We are privileged to get regular reports on Israeli human rights violations in the Hebron district of the occupation from Abulhadi Hantash, a cartographer for the Palestinian Authority.  The Hebron district is the southernmost and largest region of the West Bank, with over a quarter of its size and population: approximately 375,000 acres (1.5 million dunams) and 706,000 Palestinian people.

Writing to me earlier this week, he said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had given a “green light” to Israeli soldiers and settlers to attack Palestinian citizens; and he blamed American support for such conduct:

The US position, which supports the occupation, has always encouraged the occupation to murder and settlement.  The US position is biased to protect the occupation and the occupation crimes in all international forums, ignoring international norms, as well as all human and moral laws.

What follows is his report for 2015. –Susie Kneedler.

2015 Hebron District, West Bank, Special Report: Crimes committed against Palestinians by the Israeli occupation forces and Israeli settlers

Image: Abulhadi Hantash

The area covers 375,000 acres (1.5 million dunams)
The Palestinian population includes 706,000+.
Many types of military occupation attacks .2014 was the year of settlement expansion.

2015 is the year of the settlement expansion and street executions. These were done by experienced, senior Israeli military officers. Young Palestinian men, women, and children bled to death as military officials prevented ambulances from reaching them. The reprehensible atrocities committed by the ‘finest’ military in the world is described below.Palestinians killed: 54 Martyrs

Land Confiscation and Dredging Operations: 1181 acres (military and settlers)

Uprooting or burning of trees: 7335 trees, close to Yatta, Halhul, Dahria, Bet Ula, Shukh, and Dura

Preventing of field work (agriculture): 22 cases

Damage to agricultural crops: 6 cases,: 225 acres destroyed

Construction of units & caravans: Added 115 new housing units & multiple caravans

The construction of settler roads: 1 case

Military orders 39 in the old city of Hebron, 2 in Yatta, 3 in Dahria, 2 in Tarqumia, 2 near Kiryat Arba = 976 Acres

Stop building and demolition notices: 215 orders , in Idna, Bet Ula, Yatta, Halhul, Hebron, Ramadin, Dahria, Al Kom, Bet Umer, Karma, and Dura

The Demolition of Homes and Bombing Attacks

Demolition of houses / barracks rooms / agricultural structures / factories / caves / tents: 52 cases

Demolition water wells: 11 wells

Stop building orders: 235 orders

Evacuation orders: 34 cases covering 538 acres primarily in Dura, Dhariya and Beit Ummar

Destroying / dynamiting doors of homes or shops: 178 doors

Private homes seized for military barracks: 190 homes

Closure of shops under gun threats: 17 shops

Breaking into shops and smashing contents: 70 shops

Confiscation of farm machinery: 4 cases

Military Operations

Raids of private homes: 2598 raid attacks throughout Hebron district

Shooting at homes and civilians; Theft of property; Stealing of gold coins; Smashing contents of homes; Taking computers, mobile devices, cameras, and DVD players; Raiding institutional supplies; Stealing from gas stations, 1067 cases

Raids of schools: 15 cases

Raids of institutions and factories: 75 cases

Mixing food contents so they are inedible by the family: 12 cases

Storming villages / towns / refugee camps: 1890 storming operations

Shooting at citizens: 472 cases

Gas bombs thrown: 590 cases

Stun grenades used: 382 cases (170 decibels, hearing loss at 120 decibels)

Arrest of citizens: up to 1600, many released in hours, others still in custody

Beating of citizens: 367 citizens

Chasing pedestrians in army jeeps: 3 cases, running over 4 people

Chasing workers on the job: 54 workers

Forcing citizens to undress: 123 cases

Attacking worshipers: On a daily basis

Assault on school students, teachers, university students: 42 cases

Attacks on farmers – 54 cases, journalists – 28 cases, foreigners –4 cases,

Attacks on demonstrators – 23 cases

Using citizens as human shields: 15 cases

Kidnapping of citizens: 6 citizens

Sexual provocations: 22 cases

Joint army attacks with settlers: 20 cases

Blocking ambulance and fire crews: 45 cases

Closure of roads / entrances to villages and towns: 1000 cases, some are still closed

Detention of Palestinian vehicles: 590 vehicles

Preventing access to the Tomb of the Patriarchs: DAILY

Declaration of closed military zones: 39 cases

Storming of mosques: 2 cases

Destruction of water networks and electricity networks : 7 cases

Closure of institutions: 5 cases

Erecting new military towers: 3 cases

Prohibiting access to farmland: 5 cases

Landing military aircraft: 4 cases of operations

Settler Attacks and Outpost Gangs

Attacking homes: 220 cases

Smashing cars: 29 cars

Uprooting and stealing trees: 800 trees

Beating Palestinian citizens: 83 citizens

Attacking farmers, school students, children, shopkeepers, ambulance crews, shepherds: 177 cases

Sexual provocation: 80 cases

Assaults on graves: 1 case

Blocking roads.: 16 cases

Attacks on people : 38 cases

Death threats: 10 cases

Smashing solar cells: 6 cases

Storming villages and towns: 14 cases

Running over citizens: 18 cases of Hebron settlers ramming, hitting,and running over Palestinians with their vehicles.  Many of these were children.  These unspeakable crimes are on an upsurge from the 10 cases in 2014.  Six cases are included in the PLO report, “List Settler Violence/Terror Arracks January 1 – July 27, 2015“and the remaining 12 are pending in the July-December 2015 report.

Registering of Palestinians in Hebron’s Old City with numbers next to their identity (to intimidate, as was done in Nazi Germany).

Prepared by Abdulhadi Hantash

Expert on Land and Settlement
Land Surveyor and Cartographer for the Palestinian Authority