PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (20 – 26 June 2019)

Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes, in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), for the week of 20 – 26 June, 2019.

Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protesters in the Gaza Strip. 124 Palestinian civilians, including 28 children, 3 women and a paramedic, were wounded, in the 63rd week of the Great March of Return.

Shooting:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces continued to use lethal force against the participants in the peaceful protests organized within the activities of “Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege” in the Gaza Strip, which witnessed the 63^rd  Friday of the peaceful protests along the eastern and northern border area of the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, the Israeli forces also used force against civilians who participated in the demonstrations organized against the Israeli incursions into the West Bank cities and villages.  In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces wounded 124 Palestinian demonstrators, including 28 children, 3 women and a paramedic. In the West Bank, the Israeli forces wounded 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces wounded 124 Palestinian demonstrators, including 28 children, 3 women and a paramedic, while participating in peaceful protests organized within the activities of the March of Return and Breaking Siege, which witnessed the 63^rd Friday of the peaceful protests.

Injuries in the Gaza Strip from 20 – 27 June 2019 According to the Governorate

As part of targeting the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against the Palestinian fishermen, indicating an ongoing Israeli policy of targeting fishermen’s livelihoods.  During the reporting period, PCHR documented 5 incidents. As a result, a fishing boat front belonging to ‘Emad al-Deen Mansour sustained damage and fishing nets that belong to him in addition to fishing nets of other fishermen were confiscated. According to Emad, his around 10 fishing nets cost around NIS 5,500. Moreover, another fishing boat sustained material damage and three fishermen, including a child, were arrested.

As part of targeting the border areas, on 24 June 2019, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands in al-Fakhari village, east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. Around the same day, the Israeli forces opened fire and fired flare bombs in the sky along the border area, east of ‘Abasan al-Jadidah, east of the city, and no casualties were reported.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces wounded 4 civilians, including 2 children.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 68 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 3 other incursions into Jerusalem and its suburbs. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 51 Palestinians, including 7 children, a journalist and 1 woman, in the West Bank while 11 other civilians, including 2 children, were arrested from Jerusalem and its suburbs.

Israeli authorities continued to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.

• As part of settlement expansion, demolitions and house demolition notices, on Thursday, 20 June 2019, Israeli forces moved into Wadi al-Humus neighborhood in Surbaher village, south of occupied East Jerusalem. They then handed dozens of civilians notices to demolish their houses and gave them until 18 July 2019. The Committee of Wadi al-Humus neighborhood stated that on 13 June 2019, the Israeli Supreme Court approved on the Israeli forces’ decision to demolish 16 residential buildings, comprising of over 100 houses, under the pretext of being close to the annexation wall. The Committee added that the buildings, which were approved for demolition, are located in area classified as Area “A” and licensed by the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government.

• On 26 June 2019, Israeli forces demolished an under-construction gas station in ‘Anata village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. The gas station, which was built on 3-dunum of land, belongs to Mohamed Ibrahim Helwa.

Settlement activities and settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property

• As part of settlement expansion, demolitions and house demolition notices, on 24 June 2019, Israeli forces dismantled a 40-sqaure-meter residential tent built of sheds and iron pipes in al-Mofaqarah village, east of Yatta, south of Hebron, and then confiscated it without any prior notice to stop construction works or demolition. The tent belongs to Qasem Mohamed Hasan Hamamrah (40), who was living in the tent along with his wife and their 5 children.

• On 25 June 2019, Israeli forces confiscated a mounted-crane truck and a vehicle belonging to Beit Ummer Municipality, north of Hebron, while the Electricity Company staff belonging to the municipality was working in Beit Za’tah area adjacent to the Bypass Road (60) in order to supply the residents’ houses with electricity.

• As part of settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property, on 22 June 2019, a group of Israeli settlers, from “Ariel” settlement, leveled Palestinians’ agricultural lands located adjacent to ‘Abed al-Rahman Valley in Salfit. The settlers aimed at building a settlement road, establishing infrastructure and conducting excavation for settlement housing units in order to expand the abovementioned settlement.

• On 23 June 2019, dozens of Israeli settlers leveled 300 agricultural dunums in Khelet al-Nahlah area adjacent to Wad Rahhal village, south of Bethlehem. Those lands belong to Mohamed Yaieh ‘Ayish. The settlers leveled the lands in order to place mobile houses and establish a settlement outpost called” Givat Etam “. This outpost will connect “Efrat “and “Tekoa“ settlements together and isolate Bethlehem from its southern countryside and southern West Bank by plan “E2”.

Closure and Restrictions on Freedom of Movement:

The Israeli authorities continued to impose the illegal closure policy on the oPt in order to establish an unprecedented reality that would economically and socially strangulate the Palestinian civilian residents and to tighten their restrictions on the freedom of movement for persons in addition to imposing measures that would undermine the freedom of trade, including imports of the residents’ basic and important needs and the exports of agricultural and industrial products. 

In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli authorities continued their tightening closure and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip to isolate it completely from the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and from the outside world for 13 years.  This closure has resulted in grave violations of the residents’ social, economic and cultural rights and a deterioration of the living conditions of around 2 million residents living in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, the Israeli closure has increased the poverty rate up to 65% while the unemployment rate has recently amounted to 47%.  Youth constitutes around 65% of the unemployed persons while 80% of the Gaza residents depend on foreign aids to secure the minimum level of their daily needs.  These rates indicate that there is an unprecedented economic deterioration in the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, the Israeli forces continued to tighten the screws on the cities, villages and refugee camps of the West Bank by increasing the number of military checkpoints around and/or in between as they created what is so called “small isolated cantons” which restrict the movement of civilians.  The suffering of the Palestinian civilians during their movement between the cities, particularly on the two sides of the annexation wall, has increased due to the Israeli forces’ inhuman and degrading treatment.  Furthermore, these checkpoints are used as ambushes to arrest the Palestinian civilians as the Israeli forces almost daily carry out arrest campaigns at these checkpoints and at the border crossings with the West Bank.

• Efforts to Create A Jewish majority

Israeli forces escalated their attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property. They have also continued their raids on al-Aqsa Mosque and denied the Palestinians access to it:

Arrests and Incursions:

• At approximately 01:00 on Sunday, 25 June 2019, Israeli forces moved into al-Shaikh Jarrah neighborhood, north of occupied East Jerusalem. They then raided and searched a house belonging to Hamam Ibrahim al-Hussani (16) and then arrested him.

• At approximately 02:00 on Monday, 24 June 2019, Israeli forces moved into al-Dahrah area in al-‘Issawiyia village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. They then raided and searched houses, from which they arrested Husam Samieh ‘Eliyan (18), Majd Basheer Ahmed (21), ‘Abed al-Qader Mohamed Mohamed Dari (19), Nour al-Deen Maher Muhasin (20), Mohamed Rafat Dari (19), Ayoub Abu al-Humus (19), and Akram Mostafa (20).

• At approximately 05:00 on Tuesday, 15 June 2019, Israeli forces moved into Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched houses, from which they arrested ‘Abdullah Mohamed Abu Latifa (17) and ‘Ali Abu Latifa (19).

• On Tuesday, Israeli forces arrested Yousef ‘Ali Hazinah (19), from al-Sa’diyia neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, under the pretext of hanging a banner on the Old City wall written on it ““Down with the Bahrain conference! “. The Israeli forces then took him to a police station on Salah al-Deen Street for investigation. It should be noted that on Tuesday evening, a number of Palestinian young men hung a large banner written on it ““Down with the Bahrain conference! “. The banner was hung on the Old City wall in the area located between al-‘Amoud and al-Sahera Gates (al-Sultan Suliman Street). Moreover, the Palestinian young men fixed the Palestinian flag on the Old City wall, condemning Bahrain conference and Deal of the Century. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces took down the banner and flag, and then arrested Yousef.

• House Demolitions:

• On Thursday, 20 June 2019, Israeli forces moved into Wadi al-Humus neighborhood in Surbaher village, south of occupied East Jerusalem. They then handed dozens of civilians notices to demolish their houses and gave them until 18 July 2019. The Committee of Wadi al-Humus neighborhood stated that on 13 June 2019, the Israeli Supreme Court approved on the Israeli forces’ decision to demolish 16 residential buildings, comprising of over 100 houses, under the pretext of being close to the annexation wall. The committee added that the Israeli forces gave the houses’ residents until 18 July to self-demolish the houses or the Israeli forces will demolish them later. The committee clarified that the Israeli forces handed the residents demolition notices 3 years ago under the pretext of being close to the annexation wall. According to the Israeli authorities’ decisions, construction works are banned up to 250 meters from the annexation wall for security reasons. This means that around 1500 dunums of Wadi al-Humus neighborhood are threatened to be levelled, constituting half of the neighborhood area. The Committee added that the buildings, which were approved for demolition, are located in area classified as Area “A” and licensed by the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government.

• At approximately 11:00 on Wednesday, 26 June 2019, Israeli forces demolished an under-construction gas station in ‘Anata village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. Head of ‘Aata village municipality, Taha Nu’man, said that 3 military bulldozers accompanied with a large force of Israeli soldiers demolished the gas station built on 3-dunum of land at the northern entrance to the village. The gas station, which was demolished under the pretext of being in area C, belongs to Mohamed Ibrahim Helwa. Taha added that the Israeli forces fired a barrage of tear gas canisters while demolishing the station in order to prevent residents from approaching the area.

• Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property

• At approximately 09:00 on Monday, 24 June 2019, Israeli forces backed by military vehicles and accompanied with a vehicle of the Israeli Civil Administration moved into al-Mofaqarrah village, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. The Israeli workers dismantled a 40-sqaure-meter residential tent built of sheds and iron pipes and confiscated it without any prior notice to stop construction works or demolition. The tent belongs to Qasem Mohamed Hasan Hamamrah (40), who was living in the tent along with his wife and their 5 children. An Israeli Civil Administration officer handed Qasem a list of the confiscated items and later left the area.

• At approximately 13:30 on Tuesday, 25 June 2019, Israeli forces confiscated a mounted-crane truck and a vehicle belonging to Beit Ummer Municipality, north of Hebron. They then took them to a detention facility in “Ghush Etizon” settlement, south of Bethlehem. The mounted-crane truck and the vehicle were confiscated while the Electricity Company staff belonging to the municipality were working in Beit Za’tah area adjacent to the Bypass Road (60) in order to supply the residents’ houses with electricity.

• Settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and property

• Israeli settlers’ attacks:

• At approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 22 June 2019, a group of Israeli settlers, from “ Ariel” settlement, leveled Palestinians’ agricultural lands located adjacent to ‘Abed al-Rahman Valley in Salfit. The settlers aimed at building a settlement road, establishing infrastructure and conducting excavation for settlement housing units in order to expand the abovementioned settlement. The levelled lands belong to the heirs of the late ‘Abed al-Ghaffar Zaghloul Qayil, the heirs of the late ‘Izzat Zaid, the heirs of the late Mousa Daib Ishtaeih, the heirs of the late ‘Abed al-Ghaffar ‘Afanah, the heirs of the late Hussain ‘Abed al-Ghani ‘Afanah, the heirs of the late Ahmed Daib Dahdoul, the heirs of the late Ahmed Naseef Ishtaieh, and the heirs of the late ‘Abed al-Hadi al-Bashar.

• On Sunday morning, 23 June 2019, dozens of Israeli settlers levelled 300 agricultural dunums in Khelet al-Nahlah area adjacent to Wad Rahhal village, south of Bethlehem. Hasan Barijiyah, Head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance in Bethlehem, said that settlers’ bulldozers levelled lands in Khelet al-Nahlah area, under the Israeli forces’ protection. Those lands belong to Mohamed Yaieh ‘Ayish. He pointed out that the settlers levelled the lands in order to place mobile houses and establish a settlement outpost called” Givat Etam “. This outpost will connect “Efrat “and “Tekoa“settlements together and isolate Bethlehem from its southern countryside and southern West Bank by plan “E2”.

• Recommendations to the International Community

1. PCHR calls upon the international community to respect the Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334 and to ensure that Israel respects it as well, in particular point 5 which obliges Israel not to deal with settlements as if they were part of the State of Israel.
2. PCHR calls upon the ICC for an ongoing investigation into Israeli crimes committed in the oPt, particularly the settlement crimes and serious violations in the Gaza Strip.
3. PCHR Calls upon the European Union (EU) and all international bodies to boycott settlements and ban working and investing in them in application of their obligations according to international human rights law and international humanitarian law, considering settlements as a war crime.
4. PCHR calls upon the international community to work jointly and seriously to enable the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination and establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with an overwhelming majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including punitive means, to end the occupation of the State of Palestine.
5. PCHR calls upon the international community and UN to take all necessary measures to stop the Israeli policy aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in the Palestinian territory and at emptying Palestine from its original inhabitants through expulsions and the policy of house demolitions as a punishment, which are serious violations of the international humanitarian law and may amount to crimes against humanity.
6. PCHR calls upon the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to work for guaranteeing accountability and prosecution of the Israeli war criminals.
7. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfill their obligations under article (1) of the Convention to ensure respect for the Conventions under all circumstances, and under articles (146) and (147) to search for and prosecute those responsible for committing grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. This is achieved by activating the principle of universal jurisdiction to ensure justice and remedy for Palestinian victims, especially in light of the denial of justice for them before the Israeli judiciary.
8. PCHR calls for an urgent and prompt intervention to compel the Israeli authorities to lift the total closure imposed on the Gaza Strip, which restricts the freedom of movement of goods and individuals, and to save the life of 2 million civilians living in the Gaza Strip in unprecedented and strangulating economic, social, political and cultural conditions due to the collective punishment policy and retaliatory actions against civilians.
9. PCHR calls upon the EU to apply human rights standards embedded in the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to respect its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights when dealing with Israel.
10. PCHR calls upon the parties to international human rights instruments, especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to pressurize Israel to comply with its provisions in the oPt and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the competent committees.
11. PCHR calls upon the EU and international human rights bodies to pressurize the Israeli forces to stop their attacks against Palestinian fishermen and farmers, mainly in the border area.

Fully detailed document available at the official website of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).

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