Israeli forces continue systematic attacks against civilians

Israeli forces continue systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)

• Israeli forces continued to open fire at border areas in the Gaza Strip.
- 7 civilians were wounded in the northern Gaza Strip.

• Israeli forces launched 2 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
- 8 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and 3 women, sustained glass shrapnel wounds.
- A building in a training site was destroyed and 4 houses, a school and a workshop sustained partial damage in the first airstrike.
- A well, a house and 5 greenhouses were completely destroyed and a house and another 11 greenhouses were damaged in the second airstrike.

• Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank.
- 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded in Kofur Qaddoum protest, northeast of Qalqilia.
- 19 civilians, including 2 children, were wounded in 2 protests organized at the entrances of al-Jalazoun refugee camp and Selwad village.
- 4 civilians, including a child, were wounded during Israeli incursions.

• Israeli forces conducted 72 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
- At least 58 Palestinians, including 3 children and a woman, were arrested.
- An explosion in a house in al-Far'ah refugee camp, south of Tubas, took place.

• Israel has 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 6 Palestinian civilians were arrested at checkpoints.

• Israeli navy forces continued targeting Palestinian fishermen in the sea.
- Israeli naval forces opened fire 4 times at Palestinian fishing boats but no casualties were reported.

• Israeli forces continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- Israeli forces demolished 14 residential tents, 10 tents to shelter livestock, 3 barns and 6 kitchens, 52 civilians became homeless in the Jordan Valley.
- 6,000 olive seedlings and forest trees in the south of Hebron were cut down.
- A group of settlers uprooted 1,745 olive and almond seedlings and 20 fruitful olive trees in the north of Ramallah.

Summary
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (30 January – 05 February 2014).

Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 32 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Twenty-five of whom, including 3 children, were wounded in the West Bank and 7 others were wounded in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces also launched 2 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, 3 shooting incidents along the border fence and 4 shooting incidents at fishing boats.
In the Gaza Strip, on 31 January 2014, 7 civilians were wounded when Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, east of al-Shuhada' cemetery, in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at young men near the said fence.

Israeli forces launched 2 airstrikes on military and civil targets in northern and southern Gaza Strip.

On 31 January 2014, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire at open areas. However, neither casualties nor material damage were reported.

On 01 February 2014, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence, in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at open areas. However, neither casualties nor material damage were reported.

In the context of targeting fishermen, on 24 and 26 January 2014, Israeli navy forces opened fire 4 times at Palestinian fishing boats, but no casualties were reported.

In the West Bank, 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 were wounded during Kofur Qaddoum protest, northeast of Qalqilia.

In the same context, 19 civilians, including 2 children, were wounded during protests at the entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, and Selwad village, northeast of the city.

On 02 February 2014, 2 civilians, including a child, were wounded during Nabi Saleh weekly protest, northwest of Ramallah.

On 05 February 2014, 2 civilians were wounded when Israeli forces moved into al-Far'ah refugee camp, south of Tubas and opened fire at young men and children gathering in the camp.

The full report is available online.

ENDS

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