General decline in casualties across the oPt in the first quarter of 2015

Increase in the proportion of injuries by live ammunition in the West Bank

During the first quarter of 2015, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including one child, and injured 452 Palestinians across the oPt, including 97 children, 19 women, and four international activists and journalists; this marked the lowest number of fatalities and injuries since the second quarter of 2013 and the last quarter of 2011 respectively. Four fatalities and 436 injuries were recorded in the West Bank and one fatality and 16 injuries in Gaza.

Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces decreased significantly across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. According to the Israel Security Agency (ISA, previously known as the General Security Service or Shabak), there has been a gradual decrease in the number of Palestinian attacks against Israelis (including members of the security forces and civilians) in the West Bank and Israel since the beginning of 2015. During March, the ISA recorded 89 attacks, bringing the monthly average for the first quarter of 2015 to 103, down from 176 attacks in the last quarter of 2014. Between 80 and 90 per cent of the attacks recorded by the ISA in 2015 involved the throwing of Molotov cocktails at vehicles with Israeli plates. Overall, 25 Israelis, including seven Israeli security forces, were injured compared to 88 Israeli injuries, including 29 Israeli security forces, in the last quarter of 2014.

The fatalities include two Palestinian registered refugees, 20 and 19 years old, who were shot by live ammunition during clashes involving stone-throwing at Israeli forces, who are regularly present at the entrance to Al Jalazun refugee camp (Ramallah), and during a search and arrest operation in Al Duheisha refugee camp (Bethlehem); a 19-year-old shot by Israeli forces, who claim that the youth was hurling Molotov cocktails at Israeli settler vehicles near the settlement of Yitzhar (Nablus); a 17-year-old Palestinian child shot by Israeli forces while allegedly trying to steal a car near the settlement of Gush Etzion (Hebron); and a 32-year-old fisherman who was shot and killed by Israeli naval forces at sea off Gaza city (see case study below).

The majority of injuries during the first quarter of 2015 in the West Bank took place during or in the vicinity of clashes, primarily demonstrations (195 injuries) to commemorate Land Day and weekly protests against the closure of village entrances and settlement construction; in the course of military operations, including search and arrest operations (99); during miscellaneous clashes (85); and at checkpoints (35). The clashes involved the shooting of live and rubber bullets by Israeli forces, teargas canisters, sound bombs and incidents of physical assault against Palestinians mainly engaged in stone-throwing. The highest number of injuries was recorded in Qalqiliya governorate, followed by the Ramallah area.

In absolute numbers, there was a marked decline in the overall number of injuries by live ammunition in the first quarter of 2015 across the oPt (79 injuries) compared to the fourth quarter of 2014 (169 injuries). However, in the West Bank, there was a significant increase from around 11 to 18 per cent in the proportion of injuries caused by live ammunition in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the previous quarter, which had seen heightened tensions due to perceived changes to the status quo of the Al Aqsa Mosque compound (See box). Over the same period, the use of rubber and rubber coated metal bullets fell from 43 to 25 per cent.

Although the number of children injured between the fourth quarter of 2014 (272 injuries) and the first quarter of 2015 (97 injuries) declined, the proportion of child injuries sustained by live ammunition increased from 28 per cent to 37 per cent. Moreover, all child injuries sustained by live ammunition were recorded in the West Bank (except on the “Jerusalem side” of the Barrier: see box above); the majority of the injuries were recorded during clashes between Israeli forces and stone- throwers at the entrance to the village of Silwad (Ramallah).

Of particular concern are injuries sustained during clashes by children who were reportedly uninvolved. The most serious incidents during this period include a seven-year-old boy who was shot in the hand by a rubber bullet while standing on a balcony in the Ras al ‘Amud area (East Jerusalem) near to clashes taking place during an Israeli search and arrest operation; a nine-yearold girl who was shot in the leg and hand while returning from school near clashes at Shu’fat checkpoint (Jerusalem); a nine-year-old-boy struck by a sound bomb released by Israeli forces near a school in the H2 area of Hebron city; an eight-year-old child who was seriously injured when he was allegedly struck in the eye by the rifle of an Israeli soldier while the child was playing football with friends near clashes in Al Khader (Bethlehem); and a 16-year-old Palestinian youth arrested from his house in Tel Rumeida in H2 Hebron and physically assaulted, sustaining a broken hand, by Israeli forces for the second time over a one-month period.

Fewer causalities on the “Jerusalem” side of the Barrier

Despite the increased tensions in the last quarter of 2014, one of the main factors in the reduction in the use of lethal force compared with the first quarter of 2015 is that around 60 per cent of the injuries were recorded on the “Jerusalem side” of the barrier. Responsibility for law enforcement in these areas lies with the Israeli civil police, who, unlike the army and Border Police, adhere more strictly to orders not to use lethal force for crowd control purposes.

This comes despite the fact that in the West Bank, Israeli forces act in a law enforcement capacity and are therefore bound by Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 43 of the Hague Regulations restricting the use of firearms to limited circumstances, primarily self-defence or defence of others against imminent threat of death or serious injury. In any event, the intentional lethal use of firearms is only permissible when strictly unavoidable to protect life.

Casualties continue in the Access Restricted Areas (ARAs) in Gaza

Since the 26 August 2014 ceasefire that ended the hostilities, three Palestinian fatalities and 54 injuries have been recorded. One of the fatalities and twelve of the injuries were recorded at sea and 42 of the injuries were on land, mainly near the Gaza perimeter fence.

Two fatalities recorded during the last quarter of 2014 include a Palestinian man who was reportedly shot while bird hunting east of Jabalia by Israeli forces positioned at the fence; and a 15-year-old child who died of injuries sustained during the July-August hostilities. The first fatality in Gaza during 2015 was recorded on 25 March, when a 32-year-old fisherman was shot and killed by Israeli naval forces while reportedly fishing approximately five nautical miles off Gaza’s shore, nearly one kilometre from the northern fence with Israel.

According to information collected by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), fishermen in two boats started to sail back to Gaza when an Israeli naval boat headed towards them. The naval boat reportedly followed them, ordering them to stop in Arabic while firing at them. The victim was shot by three live bullets to his abdomen, resulting in his death a few hours later.