ISRAEL COMMITTING SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS: UN OFFICIAL
“ Israel is conducting serious human rights violations against the Palestinians in the occupied territories, and that Israel must also stop its settlement activities, as they are direct and serious violations of International Law,” Pillay said in an opening speech of a Human Right Council meeting,.
The Radio Bethlehem 2000 has reported that the Permanent Palestinian Observer Commission at the UN in Geneva, and a number of international organizations, are participating in the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council, which started on Monday morning (27/5).
She also said that Israel is still holding captive more than 5000 Palestinians under very difficult conditions, and that Israel’s occupation and its practices are illegal.
The Human Rights Council, and various human rights and nongovernmental organizations, will be discussing, over the coming few weeks, various issues regarding human rights in the occupied State of Palestine.
They are discussing the violations especially Israeli settlements activities, the Palestinian detainees, and will be submitting a report on the Israeli violations.
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16 – 22 May 2013)
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 17 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children. 3 civilians were wounded during incursions in the Palestinian communities, while 14 others, including 12 children, were wounded in peaceful protests in al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah.
On 17 May 2012, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded.
The first one was wounded when Israeli forces moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, while the other two ones were wounded by the newly-employed Tutu bullets when Israeli forces moved into al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, as Israeli forces have recently resumed using snipers to disperse Palestinian demonstrations using Tutu rifles, which are sniper rifles with a small barrel.
Israeli forces continued the systematic use of excessive force against peaceful protests organised by Palestinian, Israeli and international activists against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, dozens of protesters suffered tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were attacked by Israeli soldiers. Of the wounded was Rasila Mahmoud Awad (60), who fainted and was taken to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah.
In the same context, the Palestinian civilians organized many peaceful protests in support with the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails, especially those on hunger strike. Israeli forces used excessive force to disperse these protests. As a result, 14 civilians, including 12 children, were wounded. On 17 May 2013, 9 civilians, including 8 children, were wounded in protests at the southern entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah. On 19 May 2013, 3 others, including 2 children, in protests in the same area. On 21 May 2013, 2 children were wounded during a peaceful protest in the abovementioned area.
According to Maariv newspaper, the Israeli army has recently resumed using snipers to disperse Palestinian demonstrations; this technique was used at the end of last week near the settlement of Beit El in eastern Ramallah, using Tutu rifles, which are sniper rifles with a small barrel (0.22 inch caliber bullets).
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli navy forces continued to pursue the Palestinian fishermen in the sea. On 19 May 2013, Israeli forces arrested 2 fishermen and confiscated their fishing boat off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza Strip. On 20 and 22 May 2013, Israeli gunboats opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats that were sailing within the 6 nautical mile limit off al-Waha resort, in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Neither casualties nor material damage were reported. On 21 March 2013, the Israeli authorities allowed the Palestinian fishermen to sail up to 6 nautical miles instead of 3 as had been enforced since 21 March 2013 as a form punishment against the Palestinian civilians. This decrease constitutes a violation to the agreement between Hamas and the Israeli authorities following the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. (T/P03/P04)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
