Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (07.- 13 February 2013) Thursday, 14 February 2013 00:00
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Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (07.- 13 February 2013) Thursday, 14 February 2013 00:00 Israeli soldiers at al-Jalama checkpoint near Jenin during clashes with some young men who gathered near the checkpoint – 08 February 2013 Israeli Forces Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) The Israeli forces continued to open fire at the Palestinian civilians in the border area of the Gaza Strip 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a journalist, were wounded in the incursions conducted in the West Bank. The Israeli forces conducted 77 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. At least 46 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, were arrested in the West Bank. 6 children from the Gaza Strip were arrested when they attempted to cross the borders into Israel. The Israeli forces continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the sea. The Israeli forces opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats, but neither casualties nor material damages were reported. 4 fishermen, including 2 children, were arrested and then released after the confiscation of their boat. The Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a journalist, were wounded in protests against the annexation wall and settlement activities. Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world. The Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. At least 18 Palestinian civilians, including 11 children and a girl, were arrested at checkpoints. 2 of these detainees were arrested at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, north of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. 4 houses, 3 tents, a barrack, a water well and a grocery shop were demolished. The Israeli government approved the construction of 436 settlement units in the West Bank's settlements. The settlers continued their attacks on the Palestinian civilians and their property. Summary Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (07– 13 February 2013): Shooting: During the reporting period, the Israeli forces wounded 7 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and 2 journalists, in the West Bank; 3 of whom, including a child and a journalist, were wounded in peaceful protests against the annexation wall and settlement activities, while the 4 others, including a child and a journalist, were wounded during 2 separate incursions. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces continued to open fire at the Palestinian civilians near the border fence. In the West Bank, on 09 February 2013, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded when some settlers moved into Azzoun village, east of Qalqiliam and threw stones at a number of houses. Palestinian villagers hurried to get the settlers out of the village, but the Israeli forces moved into it and fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the Palestinians. As a result, 3 persons were wounded. On 11 February 2013, journalist Amer Mohammed 'Abdeen, 32, was hit by a tear gas canister to the right leg when the Israeli forces moved into al-Sa'ida area, southwest of Beit Awwa village, south of Hebron, to demolish civilian facilities. Following the demolition works, the Israeli forces attacked the Palestinians, who were in the area and fired tear gas canisters, sound bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at them. As a result, the abovementioned journalist was wounded. In the same context, the Israeli forces continued to systematically use excessive force against peaceful protests organized by Palestinians and Israeli and international activists protesting against the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded, including a child and a journalist who were wounded in Kofur Qaddoum protest, northeast of Qalqilia. The third one was wounded by 3 bullets to the back and left thigh in Budrus village, west of Ramallah and al-Bireh. In the Gaza Strip, on 08 February 2013, the Israeli forces positioned at watchtowers along the border fence, north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at some Palestinians who were few meters away from the abovementioned fence. On the same day, the Israeli forces positioned at watchtowers along the border fence, east of Abu Safiya area in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at some Palestinians who were few meters away from the abovementioned fence. Palestinian civilians were frightened, but neither casualties nor material damage were reported in both incidents. In the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 10 February 2013, the Israeli gunboats arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen, including 2 children, who were on board a fishing boat belonging to Mohammed Abdul Razeq Sa'id Baker, 42. The fishing boat was 3 nautical miles of al-Sudaniya shore, north of Gaza City. The Israeli gunboats arrested and transported them to Ashdod seaport and then to Erez (Beit Hanoun) crossing to be questioned. The Israeli forces released them on the same day, but the boat remained in custody. On 11 February 2013, the Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia, opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats. As a result, the fishermen were frightened and fled back to the shore for fear of being wounded or arrested. Neither casualties nor material damage were reported. Incursions: During the reporting period, the Israeli forces conducted at least 77 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, the Israeli forces arrested at least 46 Palestinians, including 8 children. In the Gaza Strip, on 08 February 2013, the Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of al-Maghazi, arrested 2 Palestinian children when they attempted to cross the borders into Israel. On 12 February 2013, the Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of al-Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, arrested 4 Palestinian children when they attempted to cross the borders into Israel. Restrictions on Movement: Israel continued to impose a tightened 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 Israeli-imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The illegal closure has caused not only a humanitarian crisis, but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for the population of the Gaza Strip. Recently-declared measures to ease the closure are vague, purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of the crisis; the root causes can only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of the closure, including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on exports. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer from the same shortage of goods but, as long as the closure is allowed to continue, they will remain economically dependent, unable to care for themselves, and socially, culturally and academically isolated from the rest of the world. The IOF 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. Settlement Activities: Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On 07 February 2013, Israeli forces completely demolished an uninhabited house in al-Khas village near Bethlehem. The house is located in area B, which falls under Palestinian jurisdiction under the Oslo Accords, and he has a construction permit from the Ministry of Local Government in Bethlehem. On the same day, the Israeli forces launched a wide scale bulldozing campaign in lands belonging to Palestinian civilians in Kufor Sour and Kufor Jamal villages, located near "Salit" settlement, which stands on Palestinian lands, west of Kufor Sour village south of Tulkarm. According to eyewitnesses' testimonies to a PCHR fieldworker, the Israeli forces started the bulldozing campaign for expansion projects in "Salit" settlement. On 07 February 2013, a group of settlers, protected by the Israeli forces and military vehicles, raided al-Hadffira area, near 'Arraba village southwest of Jenin. The settlers preformed religious rituals near an archeological site and stayed there for a while. On 08 February 2012, Israeli forces, accompanied by military vehicles and waste water bumping vehicle in al-Tabban area, east of Yatta, south of Hebron, attacked a group of Palestinians and international human rights activists after they built three tents on a confiscated land in the area for the construction of Kan'an village there. The Israeli soldiers cordoned the area, assaulted the participants, tried to arrest some of them and demolished and confiscated