PCHR Weekly Report: 3 Palestinians injured, 23 abducted this week
According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, during the week of 09 - 16 April 2009, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank. Israeli forces abducted 23 Palestinians, including 3 children. 18 were abducted during military invasions in the West Bank, and 5 were abducted at Israeli checkpoints within the West Bank.
The Palestinian Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip remain under full military closure for the second week in a row, an action taken by the Israeli military during the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover). Although no Palestinians celebrate this holiday, Israeli forces say they must maintain a closure in order to 'protect Israelis enjoying their holiday'.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
On Monday April 12th, Israeli troops fired an artillery shell at a fishing boat west of Beit Lahia. No injuries were reported in the incident.
On Wednesday April 14th, troops fired at fishing boats west of Beit Lahia, totally destroying one of the boats. No injuries were reported. The army claimed that the fishing boat had been wired with explosives, but only fishing nets and equipment were found on the boat.
The Israeli military continued its nearly two year siege on the Gaza Strip, preventing imports, exports, exits and reentries for residents and goods.
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.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
Israeli forces conducted 15 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, Israeli forces abducted 23 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.
On Thursday April 9th, Israeli soldiers invaded Sielet al-Thaher, south of Jenin, searched several homes and fired randomly, and abducted two residents.
On Friday April 10th, the Israeli army invaded Qalqilia, and searched several homes. On Saturday April 11th, the army invaded Tulkarem, where they searched homes and used some homes as military posts after forcing the Palestinian residents out.
On Monday April 13th, soldiers invaded Budrus village west of Ramallah and abducted 7 Palestinian youth aged 17 – 20. Also on Monday, troops invaded Saffa village in the Hebron district, in the southern West Bank. The soldiers searched and ransacked homes, and abducted three brothers. The troops continued their two-week long occupation of two Palestinian homes in the village. In addition, soldiers invaded Al-Aroub refugee camp in the Hebron district, searched and ransacked homes, and occupied the rooftop of one Palestinian home to use it as a sniper post. Soldiers also occupied a home in Al-Salaam Street in Hebron and abducted one youth after searching his home.
On Monday night, soldiers invaded Tiqua' village, broke into shops and homes, firing randomly throughout the village. They handed several residents over to the Israeli military camp nearby for interrogation.
On Tuesday April 14th, Israeli troops invaded Madama town south of Nablus, ransacking homes and abducting 8 Palestinian youth between the ages of 15 and 21. Military forces also invaded Qas'in village, west of nablus, ransacking homes and abducting one resident. Also on Tuesday, troops invaded Abu Da'if village near Jenin, searching and ransacking homes. Soldiers also invaded Matalla village east of Jenin and abducted one resident.
In Jerusalem on Tuesday, soldiers broke into two homes and handed the owners military orders to leave their homes, after the High Court denied the owners' petition to maintain their residence. The owners had presented titles to the land that dated back to the Ottoman empire, prior to the existence of the state of Israel, and the Israeli High Court refused to recognize the documents.
On Wednesday April 15th, Israeli troops invaded Romana village west of Jenin, fired live rounds, concussion grenades and flares at residents in the streets of the village, then left without abducting anyone.
Israeli forces implemented a strict closure of many parts of Jerusalem, preventing Palestinians from going to pray in the Al Aqsa mosque and closing roads throughout east Jerusalem and in Silwan.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces continued their pattern of engaging in excessive violence against non-violent demonstrators at weekly protests against the Israeli Annexation Wall.
In the village of Bil'in, west of Ramallah, villagers gatherd, as they do each week, after Friday prayers on Friday April 10th. The villagers held flags and chanted, and marched toward the site of the Wall construction. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated steel bullets and high-velocity tear gas canisters. Three people were injured, including an AP reporter, by high-velocity tear gas canisters. Dozens of people were treated for tear gas inhalation.
South of Bethlehem, in al-Masara village, soldiers attacked a protest held on Friday April 10th. The soldiers barred the march from moving forward by placing a barbed wire barrier in front of the marchers. Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and high-velocity tear gas canisters, injuring a 9-year old child. One Israeli protester was beaten by Israeli troops. Dozens of protesters were treated for tear gas inhalation.
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.
Although the Israeli military claims to have lifted some restrictions on movement in the West Bank, 630 Israeli military roadblocks remain in place, preventing Palestinians from travelling within the West Bank.
Israeli settlement activity:
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians on a number of occasions this week. The largest scale attack this week took place on Monday, April 13th, when a group of about 80 right-wing Israeli settlers stormed the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which is the third-holiest site in Islam. The settlers attacked the mosque, shouting and claiming that they would destroy the mosque to build a Jewish temple. Access to the mosque is controlled by Israeli soldiers, who made no effort to stop the extremist group of settlers from entering. A Palestinian reporter was arrested while filming the incident.
On Thursday April 9th, right-wing extremist settlers from Kiryat Arba settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron expanded their settlement by setting up two trailers, which they connected with electricity, in Al-Ras neighborhood in Hebron. Israeli soldiers who were present in the area made no effort to stop the settlers. Under Israeli law, Israeli settlers are able to expand their settlements if they can prove to the Israeli government that they have hooked up the new expansion with electricity and a road.
Also on Thursday, three Palestinian shepherds, including a pregnant woman, were injured when Israeli settlers attacked them in Yatta town south of Hebron. The attack came one day after settlers attacked an 80-year old Palestinian shepherd in the same area.
On Friday April 10th, settlers in Tel Rumeida neighborhood in the center of the city of Hebron attacked an ambulance that was carrying a female patient with a heart condition. The attack took place even though the hospital had communicated and coordinated with the Israeli army in the area to ensure the safety of the patient, but the army did not take any action to stop the settlers from attacking the ambulance with bricks and rocks.
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 crime
