In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 28 June– 04 July 2012, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that Israeli forces abducted 27 civilians, including four children, in 45 incursions into the Palestinian Territories.In addition, Israeli forces use force to disperse peaceful protest organized by Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
Israeli forces launched a series of air strikes on the Gaza Strip. A training site and a car were bombarded, but no casualties were reported. Two houses were damaged.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli warplanes bombarded a training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) and a car. No casualties were reported, but two houses were damaged. On Monday 2 July, at approximately 03:00, an Israeli warplane fired two missiles at a site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), southwest of Gaza City. No casualties were reported. The attack targeted a number of members of the Palestinian resistance, but they survived the attack.
In the Gaza Strip, on 29 June 2012, Israeli forces abducted 3 Palestinian civilians, including two children, when they attempted to cross the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to search for jobs inside Israel.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 45 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 19 Palestinians, including two children.
Israeli forces abducted 3 Palestinian civilians, including two children, who attempted to enter Israel to search for jobs. 5 Palestinian civilians were abducted by Israeli forces at various checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli forces have continued efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in East Jerusalem.
On 29 June 2012, the Israeli Ministry of Housing published tenders to build 171 housing units in “Pisgat Ze’ev” and “Gilo” settlements, north and south of East Jerusalem. According to Ahmed Sab Laban, a settlement researcher, the those tenders were published by the Israeli land authority for contractors on 28 December 2011.
On 01 July 2012, crews of the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem, under security escort, stormed Bab al-‘Amoud (Damascus Gate) area in the old town of Jerusalem. They tore down 4 shops, which had been subject to an arson attack a week earlier, and their losses were estimated at 100,000s ILS. While the Israeli police investigated the attack, it did not reveal the party that launched it. So, the owners repaired the shops and brought new goods into them. The Israeli Supreme Court approved the evacuation and demolition of the four shops in February 2010, claiming that there was a plan to develop the infrastructure of the old town.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded and dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday Prayer on 29 June 2012, 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 and settlement activities. They raised the Palestinian flag and called for ending political division. They then moved towards areas of annexation wall. They called through megaphones on Israeli settlers in “Mitityahu” settlement to leave Palestinian land. Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right foot. Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 29 June 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The demonstrators moved towards areas of the annexation wall. Immediately, Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, some demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 29 June 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians and Israeli and international human rights defenders gathered in the center of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to start the weekly peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The protesters walked towards the gate erected by Israeli forces near the entrance of the village and leading to Palestinian lands that Israeli settlers from the nearby ‘Halmish’ settlement are trying to seize. Israeli soldiers who had been extensively deployed in the area and near all the entrances of the village since the morning, began to confront the protesters who wanted to walk towards the affected lands. Israeli soldiers fired live and rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protesters. As a result, some demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 13:20 also on Friday, 29 June 2012, Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest to the continued closure of the eastern entrance of the village by Israeli forces. They moved towards the entrance. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. As a result, 4 demonstrators, including a child, were hit by tear gas canisters. Some demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.
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. 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:
