A/HRC/31/73 III. Alleged human rights violations related to the rise in violence in 20154 17. The Special Rapporteur has raised a number of concerns related to the rise in violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially of excessive use of force by Israeli security forces during clashes and in the context of attacks and alleged attacks by Palestinians. The situation escalated in October, following heightened tensions, and continued in November and December 2015.5 The upsurge in violence6 is a grim reminder of the unsustainable human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the volatile environment it engenders. On 22 October 2015, the Deputy Secretary-General in his briefing to the Security Council, while stressing that there is no justification for murder, stated that the current crisis would not have erupted “if Palestinians did not still live under a stifling and humiliating occupation that has lasted almost half a century”.7 18. Against the backdrop of illegal settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the blockade of Gaza, and a general lack of accountability, including for violations and crimes by Israeli security forces and settlers, tensions rose further in September and October 2015 following restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on Palestinians’ access to the Al-Aqsa compound and what Palestinians viewed as attempts to alter the status quo at the Al-Aqsa compound. 19. On 14 September 2015, in his opening address to the thirtieth session of the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted concerns of excessive use of force in the context of a spike in killings of Palestinians over previous months in incidents involving Israeli security forces in the West Bank. The Special Rapporteur received submissions from two Hebron-based non-governmental organizations on the case of an 18-year-old woman, Hadeel al-Hashlamoun, who was killed on 22 September 2015 by Israeli forces at a checkpoint in Hebron. There have been allegations that it constituted an extrajudicial execution, amid questions of whether the woman possessed a knife as claimed by Israeli forces.8 Even in the context of an alleged stabbing attack, there are serious questions as to whether lethal use of force was warranted by the threat level presented by one young woman with a knife confined to the area of a checkpoint controlled by several armed Israeli soldiers.9 She was reportedly shot multiple times and it appears there was no medical assistance attempted by the Israeli authorities. 10 The investigation by one Israeli non-governmental organization found that the allegation that she had attempted to stab soldiers could not “be reconciled with the fact that there was a metal barrier between her and the soldiers”. The organization further noted that she had been shot repeatedly, 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6 Data available at the time of drafting primarily covered the months of October and November 2015. At the time of finalizing the present report in December 2015, the situation was ongoing. Press releases, “‘Extremely volatile situation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory’ – UN expert expresses grave concern”, 16 October 2015, and “UN rights experts express deep concern about ongoing bloodletting in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, 16 November 2015, issued together with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. See also press release of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Zeid urges calm and restraint in West Bank amid deadly escalation”, 8 October 2015. See www.un.org/sg/dsg/statements/index.asp?nid=674. Israel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Palestinian woman attempts to stab soldier in Hebron”, 24 September 2015 (communicated by the Spokesperson’s Office of the Israel Defense Forces). Peter Beaumont, “Dispute arises over circumstances of death of woman at Israeli checkpoint” (including a filmed witness account and photo documentation), The Guardian, 23 September 2015. Amnesty International, “Evidence indicates West Bank killing was extrajudicial execution”, 25 September 2015.