International Reports

Jerusalem – The first bullet struck 16-year-old Samir Awad in his left leg. He staggered away as fast as he could, but was too slow. A second round slammed into his left shoulder, exiting from the right side of his chest. Then, moments later, a third bullet penetrated the back of his skull and exited from his forehead.

The live rounds were fired by a group of Israeli soldiers guarding a section of Israel’s separation barrier built on the lands of Samir’s village in the occupied West Bank. The wall has been used by Israel to make large areas of the town of Budrus’ farmland inaccessible to the villagers.

On the day he died in January 2013, Samir and his friends had celebrated the end of the school term by walking into the hills along a path close to the steel barrier, said Ayed Murrar, head of Budrus’ popular struggle committee. An army patrol, laying in wait, ambushed them. Samir was grabbed as his friends fled. When moments later he managed to break free, the soldiers opened fire.

Samir’s friend, Malik Murrar, who witnessed the shooting, said: “How far can an injured child run? They could easily have arrested him. Instead they shot him in the back with live ammunition.”

Samir’s story is one of several harrowing accounts of killings of Palestinian civilians told in a report “Trigger-happy”, published Thursday by Amnesty International.

The international human rights organisation said the evidence suggests Samir’s death was an extra-judicial execution, which constitutes a war crime under international law.

“It’s hard to believe that an unarmed child could be perceived as posing imminent danger to a well-equipped soldier,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty’s director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Dozens killed, hundreds wounded

The report identifies a pattern of behaviour by Israeli soldiers of shooting live ammunition at unarmed Palestinians, sometimes as they are fleeing. Over the past three years of Amnesty’s study, dozens of Palestinians have been shot dead in the West Bank and hundreds seriously wounded. Thousands more have sustained injuries from rubber-coated bullets and tear gas.

The number of casualties rose dramatically last year, with 25 Palestinians in the West Bank, four of them children, killed by live rounds – more than the total in the previous two years of the study combined.

Many were targeted during largely non-violent weekly demonstrations in more than a dozen Palestinian villages in the West Bank against the separation barrier Israel has built on their land. The wall has entailed the confiscation of hundreds of hectares of farmland on which the inhabitants depend.

Ayed Murrar attributed the rise in killings to a fear in the army that unrest is growing in the occupied territories and may lead to a new intifada, or popular uprising, against the occupation.

“They want to make an example of us to stop others from adopting our way of mass protest against the occupation. They want to keep us submissive and passive.”

Last summer Nitzan Alon, the Israeli commander in charge of the West Bank, warned that Israel was facing a wave of unrest unless peace talks were revived.

‘All kinds of resistance’

But as the recent US-brokered negotiations have faltered, senior Palestinian officials in the West Bank have called for a return to “all kinds of resistance” against Israel, including popular protests. Last Friday dozens of Palestinians were reported to have been injured by Israeli soldiers firing rubber-coated bullets and tear gas canisters against demonstrators opposed to Israel’s wall.

Other kinds of popular protest have also emerged over the past year, including Palestinian groups setting up encampments to reclaim land Jewish settlers have grabbed in Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank.

In the latest example this month, soldiers beat and arrested protesters as they removed a camp named Ein Hijleh in the Jordan Valley, which had been established to highlight Israeli efforts to annex the valley as part of the peace talks.

And 13 Palestinians in Hebron were injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers last week when 2,000 demonstrators marched down Shuhada Street, the city’s main street, which Israel has closed to Palestinians for the past 20 years.

The Amnesty study did not include Gaza, where Israel usually claims Palestinian civilians killed by its forces were “collateral damage” during military operations. The report notes that this context of armed conflict does not apply to the casualties in the West Bank.

In many West Bank locations, said Amnesty, Palestinian residents face “collective punishment”, with Israeli forces declaring areas to be “closed military zones”, blocking access roads, launching night raids where sweeping arrests are made, using excessive force against protesters and bystanders, and damaging residents’ property.

Amnesty says Israeli soldiers’ decision to fire live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at Palestinian civilians who pose little or no immediate threat to them raises troubling questions about the army’s undeclared rules of engagement.

Stone-throwing

The report dismisses claims by the Israeli military justifying its harsh actions on the grounds that Palestinians have thrown stones at soldiers. It said “stone-throwing poses little or no serious risk to Israeli soldiers”, and chiefly serves as an “irritant”. The stones are thrown from too far away to harm the soldiers, who in any case are usually too well-protected to suffer injury.

Israeli human rights groups have long criticised the army’s repressive methods towards Palestinian protests against the occupation. In the late 1980s, during the first popular uprising, Israel’s defence minister at the time, Yitzhak Rabin, publicly urged soldiers to “break the bones” of any Palestinians they caught.

During the early stages of the second intifada, beginning in late 2000, the Israeli army again resorted to massive use of force. In three weeks during October 2000, before Palestinian factions started taking up arms, Israeli military records show soldiers fired one million live rounds.

Amnesty describes the Israeli army’s use of force against Palestinians in its three-year study as “unnecessary, arbitrary and brutal”. It adds that in all the cases it examined, including Samir’s death, there was no evidence the Israeli soldiers’ lives were under threat.

“The frequency and persistence of arbitrary and abusive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers and police officers – and the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators – suggests that it is carried out as a matter of policy,” Luther said.

Shot in the back

In addition to 45 unarmed Palestinians shot dead with live ammunition over the past three years, many of them at protests, another 261 have been seriously injured, including 67 children. Several were shot in the back, indicating they had been targeted as they were fleeing.

Many more civilians have been injured by means other than live rounds. Amnesty cites as “astonishing” the fact that in three years Israeli soldiers have wounded 8,500 Palestinians with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas. Among that number were 1,500 children.

Sarit Michaeli of B’Tselem, an Israeli group monitoring abuses in the occupied territories, said her organisation had been distributing video cameras to Palestinians as a way to help document the use of violence by soldiers and settlers. In December, B’Tselem released video footage shot by Muhammad Awad, a Palestinian in the village of Beit Ummar, showing a soldier firing a tear gas canister into his chest. He had to be treated in hospital.

Amnesty criticises the lack of proper investigations by the army of the many incidents it records, calling the response “woefully inadequate” and lacking in “independence and impartiality”. The human rights group says it cannot identify a single case of a member of the Israeli security forces being convicted of “wilfully killing” a Palestinian in the occupied territories for the past 25 years.

According to figures compiled by Yesh Din, another Israeli human rights group, only four soldiers have been convicted of negligent manslaughter and another of negligence in the past 13 years. None was discharged from the army or received a prison sentence of more than a few months.

Michaeli was herself injured last July when a police officer fired a rubber-coated bullet at her from close range while she was filming a demonstration in Nabi Saleh.

“It’s clear there is a policy from the commanders of turning a blind eye when open-fire regulations are violated. When I recently spoke to the officer investigating my case, he said that there had been no developments – that was six months after the events happened. When the security services know the policy is to do nothing, there is no deterrence.”

Requests by Amnesty to meet army officials to discuss the cases in its report were rejected. The Israeli defence ministry was unavailable for comment when approached by Al Jazeera.

An Israeli army statement said: “The IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] holds itself to the highest of professional standards and trains and equips itself as such. When there is any suspicion of wrong doing, or breach of discipline, the IDF reviews, investigates and takes action where appropriate.”

Numbed to aggression?

A recent academic study of Israeli soldiers’ testimonies suggested their operational routines quickly numbed them into treating harassment and aggression towards Palestinians as normal. The young soldiers came to enjoy a sense of power and their ability to impose “corrective punishment”.

Avner Gvarayahu of Breaking the Silence, a group of former soldiers who compile testimonies of soldiers’ abuses, agreed. He said the real rules of engagement issued by commanders were “flexible” and allowed soldiers to open fire on civilians.

“Soldiers are educated by the army to see the conflict as a zero-sum game: It’s either us or them. Then every Palestinian comes to be seen as a threat, as a potential terrorist, whether they are young or old, man or woman, able-bodied or disabled. They are all the enemy.”

Gvarayahu, who once commanded a special operations unit, said the army command also approved of what he called “revenge attacks”, raids on random Palestinian communities in retaliation for the deaths of Israelis. “There is no way these kinds of attacks can be carried out by ordinary soldiers without authorisation from the very top. I think the decision even comes from the political level.”

He said political and military leaders established the norms of behaviour within the army.

“Remember that the current defence minister, Moshe Yaalon, when he was the chief of staff [in 2002], said the army’s job was to ‘burn into the consciousness’ of the Palestinians their defeat. The only aim one can infer from that is that the army’s role is to use force to make the Palestinians weak and compliant.”

By Jonathan Cook

Israeli forces continued to open fire at border areas in the Gaza Strip.

16 civilians were wounded in separate shooting incidents.

The wounded included 2 children, 2 journalists and a member of the Interior Ministry.

Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank.

2 Palestinian civilians were wounded in Bil’in protest.

8 civilians were wounded in other protests in the West Bank, including 2 children, a journalist and a human rights activist.

Israeli forces conducted 59 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

3 civilians were wounded.

41 civilians, including 6 children were arrested.

Of the arrested were 4 employees from International Tadamun (Solidarity) for Human Rights in Nablus, including a woman.

Israel continued to impose a total closure on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

Israeli forces established dozens of checkpoints in the West Bank.

At least 9 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were arrested at checkpoints.

3 Palestinian civilians were arrested at the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Israeli navy forces continued targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea.

Israeli forces continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

Lands were demolished in Kofur al-Deek, west of Salfit, to expand a settlement outpost.

Israeli forces continued issuing house demolition notices in area (C).

Some settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the north and south of the West Bank.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (20 – 26 February 2014).

Shooting:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 29 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Sixteen of whom were wounded in the Gaza Strip and 13 were wounded in the West Bank. Of the wounded were 5 children, 3 journalists, a human rights activist, a paramedic and a member of the Interior Ministry in Gaza. Israeli forces conducted 4 shooting incidents along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel and 2 shooting incidents against fishermen in the sea.

In the Gaza Strip, on 21 February 2014, 12 civilians, including 2 children and a journalist, were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire at dozens of Palestinian civilians, east of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip.

On the same day, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence near Sofa crossing, northeast of al-Shouka village, northeast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at 2 members of the Interior Ministry who were about 300 meters away from the said fence.

On 22 February 2014, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces moved into Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah.

On 24 February 2014, a Palestinian civilian was wounded in Taqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem, when Israeli forces moved into the village.

On 24 February 2014, Israeli forces positioned along the border fence, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of al-Qarara village, northeast of the city, but no casualties were reported.

On 25 February 2014, 2 civilians, including a journalist, were wounded during a demonstration organized by the Intifada Coalition in the vicinity of Nahal Oz crossing, east of al-Shuja’iya neighbourhood, east of Gaza City. A number of demonstrators threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters in response.

In the context of targeting fishermen, on 20 February 2014, Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off Rafah shore, south of the Gaza Strip. Two missiles landed on a site belonging to the Palestinian National Security service, along the border fence between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported. The site sustained minor damage.

On the same day, Israeli gunboats stationed off the shore northwest of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at fishing boats sailing within a nautical mile.

In the West Bank, 13 civilians, including 2 children, a paramedic, a journalist and a human rights activist, were wounded; 10 of whom were wounded in peaceful demonstrations and the 3 others were wounded during an Israeli incursion in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, and Taqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem.

In the same context, Israeli forces used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 2 civilians, including a paramedic, were wounded during Bil’in weekly protest. Moreover, a number of demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli forces.

In the same context, 8 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, a journalist and a human rights activist, were wounded during peaceful demonstrations organized at the entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah; Selwad village, northeast of the city; and the centre of Hebron.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 59 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 41 Palestinians, including 6 children and a woman.

During the reporting period, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded throughout the West Bank. See section “shooting incidents”.

On 25 February 2014, Israeli forces arrested 4 employees from the International Tadamun (Solidarity) for Human Rights in Nablus. They searched their houses and the organizations office and confiscated 6 PC sets and some documents.

Restrictions on movement:

Israel continued to impose a tight closure of the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

The illegal closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007 has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli authorities impose measures to undermine the freedom of trade, including the basic needs for the Gaza Strip population and the agricultural and industrial products to be exported. For 7 consecutive years, Israel has tightened the land and naval closure to isolate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and other countries around the world. This resulted in grave violations of the economic, social and cultural rights and a deterioration of living conditions for 1.7 million people. The Israeli authorities have established Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shaloum) as the sole crossing for imports and exports in order to exercise its control over the Gaza Strip’s economy. They also aim at imposing a complete ban on the Gaza Strip’s exports.

Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

As part of using military checkpoints and border crossings as traps to arrest Palestinian civilians under the pretext they are wanted, Israeli forces arrested at least 2 civilians in the West Bank.

Settlement activities

Israel has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, a direct violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

Attacks carried out by Israeli forces

On 20 February 2014, Israeli forces handed civilians from Ezna village, west of Hebron, 3 notices to halt construction work in their own structures under the pretext of having no construction permit in the areas classified as “C” according to the 1993 Oslo Agreement. The notices included an under-construction house and 4 barracks used for collecting scrap.

On 25 February 2014, Israeli forces accompanied by an officer from the Construction and Organization Department in the Israeli Civil Administration handed Rami Shehadah ‘Asi (26) from Beit Loqaya village, southwest of Ramallah, a notice bearing number 160428 to halt construction works in a 200-square-meter barrack built of bricks and shaders and roofed with tin. The barrack is used as a popular café.

On 26 February 2014, Israeli forces leveled Palestinian lands belonging to Mesleh Nayef Soliman al-Deek in Kafr Deek village in Deir Abu Sam’aan area, west of Salfit, in order to establish a road to “Lishim” outpost. Civilians managed to force the Israeli bulldozers to stop temporarily working after skirmishing with the Israeli forces. Israeli forces have been leveling the area for four years. However, in the evening of the aforementioned day, Israeli bulldozers levelled this land in order to annex it to the aforementioned outpost. The owners of the targeted lands in that area previously headed to the Israeli courts to submit the papers proving their ownership, no decision has been issued in this regard.

Attacks carried out by settlers

On 22 February 2014, a number of settlers from “Beit ‘Ein” settlement established on the Palestinian lands confiscated from the west of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, threw stones at and insulted Mohammed ‘Abdel Hamid al-Sleibi (78) and his sons while working in their land in Abu al-Rish area, west of the village. As a result, they were forced to flee fearing for their lives.

On the same day, a group of settlers from “Jel’aad” settlement attacked the residents of Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya, after the residents planted olive seedlings in their lands adjacent to the aforementioned settlement. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, when farmers finished planting the seedlings, around 100 settlers attacked the farmers and chased them into the village. They smashed the windows of a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Yousif al-Sakhen and the windows of a vehicle belonging to ‘Awni Nassar. They also attacked a vehicle belonging to Nasim ‘Abdel Qader al-Sedah and smashed its windows. They then raided a house belonging to the family of Sami Ahmed ‘Erman and attacked his family members with sticks who as a result escaped from the house.

At approximately 14:00 on the same day, a group of settlers under intensive protection of Israeli forces stormed the old city markets in central Hebron. The settlers threw stones at shops and verbally abused at the civilians. The old city in Hebron has recently witnessed increasing violations by settlers living in the outposts of “Beit Romamo” and “Beit Hadasa” in front of the Israeli forces and police.

On 23 February 2014, a group of settlers headed by Baroukh Marzel from “Ramat Yishai” outpost established on the lands confiscated from Tal al-Ramidah neighborhood in central Hebron stormed the old city markets under heavy guard of the Israeli forces. The settlers gathered near the intersection of al-Sahlah Street and attempted to stop the Palestinian workers from carrying out rehabilitation works in one of the shops, which belong to Ghassan ‘Ezz al-Deen Abu Hadid.

Thursday, 20 February 2014

At approximately 00:20, Israeli gunboats fired live ammunition and missiles at a number of Palestinian fishing boats off Rafah shore, in the southern Gaza Strip. Two missiles landed on a site belonging to the Palestinian National Security service, along the Egyptian borders. However, no casualties were reported but minor damage afflicted the site.

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into several neighbourhoods in Hebron. They raided a house belonging to the family of Abdullah Na’im Ezgheer (19). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Beit Awwa village, southwest of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ibrahim Qandil Masalma (24). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Doura, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Walid Amr (17). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination.

Also around the same time, Israeli forces moved into al-Hejra village, east of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 01:45, Israeli forces moved into Kofur Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilia. They raided and searched a number of houses from which they arrested 7 civilians, including a child and 2 brothers. They took them to “Qadumim” detention facility. The arrested were:

Ayman Abdul Karim Ishtiwi (35);

Mo’tasem Abdil Mannan Jom’a (33);

Fares Nidal Ahmed Aqel (22);

Feras Nidal Ahmed Aqel (21);

Morad Mahmoud Ishtiwi (40);

Baha’ Majed Ishtiwi (17); and

Mo’een Abdul Latif Burhum (35).

At approximately 08:00, Israeli forces released the last 4 ones after questioning them. Eyewitnesses mentioned that Israeli forces attacked Fares Aqel and damaged his house and other houses belonging to the families of Atta Sabri Ishtiwi, Mo’tasem Abdul Mannan Jom’a and Ayman Abdul Karim Ishtiwi.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into several neighbourhoods in Yatta, south of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Nasser Mohammed Abu Sabha (21). They kept his family outdoors, arrested him and took him to an unknown destination.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Sa’ir village, east of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces moved into Tafouh village, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 06:00, Israeli gunboats stationed off the northwest of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats within 1 nautical mile. The fishermen were frightened and sailed back fearing of being wounded or arrested. However, neither casualties nor material damage were reported.

At approximately 12:10, Israeli forces moved into Deir Debwan village, northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 16:00, Israeli forces moved into Mothallath al-Aqaba area, south of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets, where a number of boys gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation. No arrests were reported.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Senjal village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 17:00, Israeli forces moved into al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets, where a group of young men threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs. Israeli forces withdrew later, but neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Friday, 21 February 2014

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into al-Ebeidiya village, northeast of Bethlehem. They raided a house belonging to the family of Mahmoud Jamal Shanayta (22). They handed him a summons to refer to the Israeli intelligence service at “Gosh Etzion” settlement, south of the city.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into several neighbourhoods in the centre of Yatta, south of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 02:10, Israeli forces moved into al-Dheisha refugee camp, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided 2 houses belonging to the families of Yunis Yusef al-Zeghari (22) and Ayman Ahmed Moheisen (23). They handed them summonses to refer to the Israeli intelligence service in “Gosh Etzion” settlement, south of the city.

At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces moved into Tabaqa village, south of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 13:00, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of al-Shuhada’ cemetery, east of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at a group of boys and young men who approached the fence in an attempt to throw stones at Israeli soldiers. As a result, 12 civilians, including 2 children and a photojournalist, were wounded. One of the children sustained serious wounds. Six of whom, including a child, sustained live bullet wounds, 2 others sustained rubber-coated metal bullet wounds and the 4 others were hit by gas canisters. Nine of the wounded were taken by PRCS ambulances to Martyr Kamal Odwan hospital in Beit Lahia, while the 3 others were taken to Shifa hospital. The wounded were identified as:

Ahmed Awad Helles (15), from al-Shuja’iya from Gaza City, was hit by a gas canister to the head. As a result, he had a fracture in the skull. His wound was described as serious;

Abdullah Mohammed Saleh al-Sherafi (17), from Jabalia refugee camp, sustained a bullet wound to the left leg. His wound was moderate;

Jihad Essam Mohammed Zaqout (18), from Jabalia, was hit by a gas canister to the right shoulder. His wound was moderate;

Ibrahim Kamal Ibrahim al-Hgandour (24), from Jabalia refugee camp, sustained a bullet wound to the left leg. His wound was moderate;

Ahmed Yusef Shehada Abu Shari’a (21), from al-Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City, sustained a bullet wound to the left hand. His wound was moderate;

Ahmed Kamal Salim al-Sakani (22), from al-Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City, was hit by a gas canister to the head. His wound was described as moderate;

‘Ayed Emad Sa’id Battah (22), from Beit Lahia housing project, sustained a live bullet wound to the left leg. His wound was described as moderate;

Monther Nasser Ahmed al-Sahhar (21), from Jabalia refugee camp, was hit by a gas canister to the left shoulder. His wound was moderate;

Salim Hussein Ahmed al-Ghemari (23), from Jabalia, sustained a bullet wound to the left leg. His wound was moderate;

Wa’el Omar Abdullah Inshasi (20), from Jabalia refugee camp, sustained a bullet wound to the right leg. His wound was moderate;

Ahmed Yasser Mohammed Afana (19), from Jabalia refugee camp, sustained a bullet wound to the right leg. His wound was moderate; and

Khaled Atef Hassan al-Sabbah (20), from al-Shati’ refugee camp, a photojournalist for many news agencies including Anatolia news agency and the Tunisian al-Mashreq news agency. Al-Sabbah had put a press vest and helmet and was filming 400 meters away from the clashes.

At approximately 16:00, Israeli gunboats stationed along the border fence, near Sofa crossing, northeast of al-Shouka village, northeast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at 2 members of the Interior Ministry 300 meters away from the said fence. As a result, one of them sustained a bullet wound to the right leg. The injured was taken to Gaza European hospital in Khan Yunis, where his wound was described as moderate. Moreover, Fadel Mohammed Abu Odwan (12) was wounded by a bullet that entered and exited his thighs and caused him wounds in the testicles. In addition, his right leg was broken as he fell down while he was searching for his brother Nidal (27), who was grazing the sheep in the area. The child was taken to Abu Yusef al-Najjar hospital in Rafah. Due to the seriousness of his wounds, he was transferred to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis. He stays in the intensive care unit after he underwent a testectomy.

Saturday, 22 February 2014

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into several neighbourhoods in the centre of Halhoul, in the north of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and deployed between the houses. Israeli forces withdrew later, but neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 02:15, Israeli forces moved into Ayda refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided 2 houses belonging to the families of Sa’ed Khalil Abu Akar (24) and Farouq Manoun al-Deir (15). They handed them summonses to refer to the Israeli intelligence service in “Gosh Etzion” settlement, south of the city.

At approximately 15:00, Israeli forces moved into Mothallath al-Aqaba area, south of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and stationed in Oyoun Abu Saif area. A group of boys gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters in response. As a result, a number of boys suffered tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces withdrew later, but neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Sunday, 23 February 2014

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Tafouh village, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and raided a house belonging to the family of Hesham Yusef Erzeiqat. They handed him a summons to refer to the Israeli intelligence service in “Gosh Etzion” settlement, south of Bethlehem.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Kofur Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilia. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Obai Mofeed Ali Ishteiwi (20). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into the centre of Halhoul, north of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and raided a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Amir Abu Rayan (17). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination. At approximately 02:30, Israeli forces patrolled the streets in the eastern side of the city. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ahmed Omar Morshed Mansour (18). They arrested him and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 02:30, Israeli forces moved into Kharas village, west of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Nouba village, west of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces moved into Bab al-Zawiya area, in the centre of Hebron. They raided a house belonging to the family of Alaa Ahmed Abu ajamiya. They handed him a summons to refer to the Israeli intelligence service in “Gosh Etzion” settlement, south of Bethlehem.

At approximately 11:35, Israeli forces moved into Bedya village, west of Salfit. They raided a house belonging to the family of Jamal Zaid Aqel (22). They handed him a summons to refer to the Israeli intelligence service.

At approximately 15:00, Israeli forces with a special unit moved into al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets, where a group of boys gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired sound bombs, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated metal bullet and live ammunition. As a result, 2 civilians were wounded and were taken to Salfit hospital. Moreover, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation. A 19-year-old male sustained a bullet wound to the left leg and a 25-year-old-male sustained a bullet wound to the back of the head.

At approximately 16:30, Israeli forces moved into Kofur Tholoth village, east of Qalqilia. They patrolled the streets and took photos of mosques in the village. Israeli forces withdrew later, but neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Monday, 24 February 2014

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into several neighbourhoods in the centre of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and raided and searched 2 houses belonging to the family of Me’bed. Israeli forces arrested Baha’ Mohammed Hassan (26) and Sari Mohammed Me’bed (25). At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into the western side of the city and raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Yehia Mohammed Wa’el Qanibi (18). They arrested the aforementioned person. In the meanwhile, Israeli forces moved into Eisa neighbourhood and arrested Ahmed Waddah Shehada (22) and Sofyan Marwan Hadeeb (16) from their houses. At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces withdrew and took the 5 arrested to an unknown destination. Israeli forces moved into the southern area of the city. They searched a store belonging to Metqal al-Ja’bari.

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into the west of Deir Estya, northwest of Salfit. They stopped Sharaf Dawood Mohammed ‘Ebeid (22), attacked him to take a photo of him. In addition, they detained his friend Ra’fat Emad Abdul Majid Diab (18) and released both of them later. At approximately 01:50, Israeli forces withdrew, but neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Ra’fat Diab said to PCHR’s fieldworker:

“At approximately 01:30 on Monday, 24 February 2014, I was sitting with some friends near a supermarket on the main streets of Deir Estya village. He set fire as usual and had chats together. One of our friends decided to go home, so I went with my friend Sharaf Ebeid to get him home. When we returned, we heard some people but saw nobody because it was dark. We kept walking. Suddenly, an Israeli soldier appeared out of the dark and caught us while we were walking in front of the supermarket. They detained me, obliged me to put my hands up and turn me face against the wall. After a while, they ordered me to go home, but started beating up my friend Sharaf with gun butts. They detained him for some time, took a photo of him and released him later. On the following day, Sharaf told me that he felt pain in the back. Israeli forces withdrew at 01:50 as shown in the surveillance camera of the supermarket.”

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Nablus and Askar refugee camp, northeast of the city. They raided and searched a number of houses. They arrested Hassan Ali Sweilem (22) from his family house in Ras al-Ein neighbourhood and took him to an unknown destination.

Also around the same time, Israeli forces moved into al-Shyoukh village, north of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Sa’ir village, east of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Amin Qasem Ed’eis. They handed his son Nidal a summons to refer to the Israeli intelligence service in “Gosh Etzion” settlement, south of Bethlehem.

At approximately 02:30, Israeli forces moved into al-Koum village, south of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces moved into Beit Marsam village, south of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 07:30, Israeli forces moved into Azzoun village, east of Qalqilia. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 08:15, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, opened fire at agricultural lands, east of al-Qarara to the west of the said fence. However, no casualties were reported.

At approximately 12:10, Israeli forces moved into Termis’ya village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 13:15, Israeli forces moved into Taqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem. They patrolled the streets, where school students threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired rubber-coated metal bullets and gas canisters in response. As a result, Khalaf Essa Khalaf Abu Mefreh (31) sustained a bullet wound to the right leg when he was present around his house. The wounded was taken to Beit Jala hospital, where medical sources described his wound as moderate.

At approximately 15:30, Israeli forces moved into al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets in a provocative manner, where some boys gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired sound bombs, tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets in response. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation, but neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 16:00, Israeli forces moved into Sheqba village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 16:50, Israeli forces moved into Azzoun village, east of Qalqilia. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Nablus. They raided a house belonging to the family of Osama Maqboul (32), a lawyer in charge of the administrative detention file at the International Tadamun (Solidarity) for Human Rights, and arrested him. Israeli forces raided a house belonging to the family of Nirmeen Salem (39), a secretary at the same organization, and arrested her as well. Journalist Abdul Rahman Omar Mostafa Awad from the organization said that Israeli forces took the aforementioned secretary to the third floor of al-Isra’ building in the centre of Nablus and obliged her to open the office of the organization. Israeli soldiers searched the office, confiscated 6 PC sets and documents relevant to Palestinian prisoners and withdrew later.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Rojeeb housing project, east of Nablus. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of lawyer Fares Riyadh Abu al-Hassan (47), director of the International Tadamun (Solidarity) for Human Rights. They blew up the door and arrested the aforementioned person.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into al-Daheya suburb, southeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of journalist Ahmed Hamed Suleiman Khdeir (32), researcher at the International Tadamun (Solidarity) for Human Rights. They blew up the house door and arrested the aforementioned person as well.

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Beit Awwa village, south of Doura, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Yusef Abdul Hamid Abu Mariya (39). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 02:30, Israeli forces moved into al-Samou’ village, south of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Bani Na’im village, east of Hebron. They patrolled the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces moved into al-Ersal neighbourhood in Ramallah. They patrolled the streets and raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Ahmed Mostafa Zaid (21). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination. It should be noted that the arrested is a commerce student at Birzeit University.

Around the same time, Israeli forces moved into Birzeit village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets and raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Saleh Ebeid (24). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination. It should be noted that the arrested is a media student at Birzeit University.

At approximately 12:00, a peaceful demonstration organized by young men in the anniversary of the Ibrahimi mosque massacre in Hebron in 1994. They headed to Nahal Oz crossing at the eastern borders of Gaza. About 150 persons approached the access restricted area, east of Gaza City at approximately 13:30 and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition in response. As a result, 2 civilians were wounded:

Nasser Maher Rahma (24), a journalist of at Gaza Media Youth Network. He sustained a bullet wound to the left leg; and

Yunis Ibrahim Ahmed al-Mughrabi (23), a media student at al-Azhar university. He sustained 2 bullet wounds to the legs.

At approximately 15:00, Israeli forces moved into Bab al-Zawiya area, in the centre of Hebron. They patrolled the streets, where a group of boys gathered and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers who fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters in response. As a result, a number of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces withdrew later, but no arrests were reported.

At approximately 17:00, Israeli forces moved into Qanoun neighbourhood, east of Halhoul, north of Hebron. They patrolled the streets and raided and searched a number of houses from which they arrested 6 civilians, including 2 children. The arrested were:

Alaa’ Ibrahim Salama (27);

Mohammed Ali Qashish (26);

Emad Ibrahim al-Za’noun (23);

Mohammed Belal al-Za’noun (20);

Mohammed Khader Abu Raya (17); and

Mohammed Khalil Zama’ra (17).

At approximately 18:50, Israeli forces moved into Deir Estya village, northwest of Salfit. They patrolled the streets for some time and fired flare bombs. In addition, they raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

At approximately 01:20, Israeli forces moved into Azzoun village, east of Qalqilia. They raided and searched a number of houses. At approximately 03:00, Israeli forces arrested 3 civilians and took them to an unknown destination. The arrested were:

Hamza Hazem Mohammed Salim (19);

Yazan Isma’il Ibrahim Radi (19); and

Sinan Ahmed Mojahed Redwan (18).

They also arrested Zaid Hosam Salim (26), but released him later because he suffers from mental problem.

At approximately 01:30, Israeli forces moved into Tubas. They patrolled the streets and raided and searched a number of houses from which they arrested Emad Ibrahim Mostafa Daraghma “al-Shamout” (22) and Omar Mohammed So’oud Daraghma “Abu Nasser” (23).

At approximately 01:50, Israeli forces moved into Bethlehem. They patrolled the streets and raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Montaser Abdul Karim Sadouq (29). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 02:30, Israeli forces moved into Ayda refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. About 30 soldiers deployed between the houses and raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Abdul Aziz Hussein Abu Srour (23). They arrested the aforementioned person and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 16:30, Israeli forces moved into Nablus. They patrolled the streets and arrested Abdul Rahman Mazen Hindiya (25), an engineering student at al-Najah National university and a leader of the Islamic Bloc at the university. He was arrested while he was walking in Faysal street in the centre of the city.

Use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrations protesting settlement activities and the construction of the annexation Wall

During the reporting period, Israeli soldiers used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organised by Palestinian civilians, international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 2 protestors, including a paramedic, were wounded during Bil’in protest. In addition, dozens of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and other sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.

In the same context, 8 civilians, including a child, a journalist and a human rights activists, were wounded during protests organized at the entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, Selwad village, northeast of the city, and in the centre of Hebron.

(PCHR keeps the names of the wounded).

Demonstrations against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activity

Following the Friday Prayer, 21 February 2014, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. Demonstrators took the streets raising the Palestinian flags and headed to the liberated territories near the annexation wall. Israeli forces had closed all the entrances of the village since the morning in order to prevent Palestinian and international activists and journalists from participating in the demonstration. Demonstrators marched adjacent to the cement wall and tried to cross the fence before Israeli forces that are stationed behind the wall, in the western area, and a large number of soldiers deployed along it, fired live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and skunk water at them and chased them into the olive fields. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers. In addition, 2 civilians, including a paramedic, were wounded. Paramedic Mohammed Ahmed Yassin (24) was hit by a gas canister to the belly and a 20-year-old male sustained a bullet wound to the right side of the head.

On the same day, dozens of Palestinian civilians organised a peaceful demonstration in the centre of Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities. Demonstrators took the streets and headed to the annexation wall. Israeli forces closed the gates of the wall with barbwires and prevented the demonstrators from crossing to the land behind it before they responded by throwing stones. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.

Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians and Israeli and international human rights defenders organised a peaceful demonstration, in protest at the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities, in Nabi Saleh village, southwest of Ramallah. Demonstrators took to the streets raising Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against the occupation and in support of the Palestinian unity resistance, and then they headed to the lands that the settlers are trying to gain by force near “Halamish” settlement. Israeli forces closed all the entrances of the village since the morning to prevent Palestinian and international activists and journalists from participating in the demonstration. When they arrived at the land, demonstrators were met by live bullets, tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and skunk water and were chased into the village. As a result, many civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli soldiers.

Following the Friday prayer, Palestinian civilians and international activists organised a peaceful demonstration in the centre of Kufor Qaddoum village, northwest of Qalqilia, and headed towards the eastern entrance of the village, in protest at the continued closure of the entrance with an iron gate, since the beginning of the Aqsa Intifada (2000). Clashes erupted between the demonstrators and Israeli forces that fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters to prevent them from reaching the aforementioned gate. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten up by Israeli soldiers.

Other demonstrations:

On Friday, 21 February 2014, dozens of children and young men gathered at the southern entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah. They were about 300 meters away from the fence of “Beit Eil” settlement. Israeli forces stationed in the area fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters. As a result, 3 civilians, including a child, were wounded. In addition, dozens of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation. A 21-year-old male sustained a bullet wound to the right leg, a 20-year-old male sustained a bullet wound to the right leg and a 16-year-old was hit by a gas canister to the right hand.

On the same day, dozens of Palestinian young men gathered at the western entrance of Selwad village, northeast of Ramallah on the road between Selwad village and Yabrod village near Street (60) to throw stones at the aforementioned street. As a result, Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them and chased them to the village. A 23-year-old male sustained 2 bullet wounds to the back of the head and right side of the pelvis as a result.

At noon, dozens of Palestinian civilians, activists of the Youth Forum against Settlement Activity and human rights activists gathered in front of ‘Ali al-Baka’ mosque, in the center of Hebron, for a demonstration calling for the opening of Shuhada Street, which has been closed since 1994, following the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre of 1993 which was committed by Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli settler, against Muslim worshipers. The demonstrators headed towards the entrance of Shuhada Street. Israeli forces fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters and arrested 2 demonstrators. They pulled them and attacked them. The arrested were: Badee’ Mohammed Addeb Dweik (42), popular work activist; and Wesam Fawzi Lafi al-Najjar (19).

In the meantime, a group of youngsters threw stones at Israeli soldiers in Tale’t al-Zaheda and Bab al-Zawiya areas. In response, the Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, live-bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 4 civilians were wounded: Mousa Mahmoud Abu Hashhash (59), researcher at B’Tselem, sustained a bullet wound to the head; Abdul Ghani al-Natcha (34), journalist at Palmedia agency; sustained a bullet wound to the face; a 19-year-old male sustained 2 bullet wounds to the left leg and right hand; and a 17-year-old male sustained a bullet wound to the left leg. Al-Shuhada’ streets has been closed for 5,000 Palestinians since the Ibrahim mosque massacre in 1994.

Journalist Abul Ghani al-Natcha said to PCHR’s fieldworker:

“I was standing at the entrance of Beersheba street opposite to al-Shuhada’ street. I fixed my camera on the tripod and put on a press vest, helmet and a muzzle. At approximately 17:30, Israeli forces started firing gas and smoke canisters in the area and withdrew towards a checkpoint erected at the entrance of al-Shuhada’ street. When the demonstration ended, I took off the muzzle. In the meantime, Israeli soldiers were present about 15 meters away from me. I heard a gunshot and something hit me in the face near my left eye. I was pushed 2 meters backwards as a result and fell to the ground. I fainted and then woke up in Hebron hospital. The doctors stitched the wound, but still I cannot see with my left eye.”

Mousa Abu Hashhash, researched at B’Tselem, said to PCHR’s fieldworker:

“I was standing near clock square. I put on a long vest with B’Tselem logo on it and held a camera. I tried to cross the street heading to the other side, but I heard a gunshot. I felt something had hit me in the left side of my head. Blood was covering my head. I was taken to Hebron hospital, where they examined me and stitched the wound.”

Continued closure of the oPt

Israel continued to impose a tight closure on the oPt, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

Israeli forces continuously tighten the closure of the Gaza Strip and close all commercial crossings, making the Karm Abu Salem crossing the sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip, although it is not suitable for commercial purposes in terms of its operational capacity and distance from markets.

Israeli forces have continued to apply the policy, which is aimed to tighten the closure on all commercial crossings, by imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.

The total closure of al-Mentar (“Karni”) crossing since 02 March 2011 has seriously affected the economy of the Gaza Strip. Following this closure, all economic and commercial establishments in the Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in the Gaza Strip, in terms of its capacity to absorb the flow of imports and exports. The decision to close al-Mentar crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions resulting in the complete closure of the Sofa crossing, east of the Gaza Strip in the beginning of 2009, and the Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza City, which were dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.

Israeli forces have continued to impose a total ban on the delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Strip, except for very limited items and quantities. The limited quantities of raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

The cooking gas crisis has fluctuated for 9 months due to the closure of Karm Abu Salem for security claims. According to PCHR’s follow-up, Israeli authorities only allow an average of 98 tonnes of cooking gas into Gaza per day. This limited quantity is less than half of the daily needs, which is 200 tonnes per day of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip during winter. The crisis has unprecedentedly aggravated for around six weeks due to cold weather and overconsumption in addition to the power outage and using gas as an alternative in many instances of electricity. The lack of diesel and benzine led to the aggravation of the crisis as a result of using the gas cylinder for cars or as an alternative for benzine to run generators. As a result, the demand for gas further increased.

For almost 6 consecutive years, Israeli forces have continued to prevent the delivery of construction materials to the Gaza Strip. Two years ago, Israeli forces approved the delivery of limited quantities of construction materials for a number of international organizations in the Gaza Strip. On 17 September 2013, they allowed the entry of limited quantities of construction materials for the private sector. However, on 13 October 2013, they re-banned it claiming that these materials are used for constructing tunnels. Last week, Israeli forces allowed the entry of construction materials only for UNRWA and UNDP projects. As a result, construction works have completely stopped impacting all sectors related to construction and an increase in unemployment levels.

Israeli forces also continued to impose an almost total ban on the Gaza Strip exports, including agricultural and industrial products, except for light-weighted products such as flowers, strawberries, and spices.

Israel has continued to close the Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing for the majority of Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip. Israel only allows the movement of a limited number of groups, with many hours of waiting in the majority of cases. Israel has continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinian patients allowed to move via the Beit Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel denied permission to access hospitals via the crossing for new categories of patients from the Gaza Strip.

The Egyptian authorities allow the population of the Gaza Strip to travel via Rafah International crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with the outside world. Only limited and specified categories are allowed, including patients, students, persons that hold residencies in Egypt or abroad, men over 40 years, females in all ages, children under 18, persons who hold Arab and foreign nationalities, and members of Arab and international humanitarian delegations. Supposedly the crossing opens seven days a week. Nowadays, the crossing is overcrowded due to the prolonged procedures from the Egyptian side, particularly after closing it for several days over the past weeks due to Egypt’s security conditions, which has affected the travellers’ movement in both directions.

Exports:

On Wednesday, 19 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the exportation of 137,000 flowers.

On Sunday, 23 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the exportation of 7.4 tonnes of tomato cherries and 152,000 flowers.

On Monday, 24 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the exportation of 230 kilograms of garlic leaves and 180 kilograms of mint.

Other Imports:

On Tuesday, 18 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the entry of 490 tonnes of construction aggregate and 236 tonnes of cement for the UNRWA; and 490 tonnes of construction aggregate, 18 tonnes of construction steel, and 120 tonnes of cement for the UNDP. They also allowed the entry of 97 tonnes of fodders and 546 tonnes of wheat.

On Wednesday, 19 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the entry of 160 tonnes of cement for the UNRWA and allowed the entry of 741 tonnes of fodders and 741 tonnes of wheat.

On Thursday, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the entry of 160 tonnes of cement the UNRWA and 41 tonnes of cement for the UNDP. They also allowed the entry of 858 tonnes of fodders and 273 tonnes of wheat.

On Sunday, 23 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the entry of 700 tonnes of construction aggregate, 316 tonnes of cement and 27 tonnes of white cement for the UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 702 tonnes of fodders and 195 tonnes of wheat.

On Monday, 24 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed the entry of 624 tonnes of fodders and 156 tonnes of wheat

Empty Plastic Containers Returned to Israel via Karm Abu Salem

On Tuesday, 18 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed 5 truckloads of empty plastic containers to be returned via Karm Abu Salem.

On Wednesday, 19 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed 3 truckloads of empty plastic containers to be returned via Karm Abu Salem.

On Thursday, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed 3 truckloads of empty plastic containers and a truckload of oxygen tubes to be returned via Karm Abu Salem.

On Sunday, 23 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed 5 truckloads of empty plastic containers and a truckload of cartons of wood to be returned via Karm Abu Salem.

On Monday, 24 February 2014, Israeli forces allowed 3 truckloads of empty plastic containers and a truckload of oxygen cylinders to be returned via Karm Abu Salem.

Beit Hanoun (“Erez”) crossing, in the north of the Gaza Strip, is dedicated for the movement of individuals, and links the Gaza Strip with the West Bank.

Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the reporting period, Israeli forces imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians:

Hebron: Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 07:00 on Thursday, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. At approximately 07:30, they established another checkpoint at the entrance of Sa’ir village, northeast of Hebron. At approximately 15:00, another checkpoint was established at the northern entrance of Hebron. All checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 07:00 on Friday, 21 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the northern entrance of Hebron. At approximately 17:00, another checkpoint was established at the entrance of Ezna, west of Hebron. The two checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 07:30 on Saturday, 22 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of Halhoul, north of Hebron. At approximately 15:00, another checkpoint was established at the entrance of al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of the city. The two checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 23 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. Around the same time, they established another checkpoint at the entrance of Beit ‘Aynoun village, east of the city. The two checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 07:30 on Monday, 24 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of the city. Around the same time, another checkpoint was established on the main road between Yatta and al-Samou’a village, south of the city. At approximately 16:00, they established a similar checkpoint at entrance of Ezna village (al-Liyah Triangle). All checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 07:00 on Tuesday, 25 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. At approximately 15:00, another checkpoint was established at the entrance of Kharsa village, south of Dura southwest of the city. The two checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

Ramallah: Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 09:30 on Thursday, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the northern entrance of Birzeit, north of Ramallah. At approximately 17:30, they established another checkpoint at the entrance of Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah. The checkpoint was later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 09:30 on Friday, 21 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Abod village, northwest of Ramallah. At approximately 11:00, a similar checkpoint was established another checkpoint at the entrance of al-Tibah village, northeast of the city. At approximately 18:30, they established another checkpoint at the entrance of Beit ‘Aor al-Foqa village, southwest of Ramallah. All checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 22 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Kafr ‘Ein village, northwest of Ramallah. The checkpoint was later removed, and no arrests were reported.

Qalqilya: Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 13:30 on Thursday, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the western entrance of Amatin village, northeast of Qalqilya. At approximately 18:00, a similar checkpoint was established at the entrance of Jeet village, northeast of the city. The Israeli soldiers stationed at the checkpoint arrested Sa’adi Kamal Dawoud ‘Aqel, from Tulkarm and Rami Shbeitah from ‘Azoun village, who are both military men at the Palestinian Police and Intelligence, and later released them. No other arrests were reported.

At approximately 14:50 on Friday, 21 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on Qalqilya-Tulkarm road. At approximately 18:45, Israeli forces established another checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Azoun village, east of the city. The two checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 10:30 on Saturday, 22 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. At approximately 19:15, another checkpoint was established at the eastern entrance of ‘Azoun village, east of Qalqilya. At approximately 21:30, they established a similar checkpoint between the villages of ‘Azoun and Kafr Tholoth. All checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 15:50 on Monday, 24 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint between the villages of ‘Ezbet Salman and ‘Azoun ‘Etmeh, southeast of Qalqilya. The checkpoint was later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 20:30 on Tuesday, 25 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Jinsafout village, east of Qalqilya. At approximately 15:00, they established another checkpoint under the bridge of ‘Azoun village on Tulkarm-Qalqilya Road. The two checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

Salfit: Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 14:00 on Monday, 24 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint between the southern entrance of Kafl Haris and Haris village, north of Salfit. At approximately 16:40, another checkpoint was established at the northern entrance of al-Zawiyah village, northwest of Salfit. The two checkpoints were removed, and no arrests were reported.

Jericho: Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 11:00 on Thursday, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint on al-Mo’arjat Road between Jericho and Ramallah. The checkpoint was later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 09:00 on Friday, 21 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint near the entrance of al-Zbeidat village, north of Jericho. At approximately 17:00, another checkpoint was established near the southern entrance of Jericho. At approximately 18:30, a similar checkpoint was established near the entrance of Marji Na’ajah village, north of the city. All checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were reported.

At approximately 09:30 on Saturday, 22 February 2014, Israeli forces established near the entrance of Fasayel village, north of Jericho. At approximately 15:30, another checkpoint was established near the southern entrance of the city. The two checkpoints were later removed, and no arrests were removed.

Arrests near the borderline between the Gaza Strip and Israel

On Thursday evening, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces stationed at the borderline with Israel in the northern Gaza Strip arrested 3 Palestinian civilians while they were trying to pass the border in order to enter into Israel to work there. The arrested were identified as: ‘Atta Yousif Hasan Fayyad (18); Mohammed Subhi Hasan Fayyad (20); and Yosri Ghassan Jebril al-‘Ajrami (19), all from Block 5 in Jabalia refugee camp. According to Yousif Fayyad, he lost his son ‘Atta and his nephew Mohammed on the aforementioned Thursday, and they did not come back home. They left in the early morning, and none knew where they were till he received a call on his cell phone from the Israeli police telling him that his son and his nephew are under arrest after passing the northern borders of the Gaza Strip. He added that they were being held in Eshkol prison and that they needed legal assistance. The family of al’Ajrami said that they received a call from the Israeli police telling them that their son is arrested by Israeli authorities and he is now in Eshkol prison, so they have to hire a lawyer for him.

Arrests and Maltreatment at military checkpoints

At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 21 February 2014, Israeli forces stationed at the entrance of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, arrested Sakher Hisham Khalil Abu Mariyah (23) after detaining the vehicle he uses for public transportation at the checkpoint established at the entrance of the village. He was taken to a military jeep and then to an unknown destination.

At approximately 14:00 on Saturday, 22 February 2014, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. They arrested Sharaf Dawoud ‘Aqel (25), a Palestinian police officer from Kafr Qadoum and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 20:15 on the aforementioned day, Israeli forces established a checkpoint in the centre of Beit Fojjar near the village clinic, southeast of Bethlehem. They arrested two children while passing by the area and took them to an unknown destination. The arrested were identified as Mohammed Anwar Taqatqa (16) and Shahin Mustafa Shahin (14).

At approximately 15:00 on Sunday, 23 February 2014, Israeli forces deployed in the old city neighborhoods in central Hebron arrested Ma’moun ‘Adel al-Fakhouri (29) claiming that he has a knife. They took him to “Karyat Arbaa’” police station, east of the city.

At approximately 13:00 Monday, 24 February 2014, Israeli forces travelling in a military jeep near al-Sawiyah School on the main road, east of Nablus, arrested ‘Issa Yousif Abu ‘Antar (18) and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 15:00 on the same day, Israeli forces deployed in the old city neighbourhoods in Hebron arrested Bader Fadel Abu Madi (25) and Tamer Mansour al-Rajabi (20) under the pretext of not obeying Israeli soldiers’ orders and took him to an unknown destination.

At approximately 14:00 on Tuesday, 25 February 2014, Israeli forces stationed at Checkpoint 160 established at the entrance of al-Rajabi neighbourhood in the centre of the old city in central Hebron arrested ‘Amer Wajih al-Rajabi (16) and took him to “Ja’abrah” police station in the centre of the old city.

Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property

Attacks carried out by Israeli forces

At approximately 09:00 on Thursday, 20 February 2014, Israeli forces backed by 3 military vehicles and accompanied by vehicles from the Construction and Organization Department in the Israeli Civil Administration moved into Ezna village, west of Hebron. They stationed in Abu Rishah area, west of the village, and the Construction and Organization officer handed civilians 3 notices to halt construction work in their own structures under the pretext of having no construction permit in the areas classified as “C” according to the 1993 Oslo Agreement.

The notices included the following:

A 200-square-meter under-construction house comprised of 2 floors; a 150-square-meter tin barrack; and another 200-sqaure-meter barrack used for collecting scrap belonging to Mohammed ‘Azmi Abu Jheishah;
A 150-sqaure-meter tin barrack and another one of 250 square meters for collecting scrap belonging to ‘Arafat Yousif Abu Jheishah;
A 300-square-meter tin barrack for grazing sheep belonging to Sofian Mohammed Abu Jheishah; and
A 60-square-meter tent for collecting scrap belonging to Sofian Mohammed Daraghmah.

At approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 25 February 2014, Israeli forces accompanied by an officer from the Construction and Organization Department in the Israeli Civil Administration moved into Beit Loqaya, southwest of Ramallah. They stationed near the field of Beit Loqaya Union Club and patrolled to take pictures for the barracks, wedding hall and steel factory in the area. The Israeli Civil Administration officer handed a notice bearing number 160428 to halt construction in a 200-square-meter barrack built of bricks and shaders and roofed with tin. The barrack is used as a popular café belonging to Rami Shehadah ‘Asi (26).

At approximately 13:30 on Monday, 26 February 2014, Israeli forces leveled Palestinian lands belonging to Mesleh Nayef Soliman al-Deek in Kafr Deek village in Deir Abu Sam’aan area, west of Salfit, in order to establish a road to “Lishim” outpost. Civilians managed to force the Israeli bulldozers to stop temporarily working after skirmishing with the Israeli forces. Israeli forces have been leveling the area for four years. However, in the evening of the aforementioned day, Israeli bulldozers levelled this land in order to annex it to the aforementioned outpost. The owners of the targeted lands in that area previously headed to the Israeli courts to submit the papers proving their ownership, no decision has been issued in this regard.

“Lishim” outpost, west of Salfit, and established on the lands of Kafr al-Deek and Deir Ballout, started with new settlement units surrounding the “Deir Sam’aan” archaeological site, which is sculpted in rocks and a big part of it is located under earth. It’s been there for 1600 years and belongs to the Byzantine civilization. The site also includes presses of oil and grape, water wells, arcs, and mosaic as well as a Roman Church. Israeli forces ignored the Israeli courts’ decisions and levelled lands confiscated by the court’s decision. Of these lands is a land belonging to Shuhrat Mustafa Salman al-Deek, and Israeli forces kept working in it despite the decision issued for the interest of the aforementioned civilian. Israeli forces till now have levelled around 4 kilometres between the villages of Kafr al-Deek and Deir al-Ballut for the inetrest of “’Ali Zihaf” settlement and “Lishim” outpost, and they are still working on annexing much more lands.

Attacks carried out by settlers

At approximately 08:00 on Saturday, 22 February 2014, a number of settlers from “Beit ‘Ein” settlement established on the Palestinian lands confiscated from the west of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, threw stones at and insulted Mohammed ‘Abdel Hamid al-Sleibi (78) and his sons while working in their land in Abu al-Rish area, west of the village. As a result, they were forced to flee for fear of their lives.

At approximately 13:50 on the same day, a group of settlers from “Jel’aad” settlement attacked the residents of Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya, after the residents planted olive seedlings in their lands adjacent to the aforementioned settlement. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, when farmers finished planting the seedlings, around 100 settlers attacked the farmers and chased them into the village. They smashed the windows of a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Yousif al-Sakhen and the windows of a vehicle belonging to ‘Awni Nassar. They also attacked a vehicle belonging to Nasim ‘Abdel Qader al-Sedah and smashed its windows. They then raided a house belonging to the family of Sami Ahmed ‘Erman and attacked his family members with sticks who as a result escaped from the house. The village residents attempted to confront the settlers’ attack and get them out of the village. Meanwhile, Israeli forces moved into the village and fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the civilians forcing them to get in their houses in order to evacuate settlers from the village.

Merwan Yamin, from the Jeet village council, said to a PCHR fieldworker:

“On Saturday afternoon, 22 February 2014, members of an agricultural association in Nablus called to inform us that they will visit the council. At approximately 13:30, the association members arrived carrying 50 olive seedlings and then we headed with some civilians and distributed the seedlings in 3 areas. Once we finished planting in the land of Mahmoud Mohammed Nasser, which is about 200 meters away from Jel’ad settlement, the settlers attacked us. We immediately fled away to avoid skirmishing with them, but they chased us in their vehicles. They stormed the village and started attacking houses and vehicles. They also smashed the windows of the houses and cars and raided houses and attacked families so it was like war. The civilians attempted to confront this attack and held sticks. They were chasing settlers when Israeli forces arrived to support them and get them safely out of the village.”

At approximately 14:00 on the same day, a group of settlers under intensive protection of Israeli forces stormed the old city markets in central Hebron. The settlers threw stones at shops and verbally abused civilians. The old city in Hebron has recently witnessed increasing violence perpetrated by settlers living in the outposts of “Beit Romamo” and “Beit Hadasa”.

At approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 23 February 2014, a group of settlers headed by Baroukh Marzel from “Ramat Yishai” outpost established on the lands confiscated from Tal al-Ramidah neighborhood in central Hebron stormed the old city markets under heavy guard of the Israeli forces. The settlers gathered near the intersection of al-Sahlah Street and attempted to stop the Palestinian workers from carrying out rehabilitation works in one of the shops, which belong to Ghassan ‘Ezz al-Deen Abu Hadid. The settlers pushed the workers and tried to attack them, and a number of them put obstacles in front of the entrance of a shop to prevent the entry of the building materials.

Recommendations to the International Community

PCHR emphasizes the international community’s position that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation, in spite of Israeli military redeployment outside the Gaza Strip in 2005. PCHR further confirms that Israeli forces continued to impose collective punishment measures on the Gaza Strip, which have escalated since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, in which Hamas won the majority of seats of the Palestinian Legislative Council. PCHR stresses that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and the international humanitarian law, especially the Hague Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land and the Geneva Conventions. Israel is bound to apply the international human rights law and the law of war sometime reciprocally and other times in parallel in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for victims.

In light of continued arbitrary measures, land confiscation and settlement activities in the West Bank, and the continued aggression against civilians in the Gaza Strip, PCHR calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention and the European Union – in the context of their natural obligation to respect and enforce the international law – to cooperate and act according to the following recommendations:

PCHR calls upon the international community and the United Nations to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination, through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine;

PCHR calls upon the United Nations to provide international protection to Palestinians in the oPt, and to ensure the non-recurrence of aggression against the oPt, especially the Gaza Strip;

PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to compel Israel, as a High Contracting Party to the Conventions, to apply the Conventions in the oPt;

PCHR calls upon the Parties to international human rights instruments, especially the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to pressurize Israel to comply with their provisions in the oPt, and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the concerned committees;

PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfil their obligation to ensure the application of the Conventions, including extending the scope of their jurisdiction in order to prosecute suspected war criminals, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator and the place of a crime, to pave the way for prosecuting suspected Israeli war criminals and end the longstanding impunity they have enjoyed;

PCHR calls on States that apply the principle of universal jurisdiction not to surrender to Israeli pressure to limit universal jurisdiction to perpetuate the impunity enjoyed by suspected Israeli war criminals;

PCHR calls upon the international community to act in order to stop all Israeli settlement expansion activities in the oPt through imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements and criminalizing trading with them;

PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly to transfer the Goldstone Report to the UN Security Council in order to refer it to the International Criminal Court in accordance with Article 13(b) of the Rome Statute;

PCHR calls upon the United Nations to confirm that holding war criminals in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a precondition to achieve stability and peace in the regions, and that peace cannot be built on the expense of human rights;

PCHR calls upon the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council to explicitly declare that the Israeli closure policy in Gaza and the annexation wall in the West Bank are illegal, and accordingly refer the two issues to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel to compel it to remove them;

PCHR calls upon the international community, in light of its failure to the stop the aggression on the Palestinian people, to at least fulfil its obligation to reconstruct the Gaza Strip after the series of hostilities launched by Israel which directly targeted the civilian infrastructure;

PCHR calls upon the United Nations and the European Union to express a clear position towards the annexation wall following the international recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, as the annexation wall seizes large parts of the State of Palestine;

PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that both sides must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel, and the EU must not ignore Israeli violations and crimes against Palestinian civilians;

PCHR calls upon the Palestinian leadership to sign and accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Geneva Conventions, and calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, to encourage the State of Palestine to accede to international human rights law and humanitarian law instruments.

This report documents the impact of the ongoing Israel-imposed siege on Palestinian civilians, which affects their economic and social conditions. This report also reveals the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, including the shortages of most commodities due to the decrease of imports to the Gaza Strip through the tunnels on the Palestinian-Egyptian border. Thus, this report exposes the real conditions of the Gaza population and the Israeli closure imposed on all Gaza’s crossings for 7 years. It refutes Israel’s claims that it has eased the closure of the Gaza Strip. The following are the most significant developments relevant to Gaza’s border crossings during the reporting period 01 – 31 March 2014:

The full report is available online at:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/2014/closure_up_march.pdf

One of the key obstacles to permanent Israeli control of the West Bank is the presence of Palestinians in it. Unable to physically move them or have them leave voluntarily, Israel has over the years deployed an administrative process that is called “transfer.” The basic foundation of this racist policy is to have administrative policies that “encourage” Palestinians to voluntarily leave and make it very difficult for them to return.

Until the Palestinian National Authority was established in 1993, Israelis used a permit system to carry out this policy. When one left for work or school, a time-based permit was issued. If one overstayed one’s permit, one risked forfeit of the right to return. Now that the Palestinian government issues passports, this practice has lost some of its impact. However, it still applies and as a result continues to subject Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, whose city residency can be revoked after an absence of more than seven years. The demographic reason behind the Israeli “transfer” policy is very clear, although rarely publicly declared. Right-wing Israeli minister Rahavam Zeeve is the exception, as he publicly pronounced his support for transfer.

This politically motivated Israeli policy to gradually reduce the number of Palestinians in the West Bank has been exposed in terms of movement of people from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. A joint report by two Israeli human rights organizations details how this demographic policy is carried out. B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, and Hamoked, the Center for the Defence of the Individual, in January issued a report titled “So near and yet so far: Implications of Israeli-Imposed Seclusion of [the] Gaza Strip on Palestinians’ Right to Family Life.”

This joint report takes the Israeli court to task for facilitating the Israeli policy that is based on this demographic policy aimed at gradually empting the West Bank of its Palestinian residents. How does Israel use demographics in its Gaza policy?

The residency address on the Palestinian ID card is a determinant factor. Even though the Oslo Accord considered the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to be one single political unit, Israel does not honor this. If one’s address is in the Gaza Strip, one is not allowed to live in the West Bank and vice versa. However, the report shows that Israel allows West Bank residents to change their address to one in the Gaza Strip, but makes it next to impossible for Gazans to change their address to one in the West Bank.

Under external pressure from the world soccer body FIFA, in 2008, Israel allowed Gaza soccer player Suleiman Obeid to move to the West Bank for training with the Palestinian national team. However, his wife and two children were not allowed to join him. Five years later, Obeid quit soccer to be reunited with his family. Obeid was not only barred from visiting his wife and children, but when his mother became ill he was not allowed to visit her. She later died without him having a chance to see her. Obeid, one of 27 cases mentioned in the report, spoke emotionally about his ordeal. “Wanting to hug your baby and play with him, or thinking about sleeping with your wife or having more kids … these are basic needs,” Obeid said, “[but] you can’t do that because Israel doesn’t want you to do that.”

This Israeli policy has been regularly supported by Israeli high court decisions in which it accepted without challenge the Israeli government’s justification for keeping Palestinian families divided.

Human Rights Watch slammed Israel’s high-court decisions that do not accept the right of married couples to live together as a human right. In a statement back in 2012, Human Rights Watch said that Israel’s high court has “veered” from its international obligations.

“With these rulings, Israel’s highest court has seriously veered off course in serving as a final bastion for upholding human rights,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

The two Israeli human rights organizations exposed this discriminatory policy in a powerful way and made specific reference to the Israeli Ministry of Justice for its role in the perpetuation of guidelines that are solely based on demographic racist goals. Ironically, there has been little if any attempts by Palestinian negotiators to address it, even though the head of the Israeli negotiating team, Tzipi Livni, is herself the minister of justice.

*Daoud Kuttab is a columnist for Al-Monitor’s Palestine Pulse. A Palestinian journalist and media activist, he is a former Ferris Professor of journalism at Princeton University and is currently the director-general of Community Media Network, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing independent media in the Arab region. On Twitter: @daoudkuttab

A new report funded and supported by the UK government that accuses Israel of violating international law with its treatment of Palestinian child detainees was launched in London by a high-profile group of human rights lawyers on Tuesday.

The report says Israel is in violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on at least six counts and of the Fourth Geneva Conventionon at least two counts. It lays bare the system of legal apartheid Israel maintains in Palestine.

But there is pessimism in some quarters that the report’s recommendations will be implemented. The document has been criticized as “toothless” by a prominent Palestinian human rights activist.

“Children in Military Custody” was funded and backed by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and written by an ad hoc group including a former attorney general, a former court of appeal judge and several prominent attorneys known as QCs. The delegation visited Palestine in September and met with Palestinian, Israeli and international nongovernmental organizations, British diplomats and a wide range of Israeli government and military officials.

The report details the military law Israel applies to all Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including children, and how it differs from the civilian law applied toIsraeli settlers who live in the same territory. It states there it was “uncontested [by Israel] that there are major differentials between the law governing the treatment of Palestinian children and the law governing treatment of Israeli children.”

Unequal treatment of children

At the heart of the report are three core recommendations to the Israeli government: start applying international law to the West Bank (which Israel refuses to do), the best interests of the child should come first and, crucially, that Israel “should deal with Palestinian children on an equal footing with Israeli children.”

Israel currently applies two separate and unequal systems of laws in the West Bank. Palestinians are subject to a harsh military regime in which Israeli army officers and police, arrest, interrogate, judge and sentence, while Israeli settlers colonizing the West Bank are subject to Israeli civilian law.

These systematic inequalities include: the minimum age for Palestinian children to receive a custodial sentence is 12, but for Israelis it is 14; Palestinian children have no right to have a parent present during interrogation, while Israeli children generally do.

The most stark inequalities are evident in the time it takes for the two systems to work. Palestinian children could have to wait up to eight days before being brought before a judge, while Israeli children have a right to see one within 24 hours; Palestinian children can be detained without charge for 188 days, while for Israelis the limit is 40.

In a press release about the report, Council for Arab-British Understanding director Chris Doyle describes witnessing in Palestine “nothing less than a kangaroo court that does nothing to improve Israel’s security while criminalizing an entire generation of Palestinian children.”

Children kept in solitary confinement

Drawing on their meetings with nongovernmental organizations such as Defence for Children International-Palestine Section, the authors detail the shocking treatment of Palestinian children at the hands of Israeli soldiers.

Arrested in nighttime raids, Palestinian children are often physically and verbally abused, brought before adult military courts, shackled, given little choice than taking a plea bargain, and can be sentenced to as many as 20 years for “crimes” as trivial as stone throwing. Some are even kept in solitary confinement, according to DCI.

When Palestinian children file complaints about their abuse at the hands of Israeli soldiers, they are almost always ignored. Israeli occupation authorities were able to give to the delegation “only one example of a complaint being upheld.” The authors report that there are “a significant number of allegations of physical and emotional abuse of child detainees by the military which neither the complaints system nor the justice system is addressing satisfactorily.”

The report compiles some shocking statistics. As many as 94 percent of Palestinian children arrested in the West Bank are denied bail, according to nongovernmental organizations. Some 97-98 percent of such cases end with a plea bargain, meaning they go to jail without even reaching the trial stage (as flawed as military courts are).

A key conclusion reached by the report’s authors is that Israel is in breach of articles of UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) that prohibit: national or ethnic discrimination; ignoring a child’s best interests; the premature resort to detention, imprisonment and trial alongside adult prisoners; preventing prompt access to lawyers and the use of shackles.

While the report notes “the International Court of Justice’s 2004 Advisory Opinion [on Israel’s wall in the West Bank] which concludes categorically that the UNCRC is applicable in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” Israeli officials the delegation met with refused to recognize this.

“Every Palestinian child a ‘potential terrorist’ ”

“In our meetings with the various Israeli Government agencies, we found the universal stance by contrast was that the Convention has no application beyond Israel’s own [pre-1967] borders,” the authors write, noting their disagreement.

They emphasize: “[t]he population of the West Bank is within the physical power and control of Israel, and Israel has effective control of the territory. Our visit dispelled any doubts we might have had about this.”

In its conclusions, the report notes that this refusal to fulfill its international law obligations with respect to Palestinian children probably “stems from a belief, which was advanced to us by [an Israeli] military prosecutor, that every Palestinian child is a ‘potential terrorist.’”

Questions about report’s future

Renowned Palestinian writer, activist and academic Ghada Karmi was at the report’s launch on Tuesday. She asked the panel if it would be doing a follow-up visit, or monitoring implementation of the report’s recommendations.

The answer was less than conclusive, with co-author Greg Davies saying they would have to “wait and see” what the Israeli government’s response would be. He later spoke to The Electronic Intifada over the phone about the report’s future: “the format in which that follow-up work takes place, I don’t know at this stage, it’s too early to tell … I’m committed to seeing as far as it’s possible these recommendations coming into effect. If that requires further work I’m prepared to organize that.”

Karmi later told The Electronic Intifada that the report is “toothless in the end” because there is no way to compel Israel to comply.

“Palestinians are fed up of being studied,” she said. What they really want to know is “how will I get help to end” the abuses of the military occupation. Karmi did however conclude the report was a good thing and the delegation was a “very interesting mission” because it was backed by the foreign office, who could not be accused of anti-Israel bias in the same way that Israel has managed to taint UN missions with “the usual slanders.”

UK government approached report’s authors

Lawyer Greg Davies was responsible for putting the ad hoc delegation together. He told The Electronic Intifada that while he was doing so, he was approached by the British Consulate in Jerusalem, who offered government funding. Davies replied in the affirmative, but on condition that the group be independent.

In response to such criticisms as Karmi’s, Davies said: “there have been a number of [such] reports submitted… those reports have largely gone unanswered [by Israel] … it was that lack of response that prompted this.”

“There isn’t an enforceability as such without the political will, and that’s where our remit stops,” he said, pointing to an Early Day Motion on the report tabled in parliament Wednesday. EDM 280 welcomes the report and “asks the Foreign Secretary to make a statement to the House [of Commons] setting out his proposals for persuading Israel to comply in practice with international law relating to the treatment of children.” Davies said of the EDM “we welcome that and are hugely encouraged by that.”

Advancing the debate

The Palestine section of Defence for Children International, through its reports and its meetings with the delegation, is one of the most quoted sources in the report. DCI-PS spokesperson Gerard Horton admitted to The Electronic Intifada that the report’s recommendations “won’t end the abuse,” but argued that some of them “will make it very difficult for the military court system to function effectively” if they were implemented.

He wrote in an email that the report’s list of forty recommendations include those DCI-PS have been demanding for years (parents present during interrogation; prompt access to a lawyer; audio-visual recording of interrogations; and an end to forcible transfer of children to prisons inside Israel in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention).

Horton also highlighted the high profile of the report’s authors and backers: “the importance of this report is who wrote it … before real change can occur the debate has to become mainstream. People in the center and center-right have to start taking an interest and expressing a concern. To my mind this report goes some way to advancing that by helping to shift the debate to the center.”

“Justice is not a negotiable commodity”

Among the report’s forty specific recommendations are: an end to night arrests, an end to blindfolding and shackling, observing the prohibition on “violent, threatening or coercive” conduct, the presence of a parent during interrogation and “[c]hildren should not be required to sign confessions” in Hebrew, since they do not understand it.

The report notes that since the delegation’s visit, a new military order has upped to 18 the age at which Palestinian children can be tried as adults. Previously, it had been 16 (then another inequality with Israeli children who are treated as children until 18).

But there are concerns this change has been rendered void in practice. While welcoming the change, the report expresses concern “that the change does not appear to apply to sentencing provisions.”

Seemingly deliberate loopholes in the law means that “adult sentencing provisions still apply to 16 [and] 17 year olds” and that children 14-17 years old can be sentenced as adults when the maximum penalty for the offense is five years or more. The maximum penalty for throwing stones (the most common offense) ranges from 10 to 20 years,

Asked by The Electronic Intifada at the Tuesday launch why there were no specific recommendations in the report to end this inequality, Judy Khan QC said it was covered by core recommendation three, which calls for an end to the current inequalities between Israeli and Palestinian child detainees.

In their meetings with the delegation, the Israeli Ministry of Justice “described [such changes] as conditional on there being no significant unrest or ‘third intifada.’” The report objects: “[a] major cause of future unrest may well be the resentment of continuing injustice … justice is not a negotiable commodity but a fundamental human right.”

Sharp rise in child detainees

Sir Stephen Sedley, a former Lord Justice — senior appeal judge — underlined at Tuesday’s launch that there has been a 40 percent rise in child detainees since their visit in September, so the problem has only got worse since they returned to the UK.

While the report seems to have received some media coverage in the UK, it yet remains to be seen what practical impact it will have. More fundamentally, it does not call for an end to the occupation, considering political solutions beyond the authors’ mandate. It does note however that: “We have no reason to differ from the view of Her Majesty’s Government and the international community that these [Israeli] settlements [in the West Bank] are illegal. For the purposes of this report however we treat them, like the occupation, as a fact.”

But the question remains: a fact for how much longer?

Asa Winstanley is an investigative journalist from London who has lived and reported from occupied Palestine. His website is www.winstanleys.org.

Key issues

● At least 180 Palestinian-owned trees vandalized by Israeli settlers.

● 23 Palestinian-owned structures demolished in area C and east Jerusalem due to lack of permits, displacing around 30 people, including 18 children.

● Rafah Crossing between Gaza and egypt re-opens for two days for limited cases; thousands on waiting lists to leave.

During the reporting period, 42 Palestinians, including 11 children, were injured by Israeli forces in multiple clashes that took place across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Among those injured; 18 were shot with rubber-coated metal bullets, 14 were treated for tear gas inhalation, six were physically assaulted, and three were shot with live ammunition. A total of 16 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the course of search-and-arrest operations in Nablus and Salfit cities, ‘Asira al Qibliya (Nablus) and Abu Dis (Jerusalem) villages, and Silwan neighborhood (East Jerusalem). A total of 76 search-and-arrest operations were conducted during the week, slightly below the weekly average since the beginning of the year (91). In addition, 12 Palestinians were injured in weekly demonstrations against the expansion of Qedumim (Qalqiliya) and Halamish (Ramallah) settlements and against the Barrier in Bil’in village (also in Ramallah). Six other Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces deployed at a flying checkpoint at one of the entrance to the Al ‘Isawiya neighborhood in East Jerusalem on 4 May. Checkpoints at this site are regularly deployed by the Israeli police, disrupting the access of people to services and places of work.

Four settler attacks were recorded this week, all of which resulted in damage to Palestinian property with no reports of Palestinians injuries. On the other hand, an Israeli woman and a child were injured in two separate incidents by Palestinians, who threw stones at the vehicles in which they were traveling on roads in the Ramallah governorate. Three of the incidents affecting Palestinians involved vandalism to at least 185 olive trees and seedlings, including at least 80 olive seedlings uprooted near Qedumim settlement (Qalqiliya); 54 trees uprooted near Bat ‘Ayin settlement (Bethlehem); and 46 trees cut down near Talmon settlement (Ramallah). Since the beginning of the year, over 6,700 trees have been damaged by settlers, compared to nearly 3,500 in the equivalent period of 2013.

The remaining incident that led to damage to property entailed stone-throwing at Palestinian vehicles driving near Kiryat Arba’ settlement in Hebron. In addition, more than five dunums of land were bulldozed by settlers from Havat Gal outpost in Hebron, reportedly to expand the outpost. More than 20 structures demolished in area c and east Jerusalem This week, the Israeli authorities demolished 21 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and two others in East Jerusalem, displacing 39 people, including 23 children, and affecting 20 others. Most of the Area C demolitions took place in Khirbet Tell al Khashabeh Bedouin community (Nablus) on 30 April, targeting three residential structures, four animal shelters, two water cisterns, the community’s mosque, and seven other structures used as toilets and kitchens. A total of 27 people, including 18 children were displaced. Two of the structures were provided by an international donor. Another house and a water cistern were demolished in the Jabal al Jouhar area in the old city of Hebron on 30 April, displacing a family of eight, including five children. On the same date, two recently constructed houses were also demolished in an Area C near Al ‘Arroub refugee camp in Hebron, affecting ten people, including six children. The two demolitions in East Jerusalem, both on 29 April, affected a residential caravan, displacing four people, and a zinc-roofed room made of bricks in At Tur. Clashes erupted between the residents of the caravan and Israeli forces, resulting in two Palestinian injuries. A number of demolition orders were also issued this week, affecting a house in Hebron and a water cistern and an animal shelter in Bethlehem. Last week (not reported), the Israeli authorities issued stop-work orders and demolition orders against five residential structures funded by international donors in the North Bir Nabalah Bedouin community (Jerusalem) and five others in Fasayil al Fauqa (Jordan Valley).

This week Gaza was relatively calm compared to the previous reporting period. Palestinian armed groups fired a number of rockets from Gaza at southern Israel, resulting in no injuries or damage. There were no reports of Israeli airstrikes. Shooting incidents by Israeli forces at Palestinians accessing the restricted area along Gaza’s perimeter fence continued. On 30 April, an 18-year old Palestinian civilian was injured when Israeli forces opened fire at a group of Palestinians collecting rubble in the vicinity of the former Erez Industrial Zone, northwest of Beit Hanoun. In addition, Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man while he was reportedly attempting to cross the fence into Israel to look for work, east of Al Bureij Camp on 4 May. Also, on at least four occasions this week, Israeli naval forces opened warning shots towards Palestinian fishing boats approaching or exceeding the six Nautical Mile fishing limit; no injuries were reported.

On 29 and 30 April, the Egyptian authorities re- opened Rafah crossing re-opened for humanitarian cases On 29 and 30 April, the Egyptian authorities re- opened Rafah Crossing in both directions for the entry and exit of humanitarian cases, including patients, students, and foreign passport and visa holders to third countries. Around 350 people entered Gaza and more than 1,600 left to Egypt and other countries. The crossing was last open for humanitarian cases between 29 and 31 March 2014; until the 29 April re-opening, the Egyptian authorities did not allow any Palestinians, including the four humanitarian categories, to cross into Egypt. The crossing was also open between 4 and 6 May, specifically for the exit and entry of pilgrims and Palestinians stranded on the Egyptian side of the crossing. During these three days, approximately 808 people left Gaza on pilgrimage and 554 people entered Gaza, most of whom were pilgrims. According to the Border and Crossing Authority in Gaza, despite the two-day limited opening, at least 5,000 are registered to cross into Egypt, mainly medical patients, students and holders of visa to third countries. The registration office closed while many more were queuing to register.

On 5 and 6 May, the Israeli authorities closed the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the only functional goods crossing between Gaza and Israel, due to Israeli holidays. On average, around 250 truckloads of goods including fuel, foods and medical supplies enter Gaza through Kerem Shalom every day. The impact of the closure of Kerem Shalom is exacerbated by the complete halt in the activity of the illegal tunnels between Egypt and Gaza, which were formerly used to smuggle construction materials for the private sector and subsidised Egyptian fuel. In addition to the shortage of fuel supply to the Gaza Power Plant (GPP), the closure of Kerem Shalom Crossing often leads to shortages of cooking gas and some food items such as dairy products and fruit among other essentials. The (GPP) continues to run two turbines out of four, producing around 60 megawatts (MWs). Recent weeks have seen a decline in the volume of fuel entering Gaza for the GPP through Kerem Shalom crossing as a result of the crossing closure due to Israeli holidays; since the beginning of April, around 349,000 litres of fuel have been delivered to the GPP per day (on average) compared to around 510,000 litres delivered daily during the second half of December 2013, when the Qatari Government started funding fuel for the GPP. This decline is primarily due to administrative challenges in the purchase of fuel by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah (which received the Qatari donation and delivers the fuel to Gaza), compounded by the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing during the Jewish/Israeli holidays. The GPP needs at least 600,000 liters of fuel per day in order to run at full capacity and produce around 120 MWs. According to the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO), the schedule of power cuts is currently up to 12 hours per day, forcing people to rely on unsafe methods to light their houses. According to Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, since 2012, 18 people, including 16 children and a woman, have been killed and 11 others, including 9 children injured in their houses in electricity-related incidents.

After the 1967 occupation, Israel enabled Palestinians to travel relatively freely between the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel. Residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip who married Israeli citizens or Israeli residents (i.e., East Jerusalem Palestinians with Israeli ID cards) could receive permanent residential status in Israel through the family unification process. This policy facilitated the renewal of family ties and the creation of new ties of marriage, work, etc.

However, once the first intifada began in late 1987, Israel started imposing restrictions on the freedom of movement of West Bank and Gaza Palestinians. At present, it is practically impossible for Palestinians to travel between the West Bank and Gaza. There is also absolutely no possibility for Gaza residents to receive official status in Israel or East Jerusalem and live there with a local spouse.

Israel’s restrictions on entering and exiting Gaza sentence family members to separation, and force mixed Gaza-West Bank or Gaza-Israel couples to live without a normal routine, governed by a host of bureaucratic constraints. Tens of thousands of people must live with this impossible reality in which the state infringes on the most intimate aspects of their lives through many procedures with strict criteria that are virtually impossible to meet. The most fundamental and apparently simple matters such as raising a family, living together with one’s partner and children and regular contact with the relatives of both partners, are rendered impossible and impracticable. All procedures for entering and exiting the Gaza Strip are contingent on security clearance. If Israeli authorities deny clearance – even if the alleged security concerns relate to a relative and not to the actual applicant – there is no possibility to enter or exit Gaza.

Passage between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Israel prohibits all passage between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, except in very few exceptional humanitarian cases of first-degree relatives involving serious illness, death or a wedding. Even then, not all requests are granted and some are granted too late to be relevant, such as requests to attend a wedding, a funeral or visit a sick relative in hospital.

Being married to a person from a different area is not a criterion that merits a permit for travel between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. As a rule, Israel does not allow Palestinians to register a change of address in their ID cards from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. As of 2007, Israel has considered Palestinians who live in the West Bank but are officially registered in Gaza to be “illegal aliens”, unless they receive a permit from the Civil Administration to be in the West Bank. Consequently, residents of Gaza who are found to be without permits in the West Bank may be expelled and sent back to Gaza. After Israel’s High Court of Justice intervened, Israel undertook not to expel persons who had moved from Gaza to the West Bank prior to September 2005, the date Israel’s Disengagement Plan from was Gaza was completed. As part of a diplomatic gesture of goodwill to the Palestinian Authority, the state also undertook to update retroactively the addresses of 5,000 Palestinians who were registered as residents of Gaza, despite many years’ of residence in the West Bank.

In practice, however, Israel did not fill this quota. Tens of thousands of Palestinians who live in the West Bank but are still registered as residents of Gaza must undergo bureaucratic procedures akin to immigration procedures before the military is prepared to recognize the “legality” of their presence in their homes, on their land. On the flip side, West Bank residents who want to move to the Gaza Strip to live with their Gazan spouses can do so easily, as long as they pledge they are relocating permanently to Gaza. Once they make such a pledge, they too may return to the West Bank to visit their families only under the extreme circumstances of death, illness, or the wedding of a first-degree relative.

Travel between the Gaza Strip and Israel

An Israeli government resolution ratified in 2008 effectively annulled the option of family unification by Gaza residents with their spouses in Israel, forcing such couples to live in the Gaza Strip or live apart. Couples who choose to live together in Gaza must comply with the “split family procedure”, which enables the Israeli partner to live in Gaza contingent on renewal of the permit every six months.

These permits are mostly granted to women. Although able to leave the Gaza Strip freely, these women can only file a request to return home to Gaza once in Israel. Processing the request may take weeks on end, and sometimes even longer during periods of high security alerts in Gaza. Consequently, many women are forced to stay in Israel, away from their spouses and children in Gaza. They must stay in Israel for much longer than they had planned and without knowing when they will return. The uncertainty and fear of prolonged separation from their families, especially in the case of women who are mothers, deter many women from leaving Gaza to visit their relatives in Israel. The split family procedure provides no arrangements for travel to Israel by children of women who have Israeli residency (of East Jerusalem). These children, who do not have Israeli residency status themselves, cannot enter Israel with their mothers and in practice Israel allows only children under the age of six to do so. Implications of Israel’s policy

In traditional Palestinian society, a wife is expected to move in with her husband’s family. Therefore, women are those primarily affected by the procedures that Israel has instituted. Women residents of Gaza who marry residents of the West Bank are forced to leave their families and familiar surroundings behind, with no option of returning for visits except in exceptional circumstances. Those who did not succeed in updating their addresses in the West Bank live in constant fear that they will be sent back to Gaza, away from their homes, spouses and children. Women residents of the West Bank who marry residents of Gaza face similar conditions, with the exception of being allowed by Israel to update their addresses. Women citizens and residents of Israel who marry residents of Gaza and wish to live with their spouses must relocate to Gaza. Then, every time they visit Israel, they are dependent on bureaucratic procedures of indeterminate length, during which time they are separated from their families in Gaza. The stringent procedures instated by Israel take an especially heavy toll on divorced women: going back to their families in Israel severs them from their children, as Islamic law grants custody to the father. Israel’s obligations

Israel operates under the premise that the right to family life does not include a couple’s right to choose where they wish to live, assigning that decision to the state. This premise holds true unless the couple chooses to live in Gaza, in which case the state respects their choice. Israel claims that this approach is grounded in the state’s exclusive authority to decide who is allowed to enter its territory, and on security concerns. Yet the fact that Israel freely allows Palestinians to relocate from the West Bank to Gaza for the purpose of living with a spouse renders the security argument questionable. As Israel allows such relocation with ease, it seems that the alleged security concerns may actually mask unacceptable demographic interests. In the absence of individual justification for such a grave violation of basic rights, this policy constitutes a breach of Israel’s obligations under international law. Moreover, Israel classifies the Gaza Strip “a hostile entity”, citing it as a collective security concern. This forms the basis for blanket prohibitions that do not balance security concerns with Palestinians’ rights to family life and to freedom of movement.

B’Tselem and HaMoked: Center of the Defence of the Individual call upon Israel to respect the right of all Palestinian residents to family life and to freedom of movement, and to allow them to choose where to live. When one spouse is a resident of the West Bank, the couple must be allowed free movement – subject to individual security checks – between Gaza and the West Bank, which constitute a single territorial unit. Israel must also enable residents of Gaza who marry Israeli citizens or residents to live with their spouses, and enable residents of Gaza to maintain regular family ties with relatives in Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Joinnt report by Hamoked and B’Tselem, January 2014

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Around 80,000 Palestinians in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) have been without water for more than three days, a report says.

According to the report by the Middle East Monitor publication on Saturday, the Israeli water company Gihon made the announcement on Friday.

“About 80,000 Palestinians in four Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem and its outskirts have been suffering from complete loss of water for three days,” the Israeli firm’s statement read.

The company said the reason for the cut in water supplies is the water infrastructure in the neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants at the Palestinian refugee camps of Su’fat, Ras Khamis and Ras Shihadeh, as well as al-Salam suburb, said they were experiencing complete lack of water for several days.

The residents said in a statement that tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and citizens have been without water in three neighborhoods since the beginning of the last week.

The statement blamed the Israeli water company, the only body that can supply water to East al-Quds, saying, “It started reducing water portions two weeks ago… And in the end it completely stopped the water.”

Khalid al-Khaldi, the deputy head of the popular committee in Su’fat refugee camp, said “There are about 23,000 Palestinian refugees and citizens in the camp and they have not had water for three days. In Ras Shihadeh, there has been no water for 20 days.”

Khaldi blamed the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) for the water problem.

NT/NN/AS

The outgoing Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard A. Falk, submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 5/1 his last report on the dire conditions under which the Palestinian people have to live. Falk’s final presentation addresses Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the wall in the eyes of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, and considers Israel’s policies and practices in Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in light of the prohibition on segregation and apartheid. It also addresses concern in relation to the deterioration of the human rights situation of Palestinians living under the Israeli blockade in the Gaza Strip.

The report focuses on the wall and the 2004 Advisory Opinion; Israeli colonies and the fragmentation of occupied Palestine, the besieged Gaza Strip, the Question of apartheid and segregation, concluding observations and recommendations. Falk regrets that Israel even refused minimal cooperation in the last six years. The Israeli government expelled Falk in December 2008 when he tried to enter Israel to fulfill his mission as a UN Special Rapporteur. “Such humiliating non-cooperation represents a breach of the legal duty of members of the United Nations to facilitate all official undertakings of the Organization.” There has been no protest of the U. S. or any Western nations that usually are to head the protest front wherever human rights violations occur, with the only exception of the State of Israel.

Regarding the wall and the UN advisory opinion of July 2004 Falk hints at the obligations of the UN member states to urge the Israeli government to bide by the ruling. “The Court stated that all States are obliged not to recognize the illegal situation arising from the wall, and that States parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 were obliged to ensure compliance by Israel with that Convention.” The International Court of Justice (ICJ) suggested that the United Nations, the General Assembly and the Security Council should consider further action to overcome this illegal situation.

Although 85 per cent of the planned route of the wall lies within the West Bank, and will cut off and isolate 9.4 per cent of the West Bank territory, including East Jerusalem and so-called No-Man’s land, the Israeli Ministry of Defense states that the “Security Fence” does not annex territories to the State of Israel, nor will it change the status of the residents of these areas. Israel pretends that the wall was built out of security reasons, however, the ICJ came to the conclusion that “the grave infringements of the rights of Palestinians caused by the wall in the OPT were not necessary to satisfy legitimate Israeli security requirements”. The wall inflicted further hardship to the residents of the OPT, especially hard hit are the people who are isolated from the rest of the West Bank. They are living under a strict permit regime and other restrictions. In addition, they are exposed to the whims and caprice of the border guards.

Richard Falk shows that the expansion of settler colonies continues unabated, in defiance of its international law obligations. The Israeli NGO, Peace Now, calls attention to “Bibi’s Settlements Boom”. Falk sees the settlement announcements as “provocative” because they were accompanied by the release of prisoners; or they were used to expose the Obama administration publicly. Special problems are the so-called outposts, which are considered also illegal by Israeli law.

According to Falk, the Israeli government does everything to change the demographic balance in East Jerusalem. “Israel actively seeks to undermine the Palestinian presence to serve its goal of preserving a Jewish majority in East Jerusalem.” The methods are to revoke the resident status and the right to live in East Jerusalem and to demolish houses. Since 1996, an estimated 11,023 Jerusalemites lost their right of residence in East Jerusalem, and from 2004 to 2013, 479 housing units were destroyed in East Jerusalem, displacing 1,892 Palestinians.

The hardest hit Palestinians live in the besieged Gaza Strip. Although Israel withdrew its occupying forces unilaterally from the Gaza Strip in 2005, this territory is still considered “occupied” by the United Nations. Israel has locked up not only 1.6 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, but it also controls the area on water, on land and from the air. No one can leave this open-air prison without a permit from the Israelis. The Special Rapporteur mentions also the military attack “Cast Lead” from December 2008 to January 2009, which killed 1,400 people and caused heavy damage on the infrastructure, and “Pillar of Defense” in November 2012.

Already Falk’s predecessor, John Dugard, recommended that the ICJ should be asked to assess whether the prolonged occupation possess elements of “colonialism”, “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing” inconsistent with international human rights law (IHL) in circumstances of belligerent occupation and the denial of the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people. Since no advisory opinion has been sought, Richard Falk discusses Israeli policies and practices, through the lens of the international prohibition upon ethnic discrimination, segregation, and apartheid. According to international law and all relevant conventions Israel met all the requirements of these three allegations.

The UN report mentions also the ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian detainees, and an UNICEF report, which Falk quotes, sates the same for children, too. Palestinian children are tried under military law, whereas Israeli law applies to Israeli children in the occupied territories. The report still counts a large number of further human rights violations by the Israeli occupying regime and speaks of a policy of “systematic oppression”.

Falk concludes: “Through prolonged occupation, with practices and policies of apartheid and segregation, ongoing expansion of settlements, and continual construction of the wall arguably amounting to de facto annexation of parts of the occupied Palestinian territory; the denial by Israel of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people is evident.” Israel’s violations of Palestinians human rights are “deliberate, organized, and institutionalized”, writes the Special Rapporteur.

Despite the devastating findings of the UN report on Palestine, the Abbas regime is still continuing the so-called peace talks. They might be dragging on till year’s end. The political result will be nil, and a possible “agreement” will be null and void because the Abbas men lack legitimacy. The Clique in Ramallah is not democratically elected, whereas the elected Prime Minister is “imprisoned” in Gaza. The only body, which has the right to negotiate with the Israeli government, is the Palestinian National Council (PNC) that could speak for all the Palestinians in the world. The PNC has to be reinstated by democratic elections, which will take a while. Until then, there must be no further “peace talks”.

– Dr. Ludwig Watzal works as a journalist and editor in Bonn, Germany. He runs the bilingual blog “between the lines”.

Israeli forces killed at least 15 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, most in circumstances that suggest the killings were unlawful. Israeli authorities destroyed homes and other property under discriminatory practices, forcibly displacing hundreds of Palestinian residents in West Bank areas under Israeli control, as well as hundreds of Bedouin citizens of Israel.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities took inadequate action against Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians and damaged their property in 361 incidents as of October 31, the United Nations reported. Israel imposed severe restrictions on Palestinians’ right to freedom of movement, continued to build unlawful settlements in occupied territory, and arbitrarily detained Palestinians, including children and peaceful protesters.

Israel, along with Egypt, impeded the rebuilding of Gaza’s devastated economy by blocking virtually all exports from Gaza.

Hamas authorities in Gaza executed three men in 2013 and sentenced 12 others to death after unfair trials. Security forces conducted arbitrary arrests and tortured detainees. The authorities permitted some local human rights organizations to operate, but suppressed political dissent, free association, and peaceful assembly.

In the West Bank, Palestinian Authority (PA) security services beat peaceful demonstrators, detained and harassed journalists, and arbitrarily detained hundreds. Credible allegations of torture committed by the PA’s security services persisted.

In July, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to resume final-status negotiations, facilitated by the United States.

Gaza Strip

Israel

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted occasional aerial attacks and ground incursions in Gaza. As of September 30, Israeli forces had killed three civilians in Gaza, according to the UN. They continued to shoot at Palestinian civilians in the “no-go” zone just inside Gaza’s northern and eastern borders and beyond six nautical miles from the shore, wounding farmers and fishermen.

Israel did not open any criminal investigations against members of its forces for wrongdoing during “Operation Pillar of Defense” in November 2012, during which aerial bombs and air-to-surface missiles killed scores of Palestinian civilians in attacks that apparently violated the laws of war. Hamas did not prosecute anyone for rocket launches by Palestinian armed groups unlawfully targeting Israeli population centers during the conflict that killed three Israeli civilians.

Palestinians from Gaza with complaints that Israeli forces had unlawfully killed their relatives were barred from traveling to Israeli courts to testify.

Blockade

Israel’s punitive closure of the Gaza Strip, particularly the near-total blocking of exports, continued to have severe consequences for the civilian population. Egypt also blocked all regular movement of goods at the crossing it controls, and imposed increased restrictions on the movement of people after the military-backed government came to power in July. More than 70 percent of Gaza’s 1.7 million people receive humanitarian assistance.

Israel allowed imports to Gaza that amounted to less than half of 2006 pre-closure levels. As of August 31, a monthly average of 78,810 tons of construction materials entered Gaza from Israel in 2013, as opposed to 174,212 tons per month before Israel imposed a closure following Hamas’s takeover, according to Gisha, an Israeli rights group.

In July, Egypt’s new military-backed government significantly tightened restrictions on the movement of Palestinians at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Sinai, citing attacks by armed groups in the Sinai against Egyptian security forces. The number of Gaza residents passing through the crossing fell from a monthly average of 20,000 earlier in 2013 to 6,281 in July, according to Gisha. Egypt did not permit regular imports or exports of goods through Rafah and destroyed or closed many of the tunnels beneath the border that have been used for smuggling, leading to increased prices and unemployment, particularly in the construction sector. Imports of construction materials through the tunnels fell to 1,500 tons per day in July, from 7,500 tons previously. As of September, Gaza was unable to build some 250 new schools needed to adequately serve the population, according to Gisha.

“No-Go” Zones

As part of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement after hostilities in November 2012, Israel agreed to reduce the “no-go” zones it imposed inside Gaza to lands within 100 meters of the Israeli perimeter fence. Yet as of July 2013, Palestinian farmers reported that Israeli forces continued to shoot at them at distances of up to 800 meters. As of September 30, Israeli forces had killed at least one Palestinian civilian in the “no-go” zones, according to the United Nations.

Israel eased its restrictions on Palestinian fishermen, allowing them to sail up to six nautical miles from shore rather than three miles as previously. From March to May 2013, Israel again extended the fishing restriction to the prior limit in response to rockets launched by Palestinian armed groups. The UN reported that Israeli navy forces shot at Palestinian fishermen in 95 incidents during the first half of the year, double the number in the previous six months, wounding five fishermen. The closures prohibited access to 70 percent of Gaza’s maritime area as recognized under international law.

Hamas and Palestinian Armed Groups

Palestinian armed groups launched 31 rockets into Israel as of November 19, causing no casualties, compared with 1,632 indiscriminate rocket attacks in 2012. The rockets launched by armed groups in Gaza cannot be accurately aimed at military objectives and amount to indiscriminate or deliberate attacks on civilians when directed at Israeli population centers.

On June 22, Hamas executed by hanging Emad Abu Ghalyon and Hossein al-Khatib, convicted in separate cases of “collaboration with the enemy.” Courts in Gaza have repeatedly accepted coerced confessions as evidence of guilt in other capital cases. In October, Hamas executed by hanging Hani Abu Aliyan, who was a child at the time of one of his two capital offenses. Abu Aliyan’s lawyer said that his client had confessed to that crime under torture.

Hamas took no apparent steps to arrest or prosecute gunmen who killed seven men for allegedly collaborating with Israel in 2012. At least six of the men had been sentenced to death but were appealing their sentences when the gunmen took them from detention centers and killed them. The faces of some of the gunmen were visible in photographs widely published in the media. Hamas’s armed wing claimed responsibility for the killings.

The internal security agency and Hamas police tortured or ill-treated 180 people as of October 31, according to complaints received by the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), a Palestinian rights body.

Hamas security forces arbitrarily summoned and detained civil society activists, university professors, and members of the rival Fatah political faction.

On July 25, the prosecutor general ordered the closure of the Gaza offices of the regional broadcaster al-Arabiya and the Ma’an News Agency, a Palestinian outlet, for news stories suggesting that Hamas supported Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. In November, Hamas allowed Ma’an to re-open and pledged to allow al-Arabiya to do so.

West Bank

Israel

The IDF fatally shot at least 15 Palestinian civilians including 3 children in the West Bank as of September 31, most in circumstances that suggest the killings were unlawful. In January, Israeli forces shot Samir `Awad, a 16-year-old student, in the back as he fled from soldiers who had hidden and surprised him as he approached the separation barrier near the secondary school in the village of Budrus. In August, Israeli forces used lethal force against residents of the Qalandia refugee camp after clashes erupted during an arrest raid, killing three, including Roubin Zayed, 34, shot from close range while walking to work.

In August, the Israeli military closed its investigation into the death of Bassem Abu Rahmeh, who died after a high-velocity IDF tear-gas canister hit him in the chest in 2009. Video recordings of the incident showed Israeli forces firing from a short distance directly at Abu Rahmeh, who was not throwing stones or near any demonstrators. The military said it had “insufficient evidence” to prosecute any soldier for his death.

In April, Israeli forces arrested and detained a Palestinian volunteer paramedic for assisting an injured protester at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel reported. Similar cases have been reported during other protests, violating international human rights law.

Israeli authorities took inadequate action against Israeli settlers who injured Palestinians and destroyed or damaged Palestinian mosques, homes, schools, olive trees, cars, and other property. As of October 31, the UN reported 361 such attacks in 2013.

Settlement Building and Discriminatory Home Demolitions

Construction work began on 1,708 settlement housing units during the first half of 2013, an increase of 70 percent over the number begun during the same period in 2012, according to Peace Now and Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. After US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in July, Israel advanced plans for around 3,000 more units as of September.

As of November 18, Israeli authorities demolished 561 Palestinian homes and other buildings in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), displacing 933 people. Israeli authorities demolished every structure in the Palestinian communities of Tel al-`Adassa, near Jerusalem, and Khillet Mak-hul, in the northern Jordan Valley, in August and September respectively.

Building permits are difficult or impossible for Palestinians to obtain in East Jerusalem or in the 60 percent of the West Bank under exclusive Israeli control (Area C), whereas a separate planning process readily grants settlers new construction permits. In October, following the suggestion of the High Court of Justice, the military decided to negotiate with 1,300 Palestinian residents of eight villages in an area designated as a military training zone rather than demolish their homes.

Freedom of Movement

Israel maintained onerous restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank, including checkpoints and the separation barrier. Settlement-related movement restrictions forced Palestinians to take time-consuming detours and restricted their access to agricultural land. In July, Israel opened a road to Hebron to Palestinians that had been closed for eight years.

Israel continued construction of the separation barrier around East Jerusalem. Some 85 percent of the barrier’s route falls within the West Bank rather than along the Green Line, isolating 11,000 Palestinians on the Israeli side of the barrier who are not allowed to travel to Israel and must cross the barrier to access livelihoods and services in the West Bank. Palestinian farmers in 150 communities on the West Bank side of the barrier were separated from their lands on the Israeli side, the UN reported.

Arbitrary Detention and Detention of Children

Israeli military authorities detained Palestinians who advocated nonviolent protest against Israeli settlements and the route of the separation barrier.

Israeli security forces continued to arrest children suspected of criminal offenses, usually stone-throwing, in their homes at night, at gunpoint; question them without a family member or a lawyer present; and coerce them to sign confessions in Hebrew, which they did not understand. The Israeli military detained Palestinian children separately from adults during remand hearings and military court trials, but often detained children with adults immediately after arrest.

As of September 30, Israel held 135 Palestinian administrative detainees without charge or trial, based on secret evidence. Israeli prison authorities shackled hospitalized Palestinians to their hospital beds after they went on long-term hunger strikes to protest their administrative detention.

Palestinian Authority

Complaints of torture and ill-treatment by West Bank PA security services persisted. The ICHR reported 126 complaints as of October 31.

PA security services and men in civilian clothes identified as security employees violently dispersed peaceful protests and arbitrarily detained protesters and journalists. The PA continued to ban the distribution of two pro-Hamas weekly newspapers in the West Bank.

Palestinian courts did not find any West Bank security officers responsible for torture, arbitrary detention, or prior cases of unlawful deaths in custody. To our knowledge, the PA did not prosecute officers for beating demonstrators in Ramallah on August 28.

Attacks by Palestinian civilians injured 60 settlers in the West Bank as of September 30, the UN reported. On April 30, a Palestinian civilian killed Eviatar Borovsky, a security guard from Yitzhar settlement. In July, an Israeli military court convicted a Palestinian man for the attack.

Palestinian governing authorities in the West Bank, as well as in Gaza, delegated jurisdiction over personal status matters such as marriage and divorce to religious courts. In practice, women seeking marriage and divorce suffered discrimination. Courts required Muslim women to obtain a male relative’s consent to marry and to obtain the husband’s consent to divorce except in limited cases.

Israel

Bedouin citizens of Israel who live in “unrecognized” villages suffered discriminatory home demolitions on the basis that their homes were built illegally. Israeli authorities refused to prepare plans for the communities or approve construction permits, and rejected plans submitted by the communities themselves, but retroactively legalized Jewish-owned private farms and planned new Jewish communities in the same areas.

In September, according to the Israeli rights group Adalah, the Interior Ministry stated that it had demolished 212 Bedouin homes in 2013 and that Bedouin themselves, under threat of heavy fines, demolished an additional 187 homes. In June, the Israeli parliament gave initial approval to a proposed law that would bar Bedouin from contesting home demolition orders in court or appealing zoning plans that discriminate against Bedouin communities, raising the likelihood of increased numbers of home demolitions. Government officials estimated that the law, if implemented, would displace 30,000 Bedouin.

There are an estimated 200,000 migrant workers in Israel. In March, the Supreme Court ruled that Israel’s Work Hours and Rest Law, which provides for overtime pay, does not apply to migrant workers, mostly from the Philippines, who work as live-in caregivers for ill or elderly Israelis. Many caregivers are indebted to recruiting agencies, beholden to a single employer for their livelihood, and unable to change jobs without their employer’s consent. A 2012 bilateral agreement with Thailand significantly reduced recruitment fees for Thai agricultural workers and made it easier for them to change employers.

Government policies restrict migrant workers from forming families by deporting migrants who marry other migrants while in Israel, or who have children there.

Around 60,000 African migrants and asylum seekers have entered Israel irregularly from Egypt since 2005; Israel’s almost-completed fence along its border with Egypt reduced new arrivals in 2013 to a few dozen. Israel continued to deny asylum seekers who entered the country irregularly the right to a fair asylum process and detained around 2,000 people, primarily Eritrean and Sudanese nationals. In June, the Ministry of Interior began to implement a “voluntary returns procedure” under which asylum seekers could “choose” to be deported, waiving their right to an asylum procedure, rather than remain in indefinite detention under the “anti-infiltration law.” Earlier, in May, Israel stated it had “voluntarily” deported around 500 Sudanese from detention and another 1,500 who had not been detained, and it later deported smaller groups of Eritreans through an undisclosed third country. The Supreme Court overturned the anti-infiltration law in September for violating the right to liberty under Israel’s Basic Law, and gave the government 90 days to review the cases of detainees.

Israel continued to delegate jurisdiction over marriage, divorce, and some other aspects of personal status to Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze religious courts. In practice, women seeking divorces suffered discrimination, such as refusal of divorce by state-funded Jewish religious courts without the husband’s consent in up to 3,400 cases per year, according to women’s rights groups. The government did not publish figures of spouses denied divorce but women were reportedly the vast majority.

Key International Actors

The US allocated US$3.1 billion in military aid to Israel in 2013 and $427 million in assistance to Palestinian security forces and economic support to the PA. In July, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to resume final-status negotiations, facilitated by the US.

In March 2013, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) stated that the “ball is now in the court of Palestine” to seek the court’s jurisdiction, after the UN General Assembly voted to recognize Palestine as a non-member observer state in 2012. Israel and the US reportedly pressured Palestinian leaders not to join the ICC, and the Canadian foreign minister threatened unspecified “consequences.”

The EU allocated €168 million (about $227 million) in direct financial support to the PA and €300 million ($406 million) in development and security sector support to the Palestinian territory for 2013.

Resource: Human Rights Watch

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International Reports

Unequal treatment of children

Children kept in solitary confinement

“Every Palestinian child a ‘potential terrorist’ ”

Questions about report’s future

UK government approached report’s authors

Advancing the debate

“Justice is not a negotiable commodity”

Sharp rise in child detainees