6 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, amongst them a child, were killed, and 13 others were injured, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacks in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
Details are as follows:
On 21 July 2023, IOF killed two Palestinian civilians, including a child, namely Fawzi Hani Makhalfah (19) and Mohammed Foad ‘Atta al-Bayyed (17), and injured others in two separate incidents falling within IOF’s extrajudicial executions in Nablus and Ramallah. (Details available in PCHR’s press release).
On 25 July 2023, IOF killed 3 members of Palestinian armed resistance groups after opening fire at a vehicle carrying them in exchange of fire near al-Samra Gate on Gerizim Mount. IOF kept the corpses of those members who were later identified as Nour al-Deen Tayseer al-‘Ardah (32), Montaser Nahjat ‘Ali Salama (33) and Sa’eed Maher al-Kharraz (43). All of them were from Nablus.
On 26 July 2023, Mohammed ‘Abed al-Hakeem Nada (23) was killed after being shot with a bullet in his chest when he was sitting in one of ‘Ein Beit el-Maa’ refugee camp’s alleys, another Palestinian was injured after IOF unjustifiably opened fire at them during their incursion into the camp, west of Nablus. Also, a Palestinian woman was injured after a military SUV ran over her, while IOF cordoned off a house and later withdrew after arresting a Palestinian.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF incursions into cities and villages, or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians.
On 20 July 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his left foot after IOF opened fire during clashes that broke out in Ash-Shuyukh village, north of Hebron.
On 22 July 2023, 2 Palestinians sustained injuries after IOF opened fire in clashes near the main entrance to Jalazone refugee camp, north of al-Bireh city, where a military watchtower was established near “Beit El” settlement, north of the city.
On 24 July 2023, two Palestinians, including a volunteer at the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), were injured after IOF opened fire during their incursion into Old Askar Camp, east of Nablus.
On the same day, 4 Palestinians were injured after IOF opened fire during their widescale incursion into Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem. During their incursion, IOF deployed Israeli snipers on rooftops of houses and facilities, raided a mosque and Nour Shams Youth Center, levelled several roads, destroyed two electricity transformers and a water line, arrested a Palestinian and then withdrew.
In the Gaza Strip, on 23 July 2023, a Palestinian fisherman sustained a rubber bullet injury in his shoulder after Israeli gunboats targeted Palestinian fishing boats sailing off al-Sudaniyah Shore in the northern Gaza Strip. (Details available in PCHR’s press release). Also, at least 2 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, while 7 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Gaza western Gaza shores.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks have killed 200 Palestinians, including 99 civilians; amongst them 34 children, 6 women, a person with disability, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 6 children, 7 killed by settlers, and two died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 998 Palestinians, including 147 children, 30 women and 16 journalists, were injured in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Land Razing, Demolitions, Notices, and Settlement
On 20 July 2023, IOF levelled 65 dunums planted with fruitful trees and that included agricultural rooms, stone chains, water tanks, and other properties in eastern Tarqumiyah village in Hebron.
On the same day, IOF seized 2 agricultural tractors in Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa in northern Jordan Valley.
On 25 July 2023, IOF seized an agricultural tractor and a vehicle in Bardala village in northern Jordan Valley.
On 24 July 2023, IOF forced Mohammed al-Sa’ou to implement the Israeli Municipality’s order and self-demolish his 70-sqm house in Beit Hanina village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering a family of 4, including a woman and 2 children, homeless.
On the same day, IOF demolished an uninhabited mobile house belonging to Wadee’ Na’im Abu Dwaih in Battir village, west of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
Also, IOF demolished 2 residential rooms built of cement and roofed with tinplate in Humsa al-Tahta in northern Jordan Valley.
On 25 July 2023, IOF demolished a house, a room and 7 sheep barns, and levelled tens of agricultural dunums in Rawabi area that connects eastern Isawiya village with Az-Za’ayyem village in occupied East Jerusalem.
On 26 July 2023, IOF closed 6 water springs that irrigate 56 dunums in al-Hejjra village in Hebron, as part of IOF’s attempts to expel Palestinians from their agricultural lands and force them to stop planting their lands.
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have made 123 families homeless, a total of 729 persons, including 157 women and 333 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 131 houses; 31 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 13 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 98 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
On 21 July 2023, dozens of settlers from “Efrat” settlement established on the Palestinian lands of southern Bethlehem raided and vandalized many agricultural lands south of Al-Khader village and uprooted 50 olive trees.
On the same day, settlers opened fire at Palestinian vehicles traveling on the main road between Nablus and Qalqilya, west of Nablus. Settlers also set Palestinians’ agricultural lands ablaze in eastern Burin village.
On 22 July 2023, a Palestinian woman from Hebron sustained bruises and wounds after settlers assaulted her during their attacks on Palestinian vehicles travelling on the bypass road near Nahalin village, west of Bethlehem. As a result, she was taken to Beit Jala Governmental Hospital.
On 23 July 2023, settlers levelled an area between the villages of Aqraba and Majdal Bani Fadel in Nablus.
On the same day, settlers cut and uprooted 150 olive seedlings from a Palestinian land, east of “Tina” settlement, established on lands confiscated from the Palestinians in Hebron.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 287 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.
IOF Incursions and Arrests of Palestinian Civilians
IOF carried out 194 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, 110 Palestinians were arrested, including 7 children.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF arrested 4 fishermen and confiscated their boat after intercepting them off Al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia (Details available in PCHR’s press release). IOF also carried out a limited incursion into east of Khan Yunis on 24 July 2023.
So far in 2023, IOF have conducted 5,362 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2,981 Palestinians were arrested, including 28 women and 326 children. Also, IOF arrested 39 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, including 17 fishermen, 20 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travellers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 19 incursions.
Israeli Closure, Restrictions on Freedom of Movement, and Collective Punishment
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 17-year closure on the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 125 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 2 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
On 22 July 2023, IOF closed a sub dirt road in western Wadi Fukin village.
On 24 July 2023, IOF began establishing an iron wall above the annexation wall in Dahiyat al-Bareed, north of East Jerusalem, closed the area and prevented vehicles from parking on the street adjacent to the wall for 3 days.
So far in 2023, IOF have established 3,423 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 144 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
