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Photo:
PCHR Report graphic. Published by IMEMC News
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by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)


Israeli Human Rights Violations
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

(30 September – 6 October 2021)

IOF excessive use of force in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip:

2 Palestinians killed, including 1 woman, and 4 others wounded in occupied East Jerusalem, and Gaza

3 shootings at Palestinians’ fishing boats reported, and 2 others on agricultural lands in the Gaza Strip

In 126 IOF incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem: 79 civilians arrested, including 14 children, 2 journalists, and 2 women

Two IOF incursions into eastern Gaza, and two Palestinians arrested while attempting to cross the Gaza border area

3 houses demolished, and a fourth partially demolished in occupied East Jerusalem; 6 demolition notices served in Nablus

IOF established 36 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank and arrested one Palestinian 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, turning the West Bank into isolated blocks of land. Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in Hebron under Israeli military protection.

The Israeli settlement expansion works continued on Palestinian lands and properties. Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip enters its 15th year under closure, exacerbating the humanitarian hardships across the territory.

IOF shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity:

IOF killed 2 Palestinians, including a woman, and wounded 4 others in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On 30 September 2021, IOF killed Israa’ Khaled ‘Aref Khuzemiyah (30) under the pretext that she attempted to carry out a stab attack near al-Silsila Gate , one of the al-Aqsa Mosque’s Gates in the occupied East Jerusalem. Also on Thursday, IOF shot and killed Mohammed M. A. Abu-Ammar (40) while setting up a bird-hunting net. Both crimes are yet another stark example of IOF unjustifiable relaxed shooting standards in disregard for Palestinian civilians’ lives. PCHR also documented IOF wounding 2 Palestinians in attacks on a protest in Beit Dajan, Nablus; and 2 others in occupied Jerusalem.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF opened fire 3 times at fishing boats in the Gaza Sea, and twice on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza.

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: IOF carried out 126 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, 79 Palestinians were arrested, including 14 children, two journalists, and two women.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two limited incursions into eastern Rafah and Khan Younis. Two Palestinians were arrested while attempting to cross the Gaza border area.

Demolitions:

Occupied East Jerusalem: Palestinian man forced to self-demolish part of his house; 2 others were forced to demolish their houses in Beit Hanina and Sur Baher. IOF demolished a house in Silwan and continued bulldozing stone chains in Samarin family’s lands in Silwan.
Hebron: excavator confiscated in Dura; demolition notices served against 4 water wells in Yatta, also another excavator was confiscated in Yatta. Demolition notice served against agricultural room in Susyia, and cease-construction notice served against a house in Nablus: 6 demolition notices served against barracks and houses.

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:

The Israeli occupation authorities continued to ban the entry of dozens of goods, including construction materials, in collective punishment measures against the Gaza Strip as the Israeli closure imposed on the territory entered its 15th year, without an end in sight that would fulfil Palestinians’ right to enjoy their economic, social, and cultural rights.


Meanwhile, IOF continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the 2000 Second Intifada -still closed to this date- and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to arrest, especially at al-Karama border crossing, alongside the Palestinian-Jordanian border.

Shooting and other Violations of the Right to Life and Bodily Integrity

In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian woman was shot and killed by IOF under the pretext that she attempted to carry out a stab attack against one of the Israeli soldiers stationed near al-Silsila Gate, which leads to al-Aqsa Mosque. The investigations confirmed that IOF was capable of controlling the woman without using lethal force against her.

At approximately 06:30 on Thursday, 30 September 2021, IOF opened fire and killed Israa’ Khaled ‘Aref Khuzemiyah (30), from Qabatiya in Jenin governorate, under the pretext that she attempted to carry out a stab attack near al-Silsila Gate , one of the al-Aqsa Mosque’s Gates in the occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli police claimed that a Palestinian woman raised soldiers’ suspicions when they approached to check her ID card; IOF alleged that she took out a knife and attempted to stab the soldiers, but they shot her immediately.

After the incident, IOF closed all the gates of the al-Aqsa Mosque, denied workers and students access to their workplaces and schools and obstructed their movement for over an hour.

Also on Thursday, in eastern al-Buraij refugee camp in Central Gaza Strip, IOF shot and killed a Palestinian civilian while setting up a birds net trap; he was dozens of meters away from the border fence with Israel. He was in an outdoor space and was not posing any threat to the lives of the Israeli soldiers, so there was no justification for killing him, noting that several civilians used to come to this area to set up nets and hunt birds during this season.

According to information obtained by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 30 September 2021, IOF stationed along the Gaza border area, northeast of al-Bureij camp, opened fire against a group of civilians who were setting up birds net traps 100 meters away from the west of the border fence. As a result, Mohammed M. A. Abu-Ammar (40), from al-Buraij camp, sustained a live bullet to his neck causing his death immediately. Ammar was transferred to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah via a Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance, then transferred to the Department of the Forensic Medicine of al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

The eyewitness, Mahmoud Saqer Mohamed Abu Awwad, born in 1990, gave the following statement to PCHR’s fieldworker:

“At approximately 06:00 on Thursday 30 September 2021 from Gaza, I went to hunt birds near the border area, others were there hunting as well. Between 10:30 – 10:45, while I was standing at least 80 meters from the border area with a Field Security officer, Mohammed Abu-Ammar was standing nearly 50 to 60 meters ahead of me. He was setting up his gear when the Israeli soldiers fired at us. I ran west to the Field Security office, and there I learnt that Mohammed was wounded. We called an ambulance, and a PRCS ambulance arrived in 20 minutes. The paramedic was informed that he cannot approach the victim until security clearance is granted by the Israeli side; a Field Security officer approached Mohammed and called on a colleague to bring a stretcher from the ambulance. They carried Mohammed onto the ambulance, and I went home.”



PRCS paramedic stated to PCHR fieldworker that they received a signal that a man was wounded in eastern al-Buraij at approximately 11:58. An ambulance was dispatched to the area and parked 300 meters from the border area. A Field Security Officer transported Mohammed Abu-Ammar to the ambulance. Abu-Ammar was already dead as a live bullet penetrated the neck. He was taken to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead.

Later, the Israeli military spokesperson announced that the military identified three Palestinians in close proximity to the border area in the Gaza Strip. An individual was seen digging in the ground while holding a suspicious looking bag; IOF opened fire at him. The incident is under investigation.

At approximately 15:30, IOF stationed along Gaza border area opened fire on and off in eastern Beit Hanoun. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 08:00, IOF gunboats in the northern Gaza sea chased Palestinian fishing boat sailing at 3 nautical miles and opened fire at them, stirring fear among the fishermen and forcing them to flee. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 13:30 on Friday, 1 October 2021, a peaceful protest took off in Beit Dajan, Nablus, against the occupation and settlements. The protest marched towards an area of the village that was seized by settlers a year ago, where a road was constructed under IOF protection, a cattle farm, and a hut. As the protest approached the area, IOF fired rubber-bullets at the protestors and wounded 2 of the in their lower extremities: Khaled H. M. Soboh (64), member of the political bureau of the Palestinian People’s Party, who was previously threatened by IOF over the course of 2 weeks not to return to the area; and Azmi E. M. Hanaysheh (56) local village council member. Others suffocated due to tear gas inhalation. The wounded were taken to hospital for treatment.

At approximately 17:00, dozens of Palestinians gathered near annexation wall between Bayt Duqu and Bayt Ijza in northwestern occupied East Jerusalem. They threw IOF with stones and Molotov cocktails in protest to IOF detaining the corpses of 3 Palestinians from Bidu village, who were extrajudicially executed by IOF a week ago. As a result, Khaled M. Dawoud (23) and Montaser D. Rayan (20) were shot and wounded with rubber bullets. They were taken to hospital for treatment.

At approximately 18:00, IOF gunboats in the northern Gaza sea chased Palestinian fishing boat sailing at 3 nautical miles and opened fire at them, stirring fear among the fishermen and forcing them to flee. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 11:00, IOF gunboats in the northern Gaza sea chased Palestinian fishing boat sailing at 3-6 nautical miles. IOF opened fire and bumped water at them in the 1-hour attack, stirring fear among the fishermen and forcing them to flee. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 08:50 on Wednesday, 6 October 2021, IOF stationed along the Gaza Strip border area in Khan Younis, opened fire at agricultural lands in eastern Abbassan al-Kaberia. No casualties were reported.

Incursions and arrests

[Read full report at PCHR News Source Link]

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