March 31, 2022
Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Weekly Update 24 – 30 March 2022)
Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Weekly Update 24 – 30 March 2022)

Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:

Five Palestinians, including a child, were wounded by Israeli occupation forces’ (IOF) fire in Bethlehem and Qalqiliya while tens of others sustained bruises in separate incidents in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.  On 24 March 2022, a child sustained serious wounds after IOF shot him in the chest during IOF’s incursion into al-Dheisha refugee camp in Bethlehem in addition to arresting 3 others.  On 25 March 2022, 4 civilians, including a child, were directly wounded with rubber bullets and teargas canisters during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum Weekly Protest in Qalqiliya

In the Gaza Strip, IOF opened fire 3 times at agricultural lands in access restricted areas, eastern Khan Younis. Also, three IOF shootings were reported on fishing boats mostly off the northern and southwestern Gaza shores.  No injuries were reported.

“So far in 2022, IOF attacks killed 16 Palestinians, including 4 children, and wounded 154 others, including 32 children, 1 woman, 2 paramedics and 10 journalists, all in the West Bank, except one fisherman in the Gaza Strip.”

Settler-attacks on Palestinian civilians and their properties:

This week, settlers carried out extensive attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property under IOF’s protection in retaliation of the shooting that killed Israelis in al-Khdeira and Tel Aviv.  They were as follows:

24 March: setters set fire to the ‘Ebad al-Rahman Mosque’s door in Zita Jama’in in Nablus, burning some of its furniture.  On the same day, settlers punctured tires of 20 Palestinian vehicles in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

25 March: settlers from “Ma’ale Levona” settlement, northern Ramallah, stole 4 sheeps from a farmland in Sinjil village, northeast of the city.  On the same afternoon, setters opened fire at the village residents who gathered to prevent settlers’ raid into 2 houses in the village.  No injuries were reported.

26 March:  settlers from “Yitzihar” settlement backed by IOF attacked the outskirts of ‘Asira al-Qibliya village in Nablus and threw stones at houses and vehicles, causing damage to a vehicle and houses.  Meanwhile, IOF arrested and attacked the Head of the Village Council, Hafiz Mohammed Mahmoud Saleh (58) before being later released.

27 Match: settlers under the Israeli police’s protection took over part of al-Patra Hotel in East Jerusalem after raiding it and attacking Palestinians inside it.  They tried to evacuate it and expel the tenants allegedly upon an Israeli court’s decision.  Meanwhile, the Israeli police arrested lawyer Medhat Deebah and sons of tenant, Basmah Qarsh, ‘Omer and Ibrahim Bashir Ma’rouf.  On the same afternoon, setters attacked a house and company and broke glass on Ramallah-Nablus main street and Huwara village in Nablus.  IOF arrived at the area and attacked the owner of the Palestinian house and his son sons, causing them bruises.  After midnight on 28 March 2022, settlers from “Ahya” settlement set fire to 5 vehicles in Jaloud village in Nablus.  Settlers also attacked houses in Turms’iya village in eastern Ramallah, wrote racist slogans, punctured vehicles’ tires, and broke their windows.

29 March: settlers from “Giv’at Ronen” settlement established on the Palestinian lands of Nablus attacked a house in Burin village and damaged glass of 2 solar cells on the roof.  On the same afternoon, settlers carried out extensive attacks that included injury of Palestinian after a settler ran over him near “Ma’ale Adumim”  settlement intersection near al-‘Izzariya settlement entrance, occupied East Jerusalem; breaking windows of Palestinian vehicles in al-Sowanah neighborhood in East Jerusalem; attacking Palestinian cars and damaging at least 7 of them near Huwara checkpoint, “Shavei Shomron” settlement, Yitzhar Bypass Road,  “Ma’ale Efrayim” settlement on “Jericho-Nablus” Road in Nablus and Amatin village in Qalqilya.

30 March: setters attacked a plot of land in eastern Nablus, broke 170 olive trees, attacked the eastern outskirts of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village and set fire to a vehicle.  In the afternoon, they attacked Palestinia vehicles in southern Hebron and damaged 2 vehicles.

So far this year, settlers carried out 85 attacks on Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank.

Land razing, demolitions, and notices

This week, IOF handed 8 notices to stop construction works and demolish facilities in Hebron.

  • On 27 March, IOF handed 2 notices to stop construction works in an under-construction house and an electricity network in Tuwani village, southern Hebron.
  • On 29 March, IOF handed 6 notices to stop construction works in 2 dwellings and facilities in al-Khalediya village in Hebron.

“Since the beginning of 2022, IOF made 40 families homeless, a total of 244 persons, including 47 women and 113 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 50 houses and 4 residential tents. IOF also demolished 29 other civilian objects, razed 174 dunums and delivered 47 notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation.”

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 this week’s incursions, 76 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 children, a journalist, a woman, and a person with disability.  Tuesday and Wednesday this week witnessed the most extensive arrest campaign as IOF arrested 42 Palestinians from all over the West Bank.

So far in 2022, IOF conducted 1862 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 1107 Palestinians were arrested, including 138 children and 14 women.  IOF also conducted 12 limited incursions into eastern Gaza Strip and arrested 15 Palestinians, including 7 fishermen, 9 infiltrators, including 3 children via the border fence, and 2 travelers via Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing.

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:

The Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s February 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 85 temporary military checkpoints this week and arrested 4 Palestinians at those checkpoints. The majority of the checkpoints were in Hebron (39) and Bethlehem (25).

So far in 2022, IOF established at least 869 checkpoints and arrested 46 Palestinians at those checkpoints.