PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (25 Jun – 01 July 2020)

Summary

Israeli forces continued to commit crimes and multi-faceted violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including invasions into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, Israeli Forces’ excessive use of force rendered 9 injuries among Palestinian civilians, including a child and a paramedic, during raids and attacks on peaceful protests in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, which have also witnessed wide-scale demolitions and distribution of demolition notices of civilian houses and properties over the past several weeks, as Israeli occupation authorities prepare to commence its annexation plan of large parts of West Bank territories.

This week, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) documented 155 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt).

Shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity: Israeli Forces shot and wounded 9 Palestinians, including a child and a paramedic, in excessive use of force against a Kufur Qaddoum weekly protests against the occupation and settlement activities in the West Bank.
In Gaza, 5 shootings against agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip were reported; and once against fishing boats sailing in northern Gaza sea.

Incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: Israeli Forces carried out 74 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this week’s incursions, 77 Palestinians were arrested, including 6 children and 3 women. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions into eastern Rafah, Khan Younis and Central governorate.

Settlement expansion activities and settlers’ attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, PCHR documented 5 violations, including:

East Jerusalem

Hebron

PCHR also documented 4 settler attacks that included assault in Qalqilia and Salfit that rendered 3 civilians with bruises, and arsenal attacks on agricultural lands in Nablus and Ramallah.

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement: The Gaza Strip still suffers the worst closure in the history of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life. Furthermore, since the PA ended security coordination with Israeli authorities in May 2020, hundreds of critically ill patients whose condition cannot afford delays in treatment were denied travel. This week, 2 children died because they were unable to travel for treatment abroad. This was amplified by the restrictions put in place by IOF since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, that had already had grave implications on the humanitarian and economic situation of the Gaza Strip population.

Meanwhile, IOF continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the Second Intifada and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to arrest.

I. Violation of the Right to Life and to Bodily Integrity/Shooting and other Violations

At approximately 09:00 on Thursday, 25 June 2020, IOF stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Khuza’ah village, in eastern Khan Younis. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 17:00 on the same Thursday, a number of Palestinian young men gathered in agricultural lands, adjacent to al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron, and threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed at a temporary checkpoint leading to Bypass road (60). Israeli soldiers chased stone-throwers and fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of young men suffocated due to tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 22:00 on the same Thursday, Israeli gunboats stationed west of Rafah shore in southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area (6 nautical miles). Fishermen, as a result of that, panicked and had to sail back to the shore. Neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
At approximately 07:50 on Friday, 26 June 2020, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, opened fire and fired tear gas canisters at Palestinian shepherds present in lands adjacent to the border fence. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 13:00 on Friday, 26 June 2020, IOF stationed at the northern entrance established at lands of Kufur Qaddoum village, north of Qalqilia, suppressed a protest in which dozens of civilians participated. IOF chased young men, who gathered in the area, clashed with them, and fired rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, nine civilians, including a child and a paramedic, were shot with rubber bullets. The child was shot with a rubber bullet in his shoulders and the paramedic was shot in his mouth while others sustained rubber bullets in their shoulders, except for one who was shot with a rubber bullet in his back. (Names of the wounded civilians are available at PCHR)
At approximately 13:15 on the same Friday, IOF stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Khuza’ah village, in eastern Khan Younis. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 14:00 on the same Friday, a number of Palestinian young men gathered in Bad al-Zawiyah area in the center of Hebron and threw stones at a military checkpoint established at al-Shuhada street known as Checkpoint (56), which is closed. Israeli soldiers immediately fired tear gas canisters at stone-throwers and chased them between commercial shops into Abu al-Hums area. Confrontations between IOF and Palestinian young men continued until 17:00 on the same day, in which a number of young men suffocated due to tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 27 June 2020, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, northeast of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire and fired tear gas canisters at agricultural lands for 30 minutes. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 27 June 2020, IOF stationed at Qalandia military roadblock, north of occupied East Jerusalem, arrested Ahmed Wajih Wahdan (22), a person with mobility impairment, and beat him severely, alleging that he has a knife. As a result, Wahdan sustained bruises all over his body. IOF also took Wahdan to “Atrout” settlement’s police station established on Qalandia village’s lands for investigation.
Mohammed Wahdan, Ahmed’s brother, said that his brother, who is a roving street vendor at the above-mentioned checkpoint suffers from impaired mobility in his right foot and hand. Mohammed denied the news published by news agencies, including Israeli media, that his brother attempted to carry out a stab attack. Mohammed also said that his brother was arrested near the gate where he used to sell water. Mohammed added that according to eyewitnesses’ statement, Israeli soldiers ordered his brother to move backwards few steps and when he did, they immediately arrested him and beat him. It should be noted that Wahdan is from Qalandia, north of occupied East Jerusalem. Wahdan sustained a fracture in his nose, wounds in his head and foot and bruises throughout his body after IOF attacked him.
At approximately 20:00 on the same Saturday, an Israeli force reinforced with several military SUVs stormed al-Samou’s village, south of Hebron. They patrolled the village streets, stationed in its center, and deployed between houses. A number of Palestinian young men gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who indiscriminately fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of stone-throwers suffocated due to tear gas inhalation. IOF withdrew from the village later. Neither arrests nor house incursions were reported.
At approximately 15:40 on Monday, 29 June 2020, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, opened fire and fired tear gas canisters at agricultural lands for 30 minutes no casualties were

II. Incursions and Arrests:

Thursday, 25 June 2020:

At approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Silwan, south of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Ali Ahmed al-Harsh’s (15) house and arrested him.
At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Habayel village in Abu Dis, east of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Hamza Hesham Erekat’s (28) house and arrested him. It should be noted that Erekat’s cousin is Ahmed Mustafa Erekat (26), who was killed by the Israeli soldiers at the “Container” military roadblock last Tuesday, when IOF claimed that the victim attempted to carry out a run-over attack.
At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Nour Shams refugee camp, in Tulkarem. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Ahmed Izzat Zendiq (25).
At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into al-‘Isawiya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (8) civilians: Mohammed Hamza Obaid (21), Mohammed Khalil Awwad (21), Awwad Ra’ed Kleib (24), Younis Wissam Abu al-Hums (18), Wadea’ Dawoud Alian (20), Khaled Dia’ Muhaisn (17), Yousif Tareq Darwish (22), and Ahmed Abdulsalam Abu al-Roumi (21).
At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Jit village, northeast of Qalqilia. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Mo’aweya Ali al-Sidda (26).
At approximately 16:00, IOF moved into al-‘Isawiya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Mahmoud Khudair Alian (17), and Mohammed Mousa Mostafa (21), and arrested them.
At approximately 16:20, IOF stationed near Ofer detention in Betounia, west of Ramallah, arrested (4) civilians while waiting out of the detention to welcome a Palestinian detainee, from Deir Jreir, to be freed. The arrestees are: Qusai Dawoud Olwi (22), Jehad Mohammed Ajaj (27), Aysar Zeyad Shuja’eya (26), and Ibrahim Abdul Wahab Olwi (23).
In the late night hours, IOF stationed at Za’tara military roadblock, southeast of Nablus, north of the West Bank, arrested an officer in the National Security, Ahmed Amin ‘Antari (38), from Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin, IOF took him to an unknown destination.
IOF carried out (3) incursions in Ya’bad, southwest of Jenin; al-Nabi Saleh and Birzeit, in Ramallah. No arrests were reported.

Friday, 26 June 2020:

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Burin village, southeast of Nablus, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched Ghassan Zeidan al-Najjar’s (28) house and arrested him.
At approximately 02:45, IOF moved into Barqa village, northwest of Nablus, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched Ali Mohammed Saif’s (37) house and arrested him.
At approximately 17:00, IOF stationed at al-Za’eem military checkpoint, east of the occupied East Jerusalem, arrested Anwar Sami Obaid (23), and took him to an unknown destination. It should be noted that the Israeli Authorities arrested and summonsed Obaid for more than 6 times in the latest months, and he spent up to 20-months in the Israeli prisons.
At approximately 22:00, IOF deployed in Hebron’s Old City’s neighborhoods, searched and arrested Ahmed Hussain al-Natshah (18), while present near the building of Shari’a court. IOF took him to the police station at “Kiryat Arba’” settlement, east of Hebron.
IOF carried out (4) incursions in Jama’in and Kafr Qalil, southeast of Nablus; Jayous and Qalqilia, in Qalqilia governorate. No arrests were reported.

Saturday, 27 June 2020:

At approximately 11:00, IOF arrested the Head of the Aqsa Mosque Murabitun Committee, Yousef Ibrahim Mukhaimar (48), while present near al-Asbat Gate, one of the Aqsa Mosque’s gates. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
At approximately 16:00, IOF stationed at Za’tara military checkpoint, southeast of Nablus, north of the West Bank, arrested Mo’men Mohammed Rihan (26), from Tal village, south of Nablus. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
IOF carried out an incursion in Kifl Hares, north of Salfit. No arrests were reported

Sunday, 28 June 2020:

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Abu Dis village, east of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Bilal Abu al-Zaki (24), and Qasem Halabeyah (26), and arrested them.
At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ayda refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched Ahmed Mohammed Hammad’s (26) house and arrested him.
At approximately 02:00, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into Hebron, and stationed in Daheyat al-Zaytoun area. They raided and searched Adnan Younis Abu Tabana’s (50) house and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 03:00, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into al-‘Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched four houses and arrested (3) civilians including a child and handed Ahmed Emad al-Badawi (23) a summons to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Services in “Gush Etzion” settlement, south of Bethlehem. The arrestees are: Ahmed Emad al-Badawi (14), Ahmed Mohammed Adawi (18), and Ahmed Ra’fat al-Badawi (23).
At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Taqoua’ village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Ali Yousef Jabareen (25), and Ahmed Salem Sabbah (20), and handed them summonses to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Services.
IOF carried out (2) incursions in Qalqilia and Hebla villages in Qalqilia governorate. No arrests were reported.

Monday, 29 June 2020:

At approximately 01:30, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into Beit Kahl, north of Hebron. They raided and searched Oday Hasan al-Khateeb’s (22) house and arrested him.
At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Osama Reyad Turkman (19) and Baha’ Adnan Abu Baker (27) and arrested them.
At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Jalama, northeast of Jenin, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched Abdullah Ahmed Abu Farha’s (29) house and arrested him.
At approximately 02:30, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles, moved into al-Thaheriya village, south of Hebron. They raided and searched Mo’ath Mohammed al-Qaisiya’s (32) house and arrested him.
At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Dura al-Qara’ village, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched Amjad Hassan al-Rabei’i’s (32) house and arrested him. It should be noted that the above-mentioned civilian was a former prisoner in the Israeli prisons.
At approximately 04:20, IOF moved into Silwad, northeast of Ramallah. They raided and searched Awni Fares Hammad’s (40) house and arrested him.
At approximately 08:00, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles and bulldozers, moved 100-meters from al-Mtabaq Gate on the border fence, to al-Shawka village, east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. They levelled and combed lands. At approximately 11:30, IOF redeployed again.
At approximately 08:00, IOF moved into Beit Hanin neighborhood, north of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched the house of the director of the “Women Development and Empowerment” association, Elham No’man Abu Sbaih (43) house and arrested her along with her son, Ahmed Khader Abu Sbaih (18). Elham’s husband, Khader Abu Sbaih, said that the Israeli “Yasam” special patrol unit aggressively stormed their house, they severely beaten and arrested his son, Ahmed, while he was sleeping. They damaged the house contents and confiscated several documents belonging to Elham, before they arrested her and her son, Ahmed.
At approximately 11:00, IOF stationed at Container military checkpoint, east of Bethlehem, arrested Rima’ Mahmoud al-Shabrawi (40), known as “Abu al-Reem”, from Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, north of the West Bank. Rima’ works at the Palestinian Security Services, and he was taken to an unknown destination.
At approximately 21:00, a group of Mista’arvim (Israeli Special Unit dressed like Palestinian), sneaked to al-Nasra street, northeast of Jenin, and stationed near al-Basateen park. They arrested a worker in the park, Hamza Mohammed Rahhal (20), from Jenin, north of the West Bank, and took him to an unknown destination.
IOF carried out (4) incursions in Deir al-Ghsoun and Tulkarem, in Tulkarem governorate; Derastya and Kifl Hares, in Salfit governorate. No arrests were reported.

Tuesday, 30 June 2020:

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into ‘Araba, southwest of Jenin, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched Mahmoud Mustafa Merdawi’s (19) house and arrested him.
At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ayda refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched Shadi Mwafaq Badawna’s (35) house and arrested him.
At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Nahaleen, west of Bethlehem. They raided and searched several; houses and arrested (4) civilians: Ahmed Mohye al-Dein Fannoun (24), Khaldoun Mahmoud Fannoun (31), Hassan Mohammed Najajera (23), and his brother Abdul Halim (20).
At approximately 08:45, IOF reinforced with several military bulldozers, moved 100-meters to the east of ‘Abasan al-Kabira and ‘Abasan al-Jadida villages,east of Khan Younis. They leveled and combed lands that were previously levelled amidst Israeli sporadic shooting and redeployed to the north of the border fence after hours.
At approximately 11:20, IOF reinforced with 8 military vehicles and bulldozers, moved 100-meters to the west of the border fence, east of Deir al-Balah in the Central Gaza Strip. They levelled, combed lands and done maintenance work along the border fence, and then headed to the east of al-Maghazi before they redeployed again at approximately 14:30.
At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Beit Daqqo village, northwest of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Mohammed Ali Dawoud’s (20) house and arrested him.
At approximately 13:00, IOF arrested the lawyer Salah Hasan al-Hamouri (35), a former prisoner in the Israeli prisons, while present in a medical center in al-Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, north of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
It should be noted that al-Hamouri is a French national, and he was sentenced to prison 3 times, in the first sentence he spent about two years before he was released, then he re-arrested again on 2005, and sentenced to 7 years, but he was released after 6 years and a half in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal in 2011. On 23 August 2017, IOF put him on administrative detention, he was arrested while working as a fieldworker for al-Dameer Association for Human Rights; al-Hamouri spent more than 11-months in the Israeli prisons.
At approximately 17:00, IOF moved into Silwan village, south of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched Eslam Mas’oud Zaytoun’s (15) house and arrested him.

Wednesday, 01 July 2020:

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into several neighborhoods in the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched dozens of houses and carried out wide arrests campaign on charge of violating the law of the application, which criminalizes any work of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied Jerusalem. The head of the family committee of Jerusalem prisoners, Amjad Abu Asab, that IOF arrested (13) civilians from al-Issaweya, al-Tawr neighborhood, Wadi al-Jouz, and Silwan. The arrestees are: Mohammed Khalil ‘Amira, Ahmed Musallam Abu al-Rab, Oday Mousa al-Sha’er, Bassam Ghaith, Ra’ed al-Ashhab, Mohammed Obaid, Ahmed Mahayna, Ehab Abu Sbitan, Waleed al-Sayyad, Mohammed Khwais, Jawad Jouda and Akram al-Salayma.
At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Nablus, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Harbi Mohammed Dawoud (26), living in al-Ma’moun St., and Yazan Abdul Naser Zagha (19), and arrested them.
Around the same time, IOF moved into ‘Askar al-Balad village, northeast of Nablus. They raided and searched Mansour Bashar Mansour’s (19) house and arrested him.
In the same context, IOF moved into Izbet al-Jarad, east of Tulkarem. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Abdul Karim Zeyad al-Hamshari (31).
At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Thanaba village, east of Tulkarem. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Suliman Husni Saleem Khraisha (37).
At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Tal village, southwest of Nablus, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Sayel Tahseen Ramadan (40) and Ayoub Ahmed ‘Aseeda (40) and arrested them.
At approximately 03:30, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into Ramallah, and stationed in al-Teira neighborhood, southwest of the city. They raided and searched several houses and arrested Elia’ Abu Hijla (20), a student at Birzeit University; and Haneen Nassar Fadayel (35), the wife of the prisoner Rami Rizk Fadayel.
At approximately 04:20, IOF moved into al-Jalazon refugee camp, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched Mahdi Naser Samad’a’s (19) house and arrested him.
Around the same time, IOF moved into Birzeit, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched Amjad ‘Ahed Samhan’s (21) house and arrested him.
At approximately 18:00, IOF arrested Amir Issa Za’tara (25), while present near Bab al-Sahera area in the central Old City of Jerusalem. He was taken to “al-Bareed” police station in Salah al-Dein Street.
IOF carried out (5) incursions in Ein Yabrod and Batn al-Hawa in Ramallah; Kreesa, Nuba, and Hebron villages in Hebron governorate. No arrests were reported.

III. Settlement Expansion and Settler Violence in the West Bank

a. Demolition and Confiscation of Civilian Property

On Thursday, 25 June 2020, Israeli military construction vehicles demolished a wall and 2 under-construction houses in ‘Anata village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing. ‘Anata village council stated that IOF moved into al-Boq’an neighborhood and demolished Saied al-Khatib’s 2-storey under-construction house (200 sqm). The village council clarified that IOF also moved into al-Najma neighborhood, where they demolished ‘Alaa ‘Alqam’s 2-storey house (150 sqm) and a wall surrounding Majdi al-Fahidat’s house ( 80 sqm).
At approximately 13:00 on Sunday, 28 June 2020, IOF moved into Beit Iksa village, northwest of occupied East Jerusalem and levelled a plot of land. Eyewitnesses said that IOF, backed by military construction vehicles raided Hamayil family’s plot of land and levelled it. Eyewitnesses added that IOF closed the village entrance, surrounded the area and established a tent before levelling the land. It should be noted that Beit Iksa village is inhabited by nearly 2000 citizens and is surrounded by the annexation wall and the Israeli settlements.
At approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 30 June 2020, IOF accompanied with Israeli Civil Administration officers moved into al-Tawana, al-Rakeez and al-Mofaqarah villages in eastern Yatta, south of Hebron. They distributed 8 notices to demolish and stop working in houses, agricultural rooms, a water well, and a barn.

The notices were as follows:

Village / Notice Type / Construction Material / Facility / Owner

Al-Tawana / Stop work / Bricks, tin plates / Barrack / Jamal Mohammed ‘Issa Rab’i
Al-Tawana / Stop work / Bricks, concrete / Agricultural / Jamal Mohammed ‘Issa Rab’i
Al-Tawana / Stop work / Bricks and concrete / House / Mohammed Mofdi Rab’i
Al-Tawana / Stop work / Tin plates / Agricultural / Ahmed Suliman Jaber al-‘Amour
Al-Tawana / Stop work / Iron angels, wire / Barn / Khader Suliman Jaber al-‘Amour
Al-Tawana / Stop work / Tin plates / Agricultural / Khaled Suliman Jaber al-‘Amour
Al-Rakeez / Stop work / Tin plates / Agricultural / Ashraf Mohammed Khalil al-‘Amour
Al-Rakeez / Stop work / – / Water well / Ashraf Mohammed Khalil al-‘Amour
Al-Rakeez / Demolition / Bricks, tin plates / Agricultural / Fadel Mohammed al-‘Amour
Al-Mofaqarah/Stop work / Tin plates / Agricultural / Yaser ‘Ali al-Hamamda

At approximately 06:00, Israeli municipality bulldozers demolished ‘Atiyia Isam’il Mutair and Hayat Dawoud Muhasin’s houses in al-‘Isawiya village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing. ‘Atiyia Mutair said that Israeli municipality bulldozers demolished a 40-square-meter building comprised of a room, kitchen and bathroom and built in May 2020. Mutair clarified that this building was attached to his old house built in 2013 to shelter his son family. Hayat Muhasin said that she was shocked when Israeli municipality staff raided her 80-square-meter house to demolish it.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli municipality bulldozers demolished Yaseen Za’atrah’s house in Dir al-Sunna neighborhood in al-Mukaber Mount village, southeast of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing. Za’atrah said that IOF surrounded his house in the morning and forcibly got his family out of the house. They then started to demolish it over its contents. Za’atrah clarified that the municipality staff raided his house in 2013 and ordered him to stop construction. After that, the municipality imposed a fine of NIS 48,000 on him and he is still paying it.
The municipality then hung a demolition notice on his house in December 2019. Za’atrah said that he headed to Israeli courts to appeal against the demolition notice, but in vain. He added that the municipality ordered him to self-demolish the house, but the construction vehicles’ owners refused to demolish the house, because it is located in a mountainous area. Za’atrah’s house sheltering 7 persons was built on an area of 84 square meters and comprised of 3 rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.

b. Israeli Settler Violence

On Thursday, 25 June 2020, Israeli settlers threw stones at a vehicle belonging to Mohammed ‘Abed al-Hafiz Za’rour (28), from Sir village in Qalqilya. As a result, Za’rour, who suffers from epilepsy, started to lose conscious and received treatment in Rafidia Hospital while his vehicle sustained damage. Za’rour said;

“At approximately 23:00 on Thursday, 25 June 2020, I was returning from my workplace in Jericho and heading to Sir village. When I arrived at Duma village intersection, I saw a vehicle carrying 3 settlers parked on the street. Two settlers stepped out of the vehicle and the third settler threw a stone at my vehicle, breaking the window. I was afraid and managed to flee towards ‘Aqraba village. I phoned one of my relatives who helped me and took me to the hospital.”
At approximately 14:00 on Saturday, 27 June 2020, Israeli settlers, from “Jaf’at Roneem” settlement, which is established in the eastern area of Burin village, southeast of Nablus, set Palestinians’ lands ablaze. As a result, dozens of dunams were burnt.
At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 28 June 2020, Israeli settlers, from ‘Adi ‘Ad settlement outpost, which is established on al-Moghir village lands, east of Ramallah, set Palestinians’ lands ablaze in al-Seder area. As a result, 40 olive trees belonging to Rateeb ‘Abdullah Na’san were burnt.
On Tuesday, 30 June 2020, Israeli settlers severely beat Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Assaf (52) and Majdi Najem ‘Issa (45), from Bidiyia village, west of Salfit, while heading to Khellet Hassan area, northwest of the village. As a result, both of them sustained bruises throughout their bodies and received treatment later. Ibrahim ‘Assaf said;

“At approximately 20:00 on Tuesday, 30 June 2020, my friend Madji and I headed to Khellet Hassan area, where we found 4 settlers. The settlers opened fire at us. We attempted to flee, but they caught us and severely beat us. I fainted and then regained consciousness while they were still beating me. They were speaking in Hebrew and I understood what they were saying. They wanted to kill me in Wadi Qana area, but they reversed their decision. They gave us our IDs and told us that they believed that we are security officers. We were released later and taken to hospital by the village residents.”