PCHR Weekly Report: Palestinian child killed, 5 civilians wounded by Israeli forces
According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, during the week of 02 - 08 July 2009, a Palestinian child was killed and her father and uncle were wounded by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. Three Palestinian civilians, including two children, were injured when Israeli forces used force against peaceful protest against the Annexation Wall. Israeli forces conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Israeli forces abducted 18 Palestinian civilians, including seven children, and an American human rights defender in the West Bank.
Child killed in Gaza while sleeping in her bedroom (PCHR photo)
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the reporting period, three Palestinian civilians, including two children, were injured when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 25 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Israeli forces abducted 18 Palestinian civilians, including seven children, and an American human rights defender.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces forced Fayez Ibrahim al-Toutanji, 54, to demolish a 42-square-meter structure to his 60-square-meter house in Beit Hanina village, northeast of Jerusalem. The family added two bedrooms and a kitchen to the house in 1996. In 2001, the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem issued an order to demolish the structure, claiming that it had been built without a license. The family appealed to the Israeli Municipal Court against the order, and following years of considering the case, the court approved the demolition and imposed a fine of 18,000 NIS (approximately US$ 4,500) on the family. On 01 June 2009, the court ordered the family to demolish the added structure in two months, and on 06 July 2009, the family started to demolish it.
At approximately 19:00 on Sunday, 05 July 2009, Israeli police and intelligence officers stormed the building of the Palestinian National Theater (al-Hakawati) in East Jerusalem, and handed to its administration a decision signed by the acting Israeli Minister of Internal Security, Yacob Ne'eman, banning the organization of shows of Palestinian folklore band, Ouf, and the German Storm band, claiming that the shows are organized under the auspices of the Palestinian National Authority. The police forced people out and closed the entrance of the building. The show was part of Palestine International Festival, which is organized annually under the auspices of local institutions and companies.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:
On Thursday, 02 July 2009, Israeli troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Gaza Valley village, fired three artillery shells at the area. One shell landed a few meters away from the house of Kamal 'Abdul 'Aziz Abu 'Aayesh, 52, nearly one kilometer away from the border, wounding him in the left side. The second shell landed on a bedroom in a house belonging to Saleem 'Abdul 'Aziz Abu 'Aayesh, 57, killing his daughter, 17-year-old Heyam. The father was also lightly wounded by shrapnel to the neck and the right shoulder. The third shell landed near a dairy killing two cows.
Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The Israeli closure of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.
1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.
Israel has imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.
Living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment have sharply mounted.
Israeli settlement activities:
Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in violation of international humanitarian law and Israeli settlers illegally living in the West Bank have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces issued military orders to demolish 11 houses and 5 wells in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem, claiming that they were built without licenses.
On Thursday morning, 02 July 2009, a number of Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, stormed the evacuated "Homesh" settlement, northwest of Nablus. They stayed in the area for approximately two hours.
On Saturday, 04 July 2009, Anas Nayef Qaffisha, 16, sustained bruises and cuts throughout the body, when he was attacked by 5 Israeli settlers, who attempted to run him down as he was passing through the main road in the Wadi al-Huassain and al-Ras neighborhood near "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of Hebron. The settlers attacked the child and fled towards the aforementioned settlement. Over the past four years, Israeli settlers have continued to release wild boars into Palestinian agricultural areas in Skaka village, east of Salfit.
According to local sources, Israeli settlers release 40-60 wild boars each time, which damage crops. Palestinian farmers have sustained large losses due to such attacks. The village is located near "Ariel" settlement, the largest Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank.
On 06 July 2009, Israeli forces, accompanied by a number of armed Israeli settlers razed at least 5 donums of land in Kherbat al-Mafqara area to the east of Yatta village, south of Hebron, to expand the nearby "Avigal" settlement outpost. They then placed three mobile homes and an electricity generator on the land.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
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 03 July 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in the center of Bil'in village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the Wall and, following altercations with Israeli forces, threw stones at Israeli troops positioned in the area. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Also following the Friday Prayer on 03 July 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to the construction of the Wall in al-Ma'sara village, south of Bethlehem. Israeli forces positioned at the main entrance of the village near "Efrat" settlement fired tear gas canisters at the demonstrators, and then chased and violently beat a number of demonstrators. As a result, 3 demonstrators, including two children, sustained bruises: 'Ali Mousa 'Alaa' al-Din, 22; Mohammed Mhamoud Zawahra, 12; and 'Obaida Eyad Braijiya, 10.
On Tuesday morning, 07 July 2009, Israeli forces positioned at Bethlehem – Hebron road prevented international solidarity delegations from traveling to Housan village, west of Bethlehem, and Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. These delegations are visiting the West Bank in the context of the Peace Week for solidarity with the Palestinian people and to remind the international community with the Advisory Opinion and the Wall issued by the International Court of Justice.
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. 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 PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel's respect of the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
