In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for the week of 14- 20 November 2013, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that Israeli forces launched 8 air strikes on the Gaza Strip. 3,500 chicks and 15 sheep died in Israeli raids on poultry and sheep farms in Khan Younis.Israeli forces have continued to open fire at the border areas in the Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported. 8 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, were wounded in the southeast of Nablus. And 7 Palestinian civilians were wounded in protests in Kofur Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilia, and Bil’in village, west of Ramallah.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 56 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one in the Gaza Strip.
At least 58 Palestinians, including 11 children and a mother of 2 children, were arrested.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. At least 10 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were arrested at checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli has continued efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli authorities approved the scheme of the (National Park) on the lands of al-Tour and al-‘Eisawiya villages.
In an example of one of this week’s invasions, on November 14th, At approximately 14:00, Israeli forces moved into al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Dawood (65) and stationed on top of the house. Mohammed and his family tried to prevented Israeli soldiers from going upstairs, but he and his family were attacked. Israeli soldiers fired sound bombs at the family and attacked them again in front of the house. As a result, some of the family members sustained bruises and were taken to Hebron Hospital to receive medical treatment.
Mohammed Abu Dawood (65) said to PCHR’s fieldworker:
‘At approximately 14:15 on Friday, 15 November 2013, I was on the third floor of my 3-storey house. I heard violent knocking on the door leading to the roof. I went downstairs to the door and found 4 Israeli soldiers, including an officer who hit the door with his gun. I realized that the main door of the house was open. I asked them what they were doing. One of them asked me to give them the key, but I refused because a few day earlier some Israeli soldiers went up to the roof and damaged the solar power boards. The officer hit the door again, so I shouted asking them to stop, but in vain. My sons Yusef (25), Ibrahim (25), daughter Amani (20) and my two wives Nathmiya (58) and Zainab (60) came. A quarrel erupted between me and the soldiers. Ibrahim stood in the middle to prevent them from attacking me. A soldier held a sound bomb and hit it on Ibrahim’s head and then threw it towards Yusef, whose head was injured. Ibrahim got away, as he was bleeding. In the meantime, I stepped back, but a soldier who was one step higher than me, so he strongly kicked me in the left side of my chest. Yusef carried me to a close balcony as I suffered difficulty in breathing. I heard him calling out relatives downstairs to bring an ambulance. After a while, my sons took me outdoor waiting for the ambulance. There were Israeli soldiers out there, in addition to my brother Ibrahim (50) and his sons. My two wives and daughters stayed inside and closed the door. The Israeli soldiers approached and started hitting the door with their gun butts. I tried to prevent them from doing so, but a soldier broke the glass of the door. My nephew Mohammed came to get me away fearing that I would be attacked again, but 2 soldiers pulled him back, pushed him to the ground and attacked him. My sons and brother came to help him. In the meanwhile, a soldier stood on the door’s step, held his gun crosswise and jumped over them. They all fell to the ground. The soldiers took each one of them and attacked him individually. Once an ambulance of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) arrived, the Israeli soldiers left. I was taken with 3 members of my family to Hebron Hospital. Following medical check-up, it was found that I had a fracture in my rib cage, my son Ibrahim sustained a wound in the left side of his head, my nephew Fadi sustained a fracture in the nose and my son Ahmed sustained bruises in the belly. A few minutes later, my brother Ibrahim and my son Yusef arrived were also admitted to the hospital. My brother sustained a fracture in his left hand and my son Yusef had pain in his left side of his head. Half an hour later, my wife Nathmiya was admitted to the hospital. She had pain in the chest. I learnt later that Israeli soldiers had pushed her while going downstairs. We left the hospital in the evening.’
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
Israel has continued to impose a total closure and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
A patient from Rafah was arrested at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.
Israeli navy forces have continued targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea.
Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, arrested fishermen and confiscated fishing boats. Israeli gunboats stationed in the sea opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats twice. The first attack took place on 16 November 2013, but neither casualties nor material damage were reported. On 17 November 2013, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha Resort shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats sailing nearly 1.5 nautical miles in the sea. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a boat boarding 2 fishermen; ‘Ammar As’ad ‘Abdel Malek al-Sultan (21) and Muhsin Akram Diab Zayed (24) from al-Salatin neighbourhood in Beit Lahia. Israeli naval soldiers forced fishermen to jump into the water and swim towards the Israeli gunboat while the two fishermen were pulling 10 fishing nets, 1,000 meters long in total, from water. The two fishermen were terrified due to the continued firing at them. The Israeli soldiers then confiscated their fishing boat and items and took the fishermen to Ashdod Port, where they were arrested and questioned. At Israeli forces released the two fishermen on the following day via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.
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 forces erased 100 olive trees in Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin.
Israeli settlers set fire to 2 vehicles in Fara’ta village, northeast of Qalqilia.
219 olive trees were uprooted and damaged in the northern and southern West Bank.
On Thursday morning, 14 November 2013, Israeli forces, backed with heavy military bulldozers, leveled farmlands, south of Ya’abod village near the main bypass road, which leads to “Movedtan” settlement established on Palestinian lands between Jenin and the northern villages of Tulakrm, southwest of Jenin.
On the same day, 4 Israeli settlers sneaked into a house belonging to the family of Khaled ‘Abdul-Rahman Mahmoud Dar Khalil in Sanjal village, north of Ramallah. The settlers poured an incendiary material inside the house balcony, which was closed by glass, put it on fire, and wrote a slogan in Hebrew on the outside wall.
Also on the same day, a group of settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, raided one of the ancient archaeological areas, west of al-Samou’a village, south of Hebron, and perform religious rituals.
Also on the same day, a group of settlers from “Eddy ‘Aad” settlement, which is established on the east of Turmos’ayah lands, north of Ramallah, uprooted 75 seedlings in the al-Sabiha agricultural area, east of the village and 3 kilometers away from the aforementioned settlement.
On 15 November 2013, dozens of settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, obstructed the movement at the entrance of Beit Ummar village, and uprooted 75 seedlings in al-Sbihah agricultural area, east of the village.
On 17 November 2013, a number of settlers from “Afijal” settlement established on Palestinian lands, east of Yata, south of Hebron, cut 106 olive trees belonging to Mos’if family in Mo’in valley, east of Yata, with handsaws.
On 18 November 2013, Israeli forces confiscated 120 square meters of construction bricks of al-Dirat village, northeast of Yata, south of Hebron, under the pretext of building a mosque without a construction permit.
On the same day, civilians were surprised in Qasrah village, southeast of Nablus, with settlers uprooting 38 olive seedlings and tried to demolish an agricultural room belonging to ‘Ali ‘Abdel Hamid Hassan, but they could not.
On 19 November 2013, 3 settlers infiltrated from “Hafa Gel’ad” settlement to Fer’etah village, northeast of Qalqilya, and set a truck and vehicle belonging to Bahjat Mohammed Mahmoud Soliman, on fire.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
Following the Friday Prayer, 15 November 2013, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The demonstration was also organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 9th anniversary of the death of the late President Yasser Arafat. Demonstrators took the streets raising the Palestinian flags and headed to the liberated territories near the annexation wall. Israeli forces had closed all the entrances of the village since morning to prevent the Palestinian and international activists and journalists from participating in the demonstration. Demonstrators marched adjacent to the cement wall and tried to cross the fence before Israeli forces that are stationed behind the wall, in the western area, and a large number of soldiers deployed along it fired live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and skunk water at them and chased them in olive fields. As a result, a 17-year-old child was wounded by 3 bullets to the back, dozens suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
On the same day, dozens of Palestinian civilians organised a peaceful demonstration in the middle of Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. Demonstrators took the streets and headed to the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the gates of the wall with barbwires and prevented the demonstrators from passing to the land behind it before they responded by throwing stones. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians and Israeli and international human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities, in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. Demonstrators took the streets raising the Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against the occupation and in support of the Palestinian unity resistance, and then they headed to the lands that the settlers are trying to rob by force near “Halmish” settlement. Israeli forces had closed all the entrances of the village since morning to prevent the Palestinian and international activists and journalists from participating in the demonstration. When they arrived at the land, the demonstrators were met by live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and skunk water and were chased into the village. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Following the Friday prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Ma’sara village, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The demonstration started in front of the Candles Cultural Centre in the centre of the village. Demonstrators moved in the streets raising the Palestinian flag. When they arrived at the area where the annexation wall is established, Israeli forces started firing tear gas canisters in attempt to disperse them and prevented the demonstrators from reaching the annexation wall. A number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 12:30 on the same day, Palestinian civilians and international activists organised a peaceful demonstration in the centre of Kufor Qaddoum village, northwest of Qalqilia, and headed towards the eastern entrance of the village, in protest at the continued closure of the entrance with an iron gate, since the beginning of the Aqsa Intifada. Clashes erupted between the demonstrators and Israeli forces that fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters to prevent them from reaching the aforementioned gate. As a result, 6 civilians, including an 8-year-old boy, were wounded and others suffered tear gas inhalation. Moreover, Israeli forces detained and questioned 4 children for an hour. The detained children were: Ahmed Abdul Salam Ishteiwi (6); Malek Hekmat Ishteiwi (7); Tareq Hekmat Ishtiwi (9); and Hosam Khaldoun Abu Khaled (8).
On Friday, 15 November 2013, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international activists gathered in Bethelehm to commemorate the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence at the intersection leading to ‘Bitar Elite’ settlement. They closed the street and raised the Palestinian flags. Israeli forces and police arrived to the area and dispersed the demonstrators.
At approximately 15:00, on the same day, dozens of Palestinian children gathered at the entrance of Selwad village, northeast of Ramallah. They threw stones at a military fence around the village. Israeli forces stationed in the area fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the children. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces arrested 3 children: Majd Abdul Rahman Hamed (16); Abdullah Khaled Hammad (17); and Mohammed Ziad Hamed (14). The third child was released 2 hours following his arrest, while the other 2 ones were taken to Ofer detention facility, southwest of the city.
Majd’s mother said to PCHR’s fieldworker that she and her husband Abdullah Saleh had gone at approximately 23:30, on the same day, to ‘Benjamin’ police station, as they received a phone call from an Israeli police officer named Morad, asking them to come to the police station and see their son’s statement. The mother added: ‘When I went in, I saw my son Majd. He sustained wounds in his forehead and bruises around his eyes. His clothes were stained with blood, as he was beaten up.’
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 United Nations provide international protection to Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and to ensure the non-recurrence of aggression against the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially the Gaza Strip
The PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to compel Israel, as a High Contracting Party to the Conventions, to apply the Conventions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
