Monthly Report

Israel’s Violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in the West Bank in August 2024

During the reporting period, the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) and Israeli settlers continue their crimes and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem. These crimes have included willful killings, destruction of public and private property, arrests, threats, among others. The reporting period has witnessed escalating violence by settler gangs against Palestinian civilians and their properties, while the IOF have intensified their military attacks across the West Bank. In the last four days of August, IOF waged a large scale military operation in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas, in the northern West Bank, and is still ongoing in Jenin as of now, inflicting widespread destruction, the killing of 22 Palestinians, and the injury of others.

In this report, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) highlights a number of monitored and documented crimes and violations:

Killings and violation of the right to life and bodily integrity:

The IOF and settlers’ attacks during the reporting period in the West Bank have resulted in the killing of 81 Palestinians, including 25 civilians; amongst them 5 children, a woman, and a paramedic who was on duty in Balata refugee camp. Moreover, a detainee died in Meir Medical Centre succumbing to his injury by IOF’s fire.

So far in 2024, IOF attacks have killed 363 Palestinians, including 70 children and 9 women, while 11 detainees from the West Bank have been reportedly dead in the Israeli prisons.

According to our field documentation, Israel has employed different methods and weaponry, either by shooting in protests or confrontations, military raids and assaults, drone strikes, or by carrying out extrajudicial killings by Israeli special units.

On 05 August 2024, IOF killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, and injured seven others, including a child, during their siege on a house in ‘Aqaba village in Tubas. They later arrested Yassin Rasem Yassin Ghannam, who was injured in the besieged house. Those killed were identified: Bilal ‘Ezz El-Dein Sawafteh (15); ‘Ameed Rasem Yassin Ghannam (19); Nour Mohammed Yassin Yassin (19); and Aysar Mohammed Qasem Abu ‘Ara (37).

On 13 August 2024, Moataz Mohammed Omar Sarsour (18) was killed by IOF in the Um Alsharayet neighborhood in Ramallah during their incursion into the neighborhood to blow up a house as part of their collective punishment policy.

On the same day, Shadi Wissam Mohammed Shihah (16) was shot dead by IOF allegedly for attempting to throw a Molotov Cocktail towards the Pisgat Ze’ev settlement, established on the lands of Anata village, north of occupied East Jerusalem.

Later that evening, Rashid Mahmoud Abdel Qader Al-Sideh (23), was killed, and another young man was injured by settlers’ fire after the latter stormed Jit village, east of Qalqilya. (Details in PCHR’s press release)

On 19 August 2024, Mahmoud Ibrahim Al-Hroub (18) was killed, and another was injured by IOF during a raid on Dura village, south of Hebron.

On 26 August 2024, IOF killed Iyad ‘Ayed Abdel Najjar (46), while he was in the Jenba area near the annexation wall in Yatta, Hebron.

On the same day, Khalil Salem Ziyada (37) was shot dead by a settler during an attack by settlers on the village of Wadi Rahhal in Bethlehem. (Details in PCHR’s press release).

On 28 August 2024, IOF announced a largescale military operation and invaded each of Jenin, Tubas, and Tulkarm, killing 22 Palestinians and injuring others.

In Jenin, IOF killed two Palestinians, including a civilian, and injured a third as those killed were identified: ‘Asem Waleed Bala’out (39), and Qassam Mohammed Jabarin (25).

An Israeli drone bombed a group of Palestinian civilians within residential neighborhoods in the center of Al-Fara’ refugee camp, south of Tubas, killing two children on the roof of their family house, while their father and a third son were critically injured.  Moreover, two other civilians were killed under the house, and five others were critically injured. Those killed are Mohammed Masoud Mohammed Na’ja (17), his brother Murad (14), Ibrahim Abdul Qader Mohammed Ghneimi (21), and Ahmed Saleh Mohammed Nabreisi (19).

Additionally, an Israeli sniper stationed on the rooftops of high buildings killed Firas Bassam Saqr Turkmen (35), a Palestinian National Security officer, as he was leaving his home in the Al-Hadaf neighborhood, west of Jenin.

During the incursion into the Nur Shams camp east of Tulkarm, an Israeli sniper stationed on the rooftops of houses shot dead Palestinian elderly with disability ‘Ayyad Mahmoud Nimer Abu Al-Hija (62), while he was inside his home opposite the snipers. His nephew, who usually checked on him and brought him dinner, was shocked to find him lying dead on the ground with a bullet in his head.

During the ongoing operation in Jenin, now in its third consecutive day, IOF killed Tawfiq Ahmed Yusuf Qandil (82), a resident of the mentioned neighborhood, after firing nine bullets at him.

Throughout this month, Israeli drones carried out several airstrikes, particularly in Jenin, Tubas, and Tulkarm, targeting vehicles and gatherings to execute extrajudicial killings, during which several Palestinians, whom Israel claims were members of Palestinian armed groups, were killed. Others were killed during incursions into Palestinian cities and refugee camps, either while being besieged in their homes or during clashes that coincided with the incursions.

Moreover, during the reporting period, 163 Palestinians were injured, including 44 children, 3 women and a doctor. Among those injured, 24 are in critical condition. Also, an American activist got shot in the lower limbs by IOF in Beita town in Nablus.

Since the beginning of 2024, IOF attacks injured 957 Palestinians, including (211) children, (13) women, a paramedic, a doctor and a journalist.

Raids and arrests

The IOF have conducted 1214 raids into Palestinian cities, refugee camps, and villages across the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, storming into several houses, going through their residents’ belongings, while damaging some, and abusing and subjecting their residents to ill-treatment. During these raids, the IOF have arrested 707 Palestinians, including 11 children and 6 women; one of whom was a journalist, according to our field documentation and statistics based on the Palestinian Prisoners Club’s monitoring.

During the incursions, IOF set three Palestinian vehicles ablaze in Jenin and Sinjil town, north of Ramallah, set fire to the commercial vegetable market in Jenin, and in Nablus, they ignited fires by pushing burning tires into the market via bulldozers, setting wooden and plastic crates used for transporting goods ablaze, which then spread to the shops in the market. Moreover, IOF destroyed a Mercedes car and threw it onto a neighbor’s house in Tammun town, southeast of Tubas. They also threw burning tires onto the wooden roof of a supermarket, causing a fire that spread throughout the four-story building, sustaining significant damage. They also destroyed the door of another supermarket and a shop, and crushed nine vehicles in Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin. IOF also confiscated the contents of a concrete workshop in Hebron, a dump truck, three trucks, a drill, four private vehicles, and a public vehicle in Hebron.

On 31 August 2024, the 3^rd day of the Israeli invasion of Jenin city and its refugee camp, IOF forced many residents to evacuate their homes and ordered them to leave the camp.

IOF also confiscated large quantities of chemical fertilizers across most parts of the West Bank, estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of shekels, and seized hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash and deferred checks from homes and money transfers and currency exchange companies in the West Bank.

Demolition and land-razing

During the reporting period, the IOF and Israeli settlers demolished 103 facilities, including 23 houses; 16 of which were demolished under the pretext of unlicensed construction, 5 were self-demolished by the owners in occupied East Jerusalem and 3 were demolished under IOF collective punishment policy, 38 commercial facilities, a sporting club, and an under-construction village council building. Also, IOF forced a citizen to self-demolish a facility in Jericho. Moreover, IOF partially destroyed 25 homes and completely demolished 15 homes during IOF ground and air assault on Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps. They also blew up Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque in the Abu Zeina neighborhood in central Al-Far’a refugee camp, according to our field researchers.

Moreover, during their incursions, IOF conducted extensive destruction to the cities and refugee camps in the West Bank, particularly to the infrastructure including water pipes, telephone and electricity lines in streets in Jenin, Tulkarm and Balata refugee camps and Tammun town, southeast of Tubas.

Land confiscations and settlement expansion

During the reporting period, the IOF and Israeli settlers continued their settlement expansion policy materialized in confiscating and razing Palestinian lands to establish settlement outposts and expand settlements.

On 01 August 2024, IOF issued a military order to confiscate 7.902 dunams of Palestinian-owned lands in Iskaka village in Salfit, for the benefit of settlement expansion in Nofim Haniya settlement.

On 09 August 2024, IOF leveled Palestinian-owned lands in Qaniya in Salfit and uprooted a number of olive trees to build a settler road and expand the Nofei Nehemiah settlement, which is built on Palestinian-owned lands in Iskaka village in Salfit.

On 06 August 2024, a group of settlers from Novim Hamaya settlement, built on the lands of the town of Yasuf in the Salfit governorate, bulldozed 6 dunams of land and uprooted 100 olive trees to expand the settlement.

On 12 August 2024, IOF issued a military order to confiscate 14 dunams of Palestinian-owned lands in the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan and the village of Haris, in the Salfit governorate, for settlement expansion.

Also, IOF issued a military order to confiscate 4 dunams of Palestinian-owned lands in the town of Deir Istiya and the village of Haris in Salfit governorate for settlement expansion.

On 14 August 2024, settlers started establishing a settlement outpost on Palestinian-owned lands east Al-Maniya village in south of Tuqu’ town in the western Bethlehem governorate, setting up 8 caravans in preparation for establishing the new outpost.

Furthermore, IOF also approved the conversion of 338 dunams of land in the city of Beit Jala and Battir village to expand the Nahal Heletz outpost, which is among the five outposts approved by Israeli government in June to be legalized and become formal settlements.

On 16 August 2024, settlers placed caravans and set up several tents on Palestinian-owned lands in preparation for establishing a new settlement outpost in the Al-Jumjum area, east of the village of Jaba’ in Bethlehem. Additionally, settlers in Ma’in village, east of Yatta in Hebron restored the historical Ma’in well located on the eastern slopes of Tel Ma’in, near the Sha’b Al-Batam area, and performed religious rituals there, preluding to taking control of it.

A group of settlers in Al-Maarajat, located west of Jericho city, carried out excavation work in preparation for establishing a new settlement outpost.

On 26 August 2024, a group of settlers set up a residential tent and brought a flock of sheep near Mount of Qarantul in Jericho, in preparation for establishing a settlement outpost in the area.

On 27 August 2024, settlers established a settlement outpost in the Khan al-Ahmar village, north of occupied Jerusalem, 150 meters away from Bedouin community in the area, as they brought a tent and generators.

Additionally, IOF began building roads on Palestinian-owned lands in the Khillat Thabet area, south of the village of Wadi Fukin in Bethlehem for settlement expansion.

Settler violence

This month, Israeli settlers conducted 68 attacks against Palestinian villages and cities across the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, mainly in the vicinity of Nablus, road intersections, Za’tara, and near “Aliyah” settlement. In these attacks, settlers’ fire killed 2 Palestinian civilians and injured 5 others. Settlers also burnt 9 houses, 4 commercial facilities, a barrack, a farm, 9 private vehicles, and smashed the windows of 15 other vehicles, and assaulted 20 Palestinians, including three children, and 2 women, using various means such as sticks, sharp objects, and stones. They attacked 3 homes, smashed their windows, and stole a power unit, solar panels, and a water dispenser in northern Jordan Valley in addition to 519 sheep and water tank in Jericho and the valleys while a residential tent was stolen from Al-Mughayyir in Ramallah.

Moreover, settlers uprooted 350 olive trees and set hundreds of dunams of farmers’ lands ablaze in the West Bank.

IOF attacks in Jerusalem

IOF’s violations and Judaization attempts continued in occupied Jerusalem by approving the building of hundreds of new settlement units and entrenching their house demolition policy against Palestinians under various pretexts. IOF also continue to impose age-based access restrictions to Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially on Fridays, and enforce strict search procedures.

In addition to the destruction of houses and facilities mentioned above under the demolitions and land-razing topic, PCHR has documented the following:

On 07 August 2024, IOF raided the Yabous Cultural Center on Zahra Street in occupied East Jerusalem and banned the screening of films depicting the daily life and suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip, called: “Gaza’s Untold Stories, From Ground Zero” by Palestinian director Rashid Mashhrawi, which was scheduled to be shown at the Yabous Cultural Center in Jerusalem.

Acting Director of the Yabous Center, Maureen Koba, stated in a press release that Israeli Special Forces, intelligence agents, and police stormed Yabous Center on Zahra Street, evacuated those present in the screening hall, and informed the center’s administration that the films were banned from screening.

Koba pointed out that the program was set to feature 4-5-minute-long 22 short films, portraying daily life in Gaza.

On 15 August 2024, settlers from the Ateret Cohanim settlement association, backed by IOF and police, took over a residential building belonging to the Shihada family, consisting of five apartments in Batn al-Hawa neighborhood in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of Jewish ownership of the land on which the building is built.

During the reporting period, IOF allowed settlers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque several times. The settlers performed provocative rituals, including prostration, within the mosque, raging Muslim worshipers. Additionally, IOF frequently obstructed and prevented worshipers from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly on Fridays.

Restriction on freedom of movement and checkpoints

The IOF have established more military checkpoints in the West Bank and tightened restrictions on freedom of movement between the cities and villages, rendering them isolated and entrenching the geographical fragmentation. During the reporting period, the IOF established 480 temporary checkpoints along the streets and between the villages. They also erected tens of permanent checkpoints aiming to restrict Palestinians’ freedom of movement by searching and arresting them. During the reporting period, IOF arrested 20 Palestinians, including two children and 3 women, at those checkpoints. Also, IOF set up an iron gate at the southern entrance to Tullkarm.

Palestinians are subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment at checkpoints, hindering their movement and endangering their lives based on mere fallacious suspicions that have led to their killing or arrest allegedly for being “wanted”. These checkpoints have also brought unbearable suffering to Palestinian women, particularly pregnant women after being delayed at these checkpoints. The last victim was on 06 August 2024, when IOF killed Ibrahim Mohammad Rizq Hammash, a resident of the Dheisheh refugee camp west of Bethlehem, at the tunnel checkpoint, north of Bethlehem, and confiscated his body under the pretext of carrying out a stabbing attack.