Protection of Civilians Report | 27 July – 9 August 2021

Latest developments (after the reporting period)

• On 11 August, a Palestinian died of wounds after being shot by Israeli forces during a search-and-arrest operation in Jenin on 3 August. According to local sources, Palestinians used live ammunition, threw stones and explosive devices, and Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas, shooting and injuring at least six Palestinians, including the one who later died from his injuries.

Highlights from the reporting period

• Israeli forces shot and killed four Palestinians, including an 11-year-old boy. On 27 July a Palestinian man was killed in Beita at a time when no clashes were reported.  According to the Israeli military, he was walking towards soldiers while holding an iron bar and did not stop after they fired “warning” shots. Palestinian sources report that the man was a municipal employee repairing the water network, and the iron bar was in fact a wrench.  A day later, an eleven-year-old boy was killed in Beit Ummar. He was in a car that slowly drove away from soldiers when some of them started running after the vehicle and opened fire. According to the Israeli military, the driver did not heed an order to stop, and the soldiers aimed at the wheels. At his funeral, held on 29 July, during protests against his killing, Palestinians threw stones and Israeli forces opened fire, shooting and killing another Palestinian man. Similarly, on 6 August, during a demonstration in Beita, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli forces, who fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, killing one more Palestinian.  A total of 50 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank this year, all by live ammunition. 
• Overall, Israeli forces injured 764 Palestinians across the West Bank. Most of those injured were hit during demonstrations where Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas. Of the total injured, 586 people were injured during protests against settlements in Beita and ten in Beit Dajan (both in Nablus).  A total of 107 were wounded during the protests at the funeral of the eleven-year-old boy killed in Beit Ummar. An additional 53 Palestinians were injured during protests against ongoing demolitions in Sa’ir village (Hebron). One woman who, according to the Israeli military attempted to stab a soldier, was shot at the Huwwara checkpoint (Nablus). Of those injured, 16 Palestinians were shot with live ammunition, 141 with rubber bullets, and the rest were mainly treated for tear gas inhalation. Beyond the 764 injured directly by Israeli forces, 95 were injured in Beita either while running away from Israeli forces or in circumstances that could not be verified.
• Israeli forces carried out 92 search-and-arrest operations and arrested 115 Palestinians, including 11 children, across the West Bank. Most of the operations took place in the Jerusalem governorate (30) and Hebron governorate (17).
• On 6 August, Palestinian armed groups in Gaza launched incendiary balloons, which according to Israeli media, sparked four fires in Israel. On 7 August, Israeli air forces carried out air strikes on Gaza, reportedly targeting military bases. 
• Also in Gaza, on at least ten occasions, Israeli forces opened warning fire near the perimeter fence and off the coast, ostensibly to enforce access restrictions. In one incident, Israeli naval forces detained two fishermen for six hours and seized their boat, which was eventually returned. Israeli military bulldozers conducted land-levelling operations inside Gaza, near the perimeter fence, at least twice. 
• The Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced people to demolish 57 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank due to lack of Israeli-issued building permits, displacing 97 people, including 67 children, and affecting the livelihoods of 240 other people. Of these structures, 17 were seized displacing 27 people, including 19 children, in the Bedouin community of Ibziq in the Jordan Valley.  An additional 28 people, including 21 children, were displaced when the Israeli authorities demolished six structures in Al Mu’arrajat Centre in Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, twelve structures were demolished, including five livelihood structures in Dahiyet al Bareed neighbourhood.
• People known or believed to be Israeli settlers vandalized at least 40 Palestinian-owned trees, and five vehicles across the West Bank. The trees were damaged in Ar Rakeez (Hebron) and Al Jab’a (Bethlehem), and the vehicles in Sarra (Nablus), Kafr Ra’i (Jenin) and Tayasir (Tubas). 
• People known or believed to be Palestinians threw stones at and injured three Israeli settlers. Also, according to Israeli sources, stone throwing damaged at least 11 Israeli-plated cars.