Protection of Civilians Report | 22 August – 4 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 next report.

• On 5 September, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man in Nur Shams Refugee Camp (Tulkarm), during a search-and-arrest operation that involved an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinians.

Highlights from the reporting period

• Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, including one child, and another Palestinian died of wounds sustained during operations carried out by Israeli forces across the West Bank, including some that involved exchanges of fire. On 22 August, Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian child in Az Zababida (Jenin), during a search-and-arrest operation where Israeli forces shot live ammunition and Palestinians threw explosive devices.  On 25 August, a Palestinian man from Jaba' (Jenin) succumbed to his wounds sustained when he was shot by Israeli forces during an operation in Jenin Refugee Camp on 3-4 July 2023. The total Palestinian death toll from that operation reached 13, marking the highest number of Palestinians killed in a single operation in the West Bank since 2005. On 1 September, Israeli forces raided Aqqaba (Tubas) and surrounded a Palestinian house. An exchange of fire with Palestinians ensued, and Israeli forces shot live ammunition, killing a Palestinian male bystander, and injuring another. Thirty-three additional Palestinians were injured in the same incident. According to the local community, Israeli forces used shoulder-fired explosive projectiles and arrested two people. Paramedics were prevented from tending to the wounded for over an hour and an ambulance sustained damage from rubber-coated bullets. Ten people, including six children, were displaced due to the damage caused to their homes. So far in 2023, Israeli forces have killed 178 Palestinians in the West Bank or Israel. This already exceeds the death toll by Israeli forces in the West Bank of any whole year since 2005. 
• One Palestinian man was shot and killed in an exchange of fire between Palestinian forces and other Palestinians in Tulkarm Refugee Camp. On 30 August, Palestinian forces in the Tulkarm Refugee Camp started to remove the road obstacles set up on the road by Palestinians to block Israeli military vehicles from entering the camp. During the operation, an exchange of fire took place between the Palestinian forces and other Palestinians. A bystander was injured and later pronounced dead. Another eight people were injured during the same incident. 
• One Israeli soldier was killed, and four Israelis and two Palestinians were injured in two separate attacks, attempted attacks, or alleged attacks perpetrated by people believed to be Palestinians in the West Bank that resulted in two Palestinians killed, including one child by Israeli forces and an off-duty member of the Israeli forces; On 31 August, a Palestinian man ran over people at the Maccabim Checkpoint on Road 443 near Ramallah, killing one Israeli soldier and injuring four Israelis and a Palestinian boy, before fleeing the scene. Shortly after, Israeli forces shot and arrested him at the Ni'lin Checkpoint. Hours later, he was pronounced dead in an Israeli hospital. On 30 August, a Palestinian man rammed his car into Israeli soldiers staffing a checkpoint near Beit Haggai settlement (Hebron), injuring one, before being shot, injured, and arrested. Subsequently, Israeli forces closed the two main southern entrances of Hebron from Road 60, causing severe traffic congestion and delays for travelers, undermining access to livelihoods and services. That the same day, an off-duty member of Israeli forces shot and killed a 14-year-old Palestinian child at a light rail station in the Al Musrara area, between East and West Jerusalem. According to Israeli sources, the child had stabbed and injured an Israeli. Subsequently, an off-duty member of the Israeli forces in civilian clothing, shot the child while he appeared to be immobilized and posing no risk, as shown in video footage. Following the incident, Israeli forces raided the child's family home in Beit Hanina area in East Jerusalem, arresting his parents, brother and sister. Israeli forces fired rubber-coated bullets and teargas canisters at Palestinians who had gathered near the house, resulting in 18 injuries, including four children and two women. 
• During the reporting period, 282 Palestinians, including at least 29 children, were injured by Israeli forces across the West Bank, including 17 people by live ammunition. Most injuries (150) were reported in four incidents, following the entry of Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, into Burqa, Qusra and Qaryut (all in Nablus) and into Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus city. In the incidents in Burqa village, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian homes and vehicles causing damage to three vehicles. Palestinian residents threw stones and Israeli forces fired teargas canisters. In the incident of Qusra settlers physically assaulted and threw stones at Palestinian farmers while working on their lands, subsequently Palestinian farmers threw stones and Israeli forces fired teargas canisters and rubber bullets. During the incident in Nablus city, Israeli forces fired live ammunition and rubber bullets, stun grenades, and teargas at Palestinians who threw stones and explosive devices. The Israeli military reported that four members of Israeli forces were injured by an explosive device. Another 44 Palestinian injuries were reported in two demonstrations against settlement expansion in Beit Dajan (Nablus) and settlement-related access restrictions in Kafr Qaddum (Qalqilya). An additional 86 injuries occurred during 11 search-and-arrest and other operations carried out by Israeli forces across the West Bank. Two other Palestinians were injured at Israeli military checkpoints in Qalqiliya city and A Seefer (Hebron). In Qalqiliya, hundreds of Palestinian workers staged a demonstration, blocking Road 55 in protest against Israeli forces withdrawing buses that transported them to their workplaces inside Israel. Israeli forces fired stun grenades, teargas canisters and sound grenades injuring one of the workers. In A Seefer (Hebron), at the Beit Yatir checkpoint, Israeli forces injured a member of the Palestinian forces. Overall, 211 Palestinians were treated for teargas inhalation, 17 were shot with live ammunition, 34 were injured with rubber bullets, seven by shrapnel, one by sound grenade, and 12 were physically assaulted. Since the beginning of the year, 722 Palestinians have been injured with live ammunition by Israeli forces in the West Bank, almost double the number in the equivalent period in 2022 (432). 
• Eleven Palestinians, including one child and two women were injured by Israeli settlers; and people known or believed to be settlers damaged Palestinian property in another 15 instances across the West Bank. This is in addition to the Palestinian casualties by Israeli forces in the abovementioned settler-related incidents in Nablus. On 22 August, three members of the same family, including a woman, were injured, after a group of Israeli settlers, reportedly from Nof Nesher settlement, sprayed pepper gas, physically assaulted and tampered with their belongings in their home, in Tuba herding community of Masafer Yatta, southern Hebron. On 26 and 31 August, a total of five Palestinians were injured, and their vehicles sustained damage when Israeli settlers threw stones near Beit El DCO checkpoint at the entrance of Ramallah. On 30 August, a group of Israelis, reportedly from Maskiyot settlement and its adjacent outposts, attacked a Palestinian herder while he was grazing his livestock in Ein al Hilwa community, in the northern Jordan Valley, Tubas. Settlers used sticks to physically assault and injure the man. On 3 September, one Palestinian man was injured, and his vehicle sustained damage when Israeli settlers threw stones near the entrance of Majdal Bani Fadil village, southeast of Nablus. On 4 September, a group of Israeli settlers attacked and injured a Palestinian man and stole his donkey, in Halawh community of Masafer Yatta (Hebron). In addition, according to community sources, more than 350 trees and saplings were vandalized during the reporting period on Palestinian land near Israeli settlements, in five incidents, in Madama (Nablus), Tuqu’ (Bethlehem), Al Mughayyir (Ramallah), Azzun (Qalqiliya) and Ni’lin (Ramallah). Three incidents in Fer'a (Hebron), Al Baqa'a (Jerusalem), and Wadi as Seeq (Ramallah), involved settlers entering communities and causing damage to an animal shelter, parts of a water network, in addition to injuring livestock. 
• Eleven Israeli settlers were injured in five incidents across the West Bank. These include the abovementioned stabbing and ramming attacks in Jerusalem and Ramallah where three Israelis were injured. Also, in two separate incidents on 29 August, and 2 September, six settlers were injured while trespassing into the Palestinian communities of Wadi As Seeq (Ramallah), and Qusra (Nablus), where stone throwing was reported between Palestinian residents and the settlers. In another incident on 31 August, one Israeli settler was injured and damage to property was caused by people known or believed to be Palestinians, who threw stones at Israeli vehicles travelling on West Bank roads. At least three Israeli-plated vehicles were damaged, according to Israeli sources.
• The single Palestinian family remaining in the herding community of Al Baqa’a (Jerusalem) left, citing violence by Israelis from a settlement farm that was recently established within the community. On 1 September, the remaining Palestinian household, comprising eight people, including five children, left the community following a series of settler attacks, including one on 26 August, when 13 animal troughs and other belongings were stolen by Israeli settlers. Earlier in July, eight households, comprising 43 people, including 25 children from the same community dismantled their homes and livelihood structures and moved to safer places. The settlement outpost was removed by Israeli authorities on 18 July but was re-established immediately afterwards and continued to be a source of violence affecting the now completely emptied herding community. Between 2022 and 2023, about 500 people, including 267 children, left from the communities of Ras al Tin, Wadi as Seeq, Ein Samiya (all in Ramallah), Al Baqa’a (Jerusalem), Lifjim (Nablus) and Wedadie and Khirbet Bir al ‘Idd (both southern Hebron), citing settler violence and loss of access to grazing land as the primary reasons. As a result, four out of these seven communities have been entirely emptied, while only a few families remain in the others.
• The Israeli authorities demolished, confiscated, or forced people to demolish 14 structures in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank, including seven homes, citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain. As a result, nine Palestinians, including five children, were displaced, and the livelihoods of more than 50 others were affected. Eight of the affected structures were demolished in Area C, including five agricultural related structures demolished in At Taybeh (Hebron). During the same incident a water tank was destroyed, and nine trees were uprooted. The remaining six structures were demolished in East Jerusalem, resulting in the displacement of two households, comprising nine people, including five children. Five out of the six demolished structures in East Jerusalem were destroyed by their owners to avoid the payment of fines to the Israeli authorities. 
• Israeli forces restricted the movement of Palestinians in several locations across the West Bank. Following the killing of three Israeli settlers on 19 and 21 August, in Nablus and Hebron, Israeli forces intensified movement restrictions around Nablus and Hebron City, impeding the movement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in and out of Nablus and Hebron cities. On 25 August, Israeli forces closed the metal gate installed at the western entrance of Husan (Bethlehem), restricting the movement of more than 7,000 Palestinians. On 29 August, Israeli forces closed a Barrier gate serving about 100 Palestinians from the “West Bank” side of the Barrier in Al ‘Isawiya, East Jerusalem, forcing longer detours for them to access livelihoods and services in other parts of East Jerusalem, where they have a recognized residency status.
• In the Gaza Strip, in at least 25 incidents, Israeli forces opened “warning fire” near Israel’s perimeter fence or off the coast. During these incidents, two fishermen were injured, five others were arrested, and two fishing boats were confiscated. On three occasions, Israeli forces conducted land levelling near the perimeter fence east of Gaza city, Khan Younis and the Middle Area. Separately, four Palestinian men were arrested by Israeli forces while attempting to cross the fence into Israel.
• Also in the Gaza Strip, on 25 August and 1 September, hundreds of people participated in protests near Israel’s perimeter fence with Gaza. Demonstrators burned tires and threw stones towards Israeli observation posts, and Israeli forces shot live ammunition and teargas canisters, resulting in 18 Palestinians injured, including four children. 
• On 1 September, the Gaza Power Plant turned off its fourth turbine, which had operated since 1 August following the delivery of fuel from the Qatar Government. With this, the electricity plant’s production was reduced from 95 to 65 megawatts. In August, daily power supply reached up to 13 hours on average, compared with 11 hours on average in July. This reduction of power supply since 1 September, is disrupting daily life and the provision of health, water, hygiene, and sanitation services.

Footnotes

1 Palestinians killed or injured by people who are not members of Israeli forces, e.g., by Israeli civilians or with Palestinian rockets falling short, as well as those whose immediate cause of death or the perpetrator’s identity remain disputed, unclear, or unknown, are counted separately. In this reporting period, one Palestinian killed by Palestinians is counted separately.

2 Israeli casualties in these charts include people who were injured while running to shelters during Palestinian rocket attacks. Foreign nationals killed in Palestinian attacks and people whose immediate cause of death or the perpetrator’s identity remain disputed, unclear, or unknown, are counted separately.