Ref: 73/2009

Date: 02 June 2009

Time: 11:15 GMT

 

 

PCHR Condemns Attacks by Israeli Settlers in Northern West Bank and Warns of Escalation of Such Attacks under New Israeli Government

 

 

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns a series of attacks launched by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians and their property in the northern West Bank. PCHR is gravely concerned over such systematic attacks, due to which 6 Palestinian civilians were injured, including one who is in a serious condition, and large areas of agricultural land were burnt.  While expressing concerns of an escalation in attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians and their property, PCHR confirms that the presence of Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) is illegal, and calls upon the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli government to end all settlement activities in the OPT.

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR:

 

·        At approximately 00:30 on Monday, 01 June 2009, fire broke out in dozens of donums (one donum is equal to 1,000 square meter) of agricultural land planted with olives, wheat and parleys in Til village, southwest of Nablus, as Israeli settlers living in "Gilad" settlement outpost, which stands on lands belonging to the villages of Til, Jeet and Far'ata, set fire in the area.  At approximately 10:0, the settlers came back to the same area and set fire again.  Palestinian civilians and civil defense crews were not able to extinguish fire until 15:00.

 

·        At approximately 04:30 on the same day, dozens of Israeli settlers from "Kidomim" settlement gathered at the intersection of the settlement on Nablus-Qalqilya road, southwest of Nablus. They threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on the road. As a result, 6 Palestinian workers from Jeet village, southwest of Nablus, who were traveling in a Ford vehicle, were injured:

 

1)      'Ali Hussein 'Ali Sidda, 44, seriously injured in the forehead, which caused a fracture to the skull and a brain hemorrhage;

2)      Yahia Mustafa Darwish, 44, injured in the head;

3)      Shaker 'Atiya Hassan Sidda, 42, injured in the jaw;

4)      Ziad Mohammed 'Aaref al-Sidda, 35, injured in the head;

5)      Ahmed Mohammed Hussein al-Sidda, 33, injured in the face; and

6)      'Imad Mohammed 'Aaref al-Sidda, 37, the driver, injured in the head.

 

·        At approximately 08:00 also on Monday, a number of Israeli settlers from "Yits'har" settlement, south of Nablus, set fire to olive trees and fields of wheat and parleys in Bourin, Madama and Southern 'Assira villages adjacent to the aforementioned settlement. Large areas of land were burnt, and Palestinian civilians and civil defense crews were able to extinguish fire at approximately 15:00.

 

PCHR reiterates its strong condemnation for these attacks and warns of their escalation under the new Israeli government, as they coincided with statements by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyaho, in which he refused to stop settlement activities in the West Bank.  PCHR also:

 

1)      Calls for lifting the permanent protection and cover provided by Israeli Occupation Forces provided to Israeli settlers and the crimes they perpetrate, which serve to encourage settlers to perpetrate more crimes;

2)      Calls upon the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli government to fulfill their obligations under the international law to end settlement activities in the OPT; and

3)      Reminds the international community that settlement is a war crime, and accordingly, the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, individually or collectively, to fulfill their legal and moral obligation to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the OPT according to Article 1 of the Convention.