PCHR Weekly Report of Israeli Human Rights Violations In The Occupied Palestinian Territory

Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians and Property

Israeli occupation forces have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

· On Thursday morning, 31 December 2009, Israeli occupation forces, accompanied by officers from the so-called Civil Administration and a bulldozer, moved into al-Bwaira area, northeast of Hebron. They demolished two barracks for sheep and horses belonging to Ghaleb Mohammed al-Za'tari. Israeli occupation forces claimed that the two barracks, located nearly 30 meters from an Israeli settlement outpost, were established without a license. It is worth noting that Israeli settlers seized 3 donums of land belonging to the family and set up 10 tents on them. They often attack Palestinian homes in the area.

· Also on Thursday morning, a number of Israeli settlers from "Nouvim" and "Yakir" settlements razed areas of Palestinian land near the "Ya'ir" settlement outpost in Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of Salfit. At approximately 12:00, Palestinian farmers who arrived in the area were able to drive the settlers away. The following morning, Palestinian farmers came to the area and found that Israeli settlers had razed approximately 1,500 square meters of their land. The settlers informed the farmers that they would establish parks and swimming pools to replace irrigation fountains.

· On Friday morning, 01 January 2010, Israeli troops stationed in the vicinity of "Kharsina" settlement, northeast of Hebron, prevented dozens of activists and volunteers from planting trees in areas of land threatened by confiscation through Israeli occupation forces. They declared the area a closed military zone, confiscated trees, and fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the activists and volunteers. No casualties or arrests were reported.

· At approximately 13:00 on Friday, a number of Israeli settlers from "Yakir" settlement, northwest of Salfit, attacked a car, in which Ziad Mahmoud Sawan, 27, and Ussama Mustafa Sawan, 30, from Ematin village east of Qalqilya, were traveling. According to the two civilians, the settlers threw stones at the car. The front window of the car was smashed and the two civilians were injured.

· On Monday morning, 04 January 2010, Israeli occupation forces ordered the demolition of 3 barracks and two agricultural stores belonging to Ibrahim Mahmoud Mousa, Fawzi Ahmed Salah and Ibrahim Khalil Hussein in al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem.

· On Monday, 04 January 2010, the committee of organization and construction in the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved the first stage of a new settlement neighborhood near a Jewish school in the Mount of Olives area. The first stage includes the construction of 4 buildings that would include 24 housing units. This settlement project aims at creating a settlement contiguity between Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives. It would leave the old city of Jerusalem completely surrounded by Israeli settlements. It is worth noting that when the Jewish school was established 20 years ago, the then Israeli Prime Minister Isaac Shamir promised to turn the area into a settlement neighborhood.