occupied Palestinian territory: Protection of Civilians Report | 5-18 September 2023

Latest Developments (after the reporting period)

This section is based on initial information from different sources. Further confirmed details will be provided in the nextreport.

On 19 September, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a demonstration near Israel’s perimeterfence around the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis.

On 19 and 20 September, Israeli forces shot and killed five Palestinians in two operations in the refugee camps ofJenin and Aqbat Jabr (Jericho).

On 22 September, Israeli forces raided Kafr Dan (Jenin) and killed one Palestinian in an exchange of fire.

Highlights from the reporting period

• Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, including one child, in two operations that involved the exchange of fire inTulkarm and Jericho. On 5 September, Israeli forces raided Nur Shams Refugee Camp (Tulkarm), where aPalestinian man was shot and killed, and another was injured in an exchange of fire. The latter also threw explosivedevices, reportedly causing damage to an Israeli military vehicle. Israeli forces bulldozed three sections of the mainstreet connecting the camp with Nablus city, disrupting the movement of residents, and destroyed seven shops andcaused damage to several residential structures. According to official Israeli sources, the roads were bulldozed dueto the presence of explosive devices. According to medical sources, during the operation, Israeli forces impeded thework of paramedics. That day, Israeli forces surrounded a house in Az Zubeidat village (Jericho), where anexchange of fire took place, during which a 17-year-old Palestinian boy was killed. According to the Israeli military,the boy allegedly carried out a shooting attack near the settlement of Argaman (Jericho) and was subsequentlyshot at when he opened fire at Israeli forces. The Israeli military further said that a member of Israeli forces was injured during the exchange of fi re. Israeli forces also arrested the father and brother of the boy.
  So far in 2023,Israeli forces have killed 184 Palestinians in the West Bank or Israel, exceeding the yearly death toll by Israeli forcesin the West Bank since 2005.

• Israeli forces killed a Palestinian child in Hebron. On 9 September, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian boy atthe entrance of Al ‘Arrub Refugee Camp (Hebron); Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails at a militaryobservation tower, and Israeli forces shot live ammunition. The following day, during the funeral procession, threePalestinians including two boys were injured by Israeli forces, including two by live ammunition. The number ofPalestinian children killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in 2023 stands at 38 compared with 35 in all of 2022.

• Five Palestinian were killed in the Gaza Strip as an explosive device went off near Israel’s perimeter fence. On 13September, Palestinians demonstrated near the fence east of Gaza city, to mark the 18th anniversary of the Israeliwithdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Demonstrators burned tires and threw stones at Israeli forces’ observation posts.Israeli forces shot live ammunition and teargas canisters, injuring 15 Palestinians, including six children. During thedemonstration, a group of Palestinians approached the fence carrying an explosive device which detonated, killingfive of them, including two children, and injuring ten others.

• Other Palestinians in Gaza were injured in demonstrations near the Israeli perimeter fence. On 15, 17 and 18September, as hundreds of Palestinians protested near Israel’s perimeter fence around Gaza, demonstrators burnedtires, threw stones and explosive devices at Israeli observation posts, and Israeli forces fired live ammunition,rubber bullets, and teargas canisters, injuring 33 Palestinians, including six children. On 15 September, Israeli forcesconducted air strikes and launched missiles into Gaza, reportedly targeting military outposts belonging to armedgroups near the fence, injuring one Palestinian.

• Also in the Gaza Strip, in at least 22 incidents, Israeli forces opened “warning fire” near Israel’s perimeter fence oroff the coast. During these incidents, four fishermen were injured, two others were arrested, and one fishing boatwas confiscated.

• During the reporting period, 173 Palestinians, including at least 58 children, were injured by Israeli forces across theWest Bank, including 11 who were hit by live ammunition. Most injuries (111) were reported during twelve search-and-arrest and other operations carried out by Israeli forces across the West Bank, including four reported in Beitavillage (Nablus) on four consecutive days as part of a search operation for suspects of the 12 September shootingin Huwwara, where two Israeli settlers were injured. During one of these operations, an ambulance was struck byrubber bullets fired by Israeli forces, and one paramedic was injured. Israeli forces injured 24 Palestinians followingthe entry of Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, into Qaryut village (Nablus). Another 31 injuries werereported in two demonstrations against access restrictions and settlement expansion in Kafr Qaddum (Qalqilya). Four Palestinians, including three children were shot and injured by live ammunition fi red by Israeli forces whenPalestinians threw stones at forces positioned at a military tower at the entrance of Beit Ummar and Al ‘ArrubRefugee Camp (both in Hebron). Another Palestinian man was injured and arrested by Israeli forces at An Nu’mancheckpoint (Bethlehem), while allegedly attempting to stab a member of Israeli forces. The remaining two injurieswere reported in two incidents in East Jerusalem, where Israeli forces physically assaulted a handcuffed Palestinianchild near Damascus Gate, and an elderly Palestinian man in the Old City (see details below). Overall, 141Palestinians were treated for teargas inhalation, 11 were shot with live ammunition, 13 were injured by rubberbullets, fi ve were hit by shrapnel or tear gas canisters, and three were physically assaulted.
  Since the beginning ofthe year, 769 Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition by Israeli forces in the West Bank, nearing thedouble of the number in the equivalent period in 2022 (460).

• On 16 and 17 September, large groups of Israelis, including settlers, entered the Old City of Jerusalem during theJewish New Year. Israeli authorities deployed police offi cers and restricted Palestinian movement in and out of theOld City, during which they physically assaulted and injured an elderly Palestinian man and arrested at least two others. On 17 September, Israeli forces restricted Palestinian access to the Al Aqsa Mosque in the Old City ofJerusalem, allowing entry only to those over the age of 50 for the dawn prayers. That morning, about 400 Israelis, including settlers, accessed the compound accompanied by Israeli police, who evacuated Palestinian worshippersto secure the entry of Israelis.

• Five Palestinians and two Israeli activists were injured by Israeli settlers, and people known or believed to be settlersdamaged Palestinian property in another 18 instances across the West Bank.
  This is in addition to the Palestiniancasualties by Israeli forces reported above in the settler-related incident in Qaryut (Nablus). On 9 September , aPalestinian herder in the norther Jordan Valley was injured, when Israelis, reportedly from Shadmot Meholasettlement, attacked him with sticks and stones and tried to steal his livestock. That day , two Palestinian farmerswere injured when armed Israelis, reportedly from the settlement of Neve Daniel, physically assaulted them as theywere working their land in Al Khadr (Bethlehem). On 15 September , Israeli settlers pepper-sprayed a Palestinian manand damaged his vehicle with stones near Burqa (Nablus). On 16 September , settlers stabbed a Palestinian man inthe back and threw stones and bottles at Palestinian houses in Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron city, in theIsraeli-controlled H2 area. On 9 September , settlers physically assaulted and injured two Israeli activists during ananti-settlement protest in Karma community (Hebron). In fi ve incidents, according to community sources, more than400 trees and saplings were vandalized on Palestinian land near Israeli settlements, in Khallet al Maiyya and Khirbetat Tawamin (both in Hebron), Sinjil (Ramallah) and Madama and Al Mas’udiya (both in Nablus). Eight incidents inHebron, Jenin, Jericho, Nablus, Qalqiliya, Ramallah, and Salfi t involved settlers trespassing into communities,injuring livestock and damaging animal shelters and agricultural rooms, and parts of two water networks. In fi veincidents, Israeli settlers threw stones and vandalized fi ve Palestinian vehicles.

• Three Israelis and one foreign national were injured in two incidents across the West Bank.
  On 6 September , aPalestinian boy stabbed and injured an Israeli man near Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to Israelipolice, another person – reportedly a foreign national – was also injured in the incident. Subsequently, Israeli forcesarrested the Palestinian child. On 12 September , two Israeli settlers were injured in a drive-by shooting whiletravelling near Beita junction (Nablus); the perpetrators are believed to be Palestinians. Following the attack, Israeliforces conducted searches nearby, raided Madama, Aqraba, and Beita villages, and tightened movementrestrictions (see more details below).

• The Israeli authorities in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank demolished, confi scated, or forced people todemolish 23 structures, including seven homes, citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almostimpossible to obtain. As a result, 17 Palestinians, including eight children, were displaced, and the livelihoods ofmore than 100 others were affected. One of the affected structures was provided by donors as humanitarianassistance. Sixteen structures were demolished in Area C, including 12 that were demolished in a single incident inAnata town (Jerusalem). The remaining seven structures were demolished in East Jerusalem, resulting in thedisplacement of three households, comprising 12 people, including fi ve children. Four out of the seven demolishedstructures in East Jerusalem were destroyed by their owners to avoid the payment of fi nes to the Israeli authorities.

• Israeli forces restricted the movement of Palestinians in various locations across the West Bank.
  On 11 September,Israeli forces blocked with earth mounds two entrances to Sinjil village (Ramallah), hindering the access of about8,000 Palestinians to livelihoods and services and forcing them to take long detours. According to Israeli sources,this closure is believed to be linked to Palestinian stone throwing at Israeli-plated vehicles. On 12 September ,following a shooting attack that injured two Israelis near Beita (Nablus), Israeli forces imposed access andmovement restrictions around Nablus for three consecutive days, including all entrances to Beita. This impeded themovement of 16,000 residents from Beita, including from accessing services. About 3,000 school children andteachers were unable to reach their schools in Beita. Additionally, the closure of Beita obstructed the movement ofgoods in and out of the village, affecting at least 21 Palestinian traders and their families. On 18 September ,following a shooting attack near the Deir Sharaf checkpoint (Nablus), Israeli forces closed all the checkpointsaround Nablus for about fi ve hours.

• For three days during the reporting period, on the occasion of the Jewish New Year, the Israeli authorities imposed ageneral closure on the occupied Palestinian territory. All West Bank and Gaza ID holders, including workers andtraders with valid permits, were prevented from entering Israel and East Jerusalem through any checkpoints, exceptfor emergency medical cases, students and Palestinian employees of international NGOs and UN agencies. On 18 September , when all Israeli-controlled crossings were scheduled to re-open, the Israeli authorities kept the Erezcrossing with the Gaza Strip closed for Palestinians exiting for work purposes until the end of the reporting period,citing security reasons. This closure is affecting thousands of Palestinian workers and their families who are unableto reach their workplaces in Israel.

• Over 1,100 Palestinian herders from 28 communities have been displaced since 2022, citing settler violence and shrinking access to grazing land. The information was collected during a humanitarian needs assessment carriedout by the UN with partner organizations during August in dozens of herding communities across the occupiedPalestinian territory and published in a Fact Sheet (link). Four communities have been completely displaced since2022 and now stand empty, whereas in six other communities, 50% of the residents have left.