9 mar 2016
A research center in the U.S. conducted a poll showed that 48% of Israelis support the idea of expelling Palestinians residing in the 1948 Occupied Palestine.
While, 46% of Israelis objected to the idea. The study was conducted between 2014 and 2015 (before Jerusalem Intifada).
3,789 Adult Israelis were interviewed in the study which demonstrated that 58% of secularists voted against displacing Palestinians and 36% of them seconded the idea.
It also showed that 72% of the right-wing Israelis supported expelling Palestinians out of the green line (Palestinians' occupied lands in 1948). Another poll issued by an American research institute showed that 43 per cent of Jews do not believe in the two-state solution.
While, 46% of Israelis objected to the idea. The study was conducted between 2014 and 2015 (before Jerusalem Intifada).
3,789 Adult Israelis were interviewed in the study which demonstrated that 58% of secularists voted against displacing Palestinians and 36% of them seconded the idea.
It also showed that 72% of the right-wing Israelis supported expelling Palestinians out of the green line (Palestinians' occupied lands in 1948). Another poll issued by an American research institute showed that 43 per cent of Jews do not believe in the two-state solution.
The Arab Organization for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) conducted field research in the Occupied Palestinian Territories between January and December 2015 so as to document human rights violations committed by the Palestinian Authority's security apparatuses.
The research revealed that more than 1392 Palestinians were arrested for political reasons in various parts of the West Bank, 22 of whom were charged with carrying out anti-Israeli activities.
Another 323 were summoned for questioning before being released on the same day, Some of those arrested were summoned several times throughout the year. A recorded 273 were summoned and detained in June alone. Detainees included 25 women, 27 children, 68 journalists, 41 teachers and 422 university and school students.
The largest number of detainees, approximately 969, comprised Palestinians who had been previously freed from Israeli jails.
AOHR UK also documented 37 instances of individuals being subjected to torture whilst under arrest, including physical assaults with batons and ropes, being hung from windows and doors, being held in stress positions for hours, and near-death strangulations.
A number of detainees were held in solitary confinement for several months, prompting a number of them to go on open-ended hunger strikes to protest again the inhumane treatment and torture, and demand their immediate release.
The PA Security forces also seized personal belongings and property belonging to 76 Palestinians during the course of the arrests including ID cards, mobile phones, computers, cars, sums of money and various documents.
On fourteen occasions, the PA security forces used live bullets to intimidate Palestinians, injuring a 12-year-old child on one occasion.
At least 43 Palestinians were brutally beaten, and one was hit by a car during the course of his arrest. Security forces also held four Palestinians in custody so as to force members of their family who were sought by the security services, to hand themselves in. A man and a woman were also banned from travelling outside the West Bank.
The PA security forces often refused to comply with court orders for the release of detainees. At least 26 Palestinians remained in custody even after the court ordered their release. Another 11 Palestinians were held under “administrative detention” by the governor of their respective towns.
Only court decisions extending detainees’ remand in custody are usually routinely implemented, as was the case with verdicts sentencing four Palestinians to prison for periods ranging between 3 to 10 years. One of those Palestinians was sentenced in absentia since he is currently detained in Israel where it is expected he will be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Security forces cracked down on many peaceful protests held to oppose human rights violations by Palestinian security forces and Israeli occupation troops. At least 33 peaceful protests were disrupted and stopped in the West Bank, with officers, some dressed in plain clothes, assaulting protesters and seizing personal belongings, banners and brochures. Media outlets were often banned from covering these protests.
The research revealed that more than 1392 Palestinians were arrested for political reasons in various parts of the West Bank, 22 of whom were charged with carrying out anti-Israeli activities.
Another 323 were summoned for questioning before being released on the same day, Some of those arrested were summoned several times throughout the year. A recorded 273 were summoned and detained in June alone. Detainees included 25 women, 27 children, 68 journalists, 41 teachers and 422 university and school students.
The largest number of detainees, approximately 969, comprised Palestinians who had been previously freed from Israeli jails.
AOHR UK also documented 37 instances of individuals being subjected to torture whilst under arrest, including physical assaults with batons and ropes, being hung from windows and doors, being held in stress positions for hours, and near-death strangulations.
A number of detainees were held in solitary confinement for several months, prompting a number of them to go on open-ended hunger strikes to protest again the inhumane treatment and torture, and demand their immediate release.
The PA Security forces also seized personal belongings and property belonging to 76 Palestinians during the course of the arrests including ID cards, mobile phones, computers, cars, sums of money and various documents.
On fourteen occasions, the PA security forces used live bullets to intimidate Palestinians, injuring a 12-year-old child on one occasion.
At least 43 Palestinians were brutally beaten, and one was hit by a car during the course of his arrest. Security forces also held four Palestinians in custody so as to force members of their family who were sought by the security services, to hand themselves in. A man and a woman were also banned from travelling outside the West Bank.
The PA security forces often refused to comply with court orders for the release of detainees. At least 26 Palestinians remained in custody even after the court ordered their release. Another 11 Palestinians were held under “administrative detention” by the governor of their respective towns.
Only court decisions extending detainees’ remand in custody are usually routinely implemented, as was the case with verdicts sentencing four Palestinians to prison for periods ranging between 3 to 10 years. One of those Palestinians was sentenced in absentia since he is currently detained in Israel where it is expected he will be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Security forces cracked down on many peaceful protests held to oppose human rights violations by Palestinian security forces and Israeli occupation troops. At least 33 peaceful protests were disrupted and stopped in the West Bank, with officers, some dressed in plain clothes, assaulting protesters and seizing personal belongings, banners and brochures. Media outlets were often banned from covering these protests.
7 mar 2016
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), on Sunday, expressed its solidarity with and support of Al-Haq human rights organization, in confrontation of the campaign which aims to defame Al-Haq organization, and its staff members, by unknown sources.
PCHR stressed that this campaign is targeting the whole Palestinian human rights’ movement that is going through a legal struggle, on the international level, in order to expose the Israeli occupation's crimes against the Palestinian people, and prosecute the Israeli war criminals and bring them to justice.
In the past days, according to the PNN, Al-Haq received phone calls from unknown sources, threatening the life of some of its staff members particularly, Al-Haq’s representative in Europe, and General Director Shawan Jabarin, because Al-Haq is working on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) file.
Those death threats came in the context of a systematic campaign launched against Al-Haq several months ago, via anonymous emails, phone calls and Facebook posts, in an attempt to raise questions regarding the administration of Al-Haq’s finances and undermine Al-Haq’s funding base. Some of those who called claimed that they worked within the Palestinian Authority (PA); a fact refuted by an official statement by the PA itself.
Al-Haq is considered the home base for the Palestinian human rights organizations. It should be noted that Al-Haq was founded in 1979 and is one of the strategic partners of PCHR in defending human rights, confronting the environment of impunity and prosecuting the Israeli war criminals on the international level.
PCHR stressed that this campaign is targeting the whole Palestinian human rights’ movement that is going through a legal struggle, on the international level, in order to expose the Israeli occupation's crimes against the Palestinian people, and prosecute the Israeli war criminals and bring them to justice.
In the past days, according to the PNN, Al-Haq received phone calls from unknown sources, threatening the life of some of its staff members particularly, Al-Haq’s representative in Europe, and General Director Shawan Jabarin, because Al-Haq is working on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) file.
Those death threats came in the context of a systematic campaign launched against Al-Haq several months ago, via anonymous emails, phone calls and Facebook posts, in an attempt to raise questions regarding the administration of Al-Haq’s finances and undermine Al-Haq’s funding base. Some of those who called claimed that they worked within the Palestinian Authority (PA); a fact refuted by an official statement by the PA itself.
Al-Haq is considered the home base for the Palestinian human rights organizations. It should be noted that Al-Haq was founded in 1979 and is one of the strategic partners of PCHR in defending human rights, confronting the environment of impunity and prosecuting the Israeli war criminals on the international level.
Since the beginning of January 2016, a total of 23 Palestinian journalists on duty were targeted by Israeli armed forces and police, with 12 of the attacks occurring during the month of February alone.
WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency prepared a monthly report in which violations against journalists were documented, and indicated that the Israeli army continues to target Palestinian journalists, putting their lives at risk and hindering their work.
The report explained that journalists were being targeted with live metal rounds, teargas canisters, physical assault and arrests. Their ability to work freely and freedom of speech were also compromised.
In January alone, 11 journalists were targeted, while another 12 registered being attacked by Israeli forces during the month of February. Eight journalists sustained injuries due to being hit with rubber-coated steel bullets, while four others were either arrested, detained, had their press passes confiscated, or shot at without being hit.
On February 3, the Israeli police interrogated host of the show “Good morning Jerusalem” journalist Nader Bebars for around four hours under the pretext the content of his show is inciting against Israelis. Israeli police demanded him not to tackle politics in his show.
The same day, Israeli police physically assaulted Palestine Today correspondent Ahmad Jaradat. in the city of Jerusalem, and prevented him from covering a Jerusalem attack and its aftermath, despite presenting his press pass.
On February 4, Israeli soldiers physically assaulted photojournalist Ishaq Kasbe, also as he was covering the aftermath of an attack in Jerusalem.
After soldiers took Palestine Today journalist Mujahed Saadi from his Jenin home, the Israeli court ruled to hold Saadi in detention at Jalama prison.
Meanwhile, Israeli Supreme Court ruled to suspend the administrative detention of Palestinian hunger striking detainee Mohammad al-Qeeq, who has been detained since November 2015, and went on a hunger strike for 94 days.
On February 5, Israeli forces targeted the Turkish Anadolu News Agency reporter, Hisham Abu Shakra, with a live round in his leg, while he covered clashes that erupted between unarmed Palestinians and Israeli forces at the northern entrance of the city of Bethlehem.
On February 12, Israeli soldiers attacked WAFA photojournalist Ayman Nubani and 24fm photojournalist Muhammad Turabi, during a non-violent protest in Kafr Qaddoum, near Qalqilia.
European Pressphoto Agency photojournalist Alaa Badarneh sustained a broken hand while covering clashes in the same village, in of February 20. On February 26, video journalist for Jordanian Roya TV, Mohammad Shoshe, was hit with a sound bomb which burned and bruised his legs, while covering a protest near al-Ibrahimi Mosque, in the city of Hebron.
The same day, Kuwaiti journalist Nayed Shaher suffocated from inhaling teargas during the Bilin weekly protest against settlements and the apartheid wall. On February 27, photojournalist Mohammad Jaradat was assaulted while covering a protest to mark the 22nd anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in Hebron.
WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency prepared a monthly report in which violations against journalists were documented, and indicated that the Israeli army continues to target Palestinian journalists, putting their lives at risk and hindering their work.
The report explained that journalists were being targeted with live metal rounds, teargas canisters, physical assault and arrests. Their ability to work freely and freedom of speech were also compromised.
In January alone, 11 journalists were targeted, while another 12 registered being attacked by Israeli forces during the month of February. Eight journalists sustained injuries due to being hit with rubber-coated steel bullets, while four others were either arrested, detained, had their press passes confiscated, or shot at without being hit.
On February 3, the Israeli police interrogated host of the show “Good morning Jerusalem” journalist Nader Bebars for around four hours under the pretext the content of his show is inciting against Israelis. Israeli police demanded him not to tackle politics in his show.
The same day, Israeli police physically assaulted Palestine Today correspondent Ahmad Jaradat. in the city of Jerusalem, and prevented him from covering a Jerusalem attack and its aftermath, despite presenting his press pass.
On February 4, Israeli soldiers physically assaulted photojournalist Ishaq Kasbe, also as he was covering the aftermath of an attack in Jerusalem.
After soldiers took Palestine Today journalist Mujahed Saadi from his Jenin home, the Israeli court ruled to hold Saadi in detention at Jalama prison.
Meanwhile, Israeli Supreme Court ruled to suspend the administrative detention of Palestinian hunger striking detainee Mohammad al-Qeeq, who has been detained since November 2015, and went on a hunger strike for 94 days.
On February 5, Israeli forces targeted the Turkish Anadolu News Agency reporter, Hisham Abu Shakra, with a live round in his leg, while he covered clashes that erupted between unarmed Palestinians and Israeli forces at the northern entrance of the city of Bethlehem.
On February 12, Israeli soldiers attacked WAFA photojournalist Ayman Nubani and 24fm photojournalist Muhammad Turabi, during a non-violent protest in Kafr Qaddoum, near Qalqilia.
European Pressphoto Agency photojournalist Alaa Badarneh sustained a broken hand while covering clashes in the same village, in of February 20. On February 26, video journalist for Jordanian Roya TV, Mohammad Shoshe, was hit with a sound bomb which burned and bruised his legs, while covering a protest near al-Ibrahimi Mosque, in the city of Hebron.
The same day, Kuwaiti journalist Nayed Shaher suffocated from inhaling teargas during the Bilin weekly protest against settlements and the apartheid wall. On February 27, photojournalist Mohammad Jaradat was assaulted while covering a protest to mark the 22nd anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in Hebron.
5 mar 2016
Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq has been the target of a smear campaign in the past six months culminating in death threats, the group said in a statement released this week.
Al-Haq is an independent rights organization based in Ramallah which has documented violations of individual and collective human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1979.
Although the organization said it “has faced various forms of attack and smear campaigns by the Israeli authorities” since its inception, it reported in a statement on Wednesday that it has faced a growing number of anonymous threats and attempts to tarnish its reputation since September.
A number of anonymous messages were sent to Al-Haq donors and staff casting accusations of corruption and fraud. The accusations were discredited in November, after Al-Haq requested audits of its own accounting to dispel suspicions of wrongdoing.
The intimidation tactics reportedly escalated in late February, when Al-Haq said two of its staff members, including its director Shawan Jabarin, received anonymous calls which “directly connect[ed] the risk to the life of the staff member with Al-Haq’s work regarding the International Criminal Court.”
Al-Haq said the threats coincided with its involvement with “the progress achieved at the level of the International Criminal Court and decisions at the EU level regarding the labeling of settlement products.”
The NGO said it had notified the “appropriate authorities” and that an investigation had been opened, adding that it was “convinced” that Israeli authorities were behind the smear campaign.
“This is an institutionalized, planned and very well-resourced campaign -- with IT skills beyond any expert capacity,” the statement read. “There have been direct attacks on Al-Haq from the Israeli Minister of Justice, Israeli newspapers and Israeli organisations and institutions both at the local level and abroad.”
However, the Palestinian organization vowed to “remain steadfast in the face of these attacks and not be distracted or deterred from continuing its work in the pursuit of justice.”
Israeli authorities have imposed a travel ban on Jabarin, Al-Haq’s director, since 2006, lifting it temporarily on two occasions, citing undisclosed evidence that Jabarin represented a security threat.
Al-Haq is an independent rights organization based in Ramallah which has documented violations of individual and collective human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1979.
Although the organization said it “has faced various forms of attack and smear campaigns by the Israeli authorities” since its inception, it reported in a statement on Wednesday that it has faced a growing number of anonymous threats and attempts to tarnish its reputation since September.
A number of anonymous messages were sent to Al-Haq donors and staff casting accusations of corruption and fraud. The accusations were discredited in November, after Al-Haq requested audits of its own accounting to dispel suspicions of wrongdoing.
The intimidation tactics reportedly escalated in late February, when Al-Haq said two of its staff members, including its director Shawan Jabarin, received anonymous calls which “directly connect[ed] the risk to the life of the staff member with Al-Haq’s work regarding the International Criminal Court.”
Al-Haq said the threats coincided with its involvement with “the progress achieved at the level of the International Criminal Court and decisions at the EU level regarding the labeling of settlement products.”
The NGO said it had notified the “appropriate authorities” and that an investigation had been opened, adding that it was “convinced” that Israeli authorities were behind the smear campaign.
“This is an institutionalized, planned and very well-resourced campaign -- with IT skills beyond any expert capacity,” the statement read. “There have been direct attacks on Al-Haq from the Israeli Minister of Justice, Israeli newspapers and Israeli organisations and institutions both at the local level and abroad.”
However, the Palestinian organization vowed to “remain steadfast in the face of these attacks and not be distracted or deterred from continuing its work in the pursuit of justice.”
Israeli authorities have imposed a travel ban on Jabarin, Al-Haq’s director, since 2006, lifting it temporarily on two occasions, citing undisclosed evidence that Jabarin represented a security threat.
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territories continued during the reporting period (25 February – 02 March 2016).
Israeli attacks in the West Bank & Gaza:
Shootings
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 killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, in the West Bank. One of them was killed in Qalandya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, another was killed at “Beit Eil” military checkpoint, north of Ramallah, while the 2 others were killed in “Eli” settlement, south of Nablus.
Moreover, they wounded 20 civilians, including 3 children. Thirteen of them, including a child, were in the West Bank, and the 7 others, including 2 children, were in the Gaza Strip. Concerning the nature of injuries, 11 civilians were hit with live bullets, 6 were hit with rubber-coated metal bullets and 3 others were hit with sound bombs.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, and wounded 13 others, including a child. Seven of them were hit with live bullets and 6 others were hit with a rubber-coated metal bullet.
Incursions
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 67 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 6 ones in occupied East Jerusalem and its suburbs. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 77 Palestinian civilians, including 13 children. Ten of them, including 9 children.
In the Gaza Strip, on 27 February 2016, Israeli forces arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, who attempted to sneak into Israel through the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Rafah City, to look for work. They were taken to an unknown destination.
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.
Efforts to create a Jewish majority
On 26 February 2016, “Ateret Cohanim” organization delivered the heirs of Abdul Majeed al-Rajabi judicial notices to vacate their land in Batn al-Hawa neighbourhood, in Silwan village, south of East Jerusalem, on which 12 apartments are built. The organization claimed that the land belongs to 3 Jews from Yemen, who used to live in that land before 1948. It should be noted that the 12 apartments shelter 93 persons, including 64 children.
On 27 February 2016, officers from the Israeli municipality and police moved into Ein al-Louza neighbourhood, south of East Jerusalem. They photographed the streets and some buildings and then fixed a number of administrative demolition notices to some residential buildings.
Settlement activities
On 25 February 2016, Israeli bulldozers demolished industrial and commercial facilities and confiscated a mobile house in al-Muhalel in Na’lin village, west of Ramallah. The demolition was carried out against 10 stores.
On 29 February 2016, Israeli bulldozers demolished 4 residential tents, 2 livestock tents and 2 livestock barns in al-Farisiya area, north of Jordan Valley, east of Tubas. It should be noted that these facilities were donated by the Palestine Red Crescent society (PRCS) after a demolition that was carried out in the same area on 11 February 2016.
On 02 March 2016, Israeli forces demolished Kherbet Tana, east of Beit Foreek village, east of Nablus. They demolished the only school in the Kherbeh, 2 caves, 2 barracks, 10 residential tents and 6 livestock tents. The demolished tents and other facilities belong to 12 families consisting of 68 individuals, including 29 children.
On the same day, Israeli forces demolished an underconstruction house in al-Shweika suburb, north of Tulkarm, belonging to Khalil Ahmed Mohammed Ali (44). It is worth noting that the house was 2 kilometres away from the electronic fence, which is part of the annexation wall.
Recommendations to the International Community:
PCHR emphasizes the international community’s position that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation, in spite of Israeli military redeployment outside the Gaza Strip in 2005. PCHR further confirms that Israeli forces continued to impose collective punishment measures on the Gaza Strip, which have escalated since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, in which Hamas won the majority of seats of the Palestinian Legislative Council. PCHR stresses that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and the international humanitarian law, especially the Hague Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land and the Geneva Conventions. Israel is bound to apply the international human rights law and the law of war sometime reciprocally and other times in parallel in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for victims.
In light of continued arbitrary measures, land confiscation and settlement activities in the West Bank, and the latest 51-day offensive against civilians in the Gaza Strip, PCHR calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention and the European Union – in the context of their natural obligation to respect and enforce the international law – to cooperate and act according to the following recommendations:
1. PCHR calls upon the international community and the United Nations to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination, through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine;
2. PCHR calls upon the United Nations to provide international protection to Palestinians in the oPt, and to ensure the non-recurrence of aggression against the oPt, especially the Gaza Strip;
3. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to compel Israel, as a High Contracting Party to the Conventions, to apply the Conventions in the oPt;
4. PCHR calls upon the Parties to international human rights instruments, especially the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to pressurize Israel to comply with their provisions in the oPt, and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the concerned committees;
5. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfil their obligation to ensure the application of the Conventions, including extending the scope of their jurisdiction in order to prosecute suspected war criminals, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator and the place of a crime, to pave the way for prosecuting suspected Israeli war criminals and end the longstanding impunity they have enjoyed;
6. PCHR calls on States that apply the principle of universal jurisdiction not to surrender to Israeli pressure to limit universal jurisdiction to perpetuate the impunity enjoyed by suspected Israeli war criminals;
7. PCHR calls upon the international community to act in order to stop all Israeli settlement expansion activities in the oPt through imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements and criminalizing trading with them;
8. PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly to transfer the Goldstone Report to the UN Security Council in order to refer it to the International Criminal Court in accordance with Article 13(b) of the Rome Statute;
9. PCHR calls upon the United Nations to confirm that holding war criminals in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a precondition to achieve stability and peace in the regions, and that peace cannot be built on the expense of human rights;
10. PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council to explicitly declare that the Israeli closure policy in Gaza and the annexation wall in the West Bank are illegal, and accordingly refer the two issues to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel to compel it to remove them;
11. PCHR calls upon the international community, in light of its failure to the stop the aggression on the Palestinian people, to at least fulfil its obligation to reconstruct the Gaza Strip after the series of hostilities launched by Israel which directly targeted the civilian infrastructure;
12. PCHR calls upon the United Nations and the European Union to express a clear position towards the annexation wall following the international recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, as the annexation wall seizes large parts of the State of Palestine;
13. PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that both sides must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel, and the EU must not ignore Israeli violations and crimes against Palestinian civilians.
Fully detailed document
Israeli attacks in the West Bank & Gaza:
Shootings
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 killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, in the West Bank. One of them was killed in Qalandya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, another was killed at “Beit Eil” military checkpoint, north of Ramallah, while the 2 others were killed in “Eli” settlement, south of Nablus.
Moreover, they wounded 20 civilians, including 3 children. Thirteen of them, including a child, were in the West Bank, and the 7 others, including 2 children, were in the Gaza Strip. Concerning the nature of injuries, 11 civilians were hit with live bullets, 6 were hit with rubber-coated metal bullets and 3 others were hit with sound bombs.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, and wounded 13 others, including a child. Seven of them were hit with live bullets and 6 others were hit with a rubber-coated metal bullet.
Incursions
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 67 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 6 ones in occupied East Jerusalem and its suburbs. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 77 Palestinian civilians, including 13 children. Ten of them, including 9 children.
In the Gaza Strip, on 27 February 2016, Israeli forces arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, who attempted to sneak into Israel through the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Rafah City, to look for work. They were taken to an unknown destination.
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.
Efforts to create a Jewish majority
On 26 February 2016, “Ateret Cohanim” organization delivered the heirs of Abdul Majeed al-Rajabi judicial notices to vacate their land in Batn al-Hawa neighbourhood, in Silwan village, south of East Jerusalem, on which 12 apartments are built. The organization claimed that the land belongs to 3 Jews from Yemen, who used to live in that land before 1948. It should be noted that the 12 apartments shelter 93 persons, including 64 children.
On 27 February 2016, officers from the Israeli municipality and police moved into Ein al-Louza neighbourhood, south of East Jerusalem. They photographed the streets and some buildings and then fixed a number of administrative demolition notices to some residential buildings.
Settlement activities
On 25 February 2016, Israeli bulldozers demolished industrial and commercial facilities and confiscated a mobile house in al-Muhalel in Na’lin village, west of Ramallah. The demolition was carried out against 10 stores.
On 29 February 2016, Israeli bulldozers demolished 4 residential tents, 2 livestock tents and 2 livestock barns in al-Farisiya area, north of Jordan Valley, east of Tubas. It should be noted that these facilities were donated by the Palestine Red Crescent society (PRCS) after a demolition that was carried out in the same area on 11 February 2016.
On 02 March 2016, Israeli forces demolished Kherbet Tana, east of Beit Foreek village, east of Nablus. They demolished the only school in the Kherbeh, 2 caves, 2 barracks, 10 residential tents and 6 livestock tents. The demolished tents and other facilities belong to 12 families consisting of 68 individuals, including 29 children.
On the same day, Israeli forces demolished an underconstruction house in al-Shweika suburb, north of Tulkarm, belonging to Khalil Ahmed Mohammed Ali (44). It is worth noting that the house was 2 kilometres away from the electronic fence, which is part of the annexation wall.
Recommendations to the International Community:
PCHR emphasizes the international community’s position that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation, in spite of Israeli military redeployment outside the Gaza Strip in 2005. PCHR further confirms that Israeli forces continued to impose collective punishment measures on the Gaza Strip, which have escalated since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, in which Hamas won the majority of seats of the Palestinian Legislative Council. PCHR stresses that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and the international humanitarian law, especially the Hague Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land and the Geneva Conventions. Israel is bound to apply the international human rights law and the law of war sometime reciprocally and other times in parallel in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for victims.
In light of continued arbitrary measures, land confiscation and settlement activities in the West Bank, and the latest 51-day offensive against civilians in the Gaza Strip, PCHR calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention and the European Union – in the context of their natural obligation to respect and enforce the international law – to cooperate and act according to the following recommendations:
1. PCHR calls upon the international community and the United Nations to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination, through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine;
2. PCHR calls upon the United Nations to provide international protection to Palestinians in the oPt, and to ensure the non-recurrence of aggression against the oPt, especially the Gaza Strip;
3. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to compel Israel, as a High Contracting Party to the Conventions, to apply the Conventions in the oPt;
4. PCHR calls upon the Parties to international human rights instruments, especially the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to pressurize Israel to comply with their provisions in the oPt, and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the concerned committees;
5. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfil their obligation to ensure the application of the Conventions, including extending the scope of their jurisdiction in order to prosecute suspected war criminals, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator and the place of a crime, to pave the way for prosecuting suspected Israeli war criminals and end the longstanding impunity they have enjoyed;
6. PCHR calls on States that apply the principle of universal jurisdiction not to surrender to Israeli pressure to limit universal jurisdiction to perpetuate the impunity enjoyed by suspected Israeli war criminals;
7. PCHR calls upon the international community to act in order to stop all Israeli settlement expansion activities in the oPt through imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements and criminalizing trading with them;
8. PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly to transfer the Goldstone Report to the UN Security Council in order to refer it to the International Criminal Court in accordance with Article 13(b) of the Rome Statute;
9. PCHR calls upon the United Nations to confirm that holding war criminals in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a precondition to achieve stability and peace in the regions, and that peace cannot be built on the expense of human rights;
10. PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council to explicitly declare that the Israeli closure policy in Gaza and the annexation wall in the West Bank are illegal, and accordingly refer the two issues to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel to compel it to remove them;
11. PCHR calls upon the international community, in light of its failure to the stop the aggression on the Palestinian people, to at least fulfil its obligation to reconstruct the Gaza Strip after the series of hostilities launched by Israel which directly targeted the civilian infrastructure;
12. PCHR calls upon the United Nations and the European Union to express a clear position towards the annexation wall following the international recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, as the annexation wall seizes large parts of the State of Palestine;
13. PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that both sides must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel, and the EU must not ignore Israeli violations and crimes against Palestinian civilians.
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