Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:
Two Palestinian civilians killed, and 22 others wounded, including 3 children and 2 journalists, by Israeli occupation forces’ (IOF) fire in the West Bank; meanwhile, a fisherman was wounded with rubber bullets in the Gaza Strip. Dozens of others sustained bruises in IOF’s attacks.
At dawn on 01 March 2022, IOF’s Special Unit killed a Palestinian civilian after the former sneaked into Jenin refugee camp to arrest a wanted person and clashed with an armed group member and killed him as well. More details available here. On 02 March 2022, IOF killed a Palestinian university student after shooting him in the head without any justification in Beit Fajjar, southern Bethlehem. More information available here.
On 24 February, a Palestinian driver sustained serious wounded after IOF opened fire at his hand and the bullet entered his abdomen and exited his back. The driver was in his vehicle at the time near al-Jalama checkpoint in Jenin. Other civilians were wounded in separate incidents; mainly in peaceful protests and gatherings. Most prominently was on 28 February 2022 when IOF suppressed thousands of Palestinians commemorating the anniversary of al-Israa’ and al-Me’araj in Bab al-‘Amoud Yard in Jerusalem. As a result, a child with hearing disability was wounded with a sound bomb in her face while tens of civilians sustained bruises. On 25 February 2022, 6 civilians, including a child and 2 journalists, were wounded with rubber bullets during IOF’s suppression of peaceful protests in Qalqilya, Nablus and Hebron. On the same day, 5 civilians were wounded with rubber bullets and a sound bomb fired by IOF during the latter’s protection of settlers’ raid into Kafr al-Deek village, western Salfit, while a sixth civilian was wounded in the head after IOF beat him. Also, a civilian was wounded with a bullet in the left thigh near al-Nabi Younis intersection, northern Hebron; he was then arrested and taken by IOF in a military ambulance.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF opened fire 4 times at agricultural lands in access restricted areas, eastern Khan Younis and Central Gaza Strip. Also, six IOF shootings were reported on fishing boats mostly off the northern, southern, and western Gaza shores. As a result, a fisherman was wounded with a rubber bullet on 25 February 2022.
” So far in 2022, IOF attacks killed 10 Palestinians, including 2 children, and wounded 104 others, including 21 children, 2 paramedics and 9 journalists, all in the West Bank, except one fisherman in the Gaza Strip.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
This week, IOF demolished 15 civilian objects, including 6 houses, displacing 2 families of 13 individuals, including 5 children and 2 women. IOF also demolished 9 commercial facilities, razed a plot of land and seized another and a vehicle.
- On 24 February, an excavator was seized when working in an agricultural land in eastern Yatta, southern Hebron, and 2 under-construction residential buildings were demolished in ‘Anata village in East Occupied Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
- On 25 February, a Palestinian was forced to self-demolish a 90-sqm house built of tinplate in Jabal Mukaber in East occupied Jerusalem, displacing a family of 6, including a woman.
- On 27 February, 2 notices were issued to evacuate a plot of land (32 dunums) within 72 hours. The land is part of Khelet al-Dabe’a nature reserve, eastern Yata, eastern Hebron.
- On 28 February, a Palestinian civilian was forced to self-demolish his house in Beit Hanina, northern occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, displacing a family of 7, including a woman and 5 children. Also, another was forced to self-demolish his under-construction house in Silwan in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction while another under-construction house of 80 sqms was demolished in Fasayil village, northern Jericho under the pretext of building in an archeological area.
- On 01 March, a 4-donum ploy of land was demolished and a barrack and 3 warehouses established on the land were demolished in Ghzayel neighborhood, southeast of East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. Meanwhile, a plan was approved to confiscate a plot of land owned by a Palestinian family adjacent to the al-Yousifiya Cemetery, in East Jerusalem, aiming at establishing a national garden and tourist areas there.
- On 02 March, 2 commercial facilities were demolished near Hizma military checkpoint, northeast of East Jerusalem; 4 notices were distributed to stop the construction work in 4 houses in eastern Yatta in Hebron, giving their owners 3 weeks to settle their legal issues under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C; and 3 offices, a fuel station tank and a horse barrack were demolished in Beit Hanina, north of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. This included assaults on workers and the arrest of one civilian.
” Since the beginning of 2022, IOF made 33 families homeless, a total of 211 persons, including 37 women and 98 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 44 houses and 4 residential tents. IOF also demolished 28 other civilian objects, and delivered 6 notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation.
Settler-attacks on Palestinian civilians and their properties:
This week, 6 settler-attacks were reported in the West Bank, resulting in the injury of 2 brothers with bullets, causing bruises to a mother and her daughter and uprooting 45 olive seedlings in addition to puncturing the wheels of 11 vehicles.
- 25 February: 2 brother were wounded; one was wounded with a bullet in his foot and the other was wounded with a bullet in his back, after settlers directly opened fire at them as their vehicles lightly collided near Hizma checkpoint. On the same day, under IOF’s protection, settlers attacked civilian houses in Kafr al-Deek village, west of Salfit, and threw stones at them.
- 27 February: a Palestinian woman and her baby girl sustained bruises and wounds in a settlers’ attack on her their house in Sinjil village, eastern Ramallah. Also, settlers from “Ma’ale Libouneh” settlement, norheastern Ramallah, threw stones at vehicles and caused them damage.
- 28 February: settlers attacked a Palestinian family in their land in KAfr al-Deek village, western Salfit, and demolished their agricultural room.
- 01 March: settlers from Tafouh settlement uprooted 45 olive seedlings in Yasouf village, eastern Salfit.
- 02 March: Settlers punctured wheels of 11 vehicles and wrote racist slogans against Arabs in Iskaka village, eastern Salfit.
” So far this year, settlers carried out 48 attacks on Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 177 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids and searches of civilian houses and facilities and establishment of checkpoints. During this week’s incursions, 114 Palestinians were arrested, including 30 children and a woman. IOF also conducted a limited incursion into eastern Khan Younis on 28 February 2022.
” So far in 2022, IOF conducted 1201 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 752 Palestinians were arrested, including 93 children and 8 women. IOF also conducted limited incursions into eastern Gaza Strip and arrested 11 Palestinians, including 7 fishermen. Meanwhile, 4 infiltrations were reported; one was via Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing.
Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:
The Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. On 01 March 2022, IOF arrested a Palestinian at Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing, who came to work in Israel. Details available in PCHR’s monthly update on the Gaza crossings.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continues to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 108 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 80 temporary military checkpoints this week and arrested 6 Palestinians at those checkpoints. The majority of the checkpoints were in Hebron (31). So far in 2022, IOF established at least 547 checkpoints and arrested 33 Palestinians at those checkpoint.
Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
