Sunday 2 November 2014

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (23- 29 October 2014)

Hebron – Palestinian civilian in front of his house destroyed by Israeli forces
Israeli forces continue systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians 
and property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)




FULL REPORT HERE 

Thursday, 30 October 2014 00:00

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian child in Selwad village, northeast of Ramallah.

 Israeli forces continued to open fire at border areas along the border fence.
A Palestinian bird hunter sustained severe wounds, north of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
3 protestors, including an American human rights activist, were wounded during weekly protests against the construction of the annexation wall.
11 civilians, including 4 children, were wounded during other protests.
 
Israeli forces conducted 62 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded during an Israeli incursion into Ya'bad village, southwest of Jenin.
72 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a woman, were arrested.
27 of those civilians, including 4 children and a woman, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.
3 Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, including a child, were arrested while sneaking into Israel via the border fence.
 
Israel continued to impose a total closure on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank.
At least 5 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
A patient and another civilian were arrested and father of the civilian was prevented from traveling to Jerusalem for medical treatment via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.

Israeli navy forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea.
Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats and a boat caught on fire off Rafah shore, south of the Gaza Strip.

Efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
2 houses were demolished in the Old City and Selwan village.

Israeli forces continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
7 houses, south of Hebron, were demolished and over 40 persons became homeless.

Summary
 
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (23 – 29 October 2014).
 
Shooting:
 
 
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian child in Selwad village, northeast of Ramallah, in the central West Bank. Moreover, they wounded 18 civilians, including an American human rights activist, 5 children and a cameraman of Palestine TV in occupied East Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces severely wounded a bird hunter in the north of the Gaza Strip, while Israeli navy forces continued to open fire and chase Palestinian fishermen in the sea.
 
In the West Bank, on 24 October 2014, in excessive use of force, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian child holding an American passport by a bullet to the neck, and wounded another one during a protest at the entrance of Selwad village, northeast of Ramallah, in protest at the Israeli attacks in al-Aqsa mosque.
 
On the same day, during similar protests, Israeli forces wounded 6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children; 3 of whom, including a child, were wounded in a protest around Ofer detention facility, southwest of Ramallah, while the other 3 ones, including 2 children, were wounded during a protest in the vicinity of "Beit Eil" settlement, north of the city.
 
On 25 October 2014, a 17-year-old male from al-Jalazoun refugee camp, was wounded in a protest organized in the vicinity of "Beit Eil" settlement, north of the city, while a 20-year-old male was wounded in a similar protest organized at the western entrance of Selwad village, northeast of the city.
 
In occupied East Jerusalem, on 23 October 2014, Palestine TV cameraman sustained bullet wound to the right hand while filming a protest organized by Palestinian youngsters in al-Sawana and Wadi al-Jouz neighbourhoods, east of the Old City. Moreover, another civilian sustained a bullet wound to the thigh during a protest in Shu'fat neighbourhood, north of the city.
 
Israeli forces used excessive force against peaceful protests organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, an American human rights activist sustained burns as she was hit by a gas canister in Bil'in weekly protest, west of Ramallah on 24 October 2014. In addition, 2 Palestinian protestors were wounded in Kofur Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, on 26 October 2014.
 
On 28 October 2014, 4 civilians, including a child, were wounded; wounds of one of whom were serious, when Israeli forces moved into Ya'bad village, south of Jenin.
 
In the Gaza Strip Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian civilians in the border area. On 29 October 2014, a bird hunter was severely wounded when Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, northwest of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at a group of bird hunters who were present near the said fence.
 
On 23 October 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at a fishing boat sailing about 1.5 nautical miles off the fishing harbor in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. As a result, the boat belonging to fishermen from Baker family in Gaza City caught fire. No casualties were reported.
 
On 25 October 2014, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at and chased fishing boats sailing from 1 to 6 nautical miles in the sea over 15 times, but neither casualties nor material damage were reported.
 
Incursions:
 
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 62 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 72 Palestinians, including 5 children and a woman.  27 of those civilians, including 4 children and a woman, were arrested in Jerusalem.
 
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, while attempting to sneak into Israel in search for work via the border fence, east of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on 25 October 2014.
 
Restrictions on movement:
 
Israel continued to impose a tight closure of the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
 
The illegal closure of the Gaza Strip, which has been steadily tightened since June 2007 has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  The Israeli authorities impose measures to undermine the freedom of trade, including the basic needs for the Gaza Strip population and the agricultural and industrial products to be exported. For 7 consecutive years, Israel has tightened the land and naval closure to isolate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and other countries around the world. This resulted in grave violations of the economic, social and cultural rights and a deterioration of living conditions for 1.8 million people.  The Israeli authorities have established Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shaloum) as the sole crossing for imports and exports in order to exercise its control over the Gaza Strip’s economy.  They also aim at imposing a complete ban on the Gaza Strip’s exports. During the reporting period, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian patient who obtained a permit to travel to the West Bank for medical treatment, while another civilian accompanying his father was arrested while the father was denied travel for medical treatment.
 
 
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

Jewish Majority

On 28 October 2014, Israeli forces demolished a house belonging to Nader Hussam Sharif in Salah al-Dein Street in the Old City in Jerusalem.
 
On 29 October 2014, bulldozers of Israeli municipality of Jerusalem destroyed a residential room, storage houses, and barracks belonging to Khaled al-Zir in al-‘Abbasya neighborhood in Silwan village, south of the Old City in Jerusalem.
 
On 23 October 2014, Israeli forces moved into Silwan village, south of the Old City in Jerusalem after announcing the death of Abdel Rahaman al-Shaloudi, who was shot by a guard in the light train station after his car went off track and hit a number of people on 22 October 2014 in al-sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Palestinian youths threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired tear gas canisters heavily in response and beat up a number of them.
 
On 24 October 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-‘Isawia village, northeast of Jerusalem. Youths gathered and set fire to tires wheels and threw stones at Israeli soldiers who responded by firing rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters to disperse them.
 
Furthermore, Israeli forces moved into al-Swana neighborhood and Wadi al-Jouz. As a result, a cameraman for Palestine TV, sustained a bullet wound to his right hand. Israeli forces raided many houses and attacked women and children. As a result, ‘Awni Eseida (12) sustained wounds to his abdomen Naser Iseida (47) sustained a fractured hand.  They also attacked Adnan Iseida, an elderly who suffers a bad heart condition. Before their withdrawal, Israeli forces arrested 5 civilians and took them to an unknown destination.
 
In addition, Israeli forces moved into Shufat neighborhood after Palestinian youths threw stones at an Israeli police car which was parked in al-Sahel Street. They opened fire at the youth and wounded a civilian.
 
On the same day, Israeli forces moved into al-Wad neighborhood in the Old City in Jerusalem. They raided a number of houses and arrested 5 civilians.
 
On 25 October 2014, Israeli forces moved into Beit Hanina neighborhood, north of Jerusalem. Israelis responded by firing rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters. Furthermore, they arrested 3 civilians, including a child, and took them to an unknown destination.
 
On 26 October 2014, Israeli forces moved into Silwan village, south of the Old City in Jerusalem. Israeli fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters. They also arrested Maher Samer Sarhan (13) and took him to an unknown destination. Moreover, Israeli forces moved into al-Thari neighborhood, east of the Old City in Jerusalem and raided a number of houses. They arrested 4 civilians, including a child, and took them to an unknown destination.
 
On 27 October 2014, Israeli forces arrested 3 civilians from the guards of al-Aqsa mosque and took them to al-Qishla investigation center: Ashraf Abu Irmeila and ‘Arafat Najeeb.
 
On 28 October 2014, Israeli forces arrested Mahmoud Muhammed al-Zaghel (17) near his school in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood, east of the Old City. When his aunt Hanan Abu Asab came to check on the child in the investigation center, Israeli forces arrested her as well.  They also raided a house belonging to Amin Siam in Wadi Hilwa neighborhood and arrested him and his brother Wisam and Muein Hidda.

Settlement activities
 
Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, in a direct violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
 
On 26 October 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-Markaz area, backed by bulldozers of the Israeli Civil Administration. They handed Mahmoud Ali al-Najjar a notice to stop construction in a tin Barracks in the pretext of illegal construction in area C.
 
On 27 October 014, Israeli forces moved into Kherbat Um Ulkheir, south of Hebron. They deployed in the agricultural lands near the area. They forces residents to leave their homes in the pretext of not having a construction permit. The demolishing operation included 6 houses. Forty people have become homeless.
 
On 29 October 2014, Israeli forces moved into Khashem al-Darraj, north of Yatta. They bulldozed a house, a bathroom, a cave for housing animals, and fence of an animal barn.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
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