Description

by Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCRH)

Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory

30 April – 6 May 2020

IOF raids into oPt: a dangerous vulnerability in Palestinian preventive measures to combat the spread of coronavirus
Israeli occupation escalates personal attacks on Palestinian public figures in occupied Eastern Jerusalem to ban Palestinian Authority’s work
13 Palestinian civilians sustained wounds, including 3 children in the West Bank
5 shootings reported against agricultural lands and 4 times at Palestinian fishing boats in eastern and western Gaza Strip
In 63 IOF incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem: 59 civilians arrested, including 5 children, a poet (woman) and a journalist
Collective Punishment Policy: Demolition notice delivered to a prisoner’s family house in Tulkarm
5 notice to halt construction at 3 houses, an agricultural room, and water well in Salfit; civilian properties bulldozed and a settlers road dug in the West Bank
Settlers attacks in the West Bank: houses attacked and vandalized, Palestinian civilian assaulted and robbed of his sheep;
IOF established 38 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank and roads closed
Summary



Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to violate Palestinians’ human rights and commit crimes against civilians and their properties, conducting raids into Palestinian cities without regard to the state of emergency declared across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 06 March 2020, in the efforts put forward to combat the spread of coronavirus. IOF raids are conducted without proper attention to prevention and safety standards to mitigate the risk of transmitting coronavirus to Palestinian territory, as the virus is widespread throughout Israel. PCHR’s concerns over Israeli raids still stand, as those raids undermine preventive measures adopted by the government. Meanwhile, settlers backed up by IOF continued to seize more civilian property and attack civilians and their property. This week, IOF launched an arrest campaign against prominent Palestinian figures who work for the Palestinian Authority (PA), in a continuation of Israeli systematic efforts to combat the presence and work of the PA in occupied East Jerusalem. PCHR reiterates its concern over the Israeli occupation’s policy of banning any preventive measures by the Palestinian Authority in occupied East Jerusalem, especially that Israel has adopted lenient measures in the city despite its responsibility for it under international law as an occupying power.

This week, PCHR documented 134 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by IOF and settlers in the oPt. The restrictions imposed under the state of emergency have hindered our fieldwork team’s ability to cover all incidents in the oPt and were forced to collect information via phone from trusted local sources. As such, this report is an incomprehensive record of Israeli violations of human rights against Palestinians in the oPt, as IOF continues its attacks against civilians despite the exceptional circumstances that have overcome the whole world in the face of a life-threatening viral pandemic.

IOF shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity: 13 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were shot and wounded in excessive use of force by IOF. Among those wounded, 6 sustained their wounds in IOF attacks on workers attempting to sneak into Israel via the Annexation wall in Jenin, Qalqilya and Tulkarem. While 6 others, including 3 children, were wounded during IOF suppression of a protest in Kufur Qaddoum, Qalqilya, West Bank. Another civilian was wounded in an IOF raid to Jericho. Dozens of civilians suffocated due to inhalation of tear gas fired by IOF during its raids into Palestinian cities. IOF committed12 shootings against agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip, and 4 shootings were reported against Palestinian fishing boats off the western Gaza Strip shore.

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: IOF carried out 63 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, 59 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 children, a poet (woman) and a journalist. This week, IOF launched an arrest campaign against prominent Palestinian figures who work for the Palestinian Authority (PA), in a continuation of Israeli systematic efforts to combat the presence and work of the PA in occupied East Jerusalem.





Collective Punishment Policy



On Friday, 01 May 2020, IOF Mohamed ‘Alaa Jameel Risha’s (19) family a demolition notice. Risha was arrested and wounded after carrying out a stab attack on 28 April 2020 in Kafar Saba city in Israel.

Settlement expansion activities and settlers’ attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, PCHR documented 9 violations, including: 2 plantation grounds, a laundromat in Bethlehem, 4 notices to halt construction at 2 houses, an agricultural room and a water well in Salfit; agricultural tools confiscated while digging a water wll in Qalqilya, an agricultural room demolished in Tubas, water pool bulldozed and iron barracks dismanteled in Jericho, a notice to halt construction at a house in Jenin and a settlement road dug in Hebron.

PCHR also documented 4 settler attacks: houses attacked and vandalized, assault on a civilian a theft of his sheep in Nablus; 24 olive trees sabotaged in Qalqilya.

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:



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, IOF continued to divide the West Bank 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.

Violation of the right to life and to bodily integrity

Shooting and other violations of the right to life and bodily integrity

At approximately 03:00 on Thursday, 30 April 2020, IOF stationed along the annexation wall, adjacent to Zeta village, north of Tulkarm, opened fire at Palestinian workers. As a result, 2 civilians, from Ajjah village in Jenin, were shot and injured. IOF arrested one of the wounded civilians, namely Eyad Adanan Zuhair Ma’li (26), who was shot with a live bullet in his abdomen. The other civilian aged 41years old was shot with a live bullet in the left knee. He was transferred to Khalil Suleiman Governmental Hospital.

At approximately 06:50 on the same Thursday, Israeli gunboats stationed northwest of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, chased and heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area ( 3 nautical miles). As a result, fishermen panicked and were forced to flee from the see. No casualties were reported.

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Read full report at PCRH News Source Link

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