Violation of Right to Life and Bodily Integrity
Four Palestinians were killed, including 2 civilians; one of them was a child, and 19 other Palestinians were injured, including a journalist, while dozens of others suffocated in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’s attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, several houses and facilities sustained damage due to Israeli airstrikes. Details are as follows:
- On 08 April 2023, ‘Aaed ‘Azzam Saleem (20) was killed after being shot with 3 live bullets in his chest and abdomen by IOF from a distance of 50 meters during IOF’s incursion into ‘Azzun village in eastern Qalqilya to chase a group of young men, under the pretext of throwing stones and handmade pipe bombs at an IOF military point established at the northern entrance to the village.
- On 10 April 2023, Mohammed Fayiz ‘Awidat (17) was killed, and 3 other civilians were injured by IOF fire during clashes that broke out after IOF’s incursion into ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho. (Details available at PCHR’s press release.)
- On 11 April 2023, Sa’oud ‘Abdullah al-Titi (38) and Mohammed Ghazi Abu Theraa’ (35), both members of the Palestinian armed groups from Balata Camp, were killed and another Palestinian was injured after being shot with live bullets during an exchange of fire with IOF near “Elon Moreh” settlement, northeast of Nablus. IOF kept the bodies of those killed while the Palestinian wounded was taken to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus.
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 and gatherings organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
- On 06 April 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his thigh during clashes with IOF near the eastern entrance to Husan village, west of Bethlehem.
- On the same day, a Palestinian was injured with a live bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF at the entrance to Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, where IOF established a military observation point.
- On 07 April 2023, 6 Palestinians were shot with rubber- coated bullets in their limbs during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
- On the same day, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his right shoulder by IOF while he was inside a vehicle near a checkpoint established by IOF on Nablus-Tubas main street after their incursion into Wadi al-Far’ah village in Tubas, which witnessed clashes with IOF. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested a Palestinian.
- Also, two members of the Palestinian armed groups sustained wounds after IOF opened fire at a vehicle while chasing it in Kufeirit and Burqin, west of Jenin.
- On 08 April 2023, two Palestinians were shot with 2 live bullets in their limbs during clashes with IOF at the entrance to Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, where IOF established a military observation point.
- On 09 April 2023, ‘Abed al-Rahman Hassan (35), a photojournalist, was shot with a rubber-coated bullet in his foot while covering clashes with IOF after the latter’s incursion into Jabal Um Rokba area in southern al-Khader village in Bethlehem along with Israeli settlers. The clashes broke out following the Israeli settlers’ attacks, including house raids and stone-throwing and beating Palestinians with sticks and stones, causing injuries to one of them.
- On the same day, a Palestinian was shot with a rubber-coated bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF at the entrance to Deir Ballut village, west of Salfit, after Israeli settlers attacked several houses in the village. As a result, a Palestinian was hit with a stone in his head by the settlers.
This week witnessed recurrent clashes with IOF in Hebron’s neighborhoods, where IOF fired teargas canisters, causing suffocations among tens of Palestinians.
- In the Gaza Strip, on 06 April 2023, the Israeli warplanes launched several airstrikes against 5 targets, including military sites belonging to the Palestinian armed groups and empty lands in central Gaza Strip, Rafah, Beit Hanoun, and Gaza City. One of those airstrikes that targeted an empty land in eastern al-Zayytoun neighborhood in Gaza City caused material damage to 3 houses and a veterinary drug factory and severe destruction to a poultry farm. As a result, a 700-sqm barrack was destroyed and around 8000 layer chickens died.
- Also, on 07 April 2023, the Israeli warplanes launched several airstrikes against 5 targets, including military sites belonging to the Palestinian armed groups and agricultural lands in Khan Yunis, Beit Hanoun, Gaza City and Dir al-Balah. One of those airstrikes that targeted al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City caused damage to a house, a car and minor damage to al-Dorra Children’s Hospital, causing panic among those inside. Another airstrike in western Khan Yunis caused damage to the General Khan Younis Clinic of the Directorate of Military Medical Services, breaking its windows and causing cracks in the walls.
- Moreover, 2 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 3 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 97 Palestinians, including 49 civilians; 16 of them were children, a woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 6 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 433 Palestinians, including 56 children, 2 women and 11 journalists, were injured.
Land Razing, Demolitions, and Notices
No demolitions or notices were documented this week.
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 58 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 and Retaliatory Acts
A child was shot with a live bullet and other Palestinians sustained bruises and injuries in 6 Israeli settlers’ attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank. Details are as follows:
- On 06 April 2023, a 15-year-old child was shot with a live bullet in his right hand and sustained injuries behind his ear and neck after an Israeli settler fired 2 live bullets at him near his house in central occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. The child was taken to al-Maqassed Hospital in al-Tur neighborhood for treatment.
- On 07 April 2023, Israeli settlers uprooted 40 olive trees after breaking into an agricultural field in Jab’ah village, south of Bethlehem.
- On 08 April 2023, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling on the 60 Road connecting Ramallah with Nablus near the entrance to Sinjil village in Ramallah. As a result, the windows of 2 vehicles were broken.
- On 10 April 2023, Israeli settlers, from “Esh Kodash” settlement outpost, which is established on Palestinians’ lands in southern Nablus, attacked Palestinians’ lands in Qusra village and destroyed the eastern and northern walls of a 48-sqm agricultural room.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 174 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 6 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.
IOF Incursions and Arrests of Palestinian Civilians
IOF carried out 192 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 63 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 children.
So far in 2023, IOF conducted 2998 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 1853 Palestinians were arrested, including 23 women and 232 children. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 9 incursions and arrested 23 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip: 6 fishermen and 14 Infiltrators, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing.
Israeli Closure, Restrictions on Freedom of Movement and Collective Punishment
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.
- On 09 April 2023, IOF renewed the comprehensive closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 05 April 2023 as it was supposed to end on 08 April under the pretext of the Jewish Passover holiday.
- 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 121 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where they arrested 4 Palestinians.
- This week, IOF closed the military checkpoints several times in occupied East Jerusalem and Bethlehem and blocked traffic.
- On 07 April 2023, IOF imposed a tight cordon on the Central Jordan Valley and isolated it from Tubas’s villages, as part of the collective punishment policy following a shooting attack that killed Israeli settlers in the area. To entrench the segregation and closure, IOF dug a new trench in al-Buqi’a Plain, established a metal detector gate on the road leading to Ras al-Hamar area and closed it. Also, they closed the road connecting between Kherbet Ibziq and Bardala village with cement cubes and brought other cement cubes to al-Tayasser checkpoint and closed it. Additionally, IOF completely closed al-Hamara military checkpoint to Palestinians’ movement and prevented Palestinians living in Hamsa al-Buqi’a, al-Hadidiya, Makhoul and Samara compounds from bringing water from the water sources for their families and livestock, forcing them under harsh conditions due to the lack of water.
- On 08 April 2023, IOF declared that they tightened their measures in occupied East Jerusalem and its surroundings, especially on roads leadings to Bab al-Asbat (Lions Gate) and Bab al-Maghareba (Dung Gate), on al-Sultan Suliman Road, at Rockefeller Museum intersection, and in Wadi Hilweh area in Silwan. IOF tight measures continued until 4:00 in the next day.
- For the third week in a row, IOF continue 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 against IOF in the village. IOF’s restrictions extended to Nablus, as they closed all military checkpoints leading to the village while entry to the village has become almost impossible.
- On 06 April 2023, IOF closed with sand berms the entrance to Qusra branching from Za’tara- Jericho Street, southeast of Nablus, and placed cement cubes at the entrance to prevent the entry into the village.
So far in 2023, IOF established 1803 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 74 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
