Zionist Israeli violations of international law & humanitarian law (21 – 27 February 2013)

Shooting

During the reporting period, the Israeli forces wounded 60 Palestinian civilians, including 17 children, a woman and a journalist, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; 56 of whom, including 16 children and a woman were wounded in the West Bank, while the other 4 ones, including a child, were wounded in the Gaza Strip

In the West Bank, 56 Palestinian civilians, including 16 children, a woman and a journalist were wounded; 14 of whom, including 4 children, a woman and a journalist, were wounded in peaceful protests against the annexation wall and settlement activities, while the other 33 ones, including 9 children, were wounded in solidarity demonstrations supporting the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in the Israeli jails. Moreover, 8 civilians, including 3 children, were wounded when the Israeli forces moved into Qasra village, southeast of Nablus, to offer protection to Israeli settlers in their attack against the said village. Another Palestinians civilian was wounded during a protest in the center of Hebron.

During the reporting period, 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, 14 protestors, including 4 children, a woman and a journalist, were wounded. 3 of whom, including a woman and a child, were wounded in al-Nabi Saleh weekly protest; 5 protestors were wounded in Budrus protest in Ramallah and a child was wounded in Bil’in protest in Ramallah. The other 5 persons, including 2 children and a journalist, were wounded during 2 protests in the center of Hebron that were organized to protest against the continued closure of al-Shuhada’ Street since 1994.

In the same context, the Palestinians organized a number of peaceful protests in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners, particularly those who are on hunger strike in the Israeli jails. The Israeli forces used excessive force against these protests. As a result, 28 civilians, including 4 children, were wounded.

On 24 February 2013, 8 civilians, including 3 children, were wounded when a group of settlers from “Yissh Kodesh” settlement, southeast of Qasra village, southeast of Nablus, attacked a house belonging to the family of Abdul Majid Tawfiq Salama in al-Wa’ar area, southeast of the said village. A number of Palestinians gathered to protect the house from the settlers who were protected by the Israeli forces. The Palestinians threw stones at the Israeli forces and settlers, who opened fire in return.

On 25 February 2013, a Palestinian civilian was wounded in Hebron during a protest organized after the Israeli forces had raided a number of stores in the city.

In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces continued to open fire at the Palestinians near the border fence. On 22 February 2013, the Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of Jabalya, northeast of Beit Hanoun, opened fire at a number of Palestinians who were 50 meters northeast of al-Shuhada’ cemetery adjacent to the border fence. As a result, 2 civilians were wounded. At the same time, the Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of Abu Safiya area, east of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at a group of young persons who were about 100 meters to the west of the border fence. As a result, a boy was wounded. It should be noted that the Palestinian families go to picnic in the farmlands adjacent to the border fence on Fridays. However, the Israeli forces target them.

In the context of targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea, on 21 February 2013, the Israeli gunboats attacked a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by 3 fishermen, while they were sailing 3 nautical miles off al-Waha resort, north of Gaza Strip. Furthermore, PCHR’s fieldworkers documented 6 shooting incidents against Palestinian fishing boats during the reporting period.

Incursions

During the reporting period, the Israeli forces conducted at least 51 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, the Israeli forces arrested at least 36 Palestinians, including 23 children. The children were released a few hours later. The Israeli forces also detained 17 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, during peaceful protests throughout the West Bank against the annexation wall and settlement activities or to support the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails. In the context of using checkpoints as traps to arrest the Palestinians, the Israeli forces arrested 4 civilians, including a child. They also arrested 3 farmers from their lands. Thus, the total number of Palestinians who were arrested in the West Bank during the reporting period mounted to 60 civilians, including 27 children.

During the reporting period, the Israeli forces turned a vacant house in Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin, into a military position. They raised the Israeli flag and fixed surveillance cameras on and barbed wires around the house. In addition, they used it to torture the Palestinian civilians in the village.

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.

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 Thursday, 21 February 2013, dozens of settlers from “Seger” settlement cut 50 olive trees and 20 grape trees in Jorat Mish’al area, west of Beit ‘Awwa village, west of Doura, southwest of Hebron.

On 22 February 2013, Israeli forces raided B’er al-‘Abed area in the surroundings of Janba village, south of Yatta, south of Hebron. The Israeli soldiers deployed in the area and detained a number of Palestinian civilians while they were paving the street, which leads to the village, and declared it a closed military zone in which any form of construction work needs a permit f. Before withdrawing, the Israeli forces confiscated three trucks, loaded with base course.

On 23 February 2013, dozens of settlers coming from “Susiya” settlement, established on confiscated Palestinian agricultural lands, south of Yatta, south of Hebron, attacked Palestinian farmers of al-Shamsti and al-Nawa’ja, while working in their farmlands in the surroundings of the village. The settlers beat the Palestinian farmers severely and unleashed their dogs, terrorizing them. The Israeli forces arrived at the scene, declared the area a closed military zone and attacked the farmers. Before withdrawing, the Israeli soldiers arrested two farmers: Mohammed Mahmoud al-Shamasti (45) and Mahmoud Mohammed al-Shamasti (24) and transported them to an unknown destination.

On 23 February 2013, Israeli forces raided farmlands in al-Khalail area, north of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They detained Bader Mahmoud Ekhlail (75), a farmer, and 3 of his sons for two and a half hours before releasing them. The forces banned the aforementioned civilians from working in their land under pretext that it is close to the security fence of “Gosh Atzion” settlement, established on Palestinian civilians’ lands south of Bethlehem

On the same day, about 25 settlers, some of them were armed with machineguns, from “Yesh Koudec” settlement, southeast of Qassra village, southeast of Nablus, attacked Abdel-Majid Tawfiq Salama’s house in al-Wa’ar area, southeast of the aforementioned village.

Also on the same day, a group of settlers coming from “Sham’a” settlement, established on Palestinian civilians’ lands southeast of al-Thaheria village, south of Hebron, attacked a number of shepherds while tending their sheep in farmlands in Kherbat Zanouta area, west of the aforementioned village. The settlers beat Suliman Shafiq al-Tal (37). Half an hour later, an Israeli force raided the area, arrested Mr. al-Tal and transported him to an unknown destination.

Also on the same day, a group of settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces accompanied by a number of military vehicles, raided Palestinian civilians’ lands from Silat al-Daher village, south of Jenin, where “Homesh” settlement was established before being evacuated. They practiced some religious rituals before withdrawing from the area.

On Monday, 25 February 2013, an Israel settler from “Betar Illit” settlement, established on the lands of Housan, Foukin Valleh and Nahalin villages, west of Bethlehem, established a large steel gate, 4 meters wide and 2 meters high, on the main entrance leading to Palestinian farmers’ lands in Qedis area, west of Housan.