2 Palestinians were killed, and 23 others, including 3 children, were wounded, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’s attacks in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
Details are as follows:
On 26 May 2023, the Israeli authorities announced the killing of ‘Alaa Khalil Qaysiyah (25) from Hebron, allegedly after Qaysiyah attempted to carry out a stabbing attack inside the “Tineh Amorim” settlement established on the lands of Al-Dhahiriya village.
On 29 May 2023, Ashraf Al-Sheikh Ibrahim (37), an officer in the Palestinian Intelligence Service, was killed, and 5 others were wounded during armed clashes with IOF during the latter’s incursion into Jenin. During which, one of IOF’s military vehicles attacked and pushed an ambulance belonging to Al-Hayat Ambulance Center near Al-Razi Hospital in central Jenin, crashing into two other vehicles and inflicting damage to them. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 6 Palestinians.
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 25 May 2023, 14 Palestinians, including two children, were injured during clashes with IOF after the latter’s widescale incursion accompanied by 70 military vehicles and backed by Yamam Special Units, 6 bulldozers and a helicopter in ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, south of Jericho. The incursion included the closure of all main and subsidiary streets with sand berms, and wide-scale raids of around 40 houses, after blowing up some of their doors and searching their contents. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 14 Palestinians.
On 26 May 2023, 2 Palestinians were shot with rubber bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kufur Qaddum weekly peaceful protest against settlements in northern Qalqilia.
On 28 May 2023, 2 Palestinians, including a child, were injured, and another was arrested, during clashes with IOF at the eastern entrance to Al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah, noting that the entrance was closed before with sand berms.
In the Gaza Strip, 3 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, while 2 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Gaza western Gaza shores.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 155 Palestinians, including 77 civilians; amongst them 24 children and 6 women, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 7 killed by settlers, and two died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 661 Palestinians, including 103 children, 25 women and 12 journalists, were injured in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Land Razing, Demolitions, Notices and Settlement
IOF demolished 4 houses, parts of another house, and 5 facilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Details are as follows:
On 26 May 2023, IOF gave demolition notices to 2 barracks used as livestock barns in Ithna village in Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area (C).
On 27 May 2023, IOF forced ‘Abdul Haleem Al-Shaloudi to demolish the roof of his 20-sqm kitchen in Silwan, East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, IOF forced Zaid Al-Salaymeh to demolish his 60-sqm under-construction apartment in Wadi Qaddum neighborhood in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 29 May 2023, IOF demolished a 150-sqm livestock farm, west of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, IOF dismantled a 20-sqm a commercial kiosk/stall in Al-Walaja village, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
Also, IOF forced Isaac Al-Hroub to demolish a 70-sqm well and a 3-sqm bathroom of bricks on his land near the annexation wall, west of Deir Samet village in Hebron.
IOF demolished a 200-sqm under-construction house belonging to Ibrahim ‘Ayesh in Artas village, south of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
In addition, IOF demolished a 150-sqm house belonging to Nasser Nassar in the airport land, east of Jericho.
On 31 May 2023, IOF handed 18 cease-construction notices in northwestern Deir Ballut village, west of Salfit, including 12 notices to 13 houses, 5 to agricultural rooms, and one to a commercial facility, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area (C).
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have made 88 families homeless, a total of 557 persons, including 112 women and 252 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 95 houses; 22 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 10 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 83 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
Settlers carried out 7 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, injuring 11 Palestinians, cutting trees, and burning crops.
Details are as follows:
On 26 May 2023, settlers, protected by IOF, threw stones at 5 Palestinians, including a child, and injured them in Sidr area between Turmusaya and A-Mughayer villages in Ramallah. The attack also included burning agricultural crops, 5 civilian vehicles and smashing the windows of 3 vehicles.
On 27 May 2023, settlers, protected by IOF, wounded a Palestinian during their raid into Al-Qaboun and Ras Al-Teen squares, east of Al-Mughayer town in Ramallah. The settlers and IOF raided homes and assaulted citizens through obstructing and searching them.
On the same day, 5 Palestinians, including a man with his wife and daughter, were injured and bruised as settlers assaulted them during the latter’s attack on their land in Bidya, west of Salfit.
On 28 May 2023, settlers cut 18 trees in their attack on Palestinians’ lands in Al-Laban Al-Sharqiya village in Nablus.
On 29 May 2023, settlers brought caravans and heavy equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, and trucks. The settlers placed the caravans in “Homesh” settlement, which is established on the lands of Silat al-Harthiya village, south of Jenin, and Burqa village, north of Nablus. This came upon IOF’s recent decision to return to the settlement, and the settlers announced the establishment of a religious school in the settlement. It is noteworthy that Homesh settlement was evacuated in 2005 as part of IOF’s redeployment plan, during which the Gaza Strip settlements were also completely evacuated along with 4 settlements in Jenin. Recently, the Israeli government has decided to return the settlers to those settlements.
On the same day, settlers set fire to a plot of land planted with wheat and barley in Deir Dabwan village, east of Ramallah, burning 15 dunums.
On 30 May 2023, settlers from “Homesh” settlement, which is established on the village lands of Jenin and Nablus, in the northern West Bank, attacked a house with stones in the Burqa village, north of Nablus, and smashed the rear window of the house owner’s vehicle.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 214 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them due to 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 157 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, 81 Palestinians were arrested, including a child. In the Gaza Strip, IOF carried out two limited incursions into eastern Rafah on 29 May 2023, and eastern Khan Younis on 31 May 2023.
So far in 2023, IOF have conducted 4,241 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2,446 Palestinians were arrested, including 25 women and 285 children. Also, IOF arrested 34 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip including 12 fishermen and 19 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travellers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 12 incursions.
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.
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 97 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 2 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
So far in 2023, IOF have established 2,526 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 124 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
