Israeli soldiers detain and beat a Palestinian civilian in Hebron
PCHR, August 13, 2010
Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian
Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· IOF
continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip.
- Two
Palestinian civilians were injured.
- IOF
arrested 8 civilians, including 3 human rights defenders.
· IOF
continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in the Gaza Strip’s border
areas.
· IOF
conducted 9 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
- IOF
arrested 54 Palestinian civilians, including 45 in Jalboun village near Jenin.
· Israel
has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza
Strip from the outside world.
- Israeli
troops stationed at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank
arrested 4 Palestinian children.
· Israel
has continued to take measures aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority
in Jerusalem.
- The
Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem destroyed dozens of graves in Ma'man Allah
Cemetery in Jerusalem.
· IOF
have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- IOF
dismantled 6 tents in the Northern Jordan Valley.
- Israeli
settlers attacked a woman in Hebron.
- A
Palestinian civilian was injured and 3 cars were damaged in the east of Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (05 – 11 August
2010):
Shooting: During the
reporting period, 2 Palestinian civilian were wounded by IOF in the West
Bank. During the reporting period, IOF
used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by
Palestinian civilians in protest to the construction of the annexation wall and
settlement activities in the West Bank.
As a result, two Palestinian civilians were injured. IOF also violently beat a number of
demonstrators.
On 06 August 2010, a Palestinian civilian was injured and a child fainted
when IOF intervened to provide protection to Israeli settlers who attacked
Palestinian civilian vehicles in the northeast of Hebron.
In the Gaza Strip, on 09 August 2010, Israeli gunboats fired at
Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties or damages were reported.
Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 9 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 54 Palestinian
civilians. The widest arrest campaign
took place in Jalboun village, northeast of Jenin, when IOF arrested 45
Palestinian civilians, 41 of whom were later released. IOF also arrested two Palestinian civilians,
including a human rights defender, in Hebron when IOF intervened to protect
Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinian civilian vehicles.
Restrictions
on Movement: Israel had continued to
impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,
including occupied East Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip
for over three years. 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.
· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels only through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom)
crossing, southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons.
· 1.5 million people are being denied
their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to
appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.
· The main concern of the population of
the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and
electricity supplies.
· Israel has continued to prevent the
entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more than three
years.
· Israel has not allowed fuel supplies
into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas and energy fuel
for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.
· The Rafah International Crossing Point
has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who received medical
treatment abroad and needed to return home to the Gaza Strip.
· Israel had continued to close Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West
Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.
· Israel has imposed additional access restrictions
on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter
the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international
humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.
· Living conditions of the Palestinian
civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and
unemployment have mounted sharply.
· At least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli
jails have been deprived of family visitation for more than three years.
· IOF have continued to attack
Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza Strip.
West Bank
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.
· IOF have established checkpoints in and
around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city.
Civilians are frequently prevented from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
· There are approximately 630 permanent
roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. In
addition, there are some 60 - 80 'flying’ or temporary checkpoints erected
across the West Bank by IOF every week.
· 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, further confiscating Palestinian land.
· At least 65% of the main roads that
lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully
controlled by IOF (47 out of 72 roads).
· There are approximately 500 kilometers
of restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third
of the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to
Palestinians without a permit issued by the IOF. These permits are extremely
difficult to obtain.
· IOF continue to harass, and assault
demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the
Annexation Wall.
· Palestinian civilians continue to be
harassed by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being
regularly stopped and searched in the streets by IOF.
Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic Majority in Jerusalem: IOF have
continued to take measures at creating a Jewish majority in Jerusalem.
On 05 August 2010, a bulldozer of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem
started to destroy dozens of graves in Ma'man Allah Islamic Cemetery. The Al-Aqsa Association for Islamic Heritage
had filed a petition at the Israeli District Court demanding that the Israeli
Municipality of Jerusalem’s plan to
destroy graves in Ma'man Allah Cemetery be stopped. On Monday noon, the court issued a ruling
allowing the municipality to raze a part of the cemetery to establish an
Israeli court compound. Following the
court session, an official from the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem attacked
photojournalist Sharaf Ahmed, 35. Al-Aqsa
Association for Islamic Heritage revealed such Israeli plans when it presented
a short film, which showed an Israeli official explaining the plans and the beginning
of their implementation, which started with marking at least 100 graves with
red signs in order to be demolished. The
Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem claimed that the graves that it would
demolish were new graves that are not related to the historic cemetery. However, the lawyers of al-Aqsa Association
proved with documents and photos that those graves had exited before 1948, and
only the grave stones were renewed. On
10 August 2010, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem demolished gravestones of
at least 70 graves in Ma'man Allah Cemetery.
Press crews were not allowed to get close to the cemetery. The Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem has so
far demolished 90% of the graves marked for demolition.
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 09 August 2010, IOF
moved into 'Ein al-Hilwa area in the Northern Jordan Valley in the northeast of
the West Bank. They dismantled 6 tents
belonging to Mohammed Ahmed Nawaj'a and Ahmed Isma'il Nawaj'a, claiming that
the tents were set up in a closed military zone.
On 05 August 2010, dozens
of Israeli settlers, escorted by IOF, arrived at Joseph Tomb in the east of
Nablus. They conducted religious rituals
in the area until 05:00, when they left the area.
On 05 August 2010, a number
of Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian woman while she was traveling in her
car in Hebron.
On 06 August 2010, at least
20 Israeli settlers from "Kharsina" settlement, northeast of Hebron,
attacked Palestinian civilian vehicles parked in al-Bwaira area, using stones
and iron bars. Palestinian civilians got
out of their houses in an attempt to drive the settlers away from the area. IOF arrived at the area, and instead of
expelling the settlers from the area, they attacked Palestinian civilians and
forced them to go back to their homes. IOF
arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a human rights defender.
Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (05 – 11 August 2010)
1. Incursions into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip
Thursday, 05 August 2010
· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Northern 'Assira village, north of
Nablus. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 6 Palestinian civilians:
1. Mohammed Fayez Yassin, 32;
2. Anas Hussein Hamadna, 26;
3. Rami 'Abdul Fattah Yassin, 30;
4. Mohammed 'Abdullah Sawalha, 30;
5. Fakher 'Aazem Birawi, 30; and
6. Ahmed Mohammed Sawalma, 22.
· Also
at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jalboun village, northeast of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses and arrested 45 Palestinian civilians, 41 of whom were later released. The four detainees who remained in custody
are:
1. Hisham 'Omar Abu al-Rub, 36;
2. Ahmed 'Omar Abu al-Rub, 42;
3. 'Imad Taher Abu al-Rub, 28; and
4. 'Abdul Rahman Bassam Abu al-Rub, 22.
· At
approximately 15:00, IOF moved into Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.
· At
approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-'Ouja village, north of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.
Friday, 06 August 2010
· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Sourif village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 'Aadel Khader Abu Fara, 27.
· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Sa'id 'Othman Saleem in the north of the village and set up a tent and an
observation point on it roof. They did
the same in a house belonging to Mos'ab Dirar Radwan in the west of the
village.
Sunday, 08 August 2010
· In
the morning, IOF moved into Jayous village, northeast of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses
and summoned two Palestinian civilians for interrogation: Ahmed Khaled
Shamasna, 19; and Adham 'Aahed Shamasna, 20.
Monday, 09 August 2010
· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jenin refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:
1. 'Alaa' Ibrahim Sabarini, 30; and
2. Bahaa' Hassan Abu Tabikh, 21.
· At
approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Kharabtha al-Misbah village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some and withdrew later. No arrests
were reported.
· At
approximately 19:35, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit Lahia beach in
the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. No casualties or damages were reported.
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