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by Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
June 4, 2020

Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory

28 May – 03 June 2020


2 Palestinian civilians killed, including a person with disability, by Israeli fire in Ramallah and Eastern Jerusalem
3 Palestinians sustained wounds, including a child, person with disability and journalist in the West Bank
3 shootings reported against agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip, and once on fishing boats western Gaza Strip
In 85 IOF incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem: 98 civilians arrested, including 10 children and 4 women that included a journalist;
7 Palestinian houses demolished, including 4 forced to self-demolish in Jerusalem; 200 demolition and cease-construction notices distributed to commercial facilities in Jerusalem;
Wide-scale demolitions and demolition notices to houses, facilities and properties in the West Bank;
Settler-attacks in the West Bank: Attempted ramming with car on Palestinian civilian in Hebron and farmers evicted in Bethlehem;
IOF established 63 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank and arrested 11 Palestinians on said checkpoints


Summary

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to commit crimes against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, IOF killed 2 Palestinians, including a disabled person, and wounded another PWD in less than 15 hours in excessive use of lethal force in two separate incidents in Ramallah and East Jerusalem.

Additionally, this week witnessed an escalation in Israeli demolitions of Palestinian houses and properties in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, including the demolition of 7 houses, 4 of which were self-demolished, and 200 commercial facilities in Jerusalem received demolition and eviction notices; as well as, wide-scale land-razing and demolition notices distributed to houses and properties in the West Bank.

This week, PCHR documented 180 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 pandemic.

IOF shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity: IOF shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including a disabled person, in two separate incidents of excessive use of lethal force in Ramallah and East Jerusalem. On 30 May 2020, IOF killed Iyad al-Hallaq, a person with disability (PWD), while he was en route to his school in East Jerusalem. PCHR investigations indicate that Israeli police personnel shot al-Hallaq despite being informed that he had a disability and shot him at zero distance while he laid on the ground wounded, which prove the soldiers intended to kill him without cause and without him posing any danger or threat to their lives. A day earlier, IOF killed Fadi Qa’d on suspicion of an intent to ram soldiers with his car in Ramallah. Furthermore, IOF wounded 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child that was arrested after being shot; a person with disability; and a journalist in Kufuor Qaddoum in Qalqilya.

In Gaza, 3 shootings against agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip were reported; and once against fishing boats sailing in northern Gaza sea.

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: IOF carried out 85 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, 98 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 children and 4 women that included a journalist. The majority of arrests occurred in East Jerusalem, and targeted prominent religious and political figures who were detained for several hours before release with restraining orders from al-Aqsa Mosque grounds.

Settlement expansion activities and settlers’ attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, PCHR documented 19 violations, including: demolition of 5 rooms and 4 residential tents, 2 agricultural rooms, 9 demolition notices for two houses and small residences and properties in Hebron; a plot of land confiscated and 7 houses demolished, 4 of which were self-demolished by orders from IOF and wide-scale demolition and eviction notices were handed to 200 facilities in East Jerusalem; 5 notices to demolish 3 houses and 2 cabinets in Ramallah; work-halted at a excavation site, street reconstruction, and a settler-road established in Bethlehem; irrigation networks dismantled, 3 construction vehicles and water tank confiscated in Jericho; 4 barracks, 52 solar cells, 12 tables; 5 tons of barley and 3 tons of fodder confiscated in Nablus; 6 residential barracks made of tin plates and iron were demolished in Jericho.

PCHR also documented 3 settler attacks: Assaults on Palestinians and attempted to ram one with a car in Hebron; and farmers were evicted from land in Bethlehem.

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.

i. Violation of the right to life and to bodily integrity

Shooting and other violations of the right to life and bodily integrity
At approximately 16:00 on Thursday, 28 May 2020, an Israeli infantry unit stormed al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They indiscriminately fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters in the camp’s main road, claiming that the Israeli military watchtower established on a bypass road, east of the camp, was stoned. The Israeli unit withdrew later from the camp. Neither casualties nor house raids were reported.
At the same time, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, east of al-Buraij in central Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian shepherds, adjacent to the border fence. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 29 May 2020, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, east of al-Buraij in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian shepherds, adjacent to the border fence. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 13:00 on the same Friday, IOF stationed at the northern entrance to Kafer Qaddoum village, north of Qalqilya, suppressed a protest in which dozens of Palestinian civilians participated. IOF chased young men who gathered in the area as clashes erupted. IOF fired rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the young men. As a result, 4 civilians, including a journalist, were shot and injured with rubber bullets in their lower extremities. The wounded journalist, Nidal Eshtiyah (46), who works at the Chinese News Agency, was shot with a rubber bullet in his thigh.
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Review full report at PCHR News Source Link

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