The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that Jewish settlers’ violence and vandalism have been on the rise since the beginning of 2018 with a weekly average of five attacks resulting in injuries or property damage compared with an average of three in 2017 and two in 2016.
According to a report covering Israeli violations from 20 November to 3 December OCHA said that at least 11 attacks were carried out by settlers and resulted in Palestinian property damage during the reporting period.
Around 85 Palestinian-owned trees were vandalized by Israeli settlers in Turmus’ayya village (Ramallah) while in another five incidents in al-Mughayyir (Ramallah) Al Jab’a (Bethlehem) Beit Iksa (Jerusalem) and Asira al Qibliya and Huwwara (both in Nablus) villages settlers punctured the tires of 52 vehicles and sprayed offensive graffiti on some of the vehicles and on the wall of a school a mosque and several houses.
Settlers and other extrimist Jewish groups also stormed various religious sites in the West Bank triggering altercations and clashes with Palestinians which ended in no injuries. The affected sites included the Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem and a shrine in Sabastiya village.
In another context the report said that at the pretext of unlicensed construction the Israeli authorities demolished or seized 33 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C of the West Bank as well as in east Jerusalem including two structures provided as humanitarian assistance. As a result 16 people including six children were displaced and 226 persons were affected.
While clashes were happening following a search and arrest operation in Tulkarem city on December 4 a 22-year-old Palestinian man with special needs was shot and killed by Israeli forces.
Demonstrations in the context of the ‘Great March of Return’ continued for the 36th successive week resulting in the injury of 272 Palestinians by Israeli forces with no fatalities reported. Among the total number of injuries 79 occurred during marches to protest restrictions on fishing areas in the northern Beit Lahia area according to the report.
However Israeli sources indicated that no incendiary kites or balloons were launched and that no attempts were made to breach the fence during any of the demonstrations.
On at least 31 occasions outside of the above-mentioned demonstrations Israeli forces opened fire in access restricted areas at land and sea in Gaza injuring one child who approached the perimeter fence. Three fishermen were detained and the livelihoods of Palestinian farmers and fishermen were disrupted. On two occasions Israeli forces carried out leveling and excavation activities along the perimeter fence inside Gaza.
On November26 a 32-year-old Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli forces after he reportedly drove his vehicle into a group of soldiers stationed on the main road near Beit Ummar village in al-Khalil injuring three of them. His body has been withheld by the Israeli authorities since then.
According to Palestinian eyewitnesses OCHA said the incident appeared to be a car accident but Israeli media sources claimed that it was a deliberate attack. Since the beginning of 2018 30 Palestinians have been killed during attacks or alleged attacks against Israelis in the West Bank.
