A/HRC/29/52 fighters and civilian houses”.55 The local authorities in Gaza informed the commission that the executions had been carried out by Palestinian factions operating in secrecy, without instructions from the authorities. They have purportedly created a body to investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings. The Government of the State of Palestine likewise pledged to investigate such cases once it regains control over Gaza. 68. Owing to the link to the armed conflict, these extrajudicial executions constitute a violation of article 3 common to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and therefore amount to a war crime. In addition, the commission found that the executions appear to have been carried out with the knowledge of the local authorities in Gaza, in violation of their human rights obligation to protect the right to life and security of those in their custody. Furthermore, the commission is concerned that the families of those executed have been stigmatized by being labelled the relatives of “collaborators”. B. West Bank, including East Jerusalem 69. The period of June to September 2014 was marked by heightened tensions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israeli security forces allegedly conducted more than 1,400 raids on Palestinian homes and other civilian buildings, often at night, and reportedly arrested more than 2,050 Palestinians, including children (see A/HRC/28/80/Add.1).56 As at the end of August 2014, 473 persons were said to be held in administrative detention. 57 Cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, including of children, was widely reported. 58 Israel also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinians within and out of the West Bank, as well as on their access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.59 These measures prevented Palestinians from having access to services, markets, education and workplaces, and generated significant economic losses.60 In addition, Israel resumed its practice of punitive home demolitions. Incidents of settler violence and settlement-related activity, including reportedly as a response to the abduction and killing of the three Israeli youths, were recorded. 70. There was also a stark rise in deaths and injuries of Palestinians by Israeli security forces. Between 12 June and 26 August 2014, 27 Palestinians, including five children, were allegedly killed and more than 3,100, Palestinians were injured by the Israeli security forces (A/HRC/28/80/Add.1, para. 10).61 This figure reportedly rose to 36 Palestinians, including 11 children, by the end of September 2014.62 The victims included Hashem Abu Maria, a well-known child rights activist who worked for the non-governmental organization Defence for Children International who was killed in circumstances where he presented no 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 See news reports (in Arabic) at http://tinyurl.com/psv72pw and www.ahdath.info/?p=11335 and http://tinyurl.com/ms2z7lk and http://tinyurl.com/ots3rqd. See also Military Court Watch, “Statistics – Palestinian ‘security’ prisoners in Israeli detention”. B’Tselem, “Israel holding more than 470 Palestinians in administrative detention – highest number in 5 years”, 7 October 2014. See also testimonies collected by Military Court Watch available at http://is.gd/yJmFA3. See B’Tselem, “Hebron District and its 680,000 residents under third day of closure: increasing reports of property damage in arrest raids”, 17 June 2014; and OCHA, Monthly Report, June – August 2014. See B’Tselem, “Hebron District and its 680,000 residents under third day of closure” (see footnote 61). OCHA, Monthly Report, June – August 2014 (see footnote 59). Submission from Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights, Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. See B’Tselem, “Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank, after operation Cast Lead”, 2015. 17