UN OCHA Protection of Civilians Weekly Report: June 2-8, 2015

by Middle East and Europe | published on Jun 12, 2015

Each week, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories publishes a humanitarian update. Click here to read the full report.

This week’s highlights include:

19 Palestinians, including seven children, were injured by Israeli forces in the West Bank in the context of clashes, including in protests and search and arrest operations. The child injuries included an infant and an 18-month-old baby who suffered from tear gas in the context of protests in Kafr Qaddum (Qalqiliya); two boys (13 and 16 years old) shot with live ammunition during clashes in Silwad (Ramallah) and a search and arrest operation in Balata Refugee Camp (Nablus); and three boys (12 and 17 years old) struck by with sound bombs during clashes in East Jerusalem, as well as a 17-year-old struck by a rubber bullet in Abu Dis (Jerusalem).
A nine-year-old Palestinian child was severely burned when unexploded ordnance (UXO) detonated while he was tampering with it near his house in Tubas city, east of an area declared closed by Israel for military training.
A Palestinian armed group in the Gaza Stip fired rockets into southern Israel, of which two landed near Netivot and Ashkelon, with no injuries or damage reported. On 2 June, the de facto authority’s police killed a 27-year-old member of an armed group during an attempt to arrest him.
On at least 25 occasions, Israeli forces opened fire towards civilians in the Access Restricted Area (ARA) on land and at sea, injuring three fishermen who were reportedly sailing four nautical miles from the shore and one farmer who was harvesting his crops 500 metres from the fence. On one occasion, Israeli forces entered Gaza south of Sufa and east of Gaza city and carried out land leveling and excavation works.
Israeli forces conducted arrested 122 Palestinians across the oPt, the vast majority in the West Bank.In the Gaza Strip nine fishermen were arrested at sea after Israeli forces forced them to take off their clothes and swim towards the naval boats, and another man was arrested near the fence surrounding Gaza, after crossing into Israel without authorization.
The Israeli authorities demolished 28 structures in Area C and East Jerusalem of the West Bank, for lack of Israeli-issued permits, displacing 29 Palestinians, including 17 children and seven women, and otherwise affecting 62 Palestinians, including 34 children. The largest incident took place in the Jordan Valley where 22 structures, including ten residential structures, were demolished in Abu Kbash herding community.
Two Israeli settler attacks resulting in damage to Palestinian property were recorded. Both incidents involved stone-throwing at vehicles passing on the road connecting Nahhalin village to Husan (Bethlehem) and the other near the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Efrayem (Nablus).
The Rafah crossing was closed in both directions by the Egyptian authorities during the week. The crossing has been continuously closed since 24 October 2014, following an attack in Sinai, except partially and intermittently on 15 days.