OPT: Protection of civilians – OCHA weekly report (14-20 Jan. 2014)

WEST BANK

Multiple clashes in demonstrations and military operations; ten Palestinian children injured

Thirty-eight (38) Palestinians, including ten children, were injured this week in various clashes with Israeli forces across the West Bank. Almost all of them were injured on 17 January. Seven of this week’s injuries resulted from live ammunition, eight from rubber-coated metal bullets, and 23 by teargas inhalation.

Twenty-seven (27) Palestinians, including four children, were injured in three clashes that erupted during weekly demonstrations in the villages of Bi’lin and Ni’lin (both in Ramallah), against the construction of the Barrier on their lands; and in the village of Kafr Qaddum (Qalqiliya), against the longstanding closure of one of the village’s main entrances.

Another six Palestinian children and one adult were injured in four other clashes with Israeli forces that erupted during Israeli military operations: in the village of Anata and in Al Ezariya (both in Jerusalem), in the village of Silwad (Ramallah), and near Ayda Refugee Camp (Bethlehem). During these confrontations, Israeli forces fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters towards Palestinian stone throwers. Four of the children were injured with live ammunition, and two with rubber-coated metal bullets.

The injury of Palestinian children in clashes with Israeli forces has became a key protection concern during 2013, when the number of such injuries more than doubled compared to the previous year – from 526 to 1,185- and accounted for 32 percent of all injuries in the West Bank compared to 17 percent in 2012; which could be attributed to the increase in number of demonstrations, during which most injuries occur, in 2013 compared to 2012 (from 408 in 2012 to 817 in 2013). Also of concern during 2013, has been the increase in the proportion of children injured by rubber-coated metal bullets; however, the proportion of those injured by tear gas inhalation has decreased. 

Settler-related incidents

This week, there were four settler-related incidents resulting in Palestinian injuries or property damage, and one incident resulting in injuries among settlers.

In an incident that took place on 17 January, a 27-year-old Palestinian woman was injured by stones thrown by Israeli settlers while she was traveling on Road 450 near Deir Nidham village (Ramallah). She was transported to hospital for medical treatment.

Also during the week, Israeli settlers cut down, or otherwise damaged, 106 Palestinian-owned olive trees. Two thirds of the trees were damaged in Jabal Jales area in Hebron Old City, by Israeli settlers from Havat Gal settlement outpost, on 15 January. The rest of the trees were damaged in the village of Huwwara (Nablus), and on land close to the Israeli settlement of Bracha where prior coordination is required with the Israeli army in order to be accessed by its Palestinian owners. In 2013, 10,700 Palestinian owned trees were damaged by Israeli settlers.

In the village of Jalud (Nablus), Israeli settlers from Esh Kodesh settlement outpost leveled 30 dunums of Palestinian-owned land, to which Palestinians have been denied access following the closure of the area by Israeli military order allegedly for security reasons. Last week, settlers from the same outpost raided the neighboring village of Qusra, where they were detained and beaten by Palestinian residents,(while other Palestinians intervened to halt this violence), triggering a series of attacks against Palestinian property in retaliation. One of these attacks took place this week, on 14 January, when a group of settlers attempted to set fire to a mosque in the village of Deir Istiya (Salfit), and sprayed anti-Arab and “price tag” graffiti on its walls. Also this week, Israeli settlers from Ibei Hanahal settlement outpost installed five tents on Palestinian land in the village of Kisan (Bethlehem), and prevented Palestinian herders from grazing their sheep in the area.

In addition, on 15 January, an Israeli woman and her son were injured by shattered glass as a result of stones thrown at their vehicle by Palestinians, while travelling on Road 90 near Al Auja village (Jericho).

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Two communities confined due to military training

On 20 January, 36 Palestinian families, comprising of 220 people, half of them children, from the Bedouin communities of Ibziq and Khirbet Yarza (Tubas), were affected by Israeli military training in the area close to their residential structures. During the exercise, Israeli forces fired tank shells and live ammunition, as a result of which the families had no alternative but to confine themselves to their homes for about 10 hours. Although the Ibziq families were given oral orders to evacuate their homes a day in advance of the exercise, Khirbet Yarza families were notified on the same day. All families refused to abide by the evacuation order.

In 2013, OCHA recorded 37 incidents of evacuation of Palestinians from their homes or localities in the West Bank by Israeli forces to make way for Israeli military training. As a result, a total 343 households comprising over 1,700 persons, were temporarily displaced; some of them on several occasions. The affected communities were from Tubas, Jericho and Bethlehem governorates.

Also this week, on 20 January, Israeli forces demolished four structures, including two livelihood structures, in Area C of the Hebron governorate, on the grounds that they lacked the Israeli-issued building permits. The incident took place in Beit Awwa, targeting one room and a building used as a shop, and in Deir Samit, targeting a room and a carpentry workshop. Two families, comprising 23 people, including 16 children, were affected as a result.

On the same grounds, the Israeli authorities issued at least 15 new demolition orders against residential, commercial and other livelihood structures in the Silwan area of East Jerusalem, and in Area C in Hebron and Bethlehem; 32 families comprising at least 210 people will be displaced or otherwise affected as a result.

Escalation in Gaza and southern Israel; five Palestinian children injured

The cycle of rocket firing by Palestinian armed groups and retaliatory airstrikes by Israeli forces that began on 25 December 2013 continued during the reporting period. On 16 January, Palestinian armed groups fired six rockets towards Ashqelon city in southern Israel, five of which were intercepted in the air by Israeli Iron Dome missile and one which landed in an open area resulting in no casualties or damage, according to the Israeli army. In response, the Israeli air force launched a series of airstrikes against various targets across the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the injury of five Palestinian civilians, including four children and one woman. An additional airstrike carried out on 19 January, targeting an alleged member of an armed group travelling on a motorcycle in Jabaliya, resulted in injury to the man, together with an 11-year-old bystander boy. Following this attack, the Israeli authorities suspended classes at schools in Ashdod city in southern Israel, as a preventive measure.

Incidents in the context of the Israeli restrictions on Palestinians’ access to areas along Gaza’s perimeter fence also continued: in at least ten occasions this week, Israeli forces opened warning or direct fire at Palestinian civilians present in the vicinity of the fence, forcing them to leave. In one of the incidents on 17 January, Israeli forces shot and injured two civilians, who were part of a group of activists attempting to plant trees in the vicinity of fence, within the 300-meter Israeli-imposed access restricted area, east of Gaza City. Another two civilians were injured on the same day in similar circumstances due to the inhalation of tear gas shot by Israeli forces east of Jabaliya; later, Israeli forces entered the area and carried out a land leveling operation around 200 meters inside Gaza.

Also this week, Israeli naval forces opened warning fire towards Palestinian fishing boats sailing close to the Israeli-imposed six-nautical-mile fishing limits, forcing them back to the shore; no injuries were reported. On 20 January, Israeli naval forces stopped a Palestinian fishing boat west of Beit Lahia, arrested two fishermen and requisitioned the boat; although the fishermen were released the following day, the boat remains in Israeli custody.

Rafah Crossing remained closed; 5,000 waiting to leave Gaza

The Rafah crossing remained closed during the entire reporting period. Approximately 5,000 people are currently waiting to leave Gaza, including medical and other humanitarian cases. The crossing was last opened on 8 January for just two days, after 11 consecutive days of closure, allowing the departure of 900 people to cross into Egypt, and the entry of around 1,000 others.

Gazan’s ability to travel through the Rafah crossing has been severely curtailed since July 2013, following the restrictive measures by the Egyptian authorities along Egypt’s border with Gaza. As a result of the recurrent closures, in the second half of 2013 the number of passengers travelling through the Rafah crossing decreased by 75 percent compared to the equivalent period in 2012.

Severe shortage of building materials continues

The Kerem Shalom crossing, the only entry point for goods between Gaza and Israel, has been functioning according to schedule, allowing the entry of nearly 900 truckloads of goods, a slight decrease compared to the previous week.

Although the complete ban on the import of building materials imposed following the discovery of a tunnel into Israel on October 2013 was partially lifted in early December, international organizations implementing projects approved by the agency, was allowed to import materials for only six out of 14 projects, while other Israeli authorities continue to face restrictions. UNRWA, the largest implementing international agencies faced significant delays by the Israeli authorities, citing security reasons.

In the meantime, the full prohibition on the import of building materials for the private sector through the Kerem Shalom crossing remains in place. Due to the closure of the Rafah crossing, no construction materials for Qatar-funded projects entered during the reporting period from Egypt. As a result of these factors, coupled with the closure of the vast majority of the illegal tunnels between Gaza and Egypt which, until June 2013, were the main channel for the supply of these materials into Gaza, building materials are almost entirely unavailable on the market, as a result, prices of some construction materials, such as cement, have quadrupled; while each ton of cement cost NIS 400 in June 2013, it cost NIS 1,600 in January 2014.

During the period of 14-20 January, some 2.2 million liters of industrial fuel entered via the Kerem Shalom Crossing for the Gaza Power Plant (GPP). As the amount of fuel entering for the GPP on a daily basis was below actual consumption of the power plant on most days, fuel reserves are being gradually eroded; it is also expected that Qatari funding for the power plant will run out in approximately one month. It is reported that some 5,000 liters of diesel fuel also entered through the smuggling tunnels per day, compared to over one million liters of fuel (petrol and diesel) prior to June 2013.

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