Ref: 26/2022
Date: 09 March 2022
Time: 09:20 GMT
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at and injured 8 Palestinians, including a child, during IOF’s incursion into Silat al-Harithiya village, western Jenin, northern West Bank, and demolition of 2 houses belonging to prisoners in the Israeli jails. These demolitions are part of the Israeli occupation’s collective punishment policy against the families of Palestinians who were accused of carrying out attacks against Israeli soldiers or settlers.
According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at around 20:30 on Monday, 07 March 2022, IOF accompanied with a bulldozer, members of IOF’s Special Units, and explosive engineering experts moved into Silat al-Harithiya village, west of Jenin, north of the West Bank. They surrounded the family house of prisoners Ghaith and ‘Omar Ahmed Mohammed Yassin Jaradat as well as their uncle’s house, prisoner Mohammed Yousif Jaradat, in al-Jaradat neighborhood in the village outskirts and forced the residents to leave. They also forced 12 other families living in nearby houses to evacuate amid firing teargas canisters and sound bombs and prevented them from approaching the area. Therefore, civilians gathered near the houses and threw stones at IOF, who deployed around the houses. Clashes broke out and IOF fired live and rubber bullets, teargas canisters and sound bombs to disperse the protesters. As a result, 8 civilians, including a child, were wounded with live and rubber bullets in addition to shrapnel. They were all taken to Ibn Sinai Hospital in Jenin for treatment; moreover, dozens of other civilians suffocated due to teargas inhalation and were treated on the spot.
During the incursion, which continued until the next morning, 08 March 2022, IOF placed explosives in the first and second floors of the prisoners’, Ghaith and ‘Omar Jaradat, family house and blew it up, causing partial destruction in the whole 160-sqm house, where a family of 6 lives, including 3 women. IOF also placed explosives in prisoner Mohammed Yousif Jaradat’s 160-sqm house of 2 floors and completely blew it up, displacing 2 families of 7, including 2 women and 3 children.
On 01 March 2022, the Israeli occupation authorities approved the demolition of the 2 houses after arresting the 3 abovementioned persons on 19 December 2021 and accusing them of carrying out an attack and killing an Israeli settler near Homesh settlement on 16 December 2021.
This is the 3rd house demolition and house-closure incident recorded under IOF collective punishment policy this year.
PCHR condemns IOF’s excessive use of force against the protesters. PCHR also denounces the demolition that falls under IOF’s collective punishment policy and the Israeli Judiciary’s cover. PCHR reiterates that this policy is internationally prohibited according to Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that: “No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.” Therefore, PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to put an end to the Israeli crimes. PCHR also reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
