Protection of Civilians Report | 2 - 15 January 2018

Latest developments

• Overnight on Wednesday, 17 January 2018, Israeli forces carried out a search and arrest operation in a house located between Birqin village (Jenin) and the Jenin refugee camp. According to media sources, one Palestinian, who was reportedly involved in the drive-by killing of the Israeli settler on 9 January (see below), was killed in the operation. Three other Palestinians and two Israeli forces were injured and three houses were demolished during the operation.

Biweekly highlights

• Four Palestinian civilians, including three children, were killed by Israeli forces in four separate incidents across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Three of the fatalities, including two children (15 and 17-years-old) and a 25-year-old man, occurred in three separate incidents on 3, 11 and 15 January, in Deir Nidham village (Ramallah), next to the perimeter fence east of Al Bureij refugee camp (Gaza) and in Jayyus village (Qalqiliya), in clashes during protests against the US administration's declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Another 17-year-old boy was shot and killed on 11 January, during clashes involving stone throwing at Israeli forces in Iraq Burin (Nablus).
• On 9 January, a 35-year-old male Israeli settler was shot and killed by Palestinians in a drive-by shooting on Road 60, near Sarra-Jit junction (Nablus). Following the attack, Israeli forces restricted access through all Nablus city entrances and the surrounding villages. Search procedures were intensified, causing disrupted access to and from Nablus city.
• Overall, 269 Palestinians, including 83 children, were injured by Israeli forces during multiple clashes across the oPt. Of the total injuries, 67 occurred during clashes in protests next to the perimeter fence in the Gaza Strip. The rest of the injuries (202) were recorded in the West Bank, the majority during protests near Huwwara checkpoint (Nablus), followed by Al Bireh city (Ramallah) and Abu Dis and Al ‘Eizariya towns (Jerusalem). Another 28 injuries were recorded during search and arrest operations, the majority in Ad Duheisha refugee camp (Bethlehem). 61 injuries were caused by live ammunition, another 62 by rubber-bullets and 137 injuries were caused by medically-treated tear-gas inhalation or by being directly hit by tear gas canisters.
• Across the West Bank, Israeli forces conducted 176 search and arrest operations and detained 261 Palestinians, including at least 22 children. Ten of these operations triggered clashes with residents. In the Gaza Strip, on two occasions, Israeli forces carried out land-levelling and excavation operations in the vicinity of the perimeter fence in Khan Younis and Beit Hanoun (Gaza North).
• On at least thirteen occasions in Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at farmers and fishermen, while enforcing access restrictions on land along the perimeter fence and on fishing areas along the coast, injuring five fishermen and arresting eight others, including two children, in addition to confiscating three boats. On at least four occasions, members of an armed group in Gaza reportedly fired rockets towards Israel, of which, three landed in southern Israel; no injuries were reported. In response, the Israeli authorities launched four airstrikes and fired missiles targeting military training sites and open areas, reportedly resulting in damage, but no injuries.
• According to Palestinian farmers in Gaza, on four separate occasions, on 7 and 9 January, Israeli airplanes sprayed herbicides on farming land located along the perimeter fence with Israel.
• On 13 January, Egyptian naval forces opened fire at a fishing boat near the southern Gaza Strip and killed a 33-year-old Palestinian fisherman in unclear circumstances.
• The Israeli authorities demolished and/or seized three structures in Area C and East Jerusalem on the grounds of lack of building permits, displacing two Palestinians, and affecting another 16. Two of the targeted structures, a residential and agriculture structure, were in Beit Hanina and Silwan (East Jerusalem), and the third, an agriculture structure, in the Area C part of Al Khadr village (Bethlehem). Also in Area C, the Israeli authorities issued six stop work orders against thirteen structures in the village of Duma and the community of Khirbet al Marajim (both in Nablus), including two inhabited residential structures and twelve animal shelters. 
• Five Palestinians were injured and 115 Palestinian-owned trees and seven vehicles were vandalized in 14 separate incidents involving Israeli settlers. Seven of these incidents were reportedly perpetrated by settlers from the Yitzhar settlement against residents of Madama, Burin, Yatma, Urif and Al Lubban ash Sharqiya villages (all in Nablus), involving damage to 100 trees, the physical assault of a man, and four stone-throwing incidents, which damaged four Palestinian owned-vehicles. Another 15 trees were vandalized by settlers reportedly from Elon Moreh settlement, on lands belonging to Palestinians from Deir al Hatab (Nablus). Following the shooting attack that resulted in the killing of one Israeli settler, settlers attacked houses in Sarra, Huwwara villages (Nablus), Far'ata (Qalqiliya) and in Al Lubban ash Sharqiya (Nablus); damage to the houses was reported. In the latter incident, 42 Palestinians were injured in clashes involving Israeli forces. Another five Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli forces, following the entry of Israeli settlers to the Joseph’s Tomb site in Nablus city.
• According to Israeli media reports, at least five incidents of stone-throwing by Palestinians against Israeli-plated vehicles were reported, resulting in damage to five private vehicles near Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Ramallah. In addition, damage was reported to the light rail in the Shu’fat area of East Jerusalem.
• On 14 and 15 January, the Israeli authorities closed Gaza’s sole goods crossing, Kerem Shalom, for two days, following the discovery of a tunnel which was subsequently destroyed. 
• During the reporting period, the Egyptian-controlled Rafah Crossing was closed in both directions. According to the Palestinian authorities in Gaza, more than 23,000 people, including humanitarian cases, are registered and waiting to cross Rafah.