Israeli troops launched a massive, several hour raid into the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho, beginning on the evening of Wednesday 24 May and lasting all the way up until the early morning hours of Thursday.
While people were peacefully sleeping, well-armed Israeli occupation forces savagely stormed and searched at least 60 Palestinian houses during a brutal military raid into Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho, east of the occupied West Bank. Last night’s raid lasted for about 7… pic.twitter.com/6bsvv7lfMQ
At least 13 Palestinians were injured with live ammunition by Israeli forces, while at least 14 were detained.
“A large force of the occupation army stormed the camp from several directions and deployed on the rooftops of the houses in the camp, and raided more than 50 homes, including the homes of the governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley, Jihad Abu al-Assal, and his sons,” local sources told WAFA news agency.
“The occupation forces fired bullets and gas bombs at Palestinian youths as well as houses, resulting in the injuring of 13 young men with live bullets in the lower body parts,” the sources added, with the director of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) in Jericho, Eid Brahma, confirming the arrest of at least 14.
Video: Well-armed Israeli soldiers savagely force Palestinians to get out of their houses as they stormed and searched at least 60 houses during a brutal military raid into Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho, east of the occupied West Bank, last night.
One of the injured Palestinians is reported to be in serious condition, according to WAFA.
The Israeli forces “surrounded the house of a citizen and fired missiles” at it, the news agency adds. Entrances to the camp were blocked by troops, and ambulances were prevented from reaching the injured.
The troops were confronted with heavy gunfire from Palestinian resistance fighters in the camp. The clashes were ongoing for over two hours.
🔰🎥 #Urgent | Renewed armed clashes between the resistance and the occupation forces in Aqabat Jabr camp in Jericho. pic.twitter.com/XFSk9RiDJp
At around dawn, the Israeli troops began to withdraw from the camp after several hours.
This raid comes as Israel has been waging a brutal war against the resistance in the occupied West Bank, launching almost daily raids into different cities and detaining scores of Palestinians.
These indiscriminate raids target resistance fighters, but civilians and unarmed residents of refugee camps are very frequently killed or injured.
The resistance in the occupied West Bank, particularly in Nablus and Jenin, has grown in an unprecedented manner, and constantly launches operations against settlers, soldiers, and army checkpoints.
As a result, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is continuously pushing to expand this already brutal raid policy into a wide-scale military operation in the West Bank.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue their widescale aggression on the Gaza Strip for the second consecutive day as it began at dawn on Tuesday, 09 May 2023, when 3 commanders of Al-Quds Brigades (AQB), the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), were assassinated by bombing their houses over their families and neighbors’ heads. During the aggression, which continues up to the preparation of this report, IOF conducted extensive airstrikes and artillery shelling against residential houses, agricultural lands, sites of Palestinian armed groups, and others. As a result, so far 25 Palestinians, including 13 civilians, 6 children and 4 women, have been killed, and 63 others, including 15 children and 15 women, have been wounded. These attacks on civilian areas reflect Israel’s blatant disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians and non-observation of the principle of distinction and proportionality binding on IOF under international law. The bombing has also caused complete and partial destruction to dozens of housing units, rendering dozens of families homeless, as PCHR’s fieldworkers are still documenting the destruction. Meanwhile, PCHR is still investigating certain incidents that inflicted losses among civilians and property. PCHR’s preliminary investigations indicate casualties fell after homemade rockets had fallen in three incidents, during which 3 civilians, including 2 children, were killed and 26 others were wounded, including 7 children and 5 women.
The following are the most significant developments:
On 09 May 2023, IOF launched an aggression on the Gaza Strip, conducted extensive air raids and bombed a vehicle and 4 apartments on the heads of their residents. As a result, 15 Palestinians, including 4 children and 4 women, were killed, and 20 others, including 4 children and 4 women, were wounded. IOF warplanes fired 2 missiles at 2 floors of a 6-storey residential building in al-Rimal neighborhood in central Gaza City, resulting in the killing of 6 Palestinians, including a woman and 2 children, and injury of 6 others, including 2 women. Those killed were identified as Jamal Saber Mohammed Khaswan (52), a dentist and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Wafaa Charity Association; his wife, Mervat Saleh Mohammed Khaswan (44); and their son Yousef (19), a student at the Faculty of Dentistry. All of them were civilians and lived on the 6th floor. And those killed on the 5th floor were identified as Tareq Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Izz al-Deen (51), a commander at al-Quds Brigades; and his two children ‘Ali (9) and Mayar (7).
Around the same time, Israeli warplanes fired 2 missiles at family house in eastern Gaza City. As a result, five, including 2 women and 2 girls, were killed, and 6 others, including 3 children and 2 women, were injured. Those killed were identified as Khalil Khaled al-Behtaini (44), a commander at al-Quds Brigades; his wife Laila Majdi Mostafa al-Behtaini (42); his 4-year-old daughter Hajar; a 19-yeat-old girl namely Dania ‘Alaa ‘Ataa ‘Adas and her sister Eman (17), who succumbed to her injuries at around 10:00, noting that Dania and Eman lived adjacent to the targeted building.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes targeted at a 1-storey house in Al-Jeneina neighborhood in Rafah. As a result, Jihad Shaker Diab ‘AbdulHafez/Al-Ghanam, Secretary of al-Quds Brigades’ Military Council who was an amputee, and his wife Wafaa Nimr Tawfiq Al-Ghanam (62) were killed, and 6 others sustained various wounds, including a child and the targeted commander’s son. More details are available in PCHR’s press release.
In the same evening, Wael Muhammad Sabri al-Agha (34), and Saed Jawad ‘Abd Farwana (28), members of the Palestinian armed groups, were killed, and two other Palestinians were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a civilian car in al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Yunis.
On 10 May 2023, the bombing continued against agricultural lands, sites of Palestinian armed groups, and houses. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, including 3 civilians: 2 were children. PCHR is still investigating the nature of the missile that killed them and injured 36 others, including 8 women and 10 children.
Muhammad Yousef Abu Ta’ima (23) and ‘Alaa Maher Abu Ta’ima (28), who were members of the Palestinian armed groups, were killed in an airstrike that targeted them in an agricultural field in ‘Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis.
Meanwhile, Ayman Karam Saidam (26) and ‘Alam Al-Dein Sameer ‘Abdul-‘Aziz (23), who were members of the Palestinian armed groups, were killed, and 2 others were wounded as a result of an Israeli airstrike on an agricultural land in Al-Shokah village, east of Rafah. In addition, 8 Palestinians, including 3 children and 3 women, were wounded in an airstrike on an agricultural land near residential houses in Al-Salam neighborhood, south of Rafah.
Also, Ahmed Mohammed al-Shebaki (50) was killed and his wife Yusra Othman al-Shebaki (50) was seriously injured after a missile fell on their house in Qleibo area in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip. PCHR is still investigating the incident, as initial information raises suspicion that it might be a homemade rocket.
Moreover, Yazan Jawdat ‘Eliyan (16) and Layan Belal Mohammed Modawikh (8) were killed and 12 others, including 2 children and 2 women, were injured after a missile fell on a 5-storey house on al-Sahaba Street in Gaza City. PCHR is still investigating the incident, as initial information raises suspicion that it might be a homemade rocket.
In addition, 13 Palestinians were injured, including 2 women and 5 children; one seriously injured, after a missile fell on a house in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip. PCHR is still investigating the incident, as initial information raises suspicion that it might be a homemade rocket.
Meanwhile, IOF warplanes launched at least 2 missiles at a 3-storey house in al-Qarara area, northeast of Khan Yunis. As a result, the house was destroyed and 4 families of 20, including children and women, were displaced. It should be noted that one of the area residents received a call to evacuate the nearby houses.
Moreover, IOF warplanes launched 2 missiles at a 3-storey house of 3 residential apartments in Beit Lahia, completely destroying it and rendering 4 families of 16, including 4 women and 8 children, homeless. It is worth noting that the house’s owner received a call from IOF only 40 minutes before targeting the house telling him to evacuate.
On 11 May 2023, 3 Palestinians, including 2 brothers; one of them a commander of Al-Quds Brigades, were killed and 7 other civilians, including a girl and 3 women; one was pregnant, were injured after IOF warplanes fired 3 missiles at a residential apartment on the 5th floor of a building in Hamad Residential Compound, west of Khan Yunis. Those killed were identified as: ‘Ali Hasan Ghali (50), member of al-Quds Brigades’ Military Council and head of the rocket launching unit; his brother Mahmoud (23); and their relative Mahmoud Waleed Mohammed ‘Abdul Jawaad (26). All of them were in the targeted apartment, while the other injuries were reported in nearby apartments. IOF announced that IOF and Shin Bet (Shabak) killed in a joint targeted operation the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket launching force in the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, 8 Palestinians, including a woman, was killed, and 35 others, including 6 children, were injured, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in IOF’s attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 04 May 2023, IOF killed 3 members of Palestinian armed groups and wounded 3 civilians in an extrajudicial execution crime committed by IOF during their incursion into Nablus’s Old City. (Details available in PCHR’s press release).
On the same day, Eman Ziyad ‘Odah (26) was shot dead by IOF stationed in central Huwara village, southeast of Nablus, claiming that she stabbed an Israeli soldier, as IOF declared.
On 06 May 2023, two members of Palestinian armed groups namely Hamza Jamil Kharyoush (23) and Samer Salah Shaf’y (20) were killed and another Palestinian was injured while 2 others were arrested after one of them was injured during IOF’s incursion into Tulkarm refugee camp, where they cordoned off a house and clashed with Palestinian armed group members who were fortified inside the house.
On 10 May 2023, IOF killed 2 members of Palestinian armed groups namely Ahmed Jamal ‘Assaf (19), from Qabatiya village, and Rani Waleed Qatanat (24), from Jenin refugee camp, and wounded 2 other Palestinians; one seriously injured, during armed clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into Qabatiya village in Jenin. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested a Palestinian and confiscated a vehicle as the two Palestinians mentioned above were killed near it.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF’s incursion into the Palestinian cities and villages, or IOF’s suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians. Twenty Palestinians, including 5 children, were injured in stone-throwing clashes with IOF during the latter’s incursion into several villages in Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem. Also, 12 Palestinians, including a child, were injured in Kafr Qaddum weakly peaceful protest, east of Qalqilya. Additionally, 2 Palestinians were injured near the annexation wall in Qalqilya when they were on they way to work in Israel.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks and aggression have killed 136 Palestinians, including 69 civilians; 24 of them were children, and 6 women, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 7 killed by settlers, and two died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 274 Palestinians, including 85 children, 21 women and 12 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF demolished 6 houses and 6 facilities, including a school that was demolished twice, while Israeli settlers built a settlement road on Palestinian lands in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 04 May 2023, IOF demolished a 70-sqm restaurant, which is a building built of steel, aluminum and wood in Al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 07 May 2023, IOF demolished al-Tahadi Primary School (5) in Jeb al-Deeb village, east of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C. Dozens of villagers tried to confront the demolition, but IOF attacked them and heavily fired live and rubber-coated bullets and teargas canisters at them, wounding 5 of them. The villagers later re-built the school, but IOF- re-demolished it for the 2nd time on 10 May 2023. It is worth noting that the 170-sqm school serving 60 students is funded by the European Union (EU), and it included 5 classrooms, a tent, a number of bathrooms, a playground, and a container used as a kitchen.
On the same day, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his 82-sqm house in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem, pursuant to an Israeli municipal decision issued under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
Also, IOF demolished two 140-sqm houses in Al-Auja village in Jericho and razed a 150-sqm cement slab in al-Jiftlik village, north of Jericho.
On 08 May 2023, IOF notified to cease construction works in a concrete slab and 2 houses in Ma’een village in Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C.
On 09 May 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his under-construction house of 50 sqms in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, pursuant to an Israeli Municipal’s decision issued under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, Israeli settlers, from “Havat Yair” settlement that is established on Deir Istiya village’s lands in western Salfit, built a new 700-meter-long settlement road leading to “Al-Majur” and “Nuwaitif” water springs on Palestinians’ lands in Qarawat Bani Hassan village.
On 10 May 2023, IOF demolished an animal barrack in Jabel Mukaber village and two 100-sqm shops in Wadi Qaddoum neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, IOF demolished a room built of bricks and used as a commercial facility and a 120-meter-long wall in eastern Yatta in Hebron.
Also, IOF demolished a floor housing two 230-sqm apartments belonging to 2 brothers in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem, rendering 9 persons, including 2 women and 5 children, homeless.
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have made 69 families homeless, a total of 439 persons, including 86 women and 192 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 76 houses; 18 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 8 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 70 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts:
Three Palestinians were injured; 2 of them with live bullets, in settlers’ attacks in the West Bank. Details are as follows:
On 05 May 2023, Israeli settlers broke into Maghayir al-‘Abeed area in eastern Yatta in Hebron, where they made their sheep step on the agricultural crops. Later, an Israeli force arrived and detained a Palestinian whom the settlers were attempting to assault, while the settlers later left the area.
On 10 May 2023, 3 Palestinians were injured; 2 of them sustained live bullet injuries and the third sustained bruises in an attack carried out by at least 30 settlers on Deir Dibwan village, east of Ramallah.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 193 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
IOF incursions and arrests:
IOF carried out 204 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, at least 108 Palestinians were arrested, including 13 children and a writer. In the Gaza Strip, on 08 May 2023, IOF conducted a limited incursion into eastern al-Maghazi refugee camp.
So far in 2023, IOF have conducted 3,703 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2215 Palestinians were arrested, including 25 women and 265 children. Also, IOF arrested 34 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip; 12 were fishermen and 19 were trying to infiltrate into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 12 incursions.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement and collective punishment policy:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 16-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
At dawn on 09 May 2023, IOF closed Gaza crossings coinciding with its military offensive against various targets, including civilian objects. The closure of crossings threatens hundreds of patients’ lives and impairs the already frail health system due to the Israeli-imposed closure on Gaza Strip for 16 years. (Details available at PCHR’s press release).
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continues to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 121 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where they arrested 7 Palestinians.
This week, IOF closed the military checkpoints several times in occupied East Jerusalem and Bethlehem and blocked traffic.
So far in 2023,IOF have established 2204 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 116 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
رحم الله أسير فلسطين الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان، ويظل السؤال عما إذا كانت شهادته ستكون دافعاً إلى فك أسر رفاقه من الأسرى؟
سيسجِّل التاريخ اسم الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان رمزاً لقوة الإرادة والتحمُّل، وأيقونةً للتمرُّد على سلاسل الأَسْر. فحقاً صدق فيه قول الشاعر عبد الرحيم محمود “فإمَّا حياةٌ تسر الصديق وإمَّا مماتٌ يغيظ العدا”، فهذا الرجل، الذي أُسِر عدّة مراتٍ، وخاض خلالها نحو ستّة إضراباتٍ متفرقةٍ عن الطعام، استمر آخرها قرابة ثلاثة أشهرٍ عصيبةٍ انتهت باستشهاده، استحّق أن يصير رمزاً لنضالات الأسرى الفلسطينيين وعذاباتهم، فلا استطاع تكرار الأَسْر كسر عزيمته، ولا فتَّتت 295 يوماً من الإضرابات المتقطعة عضضه، ولا أشغلته الحياة والعائلة عن واجبه الوطني والتزامه، دينياً وأخلاقياً، إذ كان الشيخ الشهيد يعود إلى مقارعة المغتصب في ميادين الجهاد بعد كل مرةٍ، فور خروجه من زنازين الاحتلال.
استشهاد خضر عدنان وملف تبادل الأسرى
لكن رفض الاحتلال إطلاق سراح الشيخ الشهيد، على رغم 86 يوماً من الإضراب عن الطعام أفضت إلى وفاته، يحتِّم على المعنيين التوقف أمام هذه السابقة الخطيرة، ويفرض عليهم النظر في دلالاتها واستحقاقاتها، إذ تعيد هذه الحادثة التذكير بإضراب الأسرى الفلسطينيين الجماعي، والذي كان مقرراً قبيل شهر رمضان الفائت، كون قصة الشيخ الشهيد تُعَد جزءاً من قضية الأسرى الأشمل. وتعيد هذه الحادثة التذكير أيضاً بوصية الأسرى الجماعية، والتي نشروها قبيل البدء بالإضراب، وبما جاء فيها على نحوٍ غير مسبوقٍ؛ ذلك المحتوى الذي ربما لم يأخذ حقه في النقاش، وفي النظر في دلالاته، بسبب انتهاء الإضراب سريعاً في ذلك الوقت.
كانت الحركة الأسيرة في سجون الاحتلال اتَّخذت بالإجماع قراراً يقضي بالدخول في إضرابٍ جماعيّ مفتوحٍ عن الطعام، تزامناً مع بداية شهر رمضان الماضي، وكان القرار، الذي اتخذه الأسرى حينها، يقضي بعدم فك الإضراب حتى تحقيق مطالبهم، وإن أدى ذلك إلى استشهادهم أجمعين.
وكتب الأسرى وصيةً جماعيةً تم نشرها، بالإضافة إلى كتابة وصاياً فرديةٍ كما يفعل الاستشهاديون تماماً. فما الأسباب التي دفعت الحركة الأسيرة إلى اتخاذ قرارٍ قاسٍ كهذا؟ ربما لكان سيؤدي إلى استشهاد بعضهم، كما حدث فعلاً مع الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان؟
لعل السطور الأولى من وصية الأسرى الجماعية كانت لتدلنا على إجابة عن هذا التساؤل، إذ جاء فيها أنه “بعد أن وجدنا أنفسنا وحيدين في مواجهة الموت والنسيان، نصارع المستحيل، ونحن أسرى نحارب حتى النهاية بين فكَّي كماشة الإهمال وأنياب بن غفير الاستعمارية”. وتتابع الوصية بالقول: “قررنا، بناءً على الإرادات المؤمنة والمنبثقة من وهم وعينا، تحررياً وإنسانياً، بعد التوكل على الله وعلى شعبنا، أن ننطلق سهاماً من على أوتار أرواحنا المتمردة، فإما حريةٌ حمراء مخضبةٌ بالجوع والكرامة، وإمّا انتصارٌ أكيدٌ على الذات والدنيا معاً”.
أشارت تلك العبارات إلى إحساسٍ لدى الأسرى بأنَّهم تُرِكوا وحيدين ومنسيين في مواجهة الموت البطيء خلف القضبان. فبعد مُضِيّ نحو عقدٍ ونيف على “صفقة الأحرار”، التي تمكنت فيها “كتائب القسام” من تحرير نحو ألف أسيرٍ، ما زال سائر الأسرى ينتظرون فك قيدهم. ولعلّ تلك الكلمات توحي بأن اليأس بدأ يتسلل إلى نفوسهم مع مرور كل عام، وهم يكابدون الزنازين. فإذا كانت “كتائب عز الدين القسام” وفصائل المقاومة الفلسطينية تمكَّنت من إتمام صفقة تبادلٍ ناجحةٍ قبل 12 عاماً، في وقتٍ كانت أضعف بمراحل مما هي عليه راهناً، فهل يصح القول إنها اليوم عاجزةٌ عن تكرار تلك التجربة بعد أن ازدادت قوتها؟ وكيف إذا ما أضيف إلى ذلك تراجع قدرة العدو؟ وتعاظم قدرات قوى المقاومة من الناحية المقابلة في الإقليم بصورة عامة؟
لعلّ الأسرى كانوا محقين حينما وجهوا العتب ضمناً إلى إخوانهم في فصائل المقاومة الفلسطينية، فلقد طال أمَدُ انتظارهم للوفاء بالوعد الذي كانت قطعته الفصائل على أنفسها بتحريرهم، ومعالجة هذا الملف الذي يحظى بإجماعٍ وطنيّ فلسطينيّ.
لا يصح هنا القول إن الحركة الأسيرة لا تدرك حقائق الواقع، سياسياً وميدانياً، حينما تطالب بالحرية، أو أنَّها تطلب أمراً لا يمكن تحقيقه. فعلى رغم وجود الحركة الأسيرة خلف أسوار المعتقل، فإنها ما زالت على تواصلٍ مع الخارج عبر وسائل متعدّدة، والراجح أن الحركة الأسيرة كانت لتصبر على العذابات، وما كانت لتطالب الفصائل بأمرٍ غير قابلٍ للتنفيذ، فهذه الحركة تضم رجالاً صمدوا عقوداً خلف القضبان، ولا يعوزهم الصبر حيث يلزم الصبر.
لذلك، إذا كان عدد جنود الاحتلال، الذين تم أسرهم في معركة غزة عام 2014، لا يكفي لإنجاز صفقة تبادلٍ جديدةٍ، فربما يكون آن الأوان لتقوم المقاومة بما يلزم فعله من أجل تحريك ملف تبادل الأسرى، وإجبار العدو على الرضوخ وإنهاء هذا الملف، الذي يُعَدّ جرحاً نازفاً في الجسد الفلسطيني.
أخيراً، لا بد من الإشارة إلى أن حكومة المستوطنين المتغطرسين الحالية هذه، والتي ذهبت بعيداً في الاستقواء على الأسرى، إلى حدّ الحديث عن تعديل القوانين، على نحو يتيح للاحتلال تنفيذ عقوبة الإعدام بحقهم، كما طبَّقته فعلياً بحق الشيخ الشهيد حينما رفضت إنهاء حبسه الإداري حتى توفي، هذه الحكومة ذاتها، أو هذا الكيان الموقت بصورة عامة، تم اختبار جاهزيته للذهاب إلى الحرب أكثر من مرة مؤخراً، وكان يثبت، في كل مرة، تفاديه أي مواجهةٍ تتخطى بضع غاراتٍ جويةٍ شكليةٍ على البساتين والمناطق المفتوحة، سواءٌ أكان في غزة، أم في جنوبي لبنان، كما ظهر خلال شهر رمضان الماضي. لذلك، فالأرجح ألّا يجد العدو بدّاً من التفاوض غير المباشر لإتمام صفقة تبادل أسرى جديدةٍ من أجل استعادة جنوده الموجودين حالياً في قبضة فصائل غزة، أو أي جنودٍ آخرين يُحتمَل وقوعهم في الأسر.
رحم الله أسير فلسطين الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان، ويظل السؤال عما إذا كانت شهادته ستكون دافعاً إلى فك أسر رفاقه من الأسرى؟ وذلك قبل أن يسقط منهم شهداء آخرون؟ فهذا وحده الثمن المقبول لمعركة الشيخ الشهيد التي دفع حياته ثمناً لها.
إن الآراء المذكورة في هذه المقالة تعبّر عن رأي صاحبها حصراً
4 Palestinians were killed, three of them in the West Bank, including 2 children, and the fourth was succumbed to injury in the Gaza Strip by an Israeli airstrike. Meanwhile, a Palestinian detainee who had been on a hunger strike in Israeli prisons died. In addition to 23 others, including 5 children, 3 women and a photojournalist were injured, and dozens of others suffocated in IOF attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 27 April 2023, Ahmad Ya’qoub Taha (39) was shot dead by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) after he got out of his vehicle nearby the Haris village roundabout in Salfit. An eyewitness told PCHR’s fieldworker that the vehicle crashed a concrete protection nearby the intersection where there is an Israeli military checkpoint. As a result, a group of Israeli soldiers approached him and asked him to get out of his vehicle and raise his hands. Suddenly, they opened fire at him, wounding him with several bullets which led to his death. This crime falls under an unjustified field execution as IOF claimed he was carrying a knife, but that is unconfirmed.
On 28 April 2023, Mustafa ‘Amer Sabbah (16) was shot with a live bullet in the chest during clashes with IOF in Tuqu’ town in Bethlehem. According to video footages and eyewitnesses, IOF fired at the child from a distance of 200 meters and as soon as he fell to the ground, IOF soldiers approached and examined his injury, then left him and moved hundreds of meters away from him, then the protestors managed to carry him and transfer him to a healthcare center in the town, where he was immediately pronounced dead.
On 01 May 2023, Mohammad Sa’eed Kamal (17) was killed, and 3 others, including a woman, were injured with live bullets and shrapnel by IOF, after the latter’s incursion into ‘Aqaba Jaber camp in Jericho. According to PCHR’s investigations, Kamal was shot with a live bullet in the head after he approached 50 meters closer to a residential building where IOF raided by IOF and the Israeli snipers stationed. Meanwhile, clashes and stone-throwing protests erupted in the Area. 3 young men tried to reach the Child and help him, but IOF soldiers fired at them, injuring two. Kamal fell on the ground and left to bleed for 10 minutes until he was taken to Ariha Governmental Hospital by an ambulance, where he was pronounced dead. As for the woman, she was wounded by shrapnel in the foot when IOF blew up the door of her house before raiding it and turning it into a sniper barracks.
On 02 May 2023, the death of the detainee Khader ‘Adnan, who has been in an 87-day- hunger strike in protest against his administrative detention by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), was announced. At dawn, ‘Adnan was found unconscious in his cell before his death was later declared after transferring him to the hospital. (Details available at PCHR’s press release).
On 02 May 2023, Hashel Mubarak Mubarak (58), was killed by a large stone in his chest due to flying rubble, after IOF warplanes bombed a site belonging to the Palestinian armed groups, southwest of Jablia, in the northern Gaza Strip. Mubarak was hit inside his tin-roofed house, 100 meters away from the targeted site. The bombing caused partial damage to a number of houses and a school in the area.
In addition, 5 civilians, including 3 children and 2 women, were wounded by shrapnel from a missile that fell on Al-Masryeen Street in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip.
At evening of the same day, and at dawn of the following day, IOF warplanes launched several missiles, most of which targeted Palestinian armed groups’ sites and agricultural lands, in different areas of the Gaza Strip, but no injuries were reported, after the Palestinian factions fired missiles towards Israeli gatherings, for the death of the detainee Khader ‘Adnan.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF incursions into cities and villages and suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 28 April 2023, 3 Palestinians, including a child, were injured during clashes with IOF after raiding Jenin refugee camp. Before withdrawal, IOF arrested a Palestinian after breaking into his house, destroyed the contents of his brother’s café and billiards, as well as an ambulance was damaged during the clashes.
On the same day, 5 Palestinians, including a photojournalist, were injured with metal bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya
On 30 April 2023, a Palestinian child was injured in the right foot during clashes with IOF at the entrance to Al- ‘Arroub camp in Hebron, where IOF established a military observation point.
On 01 May 2023, a Palestinian was injured with two live bullets in the hand and back, and his condition was critical, during clashes with IOF after they stormed the town of Beit Jala, in Bethlehem. IOF raided the yard of Beit Jala Governmental Hospital, firing live bullets and tear gas canisters inside, claiming they were pursuing protestors, which led to the suffocation of a number of patients and their companions. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested an elder.
On02 May 2023, a Palestinian was injured with a live bullet in his right knee during clashes with IOF at the entrance to Al- ‘Arroub camp in Hebron.
On 03 May 2023, a Palestinian was seriously injured after being hit with 6 live bullets in the pelvis and the lower part of his body, by IOF while he was passing through a temporary military checkpoint set up at ‘Aqbat Hasna intersection, leading to the western countryside of Bethlehem, under the pretext of attempting to attack a soldier. The injured was transferred to the Arab Society Hospital in Beit Jala, for treatment.
In the Gaza Strip, on 01 May 2023, 2 Palestinians were injured with metal bullet, as a result of IOF firing bullets at several boats off the northern Gaza Strip. IOF fired at least 8 bullets at agricultural lands, and 7 bullets at fishermen’s boats in eastern and western Gaza Strip.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 103 Palestinians, including 55 civilians; 18 of them were children, a woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 7 killed by settlers, and two died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 479 Palestinians, including 65 children, 6 women and 12 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF demolished a 6-storey residential building of 16 apartments, closed a carpentry shop, and confiscated a caravan a water tank in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 27 April 2023, IOF raided a carpentry workshop in the Old City of Hebron, and verbally notified its owner of its closure. Noting that the carpentry is located on the 2nd floor of an old building in the Old City Square, overlooking the closed area of Al-Shuhada Street and the outpost of Beit Hadassah.
On 28 April 2023, IOF confiscated a water tank in the village of Humsa al-Fawqa, in the northern Jordan Valley, east of Tubas.
On 30 April 2023, IOF confiscated a 60-sqm caravan in Qasr Hisham, in Jericho.
On 03 May 2023, IOF demolished a residential building of 6 floors containing 16 apartments, including 2 inhabited apartments, in Dahiyat al-Salam area in ‘Anata town, in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, displacing 11 citizens, including 4 children. IOF also beat a number of residents during the demolition process.
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 67 families homeless, a total of 430 persons, including 48 women and 187 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 70 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 8 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 64 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Demolitions on grounds of collective punishment
On 03 May 2023, IOF demolished 2 houses in the village of Haris, north of Salfit, and the village of Hajjah, east of Qalqilya, as part of collective punishment policy adopted by IOF against Palestinian families, accusing them of carrying out acts of resistance against them, or against the settlers.
In the village of Haris, IOF destroyed a house for the family of a Palestinian who was killed on 15 November 2022, after carrying out a stabbing and run-over attack that killed 3 settlers. The demolition was carried out by detonating the 100-sqm 3-storey house, after its residents, a family of 8, were evacuated, causing damage to a number of nearby houses.
In the village of Hajjah, IOF demolished the detainee’s house who was accused of carrying out a stabbing attack against a settler on 15 October 2022. The demolition was carried out with bulldozers and led to the complete destruction of the 250-sqm 2-storey house and an annex, displacing a family of 5.
Settler-attacks
Settlers carried out 10 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, injuring many Palestinians and uprooting hundreds of trees in the West Bank. Details are as follows:
On 27 April 2023, settlers uprooted dozens of olive and grape seedlings, destroyed agricultural crops, and an irrigation network in the citizens’ agricultural lands in the village of Husan in Bethlehem.
On the same day, settlers attacked agricultural land in east of Qaryut town in Nablus, and cut down 42 olive trees.
On 28 April 2023, settlers severely beat 3 Palestinians, brothers, in the village of Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah, and threw stones at the ambulance that arrived to help them, smashing its windows.
On 29 April 2023, settlers, living in the settlement outpost established on the village of Al-Zuwaidin, south of Hebron, entered their livestock into the citizens’ lands, which were planted with winter grains. When the citizens arrived in the area in order to force the settlers to remove their livestock, large forces of the Israeli army arrived and confronted the citizens and arrested 4 of them.
On 30 April 2023, settlers attacked the Palestinians’ lands in the west of the town of Deir Sharaf in Nablus, and broke 261 olive, almond, fig, carob, pine and Kenya trees, and destroyed the 125-meter-long and 1.5-meter-high fence around the 47 dunums of land.
On the same day, two Palestinians were injured as a result of being beaten with sticks by a group of settlers in Burqa village in Nablus. In the evening, settlers attacked citizens’ lands east of the town of ‘Aqraba in Nablus, assaulted a farmer, and stole 14 sheep before running away towards the nearby “Jetit” settlement.
On 30 April 2023, settlers raided an agricultural land, east of the village of Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah, opened fire at the citizens, beat two citizens, bruised them, and seized their vehicle while they were working on the land.
On 01 May 2023, settlers attacked citizens’ lands in east of the town of Qaryut in Nablus, and cut down 12 olive trees.
On the same day, a Palestinian was wounded with a live bullet in the left shoulder by settlers’ fire after they assaulted him while he was guarding a building in Jabal Qbeibat, south of Jenin.
On 03 May 2023, settlers uprooted 820 apricot and jarnak trees, destroyed the water network, and demolished a tent on agricultural lands in the village of Burqa and the town of Sebastia in Nablus.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 190 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 207 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, 96 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 children. In the Gaza Strip, IOF arrested 7 Palestinians; 5 tried to infiltrate through the fence, including 4 in east of Khan Yunis on 01-02 May 2023, and the fifth in east of Beit Hanoun on 27 April 2023, and 2 fishermen off the northern Strip. IOF also carried out a limited incursion into east of Khan Yunis on 01 May 2023.
So far in 2023, IOF conducted 3499 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2107 Palestinians were arrested, including 25 women and 252 children. Also, IOF arrested 34 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip; 12 were fishermen and 19 were trying to infiltrate into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 11 incursions.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 16-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 125 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 21 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Since 22 April 2023, IOF have continued to impose a comprehensive siege on the city of Jericho, by closing its northern and southern entrances and the main entrance leading to it and its camps. IOF set up several military checkpoints and roadblocks, cement blocks and mounds on the roads, where soldiers are stationed, and they conduct continuous inspections. On 01 May 2023, IOF installed 3 military iron gates at the main entrances to the city; north, south and east. Until now, IOF continue to establish temporary military checkpoints at the main entrances and exits of the City. As the latter also closed the main and secondary roads towards the central Jordan Valley, and set up gates and cement blocks at all the Jordan Valley intersections.
During the week, IOF closed the checkpoints in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem for several times, causing traffic obstruction.
So far in 2023, IOF established 2083 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 109 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
“Israeli” prison authorities say a senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance group, Khader Adnan, has passed away at an “Israeli” jail after an 87-day hunger strike.
“Israeli” Prison Services [IPS] announced in a statement that Adnan was found unresponsive in his cell in Nitzan jail in the central city of Ramle during the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday morning.
He was brought to the Shamir Medical Center outside Tel Aviv, but was declared dead at the hospital, the IPS said.
Earlier on Sunday, an “Israeli” court refused to release the Palestinian hunger striker despite his deteriorating health condition.
In press remarks to the Palestinian Information Center [PIC], Adnan’s wife Randa Mousa affirmed that an “Israeli” court rejected the appeal submitted to release her husband on bail.
The court set another session for May 10, she added.
She had warned that her husband’s health condition was very critical as a result of his prolonged hunger strike, which he started earlier this year.
Adnan was detained on February 5 and immediately went on a hunger strike in protest against his illegal detention.
He was suffering from severe health problems as a result of the strike, including frequent vomiting of blood, severe weakness, frequent loss of consciousness, difficulty in speaking, movement, sleep and concentration, and severe pain all over his body.
Over the past 20 years, Adnan had been arrested a dozen times by “Israeli” Occupation Forces [IOF] troops for his political and anti-occupation activities. He spent a total of eight years behind bars.
He went on hunger strike four times during his detentions, the longest of which was a 67-day period in 2012 that resulted in his release and inspired other Palestinian prisoners held under the so-called “administrative detention” to follow suit.
In 2015, he once again went on a hunger strike for 56 days to protest his detention. He did the same in 2018 for 58 days.
Adnan was also detained in 2021 and was transferred to “administrative detention”. He went on a hunger strike for 25 days at the time.
Hundreds of inmates have been apparently incarcerated under the practice of “administrative detention”.
Human rights organizations say the apartheid “Israeli” entity violates all the rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Fourth Geneva Convention. They say the entity’s so-called “administrative detention” violates their right to due process since the evidence is withheld from prisoners while they are held for lengthy periods without being charged, tried, or convicted.
Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to express outrage at their detention.
“Israeli” prison authorities keep Palestinian detainees under deplorable conditions without proper hygienic standards.
Palestinian inmates have also been subject to systematic torture, harassment and repression.
Beirut – Leader of the Islamic Jihad movement, the detainee Sheikh Khader Adnan, entered his eighty-first day of hunger strike, which led to a further deterioration of his health condition. He has become more like a skeleton, according to Mohjat al-Quds Foundation.
Randa Moussa, the wife of detainee Sheikh Khader Adnan, confirmed that “the Zionist occupation prevents the International Red Cross and human rights institutions from visiting the sheikh to see his health condition, trying to single him out as a prelude to killing him, especially after refusing to transfer him to a civilian hospital.”
In an interview with the al-Ahed news website, she said, “The charges against the sheikh do not exceed a six-month sentence, but his imprisonment for five years is arbitrary as a result of his accusation of carrying out events and activities that incite against ‘Israel’ in the name of the Islamic Jihad Movement.”
She added, “Sheikh Adnan refuses to take any medical examinations in the laboratories and hospitals of the occupation, although he faints from time to time with his health condition becoming very serious, but he wants to deliver a message to the enemy through this strike that life and death are the same with the existence of occupation.”
Randa Moussa pointed out that “this strike is Sheikh Adnan’s fifth in ten years, but it is the most difficult in terms of the occupation’s dealings with him and the most dangerous for the sheikh’s health, as he lives in a prison that lacks the minimum hygienic necessities with his bed infested with bed bugs and the lack of sunlight exposure in his cell.”
Accordingly, she considered that “the enemy is taking advantage of the absence of popular and factional sympathy with the case of Sheikh Adnan, who insists on his release without restriction or condition, rejecting all proposals presented by the occupation, as he is preparing himself for a fierce battle with this enemy.”
[1] This report covers 2 weeks due to ‘Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:
Two Palestinians were killed, and 23 others were injured, including 4 children, a woman and a paramedic, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, several houses and facilities sustained material damage due to Israeli airstrikes. Details are as follows:
On 24 April 2023, Suliman ‘Ayish ‘Owaid (22) succumbed to his wounds only hours after being arrested. ‘Owaid and 3 other Palestinians were wounded by an Israeli Special Force when the latter sneaked into ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at around 03:14, an Israeli Special Force sneaked via a cargo truck and a Volkswagen Caravelle van into the camp and opened fire at a group of Palestinian young men present in front of a house, wounding 4 of them. The young men managed to evacuate two of those injured to Jericho Hospital, while the 2 others remained on the ground and the Special Force pulled them to an empty warehouse in the area, where they were stripped of their clothes, arrested, and taken away after 40 minutes. At approximately 20:30, IOF declared that death of one the wounded namely Suliman ‘Owaid and kept his body.
On the same day, Hatem As’ad Abu Najma (39), from Beit Safafa village in occupied East Jerusalem, was killed after being shot with several live bullets by an Israeli settler, claiming that he carried out a run-over attack at Agribous intersection adjacent to Machaneh Yehudah Market in central West Jerusalem
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF’s incursion into the Palestinian cities and villages, or IOF’s suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 14 April 2023, 3 Palestinians, including a child, were shot with rubber-coated bullets in their limbs during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On 17 April 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his abdomen by IOF in Neve Ya’akov neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext that he set an Israeli vehicle ablaze in the area, according to a statement by the Israeli police.
On 18 April 2023, a child was shot with a live bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF after the latter’s incursion into Beit Ummar village in Hebron. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians, including a child.
On the same day, 8 Palestinians were injured by IOF fire during clashes that accompanied the latter’s incursion into Jenin refugee camp. Due to the IOF shooting, the main power transformer in the camp was damaged and led to a power outage. Also, the shooting hit the walls of an UNRWA Clinic in the camp causing damage to the building and an ambulance that tried to evacuate those injured. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians and confiscated a car belonging to one of the arrestees.
Moreover, a Palestinian woman was injured with 2 live bullets in her shoulder and leg after IOF opened fire at her claiming that she carried out a stabbing attack that injured an Israeli settler near Gush Etzion settlement intersection in southern Bethlehem. The wounded woman was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in West Jerusalem for treatment while she is under arrest.
Also, a Palestinian sustained bruises after being severely beaten by IOF who stopped his vehicle at a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Jericho.
On 21 April 2023, 3 Palestinians were shot with live and rubber-coated bullets, and others suffocated during clashes with IOF after the latter’s incursion into Beita village, southeast of Nablus, on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
On 24 April 2023, 3 Palestinians, including 2 children and a paramedic, were shot with rubber-coated bullets, and hit with a stun grenade during IOF’s suppression of Palestinians who tried to stop IOF’s confiscation of a vehicle in Qarawat Bani Hassan village, west of Salfit.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 11 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 9 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 99 Palestinians, including 51 civilians; 16 of them were children and 1 woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 7 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 456 Palestinians, including 60 children, 3 women and 11 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF demolished 6 shops, confiscated lands and vehicles, and handed dozens of cease-construction notices in the West Bank. Details are as follows:
On 16 April 2023, IOF confiscated a Tucson SUV near al-Jalama military checkpoint in northern Jenin.
On 18 April 2023, IOF demolished 6 closed shops with a JCB digger in the Old Market in Hebron’s Old City. It is worth noting that Israeli authorities had declared that area as a closed military zone in 2002, and forced the shops’ owners to close them completely, as there are about 30 shops in the market.
On 19 April 2023, IOF handed 3 cease-construction notices to 3 residential houses in Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, IOF issued a military order to seize 53 dunums for military purposes in Sanniriya village in southern Qalqilya. Upon the order, the seizure will be in force until the end of 2027, and might be renewed similar to previous orders.
On 20 April 2023, the Israeli Civil Administration fixed an order to confiscate a dunum of land in order to expand a settlement road in Al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem.
On the same day, IOF confiscated a bobcat bulldozer while working in Kafr ad-Dik village, under the pretext of working in Area C.
Also, IOF confiscated a tractor in Deir Ballut village, west of Salfit, under the pretext of being in Area C.
On 24 April 2023, IOF prevented a Palestinian from levelling his land by a bulldozer to establish a parking lot near a road connecting Nabi Ilyas village with Jayyous village in eastern Qalqilya, under the pretext of working in Area C.
On 25 April 2023, IOF handed 23 cease-construction notices to inhabited houses, others under-construction and a mosque in Az-Zawiya village, west of Salfit.
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 64 families homeless, a total of 406 persons, including 81 women and 183 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 67 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 64 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks on Palestinian civilians and their properties:
Israeli settlers seized a house and assaulted Palestinians and their vehicles in 6 attacks in the West Bank. Details are as follows:
On 13 April 2023, Israeli settlers seized an agricultural house near an IOF camp, south of Al-Mazra’a al- Gharbiyia village, north of Ramallah. The settlers fixed an Israeli flag on the house, placed a tent in its yard, stayed inside it, and prevented its owners from entering it.
On 14 April 2023, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian shepherds in pastoral land in eastern Yatta in Hebron and tried to beat them with sticks. IOF then arrived, detained the shepherds and ordered them to leave.
On 15 April 2023, Israeli settlers, who gathered near the eastern entrance to Jab’a village in Bethlehem, threw stones at Palestinians and their vehicles, breaking windows of a vehicle and wounding its driver with a stone in his head.
On 18 April 2023, Israeli settlers broke into agricultural lands in Al-Khader village in Bethlehem, assaulted a number of Palestinians and wounded one of them.
On 19 April 2023, Israeli settlers broke into Palestinian lands in Kisan village, east of Bethlehem, damaged its property and stole 3 sheep.
On 22 April 2023, Israeli settlers punctured tries of an agricultural tractor in Turmus Ayya village, east of Ramallah, after putting nails on the road used by the farmers and other Palestinians.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 180 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
Violations of freedom of worship
On 15 April 2023, IOF intensified their deployment around occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City and in its alleys, closing some of its gates with iron barriers, and turned it into a military barrack. They hindered the access of thousands of Christian worshipers to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City to participate in the celebrations of Holy Saturday, which precedes Easter.
Moreover, IOF suppressed hundreds of those participating in the celebrations, pushed them and beat them in several areas after they tried to cross the iron barriers established by the Israeli police on all occupied East Jerusalem’s roads. At around 13:00 with the start of the three Orthodox churches’ celebrations of the Holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, thousands of Christians were prevented from passing through these barriers, causing a stampede, during which IOF assaulted some of the protesters, including foreign pilgrims, in the church outside yard.
On 24 April 2023, IOF banned raising Ish’a prayer call “adhan” at al-Aqsa Mosque and prevented the muezzin “an official who proclaims the call for prayer” from completing the call, under the pretext of settler celebrations in the Western Wall of al-Aqsa Mosque.
On 25 April 2023, IOF suppressed dozens of Palestinian worshipers present near Bab al-Rahma (Golden Gate) at al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, assaulted, pushed and beat them and forcibly dispersed them. They also arrested a Turkish tourist who was with the worshipers and violently assaulted her. It should be noted that since 22 April 2023, IOF have continued its attacks at Bab al-Rahma Mosque, which they raided several times while wearing shoes. IOF prevented the prayer call at al-Rahma Mosque, damaged the electricity networks, loudspeakers and lightings, took its contents out, expelled the worshipers, and confiscated their IDs.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 294 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, at least 158 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 children and 2 women. In the Gaza Strip, on 16 April 2023, IOF arrested 4 fishermen and confiscated their fishing boat after intercepting it while sailing within 8 nautical miles off Rafah Shore. Three of the fishermen were released on the next day while the fourth was released a week later. Also, on 23 April 2023, IOF conducted a limited incursion into eastern Rafah.
So far in 2023, IOF conducted 3292 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2011 Palestinians were arrested, including 25 women and 242 children. Also, IOF arrested 27 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, including 10 fishermen and 14 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 10 incursions.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement and collective punishment policy:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 16-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
IOF declared a comprehensive closure on the West Bank and closed all crossings with the Gaza Strip from 24 to 25 April 2023, under the pretext of the “Independence Day” in Israel and the commemoration of the dead Israeli soldiers.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continues to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 155 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where they arrested 14 Palestinians.
For the fifth week in a row, IOF continues to impose a closure on Huwara village, southeast of Nablus, after announcing it a “closed military zone” on 25 March 2023, and imposed a cordon on it. They also closed the internal streets with sand berms, established more military checkpoints and placed cement cubes on the village’s main street, as part of a collective punishment policy following the shooting attack that targeted IOF in the village.
This week, IOF closed the military checkpoints several times in occupied East Jerusalem and Bethlehem and blocked traffic.
So far in 2023,IOF established 1958 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 88 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
4 Palestinians, one of them from the Negev, were killed, and 16 others were wounded, including two children while dozens of others suffocated in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacks in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 01 April 2023, Mohammad Rateb Baradhiya (23) was killed after IOF opened fire at him and his vehicle that he was driving. His vehicle crashed into an IOF military vehicle parked on the side of the Bypass Road (60) near the entrance to Beit Ummar in Hebron. IOF announced that they opened fire at a Palestinian, who carried out a run-over attack that injured two soldiers. IOF kept the body of Baradhiya and took it with them.
On 31 March 2023, Mohammad Khaled Al-‘Osaibi (26), a doctor from Houra village in Negev in Israel, was killed with several live bullets fired by IOF from a distance of 1-meter, after altercations erupted between him and an Israeli police officer during interrogation at the Chain Gate leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque. He was detained at the time IOF was trying to evacuate the area after Tarawih prayers. IOF claimed that Al-‘Osaibi snatched a weapon from a police officer and used it to open fire. As a result, the police officers fired several bullets at him and immediately killed him. While IOF were evacuating the area, they assaulted shopkeepers and Palestinians by beating and pushing them and destroying the goods of some shops, and arrested a Palestinian in central Qattanin Market after severely beating him.
03 April 2023, Mohammad Naser Sa’eed (21) and Mohammad Mustafa ‘Ali Abu Baker (42), from Nablus, both members of the Palestinian armed groups, were killed by IOF’s fire during clashes after the latter’s incursion into Al-Makhfiyya neighborhood in Nablus and cordoning one of the houses. During the incursion, IOF broke into several apartments, interrogated their residents, and unleashed a detection dog at a university student, biting his left leg while interrogating his colleague. Before withdrawal, IOF arrested two Palestinians, claiming that they were “wanted”.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF incursions into cities and villages or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 30 March 2023, 2 Palestinians were injured during clashes with IOF after the latter’s incursion into Qabatiya in Jenin. Before withdrawal, IOF arrested Palestinians.
On the same day, dozens of players and spectators suffocated and fainted due to tear gas inhalation, after IOF heavily fired tear gas canisters at Faisal Al-Hussini Stadium in Al-Ram village in occupied East Jerusalem. The incident coincided with the presence of the Turkish Ambassador inside the stadium to watch the match along with Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).
On 31 March 2023, 3 Palestinians, including two children, were injured during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On 02 April 2023, a Palestinian was injured with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest during clashes with IOF in the town of Beit Ummar in Hebron.
On 04 April 2023, 3 Palestinians were injured; one of them was seriously wounded after being shot with a live bullet in the abdomen, during clashes with IOF, after the latter’s raid on Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. Before withdrawing, IOF broke into dozens of residential homes and arrested 7 Palestinians, including a woman.
On the same day, an undercover Israeli force dressed like Palestinian civilians, opened fire at ‘Omar Ibrahim Abu Mayyalah (15), after claiming that he attempted to put a Molotov Cocktail inside a vehicle belonging to the settlement outpost guards, in conjunction with the clashes with IOF in Silwan, East Jerusalem. As a result, Abu Mayyalah was wounded with a live bullet, and while people tried to provide him first aid and take him to Al-Makassed Hospital in Al-Tur neighborhood via a private vehicle, IOF chased them, closed the streets, raided the Hospital, arrested the child, and referred him to Hadassah Al-Issawiya Hospital. Also, IOF arrested 6 Palestinians after chasing young men and boys and raiding several homes.
During this week, confrontations with IOF repeatedly broke out, where tear gas canisters were fired. As a result, dozens were suffocated during IOF’s raids of Hebron neighborhoods.
In the Gaza Strip, 5 Palestinians were injured with live bullets, and others suffocated, after IOF stationed along the security fence in eastern Gaza, opened fire at them and fired tear gas canisters at a youth gathering in Malka area, east of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, to commemorate Earth Day on 30 March 2023. Also, 6 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza, and 8 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores. IOF carried out several airstrikes and artillery shelling targeting two sites of the Palestinian armed groups and border control points, east of the Gaza Strip at dawn on 05 April 2023, causing damage but no injuries.
So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 93 Palestinians, including 47 civilians; 15 of them were children, a woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 6 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 414 Palestinians, including 56 children, 2 women and 10 journalists, were injured.
Al-Aqsa Mosque Raid
On the evening of 04 April 2023, IOF raided al-Aqsa Mosque and its praying halls, violently assaulted Palestinian worshipers inside the mosque and in its yards and fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at them until dawn of the following day. IOF also arrested and attacked more than 400 Palestinians, including 65 children, after cordoning off and storming al-Qibli Mosque, assaulting the worshipers and severely beating them with batons and helmets, sustaining dozens of them bruises and wounds. Afterwards, IOF released 397 detainees, on the condition of deportation from Al-Aqsa and the Old, after conducting field investigations, and kept the rest in detention. (Details available at PCHR’s press release).
On 05 April 2023, IOF arrested journalist Wahbi Kamel Makiya (39), when he was trying to cover the raid of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and document IOF assaults on the worshipers while securing the settlers’ raids on the first day of Jewish Passover.
In the evening, IOF re-stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and assaulted worshipers with stun grenades, tear gas canisters and rubber bullets. Following Tarawih prayer, IOF surrounded Al-Qibli Mosque, attacked worshipers, forced them out of the prayer hall and did not allow them to perform Witr prayer which is usually performed after Tarawih. IOF then forced all those present at the Mosque’sl doors and violently beat them with sticks. Minutes later, the heavily-armed forces raided al-Qibli Mosque amid heavy firing of rubber-coated bullets, assaulted the worshipers inside while performing Witr prayer, severely beat them with sticks, and fired rubber bullets and stun grenades inside to force them to leave immediately. As soon as the worshipers left Al-Qibli Mosque, Israeli Special Forces chased them in the Mosque’s yards to force them out via Al-Aqsa gates. They also chased them outside the gates, beat them with sticks and pushed them especially at Al-Asbat gate (Lions Gate), Hitta Gate (Remission Gate) and Chain Gate.
It should be noted that IOF, since the beginning of Ramadan, prevent Palestinians from performing I’tikaaf prayers and staying in Al-Aqsa Mosque after performing Tarawih prayers. They force them to leave and prevent them entry to the Mosque until the dawn prayer.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
On 30 March 2023, IOF demolished a 170-sqm under-construction house and a 30-sqm barracks during the latter’s raid into Al-Nuwaimeh village in Jericho, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. It is noteworthy that the owner of the house has a wife and 7 children.
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 64 families homeless, a total of 406 persons, including 81 women and 183 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 67 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 58 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts
Settlers carried out 6 attacks against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, including uprooting and burning trees and wounding a Palestinian woman after attacking her with stones. Details are as follows:
On 31 March 2023, settlers uprooted 400 olive and grape seedlings from the agricultural lands in Al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. On 03 April 2023, settlers broke into the area again and uprooted 40 more olive trees and stole them.
On 01 April 2023, settlers uprooted branches of 20 olive trees in Khalayel Al-Luz village, south of Bethlehem.
On 02 April 2023, settlers, protected by IOF, attacked lands and homes of citizens in Sha’ab Al-Sir area in Hebron, burned 20 old olive trees, and attacked Palestinians’ homes with stones. As a result, a woman was injured with a stone in her abdomen. When the villagers tried to confront them, IOF intervened and fired teargas canisters at them. Later, the settlers withdrew, but they returned in the next 2 days and attacked the Palestinians’ home.
Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 168 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 6 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 229 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, 547 Palestinians were arrested, including 69 children, 2 women and a journalist. Most of the arrests were in the city of Jerusalem, the largest was an arrest campaign that targeted hundreds of Palestinians after being assaulted inside Al-Qibli Mosque in al-Aqsa Mosque at dawn on 05 April 2023.
So far in 2023, IOF conducted 2806 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 1790 Palestinians were arrested, including 23 women and 227 children. Also, IOF arrested 23 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip; 6 were fishermen and 14 were trying to infiltrate into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 9 incursions.
Israeli closure, restrictions on freedom of movement and collective punishment
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 16-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
On 05 April 2023, in the evening, IOF imposed a comprehensive closure on the West Bank, and closed the crossings with the Gaza Strip to be later opened on 08 April 2023 under the pretext of the Jewish Passover holiday.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 124 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 7 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
For the second week in a row, IOF continue to impose a closure on Huwara village, southeast of Nablus, after announcing it a “closed military zone” on 25 March 2023, and imposed a cordon on it. They closed the internal streets with sand berms, established more checkpoints and placed cement cubes on the village’s main street, as part of the collective punishment policy following the shooting attack against IOF in the village. IOF’s restrictions extended to affect all Nablus, as they closed all military checkpoints leading to the village, rendering entry into the city almost impossible.
On 03 April 2023, IOF closed the entrance to Beita village adjacent to Huwara village, southeast of Nablus with berms, cement blocks and an electronic detector gate and denied entry into the village.
So far in 2023, IOF established 1682 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 70 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Two Palestinians were killed and 7 others, including 3 children, were injured, while dozens of others suffocated in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’s attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 23 March 2023, Ameer ‘Emad Abu Khadijah (25), a member of Palestinian armed groups, was killed by IOF’s fire after the latter cordoned off a house, where Abu Khadijah was fortified. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), IOF moved into Izbat Shufa village, southeast of Tulkarm, and cordoned off a house, where Abu Khadijah was fortified. An exchange of fire occurred before IOF raided the house and fired a projectile at it. About half an hour later, IOF withdrew after arresting the house’s owner. Following IOF’s withdrawal, villagers found Abu Khadijah’s body covered in blood inside one of the house’s rooms, as he was shot with several live bullets in his head and lower limbs. Also, there were traces of bullets that were heavily fired at the room’s walls.
On 28 March 2023, medical sources at An-Najah Hospital in Nablus declared the death of ‘Ameer Mohammed Lolah (28), a member of Palestinian armed groups, after he succumbed to an abdomen injury caused by a live bullet fired by IOF during clashes on 22 February 2023 while IOF were surrounding a house in Nablus’s Old City. At the time, those clashes resulted in the killing of 11 Palestinians, including 4 civilians, and the injury of tens of others, including 9 seriously injured.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF’s incursions into the Palestinian cities and villages, or IOF’s suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 23 March 2023, a child, who was near his school, was shot with a rubber-coated bullet in his foot by IOF after their incursion into al-Ram village in occupied East Jerusalem. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested two Palestinians from their houses.
On 25 March 2023, a Palestinian sustained minor wounds and tens of others suffocated in clashes with IOF during their incursion into al-Khader village in Bethlehem.
On 27 March 2023, IOF arrested a child after being shot with a rubber-coated bullet in his foot during clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into al-Khader village in Bethlehem.
On the same day in the afternoon, 4 Palestinians were injured, including a child whose leg was amputated, by IOF’s fire during the latter’s incursion into ‘Aqabat Jaber camp in Jericho. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested a Palestinian whose two of his sons were previously shot dead by IOF on 06 February 2023.
This week witnessed recurrent clashes with IOF in occupied East Jerusalem and Bethlehem’s neighborhoods, where IOF fired teargas canisters, causing suffocations among tens of Palestinians.
In the Gaza Strip, 3 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 2 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.
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So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 89 Palestinians, including 45 civilians; 15 of them were children and a woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, as well as 6 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 398 Palestinians, including 54 children, 2 women and 10 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF demolished a commercial facility and notified to demolish a house, a facility, a mosque, and 7 graves. They also confiscated a garbage truck in the West Bank. Details are as follows:
On 24 March 2023, IOF confiscated Biddya municipality’s garbage truck during their incursion into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, west of Salfit. This was the 3rd garbage truck to be confiscated by IOF within a month in Salfit, under the pretext of working in Area C.
On the same day, IOF hanged two demolition orders on a 160-sqm concrete house, which is supposed to be resided by a family of 12, including 3 children, and on a 200-sqm agricultural facility built of isolated tinplate and used for breeding livestock in Al-Burj village in Hebron.
Also, upon military order No. (1797), IOF notified to demolish 7 graves in Abu al-Tuq Cemetery in Al-Burj village. Those graves are located in a 140 -dunum land belonging to the Islamic Endowment (Awqaf) Department: 35 dunums remained under the Islamic Endowment’s control while the rest were seized due to the construction of the annexation wall.
On 27 March 2023, IOF notified to demolish Belal Ibn Rabah Mosque built on an area of 150 square meters in Khashem al-Daraj village in Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 28 March 2023, IOF demolished a 350-sqm commercial facility in Dayr Balut village, west of Salfit, under the pretext of being near the annexation wall. During the demolition, IOF fired teargas canisters at the villagers to prevent them from confronting the demolition. As a result, many villagers suffocated.
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Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 64 families homeless, a total of 406 persons, including 81 women and 183 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 66 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 56 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts:
Settlers carried out 5 attacks against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, most notably setting a house and 2 vehicles ablaze and attacking 2 Palestinians. Details are as follows:
On 24 March 2023, Israeli settlers brought their sheep to graze the agricultural crops surrounding al-Zowaiden village in southern Hebron. As a result, part of the crops was damaged. Meanwhile, a number of villagers arrived and tried to confront the settlers and force them out of their lands. Afterwards, a large force of IOF and police arrived at the area and forced the villagers to leave after detaining 3 of them and releasing them later. It is worth noting that Israeli authorities declared the lands surrounding Zowaiden village as a military Firing Zone under the so-called “Training Area 917”, while an Israeli settler established a settlement outpost near the village.
On 26 March 2023, Israeli settlers burned a 70-sqm house adjacent to the settlement Street 60, which connects Ramallah with Nablus, in Sinjil village, east of Ramallah. The house is 50 meters away from an IOF military site. The house’s owner said to PCHR’s fieldworker that 4 Israeli settlers attacked his house with Molotov Cocktails and he and his family members managed to exit from the back door before the house was completely burned.
On the same day, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles passing by “Yitzhar” Bypass Road in Huwara village. As a result, windshield of a truck was broken.
On 27 March 2023, Israeli settlers set a truck and a vehicle ablaze and broke the windows of two ambulances, one of them was carrying samples to Tulkarm Hospital, and 3 other vehicles in widescale attacks on Huwara village.
On 29 March 2023, Israeli settlers attacked a house belonging to an elderly man in Kisan village, east of Bethlehem, and severely beat him and his son. As a result, the elderly man and his son sustained injuries and bruises and were taken to al-Hussain Hospital in Beit Jala village for treatment.
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Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 162 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 6 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 185 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, at least 81 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 children and a woman.
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So far in 2023, IOF conducted 2,577 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 1,243 Palestinians were arrested, including 21 women and 158 children. Also, IOF conducted 9 incursions and arrested 23 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, including 6 fishermen, 14 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing.
Israeli closure, restrictions on freedom of movement and collective punishment:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-updatein the Gaza crossings.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 105 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
On 23 March 2023, IOF closed the vehicles lane at the military checkpoint 300 in northern Bethlehem and it is expected to remain closed throughout the month of Ramadan.
On 24 March 2023, IOF closed the metal detector gate established at the western entrance to Husan village and reopened it later.
On 25 March 2023, IOF declared Huwara village, southeast of Nablus, as a closed military zone and imposed a cordon on it. They closed the internal streets with sand berms, established more checkpoints and placed cement cubes on the village’s main street, as part of the collective punishment policy following the shooting attack against IOF in the village. IOF’s restrictions extended to affect all Nablus, as they closed all military checkpoints leading to the village, rendering entry into the city almost impossible.
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So far in 2023, IOF established 1,558 temporary checkpoints and arrested 63 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
5 Palestinians, including 3 civilians; one of them was a child, were killed, while 42 others were wounded, and dozens of others suffocated in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 16 March 2023, an Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Special Force killed 4 Palestinians, including 2 members of the Palestinian armed groups who were directly shot and assassinated in cold blood as part of IOF’s crimes of extra-juridical executions. Of those killed, two civilians, including a child, were killed in a random shooting by the Israeli Special Force that have also injured 23 Palestinians, including 4 in serious condition. (Details available at PCHR’s press release).
On 17 March 2023, Yazan ‘Omar Khasib (23), was deliberately and directly shot dead by IOF near al-Mahkama military checkpoint at the northern entrance to al-Bireh, claiming that he attempted to carry out a stabbing attack using a knife, but there was no Palestinian eyewitness to the incident. Khasib was a student at Birzeit University in Ramallah, and IOF kept his body in their custody to be handed later in the evening. He was transferred to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah where it was found out that he was shot with 2 bullets in the neck and the chest.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF incursions into cities and villages and suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 17 March 2023, 8 Palestinians, including a child, were injured with rubber-coated metal bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On the same day, 8 Palestinians, including 3 children, were wounded with live and metal bullets during clashes with IOF at the entrance to Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, where IOF established a military observation point at the intersection leading to Bypass Road (60).
On 18 March 2023, a child was wounded with a live bullet in the left leg unjustifiably by IOF nearby Faqqu’a cemetery in Jenin, about 200 meters away from the annexational wall.
On the same day, a girl sustained a fracture in left ankle after being unjustifiably kicked by an Israeli soldier when she was detained with her family in their agricultural land in southeastern Yatta in Hebron.
On 22 March 2023, dozens of Palestinians, including patients and newborns, suffocated after IOF fired tear gas canister during the latter’s incursion into the vicinity of the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. IOF also opened fire enticing fear among patients, women, and children.
On the same day, 2 Palestinian, including a photojournalist, were wounded with IOF’s fire during their incursion into the city of Jericho. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested 4 Palestinians, including a child.
In the Gaza Strip, 6 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands, and 3 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Gaza western Gaza shores).
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So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 87 Palestinians, including 45 civilians; 15 of them were children, a woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 6 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 391 Palestinians, including 51 children, 2 women and 10 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF demolished 3 houses and handed notices to demolish and cease construction work in 8 houses and facilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, rendering two families of 11, homeless. Details are as follows:
On 16 March 2023, IOF demolished a 35-sqm under-construction house in Deir ‘Ammar in Ramallah under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 18 March 2023, IOF demolished two residential houses built of wood and tin, with an area of 100-sqms each, in Al-Za’im village in East Jerusalem, displacing 2 families of 11.
On 21 March 2023, IOF handed notices to cease construction works in 8 houses, agricultural rooms, and commercial facilities in Deir Ballut village, west of Salfit, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area (C).
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Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 64 families homeless, a total of 406 persons, including 81 women and 183 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 66 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 56 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks and retaliatory attacks
Settlers carried out 8 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, most notably a raid on a church and attempting to vandalize its contents. Details are as follows:
On 16 March 2023, a Palestinian was injured after being beaten and pepper-sprayed by settler in Khirbet al-Tuba in Masafer Yatta in Hebron. This attack came after the Palestinian attempted to prevent the settler, who came from the “Hafat Ma’on” settlement outpost, established on the Palestinian lands, from sheep-grazing in the Palestinian’s agricultural land in the area.
On 17 March 2023, settlers from the “Beitar Illit” settlement established on the Palestinian lands cut about 50 fruitful and old olive trees in the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem. The settlers also destroyed barbed wires and stone chains surrounding a 5-dunum plot of land.
On 19 March 2023, settlers, from “Yitzhar” settlement, established on the Palestinian lands, south of Nablus, attacked Palestinian vehicles passing through Al-Muraba’a Road towards Maadama Gate, southeast of Nablus. As a result, the front, rear and right-side windows of a Palestinian vehicles were broken. The attack took place amid a shooting that resulted in the injury of two settlers in Huwara village, southeast of Nablus.
On the same day, two settlers raided the Church of the Tomb of Virgin Mary in East Jerusalem and attempted to vandalize it. The Jerusalem governorate reported that the two settlers broke into the church and tried to vandalize its contents. However, a Palestinian confronted the settlers and arrested one of them while the other fled away.
Settlers also threw stones at a number of vehicles at the entrance to Beitin village, east of Ramallah, smashing the windows of many of them.
On 20 March 2023, settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and damaged them on Al-Ma’rajat road, west of Jericho. As a result, some of them sustained damage while a Palestinian sustained injury and his wife fainted.
On 21 March 2023, settlers slashed the tires of Palestinian vehicles and wrote racist slogans in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
On 22 March 2023, a Palestinian woman sustained bruises after settlers attacked the Palestinian tents in Khirbet Al-Farisiya in the northern Jordan Valley.
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Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 157 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 6 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 218 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, 102 Palestinians were arrested, including 8 children. In the Gaza Strip, IOF arrested 4 Palestinians, including 2 children while trying to infiltrate east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on 15 March 2023, and the other two were arrested at Beit Hanoun “Erez” checkpoint, including a patient who was arrested on his way back to Gaza from treatment. (Details available at PCHR’s press release).
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So far in 2023, IOF conducted 2,392 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 1162 Palestinians were arrested, including 20 women and 148 children. Also, IOF arrested 23 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip: 6 were fishermen and 14 were trying to infiltrate into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 9 incursions.
Closure of Jerusalem institutions
On 20 March 2023, the Israeli authorities hanged a decision signed by the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, at Marcel Company for production and media services in Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem. Also, they summoned 5 journalists for investigation on grounds of working for Palestine TV upon Ben-Gvir’s decision to close the Voice of Palestine Radio Station offices, an official Palestinian Authority (PA) channel, and ban their representatives from operating and broadcasting in occupied Jerusalem and Israel for six months. (Details available at PCHR’s press release.)
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 127 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 3 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
On 17 March 2023, IOF closed many streets in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of securing a marathon organized by the Israeli Occupation Municipality with hundreds of Israelis participating in it. The closure reached ten of streets from north of Jerusalem (French Hill and Sheikh Jarrah) and all the way to the south (Jerusalem-Hebron Street), including Al-Musrara neighborhood, Hebron Gate, Al-Jadeed Gate, and Jaffa Street, amid heavy deployment of the IOF on the roads, under the pretext of securing the 2023 Jerusalem Marathon.
On 19 March 2023, IOF closed the iron detector gate at the entrance to Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah.
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So far in 2023, IOF established 1453 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 63 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Nine Palestinians were killed, including 3 civilians: 2 of them were children. One of the children succumbed to his previous injury, while a Palestinian was killed by an Israeli settler. Meanwhile, 10 Palestinians, including a child and a journalist, were injured, while dozens of others suffocated in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Also, 4 fishermen were injured in the Gaza Strip. Details are as follows:
On 09 March 2023, as part of their extrajudicial execution crimes, IOF killed 3 Palestinians after intercepting their vehicle and directly shooting and killing them in Jaba’ village in Jenin, north of the West Bank.( Details available at PCHR’s press release).
On 09 March 2023, medical sources at al-Maqassed Hospital announced the death of Waleed Sa’d Nassar (14) after he succumbed to a live bullet injury in his waist. IOF shot him when he was in front of his house during IOF’s incursion into Jenin on 07 March 2023. He was then taken to al-Razi Hospital in the City, but due to his serious health condition, he was referred to al-Maqassed Hospital.
On 10 March 2023, ‘Abdul Karim Badee’ al-Shaikh (21), from Qalqilya, was shot dead by an Israeli settler near “Ma’ale Shomron” settlement in eastern Qalqilya. IOF announced that the settler claimed that al-Shaikh attempted to stab him with a knife, but there were no eyewitnesses to the incident.
On the same day, medical sources at Darwish Nazal Governmental Hospital in Qalqilya declared the death of Ameer Ma’moun ‘Odah (16) shortly after being shot with a live bullet in his chest by an Israeli sniper only few meters away from him. IOF claimed that ‘Odah tried to throw a Molotov Cocktail at IOF during clashes near a military checkpoint established at the northern entrance to Qalqilya. Also, another Palestinian was injured during the same clashes.
On 12 March 2023, IOF killed 3 members of Palestinian armed groups and arrested another one after they laid an ambush for them and clashed with them near the military checkpoint established between Jit and Sarra villages, west of Nablus. Those killed were identified as: Jehad Mohammed al-Shami (24), ‘Odai Rafeeq al-Shami (22) and Mohammed Raied al-Dabeek (18) and their bodies are so far under Israeli custody.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF’s incursions into the Palestinian cities and villages, or IOF’s suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 09 March 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a rubber bullet in his foot during clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into Ni’lin village in Ramallah. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested a Palestinian and his son.
On the same day, IOF opened fire at a vehicle in Kafr Qaddoum village in Qalqiliya, breaking the front and rear windows and causing damage to the front seat. The shooting was unjustified and came only moments after the vehicle had stopped and the driver had left with his family to their house.
On 10 March 2023, 3 Palestinians were shot with rubber bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum peaceful weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On 11 March 2023, IOF arrested a child after he sustained wounds and bruises in attacks carried out by IOF and settlers in Bab al-‘Amoud area in occupied East Jerusalem.
On the same day, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his left foot during clashes with IOF at the entrance to Beit Ummar village in northern Hebron.
On 13 March 2023, journalist Mo’tasem Saqif al-Heit was hit with a stun grenade in his head after IOF targeted him while on duty covering the clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into Ni’lin village in western Ramallah.
On 15 March 2023, a Palestinian was injured with a live bullet in his thigh during clashes with IOF in Husan village, west of Bethlehem.
In the Gaza Strip, on 09 March 2023, four Palestinian fishermen were shot with rubber bullets after Israeli naval forces targeted their fishing boat off northwestern Beit Lahia Shore, northern Gaza Strip. (Details available in PCHR’s press release). Also, 6 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 3 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.
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So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 83 Palestinians, including 41 civilians; 14 of them were children and one woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, as well as 6 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 349 Palestinians, including 47 children, 2 women and 9 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF displaced 12 Palestinians, including 7 children and 3 women, after demolishing a house comprised of 2 apartments. Also, IOF demolished a commercial facility in occupied East Jerusalem.
On 14 March 2023, IOF demolished a house comprised of two 165-sqm residential apartments in Umm Tuba village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, 12 persons, including 7 children and 3 women, were displaced. During the demolition, IOF suppressed the house’s owners and press crews, forcing them to leave while IOF arrested the house owner’s brother after beating him.
On 13 March 2023, IOF demolished a commercial facility for construction materials that includes 3 rooms built of bricks, in Wadi Al-Joz neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, after confiscating the construction materials.
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Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 62 families homeless, a total of 395 persons, including 79 women and 178 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 63 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 56 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts:
Israeli settlers carried out 6 attacks in the West Bank, where 3 Palestinians were injured, many trees were damaged, and livestock were stolen. Details are as follows:
On 11 March 2023, a Palestinian sustained wounds after being thrown with stones during a settlers’ attack on Palestinians’ vehicles passing through Kherbet Bani Haris Intersection leading to Ramallah.
On the same day, Israeli settlers, from “Halamish” settlement established on Ramallah lands, threw stones at Palestinian vehicles passing by the area. Also, settlers from “Dolev” settlement, threw stones at Palestinian vehicle traveling on ‘Ein Ayoub area near Ras Karkar village, west of Ramallah. However, no injuries were reported in both incidents.
On 15 March 2023, Israeli settlers sneaked into “Kawkab al-Sabah” settlement between Deir Jarir and Taybeh villages, east of Ramallah, where they stole about 25 livestock and a donkey and threw stones at the villagers. When the latter tried to confront the settlers, IOF intervened to protect the settlers and secured their withdrawal.
On the same day, Israeli settlers, from “Havat Maon” settlement outpost in eastern Yatta city, Hebron, cut 34 olive trees in eastern at-Tuwani village, which is 100 meters away from the outpost. When the villagers arrived at their lands, IOF’s patrols and police came and claimed that they will open an investigation into the incident, asking the the lands’ owners to file a complaint.
In the evening, two Palestinians sustained wounds and bruises after being assaulted by Israeli settlers while they were working in their agricultural lands in Qarawat Bani Hassan village, west of Salfit.
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Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 149 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 5 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 198 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, at least 86 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 children and 2 women. Also, IOF confiscated many vehicles while crossing through checkpoints.
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So far in 2023, IOF conducted 2,174 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 1060 Palestinians were arrested, including 20 women and 140 children. Also, IOF conducted 9 incursions and arrested 15 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip: 6 were fishermen, 8 were trying to infiltrate into Israel, and a traveler at Erez Crossing.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in 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 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 119 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 8 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
This week, IOF closed checkpoints in Jerusalem and Bethlehem several times and reopened them later.
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So far in 2023, IOF established 1,326 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 60 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Three Palestinian civilians were shot dead: two by Israeli Occupation Forces and one by Israeli settlers. Also, a member of Palestinian armed groups succumbed to his pervious injury. Moreover, 16 Palestinians, including 3 children, a woman, and a journalist, were injured, while dozens of others suffocated in IOF attacks in eastern Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 23 February 2023, Mohammed Nabil al-Sabbah (30), from Jenin refugee camp, died at An-Najah Hospiral in Nablus, succumbing to a live bullet injury in the abdomen. Al-Sabbah who was a member of Palestinian armed groups, was wounded on 12 February 2023 during IOF incursion into the camp.
On 24 February 2023, medical sources at al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron declared the death of Mohammed Isma’il Mohammed Jawabreh (21), a Palestinian police officer from Al-Arroub refugee camp, succumbing to a live bullet injury in the back of his head. IOF opened fire at him at around 14:00 a day before from a distance of 30 meters while He was with 3 persons on his house roof during clashes that broke out in the camp.
On 26 February 2023, Sameh al-Aqtash (37) was killed after being shot with a live bullet in his abdomen by Israeli settlers during a widescale attack on Za’tara village as part of a series of retaliatory attacks on southern Nablus’s villages. (Details available in PCHR’s press release).
On 01 March 2023, Mahmoud Jamal Hamdan (22) died few hours after being arrested and injured by IOF fire during the latter’s incursion into ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho. Also, a Palestinian was shot and another was ran over in addition to 5 others arrested, including 3 brothers and son of one of the latter. According to PCHR’s investigations, an Israeli Special Force sneaked into ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp and cordoned off a house belonging to Shalloun family. Afterwards, Israeli backups arrived shooting and firing teargas canisters as well as threatening to bomb the house. Meanwhile, IOF opened fire at Mahmoud Hamdan while driving his motorcycle out of a nearby wood carpentry shop, wounding him with a live bullet in his abdomen. A Palestine Red Crescent Society medical crew arrived and tried to give him first aid, but IOF arrested him and took him to an unknown destination. Later in the evening, Hamdan’s death was announced. During their withdrawal from the camp, IOF detained a young man and his child and used them as human shields during their raid into the house. IOF also pulled a civilian Hyundai Tucson car to the middle of the street and broke its windows.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of IOF excessive use of force during their incursions into the Palestinian cities and villages, or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 23 February 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF near a observation point established at the entrance to Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.
On the same day, a woman was shot with a live bullet in her lower limbs by IOF at the entrance to “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement, which is established on occupied East Jerusalem’s lands, under the pretext that she tried to carry out a stabbing attack. IOF arrested the injured woman and took her to an Israeli hospital in West Jerusalem.
On 24 February 2023, two Palestinians, including a child, were shot with rubber-coated bullets, and others suffocated due to teargas inhalation during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On the same day, 4 Palestinians were directly hit with teargas canisters, and others suffocated due to teargas inhalation during clashes with IOF that accompanied the latter’s suppression of a peaceful protest near Bab al-Zawiyia in Hebron, where IOF established an observation point and a military checkpoint particularly at the entrance to al-Shuhada closed street. The peaceful protest was organized to commemorate the 29th anniversary of al-Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, which was committed by an Israeli settler at the time.
Also, two Palestinians, including a journalist, were directly hit with teargas canisters, and others suffocated due to teargas inhalation after IOF targeted dozens of protestors gathered ten meters away from the barbed wire fence in eastern Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, against the IOF’s escalating violations in the West Bank.
On the same day, a 14-year-old child was hit with a teargas canister by IOF during the latter’s suppression of protestors gathered near the border fence, northeast of Jabalia. As a result, the child sustained brain laceration and was referred to al-Shifa Medical Complex, where his health condition was deemed critical.
On 26 February 2023, a Palestinian was hit with a live bullet in his foot in clashes with IOF during their incursion into Teqoa village in Bethlehem. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested a child after they raided his house.
On the same day, two Palestinians were shot with live and rubber bullets after IOF opened fire at persons for approaching the border fence, northeast of Jabalia refugee camp.
In the Gaza Strip, 8 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 4 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.
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So far in 2023, IOF attacks have killed 66 Palestinians, including 35 civilians; 11 of them were children and a woman, while the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 5 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 302 Palestinians, including 42 children, 2 women, and 8 journalists, were injured.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF displaced 4 families of 20, including 12 children and 4 women, after demolishing 5 houses; 4 of them were self-demolished by their owners. Also, IOF demolished 11 facilities and confiscated two vehicles in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 23 February 2023, IOF demolished 11 facilities, including commercial barracks and vegetable stalls, at the entrance to Jalamah village, north of Jenin.
On 25 February 2023, IOF confiscated a Burqin and Kafr ad-Dik municipal garbage truck, west of Salfit. They also detained the driver and two workers, threatening them not to put the garbage in that area again, under the pretext that the area is classified as Area “C”.
On the same day, IOF confiscated an excavator working in Qarawat Bani Hassan village lands, under the pretext of working in Area C.
On 26 February 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to implement the Israeli occupation municipal order and self-demolish his 100-sqm house in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering a family of 8, including a woman and 6 children, homeless.
On 27 February 2023, IOF notified to demolish a 120-sqm house sheltering a family of 6, including 4 children, as well as a house concrete slab in eastern Yatta city in Hebron.
On 28 February 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish two small houses built on an area of 120 square meters in Beit Hanina village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, the Palestinian and his wife have become homeless.
On the same day, IOF forced a Palestinian to implement the Israeli occupation municipal order and self-demolish his 30-sqm house in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, a family of 5, including a woman and 3 children, was displaced.
Also, IOF demolished parts of a 120-sqm house in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, a family of 4, including a woman and 2 children, were displaced.
Moreover, IOF demolished the remaining parts of two under-construction houses belonging to 2 brothers in’ Issawiya village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. The owners of the two houses were forced to self-demolish their houses 2 weeks ago. Also, IOF handed them a fine of 100,00 shekels for demolition costs and for the Israeli municipality staff and vehicles.
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Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have made 52 families homeless, a total of 315 persons, including 64 women and 142 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 54 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 53 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts:
A Palestinian was killed, and two others were injured by Israeli settlers’ fire in at least 100 attacks carried out by settlers under IOF’s protection. Most of those attacks mainly targeted Huwara village and Nablus’s southern villages, where Israeli settlers burned dozens of houses and vehicles, as part of retaliatory acts. Details are as follows:
On 23 February 2023, two Palestinians were injured: one with a live bullet in his abdomen and the other with a live bullet in his left thigh after Israeli settlers, from “Esh Kodesh” settlement outpost established on Nablus village’s lands, opened fire at them during their attack on the outskirts of Qusra village. The settlers also threw stones and opened fire at Palestinians and their houses at them.
On 25 February 2023, Israeli settlers, from “al-Ras” settlement outpost established on Salfit village’s lands, attacked a group of Palestinian farmers in the nearby lands and forced them to leave after opening fire in the air. The settlers also damaged a vehicle belonging to the farmers.
On 26 February 2023, hundreds of Israeli settlers conducted widescale violence and retaliatory acts under the protection of IOF in several villages in Nablus. As a result, a Palestinian was killed and another was wounded with bullets, while dozens of houses, facilities and vehicles were set ablaze. ( Details available in PCHR’s press release.)
On the same day, settlers set a poultry farm ablaze in Salfit, completely burning it and killing 2500 chicks. Also, the settlers set a vehicle ablaze at the entrance to Yasuf village, east of Salfit, and completely burned it.
Also, two Palestinians were beaten by Israeli settlers who threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and burned one of them in al-Mo’arajat area, north of Jericho.
On the same day, 3 Palestinians sustained bruises after Israeli settlers attacked their vehicles in the outskirts of Jibiya village, north of Ramallah. Also, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and houses in Sinjil and Al-Mughayyir villages and near Umm Safa village in Ramallah.
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Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 139 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 5 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones/ Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 184 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, at least 50 Palestinians were arrested, including 8 children. In the Gaza Strip, on 25 February 2023, IOF arrested 4 children while trying to infiltrate through the border fence adjacent to Um al-Nasser village and released them the next day. Also, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions in northern Beit Hanoun on 26 February 2033, in northeastern Jabalia on 28 February 2023, and in eastern Khan Yunis on 01 March 2023.
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So far in 2023, IOF conducted 1,765 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 891 Palestinians were arrested, including 16 women and 119 children. Also, IOF arrested 12 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip; 6 were fishermen and 6 were trying to infiltrate into Israel. IOF also conducted 5 incursions.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 126 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 2 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Since 26 February 2023, IOF have imposed a cordon on Huwara village in Nablus, place cement cubes on the main street, impede the movement of individuals and vehicles, and prevent the shops’ owners from opening. This cordon is part of the collective punishment measures following the killing of 2 settlers in a shooting attack near the village.
Since 27 February 2023, IOF have imposed a tight cordon on Jericho following the killing of an Israeli settler in a shooting attack near the city. IOF closed all checkpoints, main and sub-streets leading to the city and established more military checkpoints, impeding the movement of individuals and vehicles and searching them.
This week, IOF closed military checkpoints in Jerusalem and Bethlehem several times and reopened them later.
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So far in 2023, IOF established 1074 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 50 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in Israeli occupation prisons affirm, in an open letter to the Palestinian people, that “the solution to our cause is through our liberation.”
Demonstrators take part in a rally in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, on September 8, 2021. (AFP)
Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in occupation prisons said that they have the will to confront the arrogance of the occupier, its oppression, and abuse, as they did previously, using bodies facing the occupation jailers and intestines that are resisting their decisions.
They added, “in an open letter to our people and all the factions… our people, answer our calls and break our chains,” further stating, “we appreciate and value your stances with us, but the solution to our cause is our liberation.”
Earlier today, the spokesperson for the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Muzaffar Thouqan, said that the coming days will be days of confrontation with the Israeli occupation inside the prisons.
Thouqan told Al Mayadeen that the Palestinian prisoners need support from their people and nation, adding that the 24 of February will be the start of the days of rage, after a series of steps against the occupation had kicked off last Tuesday, including civil disobedience. The steps, according to Thouqan, will culminate with an open hunger strike starting on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.
The spokesperson stressed that the confrontation with the Israeli government will be intense and that the prisoners are currently on the frontlines of resistance.
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons continue their civil disobedience against the arbitrary and unjust measures of the prison administration for the fifth consecutive day, in rejection of the orders issued by extremist Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to deprive them of their most basic rights, and the brutal attacks launched by the Prison Service against them.
Israeli occupation forces storm the Aqbat Jabr camp refugee camp on the outskirts of Jericho. (Photo: via QNN)
At least six Palestinians have been injured after Israeli occupation forces stormed on Saturday the Aqbat Jabr camp refugee camp on the outskirts of the Occupied West Bank city of Jericho, the official news agency WAFA reported.
According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers opened live fire at Palestinians in the camp and fired tear gas and stun grenades while calling on people at a section of the camp to come out of their homes in rainy weather.
Israeli occupation forces are raiding Aqbat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho. 1 journo was detained by soldiers, he sent a message that soldiers are using him and his car as a human shield. So far medical authorities confirm 6 injuries, 2 critical, confirm paramedics are obstructed pic.twitter.com/y4qaqadNdp
The soldiers also reportedly broke into a poultry farm in the camp, completely destroying it.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement that six people were injured by Israeli army gunfire and taken to the Jericho hospital. One Palestinian was shot in the chest and belly and reported in serious condition while the others were shot in the limbs.
The Ministry added that the Israeli forces obstructed entry of Palestinian medics and health personnel.
Before leaving Jericho, the Israeli army reportedly detained 10 people from two different families after surrounding their homes and destroying parts of them.
A blockade was imposed on Jericho seven days ago following an attempted shooting at an Israeli-run restaurant located outside the city. No one was hurt in the shooting, but the Israeli army alleges the shooter escaped into Jericho.
16 Palestinians were killed, including 7 civilians: one was a woman, by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’ fire. Among those killed, one was shot dead by an Israeli settler, and three, including 2 children, succumbed to their previous injuries. Meanwhile, 51 Palestinians, including 12 children, were injured by IOF fire, and dozens of others suffocated. All those incidents took place in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, except for a child who succumbed to his previous injuries in the Gaza Strip. Details are as follows:
On 26 January 2023, IOF killed 9 Palestinians, including 4 civilians; one of them was a woman, and injured 29 others, including 2 children and 9 seriously injured, during IOF’s incursion into Jenin Refugee camp, west of Jenin. On 29 January 2023, a member of Palestinian armed groups succumbed to his injury. (Details available at PCHR’s press release.)
On the same day, Yousef Yehia Muhassin (22) was killed after being shot with a live bullet in his abdomen and two other Palestinians, including a child, were injured by IOF’s fire during the latter’s incursion into al-Ram village, north of occupied East Jerusalem, and being thrown with stones and Molotov cocktails.
On the same day, Nayif Khaled al-‘Ewidat (11) died after sustaining a shrapnel injury in his head as Israeli warplanes fired a missile at an agricultural land in ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis, on 06 August 2022.
On 27 January 2023, Wadee’ ‘Aziz Abu Romouz (16) succumbed to an explosive bullet injury he sustained in his abdomen on 25 January 2023 during clashes with IOF in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem. During his treatment at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, he received around 150 blood units and underwent 3 surgeries to stop the severe bleeding caused by the explosive bullet. Despite his critical health condition, IOF remained him under arrest, tied him to the bed, deployed inside and outside the room, and kept his body in custody.
On the same day, Khairy Mousa ‘Alqam (21) was killed during an exchange of fire with IOF in Beit Hanina village, north of occupied East Jerusalem. ‘Alqam was being chased by IOF after he carried out a shooting attack in Nabi Jacob settlement.
On 29 January 2023, Karam ‘Ali Salman (18) was killed by a settlement guard’s fire in the industrial area, east of Qalqilya, while trying to infiltrate into Kedumim settlement with a rifle as shown in a footage published by the Israeli media.
On 30 January 2023, Naseem Nayif Fouda (26) was killed after being shot with a live bullet in his head while driving his vehicle near a military checkpoint at the entrance to al-Salaymah neighborhood, southeast of al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. ( Details available in PCHR’s press release.)
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of IOF’s excessive use of force and shooting during their incursion into the Palestinian cities and villages, or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 26 January 2023, 7 Palestinians, including 2 children, were shot with live and rubber-coated bullets during clashes with IOF in front of Beit Eil military checkpoint at the northern entrance to al-Bireh City.
On the same day, 2 Palestinians, including a child, were shot with rubber-coated bullets during clashes with IOF at the northern entrance to Jericho.
Also, a child sustained a live bullet injury in his hand during IOF’s incursion into Tammun village southeast of Tubas. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested a Palestinian.
On 27 January 2023, 3 Palestinians were injured with rubber-coated bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.
On the same day, 2 Palestinians, including a child, were injured with rubber-coated bullets during clashes with IOF at ‘Azzun village entrance, east of Qalqilya. Additionally, a child was shot with a rubber-coated bullet during clashes with IOF in southern Qalqilya.
On 28 January 2023, a Palestinian was injured with an explosive bullet during clashes with IOF in front of Mavi Dotan checkpoint at the entrance to Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. As a result, part of his right foot was amputated.
On the same day, a child was injured with a live bullet in his right foot during clashes with IOF at Abu al-Rish military checkpoint near al-Ibrahimi Mosque, south of Hebron. Also, a child was shot with 2 live bullets in his foot during IOF’s incursion into Al- Izzariya village in occupied East Jerusalem. Additionally, a child was injured with a live bullet during IOF’s incursion into Bir Nabala village, northwest of occupied East Jerusalem.
On 29 January 2023, 2 Palestinians, including a child, were injured by IOF’s fire during clashes with IOF in front of a military watchtower established at the entrance to Nabi Salih village, northwest of Ramallah. The child was shot with a rubber-coated bullet and the other Palestinian was shot with a live bullet.
In the Gaza Strip, 5 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip.
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So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 36 Palestinians, including 17 civilians; 6 of them were children, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including a child and 3 were killed by settlers allegedly for carrying out stabbing and shooting attacks. Meanwhile, dozens were injured in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF displaced 5 families of 25, including 12 children and 6 women, after demolishing 5 houses and 8 civilian facilities. IOF also handed cease-construction notices in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 27 January 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his 65-sqm house in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering a family of 5, including a woman and 3 children, homeless.
On 28 January 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his 50-sqm under-construction house in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 29 January 2023, IOF demolished a 250-sqm house of 2 floors in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, 3 families of 11, including 4 women and 3 children, were displaced.
On the same day, IOF handed a cease-construction notice for a 100-sqm under-construction house and a 100-sqm tinplate barrack in Al-Burj village, west of Dura in Hebron.
On 30 January 2023, IOF demolished a 200-sqm auto repair shop built of bricks and tinplate in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On the same day, IOF demolished 3 livestock barracks built on an area of 150 sqms in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 01 February 2023, IOF demolished a 100-sqm house in Al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, a family of 9, including a woman and 6 children, was displaced.
On the same day, IOF demolished a 120-sqm under-construction house in Beit Jala village, northwest of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. Also, IOF demolished a 250-sqm café in Beit Hanina village in occupied East Jerusalem in addition to a 30-sqm wooden room in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem. Moreover, they demolished two 30-sqm containers and a 5-meter retaining wall surrounding a 800-sqm plot of land in Sur Baher village in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction. Meanwhile, IOF demolished a 500-sqm barrack that included agricultural tools and handed 9 cease-construction notices for inhabited and under-construction houses in Deir Ballut village, west of Salfit.
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Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 31 families homeless, a total of 207 persons, including 27 women and 96 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 31 houses; 5 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 3 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 36 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks on Palestinian civilians and their properties:
Settlers, protected by IOF, carried out 12 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 27 January 2023, 5 Palestinians were injured with live bullets after an Israeli settler directly opened fire at them at Beita village intersection, southeast of Nablus.
On the same day, Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian near Wadi al-Mutawi, west of Kafr ad-Dik village in western Salfit, causing bruises to him. Also, settlers opened fire at Palestinians in Sidat al-Tha’la area, east of Yatta in southern Hebron, but no casualties were reported.
On 28 January 2023, Israeli settlers, under IOF’s protection, burned 3 vehicles and smashed windows and lights of an ambulance belonging to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in ‘Aqraba and Majdal Bani Fadil villages, southeast of Nablus.
On the same day, setters burned a house, smashed the windows of another, uprooted 6 olive trees, and closed the main street connecting Turmus’Ayya village with Al-Mughayyir village in northern Ramallah. Also, Israeli settlers, protected by IOF, threw stones at Palestinians’ vehicles on a road connecting Nablus with Qalqilya near Kedumim intersection, and on a road connecting Turmus’Ayya village with Al-Mughayyir village, north of Ramallah. They also smashed the windows of 2 vehicles.
On 29 January 2023, settlers beat a Palestinian and fractured his leg, and burned two vehicles in Jalud village, southeast of Nablus.
On 30 January 2023, Israeli settlers, under IOF’s protection, uprooted 50 olive trees and wrote racist slogans dubbed “Death to Arabs” in Sinjil village, northeast of Ramallah.
On the same day, settlers punctured the tires of 30 vehicles in al-Eskan area near the industrial area in Al-Bireh.
On 01 February 2023, settlers punctured the tires of 10 vehicles and wrote racist slogans against Arabs calling for revenge in Deir Dibwan village, east of Ramallah.
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Since the beginning of the year, settlers conducted at least 29 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property.
Collective Punishment:
On 29 January 2023, as part of their collective punishment policy, IOF sealed off a residential apartment in al-Tur village in occupied East Jerusalem. The apartment belongs to the family of Khairy ‘Alqam, who was killed after carrying out a shooting attack in occupied East Jerusalem on 27 January 2023. A As a result, a family of 9, including 5 children and 3 women, were displaced. Following the shooting attack, IOF raided ‘Alqam’s family house, arrested his parents and some of his relative, expelled the rest of his family members, and prevented anyone from entering it. Meanwhile, IOF is still stationed around the house.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 280 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, 113 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 women and 8 children; one of them was with a mobility impairment.
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So far in 2023, IOF conducted 1103 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 510 Palestinians were arrested, including 8 women and 55 children.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continues to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 192 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 10 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
On 26 January 2023, IOF closed Shu’fat military checkpoint, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, and reopened it later.
On 28 January 2023, IOF blocked traffic at al-Zaytona military checkpoint in al-Tur village and closed with cement cubes the entrance to Anata village in occupied East Jerusalem.
On the same day, IOF closed the western entrance to Husan village to vehicles’ movement, and closed the military checkpoint 300 in northern Bethlehem, and reopened them later.
On 29 January 2023, IOF closed Qalandia and al-Jib checkpoints in occupied East Jerusalem and later reopened them. On the same day, IOF closed the northern and western entrances to Tekoa village and reopened them later.
On 30 January 2023, IOF obstructed vehicles’ movement at Jab’ military checkpoint and closed Qalandia military checkpoint in occupied East Jerusalem and reopened it later. On the same day, IOF tightened restrictions at al-Container military checkpoint in Bethlehem, blocking traffic.
On 31 January 2023, IOF closed the western entrance to Husan village to vehicles’ movement and reopened it later.
On 28 January 2023, IOF tightened restrictions at military checkpoints established at the main and sub entrances to Jericho, including blocking traffic, searching vehicles and checking Palestinians’ IDs.
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So far in 2023, IOF established 618 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 31 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
4 Palestinians were killed: 3 of them, including a civilian and a child, were shot by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) while the fourth was shot dead by a settler. Moreover, 17 others, including 2 children, were wounded, and dozens of others suffocated in IOF attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 19 January 2023, IOF killed 2 Palestinians, including a civilian, wounded 3 others and arrested five during the IOF’s incursion into Jenin refugee camp, west of Jenin. Details available in PCHR’s press release.
On 21 January 2023, an Israeli settler shot dead Tareq ‘Odah Ma’ali (43), who allegedly tried to stab the settler with a sharp tool at “Sde Ephraim” settlement outpost near Ras Karkar village, north of Ramallah. A footage showed Ma’ali running after the settler, who fired several bullets at him, and captured him falling on the ground. Later on, IOF announced his death and kept his body in custody.
On 25 January 2023, Mohammad Ali Abed Mohammad Ali (17) was killed with a live bullet in the chest, and 4 others were wounded by IOF’s fire after the latter moved into ‘Anata village in East Jerusalem. A footage showed MohammadAli taking part in the confrontations while being masked and carrying a weapon. After IOF arrested him while wounded, it turned out that the weapon he was carrying was a toy. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians, including a child, and destroyed a residential apartment belonging to the family of ‘Uday al-Tamimi, who was killed after carrying out 2 shooting attacks in occupied Jerusalem last October. This demolition falls under IOF’s collective punishment policy.
Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force and shooting that accompanied IOF incursions into cities and villages or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:
On 20 January 2023, 5 Palestinians were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum peaceful weekly protest, northern Qalqilya.
On 25 January 2023, 2 children were seriously injured in Al-Lawza neighborhood in central Silwan village, south of East Jerusalem’s Old City, during IOF’s incursion into the village to arrest a Palestinian. IOF surrounded the 2 Children and prevented anyone from approaching them. They were then transferred by an Israeli ambulance to Israel.
On the same day, 3 Palestinians were wounded with live bullets during IOF’s incursion into Nour Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.
In the Gaza Strip, 12 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern and northern Gaza Strip, and 7 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the western Gaza shores.
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So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 20 Palestinians, including 9 civilians; 4 of them were children, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including a child and 2 killed by two settlers allegedly for carrying out stabbing attacks. Meanwhile, dozens were injured in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF displaced 5 families of 40, including 28 children after demolishing 10 houses and confiscating cactus seedlings in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 19 January 2023, IOF confiscated 120 cactus seedlings in Al-Jawaya area, eastern Yatta, south of Hebron.
On 21 January 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his 120-sqm house in Ras Al-‘Amoud neighborhood in East Jerusalem under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C. As a result, a family of 7, including 5 children, was displaced.
On 22 January 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish his 150-sqm under-construction house in Ras Al-‘Amoud neighborhood in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C.
On 25 January 2023, IOF demolished 6 houses in Al-Dyouk Al-Tahta village, west of Jericho, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C, noting that PCHR’s fieldworker could not collect more information about the 4 houses, but was able to document displacement of 2 families of 16, including 2 women and 12 children.
On the same day, IOF demolished a 50-sqm agricultural house built of bricks and tinplate in Ma’in village, southern Yatta, south of Hebron, rendering a family of 9, including 6 children, homeless. In the same area, another 40-sqm agricultural house was demolished, displacing a family of 8, including 5 children, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C.
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Since the beginning of 2023, and according to what we have been able to document, IOF made 22 families homeless, a total of 152 persons, including 17 women and 68 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 26 houses; 7 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 3 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 20 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
House demolitions on grounds of Collective Punishment
On 25 January 2023, large forces of Israeli soldiers raided ‘Anata village in East Jerusalem and surrounded an 11-storey residential building, which was evacuated. They closed a residential apartment on the 6th floor belonging to the family of ‘Uday Al-Tamimi after destroying its walls and internal contents as part of IOF’s collective punishment policy. Al-Tamimi was killed after carrying out 2 shooting attacks in occupied Jerusalem last October. Due to the apartment demolition, a family of 7, including 3 women, was displaced. During the incursion, clashes broke out between the young men and IOF, killing a 17-year-old Muhammad Ali Abd Muhammad Ali, and wounding 4 civilians. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested 3 Palestinians, including a child.
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So far in 2023, 3 houses were demolished as a result of collective punishment.
Settler-attacks
Settlers, protected by IOF, carried out 4 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 19 January 2023, a settler razed and excavated 2 plots of land of 225 dunums, after confiscating them to turn them into an agricultural settlement outpost in Al-Ras area between Qalandia and Rafat villages, northwest of East Jerusalem.
On 20 January 2023, a settler uprooted 25 olive seedlings in Al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem.
On 22 January 2023, settlers, supported by IOF, razed a plot of land planted with 300 olive trees in Kafr Qaddoum village, north of Qalqilya.
On 23 January 2023, settlers threw stones at a Palestinian vehicle and smashed its windows in Sinjil village, northeast of Ramallah.
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Since the beginning of the year, settlers conducted at least 17 attacks against Palestinians and their property.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 200 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, 106 Palestinians were arrested, including a journalist, 3 women and 19 children; one of them was sick.
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According to PCHR’s documentation, so far in 2023, IOF conducted 819 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 397 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 women and 47 children.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 122 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and arrested 7 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
On 20 January 2023, IOF closed Qalandia military checkpoint, north of East Jerusalem, and later reopened it.
On 22 January 2023, IOF closed the detector gate at the western entrance to Husan village, west of Bethlehem, and later reopened it.
On 23 January 2023, IOF closed the northern entrance to Teko’a village, southeast of Bethlehem and later reopened it.
On 25 January 2023, IOF closed Shu’fat refugee camp checkpoint, northeast of East Jerusalem, during IOF’s incursion into the camp and demolition of ‘Uday Al-Tamimi’s house. Later, IOF reponed the checkpoint.
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So far in 2023, IOF established 426 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 21 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
A senior official from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement vehemently censured the increase in violence by the Zionist occupation military, vowing that Palestinians will never surrender to the ‘Israeli’ aggressors.
“The rise in the number of retaliatory operations in the West Bank explicitly attests to the fact that Palestinians will not accept the status quo,” said Sheikh Nafez Azzam, a member of Islamic Jihad’s political bureau who lives in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, on the desert border with Egypt, on Sunday evening.
“Residents of the occupied West Bank have always been a source of national pride,” he said. “They will never surrender to the occupying regime’s attempts to change the realities on the ground. The young Palestinian generation conveyed the message to the Tel Aviv regime and the whole world that the Palestinian cause is alive and nothing can undermine it.”
The Islamic Jihad official made the remarks as instability hangs low over life for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and there is an expectation that the situation on the ground is going to implode at some point in the near future.
Sheikh Azzam said the Palestinian nation “will neither let their rights forego nor allow desecration of their sanctities, in spite of the Arab world’s feeble position and the international community’s apathy and inaction.”
The senior Islamic Jihad official also reaffirmed that the Palestinian nation will not retreat one iota from its legitimate rights, and will continue its struggle.
“Nothing can dent our people’s strong willpower, and we will emerge victorious eventually,” he added.
The Zionist occupation forces launch raids on various cities of the occupied West Bank almost on a daily basis under the pretext of detaining whom it calls “wanted” Palestinians. The raids usually lead to violent confrontations with residents.
Over the past months, ‘Israel’ has ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and cities throughout the occupied territories. As a result of these attacks, dozens of Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been arrested.
The United Nations marked 2022 as the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in 16 years.
The ‘Israeli’ occupation forces killed at least 171 Palestinians in the West Bank and occupied East al-Quds last year, including more than 30 children. At least 9,000 others were injured as well.
Reacting to the fresh ‘Israeli’ crimes, the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement said in a statement on Friday that it holds the Tel Aviv regime accountable for its continued crimes and violations against Palestinians and reaffirms that the occupying regime’s acts of aggression will not go unnoticed.
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10 Palestinians, including 2 children, were injured, and dozens of others suffocated in IOF attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 05 January 2023, a 14-year-old child was wounded with a live bullet in the foot during clashes with IOF in Al-‘Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron.
On 06 January 2023, 2 Palestinians were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum peaceful weekly protest, northern Qalqilya. On the same day, a 15-year-old child was wounded with a live bullet in the head during clashes with IOF in ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho.
On 07 January 2023, 2 Palestinians were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets during IOF’s suppression of a peaceful protest in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron. On the same day, 2 Palestinians were injured by stun grenade shrapnel during IOF’s suppression of a peaceful protest in the eastern desert of Yatta, south of Hebron, and arrested 2 Palestinians.
On 09 January 2023, 2 Palestinians were wounded with live bullets during clashes with IOF after the latter’s incursion into ‘Aqaba village in Tubas. IOF arrested one of them and handed him to the Palestine Red Crescent later at the Jalameh checkpoint, north of Jenin.
In the Gaza Strip, 10 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern and northern Gaza Strip, and 8 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores. No injuries or damage were reported.
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So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 6 Palestinians, including 2 children, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups; one was a child, and dozens were injured in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
IOF displaced 2 families of 36, including 5 women and 11 children, after demolishing 3 houses. IOF also destroyed 2 facilities, a well and a container and confiscated an excavator and a truck in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 06 January 2023, IOF confiscated an excavator and a truck belonging to Al-Dhahiriya municipality, east of Al-Dhahiriya, southern Hebron, while collecting garbage before taking it to the main landfill. As a result, the waste collection crisis exacerbated as the municipality provides services to about 35,000 citizens. This is the second excavator confiscated by IOF within 2 days under the pretext that the landfill is located in Area C.
On 08 January 2023, IOF notified 5 Palestinians to stop construction works in 3 houses, 2 wells and a wooden shed in Yatta, south of Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C.
On 09 January 2023, IOF, accompanied with the Israeli occupation municipality crews and surveyors, raided a plot of land in Beit Safafa village in East Jerusalem, and surveyed it in a prelude to seize it for settlement purposes. IOF then arrested one of the land owners after beating and pushing him, but later released him. The plot of land is 24 dunums and parts of it were previously confiscated by IOF to establish settlement units as announced last year in the “Givant Hatmos” settlement established on the neighborhood lands. At the time, the landowners resorted to the Israeli court which issued a ruling in favor of the landowners. However, the occupation municipality crews raided the land again and began surveying it.
On 10 January 2023, IOF demolished a 90-sqm house of one floor in Al-Dayouk Al-Tahta village, west of Jericho, rendering a family of 7 homeless, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C.
On the same day, IOF demolished a 2-storey house and a well in Kafr Al-Dik village, west of Salfit, displacing a family of 11, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C. IOF also demolished fences around two plots of 3000-sqm land, a stone chain and a container of car ties in ‘Anata village in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
On 11 January 2023, IOF demolished a 300-sqm under-construction house of 2 floors, east of Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C. IOF previously demolished another house for the same owner on 23 October 2022 as 3 families of 18, including 11 children and 3 women, was supposed to move into the house.
On the same day, IOF handed a notice to a Palestinian to demolish his 100-sqm house, where 6 people, including 4 children, lived in Yatta, south of Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area C.
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Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 16 families homeless, a total of 103 persons, including 16 women and 33 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 13 houses: owners of 4 of these houses were forced to self-demolish them while 2 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 4 other civilian objects, razed other property and delivered dozens of notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settler-attacks
Settlers, protected by IOF, carried out 5 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:
On 08 January 2023, settlers uprooted 30 olive seedlings in Tarqumiya village in Hebron.
On 09 January 2023, a settler tried to run over a group of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, north of East Jerusalem, coinciding with IOF’s incursion into the neighborhood. Instead of arresting the settler, IOF arrested one of the Palestinians, whom the settlers ran over, from his home.
On the same day, settlers attacked 2 Palestinians, including a woman, with sticks and stones, causing them injuries and bruises and breaking the windows of 3 vehicles in Khalayel Al-Louz village, south of Bethlehem. Settlers also assaulted a Palestinian after IOF stopped his vehicle at a military checkpoint at the entrance to the Nabi Saleh village in Ramallah, before arresting him.
On 10 January 2023, it was found out that settlers uprooted and cut down 18 olive trees in Yasouf village in Salfit, as the owner knew about it at the moment he arrived at his land.
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Since the beginning of the year, settlers conducted at least 10 attacks against civilian Palestinians and their properties.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 187 incursions into the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids and searches of civilian houses and facilities and establishment of checkpoints. During those incursions, 108 Palestinians were arrested, including 11 children; one was arrested inside the Israeli Magistrate’s Court in East Jerusalem while attending his brother’s court hearing. During this week, IOF used violence during their house raids, including beating the detainees and their families during their arrests and damaging the houses’ contents. In the Gaza Strip, on 10 January 2023, IOF carried out a limited incursion in eastern Khan Yunis.
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So far in 2023, IOF conducted 348 incursions into the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during which 180 Palestinians were arrested, including 20 children. IOF also conducted 2 limited incursions into eastern Gaza Strip.
New Israeli Steps against PA in Response to Latter’s Moves at ICJ
On Thursday, 05 January 2023, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved new steps in response to so-called “the Palestinian Authority’s decision to wage political and legal war against the State of Israel.” These measures include disbursement of 139 million shekels to the families of so-described as “victims of Palestinian militant attacks” from the tax revenues, which Israel collects on behalf of the PA (according to the Palestinian-Israeli Interim Agreement), as well as offsetting the stipends the PA pays to the families of Palestinian detainees in the Israeli prisons. These punitive measures also include a freeze on Palestinian construction projects in the West Bank’s called Area C that is under full Israeli control; repealing the VIP passes, which the Israeli occupation issues for the Palestinian figures; and taking steps against organizations in the West Bank promoting hostile activity, including legal and political activity under the “guise of humanitarian work.” PCHR believes that these measures constitute a complex crime against the Palestinian people: Israel commits the crime and punishes anyone trying to prosecute it or hold it accountable before the international courts! These measures will have serious consequences on the PA’s financial performance and the movement of the PA figures, especially the staff of the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry, which leads Palestine’s efforts at the UN and international forums. These measures also foreshadow a new campaign targeting the human rights organizations, which work on prosecuting Israel before the international courts. (For more details: press release)
Banning peaceful assemblies and meetings
On 07 January 2023, IOF banned the convening of a students’ parents meeting in Jerusalem in Arba’een Diwaniya Hall in Al-‘Issawiyya in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of being sponsored by the Palestinian Authority. The ban came upon the orders of the new Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir.
Raed Taha, Member of the Students’ Parents Council, told PCHR’s fieldworker that moments after the meeting began, Israeli intelligence and police officer raided Al-Diwaniyya Hall, interrogated members of the Students’ Parents Council, summoned many of them for interrogation, and forced everyone in the hall to leave. They then closed the hall and fixed a decision signed by Ben Gvir at its gate banning the meeting according to the Law Implementing Agreement on Gaza and Jericho Areas (Restrictions of Activity) 1994.
Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:
Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.
On 10 January 2023, IOF prevented Diaa Abu Daher (28), from Rafah, from traveling via Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing in the northern Gaza Strip while he was on his way for treatment from a brain tumor to Al-Mutala’ Hospital in East Jerusalem.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 106 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, arrested 9 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
During this week, IOF closed Al-Jib military checkpoint on 08 January 2023 and reopened it at a later time while they tightened procedures at al-Jabe’a military checkpoint on 06 January 2023. On 05 January 2023, IOF closed the detector gate at the northern entrance to Tekoa village, and on 07 January 2023, closed the eastern and western entrances to Husan village and reopened them later on the same day.
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So far in 2023, IOF established 191 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 10 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Club Association said in a press statement that the detainees declared a state of general mobilization and are ready for an upcoming confrontation against the measures that the extremist “Israeli” government intends to impose, as well as the escalation of repression and abuse against them.
The statement added that the extremist [Itamar] Ben Gvir, who last night visited the new sections of Nafha prison and issued more threats, to ask those ministers who preceded him and who had hinted at imposing the most extreme measures against the detainees for decades, what was the fate of their measures and how the prisoners managed over the course of these decades to accumulate a wide experience of struggle, even with the development of the mechanism that the prison system tried to impose.
It went on to say that the detainees undertook over 25 collective strikes, and imposed an equation as a result of their struggles over the course of these decades. The reality today in prisons is stronger and greater than what Ben Gvir imagines. The “Israeli” occupation authorities, led by the so-called “Israel” Prison Service, is aware that what Ben Gvir is requesting today has been requested by many before, and these threats actually evaporated due to the solidity, unity of the detainees and their willingness to confront every measure that affects their dignity or detracts from their rights.
The Prisoner’s Club pointed out that the great test for the occupation forces was actually after the heroic Operation Freedom Tunnel. However, by being united, the detainees were able to deter a number of measures that the prison administration was threatening to impose. Since September 2021, the detainees fought successive battles, and they did not stop. Indeed, those who monitor the details of the threats find that the prison administration has failed to enforce its measures. Behind these threats, it is trying to find a middle ground between what the extremist government wants and the imposed reality inside the prisons.
After 40 years in an Israeli prison, Karim Younis was finally released and could pray on his mother’s graveyard. (Photo: via Al Jarmaq)
Israeli authorities released on Thursday the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner Karim Younis after spending 40 years behind bars, the official news agency WAFA reported.
Younis, a 66-year-old Fatah official from the Arab-Israeli town of Ara, was detained on January 6, 1983, for his resistance to the Israeli occupation. He was sentenced to life in prison, which was later commuted to 40 years.
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 