June 23, 2022
Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Weekly Update 16-22 June 2022)
Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Weekly Update 16-22 June 2022)

Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:

Five Palestinians were killed; 4 of them by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’s fire, and one after being stabbed by an Israeli settler, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in IOF attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, except three fishermen in the Gaza Strip. Details are as follows:

On 17 June 2022, in a new crime of extrajudicial execution (assassination), IOF directly opened fire at 3 Palestinians and killed them after surrounding and targeting their vehicle in Jenin, northern West Bank.  The 3 persons killed were identified as Yousif Naser Salah (23), Laith Salah Abu Srour (24) and Baraa’ Kamal Lahlouh (24). Moreover, eight Palestinians were injured; one sustained a serious injury in subsequent clashes. More information available here.

On 19 June 2022, Nabil Ahmed Ghanem (53), from Nablus, was killed after IOF stationed at Eyal Crossing near the annexation wall in northern Qalqilya, opened fire at him while he was trying to infiltrate through a hole in the wall to work in Israel. Ghanem’s corpse is still in the IOF’s custody.

On 21 Junz 2022, ‘Ali Harab (27) was killed after an Israeli settler stabbed him in Iskaka village, east of Slafit, and was left to bleed to death as the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) obstructed the provision of medical aid to him. More information available here.

Meanwhile, those injured were victims of IOF’s excessive use of force and suppression of peaceful protests and gatherings organized by Palestinian civilians and they were as follows:

On 17 June 2022, 7 Palestinians, including 6 children, sustained rubber bullet wounds during clashes that followed IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.

On 21 June 2022, two Palestinians, including a child, were injured, while another Palestinian was arrested during IOF’s incursion into Qabatiya village in Jenin.

In the Gaza Strip, three fishermen were injured after Israeli gunboats fired rubber bullets at them on 16 June 2022. Also, the Israeli gunboats deliberately crashed into their boat and flipped it in the water, putting their lives at risk and causing severe damage to the boat and its engine. More information available here. Also, 7 IOF shootings were reported on fishing boats off the western Gaza shores. Moreover, IOF opened fire 3 times at agricultural lands in access restricted areas in eastern Gaza Strip.  Additionally, on 17 June 2022, IOF warplanes fired a missile at an empty land in eastern Beit Hanoun.

“So far in 2022, IOF attacks killed 62 Palestinians, including 48 civilians: 13 children, 5 women (one was a journalist Shireen Abu ‘Aqlah), a Palestinian stabbed by an Israeli settler and the rest were activists; 6 of them were assassinated. Also, 891 others were wounded in these attacks, including 102 children, 4 women, and 19 journalists; all in the West Bank, except 15 fishermen in the Gaza Strip.”

Land razing, demolitions, and notices

IOF demolished an under-construction house and a water well and distributed 29 demolition and cease-construction notices in the West Bank. Details are as follows:

On 17 June 2022, IOF distributed 20 demolition notices in Kherbet Khellet al-Dabi’ in eastern Yatta, south of Hebron. The notices included: 13 agricultural tinplated dwellings, a water well and 4 bathrooms.

On 20 June 2022, IOF handed a cease-construction notice against an agricultural room, a water well and a fence, in addition to two other cease-construction notices against a house and a residential room in eastern Yatta city. Also, they handed a demolition notice against 3 agricultural tents in Ma’in village in Hebron.

On 21 June 2022, IOF delivered 3 cease-construction notices to three houses in al-Dayraat village, south of Hebron.

On 22 June 2022, in Ni’lin village in western Ramallah, IOF demolished an under-construction house and a water well belonging to a Palestinian prisoner in the Israeli jails, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C.

“Since the beginning of 2022, Israeli occupation forces made 77 families homeless, a total of 445 persons, including 90 women and 210 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 77 houses and 16 residential tents. IOF also demolished 49 other civilian objects, leveled vacant areas of land and delivered dozens of notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation.”

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:

IOF carried out 142 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, 68 Palestinians were arrested, including 11 children, 3 women (one of them was a female journalist who was later released), and a journalist.  In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted three limited incursions into eastern Beit Hanoun, where they placed cement cubes behind the border fence on 19 June 2022; and in norther Beit Lahia, where they levelled 10 dunums planted with watermelon on 21 June 2022; and in eastern Rafah on 22 June 2022. Also, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians during two infiltration attempts into Israel in eastern Rafah on 20 June 2022.

“So far in 2022, IOF conducted 4137 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2698 Palestinians were arrested, including 273 children and 23 women.  IOF also conducted 21 limited incursions into eastern Gaza Strip and arrested 65 Palestinians, including 41 fishermen, 23 infiltrators, and 3 travelers via Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing.”

Settler-attacks on Palestinian civilians and their properties:

On 18 June 2022, two Israeli settlers opened fire in the air during their raid on Burj Al-Luqluq Social Center Society in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. Afterwards, IOF intervened and secured their withdrawal from the area.

On 16 June 2022, two Palestinians sustained deep wounds and fractures after being assaulted by Israeli settlers with sharp tools and knives in their workplace in “Ramat Eshkol” settlement, west of Jerusalem.

“So far this year, settlers carried out 152 attacks on Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank.”

Israeli collective punishment and 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 on 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 80 temporary military checkpoints in the West bank, including East Jerusalem.

On 16 June 2022, IOF closed with sand berms several sub-roads in Kizma village in occupied East Jerusalem. On the same day, IOF closed the metal-detector gate established at Ash-Shawawra village entrance in Bethlehem and re-opened it later.

On 19 June 2022, IOF closed the eastern and western entrances to Husan village in Bethlehem and re-opened them later.

“So far in 2022, IOF established 2006 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 106 Palestinians at those checkpoints”