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Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
May 22, 2020 8:41 AM

Israeli Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (14 – 20 May 2020)

Summary

This week, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man alleging that he rammed soldiers with his car in Hebron; and continued its attacks on Ya’bad village, arresting civilians in a manifestation of the Israeli collective punishment policy. Furthermore, this week witnessed increased settler attacks, as settlers stabbed a boy, razed lands and cut olive trees.

This week, PCHR documented 174 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli Forces 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 in-comprehensive record of Israeli violations of human rights against Palestinians in the oPt, as the Israeli military continue its attacks against civilians, despite the exceptional circumstances that have overcome the whole world in the face of a viral pandemic.

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Shooting and Violation of Right to Bodily Integrity: IOF shot and wounded 11 Palestinian civilians in excessive use of force; 2 fishermen at northern Gaza sea; 3 during suppression of civilian protest in Nablus; 3 in occupied East Jerusalem; a child in Hebron and 2 in Jericho and Ya’bad village in Jenin.

In Gaza, 11 shootings against agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip were reported, as well as 4 shootings during Israeli naval forces chasing of Palestinian fishing boats at Gaza sea.

IOF Incursions and Arrests of Palestinian Civilians: IOF carried out 72 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, inciting fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this week’s incursions, 66 Palestinians were arrested, including 7 children and 2 women. IOF maintained its collective punishment practices in Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin, conducting 7 raids and arresting 12 civilians, including a mother and her daughter who were arrested twice.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted a limited incursion into eastern Buraij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip.

Settlement Expansion Activities and Settlers’ Attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, PCHR documented 7 violations, including: scheme to confiscate dozens of dunams of Palestinians’ agricultural lands, southwest of Jenin, for the expansion of a settlement and establishment of resort for settlers. A barracks was destroyed, a barn and a well in the Jordan Valley; a residential barracks and 3 cattle-raising tents in eastern Ramallah; notice to halt construction at 8 houses and an agricultural room; two houses demolished and an agricultural room in Bethlehem; notice to halt work in an agricultural land in Salfit and a cottage confiscated in Hebron.

PCHR also documented 10 settler attacks: throwing stone and assaulting a civilian, 30 olive trees cut, lands set on fire in Nablus; lands razed in the Jordan Valley; 40 olive trees cut in Bethlehem; Palestinian car sabotaged in Ramallah; child stabbed in eastern Jerusalem; 15 dunams of land razed in Tulkarem; assault on a civilian and his child in Hebron.

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.

1. Violation of the Right to Life and to Bodily Integrity: Shooting

Read full report at PCHR News Source Link

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