Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:

One Palestinian was killed and another succumbed to his serious wounds while 8 Others were injured, including a journalist and a child.  Also, dozens of others suffocated in IOF attacks in the West Bank. Details are as follows:

On 19 August 2022, During Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) incursion into Tubas City in the West Bank, they killed Salah Tawfiq Sawafta (58) after opening fire at him when he was on his way back from dawn “Fajr” prayer. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested a Palestinian after they raided his house.  (Details available in this press release)

On 23 August 2022, medical sources at Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus, announced that Mohammed Marzouq ‘Arayish (26), from Nablus, succumbed to a live bullet injury he sustained in his abdomen during IOF’s incursion into Nablus’s Old City on 09 August 2022. At the time, 3 Palestinians, including a child, were killed and 40 others were injured; 5 of them were in serious condition. Among those seriously injured was ‘Arayish, who stayed for treatment at the hospital until he was pronounced dead. ( Details available in this press release)

Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF’s incursions into cities and villages and suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:

On 19 August 2022, 6 Palestinians, including a journalist, were shot with rubber bullets during clashes that followed IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.  On the same day, a Palestinian was injured with a live bullet in his right leg during IOF’s incursion into Tammun village, southeast of Tubas.

On 24 August 2022, a child sustained a rubber bullet wound in his head during clashes with IOF near the entrance to Abu Dis village in occupied East Jerusalem, following the funeral of May ‘Afana (29), whose body was delivered to her family after IOF held it in custody when she was shot dead on 16 June 2021. (Details available in this weekly report)

In the Gaza Strip, 2 IOF shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Gaza shores, and 2 other shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip.

“So far in 2022, IOF attacks killed 111 Palestinians, including 80 civilians: 24 children, 8 women (one was a journalist Shireen Abu ‘Aqlah), 2 Palestinians killed by Israeli settler and the rest were activists; 15 of them were assassinated. Thirty-two of those killed, including 19 civilians: 8 children and 3 women were in the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. Also, 1256 Palestinians, including 191 children, 39 women, and 21 journalists, were wounded in IOF’s attacks in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Moreover, 3 Palestinian prisoners, including a woman, died in the Israeli jails.”

IOF assault on Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights Defenders

On 18 August 2022, IOF raided and closed 7 Palestinian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Ramallah and confiscated some of their contents. ( Details available in this press release)

On 21 August 2022, al-Haq organization announced that its General Director, Shawan Jabareen, received a phone call from a person identifying himself as an Israeli Internal Security Service (Shin Bet)officer. The officer informed Jabareen of being summoned to ‘Ofer military base near Ramallah for interrogation, but the latter refused and demanded an official written summons. Meanwhile, the caller informed Jabareen that Israel declared al-Haq as an illegal organization, and it is prohibited to work there. Also, the caller threatened Jabareen that he will pay the price in person if the al-Haq continues to work, and that Israel will not allow it to do so.

On the same day, IOF summoned Khaked Qazmar, General Director of Defense for Children International – Palestine. Qazmar was interrogated in “‘Ofer” Prison near Ramallah and released after 3 hours. Qazmar said that “I was interrogated from around 15:00 to shortly before sunset. The officer threatened me and ordered me not to give any statement on the closure of the organization and IOF’s violations, including raiding it, confiscating its contents, and forcibly closing it; otherwise, I will be pursued and arrested.”

Land razing, demolitions, and notices

IOF demolished 11 houses, rendering 14 families of 90 persons, including 16 women and 38 children, homeless. Also, IOF demolished commercial facilities in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:

On 21 August 2022, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his tinplate house that sheltered him with his wife, daughter and mother in Beit Safafa village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

On 22 August 2022, IOF demolished 8 houses in Ein ad-Duyuk at-Tahta village in western Jericho, rendering 11 families of 76 persons, including 12 women and 34 children, homeless. On the same day, IOF forced a Palestinian to demolish a small marble factory, east of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

On 23 August 2022, a Palestinian implemented the Israeli municipality’s order and self-demolished his house in eastern occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering 2 families of 10 persons, including 2 women and 3 children, homeless.

On 24 August 2022, IOF demolished 2 civilian facilities:  a 180-sqaure-meter poultry barrack, and a 300-sqaure-meter barrack used as a carwash in Huwara village in Nablus, under the pretext of illegal construction in Area (C). On the same day, IOF demolished an under-construction house of 2 floors in the central valleys, west of Jericho, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area (C).

“Since the beginning of 2022, Israeli occupation forces made 108 families homeless, a total of 648 persons, including 123 women and 300 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 111 houses and 41 residential tents. IOF also demolished 80 other civilian objects, leveled vacant areas of land and delivered dozens of notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation.”

Settler-attacks

Israeli settlers carried out 5 attacks and damaged 70 trees. Also, they vandalized vehicles and wrote racist slogans in the West Bank. Details are as follows:

On 19 August 2022, Israeli settlers, from “Adi Ad” settlement, east of Ramallah, burnt Palestinians’ lands in al-Sahel area between Turmus  Ayya and Al-Mughayyir villages. As a result, They burnt 10 olive trees’ trunks and branches and cut the branches of 5 other trees in addition to breaking a vehicle’s windows.  They also closed an agricultural road leading to al-Sahel area with barbed wires. On the same day, the settlers uprooted 55 grape seedlings and damaged a water tank and well in Al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem.

On 21 August 2022, Israeli settlers threw stones at a vehicle belonging to the Palestinian Military Prosecutor while passing on the main street connecting Qalqilya with Nablus.

On 24 August 2022, Israeli settlers punctured the tires of 4 vehicles and wrote racist slogans on walls and the vehicles in Marda village in northern Salfit.

“Since the beginning of the year, settlers conducted at least 172 attacks. In two of the attacks, 2 Palestinians were killed.”

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:

IOF carried out 163 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids and searches of civilian houses and facilities and establishment of checkpoints. During those incursions, 81 Palestinians were arrested, including 12 children and a woman.

“So far in 2022, IOF conducted 5555 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 3371 Palestinians were arrested, including 322 children and 30 women.  IOF also conducted 24 limited incursions into eastern Gaza Strip and arrested 78 Palestinians, including 45 fishermen, 28 infiltrators, and 5 travelers via Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing.”

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.

In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continues to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 108 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 100 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 7 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

On 18 August 2022, IOF closed the metal detector gate established at the western entrance to Husan village, blocking traffic.

“So far in 2022, IOF established 2809 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 128 Palestinians at those checkpoints”