Description

by Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)

Israeli Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

19 – 26 August 2020


Palestinian child killed, and 16 civilians wounded, including 2 children, in IOF excessive use of force:

10 injuries documented in Ramallah, including 2 children and the murdered child;

2 injuries were documented in IOF suppression of protests in Kafr Qaddum;

2 injured in Jenin and 2 others in Tulkarm


Child wounded in one of IOF airstrikes on the Gaza Strip

Gaza enters new phase as coronavirus cases and deaths revealed for the first-time outside quarantine centres;

Israeli collective punishment policy: IOF maintain tightened closure restrictions over the Gaza Strip

5 shootings reported at fishing boats western Gaza Strip; and 8 shooting at agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip;

In 111 IOF incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem: 103 civilians arrested, including 5 children and a woman;

4 houses demolished, including 3 self-demolished in occupied East Jerusalem, and 11 barracks bulldozed and dismantled in Hebron;
Settler-attacks in the West Bank: at least 259 olive tree seedlings uprooted, and shepherds assaulted in Hebron;

IOF established 62 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank and arrested 9 Palestinians on said checkpoints


Summary

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to commit crimes and multi-layered 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, IOF escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip with multiple airstrikes; an airstrike resulted in one child being injured inside his home. Additionally, IOF maintained the tightened closure restrictions on the Gaza Strip, in continuation of the collective punishment policy, and inhumane and illegal retaliatory actions adopted by Israel against the Gaza Strip civilian population since 2007.

Amidst IOF escalation, the first coronavirus cases were documented in the Gaza Strip outside quarantine centers. The Gaza authorities imposed a 48-hour curfew starting on Monday evening, 24 August 2020, and renewed it for an additional 72 hours. The curfew entailed suspension of public and private facilities, including educational institutions, mosques, markets, wedding halls and clubs, in order to contain the spread of the virus, identify possible infection areas and address persons who have had contact with those infected. PCJR warns of the catastrophic implications of coronavirus spread in the Gaza Strip, especially with its already-exhausted health care system due to 14 years of illegal and inhuman closure and collective punishment policies imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip. PCHR fears for the lives of Palestinian civilians as IOF attacks and collective punishment measures continue and warns of their repercussions on the collective economic and social rights of Palestinians.

Additionally, IOF continued its attacks in the West Bank, including excessive use of force, demolition of houses and facilities and settlement expansion.

This week, PCHR documented 209 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by IOF and settlers in the oPt. It should be noted that the limitations due to the corona virus pandemic, including closure of certain territories, has limited PCHR’s fieldworkers mobility and ability to conduct field documentation; therefore, the information documented in this report are only part of the continued IOF violations.

IOF shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity: IOF killed a child and wounded 16 other civilians, including 2 children in IOF excessive use of force in the West Bank: child killed and 2 other children wounded on 19 August 2020, after IOF shot them for throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails on them north-western of Ramallah. Another 7 injuries documented in IOF suppression of protests in Turmus Ayya; 1 injured in Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah; and 2 other in Kafr Qaddum, one of them was injured by an explosive device planted by IOF; 2 others were injured in Jenin and 2 in Tulkarm.

In the Gaza Strip, a child sustained moderate injuries in an Israeli airstrike while at home; and an arterially shell fell on a house in eastern Khan Younis, wrecking one of its walls without exploding. Additionally, IOF opened fire 5 times at fishing boats in western Gaza Strip and 8 times at agricultural lands in the east.

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: IOF carried out 111 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, 103 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 children and a woman who is the Head of the Female Guards Division at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The arrestees included two Hamas-affiliated members of the dissolve Palestinian Legislative Council. IOF also conducted two limited incursions into eastern Khan Younis and northern Gaza Strip.

Settlement expansion activities and settlers’ attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, PCHR documented 10 violations, including:

Tubas: tin-plated barracks razed, it was used as a sheep barn and included a water tank and animal feed;

Sebastia, Nablus: flag post removal notice;
East Jerusalem: demolition notices served to two residential buildings in Wadi al-Humus neighborhood, and 4 houses demolished (3 self-demolished);

Bethlehem: demolition notice to two houses and a street razed;

Ramallah: 2 tin-plated and metal barracks razed; one is used as a resident and the other as a sheep barn; 2 residential tents dismantled, and 6 barracks used as barns;
Jericho: 2 barracks used as barns razed.

Settler-attacks: PCHR also documented at least 350 olive tree seedlings uprooted (5-year-old) and shepherds assaulted and expelled in eastern Yatta, Hebron.

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