April 2023: Summary of Israeli Violations against Occupied Palestine

Key Facts and Figures[1]

• In various Palestinian governorates, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out 235 shooting incidents, with 190 occurring in the occupied West Bank and 45 in the Gaza Strip. These incidents resulted in the killing of ten Palestinians, including two children^[2]. At least 98 civilians were injured, including 12 children.

• The IOF conducted 541 military raids and established 375 sudden military checkpoints at the entrances to Palestinian villages, towns, and refugee camps. In the course of these operations, the civilian property was attacked three times, resulting in 26 confiscation cases.

• Israeli settlers have been involved in 135 attack incidents^[3], which include raiding agricultural lands belonging to Palestinian citizens and uprooting a significant number of olive and fruit trees. They have also targeted citizens' homes, throwing stones at their cars and engaging in acts of violence such as shooting and severe beatings against individuals. Furthermore, they have obstructed the movement of Palestinian citizens by closing major roads and crossroads in various villages and towns.

• According to a report by the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) on Israeli violations, settlers uprooted (2220) trees, including (1210) olive trees and (510) grape seedlings, with most of the attacks taking place in the Bethlehem governorate, where settlers uprooted (1705) trees followed by Nablus governorate where settlers uprooted (385) trees.

• The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) documented at least (24) violations against medical staff and vehicles, with most of the violations aimed at obstructing the work of medical personnel and in some cases opening fire at them/physically assaulting them causing them injuries. IOF also deliberately prevent/ hinder the arrival of ambulances to rescue the wounded during attacks.

Withholding the Bodies of Palestinian Martyrs[4]

Israel, the occupying Power, continues withholding the remains of (136) Palestinian martyrs, including (12) children, (12) prisoners, and one woman. Furthermore, the Cemeteries of Numbers continue to hold the remains of (256) other Palestinian martyrs. In April 2023, the Israeli occupation authorities released the bodies of three Palestinian martyrs while withholding the bodies of eight other new martyrs^[5].

Attacks against Muslims and Christian Holy Sites

The Islamic Endowment Department has documented a series of IOF escalations and an increase in settlers' incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in April, particularly during the Passover holiday, when 5000 settlers raided the Compound under heavy IOF protection. On 5 April, after the end of al-Tarawih prayers, IOF raided al-Qibli Prayer Hall, fired stun grenades, assaulted the Muslim worshippers, and detained at least 400.  The occupation forces besieged al-Qibli Prayer Hall and stormed through the adjacent al-Aqsa Mosque clinic. The clinic gate was also blown up. In addition, the IOF stormed the old al-Aqsa chapel and reached the al-Khataniya library. They then climbed to the roof of al-Qibli and broke its ancient windows. Additionally, the IOF attacked Christians celebrating Holy Light Saturday in occupied Jerusalem and denied them access to the Holy Sepulcher Church.

Demolition of Palestinian Homes^[6]

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a Palestinian family in Jerusalem's Sur Bahir neighborhood was forced to self-demolish their home under the pretext of lacking a building permit^[7]. Two people have been displaced, and a household with seven people, including two children, has been affected. This demolition targeted a 65 Meter-square structure made of concrete blocks with metal sheets as ceilings, comprising the parents' bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The affected family received a demolition order on April 4 and was summoned for interrogation by the occupation's municipality. They have previously received several verbal orders and threats to demolish their home, or otherwise, they will be fined a large amount of money.

Israeli Settlers' Terrorism

Fueled by the new far-right Israeli government, this month witnessed an ongoing wave of unabated settler violence against Palestinian civilians, their property, and religious sites. During the reporting period, two run-over attacks were carried out by Israeli settlers in Hebron and Jerusalem governorates, and an uninhabited house was burned near Qusra village in Nablus governorate.

Here are a few examples of this alarming trend:

• 4 April: a group of settlers entered the agricultural lands of the citizens of the village of Shufa (Tulkarem governorate), located near the settlement of "Avnei Hefetz," and destroyed 4 agricultural rooms built of stone, tin, and wood, and destroyed their contents of agricultural equipment and a small poultry farm, in addition to polluting a well by pouring dirty materials into it, and cutting branches of fig, grape and olive saplings in the vicinity of the rooms, owned by Tahseen Hamed.

• 4 April: a group of settlers from the "Tskhar Man" colonial installation (outpost), which is established between the settlements of "Ma'on" and "Karmiel" east of the town of Yatta - Hebron Governorate, assaulted a number of shepherds while they were grazing their sheep on the pastoral lands in the Sada al-Thala area. As a result, the citizen, Yousef Hammad Elayyan, sustained a broken leg. The occupation forces intervened and forced the citizens to leave the area.

• 5 April: A settler in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem opened fire at a 14-year-old child Khader Ghourab, injuring his hand.

• 16 April: a settler driving his vehicle near the Arab al-Jahalin community east of occupied Jerusalem struck 8-year-old Muhammad Younis Ibrahim al-Jahalin, causing him injuries and bruises.

• 19 April: a group of settlers, under the protection of the IOF, demolished five shops situated within the old Hisba (fruit and vegetable market) area. This demolition was carried out with the intention of appropriating the land for the construction of new settlement units.

Main Settlement Activities in Occupied Jerusalem and its Surrounding Areas:

• The “Local Planning Committee” in the occupation’s municipality recently rejected all objections submitted regarding settlement plans for the building of (3,734) settlement units in occupied Jerusalem and proceeded with their implementation in the settlements of the “French Hill / Mount Scopus” (1539) units, “Pisgat Ze'ev” (730) units, and (1465) units for the “Lower Aqueduct” plan, located between the settlements of "Har Homa" and “Givat Hamatos.”

• The so-called “District Planning and Building Committee” in the occupation’s municipality decided to deposit a plan to build (460) settlement units in the "Gilo" settlement, south of occupied Jerusalem.

• The so-called “District Planning and Building Committee” scheduled a discussion session on the objections to the Wadi al-Joz Business Center plan (Silicon Valley) on May 2, which is an advanced step towards its final approval, noting that the local planning committee rejected the objections and recommended approval of the plan on 29 March.

• The "Givat Hamatos" plan, located on the lands of Beit Safafa in occupied Jerusalem, was approved ten years ago. The settlement encompasses (2,610) settlement units. Three years ago, tenders were published for the construction of (1,200) units within the aforementioned plan. Currently, infrastructure is being established on the land, laying the groundwork for future Jewish construction in the settlement.

• The "local committee" within the occupation's municipality has discussed the district committee's intention to develop a new plan on the lands of Beit Safafa. This new scheme, at the expense of the lands of Sharafat and Beit Safafa, aims to expand the "Givat Shaked" settlement by constructing (400) settlement housing units at the northern end of Sharafat.

• Next month, the occupation authorities will start digging a road on the lands of al-Ezariyeh, on the eastern gateway to Jerusalem, for the implementation of the "E1" settlement plan. The excavation work serves as a preliminary step towards the construction of a new road that will redirect traffic towards the north of al-Ezariyeh town, leading to Jabal al-Baba and az-Za’ayem town. The purpose of this road is to provide Palestinians with an alternative route from the southern region of the West Bank to the northern areas in order to ease Israeli settlers’ movement. The paving of the road is a consolidation of the apartheid road system that facilitates the movement of settlers in the “Ma'ale Adumim” settlements to Jerusalem and contributes to the advancement of the "E1” settlement plan.

• The occupation authorities are nearing the completion of the “rope bridge”^[8] project, which is one of the largest tourist settlement projects south of al-Aqsa Mosque Compound^[9] and aims to facilitate the movement of settlers. This project is one of the most dangerous colonial schemes that aim to alter the identity and character of occupied Jerusalem.

• The “Planning and Building Committee” in the occupation’s municipality confirmed that it will advance a plan to establish a central police headquarters in the south of the city on the lands of Jabal al-Mukaber.

• The  “Roads Subcommittee of the Supreme Planning Council of the Israeli Civil Administration” approved paving two new bypass roads to link settlements in the West Bank with Israel proper: (1)  The construction of the Qalandia bypass corridor, also known as Road 45, is underway. This corridor aims to directly connect the Mikhmas Circle area, Highway 60, and the settlements of "Migron" and "Kochav Yaakov" to Highway 45. A substantial tunnel has been under construction for some time beneath the Qalandia military checkpoint, located north of Jerusalem, to facilitate this connection. (2) Another bypass road, known as the North American Road, is being developed as part of a comprehensive road network. The purpose of this road system is to connect Highway 1 in the north with Highway 60, providing improved access to the southern settlements in Jerusalem. Additionally, it aims to enhance connectivity to "Ma'ale Adumim," "Beyamin," and the settlements in the Jordan Valley.

Moreover, as reported by the Israeli human rights organization "Ir Amim," the occupation government has recently announced plans for the construction of (3248) new settlement units within the defined borders of the occupation’s municipality. The distribution of these units is as per the following construction plans: (695) settlement units in the "Givat Shaked" settlement (marking the establishment of an entirely new settlement on the northwestern edge of Beit Safafa/ Sharafat, (1039) new settlements in the "French Hill – Mount Scopus " settlement, (284) settlement units to expand the "Gilo" settlement, (500) new settlement units in the "French Hill – Mount Scopus" settlement, and (730) settlement units in the "Pisgat Ze'ev" settlement.

Other Main Settlement Activities in the Occupied West Bank:

• A new structural plan that includes building (212) settlement units on an area of ​​about 570 dunums in a small and isolated settlement named "Rahalim," to the south of Nablus, near Za'tara checkpoint.

• A new development plan is being implemented for the settlement of "Mevo Yeriho" in the Jericho governorate. Two years ago, this site was transformed from a colonial outpost into a settlement, and ongoing efforts are underway to expand it into a considerably larger settlement within the Jordan Valley. This expansion involves the appropriation of over 500 dunums of land and the construction of approximately 180 new settlement units.

• A plan to expand the "Tana Amrim" settlement, located on the lands of Khirbet Zanuta in the Hebron governorate, has been approved. The expansion project involves the construction of (68) new settlement units.

• The submission of a detailed master plan for the "Givat Ze'ev" settlement, which is situated on the lands of Beit Ajza and al-Jib villages. The plan aims to convert agricultural zones into extensive development areas, allocate 9.54 dunums for the construction of public and commercial institutions, and construct (486) settlement units within the vicinity.

• The submission of a comprehensive structural plan for the "AlKanna" settlement, established on the lands of Masha village. This plan encompasses an expansive area of 5,142 dunums for the development of the settlement.

• The official responsible for governmental and abandoned properties in the occupied West Bank has declared the release of a construction tender for (110) settlement units within a single vertical building complex in the "Efrat" settlement. This settlement is situated on the lands of al-Khader village.

• Settlers established a new colonial installation (outpost) in the southern part of the lands belonging to Qusra town. They have brought in mobile homes and tents for this purpose. The settlers had previously established another colonial installation at the end of last year on the lands of Jabal al-Khariji, located southeast of Qusra, and surrounded it with barbed wire.

• Settlers have recently established a new colonial installation (outpost) in close proximity to the Bedouin community in the al-Auja water spring, situated north of Jericho. This installation consists of a mobile dwelling and a water tank and is strategically positioned on a mountain.

Palestine's Political Prisoners[10]

As of the end of April 2023, there were over (4,900) Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in 23 different prisons, detention centers, and investigation facilities. A total of (31) of these prisoners are women, most of whom are held in the "Damon" prison, (16) journalists^[11], and (160) children and minors detained at "Ofer," "Megiddo," and "Damon" prisons, including Nufuz Hammad (16 years old) from Jerusalem. The latest statistics indicate that nearly (10,000) cases of children's arrests have been recorded since 2015. Furthermore, there are currently over (1,000) administrative detainees in "Ofer" , “Majiddo” and "Negev" prisons, including six children and two women, namely Raghad al-Fanni and Rawda Abu Agamiyeh. In April 2023 alone, more than (1,000 arrests) were made, with approximately (146) of those arrests involving children from various governorates. About (766) arrests took place in occupied Jerusalem alone.

The Latest Developments:

• Administrative Detention: the Israeli occupation authorities issued (217) administrative detention orders against Palestinians in April (92 new orders and 125 extension orders).

• Hunger Strike: Detainee Khader Adnan (44) years old, from the town of Arraba/Jenin, died on 2 May in “Ramle Clinic” prison after 86 days of an open hunger strike against his administrative detention. Also, detainee Sheikh Majed Amarneh (51) years old, from the town of Ya`bad / Jenin, known as Sheikh Izz al-Din Amarneh, continues his hunger strike, which he began on 22 April in rejection of his administrative detention. Sheikh Amarneh is blind and suffers from several health problems, requiring urgent, immediate, and permanent medical attention.

• Solitary Confinement: More than (70) Palestinian prisoners have been held in solitary confinement since the beginning of 2023. Currently, there are (35) prisoners held in solitary confinement, some suffer severe health and psychological conditions. A prominent example of solitary confinement is Ahmad Manasra (21 years old), who has been in isolation since October 2021 despite his critical psychological and health condition.

• Medical Negligence: more than (700) Palestinian prisoners are suffering from various diseases, including around (200) enduring chronic illnesses and at least (24) suffering from cancer or tumors. Asef al-Rifa'i, Walid Daqqa, Ali al-Hroub, and Mousa Safwan are among those facing particularly challenging medical conditions.