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by IMEMC New
July 24, 2020 5:33 AM

Re-publishing Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) Weekly report for 16– 22 July 2020

Summary

Israeli military forces continued to commit crimes and multi-faceted violations 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, the Israeli army’s excessive use of force rendered 5 injuries among Palestinian civilians, including a child, during raids and attacks on peaceful protests in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

This week, Israeli forces raided Yabous Cultural Centre and the Edward Said National Conservatory in occupied East Jerusalem, confiscated thousands of documents and equipment, and detained directors of both establishments for 12 hours.

Since announcing its plans to annex occupied West Bank territories, the Israeli military has continued systematic demolitions and land razing, establishing roads for settlements in an accelerated manner. This week witnessed an increase in land confiscation orders in al-‘Isawiya village in occupied East Jerusalem.

This week, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) documented 132 Israeli violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli forces and illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt).

Israeli forces shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity: Israeli forces shot and wounded 5 Palestinians, including a child, in excessive use of force against peaceful protests in the West Bank: 3 in Nablus; and 12, including 1 child, in a peaceful protest in Beita village; and 2 others were wounded in a military invasion into Jenin refugee camp and al-Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah.

In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands 4 times and 3 times at fishing boats in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: Forces carried out 77 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, 65 Palestinians were detained, including 4 children and 1 woman. During raids, Israeli forces confiscated thousands of documents and equipment, especially during its raid on Yabous Cultural Centre and the Edward Said National Conservatory and raided the houses of both directors of the aforementioned establishments in occupied East Jerusalem.

Settlement expansion activities and settlers’ attacks: Israeli authorities continued their settlement expansion operations in the occupied West Bank, PCHR documented 16 violations, including:

Salfit: cease-construction notices to 15 houses in Kafur al-Deek village, west of Salfit; and 1 house demolished;
Hebron: 2 houses received cease-construction notices in Hebron; tin-plate house dismantled and demolished, another house demolished, as well as a car wash, a brick-and-wood agricultural room, a lavatory and a barracks in southeastern Yatta;

East Jerusalem: civilians forced to self-demolish their homes (2), demolition of an under-construction house;

Qalqilia: evacuation-notice for a land;
Bethlehem: confiscation of an archeological stone in Taqoua’ village, and demolition of a house; cease-construction and demolition notice to an under-construction house and 4 agricultural rooms in al-Walajah village, western Bethlehem.

PCHR also documented 2 settler attacks that rendered 3 civilians wounded and bruised; settlers also stole their bikes in Ramallah.

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement: The people of the Gaza Strip continue suffer the effects of 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. This was amplified by the restrictions put in place by Israeli authorities in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, that had already had grave implications on the humanitarian and economic situation of the Gaza Strip. Of all the Gaza Strip’s border crossings, only 2 currently function: Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) for movement of goods and Beit Hanoun (Erez) for movement of individuals. The Israeli authorities continued to impose restrictions on the entry of goods classified as “dual-use items”, despite their importance in reviving the market, manufacturing and maintenance. The Beit Hanoun crossing is only opened for extreme emergency humanitarian cases. Lately, a very limited number of individual cases of patients who have obtained medical referrals and financial coverage to Israel were able to travel, and some others referred to Israeli organizations working in the field of health for assistance in coordination.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the end of the Second Intifada (2005) and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to detention.

I. Shooting and Other Violations of the Right to Life and Bodily Integrity

At approximately 00:00 on Friday, 17 July 2020, a peaceful protest took part from Asirah northern village, north of Nablus, into lands threatened to be confiscated in al-Marj and Beit al-Zaki areas in Ebal Mount, east of the above-mentioned village. The protest was organized upon calls of the village residents and with participation of Palestinian national factions in Nablus, the protest was organized upon calls by national factions in Nablus. The participants raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against IOF, settlers, Israeli annexation plan, and the U.S president Donald Trump’s Middle East plan. When the participants arrived at the area, a large number of IOF were waiting for them in the area. The participants performed Friday prayer in the above-mentioned land while Israeli soldiers were surrounding immediately suppressed the protest and fired live and rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of participants suffocated due to tear gas inhalation and they received medical treatment on the field.

At approximately 07:30, Israeli Navy gunboats stationed northwest of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, chased and severely opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area (3 nautical miles). Fishermen, as a result of that, panicked and had to sail back to the shore fearing for their lives. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 17 July 2020, IOF stationed along the border fence in eastern Khan Younis, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Khuza’ah village, adjacent to the border fence. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 11:00 on Saturday, 18 July 2020, a peaceful protest took part from the center of Beita village, southeast of Nablus. The protest was organized upon calls of the village residents and with participation of national factions and Settlement and Wall Resistance Commission Nablus, to confront Israeli attempts to confiscate Sbaih Mount after Israeli settlers put a number of tents on the mount’s top, southeast of the above-mentioned village. The participants raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against Israeli forces, settlers, Israeli annexation plan, and the U.S president Donald Trump’s Middle East plan. When the participants arrived at the area, a large number of soldiers were waiting for them in the area. fired rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a 32-year-old civilian was shot with a rubber bullet in his left hand. He was transferred to Rafidia hospital in Nablus for medical treatment. A number of participants also suffocated due to tear gas inhalation, including a paramedic from Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and they received medical treatment on the field. Tear-gas canisters, fired by Israeli troops, set fire to agricultural lands in the area.

At approximately 00:30 on Saturday, 18 July 2020, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Younis, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of Khuza’ah village, adjacent to the border fence. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 21:30 on the same Saturday, 18 July 2020, Israeli gunboats stationed adjacent to Khan Younis shore in southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area. Fishermen, as a result of that, panicked and had to sail back to the shore fearing for their lives. Neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 03:00 on Sunday, 19 July 2020, the Israeli army stormed Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, north of the West Bank. A number of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at military vehicles stationed in the camp. IOF immediately fired live bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters at the protestors. As a result, 2 civilians were injured, including a child. They were transferred to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus for medical treatment. Their injuries were classified as moderate. Israeli soldiers also invaded and searched a house belonging to Wae’l Samih Mohammed Husain Hashash (21) and detained him.

At approximately 03:30 on Monday, 20 July 2020, IOF stormed Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin, north of the West Bank. A number of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at Israeli military vehicles stationed in the camp while the latter responded live bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters. As a result, an 18-year-old young man was shot with a live bullet in his right hand. He was transferred to Khalil Suleiman Governmental Hospital in Jenin for medical treatment. His injuries were classified as moderate. Israeli military forces also raided and searched 2 houses owned by Na’im Jamal al-Zubeidi (25) and Yusuf Emad al-Amer (27) and arrested them.

At approximately 03:40 on Monday, 20 July 2020, IOF stormed al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah in the center of West Bank. A number of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at Israeli military vehicles stationed in the camp. Israeli troops fired live bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors. As a result, a 19-year-old civilian was shot with a live bullet in his left foot. He was transferred to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah for medical treatment. IOF also raided and searched Husain Yasser al-‘Ishawi’s (17) house and detained him.

At approximately 19:30 on the same Monday, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, east of al-Buraij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands adjacent to the border fence. The shooting continued for 15 minutes. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 23:30 on the same Monday, Israeli gunboats stationed adjacent to Khan Younis shore in southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area. Fishermen, as a result of that, panicked and had to sail back to the shore fearing for their lives. Neither casualties nor material damage was reported.

At approximately 15:20 on Tuesday, 21 July 2020, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence eastern al-Maghazi, Central Gaza governorate, opened fire at adjacent agricultural lands. No casualties were reported.

II. Israeli Incursions and Detention of Palestinians:

Thursday, 16 July 2020: .....

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