Systematic Attacks Against Palestinian Civilians & Property
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks Against Palestinian Civilians And Property In The Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
• IOF use force to disperse peaceful protest organized by Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.
- 8 demonstrators, including two children, were wounded.
• A Palestinian civilian was wounded by IOF in the central Gaza Strip.
• IOF conducted 50 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two limited ones into the Gaza Strip.
- IOF arrested 13 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children in the West Bank.
- IOF summoned 12 Palestinian civilians for interrogation.
- Two dunums[1] of agricultural land in the central Gaza Strip were burnt by Israeli gunfire.
- IOF arrested 5 Palestinian fishermen and confiscated two fishing boats.
• Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- IOF arrested a Palestinian civilians at a checkpoint in the West Bank.
• IOF have continued efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in East Jerusalem.
- Funds were allocated for a new Israeli tourist settlement project in Silwan village in Jerusalem.
- IOF destroyed some civilian facilities in Hazma village, northeast of Jerusalem.
- IOF razed 30 dunums of agricultural land in al-Baq’a area, east of Hebron.
- A Palestinian civilian was seriously wounded by Israeli settlers.
- Israeli settlers set fire to cultivated areas in the south of Nablus.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (24 – 30 May 2012):
Shooting:
During the reporting period, 8 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded by IOF and a 9th one was wounded by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. A 10th civilian was also wounded by IOF in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, a Palestinian civilian was stabbed by Israeli soldiers at Kfar Etzion checkpoint near Bethlehem.
During the reporting period, IOF wounded 8 demonstrators, including two children, during the dispersion of peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.
On 26 May 2012, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in al-Qisma and al-Marah areas in the north of ‘Ourif village, south of Nablus. A number of Palestinian civilians rushed to the affected areas, where they found Israeli settlers and IOF stationed there. Clashes erupted between the two sides, during which Israeli soldiers intensively fired tear gas canisters. As a result, a number of civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation and we forced to move back to the village. Soon, they heard the sounds of shooting coming from the mountain located between the village and “Yits’har” settlement. They went to the area to check what happened. When they arrived at the area, they found Najeh As’ad al-Safadi, 21, handcuffed and bleeding. They evacuated him to a hospital in Nablus. According to medical sources, he was seriously wounded by a bullet to the abdomen. This attack was the second of its kind in less than one week. On 19 May 2012, Nember ‘Assaira, 24, from Southern ‘Assira village south of Nablus, was wounded by a bullet to the right eye. An Israeli settler fired at ‘Assaira, while IOF were present in the area.
ENDS