PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (31 May – 06 June 2018)

Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for the week of 31 May – 06 June, 2018.

Israeli forces continued to use force against Palestinian peaceful protestors. Two Palestinian civilians, including a female volunteer paramedic; and a third one succumbed to wounds in the Gaza Strip, while 126 Palestinian civilians, including 15 children, a woman, 2 journalists, and 6 paramedics were wounded.

Shooting:

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 10^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 killed 2 civilians; of them is a female volunteer paramedic while a third civilian succumbed to his wounds.  Moreover, the Israeli forces wounded 126 Palestinian civilians, including 15 children, a woman, 2 journalists, and 6 paramedics; three of the wounded are in serious condition.  In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinian civilians and wounded 10 Palestinian civilians.

In the Gaza Strip, on 01 June 2018, Israeli forces killed paramedic Razan al-Najjar (21) from Khuza’ah in eastern Khan Younis.  Razan, who was a paramedic volunteering in the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), was killed while wearing her white coat and helping the wounded.  She was shot with a bullet that entered her chest and exited her back when she was around 200 meters away from the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, northwest of the Return Camp, helping a wounded protestor.

On 04 June 2018, the Israeli forces stationed along the border fence off the Return Camp, east of Khuza’ah, east of Khan Younis, opened fire at a group of youngsters who approached the fence and attempted to cross.  As a result, Ramzi al-Najjar (30), from Khuza’ah village, was shot with a bullet to the head.  His father said that he was informed by International Committee of the Red Crescent (ICRC) on 05 June 2018 that his son died and his corpse is detained by the Israeli forces.

In the same context, on 02 June 2018, the medical sources at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared the death of Mohammed Na’im Hamadah from Jabalia refugee camp, due to wounds he sustained during his participation in the Great March of Return on 14 May 2018, east of Talet Abu Safiyah, east of Jabalia.  Hamadah was hit with 2 bullets to the legs, so the main artery in the left leg was cut.

During the reporting period, the Israeli forces wounded 126 Palestinian civilians, including 15 children, one woman, 2 journalists and 6 paramedics.  Three of those wounded are in serious condition.

Injuries in the Gaza Strip during this Week

As part of the airstrikes, on 02 June 2018, the Israeli warplanes launched 3 missiles at a military site belonging to the Palestinian armed groups, southwest of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.  On 03 June 2018, the Israeli warplanes launched 4 missiles at a military site belonging to the Palestinian armed groups, northeast of al-Nussairat in the central Gaza Strip.  On the same day, the Israeli warplanes launched 4 missiles, 5 minutes later, at the firth, which belongs to the training site of al-Qassam Brigades, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.  Though no casualties were reported, the airstrike caused damage to the sites and the fishing boats that were in the targeted firth.

As part of targeting the border areas, the Israeli forces along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Deir al-Balah, east of Gaza Valley village in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian farmers and shepherds on 02 and 03 June 2018.  No casualties were reported, but they were forced to leave fearing for their lives.

As part of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against the Palestinian fishermen, pointing out to the ongoing Israeli policy of targeting their livelihoods.  During the reporting period, PCHR documented 7 attacks against the fishermen, including 3 attacks in the north-western Beit Lahia, 3 in western Soudaniyah, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, and 1 in western Nusairat in the central Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces during the reporting period killed Rami Sabarnah (35) from Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.  Israeli forces opened fire at him when he was driving a small bulldozer in his work in the sanitation rehabilitation project in Jaber area, east of al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.  The Israeli forces claimed that Sabarnah attempted to run over an Israeli soldier who was stationed at a checkpoint established at the neighbourhood entrance.  According to eyewitnesses’ accounts to PCHR’s fieldworkers, fire was opened at the driver from the left side of the bulldozer that is around 10 meters away from the Israeli forces’ checkpoint and the driver did not pose any threat to the soldiers.

In a new crime of wilful killing, on 06 June 2018, the Israeli forces killed ‘Ezz al-Deen al-Tamimi (21) from al-Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah.  He was killed when the Israeli soldiers opened fire at from a very short distance, wounding him with a bullet to the neck.  He was left bleeding to death.

During the reporting period, the Israeli forces wounded 10 Palestinian civilians in separate shooting incidents.

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 02 June 2018, a group of settlers from “Yistsihar” settlement attacked al-Safafir area in the eastern outskirts of ‘Orif village, south of Nablus.  They attacked with sticks and stones Salim Shehadah (65) who was working in his land.  As a result, he sustained bruises throughout his body.

On 04 June 2018, a number of settlers living in settlement outposts in eastern Bethlehem opened fire in the air in the vicinity of Beit Ta’mor School known as “Challenge 5” School.  This occurred when a number of Palestinian workers were paving the road in the vicinity of the always-threatened school by the Israeli forces and settlers, who were provoked by this.  As a result, the settlers climbed a hill and opened fire in the air to scare the workers.

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 tenth 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, 01 June 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, 5 civilians, including a child and a journalist, were hit with live bullets. 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 on the same Friday, 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 in the southern Gaza Strip to participate in the tenth Friday upon a call by the Supreme National Authority for the March of Return and Breaking the Siege. At approximately 17:00, the numbers of civilians, reaching to thousands, as hundreds of them moved into the northeast 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 opened fire at the protesters and fired tear gas canisters at them and the camp’s yard. The shooting sporadically continued for until approximately 19:45 on the same day resulted in the killing of Razan Ashraf al-Najjar (21), a volunteer paramedic from Khuza’ah in eastern Khan Younis working for the Medical Relief Society after being shot with a bullet that entered her chest and exited her back. at approximately 18:30. She was wounded along with 2 of her colleagues identified as Rami Nahru Mohammed Abu Jazar (29), who was wounded with a bullet to the left leg and shrapnel to the right leg and left hand, and Mahmoud Fathi ‘Abdel ‘Aati (38) who was wounded with shrapnel to the left leg when they all were 100 meters away from the border fence, northwest of the Return camp in eastern Khuza’ah, helping 2 persons wounded. Doctors declared death of Razan at approximately 19:00 after her arrival at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis, noting that Razan had been present since the first day of the Return camp opening and worked as a volunteer almost daily evacuating and helping dozens of civilians wounded. Moreover, 38 civilians, including 2 children and 5 paramedics, were wounded. Four of them were hit with live bullets and its shrapnel and 32 were directly hit with tear gas canisters.

• 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 tenth 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 23:00. As a result, 17 civilians, including 3 children and a paramedic, were wounded. Six of them were hit with live bullets and its shrapnel and 11 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 of 2 civilians as serious while the others’ injuries were between moderate and minor. The paramedic wounded was identified as Ayman Jamal Ahmed Nasser (32), an ambulance officer in the Civil Defense from Beit Lahia housing project was hit with a live bullet shrapnel to the left leg.

• At approximately 17:00, thousands of Palestinian civilians 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. a number of young men approached the border fence, flew paper kites, set fire to tires and threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed behind sand barriers along the border fence. The soldiers fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors. The clashes continued until approximately 19:00. As a result, 8 civilians, including a child, were wounded. Seven of them were hit with live bullets shrapnel and one civilian was directly hit with a tear gas canister. The wounded civilians were taken to field hospitals in the camp and their wounds were classified as moderate. They were then transferred to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah city.

• Around the same time, thousands of Palestinian civilians swarmed into the east of Malakah intersection, east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood to participate in the “March of Return and Breaking Siege” activities. The participants chanted national slogans and number of them threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The Israeli soldiers fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 40 civilians, including 5 children, were wounded, in addition to journalist Mohammed Emad Mohammed al-‘Aloul (22), who was hit with a tear gas canister to the chest.

• At approximately 06:30 on Saturday, 02 June 2018, Israeli soldiers stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel adjacent to the Return camp, east of Khuza’ah village, east of Khan Younis, opened fire at a 17-year-old child from Khan Younis while he was at the vicinity of the Return camp. He was transferred to Gaza European Hospital and doctors classified his injury as moderate.

• At approximately 13:30, Israeli soldiers stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khuza’ah village, opened fire at dozens of civilians who protested in the area. They approached the barbed wire and moved parts of it and attempted to throw stones at Israeli forces. That was following the funeral procession of the volunteer paramedic Razan al-Najjar (21), who was killed after being hit with a live bullet by the Israeli forces in the previous day. As a result, 4 civilians, including a woman and a child, were wounded. Two civilians who were hit with live bullets were seriously injured. The woman and the child were hit with tear gas canisters and doctors classified their injuries as moderate.

• At approximately 17:30 on the same Saturday, Israeli forces stationed behind a sand barrier, 50 meters into the east of 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 dozens of civilians who were about 30-150 meters into the west of the border fence between. As a result, a 21-year-old civilian from Jabalia was hit with a live bullet to the left thigh. The child was admitted to the Indonesian Hospital and doctors classified his injury as moderate.

• At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 03 June 2018, Israeli forces stationed behind a sand barrier, 50 meters into the east of 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 dozens of civilians who were about 30-150 meters into the west of the border fence between. As a result, a 23-year-old civilian from Beit Hanoun was hit with a tear gas canister to the left thigh. He was transferred to the Indonesian Hospital and doctors classified his injury as minor.

• At approximately 17:00 on Sunday, 03 June 2018, Israeli forces stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, adjacent to the Return camp, east of Khuza’ah village, east of Khan Younis, fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at a group of civilians, who protested near the abovementioned border fence. the shootin sporadically continued for 2 hours. As a result, a 20-year-old civilian was hit with a tear gas canister to the right hand. At approximately 23:00, the Israeli forces fired live bullets at a group of civilians who were in the area. As a result, a 18-year-old civilian was hit with a live bullet shrapnel to the right leg.

• At approximately 11:30 on Monday, 04 June 2018, Israeli forces stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, adjacent to the Return camp, east of Khuza’ah village, east of Khan Younis fired live bullets at a group of Palestinian young men, who approached the border fence and attempted to cross it. As a result, a civilian was hit with a live bullet to the head while the others were able to return. An Israeli force arrive at the area and detained the young man and later announced his death. Israeli forces’ spokesperson Avijaa Adraei said on his Twitter page that “an Israeli force thwarted an infiltration attempt of saboteurs from Gaza Strip, who attempted to cross the border fence into Israel as they approached the fence carrying an axe.” The killed young man was identified as Ramzi Mohammed Salem al-Najjar (30) from Khuza’ah village. Ramzi’s father said to PCHR’s fieldworker that on Tuesday, 05 June 2018, the ICRC informed him of his son’s death and his corpse is detained by the Israeli forces.

• At approximately 17:00 on Tuesday, 05 June 2018, during a memorial service for paramedic Razan Ashraf al-Najjar (21) in the Return camp, east of Khuza’ah village, east of Khan Younis, Israeli forces stationed behind the border fence with Israel adjacent to the camp, fired live bullet s and tear gas canisters at a group of civilians who protested near the abovementioned border fence. a drone fired tear gas canisters in the center of the camp. The shooting and teargasing sporadically continued for 3 hours. As a result, 6 civilians, including a child, were directly hit with a tear gas canister to their bodies. They received medical treatment in the spot and at the Algerian hospital.

• At approximately 19:45 on Tuesday, 05 June 2018, Israeli forces stationed behind military watchtowers established in the vicinity of the Landfill, north of the Agriculture School, north of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at a group of civilians who were near the border fence. As a result, a 23-year-old civilian from Beit Hanoun was hit with a live bullet to the left leg. He was transferred to the Indonesian Hospital and doctors classified his injury as moderate.

• At approximately 14:00 on Wednesday, 06 June 2018, Israeli forces stationed behind the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, fired live bullets at the Return camp, east of al-Shawkah village, east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. As a result, 2 workers in Rafah Municipality were wounded while they were leaving the camp in a vehicle belonging to the municipality after they carried out maintenance work in the camp. One of them was hit with a live bullet to the abdomen and the other was hit with shrapnel to the lower limbs. The wounded were admitted to Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah and then one of them was transferred to Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis due to his serious health condition. Doctors classified the injury of the former as moderate.

Civilian Succumbed to his Wounds:

• At approximately 23:50 on Saturday, 02 June 2018 2018, medical sources at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City announced the death of Mohammed Na’im Hasan Hamadah (30) from Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip succumbing to his previous wounds he sustained during his participation in the Great Return March on Monday, 14 May 2018. Hamadah was hit with a live bullet to the legs, causing a cut in the main artery in the left leg. He was admitted to al-Awda Hospital belonging to Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC) in Jabalia and then was referred to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. He stayed at the hospital until his death was announced.

West Bank:

• At approximately 13:30 on Friday, 02 June 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 25-year-old civilian was hit with a rubber bullet to the abdomen.

Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property

 Israeli settlers’ attacks

• At approximately 17:00 on Saturday, 02 June 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Yitzhar“settlement attacked al-Safafeer area in the eastern outskirts of ‘Oreef village, south of Nablus. The Israeli settlers attacked Saleem Jameel ‘Omair Shehadah (65) with stones and sticks while working in his plot of land. As a result, he sustained bruises throughout his body. After that, a number of Palestinian young men headed to the plot of land in order to help Saleem and managed to expel the settlers. The Israeli forces then immediately arrived at the area to protect the settlers and fired live bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the young men. As a result, a civilian was hit with a live bullet to the buttocks and then taken to Rafidia Hospital, where his wounds were classified as moderate.

• At approximately 08:00 on Monday, 04 June 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from settlement outposts established in eastern Bethlehem, opened fire in the air in the vicinity of Beit Ta’mour School. Ahmed Salah, Activist against the Annexation Wall and Settlement, said that the incident occurred while a number of Palestinian workers were paving roads in the vicinity of the school, which have been threatened by the Israeli forces and settlers. The Israeli settlers were provoked by this, topped at a hill and then opened fire in the air in order to intimidate the workers who continued their work. Salah said that the school was attacked several times by the Israeli settlers, upon calls from the Israeli settlers to demolish it. The Israeli authorities responded to the settlers’ demands, but the village residents’ insistence prevented them from demolishing it. The village residents rebuilt the school a year ago, but the school is still under the Israeli authorities’ threats.

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.

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 Israel.
2. 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.
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 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.
5. 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.
6. PCHR calls upon the international community to condemn summary executions carried out by Israeli forces against Palestinians and to pressurize Israel to stop them.
7. PCHR calls upon the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to work hard to hold Israeli war criminals accountable.
8. 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.
9. PCHR calls upon the international community to speed up the reconstruction process necessary because of the destruction inflicted by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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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