Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (26 June – 02 July 2014) Thursday, 03 July 2014 00:00
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (26 June – 02 July 2014) Thursday, 03 July 2014 00:00 Gaza – Palestinians check the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes against various areas in the Gaza Strip Israeli forces continue systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) Israeli settlers kidnapped, tortured and killed a Palestinian Child from Shu’fat neighbourhood in Occupied Jerusalem and mutilated his body. In two new crimes of extra-judicial execution, 3 members of the armed groups were killed and another one was wounded. Israeli forces stormed Palestinian communities in the West Bank. A Palestinian civilian was killed in the north of the West Bank, and an old woman died due to a heart attack when Israeli forces raided her house, south of the West Bank. 19 Palestinian civilians, including the Palestine TV Reporter in occupied Jerusalem, were wounded, and one of them was arrested. Israeli forces conducted 90 incursions in the West Bank. 3 houses were destroyed in Hebron on the ground of collective punishment. 76 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, were arrested. The building of Hend al-Husseini Faculty was raided in occupied Jerusalem. The equipment of al-Rayyan Dairy Factory was confiscated in Hebron. Israeli warplanes launched 24 airstrikes on civilian objects and paramilitary training sites in the Gaza Strip. 9 Palestinian civilians, including 3women and 2 children, were wounded by shrapnel, and 3 civilians, including two children, were injured by the flying glass. Moreover, 3 civilians sustained bruises. A chicken barn, greenhouses, a country house, two barracks for fodders and sheep were destroyed, and 3000 chicks died. Israeli forces continued to fire at the border areas in the Gaza Strips 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the southern and central Gaza Strip. 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 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank. Israeli naval forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza waters. Israeli forces continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. Settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and their property. Settlers cut down 15 olive trees in Beit Ummar in the north of Hebron. Summary Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (26 June – 02 July 2014). Shooting: During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinians, and wounded 31 others; 19 of them were in the West Bank while 12 others were in the Gaza Strip. The wounded persons included 5 children and 4 women, including the Palestine TV reporter, in occupied Jerusalem. An old woman died of a heart attack when the Israeli forces raided her house and obstructed transferring her to the hospital for medical treatment. In one of the most heinous crimes committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the oPt, a group of Israeli settlers kidnapped Mohammed Hussein Abu Khudair, 16, from the vicinity of his family’s house in Shu’fat neighbourhood in the north of occupied Jerusalem, subjected him to brutal torture, and then killed him. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli warplanes conducted 24 air strikes, and the Israeli ground forces conducted 5 shooting incidents along the border fence. Moreover, Israeli naval forces carried out 2 shooting and chasing incidents. In the West Bank, on 01 July 2014, an Israeli undercover unit killed a Palestinian civilian in Jenin refugee camp in the north of the West Bank when the area was completely quiet. On 26 June 2014, Fatmah Ismail Ma’abad ‘Issa (70), from al-‘Arroub refugee camp died of a heart attack when Israeli forces raided her family house and detained the family members for an hour denying her access to medical treatment. In one of the most heinous crimes committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the oPt, a group of Israeli settlers kidnapped Mohammed Hussein Abu Khudair, 16, from the vicinity of his family’s house in Shu’fat neighborhood in the north of occupied Jerusalem, subjected him to brutal torture, and then killed him. During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 19 Palestinian civilians and arrested one of them. On 26 June 2014, Ismail Ahmed Mahmoud Hawamdah (23) from al-Samou’a village, south of Hebron was hit by two bullets to the shoulder and back when a member of an under-cover unit fired at him during his arrest. Israeli forces then arrested him and took him to an unknown destination. His family learnt later that her son is in “Soroka” Hospital in Beersheba. On 27 June 2014, Israeli forces wounded 4 Palestinian civilians when they moved into Nablus, Balatet al-Balad and Balatah refugee camp, east of the city to secure the way for settlers in order to perform religious rituals in Yousif tomb. A number of Palestinian youngsters demonstrated against them. In the Gaza Strip, during the reporting period, Israeli forces committed two new crimes of extra-judicial execution. In the first crime, 2 Palestinian members of al-Naser Salah al-Deen brigades (the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees) were killed. In the second crime, a member of an armed group was killed and another one was wounded. On 27 June 2014, 8 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli tanks along the border fence, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, fired 3 shells at the two minarets of al-Huda and al-Taqwa mosques in Khoza’ah village, which are around 1000-1600 meters away from the border fence. Three women, including a pregnant one and another one with her child in their family house, were wounded while another child, who was in the street, was wounded as well. On the same day, Israeli tanks stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, fired 6 artillery shells at the agricultural lands in al-Qararah village, east of the city. Residents of the area were terrified due to the sound of explosions heard all over Khan Younis. No injuries were reported. On 28 June 2014, two Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Younis, opened fire at the agricultural lands to the west of the aforementioned fence. On 29 June 2014, Israeli tanks stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Younis, fired 5 shells and opened fire at the agricultural lands, east of Qararah village, west of the aforementioned fence. No injuries were reported. In the context of other Israeli airstrikes, in addition to the two aforementioned airstrikes, Israeli warplanes conducted 20 airstrikes on civil targets and paramilitary training sites of armed groups. On 28 June 2014, Israeli warplanes launched 3 missiles at a 1-dunum land planted with olives, east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the centre of the Gaza Strip. This land belongs to Ahmed Mohammed Hlayel (35). As a result, 70 olive trees were damaged and 450-square-meter chicken barn roofed with tin and plastic was destroyed. Moreover, 3000 chicks died and a 50-square-meter house was destroyed. A fodder store and a barrack were destroyed, and a sheep died. On 29 June 2014, Israeli warplanes conducted 8 airstrikes targeting sites and facilities of armed groups in Gaza City, the central governorate, Khan Younis and Rafah. As a result, the targeted sites were damaged, and windows of nearby houses were broken. Moreover, 9 windows of an UNRWA health clinic in the Saudi neighbourhood in Rafah were broken. In addition, 3 civilians, including a child, were wounded due to the flying glass. On 01 July 2014, Israeli warplanes and helicopters conducted 11 airstrikes, during which they fired 44 missiles targeting training sites of armed groups, agricultural barracks. As a result, 3 employees of the agricultural control were terrified. All the airstrikes were conducted in almost the same time all over the Gaza Strip, except the central governorate, causing fear among civilians due to the strong sound of the explosions. In the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 28 June 2014, Israeli gunboats stationed off Khan Younis shore in the southern Gaza Strip, opened fire sporadically in the vicinity of the Palestinian fishing boats sailing 4 nautical miles offshore. On 01 July 2014, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip, launched a number of shells at open areas, east of the coastline. No injuries or damages to the boats were reported. Incursions: During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 90 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 76 Palestinians, including 8 children. 8 of them were arrested in Jerusalem while 9 others were arrested when Israeli forces intervened during the Israeli settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians. Following their declaration of the disappearance of 3 Israeli settlers in Hebron in the south of the West Bank, since Thursday evening, 12 June 2014, Israeli forces carried out a large-scale military campaign against residential communities in the West Bank and night raids of houses using tracker dogs and maltreating the house residents by expelling them outside their houses or detaining them in one room. Moreover, Israeli forces turned many houses into military barracks and deliberately damaged those houses. Most of the campaign was mainly targeting Hebron, but it extended all the West Bank governorates.