PCHR Weekly Report: Israeli forces kill 3, wound 8 including 2 children, kidnap 19, including child, girl, and her father

IMEMC - In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 24-30 June 2010, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that two Palestinian civilians and a resistance fighter were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. One civilian was wounded in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Two civilians, including a child, were injured in the West Bank. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation in the West Bank. Israeli forces arrested three human rights defenders.

Israeli Annexation Wall:

Israeli forces used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians in protest of the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. Four Palestinian civilians were injured, four journalists sustained bruises and others suffered from tear gas inhalation in the weekly protests at Bil'in, Ne'lin, and other villages.

On 27 June 2010, a Palestinian child was struck by in the eye by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces in Silwan village in Jerusalem, losing his eye as a result. A number of civilians, mostly children and women also suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

Israel has continued to take measures aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem. The construction of 1,400 hotel rooms near Habal al-Mukabber area in Jerusalem was approved. A Palestinian child was wounded in the eye and a number of children and women suffered from tear gas inhalation fired by Israeli forces in Silwan village.

Israeli forces conducted thirteen incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested nineteen Palestinian civilians, including a child, a girl and her father.

During the reporting period, Israeli sources revealed that the Israeli District Committee of Organization and Construction approved the construction of 1,400 hotel rooms near the Jabal al-Mukabber area in East Jerusalem. According to Israeli Channel 10, the committee approved the construction of a 1,400-room hotel in Armon Hanatziv area in the east of the city. The area where the rooms would be established had not been under Israeli control before 1967.

On 29 June 2010, a bulldozer of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem, escorted by Israeli forces, established a sand barrier in the Um al-Seksek and al-Za'farana areas in al-'Eissawiya village in East Jerusalem, seizing at least 200 donums of land for the Israeli National Parks Protection Department. Thus, the areas of land seized by Israeli forces for the Parks Department totalled 660 donums.

On Tuesday, 29 June 2010, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem ordered the demolition of a house belonging to Mohammed 'Ali Salah in the village of Beit Safafa, south of Jerusalem, claiming that he replaced the roof of the house with tiles.

Additionally, on Tuesday, 29 June 2010, Mohammed Ahmed Salah received an official decision from the Israeli Action Department regarding the 120 sheep which had been confiscated from him nearly six months ago on the basis that he had not paid the required fee to an Israeli court in the case of an evacuation of a house belonging to his family. The court issued a decision in favor of Israeli settlers in his case.

Israeli Settlement Activities:

Israel has continued its settlement activities in the West Bank in violation of international humanitarian law. Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

On 26 June 2010, dozens of armed Israeli settlers attacked a house belonging to Mohammed Abu Nab in Silwan village to the south of the old city of Jerusalem, in an attempt to seize it, but Palestinian civilians were able to repel them.

On 29 June 2010, Israeli forces handed twelve notices to Palestinian civilians ordering a stop to construction work in ten houses and two farms in al-Burj village, claiming that they were built without licenses. These facilities are located about 500 meters away from the annexation wall.


Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian civilians and a resistance fighter in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded four civilians, including two children, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In the Gaza Strip, on 25 June 2010, two Palestinian civilians were killed and a third was wounded when Israeli warplanes bombarded a tunnel in al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah.

On 28 June 2010, Israeli troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Gaza City, killed an activist of the Palestinian resistance after a resistance group had fired at Israeli forces.

During the reporting period, Israeli forces fired at Palestinian workers who were collecting construction materials. No casualties were reported.

Israeli forces continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in border areas of the Gaza Strip.

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 international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations and NGOs participate in the process of exposing those accused of grave breaches of international law and to urge their governments to bring these people to justice.

The PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.

Full text of the report