Description

by Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)

Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory

23 – 29 January 2020


22 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a girl, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
16 civilians injured in peaceful protests in the West Bank and one injured with settlers’ fire


5 shootings reported against Palestinian agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip


During 102 IOF incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem: 101 civilians arrested, including 11 children and 8 women


A water well and a shop demolished and excavators confiscated in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem


IOF gave out 13 notices to demolish and stop construction works in houses while a court issued orders to vacate two buildings in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem


Settlers set fire to al-Badrin Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, shot a civilian in Ramallah, and attacked a man and his son


39 orders issued against Palestinian civilians to ban their entry to al-Aqsa Mosque


IOF established 81 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, where 8 Palestinian civilians were arrested


Summary


This week, PCHR documented 262 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory. This was reflected in dealing with the peaceful protests organized against Trump’s declaration of the “Deal of Century” that violates the rights of the Palestinian people and is in conflict with the United Nation (UN) resolutions and international law. They were as follows:

Shooting and excessive use of force: IOF wounded 21 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a girl, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; 18 civilians, including a child and a girl, were wounded in IOF attacks across the West Bank, where 16 were wounded in peaceful protests against Trump’s Deal of Century. Furthermore, tens of civilians suffocated due to tear gas inhalation. In the Gaza Strip, 3 children were wounded; one of them was shot by IOF in eastern Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and the other 2 were wounded due to the scattering glass of their house windows following 2 Israeli airstrikes on Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. Moreover, 5 shootings were reported against the agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported.

Incursions, house raids and arrests: IOF carried out 102 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this week’s incursions, 101 Palestinians were arrested, including 11 children and 8 women. The incursions also included confiscation of civilians’ money, vehicles and property under various pretexts.

Settlement expansion activities: PCHR documented 12 demolitions, land razing and demolition notices by IOF, including 9 notices to stop construction works in houses and facilities; banning restoration of a school; confiscation of an excavator and JCB digger in Hebron; banning building a street and confiscation of a construction vehicle in Nablus; demolition notices to 3 houses and a barrack in Jenin; demolition of a water well and a demolition notice to another in addition to land razing in Salfit; demolition of a shop in Wadi al-Joz; and forcing a civilian to self-demolish an under-construction room on his house roof in occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli courts issued two decisions to evacuate two Palestinian buildings in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem in favour of “Ateret Cohanim” settlement organization.

PCHR also documented 7 settler-attacks, including shooting and wounding a Palestinian civilian by a settler in Ramallah; setting fire to a mosque and writing racist slogans on its walls in occupied East Jerusalem; cutting 12 olive trees in Salfit; damaging 20 olive trees, attacking a Palestinian man and his son, attacking a house, and burning a class in a school in Nablus.

In terms of violation of the right to freedom of religion and access to holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem and as part of the forcible transfer crimes, IOF issued this week 39 orders to ban entry to al-Aqsa Mosque for a period from 1 week to 6 months. It should be noted that most of the entry ban orders target public figures and activists defending and looking after al-Aqsa Mosque.

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. This week, IOF arrested 8 Palestinians at temporary military checkpoints.

Read full report here

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