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Photo:
Mohammad Hamayel. Published by IMEMC News
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re-publshed by IMEMC News
June 20, 2021

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the oPt (UNOCHA) – Protection of Civilians Report for June 1 – 14, 2021

Latest developments (after the reporting period)

On 16 June, during Palestinian protests against the establishment of an Israeli settlement near Beita (Nablus) a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed by Israeli forces. The same day, a 29-year-old Palestinian woman was shot and killed by soldiers after she allegedly tried to run over Israeli Forces near Hizma (Jerusalem) and then allegedly brandished a knife.

Highlights from the reporting period

Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including a boy, in three incidents across the West Bank; and a sixth Palestinian died of shot wounds. On 10 June, undercover Israeli forces shot and killed an alleged Palestinian Islamic Jihad member and arrested another person, in Jenin; in the same operation, three other Palestinians, members of security forces, were shot by the Israeli forces; two were killed, and the other was critically injured. The next day, in confrontations that erupted during a weekly demonstration against the establishment of an Israeli settlement outpost, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian child in Beita (Nablus). On 12 June, a Palestinian woman who ignored an order to stop walking towards Israeli forces at Qalandiya checkpoint, was shot and killed; according to Israeli sources, she was allegedly carrying a knife. Earlier, on 2 June, a Palestinian died of live ammunition wounds sustained by Israeli forces with on 18 May, in confrontations that erupted during a Palestinian demonstration at Beit El checkpoint (Ramallah).

Three Palestinians, including a child, died in Gaza. On 9 June, a nine-year-old boy was killed, and his older brother was severely injured by the detonation of an explosive remnant of war (ERW) in Gaza city; the recent escalation has left debris and farmland heavily contaminated with ERWs. During the reporting period, a man and a woman died of wounds sustained during the 10-21 May escalation.

Israeli forces injured at least 495 Palestinians, including four children, across the West Bank. Of these, 374 were injured during the above-mentioned protests in Beita; and 23, including a boy, were injured in Silwan (East Jerusalem). The remaining injuries occurred across different governorates.

Israeli forces carried out 129 search-and-arrest operations and arrested 265 Palestinians, including 30 children, across the West Bank. Thirty operations were in Hebron, 22 each in Jerusalem and Ramallah, 14 each in Bethlehem and Nablus, while the remaining operations in other governorates. 114 Palestinians, including 17 children, were arrested in Jerusalem.

The Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced the demolition of 53 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank for lacking building permits, displacing 71 people, including 43 children, and otherwise affected more than 1,000 Palestinians. Most of those affected were in the Massafer Yatta area of Hebron, where the Israeli authorities destroyed two roads and a water network serving multiple communities. Other structures included properties used for farming, commerce or services. Overall, 48 of the structures and 66 of those displaced Palestinians were in Area C, and the rest were in East Jerusalem.

Perpetrators known or believed to be illegal Israeli settlers injured 11 Palestinians, including four children, and damaged vehicles, hundreds of trees, water systems and other Palestinian-owned property. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian and his two children were pepper-sprayed and required medical treatment, as was a woman, in a separate incident, whose attacker entered her house in Sheikh Jarrah. Other Palestinians were injured in Al Khadr (Bethlehem), Huwwara (Nablus) and the H2 area of Hebron. Settlers set fire to 1,000 olive trees in Al Jab’a (Bethlehem), 30 olive trees and a house in Ni’lin (Ramallah), 70 olive trees in Beita (Nablus), and about 80 haystacks in Tuba (Hebron).

Stone throwers known or believed to be Palestinians injured nine Israeli settlers and damaged at least 26 Israeli-plated cars, according to Israeli sources.

In Gaza, Israeli forces opened warning fire near the perimeter fence and off the coast, reportedly to enforce access restrictions, on at least nine occasions, and conducted land levelling inside the blockaded enclave, near the perimeter fence, once.

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