PCHR Report: 2 Palestinians Killed, 17 Wounded in Last Two Weeks

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, over the last two weeks, from December 4th - 17th, 2 Palestinians, including a civilian were killed by Israeli forces.  10 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli gunfire and 3 others were wounded by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.  4 fighters with the Palestinian resistance, and an unarmed woman were wounded by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli settlers shoot at Palestinians in Hebron

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

 

Over the last two weeks, Israeli forces conducted 38 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and one into the Gaza Strip.

 

In the West Bank, on Monday, 15 December 2008, an Israeli forces undercover unit extra-judicially executed Jihad Ahmed Ameen Nawahda, 21, a member of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad), in al-Yamoun village west of Jenin. Nawahda was hit by multiple gunshots to the back, the abdomen and the legs.

 

During the reporting period, 9 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall west of Ramallah.

 

Also during the reporting period, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a man and his son, were wounded by Israeli settlers' gunfire in Hebron on 4 and 5 December 2008.

 

On Sunday, 12 December 2008, a Palestinian child was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head fired by Israeli forces that provided protection to Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinian civilians and property in Hebron. 

 

During the 38 incursions since Dec. 4th, Israeli forces abducted 50 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children and a girl. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians abducted by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 2,311. Israeli forces also transformed 8 houses in Hebron into military sites. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces that had moved into 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis, abducted 3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, for some hours.

Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

 

Israeli forces have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

Israeli forces have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. During the reporting period, Israeli forces stormed and confiscated for the third a tent set up by the al-Kurd family in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. It is worth noting that Israeli forces seized Fawzia al-Kurd's house on 9 November 2008 and expelled the family from it. Since that date, Fawzia al-Kurd has lived in a tent set up near the house.

 

There are approximately permanent 630 roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60-80 ‘flying’ or temporary checkpoints erected across the West Bank by Israeli forces every week.

 

Israeli Annexation Wall:

 

When complete, the illegal Annexation Wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the Wall has already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land.

 

Israeli forces have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest to the construction of the Wall.

 

Following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 5 December 2008, scores of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Wall. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall. Immediately, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a 10-year old child, were wounded.

 

Following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 12 December 2008, scores of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Wall. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall. Immediately, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded.

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 12 December 2008, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in the center of Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the area where Israeli forces were razing land to construct a section of the Wall in the village. Immediately, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded.

 

Israeli settlement activities:

 

Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

 

During the reporting period, Israeli settlers living in "Kiryat Arba" and "Kharsina" settlements and settlement outposts in the southeast and the center of Hebron launched a series of systematic terrorist attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in nearby Palestinian residential areas in Hebron. Israeli forces provided protection for settlers. The settlers used firearms, empty bottles and stones in their attacks. A number of Palestinian civilians were wounded, 4 houses were burnt, 5 vehicles were destroyed and some other property was damaged. 

 

On Thursday morning, 4 December 2008, dozens of Israeli settlers living in "Kiryat Arba" settlement attacked Palestinian houses in al-Ras and Wadi al-Hussain neighborhoods using stones, iron bars and empty bottles. Israeli forces were present in these areas. A number of those settlers threw flaming tires and substances at two houses belonging to Majdi Kayed al-Ja'bari and Ghaleb Mansour al-Ja'bari. Some trees in the gardens of the two houses were burnt. According to Palestinian civilians living in these areas, attacks by Israeli settlers have become much more violent and Israeli forces have provided protection for settlers. Israeli forces have imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

 

At approximately 14:30 on the same day, dozens of armed Israeli settlers attacked a number of Palestinian houses in Wadi al-Hussain neighborhood. The most serious of these attacks was against houses belonging to the Abu Su'aifan clan. The settlers stormed a number of these houses and burned parts of them. When members of the clan attempted to protect themselves and their property, an Israeli settler fired at two members of the clan from a zero range. The two civilians were seriously wounded.

 

The settlers attacked other houses in the same neighborhoods. They threw some flaming substances and pushed some flaming tires towards houses. Eight Palestinian civilians were injured, including an eight year old child, and five houses were partially burnt. Scores of trees were also burnt. Israeli forces prevented fire fighters and medical crews from entering the area and declared it as a closed military zone. Israeli settlers also attacked the crew of a fire engine.                

 

At approximately 16:10 on the same day, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and property in Jabal al-Rahma, al-Sahla and al-Karantina neighborhoods. Five Palestinian civilians were injured.

 

At approximately 18:00 on the same day, Israeli settlers living in "Kiryat Arba", "Kharsina" and "Hagai" settlements attacked Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on a adjacent roads with stones and empty bottles. A number of vehicles were damaged.

 

Also on Thursday morning, 4 December 2008, in another part of the West Bank, a number of Israeli settlers wrote insulting words against Prophet Mohammed on walls of a number of houses in some villages to the east of Qalqilya. The settlers also smashed windows of a number of cars.

 

At approximately 15:00 also on Thursday, Israeli settlers from "Shilo" and "Elli" settlements, north of Ramallah, blocked Nablus-Ramallah road from Turmos'iya intersection, north of Ramallah, to al-Lubban intersection, south of Nablus, with rocks. When Palestinian civilians resorted to an alternative road, Israeli settlers from "Ma'ale Livona" settlement closed the road.

 

On Friday, 5 December 2008, Israeli settlers living in "Kiryat Arba" settlement resumed their attacks against Palestinian houses in al-Ras and Wadi al-Hussain neighborhoods using firearms, stones, iron bars and empty bottles. Israeli forces were present in the area. The settlers threw flaming substances at a house and some gardens. As a result of these attacks. Jadallah 'Abdul Halim Da'na, 22, was wounded by a gunshot to the right leg. At least 7 houses were also damaged.

 

In the same context, Israeli forces transformed 9 houses in al-Ras, al-Masharqa, Wadi al-Hussain and al-Nassara neighborhoods into military sites.

 

In the same context, dozens of Israeli settlers from "Yits'har" settlement, south of Nablus, gathered on Nablus-Ramallah road and closed it. Israeli forces stationed in the area forced Palestinian civilian vehicles to travel towards Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus, but Palestinian civilians were surprised by the presence of dozens of settlers there. The settlers threw stones and empty bottles towards civilian vehicles and Palestinian civilians who attempted to cross the checkpoint on foot. At approximately 18:00, Israeli forces opened the checkpoint and forced all Palestinian civilian vehicles to travel to Nablus.

 

At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 5 December 2008, a number of Israeli settlers from "Evni Hevetz" settlement, which stands of the lands of Shoufa village, southeast of Tulkarm, uprooted 80 young olive trees belonging to 'Azmi Mousa Saleh. They also damaged the main water pumps of the village and added rocks to the sand barriers which Israeli forces had already set up to close the sole entrance of the village.

 

On the same day, in the afternoon, dozens of Israeli settlers from "Yits'har" settlement, south of Nablus, closed a bypass road located near the settlement and threw stones and empty bottles at Palestinian civilian vehicles. A number of vehicles were damaged.

 

At the same time, dozens of Israeli settlers from "Ma'ale Livona" settlement, north of Ramallah, closed the old Nablus-Ramallah road, and threw stones towards Palestinian civilian vehicles. One of those vehicles turned over and two passengers were injured.

 

At approximately 00:30 on Saturday, 6 December 2008, Israeli settlers living in "Abaraham Abinu" settlement outpost in the center of the old town of Hebron stormed a house belonging to Nidal al-'Owaiwi, in which 11 people live. They set fire to one of its room and damaged the kitchen. Some neighbors rushed to help the family. Two civilians suffered from smoke inhalation: Shihada Talab Jraiwi, 30; and 'Emad Abu Subaih, 38. The settlers also damaged water tanks of 5 houses in the area.

 

On Thursday evening and Friday morning, 11 and 12 December 2008, Israeli settlers living in settlement outposts in the center and around Hebron attacked Palestinian civilians and property in al-Karantina and Jabal al-Rahma neighborhood. The settlers used stones and iron bars in their attacks. They stormed a house and attempted to seize it. As a result of these attacks, a number of houses were damaged.

 

On Sunday noon, 14 December 2008, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and property in al-Karantina neighborhoods in the southwest of Hebron using stones and iron bars. Israeli forces fired at Palestinian civilians who attempted to protect themselves. As a result, Ya'qoub Salah al-Qasrawi, 14, was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head.

 

Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip:

 

Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The Israeli siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.

 

The Gaza Power plant completely stopped operation due to the lack of energy fuel. Over the past three weeks, Israeli forces have allowed only 1,721,610 liters of energy fuel into the Gaza Strip, an amount which can operate the power plant for only 5 days.

 

The main concern of 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.  The majority of the civilian population lack access to drinking water.  Thousands of Palestinian civilians have been forced to wait in long queues to buy bread.

 

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was forced to suspend it humanitarian aids program for at least 750,000 Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip for 5 days.

 

Recommendations to the international community:

 

Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations during the reporting period, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights made a number of recommendations to the international community.  Among these are a recommendation that the European Union activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel.  PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

 

The PCHR calls on the international community to recognize the Gaza disengagement plan, which was implemented in 2005, for what it is - not an end to occupation but a compounding of the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

 

For the full text of the report, click on the link below.