{"id":23955,"date":"2021-05-12T12:43:55","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T16:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=23955"},"modified":"2026-01-27T18:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T17:20:12","slug":"amnesty-international-end-brutal-repression-of-palestinians-protesting-forced-displacement-in-occupied-east-jerusalem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=23955","title":{"rendered":"Amnesty International : End brutal repression of Palestinians protesting forced displacement in occupied East Jerusalem"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . . <\/p>\n

An article from Amnesty International<\/a><\/p>\n

Israeli security forces have used repeated, unwarranted and excessive force against Palestinian protesters in occupied East Jerusalem following four days of violence in which 840 Palestinians were injured, Amnesty International said today [May 10]. At least 21 Israeli police officers and seven Israeli civilians were also injured, according to Israeli police.<\/p>\n

The organization calls on Israeli authorities to immediately halt forced evictions in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and end the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinians from East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

In the latest escalation, Palestinian armed groups have fired rockets and missiles into Israel injuring at least one Israeli and there have been reports of several people killed in Gaza from retaliatory attacks by Israel. Amnesty International calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and take all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvidence gathered by Amnesty International reveals a chilling pattern of Israeli forces using abusive and wanton force against largely peaceful Palestinian protesters in recent days. Some of those injured in the violence in East Jerusalem include bystanders or worshippers making Ramadan prayers,\u201d said Saleh Higazi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe latest violence brings into sharp focus Israel\u2019s sustained campaign to expand illegal Israeli settlements and step up forced evictions of Palestinian residents- such as those in Sheikh Jarrah – to make way for Israeli settlers. These forced evictions are part of a continuing pattern in Sheikh Jarrah, they flagrantly violate international law and would amount to war crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

[See last month’s CPNN bulletin: Overcoming Israeli Apartheid<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Eyewitness testimonies \u2013 as well as videos and photographs taken by Amnesty International\u2019s researchers on the ground in East Jerusalem \u2013show how Israeli forces\u00a0 have repeatedly deployed disproportionate and unlawful force to disperse protesters during violent raids on al-Aqsa mosque and carried out unprovoked attacks on peaceful demonstrators in Sheikh Jarrah.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of Ramadan on 13 April tensions have been steadily rising as Palestinians\u00a0protested\u00a0against\u00a0Israeli\u00a0restrictions limiting\u00a0their access to Damascus Gate, a main entrance to the Old City of\u00a0Jerusalem.\u00a0On 26 April, Israeli authorities removed the restrictions in response to the continuous demonstrations.\u00a0\u00a0Anger has also been rising over the imminent plans to forcibly evict four Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah to make way for Israeli settlers.<\/p>\n

Unlawful use of force<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tensions reached boiling point on 7 May, when more\u00a0than\u00a0170 Palestinians were injured\u00a0<\/a> as Israeli forces stormed the al-Aqsa mosque\u00a0compound in dispersing worshippers along with protesters, firing\u00a040mm kinetic impact projectiles (KIPs) and concussion grenades into\u00a0crowds gathered there for prayers on\u00a0the last Friday of Ramadan.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nA Palestinian journalist present at the scene described how Israeli forces went on the rampage firing\u00a0projectiles and tear gas. He also said they stormed the clinic at the mosque and beat protesters. He told Amnesty International: \u201cI\u2019ve been covering events taking place in Jerusalem for the past 10 years\u2026 and I\u2019ve never been this scared in my life.\u00a0\u00a0Everyone was a target, I want to say that the shooting was random, but that would be a lie. They knew\u00a0exactly who and where they were aiming their bullets and grenades\u00a0at. Most of the people were targeted in their upper bodies\u00a0(eyes, face, and chest).\u201d<\/p>\n

He was also shot in the back \u2013 while holding up his camera and attempting to leave the area. <\/p>\n

In response, protesters at al-Aqsa threw\u00a0stones and lit fires as Israeli forces on horseback and in riot gear used stun grenades to repel them.<\/p>\n

On 10 May, more than 300 Palestinian protesters were injured when Israeli forces stormed the al-Aqsa compound for the second time in days. A Red Crescent spokesperson told Amnesty International that the violence led to the hospitalization\u00a0of at least 250 Palestinians, with seven in a critical condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0One eyewitness said Israeli forces began breaking windows and firing tear gas and stun grenades, leaving many people inside struggling to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(continued in right column)<\/p>\n

(click here for the article in French<\/a> or click here for the article in Spanish.)<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Question related to this article:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\n

Israel\/Palestine, is the situation like South Africa?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(continued from left column)<\/p>\n

Another witness on the scene said Israeli forces started firing tear gas from rooftops before more forces stormed al-Haram square from al Magharbeh gate. \u201cThey kept moving in pushing people into al-Aqsa mosque, locking [the doors] with metal chains\u2026 and then breaking a window to throw in tear gas at people literally locked up with not much room to breathe or get medical assistance\u2026 on top of it they started to\u00a0 shoot rubber bullets at worshippers inside,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also reported seeing Israeli forces beating passers-by and stopping cars evacuating the wounded to photograph the injured before letting them go. He himself was shot in the chest while he approached a medic on the scene who had been injured.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sheikh Jarrah<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the past week Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood have held nightly demonstrations in response to the imminent threat of forced eviction. \u00a0Amnesty International has documented arbitrary arrests of peaceful demonstrators,\u00a0the\u00a0use of excessive force,\u00a0arbitrary use of sound and stun grenades as well as\u00a0the arbitrary spraying of\u00a0maloderant\u00a0(skunk) water\u00a0canons at demonstrators\u00a0and homes in Sheikh Jarrah.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Four Palestinian families in the neighbourhood are under imminent threat of forced eviction after a Jerusalem court rejected their appeal against an eviction order.\u00a0Nahalat\u00a0Shimon International,\u00a0a settler company, has filed lawsuits to seize the homes of dozens of families in Sheikh Jarrah using inherently\u00a0discriminatory\u00a0laws, such as the Legal and Administrative Matter Laws as well as the Absentee Property Law of 1950, to confiscate Palestinian land or property and transfer it to settler groups.\u00a0Forcible transfer of the occupied population is prohibited under international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crimes according to the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International researchers witnessed an unprovoked attack by Israeli forces against a group of peaceful demonstrators in Sheikh Jarrah on 9 May. Israeli forces arrived shortly before iftar, the evening Ramadan meal. After the meal a tens of peaceful protesters formed a circle and began chanting against the imminent plans to evict Palestinian families from their homes.\u00a0The demonstrators were at least\u00a010 metres away from the Israeli forces who were stationed by a nearby Israeli settlers\u2019 home.\u00a0A short while later\u00a0Israeli forces launched a coordinated attack to disperse the crowd of Palestinian protesters. Israeli forces on horseback began to sprint towards the crowd. One man limping in pain said he was trampled on by police horses as he tried to run away from the area. Residents were pushed into the walls of their homes and five men were arbitrarily arrested.<\/p>\n

Israeli forces began to shove and hit the group -including an Amnesty researcher observing the protest. At around 10pm they brought the skunk water canons and sound grenades\u00a0and began to arbitrarily fire at demonstrators.<\/p>\n

Osama Dweik, was arrested during a nightly demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah on 6 May when Israeli\u00a0police\u00a0suddenly charged at\u00a0the group of protesters\u00a0and immediately detained him.\u00a0At the police station he saw Israeli police kicking and beating with batons four Palestinians detained during\u00a0the Damascus Gate clashes\u00a0and Sheikh Jarrah protests. Seven other people were arrested at Sheikh Jarrah that night alone.<\/p>\n

Gil Hammerschlag, an Israeli activist\u00a0demonstrating against the forced evictions at Sheikh Jarrah on 7 May, was shoved and kicked by Israeli forces who threw sound grenades at peaceful demonstrators from less than 10 metres away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the same day, a middle-aged Palestinian man was left badly bruised in the leg when Israeli forces threw a stun grenade that struck him in the thigh. A photographer also on the scene told how Israeli forces, including police on horseback, charged towards a crowd peacefully chanting after one of the protesters threw a plastic water bottle at them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAmnesty International researchers witnessed deplorable conduct by security forces at Sheikh Jarrah including entirely unprovoked attacks on peaceful protesters standing up for rights and calling for respect of international law. Instead of further violating the rights of Sheikh Jarrah\u2019s residents and solidarity activists, Israeli authorities must immediately scrap planned forced evictions,\u201d said Saleh Higazi.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International is calling on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its systematic violations under international law.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael must not be allowed to continue its rampage against Palestinians who are simply defending their right to exist and protesting against their forced displacement. Mere expressions of concerns about Israel\u2019s utter disregard for its obligations under international law are not sufficient.\u00a0 There must be clear and strong denunciations of the flagrant violations, including forced displacement, the expansion of illegal settlements and the\u00a0and the brutal repression of people protesting against such grave violations,\u201d said Saleh Higazi.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cAs\u00a0an immediate step we call on the United Nations Security Council members to convene an open session and for the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process to brief member states.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nabil el-Kurd, one of the residents under threat of forced eviction in Sheikh Jarrah, told Amnesty International:<\/p>\n

\u201cSheikh Jarrah\u00a0is sending a message to the\u00a0whole world, including the US Congress,\u00a0the UK Parliament,\u00a0the French Parliament, the EU Parliament,\u00a0the International Criminal Court,\u00a0that what is happening to us is a war crime. It is not just an eviction, but a war crime. Remember that.\u00a0I do not know\u00a0why\u00a0the entire world is watching what is happening and letting Israel get away with it. It is time they stopped spoiling\u00a0Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . . An article from Amnesty International Israeli security forces have used repeated, unwarranted and excessive force against Palestinian protesters in occupied East Jerusalem following four days of violence in which 840 Palestinians were injured, Amnesty International said today [May 10]. At least 21 Israeli police officers and seven Israeli civilians … Continue reading Amnesty International : End brutal repression of Palestinians protesting forced displacement in occupied East Jerusalem<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,74],"tags":[8],"class_list":["post-23955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-human-rights","category-mideast","tag-mideast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23955"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38055,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23955\/revisions\/38055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}