In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 27 June- 03 July, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 1 Palestinian civilian was killed and 5 others were wounded during incursions in the West Bank. In addition, 3 protesters were wounded during peaceful protests against the annexation wall and settlement activities.Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a 19-year-old Palestinian and wounded 8 others; 5 civilians were wounded during Israeli incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, including the nephew of the victim, while 3 other civilians were wounded in peaceful protests against the annexation wall and settlement activities.
In the West Bank, on 02 July 2013, Israeli forces killed 19-year-old Moutaz Edris Abdel-Fatah Sharawna after being hit by a sound bomb then being stepped on by Israeli soldiers. His nephew, Bahaa (22) sustained a bullet wound while trying to rescue his uncle in Doura, southwest of Hebron. This took place when Israeli soldiers, who had moved into the town, fired live ammunition, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at a group of youngsters.
On 28 June 2013, 4 Palestinian civilians sustained bullet and shrapnel wounds after Israeli forces engaged in clashes with Palestinians during an incursion into Qalandia refugee camp.
Israeli forces conducted 65 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. 64 Palestinian civilians were abducted in the West Bank, including a Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and 6 children.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. 7 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a woman, were abducted at checkpoints in the West Bank.
On Thursday, 27 June 2013, Israeli forces moved into Susya village, in the southeast of Yatta, south of Hebron, and distributed 34 notices to halt construction work in various establishment, and 1 demolition notice that held number (392286). The notices ordering to halt construction work were given to tents, barns, water wells and solar panels.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces continued to pursue fishermen at sea. On 03 June 2013, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Soudanya area, northwest of Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats that were around 6 nautical miles offshore. The shooting was focused on a fishing boat boarding 7 Palestinian fishers causing fear among them. As a result, while Sharif Hussein Khalil ‘Arafat(29), son-in-law of the owner of the boat, from al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, was trying to hide from the shooting, his right leg stuck in the fishing spinner and wrapped around it causing the leg to bleed.
Israeli forces conducted 2 limited incursions into the Gaza Strip. The first incursion was conducted on 02 July 2013 in the east of al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Younis. They started digging and levelling the area along the border fence with Israel before redeploying behind the boarder. The second incursion was conducted on 03 July 2013 in the border fence area in the east of Deir al-Balah, during which they levelled area of land that were formerly bulldozed.
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.
34 notices to halt construction work and a demolition notice were distributed in Susya village, to the southeast of Yatta, south of Hebron.
On Thursday, 27 June 2013, a group of settlers from ‘Ramat Yishai’ settlement outpost, which is established on Palestinians’ lands in Tal al-Remida neighborhood, in the center of Hebron, destroyed the metal fence surrounding the playground of Cordoba Primary School, which is located between Tal al-Remida neighborhood and Martyrs street.
On Sunday, 30 June 2013, a settler attacked ‘Omar Mokhtar Hussain Abdel-Qader (23), a Palestinian civilian from Kuffor Laqef village, east of Qalqilya, while he was driving on the main Nablus-Qalqilya road. The settler stopped his car and held him near the entrance of Azzoun village at gunpoint.
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, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded: a 23-year-old male was hit in the right thigh by a tear gas canister; a 35-year-old male sustained a bullet wound in the back; and a 24-year-old male sustained a bullet to the shoulder. Also, dozens of civilians suffered due to tear gas inhalation and others sustained wounds.
Following the Friday Prayer, 28 June 2013, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activity. The demonstrators marched through the streets of the village, chanting slogans calling for national unity, raised Palestinian flags and made their way towards the lands adjacent to the annexation wall. Israeli forces had closed all entrances to the village since early morning to prevent Palestinians, journalists, and international activists from joining the protest. The demonstrators walked along the wall and attempted to breach it. Israeli forces stationed behind the western side of the wall, and dozens of soldiers who were deployed along the route of the wall, fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs, tear gas canisters, and waste water at the demonstrators, and chased them across olive fields. As a result, Mohammed Ja’far (23) was hit by a tear gas canister in the right thigh. Also, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises.
Also, following the Friday Prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The demonstrators made their way towards the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the wall gate with barbed wire and, when the demonstrators attempted to access the lands behind the barbed wire, they were stopped by Israeli soldiers. The demonstrators threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who responded with live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters, and chased them across fields of olive trees as far as the outskirts of the village. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.
Around the same time on Friday, dozens of Palestinian civilians, Israeli and international human rights activists gathered at the Martyrs Square in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to hold a weekly peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The protesters walked towards Palestinian lands that Israeli settlers from the nearby ‘Halmish’ settlement are trying to seize. From the morning, Israeli forces had closed all entrances to the village to prevent Palestinians, international activists, and journalists from joining the demonstration. Upon their arrival in the area, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters, chased the demonstrators into the village and sprayed them and civilian houses with waste water. As a result, dozens of Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises, and two Palestinians and an unidentified Spanish solidarity activist were abducted: Ms. Rana Nazzal (25) and Nariman Mahmoud Tamimi (37) were taken to HaSharon junction, which is located within Israel.
Following Friday Prayer, dozens of inhabitants of al-Mas’ra village, south of Bethlehem, international and Israeli human rights activists, and activists in the Popular Resistance Committees gathered for the weekly peaceful demonstration against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activity, which was titled ‘Water.’ It started outside Shomou’ Cultural Centre in the centre of the village; and while on their way to the wall, Israeli forces, backed-up by Israeli police and border guards, fired tear gas canisters at them in order to disperse them. Many demonstrators suffered due to tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 13:30 on Friday, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in the centre of Kufor Kadoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest at the continuous closure of the eastern entrance of the village which has been ongoing since the outbreak of al-Aqsa Intifada. Upon the demonstrators’ arrival to the afore-mentioned gate, Israeli forces had set up ambushes for them and started chasing them, firing rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canister at them. As a result, 2 Palestinians sustained wounds: Nasser Ahmed Daoud ‘Akel (35) sustained a metal bullet to the back; and Raslan Abdel-Ra’ouf Jum’a (24) sustained a bullet wound to the shoulder.
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 them were a recommendation that the European Union activate Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that both sides must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel, and the EU must not ignore Israeli violation and crimes against Palestinian civilians;
In addition, PCHR calls upon the Palestinian leadership to sign and accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Geneva Conventions, and calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, to encourage the State of Palestine to accede to international human rights law and humanitarian law instruments.
Fore the full text of the report, click on the link below:
