[News] Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 15 – 21 Sep

[Anti-Imperialist News]

PCHR Weekly Report: Two children dead, 2 children 
and 2 adults wounded by Israeli forces this week

author

Friday September 23, 2011 07:15
author
 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News
http://www.imemc.org/article/62086

In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights 
Violations in the Occupied Palestinian 
Territories for the week of 15 – 21 Sep. 2011, 
the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) 
found that two Palestinians, included a child, 
died of previous wounds in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces continued to attack Palestinian 
fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and to use force 
against peaceful protests in the West Bank. Two 
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were 
wounded. A total of 4 Palestinian civilians, 
including two children, were wounded by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers.

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

Israeli forces conducted 38 incursions into 
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during 
which they abducted 18 Palestinians, including 7 
children and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Israeli forces abducted at least 4 Palestinian 
civilians at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank.

Israeli forces have established checkpoints in 
and around Jerusalem, severely restricting 
Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are 
frequently prevented from praying in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

There are approximately 585 permanent roadblocks, 
and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the 
West Bank. At least 65% of the main roads that 
lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West 
Bank are closed or fully controlled by Israeli forces.

Israeli settlement activities:

Israeli forces have continued settlement 
activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers 
have continued to attack Palestinian civilians 
and property. In one incident this week, armed 
Israelis settlers fired at Palestinian civilians 
in Qasra village. As a result, a Palestinian 
civilian was wounded. Also, a Palestinian child 
was wounded when Israeli forces used force 
against Palestinian civilians who attempted to 
stop attacks by Israeli settlers in Saouther ‘Assira village, south of Nablus.

On 15 September 2011, a number of Israeli 
settlers traveling in two civilian vehicles 
arrived at the western entrance of Beit Fourik 
village, east of Nablus. They stepped down and 
set fire to two Palestinian civilian cars 
belonging. The three cars were totally burnt.

On the same day, a number of Israeli settlers 
from “Gilad” settlement, east of Qalqilya, set 
fire to agricultural areas in Jeet village. As a 
result, large areas of agricultural land were 
burnt and at least 150 trees were destroyed.

On the same day, a number of Israeli settlers 
from “Ariel” settlement, north of Salafit, 
damaged many olive trees belonging to Bassel 
Mahmoud Abu ‘Eissa in Kufor Hares village to the 
north of the aforementioned settlement.

Also on the same day, a number of Israeli 
settlers moved into Seilat al-Zaher village near 
Jenin. They attempted to place a mobile home on 
the land where the evacuated “Homesh” settlement 
used to stand, but Israeli forces evacuated them.

On 16 September 2011, Fat’hallah Mahmoud Abu 
Raida and his sons arrived at their land located 
at Qasra-Jaloud village near Qasra village, 
southeast of Nablus. Soon, they saw at least 10 
Israeli settlers in the area, 4 of whom were 
armed. One of the settlers took his clothes off 
completely and washed in a pool. Abu Raida phoned 
the local council of the village and some 
villagers, who came to expel the settlers. 
Immediately, the settlers fired into the air to 
drive villagers away from them. As a result, Abu 
Raida was wounded by shrapnel from bullets to the 
leg. Soon after, Israeli forces arrived at the 
area and fired tear gas canisters at the Palestinian villagers.

On the same day, while Israeli forces were using 
force to disperse a peaceful demonstration 
organized by Palestinian civilians against 
Israeli settlement activities in the south of 
Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, a number of 
Israeli settlers from “Karmi Tsur” settlement 
attempted to force journalists away from the 
area. They insulted the journalists, and one of 
them attempted to attack Ma’moun Isma’il Wazwaz, 
35, a cameraman of Reuters. When Wazwaz attempted 
to defend himself, an Israeli officer intervened 
and threatened to arrest him. The officer then 
forced Wazwaz and other journalists to leave the area.

On 17 September 2011, a number of Israeli 
settlers from “Efrat” settlement, south of 
Bethlehem, attacked a car, in which 4 Palestinian 
civilians were traveling. The car was damaged.

On 18 September 2011, a number of Israeli 
settlers from “Gilad” settlement, northeast of 
Qalqilya, set fire to Palestinian agricultural 
areas in Jeet village. As a result, 20 olive trees were burnt.

On 19 September 2011, a number of Israeli 
settlers moved into Seilat al-Zaher village near 
Jenin. They set up tents on the land where the 
evacuated “Homesh” settlement used to stand, but Israeli forces evacuated them.

On the same day, Israeli forces uprooted 500 
olive trees belonging to the heirs of Dawod 
Yousef Zaidan in Wad Edris area in Deir Estia 
village, northwest of Salfit. The Israeli liaison 
informed the Palestinian side that on Wednesday, 
14 September 2011, Israeli forces cut 135 olive 
trees in Wd Abu Edris area in the west of Deir 
Estia village, claiming that they were planted on 
“state land,” but the rela number of the trees that were cut is 500.

On 20 September 2011, hundreds of Israeli 
settlers, escorted by Israeli forces and the 
Israeli police, moved into Kufol Hares village, 
north of Salfit, allegedly to visit Jewish 
shrines. Before leaving the village, the settlers 
threw stones at Palestinian houses. No damage was reported.

On the same day, at least 50 Israeli settlers 
gathered near “Mavo Dutan” checkpoint, southwest 
of Jenin. They attempted to move into the nearby 
Ya’bad village, but Israeli forces stopped them. 
Israeli forces also closed the checkpoint until night.

Also on the same day, some Israeli settlers from 
“Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus, stormed 
Southern ‘Assira village, south of Nablus. Dozens 
of Palestinian civilian gathered to stop the 
settlers. Israeli forces then moved into the 
village to protect the settlers. They fired tear 
gas canisters at Palestinian civilians. As a 
result, a child, was hit by a tear gas canister to the back.

On 21 September 2011, at least 30 Israeli 
settlers from “Dutan” settlement, southwest of 
Jenin, attempted to moved into ‘Arraba village, 
but Israeli forces prevented them.

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:

During the reporting period, two Palestinians, 
including a child, died of wounds they had 
sustained by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

In the Gaza Strip, on 16 September 2011, Khaled 
Suleiman Saleem Kaware’, 43, a member of Hamas 
from Khan Yunis, dies of a wound he had sustained 
during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip 
(27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009). According 
to PCHR’s documentation, at approximately 16:10 
on Thursday, 08 January 2009, an Israeli drone 
fired a missile at Kaware’ when he was at Khan 
Yunis –Rafah eastern road. As a result, he and 
another 3 Palestinians were wounded. His wound 
was described as serious and his legs were 
amputated. He entered in a coma one month later. 
He received medical treatment in a Saudi hospital 
and in al-Wafaa’ Hospital in Gaza City. Recently, 
he was taken home to Gaza and was on life support, until he died this week.

On 19 September 2011, Ibrahim ‘Adnan ‘Abed Rabbu 
al-Zaza, 14, from al-Tuffah neighborhood in the 
east of Gaza City, died of a wound he had 
sustained on 19 August 2011. According to PCHR’s 
documentation, at approximately 17:30 on Friday, 
19 August 2011, an Israeli drone fired a missile 
at a number of activists of the Palestinian 
resistance near al-Wafaa’ Hospital in the east of 
Gaza City. As a result, two children were 
seriously wounded: Ibrahim ‘Adnan ‘Abed Rabbu 
al-Zaza, 14; and Mohammed ‘Aatef ‘Abed Rabbu 
al-Zaza, 15. Ibrahim had received medical 
treatment in Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for one 
week before he was transferred to an Israeli 
hospital, where he received medical treatment until his death.

During the reporting period, Israeli gunboats 
opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the 
Gaza Strip. No fishermen were hurt, but Israeli 
naval troops confiscated and damaged some fishing nets.

Israel has continued to impose a siege on the 
Gaza Strip, preventing access with the outside 
world. In just one example of the effects of the 
siege, Israeli forces have continued to prolong 
the implementation of their decision to allow 60 
cars into Gaza weekly although more than 11 
months have passed since they announced this 
decision after three years of ban imposed on the 
delivery of cars to Gaza. As a result, the prices 
of cars in Gaza have been on the rise and local 
markets experience serious shortage in spare parts.

For approximately four consecutive years, Israeli 
forces have continued to ban the delivery of 
construction materials to Gaza. During the 
reporting period, Israeli forces approved the 
delivery of limited quantities of construction 
materials for a number of international organizations.

Israel has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) 
crossing for Palestinian civilians from the Gaza 
Strip. Israeli forces only allow the movement of 
limited groups amidst severe restrictions, 
including long hours of waiting in the majority 
of cases. Israeli forces have also continued to 
adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of 
Palestinian patients allowed to move via Beit 
Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in 
hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and 
Jerusalem. Israeli forces denied new categories 
of Gazan patient permission to have access to hospitals via the crossing.

Israeli Annexation Wall:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces used 
excessive force to disperse peaceful 
demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli 
settlement activities and the construction of the 
annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, 
two Palestinian civilians, including a child, 
were wounded and dozens of Palestinian civilians 
and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation.

When complete, the illegal annexation wall will 
stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, 
further isolating the entire population. 350 
kilometers of the wall have already been 
constructed. Approximately 99% of the wall has 
been constructed inside the West Bank itself, 
confiscating more Palestinian land.

Following the Friday Prayer on 16 September 2011, 
dozens of Palestinian civilians and international 
and Israeli human rights defenders organized a 
peaceful demonstration in Bil'in village, west of 
Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the 
annexation wall. They moved towards areas of 
Palestinian land, which the Israeli High Court 
ordered to be returned to their Palestinian 
owners. The demonstrators also used megaphones to 
call on Israeli settlers living in “Mitityaho 
Mizrach” settlement to leave it. Israeli soldiers 
stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal 
bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at 
the demonstrators. As a result, a number of 
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 16 September 
2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and 
international and human rights defenders 
organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne'lin 
village, west of Ramallah, in protest against the 
construction of the annexation wall. They clashed 
with Israeli troops positioned near the 
annexation wall. Israeli soldiers fired 
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear 
gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, a 
number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 16 September 
2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and 
international and Israeli human rights defenders 
organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh 
village, northwest of Ramallah, in protest 
against land confiscations in the Wad al-Raya 
area between the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir 
Nizam. When the demonstrators attempted to reach 
areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near 
"Halmish" settlement, Israeli troops fired 
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear 
gas canisters at them. As a result, Bakr Farah 
Tamimi, 25, was hit by a tear gas canister to the 
right shoulder, and a number of demonstrators 
also suffered from tear gas inhalation. Israeli 
forces also abducted Ashraf Ibrahim Abu Rahma, 
30, but released him at approximately 22:30.

On Wednesday noon, 21 September 2011, dozens of 
Palestinian civilians organized demonstration at 
the entrance of Qalandya refugee camp, north of 
Jerusalem, in support to the Palestinian 
leadership’s demand of recognition for the 
Palestinian statehood by the United Nations. They 
moved towards Qalandya checkpoint. They set fire 
to tires and threw stones and empty bottles at 
Israeli soldiers. Immediately, Israeli soldiers 
fired at the demonstrators. As a result, ‘Aahed 
As’ad Wahdan, 15, was hit by a tear gas canister 
to the left eye. Additionally, dozens of 
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 
several recommendations to the international 
community. Among these were a recommendation 
that, in recognition of the International 
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as the guardian 
of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the PCHR called 
upon the ICRC to increase its staff and 
activities in the Occupied Palestinian 
Territories, including the facilitation of family 
visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The PCHR appreciates the efforts of international 
civil society, including human rights 
organizations, bar associations, unions and NGOs, 
and urges them to continue their role in 
pressuring their governments to secure Israel's 
respect for human rights in the Occupied 
Palestinian Territories and to demand Israel end 
its attacks on Palestinian civilians.




Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20110923/3b93d837/attachment.htm>