The Israeli army attacked a peaceful protest organized by the villagers of Um Salamunah located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday morning; three protesters were kidnapped by the army.

Local sources said that scores of villagers supported by Israeli and international peace activists marched from the main entrance of the village heading towards the lands that are in danger of being confiscated due to the building of the Wall. The participants held Palestinian flags and banners condemning the Israeli actions of building of the wall and also calling for the unity among Palestinians. Soldiers attacked the protesters and kidnapped three activists, one Israeli, and two Palestinian, when other protesters tried to stop the jeep from taking them away troops forced the activists, using riffle but and batons, out of the way.

The village of Al Khader, located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, organized on Friday midday a nonviolent protest against the illegal Israeli wall being built on the village land.

At least 150 Palestinians from the village of Al Khader along with international supporters staged the protest at the nearby settlers' road. The march started with midday prayers held near the army checkpoint there, and then speeches were delivered by local organizers. Israeli soldiers arrived at the protest and announced the area as a closed military zone then asked the protesters to move away.  Protesters stood their ground and staged a protest for another hour or so. In his speech Samier Jaber, an organizer, in Al Khader said that "in this special day for Americans who are celebrating their independence, Palestinian are calling for that right". 

Three activists were injured by Israeli forces on Friday in the weekly protest against the separation wall in Bil’in; near the West Bank city of Ramallah: two of them are French activists and the third one is Mohamad Ali Abo Sa'di 65 years old, in addition to the dozens of protesters were treated for tear gas inhalation.

Villagers from Bil’in marched together with international and Israeli solidarity activists after Friday prayers, carrying Palestinian flags and banners demanding the removal of the Israeli wall and settlements, while calling on the international community to lift the siege on Gaza and help Palestinians retain Jerusalem. Participants also demanded that the Israeli army stop killing Palestinian civilians and end the use of live ammunition against non-violent protesters. As protesters approached the separation wall, Israeli forces prevented the villagers from reaching the gate that is supposed to provide access to their lands, and opened fire on them with tear gas canisters, sound bombs, and rubber-coated metal bullets. Three were injured and scores of protesters were treated for gas inhalation, In related news, the Israeli force released on Thursday afternoon Ali Hamadan Abo Rahma 17 years old, who were arrested four day before when the army invaded the village and attacked the houses of Mohammad Ali Yassin and Hamadan Ali Abo Rahama and terrorized the resident of the two homes while arresting Ali.

In its weekly summary of Israeli attacks for the week of 26 June – 02 July 2008, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) reports that Israeli forces killed two Palestinians.  In addition, 8 Palestinians were wounded, including 2 children and a woman, 5 of whom were attacked in Ne’lin village near Ramallah.

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinian children and wounded 7 civilians, also including 2 children.  Israeli forces conducted 44 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. 

On 26 June 2008, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian child in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. Israeli forces troops moved into the village and opened fire. The child was killed when he was near his house.

On 28 June 2008, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces fired at the participants in the funeral procession of a child who had been killed by Israeli forces on the preceding day.

On 29 June 2008, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian child in Tubas. They set an ambush for a number of Palestinian children, who usually gather in the area to throw stones and Molotov Cocktails at the Israeli force's military vehicles. Israeli forces troops fired at the children. One of the children was killed.

On 1 July 2008, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded when Israeli soldiers used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah.

 

Israeli Annexation Wall

Israeli forces have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, Israeli troops used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians as well as international and Israeli human rights defenders protesting the construction of the Wall in Bil’in and Ne’lin villages, west of Ramallah; al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem; and Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm.

Following the Friday Prayer on 27 June 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, but Israeli forces closed all gates designed for crossing the Wall. The demonstrators then set fire to tires in protest to the closure of gates. Immediately, Israeli forces troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators, including 2 international human rights defenders, suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 20 June 2008, scores of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem. The demonstrators moved towards Palestinian land which were confiscated by Israeli forces. Israeli forces placed barbwire near the land to prevent the demonstrators from moving forward. They also fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters and violently beat a number of demonstrators. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

On Tuesday morning, 1 July 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 troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded.

On Thursday, 26 June 2008, a Palestinian journalist was harassed by Israeli forces at the Jordanian border when he was traveling back to the Gaza Strip after having received an international award.

According to Mohammed ‘Omar al-Mughayar, 24, from Rafah, a reporter from Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, he arrived at al-Karama International Crossing Point (Allenby Bridge) on the Jordanian border, coming from the United Kingdom after he had received an international award for the best press story in the world, and gone on a tour of Europe. When he arrived at the Israeli side of the crossing point, he was asked to wait at the travelers hall. Soon after, a person, who was apparently an Israeli intelligence officer, came to him. He asked al-Mughayar to accompany him through a narrow corridor, and forced him to wait for nearly an hour and a half. Israeli forces then took him into interrogation rooms, where he was interrogated about the award and the reason for him to travel back to Gaza, where the situation is so bad. While al-Mughayar was answering questions quietly, another interrogator came and ordered him to take off his clothes. They checked his bag. During the interrogation, al-Mughayar fainted, and the interrogators violently beat him thinking that he was pretending. When he did not wake up, they called for a Palestinian ambulance, which evacuated him to Jericho Hospital, where he received medical care. He was then transported towards a vehicle of the Dutch Embassy, which was waiting at the crossing point to transport him to Gaza, as the Dutch Embassy coordinated his travel.

 

Recommendations to the International Community:

Due to the number and severity of Israeli attacks this week, the PCHR made a number of recommendations to the international community.  Among these were a recommendation that the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.

The Ahrar Center for Detainees Studies reported on Thursday that an Israeli Military Court decided to extend solitary confinement against Sheikh Jamal Abu Al Haija, one of Hamas' leaders, who is currently in solitary confinement in the Al Ramla prison.

Abu Al Haija was sentenced to nine life-terms and additional twenty years. He is in very bad health, as one of his hands was amputated during the massive Israeli assault against the Jenin refugee camp in April 2002. Abu Al Haija is also suffering from a skin disease.

 The Israeli assault  against the camp started on April 3 and lasted through April 13. The United Nations said after the attack that the Israeli army killed 58 Palestinians, wounded hundreds of others and leveled at least 200 homes.

Abu Al Haija filed an appeal to the Israeli court to allow him to meet both of his detained sons, but his request was rejected. Abdul-Salam one of the sons of Abu Haija was sentenced to seven and a half years, and his other son, Asem, has been under administrative detention for three years.

The wife of Abu Al Haija said that she is worried since her husband’s health condition is continuously deteriorating, and voiced an appeal to the resistance fighters in Gaza, who are holding the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit captive, to make sure that Abu Al Haija and all detainees who are sentenced to lengthy terms, are released in any prisoner swap deal with Israel.

Fuad Al Khuffash, head of the Ahrar Center, stated that the detainees who are in solitary confinement cannot see the sunshine for extended period of times, leading to eye problems and skin diseases due to the humidity in the cells.

Al Khuffash added that Abu Al Haija has been in solitary confinement since he was kidnapped by the army in August 26, 2002.

He stated that the prisoner swap deal should include sections which demand improving the conditions of the Palestinian detainees, and ending solitary confinement and collective punishment policies practiced by Israel.