۱۰ فروردین ۱۴۰۳ |۱۹ رمضان ۱۴۴۵ | Mar 29, 2024
PCHR: Weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory

PCHR’s concerns over Israeli raids still stand, as those raids undermine preventive measures adopted by the government. Meanwhile, settlers backed up by IOF continued to seize more civilian property and attack civilians and their property.

Hawzah News Agency - (Occupied Palestine) - Summary of Israeli Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16-22 April, 2020)

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to violate Palestinians’ human rights and commit crimes against civilians and their properties, conducting raids into Palestinian cities without regard to the state of emergency declared across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 06 March 2020, in the efforts put forward to combat the spread of coronavirus. IOF raids are conducted without proper attention to prevention and safety standards to mitigate the risk of transmitting coronavirus to Palestinian territory, as the virus is widespread throughout Israel.

PCHR’s concerns over Israeli raids still stand, as those raids undermine preventive measures adopted by the government. Meanwhile, settlers backed up by IOF continued to seize more civilian property and attack civilians and their property. Furthermore, PCHR expresses its concern over the Israeli occupation’s policy of banning any preventive measures by the Palestinian Authority in occupied East al – Quds (Jerusalem), especially that Israel has adopted lenient measures in the city despite its responsibility for it under international law as an occupying power.

This week, PCHR documented 89 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by IOF and settlers in the oPt. The restrictions imposed under the state of emergency have hindered our fieldwork team’s ability to cover all incidents in the oPt and were forced to collect information via phone from trusted local sources. As such, this report is an in-comprehensive record of Israeli violations of human rights against Palestinians in the oPt, as IOF continues its attacks against civilians despite the exceptional circumstances that have overcome the whole world in the face of a life-threatening viral pandemic.

IOF Shooting and Violation of Right to Bodily Integrity: 10 Palestinian civilians were shot and wounded by IOF as the latter continues its excessive use of force; 9 in the West Bank and 1 fisherman in Gaza. IOF opened fire 5 times during raids into the West Bank; 12 shootings against the agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip while 5 shootings were reported against Palestinian fishing boats off the northern Gaza Strip shore.

IOF Incursions and Arrests of Palestinian Civilians: IOF carried out 39 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this week’s incursions, 38 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 children and a woman. Also, IOF conducted two limited incursions into southern and northern Gaza Strip.

Settlement Expansion Activities and Settlers’ Attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, PCHR documented the demolition of a café, barracks and barn; demolition notices to a house in Nablus and another one in Bethlehem; 4 notice to cease work at agricultural rooms in Hebron and confiscation of a “Mercedes Benz” truck and a construction vehicle in Jericho.

PCHR also documented 6 settler attacks: uprooting and sabotaging olive trees in Qalqilia; assaults on a Palestinian and uprooting of olive trees in Ramallah; banning Palestinians from working in their lands and assault on a Palestinian and theft of two sheep in Hebron.

Israeli Closure Policy and Restrictions on Freedom of Movement: Israeli authorities declared that Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing and West Bank Crossings will be opened on 16 April 2020 after a 5-week closure, under the pretext of confronting the fast-spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This comes in a time when the Gaza Strip still suffers the worst closure in the History of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life. Furthermore, IOF uses Erez Crossing that is designated for movement of individuals as an ambush to arrest Palestinians who obtain permits to exit via Israel.

Meanwhile, IOF continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the Second Intifada and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to arrest.

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