OPT: Protection of civilians – OCHA Weekly report (12-18 Dec 2012)

PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS WEEKLY REPORT

التقرير الأسبوعي لحماية المدنيين

12 – 18 DECEMBER 2012

Key issues

  The killing of a 17 year-old boy in Hebron City triggers clashes with Israeli forces, resulting in the injury of some 100 Palestinians.

 Various Israeli settler attacks result in the injury of seven Palestinians and damage to 200 olive trees.

 In Gaza, while the ceasefire continues to hold, seven Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces in the vicinity of the perimeter fence and in the sea.

WEST BANK

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian youth

triggering widespread clashes

 On 12 December, an Israeli border policewoman shot and killed a 17 year-old Palestinian boy in the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron city (H2). An initial investigation by the Israeli police found that the boy pointed a gun at police officers at one of the checkpoints, which was later discovered to be fake. This incident brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the beginning of 2012 to nine, compared to 11 in the equivalent period of 2011.

The killing incident triggered clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in Hebron and Bethlehem cities, which extended until 17 December, resulting in injury to around 100 Palestinians, including 17 children (aged between 2 and 17).

Another four Palestinians were injured during two weekly protests against the Barrier in Bil’in village and the expansion of Hallamish settlement on An Nabi Saleh’s land, both in the Ramallah area. Also this week, protests in Al ‘Isawiya neighbourghood of East Jerusalem in solidarity with two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike for more than 130 days resulted in injuries to five Palestinians. Additional clashes in the same neighbourghood followed a search-and-arrest

 operation, during which 14 Palestinians were arrested. Three other Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the course of search-and-arrest operations in Beit Rima (Ramallah), Jaba’ (Jenin) and Jenin city.

Palestinian casualties by Israeli forces

Killed this week: 1

Killed in 2012: 9

Killed in 2011: 11

Injured this week: 121

Injured in 2012: 3,025

Injured in 2011: 1,460

2012 vs. 2011 weekly averages: 64 vs. 30

Search and arrest operations by Israeli forces this week: 73

Rise in settler-related violence

This week OCHA recorded eight settler incidents that led to injuries to Palestinians and damage to property. While this represents an increase compared to previous weeks, it is roughly the same as the 2012 weekly average (seven incidents).

Of particular concern are the continuing attacks by settlers from Yitzhar settlement (Nablus) on nearby Palestinian communities, some of which seem to be perpetrated with the support or acquiescence of the Israeli army. This week, a security guard from Yitzhar, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, physically assaulted and injured a Palestinian herder near Madama village, and later detained him; this triggered broader clashes with villagers, which resulted in the injury of five Palestinians. According to Palestinian sources, the incident occurred in the context of ongoing attempts by settlers to take control over land in this area. Also this week, settlers from Yitzhar stoned a house in the nearby ‘Einabus village, injuring a resident and damaging windows. Since the beginning of 2012, OCHA recorded 25 incidents involving settlers from Yitzhar that resulted in injuries or property damage.

Additional settler attacks were recorded in and around the Hebron City amidst the clashes between residents and Israeli forces, resulting in the injury of two Palestinian children in the H2 area (on 13 December) and a man near Kharsina settlement (on 14 December).

In another incident in the vicinity of Ma’ale Efrayimn settlement in the Jordan Valley on 15 December, a settler stopped the vehicle of a Palestinian journalist and demanded that he hand over his cameras; this led to a clash, during which the settler shot live rounds at the journalist, injuring him. The background of the incident remains unclear.

Settler-related incidents resulting in injuries or property damage:

This week: 8

2012 weekly average: 7

2011 weekly average: 8

Palestinian injuries by settler violence:

This week: 7

Injured in 2012: 162

Injured in 2011: 206

2012 vs. 2011 weekly averages: 3 vs. 4

Israeli settlers injured by Palestinians:

This week: 3

Injured in 2012: 48

Injured in 2011: 37

2012 vs. 2011 weekly averages: 1 vs. 1

Near Neve Daniel settlement (Bethlehem), settlers reportedly uprooted around 200 olive trees belonging to farmers from the nearby Al Khader village. Since the beginning of the year, over 8,270 Palestinian-owned trees have been damaged by settlers, compared to over 9,530 last year. In addition, settlers reportedly set fire to a Palestinian-plated car and sprayed “price tag” graffiti on it in Shuqba village (Ramallah).

In three incidents this week, Palestinians stoned Israeli-plated vehicles driving near Otniel settlement (Hebron) and in At Tur area of East Jerusalem, injuring two people; and physically assaulted and injured another Israeli in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Six people displaced in Area C

This week, the Israeli authorities demolished one residence in Beit Nuba village in the Ramallah governorate due to lack of permit, displacing a family of six people, including four children. In addition, the Israeli authorities delivered demolition orders against a number of houses in East Jerusalem and Hebron.

On 18 December, Israeli forces uprooted around 450 trees belonging to three families from Nahalin village (Bethlehem). This followed the issuance of evacuation orders on the grounds that the land has been declared “state land”.

Palestinian-owned structures demolished in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem

This week:

Demolished: 1

Demolished in 2012: 589

Of which residences: 195

People displaced in 2012: 871*

2012 vs. 2011 demolitions (weekly av.): 12 vs. 12

2012 vs. 2011 people displaced (weekly av.): 17 vs. 21

* Note that the figures about the total number

of people displaced in 2012 reported in previous

weeks have been revised.

GAZA STRIP

Seven Palestinians injured in the context of restrictions on land and sea

The ceasefire understanding reached almost a month ago between Israel and Hamas has held, despite a number of violent incidents in the vicinity of the fence separating Gaza and Israel.

According to the Israeli army, following the ceasefire all Palestinians can access up to 300 meters from the fence, while farmers are allowed to reach, on foot only, up to 100 meters. However, in two incidents on 12 and 13 December, Israeli forces opened fired towards workers collecting scrap metal and rubble at a distance of approximately 500 meters from the fence, injuring two of them. Also, Israeli forces fired several tear gas canisters towards a group of Palestinians who attempted to reach the fence in three areas east of Al Faraheen, Al Qarara, and Khan Younis, injuring three civilians. Additionally, on 18 December Israeli forces conducted a land leveling operation inside the Gaza Strip, reaching up to 100 metres from the fence.

Following the ceasefire, the permitted fishing zone in the Mediterranean has been expanded from three to six nautical miles (NM) from the coast. On 17 December, one fisherman was shot and injured by the Israeli navy while fishing around the 6 NM limit; the man (along with another fisherman) was detained, treated at an Israeli hospital and later released. His boat was requisitioned. 

Palestinian casualties by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip:

Killed this week: 0

Killed in 2012: 305

Killed in 2011: 108

Injured this week: 7

Injured in 2012: 1895

Injured in 2011: 479

2012 weekly average of injured: 38

2011 weekly average of injured: 9

Israeli casualties by Palestinian fire from Gaza

Injured this week: 0

Killed in 2012: 7

Injured in 2012: 251

Eight truckloads of produce allowed out to overseas markets; the ban on the transfer of goods to the West Bank continues

This week, eight truckloads of agricultural produce exited Gaza to overseas markets. This brings the total number of truckloads exported since the beginning of 2012 to 217, or a weekly average of five, compared to a weekly average of 260 in the first five months of 2007, before the imposition of the blockade. Current exports consist mainly of a few types of cash crops (strawberry, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, basil and cut flowers), as opposed to a wide range of agricultural and manufactured products prior to the blockade. The main reason is the ongoing ban on the transfer of goods to the West Bank and Israel, which historically have been the two main markets for Gazan products. Since the beginning of 2012, on an exceptional basis, Israel has allowed the transfer of 38 truckloads of goods from Gaza to the West Bank for the PA and humanitarian agencies.

Movement of goods (Kerem Shalom Crossing)

Imports:

Number of truckloads (TL) entered this week (9-15 Dec): 1,552

TL carrying food: 29%

Weekly average of TL since the beginning of 2012: 1,078

Weekly average of TL before the blockade: 2,807

Exports:

Truckloads this week: 8

Weekly average since the beginning of 2012: 5

Weekly average before the blockade: 240