Violence by Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) and Israeli colonial settlers has and continues to escalate towards Palestinians across the West Bank and Jerusalem in the month of Ramadan.[1] Since the beginning of Ramadan eight Palestinians were killed, including two women and one child.[2] The escalation comes as a response to a number of attacks made across the Green Line in Israel. In response to the attacks, Israel has increased troop numbers deployed in the West Bank and launched several attacks on Jenin refugee camp, killing and wounding several Palestinians, effectively applying collective punishment to Palestinians in violation of basic human rights and humanitarian law standards.[3] In addition to these actions, violence by unlawfully transferred in colonial settlers and IOF soldiers towards Palestinians is rising across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Several Palestinians have been killed and wounded in Hebron and Bethlehem, and arbitrary arrests have taken place of dozens of Palestinians in Jerusalem according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. Both before and during Ramadan, Palestinian Jerusalemite population continues to be harassed by the IOF.[4] These violations continue to contribute to the deteriorating humanitarian situation across Palestine and reinforce Israel’s Apartheid regime on both sides of the Green Line and against the Palestinian people as a whole.

The attacks on the Jenin Refugee Camp this past week by the IOF amount to the continued use of collective punishment by Israel against Palestinians. Aside from the direct attacks on Palestinians, Israel has also decided to close two checkpoints (Al Jalma and Barta’a),[5] preventing Palestinians living within the Green Line from accessing Jenin and vis versa, denying many their right to a family life, with families split on both sides of the Green Line. At the same time, access is still granted for Palestinian labourers and workers in Jenin to travel to Israel, highlighting the ongoing economic exploitation of Palestinians by the Israeli apartheid regime.[6] All ‘openings’ along the annexation fence have been closed by the IOF preventing tens of workers from reaching their work places and hence their only source of income.[7]

Among the eight Palestinians killed,[8] during this period were two women, the first was Ghada Ibrahim Sabatien, who was shot and killed by IOF on the 10 April 2022, in Husan, near Bethlehem.[9] Ghada was a widow and mother of six children. She was unarmed and posed no threat to the Israeli soldiers.[10]  The second woman was Maha Kazem Alzaatary, who was shot and killed by IOF in Hebron after an alleged attack on IOF. Both cases show a complete disregard for Palestinian health, safety and lives, as well as the continued unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by the IOF towards Palestinians. Al-Haq documentation has also recorded how the IOF interfered with ambulance operations towards wounded persons in both the cases mentioned above and also in Jenin, initially preventing medical treatment and endangering their health.[11] It is likely that if the situation continues to escalate as it is currently, there will be more Palestinians killed and wounded by both IOF and colonial settler attacks over the coming days.

In addition to violence perpetrated by the IOF, Israeli colonial settler attacks against Palestinians have intensified, both in the previous year and particularly in the recent weeks as tensions have risen. Al-Haq documentation has recorded attacks on Palestinians, their homes, property and livestock by colonial settlers within the West Bank that appear to be steadily increasing. Of particular concern is the increased support for colonial settler violence by the IOF, not only passively standing by but also assisting in attacks on Palestinians.[12] All these factors increase the lack of accountability towards settler colonial attacks which continues to deny justice to Palestinians.

Against this backdrop, Israeli officials have continued to incite greater violence towards Palestinians. Statements such as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s call for Israelis to arm themselves on the 30 March 2022, and Defence Minister Benny Gantz, to “grant full freedom of action to the […] security forces in order to defeat terrorism” highlights a complete disregard for international law and Palestinian safety. The actions of Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s visit to Occupied East Jerusalem on the 4^th April also has recklessly increased tensions, aggravating the deteriorating situation in the OPT. 

Israel’s provocations, threats and attacks on Palestinians will only lead to more violence in the region. In particular, Al-Haq is concerned for the safety of Fathi Hazem, the father of Raed Hazem who carried out an attack, and his family, who are now being pursued by Israeli intelligence as a wanted person. Al-Haq calls on the international community to take immediate action to address the ongoing IOF attack and blockade of Jenin, particularly the collective punishment, as well as the violence, killings, house demolitions and arrests made against Palestinians in both the West Bank and Jerusalem by the IOF. Al-Haq also calls for action by the international community to end the violence committed by Israeli colonial settlers, as well as their settlements, which are illegal under international law, and continue to expand with the support of transnational corporations, and Israel’s apartheid regime practiced against the Palestinian people.  

By failing to take immediate and direct actions to halt Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, not only is the very structure of international legal order is at risk, but Palestinians, enduring, and frustrated by, decades of Israeli settler-colonialism and apartheid regime, will continue to face systematic and intensified attacks by the Occupying Power. Words of condemnation are not enough. Israel’s long-established unlawful policies and regime of oppression will not come to an end as long as the international community fails to take concrete actions against it. Israel must be held accountable for its breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law that otherwise occur with impunity. In particular, Al-Haq calls on the International Criminal Court and the prosecutor to push forward with their investigation into the Situation in Palestine, so that justice and accountability can be given for the victims of Israel’s apartheid regime and colonial practices.