Crime Machine Zionists’ violations of international & humanitarian law (31 January – 06 February 2013)

Shooting:

During the reporting period, the Israeli forces wounded 5 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; 3 of whom, including 2 children, were wounded in the West Bank, and 2 children were wounded in the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, on 02 February 2013, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded when the Israeli forces and settlers used force to disperse dozens of Palestinian civilians and activists, who gathered in Burin village, south of Nablus to establish a village on a land that was threatened to be seized for the interest of settlement expansion projects. Moreover, a 29-day old baby suffered from tear gas inhalation and medical sources described her condition as serious.

On the same day, a Palestinian child was hit by a tear gas canister to the chest when the Israeli forces opened fire at a peaceful protest that was organized by Kofur Qaddoum villagers, northeast of Qalqilia. This protest was organized to support Burin villagers, south of Nablus, who already started, with the help of local activists, establishing al-Manateer village on lands, which threatened to be seized for the interest of settlement expansion projects.

In the same context, the Israeli Forces continued to systematically use excessive force against peaceful protests organized by Palestinians and Israeli and international activists protesting against the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, dozens of Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises.

In the Gaza Strip, on 01 February 2013, 2 Palestinian children were wounded when the Israeli forces positioned along the border fence, east of Abu Safiya area in the east of Jabalya, opened fire at a group of persons, who were few meters to the west of the border fence.

In the context of other shooting incidents, during the reporting period, 5 shooting incidents were carried out against Palestinian farmers and collectors of gravel, steel and firewood in the northern border area on 03, 04 and 05 February 2013.

In the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, the Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia, opened fire heavily at the Palestinian fishing boats twice on 03 and 04 February 2013. In both incidents, neither casualties nor material damage were reported.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, the IOF conducted at least 83 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, the IOF arrested at least 80 Palestinians, including 8 children.

During the reporting period, the Israeli forces launched an arrest campaign against members of Hamas movement, including 3 PLC members from Hamas’ Change and Reform Bloc. The arrested PLC members are: Hatem Rabah Qfeisha, 53; Mohammed Isma’il al-Tul, 48; and Ahmed Mohammed ‘Attoun, 45. It should be noted that the Israeli forces forcibly transferred Attoun from Jerusalem to Ramallah and al-Bireh on 06 November 2011. I n the context of this arrest campaign, the Israeli forces raided the office of al-Zakat Committee in Tulkarm and confiscated some contents, in addition, they raided the Islamic Awqaf (endowments) in Qalqilia.

In the Gaza Strip, on 05 February 2013, the Israeli forces conducted 2 limited incursions, as they leveled lands near the border fence and then withdrew.

Restrictions on Movement:

Israel continued to impose a tightened 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 Israeli-imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The illegal closure has caused not only a humanitarian crisis, but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for the population of the Gaza Strip. Recently-declared measures to ease the closure are vague, purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of the crisis; the root causes can only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of the closure, including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on exports. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer from the same shortage of goods but, as long as the closure is allowed to continue, they will remain economically dependent, unable to care for themselves, and socially, culturally and academically isolated from the rest of the world.

The IOF 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.

Efforts to Create Jewish Majority in Occupied East Jerusalem

In the context of house demolitions, on 05 February 2013, the Israeli forces demolished a house belonging to Ibrahim al-Qaswani in Beit Hanina, north of East Jerusalem. The 1-storey house, which is tin-roofed, is built on 170 square meters and resided by 6 members, including 4 children.

The Israeli forces moved into Wa’er Abu Salah neighborhood in Beit Hanin village, surrounded a building that is resided by 4 families and demolished it completely. The 2-storey building was built on 210 square meters and included 4 apartments for 4 brothers and their families.

As part of settlement expansion projects in East Jerusalem and its suburbs, on 05 February 2012, the Israeli forces demolished facades and arches of a historic building that is located in the northern side of al-Buraq Wall. Al-Aqsa Foundation for Waqf [Islamic endowment] and Heritage mentioned that the Israeli authorities were planning to build a Jewish complex.

In the same context, the regional settlement council approved the construction of a cultural village on 218 dunums of ‘Anabta village, northeast of East Jerusalem. The Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported on 31 January 2013 that the Israeli Civil Administration had approved the maps of establishing a cultural village near “Kfar Adumin” settlement.

Settlement Activities:

Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

On 31 January 2013, a group of Israeli settlers, under the Israeli forces’ protection, moved into Sanour camp, south of Jenin near Jaba’ village, to perform Jewish rituals and withdrew later.

On 02 February 2013, a group of settlers from “Kiryat Arba” settlement, east of Hebron, attacked 2 children from Jaber family while the children were in their commercial stores in the Old Town of Hebron. Half an hour later, an infantry unit moved into the area and arrested the 2 children in addition to a third person.

On 04 February 2013, the Israeli forces delivered 2 notices to 2 Palestinian persons from Ethna village, west of Hebron, in order to stop the construction works in a house belonging to Mohammed Hussein FarajAllaj, 29, and leveling works on a land that was being prepared for the construction of a house belonging to Wajdi Deeb FarajAllah, 30.

On 04 February 2013, an Israeli infantry unit moved into agricultural lands in al-Edisaarea, west of Sa’ir village in the northeast of Hebron. They denied persons from al-Mtour family access to their lands under the pretext that those lands were confiscated.

On 05 February 2013, the Israeli forces sent a notice to Hussein Mosa al-Hroub, 40, from Tarousa area in the south of Hebron, to demolish an under-construction house belonging to the aforementioned person.

On 05 February 2013, a group of settlers moved into the northern area of Deir Jarir village, northeast of Ramallah. They set fire to 2 vehicles in the village belonging to Khamis Mohammed Farakhna and Mosa Khamis Farakhna and wrote slogans that reads, “The Jewish blood will not go in vain”.

On 06 February 2013, the Israeli forces demolished a water well belonging to Khalil Ahmed Hassan al-Ezza, 50, in Ein al-Delba area near al-Fawwar refugee camp, southeast of Hebron. The well was used for agricultural purposes.

In the same context, the settlers from “Zufim” settlement, northeast of Qalqilia, started establishing a new outpost on lands belonging to Jayous village. It was supposed that these lands would be returned to their owners after the Israeli High Court had decided to change the route of the annexation wall in 2009.