ReliefWeb

A total of 359 Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces during the reporting period in demonstrations held in the context of the ‘Great March of Return’ (GMR) in Gaza, a significant decline in such casualties since the demonstrations started in March 2018.For cumulative casualty figures and breakdowns, see here.

On at least eleven occasions outside of the GMR events, Israeli forces opened fire at farmers and fishermen, in the course of enforcing access restrictions in areas next to the perimeter fence with Israel and at sea in Gaza, resulting in no injuries. Two fishermen, including a child, were detained and their boat confiscated; one was released the same day. On another occasion, Israeli forces entered Gaza and carried out land-levelling and excavation operations in the vicinity of the perimeter fence. In one other incident, a Palestinian was arrested while attempting to infiltrate into Israel.

On 11 July, a 28-year-old Palestinian man, a member of Hamas, was shot and killed with live ammunition by Israeli forces near the perimeter fence east of Beit Hanoun (Gaza North). According to Israeli military sources, the Palestinian man was killed after he was ‘misidentified’. Israeli forces injured a 10-year-old boy in the head with live ammunition during the weekly protest in Kafr Qaddum (Qalqiliya) against settlement expansion and access restrictions. Palestinian eyewitnesses indicated that he was not involved in the clashes when he was shot. Overall in the West Bank, Israeli forces injured 18 Palestinians, including at least nine children, during protests and clashes. These injuries include: a total of four Palestinians injured during ad-hoc clashes with Israeli forces in Al Isawiya area of East Jerusalem, while the forces were removing a memorial for a Palestinian man who was killed by an Israeli policeman in the neighborhood on 27 June. A mother and her 14-year-old son were physically assaulted and injured by Israeli forces in the Ras al Amud area of East Jerusalem, while resisting the arrest of the son by police for alleged stone throwing. Another three people were injured during the weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum (Qalqiliya) against settlement expansion and access restrictions. A further five injuries, including four children, were sustained in clashes that erupted in three search and arrest operations; overall, Israeli forces conducted 142 such operations, arresting over 167 Palestinians, including six children. In addition, two Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces, following the entrance of Israelis to a religious site in Nablus city.

On 6 July, five Israeli soldiers were injured while on patrol near Hizma checkpoint (Jerusalem), after being struck by a vehicle driven by a Palestinian man. Israeli forces conducted search and arrest operations in the area, and arrested the suspect at a flying checkpoint near Jerusalem.

On 10 July, the Israeli authorities evicted a mother and her four adult children from their home in Wadi al Hilweh neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem, following 24 years of legal procedures. The house was transferred to an Israeli settler organization, Elad, which claims ownership of the property.

Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain, the Israeli authorities demolished or seized eleven Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and East Jerusalem, affecting 1,270 people, but resulting in no displacement. Three of the affected structures were donor-funded water cisterns in the Dkaika, Kashem al Karem and An Najada communities in Area C. An estimated 1,200 persons, including 400 children, have been impacted by these demolitions and seizures. In addition, ten of the structures affected were recorded in eight separate Area C communities. This included a commercial structure demolished in the village of Idhna (Hebron), due to its location within the boundaries of an Israeli-designated firing zone (309A). The remaining nine affected structures in Area C included one uninhabited residential, four livelihood and four agriculture structures. Another two under construction buildings were demolished in Az Zaayyem town and As Sawahira ash Sharqiya in areas located within the Israeli-defined Jerusalem municipal area.

Eight incidents involving Israeli settlers resulted in the injury of two Palestinians and damage to 200 Palestinian-owned olive trees. Two Palestinians, including a child, were physically assaulted and injured by settlers in two separate incidents in the H2 area of Hebron city and near Hizma town (Jerusalem). In another two separate incidents, Palestinian local community sources reported that suspected Israeli settlers vandalized 200 olive and fig trees and saplings belonging to farmers in the villages of Susiya (Hebron) and Area B of Turmus’ayya (Ramallah). In additional incidents in the villages of Deir Jarir (Ramallah) and Yanun (Nablus), settlers reportedly let their sheep graze on agricultural land, vandalizing around 35 dunums of land planted with wheat and barley. In two other incidents, Israeli settlers entered the villages of Awarta (Nablus) and Deir Qaddis (Ramallah), both in Area B, punctured the tires of 25 Palestinian vehicles and sprayed “price tag” graffiti on four houses, a school and a kindergarten.

Israeli media reported nine incidents of stone-throwing by Palestinians at Israeli settler vehicles; two settlers were injured, and several vehicles were damaged