UN Protection of Civilians Weekly Report: July 5-11, 2016

by Middle East & Europe - Global Ministries | published on Jul 14, 2016

Each week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs publishes the Protection of Civilians report. The current report covering the period between 5 – 11 July 2016. To view the complete version of the report, including a series of charts with the main indicators, please click here.

Latest developments

On 12 July, a 22-year-old Palestinian man was killed and two others (both 20 years old) were injured by Israeli soldiers during a search and arrest operation in Ar Ram town (Jerusalem). According to Israeli media, Israeli forces opened fire, believing themselves to be in danger. According to local Palestinian sources, the casualties were travelling at high speed and were unaware of the presence of Israeli soldiers who fired at them. One of the injured was arrested by Israeli soldiers.
On 12 and 13 July, the Israeli authorities demolished 23 structures in Area C (‘Anata town and the adjacent Bedouin community of North ‘Anata Bedouins) and East Jerusalem (Jabal Al Mukabbir), due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits,displacing 43 persons, including 25 children.

Weekly highlights

On 9 July, an Israeli settler was injured in a shooting attack, reportedly from a Palestinian-plated vehicle on road 356 near Tuqu’ village (Bethlehem), according to Israeli media. The suspected perpetrator reportedly fled the scene to the village of Sa’ir (Hebron). Following the attack, Israeli forces blocked all entrances leading to and from Sai’r and conducted search and arrest operations in the area, during which two Palestinians were injured. Also, in a suspected ramming attack on 6 July, a Palestinian man rammed into an Israeli military vehicle near Neve Daniyyel junction (Bethlehem), injuring three Israeli soldiers. He was injured and subsequently arrested by Israeli forces. Additionally, on 5 July, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl was injured by live ammunition by Israeli forces: according to video footage, she threatened soldiers with a knife at a bus stop near Haris (Salfit).
On 7 July, a Palestinian died of wounds sustained when he was shot by Israeli forces near the Gaza perimeter fence in May 2015.
50 Palestinians, including 14 children, were injured by Israeli forces during clashes in the West Bank. Almost all the injuries were reported from search and arrest operations, the largest of which took place in Dura town (Hebron), resulting in 38 injuries. In total this week, Israeli forces conducted 98 search and arrest operations and arrested 95 Palestinians in the West Bank, with the Hebron governorate accounting for the highest number of operations and arrests.
In the Gaza Strip, on 10 July, Egyptian forces opened fire into Palestinian territory south east of Rafah city, injuring a 13-year-old Palestinian girl.
Israeli forces continue to block several junctions leading to and from Palestinian villages and towns in the Hebron governorate; a general closure was imposed on the area on 2 July after the killing of two Israeli settlers in separate incidents. As a result, the access of some 400,000 Palestinians to services and livelihoods has been significantly disrupted. In a briefing to the Security Council on 12 July, the UN Secretary-General, declared that “those responsible for recent terror attacks must be held accountable. However, closures – such as those in Hebron — as well as punitive demolitions and blanket revocations of permits penalise thousands of innocent Palestinians and amount to collective punishment.”
On 7 July, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a petition against the punitive demolition of the home of a Palestinian from Qabatiya (Jenin), who was arrested for reportedly assisting in a fatal stabbing attack in East Jerusalem in February 2016. On 25 June, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), (link is external)(link is external) called upon the Israeli authorities to put an end to the practice of punitive demolitions.
On at least seven occasions, Israeli forces opened fire in the Access Restricted Areas (ARA) by land and sea in Gaza, with no injuries reported, although the work of farmers and fishermen was disrupted. On four occasions, Israeli forces entered Gaza and carried out a land-levelling and excavation operation.
There was one incident of vandalism against Palestinian property, reportedly carried out by Israeli settlers, in the H2 area of Hebron city. Also, on two occasions this week, in protest against recent Palestinian attacks on Israelis, armed Israeli settlers gathered at the entrance of Bani Naim village (Hebron) and marched from Haggai to Otniel settlements (Hebron) disrupting access and intimidating Palestinian bystanders.
Three incidents of stone-throwing by Palestinians at Israeli-plated vehicles were reported near Beit El (Ramallah), Kiryat Arba settlement (Hebron) and Hizma town (Jerusalem) resulting in the injury of three Israelis and damage to three vehicles. In two additional incidents, Palestinians threw Molotov-cocktails at Israeli-plated vehicles near Bethlehem and Hebron, with no damage reported.
The Egyptian-controlled Rafah Crossing was closed in both directions during the reporting period. Since the beginning of 2016, the crossing has been partially opened for only fourteen days. Over 30,000 people are registered and waiting to cross according to the Palestinian authorities in Gaza.