Overview of Violence
In this 1st quarter of 2019, 37 Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli actions. The number of Israelis killed as a result of Palestinian actions was 3. Therefore, the comprehensive death toll since the beginning of the 2d Intifada in 9/2000 has reached 11,250 Palestinians; 1,290 Israelis; and 73 foreign nationals (including 2 British suicide bombers).
In the West Bank, 14 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces this quarter; 3 in January; 1 in February; 10 in March. 3 were executed after allegedly attempting to stab Israeli soldiers at checkpoints (1/21; 1/30; 12/3); 1 was shot over an argument at a checkpoint (3/20); 1 was killed for not stopping at a roadblock (3/10); 1 was executed for allegedly throwing stones at cars (1/25); 2 were shot after colliding with an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) vehicle (3/4); 2 were shot during clashes with soldiers—1 was a medic tending to wounded (3/12; 3/27); 3 were executed after allegedly throwing IEDs at Israeli settlers (2/4; 3/19 [2]); 1 was killed during a house raid (3/19). 1 Palestinian was killed by an Israeli settler during clashes after settlers entered the Palestinian village al-Mughayyir (1/26). In Gaza, 21 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces this quarter; 5 in January; 5 in February; 11 in March. 20 of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza were in the context of the Great March of Return protest; 4 were killed after being hit by tear-gas canisters (1/14; 1/29; 2/12; 3/11); 1 was killed after being hit by a stun grenade (3/30); 15 were killed by live ammunition fired at protesters (1/11; 1/25; 2/3; 2/8 [2]; 2/22; 3/11 [2]; 3/18; 3/22 [2]; 3/24; 3/30 [3]). 1 Palestinian was killed by a mortar shell fired from an Israeli tank at a Hamas observation post (1/22). In Israel, 1 Palestinian was killed by an Israeli civilian after he allegedly stabbed the civilian (3/8). 2 Israeli settlers were killed by Palestinians this quarter. 1 was stabbed in East Jerusalem (2/7) and another was shot near the Ariel settlement in the West Bank (3/17). In the incident near the Ariel settlement, 1 Israeli soldier was killed by the same assailant. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories (OCHA) reported that 5,540 Palestinians were injured during the quarter; 1,684 in January; 1,304 in February; 2,552 in March. 22 Israelis were injured during the same period; 7 in January; 10 in February; 5 in March.
Great March of Return and Rocket Exchange
The Great March of Return demonstrations continued on a near-daily basis this quarter, with the biggest crowds on Fridays. On the 1-year anniversary of the Great March of Return protest on 30 March, tens of thousands of protesters were reported to have partaken in the demonstrations. The anniversary was also the deadliest day, as 3 protesters were killed and 1 succumbed to his injuries the following day. At the beginning of the quarter, the death toll stemming from Israel’s violent suppression of the protest was 195; at the end of the quarter, the death toll had risen to 217 Palestinians.
Gaza was shelled on 27 days this quarter, on some occasions after incendiary devices attached to balloons were floated into Israel (1/6; 1/7; 1/11; 1/12; 1/13; 1/22; 2/6; 2/20; 2/21; 2/27; 3/2; 3/3; 3/4; 3/5; 3/6; 3/7; 3/8; 3/9; 3/14; 3/20; 3/21; 3/23; 3/25; 3/26; 3/28; 3/29; 3/30). The most intense bombardment of Gaza happened on 14 March, 25 March, and 26 March. On 14 March, approximately 100 locations in Gaza were bombed, injuring at least 4 Palestinians and causing extensive damage. After 4 days of heavy fire from Israel toward the Great March of Return protesters, an unidentified party launched a rocket from Gaza that hit a house north of Tel Aviv, injuring 7 Israelis. Israel subsequently launched extensive air strikes on several locations in Gaza, injuring at least 3 Palestinians and causing damage to numerous structures. Around 80 projectiles were then fired toward Israel, which afterward bombed Gaza. A 2d round of extensive rocket exchange happened on 26 March. A senior Palestinian official reported that 30 residential buildings in Gaza had been destroyed and at least 500 other structures were damaged on 24 and 25 March.
The United Nations Human Rights Council released a report of Israel’s deadly response to the Great March of Return protests (see United Nations).
Movement and Access
Haram al-Sharif Compound
Tensions were high at the Haram al-Sharif compound throughout the quarter. Tensions 1st rose on 14 January, when Israeli forces closed the holy site after guards in front of al-Aqsa Mosque refused entry to an Israeli police officer who would not remove his kippah before entering the mosque for a security check. Israeli police also detained 4 employees working for the Waqf in charge of the al-Aqsa Mosque; they were all released the same day but banned from entering Haram al-Sharif for a week. Israeli forces subsequently raided al-Aqsa Mosque on 17 and 21 January. In the latter raid, Israeli forces took pictures and measurements of the mosques, a practice typical before demolitions of homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. On 20 January, Israel banned another 5 of the Waqf employees from Haram al-Sharif for 4 to 6 months.
In February, the Islamic Waqf council was expanded from 11 to 18 members, a decision made by Jordan, the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. The then-expanded Waqf council held a meeting to reopen the Bab al-Rahma Gate, which was closed by Israeli authorities in 2003 in contradiction to the Status Quo of the holy sites (see the IPS publication Jerusalem and the Trump Administration: Transforming the Status Quo). After Waqf officials conducted a tour of the Bab al-Rahma building, Israeli forces summoned the Waqf director general and locked the gates to the building. This prompted Palestinian activists to reopen the gate and perform prayers. Israel responded with mass overnight arrests of 98 Palestinians in East Jerusalem on 21 and 22 February. Israel’s late-night arrest of the 75-year-old Waqf top official, Shaykh Abdel-Azeem Salhab, on 24 February prompted Jordan’s minister of Islamic Affairs to call Israel’s action “dangerous and an unacceptable escalation.” The Waqf official was released from Israeli detention the following day despite refusing to sign an order banning him from the Haram al-Sharif compound for a week. As the events on Haram al-Sharif were unfolding, an Israeli man was arrested for painting graffiti outside of Bab al-Rahma, saying, “This gate is closed by the God of Israel.”
On 3 March, Israeli authorities extended the ban of Shaykh Salhab from entering the compound for 40 days and his deputy Shaykh Najeh Bkerat for 4 months. An Israeli court said on 4 March that it intended to order Bab al-Rahma closed if the Waqf had not closed it down within a week. Waqf officials refused to appear in Israeli court as the Waqf does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Haram al-Sharif compound. On 30 March, the Moroccan King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis made a joint appeal to preserve peaceful coexistence in Jerusalem after the rise in tensions. Bab al-Rahma remained open at the end of the quarter.
Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound 8 times this quarter (1/23; 1/27; 1/28; 2/5; 2/26; 2/27; 3/10; 3/14). On 3 occasions, an Israeli member of Knesset was leading the tour. Yehuda Glick on 28 January and 27 February, and Uri Ariel on 26 February. Israeli forces closed all access points to the Haram al-Sharif compound between 18 February and 19 February.
Crossings
The Erez border crossing from Gaza to Israel was open during regular hours of operation between Sunday and Friday (on Fridays, the crossing can only be accessed by urgent medical cases and foreigners). During most of the quarter, there was a significant increase in crossings into Israel compared to 2018. However, the Erez crossing was closed by Israeli authorities between 25 March and 30 March as rockets and incendiary devices were exchanged (see above). The Kerem Shalom border crossing was open as scheduled for the movement of goods in and out of Gaza (closed on Fridays and Saturdays) during most of the quarter, and there was significant increase in movement of goods exiting Gaza compared to 2018. However, the movement of goods entering Gaza was on similar levels compared to the 2018 average. As with the Erez border crossing, the Kerem Shalom crossing was closed from 25 March to 30 March. The Rafah border crossing to Egypt was closed between 7 January and 28 January due to the Palestinian Authority (PA) removing its staff from the crossing (see Intra-Palestinian Dynamics). The Rafah crossing, however, was open during its normal schedule in February and March. Overall, the crossings in both directions were at a similar volume compared to the 2018 levels. Additionally, all border crossings in and out of the West Bank and Gaza were closed between 19 March and 23 March for the Jewish Purim holiday.
Fishing
On 2 January, Israeli authorities expanded the Gaza fishing zone to 6 nautical miles off the northern part of the Gaza shore and to 12 nautical miles off the central part of the shore, which is still far from the 20 nautical miles agreed to under the Oslo accords. The fishing zone was closed by Israeli authorities during the escalation in violence between 25 March and 30 March. Despite the extension of the fishing zone, Israeli naval forces continued its harassment of Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza shore. On at least 44 separate occasions, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen (1/1; 1/10; 1/11; 1/12; 1/17; 1/18; 1/19; 1/20; 1/21; 1/24; 1/26; 1/29; 2/2; 2/7; 2/8; 2/10; 2/11; 2/12; 2/13; 2/14; 2/16; 2/17; 2/18; 2/19; 2/20; 2/21; 2/22; 2/23; 2/24; 2/25; 3/3; 3/4; 3/6; 3/7; 3/8; 3/9; 3/10; 3/11; 3/13; 3/20; 3/20; 3/22; 3/24; 3/29). Israeli naval forces also arrested 17 Palestinian fishermen and confiscated 5 Palestinian-owned fishing boats this quarter.
Incursions and Fire at Farmers in Gaza
On 17 days during this quarter, Israeli forces made incursions into Gaza to level land (1/4; 1/7; 1/8; 1/15; 1/16; 2/1; 2/4; 2/5; 2/12; 2/17; 2/22; 2/24 [2]; 2/26; 3/5; 3/13; 3/20; 3/28). Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian famers and bird hunters on 31 occasions (1/1; 1/2; 1/3; 1/5; 1/6; 1/7; 1/12; 1/13; 1/16; 1/18; 1/21; 1/28; 1/29; 2/3; 2/5; 2/6; 2/7; 2/8; 2/9; 2/10; 2/11; 2/14; 2/16; 2/23; 2/25; 2/26; 2/28; 3/2; 3/10; 3/16; 3/17). No injuries were reported in relation to these incidents.
Settler-Only Road
In the West Bank, a new road was built and opened by Israel on 10 January and quickly became known as the Apartheid Road. The name originates from the road’s illustrative display of segregation and privilege of Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The road has Jewish-only lanes separated from the Palestinian lanes by a concrete and fenced wall. Furthermore, the road only allows Israeli settlers to access Jerusalem, while Palestinians cannot. The new road is not the 1st segregated or settler-only road in the West Bank, but the 1st of its kind to include a wall, illustrating the privileges of Israeli settlers on Palestinian land. On 23 January, activists blocked access to the road, holding a banner with the text, “No to apartheid, no to annexation.” They were violently dispersed after 30 minutes of protest by Israeli forces. The day after the road opened, the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said, “The creation of this new apartheid road affirms Israel’s willful intent to entrench its racist colonial regime and superimpose ‘Greater Israel’ on all of historic Palestine.”
Displacement
Demolitions
According to OCHA, 137 structures were demolished in the West Bank and East Jerusalem by Israeli forces during the quarter: 40 in January, 52 in February, and 45 in March. The demolitions displaced 226 Palestinians, including 97 children and 57 women. 48 of the demolitions were in East Jerusalem and 88 were in Area C of the West Bank. 42 percent of the structures demolished were residential, 38 percent were related to livelihood, and 7 percent were water, sanitation, and hygiene related. Several water connections and wells were demolished in February, affecting 25,000 Palestinians. The level of demolitions and displaced people were well above the monthly averages of 2017 (35 structures and 55 displaced people) and 2018 (38 structures and 39 displaced people).
The demolition-threatened village of Khan al-Ahmar was again in focus this quarter as Palestinian officials were denied access to it. In May 2018, the Israeli high court of justice ruled that the residents of the village could be evicted and resettled. In October 2018, the Israeli government postponed the demolitions after much pressure from the international community (for more, see Palestinian-Israeli Conflict 16 August-31 December 2018).
The Palestinian Bedouin village al-Araqib, located in southern Israel, was demolished 3 times during this quarter (1/31; 2/7; 3/8). The 3d demolition was the 141st since 2010.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, heavy rain at the end of February exposed cracks in Palestinian-owned structures after landslides in East Jerusalem. The center said that the damage to Palestinian-owned buildings was due to Israeli settlers excavating beneath the structures. Approximately 70 structures were reported to be in danger of collapsing or otherwise being damaged due to the excavations.
The human rights organization B’Tselem released a report, “Fake Justice: The Responsibility Israel’s High Court Justices Bear for the Demolition of Palestinian Homes and the Dispossession of Palestinians,” detailing how the Israeli high court of justice has bought into the Israeli legal construct of demolishing “illegal” structures in Area C, while Palestinians living there virtually have no other option than to build “illegally” given the extreme low rate of building permits granted to Palestinians. B’Tselem argues that the justices are complicit in displacement of Palestinians as “the justices have ignored the intent underlying the Israeli policy and the fact that in practice, this policy imposes a virtually blanket prohibition on Palestinian construction.”
Retroactively Legalizing “Illegal Settlements”
Israel utilized a new Israeli legal measure for the 1st time to retroactively legalize an illegal settlement in the West Bank built on Palestinian-owned land. A law that was passed in December 2018 allows the Israeli state to retroactively legalize Israeli-deemed illegal settlements that are built on Palestinian-owned land, if they were constructed in “good-faith.” According to the law, a “good-faith” illegal construction is a settlement built because the state erroneously believed it was Israeli state land. In the 1st instance of this law being utilized, structures in the Alei Zahav settlement near Salfit have been retroactively legalized by Israel. Jerusalem’s planning and construction committee also approved a large-scale construction project of 4,416 housing units that will span across West and East Jerusalem. It is unclear from the initial reporting how many of the units will be erected in East Jerusalem for Israeli settlers.
New Medical School in the Ariel Settlement
The Israeli Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria approved the construction of a medical school at Ariel University in the Ariel settlement in the West Bank. The medical school is partly funded by donations from American casino magnate and avid Donald Trump supporter Sheldon Adelson and by the Israeli state. 2 Israeli academics filed a partition to the Israeli high court of justice to block the project’s construction and any allocation of Israeli government spending for it.
Settler Violence
There were at least 41 incidents recorded this quarter of settler violence toward Palestinians and Palestinian-owned property (1/3; 1/4; 1/11; 1/12; /1/15; 1/19; 1/21; 1/24; 1/25; 1/26; 1/28; 1/30 [2]; 2/1; 2/4; 2/8; 2/9; 2/10; 2/12; 2/14; 2/17; 2/20; 2/21; 2/23; 2/24; 2/26; 3/2; 3/3; 3/5; 3/9; 3/10; 3/17; 3/18; 3/19; 3/20; 3/21; 3/22; 3/23; 3/24; 3/25; 3/26). 1 Palestinian was killed by an Israeli settler during a settler raid on 26 January in al-Mughayyir. Several Palestinians were injured due to settler aggression and dozens of houses and cars were damaged (see Chronology).
Temporary International Presence in Hebron
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in January that Israel would not renew the agreement that allows the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) monitoring force to continue operating in Hebron after January 31. TIPH monitors are seen as a protective force for Palestinians in Hebron who are subject to frequent attacks and abuses from Israeli settlers in the city (for more on Netanyahu’s decision on TIPH, see Israel). With Israel announcing that it unilaterally decided to stop the TIPH mandate, local Palestinians in Hebron volunteered to replace the TIPH as observers. The new observers wear blue vests and are equipped with video cameras to film any Israeli settler hostility. Issa Amro, 1 of the activists behind the initiative, told the Associated Press that, “We will document any attack by photos and words, and we will circulate it all over the world.” There have been several instances of Israeli settler hostility in Hebron after the TIPH left. For example, on 12 February, some 100 Israeli settlers marched on the Old City of Hebron, throwing stones at Palestinian homes and chanting slogans like “death to Arabs.” The settlers were escorted by 70 Israeli soldiers.
Cable Car and UNRWA Schools in Jerusalem
A controversial project to build a cable car from West Jerusalem to occupied East Jerusalem was approved by the Israeli National Infrastructure Committee in January. In early January, it was reported that the Jerusalem Development Authority had declined to let the public review a report which it had commissioned to see the economic feasibility of the cable car. The authority said that the cable car is a part Jerusalem’s public transportation system. Many fear that it is part of Israel’s Judaization of Jerusalem and will serve to bolster Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem and Silwan in particular, as Silwan is planned to be an access point of the cable car. Israel also announced that it would be closing United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schools in East Jerusalem. The Jerusalem municipality would be replacing the schools (see United Nations).
Herbicides and Agricultural Displacement
The 3 human rights organizations Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Adalah, and Gisha published a letter written to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli military advocate general, and the Israeli attorney general urging them to stop the practice of spraying herbicides over Gaza farmland. According to the letter, the latest incident happened on 4 December 2018 and earlier sprayings of herbicides have resulted in loss of crops and danger to Palestinian farmers’ health.
During this quarter, Israeli settlers cut down or otherwise damaged 728 olive trees and 1,000 olive tree saplings. Israeli forces destroyed 996 olive trees, 38 almond trees, and 300 olive tree saplings (see Chronology).
Palestinian Prisoners
Arrests and Detentions
The total number of Palestinian prisoners remained at the same level during the quarter, according to Addameer. In January there were 5,450 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons; that number decreased by 5 in February and rose by 5 in March. The number of Palestinians held in administrative detention rose by 2, from 495 in January to 497 in March. The number of child prisoners fell by 10, from 215 in January to 205 in March. The media reported a total of at least 847 detentions and arrests during the quarter; the vast majority of the detainees were arrested during house raids (see Chronology).
Conditions in Israeli Prisons
Israel’s public security minister Gilad Erdan said on 2 January that his ministry planned to “worsen” the conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. He referred specifically to reducing water supplies, the number of family visits, cooking rights, access to television, and limiting the stipends provided by the PA for purchase in the prisons’ cafeteria. Erdan also announced that he would end the separation of Hamas and Fatah prisoners, risking a rise in violence in the Israeli prisons. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners responded to Erdan’s announcement by issuing a statement declaring a mass hunger strike if Israel were to implement Erdan’s plan. A ruling by the Israeli high court of justice had already deemed the conditions in the Israeli jails inhumane. After Erdan’s announcement, tensions between Palestinian prisoners and prison guards remained high through the quarter.
On 21 January, 150 Palestinian inmates and 3 Israeli prisons guards suffered injuries after prisoners and guards clashed during a prisoners’ protest over unannounced cell searches at Ofer military prison near Ramallah. According to the Israeli Prison Service, guards found 20 cell phones during searches. In response to the violent cell search raid, 1,200 prisoners in Ofer Prison said they were protesting Israeli violence with an open-ended hunger strike. Initially the Israeli Prison Service said that 6 prisoners were injured but did not need hospital treatment. However, the prison service later acknowledged that 17 Palestinian prisoners had been taken to the hospital. 1 inmate’s lawyer said that his client had several broken bones and needed 7 stiches under his eye after being assaulted by Israeli guards. Many, including Haaretz’s editorial board, suggested that Ofer Prison was raided for political purposes to make Likud and public security minister Erdan look tough on Palestinians. Separately, lawyers representing the Palestinian prisoners at Ofer Prison suspended their appearances in the Ofer military court as a new policy banned the lawyers from bringing their phones to the court.
In March, Palestinian prisoners said in a statement that phone-jamming devices installed in the Israeli prisons were causing prisoners “depression, headaches and fainting.” A week after the statement was released, prisoners protested the jamming devices by burning mattresses in the Ramon Prison on 18 March. Israeli guards injured 40 prisoners during the incident. The day after the incident, the Israeli Prison Service separated the prisoners involved. On 25 March, at least 12 Palestinian prisoners and 2 Israeli prison guards were injured after prison guards raided cells in the Ktzi’ot Prison. By the end of the quarter, Palestinian prisoners announced a hunger strike starting on 7 April in protest of the recent violence and worsened conditions.
Violence Against Detainees
An Israeli platoon commander and 4 soldiers were arrested on 9 January for beating 2 Palestinians in their custody. 1 of the Palestinian prisoners was beaten so badly that the IDF could not interrogate him. On 31 January, the 5 Israeli soldiers were indicted by an Israeli military court and according the charge sheet, the 2 Palestinians were a father and son that were initially handcuffed, blindfolded, and beaten. Then the soldiers took of the blindfold of the son off and made him watch as they continued to beat his father. 3 of the soldiers were convicted on 7 March; each received 6-month sentences and were demoted to the rank of private on 12 March. The trial for the remaining 2 soldiers continued at the end of this quarter. A video of the violence against the 2 Palestinian detainees was released by the Israeli court in March.
Fining Palestinian Prisoners
Haaretz reported that Palestinians had been fined over of $16 million between 2015 and 2017 in military courts. The “great majority” of the fines were given to Palestinians that had not harmed people or property. Haaretz provided 1 example of a military court sentence handed to a Palestinian throwing a stone at Israeli security forces without hitting anyone in December 2018. He was fined $551 and got a prison sentence of 6 months.
Death of Palestinian Prisoner
A 51-year-old Palestinian died in an Israeli hospital. He was transferred from the Israeli Ramon prison 2 days prior to his death. He had been incarcerated for 28 years, 17 of which he was held in solitary confinement. According to Addameer, it is likely that he died of medical neglect, like at least 60 other Palestinian prisoners in Israel detention since 1967. A 16-year-old Palestinian detained for allegedly throwing a stone at a car was detained beyond the Israeli Civil Administration’s guidelines as an official did not review his case before the deadline of submitting it. The Palestinian suffers from low white blood cell count and low blood pressure. Had his paperwork been filed before the deadline, he could have been released on probation in January due to his condition.
Palestinian Denied Legal Counsel
An Israeli judge ordered a Palestinian from the West Bank to be released from detention because he was denied legal counsel before he was interrogated by Israeli police. The Palestinian had asked to see a lawyer several times but the request was denied.
Political Prisoners
Shadi Mutwar, Fatah secretary in Jerusalem, was detained 2 times by Israeli forces during this quarter: 1st on 1 February, when he was detained after returning to the West Bank via the Allenby Bridge, and a 2d time on 17 March in his house during a raid. Mutwar was released on 26 March but was banned from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound and was told to show up for interrogation the following week.
Member of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian Legislative Council Khalida Jarrar was released after 20 months in Israeli administrative detention. She was held without charges or trial. Jarrar has been jailed 2 times before, also without charges or trial.