Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:
Six Palestinians were killed, including 4 civilians: two of them were children, by the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) fire. Among those killed, one was shot dead by an Israeli settler and a Palestinian civilian succumbed to his pervious injury. Also, a Palestinian detainee died in the Israeli prisons due to the medical negligence policy. Moreover, 35 Palestinians, including a journalist, were injured by IOF fire, while dozens of others suffocated in IOF attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 09 February 2023, Shareef Hasan Waridat (19) was shot dead by IOF at a military checkpoint established on Bypass Road (60), west of Fawwar refugee camp in southern Hebron. The Israeli military spokesperson announced in a statement that the Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian, who tried to stab on of them.
On 10 February 2023, a Palestinian detainee in the Israeli prisons, Ahmed Abu ‘Ali, from Yatta city in Hebron, died at “Soroka” Hospital in Beersheba, after his health condition deteriorated allegedly due to medical negligence policy at the Israeli prisons. (Details available at PCHR’s press release.)
On the same day, Hussain Khaled Qaraq’a (31) was killed by IOF fire on “Ramot settlement” Street, northwest of Jerusalem, after he ran over a number of settlers at a bus stop. A footage showed IOF killing Qaraq’a from close range while he was inside his car.
On 11 February 2023, Mithqal Suliman Rayan (27) was killed after being directly shot by an Israeli settler in his head during a settlers’ attack on Palestinian lands in Qarawatt Bani Hassan village, west of Salfit. (Details available at PCHR’s press release).
On 12 February 2023, Qusai Redwan Yousef Waked (14) was killed after being shot with a live bullet in his abdomen, and 2 other Palestinians were injured by IOF fire during clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into al-Jabriat neighborhood in Jenin. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested a Palestinian. (Details available at PCHR’s press release.)
On 13 February 2023, Ameer Ehab Bastami (21) was killed after being shot with an explosive live bullet in his abdomen by IOF, and 3 other Palestinians were injured in clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into al-Mathana Street in central Nablus. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians.
On 14 February 2023, Mahmoud Majed ‘Ayed (17) was killed after being shot with a live bullet in his head during clashes with IOF in the latter’s incursion into Far’a refugee camp in southern Tubas. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested a Palestinian. (Details available at PCHR’s press release.)
On the same day, Haroun Rasmi Abu ‘Arram (25) succumbed to his injury in the neck after being directly shot by an Israeli soldier from a distance of 2 meters. Haroun was defending his father who was beaten by the Israeli soldiers while trying along with his relatives to prevent the confiscation of a generator by IOF in Kherbet al-Rakeez, east of Yatta in southern Hebron on 01 January 2021. Due to his live bullet injury, Haroun suffered from quadriplegic, blockage of the arteries in the left leg that was later amputated, severe ulcers in the back and pelvis, and serious pneumonia.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of IOF excessive use of force during incursion into the Palestinian cities and villages, or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 10 February 2023, two Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On the same day, a Palestinian was injured with a live bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. Also, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his thigh in clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into Jenin’s eastern neighborhood.
On 13 February 2023, 25 Palestinians, including a journalist, were shot with rubber-coated bullets in clashes with IOF in protest at houses demolitions in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem. Before their withdrawal, IOF demolished 2 houses, a barrack, and a retaining wall, and arrested a Palestinian.
On the same day, a Palestinian sustained a live bullet injury in his abdomen when he was inside his car in clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into Shu’fat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested a Palestinian along with his wife and two children under the pretext that one of them tried to stab an Israeli soldier at Shu’fat military checkpoint.
In the Gaza Strip, 6 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 5 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.
” So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 50 Palestinians, including 24 civilians; 9 of them were children and a woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including a child, while 4 were killed by settlers allegedly for carrying out shooting and stabbing attacks. Also, a Palestinian detainee died in the Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 123 Palestinians, including 26 children and 4 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF displaced 6 families of 28, including 11 children and 9 women, after demolishing 5 houses, 9 civilian facilities, an agricultural room, and 2 agricultural barracks. IOF also uprooted olive trees in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 11 February 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his 120-sqm house in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering a family of 4, including a woman and 2 children, homeless.
On 12 February 2023, IOF destroyed a water well of 150 cubic meters in al-Bowaib village, east of Yatta city in southern Hebron.
On 13 February 2023, IOF demolished a 140-sqm house in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, two families of 10, including 4 women and 3 children, were displaced. In the same area, IOF demolished another 100-sqm house belonging to the same family, rendering a family of 6, including a woman and 4 children, homeless.
Also, IOF demolished a 30-sqm tinplate barrack and 8-meter-long retaining wall, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. The demolition was accompanied with IOF’s clashes that injured 25 Palestinians, including a journalist, with rubber-coated bullets. Additionally, a Palestinian was arrested in those clashes.
On 14 February 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his 60-sqm under-construction house in Isawiya village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, IOF demolished 7 auto repair shops built on an area of 250 square meters in Shu’fat neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. Also, IOF demolished a parking lot and a horse barrack in al-Thawri neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 15 February 2023, IOF uprooted 100 olive seedlings in Khelet al-Dab’ area, east of Yatta city in southern Hebron, under the pretext of being planted in a state land. Also, IOF demolished a 30-sqm agricultural room built of bricks and tinplate in Sha’b al-Botom area, east of Yatta city in southern Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
” Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 39 families homeless, a total of 257 persons, including 52 women and 119 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 39 houses; 8 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 5 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 48 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks on Palestinian civilians and their properties:
Settlers, protected by IOF, carried out 5 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 11 February 2023, Israeli settlers threw stones at a Palestinian vehicle near the old Laban intersection connecting Nablus with Ramallah. As a result, the driver sustained a jaw fracture, and the vehicle’s windows were broken. The driver’s friend managed to stop the vehicle after the driver fainted and then drove towards a medical center in Qabalan village, southeast of Nablus. After the driver received treatment at the medical center, he was referred to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, where doctors decided a surgy for his jaw. Also, Israeli settlers threw stones at a Palestinian’s vehicle on the main street, north of Ramallah, smashing its windows.
On the same day, Israeli settlers uprooted and stole 20 old olive trees from a 6-dunum plot of land in Yasuf village, east of Salfit. Previously, settlers had uprooted and stole 110 old olive trees from the same plot of land over the past months, and now only one olive tree is left in the land. Additionally, settlers uprooted 8 olive trees and vandalized an agricultural room in Kafr ad-Dik village, west of Salfit.
On 14 February 2023, settlers, from “Kiryat Arba” settlement, punctured 7 tires in al-Waira area, east of Hebron.
” Since the beginning of the year, settlers conducted at least 35 attacks against civilian Palestinians and their property.
Collective Punishment:
On 12 February 2023, as part of the collective punishment policy, IOF moved into al-Tur village in occupied East Jerusalem, where they cordoned off a 7-storey residential building and sealed two 220-sqm residential apartments on the ground floor after destroying their internal walls and contents. The two apartments belong to Khaled Qaraq’a and his daughter Dima and were sealed after Qaraq’a’s son, Hussain (31), was shot dead by IOF after carrying out a ran-over attack in occupied East Jerusalem on 10 February 2023. As a result, two families of 8, including 3 women and 2 children, were displaced, noting that this is the fifth house demolished by IOF as part of collective punishment policy.
Confiscation of Money
On 12 February 2023, IOF confiscated 1500 USD, electronic games, and perfumes from Ibrahim Derbas’s house in Isawiya village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. IOF imposed a fine of 107,00 shekels on him, under the pretext that he received financial disbursements from the Palestinian Authority during his 22-month detention in the Israeli prisons. This happened upon a decision issued by the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, who recently announced his intention to impose financial sanctions on 87 Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of receiving money from the Palestinian Authority.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 181 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 those incursions, 91 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 women and 13 children. Also, IOF arrested a cancer patient, from the Gaza Strip, who receives treatment at An-Najah National University Hospital at a military checkpoint.
This week, IOF conducted more acts of violence during house raids, including unleashing police dogs on the detainees’ families. As a result, two brothers sustained wounds in their limbs while arresting his father, and another sustained wounds while arresting his son, as well as Palestinians’ houses contents being damaged. In the Gaza Strip, on 09 February 2023, Israeli naval forces arrested two fishermen and confiscated their fishing boat off Beit Lahia shore. The fishermen were later released, while their fishing boat were kept under the Israeli custody.
” So far in 2023, IOF conducted 1630 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 729 Palestinians were arrested, including 16 women and 74 children. Also, IOF arrested two Palestinians, from the Gaza Strip, while trying to infiltrate into Israel.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in 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 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 96 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 9 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
On 11 and 14 February 2023, IOF tightened their measures at al-Container military checkpoint, northeast of Bethlehem, blocking traffic several times and for long hours.
Since 13 February 2023 and to this date, IOF have daily closed Shu’fat military checkpoint, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem for long hours, completely blocking traffic. They also attacked Palestinians as footages on social media showed IOF’s humiliating young men and women at the checkpoint.
” So far in 2023, IOF established 908 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 46 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
