[News] 11 civilians wounded, 59 abducted; 350 trees cut by Israeli troops this week

[Anti-Imperialist News]

  PCHR Weekly Report: 11 civilians wounded, 59 abducted; 350 trees cut
  by Israeli troops this week

author Friday April 12, 2013 01:06author by PCHR-Gaza
http://www.imemc.org/article/65319

    In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the
    Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 04- 10 April 2013,
    the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that Israeli
    forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protesters,
    wounding 11. 

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces continued to open fire at Palestinian 
fishing boats <http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=fishing+boats>, 
restricting the permitted fishing area to 3 nautical miles instead of 
the 6 nautical mile limit that was agreed in the ceasefire agreement 
reached between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in November 2012.

A photographer for the Popular Resistance Movement against the 
Annexation Wall and Settlements in al-Nabi Saleh village sustained burns 
to his face. 10 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 1 woman, 
were abducted during protests in support of prisoners in the Israeli jails.

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

Israeli forces conducted 78 incursions into Palestinian communities in 
the West Bank. 55 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, were 
abducted during those incursions. Among the abducted was the former 
prisoner, Tha'er Halahla.

During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 11 Palestinian 
civilians, including 3 children and a woman, in the West Bank. They were 
all wounded during peaceful protests organised by Palestinian civilians 
against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement 
activities and in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank. 4 
Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were abducted at checkpoints.

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence 
continued to open fire. On 06 April 2013, Israeli forces stationed along 
the border fence, east of Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, 
opened fire at houses and agricultural lands in al-Qarara village and 
around al-Sreij gate. No casualties were reported.

Israeli forces continued to chase fishermen at sea. On 08 April 2013, 
Israeli gunboats stationed off the coast of al-Waha resort, northwest of 
Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian 
fishing boats <http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=fishing+boats> that were 
sailing 2 nautical miles offshore. As a result, the fishermen returned 
to shore, fearing that they would be wounded or abducted. Neither 
casualties nor material damage were reported. A similar incident 
occurred on 10 April 2013.

It should be noted that, on Thursday, 21 March 2013, Israeli forces 
announced that the nautical mile limit would be reduced from 6 to 3 
nautical miles. Israeli forces had permitted fishermen to sail up to 6 
nautical miles offshore following the ceasefire agreement between Israel 
and Palestinian armed groups in November 2012.

Israeli forces continued to open fire in the border area in the Gaza 
Strip. Israeli forces opened fire at houses and agricultural lands in 
al-Qarara village, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Israel has continued to impose a total closure and has isolated the Gaza 
Strip from the outside world. During the reporting period, Israeli 
forces completely closed the commercial border crossings between the 
Gaza Strip and Israel. They closed Karm Abu Salem crossing for 4 
consecutive days because of Jewish holidays. This closure negatively 
affected the entry of goods, construction materials and medical 
consignments in the Gaza Strip. It also had a negative impact on the 
living conditions of Palestinian civilians.

Israeli forces also imposed comprehensive security restrictions due to 
the Jewish holiday of Passover. As a result, thousands of Palestinian 
workers were denied access to their work in Israel and occupied East 
Jerusalem. Moreover, Palestinian traders were denied access to Israel 
and/or travel via the border crossings between the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

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.

On Saturday, 06 April 2013, a unit of Israeli soldiers, accompanied by 
three military vehicles 
<http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=military+vehicles>, raided 
agricultural lands surrounding the Um Akhwas area, east of Yatta, south 
of Hebron. The soldiers were deployed in the area and prohibited 
Palestinian farmers and shepherds from working on the land, declaring 
that the land had been confiscated. The soldiers ordered the farmers and 
shepherds to leave the area and declared it a closed military zone. When 
the farmers and shepherds refused to leave their lands, the Israeli 
soldiers assaulted them, beat them severely and attempted to arrest some 
of them, but international peace activists intervened and stopped them.

On Sunday, 07 April 2013, a group of settlers from "Tekoa" settlement, 
established southwest of Taqou' village, southeast of Bethlehem, raided 
the afore-mentioned village. The settlers wrote "Paying the Price" and 
drew the Star of David on Bilal Bin Rabah mosque and Salah al-Din 
al-Ayouby mosque in al-'Amour neighbourhood, in the south of the 
village. In his testimony to a PCHR fieldworker, Mohammed al-Badan, Head 
of the Youth Council in the village, said that the settlers damaged the 
car tyres <http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=car+tyres> of vehicles.

On Tuesday, 09 April 2013, a group of settlers, from "Ramat Yishai" 
settlement outpost, established on land belonging to Palestinian 
civilians in Tal al-Remyda area, central Hebron, confiscated a tract of 
land belonging to a 48-year old man, extended an agricultural irrigation 
system and supplied it with water through the afore-mentioned settlement 
outpost, and planted it with vegetable seeds.

On Tuesday, 09 April 2013, Israeli forces, accompanied by a vehicle of 
the Planning and Building Department in the Israeli Civil 
Administration, raided al-Dirat area, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. 
They presented a 42-year old man with a notice ordering him to halt 
construction work on a tin structure, built on a 100 square metre area, 
which was being used as a barn for cattle, under the pretext that it had 
been built without first obtaining a permit from the Israeli authorities.

On Tuesday, 09 April 2013, Israeli forces, accompanied by a vehicle of 
the Israeli Civil Administration and a truck, raided the Emdimna area, 
located between al-Thaherya and al-Ramadeen villages, south of Hebron. 
Israeli soldiers were deployed in the farmlands and cut down 100 olive 
trees and 250 almond trees, which were 5 years old, with saws, 
confiscated them and loaded them into the truck.

Also on Tuesday, Israeli forces, accompanied by a number of military 
vehicles <http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=military+vehicles>, a 
bulldozer, and a vehicle of the Planning and Building Department in the 
Israeli Civil Administration, raided al-Dirat area, east of Yatta, south 
of Hebron. They bulldozed a 70-cubic-metre water well, belonging to a 
45-year old man, claiming that he had not obtained a permit.

On Wednesday morning, 10 April 2013, Israeli forces, accompanied by an 
officer of the Israeli Civil Administration, raided the Um Hadida area, 
east of Nahalin village, southwest of Bethlehem, and placed notices on 
the lands of two Palestinian civilians, aged 60 and 71. The notices 
ordered them to evacuate their 3 dunums of land.

Also on Wednesday, Israeli forces, accompanied by a vehicle of the 
Israeli Civil Administration, raided the Kherbat Qalqas area, south of 
Hebron. The Civil Administration officer presented a 48-year old man 
with a demolition notice for his family residence, under the pretext 
that it had been built without a permit. The 2-storey house was built 
established on an area of 200 square metres and shelters his family of 
11 people.

Israeli attacks on non-violent demonstrations:

In the West Bank, in an example of the systematic use of excessive force 
against peaceful protests organised by Palestinian, Israeli, and 
international activists against the construction of the annexation wall 
and settlement activities in the West Bank, Israeli forces wounded Belal 
Abdul Salam Hassan al-Tamimi, 47, when they sprayed pepper spray in his 
face. It should be noted that al-Tamimi is a photographer for the 
Popular Resistance Movement against the Annexation Wall and Settlements 
in al-Nabi Saleh village. Many more civilians suffered from tear gas 
inhalation and others sustained bruises.

Palestinian civilians organised many peaceful protests in solidarity 
with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, especially those on hunger 
strike. Israeli forces used excessive force against the protesters; as a 
result, 10 civilians, including 3 children and 1 woman, were wounded. In 
addition, many civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation and others 
sustained bruises.

On 04 April 2013, an 18-year-old man was wounded by a bullet to the 
right cheek during a peaceful protest near the annexation wall in the 
southern part of Beit Luqia village, southwest of Ramallah. In addition, 
2 children were wounded in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem, during 
a similar protest in the Um Rokba area at the southwestern entrance of 
the village.

On 05 April 2013, a 16-year-old boy was wounded by a plastic-coated 
bullet to the back of the head during a protest organised at the 
southern entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah. In 
addition, 1 child was wounded in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem, 
during a similar protest in the Um Rokba area at the southwestern 
entrance of the village.

At approximately 12:00 on Friday, 05 April 2013, dozens of Palestinian 
civilians, activists with the Popular Committees against Settlement 
Activity and the Hebron Defence Committee, and international human 
rights activists gathered in al-Haraiek area, southeast of Hebron, for a 
peaceful demonstration calling for the route linking Hebron to its 
southern villages to be reopened; it has been closed for the past 12 
years. These villages are al-Rayhia, al-Thaheria, Doura, and al-Fawar 
Refugee Camp. Upon arrival at the steel gate which blocks the road 
leading to Bypass Road 60, Israeli forces surrounded the area and 
declared it a closed military zone, ordering the demonstrators to leave 
immediately. The soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at 
the demonstration. A number of protesters fainted as a result of tear 
gas inhalation.

Friday protests were also held in the towns of Bil'in, Naileen, Nabi 
Saleh (where a 45-year old photographer sustained burns in the face 
after being sprayed with pepper spray), Al Masara and Kafr Kaddoum.

On 06 April 2013, a 45-year-old woman was wounded by a plastic-coated 
bullet to the back while she was standing in front of her house in the 
Um Rokba area at the southwestern entrance of al-Khader village, south 
of Bethlehem.

On 07 April 2013, a 17-year-old boy was hit by a tear gas canister to 
the head during a peaceful protest in the Um Rokba area, south of 
Bethlehem. On the same day, an 11-year-old boy was wounded by a bullet 
to the right side of his face during a protest organised at the northern 
entrance of Ayda refugee camp, north of Bethlehem.

On 09 April 2013, an 18-year-old boy was wounded by a bullet to the 
right leg, while an 11-year-old boy was wounded by a bullet to the left 
side of his head during a protest organised at the northern entrance of 
Ayda refugee camp, north of Bethlehem.

Recommendations to the international community:

Due to the number and severity of Israeli attacks on Palestinian 
civilians this week, the PCHR made several recommendations to the 
international community. Among these was 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.

In addition, 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.

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

Related Link(s): 
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_...d=183 
<http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9411:weekly-report-on-israeli-human-rights-violations-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-04-10-april-2013&catid=84:weekly-2009&Itemid=183>
-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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