[News] PCHR Weekly Report: 15 civilians injured, 3 of them critically, by Israel

[Anti-Imperialist News]

PCHR Weekly Report: 15 civilians injured, 3 of them critically, by 
Israeli forces this week

author

  Friday November 06, 2009 08:23
author
 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News
http://www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=57036

According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Weekly Report on 
Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, during the week of 29 Oct.- 04 Nov. 2009, three civilians 
in the West bank and the Gaza Strip were injured by bullet wounds 
when Israeli forces fired at them. 12 civilians, including 2 
cameramen and 8 women, sustained injuries and bruises when Israeli 
forces used force against peaceful demonstrations in the West Bank. 
In addition, Israeli forces abducted 13 Palestinian civilians, 
including one child, in the West Bank, and a wounded civilian from 
the Gaza Strip.

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

During the last week, Israeli forces conducted 15 incursions into 
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Israeli forces deported a Palestinian student from Bethlehem 
University to the Gaza Strip. At 13:00 on Wednesday, 28 October 2009, 
Israeli forces positioned at the "Container" checkpoint, east of 
al-Sawahra al-Sharqeya village in the southeast of occupied 
Jerusalem, stopped Berlanti Grace Polis 'Azzam, 21, a student at 
Bethlehem University. They checked her ID card and saw that she was a 
resident of the Gaza Strip. They placed her under field interrogation 
regarding her presence in the West Bank. Then they held her as a 
first step to take measures to return her to the Gaza Strip. She 
remained held till 20:00 o'clock. Then Israeli forces handcuffed and 
blindfolded her. They transferred her by a jeep and then by a police 
vehicle to the border with the Gaza Strip. She was returned to Gaza 
via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. She arrived at home at midnight.

According to 'Azzam, she went to live in Bethlehem in 2005 and that 
she is a student at Bethlehem University. She was scheduled to 
graduate in two months. 'Azzam stated to PCHR that when she was held 
by Israeli forces, she was forced to sit on a metal chair near the 
checkpoint, after she had been told that she was held because she 
"lived illegally in the West Bank". While being held by Israeli 
forces, 'Azzam suffered low blood pressure and weakness in her limbs. 
In response Israeli forces offered her water and asked her to move her limbs.

She also added: "At approximately 20:00, a military jeep arrived at 
the checkpoint. Some female soldiers were in the jeep. One of the 
female soldiers searched me and searched my bag. The soldiers then 
handcuffed me. then they used my shawl to blindfold me. They then 
transferred me by a jeep. Then they forced me to walk for more than 
one hour and a half before transferring me by a police car to the 
border with the Gaza Strip. I was forced to return to the Gaza Strip 
via 'Erez' crossing at approximately 23:00. I arrived home at around midnight".

In Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished four houses in Beit Hanina, 
al-Thawri neighborhood and Jabal al-Mukaber village and displaced 
four families of 34 individuals:

On 1 November 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed the house of Mousa 
Mashahra, 53, in al-Sala'a neighborhood in Jabal al-Mukaber village, 
southeast of occupied Jerusalem. A family of six used to live in the 
house that occupied an area of 50 m2 and was composed of two rooms.

On 2 November 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed the house of Majed 
al-Rajji, 50, in al-'Aqaba neighborhood in Beit Hanina village, north 
of occupied Jerusalem. A family of 15 used to live in the house that 
stood on an area of 100 m2 and was composed of three rooms.

Also on 2 November 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed the house of Haroun 
al-Qawasmi, 61, and the house of Naser al-Shweiki in al-Thawri 
neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. The house of al-Qawasmi, 
where a family of six used to live, was built 25 years ago. The house 
where the seven-member al-Shwiki family used to live was owned by 
Mohammed al-Qawasmi and was built on an area of 80 square meters.

Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by Israeli forces in 
Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly 
stopped and searched in the streets by Israeli forces.

On Friday morning, 30 October 2009, Israeli forces prevented the 
installation of power networks in al-Tawani village, opposite to 
"Ma'on" settlement south of Hebron. According to local sources and to 
statements of international solidarity activists who live in the 
village, officers from the Israeli "Military Liaison Office" stopped 
the installation of power networks in al-Tawani village. They also 
abducted a Palestinian worker from al-Dhahereya village. Israeli 
forces released the worker later but confiscated his equipment. The 
confiscated equipment included a lorry, an automatic ladder and a 
large roll of electric wires. On 22 July 2009, officers from the 
Israeli "Military Liaison Office" issued an order to remove six power 
stations from the village. Further, on 25 May 2009, these officers, 
with an Israeli soldier, raided the village to stop the establishment 
of eight power stations in the village.

According to PCHR investigations and statements by Suleiman Mohammed 
al-'Adra, a Palestinian from al-Tawani village, Israeli forces have 
banned the development of infrastructure in al-Tawani village, 
including power; water and telephone networks. Israeli forces have 
also prevented Palestinians in the village from constructing houses. 
Civilians are forced to live in caves or in shelters established 
before 1967. Sometimes, Palestinians in the village are forced to 
construct their house without getting building license; Israeli 
forces later demolish the structures.

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:

Israeli forces have continued to impose a total blockade and have 
isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

On Oct. 31st, at approximately 15:00, Israeli forces positioned 
inside observation towers on the border strip in the northwest of 
Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, fired at Ashraf Saleh Salem 
Jaber, 40, from 'Izbat 'Abed Rabbo in the east of Jabalia town. Jaber 
was wounded by a bullet to his left foot. According to investigations 
conducted by PCHR, Jaber was wounded while walking on the beach as he 
approached the border strip in the northwest of the ex-settlement of 
Doghit in the northwest of Beit Lahia. His family told PCHR that 
their son suffers from mental disorder and that he had left the house 
two days before the incident. After Israeli forces fired at Jaber and 
wounded him, an Israeli forces undercover unit moved into the scene 
and transferred Jaber inside Israel. After the International 
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian Liaison Office 
managed to make coordination with Israeli forces, Jaber was 
transferred to Gaza via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing and delivered to 
a Palestinian ambulance. He was then transferred to al-Shifa Hospital 
in Gaza city where he was diagnosed with severe fractures in his left foot.

Israeli naval troops continued to attack Palestinian fishermen and 
boats in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli settlement activities:

Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank 
and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians 
and property.

On 29 October 2009, Israeli forces bulldozed 14 donums of 
agricultural lands, including 11 donums that had been reclaimed 
recently in al-Buqa'a area, east of Hebron. They also demolished 
1,000 meters of retaining walls, destroyed more than 300 meters of 
irrigation networks and destroyed two water collection pools. It 
should be noted that al-Buqa'a area is one of the most fertile 
agricultural areas in Hebron. Settlement Road no. 60 passes through 
the area which is close to "Kiryat Arba'a" and "Kharsina" settlements 
in the east of Hebron. Israeli forces impose a ban on construction 
works in al-Buqa'a area and obstruct the delivery of services to the 
area as part of their plans to force Palestinians to leave their 
houses and lands, Israeli forces and Israeli settlers repeatedly 
conduct attacks on civilians in al-Buqa'a area in order to take 
control of new areas of Palestinian lands by force.

Also on 29 October 2009, Israeli forces delivered notices to four 
civilians in Kherbat al-Hejri, southwest of Hebron, notifying them of 
Israeli forces intent to demolish their houses in Kherbat al-Hejri 
under the pretext of the lack of a building license.

On 30 October 2009, Israeli forces prevented the installation of 
power networks in al-Tawani village, opposite to "Ma'on" settlement 
south of Hebron. Israeli forces have banned the establishment of 
infrastructure in al-Tawani village, including power; water and 
telephone networks. Israeli forces have also prevented Palestinians 
in the village from constructing houses. Civilians are forced to live 
in caves or in shelters that had been established before 1967. 
Sometimes, Palestinians in the village construct houses without 
getting building licenses, but Israeli forces later demolish them.

On 31 October 2009, eight settlers from "Brakha" settlement, 
protected by Israeli forces, raided Iraq Borin village, south of 
Nablus. Dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered near the southern 
entrance of the village and stoned the settlers in an attempt to 
prevent them from entering the village. Israeli forces responded by 
firing bullets at the Palestinians.

Israeli Annexation Wall:

Israeli forces have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside 
West Bank territory. During the reporting period, Israeli forces used 
force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian 
civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders to 
protest the construction of the Wall.

According to Abdullah Abu Rahma, spokesman of the Palestinian 
Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign in Bil'in, Following the Friday Prayer 
on 30 October 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international 
and Israeli peace activists and human rights defenders gathered in 
the center of Bil'in village, west of Ramallah. Immediately, Israeli 
troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas 
canisters at the demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from 
tear gas inhalation. Following the attack by the Israeli troops, 
children threw stones at Israeli forces positioned in the area.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 30 October 2009, and according to 
data made available by the Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign 
in Ne'lin, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and 
Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in 
Ne'lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of 
the Annexation Wall. They clashed with Israeli forces troops 
positioned near the Wall. Israeli forces troops fired rubber-coated 
metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. 
As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 30 October 2009, dozens of 
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders 
organized a peaceful demonstration to protest the construction of the 
Annexation Wall in al-Ma'sara village, south of Bethlehem. Israeli 
troops closed the entrance of the village and attacked the 
demonstrators. They fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the 
demonstrators. Israeli forces beat some of the demonstrators. A 
child, Zeid Mohammed Zawahra, 17, was wounded in his right hand. In 
addition, three demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Recommendations to the international community:

Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations 
this week, the PCHR made a number of recommendations to the 
international community. Among these were a recommendation that the 
High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention fulfill 
their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention 
to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the Occupied 
Palestinian Territory. The PCHR believes that the conspiracy of 
silence practiced by the international community has encouraged 
Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel 
continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.

For the full text of the report, click on the link below:

Related Link(s): 
<http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2008/05-11-2009.htm>http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2008/05-...9.htm




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