[This report covers 2 weeks due to ‘Eid al-Fitr holiday]
Two Palestinians were killed, and 23 others were injured, including 4 children, a woman and a paramedic, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, several houses and facilities sustained material damage due to Israeli airstrikes.
Details are as follows:
On 24 April 2023, Suliman ‘Ayish ‘Owaid (22) succumbed to his wounds only hours after being arrested. ‘Owaid and 3 other Palestinians were wounded by an Israeli Special Force when the latter sneaked into ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at around 03:14, an Israeli Special Force sneaked via a cargo truck and a Volkswagen Caravelle van into the camp and opened fire at a group of Palestinian young men present in front of a house, wounding 4 of them. The young men managed to evacuate two of those injured to Jericho Hospital, while the 2 others remained on the ground and the Special Force pulled them to an empty warehouse in the area, where they were stripped of their clothes, arrested, and taken away after 40 minutes. At approximately 20:30, IOF declared that death of one the wounded namely Suliman ‘Owaid and kept his body.
On the same day, Hatem As’ad Abu Najma (39), from Beit Safafa village in occupied East Jerusalem, was killed after being shot with several live bullets by an Israeli settler, claiming that he carried out a run-over attack at Agribous intersection adjacent to Machaneh Yehudah Market in central West Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF’s incursion into the Palestinian cities and villages, or IOF’s suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 14 April 2023, 3 Palestinians, including a child, were shot with rubber-coated bullets in their limbs during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On 17 April 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his abdomen by IOF in Neve Ya’akov neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext that he set an Israeli vehicle ablaze in the area, according to a statement by the Israeli police.
On 18 April 2023, a child was shot with a live bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF after the latter’s incursion into Beit Ummar village in Hebron. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians, including a child.
On the same day, 8 Palestinians were injured by IOF fire during clashes that accompanied the latter’s incursion into Jenin refugee camp. Due to the IOF shooting, the main power transformer in the camp was damaged and led to a power outage. Also, the shooting hit the walls of an UNRWA Clinic in the camp causing damage to the building and an ambulance that tried to evacuate those injured. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians and confiscated a car belonging to one of the arrestees.
Moreover, a Palestinian woman was injured with 2 live bullets in her shoulder and leg after IOF opened fire at her claiming that she carried out a stabbing attack that injured an Israeli settler near Gush Etzion settlement intersection in southern Bethlehem. The wounded woman was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in West Jerusalem for treatment while she is under arrest.
Also, a Palestinian sustained bruises after being severely beaten by IOF who stopped his vehicle at a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Jericho.
On 21 April 2023, 3 Palestinians were shot with live and rubber-coated bullets, and others suffocated during clashes with IOF after the latter’s incursion into Beita village, southeast of Nablus, on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
On 24 April 2023, 3 Palestinians, including 2 children and a paramedic, were shot with rubber-coated bullets, and hit with a stun grenade during IOF’s suppression of Palestinians who tried to stop IOF’s confiscation of a vehicle in Qarawat Bani Hassan village, west of Salfit.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 11 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 9 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 99 Palestinians, including 51 civilians; 16 of them were children and 1 woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 7 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 456 Palestinians, including 60 children, 3 women and 11 journalists, were injured.
Land Razing, Demolitions, and Notices
IOF demolished 6 shops, confiscated lands and vehicles, and handed dozens of cease-construction notices in the West Bank.
Details are as follows:
On 16 April 2023, IOF confiscated a Tucson SUV near al-Jalama military checkpoint in northern Jenin.
On 18 April 2023, IOF demolished 6 closed shops with a JCB digger in the Old Market in Hebron’s Old City. It is worth noting that Israeli authorities had declared that area as a closed military zone in 2002, and forced the shops’ owners to close them completely, as there are about 30 shops in the market.
On 19 April 2023, IOF handed 3 cease-construction notices to 3 residential houses in Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, IOF issued a military order to seize 53 dunums for military purposes in Sanniriya village in southern Qalqilya. Upon the order, the seizure will be in force until the end of 2027, and might be renewed similar to previous orders.
On 20 April 2023, the Israeli Civil Administration fixed an order to confiscate a dunum of land in order to expand a settlement road in Al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem.
On the same day, IOF confiscated a bobcat bulldozer while working in Kafr ad-Dik village, under the pretext of working in Area C.
Also, IOF confiscated a tractor in Deir Ballut village, west of Salfit, under the pretext of being in Area C.
On 24 April 2023, IOF prevented a Palestinian from levelling his land by a bulldozer to establish a parking lot near a road connecting Nabi Ilyas village with Jayyous village in eastern Qalqilya, under the pretext of working in Area C.
On 25 April 2023, IOF handed 23 cease-construction notices to inhabited houses, others under-construction and a mosque in Az-Zawiya village, west of Salfit.
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 64 families homeless, a total of 406 persons, including 81 women and 183 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 67 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 64 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Their Properties
Israeli settlers seized a house and assaulted Palestinians and their vehicles in 6 attacks in the West Bank.
Details are as follows:
On 13 April 2023, Israeli settlers seized an agricultural house near an IOF camp, south of Al-Mazra’a al- Gharbiyia village, north of Ramallah. The settlers fixed an Israeli flag on the house, placed a tent in its yard, stayed inside it, and prevented its owners from entering it.
On 14 April 2023, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian shepherds in pastoral land in eastern Yatta in Hebron and tried to beat them with sticks. IOF then arrived, detained the shepherds and ordered them to leave.
On 15 April 2023, Israeli settlers, who gathered near the eastern entrance to Jab’a village in Bethlehem, threw stones at Palestinians and their vehicles, breaking windows of a vehicle and wounding its driver with a stone in his head.
On 18 April 2023, Israeli settlers broke into agricultural lands in Al-Khader village in Bethlehem, assaulted a number of Palestinians and wounded one of them.
On 19 April 2023, Israeli settlers broke into Palestinian lands in Kisan village, east of Bethlehem, damaged its property and stole 3 sheep.
On 22 April 2023, Israeli settlers punctured tries of an agricultural tractor in Turmus Ayya village, east of Ramallah, after putting nails on the road used by the farmers and other Palestinians.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 180 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
Violations of Freedom of Worship
On 15 April 2023, IOF intensified their deployment around occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City and in its alleys, closing some of its gates with iron barriers, and turned it into a military barrack. They hindered the access of thousands of Christian worshipers to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City to participate in the celebrations of Holy Saturday, which precedes Easter.
Moreover, IOF suppressed hundreds of those participating in the celebrations, pushed them and beat them in several areas after they tried to cross the iron barriers established by the Israeli police on all occupied East Jerusalem’s roads. At around 13:00 with the start of the three Orthodox churches’ celebrations of the Holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, thousands of Christians were prevented from passing through these barriers, causing a stampede, during which IOF assaulted some of the protesters, including foreign pilgrims, in the church outside yard.
On 24 April 2023, IOF banned raising Ish’a prayer call “adhan” at al-Aqsa Mosque and prevented the muezzin “an official who proclaims the call for prayer” from completing the call, under the pretext of settler celebrations in the Western Wall of al-Aqsa Mosque.
On 25 April 2023, IOF suppressed dozens of Palestinian worshipers present near Bab al-Rahma (Golden Gate) at al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, assaulted, pushed and beat them and forcibly dispersed them. They also arrested a Turkish tourist who was with the worshipers and violently assaulted her. It should be noted that since 22 April 2023, IOF have continued its attacks at Bab al-Rahma Mosque, which they raided several times while wearing shoes. IOF prevented the prayer call at al-Rahma Mosque, damaged the electricity networks, loudspeakers and lightings, took its contents out, expelled the worshipers, and confiscated their IDs.
IOF Incursions and Arrests of Palestinian Civilians
IOF carried out 294 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids and searches of civilian houses and facilities and establishment of checkpoints. During those incursions, at least 158 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 children and 2 women.
In the Gaza Strip, on 16 April 2023, IOF arrested 4 fishermen and confiscated their fishing boat after intercepting it while sailing within 8 nautical miles off Rafah Shore. Three of the fishermen were released on the next day while the fourth was released a week later. Also, on 23 April 2023, IOF conducted a limited incursion into eastern Rafah.
So far in 2023, IOF conducted 3292 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2011 Palestinians were arrested, including 25 women and 242 children. Also, IOF arrested 27 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, including 10 fishermen and 14 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travellers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 10 incursions.
Israeli Closure and Restrictions on Freedom of Movement and Collective Punishment Policy
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 16-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
IOF declared a comprehensive closure on the West Bank and closed all crossings with the Gaza Strip from 24 to 25 April 2023, under the pretext of the “Independence Day” in Israel and the commemoration of the dead Israeli soldiers.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continues to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 155 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where they arrested 14 Palestinians.
For the fifth week in a row, IOF continues to impose a closure on Huwara village, southeast of Nablus, after announcing it a “closed military zone” on 25 March 2023, and imposed a cordon on it. They also closed the internal streets with sand berms, established more military checkpoints and placed cement cubes on the village’s main street, as part of a collective punishment policy following the shooting attack that targeted IOF in the village.
This week, IOF closed the military checkpoints several times in occupied East Jerusalem and Bethlehem and blocked traffic.
So far in 2023, IOF established 1958 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 88 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
