Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (08 – 14 December 2016)
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Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (08 – 14 December 2016) Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) (08 – 14 December 2016) Israeli forces continued to use excessive force in the oPt A Palestinian boy was killed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, and another civilian was killed in occupied Jerusalem. An activist was wounded in alEisawiya village, north of Jerusalem. Israeli forces conducted 56 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 10 ones in occupied Jerusalem. 76 civilians, including 13 children and a journalist, were arrested. Twentythree of them, including 11 children and the journalist, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem. Birzait University was raided and belongings of student unions were confiscated. Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea. Israeli forces continued their efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem. 2 families were obliged to selfdemolish parts of a 3storey building in Silwan village, south of the city. A residential barrack, a storage barrack and a commercial facility were demolished in Sour Baher under the pretext they were close to the annexation wall. 3 NGOs were raided; a musical activity in one of them was banned and PC sets were confiscated from another. Settlement activities continued in the West Bank. Settlers cut off 190 olive trees in Termis’ya village, northeast of Ramallah. 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 reestablished to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians. 7 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were arrested at military checkpoints. Summary Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (08 – 14 December 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 a Palestinian boy in the northern West Bank and a civilian in Jerusalem’s Old City, while wounded an activist in alEisawiya village, northeast of the city. In the West Bank, in excessive use of deadly force, on 08 December 2016, Israeli forces stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, killed a Palestinian boy from Qalqilya. Israeli forces claimed the boy attempted to stab Israeli soldiers and settlers at the checkpoint, therefore, they opened fire at him. They kept his corpse in custody. In a similar crime, on 14 December 2016, Israeli forces opened fire at a Palestinian young man who was present near the Hospice Hotel in alWad neighbourhood in East Jerusalem’s Old City. As a result, he sustained over 10 bullet wounds throughout his body. He was left bleeding for over half an hour, as Israeli forces prevented paramedics and doctors from offering first aid to him. Israeli forces then transported him to Hadassa Hospital as his health condition was critical, but he was pronounced dead on the same day evening. Israeli forces claimed the aforementioned person stabbed an Israeli soldier. On 12 December 2016, an Israeli soldier fired a rubbercoated metal bullet at Mohammed Abu alHommos, an activist in alEisawiya followup committee, northeast of Jerusalem, as he was documenting the Israeli violations during an Israeli incursion in the village. As a result Abu alHommos sustained a bullet wound to the left leg and was then transported to a medical centre for medical treatment. In the context of force used against peaceful protests, Israeli forces forcibly dispersed protests organized by dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights activists against the annexation wall and settlement activities in Bil’in and Ni’lin villages, west of Ramallah; alNabi Saleh village, northwest of the city; Termis’ya village, northeast of the city; and Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya. As a result, dozens of protesters suffered tear gas inhalation and other sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers. In the Gaza Strip, in the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 11 December 2016, Israeli gunboats stationed off Khan Younis shore in the southern Gaza Strip heavily opened fire around Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area. A similar attacked occurred in the same area on 12 December 2016. The fishermen sailed back fearing for their lives. Neither casualties nor material damage were reported. Incursions: During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 56 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 10 others in occupied Jerusalem and its suburbs. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 76 Palestinian civilians, including 13 children and a journalist. Twentythree of them, including 11 children and the journalist, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem. During the reporting period, Israeli forces raided Birzait University, north of Ramallah. They raided the student council office and rooms of student unions and confiscated some contents. Moreover, Israeli soldiers raided a number of offices and damaged the doors. Creating Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem: In the context of house demolitions, on 08 December 2016, two families were obliged to selfdemolish parts of their building in Sweih neighbourhood in Silwan village, south of East Jerusalem’s Old City. On 13 December 2016, Israeli forces demolished a residential barrack, a storage barrack and a commercial facility in sour Baher village, south of occupied Jerusalem, under the pretext they were close to the annexation wall. In the context of targeting NGOs in occupied Jerusalem, on 08 December 2016, Israeli forces raided Elia for Media office in Saladin Street. They searched it and confiscated 3 PC sets and some documents. They then arrested journalist Lama Hani Ghousha (25), questioned her and released her later. On the same day, Israeli forces raided the Palestinian National Theater “alHakawati” and banned a musical activity under the pretext it was organized by the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). on 09 December 2016, Israeli forces raided and searched Mada Center for Creativity in Batn alHawa neighbourhood in Silwan village, south of East Jerusalem’s Old City. Settlement activities and settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property: On 12 December 2016, Israeli forces confiscated a container used as a restaurant in Koza area at the main entrance to Beita village, south of Nablus. The container belongs to Mahmoud Ouda, whose restaurant was demolished on 03 November 2016. Therefore, he set up the container to make a living. On 13 December 2016, Israeli forces confiscated a caravan used as a mobile clinic in Kherbet alMarkaz, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. This caravan works under the supervision of the Palestinian Ministry of Health and offer services to about 120 civilians in Kherbet alMarkaz and Kherbet Janaba. In the same context, a group of settlers from “Adi Ad” settlement outpost attacked a plot of land and cut off 190 olive trees on 11 December 2016. 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 2 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 65%. Moreover, the rate of unemployment increased up to 47% and youth constitutes 65% of the unemployed persons. Moreover, 80% of the Gaza Strip population depends on international aid to secure their minimum daily needs. These rates indicate the unprecedented economic deterioration in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, Israeli forces continued to suffocate the Palestinian cities and village by imposing military checkpoints around and/or between them. This created “cantons” isolated from each other that hinders the movement of civilians. Moreover, the Palestinian civilians suffering aggravated because of the annexation wall and checkpoints erected on daily basis to catch Palestinians. Details 1. Incursions into Palestinian Areas, and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip Thursday, 08 December 2016 At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Balata village, east of Nablus. They raided and searched several houses after which they arrested 3 civilians, including 2 brothers, and took them to Hawarah Detention Center, south of the city. The arrested civilians were identified as Mohammed Azam Hazaa’ (25), his brother Osama (27) and Bassam Awad Abu alSharif (29). At approximately 19:00, Israeli forces released Bassam while kept the Hazaa’ brothers in custody. Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into alDhaheriyah village, south of Hebron, and stationed at Eshbiliya intersection in the centre of the city.