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Summary



This week, PCHR documented 198 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory. This week witnessed an increase of Israeli violation regarding demolition and settlement activities in addition to settlers’ attacks and incursions. They were as follows:



As part of the Israeli shooting and excessive use of force:



In terms of excessive use of force, IOF wounded 44 Palestinian civilians, including 13 children and 2 women, on the 86th Friday of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege protest (GMR) in eastern Gaza Strip. IOF shot and injured 5 civilians with live bullets and shrapnel; and 1 was deemed in serious health conditions, in addition to targeting protestors’ upper body with rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. Among those injured, a young man and a child were both shot with rubber bullets in their right eyes. IOF maintained their policy of repression despite the general calmness and weak participation due to the weather conditions. Meanwhile in the West Bank, 5 Palestinian civilians were shot, including a child, in separate incidents. IOF opened fire at agricultural lands in 2 incidents and 1 at fishing boats in the Gaza Strip; no casualties were reported.



Under IOF incursions and house raids in addition to arresting Palestinian civilians: IOF carried out 81 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, arresting and/or injuring many others. During this week’s incursions, 64 Palestinians were arrested, including 7 children. In the Gaza Strip, IOF carried out 1 incursions into eastern Rafah.


Under the settlement expansion activities in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, PCHR documented 6 demolitions, land razing and demolition notices by IOF, including demolishing 2 houses and seizing 5 others in Jerusalem. IOF also uprooted 3 residential tents in the northern valley and forced farmers to stop working in their agricultural lands in Nablus and the northern valley.

PCHR also documented 10 settler-attacks including a raid into al-Samou’ village and shooting, attacking and detaining a child in Jerusalem.

In terms of the Israeli closure policy, the Gaza Strip still suffers the worst closure in the History of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life. Furthermore, IOF uses Erez Crossing that is designated for movement of individuals as an ambush to arrest Palestinians who obtain permits to exit via Israel. Meanwhile, the West Bank is divided into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the Second Intifada and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted and they are subject to arrest. In this week, IOF established 50 temporary checkpoints and arrested 3 Palestinians.


Violation of the right to life and to bodily integrity

Excessive Use of Force against Protests in the Gaza Strip


On Friday, 27 December 2019, the 86th weekly Great March of Return (GMR) protest took off in eastern Gaza Strip, under the slogan “Martyrs’ Blood Draws the Freedom Path” on the anniversary of the 2018 Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, which continued for 23 days. IOF continued to use excessive force against protestors, which resulted in the injury of 44 civilians, including 13 children and 2 women.

At approximately 14:00, Palestinian civilians head towards the five GMR encampments in the eastern Gaza Strip to join the protest, which lasted until 17:00. This week’s protest was the last for 2019; the National Authority announced the suspension of GMR until the next Earth Day, celebrated on 30 March of each year, which would mark the second anniversary of GMR and declared that protests would thereafter take place on a monthly basis and on national events.

The incidents were as follows:

See full report at PCHR News Source link

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