Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
(20 – 26 July 2017)
· Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in the West Bank.
· A child was killed after a suspicious object from the Israeli forces’ remnants exploded in Tubas.
· 259 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children and 2 paramedics, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
– 221 civilians were wounded in Jerusalem and its suburbs, 19 were wounded in the West Bank and 19 others were wounded in the Gaza Strip.
· Israeli forces continued to target the Gaza Strip border areas with no casualties reported.
– A checkpoint belonging to the Palestinian armed groups in the central Gaza Strip, causing material damages to the checkpoint and a nearby house.
· Israeli forces conducted 81 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 3 limited ones in the Gaza Strip.
– 128 civilians, including 14 children and 4 women, were arrested.
– 51 of them, including 5 children and a woman, were arrested in Jerusalem.
– Among those arrested was a Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Member and Former Finance Minister, Dr. ‘Omer ‘Abdel Razeq.
· Israeli forces continued efforts to create Jewish majority in occupied Palestinian Jerusalem.
– Israeli forces continue to escalate their arbitrary measures against al-Aqsa Mosque.
· Israeli forces continued to target the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea.
· Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 10th year.
– Dozens of temporary checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re-established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians.
– 11 civilians, including a child and girl, were arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
– Among those arrested was writer Sa’id Media and activist ‘Abdullah Abu Rahmah.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (20 – 26 July 2017).
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in the West Bank while a third child was killed due to the explosion of a suspicious object from the Israeli forces’ remnants. Moreover, Israeli forces wounded 259 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children and 2 paramedics, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Two hundred and twenty one of them were in Jerusalem; 19 were in the West Bank while 19 others, including a child and 2 paramedics, were wounded in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip continued to chase the Palestinian fishermen in the sea and to open fire at farmers in the border areas.
In the West Bank, on 14 July 2017, in excessive use of force, Israeli forces killed Mohammed al-Teneh (24) from Taqou’a village, east of Bethlehem, after he was shot near the northern entrance to the village. The Israeli forces claimed that al-Teneh attempted to carry out a stab attack, but eyewitnesses in the scene emphasized they did not see any sharp tool beside his body lying on the ground.
Following the Friday prayer, 21 July 2017, most of occupied East Jerusalem’s neighbourhoods and villages witnessed violent clashes between the worshippers and Israeli soldiers. Those clashes continued until the afternoon, resulting in the killing of 3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children; one of whom was shot dead by an Israeli settler. In Ras al-‘Amoud neighbourhood, east of the City, Mohammed Sharaf (17) was shot dead when a settler opened fire at him. Sharaf was hit with 2 bullets to his neck. In al-Tur neighbourhood, east of the City as well, Mohammed Abu Ghannam (20) was shot dead when Israeli soldiers opened fire at him from a close distance, wounding him to the chest and heart. In Abu Dis, east of the City, Mohammed Lafi (17) was hit with bullets to his chest, one of which directly hit his heart.
In the same context, on 22 July 2017, ‘Oday Nawaj’ah, from Yata, south of Hebron, was killed after a suspicious object exploded from the Israeli forces’ remnants in Bzeiq area, northeast of Tubas, while grazing his sheep. It should be mentioned the abovementioned area witnessed many similar incidents as the Israeli forces is used to conducting military trainings there.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 240 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children; 221 were wounded in occupied Jerusalem, while the others were wounded in the West Bank. They were directly wounded with bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters.
In the Gaza Strip, the border area witnessed peaceful protests against the illegal closure imposed on the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces used force against the protestors. As a result, 19 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and 2 paramedics, were wounded. Two of them were hit with live bullets and 17 were directly hit tear gas canisters and sound bombs.
In the context of opening fire at the border area, on 23 July 2017, Israeli forces fired two artillery shells at a checkpoint belonging to the Palestinian armed groups, southeast of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. As a result, the checkpoint and a nearby house sustained damages.
The full report is available online at:
http://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=9315
