PCHR Weekly Report: 3 Palestinians killed, 8 injured, 27 abducted this week; 1 Israeli killed
According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, during the week of 02 - 08 April 2009, two members of the Palestinian resistance were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian in the West Bank this week. 16 Palestinian civilians, including two children and two journalists, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank.
Israeli soldiers attack non-violent protesters (PCHR photo)
Israeli forces conducted 26 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, Israeli forces abducted 52 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, in the West Bank and 10 fishers in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces occupied 8 Palestinian houses, and reclassified them as military sites.
An unknown Palestinian assailant attacked two Israeli settler youth on Thursday April 2, killing one, age 16, and injuring an 8 year old child. The Palestinian attacked the settlers with an axe.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
On Tuesday April 7th, at approximately 11:00, Israeli forces border guard troops opened fire at Eyad 'Azmi 'Owaisat, 20, from al-Sawahar village southeast of Jerusalem, when he was traveling in his car in the village. He was instantly killed. Israeli forces claimed that 'Owaisat ran down three members of the Israeli border guard, but eyewitnesses refuted this claim.
At approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, 07 April 2009, Israeli forces police and border guard moved into Sour Baher village, south of Jerusalem. They besieged a two-story house belonging to the family of Hussan Tayseer Dwayat, who was killed by Israeli forces after attacking and killing four Israeli civilians in July 2008. They demolished a flat on the second floor of the house. The Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, had issued a demolition order on 04 December 2008 against the house. The family filed a petition against the order at the Israeli High Court, which approved the demolition of the flat not the whole house. Dwayat was killed on 02 July 2008 after he ran down 4 Israelis using a bulldozer in the center of Jerusalem.
Israeli forces have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem in order to force them to leave the city. On 03 April 2009, a number of Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli forces police, stormed a house belonging to Nasser 'Ali Jaber, 30, in al-Sa'diya quarter in the old town of Jerusalem. They removed the door of the house and seized the house, claiming that it belongings to an extremist Jewish association. It is worth noting that Jaber was repairing and maintaining the house, in which he has lived together with his family for more than 20 years. On 06 April 2009, Israeli forces demolished a 100-square-meter house belonging to 'Abdul Rahman al-Fakhouri, 24, in the al-Luqluq quarter of the old town of Jerusalem. The Israeli forces Municipality of Jerusalem had informed the family on Thursday, 02 April 2009, that the house would be demolished, claiming that it was built without a license. On the same day, the Israeli High Court gave permission to Israeli forces to evacuate two houses, belonging to the al-Ghawi and al-Jarrah families in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, in favor of Jewish groups. The court rejected a petition filed by the families against the evacuation, although the families submitted documents that support their ownership of the house.
On 04 April 2009, a Palestinian child was wounded by Israeli forces during an incursion into Qalqilya.
Two days later, Israeli forces wounded a Palestinian child in Qabalan village, south of Nablus.
On 08 April 2009, dozens of Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, attacked Palestinian civilians in Kherbat Safa area, north of Hebron. As a result, nine Palestinian civilians were wounded by gunshots, including three who were shot by settlers; 26 others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
During the reporting period, five Palestinian civilians, including two journalists, were wounded when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall.
Also, Israeli forces conducted at least 26 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two incursions into the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces abducted 52 Palestinian civilians, including eight children.
Following the killing of one Israeli settler youth, and the injury of another, in the “Beit Ain” settlement (northwest of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron), Israeli forces moved into the Kherbat Safa area. This operation was allegedly conducted in order to search for a Palestinian suspected of killing the Israeli settler. The military operation continued for a number of days, during which time Israeli forces occupied eight Palestinian houses, transforming them into military sites.
At approximately 01:20 on Sunday morning, 05 April 2009, Israeli forces positioned at a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, stopped an ambulance of the Palestine Red Crescent Society on its way towards the Tunnel checkpoint, south of Jerusalem, in order to evacuate a wounded person. Israeli forces forced the two medics traveling in the ambulance to get out of it. They violently beat the two medics and held them for 20 minutes. The two medics are: 'Ali Mohammed Tumaizi, 25; and Eyad 'Adnan Madiya, 26.
On Thursday afternoon, 02 April 2009, Israeli forces erected a number of checkpoints in areas located to the southwest of Bethlehem. They stopped and searched hundreds of Palestinian civilian vehicles. One of those checkpoints was erected at the entrance of Beit Fajjar village, southwest of Bethlehem. Israeli forces positioned at the checkpoint stopped and violently beat 4 Palestinian workers who were on their way back to their homes in the village. They sustained bruises and cuts.
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 continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall. Following Friday Prayers on 03 April 2009, scores of Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil'in village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the Annexation Wall. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall and threw stones at Israeli forces positioned in the area. Immediately, Israeli forces fired gunshots, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, two journalists were wounded: Sa'ed al-Hawari, 33, a Reuters reporter, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the leg; and Reebhi al-Koubari, 45, a Palmedia reporter, hit by a tear gas canister to the leg.
At the same time, 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 at the demonstrators. As a result, three Palestinian civilians were wounded.
Also, scores of Palestinian civilians and a number of international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration against the construction of the Wall in al-Ma'sara village, south of Bethlehem. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall, but Israeli forces intercepted them at the entrance of the village. Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces also violently beat two Palestinian children: Usayd Hassan Braijiya, 7; and Yousef Jom'a Zawahra, 14.
Israeli forces started to establish an iron fence on the northern edge of 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, which – when finished – will be 3.5 kilometers long and 2.5 meters high. It will extend from 'Izbat al-Tabeeb area to the intersection of "Ma'ale Shomron" settlement. The fence will separate 'Azzoun village from its northern lands. A week earlier, Israeli forces had closed the main entrance to the village, and a month earlier, they closed its northern entrance, claiming that stones were thrown at Israeli vehicles traveling in the area. According to sources in the local council of the village, at least 200 donums[1] of land belonging to the village will be seized for the purpose of the establishment of the fence. The establishment of the fence is part of the construction of the Annexation Wall near Qalqilya, which has been conducted in four stages, the fourth of which is the current one. According to the local council, there are concerns that a fifth stage may be implemented to the south of the village. At least 8,000 Palestinians live in 'Azzoun village, in an area estimated at approximately 9,000 donums. The construction of the Wall in the area has restricted access of Palestinian civilians to their lands.
On Monday morning, 06 April 2009, Israeli forces positioned near the Annexation Wall to the west of Ethna village, northwest of Hebron, abducted Sameer Mohammed Tumaizi, 55, and his two sons, Younis, 22, and Fares, 20, when they were farming their land. Israeli forces claimed that the three farmers were in a closed military zone.
Israeli settlement activities:
On 02 April 2009, at least 20 Israeli settlers blew up the doors of four shops in the second-hand clothes market near "Abraham Avino" settlement outpost in the south of Hebron. They then removed the rubble and started to rehabilitate the four shops in order to seize them. On 06 April 2009, Israeli forces informed five Palestinian civilians in Deir Sa'da area to the south of al-Zahiriya village, south of Hebron, that their houses would be demolished. Israeli forces claim that these houses were built without licenses. These civilians filed petitions against the demolition orders.
On Wednesday April 7th, at approximately 06:10, at least Israeli settlers from "Gush Etzion" and "Beit Ain" settlements, escorted by Israeli forces, gathered to the north and east of Kherbat Safa area northwest of Beit Uammar village, north of Hebron. Many of those settlers were armed. They opened fire at Palestinian civilians who gathered to protect themselves and their property. The settlers and Israeli forces moved forward and opened fire at Palestinian civilians and houses. Palestinian civilians in response threw stones at them to prevent them from storming their houses. The settlers and Israeli forces used firearms, sound bombs and tear gas canisters against Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces brought reinforcements to the area and declared it as a closed military zone. These attacks continued for 90 minutes, and peaked when Israeli forces broke into the village and raided houses. As a result of these attacks, nine Palestinian civilians were wounded by gunshots, including three who were shot by settlers. Additionally, 26 civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces also transformed three houses in the area into military sites.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed two fighters with the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip, in a targeted assassination.
Also, Israeli forces abducted 10 Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip.
Fuel supplies have not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip – excluding limited amounts of cooking gas – since 10 December 2008. The Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to the Gaza Strip.Israeli forces have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israel for medical treatment, trade or social visits. In the past two months, five patients, including two children, have died due to the denial of access to medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces have imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers attempting to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian civilian population’s living conditions have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment have sharply increased.
At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation for more than 17 months.
At least 10% of the population of the Gaza Strip is deprived of electricity supplies.
Recommendations to the International Community
Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations 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.
The PCHR stated that they believe the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel to continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law. The PCHR called upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.
