In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 30 May – 04 June 2013, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 7 civilians were wounded, including 2 children, by Israeli troops this week.
A Palestinian worker was wounded in the north of the Gaza Strip. A child was wounded during an Israeli incursion in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem. 4 protesters, including a freelance photojournalist, were wounded during a peaceful protest in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah, and a Palestinian child was wounded during a peaceful protest in the north of Bethlehem.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 70 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, abducting 24 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children.
Also in the West Bank, on 30 May 2013, a child was wounded when Israeli forces moved into al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem, and opened fire.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were abducted at checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israel has continued its efforts to create Jewish majority in the occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli forces issued more house demolition notices in the city. The settlers attempted to seize a house and wrote racist slogans on a church. On Sunday, 02 June 2013, crews of the Israeli Municipality in Jerusalem handed administrative orders to demolish two houses in Silwan village in the south of the old city. The demolition orders were distributed to houses that were built many years ago, and a fine was imposed on them after their owners had been handed several administrative demolition orders times.
On Friday, 31 May 2013, settlers wrote anti-Christian graffiti on the back wall of the Church of Zion near the southern wall of the old city of occupied East Jerusalem. The graffiti written on the wall of the church included various vulgar and racist statements, including “Christians are slaves,” “Christians are Monkeys,” in addition to “Price Tag”.
Also on Friday, a group of settlers attempted to seize an apartment in Jaber family’s building in Sho’fat neighbourhood in the north of Jerusalem by manipulating an order of the Israeli Magistrate’s Court. According to sources from Sho’fat neighbourhood, approximately 15 settlers raided the apartment in the evening in an attempt to seize it, but the Israeli police arrived at the scene and forced them to leave; however, 1 settler stayed in it.
On Thursday, 30 May 2013, Israeli forces closed the dirt road connecting Tafouh and Ethna villages, west of Hebron, with sand barriers and rocks in the context of an Israeli policy to confiscate farmlands in favour of settlement expansion in ‘Tailm’ settlement. Also, farmers from Barquin village were surprised to find notices placed on their farmlands, ordering them to evacuate 22 dunums of land within 45 days, in order to confiscate them for the purpose of the expansion of ‘Ariel’ settlement. Furthermore, a map showing the location and area was attached to the notices.
On Saturday, 01 June 2013, the locals in Jinasafout village, east of Qalqilya, were informed that the Israeli authorities decided to ‘transfer title’ of 573 dunums from the residents of the village; thus, confiscating the entire western side of the village’s lands. The confiscated lands belong to the Eid, Bashir, Sabra and Ayoub families from Jinasafout, and other families from the neighbouring Hajja village.
On Monday, 04 June 2013, Israeli forces, moved into Kherbat Um Neir area in the south of Yatta village, south of Hebron, and destroyed and confiscated a tent that is used for storing grains, which is the property of Omar Mohammed Ahmed al-Jabour.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, on 02 June 2013, Israeli forces stationed on watchtowers along the border fence, east of Abu Safiya area in the north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at a group of workers and bird hunters. As a result, Ahmed al-Hamadeen (21) was wounded by a bullet to the right thigh.
Israeli navy forces continued to pursue Palestinian fishermen in Gaza sea. On 02 June 2013, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats that were sailing within the 6 nautical mile limit off al-Waha resort in the north of the Gaza Strip. Neither casualties nor material damage were reported.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world. The illegal closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The illegal closure has not only caused a humanitarian crisis, but also a human rights crisis and the erosion of human dignity for the people of the Gaza Strip. Recently-declared measures to ease the closure are vague, purely cosmetic, and fail to deal with the root causes of the crisis. The root causes can only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of the closure, including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on exports. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer from the same shortage of goods but, as long as the closure is allowed to continue, they will remain economically dependent on Israel, unable to care for themselves, and socially, culturally, and academically isolated from the rest of the world.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces have continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. Israeli authorities issued decisions to evacuate and confiscate 595 acres of land in Qalqilia and Salfit in the north of the West Bank.
The settlers continued their systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property under the Israeli forces’ protection. On Friday, 31 May 2013, dozens of armed settlers closed the entrance of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. This incident took place under the protection of Israeli forces, claiming that a protest was attacked with stones while driving through bypass road no. (60), which is located near the village.
On Sunday, 02 June 2013, a group of settlers from ‘Nahalial’ settlement, established in the eastern side of Betello village, northwest of Ramallah, set fire to dry herbs. The fire expanded and reached some forest trees in ‘al-Thohour’ agricultural area in the east of the village, near the afore-mentioned settlement, before the Civil Defence crews could control it.
On Sunday, 02 June 2013, dozens of settlers from ‘Tafouh’ settlement, south of Nablus, closed the main street of Yassouf village, east of Salfit, and banned Palestinians from passing through it.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
Israeli forces continued the systematic use of excessive force against peaceful protests organised by Palestinian, Israeli and international activists against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 4 civilians, including a freelance photojournalist, were wounded and others suffered tear gas inhalation. Moreover, dozes sustained bruises due to attacks by Israeli soldiers. The 4 civilians were wounded in Bil’in weekly protest, west of Ramallah, on 31 May 2013.
Palestinian civilians also organized protests in support to Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails, especially those on hunger strike. Israeli forces used excessive force against the protestors. As a result, a child was wounded at the northern entrance of Bethlehem on 31 May 2013.
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 UN General Assembly to transfer the Goldstone Report to the UN Security Council in order to refer it to the International Criminal Court in accordance with Article 13(b) of the Rome Statute.
The PCHR also called upon the United Nations to confirm that holding war criminals in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a precondition to achieve stability and peace in the regions, and that peace cannot be built on the expense of human rights and victims.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
