Israeli Military Continue to Attack Palestinian Civilians

Reprisals Escalate in the oPt;
Settlers and Special Israeli Military Units Continue to Attack Palestinian Civilians in the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem, and the Israeli Warplanes Continue to Launch Airstrikes on Targets in the Gaza Strip

06 July 2014

Following kidnapping, torturing to death and brutally burning the body of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian Child from Shu’fat neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, by Israeli settlers, the settlers continued to commit more crimes against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) believes that the Israeli forces’ connivance with crimes committed by Israeli settlers, supporting and protecting them, and failing to enforce the law against them serve to encourage them to commit more systematic crimes against Palestinian civilians.

PCHR also believes that those crimes are part of the constant incitement practiced by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people resulting in more extremism and hatred by settlers against Palestinians. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli warplanes launched many airstrikes targeting paramilitary training sites and civil objects.As a result, a number of civilian were injured and others were terrified.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR on the settlers’ attacks:

On 03 July 2014, PCHR fieldworkers documented a number of attacks in occupied Jerusalem:

•An Israeli settler deliberately ran down ‘Adel Nabil Jodah (17) near “Rimot” settlement, north of the city. As a result, he sustained a fracture to the right leg and injuries throughout his body.

•Three settlers attempted to kidnap ‘Ammar Ibrahim Abu ‘Asabah (46) in “Sheftai” area in West Jeruslaem, but he managed to jump out of the car, which he was forcibly pushed into, and fled away.

•An Israeli settler opened fire at ‘Ali Ahmed Abu Samrah (30) near the intersection of al-Ram village, north of the city. As a result, he was hit by a bullet to the foot.

•Four Israeli settlers moved into al-Samah neighborhood from the directioon of “Pisgat Ze'ev” settlement established on the lands of Beit Haninah, and attempted to kidnap Mohammed ‘Ali al-Kiswani (7) while he was playing with his friends in the aforementioned neighborhood. However, he shouted and some residents of the area gathered and thwarted the attack.

•On the same day, 2 members of the Israeli forces’ special units beat up Tariq Abu Khdeir with clubs and hands near his house in Shu’fat neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem. As a result, he sustained bruises and injuries to the face, head, chest and back. He was then arrested. It should be mentioned that Tariq is the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was brutally killed by Israeli settlers.

On 04 July 2014, 3 settlers beat up Yousif Ighneimat (25) with sharp tools in Sourif village, west of Hebron. As a result, he sustained fractures to his right hand and deep injuries in the face and right eye.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli warplanes targeted a number of paramilitary training sites, agricultural lands and civilian objects. Since Thursday morning, 03 July 2014, Israeli forces have launched 18 airstrikes, in which they fired 39 missiles, on training sites of armed groups, chicken barns, an under-construction house and agricultural lands. As a result, 6 women, including an old woman and pregnant one, were wounded, and a member of an armed group was wounded as well. Moreover, the targeted places were heavily damaged, and Palestinian civilians were extremely terrified. Thus, the number of airstrikes launched by the Israeli forces all over the Gaza Strip since the abduction of the three settlers has amounted to 60 airstrikes.

PCHR has constantly warned of the escalation of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians and property. PCHR strongly condemns these attacks and the Israeli government’s complicity in them, and:

1. Calls upon the international community to pressurize Israeli authorities to refrain from providing protection and connivance to settlers in regards to crimes committed by them and demands the Israeli government to prosecute settlers who perpetrate such attacks;

2. Calls upon the international community to pressurize Israel to comply with its obligations under the international law and end all settlement activities in the oPt;

3. Reminds the international community that settlement is a war crime according to the international law, so the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, individually or jointly, must comply with their legal and moral obligations, and ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the oPt, in accordance with Article 1 of the Convention; and

4. Condemns the airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, calls upon the international community to immediately stop the Israeli crimes and reiterates its call for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with their obligations in Article 1 of the convention.

ENDS

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