PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (31 October – 06 November)

Summary

This week, PCHR documented 165 violations of the international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory.

As part of the Israeli violations of the right to life and bodily integrity:

In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded another in an airstrike on Khan Younis as IOF warplanes carried out several strikes across the Gaza Strip. Moreover, IOF wounded 147 Palestinian civilians, including 55 children, 3 women, 2 paramedics and a journalist on the 81^st Friday of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege protest (GMR). In addition, seven shootings at agricultural lands and shepherds were documented near the eastern side of the Gaza-Israel border while 4 shootings were reported at fishing boats in the western Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported. Meanwhile in the West Bank, IOF wounded 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in separate incidents.

Under IOF incursions and house raids, 89 incursions into the West Bank were reported. Those incursions include raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, arresting and/or injuring many others. During this week’s incursions, 73 Palestinians were arrested, including 12 children and 3 women. Among the arrestees was Khaledah Jarrar, Member of the Dissolved Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC); ‘Ali Jaradat, a writer, and Fadi al-Hedmi, Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, who was later released.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF carried out a limited incursion during which it leveled lands it had previously bulldozed amidst continued shooting. No injuries were reported.

Under the settlement expansion activities in the West Bank, PCHR documented 10 military orders and 10 military notices to seize 3630 dunums in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Moreover, IOF demolished a residential building and distributed 10 demolitions notices in occupied East Jerusalem; meanwhile a tent and barn were demolished in Hebron by IOF. Also, 4 settler-attacks were documented against farmers in the olive-harvest season.

In terms of the Israeli closure policy, the Gaza Strip still suffers the worst closure in the History of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14^th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, aggravating the humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life. Meanwhile, the West Bank is divided into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the Second Intifada and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilians’ movement is restricted and others are arrested.

Violation of the right to life and to bodily integrity

Excessive Use of Force against the Great March of Return in the Gaza Strip

IOF continued its excessive use of lethal force against GMR peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

On 01 November 2019, Israeli forces wounded 147 civilians, including 55 children, 3 women, 2 paramedics and a journalist in the 81^st Friday titled: “Down with the Balfour Declaration.”

Thousands of civilians took part in the GRM in the five encampments across the Gaza Strip, where some protestors raised the Palestinian flags and chanted national slogans and attempted to set tires on fire, throw stones, Molotov Cocktails and firecrackers at the Israeli forces, who responded with excessive force.

The incidents were as follows:

Northern Gaza Strip: demonstrations took part adjacent to Abu Safiyah area protests, northeast of Jabalia, and in southeast of Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces’ attacks against protestors resulted in the injury of 47 civilians, including 22 children, 2 women and a paramedic: 24 with live bullets and shrapnel, including 13 children; 19 with rubber bullets, including 9 children, a woman and a paramedic; and 4 were hit with tear gas canisters, including a woman. Shady Fayez Awadallah Awadallah (33), a paramedic, was shot with a rubber bullet in his right leg; Moath Mohammed Mohammed Abu-Amira (25) was shot in the head with a live bullet, and he is in extremely critical condition.
Gaza City: IOF shot and injured 12 civilians, including 3 children: 7 with live bullets and shrapnel and 5 with rubber bullets. It is notable that participation at the Malakah area has significantly decreased and participants are generally less active and remain within the vicinity of the established tents. Furthermore, a park was established in the area and named “al-Awda” (The Return) Park.

Central Gaza Strip: Protestors burnt tires, a coffin with the Israeli flag on it and a figurine of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and hrew stones and Molotov Cocktails at Israeli forces. IOF shot and injured 16 civilians, including 7 children and a woman: 7 with live bullets, 2 with rubber bullets, and 7 were hit with tear gas canisters.
Khan Younis: IOF’s’ attacks resulted in the injury of 33 civilians, including 13 children and a paramedic: 7 with live bullets and shrapnel. Many protestors suffocated due to tear gas inhalation and received treatment in the field. A few protestors set tires on fire adjacent to the border fence. Sami Moussa Abu-Moustafa (35), a paramedic, sustained a rubber-bullet-wound to his left hand. Abu-Moustafa volunteers with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS); IOF targeted a PRCS ambulance with rubber bullets, shattering its windshield with no injuries.
Rafah: IOF shot and injured 39 civilians, including 10 children and a journalist; 3 were deemed in critical: 27 with live bullets and shrapnel, 8 with rubber bullets, and 4 were hit with tear gas canisters. Abdul Rahman Mohammed Deeb al-Khatib (42), a freelance journalist, sustained a rubber-bullet wound to his right arm. Ahmed Jum’a al-Lolahy (20) and Mohammed Saleh Ahmed Abu-Jarbou’ (20) were shot in their lower extremities with live bullets, and Mahmoud Abdul Rahman Ramadan Abu-Taim (18) sustained a live bullet to the head; all three are in critical condition.

Excessive use of force in the West Bank:

At approximately 19:00 on Saturday, 31 October 2019, IOF dispersed a peaceful protest in Bab al-‘Amoud area in the centre of occupied East Jerusalem in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons. Israeli police attacked participants and then arrested 4 young men. Eyewitnesses said that IOF dispersed a group of Palestinians, who were chanting national slogans in support to the prisoners in Bab al-‘Amoud area. The soldiers chased and attacked them physically and arrested Farah Sa’eed Bayadsah (29), a lawyer at Addameer, Danan Mustafa Ruweidi (23), Omer al-Khatib and Mo’ayad Debah. The eyewitnesses added that IOF detained the arrestees in a room in Bab al-‘Amoud area, surrounded the area and attempted to forcibly keep civilians away from the area. The arrestees were later taken to Salah Eden police centre. Few hours later, IOF released Ruweidi, al-Khatib and Debah with a 2-week ban on entering Bab al-‘Amoud area and Salah Eden Street, while Bayadsah was released with no conditions.
At approximately 18:00 on Friday, 01 November 2019, dozens of Palestinians youngsters gathered at the entrance to al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron. They threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers stationed at the camp’s entrance. The soldiers fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at them, wounding a 16-year-old child with a live bullet in the left thigh. The child was transferred via a PRSC ambulance to Abu al-Hasan al-Qasem Hospital in Yatta, south of Hebron for treatment.
At approximately 17:00 on Saturday, 02 November 2019, IOF dispersed a peaceful protest organized on Salah Eden Street, in the centre of occupied East Jerusalem in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons for the third time a week. They attacked the protestors and arrested Ahmed Hussein al-Safadi (45), Member of the National Action Commission. Eyewitnesses stated that IOF surrounded the participants, who raised pictures of prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons, and forcibly dispersed them with the help of the Israeli mounted police and arrested journalist Ahmed al-Safadi and took him to Salah Eden police centre for investigation.
At the same time, dozens of Palestinian young men and children, gathered in Bab al-Zawhiyah area in the centre of Hebron. They threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed at the military checkpoint established at al-Shuhada’a street entrance. The soldiers chased stone-throwers until they reached ‘Alia Hospital’s square, causing fear among the patients, and fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of them suffered due to tear gas inhalation.

Shooting and other violations of the right to life and bodily integrity

At approximately 09:00 on Friday, 01 November 2019, IOF stationed in eastern Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands in eastern Khuza’ah village for half an hour. A live bullet hit the window of Hafez Hussein Mohammed al-‘Amour’s 80-square-meter house, home to a family of 4 and located at least 1 kilometer away from the border fence.
At approximately 21:30 on the same Friday, Israeli gunboats stationed in western Jabalia shore in northern Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 – 5 nautical miles and chased them. As a result, fishermen were forced to flee fearing fire their lives; neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
On Saturday dawn on 02 November 2019, A Palestinian civilian was killed and another was wounded in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house, which is used as a resort, southwest of Khan Younis, within a series of Israeli airstrikes throughout the Gaza Strip.

According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 01:37, an Israeli drone fired a missile near Mahmoud Hamzah al-Farah’s 60sqm summer house located on a 1-dunum land in an agricultural area in al-Mawasi, southwest of Khan Younis. Few minutes, later an IOF warplane fired a missile at the house and destroyed it completely causing a huge crater. As a result, Ahmed Mohammed ‘Abdullah al-Shahri (27) was killed and his body was retrieved from the rubble, while Khamis Ayman Khamis ‘Abdin (24) sustained wounds and bruises in the head, back and hands. ‘Abdin stated to PCHR fieldworker that he and al-Shahri were sleeping at the summer house, which his family looks after, when they were woken up by the sound of an explosion and then a louder one. He recalls waking up later to find himself in Nasser Hospital sustaining various injuries and then he learnt that his friend was killed. It is noteworthy that there were no armed groups related sites near the targeted area.

This attack was part of a series of airstrikes on 12 military sites and agricultural lands across the Gaza Strip.

Later on, Avichay Adraee, Spokesperson of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), said in a statement that IOF warplanes carried out several airstrikes on several Hamas targets, including a military navy site, an air defense site, another site with an anti-missile shooting simulator, military training, weapons manufacturing and storage sites; as well as, Hamas underground networks in the northern, central and southern Gaza Strip.

Refuting the Israeli claims, all initial data collected by PCHR fieldworker, who visited the targeted house and land in Khan Younis, emphasize that the targeted area is civilian as are the victims.

At approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 03 November 2019, IOF assigned to guard the annexation wall, opened fire at Mohammed Ahmed Mass’oud Jaradat (32), from Sela al-Harithiyah villages west of Jenin. As a result, Mohammed was shot with a live bullet to the left leg while attempting to sneak into Israel through ‘Anin village, west of the city. Mohammed was transferred to Salem military camp where a PRCS ambulance took him to Khalil Suleiman Hospital in Jenin for treatment.
At approximately 14:00 on the same Sunday, IOF stationed in eastern Khan Younis, sporadically opened fire at agricultural lands in eastern Khuza’ah village for few minutes; neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
At approximately 09:30 on Monday, 04 November 2019, IOF stationed in eastern Khan Younis, sporadically opened fire at agricultural lands in eastern Khuza’ah village for few minutes; neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
At approximately 20:00 on Monday, 04 November 2019, Israeli gunboats stationed adjacent to western Jabalia shore, north of the Gaza Strip, sporadically opened fire and chased Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 – 6 nautical miles. As a result, fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives; neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
At approximately 05:40 on Tuesday, 05 November 2019, assigned to guard the annexation wall, opened fire at Faisal Ibrahim Ghanamah (24), from Sela al-Harithiyah village, west of Jenin. As a result, Ghanamah was shot with 2 live bullets in the legs while attempting to sneak into Israel through Thuhor al-‘Abed village, southwest of Jenin. Ghanamah was transferred via a PRCS ambulance to Khalil Suleiman Hospital in Jenin for treatment.
At approximately 07:30 on the same Tuesday, Israeli gunboats stationed adjacent to western Jabalia shore, north of the Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire and chased Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles. As a result, fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives; neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
At approximately 01:50 on Wednesday, 06 November 2019, Israeli soldiers stationed adjacent to eastern al-Shoka village, east of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian agricultural lands; no casualties were reported.
At approximately 07:30 on the same Wednesday, Israeli soldiers stationed adjacent to eastern Khan Younis, south of the Gaza strip, opened fire at Palestinian agricultural lands in eastern al-Qararah village; no casualties were reported.
At approximately 08:30 on the same Wednesday, Israeli gunboats stationed in northwest of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire and chased Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles. The shooting continued from time to time until 09:00 on the same day morning. As a result, fishermen were forced to flee fearing for their lives; neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
At approximately 15:00 on the same Wednesday, IOF moved into al-Thaher area, south of Beit Ummer village, north of Hebron, claiming that they were stoned from behind the border fence adjacent to “Carmi Tsur” settlement established on Palestinian confiscated lands. The soldiers raided a house were a number of construction workers presented in the area and then arrested Rami Tawfiq al-‘Alami (17), taking him into the mentioned settlement. The soldiers fired rubber bullets at a number of children, who were in the area. As a result, Omer ‘Arafat Za’aqiq (17), was shot with a rubber bullet to the left leg. He was transferred to a military camp in “Carmi Tsur”

Demolition and Confiscation of Civilian Property for Settlement Expansion Activities

On Thursday, 31 October 2019, IOF hanged notices and maps on the steel fence, erected as a 1^st step towards the completion of the annexation wall, southwest of Jenin. The notices announced the continued seizure of large parts of Jenin lands, for the 15^th Rabee’ Abu Baker, Public Relations Officer in Ya’bod Municipality, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that IOF issued a decision to renew the seizure of 409 dunums from Ya’bod, Barta’ah, al-‘Arqah, Zebdah, Nazlet al-Yad, and Daher al-‘Abed villages as a prelude to the completion of the annexation wall. These notices and maps were signed by Nadav Padan, IOF Commander in Judea and Samaria.

On Saturday, 02 November 2019, Israeli authorities notified Hezmah and al-Ram villages, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, of the confiscation of hundreds of Palestinians’ dunums for settlement expansion. Mayor of Hezmah Municipality, Musallam Abu Helo, said that the Israeli authorities handed the Palestinian Liaison a notice to seize at least 500 dunums from Hezmah village, which is located adjacent to “Adam” settlement and 3 others. It should be noted that Hezmah village connects the West Bank’s north with its south, and is one of the main roads for Jerusalem-West Bank traffic. Mayor of al-Ram Municipality, Raqi al-Ghazawnah, said that the Palestinian Liaison handed the municipality decisions to seize a total of 39.9 dunums of al-Ram village lands. It should be noted that the Israeli authorities recently escalated its seizure policy in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.

On Saturday, IOF distributed notices and maps to seize 126 dunums from Majdal Bani Fadel village, southeast of Nablus, for the expansion of 3-km street that connects the village’s intersection to the checkpoint of ”Ma’ale Ephraim”

On Sunday, 03 November 2019, IOF distributed notices and maps signed by Nadav Padan, IOF Commander in Judea and Samaria, to seize 36 dunums from Tubas village and expand “Psagot “settlement in northern Jordan Valley, east of Tubas.

On Monday, 04 November 2019, Israeli authorities notified dozens of Palestinians in al-Jab’a village, southwest of Bethlehem, of an order to seize 2000 dunums from their agricultural lands in order to expand “Beit Ayin” settlement, established on the lands of al-Jab’a, Nahaleen, Sureef, and Safa villages. Diab Masha’lah, Head of al-Jab’a village council, said that dozens of Palestinians found seizure notices placed in their lands in Nassar Mount, Wadi al-Khanzeer, and al-Khour areas while heading to harvest olive trees. The notices concerned at least 2000 dunums located adjacent to the annexation wall. Masha’lah added that “Beit Ayin” settlement’s settlers flooded a plot of land belonging to Mohamed Ibrahim Abu Loha with water in order to prevent his sons from harvesting the olive trees.

In the same context, on Monday, the Israeli authorities distributed notices to seize 66 dunums from Beit Doqo village lands, northwest of occupied East Jerusalem. A press release issued by the village council stated that Israeli authorities handed the Palestinian Liaison decisions to seize 66 dunums from the village lands. It should be noted that during this week Israeli authorities issued many seizure notices for thousands of dunums from different areas in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem for settlement expansion.

On the same day, Beit Loqiyia Municipality stated in a press release that IOF handed a military decision to seize 150 dunums from the village, west of Ramallah. The municipality clarified that it contacted the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority and competent bodies to follow –up on the issue.

On the same day, the Israeli authorities issued notices to seize 243 dunums from the lands of Sureef village, northwest of Hebron. Mohamed ‘Edwan, Mayor of Sureef Municipality, said that Palestinian farmers found notices to seize their lands in Khelet Abu Ghnaim, al-Mansarah, and ‘Ain Hamam areas near “Beit Ayin” settlement. The mentioned lands belong to Ghanimat Family.

On Tuesday, 05 November 2019, IOF distributed notices and maps signed by Nadav Padan, IOF Commander in Judea and Samaria, to seize 60.4 dunums from the lands of Jablun and Faqou’a villages, northeast of Jenin. The decision enters into force from the date of its signature and ends on 31 December 2022. The owners of these lands have the right to challenge within 7 days through the Liaison and Coordination Office or the Legal Adviser Office in Jenin.

At approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, the Israeli Municipality bulldozers demolished a residential building belonging to Mo’tasem Mahmoud ‘Abasi in Abu Tayieh neighborhood in Silwan, south of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, under the pretext of non-licensing. Al-‘Abasi said that the Israeli Municipality staff accompanied with a large number of police officers, border guard officers and special forces, surrounded his residential building, forced them out and proceeded to demolish it. Al-‘Abasi said that he managed to delay the demolition decision several times before, but he did not know that the court approved the decision. Al-‘Abasi clarified that his building was established in 2011 and in 2018 he paid a fine for the Israeli Municipality estimated at NIS 72,000, in addition to paying a monthly bill of NIS 1255 to avoid the demolition. Al-‘Abasi added that his building comprised of 2 story; each one built on an area of 100 square meters and sheltered 9 persons. It should be noted that Israeli municipality bulldozers demolished 6 shops belonging to Al-‘Abasi family in last June.

At approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, Israeli Municipality staff moved into many neighborhoods in al-‘Issawiyia village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. Mohamed Abu al-Humus, Head of the Follow-up Committee in al-‘Issawiya village, said that the municipality staff took photos of buildings and streets and distributed 10 notices as well as summonses under the pretext of building without licensing.

On the same day, Haaretz Newspaper stated that the Israel’s housing cabinet approved to build a cable-car route adjacent to al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. The route would reportedly pass from West Jerusalem’s German Colony district over the Mount of Olives to the al-Magharebah Gate adjacent to East Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The cable -car will ferry up to 3,000 people an hour about 1.4km (0.9 miles) from West Jerusalem to the Western Wall in occupied East Jerusalem. According to Israel Hayoum, the service will operate 73 cable cars per hour with each able to carry 10 people. The plan has drawn widespread opposition from architects, local Palestinian residents and environmentalists who criticized the expected damage to the historic landscape of the Old City. In addition, critics say the cable car will not solve the area’s transportation and access problems. They also said that the project would mar Jerusalem’s Old City and bolster the Jewish presence in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan.

At approximately 10:00 on Wednesday, 06 November 2019, IOF backed by military construction vehicles and accompanied with a vehicle of the Israeli Civil Adminstration moved into Mughair al-‘Abid area, southeast of Yatta, south of Hebron. They demolished 2 residential tents belonging to Mohamed ‘Ali Mohamed Dababsah and ‘Amer Mohamed Dababsah, in addition to demolishing and confiscating a livestock barn belonging to Nuzha Makhamrah, under the pretext of non-licensing. It should be noted that the tents were donated by PRCS after destroying their houses few months ago. Furthermore, IOF notified Mohamed ‘Ali Dababsah to demolish his house built 2 weeks ago within 96 hours.

Israeli Settler Violence

On Friday, 01 November 2019, farmers from Dir Hatab village, east of Nablus, were shocked to find their olives already harvested by settlers from “Alon Moreh“ The olive trees are located in Khelet Shehada, Khelet Abu Ramlah, Bab al-Maghar, Ras Hazem, and Khelet Skik. The trees belong to Shehada ‘Abed al-Baqi Shehada ‘Amer, Nedal ‘Ali Dawoud Zamel, and Hussain Qasem Hussain. The farmers discovered that at least 30 olive trees planted 70 years ago from Shehada ‘Amer’s land were uprooted in order for the construction of a road connecting between 2 settler-houses built in the area and a barn for an Israeli settler.

At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 02 November 2019, an Israeli settler attempted to enter a plot of land belonging to Badawi Jadallah for breeding his livestock. Jadallah’s land is located near “Negohot” settlement, which is established on Palestinians’ lands in southern Dura, southwest of Hebron. Jadallah attempted to prevent the settler from entering the land, meanwhile, an Israeli force arrived at the area and fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters. As a result, many civilians suffocated due to tear gas inhalation.

On Sunday, 03 November 2019, Palestinian farmers entered their lands in al-Talmah area, north of al-Sawiyia village in southern Nablus, upon a prior security coordination. The farmers were surprised that their crops were already harvested by settlers from “Rahim” settlement, and then called media and Palestinian Liaison to inform them about what happened. These lands belong to Fayiq Sa’ied Abu Ras and his sons, Bashar Saleh Metleq Abu Ras and his sons, ‘Amer Mousa Abu Ras and his sons, ‘Odah ‘Abed al-Kareem al-Khatib, Nawaf ‘Izz al-Deen al-Khatib, Ghaleb Saleh Sa’ied, and Mahmoud Faisal Sa’ied. Afterwards, IOF expelled the farmers from their lands, confiscated their belongings and canceled the security coordination until further notice. It should be noted that IOF prevents Palestinian farmers from entering their lands, which are isolated behind the annexation wall and surrounded by settlements, and only allows them in during the olive harvesting season.

On Tuesday, 05 November 2019, Palestinian farmers were allowed to enter their lands in Area C for harvesting olive trees, upon a prior security coordination. Tayseer Mostafa Basheer al-Nobani and his family, from the Eastern Laban neighborhood, headed to their 30-dunum- plot of land near “Eli” settlement and found out that it was harvested by settlers.

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

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