24 june 2014
Hebron- Israeli forces close all entrances to Hebron
In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 12 – 18 June, 2014, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 19 others, including 4 children and 2 photojournalists, in the West Bank.
Additionally, during the reporting period, PCHR found that Israeli soldiers used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.
As a result, two journalists suffered burns as they were hit by tear gas canisters.
Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank, this week.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank & Gaza:
Shootings:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 19 others, including 4 children and 2 photojournalists, in the West Bank.
17 of those Palestinians were wounded when Israeli forces stormed residential communities brutally while the two photojournalists were wounded in Bil’in weekly protest against the annexation wall and settlements.
In the Gaza Strip, a 7-year-old child died of wounds he sustained last week when Israeli forces conducted an extra-judicial execution, during which his uncle was killed.
The Israeli warplanes launched 18 airstrikes while Israeli ground forces conducted 2 shootings along the border. Israeli naval forces carried out 5 shooting and chasing incidents.
In the West Bank, in the context of using excessive force against the Palestinian civilians, on 16 June 2014, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 4 others in al-Jalazon refugee camp, north of Ramallah. Israeli forces moved into the camp to carry out an arrest campaign.
Dozens of Palestinians gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded by opening fire at the Palestinians.
On 15 June 2014, Israeli forces raided a house belonging to the family of Akram Mustafa Qawasmah (48) in Deir Bahah area in the west of Hebron after blowing up the door by an improvised explosive device. As a result, his son, Mohammed (7), was wounded by the glass shrapnel and flying steel to the chest, face, abdomen and legs.
The family members were detained in the house and prevented from getting the wounded child out of the house for around half an hour.
On 16 June 2014, a 28-year-old civilian was hit by a bullet to the right leg when Israeli forces moved into Jenin and raided charitable associations and houses. Therefore, a group of Palestinian youngsters and boys demonstrated against them.
On the same day, a 17-year-old child was hit by a bullet to the lower left part of the chest when a group of youngsters and children gathered at Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah and demonstrated against the Israeli forces that opened fire at them.
On 17 June 2014, Israeli forces opened fire at a Palestinian civilian from Haris village, northwest of Salfit. As a result, he was hit by several bullets to the foot.
Israeli forces claimed that the aforementioned civilian threw stones at an Israeli police vehicle that was passing by ‘Aber al-Samerah Street, south of the aforementioned village. The wounded was transferred to “Pellincion” hospital in Israeli for medical treatment after it was found out that he suffered mental problems.
On the same day, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces backed by military vehicles moved into Jenin. Israeli soldiers fired at Palestinian youngsters and children who gathered and demonstrated against them.
On the same day, Israeli forces moved into al-Far’ah refugee camp, south of Tubas. A number of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at Israeli military vehicles, and Israeli soldiers in response fired at them.
As a result, 18-year-old civilian was hit by a bullet to the right knee, and a 20-year-old civilian was hit by a metal bullet to the left arm.
On the same day, a Palestinian child from Balatah refugee camp, east of Nablus, was hit by a bullet to left waist when Israeli forces moved into the camp and fired at a number of boys demonstrated against them.
On 18 June 2014, a 17-year-old civilian was hit by 3 bullets to the right hand and legs and a 20-year-old civilian was hit by a bullet to the right hand when Israeli soldiers moved into ‘Askar refugee camp, northeast of Nablus.
On the same day, a Palestinian civilian was wounded when Israeli forces moved into Tal village, south of Nablus, and fired at a group of Palestinian youngsters demonstrated against them.
During the reporting period, Israeli soldiers used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.
As a result, two journalists suffered burns as they were hit by tear gas canisters. Moreover, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
In addition, Palestinians have organized several demonstrations in solidarity with administrative detainees on hunger strike. Israeli forces used force to disperse the demonstrators.
As a result, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
In the Gaza Strip, medical sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared that ‘Ali ‘Abdel Latif Ahmed al-‘Awour (10) died of wounds he had sustained when Israeli drones targeted a motorbike travelled by his uncle, Mohammed al-‘Awour (33), on 11 June 2014.
In the context of airstrikes, Israeli warplanes launched 18 airstrikes on civil targets and paramilitary training sites of Palestinian armed groups.
On 14 June 2014, Israeli warplanes launched 8 airstrikes targeting 6 training sites of Palestinian armed groups in the central Gaza Strip, Rafah and Khan Younis, a tin-made room in the front yard of a house in al-Salam neighbourhood in Rafah; the room was completely destroyed and partial damages were caused to 13 nearby houses while no injuries were reported.
Israeli warplanes launched at least one missile at a land and greenhouse in the former settlements area in the west of Rafah. As a result, damages were caused to the place, and a woman sustained a deep injury and a fracture in the left thigh when she was at her house in the Saudi neighbourhood near the targeted greenhouses. Moreover, damages were caused to an UNRWA health clinic overseeing the aforementioned neighbourhood.
On 16 June 2014, Israeli warplanes conducted 5 airstrikes targeting 4 training sites of armed groups and the National Security Forces headquarters, east of the cars market, east of Gaza City.
Israeli forces launched 4 missiles at a paramilitary site of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) established on the land of the former Palestinian General Intelligence Headquarters, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
As a result, a 50-sqaure-meter room in the eastern side of the site was destroyed completely, and a 5-meter deep hole was caused. Moreover, nearby houses were damaged as their windows were broken.
A school adjacent to the site side was damaged as dozens of windows and doors were broken and the school’s fence was cracked. Four civilians, including a child, were wounded in the nearby houses due to flying glass.
On 17 June 2014, Israeli warplanes launched 6 airstrikes targeting a turnery, east of Gaza City. As a result, it was completely destroyed.
Moreover, a blacksmith workshop belonging to his brother and a carpentry workshop were destroyed, and extensive damages were caused to a carwash garage, a barrack used as a store for wood and barrack for marble. No injuries were reported.
The other airstrikes targeted vacant lands and sites of armed groups, east of Gaza City, and west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Though there were no injuries reported, civilians, especially children, were terrified as they live only meter away from the targeted places due to the huge explosions resulted from the missile launched by the Israeli warplanes.
In the context of shooting incidents and incursions, Israeli forces stationed on the watchtowers along Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing, northwest of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, fired live bullets and 7 flash bombs at open areas in the vicinity of the crossing and northwest of Um al-Nasser village “the Bedouin village” in the northern Gaza Strip. Neither injuries nor damages were reported.
On 16 June 2014, Israeli forces stationed on watchtowers to the east of al-Shuhadaa’ cemetery, east of Jabalia, fired live bullets and sound bombs at open areas in the vicinity of the cemetery. Neither injuries nor damages were reported. As a result, civilians living near the border fence were terrified.
In the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 13 June 2014, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha Shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire in the vicinity of the Palestinian fishing boats sailing 3 nautical miles offshore. Neither injuries nor damages were reported. 4 shooting incidents targeted the Palestinian fishing boats on 14, 16, 17 June 2014.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 152 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 200 Palestinians. The detainees included the Speaker of the PLC Member, Dr. ‘Aziz Dweik, and 5 PLC members, in addition to two former Ministers identified.
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.
In the Gaza Strip, on 18 June 2014, Israeli forces backed by heavy military vehicles from Shrab al-‘Asal gate moved 200 meters into the east of al-Fokhari village, southeast of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
They levelled lands along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel for hours, and then headed towards the east of Khuza’ah village. They then re-deployed along the border fence.
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 7 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 1.7 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.
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.
As part of using military checkpoints and border crossings as traps to arrest Palestinian civilians under the pretext they are wanted, Israeli forces arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
During the reporting period, Israeli soldiers used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, two journalists suffered burns after they were hit by tear gas canisters. Moreover, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
In addition, Palestinians have organized several demonstrations in solidarity with administrative prisoners on hunger strike. Israeli forces opened fire on the demonstrators. As a result, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
(PCHR keeps the names of the wounded in fear of being arrested by the Israeli forces within its policy to oppress the peaceful protests and prevent Palestinian civilians from participating).
Demonstrations against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activity
Following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 13 June 2014, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities and in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Demonstrators took the streets raising the Palestinian flags and headed to the liberated territories near the annexation wall.
Early in the morning, Israeli forces closed all entrances to the city to prevent Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders from participating in the protests. Protestors marched by the annexation wall and tried to cross the fence.
Israeli soldiers stationed behind the wall, in the western area, and a large number of soldiers deployed along it, fired live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and waste water at them and chased them into the olive fields. As a result, two journalists suffered burns after they were hit with tear gas canisters. The journalists were identified as:
1. Haitham mohammed Jamal al-Khatib (38), a volunteer photojournalist at the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories at ( B'Tselem ), who was hit with a tear gas canisters to the abdomen; and
2. Shamekh Jareh Jaghoub (30), a photojournalist for Palestine TV, who was hit with a tear gas canister to his Testicles.
In addition, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Nil'in village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities and in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
The demonstrators made their way towards the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the wall gate with barbwire and, when the demonstrators attempted to access the lands behind the barbwire, they were stopped by Israeli soldiers.
The demonstrators threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who responded with live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullet, sound bombs, tear gas canisters, and waste water at them and chased them into the village.
As a result, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered at the Martyrs Square in al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to hold a weekly peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activity and in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Protestors made their way in the streets raising the Palestinian flag and chanting slogans against the occupation and in support of the inalienable rights and resistance against the Israeli occupation.
The protestors walked towards Palestinian lands that Israeli settlers from the nearby Halmish settlement are trying to seize. Since the morning, Israeli forces had closed all entrances of the village to prevent Palestinians, international activists, and journalists from joining the demonstration.
Upon their arrival in the area, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters, and chased the demonstrators into the village and sprayed them with waste water.
As a result, many demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
At approximately 13:30 on the aforementioned day, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international activists organized a peaceful demonstration in the centre of Kafr Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest at the closure of the eastern entrance of the village with a metal gate since the second Intifada.
Protestors threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who fired live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, and sound bombs in response. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Other Demonstrations
On Friday afternoon, 13 June 2014, dozens of Palestinian young men from several areas in Ramallah and al-Bireh gathered near Ofer prison, south of Ramallah, to organize a demonstration in solidarity with the administrate detainees in Israeli prisons.
Israeli soldiers closed the prison's gates and deployed in the area as demonstrators headed towards the prison. The demonstrators set tires on fire and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers.
In response, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday prayer of the aforementioned day, dozens of Palestinian gathered at the western entrance of the Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah, on the road between Silwad and Yabroud villages near Bypass (60).
Demonstrators threw stones at the aforementioned road. In response, Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Efforts to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem:
On Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-'Isawia village, east of occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers raided and searched a number of houses and shops. Before their withdrawal, Israeli soldiers arrested 4 civilians then took them to an unknown destination. The civilians were identified as:
1. Lutfi Khalil Dari (44);
2. Ali Muhammad Durbas (38);
3. Muhammad Rajab Eid (19); and
4. Muhammad Jibreel Darwich (18).
At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces arrested 6 civilians including 3 children after Friday prayer. The aforementioned civilians were arrested when they were leaving through Bab al-Majles, one of al-Aqsa Mosque gates in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem, then they were taken to Salah el-Dein police station for investigation. The aforementioned civilians were identified as:
1. Muhammed abdul Jalil Edris (55);
2. Muhammad Naser Abu Shusha (27);
3. Shadi Ahmad al-Labban (22);
2. Saleh Emad Sonduqa (15); and
3. Nasim Muhammad al-Natsha (11).
· At approximately 06:30 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli police forces raided and searched a house belonging to 'Ahed Jalal Alqam from Shufat refugee camp, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. Before their withdrawal, Israeli police forces arrested the aforementioned civilian and his son Muhammad (21) and took them to an unknown destination.
· At approximately 21:00 on Monday, 16 June 2014, Israeli police forces raided and searched a house belonging to Muhammad Shihabi, at Bab al-Hadid, one of al-Aqsa Mosque gates in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. Before their withdrawal, Israeli police forces arrested the aforementioned civilian's son Musa (18) and took him to an investigation facility at al-Maskobia area.
· At approximately 19:30 on Tuesday, 17 June 2014, Israeli forces moved into 'Anata village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. They established a military checkpoint at al-Mafraq area. A number of Palestinian youngsters gathered and threw stones at the checkpoint. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets and sound bombs in response. No injuries were reported.
Continued closure of the oPt:
Israel continued to impose a tight closure on the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Israeli forces continuously tighten the closure of the Gaza Strip and close all commercial crossings, making the Karm Abu Salem crossing the sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip, although it is not suitable for commercial purposes in terms of its operational capacity and distance from markets. Israeli forces have continued to apply the policy, which is aimed to tighten the closure on all commercial crossings, by imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.
The total closure of al-Mentar ("Karni") crossing since 02 March 2011 has seriously affected the economy of the Gaza Strip.
Following this closure, all economic and commercial establishments in the Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in the Gaza Strip, in terms of its capacity to absorb the flow of imports and exports.
The decision to close al-Mentar crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions resulting in the complete closure of the Sofa crossing, east of the Gaza Strip in the beginning of 2009, and the Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza City, which were dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.
Israeli forces have continued to impose a total ban on the delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Strip, except for very limited items and quantities. The limited quantities of raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
The cooking gas crisis has fluctuated for 9 months due to the closure of Karm Abu Salem for security claims. According to PCHR’s follow-up, Israeli authorities only allow an average of 98 tons of cooking gas into Gaza per day.
This limited quantity is less than half of the daily needs, which is 200 tons per day of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip during winter.
The crisis has unprecedentedly aggravated for around six weeks due to cold weather and overconsumption in addition to the power outage and using gas as an alternative in many instances of electricity.
The lack of diesel and benzene led to the aggravation of the crisis as a result of using the gas cylinder for cars or as an alternative for benzene to run generators. As a result, the demand for gas further increased.
For almost 6 consecutive years, Israeli forces have continued to prevent the delivery of construction materials to the Gaza Strip.
Two years ago, Israeli forces approved the delivery of limited quantities of construction materials for a number of international organizations in the Gaza Strip.
On 17 September 2013, they allowed the entry of limited quantities of construction materials for the private sector. However, on 13 October 2013, they re-banned it claiming that these materials are used for constructing tunnels.
Last week, Israeli forces allowed the entry of construction materials only for UNRWA and UNDP projects. As a result, construction works have completely stopped impacting all sectors related to construction and an increase in unemployment levels.
Israeli forces also continued to impose an almost total ban on the Gaza Strip exports, including agricultural and industrial products, except for light-weighted products such as flowers, strawberries, and spices.
Israel has continued to close the Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing for the majority of Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip. Israel only allows the movement of a limited number of groups, with many hours of waiting in the majority of cases.
Israel has continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinian patients allowed to move via the Beit Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel denied permission to access hospitals via the crossing for new categories of patients from the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian authorities allow the population of the Gaza Strip to travel via Rafah International crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with the outside world.
Only limited and specified categories are allowed, including patients, students, persons that hold residencies in Egypt or abroad, men over 40 years, females in all ages, children under 18, persons who hold Arab and foreign nationalities, and members of Arab and international humanitarian delegations.
Supposedly the crossing opens seven days a week. Nowadays, the crossing is overcrowded due to the prolonged procedures from the Egyptian side, particularly after closing it for several days over the past weeks due to Egypt’s security conditions, which has affected the travelers’ movement in both directions.
Note:
This week, Israeli forces closed Karm Abu Salem crossing and banned the entry of goods into the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces allowed the entry of limited quantities of fuel. As a result, the economic situation in the Gaza Strip continued to deteriorate. Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing was closed except for patients and foreigners.
Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the reporting period, Israeli forces imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians:
Hebron:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 08:00 on Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on the road between Ezna and Deir Samet villages, southwest of Doura, southwest of Hebron.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli forces established a similar checkpoint at the northern entrance of Yatta village, south of the city. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 18:00 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on the road between Doura village and Hebron city.
At approximately 20:00, several checkpoints were established in different areas in the city including the northern entrance of the city, the northern entrance of Yatta village, the entrance of Kahel village, Beer al-Mahjar area, Ras al-Joura area, and the entrance of Tafouh village. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
On Saturday morning, 14 June 2014, Israeli forces closed all cross points between the West Bank and Israel and prevented Palestinian civilians from going to work. Israeli soldiers tore up the work permits of Palestinians workers.
Moreover, Israeli forces prevented Hebron residents from traveling to Jordan through al-Karama crossing. On the morning of the aforementioned day, Israeli forces tightened its restrictions against Palestinian and obstructed their movement.
At approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-Samou' village and another one at the entrance of Beni Naim village, east of Hebron. Both checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli forces closed the main Hebron's main entrances with cement blocks and barbwire.
The closure included the northern entrance of the city, the entrance between Beer al-Mahjar and Bypass (35), the southern entrance of the city ( al-Fahs ), the entrance of Beir Awwa village, the entrance of Faqeeqis village, the entrance of Ezna village, and the entrance of Beit Ainoun village, which obstructed the movement of Palestinian civilians through the city.
At approximately 08:00 on Monday, 16 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the intersection between Ezna and Doura villages, southwest of Hebron. At approximately 15:00, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of the city. At approximately 17:00, another 3 checkpoint were established at different areas in Hebron as follows:
1. The entrance of al-Tabaqa village, south of Doura,
2. Under Beit Kahel village bridge; and
3. At the entrance of Wadi Abu Risha road, west of Ezna, west of Hebron.
At approximately 19:00, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Awwa, southwest of Doura, southwest of the city. At approximately 21:00, another checkpoint was established on Kanar road between Doura village and Hebron city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
Ramallah:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 13:30 on Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Qibia village, west of Ramallah. At approximately 17:30, a similar checkpoint was established at under Kharabtha al-Mesbah bridge, southwest of the city.
At approximately 19:30, another checkpoint was established at the eastern entrance of al-Taiba village, northeast of the city. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
On Friday morning, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint near Ain Sinia transaction on the road between Ramallah and Nablus. At approximately 15:30, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of the city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 14 June 2014, Israeli forces redeployed at 'Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Birzeit village, north of Ramallh. At approximately 15:00, a similar checkpoint was established under Kharbtha al-Mesbah bridge, southwest of the city.
At approximately 17:30, another checkpoint was established near the transaction of Beit 'Aour al-Foqa village, southwest of the city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
Qalqilya:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 12:30 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint near the intersection of Beit Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. The checkpoint was removed at approximately 14:20, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 13:30 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Kafer Thulth village, east of Qalqilya. At approximately 15:40, a similar checkpoint was established at the eastern entrance of the city, and was reestablished later at approximately 22:50. At approximately 22:00, another checkpoint was established a checkpoint at the entrance of Izbat al-Tabib village, east of Qalqilya. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians were arrested including a child. The civilians were identified as:
1. Said Khaled Tabib (13);
2. Taiseer Khaled Tabib;
3. Mus'ab Khaled Tabib; and
4. Tabib Khaled Tabib.
The aforementioned civilians were released before the checkpoint was removed.
At approximately 22:50, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya and obstructed the movement of the village residents.
At approximately 23:00 on Monday, 16 June 2014, Israeli forces closed all entrances to 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. Around the same time, the Israeli forces closed the entrance of the bridge leading to Jius village, northeast of the city, and prevented civilians from passing under it.
Jericho:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Fasaeil village, north of the city. At approximately 19:00, a similar checkpoint was established at the southern entrance of the city. All checkpoints were removed and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 10:30 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Fasaeil village, north of the Jericho. At approximately 15:30, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of Marj Na'ja village, north of the city. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 19:00 on Saturday, 14 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of the Jericho. Civilians were no allowed to pass through the aforementioned entrance which resulted in severe traffic jams. The checkpoint was removed later, and no arrests were reported.
Nablus:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Borin village, south of Nablus. At approximately 18:00, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of Jama'in village, south of the city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
Arrests and Maltreatment at Military Checkpoints
At approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli soldiers arrested Muhammad Hani Yusif Bahar (38) from Beir Amr village, north of Hebron. Bahar is reportedly physically disabled. He was arrested at Wadi al-'Orn area, near Gush Etzion settlement, which is established on lands originally confiscated form Palestinians south of Bethlehem.
On Tuesday morning, Israeli soldiers stationed at Za'tarah checkpoint stopped a Palestinian taxi heading from Tulkarm to Ramallah. Israeli soldiers ordered H.Kh., a Palestinian woman, and Mus'ab Muhammad Qoazah (24) to get off the taxi. Israeli soldiers asked the taxi driver to leave the checkpoint area but he refused. After half an hour, the aforementioned civilian was arrested and the woman was allowed to pass through the checkpoint.
On Wednesday morning, 18 June 2014, Israeli soliders stationed at Za'tarah checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Nidal Ahmed As'ad Farasini (26) from Romana village, northwest of Jenin. Israeli soldiers stationed at the checkpoint stopped the car which the aforementioned person was riding and asked him to get off, then took him to an unknown destination.
Settlement activities:
Attacks carried out by Israeli forces
At approximately 05:30 on Tuesday, 17 June 2014, Israeli forces backed with several military vehicles and accompanied by a vehicle a vehicle belonging to the construction and organization department in the Israeli Civil Administration, a bulldozer, and a digger moved into al-Ras area, west of Ezna, west of Hebron.
They stationed at the center of the area and deployed between the houses and obstructed civilians' movement. The Israeli bulldozer destroyed a two-story, under-construction house of an area of 130 square meters that belongs to Muhammad Hussein Muhammad Faraj Allah (31) under the pretext of the lack of a construction license in area C.
Faraj Allah stated to PCHR:
“We received notices to stop construction a year ago. My brother filed an objection to the objections committee in the Israeli Civil Administration and opened a case file. The aforementioned notice included my brother's house as well. When Israeli forces showed up to demolish the house, we informed them that we opened a case file in the court and we did not receive a demolition notice. But they answered ‘This is a political decision and I am executing it.’"
At approximately17:00 on Wednesday, 18 June 2014, Israeli forces backed with several military vehicles and accompanied by a vehicle a vehicle belonging to the construction and organization department in the Israeli Civil Administration and 3 bulldozers, moved into Khan al-Forn, north of Yatta, south of Hebron.
Those forces stationed near the residential area and asked the residents to evacuate their houses to demolish them in the context of having no construction permit in area C. Israeli bulldozers demolished 6 houses and a tin warehouse belonging to:
1. Eid Zaid Ayyad Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 70 square meters;
2. Nimr Tawfiq Hussein Abu Qurinat, inhabited and built on an area 40 square meters;
3. Muhammad Eir Zaid Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 60 square meters;
4. Ahmad Eir Zaid Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 50 square meters;
5. Sarah Eir Zaid Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 30 square meters;
6. Said Ayed Ayyad Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 110 square meters and a tine warehouse of an area of 100 square meters.
At approximately 18:00 on the aforementioned day, Israeli forces accompanied by two military bulldozers, bulldozed a 900-meter street between Bypass (6) and al-Deerat village, east of Yatta village, south of Hebron. In February 2013, the World Bank funded the construction of the aforementioned street in which serves more than 100 persons living in al-Deerat village in addition to residents of al-Musafer area.
Attacks carried out by Settlers
At approximately 21:30 on Friday, 13 June 2014, a group of settlers closed the area of Jeensafout Intersection, east of Qaqlilya, by placing a huge rock in the centre of the street. As a result, 3 civilians sustained bruises as their vehicle hit the rock, which the settlers put in the dark part of the road. Their vehicle was completely destroyed as they were surprised by the rock. The afomentioned civilians were identified as: Hussein Samhan from al-Fondq village, Mohammed ‘Abdel Rahman ‘Omran, Hamad Ahmed Hussein from ‘Azoun village, east of Qalqilya.
At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, a group of settlers from “Ariel” settlement, north of Salfit, threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles passing by Salfit main street “’Aber al-Samerah Street” between Qalqilya and Salfit. The settlers stayed in the aforementioned place till at approximately 22:00.
At approximately 20:40 on the same Sunday, a group of settlers from “Yitshar” settlement, south of Nablus, gathered at the intersection of the bypass road branching from Nablus-Ramallah Street heading towards the aforementioned settlement.
The settlers threw stones at a white FL614 Auto transporter travelled by Sa’id ‘Atallah Sabri Helal Zaid (30) from Qalqilya. As a result, the windshield of the vehicle was broken, and the driver sustained serious injuries to the face, a fracture to the nose, and a 6-centimeter wound due to the flying glass. The wounded was taken to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus.
At approximately 21:00, dozens of settlers gathered at Za’trah intersection, south of Nablus and threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles passing by the checkpoint. Neither injuries nor damages to the vehicles were reported.
At approximately 22:00, a group of settlers gathered near the intersection of Haris village, northwest of Salfit and threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles passing by the main street near the aforementioned intersection. No further incidents were reported.
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 continued aggression 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;
14. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian leadership to sign and accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Geneva Conventions, and calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, to encourage the State of Palestine to accede to international human rights law and humanitarian law instruments.
Complete document, with charts and full report on Israeli patrols, in its entirety, at the PCHR official site, via link
In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 12 – 18 June, 2014, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 19 others, including 4 children and 2 photojournalists, in the West Bank.
Additionally, during the reporting period, PCHR found that Israeli soldiers used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.
As a result, two journalists suffered burns as they were hit by tear gas canisters.
Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank, this week.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank & Gaza:
Shootings:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 19 others, including 4 children and 2 photojournalists, in the West Bank.
17 of those Palestinians were wounded when Israeli forces stormed residential communities brutally while the two photojournalists were wounded in Bil’in weekly protest against the annexation wall and settlements.
In the Gaza Strip, a 7-year-old child died of wounds he sustained last week when Israeli forces conducted an extra-judicial execution, during which his uncle was killed.
The Israeli warplanes launched 18 airstrikes while Israeli ground forces conducted 2 shootings along the border. Israeli naval forces carried out 5 shooting and chasing incidents.
In the West Bank, in the context of using excessive force against the Palestinian civilians, on 16 June 2014, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 4 others in al-Jalazon refugee camp, north of Ramallah. Israeli forces moved into the camp to carry out an arrest campaign.
Dozens of Palestinians gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded by opening fire at the Palestinians.
On 15 June 2014, Israeli forces raided a house belonging to the family of Akram Mustafa Qawasmah (48) in Deir Bahah area in the west of Hebron after blowing up the door by an improvised explosive device. As a result, his son, Mohammed (7), was wounded by the glass shrapnel and flying steel to the chest, face, abdomen and legs.
The family members were detained in the house and prevented from getting the wounded child out of the house for around half an hour.
On 16 June 2014, a 28-year-old civilian was hit by a bullet to the right leg when Israeli forces moved into Jenin and raided charitable associations and houses. Therefore, a group of Palestinian youngsters and boys demonstrated against them.
On the same day, a 17-year-old child was hit by a bullet to the lower left part of the chest when a group of youngsters and children gathered at Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah and demonstrated against the Israeli forces that opened fire at them.
On 17 June 2014, Israeli forces opened fire at a Palestinian civilian from Haris village, northwest of Salfit. As a result, he was hit by several bullets to the foot.
Israeli forces claimed that the aforementioned civilian threw stones at an Israeli police vehicle that was passing by ‘Aber al-Samerah Street, south of the aforementioned village. The wounded was transferred to “Pellincion” hospital in Israeli for medical treatment after it was found out that he suffered mental problems.
On the same day, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces backed by military vehicles moved into Jenin. Israeli soldiers fired at Palestinian youngsters and children who gathered and demonstrated against them.
On the same day, Israeli forces moved into al-Far’ah refugee camp, south of Tubas. A number of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at Israeli military vehicles, and Israeli soldiers in response fired at them.
As a result, 18-year-old civilian was hit by a bullet to the right knee, and a 20-year-old civilian was hit by a metal bullet to the left arm.
On the same day, a Palestinian child from Balatah refugee camp, east of Nablus, was hit by a bullet to left waist when Israeli forces moved into the camp and fired at a number of boys demonstrated against them.
On 18 June 2014, a 17-year-old civilian was hit by 3 bullets to the right hand and legs and a 20-year-old civilian was hit by a bullet to the right hand when Israeli soldiers moved into ‘Askar refugee camp, northeast of Nablus.
On the same day, a Palestinian civilian was wounded when Israeli forces moved into Tal village, south of Nablus, and fired at a group of Palestinian youngsters demonstrated against them.
During the reporting period, Israeli soldiers used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.
As a result, two journalists suffered burns as they were hit by tear gas canisters. Moreover, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
In addition, Palestinians have organized several demonstrations in solidarity with administrative detainees on hunger strike. Israeli forces used force to disperse the demonstrators.
As a result, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
In the Gaza Strip, medical sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared that ‘Ali ‘Abdel Latif Ahmed al-‘Awour (10) died of wounds he had sustained when Israeli drones targeted a motorbike travelled by his uncle, Mohammed al-‘Awour (33), on 11 June 2014.
In the context of airstrikes, Israeli warplanes launched 18 airstrikes on civil targets and paramilitary training sites of Palestinian armed groups.
On 14 June 2014, Israeli warplanes launched 8 airstrikes targeting 6 training sites of Palestinian armed groups in the central Gaza Strip, Rafah and Khan Younis, a tin-made room in the front yard of a house in al-Salam neighbourhood in Rafah; the room was completely destroyed and partial damages were caused to 13 nearby houses while no injuries were reported.
Israeli warplanes launched at least one missile at a land and greenhouse in the former settlements area in the west of Rafah. As a result, damages were caused to the place, and a woman sustained a deep injury and a fracture in the left thigh when she was at her house in the Saudi neighbourhood near the targeted greenhouses. Moreover, damages were caused to an UNRWA health clinic overseeing the aforementioned neighbourhood.
On 16 June 2014, Israeli warplanes conducted 5 airstrikes targeting 4 training sites of armed groups and the National Security Forces headquarters, east of the cars market, east of Gaza City.
Israeli forces launched 4 missiles at a paramilitary site of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) established on the land of the former Palestinian General Intelligence Headquarters, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
As a result, a 50-sqaure-meter room in the eastern side of the site was destroyed completely, and a 5-meter deep hole was caused. Moreover, nearby houses were damaged as their windows were broken.
A school adjacent to the site side was damaged as dozens of windows and doors were broken and the school’s fence was cracked. Four civilians, including a child, were wounded in the nearby houses due to flying glass.
On 17 June 2014, Israeli warplanes launched 6 airstrikes targeting a turnery, east of Gaza City. As a result, it was completely destroyed.
Moreover, a blacksmith workshop belonging to his brother and a carpentry workshop were destroyed, and extensive damages were caused to a carwash garage, a barrack used as a store for wood and barrack for marble. No injuries were reported.
The other airstrikes targeted vacant lands and sites of armed groups, east of Gaza City, and west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Though there were no injuries reported, civilians, especially children, were terrified as they live only meter away from the targeted places due to the huge explosions resulted from the missile launched by the Israeli warplanes.
In the context of shooting incidents and incursions, Israeli forces stationed on the watchtowers along Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing, northwest of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, fired live bullets and 7 flash bombs at open areas in the vicinity of the crossing and northwest of Um al-Nasser village “the Bedouin village” in the northern Gaza Strip. Neither injuries nor damages were reported.
On 16 June 2014, Israeli forces stationed on watchtowers to the east of al-Shuhadaa’ cemetery, east of Jabalia, fired live bullets and sound bombs at open areas in the vicinity of the cemetery. Neither injuries nor damages were reported. As a result, civilians living near the border fence were terrified.
In the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 13 June 2014, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha Shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire in the vicinity of the Palestinian fishing boats sailing 3 nautical miles offshore. Neither injuries nor damages were reported. 4 shooting incidents targeted the Palestinian fishing boats on 14, 16, 17 June 2014.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 152 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 200 Palestinians. The detainees included the Speaker of the PLC Member, Dr. ‘Aziz Dweik, and 5 PLC members, in addition to two former Ministers identified.
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.
In the Gaza Strip, on 18 June 2014, Israeli forces backed by heavy military vehicles from Shrab al-‘Asal gate moved 200 meters into the east of al-Fokhari village, southeast of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
They levelled lands along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel for hours, and then headed towards the east of Khuza’ah village. They then re-deployed along the border fence.
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 7 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 1.7 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.
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.
As part of using military checkpoints and border crossings as traps to arrest Palestinian civilians under the pretext they are wanted, Israeli forces arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
During the reporting period, Israeli soldiers used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, two journalists suffered burns after they were hit by tear gas canisters. Moreover, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
In addition, Palestinians have organized several demonstrations in solidarity with administrative prisoners on hunger strike. Israeli forces opened fire on the demonstrators. As a result, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
(PCHR keeps the names of the wounded in fear of being arrested by the Israeli forces within its policy to oppress the peaceful protests and prevent Palestinian civilians from participating).
Demonstrations against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activity
Following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 13 June 2014, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities and in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Demonstrators took the streets raising the Palestinian flags and headed to the liberated territories near the annexation wall.
Early in the morning, Israeli forces closed all entrances to the city to prevent Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders from participating in the protests. Protestors marched by the annexation wall and tried to cross the fence.
Israeli soldiers stationed behind the wall, in the western area, and a large number of soldiers deployed along it, fired live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and waste water at them and chased them into the olive fields. As a result, two journalists suffered burns after they were hit with tear gas canisters. The journalists were identified as:
1. Haitham mohammed Jamal al-Khatib (38), a volunteer photojournalist at the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories at ( B'Tselem ), who was hit with a tear gas canisters to the abdomen; and
2. Shamekh Jareh Jaghoub (30), a photojournalist for Palestine TV, who was hit with a tear gas canister to his Testicles.
In addition, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Nil'in village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities and in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
The demonstrators made their way towards the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the wall gate with barbwire and, when the demonstrators attempted to access the lands behind the barbwire, they were stopped by Israeli soldiers.
The demonstrators threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who responded with live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullet, sound bombs, tear gas canisters, and waste water at them and chased them into the village.
As a result, several demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered at the Martyrs Square in al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to hold a weekly peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activity and in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Protestors made their way in the streets raising the Palestinian flag and chanting slogans against the occupation and in support of the inalienable rights and resistance against the Israeli occupation.
The protestors walked towards Palestinian lands that Israeli settlers from the nearby Halmish settlement are trying to seize. Since the morning, Israeli forces had closed all entrances of the village to prevent Palestinians, international activists, and journalists from joining the demonstration.
Upon their arrival in the area, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters, and chased the demonstrators into the village and sprayed them with waste water.
As a result, many demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
At approximately 13:30 on the aforementioned day, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international activists organized a peaceful demonstration in the centre of Kafr Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest at the closure of the eastern entrance of the village with a metal gate since the second Intifada.
Protestors threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who fired live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, and sound bombs in response. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Other Demonstrations
On Friday afternoon, 13 June 2014, dozens of Palestinian young men from several areas in Ramallah and al-Bireh gathered near Ofer prison, south of Ramallah, to organize a demonstration in solidarity with the administrate detainees in Israeli prisons.
Israeli soldiers closed the prison's gates and deployed in the area as demonstrators headed towards the prison. The demonstrators set tires on fire and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers.
In response, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation.
Following the Friday prayer of the aforementioned day, dozens of Palestinian gathered at the western entrance of the Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah, on the road between Silwad and Yabroud villages near Bypass (60).
Demonstrators threw stones at the aforementioned road. In response, Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
Efforts to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem:
On Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-'Isawia village, east of occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers raided and searched a number of houses and shops. Before their withdrawal, Israeli soldiers arrested 4 civilians then took them to an unknown destination. The civilians were identified as:
1. Lutfi Khalil Dari (44);
2. Ali Muhammad Durbas (38);
3. Muhammad Rajab Eid (19); and
4. Muhammad Jibreel Darwich (18).
At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces arrested 6 civilians including 3 children after Friday prayer. The aforementioned civilians were arrested when they were leaving through Bab al-Majles, one of al-Aqsa Mosque gates in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem, then they were taken to Salah el-Dein police station for investigation. The aforementioned civilians were identified as:
1. Muhammed abdul Jalil Edris (55);
2. Muhammad Naser Abu Shusha (27);
3. Shadi Ahmad al-Labban (22);
2. Saleh Emad Sonduqa (15); and
3. Nasim Muhammad al-Natsha (11).
· At approximately 06:30 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli police forces raided and searched a house belonging to 'Ahed Jalal Alqam from Shufat refugee camp, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. Before their withdrawal, Israeli police forces arrested the aforementioned civilian and his son Muhammad (21) and took them to an unknown destination.
· At approximately 21:00 on Monday, 16 June 2014, Israeli police forces raided and searched a house belonging to Muhammad Shihabi, at Bab al-Hadid, one of al-Aqsa Mosque gates in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. Before their withdrawal, Israeli police forces arrested the aforementioned civilian's son Musa (18) and took him to an investigation facility at al-Maskobia area.
· At approximately 19:30 on Tuesday, 17 June 2014, Israeli forces moved into 'Anata village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. They established a military checkpoint at al-Mafraq area. A number of Palestinian youngsters gathered and threw stones at the checkpoint. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets and sound bombs in response. No injuries were reported.
Continued closure of the oPt:
Israel continued to impose a tight closure on the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Israeli forces continuously tighten the closure of the Gaza Strip and close all commercial crossings, making the Karm Abu Salem crossing the sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip, although it is not suitable for commercial purposes in terms of its operational capacity and distance from markets. Israeli forces have continued to apply the policy, which is aimed to tighten the closure on all commercial crossings, by imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.
The total closure of al-Mentar ("Karni") crossing since 02 March 2011 has seriously affected the economy of the Gaza Strip.
Following this closure, all economic and commercial establishments in the Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in the Gaza Strip, in terms of its capacity to absorb the flow of imports and exports.
The decision to close al-Mentar crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions resulting in the complete closure of the Sofa crossing, east of the Gaza Strip in the beginning of 2009, and the Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza City, which were dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.
Israeli forces have continued to impose a total ban on the delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Strip, except for very limited items and quantities. The limited quantities of raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
The cooking gas crisis has fluctuated for 9 months due to the closure of Karm Abu Salem for security claims. According to PCHR’s follow-up, Israeli authorities only allow an average of 98 tons of cooking gas into Gaza per day.
This limited quantity is less than half of the daily needs, which is 200 tons per day of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip during winter.
The crisis has unprecedentedly aggravated for around six weeks due to cold weather and overconsumption in addition to the power outage and using gas as an alternative in many instances of electricity.
The lack of diesel and benzene led to the aggravation of the crisis as a result of using the gas cylinder for cars or as an alternative for benzene to run generators. As a result, the demand for gas further increased.
For almost 6 consecutive years, Israeli forces have continued to prevent the delivery of construction materials to the Gaza Strip.
Two years ago, Israeli forces approved the delivery of limited quantities of construction materials for a number of international organizations in the Gaza Strip.
On 17 September 2013, they allowed the entry of limited quantities of construction materials for the private sector. However, on 13 October 2013, they re-banned it claiming that these materials are used for constructing tunnels.
Last week, Israeli forces allowed the entry of construction materials only for UNRWA and UNDP projects. As a result, construction works have completely stopped impacting all sectors related to construction and an increase in unemployment levels.
Israeli forces also continued to impose an almost total ban on the Gaza Strip exports, including agricultural and industrial products, except for light-weighted products such as flowers, strawberries, and spices.
Israel has continued to close the Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing for the majority of Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip. Israel only allows the movement of a limited number of groups, with many hours of waiting in the majority of cases.
Israel has continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinian patients allowed to move via the Beit Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel denied permission to access hospitals via the crossing for new categories of patients from the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian authorities allow the population of the Gaza Strip to travel via Rafah International crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with the outside world.
Only limited and specified categories are allowed, including patients, students, persons that hold residencies in Egypt or abroad, men over 40 years, females in all ages, children under 18, persons who hold Arab and foreign nationalities, and members of Arab and international humanitarian delegations.
Supposedly the crossing opens seven days a week. Nowadays, the crossing is overcrowded due to the prolonged procedures from the Egyptian side, particularly after closing it for several days over the past weeks due to Egypt’s security conditions, which has affected the travelers’ movement in both directions.
Note:
This week, Israeli forces closed Karm Abu Salem crossing and banned the entry of goods into the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces allowed the entry of limited quantities of fuel. As a result, the economic situation in the Gaza Strip continued to deteriorate. Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing was closed except for patients and foreigners.
Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the reporting period, Israeli forces imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians:
Hebron:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 08:00 on Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on the road between Ezna and Deir Samet villages, southwest of Doura, southwest of Hebron.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli forces established a similar checkpoint at the northern entrance of Yatta village, south of the city. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 18:00 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on the road between Doura village and Hebron city.
At approximately 20:00, several checkpoints were established in different areas in the city including the northern entrance of the city, the northern entrance of Yatta village, the entrance of Kahel village, Beer al-Mahjar area, Ras al-Joura area, and the entrance of Tafouh village. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
On Saturday morning, 14 June 2014, Israeli forces closed all cross points between the West Bank and Israel and prevented Palestinian civilians from going to work. Israeli soldiers tore up the work permits of Palestinians workers.
Moreover, Israeli forces prevented Hebron residents from traveling to Jordan through al-Karama crossing. On the morning of the aforementioned day, Israeli forces tightened its restrictions against Palestinian and obstructed their movement.
At approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-Samou' village and another one at the entrance of Beni Naim village, east of Hebron. Both checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli forces closed the main Hebron's main entrances with cement blocks and barbwire.
The closure included the northern entrance of the city, the entrance between Beer al-Mahjar and Bypass (35), the southern entrance of the city ( al-Fahs ), the entrance of Beir Awwa village, the entrance of Faqeeqis village, the entrance of Ezna village, and the entrance of Beit Ainoun village, which obstructed the movement of Palestinian civilians through the city.
At approximately 08:00 on Monday, 16 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the intersection between Ezna and Doura villages, southwest of Hebron. At approximately 15:00, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of the city. At approximately 17:00, another 3 checkpoint were established at different areas in Hebron as follows:
1. The entrance of al-Tabaqa village, south of Doura,
2. Under Beit Kahel village bridge; and
3. At the entrance of Wadi Abu Risha road, west of Ezna, west of Hebron.
At approximately 19:00, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Awwa, southwest of Doura, southwest of the city. At approximately 21:00, another checkpoint was established on Kanar road between Doura village and Hebron city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
Ramallah:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 13:30 on Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Qibia village, west of Ramallah. At approximately 17:30, a similar checkpoint was established at under Kharabtha al-Mesbah bridge, southwest of the city.
At approximately 19:30, another checkpoint was established at the eastern entrance of al-Taiba village, northeast of the city. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
On Friday morning, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint near Ain Sinia transaction on the road between Ramallah and Nablus. At approximately 15:30, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of the city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 14 June 2014, Israeli forces redeployed at 'Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Birzeit village, north of Ramallh. At approximately 15:00, a similar checkpoint was established under Kharbtha al-Mesbah bridge, southwest of the city.
At approximately 17:30, another checkpoint was established near the transaction of Beit 'Aour al-Foqa village, southwest of the city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
Qalqilya:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 12:30 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint near the intersection of Beit Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. The checkpoint was removed at approximately 14:20, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 13:30 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Kafer Thulth village, east of Qalqilya. At approximately 15:40, a similar checkpoint was established at the eastern entrance of the city, and was reestablished later at approximately 22:50. At approximately 22:00, another checkpoint was established a checkpoint at the entrance of Izbat al-Tabib village, east of Qalqilya. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians were arrested including a child. The civilians were identified as:
1. Said Khaled Tabib (13);
2. Taiseer Khaled Tabib;
3. Mus'ab Khaled Tabib; and
4. Tabib Khaled Tabib.
The aforementioned civilians were released before the checkpoint was removed.
At approximately 22:50, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya and obstructed the movement of the village residents.
At approximately 23:00 on Monday, 16 June 2014, Israeli forces closed all entrances to 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. Around the same time, the Israeli forces closed the entrance of the bridge leading to Jius village, northeast of the city, and prevented civilians from passing under it.
Jericho:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Fasaeil village, north of the city. At approximately 19:00, a similar checkpoint was established at the southern entrance of the city. All checkpoints were removed and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 10:30 on Friday, 13 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Fasaeil village, north of the Jericho. At approximately 15:30, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of Marj Na'ja village, north of the city. All checkpoints were removed later, and no arrests were reported.
At approximately 19:00 on Saturday, 14 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of the Jericho. Civilians were no allowed to pass through the aforementioned entrance which resulted in severe traffic jams. The checkpoint was removed later, and no arrests were reported.
Nablus:
Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Borin village, south of Nablus. At approximately 18:00, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of Jama'in village, south of the city. All checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.
Arrests and Maltreatment at Military Checkpoints
At approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 12 June 2014, Israeli soldiers arrested Muhammad Hani Yusif Bahar (38) from Beir Amr village, north of Hebron. Bahar is reportedly physically disabled. He was arrested at Wadi al-'Orn area, near Gush Etzion settlement, which is established on lands originally confiscated form Palestinians south of Bethlehem.
On Tuesday morning, Israeli soldiers stationed at Za'tarah checkpoint stopped a Palestinian taxi heading from Tulkarm to Ramallah. Israeli soldiers ordered H.Kh., a Palestinian woman, and Mus'ab Muhammad Qoazah (24) to get off the taxi. Israeli soldiers asked the taxi driver to leave the checkpoint area but he refused. After half an hour, the aforementioned civilian was arrested and the woman was allowed to pass through the checkpoint.
On Wednesday morning, 18 June 2014, Israeli soliders stationed at Za'tarah checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Nidal Ahmed As'ad Farasini (26) from Romana village, northwest of Jenin. Israeli soldiers stationed at the checkpoint stopped the car which the aforementioned person was riding and asked him to get off, then took him to an unknown destination.
Settlement activities:
Attacks carried out by Israeli forces
At approximately 05:30 on Tuesday, 17 June 2014, Israeli forces backed with several military vehicles and accompanied by a vehicle a vehicle belonging to the construction and organization department in the Israeli Civil Administration, a bulldozer, and a digger moved into al-Ras area, west of Ezna, west of Hebron.
They stationed at the center of the area and deployed between the houses and obstructed civilians' movement. The Israeli bulldozer destroyed a two-story, under-construction house of an area of 130 square meters that belongs to Muhammad Hussein Muhammad Faraj Allah (31) under the pretext of the lack of a construction license in area C.
Faraj Allah stated to PCHR:
“We received notices to stop construction a year ago. My brother filed an objection to the objections committee in the Israeli Civil Administration and opened a case file. The aforementioned notice included my brother's house as well. When Israeli forces showed up to demolish the house, we informed them that we opened a case file in the court and we did not receive a demolition notice. But they answered ‘This is a political decision and I am executing it.’"
At approximately17:00 on Wednesday, 18 June 2014, Israeli forces backed with several military vehicles and accompanied by a vehicle a vehicle belonging to the construction and organization department in the Israeli Civil Administration and 3 bulldozers, moved into Khan al-Forn, north of Yatta, south of Hebron.
Those forces stationed near the residential area and asked the residents to evacuate their houses to demolish them in the context of having no construction permit in area C. Israeli bulldozers demolished 6 houses and a tin warehouse belonging to:
1. Eid Zaid Ayyad Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 70 square meters;
2. Nimr Tawfiq Hussein Abu Qurinat, inhabited and built on an area 40 square meters;
3. Muhammad Eir Zaid Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 60 square meters;
4. Ahmad Eir Zaid Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 50 square meters;
5. Sarah Eir Zaid Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 30 square meters;
6. Said Ayed Ayyad Abu Dhaher, inhabited and built on an area 110 square meters and a tine warehouse of an area of 100 square meters.
At approximately 18:00 on the aforementioned day, Israeli forces accompanied by two military bulldozers, bulldozed a 900-meter street between Bypass (6) and al-Deerat village, east of Yatta village, south of Hebron. In February 2013, the World Bank funded the construction of the aforementioned street in which serves more than 100 persons living in al-Deerat village in addition to residents of al-Musafer area.
Attacks carried out by Settlers
At approximately 21:30 on Friday, 13 June 2014, a group of settlers closed the area of Jeensafout Intersection, east of Qaqlilya, by placing a huge rock in the centre of the street. As a result, 3 civilians sustained bruises as their vehicle hit the rock, which the settlers put in the dark part of the road. Their vehicle was completely destroyed as they were surprised by the rock. The afomentioned civilians were identified as: Hussein Samhan from al-Fondq village, Mohammed ‘Abdel Rahman ‘Omran, Hamad Ahmed Hussein from ‘Azoun village, east of Qalqilya.
At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 15 June 2014, a group of settlers from “Ariel” settlement, north of Salfit, threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles passing by Salfit main street “’Aber al-Samerah Street” between Qalqilya and Salfit. The settlers stayed in the aforementioned place till at approximately 22:00.
At approximately 20:40 on the same Sunday, a group of settlers from “Yitshar” settlement, south of Nablus, gathered at the intersection of the bypass road branching from Nablus-Ramallah Street heading towards the aforementioned settlement.
The settlers threw stones at a white FL614 Auto transporter travelled by Sa’id ‘Atallah Sabri Helal Zaid (30) from Qalqilya. As a result, the windshield of the vehicle was broken, and the driver sustained serious injuries to the face, a fracture to the nose, and a 6-centimeter wound due to the flying glass. The wounded was taken to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus.
At approximately 21:00, dozens of settlers gathered at Za’trah intersection, south of Nablus and threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles passing by the checkpoint. Neither injuries nor damages to the vehicles were reported.
At approximately 22:00, a group of settlers gathered near the intersection of Haris village, northwest of Salfit and threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles passing by the main street near the aforementioned intersection. No further incidents were reported.
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 continued aggression 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;
14. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian leadership to sign and accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Geneva Conventions, and calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, to encourage the State of Palestine to accede to international human rights law and humanitarian law instruments.
Complete document, with charts and full report on Israeli patrols, in its entirety, at the PCHR official site, via link
22 june 2014
Ahmad Sa’id Fahmawi Khalid (Abu Shanno)
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights on Sunday condemned the Israeli army's killing of a Palestinian man with a mental disability during a raid on al-Ain refugee camp the same day.
Israeli troops early Sunday raided the camp and killed Ahmad Said Suod Khalid, 27, as he was walking to a mosque for dawn prayers and refused orders to return to his home.
"The family of the victim said to a PCHR fieldworker that their son suffered mental problems and epilepsy," the rights group said in a statement.
"Around ten meters away from his house, a group of Israeli soldiers were raiding and searching houses when an Israeli soldier shouted at Ahmed to stop. However, he did not obey the orders, so the Israeli soldiers opened fire at him from a distance of around 30 meters. As a result, he was killed by 4 bullets to the abdomen, back, right thigh, and tight shoulder."
"PCHR strongly condemns this crime, which further proves the use of excessive force by Israeli forces against the Palestinian civilians in disregard for the civilians' lives," the statement said.
The report further stated that the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the West Bank was "collective punishment," constituting a war crime under international law.
Israeli forces have conducted nightly arrest and search raids throughout the West Bank following the disappearance of three teenagers from an area near the illegal settlement of Gush Etzion on June 12.
Six Palestinians have died, dozens have been injured, and over 400 have been arrested as a result of Israel's military campaign to find the youths.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights on Sunday condemned the Israeli army's killing of a Palestinian man with a mental disability during a raid on al-Ain refugee camp the same day.
Israeli troops early Sunday raided the camp and killed Ahmad Said Suod Khalid, 27, as he was walking to a mosque for dawn prayers and refused orders to return to his home.
"The family of the victim said to a PCHR fieldworker that their son suffered mental problems and epilepsy," the rights group said in a statement.
"Around ten meters away from his house, a group of Israeli soldiers were raiding and searching houses when an Israeli soldier shouted at Ahmed to stop. However, he did not obey the orders, so the Israeli soldiers opened fire at him from a distance of around 30 meters. As a result, he was killed by 4 bullets to the abdomen, back, right thigh, and tight shoulder."
"PCHR strongly condemns this crime, which further proves the use of excessive force by Israeli forces against the Palestinian civilians in disregard for the civilians' lives," the statement said.
The report further stated that the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the West Bank was "collective punishment," constituting a war crime under international law.
Israeli forces have conducted nightly arrest and search raids throughout the West Bank following the disappearance of three teenagers from an area near the illegal settlement of Gush Etzion on June 12.
Six Palestinians have died, dozens have been injured, and over 400 have been arrested as a result of Israel's military campaign to find the youths.
21 june 2014
The Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) strongly denounced the continued Israeli arrest campaign for the seventh consecutive day, during which 300 Palestinians including 11 members of the Legislative Council and 52 ex-detainees, released as part of the Shalit agreement, were arrested.
The organization also condemned what PA chairman Abbas describes as “cooperation aimed at protecting the interests of the Palestinian people”. Security coordination has over the years led to the arrest of thousands of Palestinians, 6 of whom died under torture, and the extracting of confessions that were later handed over to the Israeli side to facilitate the arrest of Palestinians who were then sent away for a very long time or held in administrative detention, the human rights organization added.
Coordination has been very much one-sided and has greatly impacted Palestinian national resistance. The Israeli side rarely if ever presents the Palestinians with any information about the activities of settlers who wage daily attacks against Palestinians while remaining fully protected by the Israeli army. None of these settlers has ever been arrested or brought to justice, according to the organization's statement.
The statement pointed out that the facts on the ground as evidenced by the campaign of terror launched by Israel against Palestinian cities and towns is further proof that security coordination runs contrary to Palestinian interests. "In an ideal world, President Mahmoud Abbas would have directed his anger against the barbaric acts of killings and arrests committed by the Israelis."
Among those who were arrested recently was the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Dweik and on the 15th of May 2014, Israeli killed two children in cold blood-Nadeem Nowara, 17, and Mohammed Mahmoud Abu-Al-Daher, 16.
The London-based organization held the occupation fully responsible for the deterioration of the security situation in the Occupied Lands after ignoring the demands of the administrative detainees who have been on hunger strike since the 24th of April 2014.
The organization also condemned what PA chairman Abbas describes as “cooperation aimed at protecting the interests of the Palestinian people”. Security coordination has over the years led to the arrest of thousands of Palestinians, 6 of whom died under torture, and the extracting of confessions that were later handed over to the Israeli side to facilitate the arrest of Palestinians who were then sent away for a very long time or held in administrative detention, the human rights organization added.
Coordination has been very much one-sided and has greatly impacted Palestinian national resistance. The Israeli side rarely if ever presents the Palestinians with any information about the activities of settlers who wage daily attacks against Palestinians while remaining fully protected by the Israeli army. None of these settlers has ever been arrested or brought to justice, according to the organization's statement.
The statement pointed out that the facts on the ground as evidenced by the campaign of terror launched by Israel against Palestinian cities and towns is further proof that security coordination runs contrary to Palestinian interests. "In an ideal world, President Mahmoud Abbas would have directed his anger against the barbaric acts of killings and arrests committed by the Israelis."
Among those who were arrested recently was the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Dweik and on the 15th of May 2014, Israeli killed two children in cold blood-Nadeem Nowara, 17, and Mohammed Mahmoud Abu-Al-Daher, 16.
The London-based organization held the occupation fully responsible for the deterioration of the security situation in the Occupied Lands after ignoring the demands of the administrative detainees who have been on hunger strike since the 24th of April 2014.
20 june 2014
The recent wave of arrests, attacks, killings and total closure of large parts of the West Bank following the disappearance of three Israeli settlers is a clear form of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
Since the disappearance of the three settlers on Thursday 12 June, Israeli forces in Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, have killed a Palestinian man, Ahmad Sabarin, 20, and have arrested approximately 200 Palestinians across the West Bank.
In total, eight members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) have been arrested since 12 June, including the head of the PLC. One PLC member has since been released. On 15 June three people were injured, including an eight-year old boy, when the Israeli military blew up the entrance of a house in Hebron during an arrest operation. In addition, on 16 June six Palestinian were injured at Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah, including Yazan Yacoub, 17, who was, according to reports, shot in the chest and abdomen with a live bullet, critically wounding him.
As the Occupying Power, Israel is obligated to carry out its search for the missing settlers in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL). IHRL imposes an absolute obligation on Israel to respect the right to life of Palestinians by ensuring that the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is carried out in a manner that minimises damage and injury and respects and preserves human life.
IHRL further prohibits arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, family, home and correspondence and affords all persons the right to liberty and security of person, which demands a legal basis for each and every individual arrest. Furthermore, all persons that are arrested must be treated with humanity and respect for their inherent dignity.
Although some of the measures carried out by the Israeli forces in large parts of the West Bank may have a link to the investigation into the disappearances, the methods employed are indiscriminate in their nature and are undermining the fundamental rights of the persons concerned. Furthermore, these restrictive measures are being carried out based on mere speculation regarding both the identity of those responsible for the disappearances and their location.
As such, these measures indicate Israel’s intention to impose punitive measures against large portions of the Palestinian population in violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibiting reprisals against protected persons and their property, as well as collective punishment. Furthermore, Israeli government threats to expel Hamas personnel from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip based on allegations that the organisation is responsible for the settlers’ disappearances not only amounts to indiscriminate collective punishment but also violates Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits forcible transfers and deportations of protected persons in occupied territory.
The violation of this provision amounts to a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and as such may constitute a war crime under Article 8(2)(a)(vii) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Council (PHROC) condemns Israel’s disregard for its obligations under international law and its use of reprisals against the Palestinian population in carrying out its investigations into the disappeared youths. PHROC calls upon High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to uphold their obligation to ensure respect for the Conventions as established under Common Article 1, by taking concrete measures to pressure Israel to halt its violations of international law.
PHROC further condemns the Israeli government-initiated law proposal to permit force-feeding of hunger strikers. Currently, over 125 Palestinian detainees and prisoners have been on hunger strike in protest against Israel’s illegal practice of Administrative Detention. Force feeding is defined as torture by the World Medical Association and has been condemned by the United Nations (UN), including by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
As such, PHROC calls upon the international community to condemn the law publicly and to urge the Israeli government to withdraw it. Moreover, PHROC calls on Israel to heed to the demands of the hunger strikers by bringing its illegal practice of administrative detention to an immediate end.
Since the disappearance of the three settlers on Thursday 12 June, Israeli forces in Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, have killed a Palestinian man, Ahmad Sabarin, 20, and have arrested approximately 200 Palestinians across the West Bank.
In total, eight members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) have been arrested since 12 June, including the head of the PLC. One PLC member has since been released. On 15 June three people were injured, including an eight-year old boy, when the Israeli military blew up the entrance of a house in Hebron during an arrest operation. In addition, on 16 June six Palestinian were injured at Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah, including Yazan Yacoub, 17, who was, according to reports, shot in the chest and abdomen with a live bullet, critically wounding him.
As the Occupying Power, Israel is obligated to carry out its search for the missing settlers in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL). IHRL imposes an absolute obligation on Israel to respect the right to life of Palestinians by ensuring that the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is carried out in a manner that minimises damage and injury and respects and preserves human life.
IHRL further prohibits arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, family, home and correspondence and affords all persons the right to liberty and security of person, which demands a legal basis for each and every individual arrest. Furthermore, all persons that are arrested must be treated with humanity and respect for their inherent dignity.
Although some of the measures carried out by the Israeli forces in large parts of the West Bank may have a link to the investigation into the disappearances, the methods employed are indiscriminate in their nature and are undermining the fundamental rights of the persons concerned. Furthermore, these restrictive measures are being carried out based on mere speculation regarding both the identity of those responsible for the disappearances and their location.
As such, these measures indicate Israel’s intention to impose punitive measures against large portions of the Palestinian population in violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibiting reprisals against protected persons and their property, as well as collective punishment. Furthermore, Israeli government threats to expel Hamas personnel from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip based on allegations that the organisation is responsible for the settlers’ disappearances not only amounts to indiscriminate collective punishment but also violates Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits forcible transfers and deportations of protected persons in occupied territory.
The violation of this provision amounts to a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and as such may constitute a war crime under Article 8(2)(a)(vii) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Council (PHROC) condemns Israel’s disregard for its obligations under international law and its use of reprisals against the Palestinian population in carrying out its investigations into the disappeared youths. PHROC calls upon High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to uphold their obligation to ensure respect for the Conventions as established under Common Article 1, by taking concrete measures to pressure Israel to halt its violations of international law.
PHROC further condemns the Israeli government-initiated law proposal to permit force-feeding of hunger strikers. Currently, over 125 Palestinian detainees and prisoners have been on hunger strike in protest against Israel’s illegal practice of Administrative Detention. Force feeding is defined as torture by the World Medical Association and has been condemned by the United Nations (UN), including by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
As such, PHROC calls upon the international community to condemn the law publicly and to urge the Israeli government to withdraw it. Moreover, PHROC calls on Israel to heed to the demands of the hunger strikers by bringing its illegal practice of administrative detention to an immediate end.