Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

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PCHR

· A Palestinian civilian was killed by IOF near the border in the central Gaza Strip.

 A Palestinian civilian was wounded in the east of Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip.

· Two Palestinian boys sustained severe burns as a smoke bomb, left by IOF in Hebron, exploded.

· IOF continued to target Palestinian farmers in border areas in the northern Gaza Strip.

 IOF fired at Palestinian farmers in two separate incidents, but no casualties were reported.

· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

 Two demonstrators, including an international human rights defender, were wounded.

 IOF arrested 11 demonstrators, including 10 Israeli solidarity activists and an international one.

· IOF conducted 38 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

 IOF arrested 15 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children.

 The arrested civilians include the mother of Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, who was deported to Syria.

· IOF continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers continued their attacks in the West Bank.

 Israeli settlers caused severe damages to a Palestinian house, southwest of Bethlehem.

 Seventy olive trees in the vicinity of “Qidoumim” settlement, northeast of Qalqilya, were uprooted.

 Three women activists were attacked at Zaatara checkpoint, south of Nablus.

· Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the Gaza Strip and tightened the siege on the West Bank.

 IOF arrested at least 3 Palestinians at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (19 – 25 May 2011):

Shooting:

During the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian in the Gaza Strip, while 2 Palestinian civilians and an international human rights defender were wounded; 2 of them were wounded in the West Bank and the third was wounded in the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinian children sustained burns due to the explosion of a “smoke” bomb from the Israeli military remnants, southeast of Hebron.

In the Gaza Strip, on 21 May 2011, IOF stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, killed a Palestinian by 2 artillery shells and opening heavy fire at him. An ambulance officer, who participated in recovering the body, said that they found the body approximately one meter far from the border fence. One of the area’s residents said that he heard the sound of 2 artillery shells and after 10 minutes, he heard heavy gunfire.

On 20 May 2011, IOF stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, opened fire near Palestinians participating in a peaceful demonstration heading to the said border fence, east of Abasan village to the east of Khan Yunis. As a result, a Palestinian was wounded by shrapnel of a bullet in the legs.

In the context of targeting the Palestinian farmers in border areas in the Gaza Strip, IOF opened fire twice at the farmers during the reporting period. On 24 May 2011, IOF stationed at border fence, north of Shurrab lands in the northeast of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian farmers who were on their lands, which are approximately 650 meters far from the said border fence. On 25 May 2011, IOF stationed on watchtowers at the border fence to the east of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at the farmers on their lands, east of al-Qurman Street, al-Naayma Street and al-Masreyen Street in the east of Beit Hanoun. As a result, the Palestinian farmers were forced to leave their lands and escape fearing for their lives. However, no injuries or damages in their property were reported.

In the West Bank, IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, two demonstrators, including a Palestinian civilian and an international solidarity activist, were wounded. In addition, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders participating in peaceful protests in the West Bank suffered from tear gas inhalation, and bruises as they were beaten by IOF.

IOF has continued to leave military remnants in residential and agricultural areas and in their vicinity. As a result, 2 Palestinian children sustained severe burns on Friday morning, 20 May 2011, when a smoke bomb left by IOF in the southeast of Hebron exploded.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 38 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 15 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children. The arrested persons included Aysha Saleh Yousef Dar Suleiman, 70, from Aroura village, north of Ramallah, who was arrested at approximately 01:30 on Sunday, 22 May 2011, and driven to “al-Maskoubeya” interrogation center in Jerusalem. Dar Suleiman who was released at approximately 20:00 on the same day is the mother of Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, a member of Hamas Political Bureau, who spent 18 years in Israeli jails and was then deported to Syria.

IOF have continued to attempt to stop peaceful protests and to prevent international human rights defenders from participating in peaceful assemblies against settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall. As part of these attempts, IOF arrested 11 protesters, including 10 Israeli solidarity activists and an international one.

Israeli Settlers’ Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property:

Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of the international humanitarian law have continued to commit systematic crimes against Palestinian civilians and their property with protection provided by IOF that ignore conducting investigations into complaints submitted by Palestinian civilians against settlers.

In the context of the settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their lands located in the vicinity of “Gush Etzion” and “Efrat” settlement complex, southwest of Bethlehem, an old house belonging to Mohammed Saleh Abu Sawi from Artas village, south of Bethlehem, was deliberately attacked and damaged by a group of settlers living near the family’s land on 22 May 2011. The attack resulted in destroying the roof of the house, which was built in the fifties of the last century. The house consists of 4 rooms built of stones and ceiled by wood and iron. Besides, there is a water well near the house.

On the same day, some settlers from “Tafouh” settlement, south of Nablus, attacked 3 Palestinian women from Iskaka Women’s Charitable Association, from Iskaka village, east of Salfit.

Additionally, some settlers from “Qidoumim” settlement, northeast of Qalqilya, uprooted 70 olive trees belonging to Mohammed Abdul Latif Hamid Ishtiwi, from Kafr Qaddoum village. Ishtiwi did not know when the incident took place, as he cannot reach his land without a permit from IOF
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Restrictions on Movement:

Israel has continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and has imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

The full report is available online at:
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7470:weekly-report-on-israeli-human-rights-violations-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-19-25-may-2011&catid=84:weekly-2009&Itemid=183

Public Document