[News] Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the occupied Palestinian territories (26 June - 1 July 2015)
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Thu Jul 2 13:28:29 EDT 2015
PCHR Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the oPt (26 June- 01
July 2015)
author Thursday July 02, 2015 18:30author by PCHR-Gaza
*http://www.imemc.org/article/72135*
Israeli forces have continued with systematic attacks against
Palestinian civilians and their property in the occupied Palestinian
territories (oPt) for the reporting period of 26 June- 01 July 2015.
*_Israeli attacks in the West Bank & Gaza:_*
_Shootings_
In the west Bank, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian at
al-Hamra checkpoint in the Jordan Valley and wounded 2 others, including
a child. Additionally, Israeli forces continued to use force against
Palestinian civilians participating in peaceful protests in the oPt and
against civilians approaching the border fence along the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, on 26 June 2015, Israeli forces stationed at al-Hamra
checkpoint, south of Tubas, killed a Palestinian civilian from al-Ouja
village, north of Jericho. They claimed that an armed Palestinian in a
vehicle fired at Israeli soldiers stationed at the said checkpoint, but
no casualties were reported. However, Israeli soldiers fired in response
and seriously wounded him, due to which he died.
On 30 June 2015, Israeli forces stationed at Qalandia checkpoint, north
of East Jerusalem, opened fire at a Palestinian civilian who cries out
"Allah Akbar" while being near the checkpoint. As a result, he sustained
5 bullet wounds throughout his body.
Israeli forces continued to use excessive and systematic use of force
against peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians and Israeli
and international human rights activists in protest at the construction
of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank and
Israeli policies in the oPt. As a result, a 14-year-old child sustained
a bullet wound to the right thigh in Kufor Qaddoum protest, northeast of
Qalqilya.
In the Gaza Strip, in the context of targeting border areas, on 25 June
2015, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of Jabalia,
opened fire sporadically at the cemetery area, but no casualties were
reported. On 01 July 2015, Israeli forces stationed along the border
fence opened fire at agricultural lands, east of al-Maghazai refugee
camp, but no casualties were reported either.
As part of targeting fishermen, Israeli gunboats stationed off Deir
al-Balah shore, in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian
fishing boats sailing within 3 nautical miles, but no casualties were
reported.
_Incursions_
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 41
military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 6
ones in East Jerusalem. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested
at least 33 Palestinians, including 10 children. Eleven of these
civilians, including the 7 children, were arrested in East Jerusalem.
In the Gaza Strip, on 01 July 2015, Israeli forces conducted a limited
incursion into the east of al-Qarara village, east of Khan Yunis in the
south of the Gaza Strip. They levelled lands along the border fence and
withdrew few hours later.
_Restrictions on movement_
Israel continued to impose a tight 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 closure of the Gaza Strip, which has been steadily tightened
since June 2007 has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and
economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli authorities impose
measures to undermine the freedom of trade, including the basic needs
for the Gaza Strip population and the agricultural and industrial
products to be exported. For 8 consecutive years, Israel has tightened
the land and naval closure to isolate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank,
including occupied Jerusalem, and other countries around the world. This
resulted in grave violations of the economic, social and cultural rights
and a deterioration of living conditions for 1.8 million people. The
Israeli authorities have established Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shaloum) as
the sole crossing for imports and exports in order to exercise its
control over the Gaza Strip’s economy. They also aim at imposing a
complete ban on the Gaza Strip’s exports. The Israeli closure raised the
rate of poverty to 38.8%, 21.1% of which suffer from extreme poverty.
Moreover, the rate of unemployment increased up to 44%, which reflects
the unprecedented economic deterioration in the Gaza Strip.
_Israeli efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem_
In the context of collective punishment policies, on Wednesday morning,
01 July 2015, Israeli forces locked with metal boards the windows and
doors of a house belonging to the family of Odai Abu al-Jamal in
al-Mukaber Mount village, southeast of East Jerusalem, after evacuating
the family.
_Settlement Activities_
Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, a direct
violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 24 June 2015, Israeli forces issued notices to halt construction
works and to demolish civilian objects in Kherbet Janaba, east of Yatta
south of Hebron.
On 27 June 2015, 3 Israeli settlers from "Mitzpe Yair" settlement, east
of Yatta south of Hebron, attacked a 53-year-old Palestinian civilian
with stones and tried to physically attack him. As a result, he
sustained wounds to the head and pain in the back.
On 27 June 2015, a number of settlers beat and insulted a 31-year-old
Palestinian civilian while driving his car on Beit Hanina new road,
north of East Jerusalem. As a result, he sustained bruises and wounds.
On 30 June 2015, 4 masked settlers from "Dulip" settlement, northwest of
Ramallah, sprayed pepper spray over the face of a 60-year-old
Palestinian civilian and attacked him with sticks, sharp tools and stones.
On the same day, a group of settlers wrote racist slogans against Arabs
on the walls of a number of houses in Beit Safafa village, south of East
Jerusalem. The slogans included: "Arabs should be slaughtered".
*_Use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrations protesting
settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall:_*
During the reporting period, Israeli soldiers used excessive force
against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians,
international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the
construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the
West Bank. As a result, a Palestinian child sustained a bullet wound to
the right thigh during Kufor Qaddoum protest, northeast of Qalqilya.
*(PCHR keeps the names of the wounded in fear of being arrested by the
Israeli forces within its policy to oppress the peaceful protests and
prevent Palestinian civilians from participating).*
_Demonstrations against the construction of the annexation wall and
settlement activity_
Following the Friday prayer on 26 June 2015, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized
a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in, west of Ramallah, in protest at the
construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. The
protestors marched by the annexation wall and tried to cross the fence.
Israeli soldiers stationed behind the wall, in the western area, and a
large number of soldiers deployed along it, fired live bullets, tear gas
canisters, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and wastewater at
them and chased them into the olive fields. As a result, a number of
protestors suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as
they were beat up.
Also following the Friday prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians
organised a peaceful demonstration in the centre of Ni’lin village, west
of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and
settlement activities. The demonstrators took the streets and headed to
the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the gates of the wall with
barbwires and prevented the demonstrators from crossing to the land
behind it before they responded by throwing stones. Israeli soldiers
fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters at the civilians, and chased them into the village. As a
result, a number of protestors suffered tear gas inhalation and others
sustained bruises as they were beat up by Israeli soldiers.
Also following the Friday prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
Israeli and international human rights defenders gathered in the center
of al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to start the weekly
peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and
settlement activities. They made their way towards Palestinian lands
that Israeli settlers from the nearby "Halmish" settlement are trying to
seize. Israeli soldiers closed all the village's entrances to prevent
the Palestinian and international solidarity activists and journalists
from participating in the protest. As a result, a number of protestors
suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they beat
up by Israeli soldiers.
Also following the Friday prayer, Palestinian civilians organized a
protest against the closure of the eastern entrance of Kufor Qaddoum
village, which has been closed by Israeli forces since the beginning of
the al-Aqsa Intifada. Once the protestors approached the closed
entrance, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas
canisters and sound bombs. They also sprayed skunk water over the
protestors. As a result, a number of protestors suffered tear gas
inhalation and others sustained bruises as they beat up by Israeli soldiers.
Following the afternoon (al-Asr) prayer on Saturday, 27 June 2015,
Palestinian civilians organized a protest against the closure of the
eastern entrance of Kufor Qaddoum village, which has been closed by
Israeli forces since the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada. Once the
protestors approached the closed entrance, Israeli forces fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs. They
also sprayed skunk water over the protestors. As a result, Abdul Elah
Abdul Mahdi Ali Mohammed (14) sustained a bullet wound to the right thigh.
/Note: the protest of Kufor Qaddoum was scheduled twice a week
(following the Fridays' prayer and following al-Asr prayer on Sundays)./
*_Continued closure of the oPt:_*
Israel continued to impose a tight closure on the oPt, imposing severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
_Gaza Strip_
Israeli forces continuously tighten the closure of the Gaza Strip and
close all commercial crossings, making the Karm Abu Salem crossing the
sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip, although it is not suitable
for commercial purposes in terms of its operational capacity and
distance from markets. Israeli forces have continued to apply the
policy, which is aimed to tighten the closure on all commercial
crossings, by imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.
Israeli forces have continued to impose a total ban on the delivery of
raw materials to the Gaza Strip, except for very limited items and
quantities. The limited quantities of raw materials allowed into Gaza do
not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces also continued to impose an almost total ban on the Gaza
Strip exports, including agricultural and industrial products, except
for light-weighted products such as flowers, strawberries, and spices.
However, they lately allowed the exportation of some vegetables such as
cucumber and tomatoes, furniture and fish.
Israel has continued to close the Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing for the
majority of Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip. Israel only allows
the movement of a limited number of groups, with many hours of waiting
in the majority of cases. Israel has continued to adopt a policy aimed
at reducing the number of Palestinian patients allowed to move via the
Beit Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in Israel
or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel also continued applying
the policy of making certain civilian traveling via the crossing
interviewed by the Israeli intelligence service to be questioned,
blackmailed or arrested.
_West Bank_
*Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the
reporting period, Israeli forces imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians:*
· Hebron: Israeli forces established 9 checkpoints all over the city. On
Thursday, 25 June 2015, Israeli forces established 2 checkpoints at
Mothalath al-'Aqabah between Dura and its southern villages, south of
the city and at the entrance of Bani Na'im village, east of Hebron.
On Friday, 26 June 2015, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the
entrance of Ethna village, west of the city.
On Saturday, 27 June 2015, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at
the entrance of al-Thaheriyah village, south of Hebron.
On Sunday, 28 June 2015, Israeli forces established two checkpoints at
the south-eastern entrance of Hebron and at the entrance of Beit Kahel
village, northwest of Hebron.
On Monday, 29 June 2015, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the
entrance of Sa'ir village, east of Hebron.
On Wednesday, 01 July 2015, Israeli forces established two checkpoints
at the entrance of al-Tabqah village and on 'Oyoun Abu Seif road, south
of Dura, southwest of the city.
· Ramallah: Israeli forces established 26 checkpoints all over the city.
On Thursday, 25 June 2015, Israeli forces established 2 checkpoints at
the entrance of 'Aboud village, northwest of Ramallah and at the
entrance of Termes'aya village, north of the city.
On Friday, 26 June 2015, Israeli forces established 5 checkpoints at the
eastern entrance of al-Nabi Saleh village and closed the iron gate
established at the entrance preventing civilians from entering or
leaving through it; the entrance of Ni'lin village; under the bridge of
Yabrud village, northeast of the city; at the intersection of Beit 'Oar
al-Foqa, southwest of the city and Deir Abu Mash'al villafe, northwest
of the city.
On Saturday, 27 June 2015, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at
the entrance of Ras Karkar village, northwest of Ramallah while they
established two checkpoints at each of the following village entrances:
Beitin; 'Ein Yabrud and Selwad, northeast of the city.
On Monday, 29 June 2015, Israeli forces established 10 checkpoints in
each of the following areas: at the entrance of Termes'ayah village, at
the entrance of Kherbtha Bani Haris village; under the bridge of Yabrud
village; Deir Abu Mash'al village; at the intersection of Beit 'Oar
al-Foqa village; the entrances of Selwad village; the road between the
villages of Beitin and 'Ein Yabrud; the road between Deir Jarir and Kafr
Malek; the road between the villages of Kafr Malek and Kherbet Abu
Falah; and the road between al-Mogheir and Termes'ahya villages.
On Tuesday, 30 June 2015, Israeli forces established two checkpoints at
the entrance of Ras Karkar village, northwest of Ramallah and the
entrance of 'Ein Yabrud village, northeast of the city.
On Wednesday morning, 01 July 2015, Israeli forces closed the road from
Ramallah to al-Jalazone refugee camp adjacent to Beit Eil settlement
with cement cubes.
· Qalqilya: Israeli forces established 3 checkpoints all over the city.
On Monday, 29 June 2015, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the
entrance of Kafr Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya.
On Tuesday, 30 June 2015, Israeli forces established 2 checkpoints at
the entrance of Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya; on the road between
'Azoun and Jayous villages, east of the city.
· Jericho: Israeli forces established 4 checkpoints all over the city.
On Friday, 26 June 2015, Israeli forces established 2 checkpoints at the
entrance of al-'Oja village, north of the city, and at the southern
entrance of Jericho.
On Monday, 29 June 2015, Israeli forces established 2 checkpoints at the
entrance of al-'Oja village, north of the city, and at the southern
entrance of Jericho.
/Note: all the aforementioned checkpoints were later removed, and no
arrests were reported./
*_Arrests and Maltreatment at Military Checkpoints:_*
At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 26 June 2015, Israeli forces
established a checkpoint at Mothalath al-Shuhadaa', south of Jenin. They
arrested Ahmed Tawfiq Raja al-Qereini (19) from Jenin refugee camp
adjacent to Jenin while passing through the checkpoint and took him to
an unknown destination after removing the checkpoint.
At approximately 14:00 on Saturday, 27 June 2015, Israeli forces
deployed in the Old City in the center of Hebron arrested Hamdi Mohammed
Abu Hamdiyah (19) after stopping him at the entrance of al-Ibrahimi Mosque.
At approximately 14:00 on Sunday, 28 June 2015, Israeli forces arrested
Fatmah Naser Mesleh Nazzal (42) from Qalqilya while trying to sneak into
Israel via a hole in the annexation wall near Qalqilya. Israeli news
websites reported that Israeli forces arrested the aforementioned woman,
who had a hunting rifle, while she was trying to sneak into Israel.
At approximately 02:00 on Monday, 29 June 2015, Israeli forces
established a checkpoint on the main road between Tulkarm and Qalqilya
near the eastern entrance of Jbarah village. The Israeli soldiers
stopped a Palestinian car travelled by Belkheir 'Isam Fayeq Qonbor (23)
from tulkarm and arrested him taking him to an unknown destination.
At approximately 12:40 on the same Monday, Israeli forces stationed at
"Qobet Rahil" checkpoint near Belal Ben Rabah Mosque, north of
Bethlehem, arrested Maysoun Mousa Mousa (19), from al-Shawawrah village
east of the city, and took her to an unknown destination. Israeli forces
claimed that the aforementioned girl stabbed an Israeli female soldier
at the checkpoint.
At approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 30 June 2015, Israeli forces
stationed at al-Jalamah checkpoint, northeast of Jenin, arrested Moayad
'Omer Ahmed al-Sa'adi (31) when he was near the checkpoint area claiming
that he attacked the Israeli soldiers with fireworks. The aforementioned
civilian was released later after Israeli forces was ascertain that he
is mentally ill.
_*Efforts to create a Jewish majority:*_
_Shooting incidents_
At approximately 16:30 on Tuesday, 30 June 2015, Israeli forces
stationed at Qalandia checkpoint, north of East Jerusalem, opened fire
at a Palestinian civilian, who cried out "Allah Akbar", when he was near
the checkpoint. As a result, he was wounded. An eyewitness said to a
PCHR fieldworker that Israeli forces stationed at Qalandia military
checkpoint opened fire at Hassan Ayoub Abu Ermaila (21), from Beit
Hanina neighbourhood, north of the city, after he suddenly cried out
"Allah Akbar" near the aforementioned checkpoint. As a result, he
sustained 5 bullet wounds throughout his body and was taken to "Tsha'ri
Tsedeq" Hospital in West Jerusalem to receive the necessary medical
treatment. His health condition was serious.
/House belonging to the family of Odai Abu al-Jamal in al-Mukaber Mount
locked up/
· In the context of collective punishment policies adopted by Israeli
forces against Palestinian families of persons accused of being involved
in resistance acts against them, Israeli forces locked up on Wednesday
morning, 01 July 2015, the doors and windows of a house belonging to the
family of Odai Abu al-Jamal in Jabal al-Mukaber village, southeast of
East Jerusalem, using metal plates after evacuating the family. An
eyewitness said to a PCHR fieldworker that Israeli infantry units moved
into the village. They deployed in the neighbourhoods and then raided
the yard of Ghassan and Odai Abu al-Jamal's houses, during which a
helicopter was hovering overheads. The witness added that Israeli forces
closed 3 entrances of the village and it was like a curfew. He said that
Israeli forces raided the house of Odai and evacuated the 6-member
family. They banned the Abu Jamal family and other neighbours from
approaching. They threw the furniture and clothes out of the house and
closed the windows and doors with metal plates. It should be noted that
Odai's family house that was built in 1936 was resided by his father,
mother, sister and 3 brothers.
_Incursions & house raids_
At approximately 22:00 on Thursday, 25 June 2015, Israeli forces raided
and searched a house belonging to the family of Ayed al-Taweel (40) in
Beit Hanina neighbourhood, north of East Jerusalem. They arrested the
aforementioned person and his 2 children, Saif (15) and Zaid (16), and
took them to an unknown destination.
At approximately 23:00 on the same day, Israeli forces raided and
searched a house belonging to the al-Taweel family in Ras al-Amoud
neighbourhood in the east of the old city in East Jerusalem. They
arrested Obaida Salman al-Taweel (25) and took him to an unknown
destination.
At approximately 23:30, on the same day, Israeli forces raided and
searched a house belonging to the family of Essa Qotob in al-Khelleh
neighbourhood in the east of East Jerusalem. They arrested his son
Mohammed (13) and took him to an unknown destination.
At approximately 23:30 on Saturday, 27 June 2015, Israeli forces moved
into a number of neighbourhoods in the old city in East Jerusalem. They
raided and searched some houses from which they arrested 3 children:
Yazan Abdullah Ayoub (14), Mostafa al-Deb'i (16) and Ameer al-Deb'i.
At approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 28 June 2015, Israeli forces raided
and searched 2 houses belonging to the families of Ghassan and Odai Abu
Jamal and questioned their families. Members of the Abu Jamal family
said that Israeli undercover units accompanied by an officer raided and
searched the 2 houses belonging to the Abu Jamal. They added that
Israeli forces questioned members of the 2 families on the spot. They
also photographed all the family members without saying why. Israeli
soldiers asked in particular about the children of Ghassan, Walid, Salma
and Mohammed, and photographed them as well. Israeli forces photographed
the houses belonging of the family from inside and outside and the roads
leading to them. They added that an Israeli officer threatened before
leaving that they would always raid the 2 houses. It should be noted
that Ghassan and Odai Abu Jamal carried out an attack on an Israeli
synagogue near Deir Yassin, west of Jerusalem, on 18 November 2014 that
resulted then in killing 5 Israelis.
At approximately 14:00 on Sunday, 28 June 2015, Israeli forces arrested
Ahmed Jasem Shweiki (10) while he was around his family's house in
al-Thawri neighbourhood in Silwan village, south of the old city in East
Jerusalem. They took him to Saladin police station. Shweiki's father
said that Israeli special units arrested his child when he was playing
with his friends around his house. He added that his child was referred
to the police station to be questioned, where he remained in detention
from 14:00 to 17:00. Israeli forces did not allow any of his family
members to attend the investigation. The father was only allowed one
hour and a half after interrogation. Jasem said also that he learnt
about the detention of his child from the neighbours not from the
Israeli authorities.
At approximately 04:00 on Tuesday, 30 June 2015, Israeli forces raided
and searched a house belonging to the family of Essam al-Kord (45) in
al-Sa'diya neighbourhood in the old city in East Jerusalem. They
arrested him and his son, Tareq (19), and took them to an unknown
destination.
_Confiscation of lands for the interest of settlement activities in the
city_
On Monday morning, 29 June 2015, officers from the Israeli municipality
and Nature Authority distributed maps and decisions signed by the head
of the Israeli municipality on lands in al-Eisawiya village, north of
East Jerusalem. The decisions and maps showed that dozens of
agricultural dunums would be planted with trees to be turned into a
public park.
Mohammed Abu al-Hommos, member of the follow-up committee in the
village, said that decisions were distributed regarding al-Eisawiya
lands. According to the maps, the Israeli municipality plans to plant
more than 200 dunums to make them a public park. He added that the lands
are located within the settlement plan "National Park Plan 11092" in
al-Tour Mount and al-Eisawiya village. This plan was cancelled by the
Israeli district planning and construction committee last year because
the committee required meeting the needs of people, including, schools,
kindergartens, houses and health care centres, before establishing a
public park in that place. It should be noted that the threatened lands
are the ones remaining for the village's residents to meet their natural
growth. Abu al-Hommos added that the Israeli municipality and nature
authority, according to the decision left on the lands, claim that those
lands are not used by their owners and thus they would be used for the
interest of the public. He rejected the Israeli claim and stressed that
parts of the lands were planted with trees tens of years ago and other
lands were levelled by Israeli bulldozers.
_Settler attacks_
At approximately 21:00 on Saturday, 27 June 2015, a number of Israeli
settlers beat and insulted Ibrahim Dawood al-Alami (31) while driving
his car on Beit Hanina road, north of East Jerusalem. As a result,
al-Alami sustained bruises and wounds, due to which he was taken to
Hadasa Hospital to receive the necessary medical treatment.
The victim's brother, Ashraf al-Alami, stated to PCHR:
"While my brother Ibrahim, who works as a driver in an Israeli transport
company, was going to his work in West Jerusalem, he took Beit Hanina
new road, where 3 settlers intercepted his car. They surrounded his car
and then asked him: 'Are you an Arab?' he answered: 'Yes'. The settlers
cursed him with abusive and racist words and then beat him severely.
Moreover, one of settlers tried to strangle him with his hands.
Consequently, Ibrahim Dawood was wounded in the chest and face. The
settlers fled after my brother was able to defend himself. After that,
he continued driving his car and went to work in the company. Signs of
assault were clear on him. As a result, the manager of company called
the police that investigated the incident and brought an ambulance to
take al-Alami to Hadassah Hospital for medical treatment."
At approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, 30 June 2015, a group of settlers
wrote racist slogans against Arabs on the walls of a number of houses in
Beit Safafa village, south of East Jerusalem. An eyewitness said to a
PCHR fieldworker that Beit Safafa residents were surprised on the day to
see racist slogans against Arabs on the walls of some houses in the
village. Of the written slogans were: "The Arab blood is vulnerable to
attack", "Arabs should be slaughtered" and others.
*_Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian
civilians and property:_*
Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, a direct
violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
At approximately 09:00 on Thursday, 24 June 2015, Israeli forces
accompanied by an Israeli Civil Administration vehicle moved into
al-Deirat village, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. They stationed in the
center of the village, where the civil administration officer handed
Salah Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed (39) a notice to demolish his
100-square-meter, under-construction house under the pretext it was not
licensed. It should be noted that Israeli forces handed the same person
a notice to halt construction works on 13 April 2015.
At approximately 09:30 on the same day, Israeli forces accompanied by an
Israeli Civil Administration vehicle moved into Kherbet Janaba, east of
Yatta, south of Hebron. They deployed in the vicinity of the Kherbe and
delivered 9 notices to halts construction works and 3 others for house
demolitions as follows:
1. 2 residential rooms, 34 square meters each, belonging to Nabil
Hussein Jabarin;
2. A 35-square-meter residential room belonging to Mohammed Ali Jabarin;
3. A 66-square-meters residential room belonging to Ali Mohammed Jabarin;
4. A 30-square-meter residential room belonging to Essa Ahmed Yunis;
5. A 42-square-meter residential room belonging to Maher Ahmed Essa;
6. A 50-square-meter residential room belonging to Mahmoud Ahmed Essa;
7. A 45-sqaure-meter residential room belonging to Ibrahim Ahmed Essa;
8. A 30-square-meter residential room belonging to Mousa Ibrahim Abu Yunis;
9. A 35-square-meter residential room belonging to Essa Yunis Abu Yunis.
The notices gave them a deadline on 23 July 2015 to refer to the
competent departments in the Israeli courts.
Concerning the demolition notices that gave a period of one week were as
follows:
1. A 30-square-meter residential room belonging to Mohammed Mahmoud
Hoshiya. He was notified to halt construction work in May;
2. A 30-square-meter residential room belonging to Esam Essa Yunis; and
3. A 35-square-meter residential room belonging to Essa Essam Yunis.
Othman Jabarin, director of Mosafer Yatta Protection Society, said to a
PCHR fieldworker that the distribution of notices was meant to dismiss
civilians from their lands, especially as Israeli authorities classify
Kherbet Janaba as a shooting area. Moreover, the civil administration
officer confiscated a power generator and a manual digger that was used
by the Palestinians civilians to fix the dirt road leading to their area.
At approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 25 June 2015, 15 settlers from
"Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron, demolished a part of a water
well belonging to Abdul Karim Ibrahim al-Ja'bari that was established 60
years ago. They threw big rocks over the well, due to which the upper
part was damaged.
At approximately 19:30 on Saturday, 27 June 2015, 3 settlers from
"Mitzpe Yair" settlement, east of Yatta, south of Hebron, attacked Ziad
Mohammed Yunis Makhamra (53), from Kherbet Beer al-Add, with stones.
They tried to physically attack him. As a result, he sustained wounds to
the back of the head and pains in the back. He was then transported to
Abu al-Hassan al-Qasem hospital in the city.
According to Ziad Makhamrah:
"I work in the field of livestock breeding, and live in Khirbet Bir
Alaad which is about 17 kilometers in east of Yatta town, Southern
Hebron. At the beginning of 2000, many families were expelled by Israeli
force, claiming that the area was a closed military zone. After 6 years,
Israeli court issued an order to allow people to return to their land
(Kherba). At that time, my family and I returned to the Kherba and
another family too, and we stayed there so far. On Thursday, 27 June
2015, at approximately 7:30, I went on foot to Ma'in area which is about
5 kilometers from the Bir Alaad. My relatives sent to me an invitation
to Ramadan breakfast. I contacted my son, Mohammed, 25, to take me
there. While I was walking on the dirt road leading to the settlement of
"Mitzpe Yair", I saw three settlers coming to the main gate of
settlement. When I arrived to the gate, I met the three settlers. They
surrounded me and tried to take my stick, but I refused. I walked back
and called my son, Mohammed, again in order to come quickly. After that,
I ran quickly to the dirt road, the settlers chased me and hit me by
stones, I was wounded in my back, head and left thigh. Moments later,
and the car of my son arrived. After that, the settlers fled into the
settlement. My son Mohammed took me to Ma'in area, where they provided
me first aid. I was transferred to Abu al-Qasim al-Hassan Hospital to
conduct some medical tests and x-ray. In the end, they gave me the
appropriate treatments."
At approximately 18:45 on Tuesday, 30 June 2015, 4 masked settlers from
"Dulip" settlement, northwest of Ramallah, sprayed pepper spray over the
face of Mahmoud al-Haj Hassan Nofal (60) and attacked him with sticks,
sharp tools and stones. The aforementioned person was ploughing his land
in al-Aqaba area, southwest of Ras Karkar village, when he was attacked.
*/Recommendations to the International Community:/*
PCHR emphasizes the international community’s position that the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under
Israeli occupation, in spite of Israeli military redeployment outside
the Gaza Strip in 2005. PCHR further confirms that Israeli forces
continued to impose collective punishment measures on the Gaza Strip,
which have escalated since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections,
in which Hamas won the majority of seats of the Palestinian Legislative
Council. PCHR stresses that there is international recognition of
Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments
and the international humanitarian law, especially the Hague Regulations
concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land and the Geneva
Conventions. Israel is bound to apply the international human rights law
and the law of war sometime reciprocally and other times in parallel in
a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for
victims.
In light of continued arbitrary measures, land confiscation and
settlement activities in the West Bank, and the latest 51-day offensive
against civilians in the Gaza Strip, PCHR calls upon the international
community, especially the United Nations, the High Contracting Parties
to the Geneva Convention and the European Union – in the context of
their natural obligation to respect and enforce the international law –
to cooperate and act according to the following recommendations:
1. PCHR calls upon the international community and the United Nations to
use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their
right to self-determination, through the establishment of the
Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with
a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including
sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine;
2. PCHR calls upon the United Nations to provide international
protection to Palestinians in the oPt, and to ensure the non-recurrence
of aggression against the oPt, especially the Gaza Strip;
3. 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 oPt;
4. PCHR calls upon the Parties to international human rights
instruments, especially the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and
the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to pressurize
Israel to comply with their provisions in the oPt, and to compel it to
incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports
submitted to the concerned committees;
5. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva
Conventions to fulfil their obligation to ensure the application of the
Conventions, including extending the scope of their jurisdiction in
order to prosecute suspected war criminals, regardless of the
nationality of the perpetrator and the place of a crime, to pave the way
for prosecuting suspected Israeli war criminals and end the longstanding
impunity they have enjoyed; 6. PCHR calls on States that apply the
principle of universal jurisdiction not to surrender to Israeli pressure
to limit universal jurisdiction to perpetuate the impunity enjoyed by
suspected Israeli war criminals;
7. PCHR calls upon the international community to act in order to stop
all Israeli settlement expansion activities in the oPt through imposing
sanctions on Israeli settlements and criminalizing trading with them;
8. PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly to transfer the Goldstone
Report to the UN Security Council in order to refer it to the
International Criminal Court in accordance with Article 13(b) of the
Rome Statute;
9. PCHR calls upon the United Nations to confirm that holding war
criminals in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a precondition to
achieve stability and peace in the regions, and that peace cannot be
built on the expense of human rights;
10. PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council to
explicitly declare that the Israeli closure policy in Gaza and the
annexation wall in the West Bank are illegal, and accordingly refer the
two issues to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel to
compel it to remove them;
11. PCHR calls upon the international community, in light of its failure
to the stop the aggression on the Palestinian people, to at least fulfil
its obligation to reconstruct the Gaza Strip after the series of
hostilities launched by Israel which directly targeted the civilian
infrastructure;
12. PCHR calls upon the United Nations and the European Union to express
a clear position towards the annexation wall following the international
recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, as the
annexation wall seizes large parts of the State of Palestine;
13. PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the
EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that both sides must
respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between
the EU states and Israel, and the EU must not ignore Israeli violations
and crimes against Palestinian civilians;
/Full, detailed document
<http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11141:weekly-report-on-israeli-human-rights-violations-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-26-june-01-july-2015&catid=84:weekly-2009&Itemid=183>,
including info on patrols and border crossings available at the official
PCHR website./
--
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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