Violations Bulletin

October 2010

An Israeli settler points a weapon at Palestinian

October 2010 demonstrators during a protest near the
settlement of Bracha, south of Nablus.
Credit: Courtesy of AFP
 Child fatalities

 Children of the gravel

 Investigation into use of 16-

year-old girl as human shield

 Settler violence case in East

Jerusalem

 New report: Under Attack: Settler

Violence against Palestinian
Children in the Occupied
Photo credit:
Palestinian Territory Ma’an News

October 2010 - overview

On 3 October, two Israeli soldiers were On 13 and 14 October, two more children
convicted of using a nine-year-old boy as were deliberately shot and injured whilst
a human shield during the war in Gaza in collecting building gravel in Gaza, close to
2009. Since 2004, DCI-Palestine has the border with Israel. This brings the total
documented 15 cases of children being number of similar cases documented by
MEDIA REPORTS used as human shields by the Israeli army, DCI-Palestine since March 2010 to 14. In
with this being the first case in which response to these latest shootings, DCI-
 Haaretz convictions have been recorded. Palestine has issued an Urgent Appeal (UA
 The Independent 4-10).
 The New York Times In a related issue, on 19 October, the
 BBC Israeli Military Prosecutor wrote to Adalah On 1 November, DCI-Palestine released a
 Reuters and DCI-Palestine to notify the new report on settler violence: Under
 Haaretz organisations that an investigation has Attack: Settler Violence against Palestinian
 The Guardian been opened into the use of a 16-year- Children in the Occupied Palestinian
 The Independent old girl from Nablus as a human shield, in Territory. The report documents the cases of
 AFP February 2010. Adalah and DCI-Palestine three children killed, and the injury of 42
lodged a joint complaint in the case on 20 others during a two year period.
September 2010.

CONTENTS Number of Palestinian children killed as a result of Israeli military and settler presence in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Child fatality figures

Case summaries 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 TOTAL

In the spotlight

Recommendations 94 98 192 130 162 52 124 50 112 315 6 1335

Page 1 DCI-Palestine ● Violations Bulletin, Issue 2 ● October 2010

Child fatalities
Flechette darts removed from the
bodies of Ismail and Husam, killed
on 12 September 2010. Photo
credit: DCI-Palestine.
Settler violence
Under Article 49 of the Fourth
Geneva Convention, the
settlement of occupied territory is
prohibited. Article 49 is intended to
deter the acquisition of territory
through aggression and to prevent
the illegal annexation and
colonisation of territory. In violation
of Article 49, there are now
approximately 500,000 Israeli
settlers in the West Bank and East
Jerusalem. The illegality of these
settlements has been confirmed by
UN Security Council Resolutions
and an Advisory Opinion of the
International Court of Justice.
Children of the Gravel
Since March 2010, DCI-Palestine
has documented 14 cases of
children shot whilst collecting
gravel between 50 and 800 metres
from the border fence with Israel.
According to the UN, the Gaza
Strip requires 55,000 truckloads of
raw materials for reconstruction
following the war in 2009. However,
in the first four months of 2010, the
Israeli authorities only permitted the
entry of about 30 trucks per week.
If this rate of reconstruction
continues, Gaza will return to its
pre-war position in 35 years, or
2045.
Page 2
Case summaries
Husam Abu Said (16) and Ismail Abu Odeh (16)
On 12 September 2010, two 16-year-old boys are killed by tank shells containing
flechette darts in the Gaza Strip, approximately 700 metres from the border fence with
Israel.
Husam Abu Said and Ismail Abu Odeh lived in Beit Hanoun, north Gaza. On Sunday, 12
September 2010, the two boys decided to celebrate the end of Ramadan with a
barbeque on Husam’s grandfather’s land, which is situated about 700 metres from the
border with Israel. The boys shared some tea with the neighbour, who was out
collecting olives with his grandchildren. After they had finished their tea they helped the
neighbour load up his sacks of olives before he drove away. A short time later, at
around 4:30pm, the neighbour heard three large explosions and immediately called
Husam’s grandfather. A paramedic answered the phone and said that the owner of
the phone was dead. The neighbour immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where
he saw the bodies of the grandfather and Ismail being pulled from an ambulance.
Ismail had been decapitated, and was only identifiable by his red shirt. Husam’s body
was recovered later the same day. ‘I saw flachette shrapnel all over their bodies,’
recalls the neighbour. ‘They looked like darts which had stuck in their clothes and
bodies.’ The Israeli army later admitted that the killings were a mistake (source: BBC).
Anas E. (9)
On 14 August 2010, a nine-year-old boy is beaten by five settlers in the Old City of
Jerusalem, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Anas lives in the Old City of Jerusalem. Last August, during Ramadan, Anas was walking
towards his uncle’s house, where he was invited for dinner, when he saw five settlers. ‘They
were orthodox Jews. They were wearing black jackets and trousers and had long ringlets
in their hair,’ says Anas, ‘they were old; around 30 or 40. No one else was in the street, just
me and them.’ Anas had barely walked 20 metres ‘when I felt something hitting me on
the head. I felt extreme pain and put my hand on my head and started shouting.’ The five
settlers then approached Anas holding wooden sticks in their hands. ‘They hit me twice on
the head with the sticks which knocked me over. Then they beat me on my back, hitting
me five times with their sticks. I was screaming and crying, and tried to protect my head
with my hands,’ says Anas. ‘The five settlers kicked me in the back, stomach and legs.
Then they took off my flip-flops and one of them started beating the soles of my feet with
a stick and I still have the marks to this day. Then they left me alone and ran away.’ ‘We
have many settlers in the neighbourhood,’ says Anas, ‘and they know how to scare little
children. But we have got used to them and I still go out and play.’
Mahmoud J. (16)
On 7 October 2010, a 16-year-old boy is shot in the right leg whilst collecting building
material in the Gaza Strip, approximately 450 metres from the border fence with Israel.
Mahmoud lives in Beit Lahiya, North Gaza, with his parents and six brothers and sisters.
His grandmother, who used to live in the first floor of their house, was killed on 1 January
2009 during ‘Operation Cast Lead’. His father used to work inside Israel, but he lost his
job when the crossing points were closed. The small shop he opened on the first floor of
their house earns around 30 shekels (US $8) a day, hardly enough to support the family.
About three months ago, Mahmoud joined his neighbours and friends in collecting
gravel from the Israeli evacuated settlement of Eli Sinai, north of Beit Lahiya, near the
border fence. On Wednesday, 7 October 2010, Mahmoud went to collect gravel at
around 2:30pm. After collecting around 14 buckets of gravel, Mahmoud went to fetch
the donkey cart. As he headed towards the cart, he was shot. ‘I felt something hitting
my right leg. I felt as if my leg had been blown away,’ explains Mahmoud. ‘The bullet
entered the upper part of my thigh and exited from the other side. The exit hole had a
diameter of about five centimetres.’ (See Urgent Appeal 4/10)
DCI-Palestine ● Violations Bulletin, Issue 2 ● October 2010
 VOICES FROM THE OCCUPATION
In the spotlight

 Voices – Children of the Gravel Settler Violence

 Voices – Children of the Gravel
 Voices – Children of the Gravel On 1 November 2010, DCI-Palestine released a new report on settler violence against
 Voices – Children of the Gravel Palestinian children: Under Attack: Settler Violence against Palestinian Children in the
 Voices – Children of the Gravel
Occupied Palestinian Territory.
 Voices – Children of the Gravel
 Voices – Children of the Gravel
 Voices – Children of the Gravel Since 1967, the Israeli government has supported the construction of settlements in the
 Voices – Children of the Gravel Occupied Palestinian Territory and encouraged the relocation of Jewish nationals to
 Voices – Children of the Gravel these settlements in violation of international law. There are now approximately
 Voices – Children of the Gravel 500,000 settlers living in over 200 settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank and
 Voices – Children of the Gravel East Jerusalem.
 Voices – Children of the Gravel
 Voices – Children of the Gravel
 Voices – Settler violence Settlements have a profound impact on the lives of Palestinians throughout the West
Bank and East Jerusalem. Apart from the loss of land taken for settlements and their
related infrastructure, settler violence, such as beatings, shootings and the destruction
of property are a common occurrence in the lives of Palestinians, including children.
RECOMMENDATIONS
These violent acts serve – Human shields:
a political and strategic goal, and are carried out by
URGENT APPEALS ideological settlers, who believe that the West Bank is part of Greater Israel, and it is
theirThere
duty to beclaim
full and impartial
this land investigations
and establish a Jewishmeeting
presenceinternational standards
there. These patterns of
 UA 4/10 - Children of the Gravel in violence
settler all casesareinvolving
repeated theinuse
EastofJerusalem,
children as human
where shields;
official government policies of
house evictions and demolitions, and the revocation of residency rights, serve to
change
The Israeli army be given
the demographic adequate
in favour of thetraining and supervision
Jewish population, in thetohope
ensure
of
compliance
establishing with as
Jerusalem the 2005
the ruling
eternal of undivided
and the Israelicapital
High Court of Justice;
of Israel, and
in contravention
of international law.
 All investigations must also enquire into the responsibility of the army's top
For information on Palestinian Overcommand
a two year period
echelon for between Marchuse
the continued 2008 and July
of children as 2010,
humanDCI-Palestine
shields.
Child Prisoners read DCI’s latest
documented 42 cases in which children were attacked and injured by settlers, and
Detention Bulletin, or the report
three cases where the children were killed. These documented cases occurred near a
Palestinian Child Prisoners, The
number of settlements around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Salfit, Hebron and Nablus.
systematic and institutionalised ill-
treatment and torture of
The Israeli authorities have consistently failed to prevent settler attacks against
Palestinian children by Israeli
authorities Palestinians and to take adequate enforcement measures against settlers who
commit these crimes. Israeli soldiers often turn a blind eye and fail to intervene in
confrontations, even though, as the occupying power, they are obliged to protect the
civilian population under international humanitarian law. DCI-Palestine has also
documented cases where soldiers actively participate in civilian attacks by settlers.

Over 90 percent of settler violence incidents that are investigated by Israeli authorities
are closed without any charges being filed, leading to a climate of impunity.

A brochure is also available online or upon request.

Lawyers and fieldworkers for DCI-

Palestine collect sworn affidavits
from victims and/or eye witnesses of
human rights violations against
Palestinian children. These affidavits
are collected in Arabic and further
reviewed by trained staff to
determine appropriate follow up
action. Additional case summaries
are available on request.
For further information contact an
advocacy officer at ria@dci-pal.org
RECOMMENDATIONS – Settler violence
1. Israeli authorities must take effective measures to protect the civilian
population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including children, from
settler attacks; and
2. Israeli authorities must take effective measures to ensure that all cases of
settler attacks are thoroughly and impartially investigated in accordance
with international standards, and perpetrators are brought promptly to
justice.

Page 3 DCI-Palestine ● Violations Bulletin, Issue 2 ● October 2010

Page 2