Reports
On 19 July, Israeli forces (reportedly border police officers) shot with a rubber bullet and killed a 12-year-old Palestinian boy during clashes near the northern entrance of Ar Ram town (Jerusalem). Since 12 July, Ar Ram has been a flashpoint for military operations and clashes. This incident brings the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2016 in the oPt, to 76, including 22 children, of whom 18 were killed during protests and clashes.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian men in two separate incidents. On 18 July, a Palestinian man stabbed and injured two Israeli soldiers at the entrance of Al Arrub refugee camp (Hebron) and was subsequently shot and severely injured; he died of his wounds the following day. On 12 July, during a search and arrest operation in Ar Ram town (Jerusalem), Israeli forces opened fire at a vehicle and killed a 22-year-old Palestinian and injured two others; according to Israeli media reports, the soldiers suspected that the Palestinians were about to ram them, a version denied by local Palestinian sources.
Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have undermined the living conditions of 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza. Many of the current restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas takeover of Gaza and the imposition of a blockade. Though there has been a welcome increase in the movement of people and goods from Gaza, these restrictions continue to reduce access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. The situation has been compounded by the restrictions imposed since June 2013 by the Egyptian authorities at Rafah Crossing, which had become the main crossing point used by Palestinian passengers in the Gaza Strip, given the above restrictions on the Israeli- controlled crossings.
On 9 July, an Israeli settler was injured in a shooting attack, reportedly from a Palestinian-plated vehicle on road 356 near Tuqu’ village (Bethlehem), according to Israeli media. The suspected perpetrator reportedly fled the scene to the village of Sa’ir (Hebron). Following the attack, Israeli forces blocked all entrances leading to and from Sai’r and conducted search and arrest operations in the area, during which two Palestinians were injured. Also, in a suspected ramming attack on 6 July, a Palestinian man rammed into an Israeli military vehicle near Neve Daniyyel junction (Bethlehem), injuring three Israeli soldiers. He was injured and subsequently arrested by Israeli forces. Additionally, on 5 July, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl was injured by live ammunition by Israeli forces: according to video footage, she threatened soldiers with a knife at a bus stop near Haris (Salfit).
Two Israelis were killed and six others were injured in four Palestinian attacks and alleged attacks across the West Bank and Israel; three of the suspected perpetrators were killed on the spot. On 30 June, a Palestinian youth stabbed and killed a 13-year-old Israeli girl in the settlement of Kiryat Arba’ (Hebron), and was subsequently shot dead by settlement guards. The same day, a Palestinian man stabbed and injured two Israelis in Netanya (Israel), and was then shot dead by an Israeli civilian. On 1 July, Israeli forces shot and killed a 27-years-old Palestinian woman who allegedly attempted to stab one of them in the H2 area of Hebron city. Later that day, unknown assailants opened fire at an Israeli-plated car on Road 60 (Hebron), killing an Israeli settler and injuring his wife and two children (15 and 13 years old), and escaped the scene.
Over half of Gaza’s seashore is severely polluted and unsuitable for swimming due to the shortage of adequate sanitation infrastructure. All the health facilities in Gaza damaged or destroyed during the 2014 hostilities have been rehabilitated, with the exception of a totally-destroyed hospital lacking the necessary funding. Living conditions in a Jerusalem suburb, Az Za’ayem, deteriorated due to the Barrier and related access restrictions, triggering significant displacement. Over 62,000 dunums were ratified as “state land”in 2015, the largest total since 2005; this is a step prior to the allocation of land for settlement expansion.
Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have undermined the living conditions of 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza. Many of the current restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas takeover of Gaza and the imposition of a blockade. Though there has been a welcome increase in the movement of people and goods from Gaza, these restrictions continue to reduce access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. The situation has been compounded by the restrictions imposed since June 2013 by the Egyptian authorities at Rafah Crossing, which had become the main crossing point used by Palestinian passengers in the Gaza Strip, given the above restrictions on the Israeli- controlled crossings.
In a ramming attack on 24 June, an 18-year-old Palestinian woman hit an Israeli plated car near the entrance of Kiryat Arba’ settlement (Hebron), injuring two settlers; the woman was subsequently shot dead by Israeli forces. Following the attack, Israeli forces blocked or deployed checkpoints at the main entrances to Bani Naim village (Hebron), where the perpetrator of the attack lived, for three consecutive days. In the first half of 2016, Israeli forces killed 54 Palestinian suspected perpetrators of attacks, including six women and two girls, compared to 89 in the last quarter of 2015. The circumstances of many incidents have given rise to concerns over excessive use of force.
In Area C, the Israeli authorities demolished seven structures for lack of Israeli-issued building permits in the Hebron governorate, five of them in Susiya village, displacing 19 Palestinians, including 12 children. Earlier this month, the Israeli authorities announced a suspension of demolitions for lack of building permits during the month of Ramadan that started on 6 June, except regarding structures that they determine pose a security threat.
On 8 June, two 21-year-old Palestinians from the West Bank town of Yatta (Hebron) shot and killed three Israelis, and injured another seven in a shopping mall in Tel Aviv (Israel). Another Israeli woman died over the course of the incident due to a heart attack, according to Israeli media reports. The Israeli police arrested the two attackers, one of whom was previously shot and injured. The UN Secretary-General strongly condemned the attack. This incident brings the number of Israelis killed in attacks by West Bank Palestinians since the beginning of 2016 to nine, compared to 23 in the last four months of 2015.
