Friday November 22, 2013 03:13
by PCHR-Gaza
In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human
Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for the week of
14- 20 November 2013, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
found that Israeli forces launched 8 air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
3,500 chicks and 15 sheep died in Israeli raids on poultry and sheep
farms in Khan Younis.
Palestinian home burned by Israeli settlers (PCHR photo)
Israeli
forces have continued to open fire at the border areas in the Gaza
Strip, but no casualties were reported. 8 Palestinian civilians,
including 6 children, were wounded in the southeast of Nablus. And 7
Palestinian civilians were wounded in protests in Kofur Qaddoum village,
northeast of Qalqilia, and Bil'in village, west of Ramallah.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 56 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one in the Gaza Strip.
At least 58 Palestinians, including 11 children and a mother of 2 children, were arrested.
Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. At
least 10 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were arrested at
checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israeli has continued efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in
occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli authorities approved the scheme of the
(National Park) on the lands of al-Tour and al-'Eisawiya villages.
In an example of one of this week’s invasions, on November 14th, At
approximately 14:00, Israeli forces moved into al-Aroub refugee camp,
north of Hebron. They raided a house belonging to the family of Mohammed
Mahmoud Abu Dawood (65) and stationed on top of the house. Mohammed and
his family tried to prevented Israeli soldiers from going upstairs, but
he and his family were attacked. Israeli soldiers fired sound bombs at
the family and attacked them again in front of the house. As a result,
some of the family members sustained bruises and were taken to Hebron
Hospital to receive medical treatment.
Mohammed Abu Dawood (65) said to PCHR's fieldworker:
"At approximately 14:15 on Friday, 15 November 2013, I was on the third
floor of my 3-storey house. I heard violent knocking on the door leading
to the roof. I went downstairs to the door and found 4 Israeli
soldiers, including an officer who hit the door with his gun. I realized
that the main door of the house was open. I asked them what they were
doing. One of them asked me to give them the key, but I refused because a
few day earlier some Israeli soldiers went up to the roof and damaged
the solar power boards. The officer hit the door again, so I shouted
asking them to stop, but in vain. My sons Yusef (25), Ibrahim (25),
daughter Amani (20) and my two wives Nazmiya (58) and Zainab (60) came. A
quarrel erupted between me and the soldiers. Ibrahim stood in the
middle to prevent them from attacking me. A soldier held a sound bomb
and hit it on Ibrahim's head and then threw it towards Yusef, whose head
was injured. Ibrahim got away, as he was bleeding. In the meantime, I
stepped back, but a soldier who was one step higher than me, so he
strongly kicked me in the left side of my chest. Yusef carried me to a
close balcony as I suffered difficulty in breathing. I heard him calling
out relatives downstairs to bring an ambulance. After a while, my sons
took me outdoor waiting for the ambulance. There were Israeli soldiers
out there, in addition to my brother Ibrahim (50) and his sons. My two
wives and daughters stayed inside and closed the door. The Israeli
soldiers approached and started hitting the door with their gun butts. I
tried to prevent them from doing so, but a soldier broke the glass of
the door. My nephew Mohammed came to get me away fearing that I would be
attacked again, but 2 soldiers pulled him back, pushed him to the
ground and attacked him. My sons and brother came to help him. In the
meanwhile, a soldier stood on the door's step, held his gun crosswise
and jumped over them. They all fell to the ground. The soldiers took
each one of them and attacked him individually. Once an ambulance of the
Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) arrived, the Israeli soldiers
left. I was taken with 3 members of my family to Hebron Hospital.
Following medical check-up, it was found that I had a fracture in my rib
cage, my son Ibrahim sustained a wound in the left side of his head, my
nephew Fadi sustained a fracture in the nose and my son Ahmed sustained
bruises in the belly. A few minutes later, my brother Ibrahim and my
son Yusef arrived were also admitted to the hospital. My brother
sustained a fracture in his left hand and my son Yusef had pain in his
left side of his head. Half an hour later, my wife Nazmiya was admitted
to the hospital. She had pain in the chest. I learnt later that Israeli
soldiers had pushed her while going downstairs. We left the hospital in
the evening."
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
Israel has continued to impose a total closure and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
A patient from Rafah was arrested at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.
Israeli navy forces have continued targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea.
Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, arrested
fishermen and confiscated fishing boats. Israeli gunboats stationed in
the sea opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats twice. The first attack
took place on 16 November 2013, but neither casualties nor material
damage were reported. On 17 November 2013, Israeli gunboats stationed
off al-Waha Resort shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza
Strip opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats sailing nearly 1.5
nautical miles in the sea. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a boat boarding
2 fishermen; ‘Ammar As’ad ‘Abdel Malek al-Sultan (21) and Muhsin Akram
Diab Zayed (24) from al-Salatin neighbourhood in Beit Lahia. Israeli
naval soldiers forced fishermen to jump into the water and swim towards
the Israeli gunboat while the two fishermen were pulling 10 fishing
nets, 1,000 meters long in total, from water. The two fishermen were
terrified due to the continued firing at them. The Israeli soldiers then
confiscated their fishing boat and items and took the fishermen to
Ashdod Port, where they were arrested and questioned. At Israeli forces
released the two fishermen on the following day via Beit Hanoun (Erez)
crossing.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces have continued to support settlement activities in the
West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property.
Israeli forces erased 100 olive trees in Ya'bad village, southwest of Jenin.
Israeli settlers set fire to 2 vehicles in Fara'ta village, northeast of Qalqilia.
219 olive trees were uprooted and damaged in the northern and southern West Bank.
On Thursday morning, 14 November 2013, Israeli forces, backed with heavy
military bulldozers, leveled farmlands, south of Ya’abod village near
the main bypass road, which leads to “Movedtan” settlement established
on Palestinian lands between Jenin and the northern villages of Tulakrm,
southwest of Jenin.
On the same day, 4 Israeli settlers sneaked into a house belonging to
the family of Khaled ‘Abdel Rahman Mahmoud Dar Khalil in Sanjal village,
north of Ramallah. The settlers poured an incendiary material inside
the house balcony, which was closed by glass, put it on fire, and wrote a
slogan in Hebrew on the outside wall.
Also on the same day, a group of settlers, escorted by Israeli forces,
raided one of the ancient archaeological areas, west of al-Samou’a
village, south of Hebron, and perform religious rituals.
Also on the same day, a group of settlers from “Eddy ‘Aad” settlement,
which is established on the east of Turmos’ayah lands, north of
Ramallah, uprooted 75 seedlings in the al-Sabiha agricultural area, east
of the village and 3 kilometers away from the aforementioned
settlement.
On 15 November 2013, dozens of settlers, escorted by Israeli forces,
obstructed the movement at the entrance of Beit Ummar village, and
uprooted 75 seedlings in al-Sbihah agricultural area, east of the
village.
On 17 November 2013, a number of settlers from “Afijal” settlement
established on Palestinian lands, east of Yata, south of Hebron, cut 106
olive trees belonging to Mos’if family in Mo’in valley, east of Yata,
with handsaws.
On 18 November 2013, Israeli forces confiscated 120 square meters of
construction bricks of al-Dirat village, northeast of Yata, south of
Hebron, under the pretext of building a mosque without a construction
permit.
On the same day, civilians were surprised in Qasrah village, southeast
of Nablus, with settlers uprooting 38 olive seedlings and tried to
demolish an agricultural room belonging to ‘Ali ‘Abdel Hamid Hassan, but
they could not.
On 19 November 2013, 3 settlers infiltrated from “Hafa Gel’ad”
settlement to Fer’etah village, northeast of Qalqilya, and set a truck
and vehicle belonging to Bahjat Mohammed Mahmoud Soliman, on fire.
Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:
Following the Friday Prayer, 15 November 2013, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised
a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in, west of Ramallah, in protest at the
construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The
demonstration was also organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence and the 9th anniversary of the death of the
late President Yasser Arafat. Demonstrators took the streets raising the
Palestinian flags and headed to the liberated territories near the
annexation wall. Israeli forces had closed all the entrances of the
village since morning to prevent the Palestinian and international
activists and journalists from participating in the demonstration.
Demonstrators marched adjacent to the cement wall and tried to cross the
fence before Israeli forces that are 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 skunk water at them and chased them in olive fields. As a
result, a 17-year-old child was wounded by 3 bullets to the back, dozens
suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being
beaten up by Israeli soldiers.
On the same day, dozens of Palestinian civilians organised a peaceful
demonstration in the middle of Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, in
protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement
activities. Demonstrators took the streets and headed to the annexation
wall. Israeli forces closed the gates of the wall with barbwires and
prevented the demonstrators from passing to the land behind it before
they responded by throwing stones. As a result, many civilians suffered
tear gas inhalation and bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli
soldiers.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians and Israeli and
international human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration,
in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement
activities, in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. Demonstrators
took the streets raising the Palestinian flags and chanting slogans
against the occupation and in support of the Palestinian unity
resistance, and then they headed to the lands that the settlers are
trying to rob by force near “Halmish” settlement. Israeli forces had
closed all the entrances of the village since morning to prevent the
Palestinian and international activists and journalists from
participating in the demonstration. When they arrived at the land, the
demonstrators were met by live bullets, tear gas canisters,
rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and skunk water and were chased
into the village. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas
inhalation and others sustained bruises due to being beaten up by
Israeli soldiers.
Following the Friday prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful
demonstration in Ma’sara village, in protest at the construction of the
annexation wall and settlement activities. The demonstration started in
front of the Candles Cultural Centre in the centre of the village.
Demonstrators moved in the streets raising the Palestinian flag. When
they arrived at the area where the annexation wall is established,
Israeli forces started firing tear gas canisters in attempt to disperse
them and prevented the demonstrators from reaching the annexation wall. A
number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 12:30 on the same day, Palestinian civilians and
international activists organised a peaceful demonstration in the centre
of Kufor Qaddoum village, northwest of Qalqilia, and headed towards the
eastern entrance of the village, in protest at the continued closure of
the entrance with an iron gate, since the beginning of the Aqsa
Intifada. Clashes erupted between the demonstrators and Israeli forces
that fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters to prevent them from
reaching the aforementioned gate. As a result, 6 civilians, including an
8-year-old boy, were wounded and others suffered tear gas inhalation.
Moreover, Israeli forces detained and questioned 4 children for an hour.
The detained children were: Ahmed Abdul Salam Ishteiwi (6); Malek
Hekmat Ishteiwi (7); Tareq Hekmat Ishtiwi (9); and Hosam Khaldoun Abu
Khaled (8).
On Friday, 15 November 2013, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international activists gathered in Bethelehm to commemorate the
anniversary of the Declaration of Independence at the intersection
leading to "Bitar Elite" settlement. They closed the street and raised
the Palestinian flags. Israeli forces and police arrived to the area and
dispersed the demonstrators.
At approximately 15:00, on the same day, dozens of Palestinian children
gathered at the entrance of Selwad village, northeast of Ramallah. They
threw stones at a military fence around the village. Israeli forces
stationed in the area fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal
bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the children. As a
result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation. Israeli
forces arrested 3 children: Majd Abdul Rahman Hamed (16); Abdullah
Khaled Hammad (17); and Mohammed Ziad Hamed (14). The third child was
released 2 hours following his arrest, while the other 2 ones were taken
to Ofer detention facility, southwest of the city.
Majd's mother said to PCHR's fieldworker that she and her husband
Abdullah Saleh had gone at approximately 23:30, on the same day, to
"Benjamin" police station, as they received a phone call from an Israeli
police officer named Morad, asking them to come to the police station
and see their son's statement. The mother added: "When I went in, I saw
my son Majd. He sustained wounds in his forehead and bruises around his
eyes. His clothes were stained with blood, as he was beaten up."
Recommendations to the international community:
Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations this
week, the PCHR made several recommendations to the international
community. Among these were a recommendation that the United Nations
provide international protection to Palestinians in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, and to ensure the non-recurrence of aggression
against the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially the Gaza Strip
The 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 Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
Police used tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators in the Negev
