Israeli forces continue attacks against Palestinians

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

• Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian at Za’atrah checkpoint, south of Nablus.

• Two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded in occupied Jerusalem.

• A paramilitary training site was targeted by Israeli warplanes in the southern Gaza Strip, but no injuries were reported.

• Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank.
- A Danish activist and a Palestinian civilian were wounded.

• Israeli forces conducted 80 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 2 limited ones in the southern Gaza Strip.
- 40 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, were arrested.

• Efforts to create a Jewish majority in Occupied East Jerusalem
- A house, 4 wash car garages and 2 auto mobile garages in addition to a horse barn were bulldozed in the city.

• 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 8 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
- An international organization worker was arrested at Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.

• Israeli forces continued to support settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- Arbors for selling vegetables and fruits were removed on Jerusalem-Hebron Street.
- Settlers attacked two children while they were on their way to their schools in the centre in Hebron.

Summary
Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (29 May – 04 June 2014).

Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 4 others, including a child, and a Danish human rights defender in the West Bank. Israeli warplanes targeted a training site of an armed group, but no injuries were reported.

In the Gaza Strip, on 02 June 2014, Israeli warplanes launched a missile at “Hiteen” training site of an armed group, northwest of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The missile left a large crater in the area and damaged empty greenhouses. No injuries were reported.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces stationed at Za’atrah Checkpoint, south of Nablus, killed ‘Alaa’ Mohammed ‘Awad (30) from Howwarah village, south of Nablus. Israeli forces claimed that the victim fired at them and injured a soldier lightly, but no eyewitnesses were in the area at that time to deny or confirm the Israeli claim. A PCHR field worker was able to obtain a testimony from the taxi driver who transported 'Awadh. The driver confirmed that 'Awadh was not carrying anything when he transported him to the checkpoint.

In the same context, Israeli forces used excessive force against peaceful protests 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, a Danish activist, Mariah George Soul (24), was hit by a tear gas canister to the right knee during a Nil’in weekly protest. Moreover, a 20-year-old protestor was wounded by a bullet to the right thigh during Nil’in weekly protest, west of Ramallah and al-Bireh. In addition, a number of demonstrators suffer tear gas inhalation and other sustained bruises due to being beaten up by Israeli forces.

On 01 June 2014, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded in the Old City in occupied Jerusalem when Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets at dozens of Palestinian civilians who gathered in al-Wad Quarter to celebrate the release of two prisoners, ‘Ammar al-Hosari and Ahmed Abu Farhah, from the Israeli prisons.

ENDS

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