Israeli forces continue systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
(22 – 27 February 2018)
· Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian while arresting him without endangering the soldiers’ life.
· 10 shooting incidents targeting the Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza Strip Shore were reported.
– Israeli naval forces killed a Palestinian fisherman and wounded and arrested 2 others in addition to causing damage to the boat.
· Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
– 39 Palestinian civilians were wounded, including 8 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
· Shooting at the border areas in the Gaza Strip was reported without causing any casualties.
· Israeli forces conducted 56 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 2 similar ones into Jerusalem.
– 47 civilians, including 10 children and a woman, were arrested in the West Bank.
– 4 of them were arrested in Jerusalem.
– 2 Palestinians were arrested after attempting to sneak into Israel.
· Israeli authorities continued their settlement activities in the West Bank.
– Israeli continued their attacks against Palestinian civilians, wounding a civilian after throwing a stone at his head.
· Israeli authorities continued to create a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
– The Israeli municipality impose the “Arnona” property tax on the church-owned properties in the City.
· 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 imposed a general closure on the oPt for Purim.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (22 – 27 February 2018).
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinian civilians, including a fisherman, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They also wounded 41 other civilians, including 9 children and 2 fishermen. In the Gaza Strip as well, the Israeli forces continued to chase Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea and target the border areas.
In the Gaza Strip, on 25 February 2018, Israeli naval killed a Palestinian fisherman and wounded 2 others after opening at a fishing boat sailing within 3 nautical miles and damaging the boat. The two wounded fishermen were arrested and questioned before being released on the same day afternoon. PCHR condemns the ongoing Israeli attacks against the Palestinian fishermen aiming at targeting the livelihoods of fishermen and preventing them from sailing and fishing freely in the Gaza Strip.
As part of targeting the border areas, on 24 February 2018, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between Israeli and the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis, fired flare bombs over the border area, east of al-Qararah, and sporadically opened fire. They later declared they arrested 2 Palestinian civilians who attempted to sneak into Israel.
On 27 February 2018, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire at the shepherds forcing them to leave the area fearing for their lives.
Moreover, 24 Palestinian civilians were wounded, including 5 children, after the Israeli forces fired bullets and tear canisters at them directly during protests where the protestors threw stones at the soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. These demonstrations are organized in protest against the U. S. President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip for the eleventh year.
The full report is available online at:
http://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=10442
