PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (24 – 30 May 2018)

Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for the week of 24 – 30 May, 2018.

Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against Palestinian peaceful protestors in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Six Palestinian civilians succumbed to their wounds, 5 of whom were injured during the Great March of Return, in the Gaza Strip. 120 Palestinian civilians, including 19 children, 5 women and 2 journalists, were wounded in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Israeli forces continued to use force against Palestinian civilians, who participated in peaceful demonstrations organized within the activities of the “Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege” in the Gaza Strip, which witnessed for the 9^th week in a row peaceful demonstrations along the eastern and northern Gaza Strip border area. During the reporting period, in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces wounded 101 Palestinian civilians, including 16 children, 3 women, and 2 journalists; two of the wounded are in serious condition. Meanwhile, 6 civilians succumbed to their wounds. In the West Bank, 19 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 2 women, were wounded.

In the same context, medical sources in the Palestinian Ministry of Health declared that 6 civilians succumbed to their wounds; 5 of whom were wounded during the Great March of Return on 14 May 2018, which was the bloodiest day since the beginning of the activities of “Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege” while the sixth was wounded on 18 March 2018. Those killed were identified as:

Ahmed ‘Ali Mustafa Qatoush (28) from al-Zawaydah was hit with a bullet to the knee in eastern al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip and succumbed to his wounds on 24 May 2018.
Muhanad Baker Mohammed abu Tahoun (20) from al-Nussairat was hit with a bullet to the head in eastern al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip and succumbed to his wounds on 24 May 2018.
Yaser Sami Sa’ed al-Deen Habib (25) from al-Shija’iyah was hit with a bullet to the neck in eastern al-Zaytoun neighborhood in eastern Gaza and succumbed to his wounds on 25 May 2018
Hussein Salem Abu ‘Aweidah (41) from al-Sha’af neighbourhood was hit with a bullet to the back in eastern al-Zaytoun neighborhood in eastern Gaza and succumbed to his wounds on 26 May 2018.
Naser ‘Aref ‘Abdel Ra’ouf al-‘Arini (27) from al-Twam neighborhood in Jabalia was hit with a bullet to the abdomen in eastern Abu Safiyah Hill in eastern Jabalia and succumbed to his wounds on 28 May 2018.
Naji Maysarah ‘Abdullah Ghunaim (23) from al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah City was hit with an explosive bullet to the right thigh and succumbed to his wounds on 30 May 2018.

During the reporting period, Investigations and Field Observations by PCHR’s Fieldworkers Confirm the Following:

The demonstrations have been entirely peaceful with an outstanding participation of women, elderlies and children, as the fieldworkers have not witnessed any armed manifestations.
The Israeli Forces unprecedentedly and heavily stationed along the border fence and inside the military sites surrounding the area along with intensive flight of the Israeli warplanes.
Tear gas canisters were intensively and unprecedentedly fired from the drones and by the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence or in the military sites. The tear gas has spared none, including PCHR’s staff that was in the field.
Ambulances, medical staff, and field medical points were deliberately and directly targeted and prevented from approaching those wounded in addition to causing injuries among them.
Journalists were directly targeted, causing injuries among them.
The Israeli fire deliberately targeted the upper part of the body as dozens sustained wounds to the head and chest and many are in critical condition; thus, the number of deaths is likely to increase.

Israeli Settlement Activities and Settlers’ Attacks against the Palestinian Civivlians and their Property:

As part of the Israeli settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property, on 27 May 2018, a number of settlers cut 700 grapevines in al-Fahs area, south of Hebron. The settlers also wrote racist slogans in Hebrew on an agricultural barrack in the attacked lands. It should be mentioned that this is the third time the settlers cut grapevines in Hebron within May only as 1100 grapevines were cut on 16 and 23 May 2018. On 28 May 2018, settlers cut 100 fruitful grapevines in Kafr Malek village, northeast of Ramallah.

Use of Force against Demonstrations in Protest against the U.S. President’s Decision to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel:

Continuing the demonstrations in protest against the U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy to it, Palestinian civilians organized protests against the decision throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They further organized peaceful demonstrations where ten thousands of civilians participated, for the ninth Friday in a row, in commemoration of the 42^nd Anniversary of the Land Day in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrations were called as “The Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege.” The demonstrations were as follows during the reporting period:

Gaza Strip:

At approximately 15:30 on Friday, 25 May 2018, thousands of Palestinian protestors swarmed to the Return encampments established by the Supreme National Authority for the Great March of Return; 350 meters away from the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, east of al-Buraij in the central Gaza Strip. A number of young men approached the border fence, set fire to tires and threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed behind the border fence. The soldiers fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors and the participants’ gathering in the Return encampment. The clashes continued until the evening. As a result, 9 civilians were wounded. Five of them were hit with live bullets and 4 others were directly hit with tear gas canisters. The wounded were transferred via an ambulance belonging to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Doctors classified their injuries between minor and moderate.

At approximately 16:00, hundreds of civilians, including women and children started swarming into the demonstration yard in the Return encampment, east of Khuza’ah village, east of Khan Younis n the southern Gaza Strip to participate in the “Holding over Despite the Closure” Friday as named by the Supreme National Authority for the March of Return and Breaking the Siege. Dozens of civilians moved into the north of the camp, set fire to tires, chanted national slogans and raised flags. Some of them attempted to approach the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Israeli forces stationed behind hills and sand barriers and in military vehicles along the border fence sporadically and limitedly opened fire at the protesters and fired tear gas canisters at them and in the center of the camp. The shooting and teargasing sporadically continued for until approximately 19:00 on the same day. As a result, 29 civilians, including 2 children, were wounded. Four of them were hit with live bullets and 25 were directly hit with tear gas canisters. They received medical treatment in the field hospital and at Nasser, Gaza European and the Algerian Hospitals.

At approximately 17:00 on the same Friday, Israeli forces stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza strip and Israel, east of Abu Safiyah Hill, northeast of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at hundreds of civilians for the ninth Friday within the activities of “The Return March and Breaking Siege” upon a call from the Supreme National Authority. The protestors set fire to tires and threw stones from far distances at Israeli soldiers stationed behind sand barriers. The clashes continued until approximately 19:30. As a result, 9 civilians were wounded. Three of them were hit with live bullets and 6 civilians were directly hit with tear gas canisters. The wounded civilians were transferred via ambulances belonging to PRCS, Medical Services, Union of Health Work Committees and the Ministry of Health to the Indonesian Hospital. Doctors classified their injuries between moderate and minor while the injury of one civilian as serious.

Around the same time, thousands of civilians gathered in eastern side of Malakah intersection, east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, to participate in the “The Great March of Return and Breaking Siege” activities. A number of them threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The soldiers fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 42 civilians, including 3 children, 2 women and photojournalist ‘Ali Hasan Jadallah (27), were wounded. The journalist who works at the Anadolu Agency was hit with a tear gas canister to the chest.

Around the same time, thousands of Palestinian civilians, including women and children within entire families, swarmed to the Return encampment established by the Supreme National Authority for the Great March of Return and Breaking Siege, east of al-Shwakah village, east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, around 300 meters away from the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The protestors raised the Palestinian flags, chanted national slogans, set fire to tires and flew paper kites. A number of them approached the border fence and threw stones at Israeli soldiers. The soldiers fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors. The clashes continued until approximately 19:00. As a result, 11 civilians, including 4 children, a woman and a journalist, were wounded. Two of them were hit with live bullet shrapnel and 9 were directly hit with tear gas canisters, including photojournalist Amir Mohammed Rushdi al-Maghari (22). The wounded civilians were taken to field hospitals in the camp and their wounds were classified as moderate. Two of them were transferred to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah city. During the clashes, the Israeli soldiers targeted an ambulance belonging to the Ministry of Health with a tear gas canister. As a result, the ambulance crew comprised of a driver, a paramedic and 2 wounded civilians who were inside the ambulance suffered tear gas inhalation.

At approximately 00:15 on Sunday, 27 May 2018, Israeli soldiers stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired live bullets and flare bombs at dozens of Palestinian young men who gathered in the Return camp near the border fence, east of al-Shawkah, east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. However, no casualties were reported.

At approximately 18:00 on Monday, 28 May 2018, Israeli soldiers stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at a 20-year-old civilian from Khuza’ah. As a result, he was hit with 2 live bullets to the legs while he was at the vicinity of the Return encampment. The wounded civilian was transferred to Gaza European hospital to receive medical treatment. Doctors classified their injuries as moderate.

At approximately 18:10 on Wednesday, 30 May 2018, Israeli soldiers opened fire at a group of young and children who were about 150 meters away from the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Buraij in the central Gaza Strip during their participation in the March of Return. As a result, a 15-year-old child from al-Maghazi was hit with a live bullet to the back and penetrated his chest. The child was admitted to al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah via a PRCS ambulance and then was referred to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Six Civilians Succumbed to Their Wounds:

At approximately 19:00 on Thursday, 24 May 2018, medical sources at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City announced the death of Ahmed ‘Ali Mustafa Qatoush (28) from al-Zawaidah succumbing to his previous wounds. According to PCHR’s investigations, Qatoush was hit with a live bullet to the right knee during his participation in the Great Return March on Monday, 14 May 2018, east of al-Buraij in the central Gaza Strip. He was admitted to al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah and then was referred to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to his serious injury to continue his medical treatment. He stayed at the hospital until his death was announced.

At approximately 21:00 on the same Thursday, medical sources at al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron announced the death of Muhanned Baker Mohammed Abu Tahoun (20) from al-Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip succumbing to his previous wounds. According to PCHR’s investigations, Abu Tahoun was hit with a live bullet to the head during his participation in the Great Return March on 14 May 2018, east of al-Buraij in the central Gaza Strip. He was admitted to al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah and then was referred to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to his serious injury. On 23 May 2018, Qatoush was referred to al-Ahli hospital in Hebron in the West Bank where he died in the next day.

On Friday, 25 May 2018, Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of Yasser Sami Sa’ad Eden Habib (25) from al-Sheja’ieyah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, succumbing to his wounds. According to PCHR’s investigations, Habib was hit with a live bullet to the neck during his participation in the Great Return March on 14 May 2018, in the eastern side of Malakah intersection, east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City. Habib was admitted to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and then was referred to Mar Youssef Hospital in East Jerusalem to continue his medical treatment. Habib stayed at the hospital until his death was announced.

At approximately 14:00 on Saturday, 26 May 2018, Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of Husein Salem Abu ‘Oueidah (41), from al-Sha’af, succumbing to his wounds. According to PCHR’s investigations, Abu ‘Ouweidah was hit with a live bullet to the back during his participation in the Great Return March on 14 May 2018, in the eastern side of Malakah intersection, east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City. He was admitted to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and then was referred to a hospital in Israel to continue his medical treatment due to his serious injury. He stayed at the hospital until his death was announced.

At approximately 13:00 on Monday, 28 May 2018, medical sources at the Indonesian hospital in Jabalia announced the death of Nasser Abdul Ra’ouf al-‘Areni (27) from al-Twam neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, succumbing to his wounds. According to PCHR’s investigations, al-‘Areni was hit with a live bullet to the abdomen during his participation in the Great Return March on 14 May 2018,east of Abu Safiyah Hill, east of Jabalia. Al-‘Areni was admitted to the Indonesian Hospital where he underwent 4 surgeries in which parts of the internal organs were removed due to its laceration. Al-‘Areni stayed at the hospital until his death was announced. It should be noted that al-‘Areni was supposed to leave the hospital on Monday 28 May 2018 to receive medical treatment at Mar Youssef Hospital in occupied Jerusalem after he obtained a permit and his parents were waiting a call from the Medical Coordination Department when he is leaving, but he died.

At approximately 11:30 on Wednesday, 30 May 2018, medical sources in Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis announced the death of Naji Maisarah Abdullah Ghuneim (23) from al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah, succumbing to his wounds. Ghuneim was hit with a live bullet to the right thigh during his participation in the Great March of Return on 18 May 2018, in al-Shawkah village, east of Rafah near the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Ghuneim was admitted to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah and then referred to Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis. He was later referred to al-Mutala’ Hospital in Jerusalem due to his serious injury. He was hit with an explosive live bullet, cutting the main artery, and leading to severe bleeding. Ghuneim was admitted to the ICU where his death was announced.

West Bank:

At approximately 10:20 on Friday, 25 May 2018, a group of Palestinian civilians protested at the northern entrance to Qalqiliyah “Eyal” They chanted national slogans demanding to end occupation, condemning removing the U.S embassy to occupied Jerusalem and the Israeli forces’ crimes against Palestinian protestors along the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. The protestors set fire to tires and threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed at the abovementioned checkpoint. The soldiers fired rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors and chased them. they also arrested 2 civilians, including a child, namely Motiam Khaldoun Mohammed Redwan (17) and Tha’er Ashraf Mohammed Zaid (19).

At approximately 16:00 on Saturday, 25 May 2018, a group of Palestinian civilians moved from Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqiliyah, to the eastern entrance to the village, which has been closed for 15 years in favor of the entrance to “Kedumim” settlement established on the village lands. The protestors chanted national slogans demanding end of occupation, condemning the U.S President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital Israel and condemning the Israeli forces’ crimes against Palestinian protestors along the eastern border of the Gaza Strip within “The Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege” activities. The protestors set fire to tires, threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed behind sand barriers. The soldiers fired rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a 23-year-old civilian was hit with a rubber bullet to the head. On Friday afternoon, 24 May 2018, a similar demonstration was organized at the abovementioned entrance. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation.

Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property

Israeli forces’ attacks

At approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 27 May 2018, Israeli forces accompanied with a vehicle of the Israeli Civil Administration moved into Kherbit al-Mofaqarah, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. They stationed between Palestinian civilians’ houses and then an Israeli Civil Administration officer took photos of the houses and handed the residents notices to stop construction works under the pretext of non-licensing in areas classified as area (C). The houses, which were notified, belong to No’man Shehdah al-Barakandi, Fasdel Hasan al-Hamamdah, Hussain Ahmed al-Hamamadah, Maher Khalil al-Hamamdah, and Jamal Mousa al-Barakandi.

Israeli settlers’ attacks

On Sunday, 27 May 2018, a number of Israeli settlers cut with saws over 700 grapevines belonging to Mohamed Shokri Na’iem Abu Rajab and his 3 siblings in al-Fahs area lands, south of Hebron. Israeli settlers wrote racist slogans in Hebrew on an agricultural container located in the abovementioned land. It should be noted that this is the 3^rd time the Israeli forces cut grapevines in Hebron during this May. On 16 May 2018, the settlers cut 400 grapevines in al-Morajamah area, north of Hebron. On 23 May 2018, the settlers cut around 700 grapevines in lands adjacent to the bypass road (60).
On Monday, 28 May 2018, a group of Israeli settlers, from “Kochav Shahar“ settlement, uprooted over 100 fruitful grapevines in Kafur Malek village, east of Ramallah. The attacked a plot of land belonging to Eyad Sa’ied Mo’adi.

Recommendations to the International Community

PCHR warns of the escalating settlement construction in the West Bank, the attempts to legitimize settlement outposts established on Palestinian lands in the West Bank and the continued summary executions of Palestinian civilians under the pretext that they pose a security threat to the Israeli forces. PCHR reminds the international community that thousands of Palestinian civilians have been rendered homeless and lived in caravans under tragic circumstances due to the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been under a tight closure for almost 11 years. PCHR welcomes the UN Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334, which states that settlements are a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and calls upon Israel to stop them and not to recognize any demographic change in the oPt since 1967. PCHR hopes this resolution will pave the way for eliminating the settlement crime and bring to justice those responsible for it. PCHR further reiterates that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation in spite of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan of 2005. PCHR emphasizes that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law. Israel is bound to apply international human rights law and the law of war, sometimes reciprocally and other times in parallel, in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for the victims.

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 Israel.
PCHR calls upon the ICC this year to open an investigation into Israeli crimes committed in the oPt, particularly the settlement crimes and the 2014 offensive on the Gaza Strip.
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.
PCHR calls upon the international community to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine.
PCHR calls upon the international community and United Nations to take all necessary measures to stop Israeli policies aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem and at voiding Palestine from its original inhabitants through deportations and house demolitions as a collective punishment, which violates international humanitarian law, amounting to a crime against humanity.
PCHR calls upon the international community to condemn summary executions carried out by Israeli forces against Palestinians and to pressurize Israel to stop them.
PCHR calls upon the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to work hard to hold Israeli war criminals accountable.
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 to ensure justice and remedy for Palestinian victims, especially in light of the almost complete denial of justice for them before the Israeli judiciary.
PCHR calls upon the international community to speed up the reconstruction process necessary because of the destruction inflicted by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
PCHR calls for a prompt intervention to compel the Israeli authorities to lift the closure that obstructs the freedom of movement of goods and 1.8 million civilians that experience unprecedented economic, social, political and cultural hardships due to collective punishment policies and retaliatory action against civilians.
PCHR calls upon the European Union 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.
PCHR calls upon the international community, especially states that import Israeli weapons and military services, to meet their moral and legal responsibility not to allow Israel to use the offensive in Gaza to test new weapons and not accept training services based on the field experience in Gaza in order to avoid turning Palestinian civilians in Gaza into testing objects for Israeli weapons and military tactics.
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 relevant committees.
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.