Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
(07 – 14 March 2018)
· Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
· Two Palestinian civilians were killed in Nablus and Hebron
– 28 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a female university student, were wounded in the West Bank.
· Israeli forces conducted 59 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the southern Gaza Strip.
– 69 civilians, including 11 children and 2 women, were arrested in the West Bank.
– 9 children of them and a woman were arrested in Jerusalem.
· Israeli forces continued to open fire at the border areas in the Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported.
· Israeli authorities continued their settlement activities in the West Bank.
– Israeli settlers uprooted and damaged 78 olive trees, north and south of the West Bank.
· Israeli authorities continued to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
– The Israeli forces banned a marathon and an activity held on the occasion of “International Women’s Day”
– “Ateret Cohanim” settlement organization attempted to seize a plot of land in Silwan village.
· 12 Shooting incidents were reported against the Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Sea.
– 11 fishermen, including a child, were arrested. One of them was wounded with a rubber bullet in Rafah City in the southern Gaza Strip.
· 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.
– Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian civilian at the military checkpoints in the West Bank.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (07 – 14 March 2018).
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and wounded 29 other civilians, including 5 children, a female university student and a fisherman, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip as well, the Israeli forces continued to chase the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea and target the border areas.
In the West Bank, in 2 separate crimes of excessive use of force, the Israeli forces killed two Palestinian civilians. The first who suffers from speech impairment was killed during his participation in a peaceful protest in the centre of Hebron while the second was killed while confronting a group of settlers who attacked under the Israeli forces protection the outskirts of ‘Orif village, south of Nablus. In the second crime, a child was seriously wounded. In the two crimes, the protestors did not pose any threat to the life of Israeli soldiers or settlers who lately escalated their attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property, particularly in Nablus. Such settlers’ attacks usually occur under the guard of the Israeli forces, who instead of deterring settlers participate in the systematic attacks.
On 09 March 2018, two civilians, including a child, were hit with bullets to the lower limbs when Israeli forces moved into al-Laban al-Sharqiyah village, south of Nablus, and some civilians protested against them. The incursion occurred after Palestinian civilians set a hut on fire that was built by settlers on the village lands.
On 07 March 2018, after civilians confronted a group of settlers who moved into the northern outskirts of Burin village, south of Nablus, under the Israeli forces’ protection, a 17 year old Palestinian child was wounded with a bullet to the left knee in the peaceful confrontation of settlers. On 09 March 2018, 2 civilians were wounded in similar circumstances when a group of settlers attacked the northern side of ‘Einabous village, south of the city.
Moreover, 12 Palestinian civilians, including a child and university students were wounded after Israeli forces opened fire at them and fired tear gas canisters directly at them during protests and stone-throwing at the Israeli soldiers stationed at the entrances to the Palestinian villages in the West Bank. These demonstrations are organized by Palestinian civilians in protest against the American President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the Israeli settlement activities and land confiscations.
In the Gaza Strip, 9 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded after Israeli forces fired bullets and tear gas canisters at them directly during protests and stone-throwing at the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. These demonstrations are organized by Palestinian civilians in protest against the American President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip for 11 years consecutively.
As part of targeting fishermen in the sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against fishermen in the Gaza Sea, indicating to the on-going Israeli policy of targeting their livelihoods. PCHR’s fieldworkers monitored 12 shooting incidents; 7 in north-western Beit Lahia, 4 others in Western Soudaniyah, west of Jabalia, and 1 in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces arrested 11 fishermen, including a child, and wounded one of them with a bullet to the right leg.
As part of targeting the border areas, on 10 March 2018, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Bureij, opened fire at the Palestinian agricultural lands. However, no casualties were reported.
The full report is available online at:
http://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=10498
