Ref: 10/2022

Date: 06 February 2022

Time: 10:30 GMT

Five Palestinians, including 2 journalists, were wounded after the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) opened fire at the Palestinian-Organized weekly peaceful protest against the establishment of the “Evyatar” settlement outpost in Bita village east of Nablus, north of the West Bank.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns this continued use of force against peaceful protests by the IOF, including shooting at and wounding civilians.  PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate action to stop IOF’s crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory.

According to PCHR’s investigations, on Friday afternoon, 04 February 2022, a peaceful protest took off towards al-Houta area, east of Subeih Mount, south of Bita village, where the “Evyatar” settlement outpost was established last year. When the protesters arrived, IOF fired teargas canisters at them, and intensive clashes broke out.  During the clashes, which continued for 3 hours, protesters threw stones at the Israeli soldiers while IOF fired rubber and live bullets, sound bombs and teargas canisters.  As a result, 5 Palestinians were wounded, including 2 children with live bullets in their feet.  Among those wounded, there were 2 journalists identified, al-Kufiya’s TV Correspondent Rajaa’ Ma’arouf Farid Lahlouh (49), who was wounded with a rubber bullet in the face when she was covering the protest live, and Jerusalem G Media’s Correspondent Laith Basem Yousif Ja’ar (26), who was wounded with a teargas canister in the neck and a rubber bullet in the left shoulder.  Both journalists were taken to a field hospital in Bita village and then to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus.

Journalist Lahlouh said to PCHR that while she was covering the protest and preparing to go live to broadcast the events that were going on,  a military SUV suddenly parked 60 meters away and several soldiers stepped out. They then fired teargas canisters and rubber bullets at the journalists from behind, although the journalists were standing away from the protesters. As a result, Lahlouh was shot with a rubber bullet in the back, but lucky her PRESS-marked vest protected her from being injured. Lahlouh then moved about 20 meters away and was still broadcasting live.  Meanwhile, the shooting continued at the journalists, wounding her colleague and G Media’s Correspondent journalist Laith Ja’ar, with a teargas canister in his neck as well as wounding Lahlouh again in the face with a rubber bullet. Both of them were taken via ambulance to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus for treatment.

During the year, 40 journalists were injured in the OPT with IOF’s fire, most of them were injured while covering protests organized by Palestinians against IOF crimes in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

It should be noted that IOF killed 9 Palestinians and injured tens, including journalists, since the beginning of the weekly peaceful protest organized against the establishment of “Evyatar” settlement outpost on the Palestinian lands of Bita village 10 months ago.

PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate action to stop the Israeli occupation’s crimes and reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; 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 and guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the OPT.