Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
(08 – 14 February 2018)
· Israeli forces continued to use excessive force in the oPt
– 43 Palestinian civilians, including 17 children, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
– 26 of them were hit with live bullets, 11 were hit with rubber bullets, and 6 were hit with tear gas canisters and shrapnel.
· Israeli forces conducted 82 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the southern Gaza Strip.
– 78 civilians, including 14 children and 2 women, were arrested.
– 30 of them, including 9 children, were arrested in Jerusalem.
· 9 shooting incidents targeting the Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza Strip Shore, but no casualties were reported.
· Israeli authorities continued their settlement activities in the West Bank.
– A tent, cave, 2 sheds used for sheltering sheep in Qana Valley area, northwest of Deiristiya village.
– A house was demolished in Beit Kahel village, and a warehouse built of tin plates was dismantled and confiscated in Beit Ummar in Hebron.
– Settlers continued their attacks against Palestinian civilians’ property in the villages near settlements.
· Israeli authorities continued to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
– Two commercial barracks were demolished in al-‘Issawiyah village, northeast of occupied Jerusalem.
– Settlers severely wounded a Palestinian civilian and attacked 5 cars.
· Israeli forces turned the West Bank into cantons and continued to impose the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip for the 11th consecutive year.
– Dozens of temporary checkpoints were established in the West Bank and others were re-established to obstruct the movement of Palestinian civilians.
– 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were arrested at the checkpoints in the West Bank.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (08 – 14 February 2018).
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 45 Palestinian civilians, including 17 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Twenty-six of them, including 10 children 2 fishermen, were wounded in the Gaza Strip while the 19 others, including 7 children, were wounded in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip as well, the Israeli forces continued to chase Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea and target their livelihoods.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces wounded 19 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children. Seven of them were hit with live bullets, 11 with rubber bullets and 1 with tear gas canister and sound bomb shrapnel during their participation in the peaceful protests except for 2 who were wounded in protests after incursions.
In the Gaza Strip, the border areas with Israel witnessed protests against the U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy to it. During the protests, the Israeli forces used force against the protestors. Due to opening fire to disperse the protests, 24 Palestinian civilians were wounded, including 10 children. Nineteen civilians were hit with live bullets,3 directly hit with a tear gas canister and 2 with bullet shrapnel.
As part of targeting fishermen in the sea, on 11 February 2018, Israeli gunboats heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats offshore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. They surrounded a boat manned by Tariq al-Sultan (22) and ‘Aaed al-Sultan (22). The Israeli naval soldiers then ordered the fishermen to take off their clothes, jump into the war and swim towards the boat. They were arrested and taken to Ashdod Seaport. After interrogating with them, the two fishermen were released and it was found out they were wounded.
In addition to the above-mentioned incident, PCHR monitored that the Israeli forces escalated their attacks against fishermen in the Gaza Sea, indicating to the ongoing Israeli policy of targeting their livelihoods. During the reporting period, Israeli gunboats chased Palestinian fishing boats and opened fire at them in 8 incidents, including 4 in Western Soudaniyah area, west of Jabalia and 5 shooting incidents northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 82 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank while they conducted 7 incursions into Jerusalem and its suburbs. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 48 Palestinians, including 5 children and 2 women, in the West Bank. Thirty of them, including 9 children, were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs. Those incursions happened in light of the cold weather as the Israeli soldiers forced children, women and elderly people to stay outside their houses for hours or locked families in one room preventing them to move in addition to other acts of harassment and use of police dogs in house raids.
In the Gaza Strip, on 08 February 2018, Israeli forces moved 100 meters into the east of al-Qararah village, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. They levelled and combed lands in the area amidst sporadic shooting and then redeployed along the border fence between Israel and Gaza Strip.
The full report is available online at:
http://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=10400
