In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 27 Sep.- 03 Oct. 2012, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that a Palestinian fisherman was killed, and his brother was wounded, while they were fishing in the northern Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, a child was shot in the foot by Israeli troops.In addition, Israeli forces used force to disperse peaceful protest organized by Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. Dozens of protesters sustained bruising and suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 42 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 14 Palestinians, 3 of them children, in the West Bank.
On 27 September 2012, Israeli forces moved into al-Tabaqa village in the south of Dora, southwest of Hebron. They arbitrarily fired tear gas canisters at the houses of civilians. A gas canister fell into the house of Mahmoud Abu Ras, 52. Israeli forces also harshly beat Khaled Mahmoud Amr, 39, and Amin Isa Abu Atwan, 31. Abu Atwan was wounded in his foot and was transported to Hebron Governmental Hospital to receive the necessary medical treatment.
On 01 October 2012, Israeli forces moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched some houses, including a house belonging to Mohammed Abbas Badwan, whose son, Hassan, was abducted.
On 02 October 2012, Israeli forces moved into al-Baq’a area, adjacent to bypass road 60, east of Hebron. They raided the 3-storey house belonging to Salem al-Salayma, 50, and resided in by 17 persons. They detained all of the family members on the first floor of the building and did not allow them to move. The Israeli soldiers deployed inside the house and on the roof of the building, and turned it into a military observation point.
On 03 October 2012, Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. A number of boys in the village threw stones at the Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces responded by firing sound bombs and rubber-coated bullets at them. As a result, a Palestinian boy was wounded by a bullet to the foot.
Also on 03 October 2012, Israeli forces raided a number of houses in Qaryout village, southeast of Nablus. They photographed the residents and wrote down their names, telephone numbers and mobile numbers, in addition to photographing the houses themselves. After the soldiers withdrew from a house belonging to Abdul Ra’ouf Ali Zaghloul, Zaghloul’s wife noticed that jewelry worth an estimated 7,000 Jordanian Dinars (JD) was missing from a small purse in a closet in her bedroom.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. Israeli forces abducted at least 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, on 28 September 2012, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian fisherman and wounded his brother, while they and a group of other fishermen were located a few meters from the shore in the northern Gaza Strip, pulling out their fishing nets. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 09:30 on Friday, 28 September 2012, an Israeli infantry unit crossed the northwestern border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and moved nearly 20 meters into Palestinian territory, along the beach area of the northwestern town of Beit Lahia. Israeli soldiers took position behind a hill at the beach, facing onto a number of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing a few meters offshore. Israeli soldiers fired at the fishermen. The majority of the fishermen were able to flee. However, two fishermen, who were located nearly 15 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, were unable to escape. According to fishermen present in the area, Israeli soldiers fired directly at the two fishermen, wounding them. One of the fishermen died of his wounds later on the same day.
On 02 October 2012, Israeli forces positioned inside the watchtowers along the border fence in the northwest of Erez, northwest of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. The soldiers opened fire on a number of workers, who were collecting the rubble of destroyed houses in the area. Following the outbreak of gunfire, the workers fled the area in fear of their lives.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli forces abducted 3 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip who attempted to enter Israel.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 27 September 2012, settlers from ‘Bitar ‘Elite’ settlement, established on the lands of the villages of Fokein Valley, Hossan and Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, dumped huge amounts of sewage water onto agriculture lands near Fokein Valley village. According to Ahmad Sokkar, head of the Fokein Valley village council, the sewage water submerged the 50-dunum agricultural lands of Madiq Gate, south of the village.
On the same day, a group of nearly 20 settlers from ‘Brakha’ settlement, established northeast of Bourin village, south of Nablus, damaged and cut down more than 60 olive trees, using sharp objects, sticks and stones. The attacked land is the property of Ahmed Abdul-Fatah Falah, and it is located in Bab Al-Thania area, nearly 1,500m from the settlement.
On 30 September 2012, settlers began setting up caravans in the territory of Al-Khader town, southwest of Bethlehem. According to Ahmed Salah, coordinator of the Popular Movement against Settlement Activity and the Wall, a group of settlers from ‘Daniel’ settlement, established on the lands of Al-Khader town, led by a settler called Hanania, began erecting caravans in Thaher Ain Qesis area, which belongs to Khader Ali Eissa Abu-Ghalion.
On 03 October 2012, Israeli forces confiscated another 4 tracts of farmland near the entrance of Fokein Valley village, west of Bethlehem. According to Ahmed Sukkar, head of the Fokein Valley village council, 4 citizens of Al-Manasra family received an order by the Israeli forces Chief Commander in the West Bank, stating that 75 dunums of their farmland would be confiscated. These lands are located in the northeast part of the village. By confiscating these lands, Israeli forces will isolate the village from its surroundings in the oPt. Mr. Sukkar also mentioned that Israeli forces will place a gate on the entrance of the village; as a result, the ability to enter and leave the village will be under Israeli forces control, which will increase the suffering of the villagers.
On 03 October 2012, Israeli forces took photographs of all Palestinian houses in the Um Rokba area, south of Al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem. According to Ahmed Salah, coordinator of the Popular Movement against Settlement Activity and the Wall, a unit of about 10 military vehicles accompanied by an officer and staff from the Israeli Civil Administration, stormed the Um Rokba area and photographed all the houses in the area. The area is located near the settlement outpost established on the land of Um Al-Mohammadin, where new settlement units are being built. Mr. Salah also reported that the majority of houses in the Um Rokba area are under threat of demolition and removal, according to notices submitted to them by the Israeli Civil Administration.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
Israeli forces continued the use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and Israeli and international human right defenders against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, dozens of protestors sustained bruises and suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday Prayer on 28 September 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 at the ongoing construction of the annexation wall. The demonstrators gathered in the streets of the village, with the participation of the Palestinian Counsel in Serbia, Talal Al-Zaq, and a Serbian media delegation, chanting slogans calling for national unity which stressed the need to adhere to the national principles and the right of return, to resist the occupation and to call for the release of all Palestinian prisoners. The protesters raised Palestinian flags and headed towards the Wall. They called through megaphones for 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 and the wounded were treated in the field.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 28 September 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 at the ongoing construction of the annexation wall and continuing 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, others sustained bruises and the wounded were treated in the field.
Same time that Friday, dozens of Palestinian civilians, Israeli and international human rights defenders gathered in Martyrs Square in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to begin their weekly peaceful protest against the ongoing construction of the annexation wall and continuing 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, and others sustained bruises. They were treated in the field.
Also at 13:30 that Friday afternoon, Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in the center of al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem, in protest at the ongoing construction of the annexation wall. They moved towards the entrance of the village. Immediately, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 10:00 Saturday morning, 29 September 2012, dozens of Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders and villagers whose lands are threatened by confiscation (Al-Hamra, Al-Twani and Tuba) gathered northeast of Yatta, south of Hebron, to begin their weekly peaceful protest against the Israeli forces’s policy of confiscating the villagers’ lands in order to expand its the settlements on the territory of these villages. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. According to Rateb Jabour, a member of the Popular Committee Against Settlement Activity and the Wall in Yatta, a large number of settlers coming from ‘Haffa Ma’aon’ settlement started throwing rocks and bottles at the protesters; as a result, Fadel Jibril Bura’I, 46, and Mowahed Ali Al-Shawahein, 19, were injured. The Israeli forces did not intervene to stop the settler violence.
At approximately 11:00 on the same day, dozens of Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders, gathered in the Center of Bait Amer village, north of Hebron, for the weekly peaceful demonstration organized against the settlement expansion policy and land confiscation. The demonstrators headed towards Thaher Jalis area near ‘Kermi Tsour’ settlement north of the village. Upon nearing the settlement, Israeli forces immediately fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Recommendations to the international community:
Due to the number and severity of human rights violations this week, the PCHR made several; recommendations to the international community. Among these were a recommendation that PCHR calls upon the international community to pressure Israel to lift the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its occupation forces on access for international organizations to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
PCHR reiterates that any political settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question. Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability in the region. Any peace process or agreement must be based on respect for international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
