Monday 22 December 2014

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (11- 17 Dec. 2014)

Hebron – Palestinian children in front of Israeli military checkpoint in the city

Israeli forces continue systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)

FULL REPORT HERE

Thursday, 18 December 2014 00:00

·Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian in excessive use of force in Qalandya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem. 

  • Israeli forces continued to open fire at border areas in the Gaza Strip.
4 Palestinian civilians were wounded, east of Jabalia town in the north of the Gaza Strip.
6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 2 women, were wounded due to the explosion of 2 suspicious objects.

  • Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
3 Palestinian civilians were wounded during peaceful protests against the annexation wall and settlement activities.
2 Palestinian children were wounded during other protests in Hebron.

  • Israeli forces conducted 29 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one in the southern Gaza Strip.
54 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children and 2 women, were arrested in the West Bank.
31 of these civilians, including 6 children and a woman, were arrested in occupied Jerusalem.
2 Palestinian civilians were arrested while attempting to sneak into Israel via the border fence.

  • Israel continued to impose a total closure on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank.
At least 8 Palestinian civilians, including a woman, were arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

  • Israeli forces continued their measures to create Jewish majority in occupied Jerusalem.
Israeli forces issued new administrative demolition orders against Palestinian houses.

  • Israeli forces continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
Israeli forces issued new house demolition notices in area (C).



Summary
 
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (11 – 17 December 2014).
 
Shooting:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian in excessive use of force in Qalandya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem. They also wounded 9 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including 2 children; 5 of whom were wounded in the West Bank and 5 others were wounded in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 2 women, were wounded due to the explosion of a suspicious object, north of the Gaza Strip.
 
In the West Bank, in excessive use of force, on 16 December 2014, a Palestinian civilian was killed in Qalandya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, when Israeli forces moved into the camp to arrest Palestinians.
 
Israeli forces used excessive force against peaceful protests 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, a 14-year-old child sustained a bullet wound to the chest and a 16-year-old one sustained a bullet wound to the leg.
 
In the Gaza Strip, on 12 December 2014, 4 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of Jabalia in the north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at a group of civilians, who were present around.
 
In the context of explosions of suspicious objects of the Israeli military remnants in the Gaza Strip, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 2 women, sustained moderate wounds, due to the explosion of a suspicious object in the north of the Gaza Strip.
 
Incursions:
 
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 29 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 54 Palestinians, including 8 children and 2 women.  Thirty-one of these Palestinians, including 6 children and a woman, were arrested in Jerusalem.
 
In the Gaza Strip, on 16 December 2014, Israeli forces moved about 150 meters into the east of al-Fokhari village, southeast of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. They levelled lands along the border fence for few hours and withdrew later.
 
Furthermore, Israeli forces station along the border fence, east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, arrested 2 Palestinian children who attempted to sneak into Israel through 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 8 consecutive years, Israel has tightened the land and naval closure to isolate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and other countries around the world. This resulted in grave violations of the economic, social and cultural rights and a deterioration of living conditions for 1.8 million people.  The Israeli authorities have established Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shaloum) as the sole crossing for imports and exports in order to exercise its control over the Gaza Strip’s economy.  They also aim at imposing a complete ban on the Gaza Strip’s exports. During the reporting period, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian patient who obtained a permit to travel to the West Bank for medical treatment, while another civilian accompanying his father was arrested while the father was denied travel for medical treatment.
 
Efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in occupied East Jerusalem
     
Israeli municipality issued more house demolition notices. On 14 December 2014, they handed notices to demolish a number of houses in Silwan village under the pretext of lacking construction permits. Most of the houses were established 15 years ago. They also handed notices to destroy numerous houses in ‘Ain al-Foqa neighborhood.
 
Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property
 
On 14 December 2014, Israeli forces moved into al-Koum village, south west of Hebron and handed 6 residents notices to demolish their houses under the pretext of illegal construction in Area “C”.
 
On 15 December 2014, Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, and handed two residents notices to demolish their houses under the pretext of illegal construction in Area “C”.
 
On the aforementioned day, Israeli forces moved into Tqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem, and handed 4 residents notices to demolish their houses under the pretext of illegal construction in Area “C”.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
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