Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) & Land Research Center – Jerusalem (LRC) [email protected] | http://www.arij.org [email protected] | http://www.lrcj.org The Israeli Colonization Activities in the occupied Palestinian Territory during the 1st Quarter of 2015 (June- August) / 2015 June to August 2015 The Quarterly report highlights the This presentation is prepared chronology of events concerning the deas part of the project entitl Israeli Violations in the West Bank and the “Addressing Israeli Actions Gaza Strip, the confiscation and razing of and its Land Polices in the lands, the uprooting and destruction of fruit OPT”, which is financially trees, the expansion of settlements and supported by the EU and SDC. erection of outposts, the brutality of the However, the contents of this Israeli Occupation Army, the Israeli settlers presentation are the sole violence against Palestinian civilians and responsibility of ARIJ and do properties, the erection of checkpoints, the of not necessarily reflect those construction of the Israeli segregation wall the donors and the issuance of military orders for the various Israeli purposes. 1 Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) & Land Research Center – Jerusalem (LRC) [email protected] | http://www.arij.org [email protected] | http://www.lrcj.org Map 1: The Israeli Segregation Plan in the occupied Palestinian Territory 2 Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) & Land Research Center – Jerusalem (LRC) [email protected] | http://www.arij.org [email protected] | http://www.lrcj.org Bethlehem Governorate (June 2015 – August 2015) Israeli Violations in Bethlehem Governorate during the Month of June 2015 Israeli Occupation Authorities handed out military orders to stop the construction in 4 Palestinian houses (each one about 200 square meters) in Umm Salamuna village, south of Bethlehem city. The targeted houses are owned by: Hussen Mohammad Taqatqih, Ja’far Khalil Taqatqih, Nasem Ali Taqatqih and Salem Ahmed Taqatqih. (Al- Quds 2 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) stormed and searched five of Palestinian houses in Tequ village, southeast of Bethlehem city. the targeted houses are owned by: Hamza Mahmoud Jubril, Hassan Awad Jubril, Mahmoud Kaiyed Jubril, Ibrahim Issa, Mohammad Hasan Jubril. (Wafa 4 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) raided and searched two Palestinian houses in Husan village, west of Bethlehem city. The targeted houses are owned by Ayed Ibrahim Za’oul and his borther Ahmed. (Wafa 4 June 2015) Israeli settlers gathered at the entrance of Al Jab’a village, southwest of Bethlehem city and attacked Palestinians and their vehicles. (Al-Quds 4 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) invaded and toured in several areas and neighborhoods in Beit Jala town, southwest of Bethlehem city. The IOA fire teargas and stun grenades at Palestinian houses, causing dozens of suffocation cases. (Al-Quds 7 June 2015) Two Palestinians; Mu’tasem Nabel Ash-Shwiki (21 years) and Mahmoud Imad Ash-Shwiki (18 years), were injured after the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) stationed at the DCO military checkpoint, at the western entrance of Beit Jala town, southwest of Bethlehem city, opened fire at them while they were near the checkpoint. At the same time, the IOA also, detained four Palestinians. (Maannews & RB2000 7 June 2015) Undercover Israeli Army surrounded “Beit Jala hospital” in Beit Jala town, south of Bethlehem city, and tried to kidnap two Palestinians. (RB2000 8 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) stormed and searched 5 Palestinian houses in Tequ village, southeast of Bethlehem city. the targeted houses are owned by: Majed Al Amour and his two brother; Habes and Aref, Nedal Al Badan and Ali Abed Al Aziz. (RB2000 9 June 2015) 3 Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) & Land Research Center – Jerusalem (LRC) [email protected] | http://www.arij.org [email protected] | http://www.lrcj.org Marwan Masha’la (24 years) was injured after an Israeli settler hit him by his vehicle near Al-Jab’a village, southwest of Bethlehem city. (Al-Quds 10 June 2015) Israeli bulldozers escorted by the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) razed 17 dunums of Palestinian land in Wadi Fukin village, west of Bethlehem city, and destroyed dozens of trees and demolished a water well. The targeted land is owned by Sabri Rashad Manasrah. (ARIJ Field workers 11 May 2015) Israeli Occupation bulldozers escorted by the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished a barracks in Beit Ra’mar area in Al Fureidis village, southeast of Bethlehem city and confiscated stones. The targeted barracks is owned by Hisham Ibrahim Abu Mahamid. During the operation, the IOA arrested Ahmed Abu Mahamid (20 years). (ARN 15 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) razed 20 dunums of Palestinian land in Khirbet Hamuda, west of Husan village, west of Bethlehem city and uprooted 200 olive seedlings. The targeted land is owned by Ibrahim Lafi Shousha and Adel Sa’di Shosha. The IOA claimed that the targeted land classified as “State land”. (RB2000 15 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Authorities stormed Al Bireh area in Al Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem city and survey the 3 dunums of land owned by the sons of Musa Mohammad Hussin Salah. (Wafa 17 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Authorities handed out a military order to demolish a Palestinian house in Al Masara village, south of Bethlehem city. (ARIJ Field workers 21 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Authorities handed out a military order to demolish an agricultural room and retaining wall built on 10 dunums of agricultural land in Kisan village, southeast of Bethlehem city. The targeted room is owned by Musa Abu Daya. (Wafa 24 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) stormed and searched dozens of Palestinian houses in Ash-Shawawra village in Bethlehem governorate. The IOA also, closed all the entrances of the village and prevented Palestinians from entering or leaving it. (RB2000 29 June 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) handed out a military order to demolish an animal shed in Um Rukba neighborhood in Al Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem city. The targeted shed is owned by Ibrahim Khalil Sobeh. (PNN & Al Quds 30 June 2015) 4 Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) & Land Research Center – Jerusalem (LRC) [email protected] | http://www.arij.org [email protected] | http://www.lrcj.org Israeli Violations in Bethlehem Governorate during the Month of July 2015 Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) intensified their presence at the southern entrance of Nahhalin village, southwest of Bethlehem city. The IOA searched the areas and clashes with the Palestinians. (RB2000 1 July 2015) Clashes erupted between Palestinians and the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) in Nahhalin village, west of Bethlehem city. The IOA fired teargas and stun grenades at Palestinians, houses and land, causing dozens of suffocation cases and the torch of a number of trees. (Al-Quds 2 July 2015) Clashes erupted between Palestinians and the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) in Husan village, west of Bethlehem city. The IOA fired teargas and stun grenades at Palestinians and houses, causing dozens of suffocation cases. (Al-Quds 2 July 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) stormed Ad-Duheisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem city. clashes erupted between Palestinians and the IOA, where the IOA fired rubber and live bullets and teargas and stun grenades at Palestinians and houses, causing dozens of suffocation cases and the injury of 6 people. During the clashes, the IOA arrested Raghd Shamroukh (20 years) and Waled Jehad Al Ja’fari (25 years). (Maannews 2 July 2015) Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) tightened its procedures at Gilo 300 military checkpoint, north of Bethlehem city. (RB2000 3 July 2015) The Israeli Supreme Court Gives the Green Light to Begin Building the Separation Wall in the Cremisan Valley. The Israeli Supreme Court issued a decision on Monday, the 6th of July 2015, giving the Israeli Ministry of Defence the green light to begin building the separation wall in the Cremisan Valley in Beit Jala. This ruling limits the effect of the Court’s previous decision given in April 2015 to stop building the separation wall in Cremisan. In its new decision, the court limited the ban on building the wall to the lands surroundings of the Salesian Sister’s Convents, represented by the Society of St. Yves, and the Salesian Monk’s Monastery, represented by Adv. Nihad Irsheid as well as the monasteries’ agricultural lands. The court ruled that the Israeli authorities can initiate building the wall on the privately owned lands by people from Beit Jala; thereby leaving-out only a small section, hundreds of meters in width and adjacent to the Salesian monasteries and their lands. The Court’s decision comes after the Israeli Ministry of Defence sent correspondence to the petitioners in late April. In it, they expressed their intention to initiate the building of the separation wall along the eastern section of the planned route, which in effect would mean that the wall will be built on the lands which are privately owned 5 Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) & Land Research Center – Jerusalem (LRC) [email protected] | http://www.arij.org [email protected] | http://www.lrcj.org by people from Beit Jala. The Ministry of Defence claimed that the Court's initial decision from last April did not annul the planned route; it has only requested maintaining the geographical connection between the Salesian Convent and Monastery as well as the connection between the Monasteries and the local community. In other words, the Ministry of Defence has interpreted the decision in a narrow manner, limiting the cessation of the building of the wall to the area around the Monasteries and their lands. Following that correspondence, Adv. Ghiath Nasser who represents the Municipality of Beit Jala and the land owners, submitted an application to the Supreme Court alleging the contempt of the Court’s decision while requesting the court to issue an injunction preventing the building of the wall.