In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 17 – 23 February 2011, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 3 Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip this week. A Palestinian resistance activist was killed and 6 others and 3 civilian bystanders, including two children, were wounded by Israeli artillery shelling in Gaza City.Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinian workers were wounded. Israeli forces abducted 3 Palestinian fishermen in Khan Yunis.

Israeli forces continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded. Israeli forces abducted 15 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children, and two international human rights defenders.

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

Israeli forces conducted 47 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they abducted 10 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.

Israeli soldiers positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank abducted 6 Palestinian children, including 3 children. Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah. Israeli forces troops positioned at the Jaba’ and Qalandiya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have imposed additional restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks of Palestinian civilians.

During the reporting period, Israeli forces established a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 08:30 on Thursday, 17 February 2011, and at approximately 11:30 on the following day, Israeli forces re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 18:30 on Friday, 18 February 2011, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Sinjel village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

At approximately 11:15 on Saturday, 19 February 2011, Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 12:45 on the same day, Israeli forces re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

On Tuesday, 22 February 2011, Israeli forces established 4 checkpoints around Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 18:30 on Wednesday, 23 February 2011, Israeli forces established a checkpoint under ‘Ein Yabroud Bridge, northeast of Ramallah. At approximately 19:00, Israeli forces re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

Israeli settlement activities:

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

On 17 February 2011, Israeli forces stormed Khillat al-Furn area in the west of Bani Na’im village, southeast of Hebron. They demolished 3 water wells and an agricultural room located near bypass #60.

On 20 February 2011, Israeli settlers from ‘Kida’ settlement near Qasra village, south of Nablus, uprooted 200 olive seedlings and 70 olives trees in Qasra village.

On 22 February 2011, Israeli forces demolished 8 tents and shelters and destroyed two water wells in Sousia area in the south of Yatta town, south of Hebron.

Also on 22 February 2011, a number of Israeli settlers from ‘Bat Ain’ settlement to the northwest of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, uprooted at least 250 olive trees and seedlings.

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:

In the Gaza Strip, on 17 February 2011, Israeli forces killed 3 Palestinian civilians who were attempting to cross into Israel to search for jobs. Israeli forces fired artillery shells and gunshots at the victims. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli helicopters flew over the area and opened fire. Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers in the area opened fire for nearly an hour. Ambulance crews were not allowed in to retrieve the bodies until 6 hours later.

On Saturday, 19 February 2011, at approximately 11:00, an Israeli gunboat chased a Palestinian fishing boat nearly 3 kilometers off Khan Yunis beach in the northern Gaza Strip. Three fishermen were on board of the boat: Mustafa Hijazi al-Lahham, 42; Hijazi Hani al-Lahham, 27; and Mahmoud Hassan al-Lahham, 30. Israeli soldiers on board of the gunboat fired near the fishing boat and ordered the fishermen to stop it. They forced the fishermen to take their clothes off and to swim towards the gunboat, which was nearly 20 meter away. They took the fishermen to the Israeli Ashdod Harbor. There, the fishermen were interrogated. They were released at 21:00, but the fishing boat was kept in custody.

On 23 February 2011, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian resistance fighter and wounded 6 others and two children in the east of Gaza City. Israeli forces fired two artillery shells at a number of fighters of The al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad). At approximately 11:40, Israeli forces fired two artillery shells at a number of activists of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) who were near al-Sawda Factory in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. As a result, 7 activists and 3 civilian bystanders, including two children, were wounded. One of the wounded activists, ‘Aadel Mohammed Jundiya, 29, from al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, died of his wounds in the evening.

During the reporting period, two Palestinian workers, including a child, were wounded when Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials. On 23 February 2011, at approximately 09:45, Israeli soldiers stationed at observation towers on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north of Beit Lahia town fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of ‘Elli Sinai’ used to stand. As a result, Nidal Mohammed Halawa, 22, from al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, was wounded by a bullet to the left leg, when he was nearly 300 meters away from the border.

Israeli Annexation Wall:

In the West Bank, during the reporting period, Israeli forces used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded, and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises. Additionally, Israeli forces abducted 15 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children, and two international human rights defenders.

As a result, 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded. Dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises. Additionally, Israeli forces abducted 15 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children, and two international human rights defenders.

Following the Friday Prayer on 18 February 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the annexation wall. Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded. Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 18 January 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest against the construction of the annexation wall. They clashed with Israeli troops positioned near the Wall. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, a Palestinian civilian, who has not been identified, was hit by a tear gas canister to the right foot. Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 18 February 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit Reema village, northwest of Ramallah, in protest against land confiscations in the Wad al-Raya area between the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators attempted to reach areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near ‘Halmish’ settlement, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, Wa’d Bassem al-Tamimi, 13, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right hand. A number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation. Additionally, Israeli forces turned a house belonging to Helmi al-Tamimi into a military site. Before their withdrawal from the village at approximately 16:15, Israeli forces abducted two Palestinian civilians: Nasser Nizar Amlah, 23; and Hamza Mohammed Abu Qare’, 27. They also abducted two international human rights defenders were not identified.

At approximately 12:00, Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit Uammar town, north of Hebron, in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the US veto against UN Security Council draft resolution condemning Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank. They moved towards closed Palestinian areas located neat ‘Karmi Tsur’ settlement, south of the town. At approximately 13:00, Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators. As a result, two Palestinian civilians were wounded: Nasri Rasheed Sabarna, 48, Mayor of Beit Ummar, wounded by shrapnel from sound bombs to the left foot; and Hamza Ahmed Abu Hashem, 12, wounded by two rubber-coated metal bullets to the left hand and knee.

Four demonstrators, including a 44-year old woman, a 65 year old man, and 43-year old Ahmed Khalil Abu Hashem, Secretary of the National Committee against the Wall and Settlements, also sustained bruises.

At the end of the demonstration, Israeli soldiers surrounded a number of demonstrators who were on their way back home and abducted 13 of them, including 9 children.

Recommendations to the international community:

Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations this week, the PCHR made a number of recommendations to the international community. Among these were a recommendation that the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention comply with their legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.

The PCHR calls for the immediate implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank illegal.

For the full text of the report, click on the link below: