, a number of settlers gathered on the road connecting Tulkarm and Nablus near Beit Leed crossroads in Abu Martin area. Eyewitnesses told a PCHR fieldworker that the settlers obstructed the traffic. Israeli forces vehicles deployed in the area to provide protection to the settlers who withdrew later. No further incidents were reported.
Also on Tuesday, 10 May 2011, a group of settlers gathered on the site of the ex-settlement of “Homish” which was established on Palestinians’ lands in Burqa village, northwest of Nablus, and Seilet al-Zhaher village, south of Jenin. Eyewitnesses told a PCHR fieldworker that settlers arrived at the site to perform religious rituals under intensive protection provided by Israeli forces who deployed in the area.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
Late on Wednesday, 04 May 2011, medical sources at Naser Institute Hospital in Cairo announced the death of Shadi Mahmoud al-Zatma, 29, and fighter of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades from Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah. Al-Zatma sustained serious wounds when an Israeli drone fired two missiles at him as he was with another two fighters of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades. The three fighters were near Kamal Odwan Boys’ Secondary School Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah. The bombardment, which took place at approximately 00:50 on 09 April 2011, resulted in the immediate deaths of the other two fighters, while al-Zatma’s legs were amputated and he sustained shrapnel wounds throughout the body.
In the Gaza Strip, on 10 and 11 May 2011, Israeli forces gunboats positioning at sea off al-Waha resort, west of Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip, intensively fired shells and bullets at Palestinian fishing boats. Palestinian fishermen fled the area in fear of being wounded or abducted. No casualties or damage to fishing boats was reported.
On 10 May 2011, Israeli forces positioning on observation towers near Beit Hanoun ‘Erez’ crossing in the north of Beit Hanountown in the northern Gaza Strip, opened intensive fire at a group of demonstrators and Palestinian and international solidarity activists who were near the landfill in the north of Beit Hanoun Agricultural School of al-Azhar University in Gaza in the north of Beit Hanoun town. This demonstration was organized in protest against the imposition of the buffer zone in Palestinians’ lands.
Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the Gaza Strip.
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 wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 3 demonstrators, including a woman and an international human rights defender, were wounded, while dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.
Following the Friday Prayer on 06 May 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in 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, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises, in addition, Mohammed Nabeel Ahmed Abu Rahma, 18, was hit by a tear gas canister in the right leg. Besides, Iyad Ra’ed Fadel al-Khateeb, 15, was abducted and transported to ‘Ofer’ detention center, southeast of Ramallah.
Also following the Friday Prayer on the same day, 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.
At the same time, 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. 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, 2 Palestinians were wounded, in addition, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces occupied the cultural center in the center of the village and turned it into a military position, however, they withdrew at approximately 16:00 and no arrests were reported.
On Saturday, 07 May 2011, Israeli forces used force against dozens of Palestinians, international solidarity activists and human rights defenders in Beit Ummar TOWN, north of Hebron, who were participating in the weekly demonstration against settlement activities and confiscation of lands. As a result, 4 demonstrators sustained fractures and bruises.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 13:00, on 07 May 2011, a weekly demonstration was organized in central Beit Ummar town, heading to the lands closed around ‘Karmi Tsur’ settlement, south of the village. Before the demonstrators reached the area, Israeli forces started firing sound bombs at them, chased and beat some of them. as As a result, 4 demonstrators sustained bruises and fractures throughout the body; 2 of whom were transported to Hebron Public Hospital for their serious conditions – including a 12-year old child.
Yusef Abdul Hamid Abu Maria,38, sustained 2 fractures in the left arm and hand. As a result, he was transported to the hospital, where he stayed for 2 days. Yusef Abu Maria is the head of the committee against settlement in the village.
In his testimony to PCHR, Abu Hashem said that once the demonstration reached the northern gate of the settlement at approximately 13:30, Israeli forces started attacking the demonstrators and pushing them at gun point, as they are activists against settlement. Israeli forces chased the rest of the demonstrators and dispersed them. Abu Hashem pointed out that the Israeli soldiers pushed Abu Maria onto the ground before he was handcuffed and severely beaten.
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 European Union activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Territories.
The PCHR calls on the international community to 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.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
