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· Medical crews assaulted, care for wounded man disrupted, and patients terrorized during police raid of al-Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem. On 21 July ‘17, dozens of Israeli police raided al-Makassed hospital in East Jerusalem seeking to arrest a critically injured Palestinian. Armed officers entered various wards. Officers tried to seize the man’s bed on the way to surgery and pushed medical staff and persons protecting him. The man died meanwhile.
Such violent, life-endangering conduct cannot be justified. The police can use other means, without harming staff or patients or violating the convention that medical staff and clinics are a safe haven. |
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· Settlers verbally abuse Palestinian woman in Hebron and threaten her with violence for hours, in the presence of Israeli soldiers and police. On Thursday, 24 August 2017, settlers from Kiryat Arba used a loudspeaker system to verbally abuse Palestinian residents of the al-Hariqah neighborhood in Hebron, using offensive language and insulting Islam. When the settlers noticed the woman, they turned their abuse towards her, threatening violence and using racist and obscene language, including descriptions of extreme sexual violence. Although the threats were explicit and the swearing constituted severe sexual harassment, Israeli security forces who were present allowed the settlers to continue undisturbed, as is usually the case. |
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- Israeli soldiers shoot and kill 16-year-old Palestinian in Gaza – the 24th protester to be killed near Gaza perimeter fence since Oct. 2015.
On 28 July 2017, Gazan youths held their weekly demonstration along the fence with Israel, east of al-Bureij RC. Soldiers fired teargas at them, and live fire at the legs of those who approached the fence. ‘Abd a-Rahman Abu Hamisah, 16, who was climbing a hill several dozen meters south of the demonstration, was shot and killed by soldiers from some 50 meters away, although he posed no danger. Two youths who followed him were shot and injured. Abu Hamisah is the 24th Palestinian – and third minor – to be killed since the protests began in 2015. |
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- Border Police assault a father and son from East Jerusalem, break the 58-year-old father’s arm and arrest him and his 15-year-old son.
On 13 June 2017, Border Police knocked on a door in Silwan, East Jerusalem. When no one answered, they demanded the brother, who lives next door, provide them with keys. An argument ensued; Border Police then assaulted the man and his son, broke the man’s arm, and arrested both father and son. This is another staggering example of how unbearably easy it is for police to abuse East Jerusalem residents: arresting a father and young son, keeping the man for several hours and the son overnight, finally releasing him to a five-day house arrest on a NIS 1,000 bail – all without cause in the first place. |
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- Photo blog: Innocents punished - Israeli military demolishes three homes and seals another, Ramallah District.
On Thurs. 10 August 2017, the Israeli military demolished the homes of three Palestinian families and sealed the home of another. The homes in question were in the Ramallah District: in the town of Silwad and in the village of Deir Abu Mash’al. Members of the households had committed car-ramming and shooting attacks earlier this year. The military’s actions have rendered homeless 18 people (incl. seven minors) who were neither suspected nor accused of any wrongdoing. Home demolitions are morally repugnant and are prohibited under international law. All photos taken by B'Tselem field researcher Iyad Hadad. |
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- Israeli soldiers violently remove Palestinian teens from Hebron street to enable settler march, and later assault one again.
On 29 May 2017, the military ordered Palestinians in the Jaber neighborhood of Hebron to close shops to allow for a settler procession. Muhammad (14) and Baraa (17) Jaber were by a grocery store near their home when soldiers ordered the shopkeeper to close down. When the brothers refused an order to go home they were violently removed, as captured on video. Later, the soldiers again assaulted Muhammad on his way to a bicycle repair shop. This thuggish conduct is unjustified and illustrates the regular abuse of power permitted to soldiers. |
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- Settler violence: Cars torched and hate graffiti sprayed in Um Safa.
On 9 Aug. 2017, at 2:30 A.M., Wasim Bader was in his living room in the village of Um Safa, north of Ramallah, when he noticed a car stop close by and park facing the nearby settlement of Ateret. Within moments, he saw his own car go up in flames and three persons in civilian clothing get into the parked car and drive away. It transpired that another car in the village had been torched and hate graffiti sprayed. The Israel Police inspected the scene, but experience shows that the odds of the perpetrators being brought to justice are very slim. |
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- Israel’s security forces punish residents of the village of Kobar for an attack perpetrated by a Kobar resident, July-August 2017.
Ever since the attack nearly three weeks ago in the settlement of Halamish in which a Palestinian from Kobar stabbed four members of one family – killing three and wounding one, the military has been collectively punishing the village. For four days, strict travel restrictions were imposed, troops raided homes, arrested residents and seriously beat one man. This morning (9 Aug.) the military surrounded Kobar, closed off two entrances, made arrests and raided homes, leading to clashes with residents. Collective punishment following attacks has become standard policy, with the military cynically abusing its power to mistreat civilians. It is a measure that is morally and legally indefensible. |
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· East Jerusalem: Construction is “unlawful”, demolition is by the book. On Tues., 15 August 2017, Jerusalem Municipality employees went with a Border Police escort to four East Jerusalem neighborhoods where they demolished dwellings and other structures, citing construction without a permit as pretext. All the while, the municipality does whatever is in its power to keep Palestinians from building lawfully. In Silwan, they demolished a residential building which was home to eight people, including six minors, in al-‘Esawiyah - a two-story building, in Beit Hanina a car-sale lot and in Jabal al-Mukabber a tire-repair shop. |
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- Israeli military kills two Palestinian youths in Jenin Refugee Camp.
Early on 12 July 2017, Israeli troops entered Jenin R.C. to arrest a resident. Violent clashes ensued. After two hours, soldiers who had laid an ambush, shot and killed two youths, although they did not pose a threat to the soldiers’ lives. This is not the first time the military has ambushed and shot stone-throwers. The fact that no one was held accountable in previous instances, including the commanders who ordered the stakeout, is what allows this unlawful policy to continue. |
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