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Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (07– 13 April 2016) Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) (07– 13 April 2016) Nablus: Israeli Forces Demolish Kids’ Park in Za’tarah Village, South of Nablus Israeli forces continued to use excessive force in the oPt A Palestinian boy was wounded during an Israeli incursion. Israeli forces continued to target the border areas along the Gaza Strip. A child grazing sheep, east of Johr al­Deek village, in the central Gaza Strip, was wounded. Israeli forces conducted 85 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 2 limited ones in the Gaza Strip. 79 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children and 12 women, were arrested. 28 of them, including 3 children and 11 women, including a photojournalist, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem. A child was arrested after attempting to cross the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel to look for work. Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea. 2 fishermen were wounded and arrested, 2 fishing boats were confiscated and 4 other fishermen were arrested as well. Israeli forces continued their efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem. A house in Sour Baher village was closed with iron plates on grounds of collective punishments. A house was self­demolished, a tent was confiscated and more demolition notices were issued. Settlement activities continued in the West Bank. 16 residential tents, 5 caves used as shelters and 15 livestock barns in Kherbet Tana were demolished. A poultry slaughterhouse and a car workshop in Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, in addition to a kids’ park in Za’tarah village, south of Nablus, were demolished. Israeli forces demolished 3 underconstruction houses in al­Walaja village, west of Bethlehem. Settlers levelled a plot of land, west of Deir Ghassana village, northwest of Ramallah, in an attempt to seize it. Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 9th Dozens of temporary checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re­ established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians. 6 Palestinian civilians, including a university student, were arrested at military checkpoints. Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian civilians at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing while returning to the Gaza Strip. Summary Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (07 – 13 April 2016). Shooting: Israeli forces have continued to commit crimes, inflicting civilian casualties. They have also continued to use excessive force against Palestinian civilians participating in peaceful protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the majority of whom were youngsters. During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, one of them was wounded in the West Bank and the 3 others were wounded in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, on 07 April 2016, a Palestinian boy sustained a bullet wound to the right leg when dozens of settlers escorted by Israeli forces raided Joseph Tomb, east of Nablus, to perform their rituals. Dozens of youngsters gathered as a result and threw stones at Israeli soldiers that opened fire in response. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces wounded 3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 fishermen and boy grazing sheep near the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. On 08 April 2016, Israeli gunboats stationed off Rafah shore, south of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at 2 fishing boats manned by 4 fishermen and sailing 5 nautical miles off the shore. As a result, 2 brothers sustained bullets wounds throughout their bodies and were then arrested. Moreover, Israeli forces arrested 2 other fishermen. Three fishermen were released while the 2 fishing boats remained in custody. On 11 April 2016, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian shepherds in the east of Gaza Valley (Johr al­Deek), in the central Gaza Strip. As a result, Amer al­Tarabeen (14) sustained a bullet wound to the right arm while grazing the sheep, southeast of the landfill, 300 meters away from the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. In the context of targeting border areas along the Gaza Strip, on 07 April 2016, Israeli forces stationed at the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Jabalia village, north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire sporadically at the border area. No casualties were reported, but those who were present in the area were obliged to flee fearing for their lives. As part of Israeli attacks on fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea, on 07 April 2016, Israeli navy forces arrested 2 fishermen, from Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, while fishing within the allowed fishing area off Deir al­Balah shore, in the central Gaza Strip. They took them to Ashdod Seaport in Israel and questioned them for hours. On 09 April 2016, Israeli gunboats stationed off the northwest of Beit Lahia shore, north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire sporadically around Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 2 nautical miles. Incursions: During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 85 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 8 ones in occupied East Jerusalem and its suburbs. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 79 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children and 12 women. Twenty­eight of them, including 3 children and 11 women, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem. Among the arrested in Jerusalem was Mohammed Salim, the Imam of al­Aqsa Mosque, and Samah Dweik (25), journalist at Quds Network. In the Gaza Strip, on 07 April 2016, Israeli forces moved about 150 meters into the west of the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al­Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. They levelled lands along the border fence and withdrew later. On 12 April 2016, Israeli forces moved about 100 into the east of al­Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. They levelled lands, dug some areas along the border fence and redeployed later. On the same day, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip, arrested Omer Abu Foul (17), from Beit Lahia, after he crossed the border fence to look for work. 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 9 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. The Israeli closure raised the rate of poverty to 38.8%, 21.1% of which suffer from extreme poverty. Moreover, the rate of unemployment increased up to 44%, which reflects the unprecedented economic deterioration in the Gaza Strip. Jewish Majority In the context of house demolitions, on 11 April 2016, Israeli forces surrounded and then closed with iron plates a house belonging to Abed Mahmoud Dwayat (19) in Sour Baher village, southeast of Jerusalem. Dwayat had been arrested along with 3 other young men from Soure Baher village under the pretext of killing a settler in “Armon Hanetziv” settlement in al­Mukaber Mountain after throwing stones at his car. In the context of house demolitions and demolition notices, on 07 April 2016, Shereen al­Sidawi self­ demolished 2 rooms in her house in Beit Hanina neighbourhood, north of Jerusalem, upon a decision issued by the Israeli municipality. The aforementioned person said to PCHR’s fieldworker that she attached 2 rooms to her house 3 years ago. However, the Israeli municipality issued a decision to demolish the 2 rooms under the pretext of non­licensing. The decision had been delayed several times until it was final. On 08 April 2016, Israeli forces moved into Ein al­Louza neighbourhood in Silwan village, south of Jerusalem’s Old City. They confiscated a tent that had been established for the Friday prayer under the pretext non­licensing. On 09 April 2016, Israeli municipality officers escorted by the Israeli forces moved into Ein al­Louza neighbourhood in Silwan village, south of East Jerusalem. They distributed administrative demolition notices to 3 houses under the pretext of non­licensing. Settlement activities: On 07 April 2016, Israeli forces demolished a poultry slaughterhouse and a car workshop in the east of Nil’in village, west of Ramallah, for licensing issues. On the same day, Israeli forces demolished 16 residential tents, 5 caves used as shelters and 15 livestock barns and confiscated 4 water tanks and 2 cars in Kherbet Tana, southeast of Beit Foreek village, east of Nablus. It should be noted that the families whose houses were demolished and became homeless consisted of 117 persons, including 61 children.

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