Monday, July 25, 2016

Israeli forces demolish 12 Palestinian homes in Qalandia r.c., sparking clashes with Palestinian protesters; there are no serious injuries. Israeli raids in Abu Dis and al-Am‘ari r.c. spark further clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians (3 Palestinians are injured). Late at night, they demolish 4 more Palestinian structures in Issawiyya and 1 under construction in Silwan, and arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Ras al-Amud. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians during raids in Zabbuba village nr. Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents (there are no serious injuries). They arrest 4 more Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, and patrol nr. Hebron, Salfit, and Qalqilya. The IDF reopens a road nr. Bethlehem, having closed it in the wake of a shooting attack in the area on 7/21. Israeli forces begin constructing permanent cement rooms at the entrance to al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron; the press reports that the rooms will be used as a security inspection area. Meanwhile, the IDF maintains the general closure of Hebron and its surrounding district that it put in place on 7/1. (MNA 7/25; JP, MNA, WAFA 7/26; HA 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

UNRWA releases a statement expressing concern for the humanitarian effects of the IDF’s weeks-long crackdown on Hebron and the surrounding area. (MNA 7/25)

In response to a petition from Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, Israel’s High Court of Justice orders the police to explain why they are withholding the bodies of Palestinians killed while allegedly carrying out attacks on Israelis. The police are given 3 weeks to respond. (TOI 7/26)