Reporting period: 14 July – 27 July 2015 (Two-week period)
Weekly Highlights
Three Palestinian civilians were shot with live ammunition and killed in the context of search and arrest operations in the West Bank: On 22 July, a 21-year-old man was shot in the chest, during clashes involving stone-throwing, in Birqin village (Jenin); on 23 July, a 53-year-old man was shot while reportedly trying to protect his son, who had been shot and injured moments earlier in their home in Beit Ummar village (Hebron); and on 27 July, a 20-year-old man fell from a roof after being shot multiple times while attempting to escape from Israeli soldiers in Qalandiya Refugee Camp (Jerusalem). The immediate cause of the latter death remains unconfirmed. This brings the number of Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank since the start of the year to 17, compared to 19 in the equivalent period of 2014.
Israeli forces injured a total of 66 Palestinians, including five children and five women in multiple incidents across the West Bank. Nearly a third of the injuries (21) took place in the context of search and arrest operations, including those operations noted above resulting in fatalities. Another 12 Palestinians were injured in clashes triggered by the announced entry of settlers; an Israeli Minister; and other Israeli groups into Al Aqsa Mosque Compound on the annual Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av; this is the first entry of an Israeli official since November 2014.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces shot and injured two fishermen, reportedly sailing at 6NM from shore, and a 14-year-old child, who had been playing with other children within 50 meters from the fence. Overall, Israeli forces opened fire towards civilians in the Access Restricted Areas (ARA) on land and at sea on at least 23 occasions during the two-week period. On two occasions, Israeli forces entered and leveled land near the fence inside the Gaza Strip.
Also in Gaza, a 67-year-old woman was injured in her house east of Al Bureij Camp, during an Israeli airstrike targeting a nearby military training site. The airstrike was reportedly launched in response to a Palestinian rocket fire. The Palestinian rockets landed in open area in southern Israel resulting in no injuries or damage.
Seven Israeli settler attacks resulting in injury or damage to Palestinian property were recorded, including the physical assault of a shepherd from Qwawis (Hebron) and a 4-year-old girl near Al Ibrahimi Mosque in the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron city; a Palestinian bus driver sprayed with pepper spray in East Jerusalem; a water well vandalized in Deir Istya village (Salfit); five dunums of cropped land damaged in Al Khadr (Bethlehem); and 200 olive saplings uprooted in Turmus’ayya (Ramallah).
Five Palestinian attacks against settlers and other Israelis and their property were recorded. According to Israeli media, the attacks involved stone throwing, and in one case, the hurling of a Molotov cocktail and fireworks at Israeli settlers, their houses and vehicles, injuring four Israeli settlers. All attacks were recorded in the Jerusalem governorate, except one recorded in the Ramallah governorate.
In Area C, Israeli authorities demolished three commercial structures in Idhna village and a water cistern under construction in Beit Ula, both in Hebron governorate, due to lack of building permits; in the latter village the authorities also uprooted and confiscated around 350 olive trees and leveled around 30 dunums of cultivated land on grounds of their location in land designated by Israel as “state land”. In East Jerusalem one Palestinian family sealed their home, and another family demolished their home pursuant to order issued by the Israeli authorities on grounds of lack of Israeli-issued building permits.
On 22 July, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the petition filed by the widow of one of the perpetrators of the 18 November 2014 synagogue attack against the Ministry of Interior’s revocation of her permit to stay in East Jerusalem. This ruling paves the way for the forcible displacement of the woman and her three children from the city.
T he Rafah crossing was closed in both directions by the Egyptian authorities during the two week period. So far in 2015, 7,504 Palestinians have exited Gaza via Rafah compared with 19,806 Palestinians in the equivalent period in 2014. This measure directly affects at least 12,000 people registered to cross in both sides. Palestinian casualties in the occupied Palestinian territory (including East Jerusalem)
Palestinian fatalities by Israeli forces in the oPt Palestinian injuries by Israeli forces in the oPt
Total for tw o w eeks 4 66
Total for two Total 2015 (to Total 2014 weeks date) Previous tw o w eeks 0 22
Biw eekly Avg. 2015 4 70
0 1 53 Gaza West Bank
3 17 2257 Total in 2015 Total in 2014
51 5868 Gaza West Bank 10758 1043
Israeli Casualties by Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel
Israeli fatalities by Palestinians in the oPt and Israel Israeli injuries by Palestinians in the oPt and Israel
Total for two in 2015 (to Total 2014 weeks date) Total for tw o w eeks 0 4
0 10 Previous tw o w eeks 0 1 0 3 77 Biw eekly Avg. 2015 0 4
Israel oPt
Israel oPt
Demolitions and related displacements
Palestinian-owned structures demolished Palestinians displaced due to demolitions
Total for tw o w eeks 8 2 Total for tw o w eeks 0 16
Biw eekly Avg. 2015 17 3 Biw eekly Avg. 2015 19 2
Biw eekly Avg. 2014 19 4 Biw eekly Avg. 2014 37 8
Area C East Jerusalem Area C East Jerusalem
Total in 2015 (to date) Total in 2014 Total in 2015 (to date) Total in 2014
41 98 24 208
251 493 280 969
Settler-related violence in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem)
Total in 2015 (to date) Total in 2014 Total for tw o w eeks 4 3
Biw eekly Avg. 2015 5 3
42 107
Biw eekly Avg. 2014 8 4 78 217
Property damage incidents Casualty incidents
Israeli military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory (including East Jerusalem)
Israeli military incursions into Gaza* Israeli military search and arrest operations into the West Bank * excluding the period of hostilities (7 July- 26 August)
Total for two weeks In 2015 (to date) Total 2014 Total for tw o w eeks 117
Biw eekly Avg. 2015 163
2 21 21 Biw eekly Avg. 2014 150
Movements of goods into and out of Gaza through Kerem Shalom Crossing
Truckloads leaving Gaza Truckloads entering Gaza
Total for tw o w eeks 17 19 Total for tw o w eeks 1,299 1,414
Biw eekly Avg. 2015 23 14 Biw eekly Avg. 2015 1,300 1,437
Biw eekly Avg. 2014 4 2 Biw eekly Avg. 2014 467 1,775
West Bank Elsewhere Construction materials Other
240 2807
Jan-May 2007 weekly average (before the blockade) Jan-May 2007 weekly average(before the blockade)
Movement of People via Rafah crossing
0 Total for tw o w eeks 0
363 Biw eekly Avg. 2015 420
1,846 Biw eekly Avg. 2014 1,911
Into Gaza Out of Gaza
Please note that the figures in this report are subject to changes upon the receipt of additional information. For more information, please contact us at [email protected]
PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS WEEKLY REPORT REPORTING PERIOD: 14 - 27 July 2015