In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 09 – 15 Aug. 2012, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that a Palestinian civilian was wounded by invading Israeli forces, and 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman, were wounded in Israeli attacks on nonviolent demonstrations.Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the last week, Israeli forces conducted 7 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 7 Palestinians.
Israeli forces also abducted two Palestinian civilians in Hebron.
Israeli forces have continued efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in East Jerusalem. During the reporting period, the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem decided to build 12 tower buildings in Jabal Abu Ghunaim (“Har Homah” settlement) between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The online Hebrew news1 reported on Monday, 13 August 2012 that each building will be comprised of 24-33 floors, and the area of contraction will be one million square meters. A part of the project will include new offices for the municipality, while the largest part will be commercial and tourist and will provide 40,000 job opportunities according to the municipality’s claim.
In one example of this week’s incursions, on Sunday, 12 August 2012 at approximately 23:30, Israeli forces moved into Brouqin village, west of Salfit. The patrolled in the streets amidst indiscriminate shooting while chasing a civilian vehicle to force it to stop. When the vehicle stopped, Israeli forces searched it, verified the ID cards of passengers and then allowed them to travel. Israeli forces withdrew from the village later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.
Also on Sunday morning, 12 August 2012, the family of Bassam Suleiman al-Muhtasseb, 30, from al-Jalajel area to the northeast of Hebron, received a phone call from Israeli forces, indicating that he was detained in Kfra Etzion detention center, south of Bethlehem. Al-Muhtasseb had left his house on Thursday, 10 August 2012, and went to the old market in al-Karantina area in Hebron, and did not come back home. According to his family, he suffers from a psychological disorder.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, on 11 August 2012, a Palestinian civilian was wounded when Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Khan Yunis opened fire at al-Zanna area between al-Qarara and ‘Abassan villages.
On Saturday, 11 August 2012 at approximately 06:00, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Khan Yunis opened fire at al-Zannah area between al-Qarara and ‘Abassan villages. As a result, Mohammed Sidqi al-Qarra, 18, was wounded by two bullets to the left hand and the right foot, when he was working on an agricultural field belonging to his father nearly 700 meters away from the border.
Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian fishing boats. During the reporting period, PCHR documented two attacks in this regard, which did not cause casualties.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
Israeli forces legitimized an unplanned settlement outpost. On 12 August 2012, the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot reported the GOC Central Command, Nitzan Alon, signed an order legitimizing “Brokhin” settlement outpost, practically implementing a decision by the Israeli government to legitimize 3 settlement outposts: Brokhin’ Rahalim; and Sansana. Alon also ordered annexing the settlement outpost to “Shomron” district settlement council.
On the same day, Israeli settlers sprinkled poisonous materials at pastures in Sousia area, south of Hebron. They targeted sheep belonging to Jihad al-Nawaj’a. According to eyewitnesses, 7 sheep died.
On 13 August 2012, a number of Israeli settlers from “El’azer” settlement, which stands on the lands of al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem, accompanied by bulldozers and heavy machinery and escorted by Israeli forces, razed a 5-donum areas of agricultural land belonging to Rezeq Salah and destroyed a water well.
5 dunums[1] of agricultural land were razed and water well was destroyed in al-Khader village, west of Bethlehem.
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, settlement activities and other Israeli practices in the West Bank. As a result, 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman, were wounded. Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday Prayer on 10 August 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 moved towards areas of the 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 number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 10 August 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 10 August 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 suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 13:15 also on Friday, 10 August 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 rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. As a result, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right leg, and another one was hit by a tear gas canister to the head.
At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 10 August 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in the center of al-Ma’sara village, southwest of Bethlehem, in protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. They raised the Palestinian flags and moved towards the main entrance of the village. Israeli soldiers positioned in the area chased the demonstrators and beat a number of them.
At approximately 12:30 on Thursday, 09 August 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians, a number of leaders and members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestinian (DFLP), the Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs and representatives of national factions in Ramallah organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to retrying Ibrahim Abu Hajla, Member of the DFLP Political Bureau, who was released in the Shalit prisoners swap deal. The demonstrators moved towards Oufar Prison, southwest of Ramallah. Before they arrived at the gate of the prison, Israeli forces fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. As a result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman, were wounded.
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 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.
Also, in recognition of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase its staff and activities in the OPT, including the facilitation of family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
