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Photo: Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian civilian during the dispersion of a peaceful demonstration in Hebron


by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), based in Gaza, published its weekly report on Israeli violations in the occupied territories for the period between March 29 – April 4, and stated that Israeli soldiers continued their systematic attacks against the Palestinians killing three residents, including one child, and wounding 73, including 18 children in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

During the reported period, Israeli soldiers carried out 77 invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank in addition to 3 limited invasions into the Gaza Strip. During these invasions, soldiers kidnapped 28 Palestinians, including five children and one journalist.

The PCHR said that one Palestinian was killed, while 73 civilians, including 18 children, were injured when the army opened fire at protesters marking the 36th anniversary of the Palestinian Land day of March 30 in the West Bank and the Gaza strip.

On Saturday, March 31, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli army fire in the central Gaza Strip; soldiers claimed he was armed, and that he was digging near the border area with Israel.

On Monday, April 2, one resident from a Rammoun village near the central West Bank city of Ramallah was pronounced dead at an Israeli hospital after suffering serious injuries during an invasion carried out by the army in the village on March 27.

The PCHR said that three residents were injured during the invasion, and that the soldiers did not allow Palestinian medics to provide them with the needed first aid, or to transfer them to a local hospital; later on, soldiers transferred the three to an Israeli hospital where they underwent surgeries, but one of them died of his wounds.

On Tuesday, April, 3, a Palestinian child was shot and killed by Israeli military fire while playing in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

One day before the killing of the child, Israeli aircrafts dropped leaflets on border areas, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip warning the residents of approaching the border. The leaflets warned that the army would violently respond to any attempt to get as close as 300 Meters to the border.

33 Palestinians, including two children, were injured in the West Bank after the army used excessive force in dispersing Land Day nonviolent protests, and similar protests against the Annexation Wall and settlements in the occupied West Bank.
13, of the wounded, including an International peace activist, were injured after the army violently attacked protests against the Wall and settlements. Dozens of nonviolent protesters suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.

Furthermore, soldiers removed seven tents and confiscated two water tank in Beit Forik village, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The Israeli government continued its illegal settlement activities in the West bank, while extremist settlers continued their attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property, wounding a Palestinian woman.

One March 31, several settlers attacked four Palestinian civilians travelling near the Mikhmas intersection, east of Ramallah.

The residents were heading to an agricultural area when the settlers attacked them with iron bars, and pepper-sprayed them. One of the wounded civilians, age 57, suffered fractures in her left arm and bruises all over her body, a second civilian, 50, suffered various bruises.

Also on March 31, extremist settlers attacked a famer, age 67, and his family in Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

On April 2, soldiers used military bulldozers to dismantle 6 tents, and two water tanks, in Al-Ja’wana area, east of Beit Forik, in the Nablus district. The attack is the second since February 14, 2012.

Despite Israeli claims of easing the restriction on movement in the West Bank, soldiers installed dozens of roadblocks, and kidnapped one Palestinian child at a roadblock near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Soldiers also harassed a University student at the Huwwara roadblock, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Despite Israeli claims of largely easing the siege on Gaza, the recently declared Israeli measures remain vague and fail to address the core issues of the situation, as the siege continues to hinder the daily lives of the civilian population.

The PCHR called on Israeli to completely lift the siege, allowing all exports and imports, and to lift the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip.

Full PCHR report available online at
PCHR News Source Link: